The first book

Emma's first book from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Summer Recital '08

Summer Recital: 08 The Imperial March from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.


Summer Recital 08: I just can't wait to be King from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Reality Diet

Well, the wife has stumbled upon a new diet plan for the family. It seems pretty healthy, primarily with a focus on fiber. Day 1 has completed and I fee pretty good, and I think the meals where very filling and tasty. We have committed to 8 weeks in hopes of simply changing our palette. One rule of thumb for this diet is 2 grams of fiber for every 90 calories. The general idea is that if the food item meets this simple fiber rule, then it will contain more goody nutrients.

Breakfast:
whole wheat toast, caramelized banana with cinnamon and fresh ground nutmeg, and natural peanut butter
yogurt and a granola.

Lunch:
veggie patty, whole wheat bun, smoked mozzarella, tomato spout and avocado salad. 10 potato chips

Dinner:
pan fried sole seasoned with corn meal, hot paprika, and cumin. with tomato, green bean, and spinach salad

Dessert:mango lassie(wow i must say this was awesome. The highlight of the day)

Kate's Spring Recital 08

Popeye The Sailor Man from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.


Scooby Dooby Doo from Todd Gruben on Vimeo.

Good Luck!

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Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

Look out MIT, here comes Big ern. Study hard and learn a lot.

Spring Break 08

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Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

Carpe Diem

Look out World

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Originally uploaded by ToddGruben

I was amazed at my 5 year olds eye for color selection. She colored this page with her own imagination. Wow is all I can say.

Day 29

Complete! I did a pretty good job of sticking to the goal. My only lapse was the planned birthday meal and a slight bit just to appease the in laws. I weigh 205 and feel pretty good. I guess we probably were not as creative as we had hoped but it is always nice to achieve a goal. I am planning on getting my blood work pretty soon after I get down below 200.

I started a new cycling program again last monday and it is pretty tough getting back into the swing of things. I really want a some sort of data logger for my rides. I'm debating between the ibike, which is a wind based power meter, and a garmin. The garmin unit has gps and heart data and the ibike has power, windspeed and temperature. I probably don't need any of it, but I like to have the data so that I can discuss achievements with my friends and maybe have something to compare. It kinda gives a purpose to all the painful efforts. Its also nice to relive those moments. I still go back to my HTH06 experience over on motionbased web site. How silly is that to find purpose in silly dots on a graph. But it seems most of my life is about an increasing graph, age, finances and what not.

breakfast:
smoothy
coffee

lunch:
grapefruit
power bar

dinner:
mozzarella, basil, and tomato sandwich
salad with blue cheese dressing
also snacked on french fries, cheese quesadilla, and a slice of cheese pizza.

Day 28

Breakfast:
scrambled eggs
whole wheat toast and butter
coffee

lunch:
asian salad
black tea

dinner:
mashed potatoes
hummus and pita
lemon soup
chocolate

Day 27

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

lunch:
wild mushroom curry soup

Dinner:
Asian salad(green peas,broccoli, sprouts,cashews, edame)
macaroni and cheese
black eyed peas
chocolate

Day 26

Happy Birthday Kate!


breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romain salad with roasted vegetables
missed the protein today


Dinner:
Spaghetti with tomato sauce
garlic bread
chocolate molten cake

Day 25

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine salad with goat cheese and packaged tuna

Dinner:
wild mushroom curry soup
roasted vegetable (egg plant,zuccini, yellow squash, onion, and roasted red pepper)
sandwich
chocolate square.

Day 24

Today we had a scheduled cheat on the month o' veggies. It was the wife's birthday and she requested chicken fried steak back in january, So I simply must abide. It seemed to go over pretty well, I made it for all the grandparents. Quite the production, frying that much meat on our small stove. Visually the meat looked a bit dark, but the flavor and texture turned out quit nice.

My Dad mentioned he was responding very well to niacin, so I thought I might give it a try to help my cholesterol numbers. For some reason, I want to avoid the statins like the plague.

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
Chicken fried steak, mashed potato's and hot rolls


Dinner:
cheese enchiladas, refried beans and rice.

Day 23

Happy birthday Sweetheart! Today we had birthday celebration #1 of the weekend. Had a nice time seeing an ok movie, vantage point Short movie with a bit of action. Not much to write home about, but I'm easy, so I'll say it was entertaining. I weighed in at 206

Breakfast:
Bean and cheese tacos
cinamon roll
coffee

Dinner:
Scallops and green chili mash potatoes (z-tejas)
chocolate pie

Day 22

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
Whole Wheat pasta, feta and roasted vegetables
Dinner:
Artichoke pesto pizza
greek salad

Day 21

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
tuna and romaine salad

Dinner:
hummus, tzatziki,
broccolli and cauliflower
chocolate pie

Day 20

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
wheat noodles,roasted vegetables(leeks,artichokes,tomatoes) and goat cheese

Dinner:
Salmon
fingerling potatoes
peas

Day 19

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
tofu and rice noodles with lettuce

Dinner:
whole grain pasta, goat cheese and roasted vegetables( radiccio,leeks, artichokes)
Chia

Day 18

Breakfast
coffee
Egg frittata

Lunch:
Wendy's Panko fish sandwich

Dinner:
Shrimp brown rice stirfry
Chia tea

Day 17

Breakfast:
bean and cheese taco with salsa
coffee

Snack:
dried strawberries
peanut M&M

Dinner:
Oyster soup(cream, leeks, and carrots)
ice cream

Day 16

I weighed in at 204 this morning.

Brunch:
Egg, broccoli and mushroom frittata
coffee

Dinner:
Shrimp and scallop skillet

Day 15

Breakfast:
scrambled eggs

Lunch:
spring rolls



Dinner:
Ravioli
Garlic bread
romaine salad

Day 14

Happy Valentines day.


Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
creamed spinach
sweet potato pie

Dinner:
scallop and shrimp skillet(spinach and white bean)
chocolate

Day 13

I'm feeling much better today. I've seen 2 inspiring videos, one was on the history channel and was about George Washington Carver. His biography was the first I ever read, which happened when i was in 3rd grade. Come to find out it was also the first biography my wife ever read as well at roughly the same time. He as a great man who utilized his genius in such an honorable way. The world would be such a better place if there where more people like him. Great educator, brilliant and humble. That is the kind of person I want to become. I have a long way to go, I'm missing all three qualities, but hey, you have to start sometime.

The second video was by a CMU Computer science professor and is entitled "The Last Lecture"..simply a must see


Breakfast:
blueberry smoothy

Lunch:
strawberry smoothy

Dinner:
Cod with mushroom sauce
sweet potato pie
creamed spinach

Day 12

Still have stomach irritation, but it feels like I have begun recovery. I haven't sleep very well since the onset.

So far I haven't missed the chicken or beef from the diet. I had a few moments on Saturday when I thought of a hamburger but nothing substantial.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy

Lunch:
yogurt, cherry and banana smoothy

snack:
chocolate Brownie

Dinner:
battered salmon
broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley
mac and cheese

Day 11

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine salad with salmon

Diner:
Butternut squash and swiss chard manicotti

Day 10

Fun. The return of the stomach issues. Roughly around noon my stomach pains started returning again. This is rather soon compared to previous history. I did have a pinto and cheese breakfast taco. I am wondering it this response is food related or not. Maybe this blog might have some scientific value. Time will tell.

Breakfast:
Grapefruit
pinto bean and cheese taco

Snack:
Pomelo(some grapefruit orange hybrid, not very good)

Dinner:
butternut squash with swiss chard manicotti
romaine salad

Day 9

Today was a breakdown. I started out weighing in at 206. For some reason this really discouraged me, I felt like I had lost weight and unfortunately my scales told me otherwise. My first reaction to my news was just to cut off the food for the day, I was determined to find some improvement. This was completely irrational and I know better. I managed to put off food until noon when I had a grapefruit. I finished the grapefruit and still found myself a bit wanton. I added a small bowl of lentil soup to the meal and felt fairly satisfied.

I had the afternoon to myself and was planning on enjoying a nice read for some rest and relaxation. I dozed off and awoke a couple of hours latter. I don't know what really triggered the binge that was about to follow, but for some reason I was perusing the fridge and found some remaining drunken goat cheese. It was probably about a 6 oz chunk. I thought, that would be a nice snack. I finished off the cheese in about 30 secs and this awakened a hunger demon in me that I had not felt in quite some time. I immediately devoured a rice crispy treat, which in itself was not complete meltdown, but I was still experiencing almost a primal hunger, primarily for some sweetness. I remembered that we had some ice cream and proceeded to inhale about 1/2 a pint of the certified organic, 100% all natural sweet, creamy chocolaty coffee goodness.

My senses slowly returned and rational thought prevailed. I guess the event was not as indulgent as I first perceived. It was the loss of mental control that interested me. How powerful the sense of hunger can be to transform a normal sane person into a ravaging beast simply for a few calories of fuel. The fact was I was not starving by any means. It was simply a lack of discipline and an example of how weak the mind can be when it lacks direction.

