Anali's First Amendment

Now That's Friendly

2009-07-13T19:02:00.005-04:00

Friendly's saw the post that I wrote about them . I guess they liked it.

Now they want to give you something free. Look here to find out!

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Interview Tips: Prepare For The Dream

2009-07-10T20:47:00.016-04:00

I know that I'm not the only blogger with a book fantasy. Because at the heart of it all, we bloggers are writers. In a way, we blog because we have to. We get all these ideas swirling around in our heads, and the easiest way to get them out is to write them down. Because we're Web 2.0, these thoughts go online instead of paper.

Luckily, the fantasy isn't that far-fetched. Many bloggers actually have gotten those coveted book deals. It seems that almost weekly I read about a new book being written by a blogger. And the first blogger book turned into a movie, Julie & Julia, will be coming out next month. I cannot wait to see it!

Unfortunately, this is not a coy prelude to my telling you that I have one of those coveted book deals. Ah, but let me revel in the thought for just a bit....

Okay, I'm back. However, I am happy to tell you that I have something for all you bloggers, or anyone for that matter, who suddenly finds themselves in the spotlight. Many certainly don't need the help, like Nance who had a media frenzy around her blog, The Brian Williams Tie Report, last November. She did just fine.

But what if out of the blue, you needed to give an interview? Would you be ready? That's what happened to freelance writer Susan Johnston, who writes the wonderful blog, The Urban Muse. She was interviewed on ABC News and wrote a post about the experience and gave some interview tips.

I thought it was a really interesting post and was talking to my friend about it on the phone. I was saying that it would be really difficult for your average person to give an interview and said that I don't know that I'd be ready. Then she told me that for her job, she's given many interviews. I had no idea!

Then I asked if she'd be willing to answer some questions here about how to prepare to be interviewed by the media. She agreed. So here's is my friend Nichole Lawton with some tips. Thank you Nichole!

Can you tell us a little bit about the work that you’ve done?

I've worked for a non-profit adoption agency doing public relations work for about 13years. My work has involved extensive collaboration with local print, radio and television venues. I've written press releases and pitched story ideas. I served as spokesperson and interviewed with print and broadcast media. I have had experience planning special events, organizing a press conference, panel discussions, and arranging media coverage. I have produced agency publications and written adoption-related articles for local newspapers.

Are there any differences in your suggestions depending on the type of media - television, radio, magazine, newspaper, blog, etc.?

Preparing for an interview with the media is a lot like preparing for a job interview. The more you do it the more comfortable you will become with it. For simplicity, media can be categorized as either print (newspapers, blogs, magazines) or broadcast outlets (radio and television). The process of preparing is similar for both types of outlets and I'll distinguish any differences. Since preparing for a television interview is probably the most nerve-wracking for most people, I'll focus my tips on that area.

What are some of the biggest mistakes that people make when answering questions during an interview?

Some of the biggest mistakes include going into the interview not having done your homework prior to the interview (more on that later), rambling for the sake of talking (it’s okay to pause or stop talking when you are finished answering the question), and feeling obligated to answer a question. If a question comes up that you don’t know, it’s okay to state that.

If you are not comfortable with answering a question because the subject matter is sensitive or too personal, it’s okay to discuss generalities, answer part of the question, or simply state tactfully that it’s not an area you would like to discuss. I would shy away from saying “no comment,” or answering a completely different question. It’s never okay to lie, but you can frame your responses to discuss your issues in a favorable light.

I'm curious if one mistake might be by giving the interview at all? There may be some circumstances where the person just might not be ready. Maybe if they are just too nervous? Or should people try and work through any fears?

I would not give an interview if you don’t have the knowledge base on the subject matter for the interview. For example, you’re new to a job and the interview is calling for an expert in the field. If you have the knowledge base, you can easily research any points in question. It’s always good to push your comfort level, so I would recommend working through your fears whenever possible. Being able to speak well publicly is a valuable skill in any profession and will grow you and your product exponentially. Practice, practice, practice and have fun (or at least look like you are).

Please read the rest of Nichole's Interview Tips on my writing website by clicking here.

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Moved By Michael

2009-07-07T18:11:00.006-04:00

I'm still brimming over with emotion over Michael Jackson's passing and I'm trying to find a positive way to channel my energy. I watched the tribute and memorial today and was reminded of all of Michael's philanthropic endeavors.

My friend A called me soon after the program was over and reminded me of the project that his wife was working on. I wrote about her organization before and the work that they do bringing clean water to Africa, Liberia in particular, where she is from originally.

The organization is FACE Africa. Below is an excerpt from their website.
"FACE Africa is helping communities across Liberia address some of their basic but critical needs by bringing to them innovative and life-changing programs.

We accomplish this mission by identifying programs that have shown to be effective in other developing countries and replicating those programs in Liberia.

We particularly support programs that affect primarily women and children and can easily be adapted, owned, and sustained locally."

FACE Africa is currently in the running to win $30,000.00 from All For Africa. Read more here and see an excerpt below.
"The organization that receives the highest number of votes will be named a Beneficiary of the Palm Out Poverty Initiative. As a beneficiary, the organization will receive a trust that will cover its operational expenses, up to $ 30,000 per year, for the next 30 years, allowing such organization to focus its internal or other donor funds on its core activities."

Please vote for FACE Africa and help them fund their work in Liberia. You can vote multiple times a day until the deadline of Friday, July 10th.

FACE Africa is a local Massachusetts organization with an international mission. You don't have to register or do any heavy lifting. With just a simple click, you can make a difference a world away. As we have seen with the worldwide reaction to Michael Jackson's passing, we remember how very connected we all are and how small a place the world really is.

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas spoke most eloquently at the tribute today. She's put forward House Resolution 600 honoring Michael Jackson as "an American legend and musical icon." In the Resolution she writes about all his humanitarian efforts. They are staggering. And probably not all of them.

