Hey ladies! As my title might suggest I have not been very good about my new years resolutions so far. I ran my dishwasher this weekend, my apartment is mess and I haven't found a job in Iowa yet, sigh... I guess I'll have to work especially hard this week to make up for my slacking last. On a happier resolution note I did make a new recipe this week: braised beef chili. It was good and I'm very glad that I have leftovers!
I feel like I haven't had much to review lately. Between getting all of my crafty stuff done for Christmas and being home for 10 days I haven't done much in the way of reading, watching TV, watching movies or trying new things. Today, however, I have some reviews for you. Enjoy!
Over the last few weeks I've had a chance to see some new movies. What impresses me is the fact that I've seen movies in a wide variety of genres over the last 3 weeks and I liked them all!
Before Christmas, and after new years I got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Both times I enjoyed it immensely. For the most part the movie held true to the storyline of the book. I will admit that at times the movie felt long and that nothing was going on, however, that's how the book felt as I read it all those years ago. There was also not a conclusion to this movie. It ended very abruptly and, for all intents and purposes, nothing was resolved. This bothered a lot of people but I knew going into it that this would most likely happen. I figure you have an epic story told in two part, there is definitely going to be a cliff hanger between the two. I am very much looking forward to part II!
Over Christmas I also had the chance to take Hailee and Taylor to Tangled. Tasha was going to take them and invited me along. The theater in Charles City is only $2 and I thought it would be a lot of fun to go with. It was a great movie. I love Disney movies and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The movie was funny, uplifting, entertaining and had great Disney animation and music. I might have to buy this one when it comes out on DVD!
Before Christmas I had a chance to sit down and watch Inglorious Basterds with Brad Pitt. I thought it was an excellent movie. I enjoyed the story and the acting was superb. Word of caution, as I talked to my sister about this movie she said that she and Justin watched the first 20 minutes and turned it off because they thought it was stupid. It's a war movie. There is a plot that if you give it a chance turns out to be pretty solid. The acting is a bit over the top at times but I think it works in this film. It's directed by Quintin Tarentino so you know there is blood if that's your thing. Last, I loved Christopher Waltz in this movie. I think his line 'it's a BINGO' actually bumped me from liking this movie to almost loving it.
This weekend I was so tired and didn't feel all that great, my germy neices and nephews got me ill. So, instead of doing anything else I decided to veg out and watch movies. First, I went to the theater here and saw The Kings Speech. It was phenomenal! Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both deserve oscar nominations, if not oscars for their roles. The story is set in England just before WWII. Firth plays Prince Albert who is not in line for the throne but has a terrible stutter. The movie follows him as he works with a rather unorthodox speech therapist played by Rush. If you know anything about English history (which I did not) or you pay attention to the title of the movie you will know that he does, in fact, become king, and because of this, he needs to have a voice that his people can stand behind. Like I said, I really enjoyed this movie. It was serious, it was funny, it was heart warming...everything you want in a good, based on real life drama. It's not something you need to see in the theater but it is something that should be seen.
Wow, time flies when you're having fun. It's time for me to leave work and I have two more things to review, a mini series and a website. I guess I'll have to save that for my next blog. Have a great night ladies!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Day of Rest
Hey Ladies:
I've had all kinds of good blog topic ideas in my head this weekend and I hope I can pull most of them out tonight...sadly I think I'll forgot a few.
As you may recall, my only resoultion is to not bring work home with me. I know I'll infringe on this new rule of mine but I sincerely believe it will help me take necessary time for myself to just rest, read, take time for cooking, and schedule workouts in my life. I want other improvements and advantages to stem from that resolution.
The topic at church today made me like my choice of a resolution too. Before Christmas, the pastor started a set of sermons about each of the 10 Commandments. Today we resumed that, and went over #4 Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. It was a 45 minute sermon so I'll sum it up. God needed a rest after he created the earth and we must recognize that we need a rest each week too. The pastor suggested that Sunday does seem to work best for many people but if that's not possible....another day of the week should be used so a person stays energized and focused on what is important in life. It gave me more inspiration to stick to my resolution :)
On a different note, my chiropractor suggested months ago that I start drinking pure cherry juice each day to help with my joint pain. Cherry juice has anthocyanins which are nature compounds that reduce inflammation. I had kept it on the back burner because of the price. The 1 quart I bought cost $20. Fortunately I only use 1-2 tablespoons a day so it will last awhile. I simply mix it in with a glass of juice. Hopefully it works.
Jon is making good progress and reached 50 degrees of bend on Friday. He's been walking around without crutches (but still wears the brace). He has another doctor's appointment tomorrow so hopefully the doc has good things to say.
ISU starts tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have things to blog about later in the week. Have a good one!
I've had all kinds of good blog topic ideas in my head this weekend and I hope I can pull most of them out tonight...sadly I think I'll forgot a few.
As you may recall, my only resoultion is to not bring work home with me. I know I'll infringe on this new rule of mine but I sincerely believe it will help me take necessary time for myself to just rest, read, take time for cooking, and schedule workouts in my life. I want other improvements and advantages to stem from that resolution.
The topic at church today made me like my choice of a resolution too. Before Christmas, the pastor started a set of sermons about each of the 10 Commandments. Today we resumed that, and went over #4 Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. It was a 45 minute sermon so I'll sum it up. God needed a rest after he created the earth and we must recognize that we need a rest each week too. The pastor suggested that Sunday does seem to work best for many people but if that's not possible....another day of the week should be used so a person stays energized and focused on what is important in life. It gave me more inspiration to stick to my resolution :)
On a different note, my chiropractor suggested months ago that I start drinking pure cherry juice each day to help with my joint pain. Cherry juice has anthocyanins which are nature compounds that reduce inflammation. I had kept it on the back burner because of the price. The 1 quart I bought cost $20. Fortunately I only use 1-2 tablespoons a day so it will last awhile. I simply mix it in with a glass of juice. Hopefully it works.
Jon is making good progress and reached 50 degrees of bend on Friday. He's been walking around without crutches (but still wears the brace). He has another doctor's appointment tomorrow so hopefully the doc has good things to say.
ISU starts tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have things to blog about later in the week. Have a good one!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The perfect reward...
Every time I lose weight I have a problem. I can never come up with a good reward for myself when I reach a goal. They say that you shouldn't treat yourself with food or laziness because that sets a bad precedent which I have to agree with. Magazines and news articles always tell you to do stuff like buy a new shirt or go get a manicure. However, I feel that that can cost some serious cash before all is said and done. I've been thinking and thinking what I should do for myself as a treat when I reach my mini goals and I think I've found the perfect solution. I am going to start buying myself earrings when I reach a goal! I love earrings but I never buy them for myself because I feel like it's a frivolous expense and that I can spend my money more wisely somewhere else. However, I feel that if I stick to my weight loss and health goals buying a $5-10 pair of earrings once a month isn't such a bad thing. I think I've settled on an inexpensive pair every time I lose 5 pounds and then when I reach bigger goals I can get something a little nicer. I've decided that if I get to 75 pounds lost total I'm going to buy myself some white gold hoops! I love hoops but I usually just buy the 'sensitive ears' type and pitch them after a few months. I think buying some nice ones would be a way to really congratulate myself on a job well done.
Anyway, that's all I had. Do you ever do anything to treat yourself when you reach mini goals? I'm interested to see how others handle this.
p.s. my sister changed her mind on our bridesmaid dresses and I love the one she picked. Here's the link (ours will be in wine): http://www.billlevkoff.com/style/bridesmaid-dress/675#
Anyway, that's all I had. Do you ever do anything to treat yourself when you reach mini goals? I'm interested to see how others handle this.
p.s. my sister changed her mind on our bridesmaid dresses and I love the one she picked. Here's the link (ours will be in wine): http://www.billlevkoff.com/style/bridesmaid-dress/675#
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Resolutions and stuff...
This time of year is always an exciting time. A new year means a clean slate and an opportunity to make major changes in ones life. I don't know exactly why it's harder to make changes at other times in the year but it really is. I always love and dread making new years resolutions. I love the chance to prove that I can set a goal and stick with it. I love how I feel renewed and completely motivated to reach my new goal. I hate how I always make the same resolutions and that they always focus on weight loss. I hate how I never accomplish what I set out to do. So, this year I've decided that things are going to be different.
First, like Jenny, I decided before the first of the year that my goal was not going to be about losing weight. I was reading an article in the newspaper and apparently the most commonly made and broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit. I am not going to fall into this category this year. Prior to New Years I was on a good path to losing weight and improving my health. I did a bit of backsliding over the holidays, which I knew would happen, but life is back to normal and I'm getting back on track. If you listen to the 'experts' they say that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 3 months to form a habit. I've definitely been doing my thing for that long so I don't think I need to stress about making major resolutions where diet and exercise are concerned. I've never felt so free when it comes time to making resolutions so this year I had to think hard about what I wanted. I came up with many but here are my goals that made the final cut:
1. Stop using my dishwasher for everyday dishes. I tend to just load the dishawasher and run it once a week. Instead I will do my dishes by hand each night.
2. I need to be more organized and clean at home. I need to make a chore chart and stick to it.
3. Find a new job that is closer to home...this is more of a new years wish than a resolution but it's still worth throwing out there.
4. Try new recipes. I love to cook and I tend to cook really well, however I tend to get stuck in the same food ruts. I eat a lot of the same stuff over and over. I bought a new vegetarian cookbook that has some really intriguing dishes. I just want more variety!
First, like Jenny, I decided before the first of the year that my goal was not going to be about losing weight. I was reading an article in the newspaper and apparently the most commonly made and broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit. I am not going to fall into this category this year. Prior to New Years I was on a good path to losing weight and improving my health. I did a bit of backsliding over the holidays, which I knew would happen, but life is back to normal and I'm getting back on track. If you listen to the 'experts' they say that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 3 months to form a habit. I've definitely been doing my thing for that long so I don't think I need to stress about making major resolutions where diet and exercise are concerned. I've never felt so free when it comes time to making resolutions so this year I had to think hard about what I wanted. I came up with many but here are my goals that made the final cut:
1. Stop using my dishwasher for everyday dishes. I tend to just load the dishawasher and run it once a week. Instead I will do my dishes by hand each night.
2. I need to be more organized and clean at home. I need to make a chore chart and stick to it.
3. Find a new job that is closer to home...this is more of a new years wish than a resolution but it's still worth throwing out there.
4. Try new recipes. I love to cook and I tend to cook really well, however I tend to get stuck in the same food ruts. I eat a lot of the same stuff over and over. I bought a new vegetarian cookbook that has some really intriguing dishes. I just want more variety!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Cream of mushroom soup
Here is the recipe of the cream of mushroom soup. The recipe says that it makes 4/400 calorie servings but I think that is a really big serving. I think I'll probably get 6 servings which puts it between 270-300 calories.
-Saute 1 small onion (finely chopped) in 2 tbs. canola or olive oil. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute over medium heat.
-add 16 oz. package sliced mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
-add 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce.
-add 1/4 c. barley (I used precooked brown and long grain rice instead because thats what I had on hand)cook 2 minutes.
-add 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until barley is done.
-whisk together 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. 1% milk until smooth. Add to soup along with 2 cups. diced chicken (I used leftover turkey breast). Simmer until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.
I think the flavor was really good. I did add some black pepper, soy sauce and salt to taste.
-Saute 1 small onion (finely chopped) in 2 tbs. canola or olive oil. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute over medium heat.
-add 16 oz. package sliced mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
-add 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce.
-add 1/4 c. barley (I used precooked brown and long grain rice instead because thats what I had on hand)cook 2 minutes.
-add 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until barley is done.
-whisk together 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. 1% milk until smooth. Add to soup along with 2 cups. diced chicken (I used leftover turkey breast). Simmer until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.
I think the flavor was really good. I did add some black pepper, soy sauce and salt to taste.
A tasty find and an excellent new recipe!
Happy 2011 ladies! I cannot believe another year has come and gone. I also cannot believe that the holiday season is over. I had a really nice time at home. I haven't been back since the funeral this summer so while it was really great to be home and around everybody, it was really strange to go home and not see my mom. I don't know if this will make sense or not but she feels so much more gone when I'm back home than when I'm in Michigan. We all did relatively well at Christmas I think. I'm not going to lie, there were tears and sadness but we all stuck together and made the night as happy as possible. Anyway, it was a really great trip and, as always, I wish I could have stayed forever. Sadly, that can't happen so I'm now back in Michigan.
I must have been a really good girl this year. I got a lot of really great gifts for Christmas. My sister paid for my tattoo, I got a ton of good stuff from Bob and I got a really cool scarf and sweater from my dad and Shirley. By the way Jenny, the strawberry rhubarb preserves didn't last very long once everybody dug in...very excellent!
New Years was a nice evening although I wish the weather had been a little friendlier. I didn't actually get to see all of my Luther friends because of the freezing rain. Instead of making it up to Winona I ended up in Decorah with Jessica and Larry. I don't like driving on 43 when it's slippery. I had nightmares on the 30th about sliding off the bluffs. Anyway, we made the most of our evening. We ordered ribs from the Hotel Winishiek and watched a movie, played cards and watched the ball drop. It was a quieter evening than I was expecting but it was a good time.
I am also happy to report than while I was back I helped Karla pick out her wedding dress. I cannot wait until October because she is going to be gorgeous in her dress. It is nothing like she had planned on but the dress is incredibly beautiful. Tasha and I had a really wonderful time trying on our own dresses and helping Karla decide which dress she should get. I missed my mom a lot while we were dress shopping and Tasha and I shed some tears but we made it through the day!
I have some thoughts about my new years resolutions but I don't have the drive to write about them tonight. Instead I'm going to leave you with a tasty find and a new recipe. I love guacamole but I have a hard time making good guacamole and the store bought stuff is either usually gross or in such a big container that it goes bad before I can finish it. Well, I was in Wal-Mart today and in the produce section of the store I found the most amazing thing: Marketside guacamole. Not only is it all natural and fresh it's also in individually sealed 100 calorie packets! I figured I'd give it a shot and I am so glad I did. I was so tasty and because it's sealed in 6 packets I can eat my serving and freeze the rest and it won't turn all brown and nasty! If you like guacamole you should give this a try.
Last, I was thumbing through my latest issue of Fitness Magazine. There are always recipes and I always think I should try them. In this issue they had a bunch of lunch and dinner recipes, one of which was for cream of mushroom soup. I made a few changes so I could use ingredients I had on hand and it was amazing. I'll post the recipe on the blog. If you like mushrooms and hearty soups you'll want to give this a try. I couldn't believe how easy and tasty it was!
OK, that's it for now. I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!
I must have been a really good girl this year. I got a lot of really great gifts for Christmas. My sister paid for my tattoo, I got a ton of good stuff from Bob and I got a really cool scarf and sweater from my dad and Shirley. By the way Jenny, the strawberry rhubarb preserves didn't last very long once everybody dug in...very excellent!
New Years was a nice evening although I wish the weather had been a little friendlier. I didn't actually get to see all of my Luther friends because of the freezing rain. Instead of making it up to Winona I ended up in Decorah with Jessica and Larry. I don't like driving on 43 when it's slippery. I had nightmares on the 30th about sliding off the bluffs. Anyway, we made the most of our evening. We ordered ribs from the Hotel Winishiek and watched a movie, played cards and watched the ball drop. It was a quieter evening than I was expecting but it was a good time.
I am also happy to report than while I was back I helped Karla pick out her wedding dress. I cannot wait until October because she is going to be gorgeous in her dress. It is nothing like she had planned on but the dress is incredibly beautiful. Tasha and I had a really wonderful time trying on our own dresses and helping Karla decide which dress she should get. I missed my mom a lot while we were dress shopping and Tasha and I shed some tears but we made it through the day!
I have some thoughts about my new years resolutions but I don't have the drive to write about them tonight. Instead I'm going to leave you with a tasty find and a new recipe. I love guacamole but I have a hard time making good guacamole and the store bought stuff is either usually gross or in such a big container that it goes bad before I can finish it. Well, I was in Wal-Mart today and in the produce section of the store I found the most amazing thing: Marketside guacamole. Not only is it all natural and fresh it's also in individually sealed 100 calorie packets! I figured I'd give it a shot and I am so glad I did. I was so tasty and because it's sealed in 6 packets I can eat my serving and freeze the rest and it won't turn all brown and nasty! If you like guacamole you should give this a try.
Last, I was thumbing through my latest issue of Fitness Magazine. There are always recipes and I always think I should try them. In this issue they had a bunch of lunch and dinner recipes, one of which was for cream of mushroom soup. I made a few changes so I could use ingredients I had on hand and it was amazing. I'll post the recipe on the blog. If you like mushrooms and hearty soups you'll want to give this a try. I couldn't believe how easy and tasty it was!
OK, that's it for now. I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!
And 2011 is upon us....
I have had a strong urge to blog today and wanted to take a break at work to work on it....however I stayed strong and focused on my numerous tasks in my ISU office. I haven't been very worried about making New Year resolutions. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. I'm sort of sick of making the same resolutions each year and not succeeding with any of them. I guess I do have one "resolution" or rule for myself this year:
I will leave my work at work and give myself down time in the evenings so I focus on Gavin, Jon, and/or myself.
I think adhering to that rule will help me accomplish other goals in life without having to necessarily name them as resolutions. I will be able to cook with a purpose (e.g. somewhat from scratch) when I just focus on making a meal and enjoying it. If I can get into exercising in the late afternoon or evening, I can work out too and not worry about grading papers or doing prep for any of my classes. LeAnn made a commment about writing and how she missed writing fiction. I'm in the same boat...I don't miss writing fiction but I do miss writing letters to people and being better about sending cards for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. By having more time for myself, I won't scramble to complete those things....I might actually get to sit down with a coffee and patience when I write to people.
