Well my first attempt at crockpot curry didn't turn out half bad. I just winged it and it was so good that I want to get the recipe written down now so I have it for later. Eventually I want to get away from canned soups, but I'm new to the crockpot and like the convenience. Maybe I can substitute heavy cream instead one time to experiment, but in the meantime, I'm too hungry to risk not having anything edible after 6 hours of waiting. (By the way, the house smelled so good while this curry was cooking that I filled up on snacks while waiting for it, and it was still delicious when I was full)
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast, frozen
1 can coconut milk
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 heaping tsp Thai spice from my favorite Thai restaurant Sukhothai (I like it hot!)
1/2 pkg chicken bouillon
lots of cracked pepper
1 chopped white onion
5 stalks chopped celery
1 10oz pkg frozen spinach
5 small red potatos peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
Combine and cook on high 6 hours, then shred the chicken and serve over brown rice.
Next time I may substitute chick peas for the potatos for more protein and less starch.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Food
Becoming mom has changed the way I eat. I can't just hop in the car and pick up Thai food every day anymore. And I no longer have time to buy a variety of fresh ingredients for a recipe and spend time preparing a nice dinner in the kitchen to serve hot and fresh. I shop, prep, cook and eat all around her schedule now, not mine. It is important that I do this well because I am exclusively breastfeeding so essentially all her nourishment comes from me and what I eat. I have to make sure that not only do I eat enough even though I don't have much time, but that I eat enough of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff. I will swear to my grave that part of the reason she's so stinking cute is because of all the snickerdoodles I ate when I was pregnant with her. But now that I see her and actually watch her belly grow instead of mine I have more motivation to snack on healthy things like cheese and fruit. Don't get me wrong, I still indulge a lot, after all, I am supposed to eat 600 calories above a typical prepregnancy diet. The key is balance.
Amelia was born 2 days after Christmas so 2011 was the last year we celebrated as a couple and not as a family of 3. I was huge and uncomfortable, but still had an amazing holiday shared with family and with all the excitement of what was and is to some. Brian and I received the best gifts for expectant parents from everyone in our family. Among lots of other things we got a camcorder to record her milestones, and an iPad to store those videos. We got worlds largest bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee which kept Brian functioning during those first few weeks when he had to do all the housework and diapering while I recovered from surgery. And I got the best gift of all for a new mom, a crock pot. (Insert here the heavens opening up, a chorus of angels, and light shining down on my amazing new kitchen gadget!!) The crock pot has become my lifeline. Brian broke it out first, on New Years Day, and made black eyed peas . I've since made pork tenderloin and lots of other delicious meals, at my convenience. I just kind of search recipes and pick my favorite parts of them based on what I have handy, and see what I come up with. I've made stroganoff, chicken chili, london broil, beef stew and lots of other stuff. But my favorite is the best breakfast ever, from my new favorite blog, The Yummy Life. I put this in the crock pot before bed and wake up to a delicious healthy breakfast. The leftovers (if there are any) go in the refrigerator and I have a delicious healthy snack for later. If possible it's even better warmed up with a little milk in the microwave.
So anyway, from time to time I will put on here some of the dinners I manage to prepare that are the best successes, but for now it's time to go feed my beautiful little girl. This morning she will have steel cut oats and a delicious orange with her milk.
Amelia was born 2 days after Christmas so 2011 was the last year we celebrated as a couple and not as a family of 3. I was huge and uncomfortable, but still had an amazing holiday shared with family and with all the excitement of what was and is to some. Brian and I received the best gifts for expectant parents from everyone in our family. Among lots of other things we got a camcorder to record her milestones, and an iPad to store those videos. We got worlds largest bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee which kept Brian functioning during those first few weeks when he had to do all the housework and diapering while I recovered from surgery. And I got the best gift of all for a new mom, a crock pot. (Insert here the heavens opening up, a chorus of angels, and light shining down on my amazing new kitchen gadget!!) The crock pot has become my lifeline. Brian broke it out first, on New Years Day, and made black eyed peas . I've since made pork tenderloin and lots of other delicious meals, at my convenience. I just kind of search recipes and pick my favorite parts of them based on what I have handy, and see what I come up with. I've made stroganoff, chicken chili, london broil, beef stew and lots of other stuff. But my favorite is the best breakfast ever, from my new favorite blog, The Yummy Life. I put this in the crock pot before bed and wake up to a delicious healthy breakfast. The leftovers (if there are any) go in the refrigerator and I have a delicious healthy snack for later. If possible it's even better warmed up with a little milk in the microwave.
