Odds and evens

Last month, I ran a triathlon with two of my daughters. After the race, we thought it would be fun to take a picture of the age markings on our calves. Funny thing, my age (46) was the sum of my daughters’ ages (21 & 25). I wondered the odds of that happening again with some of my other children. As with most things, I could use my God given brain and elementary math to figure it out, or I could be hip and cool and wait for an iPhone app to do it for me.

Even though Wil Smith and his wife have denied rumors of a split, it is usually about a month later that one of the partners file for divorce. This news will be devastating to Oprah. Either way, the fruit of their union brought us the totally awesome “I can whip my hair back and forth” song.

Now that Mikayla has found herself on Redemption Island, what are the odds of Brandon joining her? I wonder if he would be a man of integrity and honor his God then, or if he would succumb to his Delilah temptation.

Even though every death is sad, I find it tragic when we mourn someone’s life more than their death. That is the case for me and Michael Jackson. However, I believe he beat the odds and lived longer than most troubled celebrities. And now, I am just tired of hearing about the fate of Conrad Murray.

Was never a huge fan of The Talk but every once in a while I loved me some Leah Remini. Even though I know she is gone, I find myself tuning in to see if CBS executives realize what a huge mistake they made by firing her.

Even though Baby Lisa’s mom is adamant about her innocence in her baby’s disappearance, it seems to me she would be more believable if her story was consistent. When you have nothing to hide, it is probably best to live by the simple philosophy of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I don’t know which I find odder. The excitement over the return of the McRib or the buzz surrounding Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy spread. Both are just plain sick and wrong.

Good nuts, bad nuts

I guess if your wardrobe was influenced by his flamboyant fashion sense, you might consider him a good nut. However, you are probably in the minority. Most people are grateful that the death of Muammar Gaddafi rid the world of one more very bad nut.

You might categorize grown women throwing bleach on one another while shopping at their local Wal-mart as a bad nut, but if you enjoy a front row seat to a three ring circus along with the price of milk, you might need to rethink your judgment in more ways than one.

If you based their appeal solely on price, you would consider them a bad nut. But, when you consider the long list of health benefits associated with pine nuts, they definitely are a good nut. Along with being high in protein and good fats, pine nuts are also filled with amino acids and are a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc, potassium, and vitamins B1, 2 & 3, and E. All of that from a little nut found inside a pine cone. You might be tempted to skip this ingredient when making this yummy pasta dish, but be a good nut and leave it in.

Broccoli and Bow Tie Pasta

                8 cups broccoli florets

                1/2 lb bow tie pasta

                2 tablespoons butter
                2 tablespoons olive oil

                1 teaspoon minced garlic

                zest of 1 lemon

                2 teaspoons salt

                1/2 teaspoon black pepper

                1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

                1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

                parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add broccoli and cook just 3 minutes. Remover with slotted spoon in order to cook pasta in same water. Add pasta and cook 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well. Combine broccoli and pasta in a large bowl.

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and lemon zest and saute for 1 minute. Remove skillet from burner and add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir to combine then pour over broccoli and pasta. Toss together. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan cheese.