My Inner Foodzilla

Friday Weigh-In

2010-09-17T11:44:00.001-04:00

OK, this challenge is not going well no my part.

I have officially gotten nowhere! Very disappointing. Sipping my coffee dejectedly.

How did you guys do?

A Little Pep Talk

2010-09-14T10:40:00.004-04:00

I finally got a decent workout yesterday. I feel much better. Now to get another workout in today and tomorrow and get myself on track.

I see from the comments that we were off to a whiz-bang start and then we all started to fizzle out for one reason or another. But, this is a new week and hopefully we can make some headway.

We are not going to have anymore colds. We will feel great and have lots of energy and we will only crave healthy food.

And you will go to the gym because I said you have to. That's right, because I said so. Now go.

Friday Update

2010-09-11T00:42:00.003-04:00

News Flash

I'm up half a pound. Oh well. I felt like crap most of the week. I had a really crummy cold. Better luck next week. How'd everybody else do?

Not Too Late

2010-09-08T21:05:00.004-04:00

Hey!

Just a quick reminder that it is not too late to join the September-October challenge. There are a few of you, I know, who have waited until the kids were back at school to start. That means this is your week one.

Jump on the wagon, before it rolls away! We will weigh in on Friday. Those who have already started are doing really, really well. I got an email update from someone who lost 4 lbs last week and everybody else is doing great work too. Keep it up!

First Friday Weigh In

2010-09-03T21:46:00.004-04:00

I know, it's only been two days but we have to start sometime. So, if you're ready...it's first weigh in day. If you're not ready, then weigh in next week.

Good news for me. I've already lost 3.5 pounds. My husband is down 1.4kg - yes, he weighs himself in kilos, just to be annoying.

He also ran the whole 5km run for the first time in a long, long time. He's been working up to it and today he DID IT. Hooray!

I took our little guy to a cooking class today where we learned how to make homemade ketchup and then we used our ketchup to make cupcakes. Weird...yes...deffinately. It was a lot like a spice cake or a carrot cake and had a really nice cream cheese icing.

If anybody's interested, the recipe for homemade ketchup is:
1 small can of tomato paste
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 pinch allspice
Combine in a bowl, mix well. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

I took a chance at dinner tonight and prepared mussels for the very first time. We're not sick yet, so I'm going to chalk it up as a success. They were a little bland compared to the mussels we usually get in restaurants, but they weren't bad. We even got the three-year-old to eat a few.

So how'd you do? Did you weigh yourself this Friday or are you waiting until next week?

September-October Challenge DAY 1

2010-09-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

It has begun.

I stepped on the scale this morning and recorded my starting weight for the challenge. Then, I gave myself a hug and told myself that we could fix it.

The number on the scale was a little disappointing, though not unexpected. While some of you hopped back on the health wagon in advance of the challenge, I spent the last couple of weeks saying goodbye to all my favourite foods. I had a proper wake for peanut butter cups.

So needless to say, the scale is a little higher than it should be but that's why we're here, right? We're going to fix this weight thing and we're going to do it together. Who's with me!?!

I'm logging onto Weight Watchers this morning (for the first time in a long time). I'm not sure what to do as a workout though. It's going to be really hot for the next couple of days, then it's due to cool off. I might have to phone in the workout for a couple of days. I'll do something though.

I hope lots of people jumped on the scale today to get their starting weight. Don't tell me what the scale said, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on your starting point. Were you relieved by what the scale said or were you a little disappointed?

Strategery

2010-08-31T22:04:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the September-October challenge. Are you ready? Are you excited?

I'm getting a great response on this. A number of people have expressed an interest in joining in this challenge, be it tomorrow or in the coming days. Feel free to join in whenever and however you want.

People are already starting to share elements of their weight loss strategy. I thought I'd throw some of my strategies out there too.

I'm going to use Weight Watchers Online. It's worked well for me in the past and I know it will work this time too. I am, however, going to tweak my approach, ever so slightly.

In the past, I've planned my day to ensure that I have enough 'points' to have a snack in the evening. I would skimp on my meals and reserve enough points for some baked chips, or a bit of chocolate. The snack was always junk, but it was a reward at the end of the day and I looked forward to it each evening.

It worked and I lost the weight. The problem came when I started to maintain my weight loss. I continued my ritual evening snack, but the chips weren't baked anymore, and the servings got larger and larger. Needless to say, the weight started to creep back on. I'm fairly convinced that my meals and snacks through the day are reasonable. My downfall is this evil after dinner snack.

Realising this, I am going to spend the September-October challenge, trying to reduce my dependence on the evening pig-out. I know I can loose the weight if I hunker down, but I want to maintain it this time.

Let's make this the LAST weight loss challenge we'll ever need!

I Have a Plan...Yes Another One

2010-08-30T00:22:00.007-04:00

OK folks, I've been itching to post my idea for a new weight loss challenge and I reckon I can watch TMZ and write this at the same time - so here we go.

I know, I know, it's getting to be a tired story. I have a plan to loose weight. I last a week, or less and you don't hear from me again until I'm ready to pitch the next weight loss challenge.

Well, this time it's different. Not really. But it could be. It could be different, if a bunch of people jump on board and we make this really fun.

The gist is: we start September 1 and finish October 31. The goal is to loose 15 to 20 lbs.

I think it helps if there are rewards so I think each person should choose a prize to reward themselves with upon completion. Choose anything you feel comfortable with. Personally, I'm setting aside $10 for every pound I loose. By the end of October I'll hopefully have $150-$200 to go on a shopping spree.

Anybody who wants in on this can take their starting weight on September 1st (keep it to yourself) and we'll start reporting our losses every Friday after that.

I really, really hope to get some other people in on this. It is soooo much easier to stay motivated when we're dropping weight in a pack. Join the brick-house wolf pack today.

Friday Weigh-In

2010-08-06T09:23:00.005-04:00

I weighed myself this morning.

I don't get it! I'm trying to be good, but it's not making any difference!

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh(that's me making a long exhale noise)

I think I need to get serious and start doing a journal of my food intake. That's what worked before.

Discipline! Discipline Foodzilla! Don't start going back to your old ways now. (that's an example of motivational self-talk)

I will start the week with good intentions and see how far I get. How's that for commitment ;-)

Fizzy Skittles Tried to Kill My Family

2010-07-31T00:30:00.006-04:00

We were travelling in the US, recently and encountered a daring re-imagining of a favourite confection - Fizzy Skittles.

Skittles, meet Pop Rocks...Pop Rocks, meet Skittles. What a sweet and effervescent delight.

Make that, what a stomach turning, acid reflux producing, vomit inducing mistake.

Never again.

Maybe it was the intense Virginia heatwave the upset our tummies - it certainly didn't help - but after an evening of munching our way through a bag of funky, fizzy Skittles my son fell asleep only to wake himself with vomiting.

Naturally, comforting him as he puked his way through the night, I eventually came unravelled myself. The next thing you know, my stomach had jettisoned its contents.

So gross! I can't even tell you the last time I puked. I will, however, be able to look back on July, 2010 and be able to say, 'that was the last time I ate Fizzy Skittles.'

Too Hot To Maintain Diginity

2010-07-06T22:06:00.002-04:00

It was over 30° C by 9:00 a.m. today. So I said, "screw it! It's too hot to have dignity," and I flopped myself down in the little wadding pool, in the yard. I felt better...temporarily.

After my dip, I even considered a workout but, who was I kidding. I was hot again before I knew it and all hope for a workout was dashed.

I miss exercise. I'm sick of sitting around in dark rooms with the curtains drawn trying, with every fiber of my being, not to generate any heat.

We're going to the splash pad tomorrow. I wonder if I'll maintain my dignity there...

Progress Report

2010-07-04T20:20:00.005-04:00

The two month challenge is going OK, so far.

I think my husband and I have both cheated on the diet a bit, though we're probably still eating better than we were.

We're keeping up with the exercise and we're seeing an improvement. That in itself is an achievement. It's been so hot lately, it would have been easy to cave and say, "I'll exercise tomorrow." For the most part, though, we've been keeping up with it. I'm even planning to do a little strength training tonight after the boy has gone to bed.

But first, I'm trying to flush dinner out of my system with copious amounts of water. I had a little pig-out on pizza. I said I had cheated on the food a bit. It's a holiday weekend. What do you want from me?

First Weigh In of the Two Month Challenge

2010-07-02T14:27:00.004-04:00

I weighed myself this morning. The number was nothing to be proud of, but on the up side, it was no worse than I expected. I think that two months is a reasonable amount of time to get the job done.

I'm pretty sure my husband weighed himself this morning too...not sure what the result was. I'll have to ask him tonight.

You may wonder how I know he weighed himself, if he didn't tell me the result. Well, you see, I'm omniscient. Also, the scale had been switched over to kilograms and I had to flick it back over to pounds. My anally retentive husband conducts his life in metric whether the rest of the world wants to join him or not. He always weighs himself in kilos...I think he does it so I won't know what he really weighs.

Is anybody else in on this with us? If so, let us know how you are making out.

A Renewed Commitment

2010-06-30T15:22:00.004-04:00

Well hello you! Long time no see.

I'm writing this blog post in advance of the start of a new and exciting challenge, and this time I have my husband on board. That's right! I've got him on the health and fitness bandwagon - ha ha- I win!

My husband and I both need to lose a little weight and improve our fitness. Neither of us has a huge problem but we've both noticed a little extra weight creeping on and we want to nip it in the bud.

