Yoga this morning. Shiva Rea Lunar Flow. 40 minutes of various vinyasas. I should have eaten a little before I started, since towards the end I was wobbly. Now I'm eating an oatmeal muffin. It is the Lynne's Muffin from Laurel's Kitchen. You soak the oats in buttermilk overnight. I ended up soaking them for a few days, and forgot to add raisins or sunflower seeds. And I'm having an apple that I picked a few weeks ago during an Apple Picking Trip. They have been stored in my unheated mud room, where my onions and potatoes live and are quite happy.
That's all I think. I have to get the clothes off the line.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
When in Doubt - Roll it Out (Your Yoga Mat, That Is!)
Went to yoga again last night. Work is not my favorite thing these days - I keep feeling like I should be doing something other than what I am doing, and the twitch that was in one eye is now in both eyes so I figured some Lunar Flow/Yin yoga would be good. And it was. There were only 3 of us in the class, so we got lots of hands-on assists with the postures which I really like, even she had me drop down a little further in chair pose, or utkatasana. Your mind gets a little clearer when your quads are saying "hey, remember me?"
The Yin part of it was poses held for a minute or more. And you are relaxed into the pose so that your muscles can fully relax and stretch. It wasn't a strenuous, painful stretch, but finding your edge and holding it there and breathing. Then after a while of that, we moved to the Lunar Flow which was slowly flowing between poses, holding the poses for a breath or two or three. She helped us work on our alignment which is something I miss when I practice at home.
As we were lying in Savasana, the thought ran through my head "let's see, class is over at 6:45, then I'll go to the dining hall for dinner which ends at 7:30." My mind thought I was back at Kripalu for a moment, and when I realized that I was not there and would actually not be going down the hall for dinner, I got a little sad.
I bought a ten class card, so I will be going back again. The studio is warm and peaceful, and so far the instructors I've had have been quite good. And class ended with Om and Namaste, which I always like.
The Yin part of it was poses held for a minute or more. And you are relaxed into the pose so that your muscles can fully relax and stretch. It wasn't a strenuous, painful stretch, but finding your edge and holding it there and breathing. Then after a while of that, we moved to the Lunar Flow which was slowly flowing between poses, holding the poses for a breath or two or three. She helped us work on our alignment which is something I miss when I practice at home.
As we were lying in Savasana, the thought ran through my head "let's see, class is over at 6:45, then I'll go to the dining hall for dinner which ends at 7:30." My mind thought I was back at Kripalu for a moment, and when I realized that I was not there and would actually not be going down the hall for dinner, I got a little sad.
I bought a ten class card, so I will be going back again. The studio is warm and peaceful, and so far the instructors I've had have been quite good. And class ended with Om and Namaste, which I always like.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Kale, Egg and Tofu Dinner
Last night's dinner was a mix of things from the freezer and the fridge. It started with a chopped up bunch of frozen kale. I stocked up on this stuff over the summer at the farm stand, and will hopefully be able to get a few more bunches before they close for the season. I like the flat leaf kind the best, then the dinosaur kale, then the curly kind. I take it home and peel it off the stalks, and then put it in a zip lock bag and freeze it. I don't blanch it or anything, and it seems to work out fine.
Then some tofu was pressed and fried with some rice (I cook a big batch of rice over the weekend and then eat it all week).
The kale was added after the tofu was a little brown, then I sprinkled on some hot sesame oil (which I couldn't really taste) and a little teriyaki sauce and then added an egg at the end and dotted it with some sriracha sauce.
The tofu did not have much flavor, since I didn't marinate it in anything and the bit of bacon fat I added to the pan didn't flavor it either. But, it tasted fine and the texture was good.
Then some tofu was pressed and fried with some rice (I cook a big batch of rice over the weekend and then eat it all week).
The kale was added after the tofu was a little brown, then I sprinkled on some hot sesame oil (which I couldn't really taste) and a little teriyaki sauce and then added an egg at the end and dotted it with some sriracha sauce.
The tofu did not have much flavor, since I didn't marinate it in anything and the bit of bacon fat I added to the pan didn't flavor it either. But, it tasted fine and the texture was good.
Late Lunch
Lunch was a odd meal today. I was rushing in the morning, and had eaten a lot of rice over the weekend so I wanted something else. I settled for a Trader Joe's chicken chili buger, and some blue and red potatoes that I had roasted over the weekend. The potatoes are from the organic farm nearby. I have been stocking up on them ($2.00 per pound) for the winter and have them hanging in bags in an unheated hallway so they will be happy for months to come.
Restorative Yoga
I went to Restorative Yoga class last night. That is the kind of yoga in which you are supported by bolsters, pillows, blankets and other props so that you can fully relax into the poses. What I found was that as my body become completely relaxed and my mind did not have to think about holding a pose - my heart opened more. I kept finding that my eyes were tearing up, and occasionally a tear would roll down my face. It was not disconcerting, I've been in yoga classes before where someone has started openly weeping, but it was interesting. I think it was so quiet and still that whatever had been wandering around in there finally had a chance to come out.
After Yoga it was Taco Night at the Boy's house. Ground beef and venison in a spicy sauce, wrapped up in a tortilla with crisp lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Yum!
This morning's breakfast was another muffin with butter. I think I should have had an egg or two with it, since I'm a little hungry now.
Lunch report later.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Breakfast
These muffins are the Lynne's Muffins from Laurel's Kitchen. They are oatmeal, buttermilk, honey and sunflower seed muffins. Topped with butter that I made yesterday, honey from the organic farm, and a few grains of pink Hawaiian Sea Salt.
I've been researching chickens on BackYardChickens.com . I've already figured out that I can have up to 15 without having to get a permit, but I will probably have 4 -6. I'm figuring out how to make a strong, safe coop and run for them and was checking out the coop at the organic farm. Theirs was much bigger and had about 25 chickens which all came out cooing when we went to check them out.
I figure I have until February to build the coop, since that is generally when chickens are ordered.
Same Blog, Different (slightly) Subject
If you subscribed to this blog back when it was a "weight loss" blog, you should know that I won't be posting about weight anymore. This blog's focus has changed to more of local eating and cooking blog, but I left most of the old posts since they were about food and cooking.
Posts will be more along the lines of local eating, cooking from scratch and when spring rolls around, the chickens that I will be getting.
Hope you enjoy it!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A Return to the Kitchen
I've returned to the kitchen. The last few weeks (2 months) have again been riddled with the worst anxiety I've ever known. I am hoping it is under control now. And when you are dealing with adrenaline coursing through your veins, or where ever it courses, almost constantly, the last thing in the world that matters is how much you weigh. I would have taken 30 extra pounds to have felt better. A side affect of all that anxiety was a complete aversion to food until I had to eat for fear of passing out - at which point I would try to eat something dense in calories like pizza or bread and butter. There was about a week where I was eating nothing until dinner, and even then I was only getting about 800 calories. And I didn't eat a I wasn't cooking, I wasn't preparing lunches, food was a chore, something to be choked down to keep me going.
So, my weight loss has remained steady, maybe down a few pounds. My exercise has mostly been walks with the dog, in between thunder and lightening storms. (We are waiting for one to end now so we can head out.) The dog hates thunder, so she and I have been on a steady dose of Rescue Remedy. I spray it in her water, and put it in mine.
But today I bought groceries, and cooked them and ate them! I bought kale and froze it since it seems to wilt quickly, and cucumbers, zucchini, purslane which has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other vegetable, and chicken and bacon and yogurt. I got all the vegetables at the organic farm for $10.00. What a bargain.
These are the lovely pot stickers I made tonight:
The insides are ground turkey, ginger, garlic, egg whites, soy sauce, hot sesame oil, finely shredded napa cabbage (I used the food processor) and a few leaves of kale finely shredded. Broccoli minced in the food processor would be good, too. I got the little pot sticker maker in my stocking when I was young. I thought it was kind of odd at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best presents ever.
Here they are waiting to be put in the pan. The batch makes a lot. More than I can eat at once, so the rest I make and freeze on parchment paper, and then I put them in a zip-lock bag. They can made cooked from frozen, so they are a very easy, fast and healthy meal. And very fun to make.
Here they are sticking to the pan. First they are cooked with a little oil to get brown, then you throw in a 1/2 cup water and put the lid on so they can steam and cook for about 10 minutes, then you remove the lid to let the water all cook off. I just drizzle a little soy sauce on them, but I suppose you could make some sort of fancy dip.
They are one of my favorite meals. Other than the fajitas. But thinking about it, they are pretty similar to the fajita in that they are a meal all wrapped up in some sort of flour based container. And they have kale in them.
So, my weight loss has remained steady, maybe down a few pounds. My exercise has mostly been walks with the dog, in between thunder and lightening storms. (We are waiting for one to end now so we can head out.) The dog hates thunder, so she and I have been on a steady dose of Rescue Remedy. I spray it in her water, and put it in mine.
But today I bought groceries, and cooked them and ate them! I bought kale and froze it since it seems to wilt quickly, and cucumbers, zucchini, purslane which has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other vegetable, and chicken and bacon and yogurt. I got all the vegetables at the organic farm for $10.00. What a bargain.
These are the lovely pot stickers I made tonight:
The insides are ground turkey, ginger, garlic, egg whites, soy sauce, hot sesame oil, finely shredded napa cabbage (I used the food processor) and a few leaves of kale finely shredded. Broccoli minced in the food processor would be good, too. I got the little pot sticker maker in my stocking when I was young. I thought it was kind of odd at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best presents ever.
Here they are waiting to be put in the pan. The batch makes a lot. More than I can eat at once, so the rest I make and freeze on parchment paper, and then I put them in a zip-lock bag. They can made cooked from frozen, so they are a very easy, fast and healthy meal. And very fun to make.
Here they are sticking to the pan. First they are cooked with a little oil to get brown, then you throw in a 1/2 cup water and put the lid on so they can steam and cook for about 10 minutes, then you remove the lid to let the water all cook off. I just drizzle a little soy sauce on them, but I suppose you could make some sort of fancy dip.
They are one of my favorite meals. Other than the fajitas. But thinking about it, they are pretty similar to the fajita in that they are a meal all wrapped up in some sort of flour based container. And they have kale in them. I have a feeling the dog and I will be walking in the rain tonight. But there are worse things than rain.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
What I've Been Up To
- Swimming on Saturday. Biked about 8 minutes to the beach and had a lovely swim.
- Walking and trying to Swim on Sunday. Walked about 20 minutes to a different beach with the family, more waves and wind so not as much swimming.
- Trying (and I believe succeeding) to get anxiety under control. That sort of made whatever shape my body was in sort of irrelevant, which was why I haven't been blogging. I've maintained my weight loss so far, but just not lost anymore.
- Meditating on a semi-regular basis.
- Being very busy at work.
I haven't kayaked this year yet, which is something on my list. And I haven't hiked yet. But I am working on my internal fitness as well as my external, and I have definitely been climbing some very high mountains in my mind!
Alright, off to do my morning pages and to sit for a bit.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Flying Bobs and Green Eggs
I went to the carnival last night with the boyfriend and his daughter. She and I went on the Flying Bobs which was one of my favorite rides when I was younger. It was SO MUCH FUN!! And much faster and scarier than I remember. The only downside is that I have felt sick to my stomach since then. But it was still worth it. It felt like we were going to go flying off into space.We walked down there, about a 10 or 15 minute walk, after having BLT's for dinner at his mom's house. It was a lovely lovely evening.
I slept in this morning, so no yoga. Breakfast was a banana muffin that the boyfriend's mom had given me the night before to take home for my breakfast . Lunch was this delightful mix of eggs, kale and garlic scapes from the organic farm. It tasted like a kale frittata and was quite good cold. It looks kind of small sitting in the bowl, but it was 4 large kale leaves, 2 eggs and 3 garlic scapes and some olive oil.
Depending on the weather and the tide, I might take a bike ride down to the beach for a swim after work.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Lunch Time Report
The rice/bean/salsa mixture actually turned out well. I had wanted to saute some veggies and then simmer the beans with it for a while, but I didn't want to heat up the house so I will do that next time. This time I just drizzled some olive oil over the mix, which added some healthy fats. It is very tasty! And I bet some of those mango sausages that Amy wants to marry would go very well!
Yoga Mood-rah
More yoga this morning. This time it was 30 minutes from the Kripalu Moderate Yoga CD. Table poses and standing poses and some forward bends. My poor hamstrings were a bit shakey during some of the forward bends. I didn't realize that I'd stretched them so much with Seane Corn, but I guess I did. I was in a bit of a funk this morning and was hoping the yoga would lift my mood. I'm not sure if it did.
Breakfast was eggs, broken into the pan and scrambled with the spatula since I was too lazy to prescramble them. Lunch is an odd mixture of brown rice, black beans and salsa. I have some plain yogurt and raisins and a little peanut butter as a snack. It was starting to get hot in my house this morning, so I was just sort to throwing things into containers.
Breakfast was eggs, broken into the pan and scrambled with the spatula since I was too lazy to prescramble them. Lunch is an odd mixture of brown rice, black beans and salsa. I have some plain yogurt and raisins and a little peanut butter as a snack. It was starting to get hot in my house this morning, so I was just sort to throwing things into containers.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sore Arms and
I can tell that I did yoga yesterday. All of those (that?) chaturanga are making themselves known in my triceps, and my hamstrings can tell that they did something yesterday and my sides know there were twists involved. It feels good, though.
The party was nice yesterday. We had hamburgers with homemade ketchup (not made by me) and some yummy goat cheese brought and some garden lettuce and lots of fun.
I slept until a little before 7 today, so I didn't walk but I did sit for about 10 minutes.
And because it was muggy and I didn't have any bread, I had no breakfast and couldn't figure out what to bring for lunch that didn't involve cooking. What I ended up with was a bowl to cook the mushroom soup that I have here at the office, and then I put some of the brown rice into the Bento with a dab of butter, and put some peanut butter and raisins in the other section of the Bento and figured that should get me most of the way through the day. I'm about to go heat up the brown rice for breakfast.
I might try tracking my calories on Sparkpeople again for a little while. Just for kicks.
The party was nice yesterday. We had hamburgers with homemade ketchup (not made by me) and some yummy goat cheese brought and some garden lettuce and lots of fun.
I slept until a little before 7 today, so I didn't walk but I did sit for about 10 minutes.
And because it was muggy and I didn't have any bread, I had no breakfast and couldn't figure out what to bring for lunch that didn't involve cooking. What I ended up with was a bowl to cook the mushroom soup that I have here at the office, and then I put some of the brown rice into the Bento with a dab of butter, and put some peanut butter and raisins in the other section of the Bento and figured that should get me most of the way through the day. I'm about to go heat up the brown rice for breakfast.
I might try tracking my calories on Sparkpeople again for a little while. Just for kicks.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sunday Salutations
I went to the organic farm yesterday. They have eggs out at 11 am on Saturdays, but since there is usually a big line for them I decided to go at 11:30 and not bother with the eggs. Well, when I got there they were down to 2 bunches of kale! which I quickly bagged up, and then I turned around to see what else they had and there was a dozen eggs left! What luck! I also got some arugula, and garlic scapes which are the top of the garlic plant and a nice mild addition to a salad or stirfry. So, lunch was tofu, kale, garlic scapes, 1/2 a zucchini and an egg, over a bit of brown rice that I finally got around to making. It was very good. And I got a little bunch of sweet pea blossoms.
I walked yesterday for a bit, nothing strenuous, and I lifted my hand weights.
This morning I did 45 minutes of a 90 minute vinyasa flow with Seane Corn. I've embedded the video here so you can see that she talks quite fast and is much more intense then the soothing calm of Shiva Rea that I'm used to.
But the practice was nice once she settled down. She was good about making sure you were in the correct position of a pose before moving on, which is what I like. It was a sweaty workout, which was probably a combination of the actual workout and the humidity.
The plan for the day is to go to my mom's for a party, with the Boy and the Girl, and the rest of the family.
I walked yesterday for a bit, nothing strenuous, and I lifted my hand weights.
This morning I did 45 minutes of a 90 minute vinyasa flow with Seane Corn. I've embedded the video here so you can see that she talks quite fast and is much more intense then the soothing calm of Shiva Rea that I'm used to.
But the practice was nice once she settled down. She was good about making sure you were in the correct position of a pose before moving on, which is what I like. It was a sweaty workout, which was probably a combination of the actual workout and the humidity.
The plan for the day is to go to my mom's for a party, with the Boy and the Girl, and the rest of the family.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Still Moving
I walked this morning for 30 minutes. And I've decided to work from home today. Which means I can go to the farm stand at some point and get some more kale. And I can sit at a window and work and hope it doesn't get too hot.
Breakfast was walnut raisin bread. Lunch will most likely be tofu/kale/egg.
Breakfast was walnut raisin bread. Lunch will most likely be tofu/kale/egg.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Frozen Tofu = Yum
After I made yesterday's lunch, I cut the rest of the tofu into 4 oz. blocks, and threw them in the freezer in zip lock bags. Freezing tofu makes for a firmer texture (and prevents the weird pink slime that grows on it if you don't eat it soon enough after opening the package.)
This morning I took the tofu out the thaw for maybe 1/2 hour, then rinsed it under warm water to get some of the ice off. Then I made the same lunch as yesterday - pan seared tofu (let it cook on its own for a while to get brown on a few sides), kale, garlic scapes, zucchini, and egg. Seasoned with Braggs, chinese 5 spice, and hot sesame oil. The texture of the tofu was much better today. I think next time I will press it before I freeze it.
Up too late to walk today, but I did sit and meditate for about 7 minutes. Breakfast was walnut raisin bread with buffalo butter (non-homemade). I am committing to 1000 minutes of exercise for the month of July. Whether I feel like exercising or not. And now I'm wondering if the water is warm enough for swimming yet...
For your reading pleasure, 2 new articles from the New York Times:
Lying about your vegetables
11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating
This morning I took the tofu out the thaw for maybe 1/2 hour, then rinsed it under warm water to get some of the ice off. Then I made the same lunch as yesterday - pan seared tofu (let it cook on its own for a while to get brown on a few sides), kale, garlic scapes, zucchini, and egg. Seasoned with Braggs, chinese 5 spice, and hot sesame oil. The texture of the tofu was much better today. I think next time I will press it before I freeze it.
Up too late to walk today, but I did sit and meditate for about 7 minutes. Breakfast was walnut raisin bread with buffalo butter (non-homemade). I am committing to 1000 minutes of exercise for the month of July. Whether I feel like exercising or not. And now I'm wondering if the water is warm enough for swimming yet...
For your reading pleasure, 2 new articles from the New York Times:
Lying about your vegetables
11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating
1. Beets:
2. Cabbage:.
3. Swiss chard:
5. Pomegranate juice:
6. Dried plums:
7. Pumpkin seeds:
8. Sardines:
9. Turmeric:
10. Frozen blueberries:
11. Canned pumpkin:
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday
I walked this morning for about 45 minutes.
Breakfast was walnut raisin bread with the last of the butter. I'll make some more this week.
I prepared lunch this morning - pan fried tofu with 5 spice, Braggs (soy sauce), asparagus, kale and an egg.
I'm very hungry now. I don't have a yogurt with me or I'd eat it. I may have to eat the lunch soon and then just get something later.
ETA: I just ate my lunch.
Breakfast was walnut raisin bread with the last of the butter. I'll make some more this week.
I prepared lunch this morning - pan fried tofu with 5 spice, Braggs (soy sauce), asparagus, kale and an egg.
I'm very hungry now. I don't have a yogurt with me or I'd eat it. I may have to eat the lunch soon and then just get something later.
ETA: I just ate my lunch.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday Second
I walked for a hour. It was a very nice walk, and I realized that for most of June I did not walk. If worrying and anxiety burned calories, I'd be set, but it does not, and is not healthy. I need to stop letting how I feel dictate what I do. I need to just get up and walk even when I feel like hibernating. I need to move on my yoga mat and sit on my zazen cushion even when I am afraid of what might come up. I need to go see my acupuncturist a few more times.
I did some yoga tonight - a yin yoga practice of holding the poses for a while. It felt good to stretch, even though it can sometime bring up emotional things that I've been storing way inside my joints. It also made me sleepy, which is a nice side effect.
Dinner was a pork loin chop, pan seared, and then I stir fried a bunch of chopped asparagus in the pan drippings. Very very tasty. I should have made some brown rice for lunches, but I'm so sleepy now that I think I will go to bed soon.
