Live. Love. Dream.

Snap, Crackle, POP (Final Draft)

2010-09-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

By: Jennifer Israel

It’s 2 a.m. My body is exhausted but my mind still races – What will I write about for my essay due on Friday? I can’t wait to see the new movie with Sandra Bullock. What did I eat for dinner today … actually did I even have dinner? I fling the black comforter off my legs, and tiptoe barefoot down the hall. The buttery aroma barrels down the hall. The tile is freezing, which turns my tiptoe into more of a skip. I reach the carpeted living room where my mom is sitting on the couch, her feet dangling off the side.

She is watching a Lifetime movie marathon, of course. Every night she watches, while eating extra buttered popcorn from a clear Tupperware container. And every night I join her, when no one else is awake but my mom, me, and our container of half-eaten popcorn (she always gets a head start).

She takes a handful and sets it on the paper towel in her lap, tossing a few pieces in her mouth and wiping her hands on an ankle-long pale pink robe snug around her body. I sneak a piece – one piece, two if I’m quick enough - preserving every last taste as it melts in my mouth.

As much as my mom and I love popcorn, we never knew October was National Popcorn Month. Did you? Americans consume 17 billion quarts a year, that’s 54 bags per person annually. With 365 days in a year, my mom and I alone practically triple that statistic with our frequent fixation. Yum … the buttery, sweet, salty, crunchy snack that actually dissolves in your mouth. We can't get enough!

Popcorn has even more potential than the typical traditional goodness: cheesy popcorn, caramel popcorn, kettle corn. Perhaps you are a fan of Snicker doodles, the warm cinnamon sugar swirls with a hint of vanilla. Well ... snicker doodle popcorn exists! Yes, you read correctly. Snicker doodle popcorn tastes exactly like the cookie.

Popcorn can transform plain popcorn into any concoction imaginable and it will still taste incredible, whether dipped in chipotle sauce or covered with chocolate sprinkles. Perhaps this explains why America’s sale of un-popped popcorn bags was over 900 million in 2008. It can be personalized for each consumer without ingredient restrictions. In essence, popcorn makes everyone a unique creator of flavor, since just about any kind of mixture would work. I love honey and coconut, thus popcorn drenched in honey with a dash of coconut ... perfecto!

Another popcorn perk is you don't have to fiddle with the lose kernels cooking on a stove, you can microwave. Microwaveable popcorn is full proof cooking-for-dummies (like me), unless … you burn it. I do this about 30 percent of the time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of really, it happens to all of us. Microwaves have different scales of intensity. Mine for instance, will pop almost every kernel to its fullest capacity in 3:50 minutes; however my mom’s microwave will only takes 3:00 minutes, anything more will burn half the bag. So, the next time you burn a three-ounce bag, blame it on the microwave.

My Mom and I prefer the traditional buttered popcorn, but the everlasting popcorn flavor concoctions can be fun too. Even those who don’t know the difference between broiled chicken and grilled, can create a tasty masterpiece with popcorn. It’s simple: microwave a bag of plain or butter popcorn, collect a few of your favorite ingredients (peanut butter or vanilla or honey or lemon or mustard - anything and everything will work) placing them in a container with the ready-to-eat popcorn, mix it all together with a utensil of your choosing and eat. I can’t cook scrambled eggs without either burning them or presenting them soggy, but I can make (mix) marshmallow popcorn bars … fancy!

Even if you are not a fan of popcorn, I hope you can at least appreciate the semblance of the 1.23 gram popped kernel that was first found in the archaeological Bat Cave site in New Mexico over 60 years ago. The tiny seed has travelled across the country filling the tummies of children at baseball games and couples in movie theaters; my mom and I included.

Popcorn was shared and savored between us for eighteen years. Now, we live in different cities an hour or so away, but we will always share those memories every time we bite down on the buttery, sweet, salty, crunchy seed. All we have to do is press the popcorn button on the microwave.

Simple/Quick/Easy Popcorn Recipes

Marshmallow Popcorn Bars
Makes 24 bars| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 20m

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1/2 cup popcorn kernels or one 3.5-ounce package plain microwave popcorn
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows

Directions
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pop the popcorn according to the package directions. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Fold in the popcorn until coated. Press into the prepared dish and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into 24 bars.
Source: www.realsimple.com

Snicker doodle Popcorn
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place oil and popcorn kernels in popcorn popper. While corn is popping, place butter and sugar in a microwave-safe small bowl and heat until butter is melted. Stir to dissolve sugar thoroughly. Stir in cinnamon and salt until combined. Place hot popcorn in a serving bowl and drizzle with butter mixture; toss to combine. Serve immediately. Makes about 5 cups.
Source: www.healthy.betterrecipes.com

Pop Pop Pop - Feature story

2010-09-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Pop Pop Pop
By: Jennifer Israel

It’s 2 a.m. my body is exhausted but my mind still races – What will I write about for my essay due on Friday? I can’t wait to see the new movie with Sandra Bullock. What did I eat for dinner today … actually did I even have dinner? I can’t sleep! I fling the cotton-stuffed black comforter off my legs, and tiptoe barefoot down the hall. The buttery aroma barrels down the hall. The tile is freezing, which speeds my tiptoe into more of a skip. I reach the carpeted living room where my mom is sitting on the couch dangling her feet off the side.

