Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Quick Summer Meal

Some days, I come home from work absolutely starving! When I get finally get home, there is the urge to just eat PB&Js every night. But then I realized that I'd like to consume a meal that wasn't in the lunch box of every summer camper under the age of 5.

Enter the quick and easy veggie meal.

TA DA!


Isn't it pretty? It's also quick and easy....just the way I like my women!

I'm not sure there's really anything else to say besides EAT THIS NOW!


Zucchini Pancakes with Sauteed Sweet Corn

by Bonnie Graham
Keywords: entree snack vegetarian zucchini corn





Ingredients (8 - 10 medium-sized pancakes)
  • 1 large zucchini, shredded*
  • 1 large red onion, divided in half*
  • 1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese (can also use Parmesan)*
  • 1/2 - 3/4 c whole wheat flour (depends on consistency)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 c seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • splash of milk
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 ear of corn, kernels removed from cob*
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Grate half of the red onion and chop the other half.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients with the exception of the chopped onion, corn kernels, and red pepper flakes.
3. Combine pancake mixture well, adding more flour to soak up any additional liquid the zucchini may give off.
4. Heat two pans with olive oil. In one pan, add the red onion with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft and starting to brown. Once browned, add corn and red pepper flakes. Season again to taste. Let corn saute.
5. In the second pan, heat up or spray with olive oil. Use a 1/4 cup measure, add pancake batter to the pan, being sure to flatten slightly with the edge of your cup. Do not crowd the pan! Only three to four pancakes at a time.
6. Allow pancakes to cook for a minute or two until bottom is firm. Flip and brown on the other side.
7. Serve pancakes topped with corn or applesauce or (the way Jerry likes it) with everything in your fridge.
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*denotes that these items are locally produced

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Official Weigh-In

It's official. I weigh the most now then I have in the last three years. And I'm definitely feeling the difference in my body. Hello rubbing thighs. So nice of you to show up in this 90 degree heat!

I know what you're thinking, "What happen to this countdown for Spain, where you were supposed to be losing weight, Bonnie?"

Well, for a while there, it looked like our trip to Spain wasn't going to happen. With Jerry being out of work and us not knowing if we would make the next rent payment, all planning for Spain had come to a halt, including my great plan to lose weight to feel comfortable exposing my tata's on Europe's topless beaches. I think my mom is a little relieved about that one.

Now that Jerry is back to work and it's looking more and more hopeful that our trip to Spain is happening, I need to get back into Tata Exposin' shape! Our recent trip to Virginia definitely took me far off track, where at least 15 meals a day were consumed and exercise was significantly reduced.

That being said, I think I need a little bit of a jump start, which is why I've decided to do another detox. I'm not sure if it'll be for a whole month like my last one, but definitely at least a week or two.

I imagine that a detox won't be too hard since I'm in love with all fresh produce and have been eating salads at almost every meal anyway. Some of the rules of the detox are to definitely cut out all processed and refined sugars and definitely, definitely, definitely the use of portion control. No seconds at meals. No desserts. Nothing!

Plus, a return to the gym with a focus on yoga and HIIT (high intensity interval training) is certainly in-store.

Of course, with any great diet and exercise plan, it will start on Monday. Not today. Because today...I have some eatin' to do! :)

Friday, July 27, 2012

"Fun" Food

Do you have "fun" foods in your kitchen? The foods that you tend to eat first because there's something more appealing about them. It's like eating all of the flavored yogurts before getting to the vanilla one. Choosing the BBQ chips over regular plain. Who wants to eat plain chips?! Using strawberry jam before the boring grape jelly. You know what I'm talking about.

With Jerry home for the last few weeks, our "fun" foods have been disappearing much more quickly then usual. Because of the never-ending (but now over) ConEd lockout, Jerry has been eating at home more. Which is probably great for his health. Not so great for our food supply.

Because I've really been trying to hold myself to that weekly grocery budget of $50, I've stopped myself from running to the grocery store every time we are low on "fun" foods. Which means I've needed to get slightly more creative with some of the basics in our fridge and pantry.


