Back in Colorado; been here since Tuesday, so forgive the blog-io silence. UCI (big ole inspection) is underway and things are going better than I expected. Hubs is suffering accordingly at home alone with the kiddos and everyone's crazy schedules, so send him some lovin! I'll be home next Tuesday, and this is my last trip up to Colorado. I have filled out my paperwork to make it official, but I have joined another unit just 2 hrs from our home. This has been a long time coming, but I wanted to see the unit through our inspection and I'm glad I was able to that and see all of our hard work pay off.
In my spare time I have been doing more research on A's condition. Unfortunately, apraxia is kind of like autism. They are both neurological disorders (in fact many kids with autism also have apraxia) and very little is known about what causes them or how to cure them. Some parents of autistic and apraxic kids have had luck with a gluten-free, casein-free (dairy) diet (GFCF). It seems to improve their symptoms, particularly with language acquisition. So I've decided that it can't hurt us to try it. This will be quite an adjustment for the family (I think it will be easier to make the house GFCF rather than try to police just A's diet), so wish me luck in convincing the Hubs! I've also been in contact with some other moms in my area regarding an apraxia support group. I feel like I have to reach out as much as possible so I can start to understand this and help my son. So little information is known on this disorder, it just really makes you feel helpless.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
Home Sick
Well, I could feel it coming on for days, but I finally came down with the non-swine flu that's been going around the office. My throat is sore, my sinuses are all stuffed up, and I have a raging headache. So I'm home ith A today (that should alleviate my headache, hah!). Fortunately this is the Friday before the long weekend, so I can console myself with the thought that no actual work was probably going to get done today anyway :)
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Reflection
Getting together with the people you care about most just doesn't happen as often as you would like and life continues to keep pushin' on...
I always love taking a moment to read everyone's blogs and I try to do so each day. We all go through so many different things in our lives, good and sometimes challenging, it really is beautiful that people share these things.
What better way to celebrate blogs than with music..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss
Enjoy!
I always love taking a moment to read everyone's blogs and I try to do so each day. We all go through so many different things in our lives, good and sometimes challenging, it really is beautiful that people share these things.
What better way to celebrate blogs than with music..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Then
What can I say? All the girls in my family really knew how to rock the mustard yellow, "I Heart Fig Newtons" shirt.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Shengri Kuaile!
Today was my birthday. Hubs and childrens made me a delicious meal of his special lasagna served with salad and fresh bread and a lucious cheesecake for desert. The kids got me tanning oil and aloe, and C gave me a crocheted basket she has been working on for several months. I was instructed to put sugar packets in said basket (it is a small basket) that way I can carry them around and have sugar whenever I want. Such a thoughtful girl, my C! Hubs got me a Marshawn Lynch tee shirt. It was a very satisfying way to turn 23 ;)
Workout:
So, as you all know, I have been diligently working at sticking to my Insanity routine. I am really, really loving this program. It satisfies my deep need to be dripping ball of sweat barely able to lift myself off the floor. Anyway, here's my stats 3 weeks later:
Switch Kicks - 72
Power Jacks - 54
High Knees (L) - 92
High Knees (R) - 96
Power Jumps - 30
Globe Jumps - 12
Suicide Jumps - 17
Push-up Jacks - 20
Plank Knees - 64
Not too shabby, eh? The only thing I didn't improve on was the suicide jumps, so that will be my goal for next time.
Kid Bits:
In other exciting news, the Hubs and female chil'ens decided to go boogie boarding on Sunday since the hurricane weather has had the positive effect of giving us lots of waves. As he and the girls we were wading out into the suspiciously empty waters someone from the shore yelled out, "Shark!" Hubs then noticed not one but two shark fins a ways out from the shore. Needless to say, it was a short beach trip.
C is very nervous to start school this year. She's started many a school (this will be her 5th elementary school), but for some reason she seems more anxious this time around. I think it might be the age she's at, but she insists it's because of the "butt ugly uniforms." J, on the other hand, is ecstatic about going to C's school. Yesterday she sang me a song about it whilst strumming loudly on her guitar. It went something like this: "School, school., schooly school school. I am goooooing to school. And I get to wear a ugly uuuuuuniform. And it is C's school. And it is my school. And there will be bears there. And maybe cats. Schooooooool! *pause* Mama! Stop dancing, I can't think when you dance!"
Today, however, J informed me that she was unable to sing because A was bothering her with his loud screeching. "It hurts my eyes," she informed me in a very serious tone, "and my hair."
Workout:
So, as you all know, I have been diligently working at sticking to my Insanity routine. I am really, really loving this program. It satisfies my deep need to be dripping ball of sweat barely able to lift myself off the floor. Anyway, here's my stats 3 weeks later:
Switch Kicks - 72
Power Jacks - 54
High Knees (L) - 92
High Knees (R) - 96
Power Jumps - 30
Globe Jumps - 12
Suicide Jumps - 17
Push-up Jacks - 20
Plank Knees - 64
Not too shabby, eh? The only thing I didn't improve on was the suicide jumps, so that will be my goal for next time.
Kid Bits:
In other exciting news, the Hubs and female chil'ens decided to go boogie boarding on Sunday since the hurricane weather has had the positive effect of giving us lots of waves. As he and the girls we were wading out into the suspiciously empty waters someone from the shore yelled out, "Shark!" Hubs then noticed not one but two shark fins a ways out from the shore. Needless to say, it was a short beach trip.
C is very nervous to start school this year. She's started many a school (this will be her 5th elementary school), but for some reason she seems more anxious this time around. I think it might be the age she's at, but she insists it's because of the "butt ugly uniforms." J, on the other hand, is ecstatic about going to C's school. Yesterday she sang me a song about it whilst strumming loudly on her guitar. It went something like this: "School, school., schooly school school. I am goooooing to school. And I get to wear a ugly uuuuuuniform. And it is C's school. And it is my school. And there will be bears there. And maybe cats. Schooooooool! *pause* Mama! Stop dancing, I can't think when you dance!"
Today, however, J informed me that she was unable to sing because A was bothering her with his loud screeching. "It hurts my eyes," she informed me in a very serious tone, "and my hair."
Friday, August 14, 2009
In Defense of My Ranting :)
I started this as a response to my sister’s comment on my last post, but it got a little long *blush* This is definitely a topic that is a hot button issue with me for many reasons, but I think it’s mainly because fitness is such a part of my life that when I see something that gives credence to the idea that exercise isn’t important, it really makes me angry. Well known fitness guru Tom Venuto wrote a great article in response, as did Kathy Smith, but here's my off-the-cuff response for your enjoyment, lol :
The first fallacy is the title of the article, which is “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” not “Why Intense, Heart-Stopping Cardio Won’t Make You Thin.” MR is right that the author brings up the point that exercise has other benefits, but then he disparages those benefits and goes on to claim that we’re just going to eat more food to compensate for the exercise anyway. Plus, his journalistic evidence is pretty thin. First of all, he only refers to one major study in adults. That’s not exactly a scientific slam dunk in terms of making a huge assumption like that. Additionally he mentions the study hinged on the idea that the obese women participants were asked to exercise or not exercise and not change their eating habits (which he uses to justify his overall thesis that exercise does not affect weight loss). Yet in the same part of the article, he states that the women who increased their exercise regime also increased their food intake, which directly contradicts the conclusion. Also, in the study on obese children and their energy expenditure, he makes no mention of the role parents play in determining what and how much their children eat. If the children in the study are getting the same benefit from either short bursts of activity or longer, sustained periods of activity then what is separating them from their thinner peers?
The first fallacy is the title of the article, which is “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” not “Why Intense, Heart-Stopping Cardio Won’t Make You Thin.” MR is right that the author brings up the point that exercise has other benefits, but then he disparages those benefits and goes on to claim that we’re just going to eat more food to compensate for the exercise anyway. Plus, his journalistic evidence is pretty thin. First of all, he only refers to one major study in adults. That’s not exactly a scientific slam dunk in terms of making a huge assumption like that. Additionally he mentions the study hinged on the idea that the obese women participants were asked to exercise or not exercise and not change their eating habits (which he uses to justify his overall thesis that exercise does not affect weight loss). Yet in the same part of the article, he states that the women who increased their exercise regime also increased their food intake, which directly contradicts the conclusion. Also, in the study on obese children and their energy expenditure, he makes no mention of the role parents play in determining what and how much their children eat. If the children in the study are getting the same benefit from either short bursts of activity or longer, sustained periods of activity then what is separating them from their thinner peers?
The author also relates pushing people to exercise with a potential increase in the obesity epidemic. Really?? Making the excuse that we are psychologically unable to resist that bag of chips we want after a workout is like saying a person with anger management issues couldn’t help themselves when they committed murder. I doubt it would hold up in any court. And then he goes on to relate exercise to “stressing our bodies in a gym.” Well, I don’t know about all of you, but I don’t go to a gym, and I would never do an activity that didn’t feel good to my body. Exercise does not equal body-punishing activity, and it is that stereotype that really ticks me off. I guess what it comes down to is that I just fundamentally disagree with the statement, “Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?” and respond to it with a resounding, “No, dumbass, you are keeping you from losing weight with your poor dietary choices.”*
I am also really sick and tired of people telling me they don’t have time to exercise, and that I’m so lucky to be naturally thin. There’s nothing natural about it! I have 5 kids and 2 jobs, and I still manage to exercise most days a week because I enjoy the benefits of it. I also try to eat healthfully and proportionally (those 100cal packs will do you no good if you eat 3 in a row). I was not blessed with a natural thin gene, and I don’t even think I’m that thin…it’s just that our perceptions have changed as the average American’s weight has begun to creep up.
The reason I think the article is irresponsible is because people looking for an excuse not to exercise will gladly latch onto articles like this to avoid taking care of themselves, and, honestly, I am just really tired of the excuses. Obesity takes a huge toll on the healthcare system, bigger than smoking or alcohol abuse or drug abuse combined (partly because there are so many more overweight Americans than there are of the other mentioned populations). He should have been more forthright and said something to the effect of: rigorous exercise may not be the best method for weight loss. That would have been far more accurate.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox, I promise :) Next time I will post something less ranty!
*Speaking of dietary choices, I saw that all my talk about eating well has affected my children's psyche when J told me that she was unable to eat spicy food because it wasn't healthy for her body, hee!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Time - Thumbs Decidedly Down!
