Lazy Sunday

This week I have been dog sitting so I woke up early this morning to let the dog out. I decided that I should pick some basil from the garden. We have a square foot garden in the backyard but I must admit that I have spent very little time tending to the garden. We have three basil plants growing wildly. Each plant was $2.49 so if you include the soil we spent about $9.00 to grow basil. Do you know how much basil costs in the store? It's between $2-$3 dollars a pack.

But Bicycle Girl I don't have a back yard? If you have a sunny window or a balcony that gets at least 6 hours of sun then you are in business. Starting a herb garden is a way to take some of this cheapo food and make it quite tasty. You don't have to grow every herb but if you are like me and love Italian and Mexican food then a a basil and cilantro plant in a small pot will save you plenty money.

Here is a good link to get you started.

Almost There

We still have quite few things left and that Chard and Spinach are going to go bad soon. I guess a spinach salad is in order. Let me find some Chard recipes.

Avocados (4)
Broccoli (2 crowns)
Carrots (5 tops on)
Chard (Red, 1 bunch)
Cherries
Corn (4 w ears)
Green Leaf Lettuce (1 bunch)
Kale (1 bunch)
Mushroom (1)
Onion (1)
Peaches (3)
Purple Kale (1 bunch)
Red Bell Pepper ) (1)
Spinach (1 1/2 bunch)
Sweet Potatoes (2-3lbs)
Tomato (1)
Yellow Squash (2)
Zucchini (2)

Almond Milk

What happens when you have two lactose intolerant people in your home and one is allergic soy milk. You try out Almond milk. Almond is very sweet and rich so it's hard to eat it with your cereal. It works great in oatmeal as it sweetens it naturally and you get a good amount of protein. It also works great in baking. How about using up the last of the sweet potatoes in some sweet potato pie made with Almond Milk?

Earlier in the week we made this impromptu dinner.

Chicken Tacos with Tomato and Corn Salsa

One grilled chicken breast sliced into pieces (we did it on the foreman)
Corn kernels from tow ears of corn
one tomato diced
1/2 onion diced
1 glove of garlic
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
corn tortillas
olive oil

Saute onion and garlic in a large skillet on med-high. Add the corn and tomatoes and heat through. Add the spices and your sliced chicken and stir until everything is coated. To heat your tortillas quickly place your tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave 30 seconds at a time until heated.

Fill each taco shell with the mixture. Use any condiments you have on had such as onion, cheese, sour cream or cilantro.

Stir-Fry (Skip the Carryout)

Yet another easy technique you can use for a quick meal. Stir-frys are pretty popular but I won't assume that everyone has actually made one.

Step 1
Chop your meats and vegetables into small pieces that can cook very quickly. Only use vegetables that can be cooked in 5 minutes or less.

Step 2 Heat a pan over medium high heat.

Step 3 Place your ingredients into the plan and stir them constantly until cooked no more than 5 minutes or they may burn.

Note: With this technique fresh garlic should only be used in the final minute as it may burn and turn bitter.

Shrimp and Red Pepper Stir fry

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled (you can use chicken)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (use those packets from the carryout)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic powder

What's left in the box?

Avocados (4)
Broccoli (2 crowns)
Carrots (5 tops on)
Chard (Red, 1 bunch)
Cherries
Corn (4 2 ears)
Green Leaf Lettuce (1 bunch)
Kale (1 bunch)
Mushroom (1)
Onion (1)
Peaches (3)
Purple Kale (1 bunch)
Red Bell Pepper ) (1)
Spinach (1 bunch)
Sweet Potatoes (2-3lbs)
Tomato (1)
Yellow Squash (2)
Zucchini (2)

Roasting Vegetables

Roasting is a simple way to deal with vegetables when you don't have the time to really think of any thing elaborate to cook. The Healthy Solutions box always contains vegetables that are great for roasting. WebMD has a great article on roasting vegetables. I wanted to share this with you as I often roast the vegetables that I get from the box. Roasting doesn't add a lot of fat or calories. Use this technique on Sunday and knock out all of the veggies and use them in pastas, sandwiches, salads and pizzas all week.

From the Box: Easy Dinner

Baked Sweet Potato
Roasted Corn
Grilled Chicken? Fish? Pork?

What's left in the box?

Avocados (4)
Broccoli (2 crowns)
Carrots (5 tops on)
Chard (Red, 1 bunch)
Cherries
Corn (4 ears)
Green Leaf Lettuce (1 bunch)
Kale (1 bunch)
Mushroom (1)
Onion (1)
Peaches (3)
Purple Kale (1 bunch)
Red Bell Pepper ) (1)
Spinach (1 bunch)
Sweet Potatoes (2-3lbs)
Tomato (1)
Yellow Squash (2)
Zucchini (2)

Snack Time From the Box

How am I going to eat all of these fruits and vegetables? I have to plan ahead. Waiting until after work to figure out what I am going to eat is a sure recipe for eating out. The same goes for children. They need something to eat when they get home.


This recipe is really good for kids. My mom used to get these for us from Carl's Jr. This oven fried version will have your kids eating zucchini in no time. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to bake. Use ranch dressing as a dip. Alternatively mixed some fat free sour cream with a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing mix.


Zucchini Fries

4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup(s) dried bread crumbs, panko-variety suggested
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Put bread crumbs in another small bowl. Whip, using a whisk or fork, egg whites until frothy

Dip a zucchini stick in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dip in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have run out of zucchini. Once all of the prepared zucchini fries are on the pan spray them with cooking spray.

Put in the oven for about 5 minutes. Flip them over and then bake for another 5-7 minutes until they are crispy.

Carrot Sticks, Broccoli and Cherries

Well why buy baby carrots in the bag when you can just chop these up in about 5 minutes and put them in your child's lunch or have them in the fridge for after school? Have that same dipping sauce from the zucchini on hand. Or if your child can eat peanut butter use a little of that. For the cherries they are very easy, just eat them.

What's the deal with all this From the Box stuff?

For full disclosure I am a trained health educator. The problem with health education is that it's only one part of the solution to better health. What's the point of telling people about eating 5 servings of vegetables if they aren't available in their neighborhood? What if a person lives on someone's couch and can't cook? What if a person has two jobs? You want me to buy organic vegetables that are three times as expensive as my regular vegetables? There are so many barriers to a healthy lifestyle.

These posts deal with issue #1 food access. I discovered the Healthy Solutions coop about a year ago and I have been blessed. In a sea of carryouts and wack grocery stores I have the ability to have inexpensive organic vegetables and fruit. I actually don't advocate that everyone needs only eat fresh or organic vegetables and fruits. I think that people should just eat more fruits and vegetables whether it's from a can (and rinsed) or frozen.

So now that I have access I need to know what to do with all this and not fall back on my old habits. I had not heard of Kale until a year ago nor had I ever used Red Chard. So this is to help people like myself who want to eat better but need to know what to do with our new found access to fresh vegetables. This series is for people who have time to cook at least 2-3 times a week.

I hope this will be helpful for others. I will explain how to order from the coop during the 3rd week of June the next time the coop is open for orders.

From the Box

What I used today from the Healthy Solutions box: Peaches, Spinach, Onion, Avocados, Kale, Tomato and Chard.

Breakfast

I added some peaches to my morning oatmeal. I also sauteed some spinach to have on hand for egg white omelets. This works well for a low weight watchers point breakfast. It also helps to have the spinach on hand to make a 5 minute breakfast that is more than cold cereal.

Snack

Fresh Guacamole w/ Tortilla Chips

Well growing up in California, where avocados are abundant, I am a real fan of the buttery good stuff. I eat avocados with a spoon straight from the shell. Guacamole is a really quick thing to whip up and has good fat!

4 Avocados mashed
1 Tomato diced
1 Red or White Onion small dice
Jalapeno (optional) minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Now for the chips...

Purchase a package of corn tortillas from the store. Cut the tortillas into triangle and spread them into a thin layer onto a baking sheet. Brush them will oil or spray them with cooking spray. Bake for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees.



Dinner

Chicken, Kale and Mushroom Penne

I did a little Google searching to discover what I could do with the kale other than have it as a side dish. I found this pasta recipe linked above which I adapted a bit. Try the original and try mine as well.

Chicken, kale, and mushroom penne

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts chopped into cubes
2 bunches kale, without stemms and chopped coarsley
1 Portobello mushroom
1 16oz of whole wheat barilla brand past
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large white onion, diced
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 tsp nutmeg

1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to directions on package

2. While the pasta water is coming to a boil heat a large skillet over medium flame. Add approx. 1 tbsp olive oil and cook chicken until cooked almost through. Remove chicken and set aside.

3. Add other 1 tbsp of oil to the pan when heated, add onions and mushrooms cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add kale and nutmeg. Cook until kale begins to soften, stirring often. Place a top or plate over the skillet to allow the kale to cook down.

4. Once the kale has wilted add in the cooked chicken, red pepper and Parmesan.

What's in the Box?

I bought vegetables from Healthy Solutions Produce Coop today. What's in the organic freggie small box this week($25)?

