Tisk, tisk Corner Bakery!

After a visit to the doctor this morning, I promised my daughter we would have lunch out, so we stopped by our local Corner Bakery cafe. This is our favorite place to eat as we are both able to get something we enjoy (mac and cheese with fruit for her, a trio salad for me).

We grabbed a table and while waiting for our food to be delivered, I noticed the new tablecard hugging the salt/pepper stand: "100 Corner Combos Under 600 Calories."

Intrigued and more than a little excited, I started reading the list. (Here's the full list if you're interested.)

As I read, I was almost giddy with all the choices and in awe that I could enjoy so many yummy things for under 600 calories.

Then I got to the fine print at the bottom: "Side items not included in calorie count."

Huh??

So I went on their web site to see what the average calorie count was for the sides they suggested. Basically, you would have to add an extra 140 calories for a cup of chicken noodle soup, 320 calories for a cup of broccoli cheddar soup, 160 calories for a small side salad, and so on. That means these lunches realistically run between 750 - 950 calories.

For a woman trying to lose weight, the recommended calorie intake is between 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day. Ordering one of these special meals at Corner Bakery could cost almost half your calorie intake if you didn't read the fine print. Eek!

Eating out is hard when you're trying to make healthy choices and I've learned that educating yourself beforehand is critical. Even ordering a salad, which seems so healthy, can be a diet saboteur depending on the dressing!

Thankfully, most restaurants are publishing their nutritional information online these days, which makes it easy to reference and plan ahead. For restaurants I frequent regularly, I've printed out the nutritional info and keep it in my purse for quick reference. There are even iPhone apps that allow you to look up this information for restaurants in your area, which is super handy and helpful!

As for today's lunch, I enjoyed a bowl of Roasted Tomato Basil soup with spicy croutons for a mere 320 calories. And on a cold, blustery day like today, it was exactly what I needed!

Read more...

Sustainability

While I don't usually get a chance to watch Oprah (I believe Jack's Big Music Show conflicts with the scheduling!), I do like to scope out upcoming episodes so I can set the tivo to catch it. When I scrolled through the listings for this week, I was thrilled to see that yesterday's episode would focus on food, where we get, how it is farmed, and how we should be eating. Right up my alley!

When I sat down last night to watch it, I was even more tickled to see Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and contributor to the brilliant documentary "Food Inc." was her featured guest. If you have not seen "Food Inc." I can't recommend it enough. That documentary, along with Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation," will definitely give you food for thought on what you should (and should not) be eating!

What I love about Michael Pollan is that he is so realistic in discussing food. He knows that Americans are not going to give up their processed and fast foods cold turkey. So he offers the simple, but genius, credo of "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains should make up the bulk of one's diet. But he's not saying to give up meat and go vegan. Not at all.

Instead, he encourages us to buy grass-fed beef (meat from cows that have been allowed to graze on grass, their God-intended diet). Organic, free-range chickens (birds that have not been pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones to produce larger breasts). He even condones getting your junk food fix on every once in awhile - with the caveat to fix it yourself. That way you know what is going into it, and in the case of french fries, you know what a hassle they are to make!

It is all about sustainable eating. Sustaining not only your own personal health and wellness, but the health and wellness of the planet.

I am happy to see Oprah doing a show dedicated to this topic because she is definitely a powerhouse. Her involvement and endorsement of sustainable eating will likely be a boon for organic farmers and producers, who do not receive the subsidies from the government and who's livelihood depends on consumers like you and I making the conscious choice to buy organic. Our shopping habits can and do influence what is produced.

Thankfully, it is getting easier to buy organic. At our local grocery store, I've seen the organic selection expand from a few shelves to now a few aisles. And as I wrote a few weeks ago, buying organic was not as cost-prohibitive as I feared given I was not purchasing all the processed and packaged foods. Regardless, if good health means I need to spend a few extra dollars, I'll do it, because as they pointed out yesterday, would you rather pay yourself now or pay a doctor down the road? Um, me please!

There were so many interesting statistics and facts presented in this episode that I couldn't even begin to put them all in this post. But if you're interested, rent "Food Inc." or pick up some of Michael's books at the library. Quick reads and so insightful.

Here's a reading list that might be helpful:

By Michael Pollan
"Food Rules: An Eater's Manual"
"In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto"
"The Omnivore's Dilemma"

By Eric Schlosser
"Fast Food Nation"

By Frances Moore Lappe
"Diet for a Small Planet"

By Terry Walters
"Clean Food" (a great cookbook, though no meat recipes)

Read more...

Wine Wednesday: Nashville state of mind

Being raised a southern girl (Texas and Florida) these northern winters are probably going to be the death of me. I have thin skin, what can I say?

So when the weather started turning colder, I found myself getting depressed and anxious about what was heading our way. And so I started my campaign to convince Clean Fresh Hubby that we needed to move somewhere warmer. Like Mexico. Or Hawaii. Or Nashville.

We figured that Nashville was far enough south that we would still have seasons, albeit hopefully a much milder winter. And even if it did snow or ice, southern cities are typically ill-prepared for such weather, so things pretty much shut down. Fine by me. And given it was only an eight hour drive from Chicago, we figured our families couldn’t be too angry with us since technically we were just a car ride away. It also didn’t hurt that Nashville is “Music City” and Clean Fresh Hubby plays guitar and has his degree in music. I thought this might be a selling point when presenting the idea to him!

Since neither of us had actually ever been to Nashville, we decided to take a road trip. So last October, we dropped the child off at grandma’s house and hit the road bright and early on a Friday morning for our quick in-and-out visit to Tennessee.

It was an absolutely fantastic weekend.

Nashville is the perfect blend of big city and southern charm. It is urban but not overwhelming (as Chicago can be). Bars open early and you could hear live music over lunch. East Nashville (our targeted area) is hip and trendy, but still has a neighborhood feel. Everyone we met was warm and welcoming. And the southern cooking, lord, I could write an entire post just on what we ate that weekend. In short, we loved it.

Over cocktails at The Patterson House (an amazing, amazing bar), we agreed that we needed to figure out how to make this move work. A job for Clean Fresh Hubby was of course the main concern. So we trudged back to Chicago, our heads filled with thoughts of the south.

I was fired up and couldn’t scan the real estate ads quickly enough. Or the job boards looking for something that might work for Clean Fresh Hubby. I was ready to plant a “For Sale” sign in front of our house come spring. Hubby, well he was a little slower about it all, a bit more cautious (which is why we balance each other out so well!).

Then, right after the holidays, my mom had a series of strokes. Suddenly, the five minute drive to the hospital seemed too long and I was thankful not to be an eight hour car ride away. I instantly saw my dreams of moving south dashed by the need to stay close to family.

Thankfully my mom is doing better now and life is slowly returning to normal. I still dream about Nashville, though wonder if we will ever really get there. Clean Fresh Hubby says not to rule it out just yet. So I guess we’ll just wait and see, huh?

In the meantime, I stumbled across this wine at the grocery store and it made me think of our fun-filled afternoon on Music Row, when we visited the Hatch Show Print shop.



I kick myself for not wanting to wait in the long line to purchase a print, so for now, I will just have to enjoy this little bit of Nashville (the label… the wine is from California, not Tennessee!).



At $10.99, I figure this is a wine I can enjoy anytime I’m hankering for a little Nashville. And how cool is this label? I love the look of the letterpress and the cowboy graphic speaks to the Texan in me. Of course, cool looks aside, the wine itself is pretty decent, good enough that I’d recommend it, even gift it to a friend.



If you can’t get to the Hatch Show Print shop, pick up a bottle of The Show and drink in the fun artwork and a nice glass of vino!

Read more...

Going bananas for smoothies

So we're just about one month in to our new "healthy eating" regime, and I thought I'd share with you one of the secret weapons that is helping us get our daily dose of fruits: smoothies.

What I love about smoothies - aside from how simple they are to make - is that I can whip one up in the morning and my daughter can sip it on her way to school. And she loves to help make them, so it is a fun thing for us to do together. They are also great to make for a mid-afternoon snack because you can drink it and not feel too full to work out.

We're making so many smoothies at our house that my little Magic Bullet is practically smoking! I love that gadget - not only does it keep me from having to pull out the big, clunky blender (which is a nuisance to clean), it whips up a smoothie in seconds flat and plows through frozen fruit like nobody's business.

Here's our favorite so far:

(Ingredient quantities are eyeballed based on the Magic Bullet canister - you may have to adjust based on your blender)

Berry Banana Smoothie
1/2 C frozen berries (we alternate between strawberries and mixed berries)
1/2 frozen banana, cut into chunks (I break the bananas in half before freezing, which makes it easier to portion out)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 T honey
1 C orange juice (again, this is an approximate measurement; I typically add enough orange juice to cover everything, then add more if it seems like it is too thick)

Put all the ingredients into the blender, process, and enjoy the fact that you’re getting three servings of fruit in something so tasty!

I was talking smoothies with my mom this morning and she gave me the following recipe, claiming it was fantastic. I’m a little nervous to try it given the green ingredients, but she swears it tastes like a citrus smoothie, not some weird vegetable muck. Maybe someone in cyberworld is brave enough to give this a go… if so, shoot me a note and let me know what you think!

Green Smoothie
1 frozen banana, cut in chunks
1/2 C frozen fruit (mango, strawberries, whatever you prefer)
Handful of spinach or lettuce, whatever you have on hand
1 celery stalk, diced
1/3 cucumber, sliced
1/3 C orange juice
1-2 T honey
1 T lemon juice
1 C water

Put all the ingredients into the blender and process. Allegedly this makes enough to fill a quart-sized canning jar, which my mom says she divides up for three servings during the day.

I may try making this one with a few modifications – leave out the celery (just not a fan) and up the amount of frozen fruit to further camouflage the green stuff. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, if anyone has any good smoothie recipes to share, please let me know!

Read more...

My trip to Nirvana

Yesterday, my sister, niece, daughter and I decided to make a girl's day of it and head north to Woodfield Mall. If you've never heard of Woodfield, it is a ridiculously large mall located in Schaumburg and every store you could possibly imagine has an outpost here. It is also a total tourist destination, so we locals tend to avoid it like the plague.

Typically I would only make the trek to Woodfield if I was under a situation of extreme duress. Such as swimsuit shopping (seriously, if you can't find a swimsuit at Woodfield, then it doesn't exist!). What dragged me there in the dead of winter? Nirvana:



I discovered Kiehl's products right after Christmas, during a shopping date with a girlfriend at Oakbrook Mall (another mecca of shopping, but much closer to home). We spent the afternoon at Nordstrom's hopping between beauty counters, testing products, getting our makeup done, and snagging as many samples as we could. Our last stop was the Kiehl's counter, where I brought home samples of their Ultra Facial line of products.



According to the packaging, the Ultra Facial Cream was recently used by explorers during an artic expedition of Greenland's ice peaks, so I figure if it worked for them, it should work in a Chicago winter. And low and behold, it has! Bye bye dry skin... this stuff is a miracle in a bottle! Combined with the gel cleanser, toner and the avocado eye cream, I feel like my skin has never looked better. Sadly (because I love nothing more than a nice smelling facial product), everything in this line is fragrance free, but on the flipside, I'm wondering if part of my redness issue was caused by the perfumes. Maybe?

If you have the luxury of a Kiehl's store near you, I highly recommend a visit. Their staff is so helpful and they are happy to give you samples of just about everything in the store. I walked out yesterday with six different samples for Clean Fresh Hubby to try (shaving cream, toner and a moisturizer) as well as samples for me of their various hair products. My sister purchased several products for oily skin (we're opposite in so many ways!), and called this morning to report extreme happiness with her new skincare regime.

You can also shop online at Kiehls.com, which is what I was doing until I discovered they had a location at Woodfield (there is also a shop downtown in Lincoln Park, but I hardly ever make the trek to the big city). You also get free samples with your online order, so if you're a product junkie like me who gets excited about trying new things, rejoice!

And, if I haven't convinced you to check out Kiehl's yet, I'll close by saying everything is made with all natural ingredients and the packaging is recyclable. Great skin and eco-friendly to boot... how great is that?

Read more...

Seriously, how old am I?

I just finished reading Jillian Michael’s latest book “Master Your Metabolism” and in it, she talks about a lot about hormones and their effect not only on the body, but also on weight loss and their link to many of health problems people have. It was a quick read and seemed to make a lot of sense to me.

When I read the chapter on estrogen and saw the list of issues a person can experience if they have too much or too little estrogen, I saw myself all over the list. I have been on The Pill for the past 16 years – one year off for the conception and birth of my daughter, but other than that, I pop that little orange pill every morning like a good girl.

At the tender age of 33, I had to go in for a mammogram and ultrasound when I found a lump in my breast. Both tests confirmed there was nothing there other than the normal little “cyst-lettes” that most women have, so we deemed it was hormonal since cancerous tumors aren’t something that come and go (which is what my lump was doing). Add to this a decreasing libido and a host of other complaints, and I have decided it is time to toss the pill pack in the trash and go about birth control the old-fashioned way: condoms.

So last night, on my way home from my work outing, I stopped at Target to pick up a few things. I wandered by the pharmacy department and glancing down the aisles, I saw the mammoth display of condoms.

And here is where I revert back to a blushing high school girl.

I had no idea that there were so many options when it came to condoms! I thought I’d just grab a box and throw it in my cart (hidden of course, under my other purchases). No such luck.

Being the immature 34-year-old I am, I decided to hide my interest in contraception by picking up a blood pressure monitor from the shelf next to the condom display. As I pretended to read the monitor box, I carefully studied the multitude of boxes available. I’ve never bought a box of condoms. And now, given the feelings I was having, I can only imagine the anxiety a high school boy must have when contemplating protection.

