You guys. My car is a mess. I have been telling myself for months (months!) to vacuum the carpets and clean it out. You can see how this falls by the wayside. I get in the car in the morning and say out loud, “Oh yeah, I need to clean in here. Maybe this weekend.” I forget about it during the day. I get back in to come home and say, “Man this car is dirrrrty.” Sometimes that’s accompanied by a whistle of disbelief. “Must deal with that this weekend” I say again, because I am incapable of doing chores on a school night. I haven’t been in any sort of school in more than 7 years but I still call weeknights school nights. Same diff. On Friday, I pull into the garage and am so excited that the weekend has arrived. Once I shut the car door, I promptly forget about the pigsty within.
Some weekends, my car isn’t driven at all so I’m not reminded again of the offending situation until Monday morning. A vicious cycle. The thing is, my car isn’t dirty with “stuff” per se. It’s mostly dried leaves (from last fall) and dust. Lots of dust. At present, the only items that do not belong are:
1) A belt I removed on the way home after dinner at a friend’s house last weekend because I ate too much (Back off, gentlemen - I'm taken!)
2) 16 hard candy wrappers (I am obsessed with hard candy because it’s like candy without the calories – yes, I know it has calories. I almost always have at least one piece of hard candy on me. Maybe you didn’t know I’m preparing for being a grandma)
3) A couple random plastic bags in the event Sadie is riding with us and we have to clean up after her at a rest stop
See - not so bad. Still. I really must clean it.......next weekend. Or at least before our impending road trip which is now less than 3 weeks away! John and I are driving to Cleveland and leaving Sadie in the care of her grandparents (human, not canine). Then we'll make our way up to Vermont for an annual family reunion that John has never attended and that I haven't been to in about 6 years. We'll spend time in the Green Mountain state relaxing and visiting. Swimming, boating, s'mores-ing and touring a place that is near and dear to my heart. Then on the way home we're spending a night or two at Niagara Falls. We went there a few years back and figured since it's on the way, might as well break up those 10 hours on the road a bit.
Can't wait!! But really, cleaning the car has become priority numero uno. Promise.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Recipe Reblog #19
When it's hot outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven. Especially when you're in a stand off with the air conditioning. (I will win!) Enter, a crockpot meal and a cooooool treat.
Honey Sesame Crockpot Chicken: I was really in a Chinese mood when I picked this recipe. Actually, I've been craving Chinese for weeks and just haven't made it to our favorite take-out place. This was healthier anyway. This recipe was a win even before I tasted it because I had all the ingredients on hand. LOVE that! Throw it all in the pot and a few hours later, you've got dinner! If you don't have sesame seeds and don't feel like shelling out $5 for a jar just to use 1 tablespoon, you can skip it. They only get thrown in at the end and don't make big difference in the flavor. Sweet and savory chicken shredded over rice. It did not get overly saucy and I like a lot of sauce. Next time, I might skip the cornstarch step. That thickened it up and if I had left the sauce a little loose, it would have covered the rice better. Another thing, 1/2 cup of honey felt like a lot to me. You can skimp on that a bit without compromising flavor....I think. Give this one a shot for some at home, healthy Chinese!
Orange Creamsicles: First time busting out my popsicle molds this year! I had whole milk to use up so I googled recipes using that and came up with a bunch from the NY Times. Again, I had all the ingredients for these so that's why I picked this one. Maybe not as healthy as the extremely low calorie ones from the grocery store but MUCH more flavor. They were a lot creamier too. John and I were both pleasantly surprised. The recipe yielded 5 pops for me but my molds are larger. All natural ingredients? Count me in!
Honey Sesame Crockpot Chicken: I was really in a Chinese mood when I picked this recipe. Actually, I've been craving Chinese for weeks and just haven't made it to our favorite take-out place. This was healthier anyway. This recipe was a win even before I tasted it because I had all the ingredients on hand. LOVE that! Throw it all in the pot and a few hours later, you've got dinner! If you don't have sesame seeds and don't feel like shelling out $5 for a jar just to use 1 tablespoon, you can skip it. They only get thrown in at the end and don't make big difference in the flavor. Sweet and savory chicken shredded over rice. It did not get overly saucy and I like a lot of sauce. Next time, I might skip the cornstarch step. That thickened it up and if I had left the sauce a little loose, it would have covered the rice better. Another thing, 1/2 cup of honey felt like a lot to me. You can skimp on that a bit without compromising flavor....I think. Give this one a shot for some at home, healthy Chinese!
