Just Peachy

My grandfather, Jay Lattin, with my two
oldest, Johnny and Laura in the late '70s

My grandfather (born in 1890) used to use "peach" as high praise.  If you found the tool he'd been searching for or if you surprised him with a goodie from the kitchen, he'd likely say "you're a peach!" It always made me feel wonderful when he said that. I knew it meant that I was special, that I'd  met or surpassed his high expectations, and that he loved me. I thought that "peach" was especially apt for me, because I was born in Georgia!

So I've always felt good about peaches. It doesn't hurt that they are one of the best fruits on the planet. Why, you might ask, am I talking about peaches in January??  Because. Way back in August, when I was elbow deep in mouth-watering, juicy, wonderful peaches from our farmers' market, I started freezing some of them.  I used a very simple method that I found online and froze about six quart-size freezer bags of sliced peaches.

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One of the serendipities from my great freezer clean out is that I ran across those bags of peaches. This morning I decided it was time to have peaches on my cereal. The peaches had stayed wonderfully peachy looking during their stay in the freezer (no discoloration) and I was able to separate a few slices without having to defrost the entire packet. They were wonderful! Peachy Keen! And they made my (un)frosted mini wheats a lot more interesting. I'll definitely freeze more peaches next peach season and I'll definitely enjoy peaches on my cereal many more times until peach season comes round again.

The kiddos don't arrive for a couple more hours today, so I'm going to take advantage of the nice weather and go for a walk along the river. I haven't done that for a while and I've missed it. I may see if I can run a bit. Maybe so. The dizziness, awkward gait, and weakness that I've felt since my surgery 10 months ago are almost gone. Anyway, I'm going to go enjoy the day and rack up some serious steps on my pedometer.

Mileage for last week:  17 miles walking, 12 miles biking; 29 miles for a YTD total of 87 miles. Upping my daily goal on the pedometer again this week!  Oh, and I lost 1.4 at my WI last week.  AND, I finally got my Nike+ to work (by upgrading my Mac to Snow Leopard and Lion) and my little Nike+ avatar at the top of the right sidebar is moving again.

Hope your day is peachy keen!

Yikes! I'm it.

I'm "it!"  Lori  and Dr. Fat to Fit have both tagged me in the latest round of blog tag.  I'm usually such a stickler for following the rules, but this time, I'm going to play fast and loose with the rules, choosing to comply with only the most interesting of the rules. Therefore I give you 11 random things about myself and answer 11 questions from the gals who tagged me.  I fail at the tagging rule, I honestly think there aren't 11 bloggers I know who haven't been tagged yet!


apologies in advance for the formatting discrepancies--cut and paste always does this to me 

II. You must post 11 random things yourself. 

1.  I usually have at least four books that I'm reading at any given time.  One on the car CD player (right now, March by Gwendolyn Brooks about the father in Alcott's Little Women--fantastic book); One on my iPod that I listen to while I'm at the gym or outside walking (right now, The Four Queens, non-fiction about four sisters who swayed the balance of power in the 13th C); one on my Kindle (or Kindle App) (right now, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, the first in his Saxon Chronicles about the Dane's attempt to conquer Wessex in the 9th C); and a real, hardcover book (I just finished Elizabeth Chadwick's A Time of Singing about the Earl of Norfolk in the late 1100's--great book, this was a re-read).  which leads me to . . .

2.  I love historic fiction.  I like it : without added fantasy, to stick as closely as possible to the known facts, to include actual historic figures, set in England or Wales in the dark or middle ages, set in Rome, set in Japan, set in the US . . .

3. My best relaxation at the end of the day:  a hot bubble bath in the jacuzzi, with a good book.

4. I have a double major in music (voice) and anthropology from Stanford, a MLIS from Catholic U, a MEd from Old Dominion, and 2/3 of a JD from the University of  Washington.

5. My picture was on the front page of the Seattle Post Intelligencer in the late 1970s because I was one of the women in the new class at the UW law school.

6. My mother's father's mother's brother's wife, Grace Bedell, was the little girl who wrote to Abraham Lincoln to suggest that he'd be more handsome (and electable) if he'd grow a beard.  I've seen the actual letter he wrote back to her.

7. Ten years ago, when we were living in Rome, I was fairly fluent in Italian.  I think I could still bring it up to par if I were to read a couple books in Italian, but I don't get much opportunity to speak Italian in my everyday life.

8. I don't think of myself as a picky eater, but maybe that's because I do the meal planning in our house and don't run across non-favorites often.  My daughter once noticed that I apparently don't like any fruits starting with "B." (blueberries, bananas, blackberries, boysenberries . . .) I do like Braeburn apples, though . . . .

9. DH does the dishes at our house, every night.  He was also ahead of the learning curve in pitching in with the diapering tasks and child care back in the mid 70s.

10. My father scored the first ever goal in an Army-Navy soccer game.  He was class of  1939 at West Point.

11. I love babies.  A glimpse of a baby will always make me smile!  

III. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.  (half from Lori, half from Dr. F2F)

What is your fondest childhood memory?  

   Waking up Christmas morning to a bride doll.  It was a complete surprise (hard, because I often peeked!) and something I had begged for and been told no.

What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Was it good?

   War Horse.  It was pretty good.  The story is almost a scene-by-scene remake of Black Beauty, only set in WWI.  What I liked best were the war scenes in France.  My grandfather, (mother's father) was in the cavalry there and was wounded.  

What is your favorite on plan meal?

   Soy Lemon Chicken, brown rice cooked in chicken broth, and roasted broccoli, with a WW Giant Latte Bar for dessert. 
 What is one of your most vivid memories from grade school?
   Being punished (sent out to stand in the hall) in first grade because someone asked me how to spell a word and I told them.  The teacher chose to punish me for cheating (and not the one who asked) and I felt it was very unfair.  I cried and was very embarrassed when my brother walked by.  Little did that other kid know that I got D's in spelling!

What is your favorite exercise?

   Hard one.  Either biking with DH or running (by myself).  

Where would you go if money and time were no consideration?  Why?

   Either New Zealand, Great Britain, or Italy.  New Zealand for something new.  It's supposed to be beautiful, like Wales.  Great Britain because it is a wonderful place to visit, they speak English (sort of!) and I can visit places I read about in my historical fiction (like Middleton Castle, near York).  And Italy because there are so many more wonderful places to explore, we have friends there, and they speak Italiano (and so do I, sort of!).  

What makes you laugh the most?

   Sharing something funny with DH, or Laura, or one of my siblings.  Once DH and I were walking and were about a mile from home when the skies suddenly opened up and it started pouring.  Very unexpected and sudden.  We were soon drenched and were laughing like loons as we jogged back towards home.  And once when we went at sunrise to a waterfall fed by hot springs in Italy.  Out in the country and there was noone else there.  It was amazing and (not funny) but we sat there, in our bathing suits with warm water cascading down over us and laughed and laughed.

What is your one pet peeve?  The one thing that drives you nuts.

   Bad public service.  Especially when I've waited for my turn and arrive to buy something and the cashier ignores me.  Answers a phone and deals with their question or issue completely before acknowledging me (ask them to wait, already,  that's what the hold button is for).  Carries on a personal conversation (not work related) without even making eye contact.  I have no patience for this at all.   I have been known to walk away, leaving my items un-bought on the counter.  They could calm me in an instant with a glance and a polite word, but being ignored in such a situation is definitely my pet peeve.  

What did you eat for supper last night?

   Hamburger soup (recipe in my recent post, Soup's On), toast, milk, and a WW giant latte bar for dessert.
Do you like summer or winter best? Why?

  Like the song, I like summer and I like winter.  Summer for its wonderful produce (strawberries, corn, peaches, tomatoes), its beautiful gardens (gardenias, zinnias, roses, impatiens . . .).  Winter for snowflakes, grandkids' rosy faces when they come inside from snowmen and sledding, snow-days, hot cocoa or tea, oranges, mayer lemons, avocados, fires in the fireplace, and birds at the winter bird feeder.

Are you allergic to anything?

   Poison Ivy.  I get a very bad case every few years.  I know what it looks like and carefully avoid it, but it finds me.  Prednisone is my friend, then.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.  

I logged  13 miles last week for a total of 58 so far this year.  1000 is easily doable once the weather warms up so I'm  able to ride my bike.  I'm also planning to up my daily goal on the pedometer this week.  


Hoping for a good WI day after tomorrow.  

Soup's On

It feels like winter here, today.  There's a possibility of snow flurries and the temperature is in the low 30s.  It's soup weather!  I love soup weather and soup.  I've made three soups recently that I'd like to share with you.

The other day I made Classic Chicken Soup with Noodles a WW recipe that's become a favorite in our house.  I add a cup of sliced mushrooms and some frozen corn (about 1 cup), but it's deelish either way.  I actually made two pots of soup because it's really just as easy to make two as it is to make one.  I took the other pot to son Johnny's house.

My mainstay, go-to soup, that has been a favorite since before we had children (38 years!) is hamburger soup.  I should really think up some other name for it, because it's hearty, healthy, delicious, and filling.  It's also very forgiving.  You can substitute just about anything.  My own changes depending upon what veggies I have on hand and what the season is.  What stays the same is its deliciousness!  The recipe will be at the end of this post.