This article made me really, really angry. I cannot believe Time would publish such a moronic and ill thought out article. How many idiots are going to read this and decide they shouldn't exercise because it will make them fat? The benefits of exercise are so much more than simple weight loss. Even putting aside all of those benefits*, if you just want to lose weight it is really a simple equation, as my big sis likes to point out: calories in vs. calories out. If you exercise and burn more calories and you don't consume more calories, you will lose weight. It is really that simple.** To state (and I'm paraphrasing here) that you might as well not exercise because you're going to be unable to resist eating more food is completely inane. How about in addition to exercising, you eat more healthful foods (i.e. eat a baked potato instead of those McDonald's french fries). You certainly don't need to cut down on volume. In fact, most people could probably eat more if they just picked the right things. How completely irresponsible to give value to the excuses people use to not exercise.
Now I'm not saying everyone needs to go out and do the crazy shit I do. I do high impact plyometric cardio because it is enjoyable to me. That is really the key to incorporating exercise into your life. You have to find an activity that is enjoyable to you, like hiking or tennis or playing tag with your kids. Otherwise it will always feel like a chore, like punishment. Exercise is enjoyable. I feel great after my workouts*** because I feel so accomplished, and the endorphin rush is pretty great, too. If you hate exercise, it's probably because you haven't found the right activity yet.
Oh, and on the note of eating well. Here's another great foodie blog for us cheapskates. I can't believe I haven't discovered this one before!
* Combating chronic illness, boosting your energy level, and improving your psychological well-being to name but a very few. Also check out this article, interestingly, from the very same publication.
** Unfortunately no amount of exercise is going to get rid of the loose skin after having 3 babies short of completely starving myself...but I digress
*** Even though I'm a big sweaty ball laying on the ground gasping for breath
Now I'm not saying everyone needs to go out and do the crazy shit I do. I do high impact plyometric cardio because it is enjoyable to me. That is really the key to incorporating exercise into your life. You have to find an activity that is enjoyable to you, like hiking or tennis or playing tag with your kids. Otherwise it will always feel like a chore, like punishment. Exercise is enjoyable. I feel great after my workouts*** because I feel so accomplished, and the endorphin rush is pretty great, too. If you hate exercise, it's probably because you haven't found the right activity yet.
Oh, and on the note of eating well. Here's another great foodie blog for us cheapskates. I can't believe I haven't discovered this one before!
* Combating chronic illness, boosting your energy level, and improving your psychological well-being to name but a very few. Also check out this article, interestingly, from the very same publication.
** Unfortunately no amount of exercise is going to get rid of the loose skin after having 3 babies short of completely starving myself...but I digress
*** Even though I'm a big sweaty ball laying on the ground gasping for breath
Monday, August 10, 2009
Going Dutch
My friend told me to google this poem. It is really an awesome way of looking at things. I am still grieving the loss of my Italian dream, but I happen to know a few folks who live in Amsterdam, so I guess a stop there won't be so bad, lol!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Life Goes On...
Back from Colorado/Dallas. It was a little sad this time around since my bff is PCSing soon, and I won't get to see her for a long time again :( I came back to a complete shitstorm at work. I know I've complained about many offices in the past, but this one really takes the cake on so many levels. I absolutely love my company, love my coworkers and love the mission set...the frustrating part is the gov't-contractor interaction. I really don't want to say any more in this forum, but it is really getting to be almost comical how little gets done at my place of business because of some seriously ridiculous roadblocks.
I am still pretty upset about the whole A situation, but I'm trying to keep it in perspective. There is this guy that I work with in CO who has a special needs child. His son has a very severe genetic disorder. In fact, he and his wife were told that their son probably wouldn't survive his 1st year. He's 5 now, and he's out lived a lot of his little friends from the NICU. He has the developmental level of about a 2-year old but he's alive and he's thriving. It's really an incredible story. I was really touched when he told me that he doesn't think of his son's difficulties in a negative way. He feels blessed and joyful when his son reaches any milestone. Those of us with non-special needs children take these for granted because they're expected, but with his son they never expected him to live so every milestone he achieves is a triumph. He is just grateful to have a beautiful son who he can put his arms around. He doesn't look at it from the point of view of what his son might be missing out on but what his son has been able to accomplish. I wish I could articulate it the way he told it to me, but I was so moved I almost started crying. It really made me feel like I shouldn't grieve for the normalcy A will miss out on but take these struggles as an opportunity to appreciate his achievements.
Of course then there's the whole insurance situation to just drag me back down. So I mentioned that we don't qualify for services since we have insurance and the insurance doesn't start paying until after we meet our annual $3000 deductible...but here's the real kicker: BC/BS* only pays $500/person per year for speech therapy. Do you know how many sessions that will cover? Approximately 5. A needs therapy 3-5x per week. So, thanks BC/BS! I'm so glad I'm paying out of the ass for the top tier health plan!
*what an apt acronym
I am still pretty upset about the whole A situation, but I'm trying to keep it in perspective. There is this guy that I work with in CO who has a special needs child. His son has a very severe genetic disorder. In fact, he and his wife were told that their son probably wouldn't survive his 1st year. He's 5 now, and he's out lived a lot of his little friends from the NICU. He has the developmental level of about a 2-year old but he's alive and he's thriving. It's really an incredible story. I was really touched when he told me that he doesn't think of his son's difficulties in a negative way. He feels blessed and joyful when his son reaches any milestone. Those of us with non-special needs children take these for granted because they're expected, but with his son they never expected him to live so every milestone he achieves is a triumph. He is just grateful to have a beautiful son who he can put his arms around. He doesn't look at it from the point of view of what his son might be missing out on but what his son has been able to accomplish. I wish I could articulate it the way he told it to me, but I was so moved I almost started crying. It really made me feel like I shouldn't grieve for the normalcy A will miss out on but take these struggles as an opportunity to appreciate his achievements.
Of course then there's the whole insurance situation to just drag me back down. So I mentioned that we don't qualify for services since we have insurance and the insurance doesn't start paying until after we meet our annual $3000 deductible...but here's the real kicker: BC/BS* only pays $500/person per year for speech therapy. Do you know how many sessions that will cover? Approximately 5. A needs therapy 3-5x per week. So, thanks BC/BS! I'm so glad I'm paying out of the ass for the top tier health plan!
*what an apt acronym
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Quick Update
Well, A's hearing checked out okay, and he's finally got a diagnosis - apraxia. I guess it's good that we know what the probem is now. The bad thing is apparently this is a disorder that can be quite serious, and it could take a long time before A is up to where he should be. The other problem is that we don't qualify for state funding thanks to our screwed up insurance. Because our insurance doesn't outright deny coverage, we don't qualify for state funded assistance. Unfortunately this means we have to pay out of pocket until we hit our $3000 deductible. Isn't it great that I pay for the top tier health plan. I love how that's working out for us*
In other news, we got Hubs' financial aid package from the school and it isn't quite as comprehensive as we had hoped. So we're scrounging for a quick plan to cover the rest of the costs *sigh* Also, I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to CO, then I head to Ft Worth for a conference for a few days. Poor Hubs, the bad news just keeps coming for him, lol!
*have I mentioned how much I had to shell out for J's dental work?
In other news, we got Hubs' financial aid package from the school and it isn't quite as comprehensive as we had hoped. So we're scrounging for a quick plan to cover the rest of the costs *sigh* Also, I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to CO, then I head to Ft Worth for a conference for a few days. Poor Hubs, the bad news just keeps coming for him, lol!
*have I mentioned how much I had to shell out for J's dental work?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Insanity!
No, really, actual Insanity is here...this is not just a clever reference to my life, lol! I started this new program from Beachbody today, and I am very, very excited! It is only a 60-day rotation, so I am very hopeful that I will actually stick with it!
In other news, I found out about a program that state of FL has for early intervention speech therapy which may eliminate or at least reduce the cost for us since our insurance doesn't cover it. I called and gave them all my information and was surprised to have a therapist call me back the very same day. She is coming over tonight at 1730 to visit with Alex and evaluate him for herself, and I suppose we'll find out what services we qualify for at the same time. So keep your fingers crossed for us!
My dad wrote a recent post about how to travel well, and, while I definitely appreciate the advice, I have to defend myself a bit. Because I am generally traveling on behalf of the military or my civilian company, I don't get to make my own travel arrangements. I have to go through our company's travel coordinator and the AF has its own travel agency that sets your itinerary. I do have frequent flier codes that I can apply to build up my miles, but I'm not cool enough yet to qualify for any particular gold club (although I'm close with a few!). This also means that if my flights are delayed or canceled due to weather or other circumstances, I have to call back to either travel agency for them to change my flights. If I try to do it on my own, I won't get reimbursed! Also, my trips are often combined, meaning I'm going to more than one place on a particular trip, so I have to pack more than will fit into a regular size carry-on. Not to mention the fact that once you've put combat boots and BDUs into a carry on suitcase, you really have no room for anything else. Also, my travels for the military happen to fall over a Monday, I also have to bring my blues (another uniform), so I am forced to check my bag (one good thing is that most airlines will wave the baggage fee if you are military traveling on orders, so at least I don't have to pay for it!).
Recipe:
This is a Brazilian stew recipe I adapted from several sources (most notably Rachel Ray & Eric Ripert), but there are many different variations. I like this recipe because it is super easy, not a lot of work (just a long cook time), and you can leave out the spicy stuff so the kids will eat it :)
Pu's Fejoada:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb dried black beans
1 lb pork roast, cut into 1" chunks
1 lb sausage (linguica, chorizo, whatever), sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
8 cups of water
1 8oz ham hock
Cooked long-grain rice to serve it with
salt and pepper to taste
Fry up 1/2 of the chopped onion in the olive oil in a large dutch oven until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook about 1 min more (don't let it brown!). Then add the pork chunks and sausage and brown them on all sides, about 6 min or so over med-high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients except the other 1/2 cup of chopped onion, the water should just cover all of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 2 hours. (Hint: as the stew cooks, take a taste every 1/2 hour or so and add salt and pepper to your taste remembering that the saltiness of the ham hock and sausage will start to seep into the liquid later in the cooking). At the 2 hour mark put on whatever kind of rice you've chosen (I usually have Basmati and Jasmine around the house, so that is what I use for this recipe). Place the remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion into a small pan and cook it over medium heat until the onions really caramelize (that lovely yellow-brown shade), about 10-15 minutes. Take about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked black bean from the pot and add them to the cooked onions and mash with whatever tool you see fit (I use a potato masher since I don't have an immersion blender *sob* and it turns out just fine). Return the mash to the stew and continue to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the stew thickens. Remove the bay leaves and ham hock before serving over rice.
You can also add accouterments such as sliced jalapenos or a true salsa (i.e. freshly chopped and not from a jar!), but my kids like just the way it is.
