I don't know about you guys, but I had a good, if relatively low-key, 4th of July. My mom-in-law came over in the afternoon for deeee-lishus gourmet hot dogs (lovingly prepared by Matt on the kitchen stove, who opted to leave the patio grill unlit because of threatened rain that never showed up). After lunch, we settled in to watch Batman Begins, because MIL had never seen it (nor any other Batman movie, ever; prior to Sunday, her knowledge of the Caped Crusader began and ended with the 1960s TV series), and because I have a personal tradition of watching superhero movies on the 4th, especially if I don't get to see fireworks. And since we didn't have any plans for fireworks viewing, I was pretty eager for some superhero action.
Later that evening, after MIL called it a day and went home (with a whole new outlook on Batman in tow), Matt and I ordered Chinese, because seriously, what in the world is more American than greasy Chinese takeout? And as we noshed on our mu-shoo and egg foo yung and garlic chicken, lo and behold, we could see some pretty spectacular neighborhood fireworks right through our patio window. Awesome. Batman, fancy hot dogs, Chinese food and fireworks all in the same day? Once it was all over, I went to bed a happy camper, believe you me.
How was your 4th? Did you see any fireworks? Go to any parties? Are superhero movies and Independence Day as tied together in your mind as they are in mine? Tell us all about it in the comments.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
January 12, 2009
Food & Body: Common Sense Eating
It's not online yet, but the February issue of Real Simple has a fantastic article on changing your approach to food. Of course the article breaks it down into psychology and physiology and other sciency facts, but what it all boils down to is pretty fundamental: eat anything you want, in moderation, when you're hungry, and stop eating when you're not hungry anymore.
It seems so common sense that it should earn a resounding "NO DUH!" And yet it's such a difficult concept to employ in real life. So much so that last year TLC squeezed an entire series out of the principle. My mom and aunt were fanatical about that series and preached its lessons to me constantly--and I do mean constantly. Like, every single time I spoke to either of them, and then again later in the conversation, because they're both a wee tad on the forgetful side and tend to repeat themselves. A lot. But I love them, and I digress. I listened politely and then went on my merry way ignoring every bit of it. Not because I thought the advice wouldn't work, but because I was myself (and still am, on principle if not in practice) slightly fanatical about the Zone, which has built in portion control if you do it right. It's also all about keeping your blood-sugar steady and advocates eating on a regular schedule whether you feel hungry or not. So this principle was useless to me, or so I believed.
But I'm not so much a Zone eater anymore, mainly because all that lean protein is hella expensive these days, while all those "unfavorable" grains and pastas are both affordable and delicious. And also, my husband has become quite the talented gourmet, and he doesn't want his culinary adventures to be hindered by rules about what we're allowed to eat. And also also, I'm perfectly happy to let him do all the cooking.
So suddenly, with even my fat pants feeling tight and the number on the scales creeping dangerously close to Oprah's Fail Weight, "eat when you're hungry, eat slowly, and stop eating when you're not hungry anymore" sounds like pretty good advice. And it turns out, this isn't about tricking your stomach into thinking it's not hungry anymore, as I previously suspected. It's about re-training your brain to identify and honor the signals your body gives it regarding food and hunger, an ability I'm pretty sure my brain lost before my age reached double-digits. The only thing I think these sensible eating gurus are off-base about is the idea that you keep eating to satisfy your stomach. I don't know about you, but it's my taste buds that I worry more about keeping happy. I know when I'm full. But I also know that my taste buds will be very sad if I stop putting the delicious flavor of the moment in my mouth. And my taste buds are bossy and have a lot of influence over my will to stop eating.
But I'm going to start eating this way. I already started, last night, with an incredibly tasty--and incredibly huge--enchilada de mi esposo. I ate slowly, taking the time to relish each bite, and stopping to enjoy my drink in between. When the time came to stop, my taste buds put up a mild tantrum, but the promise of getting to enjoy the rest of the enchilada later, when I felt hungry again, calmed them down pretty quickly. And today, when I ate the rest of the enchilada for lunch, they were very, very happy. I'll have to be sure to remind them about that tonight, when they start whining once the time comes to put the rest of my dinner away for later.
It seems so common sense that it should earn a resounding "NO DUH!" And yet it's such a difficult concept to employ in real life. So much so that last year TLC squeezed an entire series out of the principle. My mom and aunt were fanatical about that series and preached its lessons to me constantly--and I do mean constantly. Like, every single time I spoke to either of them, and then again later in the conversation, because they're both a wee tad on the forgetful side and tend to repeat themselves. A lot. But I love them, and I digress. I listened politely and then went on my merry way ignoring every bit of it. Not because I thought the advice wouldn't work, but because I was myself (and still am, on principle if not in practice) slightly fanatical about the Zone, which has built in portion control if you do it right. It's also all about keeping your blood-sugar steady and advocates eating on a regular schedule whether you feel hungry or not. So this principle was useless to me, or so I believed.
But I'm not so much a Zone eater anymore, mainly because all that lean protein is hella expensive these days, while all those "unfavorable" grains and pastas are both affordable and delicious. And also, my husband has become quite the talented gourmet, and he doesn't want his culinary adventures to be hindered by rules about what we're allowed to eat. And also also, I'm perfectly happy to let him do all the cooking.
So suddenly, with even my fat pants feeling tight and the number on the scales creeping dangerously close to Oprah's Fail Weight, "eat when you're hungry, eat slowly, and stop eating when you're not hungry anymore" sounds like pretty good advice. And it turns out, this isn't about tricking your stomach into thinking it's not hungry anymore, as I previously suspected. It's about re-training your brain to identify and honor the signals your body gives it regarding food and hunger, an ability I'm pretty sure my brain lost before my age reached double-digits. The only thing I think these sensible eating gurus are off-base about is the idea that you keep eating to satisfy your stomach. I don't know about you, but it's my taste buds that I worry more about keeping happy. I know when I'm full. But I also know that my taste buds will be very sad if I stop putting the delicious flavor of the moment in my mouth. And my taste buds are bossy and have a lot of influence over my will to stop eating.
But I'm going to start eating this way. I already started, last night, with an incredibly tasty--and incredibly huge--enchilada de mi esposo. I ate slowly, taking the time to relish each bite, and stopping to enjoy my drink in between. When the time came to stop, my taste buds put up a mild tantrum, but the promise of getting to enjoy the rest of the enchilada later, when I felt hungry again, calmed them down pretty quickly. And today, when I ate the rest of the enchilada for lunch, they were very, very happy. I'll have to be sure to remind them about that tonight, when they start whining once the time comes to put the rest of my dinner away for later.
April 15, 2008
Good Food: Bunless Burger
Let me tell you, the Low-Carb Six Dollar Burger from Carl's Junior is genius. Pure, delicious, guilt-free, charbroiled genius. All the goodness of a hamburger, all the healthiness of a salad, wrapped up in lettuce perfection. I don't know who came up with this, but it's so simple, and therein lies its brilliance. Whoever decided to market this deserves some kind of award.
I would not advise trying to eat one while you drive, though, especially if you're transporting someone whom you wouldn't want to watch you get food all over your face and in your lap and down your cleavage. Because they are messy, and they are definitely a two-hand job. But they are oh, so good.
I would not advise trying to eat one while you drive, though, especially if you're transporting someone whom you wouldn't want to watch you get food all over your face and in your lap and down your cleavage. Because they are messy, and they are definitely a two-hand job. But they are oh, so good.
April 1, 2008
*YAWN*
I'm having a really hard time getting myself going today. I's tired, for one thing, and also I don't think it's a good idea to go to the gym and do targeted workouts for the same area two days in a row when you haven't been in over a week. My muscles are very angry with me.
I need to go out at lunch to wake myself up. But where to go? It's too late-notice to see if Tess wants to meet for lunch, and besides, payday's four days away and I'm broke. And since I'm broke, I don't really want to go check out any of the shops nearby, for fear that I'll see something I want and can't have unless I charge it. And yet, I'm still considering going over to the consignment shop across the street to see if it's worth visiting when I do have funds to spare. I'm also considering a run to Burger King, because a Whopper Jr. sounds really tasty right about now. So does a Java Chip Frapuccino, but I've already had three cups of coffee AND a diet soda today, so I should probably lay off the caffeine for a while.
