On Thursday, June 25, 2009 Michael Joseph Jackson, the "King of Pop" died of a cardiac arrest which causes are yet to be determined. It's speculated that a prescription drug addiction combined with a life surrounded enablers (like the sham of a doctor who injected him with pain killers just an hour before his death and was present and alone with him at the time, prescribing medication under different names for God only knows how long) , pushing himself too far for an upcoming comeback concert tour and a life in the eye of the media... were all just too much on his heart.
Michael lived his life surrounded by fame, glory, music and media. He basically fathered pop music as we know it to be today and yet despite his amazing triumphs his tragedies never linger far behind. Accused of being a child molester, of being eccentric, a hermit and much more by so many yet rarely seen for being the victim of consumer obsession that he really was.
Life in America today is one of constant consumerism which has transcended all boundaries, privacy and respect that as fans we have for our idols. We have become a nation of tabloid sensations, controversy hungry hunters of those in the lime light. That sort of obsession, following and never ending disruption of privacy and peace breaks a soul. There are laws against it that protect mostly women who are victims of obsessive stalking but stars and celebs have nothing that protects them from paparazzi and fanatics.
Imagine yourself watched and followed everywhere you go, your trash riffled through, pictures snapped of you no matter what kind of day you're having, calls in the middle of the night, not being able to check your mail without looking over your shoulder... every single day without any kind of end in sight... this is all very real. I've realized that what celebs live through daily is exactly like what I have in the past lived through daily at the hands of a very privileged and invasive stalker. It wrecked my life, brought me lower than I could've imagined ever being and led me to question my own sanity over and over again. Not being able to trust those around you when you learn they are feeding the monster(s) that causes you all this pain with every single detail of your personal health & life. It's hell on earth in which you feel like your life is not your own to live, you feel like you control nothing. Yes there are stalking laws (very weak ones that are super easy to get around) in place and no they don't protect celebs from career stalkarazzi. And what feeds the paparazzi? We do! Everytime you google your fave star for personal info or who their latest love is, everytime you buy a trashy mag to get the cover celeb story... that feeds the industry that has grown to wreck lives.
Maybe in Michael Jackson's death we'll finally learn what today's media stalkarazzi does to stars. Living like prey will really mess with your mind, it's a dangerous state of mind to live in. Just ask anybody who's ever been stalked, you feel like you life is no longer your own and you'll do anything, mo matter how self-destructive it may be, to forget and feel your own even if just for a minute. We need to learn as fans of anyone to respect their personal space and lives and learn to tell the difference between their movies and music and their home life. Being an actor or musician is a job like being a doctor, we all appreciate doctors but we don't follow them home or take pictures of their children. Lets all support the stars we love by supporting their work and respecting their lives while they are still on earth.
Your Shopping List:
1 Pobalano pepper, 1 bag of frozen Southwestern Corn Mix, 1 package of 2 cubed steaks, 1 ripe avocado, 1 small red onion, 1 medium tomato, 1 lime, 1 small bunch of cilantro, white rice, black pepper, flaked dried chili, apple cider vinegar, ground or flaked sea salt
Easy Southwestern Rice:
2 cups white rice | 2 cups water | pinch of salt | 1 bag frozen Southwestern corn mix | 2 tbsp canola oil
1) Add water into a pot with oil and salt and bring to a boil.
2) Add rice (don't rinse, rinsing rice removes all the vitamins and minerals) and corn mix.
3) Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and cover, cook for 20 minutes or until rice is dry and soft.
Pobalano Cubed Steak:
1 pobalano pepper, cut into strips | 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (use organic ACV with the "mother" in it, it provides amazing health benefits) | sea salt & pepper to taste | 2 cubed steaks
1) Rinse cubed steaks (always rinse meat... let's not be gross) in water and lay them in a bowl or deep dish with the ACV (apple cider vinegar) while you cut the pobalano pepper into thin strips.
2) Remove the steaks from the ACV and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
3) Spray a pan with cooking spray, lay the cubed steaks in the pan and top with the pobalano pepper strips.
4) Saute over medium-high heat 7-10 minutes until cooked to desired doneness.
Avacodo Pico de Gallo:
1 ripe avacodo | 1 small red onion | juice of 1 lime | 1 medium tomato, cubed or diced | 5-10 stems of cilanto, leave only | pinch of sea salt | pinch of dried chili pepper flakes
1) Dice everything.
