Friday Five

It's been almost a month since my last post! I don't know if I have any readers left, but if I do, I plan to write a Friday Five post every week (until the summer). My life isn't super exciting, so I'll have to be creative with what I put on the blogosphere.

1. I'll be spending my Saturday at my democratic county convention as an alternate delegate for Barack Obama. By living in a Republican town, in a Republic precinct, I became an automatic delegate just by staying at the caucus until it was over. The whole process is fascinating to me, so the county convention should be interesting. I have to check in from 10 a.m.-noon and get my credentials, and then return at 12:15 when the doors open. I don't know what time the convention starts, but I've been told to plan on being there until 3 or 4 p.m. We can't bring food or drinks into the caucus (what is that about?), but I did make a trip to the library today. I've received two postcards in the mail about the convention, a recorded phone call from Barack Obama and a call from a someone who attended my precinct caucus. I never get any political mail, so this is a whole new experience for me.
   
   
2. I'm addicted to Danish cinema! I've watched four Danish films since Spring Break, and another one arrived in the mail today (love that Netflix!) My new "celebrity crush" is Nikolah Lie Kaas. You've never heard of him! I'm aghast! :-) (I tried to add a photo, but Blogger wouldn't let me.)
   
   
3. I'm on a self-title anti-inflammatory diet. I've started exercising again, but it seems like any exercise results in the tendinitis in my foot recurring, not necessarily full force, but I'm aware of my left foot the way you are with something is wrong. Make sense. So I did a lot of research, and I'm incorporating foods that reduce or prevent inflammation into every meal, or attempting to. Omega-3s are a great anti-inflammatory, so I had salmon four times this week. Pineapple has an anti-inflammatory ingredient in it, and most produce, especially green foods with chlorophyll in them are good for inflammation. I also made buckwheat pancakes that are an anti-inflammatory powerhouse!
   
   
4. I'm crazy busy at work, which is a nice change. The preparations for my trip to Canada and summer camp planning is almost too much work at once. Today I even lost track of time and was happily working along after hours. I've adopted the work-to-live mentality of Europe (instead of the live-to-work mentality so many Americans have) and always leave work on time, especially on Fridays when I get off at noon.
   
   
5. One of the new exercise classes I'm taking is cardio circuit. You spend 1:30 at each circuit. By the way, ever tried doing push ups for a minute and a half? It's a lot longer than you think. Anyway, the instructor claims that the class burns 1,500 calories. The instructor is a athletic male, so that might be true for him, but I don't buy it. I am exhausted at the end of the class, and usually have to take breaks in the middle of multiple circuits. It burns a lot of calories, but 1,500 in 60 minutes? I'm only taking the class every other week due to the high impact involved. Gotta keep that tendinitis away!
   

Pesto Recipe

As per ABL's request, here is the pesto recipe I've used. This was my first attempt to make pesto, so I know there are probably better recipes out there. If you have one, share!

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (I skip the toasting step)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped (I use the refrigerated kind)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the pesto: combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth (you may need to add a splash of water so that it blends well).

The first time I made pesto, I bought a cup of pine nuts. The next three times I made it, I only had to buy basil. The other ingredients I always have on hand. This is much cheaper than buying the expensive store-bought kind.