So I've had the opportunity to sub for Coach Washington this week while he's in Chicago for the McDonald's All-American game with Amber Orrange, one of our seniors. He coaches middle school PE 7th period. Yesterday, I played catch with Matthew Douglas pretty much the entire time. It's been a long time since I've thrown a football for longer than ten minutes, and it didn't even remotely occur to me that I couldn't just pick it up, chuck it around, and be fine. Today, however, I walked into class, grabbed the pigskin, reared back...and threw it about ten yards, with some pretty substantial pain in my shoulder. The good news is that I worked it out after a couple of minutes, but the bad news is obviously that I'M OLD. Dangit.
I also started hacking my way through the next Epicurean Epiphany post for tomorrow. Get excited, because its one of my personal faves. Potentially shouldn't have knocked it out this quickly, but I couldn't hold out much longer. If that doesn't get you excited, well...I'm actually not surprised by that.
Breakfast--Peanut butter and peach-mango toastwich. The bread was...whole wheat? I dunno. Glad to get out of here. New food next week.
Snack--Fiber One bar! I know I said yesterday was the end of them, but oddly enough I found one buried in the bottom of my tub-o'-stuff. Yes, I have a tub-o'-stuff. Deal.
Lunch--Salad with "grilled" chicken, carrots, and cucumbers. And then I had cookies. Boom.
"Exercise"--Throwing the old football around. My arms might fall off. And by arms, I mean arms. I throw with both arms because I'm amused I can do it.
Dinner--Pei Wei! Had dinner with Abby and Lindsey, got my usual double dose of spring rolls and kung pao vegetables with brown rice. It was AWESOME. Good friends, and good food...excellent evening.
Dessert--After catching up on our weekly comedies (Perfect Couples=Awesome. Raising Hope=Eh. Mr. Sunshine=Why is this still on the air?) I had a Cherry Fage with honey. Good way to end the day.
Here's to Friday, and here's to going to Dallas! Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Day 80--Eighty?? Really?
Man...time flies when you're losing weight. I can't believe its been eighty days since I challenged myself to get healthier and lose some of my gut. I think its been pretty successful so far, even if I know I could work harder. Thanks for sticking around this long, or if you're new to the Ignition, welcome to the show!
Today ended testing (thank the Lord) so tomorrow we get back to normal and I don't have to be freakishly bored all the time. Tomorrow also begins the awesomeness that is Amazing Grace, a vastly underrated movie if you appreciate God and history like I do. I'm pretty pumped...and I bet the kids fall asleep. Oh well.
Breakfast--I felt compelled to eat a bigger breakfast than I have recently for two reasons: 1) I couldn't remember what lunch was and wanted to be safe, and 2) I wanted to jump start my metabolism. I think I accomplished both.
Snack--My last Fiber One bar...rest in piece good friends.
Lunch--I'm not even sure what lunch was today, but I know it wasn't healthy. I had another salad, and grabbed some of the "grilled" chicken they keep in the salad bar. It definitely wasn't grilled, but it was actually really good. I wish I had found that earlier in the year!
After School Activity--This isn't food, but I wanted to celebrate the fact that I went to a restaurant supply store and snagged myself a chef's coat for the weekend. It looks really good...almost like its meant to be!
Dinner--My version of pasta carbonara. I don't like cheese or cream, so I went with bacon, crisped up and set off to drain, then I added asparagus and peas, then tossed it all with garlic and some rotini. It was amazing, even if my portion sizes were probably a bit off...
Dessert--Leftover raspberry sorbet from last night with some Dove chocolate fudge to make it a bit more indulgent. It was great, although it was unnecessary in retrospect. I thought I wanted sweets, but now my body is informing me it wasn't the greatest idea...which is wonderful for the future. I love sweets, but they should be special, not a necessary stage. Feels great!
So there we are...I'll probably take a walk later and do some weight work. Good stuff all around!
Today ended testing (thank the Lord) so tomorrow we get back to normal and I don't have to be freakishly bored all the time. Tomorrow also begins the awesomeness that is Amazing Grace, a vastly underrated movie if you appreciate God and history like I do. I'm pretty pumped...and I bet the kids fall asleep. Oh well.
Breakfast--I felt compelled to eat a bigger breakfast than I have recently for two reasons: 1) I couldn't remember what lunch was and wanted to be safe, and 2) I wanted to jump start my metabolism. I think I accomplished both.
Snack--My last Fiber One bar...rest in piece good friends.
Lunch--I'm not even sure what lunch was today, but I know it wasn't healthy. I had another salad, and grabbed some of the "grilled" chicken they keep in the salad bar. It definitely wasn't grilled, but it was actually really good. I wish I had found that earlier in the year!
After School Activity--This isn't food, but I wanted to celebrate the fact that I went to a restaurant supply store and snagged myself a chef's coat for the weekend. It looks really good...almost like its meant to be!
Dinner--My version of pasta carbonara. I don't like cheese or cream, so I went with bacon, crisped up and set off to drain, then I added asparagus and peas, then tossed it all with garlic and some rotini. It was amazing, even if my portion sizes were probably a bit off...
Dessert--Leftover raspberry sorbet from last night with some Dove chocolate fudge to make it a bit more indulgent. It was great, although it was unnecessary in retrospect. I thought I wanted sweets, but now my body is informing me it wasn't the greatest idea...which is wonderful for the future. I love sweets, but they should be special, not a necessary stage. Feels great!
So there we are...I'll probably take a walk later and do some weight work. Good stuff all around!
Day 79--Party Time at the St. Germains!
So we celebrated my friend Jason Toy's birthday yesterday night, which was a great time with amazing friends and great food. Casey made this amazing teriyaki chicken and sticky rice, I made sauteed squash, mushrooms, and onions, and then there was Funfetti (what what!) cake and sorbet floats, courtesy of Safeway brand Apple and Pomegranate Apple Sparkling Cider. I wish I got paid for that little product placement.
The highlight of the evening was most certainly Ms. Julia Austen St. Germain, all two weeks of her. She slept almost the entire time, only got fussy once (and when I picked her up SHE CALMED DOWN. Alert the presses.) and generally spent the night looking as cute as possible and stealing my wife's heart. I've got some competition now, and I don't mind one bit.
On to the food...my memory isn't so hot right now since I'm exhausted, but this will be as accurate as I can make it.
Breakfast--Fage Peach with honey. It was another slow starting morning.
Snack--Fiber One bar.
Lunch--Spicy Thai chile tuna with spinach salad, crackers, and barbecue Zapps. Still funny.
Snack--Fage Cherry with honey. I went to the store to get stuff for dessert and reloaded on Fage while I was there. The Chobani was cheaper, but they only had pineapple 2%, and frankly, its gross.
Dinner--As I said above, I had a teriyaki chicken breast, about 3/4 cup white sticky rice, and a heaping pile of sauteed veggies. The vegetables had some Montreal Steak seasoning and a splash of Riesling white wine at the end, and I have admit--they were really good. Usually I don't cook with wine, or even have it in my possession, but I read an article the other day that really stuck in my imagination: "Home cooks season with salt and pepper. Great chefs season with salt and acid." So that's my new venture...how can I incorporate some acid into each dish, not for the sake of doing it, but to enhance flavors.
Dessert--Here's where the wheels fall off. They had a bowl of jellybeans out (so you know I'm screwed) that I nibbled on all night while cooking, and then I had TWO pieces of cake. C'est la vie...it was delicious, and I had a salad for lunch. I think I can deal.
All in all, not a terrible day, but not perfect. I still need to workout some, and hopefully Wednesday will provide an opportunity for that.
How about you, dear reader--do you use any special forms of acid (vinegars, wines, juices, etc.) in cooking that I should know about?
The highlight of the evening was most certainly Ms. Julia Austen St. Germain, all two weeks of her. She slept almost the entire time, only got fussy once (and when I picked her up SHE CALMED DOWN. Alert the presses.) and generally spent the night looking as cute as possible and stealing my wife's heart. I've got some competition now, and I don't mind one bit.
On to the food...my memory isn't so hot right now since I'm exhausted, but this will be as accurate as I can make it.
Breakfast--Fage Peach with honey. It was another slow starting morning.
Snack--Fiber One bar.
Lunch--Spicy Thai chile tuna with spinach salad, crackers, and barbecue Zapps. Still funny.
Snack--Fage Cherry with honey. I went to the store to get stuff for dessert and reloaded on Fage while I was there. The Chobani was cheaper, but they only had pineapple 2%, and frankly, its gross.
Dinner--As I said above, I had a teriyaki chicken breast, about 3/4 cup white sticky rice, and a heaping pile of sauteed veggies. The vegetables had some Montreal Steak seasoning and a splash of Riesling white wine at the end, and I have admit--they were really good. Usually I don't cook with wine, or even have it in my possession, but I read an article the other day that really stuck in my imagination: "Home cooks season with salt and pepper. Great chefs season with salt and acid." So that's my new venture...how can I incorporate some acid into each dish, not for the sake of doing it, but to enhance flavors.
Dessert--Here's where the wheels fall off. They had a bowl of jellybeans out (so you know I'm screwed) that I nibbled on all night while cooking, and then I had TWO pieces of cake. C'est la vie...it was delicious, and I had a salad for lunch. I think I can deal.
All in all, not a terrible day, but not perfect. I still need to workout some, and hopefully Wednesday will provide an opportunity for that.
How about you, dear reader--do you use any special forms of acid (vinegars, wines, juices, etc.) in cooking that I should know about?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Day 78--The Frugal Gourmet
Thus begins week two of our little attempt to plan out meals, hopefully saving money and allowing us to be healthier so we won't be tempted to eat junk food. Its harder to eat bad stuff when there isn't any bad stuff around to eat. After some simple planning last night, I got all the ingredients together for the week and it cost a whopping total of: 18 dollars. That's right...5 days worth of meals, 18 dollars. I'd say this is working out quite nicely.
The testing schedule today was just as weird as expected. I literally didn't do anything from about 9 til 1, then talked to my freshmen about sex using duct tape as a visual aid (thank you Eddie Boyer), then taught one Acts class that I don't see again until Wednesday. Business as usual.
Breakfast--Chocolate Cheerios and Mango Chobani with honey. Back on the protein/fat kick to get full, and it worked quite well.
Snack--Fiber One bar.
Lunch--Chicken, brown rice, and sauteed spinach. I will say...sauteed spinach is NOT good. I topped it off with another Fiber One bar because chicken and spinach isn't that filling and eating cups of rice just to get full seemed, well, dumb.
Snack--Cherry Fage w/ honey.
Dinner--Jambalaya rice, andouille sausage, and dark red kidney beans. Very filling, very cheap...a great meal. And it will definitely be complete when I finish it off with...
Dessert--Cupcakes! Gotta eat them before they go bad. Yeehah.
The testing schedule today was just as weird as expected. I literally didn't do anything from about 9 til 1, then talked to my freshmen about sex using duct tape as a visual aid (thank you Eddie Boyer), then taught one Acts class that I don't see again until Wednesday. Business as usual.
Breakfast--Chocolate Cheerios and Mango Chobani with honey. Back on the protein/fat kick to get full, and it worked quite well.
Snack--Fiber One bar.
Lunch--Chicken, brown rice, and sauteed spinach. I will say...sauteed spinach is NOT good. I topped it off with another Fiber One bar because chicken and spinach isn't that filling and eating cups of rice just to get full seemed, well, dumb.
Snack--Cherry Fage w/ honey.
Dinner--Jambalaya rice, andouille sausage, and dark red kidney beans. Very filling, very cheap...a great meal. And it will definitely be complete when I finish it off with...
Dessert--Cupcakes! Gotta eat them before they go bad. Yeehah.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Day 77--Well, I Made it Eleven Weeks...
...before I got bored. I'm at my lowest weight since last February, have done it almost effortlessly, and yet it was so easy to completely screw up today. I do believe I've hit a wall, and it bugs me.
Perhaps working out more is the key--all I've done is eat well, and there isn't much variety in that. I also have some ridiculous stress levels (more on that in the coming week) that have sapped me of my ability to care about my weight, and I can't stop thinking about cooking due to Jordan's FCC event, and let me tell you: when you're capable of what I'm capable of, and when you know what Jordan is capable of, simple salads don't fit the bill.
All this is to say: today's eating was a disaster, and I'm not really sorry for it. I will try to do better though.
Breakfast--Chocolate cheerios.
Lunch--Whataburger. Double whataburger, fries, Dr. Pepper, and some jellybeans.
Dinner--Three slices of Dominos (still gross) and three chocolate chocolate chip cookies. And another Dr. Pepper.
So I'm sure I ate like 3000 calories today and I didn't work out at all, but I did get a new iPhone and I should lift weights before bed.
Any suggestions/motivations to get me out of the funk?
Perhaps working out more is the key--all I've done is eat well, and there isn't much variety in that. I also have some ridiculous stress levels (more on that in the coming week) that have sapped me of my ability to care about my weight, and I can't stop thinking about cooking due to Jordan's FCC event, and let me tell you: when you're capable of what I'm capable of, and when you know what Jordan is capable of, simple salads don't fit the bill.
All this is to say: today's eating was a disaster, and I'm not really sorry for it. I will try to do better though.
Breakfast--Chocolate cheerios.
Lunch--Whataburger. Double whataburger, fries, Dr. Pepper, and some jellybeans.
Dinner--Three slices of Dominos (still gross) and three chocolate chocolate chip cookies. And another Dr. Pepper.
So I'm sure I ate like 3000 calories today and I didn't work out at all, but I did get a new iPhone and I should lift weights before bed.
Any suggestions/motivations to get me out of the funk?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Day 76--Butler!
I'm not even sure its fair to call Butler a cinderella anymore. I mean, they appear capable of doing what everyone THOUGHT Gonzaga was capable of doing in the early 00's--winning a national title for the mid-majors. Unfortunately for them, they have to (probably) knock off the best team remaining in the tournament, and the only one seed left: Kansas. Good thing Kansas collapses more easily than the Metrodome roof (too soon?). Go Bulldogs!
In less eventful news, Abby had a softball tournament today. Her team was the defending champion, and, well...they don't have to worry about that anymore. She played very well though, and has a screwed up ankle and a scratched up leg to show for it. Chicks dig scars.
I neither went to the Farmers Market nor worked out today because I was lazy, the softball tourney happened, and then both basketball games were amazing, AND we had dinner with the Toys. It was busy, just not healthy.
Breakfast--Peach Fage with honey and a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios. I'm really a big fan of Chocolate Cheerios...they're good and (relatively) good for you, as chocolate cereals go.
Lunch--Half of a leftover chicken breast from the other night, some brown rice, and black beans, all topped with sweet chili sauce. It was delicious...I shall certainly concoct it again.
Snack--Really, throughout the day I ate about 4 handfuls of jellybeans. I finally did the responsible thing and threw the bag away after picking out the cherry ones. I love cherries.
Dinner--Brenner, two nights in a row. Booyah! We had eggs and pancakes at the Toys, as well as really good conversation. I also had two cokes. Oops. In my defense, I needed caffeine to help me stay awake...long day, and I'm not used to being in the sun. Took the strength out of me.
Church tomorrow, life group tomorrow night, then back to school for the Testing Week of Wackiness, or TWW from here on out. Sorry for the short post, but the brain is fried. I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.
And welcome back to the newlyweds, the Kings! Hope Mexico was fun!
In less eventful news, Abby had a softball tournament today. Her team was the defending champion, and, well...they don't have to worry about that anymore. She played very well though, and has a screwed up ankle and a scratched up leg to show for it. Chicks dig scars.
I neither went to the Farmers Market nor worked out today because I was lazy, the softball tourney happened, and then both basketball games were amazing, AND we had dinner with the Toys. It was busy, just not healthy.
Breakfast--Peach Fage with honey and a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios. I'm really a big fan of Chocolate Cheerios...they're good and (relatively) good for you, as chocolate cereals go.
Lunch--Half of a leftover chicken breast from the other night, some brown rice, and black beans, all topped with sweet chili sauce. It was delicious...I shall certainly concoct it again.
Snack--Really, throughout the day I ate about 4 handfuls of jellybeans. I finally did the responsible thing and threw the bag away after picking out the cherry ones. I love cherries.
Dinner--Brenner, two nights in a row. Booyah! We had eggs and pancakes at the Toys, as well as really good conversation. I also had two cokes. Oops. In my defense, I needed caffeine to help me stay awake...long day, and I'm not used to being in the sun. Took the strength out of me.
Church tomorrow, life group tomorrow night, then back to school for the Testing Week of Wackiness, or TWW from here on out. Sorry for the short post, but the brain is fried. I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.
And welcome back to the newlyweds, the Kings! Hope Mexico was fun!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Day 75--Generic Rebecca Black/Friday Joke
Would you like the good news, the great news, or the amazing news first? Good news? Okay...we'll let the excitement build.
Good news (non-Gospel edition): There's a new Epicurean Epiphany post! I went with Byron Dawson's suggestion of balsamic vinegar. It's not as in-depth as the salt post was, but I still think its fun to explore all these ingredients that I use almost every day and learn more about them. Maybe you'll learn something too...click on the link and find out!
Great news: IT'S FRIDAY. All hail the weekend. I still haven't successfully recovered from the wedding, and getting up early for school certainly didn't help. Going to bed and sleeping for a while should remedy that particular situation. Also, heard a good word from Rob Bell today that was completely unrelated to hell and got to fiddle around with the Proverbs for a while, so it was an edifying day as well!
Amazing news: So my good friend Jordan Swim, who is at least partially responsible for every single thing about me (why I'm a Christian, why I cook, why I'm in ministry, etc.), has this incredible catering service, Vestals Foods, runs the Culinary Arts program at Allen High School, and also does these monthly gatherings called Food Creates Community. And yes, I'm link happy today. Deal with it. Anyways, his next FCC event is April 2nd in Dallas, and I get to help him put it together! I'm pumped about all of it, from shopping with the local vendors to actually running service in a kitchen. I'm also blessed to have a friend who is willing to let a moron like me in his kitchen. I'll be sure to report back with how it goes, and hopefully I can convince him to write an EE post sometime. The man has forgotten more about food than I know.
On to what I do remember: what I ate today. It isn't pretty.
Breakfast--Two pieces of whole wheat toast with chocolate peanut butter, courtesy of Justin's once again. I probably overdid it on the CPB, but I also knew that lunch was going to be shady at best, so I tried to plan accordingly.
Snack--Fiber One bar. Because there's a box of them by my desk.
Lunch--A piece of bread with even more CPB on it, a banana, and a bowl of lentil soup. I scavenged.
Snack--Handful of jellybeans. I forgot about them for so long, and then the bright yellow bag attracted my attention once again. Freaking Starburst marketing department...why you gotta be so good at your jobs?
Dinner--We had two choices: go out and eat something not that healthy that also took up some money, or go with breakfast foods we had in the fridge. Frugality won out, surprisingly, so we went with bacon, eggs, and roasted potatoes/peppers. I had a good portion of potatoes, about 2.5 eggs, and 2.5 strips of bacon. A delicious meal, if I do say so myself.
Dessert--And here's the problem. We had a movie night at school, showing Toy Story (a classic), and we also sold concessions. Cheap concessions. I had some sour belts, a sweet and salty peanut bar, and part of a Coca Cola. I'm a failure.
I think the lack of calories at lunch probably evened out the disaster this evening, but with no exercise to speak of, it still wasn't good. Hopefully the Farmers Market and an afternoon in the gym will help get everything back on track.
Enjoy your weekend!
Good news (non-Gospel edition): There's a new Epicurean Epiphany post! I went with Byron Dawson's suggestion of balsamic vinegar. It's not as in-depth as the salt post was, but I still think its fun to explore all these ingredients that I use almost every day and learn more about them. Maybe you'll learn something too...click on the link and find out!
Great news: IT'S FRIDAY. All hail the weekend. I still haven't successfully recovered from the wedding, and getting up early for school certainly didn't help. Going to bed and sleeping for a while should remedy that particular situation. Also, heard a good word from Rob Bell today that was completely unrelated to hell and got to fiddle around with the Proverbs for a while, so it was an edifying day as well!
Amazing news: So my good friend Jordan Swim, who is at least partially responsible for every single thing about me (why I'm a Christian, why I cook, why I'm in ministry, etc.), has this incredible catering service, Vestals Foods, runs the Culinary Arts program at Allen High School, and also does these monthly gatherings called Food Creates Community. And yes, I'm link happy today. Deal with it. Anyways, his next FCC event is April 2nd in Dallas, and I get to help him put it together! I'm pumped about all of it, from shopping with the local vendors to actually running service in a kitchen. I'm also blessed to have a friend who is willing to let a moron like me in his kitchen. I'll be sure to report back with how it goes, and hopefully I can convince him to write an EE post sometime. The man has forgotten more about food than I know.
On to what I do remember: what I ate today. It isn't pretty.
Breakfast--Two pieces of whole wheat toast with chocolate peanut butter, courtesy of Justin's once again. I probably overdid it on the CPB, but I also knew that lunch was going to be shady at best, so I tried to plan accordingly.
Snack--Fiber One bar. Because there's a box of them by my desk.
Lunch--A piece of bread with even more CPB on it, a banana, and a bowl of lentil soup. I scavenged.
Snack--Handful of jellybeans. I forgot about them for so long, and then the bright yellow bag attracted my attention once again. Freaking Starburst marketing department...why you gotta be so good at your jobs?
Dinner--We had two choices: go out and eat something not that healthy that also took up some money, or go with breakfast foods we had in the fridge. Frugality won out, surprisingly, so we went with bacon, eggs, and roasted potatoes/peppers. I had a good portion of potatoes, about 2.5 eggs, and 2.5 strips of bacon. A delicious meal, if I do say so myself.
Dessert--And here's the problem. We had a movie night at school, showing Toy Story (a classic), and we also sold concessions. Cheap concessions. I had some sour belts, a sweet and salty peanut bar, and part of a Coca Cola. I'm a failure.
I think the lack of calories at lunch probably evened out the disaster this evening, but with no exercise to speak of, it still wasn't good. Hopefully the Farmers Market and an afternoon in the gym will help get everything back on track.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Day 74--Oh Yeah...There's Basketball On!
You know its been a weird week when I completely forgot we were in the middle of March Madness. Then, lo and behold, I turn on the telly to see San Diego St. and UConn duking (pun intended) it out. It's nice to have a memory like a sieve...means things are always fresh and new! Oh, and GO DUKE.
Decent day at school; our schedule is going to get really weird in the next week or so because the seniors go on Senior Experience starting tomorrow, then the beginning of next week is our lovely testing schedule that means classes take a backseat to the standardized testing we do each year. So...that'll be fun.
Breakfast--Toastwich baby! All natural peanut butter, Fredricksburg Farms peach preserves, and two pieces of whole wheat toast. You better believe its just as amazing as it sounds!
Lunch--Dilemma time. We had a CMT meeting today, and we ordered pizza that was literally dripping with grease, so I went with the school provided option: a baked "chicken patty" sandwich. Needless to say, I didn't finish that. But the asparagus and baked potato that came with it I devoured, along with a banana. It was great.
Dinner--Abby abandoned me for a dinner at her school, so I decided to tinker a bit. I wok-fried some ground pork, asparagus, and onion in a soy/mirin/cornstarch mixture that ended up producing a wonderful sauce. The whole thing went on top of some brown rice, and it was a great meal. Not sure the health content since I had to add some new stuff to the sauce (like mirin and a dash of stir fry sauce) but it tasted great and had good ingredients. That's really all I could ask for.
Dessert--Gummi bears, followed by a (much healthier) chaser of peach Fage with honey.
Exercise--Some weight work while watching the aforementioned basketball games.
Notice I avoided the cupcakes today. Points for me!
Decent day at school; our schedule is going to get really weird in the next week or so because the seniors go on Senior Experience starting tomorrow, then the beginning of next week is our lovely testing schedule that means classes take a backseat to the standardized testing we do each year. So...that'll be fun.
Breakfast--Toastwich baby! All natural peanut butter, Fredricksburg Farms peach preserves, and two pieces of whole wheat toast. You better believe its just as amazing as it sounds!
Lunch--Dilemma time. We had a CMT meeting today, and we ordered pizza that was literally dripping with grease, so I went with the school provided option: a baked "chicken patty" sandwich. Needless to say, I didn't finish that. But the asparagus and baked potato that came with it I devoured, along with a banana. It was great.
Dinner--Abby abandoned me for a dinner at her school, so I decided to tinker a bit. I wok-fried some ground pork, asparagus, and onion in a soy/mirin/cornstarch mixture that ended up producing a wonderful sauce. The whole thing went on top of some brown rice, and it was a great meal. Not sure the health content since I had to add some new stuff to the sauce (like mirin and a dash of stir fry sauce) but it tasted great and had good ingredients. That's really all I could ask for.
Dessert--Gummi bears, followed by a (much healthier) chaser of peach Fage with honey.
Exercise--Some weight work while watching the aforementioned basketball games.
Notice I avoided the cupcakes today. Points for me!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Day 73--Yearbook Party!
I was (pleasantly) surprised this morning by the announcement that today we were going to have a yearbook signing party at the end of school. This, in itself, doesn't mean a whole lot. Teachers don't sign or receive yearbooks so its not a big deal for us. However, the yearbook signing party does mean one important thing: Schedule D. I LOVE Schedule D. Through crazy random happenstance, Schedule D aligns the stars in such a way that my lunch period and my off period line up next to each other. That means hour and a half lunch. BOOYAH!!
Today we also finished the book of Acts in my Acts class, which might seem a bit weird in Acts class, but...whatyagonnado. It was an enjoyable discussion, and I'm ready to get into the prison epistles and finish this thing strong.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal. It wasn't the most efficient morning...shoulda woulda coulda been better.
Snack--Fiber One bar! Woo!
Lunch--The hour and a half lunch manifested itself in a wildly unnecessary but delicious lunch at Wendy's. Spicy Chicken sandwich, lettuce only, with a large fry and a medium Frosty. I considered this to be a decent meal because of dinner, and the lack of substance it was going to contain. And it was AWESOME.
Dinner--Sweet chili-soy marinated/glazed chicken breasts cut up and put on a bed of spinach with pomegranate craisins, sunflower seeds, and an apricot-soy dressing. It was a great meal, especially the chicken. Usually I'm not with it enough to marinate the chicken before using it, but I'm really glad today was an exception. And the best part? All of it I either had on hand or bought in my shopping spree for the week. Two points for planning ahead!
Dessert--Strawberry cupcake. Best. Cupcake. EVER.
Exercise--Abby and I went for a walk around our apartment complex. Two laps isn't far, but it got the blood pumping. I also did some weight work...I'm glad I brought my dinky hand weight back from Plano. It's nice to have around so I don't have to hit the gym for weights. Way to go purchase-I-made-four-years-ago-for-some-reason-but-you're-just-now-paying-off. Two points.
Today we also finished the book of Acts in my Acts class, which might seem a bit weird in Acts class, but...whatyagonnado. It was an enjoyable discussion, and I'm ready to get into the prison epistles and finish this thing strong.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal. It wasn't the most efficient morning...shoulda woulda coulda been better.
Snack--Fiber One bar! Woo!
Lunch--The hour and a half lunch manifested itself in a wildly unnecessary but delicious lunch at Wendy's. Spicy Chicken sandwich, lettuce only, with a large fry and a medium Frosty. I considered this to be a decent meal because of dinner, and the lack of substance it was going to contain. And it was AWESOME.
Dinner--Sweet chili-soy marinated/glazed chicken breasts cut up and put on a bed of spinach with pomegranate craisins, sunflower seeds, and an apricot-soy dressing. It was a great meal, especially the chicken. Usually I'm not with it enough to marinate the chicken before using it, but I'm really glad today was an exception. And the best part? All of it I either had on hand or bought in my shopping spree for the week. Two points for planning ahead!
Dessert--Strawberry cupcake. Best. Cupcake. EVER.
Exercise--Abby and I went for a walk around our apartment complex. Two laps isn't far, but it got the blood pumping. I also did some weight work...I'm glad I brought my dinky hand weight back from Plano. It's nice to have around so I don't have to hit the gym for weights. Way to go purchase-I-made-four-years-ago-for-some-reason-but-you're-just-now-paying-off. Two points.
Time Flies
Its incredible sometimes to realize how much we change. As I've learned from my beard experiments and running into people who last saw me pre-fat loss, even a couple of months is enough to change someone dramatically.
Never has this been more evident in my life as we began the inevitable retrospective on Jenna's life for the wedding. It's still amazing that this:
Eventually turned into this:
Never has this been more evident in my life as we began the inevitable retrospective on Jenna's life for the wedding. It's still amazing that this:
Eventually turned into this:
My baby sister got married! I hope you're having a blast Jenna (and Seth)...I look forward to growing old and bickering with you until the world ends. Love you.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Day 72--Back to School. Yay.
Le sigh. Spring Break is over, and its back to work. The good news is that I left minimal work to be done when I got back. The bad news is that it could have been zero work and I was too lazy. Oh well...tests will be graded, paperwork filled out, and the world will keep spinning. Presumably.
Today also began our little shopping experiment where I'm attempting to buy all of our weekly groceries up front. This will hopefully serve three purposes: 1) Save me trips to the grocery store and cut down on impulse buys when I'm in there every single day 2) We can plan our meals and have healthy options ready 3) Should be cheaper and healthier in the long run. I spent around 70 bucks today for tons of meals...some canned beans, some rice mixes, chicken, vegetables, sausage, ground pork (for this amazing asparagus and pork recipe I found) and then some condiments (sesame oil, soy sauce [it exploded in the parking lot...sad face], mirin, etc.), more yogurt...it was quite the haul. I'm interested to see how this all plays out!
I also really need to get back in the gym. The physical and emotional toll of the week has slowly dissipated, and now I feel almost normal. Unfortunately, for me almost normal is still fat. That needs to be corrected.
Abby had a terrible day today, and that sucks because she deserves to have some good days and because she hasn't had a break in about three months. First she had to get up with me (read: early) and study, then she had a test exactly a week after boards started, then she discovered she left her car keys (and, by proxy, her apt key, locker key, EVERYTHING) in Plano, so that was some unnecessary stress. If you could lift her up in prayer, she and I would definitely appreciate it...she's too good of a person to continually get stepped on by life like this.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl High Fiber oatmeal with dried cherries, and cherry Fage w/honey. I ate a big breakfast because I knew lunch today was going to be a salad at best. It was actually worse than that. Side note: When I say "big breakfast" some of you may scoff, because lets face it: oatmeal and yogurt isn't big by normal standards. However, the best thing you can do to fill yo belly is eat a lot of fiber and protein, and high fiber oatmeal (duh) and greek yogurt give healthy doses of both, making it fairly large. At least by the standards of my stomach, which is all that counts in this space. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Lunch--A Fiber One bar and a bag of barbecue Zapps chips. There's an incredibly awkward story from high school involving Zapps chips, and anyone involved may be laughing uncontrollably right now. As they should. Moral of the meal time is that lunch sucked.
Dinner--Whole wheat penne pasta with some asparagus, yellow sweet onion, yellow bell peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, and andouille sausage. It was really really good, although after my scant lunch I ate waaaay too much of it, and probably reduced any nutritional value that was in the pasta primavera concept. Whoops.
Dessert--A single chocolate cupcake from my lovely sister's wedding and a strawberry (variety! holla!) Fage with honey. NOW I'm full.
I know I need to do better eating, and assuming our lunch compatriots hold up their end of the bargain, I should have something healthy to eat every day the rest of this week. If they don't, well...I have another bag of Zapps in my desk.
For those that haven't scoped it out yet, my newest writing endeavor at epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com is gearing up for round two this Friday. If you have any suggestions for what I should tackle, let me know in the comments section. And please, tell your friends! I'll soon be featuring a guest post from Nathan MacDonald, and I hope to get more people involved. If you know someone passionate about food, specifically the beauty of individual ingredients at their best, then let them know about it!
Shout out to my European and Asian readers...the stats section of this thing continues to amaze me.
Psalm 34:8--Taste and see that the Lord is good!