I've been concerned about my diet and exercise of course but I've been prioritizing my joint problems since the pain is a big distractor. It feels good to be active and I can reduce the pain through general activity but the higher impact things aren't helping matters. Even walking for too long seems to make things worse. Sadly I cannot get an appointment with the arthritis specialist until March 21st. Due to that fact, I'm trying to get an appt with a specialist in Des Moines.
Jon is doing well with his second week of physical therapy. He has reached 37 degrees of flexion in his knee up to today. He's gaining a lot of his independence back too. In theory, he only needs me at home to do the laundry since the machines are located in the basement. Outside of his house, he still needs a driver but sadly my availability is gone now that ISU and DMACC start next week. Thanks to the new course I'm teaching, I don't finish teaching until 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays so there is no way for me to get Jon from work and to PT on time. Thankfully his parents are able to help when I can't bop down there.
Gavin is currently at basketball practice (I'm in the cafe by the gym using the building's free Internet) and his games start this Saturday already. All his games are at 5pm this season which will be different. They have been in the late morning or early afternoon in the past. He's also a finalist in a geography bee next week. I didn't even know he was participating in it until I got a letter in December that said he was one of the top performers at his elementary school.
Well I'm glad I got this done today...I still have another full day of work to complete tomorrow but I should be on track for the start of the semester on Monday. I wish I didn't have all day meetings on Friday and Thursday. I could use those days to do prep work for DMACC. Heck, I still need to visit the Ankeny campus and get my key to my classroom and see how it's set up. Luckily it's the same class I taught this past semester (that's apparently rocket science and no one can get an A) so I just need to review my PowerPoints before I teach each Wednesday. It's not online though....everything is pure lecture. My class this previous semester was half lecture and half online content. Not sure why they are making me backtrack.
Ok, that's enough babble. Hope everyone's year is starting off nicely. I'm sure it's going to be 2012 before we know it.
I will leave my work at work and give myself down time in the evenings so I focus on Gavin, Jon, and/or myself.
I think adhering to that rule will help me accomplish other goals in life without having to necessarily name them as resolutions. I will be able to cook with a purpose (e.g. somewhat from scratch) when I just focus on making a meal and enjoying it. If I can get into exercising in the late afternoon or evening, I can work out too and not worry about grading papers or doing prep for any of my classes. LeAnn made a commment about writing and how she missed writing fiction. I'm in the same boat...I don't miss writing fiction but I do miss writing letters to people and being better about sending cards for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. By having more time for myself, I won't scramble to complete those things....I might actually get to sit down with a coffee and patience when I write to people.
I've been concerned about my diet and exercise of course but I've been prioritizing my joint problems since the pain is a big distractor. It feels good to be active and I can reduce the pain through general activity but the higher impact things aren't helping matters. Even walking for too long seems to make things worse. Sadly I cannot get an appointment with the arthritis specialist until March 21st. Due to that fact, I'm trying to get an appt with a specialist in Des Moines.
Jon is doing well with his second week of physical therapy. He has reached 37 degrees of flexion in his knee up to today. He's gaining a lot of his independence back too. In theory, he only needs me at home to do the laundry since the machines are located in the basement. Outside of his house, he still needs a driver but sadly my availability is gone now that ISU and DMACC start next week. Thanks to the new course I'm teaching, I don't finish teaching until 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays so there is no way for me to get Jon from work and to PT on time. Thankfully his parents are able to help when I can't bop down there.
Gavin is currently at basketball practice (I'm in the cafe by the gym using the building's free Internet) and his games start this Saturday already. All his games are at 5pm this season which will be different. They have been in the late morning or early afternoon in the past. He's also a finalist in a geography bee next week. I didn't even know he was participating in it until I got a letter in December that said he was one of the top performers at his elementary school.
Well I'm glad I got this done today...I still have another full day of work to complete tomorrow but I should be on track for the start of the semester on Monday. I wish I didn't have all day meetings on Friday and Thursday. I could use those days to do prep work for DMACC. Heck, I still need to visit the Ankeny campus and get my key to my classroom and see how it's set up. Luckily it's the same class I taught this past semester (that's apparently rocket science and no one can get an A) so I just need to review my PowerPoints before I teach each Wednesday. It's not online though....everything is pure lecture. My class this previous semester was half lecture and half online content. Not sure why they are making me backtrack.
Ok, that's enough babble. Hope everyone's year is starting off nicely. I'm sure it's going to be 2012 before we know it.
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