Eggcellent, my dear!

It seems every month brings some new development in how many Americans view the food they consume. I don't think Americans are going to realize en masse any time soon that corn syrup, preservatives, added salt and added sugar are making them the world's fattest people, but at least they can begin to look less like the faster-food-at-any-cost lazybones the rest of the world sees them as.

This time the topic is eggs. I'm not going to go on a rant a la PETA about the cruel conditions many commercial chickens are forced to endure. Those who really care will find out on their own.

A New York Times article this morning discussed more and more big food companies switching from using eggs produced in chicken farms that use cages, to those from "cageless" chicken farms. Now, that definitely does not mean they are using eggs from chickens who frolic about outside. These are probably still chickens who will never see the light of day except when someone opens the door to enter or leave the egg-laying area. What is so important about this move, is the acknowledgment by larger chains that many Americans want to be healthy, thus wanting healthier food.

OK, an egg is an egg is an egg. But was the chicken who popped that egg out particularly healthy? It may or may not matter. The article said chefs like Wolfgang Puck have decided cageless eggs are higher quality, although there isn't any concrete proof they taste better.

Many farm activists think cageless farms are just as bad, if not worse than, as farms that use cages, or batteries. According to farm owners cited in the article, "...keeping thousands of hens in tight quarters on the floor of a building can lead to hunger, disease and cannibalism. They also say that converting requires time, money and faith that the spike in demand is not just a fad." Well, it's up to the American public to demand more and let the farmers know it's not just a fad, isn't it? And isn't it up to the farmers to ensure the quarters aren't cramped, the chickens are being fed and they're healthy?

I can see how there would definitely be a downside to letting a thousand chickens mill around in a barn together. The photo on the first page of the article showed a pretty cramped situation.

If you ask me, it looks far better than rows upon rows of chickens shoved into laptop-sized cages. At least outside of the cages they can move around, socialize and flap their wings a bit, and not have to sit in their own waste.

I'm all for free range eggs, and many of my friends also are. I think it's interesting that, according to the article, many universities have jumped on board in choosing eggs from cageless suppliers. College students, much like a growing population of today's high school students, want to eat more nutritious, better foods. Many of them also want food from humanely-treated animals. If this is what our younger generations of consumers are asking for, then perhaps it's time for a change in the way the food industry is run.

True, it may be expensive to make the switch from battery cages to cageless, or to have someone oversee the chickens to make sure they're not pecking each other to death. But if the conditions are good and the birds are well-fed, then they shouldn't be killing each other anyway. And if there are more farms producing these eggs, that should drive the price down from its current height at about $0.60 more than cage-farm produced eggs, and cageless eggs will just become the norm.

It's a slight ripple of change in a big industry--something to be aware of, in the very least. Who knows what food-producers will turn to next.

That's-a pizza pie!

Getting free stuff is always nice. Imagine my pleasure when I got a letter in the mail one day shortly after moving into my new apartment and discovered it included a gift certificate for a free large pizza at Rocco's Little Chicago, a pizza joint here in Tucson.



After a few weeks of sitting on the free booty, we called a quorum of friends and went to try it out.

The service wasn't particularly fantastic. The waiter seemed flustered and forgot to return with a lemonade refill for someone at our table. One of the regulars at our table said you have to get "the blonde" waitress, who is apparently very attentive and helpful.

We ordered a couple of appetizers, some beers and sodas, and two large, deepdish cheese pizzas.

The beer list changes every week, but we tried a Bitburger, Summer Solstice and Heileman's Old Style. I always enjoy a Bitburger, and this one wasn't bad. The person who got the Summer Solstice was trying to learn how to appreciate beer, and she ended up switching with the more experienced beer drinker who got the Old Style. I thought they both tasted like water, but everyone's beer taste buds differ.

The appetizers weren't bad. I tried the mozarella sticks, which were delicious and hit the spot after an evening of hunger. They weren't sensational, although I can't say I'd had mozarella sticks for a long time before trying them. From what I heard around the table, the medium hot wings were very tasty but a bit too spicy and the ranch dressing was delicious, and the BBQ sticks were fantastic.

