• Metabolism Myths–Busted

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    From a WebMD article:

    WebMD Feature from “Prevention” Magazine

    By Julie Upton, RD

    Learn the truth behind the folklore and use it to your weight loss advantage.

    Google the word metabolism and you’ll find nearly 45 million results–advice on how to “speed-up,” “ignite,” “kick-start,” and “boost” your body’s fat-burning capacity. Truth is, there are probably more myths about metabolism than there are about the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot combined. The reality: Your body does burn 2 to 5% fewer calories with each decade after age 40, and women tend to put on about a pound a year as a result, but these changes are not inevitable, says Matt Hickey, PhD, director of the Human Performance Clinical Research Lab at Colorado State University. Simple tweaks to your daily routine can up your calorie burn and compensate for the deficit, keeping you from succumbing to age-related weight gain. Take our quiz and learn the truth about harnessing your metabolism to keep off unwanted pounds.

    Your body burns more calories digesting ice-cold beverages and foods (T/F)

    True. But before you give yourself an ice-cream headache, there’s more. “The small difference in calories probably won’t make a significant dent in your diet,” explains Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, founder and director of the UPMC Weight Management Center in Pittsburgh. On the bright side, different studies have suggested that five or six ice-cold glasses of water could help you burn about 10 extra calories a day–equaling about 1 pound of nearly effortless weight loss each year.

    Tip Although the metabolism-boosting effects are small, it can’t hurt to pour no-cal drinks–water, tea, coffee–on the rocks to maximize your body’s calorie-burning potential. Continue reading → Post ID 396


    📂This entry was posted in Health and Fitness

  • Cabbage with Caraway and Red Pepper

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    Cabbage is one of the World’s Healthiest Foods, and we’re always looking for interesting ways to add more to our diets.

    I got this idea from a blog today, but I can’t find the original again. Here’s my version:

    • 1 lb onion (white, yellow), chopped
    • 2 Tb EVOO

    Add the EVOO to a large frying pan or wok. Add the onion and saute until clear. In the meantime, prepare:

    • 4-5 garlic cloves, microplaned, pressed or minced
    • 1/4 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper
    • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
    • 1 medium-large cabbage, cut into 3/4 inch ribbons. I used the heart too.
    • 1/4 cup water or as needed
    • salt and fresh ground pepper

    When the onion is cooked, add the garlic, crushed  red pepper and caraway seeds. Saute for a minute or so until the garlic gets aromatic.

    Add the cabbage ribbons and 1/4 cup of water, cover over medium heat and steam for 15 minutes.

    Toss, add salt and pepper to taste, serve.

    We liked this a lot and will make many times in the winter when it’s too cold to eat cabbage in slaws.


    📂This entry was posted in Recipe

  • Orange Marinated Chicken

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    This sounds really good to me. I happen to have 3-4 lbs of fresh chicken breast in the fridge.

    I’ll substitute chipotle powder for the canned.


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  • Lentil Soup – Easy and Fast

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    Cool and damp yesterday; a perfect day for hot soup. I hadn’t tried this before, but I had a quantity of my veggie soup in the fridge, and a pound of lentils at hand.

    • Clean and wash 1 lb of lentils
    • Cook the lentils in a deep soup pot according to package directions until tender. The great thing about lentils is this only takes 20 minutes or so.
    • Drain the cooked lentils, reserving the gravy
    • Put the lentils back in the soup pot and cover with 6-8 cups of veggie soup. Add back lentil gravy until the  mix is as “soupy” as you like.
    • Heat through. Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes or so for flavors to blend.

    That’s it – ready to eat. Garnishes or accompaniments that sound good to me:

    • chopped red onion
    • chopped parsley
    • fresh grated Parmesan, Romano, or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses
    • Bruschettas

    📂This entry was posted in Recipe

  • My version of “The Amazing Soup”

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    Some time ago Cousin Ardyce told us about The Amazing Soup. It’s become a go-to item around here (we use it as the basis for many other dishes), but I modify the recipe substantially. That said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the original, and you can’t go wrong making either version (but mine is better – ha). Continue reading → Post ID 396


    📂This entry was posted in Recipe

  • TR – day trip to Monterey, CA

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    We were headed  for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but when we arrived, the day was so beautiful we went for a hike along the coast instead.

    There were some pretty impressive swells coming in. The first thing I did was to go out on some rocks to get closeups. One particular swell looked really impressive, and sure enough, it broke on the rocks I was standing on and I got soaked. Carol managed to photograph the festivities. Good thing for waterproof cameras.

    On a sobering note, this happened just recently.

    Pretty pictures here. A nice break if you’re  in snow country…

    ~Rick


    📂This entry was posted in Trip Reports

  • Low Carb Swaps

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    From a Men’s Health article:

    Lasagna

    Substitute: Zucchini slices for noodles

    Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into three-quarter-inch-thick strips, instructs Lise Battaglia, a New Jersey chef whose past clients include Jon Bon Jovi. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. “Then simply make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini,” she says.

    Carbs Eliminated: 36 g per serving

    The Taste: “Delicious. The zucchini provides texture that you don’t get from noodles alone.”

    Mash Potatoes Continue reading → Post ID 396


    📂This entry was posted in Health and Fitness Recipe

  • TR – Day trip to Pinnacles NM for some rock climbing

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    Friday – Mat and I had been plotting some kind of outdoor climbing activity around Thanksgiving for a couple weeks. It  had been kind of rainy, but a quick call to the rangers at Pinnacles told us the weather was good and it had been sunny today and would be sunny Saturday. We’re a go, except for I woke up this morning with a major back spasm; no way could I climb today but after a couple massages and a heavy application of Deep Heating Rub (thanks, Carol!) I could tell Mat I’m 75% sure I’ll be a go tomorrow. We’ll touch bases at 7:30 a.m. Continue reading → Post ID 396


    📂This entry was posted in Rock Climbing Trip Reports

  • Turkey Burgers My Way

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    Plain turkey burgers – dry and boring. This slightly Asian twist juices them up big time.

    In a large bowl:

    • 5 whole eggs
    • 3 Tbsp sesame oil
    • 5 garlic cloves, pressed or microplaned
    • 2 thumbs or more fresh ginger, microplaned or minced
    • Optional – palmful of paprika and / or crushed red chili flakes
    • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

    Whip these together. Add:

    • 1 lb grated carrot
    • 1 largeish grated onion
    • 3 1/4 lbs  ground turkey
    • Optional – 2 handfuls of chopped spinach leaves, grated mushrooms, etc.

    Mix together. I dive in with (clean) hands and squish it all together. Gross, but effective.

    Measure out 5 oz burgers with your kitchen scale. Pat into patties. I leave them fairly thick.

    Optional, but works well: put  the patties on a baking sheet (with edges), bake at 350 for 20 minutes. This  sets the burgers and less winds up falling through the grill grate.

    Grill on medium heat, 6 mins then flip and 5-6 more minutes.

     


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