Just a few things

First of all, J is 30 weeks old today.  WHAT?  He'll be seven months before I know it!

I know I haven't blogged a lot...every time I mean to, I feel I should be doing something else, like cleaning, laundry, or job hunting.  But I think a few minutes will be ok.  Still hunting, although we've got our routines down now, and it'll be hard to give that up, I admit, but having another full paycheck will certainly make things easier.

I think I'll just share a few sites I've gotten wind of to help you folks out:

www.gethuman.com

Get Human is one of those lovely little sites that lets you actually speak to a human faster instead of dealing with endless menus and automated voices.  You input the company and it'll give you directions to get you to a human faster.  I used this morning to get to a person at the NY Department of Labor.  It took a wee bit of time, but certainly not as long as last time I tried...and got cut off.

www.foodgawker.com

Food Gawker has many recipes and beautiful pictures to boot.  If I had my way, I would have an endless food budget and plenty of time to cook all of these recipes. 

www.canyoustayfordinner.com (another food blog)

This one just has terrific recipes as well, all created by someone who lost tons of weight and is a foodie to boot.  I like the way she writes about food.

www.thebudgetmommy.com

 

Lots and lots of bargains for kids and mom.  Check it regularly to get good deals.

 

That's about all I've got right now.  J gets closer to crawling every day...fortunately we have a large, six-panel baby gate we got for Penny that we can use to corral him.  I know we'll need it, because this kid wants to cruise.  

Quick One...sort of

I know, I owe lots of pictures and stuff but I am on a mission to not be my usual, great-intention-crummy-follow-through self. Any of you who know me well know what I mean. You look at me fondly and shake your head and smile wryly because you know the Frau gets crazy excited about certain things, does them for a while, and then puts them in a corner to collect dust, either literally or figuratively.

I'm not this way about everything, but it's one of my least favorite qualities about myself, and I'm trying not to be that way because it frustrates me AND my husband and probably others. The rain barrel I bought? Fills up and overflows because I don't use it for the garden I never put together last summer...although I have hope that if we plant it closer to the house this year, I won't need 200ft of hose to even use the dumb rain barrel. Efforts to green up my life? Meh, some stayed, some didn't. Elliptical machine upstairs so I'd use it more? Classic clothes rack.

One of my other qualities is to dump all over myself about bad habits, so I won't go on; I wanted this to be more of a recognition of my faults in an attempt to heighten awareness. For example, I got half my thank-you notes from my beautiful baby shower done IMMEDIATELY and I'm almost done with the rest. But if I don't finish them this week, well.... But I KNOW this. So that helps.

Anyway, I really wanted to write this because I read an article about procrastination this morning in Real Simple and it suggested a great way to avoid the "I'll just surf the Net for ten minutes" joke that turns into hours of wasted time: A free add-on called LeechBlock for Firefox. It allows you to list the sites you waste the most time on them, and it literally blocks them for whatever amount of time you specify. For example, I blocked Blogger (and Facebook, Gmail, Slate.com....) this morning so I could get projects graded from 9-1pm. Even the sheer act of doing this caused me to focus better. There's also Rescue Time, a site that tracks what you actually do on the Internet and then graphs where and how you spend your time--an eye-opener that can show you just how long you spend and how often you go to certain sites.

On that note, I'm getting off Blogger and making myself a well-earned grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and then continuing to grade on the newly restored back porch, where no evil technology can lure me away. Hooray for spring!

Drained

I spent the majority of this weekend reading rough drafts of research essays, most of which answered the question, "Does evil exist?" and putting forth three topics that answer the question. So now that I've spent hours reading about child and animal abuse, molestation, terrorism, serial killers, genocide, arson, and abortion PLUS banging my head on the table as I read the umpty-umpth sentence "They don't care who there hurting" or "There reasons are evil to", I have to distract myself with something delightful. Seriously, one essay had me sobbing and ready to sign my entire paycheck over to the SPCA. They obviously were into their topics, which was great, but I'm emotionally exhausted. T was wonderful this whole week and weekend, cooking me dinner, massaging my neck, and generally showing masses of support. Thank you, honey!

So here's a nice website to go to, compliments of Alice over at Finslippy: Cute Things Falling Asleep

Annnnd, my parents get back from their 20 day trip to Vietnam, so I'll be glad to see them!

P.S. I think my favorite essay typo was the "Untied States".

Two very quick ideas

Two websites of possible interest:

www.localharvest.org to find farmer's markets, organic produce, etc. near you

www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com seems pretty self-explanatory

Oh, and Ouiser, be proud: I ordered a rain barrel. Thanks for the site!

May "Try This!" (sorry it took a while)

From my friend S, the next edition of "Try This!"

Try This!

May 2007

RECIPES:

Pecan Pear Pesto over Baked Brie

2 pears – cored and chopped

1 C pecans

2 T honey

1 T Moroccan spice

1 T salt

¼ C fresh parsley

Toast pecans and chop. Add spices and honey and stir until caramelized. Add pears and parsley, blend in a food processor. Serve over baked brie.

I had this appetizer recently at a restaurant in Ithaca, NY and it was SO amazing that I got the chef to give me the recipe! The savory pecans along with the slight sweetness of the pears and honey, and the added spice makes for the most perfect topping to the warm brie. It’s heavenly!!

