Found a Great Blog Site for Recipes!!!!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Here it is - a fellow blogger with a whole lot of yummy dishes for me to try!  So cool I had to share!
http://rumbleinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Another Diet Update...

Monday, August 31, 2009

This is a good one! I've lost 20 pounds!! So far, anyway...20 more to go!

I hit a speedbump a few weeks ago - my morning bike ride is on hold while my hand heals. I had carpal tunnel surgery on my left had 2 weeks ago. I have full range of motion, but can't hold on to handlebars yet. So tomorrow, I go jogging instead. That's my new plan!

Oh - and I made Crazy Hot Salsa this past weekend, from out garden stuff - yum! Fresh, organic, and chock full of veggies!

Tomato Fungus!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

We're having quite an issue here in the northeast - our gloomy cold summer has doomed a lot of little Victory Gardens like ours. Aside from having really short pepper plants (which are stunted from the cold weather in June) and tiny peppers (about 2 inches long, and bright red), our tomato plants, and those of our neighbors and my parents across town, have developed a severe case of "tomato blight". Here's what we got, folks:

Tomato blight surfaces in region

Garden Factory (in Chili, my favorite garden center in this region next to Gro-Moore Farms in Henrietta) has recommended a product called Fung-Onil. I'm on my second application today in the last week and a half, and although it seemed to kill the fungus, our plants are still not doing well. We've had two days of full sun in that last week and a half (yippee!), but cool (very low 60s) nights.

For those who wish to know, here's another article from the local newspaper:

Rochester records second-coldest July

I mean, seriously...

____________
It's a few days later, including 2 bright, sunny days...and they seem a little more perky. They even have some new growth on the top, and are a lot greener. The Miracle Grow doesn't hurt either. :) And hey, for hungry deer and rabbits: Liquid Fence! Stuff is really stinky, but works exceptionally well.

I'll keep everyone posted - try the Fung-Onil!!!

Garden 2009!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Yes, it's time again! I feel confident bragging about my garden finally, because almost everything has survived the 40 degree weather we had in late May and early June, and it looks like it might actually produce some produce.

We're trying a few new things this year, broccoli being one; lemon cucumbers, which sound really odd - I'll have to let you know on that one; and butternut squash, which is supposed to grow well in this climate. We also found bush pickles again (small cukes), and are planning to make - you guessed it - lots of pickles! We have a box full of peppers, and one of tomatoes - yay, fresh salsa! Too bad I can't grow limes here....

My hubby completed a huge project for me - we took down the gulag (the 6 foot high deer fence around the three garden boxes) and he built frames around each box individually, with doors on either side to lift up. They're covered with chicken wire, to keep out deer, small animals and all the robins and grackle that have decided our yard is their buffet. Now I have to come up with something to filter out the cottonwood...there's a blanket of what looks like snow across the yard, the plants, the boxes, the sandbox, the swingset....

Watch this space for more recipes - I'll post our pickles when it's time to make them, as well as my curry salsa when it's perfected. And I'll let you all know how the lemon cucumbers turn out!

News from Dietsville - My clothes are starting to fit!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It's official - my continuing journey is yielding some encouraging results. My "fat jeans" - the size 14s - are baggy enough to be uncomfortable, because I have to keep pulling them up. I even ripped one of the belt loops on one side, from constantly grabbing my pants and yanking them up!

My black jeans - the ones that were supposed to be fat jeans but shrunk a size - fit well, with no need to suck in my tummy before zipping!

I won't make my goal of 40 pounds off before my birthday, but it's really ok. Part of this process is also not to get discouraged because it's not happening fast enough, or you don't see the results on the scale. I've only lost 10 pounds, but my body is redistributing the fat and muscle as I work at it. My face no longer looks like I swallowed a puffer fish, and my clothes are a lot easier to wear.

So I take the small victories as inspiration, and do some more aerobic dance with my 4 year old.

Here's to health!

Good Trip Hop...

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Good what? It's music...ambient, chill, techno-lounge, acid jazz - it's all the same thing. It's not floor-pounding, earsplitting industrial dance mixes; trip hop is the balm for all the nasty music in your life.

About 10 years ago, I discovered it by researching a tune I had heard on a commercial for...I think it was Dockers. The tune was "Tropicando", by Les Baxter, a tiki lounge composer. (For those who like that stuff, check out Martin Denny - classic!)

