trash talk

As I've stated before, my first goal in adopting a greener lifestyle was to cut back on the trash I create. I give a lot more thought to the proper disposal of everything I touch. It's only been a couple weeks, but I see a big difference in the amount of trash I collect in my house. At this point I'm confident that I will only have to set my trash cans out at the curb once a month.

Kitchen compost

All kitchen straps have been going into my composting bucket which I hung on the inside of the cabinet under the sink. I haven't had any issues with odor and it takes about 4-5 days to fill it up. If the bag is in pretty good shape I empty the contents into my outdoor compost and reuse, but if it's really soggy or torn, I throw in the entire thing (obviously I bought compostable bags.)

Other Stuff to Compost

The reason I opted to start my own compost pile is because I wanted to compost other "brown" materials that the city doesn't accept. They prefer to stick with yard waste only. These items include used tissues, paper towels, cotton swabs (with cardboard sticks only...not the plastic ones), cotton balls, dryer lint, the "tumbleweeds" of cat hair that appear under my furniture, to name a few. Since I'm still using bleached paper products I don't intend to use the humus (if my compost pile is even successful) to maintain a vegetable garden. Maybe once I run out of my Costco stock of Kleenex and paper towel I'll switch to an unbleached version.

Recycling

I've always recycled, but I really pay attention now. Some things take a little extra effort. Plastic bags for example are recyclable, but I can't put them in my curbside bin. I collected hundreds that I had shoved in a box in the basement and drove them to SOCRRA. I try not to accept plastic bags from stores anymore but sometimes it's inevitable, so when I collect enough of them I'll drive them over.

Styrofoam is another one. It is recyclable, but not all communities accept it. The City of Detroit recycles it, so I will collect cups, restaurant take-out containers, packing peanuts, etc. from my office as well as home and will send it with my sister (who lives in Detroit) every month or so.

Pets
This is a "post in progress." I'm slowly introducing a biodegradable kitty litter into my litter box. We'll see how it goes. The brand I bought is made from corn (I'm not advertising the details until I know if I like it or not.) I've read mixed reviews, though one opinion is consistent...it's expensive. In order for me to keep spending the money I'll have to REALLY like it, so I will be sure to post an update when I have a firm opinion. I hope I like it because I feel really guily everytime I throw away a bunch of cat crap, knowing that that left over litter isn't going anywhere anytime soon. One has to be leery of Internet research. One source I found said that 2 million tons of cat litter ends up in landfills each year...another source said 4 million. Regardless of which number is accurate, it's too much. We have decided to domesticate these animals, and we should do so responsibly. I guess I shouldn't get on my soap box until I commit to making the change, huh? Well, just another reason to try to make it work.

I'm Saving $$ Because...
I've had to spend some dough to get started. Compost bin, Bio-Bags, the afore mentioned pricey cat litter, but I know in the long run I'll save some money. First of all, just changing my lifestyle will stop me from buying certain things just because of the waste it might produce. Individually wrapped snacks for example (not good for my waist line either).

No more:

• kitchen garbage bags
• Swiffer Cloths (am using dollar store rags instead. Wash & Reuse!)
• Ziplock baggies (and when I do use them, they're for dry items only and I reuse them)
• Tampons
  

I won't elaborate on that last one. Don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. I'll just let those who are interested read more about it on their own. I just want to say that I've just made this change and I'm really, really happy with it. MAYBE I'll blog about it in detail at a later date. Still a little shy.

pizza and grilling out...two favorites meet

This is an innovative, delicious and healthy recipe that I love making when the weather is nice. I'll share the recipe as intended, but admittedly I never make it this way. I usually spread a thin layer of pesto on the prepared dough, grill a bunch of veggies (red & yellow peppers, red onions, eggplant, broccoli) for the toppings, and sprinkle a bit of cheese on top (fontina and/or feta) with some wilted spinach & cracked black pepper. If I'm in the mood for pizza sauce I serve it on the side for dipping instead of slathering it over the whole pizza and covering up the flavor of the veggies. Also, I just buy the pizza dough from my favorite pizzeria instead of making my own (I want to be grilling outside after all, not stuck in the kitchen!) The place I like to go to sells a large pizza dough for $2!





Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage, Grilled Peppers and Onions and Oregano Ricotta
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Ingredients
1/2 pound Italian hot sausage
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 large yellow pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
2 large red pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 recipe favorite pizza dough, rolled into 4 (6-inch) rounds
1/2 pound grated fontina cheese
1 cup sheep's milk ricotta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Basil Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat a grill.
Grill the sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side. Brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove the onions, separate into rings, and roughly chop. Remove the peppers and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices.

Heat grill to high. Brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a flat surface.

Divide the fontina cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese. Place the pizza on the grill (on top rack is possible), close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the pizzas from the oven and drizzle with Basil Vinaigrette. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Basil Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

it's all about the beautiful saturdays

I can't imagine that the true meaning of life is getting up every morning and going to work. I like my job well enough but it is by no means my life's passion. If your job is your passion...good for you...you've figured it out! Until my job inspires me I have to look elsewhere for the true joys in life. Family, friends, fresh air.

So far I've had a wonderful Saturday.

My family went to church to commemorate the 40th day after my grandmother's death. After the Mass we presented the priest with embroidered alter coverings that my grandmother commissioned from her family in Ukraine. This is the 4th set that she has donated to the church, and fittingly, the final piece arrived in the mail the day she died. The loyalty she had to her church is probably something I'll never understand, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't damn proud of her today.



I got home and threw on some shorts and a tank top (first time this year, woo hoo), hopped on my bike(beware the dorky picture) and rode to the local "Good Neighbors Garden" to learn some composting tips, so I could properly utilize my new compost bin. I enjoyed the beautiful bike ride, met Trevor, a hippy in a floppy straw hat who gave me some composting tips and a tomato plant to take home, and headed back downtown to sit on the patio at AJ's and have a tall iced tea.

I never did get my iced tea as the only person working at the store was swamped with food orders, and I only enjoyed a few minutes outside before one of today's forecasted scattered thunderstorms rolled in, but I'm just not in the mood to be annoyed today. Now I'm trapped inside until the rain passes but am enjoying the sounds of the others who are also waiting out the rain. I'd still like my iced tea, but I guess if I get to use AJ's wifi w/o buying a beverage I could be ok with that.

gotta get me some cardio

I recently injured my foot and wasn't able to jog (or even briskly walk) on the treadmill. This terrified me because it was really the only cardio in my workout. And one thing I've learned is that cardio can not be ignored. Must must must get that heart beating.

So I looked into alternatives for myself and found a couple I liked. Still not sure if my foot is better...last time I tried running (one week ago) my foot pain flared up again so I stopped. I plan on trying again today...wish me luck. In the meantime I will continue to rotate through my new cardio options. Admittedly, I'm glad that I was forced to look into alternatives because even without the injury it's a good idea to introduce new challenges and keep your workouts fresh.

(Pardon the tangent, but I have to add that this is the reason that I don't believe that Curves-like circuit training is the best option. Don't get me wrong...something is better than nothing, so if that's all you're willing to do go right ahead, but once your body gets used to that routine it will adjust to that level of excursion and you will stop seeing results and reaping the benefits of the cardio & strength training workouts.)

When I can't run, I...

• Swim laps (I alternate strokes, taking a breather every 2-3 laps).
• Ride the exercise bike for 30-40 minutes (about 10-13 miles depending on speed)
• Integrate some movement into my strength training (holding 8 lb dumbbells...squat, stand, bicep curl, raise weights above head, slowly lower weights, squat....repeat. )
• Vinyasa Yoga

It's taken some commitment to get into these workouts. I had to buy a hideous bathing suit b/c it was the only one-piece sporty one Kohl's sold. (Their two pieces are cute, but not appropriate for laps!) I even bought a swim cap (i look SO cool) because I'm scared the chlorine will fry my hair. I have a rather unfortunate bruise from the exercise bike seat (use your imagination) but I'm sure "it" will get used to it soon.

A couple other ideas that I haven't been using due to lack of equipment:

• Rowing machine
• Arm bike

Any other ideas and suggestions are welcome!!

Happy Birthday, Baba!

Today would've been my grandmother's 85th birthday. I've been thinking about her a lot today...remembering how we celebrated with her in years past, and how appropriate it was that her birthday was in the Spring...her favorite time of year.

She never wanted us to make a fuss, but I'm sure secretly she loved the attention. Well, really I think she just loved having her entire family around her. We had lavish gatherings, like when we all went to The Whitney for her 80th birthday; we traveled an hour north to Frankenmuth to cash in her free birthday dinner coupon a couple times; and we had casual get togethers like the year she was in and out of the hospital and we just ordered a pizza (her favorite) while she wore her robe and slippers. That was a tough year. We actually thought we were close to losing her then, but she bounced back and was healthier than ever for the next 2 years.

We saw every birthday as a gift...another year that would be filled with lots of hugs and smiles, great food and more chapters of her incredible life story. We were actually planning on dedicating a website to her, complete with interviews and videos, recipes and photos. We waited too long unfortunately. We thought she'd be around forever. Or at least for a little longer.

I miss her and am so sad that she's not around today. I feel incredibly lucky that she was in my life for almost 29 years, and that when her inevitable time came she didn't suffer.

I love you Baba! Happy Birthday! Многая Літа!

Disposal Tips for Oakland County residents

Are you recycling everything you can be?
Are you doing it properly?
What are you throwing away in the trash that can be recycled or composted?
Here are some helpful hints! (click on image to enlarge and print!)

