AnneLyze

I ended 2013 with a bang, literally.  Hiking up Esther Mountain, I slipped and smacked my knee on a rock.  One week later, unable to stand the pain any longer, I got an x-ray.  Diagnosis;  a non displaced fracture of my left patella, AKA a broken kneecap.  I am wearing a jazzy blue knee brace until Feb 4 when I get a new x-ray and can hopefully discard the damn thing. My winter hiking, snowshoeing, walks at the golf course, climbing stairs, using the treadmill, and all exercise is on hold.  So while I have been exercising my mind with books, and my fingers by knitting, I have been letting my ass go numb in my recliner while binge watch Dexter and working my forearm eating popcorn, one kernel at a time.  More chair time, snacking to mask my pent up energy, attempt to stave off boredom and numb my anxiety has equaled weight gain, ugh! So I am back to using my Smart Phone App,  My Fitness Pal .  A paltry 1200 calories a day is what I...

It is fucking cold out.  Enjoy some soup.  Anyone who has ever watched me cook knows I don't really measure stuff out.  So this is kind of what I do. Chicken And Rice Soup 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup finely chopped celery 1 cup finely chopped carrot 1 stick of butter. Melt butter in large pot.  Added chopped ingredients and saute' for about 10 minutes.  Generously add poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds a kick.   Add 1/2  cup flour. Stir in well.  It will resemble mush.  Slowly add 1 large carton of chicken stock, constantly stirring. Add 2 cups cooked rice (wild rice, brown rice, orzo all work well) Add 2 cups finely chopped broccoli (cooked but still firm) Add 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey (I sometimes will use all the meat from a rotisserie chicken from the market) Let simmer until heated all the way through.   Stir in 1 cup of milk.. Top of...

1.  Maybe because it is frigid outside, but my first favorite thing from 2013 is fleece lined tights.  I found them at Marshall's for $5.99.  Something that holds me and keeps me warm with no strings or added jobs attached, plus fuzzy soft and cheap, what more could a northern girl want?! 2.  Flavored Coffee with fat free flavored creamer.  30 calorie comfort treat.  Not a warm chocolate chip cookie, but better than nothing, which is option number 1. 3.  Mountains.  I completed 10 of the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks, 4 in New Hampshire.  I am still discovering what kind of hiker I am, but I am finding out who I am as a person with each hike.  Favorite ADK high peak in 2013 was Giant Mountain, but no hike this year was more glorious than Lincoln and Lafayette in NH. 4.   The World According to Mr Rogers  by Fred Rogers.  Every time I get feeling blue, I read this book.  If he can like me for being me, t...

Let me start by stating it was my idea, but I did not pick the route.  I wanted two more high peaks before the end of the year, to hit double digits.  The weather would be fine.  It would be fun.  This is my hike report, not quite what I envisioned. The plan was walk 1.5 miles up the Whiteface road, take a "gnarly" bushwhack up Ester Mountain, walk across the ridge and then up Whiteface and take the road down.  Piece of cake, bag two high peaks,get a cup of hot coffee at Stewart's, eat some awesome pizza in Schroon Lake and go home to celebrate the new year.  Even better, Ben joined Neal, myself and Ryan, a friend of Neal's.  I was feeling good about the day. Turning up the mountain to start the bushwhack didn't seem so bad at first, almost comical at times, and when I didn't think I could stand one more minute, I did.  Eventually we got higher and higher until we got to a boulder and no matter what I did I couldn't get up it.  So I backt...