Three ways to face your challenges

These are three of my favorite videos from the Manhattan Stake singles film "festival."

All are examples of characters facing challenges in a "insightful," "inspiring" way.

So go ahead: Be inspired.

D8

Troubles

Macamerations -- I couldn't embed this video, but it's worth following the link.

http://www.spouterinn.com/deadline.html

No more peepage

The subway platform is just 20 yards from and nearly level with our windows.

Please see below, the view from our front-facing windows (FYI, it's snowing; that's not pigeon poop on our windows):


Too many mornings I finish my aerobics to find two or three people staring from the platform.

Well, guess what. The show's over. My sister in law, Shawna, has made us curtains.

Before:


After:


Before:



After:


Shawna -- Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'd take the ox cart

We get to Costco by taking two trains and then walking about a mile.

While walking the Costco aisles, glorying in the discounts and the free samples, the frugality went to our heads and we decided, Hey, let's save even more money by taking the subway back instead of a cab.

See the insanity!


We weren't even out of the parking lot when I had to hand off my heaviest bag to Yancy*. When we finally got home -- and we never would have made it if not buoyed up by Costco pizza -- we unloaded our gear and totaled how many pounds we carried.

All our bags. (It's more impressive in real life.)



Everything Yancy carried: Please notice the 10 lb bag of chicken, the 12 cans of black beans and the six over-sized cans of crushed tomatoes. He did not carry the knives or the toaster oven.




60 lbs, baby. Just look at those guns.



Everything I carried. Please notice, um ... the cereal? Sponges? Cooking spray?



It was heavy.

Yogurt is heavy.

*Please don't be ashamed of me, Amy.

Curling deserves its Olympic status

Tried sleeping on curlers for the first time. Turns out, like most things, it's harder to get it right than you'd think.





What do you think? Not really the old Hollywood glam I was hoping for...

In like a lion? Lions sound warm

Just a few days after March officially began, and the day after a Saturday warm enough to convince me to jog outside, NYC got more snow.

Here's me at the subway platform, waiting for a train. Check out my killer hat, courtesy of Suzy Miller, and my gorgeous scarf, courtesy of Miya. I look like a cupcake!




Forgetting that Yancy invests in good camping gear, I decided to heat his cider to boiling before popping it in the thermos.

In the photo below, he holds the small thermos lid full of cider close to his face to feel the warm steam. That's all he can do, since it's still almost boiling. Oops.




The trains are warm, but it always takes a minute to thaw. Not unthaw -- that's what happens when you go back outside (you taught me well, Mom).

Best name I heard about this weekend

La—e

Pronounced "La Dasha"

Recipe post: Yellow pepper sale

Yellow peppers were on sale, so Yancy and I had stuffed peppers last night for dinner.

I modified a recipe (below) for Grilled Black Bean and Rice-stuffed Peppers.

Delicious!

Notes:

• I added ground turkey to Yancy's (plus extra seasoning) to make it more manly.


• I am not sure how good this would be with a green pepper. Usually you stuff peppers with something juicy that marinades the pepper as it bakes. This recipe is not like that so your pepper needs to taste good as is.


• I liked it better microwaved the next day because the pepper was a little softer and the flavors had combined more.


• When we ate it for dinner, I wished I'd put some sharp cheddar on it.


• The next day for lunch, I ate it with spinach. Made a yummy salad.

Recipe:

15 oz black beans, drained, rinsed
3/4 C cooked rice
1/4 C green onions, sliced (4 medium)
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
2 T lime juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
3 large bell peppers
1 plum (Roma) tomato, diced

Cut the stem out of each pepper, creating a whole big enough to stuff the pepper through. Remove the seeds and inner cartilage. That's right, cartilage.

Completely immerse the peppers in boiling water for about three minutes. In a green or red pepper, the color will become brighter. Set aside.

Mix beans, rice, onions, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt.

Stuff mixture into peppers. I like to pack it in so each pepper is really full.

Place peppers upright in a baking dish. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees. They're done when a fork goes easily into the pepper.

Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, and add cheese and additional cilantro, if wanted.