It was at this time that someone else decided to invade my aisle. Hello? Can’t you tell I’m reading about blood pressure monitors here and might need some privacy? I continued to try to read the condom boxes but was at a loss as to which box to pick. Then I saw the words “contains spermicide” and ding, ding, ding, we had a winner. I figured I’d take all the help I could get since I’m not quite ready to welcome child number two any time soon.

I quickly grabbed the box, shoved it under the princess nightgown I was buying for my daughter and scurried out of the aisle, my face three shades of red.

Seriously, what is it about buying condoms that brings out that embarrassment? I have a kid for Christ’s sake, so obviously I’ve had sex before! And what the heck is the difference between all those boxes? The majority were all Trojans, so I decided to check out their web site to educate myself before I have to make the trip back for more. 48 different options. Seriously, 48! And that is just ONE brand. Ecstasy, Her Pleasure, Ultra-Thin, Magnum… apparently Clean Fresh Hubby and I will be doing a bit of research on this topic.

If anyone has any recommendations, comment or shoot me an email. I’ll gladly take them! Especially if it cuts my time in the blood pressure monitor aisle in half! (And, if you need any recommendations on monitors, I might be able to make one!)

Read more...

A pat on the back

I work part-time, an arrangement established after the birth of my daughter, and I go into the office twice a week. This afternoon, my boss took our department out for drinks and appetizers as a sort of "thank you for your hard work in 2009, let's keep it going in 2010," so I gladly made the commute in on my day off.

I realized today I have a love/hate relationship with work. Even though I work part-time, I have full-time job responsibilities. Add to this the full-time responsibilities of being a mom and wife, and sometimes I just don't know if I can hack it all. There are many days I want to say "screw it" and just stay home. But today I discovered the one thing that work gives me that I often miss at home: a pat on the back.

Any mom out there will agree that the job is often thankless. You know what you're doing is making a difference, you know it is important, you feel a sense of pride in what you're doing (raising a human being for heaven's sake!), but there aren't awards for it. There aren't "thank you for your hard work in 2009, let's keep it going in 2010" drink outings. (Though maybe when my daughter is older, she'll take me out for a cocktail to say "thanks!")

Even though work can drive me a crazy, what it is good for is a pat on the back. It is a great feeling to have people acknowledge what you're doing and thank you for all your efforts.

Now excuse me, I have to get back to my real boss, who is demanding chocolate milk and who I will have to remind to say "thank you."

Read more...

A case of the Mondays... on Thursday

Work today is just that: work. My mind is not engaged, which is really a problem since I have back to back meetings all afternoon. And I actually just dozed off during a webinar. (This I will blame on the child since she has been visiting our room at 2 a.m. for the past several nights.)

I have a sweet gig, I realize that and do appreciate it. I work part time – one day at home, two days in the office – and I get to do “fun” projects like plan our corporate volunteer events, so I really have nothing to complain about. However, some days just seem to go smoother than others.

In addition to falling asleep over the phone, I ran into our corporate CEO in the cafeteria lunch line today. Always good for some awkward conversation. I started thinking how weird it must be to be the head of a large company and come downstairs to the cafeteria and have to mingle with the masses. I wonder if he would prefer to just grab his lunch and not have to talk to the sleepy volunteer coordinator who rambled on about miscellaneous stuff for a few minutes (much like this post, I’m realizing!). At least I gave him some distance down the hall so we didn’t have to ride up in the elevator together…

It is also review time at our office. Time to start working on goals for 2010, which made me realize I had no recollection of what my 2009 goals were. Whatever I wrote last year was probably preempted by another project, another request, another distraction. I know I accomplished things, but just not sure if they are the things I set out to accomplish! Isn’t that always the way of it?

Guess I’d better get these gripes off my chest now before my “Thanks, Not Cranks” bracelet arrives (read more on this interesting challenge at Another Suburban Mom). I fear it’ll be pretty impossible for me not to bitch about the weather (today is cold, rainy and icy), so I’m anticipating moving that bracelet between wrists quite a bit. This challenge would’ve been far easier for me in the spring!

In the meantime, must get ready for conference call number two of the day. I’ve had lunch and am feeling full, so I might have to resort to pinching myself to keep from nodding off again!

Read more...

Wine Wednesday: an oldie and a newbie

I was tickled when the highly entertaining Hair Bows and Guitar Picks invited me to do a co-review for this week’s Wine Wednesday. As someone who is new to this whole blogging thing, I’ve not only enjoyed reading her blog, but also appreciated her taking the time to read and comment on some of my posts.

