Brownies and Zumba 101

My Zumba class starts tomorrow night. Since I haven't been able to walk to school this last week, I decided to order some Zumba DVDs. I started them two nights ago. Whew! It really is a workout. I also think I'm fortunate to start early this way because I found the dance steps rather complicated. I had no problems with the hip movements, but my feet simply haven't wanted to do what I was telling them to do. I see a marked improvement over the last couple of days, but I'm certain to be one of the worst there. Funny after all these years, I'm only now discovering that I have two left feet. However, it is fun, and that's what a person needs to stick to an exercise, fun.

Yesterday, I had family here and after they left, I decided I needed to try this brownie recipe I found on page 202-203 in the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light. It's a really fudgy brownie and the fat content and calories are reduced. The pieces are fairly small, but you know, every once in a while, you need that sugar fix, and better yet if it's chocolate. You wouldn't want to gobble these all up, that's for sure. And to pretty much guarantee that I don't, I've wrapped them individually and thrown them into the freezer. I think these will be one of those treats, like Snickers bar, that are even better frozen.

Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients
2.5 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup).
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Hershey's dark chocolate chips)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used skim, so it probably wasn't quite as rich)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with whisk.
3. Place Butter and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH for 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir until smooth, and set aside. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup sugar, milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, egg yolks and egg; stir with a whisk to combine. Add butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour batter into an 8-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray (I don't have a 8-inch pan of any sort. I poured it into a 6x10 glass pan, and it seemed to work just fine). Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Yield: 16 squares (serving size: 1 square)

One serving contain 147 calories; 6.1 grams of fat; and 1.3 grams fiber. It works out to be 3 points for weight watchers.

Busy Weekend

This weekend, I had a very busy weekend. Friday night and Saturday, I had to grade papers and submit midterm grades. Saturday night we had Korks 'n' Kegs, which is a fund raising event that includes wine and beer sampling and art auction. I drank too much and I spent too much, but it was a lot of fun.

Then on Sunday, I went to my brother's. I took my computer to have him give it the treatment. Thank God he does this. Otherwise, it would cost a fortune, and I certainly can't do it. I took Joey. He had a great time with their Cairn Terrier, Rusty. We also went on a long walk around the lake.

Unfortunately, I indulged too much this weekend, so I'll have to be especially good this week.

I'm afraid that fall is nearly over. Tomorrow, we're supposed to have a strong wind. I'll probably lose the beautiful leaves on the tree out front that's pictured above. I'll have to wait another year to enjoy it.

Adventures with Joey

I have tons of research papers to grade today for midterms. Essays are a lot easier to grade. I really have to tackle documentation and quotation issues with research papers, and that usually takes a little time. In addition, this evening, I have a fund raising event to go to. It's called Korks 'n' Kegs. It's a wine and beer tasting/auction. I donated a hand-knit, lace shawl I made a few years ago. I'd really like to see how it does. All the money that's raised goes towards fine arts' scholarships. It may not be a wise idea to drink after all the grading I'll be doing today, but I'll take my chances. Mari has told me that she'll let me know if I'm making an ass of myself. I can't help but wonder if she'll be able to discern the difference between my normal self, and my ass-like self.

Anyway, since I'll be sitting at this computer all day, and I won't be taking my usual long walks to and from the college, I decided to make Joey's early morning walk longer than usual. We walked to the 15th st. park, which is about a half a mile away, walked around the trail there that's three-quarters of a mile long, and back home. All went well until we got about four blocks from home. A loose black lab came bounding towards us. The dog looked friendly enough, but Joey can be pretty feisty, and you just never know. Even as I picked her up she was chewing that dog out. So, I ended up walking home with her in my arms and the lab at my heels. He finally gave up, when we cut through what used to be an alley to get to our back door all the sooner. Therefore, I got even more of a workout than I was expecting.

Speaking of workouts, I've been walking to work, but I've been concerned not really knowing what I'll do once the weather turns bad. If it's just snow, I'll walk anyway, ice and wind along with snow...well, that's just not doable. But Mari came up with a solution for me. She asked me to join her and her daughter McKenzie in a zumba class. She said it was an exercise-dance class. The scheduling was right for me and it sounded fun, so I signed up yesterday. It won't start until November 1st, but last night, I decided to really check it out. I found videos on the Internet. Oh my God!! I may be lucky if I can walk the next day. It looks like a lot of fun, but I don't know if this old body will survive. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about zumba in the future.

Well, I have to stop putting off the inevitable, and get to work.

Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Squash

Today was another beautiful fall day. Joey and I went for a long walk early in the morning. When we got home, I went to the store. I needed stuff for ratatouille and Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Squash. Ratatouille has become a great staple for me. It's very filling, tastes great, and it's easy to prepare, so I'm not tempted to run to a fast food place if I'm tired or pressured by time.