The pizzas were monstrous: two-and-a-half inches of Chicago-style (sauce on top of the cheese) bliss. Very yummy, and worth the long-ish wait. They were quite filling, and at a table of five guys and three girls, we still ended up having two big pieces left over.

We didn't have time to sample from the dessert menu, which included cheesecake and giant cookies. Next time.

As for price: the free-pizza coupon helped a lot. Our original bill came to $72 (that's without the 15% gratuity mandatory for parties of six or more), and after the free pizza came off, it was $50 even (including tax and tip). A bit pricey for some college students, but manageable in a large group.

All in all, the meal was delicious and worth trying again.

Ick. Gag. Yuck. Pwuh.

Seven of the ugliest pairs of shoes ever created by man.

Summer Fashion

Every year, magazines like Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan come out with an issue devoted entirely to ideal summer clothing. The selections usually look good. They just don't work out so well in real-time as they do in theory.

At least, that's how it goes when you live in the Southwest. It's hot here. And dry. And in July and August, it's hot, dry and muggy all at once. Temperatures range from 80 to 120 degrees, and yet we're supposed to run around in espadrilles and long, flowing dresses looking cool and crisp.

Yes, flowing dresses in light materials ARE ideal for being outside in the hot Southwest. But what about when you go inside, and the temperature is 12 degrees Fahrenheit?

Unfortunately, Arizona is a place where it must be 75 degrees cooler inside than it is outside at all times from March through October. This does not compute well when added into the equation of summer fashions produced by women's magazines.After all, the long, flowing dress and matching espadrilles are going to look dowdy once you go inside and put on a hoodie and wrap a blanket around yourself so you don't freeze to death (yes, people in my office DO take jackets and blankets with them to work).

Perhaps fashion trends would be better set if magazines were produced in the hottest climates, rather than in cooler places like the Pacific Northwest or Northeastern U.S. True, it's humid there, but they don't use air conditioning like we do. Oh, no siree.

Emergency Response Mechanism

So I just turned 21 this May. That's a number signifying adulthood and maturity in the U.S. if ever there was one.

We tend to believe that and buy into how adult being 21 is, especially since you can get drunk legally in the U.S. at that point (which isn't that big a deal if you're say, German, or go abroad often).

But sometimes believing you're mature isn't enough to make you feel like an adult. Here's a case study that best exemplifies what I'm saying:

It's the first day of Summer Session II classes. I just got my car back from the shop after two weeks of having no window on one side and having to live at my boyfriend's house because I live too far from the university to walk. I'm in a fairly good mood, making my lunch and dinner to take to work/school the next day.

Then there's that damn piece of bread. A beautiful, delicious, golden, mini-sourdough loaf I'm trying to split open to stuff with butter and divine brie. And it's gotten hard over the weekend. So I get out the BIG bread knife. The new one. The sharp one.

It won't cut the bread. I try every angle. The knife will not go in. So, in a flurry of brilliance, I slam the knife point onto the rounded edge of the bread, thinking "WHY WON'T YOU GO IN???"

Slice.

No, not the bread. I got the top of my finger.


"Eh," I think. "I get myself with knives all the time and never bleed. No big deal."

Blood starts coming out.

"Eh," I think. "Merely a flesh wound."

I rinse it out. More blood...let's make that LOTS more blood.

The little red light in my brain clicks on and I suddenly tear across the apartment to my bathroom, grab a Kleenex and wrap it around the gushing finger. Thoughts of "what do I do next?" swirl inside my skull as the wound begins to pulsate with pain.

So what do I do? I run to my desk, and, still holding the kleenex tightly onto my finger, I wrestle my cell phone open and call my parents. Who live in Willcox. That's 70 miles away at a good 80 mph.

My mom answers the phone, and the floodgates let loose. "I CUT MY FINGER! WHAT DO I DO?"

Pause. "Um, did you wash it out?" "YES!" "Did you wrap a towel around it?" "I'M USING A KLEENEX!" "Why aren't you using a towel?" "I'LL GET BLOOD ALL OVER IT!!!" "Okay..."

The conversation progresses as such until my mother wakes my father, who gets his own dose of tearful wailing about the bloody finger and how I've gone through three Kleenexes and it hurts so bad. So my dad calls my boyfriend, who lives a mere five minutes away. What happens when he arrives? Calm, cool logic wrestles with emotional blubbering for two minutes and then wants to know why on earth I called my parents. That's a really good question.

And if that scene isn't bad enough, I struggled when Ian tried to clean out the cut (I abhor medical cleansing pads and Peroxide), and again a week later when my dad was changing the dressings Campus Health had put on my finger--I wouldn't let him get close enough with nail scissors to snip off the back of the medical tape.

There are plenty of situations where I embody that cool, logical 21-year-old I like to think I am. But apparently, that logic has a melting point, and mine just happens to be blood. The moral of the story? I'll let you know when I find out. In the meantime I'm too busy oohing and ahhing over my finger's healing progress to figure out what it means to be this old and still go crying to mommy and daddy when something goes wrong.

I mean, wouldn't the adult thing to do have been to dress the wound myself? Or call Ian before calling my mother?

Maybe 21 years just isn't long enough to be that kind of mature.

A new beginning

It's been a long time since the last fashion post on this blog. Since then, I've done some thinking...and I decided to take a new direction here. Rather than having a blog about fashion, a blog about food, and a blog about random things that catch my attention, why not just have one blog for all three?

So, into the future then, in hopes of many more blog posts in one place than previously.

Words of Support

Bras. They come in a multitude of colors, styles, sizes and materials.

Yet, sadly, most women walk around with a floppy sack of material supporting their assets. Why? Because the grand majority of women don't have the slightest clue about finding a properly-fitting bra.

It's true, bra-fitting wisdom isn't something females are born with, and not everyone is bright enough to realize what they really look like in the mirror.

I concocted a list of tips for finding the right bra, although every woman should really visit a bra specialist--not someone in the department store bra section or Victoria's Secret--someone who has been working with bras for a very long time and specializes in them.



1. As with all clothing, don't obsess about the size tag. Every brand fits differently, and many styles within each brand may also fit differently. The key is to try on as many styles and brands as possible to find the correct one.

2. Pull on the straps. If they are very stretchy, they won't lend to good support. Even if you have small breasts, you still want support--or you'll really be needing it when you're older.

3. Push on the cups with your thumb to see how stretchy they are. As with the straps, the stretchier the material in the cups, the less support you'll be getting. Another thing about stretchy cups, is they won't give you as nice a shape as something a little firmer might.

4. When trying on a bra, the band should sit comfortably in the middle of your back. If it hikes up, the bra is too small. If it slides down, the bra is too big.

5. Adjust the straps properly when trying on a bra. The only way to gauge if it really fits is to try it on like you're getting ready to wear it.

6. Beware fancy fabrics. A super-lacy bra may look pretty with nothing atop it, but the lace will definitely show through once you put on a shirt.

7. Padding is nice in bras, depending on what size you are. Women wearing a C-cup or larger really should NOT have padding in their bras.

8. Larger women should opt for minimizer bras that shape the breasts, support them and pull them up.

9. Severely molded cups are nice, but not always. Check the shape in the mirror (from the front and side) to be sure you don't have torpedoes or round balls sitting on your chest.

10. ALWAYS wear a bra. I don't care who you are, what you think your breasts are like, or what the outfit you're wearing is. There is no excuse not to wear a bra. Other women can tell you're not wearing one. Some men can also tell. And when you get older, gravity will really take over--no matter how small you were when you let it all hang out.

11. Large women should watch out for strapless bras. They may say "maximum staying power" or whatever, but they don't always live up to those promises. Try moving around a lot when trying on the bra to see if it will stay up. If not, try to find something with clear straps.

12. If you have small breasts, your bra straps should not cut into your shoulders. Try unloosening the strap a little to see if the indentation grows smaller. If not, try a different bra.

13. While florals, bright colors and rhinestones are oh-so-appealing on bras in the store, they may not always go so well under your clothing. For the majority of your bra wardrobe, go for nude- and beige-colored bras, a few whites and a few blacks. Once you have your neutrals, then you can go bananas with flashy brassieres.

