She's Back!

Quechee Gorge, Vermont

June 1, 2012

I've always been fairly good at being able to laugh at myself.   And that's a good thing, because I do plenty of things that are laughable.   So it's o.k. to laugh at me when I share some things that I've done recently.   In fact, it would make me really happy to think something in this post has made you laugh out loud or at least smile!!

Remember that woman who showed up in my kitchen last October?  Well, she's back!  In case you don't remember her or are new, here's the post in which I introduced her.  I've discovered that she shows up when being in the mountains or hiking takes a back seat for whatever reason.  Right now, it's just too hot and crowded.  In October, the crowds make it virtually impossible to easily reach most trailheads, so we patiently wait until November when they all go home.  Little do they realize that most of the time, November is at least as beautiful as October in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

At any rate, she's back, doesn't seem to have lost any of her enthusiasm for finding fun in the kitchen and is having a blast discovering new food blogs geared toward an eating lifestyle that weighs 30 pounds less than last October!  With Bill having jumped on the bandwagon (see this post), it's even more fun as we are able to share the things I prepare.   

Speaking of Bill....of course, in 1 1/2 weeks, he's lost five pounds while I'm struggling to get rid of my last four to "technically" reach goal. (I'll be happy to entertain any sympathy about the fact that men lose weight so much quicker than women!!) I say, technically, because I'm no longer stressing over it.   It's doubtful four pounds is going to make much difference in my size, so in my mind, I'm already at goal.  I did mention earlier that I'd planned to return to the 17 Day Diet - Cycle 1 for a few days to jumpstart a loss.   Tried that for one day and decided I'd rather lose these last four pounds slowly than do anything that might squelch the fun I'm having in the kitchen.  Yes, Cycle 1 WORKS, but there is no question about the fact that it's restrictive and bottom line, I just didn't want to do it.  I'll get there, probably not by my birthday, but it'll happen sooner rather than later and you'll be the first to know!

On to another subject.........

While on the trip, I had three hilarious NSV's (non-scale victories) and wanted to share them with you.   It's o.k. to laugh or think, a) what a hoot, b) she's lost her mind, or c) sounds more like the fashion police than a NSV!  Just as long as one or more of these makes you smile!

1)   On 2012 Summer Adventure - Day 1, I traveled from home to Dulles, VA alone as Bill wasn't quite finished with work responsibilities and my friend, Tish and I wanted to ride bikes again.  At the rest stop in Luray, VA, two older (like REALLY old) gentlemen were serving as hosts in the restored train depot/Visitor Center.  Very friendly guys and on a slow Sunday afternoon, seemed intent on persuading me to spend the night in Luray.   Loved their enthusiam and can only wish it was present in ALL tourism offices!   I had noticed a paved bike path/greenway running as far as I could see in both directions along the former rail bed.  Thinking I'd enjoy a quick bike ride, I asked about it.  Instead of answering my question, the older of the two gentlemen said rather loudly, "Ah-ha!! I knew you were a biker!"  It took me by surprise, but I quickly asked how in the world he knew that. (My car, with the bikes on it, was not visible.) He kind of backed off and said he couldn't tell me because, "we women get so offended over compliments."  After promising him I wouldn't be offended or report him to his "bosses," he said (AND I QUOTE), "you have biker legs."   Oh my gosh, that was two months ago and I'm still bent over double laughing just thinking about it.   I'm 56 (19 days away from 57) years old - I do NOT have biker legs!!   But doggone it, it almost made me want to spend the night in Luray!!

2)  One night when I must have been really, really bored (maybe it was one of our few rainy days), we were getting ready to do laundry and Bill's jeans were laying on the bed. (he wears a 34 x 29 jean)  Whatever possessed me to pick up those jeans and wonder how far I could get them on is TOTALLY beyond me.  Truthfully, I didn't think I'd be able to get them past my knees!!  But I did!   I got them on and zipped them up!  Tight??  Yes!!   But I could breathe and I managed to walk into the den where they must not have looked too bad because he couldn't figure out why I was whooping and hollering.  Once I told him, he promptly told me to take them off before I "stretched" them!  MEN!!  Geez - do they ever get it???  Actually he was grinning when he said that and he most definitely GOT IT!   This was huge!   Not so much the fact that I could get them on, but the fact that it FINALLY altered my perception of what I now look like!  And BTW, it was all I could do to refrain from immediately drafting a blog post entitled, "I Got In Bill's Jeans."

3)  We were hiking one day and had been pretty quiet each thinking our own thoughts when out of the clear blue, Bill says, "you need to quit wearing that shirt.  It's way too big, makes your butt look big and is just tacky!"   Well, thanks a lot there, dear husband who supports me in all things and is never unkind!  Again - kidding!    I have no better supporter than Bill!   He was more than right on this one!  I'd realized it myself, but the weather had been so unseasonably cool, it really was all I had.  It was a favorite go-to pullover for cooler days and had been for a long time.  Once we got home, it was banished and won't be seen again!!

Moving on from the NSV's to the admission which should probably never be written about in public!  Except for the fact that I enjoy laughing at myself!  This one can be filed under, "perhaps, Sharon should just stay OUT of the kitchen!"   You be the judge!

My plans yesterday were to try two new recipes.  Summer Quinoa Salad from Sunny, Simple Life and Overnight, Slow Cooker Cherry Almond Steel Cut Oats from The Yummy Life.

Didn't have any steel cut oats, so after we walked, I ran by EarthFare to pick them up along with a few other things.   As I was putting away my groceries, I went ahead and measured out the one cup of steel cut oats I would need before storing the rest in my pantry.  At some point, I made the decision to make the Quinoa Salad first. (anybody figure out where this is going????)   I made the quinoa (cough! cough!), fluffed it up nicely, drizzled with olive oil as directed and thought to myself, "that really doesn't look like quinoa."   I have only cooked with it once and that was a long time ago.   But I soldiered on, completed the recipe, tested it and pronounced it "good."   

It was only after I put the "Quinoa" Salad in the fridge and started looking around for that measuring cup of steel cut oats that I realized what I had done!  Yep, you guessed it!   We have a rather large bowl of "Summer Steel Cut Oats Salad" sitting in the refrigerator and the only quinoa I have is still in the pantry as uncooked as it was yesterday!  

The end of this story is that my lovely Summer Steel Cut Oats Salad isn't bad at all!  I warmed some for lunch today and paired it with (don't you like my Food Network jargon?) a ground turkey patty then enjoyed fresh raspberries for dessert!   Seems to me a combo that might next appear in a basket on "Chopped!"  (BTW, the Steel Cut Oats recipe was made and pronounced "excellent!"  I have verified that I did manage to use steel cut oats and not quinoa!!)

All right, COME CLEAN!   Every one of you has done something equally as crazy in the kitchen.   Tell me about it.   Only fair that I get to laugh at you!