No matter his faults and peculiarities, the man did a world of good too. These things, my childhood memories, and his amazing music are what I choose to focus on today.

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See Ya Later Alligator!

2009-07-05T15:43:00.014-04:00

The past couple of weeks have filled me with a great deal of nostalgia and reminiscing about my high school and college years. The release of Al B. Sure's first CD in 15 years and Michael Jackson's death caused some major music related emotional highs and lows.

With that mindset, I watched the end of Roger Federer and Andy Roddick's epic tennis match. I was on twitter, when someone tweeted that they were still playing, so I turned it on. I had assumed that it was long over, but they kept going and going like the Energizer bunny.

Federer eventually won, making history, but it took four hours and sixteen minutes. Now a few things came to mind while watching Federer and Roddick. They both have great legs. And Federer is so GQ that I almost can't stand it. He barely sweats and his hair is so perfect. His cut must cost thousands of dollars. I bet John Edwards dreams of having hair like his. Or maybe he thinks his hair is better. G said that he's sure that Edwards doesn't think about it at all. I'm not so sure.

Anyway, one of the things that I noticed about Roddick was what he was wearing.

Remember the little alligator from the 80's? Izod?

G said that he thinks that the label is still big in Europe, but that it just fell out of favor in the United States.

Is that true? Is everyone wearing these little alligators in Europe? I guess the preppy look is coming back. I did see some young guys on the train last year with ice cream colored Izod or Polo shirts with the collars up. Those crazy kids!
I was preppy in high school and wore those polo styled tops. But then the preppy look faded, Madonna was big on the scene and my style veered more to cut up t-shirts.

I did some quick investigating and found that Izod now appears to be a brand sold by JCPenney and has nothing to do with the alligator. The alligator appears to be the logo for Lacoste.

Not that any of this matters or is any way important to the rest of my day. By the way, these alligator photos are from flickr, courtesy of Kathy aka kthypryn's photostream.

Just curious, do you have any Lacoste clothing? Have you seen anyone wearing any? And if so, I'm curious which country you were in at the time.

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Happy 4th of July from Boston!

2009-07-04T01:23:00.006-04:00

One of Boston's Swan Boats up close and personal.

America's First Family up close and personal. I just saw this photo on flickr and couldn't resist.

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Discovering Food in our Northern Neighbour’s Capital City

2009-07-01T09:35:00.032-04:00

Hello, I am Esme, from Chocolate & Croissants. This week Lisa honored me by asking if I would write a guest post here at Anali’s First Amendment.

Lisa and I met through the blogging world; we both love Nutella, adore Obama, passed the bar and enjoy food. These are some of the best ingredients for a friendship.

Happy Birthday Canada! Canadians are waking up today to celebrations of Canada’s 142nd Birthday. To get you in the mood, I have a Canadian trivia quiz for you.

1. What is the capital of Canada?
2. Who is the current Prime Minister ?
3. How many official languages does Canada have?

Visiting Ottawa last week I was truly amazed by all the selection of ethnic food. Located in Ontario, Ottawa is separated from Quebec by the Ottawa River. The city’s choice of food reflects both the country’s history and the wave of migration to the nation. In grade school we were told that Canada was a melting pot of nations and this statement rings true in the capital’s offering of cuisine.

The Byward Market is a great place to stop for lunch if you enjoy open air markets. Designed by Colonel By in 1826 it is one of Canada’s oldest public markets.

When the good Colonel designed the streets for the market, he had two streets be extra wide so they could serve as a public market and gathering place.

The market is open all year round with farmers selling their goods. Sidewalks are lined with shops and stalls. While fruit and vegetables are big sellers in the summer, in the wintertime, this is the perfect place to pick up maple syrup and wreaths and bows for your home.

Inside the market are take-out stands selling Indian, Greek, French and traditional Canadian food.

For those that have a green thumb, there are plenty of fresh herbs and beautiful flowers for sale.

You can buy freshly cut flowers or beds for your garden.

One of my favorite shops is The House of Cheese with its collection of imported and domestic cheese, pate and a decent selection of imported chocolate.

Here the staff introduced me to Sauvigne, a creamy Quebecquois cheese.

Give me a baguette, a glass of wine and a good book and I am quite content.

Another great shop is La Bottega, an Italian deli and market. The shop offers a wonderful selection of spices, coffee, dry and fresh pasta, chocolate, vinegars, oils, a fresh olive bar, cheeses and packaged deserts. At lunchtime, you can have a sandwich made for only $4.95.

Of course no trip to Ottawa would be complete without sampling a beavertail pastry.

If you are feeling tired, hitch a ride from one of the rickshaw drivers. College students earn summer wages, by giving tourists rides.

We discovered a Thai restaurant that introduced us to young fresh coconuts stuffed with a delicious chicken and shrimp curry.

Ottawa’s own Chinatown is home to a good sampling of pho, dumpling, Korean bar-b que and sushi restaurants. After dinner you can wander over to one of the coffee and tea shops for bubble tea.

Every city has a Little Italy and Ottawa is no exception. Corso Italia as the main street is known hosts an Italian week, Ferrari festival, cyling criterium and grape harvest. This is the place to come if you want some Italian pastries.

If you are in the mood for something more exotic, the city has a wide selection of middle eastern restaurants serving gyros, kebabs and a traditional pizza that is a thin pita crust baked in a brick oven with toppings.

La Brioche in the Glebe is home to a middle Eastern bakery selling baklava and other desserts.

Should you be in the mood for traditional French pastries or fresh bread, then let me suggest that you return to the market and visit Moulin de Provence, the little bakery Obama made famous. The desserts are so delectable that Obama returned home with a few goodies for the children.

Outside of France, this is one of the few places I have found ready made vol a vent (French for windblown) shells. Vol a vent is a filo dough cup traditionally filled with a mushroom mixture.

To all the migrants that have brought their wonderful recipes and foods to Canada, Happy Canada Day!

**************
Thank you for your wonderful post Esme! You've given us all quite an education and definitely made me want to take an Ottawa vacation.

