tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318328352024-03-13T07:56:55.263-04:00Under A Charmed StarAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.comBlogger314125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-37790039897172083532014-08-05T08:01:00.001-04:002014-08-05T08:01:31.210-04:00Putting Pinterest to use: dinner this week and other ideas<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was a great<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/07/30/332317807/can-pinterest-compete-with-googles-search" target="_blank"> story on NPR about Pinterest</a>. Did you know Pinterest could rival Google as the next most useful search engine? While Google can show you web pages that include words about what you are looking for; all us crazy pinners are creating a crowd-sourced mega database of searchable le images. Fascinating how in our spare time, we have taken what started out as a digital bulletin board and turned it into a power house! Surely now you don't feel like Pinterest has been. Waste of time! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been spending some time cleaning out my boards and reorganizing. I decided to start a new board that will only include recipes that I could make with stuff I have on hand. Me? Rationalize time on Pinterest? Nooooo. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tonight I was able to use up the last of the broccoli and made <a href="http://shopgirlmaria.blogspot.com/2013/04/cheesy-quinoa-and-broccoli-patties.html" target="_blank">cheesy quinoa and broccoli patties</a>. They weren't bad, but they need a little something. Could be something simple like salt, but I suspect a little more creativity with herbs and spices would take these babies up a notch. Any who...combined with a huge tomato from a colleague's garden and bam! Summer supper! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also saw an idea recently either somewhere on Pinterest or on <a href="http://thekitchn.com/">thekitchn.com</a> to make a "triage tray" in your fridge. Basically, the idea is to designate space in your fridge for stuff you want to use up before it goes bad. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Such a simple idea might have saved the retried beans I threw in the trash tonight. I used a plastic placemat for my triage tray. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> I'm thinking this <a href="http://ahouseinthehills.com/2013/7/30/a-perfect-summer-lunch-from-the-first-mess/" target="_blank">zucchini noodle with tomatoes and balsamic glaze</a> might be nice for dinner tonight! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What's going to be on your table tonight? Any fun new recipes in the mix? What's your go-to summer supper?</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-40991872980714414892014-08-04T08:18:00.000-04:002014-08-04T08:18:04.508-04:00Grocery shopping 101: August is off to a good start!<span style="font-size: small;">Despite not having a car for a whole month, I think we can call July a success in the grocery department. I ended up spending $174.27 for the month, and that included 6 bottles of wine. I shopped at the regular grocery store more than I would have if I could have driven to Aldi, so that also contributed to higher spending. Meh...still not bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">August is off to a good start. Loaded up for the next week and splurged a little on dinners for me and my main squeeze to have this weekend. Total bill was $79.39. Here's the breakdown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2VGoC5_-ntc/U91Asx-ZYpI/AAAAAAAANVE/6ZBc1FcbIfM/s1600/AugWk1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2VGoC5_-ntc/U91Asx-ZYpI/AAAAAAAANVE/6ZBc1FcbIfM/s1600/AugWk1.png" height="444" width="640" /></a>I I went a bit over board, but I wanted to have a few extra nice meals. I spent $14 on steaks alone. Not something I would usually do for myself, that's for sure!<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I also got frozen salmon fillets which will last for quite some time. Looks like I spent a lot for one week if my goal is only $160 a month. Having my main squeeze here for the weekend, and it being the first shopping trip of the month both make for the higher total. It will all even out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>Here's a little insight into my general strategy for grocery shopping.<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>You are what you eat! </b>I am by no means a perfect eater. I keep in mind what is necessary for health when I shop for food. With the occasional exception, try to steer clear of foods that don't contribute nourishment for health. The cuts down on about 80% of the grocery store. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What can I do with what I already have?</b> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span>I really try to assess my fridge, freezer and
pantry before I head to the store. That way I can use up what I have instead of
buying more than I need. Waste not, want not! </span><span style="font-size: small;">I make a note of what meals would be possible if I just had 1 or 2 other things. Planing around what I already have helps keep the list to a minimum. I don't worry so much about
planning the gaps. I tend to keep a mental tally of some favorite recipes so
that I can fill in the menu gaps depending on what’s available when I get to
the store. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>The mental list</b>: </span></span>My shopping list is pretty stable from week to
week. The way my store is arranged, I skip right through the first isle of
chips and cookies and snacks to the back for eggs, milk, butter (when I need
it), yogurt, and shredded cheese. Then I hit up the produce section. I go a bit
crazy in this section! Whatever looks good goes in the cart until I have what I
think is enough to get at least 5 generous servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Then I go look at the meat. If something is on
a crazy sale, I might buy it to put in the freezer. Then I grab anything else I
might need to complete my mental meal plan. Example: If Italian sausage is on
sale, I might go back for an onion and a bell pepper to make this pasta dish I
like. Then I grab any staples I might be out of like rice, might grab a couple
bags of frozen veggies if I’m out. That’s it. Easy when you skip most of the
middle.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Meal planning</b>: I</span><span style="font-size: small;"> know a lot of people are big on menu planning,
and I am too. If you can check out the flier before going to the store, then
plan a few meals around what’s going to be on sale. At Aldi, I feel like not
everything ends up in the flier. Sometimes I check my Pinterest boards to get ideas of meals I might like to cook during the week. I also only really plan on cooking 2-3 meals a week. The left-overs are great for nights when I'm too busy or tired to cook and they make for great lunches too. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lunch planning: </b>I generally try to use up leftovers for lunches and then take salads or bento-style lunches made up of little bits of this and that. I don't really buy anything particularly special for lunches. I don't make sandwiches or buy Lean Cuisine type of stuff. Using up whatever is around keeps the waste and cost down! </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>I don’t ALWAYS or NEVER anything, but I do try to keep a good routine for the grocery store. My grocery
tips and tricks are what I try to stick by. Of course there is the occasional splurge! Eh hem...steaks. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-1460059479006810912014-07-30T10:59:00.000-04:002014-07-30T10:59:22.011-04:00Feeding the 5000 when you are running on emptyPretty sure I'm not the one person in the world who is quick to say ,"Sure I can make that happen!" It's easy to read blogs like Pioneer Woman and think that you should be able to run a working ranch, feed a big family, write books, and look cute doing it. She has help. Most of us do not have help. Saying yes too often leave me feeling frazzled. I have got to learn the art of saying no. Until then, I have to cope with the chaos of saying yes. <br />
