Monday, May 21, 2012
Saving Money, Part 3
So we covered small appliances...and I promised you the killer meatball recipe...so here it is...I wrote it up on facebook a while back and now am copying and pasting it here!
Killer Meatballs...
Ok, well they don't "kill" anyone, but this is what I did to make probably the BEST meatballs I have ever had the other night... and I grew up in a neighborhood where my neighbors from Naples made some of the best food anywhere...and this was just like being back in the 'hood shall we say!
1 lb, steak (that's right..steak... rib eye to be exact, got it on sale and it was on special deal..no ground meat purchased)
.5 lb pork in pork chop form (no ground meat here either)
2 TBS +/- of fresh chopped parsley
3 large shallots
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup Parmesan breadcrumbs ...these were purchased in a box ( you can make your own breadcrumbs and add oregano and a TBS of Parmesan cheese to the mix...)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Using my Kitchen Aid grinder attachment, I ground my own meat using the larger die. After all the recalls of the tainted meat, you couldn't pay me enough money to buy ground beef in patty or regular shrink wrap form. We almost NEVER make meatloaf because of it. Go ahead, laugh...the local market (my favorite one..and they are generally very good) had a recall last month...again.
If you do not have a grinder, you can chop the meat really finely. I did this once before for meatballs and it does work.
If you have gone with a grinder option, peel the garlic and shallots and then put them thru the grinder at the end, to clean it out. Push through with an extra shallot if you are having problems.
Take the ground items and mix it up with the chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, two eggs and the salt and pepper.
Using a small disher (what looks like a small icecream scoop) scoop out the mixture and make a ball in your hands that is 1.5 inches in size... give or take.
In a hot pan with 3 tbs of olive oil, cook the meatballs 5-8 at a time. Do not over load the pan as this will cool the pan down. Reduce the heat and then cook on med low, turning the balls until nicely browned on all sides.
This recipe does not have any additional fats added to it... my friend Diana pointed out you could use 90% lean beef that is preground to have the same fat ratio, but honestly the texture would be much different.
Add to a pan with spaghetti sauce, and simmer for a while, do not over stir as the balls are more delicate as they don't have as much fat in them to be a binder.
Enjoy!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Saving Money... addendum...
Wow, I guess I beat America's Test Kitchen to the punch here! They had an episode the day after my post called "Here's the Beef" http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=27836
There are a few differences between my method and theirs... but its all good!
Unlike what I do, they put the beef into the food processor. Earlier in the episode they went over what tools were good for doing the grinding and the food processor was used in the segment as they felt it would be a tool that everyone would have in their kitchen.
Another difference was: Instead of putting suet in.....they put in butter! Oh YUM! I don't know if this is a "saving money" option, but it does certainly add taste! The beef they chose is "flat meat." I actually get the sale beef items, and actually if the angus beef is on special it goes RIGHT into my cart!
Do watch the video if you are concerned about how to grind meat in your food processor.
If you are curious about the recipe that they have, you must be a "member" of the webpage.
This does carry a fee...it may be worth it to you to subscribe, it may be more worth it to you to set your TiVo or MythTV to record it! (I do!).
I hope you try it! The burgers are awesome!
There are a few differences between my method and theirs... but its all good!
Unlike what I do, they put the beef into the food processor. Earlier in the episode they went over what tools were good for doing the grinding and the food processor was used in the segment as they felt it would be a tool that everyone would have in their kitchen.
Another difference was: Instead of putting suet in.....they put in butter! Oh YUM! I don't know if this is a "saving money" option, but it does certainly add taste! The beef they chose is "flat meat." I actually get the sale beef items, and actually if the angus beef is on special it goes RIGHT into my cart!
Do watch the video if you are concerned about how to grind meat in your food processor.
If you are curious about the recipe that they have, you must be a "member" of the webpage.
This does carry a fee...it may be worth it to you to subscribe, it may be more worth it to you to set your TiVo or MythTV to record it! (I do!).
I hope you try it! The burgers are awesome!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Saving Money....part 2
Did I scare you with making your own cheese? I hope not. What I am trying to get at here is for people to take a chance. I want people to try something new and realize that they can do things with out having to buy them. Once you start this, then you raise your family's standard of living PLUS start to save money in the process.
Is there an investment? Yes! And that investment is in YOU. It is in knowledge and in household tools that can be found cheaply and easily. The knowledge you will gain from reading my blog posts, but as my father says: you need the right tool for the right job.
So you guessed it, today's blog topic is going to be on TOOLS!
What tools do you need in order to save money? Well, first of all put down those silly books that have you cough up $35 for their "system". This is not about a system, its about saving you money in the long run by giving you the structure and the tools to work with in your own life and increasing your standard of living.
