Baked Potato Soup Recipe

I pulled this All Recipes ages ago, but it's apparently been removed from the site.  So it's not mine, but I can't attribute it!  However, I've gotten rave reviews on this at Christmas parties and the like, and it's a great hangover cure (one bowl before bed with tea and ibuprofen).  Tastes great on the second and third days.

Baked Potato Soup

 6 strips of bacon OR 2 tbsp butter (see directions below)
2 small onions (I used a bit less than half of a large white onion)
2 cloves of garlic (I upped it to 5)
1/4 cups of flour and 2 tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp basil (optional)
1 tsp pepper (I only use 1/2 tsp because of the broth)
6 cups (3 cans) of chicken broth
4 large baked potatoes (I use 5 for a chunkier, thicker soup), cubed.
1 pint half and half
1 tsp hot sauce (optional; I don't use it)

Shredded cheese, sour cream, and bacon to garnish

In a large Dutch oven/cooking pot, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. In lieu of bacon drippings, one can substitute in butter, which works very well (my personal preference; I use pre-cooked bacon to garnish and heat it up in the microwave). I use less onion and more garlic.

Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Keep this mixture moving; it should clump up nicely and start to brown. Make sure this does not stick to the insides of the pot. Once well mixed, add the broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Let it boil and stir it for two minutes while boiling before reducing heat.

Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Mix well. It should start to thicken up.

Garnish with bacon, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Couponing in Extremis

As part of my master's degree, I am taking a research trip to Europe.  Because I'm going to 7 (hopefully) cities, it's getting expensive.  Fortunately, the department has been supportive, but I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible, in case my other school funding doesn't come through.  This is part of what has triggered my re-emergence as a super couponer.  My goal is to "save" in coupons $500 between now and Christmas on items that I would normally buy anyway -- groceries, gas, winter clothes, travel, etc.  The key to this strategy is NOT buying something "just because I have a coupon;" it's rarely enough to offset the loss if you don't use the item.  If it's BOGO (buy one get one free), no loss, but just carry the guilt that you're killing a child in sub-Saharan Africa when you throw out the spare.

Guilt-tripping aside, a note on expiration dates -- don't abide by them.  Expiration dates are mainly for people who don't store things ideally - this is to prevent food poisoning, just like how we have Superman costumes with "caution: suit does not enable wearer to fly."  Most people don't need it, but there's always that bottom 25% of the common sense scale.  Go by smell, appearance (black mold is not your friend) a small taste, and search online for tests.  For example, fill up a tall glass of water and drop an egg in.  If it sinks, it's good.  It's bad if it floats -- it means the egg has decayed and the liquid has become gas -- ewwwww. Eggs in my fridge keep well past the expiration date.  If you store them on the counter, start testing a week before the expiration date. 

Back to couponing.

Most of the time, I can usually strategically shop and save about 25% to 30% off the retail price.  That's just using the circular and my reward card deals.  However, if you add on manufacturers coupons and choose where you shop wisely, that can easily double.  Recently, I did three shopping events that resulted in a free blender, a half-price rail ticket, and savings averaging 55% on both my and the boyfriend's groceries (which saved us, in total, $150, and me personally $105).

Edit:  I just realized that these rules would probably blend in well with the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. 

1.  Location location location. Coupon policy is important.  I used to shop at Kroger, and then they stopped automatically doubling/tripling coupons. Basically, the process is that if the coupon is less than a dollar, the store will voluntarily multiple the coupon up to 3 times to reach or get close to  a dollar.  Tom Thumb does it, so they are my dudes.  Kroger in my area stopped doing it.  Also, if you receive a "$10 off your next purchase" coupon, see what it applies to and if you can use two at the same time.  Rules like this matter, because it stinks to be caught out, plus if you can get multiple coupons, you might want to split up your shopping order into 2 parts to get both of them (generally, cashiers are willing to go along with your evil plans as long as it isn't to o much of a hassle).


2.  Timing.  At different times of the week, stores put out their circulars.  However, they also  get their shipments at different times.  If you're a big fan of fresh produce and you see there's a sale on, you may not want to go on Wednesday, the first day of the deal, but on Monday, when the truck comes in and you get the pick of the litter.  Timing is also relevant as far as seasonal stuff.  The day after Halloween or Valentine's Day is the key time to buy candy.  As long as chocolate doesn't go grey or chalky, it's good -- fridging or freezing it is another way to extend its life.  Starting around Halloween, stores start promoting ingredients for pies and holiday foods for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Also, stay tuned in to your local farmer's market and what's in season there.  I purchased two pumpkins for $3.50, and I already have made 5 loaves of bread, toasted seeds, a batch of cookies, a pie and a half, and I still have leftovers.

How I Got the Railpass

The same goes for travel. My rail pass to Europe for my research trip was originally about $950.   I examined my travel plans, and I condensed a few places and days I would be traveling - sometimes, you need to cut everything but what you need.  Bye bye, Prague.  Au revoir, Bruges.  And then I waited. School starts in Europe about a month later than in the US, because they don't get Thanksgiving or any federal holidays off; they go straight through, with maybe a week's break.  As a result, after the week break in October, travel is "off-peak" until March -- when spring break and Easter vacation happen.

This past week, on Rail Europe, my curtailed itinerary had a 20% off sale, plus a $50 credit, free shipping of my pass, AND a free extra day added (8 day passes now had 9, etc).  This deal is now pretty darn sweet.  However, never settle -- there is always a coupon out there!  RetailMeNot had a code for an additional $50 off any order over a certain threshold.  So my $950 itinerary, after a few edits, dropped to $509.  It's a little bit of a gamble to wait; I tried to wait out my airline tickets, but because the economy is so crummy and the taxes are so high on planes, I'm not seeing the same deals I used to see back in 2005 or even 2008.  

3. Stacking and multiplying.  You generally get the best deal when "stacking."  Stacking means that you use a store coupon and then a manufacturer coupon on top of it.  Let's say you see that cookies are on sale for $1.99 a pack.   The store may offer you a coupon if you have a rewards card, knocking the price down to $1.50.  If you find a coupon online or in a newspaper insert from the manufacturer, you can use that coupon too, reducing your cookies to $1.00 -- you get one store, one manufacturer coupon per item, plus any sales the store has on.

Multiple items are trickier -- for example, I had a buy 2, get 1 free on Pillsbury crescent rolls.  I also had a coupon for $.40 off on two Pillsbury crescent rolls.  The store automatically doubled the $.40 to $.80 off, plus I then received a free one.  In theory, if I had a $.40 off coupon for each one, then I could actually make money off the freebie too;  I would get it for free, but because it is on the receipt, the manufacturer's coupon would ring up for it too -- I would receive $.80 from the store in credit!

In short, get the weekly circulars and don't pitch them when they come in with the rest of the junk mail.  Google Coupon Divas, and they have 4 links to various online manufacturer coupons.  

**Mini-tip:  Check the price per ounce, per sheet, or per pound rather than the price on the tag.  An extra large box of something may cost more, but you may be paying less per item, which is savings.  With coupons, even though the store brand may cost less at first glance, you can usually file down the name-brand item to something worthwhile. 

4.  Stuff happens, embrace it.  Sometimes, you need to buy stuff, and there is no planning or saving you can do to offset it.  For example, I had two bras die on me in one week.  I'm an odd size, so it's a pain in the ass to find stuff that fits me AND is on sale.  And then a heel broke off a pair of shoes in the middle of the stalk --- at 5+ years and having bought them for under $60, it was time to send them to the happy hunting grounds (I would recommend ALWAYS repairing shoes/boots that are $100).  And then I needed new towels because my old ones died.  So I unexpectedly dropped over $150 at Kohl's in order to replace these needed items.  On the bright side, I got a great bang for my buck in that bras were buy 1, get 1 half off, the shoes were on sale, and the towels were 50% off. (The towels weren't the color I wanted, but they were towels -- when I'm rich, I'll buy nice towels.)

How I Got the Blender

One other thing that was cool was that Kohl's was doing a double Kohl's cash promotion.  Even though I didn't have a card, I was still able to get $10 per $50 spent rather than $5 for $50.  So that gave me $30.  And then there was a circular coupon for 20% off, as well as a special $10 off promotion in appliances.  So fast forward about two weeks -- I have 2 weeks left to use Kohl's cash, and I have just acquired my first pumpkin (I do crazy yummy foods with pumpkins).  I recalled last year's efforts in trying to blenderize hot cooked pumpkin with a handheld mixer.  That = suck.  So.  Blender time!  So I went to Kohl's, went back to their blender section, checked the Amazon reviews, picked my blender, threw down all the coupons and Kohl's cash, and then paid $1.61 for my free blender.  The lesson here is that even though I had to spend money I didn't want to at the moment, I found a place where I could get a worthwhile kickback. 

5.  Look for opportunities.  This goes hand in hand with #2, but think about new places that are opening, places that are closing, and after sale sales.  Black Friday is abject chaos, and people in the retail business know it -- that's why stores will have their own pseudo-BF sale the week before or after, or, in Amazon's case, they will have "Black Friday" deals every day from late November to December. The huge savings I got this week at the market was due to weekly circular + rewards card + Holiday circular + new store circular + manufacturers' coupons.

6.  There is no shame in thrift stores or the clearance rack.  Most of my clothes?  Second hand from the local thrift stores or the 70%+ off section.  Luke found a cashmere green lecturing jacket worth $600 for $3.  My dress that I wore to my friends Stephanie and Jeremy's wedding was $12.50 -- original price was $60, and on ebay for $30-40.  When I lived up north, my mother and I blitzed Lord and Taylor, getting $1000+ worth of name brand merch for more than half off.  Shoes are a little more iffy, but my favorite pair of black Anne Taylor pumps were purchased for $20 second hand.  If you know the brand name and you like it enough, go for it

The first key here is to go for classic, not trendy.

It's a worthwhile purchase if you can wear it this time next year (or this time in five years) and not look dated.  Many people are surprised to know that many of business suits are actually my mother's from when she was my age 30 years ago.  Indeed, my grey wool is from 1978, my black pinstripe from 1982, and I do believe the red one is from the mid/late 1980s.

The second key is to find a GOOD tailor.

Get free clothes from relatives or cheap from the thrift store...and then make them yours.  Because I am smaller than my mother and also than the average woman in Texas, I take my clothes to the tailor on a regular basis -- I'm about to make another run this week.  Never use a department store tailor -- that's a price gouge.  Ask around, or even better, ask the owner of a thrift shop you frequent -- if she's ever received any high end clothing with minor damage, you can bet she spent $10 to fix it so she could resell it for $50.  Also, the tailor can get rid of certain unpopular features, such as shoulder pads, odd skirt slits, and double-breasted suit coats (to quote Nichelle Nichols, "I'm already double-breasted; I feel like I'm the Titanic").

7.  Go for cards/free memberships with kickbacks.  Discover has a deal with Amazon.com that means you can use any denomination of "cash back" for Amazon items; Discover and other cards have reciprocal deals to get $25 gift certs for $20.  Petco now gives cardholders $5 for every $100 they spend.  Kohl's cash, with or without the card.  Grocery store cards that have smart phone apps for coupons.  My father uses a credit card to earn points for free clothing (and his fantasy boat).  Don't pay anything to get these perks -- you don't have to spend money to make money couponing. 

So yeah.  That is the thrifty gameplan!

A Scandal In Belgravia

Spoilers abound, reader beware.
 
I write this post in part to respond to a comment on my Spock and Sherlock article.  I also write it to squee profusely over the new episode of Sherlock from the Beeb.

I must preface this by stating my views on Irene Adler herself.  Doyle's original Scandal in Bohemia is the most famous and most recreated of the original canon, perhaps save for Hound of the Baskervilles.  There have been many spins on Irene.  Holmes admired her for being the only woman to fool him.  There had been 2 men, but Watson does not deign to name them.  This has led to fan fiction writers as well as professional writers to want to suggest that Sherlock and Irene had something else going on, particularly during his two-year sabbatical (resulting in a wide variety of "next generation" detectives, ranging from Raffles to Damian to Nero Wolfe).

That said.

I was at first totally on board with shipperdom on the coupling, but I've realized that in all honesty, Adler is not the be all end all for Holmes.  To put her into modern terms, in the context of her original story, Irene took nude pics with her ex-boyfriend and then threatened to post them on the internet before his wedding.  She's not a rocket scientist to begin with -- she's street smart and a grand actress.  She's not a "strong" woman.  She got to where she was by plying her trade -- actress and being "that girl."  We all know "that girl" -- she is not strong on her own, but she is the puppetmaster.  She makes the world spin around her. 