I think Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Squash (I'm sorry about the picture. For some reason, I couldn't get enough light on the plate) might become a favorite as well with some minor changes. It calls for chicken breasts, but I think I'd prefer chicken thighs. I'm a fan of dark meat. Chicken breasts, with few exceptions, is too dry for me. Thighs would increase the calories, but I could easily divide it out to 5 servings. It's almost overly filling as it is. Also, I'd eliminate the cilantro. I'm not one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap (It does to some people), but it's not my favorite flavor. However, the rest of the dish is absolutely heavenly. The apricots, rice, onions, and squash seasoned with the cumin, coriander, and cinnamon is unbelievably good.

This recipe comes from the Weight Watchers website, weightwatchers.com. I'm afraid it doesn't provide all the nutrient information, only the point value, which is 8. This is pretty much a standard point count for entrees. My chicken thigh and brown rice dish I frequently make and which is posted much earlier in this blog is also 8 points. It serves 4. So, here it is:

Ingredients
1 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz. pieces
3 sprays cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 pounds)
3/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice, or basmati rice rinsed
3/4 cup dried apricot halves, roughly chopped
1.5 cups canned chicken broth, or more if needed
1/4 cup cilantro, fresh minced.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°
Rub salt and pepper all over chicken, set aside
Coat a large oven-proof pot with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.
Add oil; heat until it begins to shimmer. Add cumin, coriander and cinnamon; cook until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add chicken; cook until lightly brown, flipping once, about 1.5 to 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to plate; set aside.

Add onion and squash to pot, scraping down sides and bottom of pot to incorporate pan drippings. Cook stirring occasionally, until onions start to turn translucent and squash begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add rice and apricots; place browned chicken on top. Pour in broth; bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Cover pot and bake in oven until rice and squash are tender and chicken is cooked through, checking half way through to see if more broth, is needed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving

Note: Finish with fresh lemon juice if desired.

Fall Break

Today was our Fall Break. I guess it sort of corresponds to Spring Break. The only difference is that rather than a week, we get one day off, and today was that day. I shouldn't be too cynical about it because it was a beautiful day. In between grading papers, Joey and I walked to the vet and she got her allergy shot and booster shots. I brought the rest of the patio furniture in, and took care of a few other things in preparation for winter. I cleaned the kitchen and gave Joey a bath. It's been a full and busy day.

While I was cleaning the kitchen, I was dancing to some Neil Young, one of my favorites. Joey just looked at me as if she was thinking, "What the hell are you doing?" My dog can judge me all she wants. When I'm lighter, I like moving around more. I'm a horrible dancer, but sometimes it just feels good.

By the way, I'm no longer freezing. Let's hope that lasts because it's uncomfortable and I tend not to get anything done.

Tomorrow, after I get to the grocery store, and between grading more papers, I'm going to try a new dish Moroccan Chicken...we'll see how it goes.

Brrrrr....Redux

I know I've gone through this before, but I'm freezing. It's part of losing weight. It's actually about 70 degrees out, but I've been shivering all day. I came home early after work. I cranked up the furnace, and dozed off, so I do feel a bit better now. If I wasn't so darn uncomfortable, I'd take it as a good sign. But I know that this too shall pass...or actually, I grow accustomed to it. Now why is it that I can't lose weight during the summer when it's hot?

I'm shivering and Joey's stomach is really growling. I can hear it make noise across the room. We just went for a walk and she's pooped, and yet, her stomach is still making these outrageous noises. I think we might have to go out for a while later on just so we can avoid any mishaps. For such a little dog, there seems to be a great deal going on in there.

Oh, my aching...

Yesterday, I had a voracious appetite, but I felt good and had a lot of energy. Today, my feet and knees are aching terribly. I know both issues are a result of my walking regimen and I had better stick to it albeit carefully. Tomorrow will be another day, but boy I'm whipped today. I've taken some ibuprofen and I'll put my feet up for a while, at least until it's time to walk Joey. She may get an abbreviated walk. However, I was talking to someone about walking, and she said we should have another good week before the weather gets bad. Gosh! I hope she's wrong. I hope I get more time to walk. I know I'm nearly crippled today, but I know how good this exercise is for me. Oh well, let's just all hope for nice weather.

Walking

Now that the respiratory virus I had is pretty much gone, I've started walking to work again. So, I'm walking to and from work and walking Joey twice a day, which means I'm walking close to two hours every day. I can really feel a difference in my butt and legs. They're all tighter, and my butt gets sore from sitting too long (less padding). Unfortunately, all this walking hasn't done anything for my appetite. But I'm working on controlling it.

Mari felt guilty that the drinks the other night seemed to affect my weigh in. She shouldn't. I know if I'm able to keep this regimen up, I'll quickly lose weight, and occasionally, I deserve to splurge.

Joey - Lately, I've been working on an afghan I'm knitting for a Christmas gift. The knitting helps me keep my hands busy and away from food, but Joey is jealous of my knitting. She'll jump up and intentionally sit on my work. And then she'll literally get in my face and go nose to nose with me. Actually, the other day she made a game of it. She'd leap up on my chest and touch my nose with her nose, and then jump down, stare a me for a few minutes and then leap up and do it all over again. She must have done that 5 times in a row. When Joey wants to play, she can be pretty funny.

Visiting Ye Olde Alma Mater

Yesterday, Ken and I went up to Mankato. I wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to find a coffee table to match my two end tables. Well, they didn't have the furniture they usually do because they have all their Christmas decorations out, so I'll have to wait until after Christmas.

While we were there, we decided to drive up the hill to the Minnesota State University Campus. Ken had been an undergraduate there well over a hundred years ago, and I went to grad school there a little less than a hundred years ago. It had been a couple of years since either one of us had gone up there. A lot of things have changed. The field where I remember watching rugby players is now a dorm. The campus looked really nice, and it was crawling with students, which I thought was sort of strange for a Saturday afternoon. But then it dawned on us. They had a home football game that day, which was confirmed when we drove past the stadium.

It was really a beautiful day out. It was warm and the leaves were really beautiful. Although I didn't get what I wanted, it was fun and a break from routine.

I had done really well on my diet this week...up until Friday. Earlier on Friday, I weighed myself and I had lost three pounds. But on Friday night, I went to Mari's and we had one of our MD (Movie and drinks) nights. The White Russians were ok, but I REALLY like the Moscow Mules. I had too many of them and some additional snacks. Then yesterday, although I was good as far as lunch went. I had an "Energizer Wrap" as Perkins, and it was pretty good, but I also convinced Ken to stop off at McDonald's on the way home for an ice cream cone. So, today when I weighed myself, the pounds didn't look as good as they had earlier. It was pretty much a wash, but when I measured myself I discovered I lost several inches all over. Today, I'm going to be bad again. We're having a fish fry, but I know that when I get back on track next week, the weight will quickly disappear. It was all a matter of timing.

Carpet Cleaning

Despite the fact that I still have the sniffles and an occasional cough, I apparently am over the cold. I came home tonight with energy to quite literally burn. I suspect it's a result of the diet. I hope it lasts, but at the same time, I find myself a bit restless.

I've been eyeing my living room and dining room carpet and I've been meaning to clean it. So, tonight, I shoved all the living room furniture into the dining room, vacuumed and then used the carpet cleaner on it. I cleaned up a lot of dirt, but the carpet still looks pretty rough in a few spots. I'd really like to do something else with the floor. I haven't been able to pull up a corner to find out whether it's a hardwood floor underneath or something else. I'm afraid the carpet is glued down. That's what was going on in the porch and it was nasty to sand up. If there isn't a hardwood floor underneath, I'd like to put down a laminate floor. Unfortunately, I can't afford either one right now. So, I'll clean the carpet in both rooms and I'll be put down new area rugs.

Joey wasn't too crazy about my endeavors. Apparently, she isn't afraid to get labeled with the stereotype as the vacuum cleaner frightened dog.

Whew!

This morning Joey and I had an interesting confrontation. I'm glad that Joey spotted the skunk at as great a distance as she did because I didn't see it right away. Once I did, I pulled Joey back until I saw that the skunk wasn't standing its ground and had run away.

Some of my friends have expressed concern for me on my early morning walks. However, I think they were more concerned about two-legged animals than four. This Iowa farm girl knows better than to tangle with the four-legged kind. I can only imagine the school's reaction if I had to call in sick because I had been sprayed by a skunk.

It's Getting to Be That Time of Year

There's a definite chill in the air and we all know it's inevitable. Winter is on its way. So, today, I mowed the lawn...if anyone is looking for hay to bale, you should have them contact me. I harvested what I could, and I started to winterize my garden beds. I brought in the potted herbs I hope to keep going for a little while longer, and I tied some parsley up to dry. I think I'll try to bring the patio furniture in next weekend. I'll miss those days when I can run out to the garage in my bare feet or grab a few green onions out of the garden. At the same time, I do enjoy the crisp, bugless air. And snow, if it isn't feet deep can make a very pretty picture.

But then, it's time for pumpkin, squash, and soup. It's a time that is more introverted and reflective. I don't know how people live without the changing seasons. I know it would be hard for me to go without.

Scat Cat

Last night and this morning it got very cold. It dropped down to nearly freezing. Lately, a pretty black and white cat has been curling up and sleeping in my patio furniture. This cat is driving Joey absolutely nuts. She must have wakened me at least five times barking her head off. I feel sorry for the cat out in the cold, but I'm going to be bringing the furniture in soon, if nothing else to keep Joey quiet.

I was actually feeling pretty good yesterday. We went to a nearby apple orchard and Ken did a little fishing. I felt like myself again. I thought I had licked the bug. But today, it hit me again. I've been coughing more and my head was stuffed up. Ken and I went to my parents' for lunch and I ended up asking him to take me home early. I just woke up after sleeping for a couple of hours. I feel better than I did, but still I'm not 100%. I guess I can't rush it and take it easy for a couple of days.

However, the good news is that I've lost a couple more pounds. The Weight Watchers thing seems to be working.