Today has been one of those REALLY slow days that just drag on by. I can see the sun shining outside and while my body is in front of of a computer screen being productive, my heart is outside by a pretty swimming pool, getting some sun and finishing up The Passage (a really good book, by the way - out of the realm of what I normally read, but I would recommend it). It is on days like this that I wish my career included a summer vacation! There is just nothing worse than watching the summer roll by while you're indoors. Summer was made for being outside!!!
I know that in a few hours, I will be saying the opposite...that summer is made for A/C. Chad and I Crossfit tonight and, because we basically work out in a glorified shed that most definitely does not have air condtioning, we will sweating to death at our 7 pm class.
Yes, we are still Crossfitting. I am so proud to be able to say that! It has become a semi-addiction for us both...and while I am still in the same size, I am noticing some subtle changes to my body. My arms and legs are becoming more toned, which is GREAT. Yes, I want to be slim again, but it took longer than 6 weeks to gain all this weight (it sure didn't feel like it, but it did), and it will take longer than 6 weeks to get it off. But it will happen.
Chad is already getting his muscle back...it's amazing. The whole "muscle memory" thing is so true. We have also been eating Paleo (or sticking to it as close as we can) and trying our best not to cheat. We still have our moments though - I have lattes (fat/sugar free) and the occasional piece of chocolate. I also had a small affair with a piece of sourdough bread from Atlanta Bread Co. But the daily gorging of carbs? It doesn't happen anymore. No more cereal, no more bread with dinner, no more spaghetti noodles, no more starchy beans and corn. Instead, we have our veggies and lean protein, eat salads and fruit, and of course many, many egg whites. We both went a little nuts over my ice cream birthday cake from Bruster's over the weekend, but good grief, you have to LIVE!
Here's hoping your hump day flies by quickly!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
And Now I Am 27
I turned another year older on my trip to Texas last week, June 9 to be exact. I am now 27 years of age...still in twenties, but cutting it close, my friends. Turning 27 hasn't been a traumatic experience; on the contrary, it's been pretty freakin' fun! My darling Chad met me at the airport on my birthday night (actually, it was the wee hours of the morning on June 10th, but no need to get technical), brought me home to a fantastic b-day present (Switchflops, I am so in love), sweet card, and CHEESECAKE! He helped me blow out the candles on another year, something he has been doing for a while now.
We had a fun cook out this past Saturday night, too, with our family and friends. It was a lovely way to start a new birthday year. People came and brought presents, cards, and well wishes...which is what I love the most (the well wishes). I am very blessed, indeed, to have people in my life who care whether or not I have a good birthday. Many people don't have that luxury. So thank you, family and friends!
So what has happened over the past year for Chad and I? Let's recap:
We welcomed our first nephew into the world, we redecorated our house, celebrated holidays, went to the beach and lake, went on the Polar Express for Christmas, Chad started at USC Upstate (which meant the end is near for his Bachelor's), we started Crossfit, and we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. 26 was quite an eventful year!
I am very much looking forward to seeing what happens at age 27!
We had a fun cook out this past Saturday night, too, with our family and friends. It was a lovely way to start a new birthday year. People came and brought presents, cards, and well wishes...which is what I love the most (the well wishes). I am very blessed, indeed, to have people in my life who care whether or not I have a good birthday. Many people don't have that luxury. So thank you, family and friends!
So what has happened over the past year for Chad and I? Let's recap:
We welcomed our first nephew into the world, we redecorated our house, celebrated holidays, went to the beach and lake, went on the Polar Express for Christmas, Chad started at USC Upstate (which meant the end is near for his Bachelor's), we started Crossfit, and we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. 26 was quite an eventful year!
I am very much looking forward to seeing what happens at age 27!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Up In The Air
So here I am, at the airport terminal, waiting for my flight to board. I hate flying. I hate everything about. But I am waiting to walk step by step to board the plane. Here you go, Mr. Pilot and crew...here is control over my destiny, my destination, my freakin' LIFE. I know I don't know you, but supposedly you're alcohol/drug free, up to safety standards, and know what that little button on the left does. Hopefully you can land this bird, no prob. But just a little reminder from little 'ole me: I have a family here. I have two dogs. I have a husband who I hugged so tight this morning I may have dislocated a rib. So if you could PLEASE just return me to where I started, I would be most grateful.
