So I finally feel like I'm back in a routine that's familiar. I've been eating a very similar pattern day by day and while maybe it will get boring at some point -- it's working for me now. And I've seen slow but steady weight loss which is really happy and affirming. Two Mondays ago I was down .8 and this Monday I was down another 1.4. Progress! This leaves me exactly 5lbs down from my starting weight. Not losing huge numbers but it's not like there's a race to get down the 20lbs. My wedding is in October so hopefully I'll reach the goal comfortably before that.
Here's a sample of my regular day.
Breakfast (10:00am)
Usually some overpriced yogurt. I like the Fage 0% with fruit or honey and I'm LOVING Chobani Flips (Key Lime Crumble, anyone? I die)
Skinny Vanilla Latte
Somehow the combination of those two leave me satisfied for a couple of hours
Snack (12:00pm)
I've been having reduced fat string cheese as my mid-morning snack. Not terribly exciting but satisfying enough.
Lunch (2:00pm)
Usually leftovers or soup or I just bought some sandwich thins and boca burgers.
I usually have something sweet with this -- either some like 90 calorie Fiber One bar or a piece of fruit
Snack (4:00pm)
I like Zone bars or pistachios (about 25) I'll usually go with one of those and stick with pistachios if I'm planning a higher carb dinner or go with the zone if I'm planning a low carb dinner.
Dinner (7:30? 8?)
I've been cooking mostly skinnytaste.com recipes because I LOVE HER. I've been aiming for the lower carb items. Tonight I'm making Cuban Picadillo and am excited about it.
Sometimes the fiance and I share a grapefruit. Sometimes a fiberone bar. Sometimes nothing.
Hopefully the next 5 come off relatively smoothly. I imagine I'll have to fight for the last 10.
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
Uninspired
Last night it hit me. I will not get to my target weight in a week. I am not necessarily going to lose 3lbs in a week. I am trying to get myself out of the mild depression that accompanies the beginning of weight loss. I am trying to start enjoying a healthier lifestyle and not punish myself or my body.
I didn't know what to make for dinner last night and it was bumming me out. Everything I wanted was too high calorie. According to myfitnesspal I only had about 18 grams of carbs left for the day -- which is not many carbs. So no pasta. No rice. No anything. The fiancee was coming home late and I sat at my desk longer than I had to saying no to every recipe I came across. I decided I wanted chicken teriyaki. Not terribly inspired but easy. I was really cranky at this point.
One of my favorite bloggers over at PriorFatGirl also got back into the health routine and the blog routine. She talks about getting over the first week hump too here.
We had leftover cauliflower nibblets from the pizza so I decided to treat that like rice. We stir fried that with a little soy sauce and added a fried egg. I bought a bag of broccoli slaw and used leftover zucchini and mushrooms from the pizza.
I didn't know what to make for dinner last night and it was bumming me out. Everything I wanted was too high calorie. According to myfitnesspal I only had about 18 grams of carbs left for the day -- which is not many carbs. So no pasta. No rice. No anything. The fiancee was coming home late and I sat at my desk longer than I had to saying no to every recipe I came across. I decided I wanted chicken teriyaki. Not terribly inspired but easy. I was really cranky at this point.
One of my favorite bloggers over at PriorFatGirl also got back into the health routine and the blog routine. She talks about getting over the first week hump too here.
We had leftover cauliflower nibblets from the pizza so I decided to treat that like rice. We stir fried that with a little soy sauce and added a fried egg. I bought a bag of broccoli slaw and used leftover zucchini and mushrooms from the pizza.
And it was totally fine. The fiancee liked it better than the pizza. It was very veggie-ful. Not the most inspired but there's a little leftover.
Tonight is date night! We are going to a little pottery studio near my office called Mud Sweat and Tears. They have a Friday social pottery thing where you make a little trinket or something and hang out. I'm pretty excited about it. The fiancee is planning the dinner beforehand and I'm happy to let him pick something fun for us.
It will be nice to try and do more experience-related fun activities instead of food-related fun.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Cauliflower Pizza
So this cauliflower crust pizza has been blowin' up on pinterest and the healthy food blogs in general so I thought I'd give it a go as I love pizza but not so much the calories/grease/etc associated with it. Even the fiancee was on board! I used Tasty Kitchen's recipe.
Here are my protips to you:
1) This isn't really pizza. The crust actually tastes more like some weird combination between a falafel and a pita. It tastes almost bread-y and not really crunchy or crusty at all.
2) If you are using a food processor, chop the heads really small first and do it in batches. My blades kept getting stuck and I think there was just too much going on. Pulsing it was the most frustrating part of this process for me.
3) I was surprised how well it held together. We worked really hard to drain the cauliflower after microwaving it and I think that helped.
4) I enjoyed it. Fiancee didn't. I think it was a little too convincingly looking for him without being the same taste.
We have some leftover chopped cauliflower and I think I may buy some higher quality cheese
-- I used Fat Free mozzarella but that may have contributed to the lack
of appeal for the fiancee. Either that or try this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice recipe but I'm worried the cauliflower is a little pureed instead of rice-like.
Last night I was saying how hard I'm finding it to be dieting again and the fiancee sighed in agreement. He feels like he is on a diet with me. I guess I am the main person who feeds us at home and so he eats what I eat! I appreciate how supportive he is though. He is trying to help me lose the weight that I want to lose and get back into healthier eating patterns for myself. It is interesting how it affects him too -- though he started off our dinner with about half a bag of Ruffles so I do not think he understands "dieting" quite the same way I do.
Here are my protips to you:
1) This isn't really pizza. The crust actually tastes more like some weird combination between a falafel and a pita. It tastes almost bread-y and not really crunchy or crusty at all.
2) If you are using a food processor, chop the heads really small first and do it in batches. My blades kept getting stuck and I think there was just too much going on. Pulsing it was the most frustrating part of this process for me.
3) I was surprised how well it held together. We worked really hard to drain the cauliflower after microwaving it and I think that helped.
4) I enjoyed it. Fiancee didn't. I think it was a little too convincingly looking for him without being the same taste.
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| I only remembered to take pictures part way through the process. This is after the crust is baked with the toppings. |
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| Here's how it looked coming out of the oven. |
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| With hot pepper flakes about to be consumed -- see how the crust didn't fall apart! |
Last night I was saying how hard I'm finding it to be dieting again and the fiancee sighed in agreement. He feels like he is on a diet with me. I guess I am the main person who feeds us at home and so he eats what I eat! I appreciate how supportive he is though. He is trying to help me lose the weight that I want to lose and get back into healthier eating patterns for myself. It is interesting how it affects him too -- though he started off our dinner with about half a bag of Ruffles so I do not think he understands "dieting" quite the same way I do.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Still Chugging
With the exception of a 1/2 of a Levain Cookie I pretty much rocked the diet last week. I was 2.8lbs thinner than I was the previous week. Not too shabby. I think I'm only going to "count" my weight on Mondays -- I admit to being someone who weighs myself fairly regularly.
My fiancee is on board. He doesn't totally understand all the weight issues -- as someone who really has no experience with it personally or even in his family. They are all small people. I did make it clear that while he can buy whatever crap he wants for himself -- it has to be crap I don't like eating. This is not as restrictive on him as this may sound. I liked rich goods -- cookies, cake, dense, chewy, chocolatey, peanut buttery. Meanwhile he would much rather go with a fruit tart. Or even candy -- lollipops, circus peanuts (gag). My new favorite thing is getting texts from him while he's at the supermarket. "Do you like tapioca pudding?" "No...?" "Okay good!" We are slowly getting together a home system that leaves my apartment as a safe space for me while not being overly prohibitive for him. For dinners he knows to bake instead of pan fry. Pam is a staple. He and I will browse skinnytaste.com for recipes that look good to him and are appropriately healthy for me. I feel like I'm getting back into a healthy routine.
Christine was pleased. I am not sending her diaries daily but rather weekly and then we go over all of it together. I like that better than the little encouraging exchanges we do sometimes.
I'm getting into home cooking -- I'm becoming one of those people attracted to "quick weeknight meals!" I made this last night with some steamed broccoli and the fiancee was spooning up the leftover sauce with a spoon. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/asian-glazed-drumsticks.html Also it is very easy and everything was ready in -- 40 minutes? I keep forgetting to take pictures of the meal. I used thighs instead of drumsticks because I am not actually crazy about drumsticks.
Anyway, I'm feeling proud of myself. I'm feeling motivated and good and in control. All happy feelings.
My fiancee is on board. He doesn't totally understand all the weight issues -- as someone who really has no experience with it personally or even in his family. They are all small people. I did make it clear that while he can buy whatever crap he wants for himself -- it has to be crap I don't like eating. This is not as restrictive on him as this may sound. I liked rich goods -- cookies, cake, dense, chewy, chocolatey, peanut buttery. Meanwhile he would much rather go with a fruit tart. Or even candy -- lollipops, circus peanuts (gag). My new favorite thing is getting texts from him while he's at the supermarket. "Do you like tapioca pudding?" "No...?" "Okay good!" We are slowly getting together a home system that leaves my apartment as a safe space for me while not being overly prohibitive for him. For dinners he knows to bake instead of pan fry. Pam is a staple. He and I will browse skinnytaste.com for recipes that look good to him and are appropriately healthy for me. I feel like I'm getting back into a healthy routine.
Christine was pleased. I am not sending her diaries daily but rather weekly and then we go over all of it together. I like that better than the little encouraging exchanges we do sometimes.
I'm getting into home cooking -- I'm becoming one of those people attracted to "quick weeknight meals!" I made this last night with some steamed broccoli and the fiancee was spooning up the leftover sauce with a spoon. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/asian-glazed-drumsticks.html Also it is very easy and everything was ready in -- 40 minutes? I keep forgetting to take pictures of the meal. I used thighs instead of drumsticks because I am not actually crazy about drumsticks.
Anyway, I'm feeling proud of myself. I'm feeling motivated and good and in control. All happy feelings.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
I meant to take a picture for you all when I was cooking it and it doesn't look like much today (ie leftovers and half eaten). But I made a healthy recipe and it had a lot of servings. It's also super filling and comforting in weather like this. I got it from skinnytaste -- my favorite. My fiancee had one big bowl -- and then another -- and we still had probably 4 servings leftover. I'm happy to be back cooking. Any healthy/quick recipes anyone would like to share? Weeknight cooking is my jam.
Recipe here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-soup.html#more
Recipe here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-soup.html#more
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Stuffed Peppers
I've been experimenting with overnight oats still and I've found that adding Greek yogurt makes all the difference. I know Gina over at skinnytaste.com doesn't like it... but it makes it nice and thick. I used half a container of Chobani original and it was so thick I had to add some almond milk to thicken it up (I'm all about Silk Original Almond Milk -- delightful). I also have been adding berries since -- 'tis the season! I meant to take a picture but I ate it before I remembered.
Now... fact of my life: I don't really like peppers. I can kind of deal with them raw but overall... peppers are not my thing. Now for the past two weeks I've been having INTENSE cravings for ... stuffed peppers. What?? I tried to just ignore it but it was relentless. So yesterday I gave in.
I couldn't find a recipe that really looked delightful so I kind of pieced it together.
Ingredients:
6 Bell Peppers that look like they will stand
1.3lbs of 99% lean turkey
1 cup cooked rice (whatever variety you prefer... I'd imagine quinoa would also do well)
1 small zucchini
1 cup mushrooms
1 small onion
1 cup of fat free/low sodium chicken broth - divided
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
salt - to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
14.5 oz of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated cheese (I went for cheddar)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mince the garlic and the onion and saute with olive oil until translucent. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms. Cut the tops off of the peppers at the widest point and dice the tops.
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Add the pepper, zucchini and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until they start to cook down. Add the turkey and spices. Stir continuously, breaking it apart regularly until the meat is cooked through (no pink!). Add the diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Let it simmer until the sauce is greatly reduced (mine probably sat there for 10 minutes).
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Add the rice. Fill the peppers with the mixture and top with cheese. Place the peppers in an oven safe tray and add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted/starting to brown.
I remembered to take pictures during the process but forgot to take a picture of the end product. So you get a picture of my lunch today instead.
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Now... fact of my life: I don't really like peppers. I can kind of deal with them raw but overall... peppers are not my thing. Now for the past two weeks I've been having INTENSE cravings for ... stuffed peppers. What?? I tried to just ignore it but it was relentless. So yesterday I gave in.
I couldn't find a recipe that really looked delightful so I kind of pieced it together.
Ingredients:
6 Bell Peppers that look like they will stand
1.3lbs of 99% lean turkey
1 cup cooked rice (whatever variety you prefer... I'd imagine quinoa would also do well)
1 small zucchini
1 cup mushrooms
1 small onion
1 cup of fat free/low sodium chicken broth - divided
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
salt - to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
14.5 oz of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated cheese (I went for cheddar)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mince the garlic and the onion and saute with olive oil until translucent. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms. Cut the tops off of the peppers at the widest point and dice the tops.
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Add the pepper, zucchini and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until they start to cook down. Add the turkey and spices. Stir continuously, breaking it apart regularly until the meat is cooked through (no pink!). Add the diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Let it simmer until the sauce is greatly reduced (mine probably sat there for 10 minutes).
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Add the rice. Fill the peppers with the mixture and top with cheese. Place the peppers in an oven safe tray and add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted/starting to brown.
I remembered to take pictures during the process but forgot to take a picture of the end product. So you get a picture of my lunch today instead.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Overnight Oats!
You are all aware of my obsession with chia seeds. My experimentation with them is basically endless. I find that they're delicious in almond milk. Hot or cold. So when one of my favorite cooking blogs (yes, yes, skinnytaste.com) posted a recipe for overnight oats that incorporated chia seeds, I knew I had to try it.
It was late and I basically adapted to whatever I had on hand (not much) and used 1/2 cup of almond milk, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of quick oats. This morning I added walnuts and a sprinkle of agave.
It was kind of odd but kind of delightful. I think the chia seeds overpowered a little and I missed the cold-oat feel to it. But I will definitely experiment again! I'm also going grocery shopping this evening and I'll get some fruit (blueberries look delicious) to throw in there.
It's nice to have an alternative to oatmeal in the summers. Lately I've just been eating Fudge Graham Zone Bars (also delicious... but variety is the spice of life). I had the oats with some Good Earth tea (my favorite) and it was a really satisfying way to start my morning.
Do you guys have favorite summer breakfasts?
It was late and I basically adapted to whatever I had on hand (not much) and used 1/2 cup of almond milk, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of quick oats. This morning I added walnuts and a sprinkle of agave.
It was kind of odd but kind of delightful. I think the chia seeds overpowered a little and I missed the cold-oat feel to it. But I will definitely experiment again! I'm also going grocery shopping this evening and I'll get some fruit (blueberries look delicious) to throw in there.
It's nice to have an alternative to oatmeal in the summers. Lately I've just been eating Fudge Graham Zone Bars (also delicious... but variety is the spice of life). I had the oats with some Good Earth tea (my favorite) and it was a really satisfying way to start my morning.
Do you guys have favorite summer breakfasts?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Blah. Again.
Wow. What a whirlwind week! I know I owe you guys some Jamie/Anna lunch project dishes. I also have been having trouble coming up with what to tell you.
I'm having motivational issues. I don't really want to be on a diet anymore.
Surprise surprise, right? I feel like I know how to eat to maintain this weight I'm at right now. So that's pretty much what I've been doing this week. Though I went to California Thursday through Monday to see one of my best friends and I really wasn't very food/health concious. I walked a lot, but I really didn't hold back from much in terms of portions or choices. But I ate well and had a good time. It sort of felt like a little throw-back to old-Anna eating styles. Fun and mindless. And you know what? I still liked it. A lot. Back in New York it's easier to get back into the habits that I had here. Honestly though, I don't know that it would be so hard for me to slip into old-Anna.
I got a box of chocolate for Valentine's Day (I have not "came out" to my boyfriend... theoretically with some minor Facebook stalking he could figure out that I used to be much bigger. But somehow I really don't think he knows--but that's another post for another time!). And while I did a really good job of not eating it all in one sitting, every day I feel the need to have a piece. What's a piece?? But that's basically been my attitude. And why I can only hope to maintain this week.
That's not to say that sitting here maintaining this weight is difficult for me. I totally know how to do it. I enjoy the way I eat. I enjoy cooking for myself. I enjoy cooking for Jamie and my boyfriend and my roommates and my parents. In a way I think I turned my FUN eating into FUN cooking. Which is clearly healthier and happier. I am a social person. I like being surrounded by people. The amount of alone time I require is pretty limited. There is something about food (and my life in general) that I like to have a social aspect. So I guess I've done an okay job of redefining it all.
I think the root of my frustration is that I didn't get instant results from my Protein on Leaves week. I like instant gratification. I like seeing big results when I feel like I make big changes.
So I suppose here is to maintaining this week. Having Christine kick my butt this weekend (am I overly relient on her??). And figuring out something feasible and not discouraging. Eternally figuring this out. I really hate this last leg in case that wasn't evident.
I'm having motivational issues. I don't really want to be on a diet anymore.
Surprise surprise, right? I feel like I know how to eat to maintain this weight I'm at right now. So that's pretty much what I've been doing this week. Though I went to California Thursday through Monday to see one of my best friends and I really wasn't very food/health concious. I walked a lot, but I really didn't hold back from much in terms of portions or choices. But I ate well and had a good time. It sort of felt like a little throw-back to old-Anna eating styles. Fun and mindless. And you know what? I still liked it. A lot. Back in New York it's easier to get back into the habits that I had here. Honestly though, I don't know that it would be so hard for me to slip into old-Anna.
I got a box of chocolate for Valentine's Day (I have not "came out" to my boyfriend... theoretically with some minor Facebook stalking he could figure out that I used to be much bigger. But somehow I really don't think he knows--but that's another post for another time!). And while I did a really good job of not eating it all in one sitting, every day I feel the need to have a piece. What's a piece?? But that's basically been my attitude. And why I can only hope to maintain this week.
That's not to say that sitting here maintaining this weight is difficult for me. I totally know how to do it. I enjoy the way I eat. I enjoy cooking for myself. I enjoy cooking for Jamie and my boyfriend and my roommates and my parents. In a way I think I turned my FUN eating into FUN cooking. Which is clearly healthier and happier. I am a social person. I like being surrounded by people. The amount of alone time I require is pretty limited. There is something about food (and my life in general) that I like to have a social aspect. So I guess I've done an okay job of redefining it all.
I think the root of my frustration is that I didn't get instant results from my Protein on Leaves week. I like instant gratification. I like seeing big results when I feel like I make big changes.
So I suppose here is to maintaining this week. Having Christine kick my butt this weekend (am I overly relient on her??). And figuring out something feasible and not discouraging. Eternally figuring this out. I really hate this last leg in case that wasn't evident.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Lunch Project: Week 8!
So this week, I decided to make omelette muffins for Jamie. And yes, you already heard about omelette muffins. Though I did spinach and feta again this time, I also decided to add a chicken sausage to half of them. I cut the sausage into rounds and then quartered those. It was a really nice touch and added a little extra protein and texture. Jamie, who is not a big chicken fan, enjoyed the addition too. I'm actually having friends over for brunch (solution to eating well at brunch -- cook it yourself) and I think I'll make these. I may even add some turkey bacon to some of the omelette muffins... because that sounds really good to me.
