Pulp Kitchen

20 in 60: Day Thirty-Eight

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:07:41 -0500

Well, it been quite some time since I’ve written. It’s been a bit hectic with school, work, kickboxing, a birthday, and oh, almost chopping my finger off. But even though I lost the blogging drive for a sort while, I feel back in the spirit. I did in fact feel a little disappointed that I had not seen quicker weight loss results (I do live in the 21st century after all, I need immediate gratification dammit!). And I did in fact fall into a familiar pattern of mentally saying “fuck it.” But it was because my 33rd birthday was upon me, and I really wanted to splurge…. for 5 days. Hmm. Excessive?

Yes, I almost chopped the tip of my finger off. And then I fainted. I am officially a wuss. I can’t even believe it. I was chopping green onions and the blade slipped and cut through a good portion of finger and through nail. I didn’t think it was that bad until I got to the sink and looked at it. Then I felt the fear. Derek says I went stark white and just like a true hero, he ran over and shuffled me to the bathroom where I lost consciousness for just a couple of seconds and had to lay on the bathroom floor for at least five minutes, towel wrapped finger in the air. We decided the cut did not warrant a trip to the hospital and I’m thankful for that. But I have a gnarly looking finger and had to miss kickboxing for this week in fear reopening the wound that bleed for a good 2 days. I seriously need to sign up for a knife skills class.

Other than the chopping of the finger mishap, it was a great birthday week, filled with mac and cheese, Backspace’s bianca pizza, desserts, a trip to Whataburger (shame!), a noticeable lack of vegetables, and I finished it all off with an indulgent dinner tonight. Frutti di Mare in a brandy cream sauce. It’s everything I love: seafood, pasta, and cream sauce. Amazing. Truly. I’ll post it sometime. We had an equally as delicious appetizer, an heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese, torn basil, and drizzled with olive oil and aged balsamic. My friend Stife, a talented backyard farmer, gave me a pound of gorgeous garden tomatoes. Originally I was going to make my heirloom tomato soup, but the tomatoes were so good I had to keep them in their original state. So what better way then to keep it simple. It was perfect.

So, as I say goodby to my short little rebellion, I anticipate a renewed vigor in my weight-loss goal. 10 am kickboxing here I come.

20 in 60: Day Twenty-Six

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:25:47 -0500

So, one thing is becoming abundantly clear. My original goal date of 60 days may have been a little implausible. Well, implausible if I still want to eat the way I’ve been eating; healthy most of the time, splurge when need be. Hmm. Not sure how I feel about this. Do I really want to diet, like really diet, like eat rice cakes and carrot sticks diet??? I don’t know. Honestly, if I lost 10 pounds in 60 days, I’m okay with that. If it takes me 4 months to lose the 20 pounds, I’m okay with that too. The most important goal, to me, is that I keep a healthy lifestyle. I want to consistently exercise and feel that energy and vitality after I leave the kickboxing gym. And I want to not give in to every and any whim. I don’t need to eat pizza every week. I don’t need to eat the Mac and Cheese at work every time it’s available. I don’t need a fatty cheeseburger all the time. But considering how much time it took me to count calories at the beginning of this endeavor, I don’t know if I want to go that way. I don’t want to be miserable. But maybe I’ll kick up the workouts to 4-5 times a week, which will truthfully be hard to manage with work and school, but I’m gonna give it a shot.

On to the good stuff. I made this beauty tonight for dinner. The recipe is a Bon Appetit recipe I saw on their Facebook. I was drawn to it because I thought the anise flavor from the fennel and Pernod would give it a really interesting flavor, and it did. There’s not much to it, but as light as it is, it makes a perfect summertime dinner. And who doesn’t love bay scallops! I could eat them every single day. For real.

Bay Scallops, Fennel, and Tomato Pasta (from Bon Appetit)

8 ounces linguine (or whole wheat spaghetti which is what I used)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon fennel fonds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (or diced like I accidentally did)
1 pound bay scallops
1 6-ounce container cherry tomatoes, halved if large
1 tablespoon Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until wilted but crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to medium bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add scallops and sauté until just opaque in center, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with fennel-onion mixture. Add tomatoes to skillet and sauté until heated through, about 2 minutes. Return fennel-onion mixture and scallops to skillet. Mix in Pernod.

Add drained pasta to skillet; toss to coat, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Stir in 3 tablespoons chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon fennel fronds. Transfer to large shallow bowl, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

20 in 60: Day Twenty-Four

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:03:24 -0500

Took my first Communications test on Thursday, and I’m happy to say I got an A! I don’t know how, but I’ve become this really studious person… and liking it. I think it’s because I feel a sense of purpose, something to work towards. I haven’t felt this good in a long time. And I’m sure all the working out has contributed to that as well. I went to kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Today, Derek and I are hitting the gym. And tomorrow we’re going to try to make it to a yoga class. Lazy has left my vocabulary.

Yesterday was very strange day. The night before, my allergies were terrible so I took some Benadryl. We had to wake up super early for our civil court hearing (long story short: we bought a scooter, it was a piece of crap, we filed and won our Lemon Law case, we found out they have no real authority, we filed a civil lawsuit) and, I’m also very happy to say, we won our case per default judgement, and were awarded just about everything we asked for! Now we have to go through the grueling process of actually getting our money. But where many people would have given up, we have persevered and will not give up until those bastards pay us! Anyway, I was in a Benadryl haze all day, which makes me even more spacey than usual. This is what we ended up eating for the day. Eggs and whole grain 1/2 muffin, some hummus and more muffin, sourdough loaf and brie, a little prosciutto, and pita chips. That’s it. And Derek and I were saying that we were gonna get drunk and watch hockey and movies… well, we each had 3 drinks and were asleep by 10, 8 in his case. Pathetic!

Today menu includes zucchini feta frittata, maybe a sandwich for lunch, and for dinner Sockeye salmon with a coconut sauce and roasted cauliflower couscous. Yum.

20 in 60: Day Twenty-One

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:29:49 -0500

This is gonna be short and sweet because I’m studying for my first exam of the semester and I want to kick its ass all over the Texas State campus. Second day in a row of kickboxing= me feeling pretty awesome. Ate very well today. This morning I made my own version of a healthy Egg McMuffin: 1 whole egg + 1 egg white in between a whole grain English muffin. Lunch consisted of the customary BHTx2 and a couple of lasts night’s roasted brussels sprouts. Also had 1 Cuban cracker and a tiny spoonful of Nutella. Snacked on a banana and some fresh cherries. And for dinner (check this out) I bought these amazing looking Cranberry and Gorgonzola Turkey Burger patties at Central Market and topped off these massive things with some shallot confit I also bought there, mixed greens with a light balsamic vinaigrette and fit it in between a pretzel bun! Sooooooo good. Get some if you live in Austin. Oh, and I made some organic baked sweet potato fries to go with. I am full and happy and ready to get back to the studying!

20 in 60: Day Twenty

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:25:19 -0500

Twenty days come and gone. Ups and downs, like expected. But it’s been a valuable adventure. I’m enjoying all the exercise (!) and my clothes are fitting much better, which is such a relief. I haven’t weighed or measured myself yet, waiting til around day 30 (eeek!). Regardless of what that villainous scale says, I know I’m feeling better, looking better, and am more conscious of what I eat. This is something I hope stays with me always.

Now for food. I made this kick-ass risotto recipe today. I found it on Bon Appetit’s Facebook page and was gushing over the recipe upon first sight. What’s not to love?!?! Sweet leeks, smokey (turkey) bacon, creamy risotto, salty pecorino romano, and a luscious poached egg on top…. heaven. I know this may sound weird, but it’s really relaxing and cathartic when I make risotto. The constant stirring and attention paid makes me feel so calm. I know, I’m a nerd. But on that subject (the risotto, not me being a nerd), prep prep prep! It’s so important because, like I said, you have to stir the risotto constantly. So you don’t want to be chopping or grating while your cooking it. Also, I made my version a little more healthy by substituting turkey bacon for the real thing, I’m sure either way it’s delectable.

Bacon and Leek Risotto (adapted slightly from Bon Appetit online)

2 eggs (poached, here’s a tutorial)
2.5 cups homemade or low sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices of thick cut turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced (make sure to rinse of all dirt)
1/2 cup of dry white wine
3/4 cup arborio rice
1.5 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated
1/2 tablespoon butter
s&p

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add leeks to drippings in pan; cook until soft but not brown, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice to pan; stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup warm broth to saucepan; stir until broth is absorbed. Repeat adding broth and stirring until rice is tender but still firm to bite and sauce is creamy, stirring almost constantly, about 23 minutes total. Meanwhile, poach the eggs. Once the risotto is done, add the bacon, chopped parsley, butter, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide into 2 bowls. Top with a poached egg and a little more Italian parsley for garnish.

Serves 2

20 in 60: Day Nineteen

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:42:00 -0500

Well, I had my first burger in over nineteen days. I had told myself at the beginning of this little quest that if I went two whole weeks with exercising at least three times per week that I would reward myself with a nice cheesy burger. Well, I actually hadn’t planned on doing it today, especially with my pie-eating the other day, but it just happened. With the prospect of a night off and not too much homework to do, Derek and I headed down to Doc’s for a couple brews. It was 2 for 1 burger day, and I assumed that you could substitute a veggie burger for the regular one. Alas, the special was for only the meat variety. So for the sake of saving money, making Derek happy by saving money, and to not be a pain in the ass, I made the oh-so-painful sacrifice to just eat the damn burger…. yeah right. No real arm-twisting was necessary, but I truthfully would have gone the veggie burger route if it was an option. And my burger was damn good I must say. I was proud of myself that I only ate like a quarter of the fries that came with it. It was a nice afternoon.

