Tuesday, June 30, 2009

new job/hobby

i am going to become the self-appointed "no smoking" rule enforcer!! jealous?! we got an email from work today that outlines the SMOKE FREE CAMPUS rules and at the end there was a little note included that, i think, calls my name! let me know what you think! the note read as follows:

Security will be monitoring smoking on our property. If you see anyone smoking on our property, there are cards available at both welcome desks that you can hand to someone smoking to remind them of our policy.

DOESNT THIS SCREAM ME?!?! hahah imagine! i walk up to some random person smoking...eh-hem...excuse me...then i show them my fake badge that i will buy at the party store and then hand them the card wordlessly and walk away. for some reason, ill probably be wearing sunglasses and a hat and also be holding a night stick of some sort. i will be both loved and feared. gosh, i think i found my calling......

haha weirdest idea administration has had yet......

i mean...

i was just in the cafeteria at work and some guy accidentally dropped his burger and fries all over the ground and everyone laughed...like not just one person, everyone! i mean...you cant just point and laugh at someone when they screw up! haha so rude!! and the poor guy just stood there looking sheepish. then he shrugged his shoulders and goes, "uh...sorry about that" to the whole cafeteria while he looked down at his sad little lunch strewn all over the nasty floor. meanwhile, everyone just kept laughing away! it was like a movie or something...when someone does something embarrassing and everyone laughs and points and you think, that never would happen in real life...well, you'd be wrong my friend!

times are tough...

i was driving home yesterday at around 12:30pm when i saw a man walking along the edge of the freeway under a bridge. i thought...what in the heck is that man doing walking along the freeway under a bridge!??! he was wearing a backpack and what looked to me like nice suit pants, nice shoes, and a shirt. then i thought maybe he was walking to get lunch on his break from work and weirdly took a wrong turn and ended up on the freeway!? not sure. anyway, i was sitting at the light and creepily watching this man when all of a sudden he stops at a corner, opens his backpack, and whips out a sign asking for food or money. im like WHAT THE?! literally he looked like a businessman on a lunch break....wait...was he?? are times getting so tough that he wanted to make a little extra money on his lunch break or have the rest of someones sandwich instead of stopping off at subway?!?!

darn this economy!!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

vegetarian chili!

hey hey...so i woke up to a text from my friend requesting my chili recipe :) i have never really liked chili...but weirdly got into it this past year when my friend taught me how to make it. it was pretty much the first recipe i learned to make in my new life of cooking. its really good and super easy (two things i look for in a recipe!)...i like to make a big pot and then freeze it in portions so i can have fast, easy lunches or dinners when i need them! i recently started making my chili with TVP (textured vegetable protein)--this is a soy based meat substitute that works really well in chili bc it looks like and has the same texture as ground meat. it has 12g of protein, 80 cals, and no fat in each 1/4 cup serving! TVP needs to be rehydrated with water--but i just put it straight into the chili because it will rehydrate in there as it cooks. if you are not into trying TVP, you can also use tempeh (another meat substitute ), which can also be used as a ground meat substitute. it has 19g of protein, 9g of fat, and 230 cals in each 4 oz serving (1/2 block). i use lightlife organic 3 grain tempeh but have not tried it in chili yet! anyway, enough about that...here we go:

Vegetarian Chili with TVP
~5 or 6 servings (depending on size obvi)

-Ingredients-
1 1/4-1 1/2 c. TVP (textured vegetable protein) or 1+ blocks of tempeh
1 can tomato paste
1 large can (or two normal cans) whole peeled tomatoes
2 cans beans (1 kidney, 1 other--i use pinto)
1 onion
1 pepper
couple stalks celery (if you like that in chili) or any other veggies you want to add!
2-3 cloves of garlic
olive oil
spices-chili powder, crushed red pepper (for some spice!), salt, pepper, oregano, cumin

-Materials-
large pot
cutting board
knife
can opener
spatula
containers to freeze it :)

-Directions-
1. finely chop all vegetables (including garlic, but very small, big chunks of garlic=ew)
2. put the garlic and some olive oil (1-2 tbls..might need to add more when you add the veggies if it looks dry) in the pot on medium heat for a couple of minutes. then add the veggies (onions, peppers, celery, etc) and let cook over medium heat until soft (but not brown).
3. once the veggies are pretty soft, add the can of whole, peeled tomatoes (you can either cut them up on a cutting board or just kind of crush them up in your hands while adding them one by one) including the juice in the can. stir.
4. add the can of tomato paste. then add one can of water (tiny tomato paste can). you may need to add more water, depending on how thick you like it or if it looks dry. you can do this at any time...you dont want it to get too watery, so go slow! however when i use TVP (because it needs to rehydrate, meaning it takes in a lot of water) i definitely add more. stir.
5. add both cans of beans (drained) and the TVP (if you are using tempeh...i would chop it up when you chop the veggies and add it around the time you add the veggies--before the tomatoes)
6. add spices (heavy on the chili powder...just a bit of all the others, i dont measure just sprinkle it in and try it after it cooks a while..def add more if you cant taste it enough!!) and let simmer (turn down heat) for at least 1/2 hour but up to 2 hours.

there you go! let me know if you try it and how you like it!! special credit to my mom for always answering my millions of cooking questions and to kate, who taught me how to make my first chili :) ENJOY!

xoxox

Saturday, June 27, 2009

fish tacos

ok ok, this might sound YUCK...but its totally trendy, totally delish, and totally EASY!!! so dont judge...just try it!! and if you dont want to make it...go to the cheesecake factory and try theirs! they are really yum!!

while i have decided to cut the meat, i am still eating fish! i think sometimes its a little boring, so i was looking for a way to jazz it up...so last night i decided to try to make fish tacos for the first time!

Fish Tacos
serves 1

-Ingredients-
4 ounces of fish (i used tilapia...but you can use your fav fish! add another 3-4 ounces for each additional serving!)
2-3 small corn tortillas
1-2 cups cabbage (i used green)
salsa (i made my own, but you can use jarred too)
tofutti better than sour cream (ok ok you can also use normal sour cream)
lime
olive oil
spices-chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin
optional: cheese (i didnt use it, but you def can!)
optional: onions (i didnt use them bc they were in my salsa)
optional: jalapenos (again, didnt use them bc they were in my salsa)

-Directions-
1. do all your prep work first so that the fish is still hot when you are ready to put your tacos together! start off by making salsa (ill put up the recipe sometime!) or just open the jar! then chop the cabbage (shredded cabbage--chop super thin) and cut a lime slice or two. then put a little tofutti sour cream in a bowl (maybe 1-2 tbls) and mix in a little salsa, some chili powder, and a little cumin to give it some flavor. then put three little corn tortillas on your plate (if they arent too soft, you may want to mic them a little).
2. fry the fish! season the fish with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. then put a little olive oil in the frying pan and set it to medium (+) heat. put the fish in (seasoned side down) and season the other side the same way. cook the fish a few mins on each side until the fish is fully cooked (this takes very little time--take it out when you can easily break it apart with your spatula)
3. put it all together! first slice the fish (it can really just be broken apart easily with the spatula). split the fish up between the three tortillas. add a few spoons of salsa, cabbage, then the sour cream mixture to each one. finally, squeeze a little lime over the top and serve!!

i served the tacos with the salsa i made and some chips! you can also eat it with black beans or rice or both!! ENJOY!!!

