BBQ – My Secret for Making Food Fast

One of the awesome things about getting married is that I could register for things that I want, and an awesome friend of ours got us a grill. So, of course I went and got meat. And now, I’ve enjoyed several wonderful meals, and the average cooking time is 20 minutes.The trick is to get everything in your meal on the grill, and maybe one thing in the microwave.

Today we had a marinated pork tri-tip that came from Dee’s Meats, an awesome little meat shop just outside of Galt, CA. I was able to get a box of grilling meats for under $100, and since I paid cash I got 5% off (and I’m always one to shop bargains, especially when the food is such high quality). This tri-tip was marinated in salsa, so it was nice and tender, and it only took 15 minutes to cook since I cut it up into slices instead of letting it cook fully in one large lump of flesh. Smaller pieces cook faster and use less fuel.

In addition to meat, I sliced up a green bell pepper and placed the slices on the warming rack. They cook a little slower up there, but it still only takes a couple minutes to get those beautiful scorch marks on the skin. Then I flipped them over for just a little bit, and they were ready to eat. Easy, and they don’t take any extra time.

Here is where I cheated: I got a three bean salad from a can. It only cost $1.50, and although it had more sugar, all I had to do was open the can before I started cooking and stick it in the fridge. Done. Easy. And, for another veggie, I nuked up a can of beets. Beets are a great source of magnesium, and since I’ve been craving them… Andy got to try them for the first time. But two minutes in the microwave while the peppers are cooking, and I have my whole meal easily timed out. I chose beets, but green beans, corn, or peas work just as well. And, a nice broccoli salad instead of the beans is a nice addition that also has protein.

And, best yet, I didn’t have to have a salad! I get bored of salads, and it can take a while to gather the ingredients to make a really good one. So, I made sure I had a couple other veggies, and at least one was certainly starchy, so I was covered.

Things that make grilling take a while were notoriously absent from my dinner today. Potatoes and corn on the cob are delicious, but they can take extra time. I also didn’t smoke anything – and didn’t need to because of the meat’s marinade. Still, I was able to make a delicious and nutritious dinner with enough time to watch a movie before bed. Not bad, really!

So what are your favorite fast dinners? I’d like to try something new.

Quiet Time

I’d like to take a minute to talk about the importance of taking a minute. Yesterday I came home from a ten day long dog sitting job that had left me exhausted. One of the dogs, a year-old rottweiler puppy, is the reason why I’m particularly tired because, being a product of her breeding, she had tons of energy. Stacking that on top of working my two jobs, exciting things happening in one of those jobs, and we’re coming down to zero-hour on the wedding, it doesn’t surprise me that I got so tired. I was, as they say, burning the candle at both ends.

Partly because of my business, and partly because of the enthusiastic puppy dog, I didn’t get my quiet time before bed. It is so bad that one of my friends who gives massages told me that my deep tissues are messed up after asking me if I get headaches (not in those words, but the same meaning). Being an introvert, having a lot of time to myself helps me to recharge, unwind, and sort myself out so I’m ready to do what I need the next day. I’m a firm believer that a little quiet time is very important.

Now, those of you who are extroverts are probably saying, “But I can’t sit there and do nothing!” Well, neither can I, lol. I read, goof off online, listen to music and pace, exercise, play video games… I’m never lonely when I’m alone. I’m not very good at meditating so I don’t do it, but I know some people who swear by it, including the author of The Meditation Bible. But here’s how I see it: we can’t be on all the time. If we don’t figure out how to manage our stress, we become more prone to flashes of anger and depression, have less and lower quality sleep, and become more prone to panic attacks.

Also, to completely steal an old adage, you can’t give to others without first giving to yourself. So, try making a little time – and you will have to make it if your week is going anything like mine did – to do something fun for yourself. I firmly believe that you are worth it, and the only person who can make things better for yourself is you. After all, the same goes for me, too.

Update, and Me Being Clever

Hey all, long time no see! A lot has happened in the last month or so (not really, I’ve mostly been lazy) and thus I haven’t been writing. Most recently, two things happened. 1) my Fiance moved in, and 2) I took in my parents’ cat for a week while they were away. I’ve been wanting a fur baby for a while, and it was nice to confirm that I am a relatively sane human being who could handle one as docile as Squeakers is.

I did learn something interesting between finding places for the Affianced’s stuff and scootching around the litter box in my bathroom – I’m losing weight. Well, the weight loss won’t be confirmed or denied until I step on the scale in the morning, but both my boss and my Significant Other mentioned to me today that it looks like I’ve lost weight. Yay! But… I haven’t been working out.

That’s when I realized that, although I haven’t been making a concentrated effort to work out or to make my Fit Bit step goal, I have been exercising and being more active. Vacuuming the whole house makes me sweaty every time, and the whole place is half the floor space of my parents’. We also did laundry because we finally got a washer and drier (another yay!) which resulted in both the Significant Other and I washing out the disgusting, chewing-tobacco-spit-encrusted clothing/drainage sink next to them. I have also moved my potted plant garden around a couple times, swam and walked enough to burn over 800 calories at parties the weekend before the 4th of July, and played Pokemon Go.

Not to mention I rearranged my entire library and added some of the Significant Other’s books to my own – not a small feat. And hoofing it through Wal-Mart  while looking for a fly swatter was a surprisingly good workout as well. I realized that there are a lot of things to do that are great exercise without having to actually exercise, and most of them seem to involve putting things in order.

So, yeah… I’ve been very active. I haven’t been counting my calories much, either. Since I’ve been trying to eat real food in balanced proportions at almost every meal, and not letting myself feel hunger long enough to let my blood sugar drop, I’ve also been eating healthier. I can still eat half a bag of Flamin’ Cheetos like I did tonight, but overall I’ve been getting most of my vitamins and minerals from food instead of a pill.

It all kind of clicked when I watched a video on Fitness Blender. As I’ve mentioned before, I love Fitness Blender workouts and I really like the ideology that Kelli and Daniel purport. Then Kelli took to digital film the story about her eating disorders and how she has managed to move past them. It’s a pretty emotional story, and one that she didn’t share lightly, but it resonated very strongly with me despite the fact that I don’t have an eating disorder. It made me want to do as well for myself as she has.

So, today I dusted and tomorrow I’m going to vacuum, and tonight I’m pulling out some chicken to cook with bell peppers and onions tomorrow. I think this is something I can do for the rest of my life.

What are some things that have gotten you to make changes for the better in your life? I’d like to have that little extra inspiration in mine.

 

The Classic Argument – Organic Vs. Non-Organic

It’s one of those things that everyone has an opinion on – organic or not organic? And no matter who you are speaking to, you’re bound to get into an argument about it. For instance, about half of the people reading this are going to be “organic is awesome and everyone should do it!” and the other half are going to be “um… why?”

My opinion is that some things you buy should be organic, but I’m poor so that doesn’t matter so much. Pesticides have been linked to some cancers, and growth hormones are the reason the world’s population has become bigger. However, organic food costs more because you are paying for 1/3 of every crop to be eaten by bugs or animals, at least, and they are at the mercy of blight and drought even more than crops that have been genetically modified.

There are some things that don’t need to be organic, such as lemons, oranges, and pineapple. Basically, the items that have a rind because rinds protect the fruit from pests that would ordinarily eat them. If you do buy them “organic,” you’re basically wasting your money.

And one more note, since I’ve been doing some research on the subject. Fair Trade is different than Certified Organic. Many things that are certified organic are also Fair Trade, but the two aren’t always the same. Speaking of which, to be certified organic an item has to be “minimally processed” and contain no added chemicals. Technically, this does not disqualify genetically modified organics (GMOs), of which flour is an unequivocal member. There is not a type of wheat grown today that is not genetically modified, and it makes a difference in our diets, according to the book Wheat Belly.

Fair Trade means that the item was sustain-ably grown and responsibly sourced. That means that when you buy Fair Trade Coffee, for example (like Java City, where I used to work) the beans are purchased from farms that grow beans in a manner that doesn’t harm the environment, the workers, or the local social structure. The farms that produce the beans are also usually treated well. Fair Trade beans tend to be of a higher quality, though that isn’t something that Fair Trade actually means.

But, do you want to know the best way to make sure that the food you eat is organic and ethically grown? Grow it yourself! I’m doing that with my herb garden, and it’s been awesome! I just harvested a bunch of basil – enough that I can make a very small batch of pesto!

What are your thoughts on organics?

 

Exercise – How to Do It and Survive It

I think my biggest problem with keeping on an exercise regimen is my ability to hold myself accountable. As things get busier (remember, I have two jobs) I start coming home tired more often and my motivations plummets.Then, if I do get into a workable regimen, something happens like I start pet sitting or my schedule changes, and I have to start over from scratch.

That’s why I have apps – to pretend I have someone there to hold me accountable. I have a FitBit (thanks to my friend who got a new one and decided to give me her old one!!! Super happy she is so generous!) and I love getting badges in the app for reaching my daily goal of 10,000 steps. I also log everything on MyFitness Pal. I also try to go on a walk once a week with my Affianced to talk and enjoy a nice day, and I track it with MapMyWalk. All of these apps link together, so if I track something with one app, it gets logged in the other two. But, ultimately, it really doesn’t matter what I do, I just feel better when I’m more active.

And, because I’m too poor to go to the gym (and I kind of hate going to the gym anyway), I have fallen in love with workout videos. I do have a few that I have purchased (I used to work at B&N, so it was super convenient to go into the Music & DVD department to pick one up) but now that things have changed I am more dependent on free, online videos.

If you’re into Yoga and don’t want to pay $5+ for each lesson, I like Rodney Yee. He gets the meditative feeling of a Yoga workout, and he describes his movements very well if you’re a beginner. If you aren’t a beginner, he has some super-hard videos to choose from, and they’re all available on YouTube for you to search through. Don’t forget that Yoga is good for more that just strength and flexibility, because the mind and spirit need active rest, too.

But, the website I love to go to is FitnessBlender.com. Daniel and Kelli were fitness trainers in a gym for several years, and one day they decided that they wanted fitness to be affordable to everyone (it wasn’t so sudden as that, but close enough for Jazz). So, they started the website that I already mentioned and started filming videos and posting them so that anyone, regardless of fitness level, can work out for free. These days they do have fitness regimens that cost $11.00 at most, but they are two months worth of workouts added to your calendar on their website, and you can do them over and over again for no additional charge. Otherwise, you can choose from hundreds of workout videos. You can even do a search on their website for videos of a certain type, length, and difficulty. They do the workouts with you, and you see them getting tired just as tired as you. They also have their own app, which is a social media app so someone else can keep you accountable, and they promote clean eating as well.

Here is the first of my favorite series of workouts from Fitness Blender – Day 1 of the their Five Day Fitness Challenge to Burn Fat and Build Lean Muscle. Its totally free, and you can find links to the other four workouts at the bottom of the notes.

I guess you may have noticed that i don’t like the gym. I never felt good about going, even though I have had two different low-cost memberships. If that works for you, then go for it! But my gym buddy ditched me, I never felt confident about the machines, and I hardly noticed any difference when I wasn’t paying extra to attend classes. These days, though, I have everything I need for a workout at home – totally worth the investment for these dumbbells!

Hey, I know what you’re not thinking about right now – soreness. You are thinking that you don’t have enough energy at the end of your day to work out because exercising tires you out (and makes you sore). Exercise does tire you out in the short-term, but over time you’re body will become better at producing energy and recovering from energy loss, so if you keep it up (like I’m trying to do) you’ll feel better after you exercise.

Soreness, though, is a sign of a good workout that’s hitting muscles you don’t normally use. Any time you add variety to you’re workouts, you can expect to feel some soreness a day or two after. It’s a good thing! In order to become stronger, some exercises such as weight lifting actually damage your muscles a little bit, causing soreness. Over the next couple of days, this soreness will fade as your body heals the damage and even creates more muscle tissue, in effect making you stronger. Lean muscle tissue helps you to burn more calories, so having more muscle is a good thing when trying to burn fat. The best workouts don’t leave you sore until the second day after – don’t ask me why.

But how do you deal with the pain? First, take a warm bath (preferably) or shower (workable) after you’ve stopped sweating. The heat soaking into your muscles will increase blood flow, allowing the removal of lactic acids that make you tire and to speed up the healing process. Next, get a good night’s sleep to accommodate your healing and energy needs. Don’t take pain medication unless you absolutely must, though. I personally feel that we tend to reach for medicines too soon, so our bodies become resistant to their effects so they don’t work as well over time. If you’re so sore that you can barely move, then go ahead and take some Ibuprofen – NOT aspirin – because it will help reduce swelling and allow better blood flow to heal your injury faster. However, pain is your brain’s signal to send your immune system over and repair damage, so if you can still move then you’re body will work it out on its own.

And, last but not least, exercise when you’re sore. This does not mean that you have free reign to exercise when you’re injured. In fact, this is not good advice for when you are injured and if you are hurt, then you need to talk to you’re doctor about physical therapy and the timing/types of exercises you can do. But, if you are only sore, moving your muscles actually works some of the pain out and limbers you up. If you continue working out despite some soreness and stiffness, your body will learn to heal itself without throwing a fit. Be careful, but keep going.

So, given everything I’ve told you so far, how is it I manage to work out for an hour five days every week? I don’t. I’m currently very bad and between regimens at the moment. Things went downhill when I quit my ballet classes about 9 years ago. I used to dance for 4 hours each week at the Galt Dance Center, but since I am no longer available during class times, I haven’t been back in the last couple of years. I think what I’m going to have to do is schedule my workouts on my calendars just like I do everything else. My Dalrling future husband can see it and give me crap about it if I don’t do it, so that creates some accountability. It’s definitely something worth making time for. Please let me know how you are able to keep yourself moving through the week, so maybe I can do something similar!

What the Hell Am I Doing Here? I’ll Tell You!

 

Hi, I’m the pretty girl in the photo above. But… don’t let the pretty face fool you (and it really is… was my face) I’m not skinny. I am by no means fat, but I’m not a twig. My mom is a big (shorter than me, really) fat Italian woman with an Immune System of Steel, and my dad is a tall skinny European Mutt who has been borderline diabetic for a good portion of my life and recently suffers from erratic blood pressure. Heart attacks and strokes run on both sides of my family, and although right now my form and health seem to be leaning towards my mom’s side, there is a very real possibility that I can develop diabetes or high blood pressure later in life.

I also happen to be dirt poor.

I have no excuse for being dirt poor, except that right now I’m working two jobs and have only been at my new place for about 3 1/2 weeks. One of my paychecks hasn’t caught up with me at my new place yet (though I expect it to arrive her, at my parents’ or back at my boss’s office any day now) and my other paychecks have been awkwardly timed. I’m also getting married in a little over five months. Stress has suddenly become a factor in my life.

FYI, I’m also turning 30 in November. It isn’t an important detail, but kind of a milestone, y’know?

But why do I tell you all of this crap that you really didn’t want to know??? Because I want you to know that you aren’t alone. I may not have kids (yet) and I don’t have a ton of pets or anything, but I am trying really hard to make it out on my own for good this time and to make healthy life-long decisions that will help me for the rest of my life.

I’ve gotten myself on a bit of a health plan, but it isn’t one of those pieces of complete shite where you have to buy into it. Over the next series of posts I’ll probably sound like a bit of a goody two-shoes as I tell you some of the things that I’ve learned. Some of it was from living with a savvy, first-generation, Italian Mom whose parents grew up during the Great Depression, and a little bit was from my first two successful attempts at being dirt poor (this time will fail at staying poor! I promise!!!)

There are, however, some things that my plan requires:

1. Grocery Shopping – I know that going to Taco Bell is easier, and if you order off the dollar menu you can eat a meal for under $3.oo. However, fast food is rarely healthy. The joyous Chili Cheese Burrito is a small thing with beans, rice, and nacho cheese wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Two of them together are 740 calories. If I fried up some home-marinated chicken thighs and veggies, add a spoonful of home-made guacamole, home-made salsa, sour cream, and dribble of sharp cheddar cheese all on a flour tortilla, and you have 3 huge burritos to spread out over lunch and dinner for 820 calories, with better nutrition to boot! And the whole thing costs you about $3.oo per meal. I’ll tell you how to grocery shop for maximum effect in my next post.
2. Exercise – Its the sucky thing in life, but it has to be done. There is an article I ready recently from the MyFitnessPal Blog that said that physical weight isn’t an indicator of true health – my parents are evidence of that! But, that doesn’t mean that exercise isn’t good for you on levels besides weight. it helps your cardiovascular strength, the ability for your body to heal itself and even helps your level of pain tolerance and endurance. I had a teacher way back when I was an undergrad who would run 5 miles every day at 5 am, and she wasn’t skinny. Turns out, she just wasn’t skinny. She is healthy as a horse, though, and can outrun me in a minute! It’s important to schedule in time to exercise every week, and whether you schedule one 30-minute session every week or five 90 minute sessions, it has to be something that you can actually do. I’ll also be talking about exercise in a future blog, so stay tuned for more details 😉
3. Have Help – I have a Fit Bit that I got from a friend (I love having rich friends!) and I have the My Fitness Pal app and the Map My Walk app so that I can record everything I eat and all the calories I burn through exercise and walking (though sometimes you have to get creative since HIIT isn’t an option under Cardiovascular exercise in My Fitness Pal). All of these apps are linked together through My Fitness Pal, so that nothing I do gets missed and I get a more accurate activity and consumption log. I also have an account with Fitness Blender – an awesome couple who used to be trainers at a gym and decided to make workout videos that people can watch for free. I’ll tell you more about them later (and, no, nobody pays me anything for my blog. I make no money off of this… sadly, this is why I’m still poor).

I hope that this blog helps you. I hope that this blog helps me! It’s going to be part diary,part advice column, but mostly it’s going to be another way for me to relieve some stress through writing (I did mention that I have two jobs, I just moved, and I have a wedding coming up, right?). But, mostly, I want to get healthy and stay healthy. If I can lose a few pounds while doing that, all the better. Moderation and Balance are my key words, and I hope to acquire a lifestyle that follows this mantra to the letter! Who’s with me?!