We’re doing a joint review of Hess Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that Clean Fresh Hubby and I have enjoyed for several years now. Having spent most of the summer and fall deep in the throws of a love affair with Kim Crawford’s Sauvignon Blanc (which I will get around to reviewing), it was nice to pop the cork on an old favorite.

Hess Cabernet Sauvignon



I stumbled across Hess wines inadvertently, when a girlfriend brought a bottle of Hess Sauvignon Blanc to a dinner party. I found that wine to be fantastic, so I went in search of it at our local liquor store. Finding the Sauvignon Blanc proved impossible (not sure why no one carries this), but I did come across the Cabernet and am just as happy with it. This is a solid Cab, smooth, without a harsh after bite. It goes great with a nice steak, but pairs just as well with pizza!

Hess runs about $16 at our local grocery and liquor stores, though our grocery store will run it on sale occasionally for $14.

As for the newbie, I have been on the prowl for an organic red that contains no added sulfites (sulfites are additives used in wine to extend shelf life and fight bacteria growth and can trigger asthma/allergic reactions in some people). I had no idea how hard it would be to find this! Organic wines are slowly appearing on the shelves at our local grocery and liquor stores, but I’ve had trouble finding ones without sulfites.

So, I drove to the mecca of organic foods – Whole Foods. They have a pretty extensive wine department, so I thought surely I’d find a selection of organic/no sulfites. I found ONE bottle: Our Daily Red.

Our Daily Red



At first sip, I wasn’t wildly impressed. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but given the challenge of find this and all the hype I’ve been reading about organic/no sulfite wine, I had it built up pretty high in my head. The first sip was a bit harsh, but I will say that the rest of the glass (and second glass) seemed to go down much easier.

Where I did notice a difference was overnight. Usually, 2-3 glasses of wine cause me to wake up in the middle of the night with a groggy, slightly stuffy feeling. I will say that I did not have this feeling with the Our Daily Red.

I would buy this wine again since it is the only organic/no-sulfite wine I’ve found (and at $10, the price is right), but I can’t say the difference between a no sulfite and a sulfite added wine was great enough for me to stop drinking every other wine I enjoy!

Read more...

The room IKEA built...

That’s what Clean Fresh Hubby calls it, but I call it our wonderful new family room!



I wish I had some better “before” pictures to share, but the room was so hideous, I couldn’t bear to waste film on it! So, I have scanned in the picture from the real estate brochure we received when we came to look at the house 3.5 years ago.



Yes, it has a lodge feel to it. Yes, those are plywood beams running along the ceiling and down the walls. Yes, that is some pretty ugly paneling. And yes, that wallpaper is from the 1970s. (I’m actually surprised we could look past all this and still buy the house!)

Anyway, for the past 3.5 years, this room has been pretty useless. We live in a tri-level home and there is a large staircase leading from our living room down to this family room, so we were never quite sure what to do with it. Do we treat it like an extension of the living room? Make it its own space?

We didn’t know what to do, so basically, this room served as a holding ground for an extra couch, a piano and a china cabinet. We did add the French door to close this room off from the exercise room and office in the back, as well as removed the wood beams, wallpaper (hideous project, much cursing) and replaced the paneling with more updated wainscoting, but that was about it for the past few years.

Then this spring, I got a steal on a chocolate brown sectional sofa at a department store’s furniture outlet. I mean STEAL. So we had this big sofa delivered and it sat down there, unused for another few months until we could figure out what the heck the purpose of this room was going to be.

With a big comfy sectional, it just screamed out to be our new TV room. But I was also feeling that I needed to have my own work space… Clean Fresh Hubby has an office in the back of the house for all his work and music stuff, while my laptop and I migrate around the house. So we added “mommy desk area” to the list of priorities for the room.

I spent time sketching out layouts for the room and kept hitting stumbling blocks, the piano being the biggest. With the strange ledges we have along the wall due to the split level design, there was only one wall that it would fit on, and that was the wall where we wanted to put the soon-to-be purchased big TV. So we moved the piano to the exercise room, which I’m beginning to refer to as the “room for things we don’t use that much!” With that behemoth out of the way, it was easier to visualize the layout.

Since the walls were relatively unobstructed with the piano gone, I painted the room for the third time since we’ve lived there, but this time I got it right. I chose Sherwin Williams Status Bronze, which at first I worried would be too dark for a basement family room, but with the crisp white wainscoting, it worked perfectly. And I felt that white furniture would pop against the color.

Enter the IKEA catalog.

Seriously, I love this store. We are fortunate to have two locations within 30 minutes of our house so many a day was spent wandering the displays, trying to figure out what would work best for our room and our budget. (And their cafeteria serves the best Swedish meatballs with Lingonberry sauce, which was a total bonus!)

