MOLLY'S RANTS

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2014 19:08:13 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

I can see the cover of your book in my mind: a colorful cartoon figure of you on your purple and lime green bike surrounded by a gaggle of ducks.

I'm thinking a bright yellow Mustang. Doesn't she have one? There are few around here and I'm sorry but they are just wrong in northern New England. Hell, those fugly green, chartreuse colored one drive me up a wall too. Mustangs are meant to be red or black. No fugly other colors. Sorry. BIL had a dark green one and I hated the color. Did explain why my sister wanted hunter green dresses for us in the wedding. I really should should have died my hair orange. Reverse carrot. Pictures wouldn't have been uglier than they already were.

[Peace77]

Yes, she drives a bright yellow Mustang with a personalized license plate.

[taz157]

Sept 19, 2014 16:28:14 GMT -5 busymom said:

We didn't get the sugary cereals often. I remember drowning my Cheerios & Wheaties in sugar. But, we did get the occasional treat, like a box of Lucky Charms.

Majority of the time my DD gets Cheerios but she does love her Lucky Charms when I let her have them. I do have to remind her to eat the cereal part and not just the marshmallows.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

<---- Why don't we have a dancing tomato? And a dancing cucumber? Clearly, this forum is biased against veggies.

For ❤ mollymouser ❤ - you're welcome.

[marvholly]

Molly
Please do NOT put down vegetarians. DD1, her partner and 3 kids are lacto-ovo veggies. She would NEVER do something like your veggie did. She grows so much she KNOWS how much work it is.

As a kid we pretty much did corn flakes, rice crispies, wheaties & cherrios. NO sugar added, just milk. My kids (now 35 & 39) were raised the same way. I don't eat much cereal these days. Just not interested.

[swamp]

Sept 20, 2014 5:42:06 GMT -5 marvholly said:

Molly
Please do NOT put down vegetarians. DD1, her partner and 3 kids are lacto-ovo veggies. She would NEVER do something like your veggie did. She grows so much she KNOWS how much work it is.

You really need to grow a sense of humor. 

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I knew I was married to "MR. SAFETY" when I came into the kitchen this morning only to find him  generously making my breakfast protein shake ... only he is wearing ear plugs (noise protection from the blender) and safety goggles (in case he's suddenly attacked by a medium banana or wayward ice chip?) .... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OK, I was SERIOUSLY entertained by this ... but I did find it sweet that he was making my breakfast for me! (Insert collective "awwww" here!) While I am completely in favor of kitchen safety ... it just never occurred to me that blending was potentially dangerous. (grin)  It was a relief to see him toss all caution to the wind and go completely UNPROTECTED when adding my unsweetened Almond Breeze to my cup of original Fiber One.

I will say that my knife skills in the kitchen are improving, what with all of the vegetable chopping that I've been doing. (Doesn't that sound impressively Top Chef-y? "My knife skills?"  Don't let that fool you ... I am in no danger of being mistaken for a teppanyaki chef, that's for sure!) I just mean that the risk of my accidentally slicing off a chunk of my finger has gone down microscopically, and I've only needed to run for a Band-Aid for a finger twice so far this summer. Let me just say that radishes are slippery little suckers! My coping strategy for them has merely been to eat 'em whole ~ that will show them who is boss! And it's pretty easy to just snap pea pods in half, anyway. Of course, my wonderful DH has now taken it upon himself to sharpen all of my favorite kitchen knives ... hopefully this will make things safer in the kitchen and NOT be the springboard for a mishap. (To say I'm a bit klutzy is a bit of an understatement, it's a wonder I don't fall out of bed more often!)

I really do love to eat artichokes, but they are one of those annoyingly complicated-to-prepare sort of veggies. I do have a nifty pair of kitchen shears which apparently can be used for something other than opening packages of smoked salmon ~ you can use them to snip off the stabby points on artichoke leaves. Sheesh, artichokes really are the cranky rosebushes of the vegetable kingdom, and I can certainly see why most people just think, "The heck with this, let's just eat a jar of marinated artichoke hearts!" And I really detest the artichoke innards that are all prickly and stringy (not the crown ... but the porcupine-y part that needs to be scraped out!) Fortunately, artichokes are (to me) yummy enough to put up with all of this hassle. Of course, they're best with a puddle of melted butter, but I've been pretty happy with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and a few wayward spritzes of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. (Note: It really SHOULD be renamed "I Can't Believe Chemicals Can Be Sold as Fake Butter, but It Works If You're Desperate Enough.")

