by Ryker Suicide

Yesterday I made my momma’s recipe for Chicken and Dumplings. I’ve changed it a little bit over the years, but its one of my favorite comfort foods. Especially on a cold day in the winter when I can’t stand the thought of going outside 🙂 Enjoy! – Ryker Suicide

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 lb chicken thighs (skins removed)
• 1 carton of chicken stock (home made is even better)
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Thyme
• 2 1/4 cups of Bisquick
• 2/3 cup of milk
• Salt & pepper
• 1 1/2 TBS Poultry Seasoning
• Flour (for dredging)
• 2-3 cups of water
• 1/2 TBS Garlic powder
• 1 bag baby carrots (chopped)
• 1 bunch of celery (chopped)
• 2-3 small onions (2 onions chopped, 1 grated for dumplings)
• Olive oil

Directions:

Heat large pot with olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry and make sure skins are removed from breasts. Dredge in flour, poultry seasoning, about 1/8 cup of chopped fresh parsley and thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Brown chicken in pan, After chicken is browned, add vegetables and 1 cup of water, cover pot immediately and turn heat down to medium low. Let chicken/veggies cook for about 15 minutes.

Add another cup or two of water until chicken is JUST covered. Allow to cook about 20 minutes, flip chicken/stir veggies. Add chicken stock and 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, and 3-4 sprigs of chopped thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot again and allow chicken/vegetables to cook another 20 minutes or so until chicken is fork tender. You may have to turn the heat up to medium after adding stock. While you are allowing chicken to cook last 20 minutes, start on your dumplings.

In a mixing bowl, mix milk and Bisquick. Add grated onion, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Mix well. Remove cooked chicken from pot and cool. In near boiling broth, add dropfuls of dumplings to pot. When they float to the top they are ready. For a thinner broth, go easy on dumplings as they will thicken up the broth. Alternatively, you can cook them separately if you like a lot of dumplings. (I prefer a thicker broth for this dish.) If you are not familiar with making dumplings, I suggest testing one or two first to make sure they are at your preferred consistency. For thicker dumplings, add more Bisquick, for lighter, add more milk (not much!). Dumplings are always an experiment. You can also add potatoes to your dumplings as well. After dumplings are in your broth, turn heat down to low. When chicken is finished cooling, pull it off of bone and into bite sized pieces. I even shred some of it, but this is all to preference. Add to soup, and enjoy!

[..]

by Laurelin

It’s a weird thing, a girl’s heart. I like to think that no matter what my brain says, I can always make the right choice if I use both organs. Speak with your brain, think with your heart. As much as I wanted to open my mouth and protest as the last two important guys in my life let me go, I didn’t, because my heart told my brain that what they were doing was right, that we weren’t right, and it was time to be on my own again. I trust that my heart will always guide me, even if it sometimes gets lost. And I trust that even when I have to hurt someone else, I am only doing what’s right for me, and that’s what’s most important.

It was this situation I found myself in recently, and I still can’t help but feel so guilty for actually not feeling anything at all. I’m not sure when I arrived at the decision that I wasn’t exactly over my ex, but somewhere along the lines he crept back into my mind and there is nothing worse than a girl who can’t think straight who’s become involved with someone else. My “someone else” was another bartender, a fit and cocky guy who fit my unfortunate type perfectly. We had gone out a few times and what I thought was going to be something slow and fun quickly took a turn — this guy seemed to want to get serious almost immediately. I froze, unable to see his smiling face through the red flags that suddenly clouded my vision.

My brain started going a mile a minute. Was I scared to commit? If I didn’t want to be in relationship with this guy, why were we dating in the first place? Am I not ready to date? Or did I just know in my heart that he wasn’t the one for me? Was I just using these recent thoughts about my ex as a crutch to not have to feel anything for anyone right now? I was feeling overwhelmed and guilty almost immediately, even though I guess the point of dating is to get to know someone. If it wasn’t working out for me, all I had to do was end it. All I could do was tell the truth.

They weren’t kidding when they say the truth hurts. I kept faltering, stuttering, unable to find the words to say what I was feeling, unable to make this guy really understand why I couldn’t see him anymore. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, and it did not go well. All I kept thinking was that at least I was being honest, but it’s never easy to hurt someone, even if you have only just started seeing them. I wasn’t ready for this, I had to clear my own head and heart before I was willing to let someone else into either of them.

