Frieda Online

Gluten free, vegan Apple Crumble Recipe (no white sugar either...)

2011-02-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend when looking at way too many Apples being sold in one pack by Costco, I decided it was time for Apple Pie. Since I am not a fan of too much processed sugary stuff I made this recipe up from ingredients that were around my house. It turned out like an Apple Crumble more so than a pie, but it is very tasty!

Vegan, gluten free (all based on Oats) and no white sugar. Enjoy!

Crust:

3 - 4 Cups Old Fashioned plain Oats

2/3 Cup of Coconut Oil (when at room temperature, not liquid, not hard)

4 -5 Tablespoons of cold water

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat the Oven to 375 Degrees.

Grind up all the Oats in a Food Processor (I used the Magic Bullet, which works perfectly for this) so they come out looking like flour. Mix the Oat "Flour" with the Coconut Oil, Water and Salt and make a crust dough that sticks together. (If the dough is not sticky enough add more Coconut Oil until its perfect).

Grease a deep pie pan with a bit of Coconut Oil. Put the crust dough into the pan and form an even crust all around. Put crust like that into the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

Filling:

4 - 6 Apples (depending on size of Apples)

1/2 Cup of Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Oats

2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (more if wanted)

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg (more if wanted)

Cut all the Apples into pieces (about 1 inch). Grind the Oats into Oat Flour and mix in with the Apples. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix them. Taste the filling. It should be at a good level of sweet and some liquid. Rather a tad too sweet and a bit too much liquid. After the Pie Crust has been in the oven for initial 10 minutes, fill the pie crust with Apple filling.

Crumble Topping:

2 Cups Oats

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

Cinnamon (if wanted)

Grind 1 Cup Oats into Oat Flour and keep the other cup as regular Oats. Mix in with all other ingredients. The crumbles should come out crumbly not sticky. (Use more Oat Flour if needed).

Put the crumbles on top of filling evenly and return the whole Apple Crumble back to the oven at 375 Degrees for 50 minutes (middle to lower half of oven).

All of the above are estimated, you might need a tad more or less of each, but it will come out nicely. The Apple Crumble seems to almost be better the second day.

Enjoy!

:0) Frieda Online

True!

2011-02-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

Here are two things that are very true:

Frieda Online :0)

Protein: Spinach vs. Meat, and the Spinach wins???

2011-01-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

If every food label was showing you what is in the product per 100 kcal, wouldn't that be less confusing than doing it by weight? Here an example. I am looking at a package of chicken sold at the supermarket: Serving size 1/2 a chicken breast, only 142 kcal, loads of protein and not too much fat. Looks healthy! Right? (Even the red meat next to it seems unhealthier as it has more fat).

Now maybe lets get some Spinach along with this. Everyone knows Spinach is healthy, good for you. Serving size is half a cup and there are only 20 kcal in a serving AND Vitamins! Everyone knows those are good for you, but what else really is in Spinach? In our 20 kcal serving it looks like a little touch of everything but not enough of anything to sustain us. Right??? (Same with Asparagus and other Vegetables).

What if we recalculate the whole thing so one does not have to calculate nutrition out every time we are at the supermarket? What if we just decided to label everything in a way were a label would tell you what is in 100 kcal of a product and how much you would need to eat of it to consume those 100 kcal as the "portion" size?

I know I would like this! It would make shopping a faster experience all together. I would grab that 100 kcal pack of Spinach Salad, the 100 kcal Pack of Asparagus and a 100 kcal "portion" of an apple and be out of there, knowing I just bought 300 kcal worth of food that holds plenty of Vitamins and other things that are good for you.

But hold on! Where is the Protein? Don't we all need Protein to feed our Muscles?

Right, nobody can live of some Vitamins, Water and Fiber alone! What else is there in Vegetables right? I can tell you: Good Protein! Good Carbohydrates! Vitamins! Nutrients straight from the Vegetable to your body, unprocessed!

When I tell this to people they do believe me sometimes, but they do not believe the Protein part. Well if we had food that was labeled correctly for us at the Stores we would all know by heart that for example a lean Beef actually has LESS Protein per 100 kcal than for example Spinach! So Spinach, a Vegetable holds more Protein than meat!!! Yup, check it out and please feel free to calculate it yourself. (I threw the original chicken and Asparagus in there as well so you get the whole picture).

