I need to vent. It's been over a week and I'm only down 2.4 lbs. After 4 days I was down 3, then I went to Phoenix for a bachelorette party this weekend, and I'm up .6 from that. I was the same yesterday and I figured it was bloat from the weekend, but I worked out yesterday and stuck to my WW points Monday and Tuesday, so I thought the bloat would go away this morning and I'd see continued results. No such luck. At this rate I have no chance of losing even half the weight I wanted, because next week we're going to Napa and Sonoma and there's no chance I can lose weight there. I plan on running in the mornings and being very careful with what I eat, but I don't see how I'm going to get anywhere near my goal if I can't even lose weight while I'm at home, going to the gym, and following Weight Watchers. UGH.
Vent over.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Weekly Menu
Because I was in Phoenix this weekend, David made our menu for the week as well as the grocery list. Tonight we tried the first recipe, chicken scaloppine with a snap pea and asparagus salad, and it was delicious. I made quinoa to go with the meal and it soaked up the sauce nicely. I would recommend stringing the beans before julienning them. I thought the salad was really yummy, but I might be biased because I got to use mint from my herb garden and a lemon from our friends Carrie and Todd's citrus trees. I love Tucson.
The rest of the week looks like this:
Tuesday - Ancho rubbed steak, roasted potatoes, salad
Wednesday - Chicken with mushrooms (still have to see how outrageously expensive morels are at AJ's...)
Thursday - Spinach risotto with shrimp, broccoli
We're out of town again this weekend, so no fun Friday happy hour at home. Sad.
This week all of our recipes are from the newest issue of Cooking Light. I usually mix a few new recipes with a few favorites, but I guess we're being adventerous this week.
For lunches, we just went with the old standby, turkey sandwiches. Tomorrow I packed my diet version of tuna noodle casserole - tofu noodles (40 calories for a whole bunch of noodles!), tuna, some Laughing Cow cheese, some parmesan. It'd be better if I had some frozen peas, but alas, only a mix of peas and carrots in the freezer. So my tuna noodle casserole will include carrots. See the original Hungry Girl recipe here. I omit the can of cream soup and add in just a little reduced fat mayo.
And here's a picture from Kristin's bachelorette party. What a fun time celebrating a really great girl and her upcoming wedding to a really great guy. 
Thursday, April 23, 2009
time to get crafty
I really need to get started on a embroidery project I'm making as a wedding gift for our friends Kristin and Chris. I won't mention what it is on the off-chance she'll find out, but I will post it after we attend the wedding!
So, for sewing. I picked up some fabric at the discount fabric store (think thrift store for fabrics) and I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to make an apron.
Here are a few ideas:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=2309.msg15734
http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/aproninstructions.html (maybe with two small pockets instead of the one big one?)
and no matter what, the waist strings will be long enough to wrap back around and tie in the front, because everyone knows aprons are so much cuter that way.
I guess I could always just buy a pattern at JoAnn's.
Here are the fabrics. I can't decide which should be the main fabric and which should be the accent. The blue is almost like the material of an oxford shirt, and the yellow and white is fairly heavy, but really pretty.
Help! I need suggestions.
So, for sewing. I picked up some fabric at the discount fabric store (think thrift store for fabrics) and I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to make an apron.
Here are a few ideas:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=2309.msg15734
http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/aproninstructions.html (maybe with two small pockets instead of the one big one?)
and no matter what, the waist strings will be long enough to wrap back around and tie in the front, because everyone knows aprons are so much cuter that way.
I guess I could always just buy a pattern at JoAnn's.
Here are the fabrics. I can't decide which should be the main fabric and which should be the accent. The blue is almost like the material of an oxford shirt, and the yellow and white is fairly heavy, but really pretty.
Help! I need suggestions.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Mushroom Barley Pilaf
Mushroom Barley Pilaf
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings
1 cup pearl barley
4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced, depending on size
8 oz white mushrooms
6 oz baby bella mushrooms
5 oz shitake mushrooms
Some chopped fresh or dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
¼ cup dry Marsala – I have used whatever red wine we have open in the house
2 t sherry vinegar, although red wine vinegar would also work
Add the chicken stock and barley to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer at least 50 minutes. Test the texture after about 50 minutes. I like mine still a little crunchy.
Slice all the mushrooms. I like to do them fairly thick for a heartier texture. With about 15 minutes left on the barley, heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook until mushrooms have released their juices and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in Marsala, cook 1 minute. Add barley and whatever chicken stock is left, plus the vinegar. Cook 2 minutes until heated through. If it has a little too much liquid, cook a few minutes longer, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates.
Total deal: 20 Weight Watchers points. 5 points per serving.
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings
1 cup pearl barley
4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced, depending on size
8 oz white mushrooms
6 oz baby bella mushrooms
5 oz shitake mushrooms
Some chopped fresh or dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
¼ cup dry Marsala – I have used whatever red wine we have open in the house
2 t sherry vinegar, although red wine vinegar would also work
Add the chicken stock and barley to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer at least 50 minutes. Test the texture after about 50 minutes. I like mine still a little crunchy.
Slice all the mushrooms. I like to do them fairly thick for a heartier texture. With about 15 minutes left on the barley, heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook until mushrooms have released their juices and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in Marsala, cook 1 minute. Add barley and whatever chicken stock is left, plus the vinegar. Cook 2 minutes until heated through. If it has a little too much liquid, cook a few minutes longer, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates.
Total deal: 20 Weight Watchers points. 5 points per serving.
Monday, April 20, 2009
32 days
I'm going to attempt to lose 12 lbs in 32 days. That's an average of 2.6 lbs a week. I'm not going to crash diet. I'm just going to stay away from sugar and liquor and processed foods, and work my butt off at the gym. I'm going to use Weight Watchers and try not to eat many of the extra 35 points you get each week.
So I made a calendar that I'm going to put on the wall in front of the scale. If I work out, I'll get a gold star for the day. If I stick to my Weight Watchers points, I'll get a red star. And if I lose weight, I'll get a blue star.
This week's menu is:
breakfasts: breakfast burritos (potato and egg white - made a big batch of potatoes yesterday)
lunches: that couscous carrot salad you see below
dinners -
Monday: David won't be home tonight, so I'll be scraping together something delicious and healthy
Tuesday: barley mushroom pilaf, since I didn't get to make it last week
Wednesday: chicken caesar salad (grilled the chicken breasts yesterday)
Thursday: steaks (small one for me!) and roasted asparagus
Friday and Saturday: I'll be out of town, so David will be on his own. I'd bet you $20 he'll go to Dickman's and get a big ol' steak.
Sunday: shoot. no plan. That usually means Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken with rice and lots of extra veggies. Unfortch, TJ's is definitely processed food. Maybe by Sunday I'll come up with something else.
Yesterday we drove to the 99.99 cent (yes, you read that right) store. It was awesome! We got stir fry veggies, a bunch of produce, and whatever the heck else David threw in the cart for $22. My grocery list for tonight consists of 7 things.
Ok, wish me luck!
So I made a calendar that I'm going to put on the wall in front of the scale. If I work out, I'll get a gold star for the day. If I stick to my Weight Watchers points, I'll get a red star. And if I lose weight, I'll get a blue star.
This week's menu is:
breakfasts: breakfast burritos (potato and egg white - made a big batch of potatoes yesterday)
lunches: that couscous carrot salad you see below
dinners -
Monday: David won't be home tonight, so I'll be scraping together something delicious and healthy
Tuesday: barley mushroom pilaf, since I didn't get to make it last week
Wednesday: chicken caesar salad (grilled the chicken breasts yesterday)
Thursday: steaks (small one for me!) and roasted asparagus
Friday and Saturday: I'll be out of town, so David will be on his own. I'd bet you $20 he'll go to Dickman's and get a big ol' steak.
Sunday: shoot. no plan. That usually means Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken with rice and lots of extra veggies. Unfortch, TJ's is definitely processed food. Maybe by Sunday I'll come up with something else.
Yesterday we drove to the 99.99 cent (yes, you read that right) store. It was awesome! We got stir fry veggies, a bunch of produce, and whatever the heck else David threw in the cart for $22. My grocery list for tonight consists of 7 things.
Ok, wish me luck!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
salads
I love salads. Not so much the lettuce-y kind. More the
israeli couscous and carrot salad
black bean and couscous salad
tomato-basil pasta salad
light and fresh potato salad
kind of salad.
I love these guys because I can make them over the weekend and take them for lunch for a couple of days during the week. They're usually best nuked for 30 seconds to bring them up to room temperature.
And one more that I love -
Giada's Tuna and White Bean salad
2 cans tuna packed in olive oil
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
red onion, diced, add to taste
6 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Use the tuna AND the olive oil it comes in, and mix the whole deal together. You can throw in cherry tomatoes, too.
Look what I'm having for lunch this week!
Looks pretty close to the picture from Cooking Light. That's always a plus.
israeli couscous and carrot salad
black bean and couscous salad
tomato-basil pasta salad
light and fresh potato salad
kind of salad.
