I tried a new running route today, through the medical center and museum district, then a loop around Rice University before heading back home. I don't know if it was the cold weather or what, but I found the new route a bit tedious. It had no repeats, though, so I might try it again. I'm always looking for new routes that don't involve driving someplace first.
In bunny news, Cadbury has decided he is a cat. He digs in his litterboxes and flings litter everywhere. It's paper litter and easy to clean up, but it's still annoying.
I have a new recipe to try tomorrow: roasted root vegetables. Central Market's deli has a good version of this, but for a price that's comical in comparison to the price of the vegetables themselves. I'm going to add yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes to my version, so we'll see how this goes. And yes, I actually bought a rutabega. I'm a sick puppy.
I may also try to make this spiced nuts recipe before the holidays. It sounds similar to a recipe I've tasted before and I love the simplicity of using a crock pot.
I guess I better go clean up the bunny litter now. Maybe I'll get a mirror and the cat and try to explain a few things to Cadbury. He is so not a cat, even though he just jumped into my lap, expecting me to pet him.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday Bargain-Hunting
I didn't run today. I did a three-hour spin instead, but I still feel like I cheated. I know it was the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean I like it. I spent all last week fighting borderline bronchitis symptoms and I'm still not 100%. I can exercise, but I knew this morning's temps in the low 40s and strong winds blowing dust around would lead to a setback and another week of reduced workouts and general grumpiness. Spinning this morning in my studio was the right thing to do, but I felt like a slacker. I second-guess myself at times like this, trying to determine if I've really got an excuse or if I'm just looking for one.
Today was a great day for cheap finds! On our way to lunch, Dan and I came across an estate sale. It was pretty picked over, but Dan got a floor lamp for $10 that he will take to his office, and I got a red glass plate for $5 and found some antique books and two first-edition WWII accounts for $1 apiece. My favorite find was a 1929 Spanish book. It's an informational book about Mexico, written in Spanish for students of the language. I also picked up some second edition Zane Gray novels (at $1 apiece) in good condition that I'll give to my mom for Christmas.
Then after lunch I heard back from a woman I had contacted via Craigslist, who had a sewing machine for sale. I went and picked it up-- a Singer FM-17 Fashion Mate, clean, in good running order, for $25. Tonight I got online and found a manual for it so I'll know how to thread the darn thing. I learned how to use a sewing machine when I was a kid, but I've never had one of my own, so this is exciting for me. I have a lot of projects that never get finished because of the tedium of doing everything by hand.
So in all, it was a good day. I'll try to run tomorrow afternoon during my usual spin time, when the temps are supposed to be in the 60s. And I'm signed up to bring macaroni and cheese to my department's Thanksgiving lunch next week, so guess what I'll be cooking again soon? I hope some of my readers have had a chance to try last week's recipe, and I'm looking forward to seeing what my co-workers think of it.
Today was a great day for cheap finds! On our way to lunch, Dan and I came across an estate sale. It was pretty picked over, but Dan got a floor lamp for $10 that he will take to his office, and I got a red glass plate for $5 and found some antique books and two first-edition WWII accounts for $1 apiece. My favorite find was a 1929 Spanish book. It's an informational book about Mexico, written in Spanish for students of the language. I also picked up some second edition Zane Gray novels (at $1 apiece) in good condition that I'll give to my mom for Christmas.
Then after lunch I heard back from a woman I had contacted via Craigslist, who had a sewing machine for sale. I went and picked it up-- a Singer FM-17 Fashion Mate, clean, in good running order, for $25. Tonight I got online and found a manual for it so I'll know how to thread the darn thing. I learned how to use a sewing machine when I was a kid, but I've never had one of my own, so this is exciting for me. I have a lot of projects that never get finished because of the tedium of doing everything by hand.
So in all, it was a good day. I'll try to run tomorrow afternoon during my usual spin time, when the temps are supposed to be in the 60s. And I'm signed up to bring macaroni and cheese to my department's Thanksgiving lunch next week, so guess what I'll be cooking again soon? I hope some of my readers have had a chance to try last week's recipe, and I'm looking forward to seeing what my co-workers think of it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday Recipe Share
Last night I tried this recipe for Polenta Spinach Pie. It's basically a cornbread crust pizza and I added fresh garlic, didn't use anything remotely like two cups of sauce, and I used both mozarella and parmesan on top. Dan and I were both very pleased with the results. It's easy, quick, tasty, and would probably be delicious with any toppings, if one weren't crazy about spinach.
We still don't have internet service at home and I'm torn on the subject of whether or not to spring for a land line for backup. We wouldn't use it very often and I would only consider it worth the initial expense if Comcast were going to be out for another week or more. But Comcast can't say how long before we have service again. It could be a day, a week, or a month. No one at the customer service level has any clue. It's frustrating.
I'm beginning to suspect that the problem with our cable is related to the fact that most of our neighborhood remains without power. This morning I saw that the street at the far opposite side of the neighborhood has power but they, like we, have back yards that abut university property. Everyone in the middle is dark and other than the tree-cutters, no crews have come to work at restoring service. And in spite of the Houston Chronicle's assertion that not all power restoration requires actual trucks, you've seen the pictures of the smashed pole, broken box and sagging cables. We do, in fact, need trucks. And workers. And equipment. Lots of it.
If our internet is related somehow to the power problem, we could be waiting awhile, since I don't think our neighbors are scheduled for electric service restoration until the weekend, and that's if workers actually show up and start doing something and no additional problems are found.
I'm going to check if my studio gets any wireless bleedover from the university. I doubt it, because I don't think the university's wireless service extends to the back of the parking lot and therefore to my fence, but one never knows and it's worth checking.
In the meantime, it's getting easier to write and do other projects. It was hard at first because I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. It gets easier, though, and I have to keep reminding myself that we've been much luckier than our neighbors and I need to grateful. Time will pass and someday this will all be an amusing memory.
We still don't have internet service at home and I'm torn on the subject of whether or not to spring for a land line for backup. We wouldn't use it very often and I would only consider it worth the initial expense if Comcast were going to be out for another week or more. But Comcast can't say how long before we have service again. It could be a day, a week, or a month. No one at the customer service level has any clue. It's frustrating.
I'm beginning to suspect that the problem with our cable is related to the fact that most of our neighborhood remains without power. This morning I saw that the street at the far opposite side of the neighborhood has power but they, like we, have back yards that abut university property. Everyone in the middle is dark and other than the tree-cutters, no crews have come to work at restoring service. And in spite of the Houston Chronicle's assertion that not all power restoration requires actual trucks, you've seen the pictures of the smashed pole, broken box and sagging cables. We do, in fact, need trucks. And workers. And equipment. Lots of it.
If our internet is related somehow to the power problem, we could be waiting awhile, since I don't think our neighbors are scheduled for electric service restoration until the weekend, and that's if workers actually show up and start doing something and no additional problems are found.
I'm going to check if my studio gets any wireless bleedover from the university. I doubt it, because I don't think the university's wireless service extends to the back of the parking lot and therefore to my fence, but one never knows and it's worth checking.
In the meantime, it's getting easier to write and do other projects. It was hard at first because I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. It gets easier, though, and I have to keep reminding myself that we've been much luckier than our neighbors and I need to grateful. Time will pass and someday this will all be an amusing memory.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Eggs and Internet
It seems amazing that a week has already gone by since I woke up to find Dan parked in front of the TV watching the storm surge crashing over the Galveston seawall. Even though we were without power until Wednesday afternoon, we were incredibly fortunate to have cool weather and the resources of the university at our disposal. Things could have been much worse for us.
Our only two dilemmas now are lack of internet service at home and the state of the city in general. Dan tried to go run errands the other evening and came back saying it was still too crazy out there. From my co-workers I hear of long gas lines, long grocery lines, debris, detours, and traffic lights out everywhere.
This leaves us dependent on our existing food storage at home. It's not a really huge problem for me since I'm content to eat pretty much the same thing day in and day out. But I like to provide Dan with variety and it's starting to become problematic. Or rather, the lack of eggs is becoming problematic. I'm running low on cheese and butter, too, but without eggs I'm having to get creative to avoid serving some variation of rice and beans every day.
