soap and other good stuff

It's been a really long time since I posted, so I thought I'd make it easy on myself and show you some of the goodies I've bought over the last few months. Recovery from two back surgeries+pandemic+weaning off pain meds=buying lots of crap. 

Back in August I went on vacation to visit my cousin in PA. We visited Kitchen Kettle Village, which is a collection of stores and food places. They also have a place called Pappy's Kettle Korn that makes fresh kettle corn and OMG it's the best I've ever had! (They also make caramel corn and flavored nuts.) Every time I go there I get a huge bag to bring home. Problem is, it never makes it home as a full bag. I always open it on my way home. This time I was smart and bought a huge bag for home and a small bag to eat on the way home. It only took me about an hour to open it and start snacking. (When I went online to Kitchen Kettle I saw they have a website AND they ship!!)

I decided to try shampoo and conditioner bars. I'd heard of them, but hadn't seen them in the store. I felt they were expensive, but wanted to give them a try. I was told the shampoo bar can also be used as body wash/soap and the conditioner bar can be used for shaving. While the shampoo bar lathered well, the conditioner bar felt like nothing at all on my hair. It was a weird experience because I'm used to feeling the conditioner in my hair. Once my hair was dry, it felt kind of heavy, like I didn't get the conditioner out or that it wasn't completely clean. I gave these bars a few more tries and decided this isn't something I'd buy again. though I'm sure there could be others I might like better.

Most of what I bought during the last few months has come from Beekman 1802. The guys who started this company won season 21 of the Amazing Race back in 2012. We were able to visit their farm a few years and it was fun.  I've never bought any of their products before and I figured with recovery from surgery and a pandemic going on, it was a good time to try them. 

Here are some of the items I bought from Beekman. I didn't take pictures of everything, but most of it is here.

(Note:  some of these items can be found cheaper on the Home Shopping Network website.)

• Natural deodorant: https://beekman1802.com/products/milk-stick-deodorant. I read on their website that switching to a natural deodorant can take the body up to 30 days to adjust. Deodorants that are also antiperspirants contain aluminum, which clogs the pores, which in turn controls wetness. As such, it takes time for the body to adjust to something that is aluminum-free. Since I'm working from home and not going out much, I decided to try it. Overall I like it: it smells nice, it feels like, and the stick I bought seems to last (that's a plus since it's $18.00). Although my body has adjusted, I find I need to reapply at least once during the day depending on my level of activity. I also don't care for the wetness. Because of this, I've decided to switch back to a regular antiperspirant/deodorant. 
• Goat milk soap:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/goat-milk-bar-soaps.  I bought a lot of these and I like them all but one, which is the Spring soap. It smells too musky for me and not like Spring at all. These soap bars aren't cheap, but they're HUGE at 9 ounces each. They lather well and smell nice, plus they seem to last a long time. 

• Goat milk fudge:  Regular: https://beekman1802.com/collections/sweet/products/original-hot-fudge and Coffee:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/sweet/products/coffee-hot-fudge.  Whenever I mention this fudge is made with goat's milk, people tend to cringe. No, it doesn't taste like goats! This stuff is so delicious, rich and thick. So much better than Hershey's or Smuckers. I think the goat milk enhances the chocolate flavor and just makes it very rich. I really don't want to admit how many jars I bought over the last few months, all of which didn't get used on ice cream, but were simply eaten straight from the jar. My husband at one point asked, "Why are there so many damn spoons in the sink??" No idea...
• Salty Goat Milk Fudge Cookies:  These were delicious! Very sweet with a hint of salt. These are pricey at $15.00 for four.  https://beekman1802.com/collections/sweet/products/goat-milk-fudge-cookie
• Blaak Tomato Jam:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/savory/products/blaak-tomato-jam.  This stuff is delicious on a good, sharp cheese and really makes all the flavors pop. I used it on their Blaak Cheese. The cheese was OK, but I wouldn't buy it again. I really disliked the vegetable ash coating on the rind, because it got all over everything and also stained my cutting board, kind of like when you spill cocoa powder; it's almost impossible to get all the residue off surfaces.
• Goat milk hand cream:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/hand-care/products/honey-orange-hand-salve. I got this in the Honey & Orange Blossom scent and I like it. It feels very rich and isn't heavy. 

• Heirloom Flower Garden Spritzers:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/perfumers/products/flower-garden-spritzers-peony.  I tried all three scents--honeysuckle, peony, and gardenia. I liked honeysuckle the best, probably because I love that scent in general. They can be used for linens, as a room spray, or even a body mist. These spritzers are only water and fragrance, which means they're very light. But it also means they don't last all day. I needed to respray several times throughout the day.
• Goat milk shampoo and conditioner:  https://beekman1802.com/collections/hair-care/products/honey-orange-shampoo and https://beekman1802.com/products/honey-orange-conditioner. These aren't cheap, but they smell great, lather really well, and my hair seems to like them. I plan to buy these again, though probably from HSN and not the Beekman website. On HSN I can get the set for $35.00 (yes, that's still expensive). On the Beekman website it's $24.00 for a bottle, or $48.00 for both the shampoo and conditioner. 

