PinkGirl’s BACK!
She disappeared from the blogosphere there for a few weeks, but she just posted today. I’ve been sweetly asked, with a hug, to post something on MY blog pointing to her new post, entitled “WHICH ONE?”
I know. I’ve been bribed. But it was a really sweet hug.
I’ve already posted my contribution for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays for this week, but Tammy asked for other ways to dice carrots, so . . .
or
I did need to cut the carrot in half to fit on the grate and the smaller grate needed extra pressure, but it worked great – as usual! I’ve posted before about what my Vidalia Chop Wizard! can do.
5 minute diced peppers
5 minute onions in a flash (freeze)
It’s the handiest gadget in my kitchen. Besides the speed, do you know my favorite part? It’s dishwasher safe.
Back in March, I posted a recipe for Bake Ahead Egg Muffins (with a print friendly PDF version). The Sunday before last, I took about 20 to 30 minutes to whip up a batch of egg/cheese/spinach/sausage goo – but I didn’t bake muffins. I baked two 9×12 pans and then cut squares. The squares fit nicely on a piece of toast.
This week, I again used the two 9×12 pans, but I used an empty (and clean) tuna can to cut circles to fit on an English muffin. I punched a hole in the bottom of the tuna can because I cut them hot and there was sputtering when I pressed down. I layered the patties between paper towels in containers to prevent sogginess and FavoriteSon had the first one this morning. Score! We now have 14 more patties in the fridge. Along with the leftover remnants after cutting all those circles.
Me? I put the remnants on a piece of toast. Such a visual example the wasted space resulting from round containers. I’ll say it again. I HATE round containers.
Find great recipes and helpful kitchen tips at Kitchen Tip Tuesdays hosted by Tammy’s Recipes!
And click on over to check out the recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed With Grace
FavoriteSon is FAST. I mean REALLY fast. Check out the photos on Pragmatic Commotion in the post “that’s what I’m TALKIN’ about!“. (I take better photos when I’m not screaming “GO! RUN!! RUN!! RUN!!! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!!” I should probably also look through the lens instead of directly at the field.)
While I am hugely proud of him, I must be honest. He’s got an advantage.
Idiopathic toe walking.
There are a few causes for toe walking, including autism and cerebral palsy, but in this case, FavoriteSon gets it from his dad. The physical condition is caused by tight/short heel cords (Achilles tendon). FirstHusband doesn’t walk on his toes anymore, and we always figured FavoriteSon would also outgrow it. And he has, somewhat.
A few years ago, when he was 9, he had a few months of physical therapy and it really helped. After years of toe walking, his body had adjusted and his hip flexors were tight also. So when he stood on what we, in our family, call “regular feet” with his heels on the floor, he was bent forward at the waist at about a 45 degree angle. As he went back up on his toes, he stood straight and tall. We had been monitoring the condition since he began walking and he always hated going to the pediatrician because he would be asked to walk on his heels and it was very uncomfortable. His condition had remained fairly constant until he went through a growth spurt at around 9 years old. When he dropped to his heels and bent over at a 45 degree angle, we determined he needed to see a specialist. The specialist first recommended physical therapy and if that failed, possibly surgery. When the doctor explained that the surgery would involve poking lots and lots of holes in the muscle and then wearing braces on his legs as the muscle healed, FavoriteSon decided he did NOT want surgery. Thankfully, the physical therapy made a huge difference. It was hard work. And it was very uncomfortable. And he complained. But after a few months, he bent forward at about a TEN degree angle when he dropped down onto his heels. A ten degree angle wasn’t enough to warrant surgery. FavoriteSon was VERY happy. And he knew exactly what he had to do when he went through another growth spurt. He had to stretch those muscles to catch up with the bone growth.
This is the winning stretch for him:
And how is he now? Walking on your toes for 13 years makes for some strong calves. And running without putting your heel down first? Makes for some FAST sprinting. So the boy can SPRINT. Sustained running? no. He can’t run much farther than a mile at a time without his heel cords “burning” as he puts it. So, he runs track, not cross country. And he HATES jogging. I was talking with a friend (who is a runner) about his condition and she said, “OH! So he’s already up there!” Yes. He’s always up there.
I can pick him out in a crowd or across a football field because I can recognize his gait. He still walks on his toes, but only slightly. And he can stand heels down without bending over at the waist.
His biggest problem now? His nickname on the football field. “Prancer.” pshhh. A fat man in a red suit can catch “Prancer.” Don’t be calling him Prancer when I’m in earshot. I protect my young.