Primal 30 Day Challenge

You are not what you eat. You are what your body does with what you eat.

2012-07-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

Great article by Fred Hahn, must read. Proof that a calorie is not a calorie.( Fred is my hero)

http://slowburnfitness.com/a-calorie-isnt-a-calorie-but-colpo-remains-colpo/

New Toy at Work, EuroBungy

2012-07-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

We got a new toy at work today. It is the funnest thing ever. Come up to Sunday River and bounce with me...

Creamy Italian Dressing

2012-06-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

So I made homemade mayo the other day and was shocked to see how easy it was. I was curious about what else was in the fridge and easy to make too. One of the family staples is creamy Italian Dressing for salads. Using the HomeMade Mayo as a base, it took no time at all, it was all natural, and it tasted awesome.The original recipe (from PaleoFood) called for dried herbs, I have fresh growing in the garden. So you could use 1/8 of a tsp of crushed dried Italian herb blend, oregano, rosemary, or basil) or raid your garden for a pinch of oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram and thyme, chopped very small.

Creamy Italian Dressing

Serves 1 dinner, or 2 side salads

2 Tbls Homemade Mayo (or the best you can afford)
1 Tbls vinegar (wine, balsamic, cider, whatever suits your mood)
1 clove garlic crushed
1/8 tsp dried Italian herbs or 1/2 Tbls fresh chopped fine herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Crush the dried herbs with your fingers, add mayo and vinegar, mix well. Mix in the garlic and salt and pepper. Let dressing rest while you prepare your salad and/or dinner. Letting it rest allows the garlic to infuse it's deliciousness into the dressing. Mix it up one more time before serving, removing garlic. I suppose if you really love that raw garlic flavor, and I know some people do, you could mince it up and keep it in.

Homemade Mayo, Why Buy?

2012-06-15T09:49:00.000-04:00

Homemade Mayo

I normally don't eat a lot of mayonnaise. In fact until a few years ago, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what it is made from. Lately though, I have been into the chicken, tuna and crab salads served over greens. I could eat fresh cold salads all day.

Without thinking, I would pick up the large jar of "real" mayo and glob it in the bowl, until the other day. I cast my eye upon the large ingredient list. My goodness, was it ever long. Real mayo?? Far from it. There must be a better way, and soon I found it.

HomeMade Mayo

1 Large Egg (get a homegrown fresh egg, you will be eating it raw and factory farms are disease incubators)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbls Lemon Juice

1/4 c plus cup to 1 cup extra light olive oil (has to be light, virgin is just to heavy and has a strong flavor)

Bring everything to room temperature. Place egg, mustard, salt, lemon juice and 1/4 c olive oil in blender and whirl on 'blend' for about 30 seconds. With the blender still running, very slowly drizzle in the 1 cup of olive oil. When I say slow, I mean s l o w. You will hear the difference in the blender motor when it starts to become emulsified. When the thick mayo doesn't want to mix anymore, you are done adding oil. My first batch took about 3/4 oil but my egg may have been smaller than yours. It should last about a week or two in the fridge.

A Hit with the Kids ~ Salad Bar

2012-06-10T07:31:00.003-04:00

Ok, my salad bar looked nothing like this,
but the kids loved it anyway

Sitting around last night, getting hungry, I realized that we didn't take out anything for dinner. Foraging through the fridge, we had tons of components for salad. I love salad. The kids love salad. The husband loves salad. The problem is that we don't all love the same ingreadents. Solution, salad bar.

While the husband grilled up 100% beef patties on the grill, I chopped various veggies into plastic storage bowls. Now when dinner was over, I just had to cover and put them away, less cleaning. We had baby spinach, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, celery, carrots, cucumbers, small mozzarella balls, onions, an avocado, chopped hard boiled eggs, and a jar of banana peppers. After a sprinkle of taco seasoning on the beef, i chopped them up too.

The kids loved it. No complaints of onions touching other foods. They even had seconds. Clean up was just topping the containers with covers and tossing in the fridge. Today I look forward to a big salad for lunch too.

Is It Paleo?

2012-05-29T08:48:00.001-04:00

Best Salad Ever! Warm Chicken & Strawberry

2012-04-10T17:12:00.000-04:00

Warm Chicken and Strawberry Salad

4 portions chicken breast, boneless, skinless
5 oz baby spinach
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 of med red onion
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (your favorite or mix up your own)
3 Tbls crumbled feta (optional)

Grill, broil or bake your chicken as you desire until done. While chicken is cooking, slice the half of onion very thinly and add to the bottom of a large salad bowl. To the onions, toss the dressing, nuts and feta. Just before chicken is done, toss the spinach and strawberries with the dressing. Plate onto 4 large plates. Slice chicken and place on top of salad.

Treating Unborn Babies for Obesity

2012-04-07T09:36:00.000-04:00

In the past four years, the rates of "sumo" babies, born weighing over 11 pounds, in the UK have risen 50%. In the US, last July a texas woman, delivered a baby weighing 16 pounds!! These babies being obese at birth, tend to grow up and remain obese.

To prevent these babies from being born obese, doctors are now medicating them with diabetes medicine while they are still in the womb. How do they know which babies to treat? Their mom are obese. Not so shockingly, obese moms give birth to obese babies, they then raise those children, who become obese adults.

Does being born obese make you obese? Or does being born into a family of obese people make you obese? The nature versus nurture. With the exceptions of certain diseases and metabolic disorders, we were not meant to be fat. You do not inherit a fat gene. People who are overweight since childhood, have learned how to overeat. The role models in the fat household eat too much, eat too fast, and eat with distractions like TV. Fat people with thin parents have somehow learned to eat the same way as a fat person with fat parents.

How can an overweight mom-to-be ensure that their child does not become one of the sumo babies? Well she needs to eat right, plenty of veggies and lean meats with some good fats thrown in. She needs to exercise, moderate exercise. A long walk in the woods, is not only beneficial for the body, but the mind as well. Lifting up semi-heavy things and putting them back down again with proper form will even make the birthing process easier.

Eat healthy = normal baby, it is that simple, or is it? Overweight women and even normal weight women, tend to do less during pregnancy. They also tend to eat more, because they are eating for two after all. For years doctors have told overweight moms that they need to lose weight. They are given dietitian appointments, join weight watchers, count calories and a host of other 'treatments'. They meet up with friends for a daily walk that becomes less and less daily till they aren't walking at all.

I hate the thought of medication for unborn children. However, the sumo babies tend to develop gestational diabetes. If left untreated, they will have lasting effects and they will need medication anyway.

I do not think every overweight pregnant woman should be medicated. When an overweight mom to be finds out she is pregnant, if she eats healthy, and exercises, she will have a normal weight baby without any problems of gestational diabetes. It happens all the time.

Doctors need to monitor ultrasounds closely before handing out meds. If mom and baby are gaining weight too fast, medication might be necessary for the health of the child.

Egg Drop Soup ~ Cheap Eats

2012-02-03T17:09:00.001-05:00

Is there anything simpler than egg drop soup? Some chicken broth, ginger, garlic and a couple of eggs and you have a nutrient dense soup that some say will keep the common cold away. Enjoy!

12 cups of chicken broth or stock
4 gloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1 inch piece of ginger about an inch and a half thick, peeled and sliced in 1/8" rounds

Bring all to a boil and then knock the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Fish out the ginger and garlic and dispose of it. Place the soup on high, while waiting for it to boil.

Scramble 2 whole eggs

As soon as it comes to a boil, put the heat back to simmer. Using a ladle, stir the soup so it spinning in the pot. Then pour the egg very slowly into the soup. I like to hold the eggs up high while pouring so that it makes thin ribbons. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Creamy Mexicali Soup

2012-01-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Winter in Maine is not only the season for skiing, skating and bundling up, it is also a time for soup. I love soup. I was feeling a spicy vibe this morning. This is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound or so chorizo (a spicy Spanish sausage) removed from casings
one small onion chopped, about 1/2 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 10-ounce cans tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (Ro-tel)
2 cups of beef broth
1 cup heavy cream

Method:

In large soup pot, brown up the meat with the garlic and onions.
Add the spices and stir in, cooking for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the cream cheese. Continue to stir until it is melted and incorporated into the meat.
Add tomatoes and broth. Kick up the heat and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, drop the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream and heat through.

