I Don't Need my Food Fast

      Let me make this clear right now, I love food. When I say this I mean I love every aspect of food. I love cooking it, sharing it, talking about it, reading about it, and above all I love eating it. Food brings people closer; families, neighbors, strangers, it doesn't matter. The majority of my fondest memories contain some sort of breaking of bread with others, and it's no coincidence. Food speaks to our souls, and warms us from head to toe. This being said, it appalls me how many American's do not enjoy the simple pleasures of a good meal, but rather eat practically every meal at their local McDonald's, Taco Bell, or Chick-fil-a. Don't get me wrong, fast food tastes good. Its' greasy, filled with plastic cheese and salt, and low grade meat; who doesn't love that? The more I think about it though, the more I don't understand why people don't take an hour of their day and cook and eat a good meal with their families and loved ones. Yes, I understand that we American's are busy, that teenagers have school work to do, and then sports practice, and hours of homework, and that parents have to work, run children to extracurricular activities, pay their bills, and then somehow provide food. Fast food and frozen foods are the easy way, they provide enough to get us through the day and we don't have to slow down too much. That's what our country is all about. How can I do something in the fastest time possible, so that I can move onto the next thing, which I will also do as fast as I can?
     Imagine the possibilities that could be on your plate if you just took some time, opened a cook book or two, and made a meal that didn't come from a freezer, heated in some grease, and put into a paper bag that was then pushed through a drive through window. Not only are these meals healthier, but they taste better, I promise! Fresh ingredients make all the difference, and once you go fresh you'll never go back. Honestly, who wouldn't enjoy a warm stew or pan seared fish with a well seasoned sauce reduction made in their own kitchen? Now, I understand that money is tight and it is hard to buy lovely fresh ingredients all the time, and that not everyone is available to state of the art cooking equipment, but even if all you have is a pot, an oven, and some cheap stew meat, you can make a beef bourguignon. People are often shocked to find that food make from the cheapest ingredients are the best. These recipes are often traditional, and traditional recipes were created out a necessity for nutritious meals that still tasted good. Want a great home cooked meal? Look up an traditional Italian dish (you may also be surprised to find that the best Italian food is not made with tomato sauce). Traditional Italian foods are the staples of cheap delicious food. Not really in to Italian food? Try French! It applies the same principle but uses different main ingredients.
      With all of this being I said, I am sure some people are going to say "But I can't cook". Cooking is not all that difficult, it just requires some practice and getting used too. Below I have included a very step- by- step video of how to make a grilled cheese to start off the new foodies who would liek to start cooking, but just don't knwo how. Nothing wrong with starting the a great sandwich and working your way up to the big stuff like osso bucco with saffron rissotto! So go and channel your inner Julia Child or Jaques Pepin and watch the food fly. Bon appetit mes amis!

Grilled Cheese Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxyzK2mHqw

So Vogue?

       'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back...However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff." For me, this quote spoken by Meryl Streep (aka Miranda Priestly) in the iconic movie The Devil Wears Prada, speaks volumes about the American fashion industry. For those who do not care about fashion, wearing an unfashionable item means you're an individual. However, for those who revel in being "in Vogue" wearing the wrong thing can make you or break you. In the previously mentioned movie, the fiery editor of Runway magazine often educated her new assistant's assistant on the do's and dont's of the fashion world. The whole movie examines in the inner workings of fashion, and how even if you do not care, once fashion grabs you, it can be difficult to let go. This theme is all but to true for thousands, if not millions of Americans. I can freely admit that I have been consumed by fashion. I pour over magazines, I think through everything I wear and purchase. It costs time, money, and energy to be fashionable, and for what? So that maybe someone will say "hey, that's cute,"? The fashion world is so consumer driven, it is practically like an epidemic; spreading from person to person until almost every American is drenched with the knowledge of what's "in" and what's "out". Fashion affects so many different parts of our lives; our body image, our monetary worth, our personal worth, our sense of personal style, and so many more. Possibly the most harmful of these effects is body image. Countless girls, and even some boys, starve themselves in attempts to fit into the latest Marc Jacobs pant or Versace dress, and this is not limited to the general public. Models, the salesmen of the fashion industry are practically poster children for eating disorders and poor body image  Thin is in, and it is sad. In the past few years, the fashion gurus at be, have been pointing out horrors of poor body image through articles in their magazines and online blogs. Is it just me, or is it ironic that the fashion industry sparked a great deal of the problem, idolized it in their models, and now are the advocates for "love your own body and individuality"?
               Before I continue, let me say that not all parts of the American fashion world are awful. When it isn't breaking our banks with its sky high prices (they sadly do sell Hermes Birkin bags for $280,000), slimming our bodies to skeletons, and making us just feel plan bad for not looking a certain way, fashion can be fun. Who can admit that it isn't fun to go shopping here and there? Or flip through the idolized pages of Vogue? Or show off their latest Dior coat? The colors, the print, the blur of fashion is a blast. American fashion is constantly evolving, much like its population, and we as consumers love it. While there are fewer American based fashion houses than the European empires, the country across the pond makes their voice heard all over the world through their clothing. From east coast posh, to west coast bohemian, the styles of America are now worldwide, and whose to blame for that I wonder?
            So fashion; is it good or bad? Like so many things in our lives, it is a necessity that has been blown into extravagance. There is an up side and a down side to everything, but it's up to us to decide which side we let affect our lives.

this is a link to another blog I find interesting. It is a written by a 13/14 year old girl is who now a fashion blogging icon. She is invited to a variety of fashion weeks and has had articles published by her and about her in teen vogue:

http://www.thestylerookie.com/

some information found at:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/275043_the-most-expensive-fashion-designers-of-all-time-a-list
http://www.imdb.com/ 

Before I begin let me say...

 For anyone who is or will be reading this blog:
     Let me begin by saying, the creation of a blog was a long time coming. While ,yes, the initial motivation to create said blog comes from my need to complete a project laid down by my lovely AP language teacher, the over all goal is the same as the day blogging popped into my mind; to create a place to examine American pop cultural aspects, and discuss how this effects our daily lives. This blog is going to be everything I ever wanted it to be. Bold, shockingly obvious, and perhaps even a tad sarcastic, this school project will hopefully not only get the grade, but also brighten your day or fulfill my need to have a place to rant, rave, and read. I love to write, and love to argue, and above all I like to think. So let's get to it people!

If at anytime you have a comment or suggestion, please feel free to post.