Work Busy, pain in the hip getting worst, feel doing half ass training, long weekend to reflect- what's cooking over the holidays

The pain in the butt has transcended to the hamstring, IT band, TFL and Psoas. After going to a massage, the relief was temporary and all work tighten up again. I have done all I can and finally went back to see the chiropractor. He said it was a hip misalignment so I am treated as a new injury so hopefully insurance will cover that. So far, I have seen my chiropractor twice, I will see him against Tues after Memorial Day weekend. So far, I don't sense anything happening.

I usually have a high tolerance for pain but this time it is just excrutiating, it just drains me and tires me out. I feel when I go training, I am doing a half ass job that I am not doing it justice to my trainer who is trying so hard to keep us together while keeping herself together in her tough times. Right now, I am at a point of maybe holding off the training until I feel better. Not know what to do right now!

Week at work is getting so busy with 2 projects coming to end date soon. They a re both high priority.

But for now, I am sitting here writing in my blog of what I will be cooking for my trainer. I am putting a menu together right here so you know what to expect. I have been trying to collect the recipes I have in this blog, I think once I do that, I will post it maybe on FB for anyone who wants to have my recipes. I originally created this blog for 2 of my friends and anyone who was interested in what to eat to help with weight loss. I am no expert. I have been through my trial and error and I am still learning. So whatever I learn, if I can share and it helps, I am helping. If by sharing my recipes puts a smile on someone's face and tummy, I am happy. I am most happy for being able to just create and let people taste my creations and they give me a heads up and compliment, I'm happy! I have done my job!

So last week my trainer was telling me she is creating a website and wants to link to my blog. You know how this makes me feel? A wonderful and honorable feeling. I really have to thank her for getting me to journal in my blog and ultimately write my recipes. My dream was to go to the Culinary Institute Of Arts and become a chef but that was a dream.

So here is on my menu, I may change a few things but tentatively:

Summer is coming so I am trying to create dishes that are like and flavorful with use of freshest and lightest ingredients so here goes:

I am going to do fish again as my entree - Fish seems to be the hardest for people to learn how to make and since they don't know how, they say it does not taste good. But I know if you try my fish dish you will like it!

Flounder stuffed finished with mango chutney dressing:

Stuffing - I might put in crabmeat, tomatoes, green onions, dill or basil , paprika, garlic, fish sauce, something to bind - either breading, rice, or crushed walnuts. I might do fish rollups or lay one piece on bottom, stuff and then fish on top - don't know yet. Going to bake them and top off with mango chutney

I decided not to the do the stuffing - since I want to make a lighter version of fish so the mango salsa stands out in taste

Mango Salsa - my version - some red peppers, red onion, cilanttro, jalapeno pepper, lime and lemon juice, tomato, maybe some hot crushed red pepper

Kale Salad - chopped kale, olives, avocado, carrots, tomatoes, feta, - the trick is to massage the kale with olive oil so the ingredients will adhere. This is the summer time rendition.

I made a tahini dressing of tahin, garlic cloves, lemon, lime and onions - and toss in kale. Kale salad I topped off with avocado and almond slices

Marinated Beets - cut up beets, add sliced red onions, add sweetener, mustard, vinegar - summer rendition -

Sweet potatoes - I might just grill - and slice it up or mash and add some cinammon

So this is the plan! Stay tuned for pictures

Here they are: The bottom tubs are for my trainer. The dish you see is finished product and what we had for dinner.

Exceptionally busy week at work, eye surgery, recovery, exercise and more food recipes

It has been an awfully busy short week to try to get most things tested and into Production before I left for my eye surgery. I took 3 days off and this time I was super tired, probably from lack of sleep and rest that those 3 days felt nice.

In as much as my trainer is having a difficult time, she did try to schedule training time with me. My butt or hamstring is really tight and sore, just try to bend over to do forward bend hurts. I believe it is an old injury resurfacing. So I can't do the hamstring curls of any kind. This, is troubling me because it inhibits me from doing certain exercises. Blah!

This weekend, I got to volunteer at the YMCA, the Rambling Rose TRI was going on and I had some friends I wanted to cheer for. Gee, I never knew how much of an effect I have on people but they literally stop to give me a hug and say "Sue, you are the best, I love you" Wow!

