I am *desperate* to get my account of our trip to Austin on the blog; here's to hoping that I get around to it before I FORGET some of the finer details.... (of course, I could always make stuff up, but I'm getting tired of that:-)
Anyhoodle:
I created two different enchilada-type recipes, having been inspired by our culinary journey to parts south into the land of waaaaay better food.
Here's the first, made last week (non-veggie version)
Chorizo and Buffalo stuffed poblanos (and enchiladas)
Mix 1 pound (raw) ground buffalo (or any other ground meat) in a mixing bowl with 1.5 tubes (raw) beef chorizo, 3/4 of a large onion (chopped), 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp pan toasted cumin seed, the chopped tops of the poblanos (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup), 1/2 cup hominy (add after meat/veggies have been fairly well mixed so it doesn't get too squashed)
Stuff mix into 6 good sized poblanos that have had the tops removed and have been slit down the front. Place in a 9x13 inch pan (which has a wee bit o enchilada sauce, your recipe or prepared, in the bottom..), cover the peppers a bit with more enchilada sauce, and put a few random clumps of roasted veggie salsa on top (see recipe below). Cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes at 375.
Serve, sprinkled with cheese and sauce from pan, with addl. veggie salsa.
There was a good amount of the meat mixture left, so I threw together a batch of enchiladas, using up the leftover enchilada sauce as well. I warmed 6 corn tortillas in the microwave (until soft), put some sauce in the baking pan, rolled each tortilla up with 1/8 cup (pan fried) meat mix and a sprinkle of cheese. I then warmed up the 6 remaining tortillas and filled up another small pan, covered them all up with enchilada sauce, sprinkled on some cheese, and then put them in the freezer. Now I can be a lazy-booty some other day when I have no motivation to cook (which has been far too often lately)!
Tonight's recipe (vegetarian):
cut one package of tempeh into 1 inch cubes and boil in water for 5 minutes, cool and chop. Saute 1/4 cup choppped onion, 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, 1/2 finely cubed zucchini, 1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms and 1 clove chopped garlic in saute pan, about 5 mintes until softened. Add 1 tb (+/- to taste) chili powder, 1/2 tube vegetarian chorizo, 1/2 cup of the tempeh cooking water, 1/2 cup roasted veggie salsa (recip below), and 1/2 cup hominy. Heat until bubbly. Add 1/2 cup plain yogurt, stir to incorporate, and then add chopped tempeh.
Fill 8 whole wheat tortillas each with 1/2 cup filling, and place in a pan (again, put enchilada sauce on bottom). Top enchiladas with sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350-375 for 30 minutes, (if desired, remove foil and bake for an addl 5 minutes).
Tas-tee, and only the pickiest and stinkiest eaters will know that something is amiss with these enchiladas-- even my hubby complimented them (and nooooo, he didn't say they were "interesting"). Serve with a big ole veggie salad, topped with Newman's Own Lime Vinaigrette...
PAMELA JONES' ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE ROASTED VEGETABLE SALSA (ADAPTED) From "The Passionate Vegetarian" by Crescent Dragonwagon
MAKES ABOUT TWO CUPS
2 Roma or plum tomatoes, halved
4 tomatillos, husked and halved
1/2 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, with skins on
1-2 serrano chili peppers, whole
1 ancho or poblano chili, whole
2 whole hot Hungarian wax pepper,
2 whole jalapeño chili,
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1-3 tablespoons cilantro, stemmed
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, chilies, and peppers in a container with a fitted cover. Toss with oil and spread on non-stick baking sheets (probably 2).
Bake at 400 until peppers are blistered (about 40 minutes).
When cool enough to handle, peel, stem and seed the peppers (use gloves to protect skin). Place peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos and onions in a food processor.
Squeeze garlic out of their skins and buzz until smooth. Add cilantro, salt, and cumin seed to taste. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
I've Been Looking for This All Afternoon:
It's pretty amazing that I found it, considering I had *no* idea where I first saw this video, and no idea what the artist's name was.
But I remember seeing it a few weeks ago, and thinking: if you could see inside my brain at any given moment, this is what it would look like.
Cool AND scary, no?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
My Majorly Messed Up Week:
Jake was away the *entire* week at a class up in Minneapolis, leaving me and the kids to fend for ourselves...
Does he NOT realize that we are completely helpless in his absence, and depend solely on his mercy for our miserable existences?
Well, not exactly. But here's a recap of our misfourtunes, in chronological order:
1) I really prided myself on taking the kids to go skating 2 towns over at the Ice Plex; I don't usually venture out too far when the hubby's gone, since who the heck is going to rescue us in the likely event that I will do something foolish and strand myself somewhere?
We got down there ok, just as the snow started to fall.... and then 2 hours later as the skating session ended, found ourselves in the throes of a snowstorm with near zero visibility. Whilst driving 25 miles on the interstate, trying not to slide into the ditch, ever helpful Jacob was repeating "we're never going to make it" over and over again, which really calmed the whole group tremendously.
2 hours later, we arrived at home, only to see that the massive snow storm ceased less than one mile from our house. Doomed, we are. Doooooooooomed!
2) Since I am never 100% sure what my husband's up to, I wisely chose this week to pile on the hours at work so I can get the full "single parent" experience I've narrowly skirted all these years. After getting home so late the night before and taking time to de-stress before sleeping a good 5-6 hours, I slogged myself to work. Exhausted, I slogged home afterwards, looking forward to a little nappy-poo to freshen myself up before the kids got home. After numberous phone and puppy interruptions, I finally drifted off, only to hear Maggie CHOMP CHOMP CHOMPING on a bone-ish sounding object. Now, our house is pretty puppy proof these days, so I didn't give it a second thought, until I realized in my growing lucidity that the sound wasn't *really* all that bone-like, and just then Maggie came up and proudly showed me what she had been chewing on: a BRAND NEW bottle of ibuprofen.
YaaaaAAAAAaaa!
Quick! Look up how to induce vomiting in a dog.
Quick! Look up dosage! Find syringe, find hydrogen peroxide... find that hydrogen peroxide is 99% gone-- just enough!
Chain dog up, squirt stuff in her mouth, drag her outside and wait for it to work... and WAIT, and WAIT, and WAIT.....
FINALLY! She barfed. I didn't see any tablets in her vomit, but since she chewed the tabs pretty good, she still probably got at least a little in her belly...
Call the vet, rush her off to the vet, hope she doesn't barf in my car.
Vet wants to keep her for 2 days of IV therapy, I convince him that something less drastic is probably in order (since I didn't see any tablets in the urp), so he sub-q's her with fluids and sends her home with me looking like a lopsided camel.
Barf barf barf, all night long; green, nasty stuff that doesn't want to come out of the carpet.
The next night, she started waking up every 2 hours, soaked in urine, needing to go out and pee ginormous volumes of dilute urine. She also started drinking obsessively, yet her behavior continued otherwise to be 100% normal. Go figure... not exactly the picture of renal failure I thought I'd see..
So I leave work early on Wed to take her back to the vet AGAIN, to check labwork. BUN slightly elevated, creatinine WNL, blood sugar slightly elevated... nothing. Doc is stumped. In the meantime, Maggie is drinking and peeing more than ever, about every 15 minutes or so.
The Koehler household has now become a body fluid cesspool, pee and vomit, filthy wet towels dripping everywhere. I construct an elaborate fence to keep the girl out of the living room, since the day before she hopped over the living room fence and proceeded to dump out all of Jake's plants for the 43rd time, rolled the dirt all over the floor, and then peed and vomited all over the whole mess. Egads! Like something out of a horror flick...
It took at least 2.5 hours to clean up, and I'm happy to report that Jake's plants now live on the porch. In 23 degree weather. Wonder if they'll make it...
For the next 2 nights she was up every 2 hours needing to pee and have a complete change of bedding in her kennel, and activity which lended itself poorly to sleep and was a nasty chore at 12, 2, and 4 am.
Finally, last night I had an epiphany: doggie diapers! It's a wonder what an old stash of pull ups and a roll of duct tape can accomplish... a full night's sleep for the dog and I are only one of them.
I took some urine in today for an eval (to rule out a bladder infection #1, and maybe diabetes #2). Dr thinks it may be Addison's disease if nothing else pops up, but her urine showed rare WBC's, and since the sample was so dilute, decided to put her on an antibiotic.
Wish my girl a bit o luck-- kidney failure sucks major heinie.
3) On Monday, the basement flooded. Bad.
4) On Wednesday, I discovered that a pipe had burst, which was why the basement was flooded. Ohwell, better late than never... at least I figured *that* much out.
5) On Tuesday, we got the biggest snow storm in YEARS, and no, I have no clue how to work the snowblower (or the plow, which was broken anyway). For those of you who know us, our driveway is at least the length of a football field, so hand shoveling was SO not happening, esp since the snow was soooo wet, heavy, and almost didn't stop for 3 days.
In a moment of desperation I called a friend's hubby who is in the 'biz (the snow removal biz), who told me he'd rustle me up a guy to "take care of me".
Now, I didn't like the sound of that either, so when the dude called, all eager to come over and "check it out", I got a little creeped out... and shore 'nuff, when I told the guy I wasn't going to be home and to call me with an estimate, he sounded a little disappointed and a little less eager.
Go figure.
So wonder of all wonders I never heard back from him, and thus can't help but ponder if he was looking for a little sumpin' sumpin' for his plow job, perhaps not realizing that I'd rather chew my arm off.
But my most excellent husband saved the day by calling the neighbors from his hotel in Minnesota, who graciously came and plowed the driveway, sans sexual favors.
Hallelujah! There IS a God.
6) Tuesday was also a crazy day at work, where I forgot in my frenzy that Jacob had to be picked up at 3:30. So of course, when I realized this at 3:23, I had to tell the charge nurse "I have to GOOOOOOoooooooo. Right NOW!", while simultaenously barking instructions at Gracy on my cell phone to "meet me at the car, NOW"! She must have detected the urgency in my voice, as she did not utter one word of protest at having to ambulate a distance greater than from the couch to her bed to the computer desk. Jacob was the lone kid, left at school with no ride, so I'm sure it was evident to the staff that his loser mom finally rousted from her cracked out haze to come and get her kid. I dropped him off at his enrichment class just as the heaviest snow of the storm started to fall.... and was another 10 minutes late picking him *up* from class, as well;-)
7) Friday I called home on a whim to see if the kids had gotten off to school ok, to discover that Jacob's bus hadn't arrived yet, 30 minutes past his pickup time. Grrrrrrrrrrr! The poor boy has to stand on a fairly busy county highway that was especially slippery that day and surely addled with pedophiles, and thus I was none too happy that he was standing out there all alone for all that time. If the kid is 30 seconds late for the bus, he's completely out of luck... but if the middle aged weiners at the bus company are 30 MINUTES late, it's too bad, so sad. Another no win situation for kids everywhere. Boo.
I called the bus company to inquire about the delay, to hear the message "This is Julie's phone, leave a message". Huh???
What sort of business that deals with parents is that cluless about phone etiquette?
One that wants to make me crazy, that's what.
When I reached the Julie in question, I was short with her, telling her that if the bus passed him by while he ran to tell me it never came, she was going to pick him up HER self. Raaaarrrrrrrrrr! Pissed off momma, hear me roar!
And of course, completely terrified at my rare display of backbone, she told me "no I'm not".
Whatever, beyotch.
Work was soooo flippin crazy that day, too, that I wasn't able to call until a few hours later to see if the boy got the bus; but I really didn't want to know, anyway, since I knew I'd have to find the chutzpah to make good on my threat to Ms. Julie, and I really wasn't up to it anymore. Garrrr!
8) Finally, Jake arrived home, yesterday--a 1/2 hour before expected-- yaaaaaaay!
We went out for a lovely dinner at a local, upscale spot. Our dinners were nice, we had a good time... only to notice Jake had a DEAD FLY on his plate where his food once lay.
Soooooooo, I guess it's *not* just me with the loser luck... and somehow, that makes me feel just a little better.
p.s. I had a nice glass of gevurztraminer with my meal last night, and got downright giddy, even after a few sips. And wouldn't ya know it, I felt like DEATH warmed over for most of this morning.
I drank tons of water and green tea, and finally felt more like myself with 100% more energy towards noon, hurrah!
I miss my wine, but it's not worth it! Clearly, I'm on to something...
Does he NOT realize that we are completely helpless in his absence, and depend solely on his mercy for our miserable existences?
Well, not exactly. But here's a recap of our misfourtunes, in chronological order:
1) I really prided myself on taking the kids to go skating 2 towns over at the Ice Plex; I don't usually venture out too far when the hubby's gone, since who the heck is going to rescue us in the likely event that I will do something foolish and strand myself somewhere?
We got down there ok, just as the snow started to fall.... and then 2 hours later as the skating session ended, found ourselves in the throes of a snowstorm with near zero visibility. Whilst driving 25 miles on the interstate, trying not to slide into the ditch, ever helpful Jacob was repeating "we're never going to make it" over and over again, which really calmed the whole group tremendously.
2 hours later, we arrived at home, only to see that the massive snow storm ceased less than one mile from our house. Doomed, we are. Doooooooooomed!
