... Because everything I learned about living a good life, I learned in my kitchen.

I won't always show you recipes, because I don't measure. You can't really measure life, so how can I teach you that?

On our journey I will share stories of self-reflection as we cook and reminisce. The kitchen remains to be my "hall of epiphanies" . Stay with me as we explore the depths of our cooking pots, and of our soul...



Friday, February 10, 2012

... But wait! There's more!

Once every couple of generations, comes an innovation to set us ablaze...
 I admit it. I'm willing to put it out there... I am the queen of infomercials. Only a single-mom budget keeps me in check most of the time. ...most of the time!

To further complicate this affliction, it is apparent that the derivative is actually passed down genetically. My daughter's susceptibility toward infomercials appears to be even more serious than my own.

I remember at the age of five she sat her father and I down at our kitchen table to have a "serious discussion" about her "sleeping patterns". I would say that after exchanging very concerned looks, within seconds we were onto her. She was spewing the script for a Tempurpedic mattress commercial, almost verbatim.

The kid was relentless! We praised her determination. because as crazy as it sounded, she came to the discussion armed with a rebuttal for our every declination. She even threw in how "now that I'm in Kindergarten, I deserve to have a good night's sleep without tossing and turning."

Naturally, her father and I declined. A full-sized bed with a comfy pillow-top was deemed more than adequate for a five year old little princess.

She disagreed and politely gave us a heads-up that we should expect to see a Tempurpedic mattress on her Christmas list later that year, as she planned both on being good and taking the matter up with Santa.

And so it was! The kid actually put the mattress on her Christmas list that year. Actually, by then she had decided she wanted a waterbed instead.See for yourself...  I saved this, and you can see why...

What made it that much funnier was that a few weeks after we declined her offer was that she came to us again spewing verbatim TV commercial pitches for some prescribed sleep-aid.

Now as a pre-teen, she is a lot more savvy about which commercials to pitch to Mama. Last month, there were two... The TopStyler hair curling system was the first. This beats me as we both have very curly hair. She insisted that the rapid het and curl system would cut down on both our morning rush times. I gave into paying $15 or a 30 day trial.

Verdict: this time it was she who asked me to return the product and not waste our money. Good concept, but it doesn't work. The style and curl only holds for about a half hour. Product was shipped back.

The second product was worth every penny. We bought the Ninja food processing system. I was recently diagnosed with health concerns that have led me to alter my nutrition. The Ninja has helped me do so within the constraints of my very busy lifestyle. I can very quickly blend smoothies out of vegetables and fruits, taking full-day servings with me on my morning drives to work. More to come on this...
Verdict: the Ninja paid for itself already. More importantly, it's not just collecting dust. We use it daily.

The most recent purchase was my iPad. I thought about this for a year before taking the leap. I wanted to ensure that I would really use it and maximize it's utility for my needs. I could write volumes about what an amazing, useful tool this is.

Stated simply, no matter what age you are the iPad is that one device that surfaces every once in a couple of generations and will revolutionize your life.

Much quicker than with a PC or laptop I can read a book, build a presentation for work, edit photos, check my bank account, refill my prescriptions and shop, all at the same time- just to name just a mere few.

Reader, today's entry comes to you written completely from my iPad, as I lay in the comfort of my bed.

The iPad...saving trees everywhere.


...but wait! There's more!