Maggie is packed up and ready to go

Maggie is excited to move! (Move as in, relocate. Not move as in "bust a move" because that requires too much exertion.)

Our new home...

I was going to post a link from the Realtor's website with all the details/photos of our house we are renting, but unfortunately they removed it from the site. (Although that is a good thing ultimately since it means the house is ours!) So sadly the only pic I have is the grainy photo from google maps, but at least it gives you an idea of what the house looks like. We will be back to Cleveland though soon enough and I'll post pics once we've repainted and setup our abode!

We went back on forth about whether to rent or buy, but ultimately decided to rent for the school year until we know Cleveland Heights/University Heights area a little better. (And who knows, this house is potentially for sale so we may decide to stay put!)

Recipe: Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

In an effort to keep track of the recipes I've been gathering, I'm going to post them here and tag with recipes. Hope you enjoy them too!

From FoodTv.com:
Recipe courtesy Gourmet magazine

Black Bean Cakes with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1 2/3 cups cooked black beans
* 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
* 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* Vegetable oil, for frying
* Spicy Cilantro Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl, mash 1/3 of the beans with a fork and stir in the remaining beans, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.

Form bean mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties (mixture will be wet and soft.). Gently dredge patties in cornmeal and transfer to a large plate lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cakes for 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Pour enough oil into a heavy skillet to reach 1/4-inch up the side. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, cook the patties, turning once, until well browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to paper towels to drain.

Divide the cakes among plates and serve with the sauce.
Spicy Cilantro Sauce:

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 jalapeno chile, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir together cilantro, vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and chile. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: about 1 cup

A Map of Our New Neighborhood (With Skitch Added Fun)

Just click to see the full map in all its glory...

Who's Hogging our Antibiotics?

As I was riding the DC Metro today I saw several large banners for the Pew Trust's "Who's Hogging Our Antibiotics?" campaign. I had no idea the Pew Trust was so forward thinking on this issue! (Interesting local side note: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health partnered with the Pew Trust to establish the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.) The campaign is clever, bold, and to the point: abuse of antibiotics by factory farming methods is a threat to human health. I think it is great that in addition to addressing human needs the campaign clearly links this problem to overuse of antibiotics on CAFOs. It definitely isn't everyday that you see this particular issue raised by a mainstream and respected entity like the Pew Trust.

Take Action!
Check out the http://www.saveantibiotics.org and encourage your lawmaker to cosponsor the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act.

Ten things I will miss in Baltimore

Lately am finding myself getting all sentimental and stuff. The excitement of changes ahead only momentarily distracted me from thinking about having to leave a city we love very much. While there are more than just 10 things I will miss, here are the ones on my mind as of late:

10. Bergers cookies, crabs sold from trucks, the O's (and complaining about them with strangers), Marc Steiner, The Sun (before it sold out), Baltimore City scandals, running into actors from The Wire, and running into generally eccentric characters you can only find in Charm City.

9. Baltimore Farmer's Market, the most eclectic and affordable market around.

8. Row houses and stoop sitting.

7. Living in a blue state. So many amazing progressives!

6. Memories of the places where I found myself during the past six years. To briefly quantify: there were three crappy non profit jobs, one crappy corporate job, one masters program, and one internship. But there was also one splendid blind date at the Paper Moon, too many dates in Charm City to count, one marriage proposal (and acceptance!) in a rowhouse, one wedding in the Belvedere, and 2+ years of happy marriage to my hon!

5. Being 2 1/2 hours from the Eastern Shore, Chincoteaque, and all the other wonderful little places available to explore around the Chesapeake Bay.

4. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't miss the fact that you can get 70 degree days in winter, and that minus a few snow flurries, spring feels around the corner and summer stretches long. I have learned to love the HEAT, the sticky hot weather that knocks you out and forces you to take a dip in the Hampden public pool along with punk kids and skinny grannies who call you hon.

3. Walking with the dogs to get Rita's ice on a summer night.

2. The spirit and raw honesty displayed by those living on the fringe in this city. There is scrappy fighting spirit in Baltimore despite many, many urban ills. Baltimore survives!

1. Wonderful family and friends. This is not good bye, just see you soon. And don't worry, we won't make you visit when there is a foot of snow on the Cleveland ground! I would write more but it would make me cry. Sniff.


-- Post From My iPhone

Puerto Rico, por favor!

Rejoice: we are finally pulling together our vacation get-away to Puerto Rico! It is long overdue but well deserved vacation to celebrate Chris's PhD defense and my last month of freedom before beginning law school.

Being on a budget I am always looking for a bargain, and I have to say I am pretty psyched by the deals I have found so far. (Note to self: if law school doesn't pan out I could always pursue work as a travel agent.) I was able to get two round trip tickets to San Juan for $99 each way (plus taxes and fees of course). $99 each way! Seriously, I can't fly to Michigan for cheaper than that.

Further deal snagging includes booking a reservation at the Andalucia Guest House in San Juan, a top rated and highly affordable B&B that will serve as home base. It is locally owned and ideally situationed two blocks away from condado beach, which is supposed to be one of the nicer beaches in San Juan. Although honestly at this point I think we'll both be content to have any type of sand between our toes. Ok maybe not the orange-dyed stuff they ship in to Sandy Point. But as long as it's not that we are happy!

The itinerary is still being hashed out but some ideas include:

• a jaunt to the El Yunque National Forest


• a trip to Luquillo beach area, apparently a favorite of locals


• a trip to the bioluminescent bay which sparkles. Need I say more?!


And finally,

• no trip to PR would be complete without a toast (with a rum-based drink) to our hopefully new Justice/Puerto Rican descendant, the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor!