Food
Geek Food (Tech Nerd)
Delche says...
We geeks like to eat. It's that simple. Have you seen any of us lately? Yes stereotypically we are "round" but we like our food. So we like to eat and we are geeky so naturally we want our food to be geeky. Geeky food can come in several varieties. It can be normal nom noms with a geek slant or some radical way of making said food.
The cake is a lie! For you games out there I hope you got that portal reference! Most of the time, the only cake we get is the sheet variety for our birthday. This side has 12 bad ass Scifi themed cakes that I would love to get nom nom's on. I still don't understand how they make them in three dimensions. These cakes don't stick strictly with the scifi theme. I mean who wouldn't want a Nintendo cake. Sometimes the cake can be practical such as this one that you can make in an Altoids Can.
If you are a geek, like myself, then you will also know that bacon is widely popular. From bacon strips, the bacon soap, to bacon scarfs, bacon is big. Again from Instructables.com is this delicious bacon egg wrap. Since we are geeks, we can't use ordinary tortillas, we use bacon! And if you are not hungry, then you could make a gun from your bacon.
Finally if your stove is just too boring then you could always use a laser!
Damn, now i'm hungry.
Food. Guys Like Food. (Ask A Guy)
Sophie, 20 from Colorado writes...
I have wanted to ask a guy this question for the longest time. Basically, what do guys like to hear and receive from girls? For example, girls love it when guys tell them how pretty they are, pay for dinner, hold the door for them, and take their jackets. Actions like these make me fall in love with a guy. I really don't understand what kind of things men like done for them (let's say in the early part of a relationship).
Daniel says...
Guys love to know they are appreciated and that their actions to pursue you are being received well. Generally speaking, it is pretty easy to keep a guy happy. Guys tend to be doers...most of them want to please their girlfriend (or the girl they are pursuing) and when they open the door for you, a genuine thank you goes a long way. Look them in the eye when they compliment you, respond with heartfelt appreciation and send the message that you respect his opinion and appreciate his comments. It may sound a little strange, but you can also count on a guy to genuinely appreciate when a girl pays for an occasional meal.
Stereotypically, guys pay for a lot of meals. Societal pressures (and certain genetic desire) create in guys an expectation that they will provide for their girlfriends, wives, or families. As a result, they understand just what kind of a responsibility this is. They understand the amount of money they spend on dates and in pursuit of their significant others. When a girl reaches out and tries to pay for something, even if it is a token expense, guys appreciate that. Don't go over the top with it so a guy begins to expect you to pay for everything, but have fun with it and surprise him from time to time.
I hate to be too generic, but the main thing in showing your feelings for a guy is to anticipate his needs. If you see something he lacks in his every day routine, try to fix it. Guys are practical - they appreciate practical things.
This article was originally posted by Daniel in July 2009.
Tags: ask a guy, advice, relationships, food, the way to a guy's heart
Loving Life With Food (Big Sister)
Not Really That Hungry, 17 writes...
Hey Big Sisters. I have a bit of a dumb question, but I really need help. I feel like I have an obsession with food. It all started when I quit my soccer team a few weeks ago. Up until that point, I could eat absolutely ANYTHING I wanted, and not have to worry about gaining weight, as I would just burn it off that night at practice. I had been playing soccer pretty much my whole life, so I've never really had to eat like a normal person... I really could eat as much as I wanted, whenever I wanted. However, now that I don't play soccer six nights a week, I feel like I'm consumed with words like "calories", "fat", "weight" and "exercise". It seems like food is the only thing that's ever on my mind - and when I am eating, I don't stop to really taste it, I'm just thinking of what my next meal is going to be. I'm trying SO HARD to eat well and not obsess, but somehow I just can't stop myself when I enter the kitchen. I go CRAZY. I've tried counting calories, just to get a measure of how much I really am eating, but that gets tiresome after a while. I've tried to focus on eating when I'm hungry and not when I'm bored, but that only works for a few days at a time. I've joined a gym, but when I go I get a little OCD and work out for 3 hours at a time, which I know isn't healthy either. At the rate I'm going, I feel like one of two things could happen. 1) I'm either heading towards an eating disorder because I'm so obsessed or 2) I'll completely give up and gain 45 pounds I feel like I'll self-destruct either way... I can't seem to find a happy medium. I think part of my worry is that I was really overweight as a child, and now that I'm 17 years old, 5'8 and weigh 155 pounds, I'll just end up going back to my old rolly-polly self. Which I really don't want. At all. So I was just wondering if you girls could help me. I don't know if you have any tips or tricks on how to stop yourself from overdosing on food, but if you did, that would be so very much appreciated. Thanks a bunch 
amanda says...
