Lick the Bowl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-digital-diet-how-to-break-free-of-your-blackberry-smartphone-and-other-gadgets/2011/05/16/AGJy8nCH_story.html?nl_headlines I recently read this article (see above) in the Washington Post.   According to the article, if you spend a total of two hours a day posting on Facebook or surfing the web, etc…that roughly adds up to 30 days worth of time.      Hmmmm…what could I accomplish with an extra thirty days worth of time?     I decided to compile a list of 20 things I could do with all that extra time on my hands and while my list is mildly anecdotal, it is all undeniably true.   1.        Get started on my great American novel….or at least get past the title page. 2.        Read a book that doesn’t have Arthur or Curious George on the cover. 3.        Get rid of all the 3T clothing because my son is now six. 4.  ...

Here is something you may not know about me.   In the shadow of my former life, I was a vegetarian for approximately 15 years.   I won’t bore you with my philosophical reasons from long ago, nor will I regale you with my decision to return to the “dark” side.   The point is that while I am technically a carnivore, I don’t really eat like one.   In fact, now that the summer months are upon us, I rarely eat meat at all.   My husband on the other hand…a very different story.   He isn’t home for many meals, though, so I haven’t really bothered to stock the freezer with meat, which means he is subject to my wily vegetarian ways. Today, I thought I would share a new recipe that is not a dessert, rather, an inspired vegetarian dinner creation, entitled Quinoa Stuffed Peppers …and it’s actually husband approved.   Now, I have to admit, that I created this on the fly, so, you may want to fine-tune some of your measurements. In case you have never heard of Quino...

Can you remember the person or persona you were prior to having children?   In my twenties, I remember participating in a 3-week volunteer Army program in Israel with a girlfriend.   We lived in an army barrack with one shower and twenty women, then, off to Paris we flew, followed by a train to Amsterdam a few days later.   We didn’t even have a place to stay when we got there, but somehow we managed.     Today, I would never entertain travel without an itinerary, hotel accommodations, or confirmations. As a former New Yorker (well, I still consider myself a New Yorker at heart) I took the bus and subway everywhere!   I didn’t have a car, in fact, I didn’t even learn how to drive until I moved out of NY at 23. Now, the mere thought of taking the metro makes me break out into hives, and the idea of standing and waiting for a bus is nothing short of plebian. I used to love driving in my little, zippy, red Plymouth Colt to visit my family in New York.   I...

Thanks to all those who shared such wonderful comments regarding my last post.   It was truly from the heart, and I really do believe that we all possess some kind of inner strength that sometimes takes us by surprise when we are put to the test.   It seems like I have been musing over this for some time because I recently found a personal essay I wrote about a year ago (a bit more anecdotal) that was never published (what’s wrong with these editors)?   Nevertheless, I felt that it would be most appropriate for my blog today.   I am also including a recipe for allergy (egg, nut, dairy) free lemon cupcakes. Who knows…perhaps they will become my signature cake.   Essay: I used to be a terrible baker. My cookies consistently resembled pucks or chew toys, and my cupcakes traumatized the family for months. I disregarded all rules about precision when I made my first banana bread.   I switched the flours, replaced the butter, added honey in lieu of sugar and care...

Very excited...yesterdays blog was a featured blog on Martha Stewart's Whole Living Community Website.  It was also today editor's pick on JewishBoston.com OMG!!! Yesterdays blog post was a featured blog post on Martha Stewart's Whole Living Community website!! Take a look! http://community.wholeliving.c om/profiles/blogs/embracing-a- mission-you-didnt Embracing a Mission You Didn’t Ask For - Whole Living Community community.wholeliving.com From my blog lifeisgoodlickthebowl.blogspot .com-This entry is dedicated to all those who are participating in walks, fun runs, 5k's, and all other missions tha…

I have been thinking a lot lately about what influences our “missions” in life.   I think this philosophical deliberation stems from the slew of 5k’s, fun runs, and walks that are occuring over the next few weeks in our neighborhood.   I also have a close cadre of friends whose children successfully triumphed over life threatening disease and are embracing it as their mission.   I often wonder how these parents and countless others handle such scary situations with such ferocity, dignity and grace.     I marvel at their courageousness, and their relentless advocacy whether it’s with insurance companies, doctors, races, walks, and community programs all while trying to provide some semblance of normalcy to their family’s lives.   Moreover, I am amazed at their inner strength to embrace these issues as their life missions.    I always used to think, that if faced with such terrifying adversity, I would simply crumble.   Where would I find the i...

