5 Swingin' Ways to Eat Spinach, in honor of Julia Lee

In 1949, Julia Lee did a song with her band, the Boyfriends, called "The Spinach Song," or "I didn't like it the first time." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax4tVzuN52U)

Not only is this song fun to dance to, but it is a cunning extended metaphor for either marijuana or sex, depending on how you interpret the lyrics:

Spinach has vitamin A, B and D, but spinach never appealed to me

But one day while having dinner with a guy, I decided to give it a try

I didn’t like it the first time, it was so new to me

I didn’t like it the first time, I was so young, you see


I used to run away from the stuff, but now somehow I can’t get enough


I didn’t like it the first time, oh, how it grew on me!

I didn’t like it the first time, I had it on a date 


Although the first was the worst time, right now I think it’s great


Somehow, it’s always hittin’ the spot, especially when they bring it in hot


I didn’t like it the first time, but oh, how it grew on me 

I didn't like it the first time, I thought it was so strange

I wasn't getting much younger, so I just made the change

No longer is the stuff on the shelf, ‘cause now I make a pig of myself

I didn't like it the first time, but oh how it grew on me 

I didn't like it the first time, when I was just sixteen

I didn't like it the first time, guess I was mighty green

But I stocked up, cause I've gotten wise, I've got enough for two dozen guys

I didn't like it the first time, but oh how it grew on me

I didn't like it the first time, but oh how it grew on me!

In honor of the clever Miss Lee, I have put together a few of my favorite ways to eat actual, garden-variety spinach. I hope you will enjoy them while dancing to this song in your kitchen.

• Spinach salad: Best with baby spinach leaves slightly chopped up. I like mine with some kind of fruit, like dried cranberries and/or sectioned oranges and pecans.
• Wilted, with bacon: Don’t tell my fitness friends about this one, but when I am feeling rather naughty, I chop up a few slices of real, authentic pig bacon, cook it until crispy, then dump an entire bag of spinach into the skillet right on top of all that bacon fat. I wilt the leaves, tossing them carelessly around in the pan for about a minute, then add a half-teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a sprinkling of black pepper.
• Wilted, healthier-style: This is the recipe I do tell my fitness friends about. In a nonstick skillet, I heat up about a tablespoon of low-sodium, gluten-free tamari mixed with about ¼ cup of water. Then, over medium heat, I stir-boil one clove of crushed garlic, and then add a bag of spinach and a dusting of red pepper flakes, stirring until wilted, about one minute.
• Spinach omelet: First, I chop up about a half an onion and sautee that in a nonstick skillet until it is translucent. Then I add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a handful of chopped fresh spinach, stir long enough to wilt, and then pour in two scrambled eggs (or egg whites if you are being very virtuous). After a minute or two, I stir the eggs to break up the curds and add about a tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese, then allow the omelet to finish cooking.
• Spinach in tacos. I wouldn’t really want an all-spinach taco/burrito, but we do use spinach instead of lettuce sometimes. It adds that extra boost of dark green leafies.

You can sautee a little spinach right along with your eggs for breakfast.

Top ten reasons I’m glad I live in the present

I spend a lot of time feeling nostalgic about past eras. I appreciate a romantic vision of the 1930s and 40s, but I realize it’s not a realistic vision. I like the fashions and the music, I like the hairstyles and makeup.

But I am also a fan of history, and I enjoy submerging myself in the past—for example, I have been on a 19^th century women’s literature kick for the past several weeks, and before that, I was reading early 20^th-century American lit. After swimming in the past for so long, I’d like to take a few moments to appreciate the present, and express some gratitude for progress.

1. I am thankful for performance fabrics. I spend most of my day wearing four-way stretch materials. Although I generally disapprove of the current trend in wearing pajamas to the store, I am glad that manufacturers have invented pants that you can both move in AND wear someplace decent. Even more than this, I am glad to live in an era when women and girls are encouraged to run, ride bikes, and play sports. It wasn’t always that way: first off, you can’t run in a hoop skirt. Secondly, society once thought sports were inappropriate for girls. http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/timelne2.htm

2. I am glad that whalebone corsets are no longer the norm. First of all, it wasn’t really fair to the whale. Secondly, after a lifetime of forcing a woman’s waist to its tiniest possible proportion, ribs became permanently bent out of shape and internal organs shifted out of place. I know how much I dislike wearing pants with a too-tight waist. I can’t even imagine being laced into breath-restricting underwear every day.

For more info about uncomfortable fashion trends, check this out:

http://strangeremains.com/2014/01/12/the-stylish-deformities-the-ways-in-which-fashion-has-flattened-bent-and-broken-bones-over-the-centuries/

3. Women today are allowed to own property. In Victorian England (before 1850) married women did not legally own any money they inherited or earned. If my father had owned an entire estate and left it to me, a married woman, my husband would become the legal owner. Also, any income I made from my job would legally belong to him. I would have to rely on his generosity to give me enough money to take care of the household bills and pocket money.

4. We have modern hair styling tools.  

5. I get to wash my hair and SHOWER every day. Consider for a moment how recent is the advent of running water and an indoor shower in mostly every home in the United States. At the turn of the 20^th century, people had to draw water for a bath from the well, and heat it over the fire. This was a kind of a pain, so people were more likely to just wash up with a basin. Keeping clean is important, but do you ever think about having to use an outhouse in the middle of winter?

6. This is similar to “modern styling tools,” but it deserves its own category: hair dryers. I have a whole lot of very thick hair, and it can take several hours to dry without help. That’s fine in the summertime, but in the winter, air-drying is definitely unpleasant.

7. We have efficient indoor heat. Yes, past generations had radiators, wood stoves and fireplaces. In houses heated by these means, the whole family huddles in the one warm room where the wood stove is, and on the upper levels, your water glass turns to ice.

8. Young people today are less likely to be disowned by their families for making choices the parents disagree with. Sometimes, we may sit around and lament what society has come to. We shake our heads over teen pregnancies and misbehavior, but a few generations ago, these same behaviors still took place—but the girl (yes, the girls always had the worst end of it) would be completely disowned by the family. They would be cast out of the house with little, if any, money, sent out into the streets to fend for themselves, and the family might even refuse to utter the daughter’s name again. What happened to these girls in a time when women earned pennies on the dollar compared to men, and they had little ones to care for, also?

9. Class differences are less pronounced. Yes, there is a gap between rich and poor in this country. There will always be disparities in education, accomplishment, health and opportunity. These things are unfortunate, but think about, say, the Chicago meat packing industry at the turn of the 20^th century (say, 1906, as depicted in Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” http://www.gutenberg.org/files/140/140-h/140-h.htm). There, laborers were literally killing themselves for a few pennies a day, sleeping under vehicles, and dying of tuberculosis while the factory owners slept in hotel-sized mansions. Do disparities still exist? Of course. This is a constant area for human improvement, here and abroad.

10. The nature of discrimination has changed. I would never argue that discrimination or prejudice is dead. If you are aware or listening to others, you hear people making snap judgments about others based solely on their gender, race or orientation. However, we have at least passed a time where these judgments are enforced by law. Of course, there is still progress to be made, but at least we live in a time where we can openly acknowledge the need for change without being ostracized by our neighbors.

Snow days with kids

I have three kids, all of whom are now officially teenagers. I am very fortunate to work from home, so when we have weather-related school closings, the combination of their "advanced" age and my flexible schedule makes me well suited to cope with the schedule change. But it wasn't always that way. When they were younger, I worked at a newspaper, which was flexible in the sense that I could take them with me on assignments (yeah, you try interviewing the troops who just returned from Iraq while your three elementary schoolers run wild around the Armory) and I also worked at Micron, a semiconductor manufacturer that was not in any way flexible. At Micron, I could neither take the kids in or work from home. I just had to take an unplanned personal day, and that was the kind of thing my  supervisor would passive-aggressively hold over my head whenever possible. That job didn't last long, but while it did, I learned to appreciate the great value of flexible jobs and the opportunity to work from home.

So for those of you with children still living at home who are impacted by the vagaries of winter weather, I have put together a few suggestions of things you can do to keep your kids busy while they are stuck at home.

