Facebook as a learning tool, that's right parents!

Thank god for Facebook. Facebook keeps me up to date on all current news and world events. Because yes that is the source as to where I glean all my information and knowledge from. Thanks to the individuals who posted about Wall Street and its 99%, I was able to partake in an intelligent conversation around the dinner table with friends of my husband. They are all smarty-pants in business school so when in Rome, you know, when in Rome. Kudos to those that post about Kim Kardashian so I don’t look like a total loser when I don’t even know about the lives of the rich and the famous. I can now display the right amount of shock and disbelief when talking about her 72-day marriage. It’s all right Kim; don’t let THEM knock you down.

I feel for all of you in the Tri-state area that dealt with snow in October and power outages, but you should all be thankful for Facebook because you have all been able to update your statuses and bitch and moan about your lack of power. See? The good that Facebook does, keeps us all connected and abreast of every situation.

I mostly use Facebook as a way to post photos of my kid thus setting precedent for embarrassing moments in his future. First potential girlfriend friends him on Facebook? She sees a photo of him shoving food in his mouth and smearing it all over his hair. Here I thought it was adorable but she might think “oh what a pig, I’m so not going on date with him, who wants to watch someone eat like that?” Now how about when he applies for a prestigious summer internship? His would-be-boss takes a look at a photo of him naked except for a diaper and climbing on his block table. Again ADORABLE! But that boss might wonder if my kid is a closet nudist and possibly into scaling the office walls and shelves. So he might not be hired for that summer internship. But then I say, hey kid you are better off, you wouldn’t want to work in an environment that stifles your creativity now would you.

Our kids these days have their whole lives broadcast online but for only your friends of friends of friends and their friends to see. When in line at the supermarket I log onto to Facebook via my iPhone and I show my kid different photos of himself and his friends. He loves it, and I love it more because I’m able to breeze through that checkout line without ripping a balloon, candy bar, package of gum and the pole you put on the conveyor belt out of his hands. Facebook as a distraction tool. Works marvelous while changing a diaper as well.

And now thanks to facebook, I am petrified of my baby’s bath soap. I read a posting on the dangers of Johnson and Johnson head to toe baby wash and no more good sweet smelling baby before bed. Now I’ve got a fragrance free, no frills no bubbles and no fun soap that cost me twenty dollars more, so expensive soap for the baby means no new shoes for me. But I can go to Starbucks and get myself a cheer up hot cocoa served in the red holiday cups that friends on Facebook have been posting about, thanks guys!

In order to spend more time on Facebook I like to make a quick and easy dinner that involves no more than a few ingredients and that the whole family will love. And we all love curry apparently. I adapted this from a Martha Stewart magazine. The recipe makes a ton and my husband even added to it the next day by frying an egg and eating it along with the re-warmed rice mixture.

One Pot Curried Cauliflower Rice

· Olive oil

· 1 large head cauliflower cut into bite size pieces

· salt and pepper

· 1 large onion diced

· 2 cups whole grain basmati rice

· 4 tsp curry powder

· 1 can (15 oz) chick peas drained

· 3 cups water

· ½ cup heavy cream

· preheat the oven to 400.

· In a dutch oven or another oven safe pot that can hold all the ingredients, heat some olive oil in the pan, enough to coat the bottom.

· Add in the cauliflower and sautee until nice and brown, season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl.

· Add some more oil to the pot if needed and sautee the onion for about 5 minutes until translucent.

· To the pot, add in the rice, chickpeas, curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Sautee this mixture until the rice is coated and starting to brown a little 2 to 5 minutes.

· Add in the water and cream, bring to a boil.

· Add the cauliflower back to the pot right on top, cover and place the whole thing in the oven.

· Bake until the water is absorbed by the rice, anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes because brown and whole grain rice take longer to cook.

· Let the pot cool 10 minutes before serving.

· Serve with a mixed green salad and a crusty loaf of bread.