Dad's Dish... reviews, news, and ponderings about all kinds of food & drink

Giddy

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:03:00 +0000

Giddy: alarming, but exciting; joyfully elated; euphoric; Having in the head a sensation of whirling or reeling about.

A day in the life of a typical thirty something adult. It's pretty easy to get caught up in the mundane daily grind as we wade through life.

But have no fear.. life will throw you unexpected surprises and keepsakes that can turn any ordinary day into an exquisite one.

Epiphanies, time spent with loved ones, even a kind word or compliment from a good friend can change your whole day, week, maybe even your whole month or year! So take notice, put yourself out there, and most importantly, embrace the gifts that life gives you, and you just may find yourself feeling "giddy" when you least expect it!

Dad's fitness update

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Okay, so yesterday was my weigh in and while I wasn't happy with the number I saw, I'm still making decent progress. Here's how it now stands..

Dad's Weight loss tracker..

April 1st - 250 lbs
May 17th - 243 lbs
June 3rd - 236 lbs

June 17th - 231 lbs

Only a five pound weight loss in two weeks. It's kind of bittersweet.. I was sure I had lost more weight than this, but I'm also psyched because I haven't been 231 pounds in quite some time! What puzzles me is that I'm now walking over four miles per day in under an hour. I do this at least five days a week, and I am also stepping up my workouts and adding new exercises to my regimen. When I was younger, I could change my eating habits alone and shed pounds. KEYWORD... Younger. I'm pushing 40 now and it seems to be pushing back! Looks like I'm going to have to work a little harder for what I want, but I'm okay with that.

I have noticed that I hardly break a sweat during my walks now, so a couple of days ago I thought I'd transition into jogging to blast away the pounds even faster. That went pretty good.. for about a half mile. I wasn't sucking wind or anything like that, but my left knee started screaming at me to knock it off! I had arthroscopic surgery to remove some torn cartilage several years ago, and it started feeling pretty uncomfortable after about a half mile so I stopped immediately. I think I'm about twenty pounds away from being able to start running again, and even then I think I'll get a doctors opinion before I do so.

So I've got just under two weeks to meet my ten pound weight loss goal for June, and I think I'm going to be cutting it close. If I watch what I eat and keep challenging myself when it comes to workouts, I think I'll be able to pull it off. I'll let you know on July 1st!

As my kids would say.. what's an album cover?

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:10:00 +0000

My two companions on my daily walks are Liza the Labrador, and my trusty ipod. Today I finally found myself getting incredibly bored with my walking play list, so I wiped my ipod and filled it with all new upbeat tunes to walk to. For the first ten minutes of my walks, I walk to slower music to get warmed up. After ten minutes, the play list progresses to faster music until finally I'm walking in sync to songs at the pace of five miles per hour. I originally constructed my walking play lists on a treadmill so I could chart the exact speed I was walking for every song. I then tailor the play list to the kind of workout I want.

One of the songs I warm up with at the beginning of my walks, is Eykah Badu's song "Honey". When I got home from my walk this evening I was curious to see what the music video was like, so I got online and checked it out. I've got to say.. this is one of the most unique videos I've seen in awhile. If you're old enough to have bought an LP in your youth (that's a record or album for you youngin's) then you'll appreciate this video...

By the way.. does it mean that you're getting old if you can recognize every one of the album covers in this video??

I literally have nothing to wear

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:18:00 +0000

I got home from work Thursday, jumped into the shower, and prepared for an evening out with a few friends. We all decided to meet up at six o'clock at a restaurant that's only three minutes from my house. I figured if I left home at five minutes till' six, I'd be fine. However.. ten minutes till' six, I tried on one of my favorite shirts I hadn't worn in two months and got quite a surprise.

I threw the shirt on, but something didn't feel right. I stepped in front of the mirror and couldn't believe what I saw. I was absolutely swimming in the dang thing!! Now I'll admit that in the past, I've been guilty of accusing my wife of shrinking my shirts when I should have been blaming myself and the mega burgers I'd consume on a weekly basis (sorry honey). I'm really not accustomed to my clothes getting bigger on me, and it's a great feeling! Well.. kinda.

I quickly grabbed a nice stripped polo (only worn 3 times) ironed it, and threw it on, but the polo was just as big as the plaid camp shirt. I grabbed yet another polo and tried it on, but no dice.. that one didn't fit either. I dug through a drawer of smaller shirts that I haven't been able to wear for close to two years, but every one was just a little too tight. I finally found a never worn T-shirt that I bought last year and alas.. it almost fit perfectly. Long story short, I got to dinner late.. something that's totally out of character for me. LOL!

For three months now, my employer has provided me with uniforms that I wear all week long, which now means that most of my wardrobe doesn't make it into the rotation very often. This is why I haven't noticed the loss of inches around my midriff sooner.

While I have lost close to 20 pounds, I've still got about another 20 or so to shed. I'm not going to buy a bunch of new clothes while I'm in the midst of achieving my weight loss goal, so I guess I'm stuck wearing some baggy shirts for just a little while longer.

The pounds are melting away...

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Well, I weighed in today and much to my surprise I've dropped 14 pounds since I've begun my ~~diet~~ healthier lifestyle. It took me a month and a half to lose the first seven pounds, and only two weeks to lose the other seven. Personally I've seen no real change in my physique yet, but my bride begs to differ.

I can attribute the weight loss during the last two weeks to two things.. exercise and better eating habits. Like I've said before, diets don't work. Over the years I've learned it's lifestyle changes that you have to commit to if you want to stay healthy.

Dad's Weight loss tracker..

April 1st - 250 lbs

May 17th - 243 lbs

June 3rd - 236 lbs

Exercise
Since the cold weather is now behind us in Colorado, I've been taking "Liza The Lab" on vigorous one hour walks every day. I'm also easing into a workout regimen with free weights. I'm pretty sure this is the main reason for the recent weight loss.

Eating habits
Anyone who has read my blog over the last year, knows that I'm a junk food junkie. During the last few weeks however, I've been trying my hardest to eat better, and my attempts are fast becoming habits! Every morning I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast. It was rough at first, but since I've been getting creative, it's not so bad. A dash of vanilla, some artificial sweetener, some cocoa powder or cinnamon, and the raw oats suddenly become palatable!

Where I work, there are baskets of fruit placed throughout our break rooms free for the taking. I'm definitely using this to my advantage. Whenever I get the urge to snack, I grab a piece of fruit (sometimes two). I've also begun visiting the salad bar in our canteen more and more over the last two weeks. I've given up drinks with sugar, am drinking more water, and will not eat after seven o'clock at night. Suddenly I'm not famished at every meal, so portion control is getting easier.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a health nut now by any means. Today I had two soft tacos for lunch with cheese and sour cream. But.. I also made myself eat a salad, and held off on dessert. I'm not going to deprive myself of the foods I love, I'm just going to eat smarter from here on out.

So as you can imagine, I'm extremely motivated to ramp up my weight loss efforts! My weight loss goal for the month of June is ten pounds at the very least. I'm not going to do a weekly weigh in for fear of getting discouraged, so my next weigh in will be on June 17th. Wish me luck!

Where has the time gone?

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Today was my last day off before starting my next grueling 9 day work week. I've been battling a mean head cold over the last few days, but fortunately I woke up feeling halfway decent today. Feeling guilty about not doing anything with the kiddo's this week, I came downstairs and asked.. "What do you guys want to do today?"

The kids voices excitedly overlapped as they each offered their own ideas of what their perfect day would be. I broke in and explained that we didn't have time to do everything each of them wanted to do. I told them to sit down at the kitchen table to democratically and civilly decide what we were going to do for the day. I went back upstairs to shower and shave, and by the time I was done, they had unanimously decided how we would spend our day.

The kids decided they wanted to go to Fort Collins which is about a half hour away. They wanted to go to Jason's Deli for lunch, Toys R' Us, the mall, and the park. First was lunch. I'm back on track eating healthy again after the long holiday weekend, so it was a cup of French onion soup, and the salad bar for me. My youngest had a grilled cheese, my middle child had a loaded baked potato, and my oldest had a pastrami sandwich which I swear had about four pounds of meat on it!

The trips to Toys R' Us and the mall didn't set me back too far (maybe $75.00) We brought home an easel for my little artist, a Rubik's cube for my brainiac, and a video game for my computer whiz.

By the time we got to the park I was absolutely beat. Apparently my cold was still socking it to me pretty good, so I sat on a park bench in the shade as my daughters ran to the playground. My son sat beside me, probably hoping his pastrami sandwich would soon start to digest. Then my six year surprised me.. she swung the whole length of the monkey bars and back. She then did it again but this time was skipping a bar with every swing. When the heck did she learn how to do that?

When my daughters got on the swings, I instinctively stood up and waited for my youngest to say "Daddy push me" but it never happened. Instead, she succinctly started swinging all by herself. For old times sake I snuck up behind the girls and gave them a huge push threatening that I could push them so hard that they would go up and over the top bar and back around. They both giggled and screamed, and what's really cool is that my youngest actually still believes I can make this happen! I walked back to the park bench grinning from ear to ear and sat down to watch them play. Then a strange feeling came over me.. I felt like I should be doing something.

At this point, my 12 year old sat on a park bench and started trying to solve her new Rubik's cube. I looked to my left and my son was sitting back with his eyes closed, jamming out to his ipod. My 6 year old was running back and forth, jumping on every piece of playground equipment that crossed her path.

Then like a ton of bricks it hit me.. my kids don't need me anymore! I really don't believe that, but in a lot of ways it's true, and you would've thought that I'd seen it coming. The signs were there.. like when they slowly stopped coming to me after they'd bump their heads or scuffed their knee's. Or when they started making their own breakfasts and sandwiches. When did they learn to dress themselves properly, when half of the time I couldn't even dress them properly!

Where did the time go?

I came to the brutal conclusion that the chapter of my life that was being a Daddy to little ones is coming to a close. Not such a bad thing.. but it still makes me sad that it went by so fast, and there's so much more I ~~could've~~ should've done with my kids.

It's so dang easy to get caught up in stresses and anxieties of adulthood, it's inevitable that you're going to miss out on some great memories and experiences with your kids. I'm really sorry I didn't make more time to do things with them. An afternoon here, an hour there, what great memories did I miss out on creating for us all?

I'm not a shoulda, coulda, woulda type guy. I try my hardest to live in the moment and look towards the future. I realize now that I'm going to miss being that Daddy who can do anything, and can always make it better. At the same time however, my kiddo's are going to have an infinite number of firsts in their life that I can still be there for. First car, first heartbreak, first job, etc. Yes.. with three kids, the firsts will be infinite.

Notes to self..
Make time to truly enjoy your kid's company and innocence before it's too late. Nurture each child's individuality. As they age, take off your "Dad hat" from time to time and try to be their friend. Try to remember the wonderment and excitement I felt about life when I was their age. Take every opportunity no matter how small it seems, to be a part of your kids life. Let the little things go.. crumbs on the table, the open peanut butter jar, the toys on the couch. They're going to be adults longer than they'll be kids, so let them enjoy being carefree as long as they can.

I know some of these are easier said than done sometimes, especially for some of us in the male species. Nevertheless, if I can hold myself to these goals, I can only foresee my kids and I having a better relationship, and all three of them becoming better adjusted to handle whatever life throws at them, even when "Daddy" is long gone. After all, that's what really matters right?

Memorial Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:45:00 +0000

I had such big plans for my day off. Unfortunately the weather looked like this..

However, there was no way I was going to let the crappy weather keep me from doing this..

and enjoying this..

Ah yes, grilling in the rain. Not sure if that had anything to do with the cold I woke up with this morning. If so, it was well worth it. Look at the size of that ribeye, grilled to perfection! Also on the menu was grilled pineapple, pasta salad, spicy baked beans, and bratwurst. We finished it all off with a dutch apple pie. There were plenty of leftovers, so today I'll be heeding the advice of my grandmother when she used to tell me "You have to feed a cold".

My alter ego's

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Below is a little experiment I performed while incredibly bored one lazy afternoon. Please let me know which "Dad" intrigues you more.

Personally I'm torn. The Ward Cleaver persona is one that I wish I could successfully emulate. On the other hand, I can see some benefits to becoming "Tony" like when the little league coach is out of line, or when teenagers are loitering around my property.

Why my adrenaline levels are through the roof..

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:50:00 +0000

May 22nd, Windsor Colorado

Today at 11:30 a.m., some of my workmates called me to the back of our warehouse to look at an ominous looking storm cloud about a mile away. We all looked in amazement at the strange black cloud, and suddenly realized it was churning and moving in a counter clockwise motion. We all instantly realized that this was no cloud, rather.. a tornado! As we looked up into the sky, the clouds above us appeared to be getting sucked towards the massive funnel.

This was the first tornado I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. And I've got to admit that in a way, I was enjoying watching it from afar. That is.. until it came over the hill and started heading straight towards our plant site. My heart dropped as I heard what sounded like a freight train heading straight towards us.

We quickly ran back inside yelling at everyone we could find to get to the middle of the building. After about five minutes, the tornado had passed and we were all fine. It changed its path and missed hitting us by about 3/4 of a mile, but the gusts and down drafts made a real mess of things. Our office a mile down the road didn't fare as well, and no longer has a roof. Many businesses and homes throughout the town were completely destroyed.

Local news channels are rating the tornado as an EF3. It was about a mile wide at the base, and cut a 28 mile path across the front range of northern Colorado. Amazingly, there has only been one death reported so far. Most of the town of Windsor is without power, and will most likely remain that way until the utility companies can get several gas leaks under control. The same storm system is currently heading north up through Wyoming, so hopefully they'll be spared the damage we have suffered.

As I sit down to write this post, I feel as if I'm shaking on the inside, and I now notice that my mind seems to be going a hundred miles a minute. I can only chock this up to adrenaline. With any luck, my mind will downshift at some point and allow me to get to sleep at a decent hour. At least I hope so, as it's going to be a busy cleanup day at work tomorrow.

Dad's first video blog

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:23:00 +0000

Here it is folks.. my very first video blog! I first got the inkling to v-blog several months back when my blogger buddy Terri from Terri Terri quite contrary made her first attempt at doing so. Arranging your thoughts into sentences is one thing, but talking into a video camera and coming up with dialogue on the spur of the moment was a lot tougher than I though it would be. Anyway, here's the video in all of its two minutes and twenty seven seconds of glory...

Kaiser commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:36:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite commercials. It seems like this kid is channeling me. LOL!

Yoplait Kids yogurt review

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:32:00 +0000

The verdict - excellent

I recently took advantage of a promotion Yoplait has going on. They're offering a coupon for a free six pack of Yoplait Kids Yogurt. I have to admit I felt a little funny sitting down to taste and review Dora the Explorer yogurt, but it was excellent and healthier than a lot of other yogurts out there! My kids loved it too, as I'm sure yours will! Here's the official press release with a link to get your coupon for a free six pack.

Enjoy..

Press release:
A Yogurt for Kids that Parents Will Love, Too
Moms Get Yoplait Kids™ Yogurt for Free
Minneapolis (January 31, 2008) — Yoplait Kids™ yogurt, available as a portable drink and a spoon-able cup, has something for everyone. Children will love the creamy texture and taste, while parents will love the nutritional benefits. Yoplait Kids yogurt has 25 percent less sugar than the leading kid’s yogurt and contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors. Not only is Yoplait Kids an excellent source of calcium and a good source of vitamins A and D, it also has protein and Omega-3 DHA, an important nutrient to help support healthy brain development.

Yoplait Kids is so confident that its yogurt will bring Smiles All Around™, it is offering moms a free six-pack (value $2.79) of Yoplait Kids yogurt. Parents can request a coupon at http://www.yoplaitkids.com/. The coupons are redeemable at retailers nationwide. Offer good while supplies last.

According to Suzanne Skapyak, MS, RD, a dietitian at the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, “Omega-3 DHA serves as a building block for brain growth and development in the first years of life. As a young child grows and develops, the amount of Omega-3 DHA in the brain and eye rapidly increases. It is a major structural component of both of these organs.”

“DHA, a specific type of Omega-3 fatty acid, is a nutrient found in the diet; however, it’s only available naturally in a limited number of foods, such as eggs, human breast milk and some types of fish,” said Rebecca Thompson, Yoplait marketing. “Yoplait Kids with Omega-3 DHA is ideal for those parents who are looking for easy ways to integrate this important nutrient into their children’s diets and offer even broader dietary benefits.”

Yoplait Kids yogurt, featuring Dora, Diego and Backyardigans, is available nationally in grocery dairy cases. Yoplait Kids drink bottles come in four kid-pick flavors: Strawberry, Banana, Mixed Berry and Strawberry Banana. Each package contains six 3.1-oz. bottles at a suggested retail price of $2.79. Yoplait Kids cups come in a two-flavor six-pack of 4-oz. cups at a suggested retail price of $2.79. Available flavors include Strawberry / Strawberry Vanilla, Peach / Strawberry Banana and Banana / Vanilla. This coupon offer for free Yoplait Kids is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Yoplait Kids yogurt products provide 16 mg of naturally sourced Omega-3 DHA per serving. For more information on Yoplait Kids products with Omega-3 DHA, please visit http://www.yoplaitkids.com/. The Omega-3 DHA in Yoplait Kids products is sourced from life’s DHA™, a trademark of Martek Biosciences Corporation.

New and improved Capri Sun review

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:15:00 +0000

The verdict - Excellent
My bride and I have always loved Capri Sun for the sheer convenience. The kiddos love Capri Sun for the taste, not to mention those fun pouches. In April, Capri Sun started making their drinks with 25% less sugar, and no artificial flavors or preservatives. Capri Sun also contains no high fructose corn syrup and is a good source of vitamin E.

The tweaking of this drink by KRAFT foods obviously didn't mean sacrificing taste. The new healthier version of this drink tastes every bit as good as the original. Trying to get the kids on board with our new goal of eating healthier, I made sure to stress to them that less sugar doesn't necessarily mean less taste, and they wholeheartedly agreed after sampling the new and improved Capri Sun.

It's scary how easy it is for kids to eat unhealthy at school these days. What's really sad, is that kids actually stand the chance of eating less healthy when bringing lunches from home! In this day and age of convenient meals of the processed kind, you come to some harsh realizations when you start reading the nutritional facts on the back of food packaging.

All three of my kids take their lunches to school with them, so my bride and I recently began buying healthier foods for them to eat. Chips have been replaced with yogurt, white bread replaced with wheat, and we've been actively searching for healthier beverage choices. We already bought Capri Sun by the boat load, but we now have a little more peace of mind knowing that the kids are eating healthier lunches all the way across the board.

Check out the official Capri Sun web-site

Like father like daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:36:00 +0000

My youngest.. getting ready to kill a pack of Lunchables.
Where the heck does she learn this kind of stuff from?

Oh yeah..

I've got the music in me!

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Today I spent yet more time perusing music videos. When I came across this Amy Winehouse performance from about five years ago, I could only shake my head and sadly wonder.. "What the heck happened to this extremely talented and beautiful girl?"

