True Blood Sunday

June 27th, 2010 Be the first to Encourage Me!

We have an intern living with us for the summer and a friend that does not have cable. They both love “True Blood,” the HBO vampire saga, almost as much as the Hubbers and I do. So we have been having “True Blood Sunday ” (TBS) viewings at our house for the last two weeks and again tonight.

This is Eric Northman, the show’s bad-boy vampire and all around hottie. The young ladies who watch this with us swoon over him. I would too but I am already married to a hottie.

And he’s all human and all mine.

If you aren’t familiar with “True Blood,” it’s ever-so-loosely based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels and it’s a kick ass show. Sexual, political, scary and funny all at the same time. Not to be missed. Unless you are very sensitive, religious or easily offended.

And if you are all of those things, really, my little food/weight gain loss blog is probably not going to be to your liking. Seriously. I say “fuck” often. See? I did it again.

Any old hoo, it’s hotter than two rats banging in a wool sock here in our commonwealth, so I was trying to think of a something I could make that would go with Mexican food for tonight’s TBS that would also be cool and refreshing.

Besides margaritas, of course.

So I decided to honor Mexico by adding jicama, a terrific root veggie from south of the border, to cole slaw. You know, just to add a little ethnic flair and another layer of flavor to that most boring of summer side dishes.

Here’s the recipe, which is very easy except for chopping the jicama, which is only mildly challenging.

  • 1 jicama bulb, peeled and sliced into slender strips
  • 1 green cabbage, half a head, shredded
  • 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into slender strips (or a red one if you like. I dig orange, but red would be more TrueBloodish)
  • 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cups of cole slaw dressing to coat the slaw, use more or less to taste. I love Marzetti’s original slaw dressing.

Directions (such as they are)

  • Peel the jicama, cut off both ends
  • Slice that into thin pieces and chop those thin slices into strips
  • Shred the cabbage by slicing thin strips and chopping into bite size pieces
  • Peel and slice the carrot (it’s easy to use the peeler to shave it)
  • Chop the bell pepper into thin slices
  • Toss all the veggies together
  • Add salt (about 1/2 teaspoon should be enough)
  • Add pepper to taste
  • Coat with your favorite slaw dressing (again, I like Marzetti. Feel free to make your own or use whatever brand you like)

To make this even easier, you can use a bag of already prepared cole slaw cabbage/carrots.

If you are careful with the dressing this can be a relatively low-fat side, it’s loaded with veggie goodness and should pair well with grilled tilapia soft tacos, roasted corn and tequila.

And Eric Northman.

Read More »

I forgot an entire person

June 22nd, 2010 3 Encouraging Words

OK, stupid blog entry title because there’s really no option, I think, to forget a portion of a person.

But I did forget someone today.

We are hosting a workshop for high school kids at my office this week. On Monday the kids were on a field trip. Tuesday was their first day in the office.

I was supposed to pick a 15-year-old because she lives near my house and needed a ride.

And I forgot. Completely. Thought about it three times on Monday. Then when Tuesday came, I totally spaced it.

Luckily, the kid was not upset in the slightest. Since she had fallen back asleep during the time she was waiting for me, she seemed almost disappointed when I insisted on coming to get her.

Damn near got broadsided by a car during my wild ride back to fetch the youngster. Totally would have been the other biznatch’s fault, but that’s little comfort, really.

Got the teenager to the workshop a half hour late, but she was there.

She’s a really sweet kid and at the end of the day when I drove her home she was chatty and excited. Didn’t seem to be too worried that she’s being chauffeured by an irresponsible maniac.

I am starting to worry just a wee bit about myself. I’m all out of focus. Losing my edge. Sharp as a butter knife, I am.

All I really want to do is stay home and cook and care for my dogs. But I can’t find anyone to pay me to do that. Which sucks mightily.

Read More »

Banana pudding

June 20th, 2010 2 Encouraging Words

I wish I could post the recipe for this banana pudding I just made.

