Will Food Inc. Change your mind?

Last weekend we rented Food Inc. by director Robert Kenner.
The documentary poses many questions that to me are unavoidable to seek answers to:

1. Do I really know what I'm eating and where it’s coming from?
2. Am I comfortable eating what I'm eating?
3. Would I change my eating habits for the sake of saving the life of an animal?
4. Would I change my eating habits (and that of my family) to save my (and my family's) life, or to at least extend the course of life?

Well, according to IMDB.COM director Robert Kenner is not a vegetarian and I don't blame him. If you are a meat eater, chances are after watching Food Inc. you will remain a meat eater but possibly make wiser decisions in purchasing your meat. However, if you are in the "gray area" when it comes to consuming meat, poultry or products of, you might lean towards the vegetarian or vegan side a tad more after viewing Food Inc.

I myself am not very brave when it comes to preparing or consuming poultry...I'm just not big on it and come to realize do not like the taste of it. I can't go to a restaurant and have faith that the chef is preparing a lean piece of clean chicken that is organic and naturally fed/raised; in fact I know that is not the case in restaurants in this area. If I prepare chicken at home, it's for my family and its organic (making me feel better about my choice). Chicken disgusts me, it repulses me in its raw form...when I prepare chicken I think of...well, chicken and I am grossed out with the texture of it and knowing that it was a dirty bird amongst other dirty birds squawking around with large breasts and broken legs waiting for their horrid, painful demise.

When I prepare chicken, it’s because my family enjoys poultry over beef, plus it’s leaner however if we were eating naturally raised cattle or pig we wouldn’t have to worry about all of the possible poisons associated with corn-fed/digitally raised animals in false or harmful environments.
Food Inc. was obviously not an anti-meat pro-vegan documentary, it posed ALL viewpoints of the food we grow, purchase, prepare and eat and ultimately informed the viewer and left the choice in our hands without being force-fed the director’s opinion. The documentary was beautifully shot and made good points in relation to the food industry and corporate giants while also sharing the stories of “Average Joes”, including one mother who lost her young healthy child to tainted meat in a matter of hours.

There’s an important lesson to be learned, but only the viewer can pose that lesson and make better choices in relation to health, and also your financial position when it comes to purchasing and preparing food.
Me? I’m still grossed out by chicken and have decided to cut back on red meat (something I hold dear paired with a red wine or a dark beer). As hard as that my seem, thank goodness my family is BIG on tofu, vegetables and other vegetarian foods because out of the 5-8 meals I prepare throughout the week, half are meat-free and will continue to be (especially after viewing Food Inc.)

A Serious Coen's movie, not seriously, but YES.

A Serious Man
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
By: Evana Vleck
4 1/2 stars

I am slowly but surely creating my top 10 favorite films of 2009, but before I do I want to give this film a post of its own because it stood out drastically from other films I saw in 09. Yes, The Coen's are my favorite directors, but that does not mean that I hand them credit, blind-folded, in fact I feel that each time it becomes more and more difficult to watch one of their films as they are released because I am afraid that it will not meet my high expectations. That was not the case here.

Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a Jewish professor goes through a life altering experience after he gets news from his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she wants a divorce and has developed a friendship with Larry's aquaintance, Sy (Fred Melamed). His dumb-found children, apparently have no care in the matter as his daughter is living life in a continuous hair-washing mayhem and his son is fixated on television.

Larry is at odds with his neighbors, and at odds in his job, in which he's currently seeking tenure for and lastly at odds with his brother "Uncle Arthur" (Richard Kind) who has an "odd" habbit of draining a neck cyst. This poses a problem with his family seeing how he has become a permanent guest in Larry's house making everyone a little too close for comfort.

Alone, Larry seeks adivice from 2 Jewish Rabbi's, but as luck would have it - gets nowhere but lost again and in a state where he is in constant search for answers that he hopes can gain closure on a life that was never opened up to begin with.

Taking place in the 1960's, Larry mentally stumbles within suburban hell. You can't help but to feel sorry for Larry, but you also can't help to want to slap the shit out of him.

SPOILERS
Mid-film Sy gets in a car accident and dies, and his soon to be ex-wife wants him to pay for a propper Jewish funeral (which Larry finds amusing but is lead to believe would be the right thing to do). Ignorant, Larry proceeds and later prepares for his son's barmitzfa [sp?]
END SPOILERS

Overall, the film was poetically paced and was filled with visual enticement...I wish I would have seen this on a larger screen, however the fluid colors and soft lenz worked beautifuly - the camera captured visual episodes in Larry's life that weren't communicated otherwise...it was a very serene film.

