Luna : Just because

This is a Luna appreciation post...just because. 

Multi-level Marketing Scams Take a Hit on TikTok

FINALLY: someone is taking action to crack down on predatory Multi-level Marketing (MLM) promotions. 

From the Dec. 17th edition of The Atlantic: "Under a section of policy prohibiting various types of “Frauds and Scams”—which used to focus on outright Ponzi schemes, get-rich-quick hoaxes, and phishing attempts—the company became the first major social-media platform to declare that multilevel marketing was verboten as well. The addition “helps our community understand what to expect on TikTok and what to report to us,” a spokesperson told me. “Which further helps to protect people, especially those who may be vulnerable or unaware of MLMs.”

Check out the full article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/12/tiktok-bans-multilevel-marketing-mlm/617422/

Not sure if the "life changing" product you've been contacted about is an MLM? Don't count on the "friend" whose trying to recruit you to 'fess up. Do yourself a favor: head over to Wikipedia and check this list of MLMs.  

Over the last several years, I've personally been targeted by reps from Monat, Young Living, Isagenix, Mary Kay, Amway, Cutco, Rodan + Fields, Pampered Chef, and others. The reps all say the same thing, that it's not a pyramid scheme, it's a "small business" that allows them earn extra money and be a "boss babe."  And yet, they all follow the same aggressive recruitment tactics, while being notoriously secretive about posting the specifics on how it all works--because if they were to publicly describe the compensation structure, they'll be called out as a pyramid scheme. Don't fall for it!

Sourdough Waffles!

Yes, I know it's become a pandemic cliche' at this point, but I have been making sourdough bread for the past few months, and really enjoying it.  The one thing I don't enjoy, however, is having to "discard" some of the dough when I don't the time to actually make a loaf of bread. 

Fortunately, King Arthur's Flour offers up several recipes that use "discard" dough, including this one for Sourdough Waffles: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-sourdough-waffles-or-pancakes-recipe

You have to plan ahead and make the "sourdough sponge" the night before, but the extra effort is well worth it. The recipe makes quite a few pancakes and/or waffles, but the good news is, they freeze well and can be easily re-heated in the toaster or microwave. 

Review: Lay’s Flavor Icons

It's been quite a while since I did a Taste Test Review of the special edition Lay's Potato Chips. In the past, it was known as the "Do Us a Flavor" contest, but this time around, they're calling it "Flavor Icons."  The new crop of flavors highlight classic offerings from four iconic American food vendors. 

In order to get a few different perspectives on these, I asked my husband and two of my daughters to participate in the taste test. 

First up: Philly Cheesesteak chips, inspired by Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia. 

These were the first ones we tried, and ended up being my favorite of the bunch. The chips are wonderfully savory, and actually have a very subtle beef flavor that comes through, along with the cheese and onion flavors. I'm not a big fan of beef, to be honest, but I do enjoy mashed potatoes with beef gravy, and that's what these taste like to me (if it was cheddar mashed potatoes with gravy, that is). Other beef-based flavors have been attempted in the past, and they all smelled weird. This time, they went lighter on the aroma side, and it worked out well, helping to create a more balanced flavor profile. I also liked that these were standard chips (not Kettle Cooked or Wavy), so  I would actually buy these again. 

Next up: New York Style Pizza, in honor of Grimaldi's Pizza in Brooklyn, NY.

I really wanted this one to be my favorite, since I'm from Brooklyn and have actually eaten Grimaldi's pizza on several occasions. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Kettle Cooked chips (too hard and crunchy and loud for my liking) but this did end up being the big winner for my daughters. They said these chips "taste just like Pizza Goldfish crackers", and my husband said they taste like "Bagel Bites tomato sauce". Translation: these chips taste like pizza flavoring, not like actual pizza. They smell a little like tomato, and they do have a white cheese saltiness tinged with oregano (another herb that I don't like very much). I wouldn't eat these again but my daughters love them and plan on finishing the entire bag.

The third flavor we tried was one I was really curious about: Carnitas Street Taco chips, in honor of El Torito Mexican Restaurant in Marina Del Rey, California. 

These were disappointing. I expected a lot of flavor, especially since there are the Wavy style chips, which tend to hold more of the flavoring powder and offer a more intense, in-your-face taste. Instead, we all had a tough time getting a handle on what these taste like at all--there was no one discernible flavor that stood out, other than "green". When I opened the bag and took a quick whiff, it smelled like lettuce, or maybe green bell pepper, but very faint. The chips are salty and just a little bit spicy, but I didn't detect any pork flavoring. It did have a hint of cilantro flavor, which is interesting because normally cilantro tastes like soap to me, so I did appreciate finally being able to taste it. My husband said he also detected some jalapeno flavor, but without the usual heat, and he declared these his favorite of the bunch.  My overall verdict, which my daughters also concurred with: Meh. We didn't hate them, but we didn't love them.

