Anali's First Amendment

Bakers On A Mission: Greyston Bakery & Whole Planet Foundation

2012-05-22T11:02:00.000-04:00

After visiting Greyston Bakery a couple of years ago, I became a fan for life.

Not only do they bake quite possibly the best brownies on the planet, but even better, they are improving lives of many people on the planet.

It you don't know the Greyston Bakery name, you've probably eaten their brownies. They bake the brownies that go in Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Now Greyston Bakery is partnering with Whole Planet Foundation to do even more good!

If you're in Whole Foods Market, you can purchase one of Greyston Bakery’s Chocolate Fudge, Walnut Fudge or Brown Sugar Blondie flavored brownies. 2% of the profits will go to Whole Planet Foundation to fund poverty alleviation worldwide.

The brownies are available now in Whole Foods Market stores from Maine to Virginia, with plans to roll out to more of the company’s locations throughout the year.

So if you want to do something sweet and eat something sweet, you can do both at once. Sweet!

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All About The Poppies

2012-05-17T10:02:00.001-04:00

Poppy Time | Flickr photo by audreyjm529

Over the past few days, I started noticing recipes with poppy seeds. I can't think about poppy seeds without thinking about the beautiful flowers.

Poppies Field | Flickr photo by jesphajoy

Who can forget the famous poppy field scene in the Wizard of Oz? Or the episode of Seinfeld when Elaine is accused of being addicted to opium, because she keeps testing positive for opiates. It was the poppy seeds!

From what I've read, it is quite possible to get a false positive on a drug test from eating poppy seeds. So just to be sure, if you might have to take a drug test, you might want to pass on the poppy seeds for a few days.

Flickr photos by Pedliano + juicyverve

Photo credits: Poppy Seed Head and Purple Poppies

If you don't have to worry about a drug test, then go ahead and indulge. In the poppy seeds that is! Below is a poppy seed recipe roundup to tempt your taste buds. Enjoy!

Seeded Crackers

Brown Sugar Sandwich Cookies

Poppy Seed Dressing

Deborah Madison's Poppyseed Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Cashews, Poppy Seeds Rice Pudding

Poppy Seed Kolache

Orange Poppy Scones

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts With Poppy Seeds

Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter

Lemon-Poppyseed Blinis

Creamy Carrot Soup with Scallions and Poppy Seeds

Almond Poppy Seed Biscotti

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Five Eleven

2012-05-14T01:08:00.002-04:00

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So Many Thoughts...

2012-05-10T02:23:00.000-04:00

There are so many things going through my mind dear readers. I know you are there. Taking in these words and hopefully enjoying them. Sometimes it's nice just to read without saying a word. Most times I do the same thing as I roam around the Internet. I have to remind myself. But sometimes it feels like my words are floating away into the ether...

Have you listened to The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper? So many interesting food and cooking shows on NPR! No wonder SNL can't help but parody them with The Delicious Dish. Anyway, I noticed a section on the website called Where We Eat. Jane and Michael Stern drive all around the United States looking for good food and report back on the places that they find.

It's a wonderful listing by city and state of different places to try and what each particular place is known for. So you can eat your way across the country or just check out a particular state or region. Have you visited any of the places? Last year I visited the All-Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge. Read my post here.

Thinking about how there is so much lack in the middle of so much plenty also has been on my mind. My mother told me that she was watching The Callie Crossley Show and learned that many students at Bunker Hill Community College don't have enough food. Wick Sloane, who teaches at the college was interviewed about an article that he wrote for Inside Higher Ed. Apparently it's a big issue in community colleges all over the country, not just here in Massachusetts.

Just thinking about this issue stuns and angers me. Below is a portion of Sloane's article called So My Students Can Eat.

Students have been crying in my office at Bunker Hill Community College every week since September and, some weeks, every day. Hungry. Often homeless. Often jobless.

One who was hungry and nearly homeless had an A in calculus. “Have you eaten today?” is a question I use more often than “Do you need help with your homework?” She wouldn’t say. As the student cried in my office and spoke with a gentle colleague, I bought a sandwich, some fruit, and a bottle of orange juice from the cafeteria. The student drank the juice and put the food in her bag to take home.

The student had a class and said she’d return later in the afternoon to finish the conversation. With $25 from my colleague in my pocket, I walked to Johnnie’s Foodmaster in Charlestown and bought a $50 food card that we gave to the student later. She cried again.

What is wrong with this country? We must do better. I don't have the answer, but as someone who is part of the food community, I would like to do something.

Riding home on the T tonight, I felt like I was in the middle of the television show What Would You Do? Sitting next to me were two young black girls, maybe 14 or 15 years old. They were being rather giggly and silly as teenage girls often do. But then one girl started talking about Hillary Clinton and her job.

They knew she was the Secretary of something. Maybe Delaware or some other state they thought. "Of the whole country," they wondered aloud. I smiled to myself and wondered if I should say something. Then they started asking who was our Senator and who was the Vice President. Neither of them knew. They started asking louder, maybe hoping someone would answer.

Nobody said anything, so I asked, "Do you really want to know?" I told them that we have two Senators, John Kerry and Scott Brown. That Joe Biden is the Vice President and Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of State. They said they knew Joe Biden was Vice President and thanked me.