For dinner I had to deviate from the vegetarian diet for a bit. We were invited over to dinner and they had chicken and cheese enchiladas. I ate just a bit to draw attention. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Breakfast:
coffee

Lunch:
grapefruit
lentil soup

snack:
hard drunken goat cheese
rice crispy treat
chocolate coffee ice cream

dinner:
pinto beans
Spanish rice
cheese enchiladas with a bit of chicken
romaine salad
banana cake

Day 8

breakfast:
cheese omelette
coffee

lunch:
tilapia and couscous
brussel sprouts

snack:
grapefruit

dinner:
goat cheese and pesto pizza
romaine salad
whole grain rice crispy treat

Day 7

breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

lunch:
salmon, romaine, and dried cranberry salad

snack:
chocolate chip cookie
jasmine tea

dinner:
tilapia
brussel sprouts
israeli couscous, olive, and mint salad

Day 6

I am feeling like I am making a bit of progress. That thought is based on the feeling I get from my pants starting to loosen and I generally feel good. So far, I had 2 bad nights sleep since starting this experiment and last night was one of them, which is actually better than normal. I walked a couple of miles today after work.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine, tomato, and feta salad
Jasmine Tea

snack:
Orange

Dinner:
lentil soup with yogurt
romaine, carrot and tomato salad
chocolate
berry sorbet

Day 5

Going strong, not so sure the heart healthy part is the primary focus but we are adapting. I walked a couple of miles today while the cold front blew into town.

Breakfast:
chocolate smoothy
coffee

Lunch:
romaine, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and almond salad
green tea

snack:
Clementine orange
green tea

dinner:
broccoli
spinach and cheese tortellini with spicy marinara
chocolate bit

Day 4

Breakfast:
poached egg with salsa
coffee

Lunch:
cheese enchiladas, refried beans, rice, chips and salsa
Jasmine Tea

Dinner:
grapefruit
sourdough toast and cheese.
chocolate

Day3

After last nights calorie overload, we took it very light today. Breakfast was incredibly filling even though didn't have it until 10:30. I skimmed a book on some wacky tea diet today. The basic premise is moderation and varity and you should drink tea whenever you had a craving of any kind. So, I gave it a try in the evening. We also finished up the afternoon with a nice 3 mile walk. So far so good.

Breakfast:
1 bean and cheese taco
1 vegetarian chorizo
oj and coffee

Dinner:
lentil soup with a dollop yogurt
corn chips and fresh homemade tomato salsa
1oz dark chocolate
Lots of green tea

Day 2

Today we where very disorganized with our meals and even had a night out with friends. We have managed to be faithful to our restrictions with little or no plan. Hopefully, tomorrow we can put together a new menu and actually branch out a bit. The great news of the day was I weighed in at 205lbs. That was considerably below where I was expecting to be. More than likely last weeks stomach issues had a lot to do with it.

Breakfast:
grapefruit
handful of almonds
coffee

Lunch:
yogurt
dried strawberries

Snack:
apple
almonds

Dinner:
asparagus salad
California roll
fried calamari
panko lemon grass halibut
bok choy
white cheddar mashed potatoes

Dessert:
chocolate truffles
Italian chocolate cake
raspberry chocolate cake

Day1: Today I am a vegetarian

For the next 29 days, my wife and I will attempt to be vegetarian with our primary focus being on exploring heart healthy options. We are going to allow eggs and fish, so a neophyte vegetarian at best. The idea behind this adventure is to force us to try new foods and new food combinations. We hope to discover new proteins to augment and enhance our current regimen. Wish us luck!

I am going to weigh myself on Saturdays to see if this diet has any effect, look out J 195 here I come. At the completion of this month, I am going to get a full blood work and hopefully my cholesterol numbers will go down. when I checked in November the LDL's where 118(shooting for <100) and the HDL's as 39(shooting for >45)


Today's foods..

Breakfast:
egg and spinach quiche
coffee

Lunch:
Mediterranean wrap(red bell peppers, whole grain tortilla, pine nuts, hummus, spinach and zucchini)
water

Dinner:
1 Large Grapefruit
1 handful raw almonds
1 large chi tea(milk and tea/spices)

I am just coming off an upset stomach so the true test will come when my appetite returns.

I am inspired to blog this adventure after reading Meredith's fabulous journal on her adventures in the raw foods realm. Check it out for yourself at blogspot .

Trip to the Museum

Kate snaps her first pictures, Great eye Kate!

New Years Action List

First of all, On January 1, I weighed 211 lbs.

1. Read 2 Pulitzer Prize winning books
2. Take a vacation with Darla
3. Get my weight down to 195
4. Program my ardunio to sample some physical data like temprature or maybe g-forces
5. Perform a science experiment with Kate(possibly link to #4)
6. Cook something with Emma
7. Take a photography class