Renaissance Festival

Heh.  Today's food choices can best be described as excessive.  Not insane, but somewhat out of bounds.  Spinach pie and half an apple dumpling a la mode at the Fest.  I'm happy I didn't see the Fish & Chips vendor or the "Queen's Nuts" until after we ate.  They were opposite each other, so I dubbed it the "Alley of Good Smells." 

Kids had a great time, and we only got rained on a little at the very end.

We got pizza for dinner.  Hand tossed sausage & pepperoni has a lot more calories than thin crust veggie pizza--go figure! 

Week 33

0.63% loss this week.  My floating average over the past four weeks is 1.39% (had a huge loss 9/1, after some post-surgery water gain on 8/25).

This weekend is going to have some challenges for me.  Tomorrow, all of us are meeting a bunch of friends at the Renaissance Festival.  Woo hoo!  Kids have never been, and I've only been once.  I don't even know if Jeff has ever been. I got us some food coupons, because although I'd like to bring some fruit for us, I know we'll want to eat other stuff as well.  I'm pretty sure that there aren't many low cal options there. . . maybe all the walking will balance it out?

On Saturday, we're going to my stepbrother's place for their gigantic annual get together.  It's another potluck, with food I love that I don't typically make.  Less opportunity for walking there.  My strategy is to get one plate of food, with small amounts of the things I love, then find someone to talk to that is away from the food.  Out of sight, out of mind. I hope.

Today's plan: get ahead of the game.  Eat well, drink plenty of water, get a short Free Run on the Wii this morning, and walk during my break tonight.

The Next Step (marginally gross picture alert)

Yesterday, I got my cast off and got a brace.  It isn't nearly as pretty or interesting (it looks like I have carpal tunnel), but I'm glad to have it.

The surgeon said I'm "ahead of the game" and he's hoping I won't need physical therapy.  Whether I will or not will depend on how I do over the next three weeks.  I need to keep doing the "palm up" practice, but I also need to start "knocking on the door."  In other words, flex my wrist back and forth.  So far this isn't difficult--it's impossible.  And it's frustrating when I think I'm bending my wrist, then look down to see that it's still essentially flat. At any rate, I need to have the brace off three times a day, for about 10 or 15 minutes and work on those exercises as much as I can.

The surgeon did tell me that I flat out will not be able to move my wrist front to back as much as before. This morning, I realized that I should have asked why that is. Is it a factor of the plate itself, or just that the muscles & tendons won't be able to get back to that original point?

Now that the cast is off, I have an idea of what my scar will look like.  Really, it's not much.  Yeah, it seriously grossed the kids out last night, but in six months, I doubt it will be noticeable at all.  There was a lot of dry flaky skin that I thought was much more disgusting than the incision itself, and it looked worse from the compression of the brace than anything else.

It has been a little more painful without the cast.  There were a couple times yesterday that my wrist under my thumb gave me a sharp unexpected pain, and it was a little achy at night, but not too bad.  I've been able to ponytail my hair, but not really well, and the hard twisting motion needed for a bun is totally out of the question.  Luckily, I had a friend put it up for me this afternoon.  Since it's getting cut next week (the hair, that is), it hopefully won't be an issue after that.

Old Worries

OK, here's the thing.  Yesterday I wrote about my new goal, new motivation, etc.  What I didn't mention is the old baggage that it all brings up as well.

Pretty soon I'll be back down to the weight I was at when I got married.  I define "pretty soon" as "within the next six months."  I might not be there by date night, or even New Year's Day.  That doesn't bother me.  I know that eventually, I'll get there.

How can I be so confident?  Well, I've done it before, after all. Twice, in fact. Once for the actual wedding and then again about seven years ago. Getting there isn't the problem.  Getting beyond that, or even staying there, has been something I haven't yet been able to do.

I remember last time; I was so happy to get back into my wedding dress.  My stepmom took me shopping and I got quite a few new clothes. I felt really good.  So what happened? I guess I got bored, complacent, whatever.  A big part of me really can't understand how I let my bad habits creep back into my life.

So now, thinking about "wedding weight" makes me think of a finish line.  I get there and woo hoo!  I'm done.  Except NO, I'm really not. There's still ten more pounds to go after that just to get back to "overweight" instead of "obese," and 25 pounds after THAT to get back to where I think I was when I came back from Switzerland.  That still has me solidly in the overweight category, but BMI won't matter much to me once I'm at that point.

The very concept of being done, of "arriving," is a dangerous one anyway.  I need to make this permanent.  So I'm trying to think beyond that magic number, to other types of goals as well.  I'm going to do the 10K CropWalk next May.  I'd like to go for a Warrior Dash next summer. And although I do plan on getting some new clothes this fall, I don't think I'm going to get too many.  I do still have a fair bit in my closet that are like new, and I'd like to keep rewarding myself as I continue.

Back in February, I told my doctor that losing the weight wouldn't really be an issue (I don't think she believed me).  But really, as long as I'm in the groove and have that goal in front of me, it's easy to stay motivated.  It's after I've eaten the carrot that I have problems.  I think I need to find multiple carrots to dangle in front of my nose for the rest of my life.

New Motivation

My birthday is in a few weeks, and yesterday at breakfast (omgyumyumyum), Jeff asked if I had anything in mind for what I'd like.  Yes, there are a few cookbooks I'd like, a yoga mat, clothes would be good, but what I really want is to go see Wicked when it comes here in December.  Tickets for that aren't cheap, so it'll be a Christmas present as well.

(insert Snoopy Happy Dance here)

Wheee, date night!  You know what that means . . . new clothes!  Seriously, I am in need of new clothes.  Although I'm starting to be able to fit back into old clothes from the depths of my closet, most of my stuff is getting way too big and baggy.

One of the features of MyFitnessPal is that after you complete a day's food & exercise diary, it give you a "if every day were like today" message and a weight that you could theoretically reach in five weeks.  I've set up something similar on my own, figuring where I could be based on losing 1% of my current body weight per week. As it turns out, I've been averaging that almost exactly. Not that I usually hit that on the nose, but my floating average is right there.

So where does that put my projected weight for my date night?  At about the same weight I was when I got married.  Not my final goal weight, but a pretty darn good place.  Consider me doubly motivated to get out there and walk For extra accountability, I'll post my percentage lost every Thursday between now and then. And I'll definitely post a picture of whatever I find to wear. :)

Teriyaki

My love for Aldi is well known.  There are somethings, though, that I can't or don't get there.  They don't have Greek yogurt or buttermilk, and the fresh meat case leaves a little to be desired.  So when I go to Meijer (like Saturday), I tend to stock up.  One of the things I got this week was country style bone in pork ribs.  Not the leanest of cuts, but cheap and flavorful.  A marinade amps up the flavor even more.  One of my favorite marinades is teriyaki, which is super easy to throw together and very flexible (yep, another one of those "some of this and that" recipes).

I started backwards by putting the ribs in the zip top bags first.  It's much easier to mix if all the marinade ingredients go in first. I used low sodium soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, and lime juice.  Later, I realized a shot or two of sriracha hot sauce would have been great.  After mixing the marinade together, add the meat (also works great with chicken) and stash in the fridge for at least a few hours.  Either grill (the far preferred method) or broil until cooked through.  I think they took about 20 minutes on the grill last night, but we did them in two shifts. 

Check out the technique here of keeping the coals heaped to the the inside and the ribs around the outside edges. (Jeff, not me.) This was the "second shift," which is why there are only four ribs instead of five.

Obviously, there are a LOT of leftovers.  Some are in another zip bag in the freezer for a later day.  The rest are in the fridge, waiting for me to decide their fate.  Stir fry or fried rice is the obvious choice, and that might indeed be how they end up.  But when I mentioned "BBQ" as an option last night, everyone's face lit up.  So I'll probably throw together some kind of barbecue sauce and maybe some cornbread with a salad.  I know--teriyaki pork leftovers turned into BBQ pork?  The teriyaki flavor doesn't compete here, but really does bring a lot to the party.

Sniff.

Summer's over.  How can I tell?

