This

is a reminder to myself that despite the 30 degree temperatures and snow on the grass, it's still spring. 

Over the Hill by Agnes Obel

Arabic Coffee

Well, it's April, and it's snowing. This weather calls for a hot drink, namely, oh so delicious arabic coffee.

Arabic Coffee
adapted from Crescent, by Diana Abu Jaber
(makes 1 cup)

2 tbsp finely ground coffee
1 cardamom pod
1-2 tsp sugar (depending how sweet you want it to be)
milk or cream

Put coffee and water in a small pan and stir. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add cardamom and sugar, stir. Bring to a second boil, let settle. Then bring to a third boil. Pour into a cup and add milk or cream (traditionally it's supposed to be served black).

Also, the recipe says the third boil is supposed to make lots of foam which you then top the coffee with, but i've yet to accomplish this (Diana Abu Jaber says being able to do so is the sign of an accomplished coffee maker--guess i'm not there yet)!

'No safe levels' of radiation in Japan - Features - Al Jazeera English

'No safe levels' of radiation in Japan - Features - Al Jazeera English

This article is not for the faint of heart-including myself. I fervently hope all that is said in this article is not true...I think I'm going to throw up...

Spring Time

Keith and I have begun having little adventures each evening--taking walks and noticing all the tiny things we'd otherwise miss--carpets of purple violets, tiny green buds--discovering secret little neighborhood trails.

We've also been getting back into reading dharma to each other before sleep--so sweet.

The forsythia outside our window is in bloom, the daffodils and crocuses are up, but this morning we awoke to a thick layer of snow.

I just now made cardamon arabic coffee--so good.

Yesterday as I ate lunch I was looking at a magazine and saw a blurb about this female rapper from Baltimore named Rye Rye. I wondered what she sounded like so I watched one of her videos on youtube. It made me slightly anxious (and not just from the insanely raunchy dancing). I think I have Baltimore PTSD...

Two days ago K and I discovered that at the top of our neighborhood are wonderful amazing hiking trails. We walked to the top of a hill and the above photos were our view! Oh the picnics we will soon have!

Oh, also, do you know about Pinterest? First, let me backtrack. I have this problem where I somehow accumulate a thousand bookmarks/favorites on my computer and phone. And then I worry they'll somehow get deleted (or perhaps my computer gets stolen and they're all lost). And Keith is always like, "How on earth can you have all these favorites cluttering up the computer!!!" Mostly they're recipes I want to make, but then I forget about them or can't find them. But, now there is Pinterest. It's this website where you can keep track of these sorts of things (and thus I can delete all my bookmarks!). Hooray, now I can organize all the recipes I want to make (and movies too see and books to read and music to listen to). As you can see, I keep trying to convince myself that Pinterest is actually good--it's a way to be organized--not a way to while away more time on the internet, or is it?

Finally, do you know about last.fm? It's an online radio which in my humble opinion, is way better than Pandora--there are so many more options and it's not so mainstream. Now I can discover new music as I clean the house!