I was having a conversation with my boss not too long ago. During the Great Depression, her in-laws were seriously hurting, everyone was in those days. Sharing what you could, what you had to offer, was often all you had. This family used to pay a woman 1-3 cents to brush their hair. It's not like they needed someone to brush their hair, nor did they have two pennies of their own to rub together, yet it was this sharing that helped keep people going and helped keep communities tight.
Yesterday, I saw a shoe shine man, going door to door to luxury businesses, shining shoes in doorways and I was reminded of this story. To me, this looked like a bad sign of times to come. Pretty soon, we will start seeing hookers in the streets again, (I've seen them on 12th and Pine recently) and people will be wanting to wash your windsheilds with dirty rags again. I guess, if you can give, you should, because things are taking a turn for the worse.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Rumor has it
Word on the street is that the Fair Food Farm Stand in Reading Terminal Market will be moving to the former home of Rick's Steaks! Yay, more visibility to veggies. Front and Center.
Rick's is moving to the basement at the Bellevue, and I'm more than happy to get that stench out of the market. While I'm happy that the farm stand is moving to a far-more visible spot in the market, I hope that they still have stuff left for my lazy bones when I get there at 3 in the afternoon.
Look for it happening soon.
Rick's is moving to the basement at the Bellevue, and I'm more than happy to get that stench out of the market. While I'm happy that the farm stand is moving to a far-more visible spot in the market, I hope that they still have stuff left for my lazy bones when I get there at 3 in the afternoon.
Look for it happening soon.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Big Box lunch at KFC
When I first saw this Variety Big Box lunch from KFC advertised, my first thought was total disgust. I mean, have you looked at this lunch, that is meant to feed one human? No wonder we have an obesity problem on our hands. Who eats this crap? And more importantly who encourages us to eat this?
Who can possibly fit this in their body. Answer, many more Americans than you can imagine. And probably an entire village in Africa.
Who needs 3 types of fried chicken with a biscuit, gravy and mac-n-cheese? I guess obese people think they do, or at least that's what KFC is gonna tell you. What ever happened to a balanced plate? Where are the veggies? Oh, that skinny green leaf in that bulky sandwich hardly counts. And coleslaw slathered in artery-clogging mayo hardly constitutes a vegetable.
Oh KFC, just because you've so courageously stopped debeaking birds does not mean you have to serve more to the masses. It's counterproductive. And you are hurting people by serving this. Heart-attack on a plate, coming up.
Who can possibly fit this in their body. Answer, many more Americans than you can imagine. And probably an entire village in Africa.
Who needs 3 types of fried chicken with a biscuit, gravy and mac-n-cheese? I guess obese people think they do, or at least that's what KFC is gonna tell you. What ever happened to a balanced plate? Where are the veggies? Oh, that skinny green leaf in that bulky sandwich hardly counts. And coleslaw slathered in artery-clogging mayo hardly constitutes a vegetable.
Oh KFC, just because you've so courageously stopped debeaking birds does not mean you have to serve more to the masses. It's counterproductive. And you are hurting people by serving this. Heart-attack on a plate, coming up.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
How cold is it?
It is so cold that when I went to use the bathroom at work yesterday the water in the toilet was frozen. Yikes!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
out on the town; living the vegan loca
Over the last couple weeks, I've found myself venturing out on the town a bit more than usual. I've been hunkered down most of the season, eating at home most nights because I've been so involved in the raw foods lifestyle to take notice of much else. I might as well be an alien in my own city, as raw foods are very elusive. Birthdays, holidays and a general malaise over the state of affairs has taken me to the streets.
Last week, my friends and I checked out Apothecary, or APO bar as it is confusingly referred to. Let me just preface by saying that my friends were certain they had walked straight into a scene from The Shining, complete with a weird, Frankensteinian bartender, but all that aside, it is worth checking out.
Apothecary makes drinking seem healthy. I indulged in one concoction made for healthy skin, with organic vodka, cucumber juice, aloe vera and a bunch of other little ingredients encased in amber vials and employed with droppers.
My friends had other cocktails made with gin and tequila, both chock full of ingredients I like to see, like lemon verbena, echinacea and Valerian. I'm hooked on APO bar and am secretly planning my June birthday on their roof deck.
After cocktails, we mosied across the street to Bindi, a nouveau Indian restaurant and byob. A delicious bottle of chilean reisling complemented the spicy dishes. I chose Bindi, because I always notice they have a vegan option. Not the night I went, alas, but the staff was quite knowledgeable about what my options were. Even though I could have had the pumpkin curry, I'm on a strict no-tofu diet and opted instead for this massive vegan sampler dish that I could've easily finished if I didn't feel like such a pig. For a starter I had a salad of beet and jicama with a minty, tamarind dressing that was killer (and raw!). The entree consisted of about 9 little silver tureens, including chutney, chana, lentil bread, delicious basmati rice with raisins and a whole host of other treats. The only item I wasn't crazy about was the bread, because it was obviously deep-fried, which I avoid at all costs, and tasted like burnt oil. I will definitely will make the trip back. It's so hard to eat Indian vegan, because of the oft-heavy-handed ghee in vegetarian dishes, that has left me very ill in the past, so I'm happy to find this wonderful little place that went the extra mile for vegans.
Later in the week, I checked out a new vegetarian restaurant in Philadelphia, Mi Lah on 16th between Locust and Walnut. The place is simple and should succeed as a nice place to lunch in center city. I should first preface by saying that there was only one item on the menu that was vegetarian, all else was vegan, all desserts vegan and it is byob. yippee, more for me.
