Twenty Four At Heart

J. P. Licks

Am I the only one thinking ...

J.P. must be very popular?!

(P.S.  I'll be back to "normal" posting by Monday - whatever that is!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

My Latest Project

Today's subject is outside the realm of my normal blogging material, but I'm going to share it anyway.

Wait ...

Do I ever have normal blogging material?

I think not.

In which case ... it doesn't really matter, does it?

I'm in the midst of an emotional two weeks right now.

We put my son on a plane for college last Saturday.  I bawled, and bawled, and bawled.

This is his second year in college.  You'd think I'd be used to saying good-bye, but if you're a parent who has ever sent your kid to live 3,000 miles away, you know there is no such thing as getting used to it.  My son stored most of his belongings with college friends prior to summer break so he didn't need us to fly back with him and help him get settled this year.

My daughter, however, will be departing this week to ALSO live 3,000 miles away for school.  Of course, she's going to be in an entirely different state than my son because they have to make things as difficult and as expensive for their parents as possible.  I will be taking my youngest son (still at home) back east later this week to help get her moved into her apartment.  I will do the supervising and my fifteen year old son will do the lifting.

What?

I only have one working arm.

Having two kids move to the other side of the country within a ten day time span has been emotional chaos, plain and simple.

Two years ago, with the best of intentions, I bought a family recipe book for my daughter.  She was in her first college apartment and the timing seemed appropriate for a gift related to cooking.

It's a beautiful book.  You're supposed to fill it up with family recipes to share with those you love.

Hmmm ... I see nothing in the above photo about eating a low-carb diet?

This particular book came with beautiful recipe cards, lined pages, and tab dividers to make it easy to compile.

My only complaint about the book I chose, is there are simply not enough pages in it.  Yesterday, I ordered a few sets of page refills so I'll be able to add more recipes in the future.

Many years ago, my mom gave me a similar book and I treasure it to this day.  I love that the recipes are in her handwriting.  I love the time she took to put the book together for me.  The book itself, makes me feel cherished.  I also use it more than any other cookbook I've ever owned.  The recipes are full of comfort and familiarity, warmth and love.

And yet ...

The book I bought for my own daughter has sat here, untouched, for two years.

Once I purchased the book, I quickly realized the amount of writing that would be involved.  I wanted to write the recipes in my own handwriting, as my mother did for me, not type them.  It's hard to explain, but seeing the recipes in my mom's handwriting is almost like hearing her speak.  I wanted to give the same gift to my daughter.

I quickly realized the project would involve more than my injured arm was capable of at the time.  I've learned to do many things left-handed since my accident, but writing is not one of them.  Although my right hand is not damaged, it takes arm-power to move my hand for any length of time.  I'm in very short supply of arm power.

In fact, I think it would be accurate to say I have NO arm power.

My daughter's cookbook has been left abandoned, filling me with the guilt of unfulfilled promises.

She leaves this week.

I decided I would get the book done prior to her departure come hell or high water.  I set a goal to work on the book every day until she leaves.  I even bought an archival quality, waterproof, fade proof, non-bleeding (all that!!) pen and I'm working diligently on her recipe book.  I'm slowly making progress, despite taking frequent breaks whenever my arm rebels.

I hope someday this cookbook will mean as much to her as the one from my mother now means to me.

This book is truly a labor of love.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Seriously? Did You Just Do That?

I was in the grocery store last week when an incident took place I just can't shake.

I had gathered all the needed groceries in my cart, stood in line at the check-out stand, and it was finally my turn to be rung up by the cashier.

Midway through scanning my items, the cashier sneezed.

This was no ordinary sneeze, this was a big, wet, clearly-sick, juicy, snot-spraying, completely un-contained sneeze.  It scattered mucus particles all over my groceries.

Did I mention a lot of what I was buying was produce?

(Being on a healthy eating kick, and all ....)

Um, gross?

As I recoiled in revulsion, the cashier just went right on scanning my groceries.  She didn't apologize, say "excuse me" or even acknowledge she had just sprayed my fruit and vegetables with a coating of germy green slime.

I felt my stomach turn, and I resisted the urge to bolt from the store leaving all the groceries behind, unpaid for.

It got worse, if that's possible, before I left.

Once all my items were scanned, I paid using my bank card.

While the transaction was processing, the cashier grabbed a kleenex and began blowing her nose.

This was no ordinary nose blowing.

This was a BIG.DEAL. 

It began with actual nose blowing (of epic proportions), and concluded with fingers slightly covered with tissue digging deep into her nostrils in search of giant morsels.

I tried to look away, but the horror I was witnessing kept me riveted.

Suddenly, she tossed the snot-covered tissue into a trashcan at her feet, grabbed my receipt out of the cash register with her unwashed hands, and handed it to me saying, "Have a nice day."

She immediately began processing/handling the grocery order of the woman behind me in line.  She never washed her hands or used any type of hand sanitizer.  

It's now a week later and I still can't seem to scrub the horror of the experience from my brain cells.

What would you have done?

Should I have refused the groceries?

Should I have made a comment to her?

Should I have reported the disgusting-ness to her boss?

© Twenty Four At Heart

My Favorite NYC Photo

On Saturday, fourteen of us cabbed to John's Pizzeria for the most incredible New York pizza.  I'm still having visions of pizza dancing in my head.  (My visions might make me drool just a little bit, but I didn't just say type admit that.)

On the way to John's, I sat up front with the cabbie.

He scared me.

At first.

And then?

He didn't.

His initial gruffness turned to cautious friendliness, followed by outright delight.

His name is Spiro. 

This photo of Spiro is my favorite photo out of the zillions I took during my six days in NYC.

Everything about it says "New York" to me.

Thank you Spiro, so much, for allowing me to photograph you!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Birds of a Feather

A lot of the piers at our beaches have drinking fountains on them.

If fishing is allowed, they also have sinks and faucets for the fishermen/women to clean their fish. 

Believe it or not, I've seen people drink from the fish-cleaning faucets oftentimes too.

Personally, I think I'll continue to take my Sigg bottle with me for drinking my margaritas vodka water at the beach.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Greek Chicken Kabobs

I've got an insanely busy schedule over the next ten days.  I'll fill you in on WHY it's so chaotic in upcoming posts.  For today, due to a lack of writing time, I'm going to share one of my new favorite recipes.

These kabobs are perfect on the grill, perfect for entertaining, and can be put together to marinate a full day ahead of time.  I made them on Memorial Day and they disappeared at record speed.  Trust me, this is a delicious, super flavorful, recipe - and healthy too!

Recipe by:  Christine Avanti

Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 & 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried mint (available in spice aisle)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch fresh mint

1 red onion cut into 1 inch pieces

8 - 12 inch skewers

(I doubled the recipe because I have two teen boys at home right now and they eat an amazing quantity of food.) 

Mix chicken, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, garlic, dried mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Cover and marinate for 30 minutes minimum and up to 24 hours.  (I marinate mine for a full 24 hours for amazing flavor!)

Whisk remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat.

Alternate chicken, onion, and fresh mint leaves on skewers.  About 5 pieces of chicken should be on each skewer once you're done.  You may want to lightly sprinkle the skewers with additional salt and pepper at this point, but they don't need much.

Baste the skewers with the lemon and oil mixture as they cook on the grill.

Enjoy!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Not A Bad Weekend

I'm writing this through a bit of a blur.

I overdid it with my swimming over the weekend so now I'm under the influence of pain meds.

It was SO worth it though.  I love being in the pool.  I got a little too enthused, I suppose, and tried to increase the use of my arm faster than I should have.  I'll feel better in a few days.  I'll take it easy until then, but I'm sure I'll be back in the pool every day regardless.

(If nothing else, I'll be seeing the pain management doc this afternoon and I'm sure he'll be interested in checking me out.)

Um, I didn't mean he will be checking ME out, I meant he will be checking my ARM out.

Although, I don't know - maybe he will be checking me out?  

I'll let you know either way.

So, let me give you a quick recap of the last few days ...

I'm firing the new PT.

Yes, I am.  

I gave her three tries and we are not a good match.  

First of all, she has not yet touched me - at all.  Each visit, she hands me a piece of paper showing me things to do when I get home and that's my pt session.  After she hands me a paper, she explains the paper to me for a good thirty minutes.  Not one paper has shown me anything I haven't already been doing for nearly four years.  Also, every exercise she's handed me a paper on is an activity I moved past long ago ... the activities are way too easy (immediate post-surgery type of activities).  

Aren't physical therapists supposed to be hands on?

And yes, I've tried communicating my thoughts/needs/frustrations to her but she doesn't seem to hear me.

Second, she talks to me as if I'm three.  I.Can't.Handle.It!

Third, she informed me I'm an "overachiever" and told me I'm expecting way too much out of myself.

(The Torturer just spewed coffee all over himself reading that!)

I may be an overachiever in some areas of my life.  My pain levels, however, keep my overachieving in check regarding my arm.  She, however, expects nothing from me and seems to think I should also expect nothing from myself.

You know me better than that, don't you?

If I don't think I'm ever going to make improvements - who the hell will?

Anyway - enough said ...

I need a new PT.

And no, I don't yet know who it will be or where I will find him/her.

I think I need a him though.  I like men.

Moving on -

It was hot here this weekend.  I managed to get a lot of things done this weekend (being the overachiever that I am), but when I wasn't busy overachieving this pretty much sums up my weekend:

 

I bought two $19 rafts at Costco.  They're so comfortable and they even have a place to hold my lemonade and vodka ice water.  It's very relaxing after I'm tuckered out from swimming.

Have I mentioned we have the happiest Golden Retriever in the world?

I think we do.

I must have thrown his football for him a few hundred times this weekend.

The weekend ended on a nice note.  We had a couple gift cards to Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach so Briefcase, the two boys, and I enjoyed a great dinner there on Sunday night.  I ordered king crab legs (no butter - just lemon juice) and grilled asparagus.  It was low carb, low fat, healthy and delicious.  I really felt like enjoying a glass of wine with dinner, but I couldn't mix alcohol with the pain meds I needed on Sunday.  Oh well!  

(As an aside, Fleming's has a Bikinitini on their menu - it's a martini with only 99 calories.  I love the name they chose!)

What should I do to celebrate when I hit the twenty pound weight loss mark?  I'm not there yet, but hopefully I will be soon.  I'm all about rewarding myself - it keeps me motivated.

I need ideas/suggestions though.

What do you think?  

What would you consider a good (not too expensive) reward?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Lunch With Neil

I've mentioned my friend, Neil Kramer, on Twenty Four At Heart a few times.  He writes a blog called Citizen of the Month.  Many of you know Neil ... or know OF Neil.  If you've been reading here long enough, you may even remember Neil guest posted for me once upon a time while I was away on a trip.

Neil is a big, famous, screenwriter in real life.  Sometimes he lives in New York, and sometimes Neil lives in the Los Angeles area.  He's bi-coastal.

Neil was one of the first "big" bloggers to acknowledge my arrival in the blogosphere.  I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow we became friends.  Last summer we spent a lot of time hanging out together in Chicago.  Since then we've continued to stay in touch.  You might remember, I saw Neil not long ago at a bloggers meet-up in Laguna Beach.

In any case, Neil is living in L.A. at the moment.  Yesterday I drove up to meet him for lunch.  We were going to meet at a Japanese restaurant.

Um ...

Except - I got lost.

Yes, I've lived in Southern California my entire life.  And no, Neil has not.  That's why I offered to drive up to see him.  So, ya know, he wouldn't get lost.

* Ahem *

And yes, I do have a navigation system in my car.  And no, I didn't program it because I didn't think I needed to.  And then once I was lost, I couldn't program it because I drive with one working arm and .....

Anyway -

I called Neil from the car and he got quite a laugh at my expense.

He had me get off the freeway at the next exit (I had already driven well past the exit I was supposed to take) and directed me to meet him at a coffee shop a few blocks away.  He said he'd be about ten minutes behind me.

I found our new meeting spot, no problem.  I'm a smart driver like that!

L.A. is so L.A.  If you've never spent time in Los Angeles, you won't understand that statement, but if you have - you will.

Pann's was built in 1958 and it still has a 50's feel to it.  

Let's take a closer look at their sign:

  

After a short wait, Neil arrived.  We, of course, chatted nonstop.  There was a lot to get caught up on even though we seem to be in constant, daily, communication.

For instance, Neil told me about researching professional, Orgasmic French kissing which is supposed to be much more exciting than nonprofessional, non-orgasmic French kissing.  Mind you, Neil has only been researching it so far, he hasn't yet gone into PFK (professional French kissing) training.  

Did you click on the Orgasmic French Kissing link?

Neil is a thinker.  Neil thinks about things I would never think about and he thinks about them in a way I would never think about them.  (And I mean every word of that as a compliment.)

All in all, I think Neil is a very interesting person, which is why I enjoy his friendship so much.

 

My lunch reminded me of what I love most about blogging -

Friends like Neil.  

Friends I never would have met if not for the Internet.

Technology has brought some wonderful people into my life.

Like you!

And you ... and you ... and you!

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Holiday Weekend

If you are reading this on Tuesday morning, you might be interested to know I've parked myself at the Money Town Starbucks for a couple hours.  I'll be writing (and Tweeting) about what I observe while I'm there and hopefully have it published for tomorrow's post.  

If you live in South Orange County and are familiar with the Money Town Starbucks, please stop by and say hello if you have the chance.  I think I'll be arriving there sometime around 8 a.m. and staying for about two hours.

I really enjoyed my holiday weekend.  I hope you did too!

I had all three of my kids home for the first half of the long weekend.  For those of you who still have young kids, let me tell you it's quite a treat as they get older and you're able to have them all at home at the very same time.

I'm having a hard time believing this myself, but I'm now the mom of a 21 year old!

How the hell did THAT happen?

I gave birth as a three year old, that's how.

It's a miracle, plain and simple!

We spent the weekend celebrating my daughter's birthday.  Celebrating involved a lot of tequila.  Yes, I even did a few celebratory shots.  (And no, I did not take any pain meds while drinking!)

I asked my daughter, "How can you be 21 when I'm only 24?"

She asked, "Mom, aren't you supposed to embrace getting older?"

I replied, "I suppose I will once I DO get older, but I'm still 24!"

She might have rolled her eyes and laughed.

(It must be tough explaining to your friends that your mom is only three years older than you.)

So, this is what I did over the last few days.

Beach - San Clemente this time:

 

Lunch at Fisherman's:

Margaritas at our favorite Mexican restaurant:

(Sorry, I had to cut everyone else out of this photo - and yes, this was straight from the beach, hence I look terrible!)

Not pictured:  Tequila shots, dancing on table tops (you think I'm kidding?) and other forms of My Mom's Not a Great Role Model behavior.

Isn't it great when your kids get old enough so you can be an immature adult with them?  

Ice cream birthday cake (I've blurred her name out of the photo):

Sipping coffee on our deck staring at my mountains:

 

A lot of time poolside:

I was very excited because I found a low-carb margarita mix which I enjoyed over the weekend.  (So many people have asked me about this already on Twitter.  It's made by Finest Call and is available at BevMo.)  

I also made myself my own low-carb single serving cake which only had 6 carbs in it.  Tequila doesn't have any carbs, although it does have calories and like all alcohol, it slows weight loss substantially.  However, considering the weekend of partying and fun, I think I did quite well on my new low-carb style of eating.  I didn't lose an ounce, but I didn't gain an ounce either and I consider that a success.

(By the way, I made the BEST dinner on the grill for Memorial Day - I may have to share the two recipes I used sometime soon.  Nom nom nom!!!)

I also loved being back in the pool for the first time in months.  The pool is the one place where I can move my arm a little more freely.  It becomes weightless and the water lifts it for me.  I love being in the pool because I feel "normal" again.

My arm is really weak and I've lost a lot of ground in both my strength and my range of motion.  On Sunday I could only swim two laps (using a modified breaststroke) which is terrible, even for me.  I grabbed a kick-board so I could rest my arm, and kicked my way through several more laps.  

The good news?  I was only a little sore from my first attempt at swimming this year.  Maybe the new pain medication is beginning to kick in?!  Let's hope!

Yesterday, I tried round two of swimming.  I did quite a few more laps than the first day.  And yes, I'm hurting a little more now, but still - much less than what I would expect for that level of activity.

I know it's too soon to know for sure ....

I'm afraid to even say this ... but I'm cautiously - hopeful.  

Please, please, please let this medication work for me!  

Please, please, please let this be a new beginning!

I'll be in the pool nearly every day for the next several months so I will continue to work on re-building strength in my arm.

All in all, it was a great holiday weekend.  

Did you do anything fun and/or exciting for your weekend?  

I'm nosy - I want to hear all about it!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Time Off

I'm taking a little time off over this holiday weekend.

So far, it's involved a lot of tequila and not much else.

I hope you're having a great weekend too!

I'll be back soon!

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Steak Salad

I rarely post recipes, but when I do they get so many page views I go cross eyed.

This week, I'm very busy with family coming in and out of town.  In addition, my daughter has a birthday we will be celebrating towards the end of the week.  In other words, writing time isn't easy to come by.

I thought I'd share one of my family's favorite recipes for Steak Salad with you today.  It also happens to be low-carb, although that wasn't a factor for me when I first began making it many years ago. 

If there are ingredients you don't care for, feel free to substitute ones you like instead.  Also, I always eyeball quantities instead of using exact measurements.  However, today, I'm providing you with the exact measurements called for in the original recipe.  Please don't ask me where the original recipe came from - I've had it so long, I have no idea!

(I am nothing, if not a very flexible, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, type of cook.)

Steak Salad:

 

The Salad Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

** Mix all of the ingredients except the blue cheese together in a small bowl until well mixed.  Add blue cheese crumbs and refrigerate.

The Salad:

2 - 8 oz. rib eye steaks

6 cups torn salad greens

Cherry tomatoes

1 carrot thinly sliced or grated

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives

* Grill the steaks and slice them thin and into not-too-big pieces.  Arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, carrot, onion and olives in a bowl.  Top with steak slices (hot or cold depending on your preference) and dressing.

Bon appetit!

© Twenty Four At Heart

F*$&ing Diet Plateau!

I'm pissed off and cranky.

I admit, part of my crankiness is the skyrocketing pain I've been experiencing the last few days.  I'm seeing a pain management specialist this afternoon - I'm hoping he'll be able to help me.  I'm in very bad shape right now pain-wise.  I find myself holding my breath because it hurts to breathe.  Yes, it is THAT bad.  I haven't had this severe of pain for awhile.  It's not fun - not fun at all.

The biggest contributing factor to my crankiness, however, is this damn diet I'm on.

I've now completed three full weeks on my diet (Lindora).  I'm a couple days into my fourth week.

The first ten days went better than expected.  I dropped eleven pounds and over five inches.

I was so (!) happy (!) and enthusiastic!

In the two-plus weeks since then?

Not one pound.

NOT ONE POUND!

I want to throw things in frustration.

I haven't varied off the diet by even one nibble.

Yes, I'm continuing to exercise.

And even stranger still, (to me anyway) - I'm still in ketosis which means my body is burning fat.  I'm shrinking, but I'm not losing weight.

WTF?

Lindora is a very low calorie, low fat, low carb diet.  I'm being monitored by a doctor which is something I chose due to my insulin resistance.

The folks at Lindora tell me weight loss plateaus are normal.  My brain might be able to grasp that fact on one level, but my frustration is mounting anyway.  

Also, how can my body be burning fat (which the ketosis sticks clearly show it's doing), but my actual weight isn't changing?

Lindora has a four day "plateau diet" for people with stubborn bodies like mine.

I thought I'd share it with you today so you can see how miserable these four days are.

Breakfast:

1 egg or egg beaters equivalent (boiled or poached)

1/2 grapefruit

Snack: 

Protein 1 serving (boiled egg or no-fat string cheese, as an example)

Lunch:  

3 1/2 oz white fish

1/2 cup cooked spinach

1/2 grapefruit

Snack:  

Protein 1 serving (same as above)

Dinner:

3 1/2 oz white fish

1/2 cup cooked spinach

1/2 grapefruit

Snack:

Protein 1 serving (same as above)

At Bedtime:

1 cup hot lemon water

The same menu is repeated for three days.  (I'm on Day #3 right now.)  I feel like I'm going to gag at the very thought of fish.

On the fourth day, you take away the grapefruit and spinach and have six protein servings throughout the day.

By day five, the plateau is supposed to be broken.

Or possibly, at that point you're in jail for committing violence on anyone in your vicinity?

I need encouragement.  I need help for my frustration.  

Have you ever successfully broken through a dieting plateau?

Have you ever gotten so frustrated by a plateau you threw something?

Just wondering, because I'm *almost* to that point .....

© Twenty Four At Heart

Boring You On A Semi-Regular Basis

I promise I won't be writing about this topic every week.  I also promise an update on some Money Town characters tomorrow.

Seriously, I promise.

On the other hand, a lot of you have written to me asking questions about one of my recent posts.  Enough of you, in fact, to make me think I might as well answer you all at one time vs. emailing the same information out several times.

I'm referring to my recent discovery regarding being insulin resistance.

Healthy eating, and health in regard to diet, seems to be a hot issue for many people lately.

Several of you wanted to know what I'm doing regarding the low-carb eating style my doctor informed me I need to adopt.  Initially, I wasn't going to go into details, but like I said ... people are asking - so here goes.

I plan on adopting a low-carb lifestyle for the remainder of my life because blah, blah, blah insulin resistant.  I know, without a doubt, I'll have days when I fall off the wagon and eat things I shouldn't.  I also know, unequivocally, I don't want to add any health problems to the already overwhelming issue of my arm.  I think I have a pretty good attitude, in that, I'm not expecting perfection out of myself, but I have fully accepted and embraced this as a lifestyle change.

In other words, I'm not approaching this as a "diet" to lose weight ... 

For me, it has to be a permanent way of life.

That being said, I would like to get back to a healthy weight as I go through the transition with my eating habits.  

My doctor suggested I try Lindora.  Lindora is a low-carb diet plan.  Lindora has diet centers you can go to.  They also have the option of an online program instead, or an at-home plan.  Because I'm insulin resistant, I opted for checking in at one of their diet centers twice a week.  I did this because it allows me to be monitored by a doctor and my insulin levels, etc. are being checked.

I am, in no way, suggesting Lindora is the right diet/eating plan for you, or anyone else.  However, it seems to be exactly what I need right now based on both my insulin resistance and my desire to get back to my pre-accident weight.  

The first three days on the Lindora plan are pretty much three days of hell.  They are "protein days" with very few carbs and very few calories.  The idea is to get your body into ketosis which is the state when your body begins burning your own fat for energy.  

On the first day of my new eating habits, I was convinced my stomach was eating itself in its desperation for food.  On my second day, I felt horrible.  I guess I was going through carb-withdrawals or something.  I had a horrendous headache and ... ugh!  By the end of day three, my body was officially in ketosis and I felt great.  

And I do mean GREAT!

Lindora has me eating a low carb, low calorie, low fat and high protein very balanced food plan six days a week.  Portions are small, but I'm not feeling hungry.  A positive side effect of being in ketosis is a decrease in appetite.  One day a week, I follow the Lindora guidelines for a "protein day" to keep my body in ketosis.  I'm not taking any diet pills or drugs.

This plan is different from the Atkins diet which so many people are familiar with.  High fat/high calorie foods aren't permitted.  To me, this makes sense.  Calories in have to be less than calories out in order to lose weight, right? 

By the way, I have the metabolism of a snail.  Many people can eat much more, but I have to limit my body to 55-65 healthy carbs a day in order to remain in ketosis.  (Ketone sticks are used to check for ketosis each day.)  I discovered how few carbs my body will tolerate early within my first week on Lindora.  In a way, it sucks.  On the other hand, the positive is, I now know what I need to do.  It's so much easier to accept than banging my head against a wall repeatedly - which is what I've been doing for the last four years.

I have more energy than I've had in years.  I really can't get over it.  I've since learned, being insulin resistant makes many people feel tired a lot of the time.  I don't think I even realized I was lacking in energy until I saw a dramatic, positive, change by cutting out the carbs.  I have energy to burn and I absolutely love feeling this way!  Feeling high-energy is a great incentive for me to keep up with the low-carb lifestyle.

In addition to feeling much better, I'm already seeing a weight loss.

I lost over seven pounds in the first week!  I realize, when a person's body adjusts to a new diet most of the initial weight loss is simply water weight.  Regardless, it feels much better to have seven less pounds on my body.  I hope to continue losing at a rate of one or two pounds per week although I'm sure I'll have weeks where my body plateaus.  

Yes, I'm exercising.  I work out for at least 30 minutes on my elliptical, or walk at least 5 of every 7 days.  This isn't something new for me.  What is new, is my increased energy level and the fact I'm actually *finally* losing weight.  Before, I felt like I was doing everything right, but I got no results.

I'm also skipping alcohol for the time being.  I'm not much of a drinker anyway so it isn't hard for me.  After my accident, I was on pain meds for two and a half years nonstop.  I couldn't mix the (very!) heavy narcotics with alcohol so I stopped drinking.  In recent months, alcohol has been an occasional indulgence.  Yes, I will be able to drink again ... but right now I'm choosing not to.  I want to give my body every advantage in adjusting to my new lifestyle.  Alcohol metabolizes as sugar and slows the metabolism.  My metabolism is plenty slow all on its own.

Maybe after a couple weeks I'll reward myself with a shot of tequila glass of wine?

Speaking of rewards, I decided I would build an incentive program into my weight loss.  I'm still in the planning stages ... but basically, I'm treating myself a little bit for every five pounds lost.  I'm making a list of (non-food) rewards.  Maybe a new pair of costume jewelry earrings, or a pedicure, or two hours at the beach with my camera ... little bonuses to keep me motivated to stay on track.  

To be honest, I thought I would need these rewards to make my transition easier.  Now that I'm actually doing this, I'm finding my increased energy level, and the fact I feel so much better, is probably all the incentive I need.  Nonetheless, I promised myself rewards and who am I to break a promise?

Someone wrote in and asked what types of food I'm eating.  As an example, one night this week I had a chicken breast fillet which I baked with a low-carb teriyaki sauce on it.  I sauteed some fresh spinach and mushrooms with a little onion and garlic as a side dish.  I also had a salad with a low-carb balsamic dressing on it.  Dessert was a small bowl of fresh strawberries from my favorite roadside strawberry stand.  I was not at all hungry and everything really was delicious.

As a side note, the next morning I threw some of the leftover vegetables into an omelette.

By the way, Lindora does offer diet foods for sale but most of them make me gag.  I've opted to teach myself how to stay within their nutritional guidelines using real food.  (The exception being my first three hell protein days.)  

For one thing, real food tastes much better.  It leaves me more satisfied and more likely to stay on track.  For another, I'm in this for the long term.  I need to become accustom to what I can prepare and enjoy on a daily basis.  

Quick fixes aren't what I'm looking for.

A lot of my readers recommended The South Beach Diet.  I've picked up one of their cookbooks and it looks as if some of their recipes are compatible with the Lindora program.  I'll be experimenting with recipes more and more as I become accustom to living on a low-carb diet.

I think that covers most of the questions I've gotten so far.  I love hearing about the experiences you, or your family members, have had so please continue to share your stories.  I find my readers to be such a wealth of information.  I learn so much from your comments and emails!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Bloggers at Las Brisas

There's a restaurant called Las Brisas perched on a bluff in Laguna Beach.  They have a very popular outdoor bar, in addition to a fairly swanky indoor restaurant.  It's a favorite place for Orange County folks to bring out of town guests.

Why?

Well, the view has a lot to do with it. 

Las Brisas could not be more "Orange County."  The people-watching there is always incredible too.  (Particularly in the summer when no one in the bar wears much in the way of clothing.)

Last Wednesday night, I arrived at Las Brisas to meet up with a few other bloggers.  The event was organized as part of Bossy's No Book Tour.  (For the two one of you who don't know Bossy, she is a humor blogger.) 

Humor.  

As in, she is funny all the time, whereas, I just think I'm funny some of the time.

This is what Las Brisas looks like from inside the restaurant at night:

 

This is what our group looked like after everyone had drunk a little wine and/or a few margaritas.

I stole borrowed this group photo from Bossy.  I'm sure she doesn't mind I wrote all over it. 

Isn't Bossy gorgeous? 

I was the last one to arrive.  I had been sitting in the cold and rain for three hours watching my cold turn into pneumonia son's baseball game.  Why they didn't call the game is beyond me.  It was nice to arrive at Las Brisas and see the ocean storming though.  I love the beach during a storm.

Despite arriving late, and feeling very rushed and flustered, I quickly settled in and had fun.

 

Who, me?

Can you imagine me having fun?

By the way, I'm not sure who I stole that last photo from.  It might have been on Bossy's camera too.

What could be better for a stormy night by the sea than a bowl of soup?

Ok, I admit, it does look like something one of my dogs yakked up.

It was some sort of hominy something-or-other, and also, sort of Mexican-ish.

Guess what?

It was delicious.  Absolutely fantastic!  I would order it again in a minute. 

I really enjoyed meeting some new people and also getting caught up with a few old friends.  Bossy will have to come visit Orange County more often so we have an excuse to celebrate again.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Life's Simple Pleasures

A few years ago, while vacationing in Maui, I fell in love with Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee from The Coffee Store.  Every year, when we'd return to Maui, I'd buy some to bring home with me.  I tried other flavors, but for me - it always came back to this one.

I don't know what took me so long, but I finally realized I could enjoy my favorite coffee year round.  I now order it online and it arrives in big five pound bags on my doorstep a few days later.  

 

This just came yesterday.  I spent the last week drinking "normal" coffee as I waited for it to arrive.  Next time I'll order sooner so I don't run out.  If you're a coffee drinker, you might want to treat yourself.  You can order it in smaller one pound bags if you want.  You can also order it ground or get the whole beans.  I buy the whole beans and grind them as I use them.

Periodically it goes on sale or they have specials where they waive the shipping charges.  I always stock up when I can get it a little cheaper.

Yum!

Sitting outside on our deck or patio and sipping this in the mornings is truly one of my favorite moments of the day.

© Twenty Four At Heart   

I'm Blaming My Friends, Part III

Isn't it about time I conclude this story?

I think so.

When I left off last week, I was at a bar named K'ya in Laguna Beach with a few girlfriends.

We drank a couple mojitos, possibly got a little carried away taking photos of random strangers at the bar, met a few "relatively harmless" men, and then decided to leave.

On the way out, we ran into some music makers.  They could barely contain their laughter as Nike began shimmying and dancing in front of them.  They also seemed to think it was pretty funny I was taking their pictures.  

They might have thought we were a *little* tipsy. 

Nike wanted to make one more stop before it was time to head to the Laguna Playhouse.

230 Forest Avenue is not just an address.  It's also the name of a popular restaurant/bar in Laguna Beach.  Unlike K'ya, 230 Forest Avenue doesn't have an ocean view.  230 does have great food though.

As we walked to 230, we passed this VW bug:

  

A closer look at the sign on the windshield revealed this:

The sign Dee is holding says, "If you like what you see contribute to me.  I'm a work in progress.  Donate through sunroof and see what becomes of me."

We did not toss any money through the sunroof.

Instead, we entered 230 Forest Avenue and ordered another mojito and a host of appetizers to share as our evening meal.

I don't think any of us were feeling any pain at this point in the evening.

After a few bites at 230, it was time to go see The Second City perform Can You Be More Pacific?  We walked a couple blocks to the theater.  (I might have taken off my heels and walked the few blocks barefoot due to blisters on my feet.  It's a beach town - no one noticed!)

As we entered, we were handed our programs.

Let's take a closer look at how the program portrays Orange County women.

First of all, her body is a navel orange.  (See her navel?)  She's got big, over-sized, filled lips, designer sunglasses, platinum blonde hair, jewelry on her wrist, and manicured nails.  

It looks pretty accurate to me. 

The performance was great and made for a perfect ending to a fantastic girl's night out.

There's no reason to bring up the horrific hangover/headache I had the next morning, is there?

I didn't think so ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

From Germany With Love

** I will be hosting a giveaway, tomorrow, on Wednesday!  Please make sure to stop by! **

Awhile back, one of my readers, Anne (who lives in Germany), contacted me.  She'll be in the United States in May and was wondering if we could meet.  We've corresponded a few times trying to work out the details.

I was delighted when she emailed me about two weeks ago to inform me she had sent a package to me.

I'm not much better than a child as far as surprises (!) and packages (!) and presents (!) go.

I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to see what my surprise might be.

Finally, this arrived:

Inside I found this:

There was a very nice letter in the pretty flowered envelope.  

Also?

There was German chocolate.

And then?

There was more chocolate.

But what's in the pretty box?

Well, do you remember awhile back, I shared with you some Fun Facts?  One of them, was about rubbing your hands on stainless steel after cooking with garlic or onions to make the strong odor completely disappear from your skin.  (This was a tip from my friend MrLady.)

Shortly after reading my post, Anne found Stainless Steel Soap in one of her local stores and thought of me.

How clever is that?

You set the "soap" in it's little black soap dish in your kitchen.  I put mine right by my sink.  After cooking with garlic or onions, you rub your hands on the "soap" and it eliminates the smell from your hands. 

This means I don't have to get all friendly with my stainless refrigerator anymore.  (Or rub my hands on a knife (!) as some of my readers mentioned they do.)

Better yet, unlike real soap, the stainless steel soap will last forever.

I'm thrilled with my surprises.

(I know some of you might be interested in purchasing Stainless Steel Soap also.  If you are, you can find a few brands to choose from on Amazon by clicking here.)

Thank you, Anne, for your thoughtfulness!

I hope everything works out so we are able to meet in person in May.

xo

© Twenty Four At Heart

I'm Blaming My Friends, Part I

* I will be hosting a giveaway this Wednesday!  Make sure to stop by and join in the fun! *

A few of my friends and I decided to go to the Laguna Playhouse one night last week to see The Second City perform Can You Be More Pacific?

Can You Be More Pacific? is a show consisting of a series of short skits/improvs spoofing Orange County.  It was hilarious.  I highly recommend it to all of my Orange County readers.  (Well, all of you who have a sense of humor!)  As a writer who is constantly making fun of the Orange County lifestyle, I truly appreciated the great acting and humor of the performances.

The show didn't start until 8 p.m., but my friend, Nike, thought we should start our evening around 4:00 in the afternoon.  

What can I say?

She likes to have a good time.

We parked on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway for those of you who don't live here) and walked a block or two to our first destination.

Walking along Pacific Coast Highway looks like this:

(Excuse the crappy photo quality - all of today's photos were taken with a very old point and shoot, and in many of them the photographer was inebriated.)

A drunk photographer is a shocking and very disturbing thing!

It only took a few minutes to spot our first destination.

We were headed to K'ya.  It's pronounced k-eye-a.

I think.

After ascending a couple flights of stairs we, too, were on the rooftop.

We were at the bar, but the seating area for people who actually want to eat food while they're at K'ya looks like this:

The bar crowd looked more like this:

Well, you did want to see a typical OC woman, didn't you?

Notice the mega-carat diamond studs in her ears, the designer sunglasses, the perfectly french-manicured nails and the bleached blonde hair.  

Oh wait, don't forget the excessive cleavage which is probably store-bought if she's like the majority of women here.

There's more too!

Check out the lips!

Do you think they're natural?

And what about her hair piece?  Do you think that's natural? 

 

How did I get off on this tangent?

My apologies.

I get a lot of people asking for photos of Orange County folks, and this woman is pretty typical.

She's probably a very nice person.

Anyway ...

With my back to the ocean, the view from K'ya looked like this:

 

Very pretty, but, of course, I faced towards the men ocean while we were there.

My friend, Nike, suggested we kick off the night with mojitos.

I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I was forced to agree.

And really?

That mojito is just the beginning of this story ......

(Part II will post on Thursday.  Also, I posted a few other photos of our girl's night out over the weekend.  If you missed them, you might want to scroll back and take a look.)  

© Twenty Four At Heart

Adrift in Chocolate

This isn't what I was going to write about today, at all.

No, I'm supposed to be dieting, remember?

Hmmm ... I think I blew it already.

My daughter returned safely from her spring break trip and is now back at college.  

Did you know I gave birth to her when I was only a toddler?

It's true.

It might have been a miracle.

Anyway ...

While she was gone she visited Finland, Russia, Belgium, and Estonia.

Some of you live in those very places.

She had a great time and returned with gifts.

These Belgian chocolates are tiny, little, slivers of melting deliciousness!

She brought an entire box of them home.  They are pure, rich, sweet, goodness. 

I have readers in Belgium.  I'd just like each and every one of them to know I can be bribed with chocolate.

It's a terrible weakness.  

Especially when I have PMS.

She also brought home chocolate waffles.  I had never heard of chocolate waffles before.

They are about three inches across ... about the size of a large American cookie.  They're crisp like a cookie also.  They were made by Dumon Chocolatier and they're to die for.  Honestly, they are perhaps the best treat I've ever experienced.  Someone needs to hide them from me because I absolutely can't resist them.  I could eat a bazillion of them in one sitting - they are that good!

I think maybe they're just cookies in a waffle shape?

Also?

I really need to do some traveling.  I haven't been to Europe in years.  Her photos brought back all sorts of memories.  The hotel she stayed at in Belgium was right on a canal.

Belgium is nothing like Orange County.

Of course, no place is like Orange County.

I live in a strange little bubble filled with sunshine, beautiful beaches, and plastic real-life Barbies.

Please send chocolate!

(I better go exercise now ....)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Beautiful Day at the Beach

I'm continuing on with my overbooked, totally insane, chaotic week.

I'm exhausted and it's only Wednesday.

My son, PR, turns 15 today!

Woo hoo!  

We make a big deal out of birthdays at our house.  It's my fault.  I put a lot of stress on myself to make a BIG DEAL out of every birthday in our family.  I want people to make a big deal out of my birthday too.  I believe everyone deserves their very own day to feel like the truly special person they are.

On a totally separate note, I have the funniest story to tell you!  You will laugh your ass off ... unless it offends you, but I don't think my readers are easily offended.  Otherwise, you wouldn't be my readers, right?  Except for the one woman who wrote me one day to say she had been reading 24 "for a really long time" but I deeply offend her on a regular basis and she wouldn't be coming back to read "ever again."  She had never commented or emailed before so I never knew she was there in the first place.  It was hard to feel heartbroken over THAT loss.

In any case, I can't wait to tell you my funny story.  I need to find some time to sit down uninterrupted so I can write it up.

Maybe tomorrow?

If not?

Soon.

Very, very soon!

Yesterday I was running around Orange County like a chicken with its head cut off all day.  For most of the day, I dragged my oldest son around with me.  He's only home for one week and if I can't be home with him while he's here, I like him to come with me so I can spend time with him.  He actually doesn't mind, which shocks the hell out of me.

Anyway, we stopped for lunch at the pier in San Clemente while we were out and about.

 

I forgot to bring my most-loved camera, but I did have my point and shoot in my purse.  I was glad I had it with me, because it was a beautiful day. 

I'm going to indulge myself in a little bitch session here and say these photos don't really do the scene justice.  I can't believe the difference a camera can make in picture quality ... I've gotten spoiled by my other camera. 

But ... any photo to share the day with you, is better than no photo, right?

We shared a bucket of steamed clams for lunch.  I tried to sneak a photo in when the waiter turned his back.

 

After lunch, we went for a walk on the beach.  There's nothing like sand between my toes to make me relax.  We only had a little time, but we enjoyed every minute of it.  It was sunny and pretty, but windy.  The wind created a lot of white caps on the ocean.  I was glad I wasn't out on a boat yesterday because the water was really rough.

 

In less than two hours our lunch and walk were done.  It was a short break in an otherwise chaotic week, which made it all the more special.  As the rest of my week carries forward, I know I'll think back on the time we took for this little break with a sigh.

 

What did you do last time you were able to grab an hour or two to enjoy yourself and/or relax?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Strawberry Season

Every year, I get so excited when the first roadside strawberry stands begin appearing around Orange County.  Believe it or not, a lot of strawberries are grown right here.  The strawberries bought at the stands are so much better than those found in the grocery stores.  This year the stands were up in February as they usually are, but due to a lot of rainy weather, the berries didn't really arrive until March.

And now they have .....

 

Recipes which include strawberries are swirling in my head.  You can find my favorite Strawberry Salad recipe posted here.

© Twenty Four At Heart

A Touch of New Orleans in The OC

Last weekend, like many of you, I went to a Super Bowl party.  

The party was a neighborhood block party and our friends, Keith and Kelly, were involved in hosting it.  There were at least 150 people at the party, probably more.  Keith and Kelly have a neighbor who moved to Orange County from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home.  He's converted their entire neighborhood into Saints fans.

It had rained all day on Saturday, but Super Bowl Sunday was a beautiful day.  I took a few snapshots with my handy point-and-shoot so I could share the day with you.

 

There was a three hour New Orleans/Mardi Gras style party before the Super Bowl game even began.  We were running late and missed a lot of it, but we did arrive in time to hear Bennie and the Swamp Gators, an authentic cajun zydeco band, play.  They were great!

 

There were ice chests all over the place filled with beer and other drinks.  There were also tables up and down the street covered with endless amounts of food.

What kind of food?

Well, they had a shrimp boil, a few big pots of jambalaya, crawdads, and a lot more.

 

We enjoyed a taste of New Orleans right here in Orange County.

They also had "bounce houses" set up for the young kids in the neighborhood.

 

The funniest moment of the party occurred when we were all hanging out on the street at halftime.  A very drunk woman was talking to my friend's husband, Joe.  As we approached she realized my friend, Diane, was his wife.  She apologized to Diane for "flirting" with her husband.  Diane laughed it off and said, "Go right ahead, he probably loves it."  Joe made a quick exit, rolling his eyes, as the inebriated woman proceeded to gab (on and on) to us.

I thought the woman was not only out of her mind drunk, but also, very offensive and bigoted from the comments she was making.  I walked away from her very quickly.  A few minutes later Diane was giving me the "save me" signal, but I hesitated ... contemplating whether I dare subject myself to the obnoxious woman again.  A moment later, I saw Diane practically run into a nearby home to escape the woman. 

It turns out the woman, who was married, had told Diane how attracted she was to Diane's husband Joe.  Then she commented on Diane's "beautiful blue eyes" and began coming on to her ... including trying to touch her.  She made it clear she was interested in both sexes, and "everyone hooks up with everyone else at Super Bowl parties anyway, don't they?  So it doesn't really matter ...."

There's just nothing like a drunk swinger at a neighborhood, family, block party.  And before all of you blame this incident on Orange County or California, I think it's important to let you know the Drunk Swinger Woman was from Wisconsin.

I suppose drunk swingers can be found almost anywhere?

A few of my (non-swinger) friends were nice ( perhaps drunk?) enough to agree to be photographed for Twenty Four At Heart.  Along the top row of the collage below, you will see from left to right:  Keith (our host), Shannon, and Ray.

 

That might be me in the picture at the bottom of the collage.  I had a little to drink before I started posing with the blow up Saints player.   I don't want to hear any jokes about Roxxxy or blow up dolls, okay?  (Besides, at this point in the party I think the Saints blow-up guy was looking pretty good to me.)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Santa Barbara Weekend - Part I

I'm safely back in Orange County after a treacherous drive home yesterday.  Driving for hours through such a big storm was intense.  I watched a car spin out of control in front of me on the freeway, colliding head-on with another car, bringing traffic to a halt.  It brought all my car accident anxieties to the surface again.

And yet, it was a wonderful weekend.

Saturday morning, I left The OC around 8 a.m. to drive up the coast.  Along the way, I stopped to visit with my niece, Undomestic Diva, and her three holy terrors adorable boys.  (Just joking about the holy terror part.  I love them - really, I do!)  

I arrived in Santa Barbara just before lunchtime.  It was a beautiful day.

I met a friend for lunch at La Super Rica, which is purportedly Julia Child's (and Oprah's?)  favorite Mexican restaurant.  It's a little dive, with a long line, and some cheap, but excellent, authentic Mexican food.  I would imagine Julia Child and Oprah don't have to wait in line when they go there.  While waiting outside, forever, to get in - I got very sunburned.  It was a little overcast when I left Orange County and I hadn't thought to put sunscreen on.

 

After lunch my friend and I walked, and walked, and walked, for miles.  I was enjoying the ocean, the sand and the beautiful day.

Next came a few hours of shopping downtown.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a Lush store has opened in Santa Barbara.  I've only ordered from them online before.  It was great to see all their products on display.  My skin has been very dry lately, so I ended up purchasing a pot of Dream Cream.

We visited a lot of stores, although we were mainly just window shopping.

(Except, ahem, I also stopped into Victoria's Secret to pick up a few ... things.)

Before I knew it, it was evening time.  At this point, I'd been on my feet for hours.  We stopped at Arigato for a very light dinner of sushi.  I've mentioned Arigato before.  It's my favorite sushi restaurant absolutely anywhere.  If you ever find yourself visiting, make sure to order their Tiger Roll.  

After dinner, we walked around downtown for awhile longer.  Eventually I made my way to my hotel.  After unpacking, it didn't take long to fall fast asleep to the sound of waves crashing outside my room.  It couldn't have been a nicer Saturday.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Tupelo Honey

** I'm giving away twelve Twenty Four At Heart 2010 Calendars.  You can enter to win one until 8 p.m. Pacific Time tonight by clicking here.  Winners will be announced tomorrow. **

Are you a Foodie?

Are you a Van Morrison fan?

I love, love, love many of the old Van Morrison tunes, including Tupelo Honey.

Here are the lyrics of the first verse in the song:

You can take all the tea in China

Put it in a big brown bag for me

Sail right around the seven oceans

Drop it straight into the deep blue sea

She's as sweet as Tupelo Honey

She's an angel of the first degree

She's as sweet as Tupelo Honey

Just like honey from a bee.

Have you ever tried Tupelo Honey?  Do you even know what it is?  I'm sure most of my southern readers are familiar with it.

I might be the only person on earth who was clueless?

I'll be honest, I hadn't ever thought twice about it.  Who thinks about honey?  Hearing Van Morrison sing about Tupelo Honey was the extent of my knowledge.  Living in California, it's not something we often (ever?) see here.

For the holidays, we received a bottle of Tupelo Honey and a box of raw honeycomb.

  
I baked some fresh biscuits for breakfast the day after Christmas.  My family smothered the hot-from-the-oven biscuits with butter and honey.  They oohed and aahed and told me it was the best honey they've ever had.  

Since then, I've learned a little about Tupelo Honey.  To make Tupelo Honey, the bees need nectar from Tupelo blossoms.  I guess that makes sense, but I didn't even realize there were Tupelo trees.  (I do have several palm trees at my house, however.)  The Tupelo trees, apparently, only bloom for a very short time each year making Tupelo honey in very short supply.

The special nectar from the Tupelo blossoms gives the honey a unique flavor, and unlike other honeys, it won't ever crystallize.  Honey-makers (is that what they're called?) worldwide consider Tupelo Honey the "gold standard" of the honey industry.

Who knew?  Everyone but me?

(And now I've got the Tupelo Honey lyrics stuck in my head for the day!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

San Clemente

** If you're one of the many people who have emailed me in the last several weeks, I can assure you I've read your email.  Most likely, I haven't yet responded to it and for that, I apologize.  I have visitors here for one more week.  I will be doing my best to get caught up with all of you in the next two weeks.  Thank you for your patience! **

Many of my virtual friends, around the world, have been sharing with me stories of winter.  They tell me stories of temperatures I've never experienced in my life (-49F anyone?).  I think maybe once, when I was in the mountains on a ski trip, I might have experienced 32 F/0 C.  In fact, I think a few little flakes swirled through the air and I got really excited because it was snowing.  

So, um, sorry - but that's all I know about cold weather.

However, since many of you are currently experiencing cold, I thought you might like to read about warm.

I woke up Sunday morning sweating.  

Aren't I attractive?

It was 77F/25C downstairs in our house, which means the bedrooms upstairs had to be at least 80F.  My house gets full morning sun and it heats up quickly in warm weather.

We decided to drive to San Clemente for breakfast at Fisherman's.  It's a quick drive from where I live and it promised to be a beautiful beach day.

I was not disappointed.

It was a spectacular morning.  

There were some big waves and we watched the surfers as we ate.  The waves would crash so hard against the pilings under the restaurant, the table would shake.  Ocean spray, from the crashing waves, shot up high enough to mist my feet through the planks of the floor.  (Tip: always wear flip flops if you plan to eat outdoors at Fisherman's.) 

This was the view straight in front of me while seated at my table:

PR was facing the opposite direction.  This is the view from where he sat:

 

We walked down the pier which is currently under (re)construction.  I wanted to get a photo looking back towards the town.  San Clemente is nestled in the hills and comes right down to the beach.

  

There were a lot of pelicans diving for food.  I have a weakness for pelicans.  They've only recently been removed from the endangered list.  In ideal conditions, pelicans can live up to 30 years.  Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder for them to find "ideal" conditions.

Sadly, this pelican, perched on top of a pier building, had a piece of fishing line entangled near his beak.  Although the sight of the fishing line upset me, it didn't seem to faze him as he relaxed in the sun.  (He was staring at me, can you tell?)

 

We walked up and down the beach for a long time.  

 

It felt nice to be out on such a wonderful day.  Everyone we saw was enjoying themselves and had a smile on their face.

 

I convinced myself I was burning up thousands of calories with every step I took.

We walked, and we walked, until we ran out of sand.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Fattigman Cookies

I spent yesterday baking.

And baking.

And making some treats which needed no baking at all.

I had help but, nevertheless, it was an epic accomplishment with my bum arm.  I produced several types of goodies, but there was one particular treat I was thrilled to be preparing.

For the first time since my car accident, I made fattigman.  (Pronounced, at least by me, as fot-a-min.)

What is fattigman?  It's a, sort-of, diamond shaped, traditional, Norwegian cookie.  Cooks often whip them up at Christmas time, but they're not exclusively a "Christmas cookie."  You can make fattigman anytime you want.  In Scandinavia, they're also known as Poor Man Cookies.

One other important fact, fattigman are fried to create a light, crispy, exterior.

Yes, I said fried.  No, I don't own a deep fryer.  (I live in California, remember?  We're all about healthy eating here.)  I just fry fattigman in a regular old pan.

I'm an improviser.

Before you dismiss fattigman based on the terrible sin of being a fried food, can I just say ... nom, nom, nom?!!

Also?

Some foods are made to be splurged on once a year.

My mom used to make fattigman cookies around the holidays.  I've always loved them even though mine never come out perfectly shaped.  They're so different from most cookies.  They aren't overly sweet, but they have just enough sweetness to be satisfying when you're craving a little sumpin-sumpin.  (They're also very good with coffee or hot tea.)

I mentioned fattigman on Twitter and it generated several requests for me to post about these delicious treats.  There are many variations to fattigman recipes, but here's the one that has been handed down in my family:

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons cream (heavy cream not half and half!)

1/4 cup (1 stick) melted butter

1 pinch of salt

4 cups of flour (plus some extra flour for rolling the dough)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cardamom (you can substitute a mix of cinnamon/nutmeg if you can't find cardamom)

Powdered sugar

Oil for deep frying

Directions:

You will need two bowls.

In one bowl beat the eggs.  

Add in the sugar, continuing to beat the mixture.  Next, add in the cream and melted butter.  

 

Beat until the ingredients are well mixed.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones until well mixed.  The dough will be sticky.  Add in more flour until the dough is soft and ready to be rolled.

Roll the dough very thin.  (Thank you to my daughter for helping out with this part!)

 

Cut the dough into diamonds.  (There is a special fattigman cutter you can buy, or you can just use a pizza cutter like we did - or you can even use a table knife to cut the dough into diamonds.)

 

Cut a slit in the middle of each diamond strip and pull one end through the slit.  

 

Fry briefly - they cook very quickly.  They should be a light golden color.  (Seriously, you need to watch them closely or they'll burn.  Not that I would know anything about that ....)

Allow the cookies to drain and cool on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.  Finally, sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Voila!  

 

Fattigman cookies!  

(My son was inhaling them as fast as I could make them.)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Cold Turkey?

This was (one of) our desserts for Thanksgiving yesterday:

 

It's a round cake on it's side decorated as a turkey.  Yes, we also had the traditional array of pies available, but the turkey cake stole the show.  What creative cake decorating!

We had a great day with too much food and lots of family time.  Our air conditioner was running all day because temperatures were in the mid 80's here yesterday (about 29.4C).  With the ovens heating up the house also, air conditioning became a must.

Today we've moved on to leftovers.  There's nothing better than a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving also!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

** Thank you everyone for your support.  My son is in surgery today for a triplane ankle fracture which is a very serious break.  I will post an update on how the surgery went as soon as I'm able.  In the meantime, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the prayers and positive thoughts you've sent his way!  **

Many of  you have requested I re-post my (very famous) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe again this year.  I'm happy to do so.  They're easy to make!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 15oz. can pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups quick cooking oats

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

12 oz. chocolate chips* 

* chips can be semi-sweet, milk chocolate or a combination of both *

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl.  

Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.  

In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Gradually add dried ingredients to the creamed mixture.

If you would like some plain pumpkin cookies (which, by the way, are excellent with coffee for breakfast!) you can remove some of the dough at this point before adding the chocolate chips in. 

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon large tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 -12 minutes.

Cool on baking rack.

These are excellent warm out of the oven.  You can also warm them for a few seconds in the microwave the next day to make the chocolate all melty and yummy again.  

The recipe makes a large quantity!

Enjoy!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Requested Recipe

The funny thing about writing on the Internet is that people assume I know what I'm writing about.  Ha!  Isn't that funny?  Hellooooooooooo out there ... you can write on the Internet knowing absolutely nothing at all.

Last weekend I posted some pictures I took while making homemade chicken noodle soup for my sick son.  I couldn't believe how many requests I got for my recipe.

What makes you think it tasted good?

Oh, but it did!  

Homemade soup is something I do well.  The problem is, I don't think I've ever made any type of soup the same way twice.  I wing it with whatever ingredients I have handy.  My "recipe" is really no more than just a general outline.

I also always make big batches of soup so I can freeze the leftovers for another night.  

I really suggest taking two days to make chicken noodle soup.  On the first day, make just the stock/broth.  On the second day, turn the stock into soup.  Breaking it into two days allows you to chill the broth overnight.  The fat will rise to the top and harden and be easy to remove before you make it into soup.  This makes your soup healthier and taste better at the same time. 

Step 1:  Chicken Stock

You will need:

* A large stock pot

* Lots of chicken thighs OR a whole chicken (don't use breasts they dry out) 

* Carrots - unpeeled, cut into chunks

* Celery - cut into chunks

* Onions - peeled and quartered 

* Parsley

* A bay leaf if you have one handy

* Chicken bouillon (I use 1-2 tablespoons for a huge pot)

* Black peppercorns  (4 -8)

* Salts:  I use a combination of Kosher Salt, Celery Salt and Jane's Mixed Up Salt

* Sometimes I'll use a clove or two of garlic in the broth, but not always.

Why haven't I listed specific quantities?  It varies depending on the size of your pot and your individual tastes.

Place all the ingredients in your stockpot.  Add water until the pot is almost full and bring to a boil.  Simmer uncovered for 2-4 hours depending on how much time you have.  Strain the entire contents of your stock pot through a colander.  

I throw out all the solids at this point. 

Why?

The chicken and vegetables have lost the majority of their flavor by cooking for so long.  All that flavor has been transferred to the broth.  I know some people de-bone the now flavorless chicken and use it in chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas or make chicken salad from it.  That is fine if you understand the chicken will not have much taste.  It will need to be mixed with other ingredients that drown out it's lack of flavor.  

Do not use the chicken or vegetables you used to make the stock in your soup!

Refrigerate the stock overnight.  After it has chilled, remove the fat which has hardened and surfaced to the top of your container.  If you made a lot you can use some of it for soup now and freeze some of it to use on a different day.

Step 2:  Chicken Noodle Soup

You will need:

* A large pot

* The chicken stock you already made - fat removed 

* Chicken (thighs have more flavor but you can use breasts if you want)

* Wide egg noodles

* Celery 

* Carrots 

* Onions

* Fresh Parsley (dice small)

* Olive oil

* Kosher salt, Celery Salt and Jane's Mixed Up Salt

* Fresh ground pepper

All of the ingredients for the soup are optional except for the pot, water, salt, and chicken.  If you don't like an ingredient, substitute in something you do like instead or simply omit the item.

(I chop all the veggies it into bite size chunks unless specified otherwise, but you can dice them smaller if you prefer.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Rub the chicken lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with the salt(s) and ground pepper and roast until done.

When the chicken has cooled enough, remove the meat.  Throw the bones and skin away.  You can either dice up the chicken meat or shred it.  I usually shred mine.

Simmer the chicken stock adding in the celery, carrots, and onion.  Simmer for about 20 minutes if your vegetables are in big chunks, less if you diced them small.  Add a couple cups of noodles.  Continue to simmer.

Season with salt(s) and pepper to taste.

When the vegetables and noodles are tender add in the chicken meat and parsley.  Heat through.

Taste and adjust the seasonings if you need to before serving.

Again, it's up to you to decide quantities.  Do you like soup with more salt or less?  Do you like it thick and chunky like a stew, or do you prefer it as broth with just a few wisps of chicken floating in it?

Serve with a loaf of fresh hot bread and a crisp green salad for a perfect fall/winter meal.

Enjoy!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Better Than Medicine

My son, PR, is turning the corner and feeling better.  H1N1 be damned!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Maui Revisited

I spent my Saturday morning sipping Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffeee on our patio.  I became addicted to it while in Hawaii last summer and now I have it shipped over to California.  Big five pound bags of whole beans arrive and I grind just enough for one pot each day.  Another bag is currently on it's way but today I used the last of what we have in the house.  I started thinking back on last summer.  Then I started rifling through photos from our vacation.  My breath was taken away by this photo of a sunset on Maui.  I thought you might like to see it too.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Be Still My Heart

I know, I know ... I swore I was done traveling.  I told you how glad I was to be home after four weeks and four time zones.

I meant every word of it.

