After having a most disturbing dream about a boy trying to drown my nephew Jackson in the bathtub, I was more than happy to get up at 4:30 and head out for my workout. I woke up feeling fairly decent considering the time. I didn't have the greatest workout on Monday morning (I'm up to 25 minute runs in the C25k program), I finished but it was one of the worst 25 minute experiences in my life. I kept telling myself all day yesterday that this morning's workout was going to be different. It was going to be hard at first, sure, but once I got past the first 5 minutes I'd hit my zone and cruise on through. Sadly, this was not the case.
I got going and just like Monday I had a really hard time getting into my run. By minute 12 I just wanted it to be over. My breathing wasn't the issue, it was my legs. They just didn't want to cooperate. Now, I don't know if you've ever been in a battle of the wills between your brain and your legs but it's not fun. My legs kept saying, 'just stop' and my brain kept saying, 'don't you DARE!' I kept trying to ignore the clock, the time seems to go so much slower when I watch the minutes tick by, but I couldn't help sneaking a peak every so often to know how soon my 25 minutes of torture were going to be over. As 30:00 got closer on the treadmill (5 minutes for a warm-up, of course) I started to think that if I couldn't get over this hump the last 2 weeks of my program were going to be miserable (next week is 28 minute runs and the last week is 30). So, instead of stopping after 25 minutes, I decided to suck it up and keep going.
My initial goal was just to go an extra minute or so to prove to my legs, once and for all, that even though they were tired they certainly had 25 minutes of, and let me emphasize slow running in them. It's amazing how much less unpleasant something seems when you choose to do it as opposed to a when workout program ordering you to. Suddenly my run didn't seem so bad, maybe it's because I was on a mission to prove myself. The next two minutes felt so good that I decided to go another three. When I got to 30 minutes of running I was tired but not so tired I couldn't keep going. Soon, my 2 extra minutes turned into 10 extra minutes. If I had had more time I probably would have kept going but I knew I was going to need a good cool-down.
All in all I ended up with a 35 minute run this morning which was just over 2.5 miles! Before I started this program I had never, ever in my entire life even run one mile so I feel like this is a really big accomplishment and while I know I have a long way to go I want to take a minute to enjoy the progress I've made so far. I'm also hoping that my legs got the picture and won't give me any hassle on Friday when I attempt my next 25 minutes.
Anyway, that's pretty much it. I guess I could share that this morning when I was thawing my blueberries for you morning snack at work I dropped the bowl and splattered blueberry juice all over the place. Sadly I was wearing one of only two pair of work pants that I can still wear and they're tan in color. I guess I'm off to buy some new pants tonight.
I hope you're all having a great week and are enjoying the beautiful summer time weather!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Recipe: pimento and gouda stuffed chicken breasts
I am always looking for new and creative ways to cook chicken. It's such an easy thing to make but I feel like I get in chicken ruts. Jessica stumbled across this recipe last week and shared it with me. I wasn't sure how I would feel but after making this dish it was worth the hassle of hunting down the pimentos!
You will need:
1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
1 tablespoon sliced pimientos, chopped (you can used roasted peppers)
1 teaspoon paprika, divided
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine Gouda, scallion, pimientos and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a small bowl.
Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast, nearly through to the opposite side, and open like a book. Sprinkle the breasts with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the cheese filling among the breasts, placing it in the center of each. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Sprinkle the breasts with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15minutes.
This chicken recipe was so good and so easy I loved it! I wish I had made more to be honest. I don't know how you feel about Gouda Jenny but you could replace the cheese in this dish with something that you like. I think Parmesan would be really tasty (how do you feel about Parm?) and cheddar would work well.
You will need:
1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
1 tablespoon sliced pimientos, chopped (you can used roasted peppers)
1 teaspoon paprika, divided
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine Gouda, scallion, pimientos and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a small bowl.
Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast, nearly through to the opposite side, and open like a book. Sprinkle the breasts with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the cheese filling among the breasts, placing it in the center of each. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Sprinkle the breasts with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15minutes.
This chicken recipe was so good and so easy I loved it! I wish I had made more to be honest. I don't know how you feel about Gouda Jenny but you could replace the cheese in this dish with something that you like. I think Parmesan would be really tasty (how do you feel about Parm?) and cheddar would work well.
Recipe: zucchini and rice casserole
I made this recipe a while ago but I have been a slacker and haven't posted it yet. This recipe is a really sneaky way to get extra veggies into the diet. When all was said and done, had I known how much zucchini/summer squash was in there I would have thought it was just rice. One word of caution, the sauce as it stands is sort of blah. However, after adding some garlic, onion powder and a bit of extra salt to the party I think it turned out quite tasty.
You will need:
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (**I used white rice because I'm not a fan of brown)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced zucchini/summer squash (I grated instead of diced for a more pleasing texture)
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted this)
8 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese , (Neufchâtel)
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini, bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more. **If you use white rice, do not cook for any additional time!
Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside. Taste the sauce at this point. If it's too blah, feel free to add additional seasoning to flavor it to your liking.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (I didn't use the oil and cooked it in a non-stick skillet with Pam instead).
When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
When, not if, I make this recipe again I will most likely leave out the sausage. It didn't really bring much to the dish in my opinion. This is a really great vegetarian dinner option. It's super filling and very, very good for you. This will make a full 9x13 dish so if you don't think others will like it you might want to cut the recipe in half.
You will need:
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (**I used white rice because I'm not a fan of brown)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced zucchini/summer squash (I grated instead of diced for a more pleasing texture)
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted this)
8 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese , (Neufchâtel)
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini, bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more. **If you use white rice, do not cook for any additional time!
Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside. Taste the sauce at this point. If it's too blah, feel free to add additional seasoning to flavor it to your liking.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (I didn't use the oil and cooked it in a non-stick skillet with Pam instead).
When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
When, not if, I make this recipe again I will most likely leave out the sausage. It didn't really bring much to the dish in my opinion. This is a really great vegetarian dinner option. It's super filling and very, very good for you. This will make a full 9x13 dish so if you don't think others will like it you might want to cut the recipe in half.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N
Here was my plan for today:
1) wake up at a decent time so I can run some car-related errands
2) go to State Farm office to make sure I can afford the rate increase for car insurance if I buy the Ford Fusion I desire
3) go to dealership and buy Ford Fusion (had an appointment to do so)
Here is how my morning played out:
1) slightly overslept but not a big deal
2) Bonneville's security system decides to be retarded and my car won't start for awhile. If the car doesn't recognize the key or object being placed in the ignition, it goes into security mode and won't turn on for awhile. For some reason it wouldn't accept my car key so I had to use my spare set.
2) got reasonably good news from State Farm...I can afford insurance on a newer car!
3) go the the Ford dealership to buy my car and....THEY SOLD IT earlier today!!!
Now I can understand why they would sell it...especially if the other person offered them more money. My qualm is with the fact that they didn't have the courtesy to call me and let me know. I had an appointment to come and finish my sale. Wouldn't you call that potential buyer and let them know the car is gone? They also claim the other person paid them full price for the car...that I doubt. No one pays full price. All they've done now is ruin my motivation to return to the dealership. I've located a couple potential cars elsewhere (Boone and Ankeny) but it bums me out that I have to commute so much now to do my shopping.
The politics behind car sales are killer. Blah.
1) wake up at a decent time so I can run some car-related errands
2) go to State Farm office to make sure I can afford the rate increase for car insurance if I buy the Ford Fusion I desire
3) go to dealership and buy Ford Fusion (had an appointment to do so)
Here is how my morning played out:
1) slightly overslept but not a big deal
2) Bonneville's security system decides to be retarded and my car won't start for awhile. If the car doesn't recognize the key or object being placed in the ignition, it goes into security mode and won't turn on for awhile. For some reason it wouldn't accept my car key so I had to use my spare set.
2) got reasonably good news from State Farm...I can afford insurance on a newer car!
3) go the the Ford dealership to buy my car and....THEY SOLD IT earlier today!!!
Now I can understand why they would sell it...especially if the other person offered them more money. My qualm is with the fact that they didn't have the courtesy to call me and let me know. I had an appointment to come and finish my sale. Wouldn't you call that potential buyer and let them know the car is gone? They also claim the other person paid them full price for the car...that I doubt. No one pays full price. All they've done now is ruin my motivation to return to the dealership. I've located a couple potential cars elsewhere (Boone and Ankeny) but it bums me out that I have to commute so much now to do my shopping.
The politics behind car sales are killer. Blah.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
History Repeats Itself!
Hey all:
I went to my second Weight Watcher's meeting tonight. My weight has stayed the same...I'm not shocked. I didn't understand the program completely since I left early last week. I do admit that I could have made better choices throughout the week. I ate too much ice cream and I ate too late into the evening. The heat isn't helping though. I am not hungry in the morning, at lunch, or into the afternoon due to the temperatures. I'm famished by dinner and into the evening. Sigh. Anyway. I made it through the first part of the meeting. They discussed struggles during the summer. Many people commented on the number of weddings, family reunions, graduation parties, or general parties they attend. The leader also discussed how to make better choices when it comes to alcohol.
Things went downhill at the end of the main meeting. I stayed after today to get information about the changes to the program. As soon as I moved to the front row and the lady started talking, I started to feel ill. I got the hot-cold feeling again and got severely nauseated. I had to excuse myself once to go hurl but I stayed and got through the meeting. I hope I got all the information. I must be allergic to the front row at that place. I was sitting in the front row last week when I got sick too. It was probably my heat exhaustion setting in. The heat sucked at work today.
Anyway....they use Points Plus now at Weight Watchers. It used to just be points but they updated it based on nutritional research. They used to only take fat and fiber into account when creating point values for food. Now they use protein, carbs, fiber, and fat to create the point value. They also calcuate your daily point total each week when you weigh in and post it on the sticker that shows your weight gain or loss. In the past I used to be around 32-34 points a day. Now I'm at 48 points. I didn't buy one of their calculators because I want to use the Point AP on my smartphone. Sadly the Weight Watcher site isn't recognizing me fully so I can't access that AP yet. Hopefully their technical support team responds soon.
This is the second to last week of Summer Youth Fitness. It really sucks that the head index is 112. The kids and employees were pretty miserable today. I'm extending swim time tomorrow so I hope that helps. I've liked running the program (most of the time) but I'm really going to enjoy having some time off in August.
I should be buying a new car this week. It's a Ford Fusion. I'm still negotiating with the dealership and need to discuss a warranty extension. Hopefully they cooperate because the heat has reduced my motivation to visit other car lots. It will be interesting...I've never made car payments before. My bank has some sweet interest rates though so it's very doable. My Bonneville is rapidly losing ground.
Well that's about it for now. Stay cool!
I went to my second Weight Watcher's meeting tonight. My weight has stayed the same...I'm not shocked. I didn't understand the program completely since I left early last week. I do admit that I could have made better choices throughout the week. I ate too much ice cream and I ate too late into the evening. The heat isn't helping though. I am not hungry in the morning, at lunch, or into the afternoon due to the temperatures. I'm famished by dinner and into the evening. Sigh. Anyway. I made it through the first part of the meeting. They discussed struggles during the summer. Many people commented on the number of weddings, family reunions, graduation parties, or general parties they attend. The leader also discussed how to make better choices when it comes to alcohol.