1. Those cool, refreshing salads I loved for the past three months aren't appealing at all.  All I can think about are warm, hearty soups. Potato, butternut squash, tomato, chicken noodle, lentil, here I come.
2. I bought Greek yogurt yesterday, which was my favorite breakfast/snack for ages.  It's a good thing I didn't get the bigger container, because when I woke up this morning, all I could think was, "Where's the oatmeal?" I need raisins.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Last spring, I was talking with a friend about having sweet potatoes with dinner.  She eagerly asked how I made them.  "Uh, throw them into the oven until they're cooked.  Peel the skins off and eat 'em."  She seemed perplexed.  "No marshmallows?" At Thanksgiving, but otherwise no.  "Brown sugar?"  Sometimes, if I make a mash out of them, but not always. "Maple syrup."  I might give it a try sometime, but generally we just eat 'em naked.  Oh, the kids generally add butter, but they're pretty much flavorful enough for us already.

Since the weather's cooled down, I've been planning to make sweet potato fries, but haven't gotten to it. I read an idea online somewhere to try roasting them with Asian flavors.  So for lunch today, I peeled and cut up a sweet potato.  I mixed up a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, a teaspoon of brown sugar, a clove of garlic, and about a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger. In a pinch, I'm sure I could have used powdered garlic & ginger. I mixed it all together, spread the pieces of sweet potato on my Silpat, sprayed them with cooking spray, and put it all in a 350 degree oven.  After about 20 minutes I tossed them around a little.  Then I decided they weren't cooking fast enough and turned the heat up to 400 degree for another 15 minutes.

I couldn't weigh anything (scale needs a new battery), so the stats are approximate, but it's about 350 calories, 65 carbs, 4 g fat, 13 g protein, and 10 g fiber. 

It turned out pretty good, but there's room for improvement.  The ginger was a little strong, and I'd like to throw in some other flavors, like lime zest or Chinese five spice powder. Also, some additional oil wouldn't hurt, as they were a little dry.

Stay Home Soup

Today, I teach four classes at a homeschool co-op.  That's great, but I not only miss dinner at home, I leave way too early to eat here at home. It's not a solid four hour block, either.  Then take a 45 minute break in the middle for dinner, and there is an hour or two that I don't have class before my last one.

What do I do to kill that time?  I thought about going for a walk. The building is at a church out in the middle of farm country (a corn field is right next to the parking lot), so it's a dirt road. It's been raining lately, and if the road is muddy, it'll be slippery.  I'm a hazard to myself on regular pavement--any more negative conditions rule that option out. I could stay in and read a book. I don't know anyone there well enough to plan on being chatty, so bringing something is a good idea.

What about dinner? The temptation to head to McDonald's is very strong.  Say what you will about their food, but when the fries are fresh and hot, there's nothing better. So I need something tasty enough to counteract the pull of the fries. 

Soup to the rescue!  Yes, really.  Don't be hatin' on soup, y'all.  Warm, hearty and comforting is nothing to sneer at, especially when the weather takes a turn for the "how can it be so bleeping cold when it was 95 degrees a week and a half ago?" That it's quick and easy to make is just gravy, so to speak.

Normally, I would start with two slices of bacon, diced.  But the hassle of dealing with floppy raw meat while in a cast is more than you might think, and today, I can't be bothered. Put 1/4 cup diced onions, 1/4 chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1 cup of diced potatoes, a clove of garlic, and 2 cups of chicken stock in a pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft.  (At this point, I sometimes get fussy and fish out the carrots so they stay chunky, but that's not necessary at all.) Use an immersion blender to smooth things out to your desired consistency. I like it with a little texture, which is why I sometimes keep the carrots out until I'm done with the blender. Today, I was in a hurry, so my soup is rather orange from the carrots, which doesn't bother me. Sometimes I add some milk, but not always.  Check for taste.  Depending on your stock/broth, it might need salt. Black pepper is a must; sometimes hot sauce also makes an appearance.

Stats: 196 calories, 44 carbs, 2 g fat, 8 g protein, 7 g fiber. The protein is a little low, but I'm taking some almonds with me to help round things out. I think I'll throw an apple in, as well.  Works for me!

Misc

I put the leftover chicken stock in the freezer today, thinking we weren't eating it fast enough.  The high tomorrow might hit 61.  Guess what's for dinner?

I managed to put my hair in a pony tail on my own today--this is a bigger deal than it seems.

I need to find a copy of The Shining in German.  I have an ESL student who checked it out of the library and I need to be able to translate some stuff that is over my head.  The first line, for example . . . I hope she finishes it before our class time is up.  At this point, she's only a few pages in and thinks that going to the Overlook is going to be great for the Torrance family.  It was all I could do not to say, "Have you ever even heard of Stephen King?  His whole schtick is things NOT ending well!"  I wonder if reading it in German will make it less scary for me?

The girls started Book Club at the library last night.  The book they got to take home was a graphic novel of Coraline, and all they were talking about (with a friend who rode with us) was how scary it was and everyone they knew got nightmares from it.  I made a point last night of singing Lauren two songs before bed and giving her an extra long back rub, and she seemed to be ok. :)

Stylin'!

So I've got this fluorescent pink cast--pretty eye-catching, but still plain. Can't have that, can we? A friend of mine does fabulous henna tattoos, so yesterday we went over to her house (my girls love playing with her kids, so bonus there) and she took a brown Sharpie to it.  I love it! Boring, begone!

It looks like I don't have any fingers in the picture, but that's just the camera angle.  All is well!

Hair Help

Time for a haircut.  Actually, it's been time for a haircut for quite a while.  It's been at least two years since I got it cut, and it's gotten pretty long, well past my shoulders. It hasn't been this long since I got married, and even that was so I could wear it up/fancy.  Since then, I've had it either very short (when I was pregnant, I kept it super short so I wouldn't have to worry about it while throwing up), or bobbed to around my earlobes.  The bob looks nice (it really works with my hair type, which is very thick and pretty coarse), but I'm so bored with it I could scream.

I need something new, but I have no ideas what would look good but still be easy to deal with.  I am notoriously bad at fussing with my hair, except on the rare occasions that I go super curly.  That takes an hour and a half with a curling iron or hot rollers, so I don't do it very often, but it's Jeff's favorite, so I'd like to have that option at least.

Here's how it looks now: 

The side ponytail is not my first choice of style, but it has two things going for it:  it's off my neck, and I can do it myself. 

I'm guessing I'll need at least some layers, but not a lot.  And I can't stand that whole "pull the hair forward so it lays along the jaw" thing.  I need to be able to get my hair back, although I think I can deal with bangs.  Maybe side swept?

That's the problem--I have no real ideas beyond vague "I like this, I don't like that." I think it might help my stylist (whom I love) if I could come in with a specific idea of what to do.  Cutting my hair takes forever as it is; I don't need to add half an hour of dithering about what she should be doing to that.

So help!  I need suggestions, links, pictures, celebrity 'do examples, anything! I'm ready for "gorgeous" hair agsin instead of just "long" hair.

The Charge

Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. Render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honor all people, love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the presence of His Holy Spirit.

This is my favorite part of our church service.  Not because it's the last part, but because to me, it really embodies what Christianity is all about. 

Today seems the right day to spread it around.  

The Plan

Last week was not well planned regarding dinners.  I'm working a few nights, we have other activities that eat into our day, the kids have school, and we had car issues. I can't control all those things (the car still needs more work), but I can plan good dinners. 

I just got back from a mega shopping trip at Aldi.  I love Aldi.  They don't have everything I want (the natural peanut butter just didn't sell there, so they don't carry it anymore), but the prices are great for most of the basic things I get. I really stocked up today, and got a couple special things I normally don't get, like cinnamon raisin bread, and a huge jar of cashews.

The weather is also a factor in what we'll be eating. It's been cool & rainy, so I'm thinking about soups & more crockpot meals.

