The Job Search Continues (and a Friday Freebie)

Hunting for a job is nearly a fulltime job in itself. It is difficult to know where to begin, and once you have been searching for a long time, keeping the process fresh and staying motivated can be challenging. It may be time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, particularly if your usual method hasn't yet helped you to expand your list of contacts or propel you towards an interview. These are tough times, and a little ingenuity can go a long way in differentiating you from other candidates.

The newspapers, magazines, and Internet are inundated with career tips and expertise. For a fresh perspective, check out Lindsey Pollak, "a bestselling author, speaker and consultant specializing in Generation Y career and workplace issues." Ms. Pollak writes a career blog (which you can subscribe to) and has written 2 books worth reading: Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World and another, co-authored with Diane K. Danielson entitled The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (Or, What Would Jane Austen Do?). Amazon sells these books both new and used (to save you money).

By the way, Ms. Pollak recommends that you link to her on LinkedIn. What do you have to lose? Give it a try.

A freebie for your Friday: Next Thursday, April 30th, from 3 - 7 p.m., head over to Carvel for a free Iceberg (soda and ice cream).


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Mom

Pasta Pie: A Recipe that Speaks for Itself

I take absolutely no credit for the recipe I am about to share. My son, Dan, emailed me this recipe about a month ago, and I immediately knew we would give this one a try. He found it on StumbleUpon - - an interesting site to check out, if you are not already familiar with it.

When it came time for my husband's birthday dinner earlier this month, Marc was eager for us to give Dan's suggested recipe for Pasta Pie a trial run. The photos for this recipe say it all! We followed the recipe mostly as written, with a few minor changes. We substituted ground turkey for the ground beef, used whole wheat rigatoni, added some red pepper flakes and extra garlic cloves, and omitted the salt. The presentation is impressive, and overall, it is an easy and fun recipe to make and serve. I suggest that you read the comments following the recipe, since we found them helpful for achieving a successful outcome. This recipe is a keeper, sure to grace our table when company joins us for dinner. It certainly has that "WOW factor"!

Cathy, the blogger for Noble Pig, where this wonderful recipe is located, writes a terrific blog - - fun, personable, delicious, and terrific photos! Be sure to check out many of her other tempting recipes.







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Mom

Coffee and Ice Cream Reminder

Hey, I'm a mom. I can't help myself; reminding is what I do. It's an occupational hazard (just ask my kids - - right Sarah and Dan?)!

Today is Iced Coffee Day and Free Cone Day.
Check my blog from April 17th for more details.

Meet me for coffee, anyone?

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Mom

LinkedIn for the College Student

It seems "virtually" impossible (pun intended!) to keep up with the constant changes on the Internet, especially when it comes to social media. A year and a half ago, when I first joined Facebook, much to the chagrin and bewilderment of my kids, I was hard-pressed to convince my peers to follow in my footsteps and allow me to "friend" them on Facebook. Hey, why should my kids have all the fun? There are still a few dissenters (you know who you are, not to mention any names!), but even my 87 year old aunt is a regular on Facebook. Recently some of my friends have succumbed and requested the guided tour of Facebook. The mystique has subsided, but the thrill is still there. Who will be the next old friend I locate, or who from a past life might surprise me with a "friend request"? In addition to "messaging" my old friends on "FB", I have also reconnected with one friend for lunch, another by phone, and soon will visit with another en route to visit family. Such is the intention of social media and networking. I certainly do not need to explain Facebook to a college student or a recent graduate.

The benefits of joining Twitter and LinkedIn may be less obvious to college students and recent grads. Yet both social media sites are constantly in the news and rapidly attracting members. They, similarly, are vital to your job search.

In February, while visiting with my kids and their friends at college, I took an informal poll about Twitter. I had been reading a lot about it but could not grasp the purpose. I was surprised that in this group of a dozen college students only one was "tweeting" on Twitter, most were unfamiliar with it, and I was still unable to make sense of it. Last week I finally took the plunge and joined (username: MomBlogsBest, if you want to follow me) Twitter. Hey, I even beat Oprah, who finally joined later in the week. (And by the way, my 87 year old aunt just joined Twitter this week, as well!) I am still trying to understand its purpose, but I have read that Twitter, like other social networking sites, is one more way to advertise your credentials, and to network as part of your job search. More on that topic in a future posting.

