Monday, December 5, 2022

Prairie Fare: Picky eating can be helped | Home & Garden | willistonherald.com - Williston Daily Herald

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Try these kababs for a fun way to serve Caprese salad.
Julie Garden-Robinson
Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension
Try these kababs for a fun way to serve Caprese salad.
Julie Garden-Robinson
Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension


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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have dinner at a restaurant with two teens that self-describe themselves as “picky eaters.”
One of them was my child.
We decided to go to a restaurant with rotisserie chicken and potatoes. They both like these foods.
Green beans and salads appeared on the menu but not on their plates.
However, they enjoyed their potatoes, which provide potassium, vitamin C and fiber. In fact, all vegetables are excellent sources of many vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Two of my three children have been “discriminating” eaters. My son grew out of the tendency and now is an adventurous eater who likes to prepare foods.
My third child has always enjoyed gardening and preparing foods. She will eat almost anything, except cilantro. It tastes like soap to her. That sensation is linked to genetics.
Some research shows that children may be born with tendencies to avoid certain foods. British researchers reported that over half of the tendency to avoid certain foods could be explained by genetics.
I pondered my own eating as a child and in my early adulthood. While I ate vegetables ranging from green beans to rutabagas from our garden, I could not tolerate raw tomatoes.
Around this time of year, vine-ripened, rosy-red tomatoes appeared on the table of my childhood at almost every meal. I did not like the texture and the flavor of tomatoes.
I was encouraged to try tomatoes, but I was never forced to eat raw tomatoes. That was good parenting.
My parents suggested that I sprinkle the tomatoes with sugar or salt and pepper.
That didn’t help.
They made bacon, lettuce and tomato (BLT) sandwiches. I was content with my bacon and lettuce sandwich on homemade bread.
However, I’d eat tomatoes in spaghetti sauce, casseroles and as ketchup.
I did not eat raw tomatoes until college when I discovered the delicious flavor of fresh salsa.
Much research has been done on picky eating behavior. Parents often worry about their children’s eating habits. They wonder if their child’s diet is going to lead to deficiencies with long-term effects.
Most of the time, picky eating does not cause health issues.
However, serious cases of eating issues termed “Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder” (formerly called “Selective Eating Disorder”) usually require help from a professional.
What do you avoid, if anything? Ponder the vegetables that have never inhabited your plate. Maybe you would like them in a different form, such as grilled or roasted. You might be surprised at the change in flavor and texture that comes with preparation techniques.
Some of these tips may help both adults and children become more adventurous with foods.
Be patient. It may take 10 or more exposures before a new food is accepted.
Encourage outdoor and indoor gardening. People who help grow food are more likely to eat it.
Visit farmers markets and pick out something fresh to try at home.
Purchase a less familiar fruit or vegetable food at the grocery store. They are available in fresh, canned, dried and frozen forms.
Try smoothies with a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Spinach is a good addition to berry smoothies.
For children, find age-appropriate kitchen tasks. For example, a young child could wash fruits and vegetables or help set the table.
Keep a routine. Serve meals and snacks at a consistent time.
Forget the clean plate club, even if you grew up with the tradition.
Slow down your eating pace at the dinner table.
Turn off the TV and don’t allow phones at the table during meals. Keep mealtimes a pleasant time to catch up with each other.
Offer only one new food at a time, and pair less familiar foods with accepted foods.
Be a good role model. If you pass the broccoli without taking a scoop, most times, your child will skip the veggies too.
See “A Pocket Guide to Preparing Fruits and Vegetables” from NDSU Extension for numerous ideas to prepare 28 fruits and vegetables. Search online for “NDSU Extension Grilling” to find grilling resources, including recipes for vegetables, fruits and proteins
Here’s a recipe I would have avoided as a child but now enjoy.
24 grape tomatoes
12 cherry-size fresh mozzarella cheese balls
24 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
12 skewers
On each of 12 appetizer skewers, alternately thread two tomatoes, one cheese ball and two basil leaves. Whisk olive oil and vinegar; drizzle over kabobs. Serve as a side dish with your favorite grilled protein, such as beef, chicken or pork.
Makes 12 kabobs. Each kabob has 44 calories, 4 grams (g) fat, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber and 10 milligrams sodium.
(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Follow her on Twitter @jgardenrobinson)
The Williston Herald
(701) 572-2165
news@willistonherald.com
14 W 4th St.
Williston, ND 58801