The amount of relief I felt when it was finally over was so great that I could have jumped for joy, and at the same time I could have burst into tears. Knowing that someone out there was so hurt and angry with me was like a punch in the gut. I’m so used to being the one who gets hurt that I forgot what it was like to do the hurting; it isn’t any easier.

So now I’m back to just me; my usual lingering unwelcome thoughts about the ex, back to sleeping with the cat and brewing only one cup of coffee in the morning. I kind of like it; my choice to be alone rather than be with someone who wasn’t right for me just for the sake of being with someone. I always did sleep better alone, and it’s a sound sleep, knowing that my heart and brain were on the same page and for once, did the right thing.

[..]

by Ryker Suicide

I’m making these meatballs for a holiday party. I’m not making the figs this year, unfortunately, because they are expensive to make and I’m broke. But they are incredible! – Ryker Suicide

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Ingredients:

• Figs (dried work as well!)
• Cream cheese (go with regular cream cheese, low fat just isn’t as indulgent!)
• Fresh Basil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sugar (as needed)
• Almond slivers
• Prosciutto (ab 8 oz will be good for 12-16 figs, depending on size).

Directions:

1. First make your balsamic reduction. For those of you unfamiliar with this delicious sauce recipe, it’s super easy! Simply pour desired amount of vinegar into pan (about a cup will do for, say, 16 figs since this is basically just a drizzle/garnish) and heat over high heat. Whisk vinegar constantly to prevent vinegar from burning until it starts to reduce, thicken, and glaze. Add sugar to taste. I usually like to add a TINY bit of sugar to this recipe just to sweeten it a bit, but keep in mind the figs are sweet on their own so you shouldn’t need too much.

2. Slice your figs in half length-wise and split open slightly. Stuff with cream cheese (I usually stir up the cream cheese and whip it a bit to get it softer. You can also add a bit of mascarpone if you are feeling fancy!). Add a fresh basil leaf (sizeable to fig, I usually end up using about a half of a basil leaf since they can be rather large) and then an almond sliver. Wrap fig in a thin slice of prosciutto.

3. Drizzle in balsamic reduction. Repeat for rest of figs.

4. Broil until just crisp on the outside (maybe 5 minutes? depending on your broiler). Keep an eye on them because you don’t want to burn the prosciutto.

Spicy Cocktail Meatballs

Ingredients for the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey (or beef for a more traditional meatball)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 eggs
• 2-3 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (obviously, the more you use the spicier they will turn out to be – I usually use around 3-4)
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle peppers in adobo)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Ingredients for the sauce:

Directions for the meatballs:

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the canola oil. Shape heaping teaspoons of the mixture into 1-inch balls. In a Dutch oven (or heavy, heavy pan), heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, wiping pan in between, sauté the meatballs, turning frequently for even browning, until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. (For those who prefer a lower fat option, meatballs also can be baked on 350 for about 25-30 minutes.) Place on a paper towel-lined plate.

Directions for the sauce:

Heat oil in the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and cook 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low.

Add the browned meatballs to the Dutch oven and toss gently to coat with sauce.

[..]

by Blogbot

SuicideGirls’ team of Bloggers and Agony Aunts share their suggestions on how you can give 2012 a kick-ass kick start.

1. There’s someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Too long. You fear by now you’ve procrastinated so long that it’s lame to reach out, so you’ve effectively paralyzed a valuable friendship that could easily re-blossom with a single call. You’re not paralyzed, it’s just a head trip. Guilt is useless. Make that call. Say Hi. Apologize. Laugh. Love. Life’s too short. Do it right now. “Happy New Year! I suck” is a great way to start a conversation! – Steve Altman

2. Cut off deadwood! Start by defriending, hiding or blocking the toxic individuals from your Facebook and Twitter feeds. – Dalila Suicide

3. Spend time with people that make you feel taller, brighter, and more capable than you did before. – Darrah de jour

4. Try dating someone you wouldn’t ordinarily date. Like, say, maybe an introverted writer-type that contributes to your favorite alt-beauty blog. Or an evangelical Christian. Those are your only two choices though: the writer or the evangelical. Choose wisely. – Matt Dunbar

