Day 91 or a new beginning!

Level: C 1.1.1

Day: 1

Today I started Continuity - finally! 

It took me a week to get back, sort out some administrative issues back in Bremen - like visas, work, meetings, and I finally did the driving theory exam! Passed it right away from first attempt, and now am really really afraid of the practical part - but everything comes in time, so I wont worry about it now.

Continuity. Ah, where do I start?!

1. I LOVE the new DC! There are many good and a few still negative things. Starting with the positives, first, it has a warm-up. The Meta DC was criticized sometimes because in it you just start jumping - off, there you go! Now the DC has a short stretching and warming up and starts with a lower-intensity jumps and moves on to higher intensity, and slows down by the end again.  Second, it has much more interesting moves and actually something similar to simple choreography. So I can now say jump-dancing, not just jumping :) But really, DC in Meta had little to do with dance - it was more of jumping with some movements. Lots of jumping jacks and so on. Now it actually has some hip movement and dancy moves - so important for a womans body! 

See what I mean? Lots of dancing :) 

Third, I found that at least for me Tracy gave encouragement in exactly the right moments... When I needed it - here she comes and says something along the lines "Just jam with it, girl!" It feels really encouraging. Fourth, it simply is more exciting and I guess - new. By the time you get to Continuity, you are so tired of Meta DC you want to vomit :) Now I am happy about some change. That said, the DC still doesnt have the cool-down in the end (though moving slowly into MS after that provides a little bit of a sort of cool-down). Besides, I found the video montage in places badly done - the movement changes and your screen is focusing on feet and not arms, so you dont know what you are SUPPOSED to do with arms. I mostly improvised and did something, but I think this should not happen in a DC - you have to be able to see all moves. 

I mean there is a lot of legs in this one!!!!

But nonetheless, I love the DC! Wohoo!

2. I love the plain white background in Continuity (like above). I mean the design with day-light and sofa and large windows in Meta was cool. But then the moves are so much more visible on the simple white background. And it doesnt distract your mind - you concentrate on Tracy and her moves. Perfection in simplicity!

3. The MS is challenging, and I love getting back into it. It does feel a little bit easier that level 9 of Meta, though the balancing exercises are a killer!!! I am falling mostly while doing those instead of doing them actually :) But I think it will come. Also because of all the balancing you have to do, you feel that all your muscles are engaged. Amazing!

I mean how on earth are you supposed to balance on a weight... with one hand??!!

All in all, I loved my first day of Continuity. It feels good to be back on the train. :) My body was hungry for exercise, and felt so good to start moving again - finally! 

As I mentioned before, I decided to change the schedule of workouts to 3+1 instead of 6+1. This means I will workout for three days in a row and rest one day. This would mean that I will still work out 5-6 times a week at least, but I wont have one specific day for a rest day - it will rotate around the week. It will also be psychologically easier (one of the tricks for the laziness inside us - I will write more about the tricks soon), as you dont have to go on for 5 days in a row, but just 3. Easy-peasy! For this purpose I also created a new tracking calendar (follow the link to a pdf file) - which is convenient, because it starts with first workout day of the 3, and finishes with the rest day, so you can start with the next sheet with no days skipping and so on, it will just logically flow from one to another. This was something that annoyed me in the tracker on TAM website: it has 5 workout days in the end of the page and then you have to start again with the 6... You know what I mean? Now I dont have such problem (yes, I know I am a bit of a nerd...):

You can use this if you would also like to do 3+1 schedule! Just download and use :)

As to the rest of the goals I set earlier... I am still drinking from time to time - meeting a friend today for instance for a beer. But will quit as promised on the 6th of August. I am still procrastinating... Damn it. But I am one step closer to the driving license - I passed the theory test yesterday. I didnt have any soda, I woke up at 7 several days in the row except for today - after all it is Saturday and I simply cant not rest just a little bit... I havent gotten too far with my work, but I will tomorrow! Yey! :) I love the energy that the exercise gives me!

