Saturday, March 24, 2012
My First Rate Version
“Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.” Judy Garland.
I read this in another blog by Marc and Angle Hack. I read this blog from time to time. Which in my terms means I have it bookmarked but I don't read it as much as I should. I keep planning to start reading the articles daily for new ones or look at old ones. They have amazing articles of how to be happy.
Everytime I read one of their articles I start to think. They bring back reality and help you realize truths about yourself.
For someone that has struggled with depression since I was very young, trying to be happy can be draining. We tend to do things we wouldn't do just to be some form of happy. Then with this need to be happy we try to be someone else. Pathetic? Yep, but we all do it at one point or another.
If I were to die and go to hell today, I'd go for envy. I always want what others have. I want their job, experiences, their amazing arms and pole dancing tricks. I rarely pay attention to the things I already have, like a great boyfriend, good healthy, and a job, although I don't make barely anything, at least I have one.
I also have moments where I get depressed because I feel as if at this age I should be farther then I am. I'm about to be 25, most have said, "oh you're still a baby." Yes, I am. But for many they are starting their lives when I'm barely having one.
I would be where others are if I had done what they did. I shouldn't have said no to college after high school and just went into job after job. I should have started working on my body years ago instead of just last year. I have no good excuse. I want the easy way out because I was scared.
Many things pass me by because of fear or anxiety. I think this is why I am still having issues trying to determine my major. I can't decide. Medical or business? I don't know.
One can never be truly happy until they have worked for where they want to be.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
My first homemade Lasagna
Last night I made my first lasagna. I was so proud of myself. I have no picture to show because it was barely out of the oven when it was being dug into.
Flat Belly Cookbook has a Tofu Lasagna but just the thought grossed me out. I've had Tofu and it was straight up disgusting. Maybe there are some better than others but I'm not taking that chance anytime soon.
I fallowed most of the directions in the cookbook but I also got hints from a recipe online. Mine contained: ground chuck, Italian cheese and seasoning, mushrooms, red onions, basil, bay leaves, oregano, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, and diced tomatoes.
This one didn't have a mufa in it because I forgot to add in the olive oil. My bad.
But I set the oven to 375 and started on the tomato mix. I put the ground chuck into a saucepan, this is where I would have put in the oil.Then put the meat to the side in a drainer to get out any fat. I placed the tomatoes along with basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, red onions, and mushrooms. It cooked for a few minutes then adding in the meat to make it all blend together.
In a glass backing pan, I put it in this order tomato mix, noodles, ricotta, then repeated it again.
In the oven it went for an hour.
It tastes good except I needed more sauce. I used two 14 oz cans of tomatoes but it didn't seem like enough. I think it was because I added in those veggies but that is an old-fashioned why to get kids to eat veggies and a prime time to add them in. I like to put vegetables and fruit into whatever I can so I can my daily servings.
I'm sure this recipe goes over the 400 mark because of the added cheese and meat but I divided up the pan into 9 servings and I had only one so I am proud of myself again. I didn't go back for seconds which my father sure did.
Flat Belly Cookbook has a Tofu Lasagna but just the thought grossed me out. I've had Tofu and it was straight up disgusting. Maybe there are some better than others but I'm not taking that chance anytime soon.
I fallowed most of the directions in the cookbook but I also got hints from a recipe online. Mine contained: ground chuck, Italian cheese and seasoning, mushrooms, red onions, basil, bay leaves, oregano, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, and diced tomatoes.
This one didn't have a mufa in it because I forgot to add in the olive oil. My bad.
But I set the oven to 375 and started on the tomato mix. I put the ground chuck into a saucepan, this is where I would have put in the oil.Then put the meat to the side in a drainer to get out any fat. I placed the tomatoes along with basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, red onions, and mushrooms. It cooked for a few minutes then adding in the meat to make it all blend together.
In a glass backing pan, I put it in this order tomato mix, noodles, ricotta, then repeated it again.
In the oven it went for an hour.
It tastes good except I needed more sauce. I used two 14 oz cans of tomatoes but it didn't seem like enough. I think it was because I added in those veggies but that is an old-fashioned why to get kids to eat veggies and a prime time to add them in. I like to put vegetables and fruit into whatever I can so I can my daily servings.
