365 | Peaches Prattlings

{April 5, 2013} Ready for the Color Run!

The Color Run is tomorrow!

The tutus are made, white. The hats are made/ready, white. The shoes are ready, white. The socks are good to go, white. The packets picked up, T-shirt, headband, tattoos, white, white and white. Are you sensing a theme?

We are participating in the color run Atlanta tomorrow with about 24,0000 of our closest friends and if not, they will be. The only rule for this 5k is to wear white so we have gone all out! CKM, SDL and Miss A and CTS will be doing the run together tomorrow, well, we’re walking it. It’s at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA.

It’s a color explosion, at every 1/4 mile, they toss colored corn starch at you, the more color you want, stay on the outside. At the end, you are completely rainbowed! Hence the white clothing requirement. They call it the happiest 5k on the planet!

Last year, they added a an extra date; this year, they changed the venue because so many people signed up! They’ve even added one in September! So, if you have the opportunity, go for it!

We are staying at the Hampton Inn (not a coincidence), in McDonough because its about 1.5 hours to drive there from home and if a race is more than an hour, I’ve started staying overnight. I don’t have to rush and I get my hotel points (it’s all about the points, right?)

We met for dinner after work, drove up here and then compared what we made for our fabulous selves!

SDL found a white top hat, put a flower on it and some tulle, very My Fair Lady meets steam punk. Miss A has a barrette sized one with a pink flower, oh so cute! They both have tutus and SDL got a white sheet for the stroller.

CKM has her white keds, white socks, tutu and hat. The tutu, she made out of a white belt with holes in it and tulle knotted throughout, it was a great idea, so guess what I did!

I have a white skirt, white tutu, same as CKM, white socks and white extra extra hi hi top Converse All Stars! I’m stoked I will have an original pair (and I just tested them and my smart feet fit! I don’t have to take a chance of hurting my feet any more than they are!). I even have a white wrist brace (possible carpel tunnel syndrome), it will be an original too!

CTS is meeting us there in the morning, so not sure what fabulousness there will be, but I know it will be groovy!

We have been told that if you spray vinegar on the clothing, the color will set, we are so ready for that! When will we wear these things again? Not sure, but I’m sure we’ll find an excuse!

I’m excited to be doing this with two of my besties, a good friend and my fantabulous niece! Facebook friends, look out for our rainbow of photos!

http://thecolorrun.com/atlanta/

{April 4, 2013} The Place Beyond The Pines

Or as I like to call it…two hours and fifteen minutes of my life I’m not getting back.

It wasn’t that bad, but the best part of the movie was the cookie CKM got me and it was ok. It was vegan (just a coincidence, but not as good as the gluten free lemon bars she made!) well, actually, the best part about the movie, it was free! Thanks CKM!

The movie is billed with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta and Eva Mendes in the top billing. I thought because of the movie posters and trailers that Ryan Gosling was going to be in it a lot longer. I have to say, they did a great job making Bradley Cooper look 29 in the beginning of the movie. Ryan Gosling is a traveling carnival motorcycle wonder, he finds out that a waitress he was with a year ago had a baby (not a spoiler alert) and he wants to stick round and do right by him.

Bradley Cooper is a rookie cop with bigger ideas for his future, Ray Liotta is the seasoned cop and Eva Mendes is the waitress and the makeup on her was great, she looked like crud! (Besides Corina Corina, has Ray Liotta played a good guy? Someone we could root for?)

Each main character, Gosling and Bradley has a one year old son, how they feel about them, towards them, take care of them and deal with an incident. About 2/3 of the way through the movie, we jump 15 years and here, so a to not have a spoiler alert…guess who ends up meeting.

All in all, it seemed to take a long time to get somewhere, it wasn’t for me, but it was still fun for a night out.

One of the best lines…there is a boy who was raised by his stepfather and when he asks about his “real dad” the dad says (in his best Darth Vader..I am your father… And I know every single one of you said it in your heads or out loud with that voice!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1817273/?ref_=sr_1

Since this was a movie review, I would like to say a fond farewell to Roger Ebert who passed away today. There was a great picture in Facebook…a sunset with two silhouettes, Roger Ebert says, “Hey Gene, brought popcorn” Gene Siskel says “Roger, I’ve been saving you a seat”. Two thumbs up I say.

{April 3, 2013} After thoughts

Ever have a thought, express it and then think of something else later?

I do that all the time, especially with this blog. I finish a thought, sometimes I’m sure you don’t think I could have any more to say, yeah right! And then I remember something else I want to say, could have said, could have said differently. Half the time it’s right after I post, the rest…the next day. I’m sure I’ll do that tomorrow as well.

I keep wanting to go back and change the last posting or add to it, but that wouldn’t be true to this blog, now would it.

And I know that tomorrow will be no different, mostly because I think I have a cold and my brain has turned to mush. I took some cold medicine earlier, it almost knocked me out and then I take some tonight and guess what, not sleepy. A cold when it’s getting warmer out, really? That is the worst! I get when it’s cold, winter then yes, have a cold, but when spring is here? And I think my allergies kicked in, you there too?

DCM has a sinus infection right now and even though we’re about 1500 miles apart, we’re both sick? What are the odds? What do they say about families that get sick together?

Ok, more meds, lets hope these kick in!

{April 2, 2013} PB & J

Yes, PB&J, you aren’t confused, I am writing about peanut butter and jelly and I la la la love it!

As a kid, one of my favorite meals was a PB&J on toasted white bread with a glass of ice cold strawberry milk..o m g. Ok, I’ll admit, I still love PB&J, doesn’t always have to be on toasted white bread, just as long as there is peanut butter and there is jam. I prefer creamy peanut butter and strawberry jam (hey, I named to cats Peanut and her sister, Butter). As long as its not jelly, too runny and I don’t like the consistency, I like to taste the fruit.

For a long time, I couldn’t have milk, then I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance and that first glass of milk, like manna from the heavens! let alone strawberry, wow! At Walmart, I found these straws, filled with flavored beads, they have strawberry, chocolate and banana!

There are days, when I can’t get enough PB&J, sandwich for breakfast, one for lunch, maybe one for dinner, it’s ok. I know peanut butter isn’t kosher, but sometimes PB&J on matza, remember…we have to find creative ways to eat matza.

Don’t get me wrong, I even love PB and banana! Wow! There is a sandwich at a Which Wich, the sandwich shoppe, called The Elviswich…it has peanut butter, bananas and honey and its toasted! (They started adding bacon, no thanks). This is comfort food to the max! But, no matter how good that is and how much better it probably is for me, give me a PB&J and I am a happy girl!

The reason I am inspired by PB&J is that Planet Smoothie has a smoothie, go figure, PB&J. It has ice cream, peanut butter, strawberries and milk. I get it without the milk and sometimes I’m ok with the Ice cream, sometimes not..It’s one of my treats that I don’t get to have very often because there is no Planet Smoothie near me, but…there is one near the office and when I have to go in, I know I’m going to go to Planet Smoothie and get a PB&J, wahoo! Almost makes the commute worth it (for about an hour!)

I went into the office today and the smoothie helped after the 1.5 hour commute and guess what, I am going to be in the office for the rest of the week, you know what that means! Maybe I’m close to my 10th smoothie..look out freebie!

Gotta get to sleep so I can get up and get my smoothie! I don’t care if its lame, it’s my life and my life is sweet, like strawberry jam! (Yeah, I went there!)

{April 1, 2013} April Fool’s Day

Well played April 1st, well played. Where does the tradition of April Fools day come from? I may have misunderstood Wikipedia, but, I didn’t see an exact explanation, just how it’s celebrated around the world, imagine that! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools’_Day

I’ve never been very good at April Fools pranks, some of them can be quite cruel and some can be quite funny.

Tonight, there are so many things n Facebook, so and so is engaged, my friend JCT posted that she and moving and was going to schedule a moving party. I wouldn’t haven doubted her because her current contract is in Boston and she said she got a full time offer and was moving! Well played JCT.

I stopped listening to a particular radio station in Atlanta years ago because of a April fools prank. 99X had a producer, Leslie Framm. The joke was that they were going to start streaming live and she was too ugly for viewing. I college, they always said radio was the TV for ugly people.

There were some people who didn’t realize it was a joke and they were outraged, calling into the station, Leslie stayed out sick that day (all part of it). I guess it was clever, but for some reason, even though I knew it was a joke, it bothered me and I until 99x went off the air, I never listened to the station, again.

I hope if you played a prank or a joke, I hope no animals were harmed in the making of r prank.

{March 31, 2013} Castle

As I have probably mentioned, I don’t have cable and if I haven’t, pull your chin back up, not everyone has TV! I say that I don’t have cable because when I say I don’t have TV, most people think I mean I don’t have a TV, just means I don’t have cable.

Now don’t cry for me Argentina, ha ha. I have a TV and I have a DVD carousel that holds up to 400 DVDs and CDs, there are about 350 movies in it and more on the outside (if I put each series in, there would be no room left!), then there are the movies on my two portable hard drives. See…I’m doing just fine, movie wise!

I also have Netflix and Hulu, lucky me! I watch movies on both or I find a TV show that I like and watch the entire series.

I have watched Castle in the past a few times, but I don’t think it was one of the ones I DVR’d when I had cable (possibly, but I don’t remember) and I watch it when I visit my sister, she DVR’s and we watch together.

I found it on Hulu (grrr commercials) and watched this season, now I want more and it only has season 5, bummer. Netflix doesn’t have it, where to look.

Castle is about Richard Castle, an award winning crime novelist who consults with the NYPD, much to their chagrin in the beginning, but as time and cases go on, he becomes a valuable asset to the department and the team he works with. They become more than partners, they become a family.

There are three other main characters in the department, Beckett, the future love interest (spoiler alert?), Esposito and Ryan. There are others that stay for a season, but these three are the team. At home is Castles’s daughter Alexis and his mother, Martha, an actress.

The crimes are inventive, sometimes inspiration for his books, possibly even from his books, the one liners are cheesy as all get out, you might cringe, but you still laugh. (You might have already thought it, you just weren’t going to say it out loud!) Castle will give a new insight or perspective of the crime that might be slightly unconventional, helps add something to the case.

Sometimes there may be a cliff hanger, but in the end, everything works out, it’s a one out drama, dramedy? after all. I recommend it, at least you can find season 5 on Hulu.

{March 30, 2013} Utter tosh

US Weekly is utter tosh!

I got an offer for six magazine subscriptions for $12, not a bad deal. I got a running, fitness, health, prevention, travel subscriptions and US Weekly.

I like People magazine…when someone has a copy, it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, I can always count on my sister to have at least one copy with her when we go on vacation. So when this offer came up, I thought US Weekly would be like People and there would be articles about everyday people besides the celebrity stuff. (And now I am sharing the magazine with my sister, she gets the ones I’ve already read, ain’t I sweet?)

Boy, was I wrong! It’s pictures of famous people in clothes that I could never afford (dresses that cost more than most people make in a month, kids clothes in the same boat) and who wore it better (who cares?). The articles they have are on things most people don’t care about or could never relate to.

I totally get that people are fascinated, otherwise these magazine wouldn’t sell, but I just have a hard time with this over privileged person having trouble with things I could never relate to or why people care that a star gets coffee or ties a shoe just like we do. I know I’m going on a tear, but I’m inspired to tear tonight. Do I really care that so and so cheated first or so and so left “Housewives of …” Because someone called her a name? (I’m glad I didn’t pay more than $2 for the subscription!)

One thing I can tell you is, as much tosh I think this magazine is, I can’t finish it before another arrives, it really is weekly! Wow!

{March 29, 2013} Ready to Run!

Ok, I am ready to get back into my running shoes and get back out there and run.

Wait, did I just say that? I didn’t say it out loud, but I did just tell you guys, so does that mean I mean it? I guess it does! Who am I?

I’ve had problems with my feet for a long time, I have bunions on both feet and my feet hurt when I used to get up after sitting too long and after about 4-5 miles walking. My feet would also blister like crazy and easily!

I thought I was being a hypochondriac and I didn’t like complaining so I went to a podiatrist, Dr Julian, in Atlanta, he’s terrific by the way, go see him! He listened to all I had to say, took x-rays and it turns out, not only do I have bunions, but I have heel spurs, I saw the x-rays, it looks like an alien’s foot! There’s actually a spur [looked like a hook] off my heel! I was so relieved! Not that I have heel spurs, but there really was/is something wrong with my feet! It wasn’t me just complaining! I was also wearing the wrong shoes.