Orange Creamsicles: First time busting out my popsicle molds this year! I had whole milk to use up so I googled recipes using that and came up with a bunch from the NY Times. Again, I had all the ingredients for these so that's why I picked this one. Maybe not as healthy as the extremely low calorie ones from the grocery store but MUCH more flavor. They were a lot creamier too. John and I were both pleasantly surprised. The recipe yielded 5 pops for me but my molds are larger. All natural ingredients? Count me in!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
This Saturday
On Saturday, I'm running my second ever 5K with John. The first 5K we ran together was back on July 4, 2009. I'd like to think I've come a long way with my running in the last 3 years. In that race, my chip time was 30 minutes and some change. I'm planning to blow that time out of the water. The Lift Your Leg race benefits stray animals and the care provided for them by a local animal shelter. The fun part about this race is that you can run with your dog! We are not, however, running for Sadie. She is your typical sprinter. Done after half a mile.
Sadie sidebar - earlier this week John started yelling at her out the back door because she was rolling around in the grass. When I asked what it was, he picked her up so I could smell her back. I nearly vomited. I have never smelled a stench so foul in my life. We immediately threw her in the tub and once de-odorized, John went to investigate the source of the aroma. A small egg had fallen out of a nest (from where? We have no trees!) and broke. Sadie was rolling around in that. Yeeahhhh. Yuck.
Anyway - this race! Apparently, this race used to just be a 1.5 mile walk to benefit the shelter. This will be the first year there's a run in addition to the race. I hope everything goes smoothly. I'm looking forward to seeing all the dogs running too. I hope none of them get in the way of my speedy feet.
Stay tuned!
Sadie sidebar - earlier this week John started yelling at her out the back door because she was rolling around in the grass. When I asked what it was, he picked her up so I could smell her back. I nearly vomited. I have never smelled a stench so foul in my life. We immediately threw her in the tub and once de-odorized, John went to investigate the source of the aroma. A small egg had fallen out of a nest (from where? We have no trees!) and broke. Sadie was rolling around in that. Yeeahhhh. Yuck.
Anyway - this race! Apparently, this race used to just be a 1.5 mile walk to benefit the shelter. This will be the first year there's a run in addition to the race. I hope everything goes smoothly. I'm looking forward to seeing all the dogs running too. I hope none of them get in the way of my speedy feet.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Magic Hat Summer Pack
Summer is here! Well, it's been here. But, the Magic Hat Summer Scene 12-pack is here and this is great news. It's only been in recent months that John and I have been enjoying Magic Hat but it's quickly becoming one of our fave breweries. I even looked into touring it when we vacation in Vermont this summer but it's about 2 hours from where we stay. Kind of a long day trip...........We'll see.
There are 4 different varieties in this pack and only one IPA, so that's a plus. We'll start with my favorite in the box.
This is a hefeweizen so it's no wonder I liked this one the best. From the website: "A golden haze for a summer's daze. Elder Betty is a weiss-style ale with a bready malt flavor balanced by a touch of hops and complemented by the tart berry flavors of elderberry." I'm a summer for a good berry beer. This was light and refreshing. The perfect sipper for a summery Friday night.
PISTIL (Sorry! No picture of this)
The Pistil is a dandelion beer so of course it evokes thoughts of summer. From the website: " Stop and smell the petals. Pistil is a summer beer unlike any other, brewed with a combination of dandelion petals, Pale and acidulated malts, flaked oats, and Apollo and Northern Brewer hops that results in a one-of-a-kind beer with a slightly sour acidity and a smooth malt body. Perfect for taking down deep thirst."
This one was just okay for me. Not nearly as bitter as I expected so that was good but hopefully John will drink the last one because I don't really want it.
Well of course they had to sneak an IPA (India Pale Ale) in there. I have yet to meet someone who tells me IPA is their favorite kind of beer. Does this person exist? Bitter is not my jam. This was a 60 on the bitterness scale. The Elder Betty was a 13, so you do the math. From the website: "An ale of enlightenment created to aid in the deciphering of puzzles along life's road and to interpret signs in the voyages of the spirit. Blind Faith is an extremely well-balanced IPA with a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness and a deep malt body to match.
