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Countdowns

Posted on by nickverderano

Like I have stated before, this is one of my favorite times of the year.  Mainly just because of the holidays.  I love eating a ton food, and most importantly seeing my family and friends.  This year it is a little different though.  That is due to the fact that I have not seen some of my friends from home in months.  And I have only seen my immediate family once or twice in the four months that I have been away at school.  SO having a little break from the stress at school will be nice.  Wrapping this in with the title, this is the time of year where various forms of countdowns are taking place.  I feel like it is a safe assumption to guess that most people are either counting down to their last day of work/school before they go on Thanksgiving break, or until winter break, or maybe even until black Friday, cannot beat those deals.  For my schedule, I get about a week off from school for Thanksgiving, then I come back for about two weeks to take finals, then I am on winter break for a whole month.  I do enjoy my time here, but to relax for a little bit and not have to think about to assignments will be nice.  I am obviously very looking forward to eating as much as I possibly can on Thanksgiving, and then making sure the leftovers do not last that much longer.  Long story short, I am excited for break.

Joey turkey head

That’s Nuts

Posted on by nickverderano

In my opinion, nuts in general are sleepers when it comes to snacks.  They are so many different types and they all pack some serious nutritional value.  I will be giving a brief list of some nuts and why they should be involved in more diets.

Almonds:  In my opinion almonds are best when they are roasted and lightly salted.  Even though they are the same nut, almonds can taste different based on the brand.  This could be due to where the almonds were grown and harvested.  But overall almonds are high in omega 6 fatty acids as well as antioxidants.

Peanuts:  Peanuts are technically not considered nuts.  They are classified as legumes.  But, they are probably the most popular nut/legume in my opinion.  Peanuts can be prepared and eaten many different ways.  Some are plain, dry roasted, honey roasted, skillet roasted, or boiled.  Personally I think all peanuts pretty much taste the same, but can vary in the way they are prepared.  Peanuts are also used in many different cooking recipes in  the kitchen.  One of the most famous things that peanuts are used in is peanut butter.  Just think, without peanuts, there would be no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  In every jar of peanut butter, there are said to be over five hundred and forty individual that went into making the peanut butter.  And, to be classified as peanut butter, the recipe has to be made from at least 90% peanuts.  Also, former presidents Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter actually grew their own peanuts.  And who doesn’t love Mr. Peanut.

Michael Peanut butter head

Da bears

Posted on by nickverderano

When I was younger, my favorite animal growing up was a bear.  Still to this day I find them fascinating.  There are only eight species of bear still extant. And there are so many  facts about bears that not a lot of people know.  A few are quoted from bearfacts.com are:  the giant panda is actually a bear, a group of bears is called a sloth, under their fur, polar bears have black skin, koala bears are not bears, they are marsupials, bears do not urinate while in hibernation, their bodies convert urine into protein and use it has food, bears have favorite trees and will walk miles just to scratch their backs on them, and a bear fought in the Polish army during world war two.  He carried shells to the front line and was taught how to salute.  Bears are truly interesting creatures and I think they are looked at as scary or bad.  I have had a few run ins myself with bears in the past.  Back home, we had to purchase bear proof garbage cans because they would get in and tear apart everything looking for food.  To be honest I can not blame them, who doesn’t love a late night snack.  But due to the mess they would make, we had to get rid of those cans.  Unfortunately, along with deer, people tend to hit bear with their cars or trucks.  Overall bears are a very interesting animal and are very cute from a distance.

Let’s Talk About the Weather

Posted on by nickverderano

This time of year is always unpredictable.  You wake up in the morning, eat some breakfast, check the weather to see what you should wear on your way to class, and get dressed.  These past few weeks have been quite chilly in the morning, sweatshirt and sweatpants or jeans is what you have to wear.  But by the time you get out of your morning classes, and you go to walk back to the dorms or get lunch, you are sweating.  Lately, I have been accounting for this, mainly because I absolutely hate sweating in jeans or a sweatshirt, it’s just gross.  I think it is better to freeze and enjoy the crisp air in the morning than to overheat and sweat come noon.  What I do is still wear the sweatshirt, but I just wear shorts.  Sure it is a little cold when I am walking ti my first class, but it is one hundred percent worth it when I walk out.  Besides the stress that comes with finals, this and summer are my favorite times of the year.  This time of year is up there for me just because I am a big thanksgiving and Christmas guy.  That time of year is hard to beat.  The weather is consistently cold so you always know what to wear, and it is just a happy time.  I also like summer because it is just the summer and it is pretty great.  But for now, there is a little under a month left of unpredictable weather and looking forward to thanksgiving.

