You know you're a foodie when...

...you're geeking out at your new cookbooks.

I ditched a whole box of old cookbooks I didn't use/had nasty recipes/had actually never opened before I moved.  I've been eating much better since I moved (odd how not being depressed by your house and its crappy level of hard water can affect your desire to cook and eat at home) so last weekend I wanted to get a couple of new cookbooks about decently-easy-to-make healthy food.

I like the recipes from Whole Living magazine, just not enough to buy the magazine regularly, so the power foods cookbook is perfect.  Martha Stewart isn't a massive favorite of mine, but I know the Everyday Food magazine always has easy-to-prepare meals (and the pictures look yummy).

And then, last night, I scored a fantastic deal.  There were cookbook box sets - like gift sets - at the store that got really discounted.  As in "about 75% off" discounted.  These are fancy cookbooks, great for reference or have AMAZING recipes (also with ingredients I'm pretty sure I never heard of).  I actually had been considering buying one or the other of these sets but just couldn't justify the expense before.  I'm so excited about this one:

Can you guess what it is?

 It's the deluxe set, Volumes I and II of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child in a beautiful blue cloth box.  Love.

And then there's this one, which makes me do a little "sqeeee":

The Essential Thomas Keller box set - French Laundry and ad hoc at home.  I may never make it to the restaurant in Napa but I can attempt to make things served there.  Keller notes in the introduction that the chef is the soul of the recipe; you can make a "perfect" dish, but if you didn't feel the passion while making that dish then it wasn't perfect for you.

 

It even comes with a facsimile copy of the opening-night French Laundry menu, signed by Keller.  Wheee!


I had a gift card left to use so I only had to fork over 7 dollars cash for those two sets.  Seriously geeking out and drooling all over that French Laundry cookbook.  Now I just need Bouchon for yummy bistro cooking.

A "Be Healthy" Update

I do most of my "Be Healthy" soul-unburdening over at "Is that my ass?" but a little note to say that I spent waaaay too much money on groceries but I have yummy raspberry muffins to show for it.

Out with the old, in with the new: Good-bye, 2009! Hello, 2010!

It was a pretty good year - still have both my jobs, my family is happy and healthy (and about to expand by one when my new niece comes), my cats are both as spoiled and ornery as ever, and I'm still a DC for AXS.  On the resolution front, my 2009 resolution to BE HEALTHY kind-of bit the dust but I'm not any fatter than I was at the beginning of the year so I will take stasis at a slight edge over continually expanding.  So BE HEALTHY is back on the resolution slate for 2010 (I have groceries to prove it).

I also started book-blogging in a more earnest fashion this year around March/April - about the same time I joined Twitter, found some fantastically awesome book-bloggers to folllow/read, and got some inspiration for my own blog.  I participated in Book Bloggers Appreciation Week for the first time, too (which was a blast!).  I'm still pretty ADD about my reading meaning the books-started to books-finished ratio is not spectacular (and some were started a year or more ago). 

Books started in 2009: 110 (or thereabouts, I don't have a good system for this)
Books finished in 2009: 83
Books that got the DNF label: 1
(an important new step because books I'm stuck in the middle of usually go back on the shelves to languish until I pack to move house)
This is also the first year where I used nearly every page of my book journal in a single year.  A book journal usually lasts me 2 years (I bought 4 of the same kind in a sale - I'm on the last volume since they're no longer available) but only 15 leaves or so will not be used for 2009-started books.  I'll be moving on to a different type of journal, looks similar but with "archival" pages (I actually bought it for the looks, haha)

In  2010 I would really like to hone in on actually finishing the majority of books I start rather than staring forlornly at the "in-progress" stack, wussing out about making a decision, and going off to start another book.  I also need to start deploying the "DNF" more often; if I really have zero interest in a book after 50-100 pages then it really needs to hit the road and head for the outbox.  I do have a couple of challenges on the horizon for the year (Women Unbound, The Complete Booker [it dovetails nicely with my own Booker Project]) and I'd love to give a Banned Books Challenge or Clear Off Your Shelves Challege (because that was great!) another shot.  I also have my Newbery Project and new Nobel Project floating around, too.  Challenges and I aren't terribly good friends because I really do lack the ability to "plan" my reading so I'm not going to commit to too many unless I'm pretty sure I can do it without adding to the ADD-ness of my reading (the BNBC groups go a good job of that already).  I would also like to do a little blog-upgrading, maybe adding a page (can you do that with a blogger template?) for challenges, etc. to declutter/organize - my HTML/web design ability is completely self-taught so I may have to wait for a "bloggiesta" weekend and get some advice from the saavier bloggers.

On the knitting front I need to make sure I link my blog posts about knitting with my Ravelry page as I go.  I know a lot of bloggers like to separate out their different hobbies/interests into multiple blogs....but I think that's a bit much for me to update (I have enough trouble with one blog as it is).  Besides, I read and knit and dance, it's all part of me.

I would also like to return my "update template" to the bottom of my posts.  I do like it and it does help keep me on track (particularly with Netflix movies, three of which are languishing in a drawer, needing to be watched).  So the first update of the new year:

Current book-in-progress: insanity, top-priority reads are Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson, The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor, Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters edited by Kathleen Ragan, Illness by Havi Carel, Electronic Literature by N. Katherine Hayles, and The Best NonRequired Reading 2009 edited by Dave Eggers (must get these done, asap)
Current knitted item: baby sweater for my new niece, top-down sweater for me, and (sadly enough) that pair of socks I've been knitting for a year
Current movie obsession: watch and return Fame, My Boy Jack, and Chess in Concert so I quite wasting money
Current iTunes loop: omg, John Mayer's new album (amazing): Battle Studies

Is that my ass?

My supremely awesome friend Kate has created a blog in which we, and all the friends we invite, may chronicle our adventures in battling the bulge or not becoming a chronic-disease statistic or whatever.

It is called "Is that my ass?" I totally love the name (and URL) and, unfortunately, I am totally forced to agree with the disbelieving tone because my posterior looks nothing like I want it to (probably never will). Most of my Be Healthy/diet/food problem posts will migrate in that direction. Come visit. Wish us well.

Schadenfreude

I've spent the last week and a half drowning in schadenfreude because of the flu. My boss looks like hell (she looks a bit better this week), everyone else is running up and down working on disaster preparedness in case every crazy in the region wants to be tested for swineflu, and I get to sit in my nice, quiet office drinking my tea and playing with my database. I feel a little bad; I keep asking if anyone needs help but I keep being told that everyone is fine so I guess I will keep playing with my database and try not to worry about it.

I keep playing on Twitter. It's turning into a lucrative past-time because I've acquired three books via contests/give-aways on Twitter plus I was introduced (also via Twitter) to a VP from a publishing firm who is interested in sending me promotional copies (I think I'll share with Kat). I recently received a copy of Burnt Shadows via a PicadorUSA drawing (that's two from them now) and a copy of Water Ghosts is coming from Penguin. They both look very good. I feel a bit greedy now that I've got three plus the possibility of more...am I always this ridiculous? It does keep me on my toes as regards my reading since I really have to finish things if I get them gratis and the Book Clubs have a good May line-up.

Speaking of the BN Book Clubs, you can follow them on Twitter, too, haha (BNBookClubs). They've also just announced enrollment for the next First Look Book Club to start on June 1; the editors have picked Of Bees and Mist, a debut novel by Erick Setiawan, and it looks to be a wonderful piece of writing. To enroll in the FLBC you need to sign up for a My B&N account at http://www.bn.com/ (click on the red My B&N button); then go to this thread and follow the instructions (you'll need to have your "Private Message" function, aka PM, enabled to enroll). There is a limit to the number of books available so sign-up soon! While you're waiting for your book to arrive, visit the other groups - I moderate "Literature by Women" (shameless plug, I know).

On a side note I've been very good as regards the diet, er, healthy eating, since I managed to find the grocery store last weekend. I'm already dreading the idea of going back but I have to (HAVE TO) get back in the habit of going frequently so as to keep the fridge full of good fruits and veg. Prevents me from making rice as a "snack" (bad, bad habit).

PS: Dead serious, I'm being followed on Twitter by someone who goes by the name of Jane Eyre (Thornfield Jane). Odd.