For breakfast I had some skillet potatoes, an egg and a piece of turkey bacon. After class snack was some trail mix and an orange. Lunch at Doc’s. And since we were so full all day from said burger fiesta, we didn’t even have a proper dinner. I had a bowl of cereal instead. I’ll probably finish off the night with a small piece of whole grain bread with hummus and turkey. Yesterday I was super healthy. I made this huge veggie frittata with onions, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and feta cheese. It was pretty amazing. I had half a whole grain english muffin also. I made a small mixed green salad with cranberries and blue cheese and sauteed lemon shrimp and zucchini over garlic quinoa for dinner. And lastly a piece of, you guessed it, whole grain bread with hummus and turkey. I have a lot of this. I in fact eat it so often I will now give it the acronym BHT: bread hummus turkey. There you have it.

20 in 60: Day Seventeen

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:52:00 -0500

It was quite a day. Had the pleasure of watching the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre outdoors with the house they filmed the movie in just a few feet away. Also, some of the actors and the writer were at the event to answer questions and such. We had a blast, as you can imagine. I just saw this movie for the first time some months back and was blown away by 1. how creepy and artful the movie was, and 2. the fact that I had not watched it sooner. Definitely in my top 5 favorite horror movies, and it makes it even better that they filmed it just outside of Austin. They just don’t make movies like that anymore.

Yesterday was a good food day. I didn’t disappoint. Today was basically a vacation (we did leave town!) so I didn’t care if I was a little bad, and besides, I had a great workout this morning. Per Priscilla’s brilliant suggestion, we went to the famed Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls and had some amazing comfort food. I just had to have the country-fried steak sandwich with fries and a small salad. The cafe is famous for their pies, so we made sure the indulge properly. I had the peach and Derek had the banana cream. Mine was good but his was ridiculously good, and I was jealously glancing over at it while he ate. I wanted to take one of his “man bites” in which he’ll take a bite of something of mine and damn near eat half the item in one fell swoop, but I resisted the urge. The place was more like a diner, and you could just tell it has been there forever. So much charm. Other than that I ate a couple eggs and half a whole grain english muffin, smoked salmon avocado toast, pistachios, a handful of Ross’ corn nuts, a brisket taco with pickled onions and jicama slaw, half a pbj, and a couple beers at the show. Not too shabby. And now I’m about to go into a Benadryl coma and wake up tomorrow to do some serious school reading.

20 in 60: Day Fifteen

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 01:13:00 -0500

Check out my new school shoes! New Balance’s True Balance Toning Shoe. It’s going to be much nicer walking in these, as opposed to the flats I’ve been trying to trek the hills and stairs with. Plus, supposedly, it’s also going to help me have an amazing ass. We’ll see about that. Derek found this great deal online for only half of what they’re selling these, even on Amazon. He’s good like that. I feel like I’m in grade school, getting new shoes for school. I love it.

I had a good food day. Cereal, avocado salmon toast, a couple Cuban crackers, another one of those amazing spinach salads (minus the turkey bacon and egg), and this kick-ass swordfish sandwich on a pretzel bun with tomato, avo, and herb lemon aioli with just a couple of leftover skillet potatoes. I’m officially a huge swordfish fan. So damn meaty, no wonder it’s called a swordfish steak. Plus, it’s at a good price at Central Market so I see much more swordfish in our future. Derek had a show tonight also, which went really well by the way, so I had a couple (3) vodka rocks. Keeping it low-cal. And finally I’m about to have some pistachios for a midnight (1am) snack.

And again, I’m so beat. I hope by next week I get used to waking up early, because right now it’s killing me. By the way, GO MAVS!

20 in 60: Day Fourteen

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:32:42 -0500

Which would you like first? The bad news or the good news?

Let’s get the bad news over with. I fell off the wagon tonight. Despite what I’ve been eating lately, I feel I’ve been very conscious of it, and haven’t done frivolous eating on the side. Until today. It started with my Mom “surprising” me with Cuban crackers last night. I grew up with Cuban crackers and haven’t had any for, oh, say 10 years. They’re nothing really special, just these plain large crunchy crackers, but it reminds me of Vegas and being young, and I love them. As you would guess it, they are not health food. And I have a huge bag of them on the counter. There is a reason why we don’t buy snack food. So, that’s one thing. And tonight at work I definitely let myself down by diving into some mac and cheese and later on a couple blue cheese chips and then after that some homemade German chocolate cake. Ugh. See, this is what makes me feel guilty, I wasn’t hungry, I just wanted to eat these sinful things. And I didn’t talk myself out of it. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Good news: I had my first day at school! It went very well, considering it was 11 or so years ago I roamed the halls of a university. I like my teachers and their enthusiasm for Political Science and Communication, respectively. But the work load will be a lot, considering they’re 6 week courses. And if tonight is any indication of how I’m going to feel after being at school all day and work all night, well, I’m in for a helluva ride… a very exhausting ride. Oh, and let me mention that with the current political climate and how education funds are up in the air in Texas, they don’t know how much or when I’ll be getting my financial aid… for this term! That’s already started! As in they “hope” they’ll get to it within the month. So I basically gotta wing it til then and do some “hoping” myself. But like Derek told me earlier, “we will figure it out.” Yes we will. And back to being healthy, Texas State is situated on a giant hill and inundated with endless stairs to climb. I think I may have lost 5 pounds just walking around today. So this is definitely a good thing, as every week I’ll be walking miles and climbing a billion stairs. Oh I can see the pounds shedding already! :)