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Sunday, December 4, 2022

Upcoming Holiday Events: Halloween Is Over, Christmas Is Here - Salt Lake Magazine

Any amount of time on social media will show, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, it’s spooky season. But as soon as the calendar turns over to Nov. 1, the Halloween decorations, parties and content disappear, gobbled up by Christmas cheer, winter holiday events and Mariah Carey. The pop singer shows off her famous range (in more ways than one) with a video on Twitter, transforming from a catsuit-clad witch to a Santa Claus-inspired holiday reveler, looking like she walked straight out of her “All I Want For Christmas Is You” music video. And who are we mere mortals to disagree with Mariah Carey? “All I Want For Christmas Is You” tops the charts every year around the holidays and it’s one of the best selling singles of all time. 
IT’S TIME!!! 🎄☃️ #MariahSZN pic.twitter.com/CtRsxYyLo8
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) November 1, 2022

“But what about Thanksgiving?!” Come the cries from a small contingent in the back. To which we say, “What about it?” There’s a reason radio stations start playing Christmas music as soon as the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1 and not Thanksgiving music. What is Thanksgiving music, anyway? Aside from listening to Taylor Swift’s Red or Folklore albums on loop? Most people seem fine dedicating Thanksgiving to just one day—Thanksgiving Day—and these holiday events throughout the month of November, all over the state of Utah, reflect that sentiment. Happy Holidays! 
Lighting of Riverwoods 2022
Nov. 18, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., The Shops At Riverwoods, Provo 
This is the annual Lighting of Riverwoods event featuring over one million lights, live entertainment, ice sculptures and a firework show.
Lights On! at the Eccles
Nov. 21, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City
An event to light up the annual Eccles Theater holiday art installation by local artist Lenka Konopasek. The evening includes a performance from One Voice Children’s Choir and tasty holiday treats. This is a free festive event. Eccles Theater has partnered with Volunteers of America, Utah to collect coats and other warm winter items for families in need. Attendees are encouraged to bring clean, gently-used donations to this event.
Kanab Christmas Light Parade & Festival 2022
Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m., Kanab Center, Kanab 
The event starts with a tree lighting ceremony and then shuts down the highway to begin the Christmas Light Parade. After the parade entries float down Center Street comes the launch of the Wishing Lanterns.  
Ogden’s Holiday Electric Light Parade 2022
Nov. 26, 5:30 p.m., Downtown Ogden, Ogden 
Ogden’s holiday season begins with the Electric Light Parade that fills Washington Boulevard from 22nd Street to 26th Street. The parade is full of elaborate floats, sensational themes and fantastic performers.
2022 Midway Tree Lighting Celebration
Nov. 26, 6 p.m., Midway Town Hall, Midway 
Festivities include holiday entertainment, hot cocoa and cookies, live reindeer, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, old fashioned candy and peanut bags, tree lighting ceremony and fireworks. Bring a canned food item for discounted ice skating at the Midway Ice Skating rink.
Draper Tree Lighting Ceremony 2022
Nov. 28, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Draper City Park, Draper
Draper City’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will include appearances by Santa and special guests, with more than three million lights placed on trees throughout the park. The biggest attraction is the large Globe Willow tree in the center of the park which alone boasts over 75,000 lights.
Sandy’s Light up the Cairns 2022
Nov. 28, 6 p.m., Sandy City Hall and Promenade, Sandy 
Sandy City turns on the Holiday lights at City Hall with holiday music and hot chocolate. This year will also include a drone show.
Herriman Night of Lights 2022
Nov. 28, 6 p.m., J. Lynn Crane Park, Herriman 
Ring in the season with the annual Night of Lights, featuring musical performances, games, crafts and ice skating.
Mapleton City Christmas Tree Lighting, Wreath & Christmas Festival 2022
Nov. 28, 5 p.m., Mapleton City Park, Mapleton 
This yearly event includes the annual lighting of Mapleton City Park, children’s choir, carolers, a visit from Santa, face painting, s’mores by the fire and food trucks. There will also be a display and silent auction of wreaths to benefit the Sub for Santa program.
