Posts Tagged ‘fun facts’

16 May

color me pink

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , .

i have been
i’ll be the first to admit it… up until my rude awakening during today’s lunch break of watching an episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, i hadn’t really put much thought into it. IT being PINK SLIME.

i know, i know, what have i been living under a rock?! its been all the rage in the news these days.

but today’s the day, i’m not turning back and i’m taking a stand. no more PINK SLIME will make it past my lips… and even though its rocky terrain trying to brainwash others ;0) i’ll do my best to keep my family and friends from ingesting this gnarly stuff as well.

SOOO – the who’s and what’s:

in a nutshell – it’s processed scraps of beef trimmings and fat (ie the parts of the cow that don’t make it to the shelves) which are then treated with ammonia (NO JOKE! – that’s how they pass it off as ‘killing the bad stuff’)

and chances are YOU have had it too – if you have feasted on a burger at a restaurant or fast food joint, a friend’s bbq, bought lean ground beef at a food store, and the saddest yet, public school lunches!
insert gag reflex

it’s mixed with ground beef to stretch it out, manufacturers can produce more product for less money, and sometimes it’s not even mixed with real ground beef, you’re just eating straight up, cooked PINK SLIME!

what can you do?
KNOW WHAT is in the food you eat
KNOW WHERE the food you eat comes from

as of May 2012, these stores and chains DO NOT SELL beef products with pink slime additives or filler:
Safeway
Albertsons
Whole Foods Market
Costco
Kroger (which includes King Soopers and City Market stores)
Stop N Shop

if you are not at one of these places and unsure of what you may be about to purchase to make your tasty meat balls for dinner, ask the butcher! they can point out the products that do not include additives and fillers.

don’t get SLIMED, get educated!

StopPinkSlime.org

7 Mar

what e-books wont tell you

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

i may be a little biased in the e-book department – for obvious reasons to those who personally know me – but this article i read over at Smart Money brought to light some interesting concepts:

#1. “We’re not one-reader-fits-all.”
#2. “Sometimes you’re buying spam.”
#3. “Good luck grabbing our sales and freebies.”
#4. “Our prices are under investigation.”
#5. “Better watch your data bill.”
#6. “Borrowing isn’t as easy as we make it out to be.”
#7. “We don’t have much marketing clout.”
#8. “…But our presence is still killing bookstores.”
#9. “The extras will cost you.”
#10. “E-books are the new latte.”

are they really all they’re cracked up to be?
which do you prefer and why?

i will confess, i have purchased a few e-books on the Kindle app on my iPhone. they were only offered in hardcover at the time of purchase and lugging a HC book on a daily commute puts quite a strain on my already over-filled ‘survival pack’… could i have just waited for them to come to soft cover? of course! but they were sequels or parts of series i was already hooked on at the time and just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next!

being the good ol’ fashioned book lover that i am, i’ll admit that i found it kind of weird to not be able to dog ear pages to hold my mark, feel the paper on my fingertips and smell the book… yes, i smell my books :0)

1 Mar

in like a lion, out like a lamb

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

Happy March 1st!

is the weather LION-y or LAMB-y in your neck of the woods today? in the NE coast, i’d say it’s more on the Lion side than Lamb.

weather folklore can be so colorful and even pretty accurate. so, we can only hope that if March starts off cold and stormy, that it will end warm and sunny -> keyword = HOPE!

some other March related weather-lore:

A dry March and a wet May? Fill barns and bays with corn and hay.

As it rains in March so it rains in June.

March winds and April showers? Bring forth May flowers.

23 Feb

calling all coffee lovers

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

GOOD news for COFFEE lovers:
(after putting up the chocolate lovers post last week, i couldn’t leave this one out!)

it protects your heart
moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than non-coffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants (having more antioxidants per serving than blueberries!)

it diverts diabetes
those antioxidants boost your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, helping to regulate blood sugar

it boosts brain power
moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) can help to reduce their risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest, as the antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better

it helps your headaches
studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine (about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee) provides relief from headaches, including migraines

SCORE!!

and while you’re at it, check out some of these goods for coffee lovers:

Grady’s Cold Brew
iced coffee in seconds, one bottle makes eight chicory-infused drinks – just add milk

Hairo V60 Ceramic Dripper
make your own coffee-maker-free drink with this handy dandy one-cup cone

Patron XO Coffee Liqueur
smooth, dry tequila meets toasty, roasted coffee – cocktails, addition to ice cream, milkshakes, and cake… the possibilities are endless

don’t drink too much though, you may end up like this guy–>

21 Feb

FAT Tuesday

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

besides the crazy partying shenanigans that take place in New Orleans to celebrate MARDI GRAS, i never really delved further into the why and what it’s all about though

until now:

it’s French for ‘Fat Tuesday’

the name comes from the ancient custom of parading a FAT ox through Paris on this day to remind people that they were not allowed to eat meat during Lent

it takes place anywhere between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on when Easter falls

the Mardi Gras colors are purple, green and gold

some customs from around the world:

Southern Italy = people dress up in costumes and put on an ancient play

Rio de Jeneiro = people dance in the streets

Nice, France = people wear GIANT masks in the Mardi Gras parade

Binche, Belgium = people dress in colorful clown costumes – called gilles – with bunches of ostrich feathers on their heads and dance in the streets, throwing oranges at the watching crowds

and the commonly known celebration in New Orleans = during the parade everyone dresses up in costumes, trinkets, especially beads and doubloons, are tossed to the crowds from the parade floats

15 Feb

calling all chocolate lovers

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , .

GOOD news for CHOCOLATE lovers:

the very dark variety of chocolate is said to improve endothelial function = flexible arteries that may prove resistant to cholesterol deposits

it keeps getting better –> lowfat chocolate milk is a great choice for a post-workout beverage, giving you the right amount of fluids, carbs and protein

and the clencher – a recently published study finds that (among mice at least) the active ingredient in chocolate results in ‘greater endurance capacity’

SCORE!!

so, that box of chocolates your sweetie gave you for V-Day, you can now devour guilt free knowing you’re improving your health :0)

2 Feb

happy Punxsutawney Phil day!

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

february 2nd every year, americans and canadians tune into the latest news blast to see whether or not the ground hog has seen his shadow… will there be six more weeks of winter? or is spring just around the corner?!

ever wonder why we all do this and how it got started?!

well – i did…

Since 1887, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in western Pennsylvania have tried to note the first appearance of the rodent they call Punxsutawney Phil. If Phil comes out of his burrow into sunlight on February 2nd and spies his own shadow, he’s said to jump back down underground — dooming us all to six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, a cloudy Groundhog Day forecasts an early spring.

The groundhog’s reputation as a weather prophet came to the U.S. in the mid-18th century with German immigrants. But this is really a very old holiday — one that has its roots in astronomy. February 2nd is one of four cross-quarter days. It lies about halfway between a solstice and an equinox. Today’s cross-quarter day was celebrated as Candlemas in England, where it marked the beginning of spring.

and, what did the ground hog forecast for us today?

SIX more weeks of winter!!
bundle up – i smell a blizzard a’comin :0)

11 Jan

challenge accepted

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

you ask, i answer

yesterday’s post on ridding the garden of pests by using nasturtium sparked a comment from a reader:

“… I need help on what to plant in my back yard in between the rocks that hold the hill up. Gets a lot of sun and since we are high desert very dry. I want a plant that has some color but not totally clinging to the rocks. Do you accept this challenge? …”

why, yes i do!

now, i happen to know this reader personally, so i was able to figure out that their town lies in zone 6b for gardening – makes the challenge a wee-bit easier, being im in the same zone  ;-)

i had initially suggested sedum/succulents… i have them in the rock garden i have been building over the years that resides under an overhang of our house, getting little to no water and is in the full sun most of the day, we may not be in the ‘desert’ but it seems pretty desert-y under there. the colors, shapes and size varieties that are available are great!

so, im sticking to my first response – check out some of these options below:

Sedum ‘Variegatum’ Stonecrop
zone 3-9
height 4-5″
full sun
low-growing, pale green succulent leaves tinged with white and pink
orange-yellow flowers in June to July

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ Stonecrop
zone 3-9
height 18-24″
full sun
gray-green leaves with rose-colored flowers in August that fade to brick red in October
needs to be planted in full sun in well-drained soil, it will tolerate most soil types and is drought resistant

Sedum ‘Cauticola’ Stonecrop
zone 4-9
height 3-5″
full sun
great groundcover
purple-edged blue-gray-green foliage, flowers are pink in late summer and age to reddish-pink
a spreader
well suited for hot, dry, sunny areas and works well in many different soil types

Sedum ‘Matrona’ Stonecrop
zone 3-9
height 18-24″
full sun
shiny-red stems that are lined with blue-green leaves
broad flower heads of maroon to pale pink appear in late summer, become chestnut-brown in winter
prefers dry soil, drought resistant
a great butterfly and bee attractor

Sedum ‘Vera Jameson’ Stonecrop
zone 3-9
height 9-12″
full sun
deep purple leaves and dusty pink flowers appearing in late summer and last in fall
a wonderful ground cover
new growth shows blue-green leaves that turn into deep mahogany red in the fall
tolerates most soil types and is drought resistant
excellent as cut flowers – another great butterfly and bee attractor

there are so many more out options available, but that’s just a handful to get started with

and yes, little missy, i expect some pictures once all of these – and then some – are planted!!

15 Dec

power foods

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

looking for an energy boost to aid in your workouts?

you don’t have to rely on the gimicky snacks, chomps, gels and whatnot they sell on the market, you can easily find it right at the food store –>

RAISINS
for carbs
used mid-sesh
two tablespoons of raisins pack more than 30 grams of carbs, making them ideal for snacking during workouts an hour or longer. when eaten alone, they decrease mouth acidity, helping to prevent harmful bacteria growth that may lead to tooth decay! dentists rejoice

MUSHROOMS
for potassium
used post-sesh
these fun-guys :0) supply potassium crucial for body fluid balance. contain an antioxidant known as L-ergothioneine not found in many foods and known to help fight off free-radical damage.

HEMP SEED OIL
for healthy fats
One tablespoon supplies your daily need for omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids—essential for heart health, as well as controlling inflammation that may lead to diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. store it in a dark container in the fridge and use for dipping, in dressings, or tossed with pasta or steamed veggies.

BISON
for a source of lower-fat protein AND iron
high-protein red meat is lower in saturated fat than beef but packed with many of the same nutrients. each 3.5-ounce serving contains more than 50 percent of your vitamin B12 needs and 30 percent of your needs for iron and zinc–all necessary for muscle function and recovery.

BERRIES
for inflammation fighting
contain antioxidants called anthocyanidins which halt oxidative damage that occurs with aging, and may stave off muscle soreness.


WHOLE GRAINS
for more carbs
provide fiber and B vitamins to energize your runs.

CANNED BEANS
for extra nutrition at a low cost
a one-cup serving of most canned beans supplies over 25 percent of your Daily Value for protein, almost 60 percent for fiber, and 20 percent for iron, along with a good dose of carbs.

{ via }

14 Dec

cartoon voices revealed

Posted by Mel in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

Yoda and Miss Piggy’s voice comes from the same person?!

…who woulda thunk…

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