Things went downhill at the end of the main meeting. I stayed after today to get information about the changes to the program. As soon as I moved to the front row and the lady started talking, I started to feel ill. I got the hot-cold feeling again and got severely nauseated. I had to excuse myself once to go hurl but I stayed and got through the meeting. I hope I got all the information. I must be allergic to the front row at that place. I was sitting in the front row last week when I got sick too. It was probably my heat exhaustion setting in. The heat sucked at work today.
Anyway....they use Points Plus now at Weight Watchers. It used to just be points but they updated it based on nutritional research. They used to only take fat and fiber into account when creating point values for food. Now they use protein, carbs, fiber, and fat to create the point value. They also calcuate your daily point total each week when you weigh in and post it on the sticker that shows your weight gain or loss. In the past I used to be around 32-34 points a day. Now I'm at 48 points. I didn't buy one of their calculators because I want to use the Point AP on my smartphone. Sadly the Weight Watcher site isn't recognizing me fully so I can't access that AP yet. Hopefully their technical support team responds soon.
This is the second to last week of Summer Youth Fitness. It really sucks that the head index is 112. The kids and employees were pretty miserable today. I'm extending swim time tomorrow so I hope that helps. I've liked running the program (most of the time) but I'm really going to enjoy having some time off in August.
I should be buying a new car this week. It's a Ford Fusion. I'm still negotiating with the dealership and need to discuss a warranty extension. Hopefully they cooperate because the heat has reduced my motivation to visit other car lots. It will be interesting...I've never made car payments before. My bank has some sweet interest rates though so it's very doable. My Bonneville is rapidly losing ground.
Well that's about it for now. Stay cool!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Making progress!
Happy weekend! I woke up early on this 'going to be a scorcher' Saturday and thought I'd do an actual blog entry as opposed to just type up a recipe. It will be short and sweet because I want to hit up the gym before it gets horrible outside but I just wanted to share my C25k progress with you.
When I first told you about this program I made mention to the fact that there was a really good chance I'd probably end up repeating days, maybe even weeks. I especially had my eye on the W5D3 workout which jumped up to 20 minutes. I don't think I have ever run 20 minutes consecutively, not even as a child. Anyway, this past Monday I started week 5. I did good with the shorter runs earlier in the week which ranged anywhere from three to eight minutes. I was, however, very apprehensive as I started my workout yesterday morning knowing it was going to, in theory culminate with a 20 minute run. I wasn't sure if I should start my slower than I normally pace myself but I figured start strong and if I needed to slow down as I got into the run I could. So, after my five-minute warm-up, I cranked the iPod and started my run (which is clearly more of a jog).
Like with all of my runs: short, mid distance or long, the first few minutes sort of sucked. I hate that the human body takes so long to get into aerobic burning zone, there is a design flaw here! However, after my energy system caught up to my workout things started to go well. I got past the first 8 minutes, the longest consecutive run length that I had had up until that point and felt great. At 10 minutes I was in a really good place. I wasn't tired, I was breathing easily and I just felt great. By 13 minutes I was starting to get a little tired, however, I turned the iPod up higher and just drowned myself in some good old rock music. I felt very proud of myself at 15 minutes and knew that the finish line was in sight! All was going well right up until 17 minutes when disaster struck! There I was, with three minutes left to go. I was definitely feeling some fatigue at this point and kept thinking to myself, just get through this song and your run is over. However, just as I thought that, my iPod died. I was devastated. I checked the battery the night before and it was over half full. Well half full my ass. Can I just say that making myself continue without music was not the easiest thing in the world. Shinedown makes everything, especially exercise, better.
I was so close, there was no way I was going to let myself stop, music or no. So, I sucked it up and finished my last 3 minutes in silence. I have never been so happy complete a workout, ever. I can't remember a single time in all my 28, almost 29, years of existence when I felt so proud of myself. I have tried these walk to run programs before and I never made it past the short intervals so getting to 20 minutes is a really big deal for me. Plus, this 20 minute run was a mental barrier for me. I kept thinking to myself that there is no way I can go from 8 minute runs to a 20 minute run. Well clearly I can. I know now, barring injury or illness, that I will be able to finish this program in the original 9 weeks intended! I am so excited to get to that point I can't even begin to describe it.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling about my yesterday morning exercise so I can get to this mornings workout. I hope you all have a great weekend and stay cool...it's gonna be a hot one!
When I first told you about this program I made mention to the fact that there was a really good chance I'd probably end up repeating days, maybe even weeks. I especially had my eye on the W5D3 workout which jumped up to 20 minutes. I don't think I have ever run 20 minutes consecutively, not even as a child. Anyway, this past Monday I started week 5. I did good with the shorter runs earlier in the week which ranged anywhere from three to eight minutes. I was, however, very apprehensive as I started my workout yesterday morning knowing it was going to, in theory culminate with a 20 minute run. I wasn't sure if I should start my slower than I normally pace myself but I figured start strong and if I needed to slow down as I got into the run I could. So, after my five-minute warm-up, I cranked the iPod and started my run (which is clearly more of a jog).