• Babysitting. Have older kids offer their babysitting services to other families. It is particularly nice if your teenage children are already CPR-certified and have some experience with younger kids (like cousins), but when winter weather threatens, you can start putting the word out to your local friends with smaller kids who you know will be inconvenienced by school closings. You can post on Facebook or email your friends: "I have a 15 year-old, CPR certified, available to babysit at your house or mine in the event of school closure tomorrow."
• Helping. Prepare a list of chores for the kids, and if you would like more enthusiastic participation, attach dollar amounts to each activity. For example: "Shovel driveway, $20. Clean cat litter box, $5. Alphabetize bookshelves by author, $10. Organize your closet and remove unwanted items for Goodwill, $5." The more mercenary your children, the more stuff you will get done.
• Baking. You can guide the kids or have them do it themselves. With older children, I can now direct my kids to a recipe and just offer guidance while they do the work. It wasn't always this way, but even younger kids can manage a recipe from a mix, like sugar cookies. You can have them assemble and cut the dough, but you will probably have to help roll it out and put it into and take it out of the oven. Kids can spend a lot of time decorating cookies with either a simple homemade frosting (a stick of butter, a box of powdered sugar, a splash of milk and some food coloring) or frosting from a can.
• Working. When my son has a snow day, he sometimes helps my husband at work. We have the flexibility to do this since we are both self-employed. My son can carry ladders and climb up in attics. It keeps him busy and he also earns a little money. I also have some simple paperwork and organizational tasks with which the kids can help.
• Exercising. I don't like to bill this activity as "exercise" to the kids, but I do like to see them doing something active, especially when they are stuck inside all day. Since I have a ton of fitness equipment, I can encourage them to "play" with my resistance bands, mini-treadmill, stability ball and indoor trampoline. We also have some active video games like Just Dance, which they will do for about half an hour at a time.
• Reading. My kids don't need a lot of encouragement to sink into a book, but it helps to have a well-stocked bookcase, or a Kindle. We have four Kindles in our house and they are all on the same account, so when one of us buys a book, we all have access to it. That means we have a ready supply of books at hand, at any time. If your kids need some guidance about what to read, there are many recommended reading lists online. For older teens, I like the BBC's "The Big Read" of top 100 books, or NPR's list of 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels. The New York Public Library's list of 100 Great Children's books has a good variety of titles for toddler through teen.
• Playing. When my youngsters were younger, I lived in town and I could usually get out and about within a few hours of the snow ending, but much of my county was rural, which meant schools may be closed for several days. During these long stretches of school-less-ness, my mom-friends and I would make an effort to trade kids for several hours at a time. We arranged play dates in the late morning--on Tuesday, I would take my kids' to Susie's house for three hours while I got some stuff done. On Wednesday, her kids would come to my place, and so it went. Even if I had five kids at my house instead of my normal three, they would all be involved with one another and less in need of my interaction, so I could manage a conference call, or write a few emails while keeping one eye on the kids.

I know from experience that snow days can throw an unexpected monkey wrench into your working life, but these years pass so fast. Before you know it, your former toddlers are applying for colleges and hoping to spend their snow days at their boyfriends' houses (not), so make the best of the little ones while you can.

Changing partners

We always rotate partners in our dance classes. About once every other month, we run into a couple that is strongly opposed to changing partners, and we hear comments like, "I came here to dance with her/him!" Although we certainly respect everyone's wishes and preferences, I did just want to take a moment to explain a few of the reasons why we change partners in dance classes:

• You learn far more dancing with a variety of people than you do dancing only with one person. 
• Dancing is a fun social activity, and when you change partners you get to know all the people in the room, not just the one you came with.
• When both of you are struggling with a new move, switching partners and working with someone who "gets it" will help you both figure it out faster.
• Changing partners makes it possible for singles and those whose partners are away or not interested in dancing to participate.
• We have found that people treat strangers a little differently than their spouses: there is often a stronger layer of politeness and less likelihood of frustration when we continually rotate partners.

Every so often, we come into a situation where everyone at an event is already partnered-off, like a couples-only evening. In those cases, we will sometimes skip the rotation process. We have found that when we keep couples together, the learning process tends to go slower and we hear a greater degree of agitation from the students (along the lines of: "John, you're doing it wrong!").

There are some cases in which we do not rotate partners, for example, any kind of aerial move (in which one of the partners is completely relying on the other for support. High-risk maneuvers are best reserved for the person who has to live with the consequences of possibly dropping their partner.

So what do you do if you feel very strongly that you only want to dance with your husband/wife? All is not lost: you can come to the dances and participate in the pre-dance intro lesson. Simply pull over to the side with your main squeeze, and stay out of the path of rotation. 

If one partner has a medical condition that would make changing partners dangerous--for example, a rotator-cuff injury that requires special adaptations of the moves--then we may be able to have you step aside during the regular 8-week class, but in this situation, you are probably better served by doing private lessons.

If you want a 100 percent guarantee you will never have to change partners, you can always take private lessons. However, at some point, you will probably have to dance at least with the instructor when you or your partner reach a point that you need more than verbal and visual instruction.

As formerly one of the most-shy people on the planet, I do understand that it can seem awkward, in the beginning, to have to be in close contact with unknown humans. But that awkwardness dissipates pretty fast. You are only touching the other person's hand and shoulder, and there is always space between you--or at least there should be. In swing dancing, it's not even as close contact as hugging. Every once in 1000 people, you may run across someone who gets a little too close or makes you feel uncomfortable. In that case, you have the easy out of just sitting out the rest of the dance and not ever dancing with that person again. However, in all the years I have been dancing, only once have I ever stopped in the middle of a dance, and that was just because the guy picked me up three consecutive times in one dance, even after I had told him not to.

