Ok. Yes. I’ll admit it. Tina Fey cracked me up with the whole “ran out of room on the labia” thing! But, my reaction is pretty well versed in this quote/comment from Dustin Time beneath the Huffington Post article (one of the only comments with a pro-woman stance that didn’t think bashing McGee was the appropriate avenue to traverse) :

Yeah, but on the other hand… it’s sort of perverse for women sympathetic to Bullock to direct their venom at this relatively powerless, easy-target female instead of James himself–the one who made the vows to Bullock, the one who clearly didn’t need a temptress to stray sordidly…

So much for sisterhood.

I agree, DustinTime. Fey also did a sketch that that poked fun at one of Tiger Woods’ mistresses, as well. I think that all of the laughs tie right back into Melanie’s post about female relationships. I doubt that Bullock and McGee will ever be friends, or even friendly (despite today’s apology), but to blindly laugh at Tina’s jokes and  not recognize that we’re perpetuating the cycle of false, harmful, damaging female relationships and stereotypes is basically accepting that their existence is inevitable.

Sady at Feministe.com said:

I will go a step further, and point out that a lot of the “fun” is… well, just straight-up misogynist stereotyping.

I’m with DustinTime & Sady here; let’s stop blaming McGee for “ruining” Sandra’s life and start pointing the fingers where they belong…..

Sarah’s Winnemucca’s Tortilla Torte:      
                                                                                                                                                            

Ingredients:                                                                                                           

12 oz veggie “meat” grounds (preferably Quorn Grounds)
1 cup Salsa
15 oz Organic Pinto Beans, fresh or canned
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Organic Garlic, minced
1 package Spice Hunter Taco Seasoning
1 cup Nacho or Cheddar flavored Soy Cheese (preferably Follow Your Heart brand)
1 Organic Tomato, very thinly sliced
5 8″ Organic Flour Tortillas

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Saute the onions and garlic until the onion is translucent and tender. Add in the veggie “meat” and taco seasoning. Saute until warmed through. Add the beans and salsa.

2) Place the first tortilla in a lightly oiled 9″ round pan. Add 1/2 cup of bean mixture and flatten. Top with a handful of cheese and a few of the tomatoes. Repeat the tortilla, bean mixture, cheese, tomato routine until the tortillas are gone. Top the last tortilla with the remaining mixture and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through. Serve with diced, fresh avocado and sour cream 🙂

Redstockings Radical Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Creamy Walnut Pesto:

Ingredients:                                                                             
10 oz Potatoes
6 oz Organic Butternut Squash
1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour, plus more
for dusting and kneading
1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

Sauce:
10 oz Fresh Organic Spinach
1/2 cup Toasted Walnuts
2 cups low-fat Organic Cottage Cheese
1-3 cloves Organic Garlic
1/4 cup Paremsan, grated
1/4 Organic Fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Steam the potaoes and squash until tender.
Mash together the potatoes, squash and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste.
Gradually, add in the flour. When the mixture is sticky add the olive oil. Knead
well. You will need at least 1/2 cup of extra flour to knead the dough to the
appropriate texture.
2) Knead the mixture into a square and cut it into 6 pieces. Roll each piece between
your palms (using extra flour if needed). Cut into 1-1 1/2″ pieces and roll each piece
into a well shaped dumpling.
3) Heat a large pot of salted water until it boils. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil. In batches of
8-12 drop the dumplings into the boiling water. Cook until the dumplings float to the
top (stir after 2-3 minutes to ensure that they are not sticking).
4) Put the cooked gnocchi on a lightly oiled baking sheet until they are all done. Bake for
10 minutes.

Sauce:

1) Rinse the spinach and transfer to a pot. Simmer on low heat until the spinach wilts. Add all
of the ingredients to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth :) 

Serve the gnocchi topped with the walnut sauce!  

Susan B’s Quaker-simple Brown Rice & Lentil Soup:  

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Short Grain Organic Brown Rice
1/2 cup Organic Green Lentils
2-4 Cloves Organic Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Organic Low Sodium Tamari
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Medium Organic Onion, Chopped
2 Organic Carrots, Sliced Thin
2 Stalks Organic Celery, Sliced
1/2 cup Celery Leaves, Chopped
14 oz Diced Tomatoes with their juices
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Organic Dried Basil
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Organic Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Organic Dried Marjoram

Combine the first seven ingredients and 1 cup of water in a heavy bottomed soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and 2 additional cups of water. Return to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Emma Goldman‘s Good Morning Granola: 

What you’ll need:

4 cups Organic Rolled Oats
2/3 cup Organic Slivered, Blanched Almonds
1/2 cup dried Organic Cranberries
1/2 cup dried Organic Blueberries
1/4 cup Organic Flax Seeds
1/2 cup Organic, Raw Agave Nectar
1/3 cup Organic, cold-pressed Canola or other light vegetable oil
1/2 tsp Organic Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Organic Almond extract

• Combine the oats, almonds and flax seed in a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk together the agave, oil, and both of the extracts until a thicker syrup forms.
• Mix well, and spread onto a baking sheet either lined with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake in 10 minute incriments. Remove every 10 minutes, stir well, and return to the oven. Bake for a total of 30 minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes and add the dried fruit! Enjoy for breakfast with yogurt or fresh fruit 🙂

             

The Red Wave Society’s Savory Garlic Soba Noodles:

Ingredients:
8 oz (1 package) Organic Soba Noodles
12 oz Organic Firm or Extra Firm Tofu, Pressed & Drained
2 Free-range, Organic Eggs
3/4 cup Bread Crumbs, Preferably Panko style
1 bunch Organic Kale, washed and cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup Parmesan cheeses, shredded and divided
10 (or more!) Cloves Organic Garlic, Peeled and kept whole
1 tsp Organic Garlic, Ground
Olive Oil

• First, press and drain the tofu loaf for 15-30 minutes. (Do this by placing the tofu on a plate, and placing a plate large enough to cover the entire loaf over the top. Place a heavy pan or cookbook on top, and let the liquid drain from the tofu.
• After it’s drained, cut the loaf in half then cut each half in half, and slice into 1 1/2″ triangles.
• Mix together the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and 1/4 tsp of salt, and separately whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.
• Dip each triangle of tofu into the egg then press into the bread crumbs until fully coated. Repeat until all of the tofu is ready.
• You can either bake or pan fry the tofu.
  • To Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place tofu on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
  • To pan fry: Heat 3-5 tbsp’s of the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet, and saute until they are crispy and golden brown.
• Once the tofu is ready, add the soba to 2 quarts of salted, boiling water. Cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. * Follow the directions carefully as soba noodles will become sticky very easily *
• In a skillet, sautee the garlic cloves on medium heat until light brown and soft through (they should be slightly sweet, and not pungent). Add the kale and stir for 3-5 minutes until the kale has lightly wilted.
• Add the soba noodles and crushed garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining parmesan.
• Serve topped with the tofu triangles!

 

Food and feminism go hand-in-hand. In countries like India food security issues and feminism have been linked for decades! In an article in Ms Magazine in 2004, Elaine Lipson outlined many of the reasons why women should concern themselves with the quality of food that we and our families are eating.  

…..Women worldwide are still primarily responsible for feeding families. They need to be aware of what they’re serving and what they are eating…..Every feminist, woman or man, who embraces equality and diversity and opposes violence and domination, should recognize that the foods we eat, and how they’re grown, matter to our environment and to our lives.

Additionally, the vast majority of our food is grown and produced outside of the United States where it is incredibly commonplace for women to tend the land, work on farms, or receive their livelihood’s from a coopeative of women creating food for their communities. Food subsidies given by the U.S. and Japan weaken the economies of many agricultural countries. Meaning that the work of those women whose livelihood’s depends on the land they tend and the food they grow is incessantly undermined by our food subsidies.

All that being said…..in honor of Huffington Post’s Week of Eating In, I will be posting recipes throught the week of February 22-28, 2010! Eating in – and learning how to – promotes a lifestyle that creates community, consciousness about what you’re eating and where it comes from, and reduces the amount of waste you produce (especially, if you recycle and compost)! To quote a Huffington Post blogger, Cathy Erway, “….by preparing your own food, you’ll become more mindful of it. And for one of the few physical necessities of every day — eating — a better connection with that food is nothing to sneeze at.”

So….just for a week…try it! Stay home, cook some great food, take pic’s of it for HuffPost & facebook, and share some great eats with your family and neighbors! You might find out that you really like knowing exactly what you’re eating, or that you just enjoy the simple act of preparing your own nourishment.

Whoa!  Really?  Is this a political campaign in the United States in 2008?  “Kill him” as in the “terrorist” Obama at McCain-Palin rally in New Mexico. Read here.

Palin claims that Obama is “palling around” with terrorists.  Read here.

The women at The View continue to hash it out. Read here.

Olberman to Palin:

TMZ and the Huffington Post have announced Hustler’s plan to to release a video with Palin look-alike, Lisa Ann, and porn legend, Nina Hartley, cast as Hillary Clinton.  “Nailin’ Paylin” has been confirmed by a Hustler rep and an excerpt of the script is available via Radar here.

