If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting Suncoast Scribe!

Every New Year’s Day I like to make my favorite pork loin recipe. I have missed making it the past couple of years, due to smaller family gatherings, but I am gearing up to make it again this year.

You want to make sure you buy a very high quality white meat pork loin. It’s going to be leaner, have a milder flavor, and a great texture.

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons course salt
4 & 1/2 pound boneless pork loin
1 Tablespoon bourbon, or to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped green onions

In small bowl, combine oil, thyme, oregano, caraway seeds, onion, garlic, and salt. Rub mixture onto pork loin. In roasting pan, chill the seasoned pork loin overnight.

Roast at 325 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat thermometer reached 155 degrees. Remove and let stand 10 minutes.

Bourbon Gravy: Add bourbon, chicken broth, and water to pan juices. Boil one minute, scraping up brown bits. Strain mixture into a bowl. In saucepan, combine butter and flour, cook the roux over moderately low heat, whisking for three minutes. Add the broth mixture in a stream, whisking. Bring to boil, whisking. Add green onions and simmer one minute.

I used to do a lot of mystery shopping. I never looked at it as a way to make money, and if anyone tells you that it’s a good source of income they are lying boldly to your face. It is, however, a great way to cover the expense of a nice meal out or to make a little money – enough for a little gas or a treat. Mystery shopping is fun and gives you the opportunity to more highly hone your powers of keen observation and attention to detail.

I’m taking the last half of my Christmas break off school to update my mystery shopping accounts. Most of them list my information from two moves ago. I’ve not mystery shopped in a couple of years, save for the occasional movie theater shop for one of my favorite shopping companies. But, with a summer on my horizon that will likely be spent NOT working fulltime, I am eager to do a few fun shops.

The mystery shopping community is a highly secretive, highly competitive group of people. I am not talking about the mystery shopping companies, but rather those who mystery shop. All you need to do is spend even a little bit of time on any of the mystery shopping forums online to see how hostile some people get if anyone asks a question like which mystery shopping company has an account for Disney or Ruby Tuesdays or Sprint – or any other account. I suppose the major reason for this is that shoppers feel like the more people in their area who know about particular job information, the less work they might get.

I’ve always shared information freely with my friends, both local and distant. I can only hope that one day someone will share as freely with me. After being out of the circuit for two years, I am finding that some of the companies I worked with are not longer in business, that other no longer have jobs in my area, and that some of the jobs I liked doing the best must now have their accounts with alternate companies.

When Tous les Matins du Monde (All the Mornings of the World) first came out of video, back in the very early 90s, I fell in love with the music and the story. I also began an appreciation for Guillaume Depardieu. He was achingly beautiful in this film, wise beyond his years, quite perfect in the role of the young Young Marin Marais. He was about 20 when he made the movie.

I followed his career over the years, his films, his motorcycle accident, the tragic events that led to the amputation of one of his legs, the troubles with his family, and on October 13 of this year – his death.

When I read of his passing from pneumonia, I was stunned. I knew he lived hard, but it seemed such a sad way for him to die after all he had lived through. I rented Tous les Matins du Monde again today, because I wanted to see Guillaume again at his most beautiful. I think I loved the movie even more this time around. Of course, knowing Guillaume is dead made it all the more poignant, but the music also impacted me on a deeper level than it did all those years ago.

I have been carrying Coach bags for about 15 years. I’ve not bought a new one in at least eight years, though. The bags I have are the classics that were made in the United States with glove-quality leather. They have lasted through abuse and many years and still look wonderful. I’ve never had to be particularly careful with them and they retina both their youthful looks and their sturdy construction. My favorites have been my Willis briefcase style bag and my handy Rambler’s legacy bag.

So, I noticed that this past month Dillard’s had been offering their Coach bags for 30% off. I took a couple trips in to look around and finally ended up with the black leather and brass Julianne. Ideally, I wanted the smaller black leather Sabrina, but even after calling around to several stores I could not locate one.

So, I took the bag home and that was when I started having my second-thoughts. First of all, the Julianne is bigger than any purse I have ever carried. Even with nothing in it, the bag is a tad awkward. It’s comfy, but it’s just plain big.

