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The Hotel Minneapolis is located in downtown, near the Hennepin Theatre District and most of the Twin Cities best theaters like the Guthrie Theater, the Orpheum Theatre, the Minnesota Opera and more. Most of the local theaters can be reached from The Hotel Minneapolis through the Minneapolis Skyway system.
Guthrie Theater
From timeless classics to triumphs of the modern stage and new works by emerging playwrights. Anticipation builds as the lights dim, a hush falls-the possibilities are beyond imagination.
Located a few blocks from The Hotel Minneapolis, the Guthrie Theater is the premier theater for events, dedications, music and general delight for all ages. The building has become a landmark site on the banks of the Mississippi and welcomes visitors from all parts of the country and from around the world. Offering a Guthrie experience – either seeing a play, taking a class or simply enjoying the spectacular views from the public lobbies - lies the excitement this building brings. Not only can you still experience first-class theater productions, but you can enjoy a variety of activities on days you aren't seeing a play.
818 South Second Street Minneapolis, MN 55415
Website: http://www.guthrietheater.org
Orpheum Theatre
The Orpheum went through a remarkable renovation in 1993 and was restored to its original elegance and beauty with both acoustics and sight lines that are outstanding.
The Orpheum, State, Pantages and Hennepin Stages Theatres are located in the center of downtown Minneapolis near The Hotel Minneapolis and are easily accessible via the skyway system, to ample and convenient parking and to public transportation. These beautiful, historic facilities can accommodate from 50 to 2650 guests in locations throughout each building and are a memorable way to begin your stay at The Hotel Minneapolis.
910 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Website: http://orpheum-theater-minneapolis.com/
Ballet of the Dolls
A full-time, professional dance company and school, Ballet of the Dolls delights audiences by challenging them, creating dances that bubble over with wit and sauciness.
345 - 13th Avenue NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
Website: http://www.balletofthedolls.org
Brave New Workshop
A Minnesota "must-see." Nation's longest-running, ongoing satirical comedy theater. Original renowned sketch comedy and improvisation. Alumni include Louie Anderson and Al Franken.
2605 Hennepin Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55408
Website: http://www.BraveNewWorkshop.com
Cedar Cultural Center
The Twin Cities' premier world and acoustic music venue where international, national and regional touring artists perform in a smoke-free, family-friendly intimate space. All ages welcome.
416 Cedar Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55454
Website: http://www.thecedar.org
The interactive improv experience in the heart of uptown! Two teams compete for laughs and points in this hilarious comedy show. Appropriate for all ages.
3001 Hennepin Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55408
Website: http://www.comedysportztc.com
Southern Theater
The Southern Theater presents reasonably priced, original work from some of the Twin Cities' finest performing artists in dance, music and theater.
1420 Washington Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55454
Website: http://www.southerntheater.org
Ted Mann Concert Hall
Acoustically-excellent, state-of-the-art concert hall with 1,100 comfortable seats. Flexible presentation area. Professional staff. Three-story glass wall in lobby overlooks the Mississippi River.
2128 - 4th Street South School of Music, U of MN Minneapolis, MN 55454
Website: http://www.tedmann.umn.edu
The Children's Theatre Company
North America's flagship theater for young people (or the young at heart!) has been producing innovative original works and spirited adaptations of outstanding children's literature since 1965.
2400 - 3rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404
Website: http://www.childrenstheatre.org
The Minnesota Opera
The Minnesota Opera enjoys an international reputation for its innovative and thought-provoking approach to traditional and contemporary repertoire. Performing November through May at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.
620 North 1st Street Minneapolis, MN 55401
Website: http://www.mnopera.org
Theater Latte' Da
Theater Latte' Da seeks to create new connections between text, music, artist and audience by exploring and expanding the arts of music theater.
1614 Harmon Place Suite 230 Minneapolis, MN 55403
Website: http://www.latteda.org
Theatre In The Round Players, Inc.
Minneapolis' oldest theatre performs comedies and dramas weekends year-round on its unique arena stage in the West Bank Theatre District.
245 Cedar Avenue Minneapolis, MN 5545
Website: http://www.theatreintheround.org
Triple Espresso Company
Celebrating 10 years of hilarity! Triple Espresso tells the story of three guys whose bid for showbiz fame ended in four-minutes of magnificent failure.
1407 Nicollet Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 5540
Website: http://www.tripleespresso.com
Minnesota Orchestra/Orchestra Hall
Leading classical and pop music stars perform year-round at our acoustically-perfect Orchestra Hall, home of the Minnesota Orchestra.
1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403
Website: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org
Historic Theatre Group, LL
Live entertainment ranging from top-quality Broadway shows to concerts featuring established stars and the best of new, young performers. Corporate meeting and reception spaces available.
800 LaSalle Plaza Suite 120 Minneapolis, MN 55402 US
Website: http://www.HennepinTheatreDistrict.com
History Theatre
History Theatre is a nonprofit theatre in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota that seeks to inspire, entertain and provoke audiences through the creation of new plays that explore Minnesota's past and the diverse American experience. We achieve our mission by creating new work and producing dynamic plays that connect audiences to the historical events and life experiences of the people who lived through them. "All history is theatre and all theatre is history" Ron Peluso, Artistic Director.
30 East 10th Street St. Paul, MN 55101
Website: http://www.historytheatre.com
Illusion Theater
Conveniently located in the Hennepin Theatre District in downtown Minneapolis, we are celebrating 30 years of producing fresh theater, music and dance. It's all at Illusion.
528 Hennepin Avenue Suite 704 Minneapolis, MN 55403
Website: http://www.illusiontheater.org
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre
Through handmade puppet creations, engaging music and strong visual elements, In the Heart of the Beast productions tell compelling stories about the issues of urban community life.
1500 East Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55407
Website: http://www.hobt.org
Jungle Theater
The Jungle Theater, now in its 15th season, offers the discerning play-goer a season of five powerful and transforming plays in a beautiful and intimate setting. With an enticing array of neighborhood restaurants, The Jungle Theater is the perfect way to spend an evening.
2951 Lyndale Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55408
Website: http://www.jungletheater.com
Mixed Blood Theatre
Dedicated to the spirit of Dr. King's dream, Mixed Blood Theatre uses theater as a vehicle for entertainment and social change. Located in a renovated century-old firehouse near downtown and the Metrodome.
1501 South 4th Street Minneapolis, MN 55454
Website: http://www.mixedblood.com
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Overlooking Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts features the best of Broadway, off-Broadway, music, opera and dance.
345 Washington Street St. Paul, MN 55102
Website: http://www.ordway.org
Pangea World Theater
Pangea World Theater is committed to international works, styles and traditions that illuminate the human condition, end divisiveness and celebrate differences through artistic excellence.
711 West Lake Street Suite 101 Minneapolis, MN 55408
Website: http://www.pangeaworldtheater.org
Pillsbury House Theatre
A professional multi-cultural theatre uniquely located in a south Minneapolis neighborhood, this award-winning company creates challenging theatre that inspires choice, change and connection.
3501 Chicago Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407
Website: www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org


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Jiffy Pop!
I was under the assumption that if you were a child of the 70's this is what you ate when it came time for popcorn.
I guess I was wrong. Until New Year's Eve 2010, my husband, 41 years old had never had Jiffy Pop. Tragic, I know!
He came home from the store that afternoon with a package of saying he'd walked by it and just had to buy it because he'd never had it growing up and wanted to finally try it.
So I popped it for him that night. I wasn't nearly as good as I remember. I'd say at least half of it didn't even pop. Hubby was not impressed. But hey, as a kid in the 70's it was cool! We didn't have microwave popcorn we had Jiffy Pop.
He ended up putting all the unpopped ones in some oil and popping them. And of course, I being the bad blogger that I am didn't even photograph the festivities to show off here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lexington, KY
Course Dates:
April 8-10, 2019
October 28-30, 2019
The University of Kentucky conducts this three day institute twice per year to highlight, for business executives, the value of applying lean principles in their organizations. The Institute provides opportunities to:
One – Explore the foundations of the highly successful Toyota Production System by participating in discussions and Q & A that are an intregal part of the course.
Two – Discover practical insights into utilizing Lean's guiding principles to lead a successful transformation of your organization.
Key topics will include:
- The pillars of a lean business philosophy
- The competitive strength of learning organizations
- Lean system operations
- Management structure and measurement systems that support and sustain an ongoing lean transformation
|Activities are led by our experienced faculty and Toyota executives. A benchmarking tour of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (based on availability*) will provide the opportunity to "go and see" lean principles in action. Upon completion of the Lean Executive Leadership Institute, the participant will be able to:
This program is also available as an on-site dedicated offering.
*When Toyota Tour is unavailable there will either be a tour of another local business that is practicing lean, or a detailed video created by Toyota will be shown.
The current fee for the institute, meals, and all events is $3,500 (U.S. dollars only). For two or more participants, a quantity discount fee of $3,200 per person is available.
For General Information and
Public Course Registration Contact:
Sandra Dunn
Phone: 859-257-4886
Photos provided by Joseph Rey Au


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From the outside, the Cozy Shelter by Lambert Kamps may look like a fortified army tent, but the inside is another story. While a brown vinyl material and wide woven red straps visibly bind the exterior for an image of impenetrability, the experience inside exudes a welcoming air.
Dozens of warm woolen blankets coat the bulging internal walls with a soft sense of protection and delightful dashes of color. The fleeces' lovely plaid patterns, stripes, checkers and solids are as familiar and comforting sights as the thick throws that layer your bed in the winter.
A large opening in the igloo-like structure of the Cozy Shelter is invisible from the outside, but the occupants can enjoy a vast view of the sky above and bask in the warm rays of the sun.
Comfy Sandbag Bunkers
More Stats +/-
Modular Igloos
Cuddly Collapsable Igloos
Bulbous Honeycomb Sculptures
Incandescent Igloos
Portable Igloos
The Cozy Shelter by Lambert Kamps Has an Unexpected Gentle Interior
- By: Amelia RoblinFeb 14, 2012
References: lambertkamps & designspotter
References: lambertkamps & designspotter


