Y-ME Walk In the Rain and Ironman Review

We did it!  We did the Y-Me Walk for Breast Cancer yesterday and here is a picture (that is me, the shorter one, and no, I am not standing in a sink-hole).  It was very rainy on Chicago’s lakefront, but spirits were high and DD and I and our friends had a nice walk.  If you get a chance to participate in one of these events I highly recommend it.  The event was well done from beginning to end and everyone involved was a pleasure to work with. 

I also got to celebrate Mother’s Day with my favorite activity, seeing a movie in the theater.  After much debate we decided on Ironman and we were not disappointed.  I have to agree with the reviews that I read that said this was a smart movie.  I thought everything about this movie was well done, and I had no idea that Jeff Bridges could play such an awesome villian!  If you get a chance to see this one on the giant screen with surround sound, do it.

Finally Friday Fun - Summer Movies

Boy oh boy is it ever going to be tough today to decide which of the new summer movies we will go to tonight, the family and I! There are so many I want to see right now that it will be difficult.

DS wants to go see Speed Racer tonight. He and his Dad have been catching up on all the old cartoons and he is just busting at the seams to go and see the feature film. I have to admit that I am a bit anxious for this one too. DH though refuses to go, he thinks it looks terrible. Hard to believe, seeing as he is the biggest Speed Racer fan over 20 that I know.

DD wants to go see Made of Honor. Although I don’t think this will be great cinema or anything, who am I to pass up an opportunity to see McDreamy on the big screen?

And finally, I really want to see Ironman. I have always been a big Robert Downey Jr fan, and I have heard from so many people that this is a great movie. This may be the one time that I invite my kids friends along just so I can go see the movie I really want to see.

 

Book Review - The Hamptons Diet

I read this diet book in just two sittings, which is a new record for me.  For while I can devour fiction books, especially mysteries, it usually takes me months to finish most non-fiction literature.  I really wanted to get to the recipes in the back of this book, but found much of the medical information very informative.

I am not new to the whole low-carb diet craze.  About 5 years ago I lost 45 pounds and have kept most of it off by doing the Atkins Diet Plan.  The thing about the Atkins plan though that has always bothered me was the huge emphasis on fatty meat and dairy.  I also found that many of the meal replacements were my only option for times when I was away from home and these foods are loaded with additives and preservatives and all things man made. 

I am finding that as I get older, I desire a more natural diet.  I will no longer tolerate fake sugar of any kind, high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.  I think I liked this book so much because it agreed with me on the status of these foods and explained why they are so bad for us.  I like trying to find new ways to add vegetables into my diet and this book has some nice recipes to help do that.

There is no magic pill, diet or surgery.  The key to weight loss over the long haul really does seem to be a balanced approach; cut down on caloric intake and increase the excercise.  This book is no miracle cure, but if you are on the road to a healthier you, it is worth a peek if only for the recipes. 

Finally Friday Fun - Road Trip

I am taking a road trip home today.  I am packing up DD and DS and we are headed to Michigan.  I have been anticipating our trip all week and can’t wait to stop by The Stray Dog tonight for dinner.  As I have mentioned before, DD and I have been there recently, but DS has not yet and he will love it.

Along the road home are some other sites and fun things, and since I am thinking about them all, I thought I would blog about them in case you ever happen upon the road from Chicago to Michigan.

There are a few fun little wineries springing up along the Michigan West Coast that I think are fun to try.  Of the three I have tried; FennValley, Tabor Hill, and St. Julian, I like Tabor Hill the best.  It is no California, but for a nice little weekend trip I recommend you reserve a seat on one of the tours at either FennValley or Tabor Hill.

Another fun place to stop along the road from Chicago to Michigan is The Chocolate Garden.  As their website states, they have been featured a few times now on the Food Network, so you know it has to be good.  This time, since Mother’s Day is right around the corner and I need some gifts, I can justify a visit.

Kalamazoo is also along this road home, and it hosts a few attractions that are worth noticing.  First, there is Wings Statdium, home to the K Wings.  If you are more of a history buff than a sports fan, there is the Air Zoo that looks absolutely amazing.  Like the outdoors better?  How about a trip to the Binder Park Zoo?

