Week # 6: My List of Fabulous Finds

Weather-wise in Montana, this has felt like sort of a topsy-turvy summer.  June is typically cool and rainy, but this year it was more like August; very hot and very dry.  Now it is July - but the past few days have felt more like June! People have been asking each other, "How 'Bout This Weather?" 

Yesterday, in the tradition of “Throw-Back-Thursday” I decided to post a link to the post I published on this blog exactly one year ago.  What was I talking about then? The weather, of course!

Despite the ups-and-downs of the weather, the summer is moving right along.  Already another week has gone by, and it is time again for my List of Fabulous Finds!

Just a reminder of the reason for this series:

There is a lot of really helpful, captivating, and entertaining information available on the Internet. It can take a lot of time however, to sift through and find the articles that interest you. In this series, I share the links to some of the “fabulous finds" I have discovered on the Internet throughout the week.

If you read this blog, I suspect we have similar passions. If I find something to be fascinating or useful,
I think you might as well. I hope you enjoy and benefit from these links!

Here is some of what I came across this week:

This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Which Oil is Best?
Are you sometimes confused by which kind of cooking oil to buy? Have you heard conflicting reports as to which oil is actually the most healthy for you? This well-researched list of different oils with nutritional tips and suggestions of how best to use each one is very informative.

• Are You Cooking With the Right Oil by Peter Barrett

~ ~ Sometimes the Little Things Are the Most Important
It seems like this problem should have been fixed long ago - but kudos to Matthew Walzer and Nike for their efforts to come up with a solution!

• Nike Unveils Shoes for People With Special Needs by Shaun Heasley

~ ~ All About Avocados

I love avocados, and all of these suggestions for ways to use them look delicious!

• How Avocados Can Easily Replace Dairy in All Your Favorite Creamy Dishes

~ ~ Tips for the Vertically Challenged
I'm almost the same height as the author of this article, so of course it caught my attention!  These are good suggestions for looking taller -  but even more helpful would have been some tips on how to be taller! It always amazes me when someone can just reach up and grab something off a shelf that I would need to climb up on a chair to get it!

• Seven Styling Tips to Make You Look Taller by Justine Carreon

~ ~ How to Store Food
Wow - 25 tips for how to properly store different types of food, and I only knew about half of them!

• 25 Food Storage Tips

~ ~ Should We Be Worried?
I admit, I found an article about a potential mega-earthquake in the Pacific Northwest by Katherine Shultz to be very unsettling. After reading it, I was ready to tell my daughter, my family members, and everyone I care about who lives between Portland and Vancouver to move away from there - now.  

My son put things in perspective though, when he said, " Why do you think it is any safer here than there? We are close enough to Yellowstone Park that when that whole seismic area erupts, there won't be much left of us." Good point.

Perhaps, though, we all need to come up with some sort of plan for these sorts of catastrophes? I never have been much for the wait-and-see approach!

• The Really Big One by Kathryn Schulz

~ ~ Banana Jam
In the most recent segment of my fiction story, the main character (Mindy) was making Banana Jam.  Yes - there really is such a thing!  I tried a recipe by Mary from Flavorrd for it, and it is very, very good!

This recipe states that the jam is not meant to be canned, but that it can be kept for 2 - 3 weeks in the fridge. It is quick to make, and a great way to use up ripe bananas. I can tell you that it is very yummy mixed into plain yogurt, eaten on oatmeal, and right from the jar! I suspect it would be very good as a topping for pancakes, bagels, or even ice cream. I will be making more of it soon!

• Banana Jam recipe from Mary at Flavorrd.

The recipe (when I made it) made one 8 oz. jar of jam. I will definitely double it next time!

What are your thoughts about potential natural disasters?
Which of these linked articles do you find most helpful?
Have you ever made banana jam?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!