- Marilyn

Pasta with Lemon Sauce (Rotini with Salsa di Limone)
(Substitutions listed in parentheses)

1 pound penne pasta (rotini)
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (1-1/4 lbs Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced)
1/4C EVOO
1 lg lemon, finely zested and juiced
1C shredded mozzarella cheese (1C crumbled feta or ricotta salata)
1tsp kosher salt
1tsp freshly ground pepper (1/2 tsp)

Cook pasta al dente, reserving 1C of cooking water.
Combine cooked pasta with remaining ingredients, adding half of the cooking water. Toss to combine, and add the remaining water if needed.

I adapted this recipe from Giada on the Food Network. I didn't have some of the ingredients, but I thought the basic premise of the recipe sounded great. The pasta was very good when I made it for dinner and served it hot, but I preferred the leftovers, which I ate cold as a pasta salad. Either way, it was easy breezy and yummy. Enjoy. (For the record, I listed the ingredients that I used, but I included Giada's recommendations in parentheses. I'm sure the dish would've been better with the recommended cheese, but I can't eat cheese, so I put what I had into my husband’s dinner. I also liked the extra pepper.)

- Sommer

Linguini with Butter, Arugula and Pecorino Romano

courtesy Giada DeLaurentiis

1 pound linguine
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups very finely grated Pecorino Romano
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped arugula

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add the linguini and cook until it is al dente, about 8 minutes.

Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Immediately toss the hot pasta in a large bowl with the butter to coat.

While tossing the linguine, gradually sprinkle the cheese, pepper, and enough of the reserved cooking liquid evenly over the linguine to moisten.

Add the arugula and toss to combine. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt. Divide the pasta among 6 plates and serve

This recipe claims to serve 6. I guess it could, but it usually serves us two plus a little for lunch the next day. So good! Add extra arugula for more of a bite.

- Lori

GREAT PRODUCTS

Fiber One Chewy Bars

They taste absolutely wonderful and have 9 grams of fiber in each bar. My favorite flavor is the oats and chocolate. You'll find them near the granola bars in your grocery store. - Tamarah

ARTISTS

Kathleen Lolley (http://lolleyland.com/)

Love, love, love her! And feeling very “wanty” about

just about everything she's made. - Sara

BOOKS

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

I am in the middle of this book right now and it's an intelligent page-turner, especially for those who like whodunits with true plot. There are three case histories that the reader realizes somehow intertwine. Detective Jackson Brodie investigates them all while trying to deal with his own life, complicated by a messy divorce, questions about his life, and paternal worries about his own pre-adolescent daughter. I've really enjoyed its twists and fascinating characters.
- Kary

The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: An Adventure with Sixteen Sheep, Three Dogs, Two Donkeys, & Me

by Jon Katz

It's a long title. It's such a wonderful read for anyone who loves animals - it's a true story about a writer who buys a farm more or less for his 3 border collies.

-Leslie

The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston

I know this is a book that everyone has heard of, but I wanted to give it my recommendation. I’m not using it as a diet book, (and I don’t even think the book should have diet in the title) but more of a lifestyle approach. With diabetes on the rise, this method of eating is an excellent approach to get control of your blood sugar.
-Marilyn

TV SHOWS & MOVIES

What About Brian (ABC – Monday 10pm)

I never watch primetime shows anymore, but I was sick recently and went to www.abc.com to watch some free shows while I was lying in bed. I ran across this show and loved it! I watched all 22 episodes from this past season. It has great writing, realistic and touching story lines, and isn’t overly dramatic. It’s produced by JJ Abrams, the same man who brought us Alias and is known for his great work in television.

-Sarah

Children of Men

This is a terrific and dark/grim movie. I highly recommend it.

-Leslie


CRAFT PROJECTS

The Louis Vuitton Necklace for Cheap!

For those of you who read the Spring Vogue you probably saw the beautiful cloth beaded Louis Vuitton necklace. It sells for $750, but below are instructions to make your own for under $2!

- Marissa

1) Find some thin fabric. The best kind for this project is silk or satin. Vintage scarves work great for this pattern.

2) Cut a 5"/55" piece of fabric. If you are using an old scarf just cut the 5" pieces and sew them together to get the 55" length.

3) Sew the fabric inside out along the 55" edge.

4) Use a safety pin to turn the fabric inside out.

5) Use wooden beads roughly 1" in diameter to create the necklace. Put the first bead in the tube and center it in the fabric. Tie a tight knot on both sides of the bead.

6) Work 8-10 beads back and forth on either side of the first bead. The desired length is up to you. My preference is 10 beads.

7) When you're done threading the beads tuck in the fabric ends and sew them.

WEBSITES

www.flylady.com

Are you in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? Looking for a way to better manage household tasks? Check out the Fly Lady! Very helpful and practical. The Fly Lady yahoo group is fun to join - use a dedicated email address though - messages are prolific!

- Paula

www.chowhound.com

For those who live to eat and for those of us who like to read about food. Recipes, stories, blogs, videos. If you want to find the best patio restaurants in Toronto, the best burgers in Kansas City, or the best best place to find frozen dumplings, this is the site to go to and get lost for about an hour. For instance I just now learned about nickel-plated cast iron skillets...

- Don

www.olvidacookware.com

...we've been cooking on regular cast iron for decades and love it. Some people don't, it needs to be seasoned and you just don't wash it with soap and water as you do everything else. Nickel-plated iron sounds like the cat's pants, although it's pricey.

- Don