Then, as I went about my way doing Christmas shopping I noticed how MANY people are carrying Coach bags – it seemed like every 4th woman I passed was carrying Coach. Most were carrying the cheesy fabric “Signature” bags that scream, “I own a Coach!” When I began carrying coach, I did so for the streamlined simplicity of their styles, the unsurpassable quality of the leather, and the fact that carrying a Coach was still something rather unique. I do not want to be just another face in a sweltering crowd of Coach devotees.

And then there is the fact that Coach bags are all made in China now. Not only have they largely come away from using quality leather for their new designs, they are farming the work out to Chinese factories. I like to buy American in general, and when it comes to Coach, there is something absolutely special about their New York craftsmanship that is sadly long gone now.

So, I took the Julianne back to Dillard’s. I will just get out my classic bags and give them a little TLC with some milk oil. One needs a new D-ring, but the local Coach store can send it off for repairs, so there is no need for me to buy a new one. I’m good with the old, American-made, understated Coach bags I already own.

I’ve been thinking about programs like the Angel Trees you see all over the place. The concept is that you would take of the paper ornaments off the tree and it would tell you about a “needy” child and the gifts they want this Christmas. Ideally, these are children from low income families or families who have met with misfortune lately.

It used to be that I would pick up one of the ornaments and read that the child wanted clothes and shoes. Their sizes would be provided. Sometimes I would see a request for a modest toy.

How is it that most of the “needy” children enrolled in these programs are now asking for things like Xbox and Wii games? I have not been able to buy my own daughter a game system until his year, when I saved up Amazon gift certificates earned from taking surveys all year so I could put it toward a Nintendo DS. Even then, my relatives bought her the games to go with it.

And yet, when I made a move to help a less fortunately family, I saw a long list of game titles. I can only assume they already own the multiple game systems. Call me nuts, but if I were in a situation dire enough that I would sign my daughter up to receive gifts from charitable strangers, I would be spending my money on clothing and food before purchasing multiple high-priced game systems. I live my life wanting to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but when I see things like this I lose a little faith in people.

They are two artists I associate with time I have spent in New York City. I remember being at the Rainbow Room when Eartha Kitt was performing and I saw Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal in New York City when Liev Schreiber performed in the play with Juliette Binoche and John Slattery.

Kitt died today in New York, at the age of 81. Pinter died on Christmas Eve. They both died of cancer, as is unfortunately the fate of so many in our times.

Christmas is bittersweet this year.

I have not seen a film in years that was as outright entertaining from the first frame to the last frame as Bedtime Stories!

My daughter and I made it part of our Christmas Day together to go and see Bedtime Stories and I am thrilled that we did. It made the memory of our day together all that more special. This film is as close to perfect as anything I have seen in a long time.

You can read a synopsis of the film on nearly any movie review website. My “in a nutshell” version is that Adam Sandler’s character agrees to look after his niece and nephew while his sister looks for a teaching job out-of-state, due to the closing of her school. Sandler years to run the hotel his father founded, but later sold to a chain. As Sandler tells the kids bedtime stories, he realizes that elements from the stories are coming true.

The special effects are stunning, adding just the right level of fantasy to the story sequences. Bugsy, the pet guinea pig, is aw-inspiring (as in “Aw! How Cute!”) There are also a couple of very delightful, albeit brief, cameo appearances by other Disney Pixar characters. (Also look for blink-and-you’ll-miss-them appearances by Carmen Electra as well as Sandler’s wife and one of his daughters.) I cannot remember even a second when the movie slowed down, but I can remember several times I realized I had a huge grin on my face as I was watching.

There is not a single weak link in the cast. Of course, Sandler is charming and easy to sympathize with, Courtney Cox is Sandler’s perfect foil as his sister. Russell Brand, a British import with a pretty much non-existent profile in the United States, is absolutely engaging. There is, of course, even the obligatory and uncredited appearance by Rob Schneider. Guy Pearce and Lucy Lawless are the ideal villains for this children’s film, as they is never actually menacing and generally bumbling.