Catch the Party train!

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:46:00 +0000

I was surfing You Tube for ~~a few hours~~ awhile tonight, reminiscing about my younger years and the music I loved so much. Anyway.. while searching through Gap Band videos, I found this little gem. It's my favorite Gap Band song "Party train" paired with a clip from my favorite Laurel and Hardy movie "Way out West".

Isn't You Tube Awesome?

Corozonas Tortilla Chips review

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:21:00 +0000

The verdict - Excellent

I'll admit it.. I'm a compulsive snacker. I never know when the urge is going to hit, but when it does.. I need to satisfy my craving immediately. This is causing problems for me as I'm trying to live a healthier lifestyle. We have a fully stocked fruit bowl located on the kitchen counter, but you can only snack on so much fruit. I'm more of a salty snack kind of guy, so I was ecstatic when I discovered Corazonas chips!

The good folks at Corazonas sent me a couple bags of heart healthy chips to try out, and I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about how they'd taste. I've tried so many heart healthy snacks and foods over the years that simply didn't taste very good, I wasn't setting my expectations very high. However, I was more than pleased with Corozonas!

I tried both the Jalapeno Jack and Salsa Picante flavors and loved them both. The consistency was thicker than your average tortilla chip and seemed to be more filling as well. I can't tell you the satisfaction I felt snacking on these delicious chips, all the while knowing they are also good for you!

The chips are made from 100% natural whole oats and fiber, have no trans fat or cholesterol, and are made with natural plant sterols which have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. They're also a great source of fiber, providing 12% of your daily allowance per serving.

I've found the story behind the company to be a touching one. Founder and CEO Ramona Capello lost her father and both of her grandfathers to heart disease. This was her motivation to make healthy snack options available to the public without compromising taste and enjoyment. Her hopes and dreams have become reality, and her passion and dedication to heart health has culminated into some superb products. I can't wait to try more of Corozonas products very soon.

Check out the Corozonas web-site

Womans Day Recipe finder

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:41:00 +0000

Have you ever gotten into a rut when it comes to your nightly dinners? I just learned about the wonder that is Woman’s Day recipe finder.

Need to make a fantastic meal but only have chicken in your freezer? No sweat! You can browse the Woman’s Day recipe database not only by dish, but by ingredient as well! The site is even optimized for iPhone, and allows you to save your favorites when you're on the go.

Check it out.. they allow Dad's to use it too!

The first three letters in diet spell DIE

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:48:00 +0000

"The 2nd day of a diet is always easier than the 1st. By the 2nd day you're off it."
-Jackie Gleason

I don't use the word diet anymore. Diet's don't work, and over the years I've found it's more about lifestyle change than anything else. For the last month, I've been ~~dieting~~ eating better, and it's actually going pretty good.

When you get near forty, you start looking at life a lot differently. Recently my wife and I took a long hard look at the way we're eating, and came to the conclusion we needed to make some big changes. What prompted us to take a closer look at our lifestyle and eating habits? One word.. Genetics.

My wife's relatives have a really bad history with cancer, while mine are prone to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart problems, and diabetes. As your loved ones age and succumb to these awful health issues, it really starts to weigh on your mind. It's quite obvious to my wife and I, that if we don't take care of ourselves and our kids, the odds are not in our favor.

I'm happy to say that I've lost about 5 pounds in the last month, and it wasn't very hard at all. Simply becoming more active, and making small changes in my eating habits have accounted for my weight loss. For instance, I stopped taking sugar in my coffee, have been eating fruit every day, have stopped drinking soda, and am slowly cutting back on my red meat consumption. This has also helped me to shed a couple inches from around my mid rift! I can actually fit into shirts I couldn't wear two months ago. Does the shirt fit exactly the way it should? No.. but they fit good enough that I can wear them without embarrassment!

There's something else.. I can feel my energy levels surging as the weeks pass. A month ago I would come home, eat dinner, and park my rear on the couch until bedtime. Now I get home and enjoy an afternoon of activity like washing the car, doing yard work, or walking the dog.

