Food

I'm trying to eat better. And, I do feel wise after drinking tea. After eating vegetables, I just feel hungry. ~Carrie Latet

Overslept this morning -- I knew it was bound to happen as I've been exhausted the past week and eventually my body says, "Okay, enough of this." I woke up at 6:10 which is REALLY late for me. But I do feel a little better today.

DD and I started on Weight Watchers yesterday. I need to drop 15 - 20 lbs, and she could benefit from losing at least 5 (or else holding steady until she grows into what's there). The biggest thing I want her to get out of this is the knowledge of just what is actually IN food (like 16 grams of fat in a tablespoon of peanut butter) and the ability to make wise choices when it comes to meals and snacks.

When I was her age, I was skinny, skinny, skinny. But I also lived on a huge piece of property, had no electricity (ergo no TV, etc) and personal computers hadn't been invented. The only video game was Pong. I actually had to walk a couple miles to the bus stop every day. We had P.E. daily, plus THREE recesses where we played jump rope or dodge ball, etc. I was on track, volleyball and basketball teams. I had a pony to ride. In other words, I was VERY active.

Additionally, we grew or raised much of our own food. My mom cooked nearly everything from scratch, using whole grains for bread products. We had WHOLE oat oatmeal that didn't come from a packet, used goats milk from our goat. I was healthy and it was easy to be that way.

Now? Not so much. It's a different world, and I need to teach her how to live in it in as healthy a way as possible. She doesn't get as much exercise as I'd like, in part due to the fact that I hurt my knee a few weeks ago and have been very restricted in activities, so our walks and bike rides have dwindled.

Still, we'll get there. Despite much grumbling from both of us, we made it through yesterday and hopefully we'll do okay today. DH is home, and he's a junk food junkie, so it makes it tough to be smart when he's around. Here's hoping!

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Wrote just over 500 words again today. The timer is working. I might start using it twice a day instead of just once, since I really need to be getting 1000 words down for the next few days to meet my goal.

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You Are a Giraffe Print

You are a graceful and classy person. You are flexible enough to fit in with any crowd. You are very down to earth and responsible. You always see what's coming, and you are prepared for it. You may not look like the strongest creature in the world, but you are secretly incredibly tough. You have an amazing survival instinct, and your endurance is unmatched. People should never test you!

What Animal Print Are You?

That's about 75% right.

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Saturday Sauntering

Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. ~Ambrose Bierce

DH got up yesterday, looking through the pantry and fridge before settling on ice cream for breakfast.

I said, "Ice cream for breakfast?"

He replied, "Nothing else to eat."

I looked up from my yogurt and strawberries, DD glanced over from where she was cooking eggs and I thought about the three kinds of cold cereal, the oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, pancake mix and loaf of bread for toast or french toast. And then just said, "Huh."

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DH's phone rang at 3:13 a.m. today. Problem at work (as always), and he's still up. So am I. There are days (so many days) I wish we could have him leave his position. I swear, it's slowly sucking away his sanity.

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Did a little writing yesterday. Had fun. I think one of the reasons I typically write stuff that's humorous is because it gives me a chance to giggle. I love thinking, "What's the craziest thing that could happen here?" and then letting my brain run wild.

Hopefully, I'll get this done soon -- it's the new sequel to "Kitchen Matches" (the old one being changed to a completely different story with a new cast of characters), and involves Zach and a cherub... okay, Zack and a wedding planner, but you get the idea.

Am going to try to write more today.

As a side note, every time I write that I'm going to "try" to do anything, I hear Yoda in my brain: "Do. Or do not. There is no try."

*sigh*

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You Are Conventional

You are a pretty average guy or girl next door, and you live a pretty blissful life because of it. You fit in with almost any crowd, and you have a lot of people who you consider to be good friends. You are happy with your life, and it's likely you feel quite blessed. You don't let yourself feel dissatisfied. You have an optimistic attitude that has served you well. By staying positive, you are better off then most people.

The Zebra Test

Hmmm... 50/50

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Tired of the Cold

Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail. ~Proverb

Is it April yet? I have to admit I'm really, really tired of the bitter cold (mostly the wind... the cold, I could deal with, but the wind makes it unbearable). I HATE not being able to go for my walks outside and, what's worse, is that it's really starting to affect my joints -- my legs and hips are really achy. I try walking in circles around the inside of the house, and up and down the stairs, but it just isn't the same.

