The Challenge

So at the beginning of this month I decided to start a new healthy eating challenge. It's a little strange, a lot of fun and very amusing. Everyday I decided I would keep to a specific dietary restriction; this is how it started.

Meatless Mondays
Free Food Tuesdays
Gluten Free Wednesdays
Half and Half Thursdays
Trans Fat Free Fridays
Salad Saturdays
Vegan Sundays

It's been an interesting experience to say the least, the first couple of days were fine but I was starting to have a hard time as I got to gluten free Wednesdays. I found myself scouring everything in my apartment with a nutritional label. You would be very surprised what has some kind of wheat in it and what doesn't. Most processed foods dropped right off radar for me. I found a whole new section of the super market; it was filled with new and yummy things like: gluten free cookies, rice pastas, gluten free mac and goat cheese and waffles. (Yes people I said gluten free waffles, apple cinnamon in fact.)

Photo courtesy of: Tracy and Katie's Kitchen

Half and half thursdays was easier than expected, half the day was one thing and half the day was something else. Usually it's vegetarian breakfast and lunch, gluten free snacks and trans fat free or big salad dinner.

Vegan sundays posed a whole new problem I didn't know existed. I had no idea what was considered vegan, and how many apparent variations of vegan there were. I decided to go with the generalized form: no meat, dairy or byproducts of any kind from animals. I found lots of yummy vegan treats at my local campus store oddly enough, but I suppose it's because this is an environmental school and the percentage of vegan/vegetarians is probably triple that of any other university.

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.medicinenet.com

The project has been fun, i've cut my meat consumption in half (Maybe more). I also dropped off most of the overly processed and boxed/canned foods I ate. My fridge is now filled with apples, soy milk, strawberry soy yogurt and vegetables. I buy more organic food, fresh food, rice and whole grain. I snack on carrots, gluten free cookies, and vegan sweet potato chips as well.

This project is changing my outlook on food, but it is not without fault. I get stuck when I go out with the boyfriend and stare at a menu wondering what has no trans fat, what is gluten free or vegan. Sometimes I crave things I cannot eat on specific days and longingly stare at them and think about cheating. Because the truth is that no one would know, but I would. And for some reason that bothers me more than other people judging me about my choices. So far so good, I've found alternative snacks to curb the cravings.

Explaining the project is a bit of a chore, I'm usually greeted with "Why?" Which is the most aggravating question of them all. Why do I need a reason to change my diet and try something new? Why do other people care that I would rather munch on granola than junk food. I am doing this because I want to, I want to be a healthier person and change my view on the super market. Rather going and buying pre-made or just add water food I now cruise the isles seeing the possibilities of tomatoes, cauliflower and bison. (Yes bison, but that's for another post!)

Also, Wednesdays are now 10pm  zumba days! My roomie and I decided it would be fun! And boy can I tell you that it was a work out! She wants to lose some weight and get in shape for Aruba this summer, I want to tone up and slim down a bit. :D We also are trying to pick another day to go do some weight training and cardio. There is a spectacular campus gym we go to that I'm going to miss when I graduate in a year. But for now, we will utilize it to the fullest!

I'll post more recipes and updates soon! I'm blogging for two of my classes which is strange but fun. But I won't let it affect this, because this is my blog (and I love it) I've also got a horse show this saturday so I probably won't be cooking but I should be baking some homemade banana walnut maple bread (My own amazing creation) if all goes well.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day, Single Awareness day and All the Candy is On Sale the Next Day Day.


Song of the post: Whatever we heard at zumba because that bump bump beat is stuck in my head! @_@ I'm going back to country music.



Eat well, remember to laugh at yourself and shake your booty! (Usually while laughing at yourself and your roomie)

Finals Week & Stir Fry

Well I'm not going to lie, thank whatever gods there may be that it is the end of the semester! I mean who DOESN'T want to be done with University!? Although it's not over till it's over! Two finals to go and a Term paper. So what am I doing at 2:30am during finals week when I should be studying and or writing my Term Paper?

Blogging of course! Because It's less stressful than writing 12 pages of GRAH. Yes GRAH the new form of hell that professors like to toss on to you when they don't explain what they want in their long papers. 

ANYWAY, besides procrastinating and crafting (I think I'm going to do a mini blog post on my crazy crafting I've been doing to spruce up my living space in the tiny apartment.) I've been cooking! Now I've also been eating a lot of take-out.... and my stomach has been rebelling from it all. I'm back to late night yoga to make my body feel not like it wants to destroy itself. (Late night yoga is amazing by the way)

So a really simple but yummy dinner is Stir Fry! 

 I like how everything fits nice and handy into the Wok!

That's thin sliced ribeye! In my opinion the best stir fry meat.

 Ok so you don't have to use this but its AMAZING. It's Korean BBQ sauce for beef called Bulgogi, I got it at a store back home called H-Mart.

 We had this strange rice that you boil in a bag... Personally I want normal rice in a pot but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. 

 This is my super fancy Wok I bought from Williams-Sonoma, I didn't buy the cover for it and I need to go back and pick it up. Whoops.

 Start by browning the meat first in the Wok with a little of the sauce as a marinade.

 Thin sliced carrots, Bean sprouts, broccoli and snow peas.

 The broccoli will take the longest so toss it in first and then the carrots and then the snow peas.

 Add more sauce to the mix!

 When the rice is done we drained the bags and poured them into a bowl. Then I tought the boy how to fluff rice. 

 The last thing I put in was the bean sprouts, they cook quickly and no one wants them to be cooked the death. 

 Mmmmmm It's finished! Remember a slotted spoon!

 Table set for three and the girl and the boy about to dig in before I can take photos. (I stopped them)

 Now the RIGHT way to do this is the rice on the bottom and the stir fry on top, then you pour extra sauce over it so it seeps into the rice. This is non negotiable people. (not really)

Delicious! Easy! And completely GONE!

Well back to trying to work on my term paper. I hope you enjoyed this quick break (because I did) 

Remember, don't stress out (Like I did today at some people when I couldn't get a moment of silence to work on my term paper.) It's just not worth it and nothing good comes from it. DO stress out when you run out of soy milk at 10pm and run to the store! Then drink from the carton like a boss... (You don't have to but it made me happy... So sue me I'm the only one who drinks it in my apartment!)

Songs of the Meal: Snow Patrol's: Shut Your Eyes, and Give Me Strength

My new thing is Pandora The greatest thing... ever? Seriously I hate radio but this is personalized and I love it. I get to listen to all of my country music! (You didn't read that) 

By the way would anyone want to lend me $6000? 

This is Sweetie, the reigning horse I practice on at my stable, and the Jerk (My friend that helps to run the stable and owns her) is selling her... and I want her... REALL BAD. 

I'll cook for money!

Oddly enough thats the exact price the boyfriend payed for his car... *Weighs car against horse* 

I feel like I'd more use out of the horse...Sad but true!

Ha ha ha!

ANYWAY, do yoga, drink soy milk and read my blog, but not at the same time! (It ends badly I swear)