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How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week 7 Day Diet Plan for Massive Results

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How To Lose Weight Fast A Three Pronged Approach

How to lose weight fast? This is a question that is often asked by simply people who are in a hurry to lose their excess weight. They might want to lose lbs quickly before summer to have a more shapely body during their time period at the beach. Some girls may possibly wish to lose excess weight before their wedding day. New mothers might want to shed the excess pounds gained during pregnancy. Different folks might have different reasons for planning to lose their weight quickly and easily. It is probable to lose excess weight fast as long as people could stick to a simple formula involving good exercise, a healthy diet and a disciplined mind.
How to lose weight fast through exercise
Your food contains calories that can be kept in the body for use as gas to energize the body for various activities. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, then you may not really burn up those calories fast decent and they would get stored in the body, contributing to your weight. You need to exercise in obtain to burn up your calories along with the fat in the body to get rid of your extra weight. You need to follow an exercises that is comfortable for you to visit regularly.
How to lose weight fast through a proper diet
A high fat diet would feed your body with more energy than your body needs or would be able to burn up. Theres only so much that you could lose by burning up calories. If your calorie input consistently exceeds your end result, then you cannot help but don weight. Therefore, you need to have a control on your diet. You ought to know what to eat and how high of it to eat, based on the metabolic rate and your constitution. A balanced and healthy diet that feeds your body with the exact volume of nourishment that it needs would keep you from gaining weight.
How to lose weight fast through effective mind control

In order to achieve weight loss fast, just exercise and diet would not be sufficient. Most people who decide to exercise regularly or follow a diet meticulously give up within a couple of days or weeks. What folks need is a disciplined mind that would force them to stick to their set goals at all costs. Effective mind controller is essential to following an exercise and dieting regimen until they reach their desired goal.

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I feel a change coming

Ive been talking over the last couple of weeks on my blog about how Kevin and I have recently joined a gym.  We have been going regularly, 4-5 times a week, and I am beginning to see results in my muscles... but not on the scale.  After a few weeks of being downright frustrated with these results, I decided to take a good hard look at what I was eating day to day.  To be short, it looked much more like a processed vegetarian diet than a Nutritarian diet.  So, I have decided to make a change and add back in those fruits and veggies that had slowly made their way out of my diet.  After all...

Here is what I ate yesterday compared to what I have been eating on a more regular basis: 

On my way to work I had a green juice that had a cucumber, small green apples, turnip greens, and broccoli stems.
Before I may have stopped to grab a decaf coffee with soy milk and caramel syrup.

Once I got to work I had a big bowl of fruit with apples, tangerines, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, and a banana.
Before, for breakfast I may have had a big bowl of oatmeal with raisins, craisins, walnuts, almonds, chocolate chips, and soy milk on top.

For lunch I had a huge salad with mixed greens, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, celery, green onion, chickpeas, tomato, and a miso-dijon dressing.
Before, for lunch I would often have a large serving of grains with beans, a few veggies, and generally a salty sauce.

Yesterday for dinner I had a small side salad (unpictured) and a few scoops of Dr. Fuhrmans Asparagus, Mushroom, and Leek Ragout (link to recipe for Dr. Fuhrman members).  Note that I changed the recipe a bit by adding kidney beans while cooking the mushrooms and asparagus.  It added that extra bean that I needed in my day.
On a normal day, dinner could be some processed bread or chips with dip such as beans or guacamole.

Also, did I mention that before I would have had some chocolate kisses or M&Ms during the day?  I know!  Im terrible!

As you can see from my descriptions, what I ate yesterday and what I had been eating before were both technically vegetarian, but my choices yesterday were much much more Nutritarian.  I think this is the step that I have known I should take all along in order to achieve successful weight loss, but just didnt want to put in the effort to make it happen... until now that is.  