She is watching a Lifetime movie marathon, of course. Every night she watches, while eating extra butter popcorn in a clear Tupperware container. And every night I join her, when no one else is awake but my mom, me, and our bag of half-eaten popcorn (she always gets a head start).

She takes a handful and sets it on the paper towel in her lap, tossing a few pieces in her mouth and wiping her hands on an ankle-long pale pink robe snug around her body. I sneak a piece – one piece, two if I’m quick enough, preserving every last taste as it melts in my mouth.

Everyone loves popcorn, the buttery, sweet, salty, crunchy mixture that actually dissolves in your mouth - what other food encompasses this delicious multi-flavored paradox? There is even an official month to celebrate the treat: October. Oh, you didn't know there was a National Popcorn Month, we didn’t either. Americans consume 17 billion quarts a year, that’s 54 bags per person annually. With 365 days in a year, my mom and I alone practically triple that statistic with our frequent fixation.

Popcorn has even more potential than the typical traditional goodness: cheesy popcorn, caramel popcorn, kettle corn. Perhaps you are a fan of Snicker doodles, the warm cinnamon sugar swirls with a hint of vanilla. Well ... snicker doodle popcorn exists! Yes, you read correctly. Snicker doodle popcorn tastes exactly like the cookie.

Popcorn can transform into any concoction imaginable and still taste incredible, whether it is dipped in chipotle sauce or chocolate sprinkles. Perhaps this explains why America’s sale of un-popped popcorn was over 900 million in 2008. It can be personalized for each consumer without ingredient restrictions or taste conflictions. In essence, popcorn makes everyone a unique creator of flavor: a specialty cook. For example, white chocolate syrup on Cheez-It would probably just make you ill, but on popcorn it could work.

Microwaveable popcorn is full proof cooking-for-dummies (like me), unless … you burn it. I experience this about 30 percent of the time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of really, it happens to all of us. Microwaves have different scales of intensity. Mine for instance, will pop almost every kernel to its fullest capacity in 3:50 minutes; however my mom’s microwave will only takes 3:00 minutes, anything more will burn half the bag. So, the next time you burn a three-ounce bag; just blame it on the microwave.

My mom and I prefer the traditional butter popcorn, but the array of choices can be fun. Even those that don’t know the difference between broiled chicken and grilled, can create a tasty masterpiece with popcorn on their side. It’s simple: pop a bag of plain or butter microwaveable popcorn, collect a few of your favorite ingredients (peanut butter or vanilla or honey or lemon or mustard - anything and everything will work) placing them in a container with the ready-to-eat popcorn, mix it all together and eat. I can’t cook scrambled eggs without burning them or presenting them soggy, but I can make (mix) marshmallow popcorn bars … fancy!

If you are not a fan of popcorn, I hope you can at least appreciate the semblance of the 1.23 gram popped kernel that was first found in the archaeological Bat Cave site in New Mexico over 60 years ago. The tiny seed has travelled across the country filling the tummies of children at baseball games and couples in movie theaters; my mom and I included.

Popcorn was shared and savored between us for eighteen years. Now, we live in different cities an hour or so away, but we will always share those memories every time we bite down on the buttery, sweet, salty, crunchy seed. All we have to do is press the popcorn button.

Simple/Quick/Easy Popcorn Recipes

Marshmallow Popcorn Bars
Makes 24 bars| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 20m

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1/2 cup popcorn kernels or one 3.5-ounce package plain microwave popcorn
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows

Directions
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pop the popcorn according to the package directions. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Fold in the popcorn until coated. Press into the prepared dish and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into 24 bars.
Source: www.realsimple.com

Snicker doodle Popcorn

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place oil and popcorn kernels in popcorn popper. While corn is popping, place butter and sugar in a microwave-safe small bowl and heat until butter is melted. Stir to dissolve sugar thoroughly. Stir in cinnamon and salt until combined. Place hot popcorn in a serving bowl and drizzle with butter mixture; toss to combine. Serve immediately. Makes about 5 cups.
Source: www.healthy.betterrecipes.com

Why the hype?

