Christina Aguilera-Candyman

Loving this song right now!! It gets me in such a good mood :) Ready for a fun weekend!

Mellow weekend

In case you were wondering how much fun David and I had this weekend, it was very mellow because I had class all day on Saturday. And yet we still managed to have fun! :) We saw a movie, Shooter, on Friday night, went for a long walk on Saturday night and after David played golf on Sunday morning, went for sushi down by the beach... we are on a quest to find the best pizza roll in SD, so we checked out Zen 5 in Pacific Beach. Very cool place and really good sushi, but not the best pizza roll, it was more like a dynamite roll. The best is still Seau's, yummy!!

CSI Miami - Endless Caruso One Liners

and now something to lighten the mood... just try to watch CSI Miami without bursting into laughter after watching David Caruso for a while. He is the SAME in every scene... too funny!

More Gratitude

Speaking of having good people in my life to love and support me, David knows sometimes before I do when I'm sad or melancholy. I'm trying to "keep up appearances" but then I realize he's right after he simply asks, "why are you sad today?". That recognition on his part makes me feel very protected and cared for and for which I am grateful even beyond his awareness.

What do I need to do to care for my sadness?

Acceptance
I accept that I feel this way and that it doesn't "mean" anything about me. In essence, there is nothing wrong with me for feeling this way.

Intention
My intention is to be aware of this moment, and to practice gratitude and loving-kindness in this moment so that I can create a loving life for the future.

Trust
I trust that there is a power beyond me but within me, which I call God, that will give me grace in every situation where I am afraid and that will allow into my life every situation for the evolution of my loving life.

Detachment
I let go of any expectations I have of how my loving life will manifest, knowing that God knows more than I do what will bring me happiness.

Breath
I meditate and focus on the present moment by focusing on my breathing.

The Art of Mindful Living

My life is very happy right now, as you know. Good things and good people are in my life and supporting me and loving me. And yet, there is still sometimes a sadness that comes from nowhere it seems. I recognize that it is from fear and trying to live in the future (what's going to happen? when? why can't i.... and on and on). I haven't focused on the practice of Buddhism in a while, I've been distracted by all the good things in my life :) for which I practice gratitude on a regular basis. But I feel like it's time to look again at my intention for my life and practice again the art of mindful living. So here are the Five Mindfulness Trainings on which the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh are based. It is called practice for a reason, because at times it becomes difficult to incorporate these ideas fully into your life.

The First Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.

The Second Mindfulness Training
Aware of suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving-kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants and minerals. I will practise generosity by sharing my time, energy and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

The Third Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

The Fourth Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am determined to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain and will not criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I am determined to make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

The Fifth Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family and my society by practising mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I will ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in my body, in my consciousness and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programmes, magazines, books, films and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in myself and in society by practising a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.

Broccoli Salad

My favorite food this week, and the easiest way I'm getting in extra fruits & veggies, is a broccoli salad I throw together. In no particular amount, I combine the following:

• Broccoli florets (I use the bags that are already cut up)
• Broccoli cole slaw
• Chopped red onion
• Canned mandarin oranges
• Chopped gala apple
• Canned garbanzo beans, drained
• Tofu, either plain or slightly browned in a skillet and then cooled.
• Galeo's Miso dressing
• Salt & pepper

Yummy!!

Gratitude

Today, I'm grateful for:

• Practicing being a morning person. I'm very proud of David for getting up every morning at 5 a.m. to go to the gym... I'm trying to affirm that I could do that too :) but I'm very impressed that he gets it done.
• I guess I'm grateful my job schedule allows me to run later in the morning :)
• Daily contact lens... I put in my old address on my last order and now I have to wait to get my contacts! Back to glasses for a few days.
• Galeo's Miso Dressing - I love this stuff!! and it's low-cal too.
• Pedicures! Yes, my toes are nice and no longer gnarly :) I can wear my sandals now.