So, here starts my new effort to increase the nutrient density in my diet.  After reading several articles from Dr. Fuhrmans website, I have had a re-enlightening to why it is we strive for nutrient-density in the first place:

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/redefining_hunger.aspx

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat_more_often_gain_weight.aspx

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/onebite.aspx

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/changing_perceptions_of_hunger.pdf#search=catabolic

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article16.aspx

Whos with me!?!

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4 Ways to Lose Weight As a Teenager

How to Lose Weight As a Teenager

Are you tired of feeling down about your weight? Or perhaps your parents/peers are bugging you about your double chin? Lose weight, read this article and take the advice into consideration. It may be harder to lose weight as a teen because of all the goodies you see in the lunch room, or when you see your friends eating pizza. It is going to be hard, thats for sure, but if you are really determined and motivated, then you can do it! Follow these simple steps and you will be there in no time at all! But remember, dont overdo it because that is unhealthy! Be strong, not weak! Do it and dont give up!

Method 1 of 4: Keeping Track

1. Weigh yourself every week on a certain day in the morning before you eat and after you go to the bathroom. This will show youve lost weight rather than weighing every day. If you are still growing, then your weight should not change at all. You will think that you have gained weight in fat but you really just have grown a bit or gained muscle. Measure around your waist instead. That way you see if you have lost fat. 

• Weighing yourself daily can lead to what some people call "scale obsession," or an unhealthy fixation on daily results. Water retention in the body can be as much as five pounds per day, so the scale can also be somewhat misleading. 
• Remember to think of weight loss as an ongoing process. Your hard work and determination will pay off, however, so long as you keep your spirits high and your outlook optimistic. Very few people are completely satisfied with their bodies, but try to love your body as much as possible. It will definitely love you back.

1. Record your progress. This way you can notice any major changes. Keep a log of everything you eat, every exercise you do, and how many inches your waist is (or whatever kind of body part that needs weight loss). Add up your total calorie intake of that day (try to keep it at a maximum of 2000) and how many calories you burned (most exercise machines will give you an estimate of how many calories you burned). If your diet or exercise changed you can see what plan worked best for you.

• Also, if you record the calories you have eaten, you can input them in websites that will then calculate whether you should have eaten more, or fewer calories that day, and you can plan from that.
• Download an app. There are some great apps that are free to download that can help you track your progress, such as MyFitnessPal and MapMyFitness. Check out your apps store and see whats on offer to help you.

• Be confident. If you are confident about losing weight you will be more likely to have some great progress! It actually works!
• Dont be too hard on yourself! If you spend a day in your pajamas and watch a few movies for the day, dont sweat it. If you have a big feed of junk food one day, dont worry! Just get back on track the next day!

Method 2 of 4: Healthy Eating

• Consume healthy foods and do not skip meals. Eat five small meals each day, every 3-4 hours. Your blood sugar level will be steady, and you will not feel as hungry.

• Do light exercise before breakfast, even if it is only stretching. Do not push your body too far until a couple hours after breakfast. Your body most likely will have very low energy stores, and this will result a loss in muscle before your body uses fat. You need fuel in order to burn fat, otherwise youre just using muscle as energy. Do "not" skip breakfast. It gets your body and metabolism moving and stops cravings later on. So even if its just a banana and a cup of tea, it will do so much more than if you had nothing to eat.

• Avoid buying food in the school cafeteria or shop. Bring a packed lunch and no money for food. That way, cravings are resisted. In your lunch, you should have sandwiches, two pieces of fruit and water. No sweets or fatty food.

• Eat at the table, not standing up. Have one specific place where you will eat all your meals (unless you are out with friends). This keeps you from eating food mindlessly in front of the TV. Take time to chew, count to 30 for each bite. Chewing more can help you lose weight. You will find that you will get full faster, and will not have to eat as much. 
• Remember that it takes at least 20 minutes to actually notice that youre full or not hungry anymore. Try not to overeat, when you feel satisfied stop eating and dont let yourself eat anymore if youre not finished.