2022 Saratoga Springs City Christmas Tree Lighting
Nov. 28, 6 p.m., Neptune Park, Saratoga Springs 
This is the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa, featuring crafts for the kids and musical entertainment, food truck and a fireworks show. 
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Nov, 2, 7:00 p.m., Peery’s Egyptian Theater at Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion. Rated PG. Run time: 1h 16m
‘Fright-mare Before Christmas’
Nov. 4-26, The Off Broadway Theatre Company, Draper
Playwright Eric Jensen’s newest parody for the ‘tween season (between Halloween and Christmas)—a horror/comedy/musical/holiday extravaganza! Skully, a lonely skeleton, and the icons of other holidays around the calendar battle Dracula, ruler of the underworld, in Christmasland. 
‘The Nutcracker’
Nov. 11-12, Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Taylorsville
Utah Dance Institute presents The Nutcracker.
The Utah Baroque Ensemble 2022 Christmas Concert
Nov. 13, 1081 W. 1060 North, Provo; Nov. 20, 481 E. Center Street, Orem
A concert of Christmas-themed baroque music. The 2022 concert includes works by Bach, Byr and Sweelinck, as well as music in the Baroque style by a variety of composers including Rutter, Mathias and Sargent. This is a free event.
Ballet West Academy’s ‘A Merry Little Christmas Show’
Nov. 14-15, 7 p.m., Covey Center for the Arts at Covey Center for the Arts, Provo 
This ballet student performance includes holiday music and entertaining choreography.
Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular!
Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., The Maverik Center, West Valley City
Three-time Grammy Award-winning artist Pentatonix brings their Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular! 2022 Tour to West Valley City on November 19th. In tandem with the tour, Pentatonix will unveil their 11th overall full-length and sixth holiday album,  Holidays Around The World (RCA Records).
As Long as There’s Christmas
Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Taylorsville 
Join Santa’s elves as they try to raise enough Christmas Spirit to save the holiday season. All of their efforts are in vain until one little girl reminds everyone of the reason for the season.
David Archuleta: The More the Merrier Christmas Tour
Nov. 18-19, 7:30 p.m., Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts, Ivins 
David Archuleta brings his The More the Merrier Christmas Tour to Utah. 
Bells at Temple Square Concert 2022
Nov. 18-19, 7:30 p.m., Tabernacle on Temple Square, Salt Lake City UT
The Bells at Temple Square will present its annual holiday season concert, led by LeAnna Willmore, conductor of the Bells at Temple Square, and featuring the handbell choir playing on two sets of English handbells. 
The Forgotten Carols 2022 Tour
Nov. 21, 7 p.m., Wasatch High School, Heber City 
Touring since 1991, The Forgotten Carols brings to life the story of Constance Louise Chamberlain, a nurse who hasn’t laughed or cried in over 30 years. But that all changes when she meets and cares for a homeless man with dementia who insists he’s been alive for over two thousand years and recounts the story of Christmas. 
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve
Nov. 22, 3 p.m., Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City
The holidays rock a whole lot harder with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. By infusing seasonal classics with rock flamboyance, a symphonic sense of scope and an eye-popping visual presentation, complete with lasers and pyrotechnics.
Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker’
Nov. 25-26, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts, Ogden 
For nearly 70 years, The Nutcracker by Ballet West has been one of Utah’s most beloved traditions. The longest-running Nutcracker in the country, Ballet West’s production features fantastical sets, gorgeous costumes and spell-binding special effects.
GENTRI Christmas
Nov. 25-26, The Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City 
Live at the Eccles presents GENTRI: The Gentlemen Trio. GENTRI: The Gentlemen Trio brings their holiday spectacular show, CHRISTMAS, to the Eccles stage. 
The Polar Express
Nov. 26, 10:30 a.m., Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden 
