The Quarter-Life Crisis

With the way the world is today, it’s a wonder how everyone isn’t on antidepressants or antipsychotic medications. Every day, we are bombarded with news of how much worse the global economy is getting (Cyprus Crisis, anyone?), outbreaks of war and civil unrest and revolution, and outbreaks of disastrous diseases. Pile this on top of what today’s generation already deals with, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

drawn by Sapphire Diaz

Today’s 20-30 year-olds are bombarded with “advice” and ideas and suggestions about how they should do things in life. Everything from what university to attend, what degree to major in, who to date, what social circle to be in, what suburb to live in, what to expect in relationships, what job to get, how much they should make, what possessions they should own – all of it can become overbearing. And with the advent of social networking, we are always sharing and up-to-date on just about everything that is going on in other’s lives, so whenever someone doesn’t have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other networking account, collectively we assume that someone has something to hide, or is anti-social.

The Difference Between Horror and Thriller

Have you seen the new series The Following from Fox?

I saw it previewed on Hulu and thought, I’m game, as I’ve always been down for some Kevin Bacon.

That night my husband was working late and so I cozied up on the couch with some M&Ms after I put the kids to bed and decided to see if this show was really worth my time.

After watching the first episode I was hooked to this twisted, creepy, freaky little, awesome show, but in addition to being hooked I also vowed not to watch it by myself at night ever again. I like to have pleasant dreams not filled with men in Edgar Allen Poe masks chasing me with knives.

Red Apple Vinaigrette – A Recipe

This past weekend, I went to the Virginia Wine Expo in Richmond, Va.  In case you didn’t know, there are over 200+ wineries in Virginia, many of which were in attendance.  I had the opportunity to try an excellent hard apple cider, a Viking-era mead (honey wine), some great regional reds and a delicious Red Apple Balsamic Vinegar I purchased from the good folks at The Olive Oil Taproom, located in Richmond, VA.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to use the balsamic vinegar, but when I tasted it – it was such a pure, sweet red apple taste – I just had to purchase a bottle.  Several friends recommend pork dishes but I don’t usually eat pork, so my mind went immediately to salad dressings and appropriate salads.

After a little research and taste-testing in the kitchen, I decided on an apple salad: