Tuesday Megalinks

Sweet Don Draper on a stick, it’s a long one today. See what happens when you ditch the interwebs for a week? Big Papi goes on ‘roids and the Megalinks become nigh-unmanageable. (Er … we managed, though.) Today, it’s second thoughts on Sandra Lee, getting a handle on Hungry Girl, and another Meredith post that you kind of wish you could frame.

A Year of Crockpotting: Slow Cooking During a Recession
Stephanie lists the top ten ways she saves money with her slow cooker. And I don’t know if you’ve heard, but girl knows crockpots.

Bitten: Rethinking Canned Beans
Bittman caved! He called canned beans “inoffensive”! Not a rave, but we'll take it!

Chow: Do Bulk Bins Ever Get Cleaned?
Oh man, you’re not gonna like the answer for this one. Helpful hint: you know the bins that distribute food from the bottom? If you can, use those instead of the scoopy ones.

Epi-Log: Is Peanut Butter Healthy?
Essentially, yes. But I might not go and scarf a whole jar of Jif. It will undoubtedly be delicious, but it'll take a team of horses to pry your mouth open afterward.

Epi-Log: Road Trip Snacks - Top 13 Dos and Top 7 Don’ts
DON’T: pack messy things.
DO: avoid packing messy things.

Get Rich Slowly: A Visit to the Island of Misfit Foods
This is very different from a visit to the island of Dr. Moreau, in that there are no animal-human hybrids. However, in both places, you are likely to find the ghost of Marlon Brando.

Get Rich Slowly: Grocery Shopping Tips from 1950
… are almost exactly the same as grocery shopping tips from 2009, except for the milk thing. Though ladies, it’s okay to leave the house without your pearls. I swear.

The Kitchn: The Top 10 Most Useful Kitchen Gadgets
...with extra special love for the microplane zester. As someone who once zested eight limes with a fork for a key lime pie, I can tell you the dang thing’s invaluable.

LA Times: Hungry Girl delivers
In which the Left Coast Times comes to praise Hungry Girl, not to bury her. On the other hand, Eat Me Daily’s response isn’t as kind. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

LA Times: Slaws make a great side dish -- or dessert
To make a slaw: “Take a main ingredient cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.” And, bonus - the “tangy” part doesn’t have to be mayonnaise. Nice article with good-looking recipes.

Money Saving Mom: How to Practice Hospitality on a Budget
Guest poster Meredith from Like Merchant Ships ruminates on the low cost of being a good hostess/friend. Grab some crackers and get going, people.

Mother Nature Network: 40 Farmers Under 40
Jason Mraz is an avocado farmer? What? Did you guys know this? Crazy. As it turns out though, he’s emblematic of a new generation of young, conscientious agriculturally minded folks who are reinventing what it means to harvest. P.S. For some reason, these people are all insanely attractive. I think it might be the sunlight. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

New York Daily News: Small kitchen confidential: New Yorkers make big meals in tiny spaces
Though the kitchens pictured are palatial compared to some of the Gotham galleys I’ve seen, this is still a good summary of what it’s like to prep food in a space the size of foot locker.

New York Magazine: Eat Good
First: do not eat Chilean Sea Bass or Bluefin Tuna. Just don’t. Second: read this article to get the lowdown on dozens of sustainable and unsustainable foods, as well as what you can do to help.

New York Times: 101 Simple Salads for the Season
Bittman’s at it again, with another of his 100+ recipe articles. The man deserves some kind of reward. Maybe … a salad?

New York Times: Out of the Kitchen, on to the Couch
Eight pages of pure Pollan, in which he explores how television has affected the way we (don't) cook. Settle in for this one, folks.

Out: The Semi-Homemade World of Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee … gay icon? Somewhere, Cher is burning a Kwanzaa Cake in effigy.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Public Service Announcement
Once, Ree chopped a lot of jalapeno peppers without gloves. She will never do so again. This is her story.

Seattle Times: Food shoppers trading down on expensive items like soda, wine, snacks
Fascinating article on recent trends in grocery shopping. In response to the economy, folks are buying the basics instead of fancified food products. Does this mean we’ll see the obesity rate drop in the next few years? Could be.