Yes, y'all, my fear is really that bad. I'm okay now: I have some magic pills that make the anxiety disappate. I've been on airplanes since I was five years old. I have flown to Hawaii and back (not a short trip for those who are geographically challenged). Why, in the past few years, has flying become such a personal fear for me? I mean, I literally spent my WEDDING NIGHT laying in bed eating mac 'n cheese from the reception with no thought of consummating my marriage because my new husband and I were flying to Mexico the next day. The thought of boarding the plane had me convinced it would be my last night on earth and I needed to compensate with cheese, dang it! I'm surprised I didn't board that plane to Mexico by myself!
So I am back in this circle of fear. Scared, but also looking at myself and going, you wuss. You can dead lift 220 lbs, almost do a for real push up, and can eat spaghetti squash like a fiend. You're scared of transportation that is safer than riding in a car and train? Get over it.
And maybe I will when I'm safely on the ground again.
Yes, y'all, my fear is really that bad. I'm okay now: I have some magic pills that make the anxiety disappate. I've been on airplanes since I was five years old. I have flown to Hawaii and back (not a short trip for those who are geographically challenged). Why, in the past few years, has flying become such a personal fear for me? I mean, I literally spent my WEDDING NIGHT laying in bed eating mac 'n cheese from the reception with no thought of consummating my marriage because my new husband and I were flying to Mexico the next day. The thought of boarding the plane had me convinced it would be my last night on earth and I needed to compensate with cheese, dang it! I'm surprised I didn't board that plane to Mexico by myself!
So I am back in this circle of fear. Scared, but also looking at myself and going, you wuss. You can dead lift 220 lbs, almost do a for real push up, and can eat spaghetti squash like a fiend. You're scared of transportation that is safer than riding in a car and train? Get over it.
And maybe I will when I'm safely on the ground again.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday Night Drive
It was a beautiful night last night...and I was able to capture the mountains on our way to the farm...I just thought it was such a beautiful sight that I made Chad turn around so I could get a picture of it. Not a very good one, but hey, I was in a truck going down the road!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Paleo Meatloaf...Results
First off, I need to preface this by saying that I've never been a huge fan of meatloaf. It wasn't a dinnertime staple at our house and the only meatloaf I've ever really liked was my step-mother's and I've only had it maybe twice.
So here goes:
Paleo Meatloaf recipe from Everyday Paleo:
1 diced red onion
2 lbs grass fed ground beef (we used regular ground beef 93/7 ratio)
1 cup almond meal
2 eggs
1 can tomato paste (sugar free/organic)
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1/2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp marjoram
cracked black pepper to taste (we used regular ground pepper)
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl. Place meat mixture into a large glass baking pan and form into a loaf. Bake at 350 degress for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink in the middle.
Paleo Ketchup from our Crossfit nutritional website, Feed the Beast:
1 small can of plain, sugar free tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 tsp vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and transfer to container and then into fridge.
Chad and I did not put the ketchup directly on the meatloaf, but rather used it as a dipping sauce after the meatloaf was cooked.
The result? It wasn't half bad. The almond flour (yeah, I had never heard of it either) provided a new texture/taste - kind of nutty - but the loaf itself held together just like normal meatloaf and had the same consistency. I think that we may use a little less than a whole cup of almond flour next time - it was a bit on the dry side...which is where Paleo ketchup came in! NO it's not Heinz. Let me just put that out there. Regular ketchup is full of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc...mainly precious, lovely things that we can't eat on our Paleo diet. But Paleo ketchup is okay...I may use a tiny bit less vinegar next time, or research a lighter, sweeter vinegar - apple cider vinegar has a bite to it. (PS, I tried drinking the stuff mixed with water a while back because I heard that it would aid in weightloss - oh my dear Lord, don't do it!). We didn't add vegetables with the meal - I was going to do asparagus, but we just didn't - but the meatloaf filled us up...I only had one medium slice and I was done.
Chad also fixed a great, simple dessert - mashed bananas mixed with vanilla extract, frozen. It was GREAT! He's such a trooper...I know deep down he wants a bacon cheeseburger and half and half from Pete's.
Tonight's menu:
Steak stirfry...should be pretty simple, but we'll see...
