Circadian..did you say Circadian????

I have heard the words Circadian rhythm about three times in my life.....including twice today..once on NPR and once on the phone tonight with Steph. Funny how that happens.

Yaba Daba Do!

This morning I learned some new lyrics that got stuck in my head for the day - so time to let them out. On my drive into work, I was scanning my FM dial until I finally found a hip-hop station. (Often, my students are surprised when they learn that it was this older white woman who first "discovered" hip-hop back in the day. In fact, Sir Mixalot stole one of my best songs, but I digress...) Anyway, the recurring stanza of lyrics in today's song was "Call me Mr. Flintstone. I'm gonna make your Bed rock."

hey lady, wanna banana for your monkey?

I read about a banana diet that was big in Japan in the newspaper the other day. I was in the king sooper and snagged a fl yer on the diet, put out by Dole the banana people. The part that caught my eye was the 'why it works section: Bananas contain resistant starch which ferments in your large intestines, creating by-products (butyrates) that block conversion of some carbohydrates into fuel"'

So I am guessing if we eat Styrofoam and block our intestines we would get the same benefits? Just wondering.

PS I hope polvo will look up 'butyrates' and share the meaning.

Covered egg dish for fun and taste

while we were down in Florida Valencia's husband told me a new way to cook eggs. I usually cook an over easy egg by cooking in butter and flipping. V's H suggested putting a plate over the egg and it would sorta steam the egg and I wouldn't have to flip it. I checked it out and it works! I think with a little practice I can make them come out perfect. I think next time I will use a glass pot lid I have to cover the egg...might be able to watch it as it cooks. As you can see by the pictures..the eggs came out pretty good...and were great with grits and toast!

Sleeping in Sweatpants

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I learnt that if you go to sleep with sweatpants on......and get up half awake at 3:00 AM........and walk into the dark guest bathroom (cause you don't want to use the closest bathroom and wake up your sleeping spouse)....... to pee in the middle of the night..and the bathroom door has this funky 'wave shaped' door lever handle that snags your back pocket as you go by...you will think some mean spirited ghost, night animal, space being, asshole from the past like back 9th grade jr. high, or wild ass monster has jumped out and grabbed you..and you will .....jump rather quickly and hit the wall and the towel holder hard as a bitch...just before you piss your pants and scream like a teenage girl. I'm jest sayin'

How to save bacon grease

You know how you are always wondering how to keep bacon grease stored till you need it to make chicken livers, cornbread, or green beans? Well I found this in my cooks illustrated magazine today...I never thought of putting it in ice trays!!! Is america great or what?

Black Garlic

Read in the gazette the other day about black garlic. which I have never heard of before...... supposed to taste sweet and savory at the same time...looks like it’s very nearly rotten....developed in South Korea, where whole heads of garlic are aged for a month in a high-heat fermentation process....cloves turn a deep, dark black.

Supposedly the black garlic doesn’t taste like garlic at all....its flavor can be compared to molasses, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even licorice. Some say it has the flavor characteristics of “Umami” (something for Polvo to google)

said to have twice the antioxidants of regular garlic....doesn’t cause offensive garlic breath. It’s showing up at gourmet restaurants and food markets, and on the Food Channel.

Have any of yall heard of it or tried it?

Chillaxin' No Mo

...so I'm reading the Sunday paper, watching the bunnies in the backyard, drinking my coffee, you know, just chillin' - when I come across this year's list of tired, banned words and expressions. The word "chillaxin'" tops the list! I have never heard or used this word, and now it's banned??? Ribhard and I have made a pact to overuse it for a little while before we drop it. I was glad to see that "apps" is on the list because I am SO over that one - even though a few months ago I didn't know what an app was.
So here is their reasoning on these 2 words:
CHILLAXIN'
Nominated for several years. We couldn't chill about it anymore.
"Heard everywhere from MTV to ESPN to CNN. A bothersome term that seeks to combine chillin' with relaxin' makes me want to be 'axin' this word." – Tammy, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
"A made-up word used by annoying Gen-Yers." – Chris Jensen, Fond du Lac, Wisc.
"Horrifying overuse, even in face-to-face conversation… It should receive bonus points for its ability to exhort the opposite reaction from the receiver." – Bret Bledsoe, Cincinnati, Ohio.
APP
"Must we b sbjct to yt another abrv? Why does the English language have to fit on a two-inch screen? I hate the sound of it. I think I'll listen to a symph on the rad." -- Edward R. Bolt, Grand Rapids, Mich.
"Is there an 'app' for making this annoying word go away? Why can't we just call them 'programs' again?" – Kuahmel Allah, Los Angeles, Calif.

Our friends at Lake Superior State University have been compiling these lists for years. You can see the banned list for 2010 and also click on several past years by visiting www.lssu.edu/banished.

Did yall eat your black eyed peas yesterday????

I learned that Cracker Barrell gives free black eyed peas on newyears day. Was I lucky or what.....We just got back and went out to eat while the house warmed up. I had black eyed peas, fried chicken livers, turnip greens, cornbread, and sweet tea...and get this.... the waitress automatically brought vinegar and pepper sauce...I only had to ask for Tabasco!!! And as everyone knows, you have to eat black eyed peas and ham hocks on new years day to have good luck all year.

(PS I also learned that Southwest gives everyone a free alcohol drink on any flight on new years day!!)

I learned about new gas crap

we got back to colorado..stopped at a Shell gas station...while pumping gas and picking my nose I glanced at the pump sign and learned that Shell gasoline now has NITROGEN in it. how much more crap can they keep adding to petro and why?
This post should be filed under is america great or what?