The Polar Express Event is back for the 8th year, and this year it’s a holiday pajama party. We encourage everyone to wear your most festive fuzzy pants and slippers. This is also a fundraiser to benefit the Egyptian Theater Foundation. Rated G. Run time: 1h 40m.
2022 Messiah Sing-in
Nov. 26-27, 7:30 p.m., Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City
This cherished tradition invites all to share in the joy of singing Handel’s masterpiece with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera Chorus. Ranked as one of the “Top 100 Things to do in Salt Lake Before You Die” by Salt Lake editor Jeremy Pugh.
Salt Lake’s Family Christmas Gift Show
Nov. 10-12, Mountain America Expo Center, Sandy
Start your holiday shopping at the 23rd annual Salt Lake’s Family Christmas Gift Show with 485 booths of gifts amid holidays light displays, decorations, music and, of course, Santa. Children 13 years of age and under enter free. 
Highland Holiday Craft Fair
Nov. 11-12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Highland Community Center, Highland
The Highland City Arts Council is sponsoring the Highland Holiday Craft Fair. The two-day event will feature local crafters and artisans, live music, food and door prizes. This is a free event.
Logan Holiday Gift Show 2022
Nov. 11-12, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Riverwoods Conference Center, Logan 
This is Cache Valley’s place to find the most unique gifts and holiday décor made by local artisans. 
2022 Helper Christmas Craft Fair
Nov. 18-19, Helper Civic Auditorium, Helper 
The small town of Helper, Utah comes alive during the Christmas season, starting with the Annual Christmas Craft Fair, featuring booths, food and entertainment.
5th Annual Gingerbread Competition Display
Nov. 21-28, University Place Orem, Orem
The 5th annual University Place Gingerbread House Competition houses will be on display in the west wing of the shopping center, near Tradehome Shoes.
2022 Jubilee of Trees
Nov. 22-23, Dixie Convention Center, Saint George 
Jubilee of Trees is a holiday celebration to raise funds for the advancement of medical services at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. It is open to the public and showcases decorated Christmas trees and wreaths created by local designers, businesses and community groups that are available for auction.
19th Annual Vernal Holly Days Festival
Nov. 25, 11 a.m., Various locations in Vernal, Vernal UT
The Vernal Holly Days Festival is back with zipline, bounce houses, swings, pony rides, cotton candy and prizes. The Annual Vernal Holly Days Festival is a free event.
Parowan: Christmas in the Country
Nov. 25-26, 10 a.m., Various venues in Parowan, Parowan 
This holiday event features the Holiday Bazaar, Santa’s Parade and Candlelight Walking Parade.
2022 Spanish Fork Christmas Gift and Craft Show
Nov. 25-26, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Spanish Fork Fairgrounds, Spanish Fork UT
This is Spanish Fork’s 43rd Annual Christmas Gift and Craft Show.
2022 Novemberfest Arts and Crafts Fair
Nov. 25-26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Cache County Event Center, Logan 
The Novemberfest Holiday Fair has become an annual tradition, featuring nearly 100 vendors and artisans.
Holiday Market 2022 at Legacy Park
Nov. 25–26, 10 a.m., Washington County Legacy Park, Hurricane 
Get your holiday shopping done all at once while supporting local businesses, crafters and artisans. This is a free event. 
2022 Wheeler Holiday Market
Nov. 25-27, Wheeler Historic Farm, Murray 
Shop locally made treats for those on your holiday list at the Wheeler Holiday Market.
Santa’s Grand Arrival at University Place
Nov. 25, 9:30 a.m., University Place Orem, Orem 
A long-standing tradition at University Place, Santa makes an unforgettable entrance to University Place. Santa’s Grand Arrival will take place in the parking lot in front of Tucano’s Brazilian Grill. There will be live entertainment and refreshments, while supplies last, as attendees wait for the big guy to land in his helicopter.
Santa’s Arrival in Riverton 2022
Nov. 28, 6:30 p.m., Riverton City Park, Riverton
Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at the park on a bright red fire engine. Children can greet Santa to make their Christmas requests and also write their letter to Santa. There will be free scones, hot chocolate, marshmallow roasting, cookie decorating and crafts.
Discover the latest community news in SLC and beyond. And while you’re here, subscribe and get six issues of Salt Lake magazine, your guide to the best of life in Utah.

