The Ipod touch

I have been thinking about putting an ipod touch on my wish list. I just got my first apple product - an 80 gig ipod classic last fall. It works great and I like it. When I bought my ipod, ipod touches had just come out. I didn't think I needed all the bells and whistles and went for the bigger size on the ipod classic.

However, now I really want to have some of the great applications out there. There are so many that sound awesome. I also would love to use the wifi option. I would never buy an actual iphone though, I don't want to be buckled down by a monthly contract. Today in a down time at work, I started reading reviews on the ipod touch at amazon.com So many people love them. Made me want one even more ;) I learned that you can only have about 9 pages of applications which I believe comes out to 148 applications you can have. The size of applications also differs, with the ones that are games and video taking up more space.

While reading the reviews and thinking about it, I think if I did get one I would get the smaller version - the 8gb. I already have my real ipod with all of my music on it. I would want it for the wifi access and the applications. I would not need the biggest one like I was thinking before. So I dunno. I feel a bit weird thinking about buying a second ipod product, but this ipod touch has functionality that mine doesn't have. I also read that it's not as great for listening to music because it doesn't have the same buttons. An if I went for the smaller one I could use both ipods for each situation I needed. My birthday is coming up next month, so we will see if I can rationalize it enough :)

Healthy Fast Food

I normally shy away from most fast food places where everything is fried and covered in sauces. My two favorites and normal go to's are Subway and Wawa where I can pick and choose what I want on my sandwiches. Yum. Today I decided to go to Wendy's for lunch. Jeff and I had been watching a show on fast food the other day and it mentioned Wendy's slogan "do it your way". That got me to thinking about Wendy's again and I decided to give it a shot.

Before I went I checked out their nutritional information online to see what their numbers were. You never know what things they can hide in food. From researching online I decided to get their grilled chicken sandwich without the sauce it normally comes in and a baked potato instead of their fries. I think it's great they have other things you can have instead of fries. In the end the chicken sandwich was pretty yummy. The potato looked kinda sad, but was still also good. This is definitely something I will repeat. Yea for something different I can eat :) This also makes me more motivated to try chicken sandwiches at other places. I normally avoid them because a lot of the chicken sandwiches I have had have had a weird almost overcooked bland taste. It's hard to describe. Wendy's didn't have that taste and I was glad.

Home made lasagna

For an early birthday treat for Jeff I decided to make him some home made lasagna. Lasagna is one of Jeff's favorite foods so I thought it would be a nice treat. I went to the store and picked up two foil tins especially made for lasagna so I would have two containers that were large enough. I decided on making two separate lasagnas so that Jeff could have the real full calorie version and I could make mine so that it wouldn't bother my stomach.

In Jeff's lasagna I put a little bit of tomato sauce in the bottom, and then alternated layers of lasagna noodles, cooked ground turkey with italian seasoning, cut up slices of zucchini, small plops of ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and then more tomato sauce. I got through about three layers before I ran out of noodles. My lasagna was the same as Jeff's although I didn't have any cheese or tomato sauce. This made it a little dry in the end, but not bad. I need to figure out some sort of sauce to include. Maybe just adding in some water would help. Jeff's came out great. I hope it was a nice early birthday treat.

Butternut Squash French Fries

While surfing the net I came across a really cool blog of a mom who likes to cook vegan, but has a lot of great recipe ideas that are similar to the kind of things I like. One thing she makes a lot that looked really good are butternut squash french fries. This immediately had me craving some french fries. I had to try it. I made Jeff go buy a butternut squash at the store that night.

I finally got around to making the fries today. The recipe itself is not hard. However, peeling the squash and cutting it into the right shape is a little hard because the squash is a bit hard and funny shaped. I think I'm going to invest in a mandolin. In the end they were really good and I was impressed. I will defintley be making them again. Even Jeff liked them. Since these fries were so good, I'm excited to try some of the other recipes Sarah makes.

If you would like to make them all you have to do is cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and gunk, and then cut the squash into big fry shapes. Spray a baking pan with pam, place the fries ontop and then spray lightly with pam and add some salt. Bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for forty minutes, turning them over half way.

Week 2 c25k

I started week two of my Couch to 5k program. I had been a little bad and skipped exercising on saturday to finish out week one. However, I had completed a trial run at the beginning of the week. So technically I did complete the week one podcast three times as per the instructions. Yes, I'm rationalizing ;)

This weeks instructions call for intervals of running for 90 seconds and then walking briskly for 2 minutes. I did pretty well overall I think. I did mess up in the beginning because the guy's voice is hard to hear over the music. I was on the warm up walk and I started running early. When I finally realized I was still supposed to be walking it was time to run, so I barely got a break in between, which made me a bit more tired through out the whole thing.

This weeks is definitely harder than last weeks. However, after doing the podcast two more times this week I will hopefully do a lot better.

Stranger than Fiction

Jeff and I watched Stranger than Fiction yesterday. I wasn't sure if I would like this movie, but I gave it a shot. In the end I really liked it. Jeff wasn't so sure. This movie is about a guy who works for the IRS. His life is mundane and boring. One day he starts to hear a woman's voice in his head that is narrating everything he is doing. I won't ruin the end of the movie, but it has a great message. What did I get out of this movie? That you shouldn't just live your life thinking this is how it's always going to be and give up. That little things can change the whole course of your life. That you should live life how you want it. If you have a dream to do something go do it.

More Domo

Today I happened to be in our local Target. Target is a great store and has all sorts of cool things. One section of the store I always check out is the seasonal section. Last Halloween I found that they had some really cute Halloween Domo, which is where I got my pumpkin and devil domos. Ever since I found my Halloween Domos, I always go back to that section of the store to see if they have any new ones.

Today they had all their Easter stuff out. I noticed they had some Hello Kitty stuff, but after looking a bit I found they had two Easter Domo's out! I picked out a stuffed domo dressed as a little chick and a domo with bunny ears. So cute. These two plus a pink domo a friend of mine got for me brings my total to nine stuffed domos ;) My collection is really starting to get big.

Couch To 5k

I decided to give running a try. I am out of shape and I wish I had the stamina to run. I also wouldn't mind looking like a runner. I tried running on the treadmill one afternoon last week and realized what bad shape I was in. I ran for about 7 minutes out of twenty total.

When I was finished I talked to a few friends about it. One brought an internet site to my attention. It is called Couch To 5k. It is basically an interval running program that lasts 9 weeks. It's for people who are out of shape to slowly increase the amount of running you do and decrease the amount of walking you do in a thirty minute session. In the end you will be able to supposedly run 3 miles in 30 minutes. It sounds really cool actually. There are support forums and all sorts of podcasts you can download. I downloaded one that includes techno music. It has the guy who created it in the background telling you when to run and when to walk. There are a variety of podcasts out there with all different sorts of music genres.

This site gives a breakdown of the different walking and running intervals that you go through each week. I am starting my first week today. I did do a trial run on Saturday and surprised myself. I thought I wouldn't be able to finish the whole podcast and would tire out. However, I actually finished the whole podcast and didn't have any troubles. I was very proud of myself. It made me look forward to today when I am really starting. I hope the excitement continues I continue to move through the weeks successfully.

Cleaning the tub

Last weekend I started a cleaning experiment. I have been looking for a way to clean our bathtub floor, which is made out of fiberglass, ever since we moved into our town home. I have cleaned it before, but it never got really clean. I wanted it to be white. I asked around and got a variety of suggestions on what to use to clean it.

In the end I went for a combination of methods. I first poured powdered comet on the bathroom floor. I wanted to use a brush to really put some elbow grease on it, but I couldn't find a brush anywhere. I need to pick one up. So instead of using a brush I used Mr. Clean magic erasers as my brush. They worked pretty well. However, I think I went through five of them. A friend of mine said that they now make super duty magic erasers with scrubbers on the bottom. They sound cool and I look forward to picking some up. Anyways, I used the erasers as a brush, and then after each use I rinsed the eraser under water, squeezed it to get the water out, and then dipped it in a little white vinegar to clean it a little more.

In the end our bathroom floor did finally look white. I was very happy. It took about an hour just working on the floor alone. The only problem is since I used a combination of methods, I'm not sure which one was the material that made the most significant difference. I'm thinking it was the magic erasers, but I guess I will have to try using them first the next time. I was so proud of our clean bathroom floor that I kept going in the bathroom to look at it and didn't really want to get it dirty again. Oh well. At least I know what to do now to get it clean again.

Happy Spring

Happy 2nd day of spring. I can't wait for the warm weather. I love being able to wear short sleeves and shorts and to have the windows open in the house. Today to celebrate spring Jeff and I went over to Rita's and had a some water ice. Mine was mango flavored. Rita's is great because it's a dessert I can eat. Yes, it's very high in sugar, but there is no dairy and no chocolate. I will have to go back and try some more of their flavors. They also supposedly have sugar free flavors, but they didn't have any tonight when I went.

Hello Kitty 3-D Cookie Cutter

Sanrio has come up with so many interesting gadgets. I found this post which advertises that jbox.com is selling a Hello Kitty 3D cookie cutter that can be also used with toast! Cute. I wonder if I would be able to assemble the cookie or if it would fall apart.

Stuffed Shells

I found jumbo pasta shells at our local farmers market this past weekend. They sparked all sorts of cooking ideas in my head. I had already been thinking about making some sort of pasta stuffed with meat dish so I picked them up.