Maybe I overstepped, but I think we should answer kids questions. Maybe nobody on the train near us knew the answers. Or didn't care. Maybe that's how Scott Brown got elected!

I wanted to tell them that Brown is a Republican and up for re-election and Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, is running against him. I wanted to tell them how important it is to vote and that the decisions that politicians make are so important to our everyday lives. I wanted to tell them we have to decide what we believe in and figure out who will best represent us.

I wanted to talk to them. But I didn't say anything else. I wasn't sure if they really wanted to hear it. Maybe it wasn't my place. Hopefully they will discuss this with their parents. Anyway, it was almost time for me to get off the train. So I briefly looked at them, smiled, then went back to my book.

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The Restaurant Business: An Eater's Perspective

2012-05-08T11:41:00.000-04:00

My reading has been on the upswing recently. I finished these two books and really enjoyed them.

Restaurant marketing reports have also captivated my attention. While I'm not a restaurateur or a marketer, it's certainly fun eating in different restaurants. And I'm always curious about and interested in how things are sold to consumers. Reading about the restaurant business gives us diners some different insights.

Isn't it annoying when you Google a restaurant and cannot find a website? Or they don't list their menu on the website? Why is that? How come out of the blue a few years ago, every menu suddenly had ten kinds of sliders? Did people really like sliders that much? Had there been a pent-up slider demand that was suddenly being met?

These questions pop into my head now and again. After reading Baum + Whiteman's report on food and dining trends for 2012, I have a better idea of the big picture and of what all of us can expect to see when we eat out. Below are a few things from the report that particularly struck me.

~ At inexpensive eateries look for "the whole world on a plate." Remember world's collide on Seinfeld? Unlike the show, hopefully this trend will explode in a good way.

[D]evil-may-care entrepreneurs are piling flavors from all over the globe onto a single dish. Gastronomically, everything goes. Bite into a sandwich of chipotle pork chop with burnt sugar glaze, carrot kimchee and tarragon mayonnaise, and your taste buds will announce that these flavors came from a global Mixmaster. This is what’s emerging: A multi-ethnic, multi-sensory dining experience where flavors clash on purpose. A multi-culti zucchini pizza dabbed with hummus and topped with crunchy wasabi peas is from nowhere geographically because it is from everywhere. ... Cooking is at a crossroads … where everything collides!

~ Instead of regular bread, we'll be seeing sandwiches a top things far more interesting: arepas, flattened tostones, bao, waffles, and rice cakes.

I've already seen this trend when I had a shao bing at Fóumami and learned about pupusas at Mi Pueblito Restaurant.

~ Japanese craft beers will gain a following.

~ We'll be seeing lots of "round food that go pop in the mouth." Apparently Korean meatball sliders will keep the slider trend alive. Also look for Kimchee- and-parmesan-filled arancini, fried goat cheese balls, spherical falafel, bacalao croquettes, crispy oxtail risotto balls, and more.

~ Comfort food is taking a back seat to more thrilling tastes and creations.

~ Stacking food high will be shifting to "stringing out ingredients in caterpillar-like lines along oblong or rectangular plates." Last night, I noticed this Tweet previewing Maple meringue donuts for Mother's Day. Looks like the trend is here!

~ House-made vegetable and fruit pickles will appear on an increasing number of menus.

~ We'll be seeing more edible flowers on our plates.

~ Some cautionary trends include the misuse of the words artisan, heirloom, local, green, and sustainable. According to this Forbes article, use of the word artisan has already resulted in some legal action.

So these are a few things that we can expect when we go for a meal out. Now what about when we are searching for restaurants online before we go? Sometimes we never find what we are looking for. According to Restaurant Sciences Internet Marketing Study, many restaurants have not made information available for us online.

~ Just over 1 in 8 restaurants have a live blog.

~ Less than 4 in 10 independent restaurants have a menu on their website.

~ Less than 1 in 8 full service restaurant chains and fewer than 1 in 20 independents in the full service segment have a mobile website.

Many smaller restaurants need help getting information out to the public. What are your experiences? Have you noticed a lack of online information?

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Dinner Club: B. Smith

2012-05-03T11:12:00.002-04:00

Years ago, I enjoyed watching a television show called B. Smith with Style. B. Smith always had interesting interviews, food, and lifestyle tips. Recently, I saw her on Twitter, so I took a look at her website and suggested her for our next celebrity chef meal.

The website isn't the most user-friendly, but we did enjoy the dinner that we made using her recipes. I made my first Red Velvet Cake. It's surprising how little cocoa powder the recipe called for and how much red food coloring. It was the end of my bottle of red food coloring, so the cake wasn't as red as it should have been, but it was still good.

I'd like to find a way to make the cake red with something more natural. I'd rather not use beet juice, because I don't like beets and I don't want to go the way of Starbucks either. There's got to be a better way. I wonder if strawberry juice would work?

Above is a picture of our dinner and the recipes with links are below.

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan
Roasted Plum Tomato Soup
Tomato, Watercress and Endive Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Stuffed Cabbage
Potatoes Au Gratin
Red Velvet Cake

Who is our next celebrity chef? Martha Stewart!