I'm sure this recipe goes over the 400 mark because of the added cheese and meat but I divided up the pan into 9 servings and I had only one so I am proud of myself again. I didn't go back for seconds which my father sure did.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Yogurt and Granola Parfait
I am a college student and I also work so when I wake up, take the dog out and start getting ready for school or work, I tend to leave the house without eating. Then I spend the time craving, and hungry and moody. So I wanted something quick and easy.
In the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook, there is a recipe called Granola Parfait. It takes five minutes to make so I thought I'd try it.
The original recipe calls for bananas, raspberries, plain Greek yogurt, and granola. The granola is actually another recipe but I wont cover that now.
Okay, so has anyone tastes plain yogurt? It was one of the most disgusting things I've ever tasted. I'd eat cottage cheese over it. While I was doing a grocery store stop, I looked at Greek yogurts. I grabbed some 6oz Chobani flavors that I thought I'd try. I have a love/hate relationship with yogurt. I will have weeks where I'm obsessed but then I get sick of it and the remaining huge box goes to waste. Yesterday, I threw out about six little cups of chocolate Yoplait yogurt. Not the usual flavors, the expensive shit. But anyway, I got strawberry, pineapple, and peach.
Today, I took the pineapple. Placed it in the bowl and made a discovery. Take it that I've never had this brand so it was fun to discover little pieces of pineapple in the bottle. It was like an extra surprise in my yogurt that wasn't something nasty like a roach like some guy did in some movie that I can't remember the name of.
I plied in some dried blueberries and cherrys, along with a lot of old-fashioned oats and walnuts. Me and my addiction to walnuts right now. It will end, one day. Then, because I loove fruit, I chopped up some strawberries.
As I was picking up my walnuts from Kroger I stood around and looked at all the stuff in that area, like the little containers of candy and trail mix. I even eyed the chocolate covered pretzels. Tempting, very tempting. But as I pulled my eyes from those tempting whores, I looked at all that they have so I plan to experiment with different nuts and seeds for these quick yogurt dishes and for homemade granola.
The yogurt wasn't as bad as I thought. It still tasted a pit like smooth cottage cheese but everything in this dish helped. It was quick and easy which is what most of us want.
In the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook, there is a recipe called Granola Parfait. It takes five minutes to make so I thought I'd try it.
The original recipe calls for bananas, raspberries, plain Greek yogurt, and granola. The granola is actually another recipe but I wont cover that now.
Okay, so has anyone tastes plain yogurt? It was one of the most disgusting things I've ever tasted. I'd eat cottage cheese over it. While I was doing a grocery store stop, I looked at Greek yogurts. I grabbed some 6oz Chobani flavors that I thought I'd try. I have a love/hate relationship with yogurt. I will have weeks where I'm obsessed but then I get sick of it and the remaining huge box goes to waste. Yesterday, I threw out about six little cups of chocolate Yoplait yogurt. Not the usual flavors, the expensive shit. But anyway, I got strawberry, pineapple, and peach.
Today, I took the pineapple. Placed it in the bowl and made a discovery. Take it that I've never had this brand so it was fun to discover little pieces of pineapple in the bottle. It was like an extra surprise in my yogurt that wasn't something nasty like a roach like some guy did in some movie that I can't remember the name of.
I plied in some dried blueberries and cherrys, along with a lot of old-fashioned oats and walnuts. Me and my addiction to walnuts right now. It will end, one day. Then, because I loove fruit, I chopped up some strawberries.
As I was picking up my walnuts from Kroger I stood around and looked at all the stuff in that area, like the little containers of candy and trail mix. I even eyed the chocolate covered pretzels. Tempting, very tempting. But as I pulled my eyes from those tempting whores, I looked at all that they have so I plan to experiment with different nuts and seeds for these quick yogurt dishes and for homemade granola.
The yogurt wasn't as bad as I thought. It still tasted a pit like smooth cottage cheese but everything in this dish helped. It was quick and easy which is what most of us want.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
The Journey to find the best water enhancer
We are always being told we need more water. I've been told that we need 8 ounces, then I was told we needed 8 cups. According to the Mayo Clinic, men need 3 liters(13 cups) and women need 2.2 liters(9 cups.) So in this journey of getting enough water I got sick if just drinking straight water.
You can't always stick to it unless you are used to it but it's just so, bland. So when they started coming out with all these flavored waters I got excited. I was grabbing lemon and raspberry flavored Dasani when it first came out. At least I think it was Dasani. Those tasted like crap but oh well. It was water but didn't taste like water.
Then when I got sick of those, I started with Crystal Light. At first they were A-MAZ-ING! Watered tasted like actual fruit punch. I've tried every flavor available. When they would come out with a new one or I'd see one I'd never tried, I'd buy it. Of course they have probably over 20 flavors and I've tried them all a hundred times.
After a couple of years drinking Crystal Light I started working in a vitamin store and then I was told that it has an ingredients that causes cancer. I freaked, through the stuff out. Of course I went looking for information on it and the only thing I've found was information on it containing Aspartame. There was a list of side affects that Aspartame can cause but the list is just too long.
But Aspartame is in just about everything. We really can't escape it.
So next I started drinking Mio. It's a good water enhancer but there are two draw backs.
1.) Not enough flavors. I think at the most there are 10, at least what I have been able to get my hands on.
2.) For what you spend for the bottle, there isn't enough. At my local stores, Mio ranges from $2.50 to over $3. That is crazy to me.
I had a temporary addiction to Mio because of those reasons. If they came out with more flavors, and either gave more in the bottle or made it cheaper, I wont be buying them again.
My current addiction is Ocean Spray On The Go Drink Mixes. There aren't as many flavors as Crystal Light but that's okay for me, for right now. Since I wore myself out on the Crystal Light, I"m sure I'll get sick of Ocean Spray too. But like I said, it's my current addiction.
You can't always stick to it unless you are used to it but it's just so, bland. So when they started coming out with all these flavored waters I got excited. I was grabbing lemon and raspberry flavored Dasani when it first came out. At least I think it was Dasani. Those tasted like crap but oh well. It was water but didn't taste like water.
Then when I got sick of those, I started with Crystal Light. At first they were A-MAZ-ING! Watered tasted like actual fruit punch. I've tried every flavor available. When they would come out with a new one or I'd see one I'd never tried, I'd buy it. Of course they have probably over 20 flavors and I've tried them all a hundred times.
After a couple of years drinking Crystal Light I started working in a vitamin store and then I was told that it has an ingredients that causes cancer. I freaked, through the stuff out. Of course I went looking for information on it and the only thing I've found was information on it containing Aspartame. There was a list of side affects that Aspartame can cause but the list is just too long.
But Aspartame is in just about everything. We really can't escape it.
So next I started drinking Mio. It's a good water enhancer but there are two draw backs.
1.) Not enough flavors. I think at the most there are 10, at least what I have been able to get my hands on.
2.) For what you spend for the bottle, there isn't enough. At my local stores, Mio ranges from $2.50 to over $3. That is crazy to me.
I had a temporary addiction to Mio because of those reasons. If they came out with more flavors, and either gave more in the bottle or made it cheaper, I wont be buying them again.
My current addiction is Ocean Spray On The Go Drink Mixes. There aren't as many flavors as Crystal Light but that's okay for me, for right now. Since I wore myself out on the Crystal Light, I"m sure I'll get sick of Ocean Spray too. But like I said, it's my current addiction.
Friday, March 16, 2012
My version of a Turkey Wrap
One of the recipes in one of the cookbooks calls for a type of wrap with meat in it and I think it's turkey. Not sure.
After awhile you get sick of eating a lot of bread. I made the step years ago to change from white to wheat, even experiments with Honey Wheat, Multi-Grain, Whole Grain, and whatever else kind of wheat bread that's out there. Butter Wheat was okay but I wasn't a huge fan of eating all that butter.
So when the cookbooks came and it started talking about whole wheat tortillas, I was on board. Although one tortilla is 130 calories and Honey Wheat is 120 calories along with Whole Grain being 100 calories, you are eating more calories but it's less bread. Now I save that bread for other things.