So I would propose to just eat loads more Vegetables as they do hold all the good stuff that your body needs in Plenty: 13.5g of protein in Spinach and 13.4g in the lean meat. Thing is: You can eat soooo much more of the first and know that everything in it is good for you. Enjoy!

:0) Frieda Online

"Whole Grain" Cereal, what a seller!

2011-01-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have not written in a long time now. For some reason I made excuses to myself that I was too busy while doing things I did not really want to be doing. I think everyone experiences this once in a while. I am back now to focusing on what I love!

Inspired by the General Mills Breakfast Cereal Commercial I saw the other day I can do nothing but write about it. First, watch this:

Whole Grain in Lucky Charms Cereal! Wow, what a seller. It is frightening to me that probably well over 50% of the target audience for this commercial now will actually buy into this. They truly believe that for example Lucky Charms is a nutritious cereal which is good and save to feed to your kids. After all the advertisement says that all these "kids" cereals have at least (and I quote): "8 grams of whole grain and a good source of Calcium". The add further portrays active kids, which obviously are at the top of their game! They have just accomplished a goal (mostly indicated by all the winning metals around their necks) and they are of course happy and smiling.

I went to General Mills official website and checked out the actual ingredients of the most sugary Cereal I personally have ever tasted. Of course their claim is correct and yes, the main ingredient of their cereal is "Whole Grain Oats" which is followed immediately by Marshmallows (made out of sugar and coloring), followed by more Sugar, some Oat flour, Corn Syrup (Sugar), Corn Starch and so on...

One of the ingredients, even I, the foodie and Nutrition geek, was not aware of: "Trisodium Phosphate", what the heck is that???

It is listed as the seventh of the main ingredients. On a Google search the first thing that comes up is that Trisodium Phosphate is a degreaser, cleaning agent, stain remover and, yes, also a food additive. It's other description name is: "E 339", a substance s that by itself should never be consumed (poisonous), will not give a specific taste to the food it is added to and is solely used for technological food making reasons (for example to make appearance better).

General Mills says in a letter:

"TSP is used as a buffer to adjust the acidic nature of the cereal dough. In home cleaning products TSP is used in large quantities. In our food products we use very small amounts. Theoretically, any food grade base could be used: sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium phosphate, etc. At General Mills we have found that TSP works best in our particular products, and has been approved as safe for use in food by the Food and Drug Administration."

Lets focus back on the sugar in our "healthy 8 gram of whole grain" Cereal, the oh so Luck Charms. Sugar, the one thing we keep telling our kids to not eat too much of is found in overwhelming amounts in this cereal. So if you would like to give yourself or your kids a little sugar shock high of some processed white sugar, this is the way to go...NOT!

Especially for kids at an early age, who still learn eating patterns for the first time, this is crucial. We all know eating loads of sugar will make us hungry for more.... sugar! Blood sugar rises unnaturally by feeding our body factory produced sugars. Once the sugar high wears off we need more fuel to come back to that sugar high. The cycle will never stop until we feed our body proper nutrition!

What about plain whole grain Oatmeal with a Banana for breakfast? That is truly something that will give you natural Vitamins with sugar inside the fruit that no machine produced!

Here is actually the whole commercial voice over in writing, just because i think it comes across a little better in writing of how vague the statements made in the General Mills Cereal commercial really are:

"To do well, kids need to eat well; and eating well means getting enough whole grains and calcium. At General Mills big G kids cereals can help: Did you know it's the only leading line of kids cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? Cereals they already love like Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Give your kids more of what they need to be their best. Grow up strong with big G kids cereals!"

Please do not listen to this and think it's good for you or your kids: It's NOT! Feed your kids right and feed yourself right and do not believe the vague non statements that this cereal commercial makes.

:0) Frieda Online

Post and such ;0)

2010-06-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

what was different today is that I actually meant to write about a differnt subject... The recovering of the Password got me... Google has the Power ;0)

Public Reviews

2010-04-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

I just watched a Michael Douglas film: "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt". I watched it for the only two reasons that it was an instant Netflix movie and that it had a description that sound like this: "Michael Douglas stars as corrupt district attorney Mark Hunter in this remake of Fritz Lang's noir classic about a reporter, C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe), who sets himself up as the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit in order to expose Hunter's misdeeds. Nicholas's plans go awry, however, when Hunter discovers the trap and destroys the evidence that would exonerate the cub reporter. Amber Tamblyn and Orlando Jones co-star."