Seriously, it’s slap-your-grandma good. Which is a weird phrase because, really, what could make you so happy that you’d want to act violently toward your grandmother?

But there it is. Creamy, sweet but still light, and very, very tasty.

However, this is an old family recipe. And not my family, I am afraid. The friend who gave to me made me SWEAR it would never be on the Internet.

So I must abide by that promise.

So this is a banana pudding tease.

Read More »

Kitchen therapy

June 19th, 2010 2 Encouraging Words

It’s been a tough few weeks.

In no particular order: We went on vacation, during which I got sick and spent time with the in-laws, which was weird in a way I really can’t go into on this blog.  Our daughter moved out. Our beloved dog, Dexter, died unexpectedly. An intern moved in.

And I have yet to make it to Weight Watchers.

Today we picked up Dexter’s ashes from the vet hospital where he died. I had this weird reaction of deeply sobbing one minute to being OK the next. It seems surreal to have this bag full of stuff that was once my dog.

We went for ice cream. Cause that’s what we do when we have difficult emotions.

I needed to spend a little time in my kitchen. That almost always makes me feel better. I can cook, finish the laundry, play my iPod, watch the World Cup. All in my kitchen. It’s my favorite room in the house.

I put a nice dry rub on some boneless pork ribs and then I finally got to make tater salad.

This is not as fattening as it could be, but it’s not light either.

But it’s damn tasty, if I do say so myself.

This is all the basic ingredients. Redskin potatoes. Reduced fat sour cream (NEVER get the fat free version because it tastes like butt cheese. At least, it’s what I imagine butt cheese would taste like.) Garlic powder (not salt, big difference) green onions and shredded cheese (not the least bit butt-cheesy-tasting.)

And bacon bits. I forgot to add the bacon bits to this photo. Buy real bacon bits. Those fake crunchy ones are gross. Like chewing on little pieces of mulch.

If you can fry or bake your own bacon, all the better. I didn’t have time for that. Or bacon. But I had real bacon bits.

Where were we? Oh yes. Tater salad.

I use redskins because I like them and because they are small and easy to cut into bite size pieces. I used a pound in this recipe. They were really small ones and sliced them into sixths. Then I boiled them until tender. If it were not thirteen hundred degrees outside today, I might have baked them instead. But my oven hardly ever sees action in the summer.

After the taters were boiled tender, I drained them and let them cool. Once they were room temperature, I whipped up about a cup of the sour cream with about a cup of cheese, about a quarter cup of scallions (green onion tops) and a whole bag of Kraft Real Bacon Bits. That got poured over the taters and tossed until all the taters were coated. Then I added the garlic powder and stirred again.

You’ll notice I used the word “about” a lot in this recipe. That’s because I eye-balled it and didn’t measure a thing. Your results may vary. Just mix it until it tastes good. Want more cheese? Add more. More bacon? Of course. Don’t like bacon? Leave it out, but I don’t understand you at all. This is seriously good stuff.

And oh-so-very-easy. If anyone is reading this blog that is not a cook, you can make this. Really. It’s simple and it will be a hit at summer cookouts. Really.

Read More »

They call this Tater Salad

June 11th, 2010 Be the first to Encourage Me!

Since Amber’s comment yesterday I’ve been thinking about potato salad.

Not like non-stop obsession or anything. Not like I am dreaming about singing spuds dancing into a vat of dressing as cheese and bacon bits rain down on them.

That would be weird.

But I have been thinking that in addition to my plans to make salsa and pasta salad this weekend, I might try to whip up a big bowl of ‘tater salad that won’t strain my waistline too much.

And the recipe I think I will try is this one:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/garden-potato-salad-recipe/index.html

Photos will follow. I plan to enjoy some much needed kitchen therapy this weekend.

Read More »

Dexter

June 6th, 2010 4 Encouraging Words

I am trying to write about Dexter. I thought it would be cathartic. I thought it would help me deal with the emotions  caused by the sudden loss of our 7-year-old dog.

All it does is make me cry again. And I don’t want to cry when I think about Dexter the Wonder Pooch.

He was an awesome dog that should be remembered with smiles.

He was Dexter Doggy Dogg. Triple D.

Dexter was the dog that met me at the door. The dog that cuddled his 74-pound frame in between me and my husband in our queen-sized bed. He was the leader of our pack and the dog that taught us how to raise our pit bull puppy.

He was the dog that made us love dogs.

Dexter was a terrible racing greyhound. He was an outstanding pet greyhound.

He loved my husband almost as much as I do. Dexter’s greatest pleasure in life was being right by my husband’s side, leaning against his legs for a good back scratching, or jumping up in his lap.

He left a legacy in my personal and professional life. He left a few scratches in our furniture that I will never repair. He left our home way too soon.

But he will never leave my heart or my husband’s heart. He’ll stay there forever.

Rest peacefully, dude. We will always love you.

Read More »

The empty nest

May 30th, 2010 1 Encouragement

My daughter moved out. Finally. She’s 24 years old and I swear to Dog I thought she’d never launch.

It was probably our fault. We feathered the nest so comfortably that she had no reason to leave it. But she met a nice guy and now she’s moved in with him and she took her anti-social cat with her and now Hoylier and I have the house to ourselves and we are doing the happy dance for her and for ourselves.

But the bedroom she left behind? It was not fit for human habitation.

My daughter is lazy. I love her very much, but she is the laziest human being on the face of the planet. When I was pregnant with her, my due date was March 17. When was she born? April 1. No fooling. She’s been poking along ever since.

She never cleaned her room. Ever. She did not dust. She did not sweep. She never washed her sheets. She only washed clothes when she had to and she never folded or hung anything. She just pulled it out of the laundry basket as needed. So it baffles me a bit that she took the two dressers in her bedroom with her when she left. They were practically new because she certainly never used them.

And then there was the litter box. It resided in her room so her anti-social cat wouldn’t have to run the risk of actually encountering another member of this household.

We were constantly nagging her to clean the litter box because you could smell it when you walked past her room. With the door closed. So not kidding. Wish I were.

So now that she and her cat have evacuated, my husband and I were left to detox the room and try to restore it to livable condition. It’s a nice sized room that would be great for guests, so we planned to spend this long holiday weekend cleaning it and buying a new dresser.

It took FOUR HOURS of scrubbing, dusting, carpet shampooing and deodorizing to get the air quality safe for breathing. On the hottest day of the year, no less. We were  drenched with sweat, even with the ceiling fan running, the air conditioning on and the windows open (I know, I know, all the air conditioning went right out the window, blah blah blah. The stench in that room was choking. We really wanted to break down the exterior wall to circulate air in there.)

We hauled out bags of trash and stuff to be donated, I laundered a basket full of dirty towels she left as well as all the bedding. The comforter could not be salvaged from cat hair and extreme funk.

This was some seriously hard work. I now feel qualified to clean crime scenes.

After the room was de-NASTY-fied, we went shopping for a new dresser. And we found one I love so much I want to move it to our room. And we bought a writing table, a chair, an upholstered bench, new lamps and a cotton blanket to replace the comforter for the summer.

We hauled all the furniture ourselves up the stairs, which is saying a lot because that dresser is heavy and we are the type of people to pay way too much money for delivery because it’s convenient and doesn’t risk my personal safety. Because who pulled a hamstring stepping off a curb? This girl. Who shredded all the cartilage in her right knee falling off a two-step stool? This girl.

So we saved money, sweated off a shitload of calories, redecorated the room and are proud of ourselves. And it’s an amazing feeling of accomplishment.

Happy dance!

Read More »

Throwing in the towel

May 27th, 2010 3 Encouraging Words

I have been trying for months to do this on my own. I have failed miserably.

I thought that starting this blog would help me be accountable to my weight loss. I thought that if I could find a few supporters, and if I could faithfully post my progress here, that would be enough incentive for me to do what I need to do to drop this excess weight.

This excess weight that is driving my blood pressure up so high I have numbness in my hands and arms. This excess weight that is bearing down so hard on my joints that I ache when I walk or even get up from a chair. This excess weight that keeps me in a constant state of depression where I feel like I’m not a real woman and no one can take me seriously.

This excess weight that is killing me.

So I am heading back to Weight Watchers. Back to The Plan. Back to all the things that made me feel like a freak, because I don’t think I have any other choice.

I am going back to Weight Watchers because it works. And because I can’t keep making excuses for myself any longer. If I don’t drop this weight my life is going to be considerably shorter and not very pleasant.

I wish it didn’t have to be like this. I wish I wasn’t fixated on food. I wish I could be happy with who I am. I wish I had the kind of metabolism and healthy lifestyle that allows me to eat and keep my weight in check. But that has never been my reality.

I grew up with overprotective parents that discouraged being physically active. We didn’t have medical insurance and they were always afraid that I would get hurt. No sports, no running, no playing outside. Hell, I am the only adult that I know that doesn’t know how to ride a bike.

But I can’t change the past. I can only move forward. The only thing I can do is make a commitment to myself to concentrate on my health and make my weight loss the priority in my life.

This is my white flag. I surrender. I need help.

Read More »

Enough already

April 26th, 2010 1 Encouragement

The buzz all over Twitter today was Jillian Michaels. People dumping on Jillian Michaels and people defending Jillian Michaels from the dumpers.

I thought today was supposed to be all about boobs?

And all this brouhaha about Michaels, the drill sergeant trainer from NBC’s “Biggest Loser,” is over an out-of-context quote, a poor choice of words and a misleading headline.

In case you missed it, and if you did you don’t have a Twitter account, Michaels gave an interview to Women’s Health magazine. In it she said she did not want to become pregnant because of the effect it would have on her body. She also referred to the possibility of adopting a child as “rescuing something.”

The quote was highlighted in a news brief by the Huffington Post, and one of its online editors headlined the brief “I won’t ruin my body with pregnancy.”

Then all hell breaks loose when women around the InterWebz start analyzing the remark. Some bashed, some applauded.

Full disclosure: To say I am not a fan of “The Biggest Loser” is an understatement. I think that show is terribly cruel and totally unrealistic in its approach to weight loss. Humiliation is not a motivator to me, and voting someone off may be the way of the reality TV world, but when people are struggling to save their own lives, it just abhorrent to dramatically stage their exit from what they often perceive as their last, best hope.

I am also not a fan of Michaels.

I am a fan, however, of a lot of women who blog. Smart, intelligent, funny women who express themselves with honesty. And I am a huge fan of free, open, honest expression.

I just wish that, as women, we’d stop giving each other so much shit over every choice we make.

Many women choose to have a career and a family or some combination of both. We have some brave women in the recent past to thank for that, because I grew up in the 1960s and 70s, when women fought for these rights.

Now that we have all these options that are rightfully ours open to us, we somehow feel the need to beat each other up for exercising our own free will. So what if the woman doesn’t ever want to get pregnant? It’s her body and she has a right to do whatever she wants to with it. She has no right to pass judgment on women who do choose to have babies and I can see how what she said could be construed as demeaning. But she was only referring to herself.

She says she has lingering body issues from being a fat kid. Join the club, Jillian. I suspect your work on that show has added to more people’s lingering body issues than it has helped.

I can’t pretend to see inside the woman’s head and heart and frankly I don’t want or need to. If she thinks she has too much emotional baggage to give birth, OK. That’s probably a wise decision. And one that is hers to make.

And if other women find their bliss by raising a happy, healthy family, that’s wonderful. As women, we should celebrate that. We should celebrate that we have the freedom to do what we like with our bodies and minds. And if our bodies get a little saggy because we make a family with them, then so be it.  It took more than pregnancy to get my body is the terrible shape it’s in.

Women should support each other.