There was a little mishap and my carton of eggs fell out of my shopping bag! Nine eggs were cracked (not BROKEN... but needed to be used). So I did 1.5 the recipe for the omelette muffins... but then was stuck with three additional eggs that needed to be used RIGHT THEN. I knew merengues were low calorie and so I went to my default... skinnytaste.com to see if she had any suggestions. And I found this recipe. And it looked delicious. I used to HATE coconut (I still can't do Mounds or Almond Joy) but I've definitely come around to it. The only ingredient I had, however, was the eggs. But between the three ladies I live with, I was able to come up with everything. And even smashed the cornflakes myself (oh yeah... yoga strength!). The cookies were soft and delightful and disappeared INCREDIBLY quickly. I did manage to squeeze a couple out to bring to lunch for Jamie.
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Jamie made a quinoa loaf. From this recipe. Now, I had never thought of quinoa in loaf form! So glad Jamie stumbled upon the recipe. She cooked a test run over the weekend and then perfected the recipe to bring for lunch today. She subbed in spinach instead of the cilantro. Added some cheese and didn't use the nuts or peppers. She also added curry powder and chilli powder. It was sooooooo tasty. She said the first time she made it she cooked it for too long so she also reduced the cooking time by about 10 minutes. I'd imagine this is dependent on your oven though... just be aware it may be faster than you think! She added a dash of paprika on top too!
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I went to yoga yesterday at 7am (pat on the back... had to set my freaking alarm for 5:45). I hated the class, but at least I went, right? I bought a Groupon for a 10-class card at the yoga studio that needs to be used before the 14th!! IS THIS POSSIBLE? Probably not considering I've only used two. But I've put a TON on my google calendar so hopefully I can get a handful of classes in. My boy is out of town for the next couple weeks so maybe I'll be toned with a yoga butt when he gets back (this fantasy is somewhere between improbable and impossible). Tomorrow I'm planning to go to one at 8am and then for a run with the roommate in the afternoon. There's another class on Sunday but it's level 2 and after the class yesterday I'm worried that I'm not quite advanced enough. Maybe I don't care. Usually teachers are good at giving varying degrees of difficulty.
So... 2/10! Let's see if I can GET IT DONE.
Also stay tuned for a post about surviving restaurant week!
There was a little mishap and my carton of eggs fell out of my shopping bag! Nine eggs were cracked (not BROKEN... but needed to be used). So I did 1.5 the recipe for the omelette muffins... but then was stuck with three additional eggs that needed to be used RIGHT THEN. I knew merengues were low calorie and so I went to my default... skinnytaste.com to see if she had any suggestions. And I found this recipe. And it looked delicious. I used to HATE coconut (I still can't do Mounds or Almond Joy) but I've definitely come around to it. The only ingredient I had, however, was the eggs. But between the three ladies I live with, I was able to come up with everything. And even smashed the cornflakes myself (oh yeah... yoga strength!). The cookies were soft and delightful and disappeared INCREDIBLY quickly. I did manage to squeeze a couple out to bring to lunch for Jamie.
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Jamie made a quinoa loaf. From this recipe. Now, I had never thought of quinoa in loaf form! So glad Jamie stumbled upon the recipe. She cooked a test run over the weekend and then perfected the recipe to bring for lunch today. She subbed in spinach instead of the cilantro. Added some cheese and didn't use the nuts or peppers. She also added curry powder and chilli powder. It was sooooooo tasty. She said the first time she made it she cooked it for too long so she also reduced the cooking time by about 10 minutes. I'd imagine this is dependent on your oven though... just be aware it may be faster than you think! She added a dash of paprika on top too!
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I went to yoga yesterday at 7am (pat on the back... had to set my freaking alarm for 5:45). I hated the class, but at least I went, right? I bought a Groupon for a 10-class card at the yoga studio that needs to be used before the 14th!! IS THIS POSSIBLE? Probably not considering I've only used two. But I've put a TON on my google calendar so hopefully I can get a handful of classes in. My boy is out of town for the next couple weeks so maybe I'll be toned with a yoga butt when he gets back (this fantasy is somewhere between improbable and impossible). Tomorrow I'm planning to go to one at 8am and then for a run with the roommate in the afternoon. There's another class on Sunday but it's level 2 and after the class yesterday I'm worried that I'm not quite advanced enough. Maybe I don't care. Usually teachers are good at giving varying degrees of difficulty.
So... 2/10! Let's see if I can GET IT DONE.
Also stay tuned for a post about surviving restaurant week!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Lunch Project: Week 7!/Busy Weekend
I'm terrible! I totally thought I wrote this post but I definitely didn't. Last week was an EXCITING week for the lunch project because I made my first dish on the slow cooker! It was lentil soup and it came out really well. I found a simple simple recipe. I didn't want to get too over ambitious with it. Though really... I could have. The soup came out really well and totally flavorful. Something about just letting them sit and stew there, I guess. I was really happy with the outcome. I have a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker and I probably could have halved the recipe. I'd say I ended up with 7-8 servings. I ate a lot of lentil soup and brought it for Jamie and myself for lunch TWICE.
It also called for a whole chopped onion. I feel like I've mentioned my onion catch-22 before. Here's the deal. I love onions. Pretty much however you want to prepare it, I like me some onions. However. I cannot cut them. Period. I cry. I run away. It's a 30 minute endeavor and it comes out a shoddy mess. The lovely and talented Anika gave me ONION goggles for my birthday. You look like a goon, but they actually work incredibly well. In fact, my eyes only started bothering me AFTER the onion was chopped and I took off the glasses. Which is both funny and miraculous as far as I'm concerned.
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So I got that onion chopped!
I found cooking in my crock pot to be both incredibly satisfying and incredibly anticlimactic. I guess I'm used to very hands on cooking and the thought of all that prep and then.... hours... was something new. I chopped things, threw it in the pot, went to bed. Whaaaaat? No stirring?
With all the extra time I had NOT cooking. I took pictures of my slow cooker.
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Slow cooker action shot!!
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The next morning I just stirred in some kale and balsamic vinager and packed it for lunch. Jamie and I both really really enjoyed it even with the simplicity of all the ingredients. Honestly it tasted like it had more spices/flavor than you would guess considering the recipe. I thank slow cooker goodness for that.
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I had extra kale from my slow cooker recipe and decided to make some kale chips. They are delicious and pretty low cal. Combine the kale with a teensy bit of olive oil, balsamic vinager, salt pepper and whatever other seasonings you'd like (I added chilli pepper). Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until the chips are green and crispy (but not burnt!).
Yummmmmmmy snack. I always have good intentions of making a batch and saving some. But it never (read: NEVER) works out like that.
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Jamie made a really delicious southern comfort food. Black eyed peas! I'm going to try and recreate the recipe as far as I understood it.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 cans black eyed peas - do not drain
A couple cloves of garlic
5 slices of turkey bacon
Bunch of kale - chopped and rinsed
Oregano
Paprika
Saute the garlic, put aside. Slice the turkey bacon into bite sized pieces and cook in the same skillet that you cooked the garlic. Towards the end of cooking add the kale and let the flavors combine and the kale to cook down a little. Put the beans in a pot and add oregano and paprika to taste. Add the garlic, kale and turkey bacon and cook until heated through.
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Really pretty simple and SUPER delicious. Jamie brought apple sauce for dessert.
This weekend I kept up my exercise kick and went to a yoga class that KILLED ME. It was an open level class (which means all levels -- but it's pretty much catered to higher level yogis, and then if you're not up to it ... you don't do it). And I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF because I did my first handstand! Well my first ASSISTED handstand, but still. I really truly didn't think it was going to happen, but I figured I'd try anyway. Throughout the class the teacher spent a lot of time talking about the wholeness and completeness that is you. Somehow that was very inspiring for me. I also had a really nice woman assisting me in the pose. I didn't have my back quite soft enough when I first tried to do it, and she was able to point that out to me. I didn't quite come out of the pose well (aka I crashed and burned) but I was GLOWING. It was such a nice feeling and I felt strong and accomplished. The teacher came up to me after and said, "You totally didn't think you were going to do that did you? A crash landing isn't ideal, but it's a start!"
My roommate and I also went for a run on Saturday morning. And by run I mean a 10 minute relaxed (for her) jog. We probably spent about half an hour outside walking though.
Unfortunately I'm going to have to skip my yoga class I usually go to tomorrow, but I'm hoping to actually get my butt out of bed and go to the 7am one on Thursday. Fingers crossed, yes? I bought a 10-class groupon card and so I have 9 classes to use before the 14th. Yoga master by Valentine's Day anyone?
I went out with my boy and my roommates on Saturday as well and I really liked my outfit so I took a classy classy mirror shot of myself. I'm two pounds away from 70 down. I'd love to hit that in the next week or two though this week seems like it may be a little complicated eating-wise. A LOT of going out.
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I told you it was classy!
It also called for a whole chopped onion. I feel like I've mentioned my onion catch-22 before. Here's the deal. I love onions. Pretty much however you want to prepare it, I like me some onions. However. I cannot cut them. Period. I cry. I run away. It's a 30 minute endeavor and it comes out a shoddy mess. The lovely and talented Anika gave me ONION goggles for my birthday. You look like a goon, but they actually work incredibly well. In fact, my eyes only started bothering me AFTER the onion was chopped and I took off the glasses. Which is both funny and miraculous as far as I'm concerned.
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So I got that onion chopped!
I found cooking in my crock pot to be both incredibly satisfying and incredibly anticlimactic. I guess I'm used to very hands on cooking and the thought of all that prep and then.... hours... was something new. I chopped things, threw it in the pot, went to bed. Whaaaaat? No stirring?
With all the extra time I had NOT cooking. I took pictures of my slow cooker.
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Slow cooker action shot!!
