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November 1st, 2005
11:31 am - letting off some some steam--my thoughts about the newest supreme court nominee
ok, i realize that supreme court justice nominee picking is particularly troublesome business, and choosing a nominee that will satisfy most, if not all, is highly unlikely. i'm not even going to argue about the ideology of this recent nominee, alito, because i don't know enough about him to throw rocks. what i am particularly pleased with is his impressive credentials--lengthy judicial experience and by all appearances, a man who has been driven to excel in his pursuits, educationally and professionally. i acknowledge those things, and credit him with a level of respect that he seems to be worthy of.
what more i know of him is limited, save for what generalizations have been tossed back and forth already. and as you well know, the media's presentation of anyone will never be fairly offered, so i reserve my judgment about him personally until i know more. but based upon the characterizations, none of us should be surprised by alito as a choice, considering that bush is doing exactly what he promised when campaigning for his current job--searching for a "conservative jurist in the mold of clarence thomas and antonin scalia". that doesn't mean i agree with it--but i'm not going to argue about it, not today, because that's not my point.
what i do find extraordinarily disappointing is that out of 13 justices sitting on the highest court in our land, we are preparing to drop to a lone woman on the court. and while women are roughly 50% of the population in this country, on the supreme court we would only be 7.7% of the population. do i think it's a tragedy that we are not more evenly represented by a population on the supreme court that reflects the gender population of our country? well, yes, but let me explain.
i don't believe in choosing anyone to meet a "quota", and that includes races or gender. when filling a job role, i look at credentials--and the intangibles, such as personality and drive always factor in, of course. i would hope that we apply that same philosophy to other "applicants" wherever those opportunities arise. in fact, i expect the government to be the model for how fairness and opportunity should be reflected--a role model, if you will. when it comes to upholding the liberties of all its citizens, i would expect the highest court in the land, the so-called defenders of liberty and freedom to be the very ideal for which we all can look to and believe that every little girl growing up can believe will be protected by. i would like to think that every little girl can dream about her future, and (someday) look at our supreme court not merely as a symbol of the protection of our freedoms, but a reflection of that freedom, through the figurative and literal opportunites that men and women share equally. no opportunity should be granted on the basis of gender, but rather in spite of gender.
i think the (controversial) clarence thomas summed up my feelings adequately when he spoke of his feelings and personal experience about affirmative action in a dissenting opinion relating to upholding affirmative action in 2003. whenever quotas supersede qualifications relating to the basis of opportunities given, there is always going to be a feeling of "did i get this opportunity based upon merit or something i had no influence upon?". i thought it was interesting how deeply the shame and frustration of thomas' yale opportunity impacted him. You had to prove yourself every day because the presumption was that you were dumb and didn't deserve to be there on merit. he sat in the back row in his classes so as not to be given special treatment because of his race. to prove his abilities outside the sphere of traditional black issues, he took courses in tax and antitrust law instead of civil rights and constitutional law. i think quota filling is dangerous and degrading to the so-called beneficiary, and misses the very point of what it sets out to accomplish. it applies a band-aid that could be better addressed with that proverbial ounce of cure.
i want to clarify that my desire in seeing a woman on the bench is not about filling a quota -- but rather a challenge that too many are far too cowardly to rise towards, which is to face the opposition and certainty of challenges that come so often when one chooses not to take the easy road. were the many qualified women overlooked because of their lacking credentials? of course not. they were overlooked because the GOP wanted a good old boy who would be an "anti-harriet miers". and so they went as far as they could to erase the memories of that disasterous choice.
what saddens me the most is that when bush chose ms miers, he made the most damaging choice he could have possibly made to the plight of keeping women on the supreme court--he chose a woman who lacked the pedigree and experience that so many others have, working their whole lives to amass and prepare for. by reaching into his inner circle of buddies, he chose a woman who we knew little about, save for her the mere knowledge of her close personal and professional ties to the president. and as a side note: frankly, i'm disappointed that i didn't get a chance to learn more about miers by going through the confirmation hearings, and get a feel for the kind of person she is--apart from the characterizations that have been offered by others who know her. i think that would've been an interesting investigation, but without a doubt, probably a huge waste of money and time.