Breakfast Mexi Peppers ~ My Version

2012-01-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe, well a close version of it, on the Atkins website. I have to say that it is very good and will be making it often. I have heard that this is just as good without the cheese.

Ingredients

7 Ounce-weights chorizo sausage, crumbled
1/2 Cup diced onion
OPTIONAL1/4 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, beaten
2 medium red bell peppers

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Cook chorizo and onions, stirring to break up lumps, until browned. Drain excess fat.
Place meat mixture in mixing bowl and combine with the cheese and eggs.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and cut away ribs.
Fill each pepper with one-quarter of the meat mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes and serve hot.

Zipping along with no snow

2012-01-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

Last week i gave a zipline tour to a photographer and a reporter to the Portland Press herald. This past Sunday I was in the ourdoor section of the sunday paper. Pretty cool.

NEWRY - Frozen waterfalls, whispering brooks, and the distant hum of snow guns outside a quiet grove. These are some of the things that make zip line rides in winter so unique.

Thats me flying through the trees!

And that was the reason given by a family from Orlando, Fla., who decided to end a holiday week at Sunday River zipping on Friday.

"It's different," said Kevin Connell, moments after his 16-year-old son climbed off the zip tower first, and said the same thing.

"We didn't miss skiing. The kids love it. Maybe next time we'll get mom to do it, although she's afraid of heights."

Right now at ski areas statewide, any non-mountain fun is becoming more of an option as skiers and snowboarders wait for natural snow to fall.

Certainly with the cold weather that arrived last week, mountains are opening up more terrain. Even with no natural snow many mountains in Maine are doing just fine with man-made snow.

Shawnee Peak was 60 percent open as of Thursday, with more than 20 trails covered by the work of snow guns.

"Quite honestly, we like to be a ski resort and we are a ski area first and foremost. We concentrate our efforts on that," said Rachel Wilkinson, Shawnee Peak spokesperson. "Once we do the East Side trail next week, we're not that far from full capacity. We're behind (from last year), but I don't know how much."

And officials at Sunday River says they're not far off, either, even without nature's help.

"We have over 50 trails open, and we're making snow like mad," said Darcy Morse, the ski area's spokesperson.

Certainly, nobody like those in the ski industry knows how the weather in Maine can change in a second, and hope is always just around the corner.

"One big storm. It wouldn't take much to get us back on track," said Ethan Austin, Sugarloaf's spokesman.

Still, while Nordic centers wait desperately for a natural blanket of white to even open, most Alpine areas are pointing to other activities for snow sport fans to stay active and interested while everyone prays for snow.

They've got snowshoeing trails, tubing parks, and a few are lucky to have skating ponds open despite mild temps.

The Camden Snow Bowl has several nice trails for snowshoeing that make great hiking trails, although they are eager there for a dump so their first section of Nordic trails can open for good.

"We had them open for a day after that Thanksgiving storm. They're nice. I tried them out," said Snow Bowl Director Jeff Kuller.

Meanwhile, Sunday River moved its tubing operation closer to the main South Ridge Lodge and opened it at night for free.

Then there are the zip line tours, which were put in at Sugarloaf and Sunday River with just this idea: Add a little extra joy to the mountains in winter and the skiers will keep coming even when the snow isn't all there.

And new this year at Sunday River is the twin zips, the side-by-side zip run that leaves the woods and ferries riders over the slopes down to the lodge. It's a natural hit.

"We're going to do tricks" boasted Lauren Connell, 12, before she and her 10-year-old sister, Hannah, climbed up the zip tower.

The Connell family on Friday felt the seven line, high-wire action was the perfect ending to a rare winter holiday for their Florida clan. First, it's fast, and then there is the free-falling feeling gliding over the skiers at the base lodge.

The roughly 2-hour-long zip line tours at Sunday River and Sugarloaf were rolled out last summer and have been busy in the good weather.

But when the snow is not ideal -- or all there -- the zip lines have been a busy outdoor option.

"Wednesday when it rained, we had our biggest day. We normally have two tours. That day we had three tours," said Sunday River zip line pilot Patty Pittman.