Then the fires came to Southern California.  Smoke filled the air choking my lungs.  Temperatures soared as a heat wave perpetuated the fire danger and my discomfort.  My daughter suggested we sneak away for a couple nights of girl time in Santa Barbara.  I hesitated for all of five minutes before booking a hotel.  This is our final celebration of summer.

Those of you who have read Twenty Four At Heart for any length of time know that this place, Santa Barbara, is tied to my heart like no other.  This is where I come when I'm upset and want to be alone.  This is where I come on girl weekends.  This is the place where my heart and soul feels at peace.

I arrived yesterday afternoon.  Santa Barbara is a bike friendly city.  There are bike paths everywhere.  My favorite run right along the beach.

Some things about this town never change.  The fact that bikes rule over cars is one of them.

The beauty of the mountains from the beach is another.

Having dinner at my favorite Sushi restaurant is one more.  I will cry if this restaurant ever closes.

Arigato Sushi was named best Japanese restaurant in the city this year.  The recognition is well deserved.  I can't imagine coming to Santa Barbara and not visiting.  It is truly one of my favorite haunts.

It will only be a short visit this time, but sigh ... my heart is so at peace here.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Feeling Festive - Giveaway!

While I was in North Carolina I picked up a few things for an end-of-the-summer giveaway.  I fell in love with all things Anne Taintor.  Anne Taintor products make me laugh.  (I particularly want to buy myself one of their flasks.)  

This is what I have to give away today to one winner:

Two packages of Vintage Anne Taintor Coasters.  There are six coasters in a package.  The designs vary but here are two examples:

 

And my favorite:

 

The coasters make me laugh.  I hate to part with them, but I will.  In addition, it seems only fitting to throw in a package of Cocktail Umbrellas to go with the coasters.  

Here are the (very simple) rules:

Leave me a comment - any comment about anything!

You get one entry per comment.

You may comment as many times as you'd like.

Comments will be closed at 9 p.m. Pacific time tonight.

A Random Number Generator will be used to pick the winner.

The winner will be announced in tomorrow's post.

Good luck!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Girl Time in Charlotte, NC

I'm back in Orange County.  I'm trying to get caught up from nearly a month of traveling.  It's been hectic.  I've been in four different time zones in the last four weeks.  My body doesn't know what the hell I'm doing.  

Last Friday morning I said good-bye to my son, RC, as I left him at his dorm.  I cried.  I know he'll be fine.  It's just a mom thing.  It's not easy to take care of a child for 18 years and then drop him off 3,000 miles away.  I then drove Briefcase to the airport and saw him off to California.  I drove down to Charlotte from there.

The entire reason I went to Charlotte was to meet up with a few of my readers who have become online friends.  The nicest people in the world stop by here for a few minutes each day.  Many of them take the time to leave comments or send me emails while they're at it.  In the dinosaur days these people would have been called pen pals.  I like to call them friends.  

Each of these ladies traveled a minimum of two hours to our central meeting spot.  Not only that ... they showed up bearing gifts.  Such nice people!

[L to R: Angela (from NC), me, Renee (from NC), Linda (from South Carolina), Di (from Virginia)]

I'd like to inject here my theory that southern accents are contagious.  If I were around these ladies for more than a few days I'd probably have a southern accent for life.

We met at a restaurant called Roosters.  Obviously, I'd never been there before.  It had been highly recommended.  Maybe it's a great place to go for entrees, but their happy hour (appetizer) menu left a lot to be desired.  Who would have thought a place called Rooster's would be putting on airs trying to be fancy?

Five very hungry women ... and this is what we got.  I really was just hoping for a burger.  Wouldn't you think they'd at least offer chicken sandwiches in a place called Roosters?  We tried a couple other things too.  For the most part?  Bleh!

Despite the food, which left a lot to be desired, I think everyone had a good time.  I know I did.  

One of the greatest moments for me, was getting my hands on a couple of huge cocks.

Instead of huge should I say well endowed?

The meet-up gave me an opportunity to get to know all of these great women a little bit better.  It gave them the opportunity to meet the "real" me and ask any questions they wanted to.  

In response to one question, I tried to explain I just have the oddest luck.

"I don't really walk around like this," I said as I pulled the front of my top down to expose my bra and breasts.

At that very moment, Fernando, our waiter, came around the corner and found himself face to face with my exposed chest.  The ladies erupted in laughter as I turned the deepest shade of red.  Fernando became an instant friend.

(That's how it works.  If I show you my breasts, accidentally or not, you have to be my friend!)

The next day (Saturday) a few of us spent the morning at the, very nice, South Park Mall.  I went to my first Dillards and later had exactly one sip of Sweet Tea.  I liked Dillards a lot more than I liked Sweet Tea ... which is really, really, sweet!

I flew home Saturday night.  My youngest son, PR, surprised me and accompanied Briefcase up to LAX to pick me up.  My daughter surprised me by being home from her college when I arrived back to our house.  I think they were both worried about me being sad after the North Carolina drop off.  It made me feel very loved.

I got home just in time.  Briefcase's birthday was on Sunday.  He might have had some highly acrobatic husbandly expectations for his birthday.  There's never a moment to slow down and rest, is there?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Hawaii - Day 9

On Day #9 in Hawaii we made a morning trip to our local grocery store.  Briefcase wanted to buy a flashlight and extra bottled water in case Hurricane Felicia knocks out the power here.  Right now we're hearing the island of Hawaii and Maui (where we are) are the two islands that will be hit the hardest.

We picked up some saltine crackers and peanut butter to have on hand "just in case" also.  I don't think we'll need any of it, but I suppose it's better to be safe.  I also stopped into my favorite little coffee shop to buy some chocolate-macadamia nut coffee beans to take home with us.  To my dismay they were completely out of stock and not expecting more until after we depart.

I was disappointed.  I love my chocolate macadamia nut coffee in the morning.

Next, we made our way to Kaanapali Beach.  We were on a mission for an adventure.  We paid an exorbitant amount of money to rent three sea doos.  A small boat took us out to a loading station out in the ocean.  We donned life jackets, made a note of the very choppy water (hurricane coming!), and boarded our sea doos.

RC had a sea doo to himself.  That was a good thing because he's a maniac with the spins and turns and tricks.  PR and Briefcase shared one and took turns driving.  My daughter TR and I also shared one.  Originally I was going to have one of my own, but if the sea doo were to capsize I wouldn't be able to upright it with my bum arm.  Also, if I were to fall off it might be difficult to pull myself back on without help.  I'm so uncoordinated with just my left arm.  

We had a blast.  A photographer took over one hundred photos of us and some of them came out great.  My family, as you already know, doesn't want to have their pictures put on Twenty Four At Heart so I can't show them to you.  Also?  My thighs could not be cropped out of the photos where I'm actually riding on the sea doo and that is truly a terrible thing.  I would never subject you to seeing that.  Suffice it to say, we had a great time.

We arrived back to our condo in the afternoon.  We swam in our cove for awhile and said hello to the turtles.  By the way, I've fallen in love with a wooden turtle (which is also a box) that is a decoration in our condo.  It looks like this:

I don't know what kind of wood he's made out of.  Possibly mango?  When the box opens it looks like this:

I'm love this turtle!  I've tried to find one like him and I've been unsuccessful.  I've even thought of kidnapping him and leaving behind a ransom note for the owners of the condo.  Alas, I don't want to be arrested for turtle-napping so I'll have to leave him behind when we return home.  

After showers we embarked on a beautiful one hour drive to our favorite restaurant on Maui.  We drove along the coast for a long time and then we headed inland for awhile.  We passed a lot of sugar cane fields.

Eventually we emerged on the opposite coast.  It didn't take long after that to reach our destination.

I love Mama's Fish House, but I have to warn you the place is outrageously expensive.  It's a special treat to come here for a visit when we're in Hawaii.  Most of the entrees run $40 - $50+ and a mai tai will set you back $16.  Salads, etc. are all additional.

Why was the restaurant packed even on a Sunday evening in our bad economy?  The food is absolutely amazing and the atmosphere can't be beat.  People make reservations weeks (and sometimes months) ahead of time to dine at Mama's Fish House.

The restaurant looks out at a small, but beautiful beach.  We arrived just prior to sunset.

To add to the ambiance the restaurant has staged torches along with another prop on the beach.

We walked from the beach on a path to the restaurant entrance.

Despite having a reservation we had a short wait for our table.   We sat on a bench by some tiki men while we waited.

We all ordered different entrees so we could share and sample different things.  The most unusual presentation was the Moi (fish) PR ordered.  The fish is cooked and served whole.  I swear it was staring at me across the table.

For dessert we ordered a Black Pearl which is chocolate mousse served inside a wafer "shell."

To be honest, we ordered it more just to SEE it than to eat it.  We were absolutely full from our dinner at that point.

Afterwards, we walked on the beach for a little while.  The stars were spectacular.  Then we got in the car and drove for an hour to get home.  It was a wonderful day.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Hawaii - Day 4

My family does not appreciate me being on the computer.  As a result, like any good addict, I have to sneak my time in to write posts while on vacation.  I take perverse pleasure in dashing off a quick post while they're showering after a day at the beach.  I know, I might need help for this blogging addiction, right?  

Or maybe not.

Did you hear a hurricane might hit Hawaii in 4-5 days?  One of my readers informed me about it last night.  I haven't been keeping up with the news at all while here.  I've never been in a hurricane.  I suppose sitting on a bluff on the edge of an island might not be the best location to sit one out.  

On the other hand ....  How exciting!

I did a whole lot of nothing on Day #4 on Maui.  I want to share with you some of the foods I'm living on while I'm here.

First of all, there's a lot of this:

Just kidding.

Day #4 was more about tequila.  

We grilled fresh mahi-mahi on the beach and made fish tacos for dinner from it.  We made our own fresh guacomole, added some salsa and it came out fantastic.  The accompanying margaritas (and possibly a shot or two of tequila straight up) added to the celebration.

We bought a new shot glass on Day #4.

Sorry if the photo is a little fuzzy - it might be a result of the tequila you drank.

* Ahem *

Nearly every day I purchase a fresh sashimi grade loin of ahi.  The fish looks like this when I bring it home:

I slice it very thin.  It doesn't get cooked at all.  I make a side dish of wasabi, pickled and sliced ginger and serve it with soy sauce for dipping as an appetizer.

It's a family favorite when we're here.  I never serve sashimi at home because I don't know of a good source for really fresh ahi.  Maybe one of my Orange County readers can give me a tip?

We eat other sashimi here too.  We frequently will purchase fresh ahi poke which looks like this:

My family also enjoys poke kim chee tako which is a spicy octopus sashimi.  It looks like this:

Notice the tentacles creeping out of the bowl?  I made sure that was visible just to freak you out.  

Your welcome.

Last year we brought a friend with us to Hawaii.  He had never eaten pineapple before.  I was shocked because it's a fruit I grew up eating all the time in California.  Nonetheless, I know it isn't readily available everywhere.  For those of you who have never seen a pineapple, they look like this:

You slice off the top and bottom and remove the prickly skin.  The fruit is cool and refreshing.  We eat a lot of fresh fruit for breakfast.

This is a papaya:

And these are mangoes:

We have mango trees right at our condo complex which is convenient. 

My new discovery this year is Dragon Fruit.  Have you heard of it?  It looks like this:

 

It tastes a little like kiwi.  It's a deep red inside.

I cut up whatever fruit we have handy each morning and we sit out on the patio enjoying it for breakfast.  Bananas grow just a few feet from our front door too.  I drink a cup or two of chocolate-macadamia nut coffee each morning while listening to the waves crashing on the bluff.  It makes for a perfect morning. 

© Twenty Four At Heart

Turgid Nipples

I'm in Chicago today.  I have my laptop with me, but I knew I might not have time to write during my first 24 hours in town.  I pre-wrote today's post for you for that very reason.  I'll have a Chicago update for you on Monday for sure.

I have a friend named Jane Devin.  Jane and I have been communicating back and forth about our love for the phrase turgid nipples.  It started as a joke and it progressed when I used the phrase in a post a few days ago.  Somehow it morphed into the decision we should invent a new cocktail.  

I'd like to take credit for the creation of the Turgid Nipple cocktail, but in truth Jane came up with the recipe.  The only thing I contributed was my love of limes.

Here's the recipe:

1 small can limeade (lemonade if you don't like lime)

4 oz. pomegranate vodka

1 tbsp maraschino cherry syrup (or to taste)

lime (or lemon) for garnish

paper umbrella optional

** Mix first three ingredients in a blender.  

** Pour into tall glasses and garnish

** Get a little chilly and tipsy

** Turgid Nipples will result

Enjoy!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Need a Little Spice in Your Life?

My life is super exciting this week as I recupe from surgery.  (Yawn!)  By next week I imagine I'll be back in the Money Town scene, but for now I'm playing a hermit.  Letting my perky size C boobs heal up before I undoubtedly flash them at someone in town.

I had a couple topics to write about today and I decided to scratch all of them for the time being.  I wanted to do something different and change things up a little bit.  Most of my readers come from outside of California, and I thought I'd give you a little glimpse of the California lifestyle today.

Because the weather here is pretty nice year-round, we tend to use our grill for cooking year-round also.  (I'm going to make all my southern readers shudder when I tell you we call it a barbeque, not a grill.)

Spicy food is also pretty common in Southern California because we are so close to Mexico.  I grew up eating a wide variety of spicy food.  Briefcase grew up on the east coast and he is still shocked to see our kids throw Tabasco and/or salsa on everything.  Briefcase had never even tried salsa until he went to college in the south.  

In any case, I thought I'd share with you an easy summer dinner we had recently.  It might be something you're interested in trying yourself if you don't mind a little "kick" to your food.

It starts with thin skinless chicken breasts and this:

The Chili-Lime Rub is available at Williams Sonoma for $10 (you can get it online from them also).  There is enough of the rub in a can for more than one meal.  (And no, they are not sponsoring me to write this!)  It's a little spicy, but not overpowering.  Really, the rub just provides a nice blend of spices.

It takes maybe a minute to rub the spices into the chicken:

After that it's another few seconds to throw it on the grill:

I like to chop up a medley of veggies to cook in a mesh pan on the grill at the same time.

A lot of time we husk corn and throw it directly on the grill too.  There's no reason to turn the stove or oven on at all in warm weather.  The veggies are done when they look like this:

The chicken is done when it looks like this:

It's so easy!  

It takes a few minutes to scrub down the grill when you're done.  In addition to being quick and easy, the rub makes the chicken really flavorable.  It's a great day to day choice for yourself, but it also makes an easy meal for guests.  

If I were all Martha-Stewart-ish I'd have a picture for you of the meal displayed beautifully on a plate.  

Um ... I'm nothing like Martha Stewart, did I mention that?

© Twenty Four At Heart

I'm All About Balance

Wow, I've got a lot of whores reading this blog.  The comments on yesterday's post were hilarious!  How funny is it that people were begging to be considered a whore?  And trying to prove to me they are whorish enough to get into my whore club?  And telling me they could improve on their whoring abilities if I'd just give them a little time?  And asking if I could make whore blog badges for them to display on their own blogs?

You make me laugh my ass off!

I was embarrassed to see I had several first time visitors stop by yesterday.  I'm sure I successfully scared them away.  Imagine stopping by for a first time visit and seeing my contest to join a Whore Club.  I'd like to add, I find it hilarious that some of you would like to name the Whore Club Twenty Four's Twats.

Ha!  You're a creative group!

I had some law enforcement folks visit yesterday too.  I'm not even kidding.  Once they realized I'm not running the future Mustang Ranch they moved right along.

Sometimes I forget I'm not writing just to my best friends when I sit down to pen Twenty Four at Heart.  Other people with rules and agendas and strong opinions wander through here too. My apologies to all of them.  I'm an offensive human being and I openly admit it.

Also?  It's kind of creepy because there are automated robots out there in cyberspace. They secretly roam the web and find stuff for people and/or companies.  I don't really understand how they work, but there's no doubt that they're creepy and supernatural. 

I'll have an announcement on the contest winner tomorrow.

Yesterday I ate a Balance Bar for lunch.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with them, they're protein bars stuffed full of vitamins and other (gag!) healthy stuff.  I'm sure you're wondering why I ate a balance bar for lunch, aren't you?  

Because what I ate for lunch is fascinating, isn't it?

And no, this is not a paid product endorsement.

It has something to do with bathing suits, St. Lucia, bathing suits, and the fact I haven't tried to lose one ounce of my precious body fat in preparation yet.

And yes, my body fat is precious.  Someone has to appreciate it and if I don't, who will?

As an aside, let's place bets on how many days it will be until I hear from the Balance Bar people, shall we?  Since I know they'll be stopping by I'll just say this right now.  If they'd like to give me a lifetime supply of Balance Bars for free (those suckers add up!) I'll go on a diet and document right here on 24 how those yummy (bleh!) bars helped me look 24 again.

A lifetime supply probably consists of TWO.  I think it might be possible to force down two in a lifetime.  Like all protein bars, they taste like ass.

In any case, as I was choking down delighting in my peanut butter flavored bar lunch I contemplated the wrapper.  I realized my life, really, is all about balance.  I should be a role model or something because I'm all about moderation.

Let me give you a few examples.

If I have a cup of very hot coffee in the morning with a whole box of few Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies for breakfast it balances out very nicely with a protein bar for lunch.

If I have one or two or five margaritas I make sure to eat a full plate of nachos with them to absorb the alcohol.  Balance! 

If I don't exercise for four six twelve months it's absolutely no problem.  Why?  Because I can then exercise three times a day every single day for a month before I go to St. Lucia and make up for it.  That works, right?  

If most women have one sex toy, I *hypothetically* might have been gifted a full collection.  For the sake of balance, of course.  (I wouldn't want to wear out any one toy too quickly!)

If other people slowly tan in tanning booths beginning with 3 minutes a session, I find a way to burn my cooter to a crisp with a 10 minute exposure on my first visit.  Why waste visits after all?  Less visits means more time for balance in my life.

Do you have balance in your life?  Do you practice the art of moderation?  And most importantly, can you say crispy cooter ten times real fast?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Strawberry Salad Forever (Sound Like a Song?)

My guests are still here which leaves me very little time for writing.  The weather over the weekend was a little disappointing, but we still managed to have fun.  Having company is not a good thing for my St. Lucia bathing suit look.  I tend to indulge people with too much alcohol and food.  If I indulge them, I indulge myself while I'm at it.  Our house?  Has been one big par-tay lately.

I was told I'm very amusing after sipping only very small quantities of vodka.  What do you think of that? Do any of you find that to be shocking or surprising news?

Also, I think I'm really neurotic.

Are you thinking Doh!??  

I have a really hard time sleeping with people in my house.  It makes no sense whatsoever, but it happens every time we have house guests.  As a result, I'm pretty much running on empty at this point.  Once everyone leaves I'll probably snooze for a good 12 hours.  Do you have that problem too?  House guest insomnia?

Years ago, a good friend of mine invited me over for a barbecue.  

Wait a minute - time out ....

Here in California, a barbecue is what many of you call a cook-out.  Or what some of you refer to as having people over to grill.  Which, to me, sounds like an interrogation or cannibalism, but what do I know?

Anyway, my friend served the most delicious and somewhat unusual strawberry salad. My family went bonkers-crazy for it.  She was kind enough to share the recipe.  I've fixed it for years now and my family loves it as much as ever.  It's a frequent side dish when we invite people over for barbecues.  I've never met a person who hasn't loved it.  In fact, one of my good friends promised me her husband would hate it because he's very picky and refuses to eat a few of the salad ingredients.

He not only ate the salad, he went back for seconds.  And thirds.  And he insisted his wife get the recipe.  She now makes it for him frequently herself.

I've only given out one recipe here before (pumpkin chocolate chip cookies).  However, I served this salad last weekend to my guests and it disappeared in record time once again.  I thought it might be a recipe many of you could use in upcoming months at picnics and barbecues. We grow a lot of strawberries locally here, and this salad will give you a little taste of California.

Look for fresh, red, plump, strawberries at the store or your local farmer's market.  I don't follow the recipe quantities exactly, but the recipe is a good guideline as a starting point.  Also, I frequently make the dressing ahead of time to cut down on my "day of the party" chores.  OK, here it is ....

Strawberry Salad

The Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

3/4 cup sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Mix all dressing ingredients together until sugar has dissolved.  Shake well before using.

The Salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce torn or chopped (no iceberg!)

1 pint strawberries halved (I use more)

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 medium red onion, diced

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Mix all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the dressing right before serving so it doesn't get soggy.

This salad is a great accompaniment to steak, burgers, or just about anything else you might choose to throw on the grill.

Enjoy!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Dining With Money Towners

A group of managers who work for Briefcase give him a bribe gift every year for Christmas.  For the record, it's never expected, or necessary, and they are extremely thoughtful and very generous people.  For the second year in a row, we were told the gift was to be used at one of the finer Orange County restaurants.  

Two years ago, they gave him a gift card specifically for Mastro's Ocean Club. I love Mastro's, but it's too pricey for us to frequent except on special occasions.  Of course, we thoroughly enjoyed a "free" evening there courtesy of their gift.  It was fantabulous. Honestly, I love that restaurant.    

Last Christmas, the same wonderful group of people gave him American Express cards to use at the restaurant of our choosing.  We ended up last Saturday at  Charlie Palmer for dinner.  (And yes, for you Real Housewives fans, this IS the restaurant they filmed last week's episode at.  For some reason those ladies go to a lot of the same places I do.  Maybe they are stalking me?  I'm sure they are.)  

Charlie Palmer is located at (inside/as part of?) Bloomingdales in Costa Mesa.  It's pricey, but not as outrageous as Mastro's so we walked away at the end of the night with some leftover Amex cards.

Visions of curtains danced through my head.

What was I saying?

We had a nice evening out and everything was great.  In spite of the terrible economy, the restaurant was still pretty busy although not every table was filled.  The service was good; the food was good; everything was wonderful.

This is what I enjoyed the most though.

I loved reading the cocktail menu.  I know this picture is probably hard to read, so I'll help you out.  I found the menu very amusing because Money Towners are the most self absorbed people on earth.  Clearly, the restaurant wanted to tip it's hat to it's best customers. 

By the way, I didn't steal this menu.  Our waitress was quite happy to give me one upon my request.  I think she gave it to me so I would, kindly, leave my camera in my purse.  I don't think she wanted me to start snapping photos of the menu, the Money Towners, or the ho woman seated behind me.

What a spoiler.  You would have loved a picture of the woman seated behind me.

One drink is named Nouveau Rich.  Really, that name sums up a huge portion of Orange County's population.  Another drink is simply called The OC.  Fittingly, The OC has orange in it although the menu doesn't clearly state orange juice, so it does make a person wonder what type of orange flavoring is in the drink.  A third drink is named OMG.  Does that stand for OMG I have a hangover?  OMG it's so good?  OMG I can't believe the things I did after drinking it?  Or simply, I live in The OC so I say "OMG" at every opportunity I can because that's how people talk here?

The restaurant also offers the Rich and Skinny on it's cocktail menu.  I've mentioned this drink before.  It's quite popular here because Money Town women do not eat, ever.  It's against their religion and I'm convinced it's why they are all such bitches.  Money Town men, I know you are concerned about keeping a trophy on your arm, but when you can't take the bitchiness anymore you should insist she eat.  

Your welcome.