Vanessa, at Feministing, posted a response to an absurd article that appeared in Time Magazine claiiming that women are against Sara Palin because  we’re catty and she is too pretty.

She’s too pretty. This is very bad news. At school, pretty girls tend to be liked only by other pretty girls. The rest of us, whose looks hover somewhere around underwhelming, resent them and whisper archly of their “unearned attention.”

Right, we’re jealous of her hotness factor and that’s why we don’t support her nomination. Grrrr.  Give me a break.

Posted yesterday on the Huffington Post:

Famed conservative columnist George Will told a gathering of Senate aides on Monday that Gov. Sarah Palin is “obviously” not prepared to assume the presidency if necessary, two event attendees told the Huffington Post.

Appearing at a Senate Press Secretaries Association reception at the Cornerstone Government Affairs office, Will offered a harsh assessment of John McCain’s running mate.

Palin is “obviously not qualified to be President,” he remarked, describing her interview on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as a “disaster.”

Read here.

This piece by Marianne Schnall is moving, inspirational and a powerful example of the collective spirit of women.

Marianne Schall’s intention in writing this piece is as follows:

“As a woman, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed and shaken by this election season, the highs and lows of it all. On the one hand, I have been feeling powerful — everyone is talking about women and our decisive influence in this election. Even the cover of the September 22nd issue of Newsweek is asking, “What do women want?” It’s a good question. So many important themes and dialogues have been raised during this election season — about identity politics, what we expect from a woman leader, sexism in the media, diversity in the feminist movement, what masculine and feminine values are, and about Sarah Palin and the “Palin effect.” It all made me want to talk to other women, to get clarity, to gain insight. I tried to think about what I, personally, could do to contribute to this dialogue.

I realized that, through my many years as a writer and as founder of the women’s website and non-profit organization, Feminist.com, I possessed extensive contacts with a diverse cross-section of well-known and respected women. So, I decided to pose identical questions by e-mail to some of these dynamic women and just see what came in. Some of the responses I got were by e-mail, some by impromptu phone interviews, but, it was clear that people felt the urge to talk and vent their thoughts.”

One of my favorite (of many) quotes:

Isabel Allende:
“Sisters, look at the issues, not color, gender or age of the candidates. Obama represents hope and change, he has ideals, he brings light and intelligence to a stagnant political situation that has lasted too long and has left the country economically bankrupt, trapped in a never ending war and divided. Sisters, be informed, work for the best candidate, vote and make sure that everybody around you votes too. Show up or we will all regret it. Obama is the girls in the race.”

I just spent a weekend in the glorious land of Big Sur with 14 phenomenal women from a broad array of backgrounds.  Heterosexual. Lesbian. Bi. Mothers. Daughters. Sisters. Lovers. Single. Married. Formally educated.  Educated by personal experience. Comfortable.  Working class. Extroverted.  Shy and introspective. Young. Mature. Timeless.

I’ve been  a member of this particular community for three years and a consciously identified feminist for 17 years.  I am still confronted by my own internalized sexism and suspicion when I circle or gather with women.  I am still prone to judgment and competition.  As a young girls, we are socialized to see other girls as a source of competition.  Very often, our best friends are our most intense rivals. As an educator, I constantly hear young women referring to other women as “skinny bitches,” “sluts,” “bitches” and “hos.”

Who’s surprised?  Growing up in a patriarchal culture, girls/women understand from an early age that we will be measured according to the patriarchal standard.  We are measured by the male gaze.  We vie for attention and resources are limited.

In the vein of consciousness-raising groups of second wave feminism, these communities are invaluable to me, specifically, because they bring these deeply entrenched feelings to the surface and allow them to evaporate in an environment of support. Something remarkably different emerges when women gather with intention and purpose.

As I gathered with these beautiful women over the course of three days last weekend, I was given the incredible gift of insight, wisdom and solidarity.  I can not deny the power of this kind of company or the inspiration this type of community provides.

When I read the piece by Marianne Schnall, I was given pause to reflect and cherish the multiple communities of women I am bound to.  I was and am in deep gratitude.  When I read the voices of the remarkable women Schnall featured in her article, I was and am in deep gratitude for their ability to reach thousands of other women. Each of these women weave in and out of their own communities and collectively we embody a solid mass of women.

We are all remarkable and we all have the power to use our voice.  I am in deep gratitide for women all across the globe that, seen or unseen, commune and strive for social and political change that is equitable and just.