So what we have decided to do is embark on a two month health and fitness crusade. Starting tomorrow, we will spend the months of July and August in a full on commitment to shedding the extra pounds and improving our fitness levels.

Two months is not a huge commitment of time, but I feel confident that it's all either of us will need to whip ourselves into shape. It will also take us to September, when the cooler weather will make it easier to exercise and our son will start school which should allow the two of us time to go out and run or bike together for a change.

I feel really good about this and I'm excited to get started. Feel free to join us. We will start with the program tomorrow but our initial weigh in will be Friday.

The Big Picture

2010-06-07T17:47:00.012-04:00

"Once you get the blanket thing, you can relax because everything you could ever want or be, you already have and are." I Heart Huckabees

It's time to look at health and fitness as part of the big picture.

Like all good bloggers, I cruise the blogosphere being nosey and seeing what everybody else is up to. I have to say, a lot of people aren't up to much.

However, I have recently stumbled upon a genre of blog that really interests me. A number of bloggers are writing their way through their experiences and experiments in deliberate living, minimalism and the simplicity movement.

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, think Walden Pond. We're conjuring the spirit of Thoreau here.

Now some people seem to take these ideas and spin them into an experiment in self-deprivation, "let's see if I can survive with only 25 personal items." That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the idea that you can actively choose your life rather than letting life happen to you.

The idea is that you examine your values and goals and then direct your time, energy and money toward those things and direct your resources away from the pursuit of pointless material things and time sinks that have no value to you. You stop chasing after trends and 'keeping up with the Jones' and start paying attention to the things you'll care about when you're looking back on your life.

You rolled your eyes. Ya, I saw that. Just hang on for a second, before you write this off as a hippie movement (which, admittedly, in some cases it is) hear me out.

Nobody ever says, "if only I'd spent more time at the office," or, "that pair of red pumps would have changed everything for me."

But they might say, "I wish I'd spent more time with my kids when they were young," or, "we should have taken that trip while we had the chance."

Here's a health related example. If you value your health, you would choose to protect it. So, an hour of your time would be better spent exercising instead of watching TV and your money would be better spent on cooking lessons than on Quarter Pounders.

Yet how often we cave - myself included...I'm certainly no better.

I want to live my life deliberately. I think we all do and all try to, with varying degrees of success. I think it's something that takes a great deal of focus. There are a lot of tempting distractions out there.

A lot of proponents of deliberate living suggest making a 'life list' - & no those aren't sarcastic quotation marks. It's an individual list of values and goals that acts as a touchstone to return to when you need to refocus your priorities.

A lot of people seem to be hung up on having 100 bullets on their list. This seems problematic, however, because many people can't come up with 100 things and end up with stuff like, #42 match up all my socks, #78 finish my life list.

That's really lame. I think a list of values and priorities should be as long or as short as it needs to be AND I think it should be open to revision from time to time. Life isn't static and the list shouldn't be stagnant.

I'm going to work on my life list over the next few days and see what comes of it. I should have some time for soul searching while I'm camping this weekend. If anybody else is interested in completing this exercise, by all means feel free. It seems like a worthwhile first step toward constructing an extraordinary life.

P.S. as I mentioned, I'll be camping this weekend so there won't be a post on Friday. I'll check in with everybody on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Chicken Soup for the Soul

2010-06-05T13:12:00.009-04:00

We're sick.

First my husband caught it, then he gave it to our son and then somebody shared their germs with me. It's just a cold, but we're all feeling crummy.

What's the centuries old cure for crummy? Answer: Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup, of course.

I am the Mom in this scenario, so guess who got put on soup-making duty. That's OK, I was ready. A couple of years ago, I concocted a chicken noodle soup that is a comfort food extravaganza.

I love soup but I will confess that lunch at our house usually involves cranking open a can of Campbell's. But, commercially prepared soups are skimpy...can we all agree on that? When you make a soup from scratch, do you not always put in way more veggies than you'd ever get in a can? Not to mention more noodles, more chicken and more flavour. Homemade soup is a proper meal that can fill you up after a long day, as opposed to a brothy lunch that necessitates the eating of a snack two hours later.

As I said, my soup is just a concoction, it's not really a recipe and it can certainly be altered to taste. I usually just use what I have on hand, so even the quantities vary. Make it to suit you and your family.

I loaded the pot up with garlic, onion, carrots and celery. I like to add some sliced green onion just before serving but, on this occasion, my green onion had become self-aware and wouldn't let me put it in the pot.

You need chicken, of course. I use chicken breast cut into big rustic chunks. For noodles, I usually choose German egg noodles, since they go over well with everybody.

Now, here's the part that makes my soup different. Toward the end of the cooking I add a can of coconut milk, roughly half a cup of peanut butter and a good palm full of curry powder. I finish the soup with a healthy glug of Red Sweet and Spicy Thai sauce.

It's hearty, yummy, a little exotic and not particularly low calorie - so watch your serving size. With a soup like this we should be on the mend in no time.

P.S. Last night I had a dream that I was eating doughnuts. How sad am I?

Friday Update

2010-06-04T12:51:00.005-04:00

It's time to give a progress or regress report.

This week was a total waste, at my end. I couldn't get my act together. My motivation was down the toilet and I did very little of value. No exercise, little house work, very little writing and I ate like I just didn't care anymore.

You know what I think the problem is? I think I'm sick of it. I'm sick of dieting. I'm sick of having "workout 'til you feel like puking" on my to-do list every day. More than anything, I'm sick of shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store, looking for fresh, healthy foods that never satisfy a single craving.

So I rebelled.

But, in juxtaposition to my rebellion, I am DESPIRATE to NEVER be fat again. I hate that I've gained back some of the weight I lost. I hate that I feel less elegant than I did a year ago. I hate that I'm currently stuffing myself into cloths that should fit properly.

I went for a run today. It didn't go well. I started out too aggressively and about two thirds of the way through I was defeated by the heat and had to walk home. Never-the-less, I feel better now than I would have if I'd done nothing...vanquished as I am.

I'm going to take it one day at a time this week and get my head back on straight. My inner foodzilla may have won the battle, but she will not win the war.

I hope you guys did better than me...I have a funny feeling you did.

Dinner Club II

2010-05-30T15:15:00.027-04:00

For a housewife, hosting a dinner party is the equivalent of an employee's performance appraisal or a student taking a final exam. A dinner party is the ultimate test of domesticity. The pressure is on and everything has to be perfect.

It's possible I was taking my role as hostess a little too seriously. Regardless, our most recent instalment of Dinner Club went off exactly as planned.

I felt it was important to establish a theme for the evening. Being a fan of the Surreal Gourmet, I decided to plan an evening of edible art and put my focus on the presentation of the food.

I decorated the table with a collage of famous works of art, torn from the pages of a cheap art history book I grabbed from the Bargain Books section of Chapters. It wasn't good for the health of the book but it was a conversation piece.

I didn't want to take the food too seriously, I'd have to be a better cook than I am to pull off anything sophisticated. I decided to shoot for a tongue-in-cheek menu of dishes I thought were fun and funny. After all, if I'm not entertaining myself, I'm not going to have much luck entertaining our guests.

We started with meatloaf cupcakes, frosted with mashed potatoes and decorated with chive sprinkles. I added some wild mushroom gravy as a savoury garnish. I thought they ended up looking pretty cool.

After our cupcakes, we cleansed our pallets with a little champagne gelatin. It was like fizzy Jello, and who doesn't love fizzy Jello.

Our champagne was accompanied by "chicken salad". This dish got a good laugh. Confession: I swiped the idea from Bob Blumer's website. He's THE surreal gourmet and I bow to his originality. I wish I'd taken a better picture but you work with what you've got.

When I was first searching for a theme for the party, I stumbled across this dessert idea and it ended up inspiring the direction of the entire dinner. Behold...candy sushi.

I had been worried that the presentations wouldn't come together properly so I was really relieved everything went as smoothly as it did. With the stress off my shoulders, I was free to enjoy my company.

It was an evening of good friends, good conversation and lots of laughs. It flew by and I can't wait to do it again.

Perhaps a random round of golf followed by Mexican food?..saaaaay Thursday?

Dinner Club

2010-05-29T10:06:00.002-04:00

The first rule of Dinner Club: Don't talk about Dinner Club (obviously)

The second rule of Dinner Club: Never SURRENDER!!!!! Roooooaaaarrrrrr!

Now, back to the preparations already in progress.

Victoria Day Picnic and Roll On Dinner Club

2010-05-28T11:33:00.007-04:00

Here is a picture taken at our picnic supper on Victoria Day weekend. You probably can't see it very well, but my mother's hat makes the whole affair look much more gentile than it would have if everyone had been hat-less.

"Pass the iced tea and cucumber sandwiches darling."

I did my best to provide a, relatively, clean dinner. We made paninis over the campfire. The boys had ham and cheese and my Mom and I had tuna melts. Nothing beats a good tuna melt.

On the side we had, potatoes roasted in olive oil, grapes, pickles, and frozen watermelon. Frozen watermelon is ridiculously refreshing on a hot day. I highly recommend it.

For dessert, I whipped us up some campfire peaches. It's just a bit of butter, or margarine, a bit of brown sugar and a few peach slices, wrapped in foil and tossed on the fire for a few minutes. It's super easy and tastes - divine.

I'm a little nervous today because tomorrow it is our turn to host Dinner Club. BA ba baaaaa Marcie and Dave are a hard act to follow, but I'm going to try.

The food I'm planning is relatively simple. I'm shooting for a dinner that revolves around its presentation.

The theme I'm hoping to achieve is "Nothing is as it appears." But, I've never attempted any of these presentation techniques before, so the whole thing could be a miserable disaster. Only time will tell.

Oh! Incidentally, I think I'm going to change my weigh-in day to Friday. I read yesterday that people tend to weigh the least on Friday and so if you weigh yourself on that day you can cruise into the weekend inspired by your accomplishments and (hopefully) not derail yourself over the weekend. Let's give it a try.

May 2-4

2010-05-24T14:15:00.004-04:00

Happy Victoria Day everybody! What are your plans?

We're dining alfresco tonight. In fact, we're cooking alfresco too! We're settling in for a little campfire cookin'.

Everything tastes better infused with a little smoke, I find. So, we're making paninis and campfire peaches. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

But I like to provide my guests (Grandma and Grandpa, in this case) with dinner AND entertainment. May 2-4 weekend is synonymous with one type of spectacle in particular and it is of the pyrotechnic variety. To that end, I have purchased a large variety of fireworks, which we will detonate after our hearty meal. Good times.

Clean Eating

2010-05-21T11:06:00.009-04:00

Recap: I've been feeling like a big fatty since I got home from vacation, and there was a really ugly number on the scale a couple of days ago.

I mentioned, in the last post, that I have started researching the Eat Clean diet.

I don't know all the ins and outs yet but, from what I gather, clean eating is about choosing nutritious, whole foods, preparing them in healthy ways and cutting out processed food, as much as possible.

It sounds good.

It may be easier said than done, especially through the winter months, but I think I'm up to the challenge. My plan is to experiment with this lifestyle through the summer and see how things go from there.

Here are some of my fledgling attempts at clean eating.

Dinner the other night consisted of shrimp with cocktail sauce...

and toasted, whole grain baguette topped with homemade pico de gallo.

Dessert was a fresh fruit salad consisting of blue berries, strawberries and bananas, dressed in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon.

I have to say, the cinnamon was a stroke of genius on my part and is destined to be repeated.

So far, so good. The food's been tasty. I'm not overly hungry. The only down side is the endless food prep. It takes quite a bit of time to prepare everything from scratch and I'm not sure how I'm going to overcome the lazy streak that is inevitably coming. I'm taking it one day at a time, right now.

Vacation's Over...Back to Reality

2010-05-19T09:38:00.007-04:00

I have noticed, while I've been away on vacation, the distinct sound of crickets comming fromt the comments section of the Monday Weigh In. Can I take this to mean that others took a weight loss vacation too?

Well, I stepped on the scale this morning (in an unofficial way) and saw the ugly truth that has come from all my holiday eating. Put it this way, I have a lot of packets of crisps, fish and chips, pizzas and pasta to burn off.

While we were in England, I was on a crazed mission to try every unusual flavour of crisp I could find. I sampled such delicacies as, Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, Haggis, Teriyaki, Paella and my personal favourite crisp flavour, African Chutney. That's a lot of crisps when I look at it all written out like that and I know the odd other packet or two crept in there as well.

I spent our week in Italy in food heaven. The whole country is delicious. I wanted to eat it all and I tried. I ate pizza, spaghetti, ravioli, gnocchi, and a different gelato every night.

Mmmmm tiramisu at Ciao Toto

I have to face the consequences now, however. The scale is a heartless master and it's time to get to work.

I'm inspired by the fresh foods that are appearing in the grocery stores, just now and by the approach of the May 2-4 weekend which is the traditionally accepted start of the gardening season around here. I will be planting veggies this week, mark my words.

As a result of this surge of inspiration, I have decided to investigate the Eat Clean Diet. I don't know very much about it and i don't know if it's a good fit for my family, but it sounds like a good idea, so I'm going to check it out and see.

I have been trying to get back on the workout train for the past couple of days. I have definitely lost some of my athleticism over my three week hiatus. Activities that should have been easy weren't so easy at all. It'll take a week or two, but I'll bounce back. I'm not looking forward to strength training today. I have a feeling I'll be exposed as a weakling. At least there won't be anyone around to watch.

Monday Weigh In

2010-05-09T16:08:00.005-04:00

I'll be without internet tomorrow and for the next few days, infact. So, I thought I'd get a jump on the Monday weigh in.

Once again, I am without a scale. What a shame.

The food in Italy is WONDERFUL. I wish I had come to Rome for the sole purpose of eating, but I feel compelled to see the sights. As a result I have done a lot of eating AND a lot of walking.

What has everyone else been up to this week?

Monday Weigh In

2010-05-03T05:28:00.005-04:00

It's Monday Weigh In time again. I weigh 65 stone....whatever that means, lol. I haven't weighed myself, but I'm pretty sure I'm down about 12 lbs this week.

I had half a Galaxy cookie crumb bar for breakfast, yum.

Yesterday I ran the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run. I managed to actually RUN the whole thing...I've never run 10 km before and I didn't think I'd pull it off this time, so I was pretty proud of myself. I got a shirt and a medal out of it, and they were giving out FREE Powerade!!!
How did you do this week?

Monday Weight In

2010-04-26T07:14:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's Monday. No, I don't have access to a scale. No, I don't want to have access to a scale. I'm sitting eating a packet of Walkers English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding crisps.....Talk amongst yourselves.

Veggie Gardens and European Travel

2010-04-21T22:59:00.013-04:00

A BIG Foodzilla congratulations goes out to my sister for winning the Health Unit raffle!

She won a veggie garden starter kit, so dinners at her house should to be REALLY healthy this year. I'll be over weekly and I expect to be fed well.
She WON!!! WOOOOOOO!!!!! HOOOOOOO!!!!!!

She's excited because she so rarely wins. It was a good day.

The garden kit was, actually, a really welcome prize, since she and her husband were planning a veggie garden this year anyway. Now they have all the bits and pieces to get it started.

No excuses. I expect fresh vegetables. Make it happen.

In other news, someone sacrificed a goat and appeased the volcano in Iceland. The airlines are scrambling to catch up on the backlog of passengers waiting to travel to and from Europe.

So far, things look promising for our flight tomorrow evening. My fingers are crossed and will continue to be crossed until we arrive at our destination.

If anybody else out there wants to cross there fingers as well, and maybe send us some good vibes, it would be appreciated.

With a little luck, things will be quiet at my end for a couple of days as we travel and acquire internet access again. I hope to keep you all posted on our mini adventures (adventurettes) as we go along.

But, I don't want to jinx anything, so I'll just leave you with the hope that everything goes smoothly over the next couple of days and that transport goes off without a hitch.

I hope to write to you next, from Europe.

A Day in Africa, in Toronto

2010-04-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

I'm a pharoh-phile and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Everything about the art and architecture of ancient Egypt fascinates me.

Before I shuffle off this mortal coil I need to see the pyramids with my own two eyes. I'm not ready to die yet, though, so I'm holding off on the trip. But, the day I get the bad news diagnosis is the day I buy my ticket on Egypt Airways (or whatever airline will honour my aeroplan points).

So a week or two ago my husband, knowing my pharaonic fetish, secured two tickets to a huge exhibit of Egyptian antiquities at the art gallery in Toronto.

It was really busy and hectic, but it was worth negotiating the crowds to come face-to-face with Akhnaten and be inches away from some of the finest relics antiquity has to offer. The quality of the art and the intricacy of the details were amazing. It was humbling to think how long ago the objects were created.

There was no photography allowed, so I don't have any pictures...sorry.

After the exhibit, we went for dinner. We rarely have the opportunity to dine out together, just the two of us and we wanted to take the opportunity to be adventurous. We wanted to try something different. Something our three-year-old would have bawlked at.

At a friend's recommendation, we opted for an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis Ababa.

Yes Ethiopian food, I know, there's so many different jokes it's hard to pick just one. I'm not going to make any, so you can insert your own joke here ________. OK, are you done? Good.

Addis Ababa actually has an extensive and varied menu so you can consider your assumptions confounded.

We tried an Ethiopian beer. I'm not much a beer drinker, but this was really sweet and I liked it because it was almost like drinking a shandy (half ginger ale, half beer). My husband prefers his beer bitter, gross, and tasting like burnt Shreddies, so he wasn't as enamoured with the Ethiopian beer as I was.

Our food was served traditionally, all together on one plate. It was presented on a bed of flat bread, which you use as both a plate and a utensil.

Many of the dishes are very spicy and scared me off. I went for something on the mild side but found it a bit too bland. My husband ordered a sampling of spicier dishes. He was happy with his meal and found it very flavourful.

I can't remember what the dishes were called 'cause I don't speak Ethiopian. I apologise for my inadequacies.
For me, the highlight of the dinner came after the main meal. We shared dessert, which was fried bananas with ice cream and sesame seeds - yum. We also ordered coffee...

Coffee at Addis Ababa is an experience like nothing you'll get at Tim Horton's. It's not just grabbing a coffee, it's an event that engages all your senses.

They start by bringing freshly roasted beans to your table, so they can tease you with the heavenly aroma. Then they grind them and brew the coffee in a beautiful Ethiopian carafe.

A tray is brought to your table with demi tasse cups, the carafe of coffee and a dish of smoldering frankincense.

You need to decant the coffee, carefully, into the cups in an attempt to keep the grounds settled at the bottom of the carafe. That's the only word of warning. The coffee is strong and delicious.

The burning incese adds an exotic, quasi cerimonial, touch to the coffee ritual. I could have sat there huffing frankincense all night, that stuff smells amazing.

Addis Ababa was a really unique experience. The staff was friendly. The other patrons were friendly, for that matter. The food was good and certainly beat the pants off of a cardboard burger. We're glad we tried it and recommend it to one and all.

Monday Weigh In

2010-04-19T11:12:00.003-04:00

It's time for our weekly progress update, or in my case, lack of progress update. I gained 1/2 a pound.

I had lots of good workouts and lots of bad food. There you go.

I don't really care this week, to be honest. I'm too hugely frustrated by an ash cloud, at the moment, to worry about the holding pattern my weight seems to be in. Global events have taken over the priority spots in my brain.

It will be interesting to see how the events of the next week unfold, and then it will be interesting to see how the events of the subsequent couple of weeks unfold.

How did you guys do?

Stupid Volcano - Crampin' My Style

2010-04-17T22:21:00.008-04:00

Well my blogging buddies, have I got a string of expletives for you.

#$*^^&@!!! volcano in Iceland!

For months, LITERALLY months, I have been looking forward to a family vacation in Britain and Italy. Now, here we are, just days away from take-off and the whole trip may get kyboshed...volcanoed out.

I was so looking forward to finally seeing Mt. Vesuvius. If a volcano in Iceland prevents me from seeing a volcano in Italy, I will finally know that there is a god and he is ironic.

Have you noticed that everyone is calling it 'the volcano in Iceland'? Nobody is calling it by its name. They call Mt. Vesuvius, 'Mt. Vesuvius'. When Mount St. Helen's erupted, they called it 'Mount St. Helens'. Do you know what this volcano's actually called? It's called, Eyjafjallajökull. Try pronouncing that sucker. Ya.

Anyway, I know this post doesn't have anything to do with food or exercise or weight loss, but I have volcanoes on the brain at the moment. It's so discouraging...all this not knowing. For now we're stuck in volcanic limbo. We'll just have to wait and see.

At least SNL is on tonight. That'll cheer me up! Andy Samburg's dreamy, there I said it.

Merry Christmas to Me!

2010-04-15T18:42:00.009-04:00

I finally got my Christmas present a couple of days ago! My gift from my husband was a pair of concert tickets, hidden in a Sham-Wow box. He is both sweet and practical...jealous ladies?

So Tuesday was concert night, at last. We went to see 'the troubadour' Gordon Lightfoot. Yup, I love Gordon Lightfoot. I'm THAT cool.
He's about 71 years old now and his voice is showing his age. He was a bit of a whistley geezer and kept repeating his own jokes but it was still good to see him. I was bound and bent to see him live, in concert, before he dies.

Lyrically, he's hard to top. He has more talent in his little finger than a lot of today's stars have in their whole bodies. I know, now I sound like a whistley geezer, "you know in my day..." But it's true, so suck it.

That's not to say there isn't some huge talent out there right now. I'm just saying, some big stars didn't make a name for themselves with their talent, if you know what I mean. But it was ever thus.

Anyway, Grandma and Grandpa came up for the evening and stayed over. They watched our son while we were out and then yesterday we all went to the mall.

That's where nutritional disaster struck. I gave into my carnal lusts and ate a Big Mac and fries. But I wasn't done! After lunch we went to Dairy Queen and I had a butter pecan sundae.

So that was about a week's worth of calories in one afternoon. Not to worry, I'll just jog that right off - ya right.

Oh well, I haven't been to McDonald's in months and I haven't been to DQ in about two years so I don't think this one transgression is going to be habit forming.

I did a little shopping today and bought a pair of jeans...size 10 (which is good for me - just in case there are any skinny size 0 people out there gasping 'that's huge!') I went to our new American Eagle and picked up a couple of cool t-shirts too. Oh, and a fedora...'cause everyone needs one of those ;-)

I'd dress up my pillow to show you, but I can't be bothered.

Oh My, it Must be Alphabe-Thursday...Letter M

2010-04-15T01:59:00.009-04:00

Message to self - Must stop Munching.

From Morning ‘til Midnight, I Manger Myself sick. It Must stop!

My resolve is Mediocre. I aM certainly not a Monk.

More exercise! More control! That is what My body Mourns.

I Must persue My Mission. McDonald’s can send their Minions, I will not be beaten.

Starting Monday

For More information on these and other M words, please read Alphabe-Thursday ;-)

Monday Weigh In

2010-04-12T11:23:00.004-04:00

Hey Hey!

I can't believe it, but I held steady this week! I'm really relieved. You may bask in my awesomeness if you want.

I missed my run last week, so I'm going to do it today.

I know some of us haven't had the best couple of weeks on record, but it's OK. Nobody makes or breaks their weight in a week or two. Jump back on the horse and ride on. Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather, now that there's nice weather to be had.

Don't forget, walking, cycling, gardening, dancing, it's all exercise. Do something, anything, and you'll feel better which will make you WANT to eat better, which will make you feel better still.

Let's hear how you did this week and, if you want, let's hear how you plan to do better over the next week. If we plan our awesomeness together, we'll all succeed. Go Team Awesome!

I Was A.W.O.L. - But Now I'm BACK

2010-04-11T21:35:00.020-04:00

I can almost guarantee tomorrow's weigh-in will be bad, I write as I brush cookie crumbs off my shirt.

I've had a terrible week. I blame the Easter bunny and the psychedelic Peeps and assorted chocolate he left behind.
I ate badly. That probably goes without saying. I managed to heave my chocolate laden butt off the couch for one workout all this week...and it was this afternoon. I was sleeping really weird hours too. I'm kind of nocturnal and with no one around to keep me in check (the husband was on nights) I stayed up 'till ridiculous o'clock but still had to get up, with the little guy, and function in the morning. As a result, I was grouchy like a bear with a rash. I was TOTALLY unmotivated and wasn't writing much of anything.

Early this afternoon, though, I felt my mood lift. The grouchy clouds parted and my motivation returned. I guess I was a little burned out this week, but the fire's back, baby!

It's on again - though tomorrow's weigh-in won't reflect it - wa wa waaaaaaa

The Two Faces of L

2010-04-08T01:36:00.008-04:00

La la la la Lazy
La la la la Lethargy
La la la la Latte
La la la la Last in the Line

hmmm, try again.

La la la la Lettuce
La la la la beLLy Laugh
La la la la Lost weight
La la la la Load bearing exercise

Here's a diLLy

LA LA LA Longevity!

WOOOOO!

FoodziLLa has been brough to you today, by the letter L and by Alphabe-Thursday and by the number 73 ('cause, why not 73?)

Late Late Monday Weigh In

2010-04-06T00:42:00.003-04:00

I'm late with today's post, very, very late. So late, the Monday Weigh In is being posted on Tuesday. That's pretty bad, I know. What can I say? I've been busy.

I didn't want to weigh myself today, but I'm kinda glad I did. Easter didn't end up doing much damage. I'm down a pound since last Monday, though I'm up 1/2 a pound from my lowest point this week. All-in-all a decent result considering what I've eaten.

How did everybody else do? Don't worry if you had a bad week. It's to be expected with the holiday weekend and all.

Easter Preparations Have Begun

2010-04-02T12:59:00.009-04:00

Easter preparations have begun at Foodzilla's house. Foodzilla has already availed herself of the chocolate eggs. yum yum yum. Foodzilla LOVES Easter.

Foodzilla will stop referring to herself in the third person now.

We decorated Easter eggs yesterday. They turned out awesome! I let my little guy pick the egg dying kit this year. He chose the PAAS Sand Blast kit. It's fun to let him choose things now because he'll often pick something different. I usually just pick the boring regular dye kit.

This kit was cool because, after the dyed eggs have dried, you brush glue on in patterns and shapes and then poor coloured sand on the glue. The result is a colourful, textured graphic on the Easter eggs.

I should probably preface this by admitting that, since I'm not much of an egg eater, hard boiling the eggs, to prepare them for the dye, involved a call to my mother and the untimely explosion of five of the eggs. They detonated in the pot and spewed their guts into the water. It was as gross as I'm making it sound.

Our little guy really enjoyed dying the eggs, but had limited success with the sand. I took over and finished the job myself. At that point, I was the one having fun.
I'm sure that if this kit were placed in the hands of someone genuinely creative, the results could be astounding. In my hands, the eggs turned out like an elementary school art project, oh well.

In the end we had 11 eggs, then our son broke another one so there are presently 10 completed Easter eggs. We'll see how long they last.

I'm going to be dipping pretzels in chocolate and making candied walnuts all day today. Hopefully, I can keep myself from eating them all. I don't know why I do this to myself. The temptation is much too great. I am Foodzilla for crying-out-loud!

Do you guys dye Easter eggs? How do you unleash your creativity?

And Now For Something Completely Different: An Exposé on the letter K

2010-04-01T01:08:00.007-04:00

I thought I'd give this a try, just for the sake of something different.

Foodzilla has been brought to you today, by the letter K and by Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.

Kickboxing, Karaté and Kung fu are Kinds of martial arts. Did you Know that? Did you Know that Killing people with your bare hands is an art? That's Kind of awesome when you thinK about it.

K. The letter K. noooneenoooneenoo

Beef and Broccoli and Oh So Hungry

2010-03-31T19:29:00.006-04:00

Are you trying to tell me it's the last day of March already!?! How did THAT happen?

I'm starving right now. I ate dinner and two hours later, I'm starving. Guess what I had. Chinese food - bingo! Beef and broccoli, of the homemade variety, in case you were wondering.

I tried to replicate the beef and broccoli we get at our favourite Chinese restaurant, King's Fortune. OK, granted, it's the only Chinese restaurant anywhere near us, but it IS good, or we wouldn't bother with it, regardless.

Anyway, my homemade version was fine. I over cooked the broccoli, just a bit. It wasn't as good as King's Fortune but it was edible.

Now, it's 7:45 p.m., I'm ravenous and I have a scant 4 Weight Watchers points to see me through to morning. sigh. If you eat your own leg, does that count for any points? It should be a net loss really, when you think about it.

I did my weekly 5K, this afternoon. It continues to get easier. I REALLY need to put a more effective play list on my iPod, however. Slow, sad, angst-filled alternative music from the '90s isn't the most motivating thing to listen to when I'm trying to run up the hill, back to the house.

Living at the top of a hill affords good views and hard workouts. The worst part of the run comes right at the end, when I have to (one way or another) heave my busted, tired butt back up to the house. So far, I've been successful. When I eventually can't make it back up, that will be the sign that it's time to move. I don't anticipate that day coming for some time.

Anyway, I must dash. Easter prep begins tonight and continues through to Sunday. Busy. Busy.

If anyone out there has had great success recreating their favourite take-out dish, I'd love to hear about it. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes.

Weight Watchers is a Good Stabilizer

2010-03-30T21:48:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, I spent the day playing by the rules and followed the Weight Watchers online program, like a good little girl. It was such a relief to have the stability of a formal program to follow.

I stuck to my points and I wasn't too hungry by the end of the day. I got through a tough workout too. I was pretty proud of myself yesterday and sure enough, today I stepped on the scale and I was down. Ta Da!

Obviously, one day doesn't make much difference if I don't stick with it, but it's a start and seeing some immediate success is certainly motivating.

I tried hard today too. I had some candy at the movies, but I think I kept it within reason. I may have gone over my points slightly, but today's workout was probably enough to compensate.

We went to the movies as a family. It was our son's very first time seeing a movie in the theatre - and it was in 3D no less. We saw 'How to Train Your Dragon' and he LOVED it. My husband and I liked it too. So it gets our recommendation. Three thumbs up! If you've got a little one, you should totally go see it.

Monday Weigh In

2010-03-29T11:01:00.002-04:00

Have you hopped on the scale yet today? I did, just now. I'm down 1 lb this week. It's a bit of a bummer, but better than nothing.

I think I need a little extra help, so I'm going to log onto Weight Watchers online today and start following the program properly again.

I tried to go it alone, and I might be able to maintain that way, but I don't seem to be able to lose much weight by myself. It's time to call in the cavalry.

How did everybody else do? Let's hear it, the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

Jamie Oliver Blows Up the Blogosphere

2010-03-28T16:57:00.008-04:00

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution blew up the blogosphere after its premier Friday night. I'm excited to see how engaged people are by it.

I've read through a number of blog posts, on the subject, over the past couple of days. A few bloggers seemed shocked by the test Jamie did with a group of school children, where in, he quizzed the group on their ability to identify fresh vegetables.

It would have been pointless to televise the test if the children had done well so, obviously, they did poorly. According to Jamie, the problem was rectified in two one-hour sessions. They showed the children vegetables, told them their names, taught the kids about them and voila, educated kids.

Personally, I'd be more interested in seeing some parents take the quiz.

Let's face it, for the most part; we've grown up in a society that is disconnected from its food. Very few of us keep a vegetable garden. Even fewer of us actually farm, or hunt, or gather our own food.

We simply turn up at a store and buy the things we like. It's all readily available and, with very few exceptions, it 's already partially processed for us. The lettuce has been washed, the pasta is neatly tucked inside a box, and the meat has been butchered into steaks, fillets, or wings. Even the shrimp have been deveined, in shell.

Anything icky or unsightly, or inconvenient has been taken care of for us, and I'm not complaining.. I do not want to have to start making my own cheese. But, it's not a far leap to go from these fresh, lightly processed foods to the frozen, packaged, completely processed ones. Convenience is convenient, after all, and if you've got a coupon you can feed your family really inexpensively.

Have you ever seen a coupon for fresh oranges? I haven't.

Story Time...

When I was in my teens, I worked in the snack bar of a bingo hall...best - job - ever. It was a REALLY shabby, smoky bingo hall with a REALLY shabby, fly and ant riddled snack bar.

Coffee was the only thing this snack bar did well. The beans were freshly ground for each pot, just before it was brewed. The staff and bingo players agreed it was really decent coffee. At least we agreed on something.

One evening, I was working behind the counter, serving drinks and snacks to the crowd before the early session started. I pressed the button to grind beans for a fresh pot of coffee and a woman in line exclaimed, "Ewww! Is THAT the coffee?"

I looked up at her, a little surprised, a little annoyed (I was often annoyed with the players) and answered, "Yes".

Had this woman never encountered coffee that wasn't already in a cup? How do you make it to her age (her age to me, at the time, seemed VERY advanced, though she was probably only in her forties) without knowing that coffee comes from beans?

It's little wonder; there are kids who can't tell celery from a beat.

This whole subject has me thinking about my veggie garden and the plans I haven’t made, yet.

I'm so glad my little guy knows, at least a little, about vegetables. He's been snacking on fresh peas in the garden and gathering wild strawberries, since he was a one year old, toddling behind me through the yard.

There is such a sense of accomplishment in serving my family a dinner that includes fresh, home-grown foods. Not to mention the noticeable difference in the taste and quality of food that has been harvested just moments before cooking. It’s so good. I can't wait. I need to get planning.

A quick reminder that tomorrow is Monday and that means weigh-in; be there or be square.

Summer Thoughts and Campsite Cookin'

2010-03-27T18:16:00.007-04:00

My thoughts have, prematurely, turned to summer. The temperature certainly isn't helping but, in spite of the weather, I've started planning gardens, and picnics, and adventures and camping trips.

My friend Marcie sent me a link to enter a contest. It seems Canadian Tire is looking for camping recipes so they're asking people to submit their favourite. The grand prize is $3,000. That would certainly pay for a lot of summer fun!

I wasn't sure what recipe to enter, seeing as I really only know the basics of campfire cookery (marshmallow à la stick, wiener à la stick) and that's probably not what they're after. Then it hit me. I decided to elaborate on something I already knew how to do. I formulated a new, improved, gourmet S'more.

We made them for dessert this evening. As far as calories are concerned, they're not exactly guilt-free, but they're not going to kill you either.

My test kitchen guinea pigs gave the recipe a unanimous thumbs-up. Equal to taste, on the scale of importance, they were low hassle and would be easy to prepare at the campsite. So we’re actually likely to make them again, which is the hallmark of a good campsite recipe.

I'd love to share my innovation with you, but I'm entering the recipe in a contest, sooooo, ya. Sorry to disappoint. I'll share the recipe once the contest is over. It's actually quite good. I’m feeling pretty clever right now.

I guess this was a bit of a non-post, post. meh (shrug)

Who's Writing These Lyrics?

2010-03-25T17:01:00.018-04:00

Here's a little piece of personal trivia.

I don't always hear (quite) everything I should. Those of you who have ever had an actual conversation with me, have probably figured this out.

If you're not facing me when you're talking to me, I'm not going to hear you. If you're across the room and the TV's on, I'm not going to hear you. If you've just said something to me and I'm staring blankly and nodding, I've given up. I haven't understood a word you just said and I'm now trying to fake my way out of the conversation, completely.

It's always been this way for me and I don't consider it a big deal. I don't intend to do anything about it so don't refer me to you ear, nose and throat guy. Been there, done that.

It frustrates my three-year-old at times, which only serves to amuse me.

Three-year-old: "mumble mumble mumble"
Me: "Pardon?"

Three-year-old (slightly louder): "mumble mumble mumble"
Me: "Pardon???"

Three-year-old: annoyed sigh "LISTEN!"
Me: "Hey, it's not my fault, I can't hear you!"

My sister (nhoward in the comments section) can empathise with his pain. She's been repeating herself for me, her whole life. Except, I don't actually try to understand what she's saying. I usually just take a wild guess and repeat what I think she's said. I usually 'think' I've heard something pretty ridiculous. This annoys her very much and she starts ranting about how I don't even try to understand people anymore. It's true, and I find I'm more relaxed.

Given my propensity to miss words in conversation, it's no surprise that I was pretty ill-suited to my former occupation as a receptionist.

Customers would call in and if there was the least bit of background noise, on either end of the phone, I couldn't hear them and didn't know who they were calling for. I would have them repeat themselves a couple of times, three if I thought there was any hope of catching what they wanted, and then I'd give up and forward the, now exasperated, caller to the service department. There, the caller would repeat themselves again and be forwarded to the person they actually phoned to speak to.

It was a survival technique. For some reason, I preferred people to think I was incompetent rather than admit I wasn't hearing properly.

Anyway, I'm bringing this up because I was jogging today, in the cold and the wind, and I was listening to my iPod as I trotted and shivered along. With the ear buds and without distractions, it was the first time I'd heard some of the songs clearly and...dios mio some were down right raunchy!

I had to look up some of the terminology on urbandictionary.com to fully understand what was going on and then, ey ey ey double dios mio! I'm glad I was the only one who could hear it. I was probably blushing through half the run.

Busy and Hungry

2010-03-24T19:33:00.005-04:00

I've been really hungry lately and, when I think about it , the reason is pretty obvious. I've spent the past week working on a series of three articles on British food.

I know what you're thinking.

British food =
Well, that's very rude. How dare you. British food is not like poo with a fork. It's actually pretty good. Oh, grow up.

If you're interested in learning a little bit about the foods of Britain you can find my articles

Here Great Britain's Great Pub Meals

here A Travellers Guide to British Chip Shops

AND

here Britain Loves a Curry

There is also a link to a complete list of my Suite 101 articles on the left.