The kitchen is the largest area of money savings. The tools you have in the kitchen will empower you to go beyond what is largely available for retail sale for the food industry. Food preparation tools, small appliances, and hand tools are easily found in stores like Williams and Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, and many other retail establishments. Buying tools here can and will create a huge debt mountain in your credit card fairly quickly. This is the problem that we are facing today. "Keeping up with the Jones'" is burying us in debt. Contrary to popular belief, you can indeed wait for that new kitchen set, the deluxe food blender, and the commercial grade range.
Lots of people feel that they have to have the perfect xyz item, have the biggest kitchen with lush counters, and picture perfect decor. To have a good showing in the cul-de-sac society, the competition is with the McMansion next door, giving people the compulsive need to have that dazzlingly shiny Kitchen Aid, Brevilles, or Cusinarts are on display at the neighbors house. But does anyone really use them?
Do they even know how? The more important question is: Did they have to buy them new? The answer to to most of those questions above is: NO. You can have the same functionality of a tool with out shelling out huge money, and save money by actually using rather than having it as an object d' art on your counter.
One place people don't look, but really should, for kitchen tools is in antique shops, thrift stores, used furniture stores, yard sales, and "junk" stores. These places are famous for having odd ball kitchen tools for pennies on the dollar of original cost. Do check in with them regularly, as many places will get incoming stock on a daily or weekly basis. But as with any "hit or miss" shopping experience, you have to make up rules to keep your pocket book under control. My Mom makes it a point to shop once a week at the Salvation Army store near her on half price day. That is the ONLY day she will allow herself to go over there. If she did not do this, she freely admits that any savings that she did gain would be spent on things that were more want vs. need and at a price that is double what she would pay on Wednesday to begin with. Don't think it works? Mom got a breadmaker for $10. I looked up the price on amazon and found it selling USED for $100. That model sold new for $250. That is just ONE of the items she has found at rock bottom prices.
Before we jump on the power tool bandwagon, or er..the small appliance soap box....
Before there was this great thing called electricity, many people did far more with HAND TOOLS. Gasp! Shock! Horror! Say it isn't true! It is folks.
Hand tools are a GREAT way to save money. They may cost you time upfront, but they will save the money for you in the long run.
Did you know that every attachment the stand mixers have, you can get as a hand tool!
-Meat Grinder? Yep
-Pasta Maker? Yep
-Ice Cream Maker? Yep
-Wisk? Yep
-Food Processor? Yep (you have heard of a grater or a knife, right?)
-Dough Hook?.... Well, if you have arms, you can use what God gave you. If you don't this may be the one place you slide the small appliance into the "need" category.
So what small appliance tools do I suggest having in your kitchen?
-Stand Mixer with dough hook
-Hand Mixer (if Stand Mixer is out of your budget)
-Food Processor
-Blender
-Electric Skillet
-Food Scale
All of these can be found, if you shop consistently in the thrift store circuit.
Since the "Pink Slime" scare is currently front and formost in the media headlines, let us look at how we can provide hamburger, meatballs, and other ground meat products with out buying them pre packaged.
When you make something, control is taken away from the middle guy and is placed in your lap. You control the product. You control what goes into it, and what doesn't. You control the salt and fat content. You know if you make it, there is no gluten in there, because you didn't add any bread products.
How to Make Awesome but Cheap Hamburger
Take a stroll through your supermarket meat section. Find the "Manager's Special" (the stuff that is still good, but its at the end of the shelf life to sell), buying it will get you a nice cut of meat for a fraction of the cost, and you will make your own hamburger if you add suet to the mix.
Yes, I said suet. It is fat, and is available from your grocery store in a far corner of the refrigerated meat area. If not on display, ask the folks behind the counter. Please don't make that face. Yes, that one... It is already there in all hamburger products. No pink slime, honest.
Your meat supplier adds suet to all ground meat. This is evident in the % lean statement that is on each label. Add the percentage that you find you like (if it is 90% lean, then just add 10% fat). Still confused? Break the pounds down to ounces. We have 16 oz in 1lb, right? 10% of 16 is?... 1.6oz. So for every pound, you are putting in 1.5 (give or take) ounces into your beef for fat.
To grind the beef, cut into strips that will fit into your grinder and then interchange putting the beef and the fat through the grinder. Mix together evenly in bowl once ground. Patty and grill as normal!
Do note that some grinders have different size "die". The "die" is the disk that extrudes the size of the grind you are looking for. Some people like a fine grind, and some like one that is akin to that of a chop steak. Add some salt and pepper an you have made your own hamburger!
Just be sure to grind, cook (and/or) freeze that day if using "manager's special" products. There is no refrigerator time left on those meat products. Mind the dates on all meat labels and you will be just fine!
In my next post, I will be listing my "Killer Meatball" recipe... Later everyone, I gotta get outside and start working in the garden if I expect to have anything to can (as in canning...as in "canned tomatoes... c'mon folks, work with me here!) in the months to come.