I did some yoga tonight - a yin yoga practice of holding the poses for a while. It felt good to stretch, even though it can sometime bring up emotional things that I've been storing way inside my joints. It also made me sleepy, which is a nice side effect.
Dinner was a pork loin chop, pan seared, and then I stir fried a bunch of chopped asparagus in the pan drippings. Very very tasty. I should have made some brown rice for lunches, but I'm so sleepy now that I think I will go to bed soon.
Sunday Sewing
I've been sewing all day. One outfit for a person who doesn't even weigh 20 pounds. But it is very cute and if I can find my box of buttons my little nephew wll actually be able to wear the outfit without its falling down.
So now it's 3pm, and while I've been standing for most of the day at my sewing table (otherwise known as the ironing board) I haven't done any actual exercise. So, I'm about to go to the hilly place by the ocean for a walk, before I come back and recommence my button search, and then start to sew a pair of shorts for my other newphew because the whole double sided crossed-bodice, snap crotch, and buttoned straps just isn't going to happen twice today - but I do want them both to have semi-matching outfits on the 4th of July
I made some more walnut raisin bread and have nibbled on that throughout the day. You can't really eat when sewing. I have a lot of kale and some garlic scapes that need to be made into something around dinner time.
The Boy has finished his 2-day 150 mile charity bike ride and should be arriving back around these parts by ferry sometime this evening.
And here are some not so good photos of the outfit.
So now it's 3pm, and while I've been standing for most of the day at my sewing table (otherwise known as the ironing board) I haven't done any actual exercise. So, I'm about to go to the hilly place by the ocean for a walk, before I come back and recommence my button search, and then start to sew a pair of shorts for my other newphew because the whole double sided crossed-bodice, snap crotch, and buttoned straps just isn't going to happen twice today - but I do want them both to have semi-matching outfits on the 4th of July
I made some more walnut raisin bread and have nibbled on that throughout the day. You can't really eat when sewing. I have a lot of kale and some garlic scapes that need to be made into something around dinner time.
The Boy has finished his 2-day 150 mile charity bike ride and should be arriving back around these parts by ferry sometime this evening.
And here are some not so good photos of the outfit.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday evening
A short post to keep me on track.
I have not eaten all the butter, just in case you were wondering. I took a loaf of the bread and some of the butter to The Boy's house. I have been eating 2 slices of the bread as toast in the mornings, and it does quite a nice job of keeping me filled up until lunch time. I will definitely be making more of it this weekend. The Boy will be
My exercise has really slacked off. When I had those few weeks of anxiety, I just really didn't want to be out moving, and I slept more. I think I've kicked it, though. (I will say that I used to discount people who got anxiety and thought they should just 'get over it'. Not anymore.) I did about 30 minutes of yoga on Monday morning which felt good, and then I meditated for 20 minutes. It led to a much more calm and focused day, and carried over into today. Most of this afternoon and evening it poured rain here, but it finally stopped and I got in a 20 minute walk with the dog. I saw a firefly.
And for those of you who didn't like the sometimes negative tarot cards (even though I told you those didn't count), here are some nice affirmation cards instead.
I have not eaten all the butter, just in case you were wondering. I took a loaf of the bread and some of the butter to The Boy's house. I have been eating 2 slices of the bread as toast in the mornings, and it does quite a nice job of keeping me filled up until lunch time. I will definitely be making more of it this weekend. The Boy will be
My exercise has really slacked off. When I had those few weeks of anxiety, I just really didn't want to be out moving, and I slept more. I think I've kicked it, though. (I will say that I used to discount people who got anxiety and thought they should just 'get over it'. Not anymore.) I did about 30 minutes of yoga on Monday morning which felt good, and then I meditated for 20 minutes. It led to a much more calm and focused day, and carried over into today. Most of this afternoon and evening it poured rain here, but it finally stopped and I got in a 20 minute walk with the dog. I saw a firefly.
And for those of you who didn't like the sometimes negative tarot cards (even though I told you those didn't count), here are some nice affirmation cards instead.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Putting the Butter in "Beets, Butter & Mountaintops"
Today at Whole Foods I found organic, grass-fed, unhomogenized heavy cream. And you know what that means - homemade butter!
It starts off just like you are making whipped cream. You beat it for a while and nothing happens, and you wonder if anything will. And then....
...it passes quite quickly from whipped cream into something strange. I think mine skipped the whipped cream phase altogether, or else I blinked and missed it. Then a minute or two later...
...the buttermilk starts to separate out and the butter solids start to clump together. Pour off the buttermilk and keep beating for a while.
Here's the buttermilk.
And here's the butter! Then you sort of knead it with a spatula to get more of the butter milk out, and I salted it, too. It has a very strong flavor because it is grass-fed. I haven't tried it on the bread yet, I think I will wait for morning.
Exercise today consisted of weeding about 80 pounds of garlic mustard and some other invasive vine out of the raspberry patch. The poor plants were getting strangled by the weeds, so I spent some time in there this morning getting bitten by mosquitoes and trying not to get scratched on by the raspberry stalks. Hopefully, they will be happier now and we'll have berries soon.
I'm going to walk the dog after dinner (which will probably be posted about as well.)
It starts off just like you are making whipped cream. You beat it for a while and nothing happens, and you wonder if anything will. And then....
...it passes quite quickly from whipped cream into something strange. I think mine skipped the whipped cream phase altogether, or else I blinked and missed it. Then a minute or two later...
...the buttermilk starts to separate out and the butter solids start to clump together. Pour off the buttermilk and keep beating for a while. 
Here's the buttermilk. 
And here's the butter! Then you sort of knead it with a spatula to get more of the butter milk out, and I salted it, too. It has a very strong flavor because it is grass-fed. I haven't tried it on the bread yet, I think I will wait for morning. 
Exercise today consisted of weeding about 80 pounds of garlic mustard and some other invasive vine out of the raspberry patch. The poor plants were getting strangled by the weeds, so I spent some time in there this morning getting bitten by mosquitoes and trying not to get scratched on by the raspberry stalks. Hopefully, they will be happier now and we'll have berries soon.
I'm going to walk the dog after dinner (which will probably be posted about as well.)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Bread & Butter Blog?
If this keeps up, I'm going to have to start a blog about bread making. But, since I don't buy bread for my house, and have started making it again, this post falls within the guidelines of my blog which are "anything I want to write about that is not sewing and is marginally related to eating or moving or my boyfriend's dog who eats everything."
OLP and I were trying to decide whether pedis or wine would be more relaxing after work, when I realized that what would be most relaxing was kneading bread dough. Because when I knead dough, I am just kneading dough. I can't worry about things because I'm making sure that the dough is the right consistency, and I'm getting happy when it turns from a ragged ball of dough into a smooth lovely shape as I take care not to add too much flour, but also not to leave it too sticky. It is the only chore, besides sewing, which I find meditative. I think I was meant to be a farm housewife.
Today's, or rather tonight's, loaf was the Italian Whole Wheat Walnut Raisin Bread from Bread for All Seasons. This was not the everyday, workhorse bread from last weekend. No, this is a lovely sweet and rich loaf. The batch has a 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of honey, 3 cups of walnuts, 2 cups of raisins and 4 cups whole wheat flour and about 2 cups of white flour. I weighed the dough because it was so heavy - it weighed over 4 pounds.
After the dough rose, it was laid out and then half of the walnuts and raisins were pressed into it.
Then I rolled it up, flattened it again, and pressed the rest of the nuts and raisins in (so there is a layer of walnuts and raisins inside that dough, as well as on top of it):
Then I rolled the dough up again, and formed 2 loaves. Most of the nuts and raisins are on the inside, which I think keeps them from burning. Then the loaves sit to rise again.
Here they are after rising, which some parchment paper to keep them separated. I ground a little flax seed on top for decoration.
And here they are out of the oven. They are gigantic. I don't remember them being that large last time I made them (which was 10 years ago, so I might have forgotten.) I had 2 slices with some grass-fed butter that I'd found at Whole Foods and it was perfect. I will be bringing one of the loaves to the Boy tomorrow, after making sure he has a dog-proof place to store it since I will not be very happy if the dog eats this bread!
If you like making bread, this is a very satisfying loaf to bake, and makes wonderful toast! And because it is so rich, just a little bit is perfect.
OLP and I were trying to decide whether pedis or wine would be more relaxing after work, when I realized that what would be most relaxing was kneading bread dough. Because when I knead dough, I am just kneading dough. I can't worry about things because I'm making sure that the dough is the right consistency, and I'm getting happy when it turns from a ragged ball of dough into a smooth lovely shape as I take care not to add too much flour, but also not to leave it too sticky. It is the only chore, besides sewing, which I find meditative. I think I was meant to be a farm housewife.
Today's, or rather tonight's, loaf was the Italian Whole Wheat Walnut Raisin Bread from Bread for All Seasons. This was not the everyday, workhorse bread from last weekend. No, this is a lovely sweet and rich loaf. The batch has a 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of honey, 3 cups of walnuts, 2 cups of raisins and 4 cups whole wheat flour and about 2 cups of white flour. I weighed the dough because it was so heavy - it weighed over 4 pounds.
After the dough rose, it was laid out and then half of the walnuts and raisins were pressed into it.
Then I rolled it up, flattened it again, and pressed the rest of the nuts and raisins in (so there is a layer of walnuts and raisins inside that dough, as well as on top of it):
Then I rolled the dough up again, and formed 2 loaves. Most of the nuts and raisins are on the inside, which I think keeps them from burning. Then the loaves sit to rise again. 
Here they are after rising, which some parchment paper to keep them separated. I ground a little flax seed on top for decoration. 
And here they are out of the oven. They are gigantic. I don't remember them being that large last time I made them (which was 10 years ago, so I might have forgotten.) I had 2 slices with some grass-fed butter that I'd found at Whole Foods and it was perfect. I will be bringing one of the loaves to the Boy tomorrow, after making sure he has a dog-proof place to store it since I will not be very happy if the dog eats this bread!
If you like making bread, this is a very satisfying loaf to bake, and makes wonderful toast! And because it is so rich, just a little bit is perfect. I'm going to the farmstand tomorrow to see if they have kale yet. Let's hope so!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Nary a green in sight
I'm of the belief that a diet should be balanced over a week, not necessarily every day, and so the fact that my dinner was completely void of vegetables does not concern me. It was a lovely pork chop cooked with salt, pepper and rosemary, and then a slice of my whole wheat bread topped with fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil. All on a plate that is almost too small.
