Late last night, on a special call out to our house, the repairmen from J&R Appliance in New Milford fixed my refrigerator. It was an ordeal – with a store that made promises they wouldn’t keep and a repair contract company who made mistake after mistake. But in the end, it was J&R who came through for us. I couldn’t thank them enough when they were leaving.

As great as J&R was to get this taken care of so that we didn’t have to wait until last week, a friend was also really great today. In the midst of the calls, I had a crying breakdown (ugh, pregnancy hormones!) and Cate was so awesome to talk me through it and offer some really fantastic suggestions on how to get this whole mess solved. And it was one of her suggestions that did the trick.

Thanks Cate!!!

So, now the kitchen is up and running again. I can’t wait to start posting regular recipes again!!!

This is my refrigerator. It is just shy of three years old. We’ve been careful to baby it, vacuuming underneath to ensure that no dog hair or dust build up taxed the motor. And I love it – the delicious water from the dispenser, the way it dependably keeps my food cold or frozen (depending on which half you are talking about).

However, while we were away, our refrigerator conked out. And after all the babying, all the joy I felt for this giant hunk of metal . . . It just failed us. So my husband, who came home a few days early for work, had to clean out rotten foods and unfrozen ice (among other things). Yuck.

But the biggest upset for me was losing the giant bag of strawberries that I recently picked, cleaned, hulled and froze for winter. I had intended to move them to our deep freezer in the basement but procrastinated. There was so much else to do. So instead of wonderfully, carefully frozen strawberries from a local farm, we will be strawberry-less all winter (or else have to buy some, but those never taste as good and it’s such a waste to lose all those berries).

Good news? The repair people will be here in the morning to fix the fridge. So at least we won’t be too long without one (we do have a mini-fridge running in the meantime though).

And I learned a very important lesson on following through. If I hadn’t hemmed and hawed about having to go downstairs to move the strawberries, we would still have their delicious goodness for the summer. No more procrastination.

McDonald’s Corp. is taking a new tactic to try and make people feel okay about eating their food and feeding it to their children. They are letting six women — all mothers — visit restaurants, processing plants, test kitchens and orchards. Then the women are going to journal, not blog because there will be no opportunity for public comment on the forum, about it. I think USA Today’s headline, “McDonald’s lets 6 moms tell it like it is,” just about says it all.

Except, I wasn’t born yesterday and claims by the company that they won’t be having any input on the journal entries, that the women are getting full access, that the food is actually okay for you . . . well, that just sounds like McDonald’s is trying to pull a thick curtain of wool over our eyes.

Seriously folks, why wouldn’t comments be allowed? That is one of the things that has allowed the blogosphere to flourish – the public dialogue. And who are these women exactly? What about when should instill confidence? Check out this bit about one of the panelists from the USA Today article cited above:

Joanna Canizares, a Miami postal worker, is one of the panelists. She takes her boys to McDonald’s about twice a week, but she worries about trans fats, she says, because her 8-year-old son is “addicted” to Chicken McNuggets.

Canizares says she knows nuggets may not be the ideal food, but “it’s the lesser of two evils” because her son sometimes refuses to eat anything else.

“It’s better than eating nothing — and at least it has some protein.”

Let’s boil this down a bit: if you fed the kids real food at home, they wouldn’t have a taste for the processed and pressed chicken-like substance that has been deep fried to oblivion.

According to McDonald’s website, the four chicken nuggets have 10 grams of protein (assuming the child is eating the regular Happy Meal and not getting a more gargantuan proportion). Meanwhile it’s also got 10 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium. So that “protein” she’s touting as the saving grace to the meal really shies in comparison to all the heart-stopping bad things that are in those nuggets. And that doesn’t even consider the side dish and drink he’s eating too.