My reactions to the episode:

First off.  Poor frickin' Molly.  I really don't like how they're treating the character.  However, she does have a purpose, as I will detail below. 

Second off.  They do like to tease the Holmes/Watson shippers, don't they?

Third off.  I am satisfied that they are keeping "what" Sherlock is ambiguous.  Gay, straight, virgin, asexual, bisexual -- up to you.  Doesn't matter.  Sherlock = Sherlock.  That is all. 

This first episode of Series 2 was about Sherlock's heart, and I realized it long before Mycroft spoke to Watson. It proves that he does have one.  I do not interpret this series or any other series to be misogynistic as far as the depiction of women.  As I posted in "Spock and Sherlock," Sherlock lives in a predominantly homosocial society.  In order to maintain that same sort of environment and feel, women are limited in how they can enter into the storyline.  You can't have a female Watson.  Mycroft can't be female.  Neither can Lestrade -- see Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century or Laurie King's books.  Molly serves that purpose -- she is the epitome of "girl" -- and she does not fit in Sherlock's world.  Honestly, Molly is an incarnation of a Cumberbitch (a favorite term of mine for lovers of our favorite Sid the Sloth impersonator).  More generically, she is the perky girl sidekick that fiction writers always want to write in so Sherlock can go kiss someone other than John Watson.

Doesn't work, does she?  But that is her purpose -- to show that her character type does not work and probably should not attempt to be fused into the Sherlockian world. 



In contrast, the character of Mrs. Hudson has a new spin to her, and I like it.  Sherlock got her husband executed, and she owed him a favor.  Very strange starting grounds, but it's delightfully quirky.  The one note of consistency throughout Sherlock's incarnations, from the canon to Rathbone to Brett and to this one, is that Sherlock Holmes respects her.  The new Mrs. Hudson is decidedly a sly one herself, as she did manage to sneak the phone away from the burglar while playing the damsel in distress.  Both Sherlock and John snap at Mycroft when he tells their girl off -- good show, lads.

Mycroft.  I wish he was fatter, frankly, but he is all the manipulative statesman I could wish for.  I do hope the relationship between our Holmes boys becomes more civil, however.  The banter in the original canon is far less contentious, and much more fun in general when you know the two of them aren't at each other's throats. 

I would like to address the concerns of the commenter.  As indicated previously, I don't think Irene is strong or "had the rug pulled from under her" -- it was never there in the first place.  She is an adventuress -- she is neutral chaos, like Catwoman in the 1990s Batman the Animated series.  Neither good nor bad - she just makes it all interesting for herself.  She is not beholden by Moriarty, nor does she fall victim to him as portrayed in the most recent movie.  This Irene is a completely free agent who just happens to cross his path. I like her better than the Downey Jr. film version.  Rachel Adams' Irene is the sacrificial lamb, the cocky little thing that got herself over her head.  Irene Adler in the book and in this TV appearance is far from over her head.

True to the source material, Irene is a slave only to her heart.  I do not think we will see her again, as we do not see her in the original canon.  I would be disappointed if we did; Sherlock doesn't do that romance thing.  However, in the name of keeping Sherlock himself delightfully ambiguous, we have that scene right out of Lawrence of Arabia or 1001 Arabian Nights or something of that nature.  The final scene is Sherlock finally laughing to himself.  He takes pleasure in that memory -- and whatever came after; the shipper machine has been going full-tilt on THAT topic since January 1 on fan fic sites.  This is not Holmes making himself cry to coax a reaction out of a widow or being sweet to con Molly.  This is just Sherlock with no other window dressing.

As to the sexuality issue, particularly in Irene's scene with Watson:  again, ambiguity is the goal.  However, the scene can also be interpreted as how "exceptional" Sherlock is.  Irene suggests that for both of them, Sherlock could be the one exception to their normal behavior.  This subject somewhat tackled in Brokeback Mountain. Jake Gyllenhal's character, Jack, was gay But what about Heath Ledger's Ennis?  He didn't have a string of male lover -- just Jack.  He could never get him out of his head.  Is there that one exceptional man that makes him break all the rules?  In one of my favorite films, Orlando starring Tilda Swinton, there is a distinct possibility that the person you fall in love with is simply that -- a person.  You can worry about what bits they have later.  Additionally, Irene does not make it a point to fall in love with clients or rivals; Sherlock may be an exception for her that way, but the best way to illustrate is using the sexuality thing.  However, the point is not what Irene and John are; the point is what Sherlock is to them.  And he's the one that just makes them fall over themselves.  He makes them feel alive - that isn't necessarily sexual, even for Irene. 



I found this opening episode delightful and very true to the character of Irene.  As to Sherlock -- well, he was a bit ambiguous in the original books in some regards, but I also think that in the books he was much more savvy and well-mannered than our latest versions.  Jeremy Brett was the last "polite" Holmes I can think of.  Being a gentleman was the norm, and Doyle's Holmes complied with that.  Recent versions have had him being ill-mannered, but with the excuse that he has a brilliant mind, and that makes it all peachy.  This version is no exception, though I do give credit to Cumberbatch and the writers for portraying the character as a self-acknowledged sociopath. 

Below is a small write up I did 3.5 years ago to vent my frustrations over the misrepresentation of Holmes in fan fiction and other media. 

"Holmes is not some misogynistic, insensitive, boorish, self-centered prima donna.

"He's a Victorian.  He is two-faced and multi-faceted.  He disapproves of drinking and drug to excess, but partakes of cocaine when driven to boredom and ennui.  He understands the class system and enjoys his aloof position in it, but constantly ignores it when pursuing a case.  He has friends all over and makes sure they do not mix -- it's not because he is embarrassed.  It is because the social differences in Victorian England were enough to be other countries.  To mix them would be unwise and unprofessional.  The rich and the poor gap was fairly wide, despite the rising middle class.    And he does not discriminate who he takes cases from.  His fees are flat, unless he decides not to charge at all -- he gets paid enough to keep his mouth shut by the royals to do charity work at his discretion.  If anything, the royals bored him and he'd refuse their cases, and yet spend weeks working on some poor person who would never pay him. 