Is there an investment? Yes! And that investment is in YOU. It is in knowledge and in household tools that can be found cheaply and easily. The knowledge you will gain from reading my blog posts, but as my father says: you need the right tool for the right job.
So you guessed it, today's blog topic is going to be on TOOLS!
What tools do you need in order to save money? Well, first of all put down those silly books that have you cough up $35 for their "system". This is not about a system, its about saving you money in the long run by giving you the structure and the tools to work with in your own life and increasing your standard of living.
The kitchen is the largest area of money savings. The tools you have in the kitchen will empower you to go beyond what is largely available for retail sale for the food industry. Food preparation tools, small appliances, and hand tools are easily found in stores like Williams and Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, and many other retail establishments. Buying tools here can and will create a huge debt mountain in your credit card fairly quickly. This is the problem that we are facing today. "Keeping up with the Jones'" is burying us in debt. Contrary to popular belief, you can indeed wait for that new kitchen set, the deluxe food blender, and the commercial grade range.
Lots of people feel that they have to have the perfect xyz item, have the biggest kitchen with lush counters, and picture perfect decor. To have a good showing in the cul-de-sac society, the competition is with the McMansion next door, giving people the compulsive need to have that dazzlingly shiny Kitchen Aid, Brevilles, or Cusinarts are on display at the neighbors house. But does anyone really use them?
Do they even know how? The more important question is: Did they have to buy them new? The answer to to most of those questions above is: NO. You can have the same functionality of a tool with out shelling out huge money, and save money by actually using rather than having it as an object d' art on your counter.
One place people don't look, but really should, for kitchen tools is in antique shops, thrift stores, used furniture stores, yard sales, and "junk" stores. These places are famous for having odd ball kitchen tools for pennies on the dollar of original cost. Do check in with them regularly, as many places will get incoming stock on a daily or weekly basis. But as with any "hit or miss" shopping experience, you have to make up rules to keep your pocket book under control. My Mom makes it a point to shop once a week at the Salvation Army store near her on half price day. That is the ONLY day she will allow herself to go over there. If she did not do this, she freely admits that any savings that she did gain would be spent on things that were more want vs. need and at a price that is double what she would pay on Wednesday to begin with. Don't think it works? Mom got a breadmaker for $10. I looked up the price on amazon and found it selling USED for $100. That model sold new for $250. That is just ONE of the items she has found at rock bottom prices.
Before we jump on the power tool bandwagon, or er..the small appliance soap box....
Before there was this great thing called electricity, many people did far more with HAND TOOLS. Gasp! Shock! Horror! Say it isn't true! It is folks.
Hand tools are a GREAT way to save money. They may cost you time upfront, but they will save the money for you in the long run.
Did you know that every attachment the stand mixers have, you can get as a hand tool!
-Meat Grinder? Yep
-Pasta Maker? Yep
-Ice Cream Maker? Yep
-Wisk? Yep
-Food Processor? Yep (you have heard of a grater or a knife, right?)
-Dough Hook?.... Well, if you have arms, you can use what God gave you. If you don't this may be the one place you slide the small appliance into the "need" category.
So what small appliance tools do I suggest having in your kitchen?
-Stand Mixer with dough hook
-Hand Mixer (if Stand Mixer is out of your budget)
-Food Processor
-Blender
-Electric Skillet
-Food Scale
All of these can be found, if you shop consistently in the thrift store circuit.
Since the "Pink Slime" scare is currently front and formost in the media headlines, let us look at how we can provide hamburger, meatballs, and other ground meat products with out buying them pre packaged.
When you make something, control is taken away from the middle guy and is placed in your lap. You control the product. You control what goes into it, and what doesn't. You control the salt and fat content. You know if you make it, there is no gluten in there, because you didn't add any bread products.
How to Make Awesome but Cheap Hamburger
Take a stroll through your supermarket meat section. Find the "Manager's Special" (the stuff that is still good, but its at the end of the shelf life to sell), buying it will get you a nice cut of meat for a fraction of the cost, and you will make your own hamburger if you add suet to the mix.
Yes, I said suet. It is fat, and is available from your grocery store in a far corner of the refrigerated meat area. If not on display, ask the folks behind the counter. Please don't make that face. Yes, that one... It is already there in all hamburger products. No pink slime, honest.
Your meat supplier adds suet to all ground meat. This is evident in the % lean statement that is on each label. Add the percentage that you find you like (if it is 90% lean, then just add 10% fat). Still confused? Break the pounds down to ounces. We have 16 oz in 1lb, right? 10% of 16 is?... 1.6oz. So for every pound, you are putting in 1.5 (give or take) ounces into your beef for fat.
To grind the beef, cut into strips that will fit into your grinder and then interchange putting the beef and the fat through the grinder. Mix together evenly in bowl once ground. Patty and grill as normal!
Do note that some grinders have different size "die". The "die" is the disk that extrudes the size of the grind you are looking for. Some people like a fine grind, and some like one that is akin to that of a chop steak. Add some salt and pepper an you have made your own hamburger!
Just be sure to grind, cook (and/or) freeze that day if using "manager's special" products. There is no refrigerator time left on those meat products. Mind the dates on all meat labels and you will be just fine!
In my next post, I will be listing my "Killer Meatball" recipe... Later everyone, I gotta get outside and start working in the garden if I expect to have anything to can (as in canning...as in "canned tomatoes... c'mon folks, work with me here!) in the months to come.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Saving Money...part 1
Signs and ads scream almost every second around the world about how much money you will save with XYZ product. 20%! 30% and more!
The truth is, "save more" is often a marketing ropeadope for the consumer public. This predatory maneuver is heavily cloaked as a "feel good" sales mechanic to invoke an action. Its goal is getting you to take do something. It is actually getting you to… (drum roll please)
you guessed it:
Spend - more - money.
The truth is: Just because they are selling it, does not mean that you have to buy it.
Now, that does not mean that you see a choice between two brands and you choose the one that costs less… yes, choosing the less expensive one is the obvious choice when buying something. But what about taking the sales guys out, taking the middle man out, and taking back the power of not only what you spend but also what they heck goes into what you are buying?
Back in my late 20's the Atkins diet was all the rage. Niche low-carb businesses sprouted up to service this new diet market, supplying myself and the other rabid weight loss consumers with "no-carb" products.
Many people who got on the diet, did not get Mr. Atkins' actual message. Yes, he was all for taking out the sugar and carbs that people were addicted to, but his bigger point was actually advocating getting away from "processed" products and closer to the actual component foods than what people were used to. Taking out the middle men was where the value, the true value of the food was.
The real irony was that new niche businesses ignored this completely and supplied the public with carb free toaster pizza, low-carb energy bars and no-carb bagels one could use as hockey pucks. All of these products were far more processed food than any person in their rational mind would buy. But we wern't rational at the time. We were part of a revolution! (Why do I feel like I just looked at my highschool yearbook photo?)
The same problem has happened with saving money. Lots of people have jumped in to fill the void of the financial diet that we are now all forcibly put on. And on this financial diet there are tons of new products brought to the market that are designed to " save you money"…when in all actuality its goal is to get you to spend more, by feeling like you saved money. You guessed it, these products too are chock full of "processing".
So how do we take back that power? Simple. We don't buy what they are selling. You need a product, or XY and Z thing. Do it yourself. Grow it yourself. Make it yourself.
I am not telling you to go out and buy a farm… but if you do my hat is off to you! You are a better person than I!
What I am telling you is to reexamine what you have and what you could do for yourself. Let's start with one thing at a time here. Let's look at something that is by all accounts something that you would buy and wouldn't' think to make: Cheese!
Making your own cheese…
Ok, I know I promised you something here…1 new blog each week on saving money (and with some "how to" and it seems like I am taking you from the frying pan and tossing you into the fire here.
You are thinking "me? make cheese?" Yes, you! And you know what it will be better tasting and far more nutritious than what has been sitting on the shelf for the past month. And I promise you, it will happen in 30 minutes (give or take)!
This is NOT my recipe. I am simply going to point you towards where you need to go for that recipe and all the resources since it is not mine. Not that I don't believe in sharing out here in the digital frontier, but I do believe in copyrights and in respecting other peoples work.
Take a look at Ricki's work here http://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomakemozzarellacheese.html
This is an AWESOME recipe and is fun for the whole family!
I will also divulge why I cringed upon seeing what was portrayed in that Good Housekeeping article and why it failed miserably.
The mother in that article sat there proud as punch with her store brand ultra-pasteurized "organic" milk. I sat there and banged my head on my desk as I saw her preening. She didn't know that what she had bought was actually as over processed and as tasteless as the other "non-organic" milk.
The more processed something is, the more it has lost, and the further is is away from the source.
You need to get closer to the source to get more for your dollar.
The better value for taste and getting closer to the "source" would have been regular pasteurized milk (example: Garelick Farms here in New England). Ultra pasteurization is actually a process of "cooking" the milk rather than doing a simple pasteurization. Making cheese requires milk, and ideally that kind that has had a simple pasteurization rather than the ultra pasteurization. They also believe (Garelick Farms) in no hormones, to read more on this, follow this link http://www.garelickfarms.com/newprod/
The closest to the source you can get, taking one more level of processing out is that of raw milk. Many people swear by it. However the FDA frowns on it. Here in Massachusetts you can only buy raw milk "on the farm". Yes, it is one step closer to the source and it does take the "processing" out; and then ultimately puts the money back in to your pocket with more for your dollar, but at a risk. The raw milk has not been heated to get rid of the potentially harmful bacteria that your body may not like. So I stick with pasteurized milk, and avoid the ultra- pasteurized stuff completely.
