GCF: Bachelor Food Storage Guide

Here it is, the secret chart used by bachelors worldwide, because they don't have wives who can recognize on sight (and sometimes before) when the Big Mac has become one with the special sauce.
FREEZER FOODS:
ICE CREAM - If you can't tell the difference between your ice cubes and your ice cream, it's time to throw BOTH out.
FROZEN FOODS - Frozen foods that have become an integral part of the defrosting problem in your freezer compartment will probably be spoiled (or wrecked anyway) by the time you pry them out with a kitchen knife.
IN THE FRIDGE:
EGGS - When something starts pecking its way out of the shell, the egg is probably past its prime.
DAIRY PRODUCTS - Milk is spoiled when it starts to look like yogurt. Yogurt is spoiled when it starts to look like cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is spoiled when it starts to look like regular cheese. Regular cheese is nothing but spoiled milk anyway -- if you can dig down and still find something non-green, bon appetite!.
MEAT - If opening the refrigerator door causes stray animals from a three-block radius to congregate outside your house, toss the meat.
LETTUCE - Bibb lettuce is spoiled when you can't get it off the bottom of the vegetable crisper without Comet and a brillo pad. Romaine lettuce is spoiled when it turns liquid. Endive never spoils, but you will never eat it anyway.
MAYONNAISE: If it makes you violently ill after you eat it, the mayonnaise is spoiled. Permanently.
CARROTS - A carrot you can tie into a clove hitch in is no longer fresh.
CHIP DIP - If you can take it out of its container and bounce it on the floor, it has gone bad.
UNMARKED ITEMS: You know it is well beyond prime when you're tempted to discard the Tupperware along with the food. Generally speaking, Tupperware containers should not burp when you open them. If the original can you put it away in has finally lost it's label, it's probably done.
EMPTY CONTAINERS: Putting empty containers back into the refrigerator is a fine old trick, but it only works if you live with someone else.
ON THE SHELF:
CANNED GOODS - Any canned goods that have become the size or shape of a softball should be disposed of ... Very carefully.
WINE - Should not be confused with salad dressing.
POTATOES - Fresh potatoes do not have roots, branches, or dense, leafy undergrowth.
THE GAG TEST - Anything that makes you gag is spoiled (except for leftovers from what you cooked for yourself last night).
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: - Most food cannot be kept longer than the average life span of a hamster. Keep a hamster in your refrigerator to gauge this.
BREAD: Sesame seeds and Poppy seeds are the only officially acceptable "spots" that should be seen on the surface of any loaf of bread. Fuzzy and hairy looking white or green growth areas are good indications that your bread has turned into a pharmaceutical laboratory experiment. You may wish to discard it at this time, depending on your interest in pharmaceuticals.

CEREAL: It is generally a good rule of thumb that cereal should be discarded when it is two years or longer beyond the expiration date, or when it will no longer fall out of the box by itself.
FLOUR: Flour is spoiled when it wiggles, or things fly out when you open it.
PRETZELS: Normally eternal, pretzels may be discarded if they can no longer be picked up without falling apart. Otherwise, there's nothing to stop you from eating a pretzel that the Pharaoh put down only 4000 years ago.
RAISINS: Raisins should not usually be harder than your teeth.
SALT: It never spoils. However, if you can't chip off reasonable amounts from the block, maybe another box is in order, as fresh salt usually pours.
SPICES: Most spices cannot die, they just fade away. They will be fine on your shelf, forever. Put them in your will.
VINEGAR: If your grandmother made it, it is probably still good.
EXPIRATION DATES: This is not a marketing ploy to encourage you to throw away perfectly good food so that you'll spend more on groceries. Even dry foods older than you are may be ready to replace. Perhaps you'd benefit by having a calendar in your kitchen.

Graffitti in Bathrooms

Today after class I went to the Barnes and Noble across the street, I got a drink from the cafe and used their restroom. When I closed the door behind me, I noticed there was graffiti on the door. While I don't really understand WHY some ppl feel possessed to write on the door, I thought it was amusing and took some pictures, I will now put them up for your viewing pleasure.
This one is my favorite:

My Apologies....Yet Again

Today was the Presidential Inauguration....Barack Obama is now the President of the United States. Ok, I know I usually don't go into anything having to do with politics on my blog (for good reason, I have no wish to get into any political deabtes) but this is a historic day and should be noted....ok, it's been noted, that's all I have to say on it.
Anyways, I started my classes, I love all of them so far, which is a good way to start the semester. A bad way to start the semester however is getting a parking citation for not having a decal at one of my colleges. I'm taking 4 classes this semester: Personality and Social Development, Human Development, American History (with the same teacher that let me skip a final last semester) and Intro to Religion, which I haven't started yet and don't start till the 27th.
CJ came back from NY for a week, I hung out with her a total of twice in the time she was home. But at least I spent SOME time with her. She was enchanted with the pup (of course) though he kept on making spirited attempts to eat her clothes. (Which he does to me on a daily basis, he seems to think my skirt is very tasty)
Hmmm, what else...my brother is going back-packing with his best friend for two days, he's leaving on Sunday. And then on the 28th he's leaving to Chicago for a week to visit his rebbe, who just moved up there. Can't think of any other news now, but we'll see how the week goes.