OK, enough of the personal plugs, it's tacky...you're right. I'm annoying myself.

The Consequences of My Actions

2010-03-23T15:37:00.005-04:00

I have put off writing today's post for as long as I can. I've been procrastinating because I'm wracked with guilt. But, I need to absolve myself of my wrong doings.

Here is my apology to you, à la Tiger Woods.

I have let you all down. For two days straight, there was no reason for me to eat in an unhealthy way, and yet, there was no stopping me either.

Sunday, I ate badly and promised myself I'd do better on Monday. I've told myself that before.

Yesterday, I started off well. I had a healthy breakfast, followed by a healthy lunch. I worked out and ate a healthy dinner. Then the evening rolled in and I couldn't keep my grubby mitts out of the snack cupboard.
When my little binge was over, I felt awful. I had not only made myself sick, I had let myself down terribly, and I knew I was going to have to fess up to it today on this blog. (See, the blog is working. It's keeping me accountable.)

I downed a couple of glasses of water and told myself to start fresh again in the morning, which I've done. So far, today I've done well. I've been eating well, I did a good, hard, no slacking workout and I even planned the family meals for the next few days. I'm pretty on top of things.

I don't think I'll do wrong like that again, for a while. The emotional consequences are too grave. I'm glad you guys are here to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Like It Or Not - It's Weigh-In Monday

2010-03-22T11:36:00.005-04:00

I have floated, ever so gracefully, up a pound and a half. It was as I expected (this weekend's posts will fill you in on my foodventures), but I gained with such style that I don't think anyone noticed.

I'm not too worried about it. Easily on, easily back off. I'm on track today. My projection is, I'll have that 1.5lbs off by Wednesday. I'll try to remember to weigh myself again, to confirm. Otherwise, I'll just say I'm back down, based purely on speculation.

How did you do, this week? It's time to fess up...even if you gained a bit. Obviously, you're not alone. lol

Time for me to whip up a nice bowl of soup. We're having left-over Rogan Josh for dinner tonight. My food prep is on auto pilot today. Open a can and heat up some leftovers. Hard to veer off course that way.

Looking forward to every one's updates. Monday's are my favorite day for comments!

Buenas Noches Mexicana

2010-03-21T21:47:00.013-04:00

The first rule of Dinner Club...don't talk about Dinner Club. I am about to break the first rule of Dinner Club. There will be consequences. I may be ostracised, but that's a chance I'm going to have to take.

Last night, Marcie and Dave hosted our first instalment of Dinner Club. They have set the bar and they have set it high.

The theme was Mexican Fiesta.

Hola! Welcome to the cantina. Can we offer you a margarita, or perhaps some sangria?

My husband got into the spirit of things, at my insistence.

We were appetized by some wicked awesome homemade guacamole and pico de gallo with chips.

Here, we're sitting down to a table festooned with piñatas, confetti and dangly puff-balls. The atmosphere set the stage for a delicious dinner.

It was quite a spread. No effort was spared. We had roasted mushroom salad with spinach and chorizo, cantaloupe salad, sweet potato and black bean enchiladas, black beans and rice, grilled chipotle shrimp and chili lime flank steak.

You're jealous now, aren't you? You want to join our Dinner Club? Well you can't, go start your own!

In all seriousness, I do recommend starting a Dinner Club. It's a great way to get together with close friends and sample each other's creativity.

It's my turn to host next. Like I said, the bar has been set very high, so I'm going to have to pull off a show-stopper. Stay tuned at the end of May, to see how it turns out.

We didn't make it to Maplefest today, but that didn't save me any calories. I went ahead and ate a bunch of junk. I'm not looking forward to the weigh-in tomorrow. Regardless of how it goes, however, I have no regrets. Sometimes you have to ease up a little and allow yourself to enjoy your food and enjoy the good company and take care of the extra calories another day.

Ground Meat Appreciation Night

2010-03-20T00:00:00.021-04:00

Wowza! Foodzilla is in gastronomic heaven this weekend! Tonight, we are going to our inaugural meeting of Dinner Club. Sunday, we head off to Maplefest. The weekend kicked off on Friday with, Ground Meat Appreciation Night (aka Hamburger Helper/Meatloaf Night).

This is such a hilarious concept! Every year, towards the end of winter, my friend Linda will orchestrate a pot-luck dinner party in homage to Hamburger Helper. Each guest brings one of the many variations of Hamburger Helper and Linda creates a, sort of, tapas bar or sampler menu of casseroles, along with bread, salad, wine and cheese.
Now admittedly, no one's world has ever been rocked by Hamburger Helper, but what a fun (and affordable) reason to get together. What a brilliantly silly event. Could you honestly turn down an invitation to Hamburger Helper Night? I couldn't. I'm a sucker for silly theme parties.

This year Linda loosened the rules and invited guests to bring a homemade meatloaf and/or a Hamburger Helper. So instead of six different manifestations of HH we sampled three and also got to try three different interpretations of meatloaf.

I thought Niki's meatloaf was cool. She combined ground chicken, veggies and dill. I would never have thought of using dill in a meatloaf but it was a tasty take on an old classic. It was not your mama's meatloaf. It certainly wasn't her mama's meatloaf, though Linda's turned out well too, in spite of the fact that she doesn't like meatloaf. Weirdo...I love it!

Our gracious hostess HATES having her picture taken, so I was called upon to do a little guerrilla photography in order to enable her to accept full credit for the evening.

There she is. Take a bow Linda, you did a great job...she's going to kill me, but she'll have to come get me first, and since I can run 5 km now, I'd like to see her try.

All six ladies and three kids had a lovely evening. Those women crack me up! We saw Dorothy's 'bling' belt and killer boots. We discussed the high price of Lulu Lemon. I learned some shocking things about Abercrombie and Fitch. Oh, and I learned that Linda changes her curtains and dishes seasonally. Oh ya, Niki cried (a point I would have forgotten about, had her mother not posted it in her facebook status). So, a good night was had by all.

Tonight is Mexican Fiesta...Arriba! Maybe I should do tomorrow's post in Spanish.

You Have My Permission to Watch TV

2010-03-18T19:07:00.010-04:00

I'm a gross salad eater. Usually women order salad, on dates, to look dainty. I always want a little of everything in one bite, so I shovel in a huge fork full and wind up with lettuce hanging out of my mouth. It's nasty and it's a good thing I don't go on first dates anymore, 'cause I would never be asked out for round two.

I'm telling you this because I had salad for dinner this evening and I wanted you to know how fortunate you are that you weren't sitting across the table from me.

Speaking of Revolting...

I want to give everybody a heads up about a new show I'm excited about. It's called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it starts on Friday, March 26th at 9:00pm on ABC. That gives you a whole week to set up your PVR, so no excuses.

I'm joking, I don't care if you watch it or not. I have a bit of a hot and cold relationship with Jamie Oliver. On one hand, he's a bubbling fountain of practical advice and no-nonsense tips. On the other hand, he has an unsavoury tendency to come across as an obnoxious, self-righteous prick.

I'm intrigued by the concept, behind the show. Jamie has ventured into the belly of the beast, Huntington, West Virginia. Last year, Huntington was anointed with the title of unhealthiest city in the United States. The plan is to start America's food revolution there and have it ripple out to the rest of the country. In the show, Jamie will educate the people of Huntington about food and nutrition and teach them how to cook for themselves.

I have high hopes for this show and for the plan it is trying to execute. A little food revolution could be a very good thing. I know I need to revolt against fast and processed food, before I become revolt-ing! hahaha

Fake Pine and Sewage

2010-03-17T21:24:00.008-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I never thought St. Paddy's Day was a very big deal, but this year EVERYBODY is wearing green! I love to see that team spirit, Go Irish!

I went for my second weekly run today. It's already getting easier to finish the 5 km. A lot of the challenge seems to be mental. This week, I was able to pace myself, control my breathing and I run comfortably the whole time. The only time I stopped was to pick up my iPod, when it fell on the road.

My little jog took me past a house that was having septic troubles. I really had no way around it. There were contractor trucks and equipment all over the place and the front yard of the house was dug up.

The air was ripe. It had a piquant, sewagey bouquet. Then, ever so gradually, the sewage smell was replaced by the smell of artificial pine. It got stronger until I was passing the open window of the contractor's truck.

'Holy air fresheners!' I thought. Then I made the connection. These guys dig up septic systems for a living. I decided they were entitled to have as many pine tree air fresheners as they could wrap around their rear view mirror and I cut them some slack.

We're at the halfway point this week. How are you doing? My workouts have been good, but my diet could be a little better. I'll try to eat really well tomorrow.

New Glasses

2010-03-16T19:38:00.008-04:00

I was overdue for a visit to the eye doctor, so today was the day. The optometrist was very thorough and gave me my first glaucoma test! I think that means I'm old, doesn't it?

I was very brave when he put drops in my eyes and came at me with a probe, like so much sci-fi movie. Shock of shocks, I don't have glaucoma, in fact, I have a pair of very healthy specimens. My prescription hasn't changed at all.

I'm pretty excited about the new glasses I've ordered. They're Oakley, a little sporty, a little arty and should be tough enough to take what I dish out. If all goes well, I'll pick them up on Friday.

Seeing as we were at the mall already, we decided to shop for a set of headphones for our son to use in the car. We went to The Source. You know their motto, "The Source: You've got questions, we've got batteries." It's an old joke but it's just so true. We were laughing about it as we walked toward the store.

