The Wildly Eclectic Me

The Science of The Dress

Okay, I started this as a Facebook post and it grew too big for that. So I read this article...  I think that this article and maybe the whole liberal arts based core curriculum of college educations places too much emphasis on the learning of what you need to be a "good citizen" at a college level.  Only 33.5% of 25-29 year olds have at least a bachelor's degree.  So that's only 1/3 of students (if they learned and retained everything they should have haha) that have what it takes to be a "good citizen." This stuff needs to be taught at a high school level and not just as part of the college prep. They need to understand the basis for our government and the history behind it's creation.  No high school graduate should not be able to tell you why we have a balance of power between the three branches of federal government.   They need to be taught how to read an article and recognize if it's sources are worth listening to, and they need to f...

So I've discovered something. I think I like to bake just for the sake of baking.  I made 42 or so cupcakes, iced them, and sprinkled them without so much as licking the icing off my fingers.  I also made about 42 Pumpkin muffins without eating any. (I did taste a bite and spit it out to make sure it was the right recipe.)  I thought it was going to be a nightmare to be on Atkins, because I wouldn't be able to safely bake.  Apparently, however, I'm totally good with baking and feeding stuff to others.  I'm not saying I don't want to taste it...but the urge is not so great that I can't resist it. Next baking experiment? BTW I LOVE that girl! She's perfectly adorable! So instead of the Tetris design, I'm going to do MARIO! Since Finny is obsessed!

Wrap it in BACON!!! Yes, that's right! Bacon! I like venison steaks fried. They are yummy. I'm not wild about the baked. However if you take a venison steak and wrap that puppy in bacon and bake it. We are talking SHAZAM!!!! I enjoy salmon. It's quite good. Lots of Omega Fatty Acids. But wrap that salmon filet in bacon! Ohhhh yes! Then to trick yourself into thinking you are getting pasta, sauté some shredded Zuke in butter and olive oil, drain it really well in a colander, put your bacon wrapped salmon on top of it, and then...   Wait for it... Drench it all in Alfredo sauce! Then. Just sit back and enjoy your Atkins friendly dinner!

I'm not going to post on more than one blog about my various interests. There just isn't that much extra time in my life. So here comes a diet post! The hubby and I just started the Atkins diet. We both have a good chunk of weight to lose. I've been reading the 1991 book by Dr. Atkins himself and while it is probably a little outdated in the most recent scientific research, I started reading this one and loved his kind but firm style of convincing you to do the diet. He simultaneously makes you feel less guilty about your weight problem while still making it clear that you have to make changes. Now I'll be honest, I was REALLY skeptical about even trying it. I LOVE bread and well you have probably seen my cake posts. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be. I've been taking the L Glutamine supplements he recommends for cravings, and I think they really help. Coffee is an obstacle. Did you know that coconut milk in coffee is vile? Like gag...

Tips for Enjoying the Holidays More: Shop Early - Nothing spoils the happy holiday mood like last minute shopping.   Don't expect it to be like a holiday movie - Accept perhaps National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ;) Don't expect it to be like a Christmas Card - Expectations ruin the beauty of the experience you're having. Sure the kids throw clumps of icicles all over the tree, dump sprinkles in 3 inch high piles in the middle of the cookies, and decide halfway through that they're not remotely interested in making ornaments with you, but who cares. Enjoy what it is instead of mourning what it could have been. It's the thought that counts - This applies to receiving as well as giving. If you get a gift you don't like, be happy that the person thought of you enough to spend their hard earned money or time on it. Same goes for giving, put some thought into the gift you give someone and if they don't like it well they can just suck it...

Okay, so I don't know about you... But with all the Christmas presents I just bought, I'm broke! So...New Game!!! The zombie apocalypse is about to start!  There are signs.  Scattered reports of people attacking others and eating their flesh.  Bath salts? Or impending doom? For the sake of safety you better stock up!  For at least the rest of the month!  (Trust me...it's the holidays so shopping in this mess is just like shopping in a real impending apocalypse.) Once you make your stock up trip, society falls.  Don't worry. At least the power and water are still on and we have tv! Okay, that's it! Don't buy anything else for the rest of the month! What? Your kids need fresh milk, and you don't wanna bake your own bread? Hmm OK.  I guess then you can go out on the occasional salvage run.  But you're not allowed to buy more than a bag worth of groceries.  After all with anymore than that, you're going to be too weighed down to run f...