I roasted some sweet potatoes last night. Vons had a sale on the precut little bags of sweet potatoes (so indulgent), but I figured better to pay lazy tax vs. not eating vegetables. Roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper. SO DAMN GOOD. That was remarkably easy. Love the salty crispy edges.

Plus, warmed the house with the oven usage.

I like to do a pan of roasted root vegetables -- a white potato, a sweet potato, couple of beets, some carrots, maybe a turnip. DELISH. If a lot of peeling, when you buy them whole.

Good idea. I need to eat more veggies. Even cooked in olive oil.

I have to say, I liked the sweet potato pie. But that's supposed to be sweet! I think I have issues with main course sweetness.

I love lightly sauteeing zuccs and yellow sqaush in olive oil, garic and salt. Onions , too, if I can avoid ripping my eyes out.

I've been doing baking for the warming. Yes, I have efficient heat. But a hot oven counteracts the idea of freaking miserable outside even more.

My current forcing of vegs when I'm being lazy is romain. Lots of romain. And V8 fruit juices. Which, considering I like vegetables, is rather sad. But lazy.

I made enchiladas.

Too many enchiladas, as it turns out, and I'm not at all sure how good they'll be reheated. But still -- multi-step meal! Go me!

Of course, I did no work tonight. Oh well. Bedtime!

The Most Shocking Things Ever Found Inside Of A Dog’s Stomach

Knives, choke chain, wii controller....

Juliette Piesley, 39, had changed the battery in her electronic key fob but was then unable to start her car.

When AA patrolman Kevin Gorman arrived at the scene in Addlestone, Surrey, he found its immobiliser chip was missing.

Ms Piesley said her dog George had eaten something, and realising it was the chip, he put the dog in the front seat and started the car with the key.[…]

“They will now have to take George [the dog] with them in the car until things take their natural course.

That dog is a hero to all dog-kind.

Weird.

Fever can briefly unlock autistic brain

Over the past few decades, parents and clinicians have observed that the behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to improve, sometimes rather dramatically, during a fever. Longer concentration spans, increased language production, improved eye contact and better overall relations with adults and peers have all been reported. In a study published today in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland confirmed, for the first time, parent and clinician reports that the behavior of children with ASD improves with fever. The study evaluated children with ASD during and after an episode of fever and found that fewer autistic-like behaviors were recorded for children with fever compared to controls. Understanding how fever affects the behaviors of children with ASD may provide insight into the causes of the disorder and potential treatment opportunities.

In typically developing children, signals are constantly being sent through pathways that connect the different regions of the brain and allow them to communicate with one another. Research has shown that these connections between brain regions are not made in children with autism, which limits their ability to communicate and socialize. But, the rapid behavioral changes observed with the onset of fever in children with ASD suggest that the different regions of the brain are in fact capable of connecting and communicating with one another, and that something about the fever state triggers or speeds up the signaling between brain regions. Understanding this “fever effect,” including why and how connections are made between brain regions during a febrile (fever) state and not in an afebrile (without fever) state in children with ASD may provide valuable insight into the neurological basis of the disorder.

I killed Natter....

Guess there's nothing wrong with making it more dead.

Kitty Wigs, Stylish Wigs For Your Cat

"Electric Blue" is my favorite....

Blue is edgy and electric. In this wig, Chicken sports some serrrrious attitude – she’s thinking saxophones, smoke and snapping fingers.

Blue gives your kitty a sharp look -- jazzy and totally copacetic.

Also,

Blonde sets off your kitty’s eyes and makes your kitty look tan.

...and...

Pink makes your kitty feel elegant, modern and quintessentially feline.

eta: From the kitty wig Flickr group, a hairless cat with a wig: [link]