2) Since I am never 100% sure what my husband's up to, I wisely chose this week to pile on the hours at work so I can get the full "single parent" experience I've narrowly skirted all these years. After getting home so late the night before and taking time to de-stress before sleeping a good 5-6 hours, I slogged myself to work. Exhausted, I slogged home afterwards, looking forward to a little nappy-poo to freshen myself up before the kids got home. After numberous phone and puppy interruptions, I finally drifted off, only to hear Maggie CHOMP CHOMP CHOMPING on a bone-ish sounding object. Now, our house is pretty puppy proof these days, so I didn't give it a second thought, until I realized in my growing lucidity that the sound wasn't *really* all that bone-like, and just then Maggie came up and proudly showed me what she had been chewing on: a BRAND NEW bottle of ibuprofen.
YaaaaAAAAAaaa!
Quick! Look up how to induce vomiting in a dog.
Quick! Look up dosage! Find syringe, find hydrogen peroxide... find that hydrogen peroxide is 99% gone-- just enough!
Chain dog up, squirt stuff in her mouth, drag her outside and wait for it to work... and WAIT, and WAIT, and WAIT.....
FINALLY! She barfed. I didn't see any tablets in her vomit, but since she chewed the tabs pretty good, she still probably got at least a little in her belly...
Call the vet, rush her off to the vet, hope she doesn't barf in my car.
Vet wants to keep her for 2 days of IV therapy, I convince him that something less drastic is probably in order (since I didn't see any tablets in the urp), so he sub-q's her with fluids and sends her home with me looking like a lopsided camel.
Barf barf barf, all night long; green, nasty stuff that doesn't want to come out of the carpet.
The next night, she started waking up every 2 hours, soaked in urine, needing to go out and pee ginormous volumes of dilute urine. She also started drinking obsessively, yet her behavior continued otherwise to be 100% normal. Go figure... not exactly the picture of renal failure I thought I'd see..
So I leave work early on Wed to take her back to the vet AGAIN, to check labwork. BUN slightly elevated, creatinine WNL, blood sugar slightly elevated... nothing. Doc is stumped. In the meantime, Maggie is drinking and peeing more than ever, about every 15 minutes or so.
The Koehler household has now become a body fluid cesspool, pee and vomit, filthy wet towels dripping everywhere. I construct an elaborate fence to keep the girl out of the living room, since the day before she hopped over the living room fence and proceeded to dump out all of Jake's plants for the 43rd time, rolled the dirt all over the floor, and then peed and vomited all over the whole mess. Egads! Like something out of a horror flick...
It took at least 2.5 hours to clean up, and I'm happy to report that Jake's plants now live on the porch. In 23 degree weather. Wonder if they'll make it...
For the next 2 nights she was up every 2 hours needing to pee and have a complete change of bedding in her kennel, and activity which lended itself poorly to sleep and was a nasty chore at 12, 2, and 4 am.
Finally, last night I had an epiphany: doggie diapers! It's a wonder what an old stash of pull ups and a roll of duct tape can accomplish... a full night's sleep for the dog and I are only one of them.
I took some urine in today for an eval (to rule out a bladder infection #1, and maybe diabetes #2). Dr thinks it may be Addison's disease if nothing else pops up, but her urine showed rare WBC's, and since the sample was so dilute, decided to put her on an antibiotic.
Wish my girl a bit o luck-- kidney failure sucks major heinie.
3) On Monday, the basement flooded. Bad.
4) On Wednesday, I discovered that a pipe had burst, which was why the basement was flooded. Ohwell, better late than never... at least I figured *that* much out.
5) On Tuesday, we got the biggest snow storm in YEARS, and no, I have no clue how to work the snowblower (or the plow, which was broken anyway). For those of you who know us, our driveway is at least the length of a football field, so hand shoveling was SO not happening, esp since the snow was soooo wet, heavy, and almost didn't stop for 3 days.
In a moment of desperation I called a friend's hubby who is in the 'biz (the snow removal biz), who told me he'd rustle me up a guy to "take care of me".
Now, I didn't like the sound of that either, so when the dude called, all eager to come over and "check it out", I got a little creeped out... and shore 'nuff, when I told the guy I wasn't going to be home and to call me with an estimate, he sounded a little disappointed and a little less eager.
Go figure.
So wonder of all wonders I never heard back from him, and thus can't help but ponder if he was looking for a little sumpin' sumpin' for his plow job, perhaps not realizing that I'd rather chew my arm off.
But my most excellent husband saved the day by calling the neighbors from his hotel in Minnesota, who graciously came and plowed the driveway, sans sexual favors.
Hallelujah! There IS a God.
6) Tuesday was also a crazy day at work, where I forgot in my frenzy that Jacob had to be picked up at 3:30. So of course, when I realized this at 3:23, I had to tell the charge nurse "I have to GOOOOOOoooooooo. Right NOW!", while simultaenously barking instructions at Gracy on my cell phone to "meet me at the car, NOW"! She must have detected the urgency in my voice, as she did not utter one word of protest at having to ambulate a distance greater than from the couch to her bed to the computer desk. Jacob was the lone kid, left at school with no ride, so I'm sure it was evident to the staff that his loser mom finally rousted from her cracked out haze to come and get her kid. I dropped him off at his enrichment class just as the heaviest snow of the storm started to fall.... and was another 10 minutes late picking him *up* from class, as well;-)
7) Friday I called home on a whim to see if the kids had gotten off to school ok, to discover that Jacob's bus hadn't arrived yet, 30 minutes past his pickup time. Grrrrrrrrrrr! The poor boy has to stand on a fairly busy county highway that was especially slippery that day and surely addled with pedophiles, and thus I was none too happy that he was standing out there all alone for all that time. If the kid is 30 seconds late for the bus, he's completely out of luck... but if the middle aged weiners at the bus company are 30 MINUTES late, it's too bad, so sad. Another no win situation for kids everywhere. Boo.
I called the bus company to inquire about the delay, to hear the message "This is Julie's phone, leave a message". Huh???
What sort of business that deals with parents is that cluless about phone etiquette?
One that wants to make me crazy, that's what.
When I reached the Julie in question, I was short with her, telling her that if the bus passed him by while he ran to tell me it never came, she was going to pick him up HER self. Raaaarrrrrrrrrr! Pissed off momma, hear me roar!
And of course, completely terrified at my rare display of backbone, she told me "no I'm not".
Whatever, beyotch.
Work was soooo flippin crazy that day, too, that I wasn't able to call until a few hours later to see if the boy got the bus; but I really didn't want to know, anyway, since I knew I'd have to find the chutzpah to make good on my threat to Ms. Julie, and I really wasn't up to it anymore. Garrrr!
8) Finally, Jake arrived home, yesterday--a 1/2 hour before expected-- yaaaaaaay!
We went out for a lovely dinner at a local, upscale spot. Our dinners were nice, we had a good time... only to notice Jake had a DEAD FLY on his plate where his food once lay.
Soooooooo, I guess it's *not* just me with the loser luck... and somehow, that makes me feel just a little better.
p.s. I had a nice glass of gevurztraminer with my meal last night, and got downright giddy, even after a few sips. And wouldn't ya know it, I felt like DEATH warmed over for most of this morning.
I drank tons of water and green tea, and finally felt more like myself with 100% more energy towards noon, hurrah!
I miss my wine, but it's not worth it! Clearly, I'm on to something...
Friday, February 1, 2008
Liver Update
For the life-challenged among you who are waiting with bated breath for updates concerning the welfare of my liver, your agony is over:
- I've not drank a drop of alcohol for 3 weeks now. I feel like 850,000% better, btw-- and I only drank 1-2 glasses of wine/day (no, I was not a boozer, just consistently sodden each night).
- I finally got my order from Vita Cost--woo hoo! I am now taking more herbs/supplements than foods, and could probably pile them in a cereal bowl each morning, pour milk on top (if I was drinking any..) and take them like that. I also tossed out each beauty item that contained parabens and replaced it with a non paraben item. (parabens= estrogen) So far, the Burt's Bees grapefruit shampoo an conditioner is fabulous (and you can't beat the price!). I got samples of the Emerita facial products, which I really love, but Vita Cost doesn't carry them yet and they're too $$ everywhere else.
- I've been exercising about every other day for an hour and tanning for 8 minutes (helloooooo vitamin D! I think this is what's really giving me all the energy...)
- No more caffeine, less crap in my diet. My digestion has been really really slow, but I'm hoping the chewable licorice I got today will help. Tonight I had pizza, and had not a single problem-- which is pretty dang amazing considering *water* was giving me the urps at the beginning of the week.
- I d/c'ed the black cohosh, raspberry leaf, and evening primrose oil (all=estrogen). I've also d/c'ed the flax oil (a la "Genotype Diet", which recommended that I avoid lignans) and replaced it with fish oil. Apparently this is also supposed to help me with my mood, so yippie freaking yahooey for that!
- Here's a list of the supplements I'm taking, if only to impress you with the depths my supplement obsession:
- Natrol Calcium D-Glucarate -- 60 Tablets
NSI Alpha Lipoic Acid -- 100 mg - 120 Capsules
Planetary Formulas Full Spectrum Ashwagandha -- 570 mg - 120 Tablets
Nature's Answer Valerian Root -- 180 Capsules
Nature's Herbs Chasteberry Power -- 60 Capsules
NSI Schizandra -- 1160 mg - 120 cp
Enzymatic Therapy DGL (Fructose-Free) -- 100 Chews
NSI Herbal Liver Support -- 950 mg - 120 Capsules
Source Naturals Theanine Serene -- 120 Tablets NSI CoQ10 -- 100 mg - 120 capsules Emerita Pro-Gest -- 4 oz
We went ice skating this afternoon for a couple hours, and had an absolute blast! I could do that over and over... now if only I could get the sensation back in my legs.
With all the exercise I've been getting lately, you'd think I'd be losing weight like crazy, but I'm not :-( It *does* seem like my cycle is going to be fairly normal this month, tho, which makes all the craziness worth while. But really, something has to change when you do 100 crunches a few times a week, right? Let's hope that there's justice in the world and I have a flat, muscular tummy before swimsuit season hits;-)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wheeeeeeee!
Lots and lots of scthuff going on in the dreary days if January in these parts. I'm not certain if it's 'cause that's just the way life flows or 'cause I'm bored and trying to drum up some excitement after the holiday anesthesia has worn off.
Let's see if I can recount all the fabulous details with the glory it's due:
(should I go chronologically, or in a random fashion? hmmmm...)
It's dang cold in this house, and thus have taken to my bed with the heater cranked waaaaay up. With the new Wi Fi (installed, courtesy of yours truly-- mom and resident computer savant. I don't know what the hey I'm doing, but as long as I have instructions printed in my native language, I'm guarantee to bungle it up only 2-3 times before finally getting it to work. And my family worships me like the Techno Goddess I've instructed them to call me before I'll respond to their cries for assistance). I was just tempted to bring the laptop into the bathroom with me in celebration of my freedom to do just that, but figured there had to be some boundaries-- and that was it. For now.
On a side note, completely unrelated to my month: I have had recurring dreams for years about a certain individual and his family, a family I was very close to in my younger days. Last night, the dream was much like the others-- me looking for someone, spinning wheels trying to find them, make a connection. It's interesting how your dreams speak in allegories, telling you about something you've repressed for one reason or another, but I'm such a literal girl-- why can't my dreams just be about someone telling me something I need to know, like "hey! Your teenage boyfriend and his family were nice people and I bet your're wondering how they're doing" and skip all the drama of running around like a maniac in my head for 8 hours... I would really prefer a cool flying dream or riding on an elephant on a jungle safari-- something whimsical and light that leaves me refreshed in the morning instead of frazzled. I used to have dreams about chasing my ex husband around, too, tring to find him in the throes of creepy dreamland-- but the underlying theme wasn't so much about loss as it was that once I was able to catch him, I was going to beat his sorry ass to a bloody pulp. I must have resolved that existential angst, as I haven't dreamed about him in years.
Ok, major distractions averted:
I finally joined another gym after letting my membership at the Wellness Center lapse for 2 months. I signed my hubby and daughter up as well, but since they are lazy slugs and haven't gone yet I think I'll save myself $20 and take them off my membership. I also signed up for the unlimited tanning, but when you inadvertently stay in the bed for 15 minutes instead of 5 (it feels soooooo good to be warm!), and your nether parts are burnt and crispy, I haven't been able to make use of the limitless world of tanning. And my booty still hurts, boo.
I also picked up a couple interesting books from the library: Dr Laurie Steelsmith's "Natural Choices for Women's Health" and Peter D'Adamo's "The Genotype Diet". I really liked Dr Laurie's book and her suggestions for PMS, liver health, etc-- it's fascinating how she (Chinese medicine, really), can take one body system, such as those that regulate PMS, and tie it to a single organ such as the liver, kidneys, spleen, whatever. I know I've been drinking a wee bit too much and taking scads of Tylenol and the like, and if what Doc Laurie says is true, my liver is stressed (or, to be more specific, my liver chi is stagnant)-- causing problems with my cycle and other body systems.
