HUGE NEWS!

I am trying out for the Roller Derby this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Workshops start next week with tryouts on the 23rd!  I am so freakin' excited, nervous, scared, and excited!  Oops, I said excited twice.  Well, I am that much!

Awe!!!!!!!!!!!

This is totally off topic, but I just had to share the latest picture of the 4 adorable kittens my stray kitty had.  They are only 4 days old and look how cute they are already.

One with his paw over the others shoulder, and 2 curled up into each others bellies.  So adorable!  And can I just say how it looks like momma had triplets plus one? 

I have not named them and am trying to keep my distance and not cuddle too much so as to not get too attached.  Someone please adopt that black and white one.  I am getting too attached to him!  I want to be able to see him as he grows up!

Check out this steal of a deal!

OKay, I am not a size 12 yet, but I will be soon enough.  I have gone from an 18/20 to a 16 in a month and a half.  Plus, with my new gym membership and motivation to get in shape to be a roller derby girl, it will be soon enough!    This is a great work into dress.  My sister is even motivated to work down to it as well, and I rarely see her in a dress.  Originally $129, marked down to $79.99, final price $5.34 with tax.  Yep, you read that right.  It was on sale for $4.99!  Gotta love good bargains!

I lost .8 this week.  I had the most tasty and enjoyable weekend.  My meal Saturday night may have kept me from losing more, but I lost and I enjoyed every bite!  I went to see the Indigo Girls in Bloomington, IN, and I ate at Roots before.  Roots is a wonderful local foods vegan/vegetarian restaurant.  It was so freeing to walk into a restaurant where I knew I could order anything I wanted and didn't have to pick from a few limited items with modifications.  My friend and I split the appetizer sampler platter which was all fried foods.  The breaded and fried seitan was awesome, as were the sauces that came with the appetizer platter.  We left food on it. 

Dinner was polenta with local farmer's cheese and homemade chunky marinara.  My friend ordered the Tofu in Peanut Sauce.  We got extra plates and shared the deliciousness.  OMG!  So delish!  She ordered the curried sweet potato soup that was amazing as well.  I sipped an ABC, Apple, Beet, Carrot juice.  The only regret, I would have ordered ginger in my juice.  Other than that, I have no regrets about this meal!  Well, that and I didn't have enough points of stomach space to eat more.  You know, the amazing thing was I wasn't stuffed.  I would say I was full, but we walked to the concert around the corner and I wasn't uncomfortable at all.  I was even hungry after singing and dancing to the Girls!  So, by leaving food, not cleaning my plate, getting some activity, and indulging appropriately, I lost weight!

I am .3 pounds from my first 5% goal.  Whatdya think?  Will my post next week say I did?  I think so!

If you are in the Indianapolis area, check out Livrite Fitness.  I just joined this week and I am loving it.  It is $1 to join right now and you get a free month for a friend.  Pool, sauna, cardio equipment, classes...I will be at basic yoga Mon and Wed nights whenever I can.  I was given a great rate and I am glad I made the decision to join.  The first night, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical.  I was drenched.  Last night, I was only able to do 15 but I didn't give up.  I did another 15 on the recumbent bike.  I have said for years, I have arthritis in my knees.  I can't do bikes.  My knees never hurt and don't today.  My muscles are awake and alive and it feels good.

I also welcomed new life into mine.  My stray kitty had her babies!  They are sooooooo cute.  4 little ones came into this world yesterday.  Here they are.  And they are looking for homes in about 6-8 weeks!

Have a great week and remember, Sprout something (seeds or seeds of change)!

Happy Earth Day!!!!!! A little scattered today...

Yippee! I lost another 1.2 pounds, for a total of 10.4 in 6 weeks!

I increased my activity and did more yard work this week. Sadly, my yoga routine has suffered slightly this week. Monday I tried a yoga dvd from Netflix, and I didn’t like it. It was 45 minutes and it was hard, but I wasn’t impressed. Tuesday was the Crane episode of Namaste Yoga. I saw the description and said to myself, “Yeah right!” Last night was Weight Watchers night, so no yoga. I have been walking at lunch every day, sometimes only 15 minutes but it all adds up! I have cut our grass twice and my parent’s front yard (about half of a large yard). Today, 17 minutes walk at lunch, walk with a friend after work around a local park, and yoga at 6. I am even going to transplant a couple small Rose of Sharons tonight.




