Digest 5.5

I'm not sure why this digest doesn't warrant it's own full number. Anyway.

Read two interesting articles today. The first one is called "Cool at 13, Adrift at 23," which resonates with me because I have a kid who seems very cool, and for whom begin cool and popular seems like something that motivates him. Thankfully, other things motivate him as well, and he is a funny and empathetic kid who currently loves his family. But he's only 7, so I worry about what this will look like at 13. Quick summary: Kids who strive to be popular in middle school don't really mature past that stage, and often have problems with relationships, school and drug and alcohol choices when they are young adults (when the study ends, so probably beyond). The fix for this is to keep your kids close, don't let them mature too quickly and make sure they are nerdy as hell. I am going to work hard on this.

Second article: The Food Stamps Cookbook. The gist of the article is that a woman has written a free cookbook that offers recipes that wouldn't be out of place in a Mark Bittman cookbook but uses ingredients available to SNAP (food stamp) recipients. At least in theory. The author admits that it doesn't account for the availability of ingredients (which varies by region) and cooking equipment, and "time poverty", which means that most SNAP recipients are working parents who may not have the time to prepare these meals. Summary: Being on food stamps SUX even if you have some delicious and nutritious recipes that fit within your budget.