Standbys

On Friday, I went to a work-related luncheon and I wondered what would be on the menu. As soon as I entered the dining room, I saw slabs of cheesecake on the table. Haha, my first temptation.

I ate my salad sans dressing and passed the bread basket without reaching in. Those little balls of butter were visually appealing though. Lunch consisted of tilapia, pasta and mixed vegetables. The tilapia had a very nice flavor but had a cream sauce on top. At first, I was trying to eat around the sauce and I just finally gave in and ate it but I left the pasta alone. I do eat pasta but I try to make it whole wheat these days.

I also noticed that my tablemate had a tiny shrimp (disguised by cream sauce) on top of her tilapia. I was really hoping that the tilapia and shrimp had not been cooked together because I knew that there would be a shrimp on my plate as well. If push came to shove, I could have gone to Walgreens for some Benadryl.

Fast food is so off my radar these days. I didn't even notice that the Pizza Hut by skanky Schnucks had closed.

I don't cook all the time but I do have some standby meals like Kashi entrees.


I've tried Kashi's Black Bean Mango frozen entree and the Pesto Pasta Primavera.
I prefer the Black Bean one since the sodium count is 430mg compared to 750mg on the Pesto Pasta. As Dr. Oz would say, don't go for the head fake. As vigilant as I am, I didn't even look at the nutrition facts, I just assumed that the Pesto Pasta would be comparable to the Black Bean as far as the sodium was concerned.

If you would like to try a Kashi frozen entree, now is the time since they are giving away coupons for a free entree and Kashi is pretty good about sending out the goods.

http://www.kashi.com/picturehunt

Graham Cracker Technical Knockout (TKO)

I am notorious for going to the grocery store for one item. I try to be environmentally responsible and, most of the time, when I make the rounds, I really make the rounds while my engine is all warm and efficient.

Well, I was jonesing for graham crackers and peanut butter which I have not had in awhile. I usually have a small apple and a tablespoon of peanut butter for a snack but I exhausted my supply of Gala apples, Aldi's was closed and I refused to pay the other stores' prices for apples.

I headed to Schnucks to get the graham crackers. At first, it took me awhile to find the Schnucks' brand. Then, not only did I find the Schnucks brand, I also found low fat written across one box. I've gotten in the habit of reading the nutrition facts and was deeply annoyed when I came across high fructose corn syrup. This stuff is so pervasive; it's like a weed or mint when it's not contained.

I decided to pony up more money and go with a name brand. Well, Nabisco and Keebler also have high fructose corn syrup in their graham crackers. For a while, I kept going back and forth down the cracker and cookie aisle like a pummeled boxer who is clearly out-matched and keeps getting knocked down to the mat but refuses to stay horizontal. I just kept going back and forth hoping that I had overlooked a brand. I wanted the cookie à la Hammy in "Over the Hedge" and, surely, because I wanted the cookie, there had to be a brand somewhere on the shelf for me.

Schnucks has an organic line called Full Circle but I didn't see any FC graham crackers. In the end, it was a TKO and my trip to the store for one item was all for naught. When you go to find an item, have your taste buds set for that unique treat and have to walk away empty-handed, well, that is the ultimate disappointment. No, that's not completely true. The quickness with which Monday morning arrives is the ultimate disappointment. But then again, I had a teacher who said Americans put too much stock in Friday. I have a feeling, though, that that teacher had not been in America long and, if he is still here, probably puts a lot a stock in Friday now.

After seeing the way high fructose corn syrup was made in the documentary "King Corn," I try to avoid the stuff. Here's a trailer from "King Corn" and a very brief scene from "Over the Hedge."

Third Rock Climbing Class

I was intensely looking for some videos about belaying but the ones that I saw on YouTube weren't providing any enlightenment. I finally found this one which is pretty good:



Visualizing belaying must have worked because I did a little better tonight. My instructor was tempting me big time. I was, again, attempting a more difficult route and he started telling me about some 350 pound dude who took on indoor rock climbing. Was this anecdote supposed to be some kind of inspirational parable for moi? Had it been yesterday, when I was experiencing the furies, I would have tied a figure eight around his neck. "J" also mentioned something about custom made harnesses but I decided not to take that one personally since it was in the context of the conversation that we were having.

I also tried bouldering (climbing without a rope) at "J's" suggestion and that was so unwise. I fell from a spot that was a little high and jarred my ankle. When I felt that sensation go through my ankle, I saw my entire regimen flash before my eyes. If I had been put out of commission because of bouldering, I would have been furious at myself. Right now, I'm trying to remember how I fell because my right shoulder and right upper thigh don't feel so hot but that could be because of the climbing.

I have to thank Jessica for going over the finer points of tying a figure eight knot with me and for giving me the tip to practice by threading the rope through a loophole on my pants.



Jessica could teach Introduction to Rock Climbing in her sleep. She's quite the Spiderwoman and, I bet, her spidey sense is tingling right now.

I went by the Clayton Schnucks after class and I have to say that the Schnucks in Clayton is much nicer (mega-understatement) than any Schnucks that I've seen in the city -- especially skanky Schnucks on Grand and Gravois. Really, the deli and fruit section is bigger than some entire stores.