Year 4, Day 52: Sponge Cake Queries

It's still passover, and I'm still eating matzoh. I'm not convinced it's good or helpful.  But it brings up the age-old question, 'what's less kosher?'  And by that I mean, what's worse, eating bread or bacon?  For the time being I'm skipping bread.  However, I continue to seek out a sponge cake recipe that reminds me of the Passovers of old.

Breakfast

Gravlax

Matzoh & Cream Cheese

Coffee

Snack

2 Cheese Sticks

6 sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: Russo's ($5.13)

Romaine, Mushrooms, Red Pepper, Feta, Chicken, Broccoli, Olives, Pepperocini, Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner: Papparazia

Green Salad

Breast of Chicken

A few bites of steak

Spinach & Broccoli

Dessert

2 Nips

Year 3, Day 91: Constructions Strikes Out

Emily called me and insisted we go out for dinner because the noise of the construction next door was driving her batty. You don't have to ask me twice! We met there and after ordering, I took the kids on multiple escalator rides, because they both seem fascinated with them. Of course, the big score was getting to a set of escalators where the up and down ones opened up at the same point- at the bedding department at Bloomingdales. There, I could just lay down and let them go up and down for a hundred times.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Chung Shin Yuan
2 sticks Beef teriyaki
moo shi pork
shrimp with vegetables

snack
1/2 cameo apple (other half was rotten)
.5 oz Boston lite popcorn
4 sticks beef jerky

Dinner: Paparazzi
Red leaf salad, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette
boneless breast of chicken
spinach, broccoli

From the South Beach Diet Newsletter- How Do They Know What I'm Thinking?

Fat: Friend or Foe?

Because fat is the most concentrated source of energy (i.e., calories) you can get from food, it's often vilified by popular weight-loss plans. Not all fat, however, deserves its bad reputation. Actually, good fats — like extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil — are an essential part of a healthy diet.

Did you know that fat plays a role in making vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) and other hormones, cushions your vital organs and bones, keeps your cells healthy, and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, E, and K? It does. The good fats have other health benefits, too. Nuts and seeds, which are rich in healthy oils, can help reduce LDL (the "bad") cholesterol levels, while oily fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids can help lower high triglyceride levels (levels of fats that circulate in the blood), making the blood less sticky and, thus, less likely to clot and cause a heart attack or stroke.

The South Beach Diet® encourages you to enjoy the good fats. Not only are they considered essential fats, meaning you must consume them in your diet to maintain good health, but they add flavor and texture to foods and help you feel satisfied. Certain fats, the so-called bad fats, should be avoided, since they contribute to heart disease and stroke. Here's a breakdown:

Good fats:

Unsaturated fat (mono- and poly-) exists in liquid form at room temperature. These are the good fats that are allowed on all Phases of the South Beach Diet®. Unlike saturated and trans fats, unsaturated fats can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Monounsaturated fats include extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats include the omega-3s found in fish oil.

Bad fats:

Saturated fat exists in solid form at room temperature. It's found in animal products and some tropical vegetable oils, like palm kernel oil. Eating too much saturated fat can lead to high LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which can ultimately contribute to heart disease.

Trans fats are created when an unsaturated fat (like vegetable oil) is chemically altered so that it stays solid at room temperature. Consuming trans fats can lead to clogged arteries. Trans fats are found in processed foods like chips, baked goods, and fast foods. You'll see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on the ingredient label if trans fats are present. The amount of trans fats is also listed on the Nutrition Fact panel.

Note: Children under the age of 2 should not be on a fat-restricted diet, since fat is important for proper brain development.

Year 3, Day 60: Crying on the Elliptical

Magnolia had a birthday party at the JCC where parents are invited to drop off your kids and go workout. This is of course provided your kid isn't clutchy and can do without you. It was my only opportunity all weekend to workout, so I took it, even though I could tell the parents weren't so sure what they were signing up for. I got in half a workout- 4 miles in 32.50 minutes and 80 ab crunches. I didn't want to push it; I got back in time for the cake, which to my dismay, was served with both juice AND ice cream. Just 10 minutes before wiping Magnolia's butter cream frosting-covered face, I was having an emotional breakdown on the elliptical. I can't explain these things, they just happen.

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray (I would pray)

Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I prayed I could break away

[Chorus:]
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway

Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)
And breakaway

[Chorus]

Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging around revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway

I'll spread my wings
And I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway

Breakfast
3 Eggs
3 strips Turkey Bacon
Coffee

Lunch
Big Salad
Roast Turkey

Snack
1 Apple
1/2 cup Kashi

Dinner: Paparazzi
Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar
Chicken with Lemon
Spinach & Broccoli
2 Shrimp
1 Meatball

We picked up Ruby from a play date, and on the way home she asked "Why don't we ever go out to dinner?" The truth is that Magnolia finds it hard to sit still and it's not that much fun to chase her around the restaurant. At least it's not as much fun for US as it is for her. Nevertheless, in a fit of parental generosity, we decided to drive straight to the restaurant and go out to eat. Emily marveled that Ruby could suggest something and we could follow through on it. I was glad we did it because we didn't go shopping and had no dinner groceries or plan whatsoever. Paparazzi, unlike so many other restaurants of its ilk, is a family-friendly restaurant (read: they provide crayons and dessert) but that serve excellent food with healthy options. Of all the places we've been to it's my favorite, and so naturally, I get the same exact thing every time. Though today I ate the meatball Ruby ordered with her pasta and didn't eat.