• Dont eat from 9pm to 6am. This will keep your body on a schedule. Because your metabolism isnt high at night (especially when you are sleeping), it also means your body wont be eating food when it can least digest it.

• When you snack, choose healthy fruits and vegetables rather than candy or chips. If you really hate veggies, have some hummus or peanut butter with it, or instead, opt for a handful of unsalted nuts. Greek yogurt helps boost up your metabolism and tastes great (plain with honey and berries is an excellent choice). Popcorn, minus added salt or butter, are excellent munchies. They are full of fiber.

• Before you go to a restaurant, look at what there is on the menu online if you can, and choose what you want there (sometimes they even show you the nutritional information). Not only does this mean that you can choose something healthier, it also means that you arent likely to give in to cravings and choose something you just cant eat.

1. Ask for smaller portions at meal times. Its easier than trying not to eat everything you get because its an automatic habit to finish your meals.Try eating on a smaller plate, too. It tricks your brain into thinking youve eaten more than you really have.

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You do not have to drink them down all at once, but keep sipping all day. Do whatever is comfortable and convenient for you, as long as you drink that amount of water. This will help you feel more full. 
• Other than water, almost anything you drink will contain calories. Learn to love the taste of water, and take in more fluids daily to improve your health and digestion. Fruit and vegetable juices, which are deprived of their fibers, are inferior to eating the fruits and vegetables themselves, so try to avoid juices. Unless you are making your own juice at home with a juicer, this is a great way to get tons of nutrients and adds in weight loss. It has also been proven that drinking three liters of water a day inhibits the loosening of skin, resulting in the formation of less wrinkles.

Method 3 of 4: Exercise

• Walk as much as you can. The average person burns about six calories per minute walking. Try to walk at least one mile a day to start. Each day walk a little further. Walk at a brisk pace, and if you find you are getting out of breath then slow down. In the beginning it is more important that you at least walk, rather than walk fast. Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Walking just 15 minutes a day increases life expectancy by three years, studies[1] say. Dance by yourself to the music on the television or your MP3 player. Any movements will make you lose weight, so have fun and dance your way to a thinner you!

• Exercise. It doesnt matter if you lift weights, walk around your neighborhood, swim, or jog on a treadmill, you will lose weight, as long as you exercise 3-4 days a week, and burn more than your calorie intake. If you dont have a treadmill, find a pool, walk into waist deep water, and run in place, this burns just as many calories as running on a treadmill.

Method 4 of 4: Pre-Weight Loss

• Make a Goal! Start with something simple, dont start off with a ridiculous goal that youll never achieve, as youll just feel bad when you dont get there.

• Make a plan. Find some spare time after school or at sports practice, and add an exercise routine to fill the gaps.

• Start your diet tomorrow when you wake up. Fresh starts often help once you only have one fresh start! The night before, prepare yourself. Plan out the next few weeks or months.

Tips

Dont stress if you dont lose any weight in the first week. Stress causes you to gain weight. Stay positive to lose weight faster. Start off with a small amount of weight to lose (3 to 9 pounds). When you see that 3 to 9 pounds get off, youll feel great and feel like any amount of weight that you lose is a revelation. If you get hungry between meals, have a healthy snack. It will keep your blood sugar up and keep you from overeating the next meal. Dont skip meals! You might think that skipping meals will help you lose weight, but the truth is, it does just the opposite. If you skip a meal, youre more likely to get the munchies and scoff down the junk food that is full of fat and sugar. Lay in bed flat with a pillow and just lift your legs to your stomach about 25 times a day. Rather than sitting, stand. Standing burns calories, too. When exercising, think how youll look after you lose some weight, it boosts your wanting to exercise. Dont give up! We know its so hard to suddenly start eating healthy and exercising every day! and actually stick with it. You want to give up and go back to your old ways because you feel like youre not losing any weight at all...but dont! If you gain the will, power, and determination it takes to lose weight, it will be the best decision of your life! Every time youre a step away from giving up, just picture in your mind how good you will look and feel if you just keep going. Prove to all who doubted you can do this that you can have a sexy body! Listen to music while exercising. Try doing a different exercise with every changing song.(rhythmic exercising) Try to brush your teeth after every meal & snack. Everything seems less fascinating with toothpaste in your mouth.

