Buddha is Looking Down on Me and Shaking His Head.

This weekend wasn't a complete and total waste like last weekend was....I managed to get some stuff done like laundry and chopping up a million pounds of fruits and vegetables that I bought the other day. I'm hoping that in this state they will be easier to throw in the blender or juicer and I might be more motivated to do so. I also recently invested in a new frying/sautee pan which I put to use tonight to prepare most of my meals for the upcoming week. I breaded chicken breasts in breadcrumbs mixed with ground chia and flax seeds and fried them in coconut oil, which is supposed to be the new best thing for you. I made some egg white and turkey sausage McMuffins on whole grain muffins, and the most delicious sauteed swiss chard you could ever imagine (see below).

I cleaned the kitchen (and messed it up again), did laundry, caught up on my DVR shows, and art journaled a little while basking in the amazing weather we were surprised with over the weekend. I cleaned up dog poop and tended to my garden (which consists of 5 plants, but I'm thinking of expanding because I hooked up the watering hose and potentially might be able to keep something alive).

I also slept. A lot. Like a stupid amount. I don't know what my problem is. I still have that weird vertigo thing going on and I have a doctor appointment on Tuesday, so hopefully it will get fixed soon. I also realized that my addiction to Bejeweled Blitz is becoming a real problem. I can drain my entire phone battery playing that stupid thing, then charge it and do it all over again. I was sitting outside intending to enjoy the weather, but the whole time I had my phone in my hand wasting my day away. At one point I put it down and attempted to be mindful of what was going on around me; living in the moment like they always say you should. That didn't work out very well. I tried to concentrate but the squeaky noise the neighbor's gate was making was driving me insane, as were Peabrain and George barking at every little noise they heard. I tried to focus on the sun hitting the green trees and the ripples in the pool, how good the warm breeze felt around me. I tried to take deep, cleansing breaths. It worked for about 30 seconds, then I started thinking about what I was going to make for dinner, about all the projects I have to make to sell at an upcoming event, and how I had to go in and fold laundry. I saw a plane fly overhead and wondered where the people were going, which made me think about my recent trips for work. Then I started thinking about work. At this point I probably stopped breathing all together and started trembling because I missed having my phone in my hand SO much.

I think I need to take a Buddha or meditation class. I'm going to look for one tomorrow.

Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese from Allrecipes.com

I am not lying when I say this is the best vegetable dish I have ever tasted. I skipped the butter and didn't have wine so I substituted chicken broth instead. Oh yeah, my onions were the dried up kind and I used shaved parmasean which melted a little and made it extra delicious.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Parmesan-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 2 cups Change Servings

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

I'm going to embrace the theory that one glass of red wine every day is good for your health.

Boy, have I been cranky lately. I'll admit it, it's hormonal, but it just happens to be coinciding with a couple of crappy days. I was especially crabby last night, but luckily a very good friend of mine put a glass of wine in my hand and once I drank it I felt so much better! It also might have had something to do with my hour long bitch fest I threw his way before the wine, but regardless I was all better afterward.

Fast forward to today. I was doing much better overall....it was actually a pleasant day. I went grocery shopping after work because I needed food for the dogs, so I figured I'd go to the place with the good produce and get some healthy food while I was there. I bought enough produce to feed a small army, but it all looked so good. I got enough for juicing, salads, eggplant parm, cabbage rolls and probably another meal or two. I came home, put it all away, ate dinner, and whipped up some apple crisp. Then I realized that something I've been working really hard for slipped farther out of my grasp. I won't get into what it is, exactly, but it annoyed me and rattled my already fragile and cranky mood.

I got to thinking about the glass of wine I had yesterday and how it made me feel so much better. Should I do the same thing today? I've read over and over again how one 4 oz glass of wine per day is supposed to be like a health food. That fits in perfectly with my new, healthy lifestyle! According to this article from Food and Wine, one glass a day will do all of this stuff!

Promotes Longevity

Reduces Heart-Attack Risk

Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Lowers Risk of Stroke

Cuts Risk of Cataracts

Cuts Risk of Colon Cancer

Slows Brain Decline

So as long as I stick to 4 oz, I'll be okay, right? That's more than enough because I can usually feel it go straight to my head after the first few sips. In fact, I have been sipping it while writing this and I already forgot what I was so cranky about. I think I'm going to like this plan.

Cheers!

Who Does This Cart Belong To?

Me!

So, after eating my way through Phoenix, I was feeling a little disgusting. I made a pit stop at the grocery store on my way home and loaded up on fresh fruits and veggies, a rotisserie chicken, cottage cheese and low calorie Greek yogurt. I was determined to eat nothing but salads and drink juice for at least a few days to compensate for the eat fest I had just embarked on.

 

I even talked myself out of buying beverages at the store. I could have gotten seltzer, diet soda or low calorie iced tea but decided to make a big pitcher of essence water instead using filtered water from the Brita, a few orange slices and a sprig or two of fresh mint. 'Twas quite tasty!

 My intent was good, but when I got home it was really cold in my house! You can't eat salad when it's freezing! So I opted for a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. At least the healthy food will be there tomorrow....

Three Days...So Proud of Myself.

How sad....I posted three times about my progress then stopped. I should be ashamed of myself. It's not that I haven't been trying to do things every day that are either good for my mind, body and/or spirit, but it has been hit or miss and I certainly haven't been blogging about it. Today I am going to change that. It's a new year and time for a new start. I've already resolved to make this happen so I won't call it a New Year's resolution, but I will resolve to blog about it more often so I (and you, hopefully) can keep myself accountable.

I bought myself a juicer for Christmas. I actually got it about a week before Christmas and have been using it quite regularly ever since then. Well, until my friend and her husband came to town from Phoenix, who are currently staying in their RV that is parked in my back yard. It has been great having them here, and since I have company to go out with and cook for I have been eating like a fiend since they arrived. Plus she shares my passion for sugar, so when we go out to eat we don't even try to skip over the dessert. I've had deep fried ice cream, cheesecake from the Factory itself, and German chocolate cake all in the last 3 days. And it was delicious. But now it has to stop.

This morning I got up a few minutes early to make sure I had time to make juice, figuring that would be a good way to get back on the bandwagon. I juiced my regular orange, apple, carrots and kale leaves and decided to add a little bit of ginger root. I hear it's good for you, so figured I'd give it a shot. I sliced off a little nub and threw it in there, wondering if that was going to be enough to even notice it was in there. I took a sip and holy crap. My throat was on fire! Who knew that a few measly drops of ginger juice could be so potent? It was crazy. I started getting used to it and managed to drink the whole thing, but next time I'll definitely be using about half that amount. Which means a small piece of ginger root will last me about a month. At least it's cost effective.

The day got off to a relatively good start. I'm hoping to go home and do one of my new stretching videos that are supposed to help me get my back *back* into shape.  Tune in tomorrow and see if I was successful! I hope you can stand the suspense.

Until tomorrow!