Wednesday, May 30, 2007

oh my



So, last week, I said I was going to make cookies. So I made the cookies pictured here. They were awesome. They came from this book. However, in the stress of my in-laws coming to visit (I like my in-laws, but is there anyone who isn't stressed out by them coming?) I helped DH and the in-laws finish of the entire batch of probably 6 dozen cookies by Monday morning. It was not such a good weekend for the stress eating.

I'm mostly back on track and I love, love, love the lettuce and bok choy from the farmer's market. I had an awesome grilled chicken salad on Tuesday with the lettuce, bok choy and chicken we grilled on Saturday. Yummo!

California photos

I mentioned a few posts back that pictures my husband took of me in the dress that looked adorable in the dressing room were enough to keep me from eating. I thought I'd post one, because apparently I like to torture myself like that. Also, if you have a large chest, please don't buy an empire waisted dress....as dooce would say, be ye not so stupid.In my defense, it really looked more like this and less like I was pregnant.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

more farmer's market fun

I think I'm getting into the farmer's market groove. This was week 2 of our (small, about 10 stands) farmer's market. This week from the CSA, more bok choy* and flowers, but also a small amount of broccoli and green onions. Yum. I also bought 1/2 dozen eggs from the egg people (www.2silos.com), lettuce, and some local honey. I was reading on a website that someone in MO had strawberries at their farmer's market. I'm jealous, I can't wait for the berries. I'm still splurging at the grocery for berries. I also bought some parsley to grow with the rest of my herbs.

I do have to say that I love the atmosphere of the local farmer's market, I get to ask questions, like which honey is best for my allergies, and can I get a half dozen eggs. Plus, it's way more fun than the supermarket. I just felt better being there.

With all this fabulous fresh produce, I've been doing pretty well with eating healthy although it continues to be stressful at work and a splurged for dinner Thursday night and yesterday for lunch and I had to open a bottle of wine last night. It just seemed like the thing to do on a Friday night for dinner after a long week.

Exercise too has been difficult. The weather turned very warm this week, and with my asthma, getting outside to exercise in the warm weather is difficult because of my breathing. I did make it to the gym but I'm trying to get on my bike more, because I just love biking and our bike path is shaded and pretty flat so it doesn't get too hot.

My in-laws are coming this weekend, so I'm making cookies. I've had a terrible urge to bake. Something about following directions and a concrete product soothes me. Plus, you get to eat the results. I'm making Oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (I don't remember the exact name) from Baking: from my house to yours by Dorie Greenspan. I have yet to make anything from this book, though it's beautiful to look at. I love cookbooks. Plus the recipe that the Baklava Queen posted sounds fabulous. I might have to try it if I can get some lavender from my brother.

*Which last week I put in stir fry and came out pretty good. To me, it didn't taste like much, but I'll take veggies that don't taste like much that I put in something and they give me fabulous nutrients

Saturday, May 19, 2007

The farmer's market

Today was the first day of my neighborhood farmer's market. Our CSA had emailed us to let us know that they thought they would only have flowers for us today, but when I got there, they also had bok choy for us. I've never had bok choy, so it will be a new adventure. The farmer recommended it in a salad or steamed. Since I've usually heard about it in stir fry or chinese food, I might have to make stir fry this week.

I also purchased some thyme, rosemary, and basil. I absolutely love the smell of basil. I think I would bathe myself in basil. Last summer I was obsessed with pesto sauce.

A quick survey of the market also had several other produce stands (still not a ton of produce yet, because it's early here in Ohio) and someone with eggs. I've been reading about fresh eggs and how they are supposed to be tastier than the stuff you get at the grocery. They had various varieties and I may have to try some different stuff.

I also tried Qdoba today for the first time. I love Chipotle, and allow an indulgence sometime for Chipotle since they so have quality ingredients and you can tell. Qdoba is new here, so I thought I would try it out. While tasty in that fast-foody way, I could tell it was not as quality as Chipotle who's guacamole haunts my dreams. I might try it again when I could eat in and have the cheese sauce which my friend says is the best part about Qdoba to him. So, that doesn't necessarily fit my mission, but at the same time, my mission is about balance. Which means the occasional indulgence.

Friday, May 18, 2007

May Flowers

Unfortunately, another chunk of time has gone by before I've gotten a chance to write again. I think this is mostly because I'm still just chugging along. Not much has changed. Well, until this last week, I feel like I finally made a breakthrough. I've been consistent in my exercising and have been getting outside more now that the weather is nicer and I continue to love pilates and what it's done for my core. As a person who carries weight around the middle, I'm finally seeing some relief from that.

It's also been hard for me to write when I have those bad days. Like last week when we came back from 4 days in California. We went out to Orange Co (south LA) for a wedding last week. It was a quick trip since I am low on vacation, having spent most of it on my honeymoon. I bought a dress that I loved at Ann Taylor for $40 (originally $150). A cute halter dress with an empire waist and A-line skirt. I looked cute in the dressing room. However, the pictures told a different story, at least to me. We got back from the trip and looked at the pictures my husband had taken of me. I looked like a cow. Worse, I looked like my chubby relative who shall remain nameless since this is a public blog. I lost it. I wanted to eat everything in the cabinet. What's worse is from the plane trip and eating out I had managed to gain back 4 lbs that I had worked to diligently to lose. Lesson 1: never get on the scale right after you get back from vacation and are PMSing. So, in the middle of losing it, I had the presence to mind to know that eating everything in the cabinet was not going to help. Deep breath. We do not eat because we're sad or any other emotion. So instead, I dragged my husband out for a bike ride and angrily pedaled and cried the entire way to the library to drop off books. Later, there was more crying, but not eating. Yay!

The day after that, all hell broke lose at work and I was stressed out. Again, I managed not to eat because I was upset; however the downside of this is that I was so upset that I couldn't eat. Not something I take pride in, but again, to try and sort out my feelings there was a long walk, a bike ride and healthy eating. It's more than a week later, and though the work stuff hasn't been resolved, I've fought the urge to eat because I'm upset, stressed, etc. I've maintained eating healthy and when I had an all day class that took me away from the office. I did not use it as an excuse to get a greasy burger or fast food. I brought my lunch. I had a salad for dinner the day I really wanted to just eat a bowl of the ice cream that was in the freezer. And because of that I can also say that whatever tiredness, etc that I'm feeling is due to something else, not how I've been eating. I feel less physical fatigue. As a happy bonus, I have also lost the 4lbs I was up coming back from vacation plus one additional. I have no doubt that one or 2 of those lbs was water retention from being on the plane, but it always feels great no matter how much I'd like it not to, when that number changes.

Just a note on some changes: as we head into summer, my brother and his wife have split at share in a farm with me and the hubby, so I'll be trying to think of new and inventive ways to eat and use the fresh veggies and fruit we'll be getting. I've also been doing a lot of reading about the 100 mile diet ( www.100milediet.org) so I hope to post updates about that and maybe some recipes as I try new things out.