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The Boston sky on the day Michael Jackson died.

2009-06-27T21:31:00.001-04:00

The Boston sky on the day Michael Jackson died.
Originally uploaded by anali02170

Michael Jackson-P.Y.T

2009-06-26T10:10:00.002-04:00

Remember the music.

Food, Fine Art, & Friends @ Vlora Restaurant

2009-06-25T10:46:00.008-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks, there hasn't been as much blogging here. I've been caught up with life off-blog.

Enjoying these hydrangeas. Having dinner for Father's Day. The diy chair project was so much fun that it started me on another organizing frenzy. I may paint this chair again and use some fabric to sew a new cover for the cushion.

I've felt the need to change the look of my living space. I love art and have many pictures hanging on the walls around my apartment. Because of what I took down, put up, and replaced, I now have one extremely blank wall. For now it will have to stay that way.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to enjoy some art with my hanging buddy N, who I've mentioned here before. I received an email about an art exhibit featuring the work of Erla Shehu . There was no cover charge and free appetizers as well. Plus the exhibit was being held at Vlora Restaurant, which is co-owned by a friend from law school who I hadn't seen in years. It would be a chance to see her, get together with N, see some art, and try some food. Sounded fun to me, so we went.

The art was beautiful. The colors were bright and cheerful. Erla has very fine and detailed work with many images of women and children. I remarked to N that if I had a daughter, she would be a great artist to draw her portrait. On Erla's website, I noticed several food related pieces that I really like too. Especially a watercolor called Cafe, which would look great on my now empty wall.

Besides the art, I saw my friend C, who I recently got into contact again with through LinkedIn. C and her husband A own Vlora and have done a wonderful job with it. The restaurant features authentic Mediterranean cuisine and has a great vibe to it. There's a waterfall inside, cool little twinkly lights on the ceiling that look like stars, plus some cozy outdoor seating. And the convenient Copley Square location doesn't hurt either.

The appetizers were wonderful! One in particular really stood out, watermelon with feta cheese on top. It was an amazing burst of flavors and textures all in one. Since I always disclose freebies here, N and I did receive glasses of wine on the house, but even if I hadn't been given the wine, I really love this restaurant.

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Juneteenth + The Pursuit of Happiness

2009-06-19T14:27:00.019-04:00

This is a long post. I hope that you'll get comfy, take a seat, and read along.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Declaration of Independence

This post is about Juneteenth, but when thinking about freedom and all that's going on in the world, I cannot help but think about what is happening in Iran. We as humans have many things in common. One of the most fundamental is the need to be free. And it seems to be an eternal struggle. No matter what country we live in, there always seem to be some who want to oppress others. I believe that is a minority of people, however for some reason, they often seem to be the ones in power.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Lord Acton

I don't think that great people are always bad, but power certainly does seem to bring out the worst in many. Today is June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, which is "the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond."

Today, the United States Senate, through Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement which reads in part,“We celebrate an important day in our history today; a day when our nation began anew and ended the oppressive practice of slavery. We commemorate the joy of those newly freed Americans and reflect upon the true value of our freedoms."

Yesterday, the Senate made history and formally apologized to African-Americans for slavery and segregation. You can read the Senate Resolution apologizing here. Below is a portion of the Resolution with some edits for clarity.

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the sense of the Congress is the following: APOLOGY FOR THE ENSLAVEMENT AND SEGREGATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.

The Congress acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws; apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws; and expresses its recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices, and discrimination from our society.

DISCLAIMER.—Nothing in this resolution authorizes or supports any claim against the United States; or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.

As an African-American who is a descendant of slaves, I accept the apology. It's not all that can be done. The disclaimer is huge. Reparations are still an issue. But it does have meaning. If nothing else than for the history books.

I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that my ancestors went through in this country. But their suffering has given me the life that I now lead. I have the freedom to pursue happiness that they did not. So I am pursuing happiness vehemently. I owe it to them. Otherwise what did they suffer for? I don't know if they could have pictured my life in the future. And to think that I live in a United States with a black President!

Well, one of the things that makes me happy is the freedom to create. In my last post, I mentioned that I found a chair at a yard sale and was working on a DIY chair make-over. I finished! The picture above is before.

I used this DIY blog post from How About Orange to walk me through the directions. The process was surprisingly easy. The seat cover unscrewed very easily usuing a manual screwdriver. I was able to use a regular staple remover to take out the staples and remove the ugly vinyl covering.

From one of my last projects, I already had sandpaper to rough up the wood a bit. Then I cleaned off the dust and grime and put on primer that I bought at Home Depot. I also bought paint and a heavy duty staple gun. I admit that I was a little scared to use the staple gun. When I was little, I stapled my finger with a mini-stapler.

Well, my fear was for nothing. No stapling accidents! I bought the ready to use foam chair pad and cut it to fit the chair. I used about a yard of fabric and ironed it before stapling to the seat cover. Then I screwed the nails back into the newly covered seat cover and had a new chair!

How I chose the fabric is an interesting story. I had planned to buy some really pretty fabric by Jessica Jones that I saw on the blog that I mentioned before. She recently mentioned that she had a coupon for her readers if we ordered from a website that was newly carrying her line of fabric. When I checked, I couldn't find her fabric. As much as I love her fabric, it's not cheap. Plus there would be the cost of shipping.

Yesterday, I decided to look for some fabric in a store near me. While driving down Morrissey Boulevard a few months ago, I had noticed Sew-Fisticated Fabrics. So I decided to drive there.

When I walked in the door, the first thing that I noticed was a sign for some new African fabric that they had just received and had on sale. One fabric in particular really drew me in. I loved the colors, the design, and the feel of it. It resonated with me on a personal level. I looked around the store, but kept coming back to the same fabric. This was it. I knew it. I bought it.