I love these guys because I can make them over the weekend and take them for lunch for a couple of days during the week. They're usually best nuked for 30 seconds to bring them up to room temperature.
And one more that I love -
Giada's Tuna and White Bean salad
2 cans tuna packed in olive oil
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
red onion, diced, add to taste
6 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Use the tuna AND the olive oil it comes in, and mix the whole deal together. You can throw in cherry tomatoes, too.
Look what I'm having for lunch this week!
Looks pretty close to the picture from Cooking Light. That's always a plus.
a week (or more) in pictures
My birthday fiesta at Casa Vicente
April 15 with David and his co-workers
Desert in bloom
The Wine and Farm Festival with Jason and Nate
weekly progress
This week, I am frustrated with myself on the weight-loss front. I am growing very tired of telling myself I'm going to do one thing and then doing another.
I probably sound like a broken record, but this week I'm really going to try to start anew. I'm going to make a workout calendar. Doing so has worked well for me in the past.
I did fairly well on the rest of the goals I set for the week. Unfortunately, we ate lots of lunches and dinners out and I didn't get to use many of the recipes I selected. That means I still have a lot of food in the fridge, which should make grocery shopping pretty minimal today.
I'm planning on cooking up some potatoes and making enough breakfast burritos to last a few days, as well as the Israeli couscous and carrot salad I intended to make last week for lunches.
I'll check back in later after I take stock of the fridge and pantry and decide on recipes for this week.
Let's set some goals!
Workout:
3x lunchtime yoga
3x 30 minutes of cardio
Diet:
Stay the heck away from sweets. They get me every time.
Work:
Follow up on last week's follow-up
Hobbies:
Put that fabric from SAS to work!
And enjoy Kristin's bachelorette party. (having friends is a hobby, right?)
I probably sound like a broken record, but this week I'm really going to try to start anew. I'm going to make a workout calendar. Doing so has worked well for me in the past.
I did fairly well on the rest of the goals I set for the week. Unfortunately, we ate lots of lunches and dinners out and I didn't get to use many of the recipes I selected. That means I still have a lot of food in the fridge, which should make grocery shopping pretty minimal today.
I'm planning on cooking up some potatoes and making enough breakfast burritos to last a few days, as well as the Israeli couscous and carrot salad I intended to make last week for lunches.
I'll check back in later after I take stock of the fridge and pantry and decide on recipes for this week.
Let's set some goals!
Workout:
3x lunchtime yoga
3x 30 minutes of cardio
Diet:
Stay the heck away from sweets. They get me every time.
Work:
Follow up on last week's follow-up
Hobbies:
Put that fabric from SAS to work!
And enjoy Kristin's bachelorette party. (having friends is a hobby, right?)
Friday, April 17, 2009
I'm starting with
the man in the mirror.
Cheesy, yes. The song came on my (new! and green!) ipod shuffle at the gym last night. It hit home and made me remember that if I want my life to change, even in the smallest of ways, I need to be the one to initiate the change.
We've been out to eat for dinner for the past 3 nights - and I've gone out for lunch the past 2 days. This does not bode well for trying to prep for swimsuit season. David promises we'll start anew on our ban on eating out at restaurants starting Monday. Here's hoping. My stomach can't take many more meals out. And it doesn't feel like progress when you wake up in the morning on a day after you've worked your butt off at the gym only to see restaurant bloat instead of a little less flab.
Tonight is Meiko at Club Congress. I'm looking forward to hanging out with the girls. And tomorrow is the Wine and Farm Festival in Sonoita!!
"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change."
Cheesy, yes. The song came on my (new! and green!) ipod shuffle at the gym last night. It hit home and made me remember that if I want my life to change, even in the smallest of ways, I need to be the one to initiate the change.
We've been out to eat for dinner for the past 3 nights - and I've gone out for lunch the past 2 days. This does not bode well for trying to prep for swimsuit season. David promises we'll start anew on our ban on eating out at restaurants starting Monday. Here's hoping. My stomach can't take many more meals out. And it doesn't feel like progress when you wake up in the morning on a day after you've worked your butt off at the gym only to see restaurant bloat instead of a little less flab.
Tonight is Meiko at Club Congress. I'm looking forward to hanging out with the girls. And tomorrow is the Wine and Farm Festival in Sonoita!!
"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change."
Monday, April 13, 2009
summer in the desert
The weather this week (and really, every week) is amazing here in Tucson. We're enjoying tons of beautiful sunshine and wonderful temps in the 70s and low 80s. I still can't get over the weather here. Today I experienced one of my very favorite moments - when I leave the downtown public library after lunchtime yoga and go outside into the gorgeous weather. The sun is shining, I'm relaxed and rejuvinated from yoga, and I feel at peace. Double bonus if it's a farmer's market Wednesday.