Zipping along with no snow | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Chicken Mushroom Soup

2011-12-15T04:19:00.000-05:00

6 Boneless Skinless chicken breast
2 red peppers sliced, 1 white onion sliced, 2 jalapenos sliced
1 Tomato sliced, 8 ounces of mushrooms sliced, 2 Cloves of garlic minced
12-16 Ounce Jar of Organic Tomatillo Salsa
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tsp Cumin
2 cups water

Place all in a large crockpot, cook on low 6-8 hours. Strain the broth. Let the broth sit until the fat settles at the top and with a spoon, discard most of the fat. Shred the chicken and add to the broth.

medium onion, chopped
colored bell peppers, chopped about a cup
handful of sliced mushrooms
butter

Saute the veggies till soft and ass to the broth. Simmer for 15 - 30 minutes

Creamy Asparagus Leek Soup

2011-11-17T15:21:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 leek (white part only), halved lengthwise, washed well and chopped

7 oz frozen asparagus spears

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.

2. Add asparagus and broth to pot and bring to a boil.

3. Lower heat, cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

4. Mix in cream, salt and pepper. Blend soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.

5. Return to pot to heat through before serving. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The Nasty "W" Sizes

2011-10-29T07:33:00.000-04:00

For those of you do not know ladies clothing sizes, let me tell you there are different categories not just size numbers. Where men's clothes, as is my understanding, go by the number, waist by length, or chest size with a long, short or regular, or even as simple as small, medium, large ect.

Woman's clothing has complexities. We have small, medium, large, and extra large, 2X large and so on, but it depends on the manufacturer. One can wear a size medium in Walmart, and a size x-large in Aeropostle. Then, in the same store, we have, misses, junior, and women's. Now all these sizes pretty much goes by two's and the sizes overlap. Misses, is the regular clothing size, usually you can find sizes like 8-10, 10-12, 12-14, 16-18. Juniors, caters to the teens, goes my 2's like 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19. Womens, signified by a large 'W' at the end of the size number is for fat chicks. We sometimes start at 14W, but usually 16W and goes up by 2's for infinity. Strange thing, junior size 17 is bigger than a woman's 18W. I think closer to fitting like a 20w. A person in a woman's 14w can't necessarily fit into a 16 misses. Hips and proportions are too different so a 14W is still too big.

Those "W"'s suck. When I first went and had to buy a 16W, i was shocked. I didn't step on a scale, that tag had all the information I needed to say I was fat. The "W", in my mind, stood for WIDE, not women and still to this day, when I see a tag for 22W, I say it as 22 wide, like a shoe.

To most people that would be enough to set them on a path to weight loss. Not me, I decided not to think about it. I just had my last child and figured that I would lose the weight. So I had some clothes that fit, and I took care of my kids and husband, then the clothes started to wear out, and I mean really wear out. The last thing in the world that I wanted to do was buy more clothes with the dreaded "W" on the tag.

I finally went to the store for myself about a year later because I had nothing that didn't have a hole in it. I didn't want to get more clothes. I consoled my self that at least I hadn't gained anything because everything was loose, bras were loose, pants, everything.

I went to the store and grabbed a handful of size 16s. They didn't fit. Funny thing about those W size clothes, they stretch. I went into the store wearing a size 16, came out wearing a size 20. That Christmas, when my Aunt bought me a size 18W sweater, I was mad. 'Did she really see me as that fat?', I thought. Even though I was actually bigger. That Christmas I was up another size, 22W.

A few years ago is when I gave up on dieting and decided that I would not let life pass me by. I wanted to do things like swim in public, play tennis and lots of stuff, but I was waiting until I was in better shape, trying diet after diet and feeling like a failure. I stopped paying attention to my weight entirely. almost a year passed.

I went to a Walmart in search for a bathing suit for my daughter. I thought I would try some on too, just for kicks. I threw out my 16W-18W bathing suit the previous year because it was getting old and worn. It had stretched along with my body for years. I grabbed a 18W and went to put it on and it literally fell off my body. I was ecstatic. Tried a 16W, same thing. So I tossed on my clothes and went to the regular size rack, the missus. grabbed a 16, no W at the end, and tried it on. TOO BIG! OMG OMG no freaking way. Again I get my clothes back on and I grab three suits, all of then are 12-14, which is a large without any X's in front or W's behind. 2 out of those 3 bathing suits fit me just right. The third was just a bit tight in one spot, under my arms, so it looked weird on me.

