Cheap Brussels Sprouts, Raw Corn Salad, and Religion on "Glee"
It's blustery out there, folks. I've been wearing my hat and scarf inside all day. But I have a bucket full of good news!
1) I booked a job! I'll be shooting a student film on Friday and Saturday.
2) I got a cool audition on Friday and I get to use a Southern accent. Fun.
3) CSI is filming right outside my apartment tomorrow and we got warned that there will be fake gunfire. I plan on trying to spy.
4) Ralphs had brussels sprouts on sale for $1.50/pound. I bought all of these
for about five bucks. I hadn't even planned on buying brussels - I just made a quick Ralphs stop for some Granny Smith apples last night (apples are my favorite part of fall, hands down) but I couldn't pass up that price. I put my keys next to the bag so you could tell just how big it really is.
I roasted them with some 21 Seasoning Salute, garlic and onion powder, and garam masala at 450 for 20 minutes and then 500 for 10 minutes.
So good. Add a little BBQ and nooch if you want a true flavor explosion.
I also made this delicious raw dish that I will share with you now.
Raw Corn Salad
1 ear fresh raw corn
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons
1 daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Cut the corn off the cob and add remaining ingredients.
This salad is so simple but delicious and really celebrates the flavor of raw corn. It makes me never want to eat cooked corn ever again, it's just so much better and sweeter raw.
I didn't finish it all so I might doctor up a different version tomorrow.
Did anybody watch Glee last night? I watched it on Hulu this morning and I have some thoughts. The primary theme of the evening was religion and spirituality. Finn sees Jesus in his grilled cheese and experiences an extremely selfish religious conversion (praying for football victories and touching Rachel's boobs) and Kurt's dad has a heart attack, most likely brought on by his diet of Slim Jims. I, of course, saw a dietary message -- eat healthy so you won't die of a heart attack and leave your kids without a father -- but nobody mentioned that. Most people focused on the religious messages, and some religious followers and atheists alike were offended.
One of my more religious Facebook friends said she was glad Glee was brave enough to do last night's episode so I knew it was going to deal with Jesus. I am a little annoyed by the perception that religious people are persecuted in America and not allowed to express their beliefs. That's simply not true. The separation of church and state protects both religious and non-religious people and Christians are certainly free to express their beliefs. For example, many Americans falsely believe that the Bible can't be taught in schools. Not true. The Bible can be taught as a piece of literature and historical import. And students can feel free to pray at school, but the school can't impose any set of beliefs upon the students. Not being allowed to push your beliefs on others is not the same as not being allowed to express your beliefs. And while the episode did fall prey to many stereotypes, including the crazed atheists who can't stand any mention of religion around them, I mostly liked the way they presented Kurt's beliefs. He isn't religious and while he appreciates others praying for his dad, it doesn't mean anything to him and he isn't going to experience some sort of conversion in a moment of crisis. And it does get really freakin' old to have people tell you over and over that you're missing something and you may find it someday. Mercedes says in the episode that you have to believe in "something," even if it isn't a particular religion. Well, no, Mercedes, you don't. Personally, I'm very happy for other people who believe and I will never try to take that away from them. But we don't all need it and I don't appreciate being told that I am deficient in some way because I don't believe in a "higher power." That's not the way my brain works and I'm not going to change.
Did you watch last night's Glee? What did you think?
1) I booked a job! I'll be shooting a student film on Friday and Saturday.
2) I got a cool audition on Friday and I get to use a Southern accent. Fun.
3) CSI is filming right outside my apartment tomorrow and we got warned that there will be fake gunfire. I plan on trying to spy.
4) Ralphs had brussels sprouts on sale for $1.50/pound. I bought all of these
for about five bucks. I hadn't even planned on buying brussels - I just made a quick Ralphs stop for some Granny Smith apples last night (apples are my favorite part of fall, hands down) but I couldn't pass up that price. I put my keys next to the bag so you could tell just how big it really is.
I roasted them with some 21 Seasoning Salute, garlic and onion powder, and garam masala at 450 for 20 minutes and then 500 for 10 minutes.
So good. Add a little BBQ and nooch if you want a true flavor explosion.
I also made this delicious raw dish that I will share with you now.
Raw Corn Salad
1 ear fresh raw corn
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons
1 daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Cut the corn off the cob and add remaining ingredients.
This salad is so simple but delicious and really celebrates the flavor of raw corn. It makes me never want to eat cooked corn ever again, it's just so much better and sweeter raw.
I didn't finish it all so I might doctor up a different version tomorrow.
Did anybody watch Glee last night? I watched it on Hulu this morning and I have some thoughts. The primary theme of the evening was religion and spirituality. Finn sees Jesus in his grilled cheese and experiences an extremely selfish religious conversion (praying for football victories and touching Rachel's boobs) and Kurt's dad has a heart attack, most likely brought on by his diet of Slim Jims. I, of course, saw a dietary message -- eat healthy so you won't die of a heart attack and leave your kids without a father -- but nobody mentioned that. Most people focused on the religious messages, and some religious followers and atheists alike were offended.
One of my more religious Facebook friends said she was glad Glee was brave enough to do last night's episode so I knew it was going to deal with Jesus. I am a little annoyed by the perception that religious people are persecuted in America and not allowed to express their beliefs. That's simply not true. The separation of church and state protects both religious and non-religious people and Christians are certainly free to express their beliefs. For example, many Americans falsely believe that the Bible can't be taught in schools. Not true. The Bible can be taught as a piece of literature and historical import. And students can feel free to pray at school, but the school can't impose any set of beliefs upon the students. Not being allowed to push your beliefs on others is not the same as not being allowed to express your beliefs. And while the episode did fall prey to many stereotypes, including the crazed atheists who can't stand any mention of religion around them, I mostly liked the way they presented Kurt's beliefs. He isn't religious and while he appreciates others praying for his dad, it doesn't mean anything to him and he isn't going to experience some sort of conversion in a moment of crisis. And it does get really freakin' old to have people tell you over and over that you're missing something and you may find it someday. Mercedes says in the episode that you have to believe in "something," even if it isn't a particular religion. Well, no, Mercedes, you don't. Personally, I'm very happy for other people who believe and I will never try to take that away from them. But we don't all need it and I don't appreciate being told that I am deficient in some way because I don't believe in a "higher power." That's not the way my brain works and I'm not going to change.
Did you watch last night's Glee? What did you think?
