Lazy Wisdom: Be Your Own Divining Rod

My dad didn't grow up on a farm but he grew up in Michigan surrounded by them.  Also, family members and friends had them, so he knew farms and farming. My grandma always had a farm-like garden burgeoning in her back yard which yielded lots of yummies including her famous raspberry jam. 

My dad truly was a farmer at heart. I think if he had pointed his genius in that direction, he would have done some very exciting work.  One of the defining books he gave me was "The Secret Life of Plants" which really changed how I viewed all living things and our connectedness.  As a kid I read it a few times, as did he.  We talked about it a lot.  And, we did the experiments.

I loved talking about how everything is connected with my dad, and it certainly gives me comfort now that he is gone.   He was with me in spirit the other day, though, at Whole Foods. 

I was trying to choose between two products.  My wonderful Whole Foods supplement section guru, Marie, couldn't make the decision for me, and saw I was stumped.  She said "Well some people do muscle testing."   I have been familiar with muscle testing for decades, and my acupuncturist does it routinely.  But I would need help, so I started to look at her with the look that said "Well, do you want to help me with that..." when she replied.

"Say your name," she said.  I did.  She asked if I noticed that I moved forward when I said my name.  I had noticed.  It was very odd.  She explained that that forward movement is the equivalent of a yes, or positive response.  Moving back is negative.  

She put one product in my hand.  Definitely forward.  Almost dramatically forward.  She took that out of my hand and gave me the other product.  Backward.  Most definitely back.  It was a clear "yes" and and a clear "no."

 
I ran home to test myself on the bag of supplements for which my acupuncturist had recently done muscle testing on me to see if I still needed these supplements.  I got the same exact responses she got.

One of the things my dad had witnessed many times in his life on farms, and had used himself on and off farms were divining rods.  He told me how you can make one with just two sticks, and with this primitive device, you can locate the flow of water underground.  One of my very favorite movies (that I have seen at least 100 times) "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House" has a wonderful character Mr. Tesander, who brings a divining rod to Cary Grant's property to find the location of his future well.  My dad would craft divining rods for all kinds of quandaries and always get the right answer. 

He gave me my first pendulum, which is essentially a modern day divining rod.   My dad probably knew this leaning/yes/no trick too.  Maybe he even told me about it.  Probably when I was a teenager and barely listening.

Well, it is one helluva Lazy Tool.  Have fun with it in all your Lazy travels!

Tennis Elbow Anyone? - Miracle Cure Thera-Band Flexbar

Earlier today, I ripped the pillow case off a pillow.  Why is that shocking?  Because it didn't hurt.  I've been battling tennis elbow for several weeks now.  The only thing that was causing me any relief was taking days off.  But, it was effecting how I was playing, and believe me, I'm not good enough to have a handicap! It was also effecting how I moved about in the world, and what I grabbed for, reached for, etc.  I've even been using my left arm a lot more as a painless alternative, and I'm right-handed.

A Facebook friend, who also happens to be one of my high school mentors, suggested the Thera-Band FlexBar, saying that it cured his tennis elbow almost immediately. Other friends piped in that it was, in fact a miracle cure.  I googled it: same reports.

When I tell you how quickly this worked, you will understand the level of miraculousness.  I received my Thera-Band Flexbar YESTERDAY!  I did the exercise a few times last night. Usually, in the night I tweak my elbow in such a way that it gets a little angry.  Not once last night!

And, I have been tentative with my right arm since the injury started.  I don't jerk things toward me.  I definitely don't go ripping pillow cases off of pillows.  I did it unconsciously this morning, and for a split second I thought "Oh my God that was stupid! That's going to hurt!"  And, it didn't!  

If you know people who play golf, or kayak, or do any other sport where the elbow can get tweaked, pass this on!

I got mine on Amazon -- The red one was perfect for me:
http://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Y0A2THBFLXRL-Thera-band%C2%AE-FlexBar%C2%AE-Red/dp/B00067E4YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342992614&sr=8-1&keywords=flexbar+theraband

Making Babies the Lazy Way -- Cactus Style

In honor of the ultrasound I had today, I thought we should talk baby talk. 

You, dear reader, may be aware of this, but most of my visitors, aka friends, don't know  how incredibly easy it is to create little cactus worlds out of the cactus you already have. 

Cactus are constantly having babies.  They must be very busy at night when we aren't looking.

This is how easy it is to create your own little cactus world.  Take a baby off of a burgeoning cactus plant you have, like this one. 

You can literally just snap off one of the flowers and stick it in the soil.  It doesn't even have to be special soil.  Any soil is perfect for these babies.  I remember hearing years ago that it had to be a special cactus starter, or some such un-lazy crap.  So, I didn't try it until I moved into this house, where there are wildly prolific cactus that were just begging me to try to plant them elsewhere.  The first ones took to their new environment immediately.

This is how I used my favorite bowl from Deruta that I held in my lap on the way home from Italy 10 years ago like it was my new baby, speaking of babies.  It got a crack in it so it is now a lovely planter.  Ever single cactus in her was a cutting from another plant.

Yes, even those Kalanchoe plants that you can always find at Trader Joe's, your local grocery store or nursery.   You just snip off a branch and stick it in the soil.  Done!

These started as little tiny babies because I wanted to highlight the cool pots.  Now the pots are nearly obscured because they grew so fast.  They aren't unhappy but I'll be moving them soon.

Happy Lazy Summer Gardening to you!

A NY-LA Simultaneous Taste Test: Chocolate, Almonds & Pears, Oh My!

My dearest oldest friend Beanie and I are dark chocolate fiends.   We were buoyed in our fiendish daily fix of a bit o' dark chocolate by a doctor Beanie turned me onto who told us that our Type A blood, supported our addiction.  A little dark chocolate every day is actually good for us!  So there!

In March, when we were traveling in St. Maarten, we stopped at a roadside store for water.  I hopped out, ran in and saw a big display of chocolates.  I found the darkest of chocolates I could find, with the fanciest, prettiest labels in the hopes they would meet our standards.  They were hideous, but we ate them anyway -  for our health, of course.

We both always have an eagle eye out for the newest dark chocolate creations.  Last week I ran into Whole Foods for five seconds to grab two things and this unbelievable creation screamed for me to stop and look it in the eye.  Are you kidding me?

DARK CHOCOLATE

and

PEAR

and

ALMONDS????

Too much bliss.  And, FYI, all of these are good for our Type A blood health.  Beanie and I happen to both be almond and almond butter fiends as well.  And, we both love a good pear, Beanie having perhaps more of a pronounced appreciation for all things pear (including Juicy Pear Jelly Bellies), me with a more limited love of the good juicy ones in the Fall (if their skin isn't too woodsy for me), but still an appreciation for all things pear including the perfectly colored Jelly Belly.

As I exited Whole Foods, I texted Beanie (too late to call her in NYC) and told her to run to Whole Foods and pick one up so that we could both taste it at the same time.  Horror of horrors: her local WF was sold out!  Finally, days later, she located a bar at the Columbus Circle Whole Foods.  And, we have just now completed the simultaneous taste test:  she in NYC and me in LA.

Beanie put on her headset so as to not encumber her hands in the unveiling.  Great idea. I ran and got mine too.  We discussed the best way to open it and agreed to follow the instructions and pulled the "OPEN HERE" tab.  It didn't help much.  As Beanie said "You still need to crane your fingers under to get it out!"   So, unless you are having a simultaneous taste test, there is no need to go to such lengths as following packaging directions.  Simply rip it open as quickly as possible.

A few hilarious frustrating moments later, we were both delicately pulling back the thin foil sleeve to unveil the darkest of chocolates.  Beanie took a square off first and due to the extreme NY heat it instantly started melting on her fingers, at which point she started to lick them.  A cheat of course, which I ignored for fear that she would actually tell me what it was like.  Quickly I grabbed a square and counted aloud to three and we both bit into the square. 