Here's the plan:

• Saturday--showers & high of 70; not much going on; miscellaneous leftovers.
• Sunday--scattered storms & high of 72; church picnic for lunch, so something light for dinner, possibly breakfast.
• Monday--sunny & high of 80, aka the best day of the week; I work in the late afternoon/early evening, so dinner will happen without me; burgers & sweet potato fries.
• Tuesday--scattered t-storms & high of 75; our only totally open day of the week (so far); cheese ravioli, salad & garlic bread/focaccia.
• Wednesday--partly cloudy & high of 68; Scouts & I work same as Monday; pot roast with carrots, onions & potatoes in the crockpot.
• Thursday--few showers & high of 62; I work all afternoon & evening; Jeff brings home leftover Mongolian BBQ, so the kids can have whatever. I'm betting it will be soup, either tomato or chicken.
• Friday--partly cloudy & high of 63; I work around lunchtime, but Jeff is home all day; dinner will be beef stew from leftover pot roast
• Saturday--mostly sunny & high of 69; youth group car wash in the afternoon; dinner will be tilapia, but I'm not sure how I'm going to cook it yet.

Killer Soup

Now that I've got all this glorious stock, I need to do something with it. None of us are sick (knock wood), but if we were, I'd make my Killer Chicken Noodle Soup, so named because it will hunt down and annihilate any germs within a three block radius. It's also killer tasty.

No measurements, again.  You need good chicken broth, chopped carrots, onions and celery, lots of black pepper, lots of crushed garlic, cooked chicken meat, and some cooked pasta or rice (egg noodles are my favorite, but I'll throw pretty much any carb I have lying around into the pot.). I saute the veg in a little olive oil, then add the broth.  Bring to a boil and let cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 or 15 minutes. Add the meat and carb and let warm through. Add lots of fresh pepper.  Between that and the garlic, it really warms you up, gets your nose running, and kicks butt on the sickies.  Eat with toasted bread, while wearing cozy socks.

Alternate idea:  I saw a recipe for Sopa de Ajo  (garlic soup) last year and started making that when I felt icky.  That's even simpler:  brown some cubes of bread in olive oil.  Add in the garlic and cook, but don't let it get too brown.  Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil.  Eat.  The obvious beauty here is the simplicity.  It's all about the bread, so use good home made or bakery stuff.  None of that plastic supermarket stuff here! It isn't as hearty as the first example, but it's quicker and just as comforting. I'm thinking that this year, I'll experiment with throwing some fresh spinach in the pot to wilt for just a minute, too.

Trying Again

That chicken has been sitting in my fridge for days; today had to be the day it got cooked, but as usual for this week, I didn't have time to deal with any hassle.  Enter my crockpot.  I chucked it in, tossed some Adobo seasoning on top, and let it go on low for four hours, then keep warm for two more hours.  It was nicely falling off the bone when I got to it.  I took the carcass out, then started tossing the bones back in as I picked the meat off them.  There was already a good bit of liquid in there, and there was no way I was going to dirty another pot.  I also added a couple carrots, stalks of celery, an onion, and enough water to cover it all.  I turned it up to high for a couple hours, and it's on low now.  I'm trying to decide if I want to let it go all night, or get it into Tupperware tonight.  I'll check it before I go to bed and decide then, but my kitchen already smells pretty good..

Edit:  I'm doing it this way from now on. Easy and delicious!

Cookbook Review

I don't buy cookbooks very often. It's just so rare that I find one that has more than half a dozen recipes that look really enticing.  Now that "healthy" is an important criteria, the number tends to be even lower.  I'm more likely to get my recipes on line. 

Our teen neighbor stopped off before heading back to college a few weeks ago, and brought a cookbook she'd gotten on clearance at Borders. I flipped through it, and immediately put it on reserve through the library.  Every time I look through it, I see more things I want to make, so I'm adding it to my wish list.

Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes (over 700 great recipes) isn't without its flaws. It does rely a little more heavily on pre-made ingredients than I generally prefer, but that's the nature of "meals in minutes," and most are things that I can easily sub out with homemade if I want.

The chapter of fish and shellfish recipes is really appealing to me, because I'm still trying to find ways to get us to eat more fish. The Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Pepper Relish is top of my list in that area right now, but there are several I would happily try. From Soups, the Tortellini Basil Soup looks really tasty to me.  It's not like it's complicated (8 ingredients), but it's a combination that I wasn't thinking of before I opened this book. The Desserts chapter looks a little lackluster to me, although Sarah would go bananas for Jasmine Chai Rice Pudding (she made "tropical" banana pancakes for breakfast this morning).

Have I made anything from this book yet?  No, not yet.  My work schedule is taking me out of the house in the evenings more than I'm used to, and I am still limited as to how much I can do.  Example:  I can't peel shrimp, and since that's a job Sarah hates, the shrimp in the freezer is likely to stay there for a while. 

But since I'm planning by owning this book by Christmas at the latest, I'll have lots of opportunities to cook from it, and I'll post results here when I do.

The Update

Good News: I have a fabulous hot pink cast that will come off in just two weeks, because I'm healing quite well. The surgeon was pleased that I could make a fist and said, "Now you have to start doing 'palm up, palm down.'"  Huh?  Just flipping my palm back & forth? How hard can that be?  He smiled and said, "Have you done it?"  No, because I was just told to wiggle my fingers and make a fist if I could.  So I tried, and yeah, that's something I need to work on, because I totally can't do it.

He did say that I'll have less flexibility than my other hand. But it's my left hand.  I had less dexterity in it than the right to begin with, so I'll take what I can get.

And I'm using both hands to type this (albeit not terribly well), so that's another bonus. I'm satisfied with baby steps.

I'm a Sloth

I'm really looking forward going back to the surgeon tomorrow. My stitches are due to come out, and I'll get a hard cast.  I don't know how long I'll have that, but it's a step in the right direction.

I'm also hoping to get the go-ahead to start exercising again  Going to the baseball game last night (omg, what a rout that was--awesome!) was slow. I was frustrated to realize that just two weeks ago, I would have cruised up that ramp. I know it would be unrealistic to expect that level of ease right now, but I was so slow! I'd still like to be able to do the Making Strides walk, but that's only five weeks away, so we'll see.

There is another issue, of course:  even if I could get my sneakers back on my feet, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to tie them.  Yeah, I'm pretty much a three year old these days. :)

The Nature of Splurging

Occasionally, Jeff & I get dinner from Outback.  It can get pricey, so it's definitely a splurge. And although Outback isn't known for its healthy choices, you can get some reasonably low calorie options.  Tonight, for example, we both got a six ounce sirloin with seasonal veggies and a sweet potato.  That's under 700 calories, and there are other choices that are even lower.  And it's tasty, no doubt. 

But it feels a little plain.  It's the kind of thing I could (and do) make at home.  The Alice Springs Chicken, my go-to choice before 2011, clocks in at almost 1200 calories when you include fries.  That's almost a whole day's worth of calories, and no veggies to show for it. Some of the burger/fries choices are even higher. Certainly not the smartest choice, right?

But isn't that the point of a splurge?  To go over the top, to do something you normally wouldn't?  Next time we get Outback, I might not get Alice Springs Chicken, but I will get something special. 

Gotta be true to the splurge.

Taken for Granted

I can drive with my good hand (after a fashion--the turn signals are a little challenging), but if I'm a passenger, I can't buckle my own seat belt.

I can open some jars & bottles if the lids aren't too tight, but a can opener is a no-go.

I can get myself dressed, except for my bra. I did manage to get my earrings back in, but only because they're wires instead of posts, and I almost had to get help there, too.

I can brush my hair, but can't put it up in a bun or ponytail.  This probably drives me crazier than anything else.  I haven't had a hair cut in over two years (got one scheduled for the 20th, and yes, I'll post pictures), and my hair has gotten pretty long.  I don't pay a lot of attention to my hair most of the time.  As long as it's out of my face and off my neck, I'm happy.  When it's loose, it gets hot and annoying. Sarah tries to ponytail it, but she can't get it tight enough and it slides out.  On my way home from the store this afternoon, I almost stopped at a friend's house to have her put it up for me. It's a good thing my appointment isn't for today, because I'd seriously have them shave it all off. 

