Goat

Goat!

Cosby Sweaters

I love this sweater tournament.  And that Bill Cosby himself unveiled the winning sweater.

And speaking of that winning sweater, doesn't it totally remind you of this?

Savory oatmeal

Remember how I spent years eating just plain yogurt and fruit for lunch?  Yeah, I got tired of that.  My new thing is making a big container of savory baked oatmeal on Sunday and eating it for lunch all week.  I started out making a healthy variation of this sweet baked oatmeal, but there's something unsatisfying about a sweet lunch.  So I made a savory version, and am very pleased with the results.  It's (relatively) healthy.  It tastes more decadent than it is, and keeps you full for a long time.  It's a versatile platform that has worked well with any milk/milk variants I have in the fridge and any vegetables I need to use up.  It has restored my joy in lunch.  I wanted to record the recipe somewhere in case I ever need to look it up, so here it is:

2 C rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder (replace with baking soda in proportion to buttermilk, if using)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 C dairy liquid of some kind (I like half milk, half buttermilk, but all milk has been fine too)
1 large egg
1-2 T butter, melted
1/2 C sharp cheese (sharp cheddar or parmesan)
2 C cooked vegetables (favorite combo so far: zucchini, spinach, and onion)

Preheat oven to 375 F.  In an 8" square baking dish, mix oats, baking powder/soda, and salt.  I've been adding a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, too, but that's mainly because I have a zillion whole nutmegs to use up.  Mix the milk, egg, and melted butter until well blended.  Cook the vegetables -- I like to caramelize some onions or shallots with chicken broth and a splash of sherry, then saute with the other vegetables -- and drain well.  Toss the oat mixture with the cheese and the vegetables, then stir in the milk mixture.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the oatmeal forms a nice crunchy golden crust.  We get about 8 servings out of this.  Reheats well with a splash of milk.

When B.O. goes, popularity comes

Lifebuoy ad from the 1934 issue of Movie Classic, via a Slate article about Katherine Hepburn.

Spontaneous generation

The scientific contributions of Jan Baptist van Helmont (1580-1644) include "a recipe for mice (a piece of soiled cloth plus wheat for 21 days) and scorpions (basil, placed between two bricks and left in sunlight)." 

You know, in case you were wondering what to do with a bunch of leftover basil.

Mango = bell pepper

In some parts of the Midwest, bell peppers are still called mangoes.

Adult swim

Skeptical about Tim Ferriss in general, but maybe I'll check out his learn-to-swim resources.

I want to taste you like yogurt

Is this a yogurt commercial?  I hope not.

Wedding Gift Etiquette

This bride sent the following text to a wedding guest who had given the couple a hamper full of food:

"I'm not sure if it's the first wedding you have been to, but for your next wedding … people give envelopes. I lost out on $200 covering you and your dates plate . … and got fluffy whip and sour patch kids in return. Just a heads-up for the future."

And the text exchange deteriorated from there.  Arguably the most insulting part was where she accused her guest of eating the "beautiful venue."