new wave

Aug. 26th, 2008 12:07 pm
lauralh: (cobra!)
For some reason there are cold peas in our salad bar at work. I guess People must eat them, although it seems the most horrendous thing to put in a salad. But then I only put beans in my salad for the protein, and cover them up with cheese typically. Cooked cold vegetables just seem Wrong to me. Or, to be frank, just disgusting.

However, my history of Indian food reminded me that peas and cumin can make up a quite tasty curry. So I got a small bowl with nothing but cold peas in it, and added it to the chicken curry we had today. And it worked rather well.
lauralh: (Default)

Reg's parents took us to Volterra for his birthday type dinner thing. They also gave us about a zillion glass plates and bowls, including a punchbowl/cake dome thing. And a birthday cake made to look like a hamburger, which is high unappetizing to me. But dinner was excellent, I got the tenderloin and Reg got the wild boar, which he loves.

Last night we watched No Reservations, Paris and New Jersey. The Paris one made me really really want to go to Europe somewhere, anywhere, and just buy lots of cheese and bread and eat in cafes and watch people and smoke Gauloises. And then go for a nap in the afternoon after lunch, then get ready to go out and dance till 5 in the morning. Repeat, repeat. I suppose there are a couple places you can do that in this country, but the cheese isn't the same, you know.

Originally posted on herbaliser.vox.com

lauralh: (hi there)
At the wedding last weekend they had these amazing curried chicken sandwiches. I'm looking for recipes online but they all kind of suck. It was sort of like chicken salad but kind of sweet, with raisins and celery. Any ideas?
lauralh: (pimpy)
turkey+pesto+cream cheese+spinach+bell pepper == YUM
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)


I wanted something for breakfast that wasn't too sugary or floury, and boy did I get it. Wowza.
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
I was originally going to write a long post about my evolution as a cook, but I noticed that if I didn't leave RIGHT THEN the bus would leave without me. Instead I'll tell you that I'm going to have a cappuccino in the Italian cafe downstairs, and then Pho later.
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
It's nice to come to work and see a plate of choco-dipped shortbread cookies in the kitchen for everyone to share. Not so nice to come back to your desk and see even more choco-covered espresso beans that you bought three days ago. So sick of them.

Reg and I watched Grizzly Man last night, Herzog's documentary about the life and death of Timmy Treadwell, the man who spent 13 summers with grizzlies on Kodiak Island. I kept thinking he looked like Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber, and kinda acted like him too. Although while Harry acted nuts b/c of stupidity, Timmy acted nuts because of brain chemistry problems. There were some pretty obvious clues referred to by his friends, and in several of the takes he's clearly feeling manic (and depressed in some). Anyway it got me feeling a bit maudlin and anxious, not least because they talk in a semi-gruesome way about the death itself. O well, we have The Great Gatsby and more Jeeves and Wooster on the queue.
lauralh: (Default)
lunch: homemade beef stew
snack: whole cashews
dinnar: salad with cucumber, green and red bell peppers, purple onion, green leaf lettuce, oil&vinegar, pepper, feta
dessert: reg's mom's homemade cookies
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
The Bravery sound surprisingly similar to Franz Ferdinand.

[livejournal.com profile] hotcrab is in town. This is good.

Weekend Food Report

Friday: "Irish Swiss", bagel chips and apples.
Tastiness: 9
Fillingness: 6

Saturday breakfast: Pancakes, bacon, coffee, cheese curds
Tastiness: 8
Fillingness: 9

Saturday dinner: 5 Point burger, hashbrowns, caesar salad
Tastiness: 8
Fillingness: 11

Sunday breakfast: brunch crepes in Fremont
Tastiness: 10
Fillingness: 10
lauralh: (the cheat is not dead)
Americans at the beginning of the 21st century are consuming more food and several hundred more calories per person per day than did their counterparts in the late 1950s (when per capita calorie consumption was at the lowest level in the last century), or even in the 1970s. The aggregate food supply in 2000 provided 3,800 calories per person per day, 500 calories above the 1970 level and 800 calories above the record low in 1957 and 1958. Of that 3,800 calories, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates that roughly 1,100 calories were lost to spoilage, plate waste, and cooking and other losses, putting dietary intake of calories in 2000 at just under 2,700 calories per person per day.

ERS data suggest that average daily calorie intake increased by 24.5 percent, or about 530 calories, between 1970 and 2000. Of that 24.5-percent increase, grains (mainly refined grain products) contributed 9.5 percentage points; added fats and oils, 9.0 percentage points; added sugars, 4.7 percentage points; fruits and vegetables together, 1.5 percentage points; meats and nuts together, 1 percentage point; and dairy products and eggs together, -1.5 percentage point...

