2010 - A Year in Review

It's amazing how much can happen in a year.

One year ago I couldn't wait for 2009 to be over and for 2010 to begin. I was out of work, sitting on the couch everyday watching TV and sulking every time I sent out a resume with no response. I needed to make some positive changes in my life. I told myself that I was going to grab 2010 by the balls and make it a fantastic year. I did exactly that.

January 2010 - My EI was running out and I was beginning to worry about money. It was a tough time for me because I knew that I was going to have to start applying for jobs that weren't in my field. I wasn't ready to give up my Interior Design career because I had worked so hard to get there. I had a job offer to become an Admin Assistant at a daycare. I wasn't overly thrilled but it was work. I tried to keep my head up and tell myself I could still look for 'real' work and that this wasn't the end of the world.

By March I had landed my 'dream job'. Regis Canada had offered me a position as a Store Designer. This job couldn't have been more perfect for me. While I was out of work I did some free-lancing for a local Interior Designer who specialized in Hair Salons... this came in handy being that Regis is the largest acquirer, owner, and franchiser of hair salons, beauty schools and beauty stores. I also spent a lot of time studying to become a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional. In the past Regis had worked on LEED projects that didn't go as smoothly as planned so they were impressed by my certification. On top of being a perfect fit, the office is about 5 minutes from home, there are fantastic company perks and the people I work with are wonderful! I started this position in May as my boss was on Mat Leave and they wanted me to start back at the same time as her.

August 2010 - On a whim I decided that I wanted to start running. I hated running, hated it! But, for some reason I was intrigued. I found a program online called 'Couch to 5k' and decided to give it a go. Turns out I LOVED running! I couldn't get enough of it... I was addicted. For 2011 I am planning to run in the Underwear Affair 10k run -- that is my resolution, or goal for this year. My mother in law moved and gave me her treadmill so I could keep up with the running over winter. Well I hate the treadmill, I still get on it 2-3 times a week but I'd rather be outside. I think I will have to start slow with my training, but I'll be back into it before I know it.

October 2010 - my boyfriend and I opened a reptile store together (www.squamata.ca). This was a scary yet exciting project to take on. It all started with one lonely chameleon, which snowballed into 6 chameleons, 6 leopard geckos, and 6 snakes. The original plan was just to breed the animals, and sell them out of our house but the house kept feeling smaller and smaller so we decided to open up a shop. Business is decent for only being open 3 months - I hope that with some advertising and as our name starts to spread through the reptile community our business will continue to grow in 2011.

I am ready to take on 2011 and find out what we have in store over the next year. As I previously mentioned, I intend on running the 10k Underwear Affair run in August so I will be focused on training for that in the beginning of the year. I can't wait to get back outside and doing some real running. I also want to work on changing our eating habits and start making healthier meals for us. I have fallen victim to Sam's anti-vegetable campaign and it's sad because I love vegetables. Just the other day I tried edamame and I am now OBSESSED with it. So I am slowly going to cut out fat, and ramp up the amount of fruits and vegetables that we are eating to make some positive changes in our diet.

Cheers!

Third Times a Charm.

After two weeks of not being able to make it through the dreaded 3 mintues of running interval I decided to repeat week 3, yet again, for the third week in a row.

I just have not been ready to take on 3 mintues + 5 minutes. If I can't get through 3 minutes of running straight, I can't expect myself to get through 5. I have been bummed that it has been so hard for me to get through. But tonight I did the impossible. I ran for 3 minutes straight! I felt fantastic! I'm going to stick with the week three run for my next two runs and then finally graduate myself to Week 4 of the Couch to 5K program.

On another note, it has been one month since I started running so I thought now would be a good time to do a weigh in and take my measurements. While I only lost a couple of pounds, I lost a couple of inches as well! Well, everywhere except my boobs, they didn't go down much haha. It makes it easier to keep going when I can see the progress that I'm making.

A Rough Week.

Week 3. I knew this week was going to be a hard week, and I knew it would either make me or break me.

The good news is that I pushed through the week and haven't given up on running.

The bad news? Well, I didn't run well this week. In the couch to 5k program you are supposed to take days off in between and as I was trying to keep up with my schedule I ran too many days in a row and my shin/calf muscles were really hurting, badly.

Sunday night I finished up week two, then ran again on Monday. This is when my lower legs really started hurting. Tuesday I went for a power walk with some ladies at work, and after 5 minutes of walking my lower legs were throbbing. My boss (who's a runner) was showing me some new stretches to help. She suggested that perhaps it is a good pain and I am just building the muscle. Either way by the time Wednesday came around I decided that I needed to take a night off. A night off turned into 3 nights off. I ran again on Saturday but it wasn't my best, I barely made it through the 3 mins run. Because of all of this I have decided to repeat week three. Week 4 has a five minute running interval and if I'm still having trouble getting through the three mintues there is no way I can do five.

Tonight I ran again, I didn't make it through the three minutes, but it was a much better run than I had all last week so I'm feeling hopefull for the outcome of this week.

Diary of a Wannabe Runner.

Tonight marked Day 3 of week two. The running segments this week were 90 seconds running and 2 minutes of walking. In total it was only an extra minute of running, but it had me running for longer intervals. It was tough.

I really can't say that I felt like I made much improvement this week. I really thought I was going to die. The only thing that kept me going was starting to plan in my head some rewards I would give myself for finishing different milestones. Turns out that a nice new pair of shoes is a very powerful motivator haha.

I think next week is going to be the make it or break it week for me. I had to run tonight (Sunday) instead of the scheduled Friday because I was camping all weekend and just didn't have the time Friday or Saturday. If I want to stay on schedule for next week I'll be running back to back nights. On top of that, I promised my boss that I would go for a power walk with her on Tuesday. So I really won't have a rest day until Thursday.

Sunday - Week 2, Day 3
Monday - Week 3, Day 1
Tuesday - Power Walk
Wednesday - Week 3, Day 2
Friday - Week 3, Day 3

On top of all of that... I have to run for three minutes straight next week, this I am really nervous about. I'm contemplating re-doing week 2, but I need to keep challenging myself and pushing forward. We will see how Monday goes.

Cheers.

Couch to 5K

I decided on a whim to start running. I was intrigued. A lot of people in my life right now are running, running for fun, running for marathons, and running to get into shape. This all peaked my interest, the thought of a running group sounded like fun. Don't get me wrong, I loathe running, but for some reason I wanted to try it out.

I know that the key to running is to start slow and do it in bursts. I still wasn't sure exactly where to start. A friend of a friend recommended I look up the 'Couch to 5K' training program, and so I did. The program has you run 3 times a week and starts you off with small bursts of running alternating with walking and slowly bumps up your running time and decreases the walking.

This was week one for me. In week one the program has you do a 5 minute warm up walk followed by alternating running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds segments, then a 5 minute cool down. In total, you end up running for 8 minutes which seems achieveable.

I convinced a friend to run with me so I could have a little motivation. I found some podcasts online to help keep track of the time. While I'm not a huge fan of the music choice, they really keep with keeping me motivated.

Our first run went pretty good. Running for 60 seconds seemed so easy... too easy. But by the end of the run I was exhausted. We ended up skipping the last two and a half running intervals because we were both DONE! We ran along a trail so it was hard to map how far we actually went.

The second run I did on my own. I ran around my neighbourhood so that I could see (for fun) how far I actually ran. This time I finished all of the running intervals (yay!). The distance ended up being just under 2.5kms!! I was impressed.

Run #3 was Friday. I was tired, after the 2nd segment I thought there was no way I would ever make it through all 8. Somehow I managed to do it, and I did it in a faster time than I did on my second run.

They are small improvements, but improvements none the less. I'm going to keep up with this, I'd like to see what I can do.

New Design

Woo Hoo!! My blog has a new design thanks to www.thecutestblogontheblock.com. I LOVE IT!!!

What do you think?

August.

Wow... it's August already (well, in a couple of days). Where have the last 7 months gone?
At the beginning of the year I was ready to grab 2010 by the balls and make it a great year! A year for new beginnings and to find my way back to my old self.

Well, I can tell you that I did accomplish great things in the first 7 months... but, I am not getting anywhere on my 'eat healthier and work out more' plan. I did, however land my career job and it's FANTASTIC. The pay is good (for a junior designer), I have my own office, it's close to home, the people are awesome... and most of all, I LOVE MY JOB!!! I've worked so hard to be in this field and it's great to finally be here. Where do I go next? This fall I plan to study for the Ontario Building Code exams and hopefully I will have my BCIN by 2011. After that I will be focusing on preparing myself to write the NCIDQ exams so I can officially call myself a 'Registered Interior Designer'. For now, I am just an Intern.

Landing my career job was only half of my new years resolution. I wanted to give myself a year to work out, eat healthy and enjoy a better lifestyle (while losing weight along the way). I was really hoping that by my 27th birthday (yikes! am i really that old?) I would be at my goal. Well, July was the half way mark and I think I had lost a whooping total of 1 lb.

I'm starting to be inspired to work out again, although I'm finding it hard to make time to work out. When I come home from work I'm tired, I make dinner, clean up then all I want to do is relax. I try to wake up at 6am, my alarm goes off and I tell myself that I am too exhausted and wont be able to function at work unless I get at least another hour of sleep. So now, I'm debating joining a gym. I know, I know most people who join gyms just pay their monthly dues and never go. I was once one of these people however, there are three gyms in the vicinity of my work and I'm thinking my lunch break would be the perfect time to go work out. I can eat my lunch at my desk when I get back.

I'm also really intriged by all of the 'runners' in my life. My new boss has a running group and runs every Thursday (usually more), and a couple of my friends are running for the underwear affair and are training for that. Unfortuneately, I am not a runner. I hate it. My boobs flop around, and Sam says I look like a duck when I run. I think for now, I will stick to walking my dog.... hopefully I can bump up the walks to everyday. I have also started back with working out, I'm working myself up to doing Tae Bo again... Billy Blanks is a tank!

Stay tuned for some recipes that I have been holding out on!

Paprikas Csirke

Thursdays are Grey's Anatomy night, and ultimately the night I'm looking for a no fuss meal. This week I decided to do a crock pot version of my grandfather's recipe for paprika chicken. I chopped the vegetables, and prepped the meal the night before... unfortunately I was also making Wednesday night's meal at the same time. When I got home from work Thursday night something just didn't smell right... turns out I forgot to add the paprika!! I quickly added it in and let the dish cook for another hour but it just wasn't the same.

Here is the recipe for you to enjoy... the original recipe is to be made on the stove, but it can also be cooked in the crock pot, just don't forget to add the paprika!

Paprikas Csirke

(Hungarian Paprika Chicken)

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (I use whole boneless, skinless breasts)

1 Tomato, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

1 Medium Onion, Diced

Mushrooms (optional)

Palm full of Paprika

EVOO – once around the pan

½ Cup of water

2 Heaping Tablespoons of Flour

3 Heaping Tablespoons of Sour Cream

1. In a soup pot brown the diced onions in a little oil, (the original recipe calls for 1/4cup but I think that is way too much, I just eyeball it and give enough for the onions to cook in).

2. Once the onions are browned, remove from heat and add the paprika to the pot, mix gently. DO NOT miss this step; it won’t taste the same if you don’t put in the paprika (ha ha).

3. Add tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, chicken and water to the pot. Simmer for one hour. (This is where I would throw everything into the crock pot, and let it cook through the day).

4. When the chicken is cooked through, mix together flour and sour cream then slowly add to the pot. Be careful not to stir too much as the chicken is very tender and will break apart easily. It’s better to shake the pan if you can.

5. Serve over dumplings, rice, or egg noodles.

Zucchini and Tomato Dish

So this blogging thing isn't going over so well... but life always seems to get in the way, and the lack of readers doesn't help much either. I have a bunch of recipes to share with you though, so you can look forward to those over the next week or two.

This is one of my favourite side dishes that my mom always made in the summer. It works great as a side dish, a meal on it's own or even for breakfast! It's simple and delicious.

You can play around with the proportions and seasonings in this recipe.

1 Zucchini 1 Tomato Pat of butter Few shakes of Lemon Pepper Seasoning S&P Parmesan Cheese to finish it off!

Melt a little butter in a frying pan. You will want to use butter or margarine, and not oil because the goal is to soften the vegetables and not 'fry' them.

Slice zucchini, and saute. Season with a few shakes of lemon pepper seasoning, and salt & pepper.

When the Zucchini is almost finished add slices of tomatoes and saute for another minute or two. Don't stir around too much because you don't want the tomatoes to break up too much.

Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese to finish it off!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Today I went to the Superstore and attended their free* 'what's for dinner?' cooking class. They made two dishes from the Insiders Report, promoting their products. It was a free class so you really can't blame them. The one recipe that I took away is the Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas. The flavour combination is fantastic, and it makes for a quick and easy meal with a salad on the side.

I am going to post the recipe as it was handed to me, but you will be able to find the same products with a different brand. Unfortunately my camera battery was dead so I wasn't able to get any pictures of this one.

*they have started asking attendants to pay $10 for the class, however, they give you a $10 gift card to use in their store. So essentially it is a free class.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas- 2 servings

4 PC Blue Menu Ancient Grains Tortillas
1/4 cup PC Blue Menu Spicy Black Bean Dip
1/2 cup PC Blue Menu Peaches and Cream Canned Corn, drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Chicken Breast (OPTIONAL- I added the chicken to make it more suitable for dinner)

1. Season and Grill or Bake Chicken, chop or shred into tiny pieces.
2. Place two tortillas flat on work surface. Divide black bean dip between them, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with corn, chicken (optional), then cheese. Place the other two tortillas on top, pressing down.
3. The recipe says to heat the Quesadillas in a frying pan, but I prefer to do it in the oven. If you are making a bunch of them it is quicker to pop them on a cookie sheet, spritz each side with canola oil cooking spray and bake all together at 350 until cheese has melted and tortillas are crisp.

Jack Daniel's Real Deal Onion Dip

In celebration of the Superbowl tonight I have decided to attempt at making a real onion dip. This one from the Cooking with Jack cookbook intrigued me. The dip IS good, but I'm not sure if it is worth the effort required to make it. I almost think that ripping open a packet of onion soup and mixing it with sour cream and yogurt is sufficient. I do however, recommend that you try this yourself and see how you like it.

The Real Deal Onion Dip
Cooking with Jack - Makes about 2 1/2 Cups

6-8 Slices of Bacon
3 Cups Chopped Onion (approx 2-3 Onions)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 Cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Yogurt
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Hot Pepper Sauce, to taste

1. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from your pan with a slotted spoon leaving behind the fat. Set aside.


2. Cook the diced onion in the bacon fat slowly over medium-low heat until browned (approx. 20 mins). Stir in the sugar and whiskey, allow to cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 mins. Allow onion mixture to cool.


3. Combine the yogurt and sour cream with the onion mixture, add salt & pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce. I also decided to add a few shakes of garlic powder to elevate the flavour a bit. Store covered in the refrigerator.

4. Sprinkle with reserved bacon bits, and serve with chips, crackers or veggies.

Herb Roasted Pork Loin

I made this recipe last week and was impressed with it. I do have to say though, there are a few things I would change if I make it again. First of all, the cooking time in the recipe is off. I used a smaller piece of pork and still found it needed more time than what was reccomended in the oven. And second, for me personally, I found the dijon to be too over powering. I don't like spice, so the dijon was a but much for me. My friend Rachelle suggests mixing the dijon with sour cream for all of the flavour and none of the heat. I will try that next time, or possibly use honey mustard instead.


With all of that said, the pork did turn out nicely. And the smell of the herbs in the oven was to die for. I couldn't wait to dig in! The gravy that goes a long with the roast was perfect and added the extra oomph to the roast. This would make a good meal for a dinner party. It is very pretty too.


In case you are interested in trying it out for yourself here is the link to the recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Herb-Roasted-Pork-Loin-352314.



Along side the roasted pork loin, I tried a recipe for Maple Dijon Carrots. It was a quick and easy way to dress up carrots.


1lb carrots , trimmed, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp fresh parsely, chopped (optional)

1. place carrots in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. bring to a boil and cook over medium-high head for 6 mins until tender-crisp.
2. drain carrots, then return to saucepan and toss with margarine, dijon, and maple syrup to heat through.
3. garnish with fresh parsely if desired. serve immediately.

2010

We are already 17 days into 2010, and my how they have flown by.

2009 was a horrible year for me, it seemed so promising in it's early days, then it all went down hill. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. I will spare you the details, but tell you that it all began when I was laid off from my first real job- my career.

So this year, 2010, I am going to make this MY year. I want to become a better person, I feel as if I have lost myself in the past couple of years and I would like to reunite with my inner self. On this journey I am hoping to change my lifestyle for the better. Become more active, get fit, and finally lose the weight that my mother reminds me about every time I see her. I am also hoping to land my dream job for the second time... hopefully this time I will get to keep it!

After posting yesterday about the Boeuf Bourguignon I realised that I don't have a Dutch Oven... so I think that recipe will have to wait until I get one. I really want to make Julia Child's version... and make it exactly as the recipe calls! I bought a pork loin, so I am going to have a look around and see what kind of recipe I can find for that. I'm going to check Jamie Oliver and Martha Stewart's websites and see what they have to offer.

Julie & Julia

Last night I watched the new movie Julie & Julia. I am feeling motivated to start my own food blog... I however am not as ambitious as Julie Powell. I cannot commit to 524 recipes in one year. But, I have been wanting to try out at least one new recipe a week. Maybe I will start with that, see how it goes.

Where shall I start??? I am really craving Julia Child's Boef Bourguignon after watching the movie. Maybe that will be my first.