Mish Mash My Spaghetti Made a Splash!

Long about a Saturday Night…a couple of glub, glubs relaxin’ drinking some beer, thinkin’ ‘bout food. Well I looked in my cupboard and put my face in the fridge, I scratched my head and I grabbed all the leftover stuff and then I made a Mish Mash of my Spaghetti splash and well, I had a blast!

 

Ok, that opening statement is probably lame and geeky, but it’s been in my head for about a few weeks now and just had to start this post with it. It actually explains why I seem so giddy right now. Not only do I have a mash of a recipe for you, but I am also informing those who actually do follow me, that I finally, after 2 years ( I won’t say long, as time has gone by very quickly for me, even if I wasn’t productive) have a JOB! Yes, I finally have a job with a very prominent organization.

 

I don’t know if I can legally state the company name, but what I can tell you is that they are a Fortune 500 Company, they are currently listed as one of the best companies to work for in 2010, they are also listed as one of the best companies to start a career in (this is especially noted for those upcoming youngungs).

 

The company I am working for is one of the most respected tax & accounting firms out there. The fact that I can now put their name on my resume will open tons of doors. No matter, because the division/folks I work with after just a week, are most incredible and I am truly excited to learn more from them.

 

Back to the Mash…I started this blog to keep me busy while I was out of work. However I found that I truly enjoy posting my cooking/baking efforts for all those who are interested in these antics of mine. So, I do promise that I will continue to update this blog with every effort. Though the postings may not be as consistent as they have been; so, for those who do follow, please keep checking in. I really do appreciate your loyalty.

 

Today is a new day, as I am officially going to coin the phrase “Mish Mash Eats” AKA “MME” or the Eats can be substituted for Pasta which would be “MMP”. So unlike “EVOO” or other crazy culinary coined phrases, from some well know celebrity chefs/cooks, are in some ways just bogus to us regular folk who are just trying to make a meal out of nothing. MME, MMP or MM(any other major addition),is much easier because the acronym includes anything and everything you might have in your kitchen that is edible.

 

MME is just that, a Mish Mash of Eats left over in your pantry, fridge or freezer to create a satisfactory meal concoction. You just have to be open on how you utilize the ingredients. MME does not mean throw all that you have in a pot and hope it will be tasty or even edible. MME does have to have some compromise to the taste buds and work well with the all the other ingredients.

 

Now the MME I have for you is of singular left over stuff and not “leftovers” from a previously prepared meal. My leftovers in this instance are the bottom of the jar kind, with a half a box of Pasta, which would now make this meal an MMP.

 

I occasionally come up with odd MME’s that eventually are really tasty, but I will admit that all my MME’s are very fattening and without frying, probably have the same fat and calories as if you ate a burger with cheese. But in my case, I only have enough for one serving anyway and no leftovers to temp me even more. So those watching the waistline, should not be offended or disgusted, but rather take the “technique/method/idea” and make a healthier MME (or MMS –Mish Mash Salad) to make you feel better.

 

 

 

So here are my ingredients for my MME/MMP – these are all approximate measurements…use your eye on what you have left. If you have less of what is listed, use it anyway. This is all about using the bottom of the jar, not about exact measurements.

 

Mish Mash Pasta 

• Any Pasta – About 1-2 servings Left in the box
• Ricotta – about 1/8th Cup
• Capers – about 1 tbls
• Sour cream – about 2-3 tbls
• Salsa – about ½ jar
• Basil – about 4-5 Leaves-Chopped
• Parm Cheese – I always purchase whole Parm Cheese to grate on Demand…If you buy the “jar” or pre-grated crap, use the little you have left.
• Gorganzola – I had this on hand from another recipe…I used only a portion of what I had, as it is a strong cheese, but what it does if used properly with an MME gives a bit more flavor, like adding S&P to taste. When mixed with other milder cheeses, it will enhance those flavors.
• Half and Half – about 1-2 tbls.
• Garlic – I always have this on hand and never try to run out…so for me, 5-6 large cloves minced work. Eyeball it depending on how much pasta you are actually cooking. 5-6 cloves of Garlic for ½ lb of pasta is good for me!
• Oil…I Only use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for 99% of my cooking. But if you only have corn/canola or other oil, that will still work. Just keep in mind that some oils are stronger than others. A sesame or flavored Oil may be too much, but what would I know…it’s your taste buds. 

