Nevertheless, it’s Thursday, which means link-time goodies for your eyeballs and brain. Enjoy!

1. Check out this pink-orange color palette from Matchbook Mag!

Fabulous!!

2. From Gaiam: Ten ways to green your pet.

NO, not by spray painting them! Haha.

Great tips here for the eco-conscious human companion.

3. The web’s all up in arms about Pinterest and copyright. Here are two good articles about what you can do.

From Mashable: Websites can now block Pinterest. Great idea if you don’t want readers to pin your pages!

From GeekMom: excellent advice about fair use, copyright, and Pinterest etiquette.

4. Time-lapse photos of fireflies: gone viral! Via Wired.

Gorgeous! And the accompanying article about how the photos went viral is very interesting.

Also, the exhibit on bioluminescence (which the article mentions) at the Museum of Natural History (in D.C.) is SO COOL. Check it out if you’re in the D.C. area. It’s fascinating!

5. Jeff Goins reminds us why writers need to read.

It always seems like duh to me, but whatever it is you do, you must know your craft. That means reading with a critical eye.

6. Make your own perfume locket! Via How Did You Make This.

Petroleum jelly skeeves me out, so I’d probably use a substitute, myself: coconut oil, maybe?

Would be great in any kind of little tin, too!

7. Eat, Spin, Run, Repeat reminded us why artificial sweeteners are so nasty.

They’re addictive and toxic, for one thing (er, two things). Stick with whole foods, friends!

8. The House Home showed off this serene living room (via Rue Mag):

I loooooooove that ocean photo against the stripey couch.

9. Vegan S’mores Cupcakes, via Pickles & Honey

All I can say is YUM!!

10. Or how about a low-sugar chocolate chip cookie cake? Via Pure2Raw.

Can hardly wait to make this one. Look at that awesome frosting ~ can you believe it’s made with avocado??

Aaaaaand, I’m out! Have a fantastic weekend, you!

Questions

1. What are some great things you’ve seen this week?

2. Got any fun plans for the weekend??

While I’ve written a fair amount of flash fiction (stories under 1000 words), I haven’t ever tried one of Chuck’s prompts. For some reason, I couldn’t resist this one. Maybe I was just hungry.

Chuck says:

You have up to 1000 words to write a story — not a scene, but a story — where a character makes a sandwich. Any kind of character, any kind of sandwich, but the point is to infuse this seemingly mundane act with the magic story-stuff of drama and conflict.

I have little else to explain on the matter, so here ya go.

Merge 

by Andrea Drugay

After four months of hard-boiled eggs and apples, all Casey wanted was a sandwich. The ceremony wasn’t for another hour, and she’d already gotten her hair, makeup, and nails done. Heck, she was even in her dress—and it fit perfectly, thanks to the excruciating diet her mother had suggested. Deep beneath the corset boning and stomach-flattening shapewear she’d never let her new husband see, her insides grumbled.

From the miniature fridge in the back room of the cottage, she pulled out a jar of strawberry jam and one of peanut butter. The peanut butter was the all-natural kind that had to be refrigerated. The jam was a gift from her sister, a recent convert to homesteading tricks like canning and crochet.

Why don’t you make the sandwich beforehand? Her sister had asked. Better yet, I’ll make it for you.

They were afraid she’d get jam on her white dress. It wasn’t even white, but ivory. Casey was no virgin.

She had sighed in response. She only wanted an hour to herself before walking down the aisle. Was that too much to ask? She wanted to make herself a sandwich and stare out the window at Lake Wessley, the last view of nature she’d have before boarding Exlon 9 and shuttling off to deep space for the rest of her life.

Of course, once they reached Chyrid, it wouldn’t feel like deep space. It would just feel like home. Or so everyone said.

She’d bought the bread, a whole-grain loaf, from Lake Wessley’s eighty-year-old bakery. All the bakers were old humans with white hair, and Casey insisted on picking up the loaf herself that morning. She wanted to see wrinkles and age spots and suntanned skin.

In the cottage, she sliced the bread on a rickety table with chipped white paint. Through the window above the table, Lake Wessley shimmered in the summertime sun. Though the glass was sealed shut, she could hear muffled activity in the yard as the band arrived and the caterers prepared last-minute details.

The other women were in the main house, drinking champagne while putting on their finishing touches. Her husband-to-be and his family were secluded in their pod, performing the traditional Chyridian groom ceremony, an ancient ritual that included bathing, anointing, and a family dance. The rest of the wedding ceremony would be just like the ones Casey grew up with.

Except instead of a ring, she would have a Chyrid implant placed behind her right ear. And at the end of the reception, instead of leaving in a Rolls Royce for a tropical honeymoon, she would enter a starship as a mdgango, or Chyridian wife.

Casey unscrewed the peanut butter jar and stirred the cold spread with a fork, mixing in the oil that had become separated. The band began tuning up in their off-pitch way. Her sister had chosen the band, a group who played banjo, fiddle, stand-up bass, and piano. The event space had a piano on site, which the event staff rolled onto the lawn early in the morning before setting up the stage. Casey watched the event staff through the window as she got her hair and makeup done. It took four men to maneuver the piano onto the stage. There were no Chyridian males around, as it was the custom for the bride’s family to manage the event.

A shame, she had thought. One Chyridian male could have set up the entire stage in three minutes.

She knew she should consider her marriage a blessing. After all, she’d known her destiny her whole life, and the Chyrid males were top tier. As the eldest daughter, she would marry Velgt. Her sister, two years younger, would marry Ssriptat, but she would be allowed to stay on Earth. She wouldn’t even have to see Ssriptat again, although their minds would be connected via her implant.

The war had ended before her birth, but the Agreement marriages didn’t start to take place for a few years afterward. According to her mother, Casey’s father was a rebel, killed by Chyridian forces two months before Casey was born. After the Agreement, rebellion was abolished, in addition to anger, humiliation, and greed. But the programming wasn’t perfect, as everybody knew. They hadn’t yet been able to control sadness, nostalgia, or longing.

Casey dipped the fork in the jam without cleaning it of peanut butter first. The utensil left streaks of light brown through the gleaming red spread. She dropped a forkful of the homemade jam onto the other slice of bread and painted it evenly across, as she’d done with the peanut butter.

Muffled laughter batted against the window, as guests arrived. Casey pressed the two pieces of bread together, merging the peanut butter and the jam. She placed the bread in her mouth and took a bite.

The band began to play a mellow folksy tune she recalled from her childhood. With each bite of the sandwich, her body relaxed. There would be music on Chyrid. There would be food, lakes, and other wives. She swallowed the last bite as there was a knock on the door. It was time to go.

(M. Minderhoud, www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

It sounds like a frat party practical joke, doesn’t it?

To view all tips so far, click here or simply scroll to the top of the screen and click on 52 Tips.

This post is in honor of today’s Mardi Gras celebrations! Come tomorrow, many of you will be putting down the bottle for the next 40 days and might find it grueling to stare at that beer in the fridge, just teasing and taunting you. I know, many more of you won’t give it up, but bear (beer?) with me, because at some point in your life, it’s likely that you will have leftover, stale, or flat beer that would otherwise go to waste.

To some of you, I know that sounds completely absurd. Who in their right mind has leftover beer? If you’re a hardcore beer drinker who would rather chug backwash than watch any ounce of hops hit the floor, you’re welcome to skip right over this post

If you’re a beer liker, however, or a beer snob who doesn’t know what to do with cans of PBR after a house party, or if you’re a teetotaler who would otherwise use beer to prevent slugs in the garden… then, read on.

Rinsing your hair with beer will give it extra volume, shine, and manageability. It can be used on all hair types and is safe for color-treated or processed hair. You can use fresh, flat, stale, or old beer; ales, porters, flavored beer… whatever you have on hand, try it out.

Stuff to Know:

• Use room-temperature beer, not beer from the fridge or cooler.
• One full bottle or can of beer is plenty, even for long hair.
• Normal and oily hair will not require conditioner. The sugars from the beer will strengthen and smooth your hair. If your hair is extremely dry, use a light conditioner after the beer rinse.
  

  (Adrian Scottow, www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

Beer Hair Rinse

1. Wash your hair with shampoo as you would normally do.
2. Make sure all the shampoo is rinsed out. Gently squeeze excess water from your hair.
3. Pour the beer slowly and gently into your hair.
4. Begin at your scalp. Work the beer through your hair with your fingertips and massage through to the ends of your hair.
5. Work the beer through for 1-2 minutes.
6. Rinse well with tepid or cool water.
7. To reduce any lingering beer smell, place a few drops of essential oil on a comb (try rosemary, lemon, or orange) and gently comb through your damp hair, moving from the ends toward the roots. Rinse again with tepid or cool water.
8. Dry and style as usual.

Questions

1. Have you ever used a “crazy” ingredient in your grooming routine?

2. Do you know any other good uses for leftover beer or other foods/drinks?

Carrot Breakfast Cookies

I’d been reading some articles about coconut sugar ~ also known as palm sugar ~ and got curious! From what I’ve read, coconut sugar:

• Is a low-glycemic food (35), which provides sweetness without the crash and burn of refined white or brown sugar.
• Carmelizes when baking, unlike stevia or agave, making it an excellent replacement for refined sugar in baked goods.
• Is often (or usually) sustainably harvested, making it an eco-friendly choice.
• Is high in amino acids, minerals, and B vitamins!

