Broccoli is NOT boring anymore!!

   

       I'm back in the kitchen cooking my meals and I must say it feels goood! I honestly forgot the rush I feel when I hear onions sizzling in the pan, smell the spices emanating from the pot, or best of all baked chocolate anything from the oven! All the preparing, chopping, washing, combining, mixing, stirring, seasoning, is just such a part of who I am that I'm beginning to feel whole again. 

     Preparing my meals means I really want to take care of myself, cuz let's face it, at this age, who is gonna??!

    So I finally made the "classic" Ottolenghi* recipe I've been meaning to make. 

  Simply, it's Chargrilled Broccoli with Chilli and Garlic. They say: "Customers come especially for it and always complain that their broccoli is never as exciting as ours. In all honesty, broccoli is a boring vegetable and you do need a magic touch to bring it to life." 

      So without further ado, I present to you...my dinner!

   2 heads of broccoli (abt 500g)

   115 ml of olive oil 

   4 garlic cloves thinly sliced

   2 mild red chillis thinly sliced

   toasted flaked almonds or very thin slices of lemon (with skin), to garnish (optional)

  Separate broccoli into florets aka. tear them apart into mini trees. Prepare lage sauce pan w/ water to boil broccoli. Throw them in and blanch for 2 minutes no more. Take out and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and allow to dry completely. Toss broccoli with 45 ml olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. 

  Get a ridged grill pan and place it on high heat. Grill dem broccoli! Turn 'em around too.

 While grilling, get a small saucepan fill it up with the rest of the olive oil and cook the garlic and chilli on medium heat. Do not burn them! Just get the garlic to a golden brown then you're good. Remember they still cook after you take 'em off the heat!

  Pour the oil, garlic, and chilli over the broccoli and toss together well. Garnish w/ lemons or almonds. Gorgeous stuff!

 True story: One of my roommates hates garlic. She ate it all till the last broccoli floret and she didn't know there was any garlic despite the fact that it's in the recipe' title!! All the flavors mix marvelously in a subtle way, trust me or trust Ottolenghi. He rocks!

* Ottolenghi The Cookbook, Ebury Press, 2008. 

Thai Chicken w/ Chillies

   So I started planning my meals. No more excuses like, "Oh I have no time to cook" or "The kitchen is too small." 

   I was actually inspired by Jamie Oliver as I was running on the Crosstrainer weeks before. Yeah I watch the food channel as I work out :p

Here's what I prepared:

    Thai Chicken w/ Chillies 

    there's no precise measurements cuz that's just how I work...

  but it's 2 chillies that's for sure...any more and you'll sweat! take the seeds out too cuz those are the real criminals! he cooks in aluminum foil pockets which is a genius idea!

    so its: 

 

    2 chicken breasts skinless (one for me and one for Hasoos)

    ginger

    onions

    garlic

    chili

    paprika

    salt

    pepper

    soy sauce

    lime leaves

      Mix the marinade. Coat chicken. Make a pocket in aluminum foil. Put chicken and marinade in. Close firmly. Leave in fridge. Go to gym. Come back from gym. Set oven to 180 celsius. Place chicken package in oven for 25-30 minutes. Take a shower. Smell the yummy food. Go to kitchen. Take it out. Cut open with knife. Enjoy the wonderful gingery aroma. Eat. :)

 and that's all there was to it!!

Writing Post-Mortem

  

   Yes, the worst has happened.

  I *gulps* gained two lousy, filthy, degrading kilograms!!

  This is unbelievably retarded. I have changed my eating habits, gone to the gym at least 5 times a week, and considerably reduced my chocolate intake!! How did this happen??!!

   I seriously was at a loss for words last night when my trainers were giving me "the talk". All I wanted to do was cry, but instead I had to listen to their advice when I have heard it 20 different ways before. After they we're done I went to the locker room, sat down and tried to think. 

 Cue: my female trainer Samia (yep, I couldn't escape) followed by my friends (who paused their workouts, bless their hearts). Their concern just made me burst into tears. I haven't cried like that in a long time. "The Cry of Agony". I was really really disappointed to say the least! But I believe Aunt Flo (ie. time o' da month) had something to do with this... 

   ps. the link is a really disturbing video, albeit funny...

  I also felt like the last thing I wanted to do was workout. But I'm not like that. 

I cried my last tear and heaved my last sigh.  

I washed my face clean and patted it dry.

  That was an unintentional poetic verse, so I decided to upgrade it to italic status. I digress.

  Where was I? Oh yes, I spritzed my face with Deepsea Rose Water from Japan cuz I need Shu Uemura's reassurance during times like these; and I walked out that door onto the battle field. This is war: with Guns and Roses. 

    Captain Jet put me on a different program cuz apparently I'm not a cardio type of person ( coulda mentioned that before I did 10 km on the Crosstrainer!) Instead I'll be doing low-intensity but longer time blah blah, I couldn't focus on what he said I was strung out. But basically no more huff and puff for me.

 

     To calm me down, I chose the "Disney" playlist on my iPod. Yeah, cuz I'm a kid like that! I started out with the Main Street Electrical Parade to get me marching. Then as he increased the incline and speed I was transported to EPCOT, listening to the Illuminations soundtrack. After 45 minutes of sing-along songs I decided to leave as I couldn't stay anymore; also escaping the shame of aerobics. 

   I tried calling my BFF in England and I let it all out again. It was sad. I won't include details but mainly I said, " I'm tired of being this!" and "God, I never thought I'd be the girl crying on the side of the street!" Yeah, it was that pathetic. 

    Then I decided to plan my meals, because I wasn't utilizing all of my resources, namely my Cuisine Diplome. I can cook. I can cook tasty low-cal meals, and I just wasn't. Which sucks btw. 

So I head to the supermarché and pick up a wide variety of fruits and veggies, lean meat, and the new Shape magazine which features "Elaine" from Seinfeld on the cover. She's 48 and looks waaay hot! I took a moment to mentally spit on myself. 

    I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I didn't expect a blow like this from the start!

 I'm not gonna lie and be all, "Oh I'm more motivated than ever now!" Spare me. This effing sucks! But I still am determined, a little bit less, but I haven't lost momentum yet. 

Images: shape.com; makeupbag.net

The Day of Reckoning

It has finally arrived...the weigh in.

Tomorrow, my compatriots and I will step on a scale that will display a number that would determine whether I live or perish!! Ok no, not really. But it is indeed the weigh in. We're not supposed to eat or drink ANYthing for 2 hours prior to the gym; which is where the "scale of doom" awaits...

   It is not your average scale. No, sir. This device prompts you to stand shoulder width apart, clutching what seems to be two Nintendo Wii-like baton's and remaining perfectly and utterly still while judgemental beeps are emitted from that confounded contraption. 

  They start out slow, and then gain momentum... till they finally stop. And all the while it's like they're saying, "You" *beep* "big" *beep* "fat" *beep* "tub" *beep* "of" *beep* "LARD!" *beep beep beep beep*.

Those few seconds feel like an eternity!

   Then...a paper is printed. Yes, the shame! It's on the record! Everything! Your...weight. Your...fat count. Some other fancy calculations like, Skeletal Muscle Mass, Body Balance, Upper body to Lower body proportion, tout! And as if that's not all, it even gives you a chart mapping out your life pattern. It goes, Normal, Alert, Risky..and God forbid, Very Risky.

   When I started, I was at Risky. That's a darn shame cuz I'm only 21. That means that if I continue with my lifestyle, (hello epicure of the world!) and without exercise (sloth to end all slothfulness), I'll be a (big, horrendous, dumb, inconsiderate) fool!

   So I hope that I live though tomorrow to write a more concise update on my gymnastic endeavor. 

Bad Girl

 Ok so here's what happened between November and now:

 - Took a break in December and went to LA (read: ate whatever I want.)

I gained about 7 or 8 kgs. I don't know exactly cuz I didn't want to know. 

On top of all that...I bought the wallet that I wanted!! 

I KNOWWW!!! I'm BAAAAAD!!! 

I deserve to be flogged by the Stairmaster !! Every ache and pain from the Crosstrainer is mine to feel. Every drop of sweat from jogging on the Treadmill is a salvation from my past sins. Damn you In-n-Out burger!!!

-Sat on my ass during January and mid-February. 

- On February 24th I joined the gym. 

- Feb. 25 was reminded of life goal #36...Run the Walt Disney World Marathon!!

Funny story: Saw a girl @ the mall (in AD!!) wearing a t-shirt from the 2008 Marathon. I had to ask her what it was like. She said she trained for a year!! So I set a date...Jan 2013! I promised myself

  So it's March 8th 2009..."i should have lost it by now" still echoes in my head! Thanks S. But I'm motivated again. That's why I'm on here. Yes, I have been avoiding you Oh, page of mine. 

I just remembered the joy I felt after a good workout. It does rival a Red Velvet from Sprinkles in LA, but I'm not in LA. And if it gives me the same satisfaction, then I guess I'll workout here. 

And plus, I just discovered Nike makes some of the cutest workout outfits!! If that's not a great motivation then I don't know what is!!