"Holmes thinks women are overcomplicated creatures (as do I), but he would never disregard them or their problems right off.  He is a gentleman, first and foremost.  It is not because he thinks they are horrible or useless -- he's the eccentric genius and while charming in his own way, he's no Casanova.  Let Watson deal with the niceties.  He admits in Doyle's canon that he has never loved anyone -- but if he did, he would be in the same position as one of his clients, desperate to avenge his beloved's death.  He is a consummate professional, and while his female clients can give him a good chase and an intriguing puzzle, once it is solved, they are not integral to his life.   Neither are the men.  He treats them the same -- non-entities after the job.  Recognition, yes, but beyond that would be unprofessional. 

"Read the Veiled Lodger case, however.  Of all the cases, this is the one where Holmes breaks the rules and touches a woman to comfort her.  She'd gotten her face ripped off by a lion.  Even Holmes cannot help but be affected by her.  He feels compassion for her and is willing to help her.  Irene Adler is the only woman to ever stir anything more than that passing, intellectual interest in him -- he keeps her dirty photograph in his private files.  Even then, there are no hints that he ever pursues her, one way or another.  As to his treatment of Mrs. Hudson, Holmes was always an ideal tenant -- minus horrible smells from chemistry, shooting VR into the wall, and tacking up his post using a knife in the mantle.  However, he always repaired and paid for his misdeeds and never sassed the landlady. 

"I'm not going to say Holmes loved kids, but they had their uses (and not the ones you're thinking of, you sicko).  Baker Street Irregulars ring a bell?  In an era of well-meaning social reform, children were still uneducated and locked out of factories; school was too expensive now that there were only parents working in the factories rather than having the eldest three work in there while the youngest three got a basic education.  Now nobody could work, and nobody could afford school.  Boys became pickpockets and petty thieves.  Girls, much the same, with the addition of prostitution.  Holmes did spend time with his contacts in opium dens and other houses of ill repute, but he hardly endorsed the corruption of children.  Holmes used the street children as informers and spies -- small size, inconspicuous in a crowded London street, and smart as whips, many of them.  He paid them better than a John would, on the Victorian scale.  It was better to be in Mr. Holmes' employ and find odd bits and bobs of information and get fed by Mrs. Hudson rather than be completely on the streets minus the point where the family would regroup. 

"One man's petty theft is another's grand larceny -- do not forget the class scale differences.  When children and women were threatened, Holmes was generally pissed off.

"Should someone get in his way during a case, yes, he'd bite and be an absolute jerk.  Yes, he was intelligent and flashy at times, but despite his confidence and almost arrogance, he often let Scotland Yard take credit for the good he'd done -- better to have confidence in the police than in one man. 

"Sherlock Holmes himself was created because of a lack of confidence in Scotland Yard; he was birthed in the middle of the Jack the Ripper serial killings.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made the ultimate detective.  A gentleman, a brilliant man, a man who was not corrupt or lured by prostitutes, a man who had no professional grudges and would not pervert justice for his own gain.  He was the answer to the Jack the Ripper problem.  Sherlock Holmes the myth was a powerful enough creature back in those dark times that almost immediately, post was directed toward 221B Baker Street in the hopes that Holmes would get it and save them all from this menace that walked among them.  Saucy Jack knew their streets, their hours, their churches, and their children.  He walked among them during the day, killed the women by night."

Spock and Sherlock: Same Cut, Different Cloth

This article originally appeared in the USS Navras newsletter.  All mine, no stealing.  

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is rife with literary references, predominantly Shakespeare (though not in the original Klingon).  Captain Spock joins the literary spree with the words, “An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be the truth.”  While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the words, the man who “spoke” them was Doyle’s creation, the great detective, Sherlock Holmes.  Even before this, Mirror!Spock in the Original Series episode “Mirror, Mirror” used this quote as well while attempting to solve the mystery of the changed crew members. 

These quotes simply cement what many fans think: Sherlock Holmes and Spock are cut from the same cloth.  Both value logic and solve the problems presented to them by those of lesser intellect.  Neither are social butterflies by nature; left to their own devices, both men turn inward.  They are tall, angular, and far from conventionally handsome.  Their mind is their greatest asset. 

In the hands of fans and in the course of fan fiction, these character aspects manifest in exaggerated fashion.  The observer can lay the canon sources for both Sherlock and Spock alongside their depictions in fan fiction or pastiche and gain insight on how different these characters are…and yet how different.  However, a head-on approach here can be used due to the recent proliferation of Sherlockian media in the form of the 2009 Guy Ritchie film, the BBC serial starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and the Fox television series, House.  Given that this is appearing in a Star Trek newsletter, one would assume some reader familiarity with Spock, even if it is only with the 2009 reboot. 

One of the predominant features of Sherlock Holmes, along with his staggering intellect, is his eccentricity.  Sherlock is an emotional, passionate man.  He is passionate about the chase and solving the case, even if his client cannot pay him; as the detective says, he works on a flat fee, except when he waives it entirely.  While placing great value on logic when comes to detection, Sherlock is a Bohemian.  He is unconventional and uncaring as to external perceptions.  While neat in his hygiene, he casts everything else to the wind.  His biographer, Dr. Watson, also describes the darker side to Sherlock in graphic detail in “The Sign of Four.”  While he has his high intellectual highs, Sherlock also has cocaine lows, injecting a seven-percent solution of cocaine (or morphine, according to Watson).  He will brood, shut in for days on end.  Left to his own devices, he is destructive and undisciplined; throughout the Doyle canon, the reader hears of the mess and the lack of consideration for poor Mrs. Hudson.  This goes as far as to shooting holes into the wall in the shape of Queen Victoria’s epigram, VR.  It has been confessed by the creators and writers of the television series, House, that the grumpy, drug-addicted doctor is heavily based off of Sherlock’s dark side.

However, the “lighter” side of House is also briefly seen, mostly taking the form of his love of music.  Pianos, guitars, and an extensive CD collection represent the unburdened Gregory House, just as the Stradivarius violin embodies the active Sherlock.  For those unfamiliar with the music world, a Stradivarius violin is considered the ultimate violin to own, constructed by Antonio Stradivari in the 1600s.  While it is controversial as to whether its sound is truly superior, the name Stradivarius is still a symbol of musical luxury and desirability, as Tiffany is to jewelry.  Sherlock also enjoys outings to the theatre and orchestra.  Combined with the drug usage, Sherlock, in short, is a hedonist.

