Cool Cucumber Pasta

Reblogged from Zim on a Whim:

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This warmer weather has me craving cool salads like this Cool Cucumber Pasta salad. (I'm sorry to those of you who actually have SNOW on the ground in May!) It's sweet and tangy and perfect for summer barbecues because there's no mayo. It's great for lunch, too.

I got the recipe from my friend Lisa about 15+ years ago! I believe she got it from a magazine, but my old, faded, and handwritten recipe card doesn't say the source.

Read more… 183 more words

This is a sweet and tangy pasta and cucumber salad that is perfect for summer entertaining because there's no mayo! (compliments of Micha at Zim on a Whim). http://zimonawhim.com/2013/05/03/cool-cucumber-pasta/ This salad looks delicious, easy to prepare and a great side for any kind of meat or seafood. Enjoy!

American Idol…and then…there are 4?

Let me start off by saying this is the first time since Adam Lambert lost American Idol in Season 8 that I have bothered to watch. I can’t put my finger on any one thing in particular; there has always been something about the show that has turned me off. Even when Simon Crowell and Paula Abdul were judging I just couldn’t get into the show. Last year we watched Steven Tyler and all of his weirdness make a lame attempt at being a judge. Same with Jennifer Lopez who seemed more interested in showcasing her own talent. Remember that number with the white jumpsuit, yikes! Then there’s Randy. Dude, do I need to say anymore?

This season of American Idol is one of the best in recent memory. I know a lot of people would love to disagree with me. Here’s something to think about. American Idol needs to stay relevant just like everything else. To stay the same all the time is enough to send viewers packing. (I was one of them). I could only watch Simon and Paula yanking each other chains for so many years and then, guess what? It got old so I quit watching. When I heard Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj were going to judge alongside Randy, I felt like I had to watch. First there was a supposed feud between Nicki and Mariah (made the headlines). Poor Keith looked like the “buffer”.  Of course we have Randy who really said nothing. Why would he? He’s managed Mariah’s career. When the now infamous North Carolina audition show aired with Nicki and Mariah having a tiff, I sat there and thought, wow, this is what all the fuss was about? This incident was a non-incident completely blown out of proportion. Who hasn’t had a conflict with a co-worker? Moving on watching the auditions was fresh and fun. Some were really good and others made you want to cringe. Keith, Nicki, Randy and Mariah all seemed to bring a fresh perspective to the judges table. While Nicki and Keith did most of the commentary, Randy was his usual self and Mariah sat there mostly soaking it all in (divas are not required to earn a salary – they just show-up).

I tuned in last night really bummed because I forgot to cast my votes. This was the first time this happened. All I can attribute it to was my lack of sleep. The show started with Candice, Kree, Angie and Amber singing Alicia Keys powerful hit, “This Girl is On Fire”. These young women did the song justice and I’m sure Alicia Keys would be proud. The highlight of the show for me was Drake surprising Candice (who has made it well-known how much she loves Drake’s music). In the set-up, Drake did an audio telling Candice what a great singer she was and he was really proud of what she did with his song. He said maybe we can sing together and then he walks out on the stage. Nicki I know you were behind this one and big props to you. All of the women were just as shocked. This was one of those Idol moments that made the show good. After listening to the recap of Wednesday night’s show and sitting through long, boring performances of earlier Idol singers we finally made it to the most important part of the show. Even though I forgot to vote, I was sure Candice, Amber and Angie were safe.

Ryan Seacrest called a name and the contestant was to stand to the far left or to the right . Kree and Angie were together and then Candice and Amber together. Imagine the surprise when Ryan announced Candice and Amber were in the bottom two. I thought something is fishy here.  Next, the unthinkable happened. Ryan Seacrest about to make the big announcement which contestant is going home? When he said “no one is going home”. What a shock this was.  I did not see this coming. It was at that moment I did the quick flash back to the beginning of the show and Ryan did hint at a big surprise. Since there was an extra week thrown in this season there was no need to send anyone home. This has never happened before in the history of Idol. All votes from this week will be added to next weeks vote.  The contestant who has the lowest score will go home…at least this is what we think may happen? I’m still not clear though (is anyone) if the judges are still able to use a “save”.

I think we all know by now none of the contestants sang anything worth going to YouTube to hear it again. Amber singing “MacArthur Park” was memorable. “Emotions” sang by Candice was the best choice out of all.

Candice has the best voice out of all the contestants. Her vocal ability is natural, not faked or forced. Do you recall hearing people say that person can sing like an angel? This would be Candice.   Angie and Amber are in a two-way tie. They are both trying to expand on their vocals (we can tell with the song choices recently). Angie does have a little edge over Amber in that she plays the piano, yet Amber really has the image and stage presence down.  As for Kree I suppose I am the one person on this earth who is wondering why she is still around. To date, she has sung several different genres of music (although she said she’s a country singer). As most of the judges have pointed out Kree needs to figure out what genre of music she wants to sing.

We get another night of these fabulous four young women. This is the first time in Idol history there are four women in the running. No disrespect to the previous male winners, these talented young women can sing!

These girls are definitely on fire and I will be watching next week.

I won’t forget to cast my votes either!

Latest book read: Life Code by Dr. Phil McGraw

I started reading Dr. Phil’s new book, Life Code several days ago. Normally I wouldn’t read this kind of book. A link to download the book came  to me via email from Dr. Phil as a digital download (limited qualities). I signed up a while back to take part as part of a live audience (streamed) in Oprah’s Life Class with Dr. Phil. The show taped on Monday, April 22, 2013 and will air on OWN Network on April 28, 2013. Of course I was curious. How many times have you tried to get something for free from Oprah’s site? This time I was one of the lucky folks!

I am only half-way through the book.  The book is very good…so good that I feel like Dr. Phil and I are having a private therapy session. Yes, the book is that good.  I want to share an excerpt from the book. If this doesn’t grab your interest than you probably wouldn’t want to waste your time reading. Dr. Phil wrote something in one of the chapters that blew me away. In this chapter he discusses changing a “life code”. He said in today’s world, the old rules don’t work anymore. He provides what I believe is a very logical explanation (and validates my feeling). Here’s an excerpt from the book. If this doesn’t get you interest then I don’t know what will:

We have all been taught to give people the benefit of the doubt, as though doing so is a virtue, as though it is a reflection of our evolved character, the moral high ground. The new “Life Code” calls for a very different attitude and practice. I think it is reckless, not virtuous, to blindly give people the benefit of the doubt. I’m an incurable optimist, I really am, but I don’t give people the benefit of the doubt. I just don’t. Nor do I automatically judge them negatively. I approach people from a neutral standpoint, then start gathering data from the first impression on, and finally form an opinion when I have enough information. I don’t judge books by their covers, so to speak, and neither should you. I want you to rethink your first instinct of trusting people until they prove unworthy. I want you to say, “You know what? I’m not going to do that anymore, nor am I going to prejudge somebody as bad. I’m going to keep an open mind and gather data. But if my instincts are telling me there is something not quite right with someone, I am going to listen to me, and they’re going to go on my special watch list.”

And by the way, you don’t have to let everyone into your life in the same way. You can have differing levels of trust, appropriate to your level of involvement with people—strangers, casual acquaintances, people you deal with in business, neighbors, close friends, family members.

The book is good in typical Dr. Phil style. He say’s it like he means it.  Without giving too much away (I know many of you don’t like the spoilers). If you get what he’s saying then I recommend as a good book to read.

I’ll keep you posted and share more thoughts when I’m done reading.

Beasts of the Southern Wild…

I just finished watching Beasts of the Southern Wild.  I loved this movie.  We learn about a little girl named Hushpuppy who with her father lives in a bayou cut off from the rest of the world by a levee somewhere in Louisiana. For the people who live in the “bathtub” as it’s called, this is a way of life.

Quvenzhane Wallis gives us a believable performance as Hushpuppy. She plays a child in one of the most complex movie roles I have ever seen. Recently, I read how Quvenzhane landed the role in the movie. She pretended she was older when she auditioned for the role. Actually she was only 6 years old when she made the film. Her performance has you mesmerized. She had no formal training and had never acted in a movie before.

