Top Ten Links of the Week: 10/1/10 - 10/7/10

Sweet readers! I would have submitted this sooner, by my cat has somewhat forcibly taken up permanent residence on my bosom. What’s the protocol for this?

That aside, we have a solid, fairly diverse link roundup today, including a late #1 entry that might just be the greatest thing in the world. Besides “Fart Barfunkel,” I mean.

1) The Kitchn/Just JENN: Look! A Star Wars Theme Party
If the Death Star watermelon doesn’t reel you in, the Han-Solo-trapped-in-carbonite-jello will snag you for sure. Don’t miss the Leia cupcakes or the Sarnac Dip, either, if you know what’s good for you, Luke. Er, I mean, reader.

2) Eating Rules: October Unprocessed
Blogger Andrew Wilder is going 31 days without eating an iota of processed food. How he’ll handle Halloween, I have no idea (Et tu, mini Snickers?), but I like his moxy. And his updates. He’s already a week in, but feel free to join him in the challenge.

3) Jezebel: Healthy Living Blogs Maybe Not So Healthy
Are food and exercise blogs helping others live healthier, or encouraging extreme eating and exercising? A recent Marie Claire article came out firmly in the latter’s corner, but Jez makes good points on both sides. Promoting disordered diets is something we really try to steer clear of here, while still acknowledging that occasionally, folks might want to drop a few pounds. I hope that’s always clear. If not – crap – please let me know a.s.a.p.

4) Washington Post: Public Health Advocates Worry that Dietary Advice Will Get Lost in Translation
The government is revising its dietary guidelines this year, and many are looking at the new advice as a trial, testing whether the Obama administration is serious about the Let’s Move initiative. Because in the past? The feds have kinda been talking out the sides of their mouths on this one.

5) New York Times: After Growth, Fortunes Turn for Monsanto
Holy moly. Monsanto’s stock dropped 42% since January. Not only are farmers growing fewer specific crops than the company projected, but it’s being outpriced by Chinese competitors and out-PR’d by everybody else. Yowza.

6) HuffPo/Eating well: Food Labels That Lie
Are “natural,” “organic,” and “local” all they’re cracked up to be? You can probably guess the answer, but this piece includes some good explanations as to why.

7) SF Gate: Whole wheat, but not the whole story
Wondering how to choose the best supermarket bread? From Marion Nestle: “Inspect labels to make sure the first ingredient is whole grain, the total number of ingredients is small and devoid of unpronounceable chemicals, the fiber content is at least 2 grams per 1-ounce serving and the label says 100 percent whole wheat.” Word.

8) ReadyMade: Stop Wasting Food
We’ve seen these kind of food saving tips before, but never all together or put so well. Scroll down a little to find ‘em.

9) Money Saving Mom: Are Food Savers Worth the Money?
Speaking of saving food ... the bags are pricey, but if you eat a lot of meat and/or hunt for your dinner,  readers say the vacu-pack machine is well worth the investment.

10) Culinate: The Beauty of the Immersion Blender
A.K.A., Ode to the KitchenAid Stick. Husband Man and I received one for our shower, and it has saved my sanity, not to mention quite a few sleeveless tees.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Consumerist: Hide Lunch from Office Thieves in Healthy Meal Boxes
Want co-workers to lay off your PB&J? Stick it in a Lean Cuisine box. Oddly, people tend not to touch those.

Coupon Sherpa: 20 Things it’s Cheaper to Buy Than DIY
Computers are a given, but homemade olive oil might also be a tad more time-consuming than necessary.

Hulu: Good Eats
Full episodes for free! Go see!

Neatorama: Bacon Costume
Unpictured: His wife, Mrs. Eggs.

Serious Eats: Paula Deen to Launch Line of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Wait. Is butter a vegetable?

The Stir: Anatomy of a Chicken Nugget
No! Why? Ack. Ew ew ew ew ew.

Surviving and Thriving: Why you need renter’s insurance
My friend D’s apartment was broken into a few years ago. The thief took his laptop, his comb, and his copy of Cool as Ice. (No joke.) If you treasure your own copy of Vanilla Ice's acting debut, renter's insurance is the way to go.

AND ALSO

The Oatmeal: Working from Home
Yep. This about sums it up. Click on the link to see the rest of the comic.

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