I HATE New Year's resolutions. I'm a firm believer in making my resolves and changing today. If I really want to change my life I'm going to change right this moment. I'm not going to put it off until the turn of the calendar. I don't feel like those are real resolutions. That being said, I still make some fun resolutions, more themes of the year rather than actual changes.
January 1, 2013 I was handling the glass of bubbly in my hand that I had just used to toast the the new year. I love bubbly, as anyone who has ever met me knows. Its such a tragedy that we only use it for special occasions. I mean, we will open a bottle of wine with dinner without thinking twice, but for some reason that sparkling wine is so much more sacred. Poppycock! My resolution in that moment was to make champagne, sparkling wine, cava, proseco, bubbly, or whatever you may call it, a more permanent fixture in my life. I was going to go out of my way to make the bubbles a more common place in my realm. I did it!! I fulfilled that resolution to the tee. In the words of Hank Moody (big Californication kick right now) "Nailed it!"
Now, 2013 did not come without trials and troubles, but I have to say it was a pretty damn awesome year for me. My person grew more than I ever thought possible. I credit the bubbles. They made everything nicer and more approachable. When things in my life weren't exactly what I dreamed them to be, the bubbles put a softer tone to them. When I faced things (sometimes with style, and sometimes with tears) the bubbles encouraged me to just ride it out. Now, some may say that I'm being very dramatic and giving the bubbles a lot of power, maybe too much, in my year. Maybe I am. All I know is that 2013, The Year of the Bubbles, was the best year I've had in my life. Which, brings me to my 2014. I didn't make the bubbles a priority in life this year, and I feel my life fell to shambles. I actually made a conscious effort to be healthier, not as a resolution, but to prove to myself that I can. Part of that effort was specifically cutting down on the bubbles. I can honestly say this was the single worst idea of my life. Every high I had ridden the previous year had its match in the lows of this year. I can tell you, that starting tonight (I have my dear friend fluted in hand) I will make my resolve of bubbles again. I cant afford to waste even one more day of this year, or this existence without making bubbles a priority in my life. In fact, I'm starting on my first novel. It's going to be utter shit. But, the title will be something after the style of Steinbeck, "Of Bubbles and Becs." I know not a soul will purchase it. But, that's okay. My homage to the bubbles doesn't need the stamp of approval from anyone else.
P.S. I just decided on another resolve, starting today-I refuse to wait till January 1 to start my work, I'm going to work on my vertical jump. I'm gonna get above the rim. Well, for sure just a dunk. I can then feel like my claims as a hooper are validated.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The Story of a 30 Year Old Loser
Surprise!!!! Thirty years is smacking me in the face with a very cruel and sharp sting. I'm older, fatter, uglier than ever before and everyday I wake up reminded of that as I walk in to a kitchen strewn with my roommates previous night's pizza entrails, the alcohol bottles of her 21 year old self discovery phase stacked in the open spaces in the room. Yes, I share an abode with a couple of 21 year olds. Every day I'm faced with the realization that this is what I have created for myself. Instead of making my path into a nice little townhouse that I keep, I wasted my years into a pig sty for a whopping $450 a month, which is almost more than my pity job can afford. I see my peers from school in differing phases of their own lives. Some, share my lack of glamour. And then there are the ones that I thought I would be in the company of. The achievers. The doers. I dreamt of great things when I was younger. Now, I can barely remember a single one of them. I try to figure out where I would like to take this detour. I convince myself that I am fashionably late in my arrival to adulthood. That, this is the road I meant to take. This is how I envisioned my struggle to greatness to be. Again, it's a harsh reality when I force myself to the truth. I'm here because I'm lazy. The greatness I once possessed has washed down the gutter and been replaced with a boneyard of aspirations. Now, reader, don't take this as a pathetic ploy for anything. I am here, I acknowledge it. I'm trying again to dream. I'm trying to discover where I can get find the water to nourish a blossom of hope for the next decade of this existence. So, for my 30th birthday wish, I wish for unfleeting motivation, for an inkling of a plan, for a little courage to start on the path, and for a taste of the greatness I know I was destined for.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
MMMMMarch!
After the most mild winter I can remember, Spring is just around the corner. Even with mild temps, low snow fall, and not even a single snow man built, I'm ecstatic. I hate being cold. I hate getting wet pant legs as you traipse through the snow and slush. I hate that road salt turns my black car white. I hate waking up cold. I hate waking up to the dark sky. I hate wearing pants (although, I do love wearing jackets). I can't wait to permanently bust out minimal clothing, bicycle clothing, no clothing (did I just say that?), leave windows open day and night, green leaves on trees, cheap AND fresh produce, hiking, camping, camelbaks, sun roofs, windows down, long board, cut off jeans, iced beverages, sno cones, bbq, sun tans, frisbee, walking everywhere without shivering, swimming, lakes, summer tv series, Alpine loop drives, skinny dipping, no students, thongs, bike rides, star gazing, bon fires, dutch ovens, balcony nights, etc. etc. etc. These are a few of my favorite things (including etc. I love that all encompassing abbreviation). Today, even though it wasn't super hot, I was shorted and tanked out all day. I couldn't help it. I spent all day in the sun. ALL day. I got my first sunburn of the season!!!!! I know many people aren't too excited about this, but I am. I know it ultimately means just additional freckles, but I get so excited. Not only that I have additional color in my skin, but that I actually can be outside long enough that I don't shiver and freeze to death. (Yes, I know that shivering is an excellent all body workout, but it does not leave me feeling accomplished like an hour of cardio does.) I Love March. I love May even more, especially since March means spring snow storms and sporadic weather. But, I can't help get excited about the promises that March brings. I LOVE March! (Today)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tom Yum Yum Yum Soup
Disclaimer:
This is not a typical recipe in typical form. It's written as I speak, so please hear my voice as you follow the process, because I am actually dictating this to you with love. Or something that may resemble it. Or at least discontempt.
So, I love to cook. If you don't know me, I'm telling you right now. Let there be no questions. I love to cook. And then, I don't even mind eating what I cook. Actually, I'd say that both preparing and consuming food is a huge passion of mine. Often when I feel in a funk a good cook session will cure me a bit. If not then only copious amounts of copiousness would help. Me and my tangents... Back on course. With this Paleo business I've had a lot of fun trying to create and make food taste delicious. And, I'd say that I'm doing nicely. I do follow recipes to an extent, but then I just let my passion juices flow and I end up creating things that are really tasty. So tasty that I don't even mind making enough for a week's worth of leftovers. And then, I love to eat them even a week later. One of said dishes is Tom Yum soup. Now, I was very intimidated by this. I don't know why, but I was. I've had success in soups before (crab butternut bisque, leaves me drooling just thinking of it. And, also cream of garlic so rich and delicious that I grew an extra pant size because I ate the whole pot. By myself. In one sitting. Psych!! I didn't really) However, Thai soups had me a bit paralyzed at the cutting board. But, I conquered my fear and I valiantly and stalwartly carried on chopping, and mincing, and tearing, and plucking. And two days later I had produced one of my favorite dishes that I've ever cooked... and also the best Tom Yum soup that I've ever had. The end! I'm great and fantastic.
Psych!!! again. The real reason of this post is to share my joyousness of joy and passion. And, all things Thai.
So, the day before I made up my chicken stock. Now, the easiest way I found to do this was to grab a whole rotisserie chicken (Not totally Paleo, they use some stuff in there, but I'm okay with a little poison in my system). Lazy, I know, but it's cheaper and easier than actually making my own whole chicken just so I can make chicken stock from scratch. (It was my first ever stock from pot experience. It was a wildly pleasant experience that I would recommend to anyone. I just felt so June Cleaver about the whole thing) Plus, I got to use all the delicious meat in the recipe. After spending many moments getting burned by the piping hot chicken, fresh off the presses, I threw all the guts & such into a pot with some water, and a little of this and a little of that. You know, limp celery, onions that were sprouting shoots, carrots that not even bugs bunny would touch, fresh parsley, bay leaves that I had collected from the tree in my front yard, etc. And, I let it boil all evening long. When I could no longer take the aroma of the carcass melting into something so useful I pulled it off the stove and threw it in the fridge.
Soups On! So, I threw a moderate amount of stock on the stove....I'm talking about half of what I made. Remember, the stock is your base. So, as big of a batch as you want is how much stock you need. Now, next was my almost favorite part. I got to use fresh lemon grass! I've never even thought about it in my cooking before. Now I'm such a fan that I want to put it in my muffins. Yum! I grabbed a couple stalks, chopped and chopped (you can't use the top 1/2 as anything other than a twig floating in your soup...but still adds great flavor) I felt like I was just mincing up scallions, but with a much better aroma. Throw those little suckers in your stock and let it boil until you smell the lemony grassyness permeating the range. In the mean time I grabbed some shitake mushrooms, like 8-10, and thinly sliced them. Also, dried red peppers, 4-5 depending on your bravery and honor in the heat arena. (I could take more, but I didn't want the children to not eat the soup) Chop those up so you gots all sorts of flakes and seeds flying all around (I also threw in a couple whole just to add a little surprise as you ate. Like, a cracker jacks surprise) and then a few cloves, 3-6 cloves, of garlic minced. And, like 4-5 kaffir lime leaves. You let that all boil for a few. A good few. Like, long enough to chop up all the other veggies and stuff that you're gonna be putting in. I Like broccoli, tomato, carrot, and some red and green pepper. After cutting them all up into pretty little pieces I threw it into the the base with the chicken from the day before also. Let it cook until the veggies are edible. Well, actually, they're always edible. But once you get to the point that you can't stand it anymore that's when you throw both coconut milk and fish oil to taste. Now, fish oil has got to be one of the nastiest concepts, but boy does it make everything taste so darn delicious. I like me some coconut milk too. Once you add those final two ingredients MMMM.....perfection comes to pass in soup form. So delicious. And, now my second batch is done.....now. I'm peacing out to stuff my face.
This is not a typical recipe in typical form. It's written as I speak, so please hear my voice as you follow the process, because I am actually dictating this to you with love. Or something that may resemble it. Or at least discontempt.
So, I love to cook. If you don't know me, I'm telling you right now. Let there be no questions. I love to cook. And then, I don't even mind eating what I cook. Actually, I'd say that both preparing and consuming food is a huge passion of mine. Often when I feel in a funk a good cook session will cure me a bit. If not then only copious amounts of copiousness would help. Me and my tangents... Back on course. With this Paleo business I've had a lot of fun trying to create and make food taste delicious. And, I'd say that I'm doing nicely. I do follow recipes to an extent, but then I just let my passion juices flow and I end up creating things that are really tasty. So tasty that I don't even mind making enough for a week's worth of leftovers. And then, I love to eat them even a week later. One of said dishes is Tom Yum soup. Now, I was very intimidated by this. I don't know why, but I was. I've had success in soups before (crab butternut bisque, leaves me drooling just thinking of it. And, also cream of garlic so rich and delicious that I grew an extra pant size because I ate the whole pot. By myself. In one sitting. Psych!! I didn't really) However, Thai soups had me a bit paralyzed at the cutting board. But, I conquered my fear and I valiantly and stalwartly carried on chopping, and mincing, and tearing, and plucking. And two days later I had produced one of my favorite dishes that I've ever cooked... and also the best Tom Yum soup that I've ever had. The end! I'm great and fantastic.
Psych!!! again. The real reason of this post is to share my joyousness of joy and passion. And, all things Thai.
So, the day before I made up my chicken stock. Now, the easiest way I found to do this was to grab a whole rotisserie chicken (Not totally Paleo, they use some stuff in there, but I'm okay with a little poison in my system). Lazy, I know, but it's cheaper and easier than actually making my own whole chicken just so I can make chicken stock from scratch. (It was my first ever stock from pot experience. It was a wildly pleasant experience that I would recommend to anyone. I just felt so June Cleaver about the whole thing) Plus, I got to use all the delicious meat in the recipe. After spending many moments getting burned by the piping hot chicken, fresh off the presses, I threw all the guts & such into a pot with some water, and a little of this and a little of that. You know, limp celery, onions that were sprouting shoots, carrots that not even bugs bunny would touch, fresh parsley, bay leaves that I had collected from the tree in my front yard, etc. And, I let it boil all evening long. When I could no longer take the aroma of the carcass melting into something so useful I pulled it off the stove and threw it in the fridge.
Soups On! So, I threw a moderate amount of stock on the stove....I'm talking about half of what I made. Remember, the stock is your base. So, as big of a batch as you want is how much stock you need. Now, next was my almost favorite part. I got to use fresh lemon grass! I've never even thought about it in my cooking before. Now I'm such a fan that I want to put it in my muffins. Yum! I grabbed a couple stalks, chopped and chopped (you can't use the top 1/2 as anything other than a twig floating in your soup...but still adds great flavor) I felt like I was just mincing up scallions, but with a much better aroma. Throw those little suckers in your stock and let it boil until you smell the lemony grassyness permeating the range. In the mean time I grabbed some shitake mushrooms, like 8-10, and thinly sliced them. Also, dried red peppers, 4-5 depending on your bravery and honor in the heat arena. (I could take more, but I didn't want the children to not eat the soup) Chop those up so you gots all sorts of flakes and seeds flying all around (I also threw in a couple whole just to add a little surprise as you ate. Like, a cracker jacks surprise) and then a few cloves, 3-6 cloves, of garlic minced. And, like 4-5 kaffir lime leaves. You let that all boil for a few. A good few. Like, long enough to chop up all the other veggies and stuff that you're gonna be putting in. I Like broccoli, tomato, carrot, and some red and green pepper. After cutting them all up into pretty little pieces I threw it into the the base with the chicken from the day before also. Let it cook until the veggies are edible. Well, actually, they're always edible. But once you get to the point that you can't stand it anymore that's when you throw both coconut milk and fish oil to taste. Now, fish oil has got to be one of the nastiest concepts, but boy does it make everything taste so darn delicious. I like me some coconut milk too. Once you add those final two ingredients MMMM.....perfection comes to pass in soup form. So delicious. And, now my second batch is done.....now. I'm peacing out to stuff my face.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Paleorific!
I know that 2 days might be a little soon to update on my whole 30. However, I'm a bit shocked. Not that I'm seeing immense results already, but I'm amazed at how little I'm hungry and also how quickly I'm satisfied. Like, I just got back from a 2 hour bike ride at 9pm and hadn't eaten much before I left. As I was nearing home I started to get a bit ravenous. So, I came home cooked up some salmon, a very small sweet potato and some bell pepper. A quarter of the pepper and the potato had me nearing full. I forced myself to eat the salmon, because hey, who doesn't love a good piece of salmon? So, other than that I feel like I'm eating just as normal.
Last night's meal was delightful. I cooked up lemon rosemary chicken, roasted green beans, and a salad with homemade blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette. It was so tasty I didn't want to stop eating, except that I was totally full. I also made homemade applesauce with gala apples, pears and mango. It's deliciously tasty. I'm excited to see what challenges Paleo creates with a tasty food plan. I'm ready for the challenge and look forward to the culinary adventures that will come from it.
The thing that I'm really going to struggle with this month is Taco Bell. I know it is oh so gross. But, it tastes oh so good to me. And to go along with that, I'm really going to miss tortillas. I love them. Already I'm finding myself wanting one. And, just because I can't have it I want hot chocolate. I know, it is 90+ degrees outside and I'm jonesing for hot chocolate? Something is seriously crazy about that.
Last night's meal was delightful. I cooked up lemon rosemary chicken, roasted green beans, and a salad with homemade blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette. It was so tasty I didn't want to stop eating, except that I was totally full. I also made homemade applesauce with gala apples, pears and mango. It's deliciously tasty. I'm excited to see what challenges Paleo creates with a tasty food plan. I'm ready for the challenge and look forward to the culinary adventures that will come from it.
The thing that I'm really going to struggle with this month is Taco Bell. I know it is oh so gross. But, it tastes oh so good to me. And to go along with that, I'm really going to miss tortillas. I love them. Already I'm finding myself wanting one. And, just because I can't have it I want hot chocolate. I know, it is 90+ degrees outside and I'm jonesing for hot chocolate? Something is seriously crazy about that.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Bandwagon Just Passed, I Think I'll Jump On It.
I've started really trying to be healthier in my lifestyle choices as of late. I mean, I still enjoy my sweets and baked goods (I just finished eating my last bacon potato chip cookie), I still love me a kolache from Johnny. And, Taco Bell will always hold a special spot in my heart. However, I'm saying good bye to all of that. Not forever, I will still allow myself a splurge occasionally. I am starting my Whole 30 though. What does that mean? Tomorrow I'm giving the Paleo lifestyle a go. For 30 days, 1 month, 4 weeks, a calendar flip, a full moon cycle, etc., I will be giving up dairy, grains, legumes, and sugar. I have a few family members that have done the same thing and have seen amazing results in their health. So, here's what I'm hoping for....I'm hoping that my skin issue will disappear. I'm hoping I'll trim down and I will be one step closer to wearing my bikini out in public. I'm hoping for increased energy. I'm planning on being able to increase my performance on my bike. And, since I'm on a roll, I'm really hoping that my poor eyesight will be reverted. Now, I know that the last one probably won't happen. But, here's to hoping right? Well, I just got back from doing my grocery shopping for a week or so....$100 dollars. $100 dollars!!!! I bought some chicken, some almonds, and a hell of a lot of produce. Now, I'm hoping that this will last me a week or so. But, $100. Seriously? I think there is something seriously wrong in a society that makes eating healthy such a financial set back. Do you know how many kolaches I could have purchased for that? Or, do you know how many bags of doritos, or cheesy bean and rice burritos? Enough to last me much longer than a week. I'll keep an update on how my progress is going. I do need to do a weigh in and a photo shoot so that I can really document. Here's to the next 30! And, to improved health.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Solidarity is solid!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)