Color Your World!

August 29, 2009 by  
Filed under Books, Reviews

There’s something to this.  I was shopping in Francesca’s boutique, flipping through Michele Bernhardt’s Colorstrology book, and discovered that my personal color is Jaffa Orange.  There is something to this because the cotton tank I already had in my hand to purchase matched the color exactly.   Hmmm . . . Colorstrology tells us that our birthday carries a numerological value and meaning.  That value corresponds to a color palette from which we can draw insight about our personalities.  Wearing, decorating and surrounding ourselveswith this specific color is supposed to bring out our true selves, our best selves.  We are not to confuse our personal color with our favorite color – Bernhardt says that our favorite color can change as we evolve or change our surroundings.  Our personal color, on the other hand, remains constant.

There is something to this!

There is something to this!

This fun book rests on my coffee table.  There is a page for every day of the year.  There are even color swatches in the back to take with you when shopping for your color.  🙂 In addition, each color has its PANTONE® Color identification to help find the perfect match.  I like the suggestions Bernhardt gives for using your personal color. 

Want to send an ecard telling the bday person what his/her color is?!  It’s completely free – here’s the link for the ecards!

 Grading Girl gives Colorstrology an A+ for an interesting alternative to traditional zodiac and astrology readings.

I’d say this is pretty accurate . . .

My Personal Color ~ JAFFA ORANGE

Analytical, Responsible, Sensitive

If you were born on this day:  “You love to use your mind.  Your ability to analyze problems and situations is exceptional.  You never really know just how good or talented you are due to your yearning for perfection.  Many of you cover your sensitivity with facts and a composed exterior.  You actually have a very sensitive spirt that needs to be nurtured and recognized.” (Bernhardt)

Colorstrology says that wearing or surrounding myself “with Jaffa Orange helps you live life more freely by integrating your intellect with your emotions and your passion with self-control.” (Bernhardt)

Cherry DeLIGHT

August 23, 2009 by  
Filed under Recipes, School's Out

An A+ Dessert

A reader asked me why I only post healthful (not healthy) recipes so I decided to post a more decadent dessert that only seems un GG-like.  This is actually fat free despite its creamy richness.  So go ahead, we all need to splurge once in a while.  Everything in moderation . . . including moderation.  🙂

I love all things cherry – I eat marochino cherries out of the jar, cherry lifesavers are my favorite candy, and I pop bing cherries like popcorn.  My mother’s Cherry Delight dessert may have been the dish that started it all.  I fondly recall racing my dad to the fridge for the last piece of this no-bake treat.  I was working out yesterday, of all things, and was trying to think of a way to give this dish an “eat clean” makeover.  I had a taste for it and can’t remember the last time I enjoyed it.

Using fresh cherries rather than canned cherry pie filling cuts out the sugar.

Using fresh cherries rather than canned cherry pie filling cuts out the sugar.

GG sits before you now exclaiming that the experiment worked.  I have to say it tastes more sinful than it is.  This is a great warm weather dessert that’s always been a crowd pleaser in our family.  If you like sweet, if you like creamy, and if you like cherry, check this out.  It’s real simple and quick to whip up (unless you’re feeling the urge to make your own angel food cake, like I did):

Cherry DeLIGHT
  • Angel Food cake, cut into small cubes (homemade or store bought) ****Don’t forget, there are no egg yolks in angel food cake.  That means no fat!!***
  • 2 packages sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix (original recipe calls for regular vanilla instant pudding mix)
  • approx. 2 cups of pitted Bing cherries (original recipe calls for 2 cans of cherry pie filling) **my favorite cherry pitter is from Williams Sonoma
  • 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt (original recipe calls for one pint sour cream)

In a 9 x 13 pan, spread half of the cubed Angel Food cake on the bottom.  Make the pudding according to package directions (use skim milk).  Mix the yogurt with the pudding.  Layer half of the pudding mixture on top of the broken cake in the pan.  Place the second half of the cake cubes on top of the pudding.  Layer the second half of the pudding on top of that.  Place the cherries on top.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  That’s it!

