Butternut Squash/Sweet Potato 2.0

Hey Kids,

So the hubby (shoutout to our 1 year anniversary!) is not a fan of my soup. His words were "I wish there was something chewy in it" and "it looks like baby food."

As an aspiring cook I'm not too happy with the 'baby food' comment, so I've been playing around with this soup.

The first bit was adding more water. Again I have issues with measuring, but basically I added enough water to cover the soup and than some (because when I reheat it on the stove, the water will dissipate (no one wants that). Adding the water was the easy part, I definitely liked it more soupy and the flavor remained.

When the hubby said "chewy" I thought veggies. Nope, he wanted an animal in there! lol We tried the soup with "sweet italian turkey sausage" which was really good as a side. Next I tried some leftover baked chicken, which was super delicious, but it was a leftover. Lastly, I tried canned chicken. This worked pretty well. I used two cans for the left over soup, and although the chicken was bland, it went well with the soup. <--- br="br" check="check" lol="lol" out="out" s.="s." those="those" w="w">
Next time I'll season the chicken-- more than likely with cumin or curry. 

Oh and a quick note... if you are a horrible chopper (like me), than your soup will have bits of garlic cloves & onion throughout. I would suggest blending the onion & garlic clove and maybe pouring the blend in the olive oil to saute. I'll let you know how it goes.

Good Luck & Lemme know how your soup goes! :)

ps: this past Sunday, the husband and I celebrated 1 year of marriage! woohoo. To commemorate we did a series of Q/A. Enjoy.

Heavenly Hibernating Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Spinach Curried Soup #nomnom

Hey Kids,

As you know I'm trying to get my life together by working out and eating right. I've gained a workout buddy/Beach Body coach (Shanee) and we meet at her house to do Turbo Fire (at 6am!). We've also been hitting the gym for the Total Body X, TRX (Shanee also blog's. Click the link to see her latest post), Zumba, and Spinning classes (I LOVE Spinning!). I even tried out P90x (not a huge fan) and Insanity <--- iDIED!

Shanee and I have motivating each other and made a goal to burn 1000 calories. I've hit that 1000 several times, which is super exciting. I'm in my 4th week of consistently working out (6 days a week) and on Sunday I'll be re-measuring myself. Hopefully I lost some inches. I don't think I lost any pounds. My husband notices a difference but that might just be him encouraging me. He also tries to bribe me with CHIPS! (smh)

Spinning & TRX

So today we did a Turbo Fire HIIT 25 session, and only burned 192 calories. I didn't push hard, like at all. I need to work on getting my legs off the ground. Darn you thighs! grrr! I've only had a tablespoon of peanut butter since I've been up (545am), and I want a burger... chicken wings... french fries... brownies.. reeces cup, steak... sigh I need to get my life!

I keep saying I'll make a green smoothie: kale, baby spinach, frozen strawberries, and celery. <-- hasn't happened yet!

But the thought keeps annoying me! For some reason I have lasagna in my fridge!!! Darn you hubby. I don't even want pasta but I keep glancing at it. lol

Trying to motive myself to eat healthy and workout, is getting harder. It's colder. I want to snuggle & cuddle. Watch K-Drama's. I have my final class for this semester, something about literacy and I'm determined to ignore it.

Go away school, papers, discussion classes! 

I'm pretty sure I should be hibernating right now! 

To get my mind off school work, that annoying pile of laundry I've created without a recipe my very own Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Baby Spinach Curried soup! #yum .. I think I'll make this soup for Thanksgiving! <--deets coming soon :)

1 butternut squash
1 medium size sweet potato
2 tbsp purple onion chopped
2 tbsp purple onion blended *
1/2 bag of baby spinach 
5 baby carrots

almond milk** as needed. I used maybe 3 cups for this soup.**

Culinary Broth Thai Coconut Curry** as needed. I used over half of the container for this soup.**

ground ginger
1 tsp Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste **I added in maybe 3 tsp**
2 tsp cayenne pepper

olive oil

1 garlic clove blended*

1 garlic clove chopped

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1. Roast: Butternut Squash & Sweet potato on 400 F for 1 hour. I sprayed Pam's olive oil spray on both veggies, placed them on a tin foiled cookie sheet.
2. Once the veggies are done. Put them in a bowl, with a top. Pop in the fridge for the rest of the day.
3. Use a pot: heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the chopped garlic & onion 
4. Blend the sweet potato (skin included), pour almond milk & the culinary broth in the container. Once blended add to the sizzling oil, garlic, and onion. Don't forget to stir!
5. Pour in 1 cup of almond milk
6. Blend the butternut squash, garlic clove, onion, baby carrots, culinary broth, almond milk (skin included, discard the seeds and the stringy stuff) --don't forget to chop off the root. Add to the pot. STIR! 