In my quest to try new veggies, I tried purple asparagus. Which, other than being more expensive than standard green asparagus (which can also be pricey), is pretty much the same thing AS green asparagus. It even turns from purple  to green when it's cooked. Though not a true green, sort of a weird purple-and-green combination. (Which, for the record, would match my purple and green bike should I weirdly choose to accessorize with fresh purple asparagus.) I also tried white asparagus, which was also more expensive than green asparagus. But it did have a slightly milder and sweeter flavor and had the added bonus of not making my pee smell like asparagus. Oh, wait, can I say pee in here? What the heck, it's my rant. Pee! Pee! There, I feel better.

Please practice kitchen safety. And always try to match your vegetables to your bike.

[Jaguar]

Once more I had a few giggles reading this, thank you.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

[marvholly]

Molly
At the risk of being accused of NOT having a sense of humor (again):
When cutting roundish, slidey, slippery veggies, if you take a small slice off the bottom they are MUCH more stable for further slicing/chopping.

Sharp knives are known to be MUCH safer to cut/chop with. That is why I use the steel monthly an a lot/most of my knives.

I LOVE my stainless steel, DW safe shears. Use them for trimming chicken parts, chives, green onions, other herbs in addition to artichokes.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I ran into a friend at Trader Joes and she asked what we'd been up to so far today, so I mentioned that we'd gone for a bike ride in our neighborhood. "You should really look into biking for exercise," she gushed. I blinked and just sort of gave her a quizzical puppy dog head-tilt. "I am biking for exercise," I explained. "We just went for a bike ride in our neighborhood."  Oh no, she said, "No, I meant REALLY biking for exercise ~ you know, on an exercise bike at the gym."  I just smiled and said that I liked my bike, and I liked my neighborhood, and I liked riding my bike AROUND my neighborhood. "Well, if you ever want to take up biking for exercise, you should join a gym and ride an exercise bike. FOR EXERCISE."

I am seriously mystified.

One of us clearly doesn't understand what "exercise" means. Granted, I haven't been in a gym since the 80s ... but dioesn't pedaling my bike all over my neighborhood (and we have some little hills!) COUNT as .... ummm... EXERCISE? Anyway, we biked 12 miles on Sunday and another 7.75 miles today (Monday) and I'm reasonably certain that this counts as exercise. At least I'm counting it as exercise.

I spend a lot more time reading labels these days, mostly because I'm checking calories, carbs, and (occasionally) ingredients. For the record, peanut butter "may contain peanuts." Well, I certainly hope so. It is also worth noting that my almond milk contains almonds.  I picked up some fresh asparagus that contained the following list of ingredients: "asparagus and a blue rubber band. Do not eat the rubber band." How am I supposed to get in my daily fiber requirements if the grocery store doesn't want me eating rubber bands? Fortunately, a lot of what I'm eating these days doesn't come with a lot of ingredients ~ I suppose that's one of the many advantages of eating a lot of fresh veggies, right?

It's the time of year when Pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING seems to be hitting the shelves, but not always in a diet-friendly version. I think I've figured a way around this, though. Part of my daily breakfast is a protein shake made with a vanilla (or strawberry) flavored protein packet, a MEDIUM banana, 12 oz of liquid, and a dozen ice cubes. I was checking the label on some canned pumpkin (NOT pumpking pie filling, just canned pumpkin) and discovered that I can have a whole cup of canned pumpkin for about 85 calories  ... which means that I can make a PUMPKIN PROTEIN SHAKE for breakfast when cool fall weather finally arrives. I'm pretty excited about this, and will see how it does. If needed, I can actually add another 1/4 cup of pumpkin to make it even pumpkinier for the same calories as a MEDIUM banana! And, of course, I'll sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on top!

I just have to remember to bike for exercise ... but NOT to eat the blue rubber band.

[Jaguar]

Dayum ❤ mollymouser ❤ that is funny.

[Peace77]

Molly.

It sounds as if your friend only counts it as exercise if she DRIVES to the gym and exercises there. OF COURSE, riding your bikes around the neighborhood COUNT as exercise.

I would think that with eating Fiber One cereal and all those veggies, you don't need to add the fiber from rubber bands.

Keep up the good work.

BTW, my DH found online grocery store price sign for Premium Boneless Bananas.

Just what you need. (Grin).

[mmhmm]

Sept 22, 2014 22:34:50 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

Molly.