Avocados (4)
Broccoli (2 crowns)
Carrots (5 tops on)
Chard (Red, 1 bunch)
Cherries
Corn (4 ears)
Green Leaf Lettuce (1 bunch)
Kale (1 bunch)
Mushroom (1)
Onion (1)
Peaches (3)
Purple Kale (1 bunch)
Red Bell Pepper ) (1)
Spinach (1 bunch)
Sweet Potatoes (2-3lbs)
Tomato (1)
Yellow Squash (2)
Zucchini (2)

Just for laughs I went to peapod.com to see what this would cost. They didn't have everything in the organic section but for $22 I was only able to get about 1/3 of the organic list.

Avocados
Broccoli
Carrots
Kale
Green Leaf Lettuce
Tomato

This is why the produce coop is so important to me. I live in a food desert we only have one grocery store in our Ward. The fresh produce is pretty poor. Organic produce? Forget it! I can go to Maryland or Virginia for more choices but why should I have to?

Check back for the rest of the week to see what I make. Well the first thing will be guacamole!

When You Face Setbacks

Over the last two weeks I was sick and then ObamaFest began. No exercise or portion control happened. I haven't got on the scale yet but I know it won't be positive.

What do you do to get back on track? 

When I fall off I get up and get back on as soon as possible. So for this week I will get really strict with myself so that I can quickly undo the gains if any. It also allows me to get back on without thinking. Often I try to find the most interesting and healthy food because I'm a foodie at heart. In these times I go instead to the tried, true, and easy.  This next week will be interesting because I gave all my pots to goodwill so all I'm left with is a small sauce pan and a non-stick skillet. I guess that's a challenge all of it's own. So this is what it will look like:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal with Fruit

Yogurt with Fruit and Nuts

Lunch:

Au Bon Pain Soups

Sushi

Subway Sandwiches

Dinner:

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry w/ Brown Rice

Mini Pizzas with Spinach Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

What not to eat?

That's the first thing people tell me when we talk about weight loss. They always want to tell me what they are going to stop eating. For me, I didn't give up anything I loved. I still eat french fries and drink Stella Artois. What I had to do was keep eating the things I loved but if something wasn't my favorite then why eat all those calories? I also realized that I couldn't "ball out" on every meal. I had to choose my indulgences wisely. Last, I did love some healthy foods so why not eat more of them?



(In this photo: Sip to Live Tea, Thomas' Light Multi-Grain English Muffins, Dole Frozen Mango, Stonyfield Fat Free Yogurt, All Whites,  Giant Frozen Asparagus)

So what do I eat?

Let's start with breakfast.  I used to freaking hate egg whites because folks always wanted to scramble them. However in an omelette they are decent. In my fridge I have a carton of All Whites, canadian bacon, frozen asparagus, frozen spinach and shredded Cabot 75% light cheese. Along with my non stick pan I can whip up and omelet in no time.  Doesn't a bacon, spinach and cheese omelet  sound great? It has protein and vegetables so you start your day right. It's very low in calories and fat. So then you can add a light english muffin with jelly and a fruit smoothie and still come out low in calories and fat. That's a lot of food and we are only at 300 calories or 5 Weight Watchers Points.

To make this work you need to chop the canadian bacon and asparagus. If you use spinach, keep it in the fridge to thaw. The cheese should be shredded in advance. So then when you wake up all you have to do it pour and sprinkle all your ingredients in.  For the smoothies just make a large batch and drink it for the next couple of days. For my smoothie I use frozen fruit, low fat yogurt, light vanilla soy milk and honey.  Eating this meal helps me get my fruits and vegetables in early.

The other thing I eat often is oatmeal. I recently switched to quick oats and just doing them in the microwave and adding my own flavorings. It's cheaper than using the instant packs and I can change up the flavor everyday. You know adding your own maple and brown sugar is pretty easy.  Adding some craisins and sliced almonds is also very good. The trick to this is to microwave your oatmeal for 1 minute of Medium or 50% power so it doesn't bowl over. 

I also love a good egg McMuffin but making my own is healthier and saves on calories and fat.  I use one one egg or egg whites, light english muffin, Canadian bacon and Cabot 75% light cheese. 

None of these meals takes more than 5 minutes to make as long as you have your ingredients are prepped in advanced. 

Wii Fit

For Christmas of 2007 my nephew got a Wii. He needed someone to challenge. So we played tennis, boxing and bowling. Given that the Wii is for "casual gamers", it was very easy for me to play and spank him in most of the games. On the third day of Christmas he needed Icy Hot. By the end of it he didn't even say goodbye to me after I won yet another tennis match. After that I wanted a Wii of my own and it took me 6 months to find one at regular price. It was on from there. I noticed in the boxing you can work up quite a sweat. You can do the same in tennis you play with full force. I knew then that the Wii Sports could give me some cardio alternatives. Then I heard about the Wii Fit and looked it up on the Nintendo website and it seemed kind of silly. Why would anyone need a balance board and video game to help them do lunges and sun salutations? I kept hearing more about it and two friends of mine got one and they both loved it. One is a former gym rat so I was convinced I wanted one but I wasn't quite ready to spend lots of time tracking one down. Well this guy just happened to return one when I was buying Dance Dance Revolution for my nephew. There I was standing there with both video games that are supposed to be ultimate in fitness workouts. 

When you start the Wii Fit it let's you select your Mii, weighs you, and checks your balance. You get on the balance board with shoes and socks off. It will tell you if you are obese, overweight, normal or below according to your BMI. In fact it will tell you this everyday if you let it. It will also tell you your Wii Fit age which is based on the balance test. I think it's reallly silly to give you an age based on a balance test. You can then set a weight loss target and pick the gender of your personal trainer. It saves the data so you can track overtime. It's clear that this is very Eastern oriented as balance and rhythm seems to be more important than anything else in this game. 

Tip: When you weigh yourself, do it on a hard surface as the carpet may cause inaccuracies in your measurements. After that you can move it back to the carpet and ignore the "your weight is different messages."

The game consist of four sections: yoga, aerobics, strength and balance games. There are about 12 different activities or mini games to do in each. In each section only 3-4 things are available when you start so it will feel limited. However, each time you play a game you earn Fit Credits equal to the time spent playing. As you accumulate more fit credits you will unlock more games. For the existing games you may unlock increased time limits or advanced levels.

Yoga:

I really enjoy the yoga mostly because I used to do yoga all the time and I have fallen out of practice. You follow along with your personal trainer as s/he does the poses with you. Some of the poses are modified so you can get feedback from the balance board. I think this is the most unique feature. It let's you know if your are keeping your center of balance and/or how much weight you are putting on each side of your body. It's great to have the instant feedback. I also do it in front of the mirror so I can correct poses. After each pose is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

Strength:

Ditto everything for the yoga. You are doing everything from pushes, lunges, squats to the plank. After each activity is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

Aerobics:

I know I know. I should just get on my bike. However, I'm still afraid of theft. So for now it's in home exercises. On the Wii Fit my favorite thing to do is Hula Hoop and Super Hula Hoop. I remember doing this as a kid. I also remember this European chick kicking my ass in hula hoop at the bowling alley. When I saw this I knew it was a chance to redeem myself. You stand on the balance board and sway your hips in "large neat circles". You also catch hoops that are thrown at you by the other Wii characters. I think it's funny that my mate and his brother are always throwing at me. Hula Hoop is free for all. Super Hula Hoop has you go in each direction separately starting with 3 minutes and advancing to 6 minutes. If you take the game seriously you can work up a sweat. After each round is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

Then there is Step, Advanced Step and Free Step. I was never any good a real step aerobics but I excel at Wii Step. If you have ever played Dance Dance Revultions this is the "For Dummies" version. Basic step is pretty slow and I didn't work up a real sweat as the moves are just really up and down. In Advanced step you learn even more moves and at the end they speed it up. This is a rhtyhm game as you are scored on stepping in sync. In Free Step the Wiimote taps the beat and you can change you TV to another chanell and just step your heart out at whatever pace works for you. After each round is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

Today I finally worked out enough to unlock the Rhythm  Boxing. Well at first I thought this was a dud. You watch someone give you a pattern then you take your turn at the punching bag. I thought I was doing great until the bag spoke and told me better luck next time. I did it a couple times and still felt it was too easy and if I was going to with the actual rhythm it was much too slow. I was also able to unlock 6 minute rounds in no time. Well little did I know, the combinations became more difficult. I couldn't keep up. Punching when I should be dodging; dodging when I should be blocking. I think I started to finally work up a sweat. I have a lot more practice to do before I get good at this. After each round is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

Last is the running game. This game doesn't use the balance board. Instead you put he Wiimote in your pocket or your hand. You are following a trainer on a scenic run. Other folks are running including your other Mii family members. You get higher scores for running at at steady pace. This isn't a game of speed. I like that it wants you to jog slow. However, I have bad knees and running in place hurts. Running hurts period for me. I really think I would rather go for a walk than play this game. However, I think it's a great warm up for me. Today instead of running in place I took a brisk walk in circles around the apartment. This is my least favorite of the aerobic games. After each round is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

The intensity of most of the aerobics is low to moderate even when I put my all into them. If you are new to exercise then I think these would be more challenging. The Dance Dance Revolution game is the ultimate cardio workout and I will probably use that for cardio instead of the Wii Fit. 

Balance:

Well this is my weakest section. It's a selection of 1 minute mini games from balancing on the tight rope to head butting soccer balls I really suck at this. The balance board in most cases is looking for subtle movements when playing it's balance games. I seem to only be able to move big. It took me about 20 tries to get across the tight rope. These games are really fun and addicting. This part reminds you the most of playing a video game. After each round is over you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. 

All in all I enjoy the Wii fit and I will probably stick with it. For me it will be used mostly to improve my flexibility, strength and balance. I don't think it will suffice for a good cardio workout. It does ,however, have one major flaw. After each activity you "you get feedback, get a score and get your ranking. You then go back to the menu and select a new activity. " There is no way to string a set of exercises together. It even recommends a few combinations but there is no easy way to do it. So even if you spent 30 minutes playing games tack on another 15 minutes to scroll through the menus each time. In spite of that now that I have unlocked some of the longer sessions but it will cut down on using the menu. During the strength segment the rest between sets makes a lot sense. So I have had to make up some routines to get the 30 minute mark. 

Because sharing is caring...

Well I also decided to share my measurements.  I look at them and I feel like they aren't that different from when I started. Maybe I just don't remember what they were then.  I do know that I can't even attempt to wear my previous clothing size of 14. They fall off.  A Twelve is needs a belt, a 10 is about right and an 8 sometimes. 

Measurements:

Weight: 149lbs 

Natural Waist: 30"

Low Waist (where my pants actually sit): 33"

Hips:

Thigh: 26"

Bicep: 12"

Tomorrow: Wii Fit

Happy Healthy New Year

I am happy to report that I lost 24 pounds in 2008. Here's to a few more and toning in 2009. As I said a couple of posts back I'd like to focus this blog on how I got there. First I joined Weight Watchers in January 2008. It was the end of January because I don't make resolutions. It was a fateful weekend in late January where I consumed nothing but cupcakes and realized that is just not acceptable.  As a person who tried to be healthy and spent tons of money on organic groceries I was still overweight. I realized that I had been at a steady weight for about 4 years but I felt fat and didn't like taking pictures anymore. I knew a few people who were Weight Watchers members and they were having success but I still shunned the idea of joining a weight loss program. I always thought I would accomplish my weight loss goals with just plain common sense and the fact that I have a Masters Degree in Health Behavior and Health Education.  Well I would have been out of job by now if people changed their health behaviors that easily. 

So I joined and it worked. What I learned was awareness. Who knew that my Chipotle Burritos had a days worth of calories in them?!?! I knew that I needed to follow some sort of plan. However, I had a difficult time following other plans because I can't just eat what's prescribed. At the time Weight Watchers had the Flex Plan and that worked for me. I could still eat what ever I wanted but I had to plan for it and make sure it fit into my POINTS (calorie-like) budget. The budget forced me to make some decisions because I could eat whatever I wanted but that didn't mean I could eat the not so healthy things as often and in the same quantities (Hello Hamburger Happy Meal).  I had my ups and downs through the year but I made a lot of progress.  So this year I decided I would share my health and fitness goals for 2009. 

1. Drink 48 fl. ounces of water or decaf tea day

2. Become a Weight Watchers Lifetime member.

3. Maintain the blog weekly

That's it. Well number two has a couple of components. I have to reach my goal weight and maintain it for 6 weeks.  Number 3 is very exciting to me. I already have the first couple of installments waiting on deck.  Look forward to hearing about my Wii fitness challenge and "On Hand Foods" in January. 

Shirataki Noodles

There is this new product everyone is raving about. Shirataki Noodles are noodles made from tofu and they are low in calories in fat. One cup of shirtaki is 20 kcal where as most other noodles are about 200 kcal/cup. However that is only fabulous if they taste good. I decided to try out a recipe. 

The noodles come in a package surrounded by water and they smelled fishy. I drained them and patted them dry. To a pan I added a teaspoon of olive oil and sautéed some onion. I added broccoli, shrimp and the Shirataki noodles.  I my stir fried it all together with black bean sauce. I did not like the texture of the noodles and the fishy smelled lingered. Maybe  I needed to boil the noodles for a different texture.  I was not impressed by these fake me out noodles. Anyone who knows me knows I don't like fake foods. I had hope for Shirtaki because tofu in noodle form does not qualify as fake in my book. 

Rating: D

Up Next: I lucked up on a Wii Fit during my holiday shopping so look forward to many more posts about that subject. I'm thinking about doing a Wii Fit weight loss and tone challenge for the first three months of the new year. 

So I've decided this is going to be a food and fitness blog. In 2008 I lost 22 pounds. I have more weight to lose to get to my goal but,  I know I should share with others how I got there without really going to the gym. Well obviously part of it involved a bike.  I think I will start posting up my favorite things so others might have some ideas. 

So this week I discovered Skinny Cow Ice cream. I'm not a big fan of "fake" foods. However I've been craving real sweets.  So I leave you with a review of Skinny Cow and  a dessert recipe. 

Skinny Cow makes ice cream sandwiches and bars that are low in fat and taste good enough for me. My friend used to eat them all the time but I preferred the real thing in smaller portions. However, there are times when I just want to grab and go. A good part of weight loss is portion control and Skinny cow comes all ready portioned so there is no temptation for me to try to fudge the measurements. At only 140 calories and 97% fat free,  it's a big win in my book. However it does contain high fructose corn syrup which I prefer not to eat. 

When I'm ready to bake but don't want to spend a lot of time I have put together a basic cobbler recipe based on lots of recipes I've tried. This one involves peaches but you can use any fruit you like. It doesn't have thick crust but you get that crust flavor which is the important part. 

Skinny Peach Cobbler

6 Medium Peaches Cored and Sliced

1/3 cup of sugar plus 1 TBSP

1 TBSP Cornstarch

1 TSP Cinnamon

1 C Flour

1.5 TSP baking powder

3TBSP Margarine

1/2 C 2% Milk

1/2 TSP salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

 

In a large saucepan, combine peaches, 1/3 cup of sugar (5 1/3 tablespoons), cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon; toss to coat peaches. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil; cook until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan.

 

To make topping, combine flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Work in margarine with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; stir until flour mixture is evenly moistened.

 

Drop 8 tablespoons of topping mixture over peach mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

about 150 calories 2gm fat

What's Bicycle Girl been up to?

Well she hasn't been riding her bike.  Her office went business casual and she hates changing her clothes. I'm' not one of those girls who will ride her bike in suit pants and heels. I also hate changing my clothing no the bathroom stalls. 

Second,  I have been helping B with is new Bar and Lounge. So I've been waitress, stock girl, dish girl and confidant. It's been fun and so tiring. I've also consumed an inordinate amount of fried chicken, fish, fries and beer. Thank goodness I have to walk and up down the stair everyday. So I don't think I gained any weight. Well I won't know until I get on a scale. 

I've even tried to eat healthy  before getting to the place but the smell of fried foods are too tempting. I can't stay away. I guess I should try and go there uncomfortably full. I have to do something before I reverse all my progress. I have about 16 weeks to lose 17 lbs. I can do it but this is a real challenge.  

Nate

Well again I'm home on a Friday night. Well not for long. So I was just instant messaging with a friend of mine I hadn't seen in a long time. So I asked him how his girl was doing. Well about 3 years ago his girlfriend was in an accident and was in a coma for quite sometime. When she came out of it she had to re-learn everything. How to eat, walk, talk. He told me he had just come back from visiting her and he showed me some short videos he took while he was there. She's still not able to really talk but she is able to express herself. He's making a lot of jokes and she's laughing at him. He warned me that I would cry and I didn't.

Whenever I'm having a rough day I think of Nate's strength. I might run into him twice a year these days but I always remember it. I don't know very many people who would stick around through a coma and her rehabilitation. She's moved back home to another state but he continues to be there for her. When I think of his strength that's what makes me cry. I've never met someone so selfless. I'm crying now because Nate is awesome person. I'm sad that when he had huge crush on me I ignored him, lol. I did tell him he could date me on a date to Wendy's dollar menu.

In a lot of religions we are asked to believe in the unseen. When I think of Nate I don't think I have to. I see God in him and the way he lives his life. I just didn't know I would see it in a skinny kid who wore trucker hats and knee high socks.

Yes You is Loud

So I ran into my landlord outside. I hate the fact that she's my age or even younger. Well she ask me how's it going. I say it's okay. I tell her that I'm not used to living under people. I didn't want to go too hard and say how bad it was. It's a basement and it's my fault for not properly investigating. So she asks a few questions to which I answer in the affirmative.

Is it the walking?
Is it the talking?
Is it the TV?

So she looks at me awkwardly and I say "Well I now know you have a Nintendo Wii." We made some small talk about the Wii. I think that was a good way to put it in perspective for her that I can hear things that clearly. She said that she has asked all the previous tenants and none of them ever admitted to that it was a problem. She smiled awkwardly to signal that she appreciated my honesty. I went inside and she continued to garden.

As soon as she came inside it was like the biggest ruckus ever. I giggled because I have feeling that it's just a crappy home and that they aren't really that loud but it's that there isn't a sound barrier. She mentioned that there might be some construction and I guess I should suggest to her that they maybe put in a layer of insulation.

