In my never-ending desire to live within driving distance of an H&M, I visited their website tonight to see if, by chance, one had moved into my neighborhood. I was disappointed, as usual. But I started flipping through the online version of their magazine, and saw something that disturbed me tremendously:
"The Girlfriend Look."
Say what?
"Style-conscious men are raiding their girlfriends' wardrobes."
Sho nuff, the dude pictured front and center is sporting longish hair (nothing wrong with this), a short beard (still pretty rugged), a black tank top (okay), black tight capris and black flip-flops. He's accessorizing with a sporty strand of black beads and a black man-purse.
Heyyyelll no.
Darling, if you're reading this, please understand one thing--I don't give a shit how en vogue it may become, I don't ever want to see you in any of my clothes.
Cuz you'll stretch them the hell out.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Random Wednesday
My coffee tasted weird this morning. I don't know if it's because, during my week of Gift Card debauchery, I got accustomed to the taste of a skim iced latte from FiveBucks as opposed to one from my kitchen, or if it had something to do with the quality of the milk in my fridge. Either way.
I'm trying not to eat and wondering what more I can cut out from my daily food intake. I refuse to give up my occasional indulgences. But I don't seem to be able to get below 125 and that's irritating the shit out of me. I refuse to accept some lame excuse like "you're over 35, get used to it" or something along those lines. But unless I start cutting out all carbs and resign myself to a lifetime of bunny food, I'm not sure what to do.
At least my motivation at the gym is back. Gym Candy has returned and I know it's wrong but dammit, I'm just browsing, I'm not making any purchases. I can't help it he looks just like the dude I had a crush on in high school for like, 15 years. I can't help it he apparently has the same gym schedule I do. I can't help it that watching him do pullups somehow motivates me to give that elliptical machine just a few minutes more of my time. Maybe I should offer him $20 a week to follow me around and ask me "do you really need that?" every time I start to eat something. But that would require him to join my family for dinner, and that would be awkward.
I'm trying not to eat and wondering what more I can cut out from my daily food intake. I refuse to give up my occasional indulgences. But I don't seem to be able to get below 125 and that's irritating the shit out of me. I refuse to accept some lame excuse like "you're over 35, get used to it" or something along those lines. But unless I start cutting out all carbs and resign myself to a lifetime of bunny food, I'm not sure what to do.
At least my motivation at the gym is back. Gym Candy has returned and I know it's wrong but dammit, I'm just browsing, I'm not making any purchases. I can't help it he looks just like the dude I had a crush on in high school for like, 15 years. I can't help it he apparently has the same gym schedule I do. I can't help it that watching him do pullups somehow motivates me to give that elliptical machine just a few minutes more of my time. Maybe I should offer him $20 a week to follow me around and ask me "do you really need that?" every time I start to eat something. But that would require him to join my family for dinner, and that would be awkward.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Yawns
It's 9:36pm. My husband is watching American Idle (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose--I can spell despite my public school education). I'm surfing the web and typing this blog (despite my arms being about to fall off post-weights workout) and thinking about all the crap I still have to do before I can go to bed and wondering how much of it will actually get done.
Wow. The wacky hijinx of the Married With Children life never ends.
Wow. The wacky hijinx of the Married With Children life never ends.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Where I've Been...
I said I was going to spend more time on this blog. I lied. I've been spending more time on this blog instead.
I don't intend to get rich (in fact I'll be happy to break even) in this endeavor, but it's sure been fun putting the site together. Fun, too, making stuff to add to the inventory.
Of course, it would be more fun if I had more time to devote to it. Between work, trying to spend quality time with the boys, trying to maintain a 5x per week (at least) gym schedule, trying to make my own breakfasts and lunches every night, trying to get this site up and running--I barely have time to brush my own damn teeth.
And today the toddler's been puking. Grrreat.
I don't intend to get rich (in fact I'll be happy to break even) in this endeavor, but it's sure been fun putting the site together. Fun, too, making stuff to add to the inventory.
Of course, it would be more fun if I had more time to devote to it. Between work, trying to spend quality time with the boys, trying to maintain a 5x per week (at least) gym schedule, trying to make my own breakfasts and lunches every night, trying to get this site up and running--I barely have time to brush my own damn teeth.
And today the toddler's been puking. Grrreat.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Soups to You
Last night, I made Lentil Soup with Garam Masala.
I didn't have chili powder, so I used paprika. I also didn't have any cloves, but I think cloves are gross unless we're talking about sweet pickles, which we are not, so I wasn't upset. And my lentils were green, not red, so the soup, which was a lovely deep red when I put it into the blender, turned a horrific pukey pea green when I took it out.
The taste? Pretty darned fabulous. But it gave me heartburn.
Now I either want to try another squash soup, or pumpkin soup, or maybe even some sort of sweet potato soup. Maybe I should just make a potato leek soup, since we have a shitload of potatoes and a couple of leeks and they should be used before they get bad.
I'm home with the older kid today. I'm off work, he's off school. It's alternately snowy and sunny outside, but it's like, negative 60 degrees. So we won't be going anywhere. We've already had a couple of visitors--very nice guy from Major Home Retailer #2 (whose quote was almost double Major Home Retailer #1's) and Independent Contractor, whose quote was about $250 under MHR#1. Except he says we can't do the job until it's at least 40 degrees out, because it has to be at least that for the caulk to cure properly. At this rate, we won't see 40 degrees until July. But I guess that prevents any impulse buys. I'm not opposed to letting that money sit in the bank as long as possible. Although I'd really like to get the damn windows in post haste.
One of the cats is at the vet for his bi-annual dental cleaning. As expected, they called me relatively soon after he was under anesthesia to tell me he needs at least 3 teeth pulled to the tune of $260. When I finished laughing, I told them "yeah, I don't think we'll be doing that today. Let's just go ahead with the cleaning and go from there." I wouldn't even pay $260 to have three of my OWN teeth pulled at this point, much less my cat. Yes, I love my pets. Yes, I feel like they're family. But to be honest, if one of my children needed a $260 dental procedure, I'd be getting a second and possibly third opinion before laying down that kind of cash. And let's be honest--if the cat were having obvious problems related to his bad teeth, I'd suck it up and put out the money. But he obviously isn't having trouble eating, he doesn't appear to be in any kind of distress, and as long as I can avoid letting him eat damn near $300, I'm going to.
Speaking of things that cost me more money than they're worth (so far), HaveItHandmade.com went live today. :) I'm happy about this, yet scared that my expectations will be far, far exceeded and the site will take off like gangbusters and I'll suddenly find myself with orders I can't stay up late enough into the night to fill.
I didn't have chili powder, so I used paprika. I also didn't have any cloves, but I think cloves are gross unless we're talking about sweet pickles, which we are not, so I wasn't upset. And my lentils were green, not red, so the soup, which was a lovely deep red when I put it into the blender, turned a horrific pukey pea green when I took it out.
The taste? Pretty darned fabulous. But it gave me heartburn.
Now I either want to try another squash soup, or pumpkin soup, or maybe even some sort of sweet potato soup. Maybe I should just make a potato leek soup, since we have a shitload of potatoes and a couple of leeks and they should be used before they get bad.
I'm home with the older kid today. I'm off work, he's off school. It's alternately snowy and sunny outside, but it's like, negative 60 degrees. So we won't be going anywhere. We've already had a couple of visitors--very nice guy from Major Home Retailer #2 (whose quote was almost double Major Home Retailer #1's) and Independent Contractor, whose quote was about $250 under MHR#1. Except he says we can't do the job until it's at least 40 degrees out, because it has to be at least that for the caulk to cure properly. At this rate, we won't see 40 degrees until July. But I guess that prevents any impulse buys. I'm not opposed to letting that money sit in the bank as long as possible. Although I'd really like to get the damn windows in post haste.
One of the cats is at the vet for his bi-annual dental cleaning. As expected, they called me relatively soon after he was under anesthesia to tell me he needs at least 3 teeth pulled to the tune of $260. When I finished laughing, I told them "yeah, I don't think we'll be doing that today. Let's just go ahead with the cleaning and go from there." I wouldn't even pay $260 to have three of my OWN teeth pulled at this point, much less my cat. Yes, I love my pets. Yes, I feel like they're family. But to be honest, if one of my children needed a $260 dental procedure, I'd be getting a second and possibly third opinion before laying down that kind of cash. And let's be honest--if the cat were having obvious problems related to his bad teeth, I'd suck it up and put out the money. But he obviously isn't having trouble eating, he doesn't appear to be in any kind of distress, and as long as I can avoid letting him eat damn near $300, I'm going to.
Speaking of things that cost me more money than they're worth (so far), HaveItHandmade.com went live today. :) I'm happy about this, yet scared that my expectations will be far, far exceeded and the site will take off like gangbusters and I'll suddenly find myself with orders I can't stay up late enough into the night to fill.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Goals
The shareholder in charge of my department at work is very into "goals." I don't know if he went to some Tony Robbins seminar at some point or what, but every time you talk to him, he asks you what your goals are.
