Recipe: Bourbon Street Red Beans and Rice

18 Dec

Bourbon Street Red Beans and Rice

Time: 30 minutes prep; a little less than 2.5 hours (but well worth it)

redbeansandriceIngredients

  • 1 cup dried red beans
  • 2-3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 finely chopped jalapeno chili
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4-6 drops liquid smoke
  • salt, to taste
  • 4 cups cooked rice, warm

Preparation

  1. Cover beans with 2 inches of water in large saucepan; heat to boiling and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour; drain and return to saucepan.
  2. Add two cups broth to beans and heat to boiling; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
  3. Add vegetables and herbs; simmer covered, until beans are tender, 30-45 minutes, adding more broth if necessary (beans should be moist but without excess liquid). Discard bay leaves.
  4. Stir in red pepper sauce, cayenne pepper and liquid smoke; season to taste with salt.
  5. Serve over rice.

Courtesy of 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, Fourth Edition

Verdict

I’ve always made my red beans and rice the quick way: from the directions on a side of a can of Goya beans. I have to say that this way, while a little more complicated and with a longer cook time, is so much better. The flavors are so full. I used a bullion cube to make my broth, but I made it while the beans were soaking, so as not to add to my cook time. Also, while the beans are soaking, you can make other things. There’s no sense in watching beans soak when you could be adding to your meal. I never wanted to cook with dried beans before because it just takes so long, but I understand why now. Good things take time. I highly recommend this one, especially in these frigid temps.

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I Backslid, and So Will You

16 Dec
You will not defeat me!

You will not defeat me!

I haven’t been able to pinpoint when the problem began, but I know it’s happened. I set a limit for myself: I’d never go past 150 again. Then I hit 151. That’s no problem, I thought. I can lose that easily. Excuse after excuse and here I am pushing 160 and about to go for a run.

I know what has to be done; it’s just hard to stay on track. I’m not a fitness buff nor am I a health nut (as evidenced by my love of goldfish crackers). I don’t believe in being a slave to the number on the scale, either. But I like to look a certain way, and there’s a general weight range that I’m veering away from far too easily.

Here’s the thing: we’re all works in progress. Before, during and after the weight-loss journey is over, you will have to repeat the process.

You know why? Everybody backslides. Everybody.

Look at Oprah. No one is a a better example of the truth about yo-yo dieting. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just reality. People gain and lose weight depending on everything from their moods to the moon. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

At my peak of weight loss, I lost over 60 pounds. But then began the process of lose, gain, repeat.

I’m not alone in this. Many, many moons ago, a woman from Tennessee trotted out on a TV stage with a wagon of fat. Remember this?

(wagon pulls in at about 1:50 mark)

I don’t do this to poke fun at the Mighty O, who even says in the video that she was starving herself at the time and has since come forward that her weight gain is the result of thyroid problems. I do this to say that no one is perfect. You will mess up. Just don’t let that be a deterrent to continuing on your way to your goals.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

1. Switch up your routine. Any physical trainer will tell you not to do the same routine over and over again. You don’t think to blink, walk or even flex your fingers. It’s a learned activity that the body does without much provocation. The way your body has learned these activities is similar to the way it will learn the same Zumba video you’ve been doing every day for three months. After the first month, the pounds wont drop anymore because your body knows what to do. You have to shock the system. So instead of Zumba, go swimming. Instead of running, do some resistance. Don’t let your body settle into one routine.

2. Don’t beat yourself up about it. This is just a thing that happens. You’ve done the work before, so you know what to do now. You are one of millions of people in the world who have probably fallen back into old habits. Just remember why you started in the first place and let that be the motivation to get you going again.

3. Remember your body is always changing. Maybe some of those pounds are just life catching up with you. Don’t let the number on the scale rule your life. It is solely there as a guide only. It’s about how you feel in your skin, and you have to adjust to life’s little changes…like Oprah.

What do you do when you feel you’re getting off track?

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Pain Is Not an Option

13 Dec
someecards.com - Best of luck finishing a marathon that doesn't involve episodes of Law & Order

How I felt when my knee tightened up.

I am not a teenager anymore. My body doesn’t heal like it used to. But when the one exercise I enjoy doing was taken from me, I was pissed.

I’ve been running since I began my weight-loss journey over five years ago. As I’ve said before on this blog, it appealed to my frugal nature. Plus it was something I could do that I didn’t have to learn. You run as a kid, you walk as an adult. There wasn’t much to it but to do it.

Eventually got pretty good at it. My speed increased every few months. My stamina increased with each extra half mile. My endurance was great; I could hang for a well over an hour of flat-out running.

Then somewhere along the way I started to feel tightness below my left knee. It didn’t worry me much because I could continue on my trek at the same speed. Then I started to slow down. Eventually I had to come to a stop and limp my way back home.

Who was this person I’d become? The open air of the trail, the people watching, the feeling of freedom that came with having the wind at my back all came to a halt. Now I was conking out after about two miles, eventually conking out at one. My pride hurt more than the physical pain of not being able to complete my journey anymore.

There’s almost a sense of invincibility that comes with running. Once you’ve hit your stride, you go on auto-pilot. Now my auto-pilot was malfunctioning.

I consulted my general practitioner, and she suggested changing my shoes. I can’t stress this enough: you have to replace your shoes! Just like the tires on your car, your running shoes are not meant to last forever. Your feet and legs are your mode of transportation. You can’t get very far without them. They must be cared for.

