Author: DJones BranchingOut

Pushing 50 and it's time to try a few (maybe... 365?) new things. This blog is not about reinventing oneself or one's life, but about how much fun one can have while going out on a limb and branching out. Kicking anxiety's butt one day at a time, yeah!

Why Challenge Yourself? (Book and Project of the Month Pep Talk)

March Read: The Mistaken Wife

March Project: 5K and The Only Two Reasons I Run

The month is halfway over. I am more than halfway through my book, but failing at this running challenge. I won’t give up, though. I have friends who have gone back to college and set far higher fitness goals than I have- out of respect for them, and myself, I’ll keep plugging away. They truly inspire me!

Need a reason to challenge yourself with new projects, plays, and books, recipes, etc.? Go online, look up “neural plasticity” and follow links on reputable websites. (here’s some!) Even better, enter “neural plasticity” into the search bar on Pinterest… now sit back, and start reading. In a nutshell: when you experience new things your brain is energized.

Doing something new every day and going out on a limb is my way to help get over years of anxiety.

If I also end up expanding my cognitive abilities, broaden my perspectives and become more creative, even better!

“Creativity is just connecting things.
When you ask creative people how they did something,
they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it,
they just saw something.
It seemed obvious to them after a while.
That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had
and synthesize new things.
And the reason they were able to do that was that
they’ve had more experiences
or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity.
A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences.
So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions
without a broad perspective on the problem.
The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
Steve Jobs

Read the whole WIRED interview here: http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/4.02/jobs_pr.html

Everyone’s Irish Today… Irish Soda Bread from The Chew 3/17/15

P…and that is no more apparent than in our kitchens, right? How many of you are not Irish, but have a corned beef in the slow cooker? My mom’s father was half Irish, so in his honor, we are having Irish Soda Bread with our Corned Beef and Cabbage.

French bread, cracked wheat sandwich bread, English muffins… Pretzels, pita bread, sourdough (that was a disaster), quick breads of all kinds. If it is a bread, I have probably made it. The Cinnamon Roll count is somewhere in the hundreds of dozens, now, I can make that recipe in my sleep, but Ive never made Irish Soda Bread.

This recipe comes from The Chew-

Irish Soda Bread Recipe from The Chew
Irish Soda Bread Recipe from The Chew click the pic for the recipe

For this Soda Bread, I followed their recipe, sans caraway seeds since I HATE them. Always have, always will. Blech.

Look how pretty this loaf of bread is! I’ve turned out nice looking baked goods… but not today. I think I actually left out a whole cup of flour- my dough really spread out. It kind of turned out like a giant scone, which could be delicious, nonetheless.

I should turn in my Official Baker’s Card, if I had one.

Here's the ingredients-
Here’s the ingredients-

Flour, sugar, leaveners, salt, egg, butter, buttermilk, raisins, and a combo of crème fraîche, yogurt, and sour cream went into this mix.
The yogurt is from this incredible dairy where we used to shop. Traders Point Creamery is a grass fed, organic farm located right outside of Indianapolis.
Have a Whole Foods Market near you? Whine to the dairy buyer that you, too, would like your store to carry this yogurt that is so good, even people who don’t like yogurt will eat Traders Point. Like The Husband.
They also host a year round farmers market, and have one of the best farm-to-table restaurants. I miss this place something fierce.

End commercial.

U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi, you ugly. One ugly loaf!
U-G-L-Y you ain’t got no alibi, you ugly. One ugly loaf!

This is one ugly loaf. It looks nothing like the photo from The Chew! But the taste and texture suggest that I did NOT forget that third cup of flour.

It really DOES taste like a giant scone! Very good, actually.
The Salt Ewok approves. (can you see him in the back?) It really DOES taste like a giant scone! Very good, actually.

Whew. I get to keep my Official Baker’s Card. Looking forward to making this again, it was great!

A Good Night for a New Beer- Firestone 805

This hip image as well as the 805 logo above are from the Firestone Walker site- clic this pic for the link
This hip image as well as the Firestone Walker logo above are from the Firestone Walker site- clic this pic for the link

Is there something like a sommelier for beer- a beer steward? That’s The Husband’s job. He’s my beer steward. The kids are working the all-consuming Tech Week for the high school’s musical, so we took off for a beer this evening. And between him and the bartender, they found a good beer for me to try- the loser was Guinness Blond, which was also good. I’ll save the Guinness for Saint Patrick’s Day tomorrow.

Firestone 805
Firestone 805- click the pic for more info on this nice brew…

I have no idea how to describe beers, except to say that it wasn’t watery or weak, and not overpoweringly citrusy or floral (I really don’t care for hops!). I’m not well versed enough to know how to match beer with foods, but can say this non-hoppy happy brew went well with my fries!

