In A World Where Everything is Driving For Attention
Snippet SectionVegetarianism On Debate: Your Input
As many of you know, my current boyfriend is a vegetarian. Now, this is a big difference from veganism, so be sure to have the two clear in your mind. (I’m so thankful he’s not Vegan!)
For a non-vegetarian, I find it hard to find things and places we both can eat, and even the most obvious meats, aren’t so obvious it seems to me. For example: Ramen noodles have beef stock, stuffing mixes commonly have meat flavors, and as the girl at Cook Out forgot, chili DOES include meat even though no hot dog is included.
I’ve read the reasons and heard the debate on why one should be vegetarian, but I seem to have my own debates to contradict a lot of what I learn. It seems to be good for the environment, and a healthy lifestyle if you eat right, but I am not totally sold. So here’s where you come in, I want to hear your input…
I need your STRONGEST debate. I’d love to do it, but I LOVE meat, and I’m struggling… What do you have to say in defense of either?!
P.S. If you DO need a good vegetarian/vegan place to eat in the Charlotte, NC area, I highly recommend ZiZi’s near the University area. It’s all carryout, and they do deliver up to about 18 miles away, which is very helpful and convenient. And it’s definitely fair priced.
Ode To The Life Of A Couch Potato
Where to begin… 3 years at Michaels, which I still love, but equally hate management, I’ve put in my 2 weeks notice. I’ve held positions from the bottom of the chain, to the top, if you don’t consider store and assistant store management, which rarely changes. I gave up my full-time management position to pursue a risky career choice in graphic design, and in less than 3 months, I learned the hard lived lessons of small town, small business practices… And my good opinion of them grew dark and biased. The corporate world that I left, I find myself now gratefully rejoining.
These 3 months have been very hard on me. I’ve been through my share of worrying, and although having a nearly empty schedule ahead of me each week sounds amazing, it really does lose its appeal after a few weeks. While the world goes on around you, you sit and struggle with nothing to do and no true job prospects. My parents, who have always been supportive when I am in need of help, are also more than the typical pushy driving force. They make panic and anxiousness ten times worse, and the constant phone calls and conversations and threats, well honestly, that’s not really what makes me try harder. I’ve always been independent, and if that means falling head first on my face a few times with no one to catch me, well, that’s what has to happen to learn what life is all about.
Friday, after months of waiting, I am pleased to announce that I am signing paperwork for employment tomorrow morning at 9am with Fedex Kinkos, now to be known as Fedex Office. It’s a full-time position, with a reinstated 401k plan, benefits in 3 months, and decent starting pay. I also have a reinstated trust and believe in myself, because I feel I have succeeded in a difficult job market. I recently learned that the job I applied for had over 200 applicants, taking 9-10 weeks to review and interview candidates, and has chosen me to work for Kinkos after a hiring hold on external candidates for the last 2 years throughout the entire Charlotte and surrounding areas. And they seem as glad to have me as I am to work for them.
So far, optimism is high, and even if it might have not been exactly what I had envisioned myself moving into as a career in my head, it’s one I feel is an equal fit for me. Only time will tell, but I want to do the best I can and be strong once again with a company. Being settled and successful is a great feeling.
Top 10 of ‘09
2009 was a great year for music and cd releases, especially as the year was wrapping up to an end. Now that it’s officially 2010 and we have a whole new year of music to look forward to (and we hope that it’s good), here is a list of ten albums released in ‘09 that I really enjoyed. These are in no particular order, except for, of course, Brand New really is my number one top pick… but that’s extremely impartial (it’s my favorite band – see blogs below).
#1: Daisy by Brand New (pictured)
#2: Self-titled The Fray by The Fray
#3. Hazards of Love by The Decemberists
#4. Swoon by Silversun Pickups
#5. City of Black and White by Mat Kearney
#6. Ocean Eyes by Owl City
#7. The Outsiders by Needtobreathe
#8. A Time for Lions by Stars of Track and Field
#9. Out of Ashes by Dead by Sunrise
#10. Waking Up by OneRepublic
Runners-Up (A tribute to my random taste in music): Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Switchfoot, Flyleaf, The Almost, Creed, P!nk, Between the Buried and Me, Cartel, Sherwood, Built to Spill, Breaking Benjamin, Paramore, Three Days Grace, Muse, Chevelle, The Used, Imogen Heap, Third Eye Blind, Cobra Starship, Modest Mouse, Sick Puppies, August Burns Red, All Time Low, Killswitch Engage, Emery, Green Day, Coldplay, The Devil Wears Prada, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and New Fond Glory.
For a complete list of 2009 releases, visit the Wikipedia page.
The Web In 1-2-3
This is pure genius to a mac user. PC users, you might feel a little left out on this one.
Kudos to Brandon Oxedine.
Annie’s Anthem
Truth is, the smallest things bring the most joy. My grandma asked me for a new version of her the poem that has sat for years on her fridge to replace her old one. She hasn’t seen this yet, but is already tickled to death that I’ve made it for her. I hope she loves it!