As I was driving home yesterday, I thought about my fabric. Maybe it was something about it being African that was pulling me. Then I thought about it being Juneteenth today and knew that this was my Juneteenth chair. The thought makes me very happy.

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Blogging * Happiness * Daughterhood

2009-06-14T13:50:00.021-04:00

This past week was rainy, cold, and cloudy in Massachusetts. And for me personally, there was much room for improvement. Yesterday was the exeption. A sunny bright spot. The rain vanished. The clouds passed. The sun came out and it was warm.

Even though I'm far from being a little girl, sometimes I still need to see my mom. And I truly appreciate that I still can. So I changed my plans and spent the day with my mother. We had a wonderful time!

We stumbled upon a yard sale and I bought a chair for two bucks! It's a plain sturdy chair and not too cute, so I'm going to paint it and get some new fabric for the seat. I'll do a before and after blog post within the next few weeks hopefully. If you follow me on delicious, you can see that I'm preparing for my chair make-over.

These pictures are from another day that I spent with my mom. We walked around the yard and I took pictures. Plus she gave me some flowers, which always make me happy.

I was also given the Lemonade Stand Award by Shirley of gfe--gluten free easily. Thank you so much for the award! It's funny, because before she gave me the award, I recently started saying "lemons to lemonade" and added it as a tagline to one of my email signatures.

Also, I was tagged by Denene of the gorgeous blog, Style & Inspiration. Check it out if you haven't already. It was quite an honor to be listed as one of her favorite bloggers in the company of such a wonderful group. Thank you again for the kindness!

One of the things that the meme requires is that you list six unimportant things that make you happy. I'm not sure that anything that makes you happy is unimportant. After all, what's more important than happiness? Nothing that I can think of. But here are six in no particular order.

1. Al B. Sure, because he's on my mind and pretty much all the time that I'm online, I'm repeatedly listening to the sampler of his new CD.

2. twitter.

3. Cupcakes + Cookies.

4. My morning cup of coffee.

5. My flickr favorites.

6. Laughter.

And in keeping with my proclivity for not following the rules to these memes and awards, I'm changing things up a bit. Take a look at all the links on my sidebars. Anyone listed there can consider themselves one of my favorite bloggers who inspire me each and everyday. Consider yourself tagged for this happiness meme and give yourself the Lemonade Stand Award too. Congratulations to you all!

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Pantyhose: To Wear Or Not To Wear?

2009-06-11T14:30:00.009-04:00

That is the question. I Despise pantyhose! Yes, with a capital D! Why am I bringing this up?

As usual, I'm doing some online job searching and reading career related articles. I found an interesting one asking "Should You Wear Panty Hose to a Job Interview?"

My first thought is "yes" even though I hate them in real life. I usually don't see many comments on Alison's Job Searching Blog, but this post generated 38 comments.

No doubt it's a very hot summer topic. Below are a few of the comments.

"I hate panty hose, but I think it’s important to look professional when interviewing for any office-based job. Women with very tan, smooth and unblemished legs, and shoes that cover much of the foot, can probably get away with not wearing hose, as it can be hard to tell the difference. With a pants suit, a woman can wear trouser socks."

"While I hate them, however I would wear pantyhose to an interview. The only other time I wear them is for formal business events. I think the pantyhose rift is generational. Many professional women over 50 have a hard time understanding why women under 50 detest some of their antiquated mid century ideas about a woman’s “professional dress”."

"Who wears a dress or skirt to an interview these days anyway? I say pant suits and trouser socks all the way!"

"Believe it or not, there are companies where slacks are not allowed for women and they are required to wear panty hose - year round. On a hot day (it is 105 in OKC today), I have great compassion for them. But, as mentioned in an earlier email, when in Rome - - do as the Romans. I saw 50 a long time ago and I can tell you no woman over 45 should wear a skirt at/above her knees without hose. Longer skirt - - no problem. But gravity wins and it’s first conquest is your knees!!! I know."

"As a man who works in an office environment I have grown up with strong gender roles. Not to sound like I am 90 years old, I am 31, but I believe in a man who wears a suit and a woman who either wairs a pant suit or a blouse and skirt with hosiery. Many women from a young age detest wearing pantyhose because they feel it is an uncomfortable garment, but as another woman already wrote, stay ups, or thigh highs as they are called in my neck of the woods, are a perfectly suitable alternative. A classic garter belt with stockings may revive imagery of something out of a steamy novelette, but also works around the office. Although some women may feel that only the old women around the office wear nylons, I believe it does look much more professional than bare legged women I see interning during the summer walking around in flip flops. I will admit, that as a man, and even though there shoouldnt be room for this around the office, I feel a women’s legs look much better in hosiery, than not. But thats just a personal opinion."

"All the men commenting on this should be required to wear pantyhose for one day before they are allowed to speak. Otherwise, you just sound like misogynist [d------]. This is a cultural problem that needs to be overcome. Why are you assessing a woman’s legs in the workplace anyways? Personally, I am not opposed to looking nice in the office and wearing the occasional skirt. But as a young professional, the idea of wearing pantyhose to work makes me want to gag, and furthermore, I think in a progressive workplace it makes you appear really out of touch and more importantly - weird as hell."

"Pantyhose are SO tacky and out-of-fashion that I’d immediately look askance if an applicant did wear them! Tights if the weather is inclement, sure, but nude pantyhose? Awful. Gross. I’d rather wear a paper sack. It isn’t 1993, people. Pantyhose are no longer worn, and wearing them makes you look like a giant dorky idiot. I guess if you’re working for a phenomenally conservative place in the midwest somewhere you might need them, but otherwise, ditch the nylons. For the love of god PLEASE."

Some very interesting comments. For me personally, I like to wear warm cotton tights in the fall, winter, and into the first few chilly days of spring. But once it warms up, I prefer bare legs. I remember during law school, when we were deciding which rotation to choose, one of the benefits of being in school during the summer instead of on co-op, was not having to wear pantyhose. And it was a definite plus!

I agree that this might be a generational issue. What do you think?