As John put it, this IPA is not as hateful as some others. I only tried a taste of the bottle he had so I still have to choke down 12 oz. on my own. But he was right, it's drinkable I suppose. I just wouldn't start the night here.
#9 Not Quite so Pale (no picture of this either)
I've had this one before but it's one that I keep coming back to. From the website: "A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it." This one is easy-drinking. Good with food or on its own.
Cracked a good cold one lately? Let me know what you've been tasting, pretty please!
There are 4 different varieties in this pack and only one IPA, so that's a plus. We'll start with my favorite in the box.
 |
| Elder Betty |
This is a hefeweizen so it's no wonder I liked this one the best. From the website: "A golden haze for a summer's daze. Elder Betty is a weiss-style ale with a bready malt flavor balanced by a touch of hops and complemented by the tart berry flavors of elderberry." I'm a summer for a good berry beer. This was light and refreshing. The perfect sipper for a summery Friday night.
PISTIL (Sorry! No picture of this)
The Pistil is a dandelion beer so of course it evokes thoughts of summer. From the website: " Stop and smell the petals. Pistil is a summer beer unlike any other, brewed with a combination of dandelion petals, Pale and acidulated malts, flaked oats, and Apollo and Northern Brewer hops that results in a one-of-a-kind beer with a slightly sour acidity and a smooth malt body. Perfect for taking down deep thirst."
This one was just okay for me. Not nearly as bitter as I expected so that was good but hopefully John will drink the last one because I don't really want it.
 |
| Blind Faith |
Well of course they had to sneak an IPA (India Pale Ale) in there. I have yet to meet someone who tells me IPA is their favorite kind of beer. Does this person exist? Bitter is not my jam. This was a 60 on the bitterness scale. The Elder Betty was a 13, so you do the math. From the website: "An ale of enlightenment created to aid in the deciphering of puzzles along life's road and to interpret signs in the voyages of the spirit. Blind Faith is an extremely well-balanced IPA with a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness and a deep malt body to match.
As John put it, this IPA is not as hateful as some others. I only tried a taste of the bottle he had so I still have to choke down 12 oz. on my own. But he was right, it's drinkable I suppose. I just wouldn't start the night here.
#9 Not Quite so Pale (no picture of this either)
I've had this one before but it's one that I keep coming back to. From the website: "A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it." This one is easy-drinking. Good with food or on its own.
Cracked a good cold one lately? Let me know what you've been tasting, pretty please!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Make It: Another Summer Maxi
Did I already tell you I would be sewing up multiple maxi dresses this summer? If not, I am. You've been warned. After I made the 20 Minute knit dress, I decided I liked the fact that I didn't have to wear a strapless bra with it so much that I wanted a maxi dress in the same style. All of my maxi's are halter or tube on top so I always have to go strapless. Sometimes, you just want to be able to wear a regular bra. I know you ladies out there feel me. I didn't list any dimensions here because they were custom for me. But, I'll give you a maxi length trick. Hold the top of the tape measure at your shoulder and then stand on the other end. Your panel measurement should be the length right on the outside of your foot. Guaranteed to have a long enough skirt and accounts for seam allowance at the shoulders.
I purchased this printed polyester blend from Joann's and treated it like a stretch jersey using a ballpoint needle. I had the whole dress sewed when I decided I really didn't feel like making the casing for the elastic. I tried a technique I'd seen elsewhere but won't link to because it failed....miserably. Then, I decided I'd give shirring a shot. I already had the elastic thread so I just went for it.
When shirring, you wind your bobbin by hand with elastic thread (mine was Guterman). Your top spool should be loaded with normal thread. I stitched 4 separate rows around the bustline and giggled with glee as the fabric started gathering just like I had hoped it would! I will say that I probably ought to go back and do a casing with regular elastic too. The shirring does gather/stretch but if it were the waistband on a skirt, I would often find it falling down.
For a much more thorough explanation of shirring and a full, detailed tutorial, check out Make It and Love It's post. She knows her stuff! She also has a bunch of awesome tutorials for all levels of sewing expertise and her name is Ashley, so of course I like her.