Now this a movie you kind of have to see for what's to come next. Only after the fact can you truly appreciate the following: A wonderful review by a fellow Netflixer that I read AFTER I sat through the whole movie. A review that made me break out in ridiculous laughter attacks. Thank you Netflix user gkl 446015! Enjoy:

"I have never felt the need to write public reviews. My feelings, good or bad, were never strong enough to warrant one. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, however, is quite possibly the worst movie ever made. I have no idea how they got Michael Douglas to participate because ever aspect of this movie is awful: writing, acting, editing, lighting, directing... Anything that a movie can do poorly, this movie does poorly. Michael Douglas does great with his Michael Douglas-ness but the words he was given are just so dumb and terrible and awful. This movie has absolutely no redeeming qualities, I'm embarrassed for everyone involved in making it. The deep seeded hatred I have for this movie is difficult to fully convey but suffice it to say that by not renting this movie you are actively taking a step to better the overall quality of your life." - gkl 446015

OK, so maybe don't watch the movie. In case your ever made to watch it though, just come back and read this beautiful review again and you just might burst into tears from laughing so hard.

:0) Frieda Online

Inspiration Point!

2010-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

"Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." - Buddha

:0) Frieda Online

Hiking with a river crossing ;0)

2010-03-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

This Sat we hiked 10 miles up to Mount Zion....

All of you that know I am afraid of hights (if I show it or not...). I would like to qote something a coach of mine wrote to me after this last hike:

"I was sharing with several of you that I am very afraid of edges and that was the biggest challenge of TNT Hike for me! While we won't see the same kind of edgy trails we did this week in future hikes, it is always good to have a back-up plan should you get into a fearful situation. I have a "mantra" I say in those spots. I had it on a card in my pack during my trip to Half Dome. Here it is (thanks to Frank Herbert's 'Dune' series):

The litany against fear:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its
path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."

Thank you Tanis! :0) I did never know that Tanis was afraid of hights... I guess we both hide our fears well ;0)

Thank you so much!

:0) Frieda Online

Temescal Canyon - The Rain!

2010-03-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

It was raining on the way down... slippery mud... definitely a do-not slip-now challenge! Good news: Saw my first Los Angeles rabbit ever! Big, beautiful, brown rabbit, yes!

:0) Frieda Online

7.3 Miles in Topanga = a click in my brain!

2010-02-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

When I first signed up with "Team In Training" to go hiking and help raise money for the "Leukemia & Lymphoma Society" (LLS), I did it to get to know new people, climb on top of some great mountains for some awesome views, and to do some good for society at the same time. Or so I thought...

It was not until the hike we did yesterday in Topanga Canyon that my brain clicked into a place I had not been in a while, because I try to avoid the subject:

I wanted to bring my mom back to life... and that was the true and real reason I signed up for this all along!

I never really had made this connection before as my mom had not died of any form of blood cancer, but it still was cancer. Now, anyone that has had anyone in their family die of a cancer knows that there is always the hope in back of anyones mind, that maybe if more research had been done on this specific form of cancer, a life of a loved one could have been saved!

It really sucks loosing people, especially good friends that are family. I wish for nobody to have to go through the pain and hurt a cancer patient and their loved ones go through... Ever!!! That is why I believe strongly in the work of LLS! They have achieved major breakthroughs in the research of cancer. I have met people that would not have been able to be alive today without the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's help!

I know that it is hard to grasp things as a whole in our world. For most it is easy to not care about people dying, that they did not know. Yet, so many have loved ones that are sick or have died of this crazy disease:

If you have someone you know that had battled with cancer of any kind, please help me in my efforts to raise money for LLS. For a donation on your behalf I will embroid the name of that person you know into the shirt I will be wearing to climb Half Dome. I will honor that person with every step I take to the top of the mountain sending them strength for their recovery or in my moms case, honoring her name for the great woman that she was!

Thank you!

:0) Frieda Online

Malibu State Park, Oh Yes!

2010-02-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Today was the day when I saw a herd of deer chase a coyote away.

They were about 100 feet away from the "herd" of people that we were at our first hike meeting in the Malibu State Park. At 8 am on this Saturday morning we were ready to see some amazing nature spectacles only 20 miles North-East of Hollywood. It is amazing what one can find in LA when looking for it... Nice 3 hour hike that lead us to the original film site of the TV show "Mash". Most of the filming sites props were burned down by wildfires a couple of years ago, but nature took over and it is gorgeous there!

All together it was a wonderful hike with great people all supporting the same cause of helping the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Please support me in raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Even the smallest donation helps!