*sigh*

I swear, if anything ever happened to DH, I'd move to Arizona. Or maybe Hawaii. Aruba?

I am NOT a winter person.

It's showing on the dog, as well. She went in for her annual check-up yesterday and has put on EIGHT pounds. That's sixteen percent of her body weight. That would be like me putting on nearly thirty pounds! She's still not fat, but it's not good. Clearly SHE is also missing our nice long walks we used to take on a daily basis.

:-(

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My birthday lunch yesterday was wonderful. We went for Tex-Mex and I had the portabella mushroom fajitas. Mmmmmmmm.... better, I discovered that if I order the steamed veggies as a side, it's the SAME veggies they use on their veggie fajitas. So yesterday, I mixed it all together, and took half home for dinner :-)

Our lovely server (it was a man... can I call him lovely?) even brought the birthday dessert without singing to me. Yay. DD and I did our best, but ended up leaving half of the brownie ala mode behind.

Today.... the diet begins (for me AND the dog *G*).

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You Should Stay Warm by Bundling Up

You are a rational and logical person. You are good at solving problems. So if you're cold, it makes sense to just put another layer on. You are very practical that way. You are rarely unprepared in life. You would never forget your gloves and hat on a cold day. You're ready for anything that comes your way. By being responsible, you find it easy to relax and enjoy life.

How Should You Stay Warm?

They got all that because I hate winter? Really? It's oddly close... weird.

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Friday Food Thoughts

If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food. ~Sally Edwards

If junk food is the devil, then a sweet orange is as scripture. ~Audrey Foris

Yesterday on Facebook I mentioned that I'd just made food for Dakota. I had a couple folks ask if they could have some, and I commented that DD had eaten some before I pureed it. Now I wonder if there are horrified people thinking I feed my daughter dog food! LOL...

Nope.

Here's what my Dd is eating lately (keep in mind this is for nearly 2 weeks of food):

SPOT'S STEW

17 lbs chicken (or other meat)
1 3/4 c fresh, chopped garlic
7 c peas
7 c carrots
3 1/2 c pumpkin or sweet potatoes
3 1/2 c squash
3 1/2 c green beans
3 1/2 c celery
7 T rosemary
water to cover

I actually cook the meat separately and don't puree it. Sounds pretty good, huh? Smells good, too, which is why DD usually can't keep from eating a little. In the book "The Whole Pet Diet", the author actually suggests that the animal and human have dinner together. Honestly, if I ate Spot's Stew every day, I'm certain I'd be a healthier person.

As a side note: I do add supplements to the finished product -- bone meal, an oil mixture and a canine multi-vitamin/multi-mineral I get from Halo Pets.

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I bought some "ice cream" last week -- a name brand that is a fave in our house. When I got it home, and actually paid attention to the label, I discovered it was not "ice cream"... nope... it was "frozen dairy dessert".

Blech.

No more milk, sugar and flavoring for them... no way, no how. Now we have all kinds of odd things in there and, to be honest, it really put me off. DH is now eating the chocolate brownie frozen dairy dessert because I can't stand the idea of putting it in my mouth.

From now on, I'm sticking to Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream. Notice how it's actually called ICE CREAM?

Do you think my behavior is weird?

It reminds me a little of "cheese food".

It's frightening when you take the time to really pay attention to the labels, isn't it?

::shivers::

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Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible. You are a fairly open minded person with a wide range of tastes. You are quite accepting of unusual ideas and people. You are a natural multitasker. You feel alive when you're doing more than one thing at a time. You can be a big dramatic and over the top sometimes. You are bold in every way

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Some of it yes... some of it no...

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Monday Morning Meme and More!

I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch. ~Gilda Radner



1. Does blogging make you fat? Do you find yourself sitting around and eating more since you started your blog? Or do you get so caught up in the whole blogging routine that you forget to eat?

Let me just make one thing very clear: I never forget to eat. I wish I did now and then, but food and I? We are tight. BFFs.

Now, it's not BLOGGING that makes me sit around on my rapidly increasing rear -- it's the LASR/WC website. Yeppers... that sucker is very labor intensive, and it's all computer based. So, yikes. One of the ladies who is participating in JaNoWriMo can write and walk on her treadmill. I need to figure out how to do something like that!!

2. The one topic I will not touch on my blog is __________. Why? What sorts of topics do you receive the most comments on? What sorts of topics do you receive the least number of comments on?

I don't talk about politics or religion -- too easy to get a flame war going on either of those things. I have very, very strong views on both subjects, but don't feel the need to share them here. And, typically I get most comments on topics of a personal nature (like my post, below, about Dakota passing her Good Citizen class, for instance). Least number? My guest bloggers. I guess it's because my readers don't KNOW the person, so unless something specific really resonates, they don't feel the need to comment.

3. Spring is coming. How is your wardrobe? What sorts of clothes do you usually wear in the spring? Where do you normally shop for your clothes? How successful are you in finding clothes for yourself?

I just bought four new long-sleeved T-shirts at the LL Bean Outlet's President's Day sale -- everything in the store was 30% off (be still my heart). Spring and winter clothing isn't all that different for me... temps here still stay cold until May, when I switch to summer clothes. The only real difference is the jacket I wear when I go outside (no more heavy winter coat, now I'll wear my lined windbreaker or fleece jacket).

I typically try to shop for my clothes at higher end stores, but from the sales rack. The fact is, you really do get what you pay for, and a T-shirt from WalMart is utterly different than a T-shirt from LL Bean. OTOH, the frugal side of me refuses to pay $29 for a T-shirt -- so, I wait, and I watch and I scoop them when they are $8 each (oh, yes I did!). I shop at Macys and Kohls and Lands End, but only from the sales rack. I truthfully don't even LOOK at the full-priced clothing.

Yes, I am cheap frugal and wise.

And, finding clothing for myself is very, very difficult because I really dislike the styles (and have for the last 5-6 years). I don't like tight clothes (and, dear heavens, do normal people look good in those skin tight shirts? The answer, folks, is NO.), and I have long legs and arms and no waist to speak of. So shirts? Finding them not tight with sleeves that actually go down to my wrists? HA. And pants? If they fit in the waist, they're baggy in the butt. If they fit my butt, they're so tight in the waist I can't breathe. And, I'm not even going to talk about the fact that most of them are practically Capri's on me.

Oh. Woe.

4. We should treat every day as a special gift - we’re alive, right? What made this past week special for you? (And if you’ve already talked about that special something on your blog, then think of something else - something little perhaps, but had a big impact on you or your loved ones).

These questions are so hard for me. I'm a naturally negative and depressed person, so it's not instinctive to look at the bright spots. Um... Hey, Dakota passed her Good Citizen test!! And, we didn't lose power last night, despite the fact the lights flickered and we lost our satellite signal. Those are good, right?

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We did get whomped with snow... several inches of the heavy, wet, white stuff. And, yes, our lights flickered a bunch. I was a wreck. I don't know if I'll ever get over losing power for so long during the ice storm in December!

I woke up this a.m. around four and couldn't hear the hum of the fridge. I leaped up and checked the lights. On. Phew.

I don't take electricity for granted ANY MORE.

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Teaching Tact

If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. ~Paul McCartney

Too tired to be coherent today. Why can't I ever seem to sleep in?? Ah well. Spent the day putting in hardwood at my SILs house. It actually went pretty well. I think we're getting quite a rhythm going. We did her living room in a matter of hours. Yay us!

I need to teach DD to be a little more tactful, though. SIL made beef hot dogs for lunch. Um... DD and I don't eat beef -- and what DD said to SIL was, "I don't eat cow." And it became this big issue, with DH getting all upset (partly at me, because obviously my strange eating habits are rubbing off on DD and partly at DD). I half expected someone to sit on DD and stuff a hot dog into her mouth. Okay, not really, but ... sheesh.

Today, I'll sit down with DD and explain that when people serve meat, just don't eat it. Don't raise a fuss. Just eat the things you CAN eat and zip it. That's what I do. If someone notices and asks me, then I'll simply tell them I don't choose to eat a particular food.