Friday, June 26, 2009

tofu

one of the biggest changes to my diet is that i am pretty much making the transition into a meat-free-me! its not really a huge issue because never really loved meat and i absolutely haaaate to cook it! ew. because of this (and my quest to stay nutritious and still eat protein) one of my newest ingredients that i am in LOVE with is: TOFU!!! i used to say that i didnt like tofu...but really i didnt like the idea of tofu and never really gave it a fair chance. when i got into sushi in college, i started eating miso soup and then i ate some tofu in thai food...but just recently i started making it on my own and i am in love! some of you have asked what i do to my tofu that makes it so delightful, so i will share my recipe:

Asian Marinated Tofu (baked):
makes about 3 servings

-Ingredients-
1 block of firm tofu
soy sauce
white wine
olive oil
garlic powder
ginger powder
toasted sesame seeds
crushed red peppers (optional)

-Materials-
paper towels
cookie sheet or frying pan or both!
big bowl
spatula
knife

-directions-
1. preheat oven to ~350 degrees
2. cut the block of tofu in ~1/2 inch slabs and extract as much water as you can (to do this, pat with a paper towel or cover with paper towels and put something heavy on top like a pot with a can in it or a cutting board with a book on top--this helps squeeze out the extra moisture--do this anywhere from a couple of minutes to about 15 mins)
3. while you are waiting for the tofu to be ready, get your marinade together in a big bowl (big enough to fit the tofu slices). i mix all of the ingredients together with no real measurements. if i had to guess i would say about 4 or 5 tbls of soy sauce and 2 of white wine, a splash of olive oil, a couple tsp of sesame seeds, and a few shakes of the dry ingredients. play around with it and see what you like!
4. add the tofu and move the bowl around so it covers tofu (i dont stir it because the tofu might break...which is not bad, but not ideal). you can let it sit for a few minutes or up to an hour, if you like. i do only about 15 minutes or so because i dont like it to get too soggy or it won't crisp up enough. you can flip the pieces around half-way through.
5. spray the cookie sheet (or put some olive oil on a paper towel and rub it onto the pan) and arrange the tofu in an even layer without letting the pieces touch. cooking time will depend on how crispy you like your tofu and how well-done. this is something i have played around with (both in timing and in oven temperature), but have had the best results setting it at 350 and cooking the tofu for about 15 minutes flipping half-way through. again, use your judgement--if you see they are getting dark or crispy and you want to take them out...take them out! obvi :)
**option
: you can also fry the tofu in a pan. once you take it out of the marinade, cut each slab in half and then in half diagnally (so it looks like when you order it in thai food, like a right triangle...like the pic). then put a little oil in a pan set to medium heat. toss in the pieces and cook for a few mins on each side.

well, there you have it! i have made this a few times and LOVE it!! its super easy and so delish. because its not meat, you can also save the marinade and use it again! for my side dish, i like to saute some broccoli in the same marinade. i just toss in a couple tbls of marinade into a pan, throw in about a cup of broccoli and saute on medium heat until it looks delish. you can also put this whole meal over white or brown (ew, not me) rice! ENJOY!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

times they are a changin'

as some of you may remember from my skinny bitch post, i have sort of taken a new approach to the way i eat. well, i have decided to include some of my new way of life into my blog so i can share it with those who are interested :) there have been a few things that have influenced me and have helped me a lot in my little food journey. first and foremost was going to spain last year. living in spain forced me to eat a million things that i would have never eaten in my life (meats, fish, seafood, tons of salad, different kinds of fruits and veggies, a variety of soups, etc). pretty much my whole life ive been suuuper picky and pretty limited in what i ate. but living with a spanish mama that did not understand the words "i dont like it" made me change pretty quickly!! while i was there, i also developed an interest in cooking...totally new to me! when i lived on my own for the first time in college i could count the number of times on one hand that i had warm food in a week...i only ate things like cereal, yogurt, turkey, crackers...cold things that didnt need cooking or even preparing. my dad is a chef and my mom is also an AMAZING cook, so i really did not have any real need to cook because both my parents were so great at it...and when they didnt cook, my sister gladly (most of the time) stepped in to make me something! so i guess what we can take from this is i was definitely a spoiled brat when it came to food!! that aside, spain changed me and i got the cooking bug! i often watched/helped my spanish mama cook and and took notes on her recipes and ingredients. we went shopping together a lot and to different outdoor markets and it was so fun! i also took note of the way she cooked and planned...she made big batches of many things at a time and then froze them in portions--which is genius and something i do allll the time now. my mom gets offended by this though because apparently this is how she cooks too (and did do my entire life)...but i guess i never noticed so i gave credit to my spanish mama....uh oh mama drama!! haha! anyway, when i came back to the states i started my new life of cooking and i really liked it!! i discovered that i actually like to follow a recipe and try new things (my new roommates thought i was like susie homemaker!! haha little did they know i was a total poser!). the next thing that shifted my interest in food and nutrition was my friend over at cooking with kate (check out her blog, she is amazing and i love her!!) who started a food blog and thus introduced me to the crazy world of food blogging! i have learned about soooo many cool new ingredients and interesting recipes from the food blogs, which has helped to keep things exciting and fresh as i started this healthy/different eating kick! lastly, i have been reading books like skinny bitch (ignore the name and read it, it will change your life!!) and fast food nation, researching online, watching the food network, randomly trying new ingredients, tapping into my inner chef, which my dad tells me is innate....oh yeah and calling my mom millions of times. all of those things combined have influenced a lot of my food-related decisions and have really changed the way i eat!

anyway, that was just a little intro into me, so now from time to time ill tell you whats going on in my food world with any new ingredients or new recipes that i try so you can try (and enjoy!) them too!! until next time......

fat girl moment

so i had another one of my famous fat girl moments the other day that i wanted to share. i finished cooking dinner the other night and got it all served up, cooking dishes cleaned (yeah, i have issues...cant eat until i do the dishes first...weird, but true), everything set. i brought my plate to the table (no, i dont eat at a nice dinner table, i eat at a table in the living room in front of the tv, watching my soap or SYTYCD at the moment...typical american, sad, i know!) and set it down. then i noticed that there was a bit of my delicious meal on my finger.....so what did i do?!? did i learn my lesson from my past experiences/bad decisions?? nooooope... i licked that finger because why?? im greedy?? i couldnt let a morsel of food go to waste?? i didnt have a napkin?? for whatever reason..i admit it, i did it. i licked my finger...again. and guess what?? i got what was coming to me: IT WAS DISH SOAP!!!!!!! AHHHH!! SICK! when will i ever learn!?!? if super glue didnt teach me a lesson...maybe dish soap will?? it was not ok! never again...hopefully....

elevator tales

daily elevator rides can definitely have the potential for awkward situations. ellen (who i am obsessed with btw...watch her stand-up, she is amazing) does a bit on elevators and how awkward they can be. its a tiny space, you are with a stranger, you stand in silence (which for me is always awkward silence) or someone tries to make awkward elevator small talk (which is tough because you never know how long each rider will be staying..so you must be smart in your choice of mini-convo and allow it to end quickly when necessary..nothing worse than the elevator doors closing and two ppl are trying to quickly finish their convo as the doors get closer and closer with one person on either side of the closing doors and all the other riders are secretly hoping one of them doesnt decide to throw a hand in causing the doors to pop back open, thus surely causing someone in the elevator to be late to a meeting or a lunch or a party or an appointment or...oops im babbling, sorry, ill stop)...etc. aaanyway, i was rushing for the elevator yesterday and just as it was about to close, it opened again. there was a security guard inside and she heard me coming and held it for me. so nice, right?? well as it turns, maybe she wasnt actually being nice, but just didnt want to ride alone! so the doors closed and i said thanks (for holding the door, obvi) and she smiles. then we start our ride and she starts fiddling with a candy or something. and then she turns to me and goes "i gotta eat a mint". hmm..i thought, well thats nice..but i didnt really ask. so i just go, "oh" and smile. then she continues..."yah, had me a submarine sandwich...you know...onions..." i was like, umm...i mean, what do you say to that?? haha i just laughed and go, "well then, i guess a mint is definitely in order". then it was my stop and as i stepped out i heard her cracking up as the doors close. haha totally weiiiird and totally the kind of situation that oddly enough, i find myself in very often!! clearly i didnt ask for any details of her eating schedule or her need for mints...but it really seems like sometimes ppl just have the need to tell me the weirdest thing...or maybe she just had really bad onion breath that, because of my bad nose, i couldnt smell, and perhaps she was just trying to explain it away as we were in a rather tiny space and i guess if it was as bad as she thought, it could have been offensive. hmm..dont know.

have a good one! xoxo

Thursday, June 18, 2009

WHOOPS!

OMG i TOTALLY thought today was FRIDAY!!!! i woke up just FEELING friday! i dont know why...maybe because my boss is going out of town and not coming in tomorrow?? but like, im still coming in...soo...im just a mess!! i just emailed my friend at work and said...HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! and she wrote me back and goes, "lol you are a mess, its not friday haha!" see?!? omg SO EMBARRASSING!! she must think im insane!! the thing is, its not just like i feel like its friday, but know its thursday.....i really think it IS friday...omg, wait...do i have a problem.....

i think so...

HAPPY THURSDAY!

xoxo

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

the addiction

as you all know, i have a little teeny tiny itsy bitsy, barely-there, may not even need to mention it sort of kind of addiction to...starbucks, specifically, non-fat lattes. ok, fine its a little bigger than teeny tiny, but whatever! anyway, ive really been trying to get control over it recently..both because my card is running out of funds and because lets face it, i have a problem! so i was all excited yesterday when i didnt have time for starbucks, forcing me not to get it. i called my mom and was like...omg i havent had starbucks in SO long!! i think its been over a week!!! and my mom goes...wow, great! yeah...wait...not since last friday when you got a latte and a chocolate donut? ugh. she had to go there, didnt she?? not only did she burst my bubble and remind me that it had only been like four days since my last starbucks fix...but she also had to bring up the fact that not only did i get my normal non-fat latte but also secretly (key word) got a chocolate donut too!! thats my shameful secret mom!! you dont bring it up! haha so sad!! i was SO excited about my progress with staying away from starbucks that i totally forgot not only am i making NO progress at all but i also forgot about my little donut treat last friday! AWKWARDDDD! looks like my little issue isnt going anywhere...so my new problem is my lack of funds...donations are welcome...

PS OMG HOW AMAZING DOES THAT LATTE LOOK!?!? dont you just want to go out and get one like RIGHT NOW!!! (no? just me??) also: you should totally drink lattes and other starbucks drinks from REAL glasses if you are drinking in...for one, it tastes and looks so much better and two, why waste a cup?! sorry..just a little public service announcement :) xoxo

near death experience

i had a near death experience today when i tried to take my vitamin. i am new to the whole vitamin taking...just started last week. weeeelll see where it gets you...almost dead, thats where! heres the story: i got into the office this am and remembered that i needed to take my vitamin. i looked to my water bottle, which had a teeny tiny little sipling of old water in it from last week...ew, i know...anyway, i foolishly thought that would be enough to take the monster vitamin (novice mistake). so i popped the little bugger and drank the one drop of water that was left and then noticed (too late, i might add) that it was, in fact, not enough! that is when the choking ensued. i need to add that i work in the basement and there is NO ONE else here on tuesdays, except my intern...who was not here so there was no one around to even hear me let alone save me. so i sort of started to panic and cough a little. i thought....1. uh oh, not good--cant breath 2. should i try to vom it back up?! 3. or should i try to force it down?! 4. OMG IM CHOKING AND ALONE!! MAYDAY MAYDAY...so i grabbed my coffee (hot=bad choice, but only option) and forced it down! luckily i recovered and didnt die. whew! what a way to start the day!!

