Is Mister Rogers Evil?

And I stumbled across this ridiculous Youtube video...from FOX of course. Just saying.

Mister Rogers tells children they are unique and special, ergo they don't feel the need to try hard? Or they struggle with the concept that they aren't as special as they thought?

PUH-LEASE! Pretty sure, it's an American thing. Everyone is a winner. FOX said they compared US children to children in Asian countries on performance or something like that, and the children in Asian performed better or had the desire to try better in regards to grades.

I had a good laugh. Can't be proven unless these children have super controlled lives and situations and are only allowed to watch Mister Rogers compared to kids who are living the exact same lives and watching things OTHER than Mister Rogers.

It's an interesting theory though. I do believe that people who feel self-entitled and special won't feel the need to try as hard compared to others who feel the need to prove themselves. However, people who do feel more content with their lives will probably be happier. Either way, this has nothing to do with Mister Rogers.

What do you think? I'll try not to judge, but I probably will. However, your opinion is your own and I'll try my "bestest" to respect it. Promise.

Getting to Know the Mr. Rogers We Grew Up With

Sad to say that most of my news and information I get is from my Facebook feed. However, I do think that a good portion of my friends are not posting trash and do post fairly reliable information most of the time. At least that's what I tell myself.

One of my friend's recently posted "Thought You Couldn’t Hold Mr. Rogers In Any Higher Of An Esteem? Check Out These 6 Wonderful Facts".

I thought it was an interesting read since like many of us adults, I grew up watching Mr. Rogers, and it made me want to learn more about Mr. Rogers after watching this video clip below, "Mr. Rogers defending PBS to the US Senate."

 

 

I, of course, was totally won over by this poem at the end of the clip, "What do you do with the mad that you feel?"

 

"What do you do with the mad that you feel?

When you feel so mad you could bite?

When the whole wide world seems oh so wrong, and nothing you do seems very right?

What do you do?

Do you punch a bag?

Do you pound some clay or some dough?

Do you round up some friends for a game of tag or see how fast you go?

It's a great to be able to stop.

When you plan the thing that's wrong, and be able to do something else instead and think this song.

I can stop when I want to, can stop when I wish. Can stop stop stop. Anytime.

And what a good feeling to feel like this.

And know that the feeling is really mine.

Know that there's something deep inside that helps us become something we can.

For a girl can someday be a lady and a boy can be someday a man."

 

Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers, was a man who saw a problem, and he actually did something to fix it. He did not start off in the television industry as a money driven individual. He actually was educated to me a minister and had background in music. However, he was not satisfied with what television was providing for children and decided to do something about it. He said "I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen."

 

When Rogers, first got into the television industry, he was hired by NBC for his music background. He worked there for three years and then quit, because 'commercial television's reliance on advertisement and merchandise undermine it's ability to educate or enrich young audiences.'

 

He then worked for public television stations and the University of Pittsburgh's program in Child Development and Child Care.

 

Some nerdy facts you might not know about Rogers is that he wrote over 200 songs for the "Mister Rogers" song and one we are all familiar with is the "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" song. Also, all of the sweaters that Mister Rogers wore on the show were made by his mother. One of those sweaters is now in the Smithsonian Institutions.

 

Sadly, the show began to slow down in it's forth decade of airing, which isn't too bad. Later December 2002, Rogers was diagnosed with stomach cancer and passed away on February 27, 2003.

 

What an interesting and admirable man! Is there a modern day Mister Rogers for kids these days?

 

 

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers

http://www.biography.com/people/fred-rogers-9462161?page=2

 



DT Minneapolis Food Truck Review

After a long winter that just wouldn't go away as well as an extra rainy and stormy summer, it's best to find some great things like Food Trucks to help us get through the weeks and crazy weather. It's also a great opportunity to get outside and out of the office.

This year the food trucks have moved to Marquette. It's always fun to walk around and see what trucks are there since it changes from day-to-day. There are also a couple of venders handing out free items as well such as humus and free soda. 

Below are the three food trucks I visited. None of them disappointed. The only thing that I have an issue with is the long wait, prices, and how awkward it is to eat. The food comes in flimsy containers, and you have to walk a few blocks away to find good seating if you aren't heading back to the office. The containers are definitely not for "To Go". You can't cover your food up and save it for later. It's more of an eat it all or toss it and dream about it later situation which is fine...but I love eating leftovers.

Chef Shack:


Chef Shack




I told my coworkers that I wanted something that was easy to eat, but a burger with a fried egg on it was the opposite of that. However, it was worth all the messiness and napkins.