I could just go lie down in the back seat of my car and nap. That actually sounds pretty appealing.
One thing I should do is go hide in my car (what? It's the only private place I have!) and phone-post my short story over at Jeanie Writes Genre, something I've been threatening to do for a week but keep putting off because I just really hate my own voice. One of the first things my husband said to me the first time we ever spoke on the phone was that I have a sexy voice. I suspected then that he must either be lying or high. When I determined that he was neither, and he really, sincerely thought that, I knew he was the guy for me. Well, there were other factors. But that helped. Anyway, when it comes to either my voice, or to public speaking, I am not a fan. Which makes me wonder what ever made me think the whole pod-casting thing would be a good idea. And yet, I persist.
I wanted to do something funny/clever for April Fool's, but I'm just not that funny/clever. I guess I could Rickroll all of my links for a day, but I'm too lazy, and besides, it's been done. So you'll just have to settle for Happy April Fool's Day, and don't take any wooden nickels. And watch out for Rick Astley.
I need to go out at lunch to wake myself up. But where to go? It's too late-notice to see if Tess wants to meet for lunch, and besides, payday's four days away and I'm broke. And since I'm broke, I don't really want to go check out any of the shops nearby, for fear that I'll see something I want and can't have unless I charge it. And yet, I'm still considering going over to the consignment shop across the street to see if it's worth visiting when I do have funds to spare. I'm also considering a run to Burger King, because a Whopper Jr. sounds really tasty right about now. So does a Java Chip Frapuccino, but I've already had three cups of coffee AND a diet soda today, so I should probably lay off the caffeine for a while.
I could just go lie down in the back seat of my car and nap. That actually sounds pretty appealing.
One thing I should do is go hide in my car (what? It's the only private place I have!) and phone-post my short story over at Jeanie Writes Genre, something I've been threatening to do for a week but keep putting off because I just really hate my own voice. One of the first things my husband said to me the first time we ever spoke on the phone was that I have a sexy voice. I suspected then that he must either be lying or high. When I determined that he was neither, and he really, sincerely thought that, I knew he was the guy for me. Well, there were other factors. But that helped. Anyway, when it comes to either my voice, or to public speaking, I am not a fan. Which makes me wonder what ever made me think the whole pod-casting thing would be a good idea. And yet, I persist.
I wanted to do something funny/clever for April Fool's, but I'm just not that funny/clever. I guess I could Rickroll all of my links for a day, but I'm too lazy, and besides, it's been done. So you'll just have to settle for Happy April Fool's Day, and don't take any wooden nickels. And watch out for Rick Astley.
March 25, 2008
No lambs were harmed in the making of this post.
Today's lunch special: bright shiny wool with a side of falafel. Today is such a pretty day, so I decided to treat myself to a lunchtime excursion to the nearest yarn shop and use my Etsy earnings to pad my stash. I ended up with three skeins of felting wool and a single ball of Merino in some pretty yummy color combinations, the better to create more inventory for my shop. So that I can earn money to buy more yarn. And so it goes.
I love going to the knitting shop. It makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Of course, it's also about as good for me as candy, or at least for my budget, so I don't let myself go very often. Which is why I hadn't been to that shop in so long that I had no idea that they had both moved AND changed names. So when I pulled up to their old location and saw the empty storefront, I almost panicked, until I remembered passing something that might be a knitting shop down the block. Sure enough, it was essentially the same shop in new clothes. Phew!
After I paid for my purchase and tore myself away from all the pretty, I pointed my car down the street toward Sinbad's, a Lebanese deli I've been meaning to try forever, or at least for the two years that I've worked just around the corner from it. About fifteen minutes later, I was enjoying--and I DO mean enjoying--my very first ever falafel. That thing was so very yum. I might have a new addiction on my hands. It was really hard to choose between that and the excellent-looking gyros, but I've been trying to work more vegetarian meals into my diet, plus I felt a little adventurous. If I had time to start it, this would make an excellent first review for my planned Strip Mall Eateries blog, but, yeah. No time. Anyway: falafels=yum.
Speaking of which, after this post I'm going on hiatus from the blogs for a day or two, at the least. Hopefully, that's all it will take to get caught up on everything else. Admittedly, it could take longer, so it might be quiet around here for a while. Just know that while I'm working, I'm missing you guys. Probably a heckuva lot more than you're missing me.
I think my next lunchtime excursion will involve the lunch buffet at the Indian restaurant down the street and its neighboring consignment shop. I think I'd better limit these little outings to once a week, though, at most, to keep myself from getting too spendy.
I love going to the knitting shop. It makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Of course, it's also about as good for me as candy, or at least for my budget, so I don't let myself go very often. Which is why I hadn't been to that shop in so long that I had no idea that they had both moved AND changed names. So when I pulled up to their old location and saw the empty storefront, I almost panicked, until I remembered passing something that might be a knitting shop down the block. Sure enough, it was essentially the same shop in new clothes. Phew!After I paid for my purchase and tore myself away from all the pretty, I pointed my car down the street toward Sinbad's, a Lebanese deli I've been meaning to try forever, or at least for the two years that I've worked just around the corner from it. About fifteen minutes later, I was enjoying--and I DO mean enjoying--my very first ever falafel. That thing was so very yum. I might have a new addiction on my hands. It was really hard to choose between that and the excellent-looking gyros, but I've been trying to work more vegetarian meals into my diet, plus I felt a little adventurous. If I had time to start it, this would make an excellent first review for my planned Strip Mall Eateries blog, but, yeah. No time. Anyway: falafels=yum.
Speaking of which, after this post I'm going on hiatus from the blogs for a day or two, at the least. Hopefully, that's all it will take to get caught up on everything else. Admittedly, it could take longer, so it might be quiet around here for a while. Just know that while I'm working, I'm missing you guys. Probably a heckuva lot more than you're missing me.
I think my next lunchtime excursion will involve the lunch buffet at the Indian restaurant down the street and its neighboring consignment shop. I think I'd better limit these little outings to once a week, though, at most, to keep myself from getting too spendy.
January 24, 2008
September 10, 2007
Mmmm, cake
Yesterday was our first anniversary. In celebration, we chose to honor a seemingly inexplicable yet long-standing tradition and share a bite of our left-over wedding cake, which barely survived the long, hot drive home from Eureka Springs before getting crammed into the back of my mom's freezer and all but forgotten for an entire year.
Yum, right?
So we popped open the champagne (which we also bought last year, and after failing to get around to drinking it on our wedding weekend (I know, right?! But we had all kinds of champagne given to us that weekend, so...) we decided to save it for said anniversary) and, after a brief but hearty toast, we lifted our forks, kissed each other for luck, and took our obligatory bites of year-old, partially melted and then frozen, freshly thawed wedding cake.
Now for those of you who are as skeptical about the wisdom of this tradition as we were, let me just tell you this:
We ate the whole thing, and we liked it.
Yum, right?
So we popped open the champagne (which we also bought last year, and after failing to get around to drinking it on our wedding weekend (I know, right?! But we had all kinds of champagne given to us that weekend, so...) we decided to save it for said anniversary) and, after a brief but hearty toast, we lifted our forks, kissed each other for luck, and took our obligatory bites of year-old, partially melted and then frozen, freshly thawed wedding cake.
Now for those of you who are as skeptical about the wisdom of this tradition as we were, let me just tell you this:
We ate the whole thing, and we liked it.
July 19, 2007
February 19, 2007
Whoa, McNellie's!
So we went to the pub. Specifically, we went to McNellie's, a Tulsa hot spot du jour. It's been around for a couple of years now. That's a couple of years that I've been hearing great buzz about it and wanting to go check it out. So we finally did, and I gotta say, I was disappointed. Maybe because a couple years' worth of great buzz tends to create really high expectations, which is what I had going in, and it didn't quite live up to them.
The service was good. The food was okay, but it wasn't outstanding, and we were particularly disappointed with the small portion sizes in light of how much they charge (12 bucks for a snack-size portion of fish and chips, you guys!). Matt had a cheeseburger, and though he said it was decent, this place was acclaimed to have some of the best burgers in the entire state, and we could name 5 places right here in Tulsa that serve up better burgers, without even thinking very hard. I did love their sweet potato fries, though. Tasted like fried candy.
The atmosphere also let us down a little, although I should say that we're pretty particular. It's hard to find establishments with a lot of character in this town, and once you do, it's harder still to find a place that feels genuine without any pretention. This place seemed to WANT to be unpretentious, to project the feel of an authentic, working class Irish pub, but, well, it felt pretty pretentious, like it was trying hard to provide a comfortable facsimile of a working class pub for upper-middle-class yuppies. It just felt fake. Maybe it was the $10 hamburgers.
One thing it lived up to was its beer menu. I think you'd be hard pressed to think of a brand of beer that they didn't carry. We got to try our first taste of Russian beer, which I thought was too bitter and Matt thought was too sweet, so go figure. The beer is also pretty pricey, though.
Overall, it's not a bad bar. It seems like a nice place to hang out for beer and conversation, somewhere comfortable where you don't have to shout to be heard over the music and the waitresses are friendly and easy to flag down. But it's not for the budget conscious, and I doubt we'll be going back there specifically for the food any time soon.
The service was good. The food was okay, but it wasn't outstanding, and we were particularly disappointed with the small portion sizes in light of how much they charge (12 bucks for a snack-size portion of fish and chips, you guys!). Matt had a cheeseburger, and though he said it was decent, this place was acclaimed to have some of the best burgers in the entire state, and we could name 5 places right here in Tulsa that serve up better burgers, without even thinking very hard. I did love their sweet potato fries, though. Tasted like fried candy.
The atmosphere also let us down a little, although I should say that we're pretty particular. It's hard to find establishments with a lot of character in this town, and once you do, it's harder still to find a place that feels genuine without any pretention. This place seemed to WANT to be unpretentious, to project the feel of an authentic, working class Irish pub, but, well, it felt pretty pretentious, like it was trying hard to provide a comfortable facsimile of a working class pub for upper-middle-class yuppies. It just felt fake. Maybe it was the $10 hamburgers.
One thing it lived up to was its beer menu. I think you'd be hard pressed to think of a brand of beer that they didn't carry. We got to try our first taste of Russian beer, which I thought was too bitter and Matt thought was too sweet, so go figure. The beer is also pretty pricey, though.
Overall, it's not a bad bar. It seems like a nice place to hang out for beer and conversation, somewhere comfortable where you don't have to shout to be heard over the music and the waitresses are friendly and easy to flag down. But it's not for the budget conscious, and I doubt we'll be going back there specifically for the food any time soon.
February 15, 2007
Bagel Therapy
Feeling somewhat better. At least certain jerks are apologetic about their jerkiness.
On a side note, I'm a little disturbed that I used our fight as an excuse to help myself to a bagel this morning. Not just half of one, either, but the whole, oversized thing, with full-fat cream cheese to boot. It was nummilicious, but, barring standing permission to eat as much cheese as I want during certain times of the month, I thought I had pretty well kicked my whole emotional eating habit.
Of course, I am at work, where I can't exatly turn to my knitting for comfort, or my dog, or my mom. And it's still way too early to head out and hit the gym. The bagels are the only ones who are here for me right now.
On a side note, I'm a little disturbed that I used our fight as an excuse to help myself to a bagel this morning. Not just half of one, either, but the whole, oversized thing, with full-fat cream cheese to boot. It was nummilicious, but, barring standing permission to eat as much cheese as I want during certain times of the month, I thought I had pretty well kicked my whole emotional eating habit.
Of course, I am at work, where I can't exatly turn to my knitting for comfort, or my dog, or my mom. And it's still way too early to head out and hit the gym. The bagels are the only ones who are here for me right now.
February 13, 2007
A brief pause in the commotion
This morning was sheer hecticity. I'll spare you the gorey details and just be glad that things have settled down since lunchtime.
Speaking of lunchtime, during mine I went out and did my Valentine's shopping. V-day kind of snuck up on me this year. I guess I spent so many years bitterly ignoring its existence that it's still hard to remember I actually have someone to buy stuff for. I think I can safely tell you what I got my dearly beloved, since I'm pretty sure he hasn't checked out my blog since that one time my sister sent him there to read it and help him decide if he wanted her to ask me to maybe go on a date with him some time. It's not that big a deal, really. I picked out a simple gold band for him to wear until we can afford to get a proper replacement for his lost wedding ring. Now I just have to decide whether to give it to him tomorrow or wait until he takes me out this weekend.
