My 3 essential shoes

Somehow I have amassed over a dozen pairs of shoes that are never exactly what I want them to be. My shoe collection is a collection of compromises.

To work most days I wear a worn out pair of North Face, Converse-like black sneakers with white laces. This style was right, but they are just done.

What next?

I still haven't found a shoe with both this simple, tomboyish, work-appropriate style and excellent comfort for a girl on her feet. The solution here might be Converse low tops with orthopedic inserts. Are drug store inserts recommended? 

In ancient years I wore (and held onto past all rationale) a few pairs of Simple shoes. That was when Simple was a living brand committed to being eco-friendly. And they were awesome. Come back to me, Simple!

Simple shoes of my dreams

In the sandal realm I'm really fucked. I want leather-like sandals with a bit of a platform in order to be lifted from the filth and stand a tad taller. The sandal straps should be plentiful and adjustable enough to give me custom-fit security and comfort, yet I have to like how they look. In sandal-land I want to look down and feel like a young lady... a supremely comfortable, shit-kicking lady. I should be able to walk in the city or country for hours and wear them with skirts and dresses.

Is this possible? These are close. 

In reality, each pair of mine is a little wrong. This here is exactly what people mean when they tell us to spend more money on the perfect thing that will last for ages, instead of spending EVEN MORE money when you tally up your slightly imperfect purchases. When will I learn? 

Perhaps I'll learn before my next winter shoe purchase. 

I can't possibly recount for you all of my leather-based closed-toe-shoe missteps. It's too depressing. Boots, booties, lace-ups, and Mary Janes... all work for work, or looking nice, or styling it up on rare occasions. But I want to consolidate. I want one pair to work with everything. Instead all of mine are off just enough to grate me. Good for some things, not good for others, and perfect for none. 

When I'm ready to change my creed, one of these may be the first step in the right direction:

I luvz them.

Wall space

Dreaming of wide blank walls, endless possibilities, and art...

uno

dos

tres

quatro

cinco, heh

Look up

Try this - look up. Take it all in. Take deep breaths and feel your hamstrings stretch. Swing your arms. Look around.

Notice anything new?

Trip on a curb and release your phone into the gutter. Oops. You are free. Perhaps lost. Quite possibly taken for dead or mugged.

You will live. Your friends were never worried.

Notice the air on your fingertips. Contrast this to the feel of plastic. Take the 360 degree view.

Notice anything beautiful?

Take pictures with your mind's eye. We trust you see interesting things - no need to prove it.

Look up. Check in with your senses. Watch where you are going, lest I bulldoze you for fun.

Oops.

This week's easy dinner

Do you plan your weeknight meals?

I have the best intentions to cook on weeknights. I really do. I know what's in my fridge, what's gotta go, and what my body craves.

And then I get home.

I'm ravenous. I'll eat almost anything that can be immediately consumed. I try not to stock cookies for this reason. Dinner becomes an ensemble of whatever is most readily available. Hard boiled eggs make up most of my protein balance. And nuts. If I'm low on carbs, there's beer and toast. Not enough fruit today? Have some red wine and some dried figs. I try to be nutritious, you see.

This week I landed on something super easy and delicious. I liked it so much, I did it two nights in a row. And I plan to do it again.

Behold, my semi-homemade gem:

If I can easily make this, it means the meal can be made with virtually no counter space and one cleanish pan. It's a bed of my CSA lettuce, CSA tomatoes, and a veggie masala burger (from TJs). On top of this I melted smoked cheddar cheese because of course. 

I know what you're thinking... beds of lettuces are NOT easy. You have to A- have sink space, B- wash lettuce, and C- dry lettuce. WHOA. I hear ya. But lettuce for just one serving is easy. You hold it in your hands and run it under cold water (yes, I wash all lettuces even pre-washed, always organic, doctor's recommendation). Then you shake off most of the water, put the lettuce in a clean tea towel, and spin in around the room, spraying water on your cats. 

Easy and fun.

But here's what makes this work:

Here's where the moisture is. On the lettuce put a huge amount of full (or low, never ever non) fat plain yogurt, and a swizzle of hot sauce. Place the warm patty on top of this, and top with whatever else.

Then dig in.

This is the kind of dinner that you can add a million things to. Leftovers, fried eggs, nuts and berries, warm rice, etc. I feature it here because I haven't extended much effort and it remains delightfully satisfying. This meal is a little low on carbs, however, so I do suggest a beer pairing.... I'm thinking a malty sweet amber.

Speaking of nasturtiums

If you happen to like hard boiled eggs and gardening, listen up. What follows is the answer to my July cookbook challenge. And like last month, I'm exploring new ways to eat my eggs.

Step one:  grow nasturtiums

I started these from seed this year. Small, bushy, bright flowery plant that you can pick and pick and pick at. Probably grows well in a pot.

Step two: wash, dry, and mince nasturtium and other herbs, such as...

Step three: mash garden goodies with cooked egg yolk, salt, pepper, and good olive oil (and perhaps some citrus, and perhaps some hot sauce, and perhaps some crème fraîche)

Step four: devour eggs you never would have imagined, were it not for Unplugged Kitchen