very difficult

last night i had the bright idea of making butternut squash fries. you can google them and the hungry girl version of the recipe is the one i used. veggie fries? sounds great, doesn't it? that's until i realized that peeling, seeding, and chopping a butternut squash is VERY DIFFICULT! and time consuming. and really hot when you are pre-heating the oven, the top of which is the only free cutting surface you have at the moment. it took so long! and i was really working up a sweat. but on the other hand, they were insanely delicious, and insanely healthy (1 point for 1/2 the squash!!!) and my boyfriend liked them, which is a miracle, considering he doesn't like sweet potatoes, and that is one of the most amazing foods of all time. so a bit of yumminess for a lot of hard work. is it worth it? not sure. maybe once a month but probably not more than that. if you have a fry craving too it would be a good idea. i served the fries with a cheese turkey sausage (3 points) on whole wheat hot dog buns (2 points) and a side salad (points depending on dressing). very filling. i like how you can take things that would normally be not the healthiest meal and turn it into a healthy one. and still delicious. it just takes a bit of effort to find alternatives.

this morning i got up and went swimming. i've decided that if i swim in the morning before work i'm only going to swim for 30 minutes instead of 40. the pool is really cold and it's more motivating to think i'm only going to be in there for 30 minutes.

i wonder if i wont the lottery last night. someone in the "golden horseshoe" won so it could be me. although if i won i'd only tell my family and no one else because i wouldn't want to be treated differently. i'd just want to live out my life doing whatever i wanted, whenever i wanted, in the latest fashions. oh, and i would hire a personal trainer to train me every day. probably not a chef because i can make my own oatmeal ;)

today i am heading to the burbs again to help my mom out - better get going before i'm late!

unlucky day?

so - what did everyone think of the antm finale? i won't mention who won because i hate spoiley sarahs, and i remember during the biggest loser reading on blogs who got voted off before i watched my tape and it was a real bummer. i will say, that i was surprised, but not disappointed, because i wasn't thrilled with the top three anyway. i don't care who wins these shows... reality tv, biggest loser, antm. i like to watch the process of it all, but find the finale episodes boring and painful. just say who won already, ya know? i actually liked katarzyna but she got the boot a few weeks ago.

last night for dinner i made a simple red lentil curry. i love curries and i love the idea of meatless meals. i like meat as next as the much guy (next as the much guy? did i just write that?) but i don't really like cooking with meat and i don't miss it when it isn't there. i got the recipe from jenna at eat live run. that second link is to the recipe. her food blog is really great—check it out.

here is the recipe, which i doubled to make one portion for dinner and one leftover portion for lunch today:

1/4 cup dry red lentils

1 cup water (or veggie broth)

about 2 tbsp diced yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp curry powder

dash of salt

1/4 tsp tumeric

combine everything in a small saucepan. boil then reduce heat and simmer. cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes til’ the lentils are soft and mushy. serve. i served mine on a bed of 1 cup brown long grain rice. yummy. and i also had a scoop of plain yogurt on the side. and a spinach salad too.

today is unlucky for me. i went running (4 miles) and i'm having this weird bum pain. it's like in the bone part of my bum that connects to my back. hard to explain. then i came back to my building and my pass card wouldn't work so i couldn't get into the building. wtf. i took it to the concierge and he said sometimes they break and there is nothing you can do. they are only covered by warranty if there are no scratches or marks. well, it's a giant white rectangle card that is attached to my keys and thrown into my purse, so of course there are scratches. i had the option of buying a new card for $50 or a smaller gray circle pass thing for $75. i chose the more expensive option because it's more convenient than that annoying large card. THEN i went to unlock my bike and realized that i forgot my wallet on my desk (i needed to use a cheque), and had to go up and get it. *grumble grumble* and then this afternoon i have to go to the dentist! it's like one blow after another! POW! bum pain. BAM! pass card. WHAM! dentist. haha i'm exaggerating... it's not so bad.

for breakfast today i made a weird concoction of cinnamon spice oatmeal, pumpkin, egg whites, splenda, shreddies, cinnamon, nutmug, baking powder, and a splash of unsweetened almond breeze. i still have to heat it up and eat it.

for lunch is 1 cup brown rice with 1 serving of red lentil curry and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. dinner - maybe a spinach salad with chicken on the george foreman. tonight i'm going to clean up and get ready for the weekend. the LONG weekend.... yabba dabba do!