I've been away from this blog for a while. With the renovating, the laptop getting a bath (not a good thing) and all that it seems like everything went out of sync.
The food part is back into shape. It didn't take long since I don't like to eat badly, I don't like how it tastes, how it feels, it's just not me anymore.
My main challenge is working out. I've lost my grove, and I'm not happy about it! I feel like I have to start from the beginning and it bugs me. I've been constantly moving with all the cleaning, moving stuff and everything, but it's not the same.
I don't know how to get my "gym grove" back. I have DVDs here, and I like doing them, but I feel like it's not enough. Also I've had strangers in my house almost everyday for over 3 weeks now. Not really my thing to do yoga in front of strangers.
Painting is almost done. I'm thinking that by noon time he'll leave for good and I can have my house back. I need a plan.
1- Cardio: I want to stop by the gym for 30 minutes Cardio 6 days/week. If that's all I do at the gym, it'll be ok. Also I want to walk 45 minutes every day.
2- Strength training: I want to do 20 minutes of resistance training 6 days/week. It can be weight lifting or a DVD at home, but 20 minutes minimum!
So there, I have a plan, and it starts TODAY!
I'll report on how I'm doing. I need to get moving, summer is almost here and I don't want to hide! Not part of my personality!
Be good n stuff!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Laptop Trauma
Monday morning I overturned an entire glass of water with Weight Watchers Mix-in into my laptop computer.
Because of this I have been unable to post on my blogs, or send my group emails all week. I got my laptop back today and will resume my happy activities tomorrow.
I hope nobody got offended or confused by this. I promise to post as soon as I can tomorrow!
Be good n stuff!
Willow
Because of this I have been unable to post on my blogs, or send my group emails all week. I got my laptop back today and will resume my happy activities tomorrow.
I hope nobody got offended or confused by this. I promise to post as soon as I can tomorrow!
Be good n stuff!
Willow
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tried a new recipe!
I was working this morning, and after a quick coffee, I ran home to finish up putting the bedroom and office together for painting tomorrow. After a few hours of it, I was really tired. You see, this morning, my alarm clock decided to adjust to spring time, and woke me up at 5 instead of 6. I spent all day trying to catch up.
Anyway, I was tired at the end of the day and not in a cooking mood. Yesterday I had bought the ingredients to try a new recipe out of one of my new cookbook "Veganomicon" and I ended up not trying it. Too much work! Tonight I didn't feel like doing it either, but I realized that I sure wouldn't have time to do it tomorrow.
So, I gathered every ounce of energy I had and tried the Spaghetti Squash Mexicana with Tropical Avocado Salsa Fresca. The recipe is a little labor intensive but it was so worth it! It's also not a difficult recipe, there's a bit of chopping to do, but it's an easy recipe to make!
It was spicy, but delicious spicy, not "hot and taste like nothing but fire" spicy. The sweetness of the mango balanced the spiciness of the hot sauce and chili. The coriander and cinnamon gave it a very rich taste. Really, it was a delicious meal. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, if it warms up well, it'll be a new winner in my house. We both loved it!
It's really pleasing to see vegan fare that is creative and tasty and healthy. Woah..
Those who don't like spicy food, hum.. you can cut down I guess, but know that "as is" it's a very spicy dish. It's so good though! Never be afraid of walking new paths, they will lead you to new wonders, discoveries and unforeseen pleasures!
Be good n stuff!!!
Anyway, I was tired at the end of the day and not in a cooking mood. Yesterday I had bought the ingredients to try a new recipe out of one of my new cookbook "Veganomicon" and I ended up not trying it. Too much work! Tonight I didn't feel like doing it either, but I realized that I sure wouldn't have time to do it tomorrow.
So, I gathered every ounce of energy I had and tried the Spaghetti Squash Mexicana with Tropical Avocado Salsa Fresca. The recipe is a little labor intensive but it was so worth it! It's also not a difficult recipe, there's a bit of chopping to do, but it's an easy recipe to make!
It was spicy, but delicious spicy, not "hot and taste like nothing but fire" spicy. The sweetness of the mango balanced the spiciness of the hot sauce and chili. The coriander and cinnamon gave it a very rich taste. Really, it was a delicious meal. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, if it warms up well, it'll be a new winner in my house. We both loved it!
It's really pleasing to see vegan fare that is creative and tasty and healthy. Woah..
Those who don't like spicy food, hum.. you can cut down I guess, but know that "as is" it's a very spicy dish. It's so good though! Never be afraid of walking new paths, they will lead you to new wonders, discoveries and unforeseen pleasures!
Be good n stuff!!!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
It's getting done!
