Full article here: https://www.ewg.org/research/nearly-500-ways-make-yoga-mat-sandwich#.WoxCdWinG3A

Nearly 500 foods containing azodicarbonamide

Source: Data provided by FoodEssentials as of 2/27/2014.

* The original version of this report included Nature's Own because its bakery products used to contain ADA. On Feb. 28, 2014, Nature’s Own informed EWG that it had removed ADA from its products in the fall of 2013 and has begun updating its packaging to reflect that change.

A company spokesperson said, "in a few limited markets, some varieties may still have the outdated packaging with ADA listed in the 'one or more of the following' list. However, the products do not contain ADA."

† The original version of this report included Target-branded Archer Farms Simply Balanced 100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns. On March 7, 2014, Target informed EWG that this product was discontinued in December 2012. The report has been updated to reflect this information.

** Disclaimer. The conclusions and findings that appear on this page reflect EWG's research at the time of publication stated above. In light of evolving market conditions, subsequent product reformulations, and other factors, they may no longer be current. EWG makes no representations or warranties about any of the products that may appear on this page. EWG hereby disclaims all warranties with regard to any of the products that may appear on this page, including express, statutory, implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use.

If you are a new fan, old fan or casual fan of Bette Davis, chances are that you might have a hard time finding her classic movies in one place. While she was at one major studio for almost 20 years, Warner Brothers doesn't seem to offer her movies in an easily accessible way. It's certainly possible that they do not own the rights to all of those films anymore.

Here's an overview of how and where to watch her movies, assuming you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars buying DVDs, rent via streaming for movies you may want to own (some are worth it!), and a few places you can watch her for free or a paid service you are already subscribed to. 

Free to Watch or Free With Subscription

First stop is WarnerArchive.com, although a little slim, you can do a trial for 7 days and watch a few of her earlier titles like Jimmy the Gent, 1934 (with James Cagney) and Thank Your Luck Stars, 1943. If you are voraciously watching anything you can get her hands on with her face in it, there is a wonderful WWII documentary about one of her proud achievements in philanthropy called the Hollywood Canteen. She organized and ran an entertainment + canteen focused establishment where stars would perform during meal times, big bands played and people like Hedy Lamar and Marlene Deitrict would wait your table. Better won an Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for this later in her life which she was duly recognized.

A few later titles available on the Warner Archive are The Star,1952 and Dead Ringer1964,. 

Next is Amazon. While they have just about anything you can get your hands on for a price, the two titles that are currently free with Amazon Prime are Of Human Bondage1934, her first Academy Award nomination and one her early and smaller roles Hell's House 1932

If you have a cable subscription, Turner Classic Movies have been playing her titles since inception. On her profile page for the website, there is a schedule of what titles are playing when (just about every other day). They vary but today's schedule shows A Stolen Live (1946), The Scapegoat (1959), The Sisters (1938) and All This and Heaven Too (1940).
Netflix = sadly zero, so don't bother searching if you are reading this in 2017.

Youtube. Now these are clearly copyright infringement but here are the links in case they survive: 

• Phone Call From a Stranger (1952)
• Bad Sister (1931)

Other Performances + Appearances

If you have a Hulu subscription, there are no movie titles, but there is a gem of an interview with her on the Dick Cavett show from the 70's. She's complete in back go-go style boots, smoking and dominating the conversation as only Bette Davis does. It's a long interview, but there are so many great stories she tells. Certainly worth a viewing!

Paid Movies

If you find yourself wanting to watch a specific movie that you'd be willing to buy or rent, here's a list of the most popular Bette Davis movies:

All About Eve (1950)

Jezebel (1938)

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)

Dark Victory (1939)

Now Voyager (1942)

The Private Lives of Elizabeth of Essex (1939)

A Stolen Live (1946)

Assuming this is your first baby and it's not born yet, this list will likely be a bit different, just like you. I am an unconventional motherly-type and bucked the norm even when when my family complained. Guess what? We all survived and the kids are doing just fine. Plus we saved a bunch of money, time and consumer waste while we were at it. Even if your friends aren't doing it and they never will, here's to individuality and doing things your own way. This is only a handful of things I did that were in the Rouge Mommy category and I have no regrets:

1. A Shower *After* the Baby is Born

You're pregnant, cranky, and emotional. And every onesie looks so adorable you want them all. It's like going to the grocery store when you're hungry. If you're lucky to have a friend or relative insist on having a baby shower for you, and the only time they can do it is beforehand, so be it. But if you can wait a few months (and be prepared with the staple gear like an infant car seat and some onesies), I recommend postponing it until afterwards. All those stupid baby shower games are null and void. Everyone gets to hold the baby, and you get to amend the gift registry to things you *actually* need and not just the things adults think are adorable. At my shower, I really loved showing off Baby around 2 months because they are little more filled out (cuter!) and I got a small break for a few hours while the guests took turns holding her. After a few months of feeling like a prisoner, you will finally get to have an adult conversation and maybe even have time to eat. Everyone's happy!