There you have it ~ a family recipe made over into a non-fat decadent dessert!!!!

GG at the Movies – The Time Traveler’s Wife

August 21, 2009 by  
Filed under Movies, Reviews

I would not want the ability to time travel to the future – I believe in taking life’s triumphs and trials as they come.  I might, however, want to take a brief trip back to various occasions of my life.  My daughter’s birth was hands down the best day of my life so naturally I wouldn’t mind revisiting that; it might be fun to take a quick trip to when I was a small child too.  I don’t think I’d want to hang around long enough to change anything . . . who knows how much one small occurence could change signficant results.  It could be enlightening, though, to time travel all the way back to an era in history such as the Romantic period just to experience firsthand a piece of what we read about in literature and history texts.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a movie that lets us fantasize about this if only for a couple of hours.  A librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago (one of my favorite places for professional development, by the way) suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress.  Despite the fact that he vanishes at frequent and lengthy intervals, Henry attempts to build a stable future with the beautiful young heiress, Claire, whom he loves. Eric Bana (my new crush) and Rachel McAdams star in this fantasy, and they both are very close to the characters I pictured in my head when I read the book.

I read the book by Audrey Niffeneger five years ago and enjoyed it so much that I instantly formed a summer reading group for my senior students to discuss it in-depth.  The endearing love affair between the two protagonists stuck with me long after I read the last chapter.  Yes, the movie does not delve as deep into Claire’s anguish as the book.  It does not even follow Claire to as old of an age as she progresses to in the book.  Regardless, the movie is a tear-jerker romance in its own right. I went to see this on its second night release . . . I heard plenty of sniffles throughout the show, a testament to the believable characters and appealing plot.  Grading Girl gives The Time Traveler’s Wife a solid B for its hug-your-heart, endearing message – that is, true love has no boundaries.  GG says this movie is worth your time!

Make or Break Your Workout

August 14, 2009 by  
Filed under Nutrition Tips, School's Out

Yesterday was one of those days that flew by – I spent it with a very dear friend of 17 (update, make that 20!) years.  We met as next door neighbors when we settled into our new homes.  Our girls, just two weeks apart in age, are still best buds and we are close friends forever.  We’ve both since moved and I sometimes really miss those days when we walked into each other’s houses as if they were interchangeable (and it was usually through the back doors), used each other’s yards as our own, and knew we were only steps away from good company and fun laughs.

Much of our lunch conversation yesterday centered on food and nutrition.  She’s as fanatic about working out as I am; I recall those evening bike rides with fondness.  Anyway, she asked me what I eat before and after working out as she’s trying to add more protein to her diet.  I’ve been meaning to post a blog about this because it’s so important yet so many people neglect this part in their workout regime.  Without energy from proper nutrition, exercise will be sluggish and potential results cannot be attained.  By the same token, muscles that just worked so hard will not recover without recovery fuel.

My Favorite Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Snacks!

 

 

PRE-WORKOUT: (within an hour before exercise)

protein + slow-digesting carbs

You need a good source of protein to get your muscles growing.  Slow-digesting carbs gives good energy without the unnecessary fat.  My Muscle & Fitness Hers May/June 2008 magazine says that 20-30 grams of protein and 30-40 grams of slow-digesting carbs is needed. If you’re in a hurry, grab a yogurt and a piece of fruit.  If you have a few moments, here are a couple examples from the magazine that I personally have been using for the past year:

A.

1 scoop whey protein
1 cup skim milk or 1 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 cup All-Bran cereal (GG says this is the world’s most versatile cereal)

OR

B.

1/2 cup whey protein
1/2 cup soy protein
1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt (GG’s fave is Fage!  Check out my review of it.)

OR

C.