Our next step is to consistently start eating healthier at dinner time. Chicken, pork, and turkey are starting to replace beef in our diet. Processed dinners like "Cheesy hamburger helper" are being replaced with meals like Barilla multi grain pasta and chicken. Vegetables at every meal are starting to become the norm as well. Let me tell you.. it's not always easy to eat this way. After a long hard day, I'd like nothing more than to throw a couple of frozen pizzas in the oven, crack open some soda's and call it good, but deep down I know I've got to stick with this healthier lifestyle.

I've abused my body for a very long time when it comes to the fuel I've been feeding it, and it's time to start undoing the damage. I'm hoping to shed about twenty pounds by the middle of summer. If I can, I'm going to have a heck of a before and after picture to show you all.

The perplexities of my fridge

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:08:00 +0000

About three times a year I get obsessively compulsive about my fridge. I drop everything I'm doing and start furiously emptying and scouring the old Kenmore and all of the items residing inside of it. In addition to the drawers, shelves, and walls.. every container, jar, bottle, and bag gets removed, inspected, and cleaned.

Today my cleaning binge was spurred by the opening of a ketchup bottle. When I saw the huge hardened ketchup crust ring lying underneath the cap, the emptying of the fridge immediately began. I don't know what it is about those crusty cling-on's that gross me out so much, but I can't use condiment from a bottle if they're present. Why doesn't this bother anyone else in my family?? When you can barely pry a ketchup cap open, and when you do.. there's a hardened crust ring an eighth of an inch thick staring back at you, do you not notice it? I mean.. I peeled this thing off of the lid and it was about the size of a nickel! Heck.. I probably could have fooled a soda machine into thinking it was a coin!

In the end, every bottle cap and jar lid in the refrigerator got removed, and was given a nice hot bath in soapy water. If the bottles themselves had any remnants of dried gunk, they got wiped clean with a moist rag. I feel muuuuch better now!

As I was inspecting the squeezable bottles, I noticed that there were three bottles of Italian dressing that each contained about a half an ounce of dressing. They were all the same brand, so I consolidated them into one bottle. Heck.. who am I kidding? I would've mixed them together even if they were all different brands! I also consolidated two jars of pickles, some barbecue sauce, and pickled jalapenos. I was able to free up some serious shelf space. So much so, that I felt the urge to go shopping because the fridge looked so barren!

As far as gross out factor, I'm not sure what put me off more.. the lone gray Spanish olive floating around all by itself in its jar, or some stroganoff that I honestly can't remember making or eating. Gosh.. I hope it was Stroganoff! I also threw out a two year old jar of Maraschino cherries.. even though they still looked and smelled totally fine. There was also a host of science experiments going on in the crisper drawer. Vegetables growing spare parts, fruits sporting beards, penicillin being aged, etc.

I've come to the conclusion that a huge fridge isn't always a good thing. Sure they're nice to have, but there's a heck of a lot of waste that goes on when food gets shoved to the back of the shelves. Throw three kids into the mix, and well.. it can be an adventure when you really take a close look inside. Anyway, this is how I spent two hours of my afternoon today.

Does this kind of stuff happen in your fridge? Also.. does anyone else share my phobia of crusty condiment bottles?

I took the shortcut... The Strawberry Shortcut!

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:16:00 +0000

Woo Hoo!! Thanks to the internet, I've found a quick and easy dessert to make for my kids while my wife is out of town on business...

The Whispers

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:05:00 +0000

When my wife leaves town on business trips, I have a lot of time to myself. When my best friend and soul mate isn't around, I get pretty lonely and find myself doing things.. anything to make the time apart from my bride more bearable.

When I'm lonely or depressed, it's in my nature to eat more. I'm making an attempt to eat healthier as of late, and.. am trying to set a good example for the kids in this aspect, so a bag of pork rinds, a six pack, and some one on one time with the TIVO was out of the question for filling the void I felt tonight. I had to find some other activity to pass the time this evening.