This beautiful week has me thinking about summer. People that don't live in Tucson love to rag on the summers here. Sorry guys, I love them. Sure, it's hot in June, but the monsoon brings those incredible afternoon thunderclouds and the downpours leave everything cooler and smelling like mesquite. And I can't even complain about June now that I have a pool.
Things I'm looking forward to this summer:
jumping in the pool every night when we get home from work
teaching Sunny to swim (cross your fingers)
home grown tomatoes and basil!
camping on Mount Lemmon
visiting Sonoita and Elgin to escape the 100+ temps
Oh, speaking of Sonoita, we're headed down there this weekend to Canelo Hills Winery for their Wine and Farm festival. If you live in Tucson and haven't been down to the wineries in Sonoita and Elgin, what are you waiting for? It's such a pretty place. Grasslands stretch for miles, dotted with vineyards and barns and the occasional horse (or 4). GO! And just a little hint - our favorite wines from that area come from Canelo Hills. Tim and Joan really know what they're doing.
plan!
I like to plan. I also like to set goals. When it comes to fitness and healthy eating, I have a history of failing to meet my goals. Usually I'll lose 5 lbs, declare victory, and give up.
So, here's the plan for the week.
Menu:
Monday - beef fajitas with an avacado, tomato, and red onion salad
Tuesday - barley mushroom pilaf
Wednesday - out to celebrate April 15 with the tax crew
Thursday - tandoori chicken and Trader Joe's naan
Friday - tofu green curry with sesame rice
Saturday - Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken with lots of extra veggies
Sunday - coconut red lentil soup
for lunches - carrot couscous salad
Workout:
3 x 30+ minutes of cardio
2 x 1 hour yoga at lunch
2 weekend dog walks
1 hour on the Wii Fit
Work goal:
Find out if that job opportunity I applied for a few weeks back might pan out or not
Hobbies:
Get to SAS and pick up some fabric, use owner's manual to learn how to sew a seam.
So, here's the plan for the week.
Menu:
Monday - beef fajitas with an avacado, tomato, and red onion salad
Tuesday - barley mushroom pilaf
Wednesday - out to celebrate April 15 with the tax crew
Thursday - tandoori chicken and Trader Joe's naan
Friday - tofu green curry with sesame rice
Saturday - Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken with lots of extra veggies
Sunday - coconut red lentil soup
for lunches - carrot couscous salad
Workout:
3 x 30+ minutes of cardio
2 x 1 hour yoga at lunch
2 weekend dog walks
1 hour on the Wii Fit
Work goal:
Find out if that job opportunity I applied for a few weeks back might pan out or not
Hobbies:
Get to SAS and pick up some fabric, use owner's manual to learn how to sew a seam.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
well, here we are
I've been drawn back in to the world of blogging. I don't think I should pretend that any of what I write might be especially interesting, but I guess I'm doing it to preserve ideas and hopes and plans that might otherwise pass me by in the blur of day-to-day life.
I am: a lawyer, a strong woman, a true believer in the good in people, an Aries, a Midwestern gal; a wife, an animal lover, a pretty good baker and an ok cook. I love to explore new hobbies because I need the creative outlet and I like to prove to myself that I'm good with my hands. It might be boring, but I find my joy in sunsets, fresh air, small successes, a smile, a hand to hold.
I'm ready to venture out, to try new things, to dare to live the life I have dreamed for myself. To go forward and make my dreams come true. (this is Emerson, if you haven't heard it before)
This will be a journal of my path.
I hope to leave a piece of hope, a good recipe, an idea. I hope to look back and see that I've moved forward. I think that's all we can really hope for. Maybe if we're lucky, someone to walk next to.
I am: a lawyer, a strong woman, a true believer in the good in people, an Aries, a Midwestern gal; a wife, an animal lover, a pretty good baker and an ok cook. I love to explore new hobbies because I need the creative outlet and I like to prove to myself that I'm good with my hands. It might be boring, but I find my joy in sunsets, fresh air, small successes, a smile, a hand to hold.
I'm ready to venture out, to try new things, to dare to live the life I have dreamed for myself. To go forward and make my dreams come true. (this is Emerson, if you haven't heard it before)
This will be a journal of my path.
I hope to leave a piece of hope, a good recipe, an idea. I hope to look back and see that I've moved forward. I think that's all we can really hope for. Maybe if we're lucky, someone to walk next to.
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