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My First Instagram

2012-05-02T00:17:00.000-04:00

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Six Years

2012-04-29T23:45:00.001-04:00

Last week was exhausting. Usually I have a special post planned for this blog's anniversary, but it's not happening this year.

Like last year, I wanted to choose a new word as this year's theme. But none seemed right. Maybe it means that this blog's sixth year is going to be about acceptance. That could be the word by default. Is that giving up or letting go? I guess this year I'll ponder the meaning.

Either way, this blog turned six today! Yay blog! : )

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Nutella Consumer Class Action Settlements

2012-04-27T10:12:00.002-04:00

For those of you who've read this blog over the years, you know that I have become quite well acquainted with Nutella. Since I first learned about this tasty confection, it has become a staple in my arsenal of sweets.

That's why I stopped in my tracks when I first saw the commercial touting Nutella as something healthy for kids.

Seriously. I love the stuff. But healthy? How did that language make it past their lawyers? I didn't think it would be long before the Federal Trade Commission pulled the ad. Especially since the purpose of the ads was clearly to get mothers to feed their kids Nutella.

I was shocked that the ads continued. Clearly the FTC is very busy and can't monitor them all. Or maybe it saw nothing wrong with them. I don't know. I haven't read everything pertaining to the two lawsuits, but my understanding is that the FTC never got involved.

It's hard to believe that anyone could really believe that Nutella is healthy. Clearly it's insanely delicious, but so are cookies and chocolate cake. Just because someone decides to run an ad saying that cookies and chocolate cake are healthy, doesn't make it true and those claims should not be relied on. However, companies should not make false or misleading claims to the public to sell products.

According to the class action settlement website, Ferrero has agreed to modify the Nutella label, modify certain marketing statements about Nutella, create new television ads, and change the Nutella website.

Many of us Nutella fans in the United States may be eligible for part of the settlements as well. From what I've read, it does not appear that we need to have been duped by any claims. Below is an edited excerpt from the settlements website.

~ Who is included in the Settlements?

Anyone who purchased Nutella in any state other than California, between January 1, 2008 and February 3, 2012 and anyone who purchased Nutella in California between August 1, 2009 and January 23, 2012. If you purchased Nutella for resale or distribution, you are not included in the classes.

~ What Do the Settlements Provide?

Class Members can receive up to $4 per jar of Nutella that they purchased during the stated time periods. Class Members who purchased multiple jars of Nutella during the time periods can submit a claim for up to five jars for a maximum award of $20 per household. If the value of the claims of the Nationwide Class exceeds $2,500,000, or the value of the claims of the California Class exceeds $550,000, then payments will be reduced proportionally.

~ How to Get a Payment?

You MUST submit a claim form to receive payment. You can submit a Claim Form online or download a claim form and submit via U.S. Mail. The deadline to submit a Claim Form is July 5, 2012.

I haven't decided if I'm going to file a claim or not. My multiple purchases of Nutella over the years have been well documented by this blog with the help of World Nutella Day. I guess the settlement money could be put to good use to buy more Nutella. I know it's not healthy, but it sure is good.

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Happy Earth Day!

2012-04-22T16:20:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon everyone! It's been a while since I've posted. Things have been busy. Last week I met my fundraising goal, but I'm still hoping to raise more money and keep raising awareness about The Arc.

Since today is Earth Day, I like to reflect on things that I've been doing that hopefully help the earth. I recycle, so when I can, I buy products that can be recycled, that are made of recycled materials and can be reused.

Buying earth friendly should not have to be expensive. However, I'm finding that buying at the lowest prices doesn't allow for much brand loyalty.

I've been making more frequent trips to my local health food store, which has some very good sales. Recently I purchased Ecover dishwashing liquid with chamomile and marigold. It smells really good and bubbles enough for me to feel that my dishes are getting cleaned. Also, I tried Earth Friendly Products lemongrass hand soap. I really liked that too and hope that the sales continue!

Some items I tried weren't on sale. Tissues made from recycled material were very scratchy and I won't be buying them again.

I paid more than I usually would for some razors by Schick, because while they are disposable, the plastic on the Xtreme3 eco is 100% post-consumer plastic and the paper packaging is also 100% post-consumer recycled paper. I felt like I was doing a good thing buying this product, but the razor isn't any better or worse than any other. I'm a bit ambivalent.

It may be easier, cheaper, and ultimately more satisfying to find new ways to use items that you bought. These glass bottles below originally contained seasonings and jelly. I washed them out and removed the labels, so I can use them for something else.

Sometimes I make my own mixtures of seasonings and need a container to hold them. When I buy seasonings in plastic bags, I prefer to keep them them in glass jars, so they are easier to see.

The jars can also be used to hold flowers on your desk or cover them with fabric to colorfully hold pens, pencils, and markers. I've made a few of these.
Also, it can be difficult to dispose of some large items after we purchase them. Like old computers, printers, keyboards, etc. A technology recycling partnership between HP and Staples now accepts all brands of the following electronics for free.

