She's a Chia!

Hiya Punkies!

I had a little "talking to" from my friend Suz.. and I must admit I have been slacking. She knows it and I know it. Even some of the days I go to the gym, I just flake out. I know for me, it's an internal mechanism that sets me off on the motivation train... but not doing anything externally to trigger that is not only foolish, it's lazy. I do know, at least, that the last month has been MUCH cleaner than the previous 3 and that I have definitely set some ground work, upon which February will be built!

So, on this last day of the month, I'm going to change my usual pattern and start the plan on Sunday! No point in waiting!

First thing I'm tweaking is my workout and run plan. While I was "going by" the Planet Running schedule, I confess I hardly glanced at it after setting my goals, at the beginning of the month. This obviously lead to being aimless at the gym and running just enough to validate my time there. That is not what this is about and THAT sort of attitude and output is not going to help me reach my goals. THIS has to change!

In an effort to get more organized, I've taken Suz's cue and gone back to our old system of treating the gym time like any other appointment! I organized my Google calendar tonight and synced it with my Blackberry. Aside from existing social plans and my work schedule of course; I've entered a time block and mileage goal for each day I've planned for the gym this week.

In following with Running Planet's schedule (starting again at wk 1- I have enough time before 5k race);

Sunday: 2 miles
Monday: Rest ( Will do my Tues 1 mile due to work on Wed)
Tuesday: 1 mile ( Will do Wed 2 mile)
Wednesday: 2 miles (Rest day)
Thursday: Rest/ Xtrain (Hoping to do 2 mile outdoor run, no time to get to gym)
Friday: 2 miles
Saturday: 2 miles (Will rest if Thursday run is complete)
Sunday: 2 miles

At this point I'm doing an 11 min mile... working on endurance rather than speed. As the week progresses, I'll let you know if that improves. I think I might even be dopey enough to take pics of the treadmill display, so I can't fudge to you guys- or myself! I figure if the cast of Brampton Shore at my gym can load up weight benches with Blackberries and laptops and hair gel- no one will notice my wee camera in the water bottle slot on the treadmill!

Speaking of the Brampton Shore... I just KNOW how pleased you must be to see that Jersey Shore has been renewed! Warms my heart... although I'm still holding out for Snookin' for Love.

I've got a new addition for the Green Monster!


Finally I can include these little bullets into my morning shake! They don't add to the taste at all... just add even more goodness!

Chia seeds have become pretty popular lately, with more and more publicity every day. While I'd hate to say I fall for fads... I do, but this one seems to be substantiated by more than
QVC and a before and after layout of an airbrushed bombshell!

Apparently, the Chia grain was so valued by the Aztecs, it was used as currency!

According to the CTV article HERE, 3.5 ounces contains:

• the same amount of omega-3's as 28 ounces of salmon
• as much calcium as 3 cups of milk
• as much iron as five cups of raw spinach

Chia seeds typically contain 20% protein, 34% oil, 25% dietary fiber (mostly soluble with high molecular weight), and significant levels of antioxidants (chlorogenic and caffeic acids, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols). The oil from chia seeds contains a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acid — approximately 64%.[4] Chia seeds contain no gluten and trace levels of sodium.[5] (Wikipedia)

Other than getting a little stuck in your teeth, chia seeds are little gems and dissolve quickly in any shake or yogurt or liquid.

On to solid food, as I sometimes like to do... I finally made 'cauliflower steaks' yesterday. Disappointing. I saw this recipe on It's Just Food, and thought it sounded pretty good (although I did not see the final results).

Cutting a cauliflower from the centre of the head, vertically, you slice 2 or 3 'chops'. Marinate these slabs in milk (I used soy) and some seasoning salt, garlic and hot sauce ( I used Sriracha). Let those veggie clouds soak for a few hours. Next step called for these to be pan fried (which I think MAY be an essential part of this recipe), but I baked them because I was at work. At 400 degrees for 30 mins- at around 25 mins, I topped the slices with about a teaspoon of parmesan cheese each.

It absolutely tasted good... I think I was just expecting the milk marinade to turn this into a vegetable I really like. Or a steak I could eat in good conscience. Ever take a picture of a star to the hairdressers and ask for that haircut and secretly think/hope you'll look like said celebrity when the cut is complete? Same effect

What goes better with a fractal... than a fractal? Topping off the plate was some roasted broccoli.