Usually, I pack myself a lunch every day and never leave the house without eating breakfast first. When I realized that we were out of salad fixin's and I had maxed on PB&J, I decided to make myself a frittata with whatever veggies were in my fridge. It turned out to be pretty damn yummy and quite packable for lunch!

For me, I realize that I prefer my frittatas slightly undercooked. If you prefer to have your eggs more stiff, then leave under the broiler for a few minutes longer.

Veggie Frittata for One

by Bonnie Graham
Keywords: breakfast entree eggs corn spinach smoked paprika





Ingredients (1 7' inch frittata)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/3 c fresh or frozen corn kernals
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 handful of baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp ricotta cheese (or preferred cheese)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and peper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat broiler to low tempature. Then, heat omelet pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil.
2. Add chopped onions to pan and saute for a few minutes
3. Meanwhile, beat eggs with tbsp of water until frothy. Add smoked paprika.
4. Add corn and spinach to hot pan. Saute a few minutes longer.
5. Pour eggs into pan. Add salt and pepper.
6. Using a spatula, move the eggs along as you would at the beginning of scramble eggs, but do not scramble them.
7. Let eggs cook for a few minutes until the sides begin to set.
8. Drop pieces of ricotta along the top of the frittata. Place under broiler until desired consistency in reached.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Dirty Veggies, Part 5

So close to budget this week. That damn friggin' quarter!


This week's roundup:
1 zucchini - $1.00
2 white peppers - $.75 (White peppers?! I know!)
1 head red leaf lettuce - $1.50
1 bunch fresh onions - $2.00
6 peaches - $2.50
6 tomatoes - $2.50
Total: $10.25

I had a 19-year client come into my office today and announce that it smelled like potato salad.

"Oh, it's just my fresh onions that I bought today at the local farmer's market. I also have tomatoes and peaches and look! White peppers. Aren't those cool?"

He wasn't impressed.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Road Trippin'

During the summer, Jerry and I seem to find ourselves in the car for extended periods of time quite often. For the longer trips (2 hours or more), I like to pack snacks. The problem with packing snacks is that we're gigantic fat kids who both have a mild case of ADHD.

Sitting for extended periods of time is not something that is easy for either one us. At one time, I could happily sit on my ass for hours, watching bad reality tv marathons (you know the Housewives of New Jersey has sucked you in too!). But not anymore. And being in the car is even worse! What are we suppose to do for 3 to 4 hours at a time? Talk to each other?! Yeah. Sure.

Instead, we eat. We eat well past the point of being full. We eat until we complain about eating....and then we eat some more. We put the bag of snacks "far away" in the backseat. Only for me to climb over to retrieve the forbidden bag less then an hour later.

For one of our road trips to Virginia, I packed:
  • 2 sandwiches (one of each of us)
  • TJ's reduced guilt popcorn
  • TJ's sweet and salty trail mix (so good)
  • TJ's carmel corn (can you tell I have a Trader Joe's obsession?)
  • Dried snap peas
  • Box of black licorice (for Jerry)
  • Kashi granola bars
  • Reduced sugar dark chocolate (which I didn't realize had the ingredient that makes you crap your pants until I had already eaten half the bar)
  • Fruit leathers
We seriously had to cut ourselves off. Especially me! While Jerry just feels gross and bloated, I end up with a 300(!) blood sugar because I can only take so much insulin to cover 8 straight hours of eating!

For a recent road trip, I planned things out much better. Instead of large bags of food, I brought individual bags of snacks and opted for even more healthy treats that 1) weren't be as appealing and 2) wouldn't severely impact my blood sugar. These treats include:
  • Fiberful Fruit Leathers
  • TJ's snack-sized bag of kettle corn
  • Kashi granola bars
  • 2 types of seaweed snacks (for Jerry)
  • Baby carrots (good for the ol' blood sugar)
  • Trail Mix Snack Cookies (need something naughty)

Why bring snacks at all, you might ask? Because you really can't call it a road trip without snacks. Seriously. Check wikipedia. It's there. Because of my expert snack packing, Jerry and I were able to control ourselves, thus giving us more room to be disgusting oinkers and gorge ourselves for the rest of the weekend. Awesome.

Trail Mix "Cookies"

by Bonnie Graham
Cook Time: 14 - 16 minutes
Keywords: bake breakfast snack vegetarian coconut oil nuts oats





Ingredients (12 large cookies)
  • 1 c oat flour
  • 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (or ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg)
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 2 packets Truvia (or 4 tsp sugar)
  • 1 ½ tbsp ground chia seeds (or 2 tbsp flax meal)
  • ¼ c unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • ¼ c maple syrup
  • 1 – 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ c apple sauce
  • 1/3 c almonds, lightly chopped
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ c dried cranberries or other dried fruit
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a blender, food processor, or magic bullet, grind oats into a flour followed by grinding chia seeds (or flax seeds).
3. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl, with the exception of the coconut, seeds, and nuts, and mix to combine.
4. Add all wet ingredients to the bowl. Mix well to combine.
5. Add coconut, nuts, seeds, cats.....just wanted to see if you were paying attention...to the bowl.
6. Scoop hefty sized scoops of dough and place them on your baking sheet. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes or until lightly browned.
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Dirty Veggies, Part 4

You'll be excited to hear that, this week, I almost stayed within budget. Almost. I'm over by just a quarter. You can't fault me on a quarter!

This week's market shopping was a little different then usual. First, I had a recipe in mind, so some selections were based on that. Second, Jerry and I are going to Virginia for a long weekend, which means we won't be home. In an effort to not waste food, I bought things that would either survive the weekend or be taken with us for snackin' on our long drive to VA.


This week's roundup:
2 cucumbers - $.50
1 bunch of golden beets - $1.50
1 bulb of garlic - $1.25
1 bunch of parsley - $1.00
1 bunch of scallions - $1.50
6 tomatoes - $2.50
6 plums - $2.00
Total: $10.25

Not too shabby!

Recipe to come soon.

Can you guess what it might be? Is the suspense killing you?!?!?

Monday, July 16, 2012

Hunger Games

Apparently, when Jerry is unemployed, it turns into the Hunger Games over here! We've been foraging for our meals! I'm just waiting for my bow and arrows to arrive in the mail.

Yes. That is Jerry eating leaves off a plant.
Truth be told, foraging is actually something that we have had an interest in exploring for quite some time. I can't say it's an interest we share 100%, but still. I'll give you two guesses who is the more interested party of the two of us.

And again, eating what looks like dried grass, but is actually garlic seeds.
We signed up for a Foraging Tour in Inwood Park this past weekend with "Wildman" Steve Brill. Who referred to himself as "Wildman" Steve Brill every time he introduced himself. He was a character. But I guess you would have to be to eat leaves and twigs in your local park.

Overall, it was a really interesting experience. We definitely walked away knowing a few more things we can eat at our local park (which isn't hard since prior knowledge was...oh...zero) and with bagfuls of "produce" for dinner.

"Wildman" Steve Brill
On our foraging adventure, we collected:

  • Burdock Root - a starchy root vegetable
  • Lamb's Quarters - a type of leaf similar in flavor to spinach
  • Sumac
  • Birch Branches
  • Field garlic seeds 
  • Gout weed (I think)
  • A variety of other greens that tasted good but couldn't tell you what they were
What we made:
  • Cream of Burdock Root Soup
  • Lamb's Quarters Two Ways - Sauteed with Garlic and Salad with Plums and Beets in a Walnut Dressing
  • Gout weed Pesto made with Field Garlic Seeds
  • Field Garlic Spice Rub for Swai (white fish)
  • Birch and Sumac Tea
I would share our recipes for this particular meal, but let's be honest. You're not going out and eating from your front yard.

But Jerry will if you invite us over for dinner. 


Cream of Burdock Root Soup

Goutweed Pesto on Swai, Sauteed Lamb's Quarter, and Lamb's Quarter Salad with Golden Beets and Plums
Lamb's Quarters with Plums and Beets in a Walnut Dressing

Friday, July 13, 2012

Almighty Chickpea, Part 2

For this next installment of way too many recipes including chickpeas, I take inspiration from my favorite falafel place, Mamoun's.