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In pre-Islamic Arabia, women are said to have customarily taken part in warfare, infrequently as combatants themselves but more often as inciters of the men of their tribes and as providers of succor and aid to the wounded. This situation continued through the early period of Islam. Biographical works document the presence of women on the battlefield during the time of the Prophet, including some of his wives. Ibn Sa'd (d. AH 231/845 CE), in his famous al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Great Generations), records the activities of some of these remarkable women, including their martial exploits in some cases, as does Ibn Hisham (d. 218/833) in his celebrated biography of Muhammad. More frequently, the women companions accompanied the men to battle to nurse the wounded and feed the thirsty. For example, Umm Ayman, the nurse and freedwoman of the Prophet, was present at the battle of Uhud in 4/625, at Khaybar in 7/628, and at Hunayn in 8/630, primarily in her capacity as a nurse. The pre-Islamic custom of goading the men to battle, especially by uttering imprecations on the enemy, appears to have been discouraged during the Islamic period. Ibn Sa'd mentions that, when Umm Ayman invoked God's curse on the opposing army, she was gently reprimanded by Muhammad. Several other women companions, such as Umm Sinan al-Aslamiyya and Ku'ayba bt. Sa'd al-Aslamiyya, are mentioned as having been present during a number of battles, primarily to tend to the sick and the wounded. The latter is said to have set up a tent in the mosque at Medina to serve as a makeshift hospital for the wounded.
There were actual female combatants as well: Safiyya bt. 'Abd al-Muttalib, for example, is reported to have descended on the battlefield at Uhud with a weapon in her hand. However, the most famous female warrior of the early Islamic period is the Ansari woman Nusayba bt. Ka'b, also known as Umm 'Umara. She was present at Uhud, al-Hudaybiyya (9/630), Khaybar, Hunayn, and al-Yamama (12/633-34). At Uhud, she valiantly defended Muhammad (along with her mother, according to some accounts) when the tide began to turn against the Muslims. She fought with a sword and a bow and arrow, sustaining severe injuries in the process. Her assailant was a man named Ibn Qumi'a from the opposing Makkan side, who had loudly declared his intention to kill the Prophet. Umm 'Umara would later proudly state that she had managed to strike at Ibn Qumi'a, ruing, however, the fact that ''the enemy of God had on two suits of armor.'' She would later lose a hand at al-Yamama during the battle against the false prophet Musaylima after the fall of Mecca in 9/630.
The early biographers speak approvingly of these heroic women; for example, Ibn Sa'd gives a fulsome and laudatory account of Umm 'Umara's martial feats. The twelfth-century memoirs of Usama b. Munqidh (584/1188), a Syrian notable, contain references to women combatants during his own time, including his mother, which indicates that this practice had not become completely extinct during the later medieval period. However, Mamluk biographers like Ibn Hajar (d. 852/1449) tend to display ambivalence toward the martial activities of early women warriors. Ibn Hajar, in fact, considers the case of an obscure woman companion by the name of Umm Kabsha, who is said to have been denied permission to accompany Muhammad to an unspecified battle, as rescinding the earlier permission given to women to participate in battles, either as active combatants and/ or as providers of humanitarian services. Ibn Hajar's opinion is to be regarded as being in accordance with the changed sensibilities of the Mamluk period, which involved a much more circumscribed public role for women.
Asma Afsaruddin


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A New Interactive map of Arizona Wineries, and other good news
This blog post is reposted from The Wine Monk's blog.
Long time readers of this blog know of my obsession also of the geologic underpinnings of the major wine regions in Arizona; an undertaking which is still as yet incomplete since I have yet to explore the geology of Kingman, and parts of the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains where rumored vineyards exist, but I'm waiting until I visit those sites in person. While I was undertaking research for the Sonoita and Elgin section, I contacted Michael Conway at the Arizona Geological Survey for resources and received stunning news about a secret project: an interactive map that would be mobile-friendly and cover every single winery and tasting room in the state. I've been looking more forward to the release of this map than Fallout 4.
This is big. I spent a lot of time compiling a list for myself that had to come from several places, and even then, the list wasn't always clear. (and in some cases, still isn't–nobody at all actually seems to know whether San Domingo still exists, or even exactly where it is, which has prevented me from performing the footwork myself.) I threw in some thoughts and suggestions when they told me about it back then, and now it's out!
This is, by far, the most complete list I've seen in one place, and it will be continuously updated. In fact, the goal is to have the the winemakers to update their own information on the site as needed. It's another example of how individuals in the Arizona industry can work together to benefit the whole. This way the winemakers will be in control of their own information; those who aren't part of any particular organization will still be represented!
It also, more excitingly, is mobile and tablet friendly, unlike many of the other lists floating around online. Best of all, it uploads quickly, even on a 3G connection, so if you're on the go and don't have access to WiFi, you're covered. I predict this will be a major resource, and hopefully a sign of more fantastic things to come.
All in all, I'm glad this winery map has been released, and it promises to be the opening of a new chapter where Arizona is being taken more seriously for our wines, and the terroir that influences their character. With the rapid growth and increasing renown of our wines, a map like this is made all the more essential. I've already encountered a few people while working in the tasting room that had come to Arizona specifically to try wine; wine tourism is going to be a thing here, and we need to be ready for it. The map is a step decidedly in the right direction.
In other news, the Vineyards in Willcox, as well as watchers of the Sandhill Cranes that spend their winter in the region scored a victory over the BLM regarding a power line proposal that would have cut right through the heart of the Willcox Bench. This is good, especially since Passion Cellars, the winery I work for, owns land in the area and is hoping to plant there starting next year.


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Iowa Probate Records
|Iowa Wiki Topics
|Beginning Research
|Record Types
|Iowa Background
|Local Research Resources
|Local Research Resources
The moderator for Iowa is familyjournals
Online Resources
- Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997, ($), index and images, incomplete.
Record Synopsis
Probate is the "court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid" and encompasses "all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc."[1] Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records.
Iowa probate records date from about 1834, when the first county in the state was created. A probate court was created in each county when Iowa became an organized territory. These courts were responsible for settling estates. Probate courts were eventually discontinued, and probate matters have since been the responsibility of the district courts. Before 1887 some probate cases were settled in circuit courts and from 1851 to 1868, some in county courts. You can write to the clerk of the district court for copies of wills, administrations, dockets, calendars, and other records.
State Statutes
Understanding the Iowa probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems. Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "Iowa statutes."
The Family History Library has microfilm and microfiche copies of many probate records, including some will records as late as the 1970s and indexes to the 1990s.
- A quick overview of probate records that can be found at the Family History Library can be seen in this list.
Probate records are listed in the Locality Search of the The FamilySearch Catalog under:
Statewide Record Collections
Learn More
- Anne Roach, Courthouse Records Overview (35 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online, 2010.
- Eichholz, Alice, Editor. Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources. Third Edition. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004, p. 216. FHL Collection
- Rose, Christine. Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures. San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2004. FHL Collection
Published Materials
- Sampubco A gateway to Indexes of Will, Guardianships, Probate Records, and Letters Testamentary for some Iowa counties.
- The Iowa GenWeb Project A cooperative volunteer effort with links to resources for the state and counties.
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
Iowa Fayette County Probate Case Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- ↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."


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Known in some circles as 'Sunshinemom', Harini Prakash is a full time government employee and mother to two teenagers. Her love for photography has had her moonlighting as a photographer and blogger in her spare time. She hopes to get into professional food photography very soon.
One of Harini's childhood dreams was to learn magic. She feels the closest she has come to being a magician is when she creates recipes and captures the taste and feel in her camera . Harini is vegan and her website Tongueticklers features allergy friendly and healthy alternatives of traditional lacto-ovo vegetarian foods for a plant based diet.
Harini has a beautiful blog and her recipes and food photographs have been featured in many online and print magazines.. Her website has received the recommendation of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
We are delighted to have Harini share this passion of hers at IFBM. She will be on the panel sharing her experience of developing a passion towards an alternative future career and about the opportunities that can develop out of it. If you too hope to someday develop your photography skills into a full time career Harini's experience will definitely inspire you! Register yourself to attend IFBM and catch this session.


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Google Dec. 6 launched Google eBooks, the company's effort to offer books online for purchase and free as an alternative to existing services from Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble.
Consumers will be able to search among 3 million titles from the EBookstore, which will complement the existing Google Books platform the company launched in 2004 to help organize the world's books online.
eBooks, which will support the ePub and PDF formats, will include a Web reader to help users read indexed books from any device that supports a modern Web browser, including computers, tablets and smartphones.
Users may consume Google eBook titles on Amazon's Kindle e-reader device, but only for titles without digital rights management, as Amazon sports its own content protection environment for its books. eBooks will be readily readable on the Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook e-reading device.
Further reading
Google will also offer free applications to let users access eBooks from devices running Google's Android operating system, such as smartphones and tablets, and Apple's iOS, including the iPad and iPhone. The Android app is available here, while the app for iOS devices is available for download here.
Of those 3 million titles Google will offer, hundreds of thousands will be offered for purchase, including George W. Bush's new Decision Points. These will be provided by Google's 4,000-plus publisher partners, including Random House Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins and McGraw Hill.
Google has negotiated revenue splits on a publisher-by-publisher basis but won't disclose those percentage breakdowns, Scott Dougall, product management director for eBooks, told eWEEK. It is believed Google will mostly pay most publishers 52 percent of the list price for sales made on the eBookstore Website.
More than 2 million-plus book titles will be free, public domain classics users may already see snippets of on the Google Books search platform. This will include Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.


