Cooking
Fitness
Health
Training: New Bike
A Bike for Tall Women Ever since the All Bike, All the Time experiment began in the Spring, I’ve been hankering for more of an around-town cruiser: something with a upright riding position, cargo capability, a chain guard to keep my jeans from getting greasy, fenders for all-weather riding, internal hub for easy shifting, and […] Read More
Still No Oven
Waiting for Appliance Delivery The bad news: my oven still looks like this: The good news: if the appliance gods smile favorably upon me, I should have a new one by next Thursday. What do I miss the most? The microwave. I never realized how much I relied on it for dumb stuff. Last […] Read More
Betty Says: Travel Carry-On
One Week in a Rollaboard Suitcase I’ve written about my ability to pack in a carry-on suitcase before, but this time I took detailed photos for the benefit of my friend who is just not a carry-on traveler. (Hi, Terri!) The hotel room lighting was mediocre, but hey, at least I remembered to take pictures […] Read More
Training: Building a Plan
Balancing Cardio and Strength Let’s say, hypothetically, that you didn’t have any races on the calendar, yet you wanted to get back into a training routine as if you did. And let’s say that you wanted this non-race-related training to involve both running and cycling for cardio, as well as a good measure of strength […] Read More
No-Recipe Friday
When Your Wall Oven Dies When I was in Germany last week, my wall oven/microwave combination decided to give up the ghost. It’s been on its last legs for quite some time. Two or three years ago, a repairman came out to work on the wonky control panel. I paid a ridiculous amount of money […] Read More
Training: Time to Find a Race
One Week in Deutschland Midway through my week-long business trip to Germany, I got an email from a friend with a newborn baby, asking if she would have enough time to train for the Tinkerbell half marathon in January (yes), and whether I would be interested in joining her (maybe). Tinkerbell has never been high […] Read More
Putting it Together: Your Summer Cookout
What to Make for a Cookout Hey, Betty! you shout. I have guests coming over. What should I make for my cookout? Ooh, there are so many options to choose from, but I’m going to go with a chicken-based meal. I’ve had a few awkward cookouts where I learned at the last minute that one […] Read More
Banana Applesauce Oat Cookies
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies This is an odd one, scrawled on the back of a napkin and handed to me by a stranger in a coffee shop after an impromptu conversation. It has no flour, no added sugar, and can be dairy-free. Oh, come on. Stop rolling your eyes. It passes the Tiny Kitchen Assistant test, […] Read More
Training: My Slow-Down Sunday
Walking and Hiking for Fitness I had a night of insomnia after the tiny beach motel’s smoke detector started chirping at 11:45. And, of course, being a tiny beach motel, there’s no one on site to replace the battery until morning. I ripped the chirpy beast off the ceiling, yanked out its battery, and then […] Read More
Baked Falafel
Can You Bake Falafel? I made my first falafel this year, and while it’s really tasty, it’s a royal pain in the butt to make. Want to guarantee that the Tiny Kitchen Assistant will need your help? Fry something that requires your undivided attention. When I made my last batch of falafel, I had a […] Read More