But I encourage you to make cheese tonight! It is so simple and so fun! And as long as you have milk in your fridge, you won't ever run out of mozzarella again!
Next week: Laundry, the biggest money leach of it all...
The truth is, "save more" is often a marketing ropeadope for the consumer public. This predatory maneuver is heavily cloaked as a "feel good" sales mechanic to invoke an action. Its goal is getting you to take do something. It is actually getting you to… (drum roll please)
you guessed it:
Spend - more - money.
The truth is: Just because they are selling it, does not mean that you have to buy it.
Now, that does not mean that you see a choice between two brands and you choose the one that costs less… yes, choosing the less expensive one is the obvious choice when buying something. But what about taking the sales guys out, taking the middle man out, and taking back the power of not only what you spend but also what they heck goes into what you are buying?
Back in my late 20's the Atkins diet was all the rage. Niche low-carb businesses sprouted up to service this new diet market, supplying myself and the other rabid weight loss consumers with "no-carb" products.
Many people who got on the diet, did not get Mr. Atkins' actual message. Yes, he was all for taking out the sugar and carbs that people were addicted to, but his bigger point was actually advocating getting away from "processed" products and closer to the actual component foods than what people were used to. Taking out the middle men was where the value, the true value of the food was.
The real irony was that new niche businesses ignored this completely and supplied the public with carb free toaster pizza, low-carb energy bars and no-carb bagels one could use as hockey pucks. All of these products were far more processed food than any person in their rational mind would buy. But we wern't rational at the time. We were part of a revolution! (Why do I feel like I just looked at my highschool yearbook photo?)
The same problem has happened with saving money. Lots of people have jumped in to fill the void of the financial diet that we are now all forcibly put on. And on this financial diet there are tons of new products brought to the market that are designed to " save you money"…when in all actuality its goal is to get you to spend more, by feeling like you saved money. You guessed it, these products too are chock full of "processing".
So how do we take back that power? Simple. We don't buy what they are selling. You need a product, or XY and Z thing. Do it yourself. Grow it yourself. Make it yourself.
I am not telling you to go out and buy a farm… but if you do my hat is off to you! You are a better person than I!
What I am telling you is to reexamine what you have and what you could do for yourself. Let's start with one thing at a time here. Let's look at something that is by all accounts something that you would buy and wouldn't' think to make: Cheese!
Making your own cheese…
Ok, I know I promised you something here…1 new blog each week on saving money (and with some "how to" and it seems like I am taking you from the frying pan and tossing you into the fire here.
You are thinking "me? make cheese?" Yes, you! And you know what it will be better tasting and far more nutritious than what has been sitting on the shelf for the past month. And I promise you, it will happen in 30 minutes (give or take)!
This is NOT my recipe. I am simply going to point you towards where you need to go for that recipe and all the resources since it is not mine. Not that I don't believe in sharing out here in the digital frontier, but I do believe in copyrights and in respecting other peoples work.
Take a look at Ricki's work here http://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomakemozzarellacheese.html
This is an AWESOME recipe and is fun for the whole family!
I will also divulge why I cringed upon seeing what was portrayed in that Good Housekeeping article and why it failed miserably.
The mother in that article sat there proud as punch with her store brand ultra-pasteurized "organic" milk. I sat there and banged my head on my desk as I saw her preening. She didn't know that what she had bought was actually as over processed and as tasteless as the other "non-organic" milk.
The more processed something is, the more it has lost, and the further is is away from the source.
You need to get closer to the source to get more for your dollar.
The better value for taste and getting closer to the "source" would have been regular pasteurized milk (example: Garelick Farms here in New England). Ultra pasteurization is actually a process of "cooking" the milk rather than doing a simple pasteurization. Making cheese requires milk, and ideally that kind that has had a simple pasteurization rather than the ultra pasteurization. They also believe (Garelick Farms) in no hormones, to read more on this, follow this link http://www.garelickfarms.com/newprod/
The closest to the source you can get, taking one more level of processing out is that of raw milk. Many people swear by it. However the FDA frowns on it. Here in Massachusetts you can only buy raw milk "on the farm". Yes, it is one step closer to the source and it does take the "processing" out; and then ultimately puts the money back in to your pocket with more for your dollar, but at a risk. The raw milk has not been heated to get rid of the potentially harmful bacteria that your body may not like. So I stick with pasteurized milk, and avoid the ultra- pasteurized stuff completely.
But I encourage you to make cheese tonight! It is so simple and so fun! And as long as you have milk in your fridge, you won't ever run out of mozzarella again!
