Crunch

I have been trying to get rid of the spare tire I have had hanging around my midsection for the past 10 years. I have dieted and I exercise with some moderate success.

Two weeks ago I told my wife Lauren I was going to start working on my abs. I told her I wanted to get them in better shape in hopes that she would be more attracted to me.

Last week, while I was on vacation, I was lucky enough to get to go the gym a few times with Lauren. Besides my normal treadmill and light weight work outs I decided to add a few abdomen exercises. My wife and I were working on some of the newer machines, trying them out, when I jumped on the Ab Coaster machine. This machine requires some semblance of coordination as well as some semblance of abdominal muscle control, neither of which I have. But how else was going to get 6-pack abs for the wife so I gave it my all.

I knelt on the pad, gripped the handles and rocked my hips back and forth and tried my best to contract the muscles I was supposed to be working. It hurt. It hurt a bunch. But I kept at it. I gritted my teeth and concentrated on my hips rocking. Bearing down I thrust-ed my knees towards my chest crunching my abs. I was breathing hard and fast, a whooshing-huffing-grunting noise escaping my lips with every repetition. Sweat was burning my eyes. My face was red from exertion. I scrunched my face, eyes squinty, bottom teeth protruding in determination to get the most out of this machine and to cope with the pain.

Thrust, crunch, huff. Thrust, crunch, whoosh. Thrust, crunch, grunt. Thrust, crunch, huff.

In mid crunch I looked up at Lauren, my inspiration for my new abs, who was stretching a few feet away. She was just standing staring back at me with a look of horror and a tinge of embarrassment on her face. Her eyes went wide with some kind of dumbfounded astonished expression, which I knew was directed at me. She started to giggle. I finished my set and I started to giggle a bit as well. I knew I must have looked ridiculous.

I walked over to her (which I think she wanted to walk away from me so other people in the gym would not think we were together) and said "I told you was I doing this so you would be more attracted to me."

 "It is not working." she said as she shook her head laughing.

"I mean the end result. When I have the abs of steel. You'll see." I said.

"I don't know Bill," she shook her head. "I don't think I will ever be able to scrub that image out of my brain."

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...

I spent it on windows.
Well, actually we spent our vacation money on windows back in December. We needed new windows. Ours were very old and drafty. We could get rebates and other tax breaks if we bought the right energy efficient windows in 2010. So we used our vacation money to replace most of the second floor windows. Any money we would have "saved" due to lower heating bills was probably just lost in the past week's heatwave.

Last week I was on vacation. When people asked me what we were doing I told them about the windows and said my vacation was more of the Staycation kind. I then joked, saying I would spend each night I was off from work in a different room just looking out my new windows.

If you follow my Facebook feed you would have seen that the family and I did our best to make the time off fun. The first night we went to the park and had a Playcation.

We did manage a couple of day trips making it a Daycation.

First we went to Bushkill Falls. I may have mentioned it on the blog that I have an anxiety issue when it comes to heights. I also suffer a bit from stress and phobia about the safety of my kids. Let me just say that if you have any kind of these issues, Bushkill Falls is not the place for you. First of all, the words "Kill" and "Fall" are in the name. Second of all, you hike and walk along boardwalk like planks and steps on the edge or face of a mountain and look at the beautiful scenery and waterfalls from hundreds of feet above the ground. Lauren loved it. The kids loved it. I had a nice time. Look at the picture below. I walked on those steps chasing a two-year-old who liked to try and stick his head through the railings.

Oh and we also saw a bear. A real bear, in the wild. It was kind of cool and scary. We were in the car when we saw it so we were not in any real danger although I did find myself locking the doors just in case the bear was going to try and carjack us. I did not want this to become a Preycation.

The other day trip we took was to Atlantic City, NJ to spend some time at the beach. Although we did not see any bears we were greeted by this scene when we turned down the block of our hotel.

Four police cars blocking an intersection while they made an arrest. We were in the car when we saw the action so we were not in any real danger. Although I found myself locking the doors just in case the criminals could smell the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we had packed in a cooler. We did not want an Altercation.

Atlantic City was fun but it was kind of foggy and more like a Greycation. The next day we went to the Boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ to go on rides like roller coasters and log flumes. (Yes Karen that was me you saw last week I wish you would have said hello).

We spent our money on windows.

We spent our time at the the pool swimming. We spent some time fishing. We spent some time playing in the backyard. We spent time hiking. We spent some time eating out. We spent some time in the ocean.


We spent our time together which was a good vacation.
 
What did you do, or what are you doing for your vacation?

Drinking Jenga

When I was in my late teens-early twenties I used to play a lot of Jenga. It was Drinking Jenga but it was still Jenga. To play Drinking Jenga you take every wooden block and you write different phrases on them like -Drink 2, or Give 3, Or Give 1 and Take 1. The basic rules were when you removed a block, you did what the block said. If you pulled a Drink 1 out you had to take a sip of the beer in front of you. If you pulled a block that said Give 4 you could make the other people paying drink. Whoever knocked over the tower had to finish the drink in front of them. There were different ways to play too, where you would pass the beer to the left or the right etc. It all depended on how much Busch Beer (pounders in a can) we could purchase from the shady joint on Cheltenham Ave. The more people drank, the more fun the game became. I think at one point there was kissing and drinking involved (kiss the person to the left or across or what have you). The game Jenga has never been the same for me since

This past Christmas the boys received a Jenga game. We played several times over the winter break and had a good time. One day in January I decided to make the game more interesting and I wrote a bunch of the letter "C"s on the blocks. Every time Maxfield or Wyatt had a successful turn with a block with a C,  I would give them a Skittle. They loved playing this way. We played Cookie Jenga, M & M Jenga and of course Skittle Jenga.

We have not played Jenga in a few months.

The other night we pulled it out for family game night and played the good old fashion way. Wyatt was very upset that there was no candy involved. He kept looking for the blocks with the letter "C".  He got angry every time I told him there was no candy. It was becoming a long and frustrating family game night. We put the Jenga away and decided to play Chutes and Ladders. I am not a fan of Chutes and Ladders.

During the Chutes and Ladders I kept trying to come up with ways to make it more interesting. Any Suggestions?

Favorite Part of the Day

Almost every night, when I put the boys to bed, right before I kiss them goodnight and turn off the light I ask them, "What was your favorite part of the day?"

I ask this question for two reasons. The first, I am curious. The second I think it gives them a good image to think about before going to sleep. Maybe that way they will have happy dreams.

This Summer I have been collecting their answers.

"Playing my DS."

"Going out for water ice."

"Beating you at Wii bowling."

"Picking Strawberries with mom."

"Going to the comic convention."

"Going swimming at G's house."

"The fireworks."

"Catching Lightning Bugs.."

"The cookie on the face game."

"The water balloon fight."

"The water balloon sling shot thing."

"Getting my band at the swim club."

"Swim lessons."

 "Going on the slip and slide."

"Going to Dairy Queen."

"Going to see Cars 2."

"Throwing rocks at the park. "

"Getting Slurpees."

"Watching Wild Kratts."

"Playing baseball and getting a hit."

"Going to Zach's house."

"Going fishing."

"Catching a fish."

I then say good night to the boys and turn off the light. It is at this point that is my favorite part of the day.  I can relax knowing that they are safe and tucked into their beds and that they and I are lucky enough to have favorite parts of the day.

Zone Defense

When Maxfield, my oldest, was a toddler my wife Lauren and I had it pretty easy. Max was an only child. We played double coverage defense most of the time. We both took care of all the parenting duties, assisting each other and both staying on top of the energy filled 2 year old.  We always knew that we could go man-to-man to give the other person a break. We could sub in and out on an as needed basis.