Thank you!

:0) Frieda Online

Please Support Team In Training!

2010-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

Please support and help me raise money for Cancer! Read my story and why I am doing this here. Thank you!

Haiti Help!

2010-01-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

Please text 9-0-9-9-9 to "Haiti" and help support the American Red Cross in their efforts in Haiti's tragedy.

Brittany Murphy

2009-12-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

It is not good when someone young dies, no matter if they are a celebrity or not: When a celebrity dies though, one does not want to post a scandalous underwear pic of the missed one to remember the person that appeared on the movie screen. It feels weird. Nobody wants to say things either. Really we just want to grieve about the fact that there will be no new film appearance of that actor ever. We identify the situation with our personal losses and in that way grieve for the lost star that we really never knew.

I will miss Brittany Murphy much. She was marketed well to me as the female under 30 viewer and I feel like I knew her, even though we never met.

I hope there will be no bad publicity affecting Brittany after her death. When they do her autopsy and find scandalous causes of death, people should have the decency to just shut up in front of the reporters. Maybe they already have. Thanks for that!

Frieda Online :0)

Negotiating for You?

2009-12-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

So they finally have come up with some agreements at the green meetings in Copenhagen, the wonderful "Copenhagen Report", but really this just states a lot of things they should do, not what they will do, kinda funny really. Here is a little sneak, before you might not read the whole thing :0)

6. We recognize the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forrest degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forrest and agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions through the immediate establishment of mechanism including REDD-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from development countries.

Now kids, lets go and get those 3rd world countries ;0)))

Lets hope Yemi Katerere will do a good job influencing all the world leaders while

trying to support the little countries and holding on to the promised words in the "Copenhagen Report".

Oh promises, promises!

And then there is the 13 year old from last year that truly tried to make things happen,

but happenings are not so common apparently...

Merry Christmas everyone!

:0) Frieda Online

Button

2009-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

I went to a little house party last night and ran into an amazing artist, Shawn Button. Just wanted to share one of his paintings here. Self portrait bathing in fruit loops :0)

Frieda Online

Publicity Stunts vs. News

2009-12-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Somewhat recently the white house was crashed by a couple that supposedly was not on that little invite list the white house has for the annual state dinner. The media was freaking out. The press made it seem like Michaele and Tareq Salahi really crashed the white house festivities and that the secret service had done a horrible job. Somehow this all feels like a really good publicity stunt to me, one that will soon develop into a reality show and nobody in the actual public ever would know what hit them. Slowly, slowly, over days the media has dragged this out and slowly actual facts of the so called "crash" come to light. Of course there was a background check done and, yes, people responsible for making these lists at the white house knew who this couple was. The bigger story would be, who really pulled the strings and how much were they paid? I smell a reality show with an amazing marketing team...

Along with the whole Tiger Woods drove into a fire hydrant on private property these were THE headlines on the news during Thanksgiving and up to this day.

While we were listening to these oh so important happenings over and over while filling our bellies with turkey, somehow actual news slipped past us:

Aminatou Haidar for example was on a hunger strike over Thanksgiving almost about to die while fighting to not be exiled by her home country Morocco as she fights for independence as a Western Saharan citizen. She has been in the Tenerife airport on the Canary Irelands these past 3 weeks waiting for the right to see her children again.

Fake news should only go so far and that`s that!

Frieda Online

Tasered UCLA

2009-11-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

Protests at UCLA going on the past 3 days! The main media does not seem to want to report on this, especially the TV news.... WoW! Read more at LA Times

:0) Frieda Online

supporting education!

Jay Lenno

2009-11-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Everybody: Stop worrying about Jay Lenno and which show he will host.. He is a veteran, an old timer, he doesn`t care as long as he rules his show... Common everyone loves him no matter where his stand up is. I would go and see him at a local club if he wasn`t on TV anymore...

Frieda Online

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Miro Painting :0)

Frieda Online

350 today!

2009-10-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

350 today! Go to www.350.org for more info and incredible pix!

Frieda Online

Be seen on the giant screens of Times Square!

2009-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

This Saturday the 24th of October 2009 the annual international day of climate action is happening! One website dedicated to the event is 350.

On this platform anyone anywhere can check out what is going on in their local city on that day and how to get involved on the 350 world map.