So anyway, from time to time I will put on here some of the dinners I manage to prepare that are the best successes, but for now it's time to go feed my beautiful little girl. This morning she will have steel cut oats and a delicious orange with her milk.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Spinach and Orzo Salad
I made my mom hungry when I told her about this salad. I made baby back ribs last night and served them with this salad, that I adapted from allrecipes.com
This makes a ton. We had dinner and lunch today. Delicious as a side dish and would also be good with shrimp or chicken to make a main course.
Spinach and Orzo Salad
8-16 ounces uncooked orzo pasta (the recipe called for 16, I used 8. That way it's more spinach)
9 ounce bag fresh baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
(Since the original recipe called for 16 ounces of orzo and 1/2 cup oil and vinegar and I used 8 orzo, I could have cut it back a little on the O&V but I used the whole 1/2 cup of each and although it was strong it was delicious)
Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to large bowl and stir in spinach, feta, onion, pine nuts, basil, and white pepper. Toss with oil and vinegar. Refrigerate and serve cold.
This makes a ton. We had dinner and lunch today. Delicious as a side dish and would also be good with shrimp or chicken to make a main course.
Mom's Apple Squares
I have been MIA for a long time here but wanted to stop by and leave a recipe for my mom's Apple Squares that I loved when I was a kid. Still do. Have to have them every fall. I made them last night and realized that the paper recipe is getting old and ratty and might not survive too much longer, so I better get this down where it will be immortalized.
Mom's Apple Squares
2 cups flour
1 cup Bisquick
2 cups sugar (I use 1 1/2 and it's plenty)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup Crisco (I use 1/2 and it's plenty)
3 eggs
4 cups diced apples (I usually bake with Granny Smiths, however since I grew up near orchards in NY, for this recipe I am a Macintosh loyalist. I've never strayed here, but other varieties may be good also)
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts
Mix all ingredients. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan. Pour mixture in. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Voila!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Supper Sunday!
Worked kicked my butt this weekend. I had 2 short 5 hour shifts on Friday and Saturday but a lonnng 9 hours on Sunday and afterward I wobbled into Publix to pick up something for dinner with no clue what I want. Hmm. Picked up a few things to make breakfast, ie eggs, cheese and wheat english muffins. I got stuff to make banana pudding (bananas, banana pudding, vanilla wafers, milk, sour cream and whipped topping). Then I decided I would do roasted veggies for dinner. I picked up some acorn squash, sweet potatoes, turnips and onion. I'm really feeling the sweet stuff lately.
I got home and since I'm flying solo tonight as hubby is working a long mid, I didn't feel like cooking, so it was a peach (OMG it was such a delicious peach), a banana, a wheat english muffin with peanut butter and a giant glass of orange juice. After cozying in and watching a chick flick on tv I finally decided to satisfy my fall veggie craving.
I got home and since I'm flying solo tonight as hubby is working a long mid, I didn't feel like cooking, so it was a peach (OMG it was such a delicious peach), a banana, a wheat english muffin with peanut butter and a giant glass of orange juice. After cozying in and watching a chick flick on tv I finally decided to satisfy my fall veggie craving.
I need to figure out why my phone pics look great on my computer but terrible on my blog :( In the meantime let me assure you, this not only looked delicious, but tasted just as good!
Sara's Roasted Roots
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 turnip roots, peeled and chopped
1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeded, and sliced into wedges
olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper
1/2 white onion
walnuts
Stir to coat 1st 4 ingredients and roast in a 450 degree oven, turning after about 15 minutes, and then every 5 after that, until desired darkness and tenderness. When satisfied, transfer root veggies to a bowl. Place onions on sheet to roast for about 10 minutes. Then toast walnuts on the hot sheet for 5 minutes. Toss all roasted ingredients with some honey balsamic vinegar and enjoy!
The veggies caramelize and sweeten up with the heat, even the turnip. I almost feel like it's desert because it was so delicious. Now it's time to catch up on my water since I've not drank nearly enough of it today (I hate having to pee every 15 minutes at work. Although I'm not overwhelmingly thrilled with waking up 4 times a night to pee either, I'll take that alternative over the other.
