I am thinking, pondering and exploring the possibility of buying a bike. I have been thinking, pondering and exploring this issue for about a year, maybe even two, now. So far, I haven’t gained much momentum with it, because I still don’t have one. Maybe this is the month for it!

Biking is good exercise. Whether you’re spinning, cycling on a stationary bike, road bike, or mountain bike, cycling provides a great calorie-burning workout. I know this. My problem is what type of bike-workout do I want to do? Biking outdoors is refreshing and invigorating. It calms your mind. However, a recumbent bike is especially good if you have a bad back or are overweight, because it allows you to lean back and relax your lower back as you cycle.

I could say that I am overweight because I am not the weight I want to be. Some people I know would “pshaw” that notion, but I do have lower back pain often enough to have to take medication for it, so a recumbent bike might be my best option.

You can buy recumbent bikes for indoors (as stationary bikes) or for the outdoors. I have seen these but didn’t know what they were. However, a recumbent bicycle, according to Wikipedia, is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider’s weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks.

On a traditional upright bicycle, the body weight rests entirely on a small portion of the sitting bones, the feet, and the hands. This sounds like the one for me!

The only thing is, by getting an indoor stationary bike, I might get my husband to pep up his exercise routine. I know, though, that he would never try biking outdoors, at least not at the present time. So back to square one. I guess I will have to think, ponder, and explore this issue a little more.

Until then, the more I think, the older I get, and the less motivation I will have for getting a bike of any type. Maybe I am undermining this whole idea with procrastinations!

Anyway, on to the recipe! One of our granddaughters just started kindergarten this year and doesn’t really like it much. She says she doesn’t want to be smart and get a job because she wants to live with her mommy and daddy from now on. That would be fun, huh? One area she dislikes is lunch because “they won’t let me go home and eat lunch with her mommy.” Can you believe that? A horrid thing, school is!

I have tried to help April (the mommy), come up with some interesting ideas with her lunches, and there are some crazy ones out there, but here are two that sounded cute. One way to make an ordinary sandwich more fun to eat is by putting it on a skewer. Instructions for that are in the recipe below.

Also, if your little girl likes nothing but PB&J Sandwiches, try the cut-out ones below. For a little boy, use a truck or heart cookie cutter. They’re sure to make her/him feel special!

Sandwich on a stick

bread

cheese

lunch meat

grape tomatoes

lettuce

pickles

olive

Cut bread, cheese, and lunch meat (we ordered 1/2-inch-thick slices of ham and turkey at the deli counter), into cubes. Slide the cubes onto a skewer with other foods your child likes, such as a grape tomato, a piece of lettuce, a pickle, or an olive. Include a side of mayo or mustard for dipping.

PB & J blossoms

Bread

Peanut butter or cream cheese

Jelly

Water bottle cap

For each sandwich, cut two slices of bread into flower shapes with a cookie cutter. Cut a hole in one of the slices by pressing a water bottle cap into the center. Spread the peanut butter and jelly on the whole piece and place the slice with the hole on top.