Today also began our little shopping experiment where I'm attempting to buy all of our weekly groceries up front. This will hopefully serve three purposes: 1) Save me trips to the grocery store and cut down on impulse buys when I'm in there every single day 2) We can plan our meals and have healthy options ready 3) Should be cheaper and healthier in the long run. I spent around 70 bucks today for tons of meals...some canned beans, some rice mixes, chicken, vegetables, sausage, ground pork (for this amazing asparagus and pork recipe I found) and then some condiments (sesame oil, soy sauce [it exploded in the parking lot...sad face], mirin, etc.), more yogurt...it was quite the haul. I'm interested to see how this all plays out!
I also really need to get back in the gym. The physical and emotional toll of the week has slowly dissipated, and now I feel almost normal. Unfortunately, for me almost normal is still fat. That needs to be corrected.
Abby had a terrible day today, and that sucks because she deserves to have some good days and because she hasn't had a break in about three months. First she had to get up with me (read: early) and study, then she had a test exactly a week after boards started, then she discovered she left her car keys (and, by proxy, her apt key, locker key, EVERYTHING) in Plano, so that was some unnecessary stress. If you could lift her up in prayer, she and I would definitely appreciate it...she's too good of a person to continually get stepped on by life like this.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl High Fiber oatmeal with dried cherries, and cherry Fage w/honey. I ate a big breakfast because I knew lunch today was going to be a salad at best. It was actually worse than that. Side note: When I say "big breakfast" some of you may scoff, because lets face it: oatmeal and yogurt isn't big by normal standards. However, the best thing you can do to fill yo belly is eat a lot of fiber and protein, and high fiber oatmeal (duh) and greek yogurt give healthy doses of both, making it fairly large. At least by the standards of my stomach, which is all that counts in this space. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Lunch--A Fiber One bar and a bag of barbecue Zapps chips. There's an incredibly awkward story from high school involving Zapps chips, and anyone involved may be laughing uncontrollably right now. As they should. Moral of the meal time is that lunch sucked.
Dinner--Whole wheat penne pasta with some asparagus, yellow sweet onion, yellow bell peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, and andouille sausage. It was really really good, although after my scant lunch I ate waaaay too much of it, and probably reduced any nutritional value that was in the pasta primavera concept. Whoops.
Dessert--A single chocolate cupcake from my lovely sister's wedding and a strawberry (variety! holla!) Fage with honey. NOW I'm full.
I know I need to do better eating, and assuming our lunch compatriots hold up their end of the bargain, I should have something healthy to eat every day the rest of this week. If they don't, well...I have another bag of Zapps in my desk.
For those that haven't scoped it out yet, my newest writing endeavor at epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com is gearing up for round two this Friday. If you have any suggestions for what I should tackle, let me know in the comments section. And please, tell your friends! I'll soon be featuring a guest post from Nathan MacDonald, and I hope to get more people involved. If you know someone passionate about food, specifically the beauty of individual ingredients at their best, then let them know about it!
Shout out to my European and Asian readers...the stats section of this thing continues to amaze me.
Psalm 34:8--Taste and see that the Lord is good!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Day 71--Houston Bound
About three months ago I made the incredibly intelligent decision to take today off from work. I assumed that after the emotional stress of turning my sister from a Henderson into a King with a flick of my pen came piling down upon me that I would need a day to catch up. Man, was I right. Sorta. I really needed another week off, but they frown upon that at WCS. C'est la vie.
Jenna and Seth are currently living la vida loca in Mexico right now, hopefully enjoying a wonderful first night of their honeymoon along with some great food, beaches, and most importantly time together. Abby and I got back right in the nick of time for my eye appointment follow up, and everything checked out magnificently. In fact, I currently see 20/15 in my left eye. Booyah. Unfortunately, that means that I saw things all too clearly when I hopped on the scale after this week's festivities, which shall henceforth be referred to as CupcakeFest2011. It was a great week for my belly, but it wasn't a great week for my waistline. Ugh.
Breakfast--Cupcakes. Yep. My mom, bless her soul, didn't want to make breakfast after giving her only daughter away in marriage, and I don't blame her. That did leave us in kind of a bind though, and rather than persevere and grab some Chobani and whole wheat toast like an intelligent person, I went with a chocolate and strawberry cupcake. Oh yeah, and a plum. Because that makes it better. I suck.
Lunch--Here's where the uptick begins. We stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere on 45 and got us some Subway. I had a footlong turkey with bacon on wheat, complete with lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, jalapenos (including one that tried to kill me...), black pepper, barbecue baked lays, and a wildly unnecessary, un-Lenten, but (in my mind) deserved Dr. Pepper. They say a Dr. Pepper a day keeps the apple..wait, that's not right. They say it rots your teeth. And they're right.
Dinner--Stir-fry. We got a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and I threw in half a red onion and 2/3 of an orange pepper, along with a cup of brown rice and some soy sauce/rice wine vinegar/spicy ginger sauce. It was delicious. I think I'm starting to get this saucing thing down, which is impressive since I usually don't even like sauces.
Dessert--A Fiber One bar. Thus begins the purge of the system.
Tomorrow we start school again, and it'll be harder and harder to stay on track. Tonight we're going to plan out all of our meals to save money and increase health value/decrease the ability to stray and be tempted. I hope it works!
Thanks again to everyone who reads this. I get discouraged sometimes because I feel like I'm fighting an unwinnable battle (even though I totally rocked my tuxedo this weekend...) but I know that all of you are thinking about me and lifting me up, even if its silently or from afar. As the Fotographing Fat Kid (But Not For Long!) says, you keep us going, and you really help motivate. I clicked on the stats button on this blog earlier and was blown away by how many people care about my health (or are amused by how badly I fail...) and keep coming back to check on me. Silent prayers, simple thoughts, and comments are all the fuel I need to get the next pound off!
Jenna and Seth are currently living la vida loca in Mexico right now, hopefully enjoying a wonderful first night of their honeymoon along with some great food, beaches, and most importantly time together. Abby and I got back right in the nick of time for my eye appointment follow up, and everything checked out magnificently. In fact, I currently see 20/15 in my left eye. Booyah. Unfortunately, that means that I saw things all too clearly when I hopped on the scale after this week's festivities, which shall henceforth be referred to as CupcakeFest2011. It was a great week for my belly, but it wasn't a great week for my waistline. Ugh.
Breakfast--Cupcakes. Yep. My mom, bless her soul, didn't want to make breakfast after giving her only daughter away in marriage, and I don't blame her. That did leave us in kind of a bind though, and rather than persevere and grab some Chobani and whole wheat toast like an intelligent person, I went with a chocolate and strawberry cupcake. Oh yeah, and a plum. Because that makes it better. I suck.
Lunch--Here's where the uptick begins. We stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere on 45 and got us some Subway. I had a footlong turkey with bacon on wheat, complete with lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, jalapenos (including one that tried to kill me...), black pepper, barbecue baked lays, and a wildly unnecessary, un-Lenten, but (in my mind) deserved Dr. Pepper. They say a Dr. Pepper a day keeps the apple..wait, that's not right. They say it rots your teeth. And they're right.
Dinner--Stir-fry. We got a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and I threw in half a red onion and 2/3 of an orange pepper, along with a cup of brown rice and some soy sauce/rice wine vinegar/spicy ginger sauce. It was delicious. I think I'm starting to get this saucing thing down, which is impressive since I usually don't even like sauces.
Dessert--A Fiber One bar. Thus begins the purge of the system.
Tomorrow we start school again, and it'll be harder and harder to stay on track. Tonight we're going to plan out all of our meals to save money and increase health value/decrease the ability to stray and be tempted. I hope it works!
Thanks again to everyone who reads this. I get discouraged sometimes because I feel like I'm fighting an unwinnable battle (even though I totally rocked my tuxedo this weekend...) but I know that all of you are thinking about me and lifting me up, even if its silently or from afar. As the Fotographing Fat Kid (But Not For Long!) says, you keep us going, and you really help motivate. I clicked on the stats button on this blog earlier and was blown away by how many people care about my health (or are amused by how badly I fail...) and keep coming back to check on me. Silent prayers, simple thoughts, and comments are all the fuel I need to get the next pound off!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Day 70--Wow.
So the Henderson family is down a member, which seems only fair. Started with four, we should end with four. However, I'm pleased that our loss is the King's gain! My sister is now officially Jenna King, complete with signatures on marriage licenses and dozens and dozens of cupcakes (more on that later). The ceremony was beautiful, we had our fair share of screw ups and mishaps, but at the end of the day, Jenna and Seth are on their way to Mexico to have a glorious time as a new couple! Mazel Tov!
Eating today was a little bit, um, unique too. We woke up, rolled downstairs and my mom had breakfast fixed, then lunch was kind of on our own, and dinner was post wedding, and there were SO MANY FREAKING CUPCAKES.
Breakfast--Breakfast casserole. My mom has this ridiculous concoction of eggs, breakfast sausage, and crescent rolls that she bakes into a pyrex dish (it can also contain cheese, if you so desire) and its pretty much delicious from beginning to end.
Lunch--My mom, sister, and wife were at the wedding place getting ready for the day's festivities so dad and I were left to fend for ourselves for lunch. We went with Baker's Bros. deli, and I had a tuna salad sandwich with lettuce, roasted red onions, chipotle salsa, all on a fresh baked toasted bun. Along with barbecue chips and a Dr. Pepper (holla!) it made for quite the nice meal.
Snack--Cupcakes. I also had some fruit and asparagus, but seriously, the star of the show is the cupcakes. I had one strawberry and one chocolate, and they were both fantastic.
Dinner--Some more breakfast casserole! Woo! I also had a peach Fage 2% with honey, which is probably how I should have started the day, but oh well.
Dessert--Guess. Two of them.
Wonderful day, fantastic celebration, and now I'm exhausted...apparently when your emotional and physical limits are stretched all at once, it can take it out of you! I want to roll over and sleep...and so I shall.
Eating today was a little bit, um, unique too. We woke up, rolled downstairs and my mom had breakfast fixed, then lunch was kind of on our own, and dinner was post wedding, and there were SO MANY FREAKING CUPCAKES.
Breakfast--Breakfast casserole. My mom has this ridiculous concoction of eggs, breakfast sausage, and crescent rolls that she bakes into a pyrex dish (it can also contain cheese, if you so desire) and its pretty much delicious from beginning to end.
Lunch--My mom, sister, and wife were at the wedding place getting ready for the day's festivities so dad and I were left to fend for ourselves for lunch. We went with Baker's Bros. deli, and I had a tuna salad sandwich with lettuce, roasted red onions, chipotle salsa, all on a fresh baked toasted bun. Along with barbecue chips and a Dr. Pepper (holla!) it made for quite the nice meal.
Snack--Cupcakes. I also had some fruit and asparagus, but seriously, the star of the show is the cupcakes. I had one strawberry and one chocolate, and they were both fantastic.
Dinner--Some more breakfast casserole! Woo! I also had a peach Fage 2% with honey, which is probably how I should have started the day, but oh well.
Dessert--Guess. Two of them.
Wonderful day, fantastic celebration, and now I'm exhausted...apparently when your emotional and physical limits are stretched all at once, it can take it out of you! I want to roll over and sleep...and so I shall.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Day 69--Oh Snap, My Sister's Getting Married
Today was rehearsal day, or as I move we rename it, everyone goes crazy day. We got up, got dressed, drove to McKinney, and paraded around in our Sunday best (on Saturday) so that we can do everything right (on Sunday) and not make the bride have an aneurysm. There was minimal yelling, minimal temper flare ups, and I'm still not 100% sure I know what I'm doing, although if Jenna reads this before 3:00 pm on Sunday, don't worry...everything's fine!
It probably wasn't my finest culinary day either, because I have a tendency to get into this mindset of "it's a celebration, its worth it to splurge!" even when it's just Thursday and I'm happy I hit all green lights on the way home. Because a majority (read: all) of our entertainment budget goes to food, I see celebrations as an excuse to relax and enjoy what I consider to be the finer things in life. That being said, I tried relatively hard to behave today, although all of my celebrating added up in the end, as you will soon see.
Like, now.
Breakfast--Two homemade cinnamon rolls. The same rule for the blueberry muffins applies to the cinnamon rolls: you try to resist, then judge me.
Lunch--Spring Creek Barbecue for the rehearsal lunch. We had a small problem at my wedding. We couldn't have the rehearsal at the scriptural time because there was a wedding the day before ours. Therefore, in order to get the rehearsal in, we had to do it in the morning. Well, having a rehearsal, then sending everyone home, then having dinner seemed...stupid. So we did rehearsal lunch. Best. Idea. EVER. Therefore, Jenna took the idea, and it once again worked to perfection (for really the same reason...there was a wedding at the Cotton Mill tonight. Go figure.) leading to our barbecue meal. I had barbecue turkey breast with beans and green beans. I resisted fried okra (I love fried okra!) and bread, dessert, and beverages other than water. Healthy meal, right?
Snack--Cherry Fage 2%. Delicious as always.
Dinner--Here's where the wheels fall off. We had Chipotle for dinner, and you know what? I wanted a tortilla. I LIKE the tortillas. I don't eat bowls instead because I like the flavor, I do it for my health, and so I decided to "celebrate." Now, had I known that the freaking tortilla was 300 calories (Actually, its 290, but who cares) I might have thought differently. My burrito, by itself, with no sour cream (don't like it) or cheese (don't like it) or guacamole (don't like it) was around 850 calories. Yikes.
Dessert--Two pieces of whole wheat toast, two tablespoons of Nutella, and banana slices. It was a splurge, it was amazing, I'd do it again.
I kind of wonder what the scale will say when I get home. I've eaten kind of well (haven't I?) and exercised some and I still feel like I've gained weight. It'll be like a fun, horrible, nerve-wracking game!
Here's to the last night of my sister being a Henderson. I'm glad she's happy, I'm glad she's in love, and I look forward to many years of her being a King!
It probably wasn't my finest culinary day either, because I have a tendency to get into this mindset of "it's a celebration, its worth it to splurge!" even when it's just Thursday and I'm happy I hit all green lights on the way home. Because a majority (read: all) of our entertainment budget goes to food, I see celebrations as an excuse to relax and enjoy what I consider to be the finer things in life. That being said, I tried relatively hard to behave today, although all of my celebrating added up in the end, as you will soon see.
Like, now.
Breakfast--Two homemade cinnamon rolls. The same rule for the blueberry muffins applies to the cinnamon rolls: you try to resist, then judge me.
Lunch--Spring Creek Barbecue for the rehearsal lunch. We had a small problem at my wedding. We couldn't have the rehearsal at the scriptural time because there was a wedding the day before ours. Therefore, in order to get the rehearsal in, we had to do it in the morning. Well, having a rehearsal, then sending everyone home, then having dinner seemed...stupid. So we did rehearsal lunch. Best. Idea. EVER. Therefore, Jenna took the idea, and it once again worked to perfection (for really the same reason...there was a wedding at the Cotton Mill tonight. Go figure.) leading to our barbecue meal. I had barbecue turkey breast with beans and green beans. I resisted fried okra (I love fried okra!) and bread, dessert, and beverages other than water. Healthy meal, right?
Snack--Cherry Fage 2%. Delicious as always.
Dinner--Here's where the wheels fall off. We had Chipotle for dinner, and you know what? I wanted a tortilla. I LIKE the tortillas. I don't eat bowls instead because I like the flavor, I do it for my health, and so I decided to "celebrate." Now, had I known that the freaking tortilla was 300 calories (Actually, its 290, but who cares) I might have thought differently. My burrito, by itself, with no sour cream (don't like it) or cheese (don't like it) or guacamole (don't like it) was around 850 calories. Yikes.
Dessert--Two pieces of whole wheat toast, two tablespoons of Nutella, and banana slices. It was a splurge, it was amazing, I'd do it again.
I kind of wonder what the scale will say when I get home. I've eaten kind of well (haven't I?) and exercised some and I still feel like I've gained weight. It'll be like a fun, horrible, nerve-wracking game!
