After paying for a membership to the local fitness center for the past two years, I decided the time had come to actually make an appearance. I spent 90 minutes there today and it was so intimidating I’m not sure I can go back.

I had a plan - 45 minutes on the treadmill and 60 seconds of weights. The guy on the treadmill next to me (who resembled Jessie Ventura on steroids) told me I was doing it all wrong. I’m now told I should be doing 25 percent cardio and 75 percent weights. Let’s see that would be 25 seconds on the treadmill and 75 seconds on the weight machines, I calculated.

So I jumped off the treadmill - while it was still running! That was my first mistake. The forward motion forced me to leap into the air, but thankfully I landed upright in a near perfect demi-plie’ which I hoped looked planned. (more…)

4 red bell peppers - de-seeded and coarsely chopped
2 red onions - finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika powder
2 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the pepper and onions for 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle with paprika. Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the tomato juice and maple syrup. Add the dash of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

With a blender or food processor, puree the soup finely. If you find it too thick add some more tomato juice, however my recommendation is that this soup tastes best thick and creamy.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Today is Monday, April 28. It is the 119th day of the year with 247 remaining in the year 2008. Do you have a plan? Remember that the world will get out of the way for a man with a plan.
Today is National Bulldogs are Beautiful Day which resonates with me since I live with a Boston terrier named Rebel.

On this date in history in 1959 Arthur Godfrey was seen for the last time in the final telecast of “Arthur Godfrey and His Friends” on CBS-TV. The show had been a part of the CBS lineup for 10 years.

In 1985 The little town of Parker, Texas, reported a 2 - 1 ratio of tourist to residents. Some of the good citizens of the town of just over 1,000 residents were not pleased, either. Some 2,100 tourists each day converged on the town to visit Southfork Ranch, the home of the Ewing family of the CBS-TV hit “Dallas.”

I had invited a friend for lunch “alfresco” yesterday. Of course, when Saturday arrived, it was raining buckets and my mood had changed. I was thinking grilled cheese and Campbell’s tomato soup - but that would be way too bourgeoise.

I headed to Kroger and stalked the aisles looking for something interesting to cook. There was a major traffic jam in front of the freezer case, so to amuse myself I opened the door and perused the stock.

Hmmm. Bertolli had a special going on its Mediterranean Style Shrimp and Penne Primavera. The picture on the front looked delicious and best of all it was eight minutes from freezer to dinner plate. It WAS getting late and I could probably pass it off as “from scratch” if I left a few pots on top of the oven and put on the apron with tomato paste stains. (more…)

Today is Sunday, the 27th day of April, 2008. It is the 118th day of the year with 248 days remaining.

On this date in 1950, a loaf of bread would set you back 14 cents, and gasoline was a whopping 27 cents a gallon. If any one had hinted we would live to see $3.50 gas per gallon and $3 loaves of bread, we would called them lunatics. Of course, the average income in those days only about $2900.

1959 - Lloyd Price’s song, Personality, was released. Price had 10 songs that made it on the nation’s pop music charts in the 1950s through early 1960s. Have a listen:

Lloyd Price - Personality

On this, his birthday, we pay tribute to the man who created the fun-loving, slightly manic bird he called, Woody Woodpecker. Cartoonist Walter Lantz was born on this day in 1900 in New Rochelle, New York.