As you can see, I went a little wild with the bath products, among other things. I like Beekman, though. They make quality products using local ingredients, people, and businesses.  They also make things like jams and jellies; candies; condiments; goat cheese and Blaak cheese (once a year); hair, skin and bodycare products; and ceramics.  If you ever get a chance, take a tour of their farm. It's usually offered once a year in the Spring, though I'm not sure if that will happen in 2021 due to the pandemic. 

grilled vegetables

I've been extremely lazy and completely unmotivated the last few months, which is part of why my blog posts are getting further apart. Hopefully my issues will be resolved in the next couple months, though.  In the meantime, a short post about my first-ever experience making grilled vegetables.

Recently I had some store-bought grilled veggies and they were delicious. The best part was I didn't have to make them myself--a definite plus these days. I had them as a side dish with some fish for lunch at work. Unfortunately, the store where I got the veggies is 20 minutes away and not cheap--Whole Paycheck...I mean Foods. There's no way it makes sense to spend that much on grilled veggies when I can easily make them myself. Did I actually feel like it? No. But did I do it anyway? Yes.

I made a marinade using some garlic balsamic vinegar I had in the cabinet. My husband got it for me a while back and I just haven't made an effort to use it. He got it from Beekman 1802 Mercantile and it's called Roasted Garlic Drizzle.  (If anyone watches the Amazing Race, the owners won the 2012 season. We visited their farm in 2014 and I got to hold the baby goats. 😊)  I also used olive oil, lemon juice and some salt and pepper.  For vegetables I used vidalia onions, cremini mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini, yellow squash and roma tomatoes. I chopped all the vegetables into either strips or chunks. The onions were cut into quarters from top to bottom, leaving the root end intact so they didn't fall apart when grilled. I then put them all in a two-gallon plastic bag to marinate for the day.  Once that was done, I grilled them until charred and soft. I left the red peppers a bit crunchy for texture. I then cut the bigger vegetables into smaller pieces. And that's it!

I have to say, they tasted delicious. I really enjoyed the flavor of the vinegar.  The veggies were a little crunchy, a bit sweet, and had a nice charred flavor from the grill. And I'm happy to report that not one vegetable fell through the grates!

Marinade for Grilled Vegetables
(You could use this for chicken, too.)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 TB garlic balsamic vinegar (use whatever balsamic you like)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt (add more if you like)
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix well and pour into a dish or plastic bag along with the vegetables.

Krave the Krunch Grainless Granola

I just realized that I had this post languishing in Drafts. For some reason I wrote it a couple months ago and then forgot to post it! Anyway...

I found this grainless granola when I went to the natural foods store on my way home from volunteering in my old hometown. I'm always looking to try something new and grainless granola seemed like a good idea. I won't lie--this was not cheap by any means.  I cost $8.29; however, there was no tag on the shelf or the bag, so I had no idea until the cashier rang it up. I wasn't thrilled, but I wanted to try it because chocolate!!

So, what's in it? According to the Just Real Foods website:  Walnut, Shredded Coconut, Dark Chocolate (Cacao Powder, Cocoa Butter, Wildflower Honey), Wildflower Honey, Almond, Pecan, Maple Syrup, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Coconut Oil, Golden Flaxseed, Cinnamon – Grain-Free/Grainless – Certified Paleo – Non-GMO Project Verified – Kosher Pareve – Certified Gluten Free – NO Processed/Refined Sugars.  So, basically it's granola made out of walnuts instead of rolled oats.

And how does it taste?  I thought it was good. It had a nice chocolate and coconut flavor; however, it had too much walnut flavor for my taste. It wasn't overwhelming, but I definitely knew it was made of walnuts. I'm not a fan of walnuts in general, so a product whose main ingredient is walnuts doesn't make for a great treat for me. If you like walnuts, though, you may like this product.

As I said, I like trying new foods, especially when it's low in carbs, sugar and calories. I usually don't eat granola, because it has a lot of sugar and I just don't want to spend that many calories on such a small, non-filling snack. This granola has only 116 calories, 6 grams of carbs (!!) and 4 grams of sugar. That's pretty good for something called "granola."

Would I buy this again? No. It was good, but it has too much walnut flavor for me. Plus, it was $8.29 and that's a bit expensive.

ON Protein Cake Bites

I recently found two new Cake Bites flavors:  Fruity Cereal and Cookies & Cream.  I'm always up for trying a new protein product so I grabbed a couple.

Cookies & Cream are on the top of the picture and Fruity Cereal on the bottom.  I like the way they look. The Fruity Cereal ones look kind of fun and pretty, with sparkly sprinkles on top.

Below are the Fruity Cereal ones. Inside they're kind of a coral color. I was glad the inside coloring wasn't weird. I've bought other flavors in the past, like Chocolate Mint, and the inside color tends to be very different from what's shown on the package (Chocolate Mint seems to be either puke green/olive drab or neon green, with no in-between). I noticed, however, that they no longer show the inside of the cake bite on the wrapper. I'm thinking maybe they got a lot of complaints from people thinking they'd gone bad or something.

I really like the taste of these. They do, indeed, taste like fruity cereal! Fruity and sweet. They remind me a lot of Fruity Pebbles cereal from my childhood. This is one I'll buy again for sure. My husband seems to like them, too.

Here's the Cookies & Cream flavor.  The inside color looks the way it should, although they all seemed to have these big air bubbles. I noticed, too, that they are hard to break apart cleanly. They have what would appear to be a chewy texture, more so than Fruity Cereal. It was almost like pulling apart taffy. They don't have that same texture when eating them, though.

As for the taste, they're good. I didn't get much of a cookies and cream flavor, though, except for the cookie crumbles on the outside. I wasn't all that impressed. At least not enough to buy them again. I'd choose another flavor over this one.

Nutrition is pretty consistent across the flavors. Generally about 200 calories for the package of three bites, with 20 grams of protein. What I like about these is that there are three in a package, which means you can just have one if you're feeling like a snack, or have all three if you want to treat it as a meal. (Three of them together are filling!)

Pricing is pretty much the same everywhere from what I can tell. Single bars run about $2.49, while a whole box of 12 runs $24.99. Basically, buying them buy the box gives you two free packages. Considering how expensive some protein bars are, this isn't a bid deal at all. And these are actually the same price as the Quest bars I like. I used to be able to get the cake bites at Walmart; however, it seems as though they stopped selling them.

what's your workout soundtrack?

I've finally developed a workout soundtrack for myself and I'm so glad I did.  I now find that it's easier to keep myself on track, motivated (mostly) and entertained while doing my workout. It also makes it go by so much faster!

When I first started seriously working out way back in March 2016, I worked out in silence. Since I was in the company gym all by myself, I really didn't need any music and just did my thing; however, I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to get through it and seemed to take much longer than it really did.  When I went to the trainer each week, it seemed to go by really fast. I assumed it was because I had a person to interact with. One day I decided to play some music I'd downloaded onto my phone and it was a light bulb moment:  my workout went by much faster and I wasn't bored. I came to realize that I enjoyed having music while working out. I also came to realize that, in addition to the lack of music making my workout feel longer, I spent a lot of time bitching and moaning to myself in between sets, which made my workout actually be longer. Once I got the music going and adopted the attitude of, "Just suck it up and get it over with," things got much easier and more efficient in the gym.

About six months ago I decided to try the Pandora music app on my phone since I was bored of the music on my phone, and it was a pain to have to keep adding music while connected to my computer at home. My trainer uses it for his clients and he always plays the Hard Rock Strength Training station for me. I found that I liked a lot of the music, so I decided to give it a try myself. It's about $10.00 a month, which is the Pandora Premium subscription (I can play it in my car, too), although you can get the free version if you don't want to pay for it. It just means some of the functionality is limited and there are ads.

For awhile I played the Hard Rock Strength Training station and found that I kept playing the same songs when I worked out (they show up in the Recent list for easy access). I then eventually figured out that I could make my own custom playlists--I was a little slow on the uptake there--and that's been great for me. I promptly made a workout playlist, which I use everyday when I work out on my own.

This is my main playlist:

• 'Till I Collapse by Eminem
• Feel Invincible by Skillet
• Not Afraid by Eminem
• State of My Head by Shinedown
• Jekyll and Hyde by Five Finger Death Punch
• Closer by Nine Inch Nails
• Dead but Rising by Volbeat
• Remember the Name by Fort Minor
• Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit 
• Wild Side by Motley Crue

The list probably looks a bit short, but that's because I typically walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes and read a book when I workout in the gym at work. And the reason for the walking, rather than what the trainer has me do (jogging in place, jumping jacks and mountain climbers), is that I sit at a desk all day and really need the walking to loosen my back and leg muscles. 

Other music on the playlist, which I sometimes play if I want to switch it up:

• Still Counting by Volbeat
• Back in Black by AC/DC
• Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC
• Bleed it Out by Linkin Park (this is great for warming up)
• Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A. (never heard this one until someone on a forum I read suggested it)
• Black Rose by Volbeat
• And many more, most of which is Volbeat, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed and AC/DC

I've also made a few playlists that I can use when I see the trainer since the studio has a wireless speaker. My custom playlist was a lifesaver in the studio this past week when I was getting over a cold and needed something especially fast-paced for my warm-up (he makes me jog in place, and do jumping jacks and mountain climbers).  

So what's on your workout playlist? What song do you absolutely have to play every time, either because it gets the blood flowing or it means something to you? For me it's 'Till I Collapse by Eminem. Not only do I like the beat, which works well for the type of workout I do, but I like the lyrics.  I think the first part says it all and can apply to so many things in life. 

'Cause sometimes you just feel tired, feel weak 

And when you feel weak 

You feel like you wanna just give up 

But you gotta search within you 

Tryna find that inner strength 

And just pull that shit out of you 

And get that motivation to not give up 

And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall 

Flat on your face and collapse 

Califia Cold Brew Coffee: Mocha Noir

While I was grocery cat food shopping the other night I noticed something new in the milk aisle:  mocha flavored cold brew coffee made with almond milk. I'm always up for trying something new when it comes to a mocha coffee drink, but I tend to not try many since they're absolutely packed with sugar. I almost passed right by, but then I noticed that it said "25% less sugar" so I took a peek at the nutritional information. Surprisingly there's only 12 grams of sugar for the whole bottle. That's fairly low since so many of them pack 20 grams of sugar or more in a bottle. I will admit, though, that this bottle isn't as large as the Starbucks coffee drinks, so it's maybe not that much less sugar. That said, it was nice to see a bottle that is ONE serving size and not 1.5, 2 or 2.5.

If you like a strong coffee flavor, need something dairy-free and want less sugar, this is for you. Personally I found the coffee flavor a bit too strong for me. I prefer more of a hint of coffee rather than full-on, in-your-face coffee flavor, but I'm also not a coffee drinker so that's probably why. I ended up adding some of my Fairlife milk to it in order to tame it a bit. I also didn't care much for the almond flavor from the almond milk. I mean, I like almonds and I know what almond milk tastes like (almonds!), but it was weird to taste almonds when I'm drinking something that's mocha.

My verdict is that I would not buy this again. It was on sale for $1.89 and it's less sugar, which is what attracted me, but I wouldn't buy it again.

taste test: Swell Ice Cream

I've tried some of the other high protein, low sugar ice creams, like Halo Top and Enlightened, and wasn't all that impressed. I posted about it last year. 

Recently I found out about Swell. It used to be ProYo, but it has been rebranded to Swell.

I tried three flavors:  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Mint Chip, and Dark Chocolate Toffee. No, I didn't need to buy three pints of ice cream, but someone had to.

Each ice cream averages about 120 calories per half cup serving, 1-2 grams of fat, 9 grams of sugar, 10 grams of protein, and about 19-20 grams of carbs. They also contain sugar alcohols. If anyone is sensitive to that, make sure you take a test bite or two before diving in. Xylitol and cane sugar look to be the sweeteners of choice. 

Here are my thoughts about each flavor.

Mint Chip:  This was my favorite, probably because mint chocolate chip was my favorite flavor for most of my life. Again, good texture and taste. Very minty and there were a good amount of mini chocolate chips that were REAL. 

Dark Chocolate Toffee: I liked this one and would buy it again. It actually tastes like chocolate. There are small bits of toffee, but they're fairly few and far between. I'd like to see more, but I guess if more were added, the calories and sugar content wouldn't be quite as low. Update:  I was enjoying some of this right from the container while writing this and I found a BIG chunk of crunchy, gooey toffee towards the bottom. YUM! It was the only one that wasn't tiny.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip:  I liked this one, too, and would buy it again. I liked the bits of peanut butter. They're very small, but I can actually see them rather than just taste a hint of peanut butter like some of the other brands. Texture is good, too.

Just like the other ice creams I tasted previously, this melts quickly, but I don't care since I'm eating it from a dish and not a cone.  But if you're craving a cone, eat that thing fast. Be warned!

I mentioned sugar alcohols earlier. For some reason, this ice cream doesn't bother me the way the other brands did. I found I was able to eat the serving size and I felt OK.

Just like all the other high protein ice creams--actually most premium ice creams, now that I think about it--it's not cheap. Normal price in my store is $4.99 per pint; however, it happened to be on sale when I bought it so I got it for $3.50. And since this will last me quite awhile, I don't think that's a bad price. I'm no longer sitting down to eat a whole pint at once like I did pre-surgery. (Gotta admit, I really miss that sometimes. I don't miss the 130+ extra pounds on me, though.) One thing I want to mention in regards to keeping it in the freezer for awhile:  I feel like this type of ice cream forms freezer burn faster than regular ice cream, so you might want to lay a piece of plastic wrap over the ice cream (so it's touching the ice cream) after you scoop in order to block the air, and then put the lid on.

Something I like about this ice cream, other than the truer flavor and better texture, is the fact that most if not all of the ingredients are recognizable. For example, the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip contains:  skim milk, whey protein concentrate, xylitol, cane sugar, inulin (not sure what this is), semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter), peanut butter (roasted peanuts, sugar, peanut oil, salt), natural flavors, and salt.

As a whole, I enjoy this product more than Halo Top and Enlightened. It just more like real ice cream to me. I mean, sure, it's not Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs, but it's good for what it is. I mentioned this previously when I posted about Halo and Enlightened, but it bears repeating:  this is not Ben & Jerry's. The reason I'm mentioning it again is because there's always that one person who will say, "This doesn't taste like Ben & Jerry's. :( "  No shit, Sherlock! That's because it's not. It's high protein ice cream with a lower fat content, somewhat different ingredients, and a lot less calories.

Anyway, I'll be sure to post if I try any other flavors.

Cake Bites

I've recently discovered a couple new flavors of Cake Bites:  Berry Cheesecake and Chocolate Mint.

Cake Bites are protein snacks with a whipped consistency. I've tried other flavors and found them to be quite good. The thing I really like about Cake Bites is that you get three in a package, which means you can take one out and put the package away. (Obviously that doesn't happen in my house, but I'll pretend for the sake of this post.) I also like the soft texture. They're not hard/chewy like a regular protein bar, so they're easy on the teeth.

I was very excited to see Chocolate Mint flavor in the supermarket.  I love chocolate and I love mint, and I especially love chocolate and mint together. Mint chocolate chip ice cream was my favorite, and Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies are something I really can't have in the house because I'll destroy them pretty quickly. (Even though I can only have a few at a time because of the sugar content, I pace myself so that I can easily eat the whole box in a day. Not that I've done that...)

I apologize if the pictures looks a little fuzzy. I'm experimenting with making a collage in Photoshop.

I really like these; however, the color on the inside is not quite like it shows on the package. The picture I took doesn't really capture the strange color, but it's close. I took a bite and was like, "Hmm. That's...weird." But yeah, they still taste great.  There are 230 calories in a serving size, which is the whole package, 6g of fat, 20g of protein and 4g sugar.  I find they're really filling, so I try (TRY) not to eat the whole package at once. I can, but then I'm pretty full and wanting to take a nap.

I also tried the Berry Cheesecake flavor. As you can see they have a white coating. These smelled so good when I opened the package! They tasted good, too. I'd say they taste like they're supposed to. I didn't notice any weird aftertaste. The color isn't quite as off as the Mint Chocolate ones are, but it's not quite as lovely as what's on the package. The nutritional content is pretty similar to the others, but there are 240 calories--just slightly more.

Overall, I'd definitely buy these again. Not only because they taste good, but I really like having three pieces. It makes me feel like there's more, even though it's just a mind trick. But having had weight loss surgery, I sometimes have to play mind tricks.-

Protes Protein Chips: Zesty Nacho

I wanted to like these. I really did. But I don't.

I like trying new protein foods and most of the time I like what I buy, but sometimes I get a dud and it makes me really regret that I spent $x.xx. That's what happened this time.

I've long loved Doritos and I was hoping maybe these would be a good substitute. Yes, I totally realize they're protein chips and they won't taste just like a Dorito-- that's the reality of most protein products--but at it's at least somewhat likely they'll be a little cheesy tasting (no pun intended).

I can only describe these as vaguely spicy cardboard. I've never eaten cardboard, but I can imagine that if I did and I added some spicy seasoning to it, it would taste like these chips. It seems like the manufacturer watered down cardboard, rolled it out flat, cut it into triangle, added some nondescript seasoning and them left them out to dry.  My guess is it has something to do with the type of protein they use, which is pea protein; I'm not a fan of peas.

The stats are decent:  120 calories, 4g fat, 7g carbs, and 15g protein.

Final answer:  I love the crunch and the thickness, but that's about all I can say. I wouldn't buy these again.

update #2: the war on back pain

I have an update, but it's not as good as I was hoping for. Although, if I wrote this a couple weeks ago it would have been better.

I wrote earlier this week about my business/vacation trip I took recently. Right before the trip, I got my diagnosis from the orthopedic doctor. He prescribed me a steroid pack, which contained 21 pills to be taken over the course of six days. Since I can't take NSAIDs due to the gastric bypass, this was the next best option.

I debated back and forth as to whether I should start the pack right away, which would mean I would finish the pack while I was away, or wait to start it when I got back from CA. The reason I couldn't make up my mind was that the drug information pamphlet that came with the prescription stated that it could lower my immune system, which meant I could get sick while I was away. Since I'd be trapped on a plane with 150+ people for 6+ hours, I figured it would be likely I'd get sick. But then I started thinking about how much pain I was in and how much more pain I'd be in after that long plane ride, sitting in a conference room for several days, and then taking another plane ride home. That made up my mind:  I started the pack that Thursday before my trip.

I have to say, the steroids really made a big difference in my pain levels. The pain wasn't completely gone, but I no longer was waking up at 2 am already in pain. I also used my back brace for the plane rides, as well as long site-seeing drives and the business conference. I didn't need any of the Percocet that was prescribed "just in case." I managed with some occasional Tylenol.

When I got back to work after my trip, my standing desk had been installed in my office. It's pretty neat. My monitors are attached to the platform and it has a shelf for my mouse and keyboard. I can raise it so I can stand up whenever I need to without any fuss. Lowering it is just as easy. My boss said it looks like it belongs on the Star Trek Enterprise. It definitely helps alleviate some of the back pain.

My workouts are pretty limited at the moment. I'm the queen of lunges and body weight squats. I'm not supposed to twist; lift weights above my head; do anything that's high impact, like running or jumping; and no floor exercises.  The physical therapist says I can try some of the exercises I stopped, like kettle bell swings, but said to listen to my body and don't do anything that causes pain. I have to say, although it's very limited right now, I'm not sad that I can't do burpees, jump squats or flutter kicks.