All this between here and there, I just can’t wait to get on the road!

Happy Hump Day Shopping - Flowers and Plants

I can’t help it, this beautiful sun-shiney weather here in Chicago-land today has me dreaming of summer gardening, and all that I want to do and plant this year. So I thought I would share those dreams and also just keep a list for myself of what I want to do. 

First and most importantly, I need to fill in my new flower bed with, well, flowers. I thought I would be easy on myself this first time out so I ordered a pre-planned garden from Spring Hill Nursery.   It includes Bellflowers, Daisys, Climbing Clematis and Dragon’s Blood Sedum and I absolutely can’t wait for these plants to arrive so I can plant them and watch them grow.

I was crusing some gardening blogs and came across some really helpful ones.  Over at In the Garden Online, I saw a link to the Michigan Bulb Co.   My intention was just to compare prices, but I find myself today trying to talk myself out of buying some Blue Moon Hydrangea plants as well as some Everbearing Strawberries.  Both are so nice though, and I am so determined to develop a green thumb. . .and for $20 can I really go wrong anyway?!

That will probably be all for my in-ground planting this year, but stay tuned, I am planning a container veggie garden that I will write about in the coming days. . .

My New Flower Bed

It was a wonderful weekend. My DD and DH created our first ever flower bed. We have decided, finally, to landscape our yard. We have only lived in our house now for 8 years, but better late than never. It also helps that DD has taken some landscaping lessons from school due to a project she was working on for student government.

Have a look at the picture of my new flower bed, complete with a light for night enjoyment! For a 16-year old, she did darn good (and thanks for the help dad)! I can’t wait to fill this new space with flowers for the summer.

We have a ways to go, but this is such a nice start, perhaps I can become the gardener I have always wanted to be.

Cafe Thursday - Hobo Dinners

My family and I call these packets, but my mom first started me on these, calling them Hobo Dinners. When we used to camp in the summers when my brothers and I were young one of the things we looked forward to the most were making these Hobo Dinners. These simple dinners are basically meat and any veggies you want, wrapped in tinfoil, and baked till the meat is cooked through and the veggies are soft.

Now that I have a family of my own, I realize how very difficult it is to feed several people who all have their own likes and dislikes. That is where the true goodness of these Hobo Dinners lies. Each one of us can create our own ideal dinner of meat and veggies. The hardest part of this recipe is the chopping of the veggies, but I recommend you include everyone and really have fun with this.

Recipe:
Take one large piece of tinfoil. Coat it with plenty of Olive Oil. Add the meat of your choice, raw (chicken, fish and groundbeef are the best we have tried). Pile on all the veggies you like (potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, peppers, and zucchini are all delicious). Add the seasonings of your choice, depends mostly on your meat choice (we like steak seasoning best and salt and pepper) Fold in tinfoil so that no heat escapes your pile (DS makes a hershey kiss sort of shape, I usually make more of a big square packet). Bake on a baking sheet at 450 for about 35 minutes, but test for doneness after 30 minutes.

Let cool a bit. CAREFULLY open your packets, the steam will be HOT. Add steak sauce or katsup and enjoy!

Earth Day Gesture - Solidarity and Tech Free Week

It is Earth Day, and while we probably should have planned to plant a tree or a garden or something, my family has decided to focus on other areas of our lives that are out of whack.

First, we have decided to join with our sisters and brothers at Willow Creek Church and take the Five-Day Solidarity Challenge. This means that for 5 days this week we are eating either oatmeal or rice and beans for our meals.  The purpose of this challenge is “to stand alongside our brothers and sisters living in poverty across the world, [and eat] what they eat,” said Willow Creek’s Compassion and Justice Director Heather Larson.

Believe it or not, my kids are actually the ones that are pushing us to do this challenge. It is a great thing, and something I am anxious to do to.  I have become increasingly aware over the past few weeks that I spend entirely too much time thinking and planning what I am going to eat.  If I took just half that and made it more productive I would gain hours of time.  Perhaps I could even be more organized.