With catalog and sketches in hand, I made three trips to the store to purchase a media stand (Lack $49.99), coffee table (Expedit $69.99), book shelf (Expedit $69.99), desk extension (Expedit, $50), and two single book shelves (Expedit $59.99/ea).

I am usually wary of put-it-together-yourself furniture, but I have to say, this was easy-peasy. Most definitely required two people, but the directions were clear, all the holes were where they were supposed to be, and we had everything assembled and in place within two hours. Not bad!



The rug I got on clearance at Target for $35 and it really helped pull the whole room together. I’m still fussing with the bookshelves by the TV, trying to figure out the best arrangement, but it will get there.



I absolutely love my desk area… my laptop now has a permanent home, I can keep all my decorating/cooking/fitness magazines close at hand, as well as all my various fitness/health books, and it is totally just MY space. And how fun is my little yellow office chair? (Another IKEA steal at $24!)



In the meantime, it has become our favorite room in the house, a totally comfy, cozy space to snuggle up and watch TV during this miserably cold winter!

Read more...

Deals to be had

Last week I talked about my new love of Method cleaning products. Since then, I've come across some deals that I thought I'd share in case you too are an addict:

1. Whole Foods - their current in-store flyer (Jan/Feb) contains a $1 off coupon. The nice thing about this is you can grab a handful of flyers on your way out and then use a coupon every time you shop during January and February.

2. Target - this week's circular indicated that all Method products are 20% off, so I will be heading there to stock up. (Really this deal is the best of both worlds, since it combines my Target addiction with my Method addiction!)

3. Lowes - their bi-monthly magazine "Creative Ideas" includes a 20% off coupon for Method products. You can subscribe to the print edition of the magazine online or pick up a copy in-store.

Lastly, I have heard that Bed Bath and Beyond also sells Method products. While I haven't been in there lately to know for sure, the next time one of their 20% off coupons lands in my mailbox, you can bet I'll be there investigating.

Happy shopping (and cleaning)!

Read more...

Peas don't tell!

So I have a secret, one that I've only confessed to my sister, who to my relief, admitted she has done the same thing. And I only bring it up now because I feel I've had a break through and it feels great.

But first...

Yesterday I sat down and made out menus for the coming week, then I went grocery shopping, armed with a list that was 90% produce, 5% frozen vegetables and 5% miscellaneous (bread, milk, etc.).

I was in and out of the grocery store in record time, despite the madhouse environment, which I attribute to the fact that the bulk of my shopping was done in the produce department and along the perimeter of the store. I stuck with my intention to buy as many organic products as I could, even when the price sometimes caused me to draw in a quick breath*.

When I got home, I found that our small produce drawer in the fridge could hardly hold all the goodies I had purchased. This is a problem I have NEVER encountered, which brings me back to my secret.

Over the years, I often found myself standing in the grocery check out line, looking at everything on the conveyor belt and many times would notice that I must've "missed" the produce department. Actually, I didn't miss it, I just blew straight past it. Unless I needed onions or garlic, then I'd make a quick pit stop.

I started to feel slightly embarrassed that there was not a single bit of produce in my basket, so I would swing through produce and pick up a bag of lettuce, or a bag of snap peas, or a bag of baby carrots, just so I had a well-rounded assortment on the conveyor belt. And week after week, these items would likely find themselves in the garbage can, rotten from their time spent in the unopened produce drawer.

It is embarrassing to admit that because I didn't want to look like a totally unhealthy eater, I would stage some produce in my basket so the teenage cashier wouldn't think bad of me.

I wondered if anyone else was this pathetic, which is why I confessed my secret to my sister, who admitted that she too had done this. Ironic that we both do this, given the fact that we were raised by a vegetarian mother and you would think veggies would be a staple in our diets as a result! Maybe we're acting out against our upbringing, but that is a topic for another day (and maybe a psychiatrist!).

Anyway, last night for dinner I made us a big salad, a bowl of vegetable stew and some multi-grain french bread. Delicious, and very filling. And, having worked out for a solid hour yesterday, I went to bed feeling satisfied that I've overcome a hurdle and am heading in the right direction.

* A note about the price of organics: while I did experience some sticker shock on a few items, I maintained my decision to purchase as many organic foods as I could. I was pleasantly surprised at checkout to learn that I actually spent LESS than I normally do and I had all the fixin's for five nights of dinner, breakfasts and lunch. I attribute this to the fact that I avoided the middle aisles of the grocery store and therefore was not sucked into a) junk and b) sale items I didn't need.

Read more...