Since everyone has too much stuff nowadays, there is a likelihood that at least one friend or family member will want to dump their old baby gear on you. This can be a good and bad thing, but it's best to smile, nod and accept. Once you get to go through it all, you might find some pretty useful stuff. A 2nd backup breast pump (you can buy new plastic parts), boppies, "sidecar" co-sleeper (best hand me down I got!) and a nice crib. I checked those off my list and only put the leftover items on my registry. 

2. Cloth Diapers

Money saving, environmental and little to no stinky trash, I'm happy with my choice of going cloth. There are many ways to go about this but the most popular version of "cloth" are pocket diapers where you insert your choice of fabric (microfiber, cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc) and it soaks up the pee. I know, you're wondering about the icky part: They have these awesome biodegradable liners that catch #2 so you just chuck it in the toilet and most of the time you don't have to deal with handwashing anything. If there is, it's just a quick prewash, then into the washer and then dryer. There's lots of sites that calculate the costs and yes, there is no refuting that you are saving money unless you get your disposables for free. One thing is for sure: I hate taking out the trash and this saves me the hassle of going outside and all the stink gets flushed in the toilet.

If you're new to cloth diapering with no one to guide you, you may want to buy disposables at first, get some starter kits and see what happens. Again, the internet has lots of resources so I would personally jump on eBay and Amazon to see all the options.  They are more expensive so be warned. Quality pocket diaper cover starts at minimum of $10 and go up. You can buy on eBay from the Chinese sellers (I did this, worked out fine) to get cheaper ones but it takes a few weeks to reach you so plan ahead. Make sure you have some traditional old school cloth diapers as backup to use as inserts if you haven't bought any. 

Some product recos to consider: Unisex colors cloth diaper starter kit, Flushable Diaper Liners (to catch #2), 

3. Forget the High Chair, Get a Booster

For my first little one (Mini fLee) who is not so little anymore, I was living in a condo and had to save space so I bought a Fisher Price booster seat with a tray that straps to just about any chair. It worked out perfectly. I kept it and baby #2 came around and I still have a small kitchen so we're using it for General Ya Ya as well. Now they have a toy adapter that you can pop into the tray so I bought that and he loved it. Once he outgrows the toy attachment, you can still use it at home, at Grandma's, in restaurants, holiday family dinners, etc. It's lightweight, sturdy and very compact.

4. Buy Used: Toys and Clothes Lots from Ebay and Larger Items from Craigslist

If you didn't get the mother load of toys to fill baby's first year, why not look on ebay for sets or "lot" of toys in a group for a particular age? If a mom has a 1 year old that's walking and some of the basic 6-9 month old toys aren't cutting it for them, she might put a lot for very cheap, and you don't even have to leave your house! Babies grow out of things so quickly that so many of these are barely used. If there are popular "must have" expensive items they can usually be nabbed for 1/3 or 1/2 the price.

For the larger items, higher end strollers, car seats (check for recalls), activity centers, play yards...anything that is expensive to ship is better found locally. Parents who are not planning on having any more kids could be selling them for a song. Again, some barely used. I personally look for a whole bunch of stuff from one person then offer a packaged price. Cash is the currency so be prepared to go to the ATM. 

5. Organic Baby Formula from Europe

If you are nursing, great. I did, but I also worked and then supplemented because my baby was on the big and hungry scale and I could not supply enough for his rapidly growing body. If you live in Europe or the UK, you are lucky and can find brands like Hipp and Holle at stores.

For those of us parents in the United States, there is only one US company that makes organic baby forumula that *isn't* a big pharmaceutical company. Sorry, Earth's Best is big pharma. You can get Baby's Only on Amazon if that's what you choose to do. I tried it, and General Ya Ya was fine with it but he was tooting and smelly and it didn't seem right. We switched to Hipp from Germany (about $20/box) and things felt more normal. This is especially important if you have a colicky baby because there are options outside of the US. Similac is evil big pharma and so disgusting and sticky compared to the smooth, silky, fine European formulas. The ingredients are gross too. Lots of research on that if you google. Not everyone can afford these options but being informed is half the battle. What you save on resale baby items, you can hopefully put in to your better quality formula budget.

