Whole30 Challenge

I've been struggling with my weight a lot for the past couple of years. I've never really talked about it on my blog, mostly because I think I've sort of been in denial about the whole thing.

You see, growing up I was a skinny kid. I was always thin, to the point that I remember that whenever I got sick, my grandmother would always take me out when I got better for a milkshake to get my weight back up a bit. I think I just always heard people tell me that I was probably always going to be thin like my mom, and that they envied my ability to just eat whatever I wanted without putting on a single pound.

Like most people, though, all of that eventually caught up with me in the past few years. I've always had a sweet tooth, and always really enjoyed food.

Ultimately I've been getting on the scale lately and realizing that I'm about 30 pounds heavier than I want to be. I decided recently that I was done. I need to make some pretty big changes. I thought back to the dozens of conversations my old co-worker Lindsay used to have in my office in the mornings, and looked up Whole30. She had talked about it many times, and it stuck with me.

The program seems pretty easy to follow. I'm starting with simple things. I went to the grocery store today armed with the Whole30 Shopping List. We picked up a handful of things - here's a sampling of my receipt:

- LaCroix sparking water - Peach Pear, Berry, and Coconut (this stuff is great - no sugar, no sodium, zero calories, etc.)
- sulfite-free turkey jerky
- coconut oil
- sweet potatoes (I only bought three - I just want to have them on hand to eat occasionally)
- cucumbers
- sulfite-free bacon
- omega-3 Organic eggs
- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
- romaine lettuce
- peppers
- mushrooms
- tilapia
- salami and prosciutto
- pork belly (this was an exciting find - we just had a dish yesterday in Athens that was fried pork belly with deviled egg puree and greens and it was SO. GOOD. I might have to talk the Publix butcher into stocking this for me!)
- avocados

I started the day with a palmful of almonds and a big glass of water (I wasn't very hungry). Lunch was a few pieces of rolled up prosciutto and a salad of avocado, tomatoes, minced garlic, lime juice, and Tapatio hot sauce. Dinner is grilled chicken (Kevin makes excellent grilled chicken) and salad. So far I sort of have the desire to just eat every cookie I can get my hands on, but I don't feel too terrible overall!

I'm pretty excited to do Whole30 this month! I'm going to be sticking with the Whole30 shopping list, and using LoseIt.com to track my weight loss goals (as well as to keep my food journal). My goal is to reach my goal of losing 30 pounds by Christmas....time will tell whether I get there!

Cleaning House: Taking Back the Weekend

Fair warning: you are about to read a blog post about my house cleaning habits.

I am not a big fan of doing housework, but who is? It occurred to me last weekend that I really hate spending part of our weekends trying to keep up with housework.

So I started thinking about why I hate doing housework. What to do? A list to the rescue! I took a little time and put together a pretty comprehensive list of all the cleaning that needs to happen on a weekly basis, and all the things that need to happen monthly:

Weekly items are things like:

- wiping down the kitchen appliances
- dusting
- vacuuming
- combing the shedding hair off of the dog
- straightening up the office
- cleaning the bathroom mirror, faucets, countertops, etc.
- tidying up the bedroom and putting away clothes
- cleaning out the fridge

Monthly items are things like:

- bathing the dog and giving her the monthly dose of medicine
- cleaning the bedroom closet

I picked up a cute (and inexpensive!) 8.5x11 frame from the dollar store, and framed the list to hang in the kitchen. I grabbed a cheap dry-erase marker (that sits conveniently on top of the framed list) and it makes it really easy to keep track of what we've already done, and what else needs to be accomplished.

Here's our list! As you can see, most of our stuff is checked off just from the little bit of time we took to do it while dinner was cooking:

So what was the next thing I hated about housework? I realized I'm really not a big fan of doing it on the weekend. I mean, the weekend is for running fun errands, taking the dog to the park to run around, sleeping in, cooking, reading, and watching endless episodes of TV shows on Netflix. I could do without the tedious house stuff. My solution? Go into the weekend with an already-clean house! It's hard to sit around feeling guilty about the messy bits in the house if it's already clean. So for the next little while, I'm going to try to do our cleaning on Thursday nights. That should leave Friday nights, Saturday, and Sunday wide open for the more relaxing and fun parts of the weekend! This past week, I set aside about 20 minutes, and in our little townhouse, was able (with Kevin's help) to take care of almost everything on our weekly list.

