lovingcaringandappreciating

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Ok, but one of their sons became a famous performer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBCGVqyWrSQ

😂

My favorite mermaid art is the one of a family photo with a mermaid mother and old sailor father and their sons are both reverse merfolk (human legs with fish heads).

[lovingcaringandappreciating]

More Bland Diet Meals

I was asked again to cook for the friend who is on the bland diet, and I was going to just edit my first post with the new meals, but in doing so I remembered that I actually made her another meal several months back that I never included there, so I’m going to add that here.

The forgotten meal:

Shepherd's Pot Pie (Celery, Carrots, Fresh Dill, Fresh Parsley, Himalayan pink Salt, Chicken breast, Potatoes, Almond Milk, Canned mixed vegetables, homemade Vegetable Broth (made from carrots, celery, turnip, parsnip, mushrooms, butternut squash, sweet potato, zucchini, a few pea splits, a tablespoon of brown rice, salt, turmeric, simmered for several hours and strained twice through cheesecloth)

Baked Salmon (Canned Apricots, Canned Peaches, Himalayan Pink Salt, Honey)

Gluten Free Cupcakes (Almond flour, White rice flour, Potato starch, Baking Powder, Salt, Maple Syrup, Agave, low fat Coconut milk, Vanilla Extract)

This week’s meals:

Baked Chicken (chicken breast, puree of canned peaches and canned apricots with himalayan pink salt and smuckers simply fruit apricot spread) - sliced, placed in oven bag, baked 1hr

Chicken Soup (broth from chicken breasts and 2 thighs without skin, carrots, celery, turnip, sweet potato, dill, parsley, and about a tbs of my vegetable broth from the freezer) - no garlic, onion, or black pepper and I forgot to add zucchini

Mashed potatoes (Yukon gold boiled in salt water until a fork pierces smoothly, Himalayan pink salt, almond milk)

Fruit bake (sliced peaches, nectarines, and plums mixed with some suckers simply seedless strawberry spread, over gluten free oatmeal mixed with honey, cinnamon, and salt)

#Bland diet #bland #diet #IBD #ulcer #food #recipes #Cancer #chemo #Recovery #kosher #fleishig #pareve

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Bland Diet Recipes

A family friend just went through a surgery and was put on the Bland Diet (also referred to as the Bratt Diet) which cuts out a ton of foods. Since they needed meals and I'm always up for a culinary challenge, I signed up for their meal train and googled acceptable foods. It’s interesting how for such an extreme diet all the websites I came across were somewhat vague when it came to lists of acceptable foods. I also found it quite difficult to find recipes specific to this kind of diet. But I’ve been able to send food she’s enjoyed and been able to eat, so I figured I’d share them here for anyone else who needs this kind of resource:

Meal 1:

Sub Roll (white bread)

Grape Juice

Salmon seasoned with himalayan pink salt and fresh dill

Mashed potatoes with almond milk and Himalayan pink salt

Mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup and cinnamon

Boiled golden beets

Unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon

Organic canned peaches

Meal 2:

Spinach & mushroom frittata (crustless quiche) with Himalayan pink salt

Roasted Zucchini with Himalayan pink salt, oregano, and basil

Canned peaches

Wissotzky fruit galore herbal tea, unsweetened

I’m sending a couple more in the next week or so, so I’ll update this post as I send them.

Edit to add:

Meal 3:

Baked tuna patties (chunk light in water, carrot, zucchini, celery, eggs, potato flakes, himalaya pink salt, celery salt, dill)

Spaghetti, unseasoned

Potato soup (baked potato chunks, carrot, celery, Himalayan pink salt, dill, parsley, water)

Meal 4:

Sous Vide Chicken (chicken breast, puree of canned peaches and canned apricots with himalayan pink salt and honey) - 140x1.5hr

Rice (basmati, turmeric, himalayan pink salt)

Tzimmes (cubed butternut, cubed sweet potato, cubed carrots, maple syrup, cinnamon)

Wissotzky fruit galore herbal tea, unsweetened

#Bland diet #bland #diet #IBD #ulcer #food #recipes #Cancer #chemo #Recovery #kosher #fleishig #pareve

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Deep in the Waves with Surf Photographer Ben Thouard

To see more of Ben’s shots of the surf, follow @benthouard on Instagram. Discover more stories from the French-speaking community by following @instagramfr.

(This interview was conducted in French.)

Tahiti-based Ben Thouard (@benthouard) learned to surf when he was 8 years old. “I’ve spent my time in the ocean ever since,” the surf photographer says. “When I discovered photography, it was only natural for me to combine my passions.” Ben waits to shoot until dawn or sunset — the moments when light interacts the most with the surface of the ocean. He grew up in the south of France, moved to Tahiti eight years ago and hasn’t looked back: “Life is pure and calm here. I am in the ocean every single day.” #WorldOceansDay

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The Dismal Fortunes of Old Bank Buildings

“The People’s Trust” is a series of photographs that document financial institutions across America, from the remains of grand, re-purposed 20th and 19th century structures to modernist glass structures to the financial institutions of today.