Cluck

Last week, Sarah went to a sleepover and came home feeling tired. Go figure.  But she kept feeling moderately miserable for a few days, and then Lauren got a runny nose, too.

Time to roast a chicken.

The girls approach roast chicken in different ways.  Lauren goes to town on the bird itself, while Sarah patiently waits for me to turn the carcass into broth, then makes soup for herself. Usually, I follow the Ina Garten roast chicken method, and it's delicious. 

Once the bird is picked clean, I throw the carcass into the biggest pot I have, along with some carrots, onion, celery, peppercorns, salt, and a bay leaf or two.  Cover the whole thing with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few hours (don't forget to skim off any scum that might come to the surface). 

Temperature management is actually the hardest part for me. On the absolute lowest setting, it doesn't bubble at all--too low.  Up just half a click from there, and it bubbles too hard and the broth gets nasty dark bits in it.  I can separate that out, but I'd prefer to avoid it altogether. I generally end up doing the temperature dance, turning it repeatedly up and down.  A while ago, I heard an idea that chicken stock could be made in the slow cooker. That sounded like a brilliant idea, so I tried it.  It didn't overcook, but it never got really rich and delicious, either, even though I let it cook forever.  Disappointing.

Once it's done, strain it and put it in containers to be refrigerated or frozen.

As it turns out, the chicken is still in the refrigerator.  The girls both feel better, and it's 96 degrees here today.  No way I'm heating up the kitchen.  It's supposed to rain this weekend, though (boo!), and be downright chilly Monday, so I'll do it then.

History

We're continuing with Story of the World for history.  This year, we're at volume 3:  Early Modern Times. I'm also getting the test booklet, but I'm borrowing the activity book from the library so we don't have to kick out the extra $21.  Sarah will supplement that with corresponding entries from the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia.  Both girls will also read plenty of fiction from this era, though I don't have a specific list made up yet.

Music

I haven't been thinking about music much lately.  My iPod lies untouched, forlorn on my nightstand.  The truly ironic part of this is that a scant few days before my grand jeté, my mom sent me an iTunes card.  When I told her at the beginning of the month that I was going to reward my 100 miles in August with 10 new songs, she thought that was pretty skimpy.  So now I have $25 to spend. 

The 20 songs at the top of  my list are (sorry no YouTube links, but typing one handed is a drag--I'm glad I'm managing to post anything at all):

1. I'm Every Woman (Whitney Houston)
2. Groove is in the Heart--Dee Lite
3. Pleasant Valley Sunday--Monkees
4. Billy Idol Cradle of Love
5. Pink Floyd - One of These Days
6. Go-Go's We Got the Beat
7. Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter
8. Adele Rolling in the Deep
9. Barry Manilow Miracle
10. Hawaiian Roller Coaster
11. Flogging Molly - Devil's Dance Floor
12. The Killers Somebody Told Me
13. Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
14. Adam and the Ants - Goody Two Shoes
15. Romantics - What I like about you
16. Erasure Oh L'amour
17. Information Society I want to know what you're thinking
18. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
19. Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
20. The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga

I said that I would get the songs when I hit 100 miles.  Now I think I'll get them to celebrate my first walk "after."

August Stats, September Goals

Total exercise time
August goal: 40 hours
August results:  26.4 hours

Average daily time
August goal: 75 minutes
August results:  75.4 minutes

Number of days exercising
August goal: 31
August results:  21

Number of days walking
August goal: 26
August results:  20

Total distance walked
August goal: 100 miles
August results:  76.5 miles

 OK, wait a minute.  August isn't over yet, and I don't see anything about September up there. What gives?

As far as my exercise goes, August ended before 8AM on the 21st.  I haven't done anything since then, and don't plan to today or tomorrow.  As for September, I'm not setting any specific goals, at least not yet. I'm pretty much waiting to talk to the surgeon and see what he says.

My hope is that he'll give me a green light to start walking again, although I'm certain I'll be much slower and do shorter distances than before.  It will take a while to get back to that point.

I do have to confess, the thought of walking again does make me a little nervous. I fell, hard, two times in less than two months!  What is my problem? 

As for how I did in August, I'm quite satisfied with my progress. As for September, I will get going again.  This has slowed me down, but it will not stop me.

Geography

I'm taking an easy out with Geography this year.  I heard about National Geographic's Geography Bee and saw their website with study materials.  Works for me!  I'm hoping we can get enough local kids interested to have a Bee of our own, but if not, this is still a worthwhile area of study.

Sorry for the wimpy post.  I'm still not sleeping well, but the pain has diminished enough so that I keep forgetting to take more Percoset.  That's a good sign, right?

Szechuan Green Beans with Pork

I made Szechuan Green Beans with Pork last night.  It's the type of recipe I've been looking for--one that uses less meat. Half a pound of ground meat for four servings is pretty good. I cooked up the whole pound of pork and stashed the rest in the fridge.

I'm going to make it again tonight, with some tweaks.  When I made it last night, it tasted a little starchy, so I juiced half a lime into it, which was nice and zesty.  I'll probably also add some mushrooms and red bell peppers that need to get used up. Scallions would be good, too, but I don't think I have any.

Usually, when I make some Asian type dish, I have egg rolls with it, but I've been trying to find something that won't tack 200 calories right on the top. I saw Ellie Krieger brushing wonton wrappers with oil and baking them and thought that looked promising.

The first time I tried it, I sprayed them with cooking spray and put them in the oven.  Note:  they go from raw to burned quickly, so don't leave them unattended! They came out crunchy but utterly flavorless.  I wasn't too upset, because I was crumbling them over something very flavorful, and figured I was on the right track.

The second time, I was in the mood for a snack.  I cut them into strips, sprayed, and mixed with cinnamon sugar.  Again, they almost burned.  Seriously, these things are like the sea--don't turn your back on them! More flavor this time, but still lacking  punch.

Last night, I left them whole, sprayed, sprinkled with garlic powder, and barely left the kitchen. There we go! I told the kids they were Chinese croutons, and they loved them. They were still a little dull, but nothing a tiny splash of soy sauce wouldn't cure.

I think the real trick here is to cook up a whole package at once and keep them in an airtight container. I'd still like to find a way to make the cinnamon work. They're little blank canvases, very versatile. Not that they'll ever take the place of chips or cookies, but if I'm looking for something to mindlessly munch, these are only 80 calories for four. Hmmmm . . .  maybe cocoa powder . . .

Too Soon?

Obviously, my exercise for the past week has been nonexistent (other than wiggling my fingers, trying to make a fist, and typing one-handed). I'm OK with that.  For now, anyway. Eventually, I'll want and need to get back to it. I already miss walking, although the thought of it does kind of make me shudder a little, as well.  

I've found something I'd like to do, if I can:  the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.   It's almost two months away.  I don't know when I'll be able to start really walking again--my hand still has quite a bit of swelling, though my fingers aren't nearly as sausage-like as they were two days ago.  But surely I'll be ready in three more weeks?  That would give me a month to get ready.  It's only five miles on level ground. 

The obvious answer is, "ask the surgeon at your follow up appointment in a week and a half." I'm really hoping he gives me the all clear.

Recipe Reviews

Yesterday, Sarah made Ellie Krieger's Double Chocolate Pudding Pie. I didn't realize that we're out of vanilla extract, which really disappointed her when I said she couldn't make it after all. I relented when I remembered that we did have almond extract.  She made the entire thing herself, with very little supervision from me. It turned out well, although a little rich and sweet for me. 

Also, she had trouble getting clean slices out of the pie plate. I frequently have the same issue with graham cracker crusts, and I've come up with what I think is a reasonable solution. Dish the pudding filling into individual serving vessels and chill until set.  Right before serving, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the top.  Add whipped cream as desired.  This eliminated a messy or soggy crust, and has the added bonus of saving a few extra calories from not needing butter when making the crust.

Worth making again?  Yes--she said it was pretty easy, and I think it would be even better with the modifications.