NOTE! Make sure you check your blended items. You don't want chunks in the soup. That'd be rude! :)

7. Between adding the squash, et, al- to the pot, throw in some baby spinach leaves. Stir it in the pot. Add in the curry paste as well.

If your soup is sitting low, add in more culinary broth. We want the broth to be a bit higher than the veggies. I'm aiming for a creamy soup. If you want it thicker add flour.

1. Add in the rest of the baby spinach. Remember I used half a bag. 
2. STIR!
3. Please note I did not add in spices yet! Taste the soup. It should be sweet. 
4. Now turn the soup low, give a few shakes of cayenne pepper (I like spicy food), several shakes of the ground ginger, and a healthy shake of black pepper. 
5. As of now I have not added in salt. I'm aiming to reduce the sodium in my life. :)  I also let it sit for awhile and than added in 1 tsp of butter, just for a bit of richness.
   

   

   Bon Appetite.

   ps. omg I love Korean dramas!!! Currently watching The Princess's Man via Hulu. Also check out Moon Embracing the Sun via Hulu. I can sit on hours and just watch K-Dramas!
   
   
   pss. I'm also annoyed because I've noticed the water is drying out my skin & hair. I'm super itchy and now I'm on the hunt for a water filter or water softner. Any suggestions? 

Voting for Social Media

Hey Kids,

I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. I'm not apart of the Independent, Green, Socialist, Constitution parties; I am simply Moderate. As I'm primarily noncommittal, I like to think I'm not easily swayed by the honey-tongues of politicians. No worries I'm not pessimistic about campaigns or voting. Nor am I disillusioned that polticians will succeed in all their promises.

I'm more interested in the social media aspect at play during our General Election.

As a moderate I am not fan of voting per party lines, because as Boardwalk Empire shows us, no one is above a bribe. In my opinion social media is neutralizing the impact influence and power may have on deciding who wins the election. Voters are taking to Google to research County Commissioners or using Bing to get detailed info about levy's.

http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Voter-Supression1.jpg

Social media may be the end-all for schmoozing as we know it. Supreme Court Justices are being implicated for Campaign Financing... and voters are getting a chance to see beyond the gazillion letters to the heart of the issue. Comparing candidates based on their values, what they have voted for and/or against is becoming a foothold on deciding the election. Voting for President is not the only issue, other positions matter, most especially who is elected for Justice of the Supreme Court, or County Commissioner, and yes State Representatives, County Treasurer. ...

IDK maybe I've watched too much of Boardwalk Empire but I'm just quite skeptical of the rhetoric that voting among party lines will ensure success for whomever is elected president. Need I remind you of recent events? The Defense of Marriage Act got struck down by a Republican judge AND Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. who compromised for ObamaCare. Voting Republican or Democrat is not bad. It just means you're open to the idea that you may not have all the ideas. (wordy I know lol)

Voting for a certain party does not equate success nor does it guarantee that American fundamental rights will be upheld.

I'm not interested in becoming a lawyer or even a judge. I'm just interested in knowing who I'm voting for, their stance on issues, on whether they can be impartial and if the truth aligns with the U.S. Constitution.

I'm sure my grammar & punctuation is all over the place, disregard that and focus on the key thing. Find out who you should vote for. Find out what the issues are. Vote to preserve your liberty and sanity. Vote because it's necessary. So Google candidates. If they don't have a website give their office a call and ask "Why should I vote for you?"

But seriously, its 2012 why don't you have a website, a blog, or a facebook page?! Get It Together Peoples!

I was Gypsy for awhile... Can I put it on my Resume?

Hey Kids

Recently, while applying for a graduate school program I was trying to figure out how to list my international experiences in my goals/statements portion. I've also wondered how to list it in my resume. Is it possible to list your experiences without sounding like a braggart or overly technical? Apparently so check out these links below.

• http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how-to-make-travel-look-good-on-a-resume/ **best link imo **
• http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/how-to-represent-travel-on-your-resume/ ** best link imo**
• http://dorothysliwicki.com/travel-and-how-to-explain-it-on-your-resume/
• http://careerbreaksecrets.com/
• http://careerbreaksecrets.com/5931/features/how-to-deal-with-your-resume-gap-and-sell-yourself-after-a-career-break
• http://www.legalnomads.com/wds (scroll to the bottom. #6)
• http://b2b.meetplango.com/2009/02/next-steps-getting-back-to-reality-and-resumes/
• http://b2b.meetplango.com/2010/06/how-to-make-your-travels-part-of-your-career-brand/

PS. There is nothing wrong about bragging about how many stamps you have in your passport :)

PSS. I've been overly despondent since returning back to the USA after a 3 year absence, I can help but bring up Asia & Europe. It's difficult resettling AND moving into such a slow moving environment. This link is very helpful for those in similar situations. http://b2b.meetplango.com/2010/02/next-steps-easing-into-re-entry/

Detox. Green. Spicy. - Pinterest Inspired

Hey Kids,

My body HURTS! Calves, abs, thighs. Lemme tell you how serious I am on loosing 20 lbs by T-Giving! I took a detox bath the other day -- filled the bath with Apple Cider Vinegar -- I didn't feel a difference but it was relaxing. I've been going hard core with my Turbo Fire, burning calories left & right.

 Last week I burned over 600 calories, it felt so good and my heart rate stayed up.

Yesterday I jogged 3 miles (at a very slow pace, maybe 2-3mph) in 40 minutes. I'm used to jogging on the treadmill and running on actual ground is so much harder. The inclines, the declines, the cars passing by looking at you struggle. Sheesh it was a hot mess. Beyonce almost didn't get me through it. I was so over pace, I would speed up during hills but I just loathed the entire process. BUT I'm feeling it. I am feeling it!!!! Did I mention I was FEELING IT!!! RAWWWRRRR

Anyhoo, yesterday I took another detox bath (hydrogen peroxide & ground ginger) ... I saw it on Pintrest (shrugs)

So clearly DETOX is my thing this week. and again inspired by Pinterest. I made a Green Detox Soup and again I failed to use measurements.

olive oil (to fill the bottom of the pot, an inch worth)

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

diced purple onion (I like a lot of onions)

fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (maybe a teaspoon)

fresh broccoli, cut up (I used one full tree)

1lb fresh spinach leaves

4 baby carrots, chopped (the original recipie called for parsnips, which I don't have, a quick google search told me potatoes or carrots. I went with carrots, although I LOATHE cooked carrots).

2 ribs of celery, chopped

parsley, like 6 shakes

1 can of bean sprouts

Fresh water (8 2/3 cups)

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Apple Cider Vinegar (cap full)

Cayenne Pepper

• I only have 1 pot (which means I need to go pot shopping! woo hoo)
• heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger, broccoli, and bean sprouts & bean sprouts water (After being in Korea, my husband and I have fallen in love with bean sprouts...so delish with the right seasoning)
• Add the broccoli, spinach, celery, carrots
• Add water throughout. (I like my soup - soupy.. So I added lots of water to cover the veggies... probably too much so feel free to cut back.--  but don't add too much water in the beginning, wait till the end/middle)
• I cooked everything a low simmer, covering the pot. I think I cooked it for 20 minutes or so until the veggies are softened.
• Add ACV.
• Add Cayenne pepper, I went heavy on this.

**The soup smells so good! I sprinkled parsley on top before consuming**
---
So how does it taste? A little watery but spicy. I think I'll play with it more next time.

Loving my Korean bowl & chopsticks.. and the mat and the little plate in front. haha

Enjoy :)

***** Stay Motivated. Help Keep me Accountable. Follow me on MY FITNESS PAL APP, username 87PageS http://www.myfitnesspal.com/87pages ***********

INSPIRED BY: 
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/01/detox-green-soup-recipe-with-broccoli.html?m=1

Sweet Potato, Chickpea, Sweet Pea Soup

Hey kids

Since getting married last year I've been trying my hand at cooking. I've had some successes and I've had failures but my favorite dish to cook (I've only had 2 mistakes) is Indian inspired food. One of my best friend is Punjabi - American (PT we went to Thailand & Bangkok together remember?) and her mom makes the most dee-lish samosas and dal ever!! I've been hammering PT for the recipe for the longest, haven't got it yet. I love curry and it's become a staple in our house. I make curry atleast once a month. My favorite curry is with chicken or veggie.

Today, I wanted spice but I wanted soup.

I've been nursing a cold for the longest and while sitting in my chunky sweater I thought "why not make soup"... not such a radical idea.. but each time I try to make soup it  looses the soupyness and is just thick. I call it goulash but that is not correct. My faux soup is just a hot delicious mess.

My husband has been on a sweet potato kick and I've been using them to make fries but today I used the last two for soup.

Chickpeas, sweet potatoes, sweet peas.. that's an outrageous combo but I just had to try it. It turned out so delish!! Now here's the sad part I didn't measure ANYTHING! so if you were hoping for great details I've failed in that. But I made an awesome soup. Next time I make I'll post exact deets.

This is for sure a recipe I'll be using all Fall/Winter.

Ciao. xoxo.

Recipe:
Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper
Paprika
Black Pepper
Salt
Ground Cumin
Ground Ginger
Thyme Leaves
Garlic Powder
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
1/4 purple onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can of sweet green peas
1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 medium size sweet potatoes
1 can of Coconut Milk
1 tsp of butter
1/4 Lemon Extract

• Before cooking, Peel, dice, steam the sweet potatoes, place them in a medium size bowl filled with water, cover the bowl with saran wrap, than put in the microwave for 15 mins.
• When the potatoes were done, I began by heating oil in a pot on medium, adding spices--except garlic powder & Thyme (for the spices I just sprinkled a bit, season according to your taste. I like my food flavorful)
• Next I started chopping and maybe 3 minutes after the oil had set, I began adding things to the skillet as they were chopped: onion, garlic cloves, don't forget to stir!
• Next I added the full can of coconut milk, and a teaspoon of the Thai kitchen Red Curry Paste
• STIR
• As the pot simmered, I got the sweet potatoes and blended them (water included). I dumped them into the pot
• Next I put the chickpeas in the microwave for 1 min (this is optional)
• Than I blended half the chickpeas (Sans chickpeas juice) dumping them into the pot -- note DO put the whole chickpeas into the pot as well.
• I blended half the sweet peas (sans sweet pea juice) dumping them into the pot -- note DO put the whole sweet peas into the pot as well
• STIR--- sprinkle in the garlic powder & thyme (I did at least 4 shakes for the thyme)
• After tasting I needed more salt and I added 1/2 tsp of the Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste & lemon extract
• I let it sit for awhile and than added in 1 tsp of butter, just for a bit of richness. 

My husband was still hungry so I baked

Salmon:

drizzling olive oil onto a cookie sheet, sprinkled pepper & ginger on top of the salmon. I think I put it in for 20 minutes or so... lol

Biscuits: 2 1/4 cups of bisquit mix, 2/3 cup of almond milk: using a regular tablespoon, drop them onto a cookie sheet --spray first with PAM.. bake for 8 mins.

.... um I have no idea why these bisquits aren't fluffy. I followed the recipe. Maybe its the almond milk... but it's pretty annoying.

Bon Appetite

595 Calories #yum

Soup Recipe Inspiration: 
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-red-pepper-and-coconut-milk-soup.html
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chickpea-and-sweet-potato-curry.html
http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2010/03/31/sweet-potato-chickpea-soup/
http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/moroccan-sweet-potato-and-chickpea-soup-312286
http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/dinner-diary/sweet-potato-coconut-milk-soup

#bodyrevolution #90daychallenge #turbofire

Hey Kids,

So its been 14 days since my last post. I've been working out! Spinning, Zumba, Treadmill, Elliptical you name it. I've been using my leftover IT WORKS WRAPS (BODY APPLICATORS) and I just started TurboFire this week. Today I did High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 15, it was a LOT of jumping! I'm loving it. Feeling the workout and feeling skinny. I doubt I lost anything in the past 2 weeks but I feel better now that I'm active.

I am also altering my meal plans. Someone in my fitness group mentioned "studies had show people who ate the same or nearly the same thing daily lost more weight than those who ate different foods all the time. I guess it's because your body knows what it's going to get and so it settles in to losing or maintaining?" 

It's going to be hard but I can do it. Here's my Meal list for every day. Dinner is up in the air because I usually cook for my husband, so I'll just limit that to every day. Breakfast-Snack-Lunch-Snack will not change. At the end of the week I'll post my dinners on here. I'll stick to one small plate.

8:30 Breakfast - Cereal

12:30 Snack - Green Smoothie ... assortment of veggies & fruits

1:30 Lunch - Plain tuna wrap w/ hummus

3:30 Snack - Almonds (10)

6:30 Dinner - small plate, free choice, one serving

No eating after 7pm. <---- I will struggle with this. 

More info on TurboFire