The third soup I want to share today is a new one.  Coconut Curry Kale Soup.  I even love the name.  A hint of sweet, a hint of spice, and some good-for-you stuff.   I read about it on Debby's blog (Debby Weighs In) and she got it from Helen (Doing a 180).  I added about 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels and substituted 1 can of white beans for the chick peas.  Mine looks pinker than the picture Helen had, but it's great either way.   I made it a lunch time today and had some kale left over from the bunch I picked up at Whole Foods, so, during the last 10 minutes of cooking, I made kale chips to go with my soup.  (tear kale into chip size pieces.  spread it out on a silpad or pam-sprayed cookie sheet, bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  the kale will turn crispy but shd still retain some green.  sprinkle with salt to taste.  DH and I devoured an entire big bunch of kale before dinner one night, the first time I made this.)

Not too much happening in the garden over the winter except for the daphne.  It's one of the earliest bloomers and ours is covered with beautiful, dark-pink buds.  When they bloom, the flower has a heavenly sweet fragrance.

Daphne bud, mid January

The bush is covered with buds.

The buds bloom to white fragrant flowers (pic from last year).

One more comfort on a winter's day.  I think I'd mentioned that Laura gave me wool socks for Christmas.  I was able to find more at my local Costco.  They are toasty warm.  It's amazing how wool is so much warmer than cotton or synthetic fabrics.   Also, the 12 new, energy-efficient windows we put in are making a big difference in keeping our house warm.  We have two heating systems.  The upstairs rooms used to get quite cool in the winter, but since we installed the new windows, our thermostat doesn't trigger, because the temperature stays about 69 degrees. No more drafty windows.

And no more mishaps with the pedometer to report!  I'm trying to develop good habits about storing and using it.

I LOVE the new "reply" button in the comments section.  If you ask me a question in your comment, please check back.  I'll try to answer you.

Oh, I lost one pound at my WI on Wednesday.  That's two weeks in a row that I've lost.  I'm striving to be a trend-setter!

Be good, enjoy the season, and make some soup!

Hamburger Soup  (core)

1 pounds ground beef   (93% fat free)

2 cans diced tomatoes  (use fire roasted)

1 can tomato sauce

4 cans water

3 carrots–sliced

1 can frozen corn (or canned—rinsed drained)

1 cup frozen green beans  (or canned—rinsed drained) 

1 can rinsed black beans (optional, usually I omit)

celery–3 or four ribs chopped

onion–1 large chopped

barley about 1/4 cup

2 or 3 bouillon cubes, vegetable or chicken (I like the Knorr brand)

salt and pepper to taste

Makes about 10 generous servings.

I start this just after church for Sunday supper.  Brown the beef (and drain if beef is not lean) add onion, celery cans of tomatoes and sauce and about half of the water.  Simmer for a few hours, then add vegetables and barley.  Add more water as needed if soup boils down too much Simmer for 1-2 hours more.  Great first day and even better the next.  This is the “can” way from things you may have on your shelf.  You can substitute fresh or frozen vegetables for any of the canned.  I particularly like to add zucchini slices, fresh sliced mushrooms or fresh green beans–added about 1 ½ hours before serving.

Watching my Step(s)

I got a new pedometer for Christmas and am trying to join my sister and daughter in accumulating 10,000 steps a day. They are both champion steppers. I'm not, yet, but I'm getting there.

One of the hurdles I need to overcome is remembering to wear my pedometer every day. Another challenge is fnding it. One day this week I realized I hadn't put it on. I was pretty busy, but I ran back upstairs and did a quick search. No pedometer. I took little Jack up with me later and got him looking for it, too. He and I searched under the bed, on the bathroom counter, and on my closet floor. No ped that day. I think I got a goodly amount of steps, but have no record. The next day (still no ped) I was doing the last couple loads of laundry and I heard a thumping from the dryer. I did what I usually do in such a case and ignored it. You may be smarter than I am.  Yes.   My ped was washed (heavy duty cycle) and tumble dried for about 40 minutes. The amazing thing is . . . it works just fine! AND it registered 1472 steps on it's journey through the laundry!

I lost 3 pounds at my WI on Wednesday. I'm hoping to continue the trend this Wednesday. I made WW Classic Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner tonight and made an extra pot for Johnny's family. Soup is always welcome on a chilly day.

I'm going gangbusters on drinking my water. The 24 oz drinking bottle is working for me. I drink at least 9 cups a day and keeping so hydrated helps me keep on plan with my eating.

For your viewing pleasure:

Laura's family, DH, and Jay in Austin.  I was on the other side of the camera.