Last but not least: Nashville Hot Chicken chips, inspired by Party Fowl in Nashville, TN.

I enjoy spicy food, and I love putting tabasco sauce on fried chicken, but these chips did not duplicate that flavor experience for me--I started coughing and choking after the first bite, and after a few more, I needed a tissue because my nose started to run. The spice was overpowering, with only a slight hint of chicken flavoring at the very end. My girls also found these unpleasant, but my husband liked them very much, so go figure. If you're a fan of Flaming Hot snack foods, you'll probably like these. For me, I guess I prefer the spice to be on actual food to enjoy it, not just placed on top of a chip. 

Final verdicts, ranked from Best to Worst:

Me: Philly Cheesesteak, New York Style Pizza, Carnitas Street Taco, Nashville Hot Chicken

Husband's Rankings: Carnitas Street Taco, Nashville Hot Chicken, Philly Cheesesteak, NY Style Pizza

Daughters' Rankings: NY Style Pizza, Carnitas Street Taco & Philly Cheesesteak tied, Nashville Hot Chicken

Advertisers Tracking Us With GPS? I Think So.

This morning, I got an unsettling email advertisement from Home Depot, with info and photos on bathroom faucets.  

Why am I creeped out by this, you ask? 

— I was just at Home Depot two days ago, looking at exact model, because I'm thinking of replacing the faucet we have in the powder room.

— I did not do any internet searches or talk about faucets with anyone, either beforehand or afterwards. I was, however, standing in the faucet aisle for about 10 minutes with my cellphone in my hand, and did check my work emails while I was there. 

— The email went to a work email address that is not affiliated with any social media accounts, and would not have been on any Home Depot mailing list. 

I've had similar experiences in the past, but thus far they involved other email addresses that are tied to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, so a certain amount of "integration" (aka tracking) is expected.  This was the first time my work email was targeted, and I am convinced that big chain stores like Home Depot have acquired the ability to track you using the GPS on your phone, right down to the exactly aisle you've visited in their store, and target you with ads for that product. 

I'm not usually big on conspiracy theories, but I honestly can't think of another explanation for occurrences like these.

It reminded me of the scene in the 2002 movie Minority Report, where Tom Cruise walks through a store and, thanks to facial recognition technology (which was not widely used back then the way it is now), he is bombarded with personalized pop-up advertisements that mention him by name. 

Another Pandemic Puzzle Completed

Honestly, I’ve lost count at this point. 

Pandemic Vibes

Today's mood:

via GIPHY

Trash Baby

My little Luna. Her favorite place to be is the trash can in my office.

REVIEW: CARAMEL COCONUT OREOS

I hadn't heard about Caramel Coconut Oreos being released, so finding them at the grocery store this morning was a pleasant surprise.  This is also the first time I've seen one of these "Limited Edition" flavors released in "Family Size", which is probably a smart move on Nabisco's part, given the current lockdown conditions across the U.S.  I do love both caramel and coconut, so I was particularly excited to try this one.

Quick take: they're very good, with a smokey, toasted coconut flavor. The coconut bits in the creme lend a nice crunchy texture surprise, but even though the creme ratio is good, the chocolate sandwich cookie still overpowers the caramel flavor. The flavoring of the creme is definitely stronger than other Limited Edition Oreos I've tried--which is a good thing--but the flavors would have been even more evenly balanced if the cookie portion was vanilla instead of chocolate. The caramel coconut creme by itself is excellent--they should sell it separately as a dessert spread. 

Everyone in my household loved these, and they're disappearing fast. I'm rating this one an A!

Quarantine Puzzles

Like many people observing the stay-at-home restrictions in the NY/NJ area, we've been spending time doing jigsaw puzzles. It took awhile to get the hang of it again--I cannot remember the last time I attempted a puzzle before this crisis, but it's safe to say the only ones we've had in our house before this were Barney the Dinosaur or Winnie the Pooh themed.  It's turned out to be a relaxing activity that our entire family is enjoying. We all pitch in at various times, and there is a certain satisfaction in popping in that last piece.  We've completed 4 of them already, with a bunch more waiting in the wings.  Our local Hallmark store had to close its doors to customers because of the social distancing restricting, but is doing a brisk online business with their puzzle collection, and we're happy to support small business owners during this time. It's a win-win for everyone!

Luna vs. the Paper Towels

I'm not sure what this roll of paper towels did to piss off the cat, but she wasn't taking any prisoners.

"I regret nothing."

R.I.P. Katherine Johnson, Mathematician and Trailblazer

So sad to hear of Katherine Johnson's passing. Her contributions to the U.S. Space program were extraordinary, breaking down barriers for women and people of color in the field of mathematics. We just watched the movie Hidden Figures about a week ago, too. Ms. Johnson lived to be 101 years old. May she Rest in Peace.

Keto Chili: Recipe from Keto Karma

I've been cutting back on carbs and sugar, and trying out lots of keto recipes. This one for Keto Chili has quickly become a favorite in my household. I use hot sausage to add an extra level of flavor.

You can find the recipe on Suzanne Ryan's site, Keto Karma: https://ketokarma.com/keto-chili/

A vessel named after me?

My co-worker sent me this photo this morning. He spotted a ship down at the port with my name on it and couldn't resist passing it along.

Lucky 13!

Wow...today is the 13th Anniversary of the day I started this blog.

To celebrate, here's a picture of my lucky little Luna. She's 6 months old, and the most adorable menace.

Homemade gnocchi: Traditional and Keto

We've been craving gnocchi lately, so today I made two kinds: the traditional potato-based version, and a Keto version that is surprisingly good.

I've been making the Marcella Hazan gnocchi recipe for years. In her cookbook, she says that adding an egg to the mixture is optional, but I find it necessary to impart that extra layer of  flavor. Her son Guliano has a blog that includes her gnocchi recipe: you'll find it HERE.

And here's a link to the Keto version from the I Breathe I'm Hungry blog: https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/fathead-keto-gnocchi-low-carb/

Be sure to follow the directions exactly for best results!

Here are the Keto Gnocchi, cooked up and ready to eat. They were delicious!

Incredible Double Rainbow Capture

It's been so rainy here in NJ lately, and today was more of the same. Despite the gloomy weather, I braved the elements for a quick grocery store run, and was rewarded with the most spectacular, full end-to-end double rainbow I've ever seen.  The colors were so rich and bright--I have never experienced anything like it.  Clusters of people were gathering in the parking lot gazing up at the sky, marveling to one another about it.  A man I passed on the way back to my car smiled at me, pointed to the rainbow, and said, "Isn't it beautiful? Let's make a wish!"  It was such a sweet and unexpected moment, so of course, I stopped for a few seconds. Standing there with a stranger, making a wish--a totally random moment but one I will never forget.

Best Keto Recipe Blogs

Last August, after consulting with both my primary care doctor and my endocrinologist, I decided to give the keto way of eating a try.  Please note, I did not say "diet", because although weight loss was certainly something I was seeking, I was more concerned with cutting out sugar and improving my overall health.

I'll cut to the chase: it was one of the best decisions I ever made.  I feel much better, have more energy, my thyroid replacement dosage bumped down for the first time in 20 years of taking it, and I did end up losing quite a bit of weight without much effort (although regular exercise was part of the "getting healthy" process).

But I'm not writing this post to extol the benefits of keto, or even explain how it works, because there are plenty of other sites that already do a much better job of that.  And don't start with me about keto being "dangerous"...my doctors signed off on it, and I'm doing great. If you aren't on board with it, let's agree to disagree.

The purpose of this post is share what I've learned over the past 5 months, in regards to the best sites for finding easy, delicious, keto-friendly recipes. Here are my favorite go-to sites:

Keto Karma by Suzanne Ryan, author of Simply Keto
Suzanne's site is my go-to for a wide variety of recipes for every meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, side dishes, appetizers, snacks, etc. I'm the only one in my family eating the keto way, yet they love the Suzanne's recipes just as much as I do.  Her Keto Chili is on permanent rotation on our dinner menu, and when I made her Twice-Baked Cauliflower casserole for Christmas dinner so that I could pass on the traditional Sweet Potato Casserole, the cauliflower was a big hit with everyone, and the sweet potatoes were barely touched. 


All Day I Dream About Food - by Carolyn Ketchum, author of The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking
There is no one better at revamping decadent favorites into keto-friendly versions than Carolyn. She knows her stuff when it comes to baking, and then some. I ended up buying a few more of her cookbooks, just based on how well all of her baked items turn out. Her recipe for caramel sauce is outstanding (as are the Salted Caramel Butter Bars you can make with it). I also recommend her Lemon Bars--my youngest liked them better than the traditional, sugar-laden version.


I Breathe I'm Hungry by Mellissa Sevigny, author of Keto For Life

Another great site for all-purpose recipes that are so good, I promise, you will not miss the carbs or sugar. The "fathead dough" Gnocchi are a little tricky, but if you follow the recipe instructions exactly, you will be rewarded with the best keto pasta you've ever had.


Ruled.me founded by Craig Clark
This is a great site for beginners. In addition to recipes, they have a great deal of helpful information for those looking to get started with keto, including tips, FAQs, a suggested eating plan, a Keto calculator, and more.

I thought cutting back on carbs would make me feel deprived, or that it wouldn't be sustainable, but these 4 websites made it easy.  If you're looking to give keto a try, do check out these sites...and good luck!

*Full disclosure: the book links are affiliate links to Amazon. 

Little Luna's Big Day

Tomorrow is a big day for my little Luna. She's getting spayed and microchipped, as required by the animal rescue group that we adopted her from. I know it's the right thing to do, but it's scary to think of her undergoing surgery and being in pain.  Giving her lots of extra cuddles and love tonight.