"Already, over 4000 creative events are being planned in over 170 countries - from the slopes of Mt. Everest to the underwater reefs of the Maldive Islands, to the parks and streets of your own communities. Activists will be uploading images of their events in real-time to both the 350.org website and on the giant screens of Times Square. By day's end, there will be an unprecedented global gallery of images and stories, enough to make both old media and new ring out with this crucial number."

As I live in Hollywood I definitely want to draw attention to the fact that anyone can dress in bright orange and take some pictures in front of the Hollywood sign this saturday :0). I am serious people: Think of it like an early Halloween and take the kids or make it a happening with friends. You can find the directions to this event here.

:0) Frieda Online

Marilyn, the innocent dumb blonde

2009-10-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

Back in the day Marilyn Monroe was a star, an icon a legacy, just as today. People back in the day might have called her dumb, dizzy and blonde. People today call her the same, while holding her over their heads like the icon that she is.

Might this not just be a strategy? Does anyone to this day really believe that we as women do not play dumb to get where we want to be? Being smart is a rival to any man. Showing strength at the wrong moment might harm any women, at least that is what we are told by countless commercials and marketing campaigns... I hate to say it, but it must be true to this day as Paris Hilton makes a living by being a pretend blonde, who is in fact a smart business women! Case closed!

Frieda Online

Biosphere 2 - Blog Action Day 2009

2009-10-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

On September 21st 1991 eight people entered an experiment called "Biosphere 2". "Biosphere 2" was a completely sealed 3 acre structure made by men that essentially resembled a miniature Biosphere of the world we live in.

It was build to make the eight people inside of it completely independent from the world we know (Biosphere 1). The people inside had a miniature rain forest, an ocean, a desert and everything else that exist in our world today including multiple carefully measured bacteria that were put in their Biosphere 2 environment to keep them alive.

The group that lived in "Biosphere 2" made their own food by growing fruits and vegetables on their miniature farm. They stayed alive for so long inside this man made, completely sealed off area by carefully measuring and understanding the environment that surrounded them.

Jane Poynter was one of the people that lived in "Biosphere 2" for '2 years and 20 minutes'. She said that she 'literally became part of "Biosphere 2", giving the example that the CO2 that she breathed out became part of the sweet potatoes she was growing'.

(Watch her presentation here).

Now, isn`t that a thought people: We eat what we put into our Biosphere, our world we live in. Of course our "experiment" as of how much waste we can put out before we suffocate or die of malnutrition will last much longer, as our Biosphere is much bigger than "Biosphere 2" back in 1991. Aren`t we just a little crazy to see what we do to ourselves and that we do not do anything about it?

It is your world, your air and your life! Things are meant to be of quality! Things are meant to be fun! So here are some fun things to do with friends and by yourself that actually help you breath better at the same time:

:0)

Visit your local farmers market and buy locally grown vegetables and fruit. (It`s a fun thing to do with a friend and it`s good for the environment as transportation costs are low).
Turn off your TV and Computer completely when you are not in the room. Even better: Make the choice to turn of all electrical equipment in your house for 30 min before you go to bed and just relax lying on your bed, thinking about the day. This helps to reduce stress.
Remove yourself from Junk Mail mailing lists! Nobody needs all the useless letters trying to sell you stuff or trying to coax you into applying for the newest credit card. Removing yourself from Junk Mailing Lists will give you extra room in your mailbox and will save paper! (Remove yourself here).

Go Blog Action Day! :0)

Frieda Online

Filippa Hamilton - hero of the fake world

2009-10-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you Filippa Hamilton for getting fired! (Read the story here). One more voice against the idiots out there :0)

Frieda Online

Forbes "Hot" Holiday Toys

2009-10-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Rubiks Touch Cube, TechnoSource, $149.99

An updated electronic version of '80s classic. Instead of twisting, a player swipes a finger across the squares to reach the next sequence. Feeling stuck? The Touch Cube will even give hints for the next move.

Apparently these would be some of the hottest toys I could buy my kids if I had them. Remember the days where a whole table was involved in the task of figuring out the next move on the Rubiks Cube? Not anymore... the new computerized version will give you hints to solve the puzzle so nobody has to go through the drag of communicating with each other anymore. Finally! Another good game made for the unsocial child we love.

Also, please buy one of the dolls above for your daughter, so she can start comparing herself at an early age to role models the fashion industry provides for us :0).

Frieda Online

Two Touch

2009-10-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Touch is one of the most important things in life. Being touched emotionally might put you in a creative state of mind or you feel connected to someone because of it. Being touched by someone you like physically helps you heal or just relax from the day (which in my opinion is a form of healing as well). Many studies have been conducted on the human touch and how important it is to newborns to be held and cared for over long periods of time.

