tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168754572026-03-20T13:18:54.145-06:00esoteric -- confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; <br> viking -- In medieval use a viking is a pirate. a rebel.The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-50037079648000293072010-05-09T15:17:00.000-06:002010-05-09T15:17:34.648-06:00

It's been&nbsp; a terribly long time since I have posted.&nbsp; If I had regular readers, I would at this point apologize for disappearing for months.&nbsp; I just haven't had anything of interest to share, I guess.&nbsp; Of course, those of you who know me are right now rolling your eyes. However, I am back!&nbsp; I have launched a new program for the summer (and by summer I mean any day

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-4961122105323204302009-08-23T15:29:00.002-06:002009-08-23T16:14:54.167-06:00

I've been making yogurt lately. I'm on the third batch and each time I fine-tune the process. I've found that non-homogenized milk is the best to start with and overall is better for you. I get a gallon of milk, organic of course, and heat it up to about 180 degrees. Then I pour it into a bowl and let it cool to about 110 degrees. At that point I get my yogurt starter out of the freezer

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-14338528902418610012009-08-10T18:42:00.002-06:002009-08-10T18:51:02.296-06:00

This has been a good summer. I have felt more like myself this year than I have in a long time!I've been dieting which has brought me closer to my passion: eating locally. I've lost about 30 pounds and have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the farmer's markets every Saturday. I've frozen corn, green beans and an assortment of berries... which should get me through about a week of the off-season.

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-54541066312826128962009-07-01T19:35:00.000-06:002009-07-01T19:36:25.857-06:00

What's really frustrating is that I've lost almost 25 pounds... and I'm only a third of the way to my goal!gah!

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-67356352414197438742009-06-21T12:18:00.007-06:002009-06-23T19:18:55.935-06:00

I'm reading a fantastic book called "Plenty" by James Mackinnon and Alisa Smith: a couple in Vancouver who lived one year eating only food produced within 100 miles from their home. This summer I'm trying to shorten my overall food miles and so far I'm doing OK. But the one thing I've had trouble with is visualizing how far my 100-mile reach is. So, I downloaded a map and put in the 100-mile

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-16226841758081320602009-06-14T15:49:00.004-06:002009-06-16T08:17:22.640-06:00

The first 20 days of my diet are over and I have survived. I lost 16.8 pounds and 2.55 points off my BMI. I stuck to the diet the full 20 days, I had trouble on the weekends and evenings when I didn't have fish cooked. Without a set schedule, it's much harder to remember, or even be able to, eat every 2 hours. I ate the most calories on June 6 at 865 and the fewest on June 3 when I had 463.

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-10422645681972754592009-06-10T19:45:00.003-06:002009-06-16T08:17:36.696-06:00

It seems I have hit a plateau. They say that the first week or two of a diet is the time you lose the most weight and it's that weight that you tend to gain back very easily. So, I dropped 12 pounds like it was a hot potato, but I don't think I've lost anything in the last week. The only thing different about the last 4 or 5 days is I haven't consistently had my evening protein (fish). I

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-69559800739592069602009-06-04T19:41:00.004-06:002009-06-16T08:17:50.781-06:00

I've made it half-way through the strictest part of the diet. I'm trying to work out what I'm going to be eating when I'm done dieting. I'm not thrilled about the chicken and fish that I've been eating daily, so I need to work out a good protein source that's easy to cook and low fat, low carb. I'll figure out something. I've been reading lately about all the GMO crops that are taking over

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-21958603449081009462009-06-02T18:42:00.003-06:002009-06-16T08:18:02.352-06:00

I'm almost half-way through with the first phase of my diet. I've lost 8.8 pounds. Yesterday wasn't good, everything I ate tasted horrible. Even the pear tasted odd and I couldn't finish it. Today, on the other hand, went really well. I'm trying to eat as much local foods as possible. I'm getting a lot of greens from my CSA farmer as that's what's growing right now in this part of the

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-13254927782946819222009-05-31T10:18:00.003-06:002009-06-16T08:18:11.372-06:00

DAY 6Lost: >5 poundsI am nearly a week down in my super diet and everything is going well! It's not as hard as I thought it might be. I'm trying to change my eating habits and lose weight and get healthy!I've signed up for a 5k run in September and my training has been difficult due to the extra weight I'm carrying around. I decided I had to drop some weight fast and found a plan that will

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-72958838844353333872009-03-08T14:04:00.005-06:002009-06-16T08:18:27.493-06:00

I have started my own practice as a trained Green Irene Eco-Consultant for the Omaha area. I help families implement proven green solutions and help lead them to a healthier, safer, and more sustainable lifestyle, along with saving them money!The main service I offer is a 60-to 90-minute Green Home Makeover. The steps I recommend and the products I offer, as well as referrals to specialists, can

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-32867469276785525042009-03-05T19:14:00.004-06:002009-03-05T20:22:52.856-06:00

Out of all the news that could come out of Nebraska, the one story that generates so much "ink" is a moron in Lincoln who stuffs a 6-month old kitten into a bong... and then smokes it! I couldn't figure out why this story made so much noise, but after reading a few of the articles, I figured it out... the quips. You've got a cat, some pot and a moron add some creativity and you've got some fun

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-25641761271047860712009-02-06T09:25:00.002-06:002009-02-06T09:30:50.891-06:00

Today is National Wear Red Day! Today is when everyone wears red to spread awareness of heart disease in women. So, in honor of the day, I decided to extend the theme to food... So, here are some red foods we can eat on Go Red day (of course these are foods that are in season):Breakfast: Ruby Red Grapefruit, toast with Strawberry JamLunch: Borscht or Red beans and RiceSnack: a Red

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-24622155794822209902009-01-18T17:57:00.003-06:002009-01-18T18:05:56.122-06:00

Wouldn't it be great if everyone were treated like the president on their first day at a new job? There's a parade and people are cheering you on as you drive to work. When you arrive at the workplace, a big crowd hollers and cheers and reaches out to touch you and get your autograph. Then they make you say an oath... like, "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the job of

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-63884807993378165352009-01-13T17:44:00.007-06:002009-01-13T18:57:54.638-06:00

In the early years of the 18th century, Daniel Fahrenheit invented the scale for measuring temperature (and ultimately the mercury thermometer). It wasn't until the mid-19th century that the connection between illness and body temperature was confirmed even though physicians for ages knew clinically that there was a connection (both high and low). Throughout the 1970s I spent a considerable

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-24247397995763861232009-01-08T18:33:00.003-06:002009-01-08T19:47:02.292-06:00

One night last fall I was browsing the internet as I frequently do. I don't know how I came across it, but I ended up on the Mother Earth News web site and there was an article for finding your dream homestead. It caught my eye and led me down a very interesting browsing path. I eventually came across an article, I don't remember where, that mentioned a chicken tractor with a link. I had no

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-39920138271423258292009-01-07T19:34:00.003-06:002009-01-07T19:55:07.642-06:00

I have been a flexitarian for about 10 years, which might be about 10 years longer than the word has been in existence (according to wikipedia it's been around since 1992). Today I discovered that there is a diet book based on the flexitarian diet. Which I find highly amusing. I have to admit it is partly annoying and yet a source of pride seeing my passion suddenly become mainstream. Having

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-4097723219942550482008-11-04T17:48:00.003-06:002009-06-16T08:19:00.850-06:00

The Shakespeare hotel used to be three separate houses that have been joined into a single building and turned into a hotel. It's decorated in the original Tudor style and has several large open fireplaces. The beds and the couches in the lobby were overly soft. I loved them! Each room is named after a character in a Shakespeare play. The first room we had was called "Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-89834293420812191122008-11-04T17:41:00.003-06:002009-06-16T08:19:15.803-06:00

After arriving in a snow shower, the weather turned a bit nicer. It was generally cold but sunny in the mornings then cloudy and damp in the afternoon. On Friday afternoon and Saturday it got really cold and windy! We were lucky to miss the rain for the most part. It misted and spit on us but not for extended periods of time... again, after the first night.

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-76701174753463420192008-11-01T14:23:00.004-06:002009-06-16T08:19:40.135-06:00

The production for Hamlet was an interesting, sometimes bizarre, mix of modern and old. For the most part, all the costuming was in modern dress. From summer dresses, tuxedos, Levi's 501, t-shirts, etc. However, the dialog was the original (although I don't know enough about the different Hamlet versions to tell you which one they used). The stage at The Courtyard Theatre is minimal. Six mirrored

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-29139164680941598812008-10-30T02:04:00.005-06:002009-06-16T08:19:57.748-06:00

I am not thrilled with the British keyboard. I keep typing the wrong thing and just now I somehow erased everything I had written for the last 15 minutes. So, I will now paraphrase and continue: flight was fine. I got almost no sleep. arrived in London just fine, because of wind in Chicago (ha!) I was booked on an American flight to London and wasn't checked into my flight to Manchester. I

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-51572360846818157992008-07-03T20:57:00.003-06:002008-07-03T21:23:30.879-06:00

have you ever lived a day and imagined a reporter covering the day for a magazine article? it'd be like "a day in the life of the esoteric viking!" you'd have a respectable NPR reporter that would hang out with you for a day to tell the world--who can't wait to hear--about what a day would be like in your world. well, i'm here to tell you, you are really missing something! here's what the

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-42212140148651715962008-06-11T19:21:00.003-06:002008-06-11T19:40:12.885-06:00

I feel so at peace after listening to a thunderstorm.The sound of the rain drops smacking against the pavement and trees is a fascinating sound. Partly because it's such a familiar sound and also because it's rare to hear it. Behind the raindrops, far, far away is the low, sometimes cracking, sounds of thunder. It rumbles away giving away it's distance. It's almost life-like how you can hear

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-15586021220748357892008-05-20T19:25:00.002-06:002008-05-20T20:59:42.523-06:00

Without knowing it I have been a proponent and supporter of the Freedom Lawn! This term was coined by Hannah Holmes in a book titled "Suburban Safari." I read it a few years ago and wrote a review of it on this blog site. In a nutshell: I don't water, fertilize, pesticide, herbicide or do anything else to my yard but mow it. Frankly, lately even mowing has been a rare occurrence. This

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16875457.post-60979825664997950642008-04-21T20:24:00.002-06:002008-04-21T20:31:05.259-06:00

From Consumer Reports health newsletter, "People who get lots of their calories at breakfast tend to have a lower body mass index than others, according to a recent analysis of some 6,000 people. The big-breakfast eaters, who consumed 22 to 50 percent of their daily calories in the morning, gained less weight over time than people who tended to eat more as the day progressed. That may be because

The Ginger Vikinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698389776174366273noreply@blogger.com1