Baby liked something I ate tonight (or didn't like, I'm not sure how to tell which it is, really) because after I finished eating and I was relaxing on the couch again, I could feel her moving around. For kicks I lifted my shirt over my already huge at 23 weeks belly, and I could SEE her movement for the first time! Wild!! And exciting! And now it's time to go lay down and stare at the belly some more, Goodnight!! :)
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday Supper
It is looking like Tampa might host a tropical storm this coming weekend, and though we will be in Cleveland Fri - Sun for a wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to stock up with some food just in case we get stuck here. We don't really need all canned stuff because we are lucky enough to have a generator in case we lose power. But I still want to have a lot of protein around the house, being pregnant and all. We have a few 5 gallon jugs of water on hand at all times so we're all good there. Lots of cans of beans and beef jerky. Nuts, dried fruit, and "healthier" chips and snacky things. Of course protein bars which are a staple in my diet. I love the Atkins ones, the Zone bars, and I'm currently eating my way through some Snackwells and some crunchy Cliff bars that were on sale and they're pretty good.
I also decided to be a good wife and make dinner instead of the Publix sub that I am really craving. I got my new Cooking Light magazine in the mail yesterday. After I browsed the first few pages and everything looked good, I decided to open to a random page and cook the closest recipe. Ended up making
Baja Pork Stir Fry
It was quite delicious! Unfortunately I somehow forgot a red onion at the store, which is odd because I lovelovelove onions. But I added a whole jalapeno instead of half, and about a cup of extra green red and yellow peppers to sub the onion. Besides that I followed it to a tee.
I also decided to be a good wife and make dinner instead of the Publix sub that I am really craving. I got my new Cooking Light magazine in the mail yesterday. After I browsed the first few pages and everything looked good, I decided to open to a random page and cook the closest recipe. Ended up making
Baja Pork Stir Fry
It was quite delicious! Unfortunately I somehow forgot a red onion at the store, which is odd because I lovelovelove onions. But I added a whole jalapeno instead of half, and about a cup of extra green red and yellow peppers to sub the onion. Besides that I followed it to a tee.
poor cell phone shot
My plate! Yum yum.
I'll make some brown rice for the husband to have with it, or I'll just have him bring a serving home with him from work tonight if he calls before he leaves.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 4th Eats
I know July 4th was 3 weeks ago, but technically it's still July so I can still blog about it.
This is just a quick review post to catch up on some pics I have been trying to post lately but haven't had the patience for downloading. (or is it uploading?) I always get a little confused about that. Like air conditioning. If you want the room to get colder do you turn it up or down? I'm a North Country girl at heart so I'm more used to heating a home rather than cooling one. So in the north when it's cold and I want the heat to work harder, I "turn it up", but FL is opposite land and if I want the AC to work harder I "turn it down". Am I the only one who has to think about this every time? It's a weird block in my brain, especially since I've lived in Tampa for 10 years and have only used the heat about 10 times. OK now that I type this out I realize it makes me sound a little nutso. Whoops.
Well speaking of heat and cooling off in FL (at least for transitional purposes here) July 4th has come and gone yet again. My first July 4th as a pregnant girl, and my last without a human that I created actually breathing in the world. I am still caring for the said creation now, in the form of a fetus (I believe it became official this first week of July, from embryo to fetus!) and what I'm calling this little miracle is "baby" because I'm not sure of the sex yet and I don't care for "it", "him or her" just sounds too long winded and politically correct, and "fetus" sounds too medical. So this July 4th "baby" had a burger. With onion, tomato and spinach. With tater tots (those were the husbands request but turns out baby loved them and wanted seconds). Also this year, like every other, I also served my favorite summertime treat ever since I was a baby growing up in the North Country. Garden fresh zucchini sauteed with garlic, olive oil, oregano, red onion and tomato. Summertime heaven!
This is just a quick review post to catch up on some pics I have been trying to post lately but haven't had the patience for downloading. (or is it uploading?) I always get a little confused about that. Like air conditioning. If you want the room to get colder do you turn it up or down? I'm a North Country girl at heart so I'm more used to heating a home rather than cooling one. So in the north when it's cold and I want the heat to work harder, I "turn it up", but FL is opposite land and if I want the AC to work harder I "turn it down". Am I the only one who has to think about this every time? It's a weird block in my brain, especially since I've lived in Tampa for 10 years and have only used the heat about 10 times. OK now that I type this out I realize it makes me sound a little nutso. Whoops.
Well speaking of heat and cooling off in FL (at least for transitional purposes here) July 4th has come and gone yet again. My first July 4th as a pregnant girl, and my last without a human that I created actually breathing in the world. I am still caring for the said creation now, in the form of a fetus (I believe it became official this first week of July, from embryo to fetus!) and what I'm calling this little miracle is "baby" because I'm not sure of the sex yet and I don't care for "it", "him or her" just sounds too long winded and politically correct, and "fetus" sounds too medical. So this July 4th "baby" had a burger. With onion, tomato and spinach. With tater tots (those were the husbands request but turns out baby loved them and wanted seconds). Also this year, like every other, I also served my favorite summertime treat ever since I was a baby growing up in the North Country. Garden fresh zucchini sauteed with garlic, olive oil, oregano, red onion and tomato. Summertime heaven!