Would you like to do your part in getting more rice into the hands of needy people?  Go on over to freerice.com and play a vocabulary game while you donate bowls of rice to those who need it.  Find yourself with some extra cash?  Why not be a sponsor?  It doesnt’ take much to help feed those who are less fortunate.

In addition to our menu challenge for the week, my husband further challeneged our family to give up technology for the week as well.  We are trying to live like the other half of the world does, and already it is hard.  Of course, since I can’t give up technology at work (a network admin can’t easily do that), I am takign this lunch break to blog our progress.  Tonight I am hoping to spend some time chatting with the kids, then suggesting a game of tennis or cards and then a long soak in the tub!  I may just get used to this yet.

Book Review - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I have had this book on my “to-read” list for over a year now. I first saw the hardcover in the bookstore and thought it sounded interesting. Being a book lover, mystery fan, and a historical fiction fan, I thought I would really enjoy this book, but I am not sure that I did. I will compare this book to others that are like this one to explain why I liked them more.

The first author that came to mind as I was reading The Thirteenth Tale was P.D. James. Most likely it was the setting that brought one of my favorites to mind, but I believe it was the tone also that had me thinking of books like The Murder Room and Cover Her Face. The main difference here is that with a James book I have to make sure I have several hours to spend, as I can’t put her books down. I did not have this problem with The Thirteenth Tale. It was not until the very last couple of chapters that I found myself wanting to keep reading, and that was really to be done and able to move on to my next book.

Another book that came to mind was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, which I really enjoyed. I read a review that said the reviewer hadn’t liked a book so well since Zafon’s, and I realized that indeed, I liked the latter much better. While the general tone of both books is very similar, I did not guess the ending in The Shadow of the Wind, and I found interesting diversions throughout. That is not to say that The Thirteenth Tale doesn’t have its own interesting twists and turns, but most of them can be seen coming.

Finally, another reviewer I read compared this book to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I would agree that the tones are similar, but Kostova has a genuine purpose for the dark undertones in her book; she is writing about vampires. Both heroines have a strange family life with only a father present, and yet Kostova’s book seems to have so much more light and hope. Not to mention the fact that there is true horror in The Historian while in Setterfield’s book there is only the suggestion of horror which does not pan out in the end.

In short, I found the book The Thirteenth Tale to be an adaquate diversion. I was not enthralled in the storytelling, the mystery was a bit predictable, and the overall depressed feeling of this book made it drag on for me just a bit. Having said that, if this author does write another book it is very likely that I will read it, as I have a feeling that she will improve greatly in time.

All Natural Favorites

My DD and I have been dieting/fasting for over three weeks now, and I have to say that we are having a bit of fun. It turns out that we actually like the health food store, and we both like the challenge of finding the healthiest, most naturally made foods. It is especially exciting when they taste great. So I thought I would share with you today some favorite staples from the last few weeks.

1. For me has to be veggie chips. My favorite brand so far is EatSmart Veggie Crisps, but I also really enjoy the Good Health Veggie Chips. I have many more brands to try, but these are great, eaten in moderation of course.

2.  My brother turned us on to another natural snack that is fantastic, but you have to try different brands to find the one you like best.  Blue corn nacho chips are super good and can be made even better with some homemade guacamole.  The brand we liked the best was the Meijer Organic Blue Corn Chips with Sesame Seeds.

3.  Our local health food store has a smoothie bar and bakery in it, and they make some delicious little date ball things that are very good and great for the sweet tooth.  You could make these yourself by taking some ground nuts, dates and raisins, smushed bananna and rolling them into a ball and then dropping them in coconut. 

4.  Fresh fruit.  I can’t say it enough, I love fruit.  After being on the Atkins Diet on and off for over 7 years, it is such a joy to pick up an apple, orange, bananna or grapefruit and dig in.

5.  Fresh vegetable stir fry.  To me, it matters not what seasonings you use, stir frying fresh veggies with some oil and spices is pretty close to heaven.  Add these veggies to a plate of brown rice and one could really feast quite happily.

Have any great fresh or all natural food favorites?  I would love to hear them, we are trying to make this a healthy lifestyle change and need all the ideas and tips we can get.