mlleErica's Profile

This is a thing of beauty. I love absolutely everything about it, and if I actually had space for a desk in my tiny place, this would be a winner. Fan-stinking-tastic.

From 5th grade on my backpack averaged about 25lbs - 30lbs-- and my high school was in a historical building without elevators (you know the high school in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" -- that's where I went) so I had to make it from the 4th floor tower on one side, down, across the courtyard, and up to the 4th floor tower on the opposite side of campus, while fighting through 2K other students -- all in 6 minutes or less.

Textbooks can weigh 8 pounds easily, plus the mandatory notebooks, plus lunch, tech, pens, & calculators, plus -- if you're a teenage girl -- a purse with makeup, tampons, and all the other detritus that gets shoved in.

Wheelie backpacks help for long stretches of walking on flat surfaces, but a lot of time they're completely impractical for kids fighting through crowds or going up stairs. I recommend getting a high quality backpack that has "backpacker" style features. Straps that buckle at the hips and chest, and features that distribute the load in a healthy way.

What I'd really like (but don't see happening) is for America to switch to what they do in places like Germany -- the class stays in one place, and different teachers come in to lecture throughout the day. It would clear out the hallways, take the burden off the kid's backs, and minimize interruptions.

I want a how-did-they-do-this post now! Love that floor. Wish the pic wasn't so bright though.

I second the New Amsterdam gin -- it is quite good! I love mixing up a bunch of gin and tonics and sitting out on the patio with friends!

I’m kind of surprised at the level of passion about this topic coming from the people who don’t have/don’t want large families. I hate the whole Jon and Kate circus, but I don’t see anything inherently wrong with featuring large families on TV.

Maybe it’s because I’ve known a lot of big families growing up – both ones made up of mostly-adopted, and ones of all biological kids, but I don’t see anything wrong, or aberrant about it. I’ve seen well-run large households, and I’ve seen disastrous ones – but I’ve seen exactly the same in homes with only one or two kids.

I have seen one or two families where the parents were run ragged, in financial straights, and unable to spend time with their kids – but that isn’t the norm from what I’ve experienced, and I grew up in low-middle to middle-class neighborhoods and communities.

Usually they were happy, well adjusted, busy, fun families. I always wanted to hang out with them – they had the pool table in the garage, and built-in best friends to play with, they had parents that didn’t care if you came to dinner (“We always make extra!” They’d tell me, “just call your mom and ask if you can eat here tonight!”), and no one was ever bored.

Even as an adult I’ve enjoyed this – I moved across the country two years ago, and started going to a new church. There was one large family in the congregation (8 kids) and they have practically adopted me. I’m a bridesmaid in one of the eldest’s wedding this Friday.

I am 25, unmarried, with no kids, and grew up with two younger brothers. I don’t have any plans right now to have a huge family, but because of the families I’ve grown up with, I don’t rule it out, especially because I plan to adopt. It’s not always about religion, or money – sometimes it’s just about building the kind of family culture you want.

Whether it’s ecologically irresponsible or not, I’m not going to go into, but don’t dismiss large families out of hand as being “litters”.

Aww -- thanks @patrick (the other one), that's sweet.

@BeccaJaneStClair -- a pepper-less version of that taco seasoning sounds like it might be really good for him!

@yolio -- I have been pondering a cornbread or polenta based dish, since it works for your inlaws, maybe I'll give that a shot. :)

I'm also thinking of a risotto dish -- what do y'all think?
Will the white wine be too much? I have a cast iron stomach, and am a blissful omnivore. I've never met a cuisine I couldn't handle, digestion wise. I've never even had heart burn in my whole life -- so I have a hard time gauging this.

Thanks Everyone!

I will look up the GERD/Jain cookery that y'all are suggesting for sure, as well as some other more mild cuisines.

My friend is a complete bean pole, and always careful about how much/when he eats or drinks, so that's not his issue. I love cooking (and eating) so I'm hoping that I'll be able to help him enjoy food again by finding some new recipes for him to try.

@reddylee -- I've found out that he's pretty sensitive to gluten as well so thank you for your awesome comment.

I'm doing this with brie and fig preserves as the filler. Mmmmm. So pretty!

I am just getting ready to do a vlog on this very thing for my soon-to-be-launched food blog. I've got the easiest, quickest, least-likely-to-mangle-your-egg way to peel... no joke.

Boil your eggs (w/ or w/o baking soda, as you prefer) then immediately plunge them into an ice bath for a minute or two to let the eggs shrink back from their shells.

Then roll the eggs on the counter to crack the shells, and find the little air bubble between the shell and the egg. (Usually this is at the top or bottom of the egg)

Pull that piece of shell off, then take a spoon and wiggle it between the shell and the egg, cupping the egg in the bowl of the spoon.

Roll the spoon around the egg, and the shell falls off like magic!

It's incredible, and takes WAAAAY longer to type all this out then it does to actually peel an egg this way.

wow