Imagination

Last week at my grandfather's funeral a woman that knew me when I was young reminded me who she was and said in a condescending way, "You always had a wild imagination. You made up stories. Said your grandaddy had a horse with purple spots."
I smiled politely said, "Oh, I remember that horse." and walked away.
I can't get the image of this exchange out of my head, and I can't stop feeling so sorry for this woman and her children.

Real Food

So if you know me personally then you know I have struggled with my weight. Or maybe that is not the right word. used to be quite fit. It makes me sad now to think about how I thought I was fat in high school when I was actually fit and smoking hot. In college, I gained a freshman 100. Even though I had been fit, I had horrible eating habits. I was one of those lucky people who could eat junk and not gain weight. Well, a combination of not changing my habits as my body changed and an illness that put me on steroids for an extended time period (I can eat my body weight when I am on steroids) caused me to gain a lot of weight.
This lead to 20 years of yo-yo dieting. In retrospect, there is no way all that yo-yoing didn't damage my body. I have given up on quick fixes and starvation. It only makes me bitchy and more hungry. Each yo-yo bounces higher than the last. I want to eat yummy, healthy food and be healthy.

I have recently begun reading the blog Kath Eats Real Food and I am loving it. Now Kath and I are different in our tastes. It seems like she likes cold food and I like hot food. I also love sauces. My friend Amanda does not like sauces which is awesome because I always get to have her sauce and my sauce. I don't see Kath eating a lot of dripping food. But what she does eat looks great to me and I have started incorporating a lot of her concepts into my diet.

The other night after dance, I had blueberries, two golden kiwis, some greek yogurt, a little honey and some ground flax. It was fabulous! The ground flax I bought tastes like graham crackers.
Last night, while Chris had a reheated burger I had mixed salad greens with some dubliner cheese and a drizzle of honey. I cut my corn on the cob off of the cob and ate it as a part of my salad. We also quick sauteed some green beans. It was a fabulous meal and I think it was all real food!

Now with more liquor

Jen solves your problems with wine

It is time for another edition. Leave you problem, question or dilemma in the comments. A new video will be posted by Monday.

Porch Swings

Tomorrow I will film my 2nd edition of Jen Solves Your Problems with Wine. However, in this case that will be inaccurate because I think it is time to bust out a summer mixed drink recipe.
The Porch Swing. The Porch Swing tastes like a wonderful alcoholic, perfectly mixed Arnold Palmer. I first heard about the Porch Swing here. And while I LOVE Smitten Kitchen and all Deb has done for my culinary life, let me dumb it down for you.

I make these in a batch. I used a plastic Nalgene bottle with ounce markings on the side. It really gets the job done.
8 oz Lemonade (it doesn't have to be homemade but it shouldn't be too sweet so I use Simply Lemonade)
3 oz Gin, I think I have Bombay Sapphire
3 oz Pimm's No. 1, go to your better stocked liquor store - my corner store looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for Pimm's

Pour this mix into highball glasses over ice. Add a splash of 7-up and some thinly sliced cucumbers.
The cucumbers may seem a bit odd but there is just something about the fresh cucumber smell hitting you as you take a sip. Mmmmm...

I am not kidding that if you like lemonade, ice tea and all that is summer then you will love this drink. It goes perfectly with heat and BBQ. A word of warning, give it a stir every so often if you are a sipper - the Gin sinks to the bottom ;)

We had homemade Margarita and BBQ chicken pizza with our Porch Swings

Bad Kitties

About a week ago we had a stray cat with 4 kittens come into our yard. I could tell the momma cat was feral; she was very thin. I gave them some of my cats food. I thought the kittens looked too small for food but they ate and the momma even let them all eat first. They have been coming back everyday and we have been feeding them. They are all scared of us and the momma hisses at us constantly.

The goal was to get them friendly so we could find homes for them. Well, this morning I gave them kibble and milk and they were all eating. I decided to pick up the friendliest of the bunch, the dark grey one. I held it a minute and it let me pet it. When I put it down, I grabbed for one of the black ones who are usually the quickest to run away. It protested and I had to really hold it in my lap to get it to calm down so I could pet it a minute. I decided that I really needed to go in a take a shower but as I got up from the swing, I noticed the grey striped one had its back to me and was really close. I picked it up and it yowled and bit my finger. I put it right down and the momma came after me hissing and carrying on. That little booger drew blood and made a puncture mark in my hard as a rock shellac nail polish.

Knowing that the momma cat is that wild I don't think I can hope to tame her. I also don't think we can get the kittens tame enough to find them homes. I am going to borrow a cage from my uncle and try to trick the kittens inside with food. If we take them to the Humane Society where they can be handled regularly then they can be tamed. I would have liked to at least catch the momma to get her fixed but I think that she is just too feral.

 Being bitten by a wild kitten and chased by a hissing momma cat makes you thankful for the sweet animals in your life. This is Rocky, our official office mouse trap. In the morning her chases his toys around the office and in the afternoon he sleeps on my desk. He likes to try and drink our coffee and inspect all the drawers when we open them to file. He smells; I think it is because he is a boy.

 This is Snoopy aka Boogas. She is 16 years old and my best friend. She is the queen of our household and does not let Chris or I forget it. If you displease her, you may get your shoes peed on. She is super lovable on her own terms and knows how to cheer Chris and I up and make us feel better.

Fun Times

I just got back from a fun trip to visit friends. I had a blast but it is good to be home. I will be having another Jen Solves Your Problems with Wine this Friday so be on the lookout. I actually intend to make mixed drinks and I will post the recipe later this week.