Fruit and (Going) Nuts

I keep thinking of lots to write, but then I never get around to sitting down and doing it. Partly because I've been working a lot this past week with the start of new student orientation at the university. I worked until 8 both Monday and Tuesday*.

My main reason for writing is to relay my current happenings and to share a recipe. Friday, I went out with two of my friends to see Sex and the City, a delightfully girly film that I truly enjoyed--even though I've only seen a few episodes of the show. I've discovered that I really like films/TV shows that concentrate on the relationships between women, leaving relationships between men and women on the periphery**. Gilmore Girls is a lot like this too--and we all know that I love Gilmore Girls.

Afterward we went and enjoyed the most amazing sushi and a decent cosmo (appropriate, no?). I ate my weight in sushi rolls and sashimi, and it was the best I'd ever eaten. I had a hard time stopping, it was so good. Shogun gets my vote as best NWA sushi-seller.

Saturday, I goofed off most of the day, went to farmers' market and a pool party, then headed to my parents' house for the rest of the weekend. Sunday being Father's Day and all, I hung out with my dad, ate, glared at Fox News until it got turned off, rolled my eyes at politics, and played with my nieces. Overall, a fun day. Since everything in my parents' house is processed and contains corn syrup, I brought a lot of my own food (tofu dogs, sprouted grain buns), including something tasty to share. My contribution to the party was the following fruit salad.

Fruit Salad

• 1/4-1/3 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
• 2 nectarines
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced against the segment grain and cut into smaller pieces
  
• 1 mango, cut into chunks
  
• grapes
• blueberries
• unsweetened shredded coconut
• crystallized ginger chips (I love The Ginger People)
  
• lime juice
• rum

Put all of your fruit into a bowl in the quantities you desire. Splash in some lime juice, and a bit of rum (maybe one shot's worth). Stir up and enjoy with yogurt*** or some whipped cream.

VARIATIONS:

• If using more berries, omit the lime juice and use some lemon juice. Rum might still be good--but a bit of vodka might work too. Or none at all...
• Some citrus zest would look pretty.
• Go for a variety of colors and flavors. Avoid banana since it gets weird when it sits for too long.
• Citrus juice keeps the fruit from browning or getting a little weird. No browned apples!
• Obviously, the varieties are endless. I particularly enjoyed my variety.
  

(Incidentally, fresh pineapple kicks canned pineapple ass. Seriously. You can use it, but you might not get the same deliciousness I did.)

*The upside is that I got to use my extra time by taking off early on Friday. I went home and lazed about and watched the rain.
**Those relationships are important, but they seem almost secondary or more transient than the friendships among women. Male-female relationships seem to carry with them the threat of deterioration; friendships among women are more lasting. If you break up with your lover, you always have your girlfriends to talk to about it.
***Greek God yogurt (plain, or with honey) is AMAZING. So creamy, so delicious. I may be converted away from my precious Brown Cow.