Like with all of my runs: short, mid distance or long, the first few minutes sort of sucked. I hate that the human body takes so long to get into aerobic burning zone, there is a design flaw here! However, after my energy system caught up to my workout things started to go well. I got past the first 8 minutes, the longest consecutive run length that I had had up until that point and felt great. At 10 minutes I was in a really good place. I wasn't tired, I was breathing easily and I just felt great. By 13 minutes I was starting to get a little tired, however, I turned the iPod up higher and just drowned myself in some good old rock music. I felt very proud of myself at 15 minutes and knew that the finish line was in sight! All was going well right up until 17 minutes when disaster struck! There I was, with three minutes left to go. I was definitely feeling some fatigue at this point and kept thinking to myself, just get through this song and your run is over. However, just as I thought that, my iPod died. I was devastated. I checked the battery the night before and it was over half full. Well half full my ass. Can I just say that making myself continue without music was not the easiest thing in the world. Shinedown makes everything, especially exercise, better.
I was so close, there was no way I was going to let myself stop, music or no. So, I sucked it up and finished my last 3 minutes in silence. I have never been so happy complete a workout, ever. I can't remember a single time in all my 28, almost 29, years of existence when I felt so proud of myself. I have tried these walk to run programs before and I never made it past the short intervals so getting to 20 minutes is a really big deal for me. Plus, this 20 minute run was a mental barrier for me. I kept thinking to myself that there is no way I can go from 8 minute runs to a 20 minute run. Well clearly I can. I know now, barring injury or illness, that I will be able to finish this program in the original 9 weeks intended! I am so excited to get to that point I can't even begin to describe it.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling about my yesterday morning exercise so I can get to this mornings workout. I hope you all have a great weekend and stay cool...it's gonna be a hot one!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Recipe: scalloped tomatoes and croutons
I love tomatoes and on a whim a few weeks back I bought a buttload of 'ripe on the vine' tomatoes. I ate many of them just as they are but soon realized that I wasn't going to get through them all before they went bad. This winter, when tomatoes were BAD, I stumbled across this recipe and knew that I had to make it as soon as I could get the tomatoes worthy of the attempt. With eight quickly over-ripening tomatoes on my counter I figured it was now or never. I will admit, I have now made this recipe twice. The first time I only used 1.5 pounds of tomatoes (I seriously underestimated the weight of 8 tomatoes) and the second time I used the full 2.5 pounds of tomatoes called for. I have to say that I would strongly recommend using the lesser amount. While my first attempt resulted in a sturdy, sweet and delicious dish, my second attempt had blah flavor and was soupy. You could go either way but I suggest keeping the tomato portion lower.
You will need:
3 tablespoons olive oil (reduced from original)
3 cups bread French or Italian bread (day old works best)
1 1/2 lbs good tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (read this)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil. Pour into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly.
Once again I cooked this recipe longer than the directions called for to get the desired texture and doneness. I can't begin to describe just how good this dish tastes and smells. I ate it as a side dish but it could easily be the main course of any meal.
You will need:
3 tablespoons olive oil (reduced from original)
3 cups bread French or Italian bread (day old works best)
1 1/2 lbs good tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (read this)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil. Pour into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly.
Once again I cooked this recipe longer than the directions called for to get the desired texture and doneness. I can't begin to describe just how good this dish tastes and smells. I ate it as a side dish but it could easily be the main course of any meal.
Recipe: herbed summer squash and potato torte
I'm always looking for fun and new ways to get my favorite veggies into my diet. I love zucchini and summer squash but never really know what to do with them. I stumbled across this recipe when I was browsing online one day, read the ingredient list and simply had to try it. OMG (yes, I just OMGd you), was it ever delicious.
You will need:
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
12 ounces yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
6 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Set aside 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.
Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.
Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Cut each torte into wedges. Sprinkle wedges with 1/4 cup green onions; serve.
I only made half of the recipe in a casserole dish that I had and it worked out really well. I did end up cooking this longer than was originally instructed to get a crispier texture. This was really good when I ate the initial serving but I think I liked the leftovers even more. I think it's one of those dishes that gets even better after everything has a chance to mingle.
p.s. if you make this recipe it's really ugly. Don't let the ugliness get you down!
You will need:
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
12 ounces yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
6 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Set aside 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.
Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.
Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Cut each torte into wedges. Sprinkle wedges with 1/4 cup green onions; serve.
I only made half of the recipe in a casserole dish that I had and it worked out really well. I did end up cooking this longer than was originally instructed to get a crispier texture. This was really good when I ate the initial serving but I think I liked the leftovers even more. I think it's one of those dishes that gets even better after everything has a chance to mingle.
p.s. if you make this recipe it's really ugly. Don't let the ugliness get you down!
Recipe: lemon blueberry bread*
*in the spirit of full disclosure this is definitely a closer relative to cake than bread, however calling it bread makes it seem healthier :-)
I was in a pinch a few weeks ago when I had to make something for my favorite fellow Anna's going away breakfast potluck. I knew I wanted to make something sweet and good (I have a reputation to maintain). I stumbled across this recipe and knew I simply had to make it. Like always, I made a few substitutions based on what I had and what I could find and the recipe below reflects the changes I made. It was delicious and gone in a heart beat!
You will need:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 6 oz. carton low fat (not fat free)vanilla and lemon yogurt. I used Yoplait.
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.
First and foremost, I cooked this cake for a very, very long time. I don't remember how much longer it took to bake but it was not done in 50 minutes. It is, however, very much worth the wait. This is a very delicate cake. I attempted to cut it while it was still slightly warm and it was bad. I then cooled it overnight in the fridge and cut it the following morning. It was still quick to crumble so I suggest using a very good, serrated knife (you know, the spitzy kind as my mom would say). An electric knife would probably also work. It's kind of a pain but the slices look so pretty after you cut them and that doesn't even begin to compare to the taste. Yes, I might be biased as I love, love,love the lemon blueberry combination but I don't know that you'll be disappointed if you try this recipe.
I was in a pinch a few weeks ago when I had to make something for my favorite fellow Anna's going away breakfast potluck. I knew I wanted to make something sweet and good (I have a reputation to maintain). I stumbled across this recipe and knew I simply had to make it. Like always, I made a few substitutions based on what I had and what I could find and the recipe below reflects the changes I made. It was delicious and gone in a heart beat!
You will need:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 6 oz. carton low fat (not fat free)vanilla and lemon yogurt. I used Yoplait.
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.
First and foremost, I cooked this cake for a very, very long time. I don't remember how much longer it took to bake but it was not done in 50 minutes. It is, however, very much worth the wait. This is a very delicate cake. I attempted to cut it while it was still slightly warm and it was bad. I then cooled it overnight in the fridge and cut it the following morning. It was still quick to crumble so I suggest using a very good, serrated knife (you know, the spitzy kind as my mom would say). An electric knife would probably also work. It's kind of a pain but the slices look so pretty after you cut them and that doesn't even begin to compare to the taste. Yes, I might be biased as I love, love,love the lemon blueberry combination but I don't know that you'll be disappointed if you try this recipe.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Taking a Step in the Right Direction
Howdy:
Today has been kind of a rough day at the summer camp so I'm hiding in my office. Many of my employees appear to be in bad moods and the negativity has spread all afternoon. Sigh. I blame the somewhat rainy weather....yet it's humid as hell and still uncomfortably warm.
I went to a Weight Watcher's meeting last night. I was very excited to give it another go...they've made more changes to the program. They seem to be like the Red Cross. As soon as everyone is familiar with the information, they update and change it. I will admit right now I don't fully understand the changes. It took them an incredibly long time to reactivate me as a member. I'm disappointed because the online portion of the program still doesn't recognize me as reactivated. I haven't had the motivation to email them about it yet. I made it into about ten minutes of the meeting and started feeling awful. I got that hot-then-cold feeling and felt extremely sick to my stomach. The fun part was that I was sitting in the front row and had to bolt in the middle of the discussion. Not sure I should have driven home considering I was dizzy and very nauseated but luckily my home is 2 blocks away. It was a rough night but sleeping a bunch seemed to fix the issue. I still don't have an appetite though. Nothing seems tasty or good so hopefully Gavin has ideas for supper. I was planning to stay after the meeting to learn about the changes to the program...hopefully I can do that on Saturday morning or Monday evening.
I was actually surprised by my weight when they did my first weight check yesterday. Sadly I was expecting to be over 300 lbs but I'm not. I'm certainly not proud of my weight but am excited to try and lose 5% of my total weight. I'm glad they set up their weight loss process with small attainable goals. I keep thinking "oh I wish I was 200 lbs again" but I have to do it in baby steps. I did a self-assessment online and it made me giggle. They want me between 157-176 lbs in order to be in my health weight range. I can't even imagine what I'd look like if I was that thin. I'm hanging on to 200 as a goal and if I weigh less than that...good for me.
The only thing I got from the meeting before dry heaving was having a rainbow on your plate when you eat. I'm very fortunate that I like numerous vegetables. I have no problem incorporating them into my diet. Fruit though....not so easy. I have a hard time eating enough fruit each day. I did buy some plums on a whim two weeks ago and they were delicious. When my appetite is back, I'm hoping to hit the produce section and actually use a fruit bowl in my home.
Well I think that's enough for now. Just wanted to get a blog in this week (and it's helping me look busy at my desk).
Today has been kind of a rough day at the summer camp so I'm hiding in my office. Many of my employees appear to be in bad moods and the negativity has spread all afternoon. Sigh. I blame the somewhat rainy weather....yet it's humid as hell and still uncomfortably warm.
I went to a Weight Watcher's meeting last night. I was very excited to give it another go...they've made more changes to the program. They seem to be like the Red Cross. As soon as everyone is familiar with the information, they update and change it. I will admit right now I don't fully understand the changes. It took them an incredibly long time to reactivate me as a member. I'm disappointed because the online portion of the program still doesn't recognize me as reactivated. I haven't had the motivation to email them about it yet. I made it into about ten minutes of the meeting and started feeling awful. I got that hot-then-cold feeling and felt extremely sick to my stomach. The fun part was that I was sitting in the front row and had to bolt in the middle of the discussion. Not sure I should have driven home considering I was dizzy and very nauseated but luckily my home is 2 blocks away. It was a rough night but sleeping a bunch seemed to fix the issue. I still don't have an appetite though. Nothing seems tasty or good so hopefully Gavin has ideas for supper. I was planning to stay after the meeting to learn about the changes to the program...hopefully I can do that on Saturday morning or Monday evening.
I was actually surprised by my weight when they did my first weight check yesterday. Sadly I was expecting to be over 300 lbs but I'm not. I'm certainly not proud of my weight but am excited to try and lose 5% of my total weight. I'm glad they set up their weight loss process with small attainable goals. I keep thinking "oh I wish I was 200 lbs again" but I have to do it in baby steps. I did a self-assessment online and it made me giggle. They want me between 157-176 lbs in order to be in my health weight range. I can't even imagine what I'd look like if I was that thin. I'm hanging on to 200 as a goal and if I weigh less than that...good for me.
The only thing I got from the meeting before dry heaving was having a rainbow on your plate when you eat. I'm very fortunate that I like numerous vegetables. I have no problem incorporating them into my diet. Fruit though....not so easy. I have a hard time eating enough fruit each day. I did buy some plums on a whim two weeks ago and they were delicious. When my appetite is back, I'm hoping to hit the produce section and actually use a fruit bowl in my home.
Well I think that's enough for now. Just wanted to get a blog in this week (and it's helping me look busy at my desk).
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Good-bye evil thigh killing bars...mwahahaha!