20 in 60: Day Thirteen

Tue, 31 May 2011 23:45:28 -0500

It was a good day. Got up and made a flavorsome onion, spinach and turkey bacon frittata topped with the smallest of dollops of light sour cream. Have I talked about frittatas yet? Well, I’m addicted to them. I make some sort of frittata 2-4 times a week. You may think I’m pretty fancy making these all the time, but let me say, it’s the easiest thing. Actually, I’m going to post a how-to video on it. My first video! I’ll post it by next week, promise. Anyway, I had a great kickboxing workout today. And when I got home I made a mixed green/spinach salad with that yummy orange vinaigrette from the other day, blue cheese, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Then for dinner I made panko and pecorino crusted chicken breast smothered in a marinara with onion, yellow bell peppers and mushrooms. Accompanying that was these awesome skillet potatoes. My Mom used to make something similar growing up and serve it with steak and chicken and such. These type of potatoes are so versatile. I make them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All the time. They go with everything. The best part is that you don’t need to use a ton of oil because they basically steam until they are soft. Plus they get this crunchy side from the initial sauteing in olive oil. Super yummy. And a zillion times better for you than fries. You can make them with sauteed onions if you like. Or a ton or garlic. Or add some different herbs. Go crazy with it, y’all.

Skillet Potatoes

5 smallish russet potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick, into bit sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
s&p
about a tablespoon of red chili flakes, or to your liking
handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat olive oil in pan til super hot over medium heat. Add the potatoes, they should make that sizzling noise when they go in. Season with s&p and the red chili flakes. Saute until they start to brown. Turn heat to medium low and cover. Let cook/steam for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Check for seasoning. Take off heat, throw in the parsley, and serve.

Serves 4

20 in 60: Day Twelve

Mon, 30 May 2011 22:20:00 -0500

Ah, Memorial Day Weekend. Usually a time of fun in the sun, barbecues, family and friends, and, of course, many many beers being drunk. Well, mine was quite different. It was basically Derek and I hanging out, doing nothing of any importance, just enjoying some carefree time.

We did (as in both of us) go to yoga class yesterday morning. To our surprise, we really enjoyed it. Not that we didn’t think we would. I believe we just wondered if it was right for us; basically whether we’d be able to follow. And although we are quite sore in some unlikely places (neck and shoulders I mean), I think we hung in there well and after a couple of weeks we’ll be able to breathe and bend with the best of them. After the energizing yoga class I had brunch with some work friends at the lovely Perla’s. It was in a word, superb. I found myself in the lucky position of being sat next to two people who all wanted to share dishes. Something I adore. Something I adore so much that when Derek and I go out to dinner he usually just asks me to pick out two dishes that I want to have. He loves me. So, during our brunch at Perla’s we would just exclaim, “SWITCH!,” and then we rotated our dishes to the next person. So I had the distinct pleasure of having tried about 5 dishes, as more people caught on to our “sharing” and handed over their plates as well. My favorites included the Brioche French Toast which was perfectly sweet without being saccharine, and surrounded by beautiful fresh berries and topped with a lovely coconut sorbet. Sorbet on french toast= brilliant. I also salivated over the Crab Florentine: english muffin topped with a grilled tomato, lemon spinach, fresh crab meat, a perfectly poached egg and Tabasco hollandaise. It was heavenly. Every single ingredient coalesced together into a cohesive and perfectly flavored dish. And my own pick, the Breakfast Crab Cake, made me dance in my seat with delight. An intentionally bready crab cake, beautifully caramelized endive, arugula and a fried egg surrounded by a lovely unidentifiable brown sauce. It was the very definition of savory. Add a bloody mary and some frozen gin concoction, and I had a successful brunch. For dinner it was a quick turkey burger with goat cheese, roasted tomatoes and mixed greens dresses with orange vin and some baked sweet potato fries. I had a Fireman’s #4 blonde ale a little before dinner.

Today was nice in it’s simplicity. I woke up, had coffee and cereal, and finally started reading Age of Innocence. Later we introduced my Mom to the joys and wonders of Texas barbecue by going to the old Salt Lick in Driftwood. Needless to say we all loved it and filled ourselves to the brim. It was an “unbutton the top button” event. 5 hours later and I’m still full. We each had the 3 meat plate with beans, (non-mayo) potato salad, and (vinegar-based) cole slaw. I had pork ribs, brisket, and turkey; all perfectly smoked and juicy. Mom and Derek had sausage instead of the turkey I ordered. We drank Coronas and lime, and enjoyed family time. It was nice.