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GE Capital Canada Provides DBG Metal Manufacturing Facility
GE Capital Canada announced it provided an $8.8 million senior secured credit facility to DBG Canada, commonly known as DBG Metal Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of heavy duty truck parts. Proceeds will go to refinance an existing term loan and for working capital.
"Through increased flexibility and liquidity, this credit facility will be very helpful as we execute our strategic growth plan," said Michael De Biasi, president and CEO of DBG. "We appreciate working with a lender that has deep expertise in the metals and manufacturing sectors and the ability to support us in Canada and in other countries where we do business."
"We're pleased to support DBG's growth plans," said Alain Dupont, senior vice president, corporate finance, GE Capital Canada. "The manufacturing sector is a critical one for Canada and is a major area of focus for GE Capital."
Mississauga, ON-headquartered DBG is a global industry designer and manufacturer of metal stampings, modular welded, structural welded and mechanical assemblies for truck manufacturers.


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Sebastian Lion
Sebastian is our largest lion and largest animal at Carolina Tiger Rescue. He weighs 475 pounds! Though Sebastian is the largest in the sanctuary and the largest in his pride, he lets Sheba lioness boss him around. Sebastian is a pretty laid back lion who enjoys napping in the sun and sometimes is too lazy to even get up and eat. Sebastian loves to destroy boxes and will often lounge on them to flatten them down as far as they will go!
How Sebastian Came to the Sanctuary
Sebastian was originally used in a Haunted House in Texas. He, along with tigers, bears, and wolves were used as part of the décor in the haunted house. His owner died prematurely and left his animals in his parents care, and they decided not to keep the big cats and bears and sent the animals to the Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO) in Texas. WAO shut down in 2010 and over 300 animals had to be rehomed. Carolina Tiger Rescue rescued 10 animals including 3 lions and 7 tigers.
Sebastian is typically a laid back lion who loves to spend his days sleeping. He loves to let Sheba run the show and will just follow her lead. Typically in a lion pride, the male lion is the dominant one, however due to him being neutered Sebastian is second in command to Sheba.
Sebastian is known for his large size. He is the largest of all our animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue weighing in at around 600 pounds. He does not have his mane due to being neutered. When a male lion is neutered they lose their mane.
Sebastian is located on Oak Hill with Sheba and is flanked on one side by Roman and Reina Lions and on the other side by India, Carolina, and Caprichio Tigers.
Wild Animals in Entertainment
Wild animals, like Sebastian, that end up in entertainment rarely lead a life of luxury. Sebastian was used in a haunted house in Texas for the first part of his life. We are unsure of what his role in the haunted house was but we can be certain it was not a safe environment for Sebastian. Wild animals in entertainment are often mistreated, underfed, and overworked. These are animals that are meant to be living in natural habitats, like out of on the savannas of Africa rather than on a sound stage surrounded by loud noises, bright lights, and lots of people.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is against all forms of wild animals in entertainment. With the technology that is around today, it is difficult for us to see why real wild animals need to be used when the computer generated images of them are so life-like and do not provide a dangerous environment of the animal or the people around them. In the movie Life of Pi, a real tiger was used for several scenes. This tiger almost drowned on set. These animals are unpredictable and deserve to be given the respect of being a wild animal.
Panthera leo


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Childs Large Green Nativity GownItem: 146-1245
Have a Perfect Christmas Pageant
These Christmas nativity character costumes are just what you need to create the perfect Christmas pageant.
- Green nativity gown.
- Kids large: fits most kids ages 10-14.
- Gown is 46″ long and 21″ wide.
- Made of polyester.
- Hat sold separately.
These Christmas nativity costumes are great for church pageants, school plays and nativity scenes. Make your Christmas play stand out from all the rest with our quality Christmas nativity costumes.


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I stumbled up the stairs from the cellar into the kitchen, still invisible under the effects of the ring which I could not remove. The scene was an absolute shambles. Did these people never wash anything? Also, there were quite a few dead and dying persons on the floor. Pressing my hand against my bleeding side I watched as my companions put down the last of the ruffians. I rejoiced to see that none of our plucky band were missing--except for Uhmri, who was probably elsewhere in the house of the Lady.
The situation was still very much up in the air. There was a wounded assassin-flavored desperado and a black living statue downstairs and a witch with heaven-only-knows how many retainers upstairs. We had mere moments before they rallied and attacked from all sides. Naturally, Katherine took this as the perfect time to remonstrate with Kull for offing some alley-runner outside. Ah, sweet K. Apparently the fellow was actually the driver of the cart which brought in the new tranche of captives. However he was unarmed at the time that Kull abruptly cancelled his future career plans by stomping on his head. K was trying hard to explain about the ethical dilemma inherent in crushing the skull of an unarmed enemy and Kull was trying hard to understand why there was an ethical dilemma inherent in crushing the skull of an evil slaver. Sensing that this might take a wee bit more time to resolve than we had at present, I braved the ethical dilemma inherent in simultaneously risking annoying both of them by interrupting suddenly. So I interrupted suddenly and blurted out the situation below us, with cages full of slaves, piles of bodies, masked desperadoes, the black statue back on our trail, a powerful witch, so do try to keep up, won't you?
Brute asked, "Slavers?" "Or worse", I replied. "None leave alive", was his rejoinder.
K stanched my wound with the power of the Light. Then we descended to the cellar and arrayed ourselves for battle. Our goal was freeing the captives in the vault and to do that we would have to deal decisively with the statue and masked desperado. With any luck the battle would leave the rather decent little wine cellar nearby untouched. Kull and Uhmri faced the vault door. Knowing that reinforcements might descend from the house above at any time, Brute guarded the stairs with Katherine, and I stood by to lend my skills wherever need was most. We did not have long to wait. The statue within was already pounding heavily on the massive door to the prison vault at the end of the corridor. Despite its immense bulk the door soon collapsed into the hallway, revealing the dark figure framed against the lit room beyond.
To my surprise, Uhmri shot forward like an arrow and threw himself bodily upon the thing! Kull moved forward with his sword, ready to rain blows upon it. Seeing that the stone woman was well engaged, I dashed past as quietly as I could in my invisibility. Slipping into the room beyond I sought out the masked villain. I spotted him immediately, rising wounded and dazed from the floor. I quickly cast my old standby, Dragon Image, hoping to finish him off quickly. Alas the impertinent fellow saw through my reptilian mirage straightaway--no mean feat for a chap with only one eye. Uhmri suddenly dove past me and slid along the floor towards him in a bold and clever maneuver which actually missed the ruffian quite entirely.
Behind me I could hear Kull and the thing of stone trading blows like titans. With only my old Color Spray still uncast I drew my dagger and moved to engage the masked one. But I was distracted by the clamor of enemy reinforcements crashing down the stairs to where Brute awaited them with death in his hands. Uhmri quickly leaped forward against the masked henchman and landed a perfect kick to his gentleman's bits. The blighter collapsed nicely. A scream down the hall told me that Brute had felled the first of the intruders on the staircase. Things seemed to be well in hand so I grabbed the stricken henchman and attempted some blunt interrogation. However he fought to break free and I slit his throat with my dagger. Blood sprayed everywhere. It was an unpleasant moment. I do so abhor physical violence. I checked the corpse for keys to the cells. He had some fascinatingly ornate keys in his pocket, but then I spotted a rather more ordinary set on a peg on the wall.
K then entered the prison vault and took in the scene. I suddenly felt rather ashamed of my blood-spattered appearance as I crouched over my fallen opponent, even though I knew she could not see my in my invisible state. Then to my horror and consternation, Uhmri bent down and drank of the blood of the desperado, smeared it all over himself, and tasted of the red heart blood.
Then the Lady and her henchmen arrived in force from upstairs. She attempted some spell, which the doughty Brute shrugged off, then set two of her minions on him. With a mighty roar he cut one of them down with his first blow. Kull finally brought the dark statute down, returning it to a motionless chunk of stone. The battle was fully on.
I took the cell keys from the peg and began freeing the prisoners. Uhmri, still covered in fresh scarlet blood, followed casually and began cordially shaking hands with each of the unfortunates as they emerged. One woman staggered out and collapsed on him, smeared in the same blood.
Kull suddenly roared in outrage. I glanced down the hallway and saw that a richly equipped man-at-arms had somehow gotten into the passage (later we surmised he'd used the laundry chute) and struck the massive odd-fellow from behind.
K cast some spell, I thought perhaps to discern the presence of any magic in the room. Then she warned the freed captives to stay in the room because of the danger raging in the main hall. And indeed the situation became even more dangerous. Another noble-looking fighting man emerged from the laundry room and assaulted Brute from the flank as he battled a swordsman on the stairs. Then Lady Miranda plied her fel talents again.
All of a suddenly the two odd-fellows began screaming like madmen. Fearing some witchery I stepped over and glanced down the hallway. Kull engaged the man-at-arms with gusto. But suddenly Brute came pelting down at me howling like a banshee. I dived aside and he ran by into the vault room shouting "the horror!". Having seen Brute face the fearsome chaos beasts by the lake like a lion I knew only a powerful enchantment could affect him thus.
As Brute dashed across the vault in seeming panic, Uhmri suddenly joined him and began running about screaming in mock fear. Once again I wondered what was affecting the fellow. Were his wolf pelts possessed of some strange spirit? Was the enchantment on Brute contagious? Kull, too, appeared possessed of some animus and wrath blazed from his face like a sun gone wild. Surrounded by three assailants now Kull wielded his sword with magnificent savagery.
Brute paused for a moment in his enchanted state and I quickly offered him my last bottle of wine. A major sacrifice to be sure, but the fellow needed something and it was all I had. Several large gulps revived him and he dashed back into the fray. Uhmri then grabbed the seemingly floating bottle. I hadn't meant him to partake of my final example of the vintner's craft but in his present odd state it might help restore him as well.
Brute rejoined the combat none too soon because his hulking battle-companion just then collapsed under a rain of blows. As Brute engaged the two men-at-arms and the common swordsman by the fallen Kull, K and I positioned ourselves behind him and began casting our arcane best. Uhmri simply hung about in the vault sipping from the bottle. I thought to myself that we really must find out what was behind his odd behavior.
K unleashed an impressive blast of arcane power at the witch and caused quite an injury. Then she cast some enchantment on one of the men-at-arms and caused him to stand staring off into space. The other two fighters then rushed towards K to prevent further injury to their fel mistress. The witch cast some hex on K but it dissipated immediately, perhaps due to the Light within our plucky priestess. Brute cut down one of the men-at-arms and intervened to protect Katherine. I stepped clear of the fray, took a deep breath, and performed a lovely casting of the old Color Spray on her witchyness. Take that you wench!
To my consternation it not only failed to affect the vain trollop but rebounded from her staff and rained blazing rainbow sparks around me in profusion. The sudden turn of events took me quite by surprise and I only narrowly avoided the intensely humiliating experience of being hoist on my own petard.
Behind me Brute felled the remaining man-at-arms and minion chap with typical efficiency. K rushed over and channeled the Light into the expiring Kull just in time. Temporarily out of arcane mana I crept up invisibly on the Lady at the end of the hall. Picking a moment I thrust with my bloody dagger! Alas, once again her hidden hexes turned aside my assault! And now she was well aware of my presence nearby.
Another of the witch's armed minions leapt forward and managed to wound our Brute. The witch dashed forward to take advantage of K's momentary focus on healing the prostrate Kull. Sprouting long claw-like nails she raked them cruelly across the young cleric's back. Angered by this assault Brute dealt a cruel wound of his own to his opponent, who staggered back to the wall and slid down to the floor gushing blood. Katherine ducked away from the Lady and poured more of the Light into Kull.
Glancing past this unfolding drama in the hallway I espied Uhmri beyond. The druid was still hanging about in the vault. He had apparently finished off the last of the vintage and was mingling with the recovering people around him. To my amazement he was alternately hugging and and fondling the male and female persons indiscriminately with happy abandon. They seemed no less amazed by the behavior than I.
Alone but undaunted the witch drew out a dagger with a blade of a strange greenish metal.