LinkedIn, however, is the most recognized social media network for professionals, with over 35 million members. If you have not yet joined, take some time and familiarize yourself with the benefits of becoming a member. Both my college senior and freshman have become members in recent months in search of contacts and jobs. Plan to include your resume and letters of recommendation as part of your profile. LinkedIn enables you to network with friends, co-workers, parents, and friends' parents to build your extended group of contacts and increase your opportunities for employment. For more information, read Alison Doyle's article Ten tips to enhance your job search on LinkedIn. If you will soon be graduating, be certain to check out the '09 Grad Guide on LinkedIn.


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Mom

Another Deal on Coffee

Seattle's Best Coffee, available in the cafe in many Borders bookstores, is offering a medium cup of Anniversary Roast coffee for $.39 (plus tax). This offer is available through Sunday April 19th. So grab your laptop and books and head to Borders for a great cup of coffee.....and maybe a little bit of studying!

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Mom

Coffee and Ice Cream for Free (or almost free): Sustenance for the College Student

It is always a great day when free or nearly free coffee is involved, and even better when it is from Dunkin' Donuts. Tuesday, April 21st is Iced Coffee Day, for the nominal charge of 50 cents. I know, in past years it was free, but this year the money will help support Homes for Our Troops.

On the same day (April 21st), head over to Ben and Jerry's and celebrate Free Cone Day. Coffee in one hand and ice cream in the other - - pure heaven!

Celebrate National Pretzel Day on April 26th and enjoy a free homemade pretzel at one of these locations.

On Wednesday, April 29th from 5 to 10 p.m., head over to Baskin Robbins for a 31 cent small ice cream scoop.

The USPS is raising the price of a first class stamp from 42 to 44 cents on May 11th. Purchase some Forever Stamps prior to May 11th at the lower price, and they will continue to be honored without additional postage after May 10th.

Sign up for Cold Stone Creamery's Birthday Club and enjoy a free cup of ice cream on your birthday.

I have appreciated a nice increase in the number of subscribers to my blog lately. A big thank you to you from your Virtual Mom!

I imagine many of you have seen this amazing video of Susan Doyle on YouTube this week. It's truly inspirational!

Yeah for weekends! Hope it's a great one.

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Mom

Creatively Approaching Your Job Search

While these may be challenging times to search for your first job right out of college, a little creativity and a lot of networking will go a long way in heading you down the right path. Take a moment to read this article from The New York Times, All Is Not Lost for the Class of 2009, by Eilene Zimmerman. For those of you seeking a summer job, many of these suggestions similarly apply.

At the completion of the article, click on More Articles in Job Market, for a number of additional worthwhile topics. In particular, consider reading Steve Lohr’s article With Finance Disgraced, Which Career Will Be King? While these may be uncertain times, the more information you arm yourself with, strategically you will be in a better position to maneuver your way through the current job market. And most importantly, stay focused and optimistic. Consider every opportunity that presents itself.


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Mom

A Traditional Passover Treat: Matzo Brei

It is a busy holiday week for many, with Passover beginning at sundown this evening, and Good Friday and Easter Sunday on the horizon. These holidays coincide with the beginning of spring, with much anticipation, symbolism and unique rituals. And as my friend Barbara and I have been discussing on our walks, there are many similarities between these different holidays.

Today's recipe for matzo brei is a personal Passover favorite. As a child, my grandmother and mother often prepared matzo brei. It was not reserved specifically for the Passover holiday, but enjoyed year round. My kids especially enjoy my mother's crispy recipe. We are convinced that her electric frying pan is the key to the crispness. Regardless, we never met a matzo brei that we didn't enjoy. It's also the perfect way to use up any leftover matzo when the holiday nears its end. For those who may not be familiar, matzo brei is sort of a cross between French toast and an omelet, substituting broken pieces of matzo for the slices of bread.