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Red Shoes Rock for FASD - Cranbrook Townsman

Guest speakers at the inaugural Red Shoes Rock — an event to raise awareness of FASD, Friday, Sept. 9. Left to right: Makayli Wilkinson, Dawn Mueller (organizer), Sebastian Gylander, Dona Gylander. (Barry Coulter photo)
An inaugural event was held Sept. 9 to shed light and raise awareness of Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
An inaugural Red Shoes Rock — a Walk For FASD — was held Friday, Sept. 9, in Cranbrook, to shed light and raise awareness of the disability, still so little understood.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems. FASD is the most common neuro-developmental condition in the world, yet it is widely undiagnosed, underfunded and misunderstood.
However, with support and determination, and understanding, those with the disability can overcome challenges to accomplish great things.
The event was organized by Dawn Mueller, an FASD keyworker with Axis Family Resources in Cranbrook.
“There are still so many misunderstandings about about the disability — even with people who educated [about it], they don’t have enough awareness, because it’s such an invisible disability,” Mueller said.
“As you saw with our speakers today — they very capable, intelligent, achieving individuals; yet they have so many struggles they have to go through to get there.

“The more people we have speaking up and shining a light on it the less stigmatization there will be.”
In Cranbrook on Friday morning, Sept. 9, participants in the Red Shoes Walk gathered at Western Financial Place and walked through downtown for a breakfast gathering at Rotary Park.
Guest speakers were on hand to share powerful and illuminating stories about their lives with an FASD diagnosis, not least having to struggle against the stigma of FASD.
Makayli Wilkinson, 20, shared her story, including her mother’s troubled life, her brother’s suicide (he also had FASD), and her experiences of “people using [the fact she had] FASD against me.”
“I was exposed to drugs pre-natally. There were so many doubts about me, and I wasn’t even born yet.”
Makayli was adopted at birth, and later diagnosed with FASD, ADHD and anxiety. She spoke of her struggles growing up. But she shared how she overcame challenges, with the help of her adoptive mother, when she decided “to stop hiding who I am.”
After the devastation of her brother’s death, her mother helped get her into counselling, which “flipped my life around. I learned to be grateful, and to be aware.”
Makayli graduated from High School at 17, and went to college for Equine Science.
“I now think with my head and my heart, and feel ready to face the world.”
Sebastian Gylander, 18, was diagnosed at age six with FASD. Both his parents died at an early age, and he was raised by his grandparents. Growing up, he faced bullying, physical violence like getting hit, and exclusion because of his affliction and the way it affected his appearance and behaviour. But with support, he also overcame these challenges. Sports became an anchor for him, especially skiing. He learned to drive, which gave him greater independence.
“Just because I have FASD, that doesn’t stop me from achieving my goals,” he said.
Dona Gylander spoke of the challenges, and rewards, of raising a child with FASD. She and her husband educated themselves and advocated for Sebastian and others with the disability, especially in the school system. Donna helped bring in a Professional Development Day for teachers, focusing on FASD. With the help of a key support worker, she worked with teachers to help them “understand her son’s brain, and other’s like him.
“Raising our son has enlightened and enriched my world in ways I didn’t think capable,” she said. “Every step of fighting to get his needs met has been worth it.”
Dona’s message to advocates was don’t take no for an answer. “Fight to get your child’s needs me,” she said. “It works.”
Mueller said afterwards the event went even better than she expected, and she hopes would be a second annual Red Shoes Rock next year.
“We had a great turn-out, and a lot of people spreading the awareness. That is exactly what I was hoping for for the walk — that the community would be able to get together and we could shine a light on this hidden disability.”
A free hot breakfast was provided by ANKORS and information tables from Community Connections, ANKORS, Ktunaxa Kinbasket, CMHA and East Kootenay Child Care resource.
As well, all participants were asked to write down their “superpower,” and with these, an “Empowerment Tree” was created that is currently on display at the Cranbrook Public Library.
Parental advisors in Canada and the U.S. started an FASD awareness day some years ago, choosing the ninth day of the ninth month to mark going alcohol free for the nine months of pregnancy. Since then it has become a global event.

