RED

Today is National Wear Red Day to support the fight against heart disease. My friend Barbara had given me a little red dress pin a few years ago so I wore that to work. I was reading Better Homes & Gardens on the Stairmaster this morning and read an article about small things we can do to improve our heart health. It includes:

• Eat 1 oz. of walnuts day. In addition to a healthful diet, it can make for a 30-50% reduction in risk of heart disease. (I put walnuts on my oatmeal every day.)
• Drop 10 lbs and thwart the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and related heart complications.
• Holding hands slows your heart rate by 5 beats per minute, reducing stress.
• 26% decrease in risk of heart disease when you sip half a glass of red wind a day.
• 23% reduction in chance of heart disease by pumping iron 30 minutes 3x/week.
• 40% reduction in risk of heart disease by chugging 8 oz. of cranberry juice 3x/day.
• 30 point difference in blood pressure between those who are lonely and those who aren't--so make a new friend!

I also saw a recipe for Pepper-Corn Chowder that looks delicious. Onion, leek, corn, red sweet pepper, chicken broth, cayenne, black pepper. I think I'll try it. I've got a lonely leek in the fridge just begging to get used. : )

Speaking of R.E.D., I suppose it's high time I joined Byron Team R.E.D. It's just really hard to get a membership fee out of Tom O'. He's got a difference "pricing structure" for everyone it seems. : ) I'm trying to convince him that I deserve a comp. membership for advertising for him. And supplying cookies. :-) So far, no luck. :-(

The dishwasher finally bit the dust this evening. So I guess I have to go find a new one. After 19 years of service, I guess it deserves retirement.

I mixed up 5 batches of cut-out cookies this afternoon for baking tomorrow afternoon. Laura, Kristin and Amy will be here to help cut, bake and frost several hundred cookies.

I made a coffee cake for OSS tomorrow (Dunn Bros. Elton Hills, 7:30 AM). I put some blueberries in it just for you, Randy. : )

Gosh ... that's it. Slow day. Much to report on tomorrow or Sunday I'm sure, with the long run, cookie baking and RTC annual banquet all taking place tomorrow. Talk to you later!