Check out the Wikipedia entry here

So, when my local organic market had coconut sugar on sale, I couldn’t resist and picked up a bag.

I was also eager to get rid of some extra carrots, so decided on one of my favorite old recipes: Carrot Breakfast Cookies!

Carrot Breakfast Cookies

There is nothing inherently “breakfast” about them, except that:

• They taste delicious in the morning!
• They’re filling ~ two or three with some almond butter is plenty for a small breakfast (for me).
• They’re very low in fat and cholesterol-free!
• They provide fiber and protein to keep you fueled-up for several hours.
• They’re extra-yummy when topped with raw almond butter.
• The coconut/palm sugar worked as I’d hoped and was a delicious replacement for refined sugar!

Carrot Breakfast Cookies

I made these with garbanzo (chickpea) flour, but you could try whole-wheat flour or any gluten-free flour. You can also make these with eggs instead of egg replacer, but I like the extra healthy boost from chia.

Chia Egg Replacer:

• For one egg equivalent, add 1 Tbsp. chia seeds to 3 Tbsp. water.
• Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir, then use as you would eggs in baking.
  

  Carrot Breakfast Cookies

Carrot Breakfast Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup coconut/palm sugar
• 2 servings of chia egg replacer (see above)
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup garbanzo flour
• 1 1/2 cup steel cut oats (try Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats)
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Make your chia egg replacer and let sit while you prepare the rest.
3. Sift together all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the applesauce and palm sugar.
5. Add the chia egg replacer.
6. Beat well for one minute.
7. With a wooden spoon, mix in the carrots.
8. Fold in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
9. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Spoon out in 1″ balls and flatten slightly or leave puffy (like I did) for more muffin-y cookies.
11. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (created using Recipe Calculator)

24 servings

Amount per serving
Calories: 66.0
Total Fat: 1.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 111.9 mg
Potassium: 36.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 12.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
Sugars: 5.8 g
Protein: 2.2 g

Questions

1. Have you ever cooked with coconut/palm sugar?

2. Do you have a favorite replacement for refined sugar?

Happy Thursday! Enjoy this week’s picks from around the web!

1. From GalleyCat, 10 Pinterest boards for book lovers

A personal fave pinner to follow is the ever-creative (and San Fran local) Chronicle Books.

2. More.com brought us outfit tips for those who work from home.

The article is geared toward home-based entrepreneurs, who might see clients during the day or have last-minute lunches. However, some of the advice applies to those like me (and some of you!) who currently write, edit, design, program, etc. for a living and could feasibly not even leave bed all day. Ahem.

I definitely believe in a look good, feel good philosophy and make sure to dress for work every day, even if I don’t even need to leave the house. Being dressed, blow-dried, and with (very) simple makeup, I feel professional and sharp ~ which I believe translates in my ultimate ability to work well throughout the day.

3. Modern Mexican home design, via Houzz.

I have a deep and abiding love of Mexican designs, colors, and homes like this. I love all of it, but particularly this colorful, rustic kitchen!

4. From the Wall St. Journal: Anatomy of a Tearjerker

By analyzing Adele’s “Someone Like You,” this article presents a fascinating analysis of what makes a song give you the chills and make you cry. Media clips and song samples included. So interesting!

5. A crash course, via Wordplay: A Writer’s Guide to Punctuation

Including the oft-quoted reminder from F. Scott Fitzgerald:

An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.

But my own jokes are funny! Seriously!!!

6. Crazy Sexy Life reminds us that financial freedom is sexy.

Guest blogger Karie Hill, a financial coach for women, says that getting rid of “money noise” can improve ALL areas of your life. She also says:

When you heal your relationship with money, you live in a place of financial peace. Your relationships will improve, you’ll have more sex, dress better, eat healthier and look sexier.

Click through for the rest. Good info!

7. The Write Practice told us about the three movements in every love story.

Is Pride and Prejudice (with or without zombies) the best love story ever? Perhaps. Yes, indeed, it just might be.

Excellent tips here for anyone who writes ~ or who wants to write ~ love stories.

8. Did you read my post about juicing? FitSugar had some great tips on what to do with leftover juice pulp.

I love the idea of making fruit leather! I wonder what kale/chard/celery/cucumber/apple leather would taste like?

9. Make your own fairies in a jar, via Peace of Cake (via BoingBoing):

I can’t wait for summertime and barbeques and fairy jars.

10. Finally, Apartment Therapy had some supercute ideas for DIY bird feeders.

Remember: birds eat even when it’s snowing and raining outside!

That’s all for now! Exclamation marks galore! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Questions

1. What are some great things you’ve seen this week?

2. Got any fun plans for the weekend??