Food and Whine (a new magazine premise)

Yes.Every once in a while I ponder the meaning of life.

But, more often, I ponder even deeper, personal questions.
Which leads me to this list of food related ramblings....

"Why....."

1......can't the caloric value of an apple be equal to.....the same size portion of " death by chocolate" ice cream?..or vice versa?

2......isn't the weight you gain, evenly dispersed....if you stand while eating?

3......do I always feel that eating the spiciest, 5-alarm Mexican meal is more of a personal dare, that I constantly seem to repeat?....(Learning by doing, doesn't seem to work for me.)

4.....should I be surprised that if I divert from a recipe, by re-interpreting level tablespoons for heaping tablespoons......that it's more than likely, not going to taste the same?

5.....do I feel sorry for "the cheese" in the "Farmer in the Dell" children's song?.....guess it's the whole cheese being ostrasized situation..."The cheese stands alone.The cheese stands alone....."

6.....do people still feel they can break the cardinal rule of the proper time to consume White Castle hamburgers (etc.)?....They can only be eaten after a long night out...in the early a.m. hours.That is the only time your body can efficiently repel the after affects of this unique food product.( And you know what I mean.)

7. And my final brief thought....."What does a "pinch" of an ingredient do anyway, in the grand scheme of things?..... That's like saying I'll have one potato chip, one piece of chocolate.....I'm sorry,but that just ain't gonna happen.

So these are a few of my foodie thoughts that occupy my mind.... What food grievances or enigmas would you like to bring to to the forefront? Just wondering?

To Sushi...or Not to Sushi...That is the Question....

I have always been a fairly daring person when it comes to trying new things..in the realm of edibles.Yes, I have eaten escargots. And yes, I have not had any adverse reaction to them. It is amazing what butter and garlic can do to enhance the most "bizarre"/unique foods. And lest I forget to mention, that I have also consumed clams on the half shell, clams oreganata, clams casino.....also a few semi-icky things,which I will omit. Due to the fact that my aim is not to make anyone queasy.

Though I do have to add that I am unyielding about what I like and dislike. To me there is no way to make liver not taste like liver.After you get past all the masking of ingredients....it still is liver. Brussels sprouts is another of those mystery veggies, that I can't get past why someone, of their own free will, would even attempt to consume. I understand that I am probably encouraging some seething anger in those folks who are pro liver..pro brussels sprouts. ( I apologize....it's me, not you.)

So mentioning all that, here is an experience that I've had lately, that i never thought I would.My newest food curiosity to date, was to put to rest......about a particular food.....that I was always discouraged to dabble in....Sushi! ( And the accompanying, death-defying-act of manipulating chopsticks. First timers should be given the option of using a safety net.) I believe now, after eating Sushi, that the sticky rice that is molded with the fish/veggies,would be the translation of safety net, in this case.

It was highly recommended to me to try a variety of Sushi that had the best chance to impress on first sight and then would have a high probability of making past the inside of my mouth.(......in other words, not make a return appearance to the outside world, if my taste buds changed their minds. I know how ridiculous I sound, really.) So my first Sushi variety was smoked salmon. I love salmon to begin with, so I thought I had half a chance. Yes, it was raw..but the flavoring was wonderful! Sliced thin.Placed on top of formed rice....very thin slices of ginger...a little wasabi or a little soy sauce optional. Another "comfort food" to add to my repertoire.

....I know there is a whole new frontier of foods still left to sample......Just Bring It On!!!

Bye-bye Hockey...Hockey Good-Bye..............(ala- Frankie Valli)

The NHL hockey season......

Never enough games.
Never the right trades.
Never enough wins for your favorite team.
Never available tickets for the games you want to go see .
Never the right officials calling the right penalties.
Never enough short lines at the concession stands.
Never the right team coaches.
Never a good ratio of fights per period.
Never enough goals scored so you can hear the horn or siren go off.
Never enough jerseys to wear in support of your team.
Never enough online, t.v., or newspaper game/player coverage.
Never enough player autographs.
And there is never a game long enough so you can keep drinking in every sound, movement,emotion, statistic, and zamboni pass.

The NHL hockey season...just isn't long enough!

