Any B.I.T.C.H. Can Cook... at least I hope so!

I have a couple of disclosures.

1.) I am a B.I.T.C.H. - or at least I hope I am.... a Babe In Total Control of Herself [I didn't come up with that myself... see below!]

I recently moved away from home and out into the "real world."

I have quickly discovered that being away from my mom's good home cookin' and out of college where I once had access to a decent meal plan makes eating a bit tougher than I anticipated.

2) I can't cook. It pains me to acknowledge this but - at least at this point in life - it is true.

I attempted egg-drop soup once but put the egg in too early. This resulted in something more like juicy scrambled eggs. It was an epic fail :/

But, I'm trying to get better.

Fortunately, I have the perfect cookbook to help me.

Someone gave this cookbook to my 80-year-old grandmother but she did not need or want it:

Yes, that is correct: someone gave my 80-year-old grandmother an animal print cookbook with that title.

The first page clarifies that they are really talking about any "Babe In Total Control of Herself" which is where I got that from :) Very Southern Belle Feminist, right?

 Lucky for me, my grandmother thought I might appreciate it so she sent it my way.

Not only does the book have quotes (which I LOVE) intermingled with the recipes but the recipes are on my level.... i.e. they even have a recipe for how to make a grilled cheese. While I can actually make that, I can't make much more than that.

In addition to a bunch of basic recipes, this book has a great section on "Household Hints" that explain different pan sizes and ingredient substitutes as well as spice selections and so much more... it truly is the perfect cookbook for someone who is new to the world of cooking.

If you too are a Babe (or Boy) In Total Control of Yourself who is in need of some culinary guidance then feel free to order your own copy here.

What is funny is that in researching this post, I realized my cookbook is one of many in a series of provocatively named cookbooks that cover a variety of dishes and cooking styles. Check those out too if you're interested!

While my rudimentary diet of pb&js and fruit has a positive in that I've lost a pound or two, I figure that when the kids I babysit are eating precisely what I am... it might be time to "spice things up."

So, here's to hoping that any B.I.T.C.H. can, in fact, cook!

Guerilla Girls - Creative Complaining

Who are they? 

According to their website, they are "feminist masked avengers in the tradition of anonymous do-gooders like Robin Hood, Wonder Woman and Batman." And, "We're a bunch of anonymous females who take the names of dead women artists as pseudonyms and appear in public wearing gorilla masks." Why? "We wear gorilla masks to focus on the issues rather than our personalities."

And I was lucky enough to see their informative and very entertaining presentation at CofC this semester. 

Their goal: 

To "expose sexism, racism and corruption in politics, art, film and pop culture." And, "use humor to convey information, provoke discussion, and show that feminists can be funny."

And how do they do that? 

"With facts, humor and outrageous visuals. We reveal the understory, the subtext, the overlooked, the and the downright unfair." 

Check out some examples below of how they use art to accuse art: 

 

And people have noticed: 

"Our work has been passed around the world by our tireless supporters. In the last few years, we’ve appeared at over 90 universities and museums, as well as in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Bitch, and Artforum; on NPR, the BBC and CBC; and in many art and feminist texts."

But they do way more than posters: 

"We are authors of stickers, billboards, many, many posters and other projects... We’re part of Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign in the UK; we're brainstorming with Greenpeace. In the last few years, we've unveiled anti-film industry billboards in Hollywood just in time for the Oscars, and created large scale projects for the Venice Biennale, Istanbul and Mexico City. We dissed the Museum of Modern Art at its own Feminist Futures Symposium, examined the museums of Washington DC in a full page in the Washington Post, and exhibited large-scale posters and banners in Athens, Bilbao, Montreal, Rotterdam, Sarajevo and Shanghai.

In addition, they have published several funny and interesting books: 

Confessions of The Guerrilla Girls

 

The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art

 

 

  

Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers: The Guerrilla Girls' Illustrated Guide to Female Stereotypes

 

 

The Guerrilla Girls' Art Museum Activity Book

 

 

And their plans for the future? 

"More creative complaining! More facts, humor and fake fur! More appearances, actions and artworks. We could be anyone; we are everywhere." 

 If you want to know more, here is a snippet from their F.A.Q. page:

How did your group get started? Why do you call yourselves Guerrillas? Why girls? Why the gorilla masks? Why the pseudonyms?

That is ancient history....you can read all about it in our interview.

 Or, just check out their whole website :)