Top 5 Web Finds

1. "Look at me, I have more in my checking account than you'll make in a decade!" Also, an even more cynical approach: "Who cares what the FDIC limits are, Chase is 'too big to fail' so if it collapses it'll get a bailout."


2. The environmental impact of Google searches - The premise: It takes energy to run a computer. It takes lots of energy to run the numerous and ginormous (ginumerous?) Google servers. Thus, searching on Google contributes to climate change. However, the way I look at it, if you comparison shop once for something by searching online instead of by driving to brick-and-mortar stores, that saves enough carbon emissions to offset countless searches.

3. That mouthwash that hurts like heck when you use it? Yeah, it's probably making you vulnerable to cancer too.

4. Good news for those closet cabaret performers: You can now authorize Visa purchases by singing, rather than signing. High school English teachers of the world, you are right--spell check will not always save you!


5. My brother asked for a meatloaf recipe, which sounds like a simple request to fulfill. But it becomes a day long odyssey if you are like me and want to know all the possible permutations out there. Here is a list I compiled throughout the day of people's tricks and "secret ingredients":

• Use stuffing mix instead of breadcrumbs. For moister meatloaf, soak the stuffing mix in water before mixing it into the meat.
• 1 cup of cottage cheese for a richer meatloaf
• half a cup of Heinz chili sauce
• 1 cup French fried onions
• 1 cup applesauce for moisture
• 1 cup cooked rice for bulk (or use a flavored one for taste)
• 1 ½ cups refrigerated hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup refried beans (for a Mexican version, see below)
• Use crushed Ritz crackers instead of saltines
• Use crushed BBQ potato chips in place of some of the breadcrumbs or crackers
• Grape jelly in the sauce on the top
  
• Pork and beans instead of ketchup/tomato sauce
• Chili instead of ketchup/tomato sauce
• ¼ cup horseradish
• Fennel seed (my favorite)
• Hoisin sauce (for an Asian-tasting meatloaf)
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup (not diluted) as topping
• Italian dressing seasonings packet
  
• Add half the meat on the bottom of the pan, layer with cheese, then add rest of meat on top