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In the last of my Jingling all the Way series, I chat with super Steph from Bondville. Steph's site is this awesome and inspiring hub of local designers, artists and crafters - supporting our Aussie community. She does an outstanding job and always has something creative and cool on the boil.
I often pop over to Bondville to find out the latest and greatest in Australian design, and find inspiration for cool gifts.
Let's cut to the chase, let's go!
What do you do on Christmas eve?
We are so lucky to have family based on the Sunshine Coast, so Christmas Eve we are likely to be veging out on a couch under a ceiling fan after a day at the beach. Oh, and wrapping presents. I'm soooo last minute.
Please tell me your favourite Christmas childhood memory.
My favourite childhood Christmas memory is unwrapping all the decorations to trim the tree. Each piece of tissue paper had to be gentle removed to reveal a nostalgic ornament that my sister and I had made, or been given. It was a lovely long, slow process as many decorations were fragile. Then finding the perfect spot on the tree for each one. I make sure that my girls have the same great experience each year and I love to hear their exclamations: "remember this one!?!" and "oh I love this one!". And... my sister and I wore matching red and green Christmas dresses that my Mum made for us, and that my girls now wear. Too cute.
What did you leave out for Santa?
A biscuit and a beer. Definitely beer.
What time do you get up on Christmas morning?
As soon as the kids are up, and with daylight savings in QLD, that's 5am!
Favourite part of Christmas?
Relaxing with my family at my parents' house and having 24/7 babysitters - they are amazing with the kids. We get to go on Date Night nearly every night!
What's on your wish list this year?
I picked up my big Christmas wish list item a little early this year at the Armadillo & Co. rug sample sale. Loving it already! As we travel for Christmas, we have to go very light on presents; also OK by me. But if I didn't have to take hand luggage into consideration, I would wish for a yellow butterfly chair, a Gorman lobster bucket hat, an Eames Hang-It-All from Living Edge, some new Pony Rider cushions, Beci Orpin's Make & Do book or Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi.
What's one thing you'll be gifting/giving this year?
Our family is into US-style BBQ (in a big way), so my husband is getting the Myron Mixon Smokin' cookbook - everyone wins!
Take a look at Bondville here.
And follow Steph on Instagram, pronto!
Take a look at Bondville here.
And follow Steph on Instagram, pronto!


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The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. AARDA is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical and efficient manner. AARDA provides patients with information and referrals through its national toll-free patient information line, 1-800-598-4668. AARDA also provides information on its Web site, www.aarda.org.
Review Date: Monday, May 23, 2011
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The Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc. (CSA/USA) is a non-profit, national support organization which offers information and referral services concerning celiac sprue, a disease caused by intolerance to gluten, and dermatitis herpetiformis, another gluten-related disorder. Information is available about children and adults with the condition, and is provided to health educators, health professionals and the general public. Staff have access to a medical advisory board for questions which consumers may not be able to have answered through their local health system. CSA/USA does not charge for telephone information or referral services; materials are available at no charge or a nominal cost. CSA/USA provides its services nationwide through 113 chapters and 60 resource units.
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Review Date: Thursday, August 20, 2015
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JBM: What motivated you into entering politics?
SerandEZ:I'd have to say a combination of things. I was sick and tired of hearing my father listen to Rush Limbaugh, who (IMO) had a lot of good things to say coupled with a number of stupid ones; I really liked economics, and was interested in how the different parties approached it. Most of all, though, was my mother's getting me into reading the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto's column called Best of the Web back in 2000. That, coupled with the beginning of the intifada in Israel, reading two terribly slanted papers throughout high school ('97-'01: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Chicago Tribune), and my eventual spending of two years in Israel where politics is life, even during war, basically all drew me deeper and deeper into understanding politics. Trying to pinpoint exactly when I got the most interested, it was probably during the Republican primaries, when our government teacher had us watch the old Nixon-Kennedy debate, and then had us watch Bush-McCain-Keyes.
JBM:How did you meet your wife?
SernadEZ:For that, you'll have to catch up on the How I Met Serach series on my blog.
JBM:What do you find the most difficult part of blogging?
SerandEZ:Good question. I'd have to say it's one of two things: Putting out new material every day can be tiring. Now, obviously, I don't have to put out new material every day – but because I now have advertisers, and there is a nice amount of people who do take the time to visit on a regular basis, I feel as if I owe it to them (if it doesn't inconvenience me) to put out new material. More frustrating, though, is watching people really denigrate others and each other, particularly during debates within comments sections. We all can get a little heated sometimes, and that's understandable, but some bloggers – and more often, commenters who don't seem to have blogs of their own – seem to get a kick out of trying to put other people down. I don't understand why people can't have reasonable discussions on the subject without resorting to petty name-calling and bashing. Worse still, I've found myself say things that weren't all that great, though I don't think I've said more than a couple of things that were *way* out of line (and I apologized to the people privately for those).
JBM:Which blogger do you envy the most and why?
SerandEZ:Heh. That's an interesting question… I don't really have blogger envy. My blog isn't like most blogs: It's not a personal blog, it's not a big "punditry" blog, I don't have a specific area of "expertise" or focus. I envy the ability of some bloggers to really bring a story to life (David Bogner of Treppenwitz), the ability of others to bring out the incredible humor of a funny story (Mark/PsychoToddler, Renegade Rebbetzin and Jameel @ the Muqata), the creativity of others (Kasamba, Fudge), the sharp/well-written analysis of a current event (Orthomom), the ability to really touch a person (Shoshana of SweetRose), the ability to find holes in a piece (SoccerDad), the amazing breadth of knowledge (CharlieHall, R' Gil Student of Hirhurim, S. of On The Main Line, Chana of Curious Jew) … I just named the talents of the first few bloggers that came to mind. Every blogger has their own talents, their own style, their own way of putting that out there. I'd love to have all those talents, but even though I say I envy those, that's not really true. They're them, I'm me, and that's what makes our blogs what they are.
JBM:What sport are you best at?
SerandEZ: Football. By a long shot. It's a thinking man's game… JBM
JBM:How did your blog become so popular?
SerandEZ:My blog is popular? Cool! I really don't know, honestly. It was a combination of things, I think, though my readers would probably be able to tell you better why they come. I had a piece that was put in the Wall Street Journal just after I entered the J-blogosphere. That probably caught the attention of some people. A big factor was probably my linking to other people's pieces – at first, most of my readers were people who weren't bloggers themselves, so I would point them to some posts that I thought were really good. A lot of people told me that they really enjoyed these "roundups", and other bloggers probably started coming simply because of the traffic that was coming to them from my blog. Once they were there, they started reading my own posts. I guess they liked it enough to keep coming back. I also think that people enjoyed the discussions on my blog, which tend to stay very civil and simple; they saw me commenting on their blogs, and developed a "blog relationship" if you will; and of course, the fact that I started actually meeting a lot of them helped, because then they could actually feel like they knew me.
I know this answer is already too long, but I do remember that there were a couple of incidents in particular that drew people over: Gil Student listing me in his "Blogs a Rabbi should read", and a couple of discussions about why people choose to – after becoming religious – turn around and leave Judaism.
A simpler answer could simply be that people feel comfortable on my blog. I'm not a real intellectual, I'm not hilariously funny on the blog, I'm not really anything specific. I'm just a regular, nice guy, and people are regular, nice people, so they like that.
JBM:What do you love/hate the most about being a Jblogger ?
SerandEZ: Hmm. The hate I think I covered above. What I love is basically covered in a post I wrote and then published in my school's paper, Welcome to the J-Blogosphere. It's great to see that there are people out there who really care – good people – and are trying to affect change and work on the problems that modern-day Judaism faces. It's great to see that people can (usually) have rational discussion about serious issues. It's good that people feel comfortable discussing issues which all too often are shoved under the rug. It's really good to see how people are (usually) brought together by blogs; BeyondBT's Shabbaton was a great success, for example. And, of course, there's the opportunity to meet a lot of very impressive, talented, nice people. I've met at this point probably about 60-75 bloggers (including about 25 who I knew from before or would have met otherwise). I've learned quite a bit from the J-blogosphere, whether from the bloggers themselves, what they write, or the discussions they start. And I'm a better person for it.
JBM:What is the craziest comment you ever received on your blog?
SerandEZ:Heh. I have no idea… I had a few loony comments and some hate mail when my WSJ article got published, so it could be those. It could be some hilarious comment by Jack making fun of Cleveland . I really don't know. My commenters are usually pretty sane. :P
JBM:Where do you see this all taking 5-10-20 yrs down the line..will you ever stop?
SerandEZ:I can't think that far ahead. If the day comes where blogging is no longer fun, and I don't feel I'm gaining anything from it, I'll probably quit. That probably won't be anytime soon, though.