Innnnteresting.... Dr D' Adamo says very much the same thing, but in diferent terms: based on my genetic makeup, I am an Explorer:
"This GenoType is named Explorer because of the unique and often unconventional ability of its members to search and discover who they are in the world. Explorers often enjoy greater longevity than the other GenoTypes. Many of the genes we typically find in Explorers, such as the Rh-negative blood type, are common in areas of the world where people seem to live forever — such as the Basque provinces of Spain, and the Caucasus Mountains of Asia. Explorers can benefit greatly from the GenoType Diet and should expect to lead long and healthy lives if they follow the recommendations in this program. However, Explorers are very often medical enigmas. They can be challenging to diagnose, since nothing apparent or obvious presents itself as a problem. Physically, they may appear to be in good health, but they will complain of a sudden loss of energy or a sudden inability to tolerate a certain food, supplement, or drug. Explorer women often suffer from chronic yeast infections or heavy periods. Blood tests often reveal anemia or other blood disorders. Explorers sometimes have problems with the liver or gallbladder. This can sometimes become manifest as intolerance to fats or sudden breakouts on the skin. Migraines are not uncommon in Explorers. Caffeine sensitivity is a hallmark of Explorers because they are almost always what geneticists call slow acetylators — a fancy way of saying that drugs spend a long time in their livers, going round and round, when they should just be processed and eliminated. Like a man who shakes his fist at the bicycle that just missed hitting him and totally ignores the bus heading his way, the liver of the Explorer often overreacts to small levels of toxins, to the point that it lets larger amounts of toxins pass by without doing anything about them. The unique metabolic profile of Explorers is manifested in very distinct physical characteristics. They are typically mesomorphs, possessing a low to medium body fat percentage, a high metabolism, and a large amount of muscle mass and muscle size. They can be rather large-boned, and the men tend to have asymmetrical, chiseled, craggy faces. Their trunk length is usually longer than their total leg length, and their upper legs are usually longer than their lower. Explorers tend toward asymmetry and often have different fingerprint patterns on their left and right index fingers, one often being the rather uncommon radial loop pattern. Another asymmetry often found in Explorers is that their finger lengths tend to be backward for their gender — men often having a longer index finger on one or both hands, and women have a shorter index finger on one or both hands. A lot of left-handers are Explorers, as are people with Rh-negative blood type, and although almost any ABO blood type can be an Explorer, "non-secretors" are more common. The Explorer's Immune System ProfileExplorers often have sluggish bone marrow function and struggle to keep up their white blood cell counts. This GenoType is prone to many types of anemia, such as those that result from inadequate levels of folic acid, B12, and iron, as well as those that result from bone marrow suppression or low levels of an enzyme called G6PD. G6PD is critical to the body because it enables the production of a critical antioxidant called glutathione. In addition to exerting powerful detoxification effects in the liver, glutathione protects red blood cells against damage caused by certain drugs and foods. Explorers often have trouble clearing foreign or man-made chemicals from their blood. This clearing process is called acetylation. Efficient acetylation helps drugs become more effective and detoxifies cancer-causing substances. Explorers have problems detoxifying drugs, carcinogens, and various artificial compounds that have been introduced into the environment, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and hydrocarbons. Because of these considerations, Explorers can be quite chemically sensitive, and they often react negatively to "typical doses" of drugs, antibiotics, and even vitamins and minerals. When using these medicines, they should always start with the lowest possible doses and gradually work their way up."
Anyhoo, long story short, I am going to start taking better care of my friend the Liver, and hope that it does the trick. 
In homage to Dr Laurie and her recommendations, I also went and got my first acupuncture treatment yesterday. Being the cheap ass girlie that I am, instead of researching the best clinic in the area for my safety and well being, I threw caution to the wind and made an appointment with the student acupuncture clinic in Racine. Wheeeeeeeeee!
My student was older, very nervous, and had pupils that were so constricted that it creeped me out. What on earth could this woman be taking that would make her eyes look like that? And they were playing some sort of "tribute to the rock gods" music that was none too relaxing while they were poking me. Funny, tho-- she told me I needed to feel the needles go in, which was some sort of indication that my Chi was "moving" (wtf that is-- could they have explained it? they really couldn't), but I pretty much didn't feel *anything*. I think it freaked her out (even more than she already was, apparently), and she started putting the needles in deeper and wiggling a few of them around until I half heartedly told her I felt something, if only to make her feel better-- gar! The only ones I felt were the one in my left toe and the flab in my belly... maybe my Chi only needed to be "moved" there, who knows (as in, "I need to trust my GUT and HOOF it on out of there")? But really, I felt sorry for all these New Age people who were sooooo nervous and clueless, who seemed so anxious that they could barely answer the phones correctly (when I called all they said was an uncertain "hello?", and I wasn't sure if I dialed the wrong number...) No one knew if I had papers to fill out, if I had to sign something or another, how to take my blood pressure, or even my pulse--yet it was entertaining if not a little sad to see them sweating over every last detail (one gal said she was taking my "Chinese pulse", which she explained was supposedly like an EKG-- riiiiiiiiight.)
The best character of all tho was the office director, who seemed to be the only person devoid of any New Age hoop de do, who was trying in vain to get the students to exhibit some professionalism ("state who you are when you answer the phone", "explain what you're doing when you work with the clients"). I would have appreciated her more if she wasn't at the polar opposite end of the woo woo spectrum of not making eye contact, talking to me so fast and with her back to me that I had no clue what she was talking about, and just generally being brusque, but hey! It takes all kinds, and she was such a contrast to the students who I thought were going to break into chanting at any moment.
Really, with the strange crew working on me and the bad feeling I had about the whole experience it's a wonder I didn't just walk out of there and save myself $17 and 2.5 hours of my life, but I was just so curious and fascinated by the process that I stayed to see what odd thing would happen next. I *did* stare longingly at the shelves stocked to overflowing with pills and herbs, which I was told I wasn't ready for yet-- damn! Being a medical person and a compulsive one at that, I sure do loves me a handfull of pills to choke down at least 4 times a day, but I'm trying to work on that. I have an order out now that I'm tring to whittle down somehow to less than $89/month. I'm afraid now that I've stopped being a booze hound I'm becoming a pill popper, but really, it's a horse apiece. I'm sure I spent more than $80 on wine per month (ooh it sounds so dirty when you spell it out like that....), so now I'll spend it on supplements to fix my liver instead of trash it. I have no illusions about weight loss, but if it'll stop the PMS psychosis, I'll be a happy happy girlie.
So really, the gist of this whole month was to try and stop being such an evil beyotch 2 weeks out of the month (yes, it's THAT bad, and with 21 day cycles, it's 2x/month. Sucks to be me, sometimes...). Oh, and I got another Wii. If I had any idea just how hard those buggers were to get, I would have kept the one I got just before christmas. I guess if I had any backbone at all, I could have sold it at tidy profit and financed all the other gifts we ended up giving, but I had no clue about such things. I also didn't realize that the kids wanted one, so there you have it. I shopped around, and got another one a few days after I started looking-- 'cause I'm either the luckiest shopper around, or just really persistent, who knows. But now I am broker than broke, and need to get the lead out of my ass and start paying off the debt I've been accumulating in my winter doldrum shop a thons. Hopefully it'll be here by the end of the week (Sam's Club, with $10 shipping, not too bad...) and we can play in the newly CLEANED basment, a project I started on Sunday and choked my way through until Monday night. It was filthy and disgusting and I haven't been able to breathe out of my nose now for 3 days, but there's a HUGE space cleared out in the basement, the cobwebs are 95% gone, and we can all chill out and recreate and make a mess that no one has to see. Yay me!
Congrats if you've kept up with me thru all the updates... I love this time of year, it's almost a time of rebirth of creativity as we head towards spring and longer days. Now if only I could muster up the ambition to get out of this bed and figure out something else to do...
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Boo.
I've come to realize that the only genuine, namable ambition my husband has is to have the home loan paid off.
This disappoints me greatly.
I can't disagree that his goal is noble and prudent, to say the least... but none too exciting, as I sit here watching my youth slip thru my fingers.
I'd really like to travel; to England, to Ireland, to France.... but it seems so unlikely right now. I don't earn enough money, I don't have anyone to go with me, to be strong and excited when I get nervous and want to back out.
Sadly, two cheap, unadventurous people don't take exotic trips together.
A movie just started that I remember seeing when I was travelling thru the country, living in my VW van. Seeing a movie at that time was such a novelty, allowing yourself to be pulled back into the world of normalcy for a couple hours, if only you had the cash to participate. I think we were staying in Arkansas at the time, mining crystals or some such thing... I vaguely remember scraping together enough cash to pay for a campground shower at the end of the day and then counting spare change to sit in the real world for a couple hours. Odd... to have so little yet still have the ability to feel for a a bief while like a member of the middle class.
Anyhoo: watching this movie makes me yearn to travel to the south, not only because I'm ready to jump out of my skin with cabin fever (which really hasn't been that bad, truth be told. It's actually been gorgeous and not too cold. 55 degrees today, felt like spring), but I *really* miss the pace of southern life.
This disappoints me greatly.
I can't disagree that his goal is noble and prudent, to say the least... but none too exciting, as I sit here watching my youth slip thru my fingers.
I'd really like to travel; to England, to Ireland, to France.... but it seems so unlikely right now. I don't earn enough money, I don't have anyone to go with me, to be strong and excited when I get nervous and want to back out.
Sadly, two cheap, unadventurous people don't take exotic trips together.
A movie just started that I remember seeing when I was travelling thru the country, living in my VW van. Seeing a movie at that time was such a novelty, allowing yourself to be pulled back into the world of normalcy for a couple hours, if only you had the cash to participate. I think we were staying in Arkansas at the time, mining crystals or some such thing... I vaguely remember scraping together enough cash to pay for a campground shower at the end of the day and then counting spare change to sit in the real world for a couple hours. Odd... to have so little yet still have the ability to feel for a a bief while like a member of the middle class.
Anyhoo: watching this movie makes me yearn to travel to the south, not only because I'm ready to jump out of my skin with cabin fever (which really hasn't been that bad, truth be told. It's actually been gorgeous and not too cold. 55 degrees today, felt like spring), but I *really* miss the pace of southern life.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Blue:
I'm feeling a little bit blue, as I find myself at an impasse, a rare place I've been before:
I have nothing to do, nothing I want to do, nothing I even want to peruse, read, or anywhere I want to go... there's not even a single thing in the entire world I want to buy! Sigh!
To be young, and yet so old-- where's the fun?
I have nothing to do, nothing I want to do, nothing I even want to peruse, read, or anywhere I want to go... there's not even a single thing in the entire world I want to buy! Sigh!
To be young, and yet so old-- where's the fun?
Friday, January 4, 2008
Yawn!
There just aren't enough hours in the day... I always start each day at an absolute zombie like crawl, and then speed up frenetically as the day progresses if my caffeine doses kick in as planned... and here I find myself at 10:26 pm involved in 6 projects with no end in sight.
Yawn!
I ended up having the entire week off, but somehow didn't manage to get a whole lot done until this afternoon, when I tried to squeeze in every last opportunity to get the weekday stuff done. Yet in spite of all the millions of things I really hoped to accomplish and the inevitable lethargy, I think I've done fairly well:
I got my laptop back last night after a crazy trip to Waukesha, and after giving up in a drunken fiasco finally managed to get it hooked up this morning to the the wireless network I set up a few weeks ago (I forgot to push the "wireless" button last night, and thus couldn't figure out why it wasn't connecting to the system. Der!)
Words cannot express how fantastically cool it is to have my laptop on the counter where I can look up recipes, etc, while I'm cooking.
Tonight, I found out at the last minute that I had to prepare a dish for a brunch tomorrow am, so I frantically started perusing the recipe sites. I located a really decadent looking bread pudding (my favorite!) and started pulling ingredients out, whipping it together while using the laptop as a reference... fabulous! And can I mention for a moment that I loooooove how my kitchen is so well stocked these days that I can look up almost ANY recipe and have each and every ingredient (even if you have to use really good hot dog buns for your bread pudding--oops!), from the coconut milk I used in my curried butternut squash to the 6 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of pecans for my bread pudding (and almost a dozen eggs-- thanks girls!).
It's been an adventuresome week for cooking, in my week of idle unemployment. We made a pilgrimage to the Whole Paycheck on New Year's Eve, where I bought $250 of "almost nothing to show for it". At the spur of the moment I pulled together an impromptu menu of things I've wanted to make for a long time, staggering their presentation throughout the evening:
I started with pan seared garlic infused scallops, followed by curried butternut squash soup (please o please do NOT use more than 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes), and then ended the night's meal with a *perfect* medium rare rib roast, potatoes topped with mushrooms sauteed with a sherry reduction, and seasoned brussels sprouts. After we shot off some fireworks at midnight, I served up Ghiardelli fudge brownies with vanilla bean ice cream, and then waddled off to bed, fat and happy.
Since becoming a new subscriber to Cooks Illustrated, I have really become even more intrigued with the science of cooking and have been waiting to try out a few of their recipes.
To get started with the recipes I chose, I needed to pick up an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven (a la Le Creuset, a $250 pot I've fantasized about but never knew could be found SO MUCH cheaper). Since I was a little slow on the uptake, almost every dutch oven in 50 miles was already sold out, and after about a half dozen phone calls, daily visits to the Wal Mart website, and a pilgrimage to a store far, far away (thank you, Garmin! you make scary adventures for a wimpy girl like me possible...) I finally got my hands on the 6.5 qt Tramontina Dutch Oven they recommended. Whew!
