This past weekend was rough in the keeping our promises department.
After the victorious weigh in at work last week, and being sick (and therefore pathetic) all weekend I made some slip ups. In the form of a very small chocolate covered strawberry, two bites of chocolate cake, several bites of blueberry donut, and exactly 5 french fries.
Yikes, dudes.
While all of these things were delicious in their own right, the minute after I ate all of them I was like, "meh, I could have done without that."
Which made it doubly frustrating. Because I had eaten it and immediately was bummed for cheating.
I am just legit missing sweet stuff (the french fries were because my friends were worried I had not eaten enough before drinking on Saturday night and they thought I was going to get sick. So thoughtful, they are).
This is HARD. Its rough. I miss sweet things after lunch and dinner. I miss sweet breakfast. I'm shoveling fruit and gluten-free granola in my gapping maw as a replacement and its super lame.
So we know that this won't be for forever. Which is great. There is no reason it needs to be. But today I come at you on the interwebs from a place of honesty. I do not know how people for-real for-real give up these things and make it seem so easy. It has not been easy. It's been the worst.
Also, real quick, this could not be more #firstworldproblems if it tried. I get that. I need to find real things to complain about eventually. But! For now...
This is super sucky. And today, we're just going to be aware of how hard it is to give up something you love. And then hit the ground running for the next two weeks.
Let's go.
Showing posts with label lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lent. Show all posts
Monday, April 07, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Monday Meals: Spags Squash
Now that we are very well acquainted with quinoa, lets explore a new substitute for things you love and eat all the time.
Spaghetti Squash! Yaaaay!
Spags squash is my favorite carb-void filler. It is easy enough to roast and then you can be fancy and make some thing delicious to go with, or you can be lazy and pour a jar of store bought sauce and it is just as delicious, and you can eat dinner before 10 p.m. Wheeee!
I prefer to roast it but it requires some he-lady knife skills.
How to Roast the Spags squash:
First preheat the oven to 375.
Then slice that monster in half, long-wise. It will be intense. So be cool.
Fun fact, my newest addition to my hand-scar collection came from me pushing too hard on the back of a knife. This is not a joke.
Once its cut, scoop the seeds out ala a Halloween pumpkin.
Once the oven is preheated put the halves in a baking dish (not a cookie sheet, something with a rim) - make sure you put them skin/rind side up (innards side down).
Then cook it for 35ish minutes (when it starts getting brown on top, you can call it).
How to nuke the Spags Squash:
If you are feeling SO.Lazy - you can microwave it and/or you can keep it whole when cooking.
If you keep it whole, poke a fork in it at least 10 times all over the place so it doesn't explode.
If you microwave it (which you can do whole or halves or quarters, whatever) - put a little bit of water (1/4 cup or less) in a cooking dish (I just use a bowl that is big enough to fit the piece I am cooking) and then cook it for about 5 minutes per half, or 10 minutes for the whole thing. It will be squishy when it is done.
Done Cooking?:
Use your oven mitts to flip one half over and take a fork to it to make sure the noodle-y bits come out easy. That's how you know it is donezo.
Then let it cool for a while otherwise you have a one-way ticket to ouchy-burn town. And then use a fork to scrape it and create your noodles.
Then you'll have noodles. Boom. Make this yum yum alfredo business. Or this taco-y version. Or just throw some jar sauce on it - maybe some protein if you are feeling crah-zey.
We're halfway through Lent! My breath apparently smells terrible from the lack of carbs in my diet (we self-diagnosed a little bit of ketosis), I am going to try to drink about a zillion times more water and chew some sugarless gum, but this party might end/change slightly for me if this butt-breath thing does not work itself out.
Spaghetti Squash! Yaaaay!
Spags squash is my favorite carb-void filler. It is easy enough to roast and then you can be fancy and make some thing delicious to go with, or you can be lazy and pour a jar of store bought sauce and it is just as delicious, and you can eat dinner before 10 p.m. Wheeee!
I prefer to roast it but it requires some he-lady knife skills.
How to Roast the Spags squash:
First preheat the oven to 375.
