Almond butter

I really didn't want to blog product reviews, but this isn't so much about that. No one will ever ask me to review their product. I'm too mean and basically, I hate everything.

I'm semi-Paleo in my dietary habits - meat & veg, little processed foods, low-carbohydrate. The recommendation is to forgo legumes, likes beans and peanuts, which I find ridiculously different, even more so than giving up pasta, rice, and bread. I still eat peanut butter and can definitely see where that sabotages me. But it's so good.

Anyway, one common suggestion in this area of weakness is to replace peanut butter with the healthier (and mucho more expensive) almond butter. When I first started this diet in May 2012, almond butter was impossible to find in my area, even at higher-end grocers. Amazon had it, of course, but um...cost prohibitive.

Lately, this has changed, in that all the big grocery stores now carry a couple varieties of almond butter. I won't eat the natural (stir in oil) kind because it make me queasy just opening the jar. Seriously, no can do! I never buy crunchy, because my partner has recurring diverticulitis and I don't want to kill him. So far, here's what I've learned.

Jif Almond Butter (creamy):

Tiny jar, but the cheapest butter I can get from the big grocers. The taste is bland, but certainly edible, and the texture is slightly oil, not rich. For people looking for a peanut replacement, this probably works okay. The best price I've seen is $5.99 on sale.

Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter:

Again, smallish jar, very pricey, but ounce-for-ounce very close to the regular, non-sale price of Jif. The taste and texture are decent - richer and fuller, less oily. This one also feels thicker. Not terrific, but a step up. I also feel better about the quality. Best price: $7.99 on sale.

Berryhill (Aldi) Almond Butter (creamy):

The jar is mid-sized between the other two brands. I have to admit it: the texture of this one is far superior. It has a grainy texture, but in a good way, like with fudge. Probably because it has so much sugar (6g) in it? The taste is very nice, but not to-die-for good. That said, if you can find it, the price is very reasonable, considering. Price: $4.99.

Just added:

MaraNatha Almond Butter (No Stir)

This particular no-stir butter is...perilously close to having an oily sheen. It is just barely no-stir, in other words. However, the product has a terrific dark and inviting color as well as a rich texture very similar to my fave (Berry Hill from Aldi's). In fact, I kind of wonder if they might be the same product. But I couldn't compare them side-by-side, so that's mere speculation. The taste was a lot more wholesome and buttery than Jif or Barney butter, even though the sugar content was rather low (3g/serving). It's a good product. Sadly, this one is also quite a bit more expensive. Price: $9.99.


Note: when I eat peanut butter, I only eat Jif. Just FYI.

Zombie-ville south central

I live about eight miles or so, depending on the location, from where the show The Walking Dead films.

If you're not familiar, real quick: zombie apocalypse set just south of Atlanta, fairly grim and gory, with characters that are characters. It's based on a series of even grimmer graphic novels, many of which have won awards.

The thing is this...people are coming to the area now to see Walking Dead stuff - the towns and landmarks, mostly - and some places, being in dire economic need, are catering to this zombie-tourism with tours and things. Actually, this is quite cool. My issue is this...I live here and my family five generations (no, really), so is it okay to do Walking Dead tours? I mean, go on them for fun? Or is that weird?

The weather is starting to get nice. It would be something entertaining to do...but then again, it's almost like rubbernecking an accident where you might know the victim. You know?

I just saw an article about the tours...

What does it take to make a comic strip?

Apparently not that much anymore.

I can't draw; however, with Make Beliefs Comix comic maker...even I can try to make a comic.

I used an editing program to make the title and byline nicer.

Maybe more at some point? My friends say I need "columns" for my blog to attract regular readers. A comic must be worth 1,000 words, right?

Interesting travel news

According to a random Yahoo! New article found here, these are the Top Ten cities in the world (presumably from a tourist standpoint):

1. London
2. Sydney
3. Paris
4. New York
5. Rome
6. Washington D.C.
7. Los Angeles
8. Toronto
9. Vienna
10. Melbourne

I bolded the ones I've visited, because, you know, blogs are always supposed to be self-referential and all that. When I was younger, I got out of the house more, clearly.

This is from Rome. Audrey Hepburn
once touched it.

Seriously, Vienna beats DC any day of the week. I haven't been since my twenty-fourth birthday, but oh...how I loved Wien. Toronto was kind of awful. Rome does not need me to defend it. Taking my partner there is on my Bucket List.

This is Prague with typical weather.

Prague needs to work its way up there too. And Munich. Sigh...someday, I'll win the lottery and travel...everywhere in the civilized world...and post pictures of the grand adventure of it all.

In the mean time...pic-spam.

Blast from the past

I don't know how many people remember the TV show Sliders from the 1990s, but a friend of mine brought up an episode that is sort of germane to the topic of geritocracy. I know I'm dating myself here, but I really liked the show as a teenager, even if I only saw the first ... maybe four seasons. At some point, even good shows can jump the shark, right?

Anyway, it's the Sliders - Third Season episode, The Breeder, which is like a mishmash of Species and Logan's Run. The important point in the episode is that young people are assigned to be forced organ donors for the older and more powerful.

So my friend wants to know what's to stop the elderly from using us for spare parts if they have all the power?

Well...creepy as that may be, I actually think that people over the age of 90 are not really looking for spare parts. At that age, haven't most people made their peace? Also...isn't the surgical survival rate for the extremely old (hey, let's not sugarcoat here), a bit less than it is for the current people in charge (45 to 65-year-olds)?

I imagine we do have some coercive organ donation going on already, probably catering to the current age-group in power, since they are better suited recipients; however, I really don't see that spiking in a geritocracy. In my experience, immortality is not the obsession of centenarians, but rather the young who fear the loss of youth and vigor as much as they fear death. In other words, I think people my age and slightly older are more likely to prey on weaker members of society than the very aged are.

Oh...for a non-aged-related book on this train of thought try Unwind and its sequel by Neal Shusterman. I wish I had remembered that day, but it's been a while since I read it. Talk about an interesting thought experiment!

Hunker down time

I am in graduate school, part-time. I don't know if I've mentioned that before. This is my third fall semester. This is the only time I have struggled with grades. I mean, really did the work and earned less than full marks all the way. I feel crippled from the effort and outcome mismatch.

I don't know what to do, honestly. I'm stressed and miserable and feel like I'm being crushed. It's only October!!!

Next semester, I get to take an AWESOME elective on marketing. Why does now have to suck so much?

Seriously, I am doing exactly what I did to get a 4.0 for three solid years and I'm earning Bs and Cs on my major papers! I don't get it.

Waaah.

Atheists need a house

I was just thinking about this yesterday morning: how much I miss the sense of community I had as a teenager who attended church (a little too) regularly.

Well, maybe soon I can get that again: news story.

The problem would be driving all the way to Atlanta to attend. That would be nigh impossible for me right now. And my Catholic partner? Oh...forget about that!

Still, I really like the idea of my people getting together in more positive way and building the kind of community I grew up with, only without the racism, sexism, homophobia, and hatred of the poor and ill. It's a nice thought.