To understand Beasts of the Southern Wild, this is one of those rare times when watching a movie one must keep an open mind.  At times, the movie almost seems unbelievable.  For many of us it is difficult to imagine what it is like to live in squalor. Some may want to feel sorry for the people but as you watch the movie you begin to understand this is reality for the people who live in the bathtub. For the audience this is a harsh lesson of what can drive people to do what they need to survive.

There are many great scenes in the movie. There is one scene in particular where her father disappears and she is left to fend on her own. Hushpuppy searches for her father and she can’t find him. You can feel her fear as she searches for him. Somehow she manages to get herself to “school” that day. When she returns home her father is still gone. She goes to her “house” and is thinking about how she is going to survive. In a very childlike way, we watch as she figures out what to do. She shares her thought in a very matter of fact way and said out loud, “if I run out of food, then I’ll have to eat my animals…and the camera shifts to show her saying this as she sits next to her dog. There was no doubt we knew exactly what she meant when she said this.

This scene and others are what makes this a really good movie.  We see a child who is playing a role in a movie and you actually believe what she is saying.

Quvenzhane Wallis brings us true talent in its rarest form. The child is a natural actor. I hope this isn’t the last time we see her in a movie. I want to see her walk up on the stage tomorrow evening to receive her Oscar for best actress. She deserves to win this award.

As for Hushpuppy, she showed us how to see the world through a child’s eyes.

There she is…Miss America

Last night I decided to tune in and watch Miss America. I have watched the pageant almost my entire life. I had read for weeks Miss South Carolina’s Ali Rogers was the hands down favorite. Even the odds makers in Las Vegas had her as the favorite (even though you can’t legally bet).  So with all the hype and expecting a good competition I settled down in front of the television in eager anticipation.

The show seemed to start out alright. The first 10 contestants emerged from the Las Vegas Sign Museum. As I watched I couldn’t help but notice none of the woman could dance. Now normally we would see one or two that can’t keep up but all of them? Next we watched the contestant introductions from various venues in Las Vegas. When I saw the rooftop of the Rio and characters from Cirque de Soleil, Vegas managed to get in free advertising. The views alone were enough to make want you to pack your bag for your next vacation.

I’m used to seeing Miss America’s of past days coming out wearing matching cute dresses. Instead what we got was a group of women in super casual wear (some even wore jeans) parading around on the stage.

Finally, it was time for the announcements of the 15 finalists. I scratched my head wondering why 15? Seems like a lot. One by one, the lucky contestants that made the cut came down with the surprised faces and screaming family members and fans. Then there was a big surprise. For the very first time judges picked a 16^th finalist. My first thought there must have been a tie. It was never explained.  Of course, the 16th contestant acted surprised when she heard her name called to join the other 15 finalists.

There was barely enough time for the home audience to see who actually made the cut because the host hurried the women off the stage to go get dressed for the swimsuit competition. Now this part of the pageant I have never liked. Every year there is some sort of controversy about women parading around in the swimsuit. The little I did watch (I used this as a time to get snacks) these women had bodies that were completely uneventful. I don’t recall any fake breasts or overly muscular bodies.

The next segment took us to the evening gown. When the first woman came on to the stage I knew there was a problem. See, in years past Miss America usually had a singer serenading the woman as they showed off their gowns. Instead we watched the women who were not selected forced to sit on the stage in their casual wear to watch the finalist show off their gowns. In earlier years all the women donned their gowns. Somewhat disappointing not only for the audience but I’m sure for the women as well. I know the contestants spent a lot of money on their gowns. Participating in pageants is not cheap. At the very least perhaps these contestants should have received the chance to show off the gowns. But hey what do I know.

Speaking of gowns, I don’t know who or how the contestants selected the gowns they wore. One gown looked like a wedding dress. Most of the dresses did not fit properly on some of the women nor did the dress compliment them. Did they not have these dresses altered?

The show only went downhill from here. The talent competition was by far the worst I have ever seen. The first talent, baton twirling all she did was very basic baton twirling. I know because I used to twirl so I know the moves. Then there were the “singers”.  I believe it’s safe to say none would have made the first cut on American Idol. The tweets on Twitter back this statement up.

Then there were the tap routines. While it was cute (if you are 5 years old) I certainly wasn’t impressed.

