• Every time the summer Olympics comes around, I realize that I've forgotten how much I love volleyball! Men's, women's, indoor or beach, I just love volleyball. It's such an precise, beautiful sport.
• The tv show Bridezillas is fantastically addicting and entertaining. I'm not even shamed by watching it anymore; I really love watching these ridiculous girls get so beast-like over a wedding. Funny stuff! And best of all, Ryan likes it too.
• I've been missing Toronto really intensely the last few days. I really wish it would have worked out to take a trip there over Labor Day. There's been talk of doing a road trip to the Black Hills over the holiday weekend instead.
• I miss blogging about baseball, but I don't have nearly the time it takes to keep up a decent blog. You'd think it'd be easy-ish, blogging with someone, but I haven't really talked to or seen Nicky in, what, a month?
• Ryan's birthday party has been changed to Sunday, Aug 24th. I hope many people come for bbq and beer and to eat lots of our vegetables.
• My computer was attacked by some bizarre spyware last night. It somehow is spyware that tries to tell me that I have lots of infections and should download and pay for a spyware removal program. It's taken over my desktop and I'm trying to keep it from taking over MSIE. Which means I'm running Firefox for the time being. I know that so many people love Firefox, blah blah blah, but I don't care for it. I never had any problems with IE and never saw the need to change, especially as there are plenty of things that won't run on Firefox.
• We still have lots and lots of veggies. A cabbage, 2 green peppers, 4 sweet corn, 2 beets, 2 cucumbers, a zucchini and some herbs. And I haven't yet picked up today's delivery (which I will go do as soon as I finish this blog post!).
• I hate Friday weddings. I hate the idea of them, and I hate the hassle that is involved in going to them. No offense to anyone who will have/is having/has had a Friday wedding, of course. Is it a money-saving tactic, or is it something that people do because the wedding site they wanted was already booked on all acceptable Saturdays? Even having a wedding on a Sunday is far, far better than having one on a Friday. Friday weddings, from the guest perspective, says "I'm the bride and I don't really care that 90% of my guests have to work Mondays-Fridays, I think they should take vacation time for ME!" This is, of course, more directed at weddings that start prior to 6pm or so on Fridays, but even so. My personal opinion is that if it is indeed a money-saving strategy, then you should reconsider your idea of a wedding. If you can't afford a gangbusters affair then you should downsize your guestlist, your menu, whatever. If you can't afford an open bar? Don't have a bar! Have a keg or just beer and wine or no booze at all! Yes, in my opinion asking people to take time off of work to attend your wedding is about as crappy as asking them to pay for their own drinks at a wedding. This may all be simply my idea of being an good host, of course, that if you are indeed throwing a party for your nearest and dearest, that you should make that party as easy and fun as possible for them. It shouldn't involve taking vacation time, fighting rush hour traffic, or paying for their own drinks.
It's safe to say that when I do get married (touch wood), it will not be on a Friday.
I realize the last bit probably comes off rather screed-like, but it's just rambling about weddings generally and I'd hate for any person, be they friend or random passerby at my blog, to take it personally. For the record, my best friend had a wedding that began at 5:30pm on the Friday before Christmas, and I Maid of Honor-ed it happily.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Worried 'bout my baby
My Ryan went to the doctor this morning and returned with a diagnosis of very high blood pressure. Not good!
In the end it may turn out okay: he was instructed to drink less and exercise more. In addition, there are basic dietary things that should help--obvious things like less sodium, more fruits and veggies, fewer sweets, less meat, etc.
My family has a history of hypertension in addition, so it's a good idea for both of us to do these things. Plus, we could both stand do lose a pound or two!
In the end it may turn out okay: he was instructed to drink less and exercise more. In addition, there are basic dietary things that should help--obvious things like less sodium, more fruits and veggies, fewer sweets, less meat, etc.
My family has a history of hypertension in addition, so it's a good idea for both of us to do these things. Plus, we could both stand do lose a pound or two!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Lauren's Super Healthy Zucchini Bread
Lauren's Super Healthy Zucchini Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce (I like the Mott's All Natural kind, no sugar added)
3 cups grated zucchini (or zucchini and carrot mix)
1 or 2 handfuls choclate chips (optional, but awesome)
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease bundt pan.
2. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in medium bowl.
3. In large bowl, beat eggs. Mix in sugar, extract, oil, applesauce and grated zucchini. Add dry ingredients, mixing only until flour is absorbed. Lightly stir in chololate chunks, if desired.
4. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until a knife insterted comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce (I like the Mott's All Natural kind, no sugar added)
3 cups grated zucchini (or zucchini and carrot mix)
1 or 2 handfuls choclate chips (optional, but awesome)
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease bundt pan.
2. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in medium bowl.
3. In large bowl, beat eggs. Mix in sugar, extract, oil, applesauce and grated zucchini. Add dry ingredients, mixing only until flour is absorbed. Lightly stir in chololate chunks, if desired.
4. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until a knife insterted comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.
Vegetables Pt 2
Got another huge delivery of vegetables today!
Ryan's and my half:
4 ears of corn
2 red onions
3 tomatoes
2 green peppers
8 carrots
2 beets
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
Green beans
Cilantro
Basil
The fridge is jammed with vegetables... it's craziness!
Ryan's and my half:
4 ears of corn
2 red onions
3 tomatoes
2 green peppers
8 carrots
2 beets
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
Green beans
Cilantro
Basil
The fridge is jammed with vegetables... it's craziness!
So help me God, we will eat these vegetables!
I want to document this week's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery for posterity.
Keep in mind that this is a HALF share of a CSA!
One green pepper
Two onions
One large bunch (probably 15 leaves) collard greens
Four carrots
Two random summer squash
One zucchini
One very large cucumber
One broccoli
One HUGE (it weighs like five pounds!) cabbage
A lot of green beans
Fourturnips rutabaga
Bunch of dill
Bunch of mint
I REALLY want to eat all of the vegetables before they go bad. We get a new delivery tomorrow!! I prepped a stew with some Glanzer beef, the broccoli, the carrots, about half of the collard greens, the summer squash, and one of the onions. I'm going to mash the rutabaga up with potatoes (from last week's CSA) for some carb action there. Put curry-style spice in it, hope it turns out tasty-like.
The other onion and the green pepper will go towards a fajita dinner sometime this week.
The dill will go with a lovely piece of salmon I bought last week.
The green beans and the rest of the collard greens will have to go in a stir fry some time soon.
The zucchini will go in zucchini bread (which, with other fruits/veggies, whole wheat flour, and a handful of chocolate chips, baked in a Bundt pan, is an AWESOME breakfast cake. So healthy and yummy. Just replace most of the oil in whatever recipe you use for applesauce and you're golden.)
Now. What on earth will I do with all that cabbage?
Keep in mind that this is a HALF share of a CSA!
One green pepper
Two onions
One large bunch (probably 15 leaves) collard greens
Four carrots
Two random summer squash
One zucchini
One very large cucumber
One broccoli
One HUGE (it weighs like five pounds!) cabbage
A lot of green beans
Four
Bunch of dill
Bunch of mint
I REALLY want to eat all of the vegetables before they go bad. We get a new delivery tomorrow!! I prepped a stew with some Glanzer beef, the broccoli, the carrots, about half of the collard greens, the summer squash, and one of the onions. I'm going to mash the rutabaga up with potatoes (from last week's CSA) for some carb action there. Put curry-style spice in it, hope it turns out tasty-like.
The other onion and the green pepper will go towards a fajita dinner sometime this week.
The dill will go with a lovely piece of salmon I bought last week.
The green beans and the rest of the collard greens will have to go in a stir fry some time soon.
The zucchini will go in zucchini bread (which, with other fruits/veggies, whole wheat flour, and a handful of chocolate chips, baked in a Bundt pan, is an AWESOME breakfast cake. So healthy and yummy. Just replace most of the oil in whatever recipe you use for applesauce and you're golden.)
Now. What on earth will I do with all that cabbage?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Great-Uncle Luther
I received an email this evening informing me that my maternal grandfather's twin brother had died.
Apparently he and my grandad Wes (they were named Wesley and Luther...my family isn't Norwegian or anything, ha!) were in a car accident and, while Grandad only suffered a couple bruises and such, Luther wasn't so lucky and, long story made short, was removed from life support once the immediate family had gathered.
Due to strained relations with my mother's family, I only met him a handful of times. The last time I saw them was probably when I was 6 or 7 years old.
What I do remember is that when I graduated high school, he and his wife Joan sent me a check and a lovely letter, reminding me that the University of Toledo was only an hour or so from their home in Ann Arbor, MI, and that I would be invited to dinner the first week I was settled at school!
I, of course, was obliged to write a polite, if slightly awkward, letter back to them informing them that they were misinformed--I was to be attending the University of Toronto in the fall. But thanks regardless!
Apparently he and my grandad Wes (they were named Wesley and Luther...my family isn't Norwegian or anything, ha!) were in a car accident and, while Grandad only suffered a couple bruises and such, Luther wasn't so lucky and, long story made short, was removed from life support once the immediate family had gathered.
Due to strained relations with my mother's family, I only met him a handful of times. The last time I saw them was probably when I was 6 or 7 years old.
What I do remember is that when I graduated high school, he and his wife Joan sent me a check and a lovely letter, reminding me that the University of Toledo was only an hour or so from their home in Ann Arbor, MI, and that I would be invited to dinner the first week I was settled at school!
I, of course, was obliged to write a polite, if slightly awkward, letter back to them informing them that they were misinformed--I was to be attending the University of Toronto in the fall. But thanks regardless!
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