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Yesterday was classic. I volunteered to provide dinner for about 15 people at a board meeting. Not just any meeting. This meeting fell on the birthday of a former state representative, and I was asked to make a special dessert! Typically not a problem. I love to make fun desserts! I love to feed people! Yesterday was a doozy of a day. Woke up at 2:45am. Drove 1.5 hours to the airport to catch the 6am flight back to Maryland. Took the bus from Baltimore to Rockville. Took the shuttle from the metro station to work and made it on time for my 9:30am meeting. Thankfully my 9:30 was bumped to 9:45 which have me time to grab more coffee. Worked the rest of the day...not sure how. Hertz picked me up at 4 in a shiny, red Mustang! I got a rental car, because a month after the wreck I still didn't have my own car. Went to the grocery store and grabbed everything needed for a huge dinner salad. I baked shortcakes while I was still in Indiana, and traveled with them. Grabbed strawberries and whipped topping. I had 15 minutes at home to prepare the salad and cut up the strawberries. Then I drove to the board meeting in a neighboring suburb about 25 min away. Baxter was in the car with me because he hadn't had his evening walk yet. Thankfully everything panned out beautifully! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Strawberry and blueberry shortcake!</span></div>
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15 minutes in the grocery, 15 min of prep (not including baking the shortcakes) and $45 makes dinner for 15! Boom! Made it happen. Not without personal cost. I was so razzed that I couldn't fall asleep. Today I was completely tanked all day. I have got to figure out when to raise the white flag. What's the phrase? Just because you can doesn't mean you should? </div>
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This guy is glad to have me back and get on a more normal schedule! </div>
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I'm glad to be back and getting on a more normal schedule. Today I practiced saying no. When asked if I would be interested to sing in the church choir, I said no! It's a start. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-65039613646201441742014-07-29T11:01:00.001-04:002014-07-29T11:05:17.250-04:00Care packages galore!<div>
I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">'ve been on the sending and receiving ends of care packages in the last couple weeks. Not sure why I can't be better about getting to the post office. It's so much fun sending little packages!</span></div>
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Here's a "box of sunshine" for my friend's brother. I hope you are keeping him I'm your prayers. Cancer is just the worst. I. Wrapped the shirt in orange paper, so when he opened the box it was all sunshine and happiness. The tape all over the box adds a nice touch, don't you think? </div>
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The next package is going to another friend who is dealing with cancer. I hate cancer. I hope you will keep her in your prayers too. Her theme is pink elephants, and I just needed to bake some cookies. Smitten kitchen chocolate cookies are my favorite roll-out cookies, and besides...chocolate makes everything a little better.<br />
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I've gotten two care packages recently. One from my mom's friend, Karen. She surprised me with a skein of Loom Risoni silk yarn and a pattern to make a little scarf! </div>
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The other is from my friend Alley! Look what she made me?!? This Christmas ornament will make me smile every year. </div>
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What are your favorite things to drop in the mail to friends? Do share!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-4966628301821627182014-07-28T05:52:00.001-04:002014-07-28T05:52:48.243-04:00A weekend with family!This weekend was fantastic! This picture sums it up if you ask me! Aren't my nieces and nephews the cutest?!? I loved getting to spend time out at my brother's house. Sometimes country air is the best medicine!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mN3iMD1Mbkw/U9YdbgHL8uI/AAAAAAAANTA/AKHwN6X0XrU/s640/blogger-image-752672754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mN3iMD1Mbkw/U9YdbgHL8uI/AAAAAAAANTA/AKHwN6X0XrU/s640/blogger-image-752672754.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Spent the weekend digging through memories and choosing treasures to keep for generations to come. In other words...had to deal with my mom's house for a few days. I got a storage unit, and oddly enough the price of the unit helped me make some decisions. If it weren't for a few huge pieces of antique furniture, I think I would downgrade to a smaller unit for sure. Or potentially no unit. </div><div><br></div><div>I had 2 mottos that I need to translate to my apartment when I get back:</div><div><br></div><div>1. Did I remember this existed?</div><div>2. Would I pay to store this?</div><div><br></div><div>Things I'm already thinking should be examined include stuff under my bed and stuff in the kitchen cabinets. Might take another pass through the closet while I'm at it! Who says spring cleaning can't happen in the middle of summer? </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-1618689995825174352014-07-24T08:17:00.001-04:002014-07-24T08:17:54.307-04:00Healthful eating in the midst of travel madnessJet setting doesn't bode well for healthful eating and tends to result in food waste. July has been a whirlwind of travel. I was gone the first couple days of the month, home for about 2 weeks, gone for a long weekend, home for 4 days, and I'm about to head out again for a long weekend trip. During this time I did not have a car, so getting up to Aldi for my usual grocery routine wasn't an option. A combination of bike and public transportation have worked out well even to get me to the big chain grocery store around the corner. <br />
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I've only recently addressed some of the travel-related food challenges.<br />
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<li>Airport food: I've been using the airport as an excuse to eat Chipotle. My mom and I used to go to Chipotle almost every Tuesday. Chipotle brings back happy memories and it tastes so good! This last trip I had YoBerry. It's an excuse to get a treat, but usually it's a treat I don't really need.</li>
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<li> TSA: As it turns out, a lot of food can get through TSA
screening. I'm trying to be better about packing a meal with me to eat
in the airport. Sandwiches, fruit, salads with dressing in jars less
than 3 oz all get through TSA. Ice packs get through so long as they are
frozen solid. Gel packs, and melted ice do not. I suppose ice in a zip
lock bag could just be thrown away and your food will stay cool enough
to get through security and eat it on the other side. </li>
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<li> Nothing
to eat for lunch on "travel Mondays." I go strait from the airport to
work and might have a bit of fruit with me.It only just occurred to me
after a year of this travel routine that I could leave something in the
freezer on Thursday and it would be waiting for me on Monday. So far I'm
just leaving frozen burritos that I made a while back.</li>
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<li>Food waste: Part of my food waste problem was solved when I started
packing meals to eat in the airport. I'm usually only gone for 4 days at
a time, so a lot of foods won't go bad. The hardest part might be the
grocery shopping for 3-4 days rather than a whole week in between trips.
