Operation: Eat More Veggies

So with recent realizations about my health and my body (yes more than before). I’ve been determined to eat more vegetables and more fruits, to try and re-straighten myself out.

I haven’t ventured to full organic veggies and fruits yet, though there are local Farmer’s Markets, so eventually, that is the goal. For now, I just appreciate the fact that I can go to my grocery store and find some good stuff to slather with peanut butter.

Sweet potatoes are always a must. There is never too much sweet potato (it’s sort of like peanut butter in that regard).

I’ve been making a lot of stir-fries. Not so much out of lack of knowing what else to cook, but I just really love stir-fries. They’re easy to prepare, cook, and carry if needed.

As an additive to my stir-fries, I’ve finally adventured to try making squash myself. During the winter, my mom uses butternut all the time, it’s one of our favorites. However, I’ve been wanting to try spaghetti squash. A friend’s mom made it one night, and now I have at last made it myself.

So good.

I also made an acorn squash at Pyro’s once when the gang was hanging out. Topped it with almond butter and Haitian Hot Pepper peanut butter.

Veggies for dinner is all nice and good, but I also worked to get veggies in my lunches as well. Of course, not far, was the peanut butter.

Carrots are great with peanut butter. Plus, like 14 of those baby carrots is only 35 calories. So I pack a bunch and pile on the PB.

Baby carrots and Jif To Go was perfect for school lunches.

Operation Eat More Veggies gave me reason to confiscate a good portion of the celery in our fridge as well. What else can you make besides ants on a log?

(Okay, I’m sure there are plenty of things, but are any of them really as worth it as ants on a log?)

Another vegetable that I forgot how wonderful it is with peanut butter (it was a joyous reunion), cucumber!

Finger sandwiches…

Actual sandwiches...

By the whole…

All good stuff.

On a nice day out with Pyro, we stopped for food. I invested in some organic strawberries and raspberries. The raspberries didn't make it home.. The strawberries didn't last the night. 

Looking back into my childhood I remembered the ultimate joys of eating frozen peas. Lunch today was a vast amount topped with a good few spoonfuls of crunchy peanut butter. 

The whole, "Eat More Veggies" and "I'm a vegetarian" thing - definitely about the simple pleasures in life.

All in all, so far, success!

No Additives, It's Not Real!

A couple months ago when both The Boy and I were quite busy in our own lives, and extremely exhausted when we finally were together we had planned an entire day to spend together. My idea was to get us out and about and enjoying the outdoors…or something. However, the side affects from the 99.3 fever the night before, had other plans. My body was no longer ravishly fighting off an infection, but I sure wasn’t up to doing much.

He was sweet and decided to stay with me anyways. We chose to relax at my house and watch movies.

When lunchtime came, I wasn’t sure what to offer him (he rarely eats at my house). I chose my tasty Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and he landed on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He used a store bought container instead of my homemade (perfectly fine, all the more for me). I wasn’t offended at all; homemade peanut butter does have a different taste than most store bought brands.

Over our lunch, The Boy decided it was time to confront me about a mistake I’d been making.

“You know, the peanut butter you make isn’t real peanut butter. It’s just pureed peanuts.” He said with a confident smirk.

“Uh, you do realize that’s all that any peanut butter is?”

“There’s no butter in yours, it’s just really tiny bits of peanuts.”

Okay…I could sort of see where this was going now.

I replied, “There’s no ‘butter’ in any peanut butter. They add oils to peanut butter, but they’re only to make it smooth and easier to spread.”

“Exactly.” He smiled smugly, “Yours is just peanuts. It doesn’t count, Hannah.”

Yes, by now, he was getting on my nerves. He may have only been joking, but still. I knew I was right, so I planned to just let him argue his side till the conversation died.

“You don’t need any of that stuff,” I explained, “peanuts are all fat to begin with, you don’t have to add any more oil unless you want to. It’s healthier this way.”

He was unconvinced but finally gave up trying.

…Until about 20 minutes later at my grandma’s house. My grandma even pulled out her jar of peanut butter to see what’s in it. Peanuts, hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, and salt. The hydrogenated vegetables oils are described as cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed, additives simply to prevent separation.

(Separation of the peanut oil from the peanuts, in case you were wondering.)

So I went through the list. Peanuts, yes. Hydrogenated vegetable oils, mmm doesn’t that sound yummy? Thanks, but no thanks. Sugar, can’t eat it. Salt, not bad, just not a fan. Various other additives and preservatives…Umm, my rule, if you can’t pronounce it or remember it or it’s just in there to “prevent separation” of the actual product itself, you don’t need it. And honestly, if someone’s fighting so much for that extra oil in there, I think they should be able to deal with having to stir the natural stuff back in every now and again.

Just saying.

My boyfriend remained stubborn as a mule, my grandmother seemed to sort of agree with me, and I decided that I’d make enough of my point.

I’m not against brands like Jif or Skippy; I’m not doubting their deliciousness. I often use Jif to Go for ants on a log, or even a quick snack. I’m just saying, peanut butter is peanut butter. You don’t need preservatives and extra fat to make it so.

In fact, I’ll eat any of it.

Homemade:

Teddie (absolutely love the fact it comes unsalted!):

Jif (Jif to go is the perfect serving size to make ants on a log, I actually use 3 celery sticks cut in half):

PB2 powdered peanut butter:

Smucker's (just realized I can eat this stuff, so happy):

Peanut Butter & Co. (a personal favorite, any flavor really):

And due to the amount of peanut butter I’ve been stuffing my face with lately, I figured it’d be good to get a gym membership again. (No worries, it’s also just because I’m an adrenaline junkie and the gym is my number one fix.) So I joined up at the local YMCA. It turned out to be a full day actually. The Boy came with and so we spent the day driving around looking for adventures, and then stopped at the Y on our way home.

So far I’ve had two workouts, every minute of them was glorious. I posted a Facebook status of, “Sweat pouring, lungs burning, legs shaking…Best feeling ever. Back at the gym and feeling great!” I can’t help it; it’s my happy place.

Surprisingly, I did pretty well for not being in a gym for about a year. I set workout goals and then marked what I actually accomplished.

For my first workout they looked like this:

For my second:

I didn't make 3 miles on the bike, but I did make extra on the treadmill, plus my strength training. 

The strength training went well. (As you can tell my arms are weak. I’m working on it.) But other than that, my numbers were all pretty much what they used to be. And no matter what they are now, they’re only going to get better, right?

I’m just nervous about keeping this up during school. I’m thinking of getting an EARLY start Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. And if I keep up my determination, I should be able to stick with it.