Next on the red carpet was some excellent Indian from Shan-E-Dabar. I ordered the Mattar Paneer and Malai Kofta with steamed rice and a plain naan.

It was delicious and it was the first time I'd ordered both the Kofta and Mattar Paneer. The mattar sauce was much more creamier than I expected, which was very tasty, but not so

healthy. It came with a spicy tikka-like sauce with peas. The Malai Koftas- as I read in the menu, sounded like little falafels, but as I perused some recipes during dinner- I see now they're made with potato and nuts and mixed veg. Again, very good, but not what I was expecting. Good thing I can roll with pretty much ANY good food!

Not sure what's on the menu tomorrow... because I have an APPOINTMENT at the gym, so less time to cook. Either way, it'll involve a green monster and something. Probably just some soup... maybe something incredibly exciting!

Do you find making appointments, or formalizing obligations to yourself helps to stick with the program?

Slainte!

Amanda

Caulifower Curry makes me purr..... ee.

Hiya Possums!

It's been a little while and I apologise... I know at least ONE person has been checking daily to see if I've posted! (Mwah).

It was a staycation week... and I did very little if I'm honest. I organized my spare room and FINALLY got rid of Bellasinead's mortuary. It was a hassle to move, but Joey and the Igor at Goodwill were more than helpful! That same day- Thursday I think, I went with my auntie for lunch at a new Japanese restaurant.

I have said before that 168 Sushi is the best in Brampton... well, the competition is here. More on that later!

A friend of mine mentioned to me that Bee Pollen was really helping her Mom's energy levels. Ever the slave to fad and fandangled ideas, I picked some up the other day and decided to give it a shot in my green monster.
The taste IS distinct.. nutty sort of... hard to really describe. They are crunchy little nuggets of gold that are sweet to start of with, and really lend themselves well to a shake. In with the ground flax, you'd never know they were there... save for a slight aftertaste.

As for the energy contribution... I'm sorry to say I have no definitive results. I find the shakes pretty invigorating on their own, so the added boost of pollen was lost on me if there was one. I will persevere though, increasing the amounts... Keep you posted if I leap any tall buildings!

In one SERIOUS bout of cooking, I hauled out the Vegenomicon and decided to make some Cauliflower and Lentil Curry...

Following the recipe in any book is pretty tough for me. I tend to stray after the third or fourth ingredient, so my results can not be found to be conclusive.

To prep: Vegetable stock, Red Lentils, One inch of ginger, Coriander, One head of cauliflower, Assorted bell peppers (my own addition- they were in the fridge), Onion, Garlic, Chilies, Assorted Curry Spices (cumin, cinnamon, cardamon- I added a pre mixed veggie masala spice mix)
I accompanied my curry with these sexy paratha(s) {I think an 's' is required to pluralize?}

Fry up peppers, onion, garlic and chilies in some grapeseed oil. When onions are translucent, and before garlic burns... add spices and toast them for 30 seconds or so. Next- add vegetable stock (enough to cover, plus an extra inch or so) and lentils.

So now I veer TOTALLY of the recipe's track... It calls for you to add the cauliflower after the lentils have cooked for 12-13 mins and let simmer for a while. I don't like cauliflower unless it's all broken down, so I steamed the hella out of mine and then mashed it whilst the curry was cooking the lentils.

While I was producing A LOT of dishes... I was trying to keep up with the clean up at the same time. Mrs. Garrett is off this week...

When the lentils were tender and mushy (like cauliflower- the only way I like them), I added the cauliflower mash and a can of coconut milk. This is a high calorie and fat ingredient, but it's a healthy fat and the rest of the meal is relatively low cal. The fat content definitely adds to the satiety of the meal.

There she is... with some chopped cilantro and a serious dose of lime juice!

While this was a good recipe (had I actually followed it), it needed some serious KICK and I squeezed a couple of rounds of Sriracha on top. All in all, not bad for my first curry without packages... but not great. Also, while I tried to lessen the quantities in the recipe, I had TONNES when it was complete... so Mum and Joey got some, seems nobody else I know is into curry. Cowardly Bastards!

Friday night I went to the illustrious Tonawanda. Saw one of the WORST- MOVIES- EVER: Amelia. Good golly. If I was ever a Hillary Swank fan, and I haven't been, this would have reversed such affinations in short order. Her accent kept changing from Katherine Hepburn to Eunice Kennedy. Richard Gere is is beginning to look startlingly like Renee Zellweger. Someone give these people a pocket dispenser of stevia... squinty lemon sucking eyes!

I did run into a chocolate fountain, but that's not really my thing... so I had a mini marshmallow and decided to stick a chunk of marble cheese under the wafting waves of milk chocolate. Never again.

So, now that I got my choc/cheese and Indian on... I was like the RAF and back to the Japanese! The lunch I had with my Auntie was SO good, that I decided my food loving girls needed to check this place out too! On Saturday night, we headed back to Tokyo Maki for the weekend night dinner!

This place operates similarly to 168 and Prince and has a fill-out menu that the waiters (who were very attentive- if not a little lacking in communication skills) pick up every few minutes. Food streams out very quickly from the kitchen, and these little worker bees earn every cent as they dart to and fro. Almost like Bridget Jones' mother: "A very industrious people".

A warning though: While the restaurant offers beer and wine, they do NOT offer liquor. This was an especially unfortunate notification as I was dining with this years winner of the "Girl Who Most Deserves a Drink" award and there was not a shot of rye to be found.

Among the various rolls and tempuras, we also had some Agedashi (fried soft tofu- my new favourite), tuna and salmon sashimi, edamame, teriyaki and this beautiful bouncing boy... an avocado pizza...I've had sushi pizza before, but it's not been great. This was AWESOME! The rice cake base was so crispy and warm compared to the creamy cold top, just an excellent combination of flavours and textures! Considering they eat essentially no dairy, I have no idea how the Japanese got on the mayo train- but I want to shovel coal all day and conduct that mayo train into my mouth station because I approve people... I approve!

This is my mayonnaise delight look. This is also a reminder that while green eyeshadow might look good in the powder room ladies... this does not always translate to the dining room.

More MAYJAH mayo, but on a healthier incarnation, on these adorable little cucumber rolls.

A ribbon of cucumber wrapped around shrimp and avocado with heavenly spicy mayo and sesame seeds. So basic, so delightful. I will be making these at home soon... think I will use surimi instead of shrimp. These are so light you could easily pop 5-10 in a sitting.

I did nothing at ALL at the gym last week- but I did go for a tan... if you don't lose the fat, you might as well make it less chalky.

I am currently addicted to the series Little Dorrit (it's Dickens- but Andrew Davies produced it... he did the mini series' Pride and Prejudice as well as He Knew He Was Right) and found myself perfectly incapacitated while imagining myself being rescued from impoverished obscurity by Matthew MacFayden. Also, Jamie's Ministry of Food is back on the Food Network- really educational about working class people and cooking/eating habits. I watched it on it's first go around and found it fascinating and a little sad.

New favourite show is definitely Come Dine with Me! 30 mins episodes each night have 5 strangers hosting dinner parties for each other and at the end of the week one of them wins 1000$ (it's actually pounds- but I can't find that symbol) based on the scoring of their dinnermates. I know 30 mins a day can be a bit consuming... but it's such light viewing, it's great for background noise. The commentator is HILARIOUS.

I've written off the Bachelor and Jersey Shore is coming to a premature (in my opinion) ending. I guess this means I'll have to turn off the fireplace and go outside and interact with real people. Sigh...

So it's Monday now- and I walked/ran outside for 4k, as the weather was pretty decent. I'm off to the gym in the morning, with a pretty pathetic stirfry for dinner tonight. No pics required folks... take my word for it, sad.

On a side note... I've texted twice to Rogers to donate to Haiti... has anyone else tried this? I know it's only ten dollars all told, but I thought it better than sending down my curry.

Slainte!

Amanda

Squash and Snookie... Snookie and Squash

Hello Tootsie Rolls!

It's almost the end of the week and I am so pleased to say that after tonight's midnight shift... I am off for a week! It has been a pretty long stretch since December 24th, working lots of hours with a max of 24 hours off in between... and quite a few doubles in the mix! With EIGHT overtime shifts in the past 2 weeks... I am feeling quite deserving of a BIG glass of wine tomorrow night!

Gym update: Have put in 15k this week. Treadmill at gym 2x and one brisk walk (WAY too icy to run) outside. Still have this naughty chest infection, so all of the treadmill time was run/walk... got the kilometers in, but in horrible time! I have resolved to finally visit the doctors... this cough and wheezing is just not going away.

