When Losing is Good

Donna over at Funky Junk did a posting about her efforts to shed a bit of the “junk in the trunk” and start leading a healthier lifestyle (http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-junk-loser-wanna-play-too.html ).  And the comment section nearly exploded.  Seems a lot of us want to dump some decidedly UNfunky junk outta our trunks (as one lady said she "had so much in her trunk, she needed to get a trailer to pull behind!).

So we who are interested are banding together on a Facebook page set up by Donna. We are the Junk Losers. And that is a very good type of loser to be!

For me that means getting OFF my ‘arse’ and getting back ON my eating program. It was working so well until I got lazy. I’d increased my daily fiber up to a minimum of 20 grams a day. I was off of most highly processed carbs (except for the occasion treat of a small tater tots or such). I was drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

So I’m back in. With my weekly CSA boxes (more on that soon – that is where I get those perilla leaves) and all the local farmers stands popping up everywhere, it shouldn’t be too hard to make up some fabulous meals.

I will get my elliptical excavated from the mess of empting my hobby room and spend proper time on it at least 3x a week – to start. That will be combined with some heavy duty yard work and a lot of moving of furniture and boxes as I do my DIY remodel of my hobby room.

As I thought about the ways to shed junk pounds, I came to the realization that pounds aren’t the only junk I need to lose. I need to lose a lot of junk from around the house and shed. I need to lose some very junky attitudes and habits. And some junky language too.

Uff-da. I’m going to be busy!

Salud! at Whole Foods - Sushi

It’s no secret that I really enjoy eating sushi.  Best Friend and I are always up for a trip to one of our favorite sushi restaurants.  So when I saw Whole Foods was offering a sushi class I knew we had to take it.

First we learned to make sushi rice and how to handle the sticky stuff. We also learned that there are two sides to the Nori (seaweed) wrapper and that it is important to use the correct side for the roll you are making.  

After that, we made 4 different sushi rolls. A cucumber roll, a spicy tuna (or salmon) roll, an ‘inside-out’ California roll and a nigiri with tuna or salmon.

 

The rolls are pretty much the same construction; you just use different ingredients and sauces.  You start by spreading the sushi rice over the sheet of Nori.  Keeping your fingers moist with a water/rice vinegar mixture keeps it from sticking to you (and everything else).

Then you put the filling in the center.  Here I am doing the spicy tuna roll.

Once it is all fixed up like you want it, you flip the back of the roll completely over the filling (taking care not completely double over the roll).  Then you use the sushi mat to squeeze and shape.  When it’s compacted, you give it another turn and mash it again.  It takes about 3 turns to complete the roll.

To slice you moisten the blade of the knife with the same water you use on your hands.  Be careful not to cut yourself!

Here is a California Roll ready to be cut.

Best Friend and her first sushi roll. 

Cucumber Roll (cucumber and cream cheese). 

We came home with a box of sushi we were not able to finish munching in class. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to do. This is something I will definitely be doing at home, especially since Whole Foods now sells sushi grade tuna. 

Here is a recipe for the sauce for the spicy rolls:

Spicy Tuna Sauce

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup hot chili sauce, preferably Sriracha

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Combine all ingredients until smooth and serve with and in the Spicy Tuna Roll.

What's Up for March?

I’m finding that almost all my goals for each month are actually taking more like 6 to 8 weeks to actually complete. This in itself is not a problem except for the fact that I’m trying to blog about them within the month time frame. Stressful!!

So I’m going to take a bit of a hiatus in certain postings to give myself time to get everything done properly. In other words, I get done when I get done and I’ll post my reveals (be it projects or recipes) at that time.

At this point I am finishing up the kitchen and bedroom decluttering/makeovers. In the kitchen I still have to paint (this picking colors is giving me such a headache!) and have my new faucet installed. In the bedroom I have to bring my new bed down from MO (truck was too packed to bring it home this last trip) and paint. Besides, I don’t like to paint when I can’t open the windows.

The cooking adventures are moving a bit slow because I’m the only one here right now… when Himself is home there are very few (or no) leftovers. When it’s just me… I can eat on one recipe for four days! But I am discovering new recipes and ways to use my ingredients. I look forward to sharing them.

That being said, I’m ready to move on to my March goals and plans.

The goal this month is to finish with organizing my house. The upstairs is done except for the bathrooms. It’s time for those little things – home records, photos, recipes and so on.

And as I just mentioned, the bathrooms aren’t done and therefore are the focus of my decluttering and organizing for this month. I’ll be doing both the hall and master bathrooms at the same time. Depending on how energetic I am, the wallpaper may be coming down in the hall bath (sounds like a “Gitter Done” project to me!).

My Iron Chef challenge will be to work with chicken and coconut (hope to find some whole coconuts). And I will be experimenting with the flavors of the Caribbean – time to fire up the grill again!

And finally I’ll bring a wee bit of the Irish into the house for St Patrick’s Day decorating.

It’s going to be a fun month!

Getting it Together in February

Wow! Is it already February? January sailed by so quickly… helped along by the fact that I was away from home a total of 15 days. That didn’t leave a lot of time to get things done. But I did get the kitchen done… mostly. I’ll post about it in the next few days.

This month I’m going to work on the master bedroom. I have a whole lot of decluttering and organizing to get done, plus a bit of decorating/redecorating. I am planning several ‘before and after’ posts on this one! You can follow along – or join me by working on your master bedroom – at my other blog: http://clutter-free-me.blogspot.com/  I will do a full reveal at the end of the month on this blog too.

My personal goal is to start an exercise program. I will put together my new elliptical machine and break out my Tai Chi DVDs.

My Iron Chef projects are a nod to Chinese New Year (3 Feb). I will be exploring Chinese cuisine and the ingredients ginger and cabbages.

And it is easy to guess what my home decorating will be this month… Valentines.

What are your goals for this month?

I'm Getting Revved Up!

I recently attended an interesting class at Ingredients.  The class was called “Rev Up Your Metabolism”.   I decided I could definitely use a bit of ‘revving’ so I checked it out.

It was taught by Sarah-Jane Bedwell, a registered dietitian (http://www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com/ ) from Nashville. Her web site also has a link to her blog which is full of good ideas and suggestions. As a dietitian she focused on ways to “be healthy” rather than “lose weight”. Her philosophy is if you are eating correctly and are not sedentary you will be at your correct weight. And if you are a bit “fluffy”… yes, you’re going to have to be moving more to get to ‘correct’ than you would to ‘maintain’.

She went over her top 8 ways to NATURALLY speed up your metabolism:

1. Eat breakfast within one hour of getting up … it wakes up your metabolism.

2. Eat more frequently (within a 1200 calorie range). Eating something every 4-ish hours keeps your body in “burn” mode.


3. Do cardio and resistance exercise, alternating days.


4. Get plenty of sleep… at least 7 hours. Bananas and walnuts contain compounds that will help you sleep. Don’t watch TV or be on the computer for an hour before bedtime.


5. Use caffeine in moderation… but you don’t have to have more than 1-2 cups of coffee/tea to do it.


6. Eat spicy foods. They increase the body’s release of certain hormones, which in turn stimulate the metabolism.


7. Drink green tea, at least 2 cups a day. It can be either hot or iced.


8. Move more. Park farther from the door, take the steps, even standing while you are on the phone burns more calories than sitting and yakking! Basically… get off your buns and just do it!

Then she went over some recipes that are examples of changes one could make to eat healthier without feeling deprived.

 

Fresh Guacamole.  Avocadoes are a great source of monounsaturated fat, potassium, magnesium and a whole bunch of other things. 

Three Bean and Beef Chili.  A small amount of lean beef in your diet is a good thing, as it is needed to build muscle (yes, I know there are other sources of protein… I like beef).  The bulk of this chili is its beans, and we all know we don’t get enough fiber in our diets.

Moist Mocha Cake.  Life is good!  Dark chocolate is absolutely loaded with antioxidants… even more so than tea, wine or blueberries.  You need to eat chocolate that is 70% or more cocoa to get the most benefits. 

Ginger Green Iced Tea. Some studies have shown that people who drink about 24 oz of green tea each day burn an extra 70-100 calories.

I’m going to incorporate these tips into my life and see how they work for me.

January Goal: Iron Chef!

I’m returning to an old love… cooking. Years ago I took a lot of culinary classes and entered contests fairly regularly. But busy took over and soon we went from ‘dining’ to just ‘eating’… and just eating became a habit. Last year I started taking culinary classes again and the excitement of cooking has returned. I plan on taking a lot more classes this year.

In addition, I’m going to start learning about cuisines and ingredients on my own. I’m starting this month with the flavors of the Middle East. Also, independent of my trying Middle Eastern cuisine, I’m going to explore lentils and winter squash. I’ll definitely be making some runs down to Whole Foods to get ingredients!

If you have any great recipes or tips to share, I’d love to try them.

Alder Wood-Smoked Acorn Squash Soup

3 split pieces of alder wood

4 acorn squash, halved and seeded

8 ounces sliced maple cured bacon

1 cup butter

1 quart chicken stock

1 quart water

salt to taste

1 tablespoon cumin

4 cups sour cream

1 cup parsley

2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Prepare charcoal for smoking: Light and wait for the gray ash to cover at least 90 percent of the coals. Place the split wood on the coals and wait about 10 minutes before reducing the air flow to make it burn slower. 

Arrange the squash halves cut side down on the grilling surface and close the lid. Slow smoke for 2 hours or less if you prefer them less smoky - as long as they are tender.  

Place bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned and crisp; remove and drain on paper towels.    

Once the squash are smoked, scoop the flesh out of the skins with a large spoon and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth, adding butter and half of the water. Transfer to a soup pot and stir in the chicken broth and remaining water. Season with cumin, parsley and paprika; simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.   

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream, a generous amount of crumbled bacon and cilantro. Dust lightly with cayenne pepper.

Goals: They're All About Me!

Last year my goals were mostly about my home… this year they are mostly about me. They are goals that don’t have an end…but will set new behaviors and develop interests.

I discovered last year I really enjoy making over sad, tired furniture and decorator items into something cute. I have a lot of projects lined up for our home. And who knows, maybe I’ll try selling a few pieces too. There will be a lot of before and after projects coming up!

Other areas I’ll be expanding in are cooking, photography and a bit of gardening/landscaping.

My 50 Before 50 challenge is underway. Haven’t finished any yet but I have several started… and I do have a year and a half to go. I’ll be sharing my adventures along the way.

As I mentioned yesterday, last year’s goal of “Remodel Me” had some areas I fell short in. The biggie was diet and fitness. So that is something I will be addressing this year (tho there won’t be very many posts about it – just will I hit major milestones). My parents gave us cash for Christmas; Himself and I quickly agreed to use it to purchase the elliptical machine I’ve been eyeing.

I was able to do a lot of decluttering but unfortunately didn’t get it done. But it is soooooo close. To motivate myself I’ve started a second blog just on decluttering as I work thru each area I need to finish or tweak. I’ll be sharing my ideas and tips while getting it done. I’m starting tomorrow… care to join me?

 http://clutter-free-me.blogspot.com/  

Now it’s your turn to share! What goals are you plans for 2011?

My Year in Review

In 2010 I made goals instead of resolutions. And each new goal was started in a different month. My thought on this was to give myself time to create a new habit with the stress of having a whole long list to work thru all at once.


This is how I did with those goals…

To get my home decluttered: this battle was fought for the entire year. I’m still fighting it. It’s been sadly amazing to discover just how much junk/stuff/clutter we had. It was a bit overwhelming at times. But I am very pleased to say that I have made great progress, I still have a good attitude wanting to keep after it and I plan on completing the goal in this next year.

To improve my physical appearance: Some areas I did great and in others… not so good. The goal to dress better was a smashing success. I updated my wardrobe and now only rarely will wear a plain ol’ T shirt out of the house. And I wear accessories regularly now. It really helped when I found ways to store them that made them visible and easy to get to. I decided make-up was more for ‘dressy’ times than every day as I don’t like the way it feels on my skin – even after trying several options. Weight… that is on the not so good side. Didn’t change from where I started. I “fell off the wagon” and didn’t have the wherewithal to have another go at it. I’ve got to get much more serious about it.

To get my papers organized: This fell in with the decluttering work. I found “paper” in almost every box I went thru! I’ve done a lot of culling but still have quite a bit more to do. I’ve been working on organization methods and that has been a help. This has been the most overwhelming part of my clutter-busting.

To clean up and organize my shed: Family commitments switched this from a spring chore to an autumn one. Then more family commitments in the fall pushed it back even farther. So it’s back on the list for this coming year.

To bring curb appeal to my home: The long, HOT summer really did a number on this goal. Those family commitments caused me to start later in the season too, so a lot did not get done. But I did make improvements – porch, bonsai area, bird garden, shed front, patio… so I am fairly happy. I’ll start earlier next year… like in March!

To become a better steward of my resources: That is coming along well. Energy saving practices and devises are becoming part of our routine. I am much more aware.

To understand myself and my purpose in life: This one overall gave me more to think about than all the others. It was hard, at times it was painful and it was good.

To incorporate my photography into my life more: Coming along nicely. I’ve started with my sorting of the 500 bazillion photos both on my computer and hard copies. I’ll be able to start making prints of exhibition/sales quality photos soon. And I will get the frames sorted thru soon too.

To make a gracious and welcoming home: Coming along well too. The updated guest room is a hit, the many suggestions I received on ideas for making it more welcoming were so nice.

I’m pleased with my year and what I have accomplished in it. I’m looking forward to what I’ll get done in 2011!

Welcome To Our Home

Himself and I really enjoy entertaining. But we don’t do as much as we really would like to.

Is it just around here, does it seem people are entertaining less? I’m not talking about “parties” where the main reason is to gather and drink – often way too much. It seems everyone I know, who in the last few years have tried to host a gathering, are being put off by some pretty rude behavior of the invited guests – folks saying they will come…and not showing, showing up way late, showing up with uninvited friends in tow, coming to a potluck with a box of uncooked mac & cheese (seriously!) and so on.

Not all of the above have happened to me, but enough have. Enough that we have decided not to have large parties anymore.

So now when we entertain it is with only a few people – no more than six at a time, usually we will have four others. Or one family.

We will host groups for a meeting – if they want to make the drive out into the country.

As you’ve figured out by now from all my cooking class blogs, I really enjoy cooking. Sharing a meal with others is one of my pleasures. Everything from simple grilled brats to a full ethnic themed meal; it’s all good!

Entertaining becomes even more fun when our guests stay overnight with us.

We are trying to make our home and yard a restful place.

By the end of the month, our guest room will be about as comfortable as one could ask for.

In the mornings our guests will have a hot breakfast – I enjoy making omelets or Himself could whip up a batch of German pancakes. Lunch and dinner will be something good… depending on our guest’s likes.

And the evening will wind down with tea or coffee on the deck, watching the sun set.

The yard will be a work in progress for quite a while – I’m starting with the areas up close to the house (like our patio and deck) and will work farther out on the property (to our eventual ‘outdoor family room’ – fire pit and games area).

We are very much looking forward to all the guests we will have here in our home.

Before and After: Front Porch, Now Dressed For Fall

Another one of those ‘catch up’ projects is checked off my list. The CSI Project’s weekly challenge motivated me to finish this one up.

This week’s challenge is “fall”. Since I am SO happy to see summer ending I decided to jump into the autumn season right at the front porch.

Just to remind you what I started with…

I dragged everything off and put the power washer to work. MUCH better!

Next I used pavers to add another step up to make it easier to get up on the porch. This is a temporary fix, as I have something much prettier in mind. But it’s going to be a big undertaking to get it done.

The door mat in front of the door was purchased last year at Taliesin – Frank Lloyd Wright’s home. The pattern is one of his designs.

I found these lanterns at Home Goods. It’s far too hot on the porch to have candles in them, so instead – after drilling drain holes in the bottom - I decorated them with stones and driftwood we have picked up on our travels. For autumn I added some fall accents pieces from Hobby Lobby.

A mum brings a pop of color to the porch.

Instead of the low bland table, this metal shelf adds to the porch. I wanted a place to be able to put down my purse or bag as I opened the door. This works great. The other shelves give me space to add some decorations too.

The pumpkin and angel say what I feel, not just about this season but all of them. They are both from Hobby Lobby. I protected them with several coats of poly.

So here is the new look of my porch… all dressed up for autumn.

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Fall%20Festival 

Before and After: The Garage - I Gotter Done!

I finally got it done… the garage is cleaned out. Cleaned such as I told Himself; this is part of our home and as such is NOT empty or magazine material! But it is perfectly functional for us.


Functional for us means that things are orderly. There are still things in there for storage until I can get shelves in other areas built for them. There are some furniture and craft projects lined up to be done in the cooler, drier weather. And my lawn tractor will go back up to the shed once I get that cleaned out over the next few weeks.

If an item is something I will have in the garage all the time, it has its own place on a shelf. I will be improving some of the shelving situations in coming months as there was literally no place to build in the garage when I started.

There is room now…


This area has my bonsai supplies. I have a large floor cabinet that will replace the small shelves. Just have to get it built.


On these shelves I have cleaning, household, and bath supplies. And there is plenty of room for Himself to work out now. That unpainted place is where there was a dart board. I couldn't get it pulled out of the wall so I just painted around. Himself tore it down for me. Next time I have the bucket of Kilz out, I'll get it painted.


Frames I have to organize and build shelves for in a closet in my office. I have way too many frames! Especially small ones. But they are just so darn cute! I have a feeling I will have more going to the charity store.

Those chairs hanging up will be some 'before and after' posts fairly soon!


These tubs are Himself’s stored things. It the accumulation of things he’s inherited his father (there were things going back 3 generations from the family homestead in ND), his uncle (2 generations) and then more from his mother. Plus some books he hasn’t shelved in his office. He will get to them when he is ready. Anyway, stored in these containers they are not my problem anymore!

Leaning up against the tubs is that shelf I’ll be putting together for my bonsai supplies.


And my misc shelf. Mostly things that I can’t let freeze like paint, so I can’t shift them to the shed. It is so nice to be able to see all my paints quickly. I get a lot of paint at the ReStore (spray) and mistints at Lowes. The old paint cans on the floor I am using as stands for painting projects.


And the last area is my soon-to-be-functional recycling center. It’s also where I decided would be a safe place to store my florescent light bulbs.


BEFORE (so many boxes all the way to the back!):



AFTER (room to walk!):



I am so happy to finish this “gitter done” project! And I'm linking it to Funky Junk's "Gitter Done - Vol. 4" link up.

Outside Project – Finish Shed Interior

Every time I look out at the shed I heave a tremendous sigh. This is a project I had wanted to do in April. But more important things happened, then summer with its oppressive heat hit. So much for doing the shed. Unfortunately, it’s become a bit worse this summer as I found things in the garage that actually belong in the shed. So they were just tossed in… “for later”.

Temperatures are dropping and I can now devote my energy to it. I did manage to do the outside this summer and so it’s time to get busy on the inside. Ugh.

I have my work cut out for me.

Home Renovation – The Guest Bedroom & Linen Closet

Obviously one of the areas I need to work on with my “warm welcome” goal is our guest room. It’s rather small and I am looking for ways to maximize its coziness.

To go with this, I want to tweak the bathroom to make it more user friendly. And also do a bit with the linen closet where guest can find the various towels they will need.

Any suggestions and ideas will be greatly appreciated!

September Goal – “A Warm Welcome”

We want our home to be a welcome retreat to all who visit us… whether it is for a few minutes and a cup of coffee or guests staying days with us.

So my goal for September is to make our home as inviting as it can possibly be. There are so many aspects to consider; from our curb appeal (an on-going project), to serving a lovely meal or snack, to making our overnight guest comfortable.

I’m asking for everyone’s help with this goal!

What makes you feel welcome into someone’s home?

What are those special touches?

Tell me about a memorable meal you’ve enjoyed… what made it stand out?

What do you do to make your guests comfortable?

Sorting, sorting, sorting...

We are NOT having fun yet…

Right off the top, I have a word of advice for you… LABEL YOUR PHOTOS!!! Who, what, when, where. Trust me… you’ll be thankful… There’s even special pens to write with that won’t mess up the dyes in the photographs.


I’m going thru boxes of photos that I have just dumped in as I found them. Some are in envelopes and some are single photographs.


I’m using these photo boxes I picked up during half price sales at Hobby Lobby. They have a place on the front where I can drop in a label for each box. I’m using categories that work for me. Broad ones like “pets”, “flora”, “fauna”, “landscapes”, etc. And specific ones such as “SW Trip ‘04”, “Day Trips”, “Grandma”, and so on.

They also come with index divider cards – but I’m not at that point yet. But when I do they will fine tune the sorting. Such as with “pets” I will then have dividers for “Patches”, “Sabre”, “Tsion” and so on.

The good thing is once I get the photos into their own box, I can take a box with me when I know I’m going to be waiting or when I’m traveling and need something to do in the down times.

For my hard copies, once I sort them, I will scan the best into my computer. (I have a lot of photographs so I can save only the best).


As I said earlier, my photos since 2006 are in digital format. But I am making it a point to make a high resolution copy of the best of my shots. Most I print out in a 4x6 size, but the very best are printed at high resolution in 8x10 size. These 4x6 will have their own box.

Then all photos will be backed upped on both my external hard drive and a couple DVDs.

Then it will be time to work on displaying them…