Back Home [August 2023, Days 7-9]

I’ve only been an uncle for under 1.5 years now. It’s an acquired identity

"Come on Mimi. It's too hot outside."
*slow wallet aftermath*

 At the time of writing, it’s past midnight here in Louisiana, but it’s a different day in Washington. I scheduled a few emails and deliveries ahead of time. I still have to hear back whether my conference presentation moved to a later timeslot to avoid a schedule conflict with my Saturday teaching.

At the risk of misapplying some philosophical idea, I’m supposed to always already be a teacher, learner, and lover of wisdom. That’s what the PhD, doctor of philosophy, means.

This reflection fits more of a pre-sleep, pre-travel collection of connecting thoughts situated within the last few days. I’m also on a streak that I will allow myself to break tomorrow in order to get some sleep over in Seattle. I will also edit this by adding to it. I think this one will act as one of those hub posts.This trip has been fun, and it was good to witness my nephew growing up, live, instead of via text.

 

Choosing

Before he was even born, my first gift to my nephew was a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. In the end, he’ll always wind up with all three, like Ash from the anime or Yellow from the games, but his initial preference is probably contextual. The predictions I heard were Charmander because he’s orange, or Squirtle because he vaguely looks like a baby. I didn’t really hear anyone predict Bulbasaur, reasoning something like “Bulbasaur looks the most edible of the three.”

"That one."

Bulba-bulba.

Bulba-saur!

 

Your turn.

By the way, my first starter Pokémon was Pikachu, since I played Yellow Version first.

 

Learning Theory

Na’ilah Saud Nasir, a top scholar in my field, former AERA president and current Spencer Foundation president, describes three kinds of resources for becoming or practicing an identity:

• ideational resources – self-concept of relationship to a practice and what is good in the world
• relational resources – relations which reinforce becoming part of a practice
• material resources – ways in which the physical world shape our relationships

Learning is a part of sociocultural practices, or being part of a group, organization, or community. Onto-epistemic heterogeneity (see Chapter 16 in The Handbook of Cultural Foundations of Learning), a fun term, really has me thinking about what the atoms of an education would be, in the Deweyan sense of “Education is life itself.”

I looked at the mouse flashcards, a pack of A to Z and 1 to 10. This is a material resource to be used by a teacher. I doubt my nephew, as smart as he is, couldn’t learn the alphabet or counting through the resource alone. It would require mama, dada, mimi, or papa, or someone at his daycare, or someone else with prior knowledge of the canon order of the alphabet, or the counting relationship between these positive integers. That relational resource pairs with the judgment that the learning of the content was worth it for my nephew at a time when he’s younger than 18 months old. The pack says pre-K.

A very important question:
Why does that mouse have pecs?

I will call it now that if Common Core State Standards still exist when he reaches kindergarten, homework sessions between my nephew and brother would be worth watching. That prediction is based on the fact my brother shares math memes that usually have ambiguous order of operations or some other gimmick, with the accompanying text to ‘splain.

When evaluating the educational value of the flashcards, the cartoon mouse on the box was kinda random considering all the other products of the same brand. Was it just to differentiate the packs? Were the drawings on the cards supposed to be a form of associative learning? The flashcards cost $1, so there really wasn’t too much of a downside to picking them up.

 

Collecting

My brother has a lot of stuff. Someday, the collection will have to pass on, right?

That's just the half of the room that fits in the picture.

He also has a lot of toys.

I did zero cleaning or de-cluttering in my ten days here. Before I get back to Seattle, I have an air fryer, a Sodastream, and a long comic box headed for my apartment. My thoughts on those purchases were they’ll make it so I’ll keep more organized.

On the plane ride back, I plan on reading Nimona. I have a backlog of low-commitment reads on my shelf back in Seattle, but I think I’ll get through it.

