http://www.ziamag.com/index.php en laura@ziamag.com Copyright 2007 2007-09-30T04:40:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/brew_of_bravery/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/brew_of_bravery/#When:03:40:00Z "There are two things I look forward to in the morning, a good cup of Joe and no reports of injuries during the night." - Lt. Col. Mitch B My dear friend Holly, wife of a brave and fierce US Marine, told me about Operation 5 Million Cup. Gourmet coffee and tea company Boca Java started donating coffee to troops in 2003 and the response has been so overwhelmingly popular that they have established a way share the fun allowing customers to send coffee to troops too. How great! Boca Java matches your donation every time. Check out their Web-site for all the details. https://www.bocajava.com/support_the_troops.jsp While you're there send some to the brave men and women all around the world and then order your very own pound of specially roasted Brew of Bravery, just one of their specialty Coffee for a Cause blends. 2007-09-30T03:40:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/drive_by_counseling/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/drive_by_counseling/#When:05:24:00Z I ran across this story about a Chicago Law Firm that is taking some heat for their latest billboard which read, "Life is short. Get a divorce" while displaying a torso shot of a bare chested man and scantily clad woman. http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/news/divorce-billboard.html The inference I perceive is, "life is too short to spend it married to someone who doesn't feel good anymore. You will be much happier if you get divorced and start having fun again." Research says that this couldn't be further from the truth. One particular study, sited by Bryce Christensen in "In Sickness and in Health: The Medical Costs of Family Meltdown," Policy Review, Spring 1992, p. 71. says, "Divorced adults are more susceptible to severe emotional and psychological problems, plus early death from an assortment of causes, than for married individuals. The suicide rate for divorced white men, for example, is four times higher than for their married counterparts. The situation for divorced adults is such that Harold Morowitz of Yale University contends, 'Being divorced and a non-smoker is slightly less dangerous than smoking a pack or more a day and staying married.'" Though their billboard may be a clever way to draw more calls to their law office, it seems like the literal opposite of their ad campaign may be closer to the truth. 2007-09-25T05:24:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/breakfast/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/breakfast/#When:03:21:00Z What a glorious Saturday morning! We had rain in Southern California, the first of 2007. It was perfect for fresh coffee, pancakes, bacon, fruit and my slippers. As with the banana selection trick (http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/brown_bananas/), I'm not sure that I'm not just the last person in the world, to discover this very obvious way to make breakfast a bit easier. But as I did this Saturday, I will never return to the way I used to cook bacon. Side note: in the market this week, I did notice and elderly man selecting 1 banana from various bunches. Either he read this blog, or I really am behind on some of these things. In an effort to keep the house from smelling like grease all day, I decided to give the bacon a try in the oven. Yes, baking it on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees was the trick that has won my allegiance. The bacon took 10-15 minutes, depending on crispness preference, it came out perfectly flat and even seemed a bit less greasy. One suggestion I read was to place the bacon on a rack set in the baking sheet so that the grease would drip to the bottom, but I didn't have one that fit my baking sheet properly, so I just put it straight on the sheet and it worked wonderfully. Broiling would also work, but I don't suggest it would likely start a fire in your oven with all the grease splattering, and that would bring you right back to the problem of smelling up the entire house for the remainder of the weekend. Hooray! 2007-09-24T03:21:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/plan_decorate_and_organize_tabletop_tuesday/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/plan_decorate_and_organize_tabletop_tuesday/#When:03:55:00Z Event Planner Joy Stoner can spruce up any boring table setting or bland menu with her creative flare and thrifty budget. I've seen her in action and the truth is she also has an uncanny ability to organize anything under the sun. With so many skills I envy, it's no wonder I love reading her blog: Plan Decorate and Organize. This particular tabletop idea is perfect for the coming of fall. Incorporating autumn apples without using a cornucopia? Now that's a great idea. http://ideasbyjoy.blogspot.com/2007/05/tabletop-tuesday-apple-centerpieces.html 2007-09-18T03:55:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/brown_bananas/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/brown_bananas/#When:23:50:00Z The problem: Too many bananas going brown because picky eaters only like to eat them when they are perfectly ripe. Wait one day too long and they will all be banana bread fodder. Not that I don't like banana bread, but when I opened my freezer to find a dozen brown bananas, I can't bake at a rate that keeps up. The solution: Instead of buying one bunch of bananas that are all the same stage of ripeness, pick a few from various bunches. A couple that will be ready to eat tomorrow, a few that are still green around the edges and one that is perfect for an afternoon snack today. Viola! Why had I never thought of this before? Thanks to my good friend Kelli, our home will now enjoy bananas all week long instead of a mad rush to eat them all during their two day stint as "perfectly ripe." 2007-09-16T23:50:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/hanky_panky_in_the_office/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/hanky_panky_in_the_office/#When:17:00:00Z No matter where your place of employment, we've all had run-ins with unhealthy working relationships. I found these quick thoughts on safe-guarding ones personal life from ones professional relationships intriguing. In my life, I've found a similar standard to be helpful in keeping my mind from where I don't want it to go and making sure that my body does what my mind commands. However, I've not articulated it like this before. I'd love to hear what you think about them. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/5-tips-to-avoid-having-an_b_64139.html 2007-09-14T17:00:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/when_life_gives_you_lemons/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/when_life_gives_you_lemons/#When:03:03:00Z Meet my favorite kitchen gadget of the week. I've tried almost every kind of citrus juicer and have come to the conclusion that this one is the best. Sometimes known as a Mexican lemon-lime juicer, it makes sense that my mother-in-law, who is from Mexico, introduced me to it as she taught me the fine art of carne asada. Guacamole, lemonade, key lime pie and lemon bars are just a few of the fabulous foods whose prep time can be reduced by half. Maybe I was just the last one to get the memo, but I am so proud to finally have one in my kitchen. Mexican lemon-lime juicers can be found in any local kitchen shop or even Wal-Mart and Target. The price won't make you pucker at only $6-$15. Pictured here from Gourmet Sleuth: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/pDetail.asp?i=15&p=108&s=25&price=10.95 2007-09-14T03:03:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/thinking_straight/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/thinking_straight/#When:05:59:00Z I've had moments during a "heated conversation" with my husband, or a passionate discussion with a co-worker when my thought are all jumbled and I just don't feel like I can think straight. My logic begins to confuse me, and I'm not sure what we were talking about in the first place. Fortunate for me, this insightful article puts the pointer on the most common thinking errors that we can make, some ideas about where they come from and, best of all, thoughts on how to crawl out of that hole in you logic! http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/7-stupid-thinking-errors-you-probably-make.html 2007-09-12T05:59:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/september_means_soup/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/september_means_soup/#When:06:13:00Z The recipe that inspires even men to ask if it is time to start making soup again... Mexican Chicken Chowder 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, bite-sized pieces 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained 2 cans cream of potato soup 1 can diced green chilies 1 envelope taco seasoning mix 2 Tbls. chopped cilantro Mix together in a large soup pot and then add: 3 cans chicken broth Bring to a simmer and then add: 8 oz sour cream 8 oz Mexican Velveeta cheese, cubed Heat until melted and fully incorporated, stirring constantly Garnish with a avocado and tortilla chips. Enjoy! Many thanks to Jenny Anglin for sharing this recipe with me years ago. It has served many MANY tummies well since then. Laura's Blog 2007-09-11T06:13:00-08:00 http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/looking_for_the_new_style/ http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/blog_entry/looking_for_the_new_style/#When:18:17:01Z Need a new hair style? This baby girl models the latest! http://wearethebrumfields.com/who-does-your-hair/ 2007-04-25T18:17:01-08:00