In the process of trying to find quick snacks to make since in the Flat Belly Diet you are supposed to eat four times a day with each food intake of 400 calories. But many snacks you have to cook but the quickest I've found was 15 minutes. Sure I could spend only 15 minutes making a meal but I'm lazy. I wanted quick, quick, quick. I am the type of person that pops raviolis in the microwave for a minute and a half and then pig out although I was burning my mouth in the process.
Most reasons why people are bigger and take in those extra calories is because it's there. It's easy and quick. They don't want to stand around cooking. I love to cook but sometimes I just want to grab a cookie, or 12, and eat something. Especially after I walk/run with the dog or pole or do yoga or whatever.
So lets get to the food. Here is my Turkey Wrap that takes at the most two minutes. Don't ask me calorie counts, I fallow what the cookbook tells me to get and I throw it together.
A great example other than the tortillas is the turkey. The meat of the wrap. The books say to get low-sodium turkey. The calorie count might be different and the price sure is but it's healthier for me. I don't like feeding my body to slimy $1 turkey. It's nasty and unhealthy. No, thanks.
Another example is the mayo I use. The books call for canola-oil mayo. I haven't been able to find it yet so I'm using regular mayo. A friend of mine told me the Hellman's makings a canola-oil mayo, so I am on the search for it.
Okay to sum that up, so far in my Turkey Wrap we have whole-wheat tortilla, two pieces of low-sodium turkey, and mayo, preparing canola-oil mayo.
Next I add some basil and oregano along with tarragon. I throw basil and oregano on just about everything, it doesn't hurt to add and it enhances the flavors. Along with that I add a little red-wine vinegar and olive oil.
Then because I can't stand to have bland food, I added two slices of swiss cheese and some spinach. You can already tell I am trying to use up this spinach. I had iceberg but it wasn't looking so pretty.
The mufa in this recipe is olive oil. Instead of using butter since I started this diet, everything that requires butter or I used to use butter with has been replaced with olive oil. I make eggs, olive oil. I eat toast, I put some olive oil on it. Instead of salt to separate my pasta noodles, olive oil. Even in hamburger meat, olive oil.
Turkey Wrap:
Whole-Wheat Tortilla
Low-Sodium Turkey
Mayo
Swiss Cheese
Basil, Oregano, Tarragon
Olive oil, red-wine vinegar
Spinach
I knew this wasn't going to fill me up so I added some cantaloupe and sliced red apples. Be careful with the cantaloupe though, there was a salmonella scare recently.
After awhile you get sick of eating a lot of bread. I made the step years ago to change from white to wheat, even experiments with Honey Wheat, Multi-Grain, Whole Grain, and whatever else kind of wheat bread that's out there. Butter Wheat was okay but I wasn't a huge fan of eating all that butter.
So when the cookbooks came and it started talking about whole wheat tortillas, I was on board. Although one tortilla is 130 calories and Honey Wheat is 120 calories along with Whole Grain being 100 calories, you are eating more calories but it's less bread. Now I save that bread for other things.
In the process of trying to find quick snacks to make since in the Flat Belly Diet you are supposed to eat four times a day with each food intake of 400 calories. But many snacks you have to cook but the quickest I've found was 15 minutes. Sure I could spend only 15 minutes making a meal but I'm lazy. I wanted quick, quick, quick. I am the type of person that pops raviolis in the microwave for a minute and a half and then pig out although I was burning my mouth in the process.
Most reasons why people are bigger and take in those extra calories is because it's there. It's easy and quick. They don't want to stand around cooking. I love to cook but sometimes I just want to grab a cookie, or 12, and eat something. Especially after I walk/run with the dog or pole or do yoga or whatever.
So lets get to the food. Here is my Turkey Wrap that takes at the most two minutes. Don't ask me calorie counts, I fallow what the cookbook tells me to get and I throw it together.
A great example other than the tortillas is the turkey. The meat of the wrap. The books say to get low-sodium turkey. The calorie count might be different and the price sure is but it's healthier for me. I don't like feeding my body to slimy $1 turkey. It's nasty and unhealthy. No, thanks.
Another example is the mayo I use. The books call for canola-oil mayo. I haven't been able to find it yet so I'm using regular mayo. A friend of mine told me the Hellman's makings a canola-oil mayo, so I am on the search for it.
Okay to sum that up, so far in my Turkey Wrap we have whole-wheat tortilla, two pieces of low-sodium turkey, and mayo, preparing canola-oil mayo.
Next I add some basil and oregano along with tarragon. I throw basil and oregano on just about everything, it doesn't hurt to add and it enhances the flavors. Along with that I add a little red-wine vinegar and olive oil.
Then because I can't stand to have bland food, I added two slices of swiss cheese and some spinach. You can already tell I am trying to use up this spinach. I had iceberg but it wasn't looking so pretty.
The mufa in this recipe is olive oil. Instead of using butter since I started this diet, everything that requires butter or I used to use butter with has been replaced with olive oil. I make eggs, olive oil. I eat toast, I put some olive oil on it. Instead of salt to separate my pasta noodles, olive oil. Even in hamburger meat, olive oil.
Turkey Wrap:
Whole-Wheat Tortilla
Low-Sodium Turkey
Mayo
Swiss Cheese
Basil, Oregano, Tarragon
Olive oil, red-wine vinegar
Spinach
I knew this wasn't going to fill me up so I added some cantaloupe and sliced red apples. Be careful with the cantaloupe though, there was a salmonella scare recently.
Taste test: Yummy!
I know I was going to post about cake but since I made it two days ago, I kind of lost interest in it. Who knows what I'll make tomorrow.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Walnut-Crusted Chicken with Spinach and Pomegranate
Okay so I'm changing up my blog a little bit. I'm going to start recording everything I fix. Well everything new I fix for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I am mainly pulling receipts out of the Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook and the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook. I never do a recipe 100% because I love to experiment. I don't know the calories on what I make but I make sure everything I fix has at least one mufa in it. Some receipts have more.
Tonight I pulled from two recipes. Walnut-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pomegranate Syrup and Rotini with Chicken and Broccoli. Both are out of the Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook.
I had chicken with the bone in it so I had to find something for it. Most recipes call for boneless but whatever, it's all I had. So I took the chicken, cutting off any of that extra white skin that is just icky until you cook it. I was also told you are supposed to take that off because it can be bad for you. Haven't done my research on that but I did it anyway.
Next I took walnuts, LOVE walnuts. I put them on just about anything. Also the recipe called for it. I mixed it with an egg, some panko Italian breadcrumbs and some basil and orango. The recipe called for you to dip the chicken into the crust but it also called for boneless and that wasn't happening so I just placed the crust on top. I popped that sucker in the oven and it backed. How long? Not sure, didn't put it on a timer.
Next since I had spinach and love when you roast cherry tomatos, I did that. I placed olive oil, EVOO, in a sauce pan and put in some cherry tomatos, more walnuts, some red onion along with half a red bell pepper. I sauteed and roasted as my poor right hand kept getting splattered with sprinkles of hot oil, but worth it.
Then I took some pomegranate juice and grated some fresh ginger into another sauce pan and let it cook down a little. I was hoping it was going to turn more into a glaze but it didn't. It just looked like red-wine with specks of ginger.
So after all of this, all this cooking, I put the chicken on the plate next to some spinach. On top of the spinach I put on the sauced mix of tomatoes, walnuts, red pepper, and red onion. Then over all of it, I poured on the pomegranate and ginger.
Which mufas did I use? Olive oil and walnuts.
Here is the end result:
I am mainly pulling receipts out of the Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook and the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook. I never do a recipe 100% because I love to experiment. I don't know the calories on what I make but I make sure everything I fix has at least one mufa in it. Some receipts have more.
Tonight I pulled from two recipes. Walnut-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pomegranate Syrup and Rotini with Chicken and Broccoli. Both are out of the Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook.
I had chicken with the bone in it so I had to find something for it. Most recipes call for boneless but whatever, it's all I had. So I took the chicken, cutting off any of that extra white skin that is just icky until you cook it. I was also told you are supposed to take that off because it can be bad for you. Haven't done my research on that but I did it anyway.
Next I took walnuts, LOVE walnuts. I put them on just about anything. Also the recipe called for it. I mixed it with an egg, some panko Italian breadcrumbs and some basil and orango. The recipe called for you to dip the chicken into the crust but it also called for boneless and that wasn't happening so I just placed the crust on top. I popped that sucker in the oven and it backed. How long? Not sure, didn't put it on a timer.
Next since I had spinach and love when you roast cherry tomatos, I did that. I placed olive oil, EVOO, in a sauce pan and put in some cherry tomatos, more walnuts, some red onion along with half a red bell pepper. I sauteed and roasted as my poor right hand kept getting splattered with sprinkles of hot oil, but worth it.
Then I took some pomegranate juice and grated some fresh ginger into another sauce pan and let it cook down a little. I was hoping it was going to turn more into a glaze but it didn't. It just looked like red-wine with specks of ginger.
So after all of this, all this cooking, I put the chicken on the plate next to some spinach. On top of the spinach I put on the sauced mix of tomatoes, walnuts, red pepper, and red onion. Then over all of it, I poured on the pomegranate and ginger.
Which mufas did I use? Olive oil and walnuts.
Here is the end result:
Most of this stuff people don't carry in their house but I do. A few weeks before I started the Flat Belly Diet I started stocking up on the basics. Shit, I spent almost $50 on spices. Try that on minimum wage and having barely any hours to even call part time.
I don't like to waste food so I try to modify these recipes so I can use up certain things. I'm kicking my own ass right now for thinking it was okay to buy a huge bottle of butter milk. Yeah it expired the other day, but still good.
So finially, here is the taste test. Sound the dun dundun dunnn music
It's pretty good. The chicken is juicy and everything is roasted perfectly. The spinach tastes a little weird with everything but its still good. I'm for sure eating it. I wish I had more than just a cup of pomegranate juice or I'd be able to have more juice. Until next time. Which will be some kind of blueberry/strawberry cake.
Friday, March 2, 2012
In the mind of a pole dancer
As you start pole dancing and slowly develop the addiction to the art you begin to have thoughts that non pole dancers don't have. The fallowing are the most common that come to my mind:
- That streetlight, that one there next to the road. I wonder if I can pole that?
- I hate these shorts. When I pole they go too far up my butt.
- How the hell did a bruise end up there? It never touched the pole.
- I hate this tank top, it doesn't stick to my body like it should.
- Hell no you can't barrow my 7 1/2 silver stilettos.
- Damn it, my ass isn't shaking right today.
- I'm not pointing my chest out enough.
- Damn it, I can't pole because I have lotion on.
- How can a pole dance to this song?
- OW! OW! OW! My thighs are burning.
- (While in the isle at the store) I wonder if this super hold hairspray will work better than this off brand?
- Do I have my hand up my butt enough for this move?
- I wonder if they have these with glitter.
- YAY! A new bruise.
- Wait, I need to refer to the Pole Dance Dictionary for this move.
- Crap, I wonder if Studio Veena has this move.
-YES! A new pole dance video is out.
- I found my new pole crush
- Cock my hip.
I know there are tones more but these are the ones in my head right now. Feel free to add anymore.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Breaking the blog's cherry
I wanted to start a blog on my adventures in pole dancing and being plus sized. I know I will never be the "traditional" sized pole dancer and I'm okay with that.
This is my to-do list, or my to accomplish list.
Get under 200lbs
Be able to do Studio Veen'a whole Beginner routine.
Be able to invert
Finish the Flat Belly Diet challenge
Get under 200lbs
I plan to accomplished this goal by manly putting my ass in gear. I know the basics of yoga so I plan to start doing it more. The same with pole. I have much to learn but I need to just take the time to practice. It's the only way to get where I want to be.
Beginner routine
By the end of the year I want to be able to do it completely. It's a big goal but that's fine. I need something in the my that will make me finally finish something but then again, pole dancing is always changing which is probably one of the reasons why I like it.
Invert
I don't know if I'll be able to do it this year but that's okay, I can wait.
Flat Belly Diet
This will help me change my whole eating habits. If I can't change that then I can't change anything for myself.
This blog
It will be a mix of food journal, workout plans, and personal thoughts. More than likely I will post videos or pictures that are amazing to me but you never know. I wouldn't be surprised if rant were included in this blog.
I also don't know how much I will update but once again, we will see.
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