Then slice that monster in half, long-wise. It will be intense. So be cool.
Fun fact, my newest addition to my hand-scar collection came from me pushing too hard on the back of a knife. This is not a joke.
Once its cut, scoop the seeds out ala a Halloween pumpkin.
Once the oven is preheated put the halves in a baking dish (not a cookie sheet, something with a rim) - make sure you put them skin/rind side up (innards side down).
Then cook it for 35ish minutes (when it starts getting brown on top, you can call it).
How to nuke the Spags Squash:
If you are feeling SO.Lazy - you can microwave it and/or you can keep it whole when cooking.
If you keep it whole, poke a fork in it at least 10 times all over the place so it doesn't explode.
If you microwave it (which you can do whole or halves or quarters, whatever) - put a little bit of water (1/4 cup or less) in a cooking dish (I just use a bowl that is big enough to fit the piece I am cooking) and then cook it for about 5 minutes per half, or 10 minutes for the whole thing. It will be squishy when it is done.
Done Cooking?:
Use your oven mitts to flip one half over and take a fork to it to make sure the noodle-y bits come out easy. That's how you know it is donezo.
Then let it cool for a while otherwise you have a one-way ticket to ouchy-burn town. And then use a fork to scrape it and create your noodles.
Then you'll have noodles. Boom. Make this yum yum alfredo business. Or this taco-y version. Or just throw some jar sauce on it - maybe some protein if you are feeling crah-zey.
We're halfway through Lent! My breath apparently smells terrible from the lack of carbs in my diet (we self-diagnosed a little bit of ketosis), I am going to try to drink about a zillion times more water and chew some sugarless gum, but this party might end/change slightly for me if this butt-breath thing does not work itself out.
Sunday, March 09, 2014
An introduction to Quinoa
I gave up carbs/sweets/breads/starches/all that is good and wonderful in this world for Lent.
There was a part of me that was thinking I was making a bid deal out of nothing.
Five days in and I am going through what I can only imagine is a heroin-esque like withdrawal. I think about bread all the time. I want cookies, I want chocolate, I would give up my entire family for a half dozen cupcakes and a loaf of french bread.
But I've stayed strong, because I am quite the stubborn little mule and impressively enough, my baby brother is still in it to win it too.
Since he is just getting started in the carb-alternative game, this post is for him.
Why quinoa is your new best friend.
Quinoa is rice's better for you, more yummy cousin. It takes the same amount of time to cook and can be eaten with anything. Anything. All the benefits. None of the carbs. Plus bonus protein, iron and fiber (mmm, you love fiber).
Tonight we ate it with some cuke, red bell pepper and feta cheese. Easy Cheesey. Here is a list of some other things you could mix with it and make a crazy delicious side (or main course):
-sweet potato, kale, and chicken
-avocado, black beans, tomatoes
-bell peppers and lemon juice
-carrots, edamame, and cranberries
-spinach, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts (with bonus steak if you're feeling crazy)
-strawberries, goat cheese, and arugula
-broccoli and cheese
Mix and match any of these things or literally anything you want. When making a bowl of food, add this. If oatmeal is your jam in the morning, switch out the oatmeal for this, add in some brown sugar, a few nuts and berries and a banana if you are playing like a champion - and BOOM, breakfast. Bye.
Also, I checked and Price Chopper totally carries quinoa. So no complaints about it being too fancy for your neck of the woods.
Some reminders:
-always, always rinse it in cold water before cooking
-let it cool for a minute and then put it in a bowl before making it all fluffy with a fork. It will stick together if you leave it in the pot/microwavable bowl.
-a cup of dry quinoa makes a shit ton of cooked quinoa so plan on throwing it in everything for a couple days. You won't regret it and it will make you miss rice that mich less.
One week down, six to go.
There was a part of me that was thinking I was making a bid deal out of nothing.
Five days in and I am going through what I can only imagine is a heroin-esque like withdrawal. I think about bread all the time. I want cookies, I want chocolate, I would give up my entire family for a half dozen cupcakes and a loaf of french bread.
But I've stayed strong, because I am quite the stubborn little mule and impressively enough, my baby brother is still in it to win it too.
