What I Really Think

Last year, No Knead Bread swept through the Internet - there were huge discussions about it everywhere. It was based upon a column by Mark Bittman published in the New York Times (I'll dig out my recipe and post it another time). But since then, Amy let us know about a second version of this bread, or "Soon the Bread Will be Baking Itself." My fellow Slow Travelers have been doing it for months and yesterday, I thought I'd finally give it a try.

You basically mix a batch that's good for four small loaves (maybe just under 16oz each). I did my first one yesterday:

which we enjoyed with dinner last night (by the way, those are some of those almond fingers in the background). Then I put the remaining dough in the fridge, and tonight, just baked another loaf:

It's cooling now. This is so easy (especially once it's in the fridge), I can't imagine buying bread again! Shoot - Chris has a bread knife in hand - have to go!

Fala was going bonkers yesterday and Becky looked out the window to see our fox/coyote walking across the back yard. By the time she grabbed her camera though, he was already in to the woods. She snagged some pictures but unfortunately they're not great but I thought I'd post them anyway. I really feel bad for this little critter.

That's one of my favorite lines from a movie. Do you know which one? It's Legally Blonde. The full quote goes like this, "Exercise creates endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands." I use it a lot at my Weight Watcher meetings when trying to encourage women to exercise. It's usually good for a few laughs.

Yesterday, I took my own advice. Having not slept well the night before (I do not think I will ever get used to Becky walking in the door at one in the morning), and feeling so much stress my stomach was in knots (rare do I feel so stressed, I can't eat), I opted to ride the bike rather than vegetate in front of the television.

We're still not riding outside though. So with the bike hooked into the trainer, Chris popped in a training DVD and we did Chris Carmichael's Train Right Climbing Routine without leaving our bedroom (personally, I could think of other things that would be more fun without leaving our bedroom ;D but this is what we chose). Man, did I sweat. And man, did my heart pound. And man, did I feel good afterward. Not just physically good but mentally much better too - clearer, well, happier.

Today it's supposed to be in the 50s, so I may take the combi-bike out for a short ride and Becky and I are definitely going for a walk.

Oh and to everyone who offered your encouragement, thanks! Four good days in a row - I'm going for three more!!

My Weight Watcher leader sometimes hands out these calendars each month with a little saying for every day, or a little suggestion for something to try while you're on program. Some people tape these to their mirrors and actually execute (or try) each of these suggestions through the course of the month. I've never done this though because it always seems as if I get my calendar after the month has already started and I'm a big why bother kind of gal.

Well, this month, my leader handed out the calendar on February 28th, so I had no excuses (except that it got buried under Becky's Australia stuff on the steps, so as it is I missed the first three days). But what the heck, why not give it a try?

Saturday's was "A goal without a plan is merely a dream. Write a Winning Outcome for the month and plan to reach it." Well we did this in our meeting - I don't normally set weight loss goals (I prefer other goals that should result in weight loss) but I need a kick in the pants so I set a goal of 5 pounds by March 31.

Sunday's "Focus this week on getting the Good Health Guidelines in each and every day. Success begins a the grocery store." Well, for me success often begins by not setting foot in the grocery store but that's another story. The Good Health Guidelines mean you should get your five fruit or veggies in, your two or three milks, and your two healthy oils every day. Often members trip up because they use their points on other things, and don't meet these requirements. I've set a bit of a rule for me, "no fun foods until the health guidelines are met." Which means, no popcorn, 100 cal packs, ice cream, whatever if I don't have my fruit and milk eaten (or at least budgeted for).

Yesterday's was "enjoy a piece of fruit with your breakfast today." Well I blew this. But I'd probably blow it most days. Now that I'm trying to stick with a two point breakfast on weekdays - it's rare that I'll have a piece of fruit with it.

And today's, "Create a soothing milk drink with warmed milk, sweetener and vanilla, almond or hazelnut extract." Yeah, I intended to do that, but Sammi missed the bus, and I had to go pick her up, and on the way home we drive by the new Starbucks, and well you get the picture - one Grande Skinny Mocha latte later - I feel I've accomplished this task.

So that's it so far, almost four for four - not bad. In addition to my normal daily March postings, I'm going to try to do these too but at least I have material to post each day with my March Bloggers. :)

Got this in an e-mail today.

