From the Bookshelf: Assata: An Autobiography

I think I have a new found sweet spot for autobiographies. I'm trying to type the words that could explain the emotions that spill off the pages in this book. There are none, or at least I can't eloquently lay them out so I oped for a list instead:

• It is a brilliant illustration of the pervasive, gross, and dehumanizing prison system we have in America.

• It is the story of a political prisoner; a story not unlike many political pensioners that seem to have fallen on deaf ears since the 21st century.

• It is the story of a black woman that made the choice to stand for a cause. 

• It is a must read for members of my generation that are striving for  social justice, equal education, economic freedom so that the pursuit of happiness doesn't seem so damn impossible. 

• It is powerful ad empowering. 

Chakula Tayari: Broccoli and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

When I was in Tanzania  last year my professor's wife use to always yell "chakula tyari," which is Kiswahili for "food is ready," to call everyone to the dinner table. Everyone ate dinner are 4pm, which was insane to me but the food was always prepared so well by the woman hired that the phrase stuck with me. 

Dinner is ready and on the menu we have broccoli and mushroom stir-fry in lettuce wraps with a avocado and lemon spread. The sides are yummy strawberries and walnuts. This is me trying to be a little adventurous and it worked! The result was mouth watering.

The stir-fry was just a mix of garlic, red onion, mushrooms, and broccoli with a little evoo. For the avocado spread, I mashed half an avocado with sea salt and lemon zest. Next time I think I add some black beans to the wrap.

Just Keep Moving...

I love my Nike+ app

 My goal is to run a marathon by next summer. For right now I'm only half crazy currently training for my first half-marathon with Jua this summer. I'm not really big on pace, unlike Jua, I just want to finish! I started running about four years ago with my friend Jhenny (I just got serious about it in the last year). For a while we just jogged and walked our way to 3 miles and it was a good week when I did that more than twice.

Now I'm working towards that 13.1 milestone. There are days when the couch potato inside of me tells me not to move much less run. But we all have things that push us further; here are two of mine:

• Cupcakes! I know it sounds silly, but I every time I break my longest mile record I reward myself with a cupcake. Its one of many vices I have. The Cupcake Station cupcakery in Ann Arbor, MI has my vote for the best vegan carrot-cake cupcake. 

• My path! Sometimes running ten miles can fly by when the path you're running on is beautiful. 

What I see when I run

From the Bookshelf: Ar'n't I a Woman

Ar'n't I a Woman written by Dr. Deborah Gray White

For the last few weeks I've gotten into the habit of reading a chapter of a book each morning before I start my day. Typically this gets me through a book a week which is nice because once school starts I'll no longer have time to read for pleasure as much.

The book this week was Ar'n't I a Woman written by Dr. Deborah Gray White. It was given to me by Dr. Tiffany Gill a professor at my new home, UT Austin. I love this book. Its pages are covered in highlighted lines and written notes. I look forward to applying it to my masters thesis.

The Recipe Junky

My staple cookbooks

Confession time:

I've spent countless hours online looking up recipes and too much money on cookbooks. Personally I blame Amazon's 1-click shipping option. I can be spotted snooping around Whole Foods with excitement and apprehension all because I want to be more adventurous with my meal choices. I'd love to get to the point where I can look in my refrigerator and whip something together without a glace at a recipe. Whenever I lack creativity or am just plain lazy I always head back to my staple meals.

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal steamed in almond milk with golden raisins, walnuts, agave nectar and cinnamon. Throw in some slices of banana and it taste just like banana bread in my mind.

Lunch:

• Mashed avocado sprinkled with sea salt with a soft fried egg on toast. Along side some roasted plantain chips, or fruit bowl and I'm set.

Dinner:

• Favorite sandwich! Avocado, hummus, mushrooms, sprouts between bread. Quinoa salad on the side.

It's dinner time!