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The next morning I just stirred in some kale and balsamic vinager and packed it for lunch. Jamie and I both really really enjoyed it even with the simplicity of all the ingredients. Honestly it tasted like it had more spices/flavor than you would guess considering the recipe. I thank slow cooker goodness for that.
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I had extra kale from my slow cooker recipe and decided to make some kale chips. They are delicious and pretty low cal. Combine the kale with a teensy bit of olive oil, balsamic vinager, salt pepper and whatever other seasonings you'd like (I added chilli pepper). Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until the chips are green and crispy (but not burnt!).
Yummmmmmmy snack. I always have good intentions of making a batch and saving some. But it never (read: NEVER) works out like that.
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Jamie made a really delicious southern comfort food. Black eyed peas! I'm going to try and recreate the recipe as far as I understood it.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 cans black eyed peas - do not drain
A couple cloves of garlic
5 slices of turkey bacon
Bunch of kale - chopped and rinsed
Oregano
Paprika
Saute the garlic, put aside. Slice the turkey bacon into bite sized pieces and cook in the same skillet that you cooked the garlic. Towards the end of cooking add the kale and let the flavors combine and the kale to cook down a little. Put the beans in a pot and add oregano and paprika to taste. Add the garlic, kale and turkey bacon and cook until heated through.
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Really pretty simple and SUPER delicious. Jamie brought apple sauce for dessert.
This weekend I kept up my exercise kick and went to a yoga class that KILLED ME. It was an open level class (which means all levels -- but it's pretty much catered to higher level yogis, and then if you're not up to it ... you don't do it). And I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF because I did my first handstand! Well my first ASSISTED handstand, but still. I really truly didn't think it was going to happen, but I figured I'd try anyway. Throughout the class the teacher spent a lot of time talking about the wholeness and completeness that is you. Somehow that was very inspiring for me. I also had a really nice woman assisting me in the pose. I didn't have my back quite soft enough when I first tried to do it, and she was able to point that out to me. I didn't quite come out of the pose well (aka I crashed and burned) but I was GLOWING. It was such a nice feeling and I felt strong and accomplished. The teacher came up to me after and said, "You totally didn't think you were going to do that did you? A crash landing isn't ideal, but it's a start!"
My roommate and I also went for a run on Saturday morning. And by run I mean a 10 minute relaxed (for her) jog. We probably spent about half an hour outside walking though.
Unfortunately I'm going to have to skip my yoga class I usually go to tomorrow, but I'm hoping to actually get my butt out of bed and go to the 7am one on Thursday. Fingers crossed, yes? I bought a 10-class groupon card and so I have 9 classes to use before the 14th. Yoga master by Valentine's Day anyone?
I went out with my boy and my roommates on Saturday as well and I really liked my outfit so I took a classy classy mirror shot of myself. I'm two pounds away from 70 down. I'd love to hit that in the next week or two though this week seems like it may be a little complicated eating-wise. A LOT of going out.
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I told you it was classy!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Lunch Project: Week 6
So I stumbled across this recipe when looking for neato lunch ideas for Jamie. I paused, not because it didn't look delicious, but because of the large amount of fat in this dish. The recipe as is is totally Atkins/South Beach/Lo Carb whatever friendly, however I'm on a low fat, moderate carb diet. I've been thinking more and more about whether or not that MATTERS, but as it is, it has worked. Pesto is one of my guilty pleasures. It's not quite at the level of peanut butter (which could be deemed an obsession), but it's still up there.
I could get around a lot of the oil in the recipe. Pam is great like that. Just use a little for the roasted tomatoes and a little to fry up the shallots and garlic. And the more I stared at the recipe the more I just justified how 1/3 cup of pesto was not going to KILL my diet. If I got six servings out of it it would only be 1/18th of a cup per serving I actually told a friend. So, having fully justified my oil choices, I headed to the supermarket.
There was no pesto! Haha! A sign from the Gods! I was still determined to make the recipe, but to modify it. I feel like it changed enough for me to repost what I did here.
a couple splashes of extra-virgin olive oil - divided
a pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 bag kale, spinach or other hearty green (or as much as your preference is!)
1 block extra-firm tofu
Cornstarch
Paprika (optional)
1/3 cup Romano cheese (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted*
Sprinkle of soy sauce (optional)
1 carton cherry tomatoes
Spoonful of brown sugar
The whole thing took me about 45 minutes to whip up! I started with roasting the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Mix together the sugar and just enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes. Toss the cherries in the mixture and arrange on some parchment paper on a baking tray - cut sides up. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 45 minutes or until they look shrunk and sweet.
I then boiled the water, added the quinoa and cooked it until the water was absorbed - about 15 minutes.
While that cooked, I drained and cut the tofu into bite sized pieces and then tossed it in just enough cornstarch to cover it. I fried it in Pam until it started getting crispy and brown (or however cooked you like your tofu!). I cooked it on two sides for about 5 minutes each side. Cooking time will vary depending on how drained your tofu was. I then sprinkled a little paprika on top. Totally optional but delicious and let the cooked tofu sit on a paper towel.
Then, in a large skillet heat a little bit of olive oil and salt over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot and garlic and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the spinach until it's more or less reduced and then add corn and cook until heated through.
Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cheese and pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of Romano cheese.
Serves 4 - 6.
*I put some pumpkin seeds in my toaster oven and cooked them for a short while in some soy sauce. The pumpkin seeds puff a teeny bit and absorb the soy sauce. If you're not into that, just toasting them would be sufficient, I'm sure!
Today, Jamie adapted this recipe pretty severely. I tried to get her to type up her own recipe but she said she followed that recipe except with no tomatoes. To quote: "Basically we're having soup of chickpeas, mushrooms, kale, basil, carrots, onions, and garlic." The mushrooms gave it a real earthy feel.
I could get around a lot of the oil in the recipe. Pam is great like that. Just use a little for the roasted tomatoes and a little to fry up the shallots and garlic. And the more I stared at the recipe the more I just justified how 1/3 cup of pesto was not going to KILL my diet. If I got six servings out of it it would only be 1/18th of a cup per serving I actually told a friend. So, having fully justified my oil choices, I headed to the supermarket.
There was no pesto! Haha! A sign from the Gods! I was still determined to make the recipe, but to modify it. I feel like it changed enough for me to repost what I did here.
a couple splashes of extra-virgin olive oil - divided
a pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 bag kale, spinach or other hearty green (or as much as your preference is!)
1 block extra-firm tofu
Cornstarch
Paprika (optional)
1/3 cup Romano cheese (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted*
Sprinkle of soy sauce (optional)
1 carton cherry tomatoes
Spoonful of brown sugar
The whole thing took me about 45 minutes to whip up! I started with roasting the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Mix together the sugar and just enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes. Toss the cherries in the mixture and arrange on some parchment paper on a baking tray - cut sides up. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 45 minutes or until they look shrunk and sweet.
I then boiled the water, added the quinoa and cooked it until the water was absorbed - about 15 minutes.
While that cooked, I drained and cut the tofu into bite sized pieces and then tossed it in just enough cornstarch to cover it. I fried it in Pam until it started getting crispy and brown (or however cooked you like your tofu!). I cooked it on two sides for about 5 minutes each side. Cooking time will vary depending on how drained your tofu was. I then sprinkled a little paprika on top. Totally optional but delicious and let the cooked tofu sit on a paper towel.Then, in a large skillet heat a little bit of olive oil and salt over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot and garlic and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the spinach until it's more or less reduced and then add corn and cook until heated through.
Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cheese and pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of Romano cheese.
Serves 4 - 6.
*I put some pumpkin seeds in my toaster oven and cooked them for a short while in some soy sauce. The pumpkin seeds puff a teeny bit and absorb the soy sauce. If you're not into that, just toasting them would be sufficient, I'm sure!
Today, Jamie adapted this recipe pretty severely. I tried to get her to type up her own recipe but she said she followed that recipe except with no tomatoes. To quote: "Basically we're having soup of chickpeas, mushrooms, kale, basil, carrots, onions, and garlic." The mushrooms gave it a real earthy feel.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Lunch Project: Week 5!
So Jamie and I both cooked this week which was really lovely. Nice having two home cooked meals for lunches. Also means I have EXTRA leftovers. Score!
I had an impulse buy last week. I was in the tofu section and saw a tube of polenta and was drawn to it. Like a moth to a flame. Why? No idea. Did I even know what polenta WAS? No. All I knew is that somehow, someway, some day I would eat it. I was reminded of its presence every time I opened the fridge. Annaaaa make meeeee!! So I started googling recipes for polenta. Most used it as a side dish... which I didn't really have in mind. A woman at work suggested I fry it up with some veggies... though frying wasn't really it either.
I stumbled upon this recipe and I thought it had promise. Veggies. Cheese. Tomato sauce. Can't go wrong. I do acknowledge that this is vaguely in the same vain as the lasagne last week but it was pretty delicious. The polenta was a nice base and all. I chopped some tomatoes and put it on top which was a nice touch. I also kept my polenta in rounds... cutting lengthwise didn't seem like the best option when it was already in this nice tube for me. This recipe is also very forgiving. I probably didn't do anything quite like it said and it still turned out fine. The only issue is my water didn't get steamed up in the amount of time so I ended up pouring a lot out of the bottom of the pan.
Cheered my ladies up!
The leftovers were also good the next day but I'm not sure the Sharlotka would last longer than a few days... so have it with company in mind! Jamie and I had a nice semi-leftovers meal at lunch.
Then on Thursday, Jamie made us some quinoa burgers with melted cheddar cheese on top. This was the recipe. The only thing was that they came out a little dry. We talked about maybe adding another egg if we did it again. The cheese really balanced it out and we both ended up eating two whole burgers! Though I felt stuffed for hours after.
Also my supervisor at work introduced me to Chia seeds. I actually think they might really be Chia as in Chia Pet (seeds) but whatever. Apparently they're a super healthy complete protein. Some sort of combination of quinoa and flax except you don't boil it and you don't mash it. I think you can sprinkle it on top of whatever you'd like and it adds extra omega boosts as well as protein and other good stuff. Of course, they're kind of caloric. Not horribly so but here are Christine's thoughts on the little buggers: Chia seeds, have in 1 tablespoon, 6.5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, maybe they would be a good afternoon snack with 2 tablespoons measured in a baggie. The fat content in 2 tablespoons is like the equivalent of t tablespoon of the low fat peanut butter, so I wouldn't be eating handfuls of this stuff, they are also high in omega and are a complete protein. So all in all, sounds like approval (in moderation). If you stick them in water they sort of gel up too into some sort of combo of rice pudding and tapioca pearls with a little crunch to them. My supervisor says they help you stay hydrated too (especially when put in water). And apparently if you add lime juice it's like a natural sort of Gatorade!
I had an impulse buy last week. I was in the tofu section and saw a tube of polenta and was drawn to it. Like a moth to a flame. Why? No idea. Did I even know what polenta WAS? No. All I knew is that somehow, someway, some day I would eat it. I was reminded of its presence every time I opened the fridge. Annaaaa make meeeee!! So I started googling recipes for polenta. Most used it as a side dish... which I didn't really have in mind. A woman at work suggested I fry it up with some veggies... though frying wasn't really it either.
I stumbled upon this recipe and I thought it had promise. Veggies. Cheese. Tomato sauce. Can't go wrong. I do acknowledge that this is vaguely in the same vain as the lasagne last week but it was pretty delicious. The polenta was a nice base and all. I chopped some tomatoes and put it on top which was a nice touch. I also kept my polenta in rounds... cutting lengthwise didn't seem like the best option when it was already in this nice tube for me. This recipe is also very forgiving. I probably didn't do anything quite like it said and it still turned out fine. The only issue is my water didn't get steamed up in the amount of time so I ended up pouring a lot out of the bottom of the pan.
Though really. Steamed veggies, cheese and polenta. It's hard to go wrong. It baked up really well and was a lovely dinner and then lunch the next day.
The very same night I bought a bunch of apples debating whether I should consume them or make Smitten Kitchen's Apple Sharlotka. After I came home to a roommate in distressing boy situation -- the answer became obvious.
Yes, yes, I know. Smitten Kitchen doesn't always do the healthiest recipes. Especially not when it comes to dessert. BUT this recipe has NO oil and NO butter... which is really where the calories stack up. It really truly is mostly apples and super easy to make. And delicious. So if you're craving a healthier dessert and you're into apples this recipe was a winner.
Cheered my ladies up!
The leftovers were also good the next day but I'm not sure the Sharlotka would last longer than a few days... so have it with company in mind! Jamie and I had a nice semi-leftovers meal at lunch.
Also my supervisor at work introduced me to Chia seeds. I actually think they might really be Chia as in Chia Pet (seeds) but whatever. Apparently they're a super healthy complete protein. Some sort of combination of quinoa and flax except you don't boil it and you don't mash it. I think you can sprinkle it on top of whatever you'd like and it adds extra omega boosts as well as protein and other good stuff. Of course, they're kind of caloric. Not horribly so but here are Christine's thoughts on the little buggers: Chia seeds, have in 1 tablespoon, 6.5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, maybe they would be a good afternoon snack with 2 tablespoons measured in a baggie. The fat content in 2 tablespoons is like the equivalent of t tablespoon of the low fat peanut butter, so I wouldn't be eating handfuls of this stuff, they are also high in omega and are a complete protein. So all in all, sounds like approval (in moderation). If you stick them in water they sort of gel up too into some sort of combo of rice pudding and tapioca pearls with a little crunch to them. My supervisor says they help you stay hydrated too (especially when put in water). And apparently if you add lime juice it's like a natural sort of Gatorade!
I'm still sort of figuring out what to do with them, but they're a pretty good little snack. Even if kind of goopy and odd. Let me know if you have any fun recipes that incorporate them! Also try them. They're pretty flavorless -- all texture. I'd get the feeling they'd take on whatever flavor you put them in and probably if you find the right water/chia ratio you can make a sort of pudding of it.
Here's to a good weekend!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Lunch Exchange: Spinach Lasagna
So I was getting a little sick of beans for lunch with Jamie. I toyed with the idea of fried rice. Fried quinoa. But nothing was sounding super appealing. In my obsessive stalking of skinnytaste.com, I stumbled across this recipe. My roommate then texted me asking if I wanted to go out for dinner. I asked her how she felt about lasagna and dinner was born!
It was SUPER easy to make (just a little time-consuming since it bakes for 40 minutes). And one roll was really satisfying for me. Gina at skinnytaste.com suggests a side salad to go with it. I didn't do that but it sounds like a nice idea to get some greens in.
The leftovers keep really well and servings are really clear/manageable. The only issue I had was that I was SUPER specific about measuring everything but I only had enough filling for 8 rolls. Also only 8 rolls fit in my pan so it actually worked out kind of well though the calorie count was probably a smidge higher on mine. Not too worried about it.
It was kind of a perfect lunch food. It was great for dinner but kept really well. I also bet it would freeze really deliciously too.
Jamie and I both brought clementines for dessert. Great minds, right?
It was SUPER easy to make (just a little time-consuming since it bakes for 40 minutes). And one roll was really satisfying for me. Gina at skinnytaste.com suggests a side salad to go with it. I didn't do that but it sounds like a nice idea to get some greens in.
The leftovers keep really well and servings are really clear/manageable. The only issue I had was that I was SUPER specific about measuring everything but I only had enough filling for 8 rolls. Also only 8 rolls fit in my pan so it actually worked out kind of well though the calorie count was probably a smidge higher on mine. Not too worried about it.
It was kind of a perfect lunch food. It was great for dinner but kept really well. I also bet it would freeze really deliciously too.
Jamie and I both brought clementines for dessert. Great minds, right?
We then went to the farmer's market and they had a deal for 2 big bags of apples for $5. Usually Jamie and I are really picky with our apple selection but this seemed like a deal too good to pass up. Plus some of the bags had some PEARS in them. Delicious. I meant to take a picture at the market but my fingers were numb!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Omelette Muffins!!
Yesterday was my lay-low day. It was pouring and all I wanted to do was go home, read, mess around on the internet, and cook dinner. One of my favorite people from college was coming over after a date and so I wanted something easy, vegetarian and, of course, healthy. Originally the thought was to make a fritatta. I had a bunch of egg whites in a carton, some frozen spinach (leftover from the chickpeas) and some fat free feta.
I have discovered this blog called skinnytaste.com. It is a really awesome blog. I am kind of obsessed (and trying to find others like her!). She is a Weight Watchers member and so posts points(+) (for all/any of you on the WW plan) as well as nutritional information for everyone else. And lo and behold! She had a spinach/feta fritatta recipe! I thought I was golden. Linked at the bottom though was this recipe for broccoli/cheddar mini omelettes. And I knew that I had to make the omelette muffins. I used the 2nd recipe and just subbed in my carton of my (defrosted and patted dry) frozen spinach for the broccoli, and my fat free feta for the cheddar. And they came out SO WELL. Baked through perfectly in 20 minutes. They heat up well (or so I'm told... gave one to my college friend this morning). And store easily.
I will definitely be repeating this recipe for Jamie when she gets back. A very fruitful experiment! I also imagine these would be great if you're hosting some kind of brunch or even some kind of easy party appetizer. The only thing I would be mindful of is not adding too much salt to your vegetables or eggs because the cheese itself is pretty salty. Mine weren't TOO salty but I could see how it would be easy to forget to hold back a little.
Though I must be honest. The rest of my eating has been a little subpar. I WAY overdid it for my brother's birthday. I've been noshing a lot (which is a habit from my Anna-not-losing-weight-only-maintaining days). It's not even that I'm noshing on BAD foods. It's just that I'm not really lowering my intake enough. I'll be working on this this week. Tonight is my mother's Hanukkah party. Which means lots of food and latkes. I requested my dad do some baked latkes (which is sort of besides the point ... Hanukkah is about eating foods DRIPPING in oil). So hopefully he does some of that. My mom will make her Jewish Soul Food lamb/rice dish. Not THE HEALTHIEST but also doesn't take too much to fill up on.
I think once my head is out of the game... even for a little. It's a lot of work to get back in it. Also the wham of the holidays is hard to resist. I did well staying away from the preamble but can you really say NO that much on ACTUAL Christmas. And then New Years. Hopefully I'll pull myself out of it to not go too crazy tonight. And to refocus and GET IT DONE. Only 6lbs to go to my first goal (well... as of Sunday morning... I actually think it's more than that after the past few days...). SO CLOSE I can taste it (bad metaphor?).
I have discovered this blog called skinnytaste.com. It is a really awesome blog. I am kind of obsessed (and trying to find others like her!). She is a Weight Watchers member and so posts points(+) (for all/any of you on the WW plan) as well as nutritional information for everyone else. And lo and behold! She had a spinach/feta fritatta recipe! I thought I was golden. Linked at the bottom though was this recipe for broccoli/cheddar mini omelettes. And I knew that I had to make the omelette muffins. I used the 2nd recipe and just subbed in my carton of my (defrosted and patted dry) frozen spinach for the broccoli, and my fat free feta for the cheddar. And they came out SO WELL. Baked through perfectly in 20 minutes. They heat up well (or so I'm told... gave one to my college friend this morning). And store easily.
I will definitely be repeating this recipe for Jamie when she gets back. A very fruitful experiment! I also imagine these would be great if you're hosting some kind of brunch or even some kind of easy party appetizer. The only thing I would be mindful of is not adding too much salt to your vegetables or eggs because the cheese itself is pretty salty. Mine weren't TOO salty but I could see how it would be easy to forget to hold back a little.