So now to prepare this MME: This time I am going rogue on my previous instruction template and explain more about the method/technique. Look, in some ways there is no right or wrong way to put an MME together. But there are times where you still have to be somewhat methodical about it.

 

In this MME/MMP case, it’s really about how the above ingredients fit into what you eventually want, which ultimately becomes and “Alfredo” or “White Sauce”. There lies the actual technique. If you know how to make a “white sauce”, then you can figure out how to incorporate all of the ingredients above. If you don’t know how to make a “white sauce”, it’s pretty easy.

 

Many of those who think they can’t cook or even are afraid, already have applied master cooking techniques without even realizing it. For instance, has anyone ever made homemade Mac & Cheese? The base of the Cheese mixture is what is called a “white sauce”. The real “white sauce” is essentially and even mixture of Butter (maybe even oil), Flour and milk. Butter, Flour and Milk can be substituted for any other “like” ingredient.

 

So, how do you make a “white sauce” (which is an actual culinary requirement) and then make it your own variation with all the bottom of the jar ingredients or even follow a proper “white sauce” recipe?

 

Here’s my hacked method for quick and easy white sauce:

1. Take a sauce pan over medium heat
2. Add butter and/or Oil until melted/hot.
3. Add Garlic (in this recipe) and sautee for just a few moments. You don’t want the garlic to burn.
4. Add Flour and whisk immediately
5. Add Dairy: Half and Half & Sour Cream – Heat until sauce thickens. (note: this may thicken quickly if it’s a small serving)
6. Add Cheese to melt

--The above is your Quick and Easy White/Cheese Sauce--

1. Add Salsa or Tomato Sauce
2. Heat until slightly thickened again. It won’t get as thick as earlier.
3. Transfer your cooked pasta to sauce pan and mix.
4. Add Ricotta, Capers and Herbs to Pasta and mix again.
5. Don’t forget to S&P to taste! 

There you have it…MMP-Mish Mash Pasta!

Crazy and not so Lazy Sunday and a Pasta Treat!

So, I’m still not really working and I have so many hours in the day/week/month to accomplish things. And I do keep busy, but there are some days, where you really feel as if you accomplished more than normal. This past Sunday (08/15 actually), I felt like I just hopped, skipped, jumped and went overboard with being productive on what generally is considered a luxury/lazy day off.

 

I actually woke up later than usual today around 10 am just in time to catch Christiane Amanpour on This Week (I think she is doing a fabulous job BTW). I wasn’t really “Feeling” it, meaning I woke not feeling all that energized and any real plans for the day, but I watched This Week and wondered how I am going to manage being a couch potato tonight, since all my favorite TV shows just happen to overlap from 9-11 on 4 different channels! 8 pm shows are a gamble, as Nature on PBS airs, but if it’s an episode I’ve seen, Big Brother wins out…Tonight the Golf Game on CBS made the decision for me.

• ABC-Scoundrels 9 pm
• TNT-Leverage 9 pm
• AMC-Rubicon 9 pm
• HBO-Hung 10 pm
• HBO-Entourage 10:30 pm
• AMC-Madmen 10 pm 

How much does it suck that all the good shows right now are all on Sunday Night? I can’t afford a DVR right now and some of the channels seem to be a bit lazy these days and not posting full episodes on-line or On Demand until the day of a “new” episode (TNT) or removed (AMC) all full episodes entirely for some odd reason. This has truly frustrated me, as I will have to stay up until 1 am to watch all my favorite shows and still manage to miss one of them, but ABC and HBO at least posts their episodes the next day online or On Demand. Thank you ABC & HBO! AMC and TNT-Get your SH*T together!

 

This brings me back to my original set up, which is the great feeling of being more productive than usual. I had a slew of things to get done, which was all about the right timing except for one major chore. So, I hadn’t really been putting things off, I knew what I needed to complete was coming and today was the ultimate day! I will say having a feeling of such accomplishment really brings up the morale and boost of energy.

 

I started with the dishes, which was the one chore I had ignored for a few days, but I went further and cleaned out my fridge and freezer, refilled all the empty seltzer bottles (8 in all) with fresh water for future refills of my 2 Brita pitchers (I know, not that big a deal).

I have cats and they can occasionally spit up those fur balls, and whattya know, they both had the urge while I was sleeping, yeah disgusting, but that got me cleaning my floors, not that they were that dirty anyway…except for their intestinal mess.

 

I took out the Fridge/Freezer and what I had for recyclables to the garbage. Walked around the block (Queens has longer blocks than Manhattan). Watered my new Basil plant I purchased on Saturday, because I am sick of buying Basil that rots in 24 hours and wasting money I just don't have. Actually found a weird little albino bug on one of the leaves, not sure what it was, but I killed it.

 

I also updated my resume, re-posted it on all those well known sites, I started building/developing an Access DB for an Arts Non-Profit Organization that will help automate their Vendor Sales Reports and even Data Entry processes and am writing this post! Looked up all inclusive Spas in the vicinity for my Bodega Family, the daughter is getting married in Mid September. I called my mother, took pics of the food for this post and cleaned them up with Photoshop.

 

BTW, I usually take about 20-30 pics of my food and then choose the best pics and I rarely modify them…meaning that I do not enhance color or layer in details. On very rare occasions I will use the Auto Level for Brightness, if it happens to be a dark day or remove a spec (a spec on the plate, but not on the food) that shouldn’t be there. All other modifications to my pics are cropping and resizing for web only. So what you see is what I eventually eat and if you are lucky, you get to eat it too!  And YES, I do pretty up my food even if it's serving just me.  I figure why should I not give myself the experience!?

 

On to the cooking and other stuff…With all my dishes scrubbed and cleaned, it was time to make some Lemon Simple Syrup for my individual Lemonade fix (I made 2 glasses). I will have a separate post for this. I made a new batch of Chicken Broth, part to use for the Pasta treat and the rest to freeze for another food concoction. Earlier during the day I had already put together the instructions for the pasta treat.

 

So, have I tired you out yet? I would think even for myself, I would be exhausted and even reading this post over; I must be some mad person trying to take on more than I can chew! So, since I’ve been so productive today, it’s time to make the treat I deserve and so I did.

 

Are you ready? Are you hungry now? Time for Orecchiette, Peas, Sweet Sausage, Mint & Creamy Ricotta!

 

To note on the ingredients, I did not opt for a spicy Sausage, because I felt at the time of purchase it would hold up with the Mint better. However, after making and tasting this dish, the mint would hold up with the spicy sausage, as long as it’s fresher than fresh. So, if you opt for spicy sausage, make sure your mint is extra fresh! I would not choose a sausage like Chorizo, as that would overwhelm the mint, and Cilantro would be a better addition.

 

Orecchiette (Italy's little ears), Peas, Sweet Sausage, Mint & Creamy Ricotta
Serves 4-6 as a Main Dish, 6-12 as an appetizer

• 1 Lb Orecchiette Pasta
• ½ Lb Bulk Sweet Pork Sausage (about 3 links, remove casing) **can use any sausage you like**
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic finely chopped ( I use 4-6 personally)
• 10 Oz Peas
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (about a few tablespoons)
• 16 Oz Fresh Ricotta
• About a Handful of Fresh rough chopped Mint
• S & P to Taste

Preparation:

• For Pasta, follow package directions, however make sure you remove/drain you pasta just before Aldente. About 1 to 1 ½ minute.
• In a hot fry pan, add a few tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive, add garlic and sautee for a few moments. Add Sausage to pan, break up and sautee until cooked through. S & P to Taste
• Add Broth to fry pan and let reduce, add peas and pasta, cook for about one to two more minutes until the rest of the broth has been soaked up by the pasta.
• Stir in parmesan cheese to taste (this will help thicken the extra liquid to a sauce)
• Place pasta in individual bowls and add a dollop of Ricotta on top, sprinkle fresh mint leaves and serve.

Manga!

Too hot to cook in the kitchen?

Well, this blog may be off topic, but recently for us NYC folks, the Washington Post (can’t site the exact article, I don’t have a subscription and heard it on the news) recommends trying to ban air conditioners all together. I say to the WP writer, are you really listening and speaking up for the general public to even propose this issue? Are you not taking your proper meds or are you on LSD? How much of a weed whacker are you? Could you at least find alternative solutions to the actual issue and recommend those ideas?

The environment is important, but if you are a person like I am, AC and/or Cool livable air is important to your health and even sanity (I’ve heard way too many horror stories of people in hot weather literally go crazy and kill people). I do believe in Eco Friendly Options and I have one that will act as an AC but is not…Simple suggestions like mine can change the world a little more at a time…

I personally made sure my recent AC Purchase was environmentally conscience and if I can afford it in the future, will replace my bedroom AC with the same expectations as my new appliance.

Look, there is a simple way to advocate folks all over the country to minimize their use of air conditioners. Try changing to a “De-Humidifier”! Now, one of my AC’s has a De-Humidifier setting and on crazy hot and humid days, I switch from AC to the De-Humidifier setting and I keep just as cool as if I had the AC setting. Luckily, if I do choose the AC setting it is also environmentally friendly by not spewing out all those crazy CFCs and as much energy as my old window unit. Also, changing to the De-Humidifier setting, my energy usage drops from 1400kw(AC) to 300kw(DH) and on the Fan is about 200kw. It’s a huge difference when it comes down to your electric bill!

Folks, it is about simple physics here…If you de-humidify, you remove the hot and wet air in your home or apt, which ultimately makes your life easier with cool dry air. Most de-humidifiers spew out cold air while sucking in the hot wet air, so it almost acts like an AC, but on a lower setting. AC settings don’t care which air and can still pump in humidity, even with central air.

So, for those who seem to not be able to live without AC, I challenge those to try a De-Humidifier through the summer months. I’m not saying every hot day should be AC free, but on those really humid days that the weather service announces that humidity is high, try it out. I guarantee it will work. The overall Temp may still be high, but it’s dry and more comfortable than if wetness is in the air. 80 and Humid can feel like 90-95 degrees. 80 and Dry, feels like 80 and Dry.

Look, Dry heat is hot and AC is great for Dry Heat, but you have to be in the desert for that. But if you live off the coast where humidity is really the heat culprit, try out my advice. Save the environment and your energy bill by either changing your AC settings to De-Humidify, if available or purchase a De-Humidifier for your home/apt and use in place of the AC. It WILL save you money overall on your electric bill and you probably won’t be a part or cause of the overall brownouts in your neighborhood.

Though, the real important factor is that you eventually buy an AC that is ultimately environmentally friendly…Less CFCs and Lead Free, which I was lucky enough to purchase about a year ago…and I feel better that when I do put the AC on, I am not F’ing up the rest of our world.

I am not going to sell you on a particular product/brand, but if you are eco conscience, then make sure your AC is: ECO-FRIENDLY CFC free GREEN R-410A refrigerant Lead free RoHS compliant components and make sure it has a de-humidifier option as well as a timer.

There have been many recent articles that the “energy star” logo is not all that energy efficient and it really is important you do your homework regardless of this most marketed brand name of energy efficiency, which has been recently proven, does not follow through the way it should be doing.

-Have a Seat (and hopefully listen)

What the beef?

Alright, I know my last post wasn’t exactly food, but my blog is about food and “conversation” in the kitchen. That would include Art, Music, Politics and whatever else is discussed alongside food or not.

I’ve gone the ultra boring route of food this month…simple sandwiches, plain ole spaghetti and salads that are not all that intriguing to post to everyone. So, my culinary attempts this month are a bit scarce and I apologize for that. I’ve been a bit more focused on the job hunt, with good activity, however nothing that’s panned out yet. But right now, the month of May is seemingly about art…my art.

Any good follower has seen my last painting and I hope everyone liked what I created. This next painting is something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while now, but never could paint it as I wanted until now. I just somehow found the feeling and it all came together as I saw in my head and dreams for so long.

I haven’t named it yet, but I will tell you that this picture may seem happy, but it ultimately tells the story of a heart falling to the bottom with a protective barrier. I never thought I would have to explain my art in a depressing way, but this picture is a bit special to me right now.

However, even though what I painted is such an emotional thing, it doesn’t mean it can’t be a happy painting to others. As I always say and others may say: “Art is in the eye of the beholder, regardless of the original intent.”

I hope you all like it.

I do other things than just think of food to cook…

I do come from a family of great artistic talents; I unfortunately did not get the professional art bug like my mother, father and younger sister. However, I do have and artistic side which I dabble in every few years. Whether that be sketching, painting and/or wishing I didn’t give away all my jewelry making materials and machines. I am good with my hands and am not afraid to get dirty.

When I was, and went to High School, I was fortunate to be going to a public school that provided an amazing selection of art courses and one of those courses was Jewelry Making. As a teenager, jewelry couldn’t be a better choice for me, especially coming from a family that prided themselves as true artistic people.

So I took the class, and as I remember, the only class I attended 100% of the time I was in HS. I had a great teacher, who put up with my teenage crap, and to my astonishment, still believed in me, even though there was another student who was technically and more imaginative than I ever could be and brought all her ideas to a real product, unlike me (my father, trying to help had to show off with his own designs…I still have them).

I can’t remember the girl’s name, but she could design and bring to life “bugs” in a scale of Jewelry, even though the creations were not wearable, they were amazing and I felt inside, I would never be that driven and creative in the Jewelry World and because of that I doubted everything about my talent. Yet, I was (with strings) considered to attend a prominent school in MA to further my Jewelry making endeavors.

I ignored it all and decided to just work for a living; To prove that I am a Smart, Talented and exceptional person in the “real” working world. I wanted to get my hands on technology that I was denied in HS and move forward and be a success in the working world.

Alright, I’ve blabbed enough about my personal BS and have most definitely made you wonder what the hell this post is about…

Well, I’ve gotten so bored not working, my creative side is finally coming out again…

Here is my most recent painting…If anyone wants to purchase, just comment, I'll get back to you.

I'm a Beautiful American Mutt and so is everyone else in the USA

I always knew my sister and I were heretically mutts and possibly nuts ( ;) ).  We do have strong lineages of viking in our blood from Sweden and Denmark.  We are also very English in our family history. We both have the privilege of being decedents of Italy and Lithuania origins as well.

Our English history is the most documented in my family, as we are related in someway to the founders (Roger Smith) of Rhode Island. Not necessarily related by blood, but by efforts and partnerships, but I do not know the relationships fully.

I was told, but sources are not exactly confirmed, because of our English origins and ties to Rhode Island, my sister and I have the opportunity to be a part of the Daughters of the Revolution, but I would say "no way" anyway because why would I want to be a part of a group that is so harsh in ideas and believe they are better than others? This group has acted as if they are the true upper echelon-they should call themselves the first Reich if you ask me. (if I am wrong about the DotR, then my apologies, but as I understand, it's a very restricted club of American Women)

I've also been told that my Swedish lineage goes back to Royalty...This I've got to see!  Even so, it doesn't mean all that much, since I would never sit on a throne in my lifetime or ever get near it. ;)

The biggest memory and values taught in my childhood were mostly about being of Italian descent, when I analyzed the most recent generations of my family, the most prominent and dominant that I can conclude are English, Swedish and Lithuanian. Unfortunately Italian and Denmark are last.