Workouts:
So for this new Insanity program there is a fit test included to help you figure out how much progress you've made as the weeks go by. Since today was my first day (no, I couldn't wait until Monday to start!), I did the fit test, which is only about 27min long, so I will probably add on some yoga or pilates tonight. You get 1 min to do as many of each exercise as you can. Here are my stats:
Plyo Kicks - 60
Plyo Jacks - 45
High Knees (L) - 88
High Knees (R) - 80
Power Jumps - 20
Globe Jumps - 10
Suicide Jumps - 18
Push-up Jacks - 16
Plank Knees - 55
You are supposed to do the fit test every two weeks, but that seems a bit like overkill to me, so I may only do it every 3 weeks or so to track my progress.
Things Recently Heard in the House on Pu's Corner:
Me: What are you doing out of bed again!
Small 3-year old child: *very placatingly* I'm just taking a dump, Mom.
Me: *watches 9 and 10-yr old stash the already confiscated GameBoy under a couch cushion* Really, guys! Why would you do that!!??
9-yr old: *wide-eyed and innocent* Do what?
Me: *lifts couch cushion to reveal the evidence* Why is this under here?
10-yr old: But, Mom, that was already there.
Me: *exasperated* I just watched you guys do it!
10-yr old: Oh *pauses* well, you didn't say that.
In other news, I found out about a program that state of FL has for early intervention speech therapy which may eliminate or at least reduce the cost for us since our insurance doesn't cover it. I called and gave them all my information and was surprised to have a therapist call me back the very same day. She is coming over tonight at 1730 to visit with Alex and evaluate him for herself, and I suppose we'll find out what services we qualify for at the same time. So keep your fingers crossed for us!
My dad wrote a recent post about how to travel well, and, while I definitely appreciate the advice, I have to defend myself a bit. Because I am generally traveling on behalf of the military or my civilian company, I don't get to make my own travel arrangements. I have to go through our company's travel coordinator and the AF has its own travel agency that sets your itinerary. I do have frequent flier codes that I can apply to build up my miles, but I'm not cool enough yet to qualify for any particular gold club (although I'm close with a few!). This also means that if my flights are delayed or canceled due to weather or other circumstances, I have to call back to either travel agency for them to change my flights. If I try to do it on my own, I won't get reimbursed! Also, my trips are often combined, meaning I'm going to more than one place on a particular trip, so I have to pack more than will fit into a regular size carry-on. Not to mention the fact that once you've put combat boots and BDUs into a carry on suitcase, you really have no room for anything else. Also, my travels for the military happen to fall over a Monday, I also have to bring my blues (another uniform), so I am forced to check my bag (one good thing is that most airlines will wave the baggage fee if you are military traveling on orders, so at least I don't have to pay for it!).
Recipe:
This is a Brazilian stew recipe I adapted from several sources (most notably Rachel Ray & Eric Ripert), but there are many different variations. I like this recipe because it is super easy, not a lot of work (just a long cook time), and you can leave out the spicy stuff so the kids will eat it :)
Pu's Fejoada:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb dried black beans
1 lb pork roast, cut into 1" chunks
1 lb sausage (linguica, chorizo, whatever), sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
8 cups of water
1 8oz ham hock
Cooked long-grain rice to serve it with
salt and pepper to taste
Fry up 1/2 of the chopped onion in the olive oil in a large dutch oven until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook about 1 min more (don't let it brown!). Then add the pork chunks and sausage and brown them on all sides, about 6 min or so over med-high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients except the other 1/2 cup of chopped onion, the water should just cover all of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 2 hours. (Hint: as the stew cooks, take a taste every 1/2 hour or so and add salt and pepper to your taste remembering that the saltiness of the ham hock and sausage will start to seep into the liquid later in the cooking). At the 2 hour mark put on whatever kind of rice you've chosen (I usually have Basmati and Jasmine around the house, so that is what I use for this recipe). Place the remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion into a small pan and cook it over medium heat until the onions really caramelize (that lovely yellow-brown shade), about 10-15 minutes. Take about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked black bean from the pot and add them to the cooked onions and mash with whatever tool you see fit (I use a potato masher since I don't have an immersion blender *sob* and it turns out just fine). Return the mash to the stew and continue to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the stew thickens. Remove the bay leaves and ham hock before serving over rice.
You can also add accouterments such as sliced jalapenos or a true salsa (i.e. freshly chopped and not from a jar!), but my kids like just the way it is.
Workouts:
So for this new Insanity program there is a fit test included to help you figure out how much progress you've made as the weeks go by. Since today was my first day (no, I couldn't wait until Monday to start!), I did the fit test, which is only about 27min long, so I will probably add on some yoga or pilates tonight. You get 1 min to do as many of each exercise as you can. Here are my stats:
Plyo Kicks - 60
Plyo Jacks - 45
High Knees (L) - 88
High Knees (R) - 80
Power Jumps - 20
Globe Jumps - 10
Suicide Jumps - 18
Push-up Jacks - 16
Plank Knees - 55
You are supposed to do the fit test every two weeks, but that seems a bit like overkill to me, so I may only do it every 3 weeks or so to track my progress.
Things Recently Heard in the House on Pu's Corner:
Me: What are you doing out of bed again!
Small 3-year old child: *very placatingly* I'm just taking a dump, Mom.
Me: *watches 9 and 10-yr old stash the already confiscated GameBoy under a couch cushion* Really, guys! Why would you do that!!??
9-yr old: *wide-eyed and innocent* Do what?
Me: *lifts couch cushion to reveal the evidence* Why is this under here?
10-yr old: But, Mom, that was already there.
Me: *exasperated* I just watched you guys do it!
10-yr old: Oh *pauses* well, you didn't say that.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The sweet sigh of life.
Dear Timothy:
Congratulations! I am delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to Eckerd College as a transfer student for the Fall Semester 2009. You are to be congratulated on the outstanding record which has made this decision possible. We are confident that you will find in Eckerd College a challenging and stimulating academic environment conducive to your growth and the achievement of your personal and career goals.
Pre-Med - Check
To celebrate, some cheerful music, always right there to make us happy..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss&feature=player_embedded
Lively it up!!
Congratulations! I am delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to Eckerd College as a transfer student for the Fall Semester 2009. You are to be congratulated on the outstanding record which has made this decision possible. We are confident that you will find in Eckerd College a challenging and stimulating academic environment conducive to your growth and the achievement of your personal and career goals.
Pre-Med - Check
To celebrate, some cheerful music, always right there to make us happy..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss&feature=player_embedded
Lively it up!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Surprise Post
Well, you're probably all surprised to see me posting right now...me too! Turns out the magical pony gods of travel truly have it out for me. They must have seen my poor suffering husband (alone, at home with 5 kids) and decided that I should be punished for daring to leave (they might have also heard my maniacal laugh when I walked out the door Friday morning, lol). I made it to the Springs without a hitch, but the second leg of my trip has been nothing short of disaster. The flight from CO to Atlanta was very bumpy, not quite as scary as my flight to Denver last month (I don't think I blogged about it, but I really thought I was going to die on that flight!), but not comfy and I don't fly well even when there's perfect weather. My seatmate probably thought I was a nut job (I have been practicing using yogic breathing on scary flight so that I don't burst into tears or embaress myself in some other way!). Of course, the reason the flight was so bad is because a huge thunderstorm was headed in meaning I got stuck at the airport for an unexpected 6 hour delay while we waited for it to blow over. That meant that I didn't arrive in Charlottesville until 2am. Charlotteville has be the tiniest airport I have ever seen, even smaller than CO Springs or Buffalo, so when my luggage didn't show up, natch, that meant there was no one there to help me. It is 0230 in the morning, I am exhausted and crabby and the entire airport is empty except for me! Finally the security patrolman found me standing in front of the Delta counter (I refused to leave until I found someone to help me with my luggage) and went back to find someone. I filed my baggage claim and the guy assured me that my bag would be on the next flight out in the morning from Atlanta. Fine, I think, that means I will have enforced extra sleep since there is no point at getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the conference with no clothes.
After taking a cab to the hotel, I fall asleep instantly to this thought (and I'm staying at the Doubletree so at least I got a warm cookie for my trouble!). Today I wake up and wait until 11am (the flight was supposed to land at 1030) before I break down and call Delta. I am on hold for almost half an hour, using up copious amount of my cell phone battery (charger is in my luggage, of course) where I proceed to learn that somehow my baggage went from the Springs to Denver and was supposed to go to Atlanta and then on to Charlottesville from there. Unfortunately the lady on the phone is unable to determine whether my bag is still in Denver or if it made it to Atlanta. It is truly, truly lost...along with all my toiletries, clothes, work stuff, etc. Oh, and they have no idea when I'll be getting it. Yip-ee. So I am now stuck at the hotel in my stinky clothes sans undies since I showered and refuse to put on dirty underwear from my 13 hour trip yesterday (after I worked nonetheless)* I did manage to walk over to Wal-Mart (I love the convenience of the East Coast!) and score some underthings and necessary toiletries to tide me over since it is looking like I will be lucky to get my bag at all today. If I don't get it by 6pm tonight, I will probably break down and go shopping for an outfit for tomorrow. Delta is giving me a whopping $50 for my trouble, but that is barely going to cover my Wal-Mart shopping spree much less having to buy a whole new outfit that is appropriate for the conference I'm supposed to be attending right now. I was able to get a hold of someone at the conference to let them know I am here and plan to attend tomorrow, so I should (hopefully) not run into any trouble when I show up tomorrow morning. But, with my luck so far, that does not bode well :(
So does this kind of stuff happen a lot when you are traveling so much? I am really traveling much more now (on average 2-3x a month), but I seem to be running into such bad luck almost every time I travel. I'd love it if those of you who travel frequently could chime in because I'm really starting to think there is some kind of curse on me!
*I know, I know, TMI!
