#87: Become a member of WITF

I'm embarrassed to admit that it was not until today that I became a member of WITF, my local public broadcasting television and radio stations (89.5).  I say so mainly because I am not a Johnny-come-lately to the WITF scene.  In fact, a lot of childhood memory bank is filled with snippets and memories of television shows, the calming vocal delivery of prominent reporters, and catchy radio segments.

I ate my cereal with eyes glued to Sesame Street, sat in the audience of a live taping of "Whad'Ya Know?", fixated on the accents of Click and Clack on "Car Talk" during long drives to soccer tournaments, and was comforted by the familiarity of the voice of Robert Siegel discussing the day's headlines.

With a few exceptions, things haven't changed a whole lot.  Although Sesame Street is not a frequent recording in my TiVo queue, I still think it's one of the most quality shows for kids and I will relish the day I can introduce the characters I love so much to my children (in regulated increments, of course).  I haven't been to another live taping, but "Whad'ya Know?" still has me responding "Not much, you?" every single time!  "Car Talk" remains my favorite show and I listen to Robert Siegel and friends on the drive to and from work everyday!

Whatever your local public broadcast station is, I urge you to make a donation - no matter how small.  Whether by radio (via NPR) or television (via PBS), the programming, news, shows, and entertainment that is delivered is of the highest quality and standard.  Unfortunately neither one of these non-profits can exist without the generous support from listeners and viewers like you and I.  So, stop reading this blog and make a donation, friends!  Let's do our part to make sure NPR and PBS (and my local WITF) are around for years to come!

#30: Try 5 new foods (ackee)

A few weeks ago, Shannon and I ventured to one of our favorite weekend spots:  the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg.  We like to go and walk around the various vendors, usually only stopping to buy vegetables from the produce section.  Only this particular day, however, as we perused the Stone Market Building, we just couldn't resist the friendly man at the stand for Porter's House - a place that only recently opened, featuring authentic food from the Caribbean.  With a huge smile on his face, the man asked if we had any questions about the food.  Since we were given an inch, we decided to take a mile, asking him to tell us about basically everything that the stand had to offer.  Not only did it all sound delicious, after the man had been so warm and inviting, we figured there was no way we could resist at least trying something!

We ordered sweet plantains, dumplings, and the not-so-familiar ackee and saltfish.  Ackee and saltfish is a traditional Jamaican dish.  Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and portions of it are actually toxic to humans.

I, once again, forgot to take any pictures of the food as I was eating but its appearance was reminiscent of scrambled eggs.  It actually tastes somewhat like scrambled eggs - but maybe my brain was just telling me that since the texture was so similar.  I think the flavor component that was most pronounced was actually from the saltfish and not from the ackee.

I will definitely be back to this stand in the market - they gained a fan through their kind-hearted nature and tasty food.