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162,970 views
This animated cartoon film follows a famous race car named Lightning McQueen who travels to California for the final race of the Piston Cup. But Lightning McQueen accidentally causes a damage to the road of the small town called Radiator Springs and is forced to repair it. While staying in the small town, he finds friendship and love with the local inhabitants and then becomes a true winner.
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Animation
Actors: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman
Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
Country: United States
Duration: 117 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2006
IMDb: 7.2


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by Dr Dan Waniek, MD
Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved. Copyright Requests Here Please !
|Michael John Hogan, AJ Alvarado and Joan Esperson Weddell : Histology of the human eye : An atlas and textbook, Saunders, Philadelphia, 1971.
|Ms Joan Esperson Weddell drew imaginatively and anatomically correct masterpieces. Her style ( which is not downright didactical but inspiring ), is unique and yes, lightyears away from glossy, dumb Big Pharma Owned brochures. Her marvellous insights into eye structures are now ours. However, what is truly remarkable and almost beyond belief is exactly how she managed to inspire others. Back in med school years, I never saw anything like this. This author worked as if she simply lived inside the eye and flew within the eyeballs, in the orbits, as if these were not restricting bony sockets. She took me with her. And what we saw was beyond description, contagious and silencing. Looking inside Hogan, Weddell and Alvarado's masterpiece I made discoveries that were passed to my successors. Others, also, will never forget her.
|All my hidden career in medical research, miles away from the Big Five's in Pharmaceutically owned and operated Autobahns, was built with new understanding developed as I had these Weddell illustrations in my mind !
ISBN : 0721647200, BOBE-1088-REFS-0001, Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,862,530 in Books, 687 pages, Unique edition.


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Indian companies drive into MipCom
CANNES: More than a dozen Indian companies are marking their presence at MipCom 2003 in the Palais de Festivals in Cannes. Scheduled to be held from 10-14 October 2003, the market is expected to be busy, the weakening American dollar notwithstanding.
Star India - with its gaggle of soaps and current affairs programmes, E-City Entertainment with its clutch of Spiritual shows (from the Chakra channel library), Eros International (with its huge movie library), Discovery Communications have all taken up booths in order to display their libraries. Balaji Telefilms, which had taken up a stand decided to abstain this year.
The other companies which have registered include: UTV Communications, Iqbal and Anu Malhotra's AIM Television, Chennai-based magazine Animation Reporter, Dessin Works, Kosmic Studios, Uttar Pradesh based Escosoft Technologies, Secunderabad-based Green Gold Graphics, and Mumbai-based companies Sound Entertainment, UTV Software, Vale Music India, and indiantelevision.com.
Three days of conferencing, with pitching sessions from format show creators, screenings of several new programmes including those produced for HDTV, loads of lunches and evening cocktails and parties – attendees of this year's MipCom are going to have their hands and time full. Of course there will be the meetings to begin new deals or continue conversations on existing ones and close some. Of course the nominees of The International Emmys are slated to be announced on 10 October. With a handful of Indian entries, it will be interesting to see if any of them hit the nomination charts.
Of course, two people are going to be recognised: News Corp. president and CEO and Fox Group chairman and CEO Peter Chernin is to be awarded with the Personality of the Year Award, and Warren Leibfarb, the founder of the DVD will be awarded the Decoration des Arts and Lettres by the French minister of Culture and Communication Jean-Jacques Aillagon.


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I hiked the PCT today. Well, I hiked 2.3 miles of it. I'm in the area so it was just a quick local hike, as strange as that sounds. The PCT is so epic, it's kind of weird that I can just drive to it. It's sort of how I felt when I first moved to California about driving to Disneyland. The thought that you could just get in your car and drive there blew my mind.
The road to the PCT must be strange for an someone starting a thru-hike. You begin in urban San Diego and then take the 94 east. First, the freeway ends and you start hitting a few traffic lights. Then you pass your last strip malls and big box stores. You go up and down through the mountains, but mostly up. You go around curves along the side of the mountain and a few times there are signs warning you of curving roads for the next 4 miles, which is a lie, because the curves really last for more like 40 miles. You pass tiny towns with names like Dulzura and Potrero. The radio signal goes. At last you reach Campo.
I looked up directions to the Southern Terminus, and carefully noted that you turn right from the 94 on Forrest Gate Rd. I did not have to check so carefully. There aren't any other roads around that you could turn on if you wanted to.
You take Forrest Gate Rd until the pavement ends and it becomes a gravel road. Then the gravel ends and it becomes a dirt road. You pass a juvenile detention facility. The PCT crosses the road a few times. Border guards are everywhere, in vehicles. At last, you can see the border wall.
When you get to the end, if you look left (east) you will see the Southern Terminus of the PCT. I'd seen photos so I knew what I was looking for. I parked my car and went over to it, to officially begin at the beginning. But then - where the hell was the trail?
The PCT Southern Terminus from the road.
The PCT's Southern Terminus
I found this out much later, but here is the answer. Go back to Forrest Gate Rd. A few feet up the road, you'll see this sign on the east side of the road:
Exactly across the street, on the west side of the road, is a large oak tree. The trail starts in between two traffic cones next to it:
The start of the PCT
But I did not figure that out just then. I walked around a bit near the Southern Terminus looking for a trail, and then gave up and decided to just walk up Forrest Gate Rd until the trail crossed it. It crosses it several times, so I wasn't worried.
I was squatting down to photograph a monkeyflower when a border agent stopped me.
"Out taking nature photographs?" he asked.
"I'm trying to hike a bit of the PCT," I answered.
"You aren't on it," he said.
"I know," I told him. "I saw it crosses the road so I figured I'd catch it when it did."
"That your Prius?" he asked.
"Yeah," I told him.
He said it did not cross the road for quite a ways, but it started back at the oak tree and went along to the west of the road. I decided to just keep going, and I hit the trail very soon.
One thing about the start of the PCT is that, aside from certain not-so-pretty attributes, it's pretty.
Not-so-scenic power lines
Not-so-scenic Border Control
Right as you walk under power lines and you can hear their audible buzz, the PCT crosses the road, from west to east. If you aren't on the trail already, just take the trail on the east side of the road and go from there. That's what I did. It felt good to see this logo on the sign marking the trail.
The trail is extremely rich in San Diego plant life. You begin in sage scrub, filled with buckwheat, and invasive black mustard. Right now, a lot of golden yarrow is blooming. But you might see a splash of red, where Scarlet Bugler are blooming:
Scarlet Bugler`q
And if you are lucky, you will spot one of my favorite plants, Woolly Blue Curls.
I was having trouble getting a good shot of Woolly Blue Curls because of the wind, and when this happened I decided it was artistic and I like it.
The cholla are blooming right now too:
Cholla blossom.
This is something in the aster family that I don't recognize. It was large like a big thistle, but yellow. And, obviously, not thistle-like.
Shortly after I caught the trail, the buckwheat vegetation gives way to chamise. The two often grow together, but for some reason this area was just chamise as far as the eye can see.
And then, some large thistles:
Of course, there is dodder, an orange plant parasite in the Morning Glory family, often on buckwheat but here on some Chamise:
The PCT crosses a dirt road. I took a photo of the sign on the south side of the road:
The trail is well-marked as you cross the road.
Shortly thereafter, you cross Forrest Gate Rd again, this time to the west. As you do, you can see Castle Rock Ranch's cheesy sign:
And, fortunately, the PCT is well-marked.
Cross the road and you're now hiking through Ribbonwood, also known as Red Shank.
There were these little button-like flowers in the Aster family:
You pass an elder tree in bloom:
Elder flowers
And, that's the first mile of the PCT.
The next note-worthy flower I saw was this monkeyflower, Mimulus brevipes. They are common on this stretch of the trail.
And these lovely white snapdragons:
Clematis, I think:
There was Basket Bush, the stuff that looks like poison oak but isn't:
The second mile stays entirely to the west of Forrest Gate Rd as it goes toward Highway 94, at mile 2.3. However, the PCT goes back up to the road without crossing it, and now you've walked far enough up it that it's paved:
But then it just goes along the road. Past houses. With nothing that really looks like a trail, and no PCT signs. See this dirt along the side of the road? Yeah, that's the PCT. Really.
... And then things get normal again:
That section doesn't last for long. But it had me a bit worried.
I saw this beautiful prickly pear in bloom:
And I can't even explain what the heck this is about:
The water was just squirting out of the ground. Too early in the trail to really be useful, especially because there's a faucet nearby for hikers to refill at if they actually ran out of water in the first mile. Or, more likely, decided to fill up before going on to the long water-less stretch to Lake Morena.
I ran into one of my favorites, the perfectly named Showy Penstemon. I saw this a few times on the trail. Not too frequently, but more than once. It stands out when you see it. I don't like the photo I took, but the plant itself is gorgeous.
Then I was somewhat surprised to see Yerba Santa:
There are two species of Yerba Santa in San Diego, and I'd only ever seen the other one. This one, however, is medicinally useful - so much so that it earned the name "Holy Herb" from the Spanish. It's very common along this part of the trail, and I'd never hiked in this part of the county before, so I suppose I should not be that surprised to see it. It was exciting to find out it was here!
There are two very similar looking red penstemons in San Diego. The first, Scarlet Bugler, is pictured above. The second, Beaked Penstemon, is below.
The trail already passed the plant that looks like poison oak but isn't. Then it passes the plant that looks like poison oak and IS.
There's plenty of this along the trail in the first section, so keep an eye out for it.
Then I found a real treat: Larkspur!
At about mile 1.5, I heard voices. I did not understand. I'm out of shape and I was going slowly. If anyone started before me, I would not catch up. If they started after me, they would pass me, and nobody had passed me. How was someone ahead of me?
I reached them and saw three people with a large tent that probably weighed 8 lbs. They were thru-hikers, and they started 2 hours before I did. They said they were out of shape and they decided to stop after 1.5 miles for the day. One already had bad blister problems. I asked if they had enough water to reach Lake Morena. They said they had 2 gallons each (good) but asked how far to the next water (Mile 20.6). I suggested they refill when they reached Hwy 94 first thing tomorrow morning. Then I went on to finish my short segment, knowing I'd see them again when I doubled back. When I passed them again, one was smoking a cigarette.
As I left them, I spotted a Golden Bowl Mariposa Lily:
Then I passed one of my favorite flowers and said it's name out loud: "Chia!" I wondered if they heard me. (I realized later that there is TONS of chia on the trail... very exciting.)
Chia. Salvia columbariae.
Then some Keckiella. This one is also common on this part of the trail.
Around this point you kind of re-emerge into civilization before you hit the highway. The first sign is this red barn.
Then, just before the road, you see the back of a sign. Here is what the front of it says:
You reach the road at a gravel driveway. The PCT is only marked with this little post:
However, I took pictures of two other signs at that point, to remember the spot, since I plan to go back there to hike the next segment. Here is the address next to the trail:
And if you look just east of the trail, you see this sign:
I turned around and headed back for my car. I passed the three with their huge tent again, and ran into one more thru-hiker, at the section where the trail runs along the road. He seemed a bit more prepared.
Before reaching my car, I saw this Scrub Jay, who stayed still just long enough for me to snap a pic:
For all of my posts on the PCT, click here


