For ages, I've been hoping that Thomas' would come out with a good whole grain english muffin. In the meantime, I've been eating Oroweat's whole wheat muffins. But I missed the toasty "nooks and crannies" of Thomas', as Oroweat's muffins are more of a fluffy, light texture.

At last, I saw Thomas's light multigrain english muffins on the shelves, and bought some. Yay, nooks and crannies! I was a little leery, since the package said "multigrain" and not "whole grain." But the stats actually looked pretty good:

Calories 100
Total Fat 1.0g
Dietary Fiber 8.0g
Protein 7.0g

Yay!

Then I opened the package. Hoo boy. First impressions were not good. They were kind of a weird dull brown color. I tried to open one, but it was too soft or not cut right. I cut it open, and *gasp* no nooks and crannies — just doughy mush.

It's as if they didn't finish baking them all the way. I thought maybe it would crisp up in the toaster. Nope. That just made it dense and hard.

Ah well. I'm working through the package, but don't see myself buying them again. The texture is just too gross! Back to Oroweat I suppose, or maybe I'll just have thre regular Thomas' sourdough english muffins as a once in a while treat.

Posted by Korina at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I think Chris is currently reviewing my question about the number of consecutive minutes needed in a workout. But in the meantime, I went ahead and started it. I'm about a week in, using this format:

M - 20-30 minutes bike
T - 20-30 minutes weights (upper body) + crunches
W - 20-30 minutes elliptical
Th - 20-30 minutes weights (lower body) + crunches
F - 30-40 minutes treadmill

So far, the results are good! I've lost, on average, a third of a pound a day, and am now back to the weight I was at the end of the weight loss challenge.

BTW, my peach-banana popsicles got the "best so far" rating from the fam. Also, I'm scoping out some sorbet recipes in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook that I might need to try out. Though, I think they may be a bit more calorific than the popsicles.

And finally, some good news! I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and my blood pressure has gotten even lower -- 113 / 64 if I remember correctly. So all this exercise is paying off in other ways too.

Posted by Korina at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Even though Summer is winding down, I still can't get enough of popsicles!

Rather than consume high fructose corn syrup, and who knows what else they put in store bought popsicles, I like to make my own.

The process is ridiculously simple, and the ingredients are few. But the results are chilly-good!

I made some last night, and took some pics while I was at it:

The Necessary Ingredients I used raspberries, because they – and blackberries – are on sale at Safeway right now. I use fat free vanilla yogurt as the binder. Any flavor would probably do, but I almost always have a big tub of vanilla in my fridge. Raspberries are a tad too tart for me, so I got the Splenda out too. Some milk: In this case, 1%. I got tired of buying fat free for me, and 2% for the rest of the family. 1% is the compromise. And of course, the popsicle mold. I got this one for about 3 bucks at Target. I've seen a similar one for about the same price at World Market.

Chop chop! The raspberries get a rough chop.

Make some mash I put the berries in a bowl and added 4 tsp. of Splenda (I figured one teaspoon per popsicle). If artificial sweeteners aren't your thing, you could just as easily leave it out, substitute honey, or whatever you like. Then I mushed it all up with a potato masher. You could also do this in a food processor or blender. But I'm lazy, and don't feel like hauling out that gear, and washing it when I'm done. If you like a completely smooth texture, then you'll have to use some mechanized means. Next comes the yogurt. I added 3 heaping spoonfuls, but the amount is really up to you and how fruity or creamy you like yours. TIP! If you want to save a dish, do this step in a big liquid measuring cup. You'll see why later!

Ooh Pink! Next I mixed it all up, and added a splash of milk. The milk isn't really required, but it makes for a little less dense popsicle. It's also handy for extending the batch if you didn't have enough fruit or yogurt.

Pour and Freeze I tried pouring from my bowl, but it was a mess! (Look at the one on the upper right). I ended up putting the mix in a measuring cup and pouring it from there. It was a much more tidy process this way.

Ah the sweet taste of success!

Variations:

Other good fruits for popsicles are pineapple, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, melons, and bananas. You could even try more exotic fruits, like mangoes, kiwis, and papayas. Mix and match!

Some fruits don't pair well with yogurt or milk. In that case, use juice. It can be as simple as orange juice, or as unusual as pomegranate or pineapple-orange-banana juice! If you want to save some calories, use Crystal Light.

Have fun, and even get the kids in on the action. What kid wouldn't love mashing up fruit with their bare hands?

Posted by Korina at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last week, I was having some issues with my workouts, and my whole journey in general. I felt stuck and uninspired. I did manage to finish the week on a good note though, as in lieu of my usual long gym workout on Friday morning, I walked the dogs to the dog park instead.

I think that my lack of progress in the weight department was bringing me down. So I decided to compose a list of health-related achievements that have nothing to do with the number on the scale. Here goes:

• I opened a very stuck jam jar
• I can fling a 30 lbs bag of dog food like it was a sack of feathers
• My new shorts are now loose enough that pantylines no longer show
• I can practically skip up the stairs to my apartment
• My blood pressure is a respectable 117 / 79
• I feel less jiggle when I walk
• My upper back and arms are looking strappy-tank-worthy

That made me feel a little better.

I also decided to switch up my workout. Usually, I have half an hour M-Th, and 45 minutes on Friday. I spend the first 15 minutes doing cardio and 5-10 minutes doing weights. On Fridays, I spend 30 minutes doing cardio, and 15 minutes doing weights.

I'm wondering if, by trying to do both every day, I'm not doing enough of either. I think I might do alternate days of cardio and weights. But I'm going to ask Chris Powell about it first.

Posted by Korina at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As predicted, my holiday weekend was pretty low key — plenty of home cooking and very few treats (there was the fried macaroni and cheese I made for breakfast ). Though I was off Monday, I did actually get off my butt and do a quick dumbbells workout and some crunches on the living room floor.

Tuesday I was back in the gym, unwillingly. Today, I skipped it all together.

My weight is still hovering slightly above (on average 1-1.5 lbs) my new low. I think I'm battling burnout. I'm sleepwalking through my workouts, and my inner brat is whining more loudly: "But I don't WANNA run! I want ICE CREAM! Wahhhh!!" Sometimes, she wins.

Time to change things up a bit I think. I'm not sure how just yet, or even if I'm committed enough to follow through with it. Or maybe I need to seek a new goal. I'll have to think on this one.

As with all journeys, this one doesn't proceed in a straight line. There are detours, delays, sprints, and stumbles. The key is to keep going.

Posted by Korina at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)