16 miles to report for last week--NOT counting the 1472 steps registered in the washer and dryer!  No more biking until the weather is a little lot warmer.  YTD=45 miles

Are you watching your step(s)?

Halo polishing

I'm starting this day off with a little halo polishing.  Yes, I biked 15 miles on Saturday, and yes I was pretty darn good about avoiding all the tempting goodies baddies at the potluck last night, but that's not why.  It's not even because I'm feeling really good about being on plan and losing weight.  Here's why I'm sporting that sparkly halo:

Do you remember the great coke disaster at our house from last May?--the time that our son Jay left not one, but several cans of diet A&W in our two freezers which subsequently exploded and left huge ugly messes in both freezers?  Well today, after I dropped off the children at preschool, I cleaned the garage freezer from top to bottom.  I took everything out and scrubbed all the surfaces with vinegar water.  I threw out freezer-burned rejects and got rid of a few things that were woefully past their expiry dates (would you believe 2003!).  The freezer is now restocked, organized, and sparkling clean.  I can attest  to the fact that there are no kamikaze coke cans anywhere in there, too.

Apparently though, cleaning out the freezer doesn't rack up a lot of points on the pedometer.  I may see if I can add even more sparkle to my halo by doing a Walk Away the Pounds dvd  to reach 10K steps while the kids are napping.

For your viewing pleasure.  A couple of pictures from our Christmas vacation to Texas.

Christmas Eve in west Texas (near Marfa)

Some of the lovely sights on a walk around Town Lake in Austin

Oh, and I joined a challenge to go 1000 miles in 2012.  Reporting in with 39 miles for last week (14 walking, 15 biking).


Have you been polishing your halo lately?

Have a great day!

This is the day!

I really like that children's song based on Psalm 118:24.  This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  That's what I'm going to do doing today.

I got up early (for a Saturday) to let in the guy who's installing the last of our energy efficient windows.  The rest of the job was finished in early December, but they ordered one window the wrong size, so it's going in right now.  We're expecting unseasonably warm weather today, but let me tell you, at 7:30  this morning it was too cold to stay toasty-warm in the house with a large window-sized hole in the wall.  Thank goodness for the snugly wool socks my Laura gave me for Christmas!

Guess what DH and I are going to do today!  Here's a hint:   You got it.  We're going to take advantage of the great weather (near 60 is the predicted high) and go for a bike ride.  And I'm going to ride my "Pearlie."  DH gave me a road bike for Xmas last year, but with the winter weather and then my surgery in March,  I've only ridden it three times.  I mostly rode my hybrid bike this year because the road bike has the rider lean over the handle bars more and I was leery of stressing my neck where I had the surgery.  Now, though, I'm ready to ride Pearlie again.

I'm feeling good on the WW front.  I bought three 24 oz BPA-free water bottles at Costco yesterday.  I'm drinking 60+ oz of water a day and tracking my eating on the WW site.  Morning weight augers a happy face at my Wednesday WI.

Laura made applesauce during our Christmas vacation.  Amazingly easy, fast, delicious, AND fills the house with a wonderful aroma.  Here's the recipe:

Core and slice 10 Fuji Apples (Laura uses a mixture of several varieties) (one of those apple corer thingamajigs works well.  No need to peel the apple.
Fill a large pan with 1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil. Put apples in pan, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend apples until desired consistency.  (I use my new immersion blender!--Cuisinart Smart Stick SB 77)
Add cinnamon (optional).
Serve warm or cold.
Oh, and ZERO WW points!

I'm making pork tenderloin tonight and Laura's applesauce is definitely on the menu.

See you soon, I'm going to get moving and continue rejoicing and being glad in this day!
(Tish is my nickname.  I love knowing that Tish, Tisha, and Ticia (as I spell it) mean "glad." I think my parents did well in naming me.)

Reporting for Duty

Well, here we are. It's early January. We've just returned from a long, leisurely Christmas vacation. I'm back in my routine. It's time, beyond time, to get down to business on the healthy living front.

I got a new pedometer for Christmas. I was doing pretty well at accumulating steps, but a 1500 mile car trip over two days isn't conducive to making the numbers add up. My daily goal is 10,000 steps. My sister and my daughter wear 'peds' every day. I'm joing the team.

DH wants to shed about 10 pounds, too, so we'll be paying better attention to eating good, healthy food. We'll do WW, following the old CORE (simply filling) plan. I've got to get Ella off to preschool in a few minutes, but plan to stop at Whole Foods on the way back and get a few days worth of good, fresh veggies. Oh, when we were in Austin, I went to the WF flagship store a few times. LOVED IT!

Gotta go.

Are you filled with resolve this New Year?