So here goes:
Paleo Meatloaf recipe from Everyday Paleo:
1 diced red onion
2 lbs grass fed ground beef (we used regular ground beef 93/7 ratio)
1 cup almond meal
2 eggs
1 can tomato paste (sugar free/organic)
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1/2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp marjoram
cracked black pepper to taste (we used regular ground pepper)
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl. Place meat mixture into a large glass baking pan and form into a loaf. Bake at 350 degress for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink in the middle.
Paleo Ketchup from our Crossfit nutritional website, Feed the Beast:
1 small can of plain, sugar free tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 tsp vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and transfer to container and then into fridge.
Chad and I did not put the ketchup directly on the meatloaf, but rather used it as a dipping sauce after the meatloaf was cooked.
The result? It wasn't half bad. The almond flour (yeah, I had never heard of it either) provided a new texture/taste - kind of nutty - but the loaf itself held together just like normal meatloaf and had the same consistency. I think that we may use a little less than a whole cup of almond flour next time - it was a bit on the dry side...which is where Paleo ketchup came in! NO it's not Heinz. Let me just put that out there. Regular ketchup is full of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc...mainly precious, lovely things that we can't eat on our Paleo diet. But Paleo ketchup is okay...I may use a tiny bit less vinegar next time, or research a lighter, sweeter vinegar - apple cider vinegar has a bite to it. (PS, I tried drinking the stuff mixed with water a while back because I heard that it would aid in weightloss - oh my dear Lord, don't do it!). We didn't add vegetables with the meal - I was going to do asparagus, but we just didn't - but the meatloaf filled us up...I only had one medium slice and I was done.
Chad also fixed a great, simple dessert - mashed bananas mixed with vanilla extract, frozen. It was GREAT! He's such a trooper...I know deep down he wants a bacon cheeseburger and half and half from Pete's.
Tonight's menu:
Steak stirfry...should be pretty simple, but we'll see...
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Oh, Paleo!
When we started Crossfit almost 4 weeks ago (yup, I said FOUR), we knew that in addition to working our butts off, we were going to seriously have to change our eating patterns. Both Chad and I hate to make decisions, are pretty much lazy when it comes to food, and are HUGE fans of starches dipped in hot oil - or french fries to the layman. Actually, we're fans of starches in any shape or form - bread, cereal, oatmeal...if it's a processed grain or has copious amounts of sugar, consider us ready to eat!
Our instructor told us that the Crossfit stance on nutrition was the Zone diet, made famous by Jen Aniston and her incredibly buff arms. The Zone diet is semi-complex, based on portion size, and pretty much irritating until you get it down pat. The instructor also told us about a group challenge that was underway - the Paleo challenge. Meaning Paleolithic. Or the "caveman diet." After Chad and I laughed about it, we both started doing a little research on it and even bought a book about it. And to tell you the truth, it's pretty interesting.
Unlike the Zone, where portions are key, the Paleo diet is all about the quality of the foods you eat - namely no grains, no sugars, etc. It's all based on what Paleolithic man ate - namely lean meats, fish, wild game, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Which is great because both Chad and I are avid carnivores and both love fruits and vegetables.
Last week, we ate Paleo Monday thru Friday. I did drink lattes everyday (non-fat milk, no sugar syrup) which is a no-no, but for goodness sakes, what's a Starbucks fiend to do??? Memorial Day weekend, we cheated. Badly. Both of us.
And I paid for it yesterday during my workout - and I'm sure Chad will when he has his WOD today.
BUT we are back on Paleo. Last night we had spaghetti Paleo style - the noodles being from a spaghetti squash heated in the microwave and the sauce being made with lean ground beef, drained, fresh bell pepper & onion, and organic sauce with ZERO sugar. It's delicious, even though both Chad and I miss "real" spaghetti noodles.
Tonight is Paleo meatloaf. I don't want to put the recipe on here, in case it's horrible, but it does use some new ingredients that I've never tried before - namely almond flour, which is almonds chopped into powder form instead of using white or wheat flour. We'll be having meatloaf with asparagus sauteed in EVOO.
Stay tuned.
Our instructor told us that the Crossfit stance on nutrition was the Zone diet, made famous by Jen Aniston and her incredibly buff arms. The Zone diet is semi-complex, based on portion size, and pretty much irritating until you get it down pat. The instructor also told us about a group challenge that was underway - the Paleo challenge. Meaning Paleolithic. Or the "caveman diet." After Chad and I laughed about it, we both started doing a little research on it and even bought a book about it. And to tell you the truth, it's pretty interesting.