If you have never been to Mamoun's, get your ass on a plane, train, magic school bus, whatever, and get to one immediately.

Maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker. Maybe it's because Mamoun's reminds me of cutting school as an obnoxious adolescent, wandering in and out of the St. Mark's tattoo parlors and sex shops....umm, I mean bookstores. Hi Mom! Whatever it is Mamoun's. Is. Awesome.

As a teen, I never traveled any where without at least $10, maybe even $20 in my pocket! With a budget like that, a $2 falafel sandwich was probably all I could really afford.

Lucky for me, it just happens to be the best damn falafel sandwich I have ever eaten!

A Mamoun's has just opened up here in Jersey. Seeeeee! Some people do actually want to come to Jersey. Jerry and I were making it our weekly date place (big spenders) despite it not exactly being the healthiest (or most diabetic-friendly) meal.

I decided that with 14 tons of chickpeas in our fridge, I'd try to "health up" our falafel. Of course, this nothing in comparison to our beloved Mamoun's, but I try.




Baked Falafel Patties

by Bonnie Graham
Keywords: food processor side snack entree vegetarian beans cilantro tahini Mediterranean

Ingredients (7 -8 patties)
  • 1 1/2 c garbanzo beans
  • 1 small onion
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tspcoriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 - 3 tbsp whole wheat flour, depending on consistency
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add garlic cloves to food processor and process into smaller pieces.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor. Run processor, but leave the mixure fairly lumpy.
4. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten.
5. Place onto an oiled or parchment lined backing sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).
7. Serve with pita, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and hto sauce!
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Dirty Veggies, Part 3

I'm going to get the confession out of the way now.

I went over budget at this week's farmer's market. I can explain!

But first....let me distract you with my beautiful, dirty vegetables (and fruits!).


This week's roundup:
1 bunch of kale - $1
1 bunch of golden beets - $1.50
1 large zucchini - $1
6 NYS tomatoes - $2.25
6 local peaches - $2.25
1 large eggplant - $1.25
1 head red lettuce - $1.50
1 bunch of red onions - $2.00
Total: $12.75......$2.75 over budget.

I'm sure I could have put something back or worked my magic for a free head of lettuce, but even then, I'd still probably be over-budget. I just couldn't control myself. The deals were too good! The veggies just too awesome! A bunch of golden beets for $1.50? Come on! Locally grown peaches for $2.25? Do I need to show you the over-priced peaches you get in the supermarket?

That's not really a great explanation. Unless you're a total food dork like me and would rather buy produce over...just about anything else!

Plus, I've given myself a weekly grocery budget of $50. Since starting that budgeting goal, I haven't made my daily trips to multiple grocery stores ALL WEEK. Did you read that? ALL WEEK!

Granted, it's only Wednesday, but I'm hopeful. :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Almighty Chickpea!

I've been on a bit of a bean-buying kick.

Maybe it's my new love of the pressure cooker. Maybe it's because I want to see how many Whole Foods bags can fit into one cupboard. Or maybe I'm really just a sadist because I keep feeding Jerry tons of beans week after week!

Whatever the reason, I am definitely on a bean kick! However, after a certain point, one runs out of creative things to do on a daily basis with beans. Shocking, I know.

Well, not this time, my friends! I came armed with a crapton (excuse the expression) recipes to use up the dried chickpeas that sitting in my pantry.

No chickpea will go unused! I am like a Native American using every part of the animal! And you're going to reap the benefits with numerous, delicious chickpea recipes. I know you're excited!The first recipe that I will grace you will is the intersection of my "I can make that" philsophy and my obsession with all things hummus! Have I shared this obsession with you? When it comes to hummus, I just can't help myself! If there's hummus anywhere in my vicinity, you can bet that there's a gob of it on something I'm eating (or on my finger, depending on the day).

You can only imagine my delight when I saw that Trader Joe's is making a Hummus Salad Dressing. Hummus on my salad? Yes, please! I was so excited I dropped that bottle in my cart and went on my merry with chickpeas dancing in my head. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I paid $2.99 for what is essentially thinned out hummus. What?!? I know!

Well, take that Trader Joe's! I'm makin' my own hummus salad dressing! Grrr...



Knock-off Hummus Salad Dressing

by Bonnie Graham
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Keywords: sauce vegetarian beans tahini smoked paprika




Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 2 - 3 tbsp water (depending on desired consistency)
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a blender, puree until smooth.
2. Season to taste with additional salt/pepper if desired.
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Sunday, July 8, 2012

Muffinhole

After college, I went through a blueberry muffin phase. Every Sunday, I'd wake up and make a dozen blueberry muffins that were meant to be my breakfast for the coming week.

They usually didn't last past Tuesday morning.

How often to you make a dozen muffins, but don't actually want a dozen muffins? Then end up eating a dozen muffins because....you know, you just happen to have a dozen muffins! This is why I love the following recipe! If you have a bum pancreas (or a diet that doesn't include ingesting mass amounts of baked goods), this recipe is perfect for you. It's single serving sized!


Lately, I've been crushin' on lemon and blueberries (in addition to all my other recent food obsessions). And with having a fancy schmancy new dishwasher in my lovely new kitchen, the hassle of baking is no longer! Because usually when I bake, I end up with more dirty dishes than I do muffins. Now, I can pile all the dishes into the dishwasher while shoving blueberry muffin into my piemuffinhole!

Lemon-Blueberry Muffin For One

by Bonnie Graham
Keywords: bake bread breakfast snack berries lemon coconut oil


Ingredients (1 delicious muffin)
  • 3 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or whatever you have)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (or other light oil)
  • 1 packet Truvia or 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 2 tbsp blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Bake in a lightly greased ramekin or muffin tin for 17 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
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Thursday, July 5, 2012

To Carb or Not to Carb?

That is (most often) the question.

On my home from work the other night, as I sat in two hours of traffic because some jackhole in a tractor trailer decided to take on an overpass on the Bronx River Parkway, I thought about what I would make myself for dinner. I ran through the list of ingredients in our fridge, playing with the different, satisfying combinations that could be my meal. I remembered that we had flour tortillas.

Hmm...flour tortillas, flour tortillas....I can make a burrito! Yes, a veggie/bean burrito with sour cream and melted cheddar cheese. Sold, my friends!

Then, the question that almost always comes next...how well did I eat today and is it worth the carbs?

Sometimes, yes, it really is worth the carbs. That piece of cake? That cup of fro-yo? Definitely worth it.
That whole wheat and flax tortilla? Meh, not so much.

Having already decided on a Mexican-American style meal, I needed to re-group....focus...plan out my other options. Making dinner is serious business in these parts! That's when I decided on the Burrito Bowl Salad. Basically, I was taking everything that I would have stuffed into my burrito, tossed it into a bowl, and ate it with a fork instead of my grubby, little hands.

It worked out quite well. No additional insulin required. Yay me!



Burrito Bowl Salad

by Bonnie Graham
Keywords: salad vegetarian beans tempeh tomato



Ingredients (1 big-ass salad)
  • 1 1/2 c black beans
  • 1 c fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 c red scallions, sliced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1/2 c low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
  • handful of mint (or cilantro or parsley), chopped
  • 1/2 package of tempeh, sliced into 1/4' pieces
  • 3 tbsp of taco seasoning, divided (preferred Trader Joe's)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 c sour cream
Instructions
1. Toss your sliced tempeh with a little bit of oil and 2 tbsp of taco seasoning, or enough to coat. Heat frying pan over medium heat and add tempeh slices.
2. Toss all ingredients, except for the remaining taco seasoning and sour cream, into a bowl.
3. Pan fry tempeh until a light golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream and remaining taco seasoning. Use this as your dressing.
5. Add cooled tempeh and enjoy your "burrito."

