I love a Saturday when I don't have anything planned. Tomorrow is such a Saturday, and what will I do to celebrate not having a damn thing to do?
I shall make bread...two kinds, and I will clean my diaster of a house.
I know you are jealous of my jet-set sorta lifestyle, but I'm sure you will get over it.
I am going to make pita bread and regular white bread. Originally I was just going to make one loaf of bread, but Smitten Kitchen posted a dead simple recipe for pita bread, so I must make it. I have a cast iron skillet that would be just perfect for baking the pita bread. I'm pumped, and the house will smell like heaven. The pita recipe says the longer the dough can develop, the better, so I am going to make it tonight and let it do it's thang in the fridge. Tomorrow morning I will start on the loaf, and clean the house when I'm not punching the dough down.
Oh! And an update on how I'm doing in the excercise department. So far, I have been on the dreadmill three times, and I feel pretty good about that. Tonight I will probably skip it, because I will be busy in the kitchen, but I think tomorrow I will hike the 1.6 mile trail around Ellington Agricultural Center, which is just a hop and a skip from my house. The weather is supposed to be very nice, and since I'll be in need of fresh air after inhaling bathroom chemicals, the timing is perfect.
Best wishes for a happy Saturday!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Accountability
Spring is coming, and that means a change in wardrobe is coming too.
2008 was a pretty wonderful year for me in the weight loss department. In February of that year, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and once I started getting my thyroid under control (thanks to a little pill I take every day) and the fact that I had to walk 15 minutes every morning and evening, since I parked far away from where I worked, I lost 3o pounds.
But now that I park just around the corner from work, my activity level has slacked off bigtime.
So getting back to the wardrobe thing, I am now fitting very nicely in my lovely suits that languished in the back of my closet, but I have even lovelier suits, perfect for springtime, that are a size smaller than what I am currently wearing.
Accountability. I know that if I don't set a goal, I will slack off. So here's my goal list for this month.
1. Get on the treadmill at least three times a week, or walk outside in nice weather for at least 1.5 miles.
2. Use the step and step aerobic CD that I have never done since I bought it 4 times this month.
Those are realistic goals. I don't eat really bad, and my alcohol intake is less that usual, so I'm not going to go crazy and get militant about everything.
Last night I got on the treadmill and walked for 1.5 miles, and whilst I was walking, I watched the step aerobic DVD. You do need some semblance of coordination to do even the beginniner's level, but it looked doable. Can I tell you how great I felt after I accomplished my walk? I am looking forward to tonight's walk, and fitting into my pretty clothing once again.
I think I shall do a weekly post to keep myself on track.
2008 was a pretty wonderful year for me in the weight loss department. In February of that year, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and once I started getting my thyroid under control (thanks to a little pill I take every day) and the fact that I had to walk 15 minutes every morning and evening, since I parked far away from where I worked, I lost 3o pounds.
But now that I park just around the corner from work, my activity level has slacked off bigtime.
So getting back to the wardrobe thing, I am now fitting very nicely in my lovely suits that languished in the back of my closet, but I have even lovelier suits, perfect for springtime, that are a size smaller than what I am currently wearing.
Accountability. I know that if I don't set a goal, I will slack off. So here's my goal list for this month.
1. Get on the treadmill at least three times a week, or walk outside in nice weather for at least 1.5 miles.
2. Use the step and step aerobic CD that I have never done since I bought it 4 times this month.
Those are realistic goals. I don't eat really bad, and my alcohol intake is less that usual, so I'm not going to go crazy and get militant about everything.
Last night I got on the treadmill and walked for 1.5 miles, and whilst I was walking, I watched the step aerobic DVD. You do need some semblance of coordination to do even the beginniner's level, but it looked doable. Can I tell you how great I felt after I accomplished my walk? I am looking forward to tonight's walk, and fitting into my pretty clothing once again.
I think I shall do a weekly post to keep myself on track.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Library Book Club
So, I went to my first meeting of the Third Thursday Library Book Club in my hood. I gotta tell you, I was a bit nervous. The book that we read, Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo, was big, and very intense. Not at all like the books that I usually read, but it's good to stretch your brain muscles.
I wondered if what I said would be valid, would these fellow clubbers be super brainiacs, who thought their opinion was THE opinion to have? I walked into the library, clutching the tome, and walked to the conference room.
It was a lovely experience y'all. The group was all ladies, although there are members of the opposite sex. They were all shapes, colors and ages, and had interesting points of view. I was not shy at all. I said what was on my mind, and people listened and commented. It was a great time, and after an hour we were done.
I have the next book that the club is reading, called Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. I think I am really going to dig being a member of the club, because I am going to read things I probably would never have given a second glance, and it is nice to have something that is entirely my own, even though I love the time I spend with my husband.
I wondered if what I said would be valid, would these fellow clubbers be super brainiacs, who thought their opinion was THE opinion to have? I walked into the library, clutching the tome, and walked to the conference room.
It was a lovely experience y'all. The group was all ladies, although there are members of the opposite sex. They were all shapes, colors and ages, and had interesting points of view. I was not shy at all. I said what was on my mind, and people listened and commented. It was a great time, and after an hour we were done.
I have the next book that the club is reading, called Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. I think I am really going to dig being a member of the club, because I am going to read things I probably would never have given a second glance, and it is nice to have something that is entirely my own, even though I love the time I spend with my husband.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Plant Lady
The building I work in has a lot of plants. So, they get a person to come in to water and maintain them. Since I have a black thumb, I think this is wonderful, except for one thing: The plant lady is an incessant talker.
Now I do not mind chatting with someone, but I do mind being chatted to, and she talks "at" people about really boring shit.
For example, she will say "how are you?" A person would say back "fine.....and you?"
And that is the problem. When you say "and you." She launches in to whatever shit she has on her mind, and there is no way to escape, unless the phone rings or you spontaneously vomit into your trashcan.
I am not alone in my opinion of the plant lady. Co-workers will excuse themselves to the bathroom, or pretend to be on the phone. If they are lucky enough to work in an office with the door, some will just lock their doors.
Yesterday I hid in the bathroom. It was wonderful. When I knew she had left, I told my office manager, who then unlocked her door.
I mean really, how do you combat this? I don't want to be mean and say "Hey plant lady, your shit is boring, can you give my plant a drink and move on?"
Now I do not mind chatting with someone, but I do mind being chatted to, and she talks "at" people about really boring shit.
For example, she will say "how are you?" A person would say back "fine.....and you?"
And that is the problem. When you say "and you." She launches in to whatever shit she has on her mind, and there is no way to escape, unless the phone rings or you spontaneously vomit into your trashcan.
I am not alone in my opinion of the plant lady. Co-workers will excuse themselves to the bathroom, or pretend to be on the phone. If they are lucky enough to work in an office with the door, some will just lock their doors.
Yesterday I hid in the bathroom. It was wonderful. When I knew she had left, I told my office manager, who then unlocked her door.
I mean really, how do you combat this? I don't want to be mean and say "Hey plant lady, your shit is boring, can you give my plant a drink and move on?"
Monday, February 2, 2009
Cowboy Caviar
Edit: There is much love for this recipe, according to the many googlers that find my site because of it, so I have created a post of thanks just for you. Follow this link!
So last night I went to a Super Bowl party. Each couple was supposed to bring a dish to share. Since the party was a good thirty minutes away from my house, I really did not want to prepare a hot dish, that would be eaten lukewarm at the party. So, I decided to make a cold recipe.
COWBOY CAVIAR!
You may be asking yourself.....what is this crazy lady talking about? Is there really caviar in there? No friends. I do not know who came up with the name, but it is a wonderful hearty dish. Here is a picture of the dish before it was devoured:
Isn't it lovely? Here is the recipe, courtesy of Recipezaar:
Ingredients
1 (11 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
2-3 roma tomatoes
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 avocados
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic (minced, chopped, whatever)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup garlic red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
Directions
1Mix all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2Mix all veggies together in a large bowl.