So, the order of things: Super feet, WOW! These are inserts I put into my shoes, it was amazing the first step I took, there was no pain, thank gawd! I will never be without these things! I can’t put them in every pair of shoes I have, but at least in my sneakers, what I wear when I walk the most. Next, exercises. I am supposed to stretch my feet 6 times per day, I admit, I don’t do the exercises like I am supposed to. I go through phases where I am golden and do exactly what I am supposed to and then i drop off and I pay for it.

Next, the right shoes. I finally got a pair of running shoes that I can walk and run in, why they don’t just make me a runner, I don’t get. hmm… I actually had to get a wide shoe to fit the insert, but I’m ok with it, if my feet feel this good [or at least, not that bad!], I’ll do whatever!

For the bunions, we talked about surgery, but it means 2-4 weeks off my feet completely and then 8 weeks no running, walking nothing, HUH? So, for now, NOT HAPPENING! other options please.

A few races ago, ha ha, in February, during the Diva Dash, I did something to my knee, I wasn’t wearing my smart feet in my shoes because I was terrified of getting them dirty [I have learned my lesson 5 r aces later] SMART FEET IN SHOES OR NO RUNNING!!! Am i getting the message? Not sure, only time will tell. I was coming down a muddy hill and felt something almost snap in my knee and I took a step and felt my heel! oh brother, when will I learn? So, my knee felt like it was being pinched and I couldn’t straighten my leg, I woke up from the pain. I iced and kept it elevated. After a few days, it felt better, so what did I do? another race of course and coming down a hill, ouch.

I finally talked to an orthopedist after a race and he told me a few of the issues I needed to see a professional for, he wrapped my knee with Rock Tape [I was a Rock Star!] and it helped a lot. I know I need to make an appointment with an orthopedist and I will, just need to do it.

So, it’s been about two weeks and I am finally starting to feel better, it’s been hard enough taking a step, let alone walking a long distance or running and I have felt like crud! I am saying it out loud… I am ready to put my Mizuno Wave Runners [my new sneakers] on and start running. I’m sure I should walk and then run, so I’ll do both.

I have two goals for this year. One: Run a full 5k start to finish, I know I can do it. One A: Finish a 5k in 33-37 minutes. Two: Train for an obstacle race, really train so that I can run it and do all the obstacles [ok, if I NEVER climb over a 7 or 8 foot wall, I will be OK with that!]. I want to be able to lift myself, jump, climb and get through it.

I have 3 races scheduled for April and 3 for May, let’s see what I can do.

Send me good vibes and root for me! I’ll make you proud!

{March 28, 2013} Passover Recipes…As promised!

The food from the Passover Sedar is so wonderful. I wanted to share the recipes with you.

Please let me know if you have questions and enjoy!!!

[I have to find the recipe for chicken soup, I do know it has raw chicken, lots of water, parsley, salt, carrots, celery, parsnips, turnips, sometimes consume and bouillon. We have tried to make matza balls from scratch, we were not successful, so we made them from a box and we are ok with that!]

Beef brisket [5 people – 4pounds]
Season the day before
Cover brisket with granulated garlic and ketchup
chop an onion and add to pan filled with 1/2 inch of water
bake at 325 for 3 hours.

Turkey
1 onion
Orange Juice
granulated garlic
Take inards from both ends. Cut onion in 1/2, place inside cavity.
Pour orange juice all over the bird and in cavity, leave 1/2 inch in
bottom of pan.
Sprinkle garlic all over and inside. Cover with aluminum foil tent.
After 2 hours, baste every 1/2 hour [1 lb per person; 20 min/lb]
last 1/2 brown by removing aluminum

Champagne Turkey
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and
giblets removed
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 apples, cored and halved
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey’s cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
3. Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Veggie Patties
These were a big hit! We got them from a kids Passover recipe list!

