The One With Three: Numismatics, Classes, Cucumbers

Happy Labor Day!

I spent most of the day at work and most of that time was spent visiting different websites. We only have access to .gov websites so slow days end up turning into educational days as we surf different websites. Today I looked at the US Mint website and read up on the First Spouse coin collection. I've always been fascinated by the wives of the Presidents because so many of them have done great things. The first spouse coins feature a portrait of the first spouse on the front along their name, which number spouse they were and the dates that they were in the White House. On the back is an image representing the spouses legacy. For those President's who weren't married during their presidency, the coin features Liberty in her depiction in their day on the front with a picture representing the President's legacy on the back. Here are a few of my favorite coins:
-- Abigail Adams, I love their letters.
-- Jefferson's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.
-- Dolley Madison, because the image on the back (and what she did) is awesome.
-- Julia Tyler, my favorite, for the image on the back (and the portrait is pretty cool too).
-- Buchanan's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.

In other news, classes start tomorrow. I'll be taking Jews of the Mediterranean, Modern Literary Criticism and Theory and the Poetry Writing Senior Seminar. Starting in October I'll be adding a geography to the line-up of classes. I'm thinking that without French my semester will be much easier than the last three. I'm hoping, at least.

I'll end with a tasty way to prepare cucumbers. I have customers who regularly bring us cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers from their garden throughout the summer. Yesterday they brought in some bags and even though my dad had just purchased a good number of cucumbers at a local vegetable stand, I couldn't resist taking a bunch of the wonderful looking cucumbers that they brought in! My boss was telling us about one of her relatives who grows cucumbers and has found tasty and simple ways to prepare cucumbers. All you need to do is cut them in slices and dab a little bit of olive oil and black pepper over them. And it is very yummy! I'm sorry for the crappy picture. I took it quickly, in crappy lighting.

Lebanese Lunch

I'm taking a break from my schedule of Jillian Michaels recipes to share with you the lunch that my parents, sister, brother-in-law and I shared today. It was a filling meal with plenty of veggies, protein and healthy fats.



This meal of veggies, hummus and tabouleh is a traditional Lebanese meal. Veggies used vary with the season. Today we had cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and red peppers. Hummus was used as a veggie dip (my favorite kind of dip), as well as a dip for the American part of our meal, the pita chips. Lettuce (or, possibly, grape leaves in the Middle East) is used to scoop up the tabouleh and is a wonderful addition to that part of the meal! This is definitely a lunch that I'll be eating more often and taking with me to work and school. The only part of the meal with a high level of fat is the hummus, however since it's made from chickpeas it's a source of good fats and as long as you're not downing an entire tub of hummus in one sitting the fat content shouldn't hurt you.

Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Burritos

It's been a long time since I've posted! Over a month. But I have been cooking so I have lots to catch up on. Luckily, my sister is in town and is planning to cook so over the next few days I can post the last few kitchen adventures before any new ones come up.

I don't think it's fair of me to post recipes from recipe books online so instead I'll be posting pictures with comments, as well as what book to find it in. You should be able to find all books in your local library--that's where I'm getting them!

The next few recipes will be from a book that I bought, Master Your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels. And this one was a hit! Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Burritos. This is an anti-cancer, metabolism boosting, heart healthy and skin healthy recipe. Sounds good in terms of what this recipe can do for you, right? The good news is that this recipe tastes yummy too!



I'm an avocado-lover but I don't think that's a pre-req for liking these burritos. My dad, who isn't as fond of avocado's as I am, still loved them. Combining the avocados with the super food veggie (or is it a fruit?) tomatoes and low-fat cheddar inside of a crispy tortilla creates a pleasant, healthy and filling meal.

And now, for the making-of feature (just a few, I took this quickly so the pictures weren't the best):