Charlotte = Embrace
Charlotte, NC-
I’ve certainly never lived in the country, but I’ve never lived in anything bigger than a larger town. From Signal Mountain, TN to Greenwood, SC to Anderson, SC to current town choice of Rock Hill, SC, nothing has ever consisted of skyscrapers and one-way streets. In towns like Columbia and Charleston, though I love them both for their varying array of atmospheric selections, I find myself often overwhelmed with traffic, parking, directions, street names, etc. People are everywhere, especially on the tail-end of my car, and the pressure at times, makes me one grumpy visitor.
I’ve found the same to always be true of Charlotte, NC. Every trip, though full of fun and excitement, has always been a planned trip, with a heavy debate as to who was going to drive and who was going to navigate, and this is only after the debate on where we are even going in the first place, with a list of backup plans on hand.
Though it has only ever been a 30-45 minute journey from the center of Rock Hill, it’s never to be taken lightly. Experiences I’ve had alone, such as finding the police station and courtroom to appeal the traffic ticket I received while lost on my second ever trip to the city, have been exhausting and made me want to visit as little as possible. Familiar places, such as Amos’ Southend, Tremont Music Hall, and the SPCA, ease my worries and anxieties a bit more, and they always deliver a stellar dose of entertainment.
Lately, I’ve found myself a frequent resident, yes, resident, of Charlotte. I stay here often with my amazing boyfriend, Josh. This helps minimize trips to and fro to all the job interviews I’ve had to travel miles and miles to appear for, none successfully, to my dismay (although I’m very knowledgeable on the scam artists in town now). In the meantime, I’ve taken the time to discover the town on my own.
I love the architecture and buildings for one. All the new housing is very sleek and modern, which I adore. With Ikea just a few exits up the road, I’m beyond anxious to be able to move up here and furnish a place of my own. The places are beautiful and I find myself almost wrecking as I drive, because I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the favorites that I so often pass.
Today I enjoyed a trip to Trader Joe’s, a local grocery store full of organic, healthy foods, very similar to that of an Earth Fare. Their website is perfect for feeding the vegetarian in your life, with recipes and food choice guides all available on their website. My $45 journey for groceries will be transformed into several new, exciting recipes for dinner over the next few nights.
The reasons I’m learning to love and embrace the culture and atmosphere of Charlotte continues to grow, as does my curiosity, desire to reside downtown, and my prospects of working in such a large city. Wish me luck in my endeavors, and in the meantime, enjoy with me my quest of Charlotte, NC.
To follow Josh’s new Twitter page, aka my second Twitter page, full of vegetarian recipe ideas, jokes, comments, inspirations, and more, go to www.twitter.com/JOSHtheVEGGER. It’s awesome!
Cheesecake Factory
Wild Blueberry White Chocolate and Adam's Peanut Butter
4400 Sharon Road
Charlotte, NC 28211-3606
(704) 770-0076
The Cheesecake Factory menu features more than 200 menu selections made fresh from scratch each day – using only the highest quality ingredients – which combines to create our remarkable tastes.
I recently visited the Cheesecake Factory for the first time, somewhere I’ve been meaning to go to for years… I love cheesecake! Here’s what I thought:
Location: In the heart of Charlotte off of Tyvola Road (Exit 5 on I-77) in the Southpark district, connected to the Southpark Mall near the Crate and Barrel. This provides a chance to get in a good walk through stores before or after the meal… I highly suggest it afterwards, because without fail, you will be extremely full. It sits next to a large parking garage, so finding a place to park isn’t such a hassle, although I short walk will usually be involved. The building itself is enormous and elaborately decorated, with high ceilings, columns, and a golden interior that would awe almost anyone.
Food: This menu is a little bit of every simple pleasure you ever wanted to put in your mouth… But watch your portions. If you go before 5pm, I suggest ordering a lunch portion, because as they will tell you, the portions are very large. When my lunch plate came, I thought it looked smaller than I was expecting from their description of sizes, and I almost wished that I had ordered the normal portion, but to my surprise, I couldn’t even finish it, and still had cheesecake to go! As far as taste, it was rich and delicious. Cheesecake Factory is not just for dessert… Although I’d gladly go there for just that. :)
Service: The waiter that we had was very nice, and shared his favorite dessert, as well as those of others. I was glad he shared portion sizes with us prior to ordering, as not all restaurants will allow; it showed that they were there for the customer and what they feel they are looking for from their Cheesecake Factory experience. He was also very willing to help me choose between the two cheesecake types I was torn between, and I thought his answer was a smart assessment… The only part that threw me off a bit was that all waiters/waitresses are expected to dress in all white. As we know, plumbers pants are about the only white pants easy and cheap to find, so yes, I felt like a plumber was serving me food. White also gets dirty, and since I want to enjoy a clean experience, white was not a good choice, in my opinion, because each had food splashed up their sleeves. And the white shoes, mainly sketchers work, were obviously distracting to me as I ate… I think Cheesecake Factory might want to work on this selection. Tisk tisk.