but by giving us a woman who by all appearances was not equal to the job in question, we as a country were deprived of the opportunity to be offered a female nominee whose experience makes her well-suited for the role. it was terribly disrespectful, and it was a slap in the face for every woman who has worked tirelessly to be "supreme court nominee" material. imagine the disappointment any of those highly qualified judges must've felt after bush announced his nomination of miers, a woman who's career doesn't come close to any of the judicial heavyweights that were on the shortlist before she dropped the "aww shucks" routine and decided to make a run for it. as a country we deserve to be represented by highly qualified, accomplished and distinguished individuals who aren't limited by gender, race, or other details that are irrelevant in the service of a supreme court justice. am i the only one who sees the hypocrisy? we're talking about the so-called institution that protects our freedoms, our liberties, our pursuit for everything that is american for men and women?
i apologize in advance for not proofing this better, but i am running late. i'll look it over later though. have a great day peeps. ;)
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Current Music: U2 - achtung baby
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October 4th, 2005
02:23 pm - a heads up for my fellow colleagues in the field of marketing and other related fields
while i have a membership to the American Marketing Association (AMA), i recently realized that many of the educational and other fabulous resources available through this organization are complimentary. be aware that many employer orgs will generously pay for their employees memberships to professional organizations--and even if they don't, i think the membership is worth every penny.
additionally, i heartily recommend this organization for anyone (obviously) in a marketing role, but also in a peripheral role, such as technical marketing (engineers), technical writers, sales and app engineers (AMs & AEs), along with anyone else who would benefit from understanding the importance and influence of marketing. they offer many webcasts that i have recorded and played while i am doing something else, so even if i am learning about something that isn't terribly related to any of my roles, i am still gaining information and learning... which i value highly--staying current in a workplace that changes more quickly than ever before. plus, you'll find other good stuff, i promise.
go check it out: the american marketing association. the free webcasts alone are worth it.
Current Mood: helpful
Current Music: elton john - someone saved my life tonight
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July 24th, 2005
04:36 pm - a tiny psa about one of my favorite causes...
teaching tomorrow's pet owners, today
i've been meaning to write about this, but since friday's ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) fridayfiver specifically addressed this topic, i thought it would be a good opportunity to mention it now...
sadly, too many kids are growing up without the influence of people who take the time to impress upon them the importance of caring for household pets--such as stepping up to the responsibilities that come with having a dog. one of the programs and volunteer efforts i am most enthusiastic about it is the one i started with marion county dog control which leverages the theory that children should learn about responsible pet practices as youngsters, before they grow up and acquire pets on their own. i am convinced that a child who understands why it's so important to spay/neuter an animal, access medical care, and provide the social, nutritional, and other needs that animals have in our care will grow up and apply that knowledge as adults, but also influence their parents, friends, relatives and others they encounter--not to mention grasping the importance of becoming a responsible, sensitive person. i can't begin to tell you how many parents i've talked to who were "lectured" by their son or daughter about how their dog needs to be spayed or neutered and asking where they can have it done affordably. or a very amusing email i got from a little boy telling me that they no longer "tie up their dog around the tree" because it's "not safe for the dog or the tree". that made me laugh... i wish i could find that email because it was sooo funny to read. i've had some really interesting conversations with kids about the subject of spaying and neutering as well... ;)
( clicky click )
if you are interested in doing something like this in your school district, i'd be happy to share any and all materials i have created, and would be willing to help you with the information you need to start your own program. in fact, i'm working on adding to my materials and details for a website that allows an educator/liaison to request or download materials.
education is a powerful tool to change minds and behavior by meaningfully solving a problem. when addressing the core issue, we reap benefits almost right away, but its effects continue much longer than any corrective or punitive approach. the act of living up to responsibilities and caring for those who cannot care for themselves is a universal message of importance that transcends animals, and i can't help but believe that if we can teach children sensitivity, responsibility, and the defense of animals unable speak for themselves, we are helping to create a more sensitive, responsible society as well.
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Current Music: diana krall - peel me a grape
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May 3rd, 2005
01:11 pm - alright, i'm curious now...
Poll #487048 runaway bride
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 65If your fiancee ran away ala "the runaway bride", based on the information you have read, you would if you chose "other" please clarify, or add additional detail about your thoughts here the runaway bride, aka jennifer wilbanks, deserves and/or owes the city of deluth, the volunteers, the families and perhaps the country what? (check all that apply) if it is determined that jennifer wilbanks is nothing more than a woman suffering from mental illness, does she deserve punishment? if so, what should it be?