Well, the anxiety is over…I feel more at Namaste as I finally ordered the dreaded bathing suit…or suits I should say.   It was difficult, but I persevered.   I got them from none other than… Victoria Secret.   Ah, I can almost feel my sisters cringing out there.   I hear your cries of indignation.   “How could you do that? With all of your anxiety about bathing suits, how could you sit there, viewing all those bodacious, size 0, 36D, bombshells without breaking down and plunging your head in a mountainous bowl of ice cream?”   I hear you and I agree.   It was rather daunting looking at all those lascivious women, which is why I methodically and rationally switched over to ER mode. I experienced ER mode three years ago when Ari tripped and fell on the concrete at the pool.   He gashed his forehead and had a huge egg sized, hematoma like bump.   Off to the ER we went, blood spurting all over my clothes, a howling child and a very green-looking ...

The weather is finally getting warmer (yeah!) which only means that we are mere weeks away from the dreaded bathing suit season.   Last year, I wound up wearing my workout gear (waterproof shorts and a Lycra tank) to the pool.   People weren’t sure if I was there to do bicep curls or swim.   It was either that, or the same black suit that I have worn since my nursing days with Ari.   Just for the record, Ari is six-years old now.   Needless to say, I don’t quite fill it out the way I used to, and it’s pretty stretched and saggy at this point (yes, I could say, just like me…but I am trying to be positive). In my bathing suit museum, there is the bikini I bought thinking I could pull it off, and that’s what I did, I pulled it off and never wore it again. There is a reason why one shouldn’t buy a $20 dollar bathing suit from T.J. Maxx; they just don’t last.   This one stretched out within three wearings and since clothing malfunctions aren’t pretty in your 40’...

Since my caffeine overdose a few weeks ago, I am happy to report that my stomach has finally recovered.   Now, you would think that after my little java incident, I would swear coffee off entirely. Alas, I am still drinking coffee, (I couldn’t take the headaches without it) though I am way more cautious and even a bit wary regarding the amount I consume.   For example, I no longer finish what’s in the pot, and sometimes not even in my cup.   This is a monumental breakthrough for a coffee hound like me in that it has taught me restraint and self-control, unlike my previous BACOS addiction. That’s right; I was in fact a hard-core BACOS addict back in the day.   I put them on EVERYTHING, and since I was a vegetarian at the time, I convinced myself that these imitation, dehydrated morsels were actually a viable source of protein to my already lacking diet.    I sprinkled it on soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, stir- fries, enchiladas, and the list goes on. ...

As an English major back in college, I was required to take a course on the writings of Shakespeare.   The teacher was an eccentric sort, a bit annoying, but nonetheless expressed a viable passion for the works of good ole William.   One of the class requirements was to see a performance of The Twelfth Night at a hole in the wall, delapdated theatre located in the bowels of Manhattan, otherwise knows as…The Bowery.   Now, I know that the Bowery has been greatly rehabilitated over the years, boasting a Whole Foods and multi million-dollar condos, however, back in the 80’s, it was gross, dirty, and full of “eccentric” and unsavory individuals drinking out of brown paper bags.   Thus, my sordid tale begins. It wasn’t a date per se, as we were friends and classmates.    It seemed, however, that I had been coming down with the flu as it hit me out of nowhere during the middle of the first act. I stole away to the bathroom and remained there for the remainder of ...