Food and Exercise

So that spin class I'm taking? Apparently it uses all the muscles I haven't used in previous exercise.  It seems to be getting harder, not easier.

The other ladies in the class are pumping away at a level 4...me, I'm struggling at level 1.  I don't feel "bad" about that b/c I know i'm not in the same shape they are, etc... bla bla bla.

I've really been stumped this week what to make for book club dessert.  I've flipped through magazines, browsed websites, toyed with a few ideas, but nothing was speaking to me.

During spin class, I thought to myself "man, i'm a cream puff compared to these ladies"....and then ..."hey, i can make cream puffs for book club!"

problem solved.

i have an easy recipe from everyday food magazine - i made these cream puffs a year or two ago (don't remember). then they are filled with a fruity whipped cream. i've got some delicious strawberry preserves from a local bla bla bla that i'm going to use with the whipped cream for the filling.

Yum.

I'll be making these tomorrow. That way, if they bite the big one (hahahaha) then i have time to either (a) make something else or (b) buy something on the way there.

I'm going to be 34 in 10 days. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. I mean, that's almost 35, which is like, the mid-30's. haha.

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in other news, i made a tasty dinner.  i did some regular white rice in the rice cooker. i threw in some chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder into the water and rice and let it steam together. it gives it a light flavor without adding calories - not quite a spanish rice or anything, but better than just plain white rice. you should experiment with spices you like and see what you come up with.

then, in my smaller soup pot, i sauteed an onion and some garlic in olive oil. then i added a can of rinsed chickpeas, 1 chicken breast cut into small pieces, a bit of chipotle sauce (maybe a couple of tbsp?), some tomato paste - almost a whole can, and then some chicken stock so things wouldn't stick. then i threw in some mexican oregano and a bay leaf. once it was boiling, i reduced to a simmer and cooked for about an hour and a half.

TASTY.

so the chickpea/chicken mixture (and this would have totally worked without the chicken) was served atop the rice, and garnished with sharp cheddar, cilantro, and sour cream.

easy and healthy. at least i think it was healthy :)