The 2012 Experiment

Well, here comes the end of 2011 and the start of a new experiment. Last year was so successful that I want to do it again so here is my list of items that I want to start or accomplish in 2012. This is shaping up to be a big year as we have some big changes coming: car, baby, house.

Health and Nutrition:

• Stop drinking pop and any sugary bottled drinks at all costs. Take water instead. 
• Follow Clean Eating meal plans and grocery lists.
• Work on my fruit, vegetable and fibre goals. 
• Continue my walk/run workouts until I can run for 30 minutes with no problems. 
• Get down to a BMI of 26 (that is a total of 20 pounds). 

 Fashion:

• Make my wardrobe 100% wearable. 
• Get the staples for my wardrobe (brown leather shoes, etc.) that I am missing.
• Get some more fashionable shoes. 

 Finances:

• Get a car. 
• Save money for a down payment on a house -- and buy one by December 2012. 
• Start buying baby things.

 Baby:

• Start trying for a baby. 
• Finish green knitted baby blanket for myself. 
• Start making baby things as part of my hobbies: wipes, nursing cover, nursing pillow and cover, baby hat and booties, etc. 

Travel:

• Visit my home for a wedding in June and Christmas in December. 
• Visit my husband's family for Easter and Thanksgiving. 
• Save money for a trip to Germany, Austria and Hungary in 2013 or 2014.

Social:

• Have movie nights once per month with friends. 
• Have themed dinner parties with friends, at least once every two months. 
• Watch a new movie every month (either at the theater, on TV or as part of movie nights). 
• Go out to dinner once a month with my husband on date nights. And every time, we can go to a new restaurant. 
• Find a cause in the community and start attending meetings or gatherings.

Hobbies:

• Finish any projects that I have started and don't start any new ones until those are done.

Home:

• Figure out what things we need for our new house: lawnmower, beds, furniture, etc.  

I will be continuing the goals that I set for myself in 2011 as well. Those are the In Progress and Unfinished ones in this list. 

Guilt-free Rewards for a Job Well Done

One of my problems with it comes to weight loss is struggling with the idea of rewarding myself for a job well done. It could be that I finally finished a long, arduous project or that I finally did 4 workouts this week. The first thing that I think is: I should reward myself, time for a Coke. Or, a chocolate bar. Or ice cream. 

Well, that just damaged the good chore that I finished. So, I took some time to make a list of guilt-free rewards to give myself for a job well done. I know I am not the only person thinking about this so I will share it with you.

Some of these options require finances but some are also free. What you could do is while you are working towards a goal, decide on the reward that you want to give yourself. Then put aside money for it while you are working towards the goal. For example, as a reward to myself for finishing a large project at work I can save money on the side to get my hair done at the salon. Once the goal is reached, then I can go for a morning of pampering and not worry about the finances.

• A long bubble bath with a yummy scent and candles, perhaps my favorite music in the background
• A mug of steaming hot apple cider or a hot chocolate with marshmellows (the diet kind)
• One uninterrupted evening of doing an activity that I secretly love (like writing)
• Talking on the phone with a best friend or on Skype
• Throw a party with all of your friends -- perhaps a pot luck, movie night, etc.
• One uninterrupted evening (or afternoon) of starting and finishing a project
• Watching a new movie at home. This could mean renting it then giving it the full new movie treatment (for me, this is turning out the lights, stopping all projects and just watching a new movie). 
• Going out to the theatre to see a new movie with friends (or with my husband)
• Have a nice meal at a new restaurant
• One uninterrupted evening of browsing my favorite websites
• Buying and reading a new magazine
• One evening of planning an upcoming event (like Christmas) and planning all of the items that I want to make to decorate the house or give as gifts
• If it's summer, one afternoon sitting and tanning under the sun with a nice book or great music
• Signing up for a class in a topic that I want to learn about (like yoga, knitting, or a language of choice)
• Crossing an activity off of the bucket list (skydiving, rockclimbing, running a 5K, etc.)
• Digging out the old "To Do" list and tackling one of the older ones that you've always said will never get done (ex. organizing the filing cabinet). 
• Reading a new book (or, one of your old favorites)
• Take on a new knitting project or spend an evening knitting
• Take the dog out for a walk in a new area (or put on rollerblades and run with the dog) or to the park
• Learn a new hobby from a friend (or teach a friend how to do one of your hobbies, if they are interested)
• Have a game evening on the Wii, Xbox or whatever you have with the family. See who will win. 
• Return to a hobby that you love but haven't done for a long time (for me, that would be genealogy or cross-stitching)
• Try a new recipe out of a magazine for supper
• Spend an afternoon at the local bookstore -- not buying anything -- but sitting with a coffee, paging through some books to see what is new and checking out the ones that you've always wanted. 
• Spend a lazy afternoon on the couch doing a hobby, snuggling with the kids and the pets
• Watch a movie that was your childhood favorite (perhaps even introduce it to your kids or your husband)
• Trying something new with your significant other (I don't think that I need to elaborate on this one)
• Go for a massage or spa treatment. 
• If you are a woman, try a new makeover on yourself or go and get one at Sephora or another store with that option. 
• Go to bed early or sleep in. Get your significant other involved in this to make sure that you are able to sleep in (or go to bed early) without any distractions. 
• Spend an evening researching a topic that interests you but you've never had time to think about it (like a historical event, a famous person, etc.)
• Get your hair done with color, highlights or a perm. Ask for the full treatment with the scalp massage and special conditioners that most salons do for free and enjoy the trip.

Ice Cream vs. Frozen pudding

Whenever I crave ice cream, this is what I do:

That is frozen pudding. It doesn't matter what kind (I have tried nearly all of them from the grocery store) but if you add them to the freezer overnight and eat them whenever you have an ice cream craving, you could save at least 100-200 calories. And it's still a frozen, cold treat.

15 Quick, Easy Meals

Are you having trouble getting supper together? Or perhaps you stand looking into the fridge wondering what to cook for supper. Here are 15 ideas (enough for 3 weeks of week-day suppers) for quick, healthy meals from my recipe book.

