Sensory overload & FOMO

I have decided that I receive WAY TOO MANY emails and, therefore, don't read them all right away. 90% of them are from websites that I have signed up at for either newsletters, sales, recipes, coupons, tips and whatever else I thought might be of use to me at the time.  Of those 90% I typically delete 50% of them immediately.  I don't even open them.  How stupid is that?  I asked for them, yet I don't want to look at them.  Then the 50% that's left, 40% of them I say "I'll look at later because the title looks intriguing", but typically I forget and they get pushed down.  To show you how bad this is in my Yahoo inbox I have 1127 unopened emails, with an additional 750 emails that I have opened and decided I needed to save for whatever reason.  That's a total of 1877 emails in my inbox.  Do you think I have a problem?  I do!

I AM A PACKRAT!  I admit.  I've been saving things for years.  I've got STUFF everywhere.  I try to let things go, but I go through anxiety because I just know I might need it someday!  It's a disease and it's called FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out.

I'm afraid I'm going to miss something really important from one of these websites, so I subscribe to them.  It's got to stop.  I've decided that the ones that I really like, if it's a blog, it will go on my blog roll on this page.  If it's a website for one of my quilt sites, I already know where to go and therefore don't need to be receiving all of their sale emails.  It just makes me want to buy when I really don't NEED to!  I have enough fabric to last me quite a long time!  It's sad!

As I believe apart of becoming healthy is taking control of my nutrition and to stop being the victim, I believe it's time I take control of my FOMO.  I believe this is disease that can be cured.  Like with my nutrition, I will take baby steps to take back control and reduce my sensory stimulation and start unsubscribing myself from 99% of all the websites that I've subscribed myself too.  I will also do a mass email dump!  I'm going to not even look at the emails from 2008 (yes that's how far back they go) and I'm just going to delete, delete, delete.  I have to!  Sometimes you just have to make a clean break.  Just say enough is enough.

So this week, I will focus on purging my email.  Next week I will work on purging the insane amount of magazines I have.  I have so many magazines from quilting, running, veganism, vegetarianism, etc, etc. that I can't read them all.  And when I do, I see a recipe or a pattern that I might like to make one day and then I save it so I can scan it.  Ya, the piles of magazines that need to be scanned is out of control and I'm tired.  I'm so overwhelmed by it that I don't do it.  So they pile higher and higher.  It's time.

Do you have something you need to purge from you life?  Do you have something in your life that is out of control?  We all have something, I may just have a lot more than you, but I'd still like to hear.  Share this process with me.  Are you ready to let go?  Are you still playing the victim?  Do you too suffer from FOMO?

Stay healthy

Tastey Tuesday

I have two recipes to share and a progress report.

In my attempt to go gluten/package free - I've succeeded, so far, to stay gluten free.  Staying package free has been more of a challenge.  Not that staying gluten free hasn't, but the packaging thing is tougher.  First real bomb was on Saturday night when I had ALL my girls at home (Destiny, Skyla, Stephanie, and Justice).  They all wanted speghetti.  So I obliged.  However, I didn't eat flour speghetti, I had brown rice pasta (gluten free) but it was still a processed item from a package.  Then I had one small piece of pizza (oops, I guess I haven't been 100% gluten free - gggrr) on Sunday night after Destiny brought home pizza - phooie!

I'm ok with my slip ups.  Even though I've slipped, I've made healthy choices and my body is detoxing itself.  I am feeling better, but I know I can do better.  Last night's dinner also included some packaged items, that I will explain in my recipe.  Oh and I really slipped when I had some cheese last night.  But I can explain.  I bought a package (I know package) of Gluten Free Brown Rice Tortillas and I wanted to try one.  So I threw one up in the microwave, heated it a smidge and then tasted it.  Let's just say, boring!  Well I didn't want it to go to waste, so I cut up some pepper jack cheese (my fav) and melted it on the tortilla.  WOW not bad.  It's amazing how cheese can fix everything - GGGRRR.

Ok, onto the recipes.  First up is for my carnivore friends and family.  I made this last week and it was a huge success with the family, that I decided to do it again because Stephy was there.

Southwestern Chicken (adapted from Eat For Health - Book 2)
Serves 4

1 cup Salsa (low sodium) (I used the kind that's in the refrigerated section, whole container) (You could also use homemade salsa)
1 cup black beans or red kidney beans, low or no sodium (I used a whole can)
1 cup of fresh or frozen sweet corn (I used a whole can)
2 Tbls fresh chopped cilantro (I used more like a half a cup - the fam loves cilantro)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used a whole family pack - 6-8 pieces)

Preheat oven to  350 degrees (I actually used 400 degrees, I suppose it would depend on your oven)
Mix salsa, corn, beans, and cilantro together
The recipe says to spoon 1/2 the salsa mixture over the chicken and marinade for at least 1 hour - ya I didn't do that and apparently it wasn't needed.
What I did was place the chicken in a slightly greased baking dish and poured the whole salsa mixture overtop of the chicken.
Bake chicken for 30 minutes or until cooked through (at 400 degrees in my oven, 30 minutes was the exact time to cook the chicken through, yet keep it moist)
Recipe says to slice chicken breasts and top with remaining salsa (however, since I used up all the salsa in the baking process, the salsa was already there :) )


Served it with salad and steamed brocolli and asparagus - the family loved it!

Recipe #2 for my fellow vegetarians/vegans (also enjoyed by my carnivore family)

Lentils with Chickpeas and Couscous (adapted from Vegetarian Times)
click on the recipe title to go straight to the recipe as written.

Shannon's adaptations

I used red lentils, because that's what I had in my cupboard
I did not use raisins
I used a gluten-free brown rice couscous (packaged, I know) (next time I will use quinoa)
I didn't use carrots, not sure why
I didn't use mint
and I forgot to toast the pine nuts - LOL - oh well

All in all it turned out good.  Everyone liked the lentil/chickpea sauce that they stuck it on top of the chicken (of course Mark picked around the garbanzo beans - LOL)
I believe I overcooked the lentils, but again, overall it's ok.  Next time I think I'd spice it up a bit more, maybe some fire roasted green chilis.

Let me know if you try either or both of these recipes and what you think.

Today I golf with my league, Twilight Club, at Rolling Greens GC in Rocklin.  This is a nice little 9 hole course, with a couple of really tough wholes.

Stay healthy!

I GOT IT!

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!  I got my new bike and it's the bomb!  I spent 2ish hours at Folsom Bike with Erin Gorrell (she was fabulous) on Saturday and test road several bikes and I kept going back to this one!

It is an Avail by Giant.  Click here to see the specs (and no, I didn't pay the price that's listed on this web page - I have connections - THANK YOU Kelly).

Erin showing me about shifting gears before my first ride (photo thanks to Justice)

So after making the decision to go with this bike, now I had to make other decisions.  Oh my goodness, this is like buying a car.  You don't just walk in a say I want that one and walk out.  Oh no, there's test riding, there's shoe fittings, there's pedal choosing, survival kits, gloves, shirts, and then your fitted on your bike.  WOW!

So why do I need to choose pedals and shoes?  I had every intention of walking out there with regular old fashioned pedals.  But no, peer pressure set in.  I wanted to be like one of the cool kids, you know.  Every serious roadie uses clip-on pedals (they're actually called clipless, not sure why, when you're clipping in how can that be clipless, but whatever) and therefore wears clipless shoes.  Hello, doesn't everybody know that?  LOL - RIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT!

That's Justice's head

But before you pick your pedal, you gotta pick your shoe.  HHHMMMMM.  Well I decide to go with a mountain biking type shoe so that when and if I ever get brave enough to put clipless pedals on my MTB, then I won't have to buy new shoes.  So that is how I ended up with an MTB pedal for all you roadies out there wondering why I put a pic of that paricular pedal.  BTW the shoes aren't cute!

Ok, so I got my shoes and my pedals and they go to work on my bike, meanwhile, I have too much free time and I'm told I get 25% off anything I buy today.  Crap, thanks!  Ok, since I can't find my riding gloves ANYWHERE I'll get some gloves.  HHHMMM I've been wanting one of those insulated bottles, throw one of those in the basket.  Oh you're offering me the wireless electronic spedometer/tracker thingy.  OK!  Yeah, not a good thing to have free time and 25% off.  But, it all went under the 1 year free financing, so I figured, WTH!

So now it's time for the fitting.  That would have been painless, except I haven't been on a bike for a while, I'm not wearing my awesome tushy padded bike shorts, and I test road bikes on small, hard seats.  So by the time it came to fitting time, sitting up on the bike hurt. LOL

They made sure the seat was in the right position and the handlebars correctly aligned for my body.  WOW a bike fitted to me.  What an awesome concept.

Now I'm ready to leave - yikes, a little sticker shock after going a little crazy, but I WILL pay it all off before it starts acruing interest!!!

Now it's time to go home with my new bike.  However, I didn't get to go home and take it for a spin because my baby girl, Skyla, wanted to take me out for a pedicure, so that's what we did.  It was nice, we got the expensive one, HOT ROCK Pedicure.  WOW  That was nice.

Skyla soaking her feet

Today I got to go for a spin on my new bike.  I met Kelly at 8a and managed to get my feet clipped into the pedals and off we went.  We were on the bike trail the whole way.  We went around Lake Natomas and then up to Beals Point.  Once we got to Beals we stopped.  Ok here comes the tricky part.  Kelly says unclip before we come to a stop.  Ok, twist and lift right foot - done, now twist and lift left foot - done.  Ok how did I end up on the ground??  Well apparently I forgot to lift the right foot after twisting and must have twisted it back into the clip and down I went.  OUCH.  I laughed, but I'm scraped up and I'm feeling sore this afternoon.  Oh well, I now have my first battle wound from road biking.  Hopefully, it's my last.

Today was fun and I can't wait to get back out there for another ride.  As soon as I learn the safest route to work, I'll be biking in.

Stay healthy!

Fantabulous Friday

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Yesterday was my wonderful hubby's 50th birthday.  What did we do?  WE didn't do anything.  HE took off work and headed up to his momma's in Camptonville to spend the weekend fishing (His most favorite thing to do).  WE will be celebrating his birthday in a few weeks.  I'm taking him on a surprise outing.  I'm so excited, I can't wait.  I'm not going to tell you what it is, just in case someone slips up and spills the beans to him.  So it will be a surprise for you too.

Mark at Caples Lake

Today is Justice's last Brownie meeting for the season.  Actually it's her last Brownie meeting forever, as next September she becomes a Junior Girl Scout.  I'm so proud of her.  She loves being a Girl Scout and has talked to me about how long can she be a Girl Scout, I told her forever.  For their meeting today they are going to use some of the cookie sales money to go to the movies and dinner.  I will be going with her.  We are going to see Rio.  Now there is a catch.  She had a fever yesterday, but it went down last night.  She had a little fever this morning, but she is determined to go, so she went to school.  We'll see if she lasts.  Poor baby.  She doesn't want to miss this!!

Tomorrow I am going for an early morning run, then I have a Sacramento Mondern Quilt Guild meeting where I will "enter" my doll quilt in the Doll Quilt Challenge.  I don't have a pic to share yet, but I'll share the pic in tomorrow's blog.  Then I'm going road bike shopping.  The only way I can get a road bike is if I can get it financed, and it's my understanding that Folsom Bike offers 1 year free financing, so that's where I'm going.  I'm excited.  I'll actually be able to go on bike rides with my roadie friends and be able to keep up with them.  My other goal for this bike will be to start riding to work.  With the price of gas, I need to do what I can.  So I figure, what I save on gas, will go to purchase this bike.  Plus I'll be doing my part to help the environment.  A win-win!!

I have no plans for Sunday, other than to go for a bike ride to my work.  Find my path.  If I'm not able to get a bike, I may still do the ride to work on my mountain bike.  It will be a tough workout, but I need to start biking to work at least 2 days a week (when I don't have something going on after work).

I have another recipe to share - Chunky Artichoke and Chickpea Salad.  I've made this several times and love it!  I use it primarily as a spread/dip for celery.  But it's great on sandwiches too.  Since this is my first official day of no packaged foods and no gluten, I won't be having it as a sandwich (although I found a recipe for Whole Grain Gluten-Free Bread that I may try to make this weekend).

The recipe can be modified to your liking, as long as you stick with the 2 main ingredients of artichoke hearts and chickpeas.  Now, even though I'm going package free this week, there are the exceptions, like I mentioned yesterday.  As long as what you are buying in a package is PURE with no added crap, then get it!  Artichoke hearts in water is one! 

The modifications I've made to this recipe are:
Cooked onions or no onions (I don't care for raw onions)
Pickle relish instead of chopping up the pickles (now I'll have to chop up pickles)
Only used a tablespoon of the Veganaise (it doesn't need much, you're already making it creamy with blending the chickpeas
No Olive Oil (again, doesn't need it)
No capers (Not a fan)
No seafood seasoning

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think. 

So I'll ask again, what are you doing fantabulous this weekend???

Weigh in Thursdays

So this morning was my official weekly weigh-in and I was up .4 pounds.  I know it's not much, but GGGRRRR.

I've been really good, with a few slip-ups, with my eating, however, I'm not counting calories, which I probably should be doing.  But, I don't wanna!  The Nutritarian way is to not count calories because you're eating right!  So, this next week, I'm going to be very very diligent about not eating any wheat containing products!  No gluten for this girl.  I need to be religious and see if that works.  If the scale doesn't show a positive drop, next week, then I'll know I have to start counting calories again - UGH!

Oh I LOVE bread.  This will be tough!

History tells me that for me to lose weight, I must count calories and exercise.  Well, I want the Nutritarian way to help me eliminate the calorie counting.  I don't want to be a slave to the food scale!  I'm rebelling!

I read something recently that really made sense to me.  It's one of those things that you know, but sometimes you just need to see it in a different light to make it sink in.

"The most important point about food labels is that you should avoid foods that have labels." HELLO!  Wake up call!  This is the root of eating as close to Mother Earth as possible.  If it comes in a package, maybe you shouldn't be eating it.

I've become such an expert at reading nutrition labels, but is that really a good thing to be an expert in?  I mean if it requires you to read a label to make sure it doesn't have all the "evils" in it, maybe you shouldn't be eating it in the first place!

There are a few exceptions to this - frozen fruits and veggies are still ok to eat, they have a label, but I would caution you that you still need to read that label of frozen fruits and veggies to make sure there isn't anything added to them.  Another exception are some all natural raw energy-type bars.

So my new rule is, especially for this week, no foods with labels. PERIOD!

Can you do this??  Join me for a week of label free eating.  Hit your local farmer's market and get your freshness on!!

Stay healthy.

So much to say!

I have so much I want to talk about, but time is limited.  I've got so much running through my mind, I don't know what I feel is the most important to talk about.  HHHHMM

Ok first off, last night my oldest GD, Krystal, had a band concert at her school in Rocklin.  She plays the flute.

Krystal warming up before the seat change

I got there 30 minutes early, and of course couldn't get a front row seat, so I did the next best thing, found a seat that look straight down the aisle at her.  All was cool, until the band director had them shift seats, after the auditorium had filled up. Not nice!  But it was still a nice concert, I just didn't get see her playing, which is why we all went.  Oh well.

Yesterday was a bad food day for me.  I fell back into my evil eating ways.  But today is a new day, I've been good.

I am so sore from Monday night's workout and I go back again to Diane's tonight.  Hope I can do the workout.  Oh the pain!  LOL

Tomorrow is Weigh-in Thursday.  I hope my bad behavior doesn't bite me in the toosh or show up on my toosh.

Stay healthy.

Starting all over!

In case you were wondering what happened to my blog, I can't tell you.  All that I know is that Blogger had issues and had to put the system back to pre-Wednesday 5/11/11 (the day I created this blog) and therefore, my blog and many many others disappeared.  After numerous attempts to find out if I would get my blog back, with NO answers from Blogger, I've decided to just start over.

Of course, I don't have time right now to redo EVERYTHING I had already done, so this will be a work in progress over the next week.

Here is a brief synapse of what I originally posted, thankfully there were only 2 posts.

New Beginnings - As most of you know, I co-author a blog with my friend, Pam,  about trail running, titled Trail Turtles.   This blog will be my own and will cover everytihng else in my life, primarily, nutrition, family, quilting, golfing, and whatever else I feel like sharing at the time.

I have decided to take back control of my eating habits and go Nutritarian.  This boils down to eating as close to earth as possible.  Limit salt (sodium) and refined grains.  I'm following the book Eat Right America, Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  I am taking baby steps, as the book suggests, to reduce my bread (which I'm addicted to) intake and slowly cutting back on my salt (again, another addiction).

Weigh-In Thursdays - My official weigh-in days are Thursday mornings.  Last Thursday, after eating better for just a few days, I had actually dropped approx 2 pounds - woo hoo.

I also talked about my awesome granddaughter's Lion King performance the night before.  She was a bird.  No solo this time, but she was still as cute as can be and the whole show was just adorable.  I wish I had recorded it.

This week, I'm back in the gym with my trainer, Diane Cressey, at Breakout Fitness.  Last night was my first workout with her.  Boy am I really WEAK!  I have a lot of building up to do to get back to where I was before.  Again, baby steps.

I will be sharing recipes I have tried, that I feel are a huge sucess with taste, and the family.  I recently cooked up Fast Black Bean Soup from the book Eat For Health (page 170).  This recipe was a huge success with my daughters, Destiny and Stephanie.  They liked it so much they posted it on my wall on Facebook.  Wow.

As usual, I tend to change things up a bit from a recipe as I see fit.

Fast Black Bean Soup (Shannon's version)

2 15oz cans of low or no salt black beans or 4 cups of home-cooked black beans
1 15oz can of low or no salt sweet corn
1 16 oz package of frozen mixed vegetables
2 heads of fresh brocoli cut up in florets
2 cups of carrot juice (I found 100% carrot juice in the store, you could also juice your own carrots which I will probably do next time.)
1 cup water
1 15oz can of low or no salt prepared black bean soup (I used Amy's)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbls Chili powder (New Mexican style is the best)
1 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes or I used 1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes with basil.

Throw everything into a soup pot (except fresh tomatoes).  Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 min.  Stir in fresh tomatoes, if used, and heat through.

**Next time I think I'll throw some fire roasted green chilis in.  That should really give it some extra flavor.  Although, this is really flavorful already.

Let me know if you try this and what you think.

Stay healthy.