Sadness...

One of my heroes died today...he found the beauty in the ordinary and shared it with all who would listen.

LA Times--Studs Terkel, who made his name listening to ordinary folks talk about their ordinary lives -- and who turned that knack for conversation into a much-honored literary career -- died Friday. He was 96. More...

Breadfruit

Here is my breadfruit. Any suggestions?

Ain't No Virgin Mary Here!

My friend is selling a potato chip on Ebay. A very special chip indeed. This one is vaguely shaped like the United States; and by "vaguely" I mean "Hey, I think I just spotted Texas?"



You too could have this chip, but it probably won't bring some holy blessing.

And Adam...good use of the word "patriotic." Now people will HAVE to bid on your chip or risk being seen as a terrorist! Good luck!

(If you knew Adam, you'd be rolling on the floor laughing right now!)

Moroccan Soup Addendum

I forgot to mention that the entire soup is pureed before serving....that may help with your texture question Ceri!

Cheez!

After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral," I became intrigued with the idea of making one's own cheese. Last week I finally attempted to make paneer, an Indian cottage cheese. I'd seen so many recipes for this particular cheese that I'd decided it must be easier to make than most, and the recipes seemed pretty simple. It turned out pretty well, so I took the next step and attempted to make feta.

Here's my feta, it tastes SO good!



Next up I'm going to work on curing tofu feta-style for a vegan option.

Giving up Gluten

Even though I'm still waiting on some official diagnosis (which in itself would be a minor medical miracle), I have found that I feel much better when not eating gluten. So...on that note, I've been busy gathering recipes and ideas on how to eat without wheat (seems impossible for one of massive German heritage!) On the sidebar, I've listed sites that feature not only gluten-free recipes, but many recipes that rely on natural foods, of which I'm a huge fan. I believe that a gluten-free diet does NOT have to consist of Styrofoam or starving!

Moroccan Tomato Soup

1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
28 oz canned tomatoes, crushed
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Frank's Hot Sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup catsup
2 cups water -- as needed

In a food processor, blend onion and garlic cloves

Fry mixture in olive oil until cooked

Add crushed tomatoes with liquid, peanut butter, cumin, hot sauce, cayenne, salt and pepper, vinegar and catsup. Add water until soup is desired consistency. Simmer until heated through. Blend soup with a hand blender.

NOTES: I replaced Cayenne with Paprika. Added more salt and pepper to taste. In the future, try half as much vinegar. Perhaps reduce peanut butter slightly.

Serve with a rustic bread

Makes Approx 4 servings

Facebook Narcissism

This is what Beth wishes she'd done her dissertation on. I just found it a very interesting thing to consider how personality comes through even with a potentially static concept as online presence.

Can you spot the Facebook narcissist?
Study: The self-obsessed use Facebook the same way they do relationships
updated 2:30 p.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 26, 2008

Facebook profiles can tell you more than just peoples' birthdays and what movies they like — they can reveal the self-adoring, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Georgia gave personality questionnaires to nearly 130 Facebook users and analyzed the content of their online profiles. They also had untrained observers look at the profiles and rate how narcissistic, or excessively egotistical, the owners of the profiles were.

The results of the study are detailed in the October issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

The researchers found that the number of friends and wall posts (messages left by the owner of the profile or friends) that a person had on their profile correlated with how narcissistic they were. Study leader Laura Buffardi, a Ph.D. student in psychology, said this is similar to how narcissists behave in the real world, forming numerous but shallow relationships with others.

Narcissistic Facebook users were also more likely to have glamorous, self-promoting pictures for their main profile photo, while others tended to use snapshots, the study found. The untrained observers also noted the differences in photos and amount of social interaction.

How do you spot a Facebook narcissist?

"We found that people who are narcissistic use Facebook in a self-promoting way that can be identified by others," Buffardi said.

Narcissism hampers a person's ability to form healthy, long-term relationships, said study co-author W. Keith Campbell.

"Narcissists might initially be seen as charming, but they end up using people for their own advantage," Campbell said. "They hurt the people around them and they hurt themselves in the long run."

In the past, research has found that personal Web pages are more popular among narcissists, but this doesn't mean that all Facebook users are narcissists.

"Nearly all of our students use Facebook, and it seems to be a normal part of people's social interactions," Campbell said. "It just turns out that narcissists are using Facebook the same way they use their other relationships — for self-promotion with an emphasis on quantity over quality."
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved

Now this....

is a classy Starbucks!



Starbucks Dubai

Outback Zoo

Here's a little Antisocial in the making... It also brings in the question of who's responsibility is this behavior?

SYDNEY, Australia - A 7-year-old boy broke into a popular Outback zoo, fed a string of animals to the resident crocodile and bashed several lizards to death with a rock, the zoo's director said Friday.

The 30-minute rampage, caught on the zoo's security camera, happened early Wednesday after the boy jumped a security fence at the Alice Springs Reptile Center in central Australia, said zoo director Rex Neindorf.

The child then went on a killing spree, bashing three lizards to death with a rock, including the zoo's beloved, 20-year-old goanna, which he then fed to "Terry," an 11-foot, 440-pound saltwater crocodile, said Neindorf.

The boy also fed several live animals to Terry by throwing them over the two fences surrounding the crocodile's enclosure, at one point climbing over the outer fence to get closer to the giant reptile.

'Like he was playing a game'
In the footage, the boy's face remains largely blank, Neindorf said, adding: "It was like he was playing a game."

By the time he was done, 13 animals worth around $5,500 had been killed, including a turtle, bearded dragons and thorny devil lizards, Neindorf said. Although none were considered rare, some are difficult to replace, he said.