After taking a cab to the hotel, I fall asleep instantly to this thought (and I'm staying at the Doubletree so at least I got a warm cookie for my trouble!). Today I wake up and wait until 11am (the flight was supposed to land at 1030) before I break down and call Delta. I am on hold for almost half an hour, using up copious amount of my cell phone battery (charger is in my luggage, of course) where I proceed to learn that somehow my baggage went from the Springs to Denver and was supposed to go to Atlanta and then on to Charlottesville from there. Unfortunately the lady on the phone is unable to determine whether my bag is still in Denver or if it made it to Atlanta. It is truly, truly lost...along with all my toiletries, clothes, work stuff, etc. Oh, and they have no idea when I'll be getting it. Yip-ee. So I am now stuck at the hotel in my stinky clothes sans undies since I showered and refuse to put on dirty underwear from my 13 hour trip yesterday (after I worked nonetheless)* I did manage to walk over to Wal-Mart (I love the convenience of the East Coast!) and score some underthings and necessary toiletries to tide me over since it is looking like I will be lucky to get my bag at all today. If I don't get it by 6pm tonight, I will probably break down and go shopping for an outfit for tomorrow. Delta is giving me a whopping $50 for my trouble, but that is barely going to cover my Wal-Mart shopping spree much less having to buy a whole new outfit that is appropriate for the conference I'm supposed to be attending right now. I was able to get a hold of someone at the conference to let them know I am here and plan to attend tomorrow, so I should (hopefully) not run into any trouble when I show up tomorrow morning. But, with my luck so far, that does not bode well :(
So does this kind of stuff happen a lot when you are traveling so much? I am really traveling much more now (on average 2-3x a month), but I seem to be running into such bad luck almost every time I travel. I'd love it if those of you who travel frequently could chime in because I'm really starting to think there is some kind of curse on me!
*I know, I know, TMI!
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Invasion
Yes, the summer invasion is here. Not much time to post, I'm afraid. De-I was commenting that I never write about all the funny little kid tidbits that I pick up throughout the day, and I ealized I haven't had any time to post stuff like that since A was born! So here's one for ya: if you are three the pinacle of reaching adulthood is apparently the ability to keep gum in your purse without getting into trouble! In other, not so funny news, I took A to his speech evaluation on Monday and the therapist agreed that he was deifnately behind where he should be and she recommended that he start coming to therapy 2x/week for the next 6-9 months and then we can reevaluate at that point. Unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover speech therapy until after my $3,000 deductable is reached :( That means it is actually more cost effective to pay the upfront, uninsured rate ($60/session) than it is to have my insurance billed ($90/session). We were totally freaking out about this huge, unexpected cost when my wonderful parentals stepped in to help out. It was such a wonderful and generous gesture, and I promise when A starts talking his head off, their house is the first place I will ship him in order to get some peace and quiet...er, I mean, I will show them the end result of their generosity...yeah, that's it ;)
Also, the parentals were here for a few days before the invasion landed (they almost made it out in time!), you can read about their exploits here on De-I's blog since one of my little angels just got out of bed again (for the 5th time tonight). Wish me luck for the summer!!
Also, the parentals were here for a few days before the invasion landed (they almost made it out in time!), you can read about their exploits here on De-I's blog since one of my little angels just got out of bed again (for the 5th time tonight). Wish me luck for the summer!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Obligatory Posting Title Goes Here
Sorry, couldn't think of a clever title. My brain is all used up! Things are super, super busy at work, which is a good thing, I guess! And I am busy in my spare time doing work for my Reserve job. It just never ends! In what few moments I do have that aren't taken up by work or children, Hubs and I are enjoying Top Chef Masters. I just absolutely love watching these famous, award winning chefs being put through the ringer, and watching some of them has made me add a few more restaurants to my must visit list! I am also enjoying the current season of So You Think You Can Dance. I so prefer this show to American Idol. It is the only show I watch where I consistently have at least one moment per episode where I am moved to either cry or laugh out loud because the art is just so beautiful.
It is looking like this week and next are going to continue to be incredibly busy at work. My parents are arriving Thursday night and staying through the weekend, then the bonus kiddos come for the summer, and next week I leave again for Colorado and Virginia. So...the radio silence may be happening a bit more often than I would wish at least for the near future. But, before I go, here's another quickie recipe that is a great fit for just about everyone (unless you ahppen to hate eggplant, that is). When my in-laws were here we purchased some gorgeous eggplants at the farmer's market because my FIL mentioned he absolutely loved eggplant. It wasn't until I got home and started preparing it that I realized he (of the Italian descent) meant he liked it fried. lol! Anyway, here's the way I like to make it:
Pu's Garlic Eggplant
2 regular or Chinese eggplants
3-4 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 scallion, diced
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4lb ground pork (optional)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 TB chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 TB water (to thicken the sauce)
Peel & chop the eggplants into 1 inch pieces. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the eggplant for about 5-7 minutes or until the eggplant softens and begins to carmelize. Remove the eggplant from the pan and add the last tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion and cook very briefly before the adding the ground pork (if you are using meat--otherwise make sure your sauce is already made and skip to the next step right away). While the pork it cooking, make your garlic sauce by combining the soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, pepper, garlic chili sauce and chicken broth. Stir-fry until the pork turns white and is nearly cooked, then return the eggplant to the pan and stir-fry for an additional minute for a minute to mix everything together. Quickly stir the garlic sauce in. Turn down the heat to low-medium cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender. Mix the cornstarch and water together and add the mixture to the middle of the pan, stirring quickly to thicken. Serve over rice.
It is looking like this week and next are going to continue to be incredibly busy at work. My parents are arriving Thursday night and staying through the weekend, then the bonus kiddos come for the summer, and next week I leave again for Colorado and Virginia. So...the radio silence may be happening a bit more often than I would wish at least for the near future. But, before I go, here's another quickie recipe that is a great fit for just about everyone (unless you ahppen to hate eggplant, that is). When my in-laws were here we purchased some gorgeous eggplants at the farmer's market because my FIL mentioned he absolutely loved eggplant. It wasn't until I got home and started preparing it that I realized he (of the Italian descent) meant he liked it fried. lol! Anyway, here's the way I like to make it:
Pu's Garlic Eggplant
2 regular or Chinese eggplants
3-4 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 scallion, diced
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4lb ground pork (optional)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 TB chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 TB water (to thicken the sauce)
Peel & chop the eggplants into 1 inch pieces. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the eggplant for about 5-7 minutes or until the eggplant softens and begins to carmelize. Remove the eggplant from the pan and add the last tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion and cook very briefly before the adding the ground pork (if you are using meat--otherwise make sure your sauce is already made and skip to the next step right away). While the pork it cooking, make your garlic sauce by combining the soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, pepper, garlic chili sauce and chicken broth. Stir-fry until the pork turns white and is nearly cooked, then return the eggplant to the pan and stir-fry for an additional minute for a minute to mix everything together. Quickly stir the garlic sauce in. Turn down the heat to low-medium cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender. Mix the cornstarch and water together and add the mixture to the middle of the pan, stirring quickly to thicken. Serve over rice.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Still Here
Quick post to say I've been out of town on business for the last couple of weeks. I was in the Springs for 7 days then to Atlanta for 5. I got back last night a little after my in-laws arrived to spend the weekend. We went out to a great seafood dinner last night at Billy's in Tierra Verde, hit the market this morning for loads of delicious produce (speaking of which, I picked up some beautiful pink-eyed peas but I've never made them before, anyone have any suggestions?) and lots of samples!, and spent the whole afternoon in the pool with the kids. Then Grandpa J took everyone out for ice cream and pizza, and tonight we're going back out for dinner and live music at a venue in Clearwater. Tomorrow we plan to spend Father's Day grilling our asses off and eating strawberry pie, yum!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Vina and the Talosians'
"First an emotional protectiveness, now one of sympathy...excellent".
BTW- I am a dork, I enjoy rocking out to Rilo Kiley's moneymaker song while doing cardio, and the SABRES RULE!!!
I also enjoy listening to Tim's heart because it plays my favorite song...
Ha Ha Ha
Lively it up!!!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Recipe Onslaught
Posting two days in a row, what will that crazy Pu do next? She'll continue to inundate you with Asian recipes, that's what (hey, blame MR, she actually asked for them)! To start, if you really get serious about experimenting with Asian food, there are a few things you should have on hand that will help you with your recipe creations. In my pantry/fridge I almost always have:
- Soy sauce
- Lime juice
- Hot chile sauce (usually Sriracha since I eat it on just about everything)
- Thai fish sauce
- Mirin
- Chinese cooking wine (also called Shaoxing)
- Rice wine
- Rice wine vinegar
- Tonkatsu sauce
- Sesame oil
- Peanut oil
- Canned coconut milk
- Green and red curry pastes
- Sichuan spice mix
- Chinese five spice powder
- Turmeric
- Garam masala
- Sesame seeds
- Sake
- fresh ginger
- fresh garlic
- Lemongrass paste (fresh lemongrass goes bad pretty quickly, this is not quite as tastey but much more economically sound!)
- Fermented black beans (black bean paste)
I could keep going on this list of essential ingredients, but these are some of the easiest to get your hands on. If you live in a large city or in an area with a large Asian community, you can probably find a specialty market where you can get the right produce (trust me, using galangal instead of ginger - the poor American's substitute - makes all the difference!) Even if you just have a few of these items, you should be able to make lots of yummy dishes you never thought could come out of your kitchen!
Here's the ultimate what's in the fridge, super fast and easy dinner. I make this (or variations of this) all the time (As I said before, I cook a lot of Asian food, so I have all of these condiments on hand, and I always have cabbage). You may know this dish as Chow Mien, but the correct pinyin transliteration is actually Chaomian, which literally means fried noodles. Enjoy!
Pu's Chao Mian:
1lb Chinese egg noodles
1/2 cabbage, shredded
8-12 shiitake or dried ear mushrooms, soaked, softened and chopped into strips
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing or rice wine
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
about 1/2lb leftover meat sliced into strips (optional)
Cook noodles as directed on package.* Meanwhile heat oils on med-high heat, in a wok if you've got one. Add the cabbage and mushrooms and stir fry for 1-2 minutes or just until the cabbage starts to wilt a little. Remove the veggies and add a little more oil to the wok if it looks dry. Then add in the cooked noodles and the rest of your ingredients, except the meant, and cook for about 1 min. Then add in the reserved veggies and meat (if you wish) and stir fry for another min or so, and voila! The perfect 10 mintue meal.
And please remember, I cook for a family of 5, so adjust the recipe as needed! :)
*Hint - give them a cold water bath after you've taken them out of the boiling water. This will stop the cooking process and it will also prevent the noodles from sticking together and make it easier for you to stir fry them.
- Soy sauce
- Lime juice
- Hot chile sauce (usually Sriracha since I eat it on just about everything)
- Thai fish sauce
- Mirin
- Chinese cooking wine (also called Shaoxing)
- Rice wine
- Rice wine vinegar
- Tonkatsu sauce
- Sesame oil
- Peanut oil
- Canned coconut milk
- Green and red curry pastes
- Sichuan spice mix
- Chinese five spice powder
- Turmeric
- Garam masala
- Sesame seeds
- Sake
- fresh ginger
- fresh garlic
- Lemongrass paste (fresh lemongrass goes bad pretty quickly, this is not quite as tastey but much more economically sound!)