Dog Pack Attacks Gator In Florida

At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the "apex predator," can still fall victim to implemented 'team work' strategy, made possible due to the tight knit social structure and "survival of the pack mentality"bred into the canines.

See the remarkable photograph below courtesy of Nature Magazine. Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while another dog has a hold on the tail to keep it from thrashing. The third dog attacks the soft underbelly of the gator.

I thought I would do another entry on communities, though no more juicy stories about the residents of my parents’ development believing the rules don’t apply to them. This one is a bit closer to home.

Last night we went to Becky’s swim team awards dinner. They do it at the end of each season to recognize not only individuals but the team’s accomplishment during the past season. It’s the first time we’ve been to one for this swim team as it was Becky’s first year swimming for them. Later, after we left, it struck me that this group of students is also a community within a community.

Recognizing that, I could immediately draw a comparison between this new community and the one on Becky’s old team, for whom she swam for three seasons. Now before I continue, I hope I am not hurting Becky’s feelings by stating that while she has a beautiful stroke, she’s not the fastest swimmer. Yes, she’d probably be one of the top swimmers in some of the schools we swam against, but in our town, on these two teams, she’s just not in the top.

So I mentioned about my Weight Watchers sayings/tasks a day calendar. When last we met, I left off with March 4. Since then, we've had, "This is a great day to focus on eating lots of leafy green vegetables. The darker the green, the better," on March 5th.

In honor of that one, I made my standard Broccoli Raab stir fry. In non-stick skillet, coated with cooking spray and maybe a teaspoon (or more of oil), I add sliced garlic and a dash of some crushed red pepper. I saute until I can smell the garlic or until it's slightly toasty then add some chopped broccoli raab (not finely chopped, basically I take a bunch, and give it three good whacks, crosswise). Toss that about a bit, throw in some salt, toss about more, and when most of the liquid left on the leaves of the broccoli from washing, is absorbed, I may toss in some water or a bit of broth (if I have some open). Let it simmer for a few minutes and voila, spicy broccoli raab is served.

Yesterday's saying was "How many ounces of water will you drink today? Set a goal and to reach it." I blew this one - forgot to check the calendar in the morning and so didn't set any sort of water goal.

Today we have, "Enjoy dishes made with plant-based protein, such as lentil stew, split pea soup, or nuts added to salads." I didn't go with any of their suggestions but instead, took some frozen falafel from whole foods, sauteed it in a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray, until it was toasty, and put that atop a big old salad of mixed greens, red pepper, carrots, onion and tomato with a bit of non-fat ranch dressing in the mix. It's one of my favorite lunches. I still had a chunk of the no-knead bread left (about 2 ounces), so I toasted that well, and drizzled it with 1/2t of Mauro's olive oil from Le Casa Gialle - yum! Works out to a 3.5 - 4 point lunch (if I count the dressing which sometimes I do, sometimes I don't). Not too shabby.

Stupid MT! I had this entire entry typed, went to publish, found an error and lost the entire entry. This is why you should always save as unpublished first - urgh!

Okay - finally Saturday night, after waiting, and waiting, Becky finally received her departure date. They were supposed to let us know 45 days after our initial meeting (back on January 13). They had indicated, it would probably be earlier. But 45 days came and went and nothing.

Parents called, and they'd promise a few more days, a few more days. Then this past week, after I spoke to someone on Monday and he promised Friday. Then I spoke to someone Friday and he promised Saturday, the date came through.

It irked me a bit because one, they had already hit my credit card with the first payment (which they shouldn't have done without a departure date). What if the dates didn't end up working for us? I should only be out my deposit (if that), not 1/3 the cost of the trip. Plus, they were holding us up planning our own summer vacation. As it is, one of our leaders (aka chaperons) had to back out because the departure date conflicts with family commitments she has during that period of time.

Anyway, cool thing, there's a count down clock on the website (days, hours, minutes). So Beck's out of here in 121 days! (July 8th to you and me).

So very exciting.

Wiessner Woods

Okay - so we have Becky's trip dates, which means we can finally plan our summer vacations. Last year, we visited Stowe Vermont, while the girls were away at encampment (the end of August) but this also meant that we were there on a Monday to Monday - and lost most of our first Monday to travel (we couldn't hit the road until 12:30pm, after the girls' bus left). Plus, we couldn't take advantage of the Stowe Farmers' Market, which meets on Sunday, since it was the day before our departure.

This year, we decided to go while Becky's in Australia and Sammi is at the beach with my parents, so that we could leave early on a Saturday morning (Chris is talking 5:00am), and make some stops along the way up (can you say King Arthur?), plus, with our first full day being Sunday, we can definitely stock up on provisions at the Farmers' Market.

I contacted Goldilocks again, and just need to print and mail the contract. We added an extra night (departing Saturday July 12, returning Sunday July 20), and the owner kindly offered us the rental at last year's rates since we're returning customers! We cannot wait!

For a few years now, Boleskine over on Slow Travel Talk, has been mentioning to me a restaurant in Rahway, David Drakes. Every time we think of going out to dinner, we think, let's get to Rahway, and try it but in the end, our laziness prevails and we end up at my favorite restaurant, The Frog and the Peach. However, this past Saturday night, flush with Chris's bonus (well, at least knowing he was receiving one in a few short days), we decided to celebrate, and took the opportunity to visit David Drakes sister (or maybe in this case, brother) restaurant, Daryl Wine Bar.

Have you seen this show? They started last year with the Real Housewives of Orange County, which I never watched but now they're in my backyard, NYC, so I had to tune in. Oh My Gawd! In best NJ accent; it's totally obscene and yet, like a train wreck I can't look away.

Somebody save me!!!

Okay - so you have to know, though I never mention it, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of my favorite all time movies - it is just so incredibly silly. But sometimes you need silly.

Sometimes silly beats scotch.

And sometimes, really good friends, beat both.

Thanks for my new slippers Amy!!!!

Rain has a baby girl! Welcome to the world Natalie!!

Amy did this on her blog, Destination Anywhere, so in my usual fashion, I stole it.

Three Things I Learned from my Father:

1. How to fold a newspaper so you can read it on a plane or train without being rude.
2. How to tie my shoes
3. A sandwich sitting by the East river, can be just as good as a meal in a fancy restaurant

Three Things I Learned from my Mother:

1. How to find a good parking spot at the mall
2. How babies are made
3. E-mail and IM are fine but there's nothing like a phone call or visit.

Yipee!

So our plan for this brief respite, is to sleep, hike a little, sit by the pool and read, and some nice dinners out. That's it. We just want a quick recharge. But before that can happen, we first must get some things done at home.

• As always - laundry!
• Send in Becky's health form for her trip
• pack
• leave check for Anna
• arrange carpool for Wednesday
• arrange ride home from school for Becky Wednesday (worse case - she can take the late bus)
• go over schedule with Mom (or lack there of)
• clean house for Anna
• trash cans to curb Tuesday night/or make sure Becky can handle them Wednesday - they're huge and I don't want George, with his bad back moving them
• taxes!!!!! - forgot about these - everything's organized, so hopefully it won't be hard
• make hamentashen
• make sure extra sheets/towels are ready for Mom in guest room
• pay bills
• blog missing days - no need, bringing laptop.
• call haircut appointments - girls
• Mail package to Deborah
• Mail Goldilocks contract.

Better get cracking.

Do you know what stinks? Computer problems. Do you know what stinks more? Computer problems less than 48 hours before you're supposed to go away. Do you know what the only bright light is? It's not my computer but Becky's. Last night Becky got what Chris affectionately refers to as the Blue Screen of Death.

So you all should have read yesterday's post on the Blue Screen of Death - well the saga continues today.

After completing the bios run of the hard drive last night and having it come up clean, we rebooted the system and everything seemed fine, until (scary music), the BSoD flashed again!

I threw in the towel (for the moment).

On the plane to the west coast, I finally had time to finish my book club selection, The Stone Diaries. Our meeting was last Sunday and due to the craziness of getting ready for the trip, and not finishing the book on time, I decided to skip it. I'm sorry I did. I would really like to hear what everyone else thought of the book.