2010-09-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Social Media Report
By: Jennifer Israel

What's all the fuss about? Social media is everywhere. It is intertwined in our lives as a daily routine used in personal and professional settings.

I interviewed ten people (7 females/ 3 males) about how social media (SM) plays a role in their lives: one female teenager, three male young adults, three female young adults, and three female adults.

On average, study participates have been SM users for about five years. Half are users on multiple networking sites, while the others only use one. Facebook is the most popular SM for all ages and genders, followed by an occasional Tweet on Twitter or update on MySpace. Blog sites are used by 50 percent of the surveyed young adults. There is also one Linkedin adult user and one young adult gamer.

Most SM users are active for about an hour a day, while multitasking: watching TV, typing emails, chatting with friends, walking through the halls, etc. All survey participants like being able to connect instantly to a lot of people at one time.

One participant states that her best experience using SM is, “reconnecting with my old classmates from elementary school that I hadn't seen in 25 yrs. How nice to see everyone grown up and still retaining the same personalities I loved as a kid! I also reconnected with a few friends from college. This digital reconnection allowed me to see a few of these long lost friends in person … Facebook has taken me back to a simpler time in my life.”

Another explains how it has mended family relationships, “I found my cousins on Facebook and have started a new relationship with them!!! My uncle (their father) passed about when I was 6 (22 years ago) and we lost touch of my cousins (my aunt and him were divorced). Found them on FB and have since made it a point to see each other as often as we can. One of them lives in G-ville and the other in Orlando. :) It has really brought our family together!”

The most common disadvantages to SM are being easy distracted, feeling lazy, and lack of privacy. In addition, a few dislike the style of communication.

One interviewee says, “Well for a while social media decreased my socializing with people in person. However, that isn't the case as much anymore.”

On the other hand, some say SM helps strengthen their interaction with people, and create new relationships. “I actually asked her (my girlfriend) out through Facebook 3 months ago and we are still together.” Another interviewee states, “I have met the love of my life on match.com!”

Fifty percent of surveyed participants use SM for personal and business use, while the others use SM for personal only. The personal users of SM connect with friends through chat, post comments, and share content. While the business users of SM focus on networking, interacting with sources, and marketing.

SM has drastically changed one interviewee’s life, “My blog has gained quite a following since starting it in March 2007; an average of 400 unique visitors from across the world. It's gained a lot of attention from PR companies and in turn I've been able to get a lot of fashion freebies and do a lot of giveaways on my site.”

All participants but one, say they would not continue using SM if it started charging an activation fee. The one interviewee that would keep an account is already paying for a URL.

What has this survey taught me about SM? In general, all users mainly participate in social networking sites to connect with others. These “others” could be long-lost friends, potential business partners, or distant family - it’s all about connecting.

Photos I took in February 2008 ... long time ago

2010-09-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Bicycles in the park

Yellow daisies

Coral hat lady feeding seagulls

Water by Snell Isle

Strange ... very strange

2010-09-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, I am about to go to school when I have a thought to double check to see if I locked my apartment door. Door locked, check! Then I decide to get something from inside, I hear this loud gushing noise coming from the bathroom. The tub facet is running and filled up the tub a few inches already!!! I look to Jewel (my 1-year old kitten) 'she couldn't have done it' ... 'but there is no other way.' I turn the facet to the right extra tight and shut the bathroom door behind me.

What if I went straight to campus without going back into my apartment?
My water bill would be tremendous!
WIth a very GREAT possibility of a major flood in my bathroom!
And a wet cat.

Strange ... very strange.

Nightmares!!!

2010-09-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

AHHH!

Jolt up, drenched in sweaty sheets - even your pillow feels damp.
Your face is slippery.
'Where am I?'
Heart racing.

Nightmares can feel so real some times. They start your morning off in a frenzy, and creep up on you throughout the day.

My FIRST Times story

2010-08-31T05:55:00.001-07:00

http://www.tampabay.com/news/briefs/writing-group-to-host-roasterium/1110003

My THIRD Times story

2010-08-31T05:54:00.002-07:00

http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/jordan-school-project-earns-leed-awards/1113679

My SECOND Times story

2010-08-31T05:54:00.001-07:00

http://www.tampabay.com/features/popculture/the-rex-an-alternative-to-downtown/1113654

The car fiasco!

2010-08-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

I have never been superstitious of Friday the 13th: that is ... until I got into a car accident on August 13, 2010.
It was a rather stupid mistake on my part, of course, dosing off at 7:30a.m. on my way to work at the bookstore.
I see the truck.
Now I don't.
I see the truck two inches away from my front bumper ... jerked the wheel to the right. BAM!

Two weeks and $4,000 worth of damages later, not including my $170 ticket for careless driving or my $35 4-hour online course., my car is in better condition than before the accident.