When I got home I googled stuffed shells recipes until I found a good one on cooks.com. The recipe calls for ground beef, but I substituted it with turkey. I got rid of the onions and substituted egg beaters for a real egg. I also realized while making it I didn't have any nutmeg so I used seasoning salt and italian seasoning. I bet nutmeg would have given it a good taste, I'm sad I didn't have any. The meat mixture was basically a mix you would use to make meatballs.

I made two pans full of the shells. For Jeff, I covered the bottom with tomato sauce, put the stuffed shells in, and then covered it again with tomato sauce and Parmesan chesee. For me, I put a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan and put little bits of butter through out it. Then I cooked them for about 30 minutes and served. Very yummy.

The next time I try this I will cook them in the oven for maybe ten minutes less. The pasta was a little crunchy on the edges, but otherwise fine. Jeff also enjoyed making his own stuffing with my leftover shells. He put tomato sauce and shredded cheese in them. I may also try to make a lasagna with similar ingredients. Oh the possibilities ;)

Burger Grease Art

I avoid all foods that are greasy because they bother my stomach. After watching this video I am now even more glad that I avoid greasy food. Ew. Even though this is sort of an ad for Arby's new sandwiches this guy is very creative and I give him kudos. I love the cute dog cameo in the middle as well eating the hamburger bits.

Bloggers like me

I love food blogs. I have a huge list of foodie type blogs that I read on all sorts of topics. However, many of the yummy things I read about I can't actually eat, because of the various things that bug my stomach. Recently when reading one of my favorite sites I found a post about Sloane Miller and her site. On her site she is known as Allergic Girl. Her postings are all about eating out and enjoying eating out even when she is allergic to a lot of different foods. This really resonated with me. I enjoy food, but have been eating out a lot less and avoiding a lot of different foods when I started having stomach issues about a year ago. Now that I know the cause - ibs and gerd - and what I can and can't eat, I have started eating out a bit more again.

It's just nice to find others out there who are in the same boat even though we may be allergic or bothered by different foods. I'm happy to find her. I also found the Food Allergy Queen through Allergic Girl's blog list. I can't wait to read more of their posts and find others out there who are going through similar things. Yea for the internet :)

Happy Birthday Milo

Today is Milo's fourth birthday! Happy Birthday to our cute furry kitty. We got him when he was about two and a half. I can't believe we have spent almost two years with him already. I think we will have to do something special for him. Jeff thinks we should give him some tuna juice while I'm thinking of buying him a small toy. Either way I'm sure he will have a great birthday taking naps in his sun beam and chasing his toys around the house.

The Hamentashen House

Tis the season of Purim. To celebrate I ordered some hamentashen from a local temple. I ordered a box of cherry and apricot and a half a box of apple. They are very yummy. Then a friend of ours who is a trained maker of yummy dessert things made us some home made chocolate chip hamentashen.

Now my parents are down for a visit. They brought hamentashen with them as well. They brought some from their temple as well as some from Whole Foods. So we have hamentashen of all different kinds from four different sources. Yummy. We are going to freeze most of them so that we can pull them out at different times of the year and enjoy them. Freezing is also good so that we don't eat them all at once :) It's just need to see so many different kinds of hamentashen in one spot.

Snackage

While wandering the snack isle at the grocery store I found a new snack food that is pretty yummy - Quaker rice cakes. They are great for a snack because they are healthy, yet also get rid of my carb cravings. They come in all different sizes and flavors. So far I have tried miniature peanut butter, sour cream and onion quakes and kettle corn quakes. So far I think my favorite was the sour cream and onion quakes. I think the next ones I try will be apple cinnamon. My goal is to try all of the different flavors except for the cheese ones of course.

Alphabet Survey

Here is a fun survey I found on the internet.

A
- Age: 29, 30 in May (eeks!)
- Annoyance: Mean people
- Animal: My kitty Milo

B
- Beer: I don't drink
- Birthday: May 5
- Best Friends: Jeff
- Best feeling in the world: Being happy and contented
- Blind or Deaf: Deaf
- Best weather: Spring, probably around 70-80
- Been in Love: Yes
- Been on stage?: Yes. I have been in band and chorus all through school. That counts right?
- Believe in Santa: I'm Jewish.

