This week, it’s serious social issues, fun food parodies, and a chicken with a cocaine problem.
1) Dr. Oz: Eight Ways to Spot Online Health Scams
Excellent, quick guide to avoiding those persistent I LOST THIRTY POUNDS IN TWO DAYS WITH THIS MAGICAL UNICORN PILL ads you see all over the web. They’re a serious rip-off, with marketing too often disguised as genuine blogs.
2) Casual Kitchen: How to Whine About Big Food
Provocative post about blaming The Powers That Be in place of taking responsibility for our own diets. I gotta tell you – I agree with Dan here. One of the most depressing parts of seeing Food, Inc. was when a family with $5 opted for four bottles of soda over a dozen pears, and then claimed they had no choice in the matter. C’mon now.
3) Dooce: Featured community question with accompanying wacky antics
If you’re kind of clueless in the kitchen, Dooce can relate. Here, she details her epic afternoon of cookie baking with the kids. Hilarious with great pics, as always. (Obligatory warning: it’s Dooce, so expect some bad language.)
4) Online Colleges: 101 Ways to Hack Your College Cafeteria
Calling all freshmen: first semester was hard, right? Beyond that whole “responsible for your own schedule and education” thing, you had to learn to feed yourself for an extended period of time. Never fear. If you had some issues, this gigantic comp of tips will surely get you through to sophomore year.
5) The Atlantic: Good Food – Who Can Afford it?
Speaking of college kids, what happens when their foodie idealism crashes head first into economic reality? These four students kept blogs about eating sustainably for a week, only to find that it was dang expensive. The vegetarian had the least problems, but the 6’2” guy ended up at Mickey D’s. Interesting stuff.
6) The Kitchn: 10 Fresh Ways to Use a Can of Pumpkin
Lots of good recipe ideas this week (see the Honorable Mention section), but this one took the pumpkin cake. Tell me you don’t want to make Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo and Black Beans right now.
7) Korea Times: One in Five Women Undernourished
Further evidence that the diet culture is just out of freaking control: 19% of Korean are intentionally undernourished. “Wanting to be ‘beautiful’ was the key reason,” says the article. (Linked from Jezebel.)
8) LA Times: Soy doesn't harm, and may even help, breast cancer survivors, study finds
Such good news! In retrospect, though, the AMA could have just asked generations of Japanese who lived well into their 200s. An extra helping of edamame, please!
9) The Simple Dollar: Brand Preferences and Frugality
One of the principal tenets of frugality is the ability to forgo your favorite brands for less-expensive items that’re totally sufficient for your purposes. But why do we prefer certain brands in the first place? Some interesting questions here.
10) Time: Celebrity Chefs Show How to Lose Weight
How do you stay healthy when you’re surrounded by awesome food all day? You diet like anyone else. But Alton Brown, who recently dropped 50 pounds, raises other pertinent issues, like: what impact to celebrity chefs have on America’s ever-expanding waistline?
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Atlantic: How to Stop Food Ads Aimed at Kids
Marion Nestle updates on how the FTC aims to slow junk food commercials.
Boing Boing: Cocaine-stuffed chicken smuggled into US by Guatemalan man
Coke-a-doodle-doo!
Chow: The Basics – How to Make Veggie Chili
One recipe, a million variations.
Culinate: Going Veg
The basics of beginning a vegetarian lifestyle, from the always-reliable Marissa Lippert.
Free Money Finance: Making the Most of Gift Cards
You know they’re coming. Here are the best ways to use those stocking stuffers.
Get Rich Slowly: Suze Orman Jumps Aboard the “Pay With Cash” Bandwagon
This is big. I wonder if credit card companies are panicking yet.
The Kitchn: Kitchen Gifts Under $10
Last week, it was under $25. This week, it’s less. Math is fun!
McSweeneys: Pole Dancing With Paula Deen, Y'all!
I would go to this strip club.
News: Lite: London Skyline Recreated Using Fruit and Veg
Asparagusarchy in the UK! (Linked from Dark Roasted Blend.)
NY Times: With 'You’re Hired,' Gaining Entry to a Select Group
6500 people applied for jobs at a Bronx Applebee’s. 120 got in. Here are 7 stories from the newly employed.
Slashfood: Four Fast Tomato Sauces
Because fresh is always better than jarred.
Urlesque: Check Out This Blinged-Out Gold Shopping Cart
I think it even has rims. Frugality is dead. Long live frugality.
OTHER FUN
Earlier this week, we asked readers to list some of the ways they knew they were getting a little older. Here are some of my favorite responses:
Holly: “I like sardines. I don't even bother pretending to like museums anymore.”
Laura: “While at the Gap yesterday, I said to my husband, ‘I wish they'd turn the music down!’”
Jane: “You hate to tell people how old your kids are, 'cause you know they're calculating your age in their heads”
Ducks: “I hope I'm a member of the last generation to remember anything Sid & Marty Krofft did to us as kids.”
(Photos from Mythical Dude, eHow, and Giant Chicken.)
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