When we bought our house, things started happening, and we ended up never having time to make it "our" house. We didn't even paint, much less do anything else.
Yesterday, workers have been in adding a pull down stairs to reach the attic which we had never been in. Not only it's much bigger than we thought, but with easy access, it will replace the garage and/or locker that everybody but us seem to have to put stuff away.
Also they are putting in shelves in my office closet. Lots and lots of shelves to put all my stuff and my junk that is laying around the place. We have a huge number of standard-sized boxes that we bought at office depot. You know those boxes that have handles holes and a lid that you can remove completely? The contractor measured the boxes and made the shelves so that the boxes would fit perfectly in there. It's also plenty high for other stuff and there are shelves from the floor to the ceiling. Plenty of space.
In short, we're going to 3 small and 1 medium-large closet, without any shelves, to store everything we own, to a large attic space and an office closet with plenty of shelves. Storage storage storage, everywhere!
Those two guys are also doing minor repair to my ceiling and fixing my fan in my bathroom. The main thing though is storage, I will have storage space in my house... FINALLY.
Next week, it's the painter! He's coming in to remove the ugly beige and put colors all over my walls. After 3 years of living in here, it will finally be OUR HOUSE, with our colors. Whether they look good or not, it will be OUR choices.
I can't believe it, this little condo with ugly colors and no storage will "feel" mine with happy colors and ton of storage. I can't wait for it to be done, I'm sick of the noise and the dust, but it is so worth the effort! I'll be posting pictures when it's all done!
Be good n stuff!
Yesterday, workers have been in adding a pull down stairs to reach the attic which we had never been in. Not only it's much bigger than we thought, but with easy access, it will replace the garage and/or locker that everybody but us seem to have to put stuff away.
Also they are putting in shelves in my office closet. Lots and lots of shelves to put all my stuff and my junk that is laying around the place. We have a huge number of standard-sized boxes that we bought at office depot. You know those boxes that have handles holes and a lid that you can remove completely? The contractor measured the boxes and made the shelves so that the boxes would fit perfectly in there. It's also plenty high for other stuff and there are shelves from the floor to the ceiling. Plenty of space.
In short, we're going to 3 small and 1 medium-large closet, without any shelves, to store everything we own, to a large attic space and an office closet with plenty of shelves. Storage storage storage, everywhere!
Those two guys are also doing minor repair to my ceiling and fixing my fan in my bathroom. The main thing though is storage, I will have storage space in my house... FINALLY.
Next week, it's the painter! He's coming in to remove the ugly beige and put colors all over my walls. After 3 years of living in here, it will finally be OUR HOUSE, with our colors. Whether they look good or not, it will be OUR choices.
I can't believe it, this little condo with ugly colors and no storage will "feel" mine with happy colors and ton of storage. I can't wait for it to be done, I'm sick of the noise and the dust, but it is so worth the effort! I'll be posting pictures when it's all done!
Be good n stuff!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Cookbooks!
I know, I know, the last thing I need is more cookbooks. Well, I just bought 3, and I'm all happy and excited about them!!
Japanese Cooking:
Monday I was working in Sebastopol, and I had some time to kill, so I stopped by Copperfield. It a book store downtown (if there is such a thing as "downtown Sebastopol"). I was browsing and looking longingly at cookbooks, and trying very hard to be good, but then I saw it! Let's Cook Japanese Food! (by Amy Kaneko) on special, $9.99. Of course, now that I bought it, Amazon has it at $8.99, oh well...
I just got it this last monday, but already I did Yaki Onigiri (grilled Rice Balls) out of it. I broiled them, and they were fantastic! It's authentic looking Japanese foods, but mainly it's accessible Japanese food! Things that I can make myself, here at home, without owning an Asian food store!
The autor, Amy Kaneko, married into a Japanese family and learned to cook from her in-laws and her husband. It looks like a book that I will be using a lot more than my other Japanese cookbook. Finally, real food!
I'm very happy with this book, the more I look into it, the more I find new possibilities, recipes to try, recipes that will be easy to adapt to my own lifestyle. A good buy I think. :o)
Vegan Fare:
Let me say right out that I am not a vegan or vegetarian, or any of those. I love meat, and I have no intention to stop eating it. This being said, I'm always open to explore new horizons, and I've been nosing in vegetarian/vegan cooking lately with good results.
My first step into Vegan cooking came from fatfreevegan.com after a friend suggested it to me. I found all sorts of stuff in there! I also started buying the magazine Vegetarian Times, and really enjoys the stuff I find in there.
When it came to cookbooks though, all I really found was Indian food (great but I have PLENTY of that), and vegetarian versions of "meat meals". Since I eat meat when I want meat, that is not what I was looking for.