1. Chilled lentil salad: Open a can of lentils, drain and wash well. Add to a bowl. Chop up some fresh coriander and a two chopped tomatoes, add to bowl with lentils. Sprinkle with a little chopped onion and a little garlic powder, the juice from a lemon, salt and pepper, and some Parmesan cheese. Toss together and put in the fridge for a couple of hours beforehand.
2. Moroccan couscous: Heat up two cups of vegetable or chicken stock in the microwave until boiling. Once done, add one cup of couscous, let set for five min. Meanwhile, chop up some dried apricots and fresh coriander. Have some chopped walnuts and raisins ready, along with a chopped fresh tomato and a little olive oil. Once the couscous is ready, add all of this and fluff. Add salt and pepper. Serve on the side with cooked lamb or pork chops.
3. Indian Chickpeas: Open a can of chickpeas and drain, rinse off well. Add to an oven dish. Pour a bottle of low-fat Indian Butter Chicken sauce over top and put in the fridge over night to marinate. Take out of the fridge at least one hour before cooking (if possible), then roast at 375 degrees for about 45 min and serve over rice with steamed broccoli. The chickpeas can be replaced with cubed, thawed chicken as well. 
4. Shrimp and Asparagus stir-fry: Break off the woody ends of asparagus, chop into one inch pieces. Heat up a skillet with a little oil, then add some onion and garlic, sauté. While that is cooking, take the tails off of shrimp from a thawed shrimp ring. Add the asparagus, sauté until bright green. Add shrimp just to warm up. Add your favorite stir-fry sauce (soy sauce, teriyaki, sweet and sour, mushroom soup, etc.) then serve over rice.
5. Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwiches: Toast a small multi-grain bagel, scrape some plain cream cheese on it while it’s still a little warm along with some fresh dill. Add a thawed slice of smoked salmon, two slices of tomato and a little lettuce on top.
6. Mexican bean salad: Open a can of black beans, drain and wash off. Add to a bowl. Do the same with a can of corn niblets, add to the bowl. Add a bottle of salsa (hot or mild) and some chopped coriander. Stir and let set in the fridge over night before serving, if desired.
7. Fusion rice: Heat up a skillet with a little oil. Add the rice and spice mix from a box of Dainty Indian rice with ¼ cup of water. Add chopped celery and chopped dried apricots. Sauté until liquid is absorbed, and if necessary add another ¼ cup water. Meanwhile, take the tails off shrimp from half of a thawed shrimp ring. Add the shrimp when ready along with some shredded carrot, sauté until shrimp is hot then serve.
8. Homey rice with ham: Open a package of Dainty chicken rice. Heat up a skillet and add the rice and spice pack. Add some frozen peas and chopped ham. Cook together, at the last minute add some shredded carrot and let that cook a little. Serve.
9. Calzone: Dethaw a piece of puff pastry. When soft, cut into two or three squares. Crack two eggs, but only keep the whites and have ready in a small bowl with a brush. Heat up the oven to 375. In the middle, add pepperoni, cooked sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. your fav pizza toppings and cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and fold one edge onto the other to make a triangle package. Seal with a fork, brush the pastry with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 min in the oven.
10. Tomato-bacon pasta: Chop up an onion, a box of cleaned mushrooms, and about 7-10 chopped pieces of bacon (depending on your preference) on a cutting board. Clean a box of cherry tomatoes. Heat up a hot skillet, add the bacon. Cook down until reduced and starting to brown. Add the onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile, heat up water for pasta, one with nooks and crannies like macaroni or fusilli. When the pasta goes into the pot, set the timer for the cooking time. 5 min before the pasta is done, add the tomatoes to the bacon skillet and with a spoon, gently pop all of them. When the pasta is done, drain and add to tomato-bacon sauce. Toss well. Serve.
11. White pizza: Get a premade pizza crust and sauce from the grocery store. Preheat the oven to 375. On the crust, slather with Ranch dressing, except for the margin edges. Sprinkle lots of mozzarella cheese over top. Add some cooked crumbled bacon, sausage, chopped spinach and chopped tomato. Bake in oven until cheese is brown and the crust is golden brown around the edges, about 15-20 min.
12. Orzo Pasta Salad: Chop up some cleaned celery, tomato and a little onion. Add to a bowl of leftover orzo pasta, or any leftover pasta. Coat with some Greek salad dressing. Add chopped black olives and feta cheese if desired, stir together and let sit at least one hour before eating cold.
13. Mushroom beef, potatoes and veggies: Heat up a skillet and brown some thawed ground beef. While that is happening, chop up an onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and a box of mushrooms. Once the meat is mostly browned, drain off some of the fat and return to burner. Add all chopped ingredients and let soften. Add a can of cream of wild mushroom soup, mix together. Serve overtop of mashed potatoes and have something green like peas on the side.
14. Puréed vegetable soup: Boil a vegetable of choice (like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, squash, carrot, parsnip, leeks, etc) in either chicken or vegetable stock with the addition of a clove or two of peeled garlic. Once the vegetable is cooked, add everything to a blender and purée until smooth. If it is too thick, add more chicken stock or even add some evaporated milk to make it a nice, creamy soup.
15. Sautéd Succotash: Chop up an onion. Heat up a skillet with a little oil. Drain a can of red kidney beans and dethaw 1 cup of corn. Wash the beans well. Add onion to skillet on medium heat, sauté. Add a little vegetable stock if liquid is necessary. Season with salt and pepper, let cook until the skins of the beans pop, about 10-15 min.

60 minutes of Exercise per day

Earlier in 2011, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology announced that children should aim to get 60 minutes of exercise per day in order to lead a healthy life and ward off weight gain. I was intrigued by this for adults as I do try to get at least 30-45 minutes of exercise per day. I know that it is not easy for everyone though as we all have busy lives. So, I want to brainstorm ways to get 60 minutes of exercise per day -- for everyone.

Morning:

• Get up 1 hour earlier and do a 45 minute workout on a treadmill, elliptical or other home gym equipment (45 minutes). 
• Get up 1 hour earlier and take a swim at the local pool (30 minutes). 
• Lace up your shoes and go for a 45 minute walk, jogging or run outside (45 minutes).
• If you take public transit, get off the bus one or two stops early and walk (10 minutes).
• Do a quick vigorous clean of the kitchen, dining room and living room (15 minutes).
• Take the dog for a 30 minute walk, run or jog (30 minutes).

Break:

• Take 15 minutes and run up and down the stairs (15 minutes).
• Take 15 minutes and go for a walk (15 minutes).

Lunch:

• On your 1 hour lunch, go for a 30 minute walk, jog or run outside (30 minutes).
• On your 1 hour lunch, go to the gym for a 30 minute workout (30 minutes).
• On your 1 hour lunch, take 30 minutes and run up and down the stairs (30 minutes).
• Get a friend and play at 30 minute game of badminton on your lunch (30 minutes). 
• On your lunch, take a class at a local gym (45 minutes).

Break:

• Try any of the above options.

Evening:

• Before supper, do a 30 minute workout (30 minutes). 
• After work, take a class at a local gym (45 minutes). 
• If you are stopping off to pick up a few things, park at the end of the parking lot and walk further to and from the store (10 minutes).
• If you are shopping, take the stairs instead of the escalators (5 minutes). 
• Try a 30 minute boxing session at home or at the gym (30 minutes). 
• Play a game of bowling, baseball or boxing on the Wii with your kids (30 minutes). 
• Take an evening dancing class (60 minutes).
• Take in a seasonal activity with the kids (skating, skiing, swimming, rollerblading, jumping rope, etc.) (30 minutes).
• During the kids' favorite TV show, lace up your sneakers and go for a run or job with a friend (30 minutes). 
• Take the dog for a 30 minute walk, jog or run (30 minutes).