Despite all of the family stuff I have at the beginning of the week (fingers crossed pls), I am aiming for 20k for the week... at least 4x 5k. Depending on the outcome of my Da's surgery on Monday, I may or may not be spending much time at my parent's house over the next week. Not too far from my place, and the same distance to the gym... so despite some stress and a little inconvenience- I have no excuse to fall off the rails!

After all, my Mum DOES have a blender... so I have no excuse not to make one of these babies and set the tone for the day...

I've started the past 3 days now with a Green Monster... and am feeling better for it! Honestly, I can't say enough about how great these shakes are! I've given some to people at work (who accepted it skeptically) and most of them liked it! Even my Mum got in on the party tonight and had one with me before work. Now that I have the basic recipe down pat... I'm going to start playing around with some different additives. I'm thinking ginger, basil, garlic, frozen fruit, pumpkin, kale... the ideas are endless! If you haven't visited the Green Monster Movement site yet, be sure to follow the link to check out tonnes of hints for combinations!

Just as I am typing this... a friend blackberried me to ask me if I had slipped something in her drink! She had some only an hour ago and has a burst of energy! I'll ask her to submit her testimonial as proof... jk.

Another morning beverage I've been enjoying at all times of the day is bodum tea...

I was lucky enough to receive this french press for Christmas, and although I don't usually drink coffee (I save up my coffee points for really good espresso), this little device is PERFECT for loose teas. I find it makes a stronger tea, which I prefer, because the leaves and fleurs can float or sink and permeate the hot water on their own accord. They aren't caged in by a mesh tea ball or perforated spoon. The brew above is rose hip. It looks better than it tastes in my opinion. I've recently purchased Jasmine, Green Tea w/ brown rice and Japanese Green (my favourite). At some tea specialty stores, these blends can cost you a pretty penny, but at the Asian market, a large bag will run you from 2-3$. Obviously, there aren't the 'yuppie' teas we might be interested in at most of these markets, but there is a HUGE selection of oriental brews. Steeping your tea in a glass press or pot lets you really enjoy the whole ritual of the tea taking... very Zen!

In other nifty and thrifty news... I have just finished the second half of a spaghetti squash. These little nerds are also really inexpensive, make several servings and can be topped with ANYTHING! Just like nature's perfect little blank canvas!


Last night I had half of her with some baby spinach, antipasto and goat cheese.

Cut in half, seeds scooped out and then roasted downward dog with some olive oil spritz and some vegetable seasoning (shayka- shayka as it's known to Kiki and Puddin') at 400 deg f for 40 mins.

Scrape the guts out with a fork, and instantly, a thatch of spaghetti-like stands will emerge! I just folded in some baby spinach (raw- no need to steam, the heat from the cooked squash does it for you), topped with some antipasto and put a wee glob (official term) of goat cheese on top... and... VOILA!

Isn't she gorgeous? So many colours are always a good sign of something healthy (hence Smarties... ). But like every beautiful girl... after giving so much of herself to everyone else, she feels a little empty inside...

Ah she served us well! Good thing I didn't name her, this blog would be turning into a eulogy. I'm clearly taking this 'relationship with my food' thing too far.

Following in yesterdays footsteps, with half of her... shit- I mean: half of the spaghetti squash left... I decided more of the same would suit me just fine. Maybe just a different topping to change up the game a bit.

Roasted as above, but topped with some sauteed peppers and garlic and a little white wine. On the side were some baked tomatoes stuffed with some 1% cottage cheese flavoured with some Shayka- Shayka. The tri- colore effect was especially prudent as I was lucky enough to be watching Jersey Shore. I have now named this dish "Guidette Squash".


It was so filling... and I still have a quarter of the recently-broken-up-with squash at home. Tomorrow I'll have a WHOLE night at home and to myself, so I'll come up with something brilliantly exciting and creative... I'm sure.


I''ll be back tomorrow... I just watched Food Inc, so I have that to talk about. As well as my big plans to try curling in February, winter tennis, The Bachelor, The Biggest Loser, the idea of weekly/monthly challenges and other random thoughts.


Do you set weekly or monthly challenges for yourself? What have you tried?


Slainte!

Amanda