I figured it this way--From the shortest line: 

• Mom=Sweden, English
• Nana=Sweden
• Great Nana and Grandpa=From Old Country-Sweden
• Grandpa=England
• Parents=England
• Dad=Denmark, Lithuania,Italy
• Nana=Lithuania
• Nona=From Old Country-Lithuania
• Grandpa=Denmark,Italy
• Assume Grandma-Italy
• Assume Grandpa-Denmark

I grew up believing Italian and am no matter what, proud of being Italian no matter how small my DNA proves. I've been told my family Italian line goes back to L’Aquila. So, even though my Italian Blood is small , it can be traced somewhere to the old country.  However, I am also just as proud as my other blood lines.  It just so happened that Italian was at the forefront in my upbringing.

I love all my heritages.  A little goes a long way when it comes to food. Italian is my favorite cuisine and libations and because of that, I am a true Italian in my heart.  I have also recently learned more about the Swedish side of food, which I was also exposed to as a child, like herring, smorgashborg etc...My hopes are to bring both cuisines to everyone who reads this blog.

Food for Thought:  I do want to say that I am AMERICAN all the way.  A good friend of mine reminded me that no matter your lineage, if you were born in America, your are American.  Just as if I were born in Italy, I would be Italian.  Just beacuse maybe your mother or father were from another country, does not mean your are that true origin, you are now a mix.  That is a fact I cannot and will not argue.  So for anyone out there "fighting" for their country of origin rights...Remember, where you are BORN is what you ultimately are and will always be.  Your lineage is important, but it is not what makes you a whole person.  It only makes you a part of your family history of origin.  You are the start of a new history with a new origin on top of your mom and pop's origins and so on.  So make your life special and move forward while respecting your past lineages.

I am fortunate I have many backgrounds, as I was brought up to love food from many cultures outside my own.  I found in my life that cooking respects the past and continues some form of legacy.  I am a mutt, so I feel lucky that I am able to cook many recipes that respect my family history and my family present.

Be proud of who you are and where you are and COOK ON!

Food Traditions-Bodega Style!

I’m sure some of you reading my blog may say, “Hey, she bakes a lot of sweets!” and most are probably wondering if I eat them all.

No, I don’t eat the sweets I bake. Yes, I do have a bite or two to taste, but generally I never consume what I bake when it comes to confections. So, what do I do with all these mouthwatering desires? I give my baked treats to those I know will enjoy and appreciate them.

Most recently it has been my lucky neighbors and the family that runs the 24/7 bodega around the corner from me. On a planned trip to the west village, it would be my sister and her bo, but my sister is on a very indecisive food regiment where if I introduced sweets, she would personally be mad at herself for succumbing to the sugar. So, I have to respect her food diet/issues and not temp her.

I have become somewhat close to the bodega family, as I have shown up there at least every other day or so for the last 8 years since they re-opened the store. They are a great family and I have really felt that they are the real deal. They are originally from Pakistan and in most cases I cannot and unfortunately understand the parents due to a language barrier, but their kids do speak English and are very well spoken. I have seen at least 2 of their children grow up and as I understand it, there are a total of 5 children in all.

I know 3 of the 5 kids, which work in the store in place of their father or during their respective shifts, while they attend HS or college. The mother and daughter do occasionally work in the store, but they haven’t in the last 5-6 months. Only on rare occasions do I see them now. I do miss seeing both of them there, as they are amazing women. I love talking to them.

But to the point of this post…Because I have been giving my sweets to my Bodega family, they have also reciprocated kindly by making/giving me some great eats. I was recently honored by a container of chicken and basmati saffron rice, with an onion raita. I cannot tell you how good this dish was. It superseded any restaurant Middle Eastern (even Indian) dish I have ever had. There really is no comparison to an amazing home cooked meal and done to its traditions.

Now, I know the woman that cooked and gave me this meal and I am enamored by her. This woman CAN COOK! I am humbly honored that she would take the time to think of me and give me a care package of amazing food. I hope that maybe she can show me some of her secrets one day!

I do believe in traditional food, as no restaurant, I have ever been to, can replicate the honest to goodness home cooked meal no matter how hard they try. There is nothing like an excellent home cooked meal. Restaurants can try, but they can never match the home kitchen and love that truly goes into food.

This post is in honor of my bodega family and the woman that put her love and effort into making this dish! I hope they are willing to deliver me more of their goodies!