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01:00 pm - to the fiancee of the "runaway bride"
dude, listen carefully.
if your fiancee can, in good conscience disappear for days and allow you to agonize over her absence, or at the very least, cause you to wonder where the hell she is for even five minutes, all while scheming to do something very different than she told you she was planning to do/be...
um, catch a fucking clue. if you can't see that you're preparing to marry a totally self-absorbed woman who's entire, tiny little world is only large enough for herself, her concerns, her stress and her needs, you probably deserve the agony and masochistic torture you're preparing to put yourself through.
hopefully someone will do you the favor of hitting you over the head with a shovel, or that your public act of "standing by her" is something you're doing out of kindness and publicity and not because you really are that stupid and intend to do nothing more than quietly break things off and encourage her to seek a conscience lot of therapy. "standing by your girl" isn't something you have to do until you're legally wed, so hurry before someone gets out a shotgun or she claims she's pregnant.
as long as blowup dolls sheep are stocked on the shelves of sex stores, i am thoroughly convinced you can do much better.
p.s. who wants to bet that this woman will be in the news three years from now because she left her kid sitting in a car on a hot summer day while she was getting her nails done?
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Current Music: Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
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April 30th, 2005
02:47 pm - veal - a cruel meal
yesterday i made the mistake of stopping by walmart. one of gpa's caregivers told me that she saw gatorade on sale, something i've been drinking a lot of lately, at a 50/50 ratio to water. would you believe that i find gatorade way too sweet? i know, i'm a nut. holy cow, i will never go to walmart EVER again. they turned the local walmart into a flea market. i stepped in to find people en masse, mostly children running around, screaming, looking as though they'd not bathed in weeks. it was scary.
and all of a sudden they have a grocery in there now? yikes. it's the size of a mall. i wandered over to the gatorade aisle and stocked up, considering that if i bought enough i wouldn't have to go there ever again. hahahaaa. i filled my cart. i bought so much gatorade that a kid ran by and said, "dad, look at that lady's cart! look how much gatorade she has!". shut up kid.
anyway, on my way out i happened to be strolling past the meat aisle and considering making some chili today. i saw that they had some decent "natural beef" and bought two packages. this morning when i was looking over the packages, i realized i bought ONE package of natural beef, and one package of VEAL!!!
i don't eat veal. i abhor veal production practice. i hate what it stands for so much that i can't figure out whether i should:
1. return the veal along with a letter requesting them to locate their moral conscience and NOT carry veal (which would require a return trip).
however, i think i'd prefer a return trip to my dentist for a root canal
2. just send a letter and dispose of my veal.
3. let grandpa eat it. he eats everything, regardless of origin. hell, he thought my tofu stir-fry last night was "very tender chicken".
somehow i think my letter might make more impact if i return it with my veal in the mail. hehe. that's option number four.
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but my point in all of this is...
if you eat veal, please consider the inhumanity of the way it's produced. check out this short little cartoon, it's an accurate, educational and brief education on how veal calves are raised.
there is no humane veal production. it's that simple. i invite you to consider eliminating veal from your diet, and letting restaurants and groceries you patronize that you'd rather they not contribute to veal demand by serving/selling it in their establishments.
you can learn more about the grossly inhumane conditions and consider the nasty synthetic hormones that are being injected into veal calves, and then determine for yourself whether you still want veal for dinner.
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responsible, ethical consumerism is something that i believe we all are called to, in accordance with our conscience. i encourage you to think about where your dollars are going, and moreover, start small by spending your dollars locally. a few ideas:
1. purchase your produce at local fruit/veggie stands that buy local produce directly from farmers. shop at farmer's markets instead of buying your produce from a major chain that has shipped in your food from another country.
2. support local organic food co-ops and businesses, such as organics to you, a little company that delivers organic produce to homes in the greater PDX area. they purchase from local farms and provide produce when its ripe. *most* produce in the major stores have it shipped to them long before it is ripe. the taste difference is quite striking. pesticide residue is something that affects all of us, and is still not well understood. do you realize that most conventionally produced strawberries contain pesticide residue that simply cannot be removed with washing? strawberries are one of the most heavily contaminated of crops with pesticide residues... ick.
