The Domestic Feminist has Moved........

I have moved to www.diaryofadomesticfeminist.wordpress.com.

Nothing Better then a Summer Salad

A while ago, Habibi and I were out with friends and I made a comment that I was looking for a good Middle Eastern cookbook for Americans, much like Julia Child's cookbooks.  Although I have found some good ones, nothing mirrors "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".  I must say I love the comment of our dear friend, "Perhaps you will be the Julia Child of Middle Eastern cooking.

I know our household eats far more salads in the summertime; however, the same old standard salad can get boring.  Here is my recipe for the Middle Eastern bread salad (Fatoosh).

1-1/2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
5 radishes sliced
3-4 green onions
2 cucumbers
3 tomatoes cut into wedges
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 c fresh mint or 2 Tbsp dried
2 Tbsp. Sumac

2 Rounds of Pita bread crisp (see previous post)

Dressing
1 garlic clove crushed (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Of course this recipe is a guide depending on the size of ingredients and your own personal preference. It's the lemon juice and sumac combination that makes this salad special.

TIP #1:  Every week I juice enough lemons to fill an olive oil  dispenser and keep in my fridge.  This way I don't have to get my juicer out every time I want to make dressing or add fresh lemon juice to a dish.

TIP#2:  As seen in the picture, wait to add the pita bread.  If the pita is allowed to sit in the salad, it becomes mush.

Enjoy!

Oh to Pinterest.... A Dollar Store Cookie Plate

How did I ever live life before Pinterest?  I know some joke that it's just an electronic version of hoarding but I refuse to believe that I am one of those people.  Where else can you find 100 different ways to make home cleaners, or 25 new ways to use a magic eraser?

One of my most favorite ways to use Pinterest is to find neat crafts that I can do in my craft room (nothing that requires a power saw).  After seeing a pin taking a simple dollar store plate and a porcelain pen; I had to try it.

I had the idea to cover my plate with quotes about food and what better inspiration than the beloved Julia Child.  After writing all sorts of wonderful Julia Child quotes, I left my plate dry for 24 hours, then I baked my plate at 300 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Apologies for the unclear picture.  Not only do I have a cookie plate, I also have a conversation piece.

Remembering George Tiller: A Hero for Women and Families

May 31st is a day that I will never forget.  Today marks the three year anniversary since the horrific murder of Dr. George Tiller.  Dr. Tiller was gunned down and shot in his church where he was serving as an usher.  His wife was in the church choir.  It was a Sunday; I was living in DC and was about to enjoy a beautiful Sunday with many other Washingtonians playing kickball on the mall when my phone rang.  It was my coworker calling to say, "You better sit down, they murdered Dr. Tiller this morning".  

At the time I was the Director of a national Hotline that fielded calls from all over the country and Canada from women who were seeking abortion care.  We sent many women to Wichita, KS as Women's Healthcare Services (Dr. Tiller’s clinic) was their last hope.

Dr. Tiller provided late-term abortion care, a needed service to save women's lives.  I feel that it's not stigma that surrounds late-term abortion care, its ignorance and lack of understanding.  The women who went to see Dr. Tiller for his care were often carrying wanted pregnancies.  Many women had received a diagnosis of a catastrophic fetal anomaly that would result in a horrific disability or death, if carried to term.  Other women who needed his care had been desperately trying to get a first trimester procedure, but due to obstacles out of their control, they were not able to receive care in their home state and had to make the life-changing journey to Wichita, KS.        

Dr. Tiller was one of the few remaining providers that gave women their lives back.  He used to say, "Abortion is not a cerebral or a reproductive issue. Abortion is a matter of the heart. Until one understands the heart of a woman, nothing about abortion makes any sense at all."  He knew every woman’s story was different.  It makes me want to scream at these lawmakers who think they can take their privilege and create these blanket ridiculous laws that are harmful to women.

We used to strategize on how to get women to Wichita from all over the country.  He used to say to me, "thank you, I don't know how you do it" to which I would say, "Planes, trains and automobiles, I don't know how you do it.”  He would say to me, "Kira, just get her here, I'll take it from there".