Sunday Funday!
Happy Sunday everyone!!! I'm waking up rejuvenated today. Despite the pain in my back every time I put pressure on my right foot, I'm feeling very good as of late! I'm working a full 36 hours, getting some stuff done around the homestead, and feeding the belly some healthy food. Belly is growing nicely and I can't believe that even being up 8 lbs since the BFP, I'm still 15 lbs less than this time last year. Last night I worked until 10:30pm and came home and instead of catching up on the previous nights Letterman and playing on the computer for a few hours, I went directly to bed. Especially nice since the husband was there. (Lots of Saturday nights he's still at work until 3am.... ahh the life of a restaurant couple!!) but this week he is working days. So this morning when he got ready for work we were both rested and I was happy to get a chance to wake up and catch up with him instead of fighting the sleep because our schedules are opposite and I have just started REM sleep before I go in for my opposing shift. If I ever get sad to think about me leaving my job of the past 8 1/2 years (which I honestly do, it's seriously been good to me) it helps to think of a life with the possibility of moderate normalcy in my future, at least schedule wise . . .
Today baby via belly is enjoying fat free vanilla Chiobani with honey and fresh blueberries and strawberries.
Today baby via belly is enjoying fat free vanilla Chiobani with honey and fresh blueberries and strawberries.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Mother Earth and Chocolate!
2 things are going on here. First, Earth Day is coming up again on April 22nd. Second my friend Carolyn is in the middle of a torrid love affair with chocolate. Carolyn is vegan and very healthy and chooses what she eats wisely and I would always trust her opinion of flavors and brands that are delicious and can make you feel good in your heart as well as your taste buds. So far she has inspired me to work my way up the scale of the percentages of cocoa in my favorite chocolates. I've also been inspired by reading that dark chocolate has many health benefits which include increasing serotonin and lowering blood pressure.
**On a side note, obviously these benefits are when it is eaten in moderation and since I've become the new and improved me I pay attention to serving sizes now before I begin to eat anything, so I'm sure to only eat one serving per day of these little bites of heaven (which usually equates to 1/3 of a bar).
So anyway, I used to eat milk chocolate and think it was where it was at but now I am up to extra dark with 85% cocoa in my Godiva and Lindt that I buy when I'm shopping for essentials at CVS drugstore (seriously, a drugstore with this kind of selection of quality chocolates, just what the Dr ordered!). Also, I buy my meats and produce from an amazingly awesome local Italian grocery Cacciatore Brothers and they have a super yummy bittersweet bar made by Perugina that I enjoy often.
Forward to how Earth Day and Carolyn's affair correlate. In honor of Earth Day Carolyn is hosting a contest to give away some of one of her fave chocolates, Endangered Species Chocolate, since they contribute part of their profits to habitat conservation. And I'm definitely not passing up a chance to enjoy the awesomeness of free chocolate, and helping out Mother Earth at the same time. She loves them and they found out and sent her samples that she is sharing with a lucky contestant. Score!
All I have to do to enter the awesome contest is tell her on her blog what I'm going to do for Earth Day April 22 (start a compost), comment on their blog which I happily did where they gave suggestions of different chocolates to try with different beers and one of the beers they mention is Stone which is one of my all time faves! Oh and I follow them on Twitter now, yay! So blog followers, keep your fingers crossed for me because we can always use some extra serotonin!
**On a side note, obviously these benefits are when it is eaten in moderation and since I've become the new and improved me I pay attention to serving sizes now before I begin to eat anything, so I'm sure to only eat one serving per day of these little bites of heaven (which usually equates to 1/3 of a bar).
So anyway, I used to eat milk chocolate and think it was where it was at but now I am up to extra dark with 85% cocoa in my Godiva and Lindt that I buy when I'm shopping for essentials at CVS drugstore (seriously, a drugstore with this kind of selection of quality chocolates, just what the Dr ordered!). Also, I buy my meats and produce from an amazingly awesome local Italian grocery Cacciatore Brothers and they have a super yummy bittersweet bar made by Perugina that I enjoy often.
Forward to how Earth Day and Carolyn's affair correlate. In honor of Earth Day Carolyn is hosting a contest to give away some of one of her fave chocolates, Endangered Species Chocolate, since they contribute part of their profits to habitat conservation. And I'm definitely not passing up a chance to enjoy the awesomeness of free chocolate, and helping out Mother Earth at the same time. She loves them and they found out and sent her samples that she is sharing with a lucky contestant. Score!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Breakfast
I have a lot of blogging to catch up on.
1.) The dreaded re pipe of the Money Pit house
2.) The follow up to my Beginner MTB skills class where I advanced to a B class rider!!
3.) The most delicious dinner I've ever made, Mexican Chicken Casserole, from Cooking Light
For now though, I just want to say I just had the best healthy breakfast ever! I added a square of 85% cocoa Godiva chocolate to my oatmeal when it was cooking. Then I topped it with fresh strawberries, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and flax seed. YUM! I am ready for a 3m run in the neighborhood!
1.) The dreaded re pipe of the Money Pit house
2.) The follow up to my Beginner MTB skills class where I advanced to a B class rider!!
3.) The most delicious dinner I've ever made, Mexican Chicken Casserole, from Cooking Light
For now though, I just want to say I just had the best healthy breakfast ever! I added a square of 85% cocoa Godiva chocolate to my oatmeal when it was cooking. Then I topped it with fresh strawberries, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and flax seed. YUM! I am ready for a 3m run in the neighborhood!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday Funday!
While most average American worker bees have a distaste for Monday, Monday Funday is usually my day off and I like it! It's a good day to catch up on banking, shopping and errands. It's a good day to spend some time around the house. There are 2 great classes at the gym that evening. And nothing you eat contains any calories on Monday. (well OK, that part is not true, but I digress)
It has been a fun week and I have missed the boat on blogging about all of it! On Wednesday I had my transition meeting at Dr Garcia's and found out that my new maintenance plan is going to be The Zone Diet. Easy enough. I just need to learn to find the time to eat more often than I normally do in order to stay in "the zone" which from what I understand means your glycemic index is at just the right level to naturally mimic the effects of aspirin. So while I was reading the many handouts they so graciously handed me to help me figure out how to stay so gorgeous and slim, I had a plumber come by to give us a quote on our leaky water heater (we have an unintentional heated tile floor in the kitchen). Come to find out we have galvanized plumbing that is 43 years old and we need to re pipe the entire house. This quote was for 5,900, without permits. Needless to say, after that I needed to see some good people and have a good time. So I took a power nap, and that evening I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Lauryn Hill concert at The Ritz with my friends Lisa and Carolyn. We all met up at The Bricks in Ybor and had delicious food and great conversation before the show. We rocked out to the opening DJ playing hip hop hits from East Coast to West for about an hour and a half. Then L-Boogie took the stage and it was a great vibe from the crowd. She put on a good show, despite the sound problems and the big baggy clothes she seemed to be hiding under. Lisa Carolyn and I cut it up and had a blast! Maybe we had a little too much fun because I was regretting the extra glass (plastic cup) of wine the next morning, but it was worth it!
Thursday and Friday were a mixture of work and relaxation/recuperation. I also got to check out one of my nephew's baseball games. He is the only freshman playing on the varsity team at Alonso HS. I've been told he is only the 3rd freshman to play on varsity since the school was founded in 2001. My nephew Wyatt Reid is Something Special and has been my idol since he was born. Watching him grow up and become such a respectful young man has been one of the happiest parts of my life. (BTW, the game I got to see on Friday ended 11-2 good guys:)
Saturday I used my Groupon to go to the beach and enjoy kayak + yoga = kayoga with Carolyn, Jena, and Jenny. For lack of a cooler word here, it was awesome!!! The paddle from Tierra Verde was the toughest paddle I remember doing, mainly because I could just not master the art of a strait line. (I'll blaming it on the particular vessel and current, not the paddler, naturally, but if I'd paused from paddling for just a moment to adjust my sunglasses my boat would do a strange 180 degree rotation). But I was there for a workout so I wasn't disappointed. There were lots of fish and stingrays and birds and the weather was perfect for being on the water. The destination was Shell Key. I enjoyed a ferry trip there in 1994 when I traveled from the snowy north to the sunshiny south for spring break. It was beautiful to see that little has changed in the 16 years it's been. The island is only accessible by boat. It boasts excellent overnight camping sites, and an ideal place to day trip and collect large lovely shells. It is a beautiful place to practice yoga, and while we were in warrior 1 position we even had a visit from a friendly manatee! I loved the trip and I wish I could afford to go every single week of my life.
