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Save the Sage-Grouse

Apparently if you live in the western region of the US you can go out and see these in the wild.

I only get to see the greater sage-grouse on nature documentaries and YouTube, but I love the damn things. They are evidence the the gods have a charming sense of humor.

Drilling, urbanization and other factors are causing habitat fragmentation that’s threatening the survival of the greater sage-grouse— please, just take a moment to add your name to a petition asking that this bird’s wild spaces be protected. It really just takes a second.

It is estimated that at one time there were nearly 2 million greater sage-grouse occupying the 13 western states that comprised its range. Today, the USFWS estimates that that number has declined between 69 and 99 percent.

It’s not just about the sage-grouse, of course. It’s about every animal that thrives in the brush.

But especially an animal that has a courting ritual that involves bouncing their (vocal) sacs. Reminiscent of the Philly Phanatic, I think 🙂

March 17, 2012
Words to Sweat By: Fitness Friday Review and Giveaway

Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.
-Woody Allen

Ain’t that the truth? Most days the hardest part is just hauling my carcass off the couch and putting on my sneakers.

I’ve started running, using the Couch to 5k program. I’ve just ended Week 2. The first couple of days I enjoyed it in a way that shocked me, it was liberating to open up and run freely. When I’m stressed I really kind of look forward to running away from the day, putting some distance between me and whatever is bugging me.

But some days… I just don’t wanna. I don’t wanna run, I’m slow and ungainly and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. I don’t wanna make myself look presentable and put my shoes on and get to the gym. I don’t wanna put Jillian Michaels in the DVD player. My DVD player is hard to get to and I can’t find the remote.

You know what helps? Seriously?

Having the right clothes for the job.

Vain? Maybe. But putting on the clothes in the morning is a promise to just do it. Not to mention, if Jeff and the kids come home and find me in running shorts and laced up sneaks, they want to know when I’m leaving… hard to cheese out at that point.

My current favorite workout top arrived in a lovely little pouch last week from Words to Sweat By.

Words to Sweat By supplies “functional fitness accessories that provide sassy or serious motivation to get you up off the couch or to help you push through those last minutes of your workout.” They have shirts, towels, snack bags and keychains that are seriously kick-butt cute.

The tank top is a nice weight and a fairly tight rib, not too low cut and long enough that I’m not constantly having to adjust it (I’m long in the torso, this is an ongoing issue with slimcut shirts for me). It’s the standard fit and it is tight enough in the chest that I’m not flashing anybody, but with plenty of give to accommodate my man shoulders and waist. It really has an ideal level of stretch to it and that is not praise that I give lightly. Finding tank tops that fit me correctly is an ordeal.

I’m also totally one of those people who love to wear shirts with sassy sayings or graphics— I love this one. I’m always pleased to find it clean in my closet and put it on.

Once it’s on, I’m committed.

I wanna be healthy.

STRONG.

Happy.

I wanna not look like an idiot in photos. Do not ask me what ails me, I do not know.

(And please to ignore the hair. I shower AFTER running and I need a haircut.)

I also received a Words to Sweat By towel. I had a devil of a time choosing which one I wanted— “no excuses” and “put your heart into it” were among the top contenders, but “take it all in stride” felt closest to my current mantra. You take the good, you take the bad. You keep going.

Ironically, I chose this BEFORE I started running… the world is funny.

The towel is a good size and lightweight, so it dries quickly before you have to throw it back in your gym bag. I love taking it to the gym and using it to wipe down machines, to dry my sweaty hands during yoga or treadmill intervals (turns out that having cooler hands helps you to stick with a workout longer. Fun facts!).

The amount of paper towel waste at the gym has long been one of my pet peeves and I would never, ever remember to bring my own towel. But now I have one dedicated to the task, and it makes me feel good on a lot of levels 🙂

Giveaway!

Words to Sweat By is offering one of my readers their own t-shirt and towel, to help motivate their butt to lace up their sneaks and get moving.

You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below (subscribers, gotta click through, sorry). I’ll pull a winner on Saturday, March 24th.

Good luck!

Tell me: what’s YOUR mantra?

(more…)

March 16, 2012
Guinness and Irish Cheese Fondue: Easy St. Patrick’s Day Recipe

My number one choice is Guinness.
My number two choice would be Guinness.
My number three choice would have to be Guinness.

-Peter O’Toole, asked his favorite Irish food

Unlike Mr. O’Toole, I’m not a huge Guinness fan. My husband and brother will drink one or two, and then we’ll have the remaining bottles in our fridge for forever.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re using up that extra Guinness in our cooking 🙂

Jeff pretty much has at-home fondue down to a science now (full disclosure, this is his recipe) but I really especially liked this fondue, it had a good deep flavor and nice texture. But not so pronounced a flavor that the kids wouldn’t eat it.

We paired it with a Potato and Scallion bread from the bakery and an impromptu Irish Soda Bread that I baked. (No raisins, by request.) And a boatload of green apples, but any tart apple will do. Cut up veggies are also a dipping hit.

In an effort to make this recipe more accessible, I bought Kerrygold cheeses available at our traditional grocery store (although I was tempted to try out a variety of cheeses from my friends’ parents cheese shop).

The Kerrygold website describes the Dubliner as having the “distinctive rounded flavor and a natural hint of sweetness… elements of mature cheddar, sweet nutty tones of a Swiss and the piquant bit of aged Parmesan,” and the Irish Cheddar as “a smooth firm body, creamy taste.” I like that they are wrapped in paper, not plastic, and that the cheese is made from the milk of grass-fed dairy cows allowed to graze on sustainable pastures.

Guinness and Irish Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

7 oz Irish Cheddar, shredded
7 oz Dubliner, shredded
4 oz swiss, shredded
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
6 oz Guinness Extra Stout
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp stone ground mustard
2 tsp Worchestershire
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Note: we use a CrockPot on the table to keep the fondue warm while eating. If you’re doing the same, preheat your CrockPot by filling halfway with water and turning on high; carefully dump the water before transferring your fondue.

1. Toss the cheeses together with the cornstarch (improves the texture and prevents sticking).

2. Heat beer in medium saucepan to boil.

3. Add garlic and mustard, continue to boil for 3 minutes. Do not overheat.

4. Add cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously until smooth.

5. Stir in Worchestershire and pepper to taste.

6. Remove from heat. Transfer to preheated CrockPot or fondue pot, or (carefully) eat straight from your saucepan. The sides and bottom will be hot!

7. Eat fondue until you have to go lie down to recover.

I still have 4 bottles of Guinness!

Any other recipe ideas for me to try?

March 14, 2012