His Work Was Comedic Genius,Yet Words to the Wise

This blog borrowed from the words of George Carlin.......
George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens... now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life... you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

Female Stereotypes....Aren't just for breakfast anymore

There have been some nasty rumors going around.....
that all woman fit into some enormous, negative category .
I beg to differ. I mean I really, really beg to differ!
We are not all self-absorbed, shallow, shopaholic,chatter boxes.... au contraire!
I have so had enough with that descriptive wording.
Let's flip the attitude and then I might agree.....wait for it....
There is so nothing wrong with having an interest in our own well-being(self-absorbed). Especially when no one else may be around watching our back. If we have an intense interest in something, that you just might not, or don't understand(shallow), it's allowed. and... Let's face it, the ladies I know, are perusing the stores and purchasing, at times(shopaholic), out of necessity...food, clothes for the kids,home items....and not because they live for the plastic high of a credit card. And last, but by no means least.....we talk because it keeps us in tune with other people. It's our saving grace to be sure that we don't let special moments pass us by. That our friends and family know that we care. That our children feel that we will always be there. That our doctors don't belittle our symptoms when we need a solution. That we do have intelligent opinions, creative ideas, and insights that needs to be verbalized(chatterboxes).
As I have long come to believe, you can have a take on someone or something, but it is how you say it...your careful choice of words.....that makes all the difference.

Thanks Dad.....

I consider myself lucky. My Dad introduced me to a world that little girls sometimes, are assumed not to be interested in. That world usually reserved for fathers and their sons. That world I am referring to is the world of sports.
He always treated me with a unique style of respect. I hung on every word. Whether he was quoting stats of players on the Mets, Jets, Giants, Knicks or Rangers or telling me when game times were. ( Not to say he didn't take interest in other teams. These were just the chosen few.) He would fill me in on every bio, of every player. I learned early how important three letter clusters were....NFL, NHL, MLB,NBA. I marked each sport season with him.....World Series. Stanley Cup, SuperBowl. I was in awe of his passion as he watched each game. And in the days when I was young, and went to bed before most hockey games were televised, I would hear my dad getting frustrated at what he felt was an unjustified penalty. Or hear him celebrate that win, that made his team the one to be knocked off that pedestal. I knew I was missing something amazing. Why else would a person invest so much emotion?
I felt very fortunate to have that added dynamic with my Dad. My sons even had the experience of sharing all that with their "Pop". They had conversations with him, agreeing and maybe disagreeing at times. Just as I had. Guess that has been part of our tradition. And as the saying goes..."All good things must come to an end.".....They did to a certain extent. My Dad passed away almost 6 years ago......We still get the urge to pick up the phone and call him when something monumental or controversial happens. We think, "He would have loved to see this!"
Now I get to carry on, with my sons, what my Dad handed down to me. And though I'll never be the wealth of knowledge, in sports, that he was, my boys will be there to be his voice. I was very lucky, and so were my kids.

My Dad would really get a kick out of seeing the three of us flipping between sports channels,debating about trades, meeting pro athletes, and going to card shows.
I think... You set this all in motion. So.....Thanks Dad.......

Believe...

A friend of mine received this through her email.
Then she passed it on to me.
I am , in turn passing it on to you.
I think you will find it a very interesting read.
Take care everyone.


Things you Should Believe...
That a birth certificate shows that you were born.
A death certificate shows that we died.
Pictures showed that we lived.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue...It doesn't mean that they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,it doesn't mean that they do love each other.
I Believe...
We don't have to change friends, if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,they are going to hurt you every once in a while,
and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,even over long distances.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes, are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything and/ or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you’ve learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others; sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken; the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret; it could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even, when you think you have no more to give when a friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe....
That the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of anything. I Believe.... That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did.

'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.' I Believe!!!

Thar She Blows!......I mean my nose

How is it that a person can be a totally, close to, normal member of the human race, then in a heartbeat, be quickly reduced to a sniffling (not sniveling) idiot? Sniffling sounded less groveling and more a medicinal description. This is close to the grand importance of the " What is the Meaning of Life?" question. How is it that you never have enough Kleenex tissues....or store brand tissues, in the house, when the sneezing and the need to decompress the nasal passages starts? And how does your nose ever make it through the constant repetative action of blowing and wiping? How do I choose alternate methods for clearing out what obviously doesn't belong in my poor breathing apparatus? Do I consume mass quantities of hot tea and soup, then partake in the vicious circle of multiple trips to the bathroom? Or do I reach for the Tylenol/Advil, NyQuil/Sudafed selection? Will it be natural or an an advetisement riddled solution tomy inconvinience? Why am I rambling? How long will this last? Doesn't my body realize that I don't have time for this?! Dam?....Damn!

