Veg*n Cooking and Other Random Musings: Yummy Pinto Bean Wrap Pictures and J's "Guilty Pleasure"

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Yummy Pinto Bean Wrap Pictures and J's "Guilty Pleasure"

I had forgotten to take a picture of the Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps when we had them last week. They were so good, we had them again on Monday, and I made sure to snap pictures of the wraps, so check it out:















Here is mine served with baby salad greens, simple guacamole, and local tomatoes.















Here is Brett's plate, the wrap was served with baby salad greens, simple guacamole, local tomatoes, and organic sour cream.

So, some of you may be wondering about this "guilty pleasure" I mentioned in the title of this post. It is nothing lewd or illegal (although I do have an illegal pleasure, I don't feel guilty about it - come to think of it, I don't feel guilty about this one either...), but I was always a little embarrassed because I consider myself an intelligent person and not at all a girlie-girl. So my guilty pleasure is....chick lit.

I honestly don't know why I like it other than it lets me escape to a very different world than my own. In all honesty, I usually really dislike the characters, their lifestyles, and would never want to be friends with any of them, but yet they are light, airy, and fun to read. When you read the type of non-fiction I spend my nights reading, this is a nice change up. And I decided I didn't need to be embarrassed about it any more, so there you go. I am going to update my Books J's Read list to include the chick lit titles I have read this year. You know though, sometimes I am surprised and the books are actually good, they have substance and good characters - not many, but some. You will notice that I am quite hard on the chick lit when it comes to my "rating scale", this is because most of it, well, it simply isn't good - a "beach read" and nothing more. Anyways, you can check that out if you'd like, and feel free to make fun of me all you want.

Now I will say, I DO NOT read bodice-ripping romance novels - no siree, no thank you, I laugh out loud at some of the covers. If there is a Fabio-looking guy on the cover, J isn't interested. :-)

Well, I had an excellent weekend in St. Louis. I surprised myself by really having fun. I can't think my (step) Mom Stacey for all her help, we would NOT have been able to get nearly as much done already without her help.

I've picked out, tried on, bought, and scheduled and alterations appointment for my dress (!!!!!!), I actually decided on my own to wear a veil (it looks really nice) - but it will be clipped to the back of my hair and not over my face or around my shoulders, we have a location, the location has been secured, we have a dinner place, a rehearsal dinner place, flowers, invitations, Selina picked out her dress (she is going to look DAMN good by the way), Brett picked out he and the Best Man's tux, Dad got his tie and "pocket silk" (I had to ask what a "pocket silk" was, apparently it is a fancy handkerchief that men wear in suit pockets), we are working on the ceremony schedule, WHEW. But we still have lots left to do and it has, and I assume will continue to be, lots of fun. Tomorrow we are doing one of the really fun parts. We decided to go with a local jeweler instead of Etsy (to keep it as local as possible) and we are taking a picture of the rings we want in to see if he can make them there.

There is something in mathematics called a mobius strip. It is a one-sided strip that has no true surface and is continuous. It shows a cycle that begins where it ends and ends where it begins - if that makes any sense at all. Brett, being a math nerd, and me, loving the symbolism, decided that we are going to have our rings shaped into mobius bands. Super cool, eh?

Check this out too:


















Thank you for the image Wikipedia.

This is one very famous example of a mobius strip.

Maybe I am a bit of a math nerd too, I remember how excited I was when I learned that the St. Louis Gateway Arch is a catenary curve.

I have probably embarrassed myself enough for one day. :-)

'Til next time!

12 comments:

VeganWoman said...

Wow, I did not know that the Arch was a catenary curve! I love to find math in everyday life - guess that makes me a math nerd too :) That wrap looks great by the way!

Anonymous said...

I read chick-lit too! It is nice to just not have to concentrate all that hard and "escape" every once in a while with it! I am happy you are sharing what you have read with us...you are right and some of them are just BAD, so recommendations are helpful!

It sounds like last weekend was quite the success! I am glad that you got so much accomplished--you must have been busy!

Courtney

hmd said...

You're killing me here with that pinto bean wrap. Good heavens that looks good...

