I feel like I am following the whole New Year’s resolution thing. I have never been fond of that. I guess I have always felt I shouldn’t use the New Year to change something about me. If I truly wanted to change it, it should be a work-in-progress for life that should start at any time. In any case, all the health challenges seem to be starting up now. So, I am going to take advantage of them.

I am starting in on the new Get Off Your Broom challenge hosted by The Domestic Pagan. This challenge has already started (I just haven’t gotten online to blog about it, til now) as of January 1. It is a 3 month challenge. I am combining this with the Gold’s Gym 12-week Challenge. The Gold’s challenge doesn’t start until January 28. My biggest dilemma with the month time difference is actually the measurements. I would prefer to use the Gold’s measurements since I think they will be more accurate than my own fumbling one-handed with my tape measure and their scale is definitely more accurate than mine. This weekend, I will post my own measurements and I will weigh-in on one of the Gold’s scales to at least start off the Get Off Your Broom challenge. I can say for certain that I did horribly during Christmas with all the temptations. I had hoped to regain some semblance of will-power with the first round of Get Off Your Broom, but I was sorely lacking in that category. Maybe if I practice harder all year, I will be able to resist better next year…

I first found out about these things the weekend of Dec. 3. I went for a run to try to get it out of my system on Dec. 4. I have never in my life been that full of rage. I ran 2.25 miles in the time I usually run 1.8. Up and down hills. The rage subsided and I was pretty proud of my accomplishment. I am not sure I will repeat that anytime soon.

I have had a lot of trouble controlling my portions. Partly because of the above and partly because I really really really like my own cooking and baking. I have baked a ton of candy and stuff for the Holidays. Well, it feels like I have been, even though I don’t feel like I have a lot to show for it. Hehe. Anyway, I have been too afraid to take any of my measurements as I am pretty sure I will not like the results. So, my plan for the rest of the week:

• Wed: Cardio machines for 20 minutes + yoga at my gym. I haven’t been exercising as much as I want to and am hoping to ease my way back in.
• Thurs: Run.
• Fri: BodyPump
• Sat: Run

That should be a good plan to get me back up to speed. Of course, Sammi’s schedule will also be a factor here. I need to have someone to watch him or have him cooperate with the gym nursery.

I will also do better with my meals.

That is enough of an update for now. G’night.

I did pretty well with sticking to my menu last week. Thanksgiving… not so well. I did finally feel well enough to go for a run on Saturday with a pup named Tramp from the animal shelter. He is my favorite running buddy, so far. I hope he finds a good family, but if he is still there when we get our own house *crossed fingers*, I would love to adopt him.

On to the challenge stuff.

I weighed myself 3 times today and came up with different numbers each time: 164, 167, & 170. I don’t think I have gained ALL of my weight back, and I don’t think I lost any with all the Turkey Day stuff I ingested, so I am just going to go with 167, which is the same as last week. Stupid scale. I was going to do the rest of my measurements, but I will have to do that next weekend.

On the challenge from last week:

I did pretty good with eating healthily and eating food that is healthily prepared. In fact, I will be posting the 2 vegetarian recipes I tried last week sometime soon. The chickpea soup was incredible. I need to retry the cauliflower recipe. I flubbed it up pretty good. It still tasted fine, but I think it would have been extraordinary if I hadn’t used frozen cauliflower.

Week 8 Challenge

This week we are supposed to come up with a Witchy Diet plan.

Hmm. I think that as a Pagan, a diet plan should be full of healthy meal and snack choices. It would not contain any easy fixes. I believe Pagans should pay attention to what goes into their bodies, so trying to ingest as few chemicals and over-processed foods as possible. Exercise is also a must.

As a Pagan, I believe that I can feel attuned to the Earth and Universe in simple, everyday tasks. Making a meal and going for a walk, for example. I am enjoying the Earth’s bounty and taking in the Earth all around me. I also feel great when I have accomplished cooking a good meal or going for a run.

Cooked on: October 2, 2011

Servings: makes 8 dosas

Cost: Inexpensive

Skill level: Intermediate. Be sure to follow instructions.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose white flour
1 cup rice flour (also called rice powder)
1/8 to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ cup peeled and chopped onion
¼ cup freshly grated coconut (poke the eyes first and drain the “milk,” then crack the hell out of it on a sidewalk)
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 cup plain yogurt (the sourer the better)
About 7 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. whole black mustard seeds
¾ to 1 tsp. coarsely crushed or very coarsely ground black peppercorns

Procedure

Put the white flour, rice flour, cayenne, onion, coconut, salt, yogurt, and ¾ cup water into the container of a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and pour into a bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a small skillet or pot over a medium flame. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop (almost immediately), pour the seeds and oil over the batter. Add the black pepper and mix thoroughly.
See that you have everything you need for making the pancakes: a 7 – 8 inch non-stick skillet, a cup containing oil, a teaspoon, a rounded soupspoon for spreading out the batter, and a 1/3 cup measuring cup. You also need a plate to hold the pancakes and a second plate that you can invert over the first to keep the pancakes warm and moist (I put wax paper in-between each pancake).

Set the skillet over medium-low heat. Dribble ½ tsp. oil into it. When the skillet is hot, pick up 1/3 cup of batter and plop it right in the center of the skillet. Immediately put the round bottom of the soupspoon very lightly on the blob of batter and using a gentle but continuous spiral motion, spread the batter outward. You should end up with a pancake 6 to 7 inches in diameter (the thinner, the better). Dribble ½ tsp of oil over the pancake and another tsp. just outside its edges. Cover and cook for 3 ½ to 5 minutes or until the pancake has turned a reddish-gold color on the bottom and is slightly crisp along the edges. It may not color uniformly. Remove the cover and turn the pancake over. Cook the second side uncovered until it, too, has developed reddish-gold spots, about 4 minutes. Remove with a spatula and keep on the nearby plate. Cover with the second inverted plate. Make all the pancakes this way, stacking them all on the same plate.

If you wish to reheat these pancakes, cover them well in aluminium foil, and place in a 400° F oven for about 15 minutes.

Serve with South Indian Coconut Chutney or any vegetable of your choice (Zakiya’s Potatoes and Onions are awesome with these).

Final Verdict

The dosas take a bit of extra care and time. For all of that, they are worth it. This dosa recipe is slightly spicy, but not too spicy. My baby LOVED them. My whole family LOVED them. My husband has requested that I make these again.

Cooked on: October 2, 2011

Servings: 4 – 6, will stuff 8 dosas

Cost: Inexpensive

Skill level: Beginner. Be sure to follow instructions.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized boiling potatoes (1 lb.)
¾ inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 3 to 4 pieces
1 fresh hot green chili, or more to taste, cut into 2 to 3 pieces (I used a medium-heat fish chili and I washed out the seeds for less fire)
¼ cup vegetable oil
A generous pinch of ground asafetida (Had trouble finding this. Finally found it at Richland Health Foods.)
1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds (did not find black, but brown seemed to work just fine)
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. salt

Procedure

Boil the potatoes until tender. Let them cool, then peel and cut them into ¾-inch dice. (I accidentally over-boiled mine. I left the peel on and just diced them up.)

Put the ginger and green chili into the container of a food processor or blender along with ¼ cup of water and blend until you have a somewhat grainy paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in an 8” – 9” skillet over a medium flame. When hot, put in the asafetida first and then, one second later, the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop (this takes a few seconds), put in the onions. Turn the heat down slightly and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes or until they turn translucent. (Do not let them brown). Now add the paste from the food processor as well as the turmeric. Stir and cook for one minute. Put in the potatoes, 1 cup water, and the salt. Cover, and cook on medium-low heat for about 6 minutes. Lift cover and, using a slotted spoon, break the potato pieces into smaller 1/3” to ½” cubes. Cover again and cook on very low heat for another 3 to 4 minutes. The “sauce” for the potato dish should now be very thick. Serve as is or inside a dosa.

Final Verdict

This was super easy and incredibly delicious. We ate them with dosas and had leftovers for a few days. We did not mind at all.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Breakfast

Hardboiled Egg & Toast

Cottage Cheese and Peaches

Waffles w/ Pecans

Oatmeal w/ almonds

Feta Egg Scramble

Nutty Fruit Smoothie

Strawberry Ricotta Wraps

Lunch

Blackened Chicken w/ Brown Rice

Crispy Turkey and Veggie Stacks

Leftovers

Thanksgiving

Leftovers

3 Bean Chili

Curry Carrot and White Bean Soup

Snack

Hummus w/ Pita, Pears and Cottage Cheese

Toasted Oat Cereal & Raisins, Apple w/ Peanut Butter

Yoghurt w/ Berries, Bell Peppers w/ Dressing

tea & toast, graham crackers & milk

Cheese Melt, Fresh Pear

Banana, Tea & Toast

Fresh Pear, Graham Crackers & Milk

Dinner

Cauliflower w/ Almonds & Chickpea Soup

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Leftovers

Thanksgiving

Leftovers

Tacos

Tuscan Pasta

Weight: 167.1

*bleh*

I have gained 1.6 lbs since last Sunday. I have been told that I am looking good… Of course they may have been just being polite lol. I’m not too terribly about 1.6 lbs. I will take that off this week along with any excess measurements I may have hoarded this past week.

I was just reminded that the Week 6 Challenge was to create a list of why I want to get healthy. So here it is:

1. I want to have 1 more kid. I need my body to be able to handle it.

2. I need to be able to keep up with my kids.

3. I want to avoid the Big D (Diabetes).

4. I want to feel sexy.

5. I want my husband to think I am sexy.

6. I want to feel proud to be naked.

7. I want my confidence back.

8. I want to be a good, healthy role model for my kids.

9. I want to wear that damned dress I can’t fit into.

10. I want my body to look like the temple I know it is.

There it is.

Week 8 Challenge

“How clean is your diet? Are you eating low-calorie, low-fat foods that are processed, filled with preservatives and ingredients that sound like the came out of a science lab instead of a kitchen? Is the meat you are eating full of growth hormones or doused with radiation? Are your fruits and veggies covered with pesticides? I want you to do some research and evaluate whether or not your diet that is low in calories, carbs, and fat is completely healthy.” From The Domestic Pagan

My food has been anything but healthy lately. This week, I am going to work on eating food that I know is not just healthy, but healthily created. I have created a menu, that I will post next, that is very healthy. My challenge for this week is to be careful around all the calories with Thanksgiving… I can do this, my body is a temple!

Weight: 165.4

Somehow, through the sickness and yuckiness, I did manage to lose .2 lbs. I am afraid my measurements may have gone up, but will work on fixing that. I feel like I have worked too hard to lose the 6.6 lbs that I have lost on this journey.

I have been getting in some walking and I did a water exercise class last week. I am hoping to start up my running again in a few days. Blah. That is all I have to write.

Papa drove the van home as soon as the bus came and I headed out 20 minutes later than I should have. I arrive for my appointment 15 minutes late. Then I am told that I was supposed to have gone to the other location. Frak! I had asked the scheduler TWICE about the location. She assured me TWICE that it was the one I drove to. I wrote it down. I had asked her twice because Mondays are usually at the other location. However, the therapist is getting ready to go on maternity leave and I thought she might be having me meet with one of the other therapists who will be taking over from her. Grrr. It was as if the Universe was against me going to that appointment.
Then I drowned my frustration in a mocha and got a cheeseburger from McDonald’s for lunch. Not the best response, but it made me feel better. I will be running tomorrow.

I also bought more patterns from Hobby Lobby. Shhh. Don’t tell the husband. At least I held off from buying more fabric.

Yesterday, my oldest lost his FIRST TOOTH! It was exciting and fun. He actually became embarrassed by all of the attention. It happened on the drive back from our Oregon trip. I was in a different car, so didn’t even know about until he walked in the door. With a tissue in his mouth. Also, did you know that losing a tooth makes you limp? Hah! I couldn’t help it. I laughed. I am a terrible mommy.

I also realized that as of Saturday, my husband and I have been together for 18 years. Holy cow. I was only 17 and he was 16 when we started dating. Kudos to us.

My measurements:

Only doing weight this week: 165.6 (-6.4 lbs!!!!)

Week 5 Challenges:

1. Exercise 5 Days

• Sunday: None
• Monday: Walked a lot trick-or-treating. Our neighborhood is hilly and we were out for a long time.
• Tuesday: Ran
• Wednesday: Cardio and weight machines
• Thursday: Ran
• Friday: None (drove to Oregon)
• Saturday: Walking