Dr. Tiller, it was an honor to work with you.

Homemade Pita Chips

It is amazing to me to see how much money can be saved by cooking at home.  I'm lucky that Habibi is very aware and appreciative to the creative ways I'm finding to save a dollar. 

I find one of the most overpriced food products that's easy to make at home is pita chips.  The last time I was in the grocery store I checked and saw that one bag considered "party size" was $7.00.  We all know that those bags are mostly air anyhow.  

Pita chips at home are unbelievably easy and here's how.  

Brush pita bread with olive oil.  I like to use garlic infused olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt carefully.  I say carefully because the pita will shrink and a little salt goes a long way.  Cut pita into eight pieces and place on sheet pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes depending on your oven.  

Curious to see what the exact saving truly was, I did the calculations:

Pita $1.59 a bag (8 slices/bag);  I estimate that the equivalent to the store "party size" took 3 pitas.  Yep, my version cost 60 cents.   

I'm Officially a Michigander

After about a month of living in hotels and dealing with the hell that is moving, my husband (Habibi) and I have settled in a cozy condo in the suburbs of Detroit (not Ann Arbor as we were first considering). I have immediately fell in love with midwestern living for many reasons.

First, let's talk about more bang for your buck. The first week of being a Michigander I felt myself and my lack of poker face every time Habibi and I would either make a purchase or get the bill at a restaurant. Being so accustomed to DC prices you could have easily inserted a 1 before the 37.98 food bill and I would have taken that as a normal dinner out.

Second,Space: prior to this move and becoming a married lady, I was living my home life in a box. A very expensive box I might add. Now our condo has rooms I don't even go into on a daily basis. Our kitchen could even fit a table in it, but I just felt that a table would get in the way of my dancing while cooking.

Third, one word..... traffic. When something is 20 minutes away it really means you can get there in 20 minutes. I can not tell you how much Habibi and I love to buzz around without the feeling of wanting to pull your hair out. Or playing the game, 'what the hell is causing this random traffic backup'.

Now that we are all settled in, I can get to work on posting recipes, crafts and all other things creative. I am proud to say I am the proud owner of my very own craft room. Yes, I now have a space to craft and blog that is the same size of many places I have lived. It's such a wonderful space; thanks to Habibi and a dear friend from CCC. It turns out that Habibi contacted one of my crafty CCC friends to ask what furniture to surprise me with. I absolutely love my Expedit table and have been getting crafty. Here is my first craft. A wreath for my laundry room door.

Hold Please.......

It's almost April and I have more blogs in queue than I have posted and trust me, it bothers me. I'm so excited to continue to create a domestically feminist blog of thoughts, recipes, domestic joys and feminist politics. I assure you this was not a space created in haste, but rather a space created before an unexpectedly busy time for my husband and I.
In addition to me starting an MPH program, we will be relocating from Washington DC to the suburbs of Ann Arbor. We are unbelievably excited and I promise to post all the recipes and accompanying pics as soon as we are settled.

Susan G Komen Don't Ask for My Money

It's a tough call to decide who I'm more pissed at right now; Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the ever hateful anti-abortion assholes who don't care about women's health.

Even the most successful of us remember a time in our lives where we found ourselves needing the services that Planned Parenthood provides. Statistics show one in five women have visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in their lives for a variety of family planning services. Yes, Planned Parenthood provides abortions but the majority of their services are to assist women and men with family prevention, STI screenings, cancer screenings including the 770,000 Pap tests and nearly 750,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer.

There is no question that the arrival of Karen Handel, Komen's new VP had something to do with it. Handel made no secret she is anti-choice and anti-Planned Parenthood. In 2010 she ran for governor of Georgia and was endorsed by Sarah Palin because of her opposition to reproductive choice. In my opinion Handel, Koman's President Nancy Brinker (a Bush supporter) and Palin need to go one year without their fancy healthcare plans to hopefully get a dose of the reality of what it is like for many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer who are uninsured or underinsured.