3Add dressing and mix together well.
Since roma tomatoes are absolutely pitiful right now, I used canned diced tomatoes that I drained well, and they were delicious. I also used regular red wine vinegar, and added a can of black beans. I let the beans, corn and tomatoes soak in the dressing overnight before I added the other ingredients. It was served with Tostitos scoops, and everyone loved it!
This could also be used as a side dish or as a salsa for fish or chicken. Try it!
So last night I went to a Super Bowl party. Each couple was supposed to bring a dish to share. Since the party was a good thirty minutes away from my house, I really did not want to prepare a hot dish, that would be eaten lukewarm at the party. So, I decided to make a cold recipe.
COWBOY CAVIAR!
You may be asking yourself.....what is this crazy lady talking about? Is there really caviar in there? No friends. I do not know who came up with the name, but it is a wonderful hearty dish. Here is a picture of the dish before it was devoured:
Isn't it lovely? Here is the recipe, courtesy of Recipezaar:
Ingredients
1 (11 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
2-3 roma tomatoes
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 avocados
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic (minced, chopped, whatever)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup garlic red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
Directions
1Mix all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2Mix all veggies together in a large bowl.
3Add dressing and mix together well.
Since roma tomatoes are absolutely pitiful right now, I used canned diced tomatoes that I drained well, and they were delicious. I also used regular red wine vinegar, and added a can of black beans. I let the beans, corn and tomatoes soak in the dressing overnight before I added the other ingredients. It was served with Tostitos scoops, and everyone loved it!
This could also be used as a side dish or as a salsa for fish or chicken. Try it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
25 Ways of Randomness
So I got tagged on Facebook by a friend to list 25 random things about myself. It was hard, but fun, and people had nice things to say about my list. I figured I'd post it here too for your entertainment. Here 'tis.
1. I am left handed.
2. I no longer have my appendix, but do have my tonsils and wisdom teeth.
3. I would really like an apartment on Place Vendome in Paris.
4. I wear my tiara when I clean the house.
5. I miss my grandfather - a lot.
6. I have an irrational fear of kites.
7. Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president. Most of my non-fiction books are about him.
8. I am writing a book, and I think it is rather awesome.
9. I really hate peas, but I'm cool with all the other vegetables.
10. I was almost not here. My great grandmother was supposed to be on the Titanic, but she missed the boat. My grandmother had not been born yet.
11. I can type over 100 words a minute when I'm on a roll.
12. Dear Chicago by Ryan Adams is my favorite song.
13. I have a rainbow slinky on my desk.
14. My heart has been broken once.
15. Taxidermy freaks me out.
16. I am growing my hair long to donate to locks of love.
17. I am giving blood for the first time on Feb. 1 to get over my fear of needles.
18. My favorite soup is tortellini on brodo, but it is impossible to find meat tortellini in Nashville.
19. I think I would clean up if I was a contestant on Jeopardy.
20. I absolutely love living in Nashville.
21. The building I work in has a secret passageway, and a ghost.
22. Mark, my husband, is my very best friend.
23. I go to the downtown library at least three times each week during lunch.
24. My cat, Inky, is 17 years old. She came down here from New York with me.
25. I enjoy cooking, but would rather have a chef!
1. I am left handed.
2. I no longer have my appendix, but do have my tonsils and wisdom teeth.
3. I would really like an apartment on Place Vendome in Paris.
4. I wear my tiara when I clean the house.
5. I miss my grandfather - a lot.
6. I have an irrational fear of kites.
7. Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president. Most of my non-fiction books are about him.
8. I am writing a book, and I think it is rather awesome.
9. I really hate peas, but I'm cool with all the other vegetables.
10. I was almost not here. My great grandmother was supposed to be on the Titanic, but she missed the boat. My grandmother had not been born yet.