I am so far behind on blogging I can't even believe it. I have so many recipes to share and just fun little things that I don't even know where to begin. I figure I'll explain my title, my weight loss conundrum of the week and leave it there for now. If I try and get into anything else I won't be able to get out of here in time to see the new Transformers movie...I can't wait! I figure it's a million degrees outside today so why not spend the day in a dark, freezing cold theater?!?!
I don't know how familiar you are with public transportation. I just assume that anybody who has been to a university knows the horrors of having to ride the bus. I've found that it's always prudent to get a seat because most of the drivers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting seem to think that there are only two speeds: warp speed and slamming on breaks. However, there are times in life when we have to make difficult decisions. Sometimes the only sanctuary between you and the sadistic driving habits of the bus driver is that teeny tiny spot left next to the vertical bar that is there for standers to hold on to.
As a large person, I have pondered the many pros and cons of taking that seat. Pro, I am not going to fall into anybody's lap when I unceremoniously lose my balance and stumble. Con, if I do manage to wedge myself into the seat, the bar is going to painfully dig into my thigh the entire 10 minute bus ride. In the past I have tended to gird my loins and deal with the pain, it's so much better than face planting on a crowded bus. However, I haven't been on a super crowded bus in some time. I get there early enough in the morning that I can usually snag a single seat. I prefer to not have to worry about the questionable hygiene of some of my fellow commuters. I have also been walking with my co-worker Patti at night when the bus is much more congested so I haven't had to deal with the evil bar of doom in the evenings either. However, this past week Patti was gone which meant either walking the 3 miles to my car, which at night I just want to get home, or riding the bus.
I was lucky earlier in the week. I assume people took a few extra days to extend the holiday weekend and the bus wasn't too bad at all. Come Thursday though, business was back to usual and when I boarded my bus it was jam packed except for that little, evil seat. I was going to stand but it had been a long day and I figured I could handle the bar for 10 minutes and worked my way to the back of the bus. As the bus was pulling away from the stop, I slid into the seat. After adjusting my bags to keep them from encroaching on my neighbors lap I took a deep breath and settled in for the ride. We were about two stops down the road when I realized something, no pain.
It took a minute for this to sink in. How was it even possible that there was no pain? I slouched around in my seat for a minute, my neighbor probably thought I was losing my mind, but no matter how I sat the bar wasn't killing me! I was so excited! Now, I don't know if my thighs are thinner or if my butt is losing cushion so I now sit further back in the seat and a more narrow part of my thigh is level with the bar (it's probably a bit of both), but I don't really care why. I'm just excited that it's happened! I wanted to shout for joy, although that probably would have sealed the deal for my neighbor and she would have called and had me committed. I haven't had any 'oh, wow' moments in a while so I have to admit that I was pretty ecstatic!
Needless to say I'm still plugging away. I was going to post early last week that I was really excited to have broken into the 270's! I don't know why the 270's hold so much meaning for me, after all, it's still a long way from where I need to be but I've been looking forward to it for a while. However, as soon as I got into the high 270's my weight dive bombed. I don't know if it's from the running, maybe my metabolism is going crazy, or if it's from all of the water I've been drinking since it got so damn hot but I started the week at 280.1 on Monday and weighed in at 272.2 today. I know that some of the 9.4 pounds I lost this week was just getting rid of the 4.5 pounds I retained last week when I had my period but that's still a lot of weight to drop in a week. I've been drinking almost a gallon of water every day so I know it's not a dehydration thing and I've been eating all of my calories so I figure I'll ride it out for a while and hopefully things will level off. I'm still not convinced it's anything to worry about but if it doesn't level off in the next week or so I might make an appointment at the clinic just to make sure everything is good. I want to lose weight but I want to do it the right way.
Alright, I think that's it for now. I promise I'll post my recipes when I get a chance, maybe even later today. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a fabulous week!
I don't know how familiar you are with public transportation. I just assume that anybody who has been to a university knows the horrors of having to ride the bus. I've found that it's always prudent to get a seat because most of the drivers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting seem to think that there are only two speeds: warp speed and slamming on breaks. However, there are times in life when we have to make difficult decisions. Sometimes the only sanctuary between you and the sadistic driving habits of the bus driver is that teeny tiny spot left next to the vertical bar that is there for standers to hold on to.
As a large person, I have pondered the many pros and cons of taking that seat. Pro, I am not going to fall into anybody's lap when I unceremoniously lose my balance and stumble. Con, if I do manage to wedge myself into the seat, the bar is going to painfully dig into my thigh the entire 10 minute bus ride. In the past I have tended to gird my loins and deal with the pain, it's so much better than face planting on a crowded bus. However, I haven't been on a super crowded bus in some time. I get there early enough in the morning that I can usually snag a single seat. I prefer to not have to worry about the questionable hygiene of some of my fellow commuters. I have also been walking with my co-worker Patti at night when the bus is much more congested so I haven't had to deal with the evil bar of doom in the evenings either. However, this past week Patti was gone which meant either walking the 3 miles to my car, which at night I just want to get home, or riding the bus.
I was lucky earlier in the week. I assume people took a few extra days to extend the holiday weekend and the bus wasn't too bad at all. Come Thursday though, business was back to usual and when I boarded my bus it was jam packed except for that little, evil seat. I was going to stand but it had been a long day and I figured I could handle the bar for 10 minutes and worked my way to the back of the bus. As the bus was pulling away from the stop, I slid into the seat. After adjusting my bags to keep them from encroaching on my neighbors lap I took a deep breath and settled in for the ride. We were about two stops down the road when I realized something, no pain.