I should've stored powdered eggs and that's all there is to it. I used to have some but they tended to clump and were tricky to work with. I feel kind of stupid now for not keeping some on hand anyway. It's an important lesson learned. I also want to find out how to make yogurt without a starter. I think I can do this with acidophillus tablets but I'll have to do a little research first. Yogurt would be great to have as a substitute for sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese. I know how to make yogurt and I have powdered milk. Just nothing to use as a starter. Another lesson learned.
This is not a real crisis, though. We have other food. We have restaurants right here on campus. We can go to the store if we're willing to put in the time and deal with the hassle. But I'm using this experience to understand where my planning gaps are, and eggs and yogurt are big ones.
Last night I made a loaf of honey-wheat bread for sandwiches (we've got plenty of peanut butter) and a focaccia pizza using a focaccia mix I bought several months ago, and Bag Lady's wonderful pizza sauce. I topped it with the last of my mozzarella and some rehydrated onions, tomatoes, zucchini and spinach leaves. It was completely delicious and there's a lot left over. I also found a recipe for empanadas in one of my cookbooks, so I plan to give that a try using minced rehydrated jerky and onions, and with a side of rehydrated refried beans.
So no, we're not starving by any stretch of the imagination. But I never realized until now how much I really needed eggs! Or the internet. I miss being able to read blogs and news at home. I have to rush through things here at the office because I'm supposed to be working.
Like right now.
Damn.
Our only two dilemmas now are lack of internet service at home and the state of the city in general. Dan tried to go run errands the other evening and came back saying it was still too crazy out there. From my co-workers I hear of long gas lines, long grocery lines, debris, detours, and traffic lights out everywhere.
This leaves us dependent on our existing food storage at home. It's not a really huge problem for me since I'm content to eat pretty much the same thing day in and day out. But I like to provide Dan with variety and it's starting to become problematic. Or rather, the lack of eggs is becoming problematic. I'm running low on cheese and butter, too, but without eggs I'm having to get creative to avoid serving some variation of rice and beans every day.
I should've stored powdered eggs and that's all there is to it. I used to have some but they tended to clump and were tricky to work with. I feel kind of stupid now for not keeping some on hand anyway. It's an important lesson learned. I also want to find out how to make yogurt without a starter. I think I can do this with acidophillus tablets but I'll have to do a little research first. Yogurt would be great to have as a substitute for sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese. I know how to make yogurt and I have powdered milk. Just nothing to use as a starter. Another lesson learned.
This is not a real crisis, though. We have other food. We have restaurants right here on campus. We can go to the store if we're willing to put in the time and deal with the hassle. But I'm using this experience to understand where my planning gaps are, and eggs and yogurt are big ones.
Last night I made a loaf of honey-wheat bread for sandwiches (we've got plenty of peanut butter) and a focaccia pizza using a focaccia mix I bought several months ago, and Bag Lady's wonderful pizza sauce. I topped it with the last of my mozzarella and some rehydrated onions, tomatoes, zucchini and spinach leaves. It was completely delicious and there's a lot left over. I also found a recipe for empanadas in one of my cookbooks, so I plan to give that a try using minced rehydrated jerky and onions, and with a side of rehydrated refried beans.
So no, we're not starving by any stretch of the imagination. But I never realized until now how much I really needed eggs! Or the internet. I miss being able to read blogs and news at home. I have to rush through things here at the office because I'm supposed to be working.
Like right now.
Damn.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sunday Wrap-up and Recipe Share
This has been a particularly productive weekend for me.
My Saturday run was very nice—we’ve had some cooler (by our standards) weather lately and for the first time since May, I ended a long run without being thoroughly soaked. Although it’s true that I learned to run in a Houston summer and can gauge my effort by how much sweat I wring out of my clothes, that doesn’t mean I don’t greet cooler weather with joy. But September is still summer for all intents and purposes, so the weather should be up to its old tricks by next weekend if Hurricane Ike doesn’t come here.
I have some new art project ideas so I went to Michael’s today to stock up on craft supplies. Although I wasn’t surprised by how high my total came to, it is interesting how quickly all those $3 and $4 items add up. It doesn’t help that I’m more likely to buy too much than too little, for fear I’ll get halfway into something and realize I don’t have what I need to continue. I’d rather spend $20 I didn’t need to than spend an hour or more of my time going back for that one thing I didn’t get. Sadly, there is every likelihood I’ll have to go back anyway since I'm new at this particular type of project and don't know what to anticipate, but that’s just how things go.
I’ll have more to say about my art project as time goes on. There might be a giveaway involved, if all goes well. For now, I'm still experimenting.
I tried a new recipe today and it’s a good one. Check out these Black-Eyed Pea Cakes. When I made them as directed I found them too wet to work into patties so I added extra breadcrumbs and some of Bag Lady’s dehydrated spinach. My next misadventure was trying to fry them, per the instructions. In spite of generous amounts of olive oil, they stuck to the pan, so I ended up baking these about 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Putting them on the broiler would’ve worked, too. I skipped the adobo sauce and instead I topped them with chipotle cheddar. The result was so delicious that Dan insisted on trying one, then ate the whole thing even though he had just finished a big lunch. He ate another one tonight and is pestering me for more. It looks like I’ll have no choice but to make more if I want to enjoy any myself!
I also made oatmeal cookies, Persian spiced rice and curry zucchini and broccoli. I have some leftovers from other meals in the fridge, so this ought to get me through the week and if not, it only takes five minutes to make a batch of couscous.
I have two new short stories up this weekend. Ordinary Miracles is part of the Will and Diana series, and The Beauty Queen is a Steal Tomorrow Extra. Check them out if you’ve got time.
And in bunny news, Cadbury did his first out-of-cage flop tonight under my chair by my feet. I wasn’t able to get a picture of it, so this picture of him under the computer chair will have to do.
I know he looks sweet but he's now in the corner trying to relocate the litterbox and chew fringe onto the sides. I have serious misgivings about his decorating ideas but there's no stopping him once he has a notion.
Have a good week, everyone!
My Saturday run was very nice—we’ve had some cooler (by our standards) weather lately and for the first time since May, I ended a long run without being thoroughly soaked. Although it’s true that I learned to run in a Houston summer and can gauge my effort by how much sweat I wring out of my clothes, that doesn’t mean I don’t greet cooler weather with joy. But September is still summer for all intents and purposes, so the weather should be up to its old tricks by next weekend if Hurricane Ike doesn’t come here.
I have some new art project ideas so I went to Michael’s today to stock up on craft supplies. Although I wasn’t surprised by how high my total came to, it is interesting how quickly all those $3 and $4 items add up. It doesn’t help that I’m more likely to buy too much than too little, for fear I’ll get halfway into something and realize I don’t have what I need to continue. I’d rather spend $20 I didn’t need to than spend an hour or more of my time going back for that one thing I didn’t get. Sadly, there is every likelihood I’ll have to go back anyway since I'm new at this particular type of project and don't know what to anticipate, but that’s just how things go.
I’ll have more to say about my art project as time goes on. There might be a giveaway involved, if all goes well. For now, I'm still experimenting.
I tried a new recipe today and it’s a good one. Check out these Black-Eyed Pea Cakes. When I made them as directed I found them too wet to work into patties so I added extra breadcrumbs and some of Bag Lady’s dehydrated spinach. My next misadventure was trying to fry them, per the instructions. In spite of generous amounts of olive oil, they stuck to the pan, so I ended up baking these about 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Putting them on the broiler would’ve worked, too. I skipped the adobo sauce and instead I topped them with chipotle cheddar. The result was so delicious that Dan insisted on trying one, then ate the whole thing even though he had just finished a big lunch. He ate another one tonight and is pestering me for more. It looks like I’ll have no choice but to make more if I want to enjoy any myself!
I also made oatmeal cookies, Persian spiced rice and curry zucchini and broccoli. I have some leftovers from other meals in the fridge, so this ought to get me through the week and if not, it only takes five minutes to make a batch of couscous.
I have two new short stories up this weekend. Ordinary Miracles is part of the Will and Diana series, and The Beauty Queen is a Steal Tomorrow Extra. Check them out if you’ve got time.
And in bunny news, Cadbury did his first out-of-cage flop tonight under my chair by my feet. I wasn’t able to get a picture of it, so this picture of him under the computer chair will have to do.
I know he looks sweet but he's now in the corner trying to relocate the litterbox and chew fringe onto the sides. I have serious misgivings about his decorating ideas but there's no stopping him once he has a notion.