3. purchase your chicken, beef, eggs from local farmers. many ranchers will sell 1/4 beef or 1/2 beef at considerable savings to what would be the equivalent in the store. i buy my eggs for $2.50/dozen at a farm about 3 miles away from a chicken farmer that has free-range hens roaming all over the farm. chickens like to scratch, scavenge, eat bugs and need grit in their diet. i assure you that farm fresh eggs taste nothing like the flavor-less ick that you buy in the stores. the shells are so thick you need a small hammer to break them open. hahahahaaaaa.
4. ask the stores you shop in where it is they buy the foods you purchase, and go learn about the companies. find out who is raising your food. don't you want to know what you're putting in your body?
and please--stop eating veal
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Current Music: Eagles - Take It To The Limit.
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April 29th, 2005
11:21 am - giddiness
hey! i'm going to see paul mccartney in november and i have amazing tickets thanks to none other than the delightful ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) kaleidoscopeeye. i'm taking my dad in november for an early christmas present.
he's soo excited. the last concert i took him to (neil diamond) was in madison sq. gardens and had so much fun.
thanks for the hookup, w!
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Current Music: beatles - ticket to ride
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April 27th, 2005
07:46 pm - more recipes - garlic rosemary roasted chicken & spaetzle
i have been in a cooking mood this week, and today decided to make roast chicken and spaetzle, along with ginger-glazed carrots. it was my first time making spaetzle and wow, is it easy! i have been craving it, and was saddened to find out last week that the hungarian restaurant that served delicious spaetzle closed down. so... desperate times call for desperate measures. but this was actually quite easy! i'm not terribly great cooking with recipes, as i'm more of a "pinch of this, and a dash of that" cook, so if my recipes don't make sense, please ask. i had a glass of pinot grigio with this, but i could see it paired with a chardonnay or other wines. even a beaujolis.
garlic rosemary roasted chicken
1 whole roasting chicken (ideally free-range)
4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
1 large shallot, diced
1 large lemon, juiced
pepper
coarse salt
3" sprig of rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
1 T. fresh basil or 1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
2 t. dried parsley
( the rest, plus spaetzle... )
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Current Music: The Cult - Painted On My Heart
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03:00 pm - an unabashed girly post that 90% of you probably want to skip...
lately, i've been in a full on makeup-y girl fest. it's quite out of control. i think it started when i was going to do some makeup for a few weddings and now i've slid off the edge... i am supposed to get my MAC pro card any day now. you can't possibly understand my excitement about this... hahahahaaa. recently i put together an access-powered database that allows me to stroll through my makeup collection by brand, color, item type, and do a key word search. i needed an inventory system... isn't that funny? if you ever had any questions about me being a full-on geek, that should settle it.
the artistry of makeup has always intrigued me. with my brushes and some powder i can create chiseled cheekbones and a straight, slender nose. eyes that leap from one's face, and take 20 years off someone's face. that kind of power is just fun.
( Read More )
on a sidenote... it feels wrong to share my undying love of clinique's black honey gloss. i used to wear the "almost lipstick" In the same shade, but the gloss is much better. and um, i tell you, i've never met a woman who doesn't look absolutely fabulous in that universal berry shade. i'm serious. ask a_wags. i may not know many things, but i know gloss. ;) so you all run out and get one, and if you can't find it, i can hook you up. you'll thank me later!
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Current Music: Foo Fighters - Everlong
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April 25th, 2005
01:46 pm - just_monicat, pet pschyic!
i'm going to a benefit tonight, and i still can't figure out what i should wear. or how i should wear my hair. but considering the late hour, we have established i'll be wearing it curly. hahahaaa...
it's a schmoozy party and i know it's a semi-formal thing. events like that--well, we have a love/hate relationship.
i have a really elegant black dress, sort of a DVF style with an asymmetrical hem. problem is that it's a bit too large for me, but i discovered that i can gather/tuck it at the waist (where the "wrap" comes together at) and wear this brooch i have, and it looks pretty--if not a tiny bit eccentric. half like i'm inspired and half like a have a neuromuscular disorder. the other is a shorter dress, and it's a little short for my taste. i don't like my knees oh-so much. also i think there's more cleavage in that one that a benefit to fund children's playground equipment should afford (unless of course the exposure of your breasts is for a utilitarian purpose). it's a jewel blue and also is a bit snug (but not overly so). yet, i'm thinking that one is a bit more risque than i prefer.
i have narrowed down the shoes. here they are:
i'm all about strappy-strappy high heeled sandals right now. go figure...
i was going to take a date tonight and then at the last minute decided not to, and i hope i don't regret that decision later. usually events like this are more fun to go alone if there's lots of schmoozy opportunities. there's supposed to be a lot of teachers at this event, and it's been fairly well established how much just_monicat loves to flirt with guys who teach... almost as much as engineers. guy teachers have that "good guy" sort of look about them, like fireman and peace corps workers. i can't explain the attraction to engineers as simply. perhaps it's my (rather disabling) geek fetish and affinity for statistical data analysis.
also one of the more entertaining things that comes from benefits like this is the people watching. i love trying to figure out people, especially those who love to come to events like this. you meet all types, and sometimes the types are really really strange. i have met a lot of very odd people at these kinds of events, trust me. the last time i went to an event benefitting the humane society i met not one, but TWO pet psychics, one of which invited himself over to have a "chat" with my dog. he was compltely shocked when i told him that i would pass on my chance for him to ask her questions about what she thinks of being my dog and whether she's happy.
duh. i don't need a pet psychic to tell me that my dog, who does little more than shed hair, eat treats, stroll the neighborhood on a daily basis, but mostly lounge on her massive fluffy bed, lives a charmed life full of canine content. hmmm... maybe that could be my next career... pet psychic. ;op
more later, peeps.
EDIT: i'm starting to think that if i want to be a hit at this party i should just wear the shoes alone! ;)
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Current Music: Janes Addiction - Jane Says
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April 23rd, 2005
08:23 pm - saturday & wine
well, i thought i could fit one more quiz/meme in to the weekend but the "how redneck are you" quiz proved to be uneventful. hmmm. sorry, i know you all are disappointed. i'll save you the trouble and tell you the only indication of my redneck heritage is my ability to drive a truck with no steering wheel, too much waylon jennings and willie nelson in my cd collection or perhaps the fact that i know how to make a pot roast with a can of coke. *grin*
this morning i had the best rainy run. i wore the wrong shoes, the ones that AREN'T water resistant and sloshed along. it was kind of fun anyway. i didn't mind too much until towards the end when i started to get the chills. i think some of the reason people guess i'm younger than i am is because i ACT like i'm young at heart. i spend entirely too much time on the ground playing with kids or my dog, and am the best pitcher on my neighborhood cul-de-sac (in the kids opion) and can usually be relied upon for the occasional game of hide-and-go-seek, but i digress. my mom always made me come inside when it was raining, and i always thought that was stupid. so now, being in the rain feels so irreverent and has that forbidden quality to it. but, sometimes i wonder what my neighbors must think of me, running like an idiot in the rain. i look like i drowned rat. my hair was soaked, and i was wringing out my braids in the shower until i realized the idiocy of that, being that i was on my way to the shower. mya was miffed that she got all wet. she's been running with me again, having packed on a hefty 7lbs. she's back on regular dog food, since it seems that senior dog food is too low in calories for her.
i need to do her nails tomorrow, as they're getting too long, something i put off as long as i can because she hates it sooo much. i do it with my dremmel so that i can avoid over-cutting them (she has black nails and it's impossible to eye the quick). i know it doesn't hurt her, but she hates the noise, so i spend most of my time with either leg over her, on my knees to pin her down and then she lays on her back looking like an abused prisoner. it's quite the dog-and-nail show... my grandmother used to get a big laugh out of it, because my dog is so spoiled that as soon as the last one is done i say "alrighty mya, all done..." and she springs up, super fast and sprints to the utility closet of pet foodstuffs. what my dog will do for a treat! or "a pickle" as i started calling them because she always would over hear the convo and i re-named them to fool her...
so, today was fun. my pal sarah (who lives in eastern oregon) was in town and we spent the day together. first, we went out south to try out the new sushi joint and were pleasantly surprised with the featured special, one being an "extra white" tuna or something like that which didn't sound all great, but i ended up making an entire meal out of 3 orders of that, ngiri-style, along with a bowl of miso. i met one of my old clients who practically attacked me on-site and said he had been planning to call me and we discussed a new project that sounds quite interesting.
then, we went wine tastingand i managed to escape full on lush-full behavior. hahahhaa, but i am turning into such a lightweight these days. we were at the FIRST winery and i was three tastings in and needing to sit down. sarah said my eyes were as big as saucers. next time i am eating more before i leave. the fun part though was that this guy "jim" at that first winery came over and asked me what i thought of the pinot that i was tasting and i gave him my honest opinion, which was that i thought it was ok, but nothing special. he smiled and said, "oh yeah?" and i said, "pretty much". "3 dollar wine..." or something like that. he threw his head back and laughed and said, "funny, my folks own this winery...i'll pass your feedback along."
i felt the heat rising in my face and i was soooo embarassed. he then started laughing and said, "hey mike, guess what she thinks of our pinot..." and turned it into a big joke. i was dying. seriously dying. and he seemed to rather enjoy my discomfort, and he just laughed and laughed, knowing how he was really making me so awful and listening to me backpedal. he eventually ended up invited us with his friend on their little tour, and because he has this elite winery membership, they can go taste any of the reserve or estate wines, gratis at any of the area wineries. they were on their way to archery summit winery, so we followed them on to that one and a couple others. it was fun, and jim kept teasing me, almost to the point of getting on my nerves, in an obnoxious and yet really attractive way.
he was really sweet when we climbed on to the deck. since we walked out the back way we had to come off the deck and there were no stairs. i was wearing a skirt and heeled sandals and he grabbed me around the waist and took my arm to help me down. i was thinking the whole time... "hmmm, this dude meets all the girls this way and purposely takes them out the back so he can have a good excuse to touch them." he was cute, but sadly, entirely too aware of that fact. he kept asking for my card and eventually sarah gave him my cell number, though i think she knew i was caving in. i told her i was going to start giving out her cell phone too, but i'd pick someone "better" for her.
hmmm. wonder if i'll hear from him. he had really sparkly green eyes. ehhh....i'm sure he'll be a distant memory by tomorrow.
notes about a few of the toured wineries:
archery summit i think this is a winery that has let their great press from the wine spectator go to their head. seriously, i think their strategy of entering the upper echelon of pricing so early in the game, being only 11 years old and still a bit unknown is a strategy that will always keep them from the mainstream, and perhaps that's they don't care. owning a stretch of the highly desireable red hills territory, following highway 99 has been a coup, and all of their wines reflect that lovely mineraly, earthy richness distinctive of the iron-red soil that gives it its name.
( and i blather on... )
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Current Music: Foo Fighters - Everlong
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April 22nd, 2005
04:35 pm - friday five memes, for 4/22/05 *UPDATED*
fridayfiver
I'm filling in for the lovely wait this week and since I have moving on the brain I'm carrying that topic forward. Enjoy!
1. How many locations (dwellings) have you lived in?
oh geeez... i've moved a lot in my life. here's the brief synopsys since i was around 6 or 7.
walnut creek, CA - big fancy house on a hill
trout creek, MT - trailer on uncle's ranch
trout creek, MT - ranch house
sylmar, CA - house in the ghetto
albany, OR - old white house
lebanon, OR - ranchouse in the country
san jose, CA - house in the 'burbs
lombard, IL - house in the 'burbs
brooklyn, NY - townhouse
NYC, NY - shoebox near the village
no. bergen, NJ - house on the hudson river with the million dollar view
harrison, NY - big beautiful house
hampton, VA - the 'burbs house
rockwall, TX - house on the man-made lake with trees growing out of it
duluth, GA - house in the 'burbs
salem, OR - apt in "felony flats"
keizer, OR - duplex
salem, OR - townhouse
salem, OR - current house in the 'burbs
i think i'm missing a few. maybe i'll come back to that later.
( clicky click here )
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Current Music: Heather Headley - If It Wasn't For Your Love
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12:38 pm - have you tried xylitol?
lately i've been using less splenda and more xylitol sweetener in my limeade, iced tea and other beverages and items i want to sweeten. i was originally turned on to xylitol last fall at a health fair and wasn't able to find it for awhile.
my goal has been to work artificial sweeteners out of my diet altogether, and i think this is the one i'm going to start using exclusively. there's lots of benefits to using it. you can read more about it here and also here. it's the only sugar substitute i've found that doesn't have a weird aftertaste, and while it's not calorie free, it is metabolized quite different than sugar is, and as a result, the net effect on the body is quite a bit more favorable than the high glycemic response that white sugar effects.
Xylitol has 40% fewer calories and 75% fewer carbohydrates than sugar and is slowly absorbed and metabolised, resulting in very negligible changes in insulin. About one-third of the xylitol that is consumed is absorbed in the liver. The other two-thirds travels to the intestinal tract, where it is broken down by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids.
