Weekend Reads 2/19/2010

This article finds that good luck is a learnable habit/skill. 

I'm sure you've heard by now about Kevin Smith and the Southwest scandal, here is a fabulous commentary about it from a big girl perspective. I was appalled to learn that he was kicked off the plane despite being able to put on his seatbelt and able to put the armrest down.


Keeping your computer safe because of malicious PDF files that exploit Adobe Reader.  I've always known to avoid hacked software, suspicious websites, and peer-to-peer software like limewire/frostwire like the plague, now bad PDF files? Read it and weep..

I suggest using an alternate PDF reader like the free, feature rich Foxit Reader (my favorite, just manually uninstall the foxit toolbar). I swiched a long time ago because Adobe reader always annoyed me with how bloated it was, it didn't matter if I was on a super speedy computer or a slow one, Adobe always took too long to load and print, period.

Recipe of the Week.
Food Addicts Toscana soup (their version)

Kemi's remixed Toscana Soup
-Even with my lightening mojo, it is still a hearty soup with ~170 calories per cup. You can cut down even more by lowering the number of sausages from 5 links to 2 and decreaseing the potatoes to one and cut the sausages and potato up finer to still get the same taste, but less calories.

• 1 lb. spicy turkey Italian sausage
• 2 medium potatoes (skin on), sliced ¼’
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. soy bacon bits (or real bacon bits or chopped turkey bacon) 
• **using a dash of smoked salt can also give a smokey flavor without the bacon
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 c., fresh spinach (or kale)
• 8 ¾ c. chicken stock (I used 9 cups of water with powdered broth to taste after simmering)
• 1 c.  skim milk (they used fat free, half and half)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (i like my soups spicy!)
• I added ~1 tablespoon of roux for more complex flavor and a thicker, richer broth without using the half/half

Directions

1. Cook Italian sausage in a large pot and drain the fat (if there is any) ( I like boiling the sausages and getting rid of the water/salt/fat all together)
2. Add onions and garlic in same pot and cook until aromatics are released from the garlic about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add chicken stock and potatoes and cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft.
4. Add soy bacon bits, kale* (if using spinach add at very end) and half-and-half (or skim milk) and cook another 10 minutes over a low simmer.
5. If you are using spinach add it at the end, or if using kale--when kale is soft, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 171.8
Total Fat: 5.6
Sat. Fat: 1.7 
Carbs: 20g 
Protein: 11.5g