We're a week in, and I don't miss meat...at all. I expected to crave a steak by now, but I don't. I've been eating pretty healthily the past seven days (although today I ate a Butterfinger thanks to the snack cart during lunch).
I'm also reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has been mildly inspiring and incredibly interesting. Corn. It has taken over.
School has begun, as well, so I'm bringing lunch every day -- I don't have the luxury of a longer lunch this semester (sad face), but this is good in a way because it forces me to bring something from home. Money-saving and healthy.
That being said, it hasn't all been good. Nicole made dinner last night -- tofu stir-fry -- and I HATED it. I couldn't eat it. It smelled so good, but I can't even express to you the disgust I felt when I bit into it. Bless her, she tried. And, to be fair, she warned me in advance: when I walked in, she warned me that it didn't taste good.
"But it smells delicious!"
Yes, it smelled delicious...and that is where the deliciousness ended.
Vegan month is swiftly approaching. I plan on spending a lot of time and money at Whole Foods. We really have to -- what could we possibly eat at a regular grocery store?
I've been researching vegan recipes -- they seem like a good idea in theory.
But so did last night's dinner.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
It's Gonna Be a Happy New Year
2009 is over, thank goodness.
Today, we began our vegetarian month...at Maggiano's. Let me tell you how difficult it is to eat a vegetarian meal at a delicious Italian restaurant.
Let me explain something -- we ARE eating seafood, so I guess technically we're pescetarians. Or whatever they are called. For the month.
So I saw on the menu there was lobster fettucine -- no, it's not healthy, per se, but it is our New Year's lunch with Nicole's mom, so I was going to go all out.
Lobster fettucine. Mmmm.
Until I saw that the lobster is sauteed with ham. Argh!
So I went the crab cake route, which were DELICIOUS. Amazing. Sure, I couldn't get my usual chicken marsala, but crab cakes for the New Year? I'll live with that.
So day one is over. Nicole had eggplant parmigiana (which was supposed to be for dinner tomorrow, cough cough), which she said was delicious, as well. I didn't try hers -- too much of my own food to eat.
Day one. Day one. I'm hoping I enjoy this month thoroughly...because I seriously doubt I'll enjoy vegan February.
Today, we began our vegetarian month...at Maggiano's. Let me tell you how difficult it is to eat a vegetarian meal at a delicious Italian restaurant.
Let me explain something -- we ARE eating seafood, so I guess technically we're pescetarians. Or whatever they are called. For the month.
So I saw on the menu there was lobster fettucine -- no, it's not healthy, per se, but it is our New Year's lunch with Nicole's mom, so I was going to go all out.
Lobster fettucine. Mmmm.
Until I saw that the lobster is sauteed with ham. Argh!
So I went the crab cake route, which were DELICIOUS. Amazing. Sure, I couldn't get my usual chicken marsala, but crab cakes for the New Year? I'll live with that.
So day one is over. Nicole had eggplant parmigiana (which was supposed to be for dinner tomorrow, cough cough), which she said was delicious, as well. I didn't try hers -- too much of my own food to eat.
Day one. Day one. I'm hoping I enjoy this month thoroughly...because I seriously doubt I'll enjoy vegan February.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Four dogs and a sicky Nikki
We're a few days away from Christmas, and it seems like we're both getting sick. (Nicole: Getting sick?)
Okay, amend that. She's sick, and I'm right behind her. We're also watching Jeanne and Colleen's dog, which brings our total up to 4. They've all been pretty well-behaved, though Rufus has stolen food off of our plates TWICE in the past hour. They also like to run around randomly barking and riling each other up...and then stopping. And then starting again. I think they're crazy.
Christmas is coming! I won't post what I bought her for Christmas, but I wish we could open presents now so she could enjoy some of them. I've been keeping track of my bank account, so I made it through December with no issues. Hooray!
I still want us to run the Resolution Run, even though we have not kept up on our running. Maybe it'll inspire us to get back on track for the New Year.
I've been reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe out loud before bed to Nicole, which we're both enjoying. I'm going to count that as the "read poems aloud to each other" since it's happening fairly regularly. I want to go through the whole Narnia series -- it's something my mom used to read to Joe and me when we were younger.