Here's to the last night of my sister being a Henderson. I'm glad she's happy, I'm glad she's in love, and I look forward to many years of her being a King!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day 68--Calm Before The Storm
And so it begins. Tomorrow we have rehearsal, rehearsal lunch, and then something called a centerpiece party that I hope above hope that I'm not invited to. Today Abby came to town (finally) and we started putting the finishing touches on everything for the weekend. I'm excited about it all, but more excited that Jenna gets to be happy and the center of attention for a couple of days. She deserves it.
I accidentally slept in again today, but at least I figured out why. The alarm that I set (which hasn't gone off. Twice.) was apparently set on silent. Why in the world an alarm even has that ability, I have no clue. Silent alarms seem a lot like turning the alarm off. So anyways, hopefully tomorrow I can get up a bit earlier and throw my schedule back on track.
Breakfast--Went with the peach Fage 2% with honey, and I gotta admit...it was pretty good. Cherry is still my favorite, because I'm partial to cherries, but I like the peach too. Nice to have options. I also threw down another one of my mother's incredible blueberry muffins because, well, they're incredible. You couldn't resist either...don't judge.
Exercise--Twenty minutes on the treadmill with a variety of running, walking, inclines...it was solid. I also did minor weight work with my little twenty pound free weight. Not bad for a makeshift workout.
Lunch--Sandwiches. Two sandwiches, on whole wheat bread, with peppered turkey, lettuce, and a single pickle stacker. It was a great, filling lunch and fairly healthy I believe.
Snack--Green tea. I realize this isn't a food item, but since I did the whole "I'm only drinking water" thing over a week ago I decided to splurge with a little flavor.
Dinner--Snuffers, a burger joint in Dallas. Snuffers is known for two things: its burgers and its cheese fries. Neither are healthy, so both are problematic. I behaved and didn't get a burger, and I don't like cheese so I avoided the fries. I ended up getting the marinated grilled chicken strips and regular fries, which have some spicy salt mixture on them. This is also where I plug my new blog, epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com, which I conveniently wrote on salt today. Check it out and comment! Anyways, dinner was delicious, and my mom got the same thing so I ended up cleaning up hers too. And yes, I had water.
Dessert--A pink lady apple with a tablespoon of Nutella. It was AWESOME.
Not a bad day, and tomorrow could get really weird, so I better enjoy the healthy stuff while I can. Check back in for rehearsal news!
I accidentally slept in again today, but at least I figured out why. The alarm that I set (which hasn't gone off. Twice.) was apparently set on silent. Why in the world an alarm even has that ability, I have no clue. Silent alarms seem a lot like turning the alarm off. So anyways, hopefully tomorrow I can get up a bit earlier and throw my schedule back on track.
Breakfast--Went with the peach Fage 2% with honey, and I gotta admit...it was pretty good. Cherry is still my favorite, because I'm partial to cherries, but I like the peach too. Nice to have options. I also threw down another one of my mother's incredible blueberry muffins because, well, they're incredible. You couldn't resist either...don't judge.
Exercise--Twenty minutes on the treadmill with a variety of running, walking, inclines...it was solid. I also did minor weight work with my little twenty pound free weight. Not bad for a makeshift workout.
Lunch--Sandwiches. Two sandwiches, on whole wheat bread, with peppered turkey, lettuce, and a single pickle stacker. It was a great, filling lunch and fairly healthy I believe.
Snack--Green tea. I realize this isn't a food item, but since I did the whole "I'm only drinking water" thing over a week ago I decided to splurge with a little flavor.
Dinner--Snuffers, a burger joint in Dallas. Snuffers is known for two things: its burgers and its cheese fries. Neither are healthy, so both are problematic. I behaved and didn't get a burger, and I don't like cheese so I avoided the fries. I ended up getting the marinated grilled chicken strips and regular fries, which have some spicy salt mixture on them. This is also where I plug my new blog, epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com, which I conveniently wrote on salt today. Check it out and comment! Anyways, dinner was delicious, and my mom got the same thing so I ended up cleaning up hers too. And yes, I had water.
Dessert--A pink lady apple with a tablespoon of Nutella. It was AWESOME.
Not a bad day, and tomorrow could get really weird, so I better enjoy the healthy stuff while I can. Check back in for rehearsal news!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day 67--Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad
Thirty-two years ago today my mom and dad got hitched in Abilene, Texas. Three days from now my sister and Seth will be getting hitched in McKinney, Texas. Love is in the air...every time I look around...
Breakfast--Before the food, let me say that sleeping in a king sized bed alone after being used to a queen with a co-occupant is WEIRD. I haven't slept very well, and I've had a horrid time even getting to sleep in the first place. Due to those complications, I've been sleeping in much later than usual, so today didn't start until closer to 10 am. When I finally got my butt downstairs, I had Cherry Fage 2% with honey and a single homemade blueberry muffin. They were both delicious, but again--there ain't no cooking like momma's cooking. I heart those muffins.
Lunch--Chick fila, an apparent genetic weakness. I had a spicy chicken sandwich with a large fruit cup and one of Jenna's fries that I took from her. It's just a great meal from start to finish.
Snack--Mango Chobani 2% with honey. I was working on my metabolism because I knew that for tonight's meal, we would be celebrating. And celebrate we did!
Dinner--We had a nice dinner at Cadot, a French restaurant in Dallas named after its acclaimed chef/owner Jean-Marie Cadot. It was definitely a typical European meal: slow, luxurious, and consisting of multiple courses. I had a Bibb lettuce salad with candied pecans, Granny Smith apples, and a mustard vinaigrette that was absolutely amazing as well as roasted duck with an orange/ginger sauce that came with roasted fingerling potatoes, green beans, and acorn squash. The duck was cooked perfectly, the vegetables were incredible, and the sauce was almost good enough to soak up with bread. While I really like roasted duck, there is usually a layer of fat on the outside of the breast meat that can be a bit troublesome if it doesn't all melt away. I only had to trim a couple of pieces, so well done M. Cadot.
Dessert--I eschewed the menu options for dessert--none of which tickled my fancy--for some chocolate kettle corn, and it was definitely worth it.
All in all, not a horrendous eating day, and I got my car serviced and Jenna picked up my tux. We ran a lot of errands, but that means I didn't have/take the time to exercise. Hopefully tomorrow will be better...
Also, I started another blog solely dedicated to food. It won't have theological ramblings, nor is it necessarily diet related. Check it out at epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com. And yeah, I like alliteration.
Breakfast--Before the food, let me say that sleeping in a king sized bed alone after being used to a queen with a co-occupant is WEIRD. I haven't slept very well, and I've had a horrid time even getting to sleep in the first place. Due to those complications, I've been sleeping in much later than usual, so today didn't start until closer to 10 am. When I finally got my butt downstairs, I had Cherry Fage 2% with honey and a single homemade blueberry muffin. They were both delicious, but again--there ain't no cooking like momma's cooking. I heart those muffins.
Lunch--Chick fila, an apparent genetic weakness. I had a spicy chicken sandwich with a large fruit cup and one of Jenna's fries that I took from her. It's just a great meal from start to finish.
Snack--Mango Chobani 2% with honey. I was working on my metabolism because I knew that for tonight's meal, we would be celebrating. And celebrate we did!
Dinner--We had a nice dinner at Cadot, a French restaurant in Dallas named after its acclaimed chef/owner Jean-Marie Cadot. It was definitely a typical European meal: slow, luxurious, and consisting of multiple courses. I had a Bibb lettuce salad with candied pecans, Granny Smith apples, and a mustard vinaigrette that was absolutely amazing as well as roasted duck with an orange/ginger sauce that came with roasted fingerling potatoes, green beans, and acorn squash. The duck was cooked perfectly, the vegetables were incredible, and the sauce was almost good enough to soak up with bread. While I really like roasted duck, there is usually a layer of fat on the outside of the breast meat that can be a bit troublesome if it doesn't all melt away. I only had to trim a couple of pieces, so well done M. Cadot.
Dessert--I eschewed the menu options for dessert--none of which tickled my fancy--for some chocolate kettle corn, and it was definitely worth it.
All in all, not a horrendous eating day, and I got my car serviced and Jenna picked up my tux. We ran a lot of errands, but that means I didn't have/take the time to exercise. Hopefully tomorrow will be better...
Also, I started another blog solely dedicated to food. It won't have theological ramblings, nor is it necessarily diet related. Check it out at epicureanepiphany.blogspot.com. And yeah, I like alliteration.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 66--Eating in Plano! Oh no...
I should not be allowed to stand in a high-end supermarket and just think about meals. Baaaad things happen.
Breakfast--Two pieces of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices. Bar none, the healthiest thing I ate all day.
Lunch--There's this awesome deli near my dad's office named Mr. G's that we used to go to all the time when I was in high school, so when we went to have lunch with my dad we decided to go there. I had an awesome tuna salad sandwich on wheat bread with barbecue Baked Lays. It was great, but tuna salad (at least the pre-made kind...homemade is different) isn't really the healthiest option, even if it was delicious.
Snack--Fiber One bar. I have to do something to offset what's about to happen.
Dinner--This afternoon I got my hair did for the wedding (so I look less shaggy) and then went with my mom to Market Street to get some stuff for dinner. We settled upon Shrimp Fra Diavolo, which consisted of shrimp, zucchini, roasted broccoli, my pasta sauce with spinach, and whole wheat thin spaghetti with some garlic, red pepper flakes. It was incredible! I mean, I enjoy cooking for people, but its nice when those other people actually enjoy the food too, unlike some of my disastrous meals.
Dessert--...And here is the problem. While standing in the produce section, thinking about dessert (commanded by Jenna. When the bride wants sugar, you give the bride sugar), looking at strawberries, my mom uttered the fateful words: "Market Street has really good pound cake." It went downhill from there. We had strawberry pound cake that my mom turned into french toast, then I sprinkled it with sugar and bruleed it, THEN we made chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and macerated strawberries on top. When the longest paragraph I write on this blog is about dessert, the day has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Hopefully there will be exercise later (after I digest for an hour. Or three.) to counteract the calorie bomb from today, but I will admit...it was amazing food. Potentially worth it, assuming my tux still fits.
Also, I miss my wife. Come to Plano Abby!
Breakfast--Two pieces of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices. Bar none, the healthiest thing I ate all day.
Lunch--There's this awesome deli near my dad's office named Mr. G's that we used to go to all the time when I was in high school, so when we went to have lunch with my dad we decided to go there. I had an awesome tuna salad sandwich on wheat bread with barbecue Baked Lays. It was great, but tuna salad (at least the pre-made kind...homemade is different) isn't really the healthiest option, even if it was delicious.
Snack--Fiber One bar. I have to do something to offset what's about to happen.
Dinner--This afternoon I got my hair did for the wedding (so I look less shaggy) and then went with my mom to Market Street to get some stuff for dinner. We settled upon Shrimp Fra Diavolo, which consisted of shrimp, zucchini, roasted broccoli, my pasta sauce with spinach, and whole wheat thin spaghetti with some garlic, red pepper flakes. It was incredible! I mean, I enjoy cooking for people, but its nice when those other people actually enjoy the food too, unlike some of my disastrous meals.
Dessert--...And here is the problem. While standing in the produce section, thinking about dessert (commanded by Jenna. When the bride wants sugar, you give the bride sugar), looking at strawberries, my mom uttered the fateful words: "Market Street has really good pound cake." It went downhill from there. We had strawberry pound cake that my mom turned into french toast, then I sprinkled it with sugar and bruleed it, THEN we made chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and macerated strawberries on top. When the longest paragraph I write on this blog is about dessert, the day has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Hopefully there will be exercise later (after I digest for an hour. Or three.) to counteract the calorie bomb from today, but I will admit...it was amazing food. Potentially worth it, assuming my tux still fits.
Also, I miss my wife. Come to Plano Abby!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Day 65--Plano!
I'm home! Abby had boards starting this morning, so I rolled out of bed bright and early to make her breakfast (a fried egg and steel cut oats) and then rather than getting ready and heading to Dallas, I immediately fell back asleep. See, I suffer from a severe case of stress-induced insomnia, and between the wedding, boards, school, and life in general, last night was a doozy. I didn't go to sleep until about 2 am, which made getting up at 5:30 really bad.
Needless to say, I'm glad to be home. Gonna be a great Spring Break.
Breakfast--Cherry Fage 2% yogurt with honey. Yep...that was it. It gets worse as the day goes on, then gets better!
Lunch--Fiber One bar, and a singular mini caramel Cadbury egg. In my defense, I was driving at the time and didn't feel like stopping to grab food. I wanted to be home.
Snack--About a cup and a half of chocolate drizzled kettle corn.
Dinner--Mexican pot roast. I really really like being home. We had pot roast, crudite (carrot and celery sticks...fancy terms help), black-eyed peas, and cornbread. It was delicious, and the only decent meal I had all day. It would have been the best meal regardless, but it was nice to eat real food.
Exercise--I walked/ran on the treadmill at home for 15 minutes and burned off one of my meals (either breakfast or lunch), followed by some minor weight work. Felt good, especially with the lack of sleep and the fact I've been painfully sore the last few days from stress and poor sleeping habits. It's also nice to get some work in at home.
Needless to say, I'm glad to be home. Gonna be a great Spring Break.
Breakfast--Cherry Fage 2% yogurt with honey. Yep...that was it. It gets worse as the day goes on, then gets better!
Lunch--Fiber One bar, and a singular mini caramel Cadbury egg. In my defense, I was driving at the time and didn't feel like stopping to grab food. I wanted to be home.
Snack--About a cup and a half of chocolate drizzled kettle corn.
Dinner--Mexican pot roast. I really really like being home. We had pot roast, crudite (carrot and celery sticks...fancy terms help), black-eyed peas, and cornbread. It was delicious, and the only decent meal I had all day. It would have been the best meal regardless, but it was nice to eat real food.
Exercise--I walked/ran on the treadmill at home for 15 minutes and burned off one of my meals (either breakfast or lunch), followed by some minor weight work. Felt good, especially with the lack of sleep and the fact I've been painfully sore the last few days from stress and poor sleeping habits. It's also nice to get some work in at home.
Metabolic
Experienced a really weird phenomenon over the last couple of weeks while working out. Sometimes I'll get on the treadmill or bike and my heart rate will immediately jump to where it needs to be, stay there, and everything is kosher. Other times, I'll get on and it just won't pick up at all, no matter how hard I bike, fast I run, the incline...it feels like running through mud because my body won't respond. Still other times, I'll start running and it will instantly ramp up past where I need it to be and no matter what I do (short of stopping) it won't settle down, which is a very uncomfortable feeling. Its like my resting heart rate, which should be pretty constant, fluctuates from day to day.
To give a frame of reference, Lance Armstrong is famous for having a resting heart rate (RHR) of 32 beats per minute. That means his heart beat every two seconds, which I'm sure felt incredibly weird. My RHR is substantially higher because I'm not a world-class cyclist capable of climbing mountains in France for fun. My RHR is NOT, however, around 140, which is what the machines at our gym keep trying to tell me sometimes. That would be really REALLY bad for my health.
I think we have a spiritual RHR as well. When we're "in shape" like Lance, it takes more to get us really excited and fired up. It's during these times that we either work even harder and experience our greatest times of growth, or we rest on our laurels, lose our conditioning, and end up sliding back into bad habits. When we have those bad habits, we are awakened more easily by God and we experience the endorphins (like seeing a beautiful girl, riding a rollercoaster, watching a thrilling movie, etc), the rush, of finding Him again and our spiritual heart rate increases dramatically.
I listened to a Matt Chandler podcast today on my way to Plano that talked about studying Scripture and how important it is. As I remake my body, and talk about remaking my spirituality as well, it occurred to me that I need to work out my soul as I work out my body. I need to be so in shape that it takes hard work to get me really spiritually fired up, and then I need to put forth that work. Just because Lance was in shape doesn't mean he didn't work hard or feel the burn in the Pyrenees, and just because I know the Word of God doesn't mean there won't be things that stir my soul and awaken the fire in me. I just need to make sure that I'm taking care of my body, inside and out.
"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2
To give a frame of reference, Lance Armstrong is famous for having a resting heart rate (RHR) of 32 beats per minute. That means his heart beat every two seconds, which I'm sure felt incredibly weird. My RHR is substantially higher because I'm not a world-class cyclist capable of climbing mountains in France for fun. My RHR is NOT, however, around 140, which is what the machines at our gym keep trying to tell me sometimes. That would be really REALLY bad for my health.
I think we have a spiritual RHR as well. When we're "in shape" like Lance, it takes more to get us really excited and fired up. It's during these times that we either work even harder and experience our greatest times of growth, or we rest on our laurels, lose our conditioning, and end up sliding back into bad habits. When we have those bad habits, we are awakened more easily by God and we experience the endorphins (like seeing a beautiful girl, riding a rollercoaster, watching a thrilling movie, etc), the rush, of finding Him again and our spiritual heart rate increases dramatically.
I listened to a Matt Chandler podcast today on my way to Plano that talked about studying Scripture and how important it is. As I remake my body, and talk about remaking my spirituality as well, it occurred to me that I need to work out my soul as I work out my body. I need to be so in shape that it takes hard work to get me really spiritually fired up, and then I need to put forth that work. Just because Lance was in shape doesn't mean he didn't work hard or feel the burn in the Pyrenees, and just because I know the Word of God doesn't mean there won't be things that stir my soul and awaken the fire in me. I just need to make sure that I'm taking care of my body, inside and out.
"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2
Ignition
For the six of you that read my blog, you may have noticed some design changes. What started out as a place where I could lay down my thoughts has obviously evolved into a tool to help craft a new me, and so the "Internal Ignition" moniker has undergone a change as well.
Originally, I used that phrase to talk about God being a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24) and how we need to be consumed from the inside out. What starts as a spark can turn into a great conflagration, especially when that spark is undeniably Divine in nature. The interesting thing is, even with a shift in focus, the idea of ignition still holds true. This is oversimplifying things greatly, but my goal through dieting and exercise is to restart my metabolism--to get my natural rhythms burning hotter than they usually do; in essence, internal ignition.
For some reason, when I got to college, my usually trusty internal motor just stopped. I went from weighing 160 lbs all throughout high school, regardless of what I ate or how much, to almost 250 by the time I started losing weight in early January. I don't look the same, I don't feel the same, and I routinely get quizzical looks at airports when security officials compare my current visage to that of my drivers license, taken my senior year of high school.
This happens in our spiritual lives as well. We burn and burn and burn, lighting the way for others, acting as a "city on a hill," and (depending on the quality of your Sunday schooling) telling others that we will never hide our lights under a bushel. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, either consider yourself lucky or mourn that you missed out entirely. The jury is still out.) Then, seemingly, one day the fire just dies. We can't do what we used to do, we can't pour ourselves out anymore, we just can't...ignite. Whether we like it or not, we have a spiritual metabolism. That's why we experience things like spiritual highs and lows. When we run out of fuel/stop caring for ourselves the fire goes out, and that's a huge problem.
I'm sure the similarities can be stretched out (the quality of fuel we're using, new friends, new habits, new pressures and stressors, etc) but the point is, most of us at some time in our lives find ourselves craving a new spark. It's not uncommon that I find myself staring in the mirror, looking for some signs of change I can hang my hat on as I fight, checking the numbers, chalking up moral victories along the way, and constantly reminding myself that its a marathon, not a sprint. What is uncommon is that those exercises can be applied to my spiritual AND physical lives. We can't neglect one and feed the other anymore than we can let our physical or spiritual selves waste away and stay whole. I hope I can work as hard reigniting my fire for my Creator as I do trying to get my stupid metabolism restarted.
Here's to letting God consume me in every way possible, and for a rededicated internal ignition.
Originally, I used that phrase to talk about God being a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24) and how we need to be consumed from the inside out. What starts as a spark can turn into a great conflagration, especially when that spark is undeniably Divine in nature. The interesting thing is, even with a shift in focus, the idea of ignition still holds true. This is oversimplifying things greatly, but my goal through dieting and exercise is to restart my metabolism--to get my natural rhythms burning hotter than they usually do; in essence, internal ignition.
For some reason, when I got to college, my usually trusty internal motor just stopped. I went from weighing 160 lbs all throughout high school, regardless of what I ate or how much, to almost 250 by the time I started losing weight in early January. I don't look the same, I don't feel the same, and I routinely get quizzical looks at airports when security officials compare my current visage to that of my drivers license, taken my senior year of high school.
This happens in our spiritual lives as well. We burn and burn and burn, lighting the way for others, acting as a "city on a hill," and (depending on the quality of your Sunday schooling) telling others that we will never hide our lights under a bushel. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, either consider yourself lucky or mourn that you missed out entirely. The jury is still out.) Then, seemingly, one day the fire just dies. We can't do what we used to do, we can't pour ourselves out anymore, we just can't...ignite. Whether we like it or not, we have a spiritual metabolism. That's why we experience things like spiritual highs and lows. When we run out of fuel/stop caring for ourselves the fire goes out, and that's a huge problem.
I'm sure the similarities can be stretched out (the quality of fuel we're using, new friends, new habits, new pressures and stressors, etc) but the point is, most of us at some time in our lives find ourselves craving a new spark. It's not uncommon that I find myself staring in the mirror, looking for some signs of change I can hang my hat on as I fight, checking the numbers, chalking up moral victories along the way, and constantly reminding myself that its a marathon, not a sprint. What is uncommon is that those exercises can be applied to my spiritual AND physical lives. We can't neglect one and feed the other anymore than we can let our physical or spiritual selves waste away and stay whole. I hope I can work as hard reigniting my fire for my Creator as I do trying to get my stupid metabolism restarted.
Here's to letting God consume me in every way possible, and for a rededicated internal ignition.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 64--The Day Before the Chaos
Well, tomorrow begins boards for Abby, my trek to Dallas for Jenna's wedding...in short, chaos all over the place. Or as some idioms would have it, out of the frying pan and into the fire. The one good part, other than getting to see my family and going to Dallas, is that tonight I had the honor and privilege of cooking Abby's last meal. That may sound a little morbid, but I'm game for any excuse to bust out the tools and have fun with food.
Today was a pretty solid start to Spring Break. Slept in until about 10, had lunch with some of the Sugar Grove guys, lazed around, cooked a wonderful meal, and tonight I'm packing up for my journey tomorrow. I can't complain!
Breakfast--Eggs and toast, which sounds really simple, except in this case the toast was a toastwich with Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter. I'd guess about two tablespoons, and it was definitely filling. So a toastwich and two eggs for a great breaking of the fast.
Lunch--Went to Wings and Things. I have to admit...I still like Buffalo Wild Wings better. It's more expensive, the service is usually crappier, but I'm a big fan of good food, and the wing flavors, fries, etc. are better at BWW. That doesn't mean that lunch today was bad though. Great company and decent food makes for a great afternoon. I had two chicken fingers and 3 lemon pepper wings with some fries and water. Chalk up two more dollars for Blood:Water!
Dinner--Here's where things get goooooood. Abby requested pork chops and mashed potatoes, so that's what we had. I seared off a butterflied pork chop, then oven roasted it to perfection along with some broccolini. I also made mashed red potatoes. The key was the sauce...oh the glorious sauce. After removing the pork chop from the pan, I added two garlic cloves, half a red onion, and half a green apple as well as 5-6 sage leaves. After I caramelized them, I added some pure apple juice and apple cider vinegar, cooked it down, scraped the bottom of the pan, and ended up with this great pan sauce that was good on the pork, on the potatoes, on the broccolini...I think it'd be good on cardboard.
Dessert--Perfect capper to a great meal. I sauteed some bananas and made caramel all around them, then added blood orange juice and let it all turn into a sticky, sweet, tangy, gooey mess. That, dumped on top of Dulce de leche ice cream, is a great way to end a wonderful day of food.
That being said...I'm excited about eating Mom cooking. She puts me to shame on her worst days; I humbly (and hungrily) bow to the master.
Today was a pretty solid start to Spring Break. Slept in until about 10, had lunch with some of the Sugar Grove guys, lazed around, cooked a wonderful meal, and tonight I'm packing up for my journey tomorrow. I can't complain!
Breakfast--Eggs and toast, which sounds really simple, except in this case the toast was a toastwich with Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter. I'd guess about two tablespoons, and it was definitely filling. So a toastwich and two eggs for a great breaking of the fast.
Lunch--Went to Wings and Things. I have to admit...I still like Buffalo Wild Wings better. It's more expensive, the service is usually crappier, but I'm a big fan of good food, and the wing flavors, fries, etc. are better at BWW. That doesn't mean that lunch today was bad though. Great company and decent food makes for a great afternoon. I had two chicken fingers and 3 lemon pepper wings with some fries and water. Chalk up two more dollars for Blood:Water!
Dinner--Here's where things get goooooood. Abby requested pork chops and mashed potatoes, so that's what we had. I seared off a butterflied pork chop, then oven roasted it to perfection along with some broccolini. I also made mashed red potatoes. The key was the sauce...oh the glorious sauce. After removing the pork chop from the pan, I added two garlic cloves, half a red onion, and half a green apple as well as 5-6 sage leaves. After I caramelized them, I added some pure apple juice and apple cider vinegar, cooked it down, scraped the bottom of the pan, and ended up with this great pan sauce that was good on the pork, on the potatoes, on the broccolini...I think it'd be good on cardboard.
Dessert--Perfect capper to a great meal. I sauteed some bananas and made caramel all around them, then added blood orange juice and let it all turn into a sticky, sweet, tangy, gooey mess. That, dumped on top of Dulce de leche ice cream, is a great way to end a wonderful day of food.
That being said...I'm excited about eating Mom cooking. She puts me to shame on her worst days; I humbly (and hungrily) bow to the master.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Day 63--Attack of the Pizookie
Daylight Savings Time is the ultimate double-edged sword: in the fall, gaining an hour is amazing, but in the spring, losing an hour? Death. Needless to say, today was the spring version, and I woke up feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. This is Spring Break, but we're getting up around the same time I usually get up for school? Wrong on so many levels...and the oatmeal promise from yesterday didn't happen.
Church today was great. I really felt like class went well; potentially the best Sunday class I've done this year. Unfortunately, there were 5 kids there, due to Spring Break. I hope those five really enjoyed it, because I definitely did!
Breakfast--Abby made cinnamon rolls this morning, and I was determined to not eat any...and then I stepped out of the shower and smelled them. I had two small cinnamon rolls, no icing (300 calories), a Fiber One bar to help them go down, and then pineapple Chobani 2% yogurt with honey. The pineapple was a fail...the rest of the meal was great. So for once, my problem with the greek yogurt wasn't the yogurt, but the fruit additives! I think I'm becoming a GY snob... In my defense for the upcoming meal, our original plan was to have sandwiches for lunch. Something light and fibrous. Not what happened...
Lunch--Caution: If you are emotionally invested in my weight loss journey, skip to dinner. Just do it. Don't ask questions, don't skim, just move along. Have you stopped reading? Good. Now, to everyone else, we went to BJ's Brewhouse with my friend Philip Murtaugh and his family. Philip just moved to Houston and came to Sugar Grove this morning, so we decided to hang out afterwards. I had pulled pork sliders with crispy onion strings for my meal, and then Abby and I split the pizookie trio. For those who don't know what a pizookie is, its a cookie, baked in a small deep-dish pizza pan (hence the name) until its a bit crispy on top but usually not cooked all the way through, topped with ice cream. It was AMAZING. I had cookies and cream (made with Oreo crumbles in the cookie batter) and chocolate Ghiradelli ice cream. I'm sure it was just as disastrous for my health as it sounds. At least I drank water?
Dinner--I made a great little noodle dish with Asian flavors. I think the thing that I'm the most proud of in my cooking repertoire is that I can take some stuff from the fridge and turn it into a decent meal. For this round, I took some whole wheat thin spaghetti and added sauteed orange bell peppers, broccolini, snow peas, garlic and ginger, then wok-fried it all with some soy sauce, some spicy ginger stir-fry sauce, and a splash of rice wine vinegar. It was just as amazing as it sounds...I hope I can recreate it!
Dessert--Cherry 2% Fage yogurt with honey. I'm an addict.
Tomorrow will hopefully be a detox day, but its also Abby's last day before boards so we're planning a celebration supper tomorrow night, assuming she holds up her end of the bargain and gives me a menu. I'm pretty excited about it!
Church today was great. I really felt like class went well; potentially the best Sunday class I've done this year. Unfortunately, there were 5 kids there, due to Spring Break. I hope those five really enjoyed it, because I definitely did!
Breakfast--Abby made cinnamon rolls this morning, and I was determined to not eat any...and then I stepped out of the shower and smelled them. I had two small cinnamon rolls, no icing (300 calories), a Fiber One bar to help them go down, and then pineapple Chobani 2% yogurt with honey. The pineapple was a fail...the rest of the meal was great. So for once, my problem with the greek yogurt wasn't the yogurt, but the fruit additives! I think I'm becoming a GY snob... In my defense for the upcoming meal, our original plan was to have sandwiches for lunch. Something light and fibrous. Not what happened...
Lunch--Caution: If you are emotionally invested in my weight loss journey, skip to dinner. Just do it. Don't ask questions, don't skim, just move along. Have you stopped reading? Good. Now, to everyone else, we went to BJ's Brewhouse with my friend Philip Murtaugh and his family. Philip just moved to Houston and came to Sugar Grove this morning, so we decided to hang out afterwards. I had pulled pork sliders with crispy onion strings for my meal, and then Abby and I split the pizookie trio. For those who don't know what a pizookie is, its a cookie, baked in a small deep-dish pizza pan (hence the name) until its a bit crispy on top but usually not cooked all the way through, topped with ice cream. It was AMAZING. I had cookies and cream (made with Oreo crumbles in the cookie batter) and chocolate Ghiradelli ice cream. I'm sure it was just as disastrous for my health as it sounds. At least I drank water?
Dinner--I made a great little noodle dish with Asian flavors. I think the thing that I'm the most proud of in my cooking repertoire is that I can take some stuff from the fridge and turn it into a decent meal. For this round, I took some whole wheat thin spaghetti and added sauteed orange bell peppers, broccolini, snow peas, garlic and ginger, then wok-fried it all with some soy sauce, some spicy ginger stir-fry sauce, and a splash of rice wine vinegar. It was just as amazing as it sounds...I hope I can recreate it!
Dessert--Cherry 2% Fage yogurt with honey. I'm an addict.
Tomorrow will hopefully be a detox day, but its also Abby's last day before boards so we're planning a celebration supper tomorrow night, assuming she holds up her end of the bargain and gives me a menu. I'm pretty excited about it!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Day 62--The Final Countdown
Well, its almost upon us: the Henderson family loses a namesake in a week. Jenna's wedding, the impetus for this particular endeavor, is next Sunday the 20th (throw up a prayer or three for us then!) and I know she's ready to get the show on the road. My goal for this Spring Break is to make sure I don't gain all the weight back that I've lost. In fact, it'd be a glorious achievement if I somehow had to get my tux resized next week (as long, of course, as it doesn't screw any of the carefully made plans. In fact, we never had this conversation. Knock on any wood near you. Twice.) and I could see some actual physical proof of the effort I've extended. I'm also pulling my whole "don't shave for a long time" trick again. It's all about the motivation and the mental tricks.
Breakfast--I made eggs and bacon for me (to celebrate SB2011) and for Abby (study brain food). Four strips of all natural bacon (more on that in a second) and 5 eggs. I ate three eggs and 2 strips of bacon rolled up in a toasted piece of whole wheat naan--my last piece of whole wheat naan. Sadness. As for the "all-natural" bacon...what the crap is NOT all-natural bacon?! Have I been eating that particular product? Robo-pigs? I mean...seriously. Perhaps they just call it all natural now to go with the new organic phase, but if it is truly a new style of bacon, I'm disturbed on many levels.
Exercise--25 minutes on the treadmill. Some jogging, some incline, but the key is that my heart rate stayed where it needed to be. Afterwards I did some minor weight work, but honestly, I just wasn't feeling it today. Usually I'm all about the weights and the cardio drives me nuts, but today it was switched. Who knows what happened.
Lunch--Leftover fried rice and Putt Woon-Sen from last night. It was just as good the second time around, and more importantly, just as filling.
Snack--We took a little trip to Randall's so that I could stock up on Greek yogurt. I go full out when I find good healthy food products. More cherry, a couple more mango, and I even talked Abby into grabbing a couple to give them a try. I had a cherry Fage, 2%, with honey, and it was really really good. I'm still not sure how I feel about a food product that I have to completely doctor to eat, but its good for me so I won't ask questions.
Dinner--Chick fila. After weighing nutrition options between Wendy's and Chick fila, I went healthy (even if I really wanted a Frosty) and stuck to my Spicy Chicken Sandwich and large fruit cup. This time I added some jalapeno chips on the side for crunch and salt and I was very satisfied.
Tomorrow, church but no Life Groups for Spring Break. I'm also potentially getting a watch (grown-up maneuver) and a new pillow (needed maneuver...the old pillow is dead or dying) when we pick up Abby's new toy from the mall. I'm feeling oatmeal in the morning...
Breakfast--I made eggs and bacon for me (to celebrate SB2011) and for Abby (study brain food). Four strips of all natural bacon (more on that in a second) and 5 eggs. I ate three eggs and 2 strips of bacon rolled up in a toasted piece of whole wheat naan--my last piece of whole wheat naan. Sadness. As for the "all-natural" bacon...what the crap is NOT all-natural bacon?! Have I been eating that particular product? Robo-pigs? I mean...seriously. Perhaps they just call it all natural now to go with the new organic phase, but if it is truly a new style of bacon, I'm disturbed on many levels.
Exercise--25 minutes on the treadmill. Some jogging, some incline, but the key is that my heart rate stayed where it needed to be. Afterwards I did some minor weight work, but honestly, I just wasn't feeling it today. Usually I'm all about the weights and the cardio drives me nuts, but today it was switched. Who knows what happened.
Lunch--Leftover fried rice and Putt Woon-Sen from last night. It was just as good the second time around, and more importantly, just as filling.
Snack--We took a little trip to Randall's so that I could stock up on Greek yogurt. I go full out when I find good healthy food products. More cherry, a couple more mango, and I even talked Abby into grabbing a couple to give them a try. I had a cherry Fage, 2%, with honey, and it was really really good. I'm still not sure how I feel about a food product that I have to completely doctor to eat, but its good for me so I won't ask questions.
Dinner--Chick fila. After weighing nutrition options between Wendy's and Chick fila, I went healthy (even if I really wanted a Frosty) and stuck to my Spicy Chicken Sandwich and large fruit cup. This time I added some jalapeno chips on the side for crunch and salt and I was very satisfied.
Tomorrow, church but no Life Groups for Spring Break. I'm also potentially getting a watch (grown-up maneuver) and a new pillow (needed maneuver...the old pillow is dead or dying) when we pick up Abby's new toy from the mall. I'm feeling oatmeal in the morning...
Friday, March 11, 2011
Day 61--Spring Break Begins!
Nine days off. NINE! I'm pretty stoked about this prospect. It's not that I don't love my students, but sleeping and seeing my family sounds really REALLY good right now. Today was test day, so it was pretty low-key from a teaching standpoint. The sad thing is that while my Spring Break is beginning, Abby's is ending. I wish we could have spent more time together on the days off, but we've got plenty of years to do that.
I have a small confession to make: I can't seem to get Greek yogurt out of my system. Every time I read anything about healthy eating, freaking Greek yogurt comes up. So, once again (in an effort to keep the sugar down from yesterday's post) I bit the bullet and tried it again. I took the advice of one of my students, Andrew Dunlap, and tried 2% yogurt as opposed to the straight up nonfat (added a bit of cream to the mix) and then I added honey to the still funky mixture. The result? Delicious. I'm a convert.
Breakfast--Toastwich. Went with the higher quality ingredients, including Fredricksburg Farms peach preserves, and it made a big difference. Amazing little toastwich. I also had the potentially last cup of Yoplait I'll ever have; cherry pomegranate. (Side note: This is a lie. There is a Cherry Orchard Yoplait sitting in the fridge and I will devour it with much relish.)
Snack--Fiber One bar. Number one choice of those wanting to lose some weight because its delicious and nutritious.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich. All natural peanut butter, peach mango preserves, and two slices of whole wheat bread. Coupled with about 12-15 jalapeno chips and a single 40 cal package of gummy bears, it was a stupendous (working on the vocab) lunch.
Snack--Cherry Fage Greek yogurt, 2%. With a teaspoon of honey, it made a great snack, which I never thought I'd say. Props to those who badgered me into trying it again.
Dinner--We tried a new restaurant, Nit Noi. It's a Thai place really close to our apartment that we found on a recommendation from Casey Burton. I got the Putt Woon-Sen with chicken, ginger fried rice with thai basil, and then Abby got regular fried rice with chicken. A) It was a great meal...I really like Thai food. B) It wasn't terribly expensive, at least given the portion sizes. C) The portion sizes means we have at least one more meal in the fridge, and probably two. That makes it a great deal all-around.
Dessert--Chobani Mango Greek yogurt, again 2%, and again with honey. See? Converted.
It may seem counter-intuitive that adding honey to yogurt would make it have less sugar, but for around the same dose of sugar (still probably less...its not exact) there's almost twice as much protein, and its the slow-acting kind that allows you to feel fuller. I'm a fan now, and will be purchasing more tomorrow.
Bring on the break!
I have a small confession to make: I can't seem to get Greek yogurt out of my system. Every time I read anything about healthy eating, freaking Greek yogurt comes up. So, once again (in an effort to keep the sugar down from yesterday's post) I bit the bullet and tried it again. I took the advice of one of my students, Andrew Dunlap, and tried 2% yogurt as opposed to the straight up nonfat (added a bit of cream to the mix) and then I added honey to the still funky mixture. The result? Delicious. I'm a convert.
Breakfast--Toastwich. Went with the higher quality ingredients, including Fredricksburg Farms peach preserves, and it made a big difference. Amazing little toastwich. I also had the potentially last cup of Yoplait I'll ever have; cherry pomegranate. (Side note: This is a lie. There is a Cherry Orchard Yoplait sitting in the fridge and I will devour it with much relish.)
Snack--Fiber One bar. Number one choice of those wanting to lose some weight because its delicious and nutritious.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich. All natural peanut butter, peach mango preserves, and two slices of whole wheat bread. Coupled with about 12-15 jalapeno chips and a single 40 cal package of gummy bears, it was a stupendous (working on the vocab) lunch.
Snack--Cherry Fage Greek yogurt, 2%. With a teaspoon of honey, it made a great snack, which I never thought I'd say. Props to those who badgered me into trying it again.
Dinner--We tried a new restaurant, Nit Noi. It's a Thai place really close to our apartment that we found on a recommendation from Casey Burton. I got the Putt Woon-Sen with chicken, ginger fried rice with thai basil, and then Abby got regular fried rice with chicken. A) It was a great meal...I really like Thai food. B) It wasn't terribly expensive, at least given the portion sizes. C) The portion sizes means we have at least one more meal in the fridge, and probably two. That makes it a great deal all-around.
Dessert--Chobani Mango Greek yogurt, again 2%, and again with honey. See? Converted.
It may seem counter-intuitive that adding honey to yogurt would make it have less sugar, but for around the same dose of sugar (still probably less...its not exact) there's almost twice as much protein, and its the slow-acting kind that allows you to feel fuller. I'm a fan now, and will be purchasing more tomorrow.
Bring on the break!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Day 60--The Two Month Itch
Well, I've hit a pretty solid lull. In fact, I'm not sure it qualifies as a lull because I'm pretty sure I'm gaining weight somehow. I don't know if its lack of exercise (even though I haven't exercised consistently yet...) or the fact we've been eating really well recently (cheap is better? That doesn't make sense) or stress (possible...Spring Break will help this one) or some unknown problem. I felt really good about my progress for a while and now I feel slightly frustrated. The water for Lent thing should help, as should having some time off for SB where I can work out and regulate some things. I'm just a bit frustrated, which feels bad this early in a lifelong process.
Breakfast--Toastwich with peanut butter and peach preserves. I'm hesitant to use my good jellies and preserves on these types of applications because I know the peanut butter will overwhelm the taste, but I rarely eat jelly on toast by itself because the peanut butter is so filling/satisfying. So maybe I should just suck it up and try it soon and see what happens. I know better ingredients=better health, but I'm still figuring out exactly what that means for simpler meals.
Snack--Fiber One bar. I'm glad to have those back. This wasn't a hunger/sustaining issue so much as attempting to keep my metabolism going.
Lunch--Chick fila from the awesome wife! Spicy chicken sandwich and a large fruit cup, which was probably more sugar than I really needed, but it helped me get through the day. As did the cookies I didn't plan on eating, but then they had extras in the teachers' lounge that I almost never go in but did today. Westbury is out to fatten me up.
Dinner--Barbecue! We got a half-pound of bbq turkey from the local Brisket Barbecue place (which is overpriced btw...probably won't be partaking again) and I baked a couple of potatoes. I also sauteed a zucchini, some broccolini, and a quarter of an incredibly beautiful orange bell pepper with garlic, salt, and pepper as a side. That meal, coupled with Corky's BBQ sauce from Memphis (courtesy of my sister), was some of the best food I've had in a good long while (at least since the tuna...so a couple of days. We eat good food!) and ended a very nice Thursday.
Dessert--Popped the juice of one of my blood oranges with a sprinkling of sugar into a saucepan and made a great sauce to go over 1/2 cup of mango sorbet. It was really REALLY good.
Perhaps my problem is sugar intake. Between the fruit, the sorbet, the gummy bears, the palmful of jellybeans and the various other sources of sugar (cookies, dried fruit, Fiber One bars, jelly) that I've been eating recently, I can see how that would be a problem. I'll try to avoid it for a couple of days and see what happens!
Breakfast--Toastwich with peanut butter and peach preserves. I'm hesitant to use my good jellies and preserves on these types of applications because I know the peanut butter will overwhelm the taste, but I rarely eat jelly on toast by itself because the peanut butter is so filling/satisfying. So maybe I should just suck it up and try it soon and see what happens. I know better ingredients=better health, but I'm still figuring out exactly what that means for simpler meals.
Snack--Fiber One bar. I'm glad to have those back. This wasn't a hunger/sustaining issue so much as attempting to keep my metabolism going.
Lunch--Chick fila from the awesome wife! Spicy chicken sandwich and a large fruit cup, which was probably more sugar than I really needed, but it helped me get through the day. As did the cookies I didn't plan on eating, but then they had extras in the teachers' lounge that I almost never go in but did today. Westbury is out to fatten me up.
Dinner--Barbecue! We got a half-pound of bbq turkey from the local Brisket Barbecue place (which is overpriced btw...probably won't be partaking again) and I baked a couple of potatoes. I also sauteed a zucchini, some broccolini, and a quarter of an incredibly beautiful orange bell pepper with garlic, salt, and pepper as a side. That meal, coupled with Corky's BBQ sauce from Memphis (courtesy of my sister), was some of the best food I've had in a good long while (at least since the tuna...so a couple of days. We eat good food!) and ended a very nice Thursday.
Dessert--Popped the juice of one of my blood oranges with a sprinkling of sugar into a saucepan and made a great sauce to go over 1/2 cup of mango sorbet. It was really REALLY good.
Perhaps my problem is sugar intake. Between the fruit, the sorbet, the gummy bears, the palmful of jellybeans and the various other sources of sugar (cookies, dried fruit, Fiber One bars, jelly) that I've been eating recently, I can see how that would be a problem. I'll try to avoid it for a couple of days and see what happens!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Day 59--Lessons Learned
There are a bunch of rules I'm slowly figuring out as I make this journey towards defatification (look it up...its not a real word) and better overall health. Here are the big three so far:
1) Drink water. Not as in "make sure you get your 8 glasses of water a day" so that you constantly feel like a walking waterbed, but as in "man, water is so much healthier than ANYTHING else." Days I drink only agua I feel so much better than days I change it up, even for some juice or a small soda. That being said, for Lent I officially committed to give up everything but water and donate the savings to help Africa get clean water: www.bloodwatermission.com Check it.
2) In order to lose weight properly, buy a box of plastic spoons--the bigger the better. This one may seem weird, but bear with me. Some of the best things you can possibly eat to lose weight: yogurt (spoon), oatmeal (spoon), brothy soups (spoon), high-fiber/low-sugar granola (spoon)...you get the point. Also, as I've started cooking healthier, its IMPERATIVE to try out what you're making as you're making it. Taste as you go and season properly. Salt, pepper, vinegars, spices, and herbs usually have zero calories and can make anything taste delicious. In fact, there will be more on that phenomenon later on when discussing dinner.
3) Lots of small meals, not three smaller meals. Made that mistake today...breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all great, but not overly satisfying because I ramped up my metabolism and then never sated it. Silly metabolism...I've missed you.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with dried cherries (spoon). The more fiber and protein you start the day with, the fuller you feel as you go along. Bueno.
Lunch--Today was pulled pork day, and to be honest...I just couldn't do it. The longer this year goes on, the more frustrated I become with our supposedly healthy lunches. Potato chips, fried vegetable cakes with what appeared to be sour cream sauce all over them, vegetables sauteed/swimming in oil, and then what is advertised as pulled pork but really resembles, well, nothing porcine. Spring break will be good for my palate, if not my waistline. Instead of taking the plunge with the sandwiches, I had a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, red and green peppers, and my trusty Thai Chile tuna. It was good, and I only used four crackers this time to clean it up! Success.
Dinner--I made stir-fry tonight. Usually the stir-fry goes one of two ways: mushy and completely overcooked or completely over-sauced. There has been no in between...until tonight. I threw my last fresno chile (tear), some ginger, broccoli, snow peas, and a pork chop into the trusty wok and then added some sesame oil, reduced sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and (wait for it...) peach preserves to the concoction at the end for a sauce. A pinch of cornstarch and BAM--excellent stir-fry over brown rice! Tasting as I went with the sauce really helped because I knew at the end I needed some sweetness, and the jelly and peaches just dissolved into the overall sauce. It was a great meal...except I made it so much with previous failures in mind that I didn't make enough! Usually the whole thing is so heavy from sauces and other failures that we can't eat it all. Tonight? Scraped the wok. Oh well.
Second Dinner/Dessert--I had a piece of whole wheat toast with Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter on it. Seriously...if you haven't found some yet, do it now. It's sweet, its chocolatey, its salty, its got protein, some good fats in it...and for a relatively large amount it has the same calories as the store-bought overly processed stuff. I'm a huge fan.
So tomorrow I'm concentrating on more, smaller meals. Apparently oatmeal, salad, and vegetables and rice won't hack it. Duly noted...maybe that's rule four?
1) Drink water. Not as in "make sure you get your 8 glasses of water a day" so that you constantly feel like a walking waterbed, but as in "man, water is so much healthier than ANYTHING else." Days I drink only agua I feel so much better than days I change it up, even for some juice or a small soda. That being said, for Lent I officially committed to give up everything but water and donate the savings to help Africa get clean water: www.bloodwatermission.com Check it.
2) In order to lose weight properly, buy a box of plastic spoons--the bigger the better. This one may seem weird, but bear with me. Some of the best things you can possibly eat to lose weight: yogurt (spoon), oatmeal (spoon), brothy soups (spoon), high-fiber/low-sugar granola (spoon)...you get the point. Also, as I've started cooking healthier, its IMPERATIVE to try out what you're making as you're making it. Taste as you go and season properly. Salt, pepper, vinegars, spices, and herbs usually have zero calories and can make anything taste delicious. In fact, there will be more on that phenomenon later on when discussing dinner.
3) Lots of small meals, not three smaller meals. Made that mistake today...breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all great, but not overly satisfying because I ramped up my metabolism and then never sated it. Silly metabolism...I've missed you.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with dried cherries (spoon). The more fiber and protein you start the day with, the fuller you feel as you go along. Bueno.
Lunch--Today was pulled pork day, and to be honest...I just couldn't do it. The longer this year goes on, the more frustrated I become with our supposedly healthy lunches. Potato chips, fried vegetable cakes with what appeared to be sour cream sauce all over them, vegetables sauteed/swimming in oil, and then what is advertised as pulled pork but really resembles, well, nothing porcine. Spring break will be good for my palate, if not my waistline. Instead of taking the plunge with the sandwiches, I had a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, red and green peppers, and my trusty Thai Chile tuna. It was good, and I only used four crackers this time to clean it up! Success.
Dinner--I made stir-fry tonight. Usually the stir-fry goes one of two ways: mushy and completely overcooked or completely over-sauced. There has been no in between...until tonight. I threw my last fresno chile (tear), some ginger, broccoli, snow peas, and a pork chop into the trusty wok and then added some sesame oil, reduced sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and (wait for it...) peach preserves to the concoction at the end for a sauce. A pinch of cornstarch and BAM--excellent stir-fry over brown rice! Tasting as I went with the sauce really helped because I knew at the end I needed some sweetness, and the jelly and peaches just dissolved into the overall sauce. It was a great meal...except I made it so much with previous failures in mind that I didn't make enough! Usually the whole thing is so heavy from sauces and other failures that we can't eat it all. Tonight? Scraped the wok. Oh well.
Second Dinner/Dessert--I had a piece of whole wheat toast with Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter on it. Seriously...if you haven't found some yet, do it now. It's sweet, its chocolatey, its salty, its got protein, some good fats in it...and for a relatively large amount it has the same calories as the store-bought overly processed stuff. I'm a huge fan.
So tomorrow I'm concentrating on more, smaller meals. Apparently oatmeal, salad, and vegetables and rice won't hack it. Duly noted...maybe that's rule four?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Day 58--Hey Cody Glenn. This is a Food Blog. (Usually.)
So now you know.
While Mondays are an eternal, swirling void of suckitude, apparently Tuesdays aren't that bad. In fact, I'd say this one was actually really freaking good. My good friend Jason Toy was nice enough to come do chapel for us at Westbury, and he literally brought the truth. It's a message I try to share with my students as often as I think about it, but it bears repeating even more than that: don't take truth for granted. Do the leg work, do the research, and figure it out for yourself! That's part of what I love about cooking...its so much trial and error even above and beyond recipes. We just so often get stuck in the rut of absorbing information, ingesting it, and then regurgitating without actually thinking. Not a good habit, especially where our salvation is concerned. So thanks JToy for the message...you really did bring the truth.
Breakfast--Toastwich with two tablespoons of Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter. One a side note, I found out the other day that the company my new favorite source of protein comes from is called Justin's Nut Butter. Really Justin? Really?
Snack--I held off on the snacks today because I knew what was coming for lunch. Planning ahead is huge, especially when you're trying to be less huge. Its a great tip, regardless of what I'm about to describe for lunch.
Lunch--Popeye's. Stop judging me. For our campus ministry team meeting we went the variety route and got some good, spicy fried chicken, biscuits, and fried apple pies. In my defense, I didn't eat the biscuits...but I did have two legs, a breast, and two (DON'T JUDGE ME) fried apple pies. I was hungry, and also knew that dinner was going to be relatively small.
Dinner--Leftovers! I polished off the last of my Subway from yesterday's lunch. So a 6-inch sub, and then some of my Food Should Taste Good jalapeno chips, which I still can't recommend enough. They're incredible chips.
In beverage news, tomorrow starts Lent. I'm partnering with Blood:Water Mission to give up all drinks except water for Lent. I'm also working with World Vision ACT:S for relentless acts of justice, but this is a food blog. Join with me to give up drinks, be a little healthier, and help some people in need of clean water that we take for granted! Final Dr. Pepper was tonight...done it before, and I'll do it again.
While Mondays are an eternal, swirling void of suckitude, apparently Tuesdays aren't that bad. In fact, I'd say this one was actually really freaking good. My good friend Jason Toy was nice enough to come do chapel for us at Westbury, and he literally brought the truth. It's a message I try to share with my students as often as I think about it, but it bears repeating even more than that: don't take truth for granted. Do the leg work, do the research, and figure it out for yourself! That's part of what I love about cooking...its so much trial and error even above and beyond recipes. We just so often get stuck in the rut of absorbing information, ingesting it, and then regurgitating without actually thinking. Not a good habit, especially where our salvation is concerned. So thanks JToy for the message...you really did bring the truth.
Breakfast--Toastwich with two tablespoons of Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter. One a side note, I found out the other day that the company my new favorite source of protein comes from is called Justin's Nut Butter. Really Justin? Really?
Snack--I held off on the snacks today because I knew what was coming for lunch. Planning ahead is huge, especially when you're trying to be less huge. Its a great tip, regardless of what I'm about to describe for lunch.
Lunch--Popeye's. Stop judging me. For our campus ministry team meeting we went the variety route and got some good, spicy fried chicken, biscuits, and fried apple pies. In my defense, I didn't eat the biscuits...but I did have two legs, a breast, and two (DON'T JUDGE ME) fried apple pies. I was hungry, and also knew that dinner was going to be relatively small.
Dinner--Leftovers! I polished off the last of my Subway from yesterday's lunch. So a 6-inch sub, and then some of my Food Should Taste Good jalapeno chips, which I still can't recommend enough. They're incredible chips.
In beverage news, tomorrow starts Lent. I'm partnering with Blood:Water Mission to give up all drinks except water for Lent. I'm also working with World Vision ACT:S for relentless acts of justice, but this is a food blog. Join with me to give up drinks, be a little healthier, and help some people in need of clean water that we take for granted! Final Dr. Pepper was tonight...done it before, and I'll do it again.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Day 57--JELLYBEANS!
Easter candy might kill me. It's not that I don't possess any willpower...actually, yes it is. Freaking jellybeans.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal. I decided it was important to start the day off with some fiber, but I may have gone a little overkill on this one.
Snack--Apricot granola bar. Although I guess technically its an apricot muesli bar, courtesy of Carman's again. They're good, but so painfully dense.
Lunch--My spectacular wife brought me Subway. I got a footlong turkey on wheat with bacon, lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, jalapenos, and black pepper, with Sun Chips and a Dr. Pepper. Weird thing was, I only ate half of it! There's a change...especially since I ate a whole one like a week ago. Bizarre isn't it.
Dinner--Cheap's the word. We had some jambalaya rice mix with pinto beans and cornbread. Probably not the healthiest of all meals, but it cost about 3 dollars for the whole thing and it was really REALLY good. I also figure we've worked out a lot recently so my body could use some solid food.
Dessert--Stupid jellybeans.
Short post, because honestly? It was Monday. Monday's should be forgotten.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal. I decided it was important to start the day off with some fiber, but I may have gone a little overkill on this one.
Snack--Apricot granola bar. Although I guess technically its an apricot muesli bar, courtesy of Carman's again. They're good, but so painfully dense.
Lunch--My spectacular wife brought me Subway. I got a footlong turkey on wheat with bacon, lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, jalapenos, and black pepper, with Sun Chips and a Dr. Pepper. Weird thing was, I only ate half of it! There's a change...especially since I ate a whole one like a week ago. Bizarre isn't it.
Dinner--Cheap's the word. We had some jambalaya rice mix with pinto beans and cornbread. Probably not the healthiest of all meals, but it cost about 3 dollars for the whole thing and it was really REALLY good. I also figure we've worked out a lot recently so my body could use some solid food.
Dessert--Stupid jellybeans.
Short post, because honestly? It was Monday. Monday's should be forgotten.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day 56--Eight Weeks of Work
I'm having a bit of a wardrobe problem. Shirts that I couldn't tastefully wear eight weeks ago now fit relatively well, but the pants I've had (my jeans, old pairs of khakis, etc) are starting to sag a bit. And by a bit, I mean a lot. Not going to lie though...wonderful problem to have.
Breakfast--It was imperative that we started the day correctly, so we went with the Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats. I added brown sugar and almonds to mine, although after loading it up I remembered my peanut butter trick. So that sucked. The oatmeal, however, was incredible and very filling. I also threw down a mango. I love mangos...no frills, just cut it in half and enjoy. Best fruit by my estimation...maybe even more than cherries (probably not though). That's saying a LOT.
Lunch--PF Changs after church. However, it was really an absolute disaster. We went for the wonton soup, but ended up that everything BUT the wonton soup was really good. I had a side of Sichuan Asparagus, half of an order of Chicken Fried Rice and one bowl of the soup. We ate all the wontons, but the broth...there was funk in the broth. It's fitting that we're talking about Elisha in my OT class tomorrow, because a bunch of his miracles involve him fixing either water or soup. Could have used him today.
Snack--My last plum and a 100 calorie sandwich thin with some Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut butter. It was wonderful, and gave me the energy for working out. I will say though...for chocolate hazelnut, Nutella is better and the caloric difference is worth the better taste.
Exercise--I walked/ran on an incline for 20 minutes, then lifted some weights to try to work some soreness out and balance out yesterday. It felt goooood. And, I got to listen to some of Mark Goodacre's podcasts. He's incredible, and has some pretty cool ideas about NT theology. You should check him out--NTPod Podcast. Do it.
Dinner--I made whole wheat rotini pasta with roasted broccoli and pasta sauce. The sauce was comprised of tomatoes, garlic, a diced fresno chili, some salt, pepper, and sugar. The whole meal was amazing!
Dessert--I think I'm going to have 1/2 cup mango sorbet with another one of my mangoes...they're just so good!
Last week before Spring Break starts tomorrow. The good news is that Abby might bring me lunch some this week. The bad news? I still have to go to work. Oh well...can't win them all!
Breakfast--It was imperative that we started the day correctly, so we went with the Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats. I added brown sugar and almonds to mine, although after loading it up I remembered my peanut butter trick. So that sucked. The oatmeal, however, was incredible and very filling. I also threw down a mango. I love mangos...no frills, just cut it in half and enjoy. Best fruit by my estimation...maybe even more than cherries (probably not though). That's saying a LOT.
Lunch--PF Changs after church. However, it was really an absolute disaster. We went for the wonton soup, but ended up that everything BUT the wonton soup was really good. I had a side of Sichuan Asparagus, half of an order of Chicken Fried Rice and one bowl of the soup. We ate all the wontons, but the broth...there was funk in the broth. It's fitting that we're talking about Elisha in my OT class tomorrow, because a bunch of his miracles involve him fixing either water or soup. Could have used him today.
Exercise--I walked/ran on an incline for 20 minutes, then lifted some weights to try to work some soreness out and balance out yesterday. It felt goooood. And, I got to listen to some of Mark Goodacre's podcasts. He's incredible, and has some pretty cool ideas about NT theology. You should check him out--NTPod Podcast. Do it.
Dinner--I made whole wheat rotini pasta with roasted broccoli and pasta sauce. The sauce was comprised of tomatoes, garlic, a diced fresno chili, some salt, pepper, and sugar. The whole meal was amazing!
Dessert--I think I'm going to have 1/2 cup mango sorbet with another one of my mangoes...they're just so good!
Last week before Spring Break starts tomorrow. The good news is that Abby might bring me lunch some this week. The bad news? I still have to go to work. Oh well...can't win them all!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Day 55--Freaking Robert Burns
So I had planned to head to the Farmers' Market this morning to grab some Fusion Taco and some produce. Of course, Fusion Taco informed me last night that they wouldn't be at the Farmers' Market, and then this morning it was randomly cold and rainy. Plans aborted. The best laid plans of mice and men...
I will say though, the day wasn't a total waste. In fact, I'm a big fan of three day weekends, if only because I eat REALLY well. Evidence of this is forthcoming.
Breakfast--Dunkin' Donuts baby! I had one chocolate kreme (yeah...that's how they spell it. I think it adds 200 calories with the "k" but whatever) donut. Originally I bought two, but I couldn't actually eat more than one. My stomach is shrinking to normal proportions! Huzzah!
First Lunch--Yeah, its one of those days. I made a VERY successful and therapeutic trip to Central Market, where I sadly used the last of my gift card from my birthday. It made it three whole weeks...c'est la vie. While there, I picked up some amazing quinoa salad and some sushi for lunch, as well as some other goodies. My lunch was a shrimp fusion roll that involved rice paper, shrimp, imitation crab (I know...), lettuce, celery, and carrot. They were delicious. The quinoa salad involved black quinoa, mango, mandarin oranges, cabbage, carrot, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, and some ginger. It was AMAZING, and its not the last time we see that particular food product today.
Second Lunch--The problem with sushi is that it just isn't that filling. When Abby got home from studying, we went to Chick Fila, and I had an 8-count nugget, fries, and a lemonade. I think it was decently justified because...
Exercise--We hit the gym. Oh yeah. I walked/ran for 15 minutes, then lifted a bunch of weights. I'd say my heart rate was properly elevated for at least 45 minutes, which felt great. I need to do that way more often.
Dinner--Here's the good stuff. While walking around CM, I ran into the most amazing tuna steak. I just couldn't resist. So we had a salad of locally grown spinach on which I put more of the quinoa salad, blood orange segments (I freaking LOVE blood oranges, look how amazing they are with the multi-colored goodness), and seared tuna seasoned with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. To dress it, I took the juice of two blood oranges, about a quarter cup of soy sauce, some salt, pepper, and a quarter cup of mango-peach jam I bought today. Reduced it down, and BAM--deliciousness in salad dressing form. The entire meal was incredible...so incredible that I ripped off Nathan MacDonald and took a picture of it. Enjoy the sensory delight, although I'm sorry you couldn't taste it.
Dessert--The second one of my kreme donuts from earlier. They're probably horrible for me, but they're fantastic donuts. I love them very much, and wish they were low-cal. Oh well.
Tomorrow, we've got church and then prepping for the last week before Spring Break. Friday, come soon!
I will say though, the day wasn't a total waste. In fact, I'm a big fan of three day weekends, if only because I eat REALLY well. Evidence of this is forthcoming.
Breakfast--Dunkin' Donuts baby! I had one chocolate kreme (yeah...that's how they spell it. I think it adds 200 calories with the "k" but whatever) donut. Originally I bought two, but I couldn't actually eat more than one. My stomach is shrinking to normal proportions! Huzzah!
First Lunch--Yeah, its one of those days. I made a VERY successful and therapeutic trip to Central Market, where I sadly used the last of my gift card from my birthday. It made it three whole weeks...c'est la vie. While there, I picked up some amazing quinoa salad and some sushi for lunch, as well as some other goodies. My lunch was a shrimp fusion roll that involved rice paper, shrimp, imitation crab (I know...), lettuce, celery, and carrot. They were delicious. The quinoa salad involved black quinoa, mango, mandarin oranges, cabbage, carrot, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, and some ginger. It was AMAZING, and its not the last time we see that particular food product today.
Second Lunch--The problem with sushi is that it just isn't that filling. When Abby got home from studying, we went to Chick Fila, and I had an 8-count nugget, fries, and a lemonade. I think it was decently justified because...
Exercise--We hit the gym. Oh yeah. I walked/ran for 15 minutes, then lifted a bunch of weights. I'd say my heart rate was properly elevated for at least 45 minutes, which felt great. I need to do that way more often.
Dinner--Here's the good stuff. While walking around CM, I ran into the most amazing tuna steak. I just couldn't resist. So we had a salad of locally grown spinach on which I put more of the quinoa salad, blood orange segments (I freaking LOVE blood oranges, look how amazing they are with the multi-colored goodness), and seared tuna seasoned with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. To dress it, I took the juice of two blood oranges, about a quarter cup of soy sauce, some salt, pepper, and a quarter cup of mango-peach jam I bought today. Reduced it down, and BAM--deliciousness in salad dressing form. The entire meal was incredible...so incredible that I ripped off Nathan MacDonald and took a picture of it. Enjoy the sensory delight, although I'm sorry you couldn't taste it.Dessert--The second one of my kreme donuts from earlier. They're probably horrible for me, but they're fantastic donuts. I love them very much, and wish they were low-cal. Oh well.
Tomorrow, we've got church and then prepping for the last week before Spring Break. Friday, come soon!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Day 54--Happy State Basketball Finals Day
So apparently a couple of years ago at Westbury, after a two year hiatus, the basketball teams (boys and girls) made it to state. The semifinal games are always on Friday and the championship game on Saturday. When the teams made it to the Final Four, there was a mass exodus from school: teachers, coaches, players, cheerleaders, students, EVERYONE. Made it a ghost town. Since then, they've made sure that the Friday of state has been a day off from school. Due to this lovely fortune, I didn't have work today. Unfortunately, I used that opportunity to go to the doctor, just like when I was in elementary school.