World Street Kitchen:

They have Bangkok Burrito with flour tortillas, stuffed with fried rice, "secret sauce", cilantro and basil . You have the choice of red curry chicken, Korean "BBQ" beef short ribs, or crispy marinated tofu.

You also have the option of getting the rista tostas which had spicy jerk beef with white cheddar.

Korean "BBQ" Burrito

Hola Arepa:

Mole Chorizo Sausage Arepa

As you can see, I got the Mole (accent mark on the e) Chorizo Sausage Arepa. Other options were: slow-roasted pork, chimicurri chicken, Cuban ham and roasted pork, and black bean and queso fresco arepas.

Get Sauced:

 

Sadly, I don't have the exact name of the sandwich I got at "Get Sauced" but it was topped with coleslaw with an amazing spicy green sauce on the side!

My favorite food trucks this season was Hola Arepa and Get Sauced; hopefully we'll see them next summer.

There's lots of other trucks I have to try though. Let me know what food trucks you've enjoyed as well. 

The Best Juicy Lucy: Matt's Bar vs. 5-8 Bar in Minneapolis

As a food lover, the topic of food often covers a good portion of my conversations and once I get a food item in my head I have to have it. This was definitely the case of the Juicy Lucy. After having discussions with my friend about going for Juicy Lucy's, I had to have it. I even braved the severe Minnesota winter weather to get it.

The first place, I went for the Juicy Lucy was at Matt's Bar. There is much debate about where the infamous Juicy Lucy originated from. This seems like a hole in a wall restaurant with have too many chairs and tables shoved into a tiny space. The prices are cheap though! We (my sister, brother-in-law, and I) were all in great anticipation for the Juicy Lucy and were all left a bit disappointed. They had only offered on standard Juicy Lucy with cheddar cheese in the middle.

When I got my greasy burger cravings again, I decided to try their competitor's Juicy Lucy at the 5-8 Bar. I was not disappointed. That or I was so disappointed at Matt's Bar that it made 5-8 Bar seem awesome! They had more than one option of the Juicy Lucy. I have to go back and try them all!!!

Juicy Lucy Options

I actually went with the Saucy Sally which is considered the Lucy's younger sister. It's a half pound burger stuffed with their "secret sauce" and topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, raw onions, and a smear of Thousand Island Dressing. I'm a sucker for Thousand Island sauce, but it was extremely hard to decide between that and the Pepper Juicy Lucy.

Saucy Sally

Compared to Matt's Bar we didn't have to ask for anything extra. They already added the lettuce and all the ingredients for us plus we didn't have order fries separately. This paired with a beer definitely hit the spot for me this time!

Just one more place to try, The Blue Door Pub, and then I'll make a true decision on the best Juicy Lucy in the Twin Cities area.

Let me know if you've had a Juicy Lucy and where you think the best one is located!

Review on The News Room Restaurant

I'm grateful that I finally got to try The News Room restaurant and take it off of my list of places to try. It's definitely a place I'd suggest you try at least once. The overall food and quality wasn't really worth the price, but the atmosphere and design of the restaurant would be.

We went there for lunch and were blown away by their extremely large and overwhelming drink menu. I am definitely hoping to stop by there again for their Happy Hour.

However for their lunch, I wasn't incredibly impressed. Although I thought the service was decent as well as the cuisine, I didn't think the prices were worth it. Of course, I am a little bias since I love the hole-in-the-wall or mom and pops restaurants.

For appetizers we ordered:
-Arancini: crispy fried croquettes filled with risotto, benton's bacon,
and bleu cheese, served with marinara $8.95
-Brie Curds: deep fried brie, homemade blueberry ketchup $11.95

For the Arancini, we only received three tiny balls. A little steep for the price, it was good though. We were extra excited about the brie curds as lovers of curds of any kind and extremely intrigued about the homemade blueberry ketchup. I thought it tasted delicious, and the dish was worth it for the blueberry ketchup experience. However, my brother-in-law was not a fan of the blueberry ketchup as he thought it was too sweet.

For the main course, we ordered the Southern Bell Flatbread, Fish 'n Chips, and Kobe Burger. All of these dishes I thought were decent. However, the flatbread barely had any ingredients on it. When you first see it, it looks enormous, but it's definitely lacking any substance. My brother-in-law was super excited about the malt vinegar that came with the fish 'n chips, but having never been a fan of either I thought it was mediocre. I didn't think any of the dishes were something I would order again, but overall I do hope to make another trip there just to check out their happy hour.

Aside from the food and service, we also found the restrooms to be confusing. Still to do this day, I'm not entirely sure I went to the women's restroom. There are no signs and they are located right next to each other. I assumed I went to the correct one since it had more black and white images of women, but after leaving and taking a closer look so did the other side.