Anyway, now that I'm home and back to work, my pain is back. It's not quite as bad as before I took the steroid pack, but it's still not good. Part of the problem is having to go out of town last weekend and then having to sit through several three-hour training sessions this week.  Even though I'm using the standing desk and I'm still using my back brace when I'm sitting at work, I find it's just not enough.  I bought myself a knee pillow for bed, which I just started using this past weekend. It's meant to put the back into alignment when sleeping on my side and take the pressure off the hips and lower back.  I've also started physical therapy, so I'll see how that goes.

Hopefully someday I will be pain free like most other people.  I can't remember what it's like to not feel some sort of pain on a daily basis.

buttered balsamic mushrooms

I don't think there's any better side dish for a good steak than sautéed mushrooms. Actually, it's a toss-up between sautéed mushrooms and creamed spinach, but I think the mushrooms win--they're probably a little more healthy.

A few weeks ago I bought some shallots at the farm stand down the street, even though I didn't have a clue as to what I'd use them for. I know they're in the onion family and can be used the same way, but have a milder taste.They had been sitting on my counter for a while. I kept ignoring them, because I was being lazy and couldn't be bothered to Google a recipe.  I finally decided it was time to use them, though. Coincidentally, The Kitchn had a post that day for buttered mushrooms with shallots. It made my mouth water just looking at the picture of the gorgeous, glossy, buttery mushrooms, so I decided it was time to defrost a steak or two and make these to have on the side for dinner.

This recipe was really easy. What's nice is that you can use Worcestershire sauce if you don't have soy sauce, and that's what I did. Also, this recipe gave me a chance to use some of the rosemary in my garden. I would say this took closer to 30 minutes to cook, but my mushrooms were big and I like mine cooked well.

As you can see, they look pretty good. Although, not as good as the picture in the recipe link. Does anything ever come out looking as good as it does on the Internet??

Here's the recipe:  15-Minute Buttered Balsamic Mushrooms.

By the way, in the picture is my most favorite wooden spoon. It just seems perfect for just about everything:  it's the right size, it has a slanted edge to scrap up bits from the pan, and a shallow bowl for tasting.  Only $4.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond.

my third, and final, stitch fix

Yesterday I got my third Stitch Fix box. I was again hopeful that it would include items that were better-fitting and more to my liking, though my hopes had decreased a bit and I wasn't overly optimistic.

I mentioned last time that I planned to ask for them to send me Misses XL for the tops rather than Women's 1X, as I've found the 1X to be a little big. I also asked that I get a necklace or bracelet, no earrings, and pants rather than jeans. They came through on all three requests, but with mixed results.

Here's what I got this time around:  three tops, one pair of pants, and a necklace. All three tops are a Misses XXL (their sizes run a little smaller).

This top is extremely sheer and there's absolutely no way I'd be able to wear it without a tank top or something similar underneath. Even then, the tank top would be completely visible. Probably fine for going out, but not for work, which, given the fabric and pattern, seems to be meant for work. The fit was fine other than the armholes being a little light. It's going back, though, simply because of the sheerness. The price is $44.00, which I think is a little high considering it can't realistically be worn on its own.

This top I like, and I may keep it. I'm not sure, though, because  but it fits rather large and makes me look much bigger than I am. Also, I feel like I can get similar for much less money and won't make me look three sizes bigger. It's disappointing, because it matches perfectly with the tan cardigan I bought from the first box I got.  The price is $54.00.

I was really skeptical when I pulled this one out of the box. It has a zipper on each shoulder, and the fabric crisscrosses in front. I tried it on and was actually pleasantly surprised...until I turned to the side. It makes me look huge, as though I'm 343 pounds again. I considered it for a moment when I put a cardigan over it, but it still makes me look big. Nope, going back. The price is $58.00. 

I was also skeptical about these pants, but only because they say "straight leg" on the tag. I generally don't like that style; I'm a skinny jeans/pants girl all the way and I'm SO HAPPY that skinny is back in style now that I can actually fit into them! I really love the material of these pants, which is heavy and very soft, Perfect for fall and winter. They are very comfortable and seem to fit well in most areas; however, because they're a Women's 16, the hips are slightly loose, which make the thighs a little loose, too. Therefore, they look like a poor fit.  I was going to keep these, but I'm sending them back. At $88.00, I should LOVE them, but I don't. I want to get out of the mindset that I should settle for things I "mostly like" and not make the effort to find things I love.

And the necklace. I didn't like it at first; however, when I put it on with the white/orange blouse above, it looked nice. But it's $34.00. As I've said in my previous two posts, I just can't justify spending that much on costume jewelry. I'm just not comfortable enough yet with the whole "statement jewelry" thing where I'm willing to spend that much, especially when it's not something I can wear with everything.

So, I've decided I'm going to cancel Stitch Fix. The main reason is the fit. The tops are either too big in the body, too small in the sleeves, or just not my thing. The pants/jeans seem to be great in terms of length, but one pair I could barely get past my thighs and the other (above) was a little loose, which made them look like a poor fit. The things is, all the pants are the same size!  Also, I've noticed that a piece of clothing isn't available in both Misses and Women's, so if a top is too big in a 1X, I can't size down to an XL or vice versa.

I just don't think that mail order is my thing anymore. Since I'm sometimes a Misses XL and other times a Women's 1X, and pants can vary a lot in length and fit, I think I need to stick to the store so I can try things on. I guess it's a nice problem to have after many years of being on the high end of Women's sizes, but it's definitely frustrating nonetheless. Actually, I think it's a little harder to shop now than it was before.

I think Stitch Fix would be great for someone who is a solid, consistent Misses or Women's size, and is looking to try new fashions. It's just not for me. 

my second stitch fix

I posted a few weeks back about my first Stitch Fix box. It was kind of a mixed bag for me, but I ended up keeping two items.

I scheduled my next fix to come this week, since I was excited and didn't want to wait another week. It arrived yesterday. Early verdict (before trying anything on):  promising, and better than the first one.

Here's what I got. (Note: The colors are better and brighter in real life. I took these with my cell phone in a room that is kind of dark.)

I really like this sleeveless shirt. It's very soft, it's the right length, I LOVE the color and it matched the tan cardigan they sent me last month. It's a little too big, though. I was going to keep it, but then realized I would be settling. I've settled for clothing all my life and I'm not doing it anymore. I'm not buying it unless it fits right, looks good, and I like it. The price on this is $38.00, which is pretty reasonable. Size is Women's 1X.

I like this flannel shirt on the hanger and I love the colors.  You probably can't tell from the picture, but the back buttons up and has a slit that goes up to the waist. I was hopeful yet skeptical, because I just don't look good in collared shirts. I was right. It looks awful on me. Plus it seems to not really hang the right way and is a little big. Sleeves are slightly tight at the top. The price on this is $58.00.  I think it's a bit much for this shirt. Size is Misses XXL.

I'm iffy about this blouse. It's better than the one they sent last month, but it's still a bit "old" and not really my style anymore. It's a blouse that I would've settled for before I lost weight. I like the colors, but it was way too big.  The price on this is $48.00, which is about what I would expect to pay at some place like Dress Barn or another store that sells business casual clothing. Size is Women's 1X.

These jeans! (Well, jeggings. They're not the typical button-and-zip jeans.) I love the color and the fit, as well as the double seam on the side. HOWEVER...I thought I was going to need to Crisco my legs to get these on. It was a struggle to get these up my legs and over my hips. It actually hurt, too, because I just got the "dog ears" fixed on my tummy tuck scar and the stitches came out yesterday. They looked great once I was able to hike them up, but it was a lot of work.  Then it was time to take them off.  I practically had to peel them off my legs. These felt slightly too short to me. The price is $78.00, which I feel is kind of high. I've never been one to spend a lot on jeans, though, so that might be reasonable to a lot of women.  But if I'm going to actually spend that much, they better be long enough (I'm 5'11"), fit well in the waist, and look awesome on me. Something weird I noticed on the tag:  it says to not sit on light colored upholstery or come in contact with light clothing.  So, yeah, another requirement if I'm spending $78.00 is that the color needs to, you know, stay on the jeans. The size is Women's 1X.  Not sure how, as they felt about two sizes too small.

And then there's the earrings. Yuck is all I can say. This is something I would never, ever wear. I didn't even try them on. I love the color, but the style is not for me. I held them up to my ears and they didn't look right at all. The price is $38.00, which is a lot for costume jewelry.

Final verdict on this fix:  not keeping it. I'm sending everything back. The shirts were too big and made me look bigger than I am, the jeans are too small and a little short, and I don't like the earrings at all.

As far as sticking with Stitch Fix, I'm going to give it one more shot. It's not that I don't like what they send me--I do for the most part.  Sure, a few things aren't to my taste, but I like most of the items. Also, they seem to listen when I say, "Send me something to match the tan cardigan I bought last month." They did--the purple sleeveless shirt. I asked for lighter colored jeans, and they sent them. The issue is sizing. After losing the weight and having the tummy tuck, it seems I'm kind of in between sizes:  I'm not consistently a Women's 1X or 16, and I'm not consistently a Misses XL or 16. I've asked that they send me Misses sizes next time to see if that helps. If not, then I plan to cancel.

my first Stitch Fix

So, I signed up for Stitch Fix at the suggestion of several people. It's a clothing styling service. You fill out your style profile online, pick how often you want to receive a "fix" (box of five items) and you pay $20 for each fix you receive. You can have a fix shipped to you every two to three weeks, every month, every other month, or every three months. You can even opt to schedule them manually, which is to say whenever you want one.  You get three days to decide if you want to keep anything. If so, you just go online and checkout. If not, you send them back in the postage paid envelope.  If you buy one or more of the items, that $20 goes towards your purchase. If you buy all five items, you get 25% off the total purchase.

I got my first box this weekend.  It was pretty surprising to see all the items fit in this one little box. The clothing was wrapped in paper and the box included an outfit suggestion card, along with the pricing and a Welcome note.

Here's the invoice. As you can see, the $20 "Styling Fee" is deducted from whatever you decide to keep. Shown is the total price if I keep everything. A few of the items are definitely a bit more than I'm used to spending, but others were about on par.

This is the outfit suggestion guide. As you can see, each outfit suggestion contains one of the five items.