2) Mix it all in a bowl.
3) Add lemon juice and toss.
Plating It:
Place rice on plate and add a cubed steak. Spoon avacado pico de gallo over the cubed steak and top with a few strips of the pobalano pepper that cooked with the steak. Enjoy!
We all want a clean kitchen, that's a given, but not all of us want neurotoxins on our kitchen counter. Luckily it's easy to make your own, and often times mostly organic, quick and easy all natural cleaner at only a fraction of the cost of most commercial cleaners. Here's my favorite kitchen cleaner that I make at home, it's easy, natural and works really well. You can even use it to clean the oven and the fridge without having to worry that it's toxic.
Easy Antimicrobial Kitchen Cleaner:
1 18-24 oz spray bottle* | 40 drops organic essential tea tree oil** | distilled water *** |4 tbsp Dr. Bronner's Organic Magic Castile Liquid Soap****
1) Fill the bottle a little more than 3/4ths full of the distilled water.
2) Slowly add 4 tbsp of the castile liquid soap.
3) Add 35-40 drops of the essential tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial and antiseptic natural properties.
4) Shake.
To Use:
1) Shake well.
2) Spray on surface.
3) Wipe off.
Caution: Don't use in areas where your cat(s) lay or walk, tea tree oil isn't good for kitties.
* When selecting containers and bottles for use with making your own cleaners, always start with a clean new container. Do not reuse containers that previously held chemical cleaners as it is unknown the reactions that trace amounts of these cleaners can have with the natural items. And you don't want these chemicals to leach into your healthy cleaners.
** When using essential oils it's always best to use one labeled "organic essencial oil", regular essencials and fragrant oils are not regulated by the government and therefore you don't know if it's the real deal or a synthetic chemical. Using the word "Organic" is regulated, this way you know that what you're getting is pure and will have all the natural elements that you need. Yes they cost more but a little goes a long way so in the end, you save money.
*** When making your own cleaners always use distilled or purified water instead of plain tap water. This is for 2 reasons, one is that tap water is shown to have trace amounts of various chemicals, medications, toxins and general gross stuff. And two, all those chemicals in water and especially in hard water actually work against your natural cleaners and make it harder to clean instead of working with it.
**** Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Castile Soaps come in various scents, are vegetable based organic soaps (not detergents, which most products that claim to be soap really are) and come in various scents. You can use whichever scent pleases you, I use the baby one because it's unscented and that way I can use it with any oil I wish. The soap is a little expensive however you can use it to clean anything, including yourself, your kids, your hair, your pets, your car and your home... which means in the end you save clutter and money with only having to use one product.
My fave: Frozen Grapes
What you need: As many grapes as you want | a freezer-safe container to put them in
How to do it:
1) Wash the grapes and shake them off.
2) Put them in the container and put in the freezer.
3) Freeze for a few hours.
4) Serve frozen or use in place of ice cubes in juice.
Frozen Watermelon
What you need: cut up watermelon | container to put it in
How to do it:
1) Cut the watermelon into cubes and place in container big enough to hold it.
2) Put in freezer for a few hours.
3) Serve frozen or in place of ice cubes in drinks or water for "agua fresca", fresh water.
Smoothie "Ice Cream"
What you need: your favorite smoothie | container to put it in
How to do it:
1) Make or buy your favorite smoothie.
2) Pour it into small cups or a container and place in freezer.
3) Freeze for a few hours to set.
4) Eat with a spoon like ice cream.
If you've ever had a leaky window when it rains or water drench your carpet, then you know that nasty mildew smell that comes up from your carpet. Instead of renting the expensive cleaning machine or replacing your carpet, try this natural remedy/refresher to fix the problem.
What you'll need: 1 8oz spray bottle | 8 7 oz white vinegar | 45 drops essential organic tea tree oil
How to make it:
1) Fill the spray bottle with the vinegar then add the essential oil.
2) Shake.
How to use it:
1) Dry the problem area.
2) Shake the spray bottle and spray the area well.
3) Allow to dry naturally or face a fan at it to help it along. That's it!
This mixture does smell of vinegar heavily but just for a little while and it works great.