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Saturday, December 3, 2022

Upgrading your appliances during tax free weekend to be more energy efficient - WWLP.com

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WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts tax free holiday is this weekend and with the 6.25% sales tax cut from items under $2,500, it’s often popular to purchase household products like appliances.
“It gets very busy, its great for us! The activity has been great,” said Brian Zippin, President of Contractors Home Appliances in West Springfield.
For this tax free weekend, utility companies in western Massachusetts, like National Grid, are encouraging customers to upgrade to more energy efficient appliances to save on energy, money and reduce impacts on the environment.
This winter, energy rates are expected to once again increase due to global factors like inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Refrigerators and dishwashers and washing machines for example. They are based upon either electrical usage or water consumption, and they give you different ratings based upon that consumption,” said Zippin.
Don’t forget that some utility companies also offer rebates and incentives, some worth thousands of dollars, for customers looking to replace their old appliances and upgrade them to an energy efficient model.
Zippin adds that people should contact their utility company if they want to learn how to make their home more energy efficient.
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I’m a bargain hunter – I bought two barbecue grills worth $600 at Kroger for just $60, the scanning trick I... - The US Sun

KROGER has deals that are 80 percent off and you can find discounts too by using a simple trick.
If you don't have the Kroger app, don't wait any longer as you may be missing out on deals.
A TikTok influencer, also known as Couponwithkayla, shared how she purchased two grills for nearly 80 percent off.
Each grill was originally $299.99, but Kayla bought it for just $30.
She bought two grills — ultimately saving $539.98.
"Remember that you can use the Kroger app to scan the items to check the price," Kayla said.
"Use the Kroger app to scan the clearance items to check the prices. Clearance shopping is such an easy way to save money," she wrote in her caption.
Also, clearance deals can be found in the yellow price tags in the store.
There are other ways to save through the app other than using the scanning function.
Coupons for example, may pop up at times and you can use them to save money.
One TikTok influencer bought a Dove cream, which was $3.99 for one.
The Kroger app popped up a $1 digital coupon for up to five products, so she used it on her cream bringing the price down to $2.99.
Knowing when to shop at Kroger is also an important factor to consider.
There is an event at Kroger that happens several times a year known as Mega Event Pricing.
One thing to keep in mind is that customers have to buy the number of items specified in that promo to qualify for the discount. 
For more related stories, learn how Kroger is making a major shopping change and see who benefits from it.
A money coach also shared a tip on how to cut your grocery bill by $250 each month.
Six coins you need to look out for in your piggy bank
I spent $5 at Dollar Tree to make 'lighted garland' for the holidays
You can earn $30 every five minutes and Google will do all of the work for you
Four direct payments worth up to $1,300 going out this Thanksgiving
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Friday, December 2, 2022

This music production tool is the reason why all new music sounds the same - Quartz