Have a good week, everyone!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday Recipe Share
Since it's a long weekend, I didn't feel the same sense of urgency to get all the week's cooking done today. And a good thing, because I had a few obstacles thrown in my path.
For starters, I was working on a story this morning when Dan decided to go for a run. This was the first time in more than a year and he couldn't find his shoes. Or his running shirts. Or his old mp3 player with his running songs queued up on it. No matter how much one might want to say, "Hey, buddy, that's YOUR problem," the fact remains that it's damn difficult to immerse oneself in a fictional world with someone coming in and out of the room, digging through things, asking questions and muttering sour nothings under his breath.
Around noon, I gave up and left to run errands. I was already an hour behind schedule and had to make a separate stop to pick up my asthma meds, since my annual deductible kicks in on Monday. Still, it all would've worked out okay if I hadn't come out of Central Market at 12:45 and found my car wouldn't start. AAA got there in pretty good time, but it was still 1:30 before I got home and could start cooking.
And by the time I got done with my cooking for the day, it was just too late in the afternoon to do a bike workout. I was hungry and it was nap time, so I'll just have to try to work that into my schedule for tomorrow.
But I did try some new recipes today, and here they are:
Peanut Butter Cookies: In the comments associated with this recipe, everyone suggested adding more flour, so I (rebel that I am) added 1/4 cup of quick oats and some pecan meal to the cookie dough. I also added about 1/4 cup of maple syrup and some cinnamon. Be sure to take the cookies out sooner rather than later if you like them soft. These are totally decadent and delicious, and I have a feeling I'll be asked to make them again!
Persian Spiced Rice with Potato Crust: I had this for dinner, hot out of the oven. It's quite a treat! I don't have a 1-quart casserole dish, so I used my 2-quart dish and doubled the recipe. If you do the same, bear in mind that you need to increase the cooking time. I used red potatoes instead of new potatoes, since that was what I had on hand. Yukon golds would've been good, too. I used yogurt instead of sour cream, and I didn't have saffron. Oh well. I threw in some curry and coriander and ended up with something probably more Indian than Persian, but hey, it's all good.
I also made Apricot Bread again, but I haven't tried it yet so I can't say how my new recipe adjustments worked out. Faithful blog readers may remember that I thought it was a little dry and not sweet enough last time. This time I added some apricot preserves and maple syrup, so we'll see how that worked out.
And that's it on recipes today. My day wasn't nearly as productive as I would've liked it to be, but that's just how it goes sometimes. At least I don't have to go to work tomorrow, so I can try again!
(Note: The car issue was a loose battery post. I gave someone a jump at the park yesterday morning after my run and he said I had a loose battery post, but I was brain-dead and didn't really get what he was saying until I was outside Central Market today with a car that wouldn't crank. Never try to tell something to a tired runner. It does no good.)
For starters, I was working on a story this morning when Dan decided to go for a run. This was the first time in more than a year and he couldn't find his shoes. Or his running shirts. Or his old mp3 player with his running songs queued up on it. No matter how much one might want to say, "Hey, buddy, that's YOUR problem," the fact remains that it's damn difficult to immerse oneself in a fictional world with someone coming in and out of the room, digging through things, asking questions and muttering sour nothings under his breath.
Around noon, I gave up and left to run errands. I was already an hour behind schedule and had to make a separate stop to pick up my asthma meds, since my annual deductible kicks in on Monday. Still, it all would've worked out okay if I hadn't come out of Central Market at 12:45 and found my car wouldn't start. AAA got there in pretty good time, but it was still 1:30 before I got home and could start cooking.
And by the time I got done with my cooking for the day, it was just too late in the afternoon to do a bike workout. I was hungry and it was nap time, so I'll just have to try to work that into my schedule for tomorrow.
But I did try some new recipes today, and here they are:
Peanut Butter Cookies: In the comments associated with this recipe, everyone suggested adding more flour, so I (rebel that I am) added 1/4 cup of quick oats and some pecan meal to the cookie dough. I also added about 1/4 cup of maple syrup and some cinnamon. Be sure to take the cookies out sooner rather than later if you like them soft. These are totally decadent and delicious, and I have a feeling I'll be asked to make them again!
Persian Spiced Rice with Potato Crust: I had this for dinner, hot out of the oven. It's quite a treat! I don't have a 1-quart casserole dish, so I used my 2-quart dish and doubled the recipe. If you do the same, bear in mind that you need to increase the cooking time. I used red potatoes instead of new potatoes, since that was what I had on hand. Yukon golds would've been good, too. I used yogurt instead of sour cream, and I didn't have saffron. Oh well. I threw in some curry and coriander and ended up with something probably more Indian than Persian, but hey, it's all good.
I also made Apricot Bread again, but I haven't tried it yet so I can't say how my new recipe adjustments worked out. Faithful blog readers may remember that I thought it was a little dry and not sweet enough last time. This time I added some apricot preserves and maple syrup, so we'll see how that worked out.
And that's it on recipes today. My day wasn't nearly as productive as I would've liked it to be, but that's just how it goes sometimes. At least I don't have to go to work tomorrow, so I can try again!
(Note: The car issue was a loose battery post. I gave someone a jump at the park yesterday morning after my run and he said I had a loose battery post, but I was brain-dead and didn't really get what he was saying until I was outside Central Market today with a car that wouldn't crank. Never try to tell something to a tired runner. It does no good.)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Busy Sunday
Sometimes I wonder who is the crazy person in this household. My weekends are taken up with working out, cooking, cleaning, running errands and catching up on economic news, while my husband’s weekend seems to mostly be about searching for the perfect ringtone for his Blackberry.
Yeah, I don’t get it, either.
At any rate, I wrote and posted a new Steal Tomorrow flash fiction piece this morning, then went to run a few errands and mentally curse the people of this world who do not understand that blocking grocery aisles with your cart is bad and adding your cart to someone else’s aisle-blocking cart does not improve matters.
I came home and cooked for the week. Nothing new here, but I made:
Now I’m going to iron some clothes for work, do my nails, feed the bunny and settle in with some quiet time for writing, editing, etc.
Cadbury seems to be settling down a bit. He still has intense periods of exploration and friskiness, but he also spends more time just hanging out in loaf position. I guess he’s getting used to this place. He still has a lot to learn, though, including that scratching at a door will not make it open. For that, you need opposable thumbs. I tried to explain, but he remains undeterred. Dan says I shouldn’t trust a bunny in a mask, and maybe he’s right.
Yeah, I don’t get it, either.
At any rate, I wrote and posted a new Steal Tomorrow flash fiction piece this morning, then went to run a few errands and mentally curse the people of this world who do not understand that blocking grocery aisles with your cart is bad and adding your cart to someone else’s aisle-blocking cart does not improve matters.
I came home and cooked for the week. Nothing new here, but I made:
- Quinoa-Spinach Bake
- Rice Balls
- Curried Zucchini and Yellow Squash
- Baked Yellow Squash with Chipolte Cheddar
- Brown Rice
- Oatmeal Cookies
Now I’m going to iron some clothes for work, do my nails, feed the bunny and settle in with some quiet time for writing, editing, etc.
Cadbury seems to be settling down a bit. He still has intense periods of exploration and friskiness, but he also spends more time just hanging out in loaf position. I guess he’s getting used to this place. He still has a lot to learn, though, including that scratching at a door will not make it open. For that, you need opposable thumbs. I tried to explain, but he remains undeterred. Dan says I shouldn’t trust a bunny in a mask, and maybe he’s right.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Miscellaneous Thursday
Gratuitous Cadbury pic:
It's been raining this week and as luck would have it, the university rec center is closed as they prep for the start of the new semester next week. I've been making do with spin workouts in my studio, but it's getting old.
I've been busy at work all week getting merit increases verified and loaded. There are a lot of reports and queries to run, a lot of triangulation, and I feel slow because it's all new to me. I've always been on the department side ("What do you mean you cancelled his merit increase because he's ineligible?") so it's a whole different ballgame being on the inside with thousands of these things to match and make right.
Monday was the most critical day and my boss ordered in lunch for all of us. Why is it that although so many restaurants and caterers now have delicious vegetarian offerings, there are still places that can't think of anything more creative than salad on a pita? Vegetarian IS a popular option for a lot of people and if you offer it, people will order it.
Eight years ago when I was new in my first department business manager role, I insisted we start having vegetarian food at all our office parties. The Old Guard looked at me askance and said no one but me would eat it. Boy, did I prove them wrong! I brought the veggie stuff myself and it was what we always ran out of first. Then we got a Jain AVP and the rest was history. I never had to fight again for vegetarian.