We found what we were looking for immediately and went straight up to the cash register. The salesman cheerfully took our purchase, "Just the headphones today? Do you need any batteries?"

I smirked but held it together until my husband (who's very good at keeping a straight face) faked a very confused expression and responded, "I don't think these headphones take batteries."

That was it for me. I had to go look at the cameras until I regained my composure.

Hop on the Scale: It's Weigh In Time!

2010-03-15T10:55:00.003-04:00

It's Monday again everybody. How'd we do this week?

I'm down 2 lbs! Huzzah!

I can tell that my fitness level is improving and I can feel my body shrinking. I've got my eye, well and truly, on the prize now. Look out England, I'm going to smoke you with my hotness! Not.

It's shaping up to be a glorious day today. It's still a little overcast right now, but I think the sun's trying to come out. It should be warm too.

The lady bugs have caught onto the change in the weather. The stupid things are all over the house right now and they're driving me up the wall! From what I've seen on Twitter and Facebook, they're driving a lot of other people nuts too.

Do they have lady bug infestations in England? If not they will soon. I'm sure there will be a few stow aways in my luggage. Just kidding. Please don't spray me down with insecticide as I pass through customs. I will make every effort to not infest the country with lady bugs. Stupid lady bugs.

How did everybody else do this week. It's time to fess up, good or bad. How'd you do?

Daily Exercise, Yes - But Let's Not Go Nuts

2010-03-14T19:28:00.013-04:00

Daily exercise is good for you. It probably doesn't need to be said. Exercise burns calories, makes us strong, gives us an outlet for frustration and regulates mood. If, after all that, you still need another reason to hit the eject button on the La -Z-Boy, I've got a good one for you.

I was reading today, on the Women's Health website, that exercise eliminates the dangerous fat that builds up around our vital organs. While it's possible to maintain a healthy weight, through diet alone, without exercise you may still have a congestion of fat build up internally. You may, in fact, be less healthy and at greater risk of certain health problems than a heavier person who is active.

Suffice to say, it's important to exercise regularly. Earlier this week, I mentioned my intention to add a 5 km run to my weekly workout rotation. That's all though, just 5 km...no marathons.

Another interesting tidbit, I read today, is that marathon runners have an increased risk of heart attack, because the exertion of a marathon is so intense it actually causes temporary cardiac damage. With rest, the damage usually repairs itself, but it still exposes you to (I think) unnecessary risk. It seems to me, that if you're damaging your heart, you're trying too hard.

Then I learned about a sport called ultramarathon. Ultramarathon is for people who find a regular marathon too pedestrian. It's an extreme race that, by definition, exceeds the standard marathon distance of 42.195 km, and often involves additional challenges including extreme climate and terrain. This sounds like a fantastic idea. I can't imagine anything going wrong with this at all.

The most ultra of the ultramarathons is the Badwater Ultramarathon. It spans a distance of 217 km, beginning in the Badwater Basin and crossing Death Valley all the way to Mount Whitney, CA. It happens every July, a time of year when temperatures in Death Valley can reach 55° C (130°F). A small sub-set of runners will attempt a double crossing, presumably in an attempt to get back to their car. Most runners don't complete the official race, let alone the second crossing.

Nothing about this race sounds reasonable or well advised. I've been to Death Valley in the summer and I can tell you, there's a reason they call it that. It's a crazy place and it will try to kill you, no joke. I don't know who the people are who attempt this race and I probably don't want to. I applaud their desire to push themselves and 'suck the marrow out of life' and all that good stuff, but I won't be joining them.

I just want to do my little 5 km and carry on with my day.

Don't forget that tomorrow is weight-in day. Stop by and give us an update!

Infomercials Prey on the Weak and the Tired

2010-03-13T10:09:00.017-05:00

The other night I was watching TV at 2:30 a.m., as is my custom. At that time of night, your choices are limited to bad movies, gossip shows and infomercials. None of these choices are good but the infomercials can be entertaining, at times. The one with Mr. T. is kind of funny and when you come across a Time Life CD collection, it's good viewing. Hearing 10 seconds of every song, from a given decade, is a pleasant way to pass the early morning hours.

If you get tired enough, the products in these commercials start to seem useful, even necessary and excellent value too. Why wouldn't you want two Slap Chops for the price of one? And, if they're willing to throw in a Graty, all the better! Let's face it, Vince could sell condoms to a nun.

Like I was saying, the other night I was watching some late-night TV and I saw, quite possibly, the most ridiculous infomercial yet! It was for a piece of exercise equipment. One of those core machines, I can't remember the name, where you sit and rotate the top half of your body and the bottom half of your body in opposite directions.

Naturally, there were shots of very fit and healthy people swinging their bodies back and forth, on this contraption, in an effort to convince the weak and the fatigued that we too can have a core of steel. The individual exercisers became a group, each with a machine, still twisting vigorously, enjoying each other's company whilst improving their lives with this indispensable piece of equipment.

Then, without warning, the group was in front of the Eiffel Tower! The Eiffel Tower? Of course, why wouldn't you and an ensemble of your closest friends do an ab workout with a major European landmark as your backdrop? This group of 'athletes' didn't see anything strange about it, or if they did, they certainly didn't let on.

Just because you have access to a green-screen, doesn't mean you have to use it. It was such an incongruous image. First I laughed and then I realised my intelligence was being insulted, just a little bit. Even at 2:30 a.m. I had the mental agility to leap from humour to offence. They thought I was a sucker!

So I phoned the number on the screen, to complain about the ridiculous premise of the advertisement and ask them if they actually took me for an idiot, and they talked me into buying the machine.

No. That last part didn't actually happen.

One Month Down...The Rest Of My Life To Go

2010-03-12T19:10:00.005-05:00

This blog has been up and running for a month now. We've certainly covered a lot in a short time. There's still a long way to go, though. Weight maintenance is the bi product of a life-time of vigilance, or so I've heard. If you're new here, settle in...we're around for the long haul.

Today, I am a broken woman. That run, yesterday, did me in. I'm sore all over and I've pulled something in my ankle. I've been hobbling and whining all day. Can you tell I'm not a regular runner?

I don't really aspire to being a 'runner.' I have no desire to run a marathon or anything like that but I would like to run 5k without being destroyed. That's why I'm thinking of adding a run to my weekly workout rotation. I enjoy jogging along with my i-pod on a nice day, I'd just like to be more competent at it.

So, it's decided. Once my crippled body has healed I will start running once a week until 5 km is no longer a big deal.

Has anyone else set new fitness goals lately?

Prepare for Take Off

2010-03-11T15:35:00.015-05:00

Pant...weeze...pant...weeze...gulp...pant...pant...omg...weeze...omg...weeze...I just ran 5km. My inner asthmatic didn't like parts of that.

Ask me why I ran 5 km.

Why?

I'll tell you, imaginary Craig Ferguson-esque sidekick.

It didn't rain today. It's beautiful and sunny and warm. I wanted to be outside and I wanted a challenging workout. For me, jogging is always a challenge.

But the real reason is, I'm excited today because we booked our trip to Europe! It's official, I have six weeks to whip my busted, tired body into a brick house.

In no time at all, we'll be touching down in sunny tropical England. Ahh, England in April; the words are synonymous with bikinis and coconut scented sun screen...or jackets and a sensible pair of shoes, either way.

After a couple of weeks in Britain, we'll carry on to Italy for a week.

I'm going to visit the remains of Pompeii, this time for sure. It's been on my bucket list since I was in 10th grade latin and Quintus was in triclinio bibit. I have to tick the Pompeii box before I die, or before Vesuvius erupts again and consumes the archaeological record. I'll be there soon. Come on, no volcanic eruptions!

So in a little over a month, I hope to lose a little over 10 lbs and I really want to tone up my arms and abs because this is the summer of the tank top.

Says who?

Says the UN...don't argue with me, imaginary sidekick.

In further news, it's taco night. I'm making chicken tacos with whole wheat tortillas, sautéed peppers and onions, sour cream, chipotle salsa and a slice of avocado on top. Just say California fresh. What are you having tonight?

Bring on The Sun

2010-03-10T13:30:00.016-05:00

I know I have, in previous posts, professed my love of winter BUT these warm, sunny days aren't bad either. The nice weather is making everyone so happy. I think if we were to get another shot of winter, at this point, the people of Ontario would throw their arms up in disgust and the air would turn blue with spring craved obsenities.

What is it about a bright sunny day that's so inspiring? I haven't been this motivated in months. I'm working out harder, I'm eating better and I'm longing for the kind of clean, healthy food I enjoyed, so much, in California.

No doubt about it, there is something healthy about the sun. It nourishes us in ways that make us want to nourish ourselves better.

Now that I've said that, it's going to rain all day tomorrow. C'est la vie.

Never-the-less, all this working out is paying off! I just did my most hated workout and it wasn't that bad at all. It was still challenging, don't get me wrong, but I didn't feel like I was going to die, pass out, or vomit...that's an honest to goodness improvement! The strength-training is getting easier too. I think it may be time to level-up!

How's the nicer weather affecting your motivation?

Lobsterfest

2010-03-09T11:35:00.012-05:00

I've spent the last few days with the song Rock Lobster looping in my head, and not the regular Rock Lobster either, an obscure hybrid of the B52s and The Family Guy. It's been a unique form of torture. One that I suspect is not used on detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

Lobsterfest was an education. We had a couple of real live East Coasters presiding over the preparation, making sure that everything was done properly. From the selection at the wholesalers to explaining the intricacies of dismemberment, East Coast Blaine and his wife, East Coast Laura, guided us through the whole process.