Imagine music as a recipe. Would you be able tell whether it had been made with artificially engineered ingredients or fresh produce from the farmer’s market? Canned tomatoes might work just fine—but maybe you wouldn’t know what you had been missing until you tried the same dish with heirlooms, each beautifully misshapen with unique streaks of sunburst yellow.
Drummer Greg Ellis wants listeners to begin thinking about sound like food—as something they physically ingest that has a quantifiable impact on their wellbeing. These days, he believes most people are consuming the musical equivalent of McDonalds: processed, mass produced, and limited in flavor.
A lot of this aural blandness has to do with technology. It begins with the producer who relies on a computer rather than live instrumentalists and ends with the devices we use to consume our music, which cut out the dynamics captured in the recording studio. Ellis, a session drummer who can be heard in the background of Hollywood blockbusters such as Argo, Godzilla, and The Matrix series, is exploring this phenomena in a forthcoming documentary, The Click.
The “click” is a digital metronome that musicians listen to while recording to ensure their rhythm is exactly in time with the tempo. A simple and now nearly ubiquitous part of the recording process, it has had a profound effect on the music we listen to.
While the click was originally intended as a tool for precision and cohesion, Ellis says its perfect uniformity ushered in an expectation that the rest of musical parts should follow. Suddenly singers, instrumentalists, and drummers were expected to sound like machines. When vocalists were slightly off key, they could be auto-tuned. If a bass player wasn’t perfectly in-time with the drummer, their parts could be processed in a recording program that syncs them up. Of course, that’s if a live musician is used at all—many producers in pop, hip hop, and R&B now use samples or synthetic sounds generated by computers instead of using their human progenitors.
These days, Ellis says he’s not given space to create most drumming parts. Although he’s played drums with greats including Billy Idol, Mickey Hart, and Beck, a producer who knows little about drumming will often create his part for him before he gets into the studio—and expects him to play it precisely on the click. He sometimes doesn’t even play through the entire song any more: He’s often asked to play just a couple measures, which are then repeated using a copy-paste function that prevents variation, dynamic, or embellishment.
And that could be having an effect on our enjoyment of the music: There is some scientific evidence on the value of giving listeners something they’re not expecting. “Music that’s inventive excites neural circuits in the prefrontal cortex,” says Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of This is Your Brain on Music. “It’s the job of the composer to bring us pleasure through choices we didn’t expect.”
Ellis says this popular method of production stifles creativity. “I’m not calling out anyone who uses the gear, I’m calling out the gear itself, which we’ve let dictate our sense of music and time,” Ellis says. “There’s a sense that when you’re faced with the real thing, it actually feels wrong to people.”
“Everyone’s used to hearing everything precisely on the click and with autotune,” agrees Petros, a producer in Los Angeles who has worked with hit-makers such as One Direction, Enrique Iglesias, and Dillon Francis. “So if a recording is not done that way, it will sound off.” However, Petros and other music producers are welcoming these new technological advances as a positive, not a negative. He says completely automating drum tracks is cheaper, easier, and more precise—and, in some ways, it allows for more creativity, not less.
With a live drummer, producers have a limited number of sounds to choose from, but with a program, they can quickly and easily experiment with dozens of different options until they find the one that sounds right. Petros says that most of his friends who are producers in the music industry don’t even know how to record a live drum set, and that a significant number of people who have songs in the Billboard Hot 100 don’t have any formal music training. But do they need to, any more?
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ singer Alex Ebert says it’s become too easy for anyone to make music with a computer and free software. Consequently, there’s been an “undeniable loss of mastery” among a significant percentage of the musicians and producers making hits now. He’s says he’s not anti-technology: Technological experimentation, after all, is what allowed for the birth of revelatory albums including The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Jimi Hendrix’ The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Instead, he’s against technology being used as a crutch rather than a tool for invention. “Musical successes are just being regurgitated in refinement,” he says.
Not everyone agrees. Robert Margouleff, a recording engineer most known for revolutionizing the use of the synthesizer on Stevie Wonder’s albums, has called the laptop “the folk instrument of our time.” It’s allowed for innovators like St. Vincent and Bon Iver to create new sonic experiences and entire albums by themselves, and has lowered the barrier for new artists to create masterpieces in their bedrooms.
But what about the consumers? As music becomes more mechanized, how is this trend affecting the experience for the people paying for it with their Spotify subscriptions?
This technological wedge doesn’t stop at the act of music creation itself: Ellis believes that the way it’s packaged and then listened to only further separates us from the warm, feel-good vibrations we originally turned to music for. “There’s all kinds of losses that happen after music leaves the studio,” says USC professor of electrical engineering Chris Kyriakakis. “It’s basically all downhill from there.”
Engineers compress tunes in order to convert them to files compatible with our multitude of devices. Information is immediately lost during compression, and then even more information is lost depending on what system we then play that file through. It’s like “a palette that’s shrunk down to primary colors,” Ellis says. Listening to music through headphones that don’t perfectly fit into our ears, for example, or smartphone speakers that cut out frequencies emanating from the guitar, bass, and drums means we end up hearing an even more dumbed-down version of the sonic vibrancy the composer originally intended.
Some efforts are being made to mitigate these effects. For example, Spotify recently tweaked the volume of their entire song library in order to try and bring some of the original subtlety back that was stolen from their compression. As Bruno Romani writes on Motherboard, “When compression occurs in an exaggerated way, it makes everything louder, which ends up stealing the dynamics away from the music itself. It’s like listening to that one loud friend of yours who always yells when they’re drunk. In addition to being bothersome, it also becomes monotonous after awhile.”
We may not be experiencing the full gamut of potential expression, but does mechanized music have a different effect on our brains?
Neuroscientist Levitin says we don’t know if music created with live instrumentation has more healing potential than its click-y counterpart. What we do know is that whether it’s created on a click or not, a steady rhythm is more likely to put people in a trance because the neurons in our brains start firing in synchronicity with the beat. Levitin says this trance can “help you to relax or achieve some insights you wouldn’t otherwise.”
Levitin has also co-authored a study that found people who listen to music together have synchronized brain waves. He hypothesizes that, at least in the case of a concert, audience members might feel more empathy and bonding if they’re able to see the musician. This is something Ellis argues we’re sorely lacking in our lives today, opting to watch YouTube footage of a live gig on our tiny screens on the way to work instead.
*   *   *
In The Click, Ellis will travel around the world from Sado Island in Japan to South America, trying to answer some of these questions. By visiting with master drummers and communities still deeply committed to drumming as a form of catharsis and ritual, he aims to illuminate what’s lost when our radio waves are dominated by music that’s too perfect.
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You Have A Green Thumb? Well Here's Clever Gardening Tips and Funny Reactions From A Kalamazoo Neighborhood - wkfr.com

