Soylent Green, Jogging, and Millet.

The final verdict on the tofu was it's okay but in the back of my mind I kept thinking this would be so good with chicken or shrimp! Tofu is a food item that the more I eat, the less I want to eat.  Oh well.  I'll keep trying! 

Lately I've been thinking about the stuff people eat.  I will admit I'm a bit of a food snob.  I sneak glances in people's shopping carts at the store, I scope out what my co-workers are having for lunch, and I pay attention to new products coming out.  More and more it makes me think that my favorite cult classic movie, Soylent Green, isn't so far fetched.  Of course the reason real food is scarce in the movie is due to global warming, but the reality today is that real food is abundant but no one wants it!  I've been watching Food Revolution with interest because I live just over an hour outside of Huntington, WV.  It's horrifying to see delicious looking, real food pushed aside in favor of frankenfood in the lunch room!  To think that parents would give their kids chips, candies, and Lunchables to spare them the horror of eating a freshly prepared meal!  Plus so much junk food is fortified with vitamins, antioxidant, etc...Eating fruits and veggies is so obsolete.  So many people read the exaggerated health claims on the front of a box and don't even care what additives are being thrown in to the mix.  I honestly believe the soylent corporation could thrive in today's market!  I'm sincerely hoping shows like Food Revolution and movies like Food, Inc. will make consumers more aware of what they are eating because I'm tired of reading food labels and cringing!

Speaking of real food I tried something new today.  I should say I have tried millet before in gluten free granola bars and cereals, however it's not sold in my local stores so I've not got to experiment with it myself.  So on my recent trip to OH I picked some up!  I decided today was the day to try it! I wasn't sure what to with it and in thinking of other things that needed used up I realized I had a lot of cilantro in the fridge.  So I decided to make a millet salad with cilantro and black beans. It was so easy and delicious!

Millet and Black Bean Salad

1/2 cup millet

1/2 can of diced tomatoes

1 can black beans

2TB lime juice

chopped cilanto

First I simmered the millet in 1.5 cup of water for 30 minutes.  Then I stirred in tomatoes and black beans.  Drizzle with lime juice and stir in chopped cilantro.  Chill for at least 30 minutes!  I served it with chicken legs coated in Hol Grain gluten free breading and baked.  I should definitely have not told my husband that millet is used in birdseed because he opted for microwaveable mac and cheese instead! lol! 

Not all the goodies I bought in OH were as wholesome as the millet.  I found some pink grapefruit gummy bears.  I love gummy bears and I love grapefruits (I eat them like oranges).  These tasted really good, but smelled really strange.  

So as for exercise...yesterday I seriously passed out the second I got home from work.  I decided I obviously really needed the rest.  Today my energy level was okay so I did the chest and bicep routine from this months Muscle and Fitness Hers and then I did something completely out of character.  I went on a walk/jog. The walk part isn't unusual but the jog part really is.  I hate jogging.  Every year I go through a phase where I convince myself I can learn to enjoy jogging.  Today was not a great success.  A creepy guy kept circling the block and trying to talk to me, my chest was on fire, and I hacked and coughed for about an hour after I finished.  I've heard that we are having record high pollen levels so that could be a factor...also the temperature dropped unusually low today so maybe that played a part too.  I still feel good that I burned some calories and enjoyed the sunshine!  I also made friends with a Dusty the golden retriever.  All in all a good evening! 

Giving Tofu Another Chance!

I have had some terrible experiences with tofu.  I have tried numerous recipes and all have failed.  In fact the terrible tofu with peanut sauce fiasco is still remembered with fear and loathing in my home five years after the fact.  I had decided to write tofu off for good...until I read this months Oxygen magazine.  I saw a recipe for tofu pad thai.  I looked so tasty I decided to make it for a couple lunches this week.  

I made this for lunch tomorrow but I tried a bit with dinner tonight.  I liked it!  I substituted cashews for peanuts and bok choy for regular cabbage.  I left out the bean sprouts as my store didn't have any.  I always leave onions out of any recipe I make.  Otherwise it matches the recipe.  :)

Since my husband is not a fan of tofu or rice noodles I had to make something different for our dinner!  I decided to make another improv meatloaf recipe.  I call this one Mediterranean Meatloaf.  Here is the recipe:

1 lb. ground chicken

1 TB dried oregano 

1 egg

1/4 cup Hol Grain gluten free chicken breading mix

1/2 cup feta cheese

2 TB tomato paste

1 TB white balsamic vinegar 

1 TB dijon mustard 

Mix together, spread into a loaf pan, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Easy! :) 

As for working out I got the new Muscle and Fitness Hers this weekend.  I am planning to "unofficially" do the  transformation challenge.  If you are so inclined you can send in before and after photos and measurements and enter to win a photo shoot.  I just want a new workout to get me motivated.  I did New Rules of Lifting for Women last year and saw results.  Unfortunately I immediately got mono and was laid up for months right after finishing.  Results gone!  Wish me better luck this year! :) 

I'm ridiculously lazy and I suck at blogging!

True confession...I've spent the last month eating too much of really bad things (still no gluten).  I've been really lazy with exercise.  Partly due to getting some horrible cough/snot/sore throat thing but mostly due to pure lazy!  So I'm here today to reaffirm my vow to improve myself.  I'm going to get more exercise and eat more fruits and veggies.  I prefer to say I'm going to eat more healthy stuff than to say I'm going to eat less fat/sugar/junk.  It sounds more positive somehow!

I made a few notable meals the past month.  One being this tasty thrown together minestrone kind of thing.  In the crockpot: stew meat, red wine, white kidney beans, chopped carrots and zucchini, canned fire roast tomatoes.  Cooked on low for 8 hours.  I stirred in baby spinach a few minutes before serving.  Quick, healthy, and delicious.

  This looks super gross but tasted really good.  Lundberg Farms brown rice couscous, topped with sauteed baby spinach, sun-dried tomato tuna, and goat cheese.  Quick and a practically no-cook meal. 

 Last night I made Lundberg Farms butternut squash risotto and it was so tasty.  Served with a pork chop, sauteed in olive oil with Bragg's herb seasoning, salt, and pepper.  My veg was roasted broccoli.  Drizzled with olive oil and seasonings and roasted at 400 for 20 minutes.  It was a bit dry though.  Will probably stick to steaming from here on out.  

As for fun and recreation I recently visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  Awesome! I love traveling! :)  I got some exciting gluten free goodies...Sadly when you live in WV you get excited about buying fun food on vacation.  We have such a limited selection here.  I'll share some food finds in a future post!

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The MOST exciting thing I've done lately was to see these guys!  Alice in Chains!!!  At the top of my FAVORITE Bands!  (the others if you are curious: Stone Temple Pilots, the Cure, Tool, APC, the Haunted, Guns N Roses, and Slayer!)  They were in Huntington, WV on Monday. I seriously appreciate them showing up....most bands totally skip WV.  I almost always have to drive 6 hours to see a concert.  Not only did they show up, they totally rocked.  They played Grind and Heaven Beside You.  Two of my very favs.  My main two favs are Love, Hate, Love and Confusion but I don't even think I'd want to hear those without Layne.  <3