The bread is nice because it's good enough that I want to eat it, but not so good that I want to eat more than a slice. And it's just so satisfying to know that I made it myself. (I brought a loaf of it to the Boy's the other night, and he called the next day to say that his dog has jumped on the table and eaten it. All of it. The dog is approximately the same size as the loaf of bread...)
My massage was heavenly, and just what I needed. The masseuse is very strong and has the spindly little fingers that just stretch and rip the muscles and fascia to get them to relax. It sounds painful - and it is at the time, but I left there and my back didn't hurt so I'm happy. I did some more yoga tonight to get my legs and hips stretched (it has been too long since I did pigeon pose) and hopefully that will keep me on track.
And here's a cool site to get free Tarot Card readings. Just remember not to take it too seriously if it is doom and gloom. But do take it seriously if it is good news!
Same lunch, different day
Look's surprisingly like yesterday's lunch, no? Today was: one chicken thigh, 1/2 a zucchini, 2 aspargus spears, and the rest of the bunch of broccoli rabe. Then I toasted a peice of the wheat bread, chopped it up and put it in the bottom of the bowl. Yum. But the bread might have been better with a little bit of butter. Maybe the butter from this morning's toast could have been used at lunch.
I have decided to not go to my networking event tonight, and to get a massage instead. Much better.
Checking In
Yes, I did my yoga last night. It was mostly hip openers and twists and lots of down-dog. My lower back seems to have seized due to the stress and lack of exercise, so I was trying to relax and stretch the muscles around it so the bones could shift. It seems a little better this morning. Of course when I got to a networking event tonight and stand in flats for 2 hours I'm sure it will be none too pleased...
Breakfast was whole wheat toast with butter and almond butter. And I did remember my yogurt today. And the stress seems to be abating.
Breakfast was whole wheat toast with butter and almond butter. And I did remember my yogurt today. And the stress seems to be abating.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Fajita Night!
Ah, fajita night. My old friend. My trusty companion that comes bearing all the veggies I need for one day. I knew I needed more veggies for the day, and wanted something quick, so I threw together a batch of fajitas: about 4 oz. of shrimp, 1/2 a zucchini, 1/2 a small red onion, 3 mushroom, small bunch of broccali rabe - seared on high heat with salsa, then wrapped in some whole wheat tortillas spread with a little plain Fage yogurt. The perfect amount, and they tasted perfect. For dessert I had a few walnuts.
The dog and I went for a short walk when I got home, but her back legs keep giving out on the way home, so more more walkies tonight. I think she spends too much time running away and frolicking in the woods when we go to The Boy's house, and then has to recuperate for a few days when we get home.
I am committing to doing a half hour of yoga before bed. There, I've said it. And I'll post in the morning to let you know it was done.
The dog and I went for a short walk when I got home, but her back legs keep giving out on the way home, so more more walkies tonight. I think she spends too much time running away and frolicking in the woods when we go to The Boy's house, and then has to recuperate for a few days when we get home.
I am committing to doing a half hour of yoga before bed. There, I've said it. And I'll post in the morning to let you know it was done.
Lunch Picture
Now that I have returned to blogging, I suppose I shall return to posting pictures of my meals. Even though a commenter on my last post wished that "weight loss bloggers" would not post pictures of food (which she may have been kidding about, especially since the picture was of whole wheat dough.) . Well, I'm not a "weight loss blogger" and I like posting pictures of my food so I will continue to do so. Hopefully it provides people with inspiration and ideas, and shows that losing weight is completely possible while eating whole foods rather than sugar free/fat free/prepared foods, etc.
Anyway, this is today's lunch. 2 chicken thighs, sauteed. Then I chopped up some asparagus and threw the lid on the pan while I blow-dried my hair. (I'm usually making lunch while I get reading in the morning.) It needed some sort of grain, which I did not have, so I chopped up the heel-end of the bread and put that in the bottom of the bowl, and then put the other things on top. I also ground up a tablespoon of flax seed and sprinkled that on top, since flax seed oil is supposed to help with an anxious mind and overactive adrenals (which is what my acupuncturist said was the issue with the pounding heart - too much adrenaline.)
Breakfast was 2 slices of the whole wheat bread with a little almond butter. I forgot to bring my yogurt. Dinner will probably be some pork, and some more vegetables.
Anyway, this is today's lunch. 2 chicken thighs, sauteed. Then I chopped up some asparagus and threw the lid on the pan while I blow-dried my hair. (I'm usually making lunch while I get reading in the morning.) It needed some sort of grain, which I did not have, so I chopped up the heel-end of the bread and put that in the bottom of the bowl, and then put the other things on top. I also ground up a tablespoon of flax seed and sprinkled that on top, since flax seed oil is supposed to help with an anxious mind and overactive adrenals (which is what my acupuncturist said was the issue with the pounding heart - too much adrenaline.)
Breakfast was 2 slices of the whole wheat bread with a little almond butter. I forgot to bring my yogurt. Dinner will probably be some pork, and some more vegetables.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Feeling Kneady
Here's the bread so far. After kneading it for quite a while, to the point my wrists started to hurt, I put it aside to rise.
After rising, split into loaves, brushed with water, sliced the top and now for another rise. I might cut this rise short since if I let it rise for an hour, and then cook it for an hour, it won't be done until 9 p.m. This will have to be a bread that is started on a Friday or Saturday night since takes quite a while too prepare.
After rising, split into loaves, brushed with water, sliced the top and now for another rise. I might cut this rise short since if I let it rise for an hour, and then cook it for an hour, it won't be done until 9 p.m. This will have to be a bread that is started on a Friday or Saturday night since takes quite a while too prepare.
Late Night Pizza
Somehow the Boy and I had our internal clocks off a bit yesterday, and dinner ended up being at 9:30 p.m. We had planned on pizza for dinner so the dough was ready and rising in the oven, but we had to take a trip to REI first, and then stopped at Whole Foods to get some more pizza fixing and ice cream for him. He loves ice cream and I never have any at my house.
By the time we made it back here, it was almost 9, and then we had to cook the spicy chicken sausage, and build the pizza - pesto, arugula, mushrooms, spicy chicken sausage, small pieces of fresh mozzarella and some crumbled goat cheese. Then when it was done we sprinkled some fresh basil and grated sheep's milk cheese on it. It was fantastic. I had 2 slices, he had 6, and I had another for breakfast. I usually have shrimp and thinly sliced red onion on my pizza, but he does not like those things so we mixed it up a bit.
I am making whole wheat bread today. The recipe is from Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings which is about food and zen. The recipe calls for making a sponge at night (a tiny bit of yeast mixed with flour and water) and the finishing the bread in the morning. But, I started it this morning, and will let the sponge sit for 7 hours and then finish the bread this afternoon. It's second rise is 3-4 hours, so it still won't be done until evening.
I lifted my weights yesterday, and have been doing some stretching. My lower back has been in pain for a few days which I'm sure is from the stress and lack of sit-ups. And since the stress and anxiety are back under control, and the sit-ups have been resumed, things should be better soon.
Other meals today: 2 eggs with sauteed mushrooms, zuchhini and thinly sliced asparaugs. Not sure about dinner yet, it depends on when the bread is done.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
It's How You Feel, Not How You Look
I loved seeing the scale go down, the tape measure show smaller number, getting rid of too-big clothes and buying smaller ones. And I loved how my body got stronger and more fit. And then the anxiety hit. And what size I was wearing or how fast I could walk didn't matter. All that mattered was trying to breathe so my heart didn't pound out of my chest. And trying to keep just moving forward no matter how much things felt like they were going to spin out into the ether.
I went to the acupuncturist yesterday, finally. Some ear needles, and some under my collar bone and below my belly button and after a half hour on the table I could feel things shift. He also recommended trace minerals, since if you get dehydrated and your trace minerals get unbalanced that can cause anxiety. So I have these drops from the Great Salt Lake. It tastes like concentrated sea water, but if it will rebalance things, I'll drink sea water. And take my flax seeds.
The point of this is that when I was having the anxiety over the last couple weeks, I would have taken those 12 pounds back in a second if it meant I would have felt better. Of course it is possible to both be at a comfortable weight and feel good, but what matters most is feeling good. And making sure that things are good on the inside.
Today is a good day. My appetite is back and my fridge is full again with chicken and pork and yogurt and green things and water and grapefruit juice. I bought an orange blossom tomato plant at the organic farm (the picture above [from the internet, not the farm] is what they will look like when they have grown) I might sew. And lift my weights. And put the kayak rack on the car. And later I will make pesto and arugula pizza to share with The Boy.
And I'll continue down this path to better fitness, being ever mindful of what is going on inside as well as out.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program
I have not forgotten about my little blog. Nor have I forgotten to eat mindfully and move often. I have just been having some intermittent, but at times rather taxing, anxiety about work things, which I know will ultimately make me better at what I do and stronger. However, the effect of the anxiety (in addition to the 1 a.m. wake-ups, pounding heart, distractedness, etc.) is that I didn't want to be blogging, or outside exercising too much. So I didn't. I walked on some days, meditated on other days, did a lot of house chores, tended my little garden, got my kayak out of the shed into the sun, and tried to remember that everything is exactly as it should be.
Now that the heat of last weekend has passed (which completely threw off my Sunday cooking) and now that I have blogged again, I think I can keep doing it. And I will retake my measurements. The scale seems to be holding steady at around176 173, and my smaller clothes are still fitting, which is good. I do need to get back to my regular habit of lifting weights and doing sit ups.
I had decided to take Friday's off of work, but what I've decided to do today is take the morning off and get some things done at home, and then go into the office in the afternoon to bill a few hours and then meet my friends for a drink after work.
So, that's where I've been and where I am.
Now that the heat of last weekend has passed (which completely threw off my Sunday cooking) and now that I have blogged again, I think I can keep doing it. And I will retake my measurements. The scale seems to be holding steady at around
I had decided to take Friday's off of work, but what I've decided to do today is take the morning off and get some things done at home, and then go into the office in the afternoon to bill a few hours and then meet my friends for a drink after work.