Sunday was back to work and Monday is "prepare the house for the plumbers visit" day. I have cleaned out under all the sinks and scrubbed the bathtubs and toilets so when they are busting up the walls they know what a wonderful housekeeper I am. We will have 2 plumbers here, who I happen to have known through work for many years, over for 3-4 days to re pipe. (and by the way, this much more awesome plumbing company will only be charging us 3,299 including permits and tax!!!) So not the end of the world. This venture is making us one step closer to really "making the house ours". There will be 10 holes in the wall to patch afterwards so I will take advantage of this opportunity to replace the ugly towel hangers in the bathrooms. I've been procrastinating that project and also painting the rooms since that will require filling in the holes first. Now I will do it. Bright sides. Focus on the positives! (sometimes it requires a little more effort than others).
This week will be busy, as I have had to pick up a couple of extra shifts to help pay for this debacle. So the blogging may slow down. (Ha, I'm the slowest blogger ever already.) So in the meantime I will leave you with some shots of some of my Zone Diet friendly snacks I've been having lately. Wait for it.... OK!
It has been a fun week and I have missed the boat on blogging about all of it! On Wednesday I had my transition meeting at Dr Garcia's and found out that my new maintenance plan is going to be The Zone Diet. Easy enough. I just need to learn to find the time to eat more often than I normally do in order to stay in "the zone" which from what I understand means your glycemic index is at just the right level to naturally mimic the effects of aspirin. So while I was reading the many handouts they so graciously handed me to help me figure out how to stay so gorgeous and slim, I had a plumber come by to give us a quote on our leaky water heater (we have an unintentional heated tile floor in the kitchen). Come to find out we have galvanized plumbing that is 43 years old and we need to re pipe the entire house. This quote was for 5,900, without permits. Needless to say, after that I needed to see some good people and have a good time. So I took a power nap, and that evening I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Lauryn Hill concert at The Ritz with my friends Lisa and Carolyn. We all met up at The Bricks in Ybor and had delicious food and great conversation before the show. We rocked out to the opening DJ playing hip hop hits from East Coast to West for about an hour and a half. Then L-Boogie took the stage and it was a great vibe from the crowd. She put on a good show, despite the sound problems and the big baggy clothes she seemed to be hiding under. Lisa Carolyn and I cut it up and had a blast! Maybe we had a little too much fun because I was regretting the extra glass (plastic cup) of wine the next morning, but it was worth it!
Thursday and Friday were a mixture of work and relaxation/recuperation. I also got to check out one of my nephew's baseball games. He is the only freshman playing on the varsity team at Alonso HS. I've been told he is only the 3rd freshman to play on varsity since the school was founded in 2001. My nephew Wyatt Reid is Something Special and has been my idol since he was born. Watching him grow up and become such a respectful young man has been one of the happiest parts of my life. (BTW, the game I got to see on Friday ended 11-2 good guys:)
Saturday I used my Groupon to go to the beach and enjoy kayak + yoga = kayoga with Carolyn, Jena, and Jenny. For lack of a cooler word here, it was awesome!!! The paddle from Tierra Verde was the toughest paddle I remember doing, mainly because I could just not master the art of a strait line. (I'll blaming it on the particular vessel and current, not the paddler, naturally, but if I'd paused from paddling for just a moment to adjust my sunglasses my boat would do a strange 180 degree rotation). But I was there for a workout so I wasn't disappointed. There were lots of fish and stingrays and birds and the weather was perfect for being on the water. The destination was Shell Key. I enjoyed a ferry trip there in 1994 when I traveled from the snowy north to the sunshiny south for spring break. It was beautiful to see that little has changed in the 16 years it's been. The island is only accessible by boat. It boasts excellent overnight camping sites, and an ideal place to day trip and collect large lovely shells. It is a beautiful place to practice yoga, and while we were in warrior 1 position we even had a visit from a friendly manatee! I loved the trip and I wish I could afford to go every single week of my life.
Sunday was back to work and Monday is "prepare the house for the plumbers visit" day. I have cleaned out under all the sinks and scrubbed the bathtubs and toilets so when they are busting up the walls they know what a wonderful housekeeper I am. We will have 2 plumbers here, who I happen to have known through work for many years, over for 3-4 days to re pipe. (and by the way, this much more awesome plumbing company will only be charging us 3,299 including permits and tax!!!) So not the end of the world. This venture is making us one step closer to really "making the house ours". There will be 10 holes in the wall to patch afterwards so I will take advantage of this opportunity to replace the ugly towel hangers in the bathrooms. I've been procrastinating that project and also painting the rooms since that will require filling in the holes first. Now I will do it. Bright sides. Focus on the positives! (sometimes it requires a little more effort than others).