In the words of the artist Michael Vahrenwald:

I am drawn to former bank buildings because of what they tell about our culture, past and of the present— a lot of it is simply being struck by a time when money was more local, banks spread out & anchoring individual communities, thousands of solid stone structures in the place of a handful of glass skyscrapers downtowns across the globe. As I began photographing I couldn’t help but register the headstrong optimism in these buildings, the grandiose way in which they were fortresses built to last— all that in contradistinction to what they’re used for now. It fascinates me, that in their current state, these structures still project so much of their former authority. The project’s not about what I like or don’t like, but about the how odd these building are today in a world where the aesthetics (as well as the simple facts) of power, wealth, & class have all fundamentally changed.

Images and text via

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Scrapbook.com contest!

I’ve been into scrapbooking pretty much since I discovered what it was back in 7th grade (’00-’01), and since youtube has become such a great resource, I’ve learned about the amazing world of cardmaking. Through youtube channels like lawnfawn, Jennifer McGuire Ink, Nichol Spohr Magouirk, and the amazing K Werner Design, I’ve learned about some of the best tools and supplies to use (none of which I can afford right now), but also some tips and tricks and techniques that I’ve been able to apply to my art without using the fancy high end tools. 

I’ve been doing what I can with the limited tools and supplies that I have, but scrapbook.com is having a contest now for the ultimate sizzix giveaway and I SOOOOOOOO want to win!

For any of my peeps who are interested in the contest, you can find it right here: http://www.scrapbook.com/store/brand/sizzix.html

Best of luck to y’all!

#sizzix #scrapbooking #scrapbook #scrapbook.com #giveaway

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Miniature hyperrealistic paintings by Dina Brodsky

Instagram // Prints // Webpage

Please don’t delete the link to the photographers/artists, thanks!

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"We accept the love we think we deserve"

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Totes Cray Cray

Yes, seriously. 

I have a friend who's been saying that as a joke, but you know how you start something as a joke and then continue it because it's become a part of your vernacular?

Well, that's basically what's happened. My younger sister says Totes Cray Cray now. And she's 19. 

What is this world coming to!?

But what's "totes cray cray" (or "totally crazy" for those of you who don't speak 2012girltalk...) is that my last post was about the stupidity of eating out on Mother's Day this year. 

"Why is that crazy?" you ask.

Because my dad's birthday was two days ago. My family is broke. My parents are both out of work and on foodstamps. And we ordered Chinese for dinner.

Can someone please explain this to me?

Why are we ordering expensive food to celebrate something we never used to celebrate with money we can't afford to spend?

Gas right now in my area is $3.67 at its cheapest. CHEAPEST. And it keeps going up. 

Since I got my license (which I didn't actually tell you all about...) I've pretty much been the driver for everyone in my household. Taking people to and from appointments, interviews, meetings, work, school, whatever. Gas is freaking expensive and with all the driving I've been doing, that's basically where my money's been going.

So when $65 could fill our minivan, why are we spending it on two dishes of chicken, 6 dumplings, rice, and eggrolls? We have food in the house. I mean, it's not like the cabinets are bare.

And after all that, my parents have the audacity to tell me that I need to go on foodstamps to help feed the family? Really.

I hate when this blog becomes all about me complaining, but I just had to put that out there. 

My basic point from all of this is as follows:

Please don't lecture me about how to live my life when you're making poor decisions yourself.

That's really all I'm getting at.

If you're making horrible decisions right in front of me, decisions that are blatantly inappropriate, you have no right to tell me what you think of my decisions in life.

I wouldn't want a smoker to tell me that drinking is bad for my health, I wouldn't want a Nascar driver to tell me flying an airplane is dangerous, I wouldn't want a lion tamer to tell me to avoid sugar because diabetes is the greatest killer in the USA, and I don't want you telling me I'm irresponsible when you clearly are as well.

Every person is entitled to their opinion, but I didn't ask for yours.

Please keep it to yourself.

#totes cray cray #totes #cray #cray cray #totally crazy #totally #crazy #my life in a nutshell #sad #birthday #life #sucks #poor

[lovingcaringandappreciating]

Happy Friggin Smothers Day.

I hate my life. Can I just make that clear?

My family is driving me up the friggin' wall.

We have never celebrated simple holidays. It probably has something to do with the fact that we've never had money to celebrate these things, but either way...

We were never birthday people, we never did Mother's Day or Father's Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, Independence Day, Groundhog's Day, etc.

But suddenly, out of the blue, we are birthday people. When it's other peoples' birthdays. And I've brought that fact to everyone's attention, yet I'm still ignored. Then, when my birthday comes around, everyone's like "Yeah, well, according to you, we're not birthday people, so we won't have a celebration in your honor." 

And sometime in the past, Mother's Day and Father's Day sort of got reversed in my family - on Mother's Day, my mom would buy something for my dad, and on Father's Day, my dad would buy something for my mom. 

It was random, and it was our thing. 

