Pet Weightloss?

That is the SECOND article I've seen in the last month about pet weightloss.  Are you kidding me?  Could there by anything easier than getting your pet to lose pounds?  It should be far easier than a human diet.  They don't have thumbs to open pantry doors, they can't drive through the fastfood lane, and they can't get a gallon of chocolate chunk when they're feeling sad.  At least not at my house.  The quantity of food should go down while the quality should go up.  No more sneaking treats from the table or anywhere else.  Plus exercise is good for all of us.  Oh weight (har!) that advice applies to all of us. 

Memorial Day '11

On Memorial Day I try to always remember the sacrifices of the brave soldiers who fought our battles down the years.  From the revolution to the wars going on today, there have been people who've given the ultimate sacrifice in support of American principles and policies.  Both my grandfathers served (and lived thank goodness) and I absolutely honor the hardships and courage of all these heroes.  However, some people seem to see this as a day to celebrate the "glories" of war and display a grossly overwrought version of patriotism.  To me this skews the real purpose of the holiday and detracts from those it was originally meant to remember. 

"I cannot believe that war is the best solution.  No one won the last war and no one will win the next."

Eleanor Roosevelt

The Uh-Oh Game

If you've ever had any contact with a toddler, you know about the classic game. It consists of picking something up (a ball say) dropping it, and saying "uh-oh!" as if you are taken completely by surprise. Then you repeat the steps dozens of times or until your mom gets so tired of hearing it that she distracts you with kitties. Delphinium learned to play this game a little while ago, and I try my best to be patient. Then, a few nights ago, I was trying to make dinner, and Delphinium was registering her displeasure at the lack of attention by crying and clinging to my pant legs. I was slicing rounds of squash, trying to focus on the knife and not the baby, when one of the squash rounds rolled off the cutting board and on to the floor. She stopped crying and bent to look. Then she grabbed the squash, turned her little teary face up to me, and said "uh-oh?" as if she was wondering if this were some new version of the game. I agreed "uh-oh" and the rest of dinner prep went off without any crying. All I had to do was throw vegetables on the floor every couple of minutes.

Swimsuits 2011

Okay so I took the advice of a prominent women's mag and tried on a compression-style swim suit.  I don't know how these actually work, but the results were pretty impressive.  I have on or two slight figure issues (har!) and I was suprised at how good this suit made me look.  I think it's most intended for those body shapes that need containment and smoothing (if you know what I mean).  "The girls" were locked up tight, and I felt as though baby hands and waves were not likely to expose me as they have in the past.  The only question here is one of price.  The suit cost about three times what I would normally pay.  Is that worthwhile?  Will the suit hold up as well or even better than normal ones?

International Food Month: Indonesian

My husband happens to be a really incredible maker of Indian curries.  My favorite is his tomato paneer, but really, that man can do amazing things with curry spices and just about anything you might find in the crisper.  That is why I hardly ever tinker with curry.  Why dabble when you have a master to take care of business?  Nevertheless, it was fun for me to try out an Indonesian curry recipe.  There are a million variations on this recipe, but I just picked one at random (it's actually a chicken recipe where I swapped in tempeh) and it happened to be quite good.  Tempeh is a fermented soy bean cake that is traditional to Indonesia.  It is something of an acquired taste, but it has a mild, nutty flavor, and the texture is firm and satisfying.  Making this dish reminds me that I want to use it more often.  More on that in another post.

Farm Visits Part 2

Not long ago I mentioned the joys of farm visits (with or without kids), but I neglected to mention any names.  This got me thinking that maybe we should not only visit our regular favorites this summer, but also try out some new places as well.  After all, I can never seem to get enough fresh-picked (sometimes even U-picked!) fruits and veggies, and the baby is always ecstatic to see the animals.  Thus I'm doing a little research, and the farm list is born.  I'm including everything in the greater Seattle area that seems to get a good crit. online.  Here are the first three that we've actually visited ourselves.  Hopefully I'll be adding to it as we go.  If you know and love one that I've missed, please feel free to comment, and I'll update the list.

Visiting Farms --- Greater Seattle

Kelsey Creek Farm Park (This is not a working farm, so no veggies to buy, but the animals are a treat, and the setting is incredible.  Right in Bellevue too!)

Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park  (This is not a working farm, but a portion of a Redmond park.  Great chance to see animals, and they even have pony rides, but check the website for info on that.)

Remlinger Farms (This is a farm with produce, animals, and a carnival-type area.  Very kid-friendly, but you do have to buy and entry ticket if you want to visit most of the activities.  They have u-pick berries too!)

Sick Baby Day Two

I'm glad to report that the baby is feeling much better today. She's still not "out of the woods" but she isn't curled up on my lap either.  Yesterday was not so fun because she spent so much of it being a limp little noodle.  Having a sick kid is way worse than being sick yourself.  It feels terrible not being able to make things better.  Isn't that what parents are supposed to do after all?  Luckily nature took care of things in a way that I couldn't, and she's very much on the mend.  We'll still take it very easy today, but she's already back to causing trouble and demanding stories.  Ahh back to normal.