Who Knew?!

Delicious corn-on-the-cob recipe!

Chili-Lime Spiced Corn-on-the-Cob

In a small bowl, mix the following ingredients and let sit for an hour or so to blend:

3 tablespoons of softened butter

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 teaspoon chili pepper (or chipotle chili pepper)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Now, you have two options:

1. If your corn is still in the husk, soak the corn (husk and all) in a bowl of water for a good 45 minutes. Grill (husk and all) until it's blackened. Remove the husks, place back on the grill and brush with the above MELTED mixture until grill marks appear. Serve!

2. If your corn has been husked, boil the corn the traditional way before transferring to the grill. Baste the corn with the MELTED mixture until grill marks appear. Serve!

Bookworm

I love reading. Always have and always will. I'm very particular about my books. My preference are trade paperbacks though I will read hardcover but never mass market. I love Canadian Literature and anything that involves strong heroines. I have read but don't love typical "chick lit" unless I'm craving pure fluff. I've worked my way through the classics but I prefer to read in the here & now (or recent 50 years or so). I don't lend books unless it's to someone who reads the way I do (leaving behind a book that looks untouched when done) and I rarely borrow. If I take a book from someone, I typically buy my own copy and pass theirs back when I'm done reading my own. Weird & anal, I know.

I was on hiatus from reading for pleasure for too long (you know, having a baby and all can do that to you) but now that I'm taking the TTC to & from work, I've rediscovered & embraced my love. It's like I've become this obsessed & voracious reader once again and I can't get enough. I love it!

I get a lot of book suggestions from my BFF. Without her, I'd probably never have read Tim O'Brien and more recently, Curtis Sittenfeld. I powered through two Sittenfeld books (Prep & American Wife... LOVED them!) and realized I had a copy of Ami McKay's The Birth House that I had not yet read so I'm working my way through that right now. Save for suggestions from my BFF, I browse the bookstore and pick up whatever tickles my fancy. I am that person who in fact judges a book by its cover. I will wander the bookstore and if the cover is too cheesy or just plain bad, I won't read it.

So, long blog short, I need some suggestions. Anyone got any must reads for me?

Happy Canada Day!

Once again, I haven't done a thing and I've basically eaten nothing of nutritional value. Today was Canada Day so we enjoyed a lazy family day and are capping the evening off with DQ Blizzards. Definitely not part of the diet but D is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to snacks! Of course, I don't put up much of a fight. On a good (sort of) note, I'm holding steady at 138.4lbs so at least I'm not gaining.

Tomorrow is Friday and I'm off work at 1pm. I'm going to do a big run that ends at M's daycare and we'll stroller the 2km home as a cool down. It's in my head & calendar so I'm fully committed to it!

What Happens When You Do Nothing & Eat Everything for a Week?

This: 138.6lbs.

Punishment? Sort of. I forced myself out for a 5.5km run and feel better for it.

Cravings.

No, I'm not pregnant. That said, I crave burritos constantly. All the time. Since going back to work, I obsessively think about those delicious bundles of chicken, rice, cheese and toppings like guacamole, salsa and sour cream. It's actually quite embarrassing how often I *would* eat one if I didn't think my co-workers (and waistline) would notice.

I had been doing so well and then the weekend hit. I ran 9km last Friday and then it basically went down the toilet. I didn't eat horribly but I didn't exactly count calories. I also did little to no exercise. I forced myself out for a short (er... 3.5km) run on Tuesday night and haven't been out since. As I write this, I'm trying to motivate myself to get out there for a good run tonight.

My weight is likely hovering around 138-139lbs and I can feel the pudge again. I know a lot of it is in my head but I feel like it's back. I hate it! But why on earth can't I use that to push myself?! I KNOW I will feel better if I go for a run but I am so unmotivated and lazy that I just don't want to do it. I keep thinking of what was likely a 2000 calorie lunch and know I have no choice but to get off my butt tonight. Sigh.

And He's Off!

M is walking! Yay M! He's been practicing nonstop and walking with his car or by holding our hands (or anyone's hands for that matter) and managed to take 1 or 2 tentative steps earlier this week. Today he mustered up the courage and WALKED!!! He walked across the kitchen and can successfully navigate a good 10' or so at which point he is so thrilled with himself that he laughs and loses his balance!

What a great day! Our lives are about to change... again! Go M gooooooo!

Hitting the Bottle! Or Hiding...

M is 14 and a half months old now and still enjoying 3 bottles a day. I have no clue if this is normal or if he should be off the bottle by now. Is he too old to still be having that many bottles a day? Or even any bottle? I have visions of him toddling off to 1st grade with a bottle in hand and that makes me feel like we've got to act on this. I have this irrational fear that he's not going to get enough calcium if I stop the bottles and make the switch to sippy cups for milk despite eating enough cheese & yogurt daily to feed his entire daycare class. I know, I know... stop over thinking this one!

He typically has a bottle mid-morning, mid-afternoon and one bottle of formula before bed. Yes, I know... I still have him on one bottle of formula a day. It somehow makes me feel better with all the germs floating around daycare. Lately, he's back to his old tricks of falling asleep during his very last bottle so I know we aren't ready to cut that one just yet.

I've tried offering milk in sippy cups but he just isn't that interested. He'll happily drink his water from a sippy but one taste of milk and he pretty much tosses it aside in disgust. I've already gone through 3 different sippy cups today in an attempt to make the switch. He wasn't into the squishy spout, the hard spout or the straw. What gives?!

Anyone got any great advice that I should be following? Cold turkey? What about our bedtime routine that we worked so hard to establish many moons ago?