Anyway, I realized I had found a new genre of music for myself. I found Thievery Corporation, Nicola Conte, Ursula 1000, Morcheeba, BT, Massive Attack, and a host of other fun bands combining lounge and electronica.

You can look up any of these on Wikipedia - just follow the breadcrumbs and you'll find a shred of beatnik peace. Drink it in.

WooHoo!! I Love This Diet Thing!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Talk about a self-esteem boost...I love the idea that I'm actually taking charge of myself and getting off my butt, and really DOING something instead of just thinking I should.

It's still a long road - I've been the same weight for 3 weeks now, and haven't started that slow steady weight loss yet. But I've been counting calories (and fat, and sodium - holy cow, there's a lot of sodium in almost everything) and exercising...that's right, I've been exercising! Woohoo! And every time I do, I feel just wonderful mentally - I'm really having fun!

Boo-ya!!

Diet Update - Argh...

Monday, March 30, 2009

As you've probably guessed, it's been a slow start. Motivation and willingness notwithstanding, I'm still having some time management issues, and a really bad head cold for the last week and a half. So my beginning is slower than I would have liked. That being said, I'm still motivated. My goal is a size 10 by my birthday in mid-June. (Right now my pants are 14s, and just a hair baggy. My 12s are still too tight.)

So I'm getting off the computer, and going to go exercise while my daughter has her quiet time. :o)

The Diet Bandwagon - For Real This Time

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Here we are again. It's almost spring, and I have visions of bikinis and my "real" clothes fitting me again by the beginning of summer dancing in my head. Every year the same thing. But for whatever reasons, the time escapes me, and suddenly it's August and I've been wearing the same size 12 capris for another 3 months and wishing I had the time and fortitude to have dieted and exercised my spring (and summer) away, to be at least svelt enough to want to wear a Halloween costume that doesn't involve searching for something baggy enough to still look like a decent outfit and still be dressed up.

In a nutshell, I am less than successful. I, according to some informal, online analyses, am an emotional eater. Not a surprise, really. And the more I get stressed about eating, the more I want to eat comfort food. Argh.

All this being said, I have (and am still having) a bit of a wake-up as we speak. I've had some health problems in the past few months that have resulted in my having to take a daily high dose of steroids. The drug effects have been pretty pronounced. I have the typical "moon-face" - in other words, I look like I've gained about 20 pounds in my face alone. I am bloated constantly, making my stomach very round and pregnant-looking. I have high blood pressure for the first time in my life, making fatigue a real issue. And steroids can produce a fatigue anyway - so when I climb the stairs, I not only have a rapid heartbeat when I get to the top, I have to stop and sit down for a few minutes, too.

So my big Come-to-Jesus moment was when I realized that this is what it's like to be obese (without actually gaining more than a few pounds, thank goodness). I am in pain and short of breath, and have no stamina for anything but the smallest tasks. I can't imagine how (and why) anyone would be willing to put up with feeling like this on a regular, daily basis. I'm appalled at my own lack of ability. And so, I've been smacked upside the head with new motivation.

Step One:
Figure out how deep I'm in, with my nasty eating and non-exercise habits. Solution - Food Log and Activity Log. Sounds like a big pain in the butt, huh? It's actually kind of mesmerizing - here's where I've been tracking.
http://caloriecount.about.com
It's free, and it's about as painless as you can get. Everything's in one spot. And you just look up the food or activity and it fills in everything for you, including running tracking reports for different days.

Step Two:
Using tools to figure out my own psychological motivation for eating, and taking a good hard look at myself and making up my mind to do this every time I walk to the cupboard because I think I want to eat something. It's a journey, not a destination.

Step Three:
Substitute, substitute, substitute. Thoreau was right - simplify food choices. Instead of a pre-made lunch with all the sodium and additives, I had a bowl of rice today. Just rice. For dinner, I'm going out, but I'm sticking with protein. Yes, it will be chicken wings, but I'll take it easy on the blue cheese. And this time I'll eat the celery.

Oh, and every time I want to eat, I will drink a glass of water first.