I then eagerly whipped up their "Best French Onion Soup" and served it with the Swiss gruyere they recommended....
But... nobody liked the soup, and we had a ton left over:-(
Even though the soup wasn't a winner, Jacob and I were still able to marvel at the process of reduction, the development of the "fond", and how deglazing built up the body of the soup. I think Jacob was a little sad that our first genuine attempt at "French" cooking wasn't so tasty, but I'm pretty sure he's still holding fast to the notion that French food somehow is his favorite (and why? was it the Alton Brown Coq au Vin episode?).
Since the prep was a wee bit of a pain in the arse, and the ingredients somewhat costly, I strained out the mass of pulpy onions this morning, fed them to the worms, and froze the broth for future use as soup base.... maybe it'll enjoy a second life as a tasty beef barley soup.
An oldie but a goodie. And me in a nutshell (no pun intended...)
Yawn!
I ended up having the entire week off, but somehow didn't manage to get a whole lot done until this afternoon, when I tried to squeeze in every last opportunity to get the weekday stuff done. Yet in spite of all the millions of things I really hoped to accomplish and the inevitable lethargy, I think I've done fairly well:
I got my laptop back last night after a crazy trip to Waukesha, and after giving up in a drunken fiasco finally managed to get it hooked up this morning to the the wireless network I set up a few weeks ago (I forgot to push the "wireless" button last night, and thus couldn't figure out why it wasn't connecting to the system. Der!)
Words cannot express how fantastically cool it is to have my laptop on the counter where I can look up recipes, etc, while I'm cooking.
Tonight, I found out at the last minute that I had to prepare a dish for a brunch tomorrow am, so I frantically started perusing the recipe sites. I located a really decadent looking bread pudding (my favorite!) and started pulling ingredients out, whipping it together while using the laptop as a reference... fabulous! And can I mention for a moment that I loooooove how my kitchen is so well stocked these days that I can look up almost ANY recipe and have each and every ingredient (even if you have to use really good hot dog buns for your bread pudding--oops!), from the coconut milk I used in my curried butternut squash to the 6 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of pecans for my bread pudding (and almost a dozen eggs-- thanks girls!).
It's been an adventuresome week for cooking, in my week of idle unemployment. We made a pilgrimage to the Whole Paycheck on New Year's Eve, where I bought $250 of "almost nothing to show for it". At the spur of the moment I pulled together an impromptu menu of things I've wanted to make for a long time, staggering their presentation throughout the evening:
I started with pan seared garlic infused scallops, followed by curried butternut squash soup (please o please do NOT use more than 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes), and then ended the night's meal with a *perfect* medium rare rib roast, potatoes topped with mushrooms sauteed with a sherry reduction, and seasoned brussels sprouts. After we shot off some fireworks at midnight, I served up Ghiardelli fudge brownies with vanilla bean ice cream, and then waddled off to bed, fat and happy.
Since becoming a new subscriber to Cooks Illustrated, I have really become even more intrigued with the science of cooking and have been waiting to try out a few of their recipes.
To get started with the recipes I chose, I needed to pick up an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven (a la Le Creuset, a $250 pot I've fantasized about but never knew could be found SO MUCH cheaper). Since I was a little slow on the uptake, almost every dutch oven in 50 miles was already sold out, and after about a half dozen phone calls, daily visits to the Wal Mart website, and a pilgrimage to a store far, far away (thank you, Garmin! you make scary adventures for a wimpy girl like me possible...) I finally got my hands on the 6.5 qt Tramontina Dutch Oven they recommended. Whew!
I then eagerly whipped up their "Best French Onion Soup" and served it with the Swiss gruyere they recommended....
But... nobody liked the soup, and we had a ton left over:-(
Even though the soup wasn't a winner, Jacob and I were still able to marvel at the process of reduction, the development of the "fond", and how deglazing built up the body of the soup. I think Jacob was a little sad that our first genuine attempt at "French" cooking wasn't so tasty, but I'm pretty sure he's still holding fast to the notion that French food somehow is his favorite (and why? was it the Alton Brown Coq au Vin episode?).
Since the prep was a wee bit of a pain in the arse, and the ingredients somewhat costly, I strained out the mass of pulpy onions this morning, fed them to the worms, and froze the broth for future use as soup base.... maybe it'll enjoy a second life as a tasty beef barley soup.
I made their "French Chicken in a Pot" tonight, with (separately, in the 3.5 qt dutch oven I got) oven roasted new potatoes, carrots, sweet potato, and onions, roasted with the strained and de-fatted jus from the chicken. The chicken was *beyond fabulous*-- tender, juicy, and flavorful, and well worth the scary Wal Mart trip.
Many of the recipes in this month's issue seem to be pretty time intensive, so I resolved to get a jump on tomorrow's dinner of roast beef and no knead bread this afternoon so it would be all ready to go when I got home from my party. Oh! If I could always be this organized... makes staying home to be the family domestician seem somewhat less mind numbingly dull when my meals have an 18 to 24 hour prep time.
To be honest, I know that I'm just trying to keep myself entertained during these (hellish) cold months. Being off work doesn't help in these 8 degree days either, even tho it really *was* nice to get a break after the chaos of the holidays, surgery, camp, and root canals (and then another flippin holiday!-- couldn't they space these out a bit and give a girl a break?)...
On a completely unrelated note:
I had a job interview yesterday, which I'm sure may come as a shock to some of my readers (please don't get mired in the heavy sarcasm).
In painful retrospect, which keeps playing over and over again in my head since it ended, it seems soooooooo odd to me that a 10 year, decorated veteran of serial interviewing would commit such a slew of interview faux pas....
Tell me honestly:
Is it really so bad to tell a prospective employer that you take criticism well because you make so many mistakes at your current job?
Really? You think that's bad?
I've gotten sooo many jobs lately without interviewing, maybe I'm getting a little rusty...
Many of the recipes in this month's issue seem to be pretty time intensive, so I resolved to get a jump on tomorrow's dinner of roast beef and no knead bread this afternoon so it would be all ready to go when I got home from my party. Oh! If I could always be this organized... makes staying home to be the family domestician seem somewhat less mind numbingly dull when my meals have an 18 to 24 hour prep time.
To be honest, I know that I'm just trying to keep myself entertained during these (hellish) cold months. Being off work doesn't help in these 8 degree days either, even tho it really *was* nice to get a break after the chaos of the holidays, surgery, camp, and root canals (and then another flippin holiday!-- couldn't they space these out a bit and give a girl a break?)...
On a completely unrelated note:
I had a job interview yesterday, which I'm sure may come as a shock to some of my readers (please don't get mired in the heavy sarcasm).
In painful retrospect, which keeps playing over and over again in my head since it ended, it seems soooooooo odd to me that a 10 year, decorated veteran of serial interviewing would commit such a slew of interview faux pas....
Tell me honestly:
Is it really so bad to tell a prospective employer that you take criticism well because you make so many mistakes at your current job?
Really? You think that's bad?
I've gotten sooo many jobs lately without interviewing, maybe I'm getting a little rusty...
I think the flubs happened because, in spite of the later shift hours and low pay (and farther location), I *reallyreally* want this job and thus had to jinx myself, adding more angst to an already angst riddled experience. I have job interview #2 next week for a job I completely *don't* want. I'm guessing it'll go off brilliantly, without a single foible or stupid slip o the tongue, making me look like the perfect candidate for the wrong job. Shit.
Completely irrational, I know. But if you're expecting anything in my life to make sense, you really haven't been paying attention.
Completely irrational, I know. But if you're expecting anything in my life to make sense, you really haven't been paying attention.
An oldie but a goodie. And me in a nutshell (no pun intended...)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Kick-Me-in-the-Head-Mas!
Bwaaaa Haaaa Haaaaaaaaaa!
This holiday's almost over, and I've experienced almost NO stress--
Wahooooooooooooooo!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Bleah, #2:
Sleeeeeeeeeeeepy! I'm sleeeeepy, and I really need to be focusing more on what I need to do to get the hell out of Dodge, twice. It's fairly obvious that I function best when I'm under pressure, so I think I'll just put the packing off until the very last minute, which'll probably work for trip #1, but considering I have to celebrate GOL-DARN CHRISTMAS with the family only moments after we get back from said trip #1 (leaving zero time to do laundry), *and* having a wee bit o surgery the next day (with a lovely sea weed wrap beforehand...so don't pity me), and then leaving for 4 days of (work) camp the following day... when O when will I get time to pack for trip #2? If it weren't for this stinkin holiday that I feel obligated to "celebrate" (as if eating fattening foods and seeing family members in an identical fashion to every holiday or birthday that comes around constitutes "celebration"... how about setting something on fire, a 'la "Burning Man", or blowing something up for a change? What about setting off fireworks, or for the love of mike just singing drunken showtunes... *anything* has to be better than standing around paying homage to the Season 'o the Flabby Ass we're *really* celebrating....) I'd have plenty of time for household unpleasantries.
Anyhoo, I'm sickly and crabby and need another nap.
In the meantime, enjoy this public service announcement:
Anyhoo, I'm sickly and crabby and need another nap.
In the meantime, enjoy this public service announcement:
Ain't that the truth...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Bleah!
3 Ways My Life Might Just Suck More Than Yours Right Now:
1) We're going to an $$ waterpark for Christmas this weekend, and my period is scheduled to arrive any day now. And I have a cold. Boo.
2) I just found out today that not only am I going to have surgery next week (the day before I head to camp), but a root canal the following week (and have a cavity that needs filling), and am likely due for an MRI and arthroscopic knee procedure. The last 2, of course, could only be scheduled after the first of the year, AFTER I already paid my premiums for 2007. Argh!
http://www.nataliedee.com/
1) We're going to an $$ waterpark for Christmas this weekend, and my period is scheduled to arrive any day now. And I have a cold. Boo.
2) I just found out today that not only am I going to have surgery next week (the day before I head to camp), but a root canal the following week (and have a cavity that needs filling), and am likely due for an MRI and arthroscopic knee procedure. The last 2, of course, could only be scheduled after the first of the year, AFTER I already paid my premiums for 2007. Argh!
3) Both the cat AND the puppy have tapeworms (uh, because the puppy likes to eat "kitty snacks"). I found this out after finding the nasty evidence all over my BED. Ack!
http://www.nataliedee.com/
Ok... pity me if you must.
The Koehler Family Christmas Card:
Santa done brought us them new stairs for the trailer this year. Ain't they nice? An' lookit how big Daisy is gettin! Gracy weren't in the picture 'cause she's workin' a double at the WalMart an' Jacob's doin another run in juvie, but his p.o. sez if he stops settin them fires he'll be out real soon. We're as proud as can be! Marry Christmas, ya'll!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Best Political Ad EVER:
Now, I am by no means a political person; I gave that a whirl waaaaay back in my pre-voting days, and I failed miserably (I even had the misfortune of campaigning for an appalling dink of a candidate whoshallremainnameless...).
But this political ad shows chutzpah, huevos if you will. And it made me laugh, which is just the opposite of the "I'd rather stab myself in the eye than watch more of this crap" sort of sensation I usually feel when I make the mistake of turning on the telly in an election year:
Don't get me wrong, tho. I can't imagine this is enough to convince me to actually VOTE for the guy.... but still, *anybody* but Hillary. That woman frightens me.
But this political ad shows chutzpah, huevos if you will. And it made me laugh, which is just the opposite of the "I'd rather stab myself in the eye than watch more of this crap" sort of sensation I usually feel when I make the mistake of turning on the telly in an election year:
Don't get me wrong, tho. I can't imagine this is enough to convince me to actually VOTE for the guy.... but still, *anybody* but Hillary. That woman frightens me.
Monday, December 3, 2007
I <3 <3 Goodwill!
Look at what $9.99 can buy you at your local Goodwill store:
I am the luckiest girl with the sparkle-tacularist tree in the
WHOLE, WIDE WORLD!
p.s. this is what the animals do when they think no one's looking:
Praline Sweet Potatoes
Ask, and you shall receive (all things in life should be so gratifying!)
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (if using a canned variety with syrup, make sure to drain them and use less sugar. I use fresh, bake them until squashy, and mash them in the mixer)
1/4 cup white sugar (+ or minus to taste)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tsp finely chopped ginger (or 1/2 tsp powdered)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg(all spices to taste)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream (or the milk of your choice)
Topping:1/2 stick (real) butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Butter one 2 quart casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cream. Blend well, and spread evenly in casserole dish. Prepare the topping by using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to mix the butter, brown sugar and flour into a crumble. Mix in pecans, and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes to an hour in the preheated oven (depending on the size of your dish-- mine was small and packed full, so it took longer).
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (if using a canned variety with syrup, make sure to drain them and use less sugar. I use fresh, bake them until squashy, and mash them in the mixer)
1/4 cup white sugar (+ or minus to taste)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tsp finely chopped ginger (or 1/2 tsp powdered)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg(all spices to taste)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream (or the milk of your choice)
Topping:1/2 stick (real) butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Butter one 2 quart casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cream. Blend well, and spread evenly in casserole dish. Prepare the topping by using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to mix the butter, brown sugar and flour into a crumble. Mix in pecans, and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes to an hour in the preheated oven (depending on the size of your dish-- mine was small and packed full, so it took longer).