Now, if Canizares was eating at home and served a grilled chicken breast (or roasted or whatever) – 4 oz, about half of a breast – to her child, he would consume 27.2 grams of protein – nearly three times the amount found in the nuggets – as well as only 1.5 grams of fat and 76.7 milligrams of sodium. That chicken could be dressed up with delicious and exciting flavors too without impacting the nutritional value.

Obviously, it’s Canizares’ choice what her children eat and don’t eat. And if McDonald’s is okay with her, that’s her prerogative. But McDonald’s chose only women who eat there at least on occasion to participate in this program. What is occasionally though? That’s such a subjective phrase. And if the other women have similar habits to Canizares, won’t they be just a bit more forgiving because they want to feel okay about what their kids are eating?

(Just as a side note, the company says that the women aren’t being paid but their travel is covered by McD’s and they receive a laptop to keep.)

Let’s talk about full access for a minute. Who’s choosing where these women go? The women or the company? Are they going to the source – the slaughterhouses where the animals are killed for their meat? Are they seeing a variety of processing plants, test kitchens and restaurants? To me, all access would mean that these women could choose their destinations. I doubt that will be the case. Chances are McDonald’s will show the women the best of the best to put their best big red shoe forward. And chances are that they will avoid anywhere that would bring negative commentary. And really, you don’t think McDonald’s isn’t going to, um, edit what these women say at all?

If this program is one thing, it’s a brilliant marketing scheme. After all, it’s got people talking. And these women will likely say lovely things about the company and leave feeling much better about their McDonald’s habits. But let’s be real. McDonald’s food is not healthy – it contains insulting amounts of fats (including trans fat) and sodium and lacks the good nutrients that real food has. Do I eat there? Sure, once in a blue moon. But I eat there out of convenience once every few months knowing that it isn’t good for me.

Me thinks the company doth protest too much. If McDonald’s was really serious about appealing to the health conscious consumer, they would clean up their act: eliminate the trans fats now; get their meat from humane slaughterhouses; quit over processing food; offer truly healthy alternatives instead of salads wrought with partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups; and just be honest. And don’t tell me that publishing their nutritional content (required by law) and ingredients makes them honest. McDonald’s works overtime to fool consumers into believing their food isn’t that bad. Check out their recent ads in magazines like Parents!

Frankly, these women aren’t going to be telling it like it is. Let some real journalists in there to investigate the company’s processes and maybe I will consider believing the outcome. Anything else is just an insult to my intelligence.

As a mother of a young child, I am constantly on the prowl for what’s safe and what isn’t. In my house, we avoid partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and microwaving plastic. But until this week, I hadn’t given a thought to the melamine plates that my son eats from. After all, the durable melamine prevents accidental breakage from my helpful boy trying to clear the table.

But after weeks of coverage of the tainted pet food that has killed countless pets from kidney failure, it’s come to light that the chemical pesticide that harmed the animals was melamine - the same chemical that is in the melamine resin that my son’s plates are made of. It’s bad enough that the harmful chemical has made it’s way into our food supply. But why isn’t anyone questioning this material’s other uses?

Melamine is something that has been widely considered safe. But even the FDA admits to be taken by surprise by the harmful effects of melamine additives on animals, according to NPR. Could melamine not be that safe after all? And if so, is the contact risk of using melamine plates an acceptable risk for my child?

So, I’ve done a touch of research. Melamine resin – the stuff plates are made of – is a compound made of the melamine chemical and another chemical, urea. It is more heat-safe than regular plastics, but can melt at high temperatures. And it’s not microwave safe.

So what then? Urea? Potentially harmful chemicals? It’s definitely an eyeopener. And honestly, with the risks of melamine in the food supply coming to light, I can’t help but have concerns that it’s not safe enough to eat off of either. I don’t care that people have been using it since the 60s. It’s just not an acceptable risk for my son.

I think it might be time to look into Corelle.

UPDATE: I decided what to do about the melamine.