2010 Olympic Feast-It’s a Long Ride and been a long time!

I’ve never, EVER, been a huge sports fan. And this blog may be a bit off topic for most of those wanting to see what I cook next, but this past week the Olympics have taken a higher priority to me. I have actually surprised myself, with my attention to the winter sports this year. Though I will admit it my appreciation for winter sports really started 4 years ago during the 2006 Torino events and Snowboarding was the culprit.

But to keep this post a little bit about food…In honor of the Olympics, I am gearing up to make my famous cheesecake this weekend. Call this past week a preliminary round, as I have been mentally preparing for what I know is my best recipe of all time, as this one recipe took me about 17 years to master the perfect cheesecake. I’ve gone to the market to get all my ingredients, including my secret one and now I must decide how I want to prepare…Not sure if I want to go the full cake or in individual form, which will ultimately decide how the cake is presented. Either way could win the Gold, but you never know! Plus, I think I will be eliminating the expected Graham Cracker crust for something more subtle but extremely flavorful, with an unexpected twist for my topping.

So, I’ve never been a person to “follow” the big Olympic stories and any other sports story for that matter, with the one exception; When the Red Sox finally broke the curse and won the World Series many years back. I actually watched the final game, almost scared to watch them screw up again, but they didn’t and I cried when they won. I cried, not only because they were my original hometown team, but for Massachusetts, all the diehard fans and the fact that none of us gave up during all those long hard years of supporting them. I also cried in joy for my family’s closest friends who moved to AZ, that love the Boston RS more than I ever will. A shout to Pat, Beth, Scott, Hank, Shenta and Max for their love of the game and the RS!

Unfortunately since then, I have not really paid attention to what the Boston RS and Baseball in general are doing and came to a realization, that since they broke the curse, I am done rooting for them. Baseball has become just another sport I don’t care about. I hate football, still after all these years never could understand the rules and even the excitement of the game. I do like hockey, but only if the Boston Bruins are in the Stanley cup.

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS: I want to give major shout outs to the following sports that I have fallen for: Snowboarding-All Competitions, Speed Skating (short and long)-All Competitions, Alpine Skiing- All Competitions, FreeStyle Skiing- All Competitions, Ski Jumping- All Competitions and finally Curling…This is a great sport/game to watch!

I am particularly excited about the Snowboarding competitions, as Torino really opened my eyes on the sport, not just Shaun White, even though he is an amazing athlete in his sport and was a factor in my liking of the sport. I must admit, I love to watch this sport and the true innovators that are changing the game day by day, like Shaun White, Seth Wescott and Kelly Clark amongst a few other talented athletes in the US and Worldwide.

Snowboarding is an American born sport and most incredibly something we as Americans should support more than anything, just as we would Baseball and Football. We should support this sport with more pride than we do right now. It’s not just an “X” games sport… It is a World Wide Olympic Sport that originated in Vermont, which we should all be proud of and support with the same pride we have for Football and Baseball.

RANT: So NBC is covering this year’s winter Olympics and I am so frustrated with the coverage. This is one of the main reasons I have gone off topic in my blog. For the sports that I am interested in watching, they save until primetime and have to wait until hours after the event to really see what’s going on. I’ve had to resort to the Official Olympic site to watch the results as they happen live, with no live streaming. I hope that ABC fights to get it back! I miss ABC’s Wide World of Sports!

PROUD PROPS: I know that there are more medals to be given (Apolo-I hope you break the medal record!), but I have to give a shout out to all those Americans that have won medals of any kind so far! You all ROCK! Canada-I love you and also congratulate those that won medals for their country…After all, you are our best neighbor and deserve US Support.