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|Pigs in a Blanket, Orange, Bell Pepper Strips, Carrot Sticks
Happy Friday! And Happy (late) Fourth of July! I had some delicious pigs in a blanket for the Fourth yesterday, and so I packed the leftovers for lunch today with half an orange, some bell pepper strips, and carrot sticks. I wish I had packed some ranch for the vegetables, but it was probably healthier without it!
I think pigs in a blanket are a totally underrated food. I made mine with turkey hotdogs, reduced fat crescent rolls, and about a teaspoon of dijon mustard rolled into each little blanket. I baked mine, but I love these roasted over a fire - great for cookouts! I've even seen them done on the grill, although I'm always worried that the heat is too high for the crescent roll dough. But, you could try it, and let me know how it goes!
Need more lunch inspiration? You should check out my Lunch Ideas Pinterest page over the weekend! Pin It Now!


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The listed Beston Wine Industry Trust, based in Adelaide & managed by Challenger Beston Ltd, has bought the Rarangi vineyard in Marlborough for $7.1 million and will put $7.02 million into its development over the next 3 years.
It's the 5th property Beston has bought for lease to New Zealand winemaker Delegat's Wine Estate Ltd. Delegat's will plant sauvignon blanc, chardonnay & pinot noir grapes on the 142ha property (129.25ha to be planted), 11km north-east of Blenheim, for use under its Oyster Bay brand.
Delegat's has a 10-year lease, with 3 5-year rights of renewal.
Beston Wine managing director Christopher Atkins said Rarangi was expected to be worth more than $20.4 million by 2009, when fully developed.
At the end of its June 2003 financial year, Beston owned 25 vineyards & 3 wineries, and had grown its assets over the year from $A79 million to $A132 million. It made $A5.3 million profit and provided a 10.2% annualised yield to investors.
With Delegat's as tenant, the trust had $A31 million of vineyards in Hawke's Bay (Gimblett Rd, State Highway 50 & the Crownthorpe development site above the Ngaururoro River, with 285ha planted to make it Hawke's Bay's biggest vineyard) & Marlborough (the 167ha Dashwood development site bought last year) before its latest purchase.
Delegat's notes issue
Delegat's is also seeking funds to expand in its own right, with a $35 million capital notes issue out in June to build wineries in Hawke's Bay & Marlborough, and an equity raising of at least $40 million planned for the 2nd half of 2005.
The interest rate on the November 2007 notes is 9.75%, rising to 11.25% if the company's equity-raising doesn't proceed by 15 November 2005.


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By Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle #1
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rated: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
5 out of 5 Stars
| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
| Official Site | Twitter | Tumblr |
Related Reviews: | The Dream Thieves | Blue Lily, Lily Blue |
Categories: Supernatural, Ghosts, Treasure Hunt, ESP
"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we've never been before.
This series has been on my TBR pile for quite a while now, and I can't be happier that I finally got around to reading it! I loved it, everything about it! I am always a huge fan of treasure hunts, and The Raven Boys is full of wonderful treasure hunting. The boys are searching for a long dead king by the name of Glendower that they believe is still alive. Hidden on a powerful ley line, they feel that he is still alive somewhere underground, waiting for one worthy to wake him from his eternal sleep. If the king is is found, the one that wakes him is able to ask a favor of him. All of the characters have a different favor to ask. I feel that as the books continue, the favor will begin to merge into one that they all agree on.
Blue has seen Gansey, the leader of this misfit group of treasure hunters, on the Corpse Road. Which means that he will be dead within a year's time. Gansey is the first spirit that Blue has ever seen. Her family is full of powerful psychic women, but Blue has never had many powers. The only thing she feels that she is able to do is increase other's powers around her. She is a battery, meant to recharge and amplify others psychic powers. But when she able to see Gansey's spirit on the Corpse Road, there are only two possibilities behind the vision. Either she is the one who kills him, or he is her true love. But Gansey is just another Aglionby boy, rich and privileged, spoiled and stuck up. Or is he? Not to mention the fact that for all of her life, every psychic that meets Blue has told her that she will kill her true love by kissing him. There is no possible way that she could ever fall in love with Gansey, this rich, broken boy on a quest. But sometimes, even knowing the outcome, there is nothing one can do to stop the inevitable.
I love the story line, the characters, the world, the supernatural aspect.. all of it! I connected with each and every one of the characters in this story. Blue is my favorite, and I see a lot of myself in her. Eccentric tendencies and all! The way that she dresses, the fact that she doesn't give a shit what other people think.. I instantly connected with her character. Gansey is another of my favorite characters.. yes, he is rich, privileged, maybe a little spoiled; but he is also a broken man. From his almost death, to his vision of the ley line and Glendower, he is on a never ending quest to find his King and free him from his sleep. Adam's character is a little less likable. He is not like the other boys, rich and spoiled. He is a scholarship student living in a trailer park. His self loathing and embarrassment of himself got a little old after a while. He constantly thought that he wasn't good enough to be around the Aglionby boys, and that he had nothing to offer them. I found myself hoping that Blue and him would not get together, regardless of how perfect for each other that they were. I wanted to throat punch him most of the time! Ronan's character is complex, and I can't really describe him all that well. He is angry and dark, and the reader eventually finds out exactly why he is this way. I found myself drawn to him and his sarcasm, regardless of the powerful anger that he expressed. He is also a tortured, broken man; trying to understand himself and his world that never seems to make sense. And Noah. Well, he is a bit more interesting than we first thought. I can't give any spoilers, but just know that his character is revealed in a really crazy way that leaves the reading thinking, 'what the hell?' I have to give the characters 5 out of 5 stars, because I fell in love with each of them in their own way.
The world building is wonderful. I absolutely adore the story of supernatural, psychic abilities in this misfit group of teenagers. The treasure hunting aspect added a whole new dimension that I instantly was drawn to. Cabeswater, an enchanted forest that the group discovers on the ley line, is magical and exciting. A place of great power and mystery. Their sleepy Virginia town is not so boring anymore! I cannot express enough how much I loved this book, just read it! I am officially recommending it to everyone, everywhere, read it! I am more than looking forward to reviewing The Dream Thieves for all of you, as I have already finished reading it! As soon as I get some time this weekend, look out for that review, as well as for Blue Lily, Lily Blue!
""I guess I make things that need energy stronger. I'm like a walking battery." "You're the table everyone wants at Starbucks," Gansey mused as he began to walk again. Blue blinked. "What?" Over his shoulder, Gansey said, "Next to the wall plug."" -Gansey & Blue
""How do you feel about helicopters?" There was a long pause. "How do you mean? Ethically?" "As a mode of transportation." "Faster than camels, but less sustainable."" -Blue & Adam
""When she opened her eyes, she was both in her body and watching it, nowhere near the cavity of the tree. The Blue that was before her stood inches from a boy in an Aglionby sweater. There was a slight stoop to his posture, and his shoulders were spattered darkly with rain. It was his fingers that Blue felt on her face. He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Tears coursed down the other Blue's face. Though some strange magic, Blue could feel them on her face as well. She could feel, too, sick, rising misery she'd felt in the churchyard, the grief that felt bigger than her. The other Blue's tears seemed endless. One drop slid after another, each following an identical path down her cheeks. The boy in the Aglionby sweater leaned his forehead against Blue's. She felt the pressure of his skin against hers, and suddenly she could smell mint. It'll be okay. Gansey told the other Blue. She could tell that he was afraid. It'll be okay. Impossibly, Blue realized that this other Blue was crying because she loved Gansey. And that the reason Gansey touched her like that, his fingers so careful with her, was because he knew that her kiss could kill him. She could feel how badly the other Blue wanted to kiss him, even as she dreaded it. Though she couldn't understand why, her real, present day memories in the tree cavity were clouded with other false memories of their lips nearly touching, a life this other Blue had already lived. Okay, I'm ready- Gansey's voice caught, just a little. Blue, kiss me."" -Blue's vision
""Fate," Blue replied, glowering at her mother, "is a very weighty word to throw around before breakfast."" -Blue & her mother
| The Dream Thieves | Blue Lily, Lily Blue |
Connect with Maggie Stiefvater
| Official Site | Twitter | Tumblr |


