I took your mother to BJ's and saved your ***. In between walking YOUR nephew back and forth to the bathroom umpteen times, I had to walk back tons (and I DO mean TONS) of produce that YOU would have had to clean out of the fridge.
I had the house to myself last night, so I COOKED. I made a Tortilla Soup to DIE for, based on a recipe at the Palacio Azteca hotel in Tijuana, where the patients of Dr Kuri stay the night before surgery.
While I was at it, I made a batch of Seitan, and cooked it in a homemade MOLE sauce, and it turned out like prime boneless chicken breast.
By the time I finished playing in the kitchen and cleaning up my mess, I was POOPED.
What the heck is Seitan? I know other people want to know too, so spill! Could there possibly be a food that I don't know?
Let's see - exercise - I have been throwing the softball with my daughter everyday. Trust me, this is no easy game of catch, the child throws so freakin' hard I'm kind of skeered. She's a pitcher and I'm about to the point that I can't catch her anymore. So, I think that throwing, catching and heart-in-your-throat fear qualify for cardio.
Well, maybe not.
Seitan is a meat substitute made from the gluten in wheat. It's found in a lot of Oriental cooking, and is also used in some of the mainstream fake meats in the market today. It's VERY high in protein, and can take the flavor of whatever you cook it with. The thing that differs Seitan from tofu is the texture and grain, which is VERY similar to that found in REAL meat. A common nickname is "wheat meat." Some purist Vegans won't touch Seitan, because it looks too much like meat, LOL!
Originally, it used to be made with high protein flour and water and LOTS of elbow grease. The flour and water would be stirred into a dough, and then the dough would be kneaded underwater, changing the water several times, to remove the starch. These days, though, Seitan can be made with Vital Wheat Gluten, the same stuff you add to bread mixes to give the bread more texture so it will rise better. Gluten is mixed with water and seasonings, and kneaded to a sticky dough. This dough is then baked, broiled, or boiled, usually boiled, and the resulting product is Seitan.
I cheat, LOL, and dump the Gluten, water, and seasonings into my bread machine, and hit the "dough only" cycle!
excercise doesn't come easy. About 3 times a week I get on my weight equipment, for about 20 min. I would really like to join a class or have a personal trainer, but those are too expensive and rare in the small community I am from.
I made promises to that by spring, I would be riding bike with my grandson, and I plan on keeping that promise. Like you Jacobsmommy, I have a child that needs me, he makes my sun come up each morning and shines on me every day.
By the way I didn't know what seitan or mole is. But from the sound of it, I'm not sure I am going to rush out to get some either. Baked fish, or chicken sound better to me
Last edited by Ditzy Blonde; 02-19-2004 at 05:29 PM.
Ok Jiff, the low carb board is NOT very active and I need the push so if it is ok with you I am going to jump in, (does that count as exercise?) only kidding.
I have been good with exercise lately. I took yesterday off because I had my hair done ane I really hate to sweat away a good blow dry!
but for the last 3 weeks I have done at least an hour on the eliptical. It mesures out to be about 5 miles by the time I am done. Somhow I can't walk at that pace or even jog (not a pretty thing may I add) but I do love the eliptical; i need to get the weights in (excuse coming) but I hate the machines at the gym, I think they are so poorly designed for women, and the free weights we have at home DH has made so heavy it is going to take me a day to re adjust them....BUT i will do it SOON.
I will do my hour tonight while watching friends as the TIVO will record survivor and I can't stand that the 1st 6 min of it are recaps and then TONS of comercials.....
was that too much information?
BTW I am the worst cook so if anyone wants to invite me to dinner I am there the kids and DH can fend for themselves
-L
You'll find me mentioning my Vegan adventures everywhere I go. I'm not so militant that I refuse to wear leather shoes or I throw red paint on people wearing fur, LOL. My decision to become Vegan was based on HEALTH. (see http://www.pcrm.org/research/diabetes.html)
Mole is a Mexican sauce, made from several different kinds of dried chile peppers and often containing cinnamon and even chocolate (I've also seen some recipes with raisins!). Meat, traditionally chicken, but you can use anything, is simmered in the Mole sauce for at least an hour until it becomes so tender it melts in your mouth. And you pronounce it "MOH-lay."
My version contained cinnamon sticks and a tad of Mexican chocolate, and i simmered the Seitan chunks for over an hour. If I hadn't told anyone, you'd swear the Seitan was prime skinless, boneless chicken breast!
I joined Curves last Spring, before I even considered WLS. Then, several months ago, an old knee problem began acting up, and stopped me from even WALKING or going DOWN the stairs here at work. I thought all my good efforts were down the tubes, and then a couple of my coworkers had band surgery.
I made the decision to be banded, too.
I'm still in the post-op recovery, and still nursing a sore knee. But as soon as my six weeks are up, I'm going to CRAWL back to Curves if I have to!
Pookie, start slow but start. My gym partner is a woman who last yer was 300 lbs. She has lost 50 in the last year through a change in diet and exercise. She started by walking on the treadmill for 15 min (which was a huge stuggle) and the bike for another 5 (also a huge struggle) and she did the weigh machines (with almost no weight). she has been able to up her exercise to 1 hour and that is 45-50 min on the eliptical and a round on the weigh machines. but the best part is that she has dropped body fat just by adding the exercise to her plan. She is determined NOT to do the WLS although it is most likely the best option for her.
All I can say is find something you like to do even if it is rollerskating and just go do it! Something is better than nothing and you will feel so much better for just doing it....
-L