Croc

Dude, lay off. I've been to Canada several times, and it isn't like everyone up there is as thin as the Europeans generally are, either.

I own one, but I haven't made enough use of it. It just takes so damn long to make things that way. I'd love to have some solid, healthful recipes where I can prep and throw everything into the Crock Pot, then come back from class 3 hours later and have a wonderful meal. But I'm leary of leaving the apartment with something cooking, and I just don't have any great, must-eat recipes for the damn thing.

HAHAHA I love the side salad.

Shoot, my mother's meatloaf would be the perfect low-carb recipe, but I don't have it. I'll have to ask for it...but it's like ground beef, egg, bacon, chopped red and green peppers, tomatoes, and some ketchup I think? She may or may not have crushed Ritz crackers in it, but that isn't low-carb, and I guarantee she won't be making it that way anymore what with the High-Fructose Corn Syrup mercury scandal (Ritz crackers contain HFCS). Give me a cuisine and I can do more to help you out. Chinese can be pretty low-carb. I have an authentic beef with broccoli recipe I've made that is fantastic: Ingredients : 1 1/2 lb Chinese broccoli (gai lan) 1 lb Flank steak 3 tbl Vegetable oil 1 x Garlic clove minced 1 tsp Minced fresh ginger 1 bunch Scallion, green and white parts minced 1 tbl Dark soy sauce 1/4 cup Unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock or water 1 tbl Brandy 1/2 tsp Sugar 2 tsp Roasted sesame oil 1 can Bamboo 1 pkg Mung bean sprouts MARINADE 1 tbl Dark soy sauce 1 tbl Cornstarch 2 tsp Dry white wine Directions: • Wash the broccoli well in cold water, separating the leaves and tender hearts and the stalks. Peel the thicker stalks, if necessary. Set aside. • Make the marinade: Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, and wine in a bowl. Slice the beef across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches long. Combine with the marinade and let stand at least 10 minutes. • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok and stir-fry the broccoli stalks, sprouts and bamboo, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then add the broccoli leaves and hearts and stir-fry another 30 seconds, tossing frequently. Remove to a bowl and set aside. • Return wok to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Over medium-high heat, stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and scallion for 30 seconds, or until aromatic. Add the beef and stir-fry until browned, tossing frequently. Add the soy sauce, stock, brandy, and sugar, then the broccoli, tossing to blend and heating the broccoli. Turn off heat, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve. • This recipe yields 2 to 4 servings. • Comments: Although beef with broccoli appears on most North American Chinese restaurant menus, very few customers have tasted the authentic dish. You must use Chinese broccoli (gai lan). Chinese broccoli has tiny white flowers on the central stalk, so the dish does not even look like the run-of-the-mill take-out beef with broccoli ! To make this more low-carb, eliminate the cornstarch. I really don't see its necessity in the recipe, especially since everything gets stir-fried together in the end and the little amount of liquid can be evaporated/reduced by minimal additional stir-frying.

Won't have any from me...I try to avoid pasta. Low carb thing.

No no no..."scalding" means to put the cream/milk/what have you over a slow fire (low heat), stirring as often as necessary to prevent a skin from forming, and then removing from heat when it is just about to boil (little bubbles form around the edges). http://baking.about.com/library/info/bltermsp.htm It's a fairly common term to encounter when making custards.

So...you're saying a woman needs a husband/boyfriend/significant other in order to be able to raise a family? Really, it is none of our business WHY she wanted to have one more girl. It isn't even relevant. But the fertility clinic is under fire out here for irresponsibly using fertility treatments with her, allowing her to have such a high-risk pregnancy, and not even determining the proper number of babies. Such negligence.

...why? You drawn to this or something?

Get a grip. Seriously.

Moral of the story: the North American public is collectively dumb as $h!.

Email response from Coca-Cola: Emphasis added. So basically, the study sucks and sholuldn't be credible because the mercury levels detected are at the fringe of detectability, and at that range false positives are common...yet Coca-Cola has some amazing sophisticated method of their own and can say that there isn't that problem for them? They did not address the fact that the HFCS plants USED MERCURY TO MAKE THE $h!. But the Corn Refiners Association (read: lobby) says it's safe. Cool. Throwing out my Coca-Cola, and selling my stock.

You guys are pretty judgmental for not even knowing some of the basic information in the case. The woman wanted one last child, a little girl. It isn't her fault her janked-up fertility clinic used unethical medical procedures to make her pregnant with 8--especially since the 8th wasn't even known to exist until it slid out. This woman is a victim of bad medical ethics, bad medical decision-making, and gross negligence.

I resent your decision to play games with us. You want advice? Give information. PS: You set up the poll wrong.

Sorry to hear about the autism. If you want Mexican Coca-Cola, check the label. Not all of it from Mexico is made with sugar.

For sure. Also, I just found this article posted on one of my urban planning blogs I regularly read; Indianapolis is, once again, the most affordable metropolitan housing market: http://www.newgeography.com/content/00554-...-still-a-way-go

Detecting mercury is detecting mercury, buddy. Even the plants admitted to manufacturing the stuff with mercury.

The switch to sugar should be made for taste alone. My great-grandmother had a delicious pecan pie recipe that was beloved by my father's side of the family. It called for corn syrup. I did some research, and found out that outside of North America, corn syrup is virtually nonexistant. Lyle's Golden Syrup, made from cane sugar, is what is used instead, and the substitution ratio is 1:1. So, my experiment: I made two pecan pies, with one having corn syrup, and the other having golden syrup. Not only was the golden syrup pie preferred taste-wise, but the two cooked exactly the same. The golden syrup pie was much more flavorful because the taste of cane sugar and cane sugar products really brought out the nutty flavor of the pecans, whereas the corn syrup just tasted sweet while adding nothing in terms of flavor. If you try soda made in other countries with cane sugar, the flavors are much more pronounced and mellow compared to the "too sweet" taste of the HFCS iterations sold in North America. The best comparison is to order Dublin Dr. Pepper (Dublin is the plant in TX that never switched away from sugar) and try it side-by-side with the standard HFCS version. Another opportunity that is coming up is to try side-by-side Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite and possibly Sierra Mist with their Passover versions, which use cane sugar because HFCS is not Kosher for Passover.

In LA they go in the $3-6 range depending on quality.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9012601831.html Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 12:00 AM MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies. HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average. "Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [u.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement. ad_icon In the first study, published in current issue of Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments. But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health. "This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances." However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination. IATP's Ben Lilliston also told HealthDay that the Environmental Health findings were based on information gathered by the FDA in 2005. And the group's own study, while not peer-reviewed, was based on products "bought off the shelf in the autumn of 2008," Lilliston added. The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda. "The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said in his prepared statement. More information The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has more about mercury and health. SOURCE: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, news release, Jan. 26, 2009

OK, well to that end, it sounds like you can definitely get some decent work with those qualifications. Carmel, IN has a lot of doctors, lawyers, and business people in it, and a lot of brochures are in serious need of work. The city is also starting to post videos on its website, but the website itself needs a LOT of work. Their search engine is pure 90s technology. I interned for the city a couple summers ago, and I know they are looking at getting more stuff on the internet. They want to go green, and a few people I talked to are interested in getting a lot of the various permit forms online so that they can update their databases more seamlessly as well as go as paperless as a city government can be. Maybe they're looking for somebody there. Also, Carmel has a couple of stables, and the neighboring town, Zionsville, is pretty rural in appearance with a lot of equestrian-type people. Carmel has the lowest tax rate in the state of all the "cities" and they also beat many of the towns, too. Great amenities, and commute to downtown Indianapolis is like 20-30 min. There is also a downtown express shuttle service that just started up, a park-and-ride type thing, and it's been pretty popular. Just to the east of Carmel is the town of Fishers, which has many of the same types of people, but is a bit lower in avg income when compared to Carmel, and the traffic is a lot worse. Not as many amenities, but proximity to downtown Indianapolis is similar. Not as close to stables or those kinds of things, but the housing is more affordable. Both places are great places to raise a family, and schools in Zionsville, Carmel and Fishers are perennially competing amongst the top 3-4 spots in the state rankings. Again, I cannot stress enough--Indiana has pretty much the best income-to-cost of living ratio in the nation without being in the middle of nowhere (relatively). It isn't some huge city, but it isn't a series of rural towns, either. Good luck, and keep us posted on what happens.

I initially liked both. I truly don't understand how some people say they don't like coffee. That's like saying you don't like ice cream--there's 32 f@#king flavors and you're telling me you tried every single one of them and decided they all suck? I'm definitely not a fan of certain roasts of coffee, but overall I will drink them all--I just prefer some over others.

Not to nit-pick, but those are kreteks, not cigarettes. And I smoked these for a few months, but I got an upper respiratory infection, and those things were KILLER! I can't really stomach them much now after that, but they do taste damn good. I do wish Djarum made them shorter, because they smoke about a minute and a half longer than I'd prefer. Yeah you just don't know what you're talking about--at all. You obviously have never even smelled one of these.

Amazing Sugar Cream Pie Ingredients: 1 C sugar 1 dash salt ¼ C flour 1 P whipping cream 1 unbaked deep-dish pie shell Cinnamon to taste Nutmeg to taste Directions: Combine sugar, salt and flour. Scald the whipping cream. Add a little cream to the dry ingredients and stir to dissolve, then add and mix the remainder of the cream. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Wow, I'm so honored one of my threads has been resurrected by our resident necromancer. I think it's time for some new recipes from Cooking with Croc: Truly the best hamburgers: 1lb Ground Beef Lipton Onion dried soup packets to taste (1-2) 1-2T water Mix soup mix and ground beef VERY THOROUGHLY in a bowl. Add only enough water to moisten, do not saturate. Form patties, grill, and top with your choice of toppings.

Don't take this the wrong way, but the whole thing sounded like something I'd hear on Judge Judy. Seriously. Please, for your own sanity, look for job prospects in MO or somewhere with a lower cost of living and a future, and get something you can live off of. Move out. I don't know what degrees/education/marketable skills you have besides website building (which honestly isn't enough on its own in this job market), but please use them to get something you can live off of. There are some killer deals in various places real estate-wise, especially in the midwest. It pains me to type this, but you might even look into living in Indiana--it has one of the best (if not the best) income-to-cost of living ratios in the country. Carmel, IN is a very nice suburb of Indianapolis with plenty of parks and amenities, and some job prospects. Also, I know of some apartment complexes there with great rents, and you can walk to the grocery (right across the street) or go to restaurants and other shops within 5-10 minutes. Give us some more information on what you're looking for, and maybe someone on here can help you out. There are enough people on here that I'm sure SOMEONE can find you something. To that end: [*]What marketable skills do you have? Highest education attainment? Past work experience? [*]What salary/wage do you reasonably expect to make? [*]What about Jessica? Skills/education/work experience? [*]What other issues are in play? Do you have to be super close to family, or what? What kinds of commutes are you looking at? Etc. Give us some more info and maybe this can be figured out.