Qu Chong

The phone rang and a voice blurted out, " How fast can you get to a cheesecake? ".  My heart stopped.
" Has something happened to Captain Picard? "
" No silly, I'm having a tupperware party and I need bodies translation- victims and I thought you could tear youself away from stardate whatever and come over. Don't you have an emergency cheesecake in the freezer or whatever"
" Oh sure, right next to the diamonds and Jimmy Hoffa. I'm not coming"
" Please...I need at least three people to qualify for the hostess gifts" she said,  and that's where it starts. It's something I rate right up there with a gynecological exam. Not just three people, three people who are willing to get sucker punched into having parties of their own and talk three people into have parties with three people who will  also have parties and it never ends and that's what our tenuous economy is made of.

This is almost too much for me to process with a vitamin D deficiency. Afterall, I got lost driving home yesterday from an office I've been to 100 times, at least. I didn't think I needed  to turn on my GPS who's voice coincidentally  is set as close to Captain Picard's as humanly possible. He frequently asks me which side of the road I want to drive on, he's British.  I ridiculously assumed I could get home without the proper coordinates. I was so very wrong.

It slowly dawned on me that I was in unfamiliar territory and I begun to turn thoughts over in my head, is it East or West. Shouldn't I see a Home Depot or something, is it on my left or wait, was it the right? Where am I, then I was hit with the stark realization that I was going the wrong direction and then even MORE stark realization that I'm an unmitigated idiot who may be a genious with cheesecake but doesn't know where she lives.

"He...llo....are you gonna come?". " No absoulutely not, I'm doing something ablsolutely fabulous with tofu cream cheese and tofu sour cream.I've got to come up with some recipes, modify my diet, get off this headache stuff. people are counting on me, medicated people, headachy people like me.  No tupperware, it's a trigger for migraines."

"Okay ya stupid trekmeister" Click, she hung up.

I drew a big sigh of relief as I muttered under my breath 

"Qu Chong" - Translation- Excellent in Klingon

The tofu sour cream and cream cheese creation I was working on turned out horribly, horribly bad and I fed it to the garbage disposal who apparently didn't think much of it either and seemed to choke quite a bit as I forced it down.

All the best,  Kate

Holy Mackeral !

Our local grocery establishment is usually a treat in the early a.m. before throngs of people rush in and lines are long. I'm frequently the only customer if I get there before sun-up and it's fun to serpentine through aisles of stockers and bread men. If it's a week day I'll be on a mission  because I've run out of something so I don't take time to ponder the deals, just in and out, get it done and back to work.

Today I had a sugar emergency, so with  30 pounds of it tucked neatly in my cart I was walking to the checkout when a heavenly light shone above a sign that advertised 'Canned Meats and Fish'. As sugar emergencies go, it wasn't exactly dire, I'm having a slow pastry week, so I detoured to see about these potted meats. As I perused the offerings I noticed cans of soups and stews, beany type which would usually excite me but today, not so,  nothing to write home about.

I decided to cast my net on the other side of the shopping cart and what did my eyes behold but several cans of mackeral in soybean oil no less, and I was just talking about it yesterday. I bought one!  I could barely contain my excitement, but first I had to stop in the veggie aisle for tofu. I was like a kid on a sugar rush when I checked out, 3- 10 pound bags of sugar, 1 can of mackeral in soybean oil and 2 boxes of tofu, extra firm.

I needed the tofu for my newest taste sensation, tofu mayonaise. It's delicious, and I thought it I would try it with the mackeral if I got up the nerve to actually open it.  I still have a can of sardines in the cabinet I bought last summer that I'm afraid to open. I walk past it every so often with good intentions but I just can't bring myself to open it. I suppose it's some type of unnatural fear but then it's all relative just like my fear of beets and popcorn that doesn't have butter on it. My gentlemen husband once questioned why I fear real sardines but not fake mayo, yet I eat fake meat but won't go near real mayo. I plead the fifth.

Eventually hunger got the best of me, as it does every couple of hours and my mind went to the mackeral. I opened her up preparing for some horrific forensic type smell and there wasn't one. I poked at it a little with a fork and it was nice and flaky so I tasted a bit of it and it was mild and kind of good. It's not nearly as fishy as tuna so I prepared my tofu mayo and made a little salad out of it. I put it on a whole wheat pita pocket with roasted red peppers and romaine lettuce and it was a delcious taste sensation! 

With another recipe in my aresenal of healthy meals I was pretty happy with the day's findings. The recipe below is very subjective. You can pretty much add whatever you want to the Tofu to make mayo but you absolutely have to add olive oil. I often add horseradish and capers when I have them, of course my favorite capers are in rock salt which isn't great if you're watching sodium but rinse them off first and you'll be fine.
Another great addition is sundried tomatoes and basil. Have fun experimenting.