I love iced coffee! I don't love all the calories and sugar and I don't love having to go out and get some but sometimes making it at home taste a little watered down. I toyed with how to make good iced coffee (it's a lot more complex then just adding ice to regular coffee or you'll get a watered down mess) and found a way. In the week and half since my air-conditioner has been broken, I've made this in the mornings and afternoons to help keep me refreshed. This recipe isn't specific in measurements so that you can decide how you like your coffee, creamier or stronger and so that you can make either a little bit or a whole lot.
Healthy Iced Coffee
What you need: freshly ground fair-trade coffee grinds (I use a Peruvian blend)| purified water |cold sugar-free coffee creamer, you choice of flavor |cold fat-free (I use lactose-free) milk | loads of ice | Truvia sweetener if you want a sweeter iced coffee
How you make it:
1) Brew coffee in your pot using the purified water (cleaner, truer taste) and fair-trade coffee grinds, as usual except make it stronger than you normally would. Regular strength coffee will become watery with all the extra milk and ice.
2) Pour the coffee into your desired container, cover and put in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes. Use about one half more the normal amount of coffee you normally use to avoid a diluted taste.
3) Add the normal amount of creamer you would normally use plus about 1 1/2 tsp and mix.
4) Add 1/4th cup to up to a full cup of milk to the coffee (it depends on how you like your coffee and how big a cup or how many servings your making, which is why I leave the exact measurements up to you. Mix well.
5) Fill the rest of your cup up with the ice and avoid stirring (that will make the ice melt faster).
6) Enjoy!
Making your own laundry detergent doesn't mean sacrificing cleanliness or risking color fading. What it does mean is saving an incredible amount of money, not washing your clothes with toxins and not using toxins in the water that eventually makes it back into our water systems. The ingredients for this make-it-yourself natural laundry detergent are easy to find and inexpensive, and a little of this detergent goes a long way.
What you need: a 2 gallon clean container | 2 gallons hot distilled water, plus a little more | 2 cups baking soda | 1 grated Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Castile Soap Bar, in your scent choice (available at most health food stores and Target)
How you make it:
1) In a large saucepan, cover the grated soap with just enough hot water to cover it and cook on medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the soap is completely melted.
2) In a large pail, pour 2 gallons of hot distilled water and add to it the melted soap. Stir well.
3) Add the baking soda and stir well once more to mix it all.
4) Pour it into your preferred 2 gallon container, I use the "in the door" slim water kind that you can get at Walmart for about $6. The baking soda in the mixture won't dissolve and when resting will separate from the soap mixture, this is normal.
How to use it:
1) Shake to mix.
2) For a full regular load use 1/2 cup of the laundry soap, for a very dirty or extra large load use 1 cup.
One night while bored and feeling "snacky" yet not wanting to break the calorie bank I thought I'd fix some pudding. And then I thought how freaking boring, plain vanilla pudding. So I grabbed what was on hand and the result was totally delicious.
S'Mores Healthy Pudding
You'll need: 1 package instant vanilla sugar-free pudding mix | fat-free (I use lactose free) milk (the amount called for on the box) | 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips | 1/2 tsp cinnamon | 1 reduced-fat graham cracker, broken into pieces | 2 reduced-fat graham cracker "sticks" per serving
How you make it:
1) Make the pudding per directed on the package but don't refrigerate yet.
2) Mix in half of the cinnamon and all the mini chocolate chips.
3) Refrigerate if you wish, though for most mixes it's not necessary.
4) Before Serving: sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
5) Spoon into individual cups, sprinkle each with a bit of cinnamon and insert 2 graham cracker sticks.
1) Kitchen Scrubber - Baking soda is great for safely scrubbing stuck-on grease all over the kitchen. All you do is sprinkle a little over the spot then gently rub with a wet wash cloth or sponge and the grease will come right up.
2) Plastic Container Freshener - After a while reusable plastic containers smell a little funky and that stink can leach into your food. So we end up tossing them out. Not anymore! Simply pour some baking soda in the container, cover and leave overnight. In the morning just use a wet sponge to wipe the container then wash and the stink will be gone.
3) Stuck On Food - After letting food sit on a plate or after baking in a dish, food can become stuck and the sponge just is not cutting it. Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda over the stuck on food then gently scrub with a sponge or wet washcloth and it should come off without ruining your dish.
