A Whole Week Without Sweets

This is not on my menu.

Last Wednesday, I decided to give up sweets for Lent (not a religious thing--just an excuse to get healthy and perhaps lose some weight). I have to admit, it has not been easy and it looks like it is not going to get any easier.

Saturday night, Shane and I got together with our friend, Elaine. We exchange gifts for various holidays, including Valentine's Day. She got us a big box of chocolates, and made us iced sugar cookies and chocolate-covered pretzels. I didn't tell her that I had given up sweets for Lent, because I thought she would feel bad giving us these gifts if she knew.

Shane, on the other hand, is not complaining. He has no mercy. He doesn't bother eating these things discreetly out of my view. He eats them with relish (not actual relish, but with glee), since he knows it is torture for me and he thinks I'm crazy to follow some arbitrary rule when there are yummy sweets to be had. I can be stubborn and I haven't given in to temptation--yet.

Now, I've learned that the Girl Scout Cookies I ordered (way before I decided to give up sweets) are coming in on Monday. I ordered two boxes of Thin Mints, two boxes of Do-Si-Dos and a box of Samoas. Shane likes the Do-Si-Dos (peanut butter cookies), but I LOVE Thin Mints. The Thin Mints will go right into the freezer until after Easter.

And now, I just learned that at our next All-Hands meeting at work, scheduled for March 11, there will be a baking contest for various desserts, including pies, cakes, cookies, etc. They are encouraging everyone to compete in several baking categories for the prize of an hour off of work. Then, after the judging, everyone at the meeting can chow down on all the entries. Suddenly there are free, endless desserts just when I give up sweets. How long can I take this?

To substitute for the sweets in my life, I've been eating more fruits. I have an apple just about every afternoon now. Over the weekend, I sliced up a fresh pineapple. I also have been eating some peanut butter cheese crackers. I realize they aren't the best thing in the world to snack on, but they are not sweets. Yes, I know that peanut butter contains sugar, but the total grams of sugar for a package of those crackers is 3 grams. I don't consider that a sweet. I also have been snacking on 100 Calorie Packs of walnuts and almonds.

So, I have survived so far--a whole week without cake, candy, soda, pie, ice cream, anything chocolate, or anything real sugary. Having had a brother-in-law with Type 1 Diabetes, I realize there is sugar in lots of stuff that I eat--pasta sauce, pizza, just about everything really to some degree. However, I am sure by cutting out "sweets," I have reduced the amount of my sugar intake considerably. I haven't weighed myself yet, but I'm hoping I've loss some weight. I'm trying, anyway.

People of Walmart -- New Blog Link

You might have noticed I recently added a new link on my Blog List (located on the sidebar).  It's People of Walmart.  When I first found this site, I wasted over an hour looking at every photo.  I was hypnotized.  I've seen these people at the Walmart.  They are real and they congregate at the Walmart.  I wonder why.  These are often the same people who end up on the TV show, Hoarders.

We Need a Turtle Fence! -- Auto Tune News

Double click video to see full wide-screen video.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #229

"If anyone would see the hypocrisy of the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy,  Justice Scalia,
I think it would be you and your fellow lovers."

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #229. Let me know if you come up with any captions too. Click on the link above to enter.

Sunday Dinner -- Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

For Valentine's Day, my mom got me a wok cookbook and Shane gave me a beautiful wok for Christmas.  Tonight I used both gifts and made a Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry that was De Lish Us!  Though the recipe says it serves four, the two of us ate  nearly the whole thing ourselves.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

-- 1/2 cup cashews
--  1 red bell pepper
-- 1 lb. chicken breast
-- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
-- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
-- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (I didn't have either, so I just used red wine)
-- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
-- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
-- 5-6 scallions, green part only, cut into 1-inch lengths

Brown cashews for 1-2 minutes in a hot wok without oil and remove from wok and set aside.

Cut up the bell pepper and chicken into thin strips.  Add peanut oil to the hot wok and add the garlic and let it sizzle for a few seconds.  Add the chicken and pepper strips and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add the wine or sherry and hoisin sauce.  Continue to stir fry until the chicken is tender and evenly glazed.  Stir in the sesame oil, cashews, and scallions and serve immediately with rice.

Shane had seconds, so I say it was a hit.  I loved it too.

Virtual Run from DC to FL -- Update 9

This is another update on my progress doing a virtual run from my home in DC to the home we're attempting to buy in Punta Gorda, Fl. It is a distance of about 1,003 miles. This week I ran 5 days. Friday, I learned a valuable lesson about not eating a huge burrito steak bowl from Chipotle and then trying to run a few hours later. I had planned to run more than 3 miles on Friday, but I had no energy and felt a little nauseous. Look at the difference between 3 miles on Thursday (where I also did push-ups) and 3 miles on Friday. Here's how the week breaks down in running. The time in minutes and seconds is now after my milage.
Monday: Off Tuesday: 4 miles -- 31:52 Wednesday: 5 miles 39:24 Thursday: 3 miles -- 23:13 Friday: 3 miles -- 25:28 Saturday: Off Sunday: 5 miles -- 39:37
Total Distance Run This Week: 20 miles
Total Distance Run in 2010: 164 miles
Total Run Time: 22 hours 20 minutes 56 seconds
My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 839 miles I'm getting close to North Carolina! PUSH UPS I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups. Goal for the year: 10,000 Tuesday: 66 Thursday: 70 Sunday: 70 Total Push Ups This Week: 206 Total Push Ups in 2010: 1,232

Top 10 List -- Current Favorite DVR Shows

The following is the list of our favorite television shows that we currently record on the Digital Video Recorder (DVR).  I was just going to list our favorite shows, but I record some shows in blocks, so I included them as a single entity.  I love zipping through commercials on the DVR, enabling us to watch more content faster.  This isn't even the complete list of our DVR recordings.  I don't know how we manage to watch all this junk.

10. Intervention - Hoarders (A&E)

9. American Idol (Fox)

8. Saturday Night Live (NBC)

7. Desperate Housewives - Brothers and Sisters (ABC)

6. Suze Orman Show (CNBC)

5. Big Love (HBO)

4. Project Runway (Lifetime)

3. RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo)

2. The Middle - Modern Family - Cougar Town (ABC)

1. Community - Parks and Recreation - The Office - 30 Rock (NBC)

These Cut Flowers Just Won't Die

"Flowers -- in the dead of winter!"  That is a quote said by Patricia Neal in the original Walton's movie, The Homecoming, where she played John Boy's mother, Olivia.  We occasionally will buy fresh, cut flowers to brighten up our lives during the dreary winter months.

These "daisies" were purchased more than 3 weeks ago and still look -- well, fresh as a daisy.  My mom pointed out these aren't actually daisies.  She asked me what kind of leaves do they have.  They have chrysanthemum leaves.  She said they are actually chrysanthemums bred to look like daisies.   The leaves are actually pretty dried up, but the flowers still look great.  Whatever they are, they were worth every cent ($8) I paid for them.

Life Without Sweets -- Day 2

Although I'm not religious, I am using Lent as an excuse to give up sweets until Easter.  (Come on... I can't not eat chocolate on Easter--I'm not a fanatic.)  It is only Day 2, but I have to say, I do miss the sweets. 

Giving up "sweets" begs the question, "What is a sweet?"  Obviously it would include cookies, cake, donuts, ice cream, and candy.  But as I was about to put a piece of gum in my mouth, I stopped and wondered, "Is this a sweet?"  Since it was sugar-free, I decided it would be permitted.

Another problem is when I leave the gym during my lunch-time workout, I have to walk through a mall on my way back to my office and I always pass an Auntie Anne's pretzel place that has small pieces of sugar-coated pretzels sitting out as free samples.  I would often reward myself with a sample after a long run.  That is now out for a while. 

Anyway, I'm convinced I can actually lose weight if I don't eat any sweets, even if I don't really cut back on my eating.  I have been eating out the last few nights and although I haven't had any sweets, I haven't exactly been starving myself.

 I did have an apple today when I normally would have had a late-afternoon snack containing sugar in some form or another.  I also have been snacking on those little 100 calorie bags of nuts (almonds and walnuts), but just one bag  a day.  That's progress, right?

Giving up stuff for Lent is so much easier than a New Year's Resolution.  It is just 6 and a half weeks.  It's not like you have to commit to an entire year.  Anybody else giving up anything for Lent? 

Zest American Bistro - New Barracks Row Restaurant

To celebrate our good news (see post below), Shane and I went out to dinner at a new restaurant on Barracks Row called Zest .  Barracks Row is the up and coming area near our house on Capitol Hill.  Shane read about Zest in an e-mail newsletter he gets on Barracks Row businesses and suggested we give it a try.  I'm glad we did.  We loved it.

It is beautiful inside with its exposed brick wall and the other wall is fabric covered, which helps keeps down the noise.  It looks very trendy and modern.

To start out, I had the Troegs Nut Brown Ale -- a dark wheaty beer on draft, and Shane had a lighter draft beer, the Brooklyn Lager.

I ordered the Roasted Leg of Lamb on grilled flatbread with caramelized onions, crumbled feta and pomegranate bbq, along with mixed greens.  OMG it was good.  I have always felt that doggy doo would taste good with caramelized onions and this was much better than doggy doo (I imagine).  The sandwich was sweet and delish.  I will be getting it again.

Shane had his favorite meal, a cheeseburger with "herb" fries.  He said it was all "wonderful."  Zest was a great find.  We highly recommend.

I give Zest 4 out of 5 blue sponges.  That is a very high recommendation for me.  Also, the price was very reasonable (both our meals were around $10 each).  If you are in the DC area, you won't be disappointed by trying Zest .

Good News On the Florida House Front

You may be aware that we are trying to buy a house in Punta Gorda, FL, which is pictured above. There was a problem with a variance that was subsequently challenged by a neighbor in his attempt to get the house torn down because he thought it made his McMansion valued less. Anyway, today was the Punta Gorda Council Meeting, so they voted on the variance on the house and approved it. Now we have to wait up to 2 weeks for the town to "record" the variance, whatever that means, and then we can go to closing shortly thereafter (we hope). There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

The view of the canal from the Lanai.

Marion Barry Broke a Law?

Former DC Mayor and current DC City Council member Marion Barry is in the news again for possibly breaking the law. He personally benefited from a contract he awarded a former girlfriend. An investigation found Barry violated DC law and recommends the findings be referred to the U.S. Attorney for criminal charges. The girlfriend got a contract to develop a program called, "Emerging Leaders of Ward Eight," which is Barry's ward. The investigation also found that significant portions of the program were copied from the Internet without attribution. Also, Barry had loaned the girlfriend money and forced her to repay him from her paycheck from the contract.

Barry doing illegal stuff? I thought he was too busy protesting gay marriage because it is so immoral.  In other breaking news, the sky is blue and the pope is Catholic.

Fat Tuesday Feast

We went out to dinner tonight to Matchbox on Capitol Hill. Shane had a pizza and I had a crabcake sandwich and crab soup. We then came home and filled up on candy we got for Valentine's Day from my sis and her triplets. Though I'm far from a religious person, I am giving up sweets for Lent. After all the crap I've consumed since the first of the recent snowstorms, I need to go without for a bit. I will miss you sugar and chocolate!

Not Just Sticks In a Vase -- Forcing Springtime

As I did last year, I am once again forcing some springtime into our lives.  We went to my mom's over the weekend and I trudged through the several feet of snow in her backyard to her forsythia bush and made some cuttings.  I then bought them home and smashed the base of the sticks and placed the in a vase of water.  Hopefuly, in a few weeks they will be blooming like nobody's business.  I'll keep you posted.

Virtual Run from DC to FL -- Update 8

This is another update on my progress doing a virtual run from my home in DC to the home we're attempting to buy in Punta Gorda, Fl. It is a distance of about 1,003 miles. This week I only ran 4 days. We had a few snow storms here this week, which not only hampered my progress, but caused me to do extra physical labor in the manner of snow shoveling. Here's how it breaks down. The time in minutes and seconds is now after my milage.
Monday: Off Tuesday: 4 miles -- 32:40 Wednesday: Off Thursday: 4 miles -- 34:20 Friday: 9 miles -- 76:30 Saturday: Off Sunday: 3 miles -- 24:10
Total Distance Run This Week: 20 miles
Total Distance Run in 2010: 144 miles
Total Run Time: 19 hours 41 minutes 22 seconds
My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 859 miles

On my virtual run, I have run south of Richmond, just past the small town of Templeton. I've run 144 miles and I'm still in Virginia. PUSH UPS I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups. With all the snow I shoveled this week, I couldn't do as many push ups as last week. Believe me, though, I got lots of arm exercise. Goal for the year: 10,000 Tuesday: 55 Friday: 65 Sunday: 60 Total Push Ups This Week: 180

Push Ups in 2010: 1,026

Top Ten List -- Favorite iPhone Apps

This doesn't include apps that came with the phone, such as Safari, Camera, Photo, Mail, YouTube, etc.  These are the top 10 iPhone apps that I've actually downloaded -- mostly for free.

10.  DC Metro -- You select a station and it tells you when the next train will be arriving.  I can see when I leave my office how much time I have to get to the platform to catch my train.

9.  PapiJump -- A fun, mindless game that makes you move the phone to make a ball jump up and up.  Of course, it gets more difficult the longer you climb.  Very addictive.

8.  iRadio Now -- This app plays a variety of radio stations, including our favorite from Fort Myers, FL, Sunny 106, which plays various easy listening, 70s, Frank Sinatra, etc.  It makes me feel like I'm in Florida anytime.

7.  Brain Tuner -- Another addictive game that tests your basic math skills and supposedly prevents Alzheimer's.

6. Phone Flicks -- Lets you update your Netflix queue on your iPhone anytime.

5. Snap Tell -- Helps prevent impulse buying by showing the book, movie, or cd I'm about to buy can be bought elsewhere for much less.

4.  i.TV -- Helps not only with what is on TV, but shows movies and times in the area.

3.  SitOrSqat -- This was nice to have when we were visiting New York City and wanted to find a nice, clean bathroom.

2.  Urbanspoon -- Great way to find new places to eat in DC or other cities we may be visiting.

1.  Shazam -- I don't actually use this application very much, but it amazes me.  It listens to just about any song and tells you the title, who sings it and where you can buy it.  How do they do it?

Memories of Florida -- Alligator Alley

These shots are from are trip to Florida in January, when we drove to Key West from Tampa via Route 41, aka Alligator Alley.  This was at a rest stop on the road with a boardwalk that features lots of wild gators.  Just driving along, we saw countless gators on the sides of the road.  It is not a good place to have your car break down.

Snow Escape -- "All of My Days" by Alexi Murdoch

The second snow storm in less than a week is about over (all but the wind), and we're starting to get cabin fever. I found this video, which features a beautiful song by Alexi Murdoch.  It was in the film Away We Go. As you may recall from my review of that film, I thought the best thing about it was the music. I purchased the soundtrack and, so far, this is my favorite song from it. I love this video version of it, because the images remind me of warmer times away from the snow. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Apple Puree Recipe

There is another snow storm coming our way, so what better thing to do on a cold, snowy day than make more soup?  I made a batch  of this squash and apple puree on Sunday, and it was amazing.  I love this soup.  Even Shane likes it and he isn't crazy about soup in general and a soup made from squash--well, I'm amazed he likes it.  On a post I did on Sunday, Bo made a comment that he wanted a recipe... so here it is.

olive oil to coat bottom of pan

1 pound of butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about half a squash)

1 stalk of celery

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

2 and 1/2 cups water or stock (I used vegetable stock)

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp honey (I didn't have honey, so I added a tsp of sugar)

Heat a medium-sized sauce pot to medium high heat and lightly coat bottom of the pot with olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add celery and season with salt and pepper. 

Add the squash and apple and saute for about 10 minutes.  Add the water or stock, season again with salt and pepper, and simmer about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat, add nutmeg, cinnamon and honey (sugar), and mix it in.

Place everything in a blender and puree until smooth.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.  This recipe makes four servings.  Bon Appetit!

Enter the Dragulator

Season two of RuPaul's Drag Race has begun and the website has a the Dragulator. Upload a photo and create your own drag image!  The one above is Shane in red and myself in the turquoise leopard.  What visions!  Enter the Dragulator here.