I ended up with a great spinach salad with avocado and mango with a slightly spicy dressing (raw), you can get salads in two sizes which a another good option. I also tried the pad thai which was everything you could ever want in pad thai. All the flavors melted together and made my mouth very happy. I will definitely be making Mi Lah my new place to meet for lunch.
Although it might sound like it has an Asian flare, it really doesn't, with dishes like African stew, pot pie, pizzas and sandwiches peppering the menu. The chef, formerly worked at Philadelphia's Horizon's vegan restaurant, which gives him eve more clout, in my book.
Provided I have no other birthdays or events in the coming weeks, I will be strictly concentrating on new raw creations, but it is also wonderful to see and support vegan ventures in my carnivorous city.
Last week, my friends and I checked out Apothecary, or APO bar as it is confusingly referred to. Let me just preface by saying that my friends were certain they had walked straight into a scene from The Shining, complete with a weird, Frankensteinian bartender, but all that aside, it is worth checking out.
Apothecary makes drinking seem healthy. I indulged in one concoction made for healthy skin, with organic vodka, cucumber juice, aloe vera and a bunch of other little ingredients encased in amber vials and employed with droppers.
My friends had other cocktails made with gin and tequila, both chock full of ingredients I like to see, like lemon verbena, echinacea and Valerian. I'm hooked on APO bar and am secretly planning my June birthday on their roof deck.
After cocktails, we mosied across the street to Bindi, a nouveau Indian restaurant and byob. A delicious bottle of chilean reisling complemented the spicy dishes. I chose Bindi, because I always notice they have a vegan option. Not the night I went, alas, but the staff was quite knowledgeable about what my options were. Even though I could have had the pumpkin curry, I'm on a strict no-tofu diet and opted instead for this massive vegan sampler dish that I could've easily finished if I didn't feel like such a pig. For a starter I had a salad of beet and jicama with a minty, tamarind dressing that was killer (and raw!). The entree consisted of about 9 little silver tureens, including chutney, chana, lentil bread, delicious basmati rice with raisins and a whole host of other treats. The only item I wasn't crazy about was the bread, because it was obviously deep-fried, which I avoid at all costs, and tasted like burnt oil. I will definitely will make the trip back. It's so hard to eat Indian vegan, because of the oft-heavy-handed ghee in vegetarian dishes, that has left me very ill in the past, so I'm happy to find this wonderful little place that went the extra mile for vegans.
Later in the week, I checked out a new vegetarian restaurant in Philadelphia, Mi Lah on 16th between Locust and Walnut. The place is simple and should succeed as a nice place to lunch in center city. I should first preface by saying that there was only one item on the menu that was vegetarian, all else was vegan, all desserts vegan and it is byob. yippee, more for me.
I ended up with a great spinach salad with avocado and mango with a slightly spicy dressing (raw), you can get salads in two sizes which a another good option. I also tried the pad thai which was everything you could ever want in pad thai. All the flavors melted together and made my mouth very happy. I will definitely be making Mi Lah my new place to meet for lunch.
Although it might sound like it has an Asian flare, it really doesn't, with dishes like African stew, pot pie, pizzas and sandwiches peppering the menu. The chef, formerly worked at Philadelphia's Horizon's vegan restaurant, which gives him eve more clout, in my book.
Provided I have no other birthdays or events in the coming weeks, I will be strictly concentrating on new raw creations, but it is also wonderful to see and support vegan ventures in my carnivorous city.
word to the wise; spreading the wealth
I was speaking with an acquaintance the other day about this horrible state of affairs our economy is in. We've just watched about 4 stores close on our block and the scent of fear is in the air.
She said, that although only one of her friends has been laid off so far, no one she knows is spending money.
Do you love that little boutique where you used to buy those cute t-shirts all the time. Well it's not gonna be there if you don't support it. I walk down busy retail avenues all the time, and each day, notice that one more has bitten the dust. I don't want my favorite soap store, gift shops or wine bars to close, and while I can't afford to spend money every day, I try to remember that since I do have a job and a steady income, these people need our support. So, next time you go to Target, or better yet, the Internet) for some cheap supplies you can also get at a neighborhood shop, think about the dozens of lives you are affecting by your decision, the impact on the value of your home in said neighborhood and the cost of shopping corporate. If you like the way little shops line your street and city, well, brace yourself, because pretty soon it might just all be Targets and Walmarts and we'll all look like little ugg-clad clones. Spend a little, save a lot.
The media won't tell you to spend right now, but you owe your community a little something, especially if you want that community to be in a good position when this all blows over.
She said, that although only one of her friends has been laid off so far, no one she knows is spending money.
Do you love that little boutique where you used to buy those cute t-shirts all the time. Well it's not gonna be there if you don't support it. I walk down busy retail avenues all the time, and each day, notice that one more has bitten the dust. I don't want my favorite soap store, gift shops or wine bars to close, and while I can't afford to spend money every day, I try to remember that since I do have a job and a steady income, these people need our support. So, next time you go to Target, or better yet, the Internet) for some cheap supplies you can also get at a neighborhood shop, think about the dozens of lives you are affecting by your decision, the impact on the value of your home in said neighborhood and the cost of shopping corporate. If you like the way little shops line your street and city, well, brace yourself, because pretty soon it might just all be Targets and Walmarts and we'll all look like little ugg-clad clones. Spend a little, save a lot.
The media won't tell you to spend right now, but you owe your community a little something, especially if you want that community to be in a good position when this all blows over.
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