brains

The more I learn about educational psychology, cognition, and multiple intelligences, the more fascinated I am with it.

Right now I'm watching specials on the Science Channel, Battle of the Brains and Brainman, and they are amazing. I think it's awesome how the brain works and how different parts regulate different kinds of tasks, but if they cross-connect, they can create amazing associations. Like if your number area and your color area connect you see a certain color when you think of numbers. Or if you hear a certain sound you think of a certain color.

I'm especially intrigued by the guy who can calculate pi in his head up to 22, 500 digits. He sees each number as an image rather than just a number. And the numbers seem to come to him as if summoned rather than by mathematics or calculations. I definitely recommend watching these if you get a chance.

The mind is a baffling, wondrous space. I love it.

tonight's dinner

I invented this recipe myself.

Sweet Potato Tamales:

• First, place several corn husks (Mexican food aisle) in a pan of hot water. Be sure to stretch them out so they get thoroughly moistened. I then placed two butter knives across them to hold them down in the water. Set aside.
• Place 1 sweet potato, washed and peeled, in a bowl with some water and microwave for about 5 minutes. When it is soft, pour out the water and add a little bit of lime juice (I used simply limeade actually). Slice into several pieces and mash until the potato is in small pieces but still slightly chunky, mixing in the lime juice as you mash. Then sprinkle with a dash of garlic salt and stir.
  
• Next, in a mixing bowl, place 1 cup of masa flour (again Mexican food aisle) and 2/3 cup water. Stir until moistened. I actually used my hands instead of a spoon or mixer because it should be a sort of dry dough rather than a batter type mixture. You may need to add a little more water, in very small quantities, to get the dough soft. Shape into a ball, cover, set aside.
  
• You'll need a sauce pan with a steamer accessory that sits on top (not sure the technical names) that you can put a lid on. Mine is like this. Fill the sauce pan halfway with water and set on stove on low. Let the water get warm and place steamer on top.
  
• Take 1 flat corn husk and lay it flat on the counter. Take a small amount of the dough (if your hands are damp the dough won't stick to them) and press it flat on top of the husk. Pour a spoonful of enchilada sauce (canned, la victoria is good brand) over it and spread with the spoon. Spoon out a little bit of the sweet potato on top of that. Then take a smaller amount of the dough and flatten in your hands and place on top. push the sides down over the filling and then roll the corn husk together so that the sides meet in the middle. fold the ends down and place in the steamer.
  
• Turn the burner up to med/high. When water begins to boil, place lid on steamer and steam tamales for 40-45 minutes.
  

I had rice and beans on the side. It was good.

new video

The new video to the right is my aunt Shirley at Camp Obama in San Francisco.

Speaking of, I think John Edwards has some great things to say about change in America.

I need to find out more about the other candidates, including the opposition. I have a feeling this election is going to be intense, I just hope it's not as nauseating as the last election was between Ford and Corker in TN. But I'm sure it will be, if not worse.

a long post

Have I mentioned Everyday Food? It's a Martha Stewart affiliate which means it's full of good things. Lots of great recipes with normal ingredients that are easy to make.

I'm proud of myself today because even though I really really was craving a bacon cheeseburger from sonic, I resisted. This week I'm eating vegetarian only. Obviously with the burger and the bacon this doesn't work. Also, 770 calories and 47 grams of fat is really a turn off.

So instead, I made a veggie burger:

Gardenburger Portabella Burger: 90 cals, 2 g fat
Morningstar Farms Bacon Slices: 60 cals, 2 g fat
Kraft 2% cheddar cheese slice: 70 cals, 5 g fat
O'Charley's Honey Mustard 1 tbsp: 85 cals, 8 g fat
Ketchup, 1 packet: 10 cals, 0 g fat
Weight Watchers Bagel: 150 cals, .05 g fat

So for 465 cals and 18 g fat I had a bacon cheeseburger. It wasn't as good as the real thing, but it was pretty good. It had a lot more fiber, and the important thing is I don't feel guilty now.
I wish I'd had some pickles though. That would have made all the difference!

I have to keep reminding myself that if I just stay with it, I can lose this weight. It's just gonna be a long process and I can't get impatient and give up.

In other news, I bought some borax the other day and used it in my laundry today. It really does help get odors (like dog smell) out of your clothes and sheets. If you follow the link, you'll see you can also use it for drying flowers. It has a multitude of purposes, but not as many, it seems, as my all time favorite household product: good ol' baking soda.

If we've never discussed baking soda, please let me know. Let me enlighten you. Here's 60 Uses just to get you started.

So my life has gotten pretty boring lately I guess. Like, if someone asks me, "what's new?" should I say "borax and veggie burgers"? Is that an acceptable answer? or should I just say "not much" and move right along....?

In real news, I have "new teacher orientation" starting tomorrow. Even though this is my second year, I missed this part last year so I'm excited to see if it clears up any of my confusion about paperwork and bureaucracy.

Tillie had a bath today. I decided to try to wash off the flea preventative I put on her because I'm convinced it's extremely toxic and could be a contributor to her illness. Why? Well, after I put it on her, she shook and little droplets of the stuff got on my laptop and my phone. In a matter of seconds the spots on my computer were bleached out and the spots on the phone made the plastic coating bubble up. So what is it doing to the dog's skin then??? Well I'm not the only one who thinks this is bad. For natural options, check out this article from Mother Earth News, which casually mentions that some of the chemicals we use for flea control were originally developed for chemical warfare. Awesome. Terrifying. I'm not putting that stuff on her ever again.

I haven't posted for a while because I've been in Knoxville. I'll update more thoroughly when I'm home, ok?