Books, Dogs and Exercise

My sister was interested in my latest library book, and I am happy to report to her, as she is apparently the only one who reads my blog, it's pretty good. At first it was difficult at first to digest all the character and place names because I don't speak Italian, but now that I've distinguished all the different people, I'm enjoying it. It's the tale of two courtships set amidst the organized crime and arts landscapes of Sicily. The setting and characters of this book could be transplanted to Los Angeles very easily, particularly Betty, the mobster's daughter. She is an overindulged monster of a young woman who begged her daddy for a new car with a DVD player. Sadly. she doesn't appear to be intelligent enough to realize the screens are in the back seat and that she can't watch and drive at the same time. For a book I used such high standards to select, it's proving to be a good read.

Dumb Dog
Our dog tries to kill himself every time we walk him. He pulls so hard on the leash that he chokes himself and it isn't unusual for him to have to stop just to catch his breath. I looked online for collar options and none of them were very highly recommended. Choke chains are out because he has turned his regular collar into a choking device. Gentle leaders have very negative connotations in my family so they're out. I was thinking about the pinch collar but it seems a bit inhumane. I guess we just have to train him. I made my first attempt this morning. The instructions I read stated that when the dog pulls, you stop, tell them "NO" and praise them when they relax. I was stopping about every 3 steps. When my dog wants something, he wants something. We went about half our usual distance and I turned around. I'm happy to say he was much calmer on the return trip. I figured out why when we got in the house. He had a natural treat that he was anxious to get home and enjoy. His mission was accomplished and he was ready to partake in his spoils. We'll keep working on this. I would call the Dog Whisperer but then I'd have to clean my house.

Slacking off no more
After a break in my exercise routine, I'm happy to say, I've worked out 5 times in the past week. I even ran at the high school track one morning. It was awful. My muscles are a bit achy, but it's been worth it. It appears that I've burned some of my flabby stomach. And now all the weight loss ads will appear to the right. My 7 year old invented an exercise for me called the waddling penguin. Stand with your arms out to the side with a weight in each hand, feet about hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Now make tiny circles with your arms. Try not to let your hips sway too much. You'll get a nice burn on your sides. If you want to really challenge yourself, do it while standing on one leg. Excellent for the core! I try to do at least two strength exercises while standing on one leg. Not only is it good for the core, but it's an excellent way to improve your balance.

That's all for now. Enjoy your day!

Is it Wrong...

To make pesto from spinach? I have to say, I did a good job tricking my 12 year old into eating vegetables. He thought it was regular old pesto and chowed it down. I revealed my deceitful ways to him. He called me a trickster. He was smiling so I don't think he was really that put out. I won't really know until I try to get him to eat leftovers.

Recipes for spinach pesto abound on the interweb (do you like my new name for all things world wide? I think it makes me sound like I'm 85). I used spinach, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan and basil. I served it with rigatoni and some chicken sausage that also had spinach in it. We also had a spinach salad. No such thing as too much green on your plate.

We made ER visit number 3 for our 7 year old this weekend. On Saturday, he freaked out when a bug landed on him as he was riding his scooter at breakneck speed. He lost control and landed hard, with most of the impact being taken by his forehead. After he started complaining of dizziness, we were off to the ER. (Obviously, he's fine, or I wouldn't he writing this.) He wasn't thrilled about the CAT scan but did decide it wasn't so horrible since he could keep his ratty old blanket pulled up to his chin. When it was over, we went to Burger King and he got a shake. Keeping him quiet yesterday was challenging. He must have asked 10 times if he could ride his bike. I guess that's a good sign. He was off to school today. The rain will keep the kids in for recess so I don't have to worry about any more falls.

That's all for today. I'm off to do cleaning, etc.

Enjoy your day!

Book Update

I couldn't get through Mrs. Dred Scott. I still get that feeling of defeat when I can't finish a book, like I'm some sort of literary failure. But here's the thing about books like Mrs. Dred. If you can't use primary sources for a biography, it seems that you simply have a lot of guessing about how life would have been. Ms. Vandervelde had a lot of great information about Harriet Scott's owners but this didn't translate into a lot of information about Harriet. I did learn about the Minnesota territory, but as that wasn't my aim, I can't truly appreciate the information I gained. There was one piece of information I did get that was cool. My Grandmother on my father's side was born in Pipestone, MN. I learned that Pipestone is named for the red stone that Native Americans used to make peace pipes. I had no idea! We never visited Pipestone as kids. Check out their website. They have a lot of information about the town and the history of the quarry. http://www.pipestoneminnesota.com

I am now reading a book called Sicilian Tragedee by Ottavio Cappellani. It met the incredibly high standards I have for selecting a book at the library. It has an interesting cover and was in the new book section. I get to feel a little smug about it because it was translated from Italian. I've never read any Italian books. Stay tuned for more details and enjoy your day!

Random Thoughts II

It's another day where I have so many thoughts and so little time!

• Can I turn my family into vegetarians without anyone noticing?
• Are we jealous because the Somali pirates have found a way to beat the recession?
• Are Peeps any less nutritious than Lucky Charms?
• How long is too long to play video games?
• How young is too young for a cell phone?
• Where are Drake and Josh and Carly's parents?
• How much longer before my Claritin kicks in?!?!?!

Enjoy your day!

Gross Easter, Too

I am an equal-opportunity food slammer. Easter is also the source of many disgusting holiday recipes. I choose this for today's post.

First on my list for any holiday is the ubiquitous green bean casserole. You know the one that's made with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup and French's fried onions. I have never had to eat this pile of yuck but I am morally opposed to anything made with cream of fill-in-the-blank soup.

The Washington Post food section had a recipe for lavender honey cheese cake? What is with the need for floral extracts in food these days? I barely want them in my soap, but I'll tolerate them there. How about a lemon cheese cake?

The Chicago Sun Times lists four reasons why you should serve Spam this Easter. Here they are:

1. It's flexible. You can use it for "any possible application." Huh? Application?
2. It's cheap. Yes, it is. Poor quality meats usually are.
3. It's comfort food. Yes it is. In Hawaii. But they eat poi, too. Do you know what poi is?
4. It's patriotic. Evidently Hormel sent tons of Spam to Europe to the troops in WWII. Not enough of a reason for me to put it on my table.

On a Kraft Foods forum board, a woman was asking for a recipe for rabbit. Yes, it's true. She told her 12 year old son that she would prepare him Peter Cotton Tail for Easter Dinner. Dear Lord.

I'm not sure I can top that piece of nastiness but here's the last try. Honey Cola Ham. Take a 12 lb ham, add 2-3 liters of coke, honey or corn syrup. Bake. So gross. So very very gross.

Stomach churning. Must sign off.

Enjoy the rest of your day.