I started perusing my music collection and came across some Whispers songs. While The Whispers have some very soulful and romantic music, I stuck to the funky upbeat songs to keep me from dwelling on my bride whom I miss so much.

The Whispers were one of my absolute favorite R&B bands of the 80's. The lead singers Walter and Wallace Scott are twin brothers, which makes for some great harmonization on many songs. I found this video on You Tube of one of my all time favorites.. "Keep on loving me"

This video is every bit as cool as I remember it to be when I first saw it so many years ago. That funky bass line and harmony just pulls you in. Observe how the whole group seems to be having the time of their lives filming the video. Just watching it puts me in a good mood. I also dig the backdrop of the city and the long continous shots in which the video was filmed. Now that's an old school music video! And check out how they're dressed! Sure the clothes are dated, but these guys were and still are the epitome of class.

I love music. It can take you from a low point in your day to an entirely different place. Tonight it took me somewhere comforting, nostalgic, and happy. After thoroughly checking out The Whispers official web-site, I was pleased to learn that they're making an appearance in Denver this summer. Hopefully my bride is in town so we can see them and enjoy their great music together. Soulful love songs and all.

Pickle Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:26:00 +0000

When my bride is out of town on business trips, I always have a tough time figuring out what to make the kiddo's for dinner. Tonight however, they'll be sure to get excited over some pickle surprise...

Ellie's Brown Ale review

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:12:00 +0000

The verdict - Excellent

Besides the great looking Labrador on the bottle, do you see a trend developing? I'm on an Ale kick right now, and am currently craving full bodied beers with complexity in regards to taste. I'm happy to say that Ellie's gave me exactly what I was looking for.

Made by Avery brewing company in Boulder Colorado, this is a brown ale with a nice toasty aroma. The flavor was carried mostly by the toasted malts used. There is a nice mellow balance of chocolate, caramel, and nutty flavors. The beer is tasty, and doesn't go overboard on the hops. It's a medium bodied ale that won't disappoint.

This beers namesake is dedicated to brewery owner Adam Avery's late Chocolate Lab Ellie. I'm a huge Labrador enthusiast, and Ellie the dog definitely factored into the equation while trying to pick out an ale amongst the sea of micro brews at the local liquor store. You see.. Ellie bears a striking resemblance to my own pup Liza, so I couldn't resist picking up a six pack to try. There's not many beers by Avery that I don't like, so I knew I couldn't going wrong.

I wonder how many more beers are out there that sport Labradors on their labeling? I swear I saw a six pack of "Laughing Lab Ale" somewhere. Maybe I'll round out my beer reviews by trying a six pack of that!

Black Dog Ale review

noreply@blogger.com (Darrin) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:17:00 +0000

The verdict - Excellent
I have to say from the get go, that if you're not a fan of stout, strong, or dark beers, then Black Dog Ale isn't for you. If you're one that doesn't mind challenging your palate, then I highly recommend it.

Black Dog Ale is made by Spanish Peaks Brewing Company which originated in Montana. It's an English style amber ale with mild hoppiness and clean malt flavors. It has a strong aroma, nice creamy head, and a hint of caramel. By comparison it was a bit heavier as well as darker than most other amber ales I usually drink, but it's basically everything I look for in a quality English ale.

The Labrador on the label is what first caught my eye when perusing the ales at the local liquor store. Upon further investigation, I found that the Black Lab graces all of the brewing company's products. He is a real dog whose name is Chug. Chug was the founders dog and faithful companion, and even accompanied him on sales calls and attended special events. Sadly Chug passed away in 2005 at the age of 14, but his spirit lives on through his purebred litters. His grandaughter "Taylor" actually belongs to the company's brewer.

If you can find Black Dog Ale in your area, I highly recommend picking up a six pack. It goes great with steak or hamburgers!