Just by chance.....

I had some time the other day, while waiting for an appointment, so I browsed through the gift shop and came across an interesting book. Turns out the book is not only interesting but informative and that I found it by chance makes it fun. The book is Food Rules, An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan.

It's not a long book, just 140 pages divided into three sections. Part I What should I eat? (Eat food), Part II What kind of food should I eat? (Mostly plants) and Part III How should I eat? (Not too much).

This is not a diet book or a book promoting vegaterianism or any other specific diet practice. What it is trying to do is simplify todays eating habits. He uncomplicates what has gotten very complicated in modern times.  Can you lose weight from reading this book? Probably since it is full of sound advice and practical and easy applications.

The best part of the book is it is very easy to read and you don't get bogged down in details. Not one chapter is longer than two pages and some are simply one line or two. Some of my favorites are, Chapter 7 Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce or Chapter 20 It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car [that one made me laugh out loud] Another is  Chapter 36 Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.

I could go on and on but there are too many helpful and humorous chapters to quote here. The gist of the book is eat foods in their most natural form, as unprocessed as possible and unpackaged. Basically it is all common sense but until it is pointed out, things I hadn't thought about.

Michael Pollan has also written best sellers, In Defense of Food, which I am now reading and The Omnivore's Dilemma.

All lines taken directly from the book are in italics.

Friday 55

These flowers are from my yard

These are from spring,
Sometime ago.
Before the weeds,
Took over the show.

The years first color,
Said hello,
The bleeding hearts
Belie their woe.

Despite no effort
On my part
They grow each year
So clever, so smart.

Maybe next spring,
I'll help them out.
As soon as I see
The years first sprout.


for more Friday 55 see g-man

One of my favorite things.....

All my life I have insisted that I hated avacados, wouldn't touch the slimey things. I said the same thing about sushi too, but age time changes things and now I love both. I went to England back in 2008 and one of things I tried when I was there was guacamole and it was delicious. Of course avacados are in so many sushi dishes they were hard to avoid.

When my daughters and I went to Lexington and Concord this summer we ate in a cute little restaurant [the name escapes me of course]. I had a BLT with avacado [see lead photo], I have also heard it called a California BLT. It was wonderful.

I am now buying avacados on a regular basis with the intention of learning to make guacamole, but they are getting eaten before I get a chance. They are ending up on my turkey sandwiches with some humus using my favorite Arnold's bread. Of course there are endless possiblities, adding tomatoes,  cukes, cheese, you name it.

What are your favorite ways to use avacados? Anyone have a good guacamole recipe?

Why is it that..... Part 8

Why is it that....

• I can't get a blog posted "on time"
• I can't remember any of the "Why is its" that were in my brain last night.
• getting sleepy on the couch is easy, but when I go to bed I'm wide awake.
• although I continue to "like" exercising, the diet is harder these days.
• carbs are so addictive.
• I am so forgetful 

Well that's all I've got.... what about you?

Would You Have a Drink With You??

I recently received an email from Stoli asking if I would be interested in posting about their contest. Are they kidding, of course I would. In fact I plan on winning it as well. I mean really who would be better than me to be the new face of Stoli...... umm Vodka Logic here.

It's easy to enter. All you have to do is answer a few interesting questions and voila. 

They are also launching a new flavor next month and I for one can't wait to find out what it is... perhaps it is time to invent some  new martinis. So until the new flavor is announced try the delicious Pomegranit flavor, trust me....

Cheers everyone and good luck!!


I was not compensated in any way for this post.

I am a tech goddess

Ok so the title of this post is a bit of an exageration but I am kinda proud of myself... I added another page to the blog and have all my blogger badges posted.  Since I have changed to a blogger template it was easy.

Some of the badges didn't transfer but I wiil get them all sorted eventually.  If you have a badge [button] that you would like me to put on my blogroll page let me know.

Sabotage !!

This is what greeted me in the freezer as I dug around looking for something to take to work. Husband said he bought them for the kids but wanted to get something I liked too..... Argh.... does he not know I am trying to lose weight? One thing I do know, he has no idea what the url of my blog is... [and the original title of my blog] [or what a url is]  For those too lazy to look the url is snickerbaraddict.blogspot.com.

Saving grace is these were the mini bites so the 2 I ate are only around 100 calories and hopefully the urge is gone.......[who am I kidding]

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

"Step it Up"



I think I have finally broken the weight loss plateau. I have been gaining and losing the same 2-3 pounds for the last month. My only option seemed to be to "step it up". I haven't gone crazy with the eating over the summer, but not paid as close attention to my diet. With the girls back in school it is easier to maintain a routine.

Part of this "step it up" plan includes changes at the gym. The opening picture is of a recombant bike. I like to ride the bike. I can sit... and it is also easier to keep up with my social networking, but despite the 20 miles I was doing the pounds weren't dropping. Enter the elliptical and arch trainer. These machines of toture seem to be my only chance at losing more weight.......

I start on the bike for 15 minutes to losen up and then either switch to the ellipitcal or arch trainer for 15, both burn about the same calories. [if one is to believe the calorie counters on the machines], but since the ellipticals use your arms I seem to glisten more [ok sweat]  This is followed by using the weight machines and then back to the arch trainer or elliptical for a half hour. I am going to try and wean myself off the bike completely and stick with the big guns. So far this has garnered me a 3 pound drop......

So what do you think...

I had a blog mostly written, but decided not to post it yet. I want to mull it around some more and get it just right. It's nothing earth shattering by any means but I don't want it just right before I post.

So instead I want you all to have a look at my new blog design and tell me what you think. I used a blogger template and did it all by myself. It wasn't that hard actually but then there are no one of a kind touch ups because that is WAY beyond my skill level. Weird thing is it switched everything around, what was on the right is on the left etc.... I have removed a lot of extraineous stuff that I didn't need and it looks "cleaner" to me. All the blog buttons I had collected are in a safe place and will be put in one of those scrolling thingies eventually.

I have been thinking about changing things around for awhile and playing with the templates but could never decide which I wanted.  I loved the design I had which was made for me by nap warden but as with anything I get the urge to change. The header is her design and if I do change I'm not sure what I want. She was so easy to work with I would suggest her to anyone who wants a custom blog.

I also got a MayDay warning on facebook from Will at Fatherhood & Other Common Terros my blog wasn't loading and when I asked another blogger, Adam from Throwing Quarters he said it is always slow...  I didn't know this. With the new design he said it loads in a flash so I hope all my problems are solved. [well blog problems anyway] Thanks guys.

Ok all, have a nice day and enjoy my fresh new design.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday.... yeah I agree, is there such a thing.

Now that school is back in session and I have a bit more free time, I kid, it's all about the same when your kids get older, I thought I would catch you all up on what's going on with me. Not interested, no problem I'm gonna tell you anyway.

One goal I have is to get back to more blog reading and commenting. There are so many "out there" that interest me but I got lazy over the summer. I posted less myself for whatever reason but I am going to try and be more entertaining. [don't laugh, I am funny in my own mind]

The daughters and I have been to a couple of concerts. Keane was the first of the summer and as it was third time we were seeing them we enjoyed even more. It is great when you can sing along. Green Day [I haven't featured them] was more recent and it was amazing. It was our second time seeing Green Day and they never disappoint. They played for three hours!!!! My youngest daughter is in love with Billie Joe [lead singer] and what a surprise when he flashed his bum for all to see.... We still have Motion City Soundtrack to see in November. Oddly this will be our second time seeing them but the first time we didn't pay much attention because they were one of four bands opening for Panic at the Disco! Go figure..

We vacationed in Cleveland and Lexington and Concord and had a great time and even managed to learn a lot along the way. There were day trips and lots of relaxing too. Work always has to get in the way, but I have to pay for the fun somehow.

I have continued on my quest to lose weight. So far I am down 43 pounds and proud that I have lasted this long. I have been at a plateau for what seems like ages but I think I have broken it by upping the cardio. I have cut the biking down and added the elliptical and arch trainer...killer machines but they burn more calories.

My health is good for the most part but you may remember a Homicidal Tuesday where I posted about my uterus. Well as my luck would have it the pills are. not. working. I continue to hemorage every month or so and will be calling the doctor and demanding he remove the offensive organ. If he refuses I may just have to find a new doctor.

I am sure there is other summer news that I am forgetting...when and if I remember I will bore you with it another day.

Feel free to ask questions and I'll try to fill in the blanks....how was your summer?


picture credit

Do you remember?

I wrote this poem last year and would like to share it with you again as we remember all the lives lost.






Do you remember where you were today,
All those years ago.

When the world changed forever,
Little did we know.

We woke up and started our days,
Soon to see a change of flow.

As planes crashed all around us,
Giving New York an eerie glow.

People screamed and ran about,
Not sure of where to go.

Fireman, policeman everyone,
But rescue was too slow.

So many died that fateful day.
The world engulfed in sorrow.

But the culprits didn't get their wish,
And make us all afraid and full of woe.

Instead the US rallied and waved the flag so proud,
Supported those that lost and our pride will only grow.

-------

Let's all say a prayer for those in America and over seas fighting for our continued freedom..

Follow Friday 40 and over... and a Flash 55

I was 40 something when I started to blog,

A stream was released from my brains fog.

It's been a release, it's been a joy,

Sometimes I entertain, sometimes I annoy.

So thanks for visiting, being a friend,
I hope you come back, and read the nonsense I have penned.

For more Flash 55 visit g-man

It took me 50 years but I finally did it.

Yep I baked my first apple pie.... hard to believe but true. My dad was coming for the night and seeing it was his birthday the day before I wanted to make him something special..so my mother suggested apple pie. Ok I can do it.. I have a degree in Chemistry, how hard can a pie be?

I checked a couple of cook books for recipes and proceeded to the grocery store for the ingredients. Tart apples it called for so I got Granny Smiths, seemed a good choice. I picked up a boxed Pillusbury Pie Crust as well.

The crusts worked like a dream and were tasty as well.

I basically followed the recipe on the side of the box but added pats of butter as suggested in another recipe and sprinked the top crust with sugar. It was a hit for dessert served with sharp cheddar cheese [G-Pops favorite]

The only change I would make is perhaps a different apple since the Granny Smith's got a bit mushy. Enjoy the photo progression of my pie... :-)

Taa Daa !!!!