Sources and Citations

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2026529/Exercise-plan-15-minutes-day-increases-life-expectancy-3-YEARS.html

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Eat A Good Amount Of Fresh Produce To Lose Weight Naturally

Because you do not feel good about yourself or you have to lose weight for your health, it is important that you are educated before you begin the process whether you want to lose weight. The article that is following created to help you put on pounds loss knowledge.

Find a weight loss buddy. You might find it easier with a partner. Whether the partner competes you, it will add fun to your endeavor and lead to positive things with you or coaches.

A great method to lose weight is to start out eating tuna. Tuna is one of the healthiest sources of protein around and its simple to prepare. You can mix it with some non-fat mayo and put it on a sandwich, or you can place it in a salad.

Many people are trying to lose weight through a "diet". This approach makes sense: if you want to lose weight you need to cut your calorie intake. But there is a better approach: first look at providing the complete nutrition to your body it needs. Then your system shall manage to cope with losing weight while staying healthy.

You should try making it your goal to lose at least one pound each week. You should try to make an adjustment to reach this goal if you are not losing this. One pound each week ensures that you are slowly losing weight at a healthy rate.

For a few social people weight loss does not come easy: They will eat right, they will exercise, and the pounds just dont want to budge. If this is your situation, there is help. Going to a doctor and weight that is discussing medication will likely be helpful. These medications will help your body lose weight faster, so long as, you are still taking care of yourself.

You need to start focusing on only one thing at a time if you want your diet to be as successful as possible. If your goal is to ultimately lose weight and get in shape, it might be too much too fast to attempt to do both at once. Start with attempting to burn the fat with exercise and diet, and then worry about toning those muscles.

A motivator that is great your weight loss journey is to take photos along the way. Once a month, every ten pound,s or at some other interval that is regular snap an image in the exact same clothing, and marvel at the changes in your body. Humans are visual creatures, so seeing the weight loss in glorious color can be a motivator that is great.

One food that is secret losing weight is avocados. They are packed full with fiber, which helps you feel full faster, and stay full for a longer period of time, They also are high in healthy fats. Eating avocados will help you to find a alternative that is great meat, and you can experiment with many different recipes.

To conclude, regardless of what you main reason is for planning to shed weight, you need to ensure you are informed about the procedure before you begin even. The above article has shown you some helpful tips when preparing yourself to lose weight. Take these tips and use them to your benefit!

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A bit of French cuisine

As we are in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, we experience a lot of French culture as well. Particularly French type of cuisine... Yeah, it is famous all over the world, and as an absolute fan of food, I like it here too. The portions are small, but oh so pretty. :)

A little starter with salmon:

Mozzarella and tomatoes starter:

Salmon and aubergine starter:

The very real foie gras:

Main course: pork with mashed potatoes and mushrooms (sounds very simple, but the taste was exquisite!)

Main course: cod with mashed sweet potatoes and zucchini

Main course: calf meat prepared "basse temperature" (cooked for about 4-5 hours at only 18 degrees) with cream risotto, bacon (which I didnt eat) and cheese

Main course: beef steak with potato pancakes and veggies

Dessert: chocolate cake (I have no idea what the golden things were made of, but it looks beautiful)

Dessert: apricot cheese cake

Dessert: pineapple tortellini

Dessert: apricot sorbet with apricot liqueur

If you are not getting hungry just looking at all this, you are a very strong person! :)

Just to make sure there are no misunderstandings: I have NOT eaten all of these by myself, and not in one go :) It would be waaaay too much food. This is simply a summary of some of the food we had so far. Yum. I love Italian cuisine, but French is not so bad either!!! :)

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Look To A Lighter Future With Better Fat Loss Tips

If you are among the masses of people that are frustrated with weight reduction, do not despair. Stay motivated throughout your program. Use what youre planning to learn here to eliminate that weight that is extra dont like having.