All the best, Kate

Tofu Mayo
Silken Tofu- Extra Firm -6 ounces
Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoons
Garlic- 2 teaspoons
Onion - 2 teaspoons finely chopped

D. Fish. Antsy

At a recent Drs. visit my  physician mentioned that they're seeing more and more vitamin D deficient patients this year than ever before.
"Moi", I interjected sternly " certainly, not, there isn't a ricket to be found anywhere near my person"
"True that, but you are deficient. Oily fish my friend, and a pill, that's what you need. Get outside and walk around in the sun."

I won't lie, the whole thing made me crabby. Walk around in the sun? It's gray everyday, the ground and the sky are the same imperceptible hue. I used to adore snow globes but now that I live in one, not so much. This IS the Winter of my discontent, thank you Shakespeare (or Bacon).

Take another pill ? I already have migraine maintenance twice a day,  and cholesterol pills, now another? It seemed crazy and I began to think the most intelligent thing to do would be to stop going to the doctor.

I walked into the local chemist to fill my new script and was horrified when the nice girl behind the counter not only recognized me but knew my address.  I had unwittingly crossed a line into some sort of medical zone that's reserved for OLDER people who require numerous prescriptions and special boxes to put them in.

I could end up that way. It starts out quite innocently I would assume. At first it's just a box to keep all the pills in one place, then it's a box just to sort one day from the next. From that point it moves to morning, noon and night and the next thing you know you're hooked on a box labeled days of the week, hour by hour and you have a registered nurse on the payroll to sort them out for you. I swore an oath then and there on a stack of diabetic magazines that I would never let that happen to me and handed over my script for vitamin D. The counter girl quietly slipped one of the magazines in my bag for me. I was appreciative.

I'm in the market for oily fish, sardines or mackeral and things to do with these oily fish. Salmon, is a staple for me, I love it and eat it frequently. I think Costco has fantastic Salmon and I usually just toss it in the oven with a spritz of olive oil, dill and a sprinkle of Kosher salt. I have no idea where to get mackeral, it sounds British.

I walked around in the, ah, sun and enjoyed it very much this morning as well as my breakfast of spinach and egg beaters. I can't help but feel a little bit antsy though, I'm anxious for the ground to be less slippery and the sun to actually peek through. A blue sky would be nice!

All the best, Kate

Lost in Lifetime

I feel as if I've been awake but adrift in my own life for the last few weeks or so. It's been an adjustment of sorts to a new maintenance migraine medicine that's working but the side affects are somewhat strong. The first weeks were tough, I couldn't focus, words on a page seemed foreign to me and I was convinced I would never play the piano again. Ah Bach!  I imagined my fingers flying over the keys only to have them stick and tingle like thousands of pins pricking me and I experienced panic attacks for the first time in my life and for the first time in my life I was taciturn. I stuck with the meds but the side effects didn't improve. I had to find a way to escape.

Dorothy had her poppy field, Alice had her looking glass and I, quite innocently stumbled onto 'LMN', the Lifetime Movie Network. One day I finished work early, curled up under a quilt on the couch and watched a movie and I enjoyed it, so I watched another. It drew me in. I slept, I watched, I watched, I slept. it was wonderful. I didn't have to think and I felt so safe with the world at bay out there somewhere. It became my haven from reality and I enjoyed every lifetimelovingminute of it.

Now the fog is starting to lift and some of the side effects are starting to disappear. Things are starting to come together and the LMN halo is starting to tarnish  for me. I've been mulling  over L.M.N in my mind and it's taken on new meaning for me, something like 'Lost My Nine-to -Five' and I'm beginning to think this is where actor's career's go to die.

Patty Duke, Martin Sheen what were you thinking? I saw you play a married couple and your acting was so over the top I buried my head in a bag of hershey's kisses and didn't come up for air for 2 and 1/2 hours. Maybe the script was at the top of a big stack of erectile dysfunction commercials and you felt you had no choice. Maybe you just couldn't take another minute of retirement. To this I say, learn to cope, take a vacation, reflect, live the good life, you did your part and when all else fails.... WWJJD. What would Janis Joplin do? Tequila my friends, tequila.

Truth be told, every so often there is a standout movie. In one shining moment Shannon Dogherty rose like a Phoenix out of the ashes in a movie about a couple falsely accused of killing their child only to fall like an over gummed Garcia Vega into the ash pit of 10 other ridiculous movies. There are so many familiar faces on LMN that it reads like a hollywood high school year book. It's unfortunate that some of those actors weren't clever enough to get a regular gig on Syfy like Bruce Boxleitner. He seems to have a cameo on just about everything and it doesn't matter if some of it's low rent, it's meant to be. It's tongue and cheek, the kind of thing that hits the spot when you need a mental health day.  Bruce could end up on any number of shows that will go Cult classic and some idiot like me will buy his action figure on ebay for $3.00. I've yet to hear of an LMN action figure and I bet if you're a regular on LMN your chances that someone has a cardboard cutout of you in their living room go down by 50%. Of course that's just one pastry girls' opinion.

