Waste Not Want Not ... When Less Is Enough

Not long ago my building renovated our laundry room, putting in new washing machines, which require half the amount of detergent to clean a load of clothes.  Use more, and you must run your clothes through a second wash cycle to get the suds out.  Suddenly we learned that less is enough.  And actually, it reinforces a lesson we received several years ago when our building installed new water-saving toilets.  Wad up a big-ball-of bathroom tissue, as some people tend to do, then try to flush it, and you will spend the next 15 minutes with a plunger and an unpleasant task before you.  Many residents in my building needed to replace their old habits with new ones.  Less was enough.

This got me thinking:  How many of us use too much product in other areas of our lives?  As a child, did your parents ever scold you for mindlessly running through paper towels, bottles of shampoo, or using too much electricity, or heat?  Mine were always on my case to turn off a light when I left a room and to use less product when less got a job done.  Figuring out what you need, instead of using too much, is an easy way to save money and the environment.  Not only will we spare a tree and use less gas and oil, but we'll accumulate less garbage and save time by not having to run to the store as often to restock.

Recently, I discovered that my hair looks better if I wash it with only a dime-size amount of shampoo and detangle it with a quarter-size amount of conditioner.  Also, these days I'm less likely to clutter up my bathroom with lots of similar products that do the same things.  I use up what works, before replacing it with something else that works.  Being a little more mindful of purchases and how much you use, simplifies your life and puts a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Although I try to be a careful buyer, recently I was struck with how many bars of scented soaps, pairs of socks and new shirts I have in my closets.  So now I plan to use the soap, socks and shirts before bringing any more of these items home.  It's time to be less of a gatherer and more of a user of what I already have.  Be aware. Use it, or loose it.  Sometimes less is enough.

Click here for The Story Of Stuff.

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Hungarian Goulash Made Easy

What's for dinner?  Well at my house, it's a stick to your ribs meat and potatoes meal, which I first saw on a cooking show, than tweaked and spiced to my liking. Simple, delicious and addicting!

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients:

3½- to 4 pounds chuck roast, trimmed of fat, and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 cup dried sweet paprika

3 large red peppers, steamed in the microwave for 6-8 minutes until tender (You will use them to make 1 cup of paste.)

1/4 – 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes

3 teaspoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large onions, diced (about 6 cups)

4 large carrots, scraped and sliced (about 2 cups)

1 bay leaf

1 cup water with 1 large beef bouillon cube

Salt and black pepper

1) Sprinkle the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Then sear the meat until golden brown.  Set aside. [Hungarians throw the meat in raw.] 

2) In a food processor, mix the paprika, steamed red peppers, crushed tomatoes, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar until smooth.  Set aside.

3) Combine the olive oil, onions, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven.  Cover and cook 8-10 minutes until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally.

4) Now stir in the paprika paste.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just begin to stick to the bottom of the pot; takes about 2 minutes.

5) Add the beef, carrots, and bay leaf.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure all ingredients are mixed well.  Cover the Dutch oven and transfer into a heated kitchen oven.  You will cook this for 2 ½-3 hours at 350 degrees F.

6) Check every 30 minutes and as necessary, add water flavored with one beef bullion cube.  You want a finished sauce that is not runny, or dry.

7) Continue to cook until the beef is tender when poked with a fork.  You should have a rich, thickish sauce.

Optional:  I chop 4 cloves of garlic and cook them along with the onions.  I also add parsley and a dash of cheyenne pepper and nutmeg to the dish before putting it in the oven.  I have also been known to throw in peas [last 10 minutes].  I like color and one pot cooking.

Serve the goulash over potatoes, noodles or rice.  My carbohydrate of choice is usually potatoes.  Top with a teaspoon of vinegar.  Enjoy!


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Happy Saint Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is named after several early Christian martyrs.  One of them died, or was buried on February 14th according to different accounts.  The occasion became associated with romantic love during the Middle Ages through the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.  In a poem depicting the courtship of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, Chaucer used the images of love birds – who mate for life – as well as, Cupid and Venus.  He also choose St. Valentine as the patron for that marriage.  And so he began the tradition of composing poetry on Valentine's Day.

Other traditions followed, gifts of candy, flowers, jewelry and romantic dinners. Enjoy the day! arrrh♥

“For this was on Seynt Valentynes day,

Whan every fowle cometh theere to chese his make [mate].”

Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowles, 1380

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M.C. Hammer Presents The ZAGGmate iPad Case

Years ago I met M.C. Hammer at MTV, where I worked at the time. Hammer is the nicest man -- polite, friendly and outgoing. After he finished his “Behind The Music” interview, we rode the elevator down 23 floors to the lobby, and M.C. was charming.

On that day I was dressed in black cotton velveteen trousers, with white accents.
Hammer said: “I really like your white socks, dear.”
I replied: “Thank you, M.C.  I've always loved the look of spats.”
Smiling, M.C. Hammer said: “Me too!”
Sweet memory. He is such a people-person!

