Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? I always am... To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture. 

Stories about how people improved their lives by changing their diets always intrigue me. I would say they inspire me except that I keep not taking the appropriate steps... Hopefully one day I'll get over that bump. In the meantime, memorable stories I've read over the past few months that illustrate a connection between what individuals eat and how they feel.
Jay Parkinson + MD + Ph.D. cut caffeine and lost his daily migraines.
Carrie at Deliciously Organic manages her Hashimoto’s disease (thyroid) with diet.
Helene at My Tartlette manages her Meniere's disease by eating gluten-free.
Nicole at Pinch My Salt manages her reactive hypoglycemia with diet.

The "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" exhibit at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC sounds fascinating. It covers 200 years of America's relationship with food and the government's role in it. It runs from June 10, 2011 – January 3, 2012 and is free.

It is here! The USDA's Food Pyramid has been replaced with MyPlate. This format is easier to interpret, but I find it shocking that $2 million will have been spent between developing and marketing the new logo and creating the new accompanying web site. Marion Nestle offers her commentary on the new format and  highlights other eating guides that use the plate as their shape here.

Vogue Italia is featuring three beautiful plus size models on its July cover. (via Courtney who rightly comments "But did they have to sit the "plus sized models" at a dinner table?") French Elle's April cover featured Tara Lynn, one of the models. You can see her 20-page editorial from that issue here.

Zuburbia has a neat weekly feature where they curate the best vintage items on eBay. It is worth the time if you enjoy vintage.

Jelly Shot Test Kitchen - brilliant and surely delicious. I had been contemplating a pursuit of this sort when Courtney posted this. It will be a good resource should I go down that road and, in the meantime, it is great eye candy.

Richmond residents - Broad Appetit on Sunday sounds mighty tasty. 

Recipes Bookmarked
Coconut Shrimp Poppers with Chili Mango Cream at Pinch My Salt
No Knead Bread (8-12 hour version) Pizza Dough at David Leibovitz
Ranch Dressing at Deliciously Organic

Carribean, May 2006

(I wish I were there now!)

I'm not a huge fan of mash-ups, but Paul makes a good case for them with this one featuring Radiohead and Dave Brubeck. Click through to hear it.