And thanks to our super awesome Thursday night cleaning spree, I got to do some other (significantly more fun) things this weekend:

- go to the chiropractor
- eat some tasty sushi on the back porch while enjoying the sunshine
- start reading A Song of Ice and Fire
- soak in a nice hot bath. I added a half-dozen drops of rosemary essential oil to the water while it was running, and it made it smell heavenly
-cook a delicious dinner: top sirloin steaks with roasted broccoli rabe and sautéed shiitake mushrooms in a balsamic and caramelized shallot glaze, with a touch of goat cheese to make it creamy.
- take a couple nice (short - but nice) naps in the mid afternoon



So much more fun than cleaning....

Fancy Food

So as you know, I've been reading Kitchen Confidential and LOVING it. I'm also right in the middle of reading The Happiness Project. Both books have had me thinking about a lot of things.

One of the things that I get frustrated with myself about is my seeming inability to stick with a hobby for very long. A few years ago, it was making hand-beaded jewelry. That fizzled out and was replaced with sewing. I've kept up the sewing (partly because it's super practical - that super cute dress on the clearance rack at Target for $7 is an XL? Take it home, take it in, and now it's a medium!) but in general I tend to get into things and then lose interest.

One interest I've had pretty consistently for the past 8-10 years or so is food. Can food be a hobby? I guess so. Anyway, reading Kitchen Confidential has me really inspired to cook more creatively, and The Happiness Project sort of has me analyzing my life to figure out what things I could change to help me feel less stressed out and rushed all the time. So I had a bit of a revelation the other day. I like food, and cooking is just one of those every-day things that I have to do. So why not put a little more energy and enthusiasm into it? It started the other night when I was cooking dinner. I'd picked up a salmon fillet for Kevin, and a tilapia fillet for myself. While cooking it slowly in a hunk of Irish butter (worth it, trust me), and cooking some quinoa in chicken broth, I thought "what can I do to make this meal feel a little fancier?". I decided the presentation was lacking. I quickly grabbed a carton of grape tomatoes out of the fridge, and a few wooden skewers. I threw the tomatoes on the skewers, and roasted them over the open flame on the stove until the skin started to blister a little, and they started to sizzle. I pulled out a basting brush, and basted each skewer in a little bit of aged balsamic vinegar. Perfection. I took another minute or so plating the food so it looked pretty, and I have to say I was pretty happy with how everything came out.

Sad blurry iPhone picture of my buttery and flaky tilapia with some yummy quinoa, and those quick-roasted grape tomatoes in balsamic vinegar. 

Yesterday morning, I threw a pot roast into the slow cooker and then realized I was out of onion soup mix to toss in with it. I quickly forgot about it, and went about my day. When I got home, I found a perfectly cooked, but less-flavorful-than-usual pot roast. What to do? I grabbed my laptop and pulled up instructions for a basic red wine reduction, and pulled some fancy horseradish mustard from the fridge. I tossed some boiled baby carrots with some Irish butter and a little bit of dill weed. Again, like the night before, I took just a few more minutes plating the food, and I was really happy with how it came out. Just being a little bit creative with things I already had around the house, and taking a few minutes to make the food look as good as it tasted made a big difference.

Yummy slow-cooked pot roast with a red wine reduction, a sweet and spicy horseradish mustard, and a nice little bunch of baby carrots in butter and dill. 

Easy Summer "Everything" Dressing

OK so I was browsing Pinterest over the weekend, looking for something fun to whip up in the kitchen. I'm trying to get us back to eating healthy, low-carb meals that are well planned out in advance. So when I saw a recipe for a cilantro lime salad dressing, I knew I had to try it. Now I haven't always been a big fan of cilantro. There was a while during my teenage years that cilantro made my skin itch. I'm really glad I got over that, because this dressing is SO tasty and so easy! I made a good-sized mason jar worth of dressing last night, and I'm hoping it lasts a whole week of salads at lunch time. Last night I grabbed a big bowl, tossed in two hand-fulls of lettuce, half a chopped up cucumber, a whole cubed avocado,  and six or seven halved cherry tomatoes, all drizzled with a little of this dressing. It was so good. I had actually made bacon wrapped scallops for dinner, and ended up tossing most of mine onto Kevin's plate so I could save room for more salad. I threw together the same salad for lunch today, but added some bacon chunks that I cooked last night, along with some sweet corn and a little bit of crumbled feta cheese. I was going to take a hipster-Instagram-type picture of my lunch salad, but I gobbled it up before I remembered to pull out my phone. YUM. Avocado and bacon might be the most underrated couple in the food world. Here's the recipe - it's really quick to put together, and I suspect it would also be good on grilled chicken, brushed on grilled corn instead of butter, or even drizzled over baked fish (which I will be trying tonight):

1 small single-serving container of plain Chobani Greek yogurt
1 or two tablespoons of lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 big bunch of cilantro, with most of the stems chopped off
1 teaspoon of salt (sea salt if you're feeling fancy)
1/3-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Toss everything except the olive oil in a blender, or in a tall container if you're planning on using a hand blender (which I did, and it was so much easier than hauling out the big blender). Blend together all the ingredients, but save the olive oil for last. Add the olive oil as needed to loosen the dressing so it's spoon-able or pour-able. Use within a week.

I'm actually in the middle of reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, and know for a fact that he would turn up his coke-sniffing nose at me for using that minced garlic that comes in a jar. Sorry, Anthony. I feel like he'd enjoy the dressing though. Try it for yourself!

Currently: What I'm Reading

If you'll recall, dear reader, some of the new year's resolutions I made for myself at the start of 2013, you should know that I've mostly fallen off the rails with all of them.

I'm happy to say, though, that I have kept my resolution to read more (yay!). I owe this mostly to my sweet husband who bought me a Kindle for Christmas a few years ago, which means I can have a few dozen books tucked neatly into my purse at all times. Looking for something interesting or new to read over the summer? Check out what I've been reading for the past couple of months:

Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte

I have had this book on my shelf for quite some time now, and have always meant to read it, but never quite got around to it. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story, I think in part because it starts off in such a bleak and sad setting. Once Jane encounters Mr. Rochester for the first time, however, it's safe to say I was completely hooked. Pride & Prejudice is still safely my favorite piece of fiction from the 1800's, but I feel like it's safe to say that Jane Eyre will be one that I read again over the years.

Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan

This is another one I had been meaning to read for a while. I grabbed it on my Kindle for about $5 or $6, and it was so worth it! It really opened my eyes to the relationship we have with our sweet mutt, Ruby, and some techniques we can be using to change her behavior. I've already tried implementing a few things from the book, but we still have a lot of work to do!

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

After reading McCullough's bio on John Adams, which I enjoyed immensely, I checked to see if there were any other biographies he'd written. As soon as I saw that he'd written about Roosevelt, it seemed like a natural to be next on my list of books to read. I loved reading about the day-to-day life of the Roosevelt family, the story of how Theodore Roosevelt Sr. met and married Mittle Bulloch of Roswell, Georgia, and the story of Teddy Jr. and Alice. Though not without its fair share of tragedy, sadness, and loss, I so enjoyed getting lost in the story of the Roosevelt clan, their trips to Europe, their forays into politics, and their role in settling the West.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

I love historical fiction, so as soon as I heard a few things about this book, I looked it up on my Kindle immediately. I tore through it over the course of a few lunch-hours, and loved every minute. It follows the story of Anna, a German woman who survived World War I, the secrets she kept, and the unthinkable things she did to survive. Her daughter Trudy, born in Germany during the war and now living in America with her mother, is a scholar who has taken an interest in hearing the stories of German citizens and their experiences during the war, has buried herself in research, little knowing that her mother has quite the story of her own to tell.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I'm only partway through this, and I definitely picked it up on a lark after seeing one of my student assistants at work reading it. Even though I'm not usually one for self-help type books, this one has definitely caught my attention. I like the practical approach Gretchen Rubin has taken - taking time to self-reflect and figure out what things in life frustrate me has been an eye-opening experience, and I'm definitely considering taking on a year-long Happiness Project of my own.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

I should preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain to begin with. My first encounter with him was watching No Reservations, and after seeing a few episodes, I quickly turned to Netflix to try to watch the whole series. I have always enjoyed the narration pieces he does during his show, just the way he describes his experiences. The way he talks about food is both scathingly irreverent - he definitely takes a very non-pretentious, almost crude view on the food world in general - and beautifully reverent - he has a serious and passionate appreciation for good food in all its forms and genres. I'm only a few chapters in, but already I'm loving it. I feel like he and I would get along if we ever met in person.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

I should preface this by saying that I'm not usually one to pick up books written by celebrities just because they're written by celebrities. I have a genuine appreciation for a good story, and for good writing. I haven't started this one yet, but I'm excited to get into it and will definitely write more when I am done! I've really enjoyed Lauren Graham ever since the beginning of my infatuation with Gilmore Girls, I'm hoping that my enjoyment of this book translates into a general feeling that LG and I could be secret best friends in the future.