A number of years ago, an article in The New York Times alerted us to the best restaurants for matzo brei in NYC. Only in New York! One of the top recommendations was the Edison Cafe, also known as the Polish Tea Room. Located in the heart of the theatre district in Manhattan, this restaurant is rich with history and stuck in a delightful time warp. The Edison was a family favorite, yet we had never tried their matzo brei. So, off we went. There is no question that it deserves the kudos. It is not only delicious, but the presentation is impressive!

The difference between the Edison's matzo brei and the more traditional recipe has to do with the fact that the Edison serves it as a solid pancake. The more traditional recipe scrambles the eggs and matzo mixture in a pan until crisp. So began my hunt to find a recipe duplicating the Edison’s delicacy. Martha Stewart provides a few matzo brei recipes on her site. This particular recipe is quite comparable to the one at the Edison Cafe. Give it a try. It's easy to make and delicious.

Incidentally, matzo brei can be served savory with salt, pepper, onions and similar additions, or sweet, enjoyed with a sprinkling of sugar, honey or syrup.

Let me know if you try making this recipe and any personal favorite ways for serving this holiday dish.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Seder, a happy Passover, and joyful Easter!




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Mom

Expanding Your Palate

I have always preferred following a mostly vegetarian diet. However, truth be told, I occasionally eat chicken, and have been known to crave a hamburger at a summer barbecue. The smell of a burger wafting from the grill is so enticing. At a friend's dinner party, I may even eat steak.

When my kids were little, my daughter (Sarah) ate only fruits and veggies at a meal, while her brother (Dan) could not be cajoled to try either, instead eating only his entree. Between the two of them, they ate one complete meal. I often encouraged them to branch out and try new foods, continually using my usual modus operandi, my “sml” ("standard mom line"): "What if you never tried chocolate? You wouldn't know what you were missing." (Sarah and Dan, can you hear me now?)

My husband, Marc, and Dan were self-professed carnivores, though recently Dan informed us that for a variety of reasons (one involving his effort to reduce his carbon footprint - - my environmentalist/hippie child) he is thinking about becoming a vegetarian. Was this really coming from my rib eating, hamburger craving son, who from his earliest years always opted for the most unique choice on the menu? How about some alligator nuggets? I kid you not. When other parents typically brought junk food up to overnight camp on visiting day, at age 8, I packed the cooler with his favorite food, sushi. This sudden change of heart must be genetic. So sorry, Marc! It looks like you are finally outnumbered.

Since becoming empty nesters this year, Marc has joined me in following a mostly vegetarian lifestyle - - lots of grains, nuts, tofu, tempeh, veggies, beans, etc. So much so, that recently Marc literally begged me for some white flour pasta. Hmmm......did I even stock any? Lucky guy.....I found a lonely box of organic durum wheat semolina flour spaghetti. (Shhhhh....don't tell him...I passed it off as white flour pasta.) It was delicious.

The next time you are grocery shopping, especially if you happen to be at my favorite store, Trader Joe’s, branch out and try something new. Be adventurous and sample a new grain. How about the quinoa I mentioned in a recent posting, or buckwheat (kasha)? You'll be hooked. Swapping grains and veggies for your main dish are also good for the college student's budget. Choose an unusual looking vegetable, like jicama, a cross between an apple and a potato, and add it raw to your salad. Dan tried jicama recently and gave it a heads up! Whoa…..we’ve come a long way! Add some tofu to your stir fry. Similar to pasta, tofu is bland to the taste, but picks up the flavor of whatever you add to the recipe. Not sure what to do with a new item? Ask someone in the store, especially in a store like Trader Joe's, where they are eager to assist. Bring the item home and search for it online. Try different recipes using the same item. You may find a winner. If you do, share it on my blog. Make your mother proud.

And, Marc, it's back to quinoa soup for dinner tonight.

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Mom