A.L.O.E. 06.24.12

This is the 132nd post of my blogging career.  That isn't of much significance.  I just noticed it and thought I would throw it out there.  That's a lot of brain dump.  Here are a few more items to add to the list of things we've discussed here at TDT195.  A Little Of Everything, just as we do every Sunday.

Milestone of Note

132 posts isn't exactly a monumental checkpoint on life's path, but something else is today.  It was 30 years ago today that I graduated from high school.  It causes me to reflect, is my life what I could have envisioned back then in my youth.  I certainly wouldn't have foreseen my struggle with weight being anywhere near as difficult as it has been.  While there are a few things I'd change, these years have treated me fairly well.  I've done okay for myself.  Sure, there is always room for improvement and that is why I am typing this right now.  I look forward to graduating from this learning experience, so I can live another 30 years and more, building on the improvements I'm making today.

Mix It Up

This would normally fit into Food Thursday's content, but since we touch upon all kinds of things on Sundays, why not?  I've spoken of my relationship with my Magic Bullet mixer that I love so.  It gets used 4-5 times per week.  One piece of kitchen equipment I do not pull out nearly as much, but is indespensible in our kitchen, is our Vitamix Blender. It is the Cadillac of blenders and, for my money, worth every penny.  One tasty way to get your veggies and/or fruits in, is a smoothie.  In the warmer months, we keep frozen bananas on hand as a base for all kinds of concoctions.  You can easily sneak green leafy vegetables like kale, or even broccoli, into your recipes without getting that 'vegetal' taste.  Tonight as part of my dinner, I treated myself to a shake of sorts; a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie.  I'll post the recipe on Thursday.  It is a treat and shouldn't be overdone, just like most everything else, but it is 164 calories per 8 oz. serving and is incredibly delicious.  Other uses for your Vitamix could be soups, sauces and even nut butters.  Love our Vitamix!

Good Times

A big thanks to my cousins John and Ingrid who had us to their home yesterday in celebration of their son's graduation from high school.  There were plenty of healthy options on hand.  They made it doubly enjoyable to be able to be with family in an environment conducive to my lifestyle.  The lentil salad, black bean and corn salad and grilled chicken were all delicious.  I also enjoyed my first real beer in almost 5 months.  I split a Miller High Life with the wife.  I drank most of it actually.  It felt good to walk away from a great day with family with the knowledge that I did no harm.  I will admit the cannolis and cake were a little hard to walk away from, but I did.  It was a really nice time.

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/toasted almond slivers, banana and almond milk

Lunch ~ 2 97% fat free hot dogs with mustard and sweet pickled peppers on a sprouted grain roll

Snack ~ A huge honkin' carrot w/roasted pine nut hummus

Dinner ~ Burger and a shake.  A Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Burger on a multi-grain deli flat and the chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie to be exact.
Exercise ~ I was going to do a lot more in the yard today than I did, but I tweaked my back unload our P.A. equipment from the car.  It was just some mowing and edging.  Oh, and some painful roadie work.