First time at First Monday
Posted: September 30, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: canton Leave a comment »Remember how I had never steamed eggs in 34 years? Well, apparently I made it 35 years without experiencing First Monday in Canton. It’s a big trade days event the first weekend/Monday of each month.
So my dad and I spent the day taking in the sights…
Sporting dad's sunglasses. Good thing he's always prepared.
The first thing I noticed is that there is a lot you cannot do…
They did not stuff me in a barrel or you would have seen a photo of that!
There was some really classy stuff available…
Only $45 for half a man!!
It was all interesting…
I think they give my size away for free!
This guy was explaining the benefits of this bbq pit. Something about swivel sticks and a ribulator??
Some “fair” food was also enjoyed…
I helped him with his lemonade. Oddly, they didn’t offer “tofu on a stick”. Does anyone else see a market there???
He may or may not be retired from the NYPD…
We also checked out puppy alley… there were more than just puppies!
I think sleeping animals are so cute!
Of course I thought these guys were adorable…
Kind of looks like prison, huh?
There were some cute, and not so cute, farm animals… and more chickens than you could shake a stick at.
This pig was adorable rooting around in his bowl. I think he fell asleep 
Can you tell I thought the pigs were adorable? Really I find the whole thing quite sad and DO NOT endorse getting your pets from irresponsible breeders or puppy mills.
The other thing that was quite striking about Canton is that the ability to spell isn’t a highly valued trait…
Maybe the shirt I saw that read, “Jenius” wasn’t meant as a joke
Yoga at Cowboy’s Stadium
Posted: September 24, 2011 Filed under: charity | Tags: yoga 3 Comments »Tonight I had a unique yoga experience… Bikram yoga on the field at Cowboy’s stadium! This event was put on to raise awareness of the health benefits of yoga and to raise money for Scottish Rite Hospital.
I headed out with my new (free) Lululemon yoga mat for Cowboy’s Stadium.
This was my first time to the new stadium and it’s very pretty!
It had a hotel-swanky bar feel to me…
That was a viewing area available to suite ticket holders, I believe. We got a “tour” of the stadium… meaning we got to look around, but there wasn’t anyone telling us nifty tidbits about things.
People were already claiming their spots on the field…
We put our mats down to save our places and then headed back to see the locker rooms!
The cheerleaders locker room was very nice…
Apparently they used to have a little locker room with only a couple of electrical outlets and one mirror! Can you imagine?
We also checked out the players’ locker room and had a little fun in there…
We also got a view of the field from up high. Man that screen is big! Check out how little the people look below it!
After the tour we started the evening with a couple of testimonials of young kids that were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and how yoga helped them to regain their mobility. Like this kid, Andrew, who is 9, and our instructor for the evening, Joseph Encinia. He had a host of problems, including a heart attack at age 13, but has since gone on to win the Yoga International Championship this year.
Joseph did a demonstration of his winning routine and he was incredible! I didn’t know a body could move like that
Sorry about the photo quality of his poses… I’m zoomed in and cropped.
Anyway, it was a great time doing yoga on the field. I was sore from yardwork yesterday, but I tried to keep the audible groans to a minimum!
AND… this might count as my first “blogger meet-up”. Clare was also going so we agreed to meet up. She’s a delightful lady!
Maybe I’ll do a “month of hot yoga” challenge sometime soon!
Thursday tip: Steamed Eggs
Posted: September 22, 2011 Filed under: recipe, Uncategorized | Tags: eggs Leave a comment »How did I make it 34 years without knowing about this??? Have you ever tried steamed eggs? They are just like hard-boiled eggs without all the prep fuss. I know… I cook a lot and you’d think I know how to boil eggs off the top of my head. But I don’t. There. I said it.
Enter my new best friend…
Eggs could be steamed on the stove too, but this electric steamer is even less fuss! Just throw place some eggs in the basket, set the timer for 15-20 minutes, and voila… hard-boiled eggs!!
Hard-boiled eggs keep nicely in the fridge, just leave them in the shell.
So there’s today’s life-changing tip. You’re welcome.
Mushroom Stroganoff over Fettucine
Posted: September 19, 2011 Filed under: recipe | Tags: mushroom, recipe, stroganoff, zumba 1 Comment »Happy Monday!
I ended my workout-less week this morning with my favorite workout ever: ZUMBA!
I do love Zumba. I’m going to have to go more regularly. It’s great to move my body in a non-repetitive way (as opposed to the repetition of running). I put some Shaklee Performance in my water today and I stayed energetic the whole time. Remembering the steps wasn’t nearly as difficult as last week!
But before that, I made dinner! I tried a new recipe today: Mushroom Stroganoff over Fettucine from the Cancer Survivor’s Cookbook.
I gathered all the ingredients…
I find it kind of funny that the only thing I had to go out for was roasted red bell peppers. The rest of this stuff is pantry staples for me?? Anyway… I made the recipe as written…
…and then served it over whole wheat pasta. Had I been thinking I would have plated it up with the sauce over the noodles. As it was, I knew it was going straight into the fridge and wouldn’t be consumed until later this evening. So, you get a picture of how it looks when I ate it… not how pretty it could be
Not gorgeous, but tasty. Even the meat-eating BF liked it! It’s only got 400 calories per (large) serving and about 24 grams of protein.
I have plans to try another recipe or two this week. I also have fun plans for Friday night. Stay tuned to the blog on Saturday to find out what I do with my Friday nights…
PSA: Don’t Mess With Texas
Posted: September 17, 2011 Filed under: charity | Tags: dogs, trash bash 1 Comment »This morning I participated in the 20th annual Trinity River Trash Bash. This was my second year to do it ALONE. Apparently none of my friends and family want to pick up trash on a Saturday morning like a prison work crew. Who knew? Fortunately I had the disco channel on Pandora to keep me company!
I didn’t pick up my goodie bag early so I snagged it at check-in…
Which included my free t-shirt and pickup supplies…
Last year was hot as the dickens and sunny. This year was overcast, which made it cooler, and about 90% humidity. We got rain last night (Thank you GOD!!) so it was a muddy mess at the river. I kept having to stop and de-mud my shoes because they’d get so heavy and caked with mud it was hard to walk.
There are 6 “stations” where volunteers can pick up trash. I chose the Handley-Ederville location, just like last year.
We avoided going into the river because it was moving pretty well. Please excuse the iPhone photos, but here’s a pic of the river and the reason we have these clean-ups!
Can y’all see that stuff right in the center of the waves? Here’s a close-up:
It was just a floating pile of bottles, trash, and debris. Please don’t litter!! We don’t have enough green spaces as it is and we need to take care of what we have.
Here I am with my 3rd and final (and heavy) bag of trash. I missed out on the rest of the festivities because I had to work this afternoon…
On a lighter note… I had plans to attend Grapefest last night, but we got rain (and I couldn’t be happier). So I saw a movie instead. However, earlier in the day it was overcast and we were doing our usual coffee date at dad’s so I brought my camera to see if there were any signs of life
I found a couple pretty flowers (and their accompanying bees)…
And look what else I found moving around…
The old dogs had a little more spring in their step with this cooler weather…
She may or may not have found some cat poop in the yard. That made her day
Have a wonderful weekend!
Fuzzy’s Tacos
Posted: September 15, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: fuzzy's tacos, massage, muffins 1 Comment »Today was a wonderful day off… and it’s not even over yet! This morning I had a late breakfast on the back deck…
… while wearing a long sleeved shirt! It was even a little chilly at the park (in short sleeves)! Then, since it’s Thursday, it was house cleaning time. I do love starting the weekend with a clean house! Especially since I have an action-packed weekend ahead of me
I bought a group coupon a few weeks ago for a massage, so I decided to cash that in today. I’ve been feeling VERY crunchy. Not good. When she ran her hands over my back I was almost creeped out by how many knots there were.
I used my gps phone to find the place and wasn’t sure I was in the right spot when I pulled up…
Yeah. That’s a house… in an industrial area… with no sign. Hmmm. So I laughed and then went inside…
There was a nice old dog that greeted me (who I didn’t get a picture of) and some paperwork to fill out. I think the owner lives here?? There was some random exercise equipment in the room to the right and a messy office to the left. Guess they do some rehab here… The massage therapist seemed very sweet (unlike the owner) and showed me into the room.
It was fairly dark and fairly homemade/old-school. I felt like I was in my grandma’s house and kept expecting someone to turn on the TV to the daytime soaps! I got situated and she came back in. At that point she proceeded to turn on the music. I was face down and hadn’t paid attention earlier, but it sounded like she was fiddling with a cassette tape?? Could it be?? Then the music, which sounded like the soundtrack from a beach/crime/suspense made-for-tv movie, started skipping. There’s only one medium that can skip like that
I took that picture after it was over (with my iPhone flash). I couldn’t stop laughing. Who still has a boombox that plays cassette tapes?? Classic.
It was a VERY good massage though. So I’m happy.
Then I met a friend for lunch at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.
She’s a gal that I met in grad school and we were instant friends. That doesn’t happen to me often, but it did with her. She’s now in FL pursuing her PhD, but she happened to be driving through town so I got to see her!
I let her order for me since I’d never been to Fuzzy’s before. I had read mixed reviews, but she liked it and I trust her We split the chips and queso. They were delicious…
I got the crispy veggie tacos. They were delicious! Feta cheese, some garlic sauce, interesting vegetables… not at all what I expected.
And did I mention she brought her sweet mom?
We could have talked all afternoon, but they had to keep driving to Austin City Limits. I’ve got my fingers crossed she moves back here after school!
On my way home, I was passing by Sprouts so I decided to pop in for some stuff I can only find there. I was browsing the breads and spotted these interesting looking muffins:
I was debating between these and the store brand blueberry streusel-y muffins, but one look at the ingredient list and calorie count and I was sold on these. 140 calories in the whole muffin!! And 7 grams of protein with 5 grams of fiber. Plus a simple ingredient list! Finally a muffin I could not feel guilty about
Have a great night!
Quick and Easy Lentil Soup
Posted: September 13, 2011 Filed under: recipe | Tags: lentils Leave a comment »My body has been screaming for a rest lately (fatigue, headaches, higher body temp) so I’m going to take a workout break for 5 days… if I can stand it. I was planning to start Sunday, but there was a Monday morning Zumba class so I just had to go. Five minutes in to the class I was remembering why I was going to take a break. So… you won’t see any workouts on here this week, but you will find a recipe today!
I had a hankering for soup and some french lentils calling my name so I made a quick and easy lentil soup.
Quick & Easy Lentil Soup
- 1 cup french lentils (green)
- 1 carrot (2 pictured, but I just used 1)
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 medium onion
- 4 cups water
- 2 bouillon cubes (I use Rapunzel brand)
- Chop all the vegetables.
- Saute them in oil until tender.
- Add water, bouillon cubes, and lentils.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20-ish minutes (or until tender).
Salutation Nation
Posted: September 10, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »Hey everybody! This morning I went to Salutation Nation in Sundance Square. It was a free, outdoor yoga class sponsored by Lululemon and hosted all across the country. I went to the Fort Worth one that was held in the Chisholm Trail parking lot.
If you were one of the first 50 people to show the folks at Hail Merry that you “liked” them on facebook, you got a free t-shirt!
And who doesn’t need a free t-shirt?? They gave away some free Grawnola too! I had it for a snack at work today and it was really, really delicious.
The nice folks at Lululemon were going around randomly giving out products. Of course I had my fingers crossed! And it worked. The guy said I looked like I needed a new yoga mat. I guess my cheapy mat with holes in it kind of gave me away
Who knew there was such a difference in the quality of yoga mats! I loved this one. And it has lines on it (hence the name Align) so you are sure to keep your body straight. Thanks Lululemon!
And speaking of guys… this guy was mesmerizing. He was SOOO flexible (and muscular – which seems incompatible). I didn’t get a great picture as he’s already taking his leg down from behind his head in this one…
There were about 130+ people there that I counted. A pretty fun way to start the morning!
It was really cool to be upside down in Downward Facing Dog and see all the other people upside down, plus see the buildings, with the sky “below” them. Good times…
After work I hit up the gym for NROLFW Stage 1A, #6. I’m scared excited to move on to stage 2!
Brad Lamm and Spiral Diner (although not at the same time)
Posted: September 8, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: nrolfw, protein, spiral diner, vegan Leave a comment »Hi everybody! Yesterday started off as another beautiful morning in the high 50′s. I enjoyed a High Protein Oatmeal Bowl on the porch with Kyra…
Don’t worry… the oatmeal is hiding under there! I worked an early shift so I could go hear an author speak last night.