 

Cooking

My studio apartment doesn’t have a dishwasher, and the convection oven seems inefficient; I cook a lot of food on the stove, so I hope the air fryer expands the ways I heat food and make meals. The Sodastream is an experiment to see if I can get personal value. I could just drink water, but this seems to make some economic sense for me, assuming I use it and spend less on getting soft drinks. It's a way to better titrate my caffeine intake instead of coffee and tea, assuming I'd drink them ad libitum.

 

Whipped cream into Shaq face.

Louisiana does have great food. I’m going to miss the “slow wallet” phenomenon of getting my mom to pay for some meals. It’s when you hesitate or pretend to get the check, fulling to be too slow for the other person to get it first. I did cook more than usual on this trip though.

General Tso's Bean Curd (GTBC) with
air fried mushrooms and quick pickled onions.

Discussion

Overall, I do feel recharged after this trip. It was a good break after my summer teaching and before my fall dissertating.

Other Parts of This Trip [August 2023]

• Visit Days 1-3.
• Visit Days 4-6.
• Visit Days 10-11.
  
• View a Stylized Reimagining of this trip back home using DALL-E.

Back Home [August 2023, Days 1-3]

Vacuum sealing works! I used bags that had a double zip top without a pump. The sliders came off, but I easily put them back on. I rolled the bags to push air out, and the sliders popped off anyway. I overstuffed a few bags, but the savings on volume helped. Since I was going home to Louisiana, I took back items I wanted to keep but didn’t use when I was in Washington, mostly clothes abandoned from March 2020. They were rescued and relocated for the wardrobe back home, making my future travel a little lighter.

 

Vacuum sealing for my
Seattle to New Orleans trip (Summer 2023)

I traveled with 24” x 18” x 12” luggage which weighed about 45 pounds. I packed my backpack with my laptop, tablet, planner, and notebooks.

I walked over to the UW Husky Stadium Link Station, down the Burke-Gilman trail on a toasty, shadeless Tuesday evening. The Royal Brougham Way rail needed some work that week, so I had to cross over at Pioneer Square Station, a stop I rarely used. The rest of the way to Sea-Tac was uneventful, but I was temped to drop off my bags then leave for the Taco Bell on 188^th. Darkness didn’t settle until past 9 p.m., so the temptation to relax over there was real.

 

Branching Point

United Airlines didn’t deliver a good experience this time. I used the “bag drop shortcut,” yet the worker who checked my bags stuck the wrong sticker on it! He even checked my ID, but he still mixed mine up with a woman headed to Newark. We had completely different names, and she z-snapped, “I’m not going to no New Orleans.” She proceeded to complain to multiple other workers, “What are you doing to rectify the situation?” The ordeal took about 20 minutes to resolve and required the worker to go through security, to the gate, to get my bag. The actual swapping of stickers took a few seconds, but we all checked multiple times to ensure the bags were headed off to the right gates.

The TSA pre-check line had an estimated 12-minute wait, but it only took about four minutes all the way through. Non-pre-check passengers saw the short line and tried to go past but were re-directed by one airport staff member holding the stanchion. She checked the boarding pass on my phone for the green check. One of the TSA Agents pointed out to the backed-up line “You know, you could go to that lane. Keep moving, keep moving.”

If the mix-up with my bags didn’t happen, dinner would have been much different. I splurged on a calzone, an almond pinwheel, and a drink, all for around $30. I could have gotten Taco Bell for much less, but the heat, the walk, the risk were less appealing after the ordeal with my luggage. The inconveniences in the airport make it easier to sell.

I’m glad I’m taking Alaska Airlines on the 5.5-hour trip back.

 

Houston Layover

The south terminal required a train ride, but I had about 90 minutes between dinner and boarding, so I listened to my playlist specifically to figure out if I’d skip any tracks. I went around the terminal in a mix of figure-8’s and circles like a bee navigating a field of flowers.The flight to the layover in Houston went smoothly, but taxiing to our terminal took forever. 