2 cups zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower [we didn’t use cauliflower]
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
canola or vegetable oil
Accompaniments: Marinara sauce, ketchup or mustard [we thought duck sauce would work well too]

Place the veggies in a food processor, pulse to chop fine. Add the chopped veggies to a bowl with flour, salt, egg, basil and garlic powder. Mix to combine. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, place 1 tablespoon of batter into the pan for each pancake.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.

We tripled the recipe for 30 patties.

Crispy Potato and Leek Roast
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced, lengthwise
4 medium leeks, sliced thin and rinsed well
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes [optional – we didnt use them]
8 sprigs thyme

Preheat oven to 375. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with olive oil. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout [it would have been better if we’d place the shallots between more slices of potato] Sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes [if using] brush with remaining olive oil. Bake 1 1/4 hours, add thyme and leeks and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.
Matza Apple Kugel
6 matzas
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 cup soaked raisins
1/2 chopped peacans [optional – I never add nuts]
2 granny smith apples, grated

Preheat oven to 400. break matza into small pieces, place in a medium sized bowl and cover
with hot water, wait one minute and drain.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, add sugar, vanilla, raisins, [peacans] and apples. Mix with the matza. Pour into greased 3-qt cassarole. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, dot with margarine.
Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, lower to 300 and bake for another 20 minutes. Great warm or cold
[This is my FAVORITE dish for passover!]

Macaroons
1-1/3 cups Bakers Angel Flake Coconut
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp matzo meal
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites [I made a batch with 2 eggs and the only difference is they came out a little cakier]
1/2 cup almond extract [I use vanilla extract since GES is SERIOUSLY ALLERGIC to almonds]
18 Planters almonds [again, I don’t add almonds, just as good]

Preheat oven to 325. Mix coconut, sugar, matzo meal and salt in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond/vanilla extract until well blended.
DROP teasponfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Press almonds
into center of each cookie.
Bake 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.Immediately remove from baking sheets. Cool on wire racks

Matza Brittle
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts [optional – and i never add nuts]

Line a jelly roll pan with tin foil [I cover the sides of the pan, this helps with clean up big time!]
Place a layer of matza in the pan.
In a saucepan, combine butter and sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour over crackers, bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until crackers float. Remove from oven . When cools, break into pieces.

There are almost never any leftovers!

[for those who keep kosher for Passover more strictly, I have never used margarine, sorry]
This recipe was originally made with saltines, you can also add chocolate chips when it comes out of the oven]
[sprinkle chocolate chips when the pan comes out of the oven, when melted, sprinkle nuts on top, cut into bars]

{March 27, 2013} Bittersweet

Today I came home.

The day started very early, well, not very early if you have an almost 3 and a 6 year old. Get dressed, kids in the car, drop mommy off at the choo choo, come back for auntie J, go to school, drop off lunch in the kindergarten room, drop off MG in the toddler room, hugs and kisses, because I didn’t think I would see them again that day. “Poppa, could you pick us up right after lunch? People do that, it would, be good.”

On the way back to the house, stopped at Zaftig’s, a great restaurant, for breakfast. They have some great shirts, “Happy Challadays”, “Does this bagel make my butt look big?”. Zaftig is a nice/tender way of saying fat. I had a Wisconsin apple, Vermont cheddar cheese omelet, wow! Sounded suspect, but tasted delicious!

Back at the house, conference calls, issue tracking, work work work. Pack my bag, I left a bunch of gifts, only brought back a new jacket and monopoly that GES gave me, the bag was 2 pounds lighter than when I left, what?

Off to get the girls! “You didn’t pick us up after lunch” “Well, it was after lunch, just not right after lunch”. I want a snack, I don’t want that snack, well, that’s what there is and you can get something else when you get home.

We’re going to the airport? Yeah! MG “I want to go to the airport with you”, then, “I want to go on the airplane with you, I want to go with you”. “One day you will come with me, we’ll have a great time”.

We got to the airport and she really wanted to go with me. The tears started, oh how hard to leave! Kisses and run away! Poppa was smart, he brought two iPads to keep them occupied on the way home. When I talked to him later, he said the girls missed me, but luckily, I’ll see them again soon, via FaceTime and then for MG’s birthday.

It was bittersweet…hard to watch the tears, but it made me feel so good. I do love those girls!

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