5. Spend some time with a niece, nephew or cousin who are growing up and could use your advice. – Atlea Suicide

6. Talk to someone from your Facebook list face-to-face. – CoyoteMike

7. Come to terms with the fact that you mom has a Facebook. – Shotgun Suicide

8. Eating vegetarian style meals reduces the green house gas production. Try to incorporate this in to your lifestyle one day a week. It’s good for you and the earth. – Aadie Suicide

9. Eat lots and lots of cupcakes!!!! What? They’re epic and always put a smile on my face! – Kraven Suicide

10. Unfuck your habitat! There’s nothing like vastly improving your quality of life by having a clean, organized living space. Need tips and/or motivation? Visit unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/, because “no matter what our situations are, we deserve better than to live in filth.” – Perdita Suicide

11. Clean your car and your house through and through. – Atlea Suicide

12. Rearrange a room to get a fresh perspective on life. – Rambo Suicide

13. Go through all your clothes and decide if someone could make better use of some of them. Drop the excess baggage off at a shelter or contributing organization in your area. – Atlea Suicide

14. Donate those holiday presents that you don’t like. – Shotgun Suicide

15. Shop local whenever possible. – Salome Suicide

16. Eat at your favorite mom & pop restaurant, before it goes bankrupt too. – Shotgun Suicide

17. Set up a computer backup plan. Be ready for World Backup Day. – Bob Suicide

18. Start and finish a project you’ve had in mind for a long time. Renovations, painting a vase, knitting, really anything. – Atlea Suicide

19. Set a stupid goal and accomplish it, to prove to yourself that you can. – Darrah de jour

20. Quit saying you will do something and actually do it. When tasks, errands, and commitments are followed through with you feel much more productive. – Kraven Suicide

21. Take a risk. – Darrah de jour

22. Spend an hour with a happy dog, scratching his or her ears. – CoyoteMike

23. Try to go outside each day. Go for a walk. Make sure you have at least 20 minutes of “me” time. This way you’re incorporating self-thought and exercise. It’s very important to get to know yourself. You could be pleasantly surprised. – Aadie Suicide

24. Learn a new skill: baking, crocheting, taxidermy, etc. – Rambo Suicide

25. Take a college class that you want to take, not one that you need. – Shotgun Suicide

26. Find a hobby you can dedicate some time to. Something you love and have passion for. It keeps us young at heart and sane when we can lose our selves in something. – Kraven Suicide

27. Splurge on some really fancy underwear. – Rambo Suicide

28. Add a little color to your life however you see fit. A colorful world is so much better than a black and white one. – Kraven Suicide

29. Make time for yourself. Seriously. Put it in your calendar. Whether it is daily, weekly or monthly, schedule some time and don’t cut out on it for anyone. You’re the only one looking out for you. – Smythe Suicide

30. Treat yourself to an energy renewal weekend, be it at the spa or simply just by unplugging the phone and reading a book. – Atlea Suicide

31. Set up an automatic transfer of money into a savings account each month. – Salome Suicide

32. Watch Fight Club. – Darrah de jour

33. Listen to Valleyheart by She Wants Revenge – Nicole Powers

34. Read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (snag a free copy here) – EisMC2 and JackalAnon

35. See more live comedy and live music. – Squee Suicide

36. Support non-profit journalism – American Independent News Network, Truthout, GregPalast.com, BradBlog.com are all 501c3’s – donate to support the news that you read for free. Oh, and it’s tax deductible. – ZDRoberts

37. Protest the NDAA, unless you don’t care to plead the 5th. – Shotgun Suicide

38. Join the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) if you care about stopping SOPA. If you spend any time online, you should do. (For that matter, if you’re breathing, you should do!) – Nicole Powers

39. Protect your vote. The election is less than a year away, and you’ll need to start working now to make sure your vote actually counts. Find out why and how by downloading Steal Back Your Vote for free. SuicideGirls helped promote the project so you know it’s awesome and worth a read. – ZDRoberts

