A Girl's Reflections

I saw a woman walk up to the mall door. She stood in front of it for a little while then turned to walk back to her car.

As I passed her she murmured – “the mall is closed”.

It was only after I had pulled the door open that it came to me. The woman was expecting automatic opening doors.

The February issue of Wired Magazine cover reads – “Your next car will drive itself”

Are we slowly losing our abilities to do simple things?

Life got in the way of blogging but I am back now. Thank goodness I am back, I missed my blog.

I was happy to hear Mohammad Shafia, 58, his wife Tooba Yahya, 42, and their son Hamed, 21, were each found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Shafia’s three teenaged daughters and his first wife.

From the start of the trial in October, prosecutors argued these were “honour killings” — the Afghan-Canadian family’s answer to the young sisters’ perceived shameful behaviour.

I find the whole honour-killing concept crazy, how can killing be honourable?

My sister often says that being female in this world is like living in a slow horror movie.

Females are thought of as dispensable – this needs to stop and we need to speak up.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Martin Luther King, Jr

Winter this year has been warm and rainy. The lack of sunlight and super short days depresses me a little.

However, once in a while we get a break in the rain.
Then Vancouver becomes magical again.

My local Whole Foods started carrying plantains this summer. I noticed them right next to the bananas. Plantains are a dietary staple in almost all tropical areas and can be cooked dozens of ways.

When they are green they are starchy like potatoes and can be cooked the same ways as potatoes. Ripe plantains turn black, soft and sweet, however unlike bananas they require to be cooked before eating. We bought a few every week and enjoyed them in different recipes.

My sister and I came up with this recipe for riped plantains and they were delicious. The recipe is a take on a savory plantain cake my uncle use to make when we were kids.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 – 4 Over-ripened mashed plantains
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1-cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 1-tablespoon red chilli pepper
• 1 tablespoon crushed ginger
• 1-teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1-teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease muffin tin(s) and set aside
3. In a large bowl combine plantain, oil, onion, pepper, ginger and set aside
4. Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in another bowl
5. Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and stir until just blended.
6. Fill muffin tin(s) about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for around 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin(s).
9. Serve warm and enjoy!

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