I'm back on Weight Watchers again for probably the 47th time in my life. Will this be the time that I get to goal? I certainly hope so. I was at the nail shop a few weeks ago and ran into a new friend, Dannica. I commented to her that I thought she was looking great, and she told me she had started Weight Watchers about a month ago. I told her of the many tries I had made, and she encouraged me to come to the Tuesday morning meeting, which I did. I'm so happy to be back on a program that allows me to eat the foods I love. One of things I love is fruit. Fruit is a free food on Weight Watchers, so here's my 0 points, almost no calorie fruit smoothie that I can eat any time I like.
Fruit Smoothie
3/4 cup Ocean Spray DIET cranberry juice
1 stalk kale, stalk removed
few sprigs of mint
4 ice cubes
1/4 banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit, any kind
Place all ingredients in a blender (I have a Ninja), and blend until smooth. Enjoy. You can modify the smoothie any way you want. Use fresh spinach, parsley, and chard as desired to vary the taste. Also, fresh fruit of any kind can be used. The frozen fruit is great as a base, as it assures you a nice thick smoothie. No calories, no points, but lots of flavor!
Monday, August 1, 2016
Aging: Focus On What You CAN Do, Not What You Can't Do
In the past year I really feel old. Up until my 70th birthday I could do just about everything. I would boogie board, go zip lining, do strenuous yoga, take step classes, long walks and hikes. I was game for just about anything. On my 70th birthday we moved to Ocean Hills, and I've been feeling my age ever since. It's not living here that has aged me, as most people here act much younger than their chronological age. One thing that has changed for me is this. I used to go to the Encinitas Y every day to work out. I don't do that anymore, and although I do a lot of physical exercise, I just don't feel the same.
It's easy to focus on what I can't do anymore: I haven't been boogie boarding in a year, I would never attempt a step class, I take a more gentle yoga than in the past, and my walks are shorter than they used to be. Besides this, my hip hurts one day, my back hurts another. Advil is my best friend. I look at Ron, who has many limitations that he didn't have even a year ago, and admire how he has tried to continue to do everything he did before, but slower and with more difficulty. He can't play baseball anymore, but he can exercise in the pool. There are many things he can do, and he tries to focus on them.
It's so easy to fall into the mentality of focusing on what you can't do. I used to go, go, go all day without a rest. Now, I need an afternoon nap. I used to do a lot of gardening, bending and pulling, but not anymore. I can do a little gardening, but I just can't overdo it. I used to love playing 18 holes of golf. Although I can still do that, I prefer to play 12 or 13 holes. I'm tired after that. I can still do most everything, but not as fast, not as intense, and not as often. Fortunately I have discovered pickleball, a racquet game that can be played well into your 80's. I love it and it's something I CAN do.
Aging is a process, and each year brings new aches and pains, new challenges. I plan to keep active, both physically and mentally, as long as I can. Focusing on the positive, what I can do, should he to keep me going.
It's easy to focus on what I can't do anymore: I haven't been boogie boarding in a year, I would never attempt a step class, I take a more gentle yoga than in the past, and my walks are shorter than they used to be. Besides this, my hip hurts one day, my back hurts another. Advil is my best friend. I look at Ron, who has many limitations that he didn't have even a year ago, and admire how he has tried to continue to do everything he did before, but slower and with more difficulty. He can't play baseball anymore, but he can exercise in the pool. There are many things he can do, and he tries to focus on them.
It's so easy to fall into the mentality of focusing on what you can't do. I used to go, go, go all day without a rest. Now, I need an afternoon nap. I used to do a lot of gardening, bending and pulling, but not anymore. I can do a little gardening, but I just can't overdo it. I used to love playing 18 holes of golf. Although I can still do that, I prefer to play 12 or 13 holes. I'm tired after that. I can still do most everything, but not as fast, not as intense, and not as often. Fortunately I have discovered pickleball, a racquet game that can be played well into your 80's. I love it and it's something I CAN do.
Aging is a process, and each year brings new aches and pains, new challenges. I plan to keep active, both physically and mentally, as long as I can. Focusing on the positive, what I can do, should he to keep me going.
Sunin: Lebanese Food in West Los Angeles
It was a hot night in LA, and my mom and I decided to go out for a quick dinner. I love Greek, Persian and Lebanese food, so we settled on Sunin on Westwood Blvd. The area on Westwood Blvd between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards is called "Little Persia. There must be a dozen Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, and many bakeries, grocery stores and small shops that cater to a Middle Eastern clientel.
Sunin has been around for over 20 years. For many years it was across the street from its current location, and was just a little hole in the wall. Now it is a nice, casual restaurant, with probably 20 tables. We decided to have a dinner of appetizers. We picked out several of our favorites, and feasted on a variety of salads. Here's what we had: Yogurt salad- Greek yogurt, mint, parsley, and sliced Persian cucumbers. It's so delicious, so fresh and cool, dipped in pita or eaten plain. Labneh- a tart cheese, similar in consistency to cream cheese. We ate it all with the pita and my mom can't wait to buy it and eat at home. Sanbousek- A Lebanese specialty, made from ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, stuffed in a flaky pastry dough and deep fried. Very good. Babaganouj- one of my favorites, an eggplant dip with herbs and spices. We were so full that we couldn't finish, and took a lot of food home for the next day.
The menu has lots more to offer, like falafel, fried cauliflower, beef, lamb and chicken kabobs, and mousakaa. There are more expensive restaurants on Westwood Blvd, but you won't find food and better or fresher than Sunin. It's a great place to stop for a quick lunch or dinner.
Sunin has been around for over 20 years. For many years it was across the street from its current location, and was just a little hole in the wall. Now it is a nice, casual restaurant, with probably 20 tables. We decided to have a dinner of appetizers. We picked out several of our favorites, and feasted on a variety of salads. Here's what we had: Yogurt salad- Greek yogurt, mint, parsley, and sliced Persian cucumbers. It's so delicious, so fresh and cool, dipped in pita or eaten plain. Labneh- a tart cheese, similar in consistency to cream cheese. We ate it all with the pita and my mom can't wait to buy it and eat at home. Sanbousek- A Lebanese specialty, made from ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, stuffed in a flaky pastry dough and deep fried. Very good. Babaganouj- one of my favorites, an eggplant dip with herbs and spices. We were so full that we couldn't finish, and took a lot of food home for the next day.
The menu has lots more to offer, like falafel, fried cauliflower, beef, lamb and chicken kabobs, and mousakaa. There are more expensive restaurants on Westwood Blvd, but you won't find food and better or fresher than Sunin. It's a great place to stop for a quick lunch or dinner.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Teacher Tenure: Yes or No
As a longtime teacher in LAUSD, I had tenure and belonged to the union. I saw up close and personal the pros and cons of teacher tenure. George Will, conservative writer for the Wall Street Journal and a frequent guest on the Sunday morning talk shows, recently wrote about tenure. It brought up some issues I had not thought about in years.
There are many positive reasons for teachers to have tenure. It protects teachers from being fired for personal, political, or other non- work related reasons. Often there is a conflict between teacher and administrator, and without tenure, principals could easily fire teachers with different points of view. Tenure also prohibits school districts from firing experienced, more expensive teachers, to hire less experienced and less expensive teachers. Tenure helps guarantee innovation in teaching. Without the protection of tenure, teachers may feel pressured to use the same lesson plans and teach directly to tests. Tenure allows teachers to advocate on behalf of students and disagree openly with school and district administrators.
On the other side, there are many negatives to granting tenure. It creates complacency and removes incentives for teachers to put in more than the minimum effort. Tenure makes it difficult to remove underperforming teachers because the process is wrought with legal wrangling and extremely expensive. Tenure does not grant academic freedom. There is so much emphasis on standardized testing.
I taught elementary school in North Hollywood. We had a fourth grade teacher who was found passed out, drunk, on several occasions during the school day. She had been a teacher for more than 20 years. Steps were taken to remove her from the classroom. This took over one year, due to protection by the union and their lawyers. Finally, there were able to remove her from the classroom and stuck her in the library, where she could be monitored by other adults. As far as I know, she continued to receive her salary and was still there when I left teaching.
In New York, they have "rubber rooms." These are rooms where approximately 600 tenured teachers accused of incompetence and wrongdoing, received their full salaries to sit in a sparse room and do nothing. The school district could not dismiss them due to tenure. It takes over $250,000 to remove a tenured teacher.
I had a friend in Los Angeles who had been teaching for over 35 years. She hated it, but needed the money so continued to teach. She sat at her desk each day and did little in the way of teaching. She did not prepare lessons, grade papers, or teach much of anything. This is a crime to do to a young boy or girl. Children unlucky enough to be placed in her class have a wasted year of school. Tenure keeps incompetent teachers in the classroom, with no way of getting rid of them. Let's keep our best teachers in the classroom, and remove those that do not measure up. In private industry, incompetent employees would be let go. Why not the same in teaching?
There are many positive reasons for teachers to have tenure. It protects teachers from being fired for personal, political, or other non- work related reasons. Often there is a conflict between teacher and administrator, and without tenure, principals could easily fire teachers with different points of view. Tenure also prohibits school districts from firing experienced, more expensive teachers, to hire less experienced and less expensive teachers. Tenure helps guarantee innovation in teaching. Without the protection of tenure, teachers may feel pressured to use the same lesson plans and teach directly to tests. Tenure allows teachers to advocate on behalf of students and disagree openly with school and district administrators.
On the other side, there are many negatives to granting tenure. It creates complacency and removes incentives for teachers to put in more than the minimum effort. Tenure makes it difficult to remove underperforming teachers because the process is wrought with legal wrangling and extremely expensive. Tenure does not grant academic freedom. There is so much emphasis on standardized testing.
I taught elementary school in North Hollywood. We had a fourth grade teacher who was found passed out, drunk, on several occasions during the school day. She had been a teacher for more than 20 years. Steps were taken to remove her from the classroom. This took over one year, due to protection by the union and their lawyers. Finally, there were able to remove her from the classroom and stuck her in the library, where she could be monitored by other adults. As far as I know, she continued to receive her salary and was still there when I left teaching.
In New York, they have "rubber rooms." These are rooms where approximately 600 tenured teachers accused of incompetence and wrongdoing, received their full salaries to sit in a sparse room and do nothing. The school district could not dismiss them due to tenure. It takes over $250,000 to remove a tenured teacher.
I had a friend in Los Angeles who had been teaching for over 35 years. She hated it, but needed the money so continued to teach. She sat at her desk each day and did little in the way of teaching. She did not prepare lessons, grade papers, or teach much of anything. This is a crime to do to a young boy or girl. Children unlucky enough to be placed in her class have a wasted year of school. Tenure keeps incompetent teachers in the classroom, with no way of getting rid of them. Let's keep our best teachers in the classroom, and remove those that do not measure up. In private industry, incompetent employees would be let go. Why not the same in teaching?
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Neglect Of Single Women In India
In the poorest region of India, the drought-hit Marathwada, there is an unusually
high number of single women. Some were widowed after their farmer husbands committed suicide because of debt, others were abandoned because they didn't produce a son, while some were left behind when their husbands left to search for work. With no financial support, the women and children are usually thrown out of the house by their in-laws, denied ownership of the land they worked on and any compensation from the government. They are taunted and harassed by communities who believe a woman is nothing without a man.
Single women are the most vulnerable category in India. They are neglected by the government, by society, even by their own family. Every day is a struggle for them- to a get a home, get land and even identity cards, which are in the name of the father or husband. They are faced with constant humiliations.
In India, a patriarchal society, only 13% of farm land is owned by women. When it comes to the lower caste Dalit, women who are single, it is even lower. Many single women in India are widows. They receive a monthly pension of about $7.40 a month. Divorced or never married women are ineligible for most welfare benefits.
New social protection has been unveiled for single women, including finding safe and affordable housing. There have instilled policies aimed to strengthen the social infrastructure for single women and improved their overall condition. Charities in Osmanabad are helping single women to get government issued identity cards that entitle them to subsidised food rations, to apply for bank loans, and to lay claim to property. Hopefully these new policies will improve the lives for all women, especially single women. No woman should be forced into marriage as many are. This policy may take years to change, but in the mean time single women need an opportunity to live a full life without fear and humiliation.
high number of single women. Some were widowed after their farmer husbands committed suicide because of debt, others were abandoned because they didn't produce a son, while some were left behind when their husbands left to search for work. With no financial support, the women and children are usually thrown out of the house by their in-laws, denied ownership of the land they worked on and any compensation from the government. They are taunted and harassed by communities who believe a woman is nothing without a man.
Single women are the most vulnerable category in India. They are neglected by the government, by society, even by their own family. Every day is a struggle for them- to a get a home, get land and even identity cards, which are in the name of the father or husband. They are faced with constant humiliations.
In India, a patriarchal society, only 13% of farm land is owned by women. When it comes to the lower caste Dalit, women who are single, it is even lower. Many single women in India are widows. They receive a monthly pension of about $7.40 a month. Divorced or never married women are ineligible for most welfare benefits.
New social protection has been unveiled for single women, including finding safe and affordable housing. There have instilled policies aimed to strengthen the social infrastructure for single women and improved their overall condition. Charities in Osmanabad are helping single women to get government issued identity cards that entitle them to subsidised food rations, to apply for bank loans, and to lay claim to property. Hopefully these new policies will improve the lives for all women, especially single women. No woman should be forced into marriage as many are. This policy may take years to change, but in the mean time single women need an opportunity to live a full life without fear and humiliation.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Creamsicle Pudding Cake
Ron was in a cooking mood a few days ago, so I bought the ingredients for a recipe I saw in the paper that I thought he would like. It's a pudding cake; pudding on the bottom, moist cake on the top. It was a recipe by Sara Moulton, one of my favorite chefs. She used to have a show on PBS in the days when cooking shows actually taught you HOW to cook. Every recipe would teach you a technique. Sara was wonderful. She was also the food editor for Gourmet magazine for many years. I hadn't seen her in years, but when I saw this recipe, I had to try it. Ron, my dessert maker, was originally going to make the cake, but something kept coming up that prevented him from doing so. So, one night I just made it. We loved it, and I think you will too.
Creamsicle Pudding Cake
4 T. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 c. fresh orange juice plus 2 T. finely grated orange zest
1/4c. water
Creamsicle Pudding Cake
4 T. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 c. fresh orange juice plus 2 T. finely grated orange zest
1/4c. water
1/2c. cream ( I used half and half)
1T. fresh lemon juice
Scraped seed from 1 1/2 vanilla beans or 1 1/2 T. vanilla bean paste(I just used vanilla extract
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar (I would use a little more next time).
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 8 inch square baking dish with a little melted butter. (I sprayed it with Pam). Combine orange juice and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk orange zest, cream, melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla bean in a small bowl. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the orange zest mixture and stir until batter is just incorporated. It will be very thick. Transfer to baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Pour boiling liquid over the top of the batter. Bake for 27-35 minutes, until cake has a crisp, golden surface and the pudding sauce on the bottom is bubbling.
Spoon warm pudding cake into each dish. Top each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Eat and enjoy. Be sure to let the pudding cake cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
1T. fresh lemon juice
Scraped seed from 1 1/2 vanilla beans or 1 1/2 T. vanilla bean paste(I just used vanilla extract
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar (I would use a little more next time).
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 8 inch square baking dish with a little melted butter. (I sprayed it with Pam). Combine orange juice and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk orange zest, cream, melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla bean in a small bowl. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the orange zest mixture and stir until batter is just incorporated. It will be very thick. Transfer to baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Pour boiling liquid over the top of the batter. Bake for 27-35 minutes, until cake has a crisp, golden surface and the pudding sauce on the bottom is bubbling.
Spoon warm pudding cake into each dish. Top each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Eat and enjoy. Be sure to let the pudding cake cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The Swiss Hand Shake
There's a centuries old tradition in Swiss schools that is being challenged by immigrants recently. The tradition is that students shake hands with their teacher at the beginning and end of each day. It's a sign of respect. Recently two Muslim boys, ages 14 and 15, who refused to shake hands with their female teacher because of religious beliefs, took the case to court. Initially the court ruled for the boys, but there was such an uproar by the people of Switzerland that the boys were granted an exemption from hand shaking because of their beliefs, that the decision was overturned and it was decided that the boys would have to adhere to the traditions of Switzerland. This was more than a quarrel over hand shakes. It was fight over whether the Swiss would be masters in their own house or whether they would be forced to yield, by the granting of special treatment, to the Islamic view of the proper relations between the sexes. It's a small battle but significant, between the Muslim immigrants and the indigenous Swiss.
The Swiss feel that at the smallest and seemingly inconsequential levels, Muslims are challenging laws and customs. Each victory or defeat will determine whether Muslims will truly integrate into a Western society or instead, refashion that society to meet Muslim requirements. The rest of the Western world is also facing similar kinds of law suits. In France and the U.S., Muslims have gone to court over the right to wear head scarfs or burkas in the workplace, at school, and having their DMV picture taken. It's easy to see both sides of the issue. Most countries want Muslims to assimilate into society, but at the same time keep their traditions. Who is right? I have a feeling this is a topic we will not all agree on.
The Swiss feel that at the smallest and seemingly inconsequential levels, Muslims are challenging laws and customs. Each victory or defeat will determine whether Muslims will truly integrate into a Western society or instead, refashion that society to meet Muslim requirements. The rest of the Western world is also facing similar kinds of law suits. In France and the U.S., Muslims have gone to court over the right to wear head scarfs or burkas in the workplace, at school, and having their DMV picture taken. It's easy to see both sides of the issue. Most countries want Muslims to assimilate into society, but at the same time keep their traditions. Who is right? I have a feeling this is a topic we will not all agree on.
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