40. Get to know your presidential candidates. Look beyond the big social issues like abortion, and research their tax plans, health care ideas, and how they’ve voted in the past. You might find out they aren’t who you thought they were based on a few Facebook posts and Twitter campaigns. The election is coming soon. – Damon Martin

41. Stop by and say hi to your local Occupy. Shake someone’s hand and say “Thank you.” You’d be surprised how much it means to them. Oh, and give them a pair of mittens, it gets cold out there. – ZDRoberts

42. Write “Thank You” notes and post them to people who have helped you get through 2011. – Atlea Suicide

43. Send a letter to a friend, the kind with a stamp. – Shotgun Suicide

44. Create good karma. Treat others as you would want to be treated. In this day in age too many people are being hurtful towards one another in many forms. From anonymous hating via the internet, to being rude to a stranger just because your day didn’t go so well, to physical acts of hate out of spite, jealousy or lack of confidence. Think about how you can be a positive impact on others around you, from your family, friends, neighbors and strangers. Small gestures of kindness can go a long ways and karma will make its way back to you. – Dorsal Suicide

45. Pay for the next person in line at the coffee shop. – CoyoteMike

46. Find joy in the small things. It will help you appreciate the big things so much more. – Kraven Suicide

47. Make today count, because one day you will be nostalgic for it. – Shotgun Suicide

48. Spend more time living in the moment, and less time worrying about the past and the future. Neither of these exist – so live in the present! – Fabrizia Suicide

49. The past is over. Now move your ass. Welcome to 2012. – Darrah de jour

50. Have no regrets. It’s a New Year and that means progress. Do not look back, only forward to the happiness ahead! – Kraven Suicide

by Jeckyl Suicide

This is an original recipe that I made for a Red Velvet sponge cake that’s perfect for the holidays. I hope you like it!

– Jeckyl

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 720ml castor sugar
• 120ml vegetable oil
• 120ml sour cream
• 20ml vinegar
• 20ml vanilla essence
• 120ml red food coloring
• 720ml flour
• 240ml cocoa powder
• 20ml baking powder
• 20ml salt
• 3 eggs

Icing / Filling:

• 250g thick cream cheese
• 160g butter
• 4x250ml sifted icing sugar
• 5ml vanilla extract

Garnish:

• 2 x egg whites
• 3 x fresh red roses
• 3 x toothpicks
• Castor sugar to dust
• Green food coloring
• 2 x rolls of ready to use soft icing

Preparation:

1. Start by washing your hands thoroughly.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F.

3. Place the 2 egg whites into a cup and whip lightly with a fork. Wash the roses thoroughly. Using a brush, paint the roses with the egg white. Make sure every petal is covered. Next, dust the roses with castor sugar. The result should be an iced looking rose. Place onto a baking tray and allow to dry for a minimum of 1 hour.

4. Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, castor sugar).

5. In a separate bowl, cream together all your wet ingredients (sour cream, red food coloring, eggs, vinegar, vanilla essence, oil). Once fully combined, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring the whole time to avoid having lumps. In the end, your dough should be a deep rich red in color.

6. Grease a round cake tin and fill with around a quarter of the dough then place into the oven. This should take around 15-20 minutes to bake. When the top begins to brown a little, take it out and place onto a rack for cooling.

7. Once cooled, take out the cake tin, wash it, grease again, then place another quarter of the dough into the oven. Repeat this process until you have 4 cakes.

8. In another bowl, cream together all the icing/filling ingredients. The result should be a slightly yellow, very thick icing. Refrigerate.

9. Once the cakes have all cooled, separate them into pairs and stick one on top of the other using the icing/filling. Brush both stacks lightly with egg whites.

10. Using something round (e.g a small plate) cut one stack of cakes so that they’re slightly smaller than the other. Roll out the soft icing and cover both cakes. Be sure there are no bubbles. You can even use your hand to smoothen the surface. Do not discard leftover soft icing. Place the smaller stack on top of the bigger stack for a pyramid effect.

11. Now, color the leftover soft icing with the green food coloring and measure out the circumference of each cake. Cut a medium sized strip of green and, using egg white, stick it to the base of the cake.

12. Once this is done, stick a toothpick into each rose and arrange on the top of the cake then dust the entire cake with more egg white.