gabe from the office

The Symphony

Posted on by nickverderano

Going into the symphony “Turangalila” conducted by Neal Gittlemen, I had very little knowledge and experience with this type of music.  In elementary school, we learned a little about famous composers such as Mozart and Beethoven.  But besides that, I had no idea what to expect.  When we arrived at the Schuster Center, I got a little excited to get in and see what the symphony had to offer.  This was a brand new experience for me so I was looking forward to sitting down and just listening.  Once I got into the theatre and sat down in  my seat, I was a little blow away by how many people there were to take in the music, as well as how many different instruments that were being played on stage that I could not even name.  Once the music started I was amazed.  With all of the different sounds at different pitches changing at different times, sometimes quicker than others, I could almost picture a story in my head that was being portrayed through the music and how it was being played.  Before I went, I was told that the theme of the symphony was love and madness.  While I was sitting there listening, I could actually hear how love and and madness were being portrayed through the way the instruments were being played.  I found that when the music was softer and the pitch was higher, it was portraying love and happiness, but when the music had a greater bass and was deeper, it sounded more like madness and trouble.

symphony selfie

Versatility of The Spud

Posted on by nickverderano

 

An old Irish saying goes, “Only two things in this world are too serious to be jested on, potatoes and matrimony.”  Potatoes are a true powerhouse in the kitchen.  You can prepare some form of potato to be eaten with literally any meal.  With the amount of different dishes, and sides you can make out of potatoes, I am surprised we aren’t at a shortage of them.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to absolutely devour potatoes.

Baked:  This is probably the most classic and way to enjoy a potato.  The baked potato can be eaten with any meal.  Usually served best with Lunch, and especially dinner, this form of potato is very easy to make.  No matter how much experience you have in the kitchen, anybody can cook a baked potato.  Deriving from the standard plain baked potato, come a ton of variations.  Some examples are a loaded baked potato, which is a plain baked potato cut down the middle and stuffed with bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and really whatever you want.  Potato skins are also somewhat easily made from a baked potato.

French Fries:  I don’t need to say too much on this one, pretty much everyone with both sides of their brain knows what french fries are.  Originating from the 1600s, french fries can be ordered and enjoyed at pretty much any restaurant you go to.  Cooked in a different style everywhere you go, french fries are definitely a favorite amongst most people.

michaels potato salad     dwights spud gunspudnik.jpg

Fall Break Scouting Report

Posted on by nickverderano

“Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana.”  So far I’ve been away at school for roughly eight weeks.  The time here has honesty flown by, it’s been a great time, and about half way through this coming week, I’m hopping on a plane heading home for fall/midterm break.  I’ve done some thinking on what I want to do, for the four days that I’m back in the hometown, and this is what I have.

Before I do anything though, I have to get home first.  This will be my first time flying solo and to be honest I’m looking forward to it.  Not so much getting up at a very unreasonable hour, but you can’t win them all.  Once I do get home, I plan on spending a lot of time with my dog.  Like I previously stated, I have been away at school for about eight weeks, that is a whole eight weeks without seeing my furry friend.  They say dogs have short memories, so that is a bit of a concern, but with everything else, I am looking forward to seeing her.  I also plan on seeing some of my good friends that I haven’t seen since I left, and obviously my family.  Being home for a long weekend will give me a lot of time to catch up on some sleep, so I am definitely looking to that, sleep deprivation has been a theme here for a little while so that will be nice.  Overall I’m just looking forward to seeing the people and places that have been in my life forever, but haven’t been around lately.michael and dwight on a plane

More Fruits for your Feed

Posted on by nickverderano

Last week I posted a small guide to help you decipher and choose fruits based on their ripeness.  I am well aware that there are more than just two fruits in the grocery store, so here are a few, or one more just in case you eat more than just bananas and watermelons.