The only objectionable material I can even highlight would be some very mildly suggestive flirting between some of the characters near the beginning of the film. Both a horse and a guinea pig pass gas, but even that is in context of the story. Also, a character does say, “Oh My God.” My daughter picked up on that, but not all viewers may be as sensitive.

My daughter is five and was thoroughly engaged the entire time. She did not even ask to use the restroom during the film, and that is generally something I can absolutely count on her doing. In fact, there was a child in front of us who looked like he was about 18-months-old and although he was fussing and crying before the movie and during the previews, we did not hear a single peep put of him once Bedtime Stories began.

Even with skyrocketing ticket prices, this film is well worth your money.

Every year I order photo greeting cards for my friends and family. Last year I just had photos printed and slipped them inside cards. And, even though I sometimes cut it close to the wire and time them a bit late, I generally get them out the week after Thanksgiving.

Not this year, though. Time slipped away from me and I have not even had time to get a photo of myself taken with Gigi. MAYBE tomorrow night my sister will actually have time to get our families together for some snapshot time.

So, I might skip cards this year. It’s a shame, but with this being the first time I have been back to work outside the home in about eight years, I am all scrambled in my head.

My absolute favorite time of the year is that period between Thanksgiving break and the end of the year. I love how much time most people get off from work and school. When I was married, my husband would take nearly all of his vacation at the end of the year and was able to be home with us for over two weeks around Christmas. It was always such a cozy, homey feeling.

I’m back to working outside the home for the first time in eight years and all of the sudden I have that rushed holiday feeling again. Days are passing so quickly and it suddenly occurred to me just how many out of town gifts I want to ship. Of course, I need to buy or order them first. And Christmas cards! I used to have my Christmas cards out the week of Thanksgiving. It looks like I might just pass on the whole card project this year. I keep meaning to have someone take my camera and help me with portraits of me and Gigi, but the time has passed so swiftly and everyone I trust to take the pictures is at least as busy as I am.

I do get two weeks off work for Christmas and New Year, though, so if nothing else that softens the overall blow of being back to work the first time in so many years. I will only have my daughter with me for half of that break, though. I have to split her school break with my ex.

But, back to the topic in question – Christmas sneaking up on me. I need to find some ways to better organize next year so that I can slow down and enjoy this time of year more. I don’t want whiplash Christmases, you know? The only other holiday I like even half as much is Easter and the school system is unwilling to schedule spring break to coincide with a religious holiday, so Easter is always a rush as well.

Let’s just move right past the fact that smokers are a group of people who KNOWINGLY ingest chemicals that have been proven to lead to cancer, emphysema, and a host of other illnesses. We all know that alone is enough to deem most smokers are clinically nuts.

Let’s look now at the ridiculous case of Rick Ming and Billy Locke of Tampa, Florida. The two roommates entered into a petty argument over CIGARETTES and by the time it was over, one of them was dead by the other’s hand. So yes, not only does smoking kill, but apparently so do smokers.

Tampa, Florida – Tampa police say a fight between roommates over cigarettes turned deadly Tuesday morning.

Officers were originally called to the Eden Apartments at 3712 W Cass Street shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday. Both roommates in unit 25 wanted the other roommate to move out. Officers told them they were both on the lease and there was nothing the officers could do.

Officers say there was no evidence of any physical injuries and both parties denied any physical fighting, so officers left.

Then at 8:00 Tuesday morning officers, were called back to the apartment and found 43-year-old Rick Ming dead. His roommate, 30 year-old Billy Locke has been charged with second degree murder.

Officers say Locke told them he put Ming in a choke hold and accidentally killed him.

Ridiculous, huh?

Teaching jobs are being cut in my home district every year. It is getting harder and harder to get your foot in the door if you want to teach here. After I got certified to teach, I found that the jobs available were like little Grails. They were close to impossible to attain.

Everyone told me I should sub. That is a great theory. You are supposedly getting classroom time and you can often meet teachers and administrators. You definitely get a taste of whether or not you like any given school. However, I have seen with my own eyes that substitute teaching is glorified babysitting. And, on top of that the students are abusive in their treatment of the subs. Maybe it is different in elementary school, but in the middle and high schools it is one tough gig. In every class I am in, if a sub comes in for the day the students are rude, manipulative, and relentless in their quest to obtain the upper hand.