Everyday calorie counts for 30 minutes (150 lb woman):

• Card playing: 54 calories
• Child care: 102 calories
• Cleaning, moderate effort: 118 calories
• Cleaning gutters: 180 calories
• Construction/Remodeling: 198 calories
• Cooking or food preparation: 85 calories
• Driving: 72 calories
• Gardening, general: 169 calories
• Ironing: 72 calories
• Loading/Unloading the car: 108 calories
• Mopping: 153 calories
• Mowing the lawn (push mower): 187 calories
• Packing suitcase: 72 calories
• Painting house: 171 calories
• Playing board games: 54 calories
• Playing piano: 95 calories
• Playing with children: 134 calories
• Pushing or pulling a stroller with a child: 85 calories
• Putting away groceries: 90 calories
• Raking the lawn: 134 calories
• Reading: 36 calories 
• Sex, intercourse: 144 calories
• Shopping: 81 calories
• Shoveling snow: 207 calories
• Showering: 144 calories
• Sitting, playing with children: 85 calories
• Sitting, resting: 36 calories
• Sweeping: 134 calories
• Tailoring, cutting: 90 calories
• Talking on the phone: 36 calories
• Touring/Traveling: 72 calories
• Washing the dishes: 76 calories
• Writing: 36 calories

Links:

• Medline Plus: Exercise 60 minutes a day
• ProHealth Calorie Counter per activity
• Healthstatus Calorie Counter
• Wallstreet Journal, Women need 60 minutes of daily exercise to stave off middle-age weight gain
• CBS News, 60-90 Minutes Exercise Daily? Bah!
• Public Health Agency of Canada, Physical Activity
• CSEP - Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
• ParticipACTION

Dealing with Depression

Well, it's about time that I write about this. Many of you may not know this but back in 2007 until about 2009, I was in a mild depression. It was a dark period of my life that I don't look back on with happy thoughts at all. Actually, now when I think about it most of my thoughts center around how I got out of the depression. So here is my confession which I hope will help anyone else who is in a depression.

When I was depressed, I felt awful.

• I didn't want to get out of bed because I couldn't see anything good happening that day.
• I didn't want to leave the house for any activities. I was ashamed of the way that I looked and home was my comfortable place.
• I ate anything that made me feel better, hence the fact that I gained 55 pounds.
• I procrastinated on almost everything because I just didn't want to do anything other than sit, watch TV and eat. I only wanted to do things that made me happy.
• I spent money like there was no end to it. I spent it on things that made me happy like clothes, shoes, food and movies.
• I didn't want to cook or clean, so I ordered out a lot. Hence the weight gain.
• I didn't want anyone to take photographs of me because I felt bad about myself. And this is saying a lot because I am from a very photogenic family.
• I felt like I had no control over some aspects of my life so I tried to regain it. I cut my hair really short (then ended up hating it). I hated the fact that I wasn't done school yet and the fact that I couldn't change it.
• I didn't sleep well and my sleep habits were off the wall. I had stomach aches and other symptoms that appeared out of nowhere. I cried for no apparent reason and I was more emotional than normal. I didn't feel like myself in my own skin.
• I had stronger feelings of rage, anger, and sadness than I had ever had before. I cried over spilled milk on the floor, about a fly in my kitchen or I flew into a rage when I dropped paper on the floor. My emotions were much stronger than ever before. 

After a year, I found myself in a cycle: I was angry at myself so I wanted to feel better, I ate junk food to feel better, I gained weight, and then the cycle started again.

How do you make it end? How do you go back to feeling normal or happy? Well, I am not a doctor or therapist, but here is what I did. I wanted for the cycle to stop but I didn't know how to stop it.

Willpower

The first step is willpower. Have the will to change or stop a habit that was acquired. Start small. For example, if you are ordering often and eating junk food like I was, don't buy anything for one day. Just one day. Drink water, take fruit for snacks and cook supper. I felt awful and I really wanted to buy something but I forced myself not to. That first day is terrible because it didn't feel good thus I wanted to buy junk food more but once that first day was over, it seemed easier. Do it again.

You will need to replace bad habits with good ones to keep yourself happy. For example, my comfy blanket was junk food. I couldn't just take it away and expect for myself to be happy so I had to replace it with something healthier.

Happiness

Address what you are doing to make yourself happy. You know that some of the things that you are doing are not healthy (junk food, not leaving the house, constantly watching movies) so it's time to adopt a healthier happy habit. Find a healthy fruit that you really like and snack on that. Try preparing it in new ways with other fruit, a honey lime dressing or yogurt. Give yourself something sweet to look forward to that you know is good for you.

This also applies to destructive habits like watching movies all of the time or staying at home. What things did you used to enjoy? If you like going to the movies with friends, then go to the movies with friends. Don't cut yourself off. It might be hard at first but it will get easier the more that you do it.

Find happiness in small things. It's not just the big things, but buy pens that make you happy. Spend one hour taking a bath with your favorite bubble bath or read your favorite book again. 

Food

Food was my friend -- and it wasn't my friend. It was very hard for me to get out of this habit so I started small: drink water instead of pop, have fruit instead of chocolate, and stop buying candy. I had to replace the habit with something healthier so I had water with Crystal Light in it. I tried new kinds of fruit until I found ones that I really liked -- for me, this was raspberries, mango, pineapple and kiwi. Then I looked forward to the healthy replacements. I had to teach myself to enjoy something that was good for me instead of something that was bad for me. Within a week, I had overcome a lot of psychological issues with this one change. With every following week, it got easier and I started to feel better about what I was eating.

Social

The hardest obstacle for me was getting out of the house. At this time, I was a student so I had to get out of the house for school but I didn't go out for social events. I would often cancel social outings at the last minute because I just wanted to stay at home. I couldn't explain it either and I felt embarrassed but deep down I knew that I had to get out. I started small by having friends over at my apartment. I was in my comfort zone here. Then I was more willing to go out of the house for parties, dates and movies. I took it slow and I have to admit that I am still dealing with this aspect but it will get easier.

I also told my closest friends about my problems. It helps to have people to talk to about how I felt. They encouraged me to get out or they talked me through my hardest moments. It really helped that I could have someone to talk to. I didn't feel alone.

Work or School

Like everyone else, I had deliverables. I had assignments for school and duties at work that I still had to meet. As I said before, I hated the fact that I was still in school but I knew that I had to knuckle down and just do it so I did. The faster I got things done, the faster I would be out of school. Focusing on school work or work actually took my mind off of how I felt at home which helped me greatly.

One thing that I did was to try and find something that I looked forward to at work or school. At school, this could be time in one of my favorite classes. At work, it could be a joke that I told that brought a smile to someone's face. I was a cashier once and every day it made me happy to know that I had helped a customer. These little things may seem every day but if you find something happy in what you do, even if it is that you made it to work on time, you have done one good thing that day.

Time

It took two years to get into a depression, it would take about that long to get out of it. This seems long and arduous but this is really how it looks. It starts with little steps and finding other things that make you happy. You have to keep going with everyday life even though you feel horrible but with time, it will get easier.

Exercise and Weight Loss

Time for yourself is also necessary. As I said, I had a problem with junk food and exercise. So, we got a treadmill and I could start walking in my apartment. I was in my comfort zone but I was doing something that I knew was good for myself. I started losing weight and that became a huge motivator. It started to break down all of the barriers that I had put up and before I knew it, I didn't mind someone taking pictures of me.

I knew that I couldn't run a marathon right away when I started go to back to exercising. Start with small victories like exercising for 30 minutes, 3 days per week. Once you have met that milestone, then add an extra day. Try to do it for longer and try to take the workout up a notch, for example, if you are walking then try a walk/run program for the next 12 weeks. Don't be surprised if you can't do the entire program in 12 weeks though and if you get stuck at one point, spend more time on it. The most important thing is that you stick with it even if you don't see results right away.

Future

Even as I write this post, I am not invulnerable to that dark time. Sometimes, I have a thought that reminds me of that life that I was in. Sometimes I think that it will happen again and I live in fear that something will happen that will cause me to go into another depression. So, I am writing this post about what happened and how I got out of it also to remind myself just in case it happens again, what I can do to get out of it.

Some other suggestions that I found are:

• Get into a community group: this could be a neighborhood clean-up, a book club, a musical group, a local sports team or a political group. It may be hard to leave the house but you will be surrounded by a community. The more you go, the more you become part of that community. You might not say a word to anyone that you are depressed or feeling bad, but just being around other people can heal you.
• Develop or share a hobby: if you are depressed and all you want to do is lose yourself in a hobby, perhaps you could share it with someone else. Or, take a class to learn a new hobby. Hobbies give you something to do and can get you through a dark time. You have to be careful not to spend all of your time on it but it can help you focus on something else. You can also teach your kids your hobbies. This can be frustrating at first, but if they enjoy it like you do you can find yourself starting a scrapbooking or knitting time a few nights a week with your kids. Suddenly you are not alone in your hobby.
• Get excited about an upcoming event for yourself or someone else: this could mean getting excited about your kids going back to school, preparing for an upcoming holiday like Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving or Christmas or someone's wedding or retirement party. Get involved in the planning and do some crafts for it. This gives you something else to focus on that is healthy and takes your mind off of how you feel about yourself.
• Plan a menu: if you hate cooking, cleaning and other household chores during this time, then perhaps you could follow a plan. Search on the web for some meal plans, print them out and follow them for a few weeks. With the meals and grocery lists planned for you, you may notice that you follow them. You try new food, develop new cooking skills and no one is asking what is for supper tonight. You get into a routine that, once you have formed it, is hard to get out of (which is good!). This is a good routine.
• Seek professional help: take the money that you are saving on clothes, junk food and other damaging pursuits and spend it on a therapist or doctor. Tell them everything about how you feel and really listen to their suggestions. Try some of them. You may notice that they either work and you feel much better or they do not work. Find new routines or medications that work for you. I should note though that I didn't take medication to get better and I don't think that you really need to though. I think that you need to address what made you depressed and change those bad habits instead of taking something but it may be necessary for some people.
• Have "weaning" days: just like I did by stopping junk food for one day, stop one bad habit for one day. Pick one that you accidentally acquired during this dark time. It could be as simple as leaving your bank card and credit cards at home for a day. Plan this weaning day out: if you leave your card at home, plan your meals. Plan any temptations where you would usually use those cards so avoid the stores and perhaps take a different route home. Ask yourself if you can do that again tomorrow.
• Attack your to-do list: one thing that drove me nuts was a long to-do list that I was developing during school. This was the pile of papers that I knew that I had to go through, the clothes that I had to get drycleaned or the e-mails that I had to organize. I felt that I just did not have time to address my to-do list and that just infuriated me further. So, take a space of time, even if it is only one hour (you can spare one hour, right?) and attack something. Also, whenever you think of something that you have to do, write it down. I used a computer document so that I didn't accumulate scraps of paper. At least if I couldn't attack the "to do" right away, I could at least write it down so that I didn't forget it. It would be there whenever I had the time to attack it. Schedule a time every day or every week to deal with the to do list and do it. You will find that it feels great to finish something that has been bothering you.
• Stop taking advice as a personal attack: one time, someone told me that I should listen to health podcasts. I got furious and took it as a personal assault as someone telling me that I was fat and had to lose weight -- even though I knew that they were right. I was highly sensitive to anything that someone said to me during this time which was confusing -- I am not normally like that! If you make an effort to attack some of your bad habits, you may notice that you don't take well-meaning advice so personally anymore -- or, not as often. When you can think clearly, take them up on a piece of advice that was given to you. If they told you to look up a website or video, look it up. It may or may not apply to you. It's not going to cause you physical pain to look into the advice that you were given -- unless it was acupuncture or surgery, of course. It can't be that extreme though, right?
• Laugh: find something to laugh about. Laughing feels good and it costs you nothing except moving facial muscles! Check out funny YouTube videos, read the joke section of the newspaper or get a copy of your favorite comic strip book. Talk to friends who tell good jokes or tell some of your own favorite jokes to others.
• Master your deliverables: know how to do your job or your school work. If you are having a problem understanding an issue or concept, research more about it so that you really get it. Go to workshops to develop new skills or hone your existing ones. If you are a parent, then focus on helping your kids develop their skills or taking a parenting class if you doubt yourself. Feel comfortable with your main activities so that you feel like you know what you are doing. Nothing eats at you more than doubting yourself and your deliverables. These are your main activities in life and you want to feel confident that you are doing a good job.
• Worry only about things that you can control: can you control the new laws that the government is passing? Maybe, if you contact your MP or municipal council. Are you worried sick about nuclear war? Well, nothing we can do about that now other than live our lives. Live your life and don't let larger issues worry you too much. Often, you find that you have spent so much time worrying about it that you don't know why you paid attention to it.
• Don't let a failure bring you down: so you gained a pound, you ordered out one night or ate a bag of chips. Put it behind you. You did it but instead of feeling bad go straight to the thought of: why did I do that? Did you have money that was burning a hole in your pocket? Were you in a social situation that pressured you to get chips or order bad food? Could you just say no? Address that instead of punishing yourself. You are only human and you will fail. Failing is ok, picking yourself up again is the right way to deal with it.

10 tablespoons of sugar

I used to be a pop (soda for you Americans) addict. Ever since I was a child I begged my mom to get a bottle of pop with the groceries which I almost single-handedly finished in two days -- when I was 10. Not surprisingly, by the time that I was 13 years old I was a size 14. I thought that it was due to puberty but now that I think about it, I didn't stop drinking pop.

I used to drink pop when I felt sad. I drank it instead of water and I drank it so much that I used to get cravings. I have to admit that I am still fighting it because sometimes water just doesn't do. I need the bubbles and the flavor.

What changed? Four words: 10 tablespoons of sugar (or, 30 teaspoons of sugar). I heard that there were 10 tablespoons of sugar in one can of pop. At first, being a dire pop addict, this didn't bother me until I decided to actually measure that out. No one sits and spoons 10 tablespoons of sugar into their mouth in one sitting but we do drink pop.

But what does 10 tablespoons of sugar look like?

THAT is 10 tablespoons of sugar in a 125 mL jam jar. That is almost 1/4 cup of pure, white sugar in one 355 mL can of pop. I took this picture on May 28, 2011 and I swore that I would never drink pop again. I have to admit that I haven't kept that promise to the best of my abilities but just looking at this picture again gives me motivation to stop for good. Are you going to join me?

Here is my plan for stopping drinking soft drinks forever:

Motivation:

• Soft drinks rot your teeth and give you more cavities. They also make your teeth softer and dissolve the tooth enamel. You may eventually lose your teeth, need crowns or have pockets.
• See the Nutrition Diva's podcasts on how sugar affects your body, high fructose corn syrup, and how to reduce your added sugar intake.
• If you stop drinking pop and you switch to water, you will most likely loose weight without realizing it. Pop or soda has calories, water does not.
• Soft drinks are empty calories. They add no value to your daily intake. They might not even keep you hydrated.
• If you switch to water, you will never wake up with dry mouth again. You won't have a burning feeling in the back of your throat either.
• Pop, especially colas, are acidic and they eat away at your stomach lining. Seriously, I had stomachs for years and it was only after I stopped drinking pop that I realized that it could be the cause. 
• The sugar intake in pop raises your blood sugar within 40 minutes. If this is all that you drink, you are heading towards diabetes. Seriously, do a blood glucose test if you are concerned about this.

Action Plan:

• Stop drinking pop for one day and drink water. The first day is the hardest.
• Drink cold water as it is more refreshing. Don't drink lukewarm water as you will most likely spit it back out.
• Pick water every time that you are in a restaurant situation with a choice of drinks.
• If you are absolutely obsessed with pop, try to only drink it one day per week. This could be every Friday or every Monday. Try this for one month. 
• Add flavoring to water if you need something extra like Crystal Light, or liquid water flavorings. Not too much though, just enough to give it some taste. 
• Once you are more used to drinking water, try drinking it with a slice of lemon or lime in it. 
• If you need bubbles, try drinking carbonated mineral water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.  
• Once you are getting enough water, make sure that you are also getting your milk intake too. 2-3 glasses of milk, 5 of water and you should be good for the day. 
• Try recording your water intake on a chart or with an iPod app like Lose It!. It keeps you focused.

The 2011 Experiment

I am running an experiment this year to see if I can stop annoying habits and start good ones. At the beginning of the year, I wrote the list below of everything that I wanted to do in 2011. My motto for this year is: stop saying "I should do" and actually DO. Now that it is almost November 2011, it's time for me to check in.

Complete:

• Wear more skirts: done. As a matter of fact, I made at least 6 skirts this summer and I have worn them all at least once.
• Loose weight: I started a walk/run program in June that helped me lose a whole dress size and gain some muscle tone.
• Watch 1 new movie every month: I think that I have seen at least 6 new movies this year along with many James Bond movies that I had never seen before. 
• Attack the unfinished craft projects: doing, not completely done. However, I have created this blog which has given me a lot of motivation to finish my stash and to do new things.
• Wedding: we got married in October and we made almost everything ourselves. It is already paid too.
• Honeymoon: we went to Paris for our honeymoon and had a great time! It was a big trip and I learned a lot. This trip is already paid as well.
• Address energy consumption in our apartment: I have actually written a blog post about this and we unplug everything possible whenever it's not in use (save the fridge, stove and PVR).
• Produits Lemieux: we made the switch to eco-friendly products in August 2011. These are awesome, they come in bulk and they really work. I feel better using products made of natural ingredients as my cat licks everything.
• Drink less Coke, drink more water: I stopped drinking Coke in May 2011 and I have never felt better!
• Knit a baby blanket: I completed a baby blanket in April and I have started two more. I also learned some new stitches and techniques. I only started knitting in October 2010! 
• Reuse containers: I have tried to reuse every container, box or packaging that comes into my house before it goes into the recycling. Just check out my posts on pump containers, small containers and yogurt containers.

In Progress:

• Make lunches and meals at home: we created a menu for 16 weeks that we follow. I am in the process of updating it now to follow Clean Eating.
• Spend less time worrying about grey hair: meh, it's going to happen. I'm getting older. However, I will pluck out what I can see for my wedding pictures.
• Teach my cat Felix not to bite people: we work on this but it's very hard once he's set in his ways
• 8 hours of sleep per night: this one is harder than it looks.
• Eat more vegetables: we have worked this into our menus, mentioned above.
• Spend more time with my husband: I want to spend as much time with my husband as I can before we start a family. This means doing something together at least once per week. 
• Use up all of the food in my fridge: I have become the fridge watchdog.
• Reuse old clothes or take them to the Salvation Army: as you have seen on this blog, I have been thinking of new ways to use clothes before they go to the Salvation Army. More ideas will be coming.
• Make my Xmas presents: I have been planning this since last Xmas (seriously) and I already have some items made. More will be coming. Besides, I think that it means more to create a gift for someone.
• Visit museums around Ottawa: we visited many Ottawa sites and museums this summer which was great. The Museum of Civilization is really cool.
• Spend more time doing things: I have designated Sundays as craft days where I don't have the TV on or the computer.
• Make my morning routine faster: I have been working on this and I have found solutions like taking my coffee with me in a travel mug and packing things up the night before.
• Keep resources and knowledge found: my computer is a brain, essentially. I write everything down including how I have organized my papers. That way, whenever I wonder where something is, I can look here. I will be writing about this in the future.
• Use Skype to talk with family and friends: I have had many conversations already this year and I plan on using it more.
• Stop spending money on stupid stuff: surprisingly, our upcoming wedding and honeymoon put this goal firmly in its place. I'm very happy about that! Connect more with my family.
• Stop emotional eating: I have been working hard to solve emotional times with talking or writing things down instead of eating. It is an uphill battle.
• Try a new restaurant in Ottawa every month: I haven't tried a new one every month but I have tried at least four new restaurants this year. I will do better next year. 

Unfinished:

• Make homemade preserves: we found that this was harder to do in the city as everything was more expensive and we have no car to go to the country to pick our own berries.We'll try again next summer.
• Volunteer: I haven't done this yet but I still plan to before the end of the year.
• Finish little house tasks: I have been organizing but the wedding chores took over. I plan on addressing tasks like organizing the filing cabinet after the honeymoon in October.
• Composting in Ottawa: this is supposed to be discussed with each apartment complex. I have heard nothing yet but it was supposed to be done in July 2011. I have to talk to my apartment office about this.
• Get a pair of skates: I plan on doing this in October/November. 
• Don't buy any yarn in 2011: well, this one didn't work. I had planned on not buying any yarn because I thought that I had enough to last me a whole year but it was all gone by March. So, that didn't work.
• Perfectionner ma français: I still have more work to do on this but I have French training coming soon at work. 

French Girls

While I was in Paris, I was on a quest to see what was so different about French girls versus us girls in North America? For example, why are they absurdly thin when they eat mille feuille? Why do we all want to dress like them and look like them?

Well, first of all, the skinny French girl who eats cream and butter in everything and doesn't get fat is a myth now. The obesity problem that plagues us in North America has crossed the ocean to Europe and beyond so most of the natives that you will see usually eat the same thing that you do. So I had to look harder at the thinner French girls and their habits. I did notice a few things which I found interesting and this was of all French girls of various shapes and sizes.

1. They drink water: I didn't see one French lady with a Coke, only tourists.
2. No snacking: I didn't see a French woman buy something for a snack nor did I see one eating one. I saw them eating their meals but nothing else.
3. Portion control: the meals that they did eat where smaller than the typical meal in North America. If they couldn't eat it all, they didn't stuff it down either. They just didn't eat it.
4. They don't eat that rich food every day: we assume that they do because it is France. Well, they don't. Treats like crème brûlée and other delicious pastries are a weekly treat and they are not huge portions either. The size of a crème brûlée in France compared to one in North America is much smaller. The same is true of croissants and almost everything else -- notably mille feuilles.
5. They don't eat fast: I'm serious--I eat slow. In France, my plate was gone before half of theirs was. They seemed to eat less than me too. They are not part of the "clean plate" club either, that is, finishing every morsel that was on the plate. If they can't eat it all, then they don't.
6. They eat real food: there was no processed food here. I am serious, there were no aisles of Mr. Noodles, Sidekicks and Kraft Dinner. I did see frozen French fries but I don't count that. Everywhere we went, there was fresh veggies, fruit and meat. There was some candy and pop in the grocery store but only the tourists bought it. The ladies were going around with baguettes, cheese, ham and lettuce. No preservatives, no nothing -- just the real food.
7. They walk to get to where they are going: unless they need to take the RER (metro) if it is too far, then they walk. They think nothing of walking around for awhile. They walk along the Seine and sit and relax for awhile. They walk to the market for a coffee, even if it is out of the way -- why not? Also, if they were not walking, they are biking. Or running. We saw lots of them getting a morning workout while we walked to the Louvre.
8. They are not on time: we North Americans seem to be very precise with our timing: if we say 9am, you need to be there at 8:45am and everyone understands that. No, not here. We find it frustrating but the French take their time, not your time.
9. They wear scarves before adding a coat or a sweater: why get out the heavy, puffy coat if the weather is 5 degrees colder? You'd be surprised how warm you are just by wrapping a pretty scarf around your neck.
10. They wear classics: the girls that I saw were wearing simple v-necks or sweaters (usually in two layers), jeans or pants and the scarf mentioned above. For coats, it was trench coats or pea coats. They were not covered in logos, patterns or screen-printed t-shirts. There was one patterned item (the scarf for example) which matched everything else they were wearing. They wear a lot of black knee-length boots too.
11. They are relaxed: if you haven't noticed by now, I've mentioned how they eat slow and walk everywhere. I saw ladies taking a stroll next to the Seine too - not just running it but also walking casually without a care in the world. I didn't see one stressed out French woman during my trips -- cashiers and tour guides included.
12. They drink wine: in addition to water, they drink wine. Good wine too and it's so cheap in France. They took their time while they drank it with friends.
13. They don't take photos of every little thing: us tourists, we were snapping away while they perused and looked around. They took the pictures that mattered and perhaps that is better. They spent more time enjoying what they were seeing then stressing about photographs. What, you think the only people at museums in Paris were tourists?
14. They do something in the evening: and that something usually requires walking or biking there. I don't think that they sit in front of the TV for hours on end.
15. They don't all wear French perfume -- or perfume at all: we assume that if the perfume is made in France, they must all wear it. Well, they don't. That doesn't mean that they smell bad but they smell like clean soap -- not overpowering. I stood behind enough of them to notice.
16. If you are in their way, they will tell you: oh yes, if you step out of line, you will know it. Some of them swear at you, some are polite and say pardon as they pass you. Some let loose a tirade as they pass you. 

Getting 5 per day

I am on a mission to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Perhaps you are too? Well, I did some research with the help of the Nutrition Diva and her podcast on how to get 5 per day. Here is a sample menu from what I could come up with:

5 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper.

Well, that was easy, wasn't it? I have to admit though: I am an overachiever. The Canada food pyramid recommends that you get 4-5 servings of vegetables and 3-4 servings of fruit per day which puts you at 7-9 servings per day. That seems like a lot but let's add that up:

7-9 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Add 1/2 cup thawed, cooked spinach to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp feta cheese.
• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.
• Have a fruit salad for dessert with 2 tbsp Greek honey yogurt.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 2 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper. This could be mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms, or a vegetable stir-fry on the side.
• Have a tropical fruit salad for dessert (kiwi, mango, pineapple) with honey-lime dressing.

Hmmm, that wasn't very hard either. But that's only one day. We can't all eat that one meal plan every day, can we? We need some variety. What are some other ideas?

Creating Variety

Breakfast: 

Fruit:

• Have a yogurt parfait with 1 cut peach and 1/2 cup blueberries and yogurt. Try also 1 cup varied berries or just one fruit that you really like.
• Try 1 sliced banana and peanut butter on whole grain toast. If you don't like the peanut butter and banana combination, try Nutella or another kind of nut butter like almond or cashew butter.
• Have an orange, clementine or mandarin on the side.
• Have half a grapefruit on the side. You could even broil it with some sugar and cinnamon in this recipe.
• Make a fruit syrup and add to pancakes with some fruit. For example, make a maple blueberry syrup served with fresh blueberries on (or in) the pancakes.
• Have a 1 cup serving 100% fruit juice like apple, orange, grape or grapefruit.

Vegetables:

• Make an omelet with 1 cup chopped vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, onions or leeks.
• Have a side of sauteed vegetables with breakfast (mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc.). I am very fond of mushrooms on the side.
• Add 1/2 cup salsa to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese. I could eat this every day!
• Make a breakfast casserole like this one or this one.

Snacks:

Fruit:

• Have a serving of whole fruit (apple, orange, banana, grapes, kiwi, etc.)
• Have a fruit salad.
• Try one of the above breakfast options.
• Have a serving of dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, kiwi, pineapple of blueberries. These usually have added sugar though and more calories.
• Try a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit and no added sugar.

Vegetables:

• Have a 1 cup serving of vegetable sticks (zucchini, celery, carrots, cucumber, etc.) with 2 tbsp of your favorite dip.
• Have a 1 cup serving of fresh, whole vegetables like cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas or radish slices.
• Have a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad like a Greek pepper salad, apple-beet salad, or carrot salad.  

Lunch:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit. 
• Have a slice of fruit pie that is low in sugar.
• Add 1 serving of fruit to your spinach or garden salad.
• If it's summer, try grilling the fruit before having it for dessert or adding it to the meal.

Vegetables:

• Add a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad to your lunch. This could be a marinated vegetable salad or a green salad with veggie toppings.
• Add a 1 or 2 cup serving of vegetable soup to your lunch. Bonus points of that soup is a pureed vegetable soup from home.
• Have 1 cup of leftover veggies from last night to heat up. 
• Have cut raw veggies and dip on the side.

Supper:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit.
• Try a fruit crisp for dessert.
• Try a whole-fruit pie for dessert (cherry, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb, pumpkin, etc.). Perhaps it's a good idea though to cut down on the sugar and crust.
• Have a fruit sauce with your meal like applesauce on pork or a fruit salsa with chicken.
• Add fruit to your salad. 

Vegetables:

• Try any of the above options for vegetables.
• Switch a serving of the starch (pasta, potatoes, rice) with another serving of vegetables. If you are having spaghetti, try your sauce on spaghetti squash. Try roasted squash and peas on the side instead of mashed potatoes and peas. 
• Have a side salad with your meal. Reduce the portion of pasta that is served to have a salad on the side, for example, of serve a salad with steak. 
• Try roasting vegetables with salt, pepper and a spice of choice (like dried basil, oregano or cumin). 
• Try braising vegetables (like you do for a stew) in a thick chicken or beef broth and serve as is over meat.
• Try serving the meal with a side of cooked veggies and a side of raw veggies, like cooked peas and raw carrots with chicken or steak.

10 Modern Habits I Want to Stop

I have been thinking a lot lately about older generations versus our generation. We seem to be lazy and addicted to technology versus past generations that worked 16 hour days (mom, dad and child in some cases) to make enough money to run a house. I’m not going to work 16 hour days but I think that I am guilty of some lazy habits that I don’t necessarily need.

1.   Watching TV while playing on the computer: I really am doing something important on the computer. Really. But, why is the TV on while I do it? I don’t know. Maybe if I turn it off I won’t notice any difference in my habits.

2.   Listening to my iPod 24/7: I am completely guilty of listening to my iPod on the bus and at work – all day. That’s an average of 9-10 hours per day. I plan on using it on the bus but trying to wean myself off of it at work.

3.   Not eating at the table: Once I hit university, I ate supper wherever I was sitting. This could have been at my desk while studying or in front of the TV. We really have to eat at the table – with no TV in the background as well.

4.   Drinking sugary beverages: I too am guilty of drinking WAY too much pop. I have been drinking water instead of these sugary beverages and I have already lost 10 lbs (bonus!). I feel better too. It’s strange to say that I could have been addicted to these drinks, but I think after awhile this is true.

5.   Texting during the day: I have to admit, I don’t text much. I prefer one action-packed phone call to texting back and forth. If I text, it will be a short message like “bus stuck in traffic, will be late” that I don’t want to get on the phone for.

6.   Complaining about traffic: I think that it’s stupid to complain about traffic because I made the choice to go home during rush hour. I actually adjusted my work schedule so that I only hit the beginning of rush hour but still, traffic builds up on Mackenzie King Bridge. However, there is one ultimate truth when it comes to traffic – complaining about it won’t make it go faster.

7.   Taking work home with me: this is one that I thought would never happen – that is, until I started really caring about work. I enjoy my work and my workplace. But, I have to implement one absolute rule: work is at work, work ends at the same time every day, and home is at home.

8.   Being overweight: I am guilty of this and I admit that I am not the size that I would like to be but I am comfortable with where I am. I really should lose weight though and I have to make better friends with our treadmill. It’s not a question of if I want to or not, it’s a question of my long-term health and the habits that I want to carry on to my children.

9.   Making excuses and procrastinating: if you think about, this has always existed but in the past generations, work got done or you didn’t get paid or you didn’t eat. Our generation tends to take on more work whether we can do it or not then we procrastinate when it comes time to get it done. This year, I am trying a new goal: get things done. Now.

10. Everything is disposable: at least, it seems that way. Our landfills are not thanking us for this habit so this year I have waged war on disposable waste. This means changing my mind about certain things (ex. Tissues versus. Cloth napkins) but it is working.

How I lost 55 lbs

So, as I mentioned in my post about remodeling a Bridesmaid's dress, I have lost 55 lbs over the past few years. This seems to be a hot topic with everyone so I decided to share how I did it.

It actually happened in phases over a few years. I had to make gradual changes that would stick then I built on them.

Phase 1

• Realize that I have to lose weight.
• Stop buying junk that I don't need to eat: pop, candy, chips, etc.
• Eat a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Stop snacking. Ask myself if I am really hungry.
• Drink water instead of pop.

After phase 1, I lost nearly 30 pounds. It happened VERY quickly, that is, over the span of 5 months or so. It felt like I had done nothing yet I was loosing weight which was great. Then, when the scale started to plateau, I made the next set of changes:

Phase 2

• Start a walk/run program on a treadmill for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week.
• Start lifting light weights.
• Eat more vegetables.
• Eat more protein and less carbs (so pasta nights are only on Fridays and no other time during the week). This means that leftover chicken dipped in BBQ sauce becomes a snack instead of crackers, bread or leftover rice.
• Monitor my sugar intake.
• Stop emotional eating. If I am sad or angry about something, write it down or listen to music instead of eating.
• Continue doing everything else above, most notably drinking more water.

After phase 2, the scale started moving again and I lost 25 pounds within a year. Not only that, but my clothes seemed to fit differently now. The scale wasn't moving quite as fast but my clothes were loose. I couldn't figure it out until I realized that I had gained muscle from the walk/run program on the treadmill. It took so long for this phase because my weight seemed to go up and down so I had to constantly lose 5 pounds that I had put on during holidays or trips. Now I am working on phase 3.

Phase 3

• Do a walk/run program for 45 minutes, 3 times per week, until I can run for 30-45 minutes at a time. 
• Do a calisthenics workout (mine is on our Wii) for 40 minutes, 2 times per week.
• Walk to locations whenever possible. For me, this means taking the bus less, walking home from the bus stop every day and walking to and from the grocery store.
• Eat more vegetables and less carbs. So, instead of mashed potatoes with supper, eat two vegetables instead.
• Eat fruit or other real food for snacks and desserts.
• Phase into Clean Eating so that each snack has protein and/or fibre. I really like their menus.
• Again, continue doing everything else including drinking more water.

With these steps, I hope to loose another 20 pounds. That would be the weight that I have been carrying since high school and I don't know how successful I will be as I can already feel my ribs right now. But, if I only end up losing 10 pounds I can continue living like this and I know that this is a healthy lifestyle.

25 Easy Vegetable Sides

These are some of my favorite fast vegetable sides on the planet. The inspiration from here might have come from magazines or cooking shows but I have tested it all and it's great!

1. Heat up a skillet with a little oil. When warm, add some chopped bacon. Stir fry until crisping up, drain off a little fat if desired. Add chopped cleaned broccoli and stir fry until broccoli becomes bright green. Serve with rice. This can be done with green beans, Brussels sprouts, chopped nappa cabbage, peas or spinach as well.
2. Chop 3 onions into thin slices and a box of mushrooms into quarters. Add to a warm skillet with a little oil and sauté down until reduced in size by half, about 15 to 20 min. Add as a side to steak and rice, or potatoes.
3. Take four onions. Peel off the skin, cut off the hairy ends. Set all four onions (whole) in a purex baking dish. Brush with BBQ sauce then roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, or until soft. Serve with steak or grilled chicken.
4. Clean off three large potatoes (peel if desired). Cut into wedges (or thinner for fries). Toss in a bowl with a little oil and a variety of spices, from chili powder to thyme and basil. Add salt and pepper. Lay in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 min, shaking and stirring at least once, until golden brown.
5. Sliver some cabbage and add to a warm skillet with a little oil. Stir fry and add some hot sauce. This only takes five mins at the most, when the cabbage is limp, it’s done.
6. Sauté some slivered nappa cabbage in a hot skillet with a little rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce or soy sauce until done (about 15-20 minutes).
7. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Cut an acorn squash in half, clean out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add spoonfuls of applesauce. Add a little cheez whiz or grated cheese on top if desired. Roast covered with aluminum foil for 45 min to an hour, or until soft with pierced with a fork.
8. Peel and chop a cucumber into rounds and add to a bowl. In a separate bowl, add some miracle whip, a little vinegar and a little sugar, enough to create a watery sauce. Season with salt and pepper, let set for at least 6 hours before serving.
9. Cut a butternut squash in half. Peel with a vegetable peeler (it’s easier) and scoop out seeds. Add flesh to a roasting dish. Toss with a little oil, salt, pepper and roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender, about 30-45 min. When done, toss with a chopped fresh herb before serving, like basil or coriander. This is great with potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams as well.
10. Chop up some fresh, cleaned spinach and add to a saute pan on medium. Add a little chicken stock if necessary and saute until the spinach has wilted. Toss with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and serve.
11. Chop up some peeled carrot and peeled turnip. Add to a pot and simmer with enough chicken stock to cover with a little extra. Add a clove of peeled garlic too. Once fork tender, purée in a blender and season if necessary.
12. Clean four hot house tomatoes. Finely chop up some onions, bacon, mushrooms and green pepper and add to a skillet to reduce it down. In another bowl, mix some of your fav shredded cheese with some bread crumbs of finely chopped nuts. While the onion mixture is reducing, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and gut them so that you can stuff them. Once the onion mixture is ready, stuff the tomatoes and top with the cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the bread crumbs and cheese are golden brown.
13. Open two cans of sliced beets and drain. Cube on a chopping board. On a separate board, chop up pieces of bacon or pancetta. Heat up a skillet, add the bacon or pancetta first and let it cook down. Once browned, add the chopped beets and sauté. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and a dash of chopped rosemary. Serve once all is tender and the bacon is crisp.
14. Chop and clean some fresh spinach and slice a box of mushrooms and an onion. Add onion to a saute pan on medium and saute for two minutes then add the mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms shrink then add the spinach. Saute until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. This is also great with spicy cooked shrimp served on top.
15. Cook some frozen peas in water until they are done, usually 5 min after the boiling point. Drain and toss with some sour cream and freshly chopped mint or coriander. This also works great with green beans, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
16. Clean off four large portobella mushrooms with a paper towel and remove the stem. Meanwhile, chop up two Italian tomatoes, some black olives, some fresh spinach and some feta cheese. Add all of these ingredients to a bowl and toss with fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts. Stuff mixture into mushroom cavity, bake in preheated 375 oven until the top is brown and the mushrooms have shrunken a little in size, about 20 minutes.
17. Chop off the frizzy top of a fennel and the stump off the bottom. Slice in half, then cut into ½” slices. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up a skillet and spray with Pam or add butter to melt down. When hot, place in the slices of fennel in one layer and let sear down. This takes about 6 min per side and it’s done once the core of the fennel is softened.
18. Chop off the hairy end and dark green parts of the leek. Clean, half and chop into small pieces. Clean and chop up some mushrooms and an onion. Sauté in a warm pan with a little oil, first the onion, the leek then the mushrooms until all is softened. Meanwhile, place dethawed pastry tartlets in a muffin tin. Place leek mixture into tartlets by the spoonful, not too full. Add a little cream to each tart and cover with a little grated cheese; bake in a preheated 375 oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly.
19. Peel or clean a cucumber. Slice into rounds, not too thick or thin. On the cutting board, season each side with salt and pepper. Arrange cucumber rounds onto a plate and eat as a veggie side.
20. Clean a head of collard greens and cut the stems off. Add to a pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce and boil for another 5 minutes or until the leaves have wilted. Drain and toss with salt and pepper. Serve.
21. Preheat the oven to 375. Clean and chop the ends off of two small zucchinis. Slice in half and slice a little bit off of the skin on the bottom so that it sits upright with the cut end facing you. Salt and pepper the top. Crumb some feta or goat cheese and add on top of the zucchini halves, add a dash of hot red pepper flakes if you like. Place in a square baking dish and bake until soft and the cheese is a little golden, about 10-15 min. Serve on the side.
22. Take a ripened avocado and slice in half, twist apart. With a quick thrust with the bottom edge butchers knife, hit the pit, turn to the side and pull it out. Use a spoon and go around the entire edge of the avocado to scoop it from the skin. On a cutting board, chop it up into cubes and put into a small dish. Quickly douse it with the fresh juice from one lime. Add salt and pepper and some freshly chopped coriander, toss together for a side salad.
23. Peel and chop up 2 or 3 large potatoes, 2 or 3 large carrots, 2 parsnips and half of a turnip. Add to a pot with enough chicken stock or vegetable stock to cover (Or, mix the stock with water so that you don’t use so much of it). Boil and cook until fork tender, like normal with potatoes, but make sure that it’s the turnip that’s cooked. Once done, drain off some of the stock, using some for natural liquid when mashing. Add pepper or more salt if desired, perhaps a little sour cream if you want. Serve on the side.
24. Clean 2 heads of fresh broccoli and pull the leaves off. Chop up the stems then the heads into slivers and add to a bowl. Julienne a peeled carrot and 1/2 peeled, seeded cucumber and add to the bowl. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp liquid honey and 2 tbsp wine vinegar and stir together with a fork. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and 2 pinches of paprika, combine again then pour over the broccoli slaw. Mix together then serve.
25. Open 2 cans of beets and drain, add to a medium-sized bowl. Core and chop up two large Granny Smith apples and add to the beets. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp liquid honey with a fork. Add to beet mixture and toss together. Let sit for a few hours or overnight.