Happy New Year...albeight a day late....

OK, yes, I know, sould have done a new years post, but never got around to it. Did absolutely nada on New Years Eve, just was bored. On New Years, I spent the day putting together a schedule for next semester....which starts on Monday...and i don't even know all of the classes I'm taking yet. Talk about very last minute! Anyways, finally got the pics on my comp, so here are a few from Disney. Enjoy!!!

Fun Times

Okay, blogger is officially a pain...actually, I dunno if it's blogger or my comp, but one of them is frustrating me. I know, it's been a while since I updated...was going to after I got back from Orlando....and as you saw, that didn't happen. Chanukah was fun....especially lighting the candles in the middle of the parking lot in 40 degree weather (ok, not that cold compared to some places, but I was freezing) It was lots of fun having SC here, we had an...interesting time. We went to Magic Kingdom (which she thought was boring, and too kiddie) then MGM, which she liked...we went on the Rockin Roller Coaster 3 times. Then we went to Islands of Adventure, on her birthday...went on the Hulk roller coaster twice, Dr. Doom's Fall twice, and Dueling Dragons 3 times...all in all very fun. I got several pins, which I put on my hat, which I then lost bec I forgot to take it off before I went on the rollercoaster. Which was dumb of me, and I've been kicking myself over that. Okay...well, I think that's all for now, I'll be posting pics when I get them on my comp....and I hopefully won't be as long in posting next time!

End of the Semester and things to come

So the semester is finally over. I am SO glad. No more finals, no more papers, free for the next three weeks, life is good. I know I have been neglecting the blog, but hopefully, more updates will be forthcoming since I am no longer overwhelmed by school. Though I don't know how much I'll be updating when my friend SC is here, I'll certainly make some updates after that, and maybe include pics of where we went. So look forward to more updates, especially those on Mariner. I think he grows overnight...he's so big now! Will be putting up more pics once I load them on my comp, I think I lost my sd card adapter....but whatever. Eventually, you will be seeing more.

New Comp and Finals

Got up at 3 am Friday morning to get my new comp...went to Office Depot and waited 2 and a half hours for the store to open. I made friends with a couple of people already on line, an Isreali guy and his British girlfriend. Apparently his parents own a bakery in our area....and I found out later that my step-father knows the owner of the bakery. So I got my new comp finally, and now I have some pics of the pup on it. I also have finals this week whicdh means I prob won't really be updating till next week. In the meantime, enjoy pictures of the oh-so-cute puppy, Mariner!

Newsworthy

Well, Blogger seems to be working for me now...kinda...in a weird sort of fashion, but at least it's working. Anyways, what's newsworthy? First off, my computer died, a problem with a corrupted hard drive and can't save anything that had been on it. Doesn't really make sense to pay for a new hard drive when I can get a new computer for just a bit more. But that's not gonna happen till the end of this week. In the meantime, I get use of my bro's computer...sporadically. When he's not home or is otherwise occupied. We got the puppy on Sunday, he is cute beyond belief, but pics won't be up till I have my own comp....oh, well. His name is Mariner (for the Mercury Mariner, the car my brother likes) and he'll be nine weeks old tomorrow, which is also when he's going to our vet. That should be fun....considering last week when I took my cats to the vet they peed in their carriers and got it all over themselves....yeah, anything would be an improvement over THAT. Thank goodness the cats only need go to the vet once a year. Well, that's all the current news I can think of, can't say when I'll next update...maybe when I have a new comp. Oh, and one last thing, all you northeners are gonna hate me for saying this but we no longer have a cold front...it's aboojut 75 here....and as my teacher said, one of the worst things is an 84 degree Thanksgiving. I LOVE FLORIDA.