I have never regretted not subbing. My job might be one step down from full instructional right now, but at least I am a fulltime employee of the district, with the benefits and a pension plan to boot. Plus, I can count on my paycheck. It’s almost like a paid internship. I’m getting more insight into classroom management than I could have ever hoped for. I am getting the opportunity to develop relationships with the student and the students I have not met are at least used to seeing me on campus.

Ideally, a position will open up at my school. If not, I can still say that working in my current capacity has given me more hands-on experience that subbing ever could.

This afternoon I went and saw Twilight. One of my friends was taking her 14-year-old daughter and two of the daughter’s friends to the movie and wanted another adult along for the ride. Though it is not a movie I would have chosen on my own, I was OK with keeping my friend company and being able to see what all of the hype is about at the same time.

My first thought is that Twilight is to today’s young teens as Flowers in the Attic was to young teens when I was that age. We’re talking about two very popular series of books that made a splash with the younger end of the teenage reader group. Both had movies made to follow on the tailcoats of the wildly successful books. The main difference in that the movie for Flowers in the Attic was pathetic. The movie for Twilight was actually quite skillfully executed.

I know the movie cut out a lot of what was in Twilight the book, but show me a movie based on a book that doesn’t do the same thing. There’s just never time to film everything that is in most novels. Nonetheless, most of the story in Twilight would make sense even to those who have not read the book version.

I was perplexed as to how anyone would find the character of Bella Swan irresistible after seeing the film. She is morose, unenthusiastic, dull, and monotone. The actress portraying Bella (Kristen Stewart) speaks in a whiney, breathy way that seeks to simulate emotion, but it falls flat. It’s that same voice quality Neve Campbell uses in all of the Scream movies. After talking to the teens I saw the movie with, I was assured that the Bella of the book is deeper, more romantic, and compelling.

Overall, though, the film was intriguing enough to compel me to borrow the book from my friend’s daughter. I asked everyone in the car on the way home to refrain from giving me the details about the future of the story, as I would rather read about.

In a time when more Americans than ever are honestly concerned about the foods we put into our bodies, it is absolutely pathetic that Tyson Foods is spending time and money tyring to navigate the legal system to gain the right to mislead consumers about its chicken products.

I found this on Dr. Mercola’s website:

Tyson Foods, the world’s largest meat processor and the second largest chicken producer in the U.S., has admitted that it injects its chickens with antibiotics before they hatch and then labels them as raised without antibiotics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told Tyson to stop using the antibiotic-free label, but the company has sued for the right to keep using it.

Poultry farmers regularly treat chickens and other birds with antibiotics. But scientists have become increasingly concerned that the routine use of antibiotics in animal agriculture may accelerate the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

After Tyson began labeling its chicken antibiotic-free, the USDA warned the company that such labels were not truthful, because Tyson regularly treats its birds’ feed with bacteria-killing ionophores. Tyson argued that ionophores are antimicrobials rather than antibiotics, and are not used on human patients. Tyson suggested a compromise which was eventually accepted by the USDA — they would use a label reading “raised without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans.”

Tyson’s competitors: Perdue Farms Inc., Sanderson Farms Inc. and Foster Farms sued, and in May 2008, a federal judge ruled in their favor and told Tyson to stop using the label. Not long after, USDA inspectors discovered that in addition to using ionophores, Tyson was regularly injecting its chicken eggs with gentamicin, an antibiotic that has been used for more than 30 years.

The agency told Tyson that based on the new discovery, it would no longer consider the antibiotic-free label “truthful and accurate.” Tyson objected again, claiming that because the antibiotics are injected before the chickens hatched, the birds can truthfully be said to be “raised without antibiotics.” Tyson has filed a lawsuit against the USDA, claiming that the agency had improperly changed the definition of “raised without antibiotics” to include the treatment of eggs.

Sources:
Natural News November 9, 2008