Soliciting on Facebook

Sure, I know it's convenient.  You have a fundraiser (or your kids have a fundraiser) & it's just right there!  200 people at your disposal with one click of the mouse. 

Now all of those friends can sponsor you, or buy your cookies, or magazines, or wrapping paper, or contribute just $10 to your really important cause... but that's just it.  They are all really important causes.  And they are!  I'm not being the slightest bit facetious. 

Our schools are drastically underfunded, breast cancer, MS, arthritis, your 5-year old neighbor who has cancer & his family who are trying to raise money for his treatment; each more devastating than the next. 

And with one click of a mouse button you can reach out to SO many people. 

I had one friend who posted, while she was raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure that if each of her 220 some odd Facebook friends each donated $15 toward her walk, she would meet her fundraising goal.  But that's just the problem, I am thrilled to say that I have dozens of friends who Walk for the Cure each year.  However, if I donated $15 to each of them... well that adds up, doesn't it?  And if I donated $15 to each of my other friends who were fundraising for other incredible charities, I wouldn't be able to buy groceries.  So instead I am cold-hearted;  I say no & donate directly to the causes where I can, as I always have. 

Fundraising is fantastic.  I'm a fan.  But I'm also a believer that I should be able to donate to the causes I want to donate to- I should not have to donate to YOUR good cause because you made a pledge, nor should I have to be bombarded with messages about your good cause.  Ask me once- I promise to think about it.  But understand that if it's for a hugely popular charity (like Komen, or school fundraising of any kind), chances are that 40 other people have already asked & please don't be mad when I turn you down.  It isn't personal, honest. 

All I'm asking is that you think before you post that pitch for your child's magazine fundraiser for the fifth time or message me directly asking why I haven't sponsored you for your cross-country bike ride.  Chances are highly likely that, as the old saying goes, "I gave at the office" or simply to someone else first. 

Review: This Must Be The Place

When someone tells you that you should read a book, but one of it's main characters is a dead runaway, it's hard to be gung-ho about the book before you begin. Please, get gung-ho! THIS MUST BE THE PLACE by Kate Racculia is book that defies category- coming-of-age, romance, comedy, even drama find a home in this novel, and yet none of it feels forced or out of place.

The characters define the story & each one is more fascinating than the next- from the residents of the Darby-Jones boarding house, to the main characters who you'll find yourself cheering for along the way as they discover themselves through each other. What a wonderful, entertaining read.

This book was a perfect read for summer- I only wish I could have been sitting in a lounge chair on a beach while I enjoyed the adventure. Racculia's writing is smart, witty & fun. THIS MUST BE THE PLACE is definitely a place worth spending some time.

Pottermore...more money for Rowling

Surprise surprise! Today's announcement from JK Rowling, that the new website Pottermore is going to be a mecca for all things Harry Potter in the digital universe can't come as a surprise for many people. Since April, there has been speculation that Rowling has been considering entering the ebook market, so the Pottermore revelation wasn't a big surprise to a lot of us. Nor is it a big surprise that the website is so overwhelmed at the moment that they can't even accept email addresses to be notified when registration is ready to begin. I can only imagine how overwhelmed the website will be when people actually want to download books.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that it won't be open for business until October. Hopefully by then, Pottermore will be able to handle the capacity it will clearly need to handle the number of readers who have been asking for YEARS to download her books. Instead, Rowling will release them all on one day to millions of readers, who will swamp a system incapable today of handling the input of email addresses.

Another possibility is that the books will be priced so high, that readers who are already getting tired of the price-gauging going on in the publishing industry, will simply choose to say, "no thank you." As an ereader since the early day of the Kindle, as much as I would love to have the Harry Potter books on my Kindle, I'm not willing to pay hardcover prices for them- particularly since if I bought them on my Amazon account, I'd be able to share it among the 4 other Kindlers who share my account.

I'm very curious to see what Rowling's license agreements will be on her books as well as her prices. But the fact that she won't allow Amazon, Barnes & Noble or other major retailers to carry the digital rights to her books does not fill me with the warm fuzzy feeling I think the rest of the Potterverse is feeling today. While I fully recognize Rowling's right to control what happens with the material she created, I think that there also comes a point where her control begins to look a lot like greed.

Announcing...

Because I'm making an effort to write here more often, & because I often want to write about food, but end up not writing because I want this to focus more about pop-culture, books, comics, tv, etc.. than food (unless maybe it's a food-related tv show...) I started a second food-only blog where I can post my adventures in cooking, eating, etc. So, I present to you, Once Upon a Picky Eater.

Proceed at your own risk...

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

It's been a while since I've read a book that has reached out and grabbed me from the first chapter & not let go until the end AND YET, didn't leave me feeling let down in the end. Wow am I glad I stumbled onto Ransom Riggs' wonderful work of fiction MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. Riggs has done a great job of blending fantasy with authentic photos for just the right mix of possibility & plausibility as you read this fantastic tale.

Following Jacob along as he gets to know the children of Miss Peregrine's school, and through them his grandfather and himself, is a journey worth taking.

I read this book on a Kindle & while the pictures were easily viewed there were a few letters that were difficult to read without either very bright light and/or a magnifying glass. I did finally cave in & pull the book up on my computer in order to read one of them (though I hate to waste the license). So, keep that in mind if you're a Kindle reader- might be worth perusing the pictures in a regular book when you get the chance. Overall though, as always, the Kindle experience didn't diminish my enjoyment one bit.

I can't recommend this book highly enough- so far, it's the best thing I've read in 2011!

Best quote I've read all year:

Much has been said about the whole Palin/Paul Revere dust-up. I'll keep my opinions to myself. However, the best comments I've read about it, were in an opinion piece on CNN.com today by author, Kenneth Davis. Aside from a great history lesson about what actually happened during Paul Revere's ride, I wish everyone would read AND REMEMBER the end of his article:

"...history is compelling, fascinating & instructive -- if we tell the real story.

But it is also dangerous when people 'cherry pick' pieces of the story to suit their purposes, when the foot is cut to fit the shoe. A sanitized but incomplete, or worse, wildly inaccurate, version of history can be cited to support just about any political stand. Like scripture, the words and deeds of the Founders, mixed with bits and pieces of American mythology, are trumpeted to support positions on every issue from individual rights, states' rights, gun rights, or gun control, to taxes, immigration, public prayer and, most dangerously, taking the nation to war.

When American history is gutted, innocently, ignorantly, or deliberately, the outcome can be deadly. If we are told that there is no separation of church and state in the First Amendment, that the Founders worked tirelessly to end slavery or that the Revolution was all about taxes on tea, we are hearing half-truths or outright fabrications. Our extraordinary history deserves better. The truth shall set you free." -Kenneth Davis

Well said, Mr. Davis, well said. I wish those words were written in big, bold letters on the desks of every politician or future politician. Or maybe embroidered into their underwear.

iTunes Shuffle 2.0

So remember back in July 2010 when I said I was organizing my iTunes & was going to get through one letter in the music library per day. Yeah- I'm on "G" now...

So much for grand ambitions!!!

Spicy!

So, I love my spices. As I've already said on here a few times, I love to eat, love to cook... none of that would be possible without my spices. Now like any good cook, I prefer to use fresh herbs & spices whenever possible. I even grow some of my own in an Aerogarden throughout the year and, hopefully now that we are back in our own house this year, out in the yard.

After the move however, my trusty old (& I have to emphasize the OLD here) spice jars didn't look like they could withstand another minute. They had been through nearly 18 years of marriage- even when I couldn't cook, I loved spices- 3 or 4 moves, and many, many delicious meals. But the lids were cracked, some bottles were missing; it was time to put them out to pasture- or at least the recycling bin. I began my quest to figure out the perfect spice organizing system. I wanted something both close at hand & yet out of the way, organized but not obsessive (I might have failed on that one), with containers that were easy to access, would hold enough spices that I wouldn't have to go to the store too frequently, but not so big that the spices would go bad quickly. WHEW, that's a lot to ask of a spice system. Some time back, I had picked up a single RSVP Endurance spice tin to use for quick access to salt while I cooked. As I looked & looked for the perfect spice container it occurred to me that I already had it- I just needed MORE of them.

I finally found an online source for the tins & ordered about 50. I made my own labels using Word for the spices I wanted & used the top drawer next to my oven. There were a few spices I decided to leave in shaker bottles- Cinnamon Sugar, because the kids use it on toast so often; Cayenne, because in my house it is also a frequently shaken product; & Crushed Red Pepper- how else would my husband dress his pizza? Everything else went into the tins, alphabetized (obsessively). I also decided to stack the same spices (whole cloves, ground cloves for example) & similar ones (garlic salt, garlic powder) to save space. A few special salts, I just didn't bother to change out of their jars- laziness, pretty jars... you decide.

One other tip when it comes to spices. If you're still buying your spices at the grocery store STOP!!! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! If you have a health food store nearby, go & see if they sell bulk spices. Typically you can buy the exact amount you need & it's pennies compared to buying a huge jar at the grocery store. This is particularly great if you need 2 teaspoons of a spice you'll never use again & the grocery store bottle is $7.00. I bet that will cost you $.40 at the health food store.



These are some recent spices I got at the health food store- tarragon, whole coriander & turmeric. If I'd gotten those three bottles at the grocery store, it would have cost me at least $14.00- those three bags, which filled up my spice jars & not my pantry shelf with extra spices going bad, cost me less than $2.00. Not too shabby, eh?