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| You can see why I like to call them Omelette Muffins |
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| My lovely roommate enjoying! Also that's her thumb and not a weird chin-growth. |
I think once my head is out of the game... even for a little. It's a lot of work to get back in it. Also the wham of the holidays is hard to resist. I did well staying away from the preamble but can you really say NO that much on ACTUAL Christmas. And then New Years. Hopefully I'll pull myself out of it to not go too crazy tonight. And to refocus and GET IT DONE. Only 6lbs to go to my first goal (well... as of Sunday morning... I actually think it's more than that after the past few days...). SO CLOSE I can taste it (bad metaphor?).
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Are we there yet?
I'm sick! I have this awful habit of running myself down until my body just says STOP. And I think that's what's going on right now. I did cancel my evening plans last night and instead sat at home watching The Biggest Loser reruns. My roommate and I also lit the menorah (my tradition) and watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special (her tradition). It was a lovely Judeo-Christian night.
The lunch exchange has been going strong this week even though it was a three-day week for Jamie. She's out of town for the next couple weeks for vacation. I plan to cook lunch for myself at least once a week in her absence. Which might only be one week? Need to figure that out. I will miss my lunch partner!!
Jamie brought vegetarian chilli. She adapted from this recipe. She used small white, black and red beans and added Tabasco. No textured vegetable protein but it really didn't need it! Quite delicious without, actually.
Then yesterday I made Butter Chickpeas adapted from this recipe (scroll down). I don't know why they're called Butter Chickpeas as there is no butter in the recipe. I used Pam instead of oil and substituted fat free plain yogurt for the cream. I also added a carton of frozen peas and some frozen spinach. Just to veggify it a little.
I put in one teaspoon of chilli peppers and it KILLED us. It was SO SPICY. I don't know what the deal was with those little pepper flakes but I definitely overdid it. It was borderline inedible. I brought rice and milk and even that was not enough to cut the spice. We ended up sharing a bread roll... which ultimately helped. I gave the rest to Jamie in hopes she could pawn it off on her boyfriend... but he deemed it too spicy too. I feel bad because I actually think it was a really nice recipe. I just messed it up with the spice.
Photo evidence of Jamie and I surviving (but kind of in pain) after the lunch.
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| Note the menorah in the corner |
Jamie brought vegetarian chilli. She adapted from this recipe. She used small white, black and red beans and added Tabasco. No textured vegetable protein but it really didn't need it! Quite delicious without, actually.
Then yesterday I made Butter Chickpeas adapted from this recipe (scroll down). I don't know why they're called Butter Chickpeas as there is no butter in the recipe. I used Pam instead of oil and substituted fat free plain yogurt for the cream. I also added a carton of frozen peas and some frozen spinach. Just to veggify it a little.
I put in one teaspoon of chilli peppers and it KILLED us. It was SO SPICY. I don't know what the deal was with those little pepper flakes but I definitely overdid it. It was borderline inedible. I brought rice and milk and even that was not enough to cut the spice. We ended up sharing a bread roll... which ultimately helped. I gave the rest to Jamie in hopes she could pawn it off on her boyfriend... but he deemed it too spicy too. I feel bad because I actually think it was a really nice recipe. I just messed it up with the spice.
Photo evidence of Jamie and I surviving (but kind of in pain) after the lunch.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
More Lunches
So my last post sort of outlined the details of the Jamie/Anna Lunch Project. Later that week I brought in a Tofu Stir-Fry. I made it in three steps but was pretty unspecific about it so posting a recipe seems weird but I'll approximate it for you as much as possible. Also keep in mind I'm not great at writing recipes (as you will soon see) but you'll get the idea of how it all came together. And it was super tasty. Here's a picture:
The peanut butter cups were from my Secret Snowflake at work and so I pawned it off on Jamie. She didn't protest. The grapefruit was for me!
Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli cut into bit sized pieces
1 bunch of spinach
1 carton of mushrooms
1 block of extra firm tofu
Garlic
1 cup of quinoa
Cornstarch
Soy sauce
Curry powder
Pam cooking spray
1) Take out the tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and leave on a paper towel to drain (you can also squeeze out some of the extra moisture with a paper towel). Try and get as much of the water out as possible. When you've gotten out as much moisture as possible, marinate the drained tofu in a little bit of cornstarch, soy sauce and curry powder. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
2) Coat a frying pan with Pam and sautee the garlic.
3) Add broccoli, mushrooms and spinach. Cover and let everything cook. If the broccoli is still hard, consider adding some water. Add some soy sauce if you'd like (or any sort of hot sauce... spices... whatever you want).
4) While that's cooking, add some Pam to another pan and start frying the tofu until it's golden-brown/to your liking.
5) Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
6) I combined the tofu and the vegetables right away and then scooped in quinoa as I wanted. I didn't add Sriracha but I kind of wish I had!
I have to say. It is HARD to be at my office during the holidays! Especially when I'm trying to diet! There is an OBSCENE amount of food here. It only occurred to me today that maybe I should document it so people BELIEVE me when I explain how insane it is. Here is a picture of our snack table (and yes, there is a designated SNACK TABLE) from this afternoon. This was after two cartons of brownies were already consumed. Temptations around every corner.
Insane right? And people are constantly feeling bad for me because I cannot flock around the snack table like they can... so there are several people who say, "Oh Anna, want something?" "NO!" I feel like even a few weeks ago I would've been like "Oh alright, something small." But now I'm on a mission. Even at home the temptations flock! Last night my roommate was making DELICIOUS LOOKING Christmas cookies and some sort of Almond Brittle.
Tomorrow we're having a Holiday Party featuring PIZZA. I'm sure it will be good. I MISS pizza (Healthy Choice really doesn't begin to cut it). My OTHER roommate tempted me with pizza earlier this week. It's been ON MY MIND. The HR person even came by (since it's unclear whether or not I can go to the party due to SOMEONE needing to man my desk) and said that if I didn't get to go she'd bring me a slice. I told her that it was okay since I wasn't really into pizza. She stared at me. "You don't like pizza?" I felt my entire value as a human being called into question. WHAT KIND OF NEW YORKER DOESN'T LIKE PIZZA. I said, "Oh no, I do! Just dieting right now." Honesty is the best policy, right? Another long hard stare. "You are not allowed to diet. It's the holidays. Dieting isn't allowed to start until January 1."
I wanted to say: Sorry! I've actually been dieting for about 14 months now. I've lost almost 70lbs. I sure as hell can diet through the holidays. But instead I just smiled politely. A girl came by later saying she'd bring me a slice too. It's exhausting to say no! I find it really tiring at best. Why do people care so much what I put in my mouth? But actually? Why?
I'm debating bringing a Healthy Choice Pizza in (I know I hated on them earlier ... but I take what I can get)! And being like, OH LOOK I HAVE PIZZA TOO. HOW CUTE IS THAT? But it's Jamie's turn to make lunch... though we're not 100% sure that's happening. Stay tuned.
Today I took a picture of my lunch. Amy's burrito and an apple with some Sriracha on the side! Not the most special, but filling and tastes wholesome enough to me. Definitely holds me. And much better than the popcorn, brownies, cookies and candies filling my office.
Eyes on the prize, guys!
Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli cut into bit sized pieces
1 bunch of spinach
1 carton of mushrooms
1 block of extra firm tofu
Garlic
1 cup of quinoa
Cornstarch
Soy sauce
Curry powder
Pam cooking spray
1) Take out the tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and leave on a paper towel to drain (you can also squeeze out some of the extra moisture with a paper towel). Try and get as much of the water out as possible. When you've gotten out as much moisture as possible, marinate the drained tofu in a little bit of cornstarch, soy sauce and curry powder. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
2) Coat a frying pan with Pam and sautee the garlic.
3) Add broccoli, mushrooms and spinach. Cover and let everything cook. If the broccoli is still hard, consider adding some water. Add some soy sauce if you'd like (or any sort of hot sauce... spices... whatever you want).
4) While that's cooking, add some Pam to another pan and start frying the tofu until it's golden-brown/to your liking.
5) Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
6) I combined the tofu and the vegetables right away and then scooped in quinoa as I wanted. I didn't add Sriracha but I kind of wish I had!
I have to say. It is HARD to be at my office during the holidays! Especially when I'm trying to diet! There is an OBSCENE amount of food here. It only occurred to me today that maybe I should document it so people BELIEVE me when I explain how insane it is. Here is a picture of our snack table (and yes, there is a designated SNACK TABLE) from this afternoon. This was after two cartons of brownies were already consumed. Temptations around every corner.
Insane right? And people are constantly feeling bad for me because I cannot flock around the snack table like they can... so there are several people who say, "Oh Anna, want something?" "NO!" I feel like even a few weeks ago I would've been like "Oh alright, something small." But now I'm on a mission. Even at home the temptations flock! Last night my roommate was making DELICIOUS LOOKING Christmas cookies and some sort of Almond Brittle.
Tomorrow we're having a Holiday Party featuring PIZZA. I'm sure it will be good. I MISS pizza (Healthy Choice really doesn't begin to cut it). My OTHER roommate tempted me with pizza earlier this week. It's been ON MY MIND. The HR person even came by (since it's unclear whether or not I can go to the party due to SOMEONE needing to man my desk) and said that if I didn't get to go she'd bring me a slice. I told her that it was okay since I wasn't really into pizza. She stared at me. "You don't like pizza?" I felt my entire value as a human being called into question. WHAT KIND OF NEW YORKER DOESN'T LIKE PIZZA. I said, "Oh no, I do! Just dieting right now." Honesty is the best policy, right? Another long hard stare. "You are not allowed to diet. It's the holidays. Dieting isn't allowed to start until January 1."