Making margaritas

There is a little Mexican restaurant near our house that serves the absolute best margaritas, but since they cost $10 a pop, I’ve been on a mission to recreate their fabulousness at home (and for a fraction of the cost!).

The fact I’m even doing this is funny because I’m not usually a margarita fan – since most places tend to go heavy on the sour mix, light on the tequila, I tend to steer clear in favor of a Corona. However, this restaurant used fresh fruit “muddled” in their margaritas (they even have a cucumber margarita, how crazy is that?) and higher quality ingredients, which definitely makes the difference.

After some trial and error (hiccup!) and experimentation with different fruits, I believe I’ve struck upon a fabulous margarita recipe. So bust out your sombrero, mix up the guacamole and come south of the border with this, a blood orange margarita:

Blood Orange Margarita (one serving)

Take one blood orange and cut it in half (you will use one half per margarita). I then quarter the half to make it easier to squeeze.



Squeeze the orange quarters into a martini shaker, along with 3 lime wedges.



Add to this:

¾ oz. triple sec
¾ oz. lime juice
1 ½ oz. silver tequila (I used Sauza Blanca)
1 ½ oz. sweet/sour mix

Shake well. Serve over ice and enjoy!



I have also modified this recipe using strawberries instead of the blood oranges. All the other ingredients/steps remain the same, just substitute about ½ cup of frozen strawberries (I nuke them for a few seconds until they are soft) and squeeze them between your fingers into the martini shaker. Messy, but definitely worth it!

Cheers and happy Friday!

Read more...

A year of living well

I saw this on our cafeteria’s intranet site this morning and thought it laid out some good guidelines to follow during the year. Sometimes breaking these healthy habits down into "chunks" makes it easier to adopt and incorporate into daily life. At least it does for me!

JANUARY - Resolve to Reach a Healthier Weight in the New Year

FEBRUARY - Discover Heart Healthy Fats during American Heart Month

MARCH - Snack Smart during National Nutrition Month

APRIL - Seek the Benefits of Whole Grains

MAY - Be good to your bones in honor of Osteoporosis Education Month

JUNE - Be Wise, Exercise

JULY - Healthy hydration for hot steamy days of summer

AUGUST - Healthy eating on the run

SEPTEMBER - Enjoy More Fruits & Veggies every day

OCTOBER- Make the Most of Super Foods

NOVEMBER- Rise and Revive with Breakfast

DECEMBER- Aim to Maintain Throughout the Holidays

January is a gimme - "Resolve to reach a healthy weight in the New Year." Duh. Who doesn't have that on their list of New Year's resolutions? This was also my resolution last year, when I was still trying to lose the last of my baby weight (albeit three years after baby, so not sure if it still qualifies as baby weight!).

Anyway, last January I joined Weight Watchers and within three months, I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. Which was great, but even before I had my daughter, I felt I needed to lose about 10 pounds. Add to this the recent holidays, where three pounds crept back on, and I'm starting out 2010 with the goal of losing 13 pounds. Doing so will put me well within the weight range for my age and height, not to mention make me feel that much better about putting on a swimsuit during our trip to Mexico this coming June!

Swimsuit or not, I established my 2010 New Year's resolutions with the intent of living a healthier lifestyle and by doing so, I expect the weight will take care of itself. My goal for the year is not to stress about the scale, but to instead focus my energy on positive changes I can make that will keep me healthier and happier in the long run.

As for the list above, I’ll plan to post something the first of every month pertaining to the theme – whether it is information I’ve read in a book, found online, seen on Oprah, or heard around the water cooler, I figure it is all food for thought, right?

Read more...

Breakfast in bed

I have tried repeatedly to declare our bedroom a toy-free zone. Our daughter has a playroom and a bedroom, both overrun with toys, so I figured this was a reasonable request. For the most part, she is good about observing this rule, but every once in awhile, I find evidence that she’s been playing in mommy and daddy’s room.



Here's a close-up of the breakfast in bed she left for us:



* Sorry for the grainy quality of these pictures. I took it with my iphone last night because I was too lazy to run downstairs for the real camera.

Read more...

Polar prison

Have I mentioned how much I hate winter? I am a bit more tolerant during the holidays, the whole white Christmas thing and all, but by January, I'm done. Spring please!

So as I stare out my kitchen window at this polar prison we are now stuck in, I'm longing for all the joys of summer:

* Runs along the river
* Bike rides that end at the ice cream shop
* Barbeque and cold beers
* Sun-kissed skin instead of wind-burned
* Shorts and tank tops instead of heavy coats, scarfs and gloves
* Walks to the park
* Dinner on the patio
* Naps in the sun
* Afternoons at the pool

For now I'll have to settle for snuggling under a blanket with my peanut. Which is about the only positive thing I have to say about winter!