A blurry, yet grokkable photo of
early-early morning Houston.

Takeoff from IAH about an hour later.

It was full, but nothing eventful, with the attendants emphasizing that they’d let us go to sleep. From Houston to New Orleans, clear skies awaited a quarter-full plane. “You can sit wherever once we’re up in the air.”

Science educator bae appeared on morning news over
Houston. (Tatiana Erukimova, Texas A&M)

 

45 minutes after takeoff, we reached the
Mississippi River into New Orleans.

Sidequests at Home

My mom picked me up from the airport and the various Taco Bells on the way home didn’t have open lobbies for breakfast. Eating at Taco Bell requires the gimmick of dining in to maximize the efficiency for drinking the various Mountain Dews and Dr. Peppers. Otherwise, I’d rather eat elsewhere. We stopped over at our favorite local Thai restaurant for an early lunch, and then we picked up some groceries.

With a kitchen island, it was easier to fill up
a pitcher with almond milk.

After unpacking, showering, and napping, I made some almond milk for the duration of my stay, using more space than my apartment. I also tried out some Impossible meatballs in a spaghetti sauce, and it was far better than previous plant-based spaghetti and meatballs dishes.

I walked my 10,000 steps in the first day back, but Louisiana requires a car to get around. It’s far too hot and humid to walk. That Thursday, I fixed our treadmill, which had some wiring and front panel issues. “It was working before we left!” my mom said. The buttons to slow down sped up the belt, and any of the pre-set speeds registered as 10 mph, so I figured everything just shifted. I removed a few panels on the back, taking out 12 screws, and fixed some loose pins, cables, and wires. I hope static doesn’t build up, but it works now, and I got in my remaining steps.

I fixed the treadmill. Robotics experience helped.
Mostly unplugged wires and plugged them back in.

On Friday, I went into the city with my uncle, and I picked up Nimona, Robins Being Robin, and a few issues on my comics pull-list. I didn’t want to get carried away since I’d want to bring some things back to Seattle. I intend to combine the New Orleans and Seattle collections into one library, but first I’d have to clear some space in both places. I also wish I could import Hansen’s snowballs to Seattle. It works for king cakes.

 

A wholesome, James Beard award-winning
family business for 84+ years.

 

Honey lavender pineapple stuffed snowball.
Air conditioning for my tummy.

My uncle and I saw Teenage Mutant: Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in 3D; I’d recommend it, but not necessarily the 3D; I had a slight headache after. I’m seeing Blue Beetle with my brother on Saturday. And I’ll see Barbie again, but with my mom on Sunday. I ended the day with a Zoom call with some UW students, that lasted about an hour; I took a slow stroll on the treadmill, but it was definitely forward progress.

Other Parts of This Trip [August 2023]

• Visit Days 4-6.
• Visit Days 7-9.
• Visit Days 10-11.
  
• View a Stylized Reimagining of this trip back home using DALL-E.

Budget Vegetarian Grocery List for College Students

My main constraints for grocery shopping as a PhD student: I don’t have a car and I only make around $3,000 per month. $1,700, or close to 57% goes to rent. Yes, the cost of living in Seattle is high, and PhD students don’t make too much. I can only hope to get to that postdoc soon…

Alas, it’s important to stick to a budget. To be strategic with limited resources. This not only saves money, but time. With fewer back and forth trips, I tend to only get what I need. I don’t tend to impulse buy anything that isn’t on this list. I know filling a basket when bouncing between aisles is probably a psychological trick to get people to buy more.

The key to my grocery budget is keeping certain foods stocked in my pantry while having enough variety and flexibility to be okay with alternatives.

As a vegetarian with a few allergies to celery and apple (unless they’re both cooked well), I find Seattle has a variety of stores with enough promotions to make this make sense. I spend around $200 – 300 on groceries per month, but that fluctuates since different foods come in different amounts. That figure doesn’t include eating out or ordering in.