I could give you a deal on Womens clothes but I just threw them out as they didn't fit me any more. I am now down to 3 pairs of pants, all are either large or 14. If i buy anymore, it will be from a thrift store so I can throw them in the trash too. I really like throwing out clothes.

Creamy Scallop Soup

2011-10-22T13:55:00.001-04:00

1 pound medium-size sea scallops (save money by buying sea scallop pieces instead of whole)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)
2 carrot, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
3 celery stalk, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bottle (8 oz.) clam juice
2 cup heavy cream

Season scallops with salt and pepper.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes per side. (If using pieces, saute the scallops.) Remove from saucepan and set aside.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté 1 minute more.
Add clam juice, water and a pinch of cayenne (optional). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook to heat through.
Add scallops, heat through.
Add cream, stir and remove from heat. purée soup in batches until very smooth. Return to saucepan and simmer to warm through. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Primal Challenge 2011

2011-09-12T15:56:00.001-04:00

Over at Mark's Daily Apple, Mark Sisson is launching is annual Primal 30 Challenge. The first challenge of the month is as follows:

Today’s ContestThe first contest of this 30-Day Primal Blueprint Challenge is a two-parter:

Follow me on Twitter.

Retweet my most recent tweet: “The Primal Blueprint 30-Day Challenge begins today! Get in the best shape of your life and win cool prizes along the way.” (If to you “Retweet” sounds like something an annoying bird does each morning, see this.)

Your retweet will enter you to win the prize below and help spread the word about this challenge. Win, win!

I have my own additional challenge for you. Choose one a vegetable that you hated as a child and make it in 3 different ways. try them all. Taste buds change over time, you may find out that the horrible brussel sprouts aren't so horrible after all.

Please comment on your food experiment and wheather or not you like the thing you once hated.

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-09-07T04:14:00.001-04:00

I have a favorite can of soup. It is a "light" soup but I love the flavor. What I don't love is the 4 types of MSG and the pasta bits. Was looking around for a good recipe, fearing that the soup would be missing something without the usual grains that are supposed to be put in. Luckily for me, I found Chef Giada De Laurentiis on food network. According to her recipe, athentic wedding soup does not need any grains. I took her recipe, Wedding Soup, and changed it up just a little bit to suit my family and what I already had on hand.

Ingredients
Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh curly parsley (a fist full)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 - 10 ounces meatloaf mix (mixture of ground veal, beef, and pork)
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
12 cups homemade chicken broth
1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and kale and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

Paleo Chronicles Comic Book

2011-08-30T21:54:00.000-04:00

A huge thanks to Karen Pendergass at Paleo Approved for this awesome comic. See me at 3:43!

Odori-Don or Dancing Dead Squid

2011-07-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

This is a dish called Odori-Don. It has a dead squid on top that “dances” when Soy Sauce is poured on it, activating it’s neurons. (so f'ing cool! remember, it's DEAD!) ~ from Spencer Chen (Google+)

Primal Challenge Jamboree - July 26, 2011

2011-07-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the June 30, 2011 edition of primal challenge jamboree.

SengAun Ong presents Easy Food Easy Health - Tipskey posted at Tipskey - Unlock Practicality, saying, "The shorter the distance the food travels from farm to mouth, the healthier the food is. Meats have further traveling distance because they have to go to cooking pan. Food nutritional value diminishes with more processing."

Skyler Reep presents SEAL Team 6 Workout posted at Skyler Reep's Blog, saying, "The workout that these fighting men do just to get prepared for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) is more of a commitment than most of us can even imagine. The entry standards for BUD/S are extremely high, but the attrition rate for even the most prepared athletes is even higher."

Angie presents Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya posted at Angie's Suburban Oasis, saying, "This is a primal twist on traditional Jambalaya using zucchini spaghetti or cauliflower rice. Sausage and shrimp mix with other veggies to make a spicy one dish meal."

Leif Arrhenius presents WARRIOR STRENGTH: Articles posted at WARRIOR STRENGTH.

Michelle presents How much weight can you lose from cardio and weight training? posted at Weight Training, saying, "How much weight do you plan to lose during the challenge?"