Are there any other dishes you've had at The News Room you would suggestion? Have you been to their Happy Hour?

Things to Do on a Budget in the Twin Cities

Twin Cities

Twin Cities in Minnesota is an awesome place to live and explore. There are so many things for you to do. I personally love trying new activities and attending variety of events, but maintaining that life style can get a bit pricey. However, if you are on a budget or trying to save that doesn't mean you have to spend your nights staying in.

Here are some fun activities for you to do when you are on a budget:

Indeed Brewery

1. Visit a brewery. What's more awesome than learning about a how beer is made while getting free booze?!

My sister, brother-in-law, and I just visited Indeed Brewery. Although the tour guide wasn't extremely charismatic, because he was under the weather, we got an ample amount of beer samples and great service at the bar. It was probably one of the easier breweries to sign up for. You can also try Summit Brewery and Fulton as well. Fulton you have to sign up for the tour the day of. You cannot sign up for the tour ahead of time, which I found particular aggravating since it's based on first come first serve. But I can't complain to much since it's free!

2. Hear live bands perform for free at the 311 Club. There's never a cover charge and a great variety of music!

3. Watch movies in the park for free. This past summer my friend and I watched "Back to the Future" at a park near by to us. You can see which movies are coming up through Vita.mn or City Pages.  It's so much fun! Make an event out of it and pack a picnic as well. There are a lot of people with dogs and their children. Get there early so you can get a prime spot to watch the movie. Be sure to wear some bug spray as well and bring a blanket or some lawn chairs to sit on.

4. Do something inside which is fun and educational by taking a tour at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The free tours are typically on Tuesday and Thursdays.

5. Watch comedians perform for free at ACME Comedy Club on Open Mic night. You might be a little wary since comedy is a hit and miss depending on the comedian but these comedians are actually pretty good. If they aren't you saved on the show, so grab yourself a drink!  

Hope these suggestions helped you get out into the city without breaking the bank. Let me know any other suggestions you have!

How to make rice stick noodle soup

Pho

Everyone loves eating something warm during the cold winter days. Soup is probably the best way to warm you up and fulfill your food cravings. For me, pho, rice stick noodle soup, is a dish for everyday.

This is also a great meal to make when you are expecting guests. It's fairly easy to prepare and make a large amount of. Plus everyone can make their soup taste as they please with the ingredients they choose to put in it. The recipe below is just for about 2-3 people.




Ingredients:

20 cups water
4-6 beef ribs
1 package of rice stick noodles
1 bundle of cilantro
1 bundle of green onion
1 package of instant beef broth for Vietnamese Noodle Soup
1 dehydrated galangal
2-3 star aniseed
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce
1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of beef flavor
1 lime
1 green leaf
3 stalks of celery

1. If you are planning using the rice stick noodles that are thick and wide like the one in the picture below.

It's best to soak it the night before in a large container of water. If do not soak it, the noodles will be too hard. 

2. Prepare the broth. In a large pot, add about 10 cups of water and the beef ribs. Also, add the dehydrated galangal and star aniseeds.

3. Let the meat cook for about 15 minutes. Be sure to scoop out the film/froth on top. Stir in the instant beef broth. Let this boil and cook for about 30 minutes. When the beef ribs are cooked, you can take off the meat from the ribs put it aside to be added into your soup later on.

4. While  you are waiting for  your meat to finish cooking. You can start rinsing off and chopping your veggies.

From left to right: Green leaf, Celery, Cilantro, and green onions
Not pictured: Limes

5. I like to also boil another pot of water (10 cups) to cook additional meat in. This water is used to soak the noodles in also.

6.Once the water has started boiling and the meat is cooked. Take a strainer and put the rice stick noodles (about 1/4 of a package) in the hot water without the broth. Let the noodles soak in the water for about 15-30 seconds until it is nice and soft. Drain the water from the noodles.

7. Put the noodles in a soup bowl and add the beef broth to it.

Don't worry if your is not this dark.

If you taste it and it's too salty, just add more water.

8. Now your soup is ready for the ingredients.

9. Put a little bit of each ingredient (can be found at your local Asian grocery store) in to your liking. Sometimes people also like to add roasted peanuts or peanut butter as well as sugar and hoisin sauce. Some people like this without adding the ingredients as well. It's really optional, but I personally prefer adding it.

10. Be sure to squeeze in some limes and add the veggies to your soup.

If you'd like to make this dish but you can't find all the right ingredients. Don't worry. There's another way to make this that is faster and healthier.

You can just boil the water, soak your noodles to make it soft and add ingredients and your choice of meat and veggies. For noodles that you don't need to soak the night before, you can use this type.

Enjoy! Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or other ingredients you like to add.