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is located up in Paso Robles, California, an area well known for its wines. I’m a BIG fan of wine, but with places like Firestone Walker putting out something other than quadruple IPAs, thankyouverymuch, they finally give me something of a choice- and a FAR tastier option than the basic Mega Corporate American Beer Companies.

Whine Free Wildflower Photography!

Very grumpy children. She is totally faking that smile and was as miserable as he was that day.
Very grumpy children, 2011. She is totally faking that smile and was as miserable as he was to go hiking that day.

Today The Husband and I did something we have never done. We went on a long drive to go hiking in the Anza Borrego State Park lands in the desert… without the teenagers. They asked to stay home, finish homework, and generally relax. We had a grand time eating pie, seeing wildflowers, stopping on a whim for tacos, all without anyone complaining about being too hot, too cold, bored, hungry or ready to go home.

The Amma (my mom) after being tricked into hiking up the Borrego Palm Canyon trail
The Amma (my mom) after hiking  Borrego Palm Canyon trail

All four of us have had a ball tromping through state parks, but rarely are all four people happy at one time. You want to see that old phrase “madder than a wet hen” in action? Add my mom to the mix. I have tricked her into hiking on short trails and have been surprised she was speaking to me by the end.

*Click on any of the photos for larger versions, the flowers are really pretty*

Julian Pie for a second breakfast!
Julian Pie for a second breakfast!
IMG_5719
More pie pics. Because, pie. That’s why.

For this day trip, we stopped in Santa Ysabel for apple pie à la mode at the Julian Pie Company. We carpool school trips to this area and I always try to bring my car load of middle schoolers to this shop for a snack. If you have the chance to visit, don’t miss it! Seriously, pie is my favorite dessert, and I prefer my own pie usually. This is the only pie I buy. I think they only hire the nicest people. Must be part of their hiring tactics.

I call this photo "Cholla Blooms, One Week Too Early"
I call this photo “Cholla Blooms, One Week Too Early”
Wildflowers of Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Wildflowers of Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Next on the agenda- hunt down some wildflowers. We’ve had enough rain to ensure a good year for desert flowers in all their beauty. Looks like it’s Yellow Flower Season to me. And can you see the citrus groves in the distance in the photo on the right? The groves were in full bloom and words cannot begin to describe their perfume that filled the air.

What's left of lunch from El Borrego.
What’s left of lunch from El Borrego.

We finished the day with a snack from El Borrego. This little taco shop had a great menu, but we went for the basics- tacos and a carnitas burrito. The Husband declared that he will be stopping at El Borrego every future trip to the desert. You’ll have to use your imagination to decide if the lunches looked as good as they tasted… they did, and I for got to snap a pic. I love a good, hard fried shredded beef taco, and they know how to make them here.

While I missed my kids, I’m glad they had a quiet day at home instead of being dragged out to the desert on a 92 degree day (but it’s a DRY heat!). If you are looking for a nice day trip, I love the Anza Borrego desert this time of year. Don’t forget the State Park Visitor’s Center, the day hikes, buy a bag of oranges and enjoy the fresh air if you come out.

More flowers, that's why we came...
More flowers, that’s why we came…
Ocotillo in bloom, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Ocotillo in bloom, Anza Borrego Desert

Movie Review with The Boy- “Kingsmen- The Secret Service”

Google link for "Kingsmen- The Secret Service"
Google link for “Kingsmen- The Secret Service”

Took The Boy to an R rated movie… that’s a first. While watching previews at another movie,”Kingsman- The Secret Service,” came up and we all thought it looked great. So, before our Mother and Son Night Out, I read the preview information online, like a good mom does, and thought it sounded about as raunchy or violent as your basic action-adventure movie. Whoops!

You know what isn’t a first? The Boy sharing what’s on his mind and asking questions about EVERYTHING. And he had a bunch about “Kingsman.” While he will turn to his father, I am usually the parent of choice when he wants answers. His usual M.O.? Plop down in my car after school, wait about five minutes, then go straight to the heart of some adolescent query. No subject is off limits. I frequently have to remember Parenting Rule #1: “When 14-year-olds ask surprising questions, do NOT bug your eyes out or do a spit take. Especially when driving. Remember the magic words: “Why do you ask, dear?'”

Both The Boy and I are on the squeamish side. Movies featuring hundreds of head blowing up while the soundtrack plays our favorite pop tunes are a bit much for us. His parting opinion was “Eesh, that changes my opinion of humanity somewhat!” I felt that for a spy flick, Kingsmen was silly, with much of the comedy I wanted to see there, but surprisingly worked into the violence. I like silly, and comedy, and despite the violence, I’d see it again. The Boy? Probably not.

For a great review, check MoviePilot.com, which is where I lifted that photo up top…