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sweet Potato Muffins
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs packed light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (one small)
3 tbs melted butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tbs chopped pecans
Grease 9 muffin tins of a 12 cup tin. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients, stir well.
In another bowl, blend egg, sweet potato, butter, and milk. Blend well.
Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing gently. Stir in ginger and pecans.
Spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill the 3 empty cups half full with water.
Bake muffins 18 minutes or until golden.
Cool muffins in tin on rack 5 minutes. Remove, and cool completely.
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs packed light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (one small)
3 tbs melted butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tbs chopped pecans
Grease 9 muffin tins of a 12 cup tin. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients, stir well.
In another bowl, blend egg, sweet potato, butter, and milk. Blend well.
Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing gently. Stir in ginger and pecans.
Spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill the 3 empty cups half full with water.
Bake muffins 18 minutes or until golden.
Cool muffins in tin on rack 5 minutes. Remove, and cool completely.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I Like My Wine Cheap and My Burgers Overpriced:
I'm starting to scare myself.... yesterday, I engaged in a frenzied spate of organization to beat all frenzies (is that a word?):
In the short span of my afternoon, I moved the computer desk and 2 bookshelves, vacuumed, shampooed the carpet, organized the bookshelves, the closet, the shoe rack, the music CD's, photo and computer discs into their own books, sent 5 bags to the Goodwill, moved furniture and random crap into the basement (which is a nightmare for another day...), cleaned up and moved our personal files/records, and set up a greeting card file (I have a monster greeting card collection, mainly 'cause I buy them and never give them to anyone. Garrrrrr). Oh, and I dusted. Man! Is there a lot of thick, creepy dust in my personal space...
We then concluded the evening by checking out a veritable carnivale of dining at the Red Robin-- an incredibly overpriced and overstimulating hamburger joint jam packed with kids (tip: relish on a burger is not so good, I don't care *how* hungry you are. It brings a hot-doggy sort of flavor to a place where none makes sense). I was shocked to discover that those sliders and fries were a whopping $8+ dollars apiece! The burgers were pretty good, just more $$ than I had imagined a simple burger could be....and the fries were those ginormous steak fries, which are not my favorite. I must be getting old, when going out is almost too expensive for my cheapness.
Anyhoo. We also saw "Mr Magorium's Emporium" which was ok as well, I just guess I'm not the type than can blow almost $100 to eat burgers and see a flick and be ok with mediocrity. The story line was wimpy at best and I didn't much care for the characters, except for the litle boy who was a bit quirky and reminded me of Jacob. However, if *my* little guy brings home a grown man who wants to "play" in his bedroom, I'm a-gettin' my shotgun, no questions asked.
I'd have to say that the best part of the film was when they played one of my favorite Cat Stevens tunes, which got me hopeful that the movie was going someplace cool, but it really didn't. Boo.
Truly, the best part of the evening was getting to play with my new GPS unit, which will look up restaurants, attractions, etc for you, making neurotic planning obsolete-- I can hop in my car, punch in a few coordinates, and let my GPS decide where we're going, which pleases my spontaneous nature to no end. It wasn't 100% up to date (why?), but it impressed me by easily locating every *other* Red Robin in the country (other than the one we were headed towards), and every *other* theater in a 50 mile radius (again, except the one we wanted). But, despite it's shortcomings, I still love it and find it very comforting. Never shall I be lost again!
In the short span of my afternoon, I moved the computer desk and 2 bookshelves, vacuumed, shampooed the carpet, organized the bookshelves, the closet, the shoe rack, the music CD's, photo and computer discs into their own books, sent 5 bags to the Goodwill, moved furniture and random crap into the basement (which is a nightmare for another day...), cleaned up and moved our personal files/records, and set up a greeting card file (I have a monster greeting card collection, mainly 'cause I buy them and never give them to anyone. Garrrrrr). Oh, and I dusted. Man! Is there a lot of thick, creepy dust in my personal space...
We then concluded the evening by checking out a veritable carnivale of dining at the Red Robin-- an incredibly overpriced and overstimulating hamburger joint jam packed with kids (tip: relish on a burger is not so good, I don't care *how* hungry you are. It brings a hot-doggy sort of flavor to a place where none makes sense). I was shocked to discover that those sliders and fries were a whopping $8+ dollars apiece! The burgers were pretty good, just more $$ than I had imagined a simple burger could be....and the fries were those ginormous steak fries, which are not my favorite. I must be getting old, when going out is almost too expensive for my cheapness.
Anyhoo. We also saw "Mr Magorium's Emporium" which was ok as well, I just guess I'm not the type than can blow almost $100 to eat burgers and see a flick and be ok with mediocrity. The story line was wimpy at best and I didn't much care for the characters, except for the litle boy who was a bit quirky and reminded me of Jacob. However, if *my* little guy brings home a grown man who wants to "play" in his bedroom, I'm a-gettin' my shotgun, no questions asked.
I'd have to say that the best part of the film was when they played one of my favorite Cat Stevens tunes, which got me hopeful that the movie was going someplace cool, but it really didn't. Boo.
Truly, the best part of the evening was getting to play with my new GPS unit, which will look up restaurants, attractions, etc for you, making neurotic planning obsolete-- I can hop in my car, punch in a few coordinates, and let my GPS decide where we're going, which pleases my spontaneous nature to no end. It wasn't 100% up to date (why?), but it impressed me by easily locating every *other* Red Robin in the country (other than the one we were headed towards), and every *other* theater in a 50 mile radius (again, except the one we wanted). But, despite it's shortcomings, I still love it and find it very comforting. Never shall I be lost again!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
$2.99 Wine is Mighty Fine!
I have absolutely, like, ZERO readers for my blog, as if I needed yet another validation of my shameless lack of popularity....
But anyhoo, I am flat-out INTOXICATED at 9:14 in the pm on a fine Sunday evening. MY husband is gone until tomorrow in a primal pursuit of sustenance for our family; and altho I know it is baaaaad mojo to be incapacitated in his absence-- a drunken slob I am, and a giddy one at that. I am incredibly fucking happy to be on my very own right now, and I'm trying to ascertain whether it is due to the fact that I just like being alone, or if it is that I am enjoying the rare opportunity to do whatever I want, however I want to (i.e. waking at 6, hanging out until 8 or so reading and fucking around, and then sleeping until 10. THAT is a cool way to spend a Sunday morning, and who'd a thunk? And *how guilty* I'd feel if I had my peppy life partner home, who springs up at 6 am and completes whole lists of tasks while I slumber...)
In all honesty, I'd like a month or so to myself to rediscover who I am when I have no safety net to fall back on (and, no-- I don't mean forever. I'm mad crazy about my husband, contrary to my bitching... and I don't want to jinx it!). I want to see if I have the huevos to run to Hales Corners all by my lonesome in desperation for the fabled "Best Chinese Food Around" (a la "Fortune"), or if I'd go to the vast reaches of the art district in Milwaukee in search of Friday night entertainment (or if the rumors that I'm a hopeless homebody are, in fact, true). Would I run off to Austin for a weekend of narcissistic memories, as I used to do? Would I make the drive to see odd films at a historic theatre in Downtown Chicago? Or would I use "expensive gas" as the excuse for my evening date with the Blockbuster movie club? Who the hell knows.
I could kick myself today, as I was a mere block from Brady street on a pretty fine walking sort of afternoon. I guess driving in my car is preferrable to making the leap to hanging out in coolness in a nifty area.... but I have to give myself credit, as it hasn't been that long ago that I was too inhibited to venture to such places by myself... any excuse to hang out up there in any capacity is a step forward.
I've been lucky all these years that I've had a convenient excuse for not venturing too far beyond my comfort zone while the kids were young. I think it's time to start expanding THEIR horizons, tho-- especially since we've chosen to incubate their young minds in a rural setting. A fabulous trip to Austin might just do the trick... I'd like them to see that the world is SO much bigger than the limited one we are able to present to them. I'm not sure if it's the limitations of my perceptions, my fears about security, etc... but there's only so much I'm able to show my kids, so much less than I thought I'd be able to. Mainly because they don't travel well, because it's expensive, because by the time I get past the irritations of travelling with 3 other people I have no energy left to push myself past my own comfort zone and explore and share the world... whatever.
I thought I'd be in a much more secure place than I am now; financially, emotionally..... but it would have required so much more of a commitment than I have been willing to make, more costly sacrifices to my choices-- so the trade off has been worth it. I am poor, but I am sane. I am grounded, and so still have marginal relationships with my offspring, my husband. Seems like a fair trade off to me.
But anyhoo, I am flat-out INTOXICATED at 9:14 in the pm on a fine Sunday evening. MY husband is gone until tomorrow in a primal pursuit of sustenance for our family; and altho I know it is baaaaad mojo to be incapacitated in his absence-- a drunken slob I am, and a giddy one at that. I am incredibly fucking happy to be on my very own right now, and I'm trying to ascertain whether it is due to the fact that I just like being alone, or if it is that I am enjoying the rare opportunity to do whatever I want, however I want to (i.e. waking at 6, hanging out until 8 or so reading and fucking around, and then sleeping until 10. THAT is a cool way to spend a Sunday morning, and who'd a thunk? And *how guilty* I'd feel if I had my peppy life partner home, who springs up at 6 am and completes whole lists of tasks while I slumber...)
In all honesty, I'd like a month or so to myself to rediscover who I am when I have no safety net to fall back on (and, no-- I don't mean forever. I'm mad crazy about my husband, contrary to my bitching... and I don't want to jinx it!). I want to see if I have the huevos to run to Hales Corners all by my lonesome in desperation for the fabled "Best Chinese Food Around" (a la "Fortune"), or if I'd go to the vast reaches of the art district in Milwaukee in search of Friday night entertainment (or if the rumors that I'm a hopeless homebody are, in fact, true). Would I run off to Austin for a weekend of narcissistic memories, as I used to do? Would I make the drive to see odd films at a historic theatre in Downtown Chicago? Or would I use "expensive gas" as the excuse for my evening date with the Blockbuster movie club? Who the hell knows.
I could kick myself today, as I was a mere block from Brady street on a pretty fine walking sort of afternoon. I guess driving in my car is preferrable to making the leap to hanging out in coolness in a nifty area.... but I have to give myself credit, as it hasn't been that long ago that I was too inhibited to venture to such places by myself... any excuse to hang out up there in any capacity is a step forward.
I've been lucky all these years that I've had a convenient excuse for not venturing too far beyond my comfort zone while the kids were young. I think it's time to start expanding THEIR horizons, tho-- especially since we've chosen to incubate their young minds in a rural setting. A fabulous trip to Austin might just do the trick... I'd like them to see that the world is SO much bigger than the limited one we are able to present to them. I'm not sure if it's the limitations of my perceptions, my fears about security, etc... but there's only so much I'm able to show my kids, so much less than I thought I'd be able to. Mainly because they don't travel well, because it's expensive, because by the time I get past the irritations of travelling with 3 other people I have no energy left to push myself past my own comfort zone and explore and share the world... whatever.
I thought I'd be in a much more secure place than I am now; financially, emotionally..... but it would have required so much more of a commitment than I have been willing to make, more costly sacrifices to my choices-- so the trade off has been worth it. I am poor, but I am sane. I am grounded, and so still have marginal relationships with my offspring, my husband. Seems like a fair trade off to me.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Skydiving
I'm bored and I'm tired and a wee bit sick 'o everything...it's 8:30, and I'm still waiting for the coffee to kick in (as I usually am). I was granted a reprieve this morning on the hell schedule, as I was cancelled from my new job that requires me to be present and functional in the workplace at 6:30 am (egads!)... it went well last Friday on my first day, but working 12 hours *and* having to be there sooooooo early is far from ideal.
I worked yesterday at one of my old standby positions, one that I love and was hoping to call my permanent home-- but since I'm not part of the union and not eligible to post for jobs until the union ladies cast it off as undesirable, I never had a chance.
At this point, I envision myself wandering aimlessly thru the hospital halls, in eternal search of a job to call my very own. But realistically, I should look at my homelessness as a gift-- one that frees me from bullshit politics and the inevitable cattiness of the woman dominated workplace.
I worked yesterday at one of my old standby positions, one that I love and was hoping to call my permanent home-- but since I'm not part of the union and not eligible to post for jobs until the union ladies cast it off as undesirable, I never had a chance.
At this point, I envision myself wandering aimlessly thru the hospital halls, in eternal search of a job to call my very own. But realistically, I should look at my homelessness as a gift-- one that frees me from bullshit politics and the inevitable cattiness of the woman dominated workplace.
Right now, all I have to do is go to work: I drift in as an outsider, do my thing, stay out of trouble, and then I go home. Where else can you enjoy this type of wage and this kind of freedom? Nowhere.
But part of me longs for the misery of attachment, lamenting my fate of having to beg and barter for days off, showing up for and participating in awful unit meetings, negotiating the personalities I've heard about but never had to seriously deal with... sigh!
I'm a self destructive idiot.
I think part of the problem is the threat of living hand to mouth, never having any guarantee of set hours per week, where I'll be working, etc. But truth be told, I've never had a problem finding hours, and since I'm trained to work almost 10 different departments (with more training to come), I can't imagine having more than a few dry days-- and not being completely grateful for the days off I *do* get, as I am now (slacker that I am...).