• Desktop PCs, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, external hard drives and small servers
• All computer monitors
• Printers, desktop copiers, faxes and all-in-one devices
• Mice, keyboards, modems/routers networking and PC speakers
• Shredders, streaming devices, phones and Universal Power Supply (UPS battery backup)
• Mobile phones, GPS devices, MP3 players, digital camcorders and digital cameras
You can bring any of these items for recycling at the service desk of your local Staples store in the United States.

Today is also a day just to enjoy the beauty of the earth. You know I love movies. Earlier today G and I watched a really nice one called The Whole Wide World. It's a true story about writer Robert Howard and schoolteacher Novalyne Price.

This very small 1996 film stars two of my favorite actors, Vincent D'Onofrio and a pre-Jerry Maguire Renée Zellweger. D'Onofrio is also a producer of the film. The movie has some gorgeous scenes and is almost a love letter to Texas. Zellweger was born in Texas and I can definitely see how she must have been drawn to this film.

So if you want to enjoy a tiny bit of the beauty of Texas, take a look at the trailer.

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Tax Deductions & Food Bloggers

2012-04-14T14:06:00.000-04:00

Tax Day is Tuesday! Are you ready?

I'm not. And I'm doing a great job of further procrastinating by doing this post before my taxes! Luckily, we have a three day weekend here in Massachusetts. Hopefully I'll finish in time to enjoy some of the 80 degree weather expected for Monday.

The plan was for this post to be up this time last year. Long story short. I was busy and there are only so many times a year when writing about income taxes is relevant for most people, so it didn't happen. However, it seems that Americans are increasingly turning online for tax information, so I decided that I would make sure to write this post for 2012 and maybe it will be helpful for some of you.

First, a short disclaimer. While I am a Massachusetts licensed attorney, I'm not in private practice and not seeking clients. Although this post contains accountant interviews, it is not meant as legal or tax advice. Every individual has unique circumstances and questions. While I love comments on this blog and emails, no tax or legal questions will be answered here or via email. Please consult an attorney and/or an accountant licensed in your jurisdiction for your specific questions. The information contained in this post is for general informational purposes only and geared toward bloggers in the United States, although I hope that it may be of interest to others as well.

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What inspired this blog post? Last year I was reading a blog post on Carrots 'N' Cake about how she deals with her taxes as a full-time blogger. It struck me how over the years, blogging has transformed into something far more serious and legitimate than could have been imagined just a decade ago. Maybe even too legit to quit!

Once the Federal Trade Commission imposed rules on blogging, we bloggers knew things were changing. Most of us will not become full-time bloggers where we can actually live off just our blogging earnings. However, more and more bloggers are finding ways to earn part-time income and maybe eventually grow their businesses into something more by adding related work, like teaching, photography, social media consulting, and other types of writing.

H&R Block and TurboTax both have tax information on their websites specifically for bloggers. If blogging income weren't becoming a larger part of what they were seeing, at least in my opinion, they would not have included it.

Food blogging is a subset of blogging in general and has specific issues, like the tax deductability of food, that aren't relevant in the same way or at all to other types of bloggers. That issue raised on Carrots 'N' Cake really piqued my interest. How were other food bloggers handling this?

A quick search landed me on taxgirl's website. She wrote two posts specifically addressing tax issues related to food bloggers. Take a look: Eating Your Words (Food Bloggers and Deductions) and Paid Campaigns for Bloggers.

On Food Blog Forum, I found a string of comments and questions about whether a blog can be a business. Definitely worth a read as well.

I decided that I wanted to seek input from some accountants directly.

Patricia V. DeSoto is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed to practice in the state of California. De Soto shared her insights with me on the issue of food bloggers deducting the cost of food as a business expense.

My automatic response is "it depends." Is the blogger doing this full-time or as a hobby? If it is full-time and the blogger has a business plan and is doing this with the purpose of making a profit, then the expenses may be deductible against income and could actually create a net loss. However, if the blog is merely a hobby, then only the expenses to the extent of income can be deductible, meaning no income or loss.

Whether an expense may be deducted against income is really a matter of intent. As I mentioned above, if the blogger's intent is to make this a profitable business venture, then, more than likely expenses incurred that are considered ordinary and necessary in the course of business would be deductible. It is always wise for a budding entrepreneur to seek the advice of a tax professional to guide him/her in the early stages of the business planning phase.

Ebong Eka is a Finance Expert and CPA licensed to practice in Virginia. Eka provided some important information as well.

First, ordinary and necessary expenses can be deductible as business expenses. Generally speaking, expenses associated with for-profit endeavors are deductible. Also those expenses can't have multiple uses. For example, I bought a suit to wear because I'm a CPA and I need it for my business to meet clients. The problem is the suit has multiple uses in addition to my CPA business. I can wear the suit to a wedding, or event etc. The key is a food blogger or any blogger should operate in a for profit manner.

Also, the IRS may not allow deductions if they believe the food blogger is a "hobby".

Based on all the information that I've read and gathered here, it seems that the best answer to the question of whether a food blogger can deduct food as a business expense is going to be that it depends.

Hopefully I've given you some food for thought. Here's a link to the IRS website giving further guidance on deducting business expenses.

