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Friday, November 30, 2012

Yonanas Frozen Dessert Ice Cream Maker (oh yeah!)

yonanathumbnail Yonanas Frozen Dessert Ice Cream Maker (oh yeah!)

This thing is pretty awesome. On my recent visit to the Dole test kitchen, I came away uber-impressed with the Yonanas phenomenon.

But what is it, exactly? Yonanas is ice cream makin’ with your favorite fruits. There’s no dairy involved and no sugar required. Just take your favorite fruit, give it a quick freeze for about an hour, then throw it into your Yonana for a healthy frozen dessert that has the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

It literally takes seconds to create ice cream with your Yonana. Watch the full video for the Yonanas demo, plus easy clean up, recipes and key buying tips.

Doesn’t that sound delicious? I’ve made room for my Yonana next to my ninja blender and Keurig coffee maker. Look at me gettin’ all fancy with the kitchen gadgets…


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Yes I CAN CAN CAN! (guest post)

I was seriously excited when MizFit asked if I was interested in guest posting – even more so when she offered complete carte blanche in relation to the topic.

I was also, however, a tad nervous as I know Miz’s audience includes a lot of readers who are already fit and healthy and wondered what a chubby Aussie only halfway through her health and fitness (and weight loss) journey could have to offer.

After much rumination (well… I thought about it for a day or two) I decided to share an experience I had a few years ago when I enrolled in a dance class with a difference.

My main motivation at the time was to add some excitement to my week which (was then) mostly about work. A weeknight dance class seemed the perfect option: it would break-up my working week and be more about fun and frivolity than ‘exercise’.

As someone who doesn’t much like their body, I decided I should also do something to help me feel more sensual and ‘in tune’ with my body. I recalled doing a belly dancing class years before and the buxom instructor did make us all feel like sexually attractive and desirable women (I must admit though, that this was at a health retreat and we were alcohol, sugar, caffeine deprived!).

I did however, want something a bit more energetic / high impact than bellydancing and when I described what I wanted “something kinda like lap dancing, but without the laps,” a friend suggested that burlesque was the way to go.

The dance school’s website described burlesque as “Showgirl fused with some Moulin Rouge sassy!” My mind started to boggle as I imagined it: fishnets and garters, can-canning across the stage, or perhaps Nicole Kidman Moulin Rouge style – a sequined me on a swing, floating above the masses.

Despite all of this, I sent off my money and enrolled in the 10-week course before sanity or apathy could prevail.

I arrived late and stressed to the first lesson, having left work late and gotten lost en-route, only to be confronted by a swarm of 20yr-old skinny, bizarrely dressed women.

I was clad for exercise – leggings and big Nike t-shirt (and with sturdy sports bra for the high impact exercise ahead) so I stood out amongst the leopard print skimpy tops, tulle skirts and ‘shorts-over-ripped-stockings’ look.

And, as I was also only one or two present unadorned with tattoos, I felt bare. I was already regretting my decision. Amidst this group of sex-kittens (a-la Dita Von Teese), I felt positively frumpy and middle-aged. Of the 15 others, there was one other ‘older’ woman. Needless to say, we were a strange group and I often wondered what others visiting the dance studio, thought of us when they saw us en-masse.

Our instructor, Rose* (a burlesque dancer herself and I suspect, not her real name…), had a seam tattooed down the back of her legs and a long black ponytail falling from high on her head, perfect for flicking about when the need dictated.

Rose started the first lesson with the good news – that we would be learning a routine to (…wait for it), perform at the end of term concert. (‘Be still my beating heart’, I thought and decided that I will be ‘sick’ or indisposed in some way.)

Nevertheless, we eventually kicked off. The first lesson set the scene for those following. We began and finished with lengthy stretching sessions – though less for preventing injury and more for… well I am actually not sure, but increasing flexibility I guess.

Many of the stretches were the kind that went out of fashion in the 80s, or maybe even the 70s – lots of helicopter arms swiveling to touch our toes. We were also required to do the splits, or as close to them as possible. I should have been sensible like the older woman, who did her own alternative stretches rather than Rose’s as I often found myself aching in the days following our class, from overstretching as much as anything. (It may, however, interest my myriad of dedicated fans – ahem, I mean, readers – to know that I can actually do the splits front-ways but not sideways… just for future reference!)