C
- Candy: I love snickers, m&m's, caramel squares,cadburry creme eggs, and the rolos I had at work the other day were really good
- Color: Purple, green, cranberry
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate
- Chinese/Mexican Food: Chinese! I have it every saturday
- Cake or pie: CAKE!
- Continent to visit: I would love to go visit Asia. I want to go to Japan.
- Cheese: I love cheese, but it doesn't love me. When I do eat it I like american and cheddar

D
- Day or Night: I'm not sure. I like being up in the morning to get lots of stuff done, but I love sleeping in. Probably day. When I work I can't stay up very late at all.
- Dancing in the rain: I'm a horrible dancer

E
- Eyes: Greenish I think they are hazel
- Everyone's got: Their own opinion
- Ever failed a class?: No, but I did get a D in Math in high school on an interim report

F
- First thoughts waking up: What time is it?
- Food: I love to learn about/cook different kinds of food. I'm a bit of a wannabe foodie

G
- Greatest Fear(s): certain types of doctors, pain
- Goals: To have kids in the near future, to find my calling in life, to enjoy my free time more
- Gum: I don't really chew much gum, but when I do I like juicy fruit and the sugarless ones. There used to be a good kind that was rectangular shaped with one flavor on the outside and one on the inside, I can't remember the name though.
- Get along with your parents?: For the most part yes :)

H
- Hair Color: Golden brown
- Height: 5'2"
- Holiday: Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Cinco de Mayo (my birthday :))
- How do you want to die: Peacefully when I'm old

I
- Ice Cream: Rocky Road. Though there are some good soy ice creams out there. I like the toffuti's mint chocolate chip
- Instrument: Clarinet. I've played the b flat, contra alto, and bass

J
- Jewelry: I only wear a little. I wear my wedding and engagement ring on my left hand, my "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine" ring in hebrew on my right hand, hamsa bracelet on my left, watch on my right, and a necklace. However, I am starting to get into cheap cute chunky jewelry
- Job: Intern who works in research/statistics

K
- Kids: None at the moment, but I would like two
- Kickboxing or karate: I've wanted to try kickboxing, but I hear it's not good to try if you are totally out of shape.
- Keep a journal?: Yes

L
- Love: Jeff
- Letter: J
- Laughed so hard you cried: I did at work on thursday

M
- Milk flavor: I don't drink milk, never really did even when I could. But I love chocolate so I will say chocolate
- Movies: My favorites are Contact, Moulin Rouge, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original)
- McD’s or BK: McD's

N
- Number: 5

O
- One wish: I'd like to enjoy myself in whatever I'm doing and not worrying about other people or being bored

P
- Pepsi/Coke: Diet Coke. However, if I have to drink pepsi I like real pepsi. Diet pepsi tastes weird
- Perfect Pizza: I used to say pepperoni pizza with bacon and onions. Now I make a soy cheese pizza on bobboli with grilled chicken.
- Piercings: 1 in each ear

Q
- Quail: I think I've eaten it once.

R
- Reason to cry: ASPCA commercials w/ Sarah McLachlan, when anyone gets married or gives birth on tv (lol, yes I'm a sap)
- Reality T.V.: I will watch certain shows, but some of it is too over the top for me.
- Radiostation: WMMR, 106.5, WJFK
- Roll your tongue in a circle: I can't :(
- Ring size: 5

S
- Song: I have a lot of favorite musicians, but I can never remember the names of their songs.
- Shoe size: Depending on the shoe and the socks I'm wearing anywhere between 7-8
- Salad Dressing: Ranch on the side
- Skinny dipped?: Yup
- In the shower?: What is this question asking? Aren't you always naked in the shower?
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries
- State: VA, DE

T
- Tattoos?: None, I have such a low tolerance of pain
- Time for bed: Usually about 10-10:30pm on week days and 11ish on weekends
- Thunderstorms: Very cool

U
- Unpredictable: Usually not. I like to plan things in advance :)

V
- Vacation spot(s): Outer Banks, Florida

W
- Weakness: Lack of confidence, anxiety, caring what other people think, shyness
- Worst feeling: Getting into a big fight, being in work I hate
- Wanted to be a model: Nope, could never make it as a model
-Worst Weather?: I hate it when it's really hot and when it's really cold. Though I do like snow

X
- X-Ray: I haven't had one in a really long time.

Y
-Year it is now: '09
-Yellow: I wore a yellow v-neck fleece to work yesterday because it made me feel springy

Z
-Zoo animal?: When I was a kid I wrote a story about wanting to be a hyiena because they laugh all the time.

Dairy Free Icing

Today there was a lot of food around at work. There were two birthday celebrations that I know of plus some other types of food from a meeting that occurred. In one of the birthday celebrations there was a large cake. I love cake, but was trying to talk myself out of having a piece because it's unhealthy and because the icing would probably upset my stomach. However, I heard someone say that the icing was dairy free. I was like woah, how cool! I had never thought to look for or ask about such a thing. When I heard that, I of course had to have a small piece, and it was good. I hear that there are two grocery stores in the area that sell dairy free icing so I will definitely have to check them out. So yea for being able to eat a little more cake ;)

Peeps

The Washington Post is having it's annual Peeps Diorama Contest. All you have to do is come up with a theme, buy some peeps, set them up according to your theme, and take a picture. They also have pictures of last years winners posted. Some people are so creative. My favorites are the Simpsons and the Batman and Robin peeps.