Step Four:
The Big E. Exercise. That's my Everest. There are so many roadblocks that I put up for this one - time, energy, time... And now I have another one - the fatigue related to the medication. So this one may have to wait for me, for the next 2 weeks until I start weaning off of the stuff. But this is another "make the decision every day" issue for me. But you know, Pilates you do laying on the floor, so that's my answer.

I know there will be more steps. But I'm really at that point, finally. I want to feel like I own my own body again, instead of having to wear the same 4 blouses and 2 pairs of pants all the time. I want to look like my skinny friends. I want to look like my old skinny self.

Wish me luck.

Savory, Crispy French Toast; or, Our (Increasingly Finicky) Pre-Schooler's Favorite - and - Fruit Shakes!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Ok Moms, I have a bit of good news. Your toddler who won't eat anything but wheat thins and pickles has an alternative!

Our soon-to-be four year old has really developed that independent streak - she has decided that most of the foods that she once liked are off-limits. And of course it's not that she doesn't like them anymore - she's just being her own girl. Unfortunately, it makes mealtime a hassle every night, when she takes an hour to eat half a grilled cheese sandwich - something that we are constructively working on. (She doesn't actually take an hour any more - if she's longer than 20 minutes, she goes without dessert, which seems to be the current best incentive. Dessert is homemade ice cream, which she helped make.)

So in my quest to figure out exactly what food preferences she's acquiring, I came up with the best French Toast recipe - one that's NOT sweet and covered with powdered sugar or candied fruit, or even maple syrup. So here it is.

Savory, Crispy French Toast (serves 2)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
1/8 tsp garlic salt
butter for frying
4 slices white bread (Wonder works the best - it stays pretty airy)

OK guys, the secret is in the cooking. The idea is to end up with crispy bread, not milk-soaked mush. Speed is essential.
Beat the eggs, milk and garlic salt together, and put the mixture in a flat plasticware bowl. Ready the bread for dipping.
Wait until you have a hot frypan, and a pat of hot butter melted in it. Then dip your first slice of bread, front and back, shake off extra (carefully - I have had airborne raw egg on me recently). Drop it right in the pan, and let it fry for 2 minutes. Flip it, fry the other side - until the egg is all cooked, and starting to turn brown (and crispy!).
Take it out, put more butter in the pan, fry up the rest of the bread one by one.

Our daughter requests this at least once a week (and has started helping me make it). It's full of protein, and I use the fortified Wonder bread with the calcium added. And best of all, it's not full of sugar, which as a mom I'm really learning to appreciate.

Here's another quickie recipe - a busy mom favorite. This is my breakfast at least once a week too.

Fruit Shakes!
1/8 cup crushed ice
1/4 cup orange, apple or grape juice (anything but grapefruit - it's too strong)
2 other kinds of fruit, for example a banana and and a kiwi, raspberries and blueberries, pineapple and papaya - any combination of these
1 cup fruit flavored or vanilla yogurt

Throw them in a blender until everything is, well, blended. Makes about 16-18 ounces, so good for mom and kid to share. This is great for bananas that have been on the counter a few too many days, and those last 4 strawberries that are starting to look mushy. When fruit prices get a bit steep in the winter, I use more of the pre-packaged fruit cups, and put them in there wholesale as one of the servings of fruit.

Let's hear it for kid-friendly food!

Being a Musician is Cool!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Even though I've been a professional musician for (eek!) 25 years (holy cow, really?), I still really enjoy playing music with a bunch of other people who really like doing the same thing.

Ok, here's some background - not on me, but in the current band I'm in, which is going through a re-org phase after losing our 10-year rhythm (acoustic) guitar player. The band is Common Ground (and the website is, as it says, under construction), and, well, ok. So the background is on the front page of the website. But we have an incredibly fun time playing together. And we're booking for 2009, by the way...

All that aside, we really do have a good time. Losing our rhythm player (we miss you, Dave!) has forced us to re-evaluate some of our playlist, and has made us...hmmm...there's no really easy way to explain this. What I mean is that we all change instruments every few songs. I play bass or drums (when our drummer sings) on some, and keyboard on a lot more. Our bass player plays acoustic guitar and harmonica (and recorder, and drums), and our keyboard player (who is also our lead singer) plays regular rhythm guitar as well. It keeps us on our toes.

So, it's cool, and fun, and it's great when we get the groove on. :o)