We made it down in 1:45 for a neat 4 hour round trip. We're tired and hungry now so we are off to Massimo's for her birthday dinner.
More soon.....
Sunday, July 31, 2011
It's Her Birthday! If She Wants To Hike - We Hike!
Pam, Jason and I hit the trail at 8:05 for a leisurely 9.38 mile out and back hike of Norse Peak by Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. Pam set the pace and led us up the 4.5 plus miles in 2:15. We hung out at the top for 40 minutes waiting for the clouds to clear so we could get a picture of Mt Rainier to share with all of you, but no dice. This is all you get.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Silly Hats With History And Puppy Progress
Pam got off of work yesterday and we jumped in the RV which we now call "The Athenian" - a travelling dog hotel. We went to Shelton to the Mason County Fairgrounds for their county fair and rodeo. Our goal was to see Big Sam and Funky Nation a band from New Orleans. The RV site was maybe 400 steps from the stage and 200 steps from a stand that sold smoked turkey legs. Location, location, location.
I finally remembered to bring this silly hat that I picked up in New Orleans this year. We were sitting on the stoop at the house we rented in New Orleans and 2 girls were walking down the sidewalk. One was wearing this hat so I said something like "I looked all over for a hat like that and couldn't find one." The girl said "I'm so sick of this hat you take it." , and she gave it to me.
I planned on giving it to Rhonda's Paul that day, but forgot - so - short story long - Paul got his hat.
I finally remembered to bring this silly hat that I picked up in New Orleans this year. We were sitting on the stoop at the house we rented in New Orleans and 2 girls were walking down the sidewalk. One was wearing this hat so I said something like "I looked all over for a hat like that and couldn't find one." The girl said "I'm so sick of this hat you take it." , and she gave it to me.
I planned on giving it to Rhonda's Paul that day, but forgot - so - short story long - Paul got his hat.
Paully proudly wore his hat all day today and was asked for it at least once. As you can see it fits him well. Truly, the best dressed team.
As far as puppy progress goes, there were horses all over the place at the fair. Last year we took Athena to hike Packwood Lake and there were horses on the trail. I had to lay on top of her and Pam had to cover her eyes until the horses passed and she was jacked up for the rest of the day. This time she noticed them but didn't overreact at all. I was impressed and then some!
Tomorrow we are off to hike Norse Peak which is by Crystal Mountain. If the weather is like today there should be some great pictures to share.
More soon.....
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Preparing For Guests
Today is Pam's turn to host her wine club for dinner. I try to use the opportunity to get off my ass and get some "pretty work" done. For months I have been staring at the weed infested parking strip. In my chemical past I would spray some round up and call it a day, but the new "greener" me is left with the hard way.
Yesterday I pulled out the grub hoe - that's what I grew up calling the tool anyway - and chopped up the parking strip then raked and sifted the weeds out. It looks way better but I am a little sore this morning. For those of you following closely, I remain at 207. I'm wondering what the final thing will be to kick me off of this 207 ledge. I refuse to do a marathon just to get past this plateau! Last year about this time I was lamenting a 222 plateau so I guess it could be worse.
For wine club dinner tonight I am preparing a salad with lettuce from our garden and raspberries from our garden with an Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. There will be bell pepper, black string beans and cauliflower all from the garden with some multigrain pita chips and my Hummus Italiano for appetizers. The main plate will be grilled Scallops and shrimp Skewers served with a Cocozelle Squash "Pasta" with a White Wine Sauce. The side vegetable will be Kale and Collard Greens in an Italian sort of Wine and Herb presentation.
Dessert will be a reasonable healthy Tart Cherry Crisp. Pam will likely bring some Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream to serve with that.
With all of that summery stuff on the menu we went with a Cabernet Franc for the wine. I can already hear the purists screaming for a white wine to pair with it, but even my summery menu items can stand up along side a nice red wine, and there will be white in the meal anyway.
Hopefully that is making all of your mouths water.
More soon......
Yesterday I pulled out the grub hoe - that's what I grew up calling the tool anyway - and chopped up the parking strip then raked and sifted the weeds out. It looks way better but I am a little sore this morning. For those of you following closely, I remain at 207. I'm wondering what the final thing will be to kick me off of this 207 ledge. I refuse to do a marathon just to get past this plateau! Last year about this time I was lamenting a 222 plateau so I guess it could be worse.
For wine club dinner tonight I am preparing a salad with lettuce from our garden and raspberries from our garden with an Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. There will be bell pepper, black string beans and cauliflower all from the garden with some multigrain pita chips and my Hummus Italiano for appetizers. The main plate will be grilled Scallops and shrimp Skewers served with a Cocozelle Squash "Pasta" with a White Wine Sauce. The side vegetable will be Kale and Collard Greens in an Italian sort of Wine and Herb presentation.
Dessert will be a reasonable healthy Tart Cherry Crisp. Pam will likely bring some Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream to serve with that.
With all of that summery stuff on the menu we went with a Cabernet Franc for the wine. I can already hear the purists screaming for a white wine to pair with it, but even my summery menu items can stand up along side a nice red wine, and there will be white in the meal anyway.
Hopefully that is making all of your mouths water.
More soon......
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Subtle Hints From Athena
It turns out that Athena likes to split her time between Pam and I. Since I work out of the house she gets most of her Papa time during the day. She likes things to be pretty predictable, but she is willing to adjust when she has tried and failed to get things her way.
One of her things that needs to follow the script is her Mama's coming home program. Pam's ring tone on my phone is the Linus and Lucy theme from Peanuts. Athena hears that and knows that her Mama is 15-25 minutes from home. She has to go out with me to open the gate. She pretends that she could run off up the driveway and then heads back to the house.
Once Pam pulls up in the back we have to go out again so she can stare up the driveway until I come and pretend I am worried that she might run off and make a move to block her "attempt." She then puts on what can only be described as "wicked smooth moves" and runs into the yard. Somehow that qualifies as a greeting for her Mama.
When it's time for Pam to hit the couch for some laptop time to check Facebook, etc. Athena likes to jump up on the couch and lay her head across the keyboard. I hope none of you have received an email from her. I guess it's her way of helping Pam get her priorities straight.
It is always at least good for a laugh.
Exercise:
Since Wagon Wheel Lake Pam and I took Athena for a 4.15 mile walk Sunday and Athena and I walked our 6.3 mile route in 1:22 yesterday.
Recipe:
The other day I made some healthier Cajun food. I used my dry rub on some chicken breasts and grilled them on the BBQ.
Along with that I made greens from a cauliflower plant that I harvested the cauliflower from. I cleaned and chopped them and wilted them in some olive oil very simply with onion and garlic and some Organic Chicken Stock. They simmered for 3 hours or so.
I also did Red Beans and Wild Rice. I have Anaheim and cayenne peppers ripe in the greenhouse so I used one of each and 1/2 large red onion and sauteed them in a saucepan. I then added 2 cloves of garlic and then 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and cooked it for about 45 minutes until the liquid was not quite all in the rice. I tossed in some basil and thyme and let it rest 5 minutes.
The whole deal was great. Try it - you'll like it. You can swap water or vegetable stock for the chicken stock if you wish.
More soon.....
One of her things that needs to follow the script is her Mama's coming home program. Pam's ring tone on my phone is the Linus and Lucy theme from Peanuts. Athena hears that and knows that her Mama is 15-25 minutes from home. She has to go out with me to open the gate. She pretends that she could run off up the driveway and then heads back to the house.
Once Pam pulls up in the back we have to go out again so she can stare up the driveway until I come and pretend I am worried that she might run off and make a move to block her "attempt." She then puts on what can only be described as "wicked smooth moves" and runs into the yard. Somehow that qualifies as a greeting for her Mama.
When it's time for Pam to hit the couch for some laptop time to check Facebook, etc. Athena likes to jump up on the couch and lay her head across the keyboard. I hope none of you have received an email from her. I guess it's her way of helping Pam get her priorities straight.
It is always at least good for a laugh.
Exercise:
Since Wagon Wheel Lake Pam and I took Athena for a 4.15 mile walk Sunday and Athena and I walked our 6.3 mile route in 1:22 yesterday.
Recipe:
The other day I made some healthier Cajun food. I used my dry rub on some chicken breasts and grilled them on the BBQ.
Along with that I made greens from a cauliflower plant that I harvested the cauliflower from. I cleaned and chopped them and wilted them in some olive oil very simply with onion and garlic and some Organic Chicken Stock. They simmered for 3 hours or so.
I also did Red Beans and Wild Rice. I have Anaheim and cayenne peppers ripe in the greenhouse so I used one of each and 1/2 large red onion and sauteed them in a saucepan. I then added 2 cloves of garlic and then 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and cooked it for about 45 minutes until the liquid was not quite all in the rice. I tossed in some basil and thyme and let it rest 5 minutes.
The whole deal was great. Try it - you'll like it. You can swap water or vegetable stock for the chicken stock if you wish.
More soon.....
Monday, July 25, 2011
To MSG or Not To MSG
The easy answer is NO. MSG - Mono Soduim Glutimate is a flavor enhancer that was invented in Japan in 1908. It has virtually no flavor of it's own and is used by the food industry because it intensifies flavor and also can balance flavors when you reduce fat. Because of the balancing factor it is regularly used in reduced fat and diet foods. The sad part about it's inclusion in diet foods is that it has been linked to obesity and diabetes. Doesn't sound right, does it?
MSG has glutamic acid in it and that substance is now widely thought of by neuroscientists as a neurotoxin. MSG causes hypothalamus legions and neuroendochrine disorders. The young are more at risk. But it makes stuff taste better! The only other way to make stuff taste better is to caringly prepare it with fresh ingredients, but we wouldn't want to do that.
This is what happens with MSG.
1.You eat it.
2. Cells in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus that produce dopamine and regulate appetite are destroyed.
3. Hypothalamus becomes leptin-resistant
4. Glutamate activates AMPK, which slows metabolism AND desire for physical activity.
5. The fat cells release leptin to stop AMPK, but the hypothalamus ignores the signal.
6. Appetite stays high, activity is depressed. Calorie intake goes up, calories expended by metabolism go down, calories expended in activity go down.
7. MSG although it is an amino acid, signals the pancreas to release insulin
8. Insulin drops our blood sugar - causing increased hunger at the same time it packs away excess calories as fat
9. Obesity
Sounds like a perfect additive for food - especially diet food - RIGHT!
Now you know, you just avoid it right? Not so easy. MSG and other glutimates are in tons of stuff.
These things ALWAYS contain MSG - Glutimate, Calcium caseinate, MSG, Yeast food, Gelatin, and Autolyzed yeast.
These things often contain it.
Here are some surprising sources of it.
The best way to avoid MSG is to avoid processed and fast foods. Those industries are the ones who employ the food scientists who "craft" the packaged crap. It is not hard to do this math. The more processing you do to food - the more natural flavor you take away and the more additives become necessary to compensate.
Here is a list from msgtruth.org
The following foods contain MSG or its business end - the free amino acid glutamate - in amounts large enough to cause reactions in those sensitive to it.:
Worcestershire? Really? Something else I need to toss out.
The really sad part is that our government values industry over us so this stuff stays in our food and the use is ever expanding.
More soon.....
MSG has glutamic acid in it and that substance is now widely thought of by neuroscientists as a neurotoxin. MSG causes hypothalamus legions and neuroendochrine disorders. The young are more at risk. But it makes stuff taste better! The only other way to make stuff taste better is to caringly prepare it with fresh ingredients, but we wouldn't want to do that.
This is what happens with MSG.
1.You eat it.
2. Cells in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus that produce dopamine and regulate appetite are destroyed.
3. Hypothalamus becomes leptin-resistant
4. Glutamate activates AMPK, which slows metabolism AND desire for physical activity.
5. The fat cells release leptin to stop AMPK, but the hypothalamus ignores the signal.
6. Appetite stays high, activity is depressed. Calorie intake goes up, calories expended by metabolism go down, calories expended in activity go down.
7. MSG although it is an amino acid, signals the pancreas to release insulin
8. Insulin drops our blood sugar - causing increased hunger at the same time it packs away excess calories as fat
9. Obesity
Sounds like a perfect additive for food - especially diet food - RIGHT!
Now you know, you just avoid it right? Not so easy. MSG and other glutimates are in tons of stuff.
These things ALWAYS contain MSG - Glutimate, Calcium caseinate, MSG, Yeast food, Gelatin, and Autolyzed yeast.
These things often contain it.
| Flavors & Flavorings | Natural pork flavoring | Soy sauce |
| Bouillon | Malt extract | Whey protein |
| Pectin | Corn starch | anything Protein fortified |
| Seasonings | Natural flavors and flavorings | Natural beef flavoring |
| Natural chicken flavoring | Soy protein isolate | Soy protein Stock |
| Broth | Malt flavoring | Barley malt |
| Carrageenan | Maltodextrin | Enzymes |
| Protease | Citric acid | Powdered milk |
| anything Enzyme modified | anything Ultra-pasteurized |
Here are some surprising sources of it.
| Salad dressings | Frozen meals | Packaged and restaurant soups |
| Cheese | Reduced fat milk | Chewing gum |
| Ice cream | Cookies | Vitamin enriched foods |
| Beverages | Candy | Cigarettes |
| Medications | I.V. Materials | Supplements, particularly minerals |
The best way to avoid MSG is to avoid processed and fast foods. Those industries are the ones who employ the food scientists who "craft" the packaged crap. It is not hard to do this math. The more processing you do to food - the more natural flavor you take away and the more additives become necessary to compensate.
Here is a list from msgtruth.org
The following foods contain MSG or its business end - the free amino acid glutamate - in amounts large enough to cause reactions in those sensitive to it.:
- Taste No 5 Umami Paste ® MSG disguised as a substitute for MSG. A travesty of misleading labeling and marketing.
- "Low Sodium" or "Sea Salt" products now often have L-Glutamate added straight (without sodium) or freed during processing to act as a salt substitute to get a "clean label" without MSG on it. (Never mind that GLUTAMATE raises blood pressure)
- Taco Bell® - seasoned meat - contains autolyzed yeast - which contains free glutamate
- Other menu items that contain soy sauce, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast or hydrolyzed protein which can contain up to 20% free glutamic acid - the active part of MSG.
- Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles® (targeted towards children)
- Doritos®
- Campbell's® soups - all of them - based on their commitment to add "umami" (read - MSG) to their products
- Pringles® (the flavored varieties)
- Cold cuts - Boars Head - even the "low sodium" varieties with the "heart healthy" logos.
- Nathan's® Hotdogs
- Progresso® Soups - all of them
- Lipton® Noodles and Sauce
- Lipton® Instant soup mix
- Unilever or Knorr® products - often used in homemade Veggie dips.
- Kraft® products nearly all contain some free glutamate
- Gravy Master®
- Cup-a-soup® or Cup-o-Noodles®
- Planters® salted nuts - most of them
- Accent® -this is nearly pure MSG
- Braggs® Liquid Aminos - sold at Whole Foods
- Hodgson Mill Kentucky Kernel Seasoned Flour®
- Tangle extract (seaweed extract) - found in sushi rolls (even at Whole Foods) Seaweed is what MSG was first isolated from.
- Fish extract - made from decomposed fish protein - used now in Japanese sushi dishes - very high in free glutamate.
- sausages - most supermarkets add MSG to theirs
- processed cheese spread
- Marmite®
- supermarket poultry or turkeys that are injected or "self-basting"
- restaurant gravy from food service cans
- flavored ramen noodles
- boullion - any kind
- instant soup mixes
- many salad dressings
- most salty, powdered dry food mixes - read labels
- flavored potato chips
- restaurant soups made from food service soup base or with added MSG
- monopotassium glutamate
- glutamic acid
- hydrolyzed gelatin - found in VACCINES - is 10% free glutamate by weight
- hydrolyzed vegetable protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)
- hydrolyzed plant protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)
- autolyzed yeast (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, read labels)
- sodium caseinate
- textured protein
- beet juice - it is used as a coloring, but MSG is manufactured from beets and the extract may contain free glutamic acid - Yo Baby - organic baby yogurt has just changed the formula to include beet extract
- yeast extract
- yeast food or nutrient
- soy protein isolate
- soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Kombu extract
- dry milk and whey powder
- "natural flavors" - may contain up to 20% MSG
- carageenan
- dough conditioners
- malted barley
- malted barley flour - found in many supermarket breads and all-purpose flours including: King Arthur, Heckers, and Gold Medal flour
- body builder drink powders containing protein
- Parmesan cheese - naturally high in free glutamate
- over-ripe tomatoes - naturally high in free glutamate
- mushrooms - naturally high in free glutamate
- Medications in gelcaps - contain free glutamic acid in the gelatin
- Cosmetics and shampoos - some now contain glutamic acid
- Fresh produce sprayed with Auxigro in the field.
Worcestershire? Really? Something else I need to toss out.
The really sad part is that our government values industry over us so this stuff stays in our food and the use is ever expanding.
More soon.....
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Doin' Time For A Crime You Didn't Commit
I don't think I'm overstating when I say that Wagon Wheel Lake Hike is like doin' time for a crime you didn't commit. It is not as hard as Mt. Rose which is 15 minutes closer. It doesn't have a good payoff. You are stuck with the workout as the payoff which doesn't really work for me. Here is Wagon Wheel Lake.
Here is the sign as you start the hike.
Really it should say, "Warning! If you want a great payoff on a nice day try Mt. Rose. This hike will leave you tired and unfulfilled unless you happen to be a masochist."
That would be more accurate. Here is the good news. When you are a force of 2 out in the middle of nowhere the quiet is fantastic and there are some can't miss views.
At the end of the day that's why I put myself through this stuff.
More soon.....
Friday, July 22, 2011
Teaching Athena To Play
Athena is about 3 1/2 years old now and she only knows pull toy and keep away (run away) for play. She is generally a little nervous when I try to wrestle with her up close. She wants to play but really doesn't know how.
Last night she was bugging us to play so I took off my glasses and got down on all fours and dropped my head down. I read somewhere that that is the universal dog language for "what happens next is play." She seemed interested so I started picking at her by swatting at her paws. She tends to growl a lot when she plays, and it can sound menacing. She also has these playful lunges that take a little getting used to.
I was down "wrestling" with her for about 5 minutes before she took off to get a toy to play tug of war with. That was a record for her! She is way too good at tug of war - requiring you to have a lot of strength. Again, she growls the whole time and it gets worse if you pull with one hand and scratch her head with the other. Here is a little video of her playing pull toy.
Last night she was bugging us to play so I took off my glasses and got down on all fours and dropped my head down. I read somewhere that that is the universal dog language for "what happens next is play." She seemed interested so I started picking at her by swatting at her paws. She tends to growl a lot when she plays, and it can sound menacing. She also has these playful lunges that take a little getting used to.
I was down "wrestling" with her for about 5 minutes before she took off to get a toy to play tug of war with. That was a record for her! She is way too good at tug of war - requiring you to have a lot of strength. Again, she growls the whole time and it gets worse if you pull with one hand and scratch her head with the other. Here is a little video of her playing pull toy.
We are off to hike Wagon Wheel Lake tomorrow on the Olympic Peninsula. It is the only trail I know of that has a warning sign at the trailhead that says it is the hardest trail in the area. Not surprisingly, we are currently a force of 2. We have had a maybe, a no and a lot of silence so far.
I hope you like the video. I'll try to catch some more Athena moments.
More soon.....
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Organic Dairy - Worth It Or Not?
Organic this- organic that. Blah Blah Blah. You are probably getting tired of seeing the word organic in this blog. If you make No other change I recommend, make the change to organic dairy. Here's the facts.
Cows that produce USDA certified Organic dairy products are Fed organic feed raised on land certified as meeting national organic growing standards. In addition they are raised in conditions which limit stress and promote health. They are cared for as individuals by dairy professionals who value animal health, and are not given routine treatments of antibiotics or growth hormones. Lets take this one item at a time.
They are fed organic (including non-GMO) feed. Since the feed is organic you are not having herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals passed to you. For those of you who don't know about GMOs they are genetically modified organisms or simply seeds that have been modified - usually by grafting a virus in the cells - so they can then attach herbicides and pesticides into the seed. This makes plants that you can spray with Round Up and they won't die. Sounds tasty Huh? Clean feed makes clean food.
The animals are raised in a low stress environment that promotes health - meaning that no stress hormones are passed to you in the food either. We get enough hormones already and don't need additional ones from either the stress of the animal or the bovine growth hormone that they add to the feed in non-organic dairy farms.
The other item that they are not regularly dosed with is antibiotics. We have created super infections by overusing antibiotics and we don't need an additional supply of them in our milk or yogurt.
It is no stretch in logic to think that better treated and more naturally fed cows will produce more healthy and better tasting milk.
For all of you animal lovers out there, an organically grown dairy cow lives longer than it's "conventionally" grown counterpart. This means that they will also need replacing later so less resources will go into growing replacements.
The organic product tastes better. Try it and you'll be a convert too.
Recipe:
Yesterday I did the squash pasta like it prior posts and used a sauce that goes like this.
Thinly slice 1/2 medium onion and saute in olive oil until soft - a couple of minutes, add 2-3 cloves of garlic - minced and stir for 1 minute. add 2/3 cup dry white wine - I used a Sauvignon Blanc. Let the wine cook down to 1/2 to 1/3 and add 15 cherry tomatoes halved and 1/3 cup fresh peas. cook for 1 minute. Add squash pasta and 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
More soon......
Cows that produce USDA certified Organic dairy products are Fed organic feed raised on land certified as meeting national organic growing standards. In addition they are raised in conditions which limit stress and promote health. They are cared for as individuals by dairy professionals who value animal health, and are not given routine treatments of antibiotics or growth hormones. Lets take this one item at a time.
They are fed organic (including non-GMO) feed. Since the feed is organic you are not having herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals passed to you. For those of you who don't know about GMOs they are genetically modified organisms or simply seeds that have been modified - usually by grafting a virus in the cells - so they can then attach herbicides and pesticides into the seed. This makes plants that you can spray with Round Up and they won't die. Sounds tasty Huh? Clean feed makes clean food.
The animals are raised in a low stress environment that promotes health - meaning that no stress hormones are passed to you in the food either. We get enough hormones already and don't need additional ones from either the stress of the animal or the bovine growth hormone that they add to the feed in non-organic dairy farms.
The other item that they are not regularly dosed with is antibiotics. We have created super infections by overusing antibiotics and we don't need an additional supply of them in our milk or yogurt.
It is no stretch in logic to think that better treated and more naturally fed cows will produce more healthy and better tasting milk.
For all of you animal lovers out there, an organically grown dairy cow lives longer than it's "conventionally" grown counterpart. This means that they will also need replacing later so less resources will go into growing replacements.
The organic product tastes better. Try it and you'll be a convert too.
Recipe:
Yesterday I did the squash pasta like it prior posts and used a sauce that goes like this.
Thinly slice 1/2 medium onion and saute in olive oil until soft - a couple of minutes, add 2-3 cloves of garlic - minced and stir for 1 minute. add 2/3 cup dry white wine - I used a Sauvignon Blanc. Let the wine cook down to 1/2 to 1/3 and add 15 cherry tomatoes halved and 1/3 cup fresh peas. cook for 1 minute. Add squash pasta and 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
More soon......
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Plateaus And Medium Clothes
I know everyone that has ever tried to lose weight has encountered plateaus along the way. My current one is 207. For weeks now that is what I see on the scale every morning. Hike 15 miles up to Lena Lake - 207. Hike up Granite Mountain 7+ miles - 207. Walk way too fast with Athena - 207.
This stuff would really bum me out if I didn't just walk 6.43 miles with Athena in 1:25 wearing a new MEDIUM size shirt. That's right MEDIUM! Less than 2 years ago I was wearing Extra Large and sometimes XXL. So while the weight isn't currently changing, my body is. I suppose that is the goal anyway. The numbers don't say what your state of health is. The charts all say that I am overweight and will be when I reach my goal of 195. At that point I really won't care what the charts say. Who writes those charts anyway - some psycho, vegan, meat is murder type? Not that I have anything against vegans. Hell, I may become one. Who knows?
The other good news is the left hip seems to have resolved itself. I couldn't be happier about that. My real goal for all of this stuff is less trips to the Doctor. When I don't feel like exercising I think about the extra trips to the doctor that my laziness would result in. When I feel like some unhealthy food I think about some prescription with the inevitable side effects. This is maybe not the most positive way to stay motivated, but it has been reasonably effective.
How do they sell prescription drugs to anyone with those commercials? Ten seconds on the potential benefits and 90 seconds on all of the terrible things likely to happen to you as side effects. I've sold stuff most of my life and those commercials fail the feature - benefit analysis.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready for Summer to begin. I want to have to get up really early to avoid the heat on my walks with Athena. It is nearly 2/3rds of the way through July! I'm not asking too much am I?
This stuff would really bum me out if I didn't just walk 6.43 miles with Athena in 1:25 wearing a new MEDIUM size shirt. That's right MEDIUM! Less than 2 years ago I was wearing Extra Large and sometimes XXL. So while the weight isn't currently changing, my body is. I suppose that is the goal anyway. The numbers don't say what your state of health is. The charts all say that I am overweight and will be when I reach my goal of 195. At that point I really won't care what the charts say. Who writes those charts anyway - some psycho, vegan, meat is murder type? Not that I have anything against vegans. Hell, I may become one. Who knows?
The other good news is the left hip seems to have resolved itself. I couldn't be happier about that. My real goal for all of this stuff is less trips to the Doctor. When I don't feel like exercising I think about the extra trips to the doctor that my laziness would result in. When I feel like some unhealthy food I think about some prescription with the inevitable side effects. This is maybe not the most positive way to stay motivated, but it has been reasonably effective.
How do they sell prescription drugs to anyone with those commercials? Ten seconds on the potential benefits and 90 seconds on all of the terrible things likely to happen to you as side effects. I've sold stuff most of my life and those commercials fail the feature - benefit analysis.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready for Summer to begin. I want to have to get up really early to avoid the heat on my walks with Athena. It is nearly 2/3rds of the way through July! I'm not asking too much am I?
Athena thinks that would be good as well.
More soon.....
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Hydration Facts And Stuff
You always hear that you need to stay hydrated when you exercise and even that it helps in fat burning. If you're like me hearing THAT you need to do something isn't as useful as knowing WHY you should so here it goes.
When you don't properly hydrate the first thing that happens is your blood volume decreases because blood is primarily composed from water. That results in your blood pressure going down and reducing the blood flow to your muscles so that they can't operate efficiently anymore. Your body then attempts to compensate by raising your heart rate, but that doesn't help either. That results in more fluid loss and overheating. That results in premature exhaustion and less performance. Since it is your muscles that actually burn the fat, No hydration - no fat burning!
So how does one properly hydrate?
Start before you exercise. Have at least 12 ounces of water before you begin your exercise. That will get your muscles working and help to keep your body temperature down as well.
You need to drink about 10 ounces of water per 15 minutes of exercise, so if you are doing an hour long spin class you need to drink more than a quart of water.
The easiest way to keep yourself hydrated is with a hydration pack. The other helpful thing is to filter your own water at home. I know this works because it worked for me.
Exercise:
Today Athena was feeling fast so we busted out the 6.3 mile route in 1:20 and some change. I ran out of my 70 oz. water pack along the way. Athena sources water from freshly sprinkled lawns as we go.
Recipe:
So we have squash coming ripe daily right now as well as peas, peppers, garlic, 3 types of basil and more. Last night I made "spaghetti" from 2 decent sized cocozelle squashes and made a sauce from onion, thin sliced garlic, Anaheim pepper, Tomatoes, Lots of basil (1 cup of chopped mix of Thai, Genovese, and sweet basil)
I lightly sauteed the onions and pepper then added the garlic for about 1 minute. Then added 2 cans of organic diced tomatoes. Let that cook down for 5 or 6 minutes and then add 2/3 cup fresh peas and the basil and cook another minute. Then add the squash and toss for 1 or 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some freshly grated Romano cheese.
Enjoy!
More soon.....
When you don't properly hydrate the first thing that happens is your blood volume decreases because blood is primarily composed from water. That results in your blood pressure going down and reducing the blood flow to your muscles so that they can't operate efficiently anymore. Your body then attempts to compensate by raising your heart rate, but that doesn't help either. That results in more fluid loss and overheating. That results in premature exhaustion and less performance. Since it is your muscles that actually burn the fat, No hydration - no fat burning!
So how does one properly hydrate?
Start before you exercise. Have at least 12 ounces of water before you begin your exercise. That will get your muscles working and help to keep your body temperature down as well.
You need to drink about 10 ounces of water per 15 minutes of exercise, so if you are doing an hour long spin class you need to drink more than a quart of water.
The easiest way to keep yourself hydrated is with a hydration pack. The other helpful thing is to filter your own water at home. I know this works because it worked for me.
Exercise:
Today Athena was feeling fast so we busted out the 6.3 mile route in 1:20 and some change. I ran out of my 70 oz. water pack along the way. Athena sources water from freshly sprinkled lawns as we go.
Recipe:
So we have squash coming ripe daily right now as well as peas, peppers, garlic, 3 types of basil and more. Last night I made "spaghetti" from 2 decent sized cocozelle squashes and made a sauce from onion, thin sliced garlic, Anaheim pepper, Tomatoes, Lots of basil (1 cup of chopped mix of Thai, Genovese, and sweet basil)
I lightly sauteed the onions and pepper then added the garlic for about 1 minute. Then added 2 cans of organic diced tomatoes. Let that cook down for 5 or 6 minutes and then add 2/3 cup fresh peas and the basil and cook another minute. Then add the squash and toss for 1 or 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some freshly grated Romano cheese.
Enjoy!
More soon.....
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Best Laid Plans Or Something
OK. The Vashon Strawberry Festival was fun. There was an estimated 10% of Pam's graduating class at the reunion gig of 3 of her classmates. As far as food goes here's what we ate. Chicken curry on rice, Grilled Chicken sandwich - unfortunately on a white bun, and a Chicken Gyro Sandwich. I can justify most of it except for the white bun and the pita. We knew there would have to be exceptions.
So today we were off to Granite Mountain off of I-90. It is an 8.6 mile round trip hike with about 4000 feet of elevation gain when you follow the trail. In the winter - or mid July some times - the trail gets covered by snow at some point and you take the "Winter" route which just means you cut out the switchback and go straight for the fire lookout. That was our plan when we hit snow at 3.2 miles into the hike.
Here are a couple of shots from near the top.
So today we were off to Granite Mountain off of I-90. It is an 8.6 mile round trip hike with about 4000 feet of elevation gain when you follow the trail. In the winter - or mid July some times - the trail gets covered by snow at some point and you take the "Winter" route which just means you cut out the switchback and go straight for the fire lookout. That was our plan when we hit snow at 3.2 miles into the hike.
It sounds kind of weak now, but we followed the snow up for about 1/2 mile before Pam had seen enough walking along corniced snow - in some places you had to take 3-5 steps on snow no wider than 18 inches with a large dropoff to the right and boulders of granite to the left. We bailed at an enticingly close 1/3 mile to the lookout and opted to live to hike again.Here are a couple of shots from near the top.
As usual on a hike we met a new friend as well.
So as we were driving home from the ferry yesterday I noticed that Massimo's had a message on their reader board that they would open today. As we were driving home from Granite Mountain we had that hungry conversation about what we would eat when we got home and showered. A natural was the grilled chicken wraps I had made for lunch that neither of us remembered to grab today, but Italian food won out and we went to Massimo's. For those of you who don't know, they opened up where Captain Nemo's was on Bridgeport in Tacoma. The food was fantastic! And that's not just the hike talking! Pam had a chicken dish that had a Lemon and rosemary sauce, and I had Halibut on a Puttanesca sauce! Just go there. The food is really great.
I'm tired so that's all for now.
More soon.......
Friday, July 15, 2011
Festival Preparation
Tomorrow is the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival. We'll make our yearly trek to the island so Pam can see her friends from high school. They have a parade that has to be experienced. A couple of highlights are the tractors and the shopping cart brigade.
There will be lots of music, including some made by some of Pam's friends.
Then there is the festival food. This is where it gets difficult for me. There just isn't a lot of stuff you can buy from a food cart that I will eat. I will definitely have to relax my policy on chicken if I eat any there. I doubt they are sourcing organic, free range birds. I won't relax my policy on fried foods. I don't eat any of them. Really!
Last year there was a salad stand ran by some Kiwanis or Lions Club that was OK. Again, I can't expect organic greens, but a green option anyway. There is a small organic restaurant on the island I could sneak off to I suppose.
On another subject, I made some small repairs to the RV today and discovered why the generator wasn't powering the AC stuff in the rig - there was a tripped GFI outlet on the outside that I reset and everything worked. I'd like to meet the rocket scientist that set the electrical up in such a way that an external GFI trip could keep the generator and electronic pilot light for the water heater from working. Pure Genius!
Recipe:
Not that grilled cheese is the best thing you can eat, but this is good!
2 slices Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grain Bread
Thinly sliced extra sharp cheddar
Sun dried Tomatoes (I use the non oil ones. If you use the other allow some time for draining and use the oil for the bread)
Olive Oil
Spray or lightly brush olive oil on one side of each piece of bread. Put one layer of cheese and a layer of sun dried tomatoes on bread add top piece of bread and grill until golden brown.
Enjoy!
More soon.....
There will be lots of music, including some made by some of Pam's friends.
Then there is the festival food. This is where it gets difficult for me. There just isn't a lot of stuff you can buy from a food cart that I will eat. I will definitely have to relax my policy on chicken if I eat any there. I doubt they are sourcing organic, free range birds. I won't relax my policy on fried foods. I don't eat any of them. Really!
Last year there was a salad stand ran by some Kiwanis or Lions Club that was OK. Again, I can't expect organic greens, but a green option anyway. There is a small organic restaurant on the island I could sneak off to I suppose.
On another subject, I made some small repairs to the RV today and discovered why the generator wasn't powering the AC stuff in the rig - there was a tripped GFI outlet on the outside that I reset and everything worked. I'd like to meet the rocket scientist that set the electrical up in such a way that an external GFI trip could keep the generator and electronic pilot light for the water heater from working. Pure Genius!
Recipe:
Not that grilled cheese is the best thing you can eat, but this is good!
2 slices Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grain Bread
Thinly sliced extra sharp cheddar
Sun dried Tomatoes (I use the non oil ones. If you use the other allow some time for draining and use the oil for the bread)
Olive Oil
Spray or lightly brush olive oil on one side of each piece of bread. Put one layer of cheese and a layer of sun dried tomatoes on bread add top piece of bread and grill until golden brown.
Enjoy!
More soon.....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
No Rain Coats, Garden News And A Recipe
Not that we should need them in mid July, but we headed out for a walk this morning in a very light drizzle. It seemed OK so we took off. We didn't get very far before it got worse and we turned around. I didn't have one of my 3 or 4 rain coats and Athena didn't have one of her 2, but the worst was my cell phone didn't have one either. We ended up with 2.8 miles which is likely better than a sharp stick in the eye although I have never had a sharp stick in the eye so I can't be sure.
I was born and bred in Tacoma and should be used to this crappy summer weather, but I continue to let it bug me.
Garden news:
We got started a little early this year with gardening. We sprouted some seeds inside and moved them to little pots in the green house prior to planting them in the ground. We also did 2 4x4 raised beds with greens that we covered with plastic until the weather warmed up. We have been enjoying lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, collards and chard for months now.
Our first planting of radishes are already gone and we just started getting beets as well.
Our zucchini has just begun coming ripe as well as some peppers in the green house, and we have harvested a couple of hundred peas.
Last night we picked our first 5 raspberries. The tomato plants are huge and some have fruit although it is still green fruit right now.
For the peppers and tomatoes I am using self watering containers that allow the plants to "wick" water from the roots instead of top watering them. That way you can put a small amount of organic fertilizer on the soil and allow it to slowly leach into the soil so you don't ever burn the plant or under feed them. Both the peppers and the tomatoes have loved the containers. The plants are huge and healthy. I'll keep you posted on the output as the summer goes along.
We have also been harvesting Basil - 3 types - and oregano - 3 or 4 types for about a month.
Gardening really is the first line of defense for those of us trying to eat clean and organic. What can be fresher than something right off of the vine?
The self watering containers are really easy to make. You need 5 gallon buckets, small plastic pots, some 1 inch PVC and the hole saws to cut the holes for the small pot and the PVC in the inside bucket. The small pot in the middle of the bucket has holes drilled in it and you pack it with soil and water it in and then fill the bucket with soil 3 or 4 inches at a time watering each addition until you get to the height to add the plant. You then water it for the last time from the top and fill the bottom bucket through the PVC water tube. From there you need to water every week at the beginning and watch as they get bigger as they will use more water as they grow. I can provide actual plans for the setup if anyone is interested.
Recipe:
Zucchini "Pasta" with Pesto
You need either a mandolin slicer with a shoestring slicing grid or patience and knife skills to do this. You run the squash through the mandolin and it becomes your "pasta." You then make your favorite pesto and toss the squash with it and let it sit for a couple of hours to soften the squash. It is really good and healthy for you.
Pesto:
2 cups herbs. (Parsley, Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Oregano, Spinach, Kale, Arugula) Make this stuff to your taste. If you like strong flavors add some arugula or kale. If you don't use all basil. I like to use a different mix every time I make pesto.
2-4 cloves garlic (Or 1-4 tbsp roasted garlic) Again to taste. It isn't really pesto without garlic, but the roasted garlic option gives you a sweeter garlic flavor.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This you use what you need to get the right consistency. See instructions below.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Cheese - NOT the stuff in the green can! The end product is only as good as the ingredients.
Nuts Either Pine nuts ($20 per pound) or walnuts (Much less) and you can use raw or toast in a dry pan and allow to cool. I suggest you try bath at some time and decide for yourself which you like.
Other Additional Ideas: Sun dried tomatoes, Olives, Artichoke hearts, ?. I like the "ready to eat" sun dried tomatoes. They are not in oil so they hold their shape and color better. The ones in oil tend to blend out and the color of the pesto goes kind of baby poop orange.
Instructions: Add herbs to food processor and turn on. Add garlic and nuts and process. drizzle in oil until you get the right consistency. I like mine reasonably thick, but not chunky. If you plan to add additional items add them now. 1/3 cup of sun dried tomatoes works very well. Next add the cheese and taste. About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan is what I use. Add salt and pepper to taste now and toss with hot pasta or the squash.
Other Uses: Pesto is great for the following:
Spread on a sandwich
A Tablespoon in the middle of a bowl of Minestrone
A swap for the normal sauce on your potato salad - Trust Me! You'll be the star of the pot luck!
Afraid to do this for potato salad? How about pasta salad?
Etc.
More soon.....
I was born and bred in Tacoma and should be used to this crappy summer weather, but I continue to let it bug me.
Garden news:
We got started a little early this year with gardening. We sprouted some seeds inside and moved them to little pots in the green house prior to planting them in the ground. We also did 2 4x4 raised beds with greens that we covered with plastic until the weather warmed up. We have been enjoying lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, collards and chard for months now.
 |
| 2 Types of Kale, Collards, and 2 kinds of Chard. |
 |
| 2 Types of lettuce and what's left of the spinach. I need to plant more spinach. |
Our first planting of radishes are already gone and we just started getting beets as well.
 |
| Beets |
Our zucchini has just begun coming ripe as well as some peppers in the green house, and we have harvested a couple of hundred peas.
 |
| Squash |
 |
| Peppers in the Green House |
 |
| Peas and Squash |
Last night we picked our first 5 raspberries. The tomato plants are huge and some have fruit although it is still green fruit right now.
 |
| Tomato Land |
For the peppers and tomatoes I am using self watering containers that allow the plants to "wick" water from the roots instead of top watering them. That way you can put a small amount of organic fertilizer on the soil and allow it to slowly leach into the soil so you don't ever burn the plant or under feed them. Both the peppers and the tomatoes have loved the containers. The plants are huge and healthy. I'll keep you posted on the output as the summer goes along.
We have also been harvesting Basil - 3 types - and oregano - 3 or 4 types for about a month.
 |
| Oregano |
 |
| Basil |
 |
| More Basil |
Gardening really is the first line of defense for those of us trying to eat clean and organic. What can be fresher than something right off of the vine?
The self watering containers are really easy to make. You need 5 gallon buckets, small plastic pots, some 1 inch PVC and the hole saws to cut the holes for the small pot and the PVC in the inside bucket. The small pot in the middle of the bucket has holes drilled in it and you pack it with soil and water it in and then fill the bucket with soil 3 or 4 inches at a time watering each addition until you get to the height to add the plant. You then water it for the last time from the top and fill the bottom bucket through the PVC water tube. From there you need to water every week at the beginning and watch as they get bigger as they will use more water as they grow. I can provide actual plans for the setup if anyone is interested.
|
| You can see that there are 2 buckets for each plant and the white tubing is the PVC. |
Recipe:
Zucchini "Pasta" with Pesto
You need either a mandolin slicer with a shoestring slicing grid or patience and knife skills to do this. You run the squash through the mandolin and it becomes your "pasta." You then make your favorite pesto and toss the squash with it and let it sit for a couple of hours to soften the squash. It is really good and healthy for you.
Pesto:
2 cups herbs. (Parsley, Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Oregano, Spinach, Kale, Arugula) Make this stuff to your taste. If you like strong flavors add some arugula or kale. If you don't use all basil. I like to use a different mix every time I make pesto.
2-4 cloves garlic (Or 1-4 tbsp roasted garlic) Again to taste. It isn't really pesto without garlic, but the roasted garlic option gives you a sweeter garlic flavor.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This you use what you need to get the right consistency. See instructions below.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Cheese - NOT the stuff in the green can! The end product is only as good as the ingredients.
Nuts Either Pine nuts ($20 per pound) or walnuts (Much less) and you can use raw or toast in a dry pan and allow to cool. I suggest you try bath at some time and decide for yourself which you like.
Other Additional Ideas: Sun dried tomatoes, Olives, Artichoke hearts, ?. I like the "ready to eat" sun dried tomatoes. They are not in oil so they hold their shape and color better. The ones in oil tend to blend out and the color of the pesto goes kind of baby poop orange.
Instructions: Add herbs to food processor and turn on. Add garlic and nuts and process. drizzle in oil until you get the right consistency. I like mine reasonably thick, but not chunky. If you plan to add additional items add them now. 1/3 cup of sun dried tomatoes works very well. Next add the cheese and taste. About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan is what I use. Add salt and pepper to taste now and toss with hot pasta or the squash.
Other Uses: Pesto is great for the following:
Spread on a sandwich
A Tablespoon in the middle of a bowl of Minestrone
A swap for the normal sauce on your potato salad - Trust Me! You'll be the star of the pot luck!
Afraid to do this for potato salad? How about pasta salad?
Etc.
More soon.....
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Pictures Of Athena And Stuff
They say a picture paints a thousand word so here are some pictures I like.
As far as the Crater Lake pictures go, I am not that good of a photographer. Crater Lake is just hard to take a bad picture of. We still need to go back to Crater Lake to climb Mt Scott when you can actually get to the trail head. We plan on a first light climb so we can shoot the lake in that perfect morning light.
More soon.....
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| Me and My Girls on Paulina Peak In Oregon |
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| Athena On Day One Of The RV Trip |
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| Athena Protecting Her Sleeping Aunt Nancy In The RV |
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| Proof That Dog Walks Woman Too |
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| My Girls Chilling In The RV |
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| Athena In The RV So Tired She Can't Keep Her Eyes Open |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Athena Likes To Go Under An Afghan and Get Her Head Stuck On Purpose |
As far as the Crater Lake pictures go, I am not that good of a photographer. Crater Lake is just hard to take a bad picture of. We still need to go back to Crater Lake to climb Mt Scott when you can actually get to the trail head. We plan on a first light climb so we can shoot the lake in that perfect morning light.
More soon.....
Monday, July 11, 2011
Let's Talk About Meat
Here are some facts. Since the end of World War II the risk of breast cancer has risen from one in 22 to one in 8. Diabetes has increased over 1000% since 1933. At the turn of the century there was very little heart disease but the rate rose so fast between 1940 and 1967 that the World Health Organization called it the most serious epidemic.
Since the end of World War II huge changes happened in meat packing and production. Prior to that nearly all cattle were free grazed and their diet was grasses. They came to their ultimate size naturally. Chickens were also allowed to roam around and eat grass and other grains. They also were allowed to naturally get to their ultimate size.
Now cattle are kept like sardines in feed lots and fed corn. This is done to speed up the rate at which they get to their ultimate size. Corn is fed because it is cheap. The corn is cheap because we pay subsidies through our taxes that pay corn farmers to over produce it. The feed lots actually buy the feed for less than it costs to grow - thanks to us.
Chickens are kept as tightly packed in huge barns without windows. In both cases the tight proximity means that any disease is quickly spread so the animals are regularly dosed with antibiotics and steroids. They can't even spot some of the sick cows until it is time to move them to slaughter and they can't stand on their own.
Cattle won't eat corn on their own. You have to give them no choice. The corn makes them grow faster which sounds good except that it also means that the meat has very high triglycerides that raise the triglycerides levels in whoever eats it.
In both chickens and cattle the proximity also increases the stress level of the animals which directly affects the hormone levels in the meats.
It seems unlikely that the changes in the way the meat is grown and fed is not partially to blame for the rise in cancers and diabetes. With all of the new drugs and treatments for both diseases you would have expected the rates to decline, but - with the exception of lung cancer- the rates have risen. Scary huh?
The good news is that there are many local sources nearly everywhere for organic free range birds and organic grass fed beef.
Exercise:
Athena drug me around our favorite 6.3 mile route in 1:24 this morning. My left hip was talking a little, but we didn't listen. Is it odd that it didn't bug me on a grueling 15 mile hike to Upper Lena Lake, but it does walking the dog? If I felt like spending a bunch of money I'd ask my doctor.
Recipe:
Pasta with a simple Tomato Sauce (15-20 minutes total prep and cooking)
1 Pkg Whole wheat Spaghetti
1 Can Organic diced tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic - sliced very thinly
Fresh Basil
Olive oil
Parmesan
Get pasta boiling. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in saute pan. Add garlic and stir constantly for a minute or just until garlic starts to turn tan. Add Tomatoes and let them cook about 5 minutes on fairly high heat. Salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce and add 10-12 basil leaves - either torn or roll them up and cut in 1/8 inch slices making confetti. Stir for 1 minute and take off heat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Want something hotter? Add a good pinch of red pepper flakes and swap the basil for chopped olives and or capers. If you use capers watch the salt as the capers are very salty.
More soon.....
Since the end of World War II huge changes happened in meat packing and production. Prior to that nearly all cattle were free grazed and their diet was grasses. They came to their ultimate size naturally. Chickens were also allowed to roam around and eat grass and other grains. They also were allowed to naturally get to their ultimate size.
Now cattle are kept like sardines in feed lots and fed corn. This is done to speed up the rate at which they get to their ultimate size. Corn is fed because it is cheap. The corn is cheap because we pay subsidies through our taxes that pay corn farmers to over produce it. The feed lots actually buy the feed for less than it costs to grow - thanks to us.
Chickens are kept as tightly packed in huge barns without windows. In both cases the tight proximity means that any disease is quickly spread so the animals are regularly dosed with antibiotics and steroids. They can't even spot some of the sick cows until it is time to move them to slaughter and they can't stand on their own.
Cattle won't eat corn on their own. You have to give them no choice. The corn makes them grow faster which sounds good except that it also means that the meat has very high triglycerides that raise the triglycerides levels in whoever eats it.
In both chickens and cattle the proximity also increases the stress level of the animals which directly affects the hormone levels in the meats.
It seems unlikely that the changes in the way the meat is grown and fed is not partially to blame for the rise in cancers and diabetes. With all of the new drugs and treatments for both diseases you would have expected the rates to decline, but - with the exception of lung cancer- the rates have risen. Scary huh?
The good news is that there are many local sources nearly everywhere for organic free range birds and organic grass fed beef.
Exercise:
Athena drug me around our favorite 6.3 mile route in 1:24 this morning. My left hip was talking a little, but we didn't listen. Is it odd that it didn't bug me on a grueling 15 mile hike to Upper Lena Lake, but it does walking the dog? If I felt like spending a bunch of money I'd ask my doctor.
Recipe:
Pasta with a simple Tomato Sauce (15-20 minutes total prep and cooking)
1 Pkg Whole wheat Spaghetti
1 Can Organic diced tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic - sliced very thinly
Fresh Basil
Olive oil
Parmesan
Get pasta boiling. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in saute pan. Add garlic and stir constantly for a minute or just until garlic starts to turn tan. Add Tomatoes and let them cook about 5 minutes on fairly high heat. Salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce and add 10-12 basil leaves - either torn or roll them up and cut in 1/8 inch slices making confetti. Stir for 1 minute and take off heat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Want something hotter? Add a good pinch of red pepper flakes and swap the basil for chopped olives and or capers. If you use capers watch the salt as the capers are very salty.
More soon.....
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Upper Lena Lake: Day Hike? Not So Much...
On the trail at 8 AM Pam, Sherrie and I headed for Upper Lena Lake on a nice Saturday. We cruised to Lower Lena Lake, making the 3 miles in just over 1 hour. We took in some calories and headed up the trail for the upper lake. Early into the upper trail we met Terry who asked if he could hike with us as he had seen a black bear on the trail and didn't want to hike alone so off we went.
In the summer ( maybe late summer this year) there are 5 or 6 creek crossings on the trail. Yesterday there were more like 20 with some areas where the trail itself was a creek. On we pressed making it to 5 miles quickly with only spotty snow on the trail. We came to a fairly steep slope we had to get across that required us to break trail in the snow that covered the trail. It was a tense time and at the end of the snow section we had to jump 3 feet down to the trail. From there the trail became steep. We learned later that the last mile had 1600 feet of elevation gain.
We found occasional trail markers in the trees and needed my GPS as well as Terry's GPS and the topographical maps we printed out to keep ourselves close to the trail. If not for Terry's memory of his last hike to the upper lake (11 years ago) and my GPS having Topo maps of the National Parks so I could see when we were getting closer to the picture of the lake we would have had to turn back.
We finally made it to the lake in 7.44 miles - a little more than the route is supposed to be. Here is what Upper Lena Lake looked like as of 7/9/2011.
In the summer ( maybe late summer this year) there are 5 or 6 creek crossings on the trail. Yesterday there were more like 20 with some areas where the trail itself was a creek. On we pressed making it to 5 miles quickly with only spotty snow on the trail. We came to a fairly steep slope we had to get across that required us to break trail in the snow that covered the trail. It was a tense time and at the end of the snow section we had to jump 3 feet down to the trail. From there the trail became steep. We learned later that the last mile had 1600 feet of elevation gain.
We found occasional trail markers in the trees and needed my GPS as well as Terry's GPS and the topographical maps we printed out to keep ourselves close to the trail. If not for Terry's memory of his last hike to the upper lake (11 years ago) and my GPS having Topo maps of the National Parks so I could see when we were getting closer to the picture of the lake we would have had to turn back.
We finally made it to the lake in 7.44 miles - a little more than the route is supposed to be. Here is what Upper Lena Lake looked like as of 7/9/2011.
This is probably a good time to mention that the last trail report I read said that if you were going to the upper lake you should have crampons and an ice ax. In hindsight, that would have been appropriate.
As proud as we were to break trail and find our way to the lake, we were quickly reminded of the downside of breaking a trail in an area where you could get into a lot of trouble without proper equipment. We ran into about 20 people who had followed our tracks up to within .8 of a mile to the lake. We were able to accurately explain what they were looking at and turned most of them around with the exception of a lone female backpacker with no snow gear who asked if we had cell service as she wanted to make a reservation for a camp site at the upper lake. We explained that we wouldn't attempt it without an ice ax and she said she had a hatchet and would go another 1/2 hour and maybe turn back.
The total hike turned out to be 14.6 miles and took just under 10 hours! Needless to say, we are wrecked today. We will take it easy and make our way to Art on the Ave later today to stretch our legs out.
In the summer when the trail is clear I would say that Upper Lena Lake is a strenuous day hike for experienced hikers, and in the snow it is a large challenge for well equipped, experienced hikers. We will likely return for an overnight stay as there are 2 or 3 peaks you can climb from Upper Lena Lake.
Enjoy your Sunday!
More soon.....
Friday, July 8, 2011
Poisin Things And Something Great
I was watching the Tour De France and saw a commercial for Burger King's Bacon Ranch Tendercrisp Sandwich so I checked the nutritional facts on the Internet. How bad can a chicken sandwich be anyway? How about 870 calories with 50 grams of fat and a whopping 2230 mgs of sodium. They also deliver 10 gms of sugar as well. Wow! For most men who have a little weight to lose that is nearly half of the calories you should have in a day and enough fat for almost two days - not to mention the sodium which is more than a full days worth. For most women it is over half of daily calories, 2 days worth of fat and a pure sodium overload. The worst part is that no one has just the sandwich. You add fries and a coke and you can see why we are so fat.
On the news yesterday they said that 26% of the adults in Washington are obese. Even more are overweight. Only Colorado had under 20% of adults obese and they were 19+ % themselves. We can do better if we just get out of our own way. If you avoid the fast and processed food for 2 weeks I swear you won't miss it anymore. Cutting down on bad food is like cutting down on heroin - it doesn't work like that. You're either in or out. You either want to be healthier or you don't. Pick yourself to win.
Recipe: Broccoli Salad
Organic Broccoli (I use the Broccolette from Earthbound Farms when Costco has it)
Organic Red or Walla Walla Sweet Onion
Organic Raisins
Raw Sunflower seeds
Chop Broccoli after trimming 1 inch off of stems.( I chop about 3/4 inch chunks)
Thinly slice onion and then mince. Add raisins and sunflower seeds and dress with either your favorite organic dressing or try the one below. Unless you chop 3-4 lbs of broccoli you won't need all of the dressing below. Try a little and add more until you think it is right.
Dressing for salad:
1 lemon
1/4 cup vinegar (Balsamic or cider)
1/3 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Herbs to taste (I used basil and oregano in my last batch)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp good Mustard
1/2 tsp Agave sweetener or pure honey
Whip all ingredients until well mixed.
We eat this as a side dish as well as an addition to our salads. Athena loves when I make broccoli salad because she loves the stems. She even occasionally hides some for later when she is full.
I also make this with a hot sauce dressing which would have you replace the balsamic vinegar with hot sauce. It is really good as well, and not nearly as hot as you might think. The raisins and broccoli somehow sweeten the hot sauce. It really is good.
More soon.....
On the news yesterday they said that 26% of the adults in Washington are obese. Even more are overweight. Only Colorado had under 20% of adults obese and they were 19+ % themselves. We can do better if we just get out of our own way. If you avoid the fast and processed food for 2 weeks I swear you won't miss it anymore. Cutting down on bad food is like cutting down on heroin - it doesn't work like that. You're either in or out. You either want to be healthier or you don't. Pick yourself to win.
Recipe: Broccoli Salad
Organic Broccoli (I use the Broccolette from Earthbound Farms when Costco has it)
Organic Red or Walla Walla Sweet Onion
Organic Raisins
Raw Sunflower seeds
Chop Broccoli after trimming 1 inch off of stems.( I chop about 3/4 inch chunks)
Thinly slice onion and then mince. Add raisins and sunflower seeds and dress with either your favorite organic dressing or try the one below. Unless you chop 3-4 lbs of broccoli you won't need all of the dressing below. Try a little and add more until you think it is right.
Dressing for salad:
1 lemon
1/4 cup vinegar (Balsamic or cider)
1/3 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Herbs to taste (I used basil and oregano in my last batch)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp good Mustard
1/2 tsp Agave sweetener or pure honey
Whip all ingredients until well mixed.
We eat this as a side dish as well as an addition to our salads. Athena loves when I make broccoli salad because she loves the stems. She even occasionally hides some for later when she is full.
I also make this with a hot sauce dressing which would have you replace the balsamic vinegar with hot sauce. It is really good as well, and not nearly as hot as you might think. The raisins and broccoli somehow sweeten the hot sauce. It really is good.
More soon.....
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Pushing Through
Since St. Helens I have had a very stiff left hip when I walk with Athena. We did get in walks of 4.14 and 7.14 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday but there were no records set. I think we were both tired from the vacation. Pushing through....
Speaking of the vacation, picture this. Pam driving the RV - me in the passenger seat - Athena with both front legs across my lap looking outside. For about 1300 miles! Not exactly comfortable, but she felt safe there and that is the point. She believes I can fix whatever ails her, and that is a huge responsibility at times. I spent about a year trying to get her to believe in me - in us - and now that she does it seems I over sold the program to her. I will just try to live up to her expectations if I can.
The good news is that she didn't spend the entire 4th of July shaking like a leaf and inconsolable. She was fine as long as we were here which is very cool. Last year - even when drugged- she was in distress every time a firework went off. Progress...
Nutrition: Eating Out
When you are out at a restaurant trying to figure out what you can eat look for grilled stuff. Breaded means fried, and while pan fried in olive oil is better than deep fried, grilled is still preferable. We order our salads with one side of dressing and use about 1/3 of what they bring between us. Even if the sandwich you want doesn't come on wheat bread ask if they can swap it for you. No mayo or ketchup either. They are both loaded with sugar and the mayo has lots of fat too. Mustard is actually good for you, and if the restaurant makes their own ketchup and mayo they may be OK as well just get them on the side so you can control the amount you eat.
Recipe: Sort Of
I had a comment about cooking without eggs. I have used ground flax and water mixed to substitute for eggs in muffins before, but never in pancakes. There may be a way to make fluffy pancakes without eggs, but I know that separating the whites and whipping them makes big fluffy pancakes. If you need to avoid eggs go with whatever you need to do, but for the rest of you pancakes come out really great made with eggs and eggs have gotten a bad rap. We don't eat many, but we do buy organic cage free eggs when we do.
Athena is bugging me for something and I have to make some Broccoli salad - recipe in the next post - so that's it for now.
More soon.....
Speaking of the vacation, picture this. Pam driving the RV - me in the passenger seat - Athena with both front legs across my lap looking outside. For about 1300 miles! Not exactly comfortable, but she felt safe there and that is the point. She believes I can fix whatever ails her, and that is a huge responsibility at times. I spent about a year trying to get her to believe in me - in us - and now that she does it seems I over sold the program to her. I will just try to live up to her expectations if I can.
The good news is that she didn't spend the entire 4th of July shaking like a leaf and inconsolable. She was fine as long as we were here which is very cool. Last year - even when drugged- she was in distress every time a firework went off. Progress...
Nutrition: Eating Out
When you are out at a restaurant trying to figure out what you can eat look for grilled stuff. Breaded means fried, and while pan fried in olive oil is better than deep fried, grilled is still preferable. We order our salads with one side of dressing and use about 1/3 of what they bring between us. Even if the sandwich you want doesn't come on wheat bread ask if they can swap it for you. No mayo or ketchup either. They are both loaded with sugar and the mayo has lots of fat too. Mustard is actually good for you, and if the restaurant makes their own ketchup and mayo they may be OK as well just get them on the side so you can control the amount you eat.
Recipe: Sort Of
I had a comment about cooking without eggs. I have used ground flax and water mixed to substitute for eggs in muffins before, but never in pancakes. There may be a way to make fluffy pancakes without eggs, but I know that separating the whites and whipping them makes big fluffy pancakes. If you need to avoid eggs go with whatever you need to do, but for the rest of you pancakes come out really great made with eggs and eggs have gotten a bad rap. We don't eat many, but we do buy organic cage free eggs when we do.
Athena is bugging me for something and I have to make some Broccoli salad - recipe in the next post - so that's it for now.
More soon.....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Promised Recipes
The hardest part of travel and camping for me is eating clean while we're out. Since I don't look at having food that isn't good for me as a treat I am forced to create. Here is what we created for the trip.
Buckwheat Pancakes
2 cups Organic Buckwheat flour
2 cups Organic Wheat flour
1 cup nonfat organic yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
dash of salt
2 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 organic eggs
water
To make great pancakes you MUST separate the eggs. The whites go into a copper bowl and are whipped until stiff. The rest of the ingredients are mixed together until just smooth. Add enough water to get the consistency right - 1/2 to 1 cup depending on humidity, etc) Once everything is mixed FOLD in the whites until just mixed. Ladle onto a hot cast iron griddle and add organic blueberries if you want. These don't get really brown - more of a tan. Flip and finish and serve with fresh berries of pure maple syrup.
Grilled Red Snapper with brown rice, grilled asparagus and Bok Choy
Less is more with grilled fish so I lightly coat the fillets with olive oil and then salt and pepper to taste. If you want cajun use a rub or blackening spice to one side and put that side down first on a very hot grill that has been oiled as well.
Prior to cooking the fish cook the brown rice as directed as it takes close to one hour to finish.
Lightly brush the bok choy and asparagus with olive oil and then lightly salt and pepper it as well.
Grill along with the fish as they will all need 3 minuted a side to finish.
Enjoy.
Snapper Jambalaya
3 or 4 Snapper Fillets
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
1 can organic tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Wild rice (1 cup dry)
Cook wild rice per directions.
Saute onions - I used 1/2 a medium red onion. Add Mushrooms and saute - I sliced 6 medium crimini mushrooms, add garlic and snapper - 2 medium cloves of garlic. As the snapper cooks break it up with a spatula until it is in bite size pieces. Add 1 can tomatoes and season with salt pepper and hot sauce to desired heat level.
Add rice to a bowl and top with the snapper mix. Enjoy..
Don't like fish? Use chicken or a good non-nitrite chicken sausage.
For the Italian version swap out the hot sauce for fresh basil to taste - I used about 20 good sized leaves. Again, you can swap out other proteins or use zucchini instead of meat.
Fish Tacos
Same ingredients as above except no rice or tomatoes and add Whole Wheat tortillas. Make the same mixture as the jambalaya but skip the tomatoes. While cooking the mix put some tortillas in foil and throw it on the grill and flip often for 5 minutes or so. Build your tacos and enjoy....
Whew! There are the promised recipes from the camping trip. We are both still a little sore from St Helens part duex, but it is always worth the pain when you get a great summit view.
More soon.....
Buckwheat Pancakes
2 cups Organic Buckwheat flour
2 cups Organic Wheat flour
1 cup nonfat organic yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
dash of salt
2 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 organic eggs
water
To make great pancakes you MUST separate the eggs. The whites go into a copper bowl and are whipped until stiff. The rest of the ingredients are mixed together until just smooth. Add enough water to get the consistency right - 1/2 to 1 cup depending on humidity, etc) Once everything is mixed FOLD in the whites until just mixed. Ladle onto a hot cast iron griddle and add organic blueberries if you want. These don't get really brown - more of a tan. Flip and finish and serve with fresh berries of pure maple syrup.
Grilled Red Snapper with brown rice, grilled asparagus and Bok Choy
Less is more with grilled fish so I lightly coat the fillets with olive oil and then salt and pepper to taste. If you want cajun use a rub or blackening spice to one side and put that side down first on a very hot grill that has been oiled as well.
Prior to cooking the fish cook the brown rice as directed as it takes close to one hour to finish.
Lightly brush the bok choy and asparagus with olive oil and then lightly salt and pepper it as well.
Grill along with the fish as they will all need 3 minuted a side to finish.
Enjoy.
Snapper Jambalaya
3 or 4 Snapper Fillets
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
1 can organic tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Wild rice (1 cup dry)
Cook wild rice per directions.
Saute onions - I used 1/2 a medium red onion. Add Mushrooms and saute - I sliced 6 medium crimini mushrooms, add garlic and snapper - 2 medium cloves of garlic. As the snapper cooks break it up with a spatula until it is in bite size pieces. Add 1 can tomatoes and season with salt pepper and hot sauce to desired heat level.
Add rice to a bowl and top with the snapper mix. Enjoy..
Don't like fish? Use chicken or a good non-nitrite chicken sausage.
For the Italian version swap out the hot sauce for fresh basil to taste - I used about 20 good sized leaves. Again, you can swap out other proteins or use zucchini instead of meat.
Fish Tacos
Same ingredients as above except no rice or tomatoes and add Whole Wheat tortillas. Make the same mixture as the jambalaya but skip the tomatoes. While cooking the mix put some tortillas in foil and throw it on the grill and flip often for 5 minutes or so. Build your tacos and enjoy....
Whew! There are the promised recipes from the camping trip. We are both still a little sore from St Helens part duex, but it is always worth the pain when you get a great summit view.
More soon.....
Sunday, July 3, 2011
A Chamber of Commerce Day on St Helens
We were able to get 2 permits and at 6:12 Saturday we hit the trail. The sky was as close to perfectly clear as I have ever seen. We were in the snow at 1.1 miles into the climb. Once we cleared the tree line the snow was spotty for a while and we were able to hike on dry ground for maybe 1/4 of the next 2 miles or so. The winter route has some major differences from the route from the Climber's Bivouac - most notably a steep section with a false summit. As I passed a couple on this section I even told them we were almost at the top - I call that Adventure Pamming someone. We found a bare spot after the false summit where people were resting before the final section to the REAL summit. We dropped our packs - taking only what we needed - and made the last push. The rest is here in the pictures. Enjoy!
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