burn baby burn

I was just told that for about $30 our trash company (city contracted company) could come by and pick up our pile of recyclable cardboard boxes that have grown since we have unpacked. I have had them outside for two weeks waiting for the recycling trash pick up to get them, and then watched as the regular trash routers completely ignored the stack and drove right by yesterday. Now, they would have picked the boxes up had they all been folded and flattened and put into our recycling trash can...however this was already full. So, I have decided that we are doing away with yet another non-necessary house bill- the trash bill. Without naming names, I know many people who are fed up with the creeping costs of trash disposal. Solutions I have seen- composting (of course the original trash disposal method), burning (which we can do in small amounts on our firepit- burning paper goods, mail, small cardboard items etc), and simply separating out leftover trash items to be taken to city recycling dropoffs (which I assume are free like many other cities we have lived). Another path to consider that is done quite often by people I know is to dump your trash into a "company bin". This means using some larger company's BIG dumpsters (for example Walmart) to throw your bags in. This only being done after you have taken recycables out, and doing only about once a week.

Recently having paid a minimum fee for a basic cable package...we are considering going back to free antennae we have had for a few years- the network channels while amusing, really stink as far as quality shows, and all the public channels offer great shows (last night I watched the ARTS channel with all those musical videos...Eurovision is a wonderfully weird producer of these). Another bill off the list!!

MEATBALL CUPCAKES

Here's your "food porn" for the day (not my term but used enough in the media to have become somewhat less offensive and now just "ho-hum" in the shock value department). MEAT CUPCAKES. We all know that cupcakes and the mini versions were Sooo 2008 so now- meat cupcakes are in baby! I say totally gross but am always amazed what humans can do with their time - like reading this blog for example (what is wrong with you??)

MEAT CUPCAKES. It's like a literary ironic chef's worst nightmare all wrapped up in a "waffer" thin paper just waiting for some hipster foodie to try out. NOT the vegetarians of course. Only the hipsters who have decided "F the compassion for animals we're all going to die anyway" kind of hipsters. Those kind.

Go find some of the MEAT CUPCAKES and indulge in one of the most disturbing but strangely human food trends I have heard of in a while ...except for the "dirt cuisine" that is something I would try but only if the dirt has been through one of those Sears Catalog Rock Tumblers from 1984 (I had a rock tumbler and recently gave my box of polished rocks to Dominick yes indeedy) and then through a filtration system. Then I would test the dirt that people are paying big bucks to eat.

Have fun eating your flesh tomorrow. hee hee hee. evil laugh... I will.

Link below- please enjoy:::

http://jezebel.com/5862140/meat-now-available-in-cupcake-format

What are your favorite live albums??

I admit it, I am not a big fan of live albums. "Exit Stage Left" (Rush) and "Under a Blood Red Sky" (U2) are two of my most tolerated ones. The Avett Brothers, Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band have fun, folksy sing along type albums that I can also enjoy for about an hour. I really adore live concert footage (DVD) and we have White Stripes and Audioslave in Cuba (an outstanding show) for example. Some people love live albums, I prefer to hear the music as clearly as possible, without the drunken shoutouts (I'd rather be there live, than listen to other people party) and hear what exactly the artist decided was the best representation of their songs to put down digitally from the studio. Either way, everyone has their own tastes musically. What are your favorite live albums? Some of these are the typical eye rolling inducers from the 80's generation like me who had to endure countless airings of "Frampton live" on the FM radio growing up- so some of these have been numbed down to my musical sensitivity. But, music is a LIVE art form that constantly grows on you, and changes you, whatever form attracts you to it!

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/11/best_live_albums_from_axl_to_zeppelin_.html

A side note.

Sometimes the hardest thing for a parent of a special needs child, is the time during which you are lulled into thinking your child is perfectly "fine." Because, of course, out of the blue you are jerked awake by a moment of anewed clarity. This may be a moment of fear, during which your child does something that most kids their age would not do, or any moment like that. These times are the hardest- not the times of therapy, learning new ways to adapt, or making their lives better- that's the easy stuff.

It's the time of "almost normality" that is almost a cruel trick. Parents go about their lives, allowing for the small illusion that they can ease up, let go, and relax. Be assured, every child has "special needs" but some of them, like ours, have needs that even our closet family and friends just don't see- the little things we have to do for them every single hour to make them safe. It is exhausting, mentally and physically. Our child is happy, playful and full of life. He has vision needs that affect the way he learned to speak, communicate physically, and even coordinate his movements. He will lead a fulfilling adult life because he has never known any different.

For parents, the differences are hard. But that place of contentment, so alluring, so welcomed...is a place to beware of. It's full of promises that weren't yours to keep. It's not about lowering any standards for your child, but about changing them...

Then, the parent can sleep in contentment- being assured of what is reality and what is not.

That is peace.

The tricky art of letter-spacing

Let's forget about all the news of abuse, snarkiness, Kardashian divorces and other tripe. What REALLY matters is that the right font and the perfect spacing of letters. After all, what you put on paper or digital surfaces is a reflection on your true inner being. To us font nerds anyway. Just remember, all caps means you're an angry bitter person. Never use all caps like some people do on Facebook unless you want to be seen as a self imploding pile of volcanic sociopathy that is waiting to take down city hall.

Nice fonts are a true mirror into your innermost self, not your makeup, your clothes or your daily good deeds or how many times you smile.

True!

The tricky art of letter-spacing

Flexitarian Advice

About two years ago, right at holiday season, I decided to try being a full time vegetarian. As was pointed out to me by several people, if I was still eating dairy or seafood I was not a true vegetarian. (By the way, I love being corrected by peers...try it sometime. It's fun to watch me squirm and hold it all in..being a true Capricorn and first born and A-type personality). With this information and determination I forged on, planning meals with no chicken, pork or red meat.

