Category — Food, Drink, and Health

once upon a time, in the throes of a woeful adolescence (after a “heart-breaking” breakup), i went to a camp, and i walked around with a plastic water bottle filled with straight-up vodka. my good friend j.lee was proud of me for chugging it without making a face; and i’d do that whenever necessary. there were some good times at that camp, and some bad times, and sometimes i couldn’t hurt the hurt anymore, so i used that as a small bandaid.

now, later in life, i still like to drink on occasion, but as i get older and older, my body and health are much more easily affected and sensitive in general. i also have to -gasp- almost watch my weight (anyone who knows me knows i used to be a skinny lil thang!- but alas- when i hit the double-0 decade my metabolism mad slowed), so drinking a lot is not okay for many reasons.

i love vodka. i love a good screwdriver. i used to love them because i thought that it was at least a decent amount of hydration, and, again, if you know me, you’ve probably heard me say “hydration is the key to success”. well, even a screwdriver has a lot of calories, and too much sugar for me personally. shots suck. i can’t even do them anymore, and they’re unnecessary, unenjoyable, and unrefined.

so when my great healthy blogger real-life friend bhealthier lady mentioned having one of these i had to stop, and look it up. i felt like i’d heard of them before, and my boyf had recently joked about drinking them.

they are a reality!

not just a reality, but a great idea!!

one of the first hits is a website that has a name that sounds like mine- extratasty! their vodka water recipe is just what i was hoping it would be- ice, vodka, water, and more! check out people’s comments about it. i can relate to a lot of these pros, and i haven’t even had one yet.

this realitycheck site has a discussion on vodka waters i enjoyed reading because it has opinions about how to drink them (temperature, with or without lime, etc), and it even has some great pros: “A 5th pro for someone like me is that I wouldn’t get heartburn like I do when mixing vodka with an acidic juice.”

recipezaar has a girlie-esque vodka water recipe that sounds more like a screwdriver or mixed drink than good ol’ hardcore vodka water. i’m sayin that and i’m still only just dreaming about trying one.

i’m so excited about the prospect i almost wanted to make myself one right now. it’s a good sign i did not, seeing as it is late, sunday night, and, yeah. i don’t need to go there. but there is a holiday coming up over the weekend!

I recently watched about half of a documentary on cancer, food choice, and even how dental health (think mercury in fillings) has majorly been and still is effecting Americans (as well as other humans, but Americans are the piggiest in my opinion). Though I haven’t finished the documentary, (due to getting distressed about my silver fillings, among the other gruesome images contained within), a main point came across again to me loud and clear: that eating healthily is the best thing you can ever do for yourself. And getting holistic and embracing food as your life source.

And, I’ve recently been greatly enjoying my friend’s blog “Body, Mind, Soul” which is by far the most advanced blog I’ve seen of any of my friends (its aim is to share her journey of working to “Be Healthier in Every Aspect of Life” and I think the accomplishments in this blog/in her life are worth noticing). I wouldn’t have imagined someone I used to eat gingerbread men cookies while lying on the floor late at night in college would come up with all that. I think it’s the food she’s eating, and the way she’s taking care of her whole self, that fuel her energetic and creative abilities to lead such an admirable life and to document it so well.

I give her mad props for photographing almost all of her food intake in any given day, and for keeping up with eating so healthily (not to mention she does it with a modest budget in mind, and eats meat here and there (which I’m a big fan of when accompanied by veggies and such)). And I love her point in the “about this blog”: “I try to nourish myself with what I need, be it carrots or carrot cake, hugs and laughter, yoga or aerobics, wine or water. I try to never attach ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of food.” She has a good attitude about food/cooking/shopping for it, and working on caring for her mind and soul seems to be helping her keep a well-rounded integrity and dedication to health.

I’m trying to sound more eloquent than usual, thinking of my recent lack of quality posts. And, my struggles with eating healthily. It’s not really a struggle at all when I get in the habit. I LOVE KALE! I will eat a plate filled with vegetables and some tofu or whole-wheat noodles and feel more than satiated. But it’s the excuses about cooking, shopping, and the time it takes to make food at all . Not to mention, if I’m eating too much sugar and processed foods, my taste buds forget what quality food is.

In short- check out this blog. It’s got a lot of great information (she’s taking nutrition courses), food ideas with tasty visuals, and touching tidbits from her personal life that inspire you to maybe make some changes of your own. The writer is a gem of a human, and I feel a renewed sense of connection with her based on just a few of the entries in her blog. I’m proud too. Way to go, Laural!

Read about her Body Mind Soul blog now!

This has saved my life, my thirst, my future. I always say, and I quote Amandoo: “Hydration is the key to success”. It really makes a lot of differences. And soder and coffee do not do you good. (But I sure do love me some coffee!)

Anyway, boyfriend and I used to get small (liter) bottles and drink them for fun, with the different natural flavors (this is no sugar, mind you, just “natural” and perhaps “artificial” flavors).

Then we got all thirsty, and he was wondering about all those “flavors” so we started buying 2 liter, store-brand, plain seltzer water. And we purchase fresh lemons.

I think it’s helped balance my pH levels (acid vs. alkaline) and it’s a great alternative to water. I guess the bubbles aren’t the best for you (COME ON SELF! LEAVE IT A REST!!! It is much better than soda-death)

I needsta put up a picture of these beauts. And I can always drink more. So this is my tip for hydration success- buy seltzer: buy plain, and buy large- and get you some fresh lemons for squeezin- i usually do about a 20 oz. cup of seltzer with half a lemon, give or take.

DO IT!

i will so often do illogical things, but i think a lot of humans are that way. is illogical synonymous with faults? i don’t necessarily think ’tis so. procrastination is very counterproductive, yet i do it all the time. the last few days i got done my work early (so i could watch movies because we got a netflix account), and it felt AMAZING. incredible! none of that anxiety, and i could enjoy part of my day. but i don’t know if i can do it very often. i guess i should make it way more of a priority than i’m letting on.

i also am drinking iced coffee, while being freezing. i could go find the mini electrical heater, or not drink iced coffee, but the amount of happiness it brings me is greater than my will to be warm. i guess. because i am not getting warm. and i really enjoy me a nice iced coffee. plain, with lots of cream.

oh well, i am a good person, and i feel content of late. i think it helps that i’ve been having so much fun watching movies. and i think my grandfather’s death has softened me a bit, like butter that loosens its molecules up a bit when you set it out on the counter to get ready for baking, or just for it to be ready to spready. life is too short to pretend i’m a thug. i mean- i teach french! that’s not very “tough”. and though i did come from the ghetto (wink, wink), i am a real softy underneath it all. and i love people. oh so much. i even love my students. a whole lot.

love,
amandoo

i love love love this coffee:

from “The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company” in the flavor of Zen (it’s organic!)

i also thought i’d just take a picture of myself with it, because i’m too lazy to upload and transfer and resize and all that right now. in fact, i think my faces tell more about it than i may be able to.

i bought this coffee while home in Michigan at a small food market store and now i need more. lots more. i cherched-a-la-internet and found the Great Lakes Coffee company’s blog that didn’t say much about the Zen coffee in specific except for as espresso (but check this post about detroit and coffee anyway). interesting! i’m particularly interested in supporting it by regional bias (which is weird cuz i also care about the environment and getting it shipped would ruin that), but i liked what one person commented: “Great Lakes has great coffee! It’s one of the few good things right now coming out of great Detroit Metro area”

here’s their site where you can read about new coffees, the bloggins, and purchase some. i recommend it, especially if you live in the greater detroit metropolitan area, i see a “motor city blend” (i don’t see the Zen though i wonder if it’s a temporary thing)…it is sooo delicious.

i was going to write another coffee review, but i can’t. i don’t want to take anything away from this coffee’s excellence, and i think i’m too love-struck-by-this-caffeine to make fair judgments about other coffees at this point.

Here are some random tips I’ve come up with to save money on coffee, both in my personal life, and based on watching people spends hundreds of dollars a month at Starbucks.

If there’s any hope:

1) Give it up – Stop the addiction, and you won’t have to pay for it anymore! Your best bet here is getting more sleep, and a more regular schedule.

For those of us who could never dream of such a thing:

2) Stop buying quad venti soy vanilla lattes at Starbucks – they are a great coffee establishment, and I will admit that more of my favorite coffee drinks come from there than from other establishments (I love a good mom and pop latte, but only if it’s high quality espresso!). But they’re expensive! I’m often a soy drinker, and that adds another 40some cents onto your drink. So switch it up- try other places, or switch to regular coffee instead of lattes. Try an Americano- that’s a good caffeine boost for less money!

3) Use more of your own stuff from home – Buy a bottle of your favorite flavor of sweetener and add it yourself. I know it’s not likely for some people who might think that sounds ludicrous, but it could work for you (and it could save you another 30some cents off your order). Get coffee and add warm milk at your house to make a delicious cafe au lait (aka cafe con leche in Spanish-speaking countries)

4) A tried and true money saver (again using simple home supply) – Get a cheap hot coffee and (you can even just get a small or medium because you’d be surprised how it spreads out when you…) make iced coffee/latte-like things at home. I get a hot coffee and come home, pour some into a cup of ice and add my milk. Then you have a few more cups. So my next tip is:

5) Don’t buy iced coffee. Make it yourself – But please don’t go into Starbucks, order a small hot coffee, ask for a large cup of ice, and do it right in front of them. That’s an insult and it is rude. I know I always felt insulted, like they didn’t think we’d notice or catch on. Bonus tip- If you get some hot coffee that tastes not so good, making it iced will help the taste. Seriously!

6) Speaking of making things yourself! Make your own coffee – This is an obvious way to save money. I know some people don’t have the know-how or the time, but that’s just what they think! This could save you hundreds, possibly even thousands of dollars a year- no joke. So splurge on a nicer coffee machine or even an espresso machine (they are not that hard to use. anyone can learn) and make it at home. And then you have complete control over your drink!

7) When all of this fails, think of moderation! – If you spend $3/day on coffee, that’s over $1,000 a year. If you’re drinking lattes or those sugary mochas and frappuccinos regularly, you are asking for some serious cash flow problems. Try to just get a regular coffee some days, or go for 2 or 3 days without your latte. Switch it up people, otherwise you’ll have to keep coughing it up!

I went out for all-you-can-eat sushi today with a friend, and before going, I decided I was going to make it worth my while, order a lot, and eat it really fast so I didn’t get too full to finish.

I realized I was hungry. I also didn’t have a lot of time (I had told another friend we were going to hang out and didn’t want to take too long eating). When we got there, I was starving, so I ordered 4 rolls. I might have done this once before and it was a big accomplishment.

I used to hate sushi! Then I slowly grew to like it, and love it. By sushi I mean vegetable rolls, or cooked stuff, or tempura. Nothing raw. I’m not that big of a girl, so 3 rolls is a decent accomplishment.

Today I ordered my 4 rolls and started housing them. Unfortunately I dropped one in the soy sauce and didn’t think I could eat that- but I eventually did. I even ate one of my friend’s seaweed salad roll pieces because he had ordered 6 and, though he’s done it before, this time he got full, and, in my opinion, wasn’t eating fast enough.

But hey, you really don’t want to eat too fast. I wonder how many times a day people accidentally end up throwing some of it up in the bathroom, and how often (if ever and I do think it’s happened) has someone thrown up AT the table?

Anyway, I joked around while eating, that I was getting pregnant with sushi. Minute by minute, it was month by month of a small pregnancy in my stomach.

And now, roughly 4 hours later, I am full-on 9 months pregnant. With sushi. My stomach has been way too full ever since. But at least I’m full, I didn’t throw up, and I got my money’s worth.

Good times.

Bella Indigo Sasquatch’s 5-wk-old puppies learned how to climb over the side of their whelping box over a week ago. They are so precious, check it out:

See, I told you!

One of them can high-five pretty regularly, and they are both insane. They love to climb up me, and lick people. It’s hard to believe how cute they are, I just want to eat them for breakfast. I mean…yeah.

Yo Gabba Gabba is the best thing ever. The song and video “There’s a Party in my Tummy” is even better.

Watch it a hundred times for better understanding of the world, and yourself.

Take cover peeps! They’re spraying near and far and it might come get you or your baby!

Read up on the areas on your local news online channel, or read about DEP to Conduct Aerial Mosquito Treatment or any other googling product.

Most importantly : Telepathic Giraffe Tells Us It Like It Is ! and shares my dinner in the midst.

Gotta love a delicious vegan hoagie and steamed kale and raw food pad thai. Health factors!!!