If we could only get to the point where we help each other and not bog ourselves down with body image issues, with career vs. family guilt, and with bitterness about every remark someone makes in an interview or on a blog, we’d all be so much better off.

I will add this: As a journalist I can tell you that, unless I get to spend a lot of time with someone, an interview is at best a snapshot of what that person revealed during the course of the conversation and may not be a complete profile of who that person really is.

How much time the reporter spent with Michaels, I have no idea. How probing were the questions? No clue.

Michaels said some dumb things — as mentioned in a brilliantly written blog post linked to above: you rescue a puppy, Jillian, not a child.  I doubt she can claim she’s been misquoted because the interview is probably on tape, but there is more context that led to those remarks than you find in the briefs taken from the whole story. Still, she is a public figure and she should choose her words more carefully.

I do, however, think the Huff Post made a mistake with that headline. It’s inaccurate and misleading and they should take it down.

And I think we all just need to chill the fuck out already.  Celebrate women. It’s BoobQuake Day! If that can’t make you happy to be a woman than I don’t think we can be friends.

Read More »

Shopping blind

April 17th, 2010 Be the first to Encourage Me!

I can’t read shit without my glasses.

What really sucks is that I need bifocals. I can see perfectly at a distance and do not need glasses to drive, but I cannot read anything or get anything into focus up close. But I am still in my mid-somethings and I refuse to get granny glasses just yet.

So I am constantly taking my glasses on an off. And I refuse to get one of those granny eyeglass holder necklaces. So my glasses make many rounds in and out of my purse.

Today, I tried a new strategy at the grocery store. I left my glasses in my purse and refused to take them out.

Sounds damn reckless, but hear me out on this.

The one thing point they pound into your brain at Weight Watchers meetings is that you HAVE to read the labels. Actually, they tell you not only to read the labels but take the numbers on the labels and run them through an elaborate algorithm that assigns the food a point value. It’s pretty mind boggling for people like me who hate math.

That’s why Weight Watchers sells you a handy calculator to do the math for you. Those folks find a way into your wallet no matter how tight your pants pockets are from your hefty hips and ass.

So for more than two years I have done more reading at the grocery store than I did in my college library.  And all this is supposed to help me decide which box of processed crap is the best thing for me to buy according to an algebraic formula of calories, fat and fiber.

To supplement my label-reading list, I bought the book “Eat This, Not That” supermarket guide. It’s an illustrated guide to help dimwits like me choose the very best fake food loaded with unpronounceable preservatives.

But today, I filled my grocery cart without reading a damn word besides the big yellow sale signs. When I need glasses to read those I promise I will get the bifocals or surrender my driver’s license.

Now, does this mean I threw caution to the wind and tossed every box of tasty-yet-chemical-laden box, bag or can of highly advertised shit into my cart.

No, it does not.

It means I bought food that doesn’t need a label. Most of it doesn’t even need a package.

I bought apples, oranges, cucumbers, red potatoes, limes, lemons, bananas, mixed baby greens, cantaloupe, mushrooms, peppers, onions, beef, chicken, bread (from the bakery department) pasta (whole wheat with one chemical – riboflavin) and olives and roasted peppers from the antipasto bar.

It was fun. It’s all real food. It will all perish really quickly if I don’t do something with it. So I spent the about an hour slicing, dicing, parsing and preparing.

We can eat fresh food all week. No labels required.

This is hardly revolutionary.  Which means to say that, while I am sure hot-hot-hottie Jamie Oliver would approve, it was not really inspired by his Food Revolution. Which, by the way, he’s filming within easy driving distance of my house because apparently people who live in Appalachia, like me, are the fat-fat-fatties of America.

Thanks for pointing that out, Oliver. I forgive you only because you are super cute and if I was single I’d tap that for sure. I know a few bloggers who would gladly let you feed them carrots naked. Call me and I’ll hook you up.

But I digress.

I just think that if my family eats real food, we will eat better. And lose weight. And look better. And be healthier.

It’s an experiment. I will let you know how it works out.

Read More »
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Subscribe to RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter!