The other day, I posted my lower body workout. Two days later, my legs are still feeling it. Boy, does that feel good!

Yesterday, I made an upper body workout. Then I went to the gym. Here it is:

Walk to gym to warm up then I did 10 minutes on elliptical machine.–just to get my heart rate to the right BPM.

I do 15 reps of each exercise and I repeat the set three times.

Set 1 with free weights:

• Bench press on ball
• Upright row
• Bent over flies
• Repeat set two more times

Set 2 with free weights:

• Bicep curls and lunge dip
• Tricep extensions
• Shoulder extensions to front and side
• Repeat set two more times

Set three with Nautilus machines:

• Lateral pull down
• Lateral press up
• Sitting row
• Repeat two more times

Now I just have to figure out a good moderate cardio workout. I guess I should post measurements and goals too. I’ll have to work on that.

I don’t know who this quote is attributed to, but I firmly believe it. Last night, my sister Skyped me. “Can you help me set up my email on my computer? I want my knightimeproductions.ca email in my Microsoft mail program.”

We futzed and farted around for a bit. We read the help files. We tried to make it work. She was frustrated as she had already spent time trying to make it work herself before she asked for help.

I just kept Googling the error messages. We finally figured out that she had to enable POP in her Google apps account, the POP servers and SMTP servers had to be: pop.gmail.com and smtp.gmail.com respectively,  AND her username had to be her full email address.

If I ever don’t know anything, I just Google it. And then I learn about it. I think Google makes me smarter. I’m not a know-it-all by any means, (although I am sure there are some people who might beg to differ), but I am thankful there is all this information out there and I can learn about it–when I need to.

PS: The other day, in a conversation in French, I heard the verb “Googler” (pronounced: goog-lay.) As in: “Je vais le googler.” I am going to Google it. Is Google an official verb yet?

I’ve been looking for a solution to add some soft lights to the balcony without getting too expensive nor going extreme with strings of electric everywhere. It’s quite a nice balcony, we haven’t used it much because I don’t think summer has arrived quite yet.  But I’m sure we will.

Regardless, when we do sit out there and the sun has set, it’s nice to have a bit of light. I’ve tried putting candles out there, but we are six stories up and the wind picks up after the sun goes down. They usually just end up being a big puddle of wax.

I was looking for something to put a candle in to block the wind, without getting the standard candle holders that everybody else has. I was thinking of maybe some coloured wine glasses or something equally interesting.

I was in IKEA one day with my friend Karen. We were trying to find some self-watering containers to start our gardens (another topic entirely). And, if you shop at IKEA, you know you can’t really go there for one thing and not pick up a few other things that you might not need.

I saw these cognac glasses for $2.95. I thought they looked like they could probably shelter a candle from the wind and they were a unique shape. I thought they might look nice, so I picked up six. I also bought some stubby candles to put in them. I was just going to go with the glass and the candle, but then I thought, I could probably wrap a flower around the base and make it more of a centerpiece.

Voila. My first homemade centerpiece.

Am I becoming a Desperate Swiss Wife or what?

Hi Rain, (because you are part of the exclusive group: “I’m not in Facebook yet, nor will I ever be”),

My friend Fawnahareo posted this link in my Facebook. I thought you might like to know…a doily table runner.

XOXO

J

Here is something I tried today. It’s been raining all week and I wanted something comforting and warm. I also had a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in my cupboard that I wanted to use. I looked through some recipes until I came up with one I could work with. Here is the result. It was relatively quick and delicious.

• Half an onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons (25-30 ml) of curry powder (mine was mild), I probably could have added more
• 1 chili pepper (if you like spicy, you might add two)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
• 4 medium to large tomatoes, diced into centimeter cubes
• 1 can (250 g) chickpeas, drained and rinced
• 1 cup (250 ml) stock
• fresh cilantro
• juice of one lemon

Use whatever appliance you have to grind up the onion, garlic, curry powder, and chili pepper. Add water a bit of water to make a paste.  I used my slap chop to chop them into tiny bits, then I added a bit of water and used the upright mixer.

Heat the oil in large pot or wok and cook the paste between seven and ten minutes, until it browns (how do you tell if a brown paste browns? I had the same question, but I soon found out.)

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and stock. Bring to a boil. Then simmer uncovered until you are ready to eat it. Minimum 20 minutes. I think the longer you cook it, the better it’s going to taste.

(If you had a slow cooker, you could probably add the cooked paste, the tomatoes, chickpeas, and stock into a slow cooker and turn it on low to cook for the day. I’m going to try that as soon as I get a slow cooker.)

Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro just before serving.

Serve over brown rice or couscous.

PS: I had some leftovers so I went out and bought some lean ground meat. I’m going to cook the meat and add it to the rest of the curry to make another meal.

My sister Skyped me this recipe today. She’d made it the other day and said it was easy and delicious.

• 2 fish fillets (red snapper, salmon, tilapia etc)
• 1 tbsp of red curry paste
• 1 cup of light coconut milk
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 small head of bok choy
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar( i used stevia),
• juice of 1 lime and
• 1 tsp of olive oil ( I used flax seed oil).

In a small saucepan, combine the curry paste, milk and sugar, cook over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly, then add half the lime juice and set aside.

Chop the bok choy into bite size pieces and boil until they are tender but still firm. Drain.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Season the fillets and place them skin side down. Cook until the skin is cripsy and golden. Flip and cook until the fish flakes when proded gently w/ a fork.

Remove the fillets and immediatley add the mushrooms, bok choy, and remaining lime juice. Cook for 3 minutes. Divide the veggies onto two plates, place a fillet on top and drizzle the curry sauce around the fish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had curry paste in the refridgerator–that Thai Kitchen kind you find in a jar in the ethnic section of the grocery store. I had some peppers (of all colours) I wanted to use up. And I had a box (like a juice box) of coconut milk I’d been meaning to use on something. Today was the day!

I bought fish and what I thought was bok choy at the Migros downstairs. I brought it back up to the apartment and started chopping. I chopped up my peppers into slices (about a half of each red, orange, yellow, and green). I also had fresh garlic and a large fresh onion. I sliced the bok choy into bite-sized pieces. (My bok choy turned out to be Swiss chard, but it was leafy and green, so it did the job).

Other than the substituted ingredients, I followed the above recipe (oh–one more thing, I used three tablespoons of curry sauce. I just added until I felt it was palatabley spicy enough. Three tablespoons did NOT make it an inferno, nor sweat-breaking. Three tablespoons made it just palatabley spicy–enough to make my tastebuds zing.)

I haven’t been on the blog for a while. I just read a comment from my friend in Ottawa: “Update your blog or I’m calling your Mum!”.

Oh. The shame! Mais, en fin, voila–an update.

BARCELONA

We went to Barcelona for a week. My cousin Nik won a cruise in the Mediterranean and she and her husband were in Barcelona for a bit before the cruise. It was colder than I expected it to be. I packed four skirts, four tank tops, one long sleeved shirt, and a pair of jeans. I ended up wearing the various shirts in various layers and the jeans the entire time. Oh. AND, my bag almost got stolen down on the beach. Ludo and I went to the Picasso museum in the morning and went down to the beach for lunch. Seafood pallela. Yum. but it made me tired. So tired, that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So we went and found a comfy place where Ludo could look at the sea and I could lean on him and have a snooze.

I woke up because he was talking to somebody. Or rather somebody was talking to him–a decoy. As I woke up, I saw my bag being scooted around the corner. I jumped up and shouted: “HEY! THAT’S MY BAG!” I was lucky because the guy just dropped it and ran.

All-in-all, it was great to see my cousin and spend a few days with her and her husband. It was great to be in another space for awhile. I didn’t get many pictures. I guess I wasn’t in the picture-taking mood. (If you click on a pic in this entry and you’ll go to my flickr stream and see LOADS more pictures.)

GRUYERE

We also spent a day at Gruyère here in Switzerland one weekend. One day, we just decided to go driving and to explore a bit around Lausanne. We ended up touring a the castle, walking for a bit, then finding some Gruyère cheese to eat. Ludo had a croute de fromage (which looks like a heart-attack on a plate–but it was delicious. And I had a quiche. We finished with raspberries with crème de Gruyère, and meringue. I don’t know if I’ve tasted anything more divine. Honestly.

BESANCON

Last year, as I was driving to the Yukon from Alberta with my Dad, we stopped for lunch. As a web consultant, I was always on the clock. I brought my computer into the diner because they advertised free WIFI and I thought I could catch up on some email. I had a surprise in my email. My roommate from my second year in France (20 years ago) had found my site on the internet.

We’d lost touch over the years because well–was there even email 20 years ago?  Nevertheless, I was so happy to get that in my email. Every so often, I would type her name into Google, just to see if she were out there. And, I guess, every so often, she would type my name into Google. Last year, I finally put my real name in my resume in PDF on my 9068Creative.com site and she had found that.

Anyway, that was last November. This May, we finally connected for real.  She lives just outside of Besançon (only 136 kms from Lausanne). We spent a weekend with her and her family catching up on 20 years. We now have plans to see each other two or three times again this year. I love it. I love that she found me and we are able to meet each other after such a long time.

She lives with her husband and two children in a tiny village fifteen minutes from Besançon. They live in the renovated farmhouse (actually the former stable an ancient chateau).  It was both impressive (as they had done all the conversion and upgrades themselves) and lovely. Exactly what you would expect a modern French family to be living in.

GARDEN

Summer started–I think. California spoiled me for weather. You never had to look at the weather. You just had to know it was going to be rather warm and sunny. All day. Every day.  Over here, I don’t know if it’s going to be hot or cold or humid or rainy. I’m not complaining mind you. Not at all. I love the smell when it rains. And everything is so green! I love the green.

I started a garden. Well–I am going to call it a garden. It’s actually three tomato plants and a few herbs. But given my luck with plants, if any survive, I’ll be happy. I’ll be happy just to get one tomato from the tomato plant. I have a lavender plant too. Actually, I’m feeling quite encouraged by the plants. I bought the self-watering kind of containers. They have survived one week.

RESUME AND 9068CREATIVE.COM

I also spent a few days updating my resume and website to apply for a job at the World Economic Forum only to discover the job had already been filled. Bummer. Regardless, I think I got a better resume out of the effort. Click on over to 9068Creative.com and let me know what you think. I welcome all comments and feedback.

CONCLUSION

I guess I need to update the blog at least once a week to avoid bloated posts like this one.  But, I won’t make any promises. Love to everybody and I hope to see you this summer.

Part of my first assignment of my journalism course: “What particular advice would you give a friend of yours who wished to become a freelance writer?”

Here is my response.

The first thing I would tell somebody who asked me for advice on becoming a freelance writer would be: Start. Just start. Start something. Start a blog. Start writing a bit every day. Start talking to editors. Start the creative process. Start keeping track of your ideas. Start making writing goals. Start by making SMART goals. Just start somewhere. But don’t give up your day job.

Structure your day. Get up. Get dressed. Have breakfast. Do some activity. Then start your working day. Don’t fall into a trap of never getting out of your house and talking only to your virtual, online friends.

Eat properly. Don’t snack. If you are working at home, make space for your office. Take breaks. Walk to the printer. Get a cup of tea. If you know your neighbours, have a 15 minute chat—just to get some perspective.

Find a community of writers or writer wannabes. If you can’t find one, start one. Participate in that community. Find inspiration for ideas. Give inspiration for ideas. Try out ideas. Share your work. Get feedback. It’s part of nurturing your growth as a writer, as a professional.

Read books on writing to become a better writer.  Every time you write something, read it out loud to hear your voice—to hear what you have written. Can you make it sound better? Can you cut out words? Can you use another word? A shorter, cleaner word? One that sounds less pretentious?

Read what you want to write. Surround yourself with quality publications. Study the language. Analyze the audience.  Up your ante by pushing your own limits on digesting information and articles out of your comfort zone.

Take pictures. Learn how to incorporate multimedia into your stories. Visit the archives of your favourite publications. Learn what was so you can better describe what is.

Ask questions. Never be afraid to ask questions.  Prepare for interviews. Ask hard questions. Ask light questions. Ask questions your reader would be afraid to ask, but probably wants to know the answer.  Be honest. Have integrity. Know where to draw the line. Know if a line needs to be drawn, but push the limits.

Read your favourite author out loud. Hear the rhythm of their words. Better yet, transcribe your favourite book (an activity I have yet to complete).

Be original. Be authentic.

And last but not least: Believe in yourself and persevere with your goals.

I made this jambalaya last night. I was looking for something low-cal and healthy. I found this recipe in an old cookbook I had (from when I was a vegetarian): Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes by Linda Gassenheimer. It was the first time I, personally, had cooked with cayenne pepper. It was just the right kind of spicy.

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup (80 ml)  flour
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced into medallions, then halved (the original recipe called for okra. I couldn’t find that in my local Migros. I’ll have a look in the market the next time I go.)
• 4 medium celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium pepper, diced
• 1 cup (250 ml) uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried thyme
• 3 cups (750 ml) vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound (250 g??) of prawns (The original recipe didn’t call for prawns (being vegetarian and all. I didn’t add the prawns last night, but I will when I make the recipe again).
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
• hot pepper sauce

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Add onions and saute for 30 seconds. Lower heat and stir in flour. Continue to saute 10 minutes, letting flour turn a light tan colour (do not let it turn black).

Add garlic, zucchini, celery, and diced pepper. Saute 5 minutes, until vegetables are starting to be soft. Stir in rice, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and thyme.

Add broth and stir well. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in prawns and cook until the prawns turn pink.

Fold in tomatoes and vinegar.

Spoon onto plates, serve, and pass the hot sauce!

The book also gave some tips:

1. Start onions and flour. While they cook, prepare the other vegetables.
2. When the flour is ready, complete the jambalaya.
3. While jambalaya is cooking, make the romaine and orange salad.

~~~~~~~~~~
4 servings
461 calories per serving
27 percent calories from fat

I made jambalaya last night. I was supposed to make this salad, but it was just too late. I was tired. Here is the recipe anyway. It looks yummy!

• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 1 medium orange

Dressing

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons(10 ml) olive or canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces.

Over a small bowl, remove orange peel, and cut into segments reserving as much juice as possible.

Cut segments in half and set aside. Whisk broth, 2 tablespoons of orangejuice, and the mustard together in a salad bowl. Whisk in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add lettuce and orange segments.

Toss.

Enjoy with the jambalaya–or whatever.

**Recipe directly from: Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes, by Linda Gassenheimer.