Anyone who's ever held a corporate job has had to endure some torturous seminar or meeting or training wherein you learned how to set, work toward, and achieve goals. This is old school for an old broad like yours truly. So, that said, here are my goals:
1. Lose 12 pounds by mid-May (we'll call this "Operation 115 By 5/15")
2. Get my hobby website live and operational and at least break even on my costs
3. Get a grip on my seasonal depression.
Now, we take each goal and break it down into smaller, more easily attainable goals:
1. Lose 12 pounds by mid-May (Operation 115 By 5/15)
Anyone who's ever held a corporate job has had to endure some torturous seminar or meeting or training wherein you learned how to set, work toward, and achieve goals. This is old school for an old broad like yours truly. So, that said, here are my goals:
1. Lose 12 pounds by mid-May (we'll call this "Operation 115 By 5/15")
2. Get my hobby website live and operational and at least break even on my costs
3. Get a grip on my seasonal depression.
Now, we take each goal and break it down into smaller, more easily attainable goals:
1. Lose 12 pounds by mid-May (Operation 115 By 5/15)
- Limit daily calorie intake to 1300 calories
- Stick to my regular gym schedule - MFSu Cardio 40 minutes, TThSa Cardio 20 minutes, weights 30 minutes
- Take my vitamins daily
- make some shit and get it ready to post
- have Ben work out the technical kinks
- "go live"
- eat better, exercise more, and take vitamins
- remember to take Tylenol PM every night so I sleep
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Hopefully we can make it through without any actual bleeding. But the toddler is wearing on everyone's last nerve, so that may be an ambitious goal.
Last night, around 5:00, I decided I'd had about enough of the screaming. And I had an idea. So I put on my shoes and told Ben, "I think I'm going to go to the gym now."
He looked at me like I'd just announced my intention to run for governor. "What? Now? Really? Aren't we going to eat dinner? What about him?"
I glanced at the toddler to which he was pointing. "He just ate a piece of baloney and half a container of cottage cheese. I think he's good for now. You might give him another snack if he wants one, but I was thinking maybe we could eat a later dinner tonight. You know, that it might be nice to actually eat dinner rather than shovel bites of food in our mouths in between tending to the needs of children. Have an actual conversation instead of listening to children blabber on about nothing or make smartass comments about how our food sucks or just scream and throw their food on the floor."
"You have a point," he said. And off I went.
I suffered through my 40 minutes of treadmill torture, and I made it. Yaaaaay. But it was hard, probably because I've done nothing in a week. But I did it. Not long after I got home, the toddler was off to the tub, and finally, blissfully, thankfully, off to bed.
I'd been obsessing over pumpkin soup since I got a bowl from the Hen House Market salad bar on Friday. It was AWESOME. And I felt I could easily recreate it, seeing as how I own a $400 blender and could puree a cat if I really wanted to.
Alas, there is a pumpkin shortage, and I'm not paying almost 5 bucks for a can of "organic" pumpkin. So I bought a $2 butternut squash instead. Before I left for the gym, I cut it in half, scooped out the guts, put it cut-side down in a Pyrex 9x13 dish, and stuck it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. I instructed Ben to just turn off the oven when the timer went off and I would deal with it when I got home. By the time I set about making dinner, the pan was still warm but the squash was nicely cooked and cool enough to work with.
I got out my stock pot and heated up about a tablespoon of canola oil. I sauteed a small yellow onion (chopped), added a little (okay, a lot) cayenne pepper, some thyme, a little cumin, a little ginger. I wanted to add a little sage but I couldn't find it because our "spice cabinet" is an abomination and I can't ever find shit in it. (I found the sage this morning.)
When the onion was nice and soft, I added about 4 tablespoons of diced garlic, half a stick of unsalted butter, and a little more ginger and cayenne. I attempted to scoop the squash out of its peel, but the peel was so soft, most of it ended up going in, too. I cooked that a few minutes, then added roughly 3 cans of chicken broth and let that simmer for a while.
While it was simmering, I put together a kick-ass pizza. We had a thin-crust Boboli in the freezer that worked swimmingly with the topping I put together--5 slices of bacon, cooked til crispy, then crumbled and set aside; one leek sauteed in a tiny bit of the bacon fat; a handful of arugula and a larger handful of spinach, added to the leeks to wilt; about 1/2 cup of light ricotta cheese and maybe a 1/4 cup of feta; add the bacon and mix the whole mess together, spread on the crust, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake for a few minutes.
While the pizza was in the oven, I pureed the soup in the $400 Blender and gave it a taste.
It was fucking delicious. And the pizza? Even better.
We sat at our dining room table, even used the dimmer switch on the light, and listened to some music. We drank beer, slurped soup, ate gourmet pizza. No one screamed, no one asked for a drink as soon as we sat down, no one need more, no one threw their food on the floor or on the cats.
It was bliss.