Yet in some places the struggle continues. I mean, I like salad, I like bread, but...oh, never mind.
Time to pull some clothes for tomorrow, feed the critters and settle in with some writing. We're at the beginning of Chapter Two on Steal Tomorrow, so if you haven't been following along, it's still easy to catch up! I'm doing a little advertising of my web serial through Project Wonderful and we'll see how that goes. It's cheap and if it makes my hit count go up, it'll be worth the pennies!
It's been raining this week and as luck would have it, the university rec center is closed as they prep for the start of the new semester next week. I've been making do with spin workouts in my studio, but it's getting old.
I've been busy at work all week getting merit increases verified and loaded. There are a lot of reports and queries to run, a lot of triangulation, and I feel slow because it's all new to me. I've always been on the department side ("What do you mean you cancelled his merit increase because he's ineligible?") so it's a whole different ballgame being on the inside with thousands of these things to match and make right.
Monday was the most critical day and my boss ordered in lunch for all of us. Why is it that although so many restaurants and caterers now have delicious vegetarian offerings, there are still places that can't think of anything more creative than salad on a pita? Vegetarian IS a popular option for a lot of people and if you offer it, people will order it.
Eight years ago when I was new in my first department business manager role, I insisted we start having vegetarian food at all our office parties. The Old Guard looked at me askance and said no one but me would eat it. Boy, did I prove them wrong! I brought the veggie stuff myself and it was what we always ran out of first. Then we got a Jain AVP and the rest was history. I never had to fight again for vegetarian.
Yet in some places the struggle continues. I mean, I like salad, I like bread, but...oh, never mind.
Time to pull some clothes for tomorrow, feed the critters and settle in with some writing. We're at the beginning of Chapter Two on Steal Tomorrow, so if you haven't been following along, it's still easy to catch up! I'm doing a little advertising of my web serial through Project Wonderful and we'll see how that goes. It's cheap and if it makes my hit count go up, it'll be worth the pennies!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Back on Schedule
For several weeks, my weekend has been disrupted with have-tos. Some have been good (Cadbury!), some have been less tedious than I expected them to be (Dan’s half-sister’s daughter’s Pentecostal wedding), and others have been teeth-grindingly frustrating (lunch with my immediate family).
I’m a creature of habit and too many weeks in a row of disruptions to my schedule leave me irritable and tired in a deep way that extroverts can never understand. So it was with great joy that I greeted my first normal weekend in a long time.
My Saturday long run was a semi-repeat of last week, when I got up extra-early and drove to Memorial Park so I could begin my run at 5:00 and finish before the weather became obscenely hot. Memorial Park is full of runners at almost every hour of the day and night, so it was quite safe to be trotting the trails in the pre-dawn darkness. Once there was a little light, I took off toward Turtle Pond, the roadside garden, and Tanglewood, which is a route I’ve missed doing since moving close to the university. Upon my return to the park, I did one more loop, changed into dry clothes in the Tennis Center locker room, and went home. Indian buffet lunch proceeded on schedule, as did my post-everything afternoon nap. Very nice.
Today I spent some time in the kitchen, making food for the week. Menu is as follows:
* Quinoa Spinach Bake, using Bag Lady’s spinach.
* Rice Balls, using chipotle cheddar instead of mozzarella. Mind-blowingly delicious.
* Steamed Broccoli
* Brown and Jasmine rice blend
* Oatmeal Cookies
* Granola Bars (made these Saturday night)
I’ll probably make some kind of quickbread this week, but I haven’t decided what kind. I have a lot of dried apricots, so I’m leaning toward using them in some way.
I followed up my afternoon in the kitchen with a 90 minute spin in my exercise studio. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been able to do that.
And finally, the big news. I finished the line edits of my novel this morning and uploaded it into Lulu for print or electronic-download purchase. The pocket format is more expensive than the trade paperback format for some reason, so I’ll be working on the trade format tonight or tomorrow and making that available as well. I also uploaded the novel into Kindle format, available from Amazon in a few days. For more information about all of this, check out my post on my writing blog. And to get started reading the web serial, you may bookmark Steal Tomorrow, add it to your reader, or sign up for the emails. New posts will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
That’s it! It’s been a nice weekend of re-charging by doing the same-old and I’m ready to face the week. Sort of. This actually promises to be Hell Week because we’ve got exactly one week to review, approve, and upload all merit increases for the entire university, but hey, one Hell Week every now and then is nothing compared to Every Week a Hell Week in my last job. I am so counting my blessings!
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Rain Day laziness
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Sunday: 90 minute spin
I’m a creature of habit and too many weeks in a row of disruptions to my schedule leave me irritable and tired in a deep way that extroverts can never understand. So it was with great joy that I greeted my first normal weekend in a long time.
My Saturday long run was a semi-repeat of last week, when I got up extra-early and drove to Memorial Park so I could begin my run at 5:00 and finish before the weather became obscenely hot. Memorial Park is full of runners at almost every hour of the day and night, so it was quite safe to be trotting the trails in the pre-dawn darkness. Once there was a little light, I took off toward Turtle Pond, the roadside garden, and Tanglewood, which is a route I’ve missed doing since moving close to the university. Upon my return to the park, I did one more loop, changed into dry clothes in the Tennis Center locker room, and went home. Indian buffet lunch proceeded on schedule, as did my post-everything afternoon nap. Very nice.
Today I spent some time in the kitchen, making food for the week. Menu is as follows:
* Quinoa Spinach Bake, using Bag Lady’s spinach.
* Rice Balls, using chipotle cheddar instead of mozzarella. Mind-blowingly delicious.
* Steamed Broccoli
* Brown and Jasmine rice blend
* Oatmeal Cookies
* Granola Bars (made these Saturday night)
I’ll probably make some kind of quickbread this week, but I haven’t decided what kind. I have a lot of dried apricots, so I’m leaning toward using them in some way.
I followed up my afternoon in the kitchen with a 90 minute spin in my exercise studio. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been able to do that.
And finally, the big news. I finished the line edits of my novel this morning and uploaded it into Lulu for print or electronic-download purchase. The pocket format is more expensive than the trade paperback format for some reason, so I’ll be working on the trade format tonight or tomorrow and making that available as well. I also uploaded the novel into Kindle format, available from Amazon in a few days. For more information about all of this, check out my post on my writing blog. And to get started reading the web serial, you may bookmark Steal Tomorrow, add it to your reader, or sign up for the emails. New posts will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
That’s it! It’s been a nice weekend of re-charging by doing the same-old and I’m ready to face the week. Sort of. This actually promises to be Hell Week because we’ve got exactly one week to review, approve, and upload all merit increases for the entire university, but hey, one Hell Week every now and then is nothing compared to Every Week a Hell Week in my last job. I am so counting my blessings!
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Rain Day laziness
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Sunday: 90 minute spin
Friday, August 08, 2008
Thanks, Bag Lady!
A package arrived today!
Cadbury was very curious, since he had heard a rumor that the box might contain spinach.
The box did indeed contain spinach, but in dehydrated form for cooking. It's from Bag Lady's garden and she also sent chiles, chutney, salsa, and some of her delicious homemade crackers. There was also a Canada pen in the box, but although I have immense respect for Bag Lady's talents, I'm pretty sure she doesn't make ball-point pens.
Thank you, BL! Such a nice surprise to find on my doorstep at the end of a busy day!
Cadbury was very curious, since he had heard a rumor that the box might contain spinach.
The box did indeed contain spinach, but in dehydrated form for cooking. It's from Bag Lady's garden and she also sent chiles, chutney, salsa, and some of her delicious homemade crackers. There was also a Canada pen in the box, but although I have immense respect for Bag Lady's talents, I'm pretty sure she doesn't make ball-point pens.
Thank you, BL! Such a nice surprise to find on my doorstep at the end of a busy day!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Rainy Day
Well, I was right that the storm would take a last-minute hook to the east and spare us the worst of it, but what we ended up with was a disappointing mix of the worst of both worlds. It has rained all day, so I couldn’t go for a run. It was the kind of horizontal rain that made walking to the gym out of the question (and I don’t have a parking tag to park at the gym). But it didn’t rain hard enough to actually be scary and interesting.