Friday, June 12, 2009

bathroom rant

i have a little ish with about some ppls bathroom habits lately. well, the first one is when in a GIRLS bathroom there is pee all over the seat! what is that?? what in the heck were they doing in there for there to be pee all over the seat?! and if that DOES weirdly happen to you...do you not have the decency to wipe it off?? do you think I want to? i dont think so. rude! ok, now the one that i really meant to write about before i went off on that little tangent...what is with ppl leaving the bathroom, pressing the paper towel thing for a paper towel...THEN washing their hands. that is not ok. its like...you are the one that is creating the problem in the first place. if you got out of the bathroom, soaped and washed your hands...then with nice clean hands got your paper towel...we would all be happy. but noooo, you had to use your nasty bathroom hands and go touching the paper towel dispenser making it all germy for everyone else. what is with that?? perhaps its just the weirdos i work with who do this? dont know. does anyone else have any bathroom issues that they want to get off their chest?? feel free, we're all friends here :)

have a good weekend!!!!! xoxo

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

heard on the bus

i was riding the bus today and two ladies were practically SCREAMING as they were having their morning chit chat. now, i dont blame them because if i had a friend to ride the bus with, i would def be chit chatting and i have def been known to be a scream-talker...so thats fine. buuuut if you are going to scream, then you must remember that everyone around you is listening (even if they dont want to, because you are screaming, they are forced and probably dont like you)! anyway, these ladies were screaming about this and that, weekend plans, job stuff...pretty standard gossip. and then one complimented the others dress. heres how the convo went:

lady 1: i like your dress. very pretty!
lady 2: thanks! i got it at dress barn (note-never admit to buying something at dress barn--awful name and embarrassing to say...make something else up or omit store name!)
lady 1: oh wow! ive gotta get over there (probably thinking..ew, dress barn!?). i like that style of dress, it really works for me.
lady 2: yah, i know...i like how it hangs and is not tight.
lady 1: oh, well you are pretty slim! you dont have to worry! (sounds normal so far, right?? wait til the next one..)
lady 2: no no, ive got this big tire that im trying to work off.........

ummm...there are many things wrong with this sitch: #1. if you have a tire-like belly--DO NOT bring attention to it!! #2. if you have a big belly...dont call it a TIRE! haha! not ok! and #3. if you would like to both call attention to your big belly and call it a tire...then do so in private with your bffs...nooooot to the entire bus! soo awkward!!

anyway, i got a little chuckle out of it this am! dont forget to watch sytycd tonight!!

have a good one :) xoxo

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

awkwarddd

part of my job entails organizing the sale of a package that my boss created. i have been doing it once in a while over the past year and its usually not a big deal at all. but today it was a litttttle awkward! last week one of the people interested in buying the package was from outside of the US (which most of them are) and she said for security reasons they couldnt send a check in the mail but instead wanted to wire the money. well, i am clearly not the finance department so i had no idea how one would even go about that so i had to go all over the place trying to figure it out. fiiinally figured that out and gave them the instructions. then more time goes by and she writes me again and says, not good enough. they now need an invoice in order to be able to wire transfer the money. weeell...we dont have an invoice...BUT i remembered that the person who worked here before me once had to make one up for someone. she told me to just do the same if someone asked again. sooo here was my chance! i got it all gussied up and looking professional...well, how i imagine a real invoice might look! so i proudly sent it off last week and got the response today. here is what the woman said: "I am sorry, but we are still not able to pay. Our company does not accept the document you attached. The document you attached is not a real invoice." hahahahah OMG!!! HOW TOTALLY AWKWARD!! RIGHT?? hahah so embarrassing!! she saw RIGHT through my homemade invoice! aaaaawkwarrd! whoooooops!! but like, dude...what else can i do other than make one?! we dont have invoices! anyone got a good invoice template i can use?!?! haha!

Friday, June 5, 2009

its catching on...

an email i got from my mom today:

"It’s national doughnut day. What the ?"


gotta love the "what the?"!! its TOTALLY catching on!! i knew this phrase would spread like wildfire if i just said it enough! haha! love it...use it! WHAT THE?!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

PS do you notice that this is LINK CENTRAL now?!? i learned a new trick and now i cant stop! haha internet tricks..what the??

Thursday, June 4, 2009

soy yogurt update!

here is my soy yogurt update: i went to whole foods the other night as i was out of my soy yogurt that i "love" so much. just as i was about to put the plain soy yog in my cart...i reconsidered (while having flashbacks of the gagging and force feeding and necessary added ingredients to make it tolerable) and grabbed the vanilla flavored instead. well i just tried it aaand.....ITS REALLY GOOD!! it tastes sort of like vanilla pudding...but still has that tangy taste of plain yogurt (that as weird as it is to admit..i really do like!!). i totally suggest if you are going to venture into the world of soy yogurt...you should def go for the vanilla flav...YUM!! sweet sweet victory over the soy yogurt world! haha!

PS its also thicker than either nonfat plain normal yogurt or plain soy yogurt...so much so that when i stuck my spoon in it, it just stood straight up! i was really impressed by this and thought it was cool, but my intern informed me it/i was weird...

allergies

when i think allergies, i think nerds who have inhalers and cant be outside in the springtime and wear taped glasses and all that jazz...i dont think: me. clearly i need to change my thinking. for the first time in my life...i think ive got some allergies goin on. its sick. im like a sneezin fool...which, at the time of the swine flu, no one likes!! im all sneezy and snarfelly and carrying on while surrounded by ppl on the metro or bus or at work and its just plain awkward. i swear ppl keep moving away from me and looking at me like i should stop...probably how i look at other ppl doing the same thing on public transportation...im like, ew, wear a mask or a bag over your head dude..gross. haha AND NOW ITS ME!!! saaaad!

ew, allergies are sick. so if you are also suffering from itchy eyes and sneeziness---i feel your pain!!!

xoxo

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

force feeding

while some are put off by the idea of force feeding, its something that i regularly practice and i see great results. take soy yogurt, for example. when i bought soy yogurt for the first time last week i zipped right past all the flavored varieties (fruit, chocolate, coconut, etc) and went straight for the plain. that might sound strange, but i like plain nonfat yogurt and eat it regularly without honey or fruit added in...(even when others turn up their nose at my sour treat) so i thought it would be about the same. wellll boy was i WRONG! i opened up the yogurt last week in my office and i have to tell you, i was a little nervous. it smelled differently than yogurt and it had a yellowy tint that was not too appealing. but i forged forward thinking i would surely love this plain yogurt alternative! first bite-gagged. second bite-gagged again and could barely swallow. the sour taste that i normally enjoy in plain yogurt is NOTHING compared to how sour this stuff is! yowza! but someway somehow through some force feeding techniques i have mastered throughout the years, i got that soy yogurt down. ohhh i forgot to mention one thing--instead of being a normal person and only buying an individual serving, i was so cocky that i would love it that i bought a giant container! stupid stupid. anyway, the next day i came armed with a little cereal square (wheatabix) to crush into it to help with the nasty taste. (i had discussed my hatred for my new snack with a few ppl who suggested fruit mixed in..but the only thing i have is blueberries, which i have to force down as is...so thats a no go for now). anyway, the cereal masked the taste a bit, but it was still SO SOUR that i could barely swallow it. eulp. sorry, flashback. sooo the next day i stopped at starbucks for a latte and saw honey packets...so i grabbed a honey packet and added that to the mix. with part of the honey packet (no, i dont like honey either..ew..) and the cereal mixed in..it was much more tolerable. i ate it with only mild disgust and no gagging. whew. well today im back at it and i MUST tell you: yet again, my force feeding paid off!! today i ate that plain soy yogurt with a cereal square crunched in it and no honey and....i actually liked it! haha! and that my friends, is why i advocate forcing things down until you get over your hatred and start to "enjoy" it!! happy eating!

fat girl

i wanted to explain the fat girl comment in the last post. no, i dont have a problem and no, im not actually a fat girl...buuut i do tend to get myself into fat girl situations from time to time and when explaining those situations, no other name will do. i will explain where the name first started. it was christmas eve and my parents, who are both amazing cooks, decided to make a lobster cocktail appetizer..yum, right?? a lobster cocktail is mashed potatoes (homemade obvi) topped with lobster and then drizzled with lobster butter...all served in a martini glass. really cute. anyway, we were having a lot of ppl over and dont have that many martini glasses as none of us really drink martinis. soo my mom opted for the plastic glasses instead. we bought the glasses (no, it didnt look trashy, it looked cute..i swear) but we didnt want to have any mishaps with the bottoms falling off (you know, you have to like click the bottom into the top)...anyway, so our brilliant idea was to put a little dot of super glue to hold them in place. perf, right?? wrong. we passed out the cocktails and everyone was def impressed...it looked amazing. i took my cocktail and started eating it...until suddenly i felt something on my finger. i looked down and was like, oh no, a tiny little bit of mashed potato has fallen onto my finger. being the fat girl that i am, i thought..no no, this wont do..not a bit of this deliciousness can be wasted...so without hesitation (or shame) i quickly licked off the bit of fallen potato. THAT was when i noticed (in horror) it was noooooot mashed potato. no no, it was SUPER GLUE. somehow a little glue had seeped out onto my finger and because i couldnt waste a morsel of those darn potatoes, i now had SUPER GLUE on my tongue! tooootally a fat girl moment. lesson learned--if you lick bits of food off your hands (esp at a fancy christmas party) you are a fat girl and will probably be punished by getting super glue on your tongue and put to shame by laughing friends and family. thus, fat girl moments were born! have a great day :)

fricken mcdonalds

helllooo again...sorry ive been MIA, but the truth is, nothing really interesting has been happening lately! oh well, such is life. ANYWAY, fricken mcdonalds. so last night i was at my house and i had a sweet tooth like none other. i usually try to ignore things like that and i also dont keep sweets in the house, so i really dont have the option. buuuuut last night it was so nice out, i thought wouldnt it be so cute to have some frozen yogurt?! but then i realized that i dont know any froyo places near my house. then i thought...mcdonalds frozen yogurt! brilliant! sooooo i get myself together, drive to mcdonalds...gag a little upon entering bc the thought of fast food makes me want to eulp these days...but quickly remind myself im only there for the frozen yogurt. the experience was not a good one, let me tell you. not only were there far too many ppl there so late at night mowing down on some big macs...but the cash register guy was totally rude! i asked him for a cone and he looked at me weird...so naturally, i repeated. then he asked me for money, i gave it to him and he just looked at it. so i quickly recounted, saw it was correct, and just sort of tap it. then he takes the money and goes and gets the cone and hands me a drippy mess. yes yes, i know i can be a little picky..but PALEASE! a drippy nasty cone?? i dont think so! so i go, ew. its yucky. and he goes, WHAT? i go..the cone is gross..im gonna need a cup. he looks at me and goes...cone does NOT mean cone and cup. i go: YOU GAVE ME A DRIPPY NASTY CONE! oooook...so im at mcdonalds on the late-night fighting with the check-out guy about a messy cone...nooot one of my finer moments. anyway, he finally gave me the cone and i headed back home...all the while thinking, hmm..this doesnt really taste like frozen yogurt. but after all that, i convinced myself i was wrong...but actually only ate half bc i had my suspicians....weeeeeellll...my mom confirmed it this AM...they no longer serve froyo at mcdonalds..its full-on ice cream. aaaaaaaand im a fat girl! fricken mcdonalds..i KNEW there was a reason i stayed out of that place!


**update: omg i just read online that the mcdonalds ice cream cone only has 150 cals...maybe im not such a fat girl after all...