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.

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)

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. 

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. 

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.

Solidarity is solid!!!!!

I love to hike! Well, I guess a more truthful statement would be that I don't mind hiking, but I love being out in the wilderness. Okay, I love hiking. I love that I can go out on an excursion and be beyond the reach of automobiles. I love being in nature and really feeling and remembering that there is a God that created this whole chaotic world. I love exploring his design. I love how different each and every place is. I love the wild flowers, the rolling hills, the jagged rocks, the looming cliffs, the intimidation of a peak. I love the accomplished feeling as I head down the trail and look back at what I thought I would never be able to conquer. I love standing on top of a mountain and looking around at everything below me. I love seeing the city from the height of a mountain. Seeing the sprawl of the city, knowing that going on below is every activity imaginable, but being in the quiet listening to the wind and feeling the gentle touch of the sun on my shoulders. As I gain distance on the trail it's the best therapy I could find. I experience every emotion possible. I'm reminded who I am, and I question what I want from life, if I'm able and willing to do what is necessary to acquire those desires. I love the solitude of a hike. I'm reminded to be an individual in a bustling society, to be me regardless. I love the clarity and content feeling that I have after a hike through the outdoors.

10-Speed Humiliation

So, I got my new bike. It hasn't been shifting right. And then, I was on a ride yesterday and one of the screws came out of my cleat and I lost it. so today after work I head to the bike shop. while the guy is fixing my gears I mention a replacement screw. we chit chat the whole time he's fixing the bike. Well, he finishes up the adjustment. I ask him how much i owed him. He told me ten bucks, or i could come back and visit. I told him whatever he wanted.  So he told me just to tell all my friends about the shop. I told him i would tell everyone. I knew he had forgotten about the screw so as I was walking out I just asked..."and how much do I owe you for the screw?" he looked at me so perplexed not sure what I was talking about. I just thought he forgot about it. after a few seconds he was like "oh, right." then started looking for hardware. It wasn't until 20 minutes later I was in my car driving and I realized what happened. I have been laughing about it all day. And, to continue with my promise....Wasatch Bike Support on 2300 East and like 2700 South in Salt Lake. The guys were super cool. It's in this awesome coffee shop, that has awesome juices. They didn't make me feel stupid, even though I was asking really basic questions and they really know their stuff. Plus, they didn't even crack a smile as i totally made the most inappropriate, but awesome, pass at them.