Apparently, if you annoy your food before you cook it, it will taste better.

The lobsters went into a big turkey fryer full of boiling water and came out this pretty red colour.

It isn't everybody that has a kitchen sink full of lobsters. I wonder what the street value is on these bad boys. We got a deal. Mind you, the special price was on the mutant, zombie lobsters that nobody else wanted. They tasted the same as the sexy, symmetrical lobsters though.

There he is. You'd never know he was a bargain basement crustacean. East Coast Blaine did an excellent, if brutal, job of severing our dinner. There was lobster juice and flinging guts all over the place, but the end product was a pretty, heart-shaped delicacy. Dipped in copious amounts of butter, it was the end that every lobster dreams of.

Monday Weigh In

2010-03-08T10:21:00.003-05:00

Before you jump all over me...I know I haven't filled you in on Lobsterfest. We left one of our cameras behind and I want the pictures off it, before I post. I think we're going to pick it up today, so the post is still coming. Not to worry.

I had a good weight in today. I'm down 3 lbs. Count 'em with me everybody! 1 - 2 - 3 - pounds. So long suckas!

I've redeemed myself from last week and I'm back on track. Happy days. How'd everybody else do?

I still have to measure myself so I can track my inches dropped. I'll try to do that today.

You're a Foodie? Seriously?

2010-03-05T00:56:00.010-05:00

I've felt pretty crap-ola the past couple of days and could easily have caved on my plan, to use up the leftovers, in favour of some steamy hot takeout. But, I told you guys I was making those wan tan things and the thought of disappointing you made me feel guilty, so here.

My baked wan tans. They were really good and the family was impressed with my culinary prowess, so I'm glad I didn't cave and go the takeout route.

But, now to the real post.

I don't know about you, but I find it questionable when people refer to themselves as foodies. 'I'm a foodie. I like food. That's something unique about me.'

What does that mean. Does it imply that the rest of us don't like food, or that we don't like the right kind of food, or that our opinions on food are somehow less awesome? 'Yuck, I hate food. I never touch the stuff.'

I don't think I know anybody who doesn't LOVE food and have a very strong opinion on what constitutes 'good' food. Everyone's feelings on the subject are different and it can lead to a lot of disagrement, sometimes heated. My point is, saying you're a foodie is like saying you're a breather...I like air too.

We've got ourselves a food focused March. Our first foodcentric event is tonight's Lobsterfest! It takes place at a friends house. I believe it's the third annual, but this will be the first year our schedule has allowed us to attend. I think it goes without saying that the star of the show, this evening, will be lobster. I'll let you know all the succulent details in the morning.

Later this month I will be attending my second (second to me, it's been going on for a while) Hamburger Helper night. This is a great theme night. Everybody HATES Hamburger Helper and the challenge is to find one that's tolerable. This year, the theme has been expanded, to welcome submissions of meatloaf. It is now known as Hamburger Helper/Meatloaf Night. I'm pretty proud of my meatloaf recipe so I'm looking forward to it.

The next night is our inaugural meeting of Dinner Club! There are three families involved and each will take a turn hosting. Thankfully, we are not the first hosts. We'll let Marcie and Dave set the bar with there Mexican Fiesta. I'm super excited about Dinner Club and I'm already formulating a plan for when it's our turn.

So lots of edible fun to look forward to. Stay fresh foodies ;-)

Know Yourself and Do What Works For You

2010-03-04T00:00:00.016-05:00

Let's be honest...if you're reading this, you have some weight to lose, or you know someone else who does. It's the 21st century...this is North America, we all know there's a problem. We've all strolled through a WalMart and had to negotiate our shopping cart around someone in the isle that's two or three times as wide as they ought to be.

That was mean. I'm just in a nasty mood...ignore me. No, don't ignore me. Keep reading. I'll try to be nicer.

Anyway, from time to time we make the decision to shed our extra pounds. So we reign in our behaviour. We eat a little healthier and we exercise a little more, we loose some weight...we get bored, we lose our resolve, we return to our old habits and we gain the weight back. We've all done it. I've done it a bunch of times.

What I've discovered is, (now pay attention, this is important) success comes from knowing yourself. I'm not telling you to sit around contemplating your navel and the pounds will magically fall off. I'm saying you have to know yourself and your lifestyle and what will work for you over the long haul.

Allow me to use myself as an example. I am not a meeting person. I may be expected at a meeting, but I will move heaven and earth not to be there. So an organization like Weight Watchers, at first glance, seems like a bad idea for someone like me. Not so. The Weight Watchers Online program was ideal for me. It comes with all the tools you need to calculate your 'points' and keep your food journal as well as a database of helpful articles, recipes, inspiring stories and friendly message boards. Weight Watchers Online worked for me.

There are plenty of diet plans and theories out there and as long as it's healthy and it's working for you AND will work for you in the long run, go for it. Find the one that's best for you.

Likewise, you have to find a way to get some exercise and you have to get it, pretty well, every day. I live out in the boonies, so there's no point in joining a gym. I'd never go and I certainly couldn't commit to going six days a week. It would take too much time out of the day and it would cost a fortune in gas. I can, on the other hand, pop in a DVD six days a week and workout at home. That's what works for me.

Lot's of people love the gym. Other people will go for a run, rain or shine. Whatever works. Find something you love to do, that you have time to do and that you can stick with.

Losing weight is a long process and keeping it off is a life-long commitment. Be flexible and change things up from time to time. Keep learning new things and continue to learn about yourself. It's a big job, this weight maintenance stuff and you have to enjoy it or you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

You'd Think I Knew What I was Doing

2010-03-03T21:06:00.006-05:00

Behold ladies and gentlemen! A thing of beauty. The perfect roast chicken.

I haven't made a whole roast chicken in ages. Tonight was the night for its big comeback.

About a year ago, I learned the secret to a great roast chicken. Some of you may already know but if you haven't unravelled the mystery yet, I'll tell you.

Brine the chicken before you roast it.

Brine (at least my brine) is a solution of water, kosher salt and apple cider vinegar. It's nice to infulse the brine with spices too, but that's up to your taste. Immerse the uncooked chicken in the brine for at least four hours. The chicken soaks in the salt, the acid tenderizes the meat and the bird takes on a lovely flavour.

Dinner tonight was good. Roast chicken (obviously), brown rice and salad, healthy, healthy. Tomorrow I'll combine the leftover chicken with stir fry sauce and coleslaw blend. I'll dollop the mixture into wan tan wrappers and bake them in the oven...healthy dinner number two! Not bad, eh?

I Loves Me Some Kickboxin'

2010-03-02T19:39:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, as penance for my bad behaviour last week, I did my most hated workout. It's a toughy, consisting of a lot of football drills that have been modified to make them more difficult. It's effective, but it makes my head spin. When I started adding this workout to my rotation, I would be on the verge of barfing by the halfway point. I can get through it now, without feeling like I'm going to puke; so that's an improvement.

Today, as a reward for doing my most hated workout, I did my favourite workout, kickboxing. I have a bunch of kickboxing DVDs and I, pretty much, love them all. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can punch an invisible target like I can. I really nail that imaginary mugger. I nail him every time. I've kicked his head off a bunch of times too.

There's nothing like knowing I can win a fight...even if it's all in my head.

Monday Weigh In

2010-03-01T11:46:00.005-05:00

It's March 1st. We did it!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Blogger looks out window. Sees no difference between March 1st and February 28th. Deflated blogger returns to post.

This was NOT a good weigh in for me today. I gained back the 2 pounds I lost last week. It seems suspicious to me, however. I don't think my misbehaviour over the past week amounts to a 2 pound swing in the wrong direction. I wasn't THAT naughty. I have reason to believe that my body's composition is currently more water than normal. So, I think it's just a glitchy fluctuation.

That's not to say that I shouldn't be trying harder. It's occurred to me that this blog hasn't been as inspiring as it would be if I wasn't sneaking little cheats in left and right.

My promises for the week:

I will workout (properly) 6 days this week.
I will eat healthy all week long.
I will be an inspiration to my readers.

How did everybody else do? Better than me?

An Award? For me? Ah Shucks.

2010-02-28T19:41:00.008-05:00

I got an award! Thanks to IASoupMama over at Soup: Midwestern Mama Cooking Up Life In The Heartland. It totally made my day!!!

It's the Sunshine Award, given to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world!

The rules for this award are as follows:
•Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
•Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
•Link the nominees within your post.
•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are the bloggers I pass this award onto:
This Or The Housework
The Sunny Side of Life
Midday Escapades
One 2 Try
Agy Talks
Hearts Make Families
Dimes2Vines
Simply Stacie
Petite Little Bee
Take Me The Way I Am
Extreme Personal Measures
Leigh vs. Laundry

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemonade

2010-02-28T11:59:00.008-05:00

When life gives you snow...make a snowman, or some snow roads or the biggest snowball you can muster. That's some big snowball!

We did all of the above. The three-year-old had fun and so did his thirty-something parents.

This is Olympic Frosty.

As soon as this picture was taken, we went all Bruce Lee on his frozen snowman butt and smashed him to pieces. That was probably more fun than building him.

I really need a good workout today, so I'm planning 40 minutes of strength training. I should be pretty tired and sweaty after that. I have to compensate for the snacks I'll be consuming during the big hockey game today. I've got my Olympic shirt and flags all set, but I don't know if I'll be able to take the pressure. I get so nervous, like somehow my own self-worth is wrapped up in the success of our hockey team. It's ridiculous.

Don't forget tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm not expecting a great result this week, but I'm going to weigh-in anyway.