Here's everything that was in the box, including the postage-paid return envelope.

OK, so here's what I got in my first Fix.

I got a pair of earrings ($44). They’re really not me, as they’re kind of big, but they actually look pretty good on me. That said, I’ll be sending them back, because I don’t have anything to go with them and $44 is a lot for costume jewelry (IMO). I may have kept them if I felt they were a good match for another outfit.

I got two blouses. This one is kind of a light grey with a lighter grey and yellow pattern ($54). It has a neck tie and fluttery sleeves. I didn’t like it when I pulled it out of the box, and it looks awful on me. It’s going back. Bob said it looks "old."

The other one is sleeveless, navy blue with a golden yellow pattern, and also has a neck tie ($44), though it's not as obnoxious as the one above. I think it would look better on me if it was a Misses XL rather than a Women’s 1X. It’s slightly big around the middle, but not swimmingly so. I may exchange it. If they don’t have XL then I'll have to decide if I'm keeping it or not. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, as I kind of cringed when I pulled it out of the box.

I received a pair of jean leggings that on the checkout page they call “skinny jeans” and they’re $78. The fit and length is perfect. Given that I’m 5’11”, that’s impressive! The color is too dark, though (I lightened the picture a bit so you can at least see them). I have a lot of cats I don’t want something that has to constantly be lint-rolled. I won’t be keeping them, both because of the price and the color. Sorry, but I’m not willing to spend $78 on jeans at the moment. If I had no jeans or was struggling to find ones that fit and look good, then I might do it. But that's not the case right now.

I got a long duster-length cardigan in light tan, though the color looks a little off here due to the lighting in the room. I was surprised at getting a XXL, but when I put it on I realized that it’s close-fitting. It’s lightweight and has a hood. I really like it and plan to keep it. It’s $58, but since I paid $20 for the box already, it will just be an additional $38.

To wrap up, I ended up keeping the blue blouse and the cardigan.  They didn't have a Misses size for the blouse; however, I decided that it's not so big that it looks terrible or doesn't fit well in other areas.

Here's what I liked:

• It gave me inspiration and ideas when going to the store this weekend. I tried on a few sleeveless blouses that are a departure from what I would normally give a second look at. 
• It's shipped to me for free. Also, return shipping is free.
• I can edit my profile any time I want so items are customized better for me. I also like that I can share my Pinterest board so the stylist can see they kinds of things I like. I created a category just for this and then shared the URL on my Stitch Fix profile.

What I didn’t like:

• Although they provided a card with outfit suggestions and the items *seem* to all go together (I think–I suck at matching colors and such), it showed only one piece along with a bunch of different items I don’t have to make an outfit. I would have preferred a card showing at least two of the items together so I know that, yes, these things do all match and look good together. It’s probably not an issue for a lot of women and is maybe nit picky, but I struggle and always have to check with my sister or a friend as to whether colors match or pieces look good together. 
• The time frame to make a decision is a bit short--only three days. 
• Once you go through checkout, it doesn't seem as though you can review your past orders; however, this was my first time and I didn't devote much time to poking around the website like I normally would.

I will definitely try it a few more times, though. I’ll make sure to give really detailed feedback so the choices get better. From what I understand in talking to others who use this service, detailed, specific, brutally honest feedback is crucial to getting what you like and will wear.

FlapJacked Mighty Muffin with Probiotics

So, I saw this in Walmart this weekend and decided I needed to try it.

I was standing in front of the protein bars struggling with whether I should buy some or not. They're good for after my workout, but I tend to eat them like candy bars and they rarely make it until after my workout. I've come to the realization that it's just one of those things I can't keep in the house anymore.

Anyway, I spotted these protein muffin mixes. It's a muffin that you mix with water and microwave, all within its own container. They looked interesting and I liked the idea of a muffin in its own container that I could microwave at any time. I checked the nutritional information and saw that it has only 7 grams of sugar, which isn't bad. The calories are a bit high at 220, but it has 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. The cost, if I remember correctly, was $2.39. That's about the same as a Quest protein bar. There were a couple different flavors:  Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, S'mores, and Double Chocolate. I bought the Double Chocolate flavor.

I have to admit that I wasn't able to save the muffin for when I was actually hungry or wanting something sweet. (I'm not a delayed gratification-type girl; I want it now!) I opened it up and stirred the mix around. I noticed there were some nice chunks of chocolate in it. I mixed in 1/4 cup of water and stirred with a fork until smooth. I then stuck it in the microwave uncovered. I started at 35 seconds, since I couldn't find the wattage on my microwave. It wasn't quite done, so I stuck it in for another 22 seconds.

This is what came out. It looks a bit inconsistent, but it was cooked all the way through. I ate it with a fork. Mainly because I didn't want to wait for it to cool and didn't want to burn my fingers. As far as texture, I wouldn't call this a muffin. It's more like cake. There were melted bits of chocolate in it and it tasted like warm chocolate cake. It was pretty good.  It was very filling and definitely would satisfy me if I was wanting dessert.

If you want to read up on them, there's the website:  https://www.flapjacked.com/collections/mighty-muffins