Serious Eats: Taste Test - Milks Not From a Cow
The SE crew tested almond, soy, rice, and hemp milks to find which is least terrible. As you might expect, hemp does not fare well. (*shudder*)

Serious Eats: How to Get Free Fruit via Urban Fruit Harvesting
There’ve been a rash of fruit tree articles making the rounds lately, but this post actually tells you how to find them and use them for your own devious purposes. Delightful.

Serious Eats: My Week Without Corn Parts I and II
One man. Seven days. No corn products AT ALL. Will he survive? By the end, will he want to?

The Simple Dollar: Resetting the Scales
Great piece about expectations brought on by luxury. How do we measure what brings us pleasure? It seems everything is subjective.

The Simple Dollar: Thoughts on a Low Grocery Bill
What’s more important to you: the cost of your food, or the enjoyment you derive from preparing and eating it?

Simple Mom: Back to the Basics Menu Planning
Solid step-by-step guide to weekly meal planning, for those who are just starting out or need a refresher.

What I Weigh Today: The Size 10 Girl's Dilemma
Okay, I wish I wrote this. You see, Size 10 is a strange place to be, because you’re healthy, but not skinny. And there’s this constant inner war between what’s perfectly acceptable and what’s ideal. Joy, I feel you.

(Photos courtesy of The Perfect Pantry, Womans Day, and Dr. Flavor's Vegan and Green Line.)

Tuesday Megalinks

Sweet Don Draper on a stick, it’s a long one today. See what happens when you ditch the interwebs for a week? Big Papi goes on ‘roids and the Megalinks become nigh-unmanageable. (Er … we managed, though.) Today, it’s second thoughts on Sandra Lee, getting a handle on Hungry Girl, and another Meredith post that you kind of wish you could frame.

A Year of Crockpotting: Slow Cooking During a Recession
Stephanie lists the top ten ways she saves money with her slow cooker. And I don’t know if you’ve heard, but girl knows crockpots.

Bitten: Rethinking Canned Beans
Bittman caved! He called canned beans “inoffensive”! Not a rave, but we'll take it!

Chow: Do Bulk Bins Ever Get Cleaned?
Oh man, you’re not gonna like the answer for this one. Helpful hint: you know the bins that distribute food from the bottom? If you can, use those instead of the scoopy ones.

Epi-Log: Is Peanut Butter Healthy?
Essentially, yes. But I might not go and scarf a whole jar of Jif. It will undoubtedly be delicious, but it'll take a team of horses to pry your mouth open afterward.

Epi-Log: Road Trip Snacks - Top 13 Dos and Top 7 Don’ts
DON’T: pack messy things.
DO: avoid packing messy things.

Get Rich Slowly: A Visit to the Island of Misfit Foods
This is very different from a visit to the island of Dr. Moreau, in that there are no animal-human hybrids. However, in both places, you are likely to find the ghost of Marlon Brando.

Get Rich Slowly: Grocery Shopping Tips from 1950
… are almost exactly the same as grocery shopping tips from 2009, except for the milk thing. Though ladies, it’s okay to leave the house without your pearls. I swear.

The Kitchn: The Top 10 Most Useful Kitchen Gadgets
...with extra special love for the microplane zester. As someone who once zested eight limes with a fork for a key lime pie, I can tell you the dang thing’s invaluable.

LA Times: Hungry Girl delivers
In which the Left Coast Times comes to praise Hungry Girl, not to bury her. On the other hand, Eat Me Daily’s response isn’t as kind. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

LA Times: Slaws make a great side dish -- or dessert
To make a slaw: “Take a main ingredient cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.” And, bonus - the “tangy” part doesn’t have to be mayonnaise. Nice article with good-looking recipes.

Money Saving Mom: How to Practice Hospitality on a Budget
Guest poster Meredith from Like Merchant Ships ruminates on the low cost of being a good hostess/friend. Grab some crackers and get going, people.