Happy Earth Week, everyone!

Step 2. My World

It's Earth Week. And I SWEAR that it's just a coincidence, but I have recently become obsessed with changing my habits and living a greener lifestyle. I might be getting a little carried away actually, but that's ok.

A few things have been leading up to this revelation of mine.

1. By example Jason has made me think twice about being wasteful and creating trash. He ALWAYS takes leftover food home from a restaurant and if he doesn't eat it he feeds it to his dog (this, I don't necessarily recommend) or throws it in the field for other animals to eat. He has the luxury of living on 10 acres, so this too I can't recommend for everyone, but it still makes me think. I now just send my leftovers home with him if I'm not going to eat them. He recycles what he can, and all other trash he burns. I can't do the same thing where I live, but I'm much more cognisant of what I throw away these days.

2. I read an article in Yoga Journal titled Carry That Weight that affected me more than anything I've ever read in a magazine. It was short (there's much more info through the URL I posted) and I didn't have my "aha moment" as soon as I finished reading it, but I couldn't shake the message. All week long I was very conscious of everything I threw in the trash. Could I be recycling this somehow? How long does this stick around in landfills? I always reuse my plastic grocery store bags to line my bathroom waste basket and to throw away cat poop...but duh! It still ends up in a landfill that way. I'm not a stupid girl, so why is this just occurring to me now?

3. I was driving behind a garbage truck one morning this week. At the stop sign, the driver got out of the truck to empty a city trash can (the one in front of Boogie Fever for those of you who like mental pictures) so I was kind of stuck behind him. As I was waiting I was looking at the trash in the back of the truck. Not too much was visible...maybe a pile about 4 feet wide by 2 feet tall. Definitely not a full dumpster worth. In that pile I counted 8 plastic water bottles, 5 Styrofoam cups, tons of paper and cardboard. All OBVIOUS recyclables. I was dumbfounded. My mom has been recycling for as long as I can remember. It's second nature to me, and I thought that most other people recycled at least the bare minimum...glass, aluminum, plastic. Apparently not. After doing just a little bit of research after this ordeal I realized I was throwing away things that I could've been recycling, so apparently I have a lot to learn as well.

This week alone I have already made some changes and bought some supplies to start living a greener lifestyle. My first goal is to create less trash. Instead of taking my garbage to the curb every Sunday night, I'm going to try to make it every 2-3 weeks. In addition to the recycling I've always done, I will be collecting my organic materials for compost pickup instead of throwing it in the trash. I already have a hearty collection of banana peels, strawberry tops, lemon rinds, and old asparagus that I forgot to eat. If I can successfully keep my trash dry and odorless, I won't need plastic garbage bags anymore. One step at a time, right?

http://www.socrra.org/faq.html

Step 1. My Body

Not to suggest that I've figured out the meaning of life and am perfectly happy with every corner of my world, but man OH man, have I made some changes in my life. I won't beat around the bush...I was fat, and I was lazy. It's the worst combination. I was also unhealthy, unmotivated, self-conscious and boring. I don't really know why I behaved this way. I didn't learn that from my parents. My best friends in school were athletes, and even though I was pathetic at sports they never made me feel like less, so I can't blame them for making me feel inadequate. I did have some pretty constant stress in my life growing up (alcoholic dad), so can I blame that? Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that I did NOT value my body. I took no responsibility for keeping it healthy.

In the summer of 2002 (22 years old) I weighed 200 lbs. I think I got up to 205 or so later that year, but that's just a guess. I refused to get on a scale to be sure. I'm 5'4.

Not sure what motivated me, but the following summer I started working out on the elliptical 3-4 times/week, and then added yoga classes twice a week. Dropped to 185 by November 2003. I hit a plateau and knew that it was time to work on my eating habits. I vowed that the Monday after Thanksgiving (had to enjoy leftovers for a couple days) I would start a low-carb diet. I opted for South Beach b/c it seemed healthier than Atkins. At least South Beach allowed fruit back into the diet after Phase 1. So I did lose 40 pounds by February 2004, but I cheated. I never really left Phase 1. I didn't reintroduce fruits and whole grains. I basically ate meat, cheese and eggs. Some veggies too, but not even close to the recommended amount. I was seeing the results I wanted, but what was I doing to my body in the mean time? Is THAT why I napped everyday after work and spent all day Saturday watching movies on TBS?

In May of 2004 I moved to Ferndale w/my bestest buddy Jimmy. I stayed on the low-carb diet for a little while longer, but the working out wasn't as much of a priority (had an elliptical of my own at this point but it's HOT upstairs in the summer!) We lived walking distance to our favorite bars, and we didn't live with our parents like most of our friends did, so going out at least twice a week became the norm. Well, once you introduce booze into the mix...it's over (not to mention the Pizza Hut delivery we'd devour during our hangover the next day.) 15 pounds crept back on. We were having a blast though!

Jimmy left for Chicago in April 2006. I quickly discovered that laying around all day on the weekends wasn't fun without a friend to be lazy with. So I started moving around more. Cleaning the house EVERY weekend, taking more pride in the exterior appearance of my house and doing some yard work, etc. Plus I got a part time job, so I wasn't lazy after work everyday. When the weather got nice I took 3 mile walks into Pleasant Ridge. By the end of the summer I had lost 20 pounds...without even trying. At this point I was about 160 or so.

Once the weather turned and the long walks stopped I put on a handful of pounds once again. My eating habits weren't the best and I worked out sporadically.

I weighed 167 when I joined Weight Watchers Online on July 4, 2007. I was obsessed. Logging everything I ate on the website became like an addiction to me. My daily goal was to come up with a meal with the lowest possible points for the most amount of food. I never stopped eating, but I do admit that I was close to getting carried away. I happen to know that 19 mini M&Ms is worth .5 pt. Maybe keeping track that closely is why I was able to lose 25 pounds by October, but I also knew in the back of my mind that I could never continue that lifestyle forever. I knew if one thing in my life changed I'd be in trouble. New boyfriend, new job with a tougher schedule and further commute, illness, etc. I still plugged along and in November 2007 I joined a local gym. I weighed 142 lbs (the lowest of my adult life.) I hired a trainer and went to the gym 5-6 days a week. I started jogging on the treadmill and doing strength training.

I never dropped below 142, but I was in the best shape of my life. Strong and toned. Still couldn't wear a bikini (I will never wear a bikini) but I felt great. And I'm pretty sure I looked great. I finally had self confidence. Started dating here and there, and felt on top of the world.

Fast forward to today...April 17, 2009. I started dating Jason about 13 months ago and as expected that threw a wrench into my routine, especially in the beginning. I eventually got him to join the gym with me but I still don't go as often as I did before, and when we do go together I don't spend as much time there. And of course it's harder to make the best decisions about food all the time (especially when I spend the weekend at his house and all he has to eat are BLT sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies.)

So even though I'm not as obsessively gung ho as I was before (about both diet and exercise) I've maintained my weight within 8 pounds of my lowest. (I typically teeter between 146 and 148.) I feel that this is a success because I'm maintaining this weight outside of the bubble I placed myself in during the first 7 months of doing WW.

I'm not tracking my points right now, but have learned so much by doing WW that I can't help but mentally track certain things. I will never order a 3 egg omelet again, for example. The eggs alone would be 6 points! Then add the meat and cheese and potatoes and you're over 10 easily. (I get 20 points a day if I want to lose, 24 points to maintain.) (By the way, 1 WW point equals roughly 50 calories. To calculate points, they take into account fat grams, calories and dietary fiber.)

I still struggle with my food choices and will always be tempted by the really evil but delicious things in this world (cheeseburgers, pizza, nachos, cheese puffs...I'm sensing a theme here...chocolate cake and cookies to name a few) but finally have learned how to take care of my body. My habits aren't perfect and they never will be (I want to enjoy life, after all) but I am SO happy that I learned these things while I'm still in my 20s. I have prolonged my healthy years on this earth (God willing) just by making the changes I've already made. And there's room for so much more growth. I'm excited to learn more about myself as an organism and not just a smart, funny, kind, sometimes hormonal and emotionally insane girl. (Did I mention that I'm going back to school for Dietetics!??!)

I also realize how important exercise is. Not just for weight loss. EVERYONE has to exercise. Cardio is crucial to a healthy system. Gotta get that blood pumping. Physically...mentally...emotionally. It really is a cure-all. I won't lie and say that I love every workout. Sometimes I dread it all day long. But I also won't lie and say that I don't always feel better afterwards. Even if I'm a little sore...it's a good feeling. Bring it on.

This was long, I know. I have more to say about the next goal of this blog (see next post) and if you're still reading, maybe I have something here. Or maybe I'll just continue to use this as a personal journal for myself. Either way, I'm proud of my accomplishments so far and will keep plugging along. Life is short. It's a cliche saying...we've all heard it a million times. But actually read those words and forget that it's a tagline. It really is short and there are no do-overs.

Why I'm here

I swore I'd never blog. I never really got the point. Thought it was weird that people started sharing their daily goings on with the world. Are we all that interesting and important, or do we just think we are?

I know the answer to that one...with our status updates on Facebook, Myspace profiles, and now Twitter (which I still don't get)...we all think we are very clever and exciting. And maybe we are to our friends and family, and maybe that's why we do it.

So let me get to my point. Why am I here? Well...I'm learning. I've been learning about myself for the last three years, and now I'm learning about the world around me. That's a pretty general explanation of what I hope this blog will be about, but there you go.

and off we go................