Since he is just getting started in the carb-alternative game, this post is for him.
Why quinoa is your new best friend.
Quinoa is rice's better for you, more yummy cousin. It takes the same amount of time to cook and can be eaten with anything. Anything. All the benefits. None of the carbs. Plus bonus protein, iron and fiber (mmm, you love fiber).
Tonight we ate it with some cuke, red bell pepper and feta cheese. Easy Cheesey. Here is a list of some other things you could mix with it and make a crazy delicious side (or main course):
-sweet potato, kale, and chicken
-avocado, black beans, tomatoes
-bell peppers and lemon juice
-carrots, edamame, and cranberries
-spinach, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts (with bonus steak if you're feeling crazy)
-strawberries, goat cheese, and arugula
-broccoli and cheese
Mix and match any of these things or literally anything you want. When making a bowl of food, add this. If oatmeal is your jam in the morning, switch out the oatmeal for this, add in some brown sugar, a few nuts and berries and a banana if you are playing like a champion - and BOOM, breakfast. Bye.
Also, I checked and Price Chopper totally carries quinoa. So no complaints about it being too fancy for your neck of the woods.
Some reminders:
-always, always rinse it in cold water before cooking
-let it cool for a minute and then put it in a bowl before making it all fluffy with a fork. It will stick together if you leave it in the pot/microwavable bowl.
-a cup of dry quinoa makes a shit ton of cooked quinoa so plan on throwing it in everything for a couple days. You won't regret it and it will make you miss rice that mich less.
One week down, six to go.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
No Panem for me, thanks.
The month of Be Happy Go Upside-down conveniently ended up coinciding with Lent this year. So it's going to be a really good month for shedding extra winter blubber and a really bad month for me being a fun person to be around.
This year for Lent I decided to give up bread and sweets. At first it was just "refined sugar," but people started questioning my methods for determining what contains "refined sugar," and once someone suggested cutting wine out of my diet, it was clear I needed to be more specific.
This might be the most insane challenging thing I have ever done. Bread is my comfort food. Sweets are my reward. And while I know this will never stick past the 40 days (I am not a cave lady) - it is a chance to really think about what I am putting in my body for the next 5 and a half weeks.
I so often just eat and eat without considering if I needed that extra crab puff. And let's be real - yes, I always do need that extra crab poof, but I don't always need four cake pops, and a cupcake with the crab puff.
Of course, the real challenge is getting past the, "but I want it," hurdle. This morning there is a giant array of bagels in my work kitchen. All the bagels telling me that they are going to help me get through this morning. And they would and that might be the heart of the problem.
There are a lot of delicious things I will be enjoying this month: bacon, avocado, fruit (can't kick this 2-a-day clementine habit #sorrynotsorry), and wine and those, I hope, will be enough to get me through the rough spots.
Since my baby brother, Buttmunch has also decided to attempt this journey, I am going to be posting lots of recipes and cheat codes for eating less carbs.
Also, at some point we will discuss why I let this religious event that I don't actually believe in be in control of my decisions every spring.
If you need me, I'll be eating lettuce and hummus with my motivational team.
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Challenge Extended
So yesterday was Mardi Gras - and so in celebration I saw 101 Dalmations on "Broadway" (or what passes for Broadway out here in the Windy City - so Randolph St...not quite the same ring). It was...disappointing except for the puppies. And the idea was kind of cool, but didn't work... don't see it. Let me describe it to you in detail and you'll enjoy it more, especially if you give me a puppy to play with.
And I also decided that for Lent this year I will be giving up Facebook. Which is a very intense decision for me. I spend a really absurd amount of time stalking friends, and old classmates, and occasionally strangers. This is probably unhealthy (and yet, totally accepted). So I decided that I was going to give it up. Its only 40 days right? And I used to give up TV. I am hardcore during this Lentent (?) period.
Of course I am immediatly sad because I won't be able to post pictures of my upcoming trip, new apartment or even of dumb every day things like my just in time cakes yesterday night (I had forgotten to eat pancakes - thankfully I live in a house where we freeze leftover pancakes).
And then today AnnieBelle demands I become lifepartners with her blog and I oblige (its easier if you just say yes). And in doing that we made a wager...if you will...we are each going to post in our blogs EVERY DAY for the next month. This will keep me occupied until March 17...which is St. Patty's Day! So at the end we get to drink! Horray! Perfect! Stupendous!
My other goal is to take at least one or two pictures a day. I don't take enough. So, I'll post pictures from the day before...maybe it will inspire me to write?
Yesterday's Just in time cakes:
Challenge Accepted.
And I also decided that for Lent this year I will be giving up Facebook. Which is a very intense decision for me. I spend a really absurd amount of time stalking friends, and old classmates, and occasionally strangers. This is probably unhealthy (and yet, totally accepted). So I decided that I was going to give it up. Its only 40 days right? And I used to give up TV. I am hardcore during this Lentent (?) period.
Of course I am immediatly sad because I won't be able to post pictures of my upcoming trip, new apartment or even of dumb every day things like my just in time cakes yesterday night (I had forgotten to eat pancakes - thankfully I live in a house where we freeze leftover pancakes).
And then today AnnieBelle demands I become lifepartners with her blog and I oblige (its easier if you just say yes). And in doing that we made a wager...if you will...we are each going to post in our blogs EVERY DAY for the next month. This will keep me occupied until March 17...which is St. Patty's Day! So at the end we get to drink! Horray! Perfect! Stupendous!
My other goal is to take at least one or two pictures a day. I don't take enough. So, I'll post pictures from the day before...maybe it will inspire me to write?
Yesterday's Just in time cakes:
Challenge Accepted.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Thanks Dad.
Dad: So what are you doing for lent this year?
Rachel: I'm gonna limit myself to one diet coke and try to drink at least two liters of water a day.
Dad: I know a guy who died from drinking too much water.
Awesome. Thats my dad! Full of knowledge! After I had already had two liters of water and started my third we had this conversation. My dad knew none of the specifics of the dead man, just that he drank too much water. So I googled "death by over-hydration" (lies. I think I put in, "what happens when you drink to much water?") and that whole 8 glasses a day thing is aparently a bunch of hooey. Don't you love that I get all of my scientific information from a site that has "-a gogo" in the title? Aparently, drinking water hurts you. Nay. It is deadly. What do I do? Keep researching AND drinking, until I've consumed about three-quarters of my third liter. Then I go get Hot Chocolate, because I have to have my 4:00 Swiss Miss break or I've lived my day in vain.
Then the hypochondia starts kicking in. Now I'm dealing with a massive stomache (because I'm dying) and (of course) I have to pee because Wow! does 2.75 liters of water really flow through the system!
The thing that pisses me off the most? Besides the fact that I could drop dead at any minute from something as stupid as drinking too much water? I have to rethink my Lentent-whatever. I thought I was so clever and now...I'm just an idiot who needs to pee.
Rachel: I'm gonna limit myself to one diet coke and try to drink at least two liters of water a day.
Dad: I know a guy who died from drinking too much water.
Awesome. Thats my dad! Full of knowledge! After I had already had two liters of water and started my third we had this conversation. My dad knew none of the specifics of the dead man, just that he drank too much water. So I googled "death by over-hydration" (lies. I think I put in, "what happens when you drink to much water?") and that whole 8 glasses a day thing is aparently a bunch of hooey. Don't you love that I get all of my scientific information from a site that has "-a gogo" in the title? Aparently, drinking water hurts you. Nay. It is deadly. What do I do? Keep researching AND drinking, until I've consumed about three-quarters of my third liter. Then I go get Hot Chocolate, because I have to have my 4:00 Swiss Miss break or I've lived my day in vain.
Then the hypochondia starts kicking in. Now I'm dealing with a massive stomache (because I'm dying) and (of course) I have to pee because Wow! does 2.75 liters of water really flow through the system!
The thing that pisses me off the most? Besides the fact that I could drop dead at any minute from something as stupid as drinking too much water? I have to rethink my Lentent-whatever. I thought I was so clever and now...I'm just an idiot who needs to pee.
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