Next week: Laundry, the biggest money leach of it all...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Best Audo Book Narrator List
Ok, I did promise this earlier, and sorry for making this after my last blog post. But anyway here we go:
My Personal Favorites:
Johanna Parker
Gabra Zachman
Cassandra Cambell
Luke Daniels
Elenna Stauffer
Favorites From People at Large:
(have not listened to these folks as of yet)
John Lee
Jim Dale
Simon Prebble
George Guidall
Frank Muller
Barbara Rosenblat
David Case AKA Frederick Davidson
Jonathan Cecil
CJ Critt
Please notice that I have not included any of the infamous Hollywood set. Not that they are good or bad, its just that these guys are the best of the best and are often overlooked. I would like to mention that Stephen Fry is always a good bet for audio or acting on screen.
This list will evolve over time I would expect, so do check back often!
My Personal Favorites:
Johanna Parker
Gabra Zachman
Cassandra Cambell
Luke Daniels
Elenna Stauffer
Favorites From People at Large:
(have not listened to these folks as of yet)
John Lee
Jim Dale
Simon Prebble
George Guidall
Frank Muller
Barbara Rosenblat
David Case AKA Frederick Davidson
Jonathan Cecil
CJ Critt
Please notice that I have not included any of the infamous Hollywood set. Not that they are good or bad, its just that these guys are the best of the best and are often overlooked. I would like to mention that Stephen Fry is always a good bet for audio or acting on screen.
This list will evolve over time I would expect, so do check back often!
Saving Money...
I know I promised months ago that I would put an audiobook "best of" narrator list up in my next post. This is not it.
That will come in the next few, but I have something a bit more important for people to know here: Saving money. Every one has something to say on the subject: clip coupons, forgo the lattes, and cut back to eating out 1x a week. The media seems to recycle the same damn advice over and over and over.
At the dentist yesterday, I picked up a copy of Good Housekeeping, intrigued by a Dr. Oz article on the cover. After reading it, and thinking maybe I should buy a copy before it goes off the stand I noticed what looked like an interesting article on saving money, titled "How We Saved $10,000 in Just One Year." Money wins out over calorie counts every time! Wow. 10k! They must have been doing something really REALLY different! I was grinning ear to ear thinking I was going to learn something new. Oh boy! I was in for a treat!
Skimming it, I first saw the photo of this picture perfect American family, proud as punch of their achievement and holding items from their "saving sojourn." In the photo, the mother was holding in her lap, a half gallon carton of 360 milk from my favorite "fleecing your money via fear" supermarket who I fondly refer to as "Whole Paycheck." Insert *Facepalm* here.
I did skim the article, and to be fair to my first impression before I posted here, I reread it on line (http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/budget/we-saved-10-grand-wealth-watchers)
Honestly, I couldn't stomach most of it. The life this person lived, seemed to be one step below the partial sharing jetset folks. This magazine (Good Housekeeping) is supposed to appeal to the American women with a household to manage and run. Who exactly was this supposed to appeal to?
I sat there and wondered if the editors at Good Housekeeping are suffering from Romney-itis, and are incapable of relating to the majority of the country who earns far less than 500K a year. Reading on, she enlisted friends of hers that had already lost their jobs, had some money in the bank, but were cutting back to make their nest egg last as long as it had to. These folks were a diet buddy of sorts. And although they had some common sense ideas that people in the below that income bracket already do, it was almost sad.
Saving 10K is not as important to the wealthy of our country as it is to the folks who are trying to scrape by and are at their wits end. For these folks who are barely getting by, coupon clipping is not even coming close to making things easier. Instead the insults kept coming...the author panics in the article about having to "pay" for college, never even had a brain cell thought about having her kids get a job to help defer the cost.
The one common sense thing that the author did do was to keep track of what she was spending ala Weight Watchers. The "discretionary" daily spending amount was another facepalm moment. $90 a day? Seriously? But I do give her kudos for keeping track of what she spent in a semi-structured manner.
I am very saddened by this article and honestly, I am not going to buy April's edition of that magazine. In the next few postings I will be illustrating some of what I do to save money and also provide me with a better standard of living than what is currently sold to the American public's current philosophy of today.
As my posting history here is spotty, I am committing to having one new blog post here up each week. Intermingled with the "saving money" bit, will be odds and ends that come across my path and be of interest to folks who wander on by. I hope you will pick up some info and insight as I share what I have learned to make my life richer with you all.
That will come in the next few, but I have something a bit more important for people to know here: Saving money. Every one has something to say on the subject: clip coupons, forgo the lattes, and cut back to eating out 1x a week. The media seems to recycle the same damn advice over and over and over.
At the dentist yesterday, I picked up a copy of Good Housekeeping, intrigued by a Dr. Oz article on the cover. After reading it, and thinking maybe I should buy a copy before it goes off the stand I noticed what looked like an interesting article on saving money, titled "How We Saved $10,000 in Just One Year." Money wins out over calorie counts every time! Wow. 10k! They must have been doing something really REALLY different! I was grinning ear to ear thinking I was going to learn something new. Oh boy! I was in for a treat!