I had no idea the people upstairs had a Wii too.

So someone just asked me why I was home on a Friday night. I stated my reason now I wish I was out on the town. My landlords have a Wii. I have one too so I know all that's involved. Well now they are upstairs making their character called a Mii. I know how fun and exciting that can be. I remember the cackling that happened when we set up one for B. Short, skinny, freckles, big noses, chinese eyes and a kung fu beard. You can make all kinds of crazy looking characters. Unfortunately there is no sound barrier between my space and theirs. They have a friend over I think he stomps his foot every time he laughs. They haven't even played any games yet. It's bound to be worse when they start moving around. It's sad that in 30 minutes the voice of Sarah Palin will sound great to me.

I have no idea why I thought living in a basement was the move. Seriously no one warned me about it. I've known a couple of people in basements but none of them mentioned the noise factor. Everyone talked about bugs and floods. I was enticed by the price. I thought I was giving up closet space. No peace and quiet is gone. An inconvenient truth. What's the point of living solo if you have voices in your living room? Luckily I only have 5 months to go. Maybe I should look more forward to work travel.

How to Make an Aloo Paratha

This is one of my favorite indian dishes but it's not found on many menus around here so I am going to attempt to make it myself. 

Hains Point Conquered

Well Hains Point is flat so I did the loop three times so I put in about 10 miles. I went pretty slow compared to other cyclist but I don't care. I just needed to do something. I may have big legs but they aren't that muscular.  The whole point of riding is to get them muscular. 

Well to that end, I'm brining on a new addition to my workout routine. I'm going to start Exotic Aerobics at a studio 3 blocks from my house.  On the surface it seems really sketchy to go to the basement of someone's home to pole dance. However, I went to the website and the woman who runs it is simply a personal trainer and decided to get on this pole dancing fitness craze.  She's also Black so that's a plus. You know how I love Black businesses. Well I'm going to start with her Body-licous which is a strength training class. I know what a squat and some crunches can do for me.  January 27th will be one year since I went on this weight loss journey so I'm hoping I can make it to my goal by then. At that rate it's one 1lb a week. I think I can make it. 

That Negro Tried to Kill Me

If you are reading this, I'm still alive. Well this morning I woke up to a slight discomfort. It was my overweight lover with his arm around me. Usually that isn't a problem but today his elbow was poking into my side. Well it was starting to hurt so I wanted him to move it. I tried to say his name and I tried to move. Well I was suffering from sleep paralysis yet again. As the pressure became too much to handle I yelled and screamed. However, he couldn't hear me as nothing was actually coming out of mouth. Nor was I moving around. Finally I snapped out of it as I was beginning to panic and think "This Negro is going to rupture my damn appendix."

I'm going for that confidence ride now.

Battle of the Arboretum

So yesterday I got off my rotunda and bought a new bike wheel. In the process I discovered that you could buy wheel locks. They aren't bolted on but you have a key that releases them fairly quickly. I'm excited by the prospect of my wheels being difficult to steel but in my heart it still doesn't seem that secure.

So this morning we decided we would take a ride around the National Arboretum. Well I thought rolling among the flowers would be a leisurely thing to do. Boy was I wrong. It's quite hilly and after not riding or doing any type of exercise for 3 months that thing nearly killed me. After 20 minutes I was done with those hills and I wanted to go some place else that was  flat. What a confidence killer. In the process I realized that my brakes were rubbing which greatly contributed to how challenging the arboretum trails felt. Well at least that's the story I'm sticking to.

We were near B's friend's house and this guy rides a lot. So we went to his house for some light bike repair. We loosened up the pad on my breaks. Well B went riding around a bit and I see him walking back up the hill. His chain was broken. So much for going out for another ride. Instead I decided I was hungry. I said "let's find some brunch guys". B says "woman why don't you cook?" Well I don't think he expected me to go upstairs to his friends kitchen and whip up a meal. No his friend is a bachelor but he has enough food for a family of 4. So I made potato and onions, scrambled eggs and Eggo waffles with a banana caramel sauce. Mighty good if I do say so myself.

So tomorrow I'm going to sneak out the Mall early and ride by myself. I can't be embarrassed the way I was this morning. I need to get my bike mojo back. So the first step is education. I decided to look over this tutorial on how to shift gears to make sure I'm doing it right.

I let a white coworker try to tell me that Diana's famous song is "I'm coming UP". Here is your answer JM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdKeGAoWEg8

I love the Internet

I woke up in the middle of night and I realized that missed Obama's speech. What the hell? Such a historic moment and I missed it. Well thank god MSNBC has the whole thing.

In other news I woke up at 6 am and it's pitch fucking black outside. The crickets are still chirping. I'm not sure I will make it in this basement apartment. From bay windows to only one window that lets light in. I curse B every time. However, I'm going to probably be cursing everyday when he leaves his clothing in the middle of the floor everyday.

The End of an Era

So Cheryl aka Shurrryl moved to Arizona last week. I'm not sad as it was probably time for us to seperate. She wanted to leave DC and I'm beginning am in transition in my life. So no more spontenous barbeques, drunken walks to Ben's and not stopping each other from eating Taco Bell.

So this week I am moving into my last apartment as a single woman. It's for 6 months. Don't ask me why because I'm kind of sick of answering that particular question. I am that's it. I'm moving to a part of town that is very different from every other place I've lived in DC. While I am not that far from the metro I'm much further than I've ever been. It's also an area that doesn't have many small businesses. Therefore I won't really be walking for late night runs to anything. While I could get along as many people do without my car. It will be much easier to just get in the car and ride to Popeyes. That's one thing that I will hate. My options for convient healthy eating have gone down. Well I am only moving a mile away but things get sparse on this side. It's pretty sad. 

Dear Barack Obama Supporters,

I would like to inform you of why I am voting for your candidate. I'm voting for him because he is a Democrat and he's Black. When it came to the primary I voted (well i was going to vote) for Obama because Hillary and Bill were playing dirty. If you go to the the various websites that track voting history Obama and Hillary are barely indistinguishable. I also would have voted for Obama because he's been in politics for less time than Hillary. It means that he hasn't made as many back door deals. He hasn't been out there playing the politics game for that long. It was obvious that Hillary had "bought" many of the black Dems along the way and now they are mad they put their money on the establishment. Obama has made deals, he just doesn't owe as many people as she does. Also I'm voting for him because he's Black. I cast a vote for Jesse in the Girl Scout mock election in 1988 because he was Black. Well times haven't changed that much and I am going to ahead cast my vote for Black again Why not ? People vote based on race everyday. I think anyone voting for change hasn't thought about it really hard. We have a government that is slow and has three branches. Although in the Bush presidency he's wielded the power of the executive very heavily, I doubt Obama will be doing the same.

Signed,

Aisha

P.S. Of course Edwards cheated I knew that from the first day I saw him. He's a young, politician, rich, good looking with a $400 haircut and a great smile. Uh Duh.

It's been a long time...

Yesterday I attended yet another bachelorette party. I'm really warming up to them. Obviously I can't talk about what happened but there is one story I must tell. When I arrived at the hotel, I was in the elevator with two guys. We made small talk and they made jokes about coming to the bachelorette party. They exited on the 6th floor...6th Floor Boys. Later on the bachelorette party attendees were banished to the lobby so that when the stripper arrived. I guess word got to the 6th floor that there were 20 fine ass ladies in the lobby. There was not a single ugg mugg among us. Next thing I know there are lots of men in the lobby including the guys I was previously on the elevator with. I made small chat and they said they were at the liquor store with me earlier as well.

When the ladies are asked to returned to the suite, somehow 4 of us are on the elevator with the 6th Floor Boys. So apparently I had been to the liquor store and now to the in the elevator twice. So they start making jokes about being our pre-entertainment. One lifts up his shirt and I had a couple of ones in my hand so I decided to stick it in the waist of his pants. Well what I didn't count on is that he didn't have on underwear. I didn't really look as I reached in and there it was, pubic hair. Here I am essentially grabbing the pubic hairs of a strange. An accident but typical Aisha.

It's here....

I found a Wii in Providence, RI. So for the last 6 months I've been casually looking for a Wii. I'm so glad I found it. 

Bummer

So some asshole stole my bike wheel again. I'm so pissed. This time they used bolt cutters to take it in broad daylight from one of the busiest intersections of the city. So that's another $80 plus I need to buy a heavy duty lock.

Then I was walking from the Metro and this guy said "girl i'm glad your pants are too tight." So he implied that he was happy that I decided to squeeze myself into this pair of pants for his viewing pleasure. Like I was one of those tacky DC girls who sports a constant muffin top an booty about to split the pants. The thing was that my pants weren't tight. In fact when I put them on I thought about how they were finally the perfect fit and were no longer too snug. But the hell with him I lost another 2.6 lbs for a total of 16.4. I'm only .4 lbs away from being able to say. I've lost 10% of myself. Awesome. I'm going to celebrate next week with sushi.

So this week someone stole my front while. What a downer. But my boo is taking care of it for me. He rocks.