- Fermented black beans (black bean paste)
I could keep going on this list of essential ingredients, but these are some of the easiest to get your hands on. If you live in a large city or in an area with a large Asian community, you can probably find a specialty market where you can get the right produce (trust me, using galangal instead of ginger - the poor American's substitute - makes all the difference!) Even if you just have a few of these items, you should be able to make lots of yummy dishes you never thought could come out of your kitchen!
Here's the ultimate what's in the fridge, super fast and easy dinner. I make this (or variations of this) all the time (As I said before, I cook a lot of Asian food, so I have all of these condiments on hand, and I always have cabbage). You may know this dish as Chow Mien, but the correct pinyin transliteration is actually Chaomian, which literally means fried noodles. Enjoy!
Pu's Chao Mian:
1lb Chinese egg noodles
1/2 cabbage, shredded
8-12 shiitake or dried ear mushrooms, soaked, softened and chopped into strips
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing or rice wine
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
about 1/2lb leftover meat sliced into strips (optional)
Cook noodles as directed on package.* Meanwhile heat oils on med-high heat, in a wok if you've got one. Add the cabbage and mushrooms and stir fry for 1-2 minutes or just until the cabbage starts to wilt a little. Remove the veggies and add a little more oil to the wok if it looks dry. Then add in the cooked noodles and the rest of your ingredients, except the meant, and cook for about 1 min. Then add in the reserved veggies and meat (if you wish) and stir fry for another min or so, and voila! The perfect 10 mintue meal.
And please remember, I cook for a family of 5, so adjust the recipe as needed! :)
*Hint - give them a cold water bath after you've taken them out of the boiling water. This will stop the cooking process and it will also prevent the noodles from sticking together and make it easier for you to stir fry them.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Long Time No Post
Sorry I've not had a chance to blog in so long. Things have been quite busy at the work place. Hubs was gone the weekend before last taking a bit of a vacation in Buffalo with his Dad before he has to start his 6(!) class odyssey next week. This last weekend we were mostly busy with family stuff. We hit the St Petersburg aquarium (which sucks, there's a reason it only costs $5 to get in!), went to a barbecue birthday bash for Hubs' cousin, and, of course, hit the beach. Hubs and I also spent a night out on the town. We had dinner at the Melting Pot and then caught a show where the bassist was one of Hubs' old friend's sister. They were actually quite good, and we enjoyed the music immensely.
Food:
I realize I haven't blogged a recipe in a while, so here's one of my absolute favorite comfort foods: Mapo Doufu. I know that sounds a little odd, but this spicy pork and tofu dish is one I crave constantly. Most of my comfort foods are Asian, and I'm not exactly sure why that is. Maybe its that I've studied Chinese for so long or the copious amounts of time I've spent in the Pacific region, but I love all types of Asian food. Since I live in an area where there aren't really any Asian markets (I've heard a rumor that there may be one in Tampa, but I've yet to venture out to find it), I've had to learn to adapt my cooking to try and mirror the flavors I remember without the actual ingredients. In some cases this can be done quite easily (fried rice, yakisoba, bulgogi) in others it is not even worth trying (Tom Ka Gai, my all time favorite soup, just does not have the right flavor no matter what I try to substitute :( In the case of Mapo Doufu, I think this recipe is pretty darn close, and it certainly satisfies my craving. Be forewarned, this is not really a kid friendly recipe. C will eat it, but remember this is a kid who counts sushi and brussel sprouts among her favorite foods, i.e. not your typical eater.
Pu's Mapo Doufu:
1lb ground or diced pork
1 block soft tofu, drained and diced
2-3 tbsp peanut oil (you can use other oil if you don't have peanut oil)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fermented black beans (you can usually find this with garlic in your grocer's Asian food aisle)
1-2 tbsp hot chile sauce (I use Sriracha)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp Sichuan spice mix (McCormick's sells bottles of this)
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken broth
3tbsp corn starch mixed in 6 tbsp water
Heat the oils over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the pork and cook thoroughly. Add the hot chile sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce, sichuan spice, red pepper flakes, and sugar and cook for another minute or so. Add in the chicken broth and mix well. Stir the corn starch into the water and add to the sauce to thicken it. Then add the diced tofu. Cook mixture on low to medium heat for about another 5 min so that the tofu can absorb all the flavor from the sauce. Serve over rice. And remember, you can always adjust the amounts of chili sauce and red pepper flakes to make the dish as spicy or mild as you like.
Things:
- Is there really anything more awesome than a toddler dancing? I love watching their little brows furrow in concentration as they run determinedly in a circle to the strains of the Go, Diego, Go theme song.
- Pre-schoolers are amazing creatures. J is basically teaching herself to swim. She enjoys spending time with his big sis in the pool, so we bought her a life jacket-type floaty vest and now she uses that to paddle and kick her way around the pool unassisted. She'll get actual swim lessons this summer when the step-kids are here
- Not sure if I have mentioned this before or not, but my company is paying for me to take more Chinese lessons (or at least reimbursing me for them anyway). I have a tutor who comes to my office once a week from the Longmen Chinese Center, and I can't tell you how much I have missed studying the language!
Food:
I realize I haven't blogged a recipe in a while, so here's one of my absolute favorite comfort foods: Mapo Doufu. I know that sounds a little odd, but this spicy pork and tofu dish is one I crave constantly. Most of my comfort foods are Asian, and I'm not exactly sure why that is. Maybe its that I've studied Chinese for so long or the copious amounts of time I've spent in the Pacific region, but I love all types of Asian food. Since I live in an area where there aren't really any Asian markets (I've heard a rumor that there may be one in Tampa, but I've yet to venture out to find it), I've had to learn to adapt my cooking to try and mirror the flavors I remember without the actual ingredients. In some cases this can be done quite easily (fried rice, yakisoba, bulgogi) in others it is not even worth trying (Tom Ka Gai, my all time favorite soup, just does not have the right flavor no matter what I try to substitute :( In the case of Mapo Doufu, I think this recipe is pretty darn close, and it certainly satisfies my craving. Be forewarned, this is not really a kid friendly recipe. C will eat it, but remember this is a kid who counts sushi and brussel sprouts among her favorite foods, i.e. not your typical eater.
Pu's Mapo Doufu:
1lb ground or diced pork
1 block soft tofu, drained and diced
2-3 tbsp peanut oil (you can use other oil if you don't have peanut oil)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fermented black beans (you can usually find this with garlic in your grocer's Asian food aisle)
1-2 tbsp hot chile sauce (I use Sriracha)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp Sichuan spice mix (McCormick's sells bottles of this)
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken broth
3tbsp corn starch mixed in 6 tbsp water
Heat the oils over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the pork and cook thoroughly. Add the hot chile sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce, sichuan spice, red pepper flakes, and sugar and cook for another minute or so. Add in the chicken broth and mix well. Stir the corn starch into the water and add to the sauce to thicken it. Then add the diced tofu. Cook mixture on low to medium heat for about another 5 min so that the tofu can absorb all the flavor from the sauce. Serve over rice. And remember, you can always adjust the amounts of chili sauce and red pepper flakes to make the dish as spicy or mild as you like.
Things:
- Is there really anything more awesome than a toddler dancing? I love watching their little brows furrow in concentration as they run determinedly in a circle to the strains of the Go, Diego, Go theme song.
- Pre-schoolers are amazing creatures. J is basically teaching herself to swim. She enjoys spending time with his big sis in the pool, so we bought her a life jacket-type floaty vest and now she uses that to paddle and kick her way around the pool unassisted. She'll get actual swim lessons this summer when the step-kids are here
- Not sure if I have mentioned this before or not, but my company is paying for me to take more Chinese lessons (or at least reimbursing me for them anyway). I have a tutor who comes to my office once a week from the Longmen Chinese Center, and I can't tell you how much I have missed studying the language!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Totally Geeking Out...or My Trekkie Mother's Day
I cannot tell you about my fabulous moms day weekend without outing myself as the total nerd I am, but since I'm sure you're all aware of my nerdtastic tendancies anyway it probably won't come as much of a surprise. Considering I come from a family who has more members that have attended Star Trek conventions than not (yours truly being one of them), it will come as no surprise that I was both eagerly and warily anticipating the release of the new Star Trek movie. Just to put this in context, this is the first non-PG movie I have gone to see in a theater since Hubs and I went to see the 300 and I went to see it on the IMAX on opening day weekend. So, you can see that my Trekkie fandom knows no bounds. I won't spoil the movie for you all except to say that I truly, truly enjoyed it. I have a soft spot for JJ Abrams (hello, Lost anyone?) and I thought if anyone could handle the Trek franchise and breathe new life into it, it would be someone with his creative touch. The movie itself has just right amount of action, sci fi gobblydegook (space-time continuem, eeee!), and an extended cameo by the venerable Leonard Nimoy (double eeeee!). But the true bit of genius is in the casting, something I think Abrams is well known for. All of his work is marked by the excellent casting, and this movie is no exception. The movie mostly plays around the Kirk/Spock dynamic and both actors are really phenomenal at capturing the spirit of their characters. Of course, some purists will not be happy at how Abrams has messed with the timeline of their beloved Trek, but I think he has managed to put the Trek franchise back into orbit, so to speak. I can foresee additional movies and possibly even a new series spun off of this new equation, and I am all for anything that brings a little Trek back into our lives. Even more impressive was that Hubs, someone who knows so little about Star Trek that he actually leaned over to me at one point and whispered loudly, "who is Jim Kirk?", also enjoyed the movie greatly. Plus, he managed to enjoy it whilst dealing with my total geek out moments (me: OMG, that's how he got his nickname 'Bones' squeeee!; OMG, the captain is Christopher Pike, squeeee!; etc..)
In other Mommy news, we spent all weekend sunning at the pool (we did attempt to go to the beach, but it was record breakingly hot this weekend so we only lasted about 10 minutes in the blazing sun). I received many cards and flowers, as well as Tracy Anderson's Dance Cardio Workout, which has been on my wishlist for a long time but has been sold out, so I was very excited to get it. I also had a chance to speak/skype with most of the moms in my life, including my dear big sis MR, who is preggers with #2. Seems like pregnancies come in droves because, I swear, just about everyone I know is pregnant right now. I swore I wouldn't have any more babies, but I can't help feeling a twinge of sadness that I'll never have another newborn...maybe when Hubs graduates, tee hee. Much love to all the moms out there, I hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as I did!