I will keep this a short blog. And yes, I did some cooking over the weekend. Like all my dishes, I let my trainer have a taste.

This week I made :


 Pecan coconut crusted red snapper finished with Avocado sauce

The red snapper, I soak with a little almond milk, egg, some salt and pepper to soften it up.
The pecan coconut crush is a mixture of chopped pecans and shredded coconut and half a slice of gluten free bread. Use that as the breading.  Likely free with a little olive oil in a cast iron pan

Avocado sauce - tasted almost like guacamole but creamier. Mashed avocados, garlic cloves minced, green onions chopped, chopped tomatoes, chopped jalapeno peppers, lime and lemon juices. I used this to top off the fish because the fish entree is quite rich and this will soften it a little

Over roasted asparagus - Toss avocado oil, salt, pepper, coconut aminos, and bake in over

Quinoa/kale pilaf - easy recipe of cooked quinoa, add cooked kale already sautee on the side, add garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Busy few weeks at work, got in some training, some yoga, big pain in butt, finally more cooking

The eye seems to be healing well! I do not know what the final vision will be but things are much clearer and brighter. I went to see both Dr. Dahringer and Dr. Chin for post-up. My next surgery date is May 14th so I will be taking a few days off so to recuperate and just to relax. I think eventually I will still have to wear reading glasses. It is amazing how the technology has advanced that the actual surgery takes about 20 mins.

Work is busy as usual but nothing like a month ago. There is still lots of work to be done. Since I am on many projects, I have split my time between all of them and need to learn to set priorities better.

I did get a few times to train with Jackie. I feel bad for her since she is going through a lot of stress and worries. All I can do is give her comfort and support. Hopefully things will all work out.

Meanwhile  I have been trying some bootcamp classes on Wed and Sat. At times you have to mix things up. I am going to try to get some people from work to go. I know for the ones who are fit, this will be a good challenge for them. The classes are hard, that's for sure. Some of the stuff, I don't do well. I really don't like running around the perimeter of the park. I think it is because I am so slow that to do 4 laps, it will take me a long time. I don't care about being last- just don't want to hold others up. This week there was running with the parachute but unfortunately I was not able to do it since my hip- hurts real bad. I saw my own massage therapist plus another one. I think my own massage therapist may have pinpoint the problem - tight TFS, tight hamstrings and tight inner thighs which was pulling. I went to spin class and after that it was yoga so hopefully that will help.

This weekend I was suppose to meet my trainer for training but we had to reschedule. Meanwhile I did some cooking. So here goes, this is on the menu:

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms -

Stuffing: mashed avocados, juice of lemon, chopped olives, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped garlic, salmon, gluten free bread toasted and crumbled, parsley, cinnamon, sesame seeds, asian dressing, basil , oregano, seafood spice, ginger, curry, nutritional yeast. Hopefully I got it all. Last week I made some, Jackie said it was real good. Of course I can't remember everything that went in.
I toss all that together and put it on top of the mushroom - I brushed each of the mushroom with a little oil and balsamic vinegar and bake at 450 until it is softened.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers -

My husband called it Jalapeno Poppers. All I did was to take some of the stuffing and added cream cheese and feta cheese and stuffed the  halves of the jalapeno peppers. Baked them at 450 until pepper is tender. I did not take them but my husband said they were good.

Flounder with cucumber sauce -

Cucumber sauce - chopped cucumbers, chopped shallots, garlic powder, lemon juice, added coconut yogurt and organic mayonnaise, black pepper and dill.

The fish - I battered fry them with garbanzo flour - The sauce I put on top. It is a thinner version of the greek yogurt sauce or similar to raita at Indian restaurants but it is my own concoction like all the other recipes you see her.

So guess what? Jackie always gets to taste it. I don't cook for many people because I feel I am just a mediocre person of cooking skills. but I do enjoy cooking though so I do not mind sharing my creations here on the blog.

Here are some pictures; Mushroom and Jalapeno peppers, top picture and bottom is flounder with cucumber sauce