Monday, August 31, 2009

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Easy Tuna and White Bean Salad

For dinner last night I threw together my version of a salad I remember from my childhood. I would have used more basil if I had it, but it was very good nonetheless. Here's the recipe:
In a medium-sized bowl combine one can of tuna, one can of great northern beans (drained and rinsed), one half pint of cherry tomatoes sliced, chiffonade 12-15 basil leaves (stack the leaves, roll them tightly and then slice, creating beautiful thin ribbons of basil). Crush two cloves of garlic. Mix well. Add some extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper to taste. I like to let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to give the flavors time to marry, but it's up to you. This is one super simple 10 minute dinner! We ate it with Wheat Thins, but if you'd rahter not have the carbs, eating this with a fork is equally tasty. Yum.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The fridge must be cleaned!

Next week my darling husband will be promoted to the rank of Major in the United States Army. (These times are ripe for many many major jokes. And they will never get old!) To celebrate the auspicious promotion we will be having a big party here, in my little ole house, for approximately 60 people. Lest you think that extreme, get this: There will be 13 people. in-law people, staying in my house for the entire weekend. Plus, it's a VT football weekend. All of these factors add up to a very stressful but not particularly sober weekend. In the week preceding the first arrivals I have been making lists. And lists and lists. There are the bathrooms up for their annual scrubbing. Floors that will need a wash. And towels that will need to be purchased, so that everyone can have a shower if she so chooses. I am a very thoughtful host.
Meanwhile, I am a SAHW (stay-at-home-wife). I think it seems logical, fair even, that I would be able to accomplish all of these housewifey tasks in between the dog walking, the yoga practicing and the absolutely necessary daily nap. And it will all get done. And I will walk around, admiring the hardwood floors that haven't sparkled so brightly since we moved in 13 months ago. And I will fish for compliments. And we will have a great visit with the whole family.
I expect my darling husband home from work any minute now, and in anticipation of his return home I started to make dinner. I haven't been grocery shopping recently and so I had to be creative. I began by removing the large salad spinner full of basil. The basil was so funky that I was overcome by the urge to skip making dinner and THROW EVERYTHING OUT. Refrigerator now purged I am faced with a very disappointing fact. Before any in-laws set foot in my house that fridge must be cleaned. Or, maybe I'll go shopping, stock the fridge, and no one will be the wiser. Perhaps I should call this blog adventures in lazyland?

Friday, August 21, 2009

Motivation

Why is it that thirty minutes of self-led yoga can seem like an eternity? Why can I put off cleaning my windows for months, literally months, but then when I'm 15 minutes into my yoga practice, I'm overcome with the need to CLEAN THOSE WINDOWS NOW.
Today was day five of my thirty day yoga challenge and when I weighed myself this morning I haven't lost an ounce. Not a single ounce. Suddenly my motivation to complete this challenge had evaporated. The thing is that yoga isn't (only) about weight for me. It is relaxing. My body feels better when I practice. I enjoy it. So why does five days of practice with no measurable weight loss begin the mental battle against this beneficial practice? I guess the answer is the same as always; I am a self saboteur of the highest order. So my challenge remains. I did my thirty minutes today and every day this week. It continues.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Yoga Challenge: 30 days/30 minutes

Yesterday was day one of my yoga challenge. As if it were New Year's Eve, I have challenged myself to practice yoga every day for the next thirty days for at least 30 minutes. Today, day two, I am on track. Both yesterday and today I used my Laughing Lotus audio class and it is working well for me. When I gain a little more confidence (confidence that I will continue, not confidence in my "yoga ability") I may start to play around with using a few of my massive DVD collection or even practicing on my own. I noticed that my arms and lower belly are sore this morning and I think that is a great sign that I actually accomplished something yesterday. I am hopeful that this will be the nudge I need to get back into a regular practice. Eventually I'd like to feel strong enough to go back to teaching...but one step at a time. First, I must finish my yoga challenge.