songbird's crazy world

 Duchess is a lady.  She claimed a chair in the living room, and that’s where she sits. Shadow, on the other hand …

 The smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires was even worse last night.  I seriously thought about using one of my old Covid masks today. I may bring one to work with me, just in case.  The air quality alert expires at noon. Unbreathable air, cyclosporiasis in the produce, and an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in NYC …oh my! I think I may have mentioned that my company has a wellness program.  You can download an app with all the tasks.  You earn points by doing activity that focus on your physical and emotional wellbeing.  You can earn points by bringing your lunch to work, or connecting your fitness tracker to the app, or keeping a food journal.  Visits to your doctor or dentist earn large amounts of points.   When you earn a sufficient amount of points you’ll receive a gift card.  Earn more points and you’ll get a discount on next year’s health insurance premiums. Earn 6,000 points and you’ll be recognized on the company internet. A lot o...

 Still healing from the dental procedure, but I’m feeling much better.  I skipped yoga last night, but I’m going to try to make it to the pool this weekend, I usually walk during lunchtime. I do laps around the office building.  Four laps is just over a mile. Guess what I saw while walking yesterday? Yeah, I’m a bit obsessed. I walked again today.  It was hot and sunny, typical summer weather. But when I left my office at 5…overcast, with the smell of smoke in the air.  Smoke from Canadian wildfires.  Very strange, I don’t remember it ever being an issue until the last few years. We are expecting thunderstorms later, maybe that will clean the air …

 So, as I’ve mentioned, Drew is of Sephardic Jewish heritage.  His mother’s family came from Greece and Turkey.  Drew introduced me to Greek food long before it became popular.  Now it’s one of my favorite cuisines. Drew’s parents moved to Florida in 1990.  The area where they lived did not have any Greek restaurants. So every time we planned to visit… Drew would drive to Astoria - a Greek neighborhood in Queens - and buy bourrkas,  a savory pastry made with phyllo dough  - to bring with us. I haven’t seen this pastry in any of the Greek places on Long Island.  But the other day Drew saw a review of a local kosher good store that features Mediterranean foods, including bourekas..   Yesterday he went to that store and bought burekas. Including  I can’t wait to try them! Now, if we can only find dolmadas the way his mother made them  either a neat stuffing instead of rice.  The only place he found them was in  Tarpon Springs...

  He’s alive!

 Are you aware of the Celiac Safety Act and the ADINA (Allergen Disclosure in Non-food Articles) Act?  Two bills currently pending before the House of Representatives.   The Celiac Safety Act would require manufacturers to clearly label all products containing wheat, barley, or rye. By expanding the list of federally recognized major food allergens beyond just wheat, this legislation  seeks to provide safe, transparent choices for the 3 million Americans living with celiac disease.  The ADINA Act would require  plain-language labeling of major food allergens and gluten on all prescription and over-the-counter medications . Named after a Minnesota teen who suffered severe reactions from undisclosed ingredients, it aims to protect patients with food allergies and celiac disease. I spend so much time reading labels and I still miss some items that contain gluten. But I did find a new gluten free product. Banzai makes chickpea pasta.  The soup is definitel...