My visit to the optometrist went well. New glasses, new contacts, a tongue-lashing from the attending...a pleasant day at the office, even if it was Abby's office.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal. No fruit. Last time was a mess.
Lunch--Chili's! My wonderful grandparents gave me a gift card for my birthday, so Abby and I celebrated a Friday where we could actually spend time together. We did the two for twenty deal, so we split the crispy onion and jalapeno stack for an appetizer (only ate a third of it) and then I had the Margarita Chicken. It was still 600 calories, but it could have been much, much worse.
Dinner--Jimmy John's. I went with the turkey and ham instead of bacon, lettuce, cucumber, oregano, and I only ate one slice of bread. I had some jalapeno and some sweet potato chips to go with it.
Dessert--Gummy Bears. I had a really unhealthy fascination with Gummy Bears, especially the Haribo kind. Four mini packs equals 150 calories of fruity, sugary deliciousness.
Farmers' Market in the morning, to grab (hopefully) some strawberries, some mint, and some butter lettuce to make myself an incredible salad with the blood oranges I got last weekend. Of course, I've made plans before that haven't exactly come to fruition. Check back tomorrow for updates!
My visit to the optometrist went well. New glasses, new contacts, a tongue-lashing from the attending...a pleasant day at the office, even if it was Abby's office.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal. No fruit. Last time was a mess.
Lunch--Chili's! My wonderful grandparents gave me a gift card for my birthday, so Abby and I celebrated a Friday where we could actually spend time together. We did the two for twenty deal, so we split the crispy onion and jalapeno stack for an appetizer (only ate a third of it) and then I had the Margarita Chicken. It was still 600 calories, but it could have been much, much worse.
Dinner--Jimmy John's. I went with the turkey and ham instead of bacon, lettuce, cucumber, oregano, and I only ate one slice of bread. I had some jalapeno and some sweet potato chips to go with it.
Dessert--Gummy Bears. I had a really unhealthy fascination with Gummy Bears, especially the Haribo kind. Four mini packs equals 150 calories of fruity, sugary deliciousness.
Farmers' Market in the morning, to grab (hopefully) some strawberries, some mint, and some butter lettuce to make myself an incredible salad with the blood oranges I got last weekend. Of course, I've made plans before that haven't exactly come to fruition. Check back tomorrow for updates!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Day 53--Mismanagement
Today was one of my favorite days at school--Pep Rally Day. The reason I appreciate these far too infrequent celebrations actually has nothing to with the pep or the rally...I have more school spirit for Westbury than I did for Plano West (my alma mater) but that's not saying much. I have more school spirit for San Dimas High School Football (word on the street is that they rule!) than either. Probably.
No, the reason I love me some Pep Rally Day is that its also Schedule D, or as I like to call it, proof that things could be done better. I have the period after lunch off on Schedule D days, so I get to have an extra long lunch, AND it shows that we can get all 8 classes in by 2:45 without losing much instruction time or having huge schedule issues. Win/win!
Breakfast--High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with freeze dried mangoes. The oatmeal was a winner, the freeze dried mangoes...not so good in the oatmeal. In fact, it was really bad. Mistake!
Snack--Fiber One bar...my last one for this box. RIP Fiber One bars...we hardly knew ye.
Lunch--Cafe Express with the awesomeness that is Megan Gilbert. We had a great time...definitely one of my favorite teachers at WCS. I had a burger with lettuce, onion, pickle, bacon, a small amount of ketchup, and sweet potato fries. It was amazing...I miss good burgers.
Dinner--The moment we've all been waiting for...the Dinner of Awesomeness! I baked a chipotle-lime chicken breast from Central Market, then made smashed potatoes with roasted garlic, and topped it off with sauteed kale. The potatoes were smashed and not mashed because I didn't add any dairy (butter, cream, milk, etc) to the mix, just a whole head of roasted garlic and some salt. They were really good, but even better with the kale mixed in. I crisped up the last of my Farmers' Market bacon, then wilted the kale in the bacon fat, added a splash of cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey, threw the bacon back in, and stirred to deliciousness. Kale is one of the healthiest greens (or any food for that matter) you can eat, although I'm sure I dampened that a bit with the bacon. It was an amazing meal, and 2 hours later I'm still VERY full. Success, and well worth the wait. Now I just need to buy some more bacon at the Farmers' Market on Saturday!
Three day weekend starts tomorrow...I look forward to having cooked, thought-out meals that I can control and dictate what goes in my body. Access to the gym without migraines will be nice too.
One week until Spring Break! Woohoo!
No, the reason I love me some Pep Rally Day is that its also Schedule D, or as I like to call it, proof that things could be done better. I have the period after lunch off on Schedule D days, so I get to have an extra long lunch, AND it shows that we can get all 8 classes in by 2:45 without losing much instruction time or having huge schedule issues. Win/win!
Breakfast--High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with freeze dried mangoes. The oatmeal was a winner, the freeze dried mangoes...not so good in the oatmeal. In fact, it was really bad. Mistake!
Snack--Fiber One bar...my last one for this box. RIP Fiber One bars...we hardly knew ye.
Lunch--Cafe Express with the awesomeness that is Megan Gilbert. We had a great time...definitely one of my favorite teachers at WCS. I had a burger with lettuce, onion, pickle, bacon, a small amount of ketchup, and sweet potato fries. It was amazing...I miss good burgers.
Dinner--The moment we've all been waiting for...the Dinner of Awesomeness! I baked a chipotle-lime chicken breast from Central Market, then made smashed potatoes with roasted garlic, and topped it off with sauteed kale. The potatoes were smashed and not mashed because I didn't add any dairy (butter, cream, milk, etc) to the mix, just a whole head of roasted garlic and some salt. They were really good, but even better with the kale mixed in. I crisped up the last of my Farmers' Market bacon, then wilted the kale in the bacon fat, added a splash of cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey, threw the bacon back in, and stirred to deliciousness. Kale is one of the healthiest greens (or any food for that matter) you can eat, although I'm sure I dampened that a bit with the bacon. It was an amazing meal, and 2 hours later I'm still VERY full. Success, and well worth the wait. Now I just need to buy some more bacon at the Farmers' Market on Saturday!
Three day weekend starts tomorrow...I look forward to having cooked, thought-out meals that I can control and dictate what goes in my body. Access to the gym without migraines will be nice too.
One week until Spring Break! Woohoo!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Day 52--Derailed
I agree with Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy, about weird sports cliches. Why do we say a player needs to get himself "untracked?" Isn't that bad? Don't we want to be on track, on the path, not careening wildly out of control? Isn't this what we are attempting to avoid as athletes? These are the things that preoccupied my mind today because I spent a lot of it in total darkness.
Apparently I'm prone to migraines. This is a recent development, something I'm sure I can chalk up to the crap place that is Houston (add it to the list) and definitely the most debilitating of them all. The kidney stone sucked, and really hurt, but it ultimately avoidable. The sinus infections can be treated. Migraines just cripple me, and with increasing frequency. I ended up teaching three classes today with my eyes closed, spent all of my free time in the darkened faculty bathroom, and then quit a period early because opening my eyes made me want to vomit. Needless to say, I went home, turned off all the lights and took a long, darkened nap. I'm sure it will come back to bite me tonight if/when I can't sleep, but I wouldn't be functioning now if I hadn't done it. My head still hurts, and we're approaching 10 hours. Yippee.
Breakfast--One piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter (the normal kind) and one of Carman's granola bars. Or as I've discovered, they're called muesli bars. Silly Aussies.
Lunch--Hot dog day. Yay... I had a bun with two franks, some steamed cauliflower, and a banana.
Snack--Because I felt I deserved it (a recurring trend...I'm sick and gaining weight as the day goes on) I had some mini gummi bears. I found these awesome little Haribo packages that are like less than 40 calories a pop. I mean, pure sugar, but two or three of them won't kill you, and they made my headache feel slightly better.
Dinner--Here's where it gets depressing. Abby was hungry and I didn't start cooking in time, so my excellent dinner got put on the back burner. We had Wendy's instead, which isn't a horrid consolation prize, but still... I had a spicy chicken sandwich, lettuce only, a large fries, and a large Frosty (again, because I felt I earned it).
Dessert--You are probably saying to yourself, "Wait, dessert? Isn't the Frosty dessert?" And you'd be right. But since I've had such a crap day, I ate the ears off my marshmallow bunny. Vengeful? Probably. Delicious? Certainly.
I'm also eating jellybeans. Not many, but enough. I'm gaining weight as I type. Dangit.
Here's to no head pain, good dinner, and the end of a short week tomorrow. Wish me a better Thursday.
Apparently I'm prone to migraines. This is a recent development, something I'm sure I can chalk up to the crap place that is Houston (add it to the list) and definitely the most debilitating of them all. The kidney stone sucked, and really hurt, but it ultimately avoidable. The sinus infections can be treated. Migraines just cripple me, and with increasing frequency. I ended up teaching three classes today with my eyes closed, spent all of my free time in the darkened faculty bathroom, and then quit a period early because opening my eyes made me want to vomit. Needless to say, I went home, turned off all the lights and took a long, darkened nap. I'm sure it will come back to bite me tonight if/when I can't sleep, but I wouldn't be functioning now if I hadn't done it. My head still hurts, and we're approaching 10 hours. Yippee.
Breakfast--One piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter (the normal kind) and one of Carman's granola bars. Or as I've discovered, they're called muesli bars. Silly Aussies.
Lunch--Hot dog day. Yay... I had a bun with two franks, some steamed cauliflower, and a banana.
Snack--Because I felt I deserved it (a recurring trend...I'm sick and gaining weight as the day goes on) I had some mini gummi bears. I found these awesome little Haribo packages that are like less than 40 calories a pop. I mean, pure sugar, but two or three of them won't kill you, and they made my headache feel slightly better.
Dinner--Here's where it gets depressing. Abby was hungry and I didn't start cooking in time, so my excellent dinner got put on the back burner. We had Wendy's instead, which isn't a horrid consolation prize, but still... I had a spicy chicken sandwich, lettuce only, a large fries, and a large Frosty (again, because I felt I earned it).
Dessert--You are probably saying to yourself, "Wait, dessert? Isn't the Frosty dessert?" And you'd be right. But since I've had such a crap day, I ate the ears off my marshmallow bunny. Vengeful? Probably. Delicious? Certainly.
I'm also eating jellybeans. Not many, but enough. I'm gaining weight as I type. Dangit.
Here's to no head pain, good dinner, and the end of a short week tomorrow. Wish me a better Thursday.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Day 51--Raging Cajun
I am EXHAUSTED. I can't tell if its because we've watched more movies this week, so I've been sitting more, or if its because in OT we've had some long, detailed stories so I've been talking more. One way or the other, I am worn out, even with naps and decent nights of sleep. I really need to workout tomorrow AND I'm going to be rocking a wonderfully healthy meal for dinner. I like planning meals out early...takes the stress out and it gives me something to look forward to. Double bonus.
Breakfast--One slice of whole wheat toast with Justin's All Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter spread. Two tablespoons is 170 calories and it's amazingly delicious. So delicious, in fact, its not the last time today I ate it. Also threw down some cherry yogurt to really fill out the meal.
Lunch--A sweet potato, some sauteed green beans, and a piece of whole wheat naan with--you guessed it--Justin's spread. Great, great lunch.
Snack--1/3 cup of jellybeans. It was a long time between lunch and dinner...and they're really good. Don't judge!
Dinner--We tried out Boudreaux's, a cajun place near our apartment with our friend Lindsey Willis. It's probably the closest restaurant, as the crow flies, to our humble abode and yet we'd never been there before. I had 12 blackened shrimp, which was way too much but I wasn't sure about portion sizes, and then some really good fries. It wasn't a good meal health-wise, or price-wise, but it was still quality food. However, that's our second new restaurant in three days that we spent too much money on only to figure out that there is a cheaper, and probably better, way to eat there. We live and learn.
Keep your excitement levels down for tomorrow's meal...it's going to be a doozy!
Breakfast--One slice of whole wheat toast with Justin's All Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter spread. Two tablespoons is 170 calories and it's amazingly delicious. So delicious, in fact, its not the last time today I ate it. Also threw down some cherry yogurt to really fill out the meal.
Lunch--A sweet potato, some sauteed green beans, and a piece of whole wheat naan with--you guessed it--Justin's spread. Great, great lunch.
Snack--1/3 cup of jellybeans. It was a long time between lunch and dinner...and they're really good. Don't judge!
Dinner--We tried out Boudreaux's, a cajun place near our apartment with our friend Lindsey Willis. It's probably the closest restaurant, as the crow flies, to our humble abode and yet we'd never been there before. I had 12 blackened shrimp, which was way too much but I wasn't sure about portion sizes, and then some really good fries. It wasn't a good meal health-wise, or price-wise, but it was still quality food. However, that's our second new restaurant in three days that we spent too much money on only to figure out that there is a cheaper, and probably better, way to eat there. We live and learn.
Keep your excitement levels down for tomorrow's meal...it's going to be a doozy!
Theory of Relativity
This is another non-foodie post. Sue me.
Today in my Acts class we discussed Acts 21:1-16. During this particular passage, Paul learns that when he gets to Jerusalem, he's going to be bound hand and foot and taken into custody by the Romans, who frankly don't like him very much. His response to this prophecy is to basically say "Bring it on!" To me though, that's not even the most amazing part of the story.
Paul receives this prophecy while in Tyre, a church he didn't help start. Our class is very Paul-centric (It's called Acts and the Pauline Epistles...) so its really easy to forget he's not the only Christian in the joint. When he greets the brothers in Tyre, my first reaction is always to say "Oh yeah...there are other people telling the world about Christ." It, in essence, breaks down the fourth wall of our reading and we become aware that we are seeing a very, very narrow thread of history.
The most incredible thing that happens to me every time this passage comes up is that not only am I aware of Paul's contemporaries, but I become aware of God's story. He called Paul to this mission, called him to his final show in Rome, and unbelievably calls us to continue the story. It's so easy, so tempting, to read the Bible and think idealistically about how things were, how amazing these heroes of our faith are, and to long for the good ole days, but the story isn't over!
Even though the Bible, as a book, ends in Revelation, God's story and mission keeps trucking along. We are called just as Paul was called. The decisions and actions Paul lived with dictate what we can do today...through very loose logic I could even say that Paul going to Tyre was necessary for me believing in God. God's story predates us, it will outlast us, and it is the eternal, never-ending idea of love. We just get to play a small part in the passion play, exactly like Paul did.
Amazing what a small church in Tyre can make you think about, eh?
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17
Today in my Acts class we discussed Acts 21:1-16. During this particular passage, Paul learns that when he gets to Jerusalem, he's going to be bound hand and foot and taken into custody by the Romans, who frankly don't like him very much. His response to this prophecy is to basically say "Bring it on!" To me though, that's not even the most amazing part of the story.
Paul receives this prophecy while in Tyre, a church he didn't help start. Our class is very Paul-centric (It's called Acts and the Pauline Epistles...) so its really easy to forget he's not the only Christian in the joint. When he greets the brothers in Tyre, my first reaction is always to say "Oh yeah...there are other people telling the world about Christ." It, in essence, breaks down the fourth wall of our reading and we become aware that we are seeing a very, very narrow thread of history.
The most incredible thing that happens to me every time this passage comes up is that not only am I aware of Paul's contemporaries, but I become aware of God's story. He called Paul to this mission, called him to his final show in Rome, and unbelievably calls us to continue the story. It's so easy, so tempting, to read the Bible and think idealistically about how things were, how amazing these heroes of our faith are, and to long for the good ole days, but the story isn't over!
Even though the Bible, as a book, ends in Revelation, God's story and mission keeps trucking along. We are called just as Paul was called. The decisions and actions Paul lived with dictate what we can do today...through very loose logic I could even say that Paul going to Tyre was necessary for me believing in God. God's story predates us, it will outlast us, and it is the eternal, never-ending idea of love. We just get to play a small part in the passion play, exactly like Paul did.
Amazing what a small church in Tyre can make you think about, eh?
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17
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