A college professor once told me that most adults finish all serious reading by the time they reach the age of 23.  He went on to say that most professions, even ones that require a four year degree, do not require the worker to engage in prolonged or critical reading.  And while I’m sure there are exceptions to the statement, […]

The Fall is the best time to both purchase and plant shrubs or trees.   On the purchasing side, most home centers and landscape shops are looking to clear inventory so you should be able to find nice deals (Home Depot, for example, has a 75% percent off shrubs sale currently). In terms of planting, the cool days and nights are […]

Barack Obama’s recent victory and political campaign got me thinking, what does it take to be a successful leader or manager?  More specifically, I wondered about what specific, practical, traits a person needs in order to motivate and change people’s behavior?  Afterall, effective communications is all about influencing someone so their behavior matches what you’re trying to get across.  Here are some […]

Becoming financially independent is about setting goals and staying on track in order to achieve those goals.  In my view, most Americans are in poor financial shape (i.e., living on credit, spending more than they earn,  not saving enough or at all, etc.) because they have not set financial goals, partly due to not knowing how to do so (that’s my […]

Nothing says the Fall like slowly simmering meats in a big pot!  My personal favorite braising meat is the short rib.  According to Chow.com, “Short ribs are cut from different sections of the 12 ribs that start at the chuck (shoulder) and continue to the loin. Relatively square, short ribs have full-bodied flavor and luscious tenderness that develop when they […]

How to Shop for Fruit, Vegetables, and Fish For some folks, going to the market is a weekly chore and for others it’s an opportunity to purchase wonderful meats, vegetables, cheeses, fish, and fruits. It’s probably no surprise that we fall into the later group here at Scordo and that we actually look forward to food shopping! It wasn’t until […]

With the Winter season fast approaching my metabolism has kicked into high gear and I’m consuming more and more of my favorite foods!  Here’s Part 4 of my Foods I Live on series: De Cecco Pasta – arguably the best bang for your buck dry pasta on the market.  While you can find cheaper dry, Italian, pasta on the market, De […]

Thanks to Av for first preparing this dish and providing the recipe!  Kufta Kebab are Israeli-style grilled lamb/beef skewers. The kebab recipe has Arab roots and Kufta actually means pounded meat and comes from the Syrian term kooftah.  Here’s the simple recipe beginning with the ingredients: 2 pounds of ground lamb 1 pound of ground beef 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 head […]

The winter season is just around the corner and if you haven’t already done so now is the time to start preparing your home for the winter elements.  Winterizing your home will not only make your home more cost efficient and save you money, but you’ll also be more comfortable in January and February when snow and wind are outside […]

NOW is the time to start preparing for the worsening economy (that’s right, you’ve read the preceding sentence correctly, the economy will get worse).  Sure, we’ve seen some pretty abysmal days on Wall Street and some radical actions taken by the US government, but beyond a deflated 401K account most Americans have yet to feel the roar of the current Recession.  […]