11. I can type over 100 words a minute when I'm on a roll.
12. Dear Chicago by Ryan Adams is my favorite song.
13. I have a rainbow slinky on my desk.
14. My heart has been broken once.
15. Taxidermy freaks me out.
16. I am growing my hair long to donate to locks of love.
17. I am giving blood for the first time on Feb. 1 to get over my fear of needles.
18. My favorite soup is tortellini on brodo, but it is impossible to find meat tortellini in Nashville.
19. I think I would clean up if I was a contestant on Jeopardy.
20. I absolutely love living in Nashville.
21. The building I work in has a secret passageway, and a ghost.
22. Mark, my husband, is my very best friend.
23. I go to the downtown library at least three times each week during lunch.
24. My cat, Inky, is 17 years old. She came down here from New York with me.
25. I enjoy cooking, but would rather have a chef!
Monday, January 26, 2009
An attempt to be quasi-social
As I have said before, I am a solitary person by nature. This doesn't mean that I am shy or antisocial or anything. I just tend to prefer being on my own.....except when I don't.
This wanting to strech and find something different in my life has happened before, and I'm sure it has happened to others. For example, when I found out that the main Post Office here in Nashville was going to become a museum, and they wanted docents (fancy word for educated tour guides), I was in the first class for training. I loved it. They taught us fundamentals, and for each exhibit there was education as well, so my mind was swimming with art all the time. I gave tours on Thursday nights - the only night during the week when they were open. There's just something about a museum at night. It's cool.
But anyway I gave that up when I became president of a local business association, that I fondly refer to as the Catty Bitch Associaton. BIG MISTAKE, but a good learning experience.
So I really havent done anything extracurricular and quasi-social since then.
One of my favorite things to do during my lunch break is to walk the short distance to the main branch of the public library. I love the library, and since my taxes pay for the service, I think it should be utilized, and boy do I. So the other day I was thinking about books, and wondered if there might be a book club or something convenient for my schedule. Turns out that my branch library has a club that meets every Third Thursday. Of course, I had missed the most recent class by a few days, so I called the librarian in charge of the club. She told me the title of the book that was chosen (Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo). On Saturday, I went to the library and picked up the book, and met the librarian I had spoken to just the day before.
She seemed like a nice lady. Will the other people be nice? Will they be freaks that smell like cabbage? Will this experience change me in a good way, like my docent and Catty Bitch presidency did? Time will tell.
I predict a follow up post on February 20, the day after the book club meets. Stay tuned.
This wanting to strech and find something different in my life has happened before, and I'm sure it has happened to others. For example, when I found out that the main Post Office here in Nashville was going to become a museum, and they wanted docents (fancy word for educated tour guides), I was in the first class for training. I loved it. They taught us fundamentals, and for each exhibit there was education as well, so my mind was swimming with art all the time. I gave tours on Thursday nights - the only night during the week when they were open. There's just something about a museum at night. It's cool.
But anyway I gave that up when I became president of a local business association, that I fondly refer to as the Catty Bitch Associaton. BIG MISTAKE, but a good learning experience.
So I really havent done anything extracurricular and quasi-social since then.
One of my favorite things to do during my lunch break is to walk the short distance to the main branch of the public library. I love the library, and since my taxes pay for the service, I think it should be utilized, and boy do I. So the other day I was thinking about books, and wondered if there might be a book club or something convenient for my schedule. Turns out that my branch library has a club that meets every Third Thursday. Of course, I had missed the most recent class by a few days, so I called the librarian in charge of the club. She told me the title of the book that was chosen (Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo). On Saturday, I went to the library and picked up the book, and met the librarian I had spoken to just the day before.
She seemed like a nice lady. Will the other people be nice? Will they be freaks that smell like cabbage? Will this experience change me in a good way, like my docent and Catty Bitch presidency did? Time will tell.
I predict a follow up post on February 20, the day after the book club meets. Stay tuned.
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