Last week my friend Julie sent me another cool computer time wasting website: http://www.stumbleupon.com. If you add their toolbar you can press the stumble button to take you to websites that correspond with your interests. Your stumble results are refined each time you stumble upon a site and give either thumbs up or thumbs down. I found the world’s coolest mobile home while stumbling: http://www.loftcube.net. How funny would one of these look in Conway Acres?
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If you’re one of the lucky few accustomed to 1st class travel, understand that Spirit planes are glorified greyhound buses with wings. Of course Spirit approaches this from a slightly different angle in their promotional material, calling themselves, “ The Largest Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) serving the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.” That really says: no in-flight meals, no free snacks and (worst of all) no free drinks, alcoholic or dry. But it’s not all that bad if you’re prepared. I flew Spirit to and from Lima, Peru, over the holidays and while it did indeed suck, the check-in lines weren’t nearly as bad as those that plagued European airports last summer.
You might be a little apprehensive about Colombia because of the current border standoff going on between them and Venezuela. They’ve got a few months to work it out before the travel dates. And as I see it, there are two types of tourists who are interested in visiting Colombia in the first place. Type 1, which I deem “the informed traveler”, understands the complexities of Colombia’s political and social conflicts well enough to travel smartly and safely. The second type I dub “sitting ducks” because they’re either convinced of their own invincibility, looking to put themselves in dangerous situations, or are blissfully ignorant to world politics.
Bottom line: If you want to get travel Colombia’s Caribbean Coast for cheap, these special fares must be booked by 10:59 p.m. CST tomorrow! Check the sale out at http://www.spiritair.com/welcome.aspx?pg=salesinformation&number=522 .
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4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon of oil (preferable sesame or peanut)
1 lb lean pork, sliced thinly (pick from boneless chops, tenderloin or center cut loin; whichever is cheapest)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced (look for it in a refrigerator in the produce section)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced (kitchen shears make this a breeze)
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded (cut off the bottom in or so and remove the core first)
1/4 rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
Heat teaspoon of oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Toss pork in bowl with cornstarch, and season it with salt and pepper. Add eggs, and resist the urge to scramble. Let them cook throughout until you’re left with an egg pancake. Flip it once and then remove from heat. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and pork to skillet/wok. Cook until outside of pork turns opaque and lightly golden brown in spots (about 6-8) minutes, leaving it slightly undercooked (It’ll finish cooking later.) Remove pork from heat. Add ginger, garlic, green onion and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown (about 5 minutes). While the ‘shrooms are cooking roll up the now cool egg pancake Swiss cake roll style and cut it into thin strips crosswise. Now, add cabbage, vinegar, soy sauce, pork, and shredded eggs to pan. Cook until cabbage is wilted and pork is cooked throughout. Traditionally Moo Shu Pork is served with Hoisin sauce (a.k.a. Plum Sauce), but I like mine topped with spicy Szechwan sauce. It’s great over rice or wrapped up in a tortilla.
Everyone nods off during church at one time or another, like after you’ve gone out a little to hard on Saturday (Or Friday if you go to Temple) or when the preacher is exceptionally boring, but sometimes it’s necessary to suck it up and stay awake. Especially if you’re sitting behind the alter at a culturally significant, televised service, and you’re the former President of the United States! Watch Bill fade in and out of consciousness during the Dr. Martin Luther King tribute service last Sunday at Harlem’s Convent Avenue Baptist Church.