t-giving countdown: stress

as part of the countdown to t-giving 2011, today i'm talkin' 'bout stress, bay-bee.

let me first start off by saying this is my 4th draft of this installment. apparently, writing about stress was meant to be a purging, cathartic experience as evidenced by my paragraphs and paragraphs of ranting in prior drafts. i mean, yikes, girl.

in my opinion, stress over the holidays is caused by our own expectations.  we either expect too much or too little around the holidays not only of ourselves, but of each other.  the date of the calendar will not transform you into a terrific chef.  it will not suddenly make you a patient and understanding person. the date on the calendar also does not induce a pity party.  yet, we commonly have these expectations.

anyway,

common causes and cures (in my own estimation) of stress around t-giving

cause: travel

travel is unavoidable.  it's a necessary curse of spending time with your friends and family.  with the inclement and unpredictable weather in wisconsin in union with the morons on the roads, travel, especially during the holidays, well, it just sucks. 

cure: plan ahead. 

 all right.  over the holidays (at least in my case) people on average have to travel to at least 2+ destinations in one day.  i've found it helps to agree on a timeline for arrival and departure at each location prior to getting on the road.  my husband finds while this is helpful, the fact that i'm typically always running late due to a wardrobe malfunction, is not helpful.  so, this year especially, i commit to planning ahead so we can stick to a schedule and live by it. 

take into consideration road conditions and peak traffic hours when planning your arrivals and departures.  most likely, you'll hit the worst of it around 3:30-5:30 on thanksgiving. remember: just because it's thanksgiving doesn't mean that people will suddenly drive responsibly. also, no one will die if you miss the kickoff of the next game in the event of an unexpected delay. don't let the road rage bitter your slice of pumpkin pie at point b in your journey. 

cause: people

just because it's a holiday, it doesn't mean that your mom will stop nagging you about your short skirt.  it doesn't mean  that your g-pa will tone down his frank and hella non-p.c. views of everything in front of your new boyfriend.  you will not magically give a damn about anyone or anything you don't give a damn about the other 364 days a year. 

cure: suck it up, buttercup

ok, maybe this advice isn't the best.  would you prefer, "get over it?"  we all can think of someones name right off the top of our heads that will always be "THAT GUY" or "THAT GIRL" at a family function.  you know the type.  they will either be stand-offish, throwing a bitter pity party of one at the kid's table. or "THAT PERSON" will be super perky and fakey and touchy feely.  whatever the extreme may be, you can only control yourself.  so, if you're "THAT GUY" or "THAT GIRL" you're the only one who can make a decision to adjust your expectations and your attitude. friends and fam might frustrate you, but they always love you. so,  hey, grouch-a-saurus and debbie downer, family and friends are probably the only people that put up with your crazy ass.  and if you are not "one of those," don't let them rain on your parade.  hey, if they are miserable or annoying all the time, your tolerance should be built up to their crazy-asses by now.  show them some love no matter how hard you have to bite your tongue.

cause: cooking

this section might just be for the ladies as us ladies are typically the ones who take on this responsibility around the holidays.  i'm talking about the womanly instinct to contribute something of beautiful, tasty, deliciousness to the t-giving festivities.

cure: take the easy way out

i am super fortunate that my mom and my mom-in-law are way into handling the t-giving meal solo.  i get it. it's a point of pride.  every year i volunteer to help and bring something but every year it is rejected.  this is totally a blessing, people. don't feel bad if the moms cut you out of the equation.  they are doing you a favor. cooking for t-giving can be intimidating and women often over-commit to things outside their comfort zone and beyond their general skills and abilities for the sake of wowing people.

tip:under-promise, over-deliver.  i volunteer to bring an appetizer or a dessert.  those are easy to make, easy to transport, and people can live without them if you totally screw it up for some reason.

tip 2: don't make something you've never made before!  seriously.  it's all about the test-runs, folks.  if you don't want to be stressing over a sunken cake or a runny dip, try it before you serve it to other people. and by "try it" i don't mean make it the morning of.  this weekend is a good time to test drive any new recipes you think you might want to whip out on turkey day.  side dishes and main courses come with a lot of anxiety.  keep it simple and remember, it still counts as homemade if you open the can and put it in a fancy dish or heat it up out of the freezer :)

you can't go wrong with....

*biscotti-delicious cookie that is great for an after dinner snack with coffee.  easy to make or buy.  easy to transport.  easy to love.

*cream cheese bricks with crap on it--not literal crap but there's little jars of jelly, typically with spices you can buy that you just pour over a brick of cream cheese and invite guests to "dig in" with a ritz.  easy.

(that's the stuff i'm talking about)

*hummus with veggies and/or pita chips--yeah. no brainer.

that's my take on stress for the holidays.  if you don't like my advice, then talk to my friend carlos rossi.  i hear he's a pretty legit holiday helper :)

t-giving training.

thanksgiving is 2 weeks away...2 weeks away!  thanksgiving is gunning hard for my favorite of the "non-jesus" holidays, although it has some work to do before it blows valentine's day out of the water.  i dare you to jockey for the pole position, thanksgiving 2011.  make your move.

thanksgiving is like christmas except without having to buy stuff.  i like that i can just hang out with my friends and family without having to buy their affection with material things.  i can just buy their love with tasty side dishes instead. 

however, t-giving can both literally and figuratively be a total turkey.  if you're trying to stay in shape and eat well, better sleep from november 23rd-november 26th.  t-giving has four, sassy "s" words that can really throw a wrench in the old "getting my pants up" routine.  sugar, stress, saturated fats, and being sedentary. 

holidays be full of tasty foods full of saturated fat and sugar and they are in abundant supply.  let's be real, who can exercise that much restraint?  i see a crock pot full of mashed potatoes and i'm all over it.  plus, there's lots of adult libations around the holidays and booze be full of empty calories due to the high sugar content of most alcohols and mixers.  holidays also be stressful, yo.  stress (for some people) only causes one to drink and eat more.  and it all adds up to a holiday where all you want to do is sit on your fat, bloaty behind and watch home alone for the 100th time in between football games (which sounds awesome, right?)

ok, there's nothing wrong with getting a little lax around the holidays.  it is going to happen.  get after it.  enjoy yourself.  i plan on probably getting a little wild with the dark meat (that's what she said) myself.  admittedly, i got a little crazy after my half-marathon.  i've had more sugar and bad carbs in the past two weeks than i have had in the past 3 months.

this is why i am spending the next two weeks training for t-giving.  that's right.  training.  increase the exercise, decrease the saturated fat and sugar (true story: i have a garbage can full of candy corn,) and just chill out. 

feel free to join in on the fun and watch for some helpful tips to work around those sassy "s" words as we countdown to t-giving 2011.

h&b: smooth operator

friends, winter is creeping up on us.  although the weather has been pretty indecisive and relatively mild the past few months, the dry air is slowly settling in as evidenced by my bloody, dry, cracked knuckles, my chapped lips, and my dry scalp.

over the years, i've tried a lot of fancy-schmancy stuff to help keep the "gator effect" in the winter down to a minimum.

here are some tried and true products that i'm willing to bet you'll be into...unless you like bloody knucks, dandruff, and gritty lips...which is totally your call.

baking soda: cheap, handy exfoliater

every journey to smooth and supple skin/hair starts with exfoliation. 

put 1/2-1 tsp in the palm of your hand with your facial wash to buff away dead skin.  use more for a more intense scrub. you can also sprinkle on a loofah in the shower or use it to strip away excess residue in your hair if you mix a small amount in your shampoo. i use this stuff on occasion to help smooth rough elbows, knees, feet, whatever!  it's more cost effective than cosmetic lines out there and incredibly versatile. 

vaseline: cheap, intensive moisturizer

i don't know how vaseline made it's way into this world but i don't want to live without it.  it's not just for beauty pageant smiles.  if you want to moisturize super troublesome spots in a short amount of time, slather on some of this goo and hit the sheets.  make sure whatever you grease up isn't exposed to your sheets, clothes, etc. because this stuff is impossible to get out.  grab an old pair of socks or a rando, mismatched pair of  magic gloves to help protect your linens from the petrol.  i can't stand doing this so i only do it in extreme situations because it totally works.  however, i'm a big fan of vaseline as an emergency lip balm in any sitch.

cetaphil: best drugstore moisturizer (for my money, at least)

cetaphil is a staple in my house.  it's like frank's red hot sauce: i put that s*$& on everything :) cetaphil is a great option for winter moisturizing.  it is a humectant which means it draws moisture in and keeps it there.  it also is non-comodogenic meaning it doesn't clog pores so you can put it on your face and not worry about breaking out.  it also does not have fragrance which is a particular bonus in the winter.  ever notice how lotions with scents BURN BURN BURN when you put them on chapped hands?  that's because of the alcohols and chemicals involved with fragrance.  they actually end up drying you out worse than if you didn't have any lotion on at all.  my friend, cetaphil, comes available fragrance-free so all i feel is 'ahhhhhhhhh' when i put it on instead of  'OMG! AHHHHHHHHHHH!'

pantene pro-v 2-in-1- moisturizing shampoo/conditioner

using conditioner every day can make your hair dull and weigh it down.  however, if you are prone to getting a dry scalp in the winter, using conditioner in small doses every day is a good way to keep dandruff down.  selecting a 2-in-1 product like pantene offers is a nice balance of cleaning and moisturizing without being too hardcore on one or the other.

lastly, chapstick.  i love my chapstick.  i have at least 6 sticks between my office, my house, my car, my purses, my nightstand....wherever.  chapstick isn't just for your lips, folks. i use it on small, dry patches of skin.  i'm not exactly using as directed when i put it on my forehead or knuckles or even when i work some into my palms to help smooth fly-aways and keep my eyebrows in place, but it works.  i would just recommend you use 'original' for those more adventurous purposes. 

side note: my husband hates when i wear stuff on my lips.  it's a guaranteed way to get a big "EWWWWWWWWWWW.....LIP STUFF" and a sour face from him after a smooch.  but when i wear cherry chapstick, the dude has no complaints :)

stay smooth, my babies.  stay smooth.

half-marathon, vol. 1: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

i did it.  i successfully completed my first half-marathon.  all the hype surrounding half-marathons is true.  the pain, the exhilaration, the adrenaline, the excitement, the pain, the unadulterated joy, the love, the pride, and the pain...it's all legitimate.  it's intoxicating.  it's addicting.  it's an accomplishment.  it changes you.

i'm part of a club now.  i can put that "13.1" sticker on the back of my car.  i'm a legit member of a running brotherhood.  it feels pretty damn good.