M.C. Hammer & Stephanie

As the public knows, M.C. Hammer made a lot of money with his music and lost it all. He spent his fortune on family, friends and people-in-need, as well as, lived a lavish lifestyle. What is less known is, M.C. survived bankruptcy to release more albums and become a music manager of other recording artists. Today he's a rapper, entertainer, preacher, long-time family man [married to Stephanie for 25 years] and a successful entrepreneur. As it turns out, M.C. Hammer was an early technogeek and is now an internet mogul.

One of the gadgets he promotes, the ZAGGmate Case, is a (genius!) ipad accessory. It's a strong, thin aluminum case that converts into a bluetooth, wireless keyboard. Used as a protective case, you can drop your ipad without damaging it. Remove your ipad, and the case becomes a stand with an innovative hinge. Prop the ipad up to type on a real keyboard. Now you can send emails, write blog posts, take notes, or use text editing applications with ease, like you do on a laptop.

Place the ipad on the keyboard in portrait and landscape modes. The ZAGGmate runs on a rechargeable battery that lasts for months. It weighs 12.8 ounces. How cool is this case!  Costs: $100 (new).

Update: When I wrote the blog the ZAGGmate iPad Case was new and innovative, and now competitives have developed simiar key board covers too. Choice benefits the consumer!

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Did Your Grandma Wear An Apron?

Loretta G., who is a reader, mother and herself, a savvy shopper, sent me a nostalgic passage called “Grandma's Apron.”  It reminded me that both my grandma and mom wore aprons in the kitchen, while I rarely bother, despite the fact that I own a very nice blue and white stripped one.  And not surprisingly, my apron is still in mint condition.  When I put it on, I do feel more like a serious cook.  

Once, while helping my mother bake cookies, she asked why I didn't wear an apron.  At the time, she probably got an eye-roll.  Now I think I know the reason.  It's because we've become a t-shirt and blue jeans society, and these are easy clothes to clean in a washer and dryer.  But let's go back a generation (or two) to reminisce about a time when life was more rustic and less convenient:

Grandma's Apron (Original poem written by Tina Trivett)

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. Aprons required less material, making them easier to wash.

And along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something to replace that old-time apron, which served so many purposes.

Remember: Grandma set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.  They would go crazy trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.  I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron, but love.

Times change.  My grandma wore her apron around the property, my mother around the house, and me hardly at all.  How about you?


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The Coziness Of Ugg

Uggs.  You either love 'em or hate 'em.  I own two pairs of boots, the ultra short suede, which are mid-shin length, and a smooth leather pair -- a style extending up to the knee.  So without a doubt, I fall into the love camp.    In winter, my Uggs keep my feet toasty, warm, even on the coldest, Arctic-bone-chilling day.  And they are so comfortable.  Some people don't like their look, but there's a good reason for their popularity.  I think they are practical, versatile and adorable.  Wear them with jeans, leggings and certain skirts to look pulled together and casual smart.

As everyone knows, Uggs are made from sheepskins.  The boots have fleece tanned to the leather on the inside.  The fleece draws away moisture, keeping air circulated and your feet at body temperature.  This is why people, who wear Uggs in the summer, don't feel overheated.  

Both pairs of my Ugg boots have sturdy, long lasting rubber soles.  Each is several years old, and what makes them such a terrific value is, they show almost no signs of wear.  They are so well insulated that you can wear them without socks in cold weather, though doctors don't recommend it.  Personally, I wear socks.  Also when the footbed of your boots wear out, there's no need to replace your entire boot.  Replace the insoles for $14, and you are good to go. [$14 price available at Zappos.]

Nowadays, Uggs come in a large variety of styles and colors.  From sandals to shoes to boots, there is choice galore!  The problem I'm having is wearing out the Uggs I already own ... but getting my money's worth on quality winter boots is a situation I will just have to live with ... thanks to the land Down Under.

Pricey Jimmi Choo Ugg boots

Here are some sites for great deals on Uggs:

Zappos.com [banner to the right]

Official UGG Site

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Health Care Reform, A Doctor Weighs In

Dr. Carl N. Steeg is a retired pediatric cardiologist.  During his career, he was the Director of Pediatric Cardiology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  Politically, he is a moderate who tends to vote on issues, not parties.  At the ballot box he has voted for Democrats and Republicans alike and has supported both liberal and conservative issues, after carefully weighing the pros and cons.  Since he has spent years as an academic, as well as, seeing patients, I wanted to get his views on our changing health care system.  Here is our interview:

Q:  Why do you think health care needed an overhaul?

A:  Basic health care is a right, not a privilege. It's [now] a system built on capital and competition.  This has some advantages, but not necessarily for the greater good.  People should be as secure in their right to health care, as they are in the right for clean water, protection and security.

Q:  As a doctor, do you support the recent changes in health care?

A:  Basically I do, because it tends to move us to a universal (or single-payer, if you will, system which insures coverage for all).  The question remains at what financial sacrifice?