In other Mommy news, we spent all weekend sunning at the pool (we did attempt to go to the beach, but it was record breakingly hot this weekend so we only lasted about 10 minutes in the blazing sun). I received many cards and flowers, as well as Tracy Anderson's Dance Cardio Workout, which has been on my wishlist for a long time but has been sold out, so I was very excited to get it. I also had a chance to speak/skype with most of the moms in my life, including my dear big sis MR, who is preggers with #2. Seems like pregnancies come in droves because, I swear, just about everyone I know is pregnant right now. I swore I wouldn't have any more babies, but I can't help feeling a twinge of sadness that I'll never have another newborn...maybe when Hubs graduates, tee hee. Much love to all the moms out there, I hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as I did!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Traveler Alert - Magical Unicorn Pony God Stolen By Dutch Sister
So apparently the Pu family only gets one magical unicorn pony god of travel smile because my experience this last weekend was decidedly not magical or ponyish. It started off with my accustomed delay out of Tampa on the first leg of my trip, but nothing too out of the ordinary. It was the joy of the Dallas airport that really made this trip special. To begin, I had planned to fly out Friday night to get to the Springs so I could work Sat-Sun and fly back Monday morning. Well, I had a four, which turned into five, hour layover at the Dallas airport, so I amused myself by traveling from terminal to terminal as American arbitrarily changed my gate five or six times. At the Dallas airport, when you go from one terminal to another, you must exit the terminal and go back through security. There I discovered that my 5oz bottle of expensive conditioner was only considered secure enough to pass through Tampa screening. Apparently Dallas is worried that too many people with shiny hair might overwhelm their ability to respond to a security incident. So I was forced to pay American to take my extremely small and light baggage since the baggage fee was actually less than what the conditioner originally cost me. Then we were delayed for another hour and sent back to Terminal C to fly out (but you had to run to make it since I had only had five hours in the airport for them to make the decision to switch the gate...again). I finally made it on board the aircraft and we began to taxi...and taxi...and taxi...all the way back to our original gate...where we were informed that due to fog in the Springs our flight was officially canceled. Of course, I was seated in row 32F, which in case you're not familiar, is the very last seat on the aircraft. So you can imagine what place in line I got when I finally got off board. After much patience on my part, I finally got to speak to someone at the counter, where I was informed that since the cancellation was due to weather and thus not the airline's fault, I would have to pay for my own hotel room. They did, however, book me a room and put me on the very next flight in the morning. I could have chosen to fly into Denver that night, but then I would have had no luggage so it was a moot point. The lady at the counter then tells me that I need to go to baggage area 26 to get my luggage (which I'd just paid to have checked even though I didn't want to). I proceed to discover that the woman is an idiot because baggage area 26 does not actually exist. After much wandering aimlessly around the airport, I attach myself to another group from my original flight that is also wandering aimlessly, and we manage to bring force in numbers and, after several unsuccessful attempts, make one of the airport employees tell us where we can find our bags. Then we make our way to the unmarked pick up area (again, strength is in the numbers...I am convinced the only reason we were picked up is because we became an angry mob of people who were looking for the hotel shuttle and someone pitied us) and make it over to the hotel. Finally, a night's sleep.
I wake up at the crack of dawn the next morning because I don't know the Dallas airport well and don't want to miss my flight. Of course, I end up with two hours to spare but at least I make the flight...which is then delayed due to more fog. After about an hour the pilot comes on the loud speaker and tells us we are just going to take off anyway and hope the fog lifts like it is supposed to. We make it to the Springs and circle the airport once, twice, thrice, god knows how many times but long enough that the pilot finally comes up and tells us we will be landing at Denver because we're running out of fuel. At this point I no longer care and just want to get the fuck off the airplane, so I am not even upset. We land in Denver and begin to taxi down the runway. As we stop at the gate, the pilot comes back on the loud speaker and says we ere just cleared to land in Colorado Springs so we are going to take back off, but we still need to refuel so it is another 45min wait and then we finally get to fly back the the Springs. So after leaving Tampa at 3pm on Friday, I finally arrive in the Springs at 2pm on Saturday. Then, of course, I have to go into work, otherwise I won't get paid. So I work until about 7pm that night, all day on Sunday (0630-1700) and then fly back on Monday only to go back to work at my civilian job. Remind me again why I do this? ;)
I wake up at the crack of dawn the next morning because I don't know the Dallas airport well and don't want to miss my flight. Of course, I end up with two hours to spare but at least I make the flight...which is then delayed due to more fog. After about an hour the pilot comes on the loud speaker and tells us we are just going to take off anyway and hope the fog lifts like it is supposed to. We make it to the Springs and circle the airport once, twice, thrice, god knows how many times but long enough that the pilot finally comes up and tells us we will be landing at Denver because we're running out of fuel. At this point I no longer care and just want to get the fuck off the airplane, so I am not even upset. We land in Denver and begin to taxi down the runway. As we stop at the gate, the pilot comes back on the loud speaker and says we ere just cleared to land in Colorado Springs so we are going to take back off, but we still need to refuel so it is another 45min wait and then we finally get to fly back the the Springs. So after leaving Tampa at 3pm on Friday, I finally arrive in the Springs at 2pm on Saturday. Then, of course, I have to go into work, otherwise I won't get paid. So I work until about 7pm that night, all day on Sunday (0630-1700) and then fly back on Monday only to go back to work at my civilian job. Remind me again why I do this? ;)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Going All Political on Your Ass Part Deux
Hmmm, I didn't get too many responses to my last post, but I can't be sure if that's because the topic is too controversial or because no one gives a crap! Either way, here's your...
Next topic for discussion: Socialized Healthcare
I am not a fan of the idea of socialized healthcare. What I do support is universal healthcare (and there is a difference!). Single payer universal health care is a health care payment system, not a health care delivery system. Health care providers would be in fee for service practice and are not government employees, which would be socialized medicine. This is more a revision of the insurance system than it is the health care system as a whole. I feel this is the best compromise to make sure all of our citizens have access to health care, but we can maintain our competitive system which encourages innovation and research and development. I find it ridiculous that we live in the richest nation in the world but somehow cannot afford to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Personally, I like the system Massachusetts has. There citizens are required to have health insurance, but the state government covers part of or all of the premium cost for low income families (under $32,000/year). This system might be a good compromise for the time being since it is unlikely Congress will ever be able to overcome its inertia/ineptitude and fight back against the insurance company lobbyists (and money) to push true health care reform.
Fluff:
- Truly encapsulating the American entrepreneurial spirit
- I love this site. Thanks to BIL John the Armenian Deal Hound for turning me on to it. It's also where I found Bacon Salt.
- The World Digital Library is just starting out, but I think once it becomes a little more populated it will be an invaluable resource for both researchers and lay history nerds alike ;)
Next topic for discussion: Socialized Healthcare
I am not a fan of the idea of socialized healthcare. What I do support is universal healthcare (and there is a difference!). Single payer universal health care is a health care payment system, not a health care delivery system. Health care providers would be in fee for service practice and are not government employees, which would be socialized medicine. This is more a revision of the insurance system than it is the health care system as a whole. I feel this is the best compromise to make sure all of our citizens have access to health care, but we can maintain our competitive system which encourages innovation and research and development. I find it ridiculous that we live in the richest nation in the world but somehow cannot afford to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Personally, I like the system Massachusetts has. There citizens are required to have health insurance, but the state government covers part of or all of the premium cost for low income families (under $32,000/year). This system might be a good compromise for the time being since it is unlikely Congress will ever be able to overcome its inertia/ineptitude and fight back against the insurance company lobbyists (and money) to push true health care reform.
Fluff:
- Truly encapsulating the American entrepreneurial spirit
- I love this site. Thanks to BIL John the Armenian Deal Hound for turning me on to it. It's also where I found Bacon Salt.
- The World Digital Library is just starting out, but I think once it becomes a little more populated it will be an invaluable resource for both researchers and lay history nerds alike ;)
Going All Political on Your Ass
So you may have guessed that the last two posts were actually written by my ghost blogger ;) I have been so busy with work (yay!) and going here that I haven't had much of a chance to write lately. So today I'm going to open up the floor for discussion. Topic: higher tax rates for the "rich." It is currently under debate in Washington as to whether or not families with combined incomes of over 250K per year should receive a tax hike of, I believe, about another 5%. I ask because #1 I hope to be one of those families some day and #2 because I currently make a pretty decent living (nowhere near $250K a year but a lot more than the median income in the US) and I already pay over 30% of my paycheck in various taxes. The tax hike is intended to affect those families who are considered to be in the top 5% of earners in the US, but, personally, I feel that $250K a year (of a combined family income) doesn't really make you rich. When I think of rich, I think of people making more like $25 million a year. I might make what seems to be a good deal of money, but I only take home 70% of what I make. I have five children to support with daycare, health insurance and college to save for. I also have ageing in-laws with health problems and no savings to speak of. I will likely have to begin supporting them some time in the near future. I've not fully formed an opinion on this matter myself yet because I am of two minds, and I am really curious to hear what the people I care for most have to say on the subject. Okay, I'm getting verklempt, discuss amongst yourselves...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Family Time
Unfortunately, we won't be going to this :(
However, everyone already knows that someone in our family and has seen Damian, Ziggy, and Stephen Marley seperately in concert at least 20 times, none of which, I would ever bring my children too ;) but their music is amazing!! At any rate, if your looking for great music that the family can enjoy (which is hard to find these days)..check this cd out. This is Ziggy Marley's third release and it was especially released for families with children. He has done a lot of work in the past and recently with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Common, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Ben Harper and many others...it is produced by Tuff Gong and his brother, Stephen Marley.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I love football and popcorn.
Schedule Release...here are the predictions
1 Mon, Sept. 14 at New England Patriots ESPN 7 p.m. WIN
2 Sun, Sept. 20 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers FOX 4:05 p.m. WIN
3 Sun, Sept. 27 vs. New Orleans Saints FOX 4:05 p.m. WIN
4 Sun, Oct. 4 at Miami Dolphins CBS 4:05 p.m. WIN
5 Sun, Oct. 11 vs. Cleveland Browns CBS 1 p.m. WIN
6 Sun, Oct. 18 at New York Jets CBS 4:15 p.m. WIN
7 Sun, Oct. 25 at Carolina Panthers CBS 4:05 p.m. WIN
8 Sun, Nov. 1 vs. Houston Texans CBS 1 p.m. WIN
9 Bye
10 Sun, Nov. 15 at Tennessee Titans CBS 1 p.m. WIN
11 Sun, Nov. 22 at Jacksonville Jaguars CBS 1 p.m. WIN
12 Sun, Nov. 29 vs. Miami Dolphins CBS 1 p.m. WIN
13 Thu, Dec. 3 vs. New York Jets NFLN 8:20 p.m. (In Toronto): WIN
14 Sun, Dec. 13 at Kansas City Chiefs CBS 1 p.m. WIN
15 Sun, Dec. 20 vs. New England Patriots CBS 1 p.m. WIN
16 Sun, Dec. 27 at Atlanta Falcons CBS 1 p.m. WIN
17 Sun, Jan. 3 vs. Indianapolis Colts WIN
16-0...there you have it!!! GO BILLS!!!
