Iron Chef Andrea

Hooray for getting to the pool today!  1500 yards took me 45 minutes, but hey.  I got in the pool.

I had a workout with 2400yds on it but after the warm up and a couple of "faster" 50's I was already tired.  So I got in 1500 and then spent 10 minutes in the hot tub.


The boys both took amazing naps this afternoon, and boy was I glad.  I plan to take a rest day tomorrow as usual and then try to run a little on Thursday.  I think if I can maybe do 2mi on the treadmill and then finish the workout in the pool that will be enough.

As many of you may know, I've been severely under employed since right before Thanksgiving.  Mostly, it's been a blessing.  I've learned to slice our grocery spending to a minimum.  We've avoided using our credit cards as we are in enough slavery to those damn things already.  I've learned about places through out our city that give away day old bread, bruised produce and close dated dairy items.

I've learned that I was correct in purchasing 30 boxes of pasta, 20 bags of frozen vegetables or flats of canned beans when they are on sale and had the resources.  We've been eating from our pantry, praise the Lord!  But it's been 6 weeks and provisions are getting low.   Where I used to meticulously plan our weeks menu and shopping based on sale ads and easily make something off the list each night, I am now cooking as if I were a contestant on Iron Chef America.

Though, I would wager that my contest is more difficult.

The Iron Chefs may have to make a gourmet dish from squid and candy corn in under an hour, but I have to use what's on hand to make something quick, nutritious, filling, that passes the kid test and can feed a small army.

Making dinner tonight required some invention.

How do you like the stick of butter in the back ground?

I made a double batch of Baking Powder Biscuits and wasn't really sure what else to do with it.  I just used a bag of dried pinto beans to make a giant container of home made refries - but didn't think that those went with biscuits.  I'm low on veggie choices and frozen carrots and canned peas didn't fit.

Looking through the pantry, I found a lone can of Cream of Mushroom soup.  Okay, there's a good sauce base in a pinch.  I added some frozen chopped spinach that was lingering in the freezer and heated it through.

As the biscuits came out of the oven, I fried half a dozen eggs, over medium, in a little coconut oil with salt and garlic powder.  It came out rather good...though I'm wishing for fresh veg almost like I pine away for cheese these days.  I'm sorry to report that I couldn't stick to my No Dairy pledge today.  I could have just had the biscuit (which has milk in it anyway) with the sauce, but my tummy was hungry and the eggs were what was available.

Turns out, our van also needs some serious repairs that can wait no longer.  I'm trying not to deal with my stress in a destructive was as usual by a) punishing myself with hard workouts, b) blowing my nutrition goals by eating my feelings, or c) withdrawing so far that my friends no longer remember my face.

Stuff happens.  It could be worse.  At least I still have all my eyeballs.  Count my blessings.  I still have my health.  Iron Chef today.  IronMan someday.  Chin up.  Keep calm and carry on.  And all that other stuff.