| Gina's profileeugemar strikes backPhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
|
January 29 Beware the Nacho Cheese...Que Bueno!My 2007 health kick went out the door this month when a big can o' Nacho Cheese sauce was introduced into the household. I went to Costco last week to shop for our "State Fair" themed book club cuisine, and since Costco does not sell anything in small quantities, I just had to buy the uber sized can o' cheese. I mean, what is a state fair without nachos and that ever so frighteningly fake orange cheese? We only used half of the large tub o' cheese at book club, and I was forced to think of other ways to use the cheese (truly forced for how could I throw away something that is so deliciously divine?). Every time I open the refrigerator, the tub' o cheese just taunts me, begs me to find a new use. Now I am on a mission to finish the damn container of cheese. I'm feeling a bit obsessed by it. Here are some tasty examples: -Add a huge dollop to a baked potato (Friday Dinner). It takes baked potato to a whole new level. I don't even know how I could possibly eat plain baked potatoes now. I'm spoiled. -Eat a large ass plate of nachos for a snack (Sunday afternoon, today after work, basically any time I am hungry for a snack...which is all the time) -Use in place of cheddar cheese in a soup (Sunday night's Potato and Cauliflower Soup). The soup was really good, but the addition of the nacho cheese made it something special. -This morning I opened the refrigerator and contemplated frying up some scrambled eggs with some nacho cheese mixed into it. Doesn't that sound awesome? I rarely eat breakfast, and I never cook eggs during the week, but that sounded so good this morning. If I hadn't snoozed for a 1/2 hour this morning, I definitely would have tried it. I still might later this week. Here are some other ideas I am hoping to implement this week. It is best when I mix a little ‘healthy’ with the cheese to assuage my guilt. -Pour on some steamed broccoli or green beans -Make up a casserole and substitute the cheese for the ‘cream of whatever’ soup (note, this is saying something as I actually dislike most casseroles) -Scalloped potatoes (really the potato is merely a vector for the cheese) -Pour on top of a grilled hamburger -Cheesy biscuits or bread—like a Que Bueno! focaccia bread Worst case scenario, we polish off the cheese while watching the Super Bowl this weekend...which is probably best for my health and gastrointestinal system…but I have a sinking suspicion it won’t last that long. January 11 I must see this movie!Has anyone seen the trailer for Stomp the Yard? OMG. Love it.
This is one of those movies I HAVE to see.
I saw the trailer last night and screamed with glee and clapped my hands like a two year old.
I am a sucker for movies that involve:
1) stomping
2) dancing
3) competitive showdowns that include any of the following: dancing, stomping, cheerleading, drumlines, roller skating, gymnastics, martial arts, etc. (Bring it On..Yeah, I loved that. Drumline...that's one of those movies I always pause to watch while flipping around on the TV.)
4) African American coming of age stories associated with dancing, stomping, bands, etc.
Also, the movie has cutie hip hop stars Chris Brown and Ne-Yo. I may be So Sick of Love Songs, but I am not sick of watching these two boys dance.
Movie comes out this Friday! I am SO seeing it...even if I have to go by myself and I hate going to the movies solo. It'll be me and a room full of 13 yos. January 09 punching the *&@#% out of something feels goodMy desire to kick off the new year in a healthy fashion is in full swing. I decided I wanted to augment my existing exercise regimen by trying out a fitness/conditioning class offered at Cappy's. I need more cardio than what I get at kung fu sometimes. Several women I train with have gone or go to Cappy's and the class comes highly recommended. With assistant teaching and attending kung fu classes, my evening schedule is pretty booked up, and the only available time slot I can make is on Tuesday/Thursday mornings at 6:15 a.m. I know this sounds crazy. Maybe it is. But I really wanted to try the class out, and I need motivation to wake up early (this winter I can't seem to get out of bed before 7 a.m.), so I decided to make today my first class at Cappy's.
In summary--The class was awesome. Kicked. My. Butt. Highly recommend it if you are a glutton for punishment.
The class started with 10 minutes of jumping rope vigorously in various ways to work different muscle groups. Then the class shifted to circuit training with a partner where every 2-3 minutes a buzzer would go off and you had to move to the next station. There were no breaks whatsoever. Hard Core. We did the requisite situps and pushups as well as alternative exercises to work the abdominals, lower back muscles, triceps, and lats. There were balance exercises and a lot of exercises where you toss a weight ball back and forth with your partner (while shuffling/while balancing on a yoga ball, while doing situps, etc). Then there was the boxing part. You had to do various 1,2 jab, punch combinations against the heavy bag at different stations. There was some bobbing and weaving with the punching. There was some ducking. There was some speed bag action. And at the very end of class you punched the shit out of a heavy bag as hard and as fast as you could for 1 minute, alternating turns with your partner for a 6 minute duration. By the end of the class I was totally drenched in sweat. But I felt so good at the end. It is pretty amazing to have a sense of accomplishment at 7:15 a.m. I discovered a few things about myself this morning:
Was it worth waking up at 5:30 a.m. to go to this class? Yes. Will I go again? Most certainly...as soon as I get a new pair of running shoes. January 04 good or evil?I've read two articles in the past day that focus on corporate-do-goodness.
The first is with regard to Wal-mart advocating for compact flourescents. They want to sell 100 million this year. Hot national issues this maneuver addresses: global warming, reduction in energy consumption, the environment. My favorite quote in the article, "The environment is begging for the Wal-Mart business model.” Yikes! I almost choked when I read that. I guess I support their efforts, I'd be more impressed if they addressed the way in which their sited and built their stores. That would do wonders. Just think of how many acres of impervious surface are dedicated to Walmart parking lots or buildings in this country. I'm not even talking about their impact on small town America businesses, their contribution to sprawling American suburbs, or their notoriously poor HR policies. Sigh... baby steps...
The second is related to Starbucks and their decision to quit selling foods with trans-fat. Hot national issue this effort addresses: Obesity epidemic in the U.S. Nowadays, approximately 30% of Americans are considered obese. I wonder how many of them drink Starbucks coffee? I wonder what type of impact this step will have? With over 12,000 stores worldwide, that's a lot of desserts...but what about the coffee drinks themselves? Those are just as bad for you.
It is an interesting approach. Whoever is doing PR for these mega-firms has figured out the nation's key issues and is milkin' it. I'm torn about how I feel about this. I mean, I support big business being pro-active, environmentally friendly, health conscious, etc. They both have broad reach with their global chains. But we all know these efforts are not purely philanthropic. Which is healthier?1) Go to kung fu class; eat TacoTime for dinner.
2) Skip class, go to grocery store, make dinner.
I opted for #1 last night; but felt it might have been the wrong choice after finishing my crisp bean burrito kids meal and crispy beef taco.
And, I still have to go to the grocery store. |
|
|
){kind=link}