Choir Concert Webcast

This is late notice - I meant to post this a few days ago and then forgot - but if you're sitting in front of your computer around 3pm today you should watch the webcast of my choir concert at http://music.vassar.edu/concerts/webcast/index.html. We're performing Handel's Israel and Egypt, a baroque piece about the Passover story. It's really cool, and we're singing with an orchestra too. Catch a bit of it if you can!

Blossoms, Class Ring, and Dante

It's spring at Vassar too! I took these photos last week when the trees were covered in blossoms - unfortunately they've already fallen and green leaves are sprouting where the blossoms used to be.

I also got my Vassar class ring in the mail today!

This is my high school class ring:

...But I don't wear it that often. Sometimes I wear it if I'm wearing something red and it matches (I chose a red stone because red and black were PPAS's school colors) but I love that the Vassar ring is so simple, elegant, and understated. I'm also glad it arrived more than a month before graduation so I can enjoy wearing it facing towards me; once you graduate you turn it to face outward.

Isn't it pretty?

In other news, I finished memorizing the entire Canto III of Dante's Inferno this afternoon! The professor of my Italian seminar on the Inferno gave us the option of memorizing and performing a canto (the equivalent of a chapter in poem form) in Italian in lieu of writing a final paper, which sounds easy, but is actually quite a challenge. The canto I chose is 136 lines long. I still have to perfect it and cement it into my mind, but I have about a month in which to do that. I'm so happy I finally got through it all; when I was halfway through, the end seemed so far away! But I guess that can be said about a lot of things. People tell me that now I'll remember this canto for the rest of my life. I don't know if that's true, but if you want me to recite it the next time you see me, I'd be more than happy to oblige! Or you can request just a line or two if listening to 136 lines of medieval Italian seems a little overwhelming.

And another side note - did anyone watch Glee last night? My housemate and I both did presentations in our art history seminar today, so we didn't watch it last night, but we're watching it tonight and are very excited...

Spring and Baking

It's spring!

I've baked a lot in the past week, but I've been slacking on photographing my creations. Nevertheless, you should try out these recipes:

KALE CHIPS:
Yes, that's right, kale chips. Just kale leaves tossed with salt and olive oil and baked in the oven. So good you won't be able to stop eating them, even if you're not normally inclined to eat kale by the fistfuls. Trust me on this one.

QUINOA MUFFINS:
I doctored up this recipe to experiment with healthy substitutes in baking. I used skim milk instead of whole, applesauce instead of vegetable oil (same amount), whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, half a mashed banana instead of an egg, and cut the brown sugar to 1/2 cup. They turned out really well! They're dense and chewy, and great as breakfast with a cup of coffee.

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
I baked these with a friend for the espresso break during our weekly Italian seminar. They turned out really well for what they are, but I'm not that crazy about shortbread, so I'm not sure I'd make them again. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious - espresso, chocolate, butter, how could you go wrong? - but I think I prefer a more doughy, chewy cookie.



And a few recipes I want to try soon...

Strawberry Bread

Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Let me know if you make any of these, or anything else, and then give me the recipe!