I can relate to this situation 100%. I too played highly competitive soccer and found it easy to keep myself at a healthy weight. After I quit I noticed the pounds piling on. I think different tactics work for everyone, but here are some things that worked for me. Since I was never a fan of going to the gym, I joined a basketball league. This forced me to work out once a week. In your case, joining a different sport with less of a commitment can put a cap on your exercise and will still have you being active and not necessarily in soccer. Also, when it comes to eating, you can eat a lot of stuff, as long as it's healthy. I found the fake meals (the snacks between meals) were the ones that got to me. So, I would always try to snack on healthy foods. Frozen grapes, cheese and crackers or nuts. All of these I found to be substantial and got rid of my snack craving. Lastly I almost always try to substitute out fries when ordering foods. They aren't too good for you and usually make you feel really full. You can order burgers and stuff, but just always opt for the salad. Lastly you can always try making a food diary. Sometimes writing out everything you have eaten in a day will make you more food conscious. If you really feel like you are on the brink of a eating disorder, make sure you tell someone and get help before it's too late. Talking to a doctor might be able to help you more with guidleines and putting a structure to yoru eating.The City of Food—Chicago, IL (Master ChefTravel Bug)
Chicago is known for a number of things: the windiness from being on the shore of Lake Michigan, the hometown of current US President Barack Obama, railroads, and seemingly always having a mayor from the Daley family. Personally, what makes Chicago shine for me is the food! In fact, I think that’s what works for most people in Chicago, you’ll be pretty hard pressed to find lots of skinny people. But I think of it more as being fat and happy rather than grotesquely fat—just please make sure your shirt is long enough to tuck into your pants or skirts!
Though finding the tastiest food in town does take some skill. In fact when I’ve visited this great city, I usually rest my fate into the hands of a local. The locals know the off-the-beaten track stuff that will simply blow your mind. If you stay to the well-trodden touristy areas I can guarantee that you will not share my sentiment for the high quality of the food in this city! Rather you’ll consider me crazy because all you can associate with Chicago is stereotypically over greased up deep-dish pizza and the same ol’ same ol’ from the nationwide chains.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Logan Square area. In fact, this is usually where I base my Chicago adventures on the couch of a good friend. It’s nowhere near downtown, in fact, it takes about 30 minutes to get there on a good day. This is a SAFE distance from the downtown tourist traps! In fact, the further you get from the downtown core, the cheaper the eats and the lodging get. You can gauge your distance from downtown by noting the number of 6+ level buildings: if there are none or virtually none, you’re safe.
Above all, I simply just cannot live with myself unless I can get a burger from Kuma’s Corner. I will never wait two hours to eat at a cozy establishment playing loud metal, never, never, never …unless I’m in Chicago at this restaurant. They break all of the rules of burger craft so I have to break all of my rules about waiting, loud music, and being just a little too close to everyone else. Perennial favorites here include the Goblin Cock (it’s an entire Chicago-style hot dog with all of the fixings, on top of a burger) and the Famous Kuma’s Burger which features a fried egg and bacon on top of a huge burger. These guys say they’re the best burger in Chicago and I think that’s selling them short, a self-described meat enthusiast, I’ve got to say these guys have the best burger on the continent.
Though because it is Chicago, the top place to get a hot dog is of the utmost importance. The reference place to visit for your encased meat fix is, without a doubt, Hot Doug’s. Here you can get your standard Chicago dog, but you can get so much more! Their offerings of sausage are broad and range from the fairly typical to some types I’ve never seen anywhere else, such as wild boar sausage, Thai chicken sausage, and cherry pork sausage. Furthermore, on Fridays and Saturdays you can get duck fat fries! Though regardless of when you go, this establishment is cash only and do expect to have to wait 20-30 minutes for your order to be taken (longer if around lunchtime). But if you’re not looking for anything too unique from your dog in Chicago, Superdawg is also a great choice—can’t really say it’s the next best thing because these guys make out of this world hot dogs too!
The Logan Square area of Chicago also boasts one thing a lot of other eastern and Midwestern cities seem to struggle with: a huge variety of bars! As someone that doesn’t typically rock out in bars, I can truthfully say I’ve been to a fair number of them in this area of Chicago that didn’t repulse me at all! Furthermore, many of them serve food and since visiting Chicago, my perception of bar food has been completely warped forever. In fact, that experience may be what’s ruining bars in other part of the country for me. Additionally, Chicagoans take their beer seriously. It doesn’t take much looking to find bars with expanded beer lists, often featuring lambics (perfect for the non-beer fan!), and high-test suds. And it takes no concerted effort to find a bar serving Old Style, which is apparently a Chicago tradition. My understanding is that it is fit only for folks who think Pabst Blue Ribbon is a classy beer (so if you’re from Atlanta you’re set).