Colds, Bookfairs, and Other Things

I know, haven't posted for a while. acually, right after my brother and I drove up to look at the puppies, I got a cold two days later, and I don't deal with colds well. I'm generally miserable and don't feel like doing anything. Thank goodness, it's almost gone now, except for a slightly stuffy nose and a cough, I'm doing pretty good. I actually caught the cold from my brother, who was sick, and we shared the driving....and sitting in a small enclosed space (namely the car) with someone who is sick for nine hours total is a pretty good gauruntee you'll get sick too.....
Yesterday I went to the Bookfair with my friend SS, and a friend of hers. It was lots of fun, I had a blast. Got 5 books, two of which I got signed by the authors there, which was cool. Also, the weather was awesome, it didn't go above 70 and it's supposed to be cool like that for the rest of this week. I LOVE this weather. Last winter was pretty warm, but this winter we've gotten at least two cold fronts. I just wish it would stay like this for the next couple of months, but we're lucky when it lasts a week.
A friend of mine will be coming down from Baltimore in December and I can't wait! Actually, this is the same friend I always stay by when I'm in Baltimore, so it'll be nice to be able to return the favor, and we'll be able to do lots of stuff. I'm hoping that we'll go to Disney...anyways, I gotta go now, have to run to class. Just wanted to post an update since I've been pretty neglectful lately. THough as I mentioned, unless you wanted to hear how miserable my cold made me, not much to tell....

Puppies Puppies Puppies!!!!!

Yes, I know, I'm ridiculously hyper. I saw the puppies today!!!! They were SO CUTE!!!! I'll post some pictures up of them, and I just have to mention we're gonna be bringing one home in two weeks!!! YAY!!!!

The trip was good, my bro didn't drive me crazy at all (though I might have driven him a lil nuts with me being so hyper....) And the trip actually took more than I thought, about 9 hours total. I know, my family is nuts....anyways, here are some pics of the pups, enjoy!

Just a Few More Days....

Ok, I know I often talk about my brother, I live with him, I'm pretty close with him, but he has a tendency to drive me bonkers, that's what brother's do after all....problem is, he's 17, four years younger than me, but he often acts more like he's 7. And it's not that he has issues with long car rides, we've both done much longer car rides than a mere three and a half hours each way...but this time, for the first time, it's just the two of us, without my mother in the car. The good thing though is that since I'll be driving for the most part (he hates driving my car, but I'm hoping he'll take over some as well) there are parts where I will have to say, don't bother me I have to concentrate,and I know he WILL shut up then. That, and I went out and bought some things to keep him entertained. CDs, a movie, maybe even a book....whatever, anything that will keep his mouth shut. Maybe I should get duct tape too, just in case.....nah, I'm kidding, though I think during the trip I might be tempted.
I've been asked, why do we go to a breeder to get our dog, why not a shelter? We have several reasons not to get from a shelter, or a puppy store. Often times, pups that are in shelters came from something called a "puppymill" meaning that there was no pedigree involved, there is a good chance that later on the dog will develop problems, and get sick. By that point of course, the owner is too attached to the dog to bring it back and will spend thousands of dollars on vet bills. Secondly, with dogs in a shelter, you can't tell what their temperment will be like when you bring them home. Will they get along with the cats, will they be scared of everything they see, will they be aggresive towards everything and everyone, and those are not questions the people working at the shelters can answer. With a reliable breeder, they bring the puppies up by hand, make sure they're used to ppl and will get along with the family, they can pick out the pp most likely to get along with our family lifestyle, the pups are less likely to develop problems later on bec they have been bred from good lines with healthy bones. A reliable breeder will keep in touch with you, and you can always call them up to ask questions. Yes, it's a bit more money, but in my opinion it is totally worth it.
I think this answers a couple of questions, yes? If not, feel free to ask away, I'll answer the best that I can. Anyways, I got to go study for my test today, wish me luck!
FINAL NOTE: The last and probably biggest reason, *I* am not the one making the decision, not am I the one dishing out the money. My mother is. You have issues, take it to her, she'd be more than happy to explain why she'd rather go to a breeder than to a shelter.

Lakewood, Voting and Puppies

Lakewood was interesting, though to quote my friend that I was staying by its also "one of the most messed up places ever." The weekend I was there, there was a chicken shortage, apparently no chicken to be found anywhere in Lakewood, which was to me amusing, to the people of Lakewood, rather less so. I went to the wedding, had a blast, got to see friends I hadn't seen in a year, and the friend I stayed by I hadn't seen in two years, since she got married as a matter of fact. All in all, a great time, though I have definetly decided I never want to move to Lakewood.
Today I'm going to go vote after my afternoon class, and hope that it doesn't take TOO long, I'd like to be able to get to my evening class on time. Luckily, the place where I vote is within walking distance so it should all be good.
And on Sunday I'm going up to Tampa with my brother to look at the puppies. No, we're not bringing one home yet, they're only six weeks old, can't leave their mother till they're eight weeks. So two weeks after that, we'll be bringing one home. I can't wait to see them, so excited about that. However, the one thing I am most certainly NOT excited about, is sppending 6 to 8 hours in the car with my brother.... I really hope he doesn't drive me too nuts.

I'm in New Jersey!