This is probably one of my favorite Coen's films because it goes back to that true grit of dark humor, subtle story line, bold images, colorful charachters straight out of a Kurt Vonnegut novel and a bold view of humanity from the eyes of the average joe, who we find is not all that average.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

My favorite recipe of 2010, so good that I wish I discovered it in 2009. This delish recipe is definately a keeper, a crowd pleaser and a good teaser. Just the name of it...jalapeno popper dip, makes your mouth water. I have yet to meet someone who didn't love a jalapeno popper! Most poppers are frozen and deep fried and served as bar/grills or in your grocery food store in the frozen aisles, hardly anyone I know would ever take the time to make a homeade popper (myself included). Anything stuffed, battered and deep fried sounds like a real nightmare to prepare (especially working with a jalapeno...those mother's can get caliente!) This dip is the best alternative to the actual jalapeno popper because it tastes exactly like a popper, and smells exactly like a popper except it's easy to prepare ~ YUM!

Here is the recipe:


1 block cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup mayo ( i like helmans with olive oil)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parm cheese
4 oz diced jalapenos (canned or jarred)
bread crumbs (I make my own seasoned bread crumbs mixed with fresh herbs and grated parm cheese!)

mix EVERYTHING together, top with bread crumbs and xtra parm cheese then place in a small baking dish - cook for 15 min on 350.

This is serious yummy food! You will definately want to make a double batch if you are taking this dip to a party. It will be the STAR dip!!! It's DELISH :)

Oh...I served my dip with Tostitos Lime corn chips and it was a divine combo!!!

anterior cruciate ligament

Yesterday my son had knee surgery; his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was repaired and I have to say that it looks wonderful from the scoped photographs taken inside of the operating room. The worst is over with...my son, my only child went through surgery and woke up in a daze, but as the drugs wore off, he slowly grew into his old skin again. Grateful that my son woke up almost pain free but as the hours traveled by, his knee caused him more and more pain and because of the swelling he got worried, but it's something very common and normal with any surgery. He is on crutches and just getting used to those too. He also already began his physical therapy.

Thank god for physical therapists. Today after being released from the hospital, he attended his first therapy session, and the therapists are so helpful and caring just as his surgeon was. During physical therapy everyone boasted at how wonderful Moses was doing and unfortunetly I think it made us think that it was going to be easy from here on out. They also warned us of the severe pain and discomfort that he might experience this evening and tomorrow but we have selective hearing it seems. It was our mistake to think that it wasn't going to be hard. Seriously though, thank god for his physical therapists because they surely know their medicine! Without them, my sons recovery would be more difficult because it would be left in the hands of his parents, 2 people who know nothing about ACL recovery or repair, 2 people who have nothing to go by except a piece of paper with some images of repetition exercises printed on it.

I made the mistake and let him have a couple of friends over to play video games instead of keeping a close eye on him, I let him enjoy his time with his friends and was ill-prepared for what tonight would bring. I feel awful for thinking that everything was going to be peachy...and feel awful for not preparing for the worst! How can I let him hang out and play video games with his pals a day after his surgery? It honestly didn't seem like such a big deal, and maybe it wasn't, but I know now that he can't be distracted during his recovery!

I have to say that I feel horrible for not being able to magically make my son's pain go away...I gave him his pain meds, his ice pack and elevated his wrapped leg then covered him in his blankets. My son is 14, and this is the first time any of us (my husband, son and I) have been through something like this together, besides the birth of my son 14 yrs ago. It's scary and I don't want to make a mistake or do something wrong that might possibly injure him. I desperately pray that these 2-weeks breeze by, as painless as possible and as productive as possible. I want him to get better and I know he WANTS to get better too!

Tomorrow is another day and I hope it brings good things...yes, we have an appointment with his surgeon and yes physical therapy afterwards making it a long morning, however I feel so lucky to be with him during this time. Unfortunetly the following day I won't be able to be with him even though I desperately want to more than anything in this fucking world! I want to be with him throughout his entire recovery period and assist him with anything he might need. I know he will be just fine, especially since the doctor warned us that he was going to have one bad day, and from there he would reach his potential.

but thank god for family.

Meatballs

I used 1 lb of ground sirloin
1/4 cup freshly grated parmasean cheese
kosher salt/fresh ground pepper to taste
2 slices of white bread soaked in milk
dry itallian herbs to taste
fresh grated garlic (4 cloves)

mix all ingredients together in a bowl and roll into small balls - place in baking dish
dice 1/2 an onion and 4 cloves of garlic and top onto meatballs
cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 min
add 1 can of crushed tomatoes of fresh tomato puree
bake an additional 25 min

done! eat with pasta of choice.

we had itallian meatballs for christmas eve dinner along with spagehtti for longevity!