Price: As warned, the prices are a bit high. It’s not going to be a spot in for a bite to eat, but more of an experience, so expect to pay that way. Lunches are at least $10 a person, drink and tip not included. Dinners are more on a $15-$20 range, drink and tip not included. Cheesecake slices are about $6-$7 a slice, but well worth the money. I did not see a cheesecake platter/smapler option, which I was eager to purchase, but this is not to say that it doesn’t exist… Please let me know if anyone knows of one and a bit of specifics about it. Overall, I do suggest that, as stated, you go before 5pm if you are not someone that can eat a giant’s amount of food, but if you don’t mind a to-go box, the choices, you’ll find, are infinite… And will delight you infinitely!
Conclusion: I can’t wait to go again! I think that next time, although the food was WONDERFUL, I might opt to go for just a slice or two of cheesecake, since it was the very best part of the meal. It is rightly named, and is everything it is made out to be. It would be an excellent place to take a date, or to celebrate a holiday. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Surely Even Paula Deen Can Use Margarine, Right?
Sallie Geer: Winthrop Nutrition Major, Class of 2010
Today’s post comes from my sister, Sallie Geer, who is currently studying Nutrition at Winthrop University. She recently wrote a paper for a class she’s taking this semester, and I thought that it was a subject that we can all relate to around the holiday season… I mean, we did just stuff ourselves to look sillier than the turkey itself, royally place in the center of the table like a shrine to meat. Now, Christmas is just weeks away, and, knowing the American public… the same thing will occur all over again, but with a possible substitution in meat type, and maybe a change in a side or two. As long as there is egg nog! (Side note: I’ve never had egg nog to my knowledge, it just sounds like a very Christmas-like thing to pick).
The proposal: Choose healthier alternatives, without, of course, neglecting the deliciousness of holiday luxuries. And although, here in the South at least, Paula Deen is favorite pick for recipe ideas, let us all bear in mind that her nickname is the Butter Queen. I think I just clogged one of my arteries typing that sentence… So here’s a bit of Sallie’s proposal:
Becoming health-wise and leading a healthy lifestyle consists of many different methods, each depending on the individual. Some may believe that exercise is the key to getting in shape, while others scrutinize over nutrition fact labels. One step to obtain a healthier state is to modify meals by eliminating or substituting ingredients…
Modification of these ingredients, in my opinion, would provide the best, most health conscious result, while maintaining the same quality Paula Deen intended…
So, thus, Sallie chose a well-liked Paula Deen recipe for Chicken Divan. Here were her results:
Through cost analysis, I discovered that the difference in price was not drastic after figuring in the few changes that were made, in fact, I found it to come out cheaper. The original recipe cost, per portion , $1.49, with the total cost of recipe amouting to $10.45. The cost of original ingredients was: soup $.26, sour cream $.06, and margarine $.02. On the other hand, the modified recipe had a cost, per portion of $1.49 and total cost of recipe of $10.43. The modified ingredients had a cost of: soup $.26, sour cream $.05, and margarine $.01.
In comparison, after the modification, the calories had a slight decrease from the original, with 589.27 calories modified to 556.94 calories, a decrease of 32.33 calories. The original recipe’s total fat was 36.01g, while the modified had 33.15g, decreasing 2.86g of unnecessary fat. The saturated fat was reduced from 13.62g to 10.94g. There was a slight decrease in cholesterol, with original recipe containing 159.46mg, to modified recipe’s 146.92mg. The biggest difference in the two recipes was the sodium levels, with a decrease from 940.07mg to 656.44mg, a total of 283.86mg of sodium. Finally, there was also the benefit of an increase in dietary fiber from 1.40g to 1.49g.
The results determined that nutrient-wise, there were hardly any changes in making the product healthier and cheaper, although both did occur.; overtime, these changes would amount to be much more significant on a broader range. Through further research, I discovered that there could have been other, better modifications that would have made the dish healthier. Some better modifications for sour cream would have been yogurt or light sour cream. The mayonnaise could have been substituted with calorie-wise miracle whip. The cheese could have been decreased from a 1 cup to ¾ cup or by use of a cheese lower in fat. The ½ cup of bread crumbs could have had an alternative of wheat bread crumbs.
I have found through this recipe modification that if someone cannot lead a healthy lifestyle of exercising, they can take the approach by creating fattening recipes into healthier ones. Through slight changes in ingredients, aspects such as high fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and other unhealthy items can easily be decreased. The way to accomplish this is by simple modification of the product by substituting, reducing, or eliminating ingredients. Although these changes might, at the time, seem insignificant, the changes over time should lead to an overall heathier lifestyle, increasing longevity of life and decreasing harmful bodily side effects.