Here's to parents and babies who don't have to break the bank or clutter the earth with trash in order to make growing up happy and healthy!

5 Things Your Girlfriends Forgot to Mention: Things to bring to the hospital when having a baby

1. Knee High Socks

While the no-slip hospital socks are fine and good, they don't keep you very warm when your legs are up in the air and certainly don't cover the leg hair you couldn't shave because you can't bend over to see it.  If it's your first time having a baby, your hospital may require you to wear inexpensive socks with no-slip bottoms so you don't end up on the floor on your trips to the bathroom.  I bring striped or decorative knee-high socks not only to entertain the nurses, but to keep my legs warm.  This is especially nice if you are giving birth the natural way (vaginally-highly encouraged!).  Also, it helps hide the foot-long leg hair you couldn't shave, because at some point now or in the future you will barely be able to see your toes, let alone your legs to stand steady enough to shave them.

2. Notebook or Pad of Paper

The hospital will likely have a pen you can borrow but having a notebook or pad of paper with you while you wait between contractions (yes, sometimes there's plenty of time for tic-tac-toe or hangman) will keep you busy with your husband, older kids, your mom or other guardian angels that happen to be in the room with you during labor, or after.  If you use a small notebook like a Moleskin, you can easily mark the date and stow it away as a keepsake for who was there at the birth and make a time-capsule with your hospital bands and newborn hospital cap. It's also great to write down your baby's first eat, sleep and poops because the docs and nurses will ask "how often" to make sure everything is normal.

3. Eye Mask/Sleeping Mask

Wether you're trying to catch a catnap during contractions, or your baby has arrived and you are resting in-between feedings, a sleep mask to block out the light should help you catch some z's.  Unless you are independently wealthy with a full-time nanny, not nursing and/or think you can stop time, your sleep schedule will be interrupted every 2-4 hours and your body will need to recover from the trauma.  The more sleep you get, the better chance of recovery from the hardship of labor and delivery, or cesarean.  Throw the youthful adage of "You can sleep when you're dead." out the window and try to achieve R.E.M at all costs.  If you're nursing or had a cesarean, this is especially important.

4. A Loved One Other Than The Father/Partner

If Daddy/Partner is there, great.  If he isn't, or can't be, ok.  If he's there and taking care of the older kids, holding your hand during labor, going back to the house to feed the pets, sending texts or emails to work, family members, the Facebook world, etc., well then he's got his hands full.  Whoever this caretaker is in your life that you rely on, this person is just as overwhelmed as you are. They are preparing for a new life while trying to maintain the status quo of the old one.  The cats, rats, turtles or dogs don't get fed by you while you are heave-hoing in labor; somebody's got to do it.  So give your partner some relief and appoint 1 or 2 people to come to the hospital to support you if/when your partner cannot be there.  Remember, it takes a village and these are your 'people.'  I don't recommend too many in the delivery room depending on space, but an extra hand in the waiting room can make all the difference.

5. Stool Softener

Having this in your hospital bag may be a genius foresight, especially if you are given any pain medications as they tend to stop you up.  It seems a dirty business, but whichever method you give birth, you don't want to have additional pains while trying to go #2 considering either your hoo-ha or your cesarean stitches are throbbing after your little one arrives.

All of these items are lightweight and small (#4 is negotiable considering they can carry themselves), so it's very low risk if you don't end up using them for one reason or another.  Did you have an item that saved you, enhanced your hospital stay ten-fold or made you swear you'd tell a friend it's a must-have? I'd like to know. You are the part of this village too.

Here are some additional items that I thought were fun and unique:

- Instant or film camera: both Fuji Instax and Lomography cameras are unique ways of capturing this wonderful event in your life

- Favorite (neck) pillow or stuffed animal: After you give birth, this may help in comforting you in your stiff hospital bed so you can sleep

- Thank you cards for the nurses: Doctors and Midwives are great but bringing a thank you card to write to the dedicated nurses of your maternity ward will make you hero of the day.  They (usually women) may have been in the profession for ages, rarely getting the credit they deserve for taking care of you while you're bringing a new life into this world, and taking care of your new, fragile baby.  Being a nurse can be a thankless job but you can make it thankful by sending them a note if your experience with them was up to your standards or beyond.  If you have an instant camera, then the photo of you and your baby will likely be put on their wall of fame at the nurses station!