So, that's where I've been and where I am.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Tale of Two Dinners
Last night when I got home from work I was hungry, so I set about making some fajitas - kale, turnips greens, broccoli, onions, peppers and shrimp. The green things had seen better days and needed to be eaten. I had eaten one when my Boy called and said that he had just gone on a long bike ride and wanted to go to dinner. I told him I'd eaten some, but that I'd join him anyway. We went to a little restaurant and he had a burger and fries and I had a bowl of steamed mussels. They were so good, and the perfect complement to my earlier meal.
Leftover fajita fillings are for lunch, probably with some brown rice.
I found a bag of clothes that I had put in the closet because the jeans stopped fitting me. They fit me now, but some of them are too short, and some have a fit that is not quite right so I might have to donate them anyway - but it was nice to find smaller clothes that fit me.
Breakfast was oatmeal with the usual fixings. And now I'm going for a walk with the dog.
Leftover fajita fillings are for lunch, probably with some brown rice.
I found a bag of clothes that I had put in the closet because the jeans stopped fitting me. They fit me now, but some of them are too short, and some have a fit that is not quite right so I might have to donate them anyway - but it was nice to find smaller clothes that fit me.
Breakfast was oatmeal with the usual fixings. And now I'm going for a walk with the dog.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
A New Day
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Moving on from yesterday... I had pork for dinner last night. It was very good.
This morning my schedule was off, so I stopped at Panera for a bagel with cream cheese. Not my ideal breakfast by any means, but it sufficed.
Lunch is chicken and brown rice and no vegetables because I didn't want to cook any this morning and there was nothing that could just be thrown in the bowl. And a plain yogurt. And OLP just called and I'm going to meet her at Whole Foods in a little bit, so I can get my veggies in then.
Moving on from yesterday... I had pork for dinner last night. It was very good.
This morning my schedule was off, so I stopped at Panera for a bagel with cream cheese. Not my ideal breakfast by any means, but it sufficed.
Lunch is chicken and brown rice and no vegetables because I didn't want to cook any this morning and there was nothing that could just be thrown in the bowl. And a plain yogurt. And OLP just called and I'm going to meet her at Whole Foods in a little bit, so I can get my veggies in then.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Stress Diet
Work just sucks right now. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother trying to be an attorney with my own practice when I clearly have no idea what I am doing half the time.
Anyway, I made myself eat breakfast this morning since not eating it was screwing up my days. It was my standard oatmeal breakfast and was good. Then the stress of the day cut off my appetite, so I just picked at my salad (arugula, chickpeas, avocado, fresh mozzarella, olives, tomato) so that I didn't pass out during my new client meeting (they hired me, and I actually do know what I'm doing on their case so that's a plus.)
I'm going to try meditating later. There are some workmen showing up at my house tomorrow morning at 8am which messes up my morning routine since I will have to be showered and pretty much ready to leave by then.
Anyway, I made myself eat breakfast this morning since not eating it was screwing up my days. It was my standard oatmeal breakfast and was good. Then the stress of the day cut off my appetite, so I just picked at my salad (arugula, chickpeas, avocado, fresh mozzarella, olives, tomato) so that I didn't pass out during my new client meeting (they hired me, and I actually do know what I'm doing on their case so that's a plus.)
I'm going to try meditating later. There are some workmen showing up at my house tomorrow morning at 8am which messes up my morning routine since I will have to be showered and pretty much ready to leave by then.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Biking and Belly Aching
I rode for 30 minutes. It was a nice ride, but hot. I really should go earlier in the day. Since I've returned, about 2 hours ago, my stomach has felt queasy. I figured it was the heat, but it's very annoying especially since I made a point to drink water throughout the day before my ride. And some during my ride. And after my ride. I'm making some rice for lunches this week, so I'll have some of that when it's done and see if it helps.
Grazing
Today is a grazing sort of day. I had my coffee outside and for some reason, a bowl of red radishes (from the farm yesterday) seemed like the right thing to have for breakfast. The dog was outside with me and a fox ran through the yard. The dog chased it but soon came back since I had the dog cookies and the fox did not. I was reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and wondering if I could raise a turkey along with my chickens and contemplating where to put a much bigger and better garden next spring.
Later, I had a yogurt. Then for lunch I had 2 eggs with some of the white turnip greens. Very yummy. That did not fill me up, so I had a couple of olives, a bit of fresh mozzarella, a slice of avocado and then a small spoonful of almond butter. That seems like it should be enough food to keep me full, but I just entered everything into Sparkpeople and the total came back as 620 calories, which is about 300 calories short of where I usually am after lunch, and it explains why I am still hungry. Also, most of my calories have come from fat today, so I will try to find something with lean protein.... Ok, I am making the rest of the scallops with broccoli rabe. That gets me up to 800 and will hopefully make me full enough to go for a bike ride. The scallops came all the way from Mexico, which is not local, but sauteed with the rabe greens (which will certainly be in next year's garden) it is so good that I have allowed myself those. The farmer's market near my house sells live lobsters, so perhaps next week I will buy one of those....they are local.
Having finished the rest of my lunch, I am now full and ready to go biking.
Later, I had a yogurt. Then for lunch I had 2 eggs with some of the white turnip greens. Very yummy. That did not fill me up, so I had a couple of olives, a bit of fresh mozzarella, a slice of avocado and then a small spoonful of almond butter. That seems like it should be enough food to keep me full, but I just entered everything into Sparkpeople and the total came back as 620 calories, which is about 300 calories short of where I usually am after lunch, and it explains why I am still hungry. Also, most of my calories have come from fat today, so I will try to find something with lean protein.... Ok, I am making the rest of the scallops with broccoli rabe. That gets me up to 800 and will hopefully make me full enough to go for a bike ride. The scallops came all the way from Mexico, which is not local, but sauteed with the rabe greens (which will certainly be in next year's garden) it is so good that I have allowed myself those. The farmer's market near my house sells live lobsters, so perhaps next week I will buy one of those....they are local.
Having finished the rest of my lunch, I am now full and ready to go biking.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Lessons Learned
This is what I learned today:
1. I really need to buy an Enell Sports Bra if I'm going to do high-impact aerobics.
2. Bodies in Motion with Gilad is a good workout. No fancy dance moves - just marching, jogging, jumping jacks, jump rope and everything in counts of 8 so you know what you are doing.
3. It is very important to hydrate before working out, and not just during. If you try to get all of your water in during jogging, jumping jacks and jump rope, you will likely want to hurl.
I've eaten too much bread over the last couple of days and I don't like how it makes me feel - sluggish and too full. I will do the aerobics again tomorrw, after I probably hyrdate the rest of today and tomorrow. Or maybe the Boy and I can walk from his house to the movie theater and see Indiana Jones.
I have to get back to tracking on Sparkpeople, too. I do better when I track.
1. I really need to buy an Enell Sports Bra if I'm going to do high-impact aerobics.
2. Bodies in Motion with Gilad is a good workout. No fancy dance moves - just marching, jogging, jumping jacks, jump rope and everything in counts of 8 so you know what you are doing.
3. It is very important to hydrate before working out, and not just during. If you try to get all of your water in during jogging, jumping jacks and jump rope, you will likely want to hurl.
I've eaten too much bread over the last couple of days and I don't like how it makes me feel - sluggish and too full. I will do the aerobics again tomorrw, after I probably hyrdate the rest of today and tomorrow. Or maybe the Boy and I can walk from his house to the movie theater and see Indiana Jones.
I have to get back to tracking on Sparkpeople, too. I do better when I track.
More veggies!
I bought a yellow pear tomato plant today and planted it on the edge of the raspberry patch, since that gets good sun. And I bought a yellow brandywine tomato plant and have it in a pot at the end of the driveway (the end that ends in the yard, not the end by the street.) And I found kale seedlings! I was at the organic farm looking for some, when I saw some friends of the Boy who are organic farmers. They said "You are the one who loves kale." (You see, they are always leaving kale for The Boy, and he gives it to me.) I told them I was on the lookout for kale seedlings, and they just happened to have some in the back of their car. Now I have 3 kale seedlings in my garden! I am so happy and hope they grow into big delicious plants that will keep me in kale all summer and winter long.
I ate some of my basil today - in a little ciabatta sandwich with tomato and fresh mozzarella. Soon, there will be tomato from my garden, and if I got around to it I could even make some fresh mozzarella. Which reminds me, my goat milk lady said there would be milk in May and I have not heard from her...
Today is weekend chore day which means a lot of puttering around, and some exercise mixed in. There will definitely be some strength training and maybe a walk if the rain holds off. I am thinking of kayaking tomorrow since the tides seem right.
Scallops were on sale at Whole Foods, the little ones, so I think those will be dinner tonight, maybe over arugula. And I got some lovely white turnips at the farm (pictured above), so those will be roasted with oil and salt and then I'll wilt the greens.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Back in the Saddle
I went for a bike ride this morning. My ocean route is chopped up and covered in steel plates, so I did a short inland route - 30 minutes. It was a very nice ride.
i went to a networking event last night. I don't really like to eat at those, since I get messy can't figure out how to eat a piece of food on a long skewer without stabbing myself in the throat so I had 3 shrimp and some sort of roll. I stopped at Upper Crust for a slice of pizza on the way home. It was lovely.
This morning breakfast was a yogurt and a spoonful of almond butter. I had nothing to bring for lunch so I'm nibbling on some raisins and sunflower seeds. I'm hungry, but it's making me work faster so I can be done and go get some food. I think with the short week I didn't plan my lunches very well.
My office mates have decided to not work on Fridays this summer, and since it would be a waste of electricity to have just me here, I've decided to join them in non-working Fridays. That means I can build my chicken coop, work in my garden, do yoga, lie in the yard with the dog, swim, bike, read, sleep, whatever. It will also force me to work much more efficiently during the week, which is what I really need. Ah, fourteen 3-day weekends, what bliss.
I think I have to scrounge around in the cupboards here and find some soup or something for lunch...
i went to a networking event last night. I don't really like to eat at those, since I get messy can't figure out how to eat a piece of food on a long skewer without stabbing myself in the throat so I had 3 shrimp and some sort of roll. I stopped at Upper Crust for a slice of pizza on the way home. It was lovely.
This morning breakfast was a yogurt and a spoonful of almond butter. I had nothing to bring for lunch so I'm nibbling on some raisins and sunflower seeds. I'm hungry, but it's making me work faster so I can be done and go get some food. I think with the short week I didn't plan my lunches very well.