Mother Nature Network: 40 Farmers Under 40
Jason Mraz is an avocado farmer? What? Did you guys know this? Crazy. As it turns out though, he’s emblematic of a new generation of young, conscientious agriculturally minded folks who are reinventing what it means to harvest. P.S. For some reason, these people are all insanely attractive. I think it might be the sunlight. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

New York Daily News: Small kitchen confidential: New Yorkers make big meals in tiny spaces
Though the kitchens pictured are palatial compared to some of the Gotham galleys I’ve seen, this is still a good summary of what it’s like to prep food in a space the size of foot locker.

New York Magazine: Eat Good
First: do not eat Chilean Sea Bass or Bluefin Tuna. Just don’t. Second: read this article to get the lowdown on dozens of sustainable and unsustainable foods, as well as what you can do to help.

New York Times: 101 Simple Salads for the Season
Bittman’s at it again, with another of his 100+ recipe articles. The man deserves some kind of reward. Maybe … a salad?

New York Times: Out of the Kitchen, on to the Couch
Eight pages of pure Pollan, in which he explores how television has affected the way we (don't) cook. Settle in for this one, folks.

Out: The Semi-Homemade World of Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee … gay icon? Somewhere, Cher is burning a Kwanzaa Cake in effigy.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Public Service Announcement
Once, Ree chopped a lot of jalapeno peppers without gloves. She will never do so again. This is her story.

Seattle Times: Food shoppers trading down on expensive items like soda, wine, snacks
Fascinating article on recent trends in grocery shopping. In response to the economy, folks are buying the basics instead of fancified food products. Does this mean we’ll see the obesity rate drop in the next few years? Could be.

Serious Eats: Taste Test - Milks Not From a Cow
The SE crew tested almond, soy, rice, and hemp milks to find which is least terrible. As you might expect, hemp does not fare well. (*shudder*)

Serious Eats: How to Get Free Fruit via Urban Fruit Harvesting
There’ve been a rash of fruit tree articles making the rounds lately, but this post actually tells you how to find them and use them for your own devious purposes. Delightful.

Serious Eats: My Week Without Corn Parts I and II
One man. Seven days. No corn products AT ALL. Will he survive? By the end, will he want to?

The Simple Dollar: Resetting the Scales
Great piece about expectations brought on by luxury. How do we measure what brings us pleasure? It seems everything is subjective.

The Simple Dollar: Thoughts on a Low Grocery Bill
What’s more important to you: the cost of your food, or the enjoyment you derive from preparing and eating it?

Simple Mom: Back to the Basics Menu Planning
Solid step-by-step guide to weekly meal planning, for those who are just starting out or need a refresher.

What I Weigh Today: The Size 10 Girl's Dilemma
Okay, I wish I wrote this. You see, Size 10 is a strange place to be, because you’re healthy, but not skinny. And there’s this constant inner war between what’s perfectly acceptable and what’s ideal. Joy, I feel you.

(Photos courtesy of The Perfect Pantry, Womans Day, and Dr. Flavor's Vegan and Green Line.)

I Went to Michigan, and All I Got Was … uh, a Really Great Time, Actually

Hey everybody! We’re back from vacation, and ready to roll out the next two weeks with our usual fun and joie de vivre. (Literally: joy of vivre.) Many, many thanks to Cindee, Michele, Rachel, and Fed, who (whom?) ably and hilariously covered for us while we were gone.

In lieu of today’s recipe (which was a bit pre-empted by a long flight back to LaGuardia), I’d like to present “Food Things I Learned on Vacation: a Compendium of Thoughts in Lieu of Today’s Recipe.” Such as:

1) I am chronically unable to eat popcorn without dropping at least three pieces down the front of my bra. Subseqently, at any given time, my bosom is 34% Orville Redenbacher.

2) One-year-olds will eat anything, up to and including coasters. Then they will work it off by climbing a staircase 260 times.

3) I am apparently delicious, as all the mosquitoes in Michigan can attest to.

4) Ohio sweet corn really is better.

5) If you don’t have a good acid dealer nearby, alternating sparkling white wine and DayQuil will do the trick. Bizarrely, it will also make you much better at cards.