There are many lists of recommended items that include: photo ID, snacks, cell phone charger with long extension cord, makeup, toothbrush, etc., so please seek out those essentials lists if you haven't already.

Bonne chance, ladies! Here's to happy healthy moms and babies!

Who is Holle?

How do Holle Ingredients Stack Up?

First, let's start with what natural ingredients their formula *does* contain.  Their first ingredient listed is "skimmed milk", in which many other brands list oils, sugars and wheys. They list the milk as "from biodynamic farming (Demeter quality)".  What is Demeter quality?  What is biodynamic farming?

Demeter is a certified international farming standard with about 40 participating countries, like USDA organic standards but seemingly more strict, starting from processing all the way to packaging.  Biodynamic farming is an organic practice that is the root of Demeter certification that approaches organic farming in a holistic, sustainable way.  I could find only one other baby formula brand that has the Demeter quality milk which is BiobimLac 2 from http://www.joannusmolen.com so it doesn't look common that brands utilize this quality milk in their ingredients.

The second ingredient is organic whey which is typical in most formulas. These are both good signs of quality baby formula.

But does Holle pass the test of no-no ingredients?

Source

• While Holle does claim that it does not have an added sweetener (there's a logo stating it on their site), maltodextrin is in fact a plant based sweetener. Their commercial actually states "no refined sugars".
• Palm oil is also controversial as it has been said to create "soaps" in the baby's gut and have an adverse reaction regarding bone mass **. That said, the ingredients list has palm oil listed alongside rapeseed and sunflower oil so it does not look like the exclusive oil used.
  
• One item that isn't shown is copper sulfate, which Holle does have and is a known allergen for some.*

Their claims:

• No GMOs
• No artificial flavors or colors
• No preservatives
  
• No refined sugars
• Egg and gluten free
• Made from 99% organically grown ingredients
• Organic starch and maltodextrin derived from corn
• The remaining 1% of ingredients are vitamins and minerals which are necessary for your baby’s development and are required by EU regulations

The full ingredient list in Stage 1 Holle Baby Formula:

Skimmed milk** (Germany), whey powder* partly demineralised, vegetable oils* (palm oil*, rapeseed oil*, sunflower oil*), maltodextrin*, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, vitamin C, vitamin E, ferrous lactate, zinc sulphate, niacin, Calcium-D-pantothenate, copper sulphate, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulphate, potassium iodate, folic acid, vitamin K, sodium selenate, vitamin D

*from organic farming
**from biodynamic farming (Demeter quality)

Overall, the US baby formulas all have some sort of controversial ingredient so it seems the standout positive is the type of milk used.

Parent Testimonials of Holle Baby Formula

So is it worth the price?  Some parents with colicky babies have seen a difference based on the online reviews and swear by it.  Other parents feel that it is better quality overall considering the lax USDA organic standards compared to international or European as a rule.  Here are some comments from parents:

Note: These are taken from other retail sites and I have no affiliation with any of the reviewers

Where to Buy Holle Baby Formula

If you are convinced it's worth it, at present there are only a few online places to buy this for US delivery which can be found here.

Less Expensive Baby's Only

If you cannot afford the price, some parents recommend Babys Only Organic Formula made in the US that is non-GMO. The label says it's a toddler formula but it meets all standards on infant formula (they promote breastfeeding up to one year).

As much as some mothers would like to breast feed their babies, in many cases it is not possible or the need for supplemental milk is required.  Below is a summary of where to buy (at present) the most natural and highly rated infant formula Holle, a Swiss brand, and have it shipped to the US.  If you have information on where to buy this from other countries, please comment and I will update the post with your links and information. You can also visit the Holle website that lists current retailers by country.

>> For details and ingredients about Holle formula, see my other post here.

I will start out that these recommendations are researched, and not for the readily available organic, off-the-shelf brands like Earths Best, Walmart's Parent's Choice or Similac Organic.  There are reference articles and testimonials at the bottom of this post, so please educate yourselves as to what you are feeding your babies, if not to tell other mothers and caregivers what should *not* be in our infant formulas available in the US.