I made hamburger buns, to be used for leftover pulled pork and sloppy joes that Sarah also made. The girls really liked them. The dough was very sticky and hard to get out of the bowl, especially because I forgot to spray it with cooking spray while it rose.  They were pretty easy to shape, even with only one hand.  They tasted fine, although slightly dense and not as large as I usually think of hamburger buns as being. They were quite similar to a dinner roll recipe I've had a long time. 

Worth making again?  Maybe--they were quick and easy, and if I could shape them to be a little flatter with greater diameter and use less sugar, it's worth a go. 

Not exactly what I had in mind

I was right, but not in the way I expected.  I know I haven't been eating right, and I obviously haven't gotten much exercise, but I wonder how much this splint weighs?  Certainly less than the 2 1/2 pounds I gained since last Thursday.  A few pounds gain is kind of the least of my concerns now anyway.  I've got reasonably healthy food planned out for the day.  Exercise is still a no go.  Also, I'm down to taking meds every five hours instead of four, which is more important to me at this point.

All in all, I'm in about as good a place as I can expect right now.

The Details

When we got to the hospital, I was in OR prep just as the Tylenol was wearing off, and I was pretty eager to get something.  They said that the hope was that I could get sedation and a nerve block and wouldn't need general anesthetic. That made me nervous, because to find the right nerve, my arm would be twitching, and any movement was pretty painful.  They said that I'd have a local first, and shouldn't feel anything.

Wow, were they right! I was dozing in & out, and the next thing I knew, my arm didn't hurt.  At all.  I also couldn't move it at all, of course, but it was the best I'd felt since I fell.  After that, I went back to surgery.  When I woke up in recovery, they said everything had gone well, and my arm was back in a soft splint again.  It really didn't look any different. 

Then Jeff came back.  He'd talked to the surgeon, who told him it went well and gave him new x-rays.  "You're like the Terminator!" he (Jeff, not the surgeon) said. 

We headed home fairly soon after.  The nerve block still hadn't worn off, so my arm was totally dead weight, which was very strange.  It was like some mannequin arm, just hanging off my body.  But it didn't hurt at all--in fact, I felt pretty good. When we got home, I made some phone calls and Jeff picked up dinner.

A few hours later, my fingers felt like they were falling asleep, which was another strange sensation.  Jeff said the block was probably starting to wear off, so I should take a Percoset right away.  The bottle said to take 1 or 2, every 4 to 6 hours.  I decided to start with one.  BIG mistake. 

Within two and a half hours, all I could do was stare at the clock, willing it to move faster.  By the time four hours were up, I couldn't take two more fast enough. Two was enough to keep things manageable for four more hours.  That was 2AM, and luckily Jeff had the foresight to make sure the lid wasn't fully on the bottle, so I could manage it on my own.  Two more, which held me until 6:30 this morning. 

So the pain is tolerable, though still fairly miserable.  The kids are still up at Jeff's parents, and I plan to do as little as possible for as long as possible. :)

It Could Be Worse

I know; it's a cliche.  That doesn't make it any less true.

1. It's my left hand.  There are a lot of things I can't do right now, but I can still sign my name.
2. The injury itself, though bad, really could have been worse. At one point yesterday, the surgeon wanted to see my palm.  I said, "it's a little red, but I think it's just road rash."  He replied, "I just want to make sure there aren't any bones poking through the skin."  "Oh.  Oh . . . OK, then." (shudder).
3. I have a great support network.  Jeff has of course been wonderful, his parents are watching the kids today, and a great friend is taking the tomatoes off my hands.  I can't imagine having to go through this on my own.
4. In half an hour, I can take more Tylenol 3.  I think I'm going to take two this time instead of just one.

Edited to add:  I realize today (Thursday) how glad I am I took my wedding ring off Monday morning.  My hand is so swollen, I think they would have had to cut it off me before the surgery.

I Don't Like Walking Anymore

I had a really productive day planned. I was going to blanch and freeze a bunch of tomatoes and corn and green beans I got yesterday. I was going to make hamburgers & homemade buns for dinner. I was going to get mulch from Home Depot and spread it around the plants we put in the other day. I was going to do laundry and make a bunch of phone calls.

But before I could do any of those things, I had to go for a walk. I didn't walk yesterday, and didn't want to miss two days in a row. So I set off after 7. It was a nice morning, brisk enough to make me wonder if my old sweatpants would fit me by next month, because it'll be really cool in the mornings then.

When I got to the bigger cross street, I did the usual blacktop foxtrot--step out to see if cars are coming, step back when you see that there are, dart across when it's clear. I was looking for cars; I wasn't looking for road debris, so I didn't see the loop of wire. I didn't see that until after I caught a shoe in it. Not until after I fell, in other words.

So I fell. Again. I skinned the opposite knee this time, so at least now I look kind of symmetrical. I put my hands out to break my fall, of course. (Later, Jeff said, "You have to stop doing that." "What am I supposed to do--lead with my face?" "Tuck and roll, baby.")

I scooted back to the curb, but couldn't get up right away. A lady stopped her car to see if she could help, but I said I'd be fine in a minute, and didn't need a ride the three blocks home. I got up after a minute, and started back. I was slow, but my legs & feet were fine, so it shouldn't be a problem, I thought.

By the time I'd gone a block, I was sobbing. It really hurt, and I was starting quite the pity party for myself. I got home and luckily Jeff hadn't left for work. As soon as he saw me, he called in to work and drove me out to the doc. On the way there, he said he's going to get me a hamster ball, so I can exercise without injuring myself.

Doc sent me for x-rays, and I was really hoping for nothing worse than a sprain. I hadn't heard a pop or felt that tell-tale burning feeling that signifies a broken bone. When she came back, she said that not only was it broken, it looked like a compression fracture, and she couldn't touch it because it might need surgery. She had set me up an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.

When I saw him, I got one more x-ray, and he confirmed that surgery was necessary. I broke my radius right in the middle of the joint. He'll put a plate and screws in, because if he were to just cast it, that piece of bone could be pulled lower and lower by tendons, and I'd end up with a substantial loss of motion. As it is, there is a good chance I'll have some loss of motion anyway, but hopefully nothing too drastic.

I'm scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and they're hoping to do a block instead of general anesthesia, so I'd be home that evening, but depending on how things go, I might have to stay overnight for observation.

Right now, it's wrapped & immobilized pretty well, so it only hurts when move my fingers. Guess what I'm supposed to do as frequently as possible? Move my fingers, of course. Jeff is going out to pick up dinner and my Tylenol 3 soon, though, so that will help. I'm sleeping in the recliner tonight so I can keep it as elevated as possible.

No song today. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" could be amusing, but it could also be tacky, and I don't have the energy to find the link on YouTube.

Home Ec

Both girls like to cook and sew, so making that a part of lessons wasn't a tough choice.

They're going to alternate weeks. So one week, Sarah will have a night where she cooks dinner, and Lauren will have a sewing project. The following week, they'll switch.

Planned sewing projects:

• Heated Cuddle Buddy - we all love those microwaveable heating pads in the winter; this particular variation is a little more challenging because of all the curves, but the cuteness factor kicks it up
  

• Scrap Swaddle Blanket - probably the most basic of blankets, and they've both already made something similar
  

• Hobo Sack - cute basic backpack
  

• Lunch Bag - we do already have a few lunch bags of this style, and Sarah would die for a tiffin, but it never hurts to have extras, and being able to choose your own fabric and embellishments is always a plus.
  

• Winter Fleece Hat - cute and useful, and I might make one for myself!
  

• Travel Tissue Holder - definitely the easiest and fastest project

• Pajama pants - we'll buy a pattern for this

Not all of the projects will be for them to necessarily keep. I'll especially encourage them to donate the blankets they make.

The cooking aspect is that they're allowed to cook whatever they want, but it has to be something I can do (so when Lauren announced she wanted to do sushi for her first week, I suggested spring rolls instead), and they have to understand the nutrition aspects--Sarah's first week request is biscuits & gravy, so that should be a very interesting lesson!

Song I had no idea Sarah likes, but that I heartily approve of: Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll."

Delicious!