It took a minute for this to sink in. How was it even possible that there was no pain? I slouched around in my seat for a minute, my neighbor probably thought I was losing my mind, but no matter how I sat the bar wasn't killing me! I was so excited! Now, I don't know if my thighs are thinner or if my butt is losing cushion so I now sit further back in the seat and a more narrow part of my thigh is level with the bar (it's probably a bit of both), but I don't really care why. I'm just excited that it's happened! I wanted to shout for joy, although that probably would have sealed the deal for my neighbor and she would have called and had me committed. I haven't had any 'oh, wow' moments in a while so I have to admit that I was pretty ecstatic!
Needless to say I'm still plugging away. I was going to post early last week that I was really excited to have broken into the 270's! I don't know why the 270's hold so much meaning for me, after all, it's still a long way from where I need to be but I've been looking forward to it for a while. However, as soon as I got into the high 270's my weight dive bombed. I don't know if it's from the running, maybe my metabolism is going crazy, or if it's from all of the water I've been drinking since it got so damn hot but I started the week at 280.1 on Monday and weighed in at 272.2 today. I know that some of the 9.4 pounds I lost this week was just getting rid of the 4.5 pounds I retained last week when I had my period but that's still a lot of weight to drop in a week. I've been drinking almost a gallon of water every day so I know it's not a dehydration thing and I've been eating all of my calories so I figure I'll ride it out for a while and hopefully things will level off. I'm still not convinced it's anything to worry about but if it doesn't level off in the next week or so I might make an appointment at the clinic just to make sure everything is good. I want to lose weight but I want to do it the right way.
Alright, I think that's it for now. I promise I'll post my recipes when I get a chance, maybe even later today. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a fabulous week!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
It's been too long....
Howdy all:
It's been entirely too long since I've last blogged. A lot has happened lately so I'll give some summaries.
First of all, my Bonneville is at the mechanic again. My check engine light turned on last week. I went and got an oil change done the other day and they completed other maintenance on it. However, they aren't the kind of place that hooks your car up to the computer to see why the check engine light is on. I had intended to take my car to the mechanic on Monday but it didn't want to wait that long. I noticed a puddle under it last night (not sure if it's oil or coolant) and decided it better go in today. Unfortunately, I didn't have an appointment so they can't tell me when they'll get to it. I may not have a car until next Monday. I'm getting sick of putting money into that vehicle but I'm not prepared to get a different vehicle yet. I keep trying to save for a different car but it's difficult when I have to keep pulling money out of that account to make repairs.
Jon and I took a trip to Chicago over the weekend. We went to the "Taste of Chicago" and tried several foods. I had cheesy tator tots, cheddar & jalapeno pierogies, mac & cheese bites (surprisingly good), and a chocolate covered frozen banana on a stick. Jon had a good point...it was like walking around the food vendors at the State Fair. We also went on a river cruise in the afternoon and got a tour on the architecture in Chicago. It was a really cool 90 minute cruise up and down the river. I found out that the river actually flows backwards so crappy water doesn't go into Lake Michigan and impact the drinking water. We went to Harry Carey's for supper and were surprised by the atmosphere of the restaurant. We were under the impression that it was a burger joint since people go there to watch sports. It was actually a semi-fancy steakhouse. I had a wonderful pesto penne dish. I hadn't had pesto in a long time and it was fantastic. It incorporated sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus in the dish. Jon had a bison filet and it was delicious too. I don't remember the last time I spent that much on a meal. On Saturday, we went to The Museum of Science and Industry to see the Body World's exhibit. It was really cool to see the aging process and how poor health can affect the body and organs. They also explained how they preserve the bodies and create their exhibit. I'm actually considering the idea of donating my body to a project like that because I find it neat that a body can be used to educate others. We went to south Chicago later that day to have dinner with Jon's friend. We went to a nice local Italian place and I had mushroom ravioli. I was the only one without a huge portion and my food was delicious. We also got a tour of the homes in the area since they were older and very fancy. We headed to Waukon on Sunday after visiting Eli's Cheesecake. Sounds like we are going to Chicago again in October for a hockey game.
Prior to the Chicago trip, Jon and I had a nice discussion about my health. I have a hard time talking about my weight/health with him. I think it's due to embarrassment. I can't remember how the topic was brought up but it's helped with my motivation to make some changes. We all know that social support is critical for change. I've discovered that I'm the type of person that needs face-to-face support. I'm not knocking this blog or anything but I've not been accountable simply through blogging. If I involve Jon with my weight loss process, I feel I'll have more success. It's also a relief to know he's not judging me...he just wants me happy. I have to commend Nicole for making such wonderful progress while being so far from Iowa. I'm not sure I could stay on track in the same situation.
I'm feeling pulled toward Weight Watchers to start with some accountability reinforcement. It seems silly to pay an organization to weigh me but I think it would do me good to surround myself by others on the same mission. The meeting place is 2 blocks from my home too. I wish I was comfortable enough to have someone weigh me at work but alas I don't. I'm not comfortable hopping on a scale in front of Jon either. Hopefully that will change over time. I think my work schedule for the fall will help with my weight loss plan too. I am only scheduled to teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I do have a class on Friday but it will only meet once during the first week of the semester and takes place online for the rest of the fall. I will have to travel periodically on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday since I'm supervising 3 student teachers. It's my hope that I can workout on MWF. My hectic schedule on Tues and Thurs will actually keep me active too because my classes are back-to-back throughout the day.
The department hired a PE professor so my workload has changed (for the better in my opinion). I'm still the physical activity coordinator so I'll still be supervising graduate students that are teaching for the department. I'm still running Swim & Gym on Tues and Thurs afternoons too. I start my day at 9am on Tues/Thurs and will be teaching three classes throughout the day and ending things with Swim & Gym. I will probably get home around 6pm. It should be an interesting set-up. I'm teaching HS 110 for the first time too. It's essential the same thing I teach at DMACC but of course it has a different textbook. Grrr.