Apples:  Apples are one of the most popular fruits out there.  Scientifically known as the Malus Domestica, a species apart of the Rosales order, apples are grown on trees literally everywhere.  With 2,500 different types of apples grown in the United States alone, and 7,500 grown throughout the world,  the versatility and variety of things you can do, and dishes you make with apples can not be matched.  Much like bananas, they are very easy to tell when are good or not for purchase.  It really depends on how you like your apples.  Some people like them best when they are a little soft, and almost have a grainy feel when you take a bite.  These are the same people that hold their nose when they jump into a pool.  It’s the equivalent of eating an all brown banana, or just the orange rind.  I believe apples are best when they are firm, crisp, and make a cracking sound with every bite.  So when picking out apples, depending on the type, I would recommend first, looking for any bruises or dents, if none are spotted, make sure the apple is firm enough for your liking, then bag it.  That’s all there is to it.dwights fruit vending machine

Ripe may not equal Ready

Posted on by nickverderano

With almost 20 different types of fruits to choose from at your local grocery store, it may be hard to know when a certain fruit is good to purchase. Knowing if fruits are ripe enough to eat and enjoy is a skill that is acquired over many years of trial and error. This is a small guide to help you get to know what a few ripe fruits look and feel like.

Banana.  This fruit is probably the easiest out of them all.  It doesn’t take Guy Fieri or Gordon Ramsey to tell you if a banana is ripe and good to buy.  The only tricky thing about bananas is timing.  Personally, when I buy a bushel of bananas I know that I will eat them pretty soon after I bring them home, so I usually go for bananas that are mostly yellow with a few brown spots here or there.  But I would say a good baseline for bananas is buy them when they are all yellow, that way you don’t have to rush to eat them before they are bad.

Watermelon.  On the other end of the spectrum, watermelons can be one of the hardest fruits to determine.  Some say you can tell by the color of the white streaks or how deep the green is, but anyone who really knows their way around fruits can tell if a watermelon is ripe or not just by giving it a firm slap.  I have not yet acquired this skill/natural gift. This takes years of time spent in the fresh fruit section, as well as in the garden.  It is something you cannot teach, some say it’s even genetic.  My advice for watermelons, if you don’t know what you’re doing is: hang around the watermelon display with a magazine or newspaper and wait until a true professional slaps a melon and yanks one up.  Either casually ask him/her if the one you’re about grab is good, or just try to grab one that looks like theirs.  Until you yourself have obtained this talent, this is the only advice I can give as far as melons.

Pen vs Pencil

Posted on by nickverderano

This debate is one that is literally as old as time. Which is better, pens or pencils? The first known writing without any implements was with a finger in some sand or on a wall with some kind of legible substance. So do we consider the finger nature’s pen or natures pencil? The first known writing down of anything with an actual implement took place around 3200 BC. It is called cuneiform. This form of writing was invented by the Sumerians. It is where you would take a wedge shaped stylist and make symbols and shapes usually into a clay tablet. But the question is, was this stylist the first pen or the first pencil? The first modern pencil is said to be invented in 1795 by Nicholas-Jacques Conte, and the first modern ballpoint pen issued in 1888 to John J Loud, it is hard to say what really came first if we’re going off technicalities. Before this there was quills. That is its own ball game. With a little history, you can make a more educated decision on which one is your go-to. Personally I am a fan of the Dixon Ticonderoga Wood-Cased #2 HB Soft. This certified AP nontoxic pencil has a hexagonal grip shape, made from fresh ceder wood with a smoothly painted yellow barrel that is truly pleasing to the naked eye, strapped with an eraser that could take the blue out of your jeans. You cannot go wrong with this pencil. With mechanical pencils and sleek looking new pens lining the walls at every department and arts and crafts store, the Ticonderoga has consistently stayed on top as one of the most reliable and widely used writing implements. With that, I think it is safe to say that I have officially ended this debate. I hope you consider my input next time you are looking for a writing tool.