This week will be busy, as I have had to pick up a couple of extra shifts to help pay for this debacle. So the blogging may slow down. (Ha, I'm the slowest blogger ever already.) So in the meantime I will leave you with some shots of some of my Zone Diet friendly snacks I've been having lately. Wait for it.... OK!
Hummus, endive and Wasa cracker
Chickpea and cabbage salad with tuna and veggies
Nonfat vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt with honey, blueberries and strawberries
Whew, that was enough to make me want to skip the gym and hit the kitchen to do some more healthy cooking, and since it is raining buckets right now, I think I might do that exactly! I have some chipotle in adobo begging me to use it up! Maybe I'll take a picture... :) Thanks for reading and Have a great week!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Laundry Day
This is going to be a very boring post. I don't have any exciting news. No pictures here. (although, I have a very cute photo op next to me that includes Pekingese face)
This is me airing my in-my-head dirty laundry while I'm between loads of real life dirty clothes laundry on this beautiful sunny Saturday. This post is just a journal entry in my food battle I suppose. Because I'm feeling anxiety right now. I'm just beginning to enter the "maintenance" stage of life reguarding my diet. I no longer need to lose weight on the scale to feel good, I have a 3 pound buffer. I have a meeting with my new long term nutritionist on Wed the 23rd and until then I'm still following the protein and carb plan, not yet adding starches, nuts and what not (what nut?). But now I'm "weening" back in by adding new veggies like black beans and tomatos, and for protein I am adding Greek yogurt (YUM) and soy burgers!! (which sounds exciting but I've yet to bother with them because my chicken , turkey and eggs have become so routine and I can forsee a regular burger without a bun, but a soy burger? C'mon, this particular patty needs a vessle)
I've been doing diligint for 6 weeks now, and I feel SO.MUCH. better in every aspect of my life. I have more energy. My belly issues are a thing of the past. I am stronger. My CLOTHES fit better. I am getting comments 10x's a day about how great I look. I am getting things done that I have been procrastinating for years (floorboards are looking good!) All of these things give me 2 results. They actually do make me realize how "not great" I was looking / feeling prior to this change. And they all motivate me to stay this way. But I have a few obstacles to get through before I'm certain I have this in me long term. Tomorrow we are going to brunch. At Oystercatchers. All you can eat, all you can drink Mimosas, champagne and Bloody Marys. I love me some Mimosas. Seriously. The old me could go tomorrow and drink 6 of them. I'm not a huge splurge-for-breakfast person but come Sunday brunch I do love "the waffle". Brunch buffet to me means 6 Mimosas, 2 enormous plates of peel and eat shrimp, and a gigantic waffle with strawberries and cream. Tomorrow it means control. I will leave out the orange juice and have just champagne. 2 glasses. (Maybe 3...I do have to get my $46 worth after all, and we are celebrating the hubbys birthday so I see many toasts to him because I love the man and he deserves a few toasts; he works his ass off, and he has been so good and supportive of me. Even when I was looking frumpy and feeling down he still loved me). I will have an egg white veggie omelette, and 5 ounces of peel and eat shrimp. I've been weighing my food for 6 weeks already so I've got a good concept now of what an ounce looks like to the hungry eye. I will skip the waffle. If this were next week I would fit in a waffle. But I'm not there yet and I'm going to do this right. I cheated last week with the Wasa crackers (and lots and lots of extra protein and veggie servings) and last week I gained 4 ounces. Not the end of the world, but a reminder. Weight happens. If I were to gain 4 ounces a week every week for a year, this time next year I am up 12 pounds. My clothes don't fit again, and so on and so forth.
That leads me to my next problemo. I only gained 4 onces while cheating because I worked out intensely for 4 1/2 hours that week. My body needed the extra protein to sustain my workouts. Also, the gain was likely muscle, because while I gained the ounces, I still lost 1% body fat in the same week. The extra protein I added was strategic. It was pre and post workout, and I was attempting to turn it into muscle. So even though the scale went up, I considered it a successful week. (BTW, my weeks are Wed-Tues). I reached my goal of maximum acceptable body fat... 25%!!! But I reached this because I exercised my ass off (pun intended).
This week I am sticking to the diet, but I have worked out ZIP. I skipped my 2 hours on Wed because the Oak pollen is killing me and I am borderline miserable with the allergies. I don't want to cross that line and feel full blown sick. Thurs, Fri and Saturday are work nights. See the post below where I whine about my work routine. Sunday when I usually go to the gym... buffet day. (insert dramatic music of your choice here). Monday I will hopefully resume my healthy exercise habits, but it is Brian's birthday and it is his choice of what we do. I'm betting he'll want to hop on the MTB trail at some point, but I wonder if he remembers what I told him last year about the holiday his birthday shares a date with . Hmm that could potentially involve muscle building. But that's another blog entirely ;)
Wow, would you look at that time fly! I have a load of whites to put in and darks to fold! Happy Friday my 12 blog readers! (It's Saturday for you normal folks, but for me with my funky service industry lifestyle, it is TGIF!!) Yeay baby!