My husband was hesitant about the spice reorganization, but after working with it for a few days, even he is a convert. He loves the tins & has commented a few times while cooking that it really is so much easier not messing with those tiny jars everything used to be in.

Happy cooks make happy food & when things are easier, it's so much more fun to get cooking great meals!

The Little Black Box!

I've been wanting to stream Netflix to one of my televisions for a while now & after looking at all the different options (our DVD player didn't need replacing & it's not a room we wanted any gaming in), I decided to try out Roku, which bills itself as a the "highest quality streaming you can get anywhere..." Ooookay, that's a lot to live up to!

But at $79.00 retail, plus some coupons at my local Best Buy, I decided it was worth it to check it out. I was particularly interested because the Roku doesn't come with any monthly charges other than what I'm already paying to Netflix (or whatever other service you want to stream like Hulu or Amazon Instant Videos which is a big plus in my book. While that's true, I quickly learned however, that Roku has it's only little quirks.

Set-up was a breeze Plug it in, and you're almost instantly ready to go. You can either use your home's wireless network, or a connected ethernet port if one is available. I choose the wireless route as the room I was working with isn't wired in my house & it found my network without any problem (as well as the networks of several of my neighbors). Once it logged into my network, it asked me to "sync" the device onto roku.com which is where I found myself pausing as it asked for a credit card number. Why would service with no monthly charges, need to keep my credit card on file?

Ostensibly this is so that, should I want to download any pay channels, or pay content, it has the ability to charge me. The easier answer however, is simply to block my box from that content if I choose not to leave a credit card on file, isn't it? I read online about the issue, and it seems to be a new one. Apparently earlier versions of the Roku didn't made the credit card entry mandatory, but the newer ones require it. Having no intention of ordering any of the pay channels or content, I would have liked the ability to opt out of giving one more company access to my credit card. I understand several people have returned their Roku boxes for this very reason. That said, I was able to use a credit card that expires next month, so I met the requirement but no one will get very far with the card. Should it become an issue in a month when the card expires and no one has had any reason to use it, I might rethink the service & take the Roku back to the store.

All that aside, having used the box a few times now, it really is wonderful. The quality of the streaming is as if I were watching a DVD or streaming on my computer- which is a wired connection. I was able to pause a movie, go fold laundry & return to start the movie again without any pause for rebuffering even, which I expected to happen. It's great to have access to my entire Instant Queue and not take up a huge amount of space with yet another component sitting on the shelf.

So, while I can't give it a HUGE thumbs up because of the credit card information debacle, I can say that it's a great device that does what it says it will do & does it well. If you're looking to be able to stream movies without a PC or additional expensive component to your television for very little cost, the Roku will definitely get the job done.

Tainted Reviews?

Like half of America, I like to post reviews of places I've eaten/been/services I've used, etc on Yelp!. I think it's a great reference point when you're looking for information on a local service provider of any kind & I admit to getting frustrated when someone or something hasn't been reviewed. With that in mind, I try to do my part, as part of the collective mind & review places- good, bad & ugly- to help future consumers decide where to spend their hard earned cash.

Recently I posted a review of a local restaurant, located near the Mystic Seaport that wasn't a great review, but certainly wasn't a bad review. In fact, I gave it a resounded, "meh." That might have even been the title of my review now that I think about it. This is a restaurant that I have known people to gush about, wait up to an hour to eat at, & I simply said, "meh." It was edible, not fabulous, the service was lousy, & the food was overpriced for what it was. I hadn't eaten there in years & if it's years before I go back, I won't be disappointed. On the other hand, if a friend wants to go, I won't say, "oh I hate that place, let's not" either. It's just, "meh." So I posted my review- by no means the worst review that establishment has under its belt on Yelp! I might add, but certainly not its best either.

Imagine my surprise when within a week I had a message on Yelp, from the owner of the restaurant telling me that my experience must have been on an "off" day, offering me a gift certificate so I could give them another chance so they could try to change my mind. Huh? I quickly scanned the other reviews & thought, if they offer this to everyone who's given them a low review it's costing them a good deal of money. Even if they only offer this to people who claim to be local who've posted low reviews... yikes! Then I looked at their higher reviews & wondered how many of them had been bribed into going back & had subsequently changed their reviews (a free meal goes a long way to making food taste better, right?). I didn't read through them to see if any had mentioned gift certificates, but aside from the bad experience, this left a bad taste in my mouth so I never responded.

Now, 2 weeks later I've gotten a second message asking me again to email the owner to collect my gift certificate to go back & give them another chance, with more excuses as to why my meal wasn't what it should have been. I'm considering posting it to my Yelp review because it just seems so sketchy. I don't need or want to be bribed to review a restaurant. If I like it, I'll let you know. If I don't, I'll let you know. The time to comp a patron's meal is when they are in your restaurant, having a negative experience, not later, when they've written about it on the Internet. Frankly, my meal wasn't tragic enough for it to have been comped.