LMN runs movies, 24/7  all with familiar themes, cheating spouses, abused children and lots of murder. They're formulaic as hell. The victims are always innocent, but the cops never believe it. The victims do all the leg work and always find the killers, but the cops never believe it until the very end and then they respect and even sometimes fall in love with the victims. It's a crazy maze of twists and turns and it got me through a rough couple of weeks.

I'm not saying I'll never watch LMN again. I'll admit a certain morbid fascination with True Movie Thursday which makes me sound like a complete psycho when I send my kids cryptic text messages warning them of possible fates that have befallen others. Right now it's run it's course for me and that's a good thing.

All the best, Kate

It's not a tumah...

Great news! I get to take new medicine for the headaches. This time it's preventative, not maintenance, which is apparently what pain pills are. Not so great news, I have to take it everyday, twice. I haven't picked it up from the chemist yet because I'm a bit worried about the cost. It sounds expensive but then what do I know. I was the one that thought we'd have a replicator and sonic showers by now, it's twenty ten afterall.

The nerve cells in our brains fire electronic particles, all the time. Migraine sufferers supposedly have overexcited nerve cells and they fire too fast and too frequently. It's a better problem to have than nerve cells that fire too slow I suppose.

Slow things drive me crazy. I'm very type A, rush, rush. Waiting is anethema to me. Let's get it done and move on. But that's not important. I'm told I can eat a more balanced diet and get on with my life. I just need to take pills. Here's what bothers me. Do I want to take pills and more pills, and more pills as I age? It's not just the carrying them around in little boxes that bothers me, it's the thought of living past my natural life expectancy. I don't want to live forever and I certainly don't want to live just for the sake of being alive.

If there is some vast eternal plan at work I suppose I'll die when I'm supposed to whether or not I'm taking pills. By that logic it doesn't really matter. The thought of extending my life expectancy just because I can doesn't really appeal to me. When I get old I'll slow down and I don't want to.

All the best, Kate

Purse-peration

I have a love/hate relationship with purses, always have. No matter what style, type or size I have, one constant remains, my purses are never functional. I do enjoy sculpting purses out of cake. It's my new favorite thing.

I have had a variety of purses, all serving their purpose for small increments in time. There was a backpack phase when I was playing the piano for a job but I had to supplement that with a bag. It was fine for music but I could never find a pen, guitar pick. or saint's be praised, my phone.

I went from that to a tiny 'alwaysreadyforadate' purse with only enough room for a license, a debit card, and a lipstick. I could have gotten used to that if it weren't too small to fit my phone which I had to carry in my hand or a pocket. I had to retrace my steps a lot in search of my phone since I left it EVERYWHERE.

The thought of a bigger purse with comparments appealed to me and was great for the first 24 hours before it became disorganized. I stuck with that one for awhile though until I started having shoulder problems. I kept throwing my change in one of the compartments and it became heavy and hit the floor with a thud everytime I put it down. Discovering there are so many things I can't live without I began to fill it with everything. The only way to find anything was to turn it upside down and shake until everything fell out. When I got to the point that I started carrying my Star Trek action figures I decided it was time for something else.

I went from that to a ziploc bag. Not my highest point but it was very functional. I could always find what I wanted, when I wanted it. There was one big drawback, aside from the fact that everyone could see exactly what I was carrying, it looked ridiculous and stupid. It's virtually impossible to carry a concealed Captain Picard action figure in a ziploc purse. Kids want to play with it and adults think you're weird.

It occurred to me that Ebay may be a place to look for a nice purse selection, and I was correct. I found  a  nice leather purse that I like, simple and functional and midsized. It works pretty well and I've taken to cleaning it out every other day or so just to stay organized. I still have to dump everything out of it to find my phone but at least I'm remembering to empty the change out. As for Captain Picard and the away team? They're resting comfortably on a shelf.

All the best, Kate

P.S. Still have a headache, still eating well. What's up with that?

Headaches Continue, and not just the self inflicted ones.

Of the last 14 days of my headache diet I've had 12 headaches. I suppose it could be taking me that long to detox, but it seems unlikely. Looking back on my food diary it dawned on me that I can't think of anything. Wheat maybe but I don't eat a lot of it, or a lot of carbs for that matter. I haven't been drinking. I think I've only had a small glass of wine since Christmas, so it continues to be a conundrum to me.

Last year I took a daily medication and it worked but it was a hard adjustment. A couple days after my first few pills I was commissioned to play the piano at church. I felt tipsy and totally lacking focus. There were leaves dancing in the breeze and they shone through the stained glass window and caught my attention, holding it there until I completely spaced out the church service  The minister broke my trance and had to remind me to play the next hymn. I felt like the heroine in a twilight zone episode.