My office mates have decided to not work on Fridays this summer, and since it would be a waste of electricity to have just me here, I've decided to join them in non-working Fridays. That means I can build my chicken coop, work in my garden, do yoga, lie in the yard with the dog, swim, bike, read, sleep, whatever. It will also force me to work much more efficiently during the week, which is what I really need. Ah, fourteen 3-day weekends, what bliss.
I think I have to scrounge around in the cupboards here and find some soup or something for lunch...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
lunch
Well, my appetite is back, which is nice. I packed a bigger lunch today since I thought it might be, and since I have a networking event to go to tonight that will be serving mostly appetizers. The base of the lunch is some arugula, and then some broccoli that I stir fried this morning (not quite long enough though), then 2 chicken thighs wrapped in bacon (chopped), a 1/4 cup of the noddle dish, cauliflower and a little broccoli from last night. It is the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
Strange Food Times
Yesterday, all I had to eat up until 6 p.m. was the yogurt and broccoli. I kept checking in with myself saying "Are you hungry? Are you sure? Do you want a little something?" and my stomach would reply "No, thanks, I'm all set. Really." I didn't have breakfast this morning either, but now I'm having yogurt. I've also been exercising less this week, so I wonder if my drop in appetite is just a reflection of this.
Then I went to my Dad's for dinner with my sister, niece, nephew and Boy. I had a couple of slices of whole wheat baguette with homemade pate. Yum! Then dinner was chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, 1/2 an artichoke, some onion-noodle dish, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and vanilla ice cream (homemade) for dessert. They Boy and The Niece (age 3.5 years) ate most of the ice cream. I have left overs for lunch.
I have on a pair of pants today that I have not been able to wear for a while. Well, not without looking like a stuffed sausage. But today they look very nice and I'm glad to be wearing them again.
Then I went to my Dad's for dinner with my sister, niece, nephew and Boy. I had a couple of slices of whole wheat baguette with homemade pate. Yum! Then dinner was chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, 1/2 an artichoke, some onion-noodle dish, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and vanilla ice cream (homemade) for dessert. They Boy and The Niece (age 3.5 years) ate most of the ice cream. I have left overs for lunch.
I have on a pair of pants today that I have not been able to wear for a while. Well, not without looking like a stuffed sausage. But today they look very nice and I'm glad to be wearing them again.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday Report
I was awake last night, or rather, this morning from 1 - 4:30 a.m. I then slept until 7, so no walking this morning. But, I did sit and meditate for about 20 minutes which helped resolve some of the issues which woke me up.
I realized at 10:40 this morning that I had forgotten to eat breakfast. Then I had a client meeting and just started lunch at 12:30. I had brought the last of the lentil/rice pilaf with a bunch of broccoli, but only the the broccoli appealed to me, so that is what I ate. And some Fage 2% with peach yogurt. Seems odd that yogurt and broccoli can get me this far into the day, but maybe the pizza from last night provided whatever fuel my body needs right now.
No scale change this week. But I continue to keep my eating on track. I have slacked off on the exercise. My goal was 1600 minutes this month, and I'm only at 1100. I haven't been tracking the daily 15 or 20 minute dog walks, so it might be higher.
I realized at 10:40 this morning that I had forgotten to eat breakfast. Then I had a client meeting and just started lunch at 12:30. I had brought the last of the lentil/rice pilaf with a bunch of broccoli, but only the the broccoli appealed to me, so that is what I ate. And some Fage 2% with peach yogurt. Seems odd that yogurt and broccoli can get me this far into the day, but maybe the pizza from last night provided whatever fuel my body needs right now.
No scale change this week. But I continue to keep my eating on track. I have slacked off on the exercise. My goal was 1600 minutes this month, and I'm only at 1100. I haven't been tracking the daily 15 or 20 minute dog walks, so it might be higher.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Make Love, Not More Food Pyramids
The basics: breakfast was 2 eggs, lunch was Lentil/Rice Pilaf, snack was Fage 2% yogurt. Dinner was some Upper Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza with 1/2 the cheese they normally use and portobella mushrooms. I tried to track that on Sparkpeople but the closest I could find was Pizza Hut Thin n' Crispy pizza, which was probably an overestimation, but it's not really important. Still within my calories for the day. Tomorrow is dinner at my dad's, so I'll be having a lot of vegetables then.
I walked for 35 minutes this morning, and did some push-ups.
Harvard University has come out with a new food pyramid. Exercise is now on the bottom, "good" fats are in the middle, protein is higher. It also doesn't specify serving sizes, but is rather meant to serve as a guideline. I think this is helpful because the "servings" listed always seemed so skewed. It used to be 6 to 11 servings of grains. Now, the normal person thinking of a serving would probably think of a bagel, or a cup of pasta or a whole bun. But, a serving is actually half a bun, half a bagel (or even a 1/4 bagel) or 1/2 a cup of pasta. I wonder how many people heard "6-11 servings" and thought they were eating that much but were really eating 12-22 servings. i always thought it would be better to make the serving sizes more realistic and just have fewer of them. Same with veggies. 5 - 7 servings of veggies per days seems huge, until you realize that a serving is 1/2 a cup of veggies, 1 cup leafy greens, and can easily be met. I think when I make fajitas I eat all my vegetables at dinner.
If you don't like Harvard's pyramid, there is the Oldways Mediterranean Pyramid. Oldways lists fruit as "olives, avocados, grapes" which strikes me as interesting, since most Americans (and Harvard's Pyramid) count olives and avocado as fats. Oldways lists your activity options as "walking, house cleaning, running, soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, hiking, scuba diving, basketball, baseball, football, skiing, surfing, yard work, rollerblading, dancing, weight lifting, love-making." Gotta love those Mediterraneans (and you'll be earning activity points while you do!)
I walked for 35 minutes this morning, and did some push-ups.
Harvard University has come out with a new food pyramid. Exercise is now on the bottom, "good" fats are in the middle, protein is higher. It also doesn't specify serving sizes, but is rather meant to serve as a guideline. I think this is helpful because the "servings" listed always seemed so skewed. It used to be 6 to 11 servings of grains. Now, the normal person thinking of a serving would probably think of a bagel, or a cup of pasta or a whole bun. But, a serving is actually half a bun, half a bagel (or even a 1/4 bagel) or 1/2 a cup of pasta. I wonder how many people heard "6-11 servings" and thought they were eating that much but were really eating 12-22 servings. i always thought it would be better to make the serving sizes more realistic and just have fewer of them. Same with veggies. 5 - 7 servings of veggies per days seems huge, until you realize that a serving is 1/2 a cup of veggies, 1 cup leafy greens, and can easily be met. I think when I make fajitas I eat all my vegetables at dinner.
If you don't like Harvard's pyramid, there is the Oldways Mediterranean Pyramid. Oldways lists fruit as "olives, avocados, grapes" which strikes me as interesting, since most Americans (and Harvard's Pyramid) count olives and avocado as fats. Oldways lists your activity options as "walking, house cleaning, running, soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, hiking, scuba diving, basketball, baseball, football, skiing, surfing, yard work, rollerblading, dancing, weight lifting, love-making." Gotta love those Mediterraneans (and you'll be earning activity points while you do!)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Beets!
If all goes well, I will be eating beets whenever it is that beets are the right size for eating. These are red beets.
I also planted some herbs: basil and oregano
creeping thyme, sage and something anise.
Not much in the way of walking or biking the last 2 days, but lots of house and yard chores, and good eating choices. I also planted pepper plants, and I still need to get kale and arugula. If I garden next year I will get some gold beets.
I also planted some herbs: basil and oregano
creeping thyme, sage and something anise.
Not much in the way of walking or biking the last 2 days, but lots of house and yard chores, and good eating choices. I also planted pepper plants, and I still need to get kale and arugula. If I garden next year I will get some gold beets.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Quick update
Went to my mom's. She noticed I'd lost weight. Yay. I ate a few raisins and sunflower seeds in the car on the way up, and then when I got there I grazed over the 5 hours for lunch and dinner and had: salad, 2 turkey dogs, 1 slider-sized hamburger, a few chicken wings, wine and some icebox cake. Icebox cake is chocolate wafers layered with whip cream and then put in the ice box for a few hours until the wafers get soft and then you eat it. It is very good.
I'm full now, and when I stopped at WF on the way home to get groceries, I was too full to really buy much except yogurt and artichokes and, for some reason, a large amount of onions - 3 different kinds.
Anyway, the dog and I are off to the Boy's. He's going biking with his team mates at 7 a.m. tomorrow which means our leisurely Sunday morning coffee drinking will not be so leisurely, but such is life.
I'm full now, and when I stopped at WF on the way home to get groceries, I was too full to really buy much except yogurt and artichokes and, for some reason, a large amount of onions - 3 different kinds.
Anyway, the dog and I are off to the Boy's. He's going biking with his team mates at 7 a.m. tomorrow which means our leisurely Sunday morning coffee drinking will not be so leisurely, but such is life.
Where Beets and OLP Go Hill Walking
Having a friend to work out with is a great motivator, because when you think that 2 rounds of bench push ups and tricep dips are enough, she says "one more would be perfect." Or when there is a giant hill, you can go up it together and not talk yourself out of it.
So, OLP and I went walking for an hour, and did our strength exercises (I even did some plank) and now we have the rest of the day to do as we please - which for me involves going to a cook out at my mom's with yummy food and healthy food and fun people. I wish I had some yogurt as I am rather hungry now. I think I'll have a bit of almond butter, then shower and stop at Whole Foods in the way for yogurt - although Whole Foods on a holiday weekend is not fun, so maybe not. Maybe just the almond butter, and then grocery shopping on my way home.
I feel very good, and not just because I'm not sick anymore, but because working out feels good and not being up to it for that many days in a row was not fun.
So, OLP and I went walking for an hour, and did our strength exercises (I even did some plank) and now we have the rest of the day to do as we please - which for me involves going to a cook out at my mom's with yummy food and healthy food and fun people. I wish I had some yogurt as I am rather hungry now. I think I'll have a bit of almond butter, then shower and stop at Whole Foods in the way for yogurt - although Whole Foods on a holiday weekend is not fun, so maybe not. Maybe just the almond butter, and then grocery shopping on my way home.