Sherlock is also not insensitive to the needs and fears of others.  In the case of “The Veiled Lodger,” the client is a woman who was mauled by a lion at the behest of her ex-lover.  He does not hesitate to reach out to her with a comforting hand – something shocking to fans that would have Sherlock scoff at her tearful story.   Sherlock expresses concern and worry at times over his clients, most notably in “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,” when he indicates that he would not want his sister to be in his poor client’s place (whether Sherlock has a sister or not is immaterial).  He also jokes with Watson periodically and is willing to laugh at misfortunes, such as when his tracking dog takes the wrong split in a trail.

Laugher is simply not an option with our Vulcan.  Spock is philosophically light years away from Sherlock.  His quarters are depicted as Spartan, with the exception of the lyre, his one luxury. While Sherlock and Spock share a love of music and talent, the similarities do not stretch much further.  Spock’s life is ordered and structured compared to the periodic chaos of Sherlock’s.  While this is fostered by Starfleet, this also seems to be an innate part of Spock’s nature due to Vulcan philosophy.  The emotional discipline and orderliness of Spock’s knowledge is a dramatic contrast to extreme emotions of Sherlock and his haphazard collection of facts. 

Spock lacks vanity as part of his philosophy, but he is excessively meticulous about external appearances, particularly because he is half-human.  He makes every effort to conceal his human side by, as some would put it, out-Vulcaning the Vulcans.  In “Journey to Babel,” Sarek permits himself a slight smile, but it is only under duress (“Amok Time,” most famously) or when making music (“Charlie X”) that Spock allows himself an emotional outlet.  While Sherlock wouldn’t care about what others thought of him, this preoccupies Spock.  He has a need to find his place in the universe; this is part of the likability of his character, while the allure of Sherlock (and House) is the opposite.  Sherlock cares not for the rest of the world’s opinion.

Spock is a clean-cut member of Starfleet.  Spock taking drugs or having mood swings would be associated with alien influences or biological difficulties –or a bad writer!  A fan doesn’t watch Spock to see him crash and burn.  While he experiences emotional conflict within, Spock is not a character in turmoil.  That said, Spock, much like Sherlock, is not a creature lacking in compassion either.  While he can hardly be called “cuddly” and may lack bedside manner, Spock expresses compassion and concern for those around him.  Even as he suffers from the affects of the Psi 2000 virus in “The Naked Time,” he attempts to let Christine Chapel down gently after she bares her soul to him.   “Requiem for Methuselah” shows Spock mindmelding with Kirk to help him to forget the tragic-lost-love-of-the-week.  This is a nicety, not a necessity.  The ultimate example of Spock’s compassion, overriding even his logic, is his devotion to the crippled Christopher Pike in “The Menagerie.” 

The connection between Spock and Sherlock is possibly genetic.  However, their defining characteristic is their use of logical processes to solve problems.  However, how each applies logic is different.  Spock’s logic is part of his entire life philosophy.  It is all-encompassing and holistic.  Meanwhile, Sherlock’s is compartmentalized and isolated to his job; he uses his logic to help others, not necessarily himself.  Sherlock surrenders freely to his emotions and moods, while Spock reins his emotions in.  As indicated earlier, both fit the archetype of the lonely thinker.  However, they are made of different stuff.  Once one looks further into these men, they are startlingly different because of how they act out their roles and how they use their gifts.

Postscript:  The final part of this rambling report is a bit of a sidebar.  Both Sherlock and Spock in the realm of fan fiction have a notable following that believe that they are either gay or at least bisexual due to their close association with another male character, Dr. Watson and Captain Kirk.  Sherlock was not given this treatment until the late 1980s and early 1990s, but Spock had been under scrutiny since the initial run of the Original Series, coming to great prominence in the 1970s’ fanzines.  There are two reasons that occur to this writer as a student of history and film interpretation. 

The first reason for this can be found in the homosocial environments that Sherlock and Spock exist in.  Sherlock and Watson live in the Victorian and Edwardian era.  Even at the turn of the twentieth century, men and women were segregated in their activities.  Homosociality is the norm; men exclusively socialized with men, and women socialized only with women.  Also common during this time are romantic friendships – great, consuming passions for friends of the same sex without ever have sexual desire for them. It is only a modern innovation that men and women “hang out” together; this only becomes the norm after the sexual revolution in the 1960s.

Even though Spock was “born” in the 1960s, he still exists in a military organization, which, even today, is predominantly homosocial.  Uhura was on the bridge, but her role was limited to “hailing frequencies open” in many episodes.  Spock still works mostly with men.  For anyone who has been in the military, there is an innate bond with those the person has served with.  While the writer has not experienced military service, it has been indicated that there are intangible elements to this bond that can push a person to go further for a brother in arms. 

The best modern, civilian comparison to a nineteenth romantic friendship or the bond between brothers in arms is perhaps the recently coined term “work spouse.”  While at work, a pair functions as a great couple, expressing care and concern for their other half.  More often than not, these people are romantically involved or married to someone else, and the spouse doesn’t feel jealousy; the very nature and basis of the relationship is non-competitive and supportive.  Outsiders may perceive these relationships as “something more” regardless of the context. 

The second reason is that neither Sherlock nor Spock expresses their sexuality overtly.  Unlike the womanizing Kirk and Watson (definitely comparatively, in Watson’s case), they are monks in comparison. Judging strictly from Doyle’s canon, it could be argued that Sherlock is the earliest incarnation of an asexual person.  One must always keep in mind that sexual labels are a new innovation, so attempting to apply them to pre-twentieth century characters can get tricky.  Spock, while less ambiguous due to his entanglements in the Original Series, still is not a predominantly sexual being (though fangirls may hope otherwise!).  This probably is another essay within itself, so this brief addendum comes to an abrupt halt.

Fall! And Awesome Asian Fusions!

Starting to cool down finally in Texas.  I think that's part of what I miss about the Northeast: consistent, fairly even seasons.  3 months each, and generally with not massive amounts of cross-over.  Texas?  70 degree Christmases and then a yearly February blizzard it seems.

Next weekend will be busy, between symphony, another Trek event, and my first go at a farmer's market since I left London.  Greenwich had a lovely market on Saturdays, and I did spend quite a bit of pocket money (got my wallet there!).  I used to walk about the entire neighborhood and get great deals AND delicious crepes.  Mmmm.

I also want to do a lot more fall cooking once it consistently is cooler -- gobbling down apple cider and pumpkin treats seems inappropriate in 80 degree weather.

