Another Look at My Home Gym

In January 2009, I wrote a short article evaluating the state of my home gym.  At the beginning of March this year, I came across an article on the Gaiam blog that was posted by Chris Freytag, discussing the "7 Essential Home Workout Tools."  In this blog entry, Ms. Freytag made this statement:

But if getting to the gym isn't working for you, I suggest stocking your home with a few well-chosen pieces of exercise gear to help you start or maintain a consistent fitness regimen.  Having your own gear handy puts you in control.

Does that ever apply to me! Getting to the local gym has never worked for me, except for the few months I took Jazzercise at a health club while in college when I used to walk everywhere...in Mankato, Minnesota...in the winter...

So, over three years ago, I took stock of my fitness equipment.  Today, I took stock again.  Not much has changed, including the fact that I don't use my workout tools nearly as often as I should!
 

2009	2012
1.  Resistance bands	1.  Resistance bands
2.  Yoga mat	2.  Yoga mat
3.  Free weights	3.  Free weights
4.  Fitness DVD’s	4.  Fitness DVD’s
5.  Treadmill or elliptical trainer	5.  Mini-stepper
	6.  Balance ball
	7.  Pedometer

Some of the people who left comments on the Gaiam article suggested that, instead of a moderately expensive mini-stepper (~$80), folks should use a simple jump rope.  I can see that .  I have a jump rope, so that would save me some cash, plus it would save me the effort of trying to find a place to put the stepper in my 900-square-foot house.

So, given all these guidelines, how does your home gym stack up?  Mine isn't bad.  I just need to use it!

Weight Loss Accountability

Over the past two years or so, I have (halfheartedly) tried to drop a few pounds.  Sadly, all I seemed to manage was the proverbial five-pound waffle, those same five pounds that experts say are gained and lost repeatedly by most dieters.  During this same period of time, one of my best friends underwent gastric bypass surgery, lost over one hundred pounds, and worked with a professional trainer to get fit.  She looks great and feels better than she has in years!  Another friend, in Florida, lost a lot of weight the old fashioned way, by paying attention to what she ate, exercising, and correcting endocrine imbalances that she had suffered from for years.  A third acquaintance, here in Connecticut, successfully shed fifty pounds on Weight Watchers®.  Like the other two women I mentioned, she also looks and feels phenomenal.  I also have a fourth friend who just started a diet program and has already dropped ten pounds.  Even my daughter dropped twenty pounds by cutting out soda and most desserts.  Surrounded by such inspiring examples, you would think I could catch the discipline bug and drop something.  Nope.

Well, since I turned fifty last October and spent several days this January laid up with a wicked back cramp (clearly the result of poor muscle conditioning and stress), I have decided to get a bit more serious about my weight loss strategy.  Part of this new effort is to keep a food diary using an online service known as MyFoodDiary.com.  Part two is to post my weekly weigh-in results, done on my Tanita body composition monitor, so that my friends and family can hold me accountable.  I may regret this decision, but I need to do something to hold my feet to the fire, so to speak.  I am hoping that the embarrassment of having to admit no results week after week will be enough to keep me motivated to continue faithfully toward better health and fitness.

No compensation was received for any of the product or service recommendations in this post.

Squirrel Stew Coming Soon

This afternoon, my husband got home early from work...with a different air rifle in tow.  He already owns a Crossman.  This was a Gamo Whisper Deluxe, borrowed from a co-worker.  He wanted to "try it out," presumably because he is contemplating an upgrade.  He got the first air rifle to eliminate squirrels from our back yard;  this next one (should he buy it) will be used for the same purpose, only more accurately.  I find the whole idea of shooting animals disturbing but, as my mother says, better a squirrel in a pot than one in your attic.

Apparently, a rodent in a kettle is what I will be experiencing in the near future.  The squirrel that bit the dust today, as part of the "test shoot," was dressed out and put in the freezer almost immediately.  It will be joined by another squirrel, combined with a chicken, and turned into some tasty stew.  My daughter will be cooking this with the (long distance) help of her grandmother.  They both love to cook, especially when it involves learning new skills and trying new flavors and foods.  I am not so adventurous, but I am learning.  Earlier this year, I ate rabbit.  As a child, I tried venison.  I will let you know how I respond to the squirrel.  Oy!

Tasty Leftover Broth

Photo by Plush Duck

Dinner this evening consisted of rice boiled in a broth leftover from an interesting recipe that my daughter tried a few days ago, Sally's Chicken with Olives.  As an accompaniment to the grain, Katherine the Great added some chicken tenders and asparagus, along with a variety of dinner rolls --- pumpernickel, whole wheat, flax seed, etc.  The broth had some whole green olives in it as well, giving some contrast to the entire dish.

A Very Orange Supper

Photo by Plush Duck

Tonight, basking in the last throes of unseasonably warm weather, my husband harvested the final crop of carrots from the garden, much later than I ever thought possible.  I roasted them in the oven for a little more than an hour, with some rosemary and thyme, until they were optimally tender.  Katherine the Great paired the carrots with some pumpkin pasta from a local manufacturer, Pasta Vita.  A final garnish of carrot greens and we had a tasty, picturesque dinner...loaded with beta carotene and all manner of yummy goodness.  I hope your dinner was just as delicious and nutritious.

If Christmas Morning Had a Taste

My daughter has turned into quite the cook, taking after her grandmother and her great-grandmother before her.  My sister cooks as well, having an official culinary arts education.  I am the only one who can take cooking or leave it.  It isn't that I don't like to cook;  it's just that I am usually engaged in some other activity that distracts me until dinner, at which time I have to think of something on the fly.  True, I could solve this problem with better menu planning, but I never quite seem to get a grip on that either.

Anyway, on Saturday night, Katherine the Great made a batch of Norwegian Rice Pudding, a recipe that she tweaked from one she found in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith (some readers may recall that Reverend Smith had a PBS show by the same name several years back).  His version of the pudding uses less sugar, less almond extract, and includes ground almonds.  Miss Katherine prefers a bit more sweetness and a smoother consistency to her pudding.  I don't really have an opinion one way or the other on that matter.  All I know is that every spoonful tastes like Christmas morning to me, especially when the dish is served warm.  If you are so inclined, give it a try.  It is normally served as a dessert, but my family routinely eats it for breakfast.

Norwegian Rice Pudding
3/4 cup long-grain rice
6 cups boiling water
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
7 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
nutmeg to taste

Place rice in a strainer.  Pour water over rice.  Drain.  Put rice, milk, and salt in double boiler.  Cook (covered) for 60-90 minutes or until the entire mixture is thick and creamy, stirring occasionally.  Stir in butter, sugar, almond extract, and nutmeg.  Serve warm or chilled.  If serving as dessert, top with whipped cream.

Please forgive the lack of photo for this dish.  It disappeared faster than I could snap a picture.

A Quick Dinner Find

Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
Photo by Plush Duck

Yesterday, my daughter made dinner in the crock pot because our schedule was a bit crazy.  We had to pick up a Koalagirl child, run some errands, attend our homeschool group Together on Tuesdays event, and drive Katherine the Great to meet up with her choir friend so they could commute to a joint rehearsal at a not-quite-so-local college.  The recipe was Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs from About.com Busy Cooks.  Given that the dish used frozen meatballs, it really was quite tasty.  We both thought it still needed something, though, and decided that the next time we make it, we will probably add some white wine and chives.  We ate the meatballs over egg noodles, much like stroganoff.  My husband took the leftovers, added some extra pepper and some leftover cooked cabbage, and tucked the concoction into a storage container for lunch today.  Quick.  Tasty.  Highly recommended.