Unlike the Zone, where portions are key, the Paleo diet is all about the quality of the foods you eat - namely no grains, no sugars, etc. It's all based on what Paleolithic man ate - namely lean meats, fish, wild game, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Which is great because both Chad and I are avid carnivores and both love fruits and vegetables.
Last week, we ate Paleo Monday thru Friday. I did drink lattes everyday (non-fat milk, no sugar syrup) which is a no-no, but for goodness sakes, what's a Starbucks fiend to do??? Memorial Day weekend, we cheated. Badly. Both of us.
And I paid for it yesterday during my workout - and I'm sure Chad will when he has his WOD today.
BUT we are back on Paleo. Last night we had spaghetti Paleo style - the noodles being from a spaghetti squash heated in the microwave and the sauce being made with lean ground beef, drained, fresh bell pepper & onion, and organic sauce with ZERO sugar. It's delicious, even though both Chad and I miss "real" spaghetti noodles.
Tonight is Paleo meatloaf. I don't want to put the recipe on here, in case it's horrible, but it does use some new ingredients that I've never tried before - namely almond flour, which is almonds chopped into powder form instead of using white or wheat flour. We'll be having meatloaf with asparagus sauteed in EVOO.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Memorial Day
I am not an outdoorsy/able to "rought it" kind of girl, much to my husband's dismay. He likes to camp, I like to go to spas for hours being pampered. He is happy sleeping on a rock, I will not lay upon anything less than 400 TC sheets. He can go days without bathing, I need my special shampoo, special soap, special conditioner, special face wash...
You get the picture.
Which is why this weekend was the best of both worlds and in my opinion, I roughed it. We headed down to my dad's family's lake house this weekend for a nice 3 day adventure with my dad, step-mom, and 4 year old sister. And their new puppy who is gigantic, Tucker. And our two dogs, one of which is semi-gigantic himself.
It was our first weekend of the summer back in the house, so there was the usual stuff to deal with...getting the boats in the water, cleaning up squirrel mess (yuck), watching for scary insects that may have moved in over the winter. To be honest, the first weekend back is a little stressful because of all those things, plus three dogs and a 4 year old running around.
After our first night, when all of us were kept up by the unrelenting heat of a house coming out of hibernation, we finally figured out that there was something wrong with the AC. And by something wrong, I mean, it wasn't working. AT ALL. And it was very, very hot. And humid. And did I mention hot? Instead of packing it up and heading back to spend Memorial Day weekend in the coolness of our hacienda, we toughed it out. Thankfully the weather cooperated somewhat on our mission to cool down the house by monsooning 90% of the weekend. Not weather conducive to all day fun on the lake, but hey, we were able to stop sweating so profusely while we hung out inside.
And that is how I roughed it on Memorial Day weekend. Not exactly sleeping on a rock, but for me, it was close enough. SC summer with no heat? That is beyond roughing it!
You get the picture.
Which is why this weekend was the best of both worlds and in my opinion, I roughed it. We headed down to my dad's family's lake house this weekend for a nice 3 day adventure with my dad, step-mom, and 4 year old sister. And their new puppy who is gigantic, Tucker. And our two dogs, one of which is semi-gigantic himself.
It was our first weekend of the summer back in the house, so there was the usual stuff to deal with...getting the boats in the water, cleaning up squirrel mess (yuck), watching for scary insects that may have moved in over the winter. To be honest, the first weekend back is a little stressful because of all those things, plus three dogs and a 4 year old running around.
After our first night, when all of us were kept up by the unrelenting heat of a house coming out of hibernation, we finally figured out that there was something wrong with the AC. And by something wrong, I mean, it wasn't working. AT ALL. And it was very, very hot. And humid. And did I mention hot? Instead of packing it up and heading back to spend Memorial Day weekend in the coolness of our hacienda, we toughed it out. Thankfully the weather cooperated somewhat on our mission to cool down the house by monsooning 90% of the weekend. Not weather conducive to all day fun on the lake, but hey, we were able to stop sweating so profusely while we hung out inside.
And that is how I roughed it on Memorial Day weekend. Not exactly sleeping on a rock, but for me, it was close enough. SC summer with no heat? That is beyond roughing it!
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