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, an astounding 62 percent of adult Americans were overweight in 2000, up from 46 percent in 1980. Twenty-seven percent of adults were so far overweight that they were classified as obese (at least 30 pounds above their healthy weight)–twice the percentage classified as such in 1960. Alarmingly, an upward trend in obesity is also occurring for U.S. children.

Although multiple factors can account for weight gain, the basic cause is an excess of energy intake over energy expenditure. In general, Americans’ activity levels have not kept pace with their increase in calorie consumption. Many people apparently are oblivious to the number of calories they consume...

In the 1950s, the fats and oils group (composed of added fats and oils) contributed the most fat to the food supply (41 percent), followed by the meat, poultry, and fish group (32 percent). By 1999, the fats and oils group’s contribution to total fat had jumped 12 percentage points to 53 percent, probably due to the higher consumption of fried foods in foodservice outlets, the increase in consumption of high-fat snack foods, and the increased use of salad dressings. Margarine, salad dressings and mayonnaise, cakes and other sweet baked goods, and oils continue to appear in the top 10 foods for fat contribution, according to recent USDA food intake surveys, which indicates the ongoing prevalence of discretionary fats in Americans’ diets.

Americans have become conspicuous consumers of sugar and sweet-tasting foods and beverages. Per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners (dry-weight basis)–mainly sucrose (table sugar made from cane and beets) and corn sweeteners (notably high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS)–increased 43 pounds, or 39 percent, between 1950-59 and 2000. In 2000, each American consumed an average 152 pounds of caloric sweeteners, 3 pounds below 1999’s record average 155 pounds. That amounted to more than two-fifths of a pound–or 52 teaspoonfuls–of added sugars per person per day in 2000. Of that 52 teaspoons, ERS estimates that Americans wasted or otherwise lost 20 teaspoons, resulting in an average intake of about 32 teaspoons of added sugars per person per day. [emph. mine]

USDA recommends that the average person on a 2,000-calorie daily diet include no more than 40 grams of added sugars. That’s about 10 teaspoons, or the amount of sugar in a 12-ounce soft drink. Sugar–including sucrose, corn sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, and molasses–is ubiquitous and often hidden. In a sense, sugar is the number one food additive. It turns up in some unlikely places, such as pizza, bread, hot dogs, boxed mixed rice, soup, crackers, spaghetti sauce, lunch meat, canned vegetables, fruit drinks, flavored yogurt, ketchup, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and some peanut butter. Carbonated sodas provided more than a fifth (22 percent) of the refined and added sugars in the 2000 American food supply, compared with 16 percent in 1970.

edit:

Percent Increase in Obesity Rates Since 1971:

# Less than $25,000: increase of 144%
# $25,000-$40,000: increase of 194%
# $40,000-$60,000: increase of 209%
# More than $60,000: increase of 276%
lauralh: (the cheat is not dead)
Dear yogurt producers,

When selling "low-fat" yogurt, try to make it have significantly fewer calories than the full-fat variety, as opposed to only 20 fewer calories.

Thanks,
Laural
lauralh: (the cheat is not dead)
• getting to go at all; great thanks go out to Reg's parents. A week off work in Seattle would have been cool, but in a tropical paradise it was sublime.

• the Grand Mayan; I wish I could have taken a photo of the main entrance area, but it was far too ridiculous. Seven huge stone-looking statues going up fifteen feet high in a semi-circle, with some ambient tone-less music going to make it feel primal. Marble countertops everywhere. Reg and I got the nice big suite with the view of the beach. A kitchenette and 1.25 baths. Well, technically there was also a big tub in the bedroom. Anyway. Fucking nice hotel, and it had about half a mile square of pools as well. The highlights of that were the big "mayan temple" that had a nice slide going down to a wave pool, and a "moat" (canal) going around the whole thing that had a wave pool effect going every afternoon.

• the cheapness. Not so much in the Nuevo Vallerta area, but the instant we got in to Puerto Vallerta proper, everything was insanely inexpensive. Not that I really had any money, and reg kept losing his "allowance", but it allowed us to have, say, $16 cartons of cigarettes and $70 nice dinners (including wine). and red bull for only a dollar! I also got a $35 Diesel dress that Reg wouldn't allow me to wear b/c i was too sexy in it, or something like that.

• the food! Oh lordie, I must have gained 10 pounds the past two weeks. Except for the coffee, everything was a million times better there, even the Coke. They use sugar instead of Corn Syrup, you see. Candy was better, need I even say the chips and salsa were better. The duckling was better. Hmmm.

• farmacia. Not as wonderful as I'd been led to believe, but still decent. Ultram, antibiotics, prednisone and Soma. What more could you ask for without a doctor's prescription?