Funny, tho-- for all the places I *do* work, I had my annual competency check-offs last night, and I was really horrified at how little I knew about the meat and potatoes of my profession: I had no clue about the creepy hoyer lifts and restraints... I felt bad about that until I realized that so few of the other staff knew how to use them either (even the instructor). I my mind, tho, I was doing a happy little dance that I didn't have to use those things. Somehow, I got wrangled into getting strapped into one that sits you up so you can get your feeble ass onto the toilet. The CNA who strapped me in said jokingly: "when you're done, call me so I can wipe your butt", and I had the awful premonition of what it must be like to be old and sickly. EEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!
Just another plug for taking up skydiving, smoking, and illicit sex and drug use in my 80's. That George Bush (Sr) really has the right idea jumping out of airplanes-- Rock On, old dude!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Ziti with Sausage Onions and Fennel
Ingredients: FOR THE SAUCE
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (without fennel seeds)
1 large fennel bulb with stem and fronds (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups half-moon onion slices (about 2 medium onions)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
1/2 cup tomato paste
Boiling water from the pasta cooking pot
FOR THE PASTA AND FINISHING
1 tablespoon kosher salt (for the pasta cooking water)
1 pound ziti
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds
1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano)
Directions: Heat 6 quarts of water with the tablespoon kosher salt to boiling in the pasta cooking pot.
Remove the sausage from its casing and break the meat up a bit with your fingers.
Trim the fennel bulb. Slice the bulb in half lengthwise, then slice each half in 1/4-inch thick lengthwise slices. Separate the slivers of fennel if they are attached at the bottom; cut the long slivers in half so you have about 3 cups of 2-inch long matchsticks of fennel.
Have the remaining sauce ingredients ready and nearby.
MAKING THE SAUCE AND COOKING THE PASTA SIMULTANEOUSLY,
Pour the olive oil into the skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up more with a wooden spoon, until it is sizzling and beginning to brown, about 1-1/2 minutes.
Push the sausage a bit aside and drop the onion slices into a clear part of the pan; sauté, stirring, they're sizzling and wilting, another 2 minutes or so, then stir them in with the meat.
Clear a space and drop in the fennel; let it heat up and wilt for 1 minute or more, then stir it around with the sausage and onions.
Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt; drop the peperoncino in a hot spot and toast the flakes for 1/2 minute, then stir them in.
Clear a good-sized hot spot in the center of the pan, plop in the tomato paste and cook, stirring it in the spot for a good minute or more, until it is sizzling and caramelizing; then stir it in with everything else.
Ladle 3 cups of boiling pasta water from the pot into the skillet, stir well and bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer all over the pan.
Drop the ziti in the boiling water in the pasta pot. Stir and bring back to the boil.
Cook about 8 minutes (a minute less than what is recommended on the package)
until the ziti are not quite al dente.
Continue to simmer the sauce until the flavors have developed and the fennel is
soft but not mushy, 6 minutes or more. The sauce should not get too thick: stir in
another cup or 2 of boiling pasta water, if it reduces rapidly. When the sauce is
done, taste it and add more salt if you want. If the pasta is not ready, turn down
the heat to keep the sauce at a very low simmer until the ziti are on their way—
then turn the heat up.
As soon as the ziti are ready by your timing, lift them out of the pot with a spider. Let excess water drip off only for an instant and drop the wet cylinders into the simmering sauce.
Start tossing pasta and sauce together; ladle in more water if the sauce seems too thick.
Sprinkle over the chopped fennel fronds and continue to cook and toss the ziti in the skillet for 2 minutes or until they are perfectly al dente and coated with sauce. If the pasta appears dry, ladle in more hot pasta water; if it is soupy, cook rapidly to thicken the sauce.
FINISHING THE PASTA
Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the ziti and toss it in. Serve the hot pasta right from the skillet into warm pasta bowls.
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (without fennel seeds)
1 large fennel bulb with stem and fronds (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups half-moon onion slices (about 2 medium onions)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
1/2 cup tomato paste
Boiling water from the pasta cooking pot
FOR THE PASTA AND FINISHING
1 tablespoon kosher salt (for the pasta cooking water)
1 pound ziti
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds
1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano)
Directions: Heat 6 quarts of water with the tablespoon kosher salt to boiling in the pasta cooking pot.
Remove the sausage from its casing and break the meat up a bit with your fingers.
Trim the fennel bulb. Slice the bulb in half lengthwise, then slice each half in 1/4-inch thick lengthwise slices. Separate the slivers of fennel if they are attached at the bottom; cut the long slivers in half so you have about 3 cups of 2-inch long matchsticks of fennel.
Have the remaining sauce ingredients ready and nearby.
MAKING THE SAUCE AND COOKING THE PASTA SIMULTANEOUSLY,
Pour the olive oil into the skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up more with a wooden spoon, until it is sizzling and beginning to brown, about 1-1/2 minutes.
Push the sausage a bit aside and drop the onion slices into a clear part of the pan; sauté, stirring, they're sizzling and wilting, another 2 minutes or so, then stir them in with the meat.
Clear a space and drop in the fennel; let it heat up and wilt for 1 minute or more, then stir it around with the sausage and onions.
Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt; drop the peperoncino in a hot spot and toast the flakes for 1/2 minute, then stir them in.
Clear a good-sized hot spot in the center of the pan, plop in the tomato paste and cook, stirring it in the spot for a good minute or more, until it is sizzling and caramelizing; then stir it in with everything else.
Ladle 3 cups of boiling pasta water from the pot into the skillet, stir well and bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer all over the pan.
Drop the ziti in the boiling water in the pasta pot. Stir and bring back to the boil.
Cook about 8 minutes (a minute less than what is recommended on the package)
until the ziti are not quite al dente.
Continue to simmer the sauce until the flavors have developed and the fennel is
soft but not mushy, 6 minutes or more. The sauce should not get too thick: stir in
another cup or 2 of boiling pasta water, if it reduces rapidly. When the sauce is
done, taste it and add more salt if you want. If the pasta is not ready, turn down
the heat to keep the sauce at a very low simmer until the ziti are on their way—
then turn the heat up.
As soon as the ziti are ready by your timing, lift them out of the pot with a spider. Let excess water drip off only for an instant and drop the wet cylinders into the simmering sauce.
Start tossing pasta and sauce together; ladle in more water if the sauce seems too thick.
Sprinkle over the chopped fennel fronds and continue to cook and toss the ziti in the skillet for 2 minutes or until they are perfectly al dente and coated with sauce. If the pasta appears dry, ladle in more hot pasta water; if it is soupy, cook rapidly to thicken the sauce.
FINISHING THE PASTA
Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the ziti and toss it in. Serve the hot pasta right from the skillet into warm pasta bowls.
Meatball Chili Stew
This is an old favorite, gleaned from a Pace Picante sauce flyer that was sent to my husband (and addressed to an old girlfriend of his, which oughtta tell you how old the flyer is). I thought it was about time I got this one recorded for posterity, since there's no telling just how long the flyer will be with us (it's a miracle that it's stuck around this long...)
For meatballs, mix together:
1/2 cup salsa
1 # ground meat (I prefer lean turkey)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
form into 1 inch meatballs and bake on a rimmed, foil lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
In a large soup pot, mix together and heat to a simmer:
1 can 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp chili powder (to taste)
1 cup + salsa
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2-1 cup frozen corn, or 1/2 can hominy, rinsed and drained
1 tsp beef bouillon
add meatballs and heat, covered, an additional 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese (or plain yogurt-- my favorite!)
For meatballs, mix together:
1/2 cup salsa
1 # ground meat (I prefer lean turkey)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
form into 1 inch meatballs and bake on a rimmed, foil lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
In a large soup pot, mix together and heat to a simmer:
1 can 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp chili powder (to taste)
1 cup + salsa
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2-1 cup frozen corn, or 1/2 can hominy, rinsed and drained
1 tsp beef bouillon
add meatballs and heat, covered, an additional 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese (or plain yogurt-- my favorite!)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Mr Hankey Comes One Month Early (Must've been all that fiber...)
Ahhh! Could WalMart put up their Christmas displays any earlier? In honor of this year's obvious attempt to make the Christmas season even *more* irritating and irrelevant, here's my new favorite holiday tribute:
I could watch this over and over and over again.....
I could watch this over and over and over again.....
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
I *STOLE* this recipe from another blogsite and hope to make it this evening for my hubby's return from the forest. He's been kind enough to spend the weekend hunting and gathering to try and fill our newly empty freezer. In his honor, I think I'm going to make a buffalo roast with potatoes, carrots, and the remaining delicata squash from our garden (man! I'm going to miss those!). This afternoon, I'm going with my friend Tracey to my new favorite place in the midwest: Whole Foods. I know it's very sad that I'm surrounded by scads of natural beauty with the fall colors, Great Lakes and all, but dammit! I love natural food shopping... I feel as if I have finally stumbled upon my people, where the cream puff eating, smoking, cheap beer swillers fear to tread. It's a bee-yoooooou-ti-ful day for a roadtrip!
Pumpkin Bread PuddingAdapted from Gourmet Magazine, October 2007
I made a few of my own adaptations to this, using only milk and no cream (to me, it makes no difference in dishes like this, so I figure I’ll save the calories), and doubling almost all of the spices. Oh, and I added bourbon, but you probably anticipated that.
1½ cups whole milk (Or 1 cup heavy cream plus ½ cup whole milk)¾ cup canned solid-pack pumpkin½ cup sugar2 large eggs plus 1 yolk½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground ginger1/8 teaspoon ground allspicePinch of ground cloves2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread¾ stick unsalted butter, melted* (can skip this step if using the second set of instructions)
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Gourmet’s Instructions: Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, spices and bourbon, if using, in a bowl.
Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Alternate, Come On, Be Lazy With Me, instructions: While preheating oven to 350°F with rack in middle, melt butter in bottom of a 8-inch square baking dish. Once it is melted, take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Pour them over buttered bread cubes in baking dish, stirring to make sure all pieces are evenly coated. Bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Bread PuddingAdapted from Gourmet Magazine, October 2007
I made a few of my own adaptations to this, using only milk and no cream (to me, it makes no difference in dishes like this, so I figure I’ll save the calories), and doubling almost all of the spices. Oh, and I added bourbon, but you probably anticipated that.
1½ cups whole milk (Or 1 cup heavy cream plus ½ cup whole milk)¾ cup canned solid-pack pumpkin½ cup sugar2 large eggs plus 1 yolk½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground ginger1/8 teaspoon ground allspicePinch of ground cloves2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread¾ stick unsalted butter, melted* (can skip this step if using the second set of instructions)
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Gourmet’s Instructions: Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, spices and bourbon, if using, in a bowl.
Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Alternate, Come On, Be Lazy With Me, instructions: While preheating oven to 350°F with rack in middle, melt butter in bottom of a 8-inch square baking dish. Once it is melted, take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Pour them over buttered bread cubes in baking dish, stirring to make sure all pieces are evenly coated. Bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Doggy Dating:
Ms. Fanny came over this afternoon, and after a couple hours of gentle to intense effort she warmed up a *little*, as in "I'm not too happy about this, but I guess I'll acknowledge your presence if you're gonna keep bugging me". I'd say she was petrified for a good 97% of the time, but showed a couple brief glimpses of her true doggie nature.
I was very surprised that Jake worked with her one-on-one for the entire time-- he did really well with her.
But... he just doesn't feel that she's the dog we're looking for, and after today I'd honestly have to agree with him.
I miss the energy and excitement that Molly had, not just for us, but for everyone and everything. And maybe I'm mistaken into thinking that she'd have that same open-ness when she was fully grown, but I'd at least like to *try* and avoid getting a shy dog, given 1/2 a chance.
(and in this case, no one could say we weren't aware of her issues from the get-go. We *really* tried today, more than I even thought we would.)
I picked up about 5 dog books from the library (as is the custom of my people-- academic and nerdy, interacting with the world primarily thru the pages of a book), and all of them cautioned against the shy dog. I myself am shy enough, and in a very small way look to my pets to be the bridge between me and the outside world. I'm not enough of a crusader to be able to stand up for my shortcomings in the social dept and then somehow be able navigate the social quirks of my dog (which is why I'm such a hapless parent-- I'm never sure if I can deal with both their oddities and mine at the same time. I'm just not that coordinated.)
Anyhoo, all this "romancing the dog" hoop-de-do reminds me of this ditty I found at a gal's blog whom I find particularly acerbic and witty:
I was very surprised that Jake worked with her one-on-one for the entire time-- he did really well with her.
But... he just doesn't feel that she's the dog we're looking for, and after today I'd honestly have to agree with him.
I miss the energy and excitement that Molly had, not just for us, but for everyone and everything. And maybe I'm mistaken into thinking that she'd have that same open-ness when she was fully grown, but I'd at least like to *try* and avoid getting a shy dog, given 1/2 a chance.
(and in this case, no one could say we weren't aware of her issues from the get-go. We *really* tried today, more than I even thought we would.)