Yes, the service was bad- having to repeatedly ask for more water & coffee is a hassle, but something we could live with. It doesn't warrant a gift certificate or a free meal, so I won't accept one now. Next time I eat there, I'll judge it once again, on the meal itself & the service I receive- not on a bribe from the owner who is trying to make amends for lack of training, lack of staff, or the fact that she overcharges on her menu (or whatever it is she thinks her gift certificate will allow me to overlook). The restaurant is what it is & clearly there are people who adore it. I don't happen to be one of those people & I am entitled to that opinion whether the owner wants to face it or not.

Satay Today

Okay, the Satay was yesterday, but why quibble?

A while back I won a basket full of Stonewall Kitchen products & decided it was about time I started using them in all their delicious glory. I reached into the pantry & pulled out their Roasted Garlic Peanut Sauce. Now, I love a peanut sauce, but I wasn't sure how my kids would feel about it- they're good eaters, but I thought this might push them into a picky pickle. My first thought was to turn the sauce into a marinade- until I tasted it. So much flavor I couldn't bear to bury it underneath other flavors.

I decided instead to go with a Satay & let the peanut sauce do what it was supposed to do- be a peanut sauce. If the kids didn't like it, more for me! I looked up a few recipes for Satays & finally came up with something I could work with. Here's what I ended up making:

Chicken Satay:
3 tsp (or so) tamarind concentrate
3 tsp whole coriander seeds
3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp peanut oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 lbs. chicken tenders (or beef, or pork...)

Grind the coriander seeds in a spice mill until they are well ground. Transfer to a food processor. Add tamarind- start with 2 tsp & add more if you want more flavor- shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, sugar, oil, salt & pepper. Pulse until it's a smooth paste. Add 1-2 Tbs of water if you feel it's necessary for consistency.

Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag & then add the chicken- massage the marinade into the chicken until it's coated & then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

If you want to use skewers, skewer the chicken before cooking (make sure to soak the skewers if using wooden ones), or you can just cook in a grill pan or broil.

**If you'd rather not grind your own coriander, use ground coriander from the market- the flavor just won't be quite as strong.

**Most of the recipes I looked at either called for tamarind pulp or no tamarind at all. The pulp looked like a pain to work with & I found tamarind concentrate at the health found store where I buy my spices. I looked like a good alternative & I wasn't disappointed.

I served the satay with the Peanut Sauce for dipping & the family couldn't get enough! They loved it. When my kids start asking, "when can you make this again?" before a meal is even finished, I know we have a winner. I served it with couscous & some fresh crunchy carrots & hummus (super easy) & everyone was happy.

Stop & Shop- Scan as you go

So, I grocery shop. We all do. Sometimes, I feel like I shop every day (& there are weeks when I DO!).

Having just moved to a new community I've been checking out all the local grocers, finding a good butcher, figuring out who has the best produce, best prices, etc. While shopping at my local Stop & Shop I kept noticing people carrying little hand held scanners as if they were registering for baby or wedding gifts. I was absolutely mystified.
I did what any confused shopper would do- I came home & Googled it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Stop & Shop- some of them anyway- has instituted a program where you can scan your groceries WHILE YOU SHOP, bag them along the way & by the time you get to check out you just scan the handheld scanner, scan your Stop & Shop card, your entire grocery list rings up on the register, you pay & you LEAVE!

For someone like me who is, let's face it, obsessive about how the groceries are bagged, this is a genius solution. I get to bag everything the way I want it as I shop- produce all together (the easily bruised or squished items are always on the top-hurray!), cold items all together keeping each other cold, no more raw meats mixed in with my produce (ewww- why do they always do that?) & boxes neatly boxed together. And most importantly, my nerves much less frayed at the end of a grocery run!

Yes, it absolutely takes a little bit more time to scan everything & bag it yourself, but I'm also saving the 5-10 minutes of cursing & rebagging after I get to the car. Plus, I don't have to wait in a check out line- whether I have 5 items or 50 I can go through the self-checkout lines & it takes 2 minutes to check out. I figure it balances out.

The one glitch can be produce if you forget to check the scales before you weigh- it seems people like to play with the scales. I usually check the label machine first to make sure it isn't jammed. If it is, I clear it & then it works fine.

As an added bonus, if you're shopping with the kids, the scanner is a great way to get them involved- just watch to make sure they don't "add" extra items that you aren't buying. I also like that the scanner offers extra savings that I wouldn't get if I weren't using it. A bonus all around. If you're a Stop & Shop shopper, look for it- at my store it's not directly at the door- you have to wander inside a bit to find it. Well worth it though.