Things have been so crazy busy lately, it's nuts! A never-ending siege of opera performances, rehearsals, exams, quizzes, and papers is pounding at my door. By never-ending, I mean hopefully calming down by Saturday, because although things have been hectic for a couple weeks, due dates and schedules demand it should start winding down around then. Ah, Saturday, come sooner! but also don't, because I need way more time to get everything done before you arrive. Everyone is in the same boat at this time of the semester, which is kind of nice, in a twisted way. My landlord and I crossed paths today while we were both doing chores, and he told me that this is the point where his blood pressure literally starts to rise (He's a geography professor.), and that apparently doing chores helps to lower it. Isn't that interesting? I guess that explains the dire need to do dishes and sweep I felt when I got home. Yesterday my friend and I took an hour for a much-needed sun-soak while sitting in the grass (We've been having beautiful, beautiful weather and little time to enjoy it.) and then sipped these cute espressos, all of which helped fuel the rest of the afternoon. No matter how much is on your plate, you need time and space to sit and breathe every day...although today's had to be lumped in with taking a shower :)
I'm discovering a couple things that help me feel good while living on a tight budget. There's not a lot of money for extra activities or purchases, but I have to eat no matter what...so I've turned to the ritual of the meal as my main source of pleasure throughout the week. Cooking and eating are extremely comforting, satisfying, and made to be shared with friends. An automatic social activity :) I eat a lot of beans and rice and regularly make a big pot of curry out of one vegetable, but every once in awhile it's nice to have a meal that's a little out of the ordinary.
A little while ago some friends and I watched To Catch a Thief; have you seen it? It's an Alfred Hitchcock film set in the French Riviera starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, so every scene is shot amidst stunning landscapes. I was thinking about it this morning, and it put me in a very French mood, so I donned some stripes and a necktie a la Grant, threw on a bit of french music, and decided I wanted crepes for breakfast. Alas, the budget demands that eggs are saved for main dishes and butter is rationed. Also, I don't currently own a blender, which is the best way to mix up crepe batter (Julia Child's recommendation). So, I turned to corn tortillas as a crepe substitute. Obviously not the same thing, but they were still delicious. Actually corn tortillas have become a staple in my diet this month. A big pack goes for about a $1.50, so they're a great substitute for bread, which is more expensive and doesn't last as long, and they're super versatile. I topped them with ricotta (the one grocery trip splurge), peaches - which are way cheaper in Kentucky than they were in Wisconsin (awesome) - sauteed with water and honey so they got all thick and syrupy, and sprinkled on lemon zest and rosemary. So good.