I feel very good, and not just because I'm not sick anymore, but because working out feels good and not being up to it for that many days in a row was not fun.
Better Days
So, after my dinner last night where I pretended I was French, I headed over to the Boy's. I brought him the rest of the bread, and some cheese (which I just realized I left at his house. drat.) He is going on a 50 mile bike ride today so I figured he needed the bread more than I did. He was pretending to be French, too, but without the wine.
Bread, some stinky Spanish goat cheese, avocado with Balsamic Vinegar, olive oil with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. I was full from my early dinner so the Boy ate all of it, but not all of the cheese.
The Dog looked at us pleadingly, but we did not give in.
Today's plan: try to not get excited about the fact that when I weighed myself this morning the scale said 175.6 (which is what I weighed last year at some point), do yoga or walk somewhere (or maybe bike), figure out what time the party at my Mom's house is, hope that someone there notices I've lost weight. And clean the kitchen.
Bread, some stinky Spanish goat cheese, avocado with Balsamic Vinegar, olive oil with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. I was full from my early dinner so the Boy ate all of it, but not all of the cheese.
The Dog looked at us pleadingly, but we did not give in.
Today's plan: try to not get excited about the fact that when I weighed myself this morning the scale said 175.6 (which is what I weighed last year at some point), do yoga or walk somewhere (or maybe bike), figure out what time the party at my Mom's house is, hope that someone there notices I've lost weight. And clean the kitchen.
Friday, May 23, 2008
An Odd Dinner
Dinner, if you must know, was bread, cheese, a little butter (with salt sprinkled on top) and wine. And perfect.
And it appears that I cannot even overeat properly anymore because I just logged into Sparkpeople what I ate (thank you, food scale), and my calories are still within my range for today. Granted, it was not the healthiest thing I could have eaten, but it was what I wanted and I ate as much as I wanted, and still did not overeat. And I might even eat a vegetable later.
Now the dog and I are going walking.
And it appears that I cannot even overeat properly anymore because I just logged into Sparkpeople what I ate (thank you, food scale), and my calories are still within my range for today. Granted, it was not the healthiest thing I could have eaten, but it was what I wanted and I ate as much as I wanted, and still did not overeat. And I might even eat a vegetable later.
Now the dog and I are going walking.
Wish I Were There
I did some weight lifting last night, and then went to do the Yoga Journal Core Strengthening Podcast. It was fine until half way through it my arms couldn't take any more down dog or plank so I stopped. Next time I'll do the yoga part first, then the weights. And next time I won't be coming off of an illness.
Last night was Taco Night with The Boy, which was dampened a bit by Fatherhood Garbage that made me not very hungry, and made it so that neither of us could sleep. Some stuff just sucks and has no solution.
Anyway, breakfast was eggs, lunch is lentils and rice again and I have no yogurt. I have no idea what dinner is, but would be glad if it involved wine.
Oh, and according to the Boston Globe, I don't have to detox. Which is pretty much what I already knew.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Back to Bento
A lentil and rice dish is the perfect thing to have in the Bento. So, I busted out the Bento this morning and filled it with some of the lentils, and the put beets and olives in the top section. The calories are a little lower than normal, but I'm not very hungry and it's Taco Night tonight so I'm sure I'll make up for it later.
Just About There
The Lentil Rice Pilaf came out quite well. But it made a gigantic amount of food. And since I added butter I can't even pawn any off on my vegan brother. Next time I will make 1/2 a batch.
I went to the Boy's last night for dinner. I was still feeling under the weather and hoping he was not cooking something heavy because I wasn't very hungry. Thankfully, he made the perfect summer dinner, and if I hadn't been too tired to go to my car for my phone, I would have photographed it. It was: bowl of arugula, some boneless chicken thighs he'd marinated maybe in some kind of raspberry dressing?, a few candied pecans that he made (these were amazing!), some riced potatoes that I added to my salad, and a few pieces of avocado. There wasn't even any dressing, just all those lovely warm things wilting the arugula - my favorite type of meal.
This morning I have a very early (7:30 a.m.) breakfast meeting. The the food at the venue is not worth eating, so I'll eat before I go.
I didn't work out at all yesterday, except for a walk or 2 with the dog. I will at least do some strength training today. It's funny that now that I am in the habit of being active, I don't like to be sluggish for this many days.
I went to the Boy's last night for dinner. I was still feeling under the weather and hoping he was not cooking something heavy because I wasn't very hungry. Thankfully, he made the perfect summer dinner, and if I hadn't been too tired to go to my car for my phone, I would have photographed it. It was: bowl of arugula, some boneless chicken thighs he'd marinated maybe in some kind of raspberry dressing?, a few candied pecans that he made (these were amazing!), some riced potatoes that I added to my salad, and a few pieces of avocado. There wasn't even any dressing, just all those lovely warm things wilting the arugula - my favorite type of meal.
This morning I have a very early (7:30 a.m.) breakfast meeting. The the food at the venue is not worth eating, so I'll eat before I go.
I didn't work out at all yesterday, except for a walk or 2 with the dog. I will at least do some strength training today. It's funny that now that I am in the habit of being active, I don't like to be sluggish for this many days.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Staving Off Slugdom
Even though I am home sick, and very thankful that I can blow my nose in peace (although that last round of Benedryl seems to be having an effect, thank heavens) I am trying not to just laze around and read blogs and emails and magazines. So, I set an alarm on my computer and every 17 minutes it makes this funny noise and scares me, and then I get up and reset it and do chores for 17 minutes (which is about how long it takes for me to get fatigued again). So far I have done laundry and hung it on the line, vacuumed, started lentil pilaf, picked up random things and put them away, put away more winter things (I think it's finally safe to do that) and tended to the dog a few times who is outside sleeping under a shrubbery.
The lentil pilaf is cooking. I had to adjust it some because I only have brown rice, so the cooking time is longer, and I didn't have fireroasted tomatoes so I just used regular diced, and I added a little butter. And I'm hoping I can taste it so I don't oversalt or something.
I'll report back when it's done.
The lentil pilaf is cooking. I had to adjust it some because I only have brown rice, so the cooking time is longer, and I didn't have fireroasted tomatoes so I just used regular diced, and I added a little butter. And I'm hoping I can taste it so I don't oversalt or something.
I'll report back when it's done.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sick and Tired
I just ate a huge dinner. Well, huge volume wise, but not huge calorie-wise. I was rather hungry, having only had about 460 calories by the time I came home from work. Advil Sinus contain pseudoephedrine, so it makes me not very hungry. But, it clearly had worn off by dinner time, so I made some fajitas.
I figured lots of veggies would help me out. They contained: 1/2 an onion, 4 mushrooms, about a 1/2 cup of frozen red/yellow/green peppers, 2 cups of broccoli rabe (which really cooks down) and 6 oz. of shrimp. Seared all of those things with salsa, and put on a few tortillas with a dab of plain Fage 2%. The whole thing was only 712 calories, including tortillas and Fage.
According to Sparkpeople, the only nutrient I have had enough of today is protein. I am lagging under the limit of fiber, fat, calories and carbs. Gah. Whatever. I've blown my nose 1000 times today and feel like crap.
I wanted to make the lentil pilaf I posted about yesterday, but I also just want to go to bed. And I have to walk the dog. I will walk the dog and then go to bed.
I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow, and I don't think I've lost weight. I think I've probably lost muscle since I haven't been doing my sit ups or as much strengthening for a few days. Oh well, this illness is temporary and soon I'll be feeling better and moving and able to lift my weights.
I feel like this baby panda:
I figured lots of veggies would help me out. They contained: 1/2 an onion, 4 mushrooms, about a 1/2 cup of frozen red/yellow/green peppers, 2 cups of broccoli rabe (which really cooks down) and 6 oz. of shrimp. Seared all of those things with salsa, and put on a few tortillas with a dab of plain Fage 2%. The whole thing was only 712 calories, including tortillas and Fage.
According to Sparkpeople, the only nutrient I have had enough of today is protein. I am lagging under the limit of fiber, fat, calories and carbs. Gah. Whatever. I've blown my nose 1000 times today and feel like crap.
I wanted to make the lentil pilaf I posted about yesterday, but I also just want to go to bed. And I have to walk the dog. I will walk the dog and then go to bed.
I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow, and I don't think I've lost weight. I think I've probably lost muscle since I haven't been doing my sit ups or as much strengthening for a few days. Oh well, this illness is temporary and soon I'll be feeling better and moving and able to lift my weights.
I feel like this baby panda:
Lunch and Committing to Trying, no, DOING New Things
I ended up not walking. My ear was hurting, and the cold bothers it, so I did 30 minutes of Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Shiva Rea instead. It was quite a workout and I should have hyrdated better beforehand.
This is lunch. Arugula topped with brown rice, a chicken thigh, golden beets and a roasted red pepper for some more color. I heated it up to eat, and it is very good.
I'm going to try to, no I'm going to actually attend a Bikram yoga class next week. (Thanks MizFit for the push) That will give my sinus issues time to clear up.
My brain is too tired and foggy to write any more.
Up With The Birds
The birds (and the fact that I couldn't breathe out my nose) woke me up at 5:00 a.m. and I actually got up at 5:00 a.m. I've been having coffee and Advil Sinus since then, reading blogs and emails and thinking "wasn't I just sick in March or April?" I'll go walking at 7:00 a.m. probably with my hat on to keep my ear warm.
The New York Times has an interesting article on the effects of preparation on the nutrients of veggies:
And this recipe for Indian Lentil Pilaf came through in one of my Yoga Journal email newsletters. I might try cooking that tonight.
The New York Times has an interesting article on the effects of preparation on the nutrients of veggies:
In January, a report in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry concluded that over all, boiling was better for carrots, zucchini and broccoli than steaming, frying or serving them raw. Frying was by far the worst.This is interesting. I cannot stand boiled zucchini or broccoli, so I will continue to saute mine because sauteed has to be better than not eating it at all because it is boiled and gross.
What accompanies the vegetables can also be important. Studies at Ohio State measured blood levels of subjects who ate servings of salsa and salads. When the salsa or salad was served with fat-rich avocados or full-fat salad dressing, the diners absorbed as much as 4 times more lycopene, 7 times more lutein and 18 times the beta carotene than those who had their vegetables plain or with low-fat dressing.This I can get on board with. I always think a little bit of something with fat is better than a lot of something without fat.