Read more...

Cleaning green

I’ve never been a big fan of housekeeping. Sure I do what needs to be done, but on the scale of things I have to do and things I want to do, it ranks pretty low. I do enough to keep up appearances, saving the “big” cleaning for special events when we will have people over (birthdays, holidays, dinner parties, etc.). I've told Clean Fresh Hubby that we need to have at least one party per month just to get the house clean (and I mean every room, clean at the same time!).

Until now.

I am a full-pledged addict. My vice: Method cleaning products.

It all started in my quest to stop using harmful chemicals. Plus, I have an almost four year old who constantly asks if she can “help” me clean. Not anxious to give her a rag loaded with cleaning products whose bottles have scary warning labels and ingredients I can’t even pronounce, I decided to start investigating all natural cleaners.

I’ve always noticed the Method display at Target; the bottles are unique, the product names catchy, but other than that, I never really thought much more about them. Until the other day, when I picked up some of their bathroom cleaners:



And then I cleaned all the toilets in our house. The smell of the eucalpytus mint cleaner was heavenly, and seriously made me consider cleaning the toilet after every use. And the after shower spray (scent is ylang ylang) is way better than the humid, musty shower smell we had grown accustomed to.

So I went back to Target and picked up a few additional cleaners for the bathroom since I loved the smell so much:



Then I happened to be shopping at Whole Foods and found the Method display there, so I picked up some kitchen cleaner, dish soap, hand soap and glass cleaner:



Of course, I have to do laundry, clean the wood floors and dust the furniture, so back to Target I tromped, adding these to my collection:



And, since I had all these cool new cleaning products, I felt I needed a caddy to keep them all nice and shiny:



So yes, I am now officially addicted to Method cleaning products. I love that I can clean the bathroom and not feel my lungs burning at the same time. I love that my daughter can take a dust rag coated in the almond cleaner and dust to her little heart’s content. And I love that I have a newfound zest for keeping the house clean. But most importantly, I love that using these products means my family is not being exposed to harmful chemicals and in some small way, we are doing our part for the environment.

* To clarify for anyone who might think I'm crazy to go out and buy all new cleaning products: we were out of laundry soap, toilet bowl cleaner, shower spray, tile cleaner and floor cleaner. I did end up replacing a relatively brand new bottle of Pledge, Soft Scrub with Bleach, and a half-used bottle of Windex. I am still using the mega-sized canister of Clorox wipes that I got at Costco...

Read more...

Waiting is the hardest part

While looking out at this:



I found myself dreaming about this:



Clean Fresh Hubby and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary next month and to celebrate, we're planning a trip to Mexico in June. Sigh... I don't want to wish away time, but I could so be done with winter.

Read more...

New Year's Resolutions

Like most everyone in America, I came up with a list of New Year's resolutions.

1. Stop biting my nails. I do this when I'm stressed, and December was a particularly stressful month for me, which meant my nails were down to the nubs. Even though January has started out on a stressful note (my mom had a stroke), I am pleased to report the nails are starting to grow out and actually don't look half bad.

2. Stop leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. So far so good with this one and it is so nice to come downstairs to a clean kitchen in the morning.

3. Limit alcohol intake to weekends only. I found myself drinking a little too much vino during the week (one glass often led to two). While this isn't a huge deal, when you are trying to lose that last 10 lbs (and who isn't?), I figured reducing my alcohol intake during the week might help me win this battle.

4. Eat vegan at least one day per week. Health and environmental benefits with this one and really not that hard.

5. Track my eating. Harkening back to my Weight Watchers days, I do find I am much better about my eating if I actually write it down. And while I don't plan to really count points a la WW, the log helps me identify deficiencies in my diet (did I really not eat an entire fruit or vegetable today??).

6. Exercise 4 times per week. Started out with the best of intentions with this one, but when my mom went into the hospital after her stroke, it kind of flew by the wayside. Now that she is home and recovering, I will get back on track with this resolution pronto.

This was my initial list I jotted down in December, but as the year has gotten underway, I've added a few more goals for the coming year:

Goal 1: Complete a marathon or triathlon
I turn 35 this June, so I'm feeling the need to challenge myself physically. Not sure what that will be yet, but am kicking around the idea of participating in the Batavia Triathlon in June (on my birthday no less) or running the Chicago Marathon in October.

Goal 2: Live a cleaner life
In a nutshell, I'm removing toxins where I can (cleaning supplies, personal care products, etc.) and buying organic as well as cleaning up my eating. More to come on this...

I'm confident 2010 is going to be a great year!

Read more...