I got in a few hours ago and now am using my aunt's computer for this update, I know, I've not been updating as of late, but hacven't had much to say. Lessee...I learned how to play hearts (the card game) lost the first game miserably because most of my attention was on a psychology textbook (not my own, CJ's sister's) the next day i played again and won because the textbook wasn't in front of me.
So tomorrow I'm going to Lakewood, and going to see one of my roommates for the first time since she got married, which was two years ago almost! Looki8ng forward to seeing her and one of my other roomie who will be there for shabbos. And I have decided that I am SO glad I don't live up north, I am FREEZING here. I'm glad I'm only up here a few days, I don't think I'd be able to stand a lot longer of this! Anywaysm just making up for my lack of posts and once i have a computer again. I'll update on how the wedding was adnd my impressions of Lakewood.

Or Not....

Apparently we're NOT going up to North Carolina this weekend. It appears that the woman was advertising herself as something other than the actual deal, so our plan fell through. On the other hand, next week , G-d willing, my mother and brother will be going up to a breeder in Tampa to look at puppies. No, we won't e getting one right away, they can't generally leave the mother till they are 8 weeks old, and these puppies will only be four weeks old. I will not be going because I will be in New Jersey and going to a friend's wedding. Oh, and it was not wet during succos, except for a bit of drizzle here and there, the weather was gorgeous with a nice breeze and not unbearably hot, thank goodness for that. The sukkah was only wet the first night, we had a gigantic puddle in the sukkah, but it pretty much disappeared by the second day.
And while driving today, I have decided for perhaps the millionth time, that people can't drive.

Eeeeeeeeeek!

Ok...maybe that's not the most mature response I could have had...but guess what? I don't really care. That was my response this afternoon when my mother called me and told me that we would be driving up to NC to look at PUPPIES!!!!!! English Golden Retriever puppies! I'm SO excited! On my way home I had a hard time keeping a big stupid grin off my face and if I hadn't been driving at the time, I would have been hopping around like a demented bunny. Have I mentioned I'm REALLY excited? Oh, and it looks like tonight, the first night of sukkos, will be rainy....sigh, I hate sitting in wet sukkahs...
And shockingly, my brother is spending the first two days of sukkos by one of his rebbeim. I am speechless.

I got a hairbrush stuck...

in my hair, and I had to have it in all shabbos. And then, after shabbos it took 6 hours to get it out of my hair, because my mother refused to cut my hair. I never want to smell olive oil again. I had it in my hair, and after a while, I got REALLY sick of the smell. How did a hairbrush get stuck in my hair? My mother was trying to blowdry it, but she used this small round brush, that was a little bit odd...and it didn't really work with my hair...so it was stuck in my hair for about a total of 30 hours...I don't think I'll ever use a round brush again, at least, not without a professional hairdresser weilding it. The last time I got a hairbrush stuck in my hair (yes, it happened before, but this time at least, it wasn't my fault) My mother just chopped it off, because it was right before carpool came for school, and I was only 8. Wouldn't have had the patience for her to work on my hair. Hopefully, never again. And I'll make sure not to have those brushes in my house so that my kids don't tdo that, because unlike my mother, I'm not sure I have that much patience!

Rosh Hashanah

Yeah, I know, I haven't blogged in a few days, but there's not been much to blog about. How was Rosh Hashanah? Fine, I got rained on, but otherwise it was good. Oh wait, my favorite lines over Rosh Hashanah:
"I never want th hear a New Yorker complain about going out in the rain {in New York} again!" - CJ, as we were walking back to her house during a thunderstorm.
"Ha! I know what facebook is and you don't! I'm hip and cool!" - my mother to my step-father. She actually had no idea what facebook was until 2 that afternoon when I had told her about it.
And having my brother not home for Rosh Hashanah felt weird, but otherwise I was perfectly happy with that. And he won't be home for Shabbas either, he'll be spending it on the Beach (Miami Beach) for a friend's bar mitzvah. Not much else to report....anyways, will blog when I can actually think of something. I know I thought of some over Rosh Hashanah, but now I can't recall a single one! Oh well, that's the way it always is.

L'Shana Tova Everyone!

Rosh Hashanah is tonight, and I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, wonderful new year. Amazingly my brother is going to be spending Rosh Hashanah away from home by one of his rebbeim. Do you have any idea how big a thing that is? He hasn't been away from home for Rosh Hashanah since...well, never!! It's going to be weird, but good for him, since this means he'll actually go to shul. Anyways, I need to go get ready, I'll try to update after rosh hashanah.

Yesterday was the First Day of Fall

Who noticed it getting cooler? Not me, I can tell you that. It's probably not going to get cool here for another few months. There's a reason September is the height of hurricane season. LWt me give you an idea of the weather, it's about 84 degrees out, it feels like it's 90..and that's the way it's going to feel for quite a while longer. Forget fall, I can't wait for winter!

First Time...

that I've seen a billboard for a Judaica store.