Author Archives: Laura Torres

Classic Meat Loaf and Lasagna Recipes

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Allrecipes.com is my favorite place to find recipes online. Since the recipes are open to review, you can read about real-world experience with the recipes, and see the rating that others have given the recipe. I’ve never gone wrong with a five-star recipe with at least ten reviews at this website, and I use it a lot. The two following recipes are included in the AllRecipes cookbook, which I love. The meatloaf recipe is a five-star recipe that has been reviewed about 375 times. The lasagna is also a five-star recipe with over 1,000 reviews. That’s a lot of test … Continue reading →

Father’s Day Family Fun Poem

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Here is a poem that is fun to read at a Father’s Day celebration. It’ s a real mind-bender and makes you ponder family relationships. You might have to read it through two or three times to wrap your brain around it. I heard this poem many years ago, and have kept a copy, but I don’t know the source. I did some research on the web to try and find its author, but it’s attributed to “anonymous.” If anyone knows who the author is, let me know, so credit can be given. In any event, this poem is a … Continue reading →

Make Dad King for a Day

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One year, my kids literally made their dad (and stepdad) King for a Day on Father’s Day, complete with a crown and a big, gaudy ring. This is a picture of my husband with my daughter, doing a royal jig while wearing his crown and fur cape that my daughter and step-daughter made for him. It was fun for everybody, because the girls enjoyed making the crown and my husband had a lot of fun ordering everyone around. That’s not his natural persona, so it was all in good humor. If you’d like to help your kids make daddy a … Continue reading →

Triathlon or Bust 12: Tapering

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This should be my favorite week of training before my triathlon, because it’s the week I’m supposed to “taper,” meaning cut back on the volume and/or intensity so my body can rest before the big race. But it’s not my favorite for a couple of reasons. 1. I’m not where I’d hoped I’d be at this point. Although I have worked hard and have made great progress, I’m still questioning whether I’ll be able to finish the race. Most of this is anxiety, but I wish I had another month. I did a couple of “brick” workouts and struggled mightily. … Continue reading →

Father’s Day Chocolate Fruit

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If your dad likes chocolate dipped strawberries or other fruit, you can easily make them yourself. These delicious delicacies go for big bucks if you buy them at the store, but they are pretty simple to make if you know a few tricks. Good fruit to use: Strawberries Apple slices Orange slices Pineapple slices First, wash and thoroughly dry the fruit you want to dip. If there is any water on the fruit, the chocolate won’t stick and it’ll slide off, making a mess. I wash the fruit, then lay it out on a lint-free towel and carefully roll it … Continue reading →

Camping Food Favorites

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We all probably have fond memories of roasting marshmallows and eating S-mores on camping trips (or, if your like my family, S-mores made by roasting marshmallows over the stove burner….), but there are plenty more tasty treats you can easily make over a campfire. One that I learned from my brother-in-law is my personal favorite. You peel down one section of a banana. Leave the banana in the skin and cut a slice the long ways down the middle. Stuff in some pieces of chocolate (Hershey’s chocolate bars or chocolate chips do the trick). Then roast some marshmallows and stuff … Continue reading →

Triathlon or Bust 11: The Heat is On

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I don’t tolerate hot weather well, and I live in Sacramento. Go figure. So sometimes exercising outdoors can be a challenge in the summer months. I have fair skin, freckles, red hair and grew up in the ever-present mist that is Seattle. I’ve never quite adjusted to my new climate, but I have learned some tips that can help anyone who wants to exercise when the temperatures soar. I’ve always known that heat affected me adversely when exercising, but it’s really been evident in training for my triathlon. Before, on hotter days, I would exercise at the air-conditioned gym, go … Continue reading →

Clam Sauce for Pasta: 2 Recipes

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Disregard my previous blog about tips for low-fat cooking and go ahead and indulge with these two delicious recipes for clam sauce. Both are outstanding; it just depends on whether you like your sauce creamy or not. Each recipe is enough for one pound of pasta, or 4 – 6 hearty servings. White Clam Sauce 2 cups sliced white mushrooms 1 clove minced garlic 1/3 cup butter 6 Tablespoons flour 3 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams (reserve juice) 2 cups cream 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 teaspoon pepper Extra Parmesan cheese 1. Sauté … Continue reading →

20 Tips for Low-fat Cooking

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1. Use skim milk in cooking, even if you drink regular or low-fat milk. You won’t taste a difference in the recipe. 2. Use low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products in your cooking when it won’t make a difference, such as in dips. 3. Substitute evaporated skim milk for cream in sauces. 4. Instead of sour cream, use nonfat plain yogurt or buttermilk in recipes. 5. Serve two or three vegetables, like a salad, steamed broccoli and baby carrots with each meal. 6. Cook rice or pasta in chicken or vegetable broth; this adds flavor without lots of extra calories. 7. … Continue reading →

Triathlon or Bust 10: Finding Time

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One of the frustrations of a busy person, especially a parent, is finding time to exercise. It’s especially difficult when you feel you need a large chunk of time or it’s not worth it. But there is good news from recent studies that you don’t need to do all your exercise at once to achieve fitness. I’m a living example of this. I’ve been trying to squeeze my training into a busy schedule, which mostly revolves around getting kids here and there and meetings and obligations, work, laundry, the cat barfing up a hairball….you know the drill. (Sometimes I’m looking … Continue reading →