I promise to do a Cribs photoshoot of my fridge,
but here's a pic of the real kitchen hero:
L'oignon, L to the OG.

Apparently all of the onions above
caramelize to this amount.

Vegetables

• Onions – my staple item to add to most dishes; Red onions are generally good by themselves. White onions are good as a topping. Yellow onions are best when cooked.
• Green Onions – I buy two bundles every month or month and half, but grow the rest from scraps.
• Bell Peppers – I usually go with green peppers, but I often see them sold as a traffic light pack.
• Mushrooms – I tend to buy shitake and enoki.
• Leeks – When I feel like a Farfetch’d. Good in soups, eggs, pasta, and rice.

Proteins

• Beans – Red, white, black. Canned is good for quick meals, but I occasionally make a larger pot of red beans and rice.
• Eggs – I usually get 18 eggs for $3. I typically don’t make omelets, but I do add a fried egg to sliders, burgers, and rice dishes.
• Tempeh – I don’t get this
• Tofu – Usually extra firm tofu in most dishes, but soft tofu can go in some soups.
• Impossible Burger – about $6 for 6. I prefer making smaller patties for sliders.
• Veggie Dogs – these come in packs of 8 or 9, exactly so that you have to buy a weird amount of buns
• Nuggets – These are just convenient

Nuts and Grains

• Almonds – Good by themselves and to make almond milk and almond meal
• Bread – about $1.50 per loaf; I’m not adventurous enough to have start making sourdough, but I do use crusts to make cinnamon toast or bread pudding
• Cereal – Good with or without milk.
• Oatmeal – I’ve been making overnight oats with yogurt, fruit, chia seeds, and other mix-ins.
• Rice – A 25-pound bag can go for several months.

Pasta Noodles

• Fettuccine – Good with alfredo mushroom sauce.
• Lasagna – Layers of gooeyness, or to separate layers of meatloaf.
• Macaroni – Good as mac and cheese or as macaroni salad.
• Ramen – Versatile if you're crafty with mix-ins. Oil, vinegar, eggs, onions, other veggies. 
• Spaghetti – The sauce can be plain so the protein can be added later.

Frozen

• Frozen Vegetables – Easy to steam when cooking rice, or throw in to soups.
• Frozen Fruits – Great for smoothies. Usually doesn’t matter which kinds.

Meal Starter Sauces

• Pasta Sauce – Mostly a shortcut.
• Curry Blocks – These tend to be Japanese-style curries.
• Miso – Not a regular item, but one to keep in mind for adding to dishes beyond miso soup.

Cheeses

• Mozzarella (shredded) – To add to stuff. I sometimes get the sliced kind for caprese.
• Cheese Curds – About $8 for a pack. Good out of the bag or as a topping.
• String Cheese – Usually a portioned snack.

Snacks

• Popcorn – about $4 for 6 bags which get about 2-3 servings
• Yogurt – about $3 for 5 servings

Occasional Items

• Bananas – I haven’t found the right amount that works for me because I can’t eat a bunch by the time they start getting overripe. I do freeze the rest for smoothies.
• Milk – About $3 per gallon; although I tend to make almond milk, a gallon of milk smooths out the need for it as an ingredient by volume since other milks have a higher unit price.
• Potatoes – Like bananas, I can’t eat enough or make enough stuff before they sprout.
• Tomatoes – To be honest, I tend to only add these to sliders.

Discussion

The above grocery list has a lot of flexibility. I do buy items outside of the above, especially sauces, condiments, oils, spices, and vinegar, but I don’t buy them often enough on normal grocery runs. My bottom-line, I stick to an overall limit and buy whatever I can get under that limit. As of writing, I don’t count macronutrients, like fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, but maybe I will because I know I should.

(I also noticed that I wrote this right before traveling, so I won’t be restocking my pantry and fridge quite yet. However, I’ve been prepping different meals to hold me over until next week.)