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Sometimes I'm Lucky

2009-06-09T20:40:00.008-04:00

And I win stuff. I got lucky before and won some delicious jam.

Most recently I won a cookbook! Lori, from the wonderful blog The Recipe Girl, was contacted by the nice people at Rancho La Puerta Spa, who offered to give away their cookbook, Cooking with the Seasons, to one of her readers.

I remember reading Lori's post and thinking, "I really want that cookbook. This is exactly the kind of food that I want to eat."

When I found out that I won, I was so excited! It's the best feeling waiting to get something delivered. When I opened the box, there was a nice handwritten note from Aida congratulating me.

Thank you Aida, Rancho La Puerta, and Lori for the wonderful cookbook! I really appreciate it.

After looking through the cookbook, I baked some cookies right away. I had planned to show you a picture and give the recipe, but I just now realized that I didn't take one. G and I ate those cookies so fast, there was no time for photography. I guess I'll just have to make them again. Lucky me!

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Still Friendly

2009-06-06T22:00:00.009-04:00

I went to my local Friendly's today and am happy to report that I received my free scoop of ice cream.

I love Butter Crunch!

Friendly's was very organized and well prepared for the giveaway. Even though there was a long line, it moved quickly.

They had several people who greeted you immediately. All the employees that I encountered were quite friendly. We were given a pencil and a form to fill out choosing our flavor, the type of cone, or if we wanted our ice cream in a cup. It was a very good system.

Everything seemed to go pretty smoothly except for some comments made by some kids behind me that I tweeted about.

And this balloon that decided to fly away.

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Malcolm Gladwell On Spaghetti Sauce

2009-06-06T19:21:00.003-04:00

I love this video. I found it from a LinkedIn group via Jeff Berman's blog post about lawyer marketing and finding one's niche. I learn about food from the strangest places.

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Chic Boston Hotels + Free Saturday Yoga

2009-06-04T20:19:00.011-04:00

I couldn't resist this post. Via The Beantown Bloggery, I just read that another upscale Boston Hotel is having free yoga classes on Saturdays this summer.

Apparently the InterContinental Hotel is hosting a free one hour "Sunrise Yoga" class on their waterfront lawn. So for you early birds, there is a class starting at 7:30. I couldn't find any information on their website, but I called the hotel and confirmed it.

And as I stated on my last free Saturday yoga post, The Liberty Hotel is also offering free Saturday yoga classes, but starting at 10:00 am.

Sounds like the beginning of a trend to me. Who's next?

Maybe the Boston Harbor Hotel will start the afternoon yoga at 1:00? Could the eco-friendly Onyx Hotel do a 3:00? 5:00 at the Mandarin Oriental? Possibly a 7:30 "Sunset Yoga" class for singles to mix and mingle at Nine Zero?

Well, if any of this last part comes true, you saw it here first!

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For The Love Of Shortbread

2009-06-03T13:44:00.014-04:00

Stop the madness people! I love cupcakes as much as the next person, but just because one loves cupcakes doesn't mean that it's necessary to go around recklessly disparaging other desserts.

Let's have some respect for the diversity of confections people! There's enough love for all the sweets.

Via a tweet from Raquelita, I learned that Cupcakes Take The Cake just celebrated their 9,000th blog post. That's quite an accomplishment. Congratulations!

One of the bloggers, Nichelle Stephens was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about cupcakes. It's a wonderful article, and I agree with Tara Settembre's statement, "I don't think you can be angry eating a cupcake[.]" But read these not so sweet statements.

"Cookies are boring." "There's nothing endearing about a brownie."

Ouch! That's a bit harsh.

I didn't see anything about shortbread, so I guess it didn't even make it on the radar to warrant an insult. Well, I have to admit that I'm a recent convert to loving shortbread. But I'm a big fan now.

Recently I created a new shortbread recipe using OIKOS Organic Greek Yogurt. G went absolutely wild over it and I loved it too.

Get my recipe for Fig & Whiskey Whole Wheat Shortbread here.

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Free Saturday Yoga

2009-05-31T12:51:00.009-04:00

I read this tweet and wondered if it could really be true. Free Hatha yoga? Every Saturday this summer? Really?

Since there was no reply to the question here, I wasn't sure. So I went to The Liberty Hotel's website. I couldn't verify the free yoga there either. So I Googled the key words and found something that looked promising.
Relax after a busy work week with Mimi Hall's Saturday morning yoga sessions at The Liberty. An instructor at several local studios, Hall specializes in Hatha and Bikram yoga. Sessions take place in The Yard. Mats will be provided for hotel guests. Free of charge for guests and Boston locals. Water and towels provided. Weather permitting.
Maybe it was true. But still, if I'm going to blog it, I really want to be sure. So I called the hotel and asked. Yup! It's true!

It's nice to know that in this economy, there really are ways to do fun things with very little or no money. So this Saturday, you can take a free yoga class, then destroy all your efforts with free ice cream. Summer fun!

*Updated June 4th* The Liberty Hotel's website has added information regarding the free Saturday yoga classes.

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Will Friendly's Stay Friendly?

2009-05-31T11:00:00.005-04:00

After the chicken fiasco at KFC, I'm cautiously optimistic about the free ice cream to be given away this Saturday, June 6th at Friendly's.

In very small font on the bottom of the page of their website, there is the disclaimer "At participating restaurants only." Hmmmm.

But how do you tell which restaurants are participating before making the trip over? I couldn't figure it out. Hopefully people will not literally end up screaming for ice cream, if they find that their local Friendly's isn't "participating."

I just read an interesting Nation's Restaurant News article about how when free promotions go awry, they can end up costing chains more than money. I agree. When people do not get food that they're promised, they're very unhappy customers and tell everyone that they know.

In my opinion, there's an added element to the unhappiness when you don't get food that you expect, as opposed to say a free T-shirt. Sure I'd be disappointed about both. But when I expected free food, I probably would have planned my eating accordingly. So then, not only am I disappointed about the promised free item, but now I'm hungry as well. I think the actual physical discomfort would intensify the negative association. Not a good combination.