The red meat part was the hardest part to let go. I actually have never been a big chicken or poultry food lover, ask my husband who saw me squint every time we got some chicken parts ready for roasting or grilling. No, I'd rather have my meat be all red, full of thready muscles and taste of blood, salt and pepper- just like a good steak should.

Another point- I never decided to reduce my meat intake due to caring about the animals as my biggest "reason" although I certainly have been known to be a animal loving person. Rather it was more about a cleaner diet, lower calorie and less cholesterol laden meal planner for me and my family. Stew on that if you like, but I don't care much for the bullies at PETA or the insufferable health gurus who use bullying to push their vegetarian views on others saying they are compassionate but really being mean, judgemental and spiteful.

All has been going well, although admittedly I have shared a homemade burger or steak with my husband the past few years, I am trying anew to make meals 7 days a week with no meat included. This means there will still be a few fresh beef parcels in our fridge, waiting for my husband to marinade for that craving we get, and my kids may still get the fish tacos we make now about once a week. In fact, seafood is something I just cannot quit - from the fresh grouper from home, the oysters, scallops from Appalachicola and the red snapper from Bay County fish docks- in moderation we are a seafaring family. Luckily due to the rising costs of meat, it is easy to decide to reduce our meat buying, and you will be amazed as I have been how much cash you have leftover for other food items when you greatly reduce it!

Here are a few tips I have incorporated into cooking our meals that reduce other things besides meat, such as sodium, weird fillers and triple named chemicals in rice and pasta "flavor packs":

When cooking with canned beans, which I do ALOT more now for protein, iron and fiber- always rinse the beans to get rid of about 40% of the extra salt you do not need. The flavor will be there, and of course the beans are a great replacement food for meat.

Use canned beans to replace meat- for tacos, enchiladas (I make a great black bean, corn side dish and stuff enchiladas with yellow rice topped with scallions and fat free sour cream). Beans are also great for spicy dip bases, soups, and mixed with bow tie pasta (for fun) and a can of cream of mushroom soup for a casserole type crowd pleaser.

If you happen to purchase pre packed food like the instant pastas or rices that come with the "flavor packets" only use about 1/3 of the packets and toss the rest. Yes, even with the awesomely gooey Mac and Cheese of old, do it. Your kids will never notice the difference, and their bodies won't be full of 3 days worth of salt, MSG, whey, and all the other weird stuff that make the orange powder so volite.

Don't over- serve! Kids don't need half a packet of fig newtons or a bowl of cheerios for a snack every few hours. Recently I fell into the "lazy trap" of giving my kids bowls of snack food so we could pack and move. Also easy to do when someone else's child is eating this way. Don't waver- I try to always have bananas, pears, plums, grapes and whole foods in the truck if we are visiting other so I can chop and serve for snacks.

Dilute the Juice! I buy no sugar added (sometimes organic) juice for my kids - in the big bottles. During the course of the week, they can have juice but I pour 3/4 of their cups with fresh water first, then the juice. This makes the juice last longer of course, but also let's the kids have juice without all the extra sugars and fillers. Again- getting their taste buds used to food in their more purer forms, best you can.

It is easy to play around with these ideas...i can easily go to extremes. Sometimes we go for days with just soy milk and water (for the kids), sometimes we splurge with some turkey hot dogs but even those are going the way of the dinosaur for us. Another thing- I just noticed I used the word "splurge" - watch out around your kids that you don't use food as a treat. This is something I am working on. Kids don't need to have food issues this early in their lives! A treat should be a family outdoor activity not a bowl of cookies.

Always working to be better, always willing to learn for myself and what is good for my own.

Have an awesome day!

Michelle Duggar Expecting 20th Child

Salt:

Let's get all the stuff out of the way first: they want to have a large family, they do not use or believe in birth control, they have every right do live their lives as they want to in our great country.

Lime:

I wonder if this desire to stay in a state of perpetual pregnancy (which is a whole different topic) gives Michelle Duggar some kind of feedback or personal gratification. Is it the attention from a long running reality show? is it an underlying fear of not knowing what it would be like to be a woman for an entire year who is not pregnant, who has to really help with all her kids and is not pandered to while "resting her feet"? Believe me, there is something quite delicious for most pregnant woman, when for a while, everyone who loves you is catering to your moods, your sore feet, and helps you out with many of life's little annoyances while waiting for your big day and new child. Is she doing a form of "hoarding", not knowing what she would do if she didn't go out to every little flea market and bring home any shiny white object that glimmers in the dusty windows?

We wish nothing but good health for a new mom and child. She seems to be a well meaning mom whose children adore her. I would call letting them think that dinosaurs never existed is a mild case of child abuse, but that again is a different story:) People are free to be as ignorant (even purposefully) as they like in this, our great nation.

Michelle Duggar Expecting 20th Child: Michelle Duggar and husband Jim Bob are expecting their 20th child. The stars of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” (expect a title change next season) made the announcement this morning on NBC, surrounded by her husband and their 19 children. Duggar, 45, now three...

What’s the language of the future?

Hello old friends! Again, long time no see...I have finally settled into our new home and have our home office up and running. I am going to name it the Beehive. Here in the Beehive, we are busy as heck but wanted to post this nice article about the future of our most popular language. I will return tonight for some personal insight, news, opinion and various sundries while you wait eagerly for every word (ha ha). Have a great Sunday and if you're like me, you'll be hatin it at 5 pm tonight when the sun goes down- I wish the cooler days of fall could be just as long as summer! Meantime, enjoy your day and tell someone you really love them.

What’s the language of the future?