Okay, so this week has been good and bad for me. I have not made the best food choices. But I have been doing some lovely new exercises. This season in general has kind of been that way. I slipped off the wagon and starting drinking Pop again. Bad Selina. I am weaning myself off it after my short relapse. With the sweet cravings and the fact that sometimes my willpower is simply too weak to resist them, I have been experiencing high blood pressure and hot flashes and poor sleep again. On top of headaches, tummy aches and general sluggishness. Sugar = Bad. I won't harp on this much more.
However, I have been indulging in some very lovely things. Old and New, these things make me happy for various reasons and I thought I would share them with you. Starting with the New Adventure.
I went to my first ever Step class on Saturday. It was intense. And I spent a lot of time aimlessly flailing. And sweating. I am mildly sore but it's that good kind of sore. The "I haven't used those muscles this much in years and I'm exhausted but I feel GOOD in an achy sort of way" sore. Only one class per week fits into my ridiculous schedule, but I think it might be a routine thing for me in the future. For anyone who is scared of trying Step classes (much like me, I was terrified), I highly recommend giving it a go at least once.
And now for the Old Loves.
Basha Pizza and Donair. This is a pizza restaurant in Cole Harbour NS. Owned and operated by dear friends of mine and Robert's, eating and hanging out at this place used to be a weekly ritual. Now it is slightly less frequent and an indulgence. I try (keyword "try") not to over stuff myself when I eat there and consider it a delicious treat. They have the best Garlic Cheese Fingers AND the best Donair meat, Donairs and Donair Panzarottis (and generally the best anything relating to Donairs, including Donair Egg Rolls *drool*) in the Halifax Regional Municipality, and possibly the province/country/world/universe. As far as I am concerned. Note the repetition of the word "Donair." Subliminal messaging much? :)
Two if By Sea. Specifically, the Prosciutto and Cheese Croissant that Two if By Sea offers up almost daily in their little coffee shop in Dartmouth. I have never been to the Halifax location but I am sure it is equally wonderful. My waist is probably lucky that I do not know how to properly make a croissant like Two if By Sea. I mean... butter held together by thin layers of dough? Filled with cured meat and cheese? or Chocolate? I would be a million pound diabetic with kidney failure before I was 30. But as a rich and decadent treat? Oh yes. Yes indeed. This is the perfect weekend morning splurge (after Step class hahaha). With an iced Mocha served on the rocks in a mason jar at a communal table with friends and/or perfectly polite strangers. Because everyone is happy when eating pastries and drinking coffee based beverages.
I apologize for any cravings that may result from reading this post. I encourage you to try new exercises but also to treat yourself to new tasty treats along the way. The key is to find balance between the two. Something I am still trying to do hahaha!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Amazing Day, Amazing Treat!
Yesterday, I had a skinny day.
I was wearing my favorite jeans, even though they have gotten a little stretchy and sometimes lose their shape. And a black tank top and my favorite zip up eco friendly cotton hoodie. Yep. I wasn't even trying. But I caught my reflection in the mirror at just the right angle and said "Holy Cow, I have a waist! My hips look really good today! Look at my butt! I love the way I look!"
It was, no word of a lie, AMAZING.
I do not have these days every day. I am not even sure I have them on a regular basis. And usually when I do have them, it requires a LOT more effort on my part. So it was a good day. And makes me feel better. My weight loss and healthiness seem to be coming slowly at the moment, but it is happening! And this is good news! This is reason to keep going and to NOT drink that can of pop...
That being said. I also promised recipes for my next blog post. One of my current craves have been cinnamon buns. This, I am sure, is linked to my carbaholism and sugarholism. So I have come up with a relatively healthy-ish version to share with you. You can swap out the whole wheat flour and maple sugar for all purpose flour and brown sugar and make it devilishly sweet, but this will surely lead to a downward spiral of sugar cravings. This way you can satisfy your sweet tooth without going too overboard.
Mini Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (you can use 2 cups of whole wheat if you want to be really good.... )
1 packet quick rise yeast or 1 Tbs quick rise yeast
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 cup very hot water
3 Tbs butter/margarine
Cinnamon
1/4-1/3 cup Granulated Maple Sugar
Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2- In a large mixing bowl combine flours, yeast, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the maple syrup and hot water. Stir from the well outward until a soft dough forms.
3- Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead, adding flour as needed until a stiff, less sticky dough comes together in a ball. Cut the ball in half and return one half to the mixing bowl.
4- Roll out the first half of the dough using a floured rolling pin until it is between 1/4 and 1/8th of an inch thick (if you want fewer larger buns, go for the thicker side, if you want many mini buns, go for a thin dough). I try to keep my dough relatively rectangle shaped to help with rolling it up afterward. Place the dough with the long side horizontally facing you.
5- Spread half of the butter onto the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with a liberal amount of cinnamon. Top with half of the maple sugar. Fold 1/2 to 1 inch of dough over away from you and press the edge gently to help it stick. Roll the rest of the dough into a long cylinder.
6- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough roll in half. If you have used a very thin dough and have a smallish roll, cut each half of the roll into 4 pieces for a total of 8. If you have used thicker dough and want bigger buns, cut each half into 3 pieces for a total of 6.
7- Repeat steps 4-6 with second half of dough, butter, cinnamon and maple sugar.
8- Arrange the buns in an 8x8 square baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Leave a space between them out so they have room to puff up as they bake (use a larger pan if necessary). Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. If your buns are close together they may take the longer time to bake as less air can get around them.
9- As a treat instead of frosting these, drizzle them with a little more maple syrup when they come out of the oven. This helps make up for some of the extra gooeyness that is lost when substituting maple sugar for brown sugar. Let them cool for a few minutes (you may have to restrain yourself) and then ENJOY!
These are a great little snack or dessert that you don't have to feel too guilty about. That said, I do not recommend leaving a pan of these within reach of your spot on the couch or they will quickly disappear!
I was wearing my favorite jeans, even though they have gotten a little stretchy and sometimes lose their shape. And a black tank top and my favorite zip up eco friendly cotton hoodie. Yep. I wasn't even trying. But I caught my reflection in the mirror at just the right angle and said "Holy Cow, I have a waist! My hips look really good today! Look at my butt! I love the way I look!"
It was, no word of a lie, AMAZING.
I do not have these days every day. I am not even sure I have them on a regular basis. And usually when I do have them, it requires a LOT more effort on my part. So it was a good day. And makes me feel better. My weight loss and healthiness seem to be coming slowly at the moment, but it is happening! And this is good news! This is reason to keep going and to NOT drink that can of pop...
That being said. I also promised recipes for my next blog post. One of my current craves have been cinnamon buns. This, I am sure, is linked to my carbaholism and sugarholism. So I have come up with a relatively healthy-ish version to share with you. You can swap out the whole wheat flour and maple sugar for all purpose flour and brown sugar and make it devilishly sweet, but this will surely lead to a downward spiral of sugar cravings. This way you can satisfy your sweet tooth without going too overboard.
Mini Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (you can use 2 cups of whole wheat if you want to be really good.... )
1 packet quick rise yeast or 1 Tbs quick rise yeast
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 cup very hot water
3 Tbs butter/margarine
Cinnamon
1/4-1/3 cup Granulated Maple Sugar
Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2- In a large mixing bowl combine flours, yeast, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the maple syrup and hot water. Stir from the well outward until a soft dough forms.
3- Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead, adding flour as needed until a stiff, less sticky dough comes together in a ball. Cut the ball in half and return one half to the mixing bowl.
4- Roll out the first half of the dough using a floured rolling pin until it is between 1/4 and 1/8th of an inch thick (if you want fewer larger buns, go for the thicker side, if you want many mini buns, go for a thin dough). I try to keep my dough relatively rectangle shaped to help with rolling it up afterward. Place the dough with the long side horizontally facing you.
6- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough roll in half. If you have used a very thin dough and have a smallish roll, cut each half of the roll into 4 pieces for a total of 8. If you have used thicker dough and want bigger buns, cut each half into 3 pieces for a total of 6.
7- Repeat steps 4-6 with second half of dough, butter, cinnamon and maple sugar. 8- Arrange the buns in an 8x8 square baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Leave a space between them out so they have room to puff up as they bake (use a larger pan if necessary). Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. If your buns are close together they may take the longer time to bake as less air can get around them.
9- As a treat instead of frosting these, drizzle them with a little more maple syrup when they come out of the oven. This helps make up for some of the extra gooeyness that is lost when substituting maple sugar for brown sugar. Let them cool for a few minutes (you may have to restrain yourself) and then ENJOY!
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