This afternoon, the girls and I went to the hair cutting ceremony of a friend's son. It was very cool and very interesting. Afterwards, there was plenty of delicious Indian food! Here's what my plate looked like.
I have not the tiniest idea how many calories are on that plate, but I know it's A LOT. And I don't regret any of them. It was nice to go be able to celebrate with friends as an occasional splurge.

Ah, there's that word. No, not "splurge." "Occasional." Just how often is "occasional?"

Tomorrow, we're going to my brother-in-law's house for my mother-in-law's birthday, where we will have pizza and who knows what else.

In early September, our church has its Back to School Picnic potluck.

In later September, we'll go to my stepbrother's house for his big potluck bash.

There will be a lot of good food at all these occasions. How do I plan to deal with them?

Plan? I should have a plan? Well, I guess I could make sure I take something healthy and tasty to the potluck events and only sample one or two other things that I know I really like (avoid hot dogs, because they usually aren't worth the calories). That sounds like a good plan. We'll see how well I can stick to it.

Experimental Dinner

I like trying new recipes. I don't usually try four new recipes at one crack, but these all looked good and reasonably easy.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Cuban Style Black Beans
Chipotle's "Skinny" Cilantro Lime Rice
Corn Salsa with Lime

They were all good, and reasonably easy, but after a day of hacking up plants, just breathing was an effort.

I also let the kids each get a bottle of Mexican soda, which they loved. I still have most of a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce--I think I can get Jeff to take some in with leftovers for lunch next week, but I don't know what to do with the rest of them. There is a TON of meat left, and a fair bit of everything else. I will definitely make this meal again sometime, and I was reminded of how easy pork roast in the slow cooker is. That's going to show up a lot more frequently this fall, especially if I can come up with some good flavor combinations.

So far, I really like Gina's Skinny Recipes. There are new posts pretty much every day, and many of the recipes look very appealing. It's one of the few websites I'm still bothering to check daily. I still love Pioneer Woman, but I can't cook that way as often right now.

Zombie Day

Too tired for much today--been pulling out plants and planting. Um, gardening, right? Not for wusses.

More on the horizon, especially my musings on wonton wrappers and upcoming opportunities to overeat.

Uhhhhh . . . song I heard on the radio that is bouncier than I remember: Katrina and the Waves "Walking on Sunshine."

Psyching Myself Out

At my weekly weigh ins, I haven't has a substantial weight gain in almost two months. I did have a two week plateau (with a minimal gain), but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm looking at my weekly weight loss graph and noticing that I've never gone more than five weeks without a substantial gain (over 2.5 pounds) or at least a plateau. I've had really substantial losses the past five weeks. So am I now jinxed? Am I doomed to have a big gain this week?

No, of course not. But I do know that my weight loss will not be steady and consistent. That's ok, because a slow or rough patch is not going to derail me. I know what I need to do, and even if I don't do it 100%, 24/7.

It's hard sometimes, of course. I have another chart that predicts what my weight could be going forward, if I lose between .75% and 1.5% of my current body weight per week. What? I like charts. Shut up. So when I do gain, and have to adjust those numbers, it's annoying.

So although I hope I maintain my losing streak (that's kind of a weird way of thinking about it, isn't it?), even if I do have a gain next week, I know I'll keep pushing through and eventually I'll get there.

Songs I can't believe I forgot about that will really get me moving when I walk: Chains of Love, Oh L'amour, and A Little Respect, all by Erasure, of course.

English

For English, we're starting with reading lists from Mensa for Kids. I'm letting both girls start with the level below where they currently are. That means the K - 3 level for Lauren and the 4 - 6 level for Sarah. Some of the books are really easy for them (i.e. Harry the Dirty Dog for Lauren and Pippi Longstocking for Sarah), but I'm ok with that at this point. Some of the books in those levels are more rigorous, like the original Pinocchio (Lauren) and Swiss Family Robinson (Sarah). All the books are worth reading, and we'll get to the next level soon enough.

For the ones that I know will be super easy for them, I'm getting them out of the library now and letting them blitz through them before school officially starts for them in September. If there's a BookAdventure quiz, they do it. If not, I know that they read it, and that's enough. Some of the books will be the basis of additional exercises in the fall. I spent quite a bit of time over the weekend, finding links to lessons for Anne of Green Gables, Black Beauty, My Side of the Mountain, Freckle Juice, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and Charlotte's Web, to name a few.

Some of the books, especially the ones that have more archaic language, are really best for listening instead of reading. Lauren listened to Pinnocchio yesterday and really liked it, which I doubt would have been the case if she'd had to read it herself.

As for spelling & grammar, we'll do those as well, but I don't have a specific plan yet.

I also want to start reading out loud again in the evenings, but don't know what to start with yet. I'm really leaning toward The Hobbit . . .

Bacon Spinach Crustless Quiche

(waving hello to the Eat at Home folks!)
Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 onion
• 4 cups spinach, no stems, chopped (can use frozen instead, but get the water out after thawing)
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (I threw this in because I had it in the fridge and wanted to use it up)
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup self rising flour
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican mix, whatever)
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cut up and fry bacon. Remove from pan. Fry onions in leftover fat. When onions are cooked, add spinach and slap a lid on. Let cook until wilted. Add zucchini and let cook about another five minutes, until the pan is pretty dry. Let cool a few minutes.

Beat eggs & egg whites. Add milk, flour, and shredded cheese. Add bacon and onion/veg mixture. Mix well. Pour into a pie plate that's been sprayed with baking spray. Top with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour.

The thing I like best about this recipe is its flexibility. You could use diced red pepper, broccoli, scallions, pretty much whatever veg you want instead of spinach & zucchini, so long as the moisture is cooked out (I made a point of squeezing all the water I could from the zucchini, which had been grated the day before). You could even use cooked diced or shredded potatoes if you wanted to stretch it into more of a budget meal. And I guess you could use cooked ground beef or chopped up leftover ham if you wanted a change from bacon, though who could ever want a change from bacon, I don't know.

8 servings calories 146 carbs 10 fat 7 protein 11 fiber 1 sodium 374

(nutritional information calculated at www.myfitnesspal.com

Sarah & I gave it an A, Jeff & Lauren a B. I'm eating the last two pieces for breakfast as soon as I get back from my walk!

Song that makes me laugh because it's ridiculous to me: Heartbreaker by Taio Cruze. Seriously, he sounds like he's about 14, and hearing "I'm going to break your heart," makes me roll my eyes so hard I almost run off the road . . .

Anyone Get the Number of That Truck?

Wow. I haven't had a mindless food oblivion weekend like that in quite a while. It's kind of disheartening to realize that I really can fall back into old bad habits so easily. I didn't think about portions or nutrition at all, ate late at night, ate high calorie/high fat/high sodium food (just checked and yep, there's no way my ring is coming off this morning).

Alright, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a new day. What am I going to do TODAY? The first thing I need to do is go out for a walk. I let the bugs keep me in the house yesterday, and I still got a mosquito bite on my stomach. Looking out the window this morning, I saw another one, buzzing around, so I know they're still out there, waiting. Remember the mosquitoes in Jumanji? Yeah, that's what I'm imagining.

If I don't go for a walk this morning, what can I do instead? I can do the Wii, which is so much less appealing. Well, it's more appealing than getting a gazillion bug bites, so maybe it isn't so bad after all. Maybe we'll walk up to the library this afternoon.

Other things I will do: plan my meals and STICK TO THEM. I will have my tasty lunch. I will make my quiche for dinner. I will drink at least eight glasses of water and get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. And I will (sigh) stop beating myself up for reacting badly to a miserable day. It's over, but only if I break out of this miserable attitude.

Song I'm hoping to hear today: Cher's "Believe."

8:30 AM Edit: I was all set to make my breakfast and get whatever exercise I could later in the day, when I noticed out the kitchen window that there appeared to be a nice breeze going. "A breeze? Bugs don't do well in wind. Wait a minute. BUGS? I'm going to let BUGS STOP ME?" I was so annoyed by the very thought, that I put my shoes on and went out the door. I only did the short/mile & a half walk, but I did keep up a good pace, even jogging for some of it, and came back in 26 minutes. So there! Bugs, bah.

