An Ode To Stevie

Today is a lovely lady’s birthday.  In her honor… we shall go on a photo journey… into the world of Stevie...  Enjoy!

Once upon a time there came into the land a fair lady by the name of Stevie…

not to be confused with her:

Or him:

I Have > 1 Soulmate

And as for me – God really blessed my socks off when he sent me my friends.

Don’t think your selflessness and unreal generosity goes unnoticed.  Everytime I touch something clean in our new house – I’ll think of you and all that hard (nonfun) work.  Here’s lookin’ at you kid(s):

Thanks for grabbin’ your twisted tea, buckets and batmobiles!  Legit couldn’t have done it without you.

Somebody’s gonna drop everything,
Run out and crank up their car,
Hit the gas, get there fast,
Never stop to think ‘what’s in it for me?’ or ‘it’s way too far,’
They just show on up with their big old heart,
You find out who your friends are…

Listen to it.  Think about it.  And go thank somebody.

Big Agribusiness, Anonymous Food, and McLearners: An Analysis of Social Forces and Nutrition in U.S. Schools

Here I go again, sharing my school assignments like they’re candy (think longer and less delicious).  This time it’s a paper on the current state of public school cafeterias across America (and even a bit of contemplation on the social & cultural [biased] underpinnings)*. But again, I swear to you there’s a point I’m trying to make!

To read this beast click here –

Big Agribusiness, Anonymous Food, and McLearners: An Analysis of Social Forces and Nutrition in U.S. Schools

(I kept the edits by my professor – they’re good stuff!)

So last night I watched the only episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution that’s available on ABC’s (weak) streaming video website.  It was the finale – and it was *good stuff*.  How often do you watch the finale of something and then desperately want to catch up on older episodes, even though you already know how it “ends“?

This guy is onto something, something HUGE (please don’t say it like that bothersome used car salesman!).  And sweet hubby made a comment – that launched me into action.  And by action I mean – blabbing my thoughts into (a potentially empty) cyberspace.  Hubby said “Yeah, he’s right, but not enough people have the passion about that topic to actually make the changes across the board.”   Well, with all my love, I beg to differ. In fact, I bet even some of my sweet readers care.  In reality, whether you have school-aged children or not, this is the next generation, those who will follow (or hopefully not!) in our footsteps.  How dare we NOT care.

So if you’re out there – somewhere near or far – reading this – and you agree, you care too much to see our precious children fed trash in the name of big profits, then please, leave a comment. Let us know your thoughts, or a way you know of that we can make a difference, or just share a moving quote on the topic.  I’d love to prove hubby wrong see that there are more than enough caring individuals out there who want to see the tiny seedlings of change nurtured.

*Caution* – if you’re digging into this paper please know: “Sometimes knowledge can be painful.  Knowing about the kids across the United States that are unnecessarily suffering hurts me deep inside.  It leaves you wondering; what kind of a world do we live in?  Is there hope for future generations?  Or will greed always overtake human goodness in the big picture?”

If you don’t want to be made uncomfortable by reality, don’t read.  But if you care, and truly want to make a difference, I daresay that knowledge is the best catapult into caring, and perhaps even acting.

Superheroes at Home

Last night Jer said “Just put something on that’s casual superhero.” Just an typical night in the Webb household.  How cool is this!?   K, I’m off to contemplate our future in making everyone a super hero at home;)

Vegetarians are empathetic – go figure.

So I’ve spent several weeks contemplating posts that would really wow everyone with some of my more successful recent culinary endeavors.  As a result – I haven’t posted a single time since early last month.   My bad.

So rather than continue to waste time thinking – I’ve decided to open the blog up for interesting everyday tidbits – so here goes:)

Stumbled upon this article today on twitter (not to be confused with stumbleupon – the website – those sneaky buggers!):

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/201005/empathy-is-what-really-sets-vegetarians-apart-least-neurologically-speak

It’s super interesting and something I’d been chewing on over my last decade of vegetarianism.  Thought about writing my senior paper on it but chickened out (har har) in the face of my very intense, intimidating & meat-eatin’ (read chew-A-students-up-and-spits-them-out-regularly) senior paper advisor.  Instead I went with the correlation between empathy and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors… In fact, I think I shall post it for anyone interested in some light reading;)  But not right now - it just wouldn’t be in the spirit of quick painless posts!

Bottom of the Barrel – Bruegger’s Bagels

Yeah, that’s right, no Top of the Heap today – let’s blame it on the gray schmuckussy weather – must be putting wif in this rotten mood!  Anyways- bottom of the barrel today goes to …

Bruegger’s Bagels

Or, more specifically, to their blueberry and cinnamon raisin bagels.

Until today, it had been at least a year since I’d visited Bruegger’s.  Why you ask? Because the last time I went I had a blueberry bagel that didn’t have a SINGLE blueberry in it. I suppose it was sort of dyed bluish, but there wasn’t a bit of anything sweet or blueberry-ie in the whole dang thing.  And you know what – I had sour grapes.  So I complained. Via customer service email.  And guess what kind of a resolution I got?  Zippo, not even a measly email response.  So I didn’t go back, for a very, very long time.

But then today I decided to grab a bagel, after class, on my way to get groceries.  (You know –  spend a couple bucks on a bite to eat before grocery shopping – save $50 at the store by not hunger-buying.)  I really wanted blueberry, but I knew better and wasn’t in the mood for disappointment.  So I stuck with the basics – cinnamon raisin.  Big mistake! I’m telling you… sad times!  Again – not a SINGLE raisin, zilch.  Not only that, but no cinnamon really either, not even the teensiest sweet zippiness.  In fact, I think it tasted more like onion (maybe in the bag next to those?) than anything!  Sure, the texture was fine, and the light cream cheese did it’s job…  But for $2.50 don’t you kinda expect something better than you’d drop out of a bag of frozen bagels?  Uhg.