Here's my loot from the other night. Just enough for 3 days. Cost was $19.57. Way cheaper than eating out for 3 days! </li>
</ul>
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When you look for tips on time management, you find the most obvious ideas on every single list. I'm starting to think that people are missing the point. "Keep a to-do list" is not the advice I'm looking for. Prioritizing your to-do list isn't very helpful either. I'm interested in making life more efficient and more productive.<br />
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In a recent seminar on time management, we talked about 2 personality types. Both are part of the Myers-Briggs personality survey. There are "judgers" and "perceivers." Some would say that judgers made a to-do list to use it and perceivers make a to-do list to lose it. Kind of unfair, but there is some truth in that generalization. I have a split personality. At work I tend to be the nose to the grind stone, efficient type. At home I look like a chicken running around after having its head cut off. That's usually how I feel too! People with either personality type can be productive, successful people. One isn't better...just different and recognizing how your gears turn can help identify strategies for being more organized, efficient, and productive at work or at home. </div>
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If you needs a couple of tips that go beyond the basics, here are three that resonate with me. <br />
<ul>
<li><b>Identify why tasks haven't moved off your to-do list.</b> Are you dreading it? Is it just not all that important to you? Can it be broken up into smaller tasks?</li>
<li><b>Learn to use small chunks of time to make progress.</b> Gone are the days that I have an entire day to get in a groove and get a big task done. I've found that by making constant bits of progress when I have small chunks of time, I end up finishing tasks faster than I would have thought. </li>
<li><b>Make your to-do list work for you. </b>As basic as it sounds, when you have a million things to keep up with a to-do list probably needs to go beyond some scrap of paper. I have friends who use excel spreadsheets, a bazillion post-it notes, online task managing tools, and notebooks. Find something that works to your advantage. </li>
</ul>
I found a great daily planning printable from what used to be Life's a Journal and now is <a href="http://thyme-is-honey.com/" target="_blank">Thyme is Honey</a>. Actually, the printable I use is slightly different. This must be an adaptation. Here's the low-down on what I like about it. <br />
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1. It's one-sided, so I use the other side to take notes during all my meetings. <br />
2. To-do vs. Today's goals: I can keep a broader view of my projects and tasks in the to-do section. I write the items that will get done today in the goal section. I can refer back to previous sheets to track progress.<br />
3. My "Dailies" are a) respond to emails, b) write for 45 minutes c) read 1 paper and d) organize for tomorrow.<br />
4. I like the visual reminder to go get another glass of water. Hydration is good for the brain.<br />
5. Appointments: Sure they are in Outlook, but sometimes it's nice to have them written down on the piece of paper that goes with me everywhere for the day.<br />
6. Fitness and don't forget: These are my sections. It gives me permission to bring a little "perceiver" into my work day! <br />
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Now if only I could bring that judger personality home with me, I'd be a bit more organized at home too! I'd be curious to hear what helps you organize your day for the most productivity! Do share!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-14469377939994070562014-07-22T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-22T09:00:06.992-04:00People motivated researchTwo of my good friends are facing tough times. Bottom line: I hate cancer. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Please pray for both friends. One who has breast cancer and the other friend along with her family as they face the path that lies ahead. Pray for the doctors who will treat them. Pray for care givers to get some rest. Pray for a miracle for my friend's sweet brother. Pray for scientists who are working so hard to find cures for disease both common and rare.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons I wanted to start blogging again was to help in my pursuit of a more purposeful life. The news of my friends, a seminar I heard at work last week, and the way cancer has impacted my own family have all culminated in a lot of personal reflection. How can I use what I know how to do to make a difference? I have a new motto that I hope to apply to all my work.<br />
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The type of research I do right now is the type of research that won't have an immediate impact on people. Maybe some day the work I do now will be used to help make dietary recommendations more meaningful. Maybe some day the methods I help develop will be used so that we can learn more about how diet choices affect different kinds of people in different ways. Some days I wish I was working directly with people finding cures for cancer, or working to working directly with cancer survivors and their families to see how diet choices are related to preventing recurrence of cancer. I know I am where I'm supposed to be, learning the skills that will help me as I develop my career in research. Team science is the way forward. We scientists aren't going to solve major problems on our own. I often wonder what my team will look like after I leave my post-doc. Will I end up in a nutrition department, a medical school, a school of public health? I know what my dream job looks like, but I also know that plans can change depending on the options put in front of you. I look forward to the day when I can apply for a grant, and in the rationale I will be able to say how the project will impact the people we all care about. So for now, please add me to the list so scientists you pray for when you pray that we will use our research in a way that will make a difference in this broken world we live in. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-33113437139090413282014-07-21T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-21T09:00:05.901-04:00Your Paleo, gluten free, and vegan junk food is still junk foodNews flash! If you take an organic potato, slice it paper thin, fry it in oil, and sprinkle it with sea salt....it's still a potato chip. If you grind up organic corn into meal, add some extra grains, and add some sweet potato...it's still a tortilla chip! It may have a few more nutrients or a few less additives, but that doesn't turn it into a healthy food. <br />
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Let me take a step back and just admit that I ate a little bag of "Simply Sweeet Potato Corn Tortilla Chips." My point is not to say NEVER eat tortilla chips. My point is that just because the label says stuff like gluten free, non-GMO, organic or whole grain doesn't make it healthy or good for you.<br />
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Here's a great example I found on the ever popular PopSugar blog. Not suggesting you should go to this blog for all your health information, but this article certainly makes the point. <a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Fittingly-Mad-MultiGrain-vs-Restaurant-Style-Tostitos-269526" target="_blank">Fittingly Mad: Multi-grain vs. Restaurant Style Tostitos</a>. Here's a picture of the Nutrition Fact Panels she used in the comparison. For the same serving size, you do get 1 extra gram of fiber in the multigrain, but at the expense of an extra gram of sugar, 10 extra calories, and 15 mg of sodium. If you are going to eat chips and salsa it probably doesn't matter which one you choose. Just don't be fooled into thinking you are eating healthier. You are still eating chips and salsa. <br />
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Here's a fun one: Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares. They are "Free from dairy, trans fat and GMO’s, these plant-based cheddary
flavored crackers are made with the finest finger-licking ingredients we
could find." Here are some of the finger-licking good ingredients: maltodextrin, yeast extract, gum acacia, natural flavor, palm oil, sunflower lecithin, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium bicarbonate, sugar, paprika oleoresin color, yeas extact, annatto extract, lactic acid, dehydrated toasted onion, and garlic powder. <br />
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I'm glad there's a yummy option for those who follow a vegan diet, but I just saw someone tweet the other day something about healthy snacks and had a pictures of these crackers. Vegan yes...tastey yes...healthy maybe not so much. <br />
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Just for comparison, here is the ingredient list for Cheese-It crackers. Almost the same except for the actual cheese part. More calories and fat for fewer crackers, but I would still argue that neither is a healthy option. I happen to really like Cheese-Its. Nothing in particular against cheese crackers. Just pointing out that the Vagan option isn't really a healthy option either. <br />