And this recipe for Indian Lentil Pilaf came through in one of my Yoga Journal email newsletters. I might try cooking that tonight.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Last Lazy Night
Here is the pizza, before cooking (the shrimp are underneath)
and after.
According to Sparkpeople, the whole thing has about 800 calories, that's with the dough, 6 oz. shrimp, 1 oz. grated Parmesan, .75 oz. grated gouda, onion, mushroom, arugula and bbq sauce. I had about 3/4 of it. I want to find a dough recipe that calls for longer rising, since that would make it chewier and not as crispy.
I didn't walk tonight (yet). The dog and I will go as soon as I'm done blogging. Hopefully tomorrow I will be 100% better and can walk in the morning. I'm starting to feel my slug ways creeping back up and I do not want that.
and after.
According to Sparkpeople, the whole thing has about 800 calories, that's with the dough, 6 oz. shrimp, 1 oz. grated Parmesan, .75 oz. grated gouda, onion, mushroom, arugula and bbq sauce. I had about 3/4 of it. I want to find a dough recipe that calls for longer rising, since that would make it chewier and not as crispy.
I didn't walk tonight (yet). The dog and I will go as soon as I'm done blogging. Hopefully tomorrow I will be 100% better and can walk in the morning. I'm starting to feel my slug ways creeping back up and I do not want that.
Thinking About Dinner
Well, really I'm thinking that I wish I was a farmer instead of an attorney sometimes, but that's for a different blog.
Anyway, I finally have energy and the thought of food is appealing so I'm thinking about dinner. I have between 500 - 800 calories for dinner. I could make some shrimp fajitas, or a small pizza (with 1/4 batch of dough) with shrimp, arugula, red onions and bbq sauce.
--
Alright, the pizza dough is rising. Dough, 1 cup of whole wheat flour plus one tablespoon of wheat gluten for chewiness, has 400 calories (and 14 grams of fiber!) then add shrimp, an oz. of cheese and all the veggies and dinner is still within my alloted calories. Yay.
I'll post pictures later.
Anyway, I finally have energy and the thought of food is appealing so I'm thinking about dinner. I have between 500 - 800 calories for dinner. I could make some shrimp fajitas, or a small pizza (with 1/4 batch of dough) with shrimp, arugula, red onions and bbq sauce.
--
Alright, the pizza dough is rising. Dough, 1 cup of whole wheat flour plus one tablespoon of wheat gluten for chewiness, has 400 calories (and 14 grams of fiber!) then add shrimp, an oz. of cheese and all the veggies and dinner is still within my alloted calories. Yay.
I'll post pictures later.
Monday Report
Not much to post about this morning. I feel a little better after more sleep and some Advil Sinus. I did get up and do some evening yoga last night before I went back to bed.
Breakfast: oatmeal with almond butter, sunflower seeds and blackstrap molasses (contains 20% of the RDA of calcium, iron and something else important in 1 Tablespoon.)
Lunch: 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup gold beets, 1 chicken thigh (3 oz.) Some Fage 2% yogurt as a snack.
I somehow have 2 bunches of broccoli rabe in my fridge, so dinner will have to involve that.
I didn't walk this morning. I slept until 8 a.m. I will either walk today after work, or at least do some strength work and yoga.
Breakfast: oatmeal with almond butter, sunflower seeds and blackstrap molasses (contains 20% of the RDA of calcium, iron and something else important in 1 Tablespoon.)
Lunch: 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup gold beets, 1 chicken thigh (3 oz.) Some Fage 2% yogurt as a snack.
I somehow have 2 bunches of broccoli rabe in my fridge, so dinner will have to involve that.
I didn't walk this morning. I slept until 8 a.m. I will either walk today after work, or at least do some strength work and yoga.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
OK, I'm all set with this.
Dinner: 2 crackers with almond butter. Glass of OJ. Water.
I had a nice nap for a couple of hours, then took the dog on a walk. Came home and poked around the kitchen looking for something that appealed to me. Nothing did. I didn't want to cook. I would have eaten some Barbecue Chicken Pizza from Upper Crust had it magically appeared in my house, but it didn't. So I had 2 crackers with almond butter and some OJ in water (I love diluted orange juice) and returned to my bed.
I love my bed. My bedroom is surrounded on 3 sides by windows, and all I can see of them are trees - no houses, no streets, no cars, no signs of other human life. It is lovely. And I can sit and read or listen to NPR or watch bad tv on DVD.
The Boy called and when I started talking to him I collapsed into a coughing fit and had to call him back. He is making homemade macaroni and cheese with hot dogs for dinner. That sounds mildly appealing, more so if there was some Siracha sauce added but since he is cooking it at his house and is not downstairs at my house, I won't be having it anyway. And I'm not hungry enough to go make my own macaroni and cheese.
I am hoping this was the worst of whatever strange ailment I have which seems to involve coughing up half a lung, weird inner ear feelings, lack of hunger and joint pain. Let's think healthy thoughts for tomorrow.
I had a nice nap for a couple of hours, then took the dog on a walk. Came home and poked around the kitchen looking for something that appealed to me. Nothing did. I didn't want to cook. I would have eaten some Barbecue Chicken Pizza from Upper Crust had it magically appeared in my house, but it didn't. So I had 2 crackers with almond butter and some OJ in water (I love diluted orange juice) and returned to my bed.
I love my bed. My bedroom is surrounded on 3 sides by windows, and all I can see of them are trees - no houses, no streets, no cars, no signs of other human life. It is lovely. And I can sit and read or listen to NPR or watch bad tv on DVD.
The Boy called and when I started talking to him I collapsed into a coughing fit and had to call him back. He is making homemade macaroni and cheese with hot dogs for dinner. That sounds mildly appealing, more so if there was some Siracha sauce added but since he is cooking it at his house and is not downstairs at my house, I won't be having it anyway. And I'm not hungry enough to go make my own macaroni and cheese.
I am hoping this was the worst of whatever strange ailment I have which seems to involve coughing up half a lung, weird inner ear feelings, lack of hunger and joint pain. Let's think healthy thoughts for tomorrow.
Crackers in Bed and the Importance of A Food Scale
So I went out to take the trash to the dump and to try to find something to eat that would not gross me out. It was about 1pm, and I'd had around 250 calories for the day, far below what I should have had by that point to feel good. I decided on crackers and some hard goat cheese from a little store nearby. I put a tablespoon of peanut butter on a plate, and a handful of crackers and then sliced a few thin slices of the cheese - an amount that looked like a good amount to eat. I figured it was maybe 3 oz. of cheese. Then I weighed it, it was 1.25 oz. Clearly, I have a ways to go in estimating food. But, that is why I bought the scale, to train my eye and hand. Now I'm lying in bed eating crackers and hoping the cheese and peanut butter will revive me. They seem to be.
All dressed up and no where to go
Here I sit, in my workout clothes, early on a Sunday morning trying to explain to my stupid stomach why it should feel better so we can go walking. It apparently did not want breakfast (an egg with 2 tablespoons brown rice) even though I explained that we have to have breakfast if we want to walk. And now my lungs are chiming in saying "wouldn't it be much better to sit in a steam room filled with eucalyptus?" I do not want to listen to them. I want to walk. I will give my stomach 15 minutes to cooperate and then I'm taking Tums or something and going out anyway. And my lungs can deal. It's not like I'm going biking or running. I'm just wanting to go for a nice walk by the ocean. Isn't that supposed to be some sort of cure anyway?
Alright, stomach is feeling a little better. I'm going.
--
1.5 hour later, ETA:
Went for the walk. Slowly, and I cut the route short. A total of 45 minutes. I still feel like crap, but I'm glad I went. My joints all hurt like I have the flu or something. I hate being sick.
Alright, stomach is feeling a little better. I'm going.
--
1.5 hour later, ETA:
Went for the walk. Slowly, and I cut the route short. A total of 45 minutes. I still feel like crap, but I'm glad I went. My joints all hurt like I have the flu or something. I hate being sick.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Food Prep & Picture Day
I still haven't done any cardio today. Whatever germs are in my throat are still there and are not compatible with heavy breathing. So I went to Whole Foods and got my groceries for the week: broccoli, golden beets, asparagus, shrimp, artichokes, lemon, chicken thighs, broccoli rabe, scallops, arugula, and a wall of Fage yogurt. I have lots of grains and beans in my pantry, so I was all set with those.
This was the cranberry pecan roll I had on my way home. When I got home, my lunch was a piece of pork loin and broccoli stir fried with Braggs, hot sesame oil and 5 spice powder. Lovely and light.
Afterwards, I cooked the beets, cubed them, and put them in tupperware for the week. I also cooked the 2 artichokes and took out the spikey things from the middle so I can eat them when I want to, I also made a pot of brown rice, and roasted the asparagus. This will give me lots of choices for lunches and dinner this week. I think dinner tonight will be scallops, roasted asparagus and brown rice.
This is the odd dog who tries to shove into small places to be next to people. I was lying on the couch and he was trying to get very close to me, but was really almost pushing me off the sofa.
I will do some upper body work tonight, and at least go for a small walk with the dog (not that dog. That is The Boy's dog. My dog is normal but not nearly as photogenic), but other than that I will take it easy. I'm just cleaning and doing laundry (hoping the things on the line dry before tonight), and wishing I had more tupperware or zip-lock bags so I could prep the broccoli rabe.
This was the cranberry pecan roll I had on my way home. When I got home, my lunch was a piece of pork loin and broccoli stir fried with Braggs, hot sesame oil and 5 spice powder. Lovely and light.
Afterwards, I cooked the beets, cubed them, and put them in tupperware for the week. I also cooked the 2 artichokes and took out the spikey things from the middle so I can eat them when I want to, I also made a pot of brown rice, and roasted the asparagus. This will give me lots of choices for lunches and dinner this week. I think dinner tonight will be scallops, roasted asparagus and brown rice.
This is the odd dog who tries to shove into small places to be next to people. I was lying on the couch and he was trying to get very close to me, but was really almost pushing me off the sofa.
I will do some upper body work tonight, and at least go for a small walk with the dog (not that dog. That is The Boy's dog. My dog is normal but not nearly as photogenic), but other than that I will take it easy. I'm just cleaning and doing laundry (hoping the things on the line dry before tonight), and wishing I had more tupperware or zip-lock bags so I could prep the broccoli rabe.
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