Where to buy Holle Infant and Toddler formula (2017):

Amazon seller

• Holle Stage 1 Formula (400 g / 14 oz) 0-6 months NOT CURRENTLY SOLD THROUGH AMAZON
  
• Holle Stage 2 Formula (600 g / 21 oz) 6-10 months NOT CURRENTLY SOLD THROUGH AMAZON
• Holle Stage 3 Formula - Growing Up Milk 3 | 600g | 12+ months

http://amzn.to/2vUbDN4

Biologisch24.com** (ships from Germany to worldwide)

• Stage 1-4: ~$11-$16/box + shipping rate examples below (expensive!):
  
• 1-2 boxes = $33-$37 shipping
  
• 3-6 boxes = $41-$44 shipping
• 7-8 boxes = $48 shipping
• 10 boxes = $56 shipping
• 20 boxes = $70 shipping
  

** Generally the reviews from this site are positive and shipping takes about 2-3 weeks to the US

Violey (ships from Germany to worldwide)

• Stage 1: ~$10/box + $36 to US (up to 4 boxes/2 kg)
• Stage 2-4: ~$14/box + $36 to US (up to 3 boxes/2kg)

Shipping rates: http://www.violey.com/en/shipping.html

Ebay sellers:

• Seller superfooduk: Stage 1-2: $16-$19 a box + ~$33 shipping, 1-2 week delivery to US 
• Other misc sellers: there are sellers that ship from US within one week and reasonable shipping costs, but the price of the box is higher
  

• Superfood UK
• Planet Organic

Belgium

• Natuur aan Huis: https://www.natuuraanhuis.be
  

Here are some supporting articles that might help you understand the above choices:

• FoodBabe.com's breakdown of US organic formula ingredients -May 2013
• ....(backed by The Cornucopia Institute study) - 2008
• BabyCenter.com community topic (with testimonials and other info) - June 2013 to present
  

Late one night, as I was settling into my evening relaxation after a full day, I ventured to the tea cabinet to see what herbals we had in the cupboard.  We always have loose chamomile, but that didn't seem to be fitting for the moment, so I peeked on another shelf and saw one of Mini fLee's winter favorite, peppermint tea.  I didn't want to choose one and abandon the other, so I decided to brew them both in the same cup.  One loose, one bagged, mixing merrily.  Since I was both peckish and tired, I wasn't sure if I was just looking for comfort, or if they actually tasted good together.  It was delicious!

Months later, booltox stumbled upon a new tea brand (made in Chicago by Intelligentsia), and they had this tea blend.  They included rosehips, which I thought was a nice touch.

Since I can't drink all the tea I buy, I tend not to purchase loads, thus not going out to shop and focus on crazy blends (booltox has more time for this), I'm no connoisseur.  Have you tried this type of blend?  If not, would you?  And what other blends have you discovered on your own that would seem an odd pairing?  The world of tea is so vast, yet I am only a novice waiting to be molded.

A sneak preview of the upcoming "Venturesome Valentines: Volume 2", a follow up to VV Vol 1, available for free download. 

Love is fickle and times are hard in this continuation of poems that are not for the faint at heart, or for the faint who need solace that their lovers are not monsters, just not into the moment as they might be.

Download Venturesome Valentines: Vol 1+2 for free

Stay tuned for more previews and the full VV: Vol. 2 for Valentines Day!

Follow @QueenfLee

Bomb Girls. It's fun.  It's serious. It has a lot of red lipstick. It has the return of Meg Tilly.  Also a hot Italian man. A lesbian. Hairnets. Jazz. I could go on, but to be honest, I was hooked from the title and I'm not looking back.

Bomb Girls, now in its second season, is a 1940's drama of female bomb factory workers who fight for the cause as if they were soldiers in battle. At least that's what shift matron Lorna Corbett says. She watches over the women like a sweet catholic mother wound as tight as swaddled baby, only as Meg Tilly can do.  Lorna struggles with life's happiness, sons at war and guilt, all the while taking a whole factory of girls under her wing.  I did wonder where she finds the time to get involved in the girls' private lives and deal with job-related house calls along with cooking for her crippled war veteran husband, but I guess this fits her character.  I've always loved Meg Tilly so it's a treat to watch her, and in a role that suits Meg's generally wholesome lifestyle.