6) It is scientifically impossible to eat healthy on vacation. I gained 17 pounds from roasted cashews alone. Sorry, science.

7) I find Hunts tomato products generally terrible. They taste like metal and melancholy. But onions and ¾ cups of olive oil will make anything edible.

8) Given a choice between lovingly grown and perfectly cooked fresh vegetables or a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, I will choose Kraft Macaroni and Cheese nine out of ten times. The same goes for my three-year-old soon-to-be-nephew, who also enjoys Wall-E, ducks, and a good round of Drop the Pen in the Hole.

9) Bud Light Lime – not bad!

10) Minnesota is not the land of 1000 lakes. Michigan is. Still, I would alter the designation slightly from “Land of 1000 Lakes” to “Land of 1000 Lakes, All of Which Are Named Bear Lake.”

11) When you are away on vacation, your doctor/health insurance company will charge you twice for the same procedure you had done two months ago – one they shouldn’t have charged you for at all in the first place. Coming home to the bill will be delightful.

12) When you work in a city of thin, nervous white women, you forget what people look like on the outside. Size 10s, represent!

13) The line of the week belonged a ten-year-old cousin, who upon discovering he didn’t pack underwear, matter-of-factly proclaimed: “Well, I guess I’ll just have to go commando.”

And that’s it! Tune in tomorrow for an extra-long edition of Megalinks, and then the rest of the week for … uh, other stuff. It’ll be grand!

(Photo courtesy of Digital Topo Maps.)

I Went to Michigan, and All I Got Was … uh, a Really Great Time, Actually

Hey everybody! We’re back from vacation, and ready to roll out the next two weeks with our usual fun and joie de vivre. (Literally: joy of vivre.) Many, many thanks to Cindee, Michele, Rachel, and Fed, who (whom?) ably and hilariously covered for us while we were gone.

In lieu of today’s recipe (which was a bit pre-empted by a long flight back to LaGuardia), I’d like to present “Food Things I Learned on Vacation: a Compendium of Thoughts in Lieu of Today’s Recipe.” Such as:

1) I am chronically unable to eat popcorn without dropping at least three pieces down the front of my bra. Subseqently, at any given time, my bosom is 34% Orville Redenbacher.

2) One-year-olds will eat anything, up to and including coasters. Then they will work it off by climbing a staircase 260 times.

3) I am apparently delicious, as all the mosquitoes in Michigan can attest to.

4) Ohio sweet corn really is better.

5) If you don’t have a good acid dealer nearby, alternating sparkling white wine and DayQuil will do the trick. Bizarrely, it will also make you much better at cards.

6) It is scientifically impossible to eat healthy on vacation. I gained 17 pounds from roasted cashews alone. Sorry, science.

7) I find Hunts tomato products generally terrible. They taste like metal and melancholy. But onions and ¾ cups of olive oil will make anything edible.

8) Given a choice between lovingly grown and perfectly cooked fresh vegetables or a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, I will choose Kraft Macaroni and Cheese nine out of ten times. The same goes for my three-year-old soon-to-be-nephew, who also enjoys Wall-E, ducks, and a good round of Drop the Pen in the Hole.

9) Bud Light Lime – not bad!

10) Minnesota is not the land of 1000 lakes. Michigan is. Still, I would alter the designation slightly from “Land of 1000 Lakes” to “Land of 1000 Lakes, All of Which Are Named Bear Lake.”

11) When you are away on vacation, your doctor/health insurance company will charge you twice for the same procedure you had done two months ago – one they shouldn’t have charged you for at all in the first place. Coming home to the bill will be delightful.

12) When you work in a city of thin, nervous white women, you forget what people look like on the outside. Size 10s, represent!

13) The line of the week belonged a ten-year-old cousin, who upon discovering he didn’t pack underwear, matter-of-factly proclaimed: “Well, I guess I’ll just have to go commando.”

And that’s it! Tune in tomorrow for an extra-long edition of Megalinks, and then the rest of the week for … uh, other stuff. It’ll be grand!

(Photo courtesy of Digital Topo Maps.)