My DH's family is one of strict carnivores -- it's all about eating half a cow whenever they get together. They wouldn't understand my choices, so I don't share them (and, no, they don't realize my eating habits yet... amazing since I haven't eaten "cow" for several years now). They usually have a veggie platter or fruit salad out. Cheese and crackers. Something.

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I'll have a short story up on LASR this coming Thursday. It was fun to write, lol. I based it on the song "Buttons and Bows" by Dinah Shore. Don't know that one? Well, here it is:



The local ice cream truck was playing it on the day I was trying to decide what to write. Yes, inspiration can strike in odd places.

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You Are Thanksgiving

You are a bit of a homebody who enjoys being in the company of people you love. It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. You're enjoying life as it is. You have many blessings in your life, and you are grateful for each one. You believe that life is about what you *do* have. You feel like you have enough of the good stuff. What makes you celebrate: Family, friends, and the changing of the seasons. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The host of the party On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Spend so much energy preparing that it's a full time job

What Holiday Are You?

Guest Bloggers Wanted

Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. — Frederick Wilcox

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I'm being "not" interviewed at Writing Wrongs today...LOL. And I'm being interviewed at Me, My Muse and I. Come on by! Leave a comment. Say hi. My daily contest is here.

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I've been toying with the idea of having a guest blogger here once a week -- maybe on Wednesday -- to give me a break from blogging, and to introduce you to some interesting people. What think you? Anyone out there interested in blogging here? I get a decent amount of visitors and you'd get some exposure that you wouldn't usualy get.

The only thing I'd ask is that the post is actually, yanno, about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, I'm not picky, but ... I'd like it to have a specific subject.

Anyone want to jump in before I post this on all my loops? First dibs?

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It snowed yesterday. A lot. GAH. I'm utterly sick of snow. I'm so moving to Hawaii.

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Yesterday on the LASR Yahoo group the Friday Favorite question was "what is a favorite food you eat that other people would find strange"... and I had a terrible time thinking of something. I finally opted for extra sharp cheddar cheese with strawberry jam (Judy says that's not weird, cuz she likes it, too).

What about you? Is there something you love to eat that other people find really strange?

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Today's Random Quiz (I have to admit to being a little apprehensive when I hit the "random quiz" button and it just brings up a little box for my name and no explanation... I'm never sure just what's going to pop up):

What Marianne Means

M is for Mi Amor A is for Adorable R is for Raspberry Lips I is for Igloo Warmer A is for Adorable N is for Nugget N is for Nut Butter E is for Elf

What's Your Pet Name?

Long Arms and Lo Mein

Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well-informed just to be undecided about them." — Laurence J. Peter

I've been looking all season for a new sweater or sweatshirt that fits. This shouldn't be this much of an ordeal. I'm an average sized woman ... or so I thought. The sweaters are all, without exception, body-hugging, show-every-roll, snug. Why do people wear those things? Even slim people look fat in them. And the sweatshirts? Is it possible that I have abnormally long arms? Every woman's sweatshirt I have tried on hits me mid-radius.

Is it too much to ask to find something that fits, that I don't have to buy at a boutique? Yes, boutique clothes do fit me properly, as they should, but a $200 sweatshirt isn't in my budget.

I can (and do) wear men's sweatshirts, because they fit me... but somedays I just really want to look like a girl.

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I made teriyaki veggie noodles for dinner last night. I made a TON, because they're labor intensive (lots of chopping and separate cooking of things), but they're so GOOD. My DD did a little dance of joy when I told her that was what dinner would be.

Do you ever think you'll die if you don't eat a particular thing? I HAD to have teriyaki noodles last night. Had. To. Nothing else would have worked. Once the thought popped into my head, you could have paraded a hundred different dishes in front of me, and I would have refused every one.

Those kind of cravings don't hit me often, but when they do? Look out...

And, no. I'm not pregnant.

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I got my final proof for "One Love For Liv". Nothing like taking it down to the wire. I need to hump it, and get it checked through... but, to be honest, I'm really kind of sick of looking at the story. I've read through it about ten times since I signed the contract. And, while I believe it's a good book, after awhile even good books get a little old. Especially when you're reading for grammar and typos and not for fun.

I also got final edits on "A Change of Heart". I'm ready to put that story to bed, too.

I really need to get humping on something new. Erhm... I mean, I need to finish my mystery. (Really, Jen, that's what I meant!!).