In case you were wondering what a "valencia" was ....

It's All in the Eye of the Beholder

I learned (again) that I would rather look at a sunset than an egg.

I made a new kinda egg dish

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I dont have a camera so I cant take a picture..but I took an egg and was frying it...like a regular fried egg.....about half way through cooking it I scrambled it..just stired it around a bit....so you get the best of both worlds...scrambled fried egg!
put it on a plate of grits and bacon with toast and coffee.....umm umm good

Enjoy!!!

www.dictionary.com

look up: hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophoba

Amy Girl: Famous Like Her Dad

Today, while perusing the weekly Best Buy ad, I learned that our own Amy GIrl is apparently posing with a man of Asian descent to sell Dell laptop computers. I do not know who this man is (the song "Secret Asian Man" comes to mind) - nor do I know why the family was not told about Amy Girl's new modeling career.

December Cousin Coundown on Blog Food!

What goes up...

Today Ribhard learned that, while the famous maxim "What goes up must come down" is often true, the converse is not necessarily so. Ribhard backed the car out of the garage and DOWN the driveway and drove out in the snowstorm to get logs for the fireplace. He had more trouble getting back UP the driveway so left the car parked in the culdesac. You'll notice in this picture that a couple of our fellow neighbors were those overacheiver-types who actually shoveled instead of waiting for some sun and a little melting - ok, we need a lot of melting this time.

boiled peanuts

boiled peanuts

first you nee to buy some "Raw" peanuts still in the shell......these are sometimes sold or called raw or green peanuts at Wal-Mart, Kroger's, Sams, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, or etc.....most people that work in grocery stores outside of the south don't have a clue what raw or green peanuts are..much less boiled peanuts.........so just make sure they ain't roasted or salted or cooked peanuts when you buy them to boil. (I mean don't buy any like you get at baseball, football, or basketball games already salted and roasted....understand?)

put two pounds of raw peanuts still in the shell in a 3 quart pot and let them soak over night....(or what ever amount of peanuts will fit in whatever size your cooking pot is..it ain't that important..just make sure the peanuts are covered with water .)

after soaking all night...........cook on low heat.......kinda like a simmer for about maybe 3 - 4 hours...start off with the peanuts just covered with water (they may still be floating even after soaking all night but will cook down in the water in a little while) ..sprinkle half cup of salt over the peanuts and stir them occasionally......peanuts will absorb water so you need to keep adding water from time to time and also keep adding salt as you cook too.....after about 2 - 3 hours taste a peanut....when it is done it will be firm but not MUSHY...do not over cook.....when they get just right you can take them out of the water and eat them hot. You can also save the juice and keep some peanuts in that for later. if you let them sit in the juice they will absorb more liquid and be saltier..which could even make them better...........depends on your tastes........Boiled peanuts can be kept in the ice box for several days in an airtight tupper ware type container....or plastic zip lock bag........you can also drain them and freeze them if absolutely necessary..like if you were going on a car trip (or flying ) to parts of the country (North of Georgia and.or west of Mississippi) unfamiliar with boiled peanuts.

You can make them Cajun style too...just add jalapeño peppers and/or some Frank's Red Hot and/or Tabasco the last 1/2 or 45 mins of cooking...the peanuts will soak up the flavor.

Yard Sale Must Go On!

Today I learned that nothing - not even murder - can stop a good yard sale in Gylfport. I offer excerpts from today's Gabber front page story:
Murder, Sling Blade-Style
Confession, and a Yard Sale
Donald Price, 52 was Murdered on Saturday
In a phone call reminiscent of Karl Childers confession at the end of Sling Blade, Gulfport resident Riley Bryan, 67, called 911 just before 9 o’clock Saturday night and told operators he had shot his roommate, Donald Price, 52.
Bryan fatally shot Price in the head in the presence of Susan Vinson, who identified herself as Price’s wife, and Bryan’s brother, Carter Bryan. Witnesses say that the two disagreed and Bryan got a gun and started shooting.
Neither the witnesses nor Bryan will tell police the subject of the roommates’ disagreement.
“We’re getting different stories. The only person who knows for sure what the argument about would be Riley and he’s not talking,” Interim Chief of Police Howard Coombs told The Gabber.
This murder breaks Gulfport’s six-year run without any murders. The last murder, in 2003, resulted from two men arguing over a pocketknife in the Arts District. One man shot and killed the other as a result of this spirited disagreement.
Following Saturday night’s shooting the Bryan residence participated in the citywide yard sale Sunday morning, police say.•••
Aug reports that neighbor Randy checked out the yard sale. The widow explained she had to get rid of her husband's items (sad memories). Word is there were some killer deals.

Penguins Unite!

Today, I learned there was a place for me on Polvo'd's bus - well, maybe at the back of the bus. Check out this description of the slow-running movement that John Bingham, head penguin, is credited with starting.
In the running lexicon, the word "Penguin" has come to mean a person who runs more for the joy of running than for recognition and public rewards. Some of us are perpetual Penguins. We are consumed by the pleasure of movement.
Other Penguins find their joy in the challenge of reaching their own potential, whatever that is. For some it has meant running the Boston Marathon, the only U.S. marathon that has qualifying standards. For others, it has meant finding an independence and freedom in their daily runs that expands their limits.
Can there be such a thing, then, as a Penguin athlete? Or an athletic Penguin? Can people who are fighting to lose thirty or forty pounds be athletes? Of course they can! Can people who have waited until their forties to become physically active be athletes? You bet. Can people who finish last in a race be athletes? Yes, they can. And yes, they are.