This is me airing my in-my-head dirty laundry while I'm between loads of real life dirty clothes laundry on this beautiful sunny Saturday. This post is just a journal entry in my food battle I suppose. Because I'm feeling anxiety right now. I'm just beginning to enter the "maintenance" stage of life reguarding my diet. I no longer need to lose weight on the scale to feel good, I have a 3 pound buffer. I have a meeting with my new long term nutritionist on Wed the 23rd and until then I'm still following the protein and carb plan, not yet adding starches, nuts and what not (what nut?). But now I'm "weening" back in by adding new veggies like black beans and tomatos, and for protein I am adding Greek yogurt (YUM) and soy burgers!! (which sounds exciting but I've yet to bother with them because my chicken , turkey and eggs have become so routine and I can forsee a regular burger without a bun, but a soy burger? C'mon, this particular patty needs a vessle)
I've been doing diligint for 6 weeks now, and I feel SO.MUCH. better in every aspect of my life. I have more energy. My belly issues are a thing of the past. I am stronger. My CLOTHES fit better. I am getting comments 10x's a day about how great I look. I am getting things done that I have been procrastinating for years (floorboards are looking good!) All of these things give me 2 results. They actually do make me realize how "not great" I was looking / feeling prior to this change. And they all motivate me to stay this way. But I have a few obstacles to get through before I'm certain I have this in me long term. Tomorrow we are going to brunch. At Oystercatchers. All you can eat, all you can drink Mimosas, champagne and Bloody Marys. I love me some Mimosas. Seriously. The old me could go tomorrow and drink 6 of them. I'm not a huge splurge-for-breakfast person but come Sunday brunch I do love "the waffle". Brunch buffet to me means 6 Mimosas, 2 enormous plates of peel and eat shrimp, and a gigantic waffle with strawberries and cream. Tomorrow it means control. I will leave out the orange juice and have just champagne. 2 glasses. (Maybe 3...I do have to get my $46 worth after all, and we are celebrating the hubbys birthday so I see many toasts to him because I love the man and he deserves a few toasts; he works his ass off, and he has been so good and supportive of me. Even when I was looking frumpy and feeling down he still loved me). I will have an egg white veggie omelette, and 5 ounces of peel and eat shrimp. I've been weighing my food for 6 weeks already so I've got a good concept now of what an ounce looks like to the hungry eye. I will skip the waffle. If this were next week I would fit in a waffle. But I'm not there yet and I'm going to do this right. I cheated last week with the Wasa crackers (and lots and lots of extra protein and veggie servings) and last week I gained 4 ounces. Not the end of the world, but a reminder. Weight happens. If I were to gain 4 ounces a week every week for a year, this time next year I am up 12 pounds. My clothes don't fit again, and so on and so forth.
That leads me to my next problemo. I only gained 4 onces while cheating because I worked out intensely for 4 1/2 hours that week. My body needed the extra protein to sustain my workouts. Also, the gain was likely muscle, because while I gained the ounces, I still lost 1% body fat in the same week. The extra protein I added was strategic. It was pre and post workout, and I was attempting to turn it into muscle. So even though the scale went up, I considered it a successful week. (BTW, my weeks are Wed-Tues). I reached my goal of maximum acceptable body fat... 25%!!! But I reached this because I exercised my ass off (pun intended).
This week I am sticking to the diet, but I have worked out ZIP. I skipped my 2 hours on Wed because the Oak pollen is killing me and I am borderline miserable with the allergies. I don't want to cross that line and feel full blown sick. Thurs, Fri and Saturday are work nights. See the post below where I whine about my work routine. Sunday when I usually go to the gym... buffet day. (insert dramatic music of your choice here). Monday I will hopefully resume my healthy exercise habits, but it is Brian's birthday and it is his choice of what we do. I'm betting he'll want to hop on the MTB trail at some point, but I wonder if he remembers what I told him last year about the holiday his birthday shares a date with . Hmm that could potentially involve muscle building. But that's another blog entirely ;)
Wow, would you look at that time fly! I have a load of whites to put in and darks to fold! Happy Friday my 12 blog readers! (It's Saturday for you normal folks, but for me with my funky service industry lifestyle, it is TGIF!!) Yeay baby!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)