miércoles, marzo 21, 2007

"You should blog more about our food"

L* and I are secretly at work on the Postcolonial Cookbook: a guide for queer people of color reclaiming our foods and our health.

(Should the "queer" really go in there?)

Tonight for dinner, we're having chile beans: organic red, black, and pinto beans, simmered in a crock pot all day with garlic, onions, comino, coriander, paprika (lots), cayenne, oregano, white pepper, salt and a can of organic roasted crushed tomatoes. Serve topped with cilantro, green onions, organic low-fat monterey jack cheese and sliced avocado.

chile beans

Yum!The food of the ancestors!

L* came up with this recipe when she read that the food HIGHEST in antioxidents was the "small red bean." Since we are partial to pinto and black beans, we had to stretch to incorporate the small red.

From WebMD:


"June 17, 2004 -- Blueberries may be the poster children for antioxidant abundance, but a new study suggests the humble bean may be a more deserving candidate.

The largest and most advanced analysis of the antioxidant content of common foods to date shows that disease-fighting antioxidants may be found in unexpected fruits and vegetables, such as beans, artichokes, and even the much-maligned Russet potato.

Researchers found that small red beans contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than both wild and cultivated blueberries, which have been heralded in recent years for their high antioxidant content. In fact, three of the top five antioxidant-rich foods studied were beans.

The study also shows that nuts and spices, such as ground cloves, cinnamon, and oregano, are rich in antioxidants, although they are generally consumed in much smaller amounts than fruits and vegetables."

Find the entire list of top antioxidant foods here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/20061101/antioxidants-found-unexpected-foods

If your budget can't stretch to cover blueberries at five dollars a half-pint, consider the red bean.

Reclaim your food, people.

sábado, marzo 17, 2007

Garden day

L* has been in scavenging mood lately: she wants to drive around until she finds a piece of furniture on the side of the road and then bring it home and paint it.

So far, the pickings have been slim. She's acquired a couple of frames, and something that will make a good plant stand or garden altar.

Today she brought home a tire. so we can make a planter for the garden. I'm sure you've seen them!

three tire planters posted online at Wuvie

So, of course, we're googling directions on how to cut these puppies and turn them inside out. And while looking, I found the most beautiful tropical bird planters, also made from tires.

Those girls in Miami have got to see this! It's right up their alley!

picture of toucan planter

The tropical birds are for sale only, no directions. I've also heard rumors of a tire planter that looks like a swan.

Speaking of Those Girls in Miami, L* just got back from Home Depot, where she went to get mounting brackets to put up the most fabulous TRES REYES present from TGiM. It's painted full of love and beauty, and all the joy that L*'s garden represents.



I'll post pictures when it's up.

L*'s other project is to move the geraniums over to the other side of the garden so that she'll have a whole strip where she can plant corn. I can't wait! Our own milpa!



viernes, marzo 16, 2007

DNA


"We share 25% of our DNA with bananas. Get over yourself." --T-shirt slogan

The local Sangha just sent me a message that started with this slogan.
It made me want a banana.

Alma Lopez is back online


Hey, you know you stop checking somebody's blog for a whole year and you miss out on the resurrection. Alma Lopez is back bloggin for real. I just stumbled (almost literally) across her site: it was originally more of a place holder, with announcements of upcoming shows, but now she's showing you how it's done. Me, I still haven't figured out labels yet.

Alma's entries are really compelling, and really map out more of queer Latin@ health.


domingo, marzo 11, 2007

Buscando Querido

I'm sorry: writing under the title "Looking for Querido" makes me feel like a big ol' slut. Like Jill Clayburg in Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

But we were out at La Peña last night and ran into Marcia who said--as she does everytime we see her--you know my friend Querido lives in your neighborhood. Have you met Querido yet?" Marcia tells us her friend Querido is about our age, FTM.

We have not met Querido. That there should be a (nother?) Latino FTM on our block, and us not to have met would be just too crazy. If he had any other name, we could perhaps do the Marlon Brando and stand out on the street (in our torn t-shirt and jeans) and bellow out his name: "STELLA!"

But standing out on the street yelling "QUERIDO!" well! it will definitely have the neighborhood talking.

Not to mention starting rumors that one or the other of us is looking for a new Querido.

(Note: We're NOT!)

Side note:

In Bino Realuyo's novel the Umbrella Country the family is always renting out the second bedroom to boarders. The boarders are always women, and they then share in all the family meals, spaces, conversations, etc. At one point, the main character's mother and tía say that the new boarders are queridas. And this is said in the whisper of escándolo. So the first time I read this, I'm thinking....lovers? lesbians? But then it becomes clear: they're not queridas to each other. Each one is the querida of some married man. They're mistresses!


So maybe a neighborhood flyer is the answer. Again, we don't want to put Looking for Querido, because it makes us sound like loose wo/men.

My solution is to make a flyer with a picture of a kitten on it.


HAVE YOU SEEN QUERIDO?

510-555-1212


picture of someone's lost cat


Then, "Have you seen Querido" will be innocuous to all the other neighbors, and only Querido will know it's directed at him. And he might actually call us. My only fear is that our next door neighbors will recognize L*'s phone number from the flier and worry that we've lost one of our cats.

jueves, marzo 08, 2007

Getting Strong Now (theme from Rocky)

picture of a boi doing a handstand

You know how I say L* is getting a little stronger every day? Today she did a handstand. She's been working with a personal trainer on upper body strength. She wants to build up muscle in her chest before she makes any other decisions about surgery.

I feel like she's just going to fly any day now. Like I'm gonna have to tie a string around her ankle when we go out walking so she doesn't just float off and away.

And it's funny that this all happened this week, which is the same week that she felt within arm's reach of a nervous breakdown.

She went to the INCITE book launch tonight at Mills College and was thrilled by the tranzboi presence


domingo, marzo 04, 2007

SDSU: Tales from a Chicana Lesbian Detective

The Department of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University Presents

Feminist Research Colloquium
Lesbian Studies
Spring, 2007

Ktrion, Ph.D.

Tales from a Chicana lesbian detective


Monday, March 5, 2007
1-2:30pm, Storm Hall 247

viernes, marzo 02, 2007

Luis Alfaro


I played several of the pieces from Luis Alfaro's cd DOWNTOWN today, for my Coloring queer class. It's been a long time since I listened to him and it really made my day.

I'd forgotten there were references to tías with cancer, "La bruja maldita" as they call it. The narrator links this with "la bruja maldita" of love and of sorrow that grip him with his first gay relationship and its ending (respectively)

jueves, marzo 01, 2007

What L* is Giving Up for Lent:

Steak, Chicharrones, Carnitas, and Chicken Nuggets

Okay, obviously she can't afford to give up any foods! In fact, we were strongly considering having her start eating something for Lent. (Fudge Fridays! Red wine Wednesdays)

She's been going to her personal trainer and gym, and is getting stronger. The other day she was bored and waiting for either a television thing or a computer thing, and the next thing I knew she would "drop and give me ten!" Twice! I keep telling her that soon she will be doing pushups with me sitting on her back.