Day 14: The mother of invention

It is amazing how inspiration can be born out of a perceived time crunch. I can avoid a project for months, gently stewing in the stress of it, with no sign of a palatable, imaginative product in sight. Then at the last possible moment, the final brown crust forms, the flavors weep into the broth, and the manuscript appears.

This morning I sat at my desk and leaned into the computer, offering my thoughts to the screen and wishing that it were able to just take them directly lest my fingers miss something. I had a deadline to meet by this afternoon, and suddenly all of the information that I needed to incorporate was clear in front of me. By 3:00, when Christina got home from her art studio, I had finished the assignment.

That's when it hit me.

A wave of nausea so intense it was as though I were in 10 foot seas.

"Are you alright?" Christina said "I don't think I have ever seen you look so miserable.."

"No, I have to lay down for a sec." Talking was difficult. I flopped down on the bed and closed my eyes.

With the door to the bedroom left open, it was not long before all three cats had nestled on top of me. I had melted into and was now a part of, the comforter.

Time passed.

"Are you going to make a leafy reader?"

"ung" I answered. I focused my attention on Eugene as though he were the horizon. Then I got out of bed, and began cooking (more like assembling) dinner.

It only took me about 10 min, and Christina said that she though it turned out well. I ended up eating plain toasted tortillas, which reminded me of "boat toast" a horrible creation that we used to subject ourselves to on my parents boat that involved burning white bread directly on top of a burner. Despite the acrid aftertaste of charred sugar, I think it was the toasted tortillas and the memories that cured my sickness.

Here is a fairly easy recipe that required very little preparation time. You can substitute in any vegetables that you like.

Easy Tostadas

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp olive oil

a few shakes of salt.

cook the vegetables above on a high heat, keeping them moving around the pan, until the onions are slightly brown (but the peppers are still crunchy). If you cut the peppers slightly bigger than the onions it will help you get to this point without going past it. Remove the veggies from the pan, add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and heat until the oil is hot. Add 1 tortilla at a time (2 total), and brown on both sides. Remove tortilla to a paper towel (to blot off some of the oil). Spread the tortilla with warmed re-fried pinto beans and top with shredded romaine lettuce, peppers, salsa, sour cream (or yogurt), and shredded Dubliner cheese.

Christina's vote: "This dinner made me feel like dancing to La Bamba"