Yeah… I still ate it – I was starving… and remember the cost of grocery shopping was on the line.  At the end of the day though, I sure wish I could have my two and a half buck and 500 calories back!!  To spend on ice cream of course!  So there, I’m done ranting now – go in peace.

*Disclaimer* Yes, I know there are worse things in the world than a bad bagel, and I know I’m lucky to even have money to buy a bagel, and yes, I even say the world incorrectly like a true Rochestarian. So sue me. But keep in mind – maybe I’m doing the world a favor – you know – saving them from bad bagels (and wasting 500 calories on something – meh.)

You Sit on a Throne of Lies

Got this in my inbox today:

I guess they forgot to add the asterisk saying “APRIL FOOL’S... our service is neither fast, free, nor easy AND there’s darn good reason its best *selling* because we’re selling it to you- for $52… NOT *giving* it to you for free…  GOTCHA!

Yeah you laugh all the way to the bank TurboTax – because you can rest assured that hubby and wif’s business will never-ever return to you who steal-from-the-low-income-in-a-big-fat-bait-and-switch-that-wastes-hours-and-wears-the-innocent-down.

Welp, hope that was a nice rant to start off your Friday morning:)  HAPPY FRIDAY!  Hopefully more pretty Easter treats to come because:

• The four-layer coconut cake is in the fridge.
• The caramel brownie ingredients are in the closet (don’t ask – it’s similar to wif’s version of dishes in the bathtub).
• The tortellini salad ingredients are piled into the fridge.
• The ice cream sandwich *cake* ingredients are crammed in the freezer.
• And the Easter blondies and Fleur de Sel brownies’ pictures are just a’waitin to be uploaded:)

To Pooped to Pop

Dear Bloglets,

I know I owe  you one heck of a post – it’s been so long!  But I just don’t have it in me tonight.  And let me give you just an eensy picture for you of my day and why I simply cannot muster the strength to share any lovely tidbits with you.  Today wif:

1. Started the day by scraping the ice off my  car windshield and windows…. Ended it sweating like a beast in the 80 degree weather.
2. Successfully taught an ‘edible aquarium’ lesson plan to 20 first graders.  Not impressed?  That means:

• • • 6.75 cups of boiling water
    • did I mention 20 six-year-olds?
    • 4.5 cups cold water
    • 9 boxes of jello
    • 108 ice cubes
    • 20 baggies, each with 1/4 cup raisins, 2 green gummy “Elodea” and 3 Swedish fish
    • a lesson plan written yesterday from 6pm until 2am

1. Whipped up a 2 mile walk with a friend, 2 coconut two-tier cakes, and a tidy apartment (with exception to a sink full of cake dishes) during my lunch break.
2. Got a $500 water bill.  Nope, we have neither a dishwasher NOR a washing machine.
3. Came home to find the dirty dishes… in the bathtub.  I kid you not.  Nope – not an April fool’s joke – just a logical decision in hubby’s sort-0f-crazy eyes.

So there’s that.  And now this fight with wordpress… just enjoy the extra bullets and pretend those numbers don’t make you very, very angry.  And now I leave you with one of my Easter creations thus far… Sans directions because I just cannot right now.

Kids Make Life Cuter

Alright.  So lucky wif.  My grad school time is one part lecture one part playing with cutie pies. This mornin’ when I enjoying a nice little first grade science class (with guppies!) one of the kiddos made an genuinely profound observation in his journal.  He wrote:

The boy is moor friskey.

Oh, sweet little spirit.  You haven’t the faintest how incredibly spot on you actually are.  Wise beyond their years those six year-olds are.

So speaking of six year olds… hubby recently shared one heck of a hilarious video on his blog.  Wif couldn’t resist sharing the love.  Prepare for a good laugh.

The original:

*Wait it out – it will be well worth it!

The new-and-improved:

Alright and just in case that wasn’t out-of-this-world-hilarious enough for ya’… Let’s add a healthy dose of Ellen.  Laughter shall abound.

That’s all for now friends.  My creative energy has been 100% sucked by a dang monster paper.  If anyone is interested in several key techniques, within the context of a read-aloud, that have been shown to effectively support word learning - just shoot me an comment;)  Because I’ll have you know that it is some scintillating stuff folks.  Stuff that steals time for baking.  Yes.  Stuff that sucks happiness and sleep.  Yes.  So hopefully those 3 things will be returning some day in the near future!  Xoxo for now!

Top of the Heap – Oscar Night Baby!

Well… Wif didn’t watch the Oscars. Mostly because she doesn’t have TV.  But also because she has a GIANT paper haunting her life.  So we’ll make this breif.  Here is the shake-down break-down.

Best Dressed on the Academy Awards Red Carpet

Suzy is too cool. Turns out Granz is an apparel and textile design student at Michigan State University. Granz was the winner of a green dress contest and used sustainable materials and techniques for this wonder. Amazing.

You might have noticed… there are no men.  That would be namely because wif thinks all tuxes look exactly the same.  Bo-ring.

Best Non-Academy Award Affiliated Preview

I am left pondering.  How did they capture every trailer of the past decade in under four minutes.  Well done… hat’s off!

Hope you’re having a happy non-sinus headachy Tuesday blogglets!