The same friend who suggested fatfreevegan.com (thanks Patty!), suggested that I look into Vegan with a Vengeance (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz). After nosing around and reading a lot of reviews, I finally broke down and ordered it from Amazon.com.
That book is exactly what I was looking for, real recipes for real foods made with real ingredients. It's accessible, not even overly pricey ingredients, and recipes that are super creative and delicious looking. I started putting sticky arrows on the pages of the recipes I want to try and had to stop because I ran out of arrows! Of course I got it yesterday, I didn't have time to try anything yet, but I think you're going to hear a lot about this book from me!
To add best to better, the commentary from the author (and her cat!) are witty, interesting and charming. I'm just in love with this book.
While researching this book, I came accross a lot of comments about another vegan cookbook called Veganomicon (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero). Since the reviews were so good, I bought it as well. This book is as unpretentious as Vengan with a Vegeance, but is more of a "everybody cookbook" in the sense that it seems to go into more details, explanations, and a greater diversity of recipes.
Since I've been so absorbed into Vegan with a Vengeance, I haven't nosed too much in Veganomicon, but it looks like a great "everything Vegan" book to have. I'm looking forward to exploring this one as well. I shall report once I've started cooking!
So there you have it, add these 3 cookbook to my extensive Weight Watchers, Moosewood, Ethnic fare, and everything in between collection of cookbooks, and you have well over 150 books to play with! I'm enjoying myself and discover new foods almost everyday!
Be good n stuff!
Japanese Cooking:
Monday I was working in Sebastopol, and I had some time to kill, so I stopped by Copperfield. It a book store downtown (if there is such a thing as "downtown Sebastopol"). I was browsing and looking longingly at cookbooks, and trying very hard to be good, but then I saw it! Let's Cook Japanese Food! (by Amy Kaneko) on special, $9.99. Of course, now that I bought it, Amazon has it at $8.99, oh well...
I just got it this last monday, but already I did Yaki Onigiri (grilled Rice Balls) out of it. I broiled them, and they were fantastic! It's authentic looking Japanese foods, but mainly it's accessible Japanese food! Things that I can make myself, here at home, without owning an Asian food store!
The autor, Amy Kaneko, married into a Japanese family and learned to cook from her in-laws and her husband. It looks like a book that I will be using a lot more than my other Japanese cookbook. Finally, real food!
I'm very happy with this book, the more I look into it, the more I find new possibilities, recipes to try, recipes that will be easy to adapt to my own lifestyle. A good buy I think. :o)
Vegan Fare:
Let me say right out that I am not a vegan or vegetarian, or any of those. I love meat, and I have no intention to stop eating it. This being said, I'm always open to explore new horizons, and I've been nosing in vegetarian/vegan cooking lately with good results.
My first step into Vegan cooking came from fatfreevegan.com after a friend suggested it to me. I found all sorts of stuff in there! I also started buying the magazine Vegetarian Times, and really enjoys the stuff I find in there.
When it came to cookbooks though, all I really found was Indian food (great but I have PLENTY of that), and vegetarian versions of "meat meals". Since I eat meat when I want meat, that is not what I was looking for.
The same friend who suggested fatfreevegan.com (thanks Patty!), suggested that I look into Vegan with a Vengeance (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz). After nosing around and reading a lot of reviews, I finally broke down and ordered it from Amazon.com.
That book is exactly what I was looking for, real recipes for real foods made with real ingredients. It's accessible, not even overly pricey ingredients, and recipes that are super creative and delicious looking. I started putting sticky arrows on the pages of the recipes I want to try and had to stop because I ran out of arrows! Of course I got it yesterday, I didn't have time to try anything yet, but I think you're going to hear a lot about this book from me!
To add best to better, the commentary from the author (and her cat!) are witty, interesting and charming. I'm just in love with this book.
While researching this book, I came accross a lot of comments about another vegan cookbook called Veganomicon (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero). Since the reviews were so good, I bought it as well. This book is as unpretentious as Vengan with a Vegeance, but is more of a "everybody cookbook" in the sense that it seems to go into more details, explanations, and a greater diversity of recipes.
Since I've been so absorbed into Vegan with a Vengeance, I haven't nosed too much in Veganomicon, but it looks like a great "everything Vegan" book to have. I'm looking forward to exploring this one as well. I shall report once I've started cooking!
So there you have it, add these 3 cookbook to my extensive Weight Watchers, Moosewood, Ethnic fare, and everything in between collection of cookbooks, and you have well over 150 books to play with! I'm enjoying myself and discover new foods almost everyday!
Be good n stuff!
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