We also went parasailing and horseback riding. The former was better than I thought it would be, although having to ride around on the little boat afterwards made me violently seasick. Thank god I refused the sailing trip. Horseback riding was fun, although I was so incredibly sore afterwards that it wasn't even funny. Plus I got serious shy bladder syndrome halfway through.

Anyway. Pictures tonight.

good news

Jan. 11th, 2005 09:33 am
lauralh: (the cheat is not dead)
• reg's parents have approved his plan of attack
• someone at the Hugo House indicated interest in my novel
• there is new food at work
• i had chocolate pie last night
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
I was all pissed off yesterday at the weekend trolls who ate my Thai food, but this morning I was looking for yogurt and, well wow, my Thai food magically reappeared. So, yeah, forget that. However, there was no yogurt, so I had to break into my secret oatmeal stash. I actually kind of like oatmeal, although my favorite kind has apples, cinnamon, sugar, and raisins. And doesn't exist except in my mom's kitchen.

Also I had a single tall gingerbread latte, which, trust me, is enough reason to forgive Starbucks for all its ubiquitousness. Or, as [livejournal.com profile] hydrozoa put it, "reason to drink coffee." I hadn't had anything with caffeine in it since Friday, but since the weekend was a bit of a drug debauchery that doesn't really matter. I had no other caffeine and I felt fine, except I fell asleep around ten. But I did have Pho for dinner, which inevitably makes one drowsy, so perhaps it doesn't matter. I watched the first thirty minutes or so of The Guns of the Navarone (sp?) and woke up just as it was ending THREE HOURS LATER. Reg advised me to watch it during daylight hours - figuratively speaking of course - and we went to bed.

At that point I had a headache, but a mild one, and it was gone by the time I woke up for real. And then about twenty minutes ago I wasn't feeling tired but the slight headache began to return. I'm fearing it's now the other side of my head's wisdom teeth, and I think I'm just gonna have to suck it up and make an appt. at Harborview for, you know, a month from now. But then I had a caffeinated cola beverage and it went away.
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
I've been trying to cut down on caffeine, for no other reason than that I dislike the addiction thing on principle. It's not that inconvenient or anything, just, you know. Whatever. Also I sleep badly if I have it later in the day. Anyway, I just had a soda, it took the whole thing before I felt anywhere like normal. I do not know what this means. Except that it is annoying.

Also annoying is something, I have no clue what, that gave me intestinal pain around 5am. I mean the food item. And I guess I don't need to say anything else about that.

Kicked it with [livejournal.com profile] cegan523 last night for a while. Good times. Of course almost an hour after he took off, the weekend of no sleep caught up with me and I totally passed the hell out. Reg is still antsy but half of his final projects were postponed, so that helped. Wigga.

I have run out of chocolate. I will buy more later. Trader Joe's has imported chocolate and fancy table crackers for half the price the other stores have them. It's pretty nice, I must say. I think I will also stop at a used bookstore during this errand.

chog

Feb. 3rd, 2004 03:22 pm
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
- So apparently it's possible for that reflective surface on top of CDs to peel off. And then, they don't work anymore. Who knew?

+ I made a spot trip to: the bank, the gas station, and Wendy's. At the gas station I got another 2fer1 ski thing (I am so taking next wed off ifn I get my income tax refund), at Wendy's I got nuggets, fries, and a diet Coke. I asked "What's the biggest drink size you have?" and the lady plopped the Biggie in front of me. It's 32oz of caffeine, carbonation, caramel color and ice. And nutrasweet. I wonder if my antsy-ness isn't a direct result of a lack of aspartame? It's one idea.

= The lady at Wendy's who waited on us was, well, utterly cute. She reminded us totally of an elementary school teacher who much prefered the instant gratification of waiting on hungry fat slobs to dealing with snotfaced crotchfruit.

ah well

Jan. 30th, 2004 09:56 am
lauralh: (cynical or sarcastic)
Once again I walk into work armed with cookies, and once again I am defeated. This time by the four open boxes of various Krispy Kreme Donuts. And I'm like "Well.... if you insist." I grab a crueller and reach in the fridge for a diet Pepsi. But there are no diet Pepsis. Only regular and caffeine-free diet Pepsis. And I'm starting to panic, but I remember I have a single packet of green tea left, and brew it. I then have the brilliant idea of mixing it with the caffeine free shit to make a concoction with caffeine. Because this is the whole point of the exercise. I wanted something cold and fizzy with caffeine. The resulting beverage tastes a little much like green tea, and of course mixing hot tea with cold soda makes it go lukewarm. If I try it again, I will first use a sweeter tea. And then wait for it to go cold. This is a lot of trouble, so I probably will not try it again.

dutch-land

Nov. 1st, 2002 08:39 pm
lauralh: (forehead)
I put up some pics.
Some highlights... )

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Laural Hill

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