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Disclaimer: Just in case you missed it the first time. While I am a Massachusetts licensed attorney, I'm not in private practice and not seeking clients. Although this post contains accountant interviews, it is not meant as legal or tax advice. Every individual has unique circumstances and questions. While I love comments on this blog and emails, no tax or legal questions will be answered here or via email. Please consult an attorney and/or an accountant licensed in your jurisdiction for your specific questions. The information contained in this post is for general informational purposes only and geared toward bloggers in the United States, although I hope that it may be of interest to others as well.

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A Dinner Club Preview

2012-04-11T10:02:00.001-04:00

The next Dinner Club post will be up soon!

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Happy National Siblings Day!

2012-04-10T12:14:00.000-04:00

I just received an email telling me that it's National Siblings Day. Especially in light of the post that I just wrote about All Aboard The Arc!, I thought that I'd share it with you below with added links.

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Never underestimate the power of a sibling’s devotion.

It is no exaggeration to note that special education and other services for people with disabilities in the United States--and indeed the world--would not be the same had it not been for the efforts of the five remarkable siblings of Rosemary Kennedy: Eunice, Jack, Bobby, Jean, and Teddy.

Rosemary Kennedy--who was born with an intellectual disability--died at age 86 in January of 2005. At Rosemary’s funeral, her sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver said:

“After Rosemary moved to Wisconsin, Mother and Dad and all of my brothers and sisters wondered how we could support her, but what we didn’t realize is that she would begin a lifetime of supporting us.

“We talked about Joe Jr.’s Foundation (the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation) and agreed to focus it on persons with special needs.”

“Jack (President John F. Kennedy) launched the great federal efforts—NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), The President’s Council on Mental Retardation (now The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities), and The University Affiliated Centers (now University Centers on Disabilities).

“Bobby (Senator Robert F. Kennedy) worked to close Willowbrook.

“Teddy (Senator Edward M. Kennedy) spent 40 years changing the laws of the land. Libraries, schools, clinics, and treatments were created.

“Very Special Arts was born (by Jean Kennedy Smith).

“Special Olympics (created by Eunice Kennedy Shriver) came into being.

“Rosie’s spirit even inspired the third generation of Kennedys with Best Buddies. We all honored her, supported her, and did what we could.”

Every day--in every state, province and country—millions of brothers and sisters do what needs to be done to give their siblings who have disabilities a dignified life. Their devotion and their efforts will never be as well-known as the Kennedy siblings’ but their accomplishments are every bit as remarkable.

We salute you, sisters and brothers, for all you do!

Don Meyer
Sibling Support Project

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All Aboard The Arc!

2012-04-10T10:44:00.001-04:00

*Updated 4/18/2012* I've met my fundraising goal! Thank you so much for the support, encouragement, and donations!

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Recently I was at a Brockton Area Arc event where parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities shared their stories.

A father of two sons with autism spoke about the love and joy that they bring to his family. He broke down and cried when he thought about state budget cuts that could take away the family supports necessary to keep both his boys living at home.

A mother who is now 80 years old spoke about having her last child later in life. He has Down syndrome. This woman was feisty! She said that when her son was born, she was told to forget about him and put him in an institution. Although that was a common practice at the time, she couldn't do it.

So she started talking to other parents and learning about how she could take care of her son at home, so that he could have a regular life. Her local Arc chapter was one of the places where she was able to find information and services. She said that while things certainly aren't perfect, her son has a job and is able to live in an apartment on his own with the support that he receives. That support includes having someone who visits him at home regularly to help him pay his bills and who visits him at work to help with any issues that he might be having. That kind of individual support multiplied by many people requires a great deal of time, patience, and money.

As I mentioned in a post that I wrote last year about All Aboard The Arc!, it's amazing to see and hear about the many abilities of people with disabilities.

When I told my mother about this event, she said that when she had my brother, people told her to put him in an institution as well. To forget about him. It stunned me to hear that. I cannot imagine not growing up with my brother.

While my brother has many challenges, he has a very upbeat personality and is the life of any room as soon as he walks in. He's funny, loves watching sports, has a much better sense of direction than I, has a ton of medals from swimming in the Special Olympics and enjoys life.

I don't have children, but I try to be there for my family, especially my brother. That's why it was so important to me to become more involved with The Brockton Area Arc and to help raise awareness about who they are and what they do.

The Brockton Area Arc is the local chapter of The Arc for the Brockton, Massachusetts area. Their mission is to work in partnership with, and for, the community to provide advocacy, information, and direct services for children and adults with disabilities and their families. Their services provide choice and empowerment while supporting individuals as they strive to realize their personal goals. They promote independence, respect, and dignity.

Sunday, April 29, 2012 is the 2nd Annual All Aboard The Arc! This event is to help raise awareness about The Arc and to raise money. With this blog, I'm making my best effort do both. Read my post from last year to learn more about the actual event.

Thank you Pringles and Fred of Mocha Dad for your donations. Your generosity is so very much appreciated!

Now I know that we are in very difficult economic times. Times are tough. But if any more of you could make a donation of any amount, it would help. No amount is too small. Just think, for the price of a large cupcake, you can do so much good! It would mean the world to me and to the people in need who benefit.