I snorted out loud when I noticed the Cougar Cosmo on the menu.  Honestly, there are times when I feel like PT is filled with at least 80% cougars.  They seem to flock there.  I suppose they have nothing better to do during their daylight hours than try to hit up The Torturer for a butt massage.  Or something.

Anyway .... 

For the record, I ordered the duck for dinner and Briefcase had a steak (and some of my duck).  Everything is served a la carte.  I think we over-ordered in an attempt to spend our gift cards.  We tried two appetizers and also ordered two sides to share with our meal.  The food was excellent, but I was way too full by the end of the meal.  (Briefcase, however, thought the quantity of food "was just right.")  Of course, I didn't have to eat the food just because it was there, did I?

Sex Toys And Sandwiches

You can continue to enter my Decadent Indulgence Contest through this Friday, at midnight Pacific time.  Prizes include a Breville Panini Press and a Decadent Indulgence sex toy.  They add up to a combined dollar value of over $250!  To enter, please click here.

Well, the contest seems to be off to a good start.  Thank you for participating and I wish the best of luck to each and every one of you!  Remember, you may enter as many times as you like.  Obviously, your odds of winning increase the more times you enter.

A few of you sent me emails saying you already have a panini press but would like the sex toy, or you have enough sex toys ** snicker ** but would love a panini press.  You can always use one of the items as a gift if you want.  

I'll be honest, all this talk of good food and great sex has really been on my mind.  I can't help you out with the sex part, so I thought I'd give you a few tips on making the best-ever panini sandwich today instead.

If you're on a New Year's diet you can modify the following with whole grain bread and low fat fillers and spreads!

Panini Tips  (Sounds kind of dirty doesn't it?)

Use the freshest, best, sourdough bread you can find.  Foccacia and ciabatta are also great options.

Optional: Fire roasted peppers are traditional on a panini, but not everyone likes them.

Fresh basil can be the key to taking your panini above and beyond an ordinary sandwich.

Use an assortment of thinly sliced sandwich meats to give your sandwich a more interesting flavor.  My family's favorite paninis include genoa salami, turkey, prosciutto, pepperoni, ham and a little cappocolla. 

Tomato, onion, avocado, and pepperoncini are all great options.  Lettuce just becomes limp when heated, I don't recommend it.  We wouldn't want limp, now would we?  

(What is WRONG with me today?  It must be the giveaway ... or something.)

Provolone and/or mozzarella cheese both melt nicely, but any cheese you like is fine.

Mincing a clove of garlic and mixing it in with some mayo makes a great, flavorful, spread.

To give the bread a great color and the perfect crispiness, brush the outside of both pieces of bread very lightly with olive oil prior to putting the sandwich in your press.  This is the KEY to a perfect panini!

Toast the sandwich in your pre-heated panini press for 5-8 minutes depending on its thickness.  You should end up with a nicely browned, crispy panini.  When you bite into it your tastebuds will explode at the combination of flavors.  The gooey melted cheese inside will send you over the top.

Are you hungry now?

You can still enter my contest to win a panini maker and a sex toy!

Decadent Indulgence - A Contest!

Eden Fantasys (not Fantasies) contacted me last month with an offer too good to pass up. They offered me the opportunity to peruse their website, pick out any sex toy I wanted, and agreed to sponsor a contest giving away the toy of my choosing.  They are not paying me anything, nor am I accepting any of their products for my own use.  But hey, if they want to give me the opportunity to give YOU something ... hell yeah!

I started thinking long and hard (**ahem**) about the zillions of toys I had to choose from. I went back and read a lot of the comments you've left me in the past.  I decided pretty quickly on a rabbit.  Several readers have mentioned in the past how much they would love to have a rabbit.  Next, I started narrowing down WHICH rabbit because Eden Fantasys has so many to choose from.

And then ... yes, and then.  I started thinking back to a few comments left on a previous post.  

Sex toy giveaway? That should boost your counter stats. Maybe you could get Williams Sonoma to throw in a panini press... and bundle the prize as a "Sandwich Some Fun into Your Busy Day Giveaway."

You are amazing! Love your blog...Posted by: sometimessophia 

And then there was this one:

Did this company happen to mention if they have a sex toy/panini press combo unit? That's one of those things that if I had one, I'd probably never leave the house. Except to get sandwich stuff, and (ahem) personal lubricants.  Posted by: Irish Gumbo 

There were more comments too regarding the joy of combining sex and good food.

For that reason, I have decided to co-sponsor this contest and donate a Breville Panini Press (approximate retail value of $150) to the winner.  That's right - the winner of today's contest will get a Breville Panini Press AND a Decadent Indulgence 3 rabbit sex toy which is valued at approximately $93!  If you factor in tax and shipping costs, the contest winner will walk away with over $250 of prizes.

You can click on the links of both items to get more details, but I want to tell you a little about them.  (Because some of you are lazy asses and won't click on the links!)  The Breville Panini Press is the one I recently purchased for myself and I love it.  My family has gone panini-crazy.  Every time the boys have friends over, or the family is watching a sports game on TV, I get a request to make paninis.  You can also grill meats, fish and vegetables on it.  It is AWESOME!

Now let me tell you why I picked the Decadent Indulgence 3.  This toy is the rabbit of all rabbits. It offers over 300 functions to tickle your ... fancy.  The buttons to operate it glow in the dark so they're easy to find.  (There's nothing worse than having your partner miss your button at a critical moment.)  The "rabbit ears" of a traditional rabbit sex toy are different on the Decadent Indulgence 3.  The DI3 has an elephant for clitoral stimulation instead of a rabbit. (An elephant has a trunk, and big floppy ears in case you forgot!)  

Ladies, think about it for a minute.  Would you rather have a tiny little rabbit in bed with you ... or a nice, big, strong, hard, elephant?  This is a toy which was designed to make the earth move repeatedly.

Whew!  Can someone hand me a fan?  I think I'm getting a little hot and bothered just thinking about it!  Sex, sandwiches, sexual sandwiches - whoops!  Did I just type that out loud?

As far as I know, this is the first-ever Internet contest offering a panini press and sex toy simultaneously.  Don't you just love it when exciting things happen simultaneously?! 

Contest Rules:

You may enter as many times as you wish.

Leave a comment listing something you enjoy as a decadent indulgence.  (It can be a bite of chocolate, a walk on the beach, a favorite sandwich, a candlelit bath ... anything you wish!)

** Make sure you type in the verification letters.  There will be a slight delay before your comment shows up after you've left it! **

Each comment you leave counts as one entry.

The contest closes at midnight Pacific time, this Friday (January 16th).

I'll be using a random number generator to pick the winner.

The winner will be announced next week on Tuesday, January 20th!

Are you one of my shy lurkers?  You can enter the contest using a fake name, just make sure to leave me a real email address.  No one will see your email address but me.

Thank you again to Eden Fantasys for co-sponsoring this very sexy, sensual, contest with me!

Giving Thanks

It's Thanksgiving here in the United States.  It's a day when we recount the many things we're thankful for.  We follow that by gorging ourselves on way too much food.  I'm always in charge of cooking the "feast" for our family.  I actually began with some of the cooking duties last weekend.  I've been preparing various dishes every day since.  

This morning I rose early and went straight to the kitchen.  I will remain there cooking in my PJ's until mid-morning.  At that time I'll take an hour break to shower, dress, and nag my kids to take care of whatever needs taking care of.  I will then return to the kitchen for many hours to come.  I love cooking so I don't mind.  Thanksgiving is a day when I don't have to feel the least bit guilty about doing nothing but cooking.

The males in my house will be watching football and will maybe even play a little football themselves with some of their friends.  They'll walk into the kitchen no less than one million times to see what I'm making, tell me how wonderful things smell, and ask when they can eat. Never mind if it's only 10 a.m., they'll want turkey.

TR is home from college and she'll be helping with the cooking.  She'll be my "right arm" so to speak and help out with some of the things I'm still not able to do with my injured arm. We'll plug my iPod into the stereo, crank the music and work away.  In the morning we'll sip coffee as we cook and by afternoon we'll have switched to wine.  

Holidays often make us reflect back on the previous year.  Where were we a year ago? What's changed?  Is life in a better place now? I have a very blessed life.  I could write pages upon pages of things I'm grateful for.  So as not to bore you, I've listed five things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving.  I'm grateful for:

1.  My family and their health.

2.  The gains I've made in my recovery since last year at this time.

3.  The fact that TR is able to be home from college for the holidays.

4.  Our family hasn't (yet) been hit too hard by the downturn in the economy.

5.  Each and every friend, and reader, I've come to "know" through Twenty Four At Heart.

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!  What are you feeling thankful for this year?  

Sex or Cookies?

In the last week or so we've talked about Faking Orgasms.  We've also talked about a bigamist.  (By the way, I've already learned a little more about Joe the Bigamist and I'll update you on him as I hear more.)

What we haven't talked about yet are cookies.

I know, this is far from a cooking website.  Just hang with me for a minute. 

I was at my surgeon's office the other day.  You may have heard about him.  Dr. Schobert has been mentioned repeatedly during the Olympic coverage.  He's also been mentioned on Dancing With The Stars.  He takes care of some of the Olympians including Misty May (volleyball Gold Medalist).  In fact, Misty May was in his office with me this week.  He's fixed her shoulder (which works perfectly - way better than mine).  Recently she ruptured her Achilles tendon on Dancing With the Stars and he fixed that too.

Dr. Schobert doesn't take insurance because he doesn't need to.  People fly in from all over the country to see him and gladly pay cash for the privilege of going under his knife.  I, of course, was in a little different situation.  First of all, I had no cash.  Second, Doc won't take car accident victims because he doesn't want the legal nightmare car accidents involve. 

Dr. Schobert and I had met and become friendly years ago, however.  For some reason he's remembered me for all these years.  He heard about my situation (three failed surgeries) from a mutual friend last February.  A week later he was operating on me and rebuilding my entire shoulder.  Three weeks later he did a follow-up, more minor, surgery.  Doc did stuff to my arm and shoulder that hasn't been invented yet in the world of orthopedic surgery.

It was the worst thing I've ever gone through. 

It was the best thing that could have possibly happened to me. 

Getting my arm to work again has become his personal and professional mission.  I'm very grateful for that.  I think back constantly to a year ago when I would sob daily because the pain I was in could not be made tolerable by the strongest of pain meds.  I realize I will probably always have pain and limitations but where I was and where I am now .... Well, it's been a remarkable improvement.

This week as I was leaving Dr. Schobert's office he grabbed a homemade cookie a patient had brought in.  As he talked to me he sighed with joy over his cookie.  He offered me one, but I turned him down.  I was in a hurry to get going.  Then he paused and he said, "You know it's better than ClassOneDrug."  Yeah, doc thinks a homemade cookie can give you more peace/relief than the strongest pain narcotics on the market.

It got me thinking.

I doubt if I will ever offer another recipe here on Twenty Four At Heart, but I'm going to give you one today.  I am famous for my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  With Halloween approaching, and with Dr. Schobert's words in my ear, I've decided to share the recipe.  They're easy to make and I've yet to meet a single person who hasn't loved them.  I've had the recipe for so long, I'm not sure where it originated from. 

If you have time, try making them this weekend.  They are moist, they are healthy (for a cookie), and they are ... yummy!  Honestly, they are the favorite cookie of all 3 of my kids and all of their friends.  I only make them in the Fall and people start begging me for them towards the end of summer each year.  They're easy, I promise!

This recipe makes a ton - plan to give some away!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2  c. butter (no substitutes)
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 15oz. can pumpkin  (pumpkin's healthy!!)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. quick cooking oats  (oats are healthy!!)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
12oz. choc. chips  (I use milk choc, but semi-sweet are good too!)

Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl.  Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  (If you want some plain pumpkin cookies without chocolate, you can remove some of the batter prior to adding the chocolate chips.)  Drop by tablespoonfuls, two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for approximately 10-12 minutes. 

Enjoy!