The only other food I had was a couple of avocado and smoked salmon toasts a couple hours after breakfast. Not sure if I’ll have anything else today, maybe just stick with some wholesome and no-calorie water, as bbq sauce is the most fattening thing known to man. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I haven’t really been restricting myself. I mean, I’m not scarfing down cheeseburgers or anything, but I’m still going out and enjoying myself. This was my original plan, hoping that the exercise will take off the pounds. I’m going to give this “easy plan” a couple more weeks, and if at that time I decide I need to diet more, then I will. Hopefully I won’t have to because, as you can see, I like my food.

Edit 5/31/11: Ha! I conveniently forgot to add the fact that we all shared a peach and blackberry cobbler with a mountain of vanilla ice cream on top. I’ve said this before, but it was totally worth it.

20 in 60: Day Ten

Sat, 28 May 2011 18:03:00 -0500

When I came out of kickboxing today I felt as if someone (trainer) took a 2x4 to my body. When I showed up for class, I walk through the door and realize that I was the only person who came. So it was a one on one session today, and I think that the trainer must have thought I was a professional athlete or something, because the way he was making me work I might as well have been. When I was done and back in my car, air conditioning full blast, I seriously considered if I was going to pass out/throw up. I do not like one on ones. I’m pretty sure I will not be able to walk tomorrow. Good workout!

When I get home, after going to Central Market to stock the fridge, I’m famished. Like I could eat my arm I’m so hungry and still a little dizzy. I decide to make a spinach salad with orange vinaigrette. Remember last week when I had that horrible 13-hour work day and I ate a whole bunch of crap? Well, in there I had a lovely spinach salad I picked up at Royal Blue Market across the street and it blew me away. Certainly one of the best salads I’ve ever had, so I knew I had to recreate it immediately. Despite my animal-like hunger, I decide to make it today, although there was quite a bit of work to it. But it certainly did not disappoint. Even better that the one I had last week. And I discovered an absolutely unbelievably delicious dressing recipe from Giada De Laurentiis from foodnetwork.com. Her orange vinaigrette is to die for. The sweetness of the orange really complements the balsamic vinegar and the hint of garlic makes it perfect. You have to make this. In large quantities. Forever.

So I indeed have had a very healthy and low-calorie day, to make up for yesterday. Bowl of cereal for breakfast. Then a Peach Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie with vanilla Kefir. Kefir is this superprobiotic milk product similar to yogurt, but with more good-for-you bacteria and is 99% lactose free. I use it because not only is it healthy, but it’s straight up delicious and perfect in smoothies. I will never make another smoothie without it. Then I had my magnificent spinach salad. And for dinner I’m making Chicken Cacciatore with brown and wild rice. It will certainly be a delicious day.

Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette (orange vinaigrette adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

1 medium orange, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove of garlic, chopped
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
s&p
about 4 cups of pre-washed baby spinach
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
handful of dried cranberries
handful of walnuts, toasted
2 slices of turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled or diced

To make the vinaigrette: combine first six ingredients and blend with an immersion blender or regular blender. Dress spinach with it. Separate into two bowls and add all the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy!

Serves 2

20 in 60: Day Nine

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:27:04 -0500

It was an almost perfect day off. But I’m not gonna lie, it was gluttonous. Started off with an amazing spinach, mushroom and goat cheese frittata. Followed by and hour and a half long (much needed) massage. Then after some time at home with the Ghostface, Derek and I went to happy hour at Vino Vino. It was truly a great time. We had their mussels and fries over a white wine tarragon broth and topped with some delicious aioli. We also had this cheese plate with some sort of blue cheese accompanied by wild mushrooms and dried beets. Lastly came the perfectly seasoned calamari. Yum. I know I know. Not so diety. But these are the things that make life worth living. The special moments with the one you love, talking over good food and good drink. So, funny enough, after three glasses of wine I wasn’t in the mood to cook dinner! Go figure! So we stayed in, ordered mushroom pizza and watched the 80s classic They Live. It was a good day. I’m going to kickboxing tomorrow afternoon, and planning on a low cal day. And Sunday is my first yoga class… let’s see how that goes.

20 in 60: Day Eight

Thu, 26 May 2011 23:31:29 -0500

So picture this. I’m in a room of say 100-150 people. It’s new student orientation at Texas State University. It’s also 8am. I woke up at 6am. I’m tired and grumpy and surrounded by “orientation leaders” or “OLs”: young and too-perky-for-8am Texas State students. Ugh. When Derek went to his orientation, it lasted all of 45 minutes. When I get my itinerary for the day it says 7:45am-5pm. WHAT?!?! I was not expecting this. Nor did I plan for it, food-wise. The whole day is full of student panels, campus tours, and hour-long rules and policy presentations. Double ugh. I’m 32. I really don’t care about any of this stuff, no offense to all the people who worked hard organizing the event. And as I’m mentally complaining, I look up to see a giant tray of doughnuts in front of me. Doughnuts. And muffins. But mainly doughnuts. Oh no. I give myself the initial “no, you don’t need it” peptalk, but during the first presentation (rambling on and on about things like on-campus living and Bobcat pride), I can’t stop thinking about those damn doughnuts. Before I knew this was an all day event, I had basically planned on being back home with enough time to sleep more and make breakfast. Now I’m convincing myself that this could be the only food I will eat until lunch. I had to eat something! I don’t want to be that girl in a packed auditorium with the grumbling stomach!

Well, ladies and gents, I did NOT eat a doughnut. I had a blueberry muffin instead. Now, don’t think I’m so delusional to think that a muffin is any better than a doughnut, both are packed with fat and sugar. But the point is, I didn’t want the muffin. I wanted to have a doughnut… or three. My triumph lies in the denial of something I wanted, something I didn’t need.

It was a good moment. I got to sneak off after a couple of hours. Derek knew all the information I needed, so I went home and made myself some eggs and whole grain toast. I returned shortly after, had my student counseling, and went back home to register for classes. I’m officially a college student again, trying to make good on all the money I wasted the first time around. It’s pretty exciting.

As for the rest of the day, I was quite the good girl. Had a banana, orange, hummus and turkey sandwich, a meatless Boca burger with mixed greens and the tiniest bit of Vegenaise and yellow mustard, carrot, coffee, lots of water… and for dinner: broiled skin-on wild salmon with homemade tzatziki sauce and couscous. And I went to kickboxing today. I looked like I jumped in a pool by the time I walked out of class, I was that sweaty. And now I’m super sleepy and feeling content.

20 in 60: Day Seven

Wed, 25 May 2011 23:59:00 -0500

Well, I forgot to write yesterday. It was bound to happen. I have the memory of 70 year old. I’ll blame it on the long day at work, a double shift. The good news is I still managed to eat well, despite my irritable temperament. I’m no longer meant for these long work days. My joints ache. My feet throb. And I’m pretty sure I’m getting carpal tunnel… thus also contributing to me feeling like a 70 year old. My days as a carefree server are limited, I believe. A good thing. You got to grow up sometime.

Yesterday I had cereal, breakfast tacos (egg and salsa on flour), orange, banana, pistachios, ham and muenster tartine, and a white meat chicken burrito on whole wheat tortilla with pinto beans and poblano salsa. Had a 22 oz late night Blue Moon also. Not too bad. Today was a slightly different story, as it was my “friday” and I was in need of celebrating it. Derek and I went to Doc’s and had their Four Layer Bean Dip. Queso, beans, guac, sour cream, salsa and tortilla chips! Yeah! Add a couple seasonal pilsners, great conversation and I had myself a sinfully lovely time. Made up for the diet detour with a healthy breakfast; cereal and some breakfast egg tacos at work, and a healthy lunch; apple, orange, banana, and a hummus and turkey tartine. And then there was dinner. Oh how I love you pasta.

Let’s talk anchovies. They incite fear in many. One of the most common restaurant questions I get is, “does the caesar salad have anchovies in it,” they ask with a look of trepidation. “Yes, there are anchovies in the dressing, but not on the salad,” I reply with a mental eye roll. Like 99% of all people like caesar salad, yet a majority of people say they hate anchovies. It’s not like you gotta eat them raw and by themselves people! So let me say this, they are delicious. And when you saute them in olive oil until they have melted, they take on this super nutty and absolutely un-fishy flavor. So so so good. Tonight I sauteed shrimp in a little olive oil, s&p and red pepper flakes until pink and firm, about three minutes. I then squeezed some lemon juice on them and put them in a bowl. In the same saute pan I cooked the shrimp in, I added a little more olive oil and after it got hot I threw in a whole bunch of anchovies and let them melt away. Next came a truckload of garlic and slowly cooked it until golden brown and toasted. Let me be honest, I almost burnt the garlic. Even on low heat it can go fast. Luckily it also took on a nutty flavor, similar and complementary to the cooked anchovies. During the cooking of the garlic and anchovies I was also making the whole wheat spaghetti until just under al dente, which at that point I added the shrimp back to the saute pan, then some of the pasta cooking water, then the pasta, then more s&p and red pepper flakes, then a big handful of pecorino romano, and finally a handful of fresh Italian parsley. Warning: this dish is not for the fond of blandness. It packs a punch! Strong pungent flavors encompass every bite. In a good way of course. So damn yummy, and I must add, all heart-healthy ingredients!

Oops, almost forgot to include those 3 big spoonfuls of chocolate mousse I snuck in at work. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.

20 in 60: Day Five

Mon, 23 May 2011 21:39:40 -0500

A normal day. A day just like any other. Nothing special, but a nice day nonetheless. Work, then errands, then relaxing time at home. I’ve decided that I need more soup in my life. I don’t make it nearly enough. And it’s so easy to put together, especially if you have chicken stock already made. Tonight I decided on white bean chicken soup. I had leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge and I thought the white beans would not only add good flavor and texture, but make the soup more hearty. It turned out beautifully. Warming and delicious. Oh yeah, and it’s healthy. A plus. The ole diet went well today. Had a bowl of Special K for breakfast. Breakfast tacos with eggs and sauteed onions and pepper for lunch. Snacked on pistachios and a slice of sourdough with hummus and turkey. Had a banana and mandarin orange earlier. Soup for dinner paired with another slice of sourdough, but this time it was smeared in goat cheese. Had about 6 milk chocolate chips also. Gotta get that chocolate fix taken care of, you know!

White Bean Chicken Soup

6 cups homemade chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 sprig rosemary
1 14 oz can of white beans
1.5-2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
juice of 1/2 lemon
s&p

Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Season with s&p. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add carrots and cook for a another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, chicken stock and rosemary. Simmer over medium low heat until the carrots are soft, 30-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes add the chicken and lemon juice. Remove sprig of rosemary and check for seasoning. Serve hot. Throw in a handful of fresh parsley if you got it.

Serves 4

20 in 60: Day Four

Sun, 22 May 2011 23:28:00 -0500

I made this for dinner tonight. Herb ricotta and rotisserie chicken stuffed crepes with asparagus and a light sauce. The recipe is from the Food Network, and this photograph is from the website also. Mine wasn’t quite as picturesque. But it turned out well. Perfectly light dinner for a stifling hot day like today. Had a lovely brunch with my mom earlier at Kerby Lane. I thought I was being good by ordering the smoked salmon egg white omelette, but ruined the healthfulness of the meal with an enormous buttermilk pancake smothered in butter and maple syrup. It was worth it. :)

I went to the gym today and ran intervals on the treadmill. The only other things I ate today was a small bowl of cereal and a piece of whole grain bread with hummus. Also, I’ve spent the last 30 minutes trying to figure out how many calories I ate today and after scouring the internet and trying to remember what the hell was in my omelette I have decided that it takes way to much time to figure this stuff out. So f**k it. I’m sticking with the eating healthy plan and keeping conscience of the caloric value of things I eat when it’s available.

On a bright note: I haven’t had any alcohol in two days! That’s some self control!

20 in 60: Day Three

Sun, 22 May 2011 02:03:00 -0500

Longest. Day. Ever.

Worked a 13 hour shift, with only a 10 minute break, all the while a migraine threatened to split my head in two. Suffice it to say, my diet did not go well today. With such a short break, there were little options in the way of food. I was on survival mode. In the restaurant business this means eating whatever is available at any point in time. Listen to this motley array of food I put in my body: 2 black bean tacos, slice of pepperoni pizza, slice of veggie pizza, gala apple, small spinach salad, KIND fruit and nut bar, chocolate wedding cake, lobster tail (with my bare hands), caesar salad, and mash potatoes. Yeah. Super healthy. How many calories is that? Oh, about a million. Maybe tomorrow morning I’ll attempt a calculation. For now I’ll wait til this Excedrine Migraine/Benadryl cocktail kicks in and pray for a dreamless sleep.

20 in 60: Day Two

Sat, 21 May 2011 01:50:49 -0500

So, I get home tonight and find that Derek has bought ice cream. Yes, ice cream. On my second day of the diet. Not only one, but two pints of ice cream. He never buys ice cream. Ever. But on the second night of my diet he has bought and stored that sinfulness in the freezer, so it can sit there and taunt me. I’ll probably hear it calling me in my sleep. What a jerk he is!

Day two and I have to say this: COUNTING CALORIES SUCKS! It takes FOREVER to figure out the nutritional information for everything you eat, especially when you make food. There are a zillion online calorie counter websites, some good, some bad. Once I get a feel for it all, I’ll post my recommendations. So far, Google has been my best friend. And who knows how accurate these numbers are, but I’m not going to stress it. My daily caloric intake will be an estimation, and I’m okay with that.

What I ate today: For breakfast I had a small bowl of Special K Redberries with skim milk. Lunch was about 3 slices of smoked ham wrapped in a slice of part skim mozzarella with a small salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Around 4 I had two slices of cheese pizza from Domino’s at work. For dinner I had a large turkey and mozzarella sandwich from Which Wich. The end of the evening consisted of 1.5 glasses of wine and a slice of mulitgrain bread with hummus and a slice of that smoked ham. Total calories: 2037 Total fat: 63g

20 in 60: My 60-day journey through the ups and downs of a diet

Fri, 20 May 2011 11:48:00 -0500

DAY ONE (yesterday)

This is a long time coming. I hate diets. I hate restricting myself in any way. But I also hate not fitting into my clothes. When I was young I ate like a bird, much more interested in secluding myself in the bedroom, writing short stories and drawing. I was always thin. I was no twig mind you, just thin. Never had to watch what I ate. The first time I ever really started gaining weight was when I moved in with my father at the age of 16. As opposed to my mom cooking dinner every night, my father barely made himself a bowl of cereal let alone whip up dinner. He was hardly even home, so I had to fend for myself. My diet started to consist of Villa Pizza, Taco Bell and Wendy’s. So the pounds started piling on. That’s the first time I ever started to feel fat. To feel the self esteem sink. To feel guilt when I ate.