I mentioned awhile back on Facebook that I had created a Thai Peanut Stir Fry.  It's actually an amalgam of three different recipes that I pulled together, and it is delicious.  I scaled it down so that it's 'Dinner for 2' but you can expand it as needed  -- it scales well.

What you'll need:

2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

• 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons JIF® Creamy (or extra crunchy) Peanut Butter
• 1 tablespoon CRISCO® All-Vegetable Oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (I used lemon)
• 1/2 large clove garlic, minced (I love garlic so I doubled this)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir Fry:

• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger  (or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger; depends on how much you like ginger)
• 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (the chestnuts store well in tupperware, so if you buy a can of them, you can use half and store the others later)
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetables for the stir fry can simply be one cup broccoli, but I personally added 3/4 cup broccoli, 3/4 cup of carrots.  Bean pods are also good additions.

Sauce: 

• 1 (10 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 small onion, grated
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce  (optional)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes  (optional)

1.  To start, clean and then cut up the chicken into medium cubes or stripes.

2.  Mix up the marinade in the plastic bag using the ingredients above.  This tends to be the messy part of the operation, so putting the bag in the sink may be prudent.  Make it to your taste;  I love garlic, so my mentality was 'more the merrier!'   Soy sauce is salty and can be overpowering, so if you're not a big fan, use a minimal amount.  Same goes for the cayenne -- you will taste it later!.

3.  Once all the ingredients are in, seal the bag (important) and shake it until everything is well mixed.  You may have to find trouble spots and smoosh them through the bag, such as clumped peanut butter or brown sugar.

4.  Once mixed, add the chicken pieces.  Seal the bag, give it a good shake, and then stick it in the fridge overnight (or at least for two hours, if you're already hungry from handling all those ingredients).

5.  About ten minutes before I anticipate starting the stir fry, I set up the sauce in a small pot.  Peanut sauce has two different schools of thought: sweet or spicy.  Because the marinade already has soy sauce in it, you may want to eliminate it from the sauce.  The red or cayenne pepper adds a kick, but if you don't like spicy, you may want to drop it.  It's not a huge kick, but it certainly warms you up.  Those two ingredients alone really change the flavor of the sauce, so it is cook's discretion.  I prefer the sweet peanut sauce for this dish, eliminating the soy and pepper.

6.  Just add all the sauce ingredients to the small pot, stir til smooth, and then heat to a boil, stirring frequently. 

7.  After it hits boil, keep stirring and drop the heat to low, just to keep it warm while you attempt not to burn the house down with the stir fry.

8.  For the stir fry, grab a 12-inch frying pan or a wok, at the least -- 10 inches isn't big enough (that's what she said).  Heat to a medium-high heat -- it'll be ready if you flick a bit of water off your hand on there and it sizzles.  Add the garlic, peanut oil, and ginger, stirring quickly.

9.  Jack the heat up to high, and empty your chicken marinade into the fry pan.  Yep, whole thing, especially the liquid.  This is where it veers away from a traditional fry.  You have to make sure the pan is super hot to make sure a) all bacteria is killed; b) the liquid is gone (or nearly so) by the end of the 'stir fry' phase.  Stir quickly and make sure the chicken is rotated around for an even cook.

10.  Once the chicken start looking 'done', add the broccoli, then carrots, water chestnuts, and mushrooms in that order, stirring after each addition.  You can elect to add 1/4 cup soy sauce for the final 2 minutes of the fry, but I found that it made it too salty and really overpowered every other ingredient.  Plus, due to the marinade, it leaves a lot of excess fluid.

11. Your stir fry is considered 'done' about 2-3 minutes after the addition of the mushrooms (all veggies are tender).  Your marinade should also be cooked away.  I like well-done mushrooms, so I left mine on a bit longer.

12. I have a two-quart size bowl that I dumped the pan into, but a mixing bowl will probably suffice as well.  Serve with the sauce (which has been sitting quietly on the back of the stove top).  I also normally do rice with it, but you should probably be able to figure that bit out, if you're attempting this.


I've made this twice, cooking on Saturday, and it's never made it to Tuesday -- I normally eat the entire thing by myself in rapid succession.

Summertime and Making Rank

While I'm waiting for latest moving assessor to come through and toss a number out to transport my worldly possessions, I'll bang out an entry.  With any luck, he'll arrive in the middle of this. 

Moving the second-to-last week of June.  I've already started packing; trying to get one box done a day means less of a rush later and less stress on the cats.  They'll go to the vet the day of the move, and I'll go back to FW and bring them to the new place once the basics are set up for them (and me!).  At the moment, my current culinary goal is to eat everything in the fridge and not buy anything else.  So that's a budget saver.....

Yeah, the last two weeks of school murdered my paycheck. The gas hike has not helped.  I just have to make it to August financially and then it's all good. 

EDIT: and then the guy showed up, haha.  Got a good deal, and I am set to go for June 23, huzzah.  Now to pack!

As some of you (most of you) know, I went to the Dallas Comic Con and met Leonard Nimoy.  Not a great hotbed of interaction, but hell, I met a legend and he was very polite.  I was sort of bothered by the fact people would just drape themselves all over him.  Yes, I know it's his job, and yes, I know I just paid $65 for this.....but

He's an icon and a man, not a a prop.  So I said good morning, thank you, and any kind words I could muster.  Beyond Mr. Nimoy and the sheer joy of watching him live (and having a geekgasm hearing him do Henry V), I also had a following of those who liked the costume and makeup.  I had the time of my life -- one of my top days, even with the 5:30 wake up call for makeup! 

Yes, I did wake up that early for the Vulcan ears and the Vulcan eyebrows.  I'll probably do a more detailed post later on the how-to- aspect.  However, that did get me in touch with a couple of gentlemen from the USS Navras, a chapter of Starfleet International....

You know what's coming....

So yes, I got recruited as the Chief Science Officer, with a rank of Lieutenant Commander.  And I am a Vulcan.  Token alien crewmate?  Possibly, but I loved the ears and the makeup. I think I'll render an alias for the crew, as Anna is not a very Vulcan name.  I have a few ideas, but we'll see.    I need to get a new uniform/costume, but that's fine; it's one of the awesome grey/black ones from First Contact.  And I get to write articles about being nerdy about science, like NASA, weather, books, Star Trek news, etc.  Research! 

