Despite my good intentions, I've not exercised much this month. I think maybe four times so far. I know I'd do better if I got up before work to do it, but this would require me to get up around 5 a.m. and I just haven't found it in myself to do this yet. (Partly because I tend to go to bed late and I'd rather sleep another hour than get up to exercise.) In the evenings, I'm too tired and have too many other things I need (and want) to do (if we're even home). I know the answer is to start going to bed earlier and work out in the mornings. I just need to do it!!!
J has a meeting tonight, so I'm going to try to work out while he's gone. We'll see how much motivation I have once I get home.
In other news, my parents stayed with us last night. My mom had a job interview at a hospital in the city where we live (she's a nurse). They live 4 to 5 hours away right now, so it'd be nice to have them closer!
Jun 16, 2010
Jun 8, 2010
My cooking skills. Or the lack thereof.
I wish I was a good cook. I wish I was the kind of cook whose dishes are praised at potlucks and sought after at family gatherings. Alas, this is not the case. If I were ever to be famous for any kind of cooking, it would be for being really handy at opening cans and reading directions on boxes. That's what I'm best at. When it comes to cooking from recipes, my skills are a bit lacking.
This is not to say I don't try. I love cookbooks and own quite a few. I enjoy looking through them and dreaming about the day I'll have the time, ingredients and skill to cook this or bake that. I recently decided I would try to make a new recipe that I got out of this cookbook:
I decided to make the "Mini Cheeseburger Puff Pies". It sounded simple enough. It was just miniature cheeseburgers wrapped in puff pastry. It was the puff pastry that threw me off. I had never made anything that required it. Therefore, I made a mistake. I bought Phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. In my defense, it did say "Easy-to-Use Pastry Sheets" on the box. It was all I could find in the frozen food section, which is where I assumed it would be. Anyway, this mistake pretty much ruined the whole recipe. We could still eat the cheeseburger part (and J even ate cheeseburger with some of the Phyllo dough...ew), but it wasn't good. But now I know and I'd like to try it again, after I locate the puff pastry at Kroger. If you know where I might find it, feel free to share your wisdom.
Occasionally, I do make something that tastes good and even resembles what the end product is supposed to look like. For example, from the cookbook above, I have also made "Brooke's Homemade Meatloaf". I've made it twice and it's quite tasty, although in the future, I'll leave off the glaze it calls for. It's not as good as my mom's meatloaf, but I don't have that recipe. I should probably get it.
I also recently made "Banana Pudding" from this cookbook:
I'm all about the Deen's. Anyway, it turned out pretty well, too. So I'm not always a terrible cook. And at least I aspire to be great at it one day. For now, my husband kind of groans when he finds out I'm trying out something new for dinner.
This is not to say I don't try. I love cookbooks and own quite a few. I enjoy looking through them and dreaming about the day I'll have the time, ingredients and skill to cook this or bake that. I recently decided I would try to make a new recipe that I got out of this cookbook:
I decided to make the "Mini Cheeseburger Puff Pies". It sounded simple enough. It was just miniature cheeseburgers wrapped in puff pastry. It was the puff pastry that threw me off. I had never made anything that required it. Therefore, I made a mistake. I bought Phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. In my defense, it did say "Easy-to-Use Pastry Sheets" on the box. It was all I could find in the frozen food section, which is where I assumed it would be. Anyway, this mistake pretty much ruined the whole recipe. We could still eat the cheeseburger part (and J even ate cheeseburger with some of the Phyllo dough...ew), but it wasn't good. But now I know and I'd like to try it again, after I locate the puff pastry at Kroger. If you know where I might find it, feel free to share your wisdom.
Occasionally, I do make something that tastes good and even resembles what the end product is supposed to look like. For example, from the cookbook above, I have also made "Brooke's Homemade Meatloaf". I've made it twice and it's quite tasty, although in the future, I'll leave off the glaze it calls for. It's not as good as my mom's meatloaf, but I don't have that recipe. I should probably get it.
I also recently made "Banana Pudding" from this cookbook:
I'm all about the Deen's. Anyway, it turned out pretty well, too. So I'm not always a terrible cook. And at least I aspire to be great at it one day. For now, my husband kind of groans when he finds out I'm trying out something new for dinner.
Jun 3, 2010
Where have all the good shows gone?
J and I haven't had cable or satellite TV for over two years. We think this is a wonderful thing. As it turns out, there is hardly anything worth watching! We do have Netflix and a Tivo, though, so we records a few shows to watch later and take adavantage of the "Watch Instantly" feature on Netflix. As I get older, I add a new show here or there to my favorites, but some shows have been on the list for a long time. Here are my all-time favorites:
1. The Office. I've seen every episode and there are some I've seen multiple times. ("The Dundies" comes
to mind.) My favorite thing about the show has always been the relationship between Jim and Pam.
Although I don't find it as enjoyable as I used to, it's been fun to see them go from being office-mates
with unspoken crushes on each other to a married couple with a baby. I'm glad the writers allowed the
relationship to develop in a realistic way, even though they're not quite as cute as they used to be. Other
than Jim and Pam, I like the awkward humor of the show. Because that's how humorous situations
often are in real life. Just awkward. This show can totally make you feel embarrassed and have to turn
away from the TV. It's good that way.
2. LOST. We didn't start watching this until last year. I knew enough about the show to know it was
something you needed to watch from the beginning or you would be, well, lost. So when I saw we could
"Watch Instantly" on Netflix, I added Seasons 1-5 to the queue. I got totally addicted. So did J. We still
aren't caught up; we're close to finishing Season 5. It's kind of bittersweet. On one hand, I want
to know what happens. On the other, once it's over, it's over. No new episodes. Hurley, with his big
hair (not completely unlike my sometimes unruly curls) and Sawyer, with his amusing way of saying
things and nicknames for everyone, are my favorites. I feel kind of sorry for the people who already
watched the finale. At least we still have that to look forward to.
3. The Cosby Show. I will never get tired of this show. I love the humor and the family dynamic. I love
Bill Cosby's hilarious ways of saying things, in particular when he is speaking to or about his children or
grandchildren. I have thought to myself that they are the kind of parent I want to be. Firm, but fun-loving
and funny. With definite rules and regulations for the kids, but also an understanding of the way kids are.
A knowledge that they are going to mess up and you just have to deal with it the best you know how.
There was never a lot of drama, but a rather honest potrayal of how a real family often works. There are
too many shows on today that make it look like all families are broken and crazy and dysfunctional and
that's simply not true.
4. The Andy Griffith Show. I will never get tired of this, either. My dad has always been a fan of this show,
so I watched it when I was younger and I still like it now. I love the hilarity that is Barney Fife. I love the
town of Mayberry, with its cast of odd characters. I wish I could live in a town like that, where everyone
knows you, where there's such a lack of bad stuff happening that most of the sheriff's time seems to be
taken up eating the lunch that Aunt Bee brought by or driving around the countryside to try to catch some
moonshiners, who aren't even dangerous, just doing something they shouldn't be. I wish my kids could
grow up in a place where I would feel comfortable letting them run around and play, without constantly
having to be under my watchful eye, where they could explore the woods and ride their bikes without
having to be careful who they talk to or where they go. It's kind of how my dad grew up. Maybe that's
why he likes the show so much.
5. The Gilmore Girls. Although I didn't really like the way this show ended, this is still a great series. The
camaraderie between Lorelai and Rory is so amusing. If I have a daughter, I hope we can have that kind
of easy relationship. The show takes place a town similar to Mayberry, in that everyone knows everyone
else and nothing truly bad seems to happen there. It's a cute town with cute little festivals and plenty of
town characters to keep you amused.
6. Hey Dude. I doubt this show is on too many people's "favorite show" lists, but it's on mine. If you don't
even know what it is, I understand. It came on Nickelodeon in the late 80s and early 90s. It's about a
dude ranch and, because of this show, I have an abiding dream to visit a dude ranch and maybe even do
a little work while I'm there. I want to ride horses and sit out in the desert night, eating BBQ with real
cowboys who sing and play the guitar. It sounds like so much fun!
I think it's sad that there are so few decent shows on TV anymore. I know there has always been bad stuff on, but it is definitely getting worse and people are so immune to it. (And by decent, I don't mean a show with a good story and good characters. I mean decent to watch. Clean. Suitable to be watched by Christian eyes.) Also, kid's TV seems so dumbed down. I'm not saying that what I watched as a kid was so intelligent and was never silly. But there's a big difference even between "Hey Dude" and "iCarly". Or between "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and "Hannah Montana". I miss all those old shows!
1. The Office. I've seen every episode and there are some I've seen multiple times. ("The Dundies" comes
to mind.) My favorite thing about the show has always been the relationship between Jim and Pam.
Although I don't find it as enjoyable as I used to, it's been fun to see them go from being office-mates
with unspoken crushes on each other to a married couple with a baby. I'm glad the writers allowed the
relationship to develop in a realistic way, even though they're not quite as cute as they used to be. Other
than Jim and Pam, I like the awkward humor of the show. Because that's how humorous situations
often are in real life. Just awkward. This show can totally make you feel embarrassed and have to turn
away from the TV. It's good that way.
2. LOST. We didn't start watching this until last year. I knew enough about the show to know it was
something you needed to watch from the beginning or you would be, well, lost. So when I saw we could
"Watch Instantly" on Netflix, I added Seasons 1-5 to the queue. I got totally addicted. So did J. We still
aren't caught up; we're close to finishing Season 5. It's kind of bittersweet. On one hand, I want
to know what happens. On the other, once it's over, it's over. No new episodes. Hurley, with his big
hair (not completely unlike my sometimes unruly curls) and Sawyer, with his amusing way of saying
things and nicknames for everyone, are my favorites. I feel kind of sorry for the people who already
watched the finale. At least we still have that to look forward to.
3. The Cosby Show. I will never get tired of this show. I love the humor and the family dynamic. I love
Bill Cosby's hilarious ways of saying things, in particular when he is speaking to or about his children or
grandchildren. I have thought to myself that they are the kind of parent I want to be. Firm, but fun-loving
and funny. With definite rules and regulations for the kids, but also an understanding of the way kids are.
A knowledge that they are going to mess up and you just have to deal with it the best you know how.
There was never a lot of drama, but a rather honest potrayal of how a real family often works. There are
too many shows on today that make it look like all families are broken and crazy and dysfunctional and
that's simply not true.
4. The Andy Griffith Show. I will never get tired of this, either. My dad has always been a fan of this show,
so I watched it when I was younger and I still like it now. I love the hilarity that is Barney Fife. I love the
town of Mayberry, with its cast of odd characters. I wish I could live in a town like that, where everyone
knows you, where there's such a lack of bad stuff happening that most of the sheriff's time seems to be
taken up eating the lunch that Aunt Bee brought by or driving around the countryside to try to catch some
moonshiners, who aren't even dangerous, just doing something they shouldn't be. I wish my kids could
grow up in a place where I would feel comfortable letting them run around and play, without constantly
having to be under my watchful eye, where they could explore the woods and ride their bikes without
having to be careful who they talk to or where they go. It's kind of how my dad grew up. Maybe that's
why he likes the show so much.
5. The Gilmore Girls. Although I didn't really like the way this show ended, this is still a great series. The
camaraderie between Lorelai and Rory is so amusing. If I have a daughter, I hope we can have that kind
of easy relationship. The show takes place a town similar to Mayberry, in that everyone knows everyone
else and nothing truly bad seems to happen there. It's a cute town with cute little festivals and plenty of
town characters to keep you amused.
6. Hey Dude. I doubt this show is on too many people's "favorite show" lists, but it's on mine. If you don't
even know what it is, I understand. It came on Nickelodeon in the late 80s and early 90s. It's about a
dude ranch and, because of this show, I have an abiding dream to visit a dude ranch and maybe even do
a little work while I'm there. I want to ride horses and sit out in the desert night, eating BBQ with real
cowboys who sing and play the guitar. It sounds like so much fun!
I think it's sad that there are so few decent shows on TV anymore. I know there has always been bad stuff on, but it is definitely getting worse and people are so immune to it. (And by decent, I don't mean a show with a good story and good characters. I mean decent to watch. Clean. Suitable to be watched by Christian eyes.) Also, kid's TV seems so dumbed down. I'm not saying that what I watched as a kid was so intelligent and was never silly. But there's a big difference even between "Hey Dude" and "iCarly". Or between "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and "Hannah Montana". I miss all those old shows!
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