I picked up about 5 dog books from the library (as is the custom of my people-- academic and nerdy, interacting with the world primarily thru the pages of a book), and all of them cautioned against the shy dog. I myself am shy enough, and in a very small way look to my pets to be the bridge between me and the outside world. I'm not enough of a crusader to be able to stand up for my shortcomings in the social dept and then somehow be able navigate the social quirks of my dog (which is why I'm such a hapless parent-- I'm never sure if I can deal with both their oddities and mine at the same time. I'm just not that coordinated.)
Anyhoo, all this "romancing the dog" hoop-de-do reminds me of this ditty I found at a gal's blog whom I find particularly acerbic and witty:
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Ms. Fanny
We went to the rescue group today to meet with Ms. Fanny: she's smaller than Molly was, a little more petite, and she's SHY. Very, very shy.
So shy, in fact, that she cowered behind the legs of her rescue "mom" and barely visited with us.
This makes me really sad.
Jake shot me a clear "no way, Jose" look after our visit that broke my heart, knowing that without his blessing, he'll try his hardest not to bond with her.
Jake is forever accusing me of making him do things/accept things he doesn't want to, and I know he's 100% right. I also know, tho, that he hasn't wanted much of *anything* for the majority of the time I've known him, and life would be pretty quiet and empty if it wasn't for my efforts.
The rescue family is coming out tomorrow for a visit (and I should be cleaning, I guess), but I'm sad, knowing that although I'm certain I could love this dog and make her mine, once again it isn't perfect (and once again, I'll have to try twice as hard to convince everyone that it is. As always, I have enough enthusiasm for everyone-- but it's getting a little tiresome).
So shy, in fact, that she cowered behind the legs of her rescue "mom" and barely visited with us.
This makes me really sad.
Jake shot me a clear "no way, Jose" look after our visit that broke my heart, knowing that without his blessing, he'll try his hardest not to bond with her.
Jake is forever accusing me of making him do things/accept things he doesn't want to, and I know he's 100% right. I also know, tho, that he hasn't wanted much of *anything* for the majority of the time I've known him, and life would be pretty quiet and empty if it wasn't for my efforts.
The rescue family is coming out tomorrow for a visit (and I should be cleaning, I guess), but I'm sad, knowing that although I'm certain I could love this dog and make her mine, once again it isn't perfect (and once again, I'll have to try twice as hard to convince everyone that it is. As always, I have enough enthusiasm for everyone-- but it's getting a little tiresome).
Friday, October 26, 2007
OOOOoops!
Ok, so unless lasagna and Milky Way bars are included in the fasting diet, I've completely messed up. Ohwell... so shoot me, already.
In a fit of sadness, I logged on to the Petfinder.com site in search of adult brittanys. As fate would have it, there is an adult female available in Oak Creek, a Miss Fanny (bananney, as I'm 
sure she would come to be known) And......... not only is she a very pretty girl, but she is a *relative* of Miss Molly!!! She came from the same breeder, and thus probably has a parent in common somewhere. How cool is that?!
sure she would come to be known) And......... not only is she a very pretty girl, but she is a *relative* of Miss Molly!!! She came from the same breeder, and thus probably has a parent in common somewhere. How cool is that?! OK, I know it's probably too soon to think about getting another brittany, but **I MISS MY GIRL**. I need another soft belly to rub and ears to scratch, a big sweet girl to walk and hug and love. Ug. I'm still so sad.
Rescuing a britt would fall in so well with my life long pattern of standing up for the underdog (and in this case, pun completely intended). I loves me a reject, an outcast-- I love to save the day. I would rescue 10 dogs if I could, if only to have a pack of cast-offs to call my very own. I love the chaos, the energy, the undying adoration of my dogs. But with Molly gone (snif!), I no longer have a pack, and it's just too quiet and lonely about the house. We have a tentative appt to meet her tomorrow afternoon; I'm giddy at the prospect. I'm sad, but I'm hopeful. And the electric fence is on it's way... but as the shithole of fate would have it, it's obviously arriving a week too late for my Molly. Boo and double boo. Boo times a million. 
(fanny bananney one more time. I'm such a glutton for punishment. She looks sad, doesn't she?)
(fanny bananney one more time. I'm such a glutton for punishment. She looks sad, doesn't she?)Freaky Fast, day 2:
Day 2 is progressing a bit better than day 1; I'm not so hungry or spacey feeling, I have more energy... I had another blueberry smoothie this am, only I added some matcha green tea powder and some ginger to the mix-- which made it even more fabulous...
I was even able to exercise a little, doing the "Bellydance Workout" (which is really simple, anyway). I would have preferred to go to the gym, but since I'm taking all those "cleansers" (aka herbal laxatives), I'm a little afraid of leaving the house. But..... so far, nothing's happened. They say it takes 2 days at least to process the food that you've eaten prior to the fast, and this appears to be true. And, fuckaduck, I weighed a whole .5 pound less this am, only to find I'd gained it back and then some an hour later (which I know is BS, but an anecdote worth mentioning...). Whatever.
But anyway:
Can I tell you a secret?
Really-- are you sure?
OK, here goes:
I secretly can't stand it when my kids are home with me during the school year.
gasp!!! horrors!!!
It's mostly 'cause I feel obligated to find something spectacular to do with them, usually don't have any clue what to do, and then in desperation, eventually try to get them to do chores at some point in the day-- which they avoid like the plague all day long. Plus, they sleep until 11 (who can blame them), and probably don't want to do anything either-- which I think makes THEM feel guilty, for not wanting to do anything with mom. Boo. Ah! The great cycle of family guilt and obligation... it's never to early to start.
I was even able to exercise a little, doing the "Bellydance Workout" (which is really simple, anyway). I would have preferred to go to the gym, but since I'm taking all those "cleansers" (aka herbal laxatives), I'm a little afraid of leaving the house. But..... so far, nothing's happened. They say it takes 2 days at least to process the food that you've eaten prior to the fast, and this appears to be true. And, fuckaduck, I weighed a whole .5 pound less this am, only to find I'd gained it back and then some an hour later (which I know is BS, but an anecdote worth mentioning...). Whatever.
But anyway:
Can I tell you a secret?
Really-- are you sure?
OK, here goes:
I secretly can't stand it when my kids are home with me during the school year.
gasp!!! horrors!!!
It's mostly 'cause I feel obligated to find something spectacular to do with them, usually don't have any clue what to do, and then in desperation, eventually try to get them to do chores at some point in the day-- which they avoid like the plague all day long. Plus, they sleep until 11 (who can blame them), and probably don't want to do anything either-- which I think makes THEM feel guilty, for not wanting to do anything with mom. Boo. Ah! The great cycle of family guilt and obligation... it's never to early to start.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Update:
Ok, I've cheated again (altho, considering I'm making this up as I go along, it's really only cheating if I consider it to be, right?): I broke down and ate a Wha Guru chew, which is basically just nuts and agave syrup and wheat germ, and a banana. I suck at starving myself, having exhausted all my willpower in my pre-adolescent annie-rexic stage. (damn!)
I also completely caved and opened a bottle of organic wine I was saving (for just such an occasion, no?). And oooooooh-- the wine really hits you when you're not terribly full..... wheeeeee!
I've been reading a book this evening in my semi-intoxicated state, "The New Work of Dogs"--ironically written by a Mr. John Katz (snort!). His basic premise is that we, in our modern-day isolation, have set up pockets of loneliness that we look to animals to fill.
I could totally relate to that... I have minimal relationships with my family, very few friends that can get together and play, I'm married to an "invisible man" (a la "Deal Breakers"), and my kids aren't too excited to hang with ol' mom these days... so the logical thought, then, is to meet my needs for socialization and intimacy with an animal that can't grow older and tire of my attentions, can't argue with me over finances-- and unless it chews up my favorite shoes, shits on the floor one too many times, or dies unexpectedly, won't disappoint me in ways that humans can oh so easily. Ewwww.... sounds very pathological, yet so very satisfying. And since a dog won't care if I'm CHUBBY or have a second helping of cake, God love 'em, I'm thinking he's spot-on in his analysis.
Now should this information make me feel bad, somehow-- or just enlightened?
I'm not sure.
I've tried for many a year to make friends, work on my relationship with my family, my husband, do fun things with my kids, etc-- and most of my efforts were head banging-ly short of success. Bummer.
Sooooooooo, I've grown weary of trying, and I'm ready for my dog now, please. And maybe a vibrator to go with it, if it's not too much trouble.... (and a snickers bar. and maybe some Taco Bell.... that would be awesome! Thanks.)
I also completely caved and opened a bottle of organic wine I was saving (for just such an occasion, no?). And oooooooh-- the wine really hits you when you're not terribly full..... wheeeeee!
I've been reading a book this evening in my semi-intoxicated state, "The New Work of Dogs"--ironically written by a Mr. John Katz (snort!). His basic premise is that we, in our modern-day isolation, have set up pockets of loneliness that we look to animals to fill.
I could totally relate to that... I have minimal relationships with my family, very few friends that can get together and play, I'm married to an "invisible man" (a la "Deal Breakers"), and my kids aren't too excited to hang with ol' mom these days... so the logical thought, then, is to meet my needs for socialization and intimacy with an animal that can't grow older and tire of my attentions, can't argue with me over finances-- and unless it chews up my favorite shoes, shits on the floor one too many times, or dies unexpectedly, won't disappoint me in ways that humans can oh so easily. Ewwww.... sounds very pathological, yet so very satisfying. And since a dog won't care if I'm CHUBBY or have a second helping of cake, God love 'em, I'm thinking he's spot-on in his analysis.
Now should this information make me feel bad, somehow-- or just enlightened?
I'm not sure.
I've tried for many a year to make friends, work on my relationship with my family, my husband, do fun things with my kids, etc-- and most of my efforts were head banging-ly short of success. Bummer.
Sooooooooo, I've grown weary of trying, and I'm ready for my dog now, please. And maybe a vibrator to go with it, if it's not too much trouble.... (and a snickers bar. and maybe some Taco Bell.... that would be awesome! Thanks.)
Day One:
I think I've already started to cheat a bit on the juice fast... for breakfast this am, instead of juice I made a blueberry smoothie with soy yogurt, almond milk, ground flax meal, and wild blueberries-- tasty! I also had an apple for a snack and a carrot-apple-cabbage-celery-ginger-romaine juice for lunch. I'm not too hungry, but considering I've done almost NOTHING all day, that's not a huge surprise;-)
I've been waiting *all day* to hear back from a lady if she has time for me to come up and meet her 18 month old dog she's looking to adopt out. I don't want to do the puppy mess all over if I can help it, which is why I'm looking at an older dog, but I know that's what Jake wants. He wasn't super helpful with training Molly, so I'm sure that letting a puppy out in the middle of the night, dealing with chewed up shoes, etc, wasn't a big deal to him, but it was hard on me for all those months. But neither he nor I want to deal with another neurotic adult dog that bites... man! It's like a dating service, only it's for a pet you'll have for the rest of it's life. Here's to hoping it works out...
I've been waiting *all day* to hear back from a lady if she has time for me to come up and meet her 18 month old dog she's looking to adopt out. I don't want to do the puppy mess all over if I can help it, which is why I'm looking at an older dog, but I know that's what Jake wants. He wasn't super helpful with training Molly, so I'm sure that letting a puppy out in the middle of the night, dealing with chewed up shoes, etc, wasn't a big deal to him, but it was hard on me for all those months. But neither he nor I want to deal with another neurotic adult dog that bites... man! It's like a dating service, only it's for a pet you'll have for the rest of it's life. Here's to hoping it works out...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Juice Fast...
Yes, I have succumbed to the wiles of the "21 Pounds in 21 Days" theory that you can lose obscene amounts of weight just by starving yourself for a lengthy period of time-- how novel!!
Sounds suspiciously like an eating disorder to me, but if it'll get me past that magic number I plateaued at several weeks ago, I'm all for it....
So here's the deal (and no, my fasting books haven't come to the library yet, so I'm making it up thus far. How complicated can starving yourself really be?):
1) All the freshly prepared juices I want. I just went to the store and bought a bunch of apples, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, ginger, kale, and celery. I also have a boatload of beets still in the garden that I can use. Now that Jacob discovered how amazing the apple ginger juice tastes, I may have to fight him off for use of the juicer, little booger. I have some protein powder I can use and some silky tofu to mix in if I feel the need for a little more substance in my juice (is that cheating?)
2) I'm also doing a detox/cleanse using "Nature's Secret" Ultimate Cleanse. I have been soooooo- ahem- *stanky* since I stopped the artificial sweeteners, drinking coffee and milk, etc. I can't help but wonder if I'm detoxing a little bit already, but very slooooowly. I hate being smelly, esp when I'm in Zumba class and I catch a whiff of myself-- egads! Never has this delicate flower of a woman had the stink pits (ok, the "delicate flower" is a bunch of BS, but I've really never been one to even *wear* deodorant, let alone need one).
3) Avoiding meat (meat juice? I guess that makes sense), dairy, eggs, ALCOHOL (that one alone will have me losing weight right off the bat for SURE, once I make it thru the DT's. Exactly how many kcals are in a "Chocolate City Martini" anyway? How about in 3?)
I am only going to aim for fasting from today (wed eve) to Sunday eve, since I expect to have some pretty hairy days at my new position M/T/W. My lab draws are bad enough without trying to poke people on an empty stomach. I'll just have to do my best to prepare something nutritious and avoid the evil candy buckets strategically placed in each department to make me crazy.