I ordered new sneakers which helped for a few months. But the pain returned, and with it my sense of defeat. I really thought it was over for me as a runner. Any dreams I had of completing a marathon were kaput. If I can’t get through mile three without conking out, what good am I on a 26.2-mile course?

On another visit to my doc, she followed up on my knee. I told her I hadn’t been out in months because of the pain. A runner herself, she wouldn’t stand for my defeatist attitude. “We’ve got to get you back out running,” she said. She referred me to a sports medicine doctor who, she said, consulted professional athletes. After doing an x-ray, he said there was no joint or ligament damage. It was something I’d have to work through in physical therapy, which was a relief.

My therapist first had me walk down the corridor and then run for about two minutes on the treadmill. He pulled me off after about 30 seconds having identified the problem whip-fast. As a woman, especially one with “child-bearing hips,” my body isn’t designed for long runs. What happens is my hips get out of whack and my knees and ankles pick up the slack, causing pressure on my IT band. The best way to remedy this would be weeks of therapy to strengthen my hips.

Here’s a few things I learned:

Bridge

Lunge stretch

Hip hikes

Side leg raises

I knew I lacked a lot of physical strength because of my focus on cardio as exercise. I’ve neglected the strengthening aspect because cardio is a faster way to lose weight, which was my goal. But being forced to sit out running made me realize that I need to be more well-rounded by incorporating strength training. It’s not enough to be smaller if I can’t move my body.

After a couple of months, I was able to do three, then four and eventually seven miles. I have to do these stretches, which take about 15 minutes, at least three times a week to keep the strength up in my hips. I’m okay with that, because I love running. It’s what I do to make me happy

What do you do to keep up your strength? And how do you deal with injury when it keeps you from doing something you love?

One Fish, Two Fish, I Love Goldfish

9 Dec
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Really. I just…I have no words.

If you are what you eat, then I am a bag of Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar Goldfish crackers. Saying I love them doesn’t quite describe how I feel about the salty goodness that comes with each bite.

Things are so bad that I have to bypass the cracker aisle at the grocery store so as not to tempt myself. Sometimes, though, a girl just needs a bag of goldfish.

I’m aware that it’s a problem. It’s my vice. Just writing this, I want to go pick up a bag (or four). It’s helpful that they’ve gone up in price, because a few years ago I could buy 10 bags for $10. It was insane how many I not only had in my house, but how fast I could go through them. I’d shovel them like it was my last meal.

I thought about immersion therapy. You know, eating so many at once that I’d just get sick of them. But that didn’t work; I just ended up with cheese dust covering everything. No one wants to walk around looking like an orange pylon all the time.

So what to do? It’s no use denying myself the foods you enjoy when I want them. I don’t crave them all the time; but it doesn’t hurt to have a handful ready when the mood hits.

That goes for all cravings. Everyone has their fave type of junk food. For me it’s goldfish crackers, but for others it’s cookies, cupcakes, potato chips, etc. A handful won’t kill you. Eighteen handfuls, however, might be a bit of a problem.

When First Lady Michelle Obama started her Let’s Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity, some questioned how that could be reconciled with the holidays. Sure, we people could follow the initiatives pillars of healthy eating and physical activity during most of the year. But the holidays call for turkey, gravy, football and pie.

The best way to alleviate that guilt is just not to weigh yourself down with it. If you enjoy cookies, have a couple. If you like chips, have some. Just don’t let that be all you eat. These foods were created to be as snacks, not meals.

One of the things it took me a while to learn while on this weight-loss journey was the difference between cravings and hunger. Cravings can be alleviated easily if it’s not caused by hunger. For example, if I’m craving a handful of cheese-dust crackers, I’ll drink a large glass of water and chew some gum. If I’m still feenin’ it after the flavor has worn off on my Orbit Bubblemint, it’s time for some crackers. There’s no harm in water and chewing gum, and I’m not overeating.

Once you’ve learned to separate your cravings from hunger, the weight-loss journey becomes more tolerable. You find a way to keep yourself sane when a cookie craving comes along. I know it took me some time, but I hope that’s not the case for you.

What are some of your vices and how do you keep your cravings in check?

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Recipe: Greek Eggplant With Feta

4 Dec

Greek Eggplant With Feta

Time: 20 minutes to prep; 40 minutes to cook

image

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled
  • 2 cups each: sliced red and yellow bell peppers and onions
  • Olive Oil cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crushed
  • 3/4 teaspoon each: dried marjoram and thyme leaves
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. imageCut eggplant into 1/2-inch slices; cut slices into fourths. Arrange eggplant, bell peppers and onions in single layer on greased foil lined pans.
  2. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with herbs.
  3. Roast at 425 degrees until browned and tender, about 40 minutes.
  4. Toss with cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Courtesy of 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes (fourth edition)

Verdict

We didn’t eat a lot of eggplant at my house growing up. It was something I developed a taste for in adulthood. It’s one of my favorite veggies, but I’m always looking for quick, easy ways to cook it. I used actual olive oil instead of spray for this recipe, which wasn’t the best idea. A spray will evenly distribute and go on lighter. Using actual olive oil caused things to cook a too fast. My dish was overcooked, but the flavors were still there. Next time I think it will be better.

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