Below is an excerpt from the article discussing what happened with KFC.

“Going to the Oprah show was a very smart marketing move, but the devil is in the details,” said Dr. Chekitan S. Dev, a professor at Cornell University’s School of Hospitality. “Now, however, 6 million people are mad at them. Research tells us that if you take a multiple of 10—if those 6 million who are mad at KFC tell 10 people each—my question is, would you rather have 4 million people who will be [brand] users or 60 million who will say, ‘Hey, these guys don’t have their acts together.’”

I do hope to get some free ice cream on Saturday. Since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed Friendly's ice cream. Hopefully they will live up to their name.

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City Feed & Supply

2009-05-30T12:44:00.016-04:00

Remember 100 years ago, when I wrote an Earth Day post about visiting Arnold Arboretum with my Aunt J? Back then I said that I was going to write about where we went to eat. Well today, I'm finally getting to it.

You know what finally inspired me to write it? Yesterday, I received my AAA Newsletter in the mail. There's a wonderful article written by an "anonymous AAA lodging and restaurant inspector" known only as Inspector 70. Quite mysterious!

According to the description on the website, "she continues to travel to far-off places for fun. Some of her favorite experiences include drinking tea with geishas in Kyoto during the Plum Blossom Festival, snorkeling in the barrier reef around Grand Cayman, and climbing to the top of the pyramid in Chichen Itza. In addition, Inspector 70 knits a mean sweater." Inspector 70 sounds like quite the cool lady!

Well, I'm no Inspector 70, but I do have a suggestion on where to eat if you're visiting the Boston area. Especially if you're in Jamaica Plain taking a walk and enjoying the beauty of the Arnold Arboretum.

If you drive to Centre Street, which is not too far from the Arboretum, you can find metered parking on the street or turn down some of the side streets and find public parking lots and then just walk around.

So that's what we did. We wanted something really simple, casual, not too expensive, and someplace that neither of us had tried before.

We saw City Feed & Supply and immediately decided to go in.

They describe themselves as a "a small, neighborhood grocery/cafe catering to the Ped Set with a fine selection of natural foods, bread, bagels and pastry delivered daily, fair trade coffee, [and] local goods [....]"

I love this place! The store section was wonderful. I had run out of curry powder, so I was able to buy some here. They have a great selection of spices and all sorts of foods. Now this was a while ago, so I forgot what my Aunt J chose from the menu, but I had the Number 14, which is a smoked turkey sandwich with brie, and granny smith apple slices on foccacia. It was delicious and quite filling.

I also ordered an iced tea, which I enjoyed as well. Since I was thinking about using this meal as an Earth Day post, the Corn Cups, caught my attention.

They are compostable and made of corn. I wondered, "Why haven't I seen these cups in more places?" They seem to be a very earth friendly product. Is it the price? I'm not sure, but hopefully I'll start seeing more of them around.

Well, my Aunt J and I finished our meal, then put everything into the appropriate recycle bins, compost piles, and we called it a day.

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Getting To Know Me

2009-05-27T19:45:00.006-04:00

By now, many of you know that I'm a big flickr fan. I love adding to my flickr favorites and then watching a slideshow.

I've also started joining flickr groups and contributing pictures to group pools. Well a few months ago, I joined the group Sweet Treats, which has over 1,700 members. By the name of the group, you can guess that the focus is on sweets, which have a special place in my heart and stomach.

Today, I learned from Rhonda aka "obsessedwithcupcakes", that I was picked for the group's Getting To Know You Discussion. What a surprise and a treat!

So if you're interested, you can read my submission here and learn more about the group. And if you think you get hungry visiting my blog, well be really prepared before you click over to look at these Sweet Treats!

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Having My Cake + Eating It Too!

2009-05-25T14:24:00.012-04:00

I have to get out of the house with this cake and soon!

This Greek yogurt cake was made with OIKOS Organic Greek Yogurt and I'm looking forward to having a slice. Get the recipe here.

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The Cupcake Stop

2009-05-24T18:13:00.014-04:00

I'm finding all sorts of tasty feel good news from a very surprising source - the American Bar Association Journal.

My inner editor is filtering out the bad economic news and dwindling prospects for finding a full-time legal job. Instead I'm focusing on the sweet in general. Cupcakes to be specific. I think it's a recession cupcake coping mechanism. Yes, my ability to delude myself is keeping you informed about cupcakes.

And not just any cupcakes! You know how if we aren't baking cupcakes ourselves, we have to go and seek out cupcakes? I know! The hastle! Recently in Seattle, a new cupcake bakery ran out of cupcakes and the situation was not pretty.

Well, that kind of drama is about to end in New York City. There will soon be a cupcake truck that will come to you. The Cupcake Stop will be the Big Apple's first mobile gourmet cupcake shoppe.

When I first read the article, it reminded me of a Jay Leno joke. "How fat are we as Americans getting, that we can't be so bothered to go and find a cupcake? We have to have them delivered to us."

Well, I guess some of us are getting a bit corpulent. And I think that the Cupcake Stop is going to do smashing business. Cupcakes are serious comfort food. And comfort food that finds you? It couldn't get much more convenient.

The official launch of the business isn't until Wednesday, June 3rd, but they are still around now. You can find find locations and times by following them on twitter. I've also found an interesting list of street food vendors that you can follow on twitter. I'm saving this list for future reference!

What especially attracted me to this story was the lemons to lemonade situation that Cupcake Stop founder, Lev Ekster found himself in. Read an article excerpt below.

"Ekster was a student six months ago, spending long hours at the New York Law School library in preparation for a legal career. But when the economic crisis dimmed the now-graduate's prospects of securing a full-time position with a firm, he turned to another passion: entrepreneurship. [...]

