Ultimate Yogi Days 1 and 2 Complete

I’ve finished the yoga portion of Ultimate Yogi Day 2.   I’ve taken to doing Ultimate Yogi on weekends, as I normally would go to yoga classes on Saturdays.  It does take me both Saturday and Sunday to complete each Ultimate Yogi workout set.  Odd days of the program have abdominal workouts and meditation, in addition to the yoga workouts, and even days have meditation after the yoga workouts.  There is a meditation disc with the set, but that video is reserved for specific workout days.  As I prefer some guidance and background music for meditation until I get more experience with it, I’ve picked up some meditation DVDs from the library.

I would say that the level of both Days 1 and 2 would be intermediate/advanced, although a beginner who is familiar with down dog, planks, cobras, and warrior poses could do the workout.  I will say that if you are beginning yoga and are not yet strong, keep with it, rest as needed (child’s pose), and you will build strength over time.  I would also recommend that beginners space out the yoga workouts so that they’re not every day, as you will be sore…  You will also want to have a yoga block.  I’ve found yoga blocks to be very helpful.

Out of the two yoga workouts so far, I would say that there have been many, many vinyasas.  You flow through them quite a bit.

Why does it take two days to complete one workout set?  Anyone out there have kids?  Ever have to stop a pose to:

• change a diaper
• feed a baby
• get a child that has woken up from a nap
• stop a child from pulling everything off your bookshelf, including opening up all of your DVD cases
• track down your yoga blocks which are being used as either teething toys or blocks, and your child has scattered them all over the room
• turn the TV back on after your child uses the remote to turn it off

Thus, it takes two days…

Yummy Dinner

Tilapia with paprika, brown rice, and steamed broccoli

Veggies

I thought it would be fun to list the veggies I had today.

• Lettuce
• spinach
• Cucumber
• corn
• tomato
• carrots
• mushrooms
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• bell pepper
• zucchini
• squash
• onion

These were from a salad, sandwich, green smoothie, and beef stew.

Menu for the Week of March 16

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a menu!

I no longer plan specific meals for specific days.  Instead, I make a list of meals and make them all on the weekend at the beginning of the week, or whenever I have time during the week.  Most often, I’ll prepare a couple meals at the same time.  It’s nice to come home from work and have food already prepared.  I’ve even started cooking breakfast foods (several days worth) the night before, because there isn’t much time for cooking in the morning.

We eat from the prepared dishes that are available in the fridge, sometimes eating the same thing each night and sometimes alternating.  It feels a bit like having a restaurant, since we have choices.  Each week, I usually make one or two soups/stews.  They feed for several meals.  Lunches are usually leftovers with a salad or a very large salad with meat and corn.

Meals for the Week of March 16:

• pasta with ground sausage, salad
• chili (Lots of veggies!)
• chicken fajitas with onions, bell peppers, and avocado
• beef taco salad and crunchy tacos with lettuce, tomato, etc.

Additional Meals that we might have:

• tilapia with brown rice and broccoli
• chicken fried rice (with leftover rice)
• sausage slices with broccoli, green beans, and corn

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas!

Ultimate Yogi

I just used a gift card to get a copy of Ultimate Yogi.  I’m pretty excited about it.  It’s a multi-disc yoga set with 108 yoga workouts (I believe).  Yup.  I won’t get bored with this set.  It’s been listed as quite challenging, so that’s good, too.  I will say this, I know it’s going to take me much more than 108 days to finish it, as I know I won’t be able to do yoga every day.  I work full time.  I’m a mom.  My family spends quality time in the great outdoors together every day, because we see that as one of the most important things for our family.  Something will come up, such as, say, no time!  It may get to where I only do the workouts on the weekends, although it would be nice to workout throughout the week.  Yoga definitely helps you stay in shape and it really helps your mind chill.

Let’s talk frugality.  I’ve gotten yoga passes to nice yoga places and I definitely love going to classes.  However, it can really add up.  The workouts are often longer than those on many DVDs and the classes are often more challenging, as they are often geared to many levels.  You get to see other people doing yoga, many of the more advanced ones doing some really cool things.  You often challenge yourself more in a class, because you can’t just up and turn off the DVD and leave the room!  So, use a gift card for 108 workouts on DVDs (Free) or pay an average of $1,080 or more for the same number of classes…  So, I will try the DVDs.  I’m either going to love the workouts or hate them.  We’ll see!

Gluten free biscuits

I finally got to enjoy some GF biscuits. I should have made them long ago.

Take a regular biscuit recipe and use a GF flour blend, as well as xanthan gum. Instead of kneading, form the dough into balls and flatten them to 1/2 inch thick. Bake according to the recipe.

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

I tried TJ GF mac and cheese. It is basically the same prep as Kraft Mac and cheese. The only difference is probably the GF pasta, which is brown rice pasta. The box says 6 oz.  The amount you see in the bowl is the total prepared amount, so you can see it is not as much as a box of regular mac and cheese. I thought that the taste was okay. It was comparable to Regular Kraft, but not quite as good.  It’s an okay substitute if you’re desperate for GF mac and cheese.  I’m going to keep looking.

Fall Garden, Part 2

For my new garden, I decided to plant a 2-foot perimeter, with two 1-foot wide rows for paths, as well as another 2-foot row in the center of the garden for additional plants.  The garden was 8 x 12 feet, making it 96 square feet.  I planted 80 square feet, leaving 16 square feet for paths.

To be frugal, I used seeds instead of seedlings.  I had many seeds left over from last year, so I didn’t need to buy as many.

Here’s what I planted:

• broccoli
• squash
• zucchini
• spinach
• kale
• romaine lettuce
• butterhead lettuce
• Farmer’s Mix lettuce
• onions (will plant in mid-Oct.)
• parsley, chives
• carrots
• marigolds
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• thyme
• chamomile
• basil
• oregano
• dill

I know that the marigolds, squash, and zucchini probably won’t make it through a frost, but if I’m lucky, I’ll get a harvest from the squash and zucchini first.

I put the thyme, chamomile, basil, oregano, and dill in pots, so they can be brought inside during cold weather.

Eating Right Gluten Free Lasagna Skillet Dinner

This is a new Randall’s product. It’s just like Hamburger Helper. We were very pleased and found it quite tasty.  We will be stocking up on this!

Eating Right Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Part 2

The mac and cheese comes with dried pasta and a cheese packet.  The pasta is made from corn flour.  The cheese sauce contains milk, so it’s not dairy free.  It takes about 8-10 minutes to cook.  Then, you drain it and add the cheese sauce.

With a Randall’s card, the mac and cheese cost less than $4, which was less than the Annie’s brand.  I will say that I’ve tried the Annie’s brand, both regular and gluten free, and I’m more of a Kraft fan.  Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find gluten free Kraft Mac and Cheese.

The verdict?  It had a lot of sodium and tasted quite salty.  I didn’t finish it.  I tasted the pasta alone, and it was fine.  I feel it was the sauce that needed improvement.

Will I buy it again?  No.

Was it worth the drive, to try a new gluten free mac and cheese that had the possibility of being a real treat?  Absolutely.

Eating Right For Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

My friend that lives in another town me that Randall’s started carrying Eating Right gluten free items. I called around and one Randall’s in town had them. I went by and picked up the Deluxe Mac and Cheese, as well as the Lasagna Skillet Meal (aka Hamburger Helper).

Fall Garden

I have a new garden. It’s about 12 ft by 8 ft.