Our skin is the biggest organ we have and sometimes we forget about it as the place to start when it comes to healing the soul.

As kids we want to touch and feel everything but by the time we are adults we have learned to obey the rule: "Don`t Touch".

"All too often accidental touching, especially in public embarrasses us. Even an innocent handshake, if too prolonged, can be misconstrued as an invitation to a sexual encounter. Women are generally freer about hugging each other and holding hands. But if a woman is naturally tactile with men, her behavior can be easily misunderstood. Traditionally, a woman is taught to control any display of affection that could be interpreted as sexual; except with her partner.

Various studies have shown that when someone else gently holds a person's wrist, heartbeat slows and blood pressure declines. Children and adolescents, hospitalized for psychiatric problems, show remarkable reductions in anxiety levels and positive changes in attitude when they receive a brief daily back rub."

(http://tuberose.com/Touch.html)

So please just take care of yourself and the body you are given: Touch is essential for life!

Frieda Online

The power of a camera

2009-10-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Cameras are a fascinating invention to me.

Back when I was just 6 years old my mum would just hand me a snap camera and would let me run around taking pictures of random things until the film ran out. It was a little ceremony bringing the film to the shop to get it developed and then waiting the next 2 days in anticipation for the outcome of it.

In triumph would I bring the pictures home to spread them out on the breakfast kitchen table to decide which ones where refrigerator worthy. While standing on a kitchen chair I would display my art on adult eye level with magnets on the freezer portion of the fridge holding up at least 6 pictures next to one another. I loved having this freedom as the refrigerator was my display area and everyone that came to our house usually stopped by it sooner or later discussing my "art".

Cameras produce art. They tell stories that can not be put into words. Their product, whether it`s film or pictures can trigger emotion and tell amazing stories.

It was not until way later in my teenage years that I began to see the actual power of the camera itself. At parties and family events I loved catching people in action doing whatever it was they did. I loved the candid shots. It was all about staying unnoticed while creating art.

Observing though, especially through the eyes of a camera people did notice fairly quickly and in an instant their expression would change and they would pose as if someone had shouted out a command to do so.

It was not the art that was important anymore but merely the fact of being seen and acknowledged by the camera itself, the knowing that people around you see you being part of it.

Living in Hollywood for the past couple of years gave me another insight into the camera phenomenon. Just merely walking around with a camera on Hollywood Blvd will make people want to be seen. If you give them just a little time in front of a rolling camera people will talk about things they might never tell you without it.

I guess maybe it is that a camera is the best listener of all.

Yes, in Hollywood a camera might be used to deliver the newest, fake "reality" show to the mass audience of America, but in general there is no other medium that can tell amazing stories like a camera can.

That is exactly why it hurts us so bad when a roll of film gets lost, because we as a society lack the words that can describe the experience of film or pictures.

Art stays important!

Thx, Frieda Online

Behind bars

2009-10-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Somehow this picture is a statement in itself.

God grew tired of us

2009-09-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

"God grew tired of us" what an amazing film! Executive produced by Brad Pit, narrated by Nicole Kidman and directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn as his second film ever. Of course this movie won awards back in 2006 when it was released!

The filmmakers follow 3 Sudanese refugees, that have raised themselves along with thousands of others just like them in the desert. For the first time in their lives they come into a western world, when due to a US program they have the chance to live in America for good. The camera follows them as it is explained to them how to use a refrigerator or as they see instant running hot water for the first time.

It is amazing to follow their learning progress, when it comes to the western world, but the thing that clearly touched me was how much we as a society have forgotten that we need each other.

A family is important to ones soul and by that I mean the family of community.

A family of good friends might sometimes be annoying, as we are all finding our own way in life and we make our own decisions, but doesn`t it also feel good to have someone that watches out for your heart and soul?

Just watch out for the people you love and care about please :0)

Frieda Online

"Latisse" -the fear factor- get those lashes you never knew you were missing

2009-09-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

We know from every eye cosmetic commercial, that a woman in the 21st century needs to have thicker, darker and longer eyelashes to survive. It is essential like the newest slim drink and the anti depressant pill ads delivered in the same commercial break.

If in the last week you have watched TV for an hour or even if you tried to catch the latest show on the internet, there is no avoiding the "Latisse" Commercial, a beauty product, promoted by Brook Shields, that helps Patients control Glucoma, which is a disease of the eye that can lead to blindness... Wait... What?