In other news my weight loss is still continuing. Yesterday I was wearing this dress and I swear there was a little midget following me. That's because since my waist is getting smaller it's making my lower body that much more prominent. Also in a dress the hind parts are able to run around freely. It's such a catch 22.

...and today we have turkey burgers
i don't measure for this so here we go

1 lb ground turkey
Worcestershire Sauce
Dijon Mustard
chopped Chives
1 egg for binding
Grill Seasoning
Salt

This works best in a grill pan.
They look so pretty.

Making Easy Food sound Fancy


So let's talk today about frittata. According to wikipedia.com:

"frittata is a type of Italian omelette that frequently features fillings such as meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Like a traditional French omelette, a frittata is prepared in a skillet. However, whereas an omelette is cooked on a stovetop and served folded, a frittata is first partially cooked on a stovetop but then finished under the grill (broiler) and served open-faced."

So essentially it's a non folded omelette by another name. So let's talk about how to make a frittata.

The essentials: Eggs, milk, cheese salt and pepper
The optionals: ham, turkey, onion, spinach, bacon, tomato..... whatever you like in your omelettes

How to:
Preheat oven to 375
Whisk 6 eggs and two egg whites in a bowl with 1/4 cup of milk.
Preheat a 10 inch ovenproof skillet on medium heat.
Add some oil (any type will do even nonstick spray)
Add your "optionals" and cook them
Add the egg mixture over the "optionals"
Let the frittta "set up"....wait until the sides look firm but the top still jiggles
At that point put it in the oven for 5 minutes
Remembering that the handle is hot, take it out and sprinkle cheese on top
Put back in the oven until the cheese has melted
Remov from oven and let rest for 2 minutes
Cut, Serve, Enjoy

My Life via Hood Films

1.Remember when Ricky (Morris Chesttnut)got Shot in Boys in the Hood and he took a piss right before that? That was my back gate he pissed on.

2.Remember the house Jada Pickett lived in Menace to Society? That was across the street from my Elementary School.

3.Remember in White Men Can’t Jump when Wesley and his wife are looking to upgrade to a new house ? It was just 1.5 blocks from our house. Every house was a California bungalow or craftsman so they look very unique because architectural details were often maintained.

4.Remember in Love and Basketball they both Monica and Q play for Crenshaw in High School? I also dated a star basketball player from Crenshaw.

5.Also do you remember in White Men Can’t Jump when Wesley meets with the Tile Salesman at Oki Dog? That place was one block from my grandmother’s house. So I would always try and get her to take me there. I can’t believe I used to want a burrito filled with hotdogs, chili and cheese.

6.Remember in Traning Day when Denzel goes to see his child in the hood. Well that was in Jungles near my other elementary school. The Jungles were considered very dangerous as it was a bunch of cheap apartments right on top of one another. Lots of drug dealing but I never felt unsafe around there but I would watch my back a little bit more after passing King Blvd.

7.Remember in The Wood when they go into the 7-11 to get breath mints….well that was like the only 7-11 in all of the hood. Seriously there aren’t very many. In fact I think “The Wood” has 2 and that’s all we get.

I am truly a heathen.

Today was condom distribution day once again. So we were walking around a shopping center handing out condoms since it was raining today. I hand one to this brother and he hesitates on taking it. I tell him if he doesn't need it maybe someone else he knows does. So he walks away with it and brings it back a few minutes later and says "I wanted to give this back since I won't need it and someone else might." How nice of you "such a fine specimen of a running back with a squeezable booty."

We continue to hand out condoms and we run into him and his companion again. We thanked him again for returning the package. He stops and talks to us more about what we are doing. He asks us if we ever promote abstinence since that is the only sure fway to not get HIV. So we rap a taste about different things and we have some good laughs. Something tips me off that he is a man of God. So I asked him if he was a part of a ministry. He tells me he goes to the church up the way and I joke with him about the church causing ungodly amounts of traffic on Sundays.

Now I have only been to church twice in the last 5 years. In my lust, I seriously contemplated attending this church sometime soon. Not to catch a sermon but to catch a glimpse of this fine man again. Generally people invite folks to their churches or say "you should attend" but I'm sure he read the message across my boobs "There is no religion but sex & music." signed, Sting. Thus I wasn't invited to church.

This is also not my first foray into trying to corrupt men of God. (I may have posted these stories before but I don't care, lol.)_The first time was in college when another fine specimen of a man walked into the sanctuary and there was only one seat left in the church that wasn't on the first row. So I assumed I could point him to it. I see him looking around so I try to flag him over. He walked right up to the front row. Damn Damn Damn. I figured I'd try and talk to him after church or something. Well before the service was over he was introduced as a minister in training. Well goodness gracious. So after church he actually walks up to me because he said that he recognized from school. How had I not seen this man on campus? It was an awkward chat as I was nervous that he was coming up to me. I was kind of curt with him but, I should have been more friendly because being a first lady sounds like a cush job.

The 2nd time this happened I was attending a pentecostal church for the first time. They had these praise singers and one of them looked aight. He was a tad too mixed looking for my taste. When church was over and I was leaving he ran through the crowd just like OJ running through the airport to try and talk to me before I left. Then I attended a gospel concert in the park and I was having a hard time finding my friends in the crowd. So I ran into him and his mom and just shared a blanket with him. So we exchanged numbers and emails and what not. So we were sorta kinda talking to each other but he too was a minister in training. So we could never get anything popping off because he was trying to stay on the straight and narrow. Me not so much.

"Hey JP you are so tall when you really get into singing I get nervous because you always look like you are going to bump your head."

"Aisha how do you even notice that? You should be deep in prayer and worship and not paying attention to me."

Whoomp Whoomp Whoomp

He probably prayed a lot to take the temptation named Aisha away. One day at work I was talking to a coworker about the situation and I mentioned his full name since it's of french origin, very unique and sexy. My coworker starts screaming so I'm thinking she saw a rat run by us or something. No here I am talking to her about her cousin. Well it all ended right there. His mom was white how was I to know he was Haitian? Well yeah his name but I thought his mom might be French or something.

Someone asked me the other day if I still get tempted. My answer was obviously yes but I would never act on it but I was truly having some visions earlier today. Whole "flicks" running through my mind as we talked. We were talking about sex...I mean sexual health the whole time. So the words, penis, vagina, head, cigar & blue dress were sprinkled in the conversation.

Clearly I need the Lord. I can't even go into his house without lusting over someone. The church the guy was talking about actually has a webcast....yeah I went to their website and looked through the photos, lol. Maybe I'll catch a webcast so I can see what the church is about. I'm serious I won't be scanning the crowd for the dude...well I'll try not to.

Lots of Random Things

I forget what it's like to be a teen sometimes until I get to talking to the girls at the afterschool program.

1) The Senior who got the "itis" so bad that I hope that the colleges don't rescind their offers.

2) The sophmore whose mother died of cancer and now her family is split up.

3) The sophmore who has a 21 year old man trying to talk to her and she tells me he wants her to be involved in some questionable things of a sexual nature. He's also been to jail three times.

The first two will probably work themselves out but the 3rd I'm feeling the need to intervene. So I'm trying to get her a job that will involve her spending 8 hours a month with me. So it's kinda like she will be getting paid to be my mentee. Hopefully that all works out.

I have to question when something positive happens


So my uncle and I have never really had a relationship. If I went to my grandmothers or my dad's and he happened to be around we might chat for 5 minutes. So I basically would see him for 5 minutes once a year. No calls or anything in between.

So 3 years ago in that 5 minutes I tell him I have to buy a new car. I get back home and there is an envelope from him with check for the down payment.It was odd because in over 27 years he'd never given me anything. Not even a few bucks for the ice cream truck. I thanked him profusely for the check.


So now he calls me every so often, like once a quarter and that 5 minutes has turned into 1 hour every time I'm home. So he called two weeks ago when I changed my number he called again today. So I should be ecstatic that we are building a relationship now but something feels so strange about it.

How to make your own Lean Cuisine

So at first I was just trying to get my sexy back. Now I have to figure out how to make my food taste good without adding a lot of salt. I also spend a ton of money on food and I need to cut that out. My savings account is larger than it’s ever been but I know I could trim back even more.

So I’ve been trying to take my lunch but I’m so lazy I can’t seem to get it together. So instead of sitting in the bed listening to NPR I got up and made breakfast and packed a lunch while I listened to the news. So I got this great idea for making my own Lean Cuisine.

1/2 cup frozen brown rice
6 medium frozen cooked shrimp
3/4 cup of frozen asparagus tips
1 smashed clove of garlic
2 ½ TBSP of low-sugar orange marmalade (no artificial sweetener)
1 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TSP sesame oil
Black Pepper
2 frozen ice cubes of chicken broth

Place all of this is a microwaveable plastic dish. While it sits in the fridge at work all the ingredients will start to defrost. Microwave with a top on for 3 minutes or so (you just have to figure that part out). Mix it all up and you have a yummy healthy meal. You might have to adjust the flavoring to your liking. I’d even say add a little soy sauce but I can’t eat that.

I have a pretty decent pantry so it’s a little easier for me to throw stuff together. Also chicken broth only lasts a couple days in the fridge so if I know I’m not going to use the whole carton I just freeze it into ice cubes and have them on hand.