If you cannot give money, then if you could share the link to this post and help raise awareness about The Arc, that would help too. Thank you!

Updated: I just found out that it's National Siblings Day. Please take a look at this post.

*Updated 5/12/2012 to remove outdated donation page links and information.

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The Best Advice I Ever Got: Gather The Good Things

2012-04-07T18:22:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Katie Couric's book The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives. It was so inspiring! I borrowed it from the library, but it's really the type of book that you want to own. One that you'll refer to over time when you need a lift. I might just have to buy it when it comes out in paperback!

It would make a great gift for a young woman, or anyone really, getting ready to embark on something new. Hearing how others have overcome difficulties always encourages me when things are looking rather grim.

The book compiles advice from many well-known people. I'm a huge fan of Martha Stewart and just recently subscribed to her magazine Whole Living. I'm really enjoying it too.

Her contribution to the book was one of the shortest, but one that resonates with me in every way. Martha says to gather the good things.

"So the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges. When faced with a challenge, evaluate or assess the situation, gather the good things in sight, abandon the bad, clear your mind, and move on. Focus on the positive. Stay in control, and never panic."

Great advice!

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I've gathered another good thing to share with you. Food for your ears!

Have you heard of Kojo Nnamdi? I just recently found his radio show online while looking through a directory of shows on WAMU 88.5, American University Radio in Washington D.C.; another great NPR station by the way.

He talks with all sorts of interesting people about many topics and has the most wonderful lilt to his smooth as butter voice. And even better, he loves talking about food. Every Wednesday, his show is devoted to food. I've been catching up listening to the archived food shows online and enjoying every minute! Below are links to a few of them. Hopefully you'll get a chance to listen.

Keeping Kosher in Washington
Juicing: Vegetables, Fruits, Spices, and More
Growing New Farmers
'Say Cheese!': Food Photography
Behind The Restaurant Hype

Happy weekend to you!

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Interracial Couples & Restaurant Dining

2012-04-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

A recent study by Pew Research Center shows that marriage between people of different races is on the rise.

According to the report, new marriages between spouses of a different race or ethnicity increased to 15.1 % in 2010, and current marriages that are either interracial or interethnic is 8.4%. Compare those figures back to 1980, when 3% of all marriages and less than 7% of all new marriages were across racial or ethnic lines.

But when you look at the numbers, it actually shows that most people still tend to marry within their own race or ethnicity. I haven't read the full report, but I'm assuming there are also differences in the numbers depending upon age, education, and where people live.

There was also an interesting take on interracial couples eating in a restaurant on an episode of What Would You Do? They had interracial couples go out to eat, then had people harass them about it. The couple and the people harassing them were all actors who work for the show. The point of the show is to see the reaction of other people who don't know that this is a staged situation. To find out what will they do or in many cases not do or just plain ignore.

Also, most of us are pretty familiar with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950's and 1960's. The big change that resulted from this movement was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provided legal remedies for acts of discrimination. So that, for example, if someone feels that they have been discriminated against based on their race in a public accommodation, like a restaurant, they can sue that restaurant. After all, the lunch counter sit-ins were a huge part of the Movement.

So why am I bringing up these different issues? Because I was shocked to hear that a restaurant in a certain southern state has a special "interracial section" where interracial couples can be seated.

I don't know enough about all the details to say much more and I don't want to identify the person who relayed this information to me. What shocked me even more than hearing about this special seating arrangement was that the person who told me liked it. He is part of an interracial couple and my understanding of what was said was that at least this way they would not be gawked at and they were with their own kind. Oh goodness.

My reaction is that this is racial segregation all over again with a new twist. Now I'm not sure if this is the policy of the restaurant, just one person's random decision, whether the situation where all the interracial couples who did not know each other were suddenly seated together by coincidence or what.

In no way does any of this seem right to me and I think what the restaurant is doing is illegal. Am I missing something? What do you think?

If you are part of an interracial couple, have you ever experienced anything like this? Have any of you seen anything like this?

Help me out people. What would you do if you saw this situation?

*Updated 4/25/2012* Sadly, I just found a related article. A new study finds that “tableside racism” persists in restaurants.

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Pringles Tournament of Flavors

2012-04-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

Whether you're a college basketball fan or not, there's another game happening right now that you might want to check out.

Pringles presents the Tournament of Flavors -- a video bracket-style contest on Pringles' Facebook Page, where fan-submitted videos showcase a humorous spin on Pringles' flavors for their chance to win a cash prize. The Pringles Tournament features 16 total videos, 8 Flavors (2 of the same flavors go head-to-head in the first rounds), and 4 Voting Rounds.

Vote for your favorite videos and you can win prizes along the way until the winner is chosen. Round 2 is happening right now. Pringles Multigrain video is hilarious! See Cheese Snobs below.

Also take a look at the video using Pringles' cans as drums. Pretty cool! If you're on Twitter, use #TournamnetofFlavors to tweet about your favorite videos.

Enjoy the fun!

+++++++++++++++
Disclosure: Pringles will be making a donation to my team's fundraiser for All Aboard The Arc! Thank you!