13. Refrigerate the cake overnight, and serve at room temperature.

Tada!!

by Laurelin

Winter is coming. Maybe I have been way too involved in reading the Game of Thrones series, but that phrase has been running the show these past few months. Winter is coming, cold weather, boyfriend season. It’s time to stockpile your nuts in anticipation of frozen ground, time to find some people to hibernate with, someone to snuggle with to save money on that heat bill. Whatever the reason, winter IS coming… and so far I think my stockroom is looking alright.

My best friend looked at me the other day and cautiously asked if she could tell me something. I said of course, and she slowly said, “I don’t think you’re over your ex-boyfriend.”

I laughed. “What was your first clue?” I said.

“Thank God,” she replied. “Well, you never came out and said it, so I didn’t want to bring it up.”

She’s right, although I feel like I always bring it up. For some reason lately his name has never been far from my mind, and even now, months later, I feel almost worse off than when it had just happened. It doesn’t make sense to me; it’s not like we had this incredible connection that I felt left a hole in my life. I have managed to maintain a normal work relationship with him, I have managed to keep calm when I need to and to keep a smile on my face. But I guess I never really had that healing ‘out of sight out of mind’ time period, and for some reason my mind is starting to play tricks on me, making me think I made a mistake. Making me wish that things hadn’t ended.

It’s not like I haven’t been dating and trying to move on. I went on a coffee date with a stranger, I’ve marched into the bar across the street and given my number to a bartender that I’ve always thought was cute. He called, and we’ve been meeting for drinks here and there, but in the back of my mind I think I’m doing it just for the challenge. When I go out with any of these guys I truly am looking for a connection. I don’t want to randomly hook up. I don’t even mean to stockpile for winter, it’s not nice. But all of a sudden I’m feeling wishy-washy, and for whatever reason on the first date we’re holding hands, and I’m smiling sweetly but really, I’m screaming, “WHO DOES THAT? GET ME OUTTA HERE!”

The other night after getting drinks with one guy (and a ride home from another) I decided to return a phone call from a far off ex-boyfriend, he had been calling during the date and I kept pushing him to voicemail.

“How was your date?” he asked.

“It was alright,” I say. “I miss you,” and I mean it. This guy and I are strictly friends now, and he moved to Los Angeles recently. We talk on the phone often, but he is greatly missed.

“Get in a cab and come to the Park Plaza hotel,” he says. “I’m in Boston.” Two minutes later I am back in a cab and heading downtown at two a.m., certain the cab driver thinks I’m a hooker. I pull up outside the hotel and walk through the doors into the most beautiful lobby I have ever seen. Crystal chandeliers hang from cathedral ceilings and music plays softly, drifting around the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen. I walk to the tree and look around until I hear him call my name, and we just hug for a few minutes. I feel like I’m in a movie, a good holiday heartwarming moment. He was someone who left a hole in my life when he left, and sometimes a hug from a friend at two a.m. in front of a fancy hotel Christmas tree is just what you need to feel whole again.

I spend the night, but we just talk and fall asleep. I laugh to myself going over the day in my head, a full shift at work, a burlesque ballet performance, drinks with one guy, a lift home from another, back in a cab to meet another at a hotel at three a.m. My best friend’s words echo in my head and I say them out loud to my friend and he nods knowingly. I’m not over my ex. I feel like I’m taking a huge step backwards. I shouldn’t have gone out with any of these guys, it’s not fair to them. I’m not really giving them a chance, I’m just trying to fill a space where something is missing. I sigh and snuggle up, the hotel room is cold, and winter is coming.

[..]

by Yashar Ali

I don’t like to drink. I don’t like the taste of alcohol. And, outside of a handful of memorable drinking stories that my friends and I repeatedly share with each other, I don’t get drunk and I don’t like to get drunk. I also don’t like the loss of time that comes with a hangover and the loss of control that comes with drinking.

And it’s not because I have a drinking problem. I never have. I just don’t like drinking alcohol, it’s simply not part of my life.

Even though I am in my early thirties, I still face this incredible pressure – peer pressure – to drink. I am talking about the kind of pressure we’re reminded of when we think of teenagers, college students, or those in their early twenties, and how our friends, during this phase of our lives, were pushing us to drink.