And yes, I did hear Cher. :)

Math

In the past, I've gotten Spectrum Math workbooks for both girls. I don't know why I bothered after the first one, because I really don't feel that they work for us. Topics are introduced, you get one page of practice per concept, then a quiz. No more is said about it until unit tests. As far as I'm concerned, math is something that needs frequent practice and repetition, at least for my kids.

Enter Saxon Math. Saxon is "based on the teaching principles of incremental development, continual practice and review, and cumulative assessment." I like the way the lessons are presented, too. Saxon is certainly more expensive, but I feel that it's worth it. And it's no great shakes as far as manipulatives go, at least not that I've seen. There are other programs that lean more in that direction, but for solid math skills, Saxon is the way to go for us.

Dated song that is still really great for walking: Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation."

Planning

My thoughts on this morning's walk were considerably more . . . um . . . focused, shall we say, than yesterday.

It's the middle of August. School is going to start for us the day after Labor Day. So what is the school year going to look like for us this year?

For one thing, I'm trying to limit our outside activities. That means no co-op, at least this semester. I find that when we're running around all the time, work at home tends to fall by the wayside. They'll still have Scouts, Girls' Club, Book Club at the library, and lots of other fun stuff. (Un)fortunately, I don't think I'll be working much in the foreseeable future.

Subjects are going to include: Math, Science, History, Geography, Spelling, German, English (Lit, Comp & Grammar), Cooking/Nutrition, PE, Sewing, and Art.

Obviously, some subjects will be studied more frequently than others. Math, Spelling and PE will be every day. Cooking and Sewing will be no more than once a week (in fact, we might alternate those: one week, Sarah plans and cooks dinner, and Lauren sews something, and the next week they switch). The others will be a few times a week.

I plan to go back to my "checklist" method of keeping track of things. At the beginning of the week, they each get a list of subjects with a number of check boxes by each one, representing the number of lessons they need to get through. They pick which boxes to do every day and highlight them. They check them off as completed. They get some measure of control over what they're doing, but still have responsibility to get it done.

Through the rest of the month, I'll write more specifically about what we'll do for each subject.

Song I've most recently added to my "want" list: Coldplay's "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall."

stream of consciousness

7:29AM
stupid blister really hurts . . . hope the bandaid didn't come off when I put my shoe on . . . I'm walking so unevenly; swing those arms, get a good stride going! . . . I don't want to do the whole loop this morning . . . maybe I'll just stay in this part of the neighborhood . . . I'm already ahead of schedule for how far I've gone . . . come on, stop thinking about it and just do it! cross that street! . . . should I add flour to the spinach pie for dinner? It'll be less like a quiche then, and more calories . . . I hope that spinach is still good . . . when I get back I need to get zucchini bread going right away so it has time to cook before we go see Dad . . . absolutely nobody knows me better . . . it's a good thing there aren't any side streets here, because I would so cut this short today . . . what's that truck doing there? great, now I have to walk in the middle of the street . . . there's four trucks--what are they doing? . . . reach up, smack that stop sign! . . . gah, the sun is up too high! ah, there's some shade . . . what am I going to blog about today? hm, if I just do all this rambling garbage that runs through my head, it doesn't have to be coherent or even make sense . . . someone's walking toward me--oh, I recognize her . . . (smile) "Morning." . . . what's that smell? oh, someone got their driveway tarred--yuck . . . I wonder if I'll see a deer again . . . say Hey I be gone today But I be back around the way . . . the light's red; no whammies, no whammies, STOP! . . . nope, didn't work, but there aren't any cars coming . . . ugh, feels like I have zombie legs this morning!. . . maybe I'll take tomorrow off; nope, I said I'd walk every day of August . . . why would I make such a stupid goal? . . . one more block . . . maybe I should do a little running? NO . . . get the keys out . . . ahhhhhhhh
8:34AM
That's not exactly what goes through my head every morning when I walk, but it's pretty close to today. Also, I'd never seen that Sugarland video before (who am I kidding--I haven't seen videos for most of the recent songs I hear), and it's hilarious! The lime green station wagon with the fake wood paneling is what really elevates it.

When Bad News is Good News

Last spring, I agreed to teach a "Travel to Germany & Poland" class for a local homeschool co-op. At the time, I was really desperate to get as many classes in as possible, because this co-op is a good 45 minute drive in each direction, and if I only have one class, I'm pretty much just paying for gas. Not a winning proposition.

So this sounded really good. A chance to use some more of my German, and to actually get to go to Europe! Wooo! But even then, there was a little voice in the back of my head, whispering, "this is going to be a LOT of work, and you'll need to raise a LOT of money."

By last week, I had gotten to the point where I was dreading the very thought of that class. What was I thinking? The fundraising aspect alone would double the amount of work involved, which would certainly mean MORE driving.

So when the middle school coordinator called the other day to say that unfortunately, some of the kids had scheduling conflicts and had to drop, and did I still want to teach it with just two kids, I was able to honestly say that I didn't think it would work out. I really feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Yes, I still have a lot of prep to do to get ready for September, but knowing that I don't have to deal with planning and finding funding for a group of teens to go to Europe makes things much easier.

In this case, the payoff of losing something is much smaller than what's gained.

Song on my iPod that I skip more than any other: Taylor Swift's "Story of Us". (added it on someone's recommendation)

The Carrot

Veggie soup is delicious, healthy, easy to make, and cheap. It's also not very exciting. Whenever I make something that I know the rest of the family won't get too excited about, I make something else to go with it that I know they really love as incentive. A carrot, if you will.

I made a version of vegetable soup tonight based on an Alton Brown recipe. I couldn't get green beans, and once I saw how much food was in the pot, I left the tomatoes out. I added some broccoli, too. It was tasty, but not particularly special.

Enter the "carrot."
No Knead Bread: it's incredibly easy to make, and has a really good flavor. The kids go crazy when they realize I'm making this, and can't wait until it's cool enough for me to cut into. It's a very crusty loaf, which makes it that much more delicious, but also challenging to cut nice slices. A good serrated bread knife really helps, but getting through that bottom crust can still be difficult. The easiest way for me to deal with that is to cut the whole loaf in half, then turn the cut side down on the board and cut slices that way. Because of the shape, you still get substantial slices without mangling it.

Bonus: I took my own portion of bread, cubed it, sprayed it with cooking spray, sprinkled it with garlic powder, and baked at 350 until slightly crispy. Soup croutons!!!

Best song from The Blues Brothers movie: Ray Charles' "Shake a Tail Feather."

'za

Pizza, that is. I like take out pizza, and Domino's has certainly improved their product since my college days, but nothing beats home made. I use this Focaccia recipe as my base, then customize.

Sarah & Lauren both wanted calzones.

(unbaked--I put a little olive oil & kosher salt on top, and some of the sauce oozed out, but no complaints!)
(the one in the front looks huge, doesn't it? really, they were pretty much the same size)

Jeff was strictly pepperoni.

I passed on the sauce, and had mushrooms, yellow pepper, red onions, and fresh basil on the cheese.

The trick to getting a nice crispy crust (there I go with the crispy again) is to roll the dough out as thinly as possible on parchment paper, then transfer it to a pizza stone that's been preheating along with the oven. It's important to trim the paper fairly close to the dough, because if it's too long, it can burn in the oven. I cook them at 400 degrees for 10 or 15 minutes. I think I pulled mine out a little too soon, but I was hungry, it smelled good, and I didn't want to wait. That's one of the drawbacks of this: you can't put too many in the oven at once. Also, you have to be careful when you take them out of the oven; because of the parchment paper, they slide around unpredictably!

These don't make huge, doughy pizzas, but they are big enough to satisfy, and I really like the thin and crispy crust.