I wanted to say: Sorry! I've actually been dieting for about 14 months now. I've lost almost 70lbs. I sure as hell can diet through the holidays. But instead I just smiled politely. A girl came by later saying she'd bring me a slice too. It's exhausting to say no! I find it really tiring at best. Why do people care so much what I put in my mouth? But actually? Why?
I'm debating bringing a Healthy Choice Pizza in (I know I hated on them earlier ... but I take what I can get)! And being like, OH LOOK I HAVE PIZZA TOO. HOW CUTE IS THAT? But it's Jamie's turn to make lunch... though we're not 100% sure that's happening. Stay tuned.
Today I took a picture of my lunch. Amy's burrito and an apple with some Sriracha on the side! Not the most special, but filling and tastes wholesome enough to me. Definitely holds me. And much better than the popcorn, brownies, cookies and candies filling my office.
Eyes on the prize, guys!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Jamie/Anna Lunch Project!
Jamie is my coworker from my last job and I love her a whole lot. My last job is when I started my weightloss journey too so she's seen me work on this all the way through. I feel like not many other people (I guess aside from family) can say the same. I've moved. I've changed jobs. Somehow, though, Jamie has remained a constant for me. We both have gotten new jobs since we worked together, but through a bout of fate and good luck, we work across the street from eachother. AND we both get an hour for lunch.
Lunch with Jamie is my favorite hour of the day. We galavant around people watching, attempting to get strangers to smile at us, talking about our weeks, and I bother her with my trials and tribulations around food. I usually have trouble talking about my weight issues with people who don't/haven't had weight issues themselves. I feel like being overweight is an incredibly specific problem that's hard to understand if you're not in it. Jamie doesn't offer advice, or criticism, but she does offer an ear. That is probably the most helpful thing of all.
One day (the day after Jamie and I went to the farmer's market), she brought in this totally insanely looking stew. Carrots, potatos, kale, beans. Ahhhh so delightful. I was jealous. A lightbulb went off! "Jamie, how about you bring lunch for the two of us (THESTEWKTHNX) and I'll bring lunch for the two of us at another point! And we can do this every week so we have at least two home cooked meals every week?" She agreed and the next day I got stew:
It tasted so fresh and delicious! Jamie said she added tobasco to the recipe. I think this is good for a couple meals/lunches too. And totally wholesome and fills you to the brim. I had hersend me the recipe so any of you all can have some too!
3 cans of vegetable stock
thyme
salt
pepper
1 onion
2 carrots
celery or red pepper optional (or any other stew appropriate veggies)
1 bunch of kale or spinach or swiss chard
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni beans
4 or 5 small to med red or yukon gold potatoes
olive oil
1) Chop and boil the potatoes just until soft. The smaller you chop, the faster they cook.
2) Dice carrots and onion (and optional celery or pepper). Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a big pot, then saute the carrots and onions, until the carrots are a little soft. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Drain and rinse the beans.
4) Dump the stock, a tablespoon of thyme (don't be stingy, it tastes great), salt and pepper to taste, the beans, and the kale into the pot. Wilt down the greens.
5) Dump the potatoes in. Simmer for awhile so the flavors meld. Voila. A chunky, rustic, yummy stew!
Tomorrow I'll post about what I brought for her later that week! Stay tuned!
What is your favorite thing to bring to work for lunch? Help inspire the Jamie/Anna Lunch Project!!
 |
| Jamie and I... in April I think? |
One day (the day after Jamie and I went to the farmer's market), she brought in this totally insanely looking stew. Carrots, potatos, kale, beans. Ahhhh so delightful. I was jealous. A lightbulb went off! "Jamie, how about you bring lunch for the two of us (THESTEWKTHNX) and I'll bring lunch for the two of us at another point! And we can do this every week so we have at least two home cooked meals every week?" She agreed and the next day I got stew:
It tasted so fresh and delicious! Jamie said she added tobasco to the recipe. I think this is good for a couple meals/lunches too. And totally wholesome and fills you to the brim. I had hersend me the recipe so any of you all can have some too!
3 cans of vegetable stock
thyme
salt
pepper
1 onion
2 carrots
celery or red pepper optional (or any other stew appropriate veggies)
1 bunch of kale or spinach or swiss chard
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni beans
4 or 5 small to med red or yukon gold potatoes
olive oil
1) Chop and boil the potatoes just until soft. The smaller you chop, the faster they cook.
2) Dice carrots and onion (and optional celery or pepper). Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a big pot, then saute the carrots and onions, until the carrots are a little soft. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Drain and rinse the beans.
4) Dump the stock, a tablespoon of thyme (don't be stingy, it tastes great), salt and pepper to taste, the beans, and the kale into the pot. Wilt down the greens.
5) Dump the potatoes in. Simmer for awhile so the flavors meld. Voila. A chunky, rustic, yummy stew!
Tomorrow I'll post about what I brought for her later that week! Stay tuned!
What is your favorite thing to bring to work for lunch? Help inspire the Jamie/Anna Lunch Project!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
What are you doing?
My mom's side of the family had a reunion a couple of weeks ago (during Hurricane Irene, in fact!). Due to the entire city shutting down, only the real hardcore (ie. my not-so-far-extended family) made it to my uncle's apartment for a makeshift potluck. The restaurant we had planned to attend shut down.
My immediate family, of course, has been a witness to my whole journey. And sometimes an overly-active participant. My extended family, I see at large family events (weddings, funerals, births, bar/bat mitzvahs). The last time I saw them was in Brazil in May 2010 at my uncle's wedding. In fact, the "Before" picture of me on the right is from that trip. One of my uncles came to pick me up from my apartment and he hardly recognized me. My aunts all gushed and gushed about how brilliant I looked. We talked about losing weight and mommy-issues and everything that ensued.
I felt more on the spot than anything else, but I am always reassured to learn that EVERYONE has weight issues.
One of my aunts pulled me aside and said, "Anna, seriously, what is your secret?" I have an answer that I use to get out of situations like this. Most people don't actually want the long winded answer. I replied "I eat less." She was unsatisfied. "I mean, there's gotta be something you're doing that's not just eating carrots and rice cakes." And I wasn't quite sure how to answer. I laid out my diet plan in excruciating detail in the first post I ever made on this blog. I hardly follow that to a T. And, actually, I think the success I had is just knowing how much I can eat, what is the better choice of food and knowing when I eat a lot so I can compensate in other ways.
The trick is to not punish myself, but just acknowledge and move forward. The trick is to plan. The trick is to love yourself. The trick is to get to a place where losing weight is what you want. I don't even know the transformation that has to have happened in me in order for this go-around to be successful. I don't have words for it, or enough self-awareness to totally understand it. But it must have happened, and as I keep going will probably clarify itself and change and grow inside of me.
How do you explain something you don't even understand? How did I do it? I decided to.
This reunion was tricky in other ways. I was struggling through my first big, overwhelming, seemingly never-ending plateau. Christine doesn't really believe in plateaus. I'm not sure I disagree with her. I think that during my unemployment, my eating changed. Food became a large part of my day. I lost routine. I lost balance. I lost money and options. To have everyone flipping out over how good I looked when I felt like I'd lost my footing was hard. I've come a long way, the end is in sight, but I still have a ways to go. It's hard to get so much positive feedback when you feel so lost.
I'm back though. I'm preparing lunches, I'm cooking dinners. I joined the gym. I'm planning snacks for when I know I'm going to need them. I feel like I know what I'm doing again. And, lo and behold, have started losing weight again.
Christine even asked me if we should only see each other every other week. I'm not quite ready to release my grip on my safety blanket just yet, but it felt good to know that she thought I was ready to graduate.
That said, I am looking for recipes that freeze well that I can bring for lunches at work. Any suggestions? That chicken chili was great but I don't know that just making that every week is a lasting solution! Or quick lunches that are easy to make/bring to work. I really don't have time for elaborate fixings in the morning, but I feel like bringing lunch is the cheap/healthy thing to do. Help!
My immediate family, of course, has been a witness to my whole journey. And sometimes an overly-active participant. My extended family, I see at large family events (weddings, funerals, births, bar/bat mitzvahs). The last time I saw them was in Brazil in May 2010 at my uncle's wedding. In fact, the "Before" picture of me on the right is from that trip. One of my uncles came to pick me up from my apartment and he hardly recognized me. My aunts all gushed and gushed about how brilliant I looked. We talked about losing weight and mommy-issues and everything that ensued.
I felt more on the spot than anything else, but I am always reassured to learn that EVERYONE has weight issues.
One of my aunts pulled me aside and said, "Anna, seriously, what is your secret?" I have an answer that I use to get out of situations like this. Most people don't actually want the long winded answer. I replied "I eat less." She was unsatisfied. "I mean, there's gotta be something you're doing that's not just eating carrots and rice cakes." And I wasn't quite sure how to answer. I laid out my diet plan in excruciating detail in the first post I ever made on this blog. I hardly follow that to a T. And, actually, I think the success I had is just knowing how much I can eat, what is the better choice of food and knowing when I eat a lot so I can compensate in other ways.
The trick is to not punish myself, but just acknowledge and move forward. The trick is to plan. The trick is to love yourself. The trick is to get to a place where losing weight is what you want. I don't even know the transformation that has to have happened in me in order for this go-around to be successful. I don't have words for it, or enough self-awareness to totally understand it. But it must have happened, and as I keep going will probably clarify itself and change and grow inside of me.
How do you explain something you don't even understand? How did I do it? I decided to.
This reunion was tricky in other ways. I was struggling through my first big, overwhelming, seemingly never-ending plateau. Christine doesn't really believe in plateaus. I'm not sure I disagree with her. I think that during my unemployment, my eating changed. Food became a large part of my day. I lost routine. I lost balance. I lost money and options. To have everyone flipping out over how good I looked when I felt like I'd lost my footing was hard. I've come a long way, the end is in sight, but I still have a ways to go. It's hard to get so much positive feedback when you feel so lost.