Lazy Sundays

David and I have had some great weekends recently and last weekend was no different, especially our Sunday. After our indulgence at Fatburger, we got some coffee and then went for a stroll along the boardwalk and out on the pier in PB. It was an overcast day, not warm like last weekend, but there were surfers around the pier to watch. Growing up in SD, David used to be a surfer boy :) Maybe I can bribe him into taking me out and giving me free surfing lessons this summer and teach me how to play beach volleyball finally :) Anyway, we ended up at Belmont Park in Mission Beach and decided to ride The Big Dipper, the roller coaster at the boardwalk!! So much fun, even though it was a quick ride. Definitely put me in the mood for a trip to Disneyland for some bigger roller coaster rides! The other big highlight of the day was buying a new swimsuit to have for the cruise we're going on in April... it's the Roxy Soul Daisy bikini, CUTE! and David picked it out himself, my man has good taste =) I love weekends!! and I can't believe it's already Wednesday, wheeeee!!

Fatburger

OK, so I don't eat healthy at every meal 100% of the time. I'm usually very focused on my diet and what I eat, but sometimes a girl just needs some grease :) So what's a vegetarian to do when you're in the mood for a burger and fries?? Fortunately for me, I guess, there's a place called Fatburger and they actually have a Boca Veggie Burger!! and their skinny fries are sooooo good. Well, so bad for you, but full of greasy flavor. David and I were just in the mood for fries on Sunday for lunch and you guessed it, we found our way to Pacific Beach and the local Fatburger... I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every bite :) However, that was the day I decided I would increase my fruits and veggie intake on a daily basis. I'm planning to get 10 - 12 servings each day. This includes 1 cup servings of most fruits & veggies, or 3 cups of salad greens, or 1/2 cup of beans/legumes (including tofu). So maybe Fatburger won't be a regular occurence, but my servings of yummy fruits & veggies will be!

Volumetrics

A great article in Newsweek, Filling up with Less, on Volumetrics, which is an eating plan where the goal is the eat high volume foods for fewer calories to manage your weight.

Word of the Day

gnarly
Pronunciation:
\när-lē\
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): gnarl·i·er; gnarl·i·est
Date: 1773

1) gnarled 2) slang a: difficult, hairy (skidded around gnarly hairpin turns — Austin Murphy) b: bad, nasty (has some pretty gnarly karma coming — Drew Barrymore) c: cool, good

As in "My nails are so gnarly I need a mani/pedi ASAP!" as quoted by Lola Granola :)

Taken from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

I'm a Hungry Girl

Thanks to a couple of friends for pointing me in the direction of Hungry Girl. This site has lots of information on low fat substitutions for high fat indulgences, especially related to products and recipes. Not very much information on fruits and vegetables and adding them into your diet, but a helpful site nevertheless.

Check out the next recipe I'm going to try, HG's 8-layer dip. It incorporates veggies, meatless "ground beef" and beans for a low fat treat to increase your veggies. Try it with La Tortilla low-carb/low-fat large size tortillas, only 80 calories per tortilla.

Don't Hate Me...

because I live in paradise... :) You don't want to know that it's 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky today? It's supposed to warm up to 70's this weekend.... wheeeee!! And I am loving the time change, spring has sprung.... big smiles!!

Glamorous - Fergie Feat. Ludacris

Why does Fergie feel like she has to spell everything for us? G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S....

I'm grateful for...

Great weekends. It was such a great weekend here... the weather has been gorgeous!! I hope it's looking like spring for everyone. Went to see a movie on Friday night, had class all day on Saturday then David and I went out for sushi Saturday night. The picture is at Ebisu, a sushi bar in Hillcrest. Although I've been a dedicated vegetarian for about 9 years, I can't quite seem to give up occasional sushi, I love the rolls and the sashimi and the standard veggie fare too, like miso soup and edamame. But Saturday night it was all about the rolls, yummy!! We called it a night early, but ended up down by the beach on Sunday morning having breakfast and mimosas, then spent the entire day hanging out in Pacific Beach alternating between deep philosophical conversations and laughing until I snorted. Yes, I snort when I laugh really hard. So much fun. Hope it was a relaxing and fun weekend for everyone :)

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Contessa Shrimp Stir-Fry is a great low calorie way to increase your vegetables and add some protein as well. The package includes the shrimp and the sauce and is only 360 calories for the entire bag! Add even more veggies or shrimp and still enjoy a low calorie meal. You should be able to find this item in the frozen section of your local grocery store, but check out their web site for other locations, such as Smart & Final and Sam's Club.