On one of many law school study breaks at a downtown bakery, Ekster found inspiration for his next project. "He asked, 'Why can't a cupcake come to me?' " company spokeswoman Marie Assante says.

Ekster said the long lines outside the West Village's Magnolia Bakery drove home the fact that cupcakes are in high demand in New York."

Why can't a cupcake come to me indeed? I think this New York business needs to expand to Boston.

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Guest Post - Shirley Braden

2009-05-21T13:37:00.022-04:00

Don't these Coconut Meringues look delicious? Well, they're naturally gluten free and dairy free. Today, we are lucky enough to have a Guest Post written by Shirley Braden, owner and writer of the blog/website "gfe--gluten free easily."

I've recently become a huge fan of her blog. While I haven't met Shirley in person, from her blog posts, emails, and comments, I sense real warmth and caring. She's an awesome cook and shares her knowledge about eating gluten free. Shirley is also Leader of King George Celiac and Gluten Intolerance Group, King George, Virginia.

Below is her post and a wonderful recipe. Oh and I first found Shirley from her comments on Dept. of Nance. So thanks to Nance for leading me to her. And a huge thank you to Shirley for taking the time to join us here today! I really appreciate it! Oh and one small disclaimer. To my knowledge, Shirley is not a medical doctor and nothing in her post should be construed as medical advice. Please consult your family doctor if you have any medical questions.
*******

May is National Celiac Awareness Month. Or, is it? Most organizations that are associated with celiac/gluten intolerance do, in fact, conduct this observance in May. However, to date, no national month has been formally established and some associated organizations and even individual states, have adopted other months for this observance. So, as it stands now, there’s confusion. Confusion also extends to current testing and diagnosis of celiac. (Note: While health issues caused by gluten extend beyond celiac, such as non-celiac gluten intolerance and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the focus of this article will be celiac.)

In simple terms, celiac is a genetic autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and usually oats (via cross contamination). Celiac is the most common and most undiagnosed autoimmune disease in the United States. A landmark study, from 2001 through 2003, led by Dr. Alessio Fasano (Director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research), established the prevalence rate of celiac in the U.S. as 1 in 133. The 1 in 133 prevalence rate equates to at least 3 million people in the U.S. with celiac.

While this number is clearly huge, it’s still hard to get a feel for how common the disease really is. Therefore, I appreciate the data points that the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center (hereafter, referred to as UCCDC) provides. (Please view Celiac Disease Facts and Figures--a PDF file , that is also present on the sidebar under gfe’s favorite resources.) Again, celiac affects at least 3 million. In comparison, epilepsy affects 2.7 million, rheumatoid arthritis affects 2.1 million, Parkinson’s disease affects 1 million, Crohn’s disease affects 500,000, and multiple sclerosis affects 400,000. The UCCDC states that it would take 936 cruise ships to carry everyone with celiac or 4,400 Boeing 747 airplanes. Wow---that’s quite a visual, huh? Furthermore, the number of people with celiac is about equal to the population of Nevada. Significantly more individuals have celiac than the number of people who live in such states as Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, New Hampshire, or Vermont (all of which have populations less than 2,200,000).

Again, three million people have celiac. But, here’s the kicker … today, 6 years after Dr. Fasano published his findings on the prevalence of celiac, 97% of individuals with celiac remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other illnesses. Yes, you read that information correctly. Only 3% of those with celiac have been diagnosed to date. The reasons are varied and numerous, some of which I’ll share here.

Per the UCCDC, physicians were taught during medical school that celiac disease was so rare that they would never encounter a patient with celiac in their entire career. Even today, the education on celiac disease in medical school may consist of a single 30-minute lecture during four years of classes. Furthermore, medical textbooks still contain outdated information. For example, while celiac used to be called “the wasting disease” and the literal picture of celiac was an individual who was extremely underweight with a malnourished appearance, the reality is that less than 5% of those with celiac “present” that way today. Many individuals who have celiac are, in fact, overweight or obese. Others may be of average weight.

In fact, symptoms of celiac are widely varied and may change over time. Dr. Fasano has called celiac a “clinical chameleon.” Numerous sources cite hundreds of symptoms related to celiac. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness states that there are more than 300 symptoms associated with celiac. No two individuals will have exactly the same symptoms and no two authoritative resources will list the same symptoms. One person may have one symptom; another might have 12 symptoms, and those symptoms could change over the years---some going away with time only to be replaced by new symptoms. All of those symptoms could be attributed to different medical conditions by one’s doctor. To further complicate the face of celiac, about 40% will exhibit no symptoms. However, it is likely that these individuals with “silent” celiac could develop a major illness later in life (e.g., intestinal lymphoma, another autoimmune disease). Although celiac was thought to be solely a digestive disease for many years, recent research has shown serious, negative impacts to almost all of the human body. Please take a moment to review 20+ Reasons You Should Be Tested for Gluten Issues to see if you (or others you know) have these symptoms.

The only acceptable treatment today for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet, which means there is no pharmaceutical tie-in. Because doctors see many patients in their typical day and bear increasing paperwork responsibilities, the reality is that many of them get their day-to-day education from pharmaceutical representatives. Because no drugs are approved for the prevention or treatment of celiac at this time, celiac is neither on the radar of the pharmaceutical reps, nor on that of the doctors’. And, for very much the same reason, it’s not even on our, the patients’ radar---how many of us get our education on illnesses and treatment through pharmaceutical ads on television today?

Furthermore, the “gold standard” for celiac testing and diagnosis is positive blood testing followed by an endoscopic biopsy. However, current testing methods are not highly accurate. Some folks who test negative on the blood test actually test positive via the biopsy. A study by Dr. Peter H.R. Green (Director of Columbia University’s Center on Celiac Research), et al, showed the number of false negatives via blood testing to be about 30%. However, biopsies are typically not performed when a patient has a negative blood test. In fact, the UCCDC states that one fourth of patients with a positive blood test were not biopsied because either their doctor refused to perform the procedure or their insurance company would not cover it. In addition, Dr. Green (in Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic, co-authored with Rory Jones), states that for those with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), the skin manifestation of celiac, about 30% will not test positive for celiac through blood testing because they do not have the intestinal damage that others with celiac have. The gold standard for a diagnosis of DH is made through a skin biopsy. However, these biopsies continue to be performed incorrectly by dermatologists. (I can personally attest to this occurrence, because my own son was subjected to a DH biopsy performed on the skin eruption versus the adjacent area as required.)