It's not really about being fat.

So I'm sure we've all looked at people who were obese and thought things about them. Thinking they are so unhealthy ecetera. However, what if all the tests say everything is okay? No diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholestrol.

Then there is me. Always trying to get B to be more active because his size signals to me he might be unhealthy. Then I go to the doctor to find out I have high blood pressure. I'm the one who exercises all the time and tries not to eat processed foods. I'm the one trying desperately to get fit and stay fit. I'm doing all the things I should and none of it seems to matter.

So now I have to give up more than ever before. I now understand why father appears to eat a tasteless diet. He probably had this same moment I'm having. No more pickles and olives. No more bacon, not even turkey bacon. No more bloody Mary's. No more lunch meat. Who really wants to eat low salt peanut butter?

Get Money

So I keep wondering should I buy a condo to live in until I walk down the aisle because I'm not one for shacking up. However, it seems silly because I probably wouldn't live in all that long but I guess there is rental income potential.

I also have a friend who wants to buy something in my neighborhood. So she asked me to help her figure out the market. You can look up the tax assessment values of a property but they are usually a little lower than what the market rates are.

So I just google my address and up pops a document of area revilization. In this document it talks about the revilization on my neighborhood. So I know for sure my landlord was able to get the place I am renting through one of those first time buyes low income specials. Let me remind you that low income in DC is like 62K. So in the document it says the place was sold for 150K. She I know she is renting it illegally because she told us that she had to wait three years to rent it but her daughter needed her to live with her fo the next couple of years and then she would move back in. So in essence she's pimping the system hard. We are paying more than three times her mortgage to rent this place. She got the place well below market rates and is renting for market rate. I can't begrudge anyone getting money but damn.

The lady below us treats us like renters. It pisses me off even more because now I know what her mortgage payment is roughly. So she always has a roomate which means they are probably paying her mortgage for her. So she needs to get off her high horse because we I could pay her mortgage and then some. She treats us like we are some poor stupid renters.

For the better part of three days I've been stuck at home hacking and coughing. I thought I would clean up or read but I managed not to do anything. But I don't want to talk about being sick I hate it. The good news is that I finally found a doctor. I'm so excited to go in at the end of the month. Time to finally face the facts about some of my health problems.

But I really want to talk about mommy syndrome. I know that little kids love me because of my hair. I think it excites them when I really think I should scare them. Part of me wants to know what excites them so. Generally I expect children to point and stare and say "Mommy look at the funny lady." But on at least two occasions children have tried to get out of their high chairs at restaurants to come to my table. In one case the mom got sick of the kid and just pushed him over to eat at my table. He sat there played with the pancakes and was cool when he was with me. The same thing happens at grocery stores, kids trying to get out of their shopping carts. Then there are the random kids who run up and squeeze my legs saying "mommy". I stand there dumbfounded like "umm who's kid is this?"

It really bothers me because I try to pretend like I hate kids. But I guess it's not true. But I have not idea why children find me that interesting, ready to abandon their mothers and run of into the world with me. A stranger. Ninety percent of the time they are white children. Do I remind them of their Black nannies? Or am I around white children 90% of the time?

I've been told I have motherly instincts but I say it's all hogwash. However, my bestfriend is pregnant and I had the answer to every question that husbands asks. How much is a car seat? Do we need to get a bigger car? What about diaper services. I seem to have all the answers. I guess that's what happens when you've been an Aunt since 5. So I've said all this so say...ha ha...to say *shrug*

Oh also let me plug my new favorite blog: postbourgie.com

One post a month? Wow this is really piss poor.

So in today's news...

I sat in a meeting for 6 hours with wet pants. I had to drive to a meeting and I spilled a bottle of water on my crotch. Oh joy.

Can I say I'm going to have more bike clothing than regular clothing very soon? It's no fun being sweaty in regular clothing. It makes it so uncomfortable.

I also lost 8lbs in February. I need to make sure I keep it up for March.

This year there are so many weddings happening. I can't wait to help everyone celebrate their love.

Getting Things Done

On a general weekend I get nothing done. I say I'm gonna take care of this or that but it never happpens. Well today I accomplished the following things.

1. Dropped off Dry Cleaning
2. Dropped off donations to Goodwill
3. Replaced my license and renewed my registration (2 damn hours)
4. Handled some over due personal gromming
5. Picked up my prescription and that much needed pack of toilet paper
6. Picked up the dry cleaning I dropped off this morning

I know it doesn't seem like a lot to some people but on a general weekend I might do one of the 6. Tomorrow I hope to accomplish about 2 big task around the house and pick up a couple of things from the mall but I doubt I'll do it all. But I'm about to play hard tonight. I'm going to attempt to go out with my girl tonight after a dinner.

Bad News

I'm not registered to vote. I'm pretty pissed. Last February I filled out the application at the DMV when I got my license. So I realized that I didn't know my polling place so I went online to check. Well it says they don't have a record for me. So I can't vote for *********** on Tuesday. I'm pretty disappointed. Ironically I'm going to the DMV tomorrow because I lost my license. Well I won't be filling my voter registration application again because apparently they don't submit them. Really I should have checked earlier but when you apply you just assume you are registered. Yeah I'm pissed.

Close Encounters of the Racial Kind

Now for the 2nd installment. Again I have a Vietnamese nail technician asking me "Is that all your real hair?" I guess the weave queens are the pevailing image in their minds. So I got intot he waxing room and now she's up close up and personal. She comes over to examine my brows and has to move my from out of the way so it doesn't get waxed. I've seen hair like yours before but I've never touched it. Well you can't really go off on the person about to put hot wax near your eye.

In other good news I lost 5lbs this week. I worked hard and my efforts paid off. It was actually a lot more weight that I thought I would lose. I stll managed to eat out and drink alcohol in the process. So whil I did change somethings there was no serious restricting I had to do. I'll share the plan with you at some later date.

It is 49 degrees in DC at 5:30am. Instead I'm in Akron, OH and weather.com say it is 15 but feels like -6. Yeah really this sucks. I'm going to freeze my ass off.

In other news I took a Confident City Cycling class Saturday. It really sucked. Dude just sat there and read to us. We didn't get on our bikes. He did show us how to change a tire. I really couldn't do it myself if I had to based on his demonstration. So me and my girl get on our bikes to ride home. In the process of speeding down 18th Street in Adams Morgan we had an encounter with a bus. We followed dudes directions and we nearly were taken out. Then something popped off my girl's bike and flew across the busy street. I was able to stop and cross the street. There was a dude about to illegally parking. I get over there and he gets nervous and inquires "Are you parking enforcement?" Well that solidified my dork on bike status. I apparently I'm the adult version of a hall monitor. There I am trying to get her bike parts from under a parked car in the middle of 18th street. Well after all that we made it home safely but didn't feel any more confident that before we went to the class.

Today is a day when I would have taken a ride to work but instead I'm in Akron, OH. On my way to the airport I had a how not to holla moment. Well this person didn't holla but I was offended by his remarks:

"Where did you get your cuteness from? I mean I'm know you are black but what else are you? I can tell you aren't just black."

So today I was reminded that if you are cute surely you just can't be Black.

Go Wizards

I really hadn't realized that basketball season started. Seriously I really didn't realize that it was January and well the season starts in October. Wait that's a lie, I was trying to get Wizards tickets back in October. Well basketball just hasn't been on my radar.

Well yesterday after a moment of crisis I ended up in Ben's Chili Bowl for dinner. They have the Wizards vs. Celtics game on. I knew they were at the Garden which meas that they would have their road jerseys on but I still squinted because I didn't recognize the uniforms. Well these new uniforms are just awful. I hope they are some sort of temporary uniforms or something.

So there is yet another thing I need to add to my social calender. I try to go to at least 3 games a year. Hopefully I can end up in a luxury box again this year.

I'm typing this to you with tight arms. I went on a 10 mile bike ride yesterday. The only thing that hurts right now are my arms. It feels good but I'm surprised my legs don't hurt. I really think my arm hurt from putting my bike on the bike rack on the car. I have women's style bike but that makes it hard to put it on the rack.

After the bike ride I rushed home to cook some chicken and to take it to Girls Night Out. I was invited by a friend to night of women just hanging out and building with one another. You know they say women are catty but this night just proved everyone wrong. We had a nice time.

A part of this included a male stripper. This dude was well known. All the girls had seen him before. I guess I'm missing an adventure here in DC. They all go to male strip clubs. I've only seen them at house parties and really I don't like them. Something about them makes me timid. I'm so not timid. But dude was just okay. I didn't like his look and that's half of the fantasy. But I enjoyed his show.

I'm typing this to you with tight arms. I went on a 10 mile bike ride yesterday. The only thing that hurts right now are my arms. It feels good but I'm surprised my legs don't hurt. I really think my arm hurt from putting my bike on the bike rack on the car. I have women's style bike but that makes it hard to put it on the rack.

After the bike ride I rushed home to cook some chicken and to take it to Girls Night Out. I was invited by a friend to night of women just hanging out and building with one another. You know they say women are catty but this night just proved everyone wrong. We had a nice time.