My main qualm about my health right now is my lower back. I've had periodic pain (usually when I wake up or sit for long periods of time). Sadly it's the type of pain that suddenly shoots up or down my body. It freaks me out at times because almost makes my knees give out. I have a sneaking suspicion my discs are degenerating further in my lower back. And yes, my weight isn't helping that. I wanted to get to the chiropractor this morning but my car took priority. I wanted to get it to the mechanic pronto so I had time to get to work and organize myself. Sigh.
I think that's enough rambling for now. I need to whip out some work before Summer Youth Fitness starts at 1pm. I'll be in the pool for most of the afternoon helping with swim lessons. Have a good one!
It's been entirely too long since I've last blogged. A lot has happened lately so I'll give some summaries.
First of all, my Bonneville is at the mechanic again. My check engine light turned on last week. I went and got an oil change done the other day and they completed other maintenance on it. However, they aren't the kind of place that hooks your car up to the computer to see why the check engine light is on. I had intended to take my car to the mechanic on Monday but it didn't want to wait that long. I noticed a puddle under it last night (not sure if it's oil or coolant) and decided it better go in today. Unfortunately, I didn't have an appointment so they can't tell me when they'll get to it. I may not have a car until next Monday. I'm getting sick of putting money into that vehicle but I'm not prepared to get a different vehicle yet. I keep trying to save for a different car but it's difficult when I have to keep pulling money out of that account to make repairs.
Jon and I took a trip to Chicago over the weekend. We went to the "Taste of Chicago" and tried several foods. I had cheesy tator tots, cheddar & jalapeno pierogies, mac & cheese bites (surprisingly good), and a chocolate covered frozen banana on a stick. Jon had a good point...it was like walking around the food vendors at the State Fair. We also went on a river cruise in the afternoon and got a tour on the architecture in Chicago. It was a really cool 90 minute cruise up and down the river. I found out that the river actually flows backwards so crappy water doesn't go into Lake Michigan and impact the drinking water. We went to Harry Carey's for supper and were surprised by the atmosphere of the restaurant. We were under the impression that it was a burger joint since people go there to watch sports. It was actually a semi-fancy steakhouse. I had a wonderful pesto penne dish. I hadn't had pesto in a long time and it was fantastic. It incorporated sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus in the dish. Jon had a bison filet and it was delicious too. I don't remember the last time I spent that much on a meal. On Saturday, we went to The Museum of Science and Industry to see the Body World's exhibit. It was really cool to see the aging process and how poor health can affect the body and organs. They also explained how they preserve the bodies and create their exhibit. I'm actually considering the idea of donating my body to a project like that because I find it neat that a body can be used to educate others. We went to south Chicago later that day to have dinner with Jon's friend. We went to a nice local Italian place and I had mushroom ravioli. I was the only one without a huge portion and my food was delicious. We also got a tour of the homes in the area since they were older and very fancy. We headed to Waukon on Sunday after visiting Eli's Cheesecake. Sounds like we are going to Chicago again in October for a hockey game.
Prior to the Chicago trip, Jon and I had a nice discussion about my health. I have a hard time talking about my weight/health with him. I think it's due to embarrassment. I can't remember how the topic was brought up but it's helped with my motivation to make some changes. We all know that social support is critical for change. I've discovered that I'm the type of person that needs face-to-face support. I'm not knocking this blog or anything but I've not been accountable simply through blogging. If I involve Jon with my weight loss process, I feel I'll have more success. It's also a relief to know he's not judging me...he just wants me happy. I have to commend Nicole for making such wonderful progress while being so far from Iowa. I'm not sure I could stay on track in the same situation.
I'm feeling pulled toward Weight Watchers to start with some accountability reinforcement. It seems silly to pay an organization to weigh me but I think it would do me good to surround myself by others on the same mission. The meeting place is 2 blocks from my home too. I wish I was comfortable enough to have someone weigh me at work but alas I don't. I'm not comfortable hopping on a scale in front of Jon either. Hopefully that will change over time. I think my work schedule for the fall will help with my weight loss plan too. I am only scheduled to teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I do have a class on Friday but it will only meet once during the first week of the semester and takes place online for the rest of the fall. I will have to travel periodically on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday since I'm supervising 3 student teachers. It's my hope that I can workout on MWF. My hectic schedule on Tues and Thurs will actually keep me active too because my classes are back-to-back throughout the day.
The department hired a PE professor so my workload has changed (for the better in my opinion). I'm still the physical activity coordinator so I'll still be supervising graduate students that are teaching for the department. I'm still running Swim & Gym on Tues and Thurs afternoons too. I start my day at 9am on Tues/Thurs and will be teaching three classes throughout the day and ending things with Swim & Gym. I will probably get home around 6pm. It should be an interesting set-up. I'm teaching HS 110 for the first time too. It's essential the same thing I teach at DMACC but of course it has a different textbook. Grrr.
My main qualm about my health right now is my lower back. I've had periodic pain (usually when I wake up or sit for long periods of time). Sadly it's the type of pain that suddenly shoots up or down my body. It freaks me out at times because almost makes my knees give out. I have a sneaking suspicion my discs are degenerating further in my lower back. And yes, my weight isn't helping that. I wanted to get to the chiropractor this morning but my car took priority. I wanted to get it to the mechanic pronto so I had time to get to work and organize myself. Sigh.
I think that's enough rambling for now. I need to whip out some work before Summer Youth Fitness starts at 1pm. I'll be in the pool for most of the afternoon helping with swim lessons. Have a good one!
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