Chile said...

Your plans sound like they are sailing right along and you sound very excited. It's nice to see. :)

I read light lit occasionally for an escape from the every day stress. Anything that is written well enough to keep my attention will suffice, whether it's chick-lit, sci-fi (usually with strong female leads), mysteries (love the food-oriented ones), or adventure. I pick up anything that looks interesting at yard sales or thrift stores as long as it's cheap enough.

Your pinto bean wraps look yummy. To avoid the fat in frying, I've taken to making mine flat like a quesadilla and grilling in the deep pan of my George Foreman grill. Works great and gets that nice crispy outside. 'Course I pour about 3/4 cup of salsa all over it so it doesn't stay crispy...

Catherine Weber said...

In my opinion, it doesn't matter WHAT you read, as long as you READ!!

Sam said...

I didn't know about the Arch being a catenary curve. I also didn't know what a catenary curve was.

I've occasionally read and enjoyed chick lit. The one's I've read have been really fun to read. I think I read Bridget Jones' diary twice. And watched the movie about 3 times. Guilty pleasures are the best kind...no?

veggievixen said...

perfect eats! i love this.

jessy said...

ahahahahaa! i love that we both share the same guilty pleasure! that's so awesome! i can't wait to see the updated list o' books with the new chic lit! yay!

your pinto bean wraps look stuffed to with sooo much yuminess! mmmmmmmmm! i love the salads 'n guac there, too! yum, fo 'sho!

WOW, Jennifer - you got A LOT of wedding planning done! very cool on the veil & getting the dress all set to go! superw00t! i love the idea of having your rings designed just for you guys - and the mobius strip makes sense to me! that's awesome! you've got another fellow math nerd here as well! yay!

Bianca said...

I've been craving burritos forever it seems. Yet I've not done anything to fix that. Can I come over and eat with ya'll?

Lisa said...

I'm glad the planning is going so well! I like the occasional "beach read" too. My chick lit often also has some kind of foodie theme- like a found a couple of novels with young female chefs as characters. I do zombie and vampire books every once in a while too.

J said...

Vegan Woman - A lot of people think it is a parabola, but you learn something everyday, I suppose.

Thanks, it was really tasty.

Courtney - I'm glad I'm not the only one. I love all the non-fiction I read, but the lighter stuff helps keep it all balanced out.

Some of them are BAD, really bad, it makes me think I could be a rich woman churning out chick lit if that is all it takes!

Yes, it was, and it was a very busy weekend indeed.

Heather - This would be right up your alley too - simple and easy!

Chile - I am very excited. With everything coming together so nicely, both Brett and I wish the wedding were sooner. :-)

Lighter fiction really helps. Yes, if it isn't well written, I can't get through it. I'd love some suggestions on the food oriented mysteries. I can't really do the sci-fi, I've tried but it isn't really my thing.

You can get all sorts of books for cheap at thrift sales, and if the books are no good, well you aren't out much and you can donate them to your local library.

Catherine - Hear, hear!

Beany - I guess that tells you something about my level of nerdiness.

They can be really fun reads, they are dialogue driven and are a fast paced read. I look to fiction to entertain me, if it is good, great, if it at least entertains me, it has done its job.

Veggie Vixen - Simple and delicious is my favorite combination.

Jessy - That is too funny. We can warn each other about the bad ones to steer clear from and recommend the good ones.

The salad was an easy (and slightly sneaky) way to get some veggies in Brett. :-)

I can't thank Stacey enough, she has been so much help and such a great Mom through all of this. I'm glad you understand the mobius strip, I can't wait to see what the rings will look like.

Bianca - You are welcome anytime!

Lisa - Me too!

Oooh, I love the foodie theme, any recommendations?

Chile said...

I like the Diane Mott Davidson series. Her books are a very fast read, with a caterer as the central character busy solving murders around town while trying to raise her young son. Some elements get a little tedious, but overall the books are fun.

For non-cooking related mysteries, I'm partial to J.A. Jance because half her books are set in an area I'm very familiar with. She nails the character of southeastern Arizona really well.