Some of my favorite reads come from star bloggers who post lists of recommendations: here, here or there. The Interweb can be a chasm of factoids – let’s say, the projected population of China on a Thursday – to essential celebrity studies- like what is Baby Blue Ivy Carter’s sleep schedule? So, I’m forever grateful to those to share their well-sifted finds and now I’m paying it forward with a few treasures and likes of my own for all of you.

Took Heidi Swanson’s advice and subscribing to this.

Found this postcard appgreat for the summer camper in your life or the dad who’s Little Man Tate brilliant but technotarded (mine will never have an email address).

Subscribe to these youtube videos by the genius musicians who have created a new music video art form.

My new favorite magazine. Gorgeous and full of fooditude.

Amusingessay written by someone proud to call a friend, Billy Campbell.

What can’t he do with a yo-yo.

College Care Package ideas from Cooking Light. I get tears thinking about these knowing in three weeks I’ll be sending my college freshman across country.

Speaking of crying, I shed tears throughout this book read yesterday on a flight. The sniffling and hourly bathroom visits assured me a reputation as a coke addict.

Please someone, give me the next book to read. I’m thinking this classic recently discussed on Sirius Book Radio as a reminder of the human plight in farmland drought.

Pray for rain and happy week!

Seems all my cookouts this summer end up with a seasoned grilled flank steak. Which means all those days after turned out this fine main course salad, first inspired by the guilt-free pages at Cooking Light mag. One hunk of manly meathood – two meals.

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We’re all modern day girls, beyond bra-burners, right? I mean, while I’m loading the dishwasher and picking up dog poop – mutually exclusive events – I’m reminding my family that I once danced in the suit life before I found the sweet life. So then, why is it that when my husband, who started a new job with a longer commute, asked me to pick up breakfast bars for his morning drive, did June Cleaver lance my thoughts. How could you not have homemade foods ready for the Mister’s drive? If that wasn’t enough, Carol Brady possessed me into whipping up homemade granola bars, zucchini muffins, and yes, baked egg cups – in one day. Luckily, I snapped out of it before the mullet and husband doting permanently set in – oh Dan! read more

An east coast feed in my west coast timezone means that the morning news show is waiting for me when I wake up, enabling Power Today Show viewing. Three hours in thirty minutes is made possible with a few Al Roker flyovers, commercial and local break drops, segments with tan moms, octamoms, mean moms, makeover moms, concerts, below-title celebrities, Today’s Professionals, and anything reading Kardashian in the lower third.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I screech for the first-hour news, political insights, serious journalists,Michael Isakoff, Brokow, all things Kate Middleton, America’s Test Kitchen, What’s Trending, the Ann Curry removal,and this woman who at first blush seems ultra clinical, but she always offers helpful tips. Today’s topic, changing your environment to lose weight – the illusion of food presentation.

She’s onto something, not just for weight loss but for forming better eating habits for all of us, especially kids. I mean some of these tips we’ve heard (smaller plate size), but when applying them to kids’ food consumption, it’s rather genius.

If we even allow juice, let’s pour it into our smallest glasses and serve protein-strong milk in the big glass. Just ask Michael Bloomberg – size matters.

Same is true for plating. We’ll get our kids to eat more by serving the healthier foods on a larger plate. They’ll love the big guy status of the big plate and they’ll see less food they have to finish.

Not so fast Dad, you get the small plate.

This salad turns summer’s bounty on its head and gives fear to the September’s arrival. Charring corn crystalizes the sugars and when combined with tangy mini heirlooms and fragrant basil fresh from the farm box…well, you too might be babbling in menuspeak.

July Bon Appetit offered up this seasonal solution for any barbecue gathering. We rocked it into sumptuous Mexi-cali salad the next day by adding in red lettuce, sliced avocados, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, roasted shrimp, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and lime juice. Add a splash of olive oil if you’re so inclined.

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