* Indicates that produce was grown locally throughout NY, NJ, and PA.
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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Dirty Veggies, Part 2

I felt so sad when I realized that I wasn't going to partake in my weekly farmer's market shopping due to the 4th of July. Forlorn, I accepted that I might have to buy...big sigh...clean vegetables....from the supermarket.

That was until my sister called to tell me that White Plains was having its farmer's market today instead of tomorrow. As though I had just been given the day off, I skipped out to my car and headed down to the market.


This week's rundown:
2 cucumbers - $1.00
1 zucchini - $1.25
5 vine-ripened tomatoes - $3.25
1 head of Tuscan kale - $2.00
1 bunch of (5) red onions - $2.00
1 large piece of ginger - $.75 - which probably isn't local
Bonus: 1 head of red leaf lettuce - $1.50
Total: $10.25...minus the Bonus Lettuce!

Here's the deal with the Bonus Lettuce. Sticking with a strict budget of $10, I do not go to the farmer's market with more then $11 and some change in pocket to avoid any impulse buying. However, I'm not great at calculating how much a purchase will be until I'm already over budget. I'm a social worker, not a mathematician.

As I stood, tallying my purchase in my head, I realized I was $1 over budget. The farmer asked how much I had. I'm not sure if he was the actual farmer, but I like to pretend. I said I only had $4.50 for what was a $5.50 purchase. Taking pity on my poor, broke-ass soul, he told me not to worry about it and threw my head of lettuce in for free! Thanks, Farmer Ted!

This isn't a typical budgeting technique for me, but I'll be sure to wear another cute dress to next week's market. Just in case.

Tightening Up

Countdown to Spain: 55 days

Oh yes, the countdown has begun.

And when one of my countdowns gets started, there's usually a weight loss/exercise goal attached to it. Because I'm crazy like that.

This trip is certainly no different. In fact, it's even more intense as we will be visiting some Tops Optional beaches during our trip. While I'm not completely decided on whether I'll show my girls (and by "my girls," I really mean nipples because that's all I have), I still want to feel comfortable in my skin around others who might be showing more then just...nipples.

With that, I'm hoping to be starting a regular exercise and diet routine to help take off a few extra pounds everyone else claims not to notice. I may even throw in a detox just to really liven things up! Party. Animal.

In addition to an ass/tummy/everything else that jiggles tightening, there will also be a tightening up for finances. Jerry and I have recently stumbled in a bit of quarry as we've just booked a few expensive trip to Europe just a few weeks prior to his company having a lockout of all unionized employees. Fun stuff.

I'm trying to put a positive spin on it by saying that losing weight and saving money really go hand-in-hand. What better to way to save money then to stop buying groceries! Okay, that's dramatic. It'll probably look more like a reduction in spending money on groceries, going out to eat, and a reduction in bar nights. I foresee us drinking our way through the entire contents of our liquor cabinet this summer!

Be prepared for some serious goal-listing to occur in the next week or so!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Safe and Sound

Leaving work, driving to yet another client meeting, following the route I take on a daily basis....WHAM!....someone hit me and I wasn't even sure how it happened.


Sitting, slightly immobilized from shock, I immediately felt a soreness in my chest. On this day, I happened to be wearing a dress that required me to wear my insulin pump tucked into the front of my bra. I knew that soreness was from the seat belt being pushed against the pump on my chest.

Shit! Please don't tell me I damaged another pump.

Luckily, I was fine. The pump was okay too.

As I sat in my car, waiting for the police and EMT to arrive, my mind immediately went to my blood sugar. Was I low? Was I just shaky from the accident? I had just finished eating a banana before leaving the office, so I knew I wasn't low. Checked my blood sugar and I was at 151.

When the EMT arrived to the scene, he asked me if I was okay. I said, "I'm having slight chest pain, but I'm wearing an...." He interrupted me, "Yeah, I see it. Are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere else?" Scribbles down insulin-dependent diabetic on his notepad. Questions eventually came, but all knowledgeable, appropriate ones.

No need for explanations of my diabetes, of my pump, of my insulin. He understood.

In all the chaos of crumbled cars, leaky fluids, and liability, it was nice that diabetes was one thing I didn't have to explain.