On the plus side, our new water heater got installed. If it had truly stormed around here, the installers couldn't have come and I’d still be listening to the racket of that leaky old thing, so I’m glad to have it fixed. Then again, if it hadn’t rained, I wouldn’t have had to mop the floor after the installers left. Mud and water all over my black and white tiles. Yuck.
I did a little work from home this afternoon and may do more tonight. I’m almost out of banana bread, so I’ll probably do some sort of quick bread tonight, too. I've been doing some recipe searches for something new to try. I'm a little burned out on carrot bread, and I don't want to make pumpkin bread because it doesn't require a full can of pumpkin and I don't currently have a use for the remainder. Look for a new recipe from me tonight or tomorrow!
And so no one thinks I've spent the whole day in serious pursuits, I got Cadbury set up on Bunspace so he can make some virtual bunny friends:
His story is on his profile, or what I know of it. Basically, he was a hutch bunny who ended up with a rescue group and was then adopted by a nice young lady who soon found that her new job and roommates didn't allow her to give Cadbury the kind of life he deserved. She advertised on Craigslist and things worked out.
Cadbury is starting to settle in. His initial behavior was probably just his reaction to being allowed to free-range. He still runs around, and he spent about half an hour this morning burrowing in a comforter Dan left on the floor, but he spends a lot of time lounging in the wicker tunnel now, too. Maybe soon we can trust him on his own when we're not in the same room, but it will be awhile before we decide if it'll ever be safe to leave him out when we're not here. Tid was pretty special in that she wasn't a cord-chewer. Most bunnies are, though, and we need to be certain he won't hurt himself before leaving him to his own lapine devices.
Gonna go have a granola bar now. I guess I'll need to make some more of those tonight, too!
On the plus side, our new water heater got installed. If it had truly stormed around here, the installers couldn't have come and I’d still be listening to the racket of that leaky old thing, so I’m glad to have it fixed. Then again, if it hadn’t rained, I wouldn’t have had to mop the floor after the installers left. Mud and water all over my black and white tiles. Yuck.
I did a little work from home this afternoon and may do more tonight. I’m almost out of banana bread, so I’ll probably do some sort of quick bread tonight, too. I've been doing some recipe searches for something new to try. I'm a little burned out on carrot bread, and I don't want to make pumpkin bread because it doesn't require a full can of pumpkin and I don't currently have a use for the remainder. Look for a new recipe from me tonight or tomorrow!
And so no one thinks I've spent the whole day in serious pursuits, I got Cadbury set up on Bunspace so he can make some virtual bunny friends:
His story is on his profile, or what I know of it. Basically, he was a hutch bunny who ended up with a rescue group and was then adopted by a nice young lady who soon found that her new job and roommates didn't allow her to give Cadbury the kind of life he deserved. She advertised on Craigslist and things worked out.
Cadbury is starting to settle in. His initial behavior was probably just his reaction to being allowed to free-range. He still runs around, and he spent about half an hour this morning burrowing in a comforter Dan left on the floor, but he spends a lot of time lounging in the wicker tunnel now, too. Maybe soon we can trust him on his own when we're not in the same room, but it will be awhile before we decide if it'll ever be safe to leave him out when we're not here. Tid was pretty special in that she wasn't a cord-chewer. Most bunnies are, though, and we need to be certain he won't hurt himself before leaving him to his own lapine devices.
Gonna go have a granola bar now. I guess I'll need to make some more of those tonight, too!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sunday Round-Up
Since we still hope to go out of town at the end of the coming week, today was a Big Shopping and Baking Day.
I started my morning by doing a little writing while sipping Sumatran coffee. I suspect I’ll be going down to the wire on my draft, but I do think I can make my target of finishing before Thursday.
Then I went out and ran a few errands, came home and started cooking:
For anyone curious, the humza bread was at one time touted as some sort of miracle diet food. I don’t believe in “miracle foods” and my weight is just fine, thank you. But any sort of food that travels well and packs a lot of hunger-reduction in a small package is good road trip food, especially for the long stretches of West Texas, where you can drive all day without finding anything better than a gas station convenience store selling hours-old fried chicken from under a heat lamp. So rather than take a chance of starving, I’m giving the humza bread a try. It’s quite tasty in its own right, so I may make this a regular thing.
I now have a refrigerator packed to the gills! Later this week I’ll be making some more cornbread and some carrot or zucchini bread. I also want to try my hand at spinach frittatas. I saw a recipe for some that are quite small and I think they would make good road trip food. One of the great things about hours and hours of driving in the western sun is that if you wrap a food item in foil and set it on the dashboard for a couple hours, it gets nice and hot. Try it yourself if you don’t believe me! You’ll never think of travel food the same way again.
So I’m envisioning stopping for picnics that consist of frittatas and grape tomatoes or curry chickpeas and zucchini. And in between stops, well, there’s that humza bread.
After I did all that cooking, there wasn't much time left in the afternoon and since this is my last week on the job, I did the performance appraisals on my staff instead of a bike workout. I'm running out of time to do all the projects that need doing and it doesn't help that I've got short-timer syndrome pretty bad. But not in regard to my staff. I'm trying to do everything I can for them before I go.
I’ll be getting an update on Tidbit tomorrow. For those who have asked, Tidbit is about five years old. She was a shelter rabbit, so I don’t know much about her history before I got her four years ago. She’s under the care of a vet who specializes in exotics. She has been checked for issues with her teeth and she’s had an x-ray. The diagnosis is hypomotility, likely due to hair ingestion (although we suspect her love of chewing on sheets is also a factor). She has been alert and responsive throughout her ordeal, so hopefully this is just a simple hairball situation and not symptomatic of some obscure and expensive rabbit disease.
Her situation as of last week was considered urgent but not immediately life-threatening, but going without an update all weekend is nerve-wracking. She went from doing binkies on the bed and begging for food to refusing all food within twenty-four hours, so my mind comes up with awful scenarios of what could be happening over the weekend! I hope they call with good news on Monday!
And finally, tonight we mourn the passing of one of our dear little blog-bunnies, Archi Ann. I will so miss “your” posts and visits, sweetie.
I started my morning by doing a little writing while sipping Sumatran coffee. I suspect I’ll be going down to the wire on my draft, but I do think I can make my target of finishing before Thursday.
Then I went out and ran a few errands, came home and started cooking:
- cornbread with cheese and black pepper
- pumpkin bread (2 loaves)
- hard-boiled eggs
- curry zucchini
- curry chickpeas and potatoes (using remainder of pumpkin from the pumpkin bread)
- fried rice
- steamed rice (mix of brown and jasmine rice)
- humza bread
For anyone curious, the humza bread was at one time touted as some sort of miracle diet food. I don’t believe in “miracle foods” and my weight is just fine, thank you. But any sort of food that travels well and packs a lot of hunger-reduction in a small package is good road trip food, especially for the long stretches of West Texas, where you can drive all day without finding anything better than a gas station convenience store selling hours-old fried chicken from under a heat lamp. So rather than take a chance of starving, I’m giving the humza bread a try. It’s quite tasty in its own right, so I may make this a regular thing.
I now have a refrigerator packed to the gills! Later this week I’ll be making some more cornbread and some carrot or zucchini bread. I also want to try my hand at spinach frittatas. I saw a recipe for some that are quite small and I think they would make good road trip food. One of the great things about hours and hours of driving in the western sun is that if you wrap a food item in foil and set it on the dashboard for a couple hours, it gets nice and hot. Try it yourself if you don’t believe me! You’ll never think of travel food the same way again.
So I’m envisioning stopping for picnics that consist of frittatas and grape tomatoes or curry chickpeas and zucchini. And in between stops, well, there’s that humza bread.
After I did all that cooking, there wasn't much time left in the afternoon and since this is my last week on the job, I did the performance appraisals on my staff instead of a bike workout. I'm running out of time to do all the projects that need doing and it doesn't help that I've got short-timer syndrome pretty bad. But not in regard to my staff. I'm trying to do everything I can for them before I go.
I’ll be getting an update on Tidbit tomorrow. For those who have asked, Tidbit is about five years old. She was a shelter rabbit, so I don’t know much about her history before I got her four years ago. She’s under the care of a vet who specializes in exotics. She has been checked for issues with her teeth and she’s had an x-ray. The diagnosis is hypomotility, likely due to hair ingestion (although we suspect her love of chewing on sheets is also a factor). She has been alert and responsive throughout her ordeal, so hopefully this is just a simple hairball situation and not symptomatic of some obscure and expensive rabbit disease.
