A couple weeks ago I stopped buying frozen vegetables (California blend) in favor of fresh carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. I’ve since switched back. The reason? Price and ease of preparation. And to tell the truth, when I do a good job steaming the frozen veggies they don’t taste that much worse. Although that may be because I’ve done a consistently bad job of steaming the fresh ones.
Fruit is different, though. Fresh strawberries are so much better than frozen. Same for blueberries, though at this point fresh are too expensive. Of course, when I blend them all together in a smoothie it’s kind of a moot point.
So I approached the opening of the farmers’ market season here with mixed feelings: excited at the prospect of fresh fruit, but unsure of whether or not I wanted to bother with the vegetables. Unfortunately, I didn’t really get a chance to make a choice, because the vendor turnout was rather limited. I was tempted by some lettuce, though.
Shopping local is great and all, but I also don’t want to spend a whole lot. Seems to me the stuff the farmers actually grow is priced competitively, but the baked goods we spotted seemed a little overpriced. I think that’s just the difference between cutting out the middle man (fruits, vegetables, meats) and reselling store-bought ingredients in prepared form (baked goods).
As I run longer and longer distances, and especially as I do so in ever warmer weather, keeping hydrated has started to become an issue. So I’ve started looking into possible solutions, and so far I’m leaning towards CamelBak’s Stamina II, which includes not only two water bottles but also space for my iPod, some food, and more. Other options include a bottle belt or a CamelBak with a resvoir instead of bottles, but both seem to have their drawbacks. I still have some research to do, but after I’ve made my choice I’ll be sure to write up a full review.
Ok, I’m not a loser, but I tend to have a bad influence on the performance of the Red Sox whenever I watch or listen to games live. Tonight, though, things turned out better than I expected–though it was touch and go for a while there. Hopefully I’ll have the same luck when I take my bro to the game on May 25.
The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.
Apparently it’s even worse than I thought…
Some people seem to think torture is ok (or at least tolerable if it “works”) but gay marriage is immoral and will destroy everything our country stands for.
Seems to me they have it backwards.
I am not (appearances to the contrary, perhaps?) always the model student, but when I hear about graduate students failing to turn in papers for weeks without an explanation, or plagiarizing an admissions essay, or when I see examples of copy/paste from Wikipedia, I become a little disheartened.
Then again, if this is my competition on the job market, I’m encouraged.
Good movie, but isn’t it a bit of a stretch that he not only knew all those answers but learned them in the order they came on the show? Also: does it work differently in India, or did the movie just take artistic license (to heighten the tenaion) by making it seem like he would lose everything if he answered incorrectly?
One might not expect me to have an opinion, but I do: I think the best cake decorator in the country is Bronwen Weber (her poor showing in Food Network’s “Last Cake Standing” notwithstanding–when she’s on she can’t be beat.) And I think the funniest is Geof Manthorne (of Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes“.)
Funny thing is, I don’t eat cake that often. Not even at the birthday party I was at yesterday. Didn’t even have one of the cupcakes. But I do love me some pancakes. That’s why every Tuesday and Saturday around these parts it’s pancake day.
Can’t wait for tomorrow morning.
Ran my fastest 10km race ever today. Of course, it’s only my second. Funny that I would run two marathons before running two 10k races. Anyway, just barely missed my goal of 7 minute miles, but that’s ok, I was within seconds. Next time.
As a marathon runner, I need/get to consume a lot of calories, especially in the form of carbs. Much of that occurs at home, but one can only cook so much pasta. So sometimes–maybe too often–we go out for dinner.
Unfortunately, we haven’t found any locally-owned restaurants that meet my special requirements: lots of carbs for relatively little money. I’d love to find a place like the Pioneer Restaurant in Westfield, WI–a family restaurant with huge servings of delicious homemade food.
We did find a locally-owned place with lots of food: The Edge, a sports bar/restaurant with inconsistent signage and great nachos. Only problem: the food isn’t cheap, not at all.
Don’t get me wrong, there are other locally-owned restaurants in the area, including the famed Hamburg Inn No. 2. But remember the requirements: lots of food. Lots.
So we end up at Texas Roadhouse again and again. A chain, yes, but a chain with food made from scratch, low prices, and the best rolls ever! For a while I was hooked on Olive Garden for the breadsticks, but they don’t even come close to the rolls at Texas Roadhouse. More importantly, Olive Garden is only cheap at lunch. And they don’t have call ahead seating!