A part of this included a male stripper. This dude was well known. All the girls had seen him before. I guess I'm missing an adventure here in DC. They all go to male strip clubs. I've only seen them at house parties and really I don't like them. Something about them makes me timid. I'm so not timid. But dude was just okay. I didn't like his look and that's half of the fantasy. But I enjoyed his show.

Well I've changed the name of this blog again to more correctly reflect my life. I'm hardly having adventures these days. Right now I spend more time with my bike than anyone else. There was also this strange incident where a random group of strangers called me Bicycle Girl. I resisted the name but now I'm stuck with it. It also allows me to refer to myself in the third person quite easily.

What has Bicycle Girl been up to?

She had a fabulous time in California.

Since my mother passed going home has been rather stressful. I am not able to go to the childhood home I grew up in and I don't feel like I'm going home anymore. Most of my family has moved to other parts of the city so their homes don't feel like home anymore. These aren't the homes that they lived in for the 17 years I grew up in Los Angeles. My dad's house kind of feels like home only because he hasn't really changed my grandmother's house since she passed nearly 15 years ago.

Sometimes I feel disconnected from my family because my path is totally different from those close in age to me. These are my 2nd cousins. I try not to look down at folks I just want them to do better. I don't want them to have kids and then depend on a welfare check to take care of them. When I hear folks saying things like "I think I should have another baby so that I don't have to work." That shit is not cute. I get disgusted and doesn't make me proud to be a Dones family member.

I want them to provide more for their kids than they had. Instead they are content on providing less for their kids than what they had themselves. I want them to get up everyday and go to work. I know no one wants to do that especially at a low paying minimum wage job but I know that children need to see their parents work. Your parents retired from jobs after work there for 20 to 30 years and you've never held a job for more than six months. For shame. I want them to choose good male role models for their children. Not just find a man they can hustle into paying their bills and buying them coach bags.

It also bothers me that my older family members who enable my cousins not to do better. I know they don't want their grandchildren to suffer but they are also making so that their children don't have to do better. I can see getting your children out a rough spot but paying others rent and mortgages has got to stop. I know parents can competely control their kids but don't make it easy for them not to be productive people. If you want to contribute, pay your daughters childcare so they can go to work. I could rock with that.

Can you see why I think welfare reform wasn't such a bad idea?

See but I don't want to look down on folks right? I don't want to be Bill Cosby with mine but it boogles my mind that my family is hustling backwards. I don't really want to agree with Juan Williams. But I am close enough to this to know this is about the choice to struggle. I'm not sure why they are in love with the struggle.

But Bicycle Girl what about your sister?

Well Bicycle Girl's sister fits in here to. The only difference is that I to my knowledge my mother didn't enable her. She did take care of her first child but soley because the child had special needs and wasn't going to live past age 5. The child is 23 now. It's one thing to have a wayward child. It's another thing to enable your child to be wayward. In fact I think my sister had an untreated mental illness. But that's another story altogether.

But Bicycle Girl aren't there any positives in your family?

Well of course. I'm hopeful for the kids under 10. They have really taken a liking to me. Everyone was surprised when Cousin Bougie joined the line dancing during the Christmas festivies. Well actually it was odd because we have never danced during the festivies. We used to sit around and talk and after aunt passed who used to hold the party people started playing games. We played family trivia and sang Christmas Carol's. This year they tried to get children to sing. We laughed as lil DeMaya told us that on the 8th Day of Christmas we get 2 cameras. I agree with her, maybe the song needs a little updating. After that someone got the genius idea to play some of the classic line dances that black people loved to do. There was shock when I go up there and joined in. They were even more shocked when I didn't need anyone to show me how to do them. What Cousin Bougie knows how to do the booty call? Yes I right foot stomped my way back into the family. Soon all the kids were just dancing away and Jada danced her heart out. She's needs to get into dance classes. She's destined to be the new little girl in the Missy Elliot videos. I'll put up the video of her dancing in another entry. Then there is Imani. Imani already has a job, she does commericials. At 6 she came up to me to tell me that she's was too nervous to dance. She was so sincere. They all made me smile a lot.

But Bicycle Girl this isn't what you set out to write is it?

No really I wanted to talk about how badly I want a Nintendo Wii. Nintendo is pretty smart. They make something a low price point, easy to use and fun. So I really want one and I can't have one because they are sold out. Gamestop and Walmart are running a hustle where you have to buy a bundle to get one. Umm no I'm not spending $600 just to get something that cost $250. But when I get one everyone is welcome to come over and play. I will whip your ass in boxing and I'm not too bad in Tennis either. I spanked my nephew's ass right before heading to the airport and well he really wasn't sad that I was leaving anymore. He was just like "Bye Auntie. Have safe Flight."

Little Tortilla goes Vegan

Well that's not true at all. But she is trying to limit her amount of dairy. So this weekend I made a vegan fruit smoothie (fruit,tofu,soymilk,sugar) and vegan mac and cheese. Well the smoothie is delicious and the mac and cheese was much like velvetta shells and cheese. So it was all great edible alternatives but of course it wouldn't be my first choice. . But my stomach hurts right now, just like it would if I had lactose. So what gives? This so defeats the purpose of leaving out the dairy. Am I alergic to soy? *pouts*

Hide and Seek

Well my roomie and boyfriend are planning something for my birthday. I swear they are terrible at trying to keep a secret.

My cellphone acts crazy all the time and never rings. On Thursday I sat waiting for his call since we were going out that night. So he calls the home phone and she answers it. We don't have caller id but he's the only one who ever calls it. So she starts talking to the person on the other end which I know is him. Then she hands me the phone. I talk to him for a bit. When I was finished, I asked her what he wanted. She says "He wanted to hook me up with one of his single friends." Well that was a blatant lie. So I knew then they were planning something. Great, because I didn't plan a party this year.

On Saturday I was at his house and I went to log into Gmail. Well when I pull up the website it goes right into a mailbox. I see there was an email from my roomate but the title says "Aisha's Present". Then I remembered that this was his computer so thus it's his email. I sit for a second and debate on opening the email but I decide to not ruin their surprise what ever it is. But they are doing a sucky job at hiding whatever it is from me.

Citibank can kiss my ass

So I have all my bills set to be paid automatically. I check my statement and I realize my bill is late...this can't be so since I have it set to pay auotmatically. I look and the last payment was processed a day early. Therefore when the next bill was due it wasn't paid because on time because the payment I made was reflected in an earlier billing cycle.

So I call Citibank to resolve the matter. I've never paid my bill late in over 10 years so it shouldn't be a problem. I talked to the lady and we got the matter resolved fairly quickly. "I'll take the late charge off for you but don't you ever do this again." What happened to customer service? She reprimanded me like I was stupid and she was my momma. I'm like well isn't that funny. It was very early in the morning so I didn't flip out on her. I am just going to write them an email and just change my automatic payment date so I don't pay the bill too EARLY!

First Big Day as Manger: Failed!

I had a meeting out in Rockville. I've been to this place before. I know how long it takes to get there. I did metro trip planner just to be sure. I gave myself an extra 15 minutes just in case something happened. Well Metro politely ate that up and wouldn't even say what was going on. We are just waiting on the platform went from saying "Shady Grove 2" to "Shady Grove __." So I was late to my first meeting as manager. Well by the end everyone had forgot it happened. It was such a good meeting. So next time I will give myself 30 minutes grace period. I'll just sit a little longer in the lobby if need be. Being late is not a good look.

Since I wasn't born unti 1978 I had no idea about this part of her life.

From the Los Angeles Times
Maxene McGinnis, 1926 - 2007
Group home founder turned around lives of troubled girls
By Jocelyn Y. Stewart
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

December 8, 2007

In the end, Maxene McGinnis did more than offer a home to girls nobody else wanted. The founder of Jacqueline Home for Girls offered the girls another way of seeing themselves, a view from a different mirror.

The girls questioned their worth; McGinnis never doubted it. They said they couldn't achieve; she said she expected no less. They hung their heads; she told them to lift them high.

With that view, McGinnis wielded a power that transformed the lives of troubled girls.

McGinnis, who helped raise 210 girls in her group homes, later operated child-care centers that served 160 families and was honored with a star at Staples Center's Star Plaza, died Nov. 27 of stomach cancer at her home in Los Angeles. She was 81.

On Tuesday, the nearly 200 mourners who packed Grace Chapel at Inglewood Park Cemetery heard of the lives McGinnis helped salvage.

"She never made me feel like I was her job," Debra Johnson, who spent some of her teen years in McGinnis' home, told the mourners. "She made me feel like I was her child."

For former group home "girls" like Johnson, Phyllis McNeal and Sharon Cameron, time spent at the home was the best experience of their childhood.

"I never saw love like that. . . . I thought it was just on TV," said Cameron, who at 15 was labeled the "worst of the worst" and sent to the home.

If McGinnis had followed conventional wisdom, the Jacqueline Home for Girls might never have come into being.

Born in 1926, she graduated from UCLA in 1948 with a degree in sociology. She was eventually hired as a social worker in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. The Texas-born McGinnis, who was raised by her mother with the help of a close extended family, grew up in Dallas during a time when opportunities for African Americans were few. Jobs like hers were an accomplishment to be proud of, not to leave.