We've resolved to do this again. Like, every Saturday night that we're down one kid (because the older one goes to bed slightly later). It wasn't as good as dinner out--it was better. Because we didn't have to wait for some dumb server, we didn't have to listen to annoying other people, we didn't have the spectre of "think of all the money you're wasting" looming over us and spoiling our mojo. And I could sit there in my gym clothes all gross and it didn't matter.
But the real high point of the evening was I did it--I created a delicious dinner, cooking by guess and by golly, like I used to years ago. I showed those New Yorkers that I may not have their fancy gadgets or their awesome grocery stores or unlimited disposable income or a nanny, but I still have a tiny kitchen and can use it to create fantastic dishes all by myself.
Because I'm just that awesome.
Last night, around 5:00, I decided I'd had about enough of the screaming. And I had an idea. So I put on my shoes and told Ben, "I think I'm going to go to the gym now."
He looked at me like I'd just announced my intention to run for governor. "What? Now? Really? Aren't we going to eat dinner? What about him?"
I glanced at the toddler to which he was pointing. "He just ate a piece of baloney and half a container of cottage cheese. I think he's good for now. You might give him another snack if he wants one, but I was thinking maybe we could eat a later dinner tonight. You know, that it might be nice to actually eat dinner rather than shovel bites of food in our mouths in between tending to the needs of children. Have an actual conversation instead of listening to children blabber on about nothing or make smartass comments about how our food sucks or just scream and throw their food on the floor."
"You have a point," he said. And off I went.
I suffered through my 40 minutes of treadmill torture, and I made it. Yaaaaay. But it was hard, probably because I've done nothing in a week. But I did it. Not long after I got home, the toddler was off to the tub, and finally, blissfully, thankfully, off to bed.
I'd been obsessing over pumpkin soup since I got a bowl from the Hen House Market salad bar on Friday. It was AWESOME. And I felt I could easily recreate it, seeing as how I own a $400 blender and could puree a cat if I really wanted to.
Alas, there is a pumpkin shortage, and I'm not paying almost 5 bucks for a can of "organic" pumpkin. So I bought a $2 butternut squash instead. Before I left for the gym, I cut it in half, scooped out the guts, put it cut-side down in a Pyrex 9x13 dish, and stuck it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. I instructed Ben to just turn off the oven when the timer went off and I would deal with it when I got home. By the time I set about making dinner, the pan was still warm but the squash was nicely cooked and cool enough to work with.
I got out my stock pot and heated up about a tablespoon of canola oil. I sauteed a small yellow onion (chopped), added a little (okay, a lot) cayenne pepper, some thyme, a little cumin, a little ginger. I wanted to add a little sage but I couldn't find it because our "spice cabinet" is an abomination and I can't ever find shit in it. (I found the sage this morning.)
When the onion was nice and soft, I added about 4 tablespoons of diced garlic, half a stick of unsalted butter, and a little more ginger and cayenne. I attempted to scoop the squash out of its peel, but the peel was so soft, most of it ended up going in, too. I cooked that a few minutes, then added roughly 3 cans of chicken broth and let that simmer for a while.
While it was simmering, I put together a kick-ass pizza. We had a thin-crust Boboli in the freezer that worked swimmingly with the topping I put together--5 slices of bacon, cooked til crispy, then crumbled and set aside; one leek sauteed in a tiny bit of the bacon fat; a handful of arugula and a larger handful of spinach, added to the leeks to wilt; about 1/2 cup of light ricotta cheese and maybe a 1/4 cup of feta; add the bacon and mix the whole mess together, spread on the crust, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake for a few minutes.
While the pizza was in the oven, I pureed the soup in the $400 Blender and gave it a taste.
It was fucking delicious. And the pizza? Even better.
We sat at our dining room table, even used the dimmer switch on the light, and listened to some music. We drank beer, slurped soup, ate gourmet pizza. No one screamed, no one asked for a drink as soon as we sat down, no one need more, no one threw their food on the floor or on the cats.
It was bliss.
We've resolved to do this again. Like, every Saturday night that we're down one kid (because the older one goes to bed slightly later). It wasn't as good as dinner out--it was better. Because we didn't have to wait for some dumb server, we didn't have to listen to annoying other people, we didn't have the spectre of "think of all the money you're wasting" looming over us and spoiling our mojo. And I could sit there in my gym clothes all gross and it didn't matter.
But the real high point of the evening was I did it--I created a delicious dinner, cooking by guess and by golly, like I used to years ago. I showed those New Yorkers that I may not have their fancy gadgets or their awesome grocery stores or unlimited disposable income or a nanny, but I still have a tiny kitchen and can use it to create fantastic dishes all by myself.
Because I'm just that awesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)