Palo Alto by James Franco

Again with the books by celebrities. This one I picked up on a whim as well because someone I know recommended it as "a quirky read". Good enough for me! And I've always had a soft spot for unusual short stories. I think James Franco, at the very least, is an interesting person who seems to have the same appreciation for good writing as I do.

What have you been reading lately? Any recommendations for a girl who is slowly returning to her roots as a voracious reader? I'd love to hear from you!

50 Shades of Pink

Growing up, I never considered myself to be a particularly girly girl. I was way more likely to say my favorite color was blue than pink. Lately, though, I've really been drawn to the color. I think, were I not a fair-skinned auburn-headed gal, I would be really into yellows and golds. Sadly my coloring doesn't lend well to that sunny hue, but I have found a suitable substitute in pink! I just love how I can pair it with just about anything - it really brightens things up. Here are a few of my favorite PINK things! I laugh in the face of those who say that auburn-haired girls can't pull of pink.

A pink ceramic cup of my favorite pink pens and markers; the big pink (fake) flowers I keep in a pink jar on my desk; my go-to hair-tie; my pink sticky-notes with my favorite pink pen (I love these pens, and hate writing with anything else! I am such a pen snob). 

A pop of pink chevron on my desk; my favorite Old Navy skinny ankle pants, which I'm sure will be a big part of my summer wardrobe; my pink gel manicure this week (love that I can DIY my own gel mani at home with this kit - I had a coupon - and it lasts a couple of weeks - double score!); my favorite shoes - leopard with a hot pink bow!

My favorite lipstick - Maybelline Coral Crush (best part? It's super inexpensive - like $5!)

Diana Unplugged

Dear Internet,

Remember when I started using you? Remember when I set up my very first Hotmail account at my friend's house, and was pretty sure it was the coolest thing in the world? Remember when I was totally impressed that I could use Ask Jeeves to learn anything I wanted? Those were the good old days. Endless hours of looking up pictures of dreamy teenage celebrities and exploring MySpace.

But now, things have changed. I feel like we're getting too close. I wake up in the morning and compulsively check Facebook, Twitter, and the front page of Reddit. It's like I can't stop myself, I have this sick compulsive need to know what happened in the world while I was asleep. Sometimes I'll check CNN, too, just to make sure the world didn't fall apart immediately after I drifted off. Did one of the bloggers I follow post something new? A post about different kinds of French bread pizza? Time to read that, too....

It's gotten to be too much, Internet. In the evening, scrolling through interesting posts on Apartment Therapy, or checking out a new recipe over on NomNomPaleo. Scanning through mostly redundant images on Pinterest, or getting sucked into some mostly useless collection of photos on BuzzFeed featuring 25 huge dogs that are acting like they're the size of a chihuahua. It needs to stop.

Honestly, Internet, it's not all your fault. My iPhone is definitely my enabler. Waiting for a table at a restaurant with Kevin? Time to pull out my phone and check the weather for the next 6 days. Sitting at the doctor's office waiting to be called back to the tiny room? Time to refresh Twitter to see if Wil Wheaton has posted another Vine video featuring his adorable dogs.

Internet, I feel like you're killing my creativity. Sometimes I feel like I'm yoked to my phone. Granted, Kevin and I don't have a home phone, so my constant obsession over making sure my phone is within earshot is not totally unjustified. But this constant checking all the time? Unhealthy.

I think it's time for a break, Internet. I think I need to unplug from social media for the rest of the week. I think I can skip the frothy articles peddled on HelloGiggles for the next few days, and focus on more wholesome things like picking up where I left off in Jane Austen's Persuasion. Time to work on some more of the paper art I've been experimenting with. Time to listen to more music. Time to bake a batch of cookies, and sit outside in the backyard without reaching for my phone for entertainment. Time to finally sort through my clothes and figure out what I don't wear anymore. Time to stop making to-do lists, and actually DO stuff.

So, Internet, it's been real. Maybe I'll be back this weekend, or maybe next week. Don't take it personally, it's not you - it's me.

Diana

ps: Yeah, I totally get the irony that this blog post is posted on Facebook and Twitter.