And a couple more photos of the finished project for your viewing pleasure.......
 |
| My Bro-in-Law asked if my neighbors think it's weird that John takes pictures of me in the backyard. I have never seen them watching us but, I've also never asked them either. |
The draping in the back was accidental (an overestimation error in measuring) but I LOVE it. Makes me feel like I know how to drape fabric, even if it didn't happen on purpose. I have yet to debut this dress in public but I'm calling it a success.
Extremely comfortable fit allowing for over-snacking? Check.
Ability to wear a regular bra? Check.
Guess that about covers it!
Update: Linking this week to Tatertots & Jello -- come check it out!
Monday, June 4, 2012
May Running Round-Up
I'm going to chalk May's low mileage up to life. It seemed like life really got in the way of exercise this month. A sorry excuse but that's what happened. I only ran 8 times in May and just one long run. Ay dios mio!
May 1: 3.5 mi TM in 29:55 min, 9:00/8:38/8:22/3:49 - not much pain
May 6: 7 mi TM in 64:45, 9:15 pace at 6.5 mph, some pain but mostly felt good
May 8: 3.6 mi TM in 29:45, 7:30/8:15/8:25... 10 mins @ 8mph!
May 13: 2.5 mi OT in 25:00, humid! Some pain
May 14: 3.? Mi OT in 34:00, humid - no pain
May 16: 3 mi TM ??? Time
May 22: 4 mi TM in 35:35, 9:18/8:42/9:04/8:31 - slight pain at 8mph, no other times
May 30: 1.4 mi TM in 13:00 with warm up/cool down - tempo run
28 miles
Despite the low mileage, I did have few high points. I had my longest run ever, 7 miles. And, I ran my fastest mile ever, 7:30. So, I'll try to focus more on that and not on the fact that I was nowhere near 50 miles. I need to try not to let life stand in the way as much. No excuse for not lacing up my Brooks and hitting the pavement.
Better effort in June. Promise!
P.S. Need a good power song while running? Try 'Til I Collapse' by Eminem. My new fave!
May 1: 3.5 mi TM in 29:55 min, 9:00/8:38/8:22/3:49 - not much pain
May 6: 7 mi TM in 64:45, 9:15 pace at 6.5 mph, some pain but mostly felt good
May 8: 3.6 mi TM in 29:45, 7:30/8:15/8:25... 10 mins @ 8mph!
May 13: 2.5 mi OT in 25:00, humid! Some pain
May 14: 3.? Mi OT in 34:00, humid - no pain
May 16: 3 mi TM ??? Time
May 22: 4 mi TM in 35:35, 9:18/8:42/9:04/8:31 - slight pain at 8mph, no other times
May 30: 1.4 mi TM in 13:00 with warm up/cool down - tempo run
28 miles
Despite the low mileage, I did have few high points. I had my longest run ever, 7 miles. And, I ran my fastest mile ever, 7:30. So, I'll try to focus more on that and not on the fact that I was nowhere near 50 miles. I need to try not to let life stand in the way as much. No excuse for not lacing up my Brooks and hitting the pavement.
Better effort in June. Promise!
P.S. Need a good power song while running? Try 'Til I Collapse' by Eminem. My new fave!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Recipe Reblog #18
Back in the kitchen this week with a pasta entree to please the masses.
Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta: I'm always looking for new pasta dishes to make because I love pasta! I also have a newfound affinity for sausage. I'm not sure what that's about but when the mood strikes, I go with it. This comes to you from the Six Sisters' blog. Lots of good recipes on there if you've got the time to peruse. I lightened this dish up a bit with chicken sausage and fat free half and half. Any meal that mixes protein and carbs and comes together quickly is okay by me. This one couldn't be easier and it makes a feast! Try it with whole wheat pasta (the only thing I use) to pump up the fiber!
Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta: I'm always looking for new pasta dishes to make because I love pasta! I also have a newfound affinity for sausage. I'm not sure what that's about but when the mood strikes, I go with it. This comes to you from the Six Sisters' blog. Lots of good recipes on there if you've got the time to peruse. I lightened this dish up a bit with chicken sausage and fat free half and half. Any meal that mixes protein and carbs and comes together quickly is okay by me. This one couldn't be easier and it makes a feast! Try it with whole wheat pasta (the only thing I use) to pump up the fiber!
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