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As an autism mom, I'm grateful for my friend/the kids' former ABA tutor, Whitney. She has been working with our family for a long time. She was the one who would come at 6 a.m. to help me with dressing skills with Caiti when I had to get a bunch of high-maintenance kids on the bus. She's the one who could handle Caiti the best...sometimes better than me. That is why she is called the Caiti whisperer.
I'm thankful for Whitney for getting me out of my hermit place, that a lot of autism moms get into, and forcing me to take the kids on outings, etc. That was good for my kids. They have come so far, as far as how to act in public because of these increased chances. That was so good for me too because it helped me see that it wasn't as bad as I expected.
Whitney has always been a nonjudgemental presence in my home. She would show up with the house a mess, and quietly pick up a broom and help me get rid of some of the chaos before the kids came home. While we were waiting to get the kids off the bus, she would listen when I was having a hard day and not think I was evil if I said ornery things about my kids.
Whitney makes me take pictures when I wouldn't remember to. I'm happy that I have so many happy moments that are memorialized forever because of her.
Whitney makes me laugh and remember how to be funny.
Most of all Whitney loves my kids like her own. She is special to me, and I will miss her now that she is moving back home.


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"I am Fred Kyobe, a Ugandan student currently undertaking Bachelors of Theology coursework at Kampala Evangelical School of Theology (KEST). I came to know the Lord while I lived in the home of my grandparents, the late Simeon and Eva Nsibambi.
Though I knew of the Lord, I did not understand Him. I could not understand how this all knowing being that I could not see or hear could truly effect my life. My doubt in Him allowed me to stray from Him in my youth. I learned that no matter how many times you turn from Him, God always makes himself known.
My life changed while working as a journalist at the New Vision newspaper where I reported on pop culture, scandal, and world events. What I saw with my own eyes and the stories I heard as a journalist shocked me and shook me to my core. It was then that I felt the Holy Spirit calling to me. Seeing so many frightening things about the world made me wonder, "How can I make any difference in all of this chaos?" It was then that I felt led to serve God by trying to have an impact on one person at a time.
My realization of how God wanted me to live led me to enroll at KEST. I am working in youth ministry with primary and high schools, along with hostel ministry work. Much of this work involves holding Bible studies with students and equipping them with life skills. Through my classwork at KEST, I am receiving the necessary skills and knowledge to do God's work and I have discovered that if young people in our society are won for Christ and equipped with the necessary skills to reach out to their peers, the future of the church will be secure."
Thank you for helping KEST train Christian leaders for Kingdom Work!


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Two enormous demolition events will occupy El Paso's coming weekend as both the Asarco smokestacks and the former City Hall building are levelled. And authorities are asking residents to stay home and watch the events unfold on television.
Asarco No More
Asarco is first in line. The massive columns at the former copper smelting site will be knocked over like falling trees in the early morning of April 13, 2013, between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. Diagrams of the "fall zones" show that the stacks will tumble in an easterly direction into predetermined footprints. Berms made of piles of earth will help block dust from travelling laterally and raised sprinkler systems will also try and hold dust close to the ground. The taller chimney stands 828 feet tall, approximately as tall as a 70 to 80 story building.
|Smokestack fall zones are shown as red-striped areas in this diagram.
The demolition of the stacks is part of a much larger site remediation project, headed by Project Navigator's Roberto Puga, trustee for the site. Puga hopes to have all remediation completed by 2016 in order to eventually sell the property to a developer. According to the Trust, the explosive demolition will be conducted under the direction of Brandenburg Industrial Service Company of Illinois and Dykon Explosive Demolition Corporation of Oklahoma.
Play Ball, City Hall
One day later, on Sunday, April 14, 2013, the former City Hall building will be imploded. Explosives placed on support beams inside the building will cause the structure to fall onto itself.
The demolition of the 10 story former headquarters for the City government is part of a $50 million project to construct a Triple-A baseball stadium at the site. The City has since moved its main offices to the former El Paso Times building on North Campbell street a few blocks to the east.
|The area around the former City Hall will be off limits during implosion.
Asarco Trustee Website:
City Hall Demolition Plan (PDF):


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Marketers in the technology sector have made significant strides in developing and deploying their marketing performance measurement(MPM) strategies. Most have moved beyond the unrealistic quest to establish the perfect return on investment (ROI) metric, and have developed a solid marketing operations area that focuses on maintaining a set of pragmatic marketing performance objectives and metrics. Even so, many companies remain behind the MPM development curve, with the economic, marketplace, and corporate pressures continuing to grow.
Where are the best practice leaders today (i.e., MPM 2.0), and what does their next generation MPM process look like? Here's a quick look at the state of the industry today for MPM based upon a recent study by IDC's CMO Advisory Service:
- Marketing Operations is "leading the charge" to improve the group's measurement process and drive analytical rigor across the organization in addition to the more familiar art of marketing. (refer to my earlier post regarding MO staffing levels and responsibilities)
- A cascading dashboard strategy has been deployed, including a CMO or executive-level dashboard, and dashboards at the business unit, functional and regional levels. Nortel has done a good job of building this type of hierarchy into their MPM process.
- Regions and business units are beginning to improve their data input and overall participation in the MPM process. Citrix takes this a step further and puts the responsibility of data collection and some analysis into the hands of the regions.
- The importance of measurement at the activity, functional and campaign level have penetrated the organization as an established "culture of measurement", resulting in improved efficiencies and effectiveness across marketing. In Intel. . . "discussions driven by the dashboard have made the staff smarter and more cognizant about how we're contributing to Intel business success and why."
Essential guidance for every marketer to either catch up to your peers, or to stay ahead of the MPM curve includes: 1) If you don't have a MPM process yet, start now!. . . And don't aim for perfection; 2) Use relevant metrics that drive action; 3) Include all marketing groups in your MPM process as well as sales; and 4) Include your MPM process as part of your weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting and strategic planning process, with a well communicated cadence in alignment with sales and corporate.
Feel free to comment below or email me at email@example.com to continue the discussion. I'll be glad to share some additional insight regarding where I see companies headed for "MPM 3.0".


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LEDs are touted as the ultimate in energy efficient lighting, but the world's first prototype of the light-emitting diode was likely a far cry from the tiny, featherlight versions we're used to today. To pay tribute to the LED inventor Nick Holonyak Jr., creative studio Alburno designed a fictional representation of the original 1962 prototype. The retro-style lamp is constructed with hand-blown glass set atop a wooden base. In a twist of strange irony, however, the bulbs used in these pictures appear to be halogen lamps rather than actual LEDs.
The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!


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Kate Merkle, MPH, RD, LDN, CDWF
Dietitian/Nutritionist & Certified Daring Way Facilitator™
I specialize in the nutritional treatment and body attunement for individuals struggling with disordered eating & body image issues. I have completed extensive training in the field of eating disorders and have worked in hospital settings, various levels of treatment, and private practice. I believe nutrition is key in maintaining or improving one's health.
Using a comforting approach, I help individuals access a lifestyle that is right for them. It gives me great fulfillment to guide my clients through the nutritional part of the recovery process, while they identify goals that bring about personal development.