Am I lying about the product? No! It is true that Brook Shields is promoting "Latisse", but instead of "Latisse" being marketed as a medical drug to help Glucoma Patients it is sold to us as the ultimate product every woman had been waiting for:

"Latisse - the first FDA approved prescription treatment for inadequate or not enough eyelashes, growing them longer, fuller and darker". (Quoted exactly how it is written on the "Latisse" Webpage).

I just could not stop laughing while writing down their websites quote just now :0)

Common! It is one thing to sell us crazy pills to slim down our figure that everyone knows have side effects, but it is another to actually try to make me believe that I have "Eyelash Hypotrichosis". Just for everyone that was not informed about this scary condition and what it is (I was not until 5 minutes ago) here a little info on the word "Hypotrichosis" by itself:

"Hypotrichosis is a condition of abnormal hair growth. It occurs, most frequently, by the growth of terminal hair in areas of the body that normally produce vellus hair. Typically, the individual's hair growth is normal after birth, but shortly thereafter the hair is shed and replaced with sparse, abnormal hair growth. The new hair is typically fine, short and brittle, and may lack pigmentation. Baldness may be present by the time the subject is 25 years old". (Wiki)

Acording to the "Latisse" info "Hypotrichosis" is "another name for not having full or inadequate eyelashes".

Funny enough the so called "condition" of "Eyelash Hypotrichosis" is something that by definition did not exist before "Latisse" was aproved by the FDA, hit the market and had to scare us into buying their product, which by the way only costs you 120 bucks a month.

Yup, that`s right: Why buy the good old mascara for 10 Dollars when you can have some major side effects like eyelid skin darkening, redness of the eye or an "increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent" for only $ 120 a month.

Just for kicks I wanted to include some of the prescription information content information right here, which may just make you want to stir away from this product for good:

See full prescribing information for LATISSE™

8.1 Pregnancy
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of

bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03% administration

in pregnant women. Because animal reproductive

studies are not always predictive of human response,

LATISSE™ should be administered during pregnancy

only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to

the fetus.

8.3 Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether LATISSE™ solution is

excreted in human milk, although in animal studies,

bimatoprost has been shown to be excreted in breast

milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk,

caution should be exercised when LATISSE™ is

administered to a nursing woman.

Frieda Online

Feminism?

2009-09-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

"The builders of feminism never consulted men universally to get their approval and cooperation on the idea of feminism. Feminism was virtually a unilateral move by females seeking to fascistically push and impose on men something that is overwhelmingly against their will and their genetically-determined nature." John C. Garrison

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:04:56 -0700 PDT

Source: http://enewschannels.com/2009/09/11/enc8664_140456.php

It is 2009. I am a married woman. My husband might belong to a different race than mine. I share a car with my husband that we own under my name. He owns a house that is considered ours. We have a shared account that we deposit both our paychecks on. Some months he makes more money than I do other month I make more money than he does. We live together and respect each other in our qualities. I have the right to go to the doctor and have a birth control pill prescribed to me. I can buy condoms in the store when I want and where I want and he can do the same. If a condom that we used was ever to rip, we could go to a doctor and have the pill after prescribed to us, if we weren`t ready for a child.

When I have my paycheck in my hands I have a choice. I can do anything I want with that check. I can choose to buy a roof over my head, a new pair of shoes or the newest computer out there. Nobody would question any of that as I am a woman living in the United States during the year of 2009.

Thinking about my grandma, who was born in the year of 1929, exactly 80 years ago.. no such luck of freedom. Until 1965 contraception was officially declared to be illegal for everyone in Connecticut. This applied to the contract of marriage. That means in the year 1949, when my grandma got married at the age of 20 she did not have the choice to use any form of birth control. Yes, the use of condoms became legal in 1918 (which was only a little over 90 years ago), but it was not until the year of 1965 that this law applied to the state of Connecticut!

There was no personal choice in what she wanted to do at that time. The law said: Your purpose is the household and kids and that`s how it was.

It wasn`t until 1960 that the first FDA approved birth control pill hit the market. It was 100% effective, but had terrible side effects like life threatening blood clots. Eventually it was realized that the initial dose was 10 times too high.

In 1967 (only 42 years ago) interracial marriage was allowed, even when not socially accepted everywhere even until today.