Current book-in-progress: Wives and Daughters, The Palace of Illusions, A Canticle for Liebowitz, A History of God,...anything else?
Current knitted item: Karma's poncho, now about 2/3 done
Current movie obsession: Time Bandits (how is it that I've never watched this movie?) and Three Days of the Condor (also, given my parents' affinity for Robert Redford, how is it I've never watched this?)
Current iTunes loop: Blue Monday by New Order (had to get this from iTunes because the Muzak at the store was taunting me) and Thursday Next on audio (first book is abridged, bah!)

Mother's cupboard is now somewhat full

Back from the grocery store - I went before noon and it was surprisingly easy to navigate around New Pi because it wasn't busy, yet (I didn't attempt Hy-Vee). There was also a farmer's market occuring so that might have had something to do with it.

I now have some yummy veggies, bread, and deli meat so I can at least feed myself at home rather than always seeing what take-away is available.

The kitty-boys are now on their extra-best behavior because I also have cheese. And they like cheese. Dante is also trying to wash my face since that shows he loves me and lovey kitties get treats.

Or so they think. Dante is the fat kitty; he and I are in the same boat diet-wise.

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl

Instead of reading things I already own (and have started) I picked up a copy of Shauna Reid's The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl yesterday.

And read the whole thing in one sitting, all 400 pages of it. There's a lot of white space.

My "official" review is on the BN site. It's a good book - well-written, uplifting, inspiring. The addendum here is to confess my gloating when I started the book (thank God I'm not even remotely as fat as that) and serious jealously when I finished (bugger, she managed to get to her goal weight and find a nice guy who liked her before she got there) followed by wallowing in self-loathing for about half an hour about those dratted 40-50 pounds that seem to follow me around constantly.

Melissa needs to stop being a whiny bitch.

Resolution Wrap-Up, Week 7

Slightly better on the work-out front - one trip to the gym, a ballet class, and a brisk walk in the snowstorm on Friday evening due to the city bus getting stuck on a hill (one of the fellows and I decided to hoof it the half-mile to the mall rather than sit and stew). I meant to hit the gym again on Saturday but got caught up in my closet cleaning frenzy followed by a stint on Ravelry. I've also tried to keep the snacking at night down to a minimum or at least try and have a snack for dinner and then have a salad when I get home at night; I'm really trying to keep the overall calorie count down.

I think I've lost a whole pound. It's not much but it's a start.

But my brain isn't old!!

Uggghhhh...I forced myself to go to the gym after close at the bookstore (we close at 7pm on Sundays, so I was out of there about 7:30 or so - not as much to pick up because a few of the managers had to do an overnight and rearrange the layout of one zone). Now, I don't have the lung capacity, at least not yet, to really go nuts at the gym so my plan is to at least put in the time at the gym and gradually build the intensity. So I did the treadmill for 60 minutes (mostly walking, on an incline).

Ow. My knee hates me. Both of them actually hate me, but the right one - the one I had surgery on in high school - hates me more. Oy. When will I accept that parts of me think they're older than what they actually are? I need to find some ice, some Advil, and have me a yummy salmon salad (the cats vote ditto on the salad, nay on the ice and Advil).

Then maybe a hot bath and a book.

PS: Someone finally fulfilled my wish and produced a plain, black diet and exercise journal that actually looks discreet. Excellent!

Tricky, very tricky

This morning I was forced to concede that I still cannot make an omelette, no matter how hard I try. I just can't get the eggs to set before the bottom burns and then I can't get it flipped to cook the other side (I can't stand even remotely "wet" looking eggs). I must need either different/specialized utensils or a better set of cooking genes. So my omelette just looked like a cross between a fried egg and scrambled eggs mixed with whatever I meant to put on the inside. At least it still tasted OK.

I was having a lazy Sunday so after the omelette mess (which I cleaned up right away for once in my life so my kitchen is still clean) the cats and I crawled back into bed - the boys to have a nap and be petted, me to finish Three Bags Full. I'll post more thoughts later (I have a few friends who are also reading it who might not be done, yet) but suffice to say I think the sheep were brilliant, I love all their names (does anyone know where the word "Mopple" drives from?), and the novel was deliciously funny. A great scene - the flock debates whether or not humans have souls.

On tap for the rest of the day:
- Dusting/organizing/arranging the Hydra that is my office/library
- going to work at 3pm
- taking my gym things so I can go to the gym after work (this is why I've joined a gym that is open 24hrs even though I've never taken advantage of that)

Such a pretty day!

Nice, bright sunny (and full of melting snow!) - I was able to open up the house today to the delight of the cats. I came back from the co-op to see Chaucer basking in the sun from the porch and laying directly in front of the open door.

If anyone would like to see what it's like to live in a building with a pack of slobs you are welcome to view the backyard for my building. The melting snow has revealed a disgusting amount of dog poop; the yard looks like a cow pasture.

I got almost everything I needed at the co-op today except sugar - I'm very attached to the bag of white sugar, unchanged since childhood, and it's not carried at the co-op. I'd meant to hit up Hy-vee today, too, for the items that I don't buy in organic form but I got called to come in to work at 2pm (full shift for once) instead of 5pm so I had to get what I needed at the co-op.

Resolution Wrap-up, Week 5.5

Combination of Resolution Confessions for weeks five and six - both sucky due to some sort of cracked-out intestinal complaint. Wish I could say it worked as well as a diet but I only lost water weight and was only interested in eating water, yoghurt (plain), cranberries, dt Coke, and ... (wait for it) ... peanut butter. Yup. In the midst of a massive peanut butter recall that was one of the only things I could eat and it wouldn't run straight through me. Ah, good old Skippy. I still have no idea what I had; at some point last week I wished I actually had contracted Salmonella so I could put a name to it and perhaps find some treatment.

Said stomach complaint put the kibosh on both gym time and ballet (with the exception of one class) due to frequent mad dashes to the bathroom. Trust me - trying to hurriedly wriggle out of a sweater, skirt, leotard, and tights when I'm already sweaty is an exercise I particularly try to avoid.

Dad was actually very (very) nice and came down for the second straight weekend, this time to install my new tub doors. Yay! No more sticking to the icky shower curtain liner. The installation went smoothly and the only inhabitants of my house who are disappointed are the cats; they are no longer able to play in the (dry) bathtub but I'm sure it won't be long before they figure out the way the doors work.

The cats were also doubly disappointed when I replaced the old kitty-cat sucker-upper (a.k.a. vacuum cleaner) with a brand-new one; the old one had the poor taste to spit bits of the insides all over the carpet while trying to vacuum up the metal shavings from the tub door fitting. The new vacuum is a Bissell Lift-Off Pet and it does exactly what it promises - vacuums up all the pet hair. I could make another cat or two with all the fur the vaccum has pulled out of the carpet and upholstery.

I'm now pretty sure Harry Potter is going to consume my evening; I've had a hankering to watch/read HP since I finished Melissa Anelli's Harry, A History this week. It's a really fun book that looks at the Harry Potter phenomenon from the inside - Anelli is the Webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron fansite and used her journalism and English major skills to lend some legitimacy to the fan base (hey, she got to interview JKR a few times, so it pays off!).

Current book-in-progress: Silas, Three Bags Full (the sheep all have really great names), Mistress of the Monarchy, and (poor me) Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human
Current knitted item: Pretty red socks (I'm still pissed at that scarf)
Current movie obsession: Harry Potter
Current iTunes loop: My Classical Playlist on Shuffle

(late) Resolution Wrap-Up, Week 4

Worst pick-up line ever: "Read to me baby and take my mind off this pain." - uttered by the dude sitting next to me on the bus tonight (damn, knew I should have moved to one of the empty seats once the other passengers got off)

A very late Resolution review - I did make it to a ballet class (after minding a visiting pediatrician for the week) but Dad did interrupt my plans to hit the gym; I got a new kitchen faucet out of the interruption, so it's not all bad. I'm not covered in water in the mornings anymore. I ate a little better this week but I need to hit the grocery store to stock back up on my staples.

I picked up several new books this week. Our little group at the store is reading Three Bags Full - a mystery told from the perspective of the flock - and it sounds very cute. I picked up Alison Weir's new book Mistress of the Monarchy about Katherine Swynford, the Duchess of Lancaster; I like her biography of Eleanor of Acquitaine so much I couldn't pass this one up. I also picked up Our Mutual Friend and The Mystery of Edwin Drood to add to my The Old Curiosity Shop, Little Dorrit, and The Pickwick Papers so I have more Dickens to read (in my spare time, hah!). I bought a new book of knitting patterns, Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns, that has some really nice sock patters. I also came across a new Oxford edition of Christina Rossetti's poetry and prose - couldn't pass that up, either.

I finished Lisa Zunshine's Why We Read Fiction. She has some interesting ideas on Theory of Mind and metarepresentation and how that ties in with our preference for stories. I don't think she quite sold me on the idea because her given examples bounced all over the place without truly going into detail on more than just two titles - Clarissa and Lolita - both of which represented novels with unreliable narrators. Her section on detective novels was woefully short and superficial (and feature two still photographs from the film adaptation of The Maltese Falcon which really didn't belong in the book because the movie wasn't discussed at all). She did spend a great deal of time detailing how Theory of Mind works from a psychological standpoint but she really didn't "prove" (as much as it can be proven) why we read fiction.

Current book-in-progress: Silas Marner (for LbW - February starts next week) and Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann; I seem also to have gotten into a Dickens phase
Current knitted item: Bollocks on that scarf, I started a pair of socks from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns (the "Puntuated Rib Sock" pattern)
Current movie obsession: John Adams
Current iTunes loop: Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliet

Resolution Wrap-Up, Week 3

I'd like a mulligan, please.

I got sick this week and that is frustrating because when I'm sick I tend to not do much of anything and eat whatever I want. It is doubly frustrating because that rotten asthma I picked up 6 years ago causes a common 3-day cold to last nearly two weeks; my lungs just incubate that crap. So here's to hoping that I'm not incubating anything for which I'll going to need antibiotics.

My copy of the new Pink Carnation book came in last night; The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig. Lauren seems to be retreating in her trashiness. The first novel in the series (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation) was pretty trashy and had some good, old-fashioned Regency spy plot devices. Well, this one had better relationship development as far as the romance between Charlotte and Robert but was pretty light on the espionage part. Still, it was cute and I read the whole thing in about 3 hours (Eloise's relationship with Colin is sort-of boring, even when compared to an untrashy Regency fling). I think my favorite in the series is #3, The Deception of the Emerald Ring.

I also watched the British version (original) of Eleventh Hour with Patrick Stewart and Ashley Jensen. The UK one is only 4 episodes, so it was more like a miniseries; the US version is my new favorite TV show because it has Rufus Sewell (have I mentioned this before?). I liked how Rachel (Ashley Jensen) has a much sharper toungue than her US counterpart, but I feel the US show moves along much faster.

Current book-in-progress: Silas Marner and who knows what else
Current knitted item: Who knew a scarf could take quite so long
Current movie obsession: Netflix instant; I have John Adams next up in the queue
Current iTunes loop: some podcasts downloaded from iTunesU

Resolution Wrap-Up, Week 2

I missed a few days on my food diary, whoops, but I did try to keep the overload of non-healthy things to a minimum, like no scones everyday, no venti mochas, etc. I also tried to keep the snacking late at night down, too; I didn't cut it out entirely but I feel like I'm not raiding the kitchen for the time being.

I definitely need to add more veggies into the mix (yuck, tastes icky). This would be helped by my actually going to the grocery store. Perhaps I should do that today.

I bought a few new gym things last weekend - who knew that finding sports bras for those of us who are well endowed would be that hard? With regular sports bras, as you get into larger sizes the band width just increases, not the cup size. I did finally find some by MotionFit for $44 a pop. Ouch. But at least my boobs aren't stuffed up under my chin. Then, as fate would have it, I slipped and fell in the store parking lot later that day. I caught myself on the hood of someone's car, doing a strange one-armed triceps dip in the process, and strained my latissimus muscle on that side. Hurts a lot. So I didn't make it to the gym until yesterday, rats, but I did do about an hour of cardio (ran out of steam the last 15 or 20 minutes but the point is to actually do the time; I'll build endurance later).

Plan for the day (I work at 3pm):
1. Go to the co-op. Buy fruits and veggies.
2. Go to Hy-Vee.
3. Gym? Maybe after work since I don't think I'll have time between grocery shopping and making it to the store (snowed a bit again so the roads are a little covered).

Resolution Wrap-up, Week 1

I've already identified a problem area with the eating: I tend to snack when I get home late at night. My brain is telling me to eat someting but I'm not sure the stomach is actually hungry. An example would be that I was trying to read (brain food is better than body food to make the pounds go away) and I couldn't concentrate until I'd gotten up to make some toast. Yipe! I'll need to work on that.

In other areas, I've not had a venti mocha this week; I traded out to grandes with an extra shot, so the same amount of espresso as a venti but less syrup and milk. I also went to the gym but noticed I have a problem. All my sports bras are really old, as in over 2 years old, and they're all stretched out and don't fit at all. I was wearing three to control the bouncing. It wasn't very comfortable. So I'm going to Scheel's today to buy some more. Not sure if I'll make it to the gym today because I also have to go to the grocery store (groceries are important in this effort - healthy food); I have a gift card to Hy-vee but today I think I'll take care of things I need from the Co-op so then I have fruits, veggies, and healthy stuff (Hy-vee is for the PB, popcorn, etc).

Side note: I also have to go to Best Buy to purchase new earbuds for the iPod - some short, furry little butt-head (not sure which one) chewed up the cord so mine don't work anymore. Grrr.

Last Year's Resolution

After some thinking, I did remember that I actually did make some progress on one Resolution last year. I had resolved to get my finances under control - basically DON'T WASTE MONEY.

I did manage to get the spending under control somewhat helped by the fact that last year I really tried to ride the bus to work everyday rather than drive. So: $1.50 per day for the bus fare versus gas for the car and $5.50+ to park the car per day. I only have to gas the car every three weeks or so. I did a good thing for the environment, too.

So I can manage a Resolution. A bit. Maybe this healthy thing will work.

Time to get serious

So, I've gained back some weight. OK, all the weight I previously lost. Which should really piss me off and get me in a competitive mood, but it doesn't. I feel really...resigned to the fact that I'll always be a fat(ish) girl. This feeling does not lend itself to action.

So it's time to get serious. Like I said earlier, resolutions and I don't play together very nicely. Something always gets in the way, mostly my holey memory. I just don't remember to do things like write in a food journal, go to the grocery store, or put clean gym clothes in the car. I'm thirty now, so you think I would have this memory thing down but I don't. It's the New Year so I'm hitting the re-start button and I'm going to try and get this thing figured out.

So. BE HEALTHY:
1. Keep a food diary. I have a black journal all ready to go (I actually bought it last March trying to do the same thing but I only wrote in two days; I tore those out). I should really market my own food/workout diary; the commerically available ones all scream "I RECORD EVERYTHING I EAT AND DRINK" because they're spiral-bound with "Food Diary" printed on the cover. Why isn't there a more discreet version available? I could make a fortune.
2. Eat better. Confession: I hate vegetables (they taste like dirt, even after washing). I'm going to have to rectify that, somehow, without drowning everything in dressing or peanut butter. I also don't eat really, really bad things just not the best things for me.
2a. Remember to go to the grocery store more often.
2b. Get smaller sizes in my white chocolate latte. And don't get a scone everyday.
3. Go to the gym more often. Since I haven't gone very often as of late this one shouldn't be too hard. I just have to remember to take clean gym things with me - I won't go to the gym if I have dirty ones or if I have to go back home to get them.
3a. Be serious about going to the gym. I have crappy joints and I still love to dance. I'll dance longer if I don't have to drag about an extra 30-40 pounds.
4. Remember that fad diets are crap. I know this, I'm an epidemiologist. Lower calorie intake + more calories burned = fat burned. It's a simple equation; just needs some practice to get it right.

I need to break some habits.

BTW, I have to mention that I really like the CBS drama Eleventh Hour. Probably because of Rufus Sewell.