So other than upping and renewing my devotion to Trek, I'm also doing the same for Sherlock Holmes.  Going to read the entire series (hopefully) before I pack it away.  I have a book by Alan Forrest I want to get through as well as another about Eleanor of Aquitaine, but I've found myself finishing a Study in Scarlet and the Sign of Four in rapid succession.  Well, not much to do these days other than read for fun and plow through TV series on Netflix.  This is really my moment without school and work in over a year.  I can barely remember what it's like!  I mean, what did I DO? 

The truth is stranger (and better) than fiction.

 I'm currently reading Geoffrey Treasure's Mazarin: The Crisis of Absolutism.  Giulio Mazarini started in his native Italy and through connections, worked his way up to lay cardinal.  He ends up as the famed Cardinal Richelieu's successor, first minister of France, protector and godfather of Louis XIV, and close confidant of Anne of Austria, Louis' mother and queen regent. 

Of course, there is extensive discussion of the rumor of Mazarin's exact relationship with Anne -- just confidants, united for Louis' protection?  Or something more?  Louis XIV himself indicated something more, given how much he adored Mazarin and extended him courtesies (such as riding out to meet him personally) that normally were reserved for other royals.  Some go as far to suggest that Mazarin and Anne even got married in secret.  There's no real evidence and no recorded "walk of shame" for either, but Treasure, despite citing this evidence, tells the tale of Anne and Mazarin as if it was a marriage in perilous times.  No overt lovey dovey crap, but he certainly illustrates the desperation while parted as well as the kind opinions each held of the other, not to mention the great schemes the pair cooked up together. 

My previous readings of Eye of the Lynx (a book on the Lincean Academy of Italy), The Assassination of Henry IV (establishment of absolutism in France), and Music in the Service of the King (French court music history, delightful read, horribly rare book) all tie neatly back to this and to the interesting connections between France and Italy during the 1600s.  Given that I have done research on Louis XV and even later, Napoleon (a Corsican who neatly hedged between Italian and French), it's pretty epic when the names and places are read as a great, overarching tale, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy or Terry Pratchett's Discworld. 

And I think this is why I tend to cope with history better than some -- I read it as if it's a novel.  You get to book's end, and then you say, "and this all really happened."  Minus the lack of room for fan fiction in most cases, most of it is outrageously brilliant -- the defenestration of Prague, Abelard and Heloise, Eleanor of Aquitaine,  Houdini -- more than just their popular images suggest.  What we generally know and see on TV (save for the Hitl-- History Channel and its kin) are the "fan fiction" or parody interpretations. 

Random spouting as I cruise through the book.  Back to the grind!

Cat Parent Woes and Wobbles

For those that aren't cat people, this post probably won't interest you at all.  In fact, it will probably annoy you, so you may want to skip it.  But! Those who have fuzzies probably may want to take a read or two.

As most of you know, I am a "meowmy" to Memphis, a 1.5 year old black domestic short hair, and Tenny, a 1.5 year old tabby domestic medium hair with one eye.  Very easy to tell apart.  Despite popular belief, they are both girls; I always wanted a black cat named Memphis, regardless of gender, and Tenny (short for Tennessee) goes well with it. 

Cat food is one of those things that people normally say, "It's just a cat.  It's fine" when it comes to brands, types, and quality.  I guess it's a philosophical question: "What is Hecuba to he and he to Hecuba?" as Hamlet says it.  Me personally, I consider the cats my furry children: I'm responsible for their health and well-being, they make me happy, and both sides of the equation enjoy the others' company. Since I've put them under my care, they are my responsibility.  They could have gone to a different home -- but they didn't. 

That all said, I accidentally got "into" cat nutrition.  Memphis decided to scream her furry little head off outside a friend's apartment, and since he couldn't take her, I did.   Upon arriving home, I attempted to feed her the Meow Mix my friend gave me.  Baby couldn't do it; her little teeth couldn't crunch the kibble.  Plan B it was then! I had gotten the little furball a bunch of tiny 3-oz cans of wet food for her to try, ranging from Walmart's Special Kitty to Iams to Newman's Own (I was looking more for baby serving size than ingredients).

Well, ate she did.  Some more than others.  Hmm.  Why?  And was there something I should be feeding her, since she was so little?  And so down the rabbit hole of catfood I went.


It's best to start early on a soft, high grade food.  Kittens are very easy to switch foods; older cats, not so much.  For pet owners trying to get the cat over to a healthier food, I think steps are key. Your cat likes the cheap cat food because it's tasty -- supertasty because it's been sprayed with chemicals that make it taste ridiculously good.  But that hides the fact it's not real meat.  Cats are obligate carnivores -- their diet is almost exclusively meat, unlike a dog, who can eat meat and non-meat food.  As a result, cats don't process grains, fruits, and vegetables very well. Then there are things that make foodies nuts when they see it in human food: high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, animal byproducts. All that filler is junk food.  What happens when you feed a kid exclusively junk food instead of a good diet?  Fat kid.  Fat cat.  More on this later. 

Online searches immediately made me feel bad that I fed Memphis Special Kitty and Iams that first week.  I felt far less guilty about Newman's Own.  When I got Tenny, I switched her from her dry food to the food I had settled on for Memphis: Felidae Cat and Kitten canned with the equivalent dry food as a bribe. It was an affordable cat food that I could buy a case of -- and Felidae has a frequent buyer program wherein if you buy 12 cases, you get one free.  Sounds like alot, but when you have two fuzzies, it goes surprisingly quick. 

This was fine until May 2010.  Then Memphis started getting red ears and itchy, so much to the point that  I thought she had ringworm.  We'd had an outbreak with Tenny's arrival (poor dear), and I thought it had been conquered.  Fortunately, the vet assessed it as an allergy or irritation to something in the environment.  Nothing had been changed, so he suggested looking at her food to see if she'd developed an allergy to something. 

Just like humans, cats will develop allergies as they get older.  Most adult humans have some level of lactose intolerance and can't drink straight, whole milk anymore without some consequence.  Apparently this was the case with Memphis.  The problem was what. She was already on an all-natural food.  So I grabbed a few cans of the grain free Felidae.  With adequate experimentation, Memphis' problem causer was brown rice.  She hasn't had  fire-engine red ears since I switched her over to completely grain free food.