After a few weeks my spirits raised, I started sleeping better and the headaches started to go away. It happened so gradually I almost didn't notice. It was like one day I woke up and suddenly realized I didn't have headaches anymore. I began to adjust to the feeling  of being continually toasted. It was like having a central line with a conituous flow of whiskey, a perpetual happy hour. Never too drunk, never to sober just steady and kind of numb. I felt dull and uncreative. It was terrible, I had the ability to function but no desire, just the opposite of me with a headache. This is my brain on meds, ( nothing but us brain cells, shriveling with boredom ) this is my brain on headaches ( imagination soars to unbelievable heights and imaginary friends come out of the woodwork but they never shut up). It's all or nothing, intoxicating creativity or watching paint dry.

Such is my fate. I need to pick a lesser of two evils. Go back on the meds or keep experimenting with diet or whatever I can think of. I could try tai chi, hypnosis, energy healing, acupuncture or heated glass therapy. I tried chiropractic but it felt like a downward spiraling vortex that sucked me of money, not too mention a heightened awareness of spinal cord injuries. That's probably just scratching the surface of various therapies. I wonder if there's a therapy that involves fast cars and reggae.

I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing I guess and hope something  brilliant comes across the wire.

All the best, Kate

Really !

It was just one of those ridiculous days. You can't escape them because it's just part of the universal order of things. Call it Murphy's Law or whatever you like. It's the weird little oddities that are inevitable, really.

I finally found a great tasting sugar free cookie and it has 12 grams of fat in it. 
I visited my parents today and they have their thermostat set at 975 degrees, yes 975. It was so hot I got a sunburn, lost 4 pounds and started to peel on the drive home. They also pass gas alot and don't care who hears it.
I had a blood test today and I had to hold the tubes for the lab lady so she could use both hands.
Starbucks makes fantastic oatmeal with nuts and raisins for a mere $3.00
I drove 80 mph on the freeway and some idiot still tailgated me.
It only took me 6 minutes to drive to the bank which is 10 minutes away because I had all green lights.

To all of these things I say... REALLY...

I am about to scrounge the fridge looking for something for dinner. I may head back to Starbucks. That oatmeal made a lasting impression on me. So did it's 350 calories. I didn't have to eat the nuts and cranberries but I did, and it truly was delicious!

All the best, Kate

Sunday! Day of rest? By who's standards.

I'm beginning to understand the wisdom of eating small meals several times a day. It keeps one from making poor choices. I made a poor choice today, getting out of bed.

The day was a just little more stressful than I like but it was nice. I like when that happens. I did have to keep reminding myself to keep Christmas in my heart every other minute or so but I managed.


Long story, short version. I agreed to do a bridal show of the 'show your wares and samples as fast as you can to 500 brides' ilk. In the past I've done it and it's always come down to big investment, long hours and little return, but I'm hopeful. It's twenty-ten afterall and the brides were both beautiful and receptive. The organization and locale was stunning. The show was fun indeed. I was also booked to fill in for the musician at church. I thought it was supposed to be next week, but the dates were confused. It's usually a fun gig but today, today there was pressure.

My gentlemen husband, (he's so kind) left with me this morning, helped me set up our booth and then stayed at the show by himself while I ran out to play the piano. I played like the place was on fire! It was glorious. No fuss, no muss, just play, pray and on your way!!! I rushed back to the bridal show just as brides were beginning to trickle in and then that trickle turned into a flood and we were busy working our cake magic. Again, glorious!!

Is there a point you say! Truly, and here it is. I ate nothing all day but a 100% whole wheat english muffin with sugar free blueberry jam. My stomach started singing along during the sermon and continued right on through the offering. Thank God, for the communion, literally. I had a Homer Simpson moment.... brreeaad...hooo, and holy bread at that. Doh!

By the time we left the bridal show at 5:00 I was practically hallucinating. A nice man from a local restaurant strolled through passing out cookies and what did I do? I tackled him like a linebacker. I ate one cookie, but only one.

The poor choice was setting myself up to fail. Eating the cookie wasn't so terrible but  leaving myself with no other choices was nonsensical.  I should have gotten my keester out of bed and packed some carrots, fruit, rice cakes, anything!!  When we arrived home I inhaled a cup of decaf, vegan pizza, salad and a few kernels of last nights popcorn.. blaech!

Kids, I've learned my lesson. I will no longer venture out of the old homestead with nothing between me and the beast that is my hunger, but a mere tic tac. I'm determined to carry healthy snacks all the days of my life (and keep Christmas in my heart).

All the best, Kate

Friday Night Pizza!

It's Friday, the cakes are finished and gorgeous!
This cute little purse is among my favorites. I'm happy, I'm relaxed ( the shot of tequilla didn't hurt) dinner's well underway and my Gentlemen Husband and I had a very nice day together.

We made our own pizza and it looks mouth wateringly delicious. We made our own sauce, which is the best way to go because it's easier to control the fat, cholesterol, sugar and every other good thing. We're using whole wheat crust which has a lovely nutty flavor. I like sauted spinach, sliced roma tomatos, green olives and vegan cheese of the romano, parmesan variety. I only use a wee bit of the cheese, a 1/2 cup at most. You'd be surprised how much that is.I'm still getting used to it. Veggie Shreds don't melt very well, they sort of keep their shape, which is why I opt for the finely shredded variety.

We're having grilled pineapple for dessert. I saute it in a tiny bit of olive oil and add a little honey while it's grilling. I like it warm/cold so I don't saute it long enough heat completely through. Fresh pineapple is the best for this application.

I love this dinner, it's healthy and I don't feel cheated. I'm finding that I'm actually saving money with my new meal plan. I hesitate to order out now because there's usually nothing on the menu I feel I can eat and I have no clue what the 'numbers' are on stuff I don't prepare myself. I'm sure we'll go to a restaurant eventually but it will have to be one with seafood and salads and veggie type things. I hate to be that pain in the neck cover who asks for everything on the side, and special order this and that but I will be. I'll get over it!

Well, here's the tomato sauce recipe. It's subject to change depending on how you feel on any given day. I tend to cook with my senses and I'm a thrower. I'll toss things in randomly but I usually go with my nose. If it smells right toss it in. I also use this sauce for whole wheat mostaciolli, minestrone soup and spaghetti. We usually have some on hand. You never know when you'll need it.

Tomato Sauce for Pizza.

Saute an onion in olive oil until almost translucent
Add several cloves of garlic and saute until you can smell the garlic
Add 2- 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatos
Add Seasonings. I use parlsey, basil, oregano, chili powder, sugar, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Let the sauce cook until thickened and yummy.
Adjust seasonings as necessary.

A run through the garden pizza is delicious and healthy. The leftovers are even better!!

All the best, Kate

The Etiquette on Christmas Decorations

I'm reasonably sure that according to Hoyle, Christmas decorations should be removed by Twelfth Night which I believe to be yesterday, yet I have no desire to take down the tree. I almost feel that since store decorations have been up since well before Thanksgiving there's a bit of wiggle room here.

I like the tree, each ornament is unique and truthfully I just put a new one up yesterday. It is one of three that I received this year as gifts. Two are from my daughter in law Cate, a snowglobe with a deer in the snow and an angel bell. The other from my friend Laurie, is a slice of strawberry pie and is the sister to a three tiered cake ornament she gave me last year.  I am enjoying looking at them and I'm not ready to stop.

There's something about wrapping them in tissue and putting them to sleep in a box for a year that makes me sad. Perhaps it would be a more valuable use of my time to leave them there and enjoy gazing at them. It may help to balance my chi. Through feng shui, chi  energy should be able to roam freely in order maintain balance. Chi is a very powerful thing. The balance of your surroundings can greatly affect your outlook and mood. If you use the color green in the East part of your house it improves your health and helps balance your family life. Our Christmas tree just happens to be green and coincidentally resides in the South East corner of our living room. Close enough for me and a very compelling reason to leave the tree standing.

You may think I might be grasping at straws, procrastinating or lazy. Not true. I like my stuff. I think there's something romantic about using it. Why should china sit in a cabinet, and candles go unburned. When I'm on my deathbed  am I going to blurt out that I really enjoyed NOT using the stuff  I've cherished throughout my life. Gifts from best friends, letters my gentlemen husband wrote me in college, treasures from relatives, things I'd try to save in a fire, these should be enjoyed. O Tannenbaum I'm not sick of you yet !

Who knows when it will come down. When I find another way to balance my Chi I might feel led to take down the tree and decorations.  For now it stands.

All the best, Kate

Filet of Soul

There are days that I daydream about moving to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere with my gentlemen husband. It would be remote enough that we would have things air dropped to us but not so remote that I couldn't bump into a forest ranger every so often. A dog sled sounds nice too but I'd like to be able to drive a pick up truck in the spring, summer and fall, maybe a zamboni in the winter.

I'm probably just feeling a little melancholy. Things are catching up with me, I'm a little stressed and I can't get the taste of last night's dinner out of my mouth. It was filet of sole and it tasted fishy to the 10th power. Several brushings and a mouthful of peroxydyl still didn't do the job and I woke up feeling like I'd sipped the water out of the fish tank in my sleep. Perhaps I'm de-evolving and tomorrow I'll wake up with scales and a hankering for flaky food.

It dawned on me that yesterday I didn't follow the rules. I skipped meals which caused hunger and then I ate the wrong things. By the time hating dinner rolled around I was starving and crabby and ended up eating peanutbutter and jelly, a handful of animal crackers (does that make me a carnivore?) and a cup of low sugar cocoa- blaech!!

My soul is feeling fileted. My job requires large amounts of sugar, dairy, fat and high fructose corn syrup. Do you have a 50 pound bucket of glucose in your kitchen? My gentlemen husband, who I dearly love, requires large quantities of beef jerky, chocolate donuts and snacky crackery, chippy dippy things so I'm surrounded by the stuff and trying to ignore it. My new snack is peanut butter and raisins on a rice cake and I'm trying to shout it's praises like a cheerleader while family members look on with their eyebrows cocked. It's a little tough once in awhile, on days like this. It's not so dire that have a salami stuffed in the fire wood basket or a lamp stuffed with peanut butter cups but it's tough.

When my soul feels exhausted I think about a little cabin in the woods, a woods that does not contain a candy house and a couple of crumb dropping hoodlums.

All the best, Kate

Spin, Spin, Spin

I made it to the gym today with enough time to walk 12 minutes on the treadmill before spinning began. I realize that ranks me a top spot in the underachievers hall of fame but at least I didn't show up in my pajamas. According to leading authorities, (okay, it was Dr. Oz) you're supposed to walk 2 blocks for every 10 pounds of weight you're carrying, that is on your body, not whatever weights you're literally carrying. Not a back pack, heavy purse, toolbelt, boxes of velveeta or the weight of the world, you know what I mean. It takes 16-17 blocks to make a mile so you can figure it out for yourself, but let's just say I didn't get very far. I need to get up even earlier. We'll see how the rooster feels about it when I wake him up tomorrow.

When I say spinning I don't mean, straw into hay, a carousel,  yarn, or round and round. Technically, that's twirling and the two should never be confused. I'm referring to sitting on a stationary bike and riding slow, fast, standing or sitting with various levels of resistance. On the heavier side if you're not cheating. It takes a few days to get into it and if you have stairs in your home you may want to center your activities on the main level for awhile because your backside is going to be sore. I'm not kidding but you'll feel better...eventually. This tightens up your backside and legs so nicely that in a few months you'll discover that you've literally kissed your ass goodbye. The hardest adjustment may be the bike seat. You can invest in a cheap pair of bike pants with a cushiony bottom for about $20. You won't regret it. If you opt not to, rest assured that in a few months you'll toughen up, not to the point of callouses but you'll adjust. It's probably no worse than riding a horse all day.

There are lots of things to remember. If you follow the teachings of the Dalai Lama you'll learn to live in the moment. The past is gone, the future is ahead and you're just there, taking a ride, letting everything fall away. You'll be prompted to relax your shoulders, keep your elbows down and tucked in, your heels down and your hands relaxed. I use the time to collect my thoughts and sort things out.

The intensity varies and you'll get in a zone and start enjoying it. There's a lot of heavy breathing, sweating and once in awhile you shudder, I'm still talking about spinning. When you get tired you can concentrate on the music or if you're a scifi nerd like me you can recite the Moctar chant of strength. " norak toroth, norak toroth". That's 'torOTH not Torah. Reciting the Torah is much harder but I can do it, and while standing on one foot. I can teach you to do it as well, but another day. For now I need both feet on the peddles.

The camaraderie with other spinners is outstanding, there's a bond. We are a group of people who prefer beating up our bodies to the din of loud music in a dimly lit room well before dawn.  It's all good. You can thank me later, when you're able to buy jeans off of ebay without even trying them on.

I wanted to mention one other thing. There's a website that I frequent called livestrong.com. I keep my food diary there. You can track what you eat and develop meals every day. You can also figure out what your caloric needs are and set goals for yourself. If you want to lose 20 pounds the site will calculate how many calories you should eat to lose 2 pounds a week. The 'Daily Plate' gives you an opportunity to list your foods and tells how you're doing by calculating your calories, grams of fat, sugar, protein etc. You can also calculate in your excercises and it will spit out what you burned. It's easy too, 'point and click'.

I love it but a word of caution. If you're somewhat OCD just relax a little. Don't get so into the numbers that you start freaking out about the sugar content of tomatos. Don't deny yourself for the sake of the numbers. If you're a few grams over, you'll live and you don't have to go public with your information. You have to make it work for your lifestyle. My goal right now is 120 grams of carbs and 15 grams of sugar, but that's just for a little while because that's not realistic long term. It's all about choosing a plan that's right for you.

I changed my eating habits a little over a week ago and I have a little more energy already. To you I say " live long and prosper" and check out that website!!  http://www.livestrong.com/

All the best, Kate

To medicate or meditate, that is the question.

The answer is both. Sadly the healthy diet has not kicked in enough to thwart these awful migraines. It's getting tiresome and no doubt the complaining is too. I'm getting a little frustrated at having headaches for so many days in a row. It used to be when I woke up headache free it was a big sigh of relief because I knew it was a free pass for the day. Not so anymore. Waking up sans headache is no longer a free pass. Quite often I get through part of my day only to have a sudden onset migraine. Consequently I live on the precipice of panic.
                                                                                               

I crawled out of bed with a whimper this morning with some residuals of yesterday's headache afloat in my head. After my gentlemen husband left for work I went back and rested for an hour or so and crawled out again and popped a few Excedrin Migraine.  I practically had to force myself to start my day but I made it through  and ended on a high note. I cleaned and organized my office, sorted through the bills, paid a few, and created a sewing room in the spare bedroom. Oh yeah, I worked on cakes too. I'm gloriously satisified with my accomplishments and hoping that today's events may help me to relax and sleep well tonight. Last night I was very restless and awake for most of the night. Ridiculous.

I have quite a few pieces of fabric and looking through them was so much fun. I love fabric and have many projects in the works, a quilt, an outfit, curtains and chair cushion covers for a slider rocker I purchased at the local thrify establishment for just a few bucks. The BUTTONS were amazing and I have so many!!! As a child I used to spend hours sorting through my Mother's button jar and found myself enjoying it just as much today.

I suppose sorting and classifying is a type of meditation for me. There were rick racks, elastics, spools of thread, an ecclectic assorment of needles and pins, miniature tools, tape measures and a stack of multi colored fat quarters that I could just cozy up to all day long. These are all good things. I relaxed I feel good and there's a nice aroma of vegan wholegrain mostaciolli coming from the oven. I'm hungry and heartily satisfied at today's events. I hope it lasts. There's a little something clustering in my head but I'm hoping some hot food and warm cuddle will keep it at bay.

In the meantime check out Livestrong.com and we'll chat about it tomorrow.

All the best, Kate

Top of the Morning!

I've recently discovered a love for Southern Biscuits and Gravy but on day 3 of healthy eating in twenty-ten I'm not ready to fall off the wagon, or is it get on the wagon? Either way, pork sausage is not a part of my plan so I opted for Morning Star Sausage Crumbles. Not a bad alternative but I had to add a tablespoon of oil as there was no fat to speak of to make the roux. It got pasty so I fried the dickens out of and it got a little better.  I think next time I would fry up the sausage, leave the fond ( sticky bits) and 1/4 of the sausage in the skillet, make the roux and sauce and then add the remaining sausage back in. My daughter in law Cate, and son Ben thought it tasted pretty good too. It's nice to have a supportive family!! Cate suggested the addition of mushrooms to the sauce and I wish I would have thought of that. Mushrooms often add a nice meaty flavor to dishes. I can hardly wait to try it again.

For the  biscuits, I used a smidgeon more than half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. I want to maximize my wheat and grains without compromising the taste and texture. I've begun incorporating whole wheat flour in half increments to everything that requires flour. It provides a nice nutty flavor and a delightful texture you can feel in your mouth. When you purchase the soymilk for baking and sauces double check to be sure you don't have vanilla. Even 'plain' has a sweet taste. Look for unsweetened and it's usually in the healthy food aisle, not refrigerated.

The taste was great and my gentleman husband thought it was fine. His tastebuds tend to lean to the refined sugar, chocolatey end of the spectrum so I was flattered. We're doing a little paradigm shifting and I'm enjoying it very much. It takes a lot of planning and a little creativity but I'm beginning to see that I don't have to eat dairy, sugar, and meat to feel satisfied and create meals that are tasty. Perhaps my tastebuds won't be unemployed ad infinitum after all but I haven't told you about my cupcake disaster yet so the jury is sill deliberating.

If you have a few extra bucks invest in a good baking scale. It makes a huge difference in flour and dry good measurements. Look for one that will 'tare' and you'll never have to move the bowl. Mine is a My-Weigh KD-8000 and it weighs in ounces, gram, kilograms and pounds. It's a good investment.

All the best, Kate

Whole Wheat Baking Powder Biscuits

7 oz all purpose flour
6 oz whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ounce butter
2 ounces shortening
1 cup unsweetended soy milk soured with 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients, butter and shortening and work with your fingers until mixture resembles small crumbs.
Add soymilk and stir until it comes together.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead slightly then flatten into a large disk of dough about 3/4 inch thick. Cut with 2" biscuit cutter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Soymill Gravy with Sausage Crumbles.
1 pound Morningstar sausage crumbles ( not Italian style)
Coursely chopped mushrooms (whatever increment you want)
1 Tablespon olive oil
1.25 oz all purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
2 sage leaves chopped
lots of pepper
salt

Fry the sausage crumbles, mushrooms and olive oil  in cast iron skillet.
Set aside 1/2 to 3/4 of the sausage in a seperate bowl
Add the flour and cook 3-4 minutes
Slowly add the unsweetened soymilk and cook until a nice gravy forms
Add the remaining sausage back in
Add sage, salt and tons of pepper.


Add the olive oil and flour and cook for 3-4 minutes.

A Word about Dr. Oz

I love the Dr. Oz show but I have to admit that it brings about a problem or two for me. Don't mistake my meaning, the information he imparts is invaluable and undoubtedly saves lives. It's a good show indeed, informative, timely and honest. He delivers his lectures in a kind and meaningful way.

What I find incredulous are the moments he lists the symptoms for these various and sundry diseases.  These are the moments that I'm struck with the realization that I have them all, hands down, nearly every symptom, no kidding, I swear on a stack! I am without a doubt a candidate for diabetes, heart disease, gluten sensitivity, aneuriysms, food poisoning, vertigo, legionnaires disease and scurvy, to mention a few. When he reported that at the bottom of the bread roll baskets they found scads of broken acrylic nails it made it much easier for me to cut down on carbs. What a day that was!

