Author: Rose Sparrowking

Quick Restaurant Review: The Duck

~ Rose Sparrowking

The Duck, Sturbridge, MA

4 out of 5 stars

The Duck’s online description had me wary: “…steaks, enjoy a fantastic seafood special, bite into a mouth-watering cheeseburger.” Oh no, not more pub food. But they are part of the group that owns Cedar Street Grille, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Thankfully, the Duck is upscale pub food, with a twist.

The appetizer menu looked interesting but we were too afraid to fill up before the entrée to order any. Duck Confit Poutine, Candied Bacon Skewer, Basil Gorgonzola Bread… all looked scrumptious. I saw the House Mac & Cheese appetizer and it was huge!

They have a wide selection of craft brew beers available, which my hubby loves, although we chose to drink wine with our meals.

The hubby had the braise short ribs special, which was amazing. He could’ve eaten with a spoon it was so tender. He didn’t care for the cheese on top because he’s not a blue cheese person, otherwise it was a thumbs up.

I had the Grilled Veal Rib Chop off the standard menu. I hadn’t had veal in a long time and had never had this cut. The port wine mission fig demi gave a nice char to the chop with enough sauce leftover to swirl my bites in. The rib chop was a bit tougher than expected but still very tasty.

We will definitely get back to The Duck but I’m looking forward to Avellino, the Italian restaurant downstairs from The Duck for my next foray.

 

Did I really fail?

~ Rose Sparrowking

Big snow today. Really late in the season for a blizzard.

Failed on the no TV yesterday. 3 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. 😦 It was either that or eat.

Also, gave in on the diet. Pizza and a PBJ for dinner.

Maybe I shouldn’t call these fails. Maybe I need a change of mindset. Yesterday, by 3 pm, I was exhausted. What I should’ve done is take a 30 minute nap and re-evaluate. Instead I chose to veg out watching Grey’s Anatomy (I love the first few seasons, then not so much.) I was even more tired after this and vetoed prepping any food for dinner. Scrounge nights are fine for clearing out the frig but I scrounged up my daughter’s rather gross leftover pizza augmented by a PBJ.

So what have I learned? Sometimes you eat crap and watch crap. Sometimes that’s okay. It’s when it’s not sometimes but everyday that’s giving me issues.

Next, meal prep is my friend. Or ingredient prep at least. Prepping when I’m not exhausted and having things ready to go will be a blessing later in the day when I don’t want to move, let alone cook. (I don’t really like to cook, but I do it because I’m the one who’s home and has the time. My husband likes to cook and it shows in the deliciousness of his meals. But with him working the long hours that he does, I don’t expect him to come home and cook as well.)

TV is no substitute for sleep. I have nothing against TV. In small doses, it’s great entertainment. In large doses, it’s procrastination.

Again, what have I learned? 1. Set aside some prime morning time to prep some meals/ingredients. 2. Take a nap in the afternoon if I’m dropping from exhaustion.

I’d like to be friends with sleep again but whatever life changes I’m going through now are throwing a spanner into that relationship. Even when I sleep the night, I don’t sleep deeply and wake up still tired. Someday, we will be friends again.

I’m supposed to be writing about what things I want to make priorities in my life but fuck that. It’s a snow day. Tomorrow I will have the house to myself and I can do uninterrupted navel gazing.

Brain Dump

~ Rose Sparrowking

Starting a push today to do the things I meant to be doing all along this year, before I turn 50, but I haven’t. I turn 50 in August—that’s only 5 1/2 months away! I keep thinking about getting fit, losing weight, writing a book or a dozen, purging all the extraneous crap from my house, simplifying… and so much more. But I haven’t done any of it!

So, to start with and to start small, today I’m doing a brain dump, to get everything out of my head that I keep repeating to myself so I can make a plan-of-action to accomplish it or cross it off the list and stop expending energy on it.

Goals today:
1. write my list. carry that notebook around with me because I don’t remember things otherwise.
2. no daytime tv! Like I have time for TV if I’m working on this.
3. eat healthy. (Lunch is my downfall but I have yummy leftovers so I won’t do drive-thru!)
4. walk 10,000 steps. (As of 2:30 pm, I’m at over 7000 steps so this is attainable!)

Continue reading →

Eat Your Veggies

~ Rose Sparrowking

Eating up to ten portions of fruit and vegetables a day may prevent 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide

“They found the following fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and early death: apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and chicory, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. They also found the following may reduce cancer risk: green vegetables, such as spinach or green beans, yellow vegetables, such as peppers and carrots, and cruciferous vegetables.”

Intense bursts of stair climbing have major benefits for heart health

~ Rose Sparrowking

Researchers find brief, intense stair climbing is a practical way to boost fitness

“The first protocol involved three, 20-second bouts of continuous climbing in an ‘all-out’ manner. The results were then compared and contrasted to participants who ran through the same protocol using an exercise bike which has already been shown to improve fitness.

For the second experiment, participants vigorously climbed up and down one flight of stairs for periods of 60 seconds, an experiment which could be easily adopted for the home.

Both protocols, each involving a total time commitment of 30 minutes a week, increased cardiorespiratory fitness, an important healthy marker that is linked to longevity.”

Winter blues

~ Rose Sparrowking

Or maybe perimenopausal blues. I don’t know why I feel like crying to day. It’s sunny out and I have the whole house to myself for the first time in months. Yet I want to cry! I am tired as I took no meds to sleep last night. I am spotting only 2 weeks after my last period. I haven’t made effort on my ideas of habit change for 2017.

Okay, maybe there are reasons to cry. 😢

And then get off my ass and do something about it!

Zombie

~ Rose Sparrowking

Note to self: Never take Unisom Sleep Tabs again! Doxylamine Succinate apparently activates my dormant zombie genes. I may look awake but I’m not!

I’ll stick with the Sleep Gels. With a chaser of Magnesium Stearate, I sleep soundly through the night—an accomplishment in my perimenopausal sufferings—even if I don’t wake up especially rested. Does anyone really hop out of bed in the morning all chirpy and awake?

Quick Notes: Drive by Daniel H. Pink

~ Rose Sparrowking

Drive by Daniel H. Pink
http://www.danpink.com/books/drive/

Notes:

1. The longstanding carrot and stick approach only works in a few select circumstances.

2. Better motivation from intrinsic motivators.

“Type I behavior: A way of thinking and an approach to life built around intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, motivators. It is powered by our innate need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.” p. 226 of paperback

Autonomy. Mastery. Purpose.

Quick Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

~ Rose Sparrowking

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

4 out of 5 stars

The Antari, Kell, from Red London and the cutpurse, Delilah Bard, from Grey London must return a dangerous magical artifact to the legendary Black London.

Love Kell’s coat and want one just like it. Love that Lila wants to be a pirate. Never got the hint that Lila had a glass eye – I will have to re-read to see if I missed that.

I’m wondering if all the London’s will be brought together at the end of the series. Is Lila Antari? What will happen now to White London? What will happen to Kell now that his secret of smuggling is out? Loved the doors and the travel between worlds and that London was a constant. Also enjoyed that the author actually hit the streets in London.

Ordering the next book.