I couldn't decide if I liked this book or not at first. Like the Daughter of Fortune, I found the book to be mostly exposition, told from varying points (but mostly the author's point of view). But like Daughter of Fortune, after I read it, I found it is staying with me, certain images etched in my head. Normally, I don't like exposition. Normally, I like the author to show me what she means not tell me what she means. I want to make up my mind about characters based upon their actions, not their story.

This was different though. I find my mind wandering back to the story, a biography of basically an ordinary woman (though she did come into this world through an extraordinary birth). Yet, somehow the author managed to make her ordinary life interesting in the end. I guess that's why she won the Pulitzer prize, huh?

So if you're looking for anything but a quick read, something that will capture you (give it time) and hold on to you, if you like the sensation of someone sitting you down and telling you a story with multiple threads that somehow come together in a tapestry of interesting design at the end, read the Stone Diaries.

It's Purim today (well, I'm pretty sure it's today or tonight and tomorrow, I'm on vacation, so I've lost a bit of time). Anyway, Purim is a Jewish holiday, like many other Jewish holidays, that we celebrate, in that, the reason we're celebrating is someone tried to wipe us from the face of the earth, they failed, let's eat. Well, Purim is a little different because in addition to eating we drink for this one too (like Passover where we must have four glasses of wine), for Purim, if memory serves, we're supposed to get so blasted, we can't say, recognize or something the name of the villain in the story, Hamen.

Okay - wipe your dirty minds. I'm not giving you details of that activity but instead tell you about the hike we did today, here in Rancho Mirage, called the Bump and Grind. At first, after I had slept late, we thought we'd bag it for another day of sitting by the pool but feeling like slugs, we changed out of our bathing suits, and hit the road (with a stop first at Starbucks for breakfast) before beginning our climb up some stark but beautiful hills.

I started I'm Not Scared a while ago but had to way-lay it when my book club fast approached (the previously mentioned Stone Diaries), so finally while we were in California, I finished it. It’s a good coming of age story about an Italian boy living in a poor small town (really a hamlet) in southern Italy. He stumbles upon a mystery that ends up leading to places he never should have gone. I have two issues with the story though, trying not to give too much a way 1) I believe and will double check this, but the hero is all of nine years-old. He seemed older. I would have placed him at twelve, too mature otherwise. 2) The ending. Such an ending – let’s just say, if you’re someone who needs closure, this isn’t the book for you. I’m almost tempted to write the author to find out what happened next! It’s a quick easy read though, and worth an afternoon’s investment. I believe it’s since been made into a movie, so I’m updating my Netflix queue to grab a hold of it to watch with Becky (she had read the book a while ago, pulling it off my shelf when she was in short supply of reading material.

Friday, after finishing I’m Not Scared, I started The Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Like I’m not scared it’s one of the books that had been sitting on my shelf for a good long while now that I never got around to reading. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I bought it when I snagged it to bring to California with us. I’m glad I did too.

As I discovered upon finishing, the book, written by Sue Vreeland was the first novel written by the author of the Passion of Artemesia (her second novel), which I had read a while ago. Again, this time she delves into the art world and history only the heroine of our story isn’t an artist but really a painting, a questionable (and yes fictionalized) work by Vermeer of, yes you guessed it, a girl in hyacinth blue. Ms. Vreeland writes maybe a dozen chapters (I didn’t count them), starting in so-called present day United States, tracing the history of the painting through each and every owner, right back to it’s creation in the 17th century. You could almost read it as a collection of short stories with the painting as the only common element. Another quick read that didn’t even last me past the Rockie Mountains but worth the go. Now I need to remember to check to see if she has since published any other novels.

In the back yard of my parents' neighbor. Yikes!

We're a bit dangerous with chocolate bunnies, peeps, a cell phone camera and too much Bracchetto.

Don't foget, lights off from 8:00 - 9:00 tonight - your local time.

Earth Hour

An update.

On Friday, March 28th, I called Circuit City, did I mention that's where I brought it to be repaired, to the Fire Dog people there? Did I mention I brought it in on March 18th because I thought it would be quicker than waiting for the warranty people to send me a mailer and for me to mail it back to them because I was going out of town? Did I mention that on March 18th, they promised they'd have a diagnostic answer for me by March 23rd and would call me?