7/19 & 7/20/13

Yesterday, we had 2 kids over for a cookout and sleepover so I didn't have time to check in here.   We fed them what we thought they would like so I had a lot of food in my house I don't normally have. We got a whole bunch of fruit too because I know their mom likes them to eat it and I wasn't sure what they would go after (watermelon was the winner). I ate a ton of it and still had tons left, so I prepped it and froze it.  It will be good at breakfast.   

Here are a few observations about my behavior and food.  1)  Watching everyone else feast on their food still makes me want to feast, and I did that by eating way more fruit than I even wanted.    2) In eating a lot of fruit, I didn't eat as much other food like my usual starches (potatoes, yams, grains), and I don't find that nearly as satisying, even when I'm quite full from it.  3) I made them smoothies for breakfast along with their cereal, and for a treat made myself a fruit smoothie. I was amazed at how much fruit went into making one glass of smoothie.  I don't get nearly as full drinking that fruit as I would if I ate it without blending. 4) I overate both yesterday and today.

Yesterday, I ate a big bowl of greens for breakfast; fruit and sugar snap peas for lunch; and tons of fruit and corn on the cob for dinner and dessert.   Today I had more fruit for breakfast in a smoothie, and fruit and sugar snap peas and carrots for lunch.  Then tonight after I resumed my normal life I had a few sweet potatoes, some oat groats and fruit, and a kohlrabi.

ps, we had a wonderful time with the kids.

7/18/13

Here was my food today.  Breakfast was a big bowl of delicious sweet local strawberries!   Sorry I didn't snap a picture.  I also feasted on some mulberries after my swim.

Lunch was corn on the cob from a farm 10 miles away and broccoli and onions.

Dinner was supposed to be this big ole' salad:

But that turned out to be dessert.  Those cherry tomatoes were like candy, but that's not why it was dessert.  I was visiting with a friend after work and she invited me to stay over for dinner.  Her partner, the cook, eats like me, so it was an offer I couldn't resist.  I had beans and rice and greens on a corn tortilla, a small salad, and some fruit salad.  I was careful not to eat too much. Then on the way home, I kept thinking about those cherry tomatoes, and how I really was in a mood for a big salad, so I thought, what the heck, have your salad too.  It's lettuce and tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar diluted with water.  It hit the spot.  

Exercise was swimming a mile and biking 8 miles.

7/17/13

Today I practiced simple and I liked it!  Breakfast was a bowl of beans and lentils (cooked a few days ago) before my bike ride. I also ate some raw cabbage. I ate mulberries on the ride.  It was a good 30 mile ride on a hot day.   I snacked on raw kohlrabi when I got back, and some more raw cabbage., 

Lunch was corn on the cob (3 small ears), beans from the garden, half of a small tomato (first from the garden).   

Early dinner was a big batch of collards and onion and oriental yam and zucchini (oops, too complicated?  haha).   

During my evening meeting, someone brought grapes which I enjoyed.  After my meeting I went grocery shopping and snacked a little on sugar snap peas, saving most for tomorrow.  Dessert was:

Look how easy that was to prepare!  Now that is simple, and it was gooooood.   fresh local sweet cherries and perfectly ripe banana.

As part of week 2 in the E2X Captain's challenge, we're supposed to eat a big salad every day.  If you can count the kohlrabi, raw cabbage, little half tomato, sugar snap peas and a few carrots as a big salad, my goal was accomplished.

7/16/13

This morning I roasted some new potatoes and kohlrabi, while snacking on cabbage.  I packed those into two bowls.   I cooked up some broccoli and zucchini and combined that with the beans and lentils I cooked last night, and dished that into two bowls too.  These were for lunch and dinner.  Then I was gone the rest of the day.   After my yoga class I stopped at the co-op and got some fruit (a few cherries, some grapes and blueberries), cherry tomatoes and some sugar snap peas.  I ate the fruit (shouldn't have got the blueberries), then after I got to work, ate the sugar snap peas.  Had the potatoes and veggies for lunch and dinner, had the cherry tomatoes for a snack.  then when I got home, had a cool cucumber.   It's hot here and I don't think I'm done with the roasting and baking for a few days, until it cools off.    

Exercise was a yoga class and biking 14 miles.

One thing I want to experiment with this week is eating more simple meals.  Somehow I got this notion in my head i need all this variety every day (every meal even) and I don't think I do.   How about instead a variety each week, but only 1 or 2 things each meal?   That's more what I feel like doing, so I'm looking forward to trying this out.

7/15/13

We spent one more morning with family before they departed.   I was kind of surprised that after 6 days of eating burgers and ice cream, they chose Culver's frozen custard (a burger and ice cream joint) for both dinner last night and lunch today.    See, I'm not the only one who repeats meals.

I went grocery shopping this morning and got stocked up on all the food I've been missing.  I usually just buy what looks good and local if possible (it tastes better). I had lots of sugar snap peas for breakfast, and made a big salad for lunch and dinner from lettuce, strawberries, cucumber, and a little dressing made from good balsamic vinegar (sweet), water, ground flax seeds and dill.  I don't think the dill and strawberries is a great combination.  Soon strawberries will be gone and tomatoes will be in.  I love how there's always something good coming in.   

Lunch was salad and a small baked oriental yam.  Dinner was salad and 3 small ears of sweet corn!  It's now officially sweet corn season in Wisconsin and there is a corn stand close to our house that we go there every day--it's picked that morning.  It's great!  

I snacked (er, feasted)  on mulberries on my way home in the evening.  They are at their peak. Here is what my hands look like after I visit the mulberry trees.

haha. Soon these will be gone, but blueberries are just now coming in! What a great time of year!

Tonight I also snacked on some beans and lentils I cooked for tomorrow--I took a taste to see if they were done and they were so good I kept taking tastes. I forgot how good lentils are!  I'm going to add them to my beans from now on I think.

Exercise was swimming 1 mile and biking 8 miles.

7/13/13, same old, same old.

yes, same as yesterday:  great weather, great biking, great golf spectating.  We had to switch hotels tonight--not too big a deal.  My fruit was mulberries on the bike path, and 2 apples on the golf course.  Am I tired of the food yet?  It still tastes good, but on Monday I'm looking forward to separating out the food again, i.e., having a baked sweet potato all on its own with collards and onions on the side (one of my favorite meals).  oh wait, on Monday we should have sweet corn (the season is starting now).  ooh la la.

I've had some nice conversations on my bike with locals (it usually starts with "how far does this bike path go?"  or "where am I?").  It reminds me that there are all kinds of ways to get a feel for the local community.  It doesn't have to involve eating at touristy restaurants.  :)

I was thinking tonight that an Insta-pot pressure cooker would work well in the hotel room.  It's electric and it would cook up faster than what I'm using.  I never got good at using it--was always overcooking my stuff--and it's heavier than my current setup, and I don't find the longer cooking times a problem.  But others might prefer it.

7/12/13, day 4

Another great day on the bike and on the golf course.  The weather has been perfect.  I love riding my bike along the Mississippi in the morning.  We followed our hometown favorite, Steve Stricker, on the golf course, and he did really well.  Wow, these guys are good.  I had the same food as yesterday and the day before, with the addition of a banana from the hotel and an extra apple on the golf course.   I am appalled that on the entire golf course, where you are not allowed to bring in your own food, the only fruit available is apples at this ONE concession stand.  I was worried they would run out and I knew I'd be hungry, but fortunately they had some.   Tomorrow's food is cooking now.  For seasoning I added tandoori, singapore, and garlic powder.  The beans are cannellini.