But in the 1960s, McGinnis was young and ambitious and had a vision of running a home for children in need. That vision began in her youth, grew after a stint teaching Sunday school and kept growing and refining itself; it would not let her rest.

At the social services department she was placed in charge of a unit that trained the daughters of welfare recipients to find work. But she found the girls' life skills so meager that "we had to begin with proper dress, personal hygiene . . . proper grammar and the most basic manners and social skills," McGinnis wrote in her unpublished memoir.

The girls were eager to do well, but they needed to get out of their chaotic surroundings to achieve, she said. So she gathered them together and helped them find an apartment and stayed in their lives to help them. Later she learned that a change of environment would benefit youngsters who were in juvenile hall and other locked facilities simply "because there were no other places to go."

Driven by her vision, McGinnis left her job and rented a home in the Wilshire district, opening the Jacqueline Home in 1968.

The home would eventually be filled with as many as six girls from various backgrounds, all wards of the court, referred by the county Probation Department. For each girl, she received $307 to $355 a month, according to a Los Angeles Times article.

"She was a black woman in the '60s running this home for girls," said her daughter, Michelle McGinnis. In the beginning "most of the girls were very affluent. Most of them were white."

At the house, McGinnis was "mom," and she set out to raise the girls. She disciplined them to correct behavior, visited their schools to make sure they were performing, encouraged and rewarded them and listened to them.

"It's a happy house," McGinnis said in a 1969 Times article. "People always expect something dreary and sad, and they're surprised to find that it's not."

In 1969, she married Essic McGinnis, and the following year she gave birth to Michelle, now a prosecutor in the Los Angeles city attorney's office assigned to a program through which she assists youths at Markham Middle School. In addition to her daughter, McGinnis is survived by numerous cousins.

Over the years the house earned honors for its work. McGinnis expanded to three houses, but in 1977 closed them and moved into child care, in which she continued to work until retiring this year.

Long after she closed the homes, some of the women who had lived there as girls remained a part of her family. In the end, their reclaimed lives were a testament to her work.

"She gave me hope, encouragement, pride and unconditional love," said McNeal, who holds a master's degree, is a probation officer and runs a program to dissuade young people from crime. "If not for my mom, I wouldn't be working for the system. I'd be in it."

Daily Horoscope for Sunday December 9, 2007

Your life is continuing to change and today's New Moon can send you into the next phase of ongoing personal growth. Whatever opportunities are presented to you should be received as a message directly from the cosmos. It may take time to understand the significance of the next few days. In the meantime, be gracious as you accept what arrives on your doorstep.

.....

Well today is my first day as Project Manager. I've never been as excited to go to work as I was last night. I feel a renewed sense of commitment and I really think it's my time to shine. I haven't been that confident at work these days but this new development is just the infusion I needed in my life. It doesn't come with a raise but we were all scheduled for raises this week anyway. Wish me luck.

R.I.P

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801496.html

The summer before I left for UNC I gained about 15lbs. I had stopped working out and I would spend all of my time at Ben's Chili Bowl. It's a DC institution and the food is expensive for what it is but I would go there mulitiple times a week. I would go because it was the place where everybody knew my name. The staff members made me feel at home. Often times I was served by Timothy Spicer because he had a crush on me. I would walk in and he was tell the other guys that i was his customer. He tried several times to get me to go on dates and he would flash his charming smile. Last night I learned that he had be killed in a car jacking. I shed some tears because he was a good kid. He went to work everyday and enjoyed what he did while trying to craft away through music and art to a better life. I'll miss you Tim.


Earlier my my dad called me to tell Ms. McGinnis past of a heare attack. Ms. McGinnis owned Bene Pre-School where myself, my niece and my 2nd cousin attended. At this school I learned all the basics. It wasn't daycare it was true learning. Ms. McGinnis was all about learning but she also employed many people that wouldn't otherwise have a chance. Besides my family, this is the person I've known the longest. I'm truly going to miss her. I don't have that many ties to the old neigborhood since my mom died. This is one less.

It's been two years since I posted on my old blog. I noticed that and decided to get out my old posts. well most of them are gone. I'm so sad. I do have some entries printed it out but that was the craziest time of life so i'm sad that my "journal" is gone.

Well today was also crazy. Somehow I managed to put my tampons into the fridge at work. I meant to put my lunch in there but I put the wrong bag in. Secondly, I was talking to some of my coworkers and one asked "what's that near your belt?" Well it turned out to be a random piece of a tampon wrapper. Whoa is me.

I've noticed that my life has been much better since I started riding my bike to work everyday. I do not have the "how not to holla experiences" anymore. I look like a dork with my helmet on and well i'm on bike so no one is going to talk me. Well sometimes other black bikers talk to me. Mostly the bike messengers messing with me because my bike is so cutesy.

I never thought I would be an outdoorsy person but I love riding my bike. It's like 30 degrees outside and I'm still riding to work. My coworker is going to bring me some cold weather biking gear. The only thing is that I just wear my regular work clothes. I haven't gone so far to wear bike gear because I'm not that hard core. So hopefully it will all pay off. But I really don't care about all that, I just love it.

Major Flub

I've been sick for the past two days but I had a draft of a report due today. I worked pretty hard on it and everything. So after I emailed it off at 3pm. He responds "thank you for working on this while you were sick." I went downstairs and watched a movie and then took a nap. I finally get of my ass around 10pm to go to bed. I look at my cell phone and it says 6 missed calls. Who could that be? It's my project head trying to tell me that there was no attachment. It's not so bad because it was just a draft however, what if this was something more important? I could have gotten fired. So this is a lesson learned. I was using the web based version of outlook and there were some extra steps I wasn't used to. So I'm glad this happened now and not when it really mattered.

-Aisha

Sniffle. Cough. Hack

I prayed that I wouldn't get sick this year so I could hold on to all my paid time off. Of course my body didn't listen. I clearly remember being sick last thanksgiving. I was offered some southern concoction to relieve me. I tell you those southerners sure are special. I'm gong to Lynchburg again so maybe I'll take the cough syrup this time. So I am at home and that's why I am bringing you this lovely blog entry.

I'm guessing I'm sick because I haven't been nice to my body. My diet has consisted of carbs and liquor for the last 7 days. If I don't get on top of it I'm going to get lose all the loses that I've made recently. I was feeling festive this week so I was out on the town. Thursday night it was $5 shots of patron and wings. Okay so there was some protein in that meal and does the celery count as vegetables?

Friday was probably the highlight of the weekend. I went to Wonder-Full. This is a yearly tribute party to Stevie Wonder. DJ Spinna and Bobbito get on the wheels and turn the party out. I've never danced so much. I only left the floor because I was tired. It was good to party with friends who really just wanted to drink and dance.

Saturday was also a great night but it almost turned into disaster. We attended Old Ebbitt Griill's 12th Annual Oyster Riot. I got gussied up and rock the sweater dress I had been holding on to for a while. I put on my fishnets and suede boots. I also put on these earrings that I had been holding onto for a while. I loooked really good, no cleavage but the dress just brought out all the assets of my shape.

B shows up and I see he's wearing jeans. I didn't really trip but I gave him some words about jeans not being appropriate for this event. Then he took his sweater off and he was wearing a tshirt. I nearly lost my mind. Now if I thought of him as Bamma with no home training, I would have been sure to tell him how to dress. Well I assumed wrong about this one. We almost didn't make it to the event because I was a bit irate. I explained to him that given the price we paid for the tickets and that it was a night time special event for this venue he should have known how to dres. I just couldn't believe he thought jeans and a tshirt were appropriate. I sat on the stairs and moped for a while I considered changing my clothing so I didn't look over dressed. Then I said fuck it, I'm not changing my clothes so that he doesn't stand out. I looked fucking hot as hell and I'm not dressing down. He said something about wanting to be comfortable and as a die hard fan of Stacy London, using the comfort excuse for dressing sloppy just made me cringe.

We get to the event and it's amazing. There are oysters, wine and champagne everywhere. It was a bit crowded and people were everywhere. In true white people fashion no one bothered to say excuse me if they bumped into you. Given how crowded it was I didn't expect everyone to say it every time. But if you bumped me hard or bumped me to the point that I spilled something on myself you should say excuse me. I wouldn't be pressed to go again but I recommend it to all those who like oysters on the half shell.

Premature Exasperation

Me: Since your other bday present was sold out I will get you that
game you wanted.

Him: I'll buy it and you pay me back.

Me: No I want to buy it for you.

Him: Wel make sure you pre-order.

Me: okay

fast forward 3 days

Him: did you order it?

Me: No. I didnt have time.

Him: you didnt have time or you didnt make time?..

Me. Well I still plan to go get it that day.

Him: im irked. Ill just do it myself.

Me: okay. Im sorry.

Fasrforward to the day the game comes out

So i decided with some consultation that i would stilll purchase the
game. I had every intention of getting the game but did not pre-order.
I shouldn't have been in trouble until I failed to come through. He
probably bought it for himself but I decided that technically I did
what I promised but not the way he wanted. If it was sold out then he
could be disappointed.