The transition was easy -- it was within the same brand, and it really was just an elimination of an ingredient more than a complete switch.  If your cat food make has a healthier or grain-free variation of its food (I know Fancy Feast does have grain free varieties, for example ), go ahead and start on that, adding a bit of it to the mix everyday.  It got to the point where if I didn't mix the food, Memphis would eat the grain free and leave the side of the plate with the grain cat food alone.  

Of course, the problem now is that there is one store in the whole city where one can purchase Felidae Grain Free.  Another problem point is that most dry food, even if they have "grain free" as a plug, do have brown rice somewhere in the list.  Now that I had a healthy baseline food, the next mission was to branch out. 

We first started with Innova's Evo last summer.  That was a great filler to stretch out those Felidae cans, but it wasn't very well received.  I mixed 3 spoonfuls of Felidae with one spoonful of Evo to start, and then gradually pared down the Felidae contribution and raised the Evo.  I continued to feed the Felidae dry, as finding a dry food without rice is MUCH harder than finding a wet food without it.  Evo wasn't sorely missed when I stopped feeding it out last summer, but I think I'll try it again just to see how goes it.

Much like introductions, introducing a new food takes about a few weeks before all things are well.  Also like introductions, you start with very small, brief exposures, and work your way up.  Evo was not fed exclusively as a meal until week 6.  If you cat has a few days of diarrhea whenever you add more of the new food, but then it regulates, let the cat be regular before changing the food content again.  It could take months before the cat is completely switched.  Slow and steady wins the conversion race.    Also, make sure the fuzzy eats every day, even if you have to bribe it with old food.  This process is easier if you're just trying to add new things to the diet rather than a complete conversion. 

That said, I'm using a different tactic at the moment to explore flavors for the cats.  I haven't committed to one "official" secondary food yet.  Rather, what I'm doing is trying to sort out what flavors the cats like.  Felidae Cat and Kitten is a mix of chicken, turkey, lamb, and fish.  So on the weekends -- when I'm home and can observe them all the time and take care of emergencies -- I feed them small 3 oz can or pouch of different food rather than the Felidae.  I split it between the cats.  It's just one meal, once a week, that's out of the ordinary.  Should they reject it out of hand, the Felidae is procured and immediately gobbled.   I normally put Felidae out before I go to bed these nights so that they aren't hungry, since their dinner was smaller than usual.  At times, if they really enjoyed dinner last night, they may make a stink about eating "the usual" again the next morning.   Remember, you know they like their regular food, and the other food is simply being used as a treat right now. 

Once you start using that new food as more than a treat, you may see a change in litter box output, as I indicated previously -- that's fairly normal.  If it doesn't normalize within a week or if the cat behaves differently, then you need to be concerned and stop the new food, and let the cat get back to normal on their regular diet.  Watch carefully.  I haven't reached this point yet,  as I'm just doing "Saturday night treats" in order to feel out what my cats like.  I've only had one bad reaction to a Saturday night nom, and that was Memphis and the Wellness Beef and Chicken.  Apparently, the princess no can has cheeseburger, because even though she loooooves it, it doesn't love her back and makes her vomit.  Tenny ate it fine.

Whenever you go hunting for a new food, check to make sure there aren't any recalls out for any reason -- you don't want a sick cat, and you also don't want a "false negative" on your kitty dietary exploration.  Cats are smart -- if it's a bad can or a bad case, and they can tell, they will turn their noses up at it.  We had one bad can this week -- a regular grain free Felidae one.  Rest of the case was fine, but Memphis staunchly refused to go near her food bowl, and Tenny (who is a living garbage disposal) picked at it and then threw it up immediately, then again during her nap.  Not good.   It was the last can in that case, and so far they've been very happy with the new case of Felidae.   

Both cats have turned their noses up at straight chicken, be it Blue Wilderness or Wellness.  Tenny loooves turkey though, but prefers the Wellness over the BW, judging from how much she ate.  Duck is an eh response for both cats in the Wellness variety.  Memphis has become a fish snob, particularly over salmon Wellness.  Both cats eat Wellness tuna with gusto, but I've found that most cat experts would caution against using fish-based cat food as a main dietary staple, since there is risk of mercury and other issues with fish. So fish a few times  a week is fine, but not every day. 

On the downside, both don't like shellfish at all, and Memphis can't tolerate beef.  So far, those are my findings.  I've taken out the Wellness beef and salmon can I was going to give them next week, and I'm keeping it on the side to donate to a shelter or something.  Even when experimenting, I make sure the fuzzies don't go hungry -- they aren't punished for not liking something. 

Costs.  That's the last thing I'll discuss here, and for a lot of people, it's the bottom line as to whether they'd go through all this for the cat.  I think that's unfortunate, but true.  Feeding a cat cheap food can result in obesity, urinary crystals, dehydration, and a lot of other health problems.  These may accumulate into an early death or massive vet bills to avoid that. The extra money per can or per bag you spend is more of a sting coming out of the pocketbook, but it beats the vet bills later.  Additionally, cats eat until they get what they need -- your can will likely eat less of a better brand than they would a low-grade brand.  So instead of a full can of cat food, they may only  need to eat half.  Without the additives and fillers, they get more of what they directly need and skip the poundage.  There are many stories I've seen where the food switch resulted in a cat losing a lot of weight, but regaining it in the form of muscle.  Cats are more active, playful, happy, and look gorgeous on better food.  Those things are not measurable in $$ but the lack of vet bills and the additional number of years you get with your cat are.  Good food paired with regular vet visits and playtime result in the happiest cats. 

Other than the research I've found using my fuzzies as guinea pigs, I do have to give credit where credit is due to the various blogs and support groups I've read. 

www.thewayofcats.org -- the first cat blog I ever stumbled upon, and it's been a massive help in terms of food and behavior modification.  And Toys!  And cat stress reduction!  And human stress reduction! And really everything else -- I think everyone should be reading this.

www.ibdkitties.net -- one Catster member's website; Alex the cat has a sad story, but the mission she inspired is impressive.  Alex's owner has great advice on switching and is an advocate of the raw diet.  I haven't discussed it here, as it is something to be learned and mastered. She also has a massive list of grain-free, healthy foods for people to try who can't do raw. 

www.catster.com -- the forums on food and nutrition are excellent sources.  There are a wide variety of cats with a wide variety of dietary requirements, issues, and cautions.  And it's a great group to go for support -- they've seen it all, and they all are cat crazy like you are (if you managed to read the entire post, haha).  They were brilliant when I was stressed over having Tenny's eye removed.