Then the unthinkable happened. The camera moves over to the contestants who were not selected and the big announcement came. The women were hungry. They were so busy preparing for the pageant they didn’t have time to eat.

Okay, I’m from Las Vegas, the culinary capital of the world. There are several restaurants and food courts in and around Planet Hollywood. The hotel itself has some fine eating establishments and you mean to say these women went hungry?

To satisfy the hunger, a man appears on stage with a huge tray of doughnuts. I believe the waiter was to look like he was offering a doughnut to the hungry beauty queens (a joke) but it didn’t work.  I actually saw a contestant grab a doughnut off the tray and the camera caught her holding it with a “I wonder if I should have done that look”? All I could do was shake my head and think wow, this is a hot mess.

Next, it was time for questions from the judges. By now I had tuned out and started doing other things when it was time my favorite, Miss Iowa to answer her question. Miss Iowa, Mariah Cary (that was really her name), question was to explain her opinion on marijuana being legal now in some states. She was nailing it with a good answer until she made the fatal mistake and said “she only supports the use of marijuana for recreational and medical purposes”. Again, I took to Twitter and the tweets seem to come 1000 per minute. Ouch.

At that moment Miss Iowa sealed her fate! She wasn’t going to win.

It was finally time to announce the winner. Former Miss America Laura Kaeppeler (at least this tradition wasn’t changed) came out to the stage to give her farewell speech and thanking the organization for her wonderful year. Was it her or the dress? The dress was an awful choice for her.

Then it was time for the grand finale. We all know by now Miss South Carolina did not win. The coveted prize went to Miss New York’s Mallory Hagan.

After the show was over I took to Twitter and began reading the tweets. I felt somewhat vindicated knowing some people felt the same way I did.

Today I am asking myself a lot of questions. I’d like to know what happened to the Miss America organization? As a girl and young woman I dreamed of being Miss America one day. I would practice the “walk” many times through the years.  I read in the news this morning this was the highest watched Miss America pageant in recent years. (Probably because it’s not being shown on CMT – remember the year that happened). Probably more telling than anything this year’s show lacked diversity. There were more blonde haired women in this year’s pageant than I ever remember. Also, there wasn’t any one woman who stood out, except for Miss Iowa. She was a brown-haired beauty that had a beautiful natural smile. Sadly though, I think she had the name thing against her and really messed up with her question.

I know Miss America has gone through a lot of problems over the past few years. The brand has been sharply criticized by feminists, women’s organizations and the public in general. There is the loss of sponsors. It is fitting the pageant be telecast from the Las Vegas Strip. The city needs the advertising and the revenue to bring back the tourism. There is just one problem: the show is always associated with Donald’s Trumps Miss Universe franchise. The pageants are different like night and day.

I kind of chuckled to myself last night when I heard the big sponsor was Amway. I didn’t even know Amway still existed. I’d say many people were scratching their heads wondering what Amway is.

The reality is the show is no longer relevant. While the winner walks away with a $50,000 scholarship package there was no mention from any of the contestants about their educational pursuits. Only the platform they will work for. While that is admirable, the pageant has always been about education. Think smart, intelligent young women who attend college.

I hope the Miss America Organization reads the posts on social media. What they tried to do didn’t work this year.

If it’s any comfort when the winner was taking her walk I hummed the words to the song made famous by Bert Parks, there she is, Miss America….

To Hell with the 2nd Amendment, I hate guns…Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting: Newtown, Connecticut Administrators, Students Among Victims, Reports Say

To hell with the 2nd Amendment. I hate guns!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

My day was one of my usual days. I had errands to run. After getting dressed and ready I left the house on my way. Not once did I think the day was different from any other day. I was soon to find out that our lives would change in a dramatic way.

At the precise time I was taking care of my business an unknown person was inside an elementary school shooting children.

By the time I pulled into the driveway and made my way upstairs, I turn on the television only to see all too familiar breaking news. Shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. As I sat with my eyes glued to the television I wasn’t able to decide how serious this news was. It wasn’t long before the news began to change.

First it was three shot, then six, then ten. The numbers kept climbing. Parents were running to the local fire station to find out about their loved ones. By now, tears are streaming down my face in disbelief. How could this be happening again? Why is this happening?

