July 2010

The Hourglass Figure Is In. Yay. But Wait, Is That Good News?

by MomGrind

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks’ body has been declared the “ideal” female body by British Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone.

It’s great that Ms. Hendricks is getting ahead in the entertainment industry despite (maybe even because) of her non-skeletal figure, and I was just as upset as anyone when the New York Times fashion blogger had called Hendricks “A big girl,” but declaring Hendrick’s figure as the new “ideal” is a different matter. Think about it: Is Hendrick’s pronounced hourglass figure any more attainable to most women than fashion models’ extreme thinness?

And doesn’t this go back to the issue of extremes that I’ve discussed in the past – so we either have size zero, or Hendrick’s size 14, as coveted figures – but all the average, healthy, in-between sizes are completely ignored by the media. What does that do to women’s and girls’ body image?

As a naturally thin, narrow-hipped woman, I can tell you right here and now that as hard as I may try, puny little me will never get to Ms. Hendrick’s impressive, beautiful proportions. Should I feel bad about not having an “ideal” or a “feminine” figure? Or should I be happy that I am active and healthy and that my body weight is within the normal range?


The voluptuous Ms. Hendricks vs. puny little me.

Why exactly do we need to set ideals for women anyway? What is this obsession with an ideal female figure? We truly do come in so many shapes and sizes (not to mention colors), that declaring one shape as the “ideal” shape is just plain silly. And while it’s fine for the fashion industry to do this – after all, they ARE in the business of creating a fantasy, and creating an unattainable fantasy is how they sell, anyone else should be very careful about declaring any type of female figure as the “ideal” figure.

As far as I’m concerned, the only ideal women should have in terms of their bodies is eating healthfully (OK, most of the time) and exercising regularly. If you stick with a healthy lifestyle and take care of your body (no smoking, no suntanning, limited alcohol and caffeine, you know the drill), then you’re doing an awesome job and should be proud of yourself.

A fit, strong body should be the ideal female body, regardless of its shape.

Summertime Guilty Pleasure

by MomGrind

marshmallow sandwich

Playing on the idea of grilled cheese sandwiches, I occasionally make grilled marshmallow sandwiches for breakfast, especially during summer break or on the weekend, when the guilt is less intense because at least the poor kids don’t have to go to school and attempt to concentrate on their studies with all this sugar floating in their veins.

I use frozen, sliced white bread, spread one slice of each sandwich with unsalted butter, place them on a warm skillet, butter side down, generously spread tiny marshmallows to cover each slice, then place an unbuttered slice of bread on top of each sandwich and press it down with a spatula or a heavy pot.

Marshmallow Toast

After about 2 minutes, when the bread is golden brown, I spread butter on the top slices, carefully flip the sandwiches with a spatula, and brown the other side for 1 more minute.

Generously dust with powdered sugar for a sweet, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth, healthy (wink wink) breakfast.

I know that some like to make these with chocolate and peanut butter too, for a truly rich treat, but that would be too heavy for breakfast, plus then you wouldn’t really taste the marshmallow – it would just add chewiness. We like to taste the delicate sweetness of the marshmallow.

Why Do You Like Me?

by MomGrind

friendshipA few weeks ago, one of the people I enjoy the most on the Internet, Wesley Smith, posted a message on his Facebook Wall saying: “If you ‘like’ this status, I’ll post on your wall something that I like about you.”

And he did! He got 13 “likes” and while I’m not sure what he wrote on other people’s walls, I know what he wrote on mine: “I absolutely love your writing style, and I love that you think about things and live your life actively rather than passively. I also love that you care a lot about your kids.”

Despite thinking about myself as a little cynical, not very emotional, a person who prefers thinking to feeling, I not only blushed profusely upon reading his words, but also felt all warm and fuzzy inside – in a very, very good way.

It got me thinking, that we really don’t do this often enough – say something nice to another person – and really, when I think about it, you can find something that you like about most people, certainly about the people in your social network. Wesley obviously felt confident that he would be able to find something – at least one thing – that he likes about anyone who would “like” his post. And really, why not?

Now, this is not the type of blog that does a lot of “inspirational” stuff. I actually don’t feel very comfortable with too much warm and fuzzy, but that evening, reading Wesley’s words, I liked the warm and fuzzy, and I want more people to feel it.

Will you play a little game with me? How about each of you pick one person from your online network – a blogger, someone on Twitter or on Facebook etc., and say one thing that you like about them? Here in the comments, or on your own blog if you have a blog, or on your favorite social network if you prefer – but then come back and tell us about it. I want to read all the nice things that we have to say about each other.

I’ll start. The obvious choice would have been for me to say something nice about Wesley, but I already did that via Facebook. So I’m going to pick Jannie, and I’m going to say this:

Jannie, you are one of the warmest, most genuine people I have met online. I love that you are so real and down to earth. I love your sense of humor and the way you don’t take yourself too seriously. I also love your kindness and generosity – I still can’t believe you were willing to work so hard to improve that photo of mine.

Your turn.

Come on, people, you know you want to. ;)

Photo credit: Gunna

Voskos Greek Yogurt: Review, Giveaway, Recipe

by MomGrind

I don’t do giveaways often, but this is a product that I really like. So yes, (disclosure) I was given a slew of free products:

Voskos Greek Yogurt Selection 2

And I was also compensated for writing this review, but I love love LOVE Greek yogurt and Voskos is a great brand, so I’m happy to promote it here.

Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt

I tried Greek yogurt for the first time about a year ago, and immediately fell in love. Regular yogurt is a bit too runny for my taste, the plain variety tastes bland and the flavored is too sweet. But Greek yogurt is different. It is thick and creamy – even the nonfat Greek yogurt. Eating flavored Greek yogurt is a bit like eating dessert, while eating plain Greek yogurt gives you a similar experience to eating sour cream, but it’s a lot healthier.

Greek Yogurt Health Benefits

Of course, yogurt in general is very healthy. It is a good source of protein and calcium, and contains live active probiotic cultures, but until I discovered Greek-style yogurt, I couldn’t bring myself to eat yogurt regularly.

Voskos Greek Yogurt – the plain nonfat variety – is especially healthy. It contains twice the protein per ounce compared to regular yogurt, live and active probiotic cultures, no gums, starches or added sugars and no added flavors. I do love the full fat Voskos Greek yogurt even more, it tastes just like lowfat sour cream but is healthier, although the full fat yogurt does contain saturated fat and less protein than the nonfat yogurt.

My Take

My main reason for choosing Greek yogurt in general, and Voskos in particular, is the taste and texture. The health benefits are a nice bonus though. As for specific flavors, my absolute favorite is the Voskos Nonfat Greek Yogurt with Greek Honey:

Greek Honey

It’s amazing! Creamy and tasty and satisfying and the list of ingredients is very clean – just milk, honey and cultures. It does contain 17 grams of sugar per serving. Alternatively, you can mix 1 tablespoon honey with 6oz of the nonfat plain yogurt. Delicious.

So, What Do You Do With Greek Yogurt?

Just like any other yogurt, you can just eat it as a snack. Greek yogurt is an excellent snack becuase it is very filling. The sweetened varieties are great just the way they are. The Voskos full fat plain Greek yogurt is great as it is too. It’s incredibly rich and flavorful. As for the low fat and nonfat Voskos yogurt, you can add fruit, granola, a little honey or jam, and you can also use plain Greek yogurt in many recipes. My favorite recipe is Tarator, a Bulgarian yogurt and cucumber soup.

Tarator Recipe

This easy recipe calls for just six ingredients:

Tarator Ingredients

16 oz (one large container) Voskos plain yogurt (I like to use the full-fat variety but the nonfat works great too and is of course healthier)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use a garlic press)
1 large cucumber, peeled, coarsely grated – I just grate by hand and place in a strainer to get rid of excess water:

Grated Cucumber

1 tablespoon high quality olive oil (if using nonfat yogurt, consider using 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
A little salt (about a quarter teaspoon) and white pepper (optional)

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well with a fork, cover and place in the fridge for an hour to allow flavors to blend. This recipe makes two servings.

Tarator 1

Tarator is amazingly refreshing and perfect for alfresco dining in the summer:

Eating Tarator Al Fresco

The Giveaway

Voskos would like to offer five of my U.S.-based readers coupons for free yogurt. If you’re interested, please post a comment below that tells me which Voskos flavor you would most like to try. I’ll pick five winners to collect 10 coupons each next Tuesday.

To get extra entries, you may also:

1. Follow Voskos on Twitter (1 extra entry – leave a comment to let me know that you have).

2. Tweet: “A sweet #giveaway! Win FREE product coupons for delicious Voskos Greek Yogurt from @GoVoskos and @vered http://bit.ly/bHU5HT” (1 extra entry – leave a comment with the tweet link.)

3. If you’re a fan of Voskos on Facebook, let me know in a separate comment for an extra entry.

No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only, 18 years of age or older. Comments to this post will be closed and winners will be picked on Tuesday, July 20th 2010, at noon PDT, via random.org so please leave a separate comment for each extra entry. This will increase your chances of winning. Each winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email and give me their address before I use random.org to pick a new winner. MomGrind is not liable for any loss or damage of giveaway prizes sent through the mail, or for any warranty, costs, damage, injury, or any other claims incurred as a result of usage of a prize once possession has been taken of the product by a winner. To learn more about MomGrind giveaway rules, click here.

Good luck!

And The “Most Unnecessary Product Award” Goes To…

by MomGrind

Banana Hanger

I know, I know, bananas last longer when you hang them. This still seems like the kind of product that would hardly qualify as a “pantry essential,” but maybe that’s just me.

What Was Your Worst Haircut Ever?

by MomGrind

Bad haircut

I’m sitting at the hair salon, getting my hair trimmed. It took me many years to realize that the most I can trust a hair stylist with is a 1-inch trim and a blow dry. No layering, no experimenting. I’m too much of a control freak and hair stylists seem to have the universal tendency to want to experiment and show clients that they know better. Well, they don’t.

So I’m sitting there, and a woman walks into the hair salon. She’s about 50, has short blond hair, and looks terrified. She asks one of the hairstylists if he’s experienced. He tells her he is, and then she goes on to tell him, “I wanted a haircut a few months ago. So I went to a hair salon, and I told the stylist that I wanted to cut 1 inch off. He then proceeded to cut all my hair off, leaving me with a very cropped style, around 1 inch long!”

We all gasped and looked at her in disbelief – I mean, wouldn’t you notice that your hairstylist was chopping off way too much and stop him? But then I thought, no one could possibly make up such a story, and it’s quite possible that when she had noticed what was happening, it was too late to back off.

Which got me thinking. What was your worst haircut experience ever? I’m sure you have one – we all do.

Looking forward to reading your story. I will share mine later, in the comments section.

Photo by Kevin McGrew