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Armor Togo
A motorball third league competitor (number 62), user of the dragonfly stance from the Jigen school.
Also, as informed by Burning Angel:
Armor Togo is based on the real Togo Chui (1561-1643), a Japanese swordsman. Togo Chui created the Jigen ryû (Reality school) sword art (which appears in the Gunnm manga as the Jigen school). Even Armor Togo's Butterfly Stance exists in the Jigen ryû, called tonbo-no-kamae in Japanese.
[First seen in Hyper Future Vision, volume 3, Killing Angel, page 47]


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This summer I am finding a necessary pull for much simpler living. Less chasing, less "plugged-in", less buying, just less of all these time and energy zapping activities. We took a 12 day "vacation" in June to Illinois to visit family & friends and it gave me alot of car travel time to do some great reading and soul searching. I realized I was finding these external influences were depleting my precious time & energy. I have re-focused my days on what's important and necessary and say no to or limit everything else. My days are filled with time spent with the boys, sometimes getting together with friends at the pool, library trips, tending the garden, homekeeping, reading, grocery shopping and trying new recipes. The days are full, but not overflowing. It is good.
Something that I have long wanted to try is homemade bread sans a bread machine. My sweet friend Helen brought this herb bread when they came to dinner in November. It is amazing. We polished it off the next day. She jotted down the recipe for me that night and assured me it was so easy & straightforward. Well, it is. It's a shame I waited this long to make it. My first try was Thursday when we got home from swim class. I didn't have enough flour to make a whole batch so I had to finagle the proportions a bit, but miraculously it turned out. We enjoyed it with dinner. On Friday I got more flour to try another go-around, to get a better handle on the makings of this bread. I brushed the tops with olive oil and sprinkled it with fleur de sel before I baked it too. Soooooo darn good. We were headed to a friends' for dinner so I wanted to treat them to this delicious bread as a thank you for having us. Our hosts response confirms this recipe is a keeper. You will love it!
Herb Bread
{makes 4 loaves}
6 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. Yeast
2 Tbsp. Salt
3/4 bag of all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp of minced herbs {this recipe I used 2 Tbsp thyme & 1 Tbsp Rosemary}
In a very large bowl, pour in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top.
Add salt to side of bowl.
Add herbs and flour and mix all together.
Dough should not be wet, but just slightly sticky. Add a bit more flour if nessesary.
Cover with towel and let rise about an hour.
Empty dough onto floured surface and cut into 4 equal parts.
Knead each loaf several times to get all the air out.
Place each small rounded loaf on a greased cookie sheet {I put 2 loaves on a cookie sheet so they had room to rise}.
Brush tops with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Put loaves into cold oven, turn oven to 400 and bread will rise as the oven is preheating. When the oven reaches 400, it should take about 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown.
Just try and resist cutting into the fresh baked bread before it cools!!! :)


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The Purpose of the Bible
The whole purpose of the Bible, it seems to me, is to convince people to set the written word down in order to become living words in the world for God's sake. For me, this willing conversion of ink back to blood is the full substance of faith.~the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor
Labels: Barbara Brown Taylor, quote


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Oscar-mania is upon us once again. For those "in the know" and for those who "want to know," the awards show will air on Sunday, February 24th. For the Academy Awards, it's the 85th annual, but for Figs & Function, well, we're just a baby.
Welcome to the 2nd Annual Figs & Function Healthy Awards Dinner.
The creation of this healthy menu was inspired by this year's 9 films nominated for best picture. Stroll down Movie Memory Lane to see last year's menu. Can you believe it's been a year since the box office buzz was over The Artist, The Help, and The Descendants?
Your healthy menu for this evening includes the following:
Champagne and Hors d'oeuvres
Champagne or Sparkling Wine..………………….……………..……….Amour
Philly Tailgate Veggie Balls in Gravy……………….………..Silver Linings Playbook
Pi's Peppers and Anchovies……………………………..……….………..Life of Pi
with Jean Valjean Toasted Baguette…………..……….……….Les Miserable
1st Course
"Fake Out" Fatoosh Salad………………………………………………Argo
2nd Course
Southern Backyard Chicken…………………………….Beasts of the Southern Wild
Free Grits……………………………………………………….…..Django Unchained
3rd Course
Emancipation Apple Pie…………………………..………….………Lincoln
"Gottcha" Chai Tea…………………………………….……….Zero Dark Thirty
Champagne or Sparkling Wine
Okay, maybe a red wine would have been a more heart-healthy choice for this menu, but sometimes you just need to feed your soul. For me, that's where Champagne or sparkling wine comes in. Pouring a cold glass of bubbly is like saying, "Let's get this party started!"
Philly Tailgate Veggie Balls in Gravy
What's a Philly tailgate party without meatballs in gravy? But let's go healthier. The wonderful folks at the famous Marabella Meatball Co. were generous enough to share with us this recipe for their Veggie Balls. They're easy to make, so yummy, and the perfect way to get your cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetables. We're now on our way to debunking our 2011 weigh-in as the "fattest city in America."
As for the "gravy," well, since I didn't grow up with a Nonni, we never made "gravy" from scratch. I did have two Nanas, though. We made "sauce" from a jar.
So here are a few tips for buying tomato sauce: Look for sauce that has less than 5 grams of sugar, and no high fructose corn syrup. Look for lower sodium—less than 350 milligrams per serving—or no sodium versions. You can add your own salt at home. Look for simple ingredients, not complicated words, and try to stay clear of "natural flavors." If they can't list the flavor on the jar, I'm not sure I'd want to buy it.
Pi's Peppers and Anchovies
As with so many things in life, bigger isn't always better. And the same holds true for fish. When buying or ordering our sea friends…think small.
Eating more of these little wild fish, like anchovies and sardines, is healthier. Try to reduce your consumption of the larger predator fish, like tuna and swordfish, because these fish have much more pollutants, toxins, and mercury in their flesh. The little fish have such short life spans that these toxins don't have time to build up in their bodies. Also, avoid buying any type of fish from China. Their regulation policies are less than desirable.
This recipe is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which benefits the cardiovascular system. It is an excellent source of protein, calcium, B Vitamins, phosphorous, iron, and potassium, and it's thought that the smaller fish enhance brain function, as well. What do you think about that?
Red Peppers are rich in phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage. They also will support heart and memory function. And though the garlic may not be on the menu for a first date, it is a natural antibiotic and very healthy.
Jean Valjean Toasted Baguette
When buying bread, look for 100% whole grain. If the first ingredient listed on the label is "flour" or "enriched bleached flour" you're not getting 100% whole grain bread.
Whole grains are naturally low in fat and cholesterol free. They usually have more than 10% protein and best of all, they offer lots of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Also, try to choose bread with less than 200 milligrams of sodium per slice.
"Fake Out" Fatoosh Salad
Middle Eastern countries are known for eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables. In fact most of their meals are vegetable-based with meat used only as a condiment. This light and healthy Fatoosh Salad is the perfect way to begin our meal.
The bright and colorful raw vegetables contain a variety of health benefits, from Vitamin A and K in the romaine lettuce, to cancer fighting and anti-inflammatory properties of quercetin found in red onions.
Even the salad dressing is healthy.
Sumac, which is a berry, is dried and crushed to make this spice. In addition to adding a unique and bright lemony flavor to the dish, it also provides antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Southern Backyard Chicken
This recipe is an easy way to roast a chicken and have it come out juicy every time. As with ourselves, we like our chicken to be lean and clean, which comes from being raised in an environment where the birds are allowed to roam freely, thus the term "free-range." Look for this on the package of your chicken. Another term to look for is "organic." Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy all come from animals that were given no antibiotics or growth hormones. I know organic, free-range chickens may be more expensive per pound, but if you remove some of the processed frozen meals from your shopping cart, what you fork over to the cashier will probably come out the same. I think that's a win/win, don't you?
Free Grits
Grits are a true southern favorite. Paula Dean adds a boatload of butter and cheese to her corny concoction. But you really don't have to. Arrowhead Mills makes a truly tasty product that's easy and healthy. Just add the grits to boiling water and in 5 minutes you have the creamiest grits ever. You can also count on getting some B Vitamins, a bit of Vitamin E, and the minerals selenium, zinc, potassium, and phosphorous. Plain grits have no cholesterol or sodium.
Emancipation Apple Pie
President Abraham Lincoln was known to have loved apples, so this Emancipation Apple Pie is served in his honor. Though I wish I could have found an exact recipe of Lincoln's beloved apple dessert, I'm pretty sure he would have approved of this recipe I found on the Internet. It got Mr. S's stamp of approval.
"Gottcha" Chai Tea
If you've never tried chai tea, what are you waiting for? Its warming spices and soothing richness makes this tea like a Snuggie on a cold winter's day. Have it iced in the summer and it's still fabulous, and healthy too.
Chai is typically made with black tea steeped with a blend of ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, and star anise. You can add a sweetener of your choice to taste, from honey to maple syrup to unbleached cane sugar.
As you may know, certain spices have inflammation-fighting properties:
- Ginger has been shown to demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects, as well as offering digestive benefits. It also promotes circulation, strengthens immunity, and helps to fight cancer.
- Cinnamon may help to reduce the risk of heart disease, regulate blood sugar in people with diabetes, and help to lower cholesterol as well. It also may help to relieve cold and flu symptoms.
- Cardamom can be used for both sweet and savory culinary purposes. Medicinally its health benefits are vast, aiding everything from symptoms of the common cold, cough, and bronchitis, to relieving digestive woes such as gas and constipation. It also is a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.
- Clove is also known to be an anti-inflammatory spice.
This is my favorite chai tea recipe. But no worries if making it from scratch doesn't interest you. Look for chai tea bags at the grocery store or at your favorite coffee house.
So, my fellow film (and fashion) fans, there you have it—the 2nd Annual Figs & Function Healthy Awards Dinner. Who knows who will win best picture, but eat some of these anti-inflammatory, heart-healthy, vitamin-rich foods and you'll be the picture of health!
Click here to check out other healthy Figs & Function recipes.
Until Next Time,
Be Well,
Suzy 😉