Although we often think peer pressure in drinking is tied to a younger more footloose group, to twenty-somethings who are still finding themselves, I’ve discovered through my own experience and through learning about the experiences of my readers, that age and professional status really plays no role in whether someone will pressure or be pressured. Men and women in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s are doing the pressuring.
It seems to me that social pressure to drink is more a cultural issue than an age issue.

I even have friends who claim they could never be in relationship with a person who doesn’t drink. Because that’s what every solid relationship is built on: consumption of alcohol.

In (Western) adult social culture, alcohol is a primary and important component of being part of a group, and people who are not interested in alcohol or dislike the taste, are subject to pressure to drink. They, in turn, are forced to find or create, what are deemed “legitimate reasons” for not joining in with the drinking. Failure to drink creates a barrier between the drinkers and those people, who, for various reasons, choose not to drink alcohol.

Why are we judging and pressuring people who don’t drink and why do we make them justify or explain their reasons for refusing alcohol?

Alcohol (and drinking) is a part of the wide range of social pressures in our culture and it’s part of the fabric of many people’s lives. However, it’s not an insignificant thing to ask and pressure someone else to drink.

I get that alcohol helps people loosen up in social settings, but it creates a barrier between people who choose to drink and people who don’t. And this barrier sets the tone for who talks to, and who hangs out with whom. It’s as if alcohol is the social glue that keeps us together, and if we don’t have it and are faced with some people who drink and some people who don’t, things seem to get off-balance and uncomfortable.

The idea of someone who doesn’t drink is so foreign to some people that we sometimes falsely assume that the person who is not drinking has a past of alcohol abuse or we force these non-drinkers to constantly explain themselves.

Mindy, a reader from Chicago in her early 30’s, often deals with new friends or colleagues who assume she was an alcoholic or member of A.A., because she chooses not to drink.

So when it comes to socializing, do we only have two categories for people: sober alcoholic or drinker? There are so many people that fall in between these two categories, they’re not really sober, but they’re also not active drinkers.

A friend of mine who works in corporate advertising commented on the pressure she feels when ordering a glass of water or lemonade at a restaurant with colleagues when everyone else is ordering wine or a cocktail, “I’m made to feel like I’m not an adult.”

Susie, a 38 year-old paralegal found herself being excluded from activities at work, because she barely drank.

“You won’t want to come out tonight because you don’t drink,” she would hear from her co-workers in an almost sympathetic tone (she would always be included in activities that didn’t include heavy drinking).

“I can still have a good time without drinking. It’s not like I’m standing there with my arms crossed at a bar, frowning. I just wonder if they feel judged if I am not doing shots with them and that’s why I’m not being included.”

For Susie and other people in her situation, the social interaction between colleagues, the same interaction that often aides people in their careers, is something that is stripped from her. Unless she’s willing to drink to intoxication, people just don’t feel comfortable having her around and so, Susie misses out on one part of professional networking.

My friend Erin, who is in her late 30’s, found her second pregnancy to be the saving grace, in terms of alleviating the pressure that comes with drinking, “I find it a relief now that I’m visibly six months pregnant, because I can point to my belly and say, ‘Sorry, I can’t!’”

“It will be a drag when I have to go back to explaining to people, ‘No really, I just don’t like it.’”

Having an excuse, whether it’s an illness or pregnancy, seems to offer a reprieve to those who don’t want to drink. But it still doesn’t make sense to me. I understand (but don’t accept) the social pressure to drink during high school and college-age years, but why are adults so obsessed with their friends, family, and colleagues drinking?

And why do there seem to be real, social consequences for people who don’t care to learn the difference between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet?

Yashar Ali is a Los Angeles-based columnist, commentator, and political veteran whose writings about women, gender inequality, political heroism, and society are showcased on his website, The Current Conscience. Please follow him on Twitter and join him on Facebook.

He will be soon releasing our first short e-book, entitled, A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not Crazy — How We Teach Men That Women Are Crazy and How We Convince Women To Ignore Their Instincts. If you are interested and want to be notified when the book is released, please click here to sign-up.

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