Her situation as of last week was considered urgent but not immediately life-threatening, but going without an update all weekend is nerve-wracking. She went from doing binkies on the bed and begging for food to refusing all food within twenty-four hours, so my mind comes up with awful scenarios of what could be happening over the weekend! I hope they call with good news on Monday!
And finally, tonight we mourn the passing of one of our dear little blog-bunnies, Archi Ann. I will so miss “your” posts and visits, sweetie.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Recipe Share
Take a slice of the spinach bread we made last week (you did make some, right?), spread pesto on it and sprinkle grated parmesan or romano. Toast in the toaster oven (or microwave for one minute if you're lazy). Top with a poached egg, freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Another Basic Sunday
Well, somehow 80% chance of rain turned into no rain at all for today. Not that I’m complaining, and I’m sure everyone doing the March of Dimes walk this morning was relieved. It’s a big event on my campus and draws walkers from all over the city. From our new digs we were able to see the walkers out our back windows. Why did we not walk? Speaking for myself, it’s only six miles, so what’s the point after running twenty yesterday?
I promised a spinach bread update, and it came out pretty good, although if I make it again I’ll probably double the amount of pepper in the recipe and maybe try parmesan instead of cheddar cheese. I just can’t leave well enough alone!
Here’s the basic recipe.
And if you don’t have a bread machine, it’s still pretty simple to make.
1. Heat the water to about 110 degrees or so and mix with the yeast and sugar.
2. Go do something else for about 10-15 minutes so the yeast can get bubbly.
3. Add in all the other ingredients except the spinach and cheese. Be sure to add the flour slowly, by half-cups or so. This makes it easier to blend everything together.
4. Cover and set aside, preferably in a warm place. Let the dough rise at least a few hours. I recommend letting it rise overnight so you don’t have to worry about whether or not it doubled in size or whatever.
5. Punch down the dough and mix in the spinach and cheese. Once everything is blended nicely, form a loaf and put it in an oiled bread pan.
6. Go find something else to do for at least half an hour. I took this opportunity to go run some errands.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375, or until done.
This bread is very tasty toasted and with butter. Yum!
Today’s Cooking
Spinach-Cheese Bread
Pumpkin Bread (recipe makes 2 loaves)
Rice
Pumpkin-Chickpea Curry (using the pumpkin left over from the pumpkin bread)
Curry Zucchini and Onions
Fried Rice (using last week’s leftover rice)
Zucchini Chips (dehydrated zucchini with salt and spices—road snacks for upcoming vacation)
Today’s Workout
2 hour spin
Abs and weights
Today’s Link
Mine is the Featured Story in the May issue of Word Catalyst Magazine! It's flash fiction, less than 1,000 words. Go read!
I promised a spinach bread update, and it came out pretty good, although if I make it again I’ll probably double the amount of pepper in the recipe and maybe try parmesan instead of cheddar cheese. I just can’t leave well enough alone!
Here’s the basic recipe.
And if you don’t have a bread machine, it’s still pretty simple to make.
1. Heat the water to about 110 degrees or so and mix with the yeast and sugar.
2. Go do something else for about 10-15 minutes so the yeast can get bubbly.
3. Add in all the other ingredients except the spinach and cheese. Be sure to add the flour slowly, by half-cups or so. This makes it easier to blend everything together.
4. Cover and set aside, preferably in a warm place. Let the dough rise at least a few hours. I recommend letting it rise overnight so you don’t have to worry about whether or not it doubled in size or whatever.
5. Punch down the dough and mix in the spinach and cheese. Once everything is blended nicely, form a loaf and put it in an oiled bread pan.
6. Go find something else to do for at least half an hour. I took this opportunity to go run some errands.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375, or until done.
This bread is very tasty toasted and with butter. Yum!
Today’s Cooking
Spinach-Cheese Bread
Pumpkin Bread (recipe makes 2 loaves)
Rice
Pumpkin-Chickpea Curry (using the pumpkin left over from the pumpkin bread)
Curry Zucchini and Onions
Fried Rice (using last week’s leftover rice)
Zucchini Chips (dehydrated zucchini with salt and spices—road snacks for upcoming vacation)
Today’s Workout
2 hour spin
Abs and weights
Today’s Link
Mine is the Featured Story in the May issue of Word Catalyst Magazine! It's flash fiction, less than 1,000 words. Go read!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sunday Check-In
Well, the stress of the last three weeks must’ve caught up to me. I have a very nasty crick in my neck. It's so bad that it was hard to back the car out of my long, narrow driveway today because I couldn't turn my head.
The funny thing is that I haven’t felt particularly stressed during this year’s budget cycle—it’s just been a constant daily overload of things that needed doing. But now I’ve got a backlog both at the office and at home, and I’m not looking forward to digging out. I carry my stress in my neck and shoulders, which is probably why I’ve got this problem now.
Since it’s Administrative Professionals week, I picked up some potted flowers, candy, and cool little pocket notepads for my staff. I took everything to the office today, since it would be a hassle to walk to work with it in the morning, along with everything else I carry. I’m always wary of doing anything for this particular holiday, since it evolved out of Secretary’s Day and some professionals are a little offended by it, not wanting to be seen as mere secretaries. But it was the efforts of my staff that enabled me to put in my three weeks in the budget trenches and I would’ve done something nice for them even if there wasn’t a Hallmark holiday this week. So there.
Not much else is happening here. I'm just trying not to worry too much about all the things I need to get done before we go on vacation in a few weeks. Vacation is so stressful that I swear if it was up to me I'd probably spend most of my vacations right here at home getting caught up on things and then getting deliciously bored so that returning to work would be a relief!
I'm all ready for the week now, though. I spent a couple hours in the kitchen today, so at least I won't be worrying about what to eat!
Today’s Cooking
• Carrot Bread
• Carrot Cookies (again)
• Penne Casserole (using pasta from a previous meal)
• Fried Rice (using leftover rice from the week)
• Black Beans with Garlic and Tomato
• Curried Zucchini
• Steamed Rice
• Hard Boiled Eggs
Today’s Workout
2 hour spin
The funny thing is that I haven’t felt particularly stressed during this year’s budget cycle—it’s just been a constant daily overload of things that needed doing. But now I’ve got a backlog both at the office and at home, and I’m not looking forward to digging out. I carry my stress in my neck and shoulders, which is probably why I’ve got this problem now.
Since it’s Administrative Professionals week, I picked up some potted flowers, candy, and cool little pocket notepads for my staff. I took everything to the office today, since it would be a hassle to walk to work with it in the morning, along with everything else I carry. I’m always wary of doing anything for this particular holiday, since it evolved out of Secretary’s Day and some professionals are a little offended by it, not wanting to be seen as mere secretaries. But it was the efforts of my staff that enabled me to put in my three weeks in the budget trenches and I would’ve done something nice for them even if there wasn’t a Hallmark holiday this week. So there.
Not much else is happening here. I'm just trying not to worry too much about all the things I need to get done before we go on vacation in a few weeks. Vacation is so stressful that I swear if it was up to me I'd probably spend most of my vacations right here at home getting caught up on things and then getting deliciously bored so that returning to work would be a relief!
I'm all ready for the week now, though. I spent a couple hours in the kitchen today, so at least I won't be worrying about what to eat!
Today’s Cooking
• Carrot Bread
• Carrot Cookies (again)
• Penne Casserole (using pasta from a previous meal)
• Fried Rice (using leftover rice from the week)
• Black Beans with Garlic and Tomato
• Curried Zucchini
• Steamed Rice
• Hard Boiled Eggs
Today’s Workout
2 hour spin
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Running and Yogurt
The budget cycle at work is nearly over—yay! Friday evening was the first time since the start of the month that I didn’t have to bring work home and although I made myself available for this weekend’s final push to closure, I haven’t been needed. Thank goodness! I’ve done my part and the final tradeoffs are in our budget goddess’s hands, which suits me fine.
I celebrated another lovely Saturday by running to Memorial Park today. It’s a little scary how easy these twenty mile runs are getting to be, but that’s the range I need in order to enjoy some of my old running routes from before I moved last August. I don’t like driving somewhere so I can run. It makes no sense to me and adds anywhere from 30-60 minutes to my time budget, cutting into the time I could be doing some actual running. So in general, if I can’t get there on my own two feet, I don’t go.