As the day unfolded the crime scene became all too real. I asked myself again, why did this happen. I quickly began saying prayers asking for a peaceful transition to the other side for the little babies and the adults taken from their families and loved ones.

Later today, President Obama once again in the unenviable position of having to talk about another tragedy. To watch our President, our leader wipe away tears was certainly a moment.

Through my sadness and my tears, I have read comments and tweets from people on this subject. Many of us are wanting guns off the streets. Then I remembered something. A citizen can take a gun to a police station and turn it in. While I know there are Americans that feel it is their God-given, entitled right to bear arms, I think its time now for people to lay down their guns.

I hate the 2nd Amendment and everything it stands for. I hate guns. I would rather take my chances and not hold a gun in my hand.

I am asking every citizen of the United States who owns a firearm to think about something. After today’s tragedy how can one live with themselves having a gun in your possession or your home? This could have been your child, your wife, your sister or husband who lost their life.

Shady Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut will never be the same. That little small town, one of thousands in America are all asking the same question: how can something like this happen in our town?

Here is a reality check. This is happening everywhere. There is no safe place in the United States. We have failed our children. We are not protecting them.

I am begging anyone who has a gun in their home to take it to the nearest police station and turn it in.

There are no easy answers or solutions. To wait for government to begin the process doesn’t solve the problems.

We have to start somewhere…go to your local police stations and turn in your guns.

The Gray Elephant in the Room

I haven’t worked since February of this year. Through no fault of my own, I had no choice but to quit my last job. On my second day, I was on my way to work when bad weather caused me to have a car accident. That morning, I was left with a totaled car and minor injuries. This was the last thing I needed. I had moved to South Dakota at the urging of my best friend. Prior to living there, I lived in Colorado. I found work almost immediately, not the line of work I usually do and part-time with no benefits. I worked for several months. As the project neared completion and no new bids awarded to the company, it was clear we all were facing lay-off. Knowing this, I immediately began sending out my résumé. After a tremendous effort, I received one call for an interview.

I had a favorable interview. The end result, I wasn’t selected for the position. I was surprised I wasn’t offered the position. I clearly had the experience to perform the duties required of the position. I did something I had never done before.  I reached out and contacted the HR recruiter. I was looking for a specific reason why I wasn’t selected. What I heard from the HR recruiter a lot of walking around my questions offering no answers. I thanked him for his time and moved on.

We often hear about employers looking for people who are a “good fit” for the company. This is a broad statement which can take on many meanings. I seriously began to question whether I am no longer a “good fit” because of my age?

I decided to return to my home town, Las Vegas, Nevada. I knew the economy was terrible. I heard the horror stories from many of my friends saying how difficult it would be to find a job in Las Vegas. At this point, I had no other choice but to try to find work.

Over the next four months, I applied for more than 200 positions. I landed three interviews. I went to each interview prepared to answer and ask questions. When I arrived for my interviews, I noticed most of the staff appeared younger, between the ages of 25 and 35. At each interview, the person or persons I interviewed with were the ages of my adult children. In some cases, it was as if we were speaking different languages. Each time, I tried to not be discouraged.  I felt like I was on the defensive because of my age and had to prove my knowledge, skills and abilities. I previously worked for some high-profile companies. Most people know how difficult it is to land positions with these companies.

On my daily outings to the state unemployment agency, I had conversations with women who were slightly younger or closer to my age. I learned some were having the same experience as me in my job search. Other women had no real work experience except for a job here or they’re working in food service or retail. Sadly, a few were homeless.

I listened to their stories and compared them to mine. I found a common denominator between me and these women.  Most of us divorced later in life and didn’t remarry. Some of us chose to stay home and raise our families and never worked outside the home. A few widowed. Some, like me were wives of military members. We had very few career choices due to our husband’s transfers.

I believe we are a forgotten group of workers who do not fall into any of the special interest groups except for displaced homemaker. I learned there are very few resources available to women who fall into this category. I have gaps in my employment history. I managed to work at a company for 14 years until divorce happened. Since I divorced, it has been a never-ending merry-go-round of trying to find work. I am sure this is being held against me by some employers I have interviewed with.