1 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 scoop soy protein powder
2 cups water
3/4 cups rasberries
3/4 cup blueberries (is there such thing as eating too many berries a day???  cause I could pop strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberies, goji berries in my mouth aaaallll day)

POSTWORKOUT (within 45 minutes after workout)

protein + fast-digesting carbs

Protein powers our muscles that just worked so hard and the fast carbs boost insulin levels to help that protein get into muscles.  M & F Hers recommends 40 grams of fast-digesting protein and 30-40 grams of fast-digesting carbs.  If you’re in a hurry, just mixing a scoop of protein powder with water is sufficient until your next meal.  If you have a few more moments to prepare something, these are perfect:

A.

1 scoop whey protein
1 cup water
1/2 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup mini marshmallows  (confession:  I decided I have to take a break from these because, when I have them in the house, I can’t control myself.  I ate a half of a bag in one sitting the other day.  Ugghhh)

OR

B.

1 scoop whey
1/2 scoop soy protein
2 cups water
1/2 bag 94% fat-free popcorn

OR

C.

1 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 scoop soy protein powder
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. jelly
1 slice white bread (hmmmm)

Post-workout snacks are delish because of the sweet stuff!!!! Ummm, just don’t overdo it like I did with the marshmallows.

Are you hoping or hopeful?

August 11, 2009 by  
Filed under Grammar, Mini-Lessons

Being hopeful is a good thing.  It is always better to see the glass half full than half empty.  Overusing the word hopefully, on the other hand,  is not such a good thing.

Hope vs. Hopefully  kevindooley on flckr

The word hopefully is an adverb.  An adverb is a word that describes a verb, so hopefully is a word that describes how something is done. Polly Pocket skipped hopefully down the grassy path means that Polly Pocket skipped in a hopeful manner down the path; it describes the way in which she skipped. It’s an active process; in other words, it’s something that we can control.

The adverb hopefully, then, should not be used synonymously with the phrase I hope since hope means a wish or a desire.  Hopefully, he will win the race is incorrect.  I hope he wins the race is the correct way to phrase that.  When we hope, the outcome is out of our control. In other words, it’s a very passive act, and using hopefully for I hope is a grammar error.  And why would we want to be passive and incorrect at the same time?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with hoping; however, we always have more success when we actively pursue things than we do when we wish for the best.  So GG’s advice is to be active and decide to use these words correctly.  🙂

You Guys Can’t Be With Yous Guys

August 4, 2009 by  
Filed under Grammar, Mini-Lessons

A follower just asked me if “yous guys” is proper English.  This is a great question, considering the amount of colloquial language thrown around carelessly every day.  As the school year creeps upon us, now is the perfect time to clean up our communication skills.

You Guys vs. Yous Guys

Let’s set the record straight away:  Yous guys is improper English.  Do not say it, do not write it, and do not even think it.  The extra ‘s’ is mistakingly added by those who believe there is a plural form of ‘you.’  Unlike numerous other languages, English does not have a plural form of you.  (Incidentally, this is the same mistake made when speaking the phrase ‘y’all.’  Again, there is no need to pluralize you with the word ‘all.’  ‘You’ is the pronoun that refers to one person or to a number of people.  The form never changes.)  If you must use this colloquial phrase, use you guys.

Grading Girl actually doesn’t like to use the phrase at all.  It sounds colloquial and lowers the speaking level.  You guys is commonly used to address multiple people at once. The person speaking the phrase is often angry and upset. The individual often does not know whom or where to direct his/her anger or lecture  so the individual directs it at an often innocent, larger audience.  This is commonly heard in the workplace where one tries to curtail his/her frustrations while maintaining anonymity.

GG’s bottom line:  Try to avoid you guys because of its colloquial connotation but never use yous guys because of its improper form of you.

Thank you to my follower, Lori Lewis, for the question. Keep the grammar questions coming, GG readers. I post a mini-lesson every Tuesday for TeacherTuesday on Twitter!

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