I'm back though. I'm preparing lunches, I'm cooking dinners. I joined the gym. I'm planning snacks for when I know I'm going to need them. I feel like I know what I'm doing again. And, lo and behold, have started losing weight again.
Christine even asked me if we should only see each other every other week. I'm not quite ready to release my grip on my safety blanket just yet, but it felt good to know that she thought I was ready to graduate.
That said, I am looking for recipes that freeze well that I can bring for lunches at work. Any suggestions? That chicken chili was great but I don't know that just making that every week is a lasting solution! Or quick lunches that are easy to make/bring to work. I really don't have time for elaborate fixings in the morning, but I feel like bringing lunch is the cheap/healthy thing to do. Help!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Good day!
Yesterday, I decided to get everything done that I needed to get done. It was remarkably fruitful and effective! I even surprised myself. I dropped off some electronics for my parents, picked up my knitting needles (essential), reactivated my gym membership, bought 7/$25 Victoria's Secret underwear, got a manicure/pedicure, tried to get my boots repaired (the place was closed!), went to the gym and cooked dinner.
My gym had upgraded the equipment since I'd been there last. They had this new system set up where you can track your workouts online and set up playlists and everything. It is so freaking cool. I also really impressed myself at the gym yesterday. I've decided that a comfortable jog for me at this place in my fitness is about a 4.5 on the treadmill. A 4 is a fast-walk for me and a 5 is a RUN. So 4.5 feels like a nice jog. I just felt like running and wanted to see how far I could get. I started to get really tired at around 1.5 miles, but I really really wanted to hit 2 miles. And after a lot of mental games, I did. I got off the treadmill feeling like my legs were going to fall off. I'm still sore today. I logged onto that gym thing online and while it recorded the run, it said I burned 8 calories... Now, I can tell you for sure, that's a lie!
Though something I wanted to bring up here! I had a Clif bar before going to the gym so I'd have the energy to get through the workout. A Clif bar is 240 calories and (according to the treadmill) I burned about 208 calories... Is there something wrong with that math? What do you guys think? How do you fuel yourselves for workouts? Did I make my workout moot by having that Clif bar??
I came home, showered, and started on the white bean chicken chili.
It was so delicious. My roommate ended up having to work late so I cooked it all myself and had it ready for when she got home. What a good wifey.
I am the biggest spaz about cutting onions. I don't know if I'm more sensitive to it, but I can hardly be in a room when someone else is cutting one. And due to the fact that I was the only one in the apartment, I had to cut the onion. No one to pawn it off on. Otherwise there would be no onion. And, of course, the onion was the first item to put in! I couldn't even wait for my roommate to get home and toss it in at the end.
So I just did it. I probably ran out of the kitchen every 30 seconds. But after about 20 minutes (hahaha) the onion was chopped. I should have taken a picture. I was very proud of my accomplishment. After prepping all my ingredients to throw in, I started a'cookin.
Here's the recipe again: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-and-chicken-chili-recipe/index.html
And here's a picture of the final product:
My roommate's cousin also ended up coming over and she got seconds! The cheese on top really adds so much to the dish. By the end we were just spooning Parmesan into our mouths. Classy classy ladies. My roommate works for Origins and so we did face masks after! How beautiful am I?
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the long weekend.
My gym had upgraded the equipment since I'd been there last. They had this new system set up where you can track your workouts online and set up playlists and everything. It is so freaking cool. I also really impressed myself at the gym yesterday. I've decided that a comfortable jog for me at this place in my fitness is about a 4.5 on the treadmill. A 4 is a fast-walk for me and a 5 is a RUN. So 4.5 feels like a nice jog. I just felt like running and wanted to see how far I could get. I started to get really tired at around 1.5 miles, but I really really wanted to hit 2 miles. And after a lot of mental games, I did. I got off the treadmill feeling like my legs were going to fall off. I'm still sore today. I logged onto that gym thing online and while it recorded the run, it said I burned 8 calories... Now, I can tell you for sure, that's a lie!
Though something I wanted to bring up here! I had a Clif bar before going to the gym so I'd have the energy to get through the workout. A Clif bar is 240 calories and (according to the treadmill) I burned about 208 calories... Is there something wrong with that math? What do you guys think? How do you fuel yourselves for workouts? Did I make my workout moot by having that Clif bar??
I came home, showered, and started on the white bean chicken chili.
It was so delicious. My roommate ended up having to work late so I cooked it all myself and had it ready for when she got home. What a good wifey.
I am the biggest spaz about cutting onions. I don't know if I'm more sensitive to it, but I can hardly be in a room when someone else is cutting one. And due to the fact that I was the only one in the apartment, I had to cut the onion. No one to pawn it off on. Otherwise there would be no onion. And, of course, the onion was the first item to put in! I couldn't even wait for my roommate to get home and toss it in at the end.
So I just did it. I probably ran out of the kitchen every 30 seconds. But after about 20 minutes (hahaha) the onion was chopped. I should have taken a picture. I was very proud of my accomplishment. After prepping all my ingredients to throw in, I started a'cookin.
Here's the recipe again: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-and-chicken-chili-recipe/index.html
And here's a picture of the final product:
 |
| Chili! |
 | ||||
| Garnishes! |
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the long weekend.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Scale
I know everyone has a totally different relationship to their scales. My mother, for instance, gets on the scale every day at least twice. Beginning of the day and end of the day. She will bemoan every single ounce gained and celebrate every ounce lost. In fact, in the apartment I grew up in, the scale is directly in front of the bathroom sink. Totally unavoidable. You practically have to step on it to wash your hands. My father, on the other hand, only steps on it when my mother tells him to.
When I'm at my parent's apartment, the temptation to step on the scale is too great. My days revolve around running to their bathroom to see how much I've gained or lost. That's an exaggeration, but it's not uncommon that I would weigh myself 4-5 times a day.
At my old apartment, we didn't have a scale. I was okay with ignoring my weight for the most part and then just checking in once in a while at a doctor's appointment or at my parent's apartment. When I started losing weight, I would weigh in once a week with Christine. And for months and months and months I could count on the facts that I was 1) sticking with the diet and 2) going to lose weight. Once I hit 60lbs down, losing weight became far more difficult and unreliable.
I was supposed to see Christine last week, but due to the hurricane, she couldn't get into the city from Vermont and this week she took off because of Labor Day. After two weeks of not weighing myself and not OVERDOING it, but not completely sticking to my diet to a T... I was going crazy. Every part of my body seemed to be getting bigger and I started panicking that I was eating my way back into unhealthiness. Every choice I was making to drink a beer or to have a bite of chocolate was stressing me out. Again, I didn't think I was making outrageous choices, but this simple fact of not knowing what I weighed was freaking me out.
Despite the fact that this kind of thinking is probably not vaguely healthy, I knew what I had to do. I wandered down to my parents apartment. Took off my jeans. Stepped on the scale.
And, of course, I weighed about what I've been weighing if not a little less. But the fact that I went 40 blocks out of my way just to know that made me question how far I am on my journey. I also wonder if I should buy a scale or if that would make me even more weird/obsessive. I can usually count on Christine weighing me once a week and going on my third week of no Christine is not a situation I usually deal with. But Christine will not always be there. And is supposed to be a tool, not a crutch.
However, I did manage to be on my own and not put on any weight. That's a success right? Should I be celebrating this?
On a different note, I'm making this DELICIOUS chicken chili recipe for dinner tonight for some roommate bonding. I highly recommend. It's also a really good weekend dish to cook up and then package away for work lunches. Seriously, it's so good. Eat it.
Also I know I owe you all a 60lbs down picture. It's coming soon! Do not fear.
When I'm at my parent's apartment, the temptation to step on the scale is too great. My days revolve around running to their bathroom to see how much I've gained or lost. That's an exaggeration, but it's not uncommon that I would weigh myself 4-5 times a day.
At my old apartment, we didn't have a scale. I was okay with ignoring my weight for the most part and then just checking in once in a while at a doctor's appointment or at my parent's apartment. When I started losing weight, I would weigh in once a week with Christine. And for months and months and months I could count on the facts that I was 1) sticking with the diet and 2) going to lose weight. Once I hit 60lbs down, losing weight became far more difficult and unreliable.
I was supposed to see Christine last week, but due to the hurricane, she couldn't get into the city from Vermont and this week she took off because of Labor Day. After two weeks of not weighing myself and not OVERDOING it, but not completely sticking to my diet to a T... I was going crazy. Every part of my body seemed to be getting bigger and I started panicking that I was eating my way back into unhealthiness. Every choice I was making to drink a beer or to have a bite of chocolate was stressing me out. Again, I didn't think I was making outrageous choices, but this simple fact of not knowing what I weighed was freaking me out.
Despite the fact that this kind of thinking is probably not vaguely healthy, I knew what I had to do. I wandered down to my parents apartment. Took off my jeans. Stepped on the scale.
And, of course, I weighed about what I've been weighing if not a little less. But the fact that I went 40 blocks out of my way just to know that made me question how far I am on my journey. I also wonder if I should buy a scale or if that would make me even more weird/obsessive. I can usually count on Christine weighing me once a week and going on my third week of no Christine is not a situation I usually deal with. But Christine will not always be there. And is supposed to be a tool, not a crutch.
However, I did manage to be on my own and not put on any weight. That's a success right? Should I be celebrating this?
On a different note, I'm making this DELICIOUS chicken chili recipe for dinner tonight for some roommate bonding. I highly recommend. It's also a really good weekend dish to cook up and then package away for work lunches. Seriously, it's so good. Eat it.
Also I know I owe you all a 60lbs down picture. It's coming soon! Do not fear.
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