Brad Lamm, author of a few books including Just 10 Lbs, was speaking at a nearby hotel. Here’s a little bit about him:
Brad Lamm is an author, educator and interventionist best known for helping people make life-enhancing change on The Dr. OZ Show.
(www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Lamm and http://www.BradLamm.com)
Brad is the Founder and CEO of Change Institute and Intervention Specialists, a crisis intervention group helping family and friends enable a resistant loved one to make change using his “invitational” intervention method whereby the loved one is invited to his or her own intervention.
In 2008 Brad founded Change Institute to help inform and inspire folks to live better, lighter lives through weight loss and smoking cessation programs. Brad believes that a circle of friends and family is uniquely poised to offer support, accountability and structure from a beginning point of love and honesty –- no matter how broken-down or discouraged they may feel.
Highly motivated and with long-term recovery himself, Brad’s teaching style is no-nonsense and accessible, blending hope with the dynamic nature of his work. Previously a network-affiliate news anchor, his TV work today centers on his role as a regular on The Dr. OZ Show. He is a Creator and Producer of the new series “Addicted to Food” on OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network).
His books include:
- How to Change Someone You Love: Four Steps to Help You Help Them
- How to Help the One You Love: A New Way to Intervene
- JUST 10 Lbs: Easy Steps to Weighing What You Want (Finally)
It was a good meeting and I picked up his book. I also got a picture with him (not very flattering of either of us, but what the heck…)
Today I was up bright and early (thank you Kyra) with a long to-do list. While cleaning house (yes, I still LOVE my non-toxic cleaners), I sipped on some green tea by Teavana. I love this stuff. It’s the right mix of floral and fruity for me. I’m sure it would be amazing with some sweetener, but I drink it plain.
A late lunch date with two meat-eaters was also on the list!
That is their before picture. They look optimistic
We went to Spiral Diner, a vegan restaurant and one of my faves.
I ordered my usual – nachos and a coconut limeade…
One of the gals got a taco salad which was like my nachos only on lettuce. The other got a Cowboy Burger.
It had bacun bits, daiya cheese, and other burger-like toppings. She said it was very good and she’d get it again.
Then we split a Deathstar Brownie which is a brownie, topped with “ice cream”, with a hot espresso shot poured over it – and some whipped cream. Talk about delicious! I can’t believe that’s the first time I’ve ever had that. It won’t be the last. It was consumed before I could take a picture Oops.
I then headed directly to the gym and did my NROLFW 1A, #6. I am quite sure I’ll be sore tomorrow.
Strawberry Spinach Salad and Labor Day happenings…
Posted: September 6, 2011 Filed under: exercise, food, mayberry, nrolfw, recipe 2 Comments »Since I saw you last… I enjoyed a Freebirds groupon, some quality time with Kyra, and the house to myself Saturday night!
My stepmom and I walked the dog, then I ran, then we biked to downtown Mayberry on Sunday. We got in 4 miles before 9a, but I failed to stretch & foam roll. Oops Sunday evening was supposed to be the kickoff for DFW’s Free Day of Yoga, but the wind was gusting at 40 mph and I’m not THAT coordinated so we skipped it.
When I woke up Monday morning it was COOL! Loved it. The BF and I took Kyra to the good park (not in Mayberry) and she didn’t want to leave. She could have spent all day outside yesterday! My stepmom, a girlfriend, and I did manage to hit up a free yoga class on Monday morning (the actual Free Day of Yoga) and had a good time. Last night I had a girlfriend over for “wine night” and I made a Strawberry Spinach Salad I thought I’d share with you….
It was topped with glazed pecans and a balsamic dressing that complements the glaze. This picture was taken during prep and by the time the dressing and pecans were added the wine had been poured and the camera was forgotten
Strawberry Spinach Salad:
- spinach
- strawberries
- brown sugar
- balsamic vinegar
- oil
- Two parts oil to one part vinegar. I did 2 TBS oil, 1.5 TBS vinegar, and 2 tsp of brown sugar.
- The original recipe calls for equal parts oil and vinegar and, if using 3 TBS of each, then 1/4 brown sugar. Just fyi…
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBS oil
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- Throw it in a pot, bring to a boil, stir in the pecans, and let them cook 4 minutes (keep stirring).
- Cool them on a baking sheet (or foil, like I did).
This salad is usually dessert for me because it’s so sweet. But it’s an easy way to get people to eat spinach!! 