...
I just took a break to go refresh my coffee, and what did I find in the kitchen but free pizza! Goodbye diet, helloooo cheesy goodness! It's the best day ever! Okay, not quite. But this is a definite improvement.
Anyway. Before I got all distracted by Canadian bacon and mushrooms, I wanted to point you to this video, which I think can be appreciated by anyone who's been on either side of a tech support call.
Speaking of lunchtime, during mine I went out and did my Valentine's shopping. V-day kind of snuck up on me this year. I guess I spent so many years bitterly ignoring its existence that it's still hard to remember I actually have someone to buy stuff for. I think I can safely tell you what I got my dearly beloved, since I'm pretty sure he hasn't checked out my blog since that one time my sister sent him there to read it and help him decide if he wanted her to ask me to maybe go on a date with him some time. It's not that big a deal, really. I picked out a simple gold band for him to wear until we can afford to get a proper replacement for his lost wedding ring. Now I just have to decide whether to give it to him tomorrow or wait until he takes me out this weekend.
...
I just took a break to go refresh my coffee, and what did I find in the kitchen but free pizza! Goodbye diet, helloooo cheesy goodness! It's the best day ever! Okay, not quite. But this is a definite improvement.
Anyway. Before I got all distracted by Canadian bacon and mushrooms, I wanted to point you to this video, which I think can be appreciated by anyone who's been on either side of a tech support call.
January 26, 2007
Jean's Day
Friday is Jeans Day here at the office, and I'm wearing the fancy pair I bought to wear on my honeymoon, before I gained all that cruise smorgasbord and holiday weight. A couple of weeks ago I couldn't wear them at all, but after a couple weeks of finally getting mostly back on track with my eating habits and getting myself back to the gym this week, I can get them buttoned and zipped and everything. They're a bit tight--tight enough to cause some gut spill-over, but my shirt covers that up. Otherwise they're looking pretty good, and doing really kind things for my hinder.
Today will mark the fourth time I've been to the gym this week, which is four more times than I managed to go in the last few weeks. I normally do really good to go three days a week, and was considering skipping it today, but then last night my husband announced he'd like to take me out tomorrow morning to breakfast and a matinee of Pan's Labyrinth.
He wants to do breakfast at Hugo's, this country diner that is either yummy, yummy breakfast heaven or artery clogging, cholesterol raising hell, depending on where you're standing. Last time we ate there was also our first time, and I, not knowing any better, ordered their equivalent of a Denny's Grand Slam, having no clue yet about their portion sizes. Dear Lord in Heaven. Their pancakes covered my whole platter, barely leaving any room for the sausage and eggs, and the single biscuit with gravy that I ordered on the side took up the entire bread plate. I did NOT eat it all up, but I got as close as I could without 'sploding like that guy in that Monty Python bit. The good news is that neither one of us got hungry again until well into that night, so that was practically the only meal we ate all day. Tomorrow I'll exercise a little more restraint in placing my order. As for today, I'm definitely hitting the gym.
Today will mark the fourth time I've been to the gym this week, which is four more times than I managed to go in the last few weeks. I normally do really good to go three days a week, and was considering skipping it today, but then last night my husband announced he'd like to take me out tomorrow morning to breakfast and a matinee of Pan's Labyrinth.
He wants to do breakfast at Hugo's, this country diner that is either yummy, yummy breakfast heaven or artery clogging, cholesterol raising hell, depending on where you're standing. Last time we ate there was also our first time, and I, not knowing any better, ordered their equivalent of a Denny's Grand Slam, having no clue yet about their portion sizes. Dear Lord in Heaven. Their pancakes covered my whole platter, barely leaving any room for the sausage and eggs, and the single biscuit with gravy that I ordered on the side took up the entire bread plate. I did NOT eat it all up, but I got as close as I could without 'sploding like that guy in that Monty Python bit. The good news is that neither one of us got hungry again until well into that night, so that was practically the only meal we ate all day. Tomorrow I'll exercise a little more restraint in placing my order. As for today, I'm definitely hitting the gym.
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