Xylitol looks, feels, and tastes exactly like sugar, and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste. It is available in many forms. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking, baking, or as a sweetener for beverages. It is also included as an ingredient in chewing gum, mints, and nasal spray.
you can buy the brand of xylitol i currently use here. the five pound bag there is a really good deal, considering i paid about ten bucks for two pounds at my health food store. i am not kidding when i say that it tastes JUST like sugar, and even has a similar, crystal-type texture. it's fine to bake with and your kids and spouse would never notice the difference if you didn't tell them. promise!
i've also been testing agave nectar, which is ok, but i don't find it to be as versatile as xylitol. it's ok for beverages. it's a lot more expensive too for the "sweetening power". i keep a sqeeze bottle of it on my desk and use a bit in my iced tea when i am craving something sweet.
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Classical Spanish Guitar Yepes Rodrigo Concierto De Aranjuez M2
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April 21st, 2005
10:16 pm - the sarcazm interview
says sarcazm: yours is going to be fun and girly. i wonder why? ;op
1. we're always talking about cosmetic surgery. what procedures would you want to have done and why?
( the rest... )
thanks sarcazm, this was fun. i enjoyed your thoughtful questions, and they certainly made me think! :)
if you're interested in your own just_monicat interview, comment and let me know. then you paste the answers in your journal and interview anyone requesting their own interview.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/full.gif) full
Current Music: eagles - new kid in town.mp3
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April 20th, 2005
08:38 pm - domesticity feels quite fine to me... recipes!
lately i've been feeling quite... domestic. very much like the happy homemaker, minus the mister. the warm weather, progress in my life, and the enthusiasm to tackle new projects all have encouraged me much lately.
and yo, i've been busy! i wanted to share with you lovely people some of my recipes, stuff i've been making lately. i love creating new concotions, usually through modifcations of some recipe i found and altered to suit my fancy.
Limeade with Variations
1 cup fresh lime juice (use bottled only if necessary!)
4 cups of water or sparkling water
splenda to taste OR roughly 1/2 c. sugar (or to taste)
ok, so that's the base recipe. now you can add lots of other stuff (choose one item at a time, i suggest) to create a more sophisticated and delightful beverage.
cranberry: add 1 c of cranberry juice (i use 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, which is quite tart and will require more sweetener. you can use cranberry juice cocktail, which will reduce your splenda/sugar requirement
pineapple: add 3/4 c pure pineapple juice
strawberry: add 1 & 1/2 c. pureed or mashed strawberries + 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, which might increase your splenda/sugar requirement
blueberry: add 3/4 c. blueberry juice/cocktail (i love the wyman's "wild blueberry" juice that has some grape and apple to sweeten it up)
pomegranete: add 3/4 c. pomegranete juice - this is my current favorite now!
cherry: add either 1 & 1/2 c. pureed cherries or 1/4 c. black cherry concentrate (readily available at health food stores)
iced tea: add 2 c. strongly brewed tea (or 2 & 1/2 c. of regular strength tea) - my current favorite is passion herbal tea by tazo (readily available at starbucks) or ginger peach black tea is a nice choice as well and has quite a bit of natural sweetness.
i am sure there are many more variations one could come up with, but these are the ones i've personally tried and can vouch for. lately, i've been making it with sparkling water but have enjoyed it with plain old filtered tap too...
today i made my lamb stew, and it turned out quite well. i thought you all might enjoy the recipe for that as well.
lamb stew - serves 6
i started with about 2lbs of meaty lamb soup bones and 1lb of lamb shoulder blade chops, but my original recipe calls for 2 & 1/2 lbs of boneless lamb shoulder
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 T. flour
3 c. chicken broth
1 box of pomi tomatoes (diced, 26.45 oz box)
2/3 c. dry white wine
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
fresh ground pepper
4-5 medium carrots, sliced
4 medium red potatoes
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 T. butter
Cut lamb off bones into 1-inch cubes and brown in oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Add onion and lightly brown; add flour and stir. Add water, tomatoes, wine, garlic, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer for 1 hour; remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium low heat. Add carrots, potatoes, celery to skillet; cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly browned. Add to broth and lamb in the large pot. Cover and simmer lamb stew for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender, adding more broth if necessary. Skim off fat.
alrighty, more later. hope everyone is having a lovely week. :)
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Nelly, Jaheim - My Place
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