On the flip side, many folks who test positive on the blood test will not test positive on the biopsy. In a presentation by Dr. Fasano (which I attended a few years ago), he indicated that a large number (about 40% if I remember correctly) of biopsies were taken and/or interpreted incorrectly. The scope, itself, used for the endoscopy also has physical limitations. Some folks are reporting celiac diagnosis via pill cam today, which basically goes where a scope can not.

Dr. Green has stated that individuals can have celiac disease for years before it can be revealed by current testing. He has also stated that once there is a pharmaceutical buy-in (e.g., pending FDA approval of a drug(s) to prevent celiac or allow affected individuals to safely eat gluten), he expects the pharmaceutical companies to invest in medial research to improve celiac testing. The reason, to me, is clear. These companies will want as many lifelong customers for their medications as possible. My expectation is that not only will the accuracy of celiac testing be greatly improved as a result, but the scope of what constitutes celiac is also likely to be broadened. In fact, I expect the outcome will be that both non-celiac gluten intolerance and non-celiac gluten sensitivity will finally be recognized as valid medical conditions by all in the medical profession.

The pharmaceutical tie-in is likely to occur in the fairly near future as there are currently several drugs associated with celiac in the research and testing phases. One is a vaccine being developed in Australia. The most publicized drug for those with celiac is being developed by Alba Therapeutics (of which Dr. Fasano is a co-founder) to allow individuals to safely eat gluten. The Alba Therapeutic drug, now designated as AT-1001, is on FDA’s “Fast Track” program. Personally, I do not plan to ingest any drug that is approved for the treatment of gluten-related issues. In my opinion, the gluten-free diet is the best treatment because it is without side effects or risk factors---something that no drug is ever proclaimed to be. I live a fabulous life and feel great gluten free, so I see no reason to change. The easiest, healthiest, and least expensive way to eat gluten free is to focus on “real” foods (meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, and dairy) and throw in some gluten-free mainstream processed foods and a few gluten-free specialty foods. I call this approach gluten free easily (gfe)---no drugs required.

My belief, and one that is shared by others, is that many folks are going gluten free on their own because they can’t get a diagnosis of celiac due to many of the circumstances I’ve cited above. Once one is eating gluten free, it is highly unlikely that a celiac diagnosis can be obtained from the “gold standard” testing. The antibodies measured in blood testing immediately start decreasing and the villi of the small intestine start healing. The lack of a celiac diagnosis can lead to dismissal of a patient’s symptoms, misdiagnoses, and many, many years of ill health. There is much discussion and controversy on whether individuals without a celiac diagnosis should follow a gluten-free diet, but again, the focus of this article is celiac. (For the record, I advocate celiac testing, but if one can’t get a definitive diagnosis and sees their health improve by eating gluten free, then to me the answer is to continue to eat gluten free.)

Those of us who are close to the cause of celiac are committed to increasing the diagnosis rates by educating medical professionals and individuals through awareness events (e.g., fundraiser walks), conferences, support groups, blogs, and articles. Also, please urge your legislators to support the National Celiac Awareness bill currently before Congress (re-introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey of New York) by going to the American Celiac Disease Alliance site and clicking on the blue “write” button. This bill will ensure that May is established as the National Celiac Awareness Month and promote celiac awareness. Finally, please educate yourself to see if you might be the one in 133 by reviewing the data presented in this article (and via links) and spread the word to others by reading/sharing celiac education sites and gluten-free blogs. Be thoughtful towards gluten-free friends, by purposely choosing to dine with them in restaurants that have gluten-free menus (or can easily prepare safe gluten-free meals) or by training yourself and serving them naturally gluten-free meals when you invite them for dinner.

Here’s a treat that both you and any of your guests can enjoy … sort of bite-sized equivalents of coconut pie!

Shirley Braden's Coconut Meringues (naturally gluten free and dairy free)
Makes about 20 cookies.

1 and 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Beat egg whites and dash of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add in sugar while beating until peaks are stiff and glossy. Fold in coconut and vanilla. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto greased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees about 18 - 20 minutes until set and very slightly browned. Center will still be soft. (If cookies harden while removing and are difficult to remove, just pop back in the oven for a few seconds and try again.)

Thanks so much to Anali for giving me the opportunity to address this very important topic!

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How Many Attorneys Does It Take?

2009-05-18T12:25:00.007-04:00

Take for what?

"Take to get a sewing machine to work."

That's what Se'Lah kept saying to me as we laughed out loud while trying to get my sewing machine working. I tried myself several months ago. Couldn't do it. My mom tried a few months later. Same thing.

Then luckily for me, Se'Lah, the blogger behind Necessary Room, found my blog through Grey Street Girl. We've been commenting on each other's blogs and started emailing too. Se'Lah saw that I quilted and said that she was a quilter too, but that she used a sewing machine. I told her that the only reason that I was quilting by hand was because I couldn't get my sewing machine to work. So she kindly offered to help me figure it out.

Yesterday we met and had a wonderful time. She's really funny, a wiz on the sewing machine, and has the coolest camera! And we realized that we went to the same school, but had never met before! What a small world!

Well, it took us a while, but we got the sewing machine going and I sewed my first stitches! Thanks Se'Lah!

Oh, and to answer the question, "How many attorneys does it take to get a sewing machine to work?" Well, I initially replied, "Hopefully not more than two." Because that was all that we had. But I just realized that if we count Grey Street Girl, who helped us find each other. Well, that makes three!

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