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You could do this comparison for so many foods. Paleo brownies are still brownies, and I'm pretty sure brownies were not invented in paleolithic times. Just saying.You can make your own ranch dressing mix from scratch and skip the preservatives, but if you really want to make a health impact shouldn't you just skip the ranch dressing? Between Pinterest and Twitter, it's pretty clear that marketers have suckered so many people into thinking they are making a healthy or at least healthier choice. It's a bit sad. I'm still going to have some chips now and again, but let's just take a minute to remind ourselves that junk food is junk food and should be limited. Don't justify it just because it's got chia seeds in it or has a earthy looking label. Think twice, enjoy junk every now and again, but for the love of pete...remember that you aren't helping your body out by eating tortilla chips. Doesn't matter if they are wholegrain, have chia seeds, are gluten free, or non-gmo. Eat some fruit if you really want a healthy snack that will do your body some good. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-69378046822067790512014-07-18T09:17:00.001-04:002014-07-18T09:17:51.682-04:00Birthday Mail: Rebecca got a heart attack!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy birthday to Rebecca! </div>
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Rebecca is a dear friend who I met in grad school. We were assigned to the same study group with Emily. I'm pretty sure that's the biggest accomplishment of JCF's career! Sadly I live far from all of my grad school friends. Grad school had it's perks. One of them was getting to spend most days in the same building with a lot of really great friends! <br />
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I got this idea from Sahwni over at <a href="http://www.71toes.com/" target="_blank">71 Toes</a>. Her super cute family has a Valentine's "<a href="http://www.71toes.com/2010/01/heart-attack.html" target="_blank">Heart Attack</a>" tradition. I noticed on of the little girls and her friends gave a friend a heart attack for her birthday, so I decided to send my friend a heart attack too! I had so much fun remembering fun times Rebecca and I have had together and the ways she inspires me. I wish we lived closer, wish I could have celebrated with her in person, and wish could hang out like old times. Sending a heart attack is pretty darn fun. I think I might have to add this as a birthday tradition forall my far away friends!<br />
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I finally found a use for the big stack of scrap booking paper! Let's face it...I'm never going to make a scrap book. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-72391118631641716002014-07-17T09:00:00.001-04:002014-07-17T09:00:03.093-04:00Making lunch out of nothing<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm generally good about packing lunches the night before. Mornings are not my forte. I can make a world of excuses for just about anything in the morning. That's probably why I end up panicked most mornings when I realize I've hit snooze 12 times. A real common excuse is: There is nothing to pack for lunch. That's the very lazy person inside of me talking! Sometimes I have to force myself to make a lot of lunches out of "nothing." Here are some examples from recent groggy mornings. </div>
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1. The no lettuce salad is a great way to use up random bits of vegetables. Example: 1/2 a cucumber, 1 yellow pepper, 2 roma tomatoes, 1/3 can of chick peas, some dill salad dressing mix and a drizzle of olive oil. Who says you need lettuce to make a salad? </div>
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2. The laziest lunch was a container of Greek yogurt, some trail mix, and a couple pieces of fruit. </div>
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3. Wait, this might be even lazier. I packed an unopened bag of baby carrots, the entire container of hummus, and a container of Greek yogurt. I was too lazy to take the hummus out of my lunch box, so I ended up eating way too many baby carrots and some yogurt.</div>
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Here are a few pictures of packed lunches that aren't complicated, but do represent my more usual lunch routine.</div>
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Brie, crackers, plum, blueberries, yogurt, nuts. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWdXdtFWqGc/U8c7I4vKE5I/AAAAAAAANRU/k0yPlomMfIQ/s1600/2014-07-09+07.30.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWdXdtFWqGc/U8c7I4vKE5I/AAAAAAAANRU/k0yPlomMfIQ/s1600/2014-07-09+07.30.41.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Chicken and rice, green beans, cherries. </div>
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Strawberries, brie, fig jam, crackers.</div>
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Blueberries, pineapple, brie, fig jam, crackers, yogurt, nuts. </div>
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I guess in the end, my goal is to limit buying special
lunch foods. I keep bread in the fridge for the emergency PB&J, but I
don't buy stuff to make sandwiches every day. I try to find ways to
integrate leftovers as much as possible. Buying brie cheese and crackers
was a bit of a splurge for easy, fun lunches during this stent of no
grocery shopping. I suppose it just depends what's going on in my week. I've really enjoyed getting
creative with containers. More on that for another post!</div>
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<a href="http://spokefiend.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/you-are-not-stuck-in-traffic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://spokefiend.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/you-are-not-stuck-in-traffic.jpeg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've been using my bike as my primary source of transportation for 3 days now. We've had thunderstorms both days. Remarkably, it's not rained on me yet! Craziness! In theory biking to work and getting ready at work should take less time than getting ready at home and driving to work. I tend to putz around a lot in the mornings. I'm hoping that eventually I can get faster on the bike and get my commute down to about 15 minutes and get my locker room routine down to 30 minutes. In just 3 days I've already experienced what seem to end up on all the "tips for bike commuting" types of posts. These survival tips are nothing new, but good to know I fit the commuter norm for experiences.<br />
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1.Always wear a helmet and eye protection. Helmet should be self-explanatory. Eye protection...you'd be surprised how much crap gets spit up at your eyes and a bug in the eye while riding a bike is just a bad bad situation. Wear eye-protection.<br />
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2. Prepare ahead. If I'm going to get my routine down to about 45 minutes, it's going to take more prep. I'm not a big fan of mornings and any commuter prep that happens in the morning is going to be inefficient. I really have to get good at packing clothes, packing my lunch, and having my bags ready to rock and roll before I go to sleep. Thankfully I have access to showers at work and they provide shampoo, conditioner and body wash. They also provide towels. That really cuts down on what I need to pack!<br />
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3. Figure out how to deal with helmet hair. For me it's not so much helmet hair as it is wet, unstyled hair. The locker room is hot and humid and my hair is taking forever to dry. I think a lot of these ideas from<a href="http://www.refinery29.com/helmet-hairstyles#slide" target="_blank"> Refinery 29</a> would work!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.r29static.com/bin/entry/622/x/1067271/helmuthair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://s3.r29static.com/bin/entry/622/x/1067271/helmuthair.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl makes wearing a helmet look so glamorous! I assure you that I just look like a goof ball on wheels. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4. Be prepared for a flat tire. Um...I'm pretty sure I could figure it out again, but I haven't changed a bike tire since undergrad. I'm not too worried since my commute is only about 3.5 miles. I could probably walk the rest of the way to work in about the same time I could change a flat tire. Having a spare tire and repair kit would make biking home a possibility though. Maybe I should prioritize this tip.<br />
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5. Get good equipment. I have some <a href="http://www.ortliebusa.com/prodInfo.asp?pid=357&cid=25" target="_blank">Ortlieb Racktime Doubleit</a> pannier bags. I got them super cheap on clymb.com and got a pannier rack too. The price was worth it just to get the pannier rack. I'm not sure I really like the bags though. I like pannier bags better than a backpack. My bags are connected in the middle and there's no shoulder strap. They are awkward to carry down the hall in the apartment and at work. They do fit everything I need though and one side has a rain cover. Handy on these days that threaten me with down pours! <br />
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From a health perspective, I'm getting in about 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity just from the commute! It's not zapping my energy at all, so once I'm cleared to run again I should be able to keep up my usual routine. I kind of hope that the bike commute will become a sustainable habit in the next couple of car-free weeks. <br />
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Here's a post from Leo over at <a href="http://zenhabits.net/6-tips-for-commuting-to-work-by-bike/" target="_blank">zenhabits</a>. He links to several useful posts on bike commuting if you're interested.<br />
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Follow my bike commute fun board on Pinterest!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-27970869482796925812014-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-15T09:00:04.573-04:00Gardening: Holding on to a little sliver of hope<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. </span></span></h2>
And there you have my gardening motto. I should probably take a gardening 101 class. I'm convinced that the reason my last garden worked at all was because of Rebecca, John and Emily. We were quite the team! I'm not sure what the cure is, but I still don't have a green thumb. My house plants are doing really well thanks to the sunny window they live in front of. However, the garden is down the road a mile or so and just gets neglected. <br />
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My neighbor friend had the great idea to get a community garden plot. We were both totally into the idea! I want to have an awesome garden, but the time factor isn't working out for either of us. We both travel way too much to make this happen gracefully. We get way too excited when it rains and we don't have to go out there and water. Some how, by the grace of God, the garden is still alive. Mostly alive with weeds, but it is alive. I didn't take any pictures of the disaster it was when I got there tonight, but here are the meager signs of life! We are going to get some veggies out of this darn thing. Just needs a little TLC. Here are a few highlights from tonight. <br />
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This is the general state of affairs. I like to look at that and think there's hope! At least since it's monsoon season in the DC metro area, the weeds were fairly easy to pull. There are at least 3, half rows of lettuce. (We planted about 6 whole rows) The red leaf lettuce is doing the best. Isn't it gorgeous? I love how pretty vegetables are! Our squash plant didn't get squashed! Actually, the squash is doing remarkably well. I think there are 3 or 4 cucumbers growing near the fence.And who knows, maybe the beets and carrots will decide to surprise us. </div>
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Some marigolds are popping up in the midst of the weeds! This picture really shows the weeds. Ugh. Now I look at that picture and see all the weeds I didn't pull. Do you like our classy, orange construction fence? We were too cheap to pay for the green garden fence. It's the same thing though. Just really bright orange. Tomorrow maybe I'll go back and weed some more. I wish my apartment complex would just let me set up a container garden on the roof of the parking garage. No one parks up there anyway! There are no dear up there, no rabbits, no gophers, no snakes! It would be a great place to garden! I wonder if my land lord will read this. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-66972947289091506082014-07-14T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-14T09:49:07.320-04:00Stocking up: 1 grocery run for 2 weeks of eats<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Getting in an auto accident is no fun. No fun at all. Thankfully I'm mostly ok. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone who has experienced whip-lash! The whole situation is a major inconvenience. It's a pain in the neck...literally and figuratively. I won't get my car back for another couple of weeks. Jetta Jr is in critical care for the time being, and I have decided to rely on my bike as my primary mode of transportation. Everything I really need is within about a 3 mile radius, so it's not that big of a deal and I should have been riding my bike a lot more anyway. <a href="https://www.aldi.us/" target="_blank">Aldi </a>is not in that 3 mile radius and happens to be my best friend when it comes to grocery shopping. Sticking to an average of $160 a month for groceries isn't going to happen if I start shopping at the regular grocery store. At least I don't think it would be easy. I've grown accustomed to a weekly cart full of fruits and vegetables from Aldi. I stocked up on groceries while I had the rental car in hopes of making it two weeks on one grocery trip. I got gorgeous peaches and blackberries at the farmers' market over the weekend. Oh summer, how I love summer!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Already had to cross blackberries of the list! Oops!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My goal is to share what I have on hand for groceries each Monday. Usually I will include prices since a lot of people have been asking how I keep the grocery bill low, but I threw away the receipt so no prices this week. My bank statement indicates I spent $68 this trip. I will include what I intend to make for the week. Hoping this evolves in a way that's useful to me for developing some kind of pantry/fridge inventory system, and useful to anyone trying to get ideas for healthy eating for just one or two people. For now it might be a bit rugged. Taking a pictures of my hand-written scribbles is rugged for sure. Time will tell how this will pan out. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I love these $1 menu notebooks from Michael's</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Looks like this week I have everything to have a variety of nice summery salads, lemongrass pork stir-fry, some kind of bean salad with lots of chopped veggies, a frittata filled with veggies, and a whole lot of fruit. I'll be heading to Beantown for a long weekend, so I'll be focusing on keeping fresh produce from getting wasted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Follow me on Twitter @tusarebecca or on Instagram (TusaRebecca) to see how my meals work out this week!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-41004790303311918082014-07-11T17:00:00.000-04:002014-07-11T17:00:16.113-04:00Blog Phase 3: Why I want to blog again.Maybe the 3rd time is the charm. This blog has had several iterations, and lately I've felt a pull to blog again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> http://ericamathews.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-have-a-blog/</span></div>
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Things that make me want to blog again:<br />
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<li>Sometimes those of us considered "early career" want good information that isn't geared towards 22 year olds who just graduated from undergrad. I'm considered a post-doc trainee these days. It's basically the purgatory between grad school and your first "real" job. A post-doc is a job; I have a salary, insurance, and my own office. It's not permanent though. Mine, for instance will last another 2 years, so between now and June 2016, I still have to look for a "real" job. That search process isn't like the search for your first job out of undergrad. There are lots of people out there in the same boat. We all have to network, learn better time management strategies, etc. Turns out launching your career is a process that takes several years and takes a lot of Luckily I have access to cool resources through my program and it would be nice to share some of those resources with other young professionals.</li>
<li>People ask me a lot about grocery shopping and meal planning. I've got a routine that works well for me, I eat really well, and I spend very little. Turns out a majority of blogs that include quite a bit of meal planning are geared towards families with young children, people who are willing to eat a lot of stuff because you can use coupons for it, and people who cook really fancy stuff. My favorite of these categories would be people who cook fancy stuff. Especially if they post gorgeous pictures that make me drool. It's not so practical for most of us to eat that way. A lot of us don't have a family yet. Some of us want to eat wholesome foods, don't want to use coupons, and don't want to break the bank. Some of us want to cook for 1-2 people, figure out how to plan lunches to take to work, and how to Some of us also need to support a fairly high level of physical activity. Might as well get some of this stuff written in one place so that when people ask, I can just send them a link!</li>
<li>Sometimes I just want to write about stuff on my mind and throw it out there. Not because I think you care, but because it's therapeutic to get it out of my mind. If something inspires me, maybe it will inspires someone else! </li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-18882553471648611582012-09-07T08:27:00.000-04:002012-09-07T08:27:06.548-04:00Feeding frenzy for One!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSiaX8-CE_A/UEnjcWgJP_I/AAAAAAAALA4/vJjSe34d3Tc/s1600/Veggies1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSiaX8-CE_A/UEnjcWgJP_I/AAAAAAAALA4/vJjSe34d3Tc/s320/Veggies1.JPG" width="320" /></a>My meal planning routine is taking a turn! I joined the <a href="http://enterprisefarmcsa.com/">Enterprise Farms</a> fall CSA. Usually I do all my meal planning on Saturday or Sunday, but now I'll start on Thursday or Friday. Here's a picture of the box I got yesterday. Isn't that exciting?<br />
At Trader Joes, they have good produce. There isn't much variety though and I found myself getting in a rut. Now I will have a surprise box to inspire my weekly meals. This week I have several red peppers, lovely tomatoes for slicing, 2 egg plants, baby bok choi, parsley for pesto possibly, kale, a bag of lettuce for salad, and a little watermelon. I think I'll try something like curried vegetables or some kind of Morocco inspired dish. The tomatoes I will probably eat like candy.<br />
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I've been following Kate over at <a href="http://erikandkatekrull.blogspot.com/">2 Kids and a Minivan</a> for quite some time. She recently started Fun Friday link ups. Conveniently, this is a perfect link up for my CSA post! This week's theme is "How do you feed your family?"<br />
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My family consists of me and Baxter. Baxter eats Call of the Wild brand salmon and veggie dog food. I tried to get him a cheaper food, but he wouldn't eat it. He also eats little bits of my left overs and I give him quite a bit of raw veggies.<br />