These days, I make sure to have a few cups of maxwell coffee before getting on the road.

My Blurb in the Times Sunday PAPER

2010-08-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article1115092.ece

Lyrical Dance 2010

2010-07-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46GUe32tr4

The start of a new lyrical dance

2010-07-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9iAyApwGk

The start of a new jazz dance

2010-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uofehk5YiUI

SB6 - Teacher's Merit Pay Bill Blog

2010-05-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Blog made for class: http://educationbill6.blogspot.com/

My little tiny tots!!!

2010-05-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

You don't want to miss my little 2-year-olds first dance recital!!!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=437431755766&ref=share

It's been a while

2010-05-30T05:54:00.001-07:00

I have not posted anything in a long time. Life has been a little crazy but that is no excuse. I am going to make an effort to post a little something everyday. I am trying to decide a focus for this blog. It may just continue to be random thoughts about life and links for my journalism work. We will see ...

TipToe Magazine

2010-05-02T16:18:00.001-07:00

HeLp!?!?! Kitten is being bad ...

2009-10-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

AH AH AH AH! My darling kitten is scratching at the carpet, biting people, and overall being bad. I don't know what to do. I have tried a variety of discipline tactics such as: water bottle, clapping my hands loudly, saying "NO" firmly, grabbing her by the scuff ... I think part of it is because she is alone for most of the day, so she is not continuously being disciplined. I have done some research and cannot think of anything else I can do. Please help!?!?

The downturn of the economy restricts opportunities ...

2009-10-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

It is heartbreaking to hear over and over again that a child cannot attend dance because the parents cannot afford it. Dance can be an expensive hobby; however, at the recreation centers and YMCAs they offer cheaper dance classes to allow more students the chance to experience the art. I teach at recreation centers and YMCAs and our enrollment has dropped 50% since last year and is continuing to decrease in number. I wish I could offer a free dance class for those students who cannot participate because of monetary constraints. My family never had enough money to send me to dance, but I was blessed with scholarships which allowed me to continue to take class - in which I am so grateful. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to create a dance scholarship fund, giving children the opportunity to take dance classes even though they cannot afford to.

BREAKING NEWS!

2009-10-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!
Jewel is a Pixie-Bob Cat, which is a bob cat hybrid mix with a cat. I was looking at her yesterday morning and was thinking that she looks tiger-like, the pattern of her fur are thin stripes like a tiger. I was doing some research and came across the hybrids. She fits every description of a Pixie-Bob cat: eyes change from blue to green to gold as they get older, a poly cat with large paws and an abnormal number of toes, "chirps" instead of "meows," large features ... etc. SO, I think she is a bob cat hybrid, which means she can grow up to 14 pounds and grows for three years instead of one!!! Crazy!?!?!?! I have a tiger in the house :-)

JEWEL

2009-10-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

Jewel was adopted on 9/4/09 from PetSmart in Clearwater. She was frightened to leave her brothers and sisters, and fidgety when I tried holding her at the store. I was discouraged and unsure about separating her from the comfort she had established there, but after 10 minutes or so Jewel was more relaxed and enjoyed being with me. She did well during the car ride home - wrapped in a t-shirt, cuddled with a dalmatian beanie-baby, and purred. Now, a few months later she fully enjoys her new home and is well established. She greets me when I get home in the late afternoon, and sleeps under the covers with me at night. She has been a true blessing. I can't believe I went 20 years without a pet!

Find out what makes the pregnancy center on 22nd Street South special ...

2009-10-15T03:32:00.001-07:00

Neighborhood News Bureau Story 1:
http://www.nnbonline.org/?p=288

Mentoring 101

2009-10-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Check out my mentoring feature for ASJ:
http://www.agentssalesjournal.com/content/view/1399/54/

Diverse Markets

2009-10-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

Check out my ASJ story about diversity marketing:
http://www.agentssalesjournal.com/content/view/1455/54/

Sorry world ...

2009-06-18T03:54:00.001-07:00

Life has been a little hectic. I have been slacking on blogging for almost a month now. I really want to start writing everyday - I will get in a routine one day.

Changes...

2009-05-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how in a blink of an eye everything can change. What you knew before doesn't matter, the foundation doesn't exist, your world is turned upside down and you have no control over it ... all you can do is stand frozen in time and watch your life shatter and scatter into the unknown. Amazing how life seems so tangible, controllable, stable until something changes ... you wake up, get our of bed, and walk into the unknown.

First Time Blogging...

2009-04-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is my first time blogging. I am very exciting to join the blog world. I was unsure about it at first but then saw that is was making a huge impact on our society, and decided to join. Also, journalism is taking hold of this new medium and it is essential that I have experience with it... More to come.

Thanks!