Meghan Little / Angel Torres presents Blueberry Muffins posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "Looking for Muffins? This completely Paleo safe recipe will get you going with this amazing blueberry muffins. Go ahead and give them a try, you will be in love with them."

Meghan Little presents Pork Tenderloin posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This recipe for Pork Tenderloin with our Hawaiian BBQ Sauce is the perfect way to grill away a summer afternoon! See this and other great recipes at www.paleoeffect.com!"

Charles Chua C K presents All About Living With Life: Is Your Body Acidic posted at All About Living with Life.

presents Learn to be a Good Runner posted at Beginners Training|Learn to Run Program.

ThisIsWhyImBroke presents Home Workout Equipment That Actually Works posted at This Is Why Im Broke, saying, "If you want to workout from home, this a list of gimmick free home workout equipment."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
primal challenge jamboree
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Best Mango Salsa EVER!

2011-07-23T11:40:00.002-04:00

Sitting around the house on a 90-something degree day and I say to myself, "I would like some fish tonight". I have a freezer full of ocean perch and I think it would be great as a fish taco, perhaps grilled with a sprinkling of chili powder, cumin, thyme, and maybe a squeeze of lime. Topped with shredded cabbage and salsa to be wrapped in a lettuce leaf (my taco shell of choice).

Oh, wait, salsa. I don't have any. Down to the kitchen I go to see what I have available in the refrigerator.
Luckily, I just went shopping a few days ago. Since it is the middle of summer I have a lot of produce to choose from, it was all on sale. So almost unthinkingly, I went to work dicing and chopping and tossing together, and the results are freaking awesome.

I was making a fresh salsa and decided to chop up a mango, just one mind you. Often fruit salsas that I have had from stores or restaurants, are very sweet. Too much fruit to my liking, especially when going on savory things like chicken or fish. I think this recipe balances the sweet (mango) and the sour (lime juice) in a perfect balance. I tasted it when I was done, and then lost myself eating it with a spoon.

Best Mango Salsa Ever

1 container of grape tomatoes quartered (I think that is a pint)
1/3 red bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced small
1 or 2 jalapenos diced small (Don't like the heat? Scrape out all of the seeds first)
1/2 bunch of parsley chopped (I had parsley available, you can use cilantro if you like)
1 mango chopped
1 Hass avocado diced
1 1/2 limes juiced or 3 Tablespoons (I am reserving the other half of lime to squeeze over my fish later)

Basically chop everything up, I leave the avocado for last so it doesn't have a chance to brown. Squeeze the lime juice over it. Toss together. Serve right away, or store in the refrigerator for later. I would use it within 24 hours, but I don't think it will last that long. Would taste great served on fish, chicken or pork.

You cannot out train a bad diet.

2011-07-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

"You can't out-train a bad diet,".....repeat after me..."You can't out-train a bad diet,"..borrowed from the real world results of PAPA GROK>>>

Free Skiing for Deployed Soldier's Families

2011-07-08T09:57:00.004-04:00

As you might remember, I learned to ski this past winter. In the post "Learning to Ski ~ Try Something New" I told about how I learned to 'pizza' and 'french fry' down the easy slopes. By the end of winter, I was swooshing down some black diamonds. It was easier than it looks. The hardest part is getting over your fears of falling. Once you don't care if you fall, you fly! Well until you do fall, then you have to get over it again.

What i didn't say is that I got to learn to ski and got to ski all winter, for free. Why? In September of 2010, my husband was deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Deployed families have a coordinator that passes on information about discounts and events relating to the military. I was emailed about a free skiing day in Vermont for military families. Vermont was a little far for me, so I decided to google closer to come and found that a nearby monutain gave away free passes to the families of deployed soldiers.

Shawnee Peak in Bridgeton, Maine is continuing the practice this year. I just called and it was so easy. They will send me an email in November inviting me to upload a picture. Then when the season starts, I just pick up my pass. They are giving my husband, me, and 5 of our children free passes for skiing for the 2011-2012 season. If you have ever skied anywhere, you know that this represents a lot of money.

If you know a deployed soldier, please pass this info on.

If a Vegetarian Diet is so good, Why...

2011-07-03T10:34:00.002-04:00