Laloo's ® Goat's Milk Ice Cream

For dessert tonight I tried Laloo's ® Goat's Milk Ice Cream. LaLoo's was featured on a show on the Cooking Channel.

At Laloo's they believe that the quality of food and enjoyment of life unite. They let their goats play on 350 acres of rolling hills in Sonoma County, California, where they graze on green grass and thistle berry in the warm Pacific breeze. It's the good life. And the good life makes magical ice cream that's naturally low fat, lactose friendly^TM and spoon-licking delicious to the last scoop. They make innovative products using goat's milk that are yummy, nutritious, fun and sustainably produced while making small but continuous positive influences on the planet and social culture.

There was only a very brief very slight taste of goat at the end of the tasting - and I think I only noticed it because I was trying to see if it was there. I had the Vanilla Snowflake flavor. It was delicious - and very creamy. If you want to try it out, I bought mine at Whole Foods.

Pass Wall Street reform

Congress this week is expected to cast final votes on Wall Street reform -- legislation that isn't just the toughest financial reforms since the Great Depression, but also the strongest consumer protections in history.

These votes in the House and Senate will come down to the wire. And special interests -- who have already spent more than $1 million per member of Congress lobbying on this issue -- are going into overdrive to kill the bill.

Will you join me and stand with President Obama in fighting for Wall Street reform today?

http://my.barackobama.com/WallStreetReformFinalVote-auto

If you love someone...

... don't put conditions on your love.

Baby items for a friend

Baby booties

Ewok sweater in progress

Clara Long: a memorial

From the Hamilton Spectator:

LONG, Clara On June 17, 2010 at St. Peter's Hospital at the age of 80 years. Clara leaves behind her loving husband Norman, their two sons Mark and David as well as their families. Following her wishes, cremation has taken place. Online condolences may be made at www.tbdfuneralchapel.com.

Clara was my babysitter when I was really young. For years, she babysat my sister and brother and me at her house in Hamilton, Ontario. My brother spent the most time with her because he wasn't in school yet. I remember playing games of cards and Scrabble with her, watching the end of Young & the Restless before the cartoons came on after school, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with macaroni, watching Clara make her own cigarettes by hand, the elaborate outfits that she crocheted for my sister's and my cabbage patch dolls, her dog She-na, her hand-crank washing machine, the limit she set on the number of squares of toilet paper we could use in the bathroom, the way she said "yous guys," playing "store" in her long back yard, the rhubarb that she grew at the end of her backyard, going to her daughter's funeral while I was still in grade school, her grandson Sean, and that she liked to read Steven King. I remember her quite fondly.

The last time I saw her was in February at St. Peter's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. My brother and sister and I went together to see her in the hospital. I gave her a scarf I had knitted. The time before that was at my sister's wedding in October 2006. She won the flowers from our table. According to my Mom, Clara died of cancer complications.

Clara was born in Hamilton, Ontario of Hungarian decent. She finished highschool in grade 10 and went to work in a string factory somewhere on Cannon Street. Clara's crocheting started from bringing home all that string she made in the factory. That is also where Clara met Norm. They just celebrated their 59th anniversary.

Birthday celebration

Yesterday was my birthday. I got a haircut, for the first time in ages. At Frizzles, they serve wine! For dinner we went to Food Matters.

Today we drove down to Fredericksburg and had lunch at Eileen's Cafe and Bakery.

After we drove to the Mattaponi Winery for a wine tasting. Next stop was the Lake Anna Winery. What a great day!

My new sandals just arrived

Happy birthday to me!

Currently reading

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver has a simple message: eat local, organic, seasonal food. Similar to The Ominivore's Dillema by Michael Pollan and Food, Inc. but it's good to be reminded that eating cheap food doesn't taste as good, is not as nutritious, and is bad for everyone. There are essays written by her husband and her daughter, recipes, and weekly meal plans. It's a good read and has kept my bedside lamp on after Max has already turned his off to go to sleep. I feel a renewed desire to buy more from the farmer's market - even if it does cost more. And I'm intrigued about the possibility of making my own cheese.

My friend is getting a puppy!

Isn't he the cutest?!?!?!?? Here's the fat one on the right. He's a thai ridgeback.

Flowers

From Max!

Something to think about... in death

So recently I read this article, Parting Gifts, about donating your body to science. Not something I've ever really thought about before but it definitely got me thinking. I'd like to do it. Not just organs, which I've always been for anyway, but whole body donation. Kind of morbid? Sorry. That's me sometimes.

Read the article and let me know what you think.

Here's information about BU's donation program:
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/anatneuro/anatomical-gifts/

The University of Toronto also has a program:
http://anatomy.utoronto.ca/body.htm

I found information for the state of Virginia as well:
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/medexam/donate.htm

And then there's the Anatomy Gifts Registry.

For most of these programs, they pay for cremation and return the cremated remains to your loved ones. And lest you think that the remains are destined for an urn on the fireplace mantle, there are other options:

• DNA2Diamonds
  
• LifeGem
• Memory Jewels
• Art from Ashes
• Memories from Ashes
  
• Death beads

Some knitting

I haven't felt like knitting in months... my basket of UFOs (unfinished objects) has been sitting in my living room untouched, more decoration than anything else. Yesterday, Max and I went to a small arts and crafts festival in Old Town Alexandria. There was a booth there for Fiber Space, with some pretty yarn for sale. And a project that had just been started with big needles and big yarn. I sighed. "Kind of miss it," I said to Max. "Really?" He hasn't seen me display any interest in knitting in awhile. Even more surprising that I would do so when it was 93°F and so humid that I felt soggy. But after we got home, I started looking at my yarn. For something big. And big needles. What I found was worsted weight and US size 13 needles but still, it fit the bill good enough. And so I started knitting. For the first time in months. Felt good actually. A little hot, but good.

Jane Bites Back

Just finished reading Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford. It's a fun read and I finished it in only a couple of days.

Basically, Jane Austen is a vampire and still alive, living in a small town in New York state. She owns her own bookstore and has been trying for hundreds of years to sell her last manuscript. Other literary vampires show up... there's friendship, love, and a bit of excitement.

Funny birthday cards

My boss's birthday is coming up and so I was looking for something funny to get for her. She has a great sense of humor, but still... don't think I should get her these!

FRONT: Happy Birthday!

INSIDE: There. I came to your party. Now you owe me.

FRONT: Happy Birthday! Here's to another year...

INSIDE: ...older than me. Sucks to be you.

FRONT: Happy Birthday.

INSIDE: You've just turned an insignificant age that nobody really cares about.

4 day weekend

Got to love it! And I did.

Friday
Went for a run with Max in the morning. Had drinks at the Front Page and dinner at Firefly with the BU crew (Slav, Natalia, Alex).

Saturday
Had brunch at Food Matters with Natalia and Alex. Went shopping at Potomac Mills. Bought a new dress for Candi and Mike's wedding from Ann Taylor! Sangria and tapas at La Tasca.

Sunday
Battled DC traffic with Natalia and Alex. Made our way out to Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa for Candi and Mike's wedding. Had SO much fun!



Monday
Breakfast with Slav and his work crew from the VA at Traders. Dropped off Natalia and Alex in Dupont Circle.
Rest.