But now Memorial Park and the Buffalo Bayou trails are doable again, and that makes me happy.
I’m managing so well in spite of my chronic hip pain that I’m even beginning to think about ultras and getting back into long course triathlons. I need to consider the time commitment, though, in addition to the possibility of making my hip worse and ruining a good thing. I’ll probably stew about it over vacation, along with some other matters I haven’t been able to ponder deeply due to the constant busy-ness of my daily life.
And now for a rhetorical question: Am I the last person on the planet to have discovered Greek yogurt?
I’ve never thought myself a yogurt philistine, and have tried runny yogurts, creamy yogurts, sour yogurts, mild yogurts, some from cows, some from goats, some from tiny Hill Country organic farms and some from far-flung places I don’t even know if I can pronounce correctly. I even went through a phase where I made my own. But I somehow missed out on firm Greek yogurt, so when I had some left over after using it in a recipe, I tried eating it plain. OMG! This is the first plain yogurt I can truly say I love! Of course, it’s even better with a little honey mixed in, but now I’m hooked, which is a shame, since it’s four times the price of my current favorite. I may be getting back into yogurt-making if I can find a good recipe for this stuff, price of milk be damned!
Friday’s Cooking
Banana Bread
Carrot Cookies
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical, 10 minute row
Tuesday: 6.5 mile run (went to Hermann Park to see the ducks)
Wednesday: 45 minute spin, abs and weights
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
I celebrated another lovely Saturday by running to Memorial Park today. It’s a little scary how easy these twenty mile runs are getting to be, but that’s the range I need in order to enjoy some of my old running routes from before I moved last August. I don’t like driving somewhere so I can run. It makes no sense to me and adds anywhere from 30-60 minutes to my time budget, cutting into the time I could be doing some actual running. So in general, if I can’t get there on my own two feet, I don’t go.
But now Memorial Park and the Buffalo Bayou trails are doable again, and that makes me happy.
I’m managing so well in spite of my chronic hip pain that I’m even beginning to think about ultras and getting back into long course triathlons. I need to consider the time commitment, though, in addition to the possibility of making my hip worse and ruining a good thing. I’ll probably stew about it over vacation, along with some other matters I haven’t been able to ponder deeply due to the constant busy-ness of my daily life.
And now for a rhetorical question: Am I the last person on the planet to have discovered Greek yogurt?
I’ve never thought myself a yogurt philistine, and have tried runny yogurts, creamy yogurts, sour yogurts, mild yogurts, some from cows, some from goats, some from tiny Hill Country organic farms and some from far-flung places I don’t even know if I can pronounce correctly. I even went through a phase where I made my own. But I somehow missed out on firm Greek yogurt, so when I had some left over after using it in a recipe, I tried eating it plain. OMG! This is the first plain yogurt I can truly say I love! Of course, it’s even better with a little honey mixed in, but now I’m hooked, which is a shame, since it’s four times the price of my current favorite. I may be getting back into yogurt-making if I can find a good recipe for this stuff, price of milk be damned!
Friday’s Cooking
Banana Bread
Carrot Cookies
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical, 10 minute row
Tuesday: 6.5 mile run (went to Hermann Park to see the ducks)
Wednesday: 45 minute spin, abs and weights
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Invasion!
Dan found four of those disgusting tree roaches in our house tonight. WTF? There's no way to avoid them altogether in Houston unless you live in a high-rise, but four in one evening is just way ridiculous.
I can't stand them and won't even go near the repulsive things. That's what I have a husband for. In fact, insect control was one of the main criteria I had for a spouse, since sex and money are pretty easily acquired. And to give him credit, Dan does a very fine job of insect control. Years ago, I knew he was the man for me when he removed a bee from my apartment by picking it up by its wings and setting it free outside.
Tonight he dispatched all four cockroaches entirely without assistance from the cat, who is supposed to be his assistant and backup roach-manager. I must think about replacing the cat.
The bunny, of course, has no insect-management duties. Nor do I. I do enough around here already.
Today's cooking
* Rice
* Black beans with tomato and garlic
* Curry zucchini
* Fried rice
* Carrot-apple ginger bread (2 loaves)
Today's Workout
2 hour spin
I can't stand them and won't even go near the repulsive things. That's what I have a husband for. In fact, insect control was one of the main criteria I had for a spouse, since sex and money are pretty easily acquired. And to give him credit, Dan does a very fine job of insect control. Years ago, I knew he was the man for me when he removed a bee from my apartment by picking it up by its wings and setting it free outside.
Tonight he dispatched all four cockroaches entirely without assistance from the cat, who is supposed to be his assistant and backup roach-manager. I must think about replacing the cat.
The bunny, of course, has no insect-management duties. Nor do I. I do enough around here already.
Today's cooking
* Rice
* Black beans with tomato and garlic
* Curry zucchini
* Fried rice
* Carrot-apple ginger bread (2 loaves)
Today's Workout
2 hour spin
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Bright Sunshiny Day
Fantastic weather here, after a lot of overcast days!
I had a good run this morning—nothing like heading out at dawn with the morning sun creating patterns of gold and shadow along the trails, birds singing in the trees, robins and squirrels going about their business, mulberries ripening and the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle in the air!
I followed Brays Bayou to Hermann Park and the zoo where I ran among the trees, then into Montrose and through some of my old neighborhoods to Buffalo Bayou where I enjoyed the company of other runners hitting the hills and trails. Then I ran through River Oaks (rich neighborhood) and into one of the business areas where I stopped at my bank to deposit a check. (Nothing like a run that adds a little money to your bank account, is there?) And from there I ran home, through another nice neighborhood where the trees meet overhead, past Rice University, back around the park and zoo, then home.
Near my house I noticed the bayou was running fairly clear and I could see a lot of fish in the water. They were bigger than I had thought bayou fish would be and explains why I’m always seeing cormorants and ospreys around.
Now that we have our vacation dates somewhat decided for the latter half of May, I’m scouting for fun things to do in New Mexico. The 10K I had thought I’d like to do in Santa Fe has been moved from late May to early June, so that’s out. And although I’m intrigued by “The World’s Toughest 10K,” the date is too soon for me to train to run up a 12% grade and I won’t be acclimated even a tiny bit to the altitude. So I think I had better pass on that one. I’ll keep looking and if nothing presents itself, it’s not like it will be the first time.
I made two loaves of banana bread yesterday, adding chopped dates to the recipe. Dan says this is the best version yet and has already gone through most of one of the loaves. I suspect the second one won’t last long, either.
Oh, and in case anyone is paying attention to these sorts of things, my favorite organic wheat flour went up 80 cents in the past week, from $3.69 to $4.49 for five pounds, and I noticed that conventional flour is up, too. It’s still cheaper than buying pre-made items (which I didn’t price, but probably went up, as well), but I’m regretting now that I didn’t buy more flour at the lower price. That’s’ what you get when you put fear of looking like a wild-eyed wacko survivalist ahead of the good old common sense that got humans out of the caves and into centrally-cooled homes. Oh well.
And finally, Ironman Arizona is Sunday! Good luck to all participants!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 6.5 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute spin, abs
Thursday: too much work to do—missed workout
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
I had a good run this morning—nothing like heading out at dawn with the morning sun creating patterns of gold and shadow along the trails, birds singing in the trees, robins and squirrels going about their business, mulberries ripening and the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle in the air!
I followed Brays Bayou to Hermann Park and the zoo where I ran among the trees, then into Montrose and through some of my old neighborhoods to Buffalo Bayou where I enjoyed the company of other runners hitting the hills and trails. Then I ran through River Oaks (rich neighborhood) and into one of the business areas where I stopped at my bank to deposit a check. (Nothing like a run that adds a little money to your bank account, is there?) And from there I ran home, through another nice neighborhood where the trees meet overhead, past Rice University, back around the park and zoo, then home.
Near my house I noticed the bayou was running fairly clear and I could see a lot of fish in the water. They were bigger than I had thought bayou fish would be and explains why I’m always seeing cormorants and ospreys around.
Now that we have our vacation dates somewhat decided for the latter half of May, I’m scouting for fun things to do in New Mexico. The 10K I had thought I’d like to do in Santa Fe has been moved from late May to early June, so that’s out. And although I’m intrigued by “The World’s Toughest 10K,” the date is too soon for me to train to run up a 12% grade and I won’t be acclimated even a tiny bit to the altitude. So I think I had better pass on that one. I’ll keep looking and if nothing presents itself, it’s not like it will be the first time.