-------REVIEW WITH SPOLIERS BELOW * SKIP TO WHERE TO WATCH----

If you've never seen it before, here's an intro to the main characters which should get you booted up to watch the series:

• Meg Tilly as Lorna Corbett, Shift Matron at Victory Munitions
• Jodi Balfour as Gladys Witham, priveliged daughter of a rich grocery store chain
• Charlotte Hegele as Kate (a.k.a Marion) Andrews, Preacher's daughter escaping his abuse
• Ali Liebert as Betty McRae, working girl who lives in the same boarding house as Kate
• Antonio Cupo as Marco Moretti, Italian-Canadian working at Victory Munitions
• Sebastian Pigott as James Dunn, fiancé of Gladys
• Anastasia Phillips as Vera, working girl at Victory Munitions
• Peter Outerbridge as Bob Corbett, Lorna's crippled veteran husband

For the ladies who like ladies out there, we have Betty McRae. I'm sure has already been tumblred to high heaven with girl on girl animated gifs.  Good for Ali Liebert who plays her character in such a way it's almost as if she's the girl in school you knew was gay and fine with it, so much so that you never thought of it as anything abnormal.  She's got the friendly sneer, the swagger and the tomboy qualities that may be a bit stereotypical, but it's endearing.  We know she's struggling with her sexuality which seems only to scratch the surface, so I wonder if we will get to see more of her challenges in preferring women over men.  She's definitely a likable character so lets hope the writers take it further.  She also seems to be the literal poster girl for the show, as you see her flexing her muscles in a "Rosie the Riveter" pose in many promo shots.

Overall, lots of great acting, sets, storyline, and lots of potential for this series.  I will enjoy the ride however soap opera-y it gets and will probably re-watch this because it's lively and inspiring.  There's a great foundation to take this through so many more complexities. I'm hoping it will continue and mature as historical as possible, following the ladies when the soldiers come home and their jobs are taken away.  It sounds depressing but I think it's a natural progression of the feminist fight and shows how our grandmothers paved the way for the 60's women's movement.

Where to Watch

Canada: full episodes on Gobal TV

: http://www.globaltv.com/bombgirls/video/full+episodes/the+quickening/video.ht...+episodes (in Canada only)

US:

Reelz channel: 

• Dish Network channel 299 
• Direct TV channel 238
• Verizon 233

Or put in your zip code on this page: http://www.reelz.com/bombgirls/

UK: ITV3 Saturdays at 10pm

DVD?:  It was released on DVD in Canada last October (2012), but it appears to be sold out! I saw only 2 ebay listings of an "official Dutch release" of $40+ but I can't imagine that's trustworthy.  Hopefully they will make it easier to find and watch besides torrents and unofficial streaming.

Bomb Girls in Social Media

Twitter: @BombGirls  hash #bombgirls

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BombGirls

Actors

Meg Tilly (Lorna): @meggamonstah

Ali Leibert (Betty): @AliLiebert, https://www.facebook.com/AliLiebertPage  

Jodi Balfour (Gladys): @JodiAnneBalfour

Charlotte Hegele (Kate): @charlottehegele

Antonio Cupo (Marco): @antoniocupo, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antonio-Cupo

DUDE FOOD:  Recipes for the Modern Guy

by Karen Brooks, Gideon Bosker & Reed Darmon

I love the art of the hunt more so than the purchase of the book, therefore I hunted down this book via the library and I'm very glad to have found it.  The contradictions may seem lengthy:

• I am not a dude (male gender)
• I don't not eat meat
• I don't consider myself very modern

So why did I pick up this book?  I love the word "dude".  As much it can annoy the eff out of many people, it makes sense to me.  The 80's revival of the word stands for a masculine sensitivity that we certainly needed in that era.  And yes, the word means different things to different people, but in the world of food it brings the cowboys and cowgirls together and warrants a "Yeeehaaaw" that stands for comfort food, simplicity and "damn tasty."

But I digress.  Recipe books mostly draw me in because of their art, layout and readability and this one hits the lonestar on the steer.  It has easy-to-read recipes, fun stock photos and at least one quote from Anthony Bourdaine into a book that fits in your roomy ipad pouch.

What does it have? Here's your handy outline:

Intro: No need for "forwards," they play it polite with an introduction.  It's very journalistic, but a quick read to figure out if this is the book for you. Don't let it intimidate you; the pages are small.

When Dude Meets Foods Chapters

1. Dudes and Donts
2. Romancing the Stove
3. Male Bonding
4. Master of Ceremonies
5. Patio Daddy-o
6. Mr.Mom
7. The Lone Ranger
8. Side Kicks
9. SweetTalking Guy
10. Cooking Terms
11. Table of Equivalents

Where:  borrowed from the Chicago Public Library, Bucktown Branch

Who: That guy or gal that really wants to learn to cook, or is adventurous in the kitchen even though sometimes they end up with odd results: they try hard and effort should be rewarded.

When: This is a book that's small but mighty.  Perfect for a light gift for someone you know on Facebook casually, or even a close dude-friend.