During this time of year tons of people in Michigan are spending some of their free time outdoors, engaging in a variety of activities, but a popular one being gardening. Some like to plant flowers and other small plants, while others choose to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other useful things in their garden. One of the common issues that gardeners have is keeping squirrels and other animals out of and away from their flower beds. Gardeners in one Kalamazoo neighborhood have found and provided multiple different tips and solutions to keep various animals away from flowers but also had very funny reactions.
Now, during this time of the summer, it's even more important to keep small rodents and other animals away from your plants. As the summer is coming to an end, that means the beginning of fall, which is the harvesting season. Some plants will grow faster than others and may harvest before fall, but none of them will make it that far if the animals continue to invade their homes. Some members of the Milwood Neighborhood in Kalamazoo have green thumbs and tips to keep your garden fresh, clean, and free of animals while also having fun.
One User in the Milwood Neighborhood Hangout group on Facebook said she saw others asking about keeping squirrels and other animals out of their garden and wanted to join the fun. Jen Howard went on to say;
"I had suggested the little windmills. Well, apparently the squirrels think it is their personal cooling system because I’m pretty sure they are setting up little lawn chairs, sipping cocktails and snacking on my plants."
This response to finding the furry friends in her garden sparked others to make jokes and puns about having squirrels in their garden. One user commented, "LOL! I kind of want to make them margaritas" while another said " This gave me a good chuckle, good luck with the little bastards! There were some laughs exchanged but for the most part, the gardening tips stole the show.
Jen had her own tips for keeping flower pots clean and other members in the group added their two cents as well. When asked about how she keeps her garden clean now, Jen said;
'I had heard that using things such as garlic, dried red pepper flakes and even original Irish Spring soap shavings around your garden will keep the squirrels away. Something about the smell that they don’t like. I tried all of them but the squirrels kept getting in the garden. I finally put used coffee grounds around my plants and that has seemed to work well. I think Kalamazoo has some sort of super squirrels who will outlast a zombie apocalypse lol.'
There were a few other tricks that were shared on the posts from other members, ones that seem to have worked for them and others in the past. One member commented "They say plant marigolds in your garden it will keep the squirrels out so far no squirrels have bothered mine", while another said, "Liquid Fence is the only thing that has ever worked for me." and lastly a member shared, "I have put plastic forks in pots and it seems to be working." Lots of tips and a few laughs are leading to a beautiful summer of green thumbs for the Milwood Neighborhood.

source https://4awesome.streamstorecloud.com/you-have-a-green-thumb-well-heres-clever-gardening-tips-and-funny-reactions-from-a-kalamazoo-neighborhood-wkfr-com/?feed_id=8368&_unique_id=638a9437a0c07