"We're horrified that anyone can do this and saddened by the age of the child," Neindorf said.

Lawsuit planned against boy's parents
Alice Springs police said they are unable to press charges against the boy because of his age. Children under age 10 can't be charged with criminal offenses in the Northern Territory. His name was not released because of his age.

Neindorf said he plans to sue the boy's parents.

The boy's small size is probably the reason he didn't trip the zoo's security system, which relies on sensors to detect intruders, Neindorf said.

"I just want people to learn that they can't let their children go and run amok," Neindorf said. "If we can't put the blame onto the child, then someone has to accept the responsibility."

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TOO Much Detail!!

Adding details can make things come alive, but this is ridiculous!


BRITTANY MARIE MOLE AND ADAM MARK DENTON UNITED IN KEY WEST CEREMONY Miss Brittany Marie Mole and Adam Mark Denton were married Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m., July 19th, 2008 in a double ring ceremony on the sand of The Casa Marina Historic House by the Sea, Key West, Florida where the emerald lawns meet the blue Atlantic coast. In one of the most dramatic settings on all of south Florida's enchanted coast, Brittany Marie Mole along with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Mole, arrived in a vintage 1950's white Rolls Royce at 5:00 p.m. By 6:00 p.m., on the sand overlooking the sea, Brittany and Adam were pronounced man and wife. Miss Mole is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Mole, Orlando, Florida and Mr. Adam Denton is the son of Mrs. Denice Denton and the late Butch Denton of Liverpool, England. In front of a white arch of tropical flowers, Shawna Allen of Key West officiated over the beauty and sanctity of the Unity Sand Ceremony which captured the meaning of the two lives becoming one. Harpist Steven Allerton entertained and guests were seated with themes from "Somewhere over the Rainbow", "Trumpet Voluntary", "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring". The bride entered to "Bridal Chorus". Guests exited to "Mendelson" and "A Time to Say Goodbye" by Sartori-Peterson. Readings were performed by the Godfather and Uncle of the Bride, Mr. John G. Gillespie of Hermitage, Tn. and the maternal Grandfather of the Bride, Mr. Gene Gillespie of Nashville, TN. Brittany, given in marriage by her parents, wore an old Hollywood style, custom made, hand sewn, Melissa Sweet gown. The gown was created for her with Italian silk taffeta in strapless trumpet flair with asymmetric banding and tied on the side with a vintage rhinestone brooch given by the groom. The gown ended in an asymmetric chapel length train. Brittany wore a crystal and pearl Tierra along with her veil of hand sewn pearls scalloping the bottom of the veil. The crystal necklace and earrings completed the bridal attire. The bride selected a 24 white rose bridal clutch bouquet signifying a new beginning. The exposed stems were tied with ribbon and fabric and adorned with the wedding ring of the brides' great grandmother and a locket containing the wedding day pictures of the Bride and Grooms parents. The maid of honor, Miss Lauren D. Mole of Orlando, Florida wore a strapless iridescent fuchsia tea-length gown made by Waters & Waters. The bridesmaids, Miss Rachel Antoine of College Park, Florida; Miss Marjorie Then of Los Angeles, California; Miss Jolene Worley of Orlando, Florida; Miss Ashley Anderson of College Park, Florida, were all attired identical to the maid of honor. The flower girl, 3 year old Miss Sarah Gillespie of Hermitage, Tennessee is the cousin of the Bride.
Sarah wore a white eyelet tea length dress. Her hair was caught up with small white roses throughout. She carried a white basket with hand sewn flowers crafted by the bride's grandmother, Joan Gillespie. Themed petals filled the basket and lined the aisle. Philip Poole of Charlotte, NC was the best man. Ushers were the Brides brother, Christopher Mole of Baton Rouge, LA; Phil Goodrum, Charlotte, NC; Brad Francis, Charlotte, NC and Eric Stilley, Charlotte, NC. The ring bearer was 3 year old Mason McDonald of Charlotte, NC. He presented the rings for the ceremony on a platinum and pearl studded pillow. The cocktail hour followed the ceremony on the outside patio of the Flagler Ballroom. Jim Wist of Key West produced tropical sounds from acoustic steel drums while guests gathered sipping signature drinks named "96 degrees in the Sun" and sampling butler passed hors d' oeuvres. The four hour reception followed in the Grand Flagler Ballroom. The head table was a stunning squared 16 seated table for the Bridal party. Lined with silver chivarri chairs from Miami and tied with cerise lamour linen ties. The table was covered in Cerise Lamour linen with an overlay of Silver Floral Lace and illuminated from underneath. Topped with 4 spaced 41" high silver candelabras holding silver candles and filled with sprays of cascading tropical flowers, the uniqueness of the table stole the scene upon entry and was unsurpassed in beauty. The cake table was identically matched to the head table with a four tiered white and platinum pearled signature red velvet and strawberry cake and illuminated from the back wall with a fuchsia light. Adorning the top of the cake was the traditional bride and groom. All guests tables were centered with hand painted, signed and dated hurricane vases commissioned by the mother of the bride, Susan Mole, to be painted in tropical themed floral by Florida artist Paul Scarborough. Dinner of Lobster Tail, Filet Mignon and Champagne was followed by dancing until the evening concluded. The couple departed in the white vintage 1950's Rolls Royce with bubbles and toss confetti filling the air. After a 12 day, 5 countries, Mediterranean cruise the couple will reside in Charlotte, NC.

Published in the Orlando Sentinel on 9/28/2008.