I made two loaves of banana bread yesterday, adding chopped dates to the recipe. Dan says this is the best version yet and has already gone through most of one of the loaves. I suspect the second one won’t last long, either.
Oh, and in case anyone is paying attention to these sorts of things, my favorite organic wheat flour went up 80 cents in the past week, from $3.69 to $4.49 for five pounds, and I noticed that conventional flour is up, too. It’s still cheaper than buying pre-made items (which I didn’t price, but probably went up, as well), but I’m regretting now that I didn’t buy more flour at the lower price. That’s’ what you get when you put fear of looking like a wild-eyed wacko survivalist ahead of the good old common sense that got humans out of the caves and into centrally-cooled homes. Oh well.
And finally, Ironman Arizona is Sunday! Good luck to all participants!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 6.5 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute spin, abs
Thursday: too much work to do—missed workout
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Recipe Share
I made this pumpkin bread for the second time today and since it was just as good as the first time, I thought I’d share. What I like about this recipe is that it doesn’t come out too pumpkiny. Not that it would be bad if it did, but this time of year just seems wrong to be eating something that tastes like Thanksgiving.
When I make this pumpkin bread, I substitute one cup of unsweetened applesauce for the oil and six packets of stevia for half of the sugar. For the optional goodies, I use pecans and golden raisins, as recommended, and dried cranberries. The result is a moist, fruity bread that’s yummy for breakfast or anytime I want a snack.
There’s another reason I like this recipe. Once I’ve got the pumpkin bread in the oven, I make a curry with the remainder of the can of pumpkin. I just sort of throw it together, so I can’t give exact measurements (spice is a very individual thing, anyway), but the basic recipe is:
• whatever is left in can after making pumpkin bread
• half the pumpkin can of water (chicken or vegetable broth would also work)
• one can of garbanzo beans, drained
• sautéed yellow onions (or onion flakes to taste, if you’re lazy)
• salt, white pepper, coriander, cumin and lots of curry, to taste
This makes a very nice dish served over rice.
And finally, I tried these carrot cookies this weekend:
This isn’t the recipe that’s given me fits for the last two weeks. The resulting cookies are very tasty but quite different from the crumbly shortbread-like carrot cookies I’ve been trying to get right. These cookies are more like little carrot-cakes, which can be good or bad depending on how tempting you find a cookie jar full of mini-carrot cakes.
I did a lot of cooking this weekend, but I’m set for the week now with home-cooked meals and snacks for every day. From here ‘til Friday, it’s me and the microwave!
Have a tasty week, friends!
When I make this pumpkin bread, I substitute one cup of unsweetened applesauce for the oil and six packets of stevia for half of the sugar. For the optional goodies, I use pecans and golden raisins, as recommended, and dried cranberries. The result is a moist, fruity bread that’s yummy for breakfast or anytime I want a snack.
There’s another reason I like this recipe. Once I’ve got the pumpkin bread in the oven, I make a curry with the remainder of the can of pumpkin. I just sort of throw it together, so I can’t give exact measurements (spice is a very individual thing, anyway), but the basic recipe is:
• whatever is left in can after making pumpkin bread
• half the pumpkin can of water (chicken or vegetable broth would also work)
• one can of garbanzo beans, drained
• sautéed yellow onions (or onion flakes to taste, if you’re lazy)
• salt, white pepper, coriander, cumin and lots of curry, to taste
This makes a very nice dish served over rice.
And finally, I tried these carrot cookies this weekend:
This isn’t the recipe that’s given me fits for the last two weeks. The resulting cookies are very tasty but quite different from the crumbly shortbread-like carrot cookies I’ve been trying to get right. These cookies are more like little carrot-cakes, which can be good or bad depending on how tempting you find a cookie jar full of mini-carrot cakes.
I did a lot of cooking this weekend, but I’m set for the week now with home-cooked meals and snacks for every day. From here ‘til Friday, it’s me and the microwave!
Have a tasty week, friends!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday Check-In
When I stepped outside the door for my long run, it was overcast and had obviously rained during the night. The prediction was only 30% chance of rain, but it looked like more than that. Using the logic that if I left my sunglasses at home the sun would surely come out, I did just that. And it did. I got sprinkled on a little, but toward the end of my run, the sun did come out and it ended up being a very nice day to be running around town.
As an experiment this week I decided to see what would happen if I didn’t bring any work home from the office. Dumb idea. By Thursday I was behind on things and felt awful about it. I made significant progress catching up on Friday afternoon, working from home where I wouldn’t be interrupted all the time, but I’m still going to have to do some weekend work to be on track by Monday morning. It’s frustrating, although at least I work with people who seem okay on the concept that if someone has to work extra hours, they should at least be allowed to choose the venue and time of day for those hours. Especially when it’s all unpaid. You can bet if these management jobs were hourly and paid extra for everything after 40 hours a week, we’d suddenly have much saner workloads!
I finished my alteration project on the $2.50 capri pants I bought last week. They’re black with three bands of ribbon trim at the cuffs, and oh-so-cute! And now they don't balloon out at my hips. Joy! I wore them to go have Indian food today and I have a feeling these are going to become this summer’s favorite pants.
I have another alteration project going on, but it’s much more complicated and I don’t know how long it will take me, especially since I don’t have a sewing machine and have to do everything by hand. In addition, I have decided I should have an apron if I’m going to keep on with all my recent baking projects. The easiest thing (which I’ve seen on the Wardrobe Refashion website) is to convert an old sundress. I was pretty excited about that idea until I realized that: a) most of my summer clothes are still buried at the bottom of a huge wicker chest, and b) I think I gave all my unwanted sundresses to charity when I moved. So there’s a potential dilemma here. We’ll see what I find once I start changing out my closet for spring.
I baked some carrot cookies tonight. I tried adding a little molasses to see if that would make the end result a little less crumbly. It helped a little, but I’m going to have to keep tweaking this particular recipe. I used craisins (dried cranberries) instead of golden raisins and it added a nice little flavor punch. Highly recommended! Now if I can just get the moistness right, I’ll be in business.
Not much else is happening. The week went by unbelievably fast, even with me not working from home in the evenings. I hit all my workouts though, and things are coming along well with my new novel, so I’m happy.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical (intervals), weights and abs
Tuesday: 7 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute spin
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
As an experiment this week I decided to see what would happen if I didn’t bring any work home from the office. Dumb idea. By Thursday I was behind on things and felt awful about it. I made significant progress catching up on Friday afternoon, working from home where I wouldn’t be interrupted all the time, but I’m still going to have to do some weekend work to be on track by Monday morning. It’s frustrating, although at least I work with people who seem okay on the concept that if someone has to work extra hours, they should at least be allowed to choose the venue and time of day for those hours. Especially when it’s all unpaid. You can bet if these management jobs were hourly and paid extra for everything after 40 hours a week, we’d suddenly have much saner workloads!
I finished my alteration project on the $2.50 capri pants I bought last week. They’re black with three bands of ribbon trim at the cuffs, and oh-so-cute! And now they don't balloon out at my hips. Joy! I wore them to go have Indian food today and I have a feeling these are going to become this summer’s favorite pants.
I have another alteration project going on, but it’s much more complicated and I don’t know how long it will take me, especially since I don’t have a sewing machine and have to do everything by hand. In addition, I have decided I should have an apron if I’m going to keep on with all my recent baking projects. The easiest thing (which I’ve seen on the Wardrobe Refashion website) is to convert an old sundress. I was pretty excited about that idea until I realized that: a) most of my summer clothes are still buried at the bottom of a huge wicker chest, and b) I think I gave all my unwanted sundresses to charity when I moved. So there’s a potential dilemma here. We’ll see what I find once I start changing out my closet for spring.
I baked some carrot cookies tonight. I tried adding a little molasses to see if that would make the end result a little less crumbly. It helped a little, but I’m going to have to keep tweaking this particular recipe. I used craisins (dried cranberries) instead of golden raisins and it added a nice little flavor punch. Highly recommended! Now if I can just get the moistness right, I’ll be in business.
Not much else is happening. The week went by unbelievably fast, even with me not working from home in the evenings. I hit all my workouts though, and things are coming along well with my new novel, so I’m happy.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical (intervals), weights and abs
Tuesday: 7 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute spin
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