Explaining Culinary Choices in a College Studio Apartment

Thrifty, crafty, quick home food hacks for busy PhD students

As a college student on a budget, I wondered if certain kitchen practices made sense under scrutiny. I also wanted to lessen how much I ordered takeout or went to a restaurant. Was I actually saving time or money? Was it scaled okay for my studio apartment? I don't aspire to be a home cook, but I consider this beyond everyday knowledge.

I based some assumptions on my personal preferences. For the most part, I would buy and eat these products anyway. These alternatives need some investment in both cookware and prep time. Whether these are worth it is subjective, but I try to explain.

Is it worth growing your own green onions from scraps?

Green onions, or scallions, are the perfect garnish for soups, noodles, and curries. They’re also easy to grow from cutoffs. I don’t have the space to grow them from seeds. Yet growing them from scraps requires minimal intentional effort.

I have two pots with soil that can comfortably grow about 6 bulbs each. I water heavily once per week. I’ve been able to get about 3 to 5 harvests per bulb before they start getting too thin. 

Assuming the grocery store price is $0.99, you would reach the breakeven point in about a month.

Growing scallions to add to different dishes.

Yes, it’s worth growing your own green onions from scraps. It isn’t infinite food, but it’s a good way to round out dishes.

Is it worth making your own almond milk?

I rarely drink almond milk by itself, but it’s good in vegan smoothies or to splash into drinks, hot or cold.

A glass pitcher, blender, mesh strainer, and mixing bowl are all required to make almond milk at home.

A 2-pound bag of almonds was about $13. A half-gallon of almond milk is usually $2.99.

Each cup of almonds is about 130 g, so a 2-pound bag is about 7 cups. I get about a gallon out of each cup of almonds, so that’s seven gallons from each 2-pound bag.

1. I soak a cup of almonds for a few hours. 
2. Drain. 
3. Add about 64 oz of filtered water and set the blender on crush for about a minute. 
4. Repeat until the pitcher is full.

I don’t measure the vanilla or sugar if I even add them at all. The remaining pulp can be added to overnight oats or smoothies, but it doesn’t taste like much.

Homemade almond milk requires a good shake.

That comes down to about $1.86 per gallon of almond milk. Plus you also get the pulp and reduce the paper and plastic waste from buying half-gallons. Each half-gallon of homemade almond milk runs for about $0.93, so it’s about three times cheaper to make your own. I prefer the taste and texture of homemade almond milk that's smooth, frothy, and earthy.

Yes, it’s worth it to make your own almond milk with the caveat of having all the required kitchenware.

Is it worth pickling your own vegetables?

To be honest, I rarely ate pickles, but I do like kimchi and sauerkraut.

A dozen mason jars cost $14. I use a dry-erase marker to date the contents. Vinegar, salt, and sugar are already essentials.. I’m a vegetarian, so my fridge and pantry are usually stocked with different vegetables.

1. In this example, I just used carrots and onions. 
2. I cut the vegetables into small sticks.
3. My brine was a cup of vinegar, about 1.5 cups of water, and a tablespoon of brown sugar and salt. 
4. Bring it to a boil, then pour over the vegetables.
5. Seal the jar, then let it cool to room temperature.
6. Store in the fridge, and use a fork to remove pickled vegetables.

Quick pickled carrots and onions sticks.

Maybe, it’s worth quick pickling vegetables for side dishes, add-ons, or snacks. I want to experiment with different brine ratios and different vegetables.

Discussion

I live in Seattle where groceries can get expensive. Not having a car also makes bulk buying more challenging. Anything that reduces the number of trips to the store is helpful. Reducing packaging waste is a bonus, and the savings add up.

I hope this blog will inspire some little-c creativity in me. Little-c creativity is about finding modifiable solutions that lead to innovations. I hope to connect some theory to these mini-experiments in my blogs. I hope to make discoveries, useful and otherwise, balancing a few different metrics, criteria, or gut feelings.