Today, my mom went to go do some freelance stuff for a friend. I thought she was in her room the entire time. 

Today was sort of a mellow, chilled out, don't do anything type of day for me.

Then, a half an hour ago, my sister called from work and said she had just spoken to my mom (who, evidently was not home) and they decided we'd be doing dinner out tonight and that my mom didn't care where we ate - we should all pick the place. My sister said my dad and I should pick the place.

For some bizarre reason, my dad responded almost angrily that he didn't care where we ate and that my sister and I should pick the place. I called my sister and she yelled at me that she didn't care and I should pick the place.

Yes. There was yelling. Over where to eat OUT. #firstworldproblems

I've been doing this thing lately, where I try to eat earlier in the day, and not eat anything after dinner. So, I had already eaten by the time they called and since I've been having a blah day, I don't really want to go out.

So I called my mom to tell her the verdict of where we're eating out, she heard that I was annoyed and asked me what was wrong. Even though I told her nothing, she kept pressing until I told her what was up. Then SHE got annoyed.

She just came home about 15 minutes ago and told me in a super annoyed voice that she would appreciate if I would go out with them, but that if I wasn't up to it, I didn't HAVE to go.

Her voice said she didn't want me around. Her words said I have a choice.

I hate this stupidity.

URGH.

So now I'm home and they're all out eating dinner.

And I honestly couldn't give a flying monkey's butt. 

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Homemade greenhouse FTW! (Taken with instagram)

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Awesome homemade potato blintzes. :) (Taken with instagram)

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My Mom Is Trying To Kill Me

I'm 23 and they still treat me like a teenager. 

I just finished school and received my certificate and while I'm taking a break, my mom insists on waking me super early every morning. And because she's out of work, it's not like I can even sleep in and get away with it because she gets all "disappointed" in me and then it just gets unbearable so I have to get up.

This morning she came in and turned off my fan (which is my personal white noise maker) which makes the room deathly quiet. Then she used some of my alcohol based face astringent to wash her face, but of course she did it in my room while talking to me (might I remind you I had just woken up a second ago and was not awake), and without the fan on there is absolutely no ventilation in my small room. I couldn't breathe. And I wasn't awake enough to pull myself out of bed and open the window or something, so I pulled the covers over my head, which just made me hot because we had the heat on last night. 

I thought I was going to die.

*sigh*

I need my own place desperately. But in order to get my own place, I need money, which means I need a job, which I can't get yet because I've been going to school non-stop for the past two years and I seriously need a break. 

Ugh. 

Life. 

:P

[lovingcaringandappreciating]

The CIA reads your trash...

THB: I don't have a diary. I'm too afraid someone will find it and I don't want anyone to know what goes on inside my head.

Me: That's interesting.

THB: Yeah. Instead, I just write down my thoughts and feelings on scraps of paper or garbage right before I throw it out. I still get the message out there, but at least nobody will read it.

Me: What if someone goes through your garbage?

THB: Huh. I never thought about that.

Me: Yeah, I mean, what if the CIA has a whole file with each of those scraps, compiling an entire profile on you just based on that?

THB: Ok, now you're just talking crazy.

Me: Or the people at the landfill... they might be reading and compiling your diary for you. They just don't know who you are.

THB: Yeah, you're definitely on crack.

Me: Just 'cause I'm on crack doesn't mean I'm not right.

THB: No, you're just paranoid.

Me: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean the whole world ISN'T out to get me.

THB: O.o

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The hard thing is this: get ready, because more is coming. SOPA is simply a reversion of COICA, which was purposed last year, which did not pass. And all of this goes back to the failure of the DMCA to disallow sharing as a technical means. And the DMCA goes back to the Audio Home Recording Act, which horrified those industries. Because the whole business of actually suggesting that someone is breaking the law and then gathering evidence and proving that, that turns out to be really inconvenient. “We’d prefer not to do that,” says the content industries. And what they want is not to have to do that. They don’t want legal distinctions between legal and illegal sharing. They just want the sharing to go away.

PIPA and SOPA are not oddities, they’re not anomalies, they’re not events. They’re the next turn of this particular screw, which has been going on 20 years now. And if we defeat these, as I hope we do, more is coming. Because until we convince Congress that the way to deal with copyright violation is the way copyright violation was dealt with with Napster, with YouTube, which is to have a trial with all the presentation of evidence and the hashing out of facts and the assessment of remedies that goes on in democratic societies. That’s the way to handle this.

In the meantime, the hard thing to do is to be ready. Because that’s the real message of PIPA and SOPA. Time Warner has called and they want us all back on the couch, just consuming — not producing, not sharing — and we should say, “No.”

THIS NEEDS TO BE HEARD. 

Share it with your friends, share it with your family, but share it. Everyone needs to watch this.

#pipa #sopa #dmca #broken #internet #apocolyps #apocolypse #end of the world #internet apocolypse

[lovingcaringandappreciating]

Just discovered that Seth Meyers from SNL and Josh Meyers from MADtv are brothers...

Yup. True story.