We
were
NOT
disappointed.

Rich.  Crunch. Waft of pear.  The almonds are sliced and toasty, layered on top of each other. You breathe in pear...as it little fairies are spraying the "Aroma of Pear" onto your back delicate tastebuds...a perfume of pear dusting your mouth as the deep velvet chocolate swirls and the almonds crunch with delight.

It's a Chocolate Almond Pear Party for your mouth.  Get one.  Soon.  Your mouth and soul will love it.

Buon Chocolate Appetito to all!

Best Lazy Healthy Spicy Summer Slaw Ever!

I will admit it.  I have been brainstorming about all the wonderful things I can do with my new Trader Joe's find...the Yogurt Cilantro Chive Dip. 

I used it a couple days ago spread on the bread for my Mahi Mahi Burger.  I stand by that yumminess.  It has a little bit of a kick to it that makes the fish just jump off your tastebuds into a sea of flavor bliss.

Today, though, while in Bar Method class, I was appropriately hungry, it being 12:00 and all I'd had was a protein shake...so, when my hot dog craving came on, my mind wandered.  I'm a pescatarian so I haven't had a real hot dog since I was probably 19, BUT I love me a grilled Veggie Dog.

Contemplating my "dog" made me remember my stepmom, Patsy. It was her birthday two days ago so she has been on my lovin' mind.   Before she came into my life, I always just had my hot dogs with mustard, maybe a little pickle or relish sometimes.   Well, she turned me onto tastebud bliss when she showed me how to lob on a few spoonfuls of cole slaw.  YUMMALICIOUS!

This slaw is PERFECT on a dog.  But, it would also be perfect in a fish taco.  Tortilla, cut up the Mahi Mahi Burger, add slaw and voila FIsh Taco Extraordinaire.  Seriously, perfection for a Fish Taco.

I took half a panini, toasted it, slathered on mustard and then added my grilled veggie dog and slaw! 

Spicy Healthy Summer Cole Slaw

2 Packages of Trader Joe's Cole Slaw

1 carton of the Trader Joe's Cilantro Chive Yogurt Dip

1/4 cup (or to taste) of Salsa (your choice of spiciness -- mine had good kick)
Some splashes of Red Wine Vinegar -- to taste

1 package of fresh chives -- chopped up
A little salt

Mix it all up and add it to all your grillin' summer fun!

Buon Summer Appetito!

Best Lazy Lunch in 5 Minutes Ever! - Another Trader Joe's Lazy Home Run!!!!

Where have I been?  I missed two new products at Trader Joe's.  I am mostly vegetarian, but when my body isn't at top energy, sometimes I crave fish.  Today, I had a hankering for he who comes from the sea....And lookie, lookie what i found!

These Trader Joe's Mahi Mahi Burgers in the frozen food section are not like most frozen fish burgers.  They are JUICY and not fishy either.  YUM.  And, this Cilantro Chive Yogurt Dip is the perfect thing to slather on a toasted Rustic Roll.

I really wanted to check out the flavors of these two new discoveries so I kept it nice and simple, so I only added lettuce for a little crunch to the above three ingredients.  In the future, I'll add other stuff, like maybe coleslaw one day, tomatoes another, pickles..etc.  Please your palate with whatever you wish.  But, I highly recommend this stripped down version.

1.  Throw the frozen Mahi Mahi Burger on the George Forman Grill.
2.  Cut the Rustic Roll in half and throw it in the toaster.  I highly recommend these rolls or any roll that has sourdough in it.  Sourdough is perfect balance for the fish.
3.  Make yourself a refreshing drink, and grab lettuce (and/or whatever else you wish to accompany your sandwich out of the fridge).  Practically by the time you are done, you will have a toasted bun and the burger will be done.
4.  Slather some Yogurt Dip on either side of the bun. Throw on lettuce and the sizzling burger. 

Have a napkin ready because the burger is good and juicy!

Buon Lazy Livin' Appetito!