We did however, manage to fit in about 15-20mins of our routine each week. At this point I should point out that Rose was actually more of a performer than a teacher. We students and burlesque-novices regularly found ourselves looking at each other in confusion over which foot to start stepping on, as the guileless Rose changed her mind each time.

Nonetheless, she was brimming with enthusiasm and poise (if not coordination) as she put us through our ‘burlesque paces’.

The movements of burlesque are fairly simple. Lots of hip flicks and circles, shimmies and body rolls, with a few supposedly-sexy walks thrown in. (On that note and for future reference again – unlike one’s normal walk, a ‘stripper’ or ‘burlesque’ walk involves planting the toe first and crossing the legs as you walk.)

In no way however, was my sports bra tested throughout the 10 weeks. Our energy was focused on swivels and shakes, not jumping around energetically. Even our can-can involved low, slow (supposedly sensual) kicks.

Any self-consciousness I felt disappeared as we disparate souls giggled and strutted our way through the routine we learnt over the 10-week course.

Only 7 or 8 regulars attended most of the lessons and I would often find myself looking around, wondering what each was expecting to get out of the class.

The term eventually finished (I – sadly – was unable to perform in the concert) and we ‘graduates’ were able move to level 2. I, however, decided to give it a miss and try something different.

Unfortunately I didn’t come away from the course feeling more sensual, but you’ll be relieved to know I can bust out the burlesque moves if ever the opportunity arrives.

* Name changed to protect the innocent

Deborah describes herself as an aspiring health and fitness blogger (and mostly-unsuccessful weight loss blogger) from Queensland Australia and blogs at Diet Schmiet.  She’s a fave of mine for myriad reasons and some day I plan to hunt her down & make her teach me to dance sexy.


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Keep Track of Your Weigh with Google Docs!

After posting yesterdays weigh in I was inpired to dig up my old weigh loss tracking spread sheets and port everything into a google doc. Do you guys use google docs? I’m obsessed!

Anyway, I have my old weight loss tracker page but honestly, it’s a beast to upkeep and navigate. I love having the data (I’m a bit of geek) but keeping it in a nice, friendly, accessible format for the blog is another story.

Now that’s it’s in a google doc I can publish and embed it on the site. Look how cool…

I have over 7 years of data because I’m a dork, so I created a sheet for each year and accounted for the years I didn’t track. If you are just starting, it’s way less complicated!

Go to google docs

Click Create –> Spreadsheet

Enter Date,Weight and Notes in the first 3 columns.

Start tracking!

See, easy.

Now, if you want to include a chart which I find REALLY fun (cause geeks love data) all you need to do is click the…

Chart button.

Then select your data range using, choose “line” as the type and viola! Chart.

When you create your document it’s defaultly set to private but you can allow specific people access to it or make it public. Just go to File –> Share, to grant access.

You can also publish the spreadsheet and embed it in your blogs like I did here. That’s also found under the file menu –> Publish to the Web. There you can grab the link to the document or choose HTML and copy the code for your blog. The best part… when you make edits to the spreadsheet all you have to do is “republish” and your blog is automatically updated!

Man, I wish I thought of this earlier!! Let me know if you have any questions. This is how I’ll be tracking from now on.


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He Called Me An Old Bitty…

old bitty He Called Me An Old Bitty...

Hungry Husband thinks just because he’s younger than me, he can hurl phrases like, ‘Old Bitty’. I was resistant to my re-naming until I read the definition. Perhaps there is some merit to his semi-slanderous words?

YE OLD BITTY CHECKLIST

Am I Crazy? Eh, maybe a little.

Lame? Only when I’m too lazy to cook, which is most days of the week.

Elderly? Perhaps. I tweezed a chest-hair the other day.

Out of Touch With the World? The settings on the TV remote are way too complicated for me. This is a classic sign of “old people syndrome”. I’m definitely out of touch.

Compelled to Share? Well, ya. Actually, lots of over-sharing going on. Especially about that rogue piece of chest hair(s).

AND NOW IN OTHER NEWS

Today I’m flying out to California to attend the Dole Health & Wellness Blogger Summit at the Four Seasons Westlake. Dole invited me to join them from November 14-16th. Here’s what the event is all about:

dole He Called Me An Old Bitty...“…event will bring together the country’s most influential food, fitness and lifestyle bloggers for two days of wellness-related presentations, nutrition discussions, and other spa and fitness activities. Summit participants will tour Dole’s test kitchens, learn about new products from the Dole brands and get treated to spa and wellness services at the California Health & Longevity Institute facilities. Our goal is to begin a dialogue about the true link between health and happiness.

I intend to ask them about GMOs ya’ll. Will also try to get some cool pics and maybe even some video, and report back with the fanciest highlights.

I’ve never flown this far from home and will miss my Greedy Family. Blogging will resume on Monday, but you can still catch me on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week. See ya soon! xoxoxo


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Greedy Recipe! Flat Abs Scramble

veggiescramble Greedy Recipe! Flat Abs Scramble

Awwww-yeah! This is another flat abs recipe brought to you by yours truly. When I’m not gulping on Shakeology in the morning, the Flat Abs Scramble is one of my favorite go-to breakfasts. It’s also extra-versatile. By adding a little bit of cooked brown rice to the dish, it’s immediately transformed into an awesome lunch or satisfying dinner dish that’s well pleasing to the stomachs.

Fla Abs Scramble is the perfect dish to pack ‘n go, especially for work. It goes from prep to lunch container in less than 10-minutes. Yes, ya’ll. Clean eating is super easy for you to do.

INGREDIENTS (serves 1)

3 thick tomato slices1/2 medium green pepper1/2 medium onion1-2 eggs ~ for protein (you choose how many eggs)1 cup Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice (optional)coconut milk or coconut oil (for saute’ing)

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice all veggie ingredients and add to the pan with a splash of coconut milk or other saute’ing option of your choice.

2. Right before veggies are cooked to your desired consistency, crack 1-2 eggs into the center of the pan with veggies. Cover pan and allow egg(s) to cook in ‘sunny side up’ fashion until almost firm.

3. Break the yolk(s) and continue to cook until egg(s) are done. Try not to mix the eggs around in the pan too much.

4. Spatula-scoop entire dish into your packing container and head to the office or wherever it is your ass needs to be on time. If you’re late to work, just say to your boss, “Pipe it down, why don’t ya! I was busy cooking healthy food to cut back on employer healthcare costs.” …it’ll work like a charm.

5. Optionally, pack your Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice as well and heat in microwave before adding to your scramble. The rice will give you extra protein.

That’s it! Now start chewing!

If you’ve been working hard, but still a little frustrated with your stomachs area, then now’s the time to focus on a cleaner diet and consider a more challenging strength training routine. If you’re easy-breezing through your strength workouts, you need to add more intensity if you want better results.


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MIZFIT SKIRT GIVEAWAY!

Miz, I want to buy a skirt and give it away anonymously.  On your blog.  It’s the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward.  I do this monthly as it supports my spirituality/who I am and watching the momentum it sparks is amazing.  I believe in your MizFit angel network.

I received this email the day I announced my Miz skirts were for sale (links added by me).

My initial reaction was to implore the emailer to share her name.

It’s not I believe it’s important to take ‘credit’ (in Judaism one of the highest forms of mitzvah is anonymous giving) I just thought it such a cool idea I wanted to share the source.

Our emailer declined & said she cared NOT how I conduct the giveaway. ..what I did for the giveaway…but really wanted anonymity.

And, given her choice of MizFit Angel network wording, I immediately knew what I’d do.

And I penned a post which I choose to preempt when Hurricane Sandy happened.

A post about RAOK & how small acts spark bigger movements ala the MizFit Angel Network reference in our GENEROUS emailer’s missive.

A post encouraging you to do an act of good.  Any act—BIG like skirt giving or small like a smile—which would spontaneously brighten another person’s day.

I almost changed the post for today—but decided not to as our world–in my opinion–is always in need of a little extra loving kindness.

Drawing a blank for your pay-it-forward gesture?

We tend to git weird misfit’y with our actions—so here are a few of our more staid ideas:

Use manners as a form of kindness.  Please. Thank you. Hold the door open for a stranger. Done!Stop a stranger on the street & give a genuine compliment and a smile (<—one of our faves).Clean out your toy room/bring gently used toys to fire/police station so they have extras on truck in case they encounter a frightened child.Bring coupons to the grocery & leave the ones you dont use TAPED to the item for the next shopper (<—another one we love).Launch A PRO-ANYTHING campaign on a social media platform (blog, twitter, instagram, pinterest etc).  For example, anti-BULLYING is a great message, but PRO-KINDNESS might be even better?  Pro-positivity.  Another example: not ANTI our healthy living TROLL but PRO everyone else.

Not yet sold on spending your little leisure time PAYING IT FORWARD?

Need to know there’s a little fitness-payback in the deal for YOU?

Voila.

Acting in a kind/giving fashion can:

Contribute to good health & diminish the effect of diseases psychological and physical.Spark the “helper’s high.”  (The rush of euphoria, followed by long period of calm, after performing a kind act. This ‘helper’s high’ triggers the release of endorphins.)Create feelings of joyfulness and vigor (woo-hoo! Im all about the vim & vigor).Decrease intensity/awareness of physical pain.Serve as an amazing distraction from the fact Thanksgiving is merely a week away (!)

You can be entered to win a MizFit workout skirt (men, they make great gifts!) for the low low cost of a comment below.

What act of kindness will you do this week to pay-it-forward?

All my proceeds *plus* a matching donation from abprosports go to the Mayan Families charity in Guatemala.

winner announced 11.21.12 USA and CANADA only


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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sensational Seasonal Sunday

Today started with my #YogaAday pose…

…and 5 miles.

We’ve had house guests until Saturday and I needed to do something for me that didn’t involve food or cooking or cleaning. Don’t get me wrong, the holidays are AWESOME but exhausting. I found myself rewarding with food and stress eating a little. Enough was enough.

Yay for Sensational Sundays! :)

When I got back The Husband was changing a diaper and informing Ryan who won the Notre Dame game.

I put them all to work. :)

It’s time to move past sorting. I made someone do his own load this week.

He took a break to hug little brother.

They are so stinkin’ cute I could die!

Anyway, I made breakfast.

That’s a leftover sweet potato and kale egg white omelet. It was amazing! I wouldn’t have thought of that combo before but I may put it in regular rotation.

I made eggs for all the boys too.

Then it was time to clean up after Thanksgiving…

… and get ready for Christmas!

We have a tradition of putting up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. It gives us maximum festive time. :)

My favorite part of this whole process is going down memory lane. Here’s Ryan asking me about all our couple ornaments. He’s getting more and more interested and asks a lots questions. It’s so fun!

By lunch…

… we were getting there.

The Husband moved to the outside lights.

Yes that’s his schematic. We really are a family of geeks. :)

Here’s Ryan folding his load of laundy watching the Ravens game.

I love how engrossed they both look.

We finally finished!

Both inside and out!

I finally took a shower and when I came down The Husband started cracking up. I didn’t realize it was only 5:30. Apparently I was a little premature in the pajama department.

I didn’t care. It was a stay in the house kind of day and I was totally living it up!

Dinner was out first non-turkey based meal since Thanksgiving.

Afterwars we cleaned up and watched the rest of the Ravens game munching on popcorn in our new festive living room.

It was a GREAT day and just what I needed. :)


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My tattoo stories.

This post has nothing to do with fitness, yet in the sense of fitness being our bodies it almost does (right?). And in the sense of you (the royal. I realize many of you could not care less) ask me frequently about the stories behind my art this post kind of fits.  Sort of.  It (waitforit) misfits.

When people ask about my tattoos (why did you get them? do they mean anything? will you regret them?) I respond:

For me a tattoo is ‘right’ if it feels as though it has always been there—just ROSE TO THE SURFACE when the needle hit my skin.  

Im not sure this helps much if youre a person who doesnt care for tattoos, but in my mind it makes total sense.

All of my ink–from suess to skulls–feels as though it had been carried inside of me and finally ‘let out’ when the tattoo was completed.

I *always* share with kids who ask me about my art the fact I did not get a tattoo until I was old (wink).

I was 28 when I got the Star of David around my navel:

The star, for me, was a natural fit. Being Jewish–even though Im not ‘religious’–is an important part of who I am.  It’s my core.  The centering point of my life.

I was older still when I got my next one (32?).

Ren Man knows me well.  Ren Man knew I did not want a diamond engagement ring.  Ren Man purchased us matching engagement/wedding bands from the Signals catalog (we love him!!)

I loved the choice and sentiment so much (song of solomon) I had the Hebrew tattooed on (excuse the post-Airrosti photo.  you can sorta see the ink.).

My next stop at the tattoo shop was for the tiny image below.

We were newly home from Guatemala and I was feeling, as so many new parents do, wonky and out of control.

I now had a little person I loved more than life itself to protect and look after.  I was experiencing the ‘having a child is like walking around with my heart outside my body’ phenomena.  I decided I needed a little protection from the evil eye.

I got me a hamsa hand for happiness, luck and protection.

I frequently forget this tattoo is even there (some of the point of it for me) and yet clearly recall the morning the Tornado discovered it on my neck.

Oh Mama!! I found a new tattoo!

It took bit of explaining to her three-year-old self that NO, tattoos dont just pop up out of the blue and that YES I was aware this one existed…

More than any question I receive about my tattoos (more even than the “Why do you love Seuss so much?”) is “whats the deal with the skulls?”

(quite frankly with stuff like THIS and THIS it is simply the fact I love the look)

For me, with this tattoo, the sugar skull symbolizes rebirth.  I had this tattoo done fairly soon after I moved home from Guatemala as well.

And then there’s the Seuss sleeve.  Lottsa queries there.

Yes I am aware how highly political his writings are—-although that’s not why I inked the sleeve.

I started this sleeve right before I turned forty.  Id always loved Dr. Seuss and yet it was a more childish love.  It wasnt anchored into much of anything—I simply liked his rhymes, characters and colors.

And then we moved home from Guatemala.

All of the stories took on new more personal meanings (how lucky I felt, helping me explain the concept of adoption to the Tornato etc) & the notion of a leg sleeve (tattooed kneecap and all) was born.

Which brings me to a few weeks ago.

Another tattoo which was years in the making and yet feels, as it should, as if it has always been there.

This in-process piece of art:

Times have been rough around here.

Stressful, frazzled, and—to my chagrin—we’ve more turned ON each other in times of stress than TO.

But, after close to NINETEEN years together, we’ve also learned how to push past and work though.  That said, this has been the most challenging time we’ve faced.

All that said (translation: back to POOPING BUTTERFLIES as my friend Dr.Seuss would say) I think we’ve made it.

All that said this made for perhaps my most significant tattoo yet. A re-commitment of sorts to our family and to sticking together through the proverbial thick & thin.

And, of course, in skull-form.

For me tattoos are like I imagine having a gaggle of children would be:  you dont have a favorite one & you love them all for differing reasons.

Yet the family portrait—for its tremendous significance right now—is indeed my current fave.  And my artist, Annie Mess, is as well for her ability to grasp what this tattoo means to me & help the art rise to my skin surface.

(looks up from this LONG navel-gazing post to see if anyone is still reading)

The night after I started my portrait tattoo at Golden Age the Tornado —whom Im 99,9% certain has NEVER heard me share the explanation I did at the start of this post—prayed:

Thank you G-d for my mom’s tattoo showed up today.

That for me is 100% it.

Whether you love or loathe the art of tattoos aside—-for me they all feel as though they’ve always been there and have simply, finally risen to the surface.


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Mind over Numbers for Weight Loss (guest post)

Calories In < Calories Out = Weight loss. 

The formula seems simple enough and so for anyone who has undertaken a weight loss journey it starts here. We are ready to finally take control of our food habits. I was no different and spent years tallying every morsel and tracking the number on the scale to prove I was doing it right…until I realized that I wasn’t in control of the food; it was controlling me.IntuitiveEating
I started to read MizFit and she kept talking about “Intuitive Eating”.

I dug for more information, hoping for a plan, more answers, more tools…but that is the blessing and curse of intuitive eating. It’s so simple that we all know how to do it, we just don’t.

It felt unnatural to let go of the numbers which had created a safety blanket for me. But I was spending far too much time worrying about food and very little time enjoying food, so something needed to shift. The first step in my new journey was to focus on eating 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. I didn’t care how I got them, but that small switch helped me to start thinking of food in positive terms.

I kept calorie counting mind you because it was too scary to let that go. Until I had another moment where I realized the numbers were working against me. If it was 8PM and my little journal showed that I “had calories left” it wouldn’t matter if I was hungry or not, the ice cream came out, the cookies were demolished.  I could feel ok about staying within my numbers, but my body wasn’t benefiting and I was kind of confused…what caused me to suddenly start eating when I didn’t even want food?

RETURNING TO MEALS
A friend and sports dietician reviewed my food logs as I started ramping up the miles for the New York City Marathon. Her first request was that I stop snacking and start eating. I couldn’t figure out what she meant! Didn’t all the research say my grazing patterns were a good thing?  Maybe. But not if I wanted to learn to listen to my actual hunger and to get my nutrients in a more balanced fashion (important because a lack of nutrients can make you feel hungry).

Just days after switching from all day grazing to eating meals, it became very clear that my cookie habit wasn’t about hunger or even cravings, but simply because the calories said I could. I’m actually eating less now that I have let go of the calorie concern because when I am hungry I can honor that feeling with a full plate of food! Science has also shown that when you ask people what they last ate, they will remember the meal they sat down for and not all the nibbling in between.

Healthy eating is a journey and I know I’ll continue to evolve, but I am really grateful for people like MizFit who continue to show us that no diet book knows us better than our own body.

HOLIDAY EATINGHolidayChallenge
The holiday season can be one of the toughest times to maintain a healthy relationship with food. But it is possible by listening to your body and focusing on eating as many fruits/veggies as you can each day! By removing the calorie counting and guilt, it becomes easier to enjoy a slice of pie and then return to normal eating. For more tips, support and motivation to ensure this your healthiest holiday season yet, check out the 5th Annual Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge hosted by RunToTheFinish.

Amanda is a seven time marathoner and author of RunToTheFinish. Through her weight loss and fitness journey she shows that being healthy is about how you fuel your body, how you feel about your body and how you choose to live every day.


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Pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday Weigh In

Ok, so I’m stressing a little about the holiday. It’s 6:26AM Right now. My house is a mess, I still haven’t picked up my turkey (although it’s been ordered) and I have a shopping list a mile long, my bathrooms all need to be cleaned, dinner needs to be made tonight for 6 adults and 3 kids, and I have to start prepping for Thanksgiving tomorrow for 8 adults and 4 kids.

So last night I made todo lists for everyone.

And for some reason that made me feel better. Mostly because I was able to delegate a few things off my list and out of my head.

Overall everything is pretty minor, I just start to feel overwhelmed at the sheer amount of little things that I want done.

That’s another thing, I have to remind myself they are things I WANT done but don’t NEED to be done.

Know what I mean?

Anyway, I didn’t mean to hijack today’s weigh in post and I’m REAL curious to see who stops by to weigh in with us with the looming holiday. In my opinion, this is go time. This is when you decide to stick it out, make yourself accountable and move on. Weighing today and (more importantly) next week isn’t about being obsessed with the numbers or freaking out over a small holiday gain. It’s about reminding yourself you’re in this for the long haul. Remember there is no “states” to your diet anymore. Everything you eat is “on plan” don’t make certain foods off limits and then “break” your diet and give yourself permission to totally pig out because you’ll “start over” on Monday or Dec 1 or the New Year.

I’m so over the mindset.

Now, on to this weeks weigh in.

I’m down .4 and my Google Doc has been updated! (that was so much easier.)

My Less Processed choices and active mindset are slowly chipping away at the those last few pounds. I’ve been feeling fantastic lately and I can only assume it’s because I really stopped the mindless munching on junk after the kids go to bed. I mean, here and there I’ll have something small but it’s not the same. No more eating out of the triscuit box only to discover it’s empty (yikes!) or sending the husband out for Ben and Jerry runs.

Ok, I have to run, literally. I wanted to quish in 2 miles this morning before the craziness and then tomorrow is turkey trot day! My mom is scheduled for the walk and Ryan may actually attempt the 5k with me! We’ll see, I’ve learned to play everything by ear anymore.

Have a great Thanksgiving!


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(Pic) Ye Ole’ Greedy Christmas Cookies Whoredom

…because the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without the redundant re-posting of this nostalgic blog-pic (circa 2010) around this time ohhh-year.

Let the Christmas cookies whoredom continue.

xmascookies (Pic) Ye Ole Greedy Christmas Cookies Whoredom Dem’s is some good cookies,  ya’ll.


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Do You Believe in Miracles?

Skinny Noodle Package

Fellow eaters may consider a 0 calorie food a miracle. I kind of do, although in my dreams we’re talking pizza, cookies, ice cream or donuts….

MMmmm donuts.

…but I digress.

I decided it was time to put the famous (or is it infamous) Skinny Noodles to the test. I’ve eaten them a few times specifically to review, but never really got around to posting. Mostly because I wasn’t sure how to approach the controversy of it all.

On one hand, a 0 calorie food intrigues me, not because I think I can eat as much of it as I want or use it to reduce my calories to unsafe amounts, but because I believe in "bulking." It was something I learned to do way back in my Weight Watchers days.

As I say in this post I wrote FIVE YEARS AGO, (Holy Shnikes!) I do things like bulk up my chili with zucchini, add fresh fruit to my cereal and my burgers looked more like a salad then anything else. This is "the Volumetric" way of eating and I do it pretty intuitively anymore.

On the other hand, I tend to be suspicious (VERY suspicious) of any food that calls itself "skinny" or "a miracle" and, well, contains 0 calories.

What the heck is it made of?

Good question!

Besides water the main ingredient is Konnyaku Yam Flour (Glucomannan)

Apparently Konnyaku Yam (also know as konjak, konjaku, or konnyaku potato) is cultivated in Japan and looks like this…

Konnyaku Yam (also know as konjak, konjaku, or konnyaku potato)

Puurty.

(Thanks to PseudoGil for the image.)

It’s a root they grind up, turn to flour and make noodles out of. How is that any different then grinding up wheat and making pasta?

For some reason this made me feel a little better. I decided to give it another go last night. Join me on my Skinny Noodle adventure!

First, I cut open the bag and poured the noodles in a fine strainer.

I didn’t notice the "fishy" smell at first, but when you stick your nose right over them there is a distinct odor of seafood. It reminded me of what boiling shrimp or a pile of shrimp shells smell like.

It didn’t bother me much, I just rinsed them and separated the noodles.

They definitely have a gel like texture.

This is when the husband came in and asked what I was doing. When I told him he made his typical grossed out face. I missed it and only got this blur of a smile.

I poured the noodles on a clean kitchen towel to soak up some of the additional water.

Since the noodles have basically no nutritional value I deiced to add some kale in the mix. It’s also super low in calories BUT serves as a nutritional power house. According to WebMD, one cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

I heated a skillet over medium-high heat, sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray and add about a cup of kale.

kale in skillet

Toss it for a a minute with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt and –BAM–

cooked kale

cooked kale.

I added the skinny noodles and tossed it without the kale over the heat until the noodles didn’t stick together as much. About 2 minutes.

The kale got a little crispy and the noodles were warmed through.

The kale and the noodles looked so pretty, this is when I realized I probably could have just sautéed them in a little olive oil and garlic and been done.

But I had homemade sauce and shredded Parmesan cheese!

I have to say, the result was delicious!

I mean, it’s not traditional pasta by any means. The texture is more gel like, but it’s filling, and it gives you that spaghetti mouth feel. At the end of the day, it’s a noodle. It tastes like what ever you put on it. That’s what noodles do.

I don’t think I’d eat it all the time but it makes a great pantry item. Especially for those bottomless pit days when nothing fills you up and you’ve already went way overboard in the food department. Not that I ever do that or anything.

Ok, I’m ready to hear it all in the comments. Thoughts on the noodles? Hate? Love? Curious? Never tried? Lay it on me. I’m sure some of you have pretty strong opinions.

Note: Although I have purchased other brands in the past out of curiosity, Genki USA, Inc. sent me this sample bag back in May of this year. They did not compensate me in any way for writing this post. All opinions expressed are my own. If you are interested in trying Skinny Noodles click here to order them off amazon and I will make a small percentage of the sale.


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