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6 Right-Wing Lies About Food Stamps

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The right-wing echo chamber has vilified food stamp users with a variety of absurd lies and myths. As a result, people will go hungry.

By Dave Johnson / Alternet

In the middle of the worst economy and job situation in decades Republicans in the House voted to cut $40 billion from food stamps. This will kick 3.8 million people out of the program by 2014, 3 million more each year after.

Republicans in Congress have blocked every effort to help the economy. They block bills to create jobs by fixing our crumbling infrastructure because it’s “government spending.” At the same time, right-wing outlets (accurately) complain that the economy is so weak that millions are hurting. And then the same Republicans who blocked efforts to help the economy cut assistance to the people who are hurting, claiming they don’t really need the help. No shame.   [Read more…]

You Don’t Want to Miss the Golden Hill Street Fair – Sunday, Oct. 13

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Its back … the Golden Hill Street Fair.

The 2nd annual Golden Hill Street Fair is happening this Sunday, October 13th from 10:30AM until 8PM, and will be held on 25th Street in Golden Hill.

The event will feature an incredible array of delicious local food, have a shaded beer garden with selection of local craft beer. This event will bring together Southern California musicians to highlight the music scene in our neighborhood with free live music all day.

The musical acts include San Diego Music Awards nominees Tropical Popsicle, Wild Wild Wets, and Ed Ghost Tucker.   [Read more…]

For the Love of Food: Sun-dried Tomato, Spinach and Goat Cheese Mini Frittatas

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By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

For some reason, things are just cuter when they’re smaller: children, bills, bugs.

Oh, and frittatas.

It’s strange, but whenever I make frittatas in my favorite cast-iron skillet, they never get finished. So I decided to try my hand at mini-versions, because we seem more inclined to go back for seconds (and thirds, and fourths) when the item is smaller. And l get offended at leftovers.   [Read more…]

30 Ways the Shutdown Is Already Screwing People

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The government shutdown is already wreaking havoc on the lives of Americans.

By Tim Murphy / Mother Jones

The federal government entered shutdown mode at midnight on Monday, after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution that would keep departments and agencies up and running. Though some Republicans have dismissed the immediate impact of the shutdown, quite a lot of people have already been affected.

Here’s a quick guide:   [Read more…]

For the Love of Food: Blue-Cheese Crusted Steak with Crispy Smashed Potatoes

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By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

It’s rare that I crave meat, but lately, a really good steak with blue cheese has been on my mind — creeping into my thoughts, ruining my productivity. I can only take so much tofu before I need something with built-in flavor.

And the notion that you need to go out to devour a decadent piece of beef is absurd. You can make it in your kitchen in about half an hour. Promise.

Vegans and vegetarians, don’t look away just yet! There’s a side-dish recipe buried in this post just for you!   [Read more…]

For the Love of Food: Curried Tofu ‘Egg’ Salad

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By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

Listen, the fact that my title says egg salad makes me wince. I get it. It’s a food with a bad rap. But this egg salad is free of sulfur-smelling ingredients and could even be called “elevated,” which is just another way to call food fancy. Much like “deconstructed” dishes somehow make things cost $10 more — you know, cause the chef didn’t have to assemble it.

But I digress.

This dish was the result of another brainstorm with a friend. She said she gets a curried version of tofu “egg” salad from Whole Foods that she adores and asked me to recreate.

Without knowing what the Whole Foods version looks, tastes or feels like, I accepted the challenge. And the result is a beautiful thing. Who knew crumbled extra firm tofu had the exact same consistency as eggs? Whole Foods did, friends. Whole Foods did   [Read more…]

Raise the Sub-Minimum Wage

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The rock-bottom pay mandated for tipped workers like servers in restaurants needs to rise from $2.13 an hour.

By Saru Jayaraman / Other Words

As the fast food workers’ minimum wage campaign gains momentum, another group of workers is expanding the fight to address one of the least-known economic outrages.

You may not realize it, but the measly $7.25 an hour McDonald’s and other fast-food giants pay their workers is three times higher than what many large sit-down restaurants pay their servers.   [Read more…]

How Factory Farms May Be Killing Us

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A report from the CDC reveals the grave dangers of antibiotic resistance and says factory-farmed animals are a big contributor

By Tara Lohan / AlterNet 

What would our healthcare system look like if we couldn’t perform surgeries, administer chemotherapy, replace joints, treat diabetes? It would be the end of modern medicine as we know it. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control warns we could be headed toward that very future.

Antibiotics revolutionized medicine in the 1940s, saving millions of lives over the last 70 years. But during that time bacteria have evolved to become resistant to certain antibiotics. The more antibiotics we use, the quicker resistance builds up. This has deadly repercussions.   [Read more…]

Bossing the Poor Around

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How about a bill banning soda sales at the House of Representatives’ cafeterias?

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I spent a few months on food stamps this year. As a single woman in San Diego, I qualified for $70 a month — less than a dollar per meal. But I’m lucky and I’m unusual because many of my friends are farmers and gardeners and I know how to forage wild foods.

Determined to stretch my $70 a month budget to somehow cover a healthy diet, I harvested wild cactus pads and edible weeds from my neighbors’ yards. Friends gave me fruit from their trees. A farmer told me to take whatever I needed from his stand at the farmers’ market. Then I used the food stamps to acquire foods I couldn’t get for free: milk, oatmeal, beans, and so on. All organic.

It worked, thanks to great effort. I cooked my own meals, made my own bread, and even my own jam, yogurt, and sauerkraut. If I worked for a company or in an office, instead of working from home as my own boss, I doubt I would have had time to do this. And how many people, when they fall on hard times, already possess the knowledge and tools to grow, forage, and cook their own food like I did?   [Read more…]

A Restaurant Review: Kono’s Surf Club in Pacific Beach

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Konos jc frontKono’s Surf Club
704 Garnet Ave.
Pacific Beach, CA 92109
858-483-1669

It isn’t often that I leave Ocean Beach to try a restaurant in Pacific Beach, but today was an exception. We ended up at Kono’s Surf Club in PB.

Before we left the house, I had done some minor research on Kono’s and suggested we try having breakfast there. (It was 2:15pm). Ro checked her “Iphone” and found they were open until 4:00pm – so away we went.

I was afraid that since it was a Saturday they would be packed, but it turned out we had no trouble getting a table and placed our order with Martin – the most helpful order taker we had met in a long time.   [Read more…]

For the Love of Food: Baked Pears With Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Honey

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By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

I don’t really eat dessert. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate it, because I love me some chocolate. But it’s just not something I consume — or make — very often.

My very good friend Annie was helping me brainstorm some ideas for blog posts and she suggested a fall-type dessert, a sort of teaser for the impending season.

We came up with baked pears with blue cheese and honey, and walnuts for texture (and because I had some in my freezer patiently waiting to be used up).   [Read more…]

For the Love of Food: Pesto, Change-O!

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By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

Sometimes, you just need a change. So you cut your hair (and subsequently cry about it), or dye it; you take a short road trip; you try out your hand at feng shui (the couch looks great in that corner, by the way); etc.

Well, I needed a change. It took me a while to think about what I wanted and then *pesto!* — it came to me.

Normally, pesto is made with fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. But change was in the air.   [Read more…]

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