Steve Jobs Designed Amazing Products, But Life Has Been Hard for Some of the Workers Who Made Them I missed the all-night, stop-the-presses TIME session last week that put together an amazing and entirely new issue to commemorate the death of Apple’s Steve Jobs. I don’t have much more to add, other than the fact that like so many other people, I found out the news on an Apple product and am writing this on another one. Outside TIME’s work, I suggest you check out Alexis Madrigal’s take at the Atlantic on why Jobs’s death has caused the kind of global grief you’d usually see from the passing of a religious figure: Steve Jobs believed in more for everyone: more money for him and his shareholders, more power through personal technology for the people. I’m an Apple addict, too. Many Apple products are manufactured by Foxconn, a Taiwan-based electronics company that maintains most of its factories in China. And then there are the suicides. But only a little bit. Of course, we’re the ones who buy those products—and therefore much of the responsibility should lay with us.
- StumbleUpon How do you make bread even better? You stuff it with pepperoni and cheese. Then, you bake it in a bundt pan that allows you to pull off little chunks and dip them in pizza sauce. This is the perfect thing to bring to a party (and I did, where it disappeared quickly!) or to eat during a football game. Or, make it for dinner and serve with a salad. This bread takes a little bit of time to prepare, but in about half an hour I had filled my bundt pan with little dough balls, each with a piece of pepperoni and cheese stuffed within it. My new definition of bliss: warm dough with a cheesy center and a bite of pepperoni. Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Breadfrom Confections of a Foodie BrideIngredients: -2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced -4 tbsp butter -2 lbs pizza dough (I used 2 balls of Trader Joe's fresh dough) -6 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (about 48 pieces) -pepperoni (about 48 slices) -2-3 cups marinara sauce for serving Directions: 1. 3. 4. This post is linked to Eat at Home.
Homemade Baked Smoked Paprika Potato Chips with Triple Onion Dip Football season is upon us, and not a moment too soon. With an NHL lockout looming and the Red Sox in shambles, I couldn't be more excited to get things going this fall! Last year I joined a fantasy football league with some fellow food bloggers (Tracy from Sugarcrafter , Dara from Cookin’ Canuck , Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker , Elle from Elle’s New England Kitchen , Jen from My Kitchen Addiction , and Marie from Meandering Eats ), which wound up being ridiculously fun even though I had no clue what I was doing until about week 8 :) I'm thrilled that we're back at it for a second year, we just finished our draft last night so we're good to go! Having a fantasy team really keeps me invested in all the games, not just the Patriots. Snacks aren't optional when it comes to football games, they're very much a necessity in my book. The chips were an even bigger surprise for me. Homemade Baked Smoked Paprika Potato Chips with Triple Onion Dip from Comfort Food Fix by Ellie Krieger
A Different Way to Serve Fresh Watermelon. Watermelon ‘Cake’ I saw this watermelon cake idea in the August issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. This is a cute, fun, unique way to serve fresh watermelon. And I’m not the only one who excitedly tried this; checkout ‘messy thrilling life’ blog who also tried Martha Stewart Living Magazine watermelon cake. Martha Stewart Living Magazine serves the watermelon cake plain, thats what I’ve done too. - sprinkle a little lime juice or lime zest on top - top with chopped basil or mint - sprinkle some feta cheeseand balsamic vinegar over the watermelon “cake” - drizzle a little tequila or rum or cachaca Wash and wipe a seedless watermelon. Lay it down horizontally. Cut about one thirds from the other end. Lay the middle third (the watermelon ”cake”) on a serving platter. Now take the two ends of the water melon. Now arrange these balls on top of the water melon ‘”cake”. This will serve about 8, with left over bits of watermelon from the cut ends. Comments comments Tagged as: watermelon
Wheaton's (Unofficial) Homecoming for Gay Evangelicals When José Vilanova graduated from Wheaton College in 1989, he assumed he wouldn't be going back to visit his alma mater — known as the Harvard of Evangelical schools — either by himself or, God forbid, with his gay partner. Like most Evangelical colleges, Wheaton maintains that homosexuality is not God's design for humanity. That's why Vilanova felt like he couldn't come out at the suburban-Chicago college. The need for secrecy, plus the fact that he was a low-income minority student at an expensive, mostly white school, contributed to his feeling of not belonging on campus. "Being Latino, poor and gay was this spectacular triple threat of wrongness," says Vilanova, who teaches religion and media courses at Miami's Florida International University. Fast-forward 22 years and Vilanova is not only returning to campus — he's organizing a group outing. OneWheaton's highly visible presence on campus puts the college in a difficult position.
Parmesan Rosemary Flatbreads We sure bake a lot of bread in this house. I used to make focaccia bread a couple of times a week, but lately this incredibly easy artisan bread has been on our dinner table most nights. I wanted to get out of that rut and thought I'd make these easy herbed flatbreads for a change. This delicious bread is sort of a cross between a cracker and a bread. Parmesan Rosemary Flatbreads adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook for a printable recipe, click here Ingredients: 1 cup warm water3/4 teaspoon instant yeast 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap15 ounces (about 3 cups) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling2 teaspoons honey 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling1 large egg, lightly beatenFreshly ground pepper3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves Sicilian salt and silver salt spoon from The Meadow Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Girls Gone Food: Mini Taco Cups I love finger food! These mini taco cups are so cute and are delish! I had a few of these taco cups with a salad for dinner. Recipe Source: Dashing Dish Serving Size: Makes 12 taco cups Ingredients: 3-4 large tortillas to cut out 12 small circles1 cup ground turkey (I used 1 cup Morning Star Meatless Crumbles)1/2 cup salsa2 tsp dry taco seasoning1/2 cup low fat refried beans1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheeseYour favorite toppings: olives, lettuce, sour cream, jalopeno, tomatoesRecipe: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fresh Food Friday: 100 Healthy Snack Ideas Join our page on Facebook for our latest recipes and projects! Happy Friday! I did pretty well this week . . . I have only caved on one day to a sugary treat (I will be posting the treats later- they were so good! Totally worth losing points over.)! Snacks right around 3 pm each afternoon are my downfall. I am trying to train myself to reach for healthier snacks, but I just forget. So, I have complied this list that I am printing out and putting on my fridge. Here is my list: 1. If you would like to print this list out, you can either click on the "Print Friendly" button on the bottom of this post, or for a printer friendly version that will fit all 100 snack ideas on one page. *Please note that these are just ideas . . . my opinion of a healthy snack! I know that some are not the healthiest options out there, but there are definitely a lot worse things that you could eat! If you are trying to be Healthier...Try using Spark Natural Essential Oils!
Born to Spend (or Save): It’s All in Your Genes Now I get it. We can’t help ourselves. When it comes to spending and saving, we are genetically wired to be what we are, and there isn’t a lot anyone can do about it, according to a study by Stephan Siegel at the University of Washington and Henrik Cronqvist at Claremont McKenna College. The two scholars looked at the money habits of 15,000 sets of Swedish twins and found the same patterns in even those who had lost contact with one another. Some of us naturally squeeze every penny; the rest of us can’t leave the mall with more than the lint in our pockets. (LIST: 12 Things You Should Stop Buying Now) But genetics do not tell the whole story, the researchers concede. “Parenting effects on savings behavior are strong for those in their twenties but decay to zero by middle age,” the authors write. “There is overwhelming evidence across the board that the genes matter and that between one-third and 50% of our behavior is determined by our genes,” Siegel says.
Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch: Spinach Dip From Scratch Homemade Spinach Dip recipe from scratch is a favorite at parties and so easy to make. I have a serious love of Homemade Spinach Dip. It's a must make at any kind of gathering with it's creamy texture dipped with crusty sourdough bread. I'll be real honest with you right now my husband usually eats half the container before the company arrives and then tries to come up with some lame excuse with a couple of kisses on the cheek, and says stuff like baby I just loved it a lot.. (I wonder where Mas our 7 year old finds his charm from.) Some how this wins me over every time, dang him one of these days I will stand strong to this manipulation! I've used Knorr Vegetable Soup mix in my dip for years along with sour cream and a lot of mayo. I used a little turmeric since it has a lot of wonderful healing properties but if you are looking for more of a classic white dip feel free to omit. Combine: Stir in: 3 whole Shredded Carrots8 ounces Water Chestnuts Chopped American Yield: 12 Ingredients
Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips with Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce What would you say motivates and colors — guides — your endeavors, big or small, in life? Have you ever really thought about it? It’s often not until I really stop and think about the “mechanics” of something in life purposefully, that I gain a fresh little glimmer of insight into this whole “living life” thing that so utterly fascinates me. And when I asked myself that question of what guides and inspires — informs — the things that I do in my life, I gave some thought, in particular, to those moments when I had felt most fulfilled and creatively joyous over something seemingly little. When I sat down to write this post for this particular recipe, I wanted to give a little thought to what exactly colored my imagination when I came up with it; and I’ll just share with you that it is the love that I have for my son that was the inspiring guide with this particularly tasty little appetizer of Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips. Taste what’s good and pass it on. Ingrid Ingredients: Preparation:
Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip Right here, right now I am going to teach you how to make crispy sweet potato fries. But first … Let’s get one thing straight. A sweet potato french fry is not a real french fry. They are french fry substitutes to be eaten when a real french fry can’t be found. Yes, I know. I have been eating, making and lusting after french fries for as long as I can remember. Best way to eat a french fry? But … if you’re on some sort of stupid meal plan, or you’re all out of regular potatoes, or you just feel like having something a little different, why wouldn’t you cook up some Sweet Potato French Fries? Because they’re soggy messes. I’ve oven baked them, par boiled them and deep fried them and they don’t get crispy. Finally, I’ve figured out how to make crispy sweet potato fries and the best part is you can do them in the deep fryer or the oven! But like with most things, you’re more guaranteed if you do them in the deep fryer. Here’s what you need to do … Gather your sweet potatoes. See?
Monkey Brain Control: The Future of Robotic Prostheses? File this under “the future is now:” in a series of experiments at Duke University Medical Center, researchers fitted two monkeys with electrodes in their brains and trained them to move a virtual arm across a computer screen to grab virtual objects and “feel” their different textures — all using only their brains. It’s the first demonstration of what the researchers call a brain-machine-brain interface (BMBI). The potential is obviously enormous. The technology could help people with paralysis control prosthetic limbs just by thinking about it and even experience intuitive, tactile sensations. “Someday in the near future, quadriplegic patients will take advantage of this technology not only to move their arms and hands and to walk again, but also to sense the texture of objects placed in their hands, or experience the nuances of the terrain on which they stroll with the help of a wearable robotic exoskeleton,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Enter the BMBI. MORE: Coming Soon?