after this post, you likely won't have to hear about this damn race ever again except for a few relevant references for future posts. it's mostly because i'm sick of talking about it but more so because i am not a person that believes in coasting on one accomplishment.  i mean, there's a reason i don't walk around with my high school DECA trophies or that one ribbon i won from a coloring contest at the grocery store.  that's not to say i don't believe in a good, long, sustained celebration after a major accomplishment, but i find i don't do a lot of forward moving if i stay in one spot for too long.

the good

i finished.  i finished in under 3 hours.  my goal was 2:38.  more on this "time thing" later.  but the good thing is, i did it.

also good: there is no shortage of positive energy in a race.  all the runners are rooting for one-another.  all the  spectaters want you to do well.  total strangers outpour a tremendous amount of support, well-wishes, high-fives, shots, hoots, hollers...its indescribable.  it is a tremendous encouragement.  really, really awesome.

the bad

until mile 7, i was having the run of my life.  i was making the best time ever.  i felt amazing. i was keeping pace right alongside "clay matthews" at the 2:30 marker.  then, around mile 7, without warning, my left knee started burning.  three strides later, the pain was incredible.  i couldn't bend my knee without tearing up.  never, in all my training or in all my life, have i ever experienced that kind of sharp, burning, relentless pain in that area of my knee.  i walked it out, stretched it out, watched the 2:30 marker fade into the distance.

the 2:40 pacer stopped to see what was up as she watched me struggle, jogging 20 seconds here or there and then hunching over on the side of the road to stretch.  she, having struggled with the same issue all her life as a seasoned runner, informed me it was most likely an IT band injury.  basically, i pissed off the ligament that is responsible for connecting most all your muscles from your ass to your knee--it controls the movement of the leg.  you don't want to get it angry but i totally did with all the downhill sprawls and uneven paths. 

i had to walk the last 5 miles or so.  the medics at the finish and the personal trainers in my office affirmed the pacer's suspicions.  i need to start a rehab program to get the IT band to "calm the hell down" so that i can get running again.  but for now, i need to take a few weeks off and get healthy.  kind of a bummer but a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

more good

a runner from milwaukee had the same problem but her started more around mile 3. super nice chick named devon.  we decided not to quit and to support each other the rest of the way.  remember what i said earlier about the positive energy in a race?  you can't find nicer people...really.  just a testament to the bond that runners have on the course.  we support, we rally, we finish :)

(finishers!)

the ugly

i lost a toe nail during the race.  tmi? probably.  took my shoes off and found a bloody toe with a missing nail...whoops.  guess that "post-race pedi" will have to wait a while...you know, until i have all my toe nails again.

again, all the hype is true.  it finally happened: i'm a runner.

*special shout-out to my husband who sacrificed a trip to the hampton hot tub, a dinner at potbelly, and all body heat reserves just to help me do this damn thing.  <3  he says i've never looked happier, not even on our wedding day, than i did in the race pics.  i told him that it was 100 times less painful to marry him than it was to finish this race.  i was ready for the race to end but this marriage thing...i want that to last a long, long time :)

it's the final countdown

(beeeeeeeeee do beeeeee do beeeeeeeeeeee do be be do)

hey, friends.  my first half-marathon is THIS SATURDAY.  you really snuck up on me, half-marathon.  touche.

after 12 weeks of training (more like 9 since for three weeks I was pretty much m.i.a...my bad,) the BIG DAY is more or less finally here...and you know what, i'm presently more concerned with not finding any cool, knee-high, halloween-themed socks to run in than finishing.  don't get it twisted, i will finish barring any outlandish injuries.

i feel like i should be more worried than i am...oh well.  once that baby starts, there's no turning back.  only one way home and that's the finish line.

i just have to say, "thanks!" to everyone who has supported and encouraged this crazy affair from day one.  i'll do you all proud.

just another meatless monday (oh way oh)..except for the shrimp...and except the fact it's tuesday

fact: i love tofu. 

i totes used to hate that spongy, grey, dank-smelling salty brick of blaeeeeeeeeeeeahhhh but i've grown to love the stuff.

fact:  until today, i've never prepared anything at home with tofu.  i've let that up to the pros at hu hot, gingerootz, and the cafeteria at franklin campus.

it's tricky to get in protein in if you're vegging out for a while.  although i'm running this month like a pecestarian (thanks, mike!) seafood be pricey, yo.  so it's time to get down and dirty with the bean curd and the first time around was pretty damn tastey.

i present to you a recipe for (me so) hot and sour soup

ingredients:
8 oz fresh or frozen peeled and devined shrimp (i bought the cheapest, smallest shrimp i could find)
3.5 oz chicken broth
7 oz canned whole mushrooms drained (i just noticed the recipe said to halve the shrooms...you totally don't have to)
1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar (white vinegar was just fine)
2 tbsp soy sauce (i used low sodium)
1 tsp sugar
1tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz tofu cut into bite-size chunks (adorable)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
1 cup fresh pea pods (didn't include in my recipe)
1 beaten egg (sorry, egg)
2 tbsp green onion (didn't have but wish i would have...next time)

directions:

*thaw shrimp if frozen.  combine broth, shrooms, vinegar, soy, sugar, ginger, and pepper.  bring to a boil.  reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 minutes.