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For me, I usually try to cook 2-3 full out meals in a week, plus some lunch salads. Not always lettuce salads, but quinoa based salads with cucumber, avocado, tomato, etc. I could eat that stuff all the time! If I need variety, I'll make fancy grilled cheese, a frittata, or eat a bowl of cereal. Cooking for 1 person isn't really so hard if you just try to buy only enough food to make 2 real meals. I always keep sliced cheese, fruit, bread, crackers, milk, cereal, peanut butter, etc on hand. Any other meals can be made from whatever is in the fridge or pantry.<br />
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So that's how I feed myself. Abundance of veggies as an inspiration for 2-3 real meals and made everything else out of left overs and random pantry items. I waste precious little and rarely have to eat anything less than tasty!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-52018100895808200742012-09-04T11:34:00.002-04:002012-09-04T11:34:22.117-04:00Baxter's Pop Tart ReviewThe title of this post kind of says it all. I finally got around to making home made pop tarts this weekend. Many steps were involved. I'm not sure I've ever baked anything this involved. My friend here is quite the baker and has her own very successful blog: <a href="http://www.beantownbaker.com/">Beantown Baker</a>. She is incredible. I'm just a step away from a disaster every time flour is involved. Luckily, most of the recipes I've tried have been fairly successful. I really want to be a better baker. So far the cupcakes, lemon bars, and blueberry muffins have been successful. I can make a mean batch of box mix brownies too! These pop tarts were risky given all the steps involved and my lack of ability to follow directions. <br />
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First I made some chocolate ganache. I used Trader Joe's Belgian dark chocolate, heavy whipping cream, and a lot of butter.<br />
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I'll admit to eating a few spoonfuls strait from the bowl. It was soooooo good! Somewhere in the "health neighborhood" of Pioneer Woman and Paula Dean.</div>
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Then I made pie dough. I followed nearly all the directions. I chopped up the butter and then froze it. I mixed it with my fingers until there was a texture like sand. I added a few tablespoons of ice water and mixed until it all stuck together in a "big gloppy mess."<br />
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The dough was refrigerated another 2 hours while I did everything I could to NOT eat the entire bowl of chocolate ganache. Piecing together the pop tarts wasn't the easiest part, but I got them together. Sleep deprivation and a severe case of inpatients got the pop tarts into the oven instead of back into the fridge. Oops! <br />
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Are you doing the mental math? This took some serious will power on my part! The pop tarts ended up a little rugged, but looked scrumptious all the same. I was so pleased! Couldn't wait to share them with my friends who I visited this weekend.<br />
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My bags were packed, so I took the bus to go get the zip car. When I got back, this is what I found...<br />
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Baxter would like you all to know that they were delicious! He thinks the crust could be a little thinner next time, and would prefer that not quite so much plastic wrap be used to cover them up. It was a bit of a barrier to consumption, but he seems to have gotten around it for the most part. Only a few crumbs left behind. All of that work and all I could were some measly crumbs covered with Baxter slobber from the corners of the plastic wrap! I concur on the crust thickness. Next time I will work to make it thinner. Otherwise, they would have been a great treat to share with friends. Sorry no one will get to try them this time.<br />
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Lucky for some friends who are coming for dinner. Pop tarts and ice cream anyone? These are safe in the fridge for now!<br />
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For all those who may be worried about Baxter's consumption of dark chocolate ganache: he's fine. This guy has eaten so much chocolate over his life time. He may have a million allergies, but chocolate seems to have zero negative effect. Thankfully, he only got about 1/3 cup of ganache. It's my fault for leaving them within his reach. They were down in a shopping bag. He managed to carefully take the tray of pop tarts out of the shopping bag without breaking the tray, peal back the plastic wrap without tearing the plastic wrap, and devour the pop tarts. Keeping stuff out of his reach is nearly impossible. Trust me, I will not be training him to open the fridge for me. That's about the only place food is safe! <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-71378532290376606662012-09-01T11:06:00.001-04:002012-09-01T11:06:54.740-04:00Joining Clubs in BostonI am now a member of 2 clubs. Two clubs that don't really exist, but if you are a member you make it pretty obvious. Obviously these clubs are not exclusive to Boston! Funny how we make statements, isn't it?<br />
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<b>CLUB 1</b></div>
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<b><u>The Lululemon Bag Club</u></b></div>
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When you shop at Lululemon Athletica, you get a nice little reusable shopping bag. I see women all over with these bags. The bag says many things two main things.<br />
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"I workout."</div>
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"I spend too much money on workout gear."</div>
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This place has super cute stuff, but at outrageous prices. I can totally see what people buy it. Everything is so cleverly designed. I found a pair of cute girly compression shorts on clearance which made them a comparable price to most Nike or Under Armor shorts. These shorts have a few features that made me want them over a pair of el-cheapo compression shorts from Old Navy.<br />
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1. Not 1 pocket, but 5! Can you even imagine where to put 5 pockets in a pair of compression shorts? There is an outside pocket on each thigh, a zipper pocket across the back and 2 little pockets just inside the waste band.<br />
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2. They are just barely longer than compression shorts usually are. Hasn't anyone else noticed that the widest part of your thigh is often about an inch below where the compression shorts hit? I don't need old-school compression shorts that bring back bad memories of aerobics and spandex in the 80s. But shorts that actually cover the chafe zone would be nice.<br />
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3. There are little rubbery polka dots printed across the hips. Why? To help keep your t-shirt or tank top from riding up! I know every tank-top wearing running out there knows exactly what I'm talking about. You throw on a racer back tank top and 2 minutes into your run you're baring your midriff. You spend half your run pulling down your shirt.<br />
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I'm pretty excited because the store offers complementary classes. This month, there is an urban bootcamp every Thursday evening. Won't that be fun?!? Should kick my bootie into shape in no time!<br />
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<b>CLUB 2</b></div>
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<b><u>Barefoot Running</u></b></div>
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I hadn't ever given it much thought until my brother told me that he had started barefoot running the other day. A friend who was in class with me this summer is also a fan. People swear by it. One of my friends and I were out shopping and found the Vibram store, so we went in and tried on the shoes. She's already read the book, <u>Born to Run</u> which evidently is what sells people on the shoes. I suppose it was a bit of an impulse buy for me, but I now have a pair of hot pink running shoes with toes. I'm following the guide book that came with the shoes. For the next couple of weeks I'll just wear the 1-2 hours a day while I do normal everyday activities. Plus they give a suggest list of foot strengthening activities to do each day. After over 10 years of dancing, the concept of really "using" my feet isn't new. It actually makes quite a bit of sense. We'll see how it goes. I'm kind of excited! Is anyone else doing the barefoot running thing? Let me know what you think!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-61647321546402680172012-08-30T09:26:00.003-04:002012-08-30T09:26:43.988-04:00Farmer's Almanac predicts a horrible winter in BostonI just saw on the news yesterday that the staff at Farmer's Almanac are predicting that this coming winter in Boston will be colder and snowier than usual. Fear not! This is music to a knitter's ears! Time to get my knit on. I have a couple of warm woolies in the making. One is going well, the other 2 are kind of disasters.<br />
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The first pattern pattern is called Wingspan. My sister sent me some cheerful yarn that is perfect for the pattern. First, I cast on way too many stitches on accident. 180 instead of 90. Oops! Then I decided I wanted it to be knit in a different stitch than the pattern calls for. For the knitters out there, I was going to do stockinet stitch instead of garter. This of course was not the right idea. Now the edges were rolling. I started over a third time, and will just follow the pattern as written. Third time's a charm, right!<br />
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The second project was inspired by a gift from a swap partner in New Zealand. She sent me some gorgeous pastel green, merino yarn. It's really beautiful and a color I may not have chosen for myself. I tend to stay in my color comfort zone of pinks, reds and oranges. Of course that means I miss out on greens and blues most of the time. This green will look so pretty with a brown top, or with my navy blue coat! The pattern, called Fault Line, is fantastic as well. I'm half way done and have a triangle that will be so small it won't wrap around my neck. In the past, I would have kept knitting and ended up with a garment that was less useful than I wanted it to be. Not this time! Despite all the work I've put in so far, I will unravel nearly the entire thing and then knit it in a way that will make it longer and skinnier.<br />
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Last fall, I started knitting a striped sweater. Bottom line...wrong color combos! I saw the colors all knitted up in a display and I really liked them. Now it looks like a bruised bumble bee. Chartreuse green and plum purple. What was I thinking? Maybe the stripes are too small. Maybe the colors are just wrong. Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.<br />
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It's already starting to feel little like fall here in Boston. Makes me want to knit even more!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-29398909077864104522012-08-28T23:02:00.001-04:002012-08-28T23:02:41.913-04:00Culinary Adventures in Boston's South EndA friend of mine recently moved to Boston's South End. Today this provided an opportunity for culinary adventure! There are so many cute little cafes and foodie shops in the neighborhood! All are nestled between residential brownstones. There's something completely charming about the revitalized areas within rougher parts of Bean Town.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3D6EUrJgk/UD2AoKoDn8I/AAAAAAAAK34/jP55PIH_InY/s1600/saltedcaramel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3D6EUrJgk/UD2AoKoDn8I/AAAAAAAAK34/jP55PIH_InY/s200/saltedcaramel.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fK_gVEC8xn0/UD2AkmxIjOI/AAAAAAAAK3w/65Ki2AXvg7I/s1600/hummingbird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fK_gVEC8xn0/UD2AkmxIjOI/AAAAAAAAK3w/65Ki2AXvg7I/s200/hummingbird.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
First a stop at the<a href="http://southendbuttery.com/"> South End Buttery</a>. There is a little cafe in one shop and a deli and bakery next door. I can attest that the hummingbird and the salted caramel cupcakes are delicious! The hummingbird cupcake was a banana bread base with cream cheese frosting. Definitely the favorite of the two. I recommend pairing either with an iced latte.<br />
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Next stop...<a href="http://www.polkadog.com/">Polka Dog Bakery</a>. Have you ever been to a bakery just for dogs?!? Baxter would have been in hog heaven! It was probably more like a doggy candy store than a doggy bakery. Hard to describe how insanely awesome this place is for a dog. Some of the animal hide treats and random animal parts were pretty gross. Particularly the cow feet. Not just the the hoof, but the entire foot! Like something out of a horror movie, if you ask me. Baxter will NOT be getting one of those! I got him some little beef and oatmeal treats to take along on walks. Treats are a good distraction when other dogs are around. Let me rephrase. Treats are a critical distraction when other dogs are around. By the way, Baxter is back to his old self. Romin' and getting into things, and driving me bonkers in his own charming way.<br />
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The last stop on our culinary adventure was to <a href="http://www.southendformaggio.com/">South End Formaggio</a>. This place is a gastronomical dream. Not surprisingly, cheese is the specialty. There are also salamis and other meats, olives, spices, fresh pastas, some baked goods, wines, and olive oils. I was overwhelmed! How can you not want a little bit of everything in a shop like this? It's just as well that this shop is inconveniently located in relation to my apartment. If it were around the corner I would be fat and broke. I have no doubt that today is the first of many visits to the culinary world of Boston's South End. Pretty sure that everyone who comes to visit me hear will be subjected to a culinary tour in South End.<br />
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Have I mentioned that I love Boston?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-86973824647424952992012-08-27T23:09:00.000-04:002012-08-27T23:09:50.910-04:00Goodwill hunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These are my spoils from my most recent Goodwill hunting trip. A pair of new with the tags J. Crew khaki shorts, a purple New Balance running shirt that seems pretty new, a Vera Bradly wallet that looked so new I looked in every pocket for the tags, and some really pretty chunky yarn! Total was less than $13. Woot woot!<br />
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Goodwill hunting started long long ago for me. I was shopping at the Goodwill way before it was cool, so I got good at finding name brand clothes. You can always tell, because the dye lot colors of name brand clothes are always better than the dye lot colors of clothes from bargain stores. I took a friend with me on this trip who doesn't really have training in Goodwill hunting. I had actually told her about the color thing and as I scanned the blues and purples, the first thing I grabbed was this purple New Balance t-shirt! You don't really have to look at the labels to find what's nice. Anyway, I remember the first time we had a jeans day my freshman year of high school. Someone asked where I got my pastel striped t-shirt and I felt very clever to say, "Oh, it's Gap." I never said I got it at Gap, just that it was Gap. Now I'm all proud and let people know the brand, that it's from Goodwill and that I paid just $2! Oh how the times have changed. Speaking of change...I think I'll go swap out from my current wallet to this new one.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-35659052880217105122012-08-26T22:41:00.001-04:002012-08-26T22:41:55.674-04:00I'm how old?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxGHreYa4a0/UDrc-E3MTsI/AAAAAAAAK2Y/nQxPCDcMZQ4/s1600/poundcake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxGHreYa4a0/UDrc-E3MTsI/AAAAAAAAK2Y/nQxPCDcMZQ4/s200/poundcake.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best cake on the planet!</td></tr>
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Yesterday was my birthday and quite frankly I'm about as surprised by my age as everyone else. And since no one really guesses anywhere close to my actual age, I might as go with it! My mom sent me my favorite cake in the mail. It's pretty much everyone's favorite cake. Not going to lie...I had 3 little pieces of cake within about 30 minutes of opening the box.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthday bar.</td></tr>
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Being away from friends and family is not so fun. I miss the tradition of all the girls heading down to Indy to watch a horrible old movie like the original Super Man. I miss going out for ice cream with nieces. On the upside, I have gotten lots of mail this week, and who doesn't like mail?!?! And, I am lucky to have made new friends here in Bean Town who helped me celebrate! We had dinner at Hops and Scotch which is an amazing bar and then some chill time at my apartment. I had fun getting to know people a bit better. Sometimes chill is just perfect!<br />
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It's been a great year, and I expect this one to be even better!<br />
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If you want to know how old I am you can do a few things. Stalk my blog. Or, look up these little pieces of trivia...<br />
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Post-It's were invented<br />
Pac Man was <span style="font-family: inherit;">released</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #feeced; line-height: 16.366666793823242px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Macaulay Culkin</span></span> was born the day after me<br />
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This song was released. It's also the last song they played at the end of the night at the bar called Toast in Dublin. I've loved this song ever since. Once some of us goof balls raced like mad to get to Toast before it closed just to get an Erdinger. Made it in time to hear this song! Sigh...more memories.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-54502630240003304182012-08-24T22:00:00.000-04:002012-08-24T22:00:04.175-04:00Handheld PiesI need another cookbook like I need a hole in my head. But I love love love cookbooks! Especially pretty ones. A dear friend gave me a gift card for the Harvard Bookstore with a note that said, "For things you want to read, not things you have to read." Such a thoughtful gift! Today I learned that Harvard Bookstore was purchased by Mark Kramer for $300 back in 1932. It's a bit like Von's but with a different smell. The smell is familiar, but it took me a long time to put a finger on it. It's the smell of hot binding glue, because there is a printing press right in the store! I'm not sure why the smell was familiar. All I can figure is maybe it is the same glue used for fixing labels on bottles. I've been on my fair share of tours that involve bottling of delicious beverages, and the label machines are usually my favorite to watch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge a book by it's cover? Me? Noooo.</td></tr>
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Anyway, I digress. I was first drawn to the cookbooks. That, of course, made me really homesick. Looking at cookbooks in bookstores is something I almost always do with my closest friends. It just wasn't the same looking at cookbooks alone. I found a lovely cookbook called <u>Handheld Pies</u>. The book actually has some quality reading involved! There are all sorts of stories about little cafes, bakeries, and bakers. The photography is well done which makes me want to make the little pies even more! Plus the recipes look fantastic. I can hardly wait to make home made pop-tarts! I might even try that this weekend. I will also need to run to the True Value hardware store and pick up some of those short, wide Ball canning jars. I'm telling you, that store has everything! I will also be going there for sewing thread if I get up the nerve to hem my own pants.The first recipe I want to try is: chocolate cinnamon pop-tarts. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-49256508289762070072012-08-23T22:00:00.000-04:002012-08-24T10:33:39.038-04:00Baxter's adventures in BostonBaxter is recovering from a stomach bug. It's pretty sad. I was freaking out, because he's never been sick before. Not really sick anway. He wouldn't eat or drink. Sad...very very sad. The idea of taking him to the vet again was also freaking me out. Since moving here, he's developed some serious allergies. To the point of chewing his feet completely raw. Now he's on really expensive medicine that seems to take care of the problem. Despite two visits to the vet and an episode of the stomach bug, Baxter has had a blast in Boston this summer! It's going to be a summer to remember. We've been doing all the summery things I love to do, but this summer we've been doing it together!<br />
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We take 4-5 walks a day depending on my class schedule. Usually a medium to long walk in the morning, a short walk when I first get home from class in the afternoon, a long walk after dinner, and a short to medium walk before bed. Sometimes we run, but it was just too hot for him to run there for a while. Our afternoon walks are almost always interrupted by strangers on the street who want to pet him. Thank goodness he likes kids! I always ask him to sit and he's really chill while the kids hug him and pat him and sometimes whomp on him a bit. The little old ladies love him too. They tend to get a bit nosy. Ask what I'm doing here, how long have I been in the neighborhood, blah blah blah. It's cute though. I don't mind so much. A lot of people remember us and say hello from across the street, or stop and ask how Baxter is adjusting, do I like my courses, have I been to such and such an art exhibit yet, blah blah blah. In turn I can ask kids if they're ready for school, how was camp today, where's the best bagel bakery, where can I get good fish, etc. You'd be surprised how many people have treats in their pockets too. Last night an employee from Trader Joe's stopped to pet Baxter and pulled a treat out of his pocket. These are the things that make me feel like I live in Small-ville. <br />
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Here's proof of our adventures...<br />
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New York State gets the award for most beautiful rest stops. This stop had a lovely view of Lake Chautauqua. Baxter got a lot of attention at these stops. </div>
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The move was a bit harder on Baxter than I expected. He seemed utterly
confused and wasn't so thrilled with the noises of city life when we
first got here. The doggy playmate of the year was Baxter's security blanket when we first moved in. He was never long without her. Now he's moved on to Bessie the cow, but he occasionally has an affair with the Playmate. </div>
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He's been to Fish Pier. One guy said Baxter could go out on the boat if he got a hair cut first. Evidently the guy thought Baxter's bangs were a little too hipster for a fishing boat. </div>
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Baxter helps me remember to mail letters home. I usually clip anything that needs to go to the mailbox on his leash. That way I remember while we're out an about. The little yellow flower on his leash has a key in it. I may or may not have gotten locked out of my apartment a few times during the first few days. Can't remember everything!</div>
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On of our favorite places in the whole city is Brookline Booksmith. This bookstore is everything you want a bookstore to be! There are even ladders along the walls! And of course it's dog friendly. One of the many places that will give Baxter a treat. He's got these places figured out and often goes right up to the shop door as if he's asking to go inside. The bookstore is open fairly late, so when it was really hot out we would look at books and cool off a bit. </div>
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These are the silly booties that Baxter wore when his allergies were really bad. He didn't seem to mind, but he looked like a big doofus. He'll have to wear them in the winter, but all the other dogs will be wearing them too. </div>
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The butcher down the street sells dog bones for cheap. I've never seen Baxter get so primal! It was disgusting. I don't think he'll get bones very often. Still cool that the butcher has them! </div>
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J.P. Licks has awesome ice cream. They have water outside for dogs and they sell "cow paws" for dogs. A "cow paw" includes a scoop of a dairy free, peanut butter and something else flavored sorbet with little home made dog biscuits instead of sprinkles. Pretty darn cute if you ask me, and Baxter really likes them!</div>
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Baxter would prefer to be the only dog in town, but we're working on that. He has a therapist/dog trainer who worked with us a few times. Helped sooooo much! Now he doesn't mind other dogs so much anymore so long as they aren't sharing the sidewalk with us. It's a bit of a bummer since there are a few awesome dog parks in the neighborhood. Fortunately, they're often empty. He's always happy when he gets to run around without a leash! </div>
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We've also taken the ferry boat to an island off the coast of Maine. This deserves a whole post of it's own! Awesome weekend! He even had his own ferry ticket and the ticket master gave me a handful of treats to keep Baxter happy while we waited for the ferry!</div>
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This week we went to a knitting group that meets in the bookstore. Baxter was very happy to tag along and keep us company! I am happy that one of the knitters is also a chef! She brought an amazing tart and another knitter brought oatmeal cookies. </div>
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Alas. This city life is exhausting. I often find Baxter and Bessie the cow snuggled up and passed out. A lot of the time he even has his arm wrapped around her. So cute!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31832835.post-41567840798783738572012-08-22T22:00:00.000-04:002012-08-22T23:35:52.651-04:00Back to school lunchesHave you seen some of the bento box lunches that are out there? Just go do a Google Image search for "bento box lunch." There are some super creative people in this world! I have no intention of using cookie cutters on carrots or making panda shaped rice balls. I do like the idea of little bits of this and little bits of that and boom! Lunch! The Besides all the creative bento box lunches, the Starbucks Bistro Boxes are also a bit of an inspiration. Here are a few of the lunches I've pulled together in the last few weeks...<br />
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Trader Joe's brown rice grain mix (on the bottom)<br />
Bean sprouts, cucumber, tomato, avocado and lime juice.<br />
This was inspired by the <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/16580">California Sandwich</a> on Ezra Poundcake's blog. Served with various veggies and hummus.<br />
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Salami and crackers<br />
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You may have noticed that I'm a pretty big fan of the <a href="http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/ContainersSmartSnapSeal.aspx">Ziploc divided rectangle</a>. Great for cold lunches. Not as great if you have leftovers, because everything gets heated together. I just splurged on a little bento box at TJ Maxx the other day. That way I can pack cold stuff on top and just nuke the bottom half.<br />
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Some of my friends teased me about being a wee bit too healthy, so fooled them into thinking I was less healthy by adding chocolate with the favorite <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/16580">California Sandwich</a>. Ok, maybe I didn't so much fool them. I've enjoyed these healthy lunches and find that they are crazy easy to throw together when I'm still half asleep in the mornings. <br />
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This is just left overs from a get together. Salami, brie, crackers, and a chocolate. One of my yummy, but lacking fruit or veggie lunches. I may have packed a side of blueberries this day. Not sure. The chocolate was a mystery chocolate from a Russian grocery store and it was gross. I'm not sure what kind of syrup was in the barrel, but it was gross. Side note: I have a bag of mystery chocolates in the fridge. Most are really good. It's just these barrels that are gross. Nothing against Russian chocolates!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04240460688302826009noreply@blogger.com0