14. If a bra is uncomfortable, it doesn't fit well. Move on to something else. A bra should never be uncomfortable. Ever.

15. Facts of life: There are always more choices in the bra section for smaller-breasted women. Bras made for small breasts are usually not very supportive, and brim-full of padding. Going to a lingerie or bra store is the best bet for the femme in need of a good bra collection, without incurring undue stress in her search.

16. As for bathing suits, small-breasted ladies pretty much have the pick of the litter. Just make sure the shape the suit gives your breast is as natural as possible, and that your top is supportive and sturdy--you don't want to become exposed in public. For large-breasted women, Calvin Klein now has a line of bathing suits (bikini and one-piece) with underwire bras built in, all the way up to 38DD. Dillards also has a large collection of suits in bigger sizes and with more supportive choices.

The flat-out truth

You know you've seen people wearing those long, skinny, flat-soled Converse shoes and knock-offs with a similar shape. They're the premier old-school tennis shoe, and they're sold in multiple colors.

The most disturbing thing about these shoes, is that people love to wear them. And the people who wear these shoes should not be wearing them.

A very skinny shoe makes a large person look top heavy--from the tip of his or her head down to the ankles. You have a very large silhouette atop tiny little feet.

A very thin person wearing a thin shoe has a similarly unattractive effect: thin, lanky and, well, stringy. If that's the look you're going for, fine. But it probably won't get you laid.

Wearing ultra-thin, flat-soled shoes with skinny jeans is a big no-no. Skinny jeans are bad enough on most people, but to pair them with pancake-flat shoes is grotesque. Such a combination makes the body appear to taper down to nothing.

Far too many people purchase these shoes in black. First of all, black shoes in general are not flattering. Especially on white people. But to wear them with shorts, is just a crime against fashion.

Word to the wise: stay away from shoes that will damage any chances you have of creating a flattering body shape.

S is for Sexy Spring Shoes

A springtime zappos.com search revealed these finds. Most are from Stuart Weitzman, others are from Anne Klein, Donald J. Pliner and Lacoste. These are the 12 hottest shoes from the site's "Redondo Drive" category.

Fashions from Germany

It's always interesting to find out what people from around the world are wearing. Here's a look into spring women's fashions in Deutschland.

Saturday Seven

These are my seven favorite blouses from Anthropologie.
When going for shirts like these, the rule of thumb is this: if you have a curvier figure, look for something fitted (which means you will be able to see seaming on the outside), or something that will obviously lead the eye away from your trouble spots. Don't go too tight--one can always tell when somebody's clothing doesn't fit, just by looking. Women who aren't as curvy can use flowy shirts and shirts with puff sleeves (none shown here) to give the illusion of curves.

What's blue and white and cute all over?

Some outfits I found on Ann Taylor's The Loft Web site. If you click on "Outfits" you can see suggested combinations for different categories: Social events, work and everyday casual. Overall, blue and white are the dominant colors for the current collection. You can also find lots of red and black styles, too.

Chunky!

Attending a recent public event in my small town brought me to a disturbing conclusion. In the rural areas of Arizona, clunky, chunky, bulky shoes are considered stylish. I shuddered as I watched a large woman with big black clodhoppers walk to the front of the room. Dressed all in black, she probably assumed her outfit was slimming. What she didn't realize, was the bigger and bulkier your shoes are, the bigger they make you look. Other women were guilty of that fashion-shoe crime, most of them rather large ladies. The few thin women who were wearing big, chunky shoes had an opposite sort of unpleasant effect. The shoes seemed to be weighing them down, making the top parts of their bodies look too thin.
If only people would stop to look in the mirror once in a while and STUDY the image projected before them with a CRITICAL EYE. Then maybe there wouldn't be so many fashion crimes against humanity.
Remember, the bigger you are and the bigger the item of clothing or shoe is, the bigger it's going to make you look. The smaller you are, the more sickly a large clothing item or shoe is going to make you look. Never fail.

A la Disposition

Pieces from the early 1920s-based Fall/Winter 2006 collection.