Blueberry Pie
Ever since I saw the musical “Waitress,” I can’t stop thinking about pie. I find myself singing the lyrics (pie, pie, pie, me o my, I love pie..) and then, of course, I start thinking about making a fresh pie but one that doesn’t have a lot of added fat or sugar. There are those who claim it’s nearly impossible to make a good pie without butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and cream but I’m here to tell you, a delicious fruit pie with a flaky crust is totally doable if you follow some advice. Read more 
You Play the Girl
Strategic girls manage perception; idealistic girls go up against the narrative, because it’s at the root of the problem, and they get crushed every time. ~Carina Chocano
When I was a young girl (maybe 12 or 13), I watched my mother get up early one Sunday morning and drive down to Walter’s Bakery (the local bakery known for their doughnuts, brownies, and New York-style streusel coffee cake) to buy a bag of glazed, powdered, and jelly doughnuts. She returned home, bag in hand and put the doughnuts on a plate and promptly delivered them upstairs to my five brothers who were in bed.
The problem with this extremely kind gesture is that it was Mother’s Day – that one day a year when fathers and kids are supposed to wait on mom, instead of the other way around. Even back then as a child I thought it was insane for a mother to bring her five sons fresh doughnuts in bed, especially on Mother’s Day. Where’s the justice? There wasn’t any…and that was the problem with growing up female in most homes in the 50’s, 60’s. and 70’s. Read more
Where Does $100 to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation Go?
The Childhood Leukemia Foundation (CLF) is a 501 (c) (3) based in Brick, New Jersey. Typically, disease-related foundations raise money to award grants for research but not so with CLF, an organization primarily engaged in using professional fundraisers to raise money to provide “wish baskets” and other products for special events. However, only 20% of revenue goes to these projects, so donor beware.
According to the IRS Form 990, CLF raised nearly $3.2 million in 2016, most of which ($2.5 million) came from contributions obtained through phone solicitations from four outside companies: Read more
Simple Kneads™
Simple Kneads™ is a Burlington, North Carolina-based company that makes gluten-free artisan bread that is unlike any gluten-free bread you’ve tasted. The loaves are rounder, denser, and have more substance than other gluten-free breads because Simple Kneads™ uses a variety of flours (millet, sorghum, buckwheat, teff, and quinoa) along with whole food ingredients (flax meal, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, raisin juice concentrate, sunflower seeds, expeller pressed sunflower seed oil, brown sesame seeds, salt, and cultured dextrose) to make the artisan loaves. Read more
Kale Beet Salad
Kale is one of those greens that I am always struggling to get more of because this dark green leafy nutrient-dense vegetable is just so good for our bodies. So, when I received my box from the Purple Carrot this week, I zeroed in on the recipe for “Cajun Roasted Broccoli Bowls.”
After quickly scanning the recipe (I am never one to follow a recipe), I decided to make a variation (from a bowl to a salad) by eliminating the added oils, the Cajun blackened seasoning and a few other ingredients while adding avocado, pumpkin seeds, and a seasoning called Salad Sprinkle by Frontier Co-op – a blend of sesame seeds, bell pepper, black pepper, lemon peel, green onion, celery flakes, and chervil, but you can use any seasoning (salt, pepper, fresh herbs, chopped parsley). Just make sure to add some type of seasoning to enhance the flavor of the vegetables. Read more
Where Does $100 to the Children’s Wish Foundation International Go?
The Children’s Wish Foundation International (not to be confused with the Make a Wish Foundation) is a 501 (c) (3) based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The organization (CWFI) fulfills wishes for seriously and terminally ill children which is enough to make almost anyone pull out their checkbook or respond to telemarketers phone calls, mailings, or internet solicitations. But, donors should think twice before donating to this organization because $51 of every $100 in revenue went towards fundraising and management expenses while only $23 out of every $100 was awarded in grants ($16 in cash grants and $7 in non-cash awards). Read more
Executive Compensation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private non-profit 501 (c) (3) college that specializes in engineering, technology, and the sciences. Located on 300 acres in Troy, New York, RPI also has two campuses in Connecticut – in Hartford and Groton. But, what also makes this institute well-known is its inclusion on lists of most highly compensated employees.
About 7,500 students (mostly undergraduate) attend RPI where annual tuition is about $50,000 plus about $17,000 for room and board bringing the total annual cost to $67,000. However, 5,172 recipients received $122 million in tuition discounts (an average of $24,000) while 919 teaching assistants at the graduate level received $35 million in tuition discounts (an average of $38,000 each). Of the total revenue received in 2016 ($538 million), $166 million (or 31% of revenue) was used for tuition discounts. Total expenses were $490 million (not including depreciation) which means expenses did not exceed revenue. RPI had $364 million in net fund assets at year-end. Read more
Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites
Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites are a new snack option for kids and adults who want something sweet and tangy without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Made of fruit that has been picked, puréed, and pressed into bite-sized pieces, Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. There are no added preservatives, refined sweeteners, waxes, or colors, and yes, the little squares taste great…chewy, sweet, and delicious. Read more
Executive Compensation at Duke
Duke University (Duke) is one of the most academically competitive schools in the country with an acceptance rate at about 9% of applicants. Located in Durham, North Caroline, Duke has about 15,000 students, of which 6,500 are undergraduates. The annual tuition is about $53,000 while room and board adds another $17,000 for a total annual cost of about $70,000.
In 2016, Duke’s total revenue was $2.8 billion with most of the income coming from 3 sources: contributions, gifts, and grants ($1.4 billion), tuition and academic fees ($1 billion) and investment income/sale of assets ($0.3 billion). Expenses were $2.7 billion (not including depreciation). At year-end, Duke had $9.2 billion in net fund assets. Read more
Where Silicon Valley Community Foundation Spends Revenue
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) is one of the largest (in terms of dollars) donor-advised community foundations in the country, second only to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to the NY Times. Never heard of it? Me neither until the New York Times printed an article (“Inside a Silicon Valley Charity, A Toxic Culture Festered“) about the organization’s “toxic culture” caused by the chief fund-raiser who allegedly bullied her staff while the foundation’s chief executive ignored complaints because her success at raising funds made him look good. Read more
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