Q:  President Obama had to compromise to get his legislation passed.  What do you think of his plan?

A:  It moves medicine in the correct direction.  There will always be compromises.  After all, it's all politics, isn’t it?  The compromises deal primarily with financial issues, not with the basic concepts of universal coverage.

Q:  Will “Obamacare” help people?

A:  I hope so, and I believe it will.  Should there be some negative aspects, or loopholes that come to pass in which the status of certain people may actually get worse, then Obama must lead in efforts to correct these loopholes.

Q:  Can the U.S. afford President Obama's plan?

A:  I don’t know.  In my readings I haven't come up with an answer as to whether it will cost more, less, or about the same in the long run.  The question should not be can we afford it.  The question is, where are the country’s priorities.  We as a country must understand that nothing is free.  The ultimate question is, what in the way of taxes are we willing to pay in order to achieve health care reform.

Q:  Do you think the government can run a complicated system like health care efficiently?

A:  No, the country cannot run complicated systems well.  I don’t know who can run complicated systems well – computers can, maybe.  But does universal health care have to be so complicated?  There are ways to make it less complicated and more available.

Q: Explain how.

A:  The delivery of medical care can be handled by nurse practitioners for many issues that do not require the services of a doctor.  This lowers costs and makes basic care more available.  As far as less complicated, when dealing with medical providers today, you often deal with multiple insurance carriers -- who must communicate with each other.  It would be less complicated to deal with one or two.

Q: Do you see a single-payer system as inevitable?
There is little doubt in my mind that we are in the agonizing process of moving towards universal health care, such as exists almost everywhere in the world.  People want to be free of the fear of non-affordable health care, and this need will, by the demand of the people, eventually come to pass.  We Americans, imbued with our historical fear of big government, and ever historically dedicated to what we believe are our “individual rights,” will have to change.  We, as a society, will not be in a position, in the near future, where, rights such as health care will be relegated to each individual’s responsibility without thinking of the effects on our whole society.  It would cause a two-tiered system which, as medicine becomes ever more costly, shouldn't exist.

Q:  I think some Americans worry about health care moving towards a system resembling socialism.  How do you respond to these fears?

A:  Of course we already have it in the form of Medicare, don't we?  It's interesting that we provide finances for the care of all Americans over a certain age, whatever their financial status, but not for all Americans yet to reach that age.  Socialized medicine is OK after 65, but not before 65.  Weird.

Q: Having spent your career as a doctor, give us some final thoughts on what you believe we face in improving health care:

A:  [Like other industrialized countries] medical care should be available for everyone equally.  It is one of the "rights" in "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," and it should be a guarantee that a caring society grants to its members.  But we have to come to the realization that there are many tricky turns -- financial, philosophical, and ethical -- in our road to getting there.

Thank you, Carl, for your unique perspective.  Healthcare is already universal, in the sense that it hits everyone as a need, a concern and a big expense.

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The Oscar Nominations 2011

The nominations for this years Academy Awards were announced this morning.  Below are the major categories, i.e. the ones we care about.  I'm going to go out on a limb and highlight who I want to win.  Not who I think will win, but who I would vote for, if I had a ballot.  This year there are many fine films and brilliant performances, making the choice of winner all the more difficult.  What an honor to get a nod in such a tight race.  Best of luck to all the nominees. Let's have some fun.  Who do you think deserves to take Oscar home on Sunday, February 27th? Here are my picks:

Best Picture

The Kids Are All Right      True Grit

Inception                               Winter's Bone

The Social Network            Toy Story 3

The King’s Speech               127 Hours

The Fighter                            Black Swan

Best Director

David Fincher, The Social Network

Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

David O. Russell, The Fighter

Best Actor

Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

James Franco, 127 Hours

Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Javier Bardem, Biutiful

Best Actress

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone She is spot on!  Can't decide this one. Ok Jennifer.

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Fighter

Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech Adore him. This may be the toughest category!

Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right Love him!

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

Jeremy Renner, The Town

Best Supporting Actress

Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech

Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit  13 year old HS played 14 year old Mattie Ross -- going on 40.  She is in nearly every scene and carries the film.  This young actress doesn't sound or act anything like her character.

Amy Adams, The Fighter  Love her!

Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Original Screenplay

Inception

The King's Speech

The Kids Are All Right

The Fighter
AAnother Year  Love Mike Leigh! 

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Social Network

True Grit

127 Hours

Toy Story 3

Winter’s Bone

BBest Cinematography

Black Swan

Inception

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

True Grit

Best Film Editing

Black Swan

The Fighter

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Original Song  The suspense of this award is seeing who shows up to sing the songs.  No one cares who wins, except the winner.

Coming Home from Country Strong

I See the Light from Tangled

If I Rise from 127 Hours

We Belong Together from Toy Story 3

Listen up media: Often film critics tell us who will win an Oscar.  Cowards.  C'mon.  Be Brave.  Put yourself out.  Tell us who should win and why.  You're film critics for goodness' sake.

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