BTW, October 4th in Miami looks like the game were locking in to attend this year.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Eggcellent*
*I cannot say that word (or its less eggy counterpart) without picturing Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Pardon Mii
Okay, okay, no more job bitching..I mean talk ;) Things are already starting to pick up, and I'm excited about the future. I think they are going to keep me very busy once the kinks get worked out! Anyway, life goes on as usual. Today we went here. It was much, much bigger than our little local market, and there were lots of other foodstuffs that I wish I had brought enough cash to sample! Lots of spices, homemade spreads like hummus, and lots of artisanal breads and cheeses. Too bad I only brought like $15 in cash :( Well, we did come away with some gorgeous zucchini, cantelope,blueberries, mini portabellas (that J picked out over the really delicious looking brussel sprouts...she definately takes after her mama, we loooove our mushrooms!), and some other fruits. We also got a small tub of baba ganoush (a middle eastern eggplant spread), which is fantastic!
In other news, we got a Wii! Yay for Craigslist (I so love that site). Hubs managed to trade some PS3 games + $60 to someone in return for a Wii with two controllers and a bunch of games. The kids had a blast with Wii Ski last night. J&C played for almost 2 straight hours! I like the table tennis and running from the Olympics game. I look forward to spending a shit ton more money on this thing, as I am already coveting Wii Fit, Wii Gold's Gym, Wii Cheer, and Wii Disney DDR (none of which I will be buying for some time, mind you. I do have to try and maintain some kind of sanity in the face of Wi imadness!)
Kid Stuff:
Had to share some cute tidmits from the mind of J. Her vocabulary improves immensely day after day, but her grammatical errors are cause for much amusment on my part. Example:
J: Stop doing that, Mama! Stop doing that or I am annoying you!
What she meant to say was that my humming was annoying her, but I thought he comment was probably accurate even if it wasn't what she intended to say!
Things:
- Etsy - a dear friend clued me into this website. It's Ebay as it was truly meant to be!
- Joy of Baking - For some unknown reason I have had the baking itch since we arrived in St Pete. Not sure what is causing it since I am so not a baker, but I have been making cookies left and right for the last few weeks. Today we are making magic bars, yum!
- Memphis-style ribs - I don't have a link for this one, since I memorized the recipe out of my dad's copy of the Barbecue Bible, but I will post my version after Easter (since we are making it for our Easter dinner!)
In other news, we got a Wii! Yay for Craigslist (I so love that site). Hubs managed to trade some PS3 games + $60 to someone in return for a Wii with two controllers and a bunch of games. The kids had a blast with Wii Ski last night. J&C played for almost 2 straight hours! I like the table tennis and running from the Olympics game. I look forward to spending a shit ton more money on this thing, as I am already coveting Wii Fit, Wii Gold's Gym, Wii Cheer, and Wii Disney DDR (none of which I will be buying for some time, mind you. I do have to try and maintain some kind of sanity in the face of Wi imadness!)
Kid Stuff:
Had to share some cute tidmits from the mind of J. Her vocabulary improves immensely day after day, but her grammatical errors are cause for much amusment on my part. Example:
J: Stop doing that, Mama! Stop doing that or I am annoying you!
What she meant to say was that my humming was annoying her, but I thought he comment was probably accurate even if it wasn't what she intended to say!
Things:
- Etsy - a dear friend clued me into this website. It's Ebay as it was truly meant to be!
- Joy of Baking - For some unknown reason I have had the baking itch since we arrived in St Pete. Not sure what is causing it since I am so not a baker, but I have been making cookies left and right for the last few weeks. Today we are making magic bars, yum!
- Memphis-style ribs - I don't have a link for this one, since I memorized the recipe out of my dad's copy of the Barbecue Bible, but I will post my version after Easter (since we are making it for our Easter dinner!)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Brief Update
Okay, so work...is going okay. My office recently was assigned a new mission; something that is pretty new to the DoD in general, so there's no book/checklist on how to do things. This is both good and bad. I'm really excited to get in at the ground floor and help build up capabilities that have never existed before. On the other hand, this is not an area I have any experience with and I am kind of being tossed into the ring with virtually no marching orders (not sure who the real end customers are, what their needs would be, what tools we have available, etc.) and asked to lead (although they haven't decided how they want to break up the office into teams yet). Oh yeah, and they haven't hired anyone else at my level yet either (there are supposed to be two others in the middle management chain), so even if they did decide how they want to organize everyone, there wouldn't be anyone else there to lead them! I know things will eventually fall into place, but I am feeling very antsy. I feel like the gov't is paying me a lot of $$ to basically sit on my ass and entertain myself all day (still no system access), and no one seems at all concerned. I also miss my coworkers a lot (don't tell them, though, as they are already a bunch of egomaniacs ;) One of the best things about my last job was the comraderie we had in the office. I get the feeling that no one in my new office quite knows what to do with me. All of the analysts seem rather wary of being too casual with me (probably because they're concerned that I might end up being their boss - depending on what team they're placed on), and I only rarely see my own boss (he's usually in the secure facility, but I don't have access to that yet since it's taking forever for my clearances to get passed on, grrr!). So I mostly just sit in my office (I have my own office!) and look at stuff on the shared drive to try and get an idea of what it is I might be doing in the near future. Kind of lonely right now :( But, at least they're paying me well! ;)
Things:
- Super Cook is an awesome resource for the frugal cook (especially when you are determined to use everything in your pantry before you go food shopping again!) Recently I have made the fried cabbage with bacon (just as yummy and un-clean as it sounds!) and Kathleen's Potatoes Pascal, which were also delicious and just as bad for you as the cabbage!
- Fried oysters! One of the best things about living near the beach is the abundance of fresh seafood, which is probably why I have developed an overwhelming craving for fried oysters! Hubs is not a seafood person in general (he doesn't even really like shrimp!), but he has taken comfort in the fact that Florida is mainly populated by people who have fled the cold of New York, so there is also an abundance of great Wing places. We have a small bar/restaurant just around the corner from our house which has excellent fried oysters and pretty darn good wings (the best he's had since he left NY, says Hubs, but they could use a bit more heat to be perfect!). Hopefully this new penchant I have for using Super Cook (it's like a new challange every day!) will keep me from trying to order oysters every night or I may not be seeing much of the beach (I refuse to buy a bigger bathing suit!)
- Hautelook.com - check it out, stylistas!
Things:
- Super Cook is an awesome resource for the frugal cook (especially when you are determined to use everything in your pantry before you go food shopping again!) Recently I have made the fried cabbage with bacon (just as yummy and un-clean as it sounds!) and Kathleen's Potatoes Pascal, which were also delicious and just as bad for you as the cabbage!
- Fried oysters! One of the best things about living near the beach is the abundance of fresh seafood, which is probably why I have developed an overwhelming craving for fried oysters! Hubs is not a seafood person in general (he doesn't even really like shrimp!), but he has taken comfort in the fact that Florida is mainly populated by people who have fled the cold of New York, so there is also an abundance of great Wing places. We have a small bar/restaurant just around the corner from our house which has excellent fried oysters and pretty darn good wings (the best he's had since he left NY, says Hubs, but they could use a bit more heat to be perfect!). Hopefully this new penchant I have for using Super Cook (it's like a new challange every day!) will keep me from trying to order oysters every night or I may not be seeing much of the beach (I refuse to buy a bigger bathing suit!)
- Hautelook.com - check it out, stylistas!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
What We're Doing Right Now*
*Okay, maybe right not this second, but this sight can be seen in my backyard almost every day :)
In other news, I was trying to find a way to use up my cherry tomatoes and came across this recipe (and with a whole new foodie blog to enjoy!). I changed it up a bit since I didn't have kalamata olives by omitting those & adding in about 10-15 cloves of garlic. It was absolutely delish!
I promise a big, long post with news about the new job sometime this weekend, but until then, console yourself with the fact that you didn't have to get 5 shots today, as poor C did when Hubs took her to the doctor for her school enrollment physical (required by FL law). She was very brave, though, not even one tear (a sharp contrast to the flu shot debacle a few months ago!).
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Ode to a Sweet Potato
Oh, sweet potato, how I love thee*
You are so bright, so delicious, so yummy
I can make you in so many ways,
Baked, mashed, fried or stewed
I can't believe there once were days
I thought you only holiday food
I bought you at the farmers market
(hooray for fresh and local!)
I wish your skin wasn't like carpet
'Cause through my skin I pokeled(?)
Okay, so I'm not much for rhyming, but I do enjoy mah sweet potatoes! Seriously, these are one of the best superfoods out there, rich in fiber and vitamins C & A, among others (wiki it, haters). Plus, they're really not all that sweet (especially if you don't make them with marshmallows and brown sugar!). Here's a recipe I made for dinner tonight (along with some delicious NY Strip Steaks*** and fresh asparagus over the fire, also from our local farmers market****):
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces of relatively the same thickness**
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic power
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Whisk oil & spices in a large bowl until well mixed. Add potato pieces and mix with your hands until each piece is coasted equally. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes (turning them after ten minutes). You can also stick them under the broiler for a minute or two if you want them extra crispy.
In other news, here's some pics of the new house with our own personal touches:
You are so bright, so delicious, so yummy
I can make you in so many ways,
Baked, mashed, fried or stewed
I can't believe there once were days
I thought you only holiday food
I bought you at the farmers market
(hooray for fresh and local!)
I wish your skin wasn't like carpet
'Cause through my skin I pokeled(?)
Okay, so I'm not much for rhyming, but I do enjoy mah sweet potatoes! Seriously, these are one of the best superfoods out there, rich in fiber and vitamins C & A, among others (wiki it, haters). Plus, they're really not all that sweet (especially if you don't make them with marshmallows and brown sugar!). Here's a recipe I made for dinner tonight (along with some delicious NY Strip Steaks*** and fresh asparagus over the fire, also from our local farmers market****):
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces of relatively the same thickness**
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic power
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Whisk oil & spices in a large bowl until well mixed. Add potato pieces and mix with your hands until each piece is coasted equally. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes (turning them after ten minutes). You can also stick them under the broiler for a minute or two if you want them extra crispy.