Skimming it, I first saw the photo of this picture perfect American family, proud as punch of their achievement and holding items from their "saving sojourn." In the photo, the mother was holding in her lap, a half gallon carton of 360 milk from my favorite "fleecing your money via fear" supermarket who I fondly refer to as "Whole Paycheck." Insert *Facepalm* here.
I did skim the article, and to be fair to my first impression before I posted here, I reread it on line (http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/budget/we-saved-10-grand-wealth-watchers)
Honestly, I couldn't stomach most of it. The life this person lived, seemed to be one step below the partial sharing jetset folks. This magazine (Good Housekeeping) is supposed to appeal to the American women with a household to manage and run. Who exactly was this supposed to appeal to?
I sat there and wondered if the editors at Good Housekeeping are suffering from Romney-itis, and are incapable of relating to the majority of the country who earns far less than 500K a year. Reading on, she enlisted friends of hers that had already lost their jobs, had some money in the bank, but were cutting back to make their nest egg last as long as it had to. These folks were a diet buddy of sorts. And although they had some common sense ideas that people in the below that income bracket already do, it was almost sad.
Saving 10K is not as important to the wealthy of our country as it is to the folks who are trying to scrape by and are at their wits end. For these folks who are barely getting by, coupon clipping is not even coming close to making things easier. Instead the insults kept coming...the author panics in the article about having to "pay" for college, never even had a brain cell thought about having her kids get a job to help defer the cost.
The one common sense thing that the author did do was to keep track of what she was spending ala Weight Watchers. The "discretionary" daily spending amount was another facepalm moment. $90 a day? Seriously? But I do give her kudos for keeping track of what she spent in a semi-structured manner.
I am very saddened by this article and honestly, I am not going to buy April's edition of that magazine. In the next few postings I will be illustrating some of what I do to save money and also provide me with a better standard of living than what is currently sold to the American public's current philosophy of today.
As my posting history here is spotty, I am committing to having one new blog post here up each week. Intermingled with the "saving money" bit, will be odds and ends that come across my path and be of interest to folks who wander on by. I hope you will pick up some info and insight as I share what I have learned to make my life richer with you all.
Friday, September 30, 2011
non-vampire paranormal books...
First of all, just to let you know, I am a HUGE insomniac. Audiobooks have been a lifesaver for me. If I listen to a story, my brain stops racing and I slowly drift off to sleep. If I don't drift, these books keep me company and keep me from driving my husband crazy as I stop tossing and turning and focus and instead on the story.
Audiobooks are a funny thing. The author only has so much control over the true art of the audiobook. Once the book is written and then editors come in, they package things up and finally a narrator is hired. That narrator can have just as much to add to the book as the artist themselves. The way they speak, the inflection in their voice, interpreting the characters and making them come to life. It can make the difference for me of my staying awake all night cringing or being entertained while I try to drift to sleep. Often, if an author writes a series then the same narrator is hired to do all of the books. These are the kind of books I aim for. Paranormal for me, is a nice distraction from the murder, angst ridden romance novels, and the gum shoe junk that is out there.
Ok... what kind of books to I listen to? Well to tell you the truth I am a HUGE fan of the Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. Yes it is vampire based. But it is very funny and fast paced. What I am NOT a fan of is the multitude of silly vampire books that have hit the market on the back of the Sookie or Twilight saga. There is so much blood and gore, plus "forbidden love" and "blood bonds/pacts/lust" that I really can't stand most of what is out there. What I do love is the humor in Harris' books. Also let it be known that one of the best TV writers out there in my opinion is Joss Whedon. Both Harris and Whedon provide a benchmark for this genre that is very hard for most other authors to reach.
What I have noticed about the vamp genre is that many authors get so wrapped up in creating a world, that we have to learn a whole new "world" as they abandon the original lore and go to create "something different". This I can't escape into as I have to do some serious mental work in learning the author's lingo and places.
Enter in my quest to find a non-vampire, entertaining, paranormal series. Why paranormal? Its a departure from reality...where my brain loves to whir and churn in. It takes me out of the everyday and puts me into fairy tale land.
So here is what I love for books when I cannot sleep and can't stomach the vamp stuff:
Kevin Hearns' adventures of his characterAtticus OSullivan in the series of "Hounded", "Hexed" and 'Hammered:
Hilariously funny, fast moving, great narration. Worlds of all legend and lore meet from many countries and time periods.
Victoria Laurie's "Abby Cooper" series:
A intuitive turned investigator, which is amusing, and fairly predictable... but well narrated.
