from 4/6/2007

Um...so I made that big pronoucement about shutting off my cable a couple days ago? Yeah. Comcast called me yesterday and offered to lower my bill, and give me back a bunch more channels, and....I caved. I'm still thinking about it, but having trouble just cutting it off! I'm weak! I need to watch dvr'ed episodes of "Ellen" everyday or I will surely die! Er...

Okay, I'll think about it.

In other news, I weighed in, and now have lost 34 pounds. Which is great, but that's only 1 pound in a week. "They" recommend that you lost 1-2 pounds per week since people who lose weight slowly tend to keep it off forever instead of yo-yo-ing. But, still. I need to kick it up a notch again, and at least get back to 2 pounds per week. I'd been talking about starting a yoga class for the last month or so, so I think it's time to finally do it. I have some problems with my feet (plantar faciitis aka heel spurs) which makes doing any exercise on my feet hard, so I think yoga will be good--and also help with strength and flexibility and all that. Maybe my mom will even want to go with me next week! I think I might start with the Gentle Yoga, and see how that one is, and then work up to Yoga I. If anyone's interested in joining me, Gentle Yoga's on Sundays at 10:30 or Tuesdays at 5:45 in Lawrenceville (the site says Strip District, and while it's close to the Strip, it's definitely in Lawrenceville. Isn't that weird?) http://www.schoolhouseyoga.com/classes.aspx

I got my Chantix (the stop-smoking aid) prescription yesterday, and took the first dose this morning. Now, I smoke for 7 days, and quit on Friday the 13th! My parents are coming the next day. If I can get through that as a non-smoker, then I should be golden. Not that I don't love them, but they, as parents do, sometimes push the must-smoke-right-now buttons.

I made the Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies the other night for book club. Oh man. They may be the best cookies I've *ever* tasted. And, my kitchen smelled like warm mesquite for a whole day. I was going to post the recipe and my notes, and then I had the bright idea to dump a bunch of stuff out of my bag this morning in my car, and left it there. So, I'll post it next week. You can read about it here, but Heidi took down the recipe since it's in her book Super Natural Cooking. http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000398.html

I need to write her a fan letter because I now am on a first name basis with her--not that she knows that. I went shopping last night with my friend Jen to the co-op and Whole Foods, and must have started 233 sentences with, "Heidi says...". I've got it bad.

But, speaking of my shopping venture (I know I said I wasn't going to shop for more ingredients, but...we went out for Ethiopian--i love Abay: http://www.abayrestaurant.com/), and so we were right there smack-dab in the middle of the east end. I got some more mesquite meal. Yes, I still have some, but I have decided that I never, ever, ever want to run out of it ever. It's the best thing ever! Ever! Ellen and I are planning on going in and ordering a bunch in bulk. Buy this stuff. It's worth it!

And, Jen and I split a bag of Maca. It's even more expensive than the mesquite ($23 for a 16 oz bag!), but has such a great nutrition profile we wanted to try it (it's the one I posted about the other day that's supposed to make you all virile and full of energy and stamina and stuff). It's odd. It's got a malty, slightly sweet flavor. I think I'll have to get used to it.

And, we also tried raw cacao nibs. Jen actually bought them, but I tried some. And, well, yuck! I'm sure they're much better in recipes, but it was like when I was a kid, and thought I'd stumbled on paydirt in my mom's kitchen in the form of a giant candy bar. I bit into that bar and gagged, and realized with dismay that baking chocolate has very little in common with the standard candy bar. So not what my taste buds were anticipating. The nibs are sorta like that. A definite cocoa kind of flavor, but also a lot like chewing up coffee beans. Mixed with dirt. And ass. The package suggested some uses including to sprinkle them on your favorite ice cream. Grody. I think they may be an acquired taste. I'm going to have to read more about their nutritional profile. If it's amazing, I may have to give them another shot.

I hope I get to leave work early today! Sometimes they'll let us go early on Fridays that fall before holidays. I'm keeping my extremities crossed. My friend Alex is visiting tonight (before she moves to Poland!), and I didn't clean and straighten like I swore I was going to do all week. Hopefully I'll get a couple hours to make my place sorta presentable before she gets here. I'm jealous of you peeps that got off from work today (e-dawg!).

Whatever you're celebrating right around now, or if you're not celebrating anything but the weekend, have a good one.