I also question whether the EEOC information is viewed separately from the job application. While the option is there to not “self identify”, one can easily determine my age by looking at my résumé. My résumé goes back several years. Many employers ask and we must “show” dates of employment. If you look at my résumé going back 10 years, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out my age.

Recently, Luke Russert, a reporter for NBC, questioned Nancy Pelosi’s ability to effectively do her job at her age. Ms. Pelosi quickly told Russert she was “offended” by his remark. While Ms. Pelosi appeared gracious, I was not pleased by his remark.

Age discrimination is a huge problem in this country. It is also very difficult to prove. I have researched the federal government’s Department of Labor website. Most of the data I found shows unemployment in my age group, lumping men and women together in one group. I haven’t been able to find statistics for women in the age class of 46-54 who are not working, classified as displaced homemakers.

I asked myself after I saw the exchange between Russert and Pelosi; do young people view us as old and not competitive in the workplace? How does our age have anything to do with whether we can effectively do our job? Even more compelling, my understanding is Luke Russert’s mother is still working and she is in her 60’s.

To date, I still haven’t found employment. I have a dear friend who has offered to share his home with me. Recently, I re-enrolled in college. I hope this will have a positive effect on my job search.

I do wonder if the pink elephant in the room is actually a gray elephant.

Banana Bread & Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Bread & Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Copyright by Micha at Zim on a Whim © 2012 to present.

Listen Up Women…Its Your Choice!

This is a plea to all women who plan to vote on November 6th. While I would never tell anyone who they should vote for, I feel I need to make my case on why the only person who deserves to lead our country is President Obama.

Today,  Indiana GOP U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock stood front of voters and declared that “Pregnancy from rape is something God intended”, his comment completely sent me reeling.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard something like this. Todd Akins started things off with the “legitimate rape” comment early in the race. I admit, that was a deal breaker for me.  As a woman, I take offense at his comment.

I want to take a closer look at this. I consider myself a normal, intelligent well-rounded woman. I have absolutely nothing against men, nothing. We are different. I haven’t wanted to say this out loud, but I think its time someone speaks up. The perception I have about these men scares me.  They remind me of a caveman.

What the Atkins’ and Murdock’s of the world and any other man who thinks as they do: what they are essentially saying is it is perfectly okay for a man to force himself on a woman and if he impregnate her, so what? This is what God intended.

These men have received an endorsement by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan who are running for our highest office. Throughout their campaign, they have been consistent on one thing, they are Pro-Life and want to cut funding for women’s healthcare. Just the mere fact that either don’t believe in a woman’s right to choose or a woman’ s right to decide what’s best for their own body in my opinion is caveman mentality. When I look at Ann Romney, I wonder how she can possibly lay down and sleep knowing her husband does not believe in a woman’s right to decide about her own body.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and their GOP neo cons want to cut funding for women’s healthcare. Let’s take a different perspective. Imagine this: a woman is running for President of the United States. Her platform is to cut and not allow pharmaceutical companies to create pills for erectile dysfunction. This means no more Viagra, no more Cialis, no more help for men  by denying access to much-needed medication (especially needed when a man begins to lose his testosterone levels). While we women know men are not as outspoken as women, be assured, there would be a lot of behind the scenes rumbling going on if men could not get access to their little blue pills. In reality, I think a lot of women wouldn’t cry any crocodile tears over it either. For some women, they would be relieved of their wifely duties.

My point: women, do you really want to live in an America where women are nothing less than a slave to a man? Are you comfortable in knowing should your young daughter, sister, niece, mother or even your own grandmother be the victim of a horrific crime such as rape you can not choose what is right for your own body?

If you are a man who cares about any of the women in your life, can you really sleep at night knowing you voted for Romney and Ryan and embrace their extreme views against women?

I have voted in every general election since I was 18 years old. I have never seen a campaign like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan who are embracing the most extreme views possible that are against women.

My hope, my prayer is that all women across American who are going to vote on November 6th, vote for President Obama. The reason is obvious.

Rihanna Covers Vogue For The Second Time In Red Hot Dress (PHOTO)

I like Rihanna although I don’t think this is one of her “best” magazine covers. Do like the red lipstick. Very pretty!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost