Nourish, A Reflection

Whenever you go shopping, what do you look for whenever you shop for products? Well, one of the new trends that has just been emerging on certain organic foods is using the Fair trade symbol to show consumers that what they are buying is indeed fairly traded so that the farmers that make these goods will get the right amount of profits for their goods that they should be. In the film Nourish, this is one of the key and main points that are being emphasized in today's economy so that the farmers can get the profits they deserve. In my hometown, there is a small local Business, I have a bean, that is certified by the Fair Trade Association so that they can give farmers their equal amount. I have a bean is aimed at helping prisoners to get themselves out of jail in hopes that they can use this job as a platform to go back into the labor force.  It really is interesting to see how Fair Trade works  to be a bipartisan between the consumers and bean farmers around the world to make everyone be equal and get the profits that they deserve.

Another way of trying to get more involved with helping small businesses, or just local shops so that they too can be a certified Fair trade organization. One way of doing this is by going to local farmers market's, or food auctions. This is a main point that the film emphasizes due to the fact that by buying local in not just businesses but as well as farmers that you are helping support some of the locals so that they can continue to have an income. By doing this, it not only allows the cultural traditions of food markets to stay alive in small towns, but it also helps other in that they can keep traditions of harvests alive and well.

By participating in buying locally grown food, it tends to be fresher than normal, but with a higher price added to it. Having this higher price on goods can sometimes be a minor setback for most people who want to buy goods since prices drive everything in a market, but bear in mind that the extra money you are spending is going towards helping support your community. Most people don't take this into account when buying fresh items such as fish in an auction what could happen if these markets weren't available. Overall, the movie was good to help inform and show others what they can do to help make small changes to help their local economies if people were unsure of how they could help.

Happy Meal resists Decomposition

Over thanksgiving break, one of my main chores that I was responsible for was turning over a compost pile periodicially so that whatever was in it would decompose properly. Little did I know that like other things, Mcdonalds Happy meal's resists decomposition just as much as vegetables.When I first saw this, it definetly shocked me at how weird it was that something that we consume so often and maybe too much of cna affect our health so greatly. If a Happy meal resists decomposition, then how could it ever digest in our own stomachs? Seriously, how many preservatives, fillers does it take to make a food not only taste good, but just kill you in every way? There is seriously something wrong with society if you leave food out and it wont mold...then there is clearly something wrong with that food, not nature.I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Mcdonalds for a number of reasons, but knowing that meat wont get rotten or bread wont grow mold makes me have a few second thoughts on most of America's fast food, especiallly as college students who are alawys being rushed to do everything.We are alawys in a hurry and what better to eat than Mcdonalds? Cheap, affordable, and fast, but are the health effects even worth it to risk? Something is definetly wrong when your food doesent act right in ideal conditions, and its not just cause of global warming casuing the mold to "magicially not be there".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months

Into the Wild, A Reflection.

Being in a society can impose traditions, or events that can make some people more edgy to what they see happen to a society in a given time frame. In Into the Wild, one of the main themes that can be portrayed very well is rejecting to conform to society's own ways, so that one can be themselves and not be like everyone else. While watching this, one song that I had immediately thought of was Kanye West's Lost in the World where he talks about not knowing what to do as seen by the lines:

"I‘m up in the woods, I’m down on my mind
 I’m building a still to slow down the time"

saying that he needs to go back into nature to rediscover his own self, or find his mind.Also, he wants to have a stillshot, just like the one at the very end of the film.

You can listen to to song at the link below:
http://soundcloud.com/jdelmoral/lost-in-the-world-kanye-west


As I was watching this movie, this theme seemed to keep on reoccuring in many different ways and seemed very intrigueing to see how the main character Chris had first done everything according to society: ie get good grades, graduate from college, have a stable life....and then immideatly decided that this wasen't the way he wanted to live his life. He was seeking after something more powerfull than society could ever offer him, something that he if he wanted to get in touch with he would have to give up everything that most people consider valuable to expose himself to what most cannot get in touch with: God. In the begenning of the movie, one of the main quotes that can clearly represent this is the text that comes up on the screen and disappears: “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t met you though. Tramping is too Easy with all this money. My days were more exciting when I was penniless and had to Forage Around for my next meal… I’ve decided that I’m going to live this Life for some time to come. The Freedom and Simple Beauty of it is just too good to pass up.”.

While doing reasearch on Into the Wild, I  found out that Jon Krakauer had done tremendous amounts of work with writing about nature and climbing*, thus majorly influencing him to make this sort of film for almost a sort of rite of passage for a young adult right out of college. It is appealing how Mr. Krakauer had wanted to show everyone that you dont need to conform to society, you can find everything you need from God and in many ways such as in nature, and I believe that is what Chris has accomplished. By donating all of his life savings to charity, destroying every part of his identity, and almost starting would seem unimaginable to most, but for Chris, it worked. At the end of the movie, his sister says that whatever Chris has done, "Everything has to be said" and "Everything has to be done", so that other people can see what he was trying to show others. Having a college diploma to be successful, or have proof of an identity, or having money, you don't need any of that in life. By Chris burning everything that society considers valuable, it not only shows this, but also that you dont need any of that to be happy or be content. One of the major quotes from this movie that I think iterates this point is from Ron, the old man at the end of the film who genuinely loved Chris, and wanted what he had. Chris told him: "I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things." I feel that this quote sums up anonther key point that most people have a one-minded, narrow view of what things are, and we tend to forget that there can be two answers to the way we look at things. I feel like this is one of the few points that can be missed very easily since we tend to foget the other side of things, and that we should try to find a way to look at things differently. For example, most people would think you are insane if you were to burn money, or give away your life savings to charity, but to Chris that meant nothing compared to what he was hoping to find while in Alaska. I think Chris had died peacefully while making others think more about what had happened in his past and how greatly it had affected his views on society as a whole.

*http://www.randomhouse.com/features/krakauer/author.html

Fancy Chipotle Anyone?

During thanksgiving break I was able to go home and experience a delicacy that is quite popular at my home town: eating a Chipolte Burrito that can satisfy any hunger threat. After going to Chipotle, I was astounded at how rich the food had tasted and how satisfying it was, it just seemed like a gift from heaven to be able to eat a burrito, and quite frankly nothing could replace that hunger...until now. One of my friends that was eating his burrito showed me this website that had transformed regular fast food into fancy gourmet dishes, something that was strange but quite interesting. He told me that I had to try my burrito a different style, a different way of eating and looking at food. So, being me the non traditional conformist, I had to try this "delicacy". So there we were, slowly taking apart our burritos and he then further explained how to make a dish he called Chicken Chipotlioli which is what we would be making from out torn apart burritos. It was by far the most interesting experience I have ever done: taking apart a dish that almost all my friends consider a luxery to make it into a even better dish. After separating all the ingredients, we then had to much, or pulverize the chicken so that it turned into a baby food like substance to stuff into the ravioli's. Right after the first step, I knew that this dish would not be anything average, or anything that would be simple shake-n-bake creation. Nonetheless, we continued to make this baby-like paste until we ran out and then continued to make the spicy dipping sauce for our ravioli. Simple: take the tomatoes and chili red salsa, combine and much. After the whole process is done.......There it is: a Chipotle burrito sacrificed to make something of a more luxury dish? It was definitely luscious, but worth sacrificing a five dollar burrito to make a dish fancy? Apparently friends think otherwise and so does the recipe.

Recipie found at :
 http://www.fancyfastfood.com/post/415273056/chicken-chipotlioli

A Visual Analysis of A Cereal Box

Special K Special for Women?

  When walking down the cereal aisle consumers must make a choice of breakfast cereal based on the packaging alone. Companies spend thousands to research and implement marketing techniques in order to target a specific market. By using subtle and manipulative marketing techniques such as colors and images, Kellogg’s successfully markets the Special K brand of cereal to an audience of heath conscious women.

First impressions are lasting; colors and fonts draw attention and lure consumers into a sale. When consumers first look at the box of Special K, they will notice the main colors on the packaging are soothing shades of blue and bold red.  Artists and graphic designers call colors like red and blue compliments- meaning they go well together and are across from each other on the color wheel. Many marketers take advantage of complimentary colors to effectively create packaging that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but suits the target audience as well. Kellogg’s uses these two complimentary colors to imply a balance that a woman seeks in her life. The colors on the front of the box combine to create purple, which is used on the back of the box. Purple creates a soft, inviting, and warm feeling. Women use their feelings to communicate thoughts, and Kellogg’s has used the colors on this box to appeal specifically to women’s feelings.

Immediately beneath the Kellogg’s logo, a spotlight highlights the signature cursive red K amidst the soothing blue background color. Blue is especially well received by women because it is a pleasing and relaxing shade; a soothing color that reminds many of a mental state that they long for. The shading of blue on the box can also be recognized as a connection to nature as seen in the shade of blue in the sky, or blue in a lake. Women can relate to this because they enjoy what nature abides them to also represent optimism, or happiness. 

Red is an active, assertive color that empowers an individual. Its use on the box empowers women to take charge of ones health and well being. A contemporary example of the effective use of red is the Join (RED) program, which is focused to eliminate AIDS in Africa. This color is a motivation for action, thus influencing customers like women to help support a good cause, (“ The (RED) Idea”). On the box layout, the bold red is used as a call to action: to promote a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the woman on the back of the box is young, healthy, Caucasian, smiling, and wearing a red shirt as she eats a bowl of Special K Blueberry cereal (see figure one).

Figure 1- Woman on back of box

This image can have a bold impact on women because of the fact that most women are concerned with not just weight, but also with how they look. This can imply that most people will choose Special K Blueberry so that it will help them to achieve a healthy weight and thus achieving and maintaining their desired weight goals while projecting a positive body image. This notion can greatly affect woman browsing for cereal in that if they see someone that is fit, and fits in with society’s ideal woman then they too can strive to be like her. Women want to identify with something that will make them feel accepted by society. Society tells women that in order to be accepted, they need to be pretty and thin. So, a woman wants to belong, so she will choose to eat Kellogg’s Special K thinking she will become thinner and prettier just like the woman in the picture.

Red cursive script is used on the front with the K as well as on the back of the box with the “weigh less”. The large bold cursive K on the front can have a special meaning for women due to the fact that it emulates a woman’s curvy figure. After seeing this, a woman would be attracted to this box because it suggests that she can be as curvy as that K. The "weigh less" statement is in a different font and places an emphasis on these words and thus provides a flowing, soothing connotation.  Women interpret the red flowing script as being lighter so that they too can weigh less. Likewise the statement “exercise and a healthy lifestyle are important parts of any diet” is red beneath the young woman.  In this case, the change in font and color indicates an emphasis on these words and thus provides a flowing, soothing, connotation. One might infer that the overall common theme of red suggests a bold message that the woman wants a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Figure 2 - Violet Flower

To appeal to a woman's feminity, the final major aspect of the cereal box is using soft images to appeal to a women’s femininity. Kellogg’s demonstrates this by using a shadowed violet underneath the cereal bowl. The image of the flower and violet color catch the consumer’s eye because society attaches floral patterns and violet colors to a more feminine side (see figure 2).

Moreover, the placement of the coffee cup with the fruit behind it compliments the center of the cereal box that suggests a feminist touch. The product is staged so that all of the cereal is floating above the milk, implying that the cereal floats from the decreased amount of calories in it. A woman is more apt to eat this cereal if there are less calories in it because she is conscious of her weight and body image. On the physical flakes of cereal there are speckles of blueberries that appear to be a shade of violet. The specks on the flakes allude to the real color of blueberries, which can be inferred as a violet shade, thus corresponding to the color scheme of the box. The brown flakes with the violet speckles appear more appealing than hunks of blueberries because they are light and give the allusion of weighing less than a whole blueberry. The flakes also sparkle like diamonds, which always catch a woman's eye. The use of the color violet helps convince the woman consumer that Special K with blueberries is a cereal that is made specifically for woman.

            Briefly, the targeted audience of Special K is modern, health conscious women. This is apparent through the coloring as well as the images of the Special K box. One can see these ideas in the cursive red K, various violet shades used, and the placement of cereal. More specifically, the signature bold red K makes this cereal more appealing to women because it speaks to her femininity while suggesting that she take action to be slim, active, and healthy. As one can see, this cereal box incorporates many aspects and advertising techniques to catch the eye of a health conscious woman.

Images were scanned in.

Works Cited

“ The (RED) Idea.” Join (RED)

(RED) 09 October 2010 Web.  09 October 2010

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A Small Croissant

Whatever your pursuing in life or whatever you may be doing, family should be a priority at the top of your list. Whenever you’re with family, it brings everyone closer and a sense of togetherness. After reminiscing on some of our major family correlations, one of the fond memories that I always think back on is having my grandmother make some homemade mini croissants, then serving them whenever we all came together, wherever we chose to gather. These rolls were so special to everyone in our family because not that they were made from my grandmother, but that they were made with love, passion or special intent from generations ago because of where they first emerged.

           

            When I had first started to learn how to bake, one of the numerous people I had referred to in asking for recipes had been my grandma. When I asked for a recipe that I could keep with me, she gave me the recipe for mini croissants because of the significant meaning to it. It just so happened that the recipe that was given to me had been passed down from one of my grandmothers from a decade before me, on my mom’s side of the family, then inherited to my dad’s grandmother for safekeeping. When she showed me how old the original recipe was, I was shocked at how old it truly was, but also how well it tasted. After showing me this, she had then proceeded to explain how to form the dough into two triangles so that it would form a croissant when rolled together. Seeing this process was unique in that, it had been formed so that each stage was meticulously developed so that the finished product would turn out just right. First, you cut the dough so that it forms an isosceles acute triangle that can be then used later on. Do the same on the other side of the dough so that it becomes a reflection of the original triangle. Now carefully, cut out the piece of the dough, making sure not to rip any part of it and keeping it as much intact as possible.  Once the dough is properly cut, gently sprinkle some flour on the dough and the surface you will be using so that the dough doesn’t become sticky and messy. Flour up your hands so that the dough won’t stick as much either. Carefully take the tip of the triangle, starting to roll it, making it smooth as you go. These must be meticulously and precision cut to ensure that it rolls together properly. Similar caution and care must be taken to ensure that the dough will not unwind during the baking.

As I look back on making these rolls, one of the joyful memories that will always be with me is how we have eaten them. I remember always being divided into three tables: one for the boys, one for the girls and one for the adults. I remember always having the tables being divided and having the boy’s table inside the kitchen because we ate so many compared to everyone else.  I guess that’s what you get for having such a delicious, well-cherished recipe.  It was interesting to see how marvelous her cooking is and how it still stays that way, but yet amazes me in ways that I cannot express with pen to paper.

While I was helping bake these small croissants, I was reminiscing of how joyful everyone was not just to fellowship together as well as upbringing but more so because of my grandmothers baking skills that yet still astound me to this day and will always. As much as I want to see my grandmother live forever, I know that it would be incredibly hard to resuscitate how much care and effort she has put into keeping this recipe what it has become today. It will no doubt be a tradition that I will surely pass down to future generations in my family so that others can experience what a privilege it is to be able to make these small croissants.

Having Balence in Life**

Recently I was doing an assignment for one of my classes that was taking awawy a rather large amoutn of my time. As I was doing this I was wondering just how much time have I used just for school and if I ever took time off to be myself for a weekend. It was then that I realized that my life was lacking something key: balance. Having balance in life is something that everyone struggles with, whether it be a college student figuring out what to study or how much time I have left to do this, or a parent saying how they never have enough time in their day to get everything done.  I know that I personally, have struggled with trying to find balance, especially now with getting more involved in organizations and figuring out how much time should be devoted and when. One of the main ways to help find balance is to figure out what matters to you most and make time for that in your life. By keeping these priorities straight, it can help you to stay focused on one task at a time. Now, I try my best to keep myself balanced to an extent, but trying to keep up with  a certain sleeping pattern, or routine in college, just has never worked for me. I cant think of one college student that says they are content with where they are at now, and have balance in their lives. I think almost everyone struggles with this because society has imposed certain rules that we need to constantly check our email or we need to go in for work to make sure all of our clients are satisfied. By making these impositions indirectly, it can greatly affect not just families, but college students as well. Even I find myself consistently checking my email, making sure that I don't miss an important message for class or an updated assignment. Because we are so used to this fast paced life, I don't think we are used to take time to stop, and make time for activities that matter in our lives. By making this time, it can help improve employee's moral to work. As a future entrepreneur, one of the key points that I have heard mentioned numerous times is having balance between academics, extracurricular activities, and clubs/organizations. It was very, very surprising that even recruiters for jobs wanted to see balance in young people and not just someone that was an all-star baseball player, or someone that had lots of clubs, but was horrible academically. If we all can find balance in our life, it can help us to not just prioritize, but also make the key parts of life more rewarding and make us feel content with whatever journey in life we choose.

http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/5-strategies-for-life-balance?page=2