I have noticed 2 things today. I am in a foul mood. Lots of drivers were honking me off this morning. Hee hee, get it, honking me off! I kill myself. And my knees are sore. I know this is because I haven’t had my Namaste Yoga fix this week. I am not sore from walking, I am sore from not doing gentle, peaceful yoga moves. My knees and body need yoga. My mind and soul need yoga. I have been hungrier the last few days, and the urges have called to me more than in the past 6 weeks. I need yoga! So, looking at the Fit TV website, I am so happy to see this is the program airing tonight at 6 pm:

Earth


TV-G, CC






Earth series begins kneeling and continues with floor poses that are both gentle and invigorating. This series builds core strength and spinal flexibility and is a slow gentle sequence appropriate for all practitioners.



Ahhhhhhhhhh, sounds beautiful! After 2 walks and a few days absence this will feel amazing.



On another note, that stroganoff is kickass after a couple days! I was holding my little Ziploc container trying to get the last bite onto my spoon and it slipped out of my hand. I lost the last bite! I am heartbroken. I didn’t add any salt since I used the broth and canned soup. It could have used a little but the mushrooms were nice and soft and the taste was delicious! Try it! You will like it! Soooooo yummy. I love when I taste food, especially something I have created, and fall in love with it!



I watched Food, Inc. last night. It was heartbreaking. Parts of it I wish I had never seen, but it made me so happy for having been a vegetarian for 6 and a half years. In 5 days it will be 6.5 years exactly. Those poor animals, and workers that have to do such dastardly things. I was bawling, loudly, and heaving in certain parts, especially the Smithfield footage. Seeing this makes me grateful for all the animals I have saved, and the animals all my veggie friends have saved. May many more realize that factory farming is hideous and insidious. Please consider going more meatless if you aren’t veggie. Please remember that what you see in the store has a story and that story includes much pain and suffering.



Okay, off my soapbox now!



Off to track my lunch which included a delicious salad of homegrown lettuce picked last night and locally grown radishes! It was delicious! I want more.

If you are looking for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to join this summer, please consider Seldom Seen Farm (http://www.seldomseenfarm.com/). I am mailing my contract this week! You can pick up your produce at many locations, including the Broad Ripple Farmers Market.

Recipe and Roller Derby! - Corrected

Use 1 T Veggie Worcestershire Sauce in the soup/milk mixture!

I had a hankering for some fatty, unhealthy stroganoff.  The healthy me won out, and I settled for a light version.  Here is what I created last night.  It was pretty good.

Veggie Stroganoff

Heat 3 t canola oil over medium heat.  Add in half of a large onion, chopped.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add 1 bag Quorn "meat" crumbles and continue cooking.  While this is cooking, make 1 cube of un-chicken broth in boiling water and slice 6 medium mushroom caps into small chunks.  (You can use canned broth if you like, I just happen to have the cubed kind you rehydrate).  Add the mushroom to the pan, stirring into the crumbles and onions.  Add the broth a bit at a time to keep from sticking.  Let it simmer in a bit of the broth to help soften the mushrooms.  Add in 1 can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup (make sure its vegetarian), dried oregano and basil to taste, a dash of paprika for a little color, and 6 roasted garlic cloves smushed (or however many you prefer - you can saute fresh with the onions if you don't have roasted cloves available).  Add about one half cup light soymilk to the soup to thin.  Cook until bubbly and warm, and all ingredients are married.  Add a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and salt if needed.  To finish, blend in 1/4 light sour cream.

I had 3 servings as an end result, could very well be 4.  Heck, you could get 6 servings if not that hungry.  It would be good over pasta, but I didn't have the pernts available for that.  My count, 15 pernts for the whole recipe.  I didn't count the mushrooms and onions.   I ate it plain, as is, last night.  Today I had this over steamed green beans and it was reminiscent of Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole.  Sure, it looks a little anemic, but stroganoff is supposed to look that way!

Here is an old video of the Tornado Sirens of the Naptown Roller Girls, my new idols!  Enjoy!  Four Leaf Cleaver and Touretta Lynn, both shown in interviews, are extremely nice women.  I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with both of them, both urging me try out.  Maybe in November.  It is definitely my motivation to work out and lose weight.  I will be a derby girl someday!  For now, I am happy to be a non-skating official.

http://www.wfyi.org/acrossIndiana/episodes.asp?season=-1949536321

Beet Salad

A couple beets got a little overcooked, but this was a delicious dinner. 

4 small beets, peeled, chopped in 8ths and roasted with salt and pepper in spray (I didn't use oil and so they were a little dry) - 400° until done.

Fresh lettuce from garden (green and red leaf) - rinsed and torn

Fresh pea shoots from windowsill, chopped

Sargento cheese, nut, and dried craisins mix

Honey Mustard Dressing (or your dressing of choice)

SO YUMMY AND DIVINE!

The scale is tipping, in a good way!

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you are enjoying this string of beautiful 80 degree days. Looks like the weather will change tomorrow, so get out and enjoy it today while it is dry and warm!

This morning, a friend asked my online group: “How do you balance life responsibilities with taking care of yourself?”

Here is my response: I actually experienced this last night. I got home for a brief stint after work. Fed the cats, let the dogs out which means walking them on a leash, fed the stray kitty, and then was able to change and do my things, like potty. I then left about 30 minutes later to go to Weight Watchers. Okay, that is me time.  I came home and had to let the dogs out again, entertain the dogs and kitties, clean the kitty litter, put the groceries away, clean out the fridge a bit, take out the trash, make something for dinner, unload the dishwasher and load it again…I finally said to the animals after I put the food away, give mommy 20 minutes so she can work out. Everything could wait 20 minutes. I could shelve my responsibilities for 20 minutes. I have a responsibility to myself to be healthy, and working out is part of that. If I had said, oh screw it, I would have felt guilty and remorseful, which could lead to eating, which could lead to not doing WW, which could lead to loads of unhappiness and weight gain. Yes, that one small moment could take me there. I knew it could, so I had to act on my desire. I am just grateful a silly workout dvd called to me and not Dairy Queen.

I lost another pound this week, for a total of 9.2 in 5 weeks! Total from last October, I am down 18 pounds. But, I look like I am down more than 18 pounds. My inches, which I didn’t measure, are telling a different story. Don’t get me wrong, 18 pounds is wonderful. But, when I have many more to lose, just focusing on the scale can get a little slow and the desire to berate myself can increase. So, as my WW leader taught us last night, it’s good to track other things. Thus, I think I will take my measurements. I hope I can find a tape measure. If not, I will track my exercise minutes and work to increase that.

My goal is to get to 30 pounds lost by 10/10/10. I am almost 33% there. So, did I set my goal too low or am I looking at a struggle once my weight loss slows down a bit? Who knows? I am not going to worry about it. If I pass 30 pounds, well then hot damn! If I don’t get there, I will have lost what I lost, lost inches and gained much athletic abilities. I cannot control the future, but I can work to change the outcomes ahead of me.

I am getting back into yoga tonight after missing it last night for WW. I am also going to do more. I want more exercise than yoga. I have some workout dvds in my Netflix queue, after I get another True Blood dvd, but for now I will do my Leslie Sansone. I think I will do the 30 minute dvd tonight. I can do that and then finish with the 30 minute Namaste Yoga on Fit Tv. Wow, I never ever thought I would be here. It feels good. I know I have to do this, number 1, to lose and keep my weight off. #2, to train to achieve my goal of being a derby girl. I may not ever tryout, and if I do, I may not make the team. I may decide I want to be a ref and that’s it. But, I do know I am to be a part of the derby, more than a spectator, and that I love to roller skate. I learned that Sunday. I am going Saturday at noon, I will be there when the doors open, or within a few minutes. I will skate for an hour to 2 hours. Then, I get to come home and shower and get ready to go to the last home bout of the Naptown Roller Girls! It will be sad, but it is a double header and it will be fun. They’ll be back. They aren’t going anywhere! And now I can take the $ for the monthly bout and put it towards roller skating practice.

Having goals is good. To reiterate what my WW leader said, be like Elmer Fudd. Find the rabbit twacks and search out your Bugs Bunny!

And as always, sprout something (seeds or seeds of change)!

Here's a yummy recipe from Vegetarian Times.  A friend made it and said you can cut the honey in half, they are very sweet!

Honey Braised Carrots

Veg Times
6 servings

6 large carrots, halved and cut into ¼” thick slices (4 cups)

2 medium shallots, sliced into thin rings (1/4 cup)

½ C honey

1 T cider vinegar

¼ C chopped fresh parsley

Place carrots and shallots in nonstick skillet, and heat over medium heat. Cook 2-4 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

Stir in honey, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Partially cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Uncover, stir in the vinegar, and increase the heat to medium-high.

Cook 2 minutes more. Stir in parsley, and serve.

¾ C serving = 126 cal, less than 1 g fat, 3 g fiber