So I say a big, "SHAME ON YOU" Susan G Komen Foundation. You have officially gotten so large and flashy that you have forgotten and lost touch with your intended mission, the women who you claim to support.

Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs........

It's no secret in our household that Pinterest is my drug of choice. I can live without Facebook but please don't take away all my new found treasures and future dreamy things that I happily find and pin on my various boards. Two days ago I came across one of the most brilliant pins (of course posted by one of my CCC ladies) for a drug that comes around seasonally..... the Cadbury Creme Egg.....

Posted on instructables.com was the secret to that creamy chocolaty treat. Here is the recipe from their site with a few tips I learned in the candy making process.

Here is what you need:

1/2 cup light corn syrup (or golden syrup if you're across the pond)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner's powdered sugar (icing sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
yellow food coloring
milk chocolate chips melted in a double broiler

1. Cream together the corn syrup, butter and vanilla.
2. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat until incorporated.
3. To get the whites and yolks separate the filling by taking out about a third of the filling and stir in some yellow food coloring.
4. Put the two bowls in the fridge, as they're easier to work with once they're set up a little.
5. Form small balls (yolks) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in freezer
6. After about 30 minutes wrap the white mixture around your yolk balls. Place your eggs in the freezer to form
7. Melt chocolate in a double broiler and dip your eggs in the chocolate. I used a two spoon roll/dip method :)
8. Place back on parchment paper to set.

For 'runnier' eggs set them out to room temperature. For firmer eggs keep refrigerated.

My sister freezes a stash of the store bought kind and with self control of a saint rashens herself these treats throughout the year. Sorry Hershey..... from now on I'm making my own.

Stove Pot Potpourri

As I'm experimenting with different posts for this blog I keep asking myself if people would really be interested in my domestic tricks, tips and recipes. I keep telling my husband, "Doesn't everyone know that?" It's my husband who I must give credit for saying, "no, you have something special", and continuing to make me believe I might be able to share something on here that might just spread a little joy or a tip that might make someones life a little easier. So here I go, a practically free way to make your house smell amazing..........

There is nothing better than hearing a house guest say, "Your house smells so good". Or after a long day relaxing and enjoying a clean home that smells delicious. I'm a huge fan of using diffuser refilling scents warmed by a votive candle. As much as I love the way our whole house smells, diffuser oils can be rather pricey. So, during the winter months I rely on a simple and basically free method to keep my home smelling deliciously good.

Simply take a small sauce pan. Fill with rinds from oranges. Although you can use any citrus fruits I prefer oranges. Then add cinnamon sticks, about 4-5 and two cloves. If you don't have cinnamon sticks you can use a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Fill with water to cover and simmer on low. As water evaporates simply refill.

I typically use the same rinds for two weeks before I replace. Enjoy!

39 Years of Roe vs Wade

Today marks the 39th Anniversary of Roe vs Wade, which ruled that abortion was a fundamental right under the United States Constitution. I was born with the right to choose by just eight years.... eight years. Prior, many women had no other choice than to seek illegal abortion care. The days of back ally abortions are dark and many women in desperate situations lost their lives and the stories of those are traumatic to say the least.

I've since spent the last 10 years working in the reproductive choice movement with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, a clinic in Maryland and most recently I had the opportunity to work for an abortion provider.

The choice when and if to parent seems like a 'no-brainer' to me. Don't we say that parenting is the hardest job you will ever have? If that's the case, then shouldn't every pregnancy be a wanted pregnancy? Women do not seek abortion as a form of birth control. It always made me laugh internally at the intellect of people who have said to me, "I'm pro-choice, but I'm against women who use abortion as a form of birth control". My reply, "I'd like to meet these women who like to spend $350 plus to spend one to two long days sitting in a clinic to have the contents of their uterus expelled". The reality is that we should trust women to make important parenting decisions. Sixty percent of women seeking abortion care are already mothers. They understand the responsibilities of motherhood and we should trust them with their choice.

On this anniversary we should remember, choice should not be a privilege of some but a fundamental right for women. Every woman's story is unique and personal. Dr. Tiller said it best, "Abortion is about women's hopes and women's dreams".