I also want to get rid of some books off of my bookshelf -- I'm thinking of trading them in or just donating them somewhere. I don't know. I don't need all of these books anymore.
Not much to say...wish Nicole felt better.
Okay, amend that. She's sick, and I'm right behind her. We're also watching Jeanne and Colleen's dog, which brings our total up to 4. They've all been pretty well-behaved, though Rufus has stolen food off of our plates TWICE in the past hour. They also like to run around randomly barking and riling each other up...and then stopping. And then starting again. I think they're crazy.
Christmas is coming! I won't post what I bought her for Christmas, but I wish we could open presents now so she could enjoy some of them. I've been keeping track of my bank account, so I made it through December with no issues. Hooray!
I still want us to run the Resolution Run, even though we have not kept up on our running. Maybe it'll inspire us to get back on track for the New Year.
I've been reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe out loud before bed to Nicole, which we're both enjoying. I'm going to count that as the "read poems aloud to each other" since it's happening fairly regularly. I want to go through the whole Narnia series -- it's something my mom used to read to Joe and me when we were younger.
I also want to get rid of some books off of my bookshelf -- I'm thinking of trading them in or just donating them somewhere. I don't know. I don't need all of these books anymore.
Not much to say...wish Nicole felt better.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
January and February
I forgot to mention that January is our vegetarian month and February is our vegan month. This is our way to cleanse after the holiday season.
I'm Uppers, I'm Downers
Nicole keeps reminding me that I haven’t posted about the Turkey Trot, and I keep having “things” happen to me that really warrants an update. So here goes.
1. Turkey Trot: I did as well as I expected to – I ran and ran and ran and actually was caught by surprise when a colleague, who was also running, came over and high-fived me (he was going in the opposite direction and nearing the end). Though I would have liked to run three miles, the reality was that we were trying to run with walkers surrounding us. It was like a military stealth mission weaving in between everyone. And at some point, I just thought, “Why am I running and everyone else is walking? Walking sounds like a good idea.” And I stopped running. Next time, we’ll start at the end of the runners, that way we’re motivated to keep up rather than slow down. We’ve only run once since the race – I guess life gets in the way.
2. Master's program: Ah, you’re probably thinking, “This is going to be good news!” It was. Before Friday. Here’s the story: I was accepted into a Master’s in Education program at Regis University, which was excellent news. I received the email, the letter, spoke to my advisor, etcetera etcetera. And then. The next day, after telling so many people I was accepted, I got an email from my advisor asking if I had my teaching license. Well, no. But I’ve taught for three years now in my fourth…doesn’t matter. And even though I searched far and wide for the information about whether or not I needed my teaching license, it wasn’t anywhere on their website, brochure, or introductory packet. So…retroactively, I was declined. Wah wah.
3. Perhaps you’re wondering, “Libby, why don’t you have your teacher’s license? You have a bachelor’s in education from Bloomsburg.” Yes, I do. And Colorado law says that I need a program completed at a university, which I have, and three years experience, which I have. But wait. Because I did my training out-of-state, I need three years of out-of-state experience. And after many phone calls, it is true: if I worked in any of the other 49 states of the USA, I could get my COLORADO license. But because I work in Colorado and did my teacher education program somewhere else, I can’t get it. Amazing.
4. This week has taught me once again that I desperately need my medication. Nicole received a text message from me with all of my passwords and when she asked me why, I said, “In case anything happens to me.” She thought I was trying to commit suicide again (I wasn’t). I was in a very dark place in my brain, though. Meds are being taken, though, and therapy on Monday helped, so all is well in that arena.
5. Our dogs are really adorable. If you haven’t met them yet, you need to come by and see them. Ruby is getting so big!
6. Nicole gave me an engagement ring! I’m not sure I blogged about that yet, but it’s absolutely perfect. I look down at it often.
I THINK that’s everything. We need to get back to running. I have a week left of school before the semester is over. And I have to do some serious Christmas shopping soon.
1. Turkey Trot: I did as well as I expected to – I ran and ran and ran and actually was caught by surprise when a colleague, who was also running, came over and high-fived me (he was going in the opposite direction and nearing the end). Though I would have liked to run three miles, the reality was that we were trying to run with walkers surrounding us. It was like a military stealth mission weaving in between everyone. And at some point, I just thought, “Why am I running and everyone else is walking? Walking sounds like a good idea.” And I stopped running. Next time, we’ll start at the end of the runners, that way we’re motivated to keep up rather than slow down. We’ve only run once since the race – I guess life gets in the way.
2. Master's program: Ah, you’re probably thinking, “This is going to be good news!” It was. Before Friday. Here’s the story: I was accepted into a Master’s in Education program at Regis University, which was excellent news. I received the email, the letter, spoke to my advisor, etcetera etcetera. And then. The next day, after telling so many people I was accepted, I got an email from my advisor asking if I had my teaching license. Well, no. But I’ve taught for three years now in my fourth…doesn’t matter. And even though I searched far and wide for the information about whether or not I needed my teaching license, it wasn’t anywhere on their website, brochure, or introductory packet. So…retroactively, I was declined. Wah wah.
3. Perhaps you’re wondering, “Libby, why don’t you have your teacher’s license? You have a bachelor’s in education from Bloomsburg.” Yes, I do. And Colorado law says that I need a program completed at a university, which I have, and three years experience, which I have. But wait. Because I did my training out-of-state, I need three years of out-of-state experience. And after many phone calls, it is true: if I worked in any of the other 49 states of the USA, I could get my COLORADO license. But because I work in Colorado and did my teacher education program somewhere else, I can’t get it. Amazing.
4. This week has taught me once again that I desperately need my medication. Nicole received a text message from me with all of my passwords and when she asked me why, I said, “In case anything happens to me.” She thought I was trying to commit suicide again (I wasn’t). I was in a very dark place in my brain, though. Meds are being taken, though, and therapy on Monday helped, so all is well in that arena.
5. Our dogs are really adorable. If you haven’t met them yet, you need to come by and see them. Ruby is getting so big!
6. Nicole gave me an engagement ring! I’m not sure I blogged about that yet, but it’s absolutely perfect. I look down at it often.
I THINK that’s everything. We need to get back to running. I have a week left of school before the semester is over. And I have to do some serious Christmas shopping soon.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Quinoa and Red Beans
In an effort to eat healthier, I decided to build a concoction last night that sounded like a good idea. Quinoa and red beans.
First of all, if you've never made quinoa before, you're certainly missing out. Go get some immediately. Replace it for rice, and you'll never go back.
When I lived alone, I used to make brown rice and red beans all of the time as my meal, but always had to add a lot of salt (note: I love love love garlic salt, salt, anything sodium-y. 'Tis one of my many downfalls). Nicole always makes quinoa with broth instead of water, so I thought, hey, I can get my sodium fix, and see how this all turns out.
I put some olive oil in a pan (just a little), and chopped up a clove of garlic. Next time I'll put a little more in it, maybe three or four cloves. When the garlic was starting to become brown, I put in a cup of quinoa and 2+ cups of chicken broth. When we do our vegetarian month, I'll replace the chicken broth (which I had in the house) with vegetable broth (which I did not). I also added a pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper (and Emeril's essence seasoning). Let that boil for a few minutes, then turned the stove down for it to simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Okay, so I use canned organic red beans. I'm sure I'm supposed to avoid canned beans, but it's just so simple. Replace if you'd like with "real" beans.
After the quinoa, broth, and garlic simmered, and the broth was absorbed and evaporated, I poured two cans of organic red beans (drained, of course) into the pan. Let that cook for another five minutes or so, stirring, stirring, stirring. Voila.
I loved it. I'm loving it this morning as my leftovers (I didn't eat a "normal" breakfast before coming in to work today). I'm going to start making huge vats of it on weekends for my lunches during the school weeks. It packs a lot of protein, and while there is a bit of sodium, that's not the biggest deal in my world. Ah, well. Try it if you'd like.
Nicole reminded me that I haven't written about the race, so I'll need to do that over the next few hours. We survived! That's a big win. 5K this weekend in Boulder.
First of all, if you've never made quinoa before, you're certainly missing out. Go get some immediately. Replace it for rice, and you'll never go back.
When I lived alone, I used to make brown rice and red beans all of the time as my meal, but always had to add a lot of salt (note: I love love love garlic salt, salt, anything sodium-y. 'Tis one of my many downfalls). Nicole always makes quinoa with broth instead of water, so I thought, hey, I can get my sodium fix, and see how this all turns out.
I put some olive oil in a pan (just a little), and chopped up a clove of garlic. Next time I'll put a little more in it, maybe three or four cloves. When the garlic was starting to become brown, I put in a cup of quinoa and 2+ cups of chicken broth. When we do our vegetarian month, I'll replace the chicken broth (which I had in the house) with vegetable broth (which I did not). I also added a pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper (and Emeril's essence seasoning). Let that boil for a few minutes, then turned the stove down for it to simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Okay, so I use canned organic red beans. I'm sure I'm supposed to avoid canned beans, but it's just so simple. Replace if you'd like with "real" beans.
After the quinoa, broth, and garlic simmered, and the broth was absorbed and evaporated, I poured two cans of organic red beans (drained, of course) into the pan. Let that cook for another five minutes or so, stirring, stirring, stirring. Voila.
I loved it. I'm loving it this morning as my leftovers (I didn't eat a "normal" breakfast before coming in to work today). I'm going to start making huge vats of it on weekends for my lunches during the school weeks. It packs a lot of protein, and while there is a bit of sodium, that's not the biggest deal in my world. Ah, well. Try it if you'd like.
Nicole reminded me that I haven't written about the race, so I'll need to do that over the next few hours. We survived! That's a big win. 5K this weekend in Boulder.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Turkey Trot 2009
We did it!! We did it!! We did it!!
The morning started out with a LOT of nervous energy. Some cereal, a protein drink, and a bit of stretching. In true girly girl fashion, I couldn't decide what the heck to wear. I am a SWEATY Italian woman, and the weather said it was going to be 60 degrees outside, but when we left the house it was close to freezing. I decided on my running pants, a tank top and a long sleeve shirt over it. Liz wore her shorts and an orange running shirt. We left the house at 8:45 to head down to Wash Park.
Liz kept telling me to calm down, that I was making her nervous. I wasn't saying anything so I didn't really know what to change in order to make her less anxious.
We got to the parking lot of South High School and saw what looked like a million people, who were all rearing to go. We got registered, got our t-shirts and decided to walk around the parking lot to warm up. I forgot my camera which I was very upset about, but what can you do?!
There were people dressed like runners, people dressed like turkeys, an elf, an ape, and various other costumes that I can not believe people could run in.
They started the race at 10:15 for the first wave of just runners, and 10:30 if you were going to walk/run. We opted for the second group in case we weren't able to run the whole thing. A decision that I would not make had I known better.
So we get started, and we are amidst mothers, children, strollers, and dogs, and we are trying to dodge and move in and out of people to find a path that we could run at a steady pace. This never happened the entire race.
I ran down the first leg and up the second one before I just had to walk. Then for the last three legs, I did a run/walk combo. It was hot, and there were 9,000 other people and dogs trying to be on the same streets with us.
There were lots of neighborhood folk out on their lawns playing music and cheering everyone on. There was also some jackass cooking bacon, which is cruel and unusual punishment when you are a fat girl trying to run 4 miles.
I finished in 1 hour and 2 minutes, Liz in 1 hour 9 minutes. We finished, which was the most important thing in the world to both of us. 9 weeks ago we couldn't run 1 minute without getting winded, and on Thanksgiving Day we ran our hearts out, and finished our very first race.
We plan on running a 5k next weekend, as well as on New Years Eve (which I am SUPER excited about!)
It was so fitting that we ran a race on Thanksgiving, after we have worked so hard together towards this goal, and on salvaging our relationship. I felt blessed to be in gorgeous Colorado, running with so many other people, and with my love.
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