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Looking Up

2012-04-01T00:33:00.004-04:00

Flickr photo by Jörg Weingrill

Did you see Venus-Jupiter Conjunction recently? I noticed when I was walking home one night. What a beautiful sight!

It made me ponder the astrological significance. Jupiter and Venus are auspicious planets, so maybe some of you noticed all sorts of nice things happening. I hope so!

I write about my horoscope here every once in a while, so for you Virgo's out there, this is for you too! Here are some highlights predicted for 2012.

This year is all about non-stop action for you, Virgo. ... When Mars turns direct in Virgo in May, you'll possess tremendous energy to make amazing things happen!
...
Any financial challenges you've had to endure since 2009 should come to an end this October. A change of residence or alterations to your current abode are possibilities under the next wave of eclipse patterns. June's full Moon lunar eclipse in your domestic sector is the beginning of many profound changes to affect both home and career prospects between late 2012 and early 2013. And then, the new Moon solar eclipse in November in your communication sector could bring new potential for learning, speaking, writing or travel opportunities.

Looks like exciting times are ahead!

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Subway Stories: Boston Food Trucks

2012-03-28T09:48:00.004-04:00

Will you be visiting Boston soon? Maybe you're in the beginning stages of planning your summer vacation. Or maybe you'll be taking a day trip to the city.

Well either way, if you take the bus or train, you might end up at South Station. I often see people walking with their suitcases to nearby hotels. When the weather is nice, like it was last week, it's not a bad option.

Depending upon which way you exit, if you look to your left or straight ahead, you might see a bunch of food trucks. Their presence is fairly new to Boston, but a welcome sight. Look at the lines! Take a look here for the food truck schedules.

Granted, the day I took these pictures it was around 80 degrees. What a treat for a New England day in March!

If you look to your right when you exit South Station, you will see Dewey Square, which is the beginning of the Greenway. It's also the former location of Occupy Boston. In a couple of months, the Farmers Market will be back.

To the left of this picture, when you cross the street, you will be on Federal Street and see Crumbs Bake Shop to your right. How's that for a Mini Boston Tour?

Last week, I briefly met a couple visiting from Nebraska. They were lucky to be visiting during the balmy weather. I was on the Braintree train going home. I was sitting to the woman's left, her husband was sitting across from her, and a young woman was sitting to her right. Her husband walked over and was asking her something while very closely hovering over both of us. Awkward.

Anyway, after feeling that my personal space was being invaded, I heard the woman saying that they were looking for Quincy Market. The woman sitting on her other side said that they were going in the right direction, because they were on their way to Quincy. All I could think was, "Oh no." The woman wanted to know which stop. North Quincy or maybe Quincy Center.

Clearly the woman trying to give directions had no idea what she was talking about and was about to get this poor couple even more lost. So I interrupted and told them that Quincy Market was actually part of Faneuil Hall, near Government Center, and they needed to get off the train and go back into Boston, because they were headed to Quincy. I told them that if they get a chance, they might want to come back to Quincy, because there is a lot of history to see there too. Had to give a plug for the City of Presidents!

However, regardless of what they decided to do another time, they needed to take the Red Line back in to Park Street, switch to the Green Line and go to Government Center, then walk down the big set of stairs, and cross the street to Faneuil Hall.

When I first learned that Quincy Market is actually not in Quincy, I was confused too. Poor tourists! Hopefully they made their way back and enjoyed the rest of their vacation.

Sometimes it seems really difficult to get around Boston, but the more I just walk and explore, I find shortcuts and realize how close certain places are to others. As I find them, I'll share them with you. Feel free to ask me questions here in the comments or send me an email. Especially if you're getting ready to visit. If I don't know the answer, I'll find out for you.

Happy Travels!

Some movies

2012-03-26T23:00:00.001-04:00

This picture has nothing to do with anything. But last week was so warm that I was inspired to walk around with my camera taking pictures. I like the lights on the trees...

Also, G and I watched some interesting movies on DVD recently. Since some of you seem to like the suggestions, I thought I'd do another list. I found these all in the library. You can't beat free movies! We both enjoyed all of them, which is always a challenge.

Pollock If you like his art, check this out.
Please Give
Pieces of April
Left Luggage
Happy Go Lucky

Have a great week everyone!

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Pig: A Restaurant

2012-03-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

As part of the Women in Comedy Festival, Pig: A Restaurant is making its Boston area debut on Friday, March 23, 2012, at 7pm. It will also include a stand-up set. Pig: A Restaurant has been playing to sold out crowds in New York and Los Angeles since October 2011.

For those of you who are local and into food, you might remember the writer of the play, Leila Cohan-Miccio as an editor for Grub Street Boston. The play stars Lauren Conlin Adams, who has waited tables at top restaurants like Balthazar, and DB Bistro Moderne. The director is Caitlin Bitzegaio.

Leila and Lauren harnessed their food industry backgrounds to create a solo show that lampoons everything from celebrity chef culture to ultra-locavorism.

"You're invited to the opening party for Pig: A Restaurant, SoSoSoWa's hottest new eatery. Join luminaries like model/actress/hostess Aurora, supplier Ian (of Mattapan's preeminent household farm), and Top Chef quarter finalist Annie as they usher in the most pork-obsessed restaurant in Boston."

