Dynamo French Fries with Just an Xtra 120 Seconds!

French Fries..... boy I love them. I could eat them everyday- they are my favorite 'bad' food. I always have to look away from the McDonalds in Penn Station at the end of a long workday to not be tempted to get some for my train ride.
After watching a show about some really greasy french fries tonite, I remembered a good trick I used to use that I learned from a cafe I worked at awhile back.
Next time you bake some fries, take an extra minute and dump them in a large bowl.
Add: Parsley, Salt, Pepper, a little Olive Oil and Parmesean Cheese and toss them around in the bowl. sooooo delicious and that little extra minute, makes such a yummy difference. mmm...I think I'll make that with a mozzerella turkey burger tommorrow. A little tabasco spiced ketchup and delish!

SOTD- White Trash Wedding- The Dixie Chicks

Now this is having fun with music, and you just can't beat the harmonies of The Dixie Chicks. Great song. This is from their incredible 2002 record "Home". Every song is a good one.

Mind, God, Atheism, Yoga

My mom thinks (or wants to really believe) that when you die, your body just turns 'off', much like a machine. She always calls it, "game over" No soul, no spirit, no 'after-life' like Prince sings about in "Let's Go Crazy". I was not brought up in church or with an ounce of religion-far from it infact- and this philosophy works. You were just a good person, you knew how to do the right, good thing and did it. You worked hard, enjoyed yourself, and that was that. As it should be. Much to my parents disbelief, I'd spent some time in church...they were surprised. But to me, it is sometimes like going to yoga, or going out into nature, or reading philosophy, I suppose. My mom reminded me on the phone the other day what I used to say growing up "until a man in a white robe comes down out of the sky, I can't believe in all these man made rules".But there is something called 'Faith' and not just religious faith. Where do you think 'optimism' came from? It is simply a beleif in us (no other person or thing or mysterious unknown 'deity') that there is an energy that picks up on positive thoughts. And it does. But what IS that energy? Is it the cosmic big bang force that's like a machine that just follows your thoughts like a computer- 'garbage in, garbage out'? Is it some sort of God, is it just sheer will? Truly it is a mystery. This mystery always gets re-inforced when I watch shows like 'Nova' and the stars and galaxies and the flowers blooming, I mean how?? Do I even NEED to know. Not really, although I am a curious girl. :) lol
So, until the day that there is an absolute, I am open, but not convinced of anytning other than my own mind and heart. Any place that teaches love and peace-whether it is in nature or an occasional service or an intense meditative yoga class, or a good laugh with someone-a kiss, I'm open. I stand where I stand, in love, with no need to be co-orced into any 'regimen'. There are no absolute proofs, except your own heart. Don't believe the hype.
Really, it's all the same. Trouble happens when people look for something to cling too, and with religion, sometimes too desperately. It's really just about trying to find mind control and peace of mind. Walt Whitman always said he found it in nature (Leaves Of Grass anyone?)
I believe you can find this on a walking trail, in moments when your quiet and calm, when you think things through, or get lost in a physical activity that takes your complete focus, when you are in love or doing something your are completely passionate about. So, I am opting my occasional church stops for yoga class. This helps focus my body and mind and makes me feel physically good as well. Most religion is corrupt and reminds me of politics. I never was one for getting up every Sunday anyway--aren't we suppose to be sleeping and eating pancakes in our pajamas. ;)

Re-cycling and Avoiding A Shit Storm

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters


This website is pretty cool, and despite it's name, is polar opposite of 'hippie chick'. It's got tech and media news,home, outdoors, goofy stuff---very dry, clever and funny, but also pretty smart and informative. Check it out.

**I started re-cycling again yesterday and was catching myself up with some news here. I couldn't help myself. Water bottle after water bottle, piles in land fill after land fill. Can't keep doing it. I tried to pretend it didn't make that much of a difference lately, little old me, but it does. A bunch of little old me's equals a big collective 'whole'.
Jon Stewart from The Daily Show lived in Sag Harbor (where I used to live) and loved the little coffee shop 'Java Nation' on main street. There was a good month stretch where we would run into each other there quite frequently. One morning we were both shoulder to shoulder at the milk station, he fixing his coffee and I throwing mine out. I also had an empty vitamin water bottle, and though I meant to throw it in the re-cycle container, I mistakenly reached for the regular garbage. Jon Grabbed my arm and re-directed it to the re-cycle bin. He then said, verbatim-"I know it's a bitch, but my wife makes me do and the environment is a shit storm. Who the hell knows, this might be helping".

Don't Toss That Old Banana!

In the summer months, sometimes when it's really hot, you may feel lethargic at the end of the day. Some kind of quick protein always helps-- a protein bar, some chips and hummus or a simple banana. But what if that last lonely banana is just too 'not nice' to eat? (and they tend to go a little faster in the summer months) A lack of motivation and resources are sure as hell not going to have me blend a whole smoothie. But I find the below easy and quick in the summer with my too ripe bananas for a quick pick me up.
Just throw some ice, a little lowfat milk and the banana into the blender and zap! A treat that's not only full of protein (milk and banana) but freezing cold to chill you out. It's that perfect 'I'm a little hungry, but not for dinner yet' in between thing.
And another quick tip- instead of just buying a 'small bunch' at the grocery because that's all you know you'll eat, get a bigger bunch in the summer and take half of the bananas, slice them and store them in a ziploc freezer bag in the freezer. Then you'll have frozen banana chunks to do the above, or have them handy for a more elaborate smoothie, or frozen cocktail later. The frozen banana chunks get to tasting like thick ice cream when they are frozen--yum!!

Movies To Force A Good Cry

Most any girl will tell you-- if you feel like you need to cry, but you find yourself so pent up, watch a romantic movie and let the tears flow, just to get it out. Or to get out that feeling of love that you feel has gotten stuck. Or to show yourself that you are still emotional and open hearted and sensitive. It's true girls, huh?
I'm not a big 'chick flick' girl, but I have always had an absolute penchant for the films based in the more sweet, innocent 1940's when it comes to this. I've also been known to favor that decade of girl's style, with the dresses and the cute hair and flowers. I sometimes feel I was born in the wrong decade. I don't think girls should look sloppy or unkempt as much as they sometimes do these days. And boys were such dapper dressers too. I think everything was just so much more feminine and pretty. But I digress---these movies not only make me happy, but make me cry. Like a good 'get it out' cry. I always wonder if guys do corny things like that too. I might tend to doubt that. There's a secret male readers that maybe some of the girls will never cop too, but that we've all done!
(Divine Secrets Of The YaYa Sisterhood, The Notebook, and Forever Young are just some top notch ones for that. ps- They all end happy! :)