So of course, Chicago is good for a lot of things! I’ve personally enjoyed a swim in Lake Michigan at dawn (ignore the fact I did it with my clothes on), taking in the grandeur of Union Station, visiting the “bean” in Millennium Park, wonderful summer street festivals, and even strolling around all of the shops made for tourists and wealthy in the Gold Coast and Magnificent Mile parts of the city. But don’t forget to take where you eat seriously! Getting a meal at Olive Garden, Outback, or worse yet a national fast-food chain is unforgivable!
Tags: master chef, food, travel bug, chicago, bar scene, hot dogs, midwestern usa, illinois
What A Long Weekend! (Day In The Life)
I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to get everyone caught up on my life the past several days. I don't even remember the last thing I posted about. Haha. I think I have a real bad short term memory. Because if I don't write down an event that is going on, I will 99% not remember about it.I wound up not going to Young Adults group on Thursday. A friend of mine was moving back to Kansas this past Saturday, and Thursday night was her last night of "group." Part of me didn't want to believe that she won't be there this upcoming Thursday, while another part of me knows that she won't. I didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of other people crying and saying goodbye to her, that's why I decided to not go. Plus Thursday night I spent most of the night grading papers for my adoptive mom. My incentive for this was to go shopping and get some cute summer clothes.
Friday I worked from 10 in the morning till 2. I was supposed to work until 5:30 but the guy that was relieving me came in early. I was so happy about that, because my allergies were acting up and I didn't really feel like be there. After that I came home and did a few errands, then went out to eat at Mongolian Grill. If you've never heard of it it's an interesting concept. It's chinese food ( I guess?). They have the 2 huge tables filled up with nothing but veggies, meats, etc. Then there was another fairly smaller table that had all different kinds of sauces with a cool wall behind it telling you how to make your favorite sauce. My personal favorite is teriyaki. So I pilled up my bowl really high with all sorts of good stuff, then you pass it off to the chef who cooks it for you on this huge grill thing. It's totally yummy. Be prepared to spend 10.00 a person on it though. And I've been to a few of them that were buffets, but I don't know if the one I went to that night was a buffet.
After that I watched Leap Year which I thought was an okay movie. It definitely wasn't my favorite when it comes to romance. Then I went to sleep because I had to open on Saturday. Saturday's shift kinda sucked because it was slow and boring. Once I left work I went over to my friend's house to watch her 8 month old while she went and got ready for a wedding with the bridal party. Then she came home and I left to go out to my best friend's house. I go out there quite a bit even though they live like 15 miles from my house.
My best friend made baby back ribs that were awesome. He is such a good cook! Seriously I hope I can find someone like him to cook like he does. After dinner we sat down and watched Avatar. Neither of us wanted to spend the ten bucks to go see it in the movie theaters so we waited till it came out to blockbuster. I can't believe how incredibly long that movie is. But it seemed like it went by pretty quickly. I didn't find myself bored at any point in the movie. After the movie was over we sat out in the back and drank a few beers and just talked. It was nice to enjoy each other's company. We haven't been able to do that for one reason or another in several months. I wound up not leaving there until 2:30am and that meant getting home after 3am for me.
Sunday morning we both woke up and went to church. It was an interesting service. They did the Class of 2010 send off which was pretty nice, and then we were talking about Psalm 67. I really enjoy our Senior Pastor! He's so awesome. After church I got to come home and take an hour nap (obviously the lack of sleep got the best of me), and then I went to the outlet mall and shopped at Lane Bryant. Everything in their store was 40% off. I got 3 pairs of capri's, 2 shirts, and a belt for about $110. I was pretty impressed with myself. So now I have clothes that fit me, and I'm hoping at the end of the summer that all of those clothes will be too big for me! I've been gradually losing weight since I moved back home almost exactly a year ago.
Today was my other best friend's 30th birthday. She is married to the previous best friend who I hung out with Saturday night. She worked all weekend so she was asleep after dinner. I took her to lunch, and then we went and got pedicures. I also let her get a manicure because it was her birthday. I could tell she really enjoyed herself. I'm glad because I wanted to make her feel special. I know for my 21st birthday if I am home they will do something really nice for me too! Then I went to Maurices and went shopping for 3 other pairs of pants. I got 2 pairs of jeans, and one pair of khaki pants. After I earn some money I'm going to buy shirts for all of my new pants.
I think I have almost officially decided that I'm leaving my current job. There is really no chance for me to advance, and I really just don't like it anymore. I'm completely depended on and on more then a few occasions I am taken advantage of. I'm probably going to be switching to a grocery store where I will make more money and be apart of a bigger team. I think this will be a good move for me, because I won't be at the top of the list of calls that happen when employees don't call, don't show, or call in sick 20 minutes before their shift is about to start. Even worse then that is people calling me to come in because they don't want to be there. I really hate that.
Well anyways I'm headed to bed. I have to go to the store to do a delivery tomorrow, and then I'm only working 2-5:30. I don't really know what I'm going to do after that. Maybe I'll get caught up on my laundry.
Happy Tuesday!!
Kerry