Wedding Blog

I know, I know. You’re all, “What the eff? Where’s weeks 4 and 5? Wha’ happen?”*

Well, I will tell ya. Not a lot of exercise, that’s what. But not without cause, my lovelies.

First, I was out of town for MaPo’s wedding. In week 3, I mentioned hoping to exercise a bit over the vaca, but no dice, mostly because I was running around like crazy in Maid-of-Honor mode. I did, however, get a few really long walks and one crazy night of dancing in, which made me feel less like of a lump. But, the breakthrough was: I managed to control myself with the foods! I ate what I wanted, stopped when I felt full (rather than when my plate, and maybe a 2nd, were clean), and I was gentle with myself about it! Holla.

Second, I got the aforementioned black death at the end of the trip, which disabled me for all of last week, and whoa, I hope you all are taking your vitamins and eating your veggies, because that’s one nasty-ass bug going around. The good news is that being sick is a natural appetite suppressant, so I think I might have lost any gained weight from the trip. Gotta love nature, eh?

So, today I’m back on the horse with a game plan.

Last night I made a gigantor batch of the best chili ever created and promptly packaged up the leftovers in single serving containers to take to work for lunch. Tonight I’m working out with Tiger, and I’m actually looking forward to it. Not a minute too soon, either, because Saturday I have my first dress fitting! Eeep!

Speaking of vitamins, are you taking any? I am a huge baby about large pills, and usually find vitamins to smell and taste so offensive that I’ll avoid them at any cost. Honestly, until this year the only vitamins I’d take were Flintstone Chewables or Emergen-C. But after my pregnant friends all raved about the hair-shining, nail-strengthening qualities of prenatal vitamins, I did some research and am happy to report that the Rite-Aid generic brand pills are small and taste/odor-free, and uber-cheap!

I also invested in some Fisol coated Fish Oil supplements. They’re a really nice size, and the coating eliminates any fishy “repeats” throughout the day. As a vegetarian, I still struggle with the notion if I over-think it, but it also means that I need to take these more than your average bear. The benefits are incredibly far-reaching: from improving skin and hair quality to improving heart health and helping my dry eyes be more comfy. Multi-tasking, yo!

I’ve heard that it’s best to take your vitties at night, because your body can absorb them best while at rest, so I keep them on my nightstand to remind me to take them - but I recommend doing it right as you lay down for bed, because they have the potential to wake you up a bit if you take them too early.

So, take your vitamins, and then make this chili. I’m really proud… I think it might be one of my best dishes yet, and it is so so inexpensive! Shout out to my friend Ashley for providing the base recipe off which I riffed to create this goodness.

Weak-in-the-knees Chili

• 1 lb lean beef, chicken, or veggie crumbles
• 1 can black beans, undrained
• 1 can Rotel, or diced tomatoes (preferably Mexican style)
• 1 smallish sweet onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 packet chili seasoning mix
• (optional) Worcestershire sauce
• (optional) Chili powder
• (optional) 1/2 can chili beans, drained
• 2 tsp olive oil

Warm 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and green pepper until onion is translucent and green peppers wilt a bit. Push these around the sides of the pan, add the other tsp of olive oil to the middle, and add meat/substitute. Brown and mix everything together. Season meat mixture with chili seasoning packet (I used half), a few healthy slugs of Worcestershire sauce, and some chili powder if you like heat. Empty beans and tomatoes into the pan, stir, cover and simmer as long as you want. Enjoy!

I really recommend playing around with different vegetables in this one. It would be great with carrots, eggplant, or whatever you like. We served it over oven-roasted sweet potatoes (45-60 minutes at 400 degrees), which is unexpectedly divine. You can top it with tortilla chips, sour cream, guac…. anything you like! It’s great for a dinner party too, because it’s so simple to make but really impresses your guests.

*Name the movie. “I got a weal wed wagon!”