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For those inquiring minds... yes, I will post all of my virtual tour stops. The complete list will be on my website, but I'll post a link to that list here in a sticky note AND I'll let you know, day-by-day where I'm going to be so you can come visit. I don't want to be alone! :-)

I still have some dates available, if you're interested in hosting me. Hint. Hint.

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The Daily Dakota... keeping up with the big kids!



You can't see it, but she has her leash in her mouth. Baily used to do that, too. I wonder why? It's only when they run... odd...

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What Your Dreams Mean...

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Your dreams tend to reflect your insecurities. You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Muh-ha-ha... I am DISTURBED. Actually, I think I'm just a little nuts. Aren't all writers?

Leftover Woes

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. ~Buddy Hackett

So... DH had the audacity to ask me what I was making for dinner yesterday.

HAHAHAHA....

Since we have NO room in the fridge because of the piles of turkey and ten pounds of mashed potatoes, what do you think?

He made himself hot dogs.

*sigh*

I am apparently the only one in my family who does't mind eating the same thing a few times in a row. I love it. I probably wouldn't mind having one or two things for dinner for the rest of my life.

I'm the kind a person who always gets "the usual" when I go out to eat. Going to new restaurants always stymies me.

But now I have to figure out what to do with all the leftovers, because I can't eat them all before they spoil. And, you can't freeze potatoes.

How about you? Are you adventurous when it comes to food, or do you typically stay with the things that work? What are you doing with YOUR leftovers (if you have them)?

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You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

Wordy Wednesday

I finished writing the rough draft of the synopsis for my novella yesterday (It'll be called a "rosebud" if it's accepted at TWRP). I fired it off to Judy and she got right to it (thanks, J) and made some great suggestions, but the one that both mortified me and cracked me up was this: You might want to find some place to indicate when Emily admits to herself that she's in love with Jake.

Well, duh.

I know you're supposed to write a bare bones synopsis, but that may have been taking things a little too far. I'll remedy that today.

Yesterday, it was a little crazy trying to write or check in with my online friends because we had some pretty incredible thunderstorms comes through -- three of them, to be exact, and they were pretty bad. So, off went the computer and in my head I thought of all the stuff I haven't backed up yet. I really need to get in the habit of doing it on a regular basis.

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I loved Melissa's time capsule idea yesterday (how come more of you didn't play -- I know you were here!): I'd stick a Sunday newspaper complete with ads and TV guide, a Barbi or doll, a Pokemon card, a star wars action figure, a magazine probably EW and a fashion one, too, a book (probably one of mine!), fave movie and CD, some pictures and a day in the life of sort of letter.

I especially liked the idea of putting in the two magazines. Pop culture really is a measure of the time.

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In response to my comment about my Breyer horses, Gay mentioned this really cool news: The next Breyer mare is MY HORSE! No, really, I'm not kidding. They used the mare that I ride every day as the model. The United States Equestrian Team is doing a fundraiser series of stallion, mare and foal--and one of the local Olympians' stallions is the stallion. He didn't own a mare, but he knows my mare (who is a girly girl) from the show circuit, so he sent them to my farm. The artist fell in love with her, and used her as the model... and fell in love with a foal of mine, too.

It's in "final production"--they're doing the castings now. I guess it will come out in the next month or two. I can hardly wait.

How cool is that? I may have to start collecting again...

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My mom and I got into a discussion about food yesterday. It seems that Wendys restaurants now offer floats (with the advent of their vanilla frosty). My mom loves root beer floats. I am nauseated by the thought of mixing a milk product with any kind of soda (ala Laverne De Fazio -- anyone remember her favorite drink? Anyone remember HER?). I don't even like creamsicles. Ugh.

Mom fired back: what about what I put in my coffee? Essentially, it's chocolate milk (I use chocolate soy milk instead of cream). She won't even stir her coffee with a spoon that's sat next to a spoon used to stir flavored coffee. She drinks hers strong and black. She thinks I'm weird. I commented that I'd be willing to be that Starbucks most popular cappuccino is their mocha -- look, they even have a special word to describe chocolate and coffee.

What about you? How do you feel about floats and flavored coffee? Are we both weird or just her (LOL)?