When Wyatt, the middle child, was a toddler, Max was four.  Lauren and I learned very quickly how to play a man-to-man defense without subs. Divide and conquer,one on one would keep the kids in line. Occasionally one of us had something to do, a night out or traveling for work and we were forced into a zone style defense staying on top of the all the activities, moves and jukes of two little kids. Chaotic but doable.

Jackson, our third boy,  the youngest, is now (as of July 6th) officially two and half. Lauren and I are outnumbered. We are constantly in a zone defense and most days feel like the kids are playing a full court press. Jackson has studied under the tutelage of his older brothers and has learned a thing or two about the terrible twos. He is independent, sharp and quick tempered when things do not go his way. He is also extremely cute with a good sense of humor and has learned to head fake, dodge and a fast break against the defenders more often than his teammates ever did.

Jackson is becoming more and more acquainted with the Time Out Chair. I am not saying that Jackson is trouble I just think he takes advantage of our zone defense. We can't play man to man, we are outnumbered. Jax knows we are tired. He knows we can't cover everyone all the time. He knows that every now and then his dad needs to sit on the bench for a breather and that there is no sub coming in to cover him.

Happy 2 1/2 Jackson Grey.

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Huggies has asked me to let my readers know about their new promotion for their Jean Diapers. To celebrate the return of the Jeans Diaper and Every Little Bottom, Huggies encourages parents to “Dress ‘em cute for a cause” and show-off pictures of their little one rocking the Jeans Diaper on Huggies.com. For every photo uploaded and every photo “liked” Huggies will donate diapers to Every Little Bottom to help babies in need.

Huggies has offered me a "Fashion For Good" kit to give away to one of my readers. The fashion kit includes a Huggies product coupon , a limited-edition Huggies Jeans wipes, An Old Navy button-down dress or shirt for a baby (to go with the styling jeans diapers) and an Old Navy tote bag. For a chance to win the fashion kit leave a comment telling me where or what you are doing for summer vacation this year. I will randomly pick one comment to win the fashion pack. Please make sure you leave a valid email address.


Check out Huggies Facebook page and follow them on twitter @Huggies. Huggies and thier PR company are good people.

Full disclosure- I was NOT paid by Huggies to post this post. I just think that the Every Little Bottom program is a good cause to support.
Huggies® provided me with the “Fashion for Good” kit to conduct a reader giveaway. However, my opinions on the product are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards Huggies® or their products.”



Chicken and Shrimp Mojo

I am like 1/8th Cuban. Not that I was brought up with Cuban influences but my mom never let me forget her Cuban heritage. Lauren and I spent our honeymoon in Key West which is 90 miles North of Cuba and it was in Key West where I first tried Cuban food. I found that I really liked the citrus spicy Caribbean Cuban cuisine. During our first year of marriage I looked for various Cuban dishes to cook and I have a few that I have developed into a semi regular rotation in our house.

Knorr , the food company known for their side dishes and gravies, is having a recipe contest through Blogher, to promote their new Homestyle concentrated Chicken Stock.

In the past I have professed my admiration on this blog for chefs like Alton Brown and Guy Fieri. I am sure I have mentioned the shows Chopped, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and a few other Food Network programs as some of my favorites. I decided to enter the contest. If I win I may get a chance to work for Knorr as a consultant. It may be as close as I can get to having a food network type of gig. When I first met Lauren her favorite dinner was crab legs. After the last few times I made this dish Lauren has now proclaimed it as her favorite.

This is the recipe for my Cuban influenced Chicken and Shrimp Mojo with a Warm Avocado Mango Salsa.
Ingredients-for the Mojo Marinade
2tsp cumin powder
2 Heaping tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1/4 cup of water
1½ tbsp orange juice
1½ tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 lb of Shrimp (raw, peeled)

For the Warm Salsa:
1/2 (the other half) container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp honey
4 tsp thick sweet soy sauce
5-6 tbsp of chilled, unsalted butter
2 firm but ripe mango, peeled, diced
1 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, diced
freshly chopped herbs to taste (coriander, parsley, etc.)

To make the marinade: In a heavy medium-size skillet over a medium-high heat, toast the cumin powder until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the two tsps. of (Heaping Teaspoons as the picture above shows) garlic, olive oil, water, 1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle Concentrated Stock, chili powder and salt into pan and whisk together to make a thick marinade/paste, about 3-5 minutes,  (If you like spicier meals add more Chili pepper or some Cayenne)

                                             
Whisk in Orange juice and Lime juice and remove from heat. See the consistency of the Mojo above, that is kind of how you want it to look.  Let cool for 5-10minutes.

Pour marinade over chicken and shrimp, turning to coat. Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours.

About 15 minutes before you are ready to cook the shrimp and chicken you will need to make the salsa.

SALSA --whisk together the remaining Knorr Concentrated Chicken Stock, orange juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce (approximately 5-8 minutes). Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the pats of butter one at a time.

During that 5 to 8 minutes mentioned in the above paragraph is usually when I peel and chop/dice my Mango and Avocado.

Mango can be a pain in the butt to peel and chop but it is so worth it. Mango is also something the kids will definitely eat.

The first time I ever ate Avocado was on my honeymoon.

Combine the mango and avocado in medium bowl.

The recipe says you can drizzle sauce later onto the Chicken and Shrimp. I like to just pour it on to the Mango and Avocado and mix it all together.

Cook Chicken on a medium heat grill 7 to 8 minutes each side. Remember presentation side (smooth) down first on grill. Place shrimp (marinade and all) onto a piece of foil, when you flip the chicken, place Shrimp on grill for 7-8 minutes. It is at this point of the recipe that I want to make-out with my grill but I am afraid I would burn my mouth.  Move the shrimp around to get even heat. Remove chicken and Shrimp, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Sometimes we slice the Chicken breasts and sometimes we serve it just whole. Slicing it up makes enough for 4 people when you combine it with Shrimp.

We serve Chicken and Shrimp Mojo with rice and black beans and fresh herbs on top. Also to give the Shrimp a little bit of extra zing sometimes I squeeze some lime juice on it just before serving.
Here is a the complete  recipe to copy and paste and try at home. Prep time any where from 13 to 18 minutes, plus 1-3 hours to marinade.  Cook time: 14-16 minutes. 

What foods make you want to Make-Out with your grill?



Ingredients-Mojo
2tsp cumin powder
2 Heaping tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1/4 cup of water
1½ tbsp orange juice
1½ tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 lb. of Shrimp (26-30 count.)

For the Warm Salsa:
1/2  (the other half) container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp honey
4 tsp thick sweet soy sauce
5-6 tbsp of chilled, unsalted butter
2 firm but ripe mango, peeled, diced
1 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, diced
freshly chopped herbs to taste (coriander, parsley, etc.)

To make the marinade: In a heavy medium-size skillet over a medium-high heat, toast the cumin powder until fragrant about 2 minutes. Add the two tsps of garlic, olive oil, water, Knorr Stock, chili and salt into pan and whisk together to make a thick marinade/paste. Whisk in Orange juice and Lime juice and remove from heat. Let cool for 10minutes.

Add Chicken and Shrimp to marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours.

Cook Chicken on a medium heat grill 7 to 8 minutes each side. Remember presentation side (smooth) down first on grill. Place shrimp (marinade and all) onto a piece of foil, when you flip the chicken, place Shrimp on grill for 7-8 minutes. Move the shrimp around to get even heat. Remove chicken and Shrimp, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

SALSA --whisk together the 1/2 container Knorr Concentrated Chicken Stock, orange juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce (approximately 5-8 minutes). Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the pats of butter one at a time.

Combine the mango and avocado in medium bowl. Scatter the mango and avocado around the chicken and Shrimp drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.

Serve with black beans and rice

Who does your hair?

My wife pointed out the name of this local salon near our house. How would you say it?