It sounds as if your friend only counts it as exercise if she DRIVES to the gym and exercises there. OF COURSE, riding your bikes around the neighborhood COUNT as exercise.

I would think that with eating Fiber One cereal and all those veggies, you don't need to add the fiber from rubber bands.

Keep up the good work.

BTW, my DH found online grocery store price sign for Premium Boneless Bananas.

Just what you need. (Grin).

Please, please, please let me know when he finds an online grocery store price for Premium Boned Bananas!

[Peace77]

DH says, "Good Luck".
LOL.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sept 20, 2014 14:05:50 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

I really do love to eat artichokes, but they are one of those annoyingly complicated-to-prepare sort of veggies. I do have a nifty pair of kitchen shears which apparently can be used for something other than opening packages of smoked salmon ~ you can use them to snip off the stabby points on artichoke leaves. Sheesh, artichokes really are the cranky rosebushes of the vegetable kingdom, and I can certainly see why most people just think, "The heck with this, let's just eat a jar of marinated artichoke hearts!" And I really detest the artichoke innards that are all prickly and stringy (not the crown ... but the porcupine-y part that needs to be scraped out!) Fortunately, artichokes are (to me) yummy enough to put up with all of this hassle. Of course, they're best with a puddle of melted butter, but I've been pretty happy with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and a few wayward spritzes of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. (Note: It really SHOULD be renamed "I Can't Believe Chemicals Can Be Sold as Fake Butter, but It Works If You're Desperate Enough.")

You may want to look for ghee.  It's a type of butter with the nasty bits removed.  We find it in the "ethnic" aisles at the grocery store.   Also, DH has found some coconut spread that he likes too (Earth Balance brand maybe?)  He's dairy free and doesn't want the chemicals either. 

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I biked 6.50 miles this morning before breakfast. Which almost sounds as if I sprang out of bed, like a perky gazelle, and was suited up and out the door just as dawn was breaking. Ummm, not a chance. I do think it was around 9:30am, though, which still counts as morning, right? I start off most mornings with fairly high blood sugar (one of the many joys of being diabetic) ~ despite taking insulin before bed. The upside is that it means my body is already nicely fueled for biking BEFORE breakfast, which means I just put off breakfast (and my breakfast insulin shot) until after I get home, so I don't have to worry about LOW blood sugars. (Dieting while diabetic and managing insulin can be a lot like living inside one of those complex math word problems that used to give me headaches back in my school days!) I am not a morning person, as you might have gathered.

This morning, I put on my newly-arrived shoes for biking. They aren't biking shoes, per se, they are merely shoes I purchased FOR biking .... since my beloved Vans that I've been wearing have two holes in both toes, and the sole is coming loose on the left foot with a comforting flap-flap-flap sound and my wonderful DH has commented that I look a bit ... impoverished .... with those shoes. Well, they ARE comfortable and they ARE lightweight and I don't mind if they get splashed with muddy puddles. (My normal walk-around-the-place shoes are some rather vividly rainbow colored New Balance sneakers in festive colors, but they are a bit heavy AND I don't want them to get splashed with muddy puddles.) So.... I ordered some new lightweight "I'm willing to get them splashed with muddy puddles" shoes for biking. My wonderful DH has expressed some amusement at my rather pointed fear of muddy puddles, since we're currently in year 3 of a drought and our City got only 4" of rain all of last year ... the 2nd lowest year of rainfall in history. Despite this, I still worry about muddy puddles and dress accordingly. Like a British traveler who ALWAYS has his umbrella with him, you just can't be too careful, you know?

I actually purchased TWO pair of new shoes for biking, since it was a Buy One, Get 50 percent off. At first, I thought that meant buy one shoe and get its mate at 50 percent off (which seemed silly), then I delightedly realized that it was buy one pair of shoes and get a second pair at half off. Well, how could I pass THAT up? Especially if I want to go biking some future morning and my first pair is in the wash having encountered ... you guessed it ... a muddy puddle. My rather random fear of muddy puddles has justified many a shoe purchase, let me tell you. If I actually lived where it rained, I'd be broke.  Pair #1 (which I wore today) are turquoise and lime green, with lime green laces. They are like little neon beacons of biking happiness, glistening in the sunshine and probably blinding people in passing cars. Pair #2 (which I did not wear today) are a dark purple with bright orange, with bright orange laces. They are a bit darker than the first pair, so will probably hold up a bit better to .... wait for it, wait for it .... muddy puddles! YAY! Anyway, they all fit beautifully. Of course, the first 2 pair didn't fit and we returned them, and ordered a bigger size.... which work better. I fear that even as my waistline is (hopefully) shrinking, my feet are growing. (I thought it was only noses and ears and butts that kept growing as we aged?)

I did encounter 3 ducks this morning on my bike ride, quite the downsizing from the 20 or so that swarmed me last week. These three were in the same area, and ran up to me, happily quacking. I was cheerfully tossing Kitten Chow to my little mallard minions when I felt a persistent tugging at my shoe and glanced down to see one of the feathered fellows nibbling on my new lime green shoe laces. I just TING-TING-TINGed my bell and my nifty shoes and I pedaled away in safety, studiously on the lookout for more ducks or .... you know it's coming .... muddy puddles. Other than almost running over a squirrel, the rest of my bike ride was toasty, but rather uneventful. I am becoming a bit judgmental about people who let their low-hanging trees and shrubberies block the bike lane, but my wonderful DH merely suggested if there were a particularly problematic branch, we return one night with some trimmers and ~ SNIP ~ take care of the problem. (:::: insert theme from Mission Impossible ::: )

It's been four days and the scale hasn't moved. Well, let me clarify. It hasn't moved DOWNWARD. (It goes without saying that any and all upward movements are completely unacceptable, LOL!) I realize that my body is like the ocean with high tides and low tides, and I further realize that I'm still dealing with hormones and water retention and my period. That doesn't keep me from gingerly stepping on the scale with a glimmer of hope each morning, only to end up telling that perky talking scale just what I think of her weighing capabilities in no uncertain terms. Maybe she isn't a morning scale? Who knows. But I've decided to just keep biking, and just keep healthy eating, and trust that she will eventually cooperate and tell me a lower number than last time.

In the meantime, watch out for ducks and ... muddy puddles.

[Jaguar]

If you go "missing" my money is on the ducks.

[NancysSummerSip]

I am becoming a bit judgemental about people who let their low-hanging trees and shrubberies

I just thought of the Monty Python routine about the shrubberies...

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

"BRING US ..... A SHRUBBERY!  (and make it nice!)"

[greeniis10]

Well, I'm going to throw in my usual comment anytime someone mentions the dreaded scale: keep track of your measurements and take pictures of yourself.  Those changes you will see first and those (to me) are much more gratifying.  That pesky scale just fluctuates way too much.  No need to give it any power over my mood for the day.

[Jaguar]

Okay have a giggle at this, cause I giggled like crazy at it......I just walked to and back from the store. Well going there I had to stop at the intersection and wait for my green walk light. Two young men were there and they looked at me and said "She'll be pretty when she grows up".


I'm 4 foot maybe 6 inches, idunno and I'm 50 something so yeah this was funny.

[mmhmm]

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

[Sharon]

We are finally getting our first fall storm and I have been laughing about muddy puddles all afternoon.  Molly you would never make it in Western Oregon.

[Peace77]

Sept 23, 2014 17:45:23 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

Sure,  I have more than 10 to spare.  Where should I send it?
Oh wait!   How do I get it off first

[mmhmm]

Sept 23, 2014 18:30:25 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

Sept 23, 2014 17:45:23 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

Sure,  I have more than 10 to spare.  Where should I send it?
Oh wait!   How do I get it off first

We gotta figure this out! With all the great minds on this forum, surely we can come up with an answer to this dilemma!     

[marvholly]

Sept 23, 2014 18:30:25 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

Sept 23, 2014 17:45:23 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

Sure,  I have more than 10 to spare.  Where should I send it?
Oh wait!   How do I get it off first

Liposuction & a bottle (j/k).

[Chocolate Lover]

Sept 23, 2014 17:45:23 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

I have plenty to share? How about your mom, could she use 20 or 30?

[mmhmm]

Sept 24, 2014 10:12:14 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Sept 23, 2014 17:45:23 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Okay, folks, let's set up a trade here! I'm looking for about 10 pounds. It sounds like a few around here have some to spare. Mind helping a gal out?

I have plenty to share? How about your mom, could she use 20 or 30?

Mother actually was losing weight for awhile. Putting her on a high-calorie nutritional drink daily has brought that under control.

[Chocolate Lover]

Sept 24, 2014 10:22:39 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Sept 24, 2014 10:12:14 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

I have plenty to share? How about your mom, could she use 20 or 30?

Mother actually was losing weight for awhile. Putting her on a high-calorie nutritional drink daily has brought that under control.

Well yay and darn.