This play sounds like a deliciously good time! Click here for tickets.

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Crumbs Cupcake Chronicles Continued...

2012-03-19T20:17:00.000-04:00

"No cupcakes for you!"

Okay, nobody actually said that to me, but that's how it felt. I regressed to a five year old this evening. : (

As I've been writing, today was the day I have been anticipating. Crumbs Bake Shop opened its first Boston location! So all day I was thinking about it. A friend emailed me saying that she had thought of me when she heard they were opening. She tried their cupcakes in New York and said, "They are divine!"

On my way into work, I didn't see a line, so I figured maybe things didn't get that crazy. That there would be at least two cupcakes left, so I could have one for me and one for G. After all, I had a buy one get one free coupon! I was thinking that I'd get Squiggle, and was undecided between Irish Cream and Vanilla/Vanilla Sprinkle.

Well, it didn't matter because I didn't get any! When I got to Crumbs, the shelves were empty. How could this be?! I couldn't quite believe it, so I imagined that there were some in back. Mind you, it was about 6:40 when I got there. Denial is powerful thing.

It turns out that things had been a bit crazy earlier and they had just ran out. Nooooo! They are open until 7:00, so I thought that I'd be okay. Oh well.

I was told that they will have way more cupcakes tomorrow. The plan is to get them on my way home, so I'm not making an extra trip. We'll see.

Were you there for the opening today? Did you get any cupcakes?

*Updated 3/20/12* First day of Spring! Still no cupcakes. Maybe they will never have any left at the end of the day??? They ran out hours before closing tonight. I wasn't even close to getting any. Maybe next week when the fervor dies down.

*Updated 3/21/12 * I hadn't planned to stop in tonight, but I walk by this shop everyday. As I was walking to the train tonight, I noticed a few people walking with bags from Crumbs. Then when I looked in the window, I saw that the shelves were filled with cupcakes. Finally! ~~Since it was so warm tonight, I left my coat at home along with my pass for the subway in the pocket and I needed change.~~ Who am I kidding? There was no way I wasn't going in there. So I finally got some cupcakes. They really are large. I got an Irish Cream and Carrot. I only ate half of each, so G can have the rest. They were both really good and I would definitely like to eat the other half of the Irish Cream.

And that concludes my Crumbs cupcake saga. : )

THE END

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Blueberry Muffins

2012-03-19T10:27:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, I made blueberry muffins.

Harking back to my childhood, I used the Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin recipe. Those muffins sure did have their day.

Since I can't leave a good recipe well enough alone, I made a few changes. I reduced the amount of sugar from 1 1/4 cups to 3/4 of a cup.

Of course I used Smart Balance instead of butter and vanilla rice milk instead of regular milk. I reduced the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to a quarter teaspoon.

Instead of 2 cups all-purpose flour, I used 1 cup all-purpose, 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour, and to mix it up a bit and get more whole grain, 1/2 cup millet flour.

These muffins were excellent. Not as sweet, but still wonderful and bursting with blueberries. I always come back to this recipe and I'll keep tweaking them to see what new thing I can try next time.

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Dinner Club: Emeril Lagasse

2012-03-17T00:26:00.000-04:00

There was a theme that we noticed about the food at our dinner club last month. It was rich, feel-good, comfort food.

So that's one of the things that I'll think of when I think of our chosen celebrity chef, Emeril Lagasse. Before this dinner, when his name came to mind, my first thought was his popular and very loud catchphrase, "Bam!" I thought he was a bit over the top.

Maybe he is. But I have to say that his recipes combined very well and made for quite an enjoyable and delicious meal.

Looking at these pictures I have to laugh, because there are no people in them. One of the best things about the dinner club is our gathering together as a group. Since reading Kinfolk Magazine, I've been thinking a bit more about the idea of gatherings. How they happen and what makes a successful gathering.

Playing games before and sometimes after the meal is part of the fun too. Since there are usually some new people at our dinners, it gives us a chance to interact in a different way.

The game Apples to Apples is hilarious and I've played it several times now. It's really interesting seeing how people think and make choices. I highly recommend it.

We had two types of macaroni and cheese. What a feast!

We all felt like this meal was as good or better than many that we had at restaurants.

Risotto is one of my favorite things. This one was so good. I had to have seconds!

We had to have veggies, but one was off-script. One person sliced some tomatoes and added some mint to cleanse the palate. It wasn't an Emeril recipe, but it was a great idea.

I decided to make biscotti and one of our hosts made the ice cream. It was freshly churned, so it wasn't frozen solid. But melty ice cream tastes just as good!

We all agreed that this dinner club was one of the best if not the best. Below are the names of the dishes that we cooked with links.

++++++++++++

Charlotte's Boursin Roasted Chicken
Macaroni with 4 Cheeses
Maytag Blue Mac and Cheese
Adrienne's Spring Asparagus Risotto
Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
Quick Collard Greens
Anise Biscotti with Lemon Ice Cream

++++++++++++

Our next celebrity chef is B. Smith. We'll be gathering very soon and I'm looking forward to it!

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The Road We've Traveled

2012-03-16T19:42:00.000-04:00