Anyhoo, if this works, I've already saved myself at least $100 over the Isagenix program, which makes me feel all warm inside... fresh juices would have to taste better and be more nutritious than some "food-like" tablets and another crappy shake mix. The ingredients in the Ultimate Cleanse are exactly what I've been looking for, too, and I expect that it'll work really well with the other herbal therapies I've been using.
Sounds suspiciously like an eating disorder to me, but if it'll get me past that magic number I plateaued at several weeks ago, I'm all for it....
So here's the deal (and no, my fasting books haven't come to the library yet, so I'm making it up thus far. How complicated can starving yourself really be?):
1) All the freshly prepared juices I want. I just went to the store and bought a bunch of apples, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, ginger, kale, and celery. I also have a boatload of beets still in the garden that I can use. Now that Jacob discovered how amazing the apple ginger juice tastes, I may have to fight him off for use of the juicer, little booger. I have some protein powder I can use and some silky tofu to mix in if I feel the need for a little more substance in my juice (is that cheating?)
2) I'm also doing a detox/cleanse using "Nature's Secret" Ultimate Cleanse. I have been soooooo- ahem- *stanky* since I stopped the artificial sweeteners, drinking coffee and milk, etc. I can't help but wonder if I'm detoxing a little bit already, but very slooooowly. I hate being smelly, esp when I'm in Zumba class and I catch a whiff of myself-- egads! Never has this delicate flower of a woman had the stink pits (ok, the "delicate flower" is a bunch of BS, but I've really never been one to even *wear* deodorant, let alone need one).
3) Avoiding meat (meat juice? I guess that makes sense), dairy, eggs, ALCOHOL (that one alone will have me losing weight right off the bat for SURE, once I make it thru the DT's. Exactly how many kcals are in a "Chocolate City Martini" anyway? How about in 3?)
I am only going to aim for fasting from today (wed eve) to Sunday eve, since I expect to have some pretty hairy days at my new position M/T/W. My lab draws are bad enough without trying to poke people on an empty stomach. I'll just have to do my best to prepare something nutritious and avoid the evil candy buckets strategically placed in each department to make me crazy.
Anyhoo, if this works, I've already saved myself at least $100 over the Isagenix program, which makes me feel all warm inside... fresh juices would have to taste better and be more nutritious than some "food-like" tablets and another crappy shake mix. The ingredients in the Ultimate Cleanse are exactly what I've been looking for, too, and I expect that it'll work really well with the other herbal therapies I've been using.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Rest in Peace, Miss Molly:
Last night, about this time, our Miss Molly was hit by a car and killed instantly. We laid her to rest this afternoon in a shady spot between 2 cedars, a spot in the tall grass that she loved.
We will miss her terribly:-(
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We will miss her terribly:-(
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Meh!
It's been a goofy week, but pleasantly so.
Yet...
I cannot for the LIFE of me believe that the end of October is fast approaching... and I've only lost 10 #!!!!! I've been exercising to megadoses of ibuprofen with much limping at least 3 times a week, watching what I eat-- and lost only 10# since-- what-- August???!!
I'm ready to resort to some more extreme measures, such as starting a fasting program like Isagenix, but the part of my brain that is somewhat keen on spotting a scam has thus far overruled my desperation. I've even resorted to coercion with my hubby, with wild tales of "I'll lose 10 pounds in a week if I eat only chocolate flavored tablets and water!!!!!" And while I'm sure he'd like to see 10# less of me (and should I worry about that?), I don't even think his reptilian brain will win over the cheap genes that make up most of our genetic structure.
And although I haven't lost a great deal of weight for all my efforts, I can see much more definition in my arms, more toned muscles in my thighs and butt-- which of course, makes my flabby belly all the more noticable (maybe lipo is the answer...). I guess a flabby belly isn't the greatest weight gain tragedy, unless you consider that my belly was flat only moments after both my kids were born, and that it took a job I *hated*, not the traditional baby weight, to screw up my body for these past few years. Boo.
I *am* worried, however, that when I lose the weight for good, I'll still look like a boxy Brunhilda, just a few pounds lighter. (I come from sturdy, fat, German people, so I'm afraid that when all is said and done, I'll still look like a chub, only slightly skinnier. Does that make sense, or am I the victim of the worst Body Dysmorphic Disorder ever?)
Yet...
I cannot for the LIFE of me believe that the end of October is fast approaching... and I've only lost 10 #!!!!! I've been exercising to megadoses of ibuprofen with much limping at least 3 times a week, watching what I eat-- and lost only 10# since-- what-- August???!!
I'm ready to resort to some more extreme measures, such as starting a fasting program like Isagenix, but the part of my brain that is somewhat keen on spotting a scam has thus far overruled my desperation. I've even resorted to coercion with my hubby, with wild tales of "I'll lose 10 pounds in a week if I eat only chocolate flavored tablets and water!!!!!" And while I'm sure he'd like to see 10# less of me (and should I worry about that?), I don't even think his reptilian brain will win over the cheap genes that make up most of our genetic structure.
And although I haven't lost a great deal of weight for all my efforts, I can see much more definition in my arms, more toned muscles in my thighs and butt-- which of course, makes my flabby belly all the more noticable (maybe lipo is the answer...). I guess a flabby belly isn't the greatest weight gain tragedy, unless you consider that my belly was flat only moments after both my kids were born, and that it took a job I *hated*, not the traditional baby weight, to screw up my body for these past few years. Boo.
I *am* worried, however, that when I lose the weight for good, I'll still look like a boxy Brunhilda, just a few pounds lighter. (I come from sturdy, fat, German people, so I'm afraid that when all is said and done, I'll still look like a chub, only slightly skinnier. Does that make sense, or am I the victim of the worst Body Dysmorphic Disorder ever?)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
HoHo No!
nataliedee.com
I've been crabby in my head for a few days (i.e. nobody knows I'm crabby but me, which can get a little exhausting pretending not to be the crabby bitch you *really* are all day long) .
Sometimes the lunacy of the world and it's inhabitants really gets to me; the selfishness, the denial, the narcissism... (and that's just in my immediate family! 'nuff said).
Part of it, too, is that I can tell it's getting close to the "Holiday Season" (you know, that reeeeeeeeeeeeally long stretch of time before Halloween, which lasts until 5 minutes after the presents are opened)-- the season that triggers anxiety that it's soon going to be dark ALL THE TIME, that I'm going to be perilously tapped out for funds and stressed about $ between now until February, that I'm going to be coerced with much guilt to participate in traditions that are meaningless to me and mine (even tho we're the only practicing Christians in our entire family, but 'nuff said about that as well).
Some random woman came into my office the other day and talked my ear off, which strangely enough, seems to happen frequently when I work over there. She mentioned with much enthusiasm that she was getting her breathtakingly fabulous X-Mas decorations out this weekend, and bemoaned that fact that OTHER members of her extended family HARDLY DECORATED AT ALL!!!!
...as if that was some kind of blasphemous crime against all children everywhere.
So let's just get this out in the open: I hate to decorate!!
I hate to drag a bunch of dusty crap out of the cobwebby, musty, spidery basement, haul it upstairs, clear out all my regular junk (all of which is dusty and neglected, too, as I'm not a fan of dealing with the everyday crap, either...), find a spot for the everyday stuff, and spend scads of time throwing the sparkly stuff around, like I'm some sort of undiscovered Las Vegas interior decorator...... only to have to clear it all out in a few weeks.
Drudgery, pure drudgery, I tell you. Just more thankless shit I feel womanly-obligated to do in a long line of thankless tasks. Bleck. I wouldn't mind putting up the groovy silver tinsel stuff I got from the Target at 75% off clearance a couple years ago if I could leave it up all year round (it goes oh so well with the Pee Wee Herman/Monkeys Drinking Coffee motif I have going on in the dining room). We DID leave up the glittery disco ball I got from Pier One on mega clearance all year, but I'm not sure if that was a stroke of decorating genius or sheer laziness (it goes well with my funky e-bay paintings... but then again, what doesn't?)
Not to mention the sheer "I don't get it-ness" of the Halloween season. Wouldn't it just be easier to skip the elaborate costume and buy a couple bags of snack size candybars for your very own? You could get exactly what you want (leaving those icky peanut nuggets at the store where they belong), and save yourself the trouble of trying to pretend you're really not 15 years old and scamming for candy. I suppose Jacob's still young enough to participate, but he never gets interested until the day before, or day *of* Trick or Treating, and try scrounging up a costume THEN. And what's with all the dead people stuff, too-- the disembodied heads, the ghouls, witches, etc? Dead people are not in the least bit entertaining, and have the capacity to smell REALLY bad, and only the goofiest of the goofy people believe in ghosts (we have a whole group of ghost hunters out here in sticks-ville. OOOOOOoooooweOOoooooooooo. Losers.)-- and witches? Worshipping trees and the elements of the earth is not creepy, it's comical. And maybe a little sad.
Case in point: I went to a pagan gathering in my day and witnessed a "Pagan Wedding" that was held in the nude, and the happy couple had to hop in the back of a hot van while bound at the wrists and consummate their "vows" while everyone tried not to stare at the everyone else's wrinkles and rolls. It was naaaaasssstay! Especially when the betrothed hopped out of the van all sweaty and drippy; it was an ewwwwww moment that I will never forget.
Anyhoo, life is going very well otherwise. I've been working just enough to keep me from going crazy and being broke (I have a loooong stretch in the next couple weeks where I'm not working much-- God help us all! Nothing goes better with boredom than shoping and endless, cyclical rumination). I've been thinking about trying something different for the holiday season (I do this every year, with no success)-- maybe a trip somewhere, where we can leave shortly before the hard core festivities begin, and arrive back home just in time to have missed them all (whoopsie!). But I know that guilt will prevent me from making any progress. Boo (no pun intended). Any suggestions?
Friday, October 5, 2007
Later.....
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Yay! Summer's finally over!! I couldn't be happier, 'cause it's too damn hot, and I never feel like doing *anything* for like, 2 whole months... this was a bit of a crappy summer, too, since it was either waaaay too dry and scorching or pouring down rain and mosquito-ey (I've never see so many blood thirsty mosquitos in my whole freaking LIFE as I have this summer. It was gawd-awful!) For the most part, my life as I know it (gardening, baking, knitting, biking, blogging, etc), comes to a screeching halt when temps go much higher than 75 degrees. I'm not sure if was in some kind of coma for all that time, but I really can't remember a whole lot of what I did while I wasn't doing anything I like to do (working, cleaning and sleeping, probably).
I tried to clean up the gardens today, but we're in the midst of a freakish October hot spell and I was dripping in sweat (as in, profuse dripping in the eyeballs kind of sweat) only 10 minutes after starting... but I still managed to deadhead all the rudbeckias, echinacea, and phlox (note to self: PRUNE BACK THE ASTERS IN JUNE/JULY! THEY LOOK LIKE CRAP!!!!!) and spread the seeds in the prairie. I have a huge stash of seed heads in the chicken coop which I'd like to spread once Jake mows the prairie (so the seeds will have a fighting chance to get established)-- fun! I love playing "prairie princess", knowing that each and every plant up there was started by ME (a very God-like experience... and I am not a jealous God, unless too many honeysuckle or goldenrods take over and then it's all about death and destruction....).
For the most part, everything has been ok: jobs are going well, the kids aren't screwing up too bad (even tho ms. gracy pants got SUSPENDED from school last week; loooooong story, and far too stupid to repeat here. On a positive note, she got her temps license today, which completely blows my mind with disbelief...but we haven't gone driving yet).
Jacob has been vacillating wildly between slacking in his schoolwork and being mr. awesome... wtf? We have to meet in a week or so to figure out a "plan" for his "giftedness".... the plan is not even legally binding and is probably a source of much future irritation, but I'll give it a shot, which in my complete lack of emotion leaves me to wonder: Am I too medicated to care (and no, I'm not really medicated, but these herbs I've been taking for stress have taken me to a MUCH happier place)? Have I evolved beyond worrying about stupid stuff like this? Or have I entered survival mode, as in: "I've survived the middle school years and a kid who is a wee bit of a fuck up (purely due to genetics; the poor kid never had a chance and is doing 100% better than both parents did) and am going to take it day by day or I might just completely lose my mind" sort of mode?
I think that's it. .jpg)
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There are so many things I'd like to do before the cold weather sets in, like: take more motorcycle rides (I've taken no more than a couple ALL SUMMER, most of which were in the past week. I went to East Troy with Jake today, and it was wonderful!), a day trip to Madison (bike riding) and Chicago, a trip to the Chicago Botanic Gradens, ride the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, whatever and whatever... I'd really like to plan a trip to Florida for this winter, but we'll see exactly how much apathy the family shows for such things and how much it'll bum me out and if it'll keep me from making plans. Where, oh where are the fun people? I certainly didn't give birth to or marry them...It's as if my hubby and kids are in a continual stupor where nothing exciting happens and they're perfectly happy with that.... sigh! To be so restless and yet so completely tied down. Boo.
I took a few photos of the remaining flowers on the property; I wish I had posted some photos from earlier in the summer, but I've been a terrible slacker. Here's a few:.jpg)
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