*get the shrimp and the tofu into the hot tub (pot full of the other ingredients) and simmer covered for 1 minute more. 

*stir together the cornstarch and water.  stir into the hot tub and add the pea pods.  cook and stir until slightly thickens and bubbly.  cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  pour egg into the soup in a steady stream while stirring 2-3 times to creat shreds.

*remove from heat, add green onions, and get ready for a oriental taste treat senseation numbah 1!

i love this soup.  it's better than the rando bowl of meaty, brothy mystery you get at a restaurant.  you could even go without the shrimp and it'd be just as good.

now, i elected to serve mine with some brown rice on the side, a rando fortune cookie from the back of the cupboard, and some new belgium belgo ipa (which is great) but do what you want.


trust me.  this stuff is better than it looks in my half-assed picture above.

pps: shout out to better homes and gardens, "easy dinners: soups and stews" for this bitchin' delight

happy anniversary to me

so today marks approximately the 2 month anniversary of this blog--what up!

i woke up this morning and thought, "hey, let's try on a pair of those jeans that have been collecting dust."

so....i did...and a pair actually fit--happy anniversary to me, you guys.
no calisthenics were required to stretch jeans into being "wearable."  you peeps know what i'm talking about--the squats, the lunges, the pulling on the waistband...the stretching and contorting and shimmy-ing and hoping and wishing...none of that...i just put on the pants and got on with my day (after some celebratory cusses :) )

even though in two months my grand total weight loss has only been 10 lbs, i'm pretty surprised that there is, in fact, something to this "building muscle" thing.  i mean, i couldn't get these babies over my thighs eight weeks ago and i'm still pretty damn surprised that i'm wearing these jeans today because the scale, well, the scale has been a little bitch.

i'm off to walk these little babies around the town today and by around the town i mean at the office and then celebrate tonight with a 10-mile run and a Brew Crew victory (i really hope they win...i can't imagine a life without my husband and a loss just might crush his will to live.)

just another meatless...month? (oh way oh)

hot off the heals of my confession on friday, i submit confessions pt 2 (just like usher)-i ate like ridiculous this weekend.  we had a wedding and i've never seen so much awesome food in my life...shrimp the size of my fist, bacon-wrapped scallops, bruschetta, steak, and open bar...man, it was cray-cray!  and, you know what, i pigged out like ridiculous and honestly, i don't even feel bad about it.  once in a while, we all have to go a little nuts and i choose those times wisely and i had to strike while the iron was hot on this one, folks.

anyway, i'm no worse for the wear today but feeling like some detoxing is in order.  as the fates would have it, it's also time to go grocery shopping again.  hubs and i decided we are going to try and go vegetarian 6 out of 7 days a week until thanksgiving (after which, we will eat a TON of turkey and sommersausage and all that other great meat stuff.)  we decided to allow fish so basically, we are going to be vegetarians...except on sundays (tailgate food, people!)...and we'll allow fish...so, i don't know what that actually is called...i know it's not vegetarian...whatever...it's close.

anyway, this crazy adventure starts today.  stay tuned for some rabbit food recipes!

also, what a great weekend for wisconsin sports...the badgers, the brewers, and the pack (my fave) just wrecked the competition.  loves it.

confessions

busted.  confession time.

the last 3 weeks, i haven't really been following my training plan...and by "haven't really" i mean "not at all."  i've only been running two days a week instead of 3--a short run and then my weekend long runs.  not good, folks.  not good.  i have not been x-training either.  so that's to say with only a month away from the big race, i need to get my bum back on track.

the thing is, even cutting back in activity, i haven't noticed my endurance or my muscles deteriorating which i think is making it easier for me to "cut out" those day-to-day maintenance sessions.  i don't know.  i'm not making excuses, i'm owning up to it.  i know very well i could get my ass out of bed early in the morning now that i'm working late every night but i just haven't been doing it. period.

so, where to go from here? um, to the gym.  time to take it back to the streets the prescribed amount of time.  the last thing i want to do is finish behind those annoying speedwalkers (and really, anyone in a half marathon, whether it be running or walking, i do applaud you.  i am sorry that my few bad experiences with annoying speedwalkers in the past have given you all a bad wrap...prove me wrong. prove me wrong.)

skinny dippin'

whoa...you all are totally lucking out this week.  look at all these posts! lucky little lambs.

no surprise, this recipe comes from my fav, Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals


caesar dressing.  i never really cared for caesar dressing.  i'm more of a french or ranch kinda girl.  however, i made this creamy caesar dressing and you know what? it tastes a lot like ranch.  it's super pungent depending on the size of the garlic cloves you use and the dijon gives it a little bit of a bite.  make as directed and you'll have yourself a creamy, low-cal, healthy dressing in like 3 minutes (and it has about a week-long staying power in the fridge)  like most creamy dressings out there, i double them as dips for veggies and this little sassy number, well, it's prime for all kinds of double dippin'

caesar dressing

*1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
*1/4 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano
*2 tbsps light mayo (more if to thicken to your desire)
*1/2 tsp black pepper
*1/2 tsp dijon mustard
*2 garlic cloves, pressed

-combine all ingredients, whisking until smooth.
-yields 3/4 cup--i suggest making a double batch right away (you won't regret it!)

serving size: 3 tbsps (remember it's kind of pungent depending on how much garlic you use so you can get by with way less than 3 tbsps)  toss with lettuce, dip veggies in it, it's great on pita chips and on pizza as well. and you can't beat that calorie count!

calories: 69!!! fat 4.7g; (sat 1.9, poly 1.4, mono 1) protein 4.3 g

ps: did you know caesar dressing is spelled "c-a-e-s-a-r" and not "cesar" like i thought until today...wild

just another meatless monday (oh way oh)

a lot of people ask me, "hey alison, what is your favorite way to cook a steak?"  "got any tasty pork recipes?" "got any kick-ass tips for meat on a stick?"  jk.  NO ONE ASKS ME THAT.  you know why? because the only meat in my house on a daily basis is chicken, tuna, hot dogs, or rando pizza toppings on leftovers (and of course, the meat on mah bones.)

couple reasons why i (we) don't have red meat in my (our) house:

a) it intimidates me.  i'm good with birds.  i'm good with fish.  i dare you to microwave a better hot dog.  red meat just costs too much in comparison for me to just screw it up.  so, unless i win a meat sweepstakes or a haen's truck tips over on the highway, that's just the way it is.  (btw, i also am i dynamo with fruits and veggies and legumes...keep that in mind)

b) is red meat bad for you? is it good for you?  it's like the damn egg and sodium.  health professionals just can't make up their minds on the subject. (note: i didn't do any reasearch but i'm pretty sure that's what's up.)

let me make it clear that i do not hate on the carnivores.  i love carnivores.  my husband?  dude is a carnivore.  he's a cheap carnivore so that's why he goes without "pricey" red meat.  he leaves that to the professionals at mc donald's (hollah mc doubles)

but woman (and man) can not live on chicken and tuna and hotdogs (and diet coke) alone.  that's why, i employ lots of vegetables in my house.  yes, i loves the rabbit food.

and anyway, here's a recipe for a tasty burger made with no meat (because, remember, i'm a dynamo with fruits and veggies and legumes in addition to cereal and hot dogs.)

southwest black bean burgers

 (adapted from some dude's recipe on sparkpeople.com)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

3/4 cup brown rice (cooked)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 jalapeno, minced, seeds removed (hey, i used a small can of diced green chilles)

2 cloves garlic, minced (mincing is a pain and a good way to use a finger...get a garlic press)

small handful of cilantro, chopped (i'll say this is optional because i didn't use it) 1/2 a red onion, minced

1/2 cup green onions (scallions), chopped (again, i say, optional)

1 tsp cumin 1 tbsp olive oil lime juice from 1/2 a lime (remember the broke ass burro drink recipe i made? i didn't have a lime so i used that) sea salt to taste, black pepper to taste, and a pinch of cayenne

*cook brown rice according to directions; set aside

*sautee red onion and garlic in oil for a few minutes

*while the onions/garlic are cooking, add all of the rest of the burger ingredients listed above into a bowl. add in the onions/garlic when they’ve been cooking long enough to look translucent and tender.

 *mix all ingredients together well. take 1/2 of the burger mixture and put it into a blender or food processor or if you're me, MAGIC BULLET (love that thing) blend until fairly smooth. leave the other 1/2 chunky.  next, blend the chunky and the smooth portions together in a bowl. ok, this will not look appetizing.  it's a really appalling grey but i assure you, it gets better. make a patty with about 1/3 cup of the mixture.

 if your mixture seems too moist to create a patty, add more whole wheat flour or rice. if it is too dry, add a little water OR more lime juice or margarita. cook in pan until brown on both sides (which, i will tell you is super tricky so start off on medium-low heat and you'll figure it out)

serve on whole wheat buns.  i offered avocado, tomato, and red onion slices as fixin's for the burger.  i also used light mayo and a little bit of Arizona Heat mustard by Koop's

oh, and i guess our friend pepperjack cheese and spicy cole slaw made it to the party as well...i kinda forgot...we had this for dinner like months ago and now i'm jonsin' again

not your mom's rabbit food, yo.

felt up

first off, my apologies for not posting about eat this, not that: supermarket survival guide this week.  i probably should just use this time to post about it but i do what i want and i want to not post about it right now.  it will get here, eventually...nbd.

this week...this damn week...jeez...it's been a crazy one, peeps.  times, they are a changin' and this little lass has a whole lot of crazy on the horizon.  but, it'll all work out as most things do.  anyway, i did some major damage on my "get more crafty" initiative this week because not only is crafting good for keeping me from mindlessly shoveling snacks in my mouth while watching tv, it also keeps my fists from going through walls or windows or in the general direction of haters.  so, i put my frustration into a few runs and also into felt.  turns out, felt is a pretty fun (and hella cheap) crafting medium.

here's proof that i actually do what i say i do on this blog...and if you need further proof, you can come over and pop the blisters on my fingers from my frenemy, hot glue gun.

ps: that's not balloons of cocaine strung around my neck, it's just a kew necklace i made

pps: i paid too much for that model

trippin'

hey, friends.

i just got back from colorado springs.  let me tell you something about colorado springs, i love that place.  hubs and i went to visit old friends who also have the last name of one of my fave cocktails: VDC

anyway, like every vacation i come back from, it's a real bitch getting on the scale.  howevsies, turns out i left 4lbs in colorado springs over 5 days...how the hell does that happen?!

well, i've been wondering that to myself as well so as to live every day as if it were a colorado springs day.

here's what i think nudged the scale in the right direction:

*no sugar: the VDC's have, like, no sugar AT ALL in their house...which is quite impressive.  i didn't think i had a lot of sugar in the house (my pallet is decidedly more salty) until i read this book on the plane:

(and we shall talk more about this book this week)

turns out, a lot of stuff in our house that is "low calorie" and "low fat" also is high in sugars--damn.  the VDC's make a conscious effort to not eat or buy anything that lists "sugar" or "corn syrup" or "high fructose corn syrup" (aka the devil) as one of the top 3 ingredients...if at all...period. this sugar stuff has snuck up on me. seeing as how they were gracious enough to prepare our meals while we were there (shout out to Cathy, my CookingLight confidant!) the only sugar i ate was when we went out to Josh & John's for ice cream.  further evidence that they are really good about watching the sugar was that their tot, hudson, had his first taste of ice cream while we were there and he was not into it...until it hit the bloodstream.

*don't watch a lot of tv
ok, so, we watched a fair share of tv in CO.  there was a packer game, a badger game, and then we unleashed "Mantracker" on them (which was the ultimate hit)  but when we weren't around the tv, we were being productive.  we went for a run, did a lot of walking about town and in nature, and the dudes built a shed while us women folk crafted.  what's the big take away? alison's getting into crafty hobbies.  it's hard to eat when your fingers are crafting stuff and all of a sudden, 3 hours have gone by and there's a pile of cool stuff on the chair next to you. winning.

*don't worry, have a homebrew
my husband makes a damn fine beer.  our friend mike makes a super damn fine beer.  i had two brews and sampled every one my husband tried including the california common that i will dream about from this day forward (nectar of the gods)  i'm just going to go ahead and say that beer actually helped me this weekend...because i ate less and more conscientiously at most every meal to have some budget room for brews and i don't regret trading southwest sliders for a hummus plate and an ipa.

*get a toddler and/or a dog
the VDC's come complete with a 15 month old and a black lab, both of which are pretty active...mostly the tot.  i wanted to put my garmin on the dude to see how many miles he logs a day running back and forth from room to room moving spoons and chairs and finding the dog...easily that kid gets in his 10,000 steps per day...and if you have the privelege of wrangling hudson, you get those steps in pretty quick as well.  

so, in summary, i'm going to eat less of the sweet stuff (especially the crafty hidden sweet stuff in my fave lo-cal eats); stop watching so much tv and take up the noble art of the crafting; and work on getting a toddler.

but it's still vacation...kinda...so i'm going to watch the season finale of True Blood with a bowl of popcorn peppered with dark chocolate m&ms

stay tuned this week for a new edition of a solid read featuring "eat this, not that: supermarket survival guide"

check point

it's been a month that i've kept this blog in check and i'm just as surprised as you are.  i'm more surprised that i've kept (for the most part) to my healthy eating/living business for this long. 

here's a check point--be advised that this is the part of the blog you'll probably not be into and i won't feel bad if you aren't...it's pretty boring and it's all about me...but i've learned that success loves accountability...go figure.  so enjoy the post or don't...it's all good.

In the last month…

•  I’ve lost 6 lbs .  that doesn’t seem like a lot, does it?  Doesn’t feel like a lot either.  However, at least the hash marks are moving in the right direction.  I venture to guess that regular exercise 5 days a week has generated some muscle gain as well.  But it’s also not like I’ve been 100% perfect on the eating right thing…especially this weekend when I ate a lot of wedding cake and drank a lot of champagne to celebrate one-year of marriage J  I did my best to work It off (wink)

·         I managed to stick with my training schedule…about 90% of the time.  I always make up a day if I miss one here or there but I don’t cut myself a lot of slack either.  Excuses are like fat cells: everyone has them. but those who make too many excuses typically end up having too many fat cells as well.   I it’s not easy to talk yourself out of watching the 8^th hour of Kardashian re-runs after work…but then I look at Bruce Jenner on that show…dude used to be the best in the biz…now I run more than he does on a weekly basis (remote control helicopters consume him now)

·         I don’t hate running…as much. Now that my body is used to running (my lungs aren’t wheezing or collapsing, I have a healthy dose of calluses on my heels, toenails are growing back, muscles are getting stronger, bones don’t feel like shattering when hitting the pavement, etc.) my mind is starting to like running more also.  I got up to almost 7miles on my run/walk plan this past Saturday…that business is sick.

Overall, I’d say this last month I’ve built a good foundation.  I realize that to get to where I’m going, I have to understand that it’s going to take time if I want to do it the right way.  If I want to sustain a healthy life for myself in order to sustain a healthy life for my family (someday) then I can’t cut corners now and have unrealistic expectations. 

And no, I’m not in any of those skinny jeans yet…but I set the goal of getting into at least one pair by my 27^th birthday (December 8^th) Hope I find them cute once I’m in them…otherwise I would have wasted a lot of time trying to be healthy when I could have been eating papa john’s and drinking red bull while keeping up with bruce jenner and his jumpsuits...all of which i've been wanting to do for the past week

happy hour

you know what, in most cases, 'happy hour' is an oxymoron.  think about it.  most of the time, atleast, when i find myself grabbing a drink, it's typically after a rough day.  i haven't been keen on drinking these days.  i found out that alcohol has a lot of calories in it...duh.  alcohol also stops your metabolism.  that means, all those mozzie sticks you eat during a night drinking or the subsequent binge-pizza-fest at sal's following a night of drinking, does not metabolize.  trust me.  it's science.


 alcohol is also not a friend of the athlete due to the fact it is hella dehydrating.  all reason aside, sometimes, you just need to get yo drank on...which brings me to today.

tensions are running high this week and as a result, homegirl wants a drink.

welcome to happy hour.  for our first round, i present to you the glory that is the low-cal margarita.

dudes, everyone is getting in on the "low-cal" margarita racket.  that chick from real housewives, chi-chi's, you know, everyone.  one time i was at the grocery store and i saw margarita-lime (generic) crystal light.  hells yes. i was like, get out of my dreams, and into my cart.

thus, the glory that is mixing low-cal flavored water with booze commenced. and god saw that it was good.

i call this drink, "the broke-ass burro"

ingredients:
tequila (any kind--we're not fancy people)
h2O (water lolz)
2 packs of generic margarita lime drink mix; (or the real crystal light stuff if you feel like that extra $.90 is burning a hole in your pocket)

1 pack of generic margarita lime drink mix contains 5 calories per serving, with 8 servings per pack (one pack when mixed with 64 oz of water.)  what we're going to do is put 2 packs of mix into only 64 oz of water...so now your dealing with 80 calories in 64 oz of mix.  why double it?  because it tastes better and seriously, 8 oz of ready-made margarita mix has 200 calories...WITHOUT THE BOOZE!  that's nuts.  don't even get me started on the 600+ calories you can find in a BLENDED margarita.

pour yourself one shot of tequila for every 8 oz of mix on the rocks and you're working with a margarita that only packs 110 calories TOPS with zero gut rot and more flavor than you'd expect.

as you can see, i enjoy mine in a nice, tall lenie's pint glass because again, we're not fancy people, people.

bottoms up

h&b

new feature to go with the new layout (let's hope the feature lasts longer than this layout probably will)

introducing: h&b
h&b does not stand for "hookers & blow" so you were wrong to assume that.  it does, however, stand for "health & beauty" which is something, i feel, without ever trying the hookers or the blow, is just as great.  not to mention more affordable and with 100% less negative consequences.

let's talk about sweat (baby.)

working out 5+ days a week, i sweat.  a consequence of sweat is obviously losing salt and water from your body.  i sweat like a beast when i run outdoors.  fact.

here's another fact, i haven't been doing a super great job of staying hydrated. i sweat like a beast when i run outdoors and apparently, i'm not doing a great job of staying hydrated. even 80oz+ of h20 a day has not been cutting it. enough water loss can really screw up your innards but let's focus on what's really annoying: dry skin.  i don't know about you, but my tummy can't handle 1000 gallons of water so until the cool, fall weather gets here and i don't have to wring out my sports bra, my solution to staying hydrated is in the medicine cabinet and not in the nalgene. btw: i use all the below products and love them.  btw pt 2: every product listed individually will not set you back more than $6 :)

eyes
eyes? yeah, eyes.  i wear contacts. if you wear contacts (and even if you don't) you probably find the sting of sweat falling into your eye pretty annoying.  that's salt, baby, and it'll dry out your eyes super fast.  i now carry eye drops with me errywurr i go to avoid that nasty burning and premature tired feeling.  i have episodes of true blood to catch up on.  i can't be going to bed early due to dry eyes.

for the peepers:

can't go wrong with some equate artificial tears.  thanks, sam walton.

lips
man, my lips get CRAZY dry when i work out.  i'm always licking the salt off them while i run.  couple that with winds that come with the outdoors and you have a recipe for sandpaper smackers.  it's not cute.  it can be painful.  no one likes making out with sandpaper.

for the smackers:

  

           

skin
a combination of outdoor running in the sun and wind, 2 showers (roughly) a day, and mild dehydration has turned my skin as of late all rough and itchy and flaky and all that other jazz.  alligator skin works for a lot of people (especially alligators) but for me, i prefer to have skin like a baby bunny's butt--super, super soft.

for the skin:

 

if it's good enough for babies, it's good enough for me...and it smells awesome

happy hydration, the drugstore way!

homsies.

made it out of mke alive, peeps...and not any fatter or skinnier than when i got there (winning.)

i wish i could post you some sweet tips to tell you how i managed to get out of that place without falling off the bus entirely but in all honesty, i didn't try anything really out of the ordinary. as far is eating is concerned, i didn't even have to try to eat heatlhy. there was no choice in the matter.

turns out, our corporate lunches and breakfasts were super healthy!  so healthy, in fact, that i hoarded mini boxes of kashi "heart to heart" <3 and low sodium V8s all week.  seriously, my work bag is full of hoarded snacks from the conference.  the company i work for, as it turns out, has a really strong and prevalent culture of healthy living.  every dish in the cafeteria had a calorie count.  everything was low-sodium.  there was tofu e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e...which is exciting for me. 

i'll tell you what did suck hardcore, keeping up on the old training program in a hotel gym with 3 treadmills and about 15 people fighting for them.  happy to say, i never went one day without getting a covetted treadmill.  don't mess with me and my treadmill especially when the only alternative is a shady, off-balance eliptical.  chick from boston learned that the hard way.

also in the suck category was little to no sleep all week.  i'm a light sleeper.  my roomie snored like ridiculous. sleepy alison has a hard time working out and she also really loves eating junk food...but for the most part, i kept that chick in check.

i did get crazy with it at the brewers/cubs game on friday night and pretty sure i threw down on a steak pita at cafe lulu and also anihilated brunch at cafe hollander this morning...and pretty sure i don't regret it.  i mean, really, we can't take ourselves or this life too seriously...you'll never enjoy it that way.

work-ation

Tuesday starts a whole week of corporate training for me. 

Pro: I’ll be even more kick-ass at my job by the time Friday gets here.

Con: It’s 9 hours a day of training.

Pro/Con: It’s in Milwaukee

Let’s focus on the last bullet point: my corporate training is in Milwaukee.  Friends, this is a double-edged sword for me. 

Edge 1: I love Milwaukee.  My husband lived there for about 5 years during our epic courtship.  The whole “not seeing each other except on weekends” pretty much sucked M-F.  BUT on most alternating weekends, I’d venture to the 414 for the brewers, the beers, the bloodies, and, oh yeah, the boyfriend.

Husband really lucked out on the whole “meeting cool people who do cool things” while living there and through osmosis and the magic of friendship and marriage, I have now inherited this fantastic bevy of chill people who know how to get crazy with it.

So, I get to spend a week in Milwaukee…with my husband…and my friends…and yeah, there’s some work in the mix, but all in all, that sounds like a pretty “pro” situation, right?  Right.  However…

There’s this whole “training for a half-marathon” thing and “trying to keep off some poundage” also going on in my life which brings me to Edge 2: responsibility.

Being responsible totally sucks when it comes to being in Milwaukee.  It especially sucks when the responsibility I’m trying to maintain involves getting in all my scheduled training for the week while on the road.  In all likelihood, this will involve a hotel treadmill. 

Responsibility also sucks when the training seminar serves box lunches which, on the whole, probably harbor no-less than 700 calories per meal full of bad carbs, sugars, and full-fats.  I mean, I doubt I’m going to get a whole-wheat pita stuffed with spinach and tuna with a can of V-8 on the side for lunch. 

ALSO, being responsible means taking it easy on the alcohol which, incidentally, hasn’t been a vice for me lately …but, folks, I have a Hold Steady concert, a beer flight at Rock Bottom, a Brewer’s game, and Saturday brunch on the docket—how can I NOT get back into the 920 without packing on like 5 lbs from tasty food and bitchin’ brews?

In general, it’s just tough staying on a workout routine and maintaining a healthy diet while on the road but in my line of work, I need to learn how to deal sooner rather than later because it’s about to get crazy up in here when it comes to travel and, well, you get better gas mileage hauling less ass around J

I have no clue how I’m going to pull it off…but I have some tricks to try out and if they work, you better believe I’m going to share them with you next week.

PS: I don’t think I used the “double-edged sword” metaphor thing correctly but if you’re reading this blog, it means you’re smart so you probably got the gist anyhow.

skinny dippin'

i love dip.  it's almost ridiculous how much i love dipping everything in some kind of condiment.  ketchup, hummus, honey mustard, greek yogurt, salsa (especially salsa)--love them all.  FACT: one day my husband came home and caught me eating a bag of chips and a jar of salsa.  he claims i was eating over the trashcan in a frenzy, exclaiming, "wow, you really went to town on those chips."  i think it was a little less ferocious :)

maybe it's because i like when my veggies, chips, fries, hotdogs, etc. have a little buddy to weather the violent digestion cycle together (no one should go through that alone.)

here's the thing, though.  one of the easiest ways to cut out a few extra calories/sodium/preservatives here and there is to get rid of the dips and condiments and all that jazz.  well, that depresses me.

to my delight, i've been finding, trying, and enjoying a lot of healthy dressings and dips...and i'm going to share them all with you in what i hope will be a recurring feature on this blog: skinny dippin'

without further adieu, i give you,  

CREAMY DILL DRESSING 

 ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat mayo (i like Kraft with olive oil--the green on the bottle makes me happy and it tastes good)
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (i can't keep herbs fresh in this house so i just use 1/2 tbsp of dried dill weed)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

directions: dump all the above in a bowl.  whisk feverishly until smooth.  yields 8 servings; 1 serving = 2 tbsp.

nutrition info: 21 calories per serving, 1 g of fat!

i use this dressing for A LOT of stuff.  if you add a little bit of greek yogurt or light sour cream, you can thicken it up and use it as a dip for veggies or pita chips.  otherwise, it's a great dressing for chicken salads.  i recently started mixing this dressing with 3 oz of tuna (bagged, in water) and the dill and lemon really brighten up that sad looking bag of tuna.

i served dill dressing (thickened with a 1/4 cup light sour cream) to my sister at our first-annual "deck day" (aka crazy booze-fest day)  the kid really liked it.  i served it again at crivitz (aka crazy booze-fest weekend) and it got good reviews.  i guess mentioning that both events had a lot of alcohol at them kind of makes you wonder if the dip really was edible. just gotta keep it real with you.

rule of thumb: when people not watching what they are eating and actually like the healthy stuff you make, that means it is legitimately delicious. i don't know about you, but it's easy for me to talk myself into liking foods because they are healthy regardless of what they really taste like (i use a lot of mental energy playing that game.)

howevsies, this dill dressing is a winner.

recipe adapted from:

(CookingLight: Fresh Food Fast, Weeknight Meals)