Cuties :)

I love these clementine oranges!! Found this summary on their web site and all of it is true, they make a great snack to have on hand.

Cuties® are great because they are…

• Seedless


• Easy to peel (zipper skin)


• Super Sweet


• Excellent source of Vitamin C


• Naturally fat, cholesterol, sodium and trans fat free. Check out the nutrition label.


• Snack-sized and portable

Sneaker Pimps ~ Six Underground

How old school!! Love this song.

What??

Boudreaux's Butt Paste was a sponsor of the Mardi Gras Marathon this year... wha...??! Butt paste?? hmmm, butt paste... interesting.

Melissa's Sliced Carrots

Melissa's Sliced Carrots are an easy vegetable addition to salads, entrees or as an easy side dish. I found these carrots at Trader Joe's but you'll likely be able to find them at any grocery store in the refrigerated section. They are already steamed and ready to eat out of the package. I just had them for lunch today as an addition to our Five Bean entree and they are tasty!

2007 Mardi Gras Marathon!

K, haven't quite gotten the hang of posting from YouTube :) here it is again, and thanks again to my sister-in-law for creating the video!

Go LoNeal!

Good call... Lorenzo Neal got a 3 year extension to play for the Chargers and is the highest paid fullback in the league. LoNeal and LT are studs. Go Chargers!!!! whoohoo!

TGIF!!

Really, thankful today is Friday. Still sleepy even though I have been sleeping like a brick all week, and certainly getting plenty of it. So this weekend will be dedicated to fun and recovery :)

Today, I'm also grateful for:

• My body ~ I'm amazed at how resilient it really is after running so far and traveling. Even though I'm sleepy, I'm not injured or sore and should be back to a regular exercise routine next week.
• Movies! Many of you know that I've never been a movie person, but now I look forward to the new ones coming out. This is all David's fault :)
• God ~ I remember how I lived before I knew that God loved me, before I trusted, and I'm grateful that those times have passed.
• Tofu ~ ;) c'mon, you know you want to try it!

Perfectly Steams in the Bag!

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables will become a new staple in my freezer. Love them!! Especially the broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas & water chestnuts mix. You don't even open the bag to steam, just throw them in the microwave front side down for the time given on the bag. I steamed mine for slightly less time than recommended, then stir-fryed them (with Pam, I guess technically not stir-fry) with tofu and a small amount of teriyaki sauce. Yummy!! I would avoid the seasoned varieties as they have partially hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients and I try to avoid foods that contain those types of fat.

Running 101

I know, I know... many of you are probably like my sister-in-law, you'll never run from anything but danger :) but in the event that some of you are thinking about adding running to your exercise routine, I wanted to share an article in Runner's World, Running 101, to help you get started. The article includes tips for running as well as a 10 week training schedule to get started safely and without injury.

Sugar Snap Peas

And yet another good way to fill up on veggies! Can you tell I'm on a quest to get more veggies into my diet :) These sugar snap peas are entirely edible, pod and all, and are great for dipping instead of chips or crackers. They're only 120 calories for the 3 oz. bag, which is less than 1 oz of chips! Try them with your favorite low-fat dip, or with your favorite flavor of hummus.

Broccoli Cole Slaw

If you're tired of your typical salad or cole slaw, try this pre-cut Broccoli Cole Slaw. It's less than 10 calories per ounce so you can eat an entire 12 ounce bag for about 100 calories! Since I haven't found a good bottled low-fat cole slaw dressing, I top it with the Galeo's Miso Sesame dressing. It's a little sweet, which I like for regular cole slaw as well. I add a little salt and pepper, and chopped apples if I'm feeling funky :)

If you have any good recipes for low-fat cole slaw dressing, let me know and I'll post them here.