Lady Gaga song that I'm actually willing to have on my iPod: Edge of Glory

Baby Brag

. . . about my baby. Sarah won the 6-hole trophy at Junior Golf last week! She shot a 45; I guess that's pretty good. She was very proud and excited. This is the first trophy she's actually won--all the other ones have been strictly for participation. If she does it next year, she'll be in the 9-hole group, and always playing her own balls instead of a scramble (playing the best ball of the group). Definitely a bigger challenge, but my mother in law has said several times that when she concentrates, she really does do a good job. Do I smell a golf scholarship in a few years? Dare to dream!

Two Beatles songs that need to be added to my iPod: Twist and Shout and Can't Buy Me Love.

Bulgur Wheat

When I was at Meijer yesterday (groceries are so expensive, sigh), I picked up a package of bulgur wheat. I've had tabbouleh before, but was never a big fan--too parsley-y for my taste. But it was cheap, much cheaper than quinoa, so I decided to give it a shot.

I cooked some up today to add to my tomato/cucumber/red onion/chickpea/olive oil/red wine vinegar/pita chip salad, and it was pretty nice. Kind of like rice or couscous. It was a bit of overkill, though: the chickpeas AND the bulgur AND the pita chips. I'll try it with something else next time. Hmmm . . . there's leftover steak & green beans in the fridge . . .

I'm trying to think of other things I can do with it besides throw it in salads, and found a couple ideas.

Bulgur with Ginger and Orange This looks like it would be good beside a pork chop or even salmon.

Cranberry Bulgur Wheat Pilaf Cranberries = yum

Herbed Bulgur-Lentil Pilaf This is an Ellie Krieger recipe, whose recipes always look good to me. The lentils will make it a harder sell to the family. I'll have to put it with something they really like. Like biscuits & gravy.

Song I'd like to have on my iPod by an artist that I otherwise can't stand: Katy Perry's "Firework."

Raising the Bar

Jeff has always been supportive of my healthy reboot, even though he isn't as single minded as I tend to get. He doesn't have as much to lose, either. And over the past few days it's become more apparent that he's leaning even more toward the healthy end of things.

He got his cholesterol numbers from the doc today, and although they aren't bad, they could be better. He'd really like to drop some of his meds, and knows that healthier food choices and more exercise can lead to that.

Tonight over dinner (steak, baked potatoes, steamed green beans), we were talking more about goal setting. I said that there were two kinds of goals: results oriented (I want to lose x amount of weight) and behavior oriented (I want to eat better). Although I'm frequently very results oriented, I try to make behavioral goals as well.

Then he offered that if he would cut out fast food, he could save $20 or $25 a week--maybe that saved money could be used for something he really wants? One of Jeff's big things is that he wants to visit every major league baseball stadium. He's been to about half of them--the half that are closest to our home, of course. The rest of them are quite a hike. But if he "banks" the money he would have spent on fast food, he could earn a trip to another stadium.

When I got past the "how much fast food have you been eating?" dismay, I was all for it. This is a TREMENDOUS motivator for him. It will take quite a while to save up, essentially until the start of next season. He knows that he won't bank 100% every month, and to even try that is an unreasonable expectation. But I think this is something that will keep him moving forward in a really good way.

I think he's really going to be working this now. I'm really excited for both of us moving forward!

Favorite Beatles song on my iPod: "Revolution."

Staying Healthy

I said the other day that I really need to have some serious exercise goals if I want to be able to continue my healthy life after I get to my goal weight.

Another intense incentive for me to continue on is to find a way to get a job out of it. If I'm getting paid to be healthy, I'm a lot more likely to keep it up.

So what kind of jobs pay you to be healthy? I've heard lots of people say that they'd like to be personal trainers once they get to their goal. I don't think that's for me, but I do have another idea.

What I'd really like to do is teach healthier cooking classes. Who hasn't fantasized about hosting their own cooking show? I'd love to be able to share/demonstrate some of the really tasty recipes I've discovered. And although I have no desire to have an actual show, I think it could be feasible for me to offer a class through the local community college.

What this really means is that I need to start thinking about what recipes I'd like to show, and of course sharing them here. So I'll be trying new recipes more often, and talking about them here. Comments always appreciated!

Song that I was listening to as I came in the house tonight: Rascal Flatt's "Life is a Highway."

6 Month Anniversary

Six months ago, I went in to my doctor's office and was told my blood pressure was crazy high, and that if i didn't get it down and lose some weight, I'd have to take meds. This morning, my blood pressure was 99 over 63, and my resting pulse was 58. This morning, I weighed in and saw that I've lost exactly 80 pounds.

Five months ago, I started exercising. My first day, I walked 1.19 miles in 28 minutes. Last night, I walked 3.36 miles in 66 minutes. My goal is to walk 100 miles this month.

It's been six months since I rebooted my life, and it is awesome.

Most joyous song on my iPod: Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill."

I'm Looking Forward to

• Crustless Spinach Quiche. Have spinach. Need cheese.
• Corn Chowder. I know it's too hot for soup. Don't care.
• Meringues. Maybe chocolate meringues. Can you put citrus in meringues?
• America's Test Kitchen Light Cheesecake. Not likely to happen soon, as I don't have an occasion to make it. No, "Thursday" is not a cheesecake occasion, sorry.
  
• Lemon Bars. I'm on a real citrus kick lately. I'd probably do these with lime.
  

Most obscure song on my iPod: "Laura's Zest" from Laura Bennett's Project Runway final show. (I did love her collection, but Uli was robbed that year!)

Unexpectedly Tasty Lunch

When I was figuring out what to make for lunch today, it was more a matter of "whatever" than anything else. It's kind of crazy time around here, and combining that with a general boredom with what I've been eating lately (NO MORE BLACK BEAN SALAD, THANKS), I didn't have very high expectations.

I say this all the time, but here we go again: I have never been so happy to be so wrong.

I don't even have a name for this.

Start with:
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tomato, chopped
1 medium small cucumber, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper

Look around for something to add some protein, maybe a little fiber. Aha--chickpeas!
1/2 cup chickpeas

Hm. Need some more protein, something a little different. What's in the freezer?
3 oz shrimp, sauteed with cooking spray

Salad needs crunch.
1/2 pita bread, cut into pieces, sprayed with cooking spray, and baked at 400 for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them in the oven!)

Wow, this is getting pretty good. What else?
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley.

Yep, that's it. Mix it all up and eat, happy that you have a huge lunch for under 425 calories, only 12 grams of fat, a whopping 29 grams of protein (that's almost half my day's requirement!), and 8 grams of fiber (again, half my day's requirement). The crispy bread on top will eventually get a little soggy from the sauce, but it's still delish. If I had put this over lettuce, as I'd originally planned, I'd still be eating it.

Song that doesn't get me moving as much as I thought it would: Sting's "We'll Be Together."

Hi to everyone from Eat at Home!

Running

I don't run. I walk. I like to walk. But I miss running. I miss that feeling of really being able to move. I want that feeling back.

When I first started exercising outside back in March, I would do about 20 or 30 minutes at a time, averaging about 2.5 miles per hour. Last month, my average time was 3.1 mph. A few nights ago, I even jogged for a tiny bit of my walk, and hit 3.5 mph average that night. This is still pretty slow by most standards, but it's a big improvement for me.

In May, Lauren and I did the Farmington Crop Walk. We just did the mini version, which is 2.2 miles, but I swore to myself that next year I would do the 10K. I know I won't run the whole thing, but it would be great if I could finish in under 90 minutes.

Since then, I've been hearing about some interesting "races."

The Warrior Dash. There was one not too far from here a few weeks ago. I've heard that the obstacles require a fair bit of upper body strength. They even have suggestions for weight training.

Run for Your Lives. I always say, "when the zombie apocalypse hits, I don't have to outrun all the zombies--I just have to outrun YOU." The only one on the schedule is in Baltimore, which I wouldn't go to even if I was in shape, but if one were closer, I'd think about it for next summer.

Getting in shape isn't hard; I've done it before. Staying in shape is something I've never been able to do before. I think doing something like this, something that really pushes me and takes me out of my comfort zone but is still goofy & fun, might help me with that.

The song that gets me moving the fastest: Pink's "Raise Your Glass."