Couldn't Have Planned It Any Better....

Never underestimate the power of life's little rewards...
It seems to me that there isn't much of a drum roll, or reflex reaction to the amazing, near perfect moments. Maybe because they may only last for a short time. And if we blink, we miss it. We are conditioned, or made cynical, to believe that the good times are meant to last forever...(or pretty dam near close). Granted, if you are very fortunate a few experiences will last a lifetime. But, why can't some of it be a series of small, I couldn't have planned it any better if I tried, moments?
For instance: Have you ever picked up the phone to call someone? You start to push buttons and then hear a voice. And it's the very person you were trying to call. What are the chances?! I had that with my mom. It had happened multiple times. Not much of a big deal to some people. But, what are the odds for it to happen not just once, but several times. And that's a memory I'll always have.
Here's another. Since I have lived in my town, my neighbors next door and I have had the uncanny coincidence of leaving our houses and/or arriving back at the same time. And I don't mean the same hour of the day each time.It's been different clock times, different days of the week. We can run different errands, go out to eat, go visiting and the result is still the same. We laugh and smile all the time. It is odder for this not to happen. It's funny to have that to look forward to.
Even more important, did you ever think how you "lucked out" meeting that special someone? How you were in the right place at the right time. How did you find your close friend(s)? Or just when you think you'll never be surprised by life, in a good way...something happens....just when you needed it too.
Granted some directions in life need work and preparation. But, all of life is not meant to be mapped out. People and situations will present themselves to you. So next time, take a calming breath. Take notice, smile, and think, "What are the chances?".

Can't Fight the Moonlight.....

Just so you are aware, I am only midely annoyed with this situation. No, really. Though the tone of this entry may suggest otherwise...
What is it with the time surrounding a full moon? I now believe wholeheartedly that certain people run with the notion to be extreme. Case in point: Driving. For the past couple of days I have been a "drive up and over my car" magnet. Doesn't matter where I am or what time of day it is. I'm putt- putting along. Minding my own business ("innocent whistling"....that's just for effect, you know). Then all of a sudden I'm being tailed, bumpered, if you will. If there is more than one lane I am more than happy to move over, or pray that they will. But, of course, this type of thing only seems to happen on a single lane, stretch of road.
Isn't that another one of Murphy's Laws? Or the bread falling jelly side up or down ratio? So best I can say is driving around lately is a jelly- side- down experience. I have even tried to combat it with taking side streets to lose my new found driving "buddy". But no!!! The AAA gods have decided that this cannot be allowed to happen. As it turns out, no matter what I do, that person is right there behind me when I'm back in the original driving pattern. Or sometimes, I end up behind them. Why???
Yet,when I'm following a friend, to a destination, or them following me, it is never choreographed so percisely. You travel a few blocks.They pull over. You catch up. You are stuck at a a traffic light. They pull over again. (They are sooo nice.) A 15 minute trip turns into an hour! Poor friend. Poor you.
Anyway....it's one thing to, in your head, plan out a cohesive strategy when driving from point A to point B. You know, so you link your stops correctly so as not to waste gas or so the frozen foods don't have a meltdown. It's entirely another to have to sit in the car, before turning the ignition, and plan out an defensive/offensive automotive plan. Kind of like a war game/board game or video RPG (without the cool personas and creative gear).
Just makes you wonder if this is what these particular people do with their days. Is it marked on their calendar.....Circled, thenX'd out, one day at a time ....Hmmmm,full moon coming.This is when I'm going to hit the road and get on the nerves of my fellow drivers ( deep, spooky laugh, by them......again for effect). Or is it as simple as, me having a sort of bumper hanging version of a "Kick Me" sign attached to the rear of my vehicle?
Oh well. That moon phase is about done with for now. Until next month, when I can look forward to (mentally prepare for) this all over again. At least there are some constants in life, huh??

New Kid on the Blog......sorry 'bout that

Morning, though almost not. Just trying my hand at blogging. I figured that if I could ramble, with meaning and content, in the form of college essays, not so recent...lose track of time while updating friends on "What's new?" , this shouldn't be too much of a stretch. I guess that will remain to be seen. And best not to make any promises. If nothing else it will serve to make new friends and acquaintances. Cross your fingers.