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Will loves to say “thank you.” He thanks people for handing him things, and for taking things that he hands them. He thanks you for holding doors, opening containers and taking away bottles (baa-baaas, in Will speak). It’s the first phrase that he’s learned and he’s really taken it by the horns and used it like crazy.

That’s my baby – the politest 17-month-old around.

He’s also among the happiest babies (if not the happiest) that I’ve ever met. He laughs, giggles and smiles all the time. He plays “Where’d Will go?” (our version of Peek-a-Boo) for hours on end, laughing about it every single time. He practically jumps (practically, because he’s only a yr and a half!! He can’t quite jump yet) for joy when he gets a treat like a little piece of chocolate. And lest I forget the hugs and kisses he generously gives out. Happy, polite and loving – what an awe-inspiring combination.

It’s more that though. He’s an inspiration to me.

Before I had Will, I loved my work – journalism, writing, etc. And I loved my husband, my dogs and our cozy home. But life was just life – nothing terrible, but nothing special either. Will’s changed that. He has a contagious zest for life that brightens every moment.

And he’s made me want to live a better life – a healthier, happy, more exciting life. So I am.

What does this have to do with the new year? Every New Year is a chance to start anew, to have a fresh beginning. The possibilities are endless.

You’ll be seeing some changes with the posts here on Cucina Bella in the new year. Food will be healthful 99 percent of the time. Until now, I’ve held back about sharing much of myself here. Sure, I share my food and cooking hints and tips here and there, but I try not to talk about me – the goddess in the kitchen. I’m done with holding back now. I think it will make for much more interesting blogging . . . hope you enjoy the new Cucina Bella as much as I do.

Ok, so, I need to complain.

I went to the Friendly’s in Danbury, Conn., with my husband and son (just over a year old) today for lunch. Figuring that it’s a good, family friendly restaurant, I thought it would be a good place for a treat for my boy. He’s been such a trooper about going to daycare for the first time over the past month that I feel like he deserves it.

Anyway, back to the rant.

We were seated right away (yay!) but by the bathroom (boo! but someone has to sit there, and it really doesn’t bother me that much). We weren’t given a children’s menu (boo! toddlers eat too) until about 15 minutes later when our waiter decided to finally greet us.

Yes. It took 15 minutes to greet us.

Now, I understand that they were busy. And I can appreciate that it might have taken him that long to take our order, but he’d been within feet of our table at least twice without saying anything.

Finally we got to order…another 5 or 10 minutes later. Ugh. Cheesy mac and franks for Will, a barbecue beef sandwich for me (hold the ranch!), and honey barbecue chicken fingers for my husband (and the waiter asked if he wanted double fries instead of coleslaw, which Shawn was very happy about).

Another 10 or 15 minutes go by and our food finally comes. (Are you seeing the time issue here?!?) Despite the fact that it was the waiter’s idea, Shawn’s plate came with coleslaw and fries instead of the double fries. Despite my very clear request, there was a big squirt of ranch dressing on my sandwich. And poor Will, for whom this treat was all about, got a plate of mac and cheese that looked like it was at least a day old.

I sent mine back, and Will just ate the franks…he wasn’t into the mac and cheese at all. Frankly, I cannot blame him. Shawn sucked it up. Their fries aren’t that good anyway.

The food was otherwise a mediocre ok, though Shawn’s honey barbecue tenders looked NOTHING like the photo in the menu (ahhhh, false advertising?).

What else bugged me? The fact that despite my name clearly being embossed on the debit card, the waiter handed my husband the receipt to sign, for one. The fact that my son’s food was so awful. The fact that the children’s portions are WAY too big and we weren’t even ASKED if we wanted to take it home. The fact that the options were devoid of vegetables. The fact that I practically had to beg for a refill on my drink.

Oh, and most of all. Friendly’s has raised their prices. They are now on par with other chains like Chili’s, Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s. Well, if I am going to spend money on food like that, I would rather have something a slot above mediocre.

Rant ended.