Now at this point one would think the sexual liberation has ended, everyone is on the same page and has equal rights... Not in Massachusetts where it was not until the year of 1972! that unmarried couples could walk legally into a store and buy any form of birth control. It was illegal to buy birth control if you weren`t married! It took William Bard to be charged with a felony for distributing contraceptive foams during lectures on population control at Boston University to make birth control legal to everybody under Massachusetts law. "Under Masachusets law, contraceptives could be distributed only by registered doctors or pharmacists, and only to married persons." (wiki)

Finally, not until the year of 1998 the first emergency contraception pill was approved by the FDA!

Can I just say that for myself in this whole development over time I feel a sense of freedom. It is a freedom of choice that is given to me by fellow women that fought hard for all of these rights in the past. These so called feminists that went through times of being arrested for taking control over their simple human rights.

Please "forgive" them if they did not ask for the male permission on what they have achieved. Please "forgive" all the feminists that have fought so hard if they "imposed on men something that is overwhelmingly against their will and their genetically-determined nature".

We are in the year of 2009 for anyone that has not realized that!

Frieda Online

You weigh what?

2009-09-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

Gabriella Reece being 6'3" and weighing 160-170 pounds. She has never been ashamed to tell people her weight.

Frieda Online

Whitney Thompson weight?

2009-09-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

It is incredible how focused we are as a society when it comes to the weight of a woman. Doing a little research on "plus size" models I came across Whitney Thompson, who was the first woman to ever win "Americas Next Top Model" as a plus size model. Having found her name as part of an article I typed "Whitney Thompson" into the Google search engine. I got as far as "Whitney Th..." when the search engine suggested "Whitney Thompson weight", meaning that this was one of the most searched items related to her name. I of course can not be sure of this, but I am almost certain that over 80% of those searches where probably conducted by women. How come we are so obsessed to try to label each other through a number on a scale? I want to blame the media and the crazy role models they present to us.

I remember when I was younger I was obsessed with my weight for the longest time. I looked at the Celebrities and it comforted me to read an article in a magazine where specific heights and weights of female stars where given. That way I was able to compare myself. I was able to find out what I should look like and what I should weigh at the height I was at.

I was always pretty tall for my age and people sometimes made comments like: "You should be a model." That`s how I got into reading model magazines and bombarding myself with hard facts of the modeling industry. One magazine I had said that a model should never weigh more than 125 pounds. I was over! In order to ever succeed I had to loose 5 pounds. I was 12 at the time and there was not an inch of fat on my body!

Now, I have had some insight into the craziness of make believe when I was a sports model for a brief period in my life. I am almost 6 feet tall and in my best and slimmest condition the lowest my scale ever dropped to was 155 pounds and that fluctuated up and down varying up to 8 pounds a day.

When you go out as a model to castings you have a sed card which indicates your current weight and height and measurements. Mine lied! My agency knew what I weighed and they loved the way I looked, but just for the heck of marketing me better they dropped 20 pounds of my real weight on my sed card: 135 lbs. I have never weighed that in my whole life after the age of 14!

I tried to just for fun see what would happen if I would search "Brad Pitt weight" and sure enough as a first result I got: "Jolie loosing weight to get Pitt`s attention". Really!?

Frieda Online

So called "Plus Size"

2009-09-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! There was an upstir a couple days ago during the London Fashion Week about designer Mark Fast who actually dared to put 3 "plus size" models on the runway for his show. Now, these girls where a size 8 to 10 in US size, but 2 people of Fast`s staff left as they apparently did not support having such a regular sized woman on the runway. This is what Mark Fast`s publicist said after the show: "We wanted women to know they don`t have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress - curvier women can look even better in one." Thank you for that!

Frieda Online

Julianos Raw

2009-09-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Nectarines are an amazing fruit. I just had 3 in a row and the sugar high made me want to write:

I am inspired! I helped out a friend of mine on a small production exactly a week ago to the day. Our shoot location happened to be the raw food restaurant "Julianos Raw" in Santa Monica. We actually were there to do an interview with the owner Juliano himself. Amazing! I had not been inspired in a while to watch out for myself and the body that I have. At "Julianos Raw" any dish that is made is vegan and raw. Salads are only a small part of the menu though... when we were done shooting we ordered Seafood Pasta, Lasagna, a Hamburger and chocolate desert all vegan and nothing heated over 115 Degrees and all made out of nuts seeds, fruit and vegies and super healthy!

Go to: www.planetraw.com to learn more :0)

Thank you guys :0)

FriedaOnline