Enlist a friend to be your weight-loss workout buddy. Not only will having a friend hold you accountable it will also inspire you to work harder so you wont bypass your workout for a night on the couch, but. The friendly competition will spur you to push yourself a bit more during each workout.

When you are trying to lose weight, you should make sure to weigh yourself regularly. This ensures that you stay on track and helps you to focus on the progress youve made. Most experts recommend weighing about once a week to get a good idea of your weight loss or gain.

A terrific way to lose weight would be to jot down the method that you feel you want to lose weight about yourself and why. If you struggle when dieting, you can always refer back to what you wrote. It will remind you of why you ventured to lose surplus weight in the first place.

Make an effort to cook at home as much as possible. Food from a restaurant often contains a complete lot of fat and salt. Also, restaurant portions are huge, which might tempt you to eat more than you really need. When you cook your own food, you can control exactly what goes into your meal, and you can control your portions.

When attempting to lose weight usually do not fall for the fads, gimmicks and products that are way too good to be true. Healthy fat loss should be limited to about two pounds each week. This is approximately five pounds per month. Many people want an instant fix but the best way to be on the highway to weight loss is to take the pounds off quickly and keeping your health in mind.

Get rid of clothes that do not fit you anymore. Motivate yourself to keep the weight off by only buying clothes that fit your body now. Remove any clothes that are now too large for you from your wardrobe. You can donate them to charity or sell them for a tidy sum.

One weight that is important tip to consider is to begin cooking your own meals as often as possible. Considering that most restaurants prepare food packed with sugar, sodium and carbs, eating out can be a serious pitfall to your diet. If you are preparing your own food, you can control what goes into it and what stays out.

One trick to try while dieting would be to leave the food dishes within the kitchen, ready your plate and bring your meal then to the table. With the food in the kitchen you will be less likely to eat seconds since the food that is extra not sitting in front of you when you are eating.

Dieting is frustrating enough for many, but you need to be prepared to fight hard for results. Using these tips will ensure you meet your aims. You must keep yourself driven and focused.

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A little bit of history and pictures

I used to be very skinny. I dont even think I have pictures of those extremely skinny times, but even 6,5-7 years ago I used to look quite skinny. People still refer to me as skinny and laugh (into my face!!!!) about my "imaginary" problems. And I have to be honest - I do not understand what it is like to be overweight, but I know what it is like to know you might have a problem and people not taking you seriously - because you look "fine". I do not want "fine" however, I want healthy, slim and energetic.

Some pics below.

2005:

Or:

Or:

I was a BA student then. Now I am doing my PhD, sitting in the office almost 9 hours a day - at my computer doing research. I come back home and sit yet more. I have not done sports, or in fact any physical activity for the past 10 years... I dont think I look so much more horrible, and I still wear S and M sizes... I just dont look or feel healthy. I feel like everything on my body is like jelly. Most horrible of all - I have a fat... back... :)

I started salsa dancing. And to continue to excel, I need to get fitter....

So here I come.

As I said previously, the biggest challenge for me in this program is not to give up. 

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How I get Healthful Groceries on a Budget

Hi All,

Im sorry I havent had any new recipes for you lately.  Kevin and I have been busy with a few of our goals for the year, including saving money for a house, reading, and being more active and eating better.  All goals of which I am happy to report that we are making great progress on.  (Im currently reading through Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World, which is super interesting how industries are built around food systems.)

Because we have been eating more homemade meals (saving money AND being healthier, YEAH!), I have been spending a bit more on groceries.  This balances out to save more money overall, considering that it costs us anywhere from $20 to $40 when we eat out once, compared to $60-$80 for a week of meals on groceries.  Not bad at all I think! :)

In the fall and summer months I had been getting most of my produce from a produce stand on my way home from work, where I would get in-season produce for SUPER cheap!  2 for $1 kale and collard bunches, 69 cent per pound apples, $1 per pound sweet potatoes, etc.  After December 23rd, that produce stand has closed for the winter months and wont open until April 1st.  So, I have a little over 2 more months to live without my regular inexpensive produce source!

My solution: 

• get produce mostly from Costco, 
• buy smaller/unique produce items from my local grocery
• stock up on staples from Winco on a bi-monthly trip, and
• get hard-to-find items from Vitacost 2-3 times a year

Costco

I love Costco.  I remember going there as a kid after church some Sundays and getting to snack on their samples.  I live in Washington, where Costcos headquarters are in Kirkland, an hour or so north of where I now live, so I like the idea of supporting an in-state business.  Costco has awesome deals on produce items compared to other grocery stores.  Here is my weekly/bi-weekly Costco grocery list as of late:

• Bi-weekly items:
• 2 cartons of apples
• 1 box oranges
• 1 bag bananas
• 1 bag of 6 assorted bell peppers
• 1 carton baby bella mushrooms
• Occasional items:
• 1 bag russet potatoes (for Kevin)
• 1 bag sweet potatoes (my Costco has organic, so I can eat the peels, YAY!)
• 1 bag yellow onions
• 1 bag organic frozen white corn
• 1 bag raw almonds
• 1 large container chili powder
• 2-pack natural peanut butter

• Weekly items:
• 1 carton blueberries
• 1 carton blackberries
• 1 carton raspberries
• 1 bag Power Greens (contains baby kale, arugula, spinach, and baby red chard)
• 2 3-packs english cucumbers
• 1 bag sugar snap peas (my absolute favorite veggie to munch!)
• 1 bag cookable green vegetable (I rotate through broccoli, stir fry mix with cabbage, green beans, and Brussels sprouts)

Local Grocery

The closest grocery to us happens to be a Safeway.  From here I get smaller produce items and a few things for Kevin when we need them.

• red onions
• green onions
• carrots
• celery
• garlic cloves
• fresh herbs - basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives
• Tofu and meat replacement products (very rarely do I get these)
• Yogurt (for Kevin)
• Milk (for Kevin)
• Plant milk (usually I make my own)

Winco

Im not sure how widespread Winco is throughout the U.S., but I really like this store.  It has a Costco feel in pricing, but with grocery store sizes.  The best thing about Winco is that they have an extensive bulk bin section.  This is where I get all of my items like beans/legumes, flours, grains, nuts/seeds, and spices.  I havent gone to Winco in some time because I have been trying to use up what I have by way of beans and grains, but a trip is due soon because I have run out of smoked paprika and cumin seeds (Gasp! I know!).  Here is a list of a few items I like to have in my pantry and I get at Winco every other month or so when I run out.

• Dried Beans/Legumes
• black beans, white beans, pinto beans, small red beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• brown lentils, small green french lentils, red lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas, mung beans
• Whole grains/flours
• old fashioned rolled oats
• steel cut oats
• wheatberries
• quinoa - red and white
• rice - long grain brown, short grain brown, jasmine brown, basmati brown, wild black, wild rice mix, Aroborio (risotto rice)
• flours - white (for Kevin), whole wheat, rye, almond, chickpea
• Nuts/Seeds/dried fruits
• sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds
• raw cashews, walnuts, pecans, unsalted peanuts, hazelnuts
• dried cranberries, raisins, dates, currants
• Spices
• dried parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning
• ground cumin, corriander, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, tumeric
• onion powder, garlic powder, dried mustard, dried powdered ginger
• Other grocery items
• tahini
• almond butter
• jarred ginger
• jarred minced garlic
• frozen mixed vegetables

Vitacost

Have you heard of Vitacost?  It is a food, beauty, and supplement ordering website that has tons hard to find health/natural products at discounted prices.  I like that they have search filters that help you find products that are vegan, organic, non-GMO, etc.  If you use THIS LINK, you will get $10 off your first purchase of $30 or more.  Here are a few of the items I like to get from Vitacost a few times a year:

• Cartons of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce (no BPA-lined cans for me!)
• Arrowhead Mills millet and amaranth grains (I cant seem to find these anywhere!)
• Boxes of tea
• Organic ground flaxseeds and chia seeds
• Natural beauty and cleaning products

Making Lists
In the end, almost nobody I know likes grocery shopping, and grocery shopping on a budget can prove to be a big challenge.  With a bit of planning and being creative, you can keep your grocery receipts trim, while the healthful groceries will help you do the same!  By shopping at different stores during different intervals of time, Im able to get the things I need at the best price.  One of the apps that helps me keep track of 3-4 grocery lists is called Buy Me a Pie.  Ive had this app for a while and have come to depend on it to stay organized at each store buying my groceries (and to avoid impulse buying).

Id love to hear some of your grocery shopping budget-managing tips.... :)

Health and Happiness,

Amy

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CHEDDAR CRUSTED HADDOCK WITH A CREME FRAICHE SAUCE

I am trying to cook more fish this year as it is so good for you and much healthier than most meats. I am never that excited about eating fish - its not exactly a four cheese and pepperoni pizza, is it? - however I generally really enjoy it when I eat it.

This is from a Waitrose recipe card and it took around 20 minutes. I actually didnt follow the recipe exactly as I did not read the card properly but it worked out well in the end.

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 haddock fillets (about 150g each)
2 rounded tablespoons of half fat creme fraiche
15g pack of fresh chives, snipped (I couldnt buy chives and so used dill)
20g butter
150ml whole milk (I just used semi skimmed as that is what I had)
Black pepper
1 tablespoon
3 rounded tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

To serve:
Peas

Preheat the grill to its highest setting with the shelf about 15cm from the heat and line a baking tray with buttered foil.

In a frying pan, place the fish skin side down and add a little freshly milled black pepper but no salt. Then pour in the milk - it wont cover the fish completely but that doesnt matter. Bring the heat up so it simmers gently (uncovered) for around 6-8 minutes - I did 8 minutes.

Meanwhile mix the breadcrumbs and cheese and season with black pepper. I never have preprepared breadcrumbs so I just blitz some bread in the blender and make my own.

When the fish is ready, transfer to the lined baking tray using a fish slice and then sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumb mixture. Pop under the grill for 5-6 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling. I also started boiling the water and got ready to cook the peas at this point.

This is where I went wrong in the recipe - after removing the fish from the frying pan, I automatically put the pan in the sink and covered with washing up liquid. In fact, I was meant to use this left over milk as the basis of the sauce. Whoops! So if you want to do it the proper way, whisk the creme fraiche into the frying pan of milk over a medium heat. I just heated the creme fraiche with some black pepper in a saucepan.

Add the butter and some chives (or dill in my case), keep a few left over to sprinkle with at the end. Taste and season if necessary.

When everything is ready, serve the fish with the peas and a big dollop of sauce. Finally sprinkle with a few leftover herbs.

Even though I messed up the sauce, my version worked really well and added some moisture to the fish as even though I loved the cheese topping, it was a little dry. Arabella had a touch of mayonnaise however I am sure a spoonful of tartar sauce would also work well. We served this with peas however new potatoes and spinach would also work very well - Arabella suggested french fries although that would change the health factor!!

I would definitely cook this again as its a nice way to serve fish, next time I just need to read the recipe properly!!

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