When I began at the University of Oregon in 1996, I actually lost all the extra weight I gained in the last year of high school. The opposite of the “freshman 15.” I quit drinking Pepsi (there was only Coke in the cafeteria, and I was die-hard Pepsi), and I refused to eat anything in the dorm cafeteria that I deemed “suspect”, including most beef and all fish, anything in which I was in doubt of the quality. With the dorm meal plan, I ate much less fast food. This made the biggest difference. From then on, I’ve never really had much of an issue. I was never in shape, or totally comfortable in a bikini, but I was thin enough for it not to matter. My weight would fluctuate by 5 or 10 pounds, but I would correct it easily and with little effort.

Until now. I don’t know if it’s age, or digestion problems, or sheer laziness, but I’ve somehow tacked on 20+ extra lbs and I’m sinking into the shame-zone fast. I walk into my closet, look at the clothes I have, realize that only 1/2 fit me, chin falls to my chest in dejection, I then wish I could go out in sweat pants, realize I can’t, and I finally put on one of like 4 outfits I don’t feel terrible in. Ugh. Ever gone through this?

I problem is that I have very little self control when it comes to my “cravings.” These are all emotional based, so I, in fact, feel entitled to them. Had a bad day? A big cheeseburger and fries will fix it! Feeling depressed? Mac and cheese! Mac and cheese will cure whatever ails you! And drink a whole bottle of red wine while you’re at it!! Then when I splurge, I say to myself, “Ok, for the rest of the week you’re gonna eat super healthy.” Which will almost always be followed by a friend calling to go out to dinner or a coworker wanted to share some sinfully delicious truffle frites that I’ve never said no to. And the shame-spiral continues.

Another problem is sloth, as in one of the seven deadly sins. Yup, that’s me. I’m lazy as f**k. I’ve never exercised for more than a couple months consistently and it’s something I’ve stressed over my whole life. I knew that if I just worked out a little bit I could have a great figure, but I’ve been straight up lazy. No other excuse. My work out failures began at the ripe age of 10 when Alyssa Milano’s Teen Steam work out video came out in 1988. Check out this 80s gem here, and die laughing! I want those gold high-tops though. For real. Anyway, then it was Cindy Crawford’s tape. Then this. Then that. I would do it for a couple weeks or months, see little change, and give up.

But today’s a new day. A day for change.

Here’s the plan: I have a membership to Impact Fitness, a fitness-based kickboxing gym. Workouts are 30-45 minutes and I’m gonna try to go 3x per week. At first it will be difficult, as I get so sore I can barely walk the next day… but that will subside. Gonna throw in a weekly yoga class as well. And if I’ve feeling up to it, a jog on the threadmill once a week, mostly likely while watching HGTV, cause I’m a nerd like that. I’m also weighing and measuring myself once a week. No strict diet plans. I’m keeping a daily food journal, i.e. this blog, that will hold me accountable. Because we’re all vain. And I’m more likely to not eat an entire cheesecake if I have to write it down for the whole bloggerverse to see. I am gonna start counting calories though. The most basic way to lose weight is to take account of how many calories you intake, and cut that down. So that’s what I’m gonna do. Try to at least. If I feel like splurging, I won’t stop myself. I’ll make up for it in the following days instead. One thing I will desperately try to do is cut down on the alcohol. Ugh. I love my wine! I love my heavy beer! Moderation is key, and something I’m not very good at. This one will be hard. Everyday I will post my thoughts through this journey. The good, the bad, and the frustratingly ugly. I will unabashedly write down everything I put in my mouth along with my weight (gasp!). And I pray I’ll have the strength to succeed in my goal. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or make fun of me in general.

Here it goes.

Start weight: 169
What I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, black. Spanish frittata: 2 eggs, potatoes, roasted red bell peppers, feta cheese.
Snack: 1 skim milk cappuccino
Lunch: 1 cup leftover pad thai
Snack: 8 fl. oz. (1 cup) Odwalla Superfood
Dinner: 1 rosemary tilapia filet with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, 1 cup eggplant, zucchini and goat cheese whole wheat couscous
At the bar: 1/2 bag of pretzels, 1 shot of whiskey, 2 Miller Lites
Midnight snack: single serving bag of pistachios, 1 mandarin orange

About 1800 calories, and 59 grams of fat for the day

*Disclaimer- I am no dietician or health expert. These are my views and tactics alone. Consult your doctor if you’re thinking of going on a diet.