Karen Marie Moning's "Fever" Series:
Very dark. Moning does a great job of weaving today into the other worldly beings that we all associated with the boogie man in the fairy realm. Not funny, but certainly not vampire centric. There are a few adjunct vampire characters, but the story is more about the worlds of the fey and the humans colliding. This is as I said before, very dark. There is no humor (or very little of it) and it is a underdog story of epic proportions. Also, adult topics are in this that are not graphic in description but are from a victim's perspective. Not one of my favorite stories to drift off to because of the topics, but a good story if I am listening while designing or doing other things.
Going towards the romance, but not too mushy in the realm of science fiction/light macabre ... you could call it chick lit, but I think that does it an injustice:
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's "Wild Ride":
A hilarious story about a group of people trying to keep the evil gods locked in their prisons that are actual carnival rides.
Stephanie Bond's "Body Movers" series:
An abandoned brother and sister left to fend for themselves as "Body Movers" after being raised in the uber wealthy overdeveloped neighborhoods of Buckhead, GA. Very funny, and entertaining.
As I find more, I will post them here. For my next blog, I am hoping to list the best unsung heroes of audiobooks: the narrators.
Thanks for reading!
Audiobooks are a funny thing. The author only has so much control over the true art of the audiobook. Once the book is written and then editors come in, they package things up and finally a narrator is hired. That narrator can have just as much to add to the book as the artist themselves. The way they speak, the inflection in their voice, interpreting the characters and making them come to life. It can make the difference for me of my staying awake all night cringing or being entertained while I try to drift to sleep. Often, if an author writes a series then the same narrator is hired to do all of the books. These are the kind of books I aim for. Paranormal for me, is a nice distraction from the murder, angst ridden romance novels, and the gum shoe junk that is out there.
Ok... what kind of books to I listen to? Well to tell you the truth I am a HUGE fan of the Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. Yes it is vampire based. But it is very funny and fast paced. What I am NOT a fan of is the multitude of silly vampire books that have hit the market on the back of the Sookie or Twilight saga. There is so much blood and gore, plus "forbidden love" and "blood bonds/pacts/lust" that I really can't stand most of what is out there. What I do love is the humor in Harris' books. Also let it be known that one of the best TV writers out there in my opinion is Joss Whedon. Both Harris and Whedon provide a benchmark for this genre that is very hard for most other authors to reach.
What I have noticed about the vamp genre is that many authors get so wrapped up in creating a world, that we have to learn a whole new "world" as they abandon the original lore and go to create "something different". This I can't escape into as I have to do some serious mental work in learning the author's lingo and places.
Enter in my quest to find a non-vampire, entertaining, paranormal series. Why paranormal? Its a departure from reality...where my brain loves to whir and churn in. It takes me out of the everyday and puts me into fairy tale land.
So here is what I love for books when I cannot sleep and can't stomach the vamp stuff:
Kevin Hearns' adventures of his characterAtticus OSullivan in the series of "Hounded", "Hexed" and 'Hammered:
Hilariously funny, fast moving, great narration. Worlds of all legend and lore meet from many countries and time periods.
Victoria Laurie's "Abby Cooper" series:
A intuitive turned investigator, which is amusing, and fairly predictable... but well narrated.
Karen Marie Moning's "Fever" Series:
Very dark. Moning does a great job of weaving today into the other worldly beings that we all associated with the boogie man in the fairy realm. Not funny, but certainly not vampire centric. There are a few adjunct vampire characters, but the story is more about the worlds of the fey and the humans colliding. This is as I said before, very dark. There is no humor (or very little of it) and it is a underdog story of epic proportions. Also, adult topics are in this that are not graphic in description but are from a victim's perspective. Not one of my favorite stories to drift off to because of the topics, but a good story if I am listening while designing or doing other things.
Going towards the romance, but not too mushy in the realm of science fiction/light macabre ... you could call it chick lit, but I think that does it an injustice:
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's "Wild Ride":
A hilarious story about a group of people trying to keep the evil gods locked in their prisons that are actual carnival rides.
Stephanie Bond's "Body Movers" series:
An abandoned brother and sister left to fend for themselves as "Body Movers" after being raised in the uber wealthy overdeveloped neighborhoods of Buckhead, GA. Very funny, and entertaining.
As I find more, I will post them here. For my next blog, I am hoping to list the best unsung heroes of audiobooks: the narrators.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
2006-2011...5 years?
And its taken me THAT long to work on this? My gawd! OK... Well, I have another blog I work on in regard to my teaching for machine embroidery and creative textile tech... And honestly, since I left myspace, I haven't really focused on posting my random thoughts on cooking, crafting, and gardening... I still have a "blog" over there, but I don't log in and certainly don't post to it anymore!
But I guess I will do one "final" posting to point to this blog for those folks looking for more of my musings about stuff in general!
Thanks for stopping by! And I promise it won't take me 5 more years to write another post!
But I guess I will do one "final" posting to point to this blog for those folks looking for more of my musings about stuff in general!
Thanks for stopping by! And I promise it won't take me 5 more years to write another post!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)