As I said earlier, I try to respect everyone's views, but I would invite the rotationally hesitant to consider the spirit of social dancing: growing and improving as a dancer relies on learning from others. Plus, there are so many physical, emotional, social and mental benefits that you can reap from reacting to new people on the dance floor. Last but not least, most guys only have seven dance moves. As a follow, dancing with 30 guys in one night exposes you to 210 moves. Guys get to use their seven moves on 30 women, adding an element of freshness to every dance.

Best of all, after you dance with a few other people and you return to your life-mate, you often feel a surge of gratitude and appreciation for your partner, as in, "Now I remember why you are my favorite dance partner in the entire world! It's like we can read each other's minds!"

So I hope that you will consider partner changing, at least in dance class, as an opportunity instead of a barrier. And if you still don't want to rotate, we would be happy to do private lessons with you!

Fredericksburg Coffee Shops Take II: Keystone Coffee

Keystone Coffee

2206 Princess Anne Street

Keystone Coffee

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

http://www.keystonecoffeeandautospa.com

I have driven past this little coffee shop for the past few years, and have never stopped by until recently, what a loss! It’s a cute little shop right next to the famous Carl’s ice cream, complete with an outdoor seating area and carwash.

You can drop off your vehicle to get it detailed while you enjoy a soup and salad combo or a chocolate-covered-strawberries mocha. The carwash guys will come and tell you when your car is ready.

In my tour of Fredericksburg coffee houses, Keystone wins so far in terms of atmosphere. The vintage décor fits my personal prefrences: framed photo of Elvis, 50’s-style tourism posters for Cuba, and a selection of beautiful antique-car photos. During my visit, the music ranged from Django-style jazz to 60s rock and modern, but less-known, tunes.

Although the inside of Keystone is small, it is cozy, with hardwood floors, two comfy chairs, one leather sofa, a booth and a few tables. It is probably the nicest place you could ever wait for a car wash.

In addition to coffee and tea, Keystone offers smoothies, cream freezes and an assortment of pastries, sandwiches and snacks. Of the coffee shops I have toured in the Burg, Keystone has the largest selection of gluten-free snacks. This selection could only be considered “large” by comparison to the others—so do not expect to go in there and find a dedicated GF kitchen. What you can get is tuna salad on a bed of greens, a bag of nuts or a fruit cup. As with most restaurants, you can also ask for a sandwich without any bread.

The menu is clearly marked with a large V, which they say stands for “vegetarian or vegan,” but they don’t really tell you which. I guess you have to ask for specifics if that is important to you.

The most noticeable downside to this place is that there is no obvious wifi. I have heard that a connection is available if you ask, but I did not verify that during my trip. Another possible negative for people who prefer traditional American food is that the sandwiches come with healthy sides, like grapes. If you like chips, you will have to buy them separately. If not, you will get a reasonably sized portion of food and little guilt.

But of course, I’m all about the coffee. All I can say is that my latte met my expectations. I can’t really wax poetic about this one, but I did feel an instant caffeine surge, a feeling of which I much approve.

I look forward to returning again for a smoothie the next time I’m in town—by the way, I think I need to get my car washed soon.

Fredericksburg Coffee Shops

I love coffee houses. I love the smell, the ambience, the fun of watching people come and go. I especially enjoy the free wifi when I have a few minutes to spare between meetings. I don’t go in for the syrupy, chocolaty, caramelized drinks that are so popular right now. I am usually a plain latte, plain coffee kind of girl.

I decided a few weeks ago to make it my mission to travel to and write about every coffee shop in Fredericksburg. I am not finished yet, but I have a pretty good start, and I will keep adding to this post as I visit more coffee stops.

My hope is that, if you ever find yourself in our beautiful and historic part of the world, you will stop in one of these delightful spaces, take a look around, inhale deeply the scent of coffee, and enjoy yourself for a few minutes before heading back to the hectic reality of normal life.

Blackstone Coffee

1113 Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, VA

http://blackstonecoffee.com/hot-drinks/

I have only been here once, but it’s already my new favorite coffee place. One of our dance students recommended it to me. I made a special trip to check it out, and immediately fell in love.

Blackstone is located across Route 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway) from Mary Washington University, in the Eagle Village shopping center. Blackstone roasts their own beans, and they also have a liquor license, so if you are looking to unwind at the end of the day, you can get a glass of cabernet and a sandwich. The sandwiches run the scope from standard to innovative. Unfortunately, they are all wheat-infested, so I can only admire the ingredients list and fantasize. Please, try one and tell me about them! The staff is very pleasant and makes an effort to converse with the customers. Blackstone features several comfy leather chairs, free wifi, and a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere.

But it’s all about the coffee: I had a plain latte here. It was delicious. It wasn’t bitter or burned-tasting, but a perfect balance of robustness and creamy milk. 

My espresso wizard went to the effort to make a beautiful foam heart on the top of my drink, but then he stirred it all away. I could understand if I had ordered a syrupy-sweet drink like a café mocha, in which the sugar sits at the bottom, making the top too bitter and the bottom too cloying, but this was just a plain-Jane latte, and I was sad to see the lovely heart melt into oblivion. It was still wonderful, and I look forward to going back again.

25° 30° Espresso

400 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA
http://lindyintheburg.blogspot.com/2014/01/fredericksburg-coffee-shops.html
This little shop is located across the street from the VRE/Amtrak station in Old Town Fredericksburg. It is right on the “other side” of the tracks from most of the shops in the Old Town area, and is very convenient if you are about to hop a train to Washington, Philly, or New York.

According to 25 30’s website, they only buy coffee from one roaster, Counter Culture Coffee, which works exclusively with a select group of farms and farmers. Their website also says they only buy milk from a local creamery in Pennsylvania.

Inside, the shop is warm and cozy with a sofa and a collection of tables. There are books, magazines and newspapers to pass the time if you need them. Although the space is inviting, it’s not overly decorated.

But how was the coffee? The latte was quite good, and I especially liked that on the topping bar (where you would find your sugars, straws and napkins) they offered shakers filled with cinnamon-sugar, mocha-sugar and nutmeg-sugar. Although I usually like everything plain and unsweetened, the addition of a dusting of slightly sweet cinnamon on top of the snowy white latte foam added just enough flavor to be charming without overwhelming.

25 30 also serves a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and they do have a variety of plastic-wrapped pastries. On one quick survey, I spied nothing that a gluten-free person could eat, but I am sure if you asked, they could procure an apple or a banana for you.

Hyperion Espresso

301 William St., Fredericksburg
http://www.hyperionespresso.com

My daughter, 17, describes Hyperion as a “total hipster” place to go. I am  not really sure what she means by that, but every time I go to Hyperion, I see a wide range of people inside and outside, if the weather is nice. As far as people-watching, this is probably one of the best spots in Fredericksburg. Hyperion is located right on one of the busiest corners in town, so if you sit outside, you can watch an endless parade of humanity. Inside the shop is nearly as busy, with everyone from college students to bankers, and the kind of people who wear hemp sandals in January.

The interior is not glossy and it doesn’t exude the feeling “I was designed by an interior decorator,” although maybe it was. But it is everything it needs to be. The interior colors are warm. There are plenty of seats. In fact, this shop takes up two store fronts, so there are two distinct areas where you can park and chat, peruse the paper or use the wifi. There is one enormous wooden table right in front of the large picture window facing the street. This is my favorite spot, because it’s the best of both people-watching worlds, but it is usually taken. I also enjoy the group of comfy well-used chairs near the other window.

And there is just something about the coffee that I love. They do something amazing with their lattes. When you open the cup (or if you are staying in, they give you a real ceramic cup), the barista has created a beautiful leaf design that makes it almost too pretty to drink. But of course, you must drink it. And the milk they use reminds me of when I was a child, and we used to scald milk on the stove to make hot chocolate.

I do enjoy Hyperion’s plain coffee, but the latte is so pretty I find it hard to resist. They also make a delicious smoothie, and their iced coffee drinks are wonderful in the summertime.

Some people have told me that Hyperion’s espresso drinks are very high-caffeine. I have never experienced a bad caffeine reaction, but if you are sensitive, you may wish to ask, or order decaf/half-caff.

In the pastry case, they carry an assortment of wheaty treats. If you ever try them, you can tell me about them, and I will live vicariously through you.

Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com

There isn’t much to say about Starbucks that you don’t already know, because the ubiquitous chain coffee store is the same everywhere in the world. I can tell you that there is one in the mall (Spotsylvania Town Center), one across the street from the mall, one in the Central Park Shopping Center, and one on Plank Rd. (Route 3). The Plank Rd. Starbucks is my most-frequent shop because it’s on the way to Old Town, is open 24 hours, and has a drive-through.

My husband is wild about Starbuck’s mochas, so between the two of us, we know the locations of just about every Starbucks in the Northern Virginia area, and about the ones that are located along the route from Virginia to Florida. And the one in Nassau, Bahamas. No, we don’t have a coffee problem…