"Help me Obi Wan Ka-pharmacist" I cry as hypochondrical ancestors gaze upon me from the hereafter and murmur, 'The force is strong in our family young pill-taker'.  It's true, our family has a rich history of 'odd but true' diseases and syndromes that miraculously disappear as soon as we breathe in that good hospital air. After several rounds of surgical tests and procedures many of my aunts and uncles have had zippers placed in their bodies to make it easier for their doctors to access pacemakers, balloons, implants, pins, wires, cables, watches, sponges, whatever they've collected over the years. My Great Uncle Gus was the model for the body in the game of Operation. True, it's gender neutral and I can't comment  but I suspect my Aunt Gert may have played a roll in that.

So what should  be the solution? Surely I don't have all or any of these diseases. The symptoms are so general and overlap so much that it's confusing to me. Maybe I'm just very open to suggestion. The truth is I'm very happy and healthy. I rarely catch any diseases, even colds and I have succumbed to only 1 childhood disease. I need to reign in the craziness and stick to the plan, which is to eat healthy meals and excercise. Aside from the nagging migraines that never go away I feel pretty good and I'm working on that. I don't yet own or have the need for a pill box and I never want to.

Tonight I had a delicious butternut squash tart, a lovely salad  made by my daughter-in-law and cranberry wild rice pilaf. It was beyond delicious and yesterday was great too with chicken and dumplings made with Morningstar chicken strips (soy) and thickened with unsweetened soy milk. These were amazing dishes and I  was surprised at the outcome. With tasty meals such as these I hope to have no problems sticking to my healthy plan.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Pilaf (Vegetarian Times)

2 cups wild rice ( cooked)
1 cup brown rice (cooked)
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup splenda brown sugar ( 1/2 cup if using regular beown sugar)
1/2 cup celery
1/3 cup toasted almond slices
1/3 cup orange juice
2  Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Cook the cranberries, almonds and brown sugar until sugar melts and coats the berries. (5-7 min,)
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry until warm.

Winter Squash Galette by Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
1 butternut squash cut in half with seeds scooped out.
2 fists of garlic
Olive Oil
12 sage leaves, diced
1 onion, small dice
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Pastry Crust

2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
12 Tablespoons butter
1/3-1/2 cup water

Brush squash with olive oil.
Stuff garlic (unpeeled) into hole in squash.
Turn upside down and bake in 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes
Meanwhile, cook onion and sage in olive oil on low until onions are translucent
Scoop squash into bowl and squeeze garlic out of cloves.
Loosely mash.
Add cheese, onion and sage and stir.

Combine, flour, salt and sugar
Mix butter in with fingers until small crumbs for
Add enough cold water to make a soft dough
Roll out into a large circle.

When squash is done place it onto of the crust.
Fold edges of tart over squash.
Bake in 325 degree onion for 30 minutes to heat through.

Any of the recipes can be modified to suit your needs. Cooking is all about using your senses and trusting your instincts. I hope you get a chance to try these recipes.

All the best, Kate

Day 1- Breakfast with Perry Mason

I had been asleep on my side, cocooning as I slowly began to wake up but only enough to open one eye. I'm well rehearsed at trying to tease myself back to sleep being a chronic insomniac. After trying to recite a poem I mentally listed the books of the bible, but I could only get to number 5, Deuteronomy. It turned into a crazy repitious mantra that woke me up with the force of a defibrilator. I glanced at the clock and it dawned on me I had about 20 minutes before the Perry Mason New Years Day marathon would commence.

It was warm and I didn't want to get up. I began counting the cookbooks stacked on the shelf next to my bed, I got to 45 not including a couple of years worth of cooking magazines,can't part with those. There are 2 shelves full in other rooms that didn't make it into the count. It's crazy, I'm an obsessive collector of cookbooks and I'm considering one more.

My cookbooks are in order by type. Pastry books take center stage, and they are plentiful. There are church kitchen types, retro 50's and 60's casseroles, antique all inclusives with directions such as 'add some', international cooking, vegan, vegetarian, books devoted to one food group, one item, less than 5 items, less than 30 minutes, cooking for an army or only 2, to name a few.

There's always an alpha, and for now it's Alton Brown's newest, Good Eats, the Early Years. Every recipe that I've tried is a no fail. I'm also very attached to all of my vegan, vegetarian tomes since I'm trying to change my eating habits. The point is, I love my books. At any given moment one of them could take its rightful place as alpha, so I can abandon none of them. When my feet finally hit the cold, cold floor I went straight to the computer to look up a recipe. At some point I may explore the psychology in that but for now, Perry's on and I need to find out what comes after Deuteronomy.

Breakfast? Turnip Greens with a drop of sesame oil, eggbeaters and coffee.
Lunch? Unsure, I'll probably just replicate something.
Dinner? Vegetarian chicken strips and whole wheat dumplings.

Happy 2010! All the best, Kate