In other news, here's some pics of the new house with our own personal touches:
*thou, thouest, thine...whatever
**I totally suck at this, but it actually doesn't turn out too bad b/c some fries are crispier than others, so there is a nice variety
***Which we got from the butcher, who is literally down the street from our house & teeming with resh, local seafood, too!
***Which we got from the butcher, who is literally down the street from our house & teeming with resh, local seafood, too!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Finally Here!
Well, as you may have guessed, we are finally here in Florida and getting settled in. We arrived at the house on Saturday, and our household goods arrived on Tuesday..not too shabby! We've already put most everything away. The only things left are our bedroom and the garage, which promises to be a nightmare. We downsized quite a bit in square footage, so many things will have to be stored in the garage and we have yet to figure out where everything is going to go. The kids are already loving the pool, and C will have her first day of school tomorrow. I elected to put her into a small Montessori private school since the elementary school we are currently zoned for (considered one of the best in Florida) is due to be closed down this summer thanks to budget cuts. I didn't want to put her into yet another school only to have her switch again next year and be bussed into the city to what promises to be a school of much lesser quality. At her new school, C will only have six students in her entire class! Plus, this school goes from toddler to middle, so both A and J will attend with her next year. Nice to be able to keep them all in the same place! We've also visited our community center and gotten our rec center id cards so the kids can start using those resources. There is a year-round competetive swim team that meets at our local pool, so I've contacted the coach to see if we can get C signed up. The community center also offers a gym that Hubs can use and many childrens classes for a low fee. I'll probably hold off on those until I know what my new work schedule is going to look like. Speaking of which, I still have another 6 days before I start work. I don't think I've ever gone without working for so long, and I still feel like it's going to be a squeeze to get everything done that needs to get done! Sorry so short for now, I promise to write lots of updates as soon as I get more time!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
First of Many Mexico Picture Posts
Okay, so you may have guessed by now that all the Bills postings are by a mysterious guest blogger ;0) But, I'm back now...back from Mexico! It was absolutely fabulous; we had an amazing time and it was very hard to come back to reality. Of course, now we're in the midst of packing everything up and getting ready to hit the road. My last day of work is tomorrow and then it's off to sunny Florida. We may be out of contact for a few days while we're in transit, so I'll leave you with some pictures of our long overdue vacation to tide you over:
Hotel Pics
El Cedral Mayan Ruins
Beach Pictures
Monday, March 09, 2009
Get Your Popcorn Ready!
Bills chief operating office Russ Brandon woke up sometime after midnight Friday morning and noticed there was a text message on his cell phone. So he reached over and looked. It was from Trent Edwards, the quarterback of the Bills. "T.O.'' That's all it said.Brandon shot back with this: "?'' "T.O. was released. Go get him,'' Edwards texted back.
Heck, at least were relevent now...and we don't have to wait until the 59th minute of a 60 minute sports program to see Bills highlights!!! However it plays out, it will make the 2009 season a lot of fun..
GO BILLS!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
House in FL
Hubs got back from FL last night with keys in hand, (hooray) we have a house... and right on the beach too!!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Life's Little Bits
Gah, too distraught about the Hosea win to blog anything about Top Chef. I think this has been the worst season yet. Carla was the only one to root for, but I could have dealt with a Stefan win since at least he was talented (as evidenced my his many, many wins). Hosea only won by default since the other two screwed up (oh, Carla, why on earth would you listen to Casey of all people? She done fucked up her own chance, why did you let her bring you down, whhhhy!!??) Plus it seemed really obvious to me that Tom did not like Stefan and this may have had some influence on how they picked the winner, which is pretty crappy IMHO. Stefan might be pretentious, obnoxious, and full of himself, but Hosea is all those things too, plus a kiss-ass...oh yeah, and he cheated on his girlfriend on national television, which makes him a tool & a douchebag on top of all that. What a very dissatisfying season!
For those of you I haven't gotten a chance to call yet, I'll have a few days off this week so I promise I'll try and catch up wtih everyone to give you all the specifics on the upcoming move. I don't think I've posted a recipe for a while, so here's what I made for dinner tonight (with fair warning that this is one of my favorite meals to make and also is not all that clean...lots of yummy carbs & fat!). I love this recipe because I can add whatever protein I want since just about everything tastes good in the sauce. Tonight, for example, I used leftover sausage and chicken breast.
Pasta w/Tomato Cream Sauce
1 pkg pasta of your choice
6-7 roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream or half & half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a pan and saute tomatoes & garlic until softened (about 5min). Add cream & heat until the sauce starts to reduce slightly, then add the cheese and cook for another minute or so...just until the sauce thickens. If you choose to add a protein, do so before you add the cheese to thicken the sauce.
Kids:
J is gets more and more amusing as she gets older and tries to explain the world in her own words. Today she was playing with her Thomas the Train pretend laptop (a gift from Grandma), so she told me, "I am the mommy because mommies use computers." Hubs replied, "Well, what about daddies." To which she replied, "No, daddies just sit there." Hah!
I am getting a little worried about A. He is already 20 months, but he still isn't talking...at all. I mean he says "mama" and "dada" every once in a blue moon, but that's about it. I seem to remember the girls talking much earlier than this. He seems to understand everything I'm saying. He follows simple directions, and he definately known what "no" means, lol! Am I overreacting here or do you think it's unusual that he's not talking yet?
Workout:
So, I've been keeping steady with my current workout schedule and working on cutting down my portion size and that seems to be working out quite well. I am just one pound shy of my goal weight now, and I am feeling happy with my workouts. I am still using Tracy Anderson (her Mat and Post-Preg workouts) and doing 2 days of high intensity interval training (HIIT) per week (usually P90X Intervals 1x and another interval workout on the other day). I also have added in some Squeeze (I have Squeeze and Squeeze Stronger) and I am loving(!!) Kelly Coffey-Meyer's new 30 Minutes to Fitness series (I have her Bootcamp and Kickbox workouts). I cannot recommend these workouts enough. They are fun, versatile (there are two-30min workouts and an option to combine the two for 1 hour-long workout), and easy to modify (you can go high or low), plus I just love Kelly's personality & music choice (which is essential for whether or not I like a workout). Here's a typical workout week for me right now:
Feb 22 - Squeeze Stronger (70min)
Feb 23 - rest
Feb 24 - KCM Bootcamp (55min)
Feb 25 - TA Mat Workout (60min)
Feb 26 - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster + CLX Intervals (45min)
Feb 27 - KCM Kickbox (55min)
Feb 28 - Cathe Friedrich DrillMax (75min)
Mar 1 - P90M Cardio Intervals + 20 Sara Ivanhoe Yoga (75min)
Things I'm Thankful For:
- Bear Naked granola - This stuff is freaking amazing. In case you didn't know, most granola is actually chock full of sugar and not very good for you. If you look on a box of even Kashi granola, it lists sgars as high as 16-19g! Bear naked granola has just 5g of sugar and it s really, really yummy! I use it on my yogurt all the time.
- DVRs - C can't wait to show her grandparents her tv triumph (they have been on a European jaunt and thus missed the original presentation)
For those of you I haven't gotten a chance to call yet, I'll have a few days off this week so I promise I'll try and catch up wtih everyone to give you all the specifics on the upcoming move. I don't think I've posted a recipe for a while, so here's what I made for dinner tonight (with fair warning that this is one of my favorite meals to make and also is not all that clean...lots of yummy carbs & fat!). I love this recipe because I can add whatever protein I want since just about everything tastes good in the sauce. Tonight, for example, I used leftover sausage and chicken breast.
Pasta w/Tomato Cream Sauce
1 pkg pasta of your choice
6-7 roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream or half & half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a pan and saute tomatoes & garlic until softened (about 5min). Add cream & heat until the sauce starts to reduce slightly, then add the cheese and cook for another minute or so...just until the sauce thickens. If you choose to add a protein, do so before you add the cheese to thicken the sauce.
Kids:
J is gets more and more amusing as she gets older and tries to explain the world in her own words. Today she was playing with her Thomas the Train pretend laptop (a gift from Grandma), so she told me, "I am the mommy because mommies use computers." Hubs replied, "Well, what about daddies." To which she replied, "No, daddies just sit there." Hah!
I am getting a little worried about A. He is already 20 months, but he still isn't talking...at all. I mean he says "mama" and "dada" every once in a blue moon, but that's about it. I seem to remember the girls talking much earlier than this. He seems to understand everything I'm saying. He follows simple directions, and he definately known what "no" means, lol! Am I overreacting here or do you think it's unusual that he's not talking yet?
Workout:
So, I've been keeping steady with my current workout schedule and working on cutting down my portion size and that seems to be working out quite well. I am just one pound shy of my goal weight now, and I am feeling happy with my workouts. I am still using Tracy Anderson (her Mat and Post-Preg workouts) and doing 2 days of high intensity interval training (HIIT) per week (usually P90X Intervals 1x and another interval workout on the other day). I also have added in some Squeeze (I have Squeeze and Squeeze Stronger) and I am loving(!!) Kelly Coffey-Meyer's new 30 Minutes to Fitness series (I have her Bootcamp and Kickbox workouts). I cannot recommend these workouts enough. They are fun, versatile (there are two-30min workouts and an option to combine the two for 1 hour-long workout), and easy to modify (you can go high or low), plus I just love Kelly's personality & music choice (which is essential for whether or not I like a workout). Here's a typical workout week for me right now:
Feb 22 - Squeeze Stronger (70min)
Feb 23 - rest
Feb 24 - KCM Bootcamp (55min)
Feb 25 - TA Mat Workout (60min)
Feb 26 - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster + CLX Intervals (45min)
Feb 27 - KCM Kickbox (55min)
Feb 28 - Cathe Friedrich DrillMax (75min)
Mar 1 - P90M Cardio Intervals + 20 Sara Ivanhoe Yoga (75min)
Things I'm Thankful For:
- Bear Naked granola - This stuff is freaking amazing. In case you didn't know, most granola is actually chock full of sugar and not very good for you. If you look on a box of even Kashi granola, it lists sgars as high as 16-19g! Bear naked granola has just 5g of sugar and it s really, really yummy! I use it on my yogurt all the time.
- DVRs - C can't wait to show her grandparents her tv triumph (they have been on a European jaunt and thus missed the original presentation)
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