As of 2/19/2010 US Medal Honors:

GOLD

Figure Skating - Men - LYSACEK Evan
Snowboard - Men's Halfpipe - WHITE Shaun
Speed Skating - Men's 1000 m - DAVIS Shani
Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Downhill - VONN Lindsey
Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross - WESCOTT Seth
Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Moguls - KEARNEY Hannah

SILVER

Alpine Skiing - Men's Super-G - MILLER Bode
Snowboard - Ladies' Halfpipe - TETER Hannah
Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Super Combined - MANCUSO Julia
Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Downhill - MANCUSO Julia
Nordic Combined - Individual NH/10 km CC - SPILLANE Johnny
Short Track Speed Skating - Men's 1500 m - OHNO Apolo Anton

BRONZ

Alpine Skiing - Men's Super-G - WEIBRECHT Andrew
Snowboard - Ladies' Halfpipe - CLARK Kelly
Snowboard - Men's Halfpipe - LAGO Scott
Speed Skating - Men's 1000 m - HEDRICK Chad
Alpine Skiing - Men's Downhill - MILLER Bode
Freestyle Skiing - Men's Moguls - WILSON Bryon
Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Moguls - BAHRKE Shannon
Short Track Speed Skating - Men's 1500 m - CELSKI J.R.

Movies and Meat

I just finished watching the HBO Special Temple Grandin Starring Claire Daines. I’ve known about Temple Grandin for many years now, thanks to a PBS special I had seen. I think she has brought amazing insight to the meat industry and I hope that she will continue to better our national treatment of cattle and hopefully other animals we consume as a nation. BTW-Claire Daines was an amazing portrayal. Kudos to HBO for this personal documentary.

There have been plenty of movies these days and over the years about the food we eat, especially meat. I honestly believe we should listen to the premise of these movies and move forward as a better human race that does care about what it eats.

I do believe that we as a nation have no idea what it means to be with nature. We as a human race, like the matrix, are a virus ready to destroy anything in our way for survival. We lose all perspective of what Nature really is and only a few have interest in sustaining what we should covet.

I am not and will never proclaim myself as a vegetarian, but as I have learned over my years, eating any kind of meat has to come with a price of conscience. There are places in this world that do respect what they eat and what bothers me as a meat eater in the U.S. is that we forget what it means to eat and the respect that animal deserves while we eat it.

The U.S. is such a greedy, unconscionable nation. We expect with all our hard work we deserve anything and everything, no matter how it’s obtained. We claim to be the major morality and political conscience, but we are a nation of fools and fat protagonists. We preach, but don’t practice because we are lazy jerks. We think we deserve respect just because we are a nation that pretends to be of fair justice.

When it comes to the meat eating population, we tend to forget that what we are eating is real, alive and has a purpose in our eco system other than just our stomachs. By Nature, humans are carnivores, but it should not mean that we treat those we eat with disrespect.

Think about the fact that Humans are Carnivores. That would mean in any dire situation we could potentially eat each other. Would you just drown or purposely slain someone without feeling and respect just to have a meal at your expense? That is the philosophical question of the day.

I am tired and sad that I live in a nation that has no heart. That is willing to treat this world like crap. I am not an exception to this either, as I am also responsible for being lazy and not respecting my environment. But, I am willing and want to change.

Although Temple Grandin is still with the major beef industries that are more “industrial” and still do not treat animals with the respect they deserve, we cannot fault her. She has improved this industry to at least be somewhat humane. Although it still could be better, Temple has made more of an impact than the rest of us could and should on the massive beef and meat industry.

Now I truly understand the cost factor in all of this, as I am poor and can’t afford more humanely driven meat in my current circumstances. So, to me what that means is that I will only buy good meat (grass fed and antibiotic free) when I can afford it. That means less meat for me in the long run, but also better for my health and the environment overall.

Let us remember, not only are humans carnivores, but we are ultimately omnivores, which means we also eat greens…vegetables…fish etc…Humans are not exclusive and we are not really supposed to be a part of the overall eco system mother nature intended. Humans are creating havoc among mother earth and that needs to change immediately.

If we as humans were intended to be a part of the eco system, then let us be worthy of it, instead of being a race that destroys everything in its path.  We should not be the cause of the Eco System demise but a part of the revision of it.

For those who can’t forgo meat like I can, at least try to buy locally and buy from a local butcher instead of a supermarket. Buying meat from a supermarket is not a good thing and promotes more mass slaughter and disrespect of the animals you are eating.

Thank you!