Thursday, August 26, 2004
i made the cucumber soup last night. it didn't turn out that so hot, but it was edible. i give it a 2.5 stars out of 5. i had to use coconut milk to substitute for the yogurt. unfortunately, the coconut milk i bought (from star market) was pretty old, so it had separated. anyway, it sucks because i put yogurt in EVERYTHING, and there's not much that can be used to substitute for it...
I also had this vegetarian chili dish, that was pretty good, with this non-dairy sour cream from Tofutti (the only kind that i've found that contains no casein whatsoever, and no rice). It's actually pretty good..the most decent substitute i've seen. HOwever, it made of hydrogenated oils, which is pretty bad. However, i don't plan on using it long term..hopefully i can find some way of making my own substitute in the future.
Anyway, i wish i could go running today, but unfortunately my leg IT band hurts, so i think i'll sit it out until tomorrow. i'm going to seriously limit dairy (no cheating), and hopefully that will make it better...
I also had this vegetarian chili dish, that was pretty good, with this non-dairy sour cream from Tofutti (the only kind that i've found that contains no casein whatsoever, and no rice). It's actually pretty good..the most decent substitute i've seen. HOwever, it made of hydrogenated oils, which is pretty bad. However, i don't plan on using it long term..hopefully i can find some way of making my own substitute in the future.
Anyway, i wish i could go running today, but unfortunately my leg IT band hurts, so i think i'll sit it out until tomorrow. i'm going to seriously limit dairy (no cheating), and hopefully that will make it better...
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
slacking off..
so this morning i dragged myself out of bed early to go to a yoga class at Wellbridge. It was ok though, since the weather was nice and everything. Anyway, the class was really great..it was different from Pilates in that it focused more on breathing and meditation, and holding certain poses. It was VERY relaxing! I don't think i felt any knee or leg pain at all when I was doing it!!
Anyway, after the class i stretched for a while and then went upstairs to my Physical Therapy appointment. That was more of a workout - i did the leg press machine, plus the squat machine (i'm up to 80 lbs now..used to be 50!). And the guy said that now that i'm getting much better, i only need to come back in one more time next week, and that's it! Woo-hoo!
When i got back to SP (around 1pm) i had a quick lunch and then manned the Orientation Desk. Not a lot of traffic, since most people are busy moving in and everything.
So I feel bad for not doing work today, but i PROMISE myself i'll get more stuff done.
Anyway, after the class i stretched for a while and then went upstairs to my Physical Therapy appointment. That was more of a workout - i did the leg press machine, plus the squat machine (i'm up to 80 lbs now..used to be 50!). And the guy said that now that i'm getting much better, i only need to come back in one more time next week, and that's it! Woo-hoo!
When i got back to SP (around 1pm) i had a quick lunch and then manned the Orientation Desk. Not a lot of traffic, since most people are busy moving in and everything.
So I feel bad for not doing work today, but i PROMISE myself i'll get more stuff done.
Monday, August 23, 2004
i ran today
i ran a grand total of 2 miles, in 21 min (with about 2 other miles of walking and some stretching in between). i went from SP to Harvard-Longfellow and back. Woo-hoo! First time i've run in Boston since June 5!!
Sunday, August 22, 2004
great day
this morning, Michael and I met at the Central Square T stop to head off to the Wellbridge Athletic Club. We got there just in time to catch the "Abs & Back" workout class that started at 11am. THe class really kicked our asses (or rather, our stomachs) so I was glad we went. After that we just stretched and stuff until the Pilates class from noon to 1. That class was also a really good workout, very similar to the class i went to Thursday afternoon (it was the same instructor). And they didn't make my knee/leg pain any worse (actually i think they're better!).
After the classes were over, we wanted to go to the hot tub, but Michael had forgotten his swimming trunks. So we left the club for a bit and went to EMS down the block, to see if he could buy some. He ended up not finding any in his size, but he found a cool cycling jersey (and i found a cool North Face running top for only $10!)
So after we got back to the club we went swimming (the water in the pool was insanely warm!) and then in the hot tub. It was great..it was very relaxing. I'm glad I got to go there with Michael this time..I had been wanting for him to see it.
By the time we showered and got out of the club, it was after 3pm, and we were both starving. But Michael wanted to stop by Eye Q Optical to look at glasses, so we did. We spent about 20 mins there, with Michael trying on frame after frame. Then we wandered around to find a place to eat, but unfortunately all the places we tried (this Indian place, and then CasaBlanca) were closed after 3pm (and didn't reopen until 6). I suggested going to Veggie Planet, since i know they had vegan options (i'm in no way a vegetarian, but with this new diet i can't have anything with dairy in it).
So we had no idea where veggie planet was (all I knew was that it was in Harvard Square). We stopped into Hartnett's and asked, and one of the workers there (she was sooo friendly!!)showed us that it was just a block or so away (it's right by Border Cafe). It's good that we asked for directions, because even with the address i don't think we would have been able to find it..it's pretty well hidden.
Anyway, we thought long and hard over what to get, and in the end we ended up with 2 very delicious meals!! I ended up getting a "double header" (two selections) over coconut rice...the first Vegan Curry (broccoli, fried tofu, slightly spice curry paste, and crushed peanuts) and the other was called Henry's Dish or something (it was butternut squash, caramelized onions). I think the 2nd one came with cheese but i asked to leave that out. It was VERY good. Michael also got a double header, the Blonde on BLonde (tofu ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, and some spices) and Portobella Mushroom (with tomatoey sauce). He really enjoyed his as well. We were both blown away at how good vegetables can taste!!
After the classes were over, we wanted to go to the hot tub, but Michael had forgotten his swimming trunks. So we left the club for a bit and went to EMS down the block, to see if he could buy some. He ended up not finding any in his size, but he found a cool cycling jersey (and i found a cool North Face running top for only $10!)
So after we got back to the club we went swimming (the water in the pool was insanely warm!) and then in the hot tub. It was great..it was very relaxing. I'm glad I got to go there with Michael this time..I had been wanting for him to see it.
By the time we showered and got out of the club, it was after 3pm, and we were both starving. But Michael wanted to stop by Eye Q Optical to look at glasses, so we did. We spent about 20 mins there, with Michael trying on frame after frame. Then we wandered around to find a place to eat, but unfortunately all the places we tried (this Indian place, and then CasaBlanca) were closed after 3pm (and didn't reopen until 6). I suggested going to Veggie Planet, since i know they had vegan options (i'm in no way a vegetarian, but with this new diet i can't have anything with dairy in it).
So we had no idea where veggie planet was (all I knew was that it was in Harvard Square). We stopped into Hartnett's and asked, and one of the workers there (she was sooo friendly!!)showed us that it was just a block or so away (it's right by Border Cafe). It's good that we asked for directions, because even with the address i don't think we would have been able to find it..it's pretty well hidden.
Anyway, we thought long and hard over what to get, and in the end we ended up with 2 very delicious meals!! I ended up getting a "double header" (two selections) over coconut rice...the first Vegan Curry (broccoli, fried tofu, slightly spice curry paste, and crushed peanuts) and the other was called Henry's Dish or something (it was butternut squash, caramelized onions). I think the 2nd one came with cheese but i asked to leave that out. It was VERY good. Michael also got a double header, the Blonde on BLonde (tofu ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, and some spices) and Portobella Mushroom (with tomatoey sauce). He really enjoyed his as well. We were both blown away at how good vegetables can taste!!
Thursday, August 19, 2004
on road to recovery?
yesterday i went to Wellspace, in the Fresh Pond Mall (right by the Alewife T) to see an ND about my knee/leg pain. THe place was pretty cool..they had stuff like pilates classes, massage, acupuncture, etc as well.
Anyways, my recommendations were to follow a "Cleansing Diet" of just meats/fish, vegetables, and fruits. No cow's milk :( and no grains at all (i already avoid wheat, so i'll just have to avoid rice and oats as well, which will be difficult). The no dairy products will be hard to follow (i don't drink milk itself, but i eats tons of yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella cheese). Plus i also use half-and half and i eat ice cream.
Also, i have to take Vitamin D, potassium, and this special homeopathic remedy called Ruta Graveolens. When i bought it, the label said its main indications was for "eye strain due to computer use or artificial lights", so i was confused as to how it would help me with my leg/knee pain. But after some googling, i found out that
Ruta is "excellent for stomach problems, intestinal cramps, nervousness, hysteria, spasms, dizziness and congestion of the female organs. Externally used for sciatica." Another site recommended Ruta graveolens "for stiffness and pain from injury or chronic overuse." Hmm, that sounds exactly what i need!!
However, it's going to be really hard elminating milk products from my diet! Especially because over the past few months i seem to have developed a very strong addiction to cottage cheese & yogurt (i eat it every morning for breakfast and then maybe after lunch or dinner). to a lesser extent, i became addicted to no sugar-added fudgesicles/creamsicles (maybe 1 or 2 a day), and cream cheese (at least 1 serving a day). In the past week, i've had Ben & Jerry's ice cream 1x or 2x a day. I put sour cream on everything (burgers, enchiladas, chili, omelettes). Oh, I usually eat 1 mozzerella cheese stick a day. I put half-and-half in my coffee and my hot-chocolate (usually 1-2x a day). Eek.
So yesterday's dinner was my first dairy-free dinner. I had some split-pea soup (fresh, not canned!) from Whole Foods, and it was pretty good! I had some honey ham (Trader Joe's) with hummus (also Trader Joe's) and casein-free sour cream (made from rice). I had almonds, macadamias, and some strawberries and rice milk. I'm supposed to give up rice too (all grains), but i don't know if i can do that for another few days (rice is such a good substitute for dairy/wheat products).
For breakfast today I had 2 corn cakes with almond butter, sesame tahini, and rice creme cheese. I also had corn chips, raspberries, and more of that ham + hummus. I had rice milk as well (the West Soy brand is the best). For lunch, i had Sweet-n-Spicy Tuna (it comes in those flat packages) with salad greens, with strawberries and a soymilk container. So far, ok. I hope this does some good!!
Anyways, my recommendations were to follow a "Cleansing Diet" of just meats/fish, vegetables, and fruits. No cow's milk :( and no grains at all (i already avoid wheat, so i'll just have to avoid rice and oats as well, which will be difficult). The no dairy products will be hard to follow (i don't drink milk itself, but i eats tons of yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella cheese). Plus i also use half-and half and i eat ice cream.
Also, i have to take Vitamin D, potassium, and this special homeopathic remedy called Ruta Graveolens. When i bought it, the label said its main indications was for "eye strain due to computer use or artificial lights", so i was confused as to how it would help me with my leg/knee pain. But after some googling, i found out that
Ruta is "excellent for stomach problems, intestinal cramps, nervousness, hysteria, spasms, dizziness and congestion of the female organs. Externally used for sciatica." Another site recommended Ruta graveolens "for stiffness and pain from injury or chronic overuse." Hmm, that sounds exactly what i need!!
However, it's going to be really hard elminating milk products from my diet! Especially because over the past few months i seem to have developed a very strong addiction to cottage cheese & yogurt (i eat it every morning for breakfast and then maybe after lunch or dinner). to a lesser extent, i became addicted to no sugar-added fudgesicles/creamsicles (maybe 1 or 2 a day), and cream cheese (at least 1 serving a day). In the past week, i've had Ben & Jerry's ice cream 1x or 2x a day. I put sour cream on everything (burgers, enchiladas, chili, omelettes). Oh, I usually eat 1 mozzerella cheese stick a day. I put half-and-half in my coffee and my hot-chocolate (usually 1-2x a day). Eek.
So yesterday's dinner was my first dairy-free dinner. I had some split-pea soup (fresh, not canned!) from Whole Foods, and it was pretty good! I had some honey ham (Trader Joe's) with hummus (also Trader Joe's) and casein-free sour cream (made from rice). I had almonds, macadamias, and some strawberries and rice milk. I'm supposed to give up rice too (all grains), but i don't know if i can do that for another few days (rice is such a good substitute for dairy/wheat products).
For breakfast today I had 2 corn cakes with almond butter, sesame tahini, and rice creme cheese. I also had corn chips, raspberries, and more of that ham + hummus. I had rice milk as well (the West Soy brand is the best). For lunch, i had Sweet-n-Spicy Tuna (it comes in those flat packages) with salad greens, with strawberries and a soymilk container. So far, ok. I hope this does some good!!
Monday, August 16, 2004
hey, apparently i share a birthday with the following people:
Jordan Knight [from New Kids on the Block] (1970)
Enya (1961)
Bob Saget (1956)
Bill Paxton (1955)
Dennis Hopper (1936)
also the following things happened on my b-day:
1756 - Britain declared war on France, beginning the French and Indian War.
1792 - The New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street by 24 brokers.
1814 - Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. Norway's constitution, which provided a limited monarchy, was signed.
1875 - The first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville, KY.
1948 - The Soviet Union recognized the new state of Israel.
1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal.
1996 - U.S. President Clinton signed a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in. Megan's Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
Jordan Knight [from New Kids on the Block] (1970)
Enya (1961)
Bob Saget (1956)
Bill Paxton (1955)
Dennis Hopper (1936)
also the following things happened on my b-day:
1756 - Britain declared war on France, beginning the French and Indian War.
1792 - The New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street by 24 brokers.
1814 - Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. Norway's constitution, which provided a limited monarchy, was signed.
1875 - The first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville, KY.
1948 - The Soviet Union recognized the new state of Israel.
1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal.
1996 - U.S. President Clinton signed a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in. Megan's Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
good weekend
on Friday, Michael and I went out to Elephant Walk in Cambridge, to celebrate our two-year anniversary. It was a really nice place, and we didn't have trouble getting there (just by the Porter T stop). Anyway, the food was really excellent, and reasonably priced as well! We each got the "Summer Tasting" special for $20, which gives you four courses (soup or appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert) from a certain menu. I got Bisque de Homard (lobster bisque), Salade Cambodgienne (salad with shredded cabbage, onions, peanuts) Poulet a la Citronelle (was kind of like curried chicken), and a chocolate truffle cake (one word: YUM). Michael got a chicken soup, grilled beef salad, rice noodles & chicken, and a chocolate truffle cake. Both of us enjoyed our meals a lot...especially the dessert!! I think the dessert was the best part..the chocolate was amazing, and plus it had chunks of delicious white chocolate in it, and was covered in this really tasty raspberry sauce. Probably one of the best desserts I've ever had!! Anyway, I was so happy to find a restaurant where I have a wide selection (a lot of places put flour in everything, which really limits my choices). I'm definitely coming back here again!!
on Saturday, Michael and I went with others from SP to Singing Beach (off the Manchester-by-the-Sea commuter rail stop). It was kind of hectic right before we left (we had to get all our stuff together and meet by 11:00am), but we managed on time. We got to the beach around 1pm, and the weather was perfect (it was HOT!). We went in the water right away, and it was freezing (but not too cold to swim in). We had a great time crashing into the waves (we had to be careful to not let the waves knock us over). After we had enough, Michael & I had a picnic (i had prepared this tasty pasta salad ) for our lunch. After that we walked along the beach and took a lot of pictures (see below!)
.
After that we just sat in the sun and lazed around until about 5pm, when we had to leave. The way back was kind of annoying (the commuter rail car didn't have air conditioning, as neither did any of the T cars we rode in). However, the trip overall was really great--neither of us had gone to the beach this summer.
on Sunday (yesterday) we saw Napoleon Dynamite at Fenway. We were rushing like crazy to get there (we left late, and we had to take a bus + T to get there, plus some walking), but we managed to get there exactly on time. Anyway, the movie was HILARIOUS, i would strongly suggest anybody (especially if you're A MIT student) to go and see it. I think that if you were ever a geek in elementary/junior high/high school, you will find this movie very funny. The others in the theatre thought it was really good too (most ppls were in their 20s) and probably identified with a lot of stuff in the movie (i.e. the characters' totally tacky '80s clothing)
on Saturday, Michael and I went with others from SP to Singing Beach (off the Manchester-by-the-Sea commuter rail stop). It was kind of hectic right before we left (we had to get all our stuff together and meet by 11:00am), but we managed on time. We got to the beach around 1pm, and the weather was perfect (it was HOT!). We went in the water right away, and it was freezing (but not too cold to swim in). We had a great time crashing into the waves (we had to be careful to not let the waves knock us over). After we had enough, Michael & I had a picnic (i had prepared this tasty pasta salad ) for our lunch. After that we walked along the beach and took a lot of pictures (see below!)
.
After that we just sat in the sun and lazed around until about 5pm, when we had to leave. The way back was kind of annoying (the commuter rail car didn't have air conditioning, as neither did any of the T cars we rode in). However, the trip overall was really great--neither of us had gone to the beach this summer.
on Sunday (yesterday) we saw Napoleon Dynamite at Fenway. We were rushing like crazy to get there (we left late, and we had to take a bus + T to get there, plus some walking), but we managed to get there exactly on time. Anyway, the movie was HILARIOUS, i would strongly suggest anybody (especially if you're A MIT student) to go and see it. I think that if you were ever a geek in elementary/junior high/high school, you will find this movie very funny. The others in the theatre thought it was really good too (most ppls were in their 20s) and probably identified with a lot of stuff in the movie (i.e. the characters' totally tacky '80s clothing)
Friday, August 13, 2004
happy aniversary
dear michael,
thank you so much for giving me the best two years of my life. :) you are the best.
thank you so much for giving me the best two years of my life. :) you are the best.
Friday, August 06, 2004
well it's been a while since i've posted. So Michael got back from Tuesday morning, but he was really exhausted from the 12-hour overnight bus trip (he ended up not sleeping much). To welcome him back that evening I made him some French Onion Soup. He tried it and he said it was delicious, and gave it 5 stars!! :) I was happy since I've never made onion soup before (i've never even tried it, since I don't really like onions). It turned out to be really easy to make...only took about an hour in all and it seemed to make about 5 servings. Michael really liked the part with all the melted cheese on top (there's tons of it!)
Oh, and on Wednesday (i think) I made crustless sugarless pumpkin pie. Well it's not totally sugarless, there's 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in there, but for the most part it's sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. It turned out pretty good..i think i'm going to make it without a crust from now on. I also didn't have any evaporated milk so i made it with unsweetened soymilk instead. It was a bit more wobbly but it still tasted great! Oh, and I also made wheat-free muffins, and they turned out well. Yay! I'm so glad i'm able to cook things. Back in undergrad, i had no idea what to do with a frying pan or pot..it was just basically eating bagels, sandwiches, cereal + reheating frozen dinners!
Oh, and on Wednesday (i think) I made crustless sugarless pumpkin pie. Well it's not totally sugarless, there's 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in there, but for the most part it's sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. It turned out pretty good..i think i'm going to make it without a crust from now on. I also didn't have any evaporated milk so i made it with unsweetened soymilk instead. It was a bit more wobbly but it still tasted great! Oh, and I also made wheat-free muffins, and they turned out well. Yay! I'm so glad i'm able to cook things. Back in undergrad, i had no idea what to do with a frying pan or pot..it was just basically eating bagels, sandwiches, cereal + reheating frozen dinners!
Monday, August 02, 2004
ack
well, i had a busy day. got in to work around 9:30, and left around 5:30, with about an hour and a half for lunch. and wasn't slacking off or anything..i was in the lab doing experiments or in my office analyzing the data. i've got tons of stuff to do
anyway, when i got home i just had a salad (with chicken sausage and this really great poppyseed dressing) and then yogurt/cereal and a fudgesicle for dessert. i ate while watching "Italian For Beginners," a Danish movie i got from SP. I was an intresting movie..there was no soundtrack, and the camera sort of wavered around. There were no special camera effects at all..so it seemed more real. anyway, it was a good movie.
oh, and the cable's finally working again...it's been off since Friday (at least, that's when i tried watching TV). i'll probably watch some Lar & Awddah (Bostonian for "Law & Order."
anyway, when i got home i just had a salad (with chicken sausage and this really great poppyseed dressing) and then yogurt/cereal and a fudgesicle for dessert. i ate while watching "Italian For Beginners," a Danish movie i got from SP. I was an intresting movie..there was no soundtrack, and the camera sort of wavered around. There were no special camera effects at all..so it seemed more real. anyway, it was a good movie.
oh, and the cable's finally working again...it's been off since Friday (at least, that's when i tried watching TV). i'll probably watch some Lar & Awddah (Bostonian for "Law & Order."
dinner & a movie
last night i made Cottage Cheese Enchiladas...they were great!! I made just half the recipe (3 servings) since Michael isn't here, and i don't think they would last for more than a few days. Anyway, at first i wasn't going to make them because it was already 8pm and I was hungry (and i've never made enchiladas before, so who knew how they would turn out), but i decided to go for it anyway. And i'm glad i did! Although the enchiladas basically fell apart when i took them out of the Pyrex pan, what did come out tasted amazingly delicious. I will definitely make that recipe again!
Oh, and during dinner I watched "Under the Tuscan Sun," from the SP video library. I loved it! I wasn't expecting much, since it got a 6.6 rating on IMDB, but I was pleasantly surprised. The movie made me want to visit Italy and other parts of Europe. Things seem so peaceful and happy there. :)
Oh, and during dinner I watched "Under the Tuscan Sun," from the SP video library. I loved it! I wasn't expecting much, since it got a 6.6 rating on IMDB, but I was pleasantly surprised. The movie made me want to visit Italy and other parts of Europe. Things seem so peaceful and happy there. :)
