Mardi Minus the Gras
Hi FitFeat friends!
Hope your week is off to a great start! Mine is definitely getting off to an unproductive beginning. I’ve said before on the blog that I swear I have an electronic force field around me that sometimes makes all my technology act wonky! Well, the force field is back this week for sure. My laptop is being really slow – so slow in fact that as I write this, I’ll have a full sentence typed before all the letters decide to show up. I’m still fighting with the Headway customizable theme that I bought for the new cheffing website – something that should be SO simple I’ve already wasted over 7 hours on. (Literally trying to resize a column. I wish I was exaggerating. I’m not. 7+ hours trying to get 2 columns to STOP changing their size back to equal).
So I’m thinking, just to be safe, I should stay away from my CAR today! 
I’ve actually spent so much time working on my laptop over the last few weeks that my low back has been sore (I am a terrible sloucher when I’m on the computer – I know I need to fix that, but it’s just one of those things that you don’t catch yourself doing when you’re immersed in a project). I need to go do a few sun salutations to release my hamstrings!
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I have some random things for you today – no rhyme or reason to this post!
First a blog post that I happened upon via Twitter about why the author doesn’t want to be competition lean anymore. It really resonated with me because I’ve been there and experienced a lot of the same feelings. I thought it was interesting, so I thought I’d share it with you in case you are bored at your desk.
Next I flipped through a Life and Style magazine while I was on the treadmill today – an article about celebrities and cellulite. Now, I appreciate very much when stars readily admit that they have cellulite because, ladies, for most of us it’s just a fact of life no matter how lean we seem to get and the airbrushed images that we see in magazines are unfair expectations for us all to live up to. I’ve only ever been without cellulite on stage days for figure shows, and that was after a lot of water/electrolyte manipulation (not to mention 4 months of strict dieting and exercising leading up to it). I’ve had it since I was in my teens. But what got under my skin was a quote from Jessica Alba that said, “I’ve got cellulite but I love it.” Really Jessica? You LOVE it? Who LOVES having cellulite? Come on! It’s one thing to accept that you have it, but I’ve got a long way to go before I’ll ‘love it’. I don’t know why, but it just struck me as an ODD thing to declare!
On a cooking note, anyone making anything fun for Mardi Gras tonight? I’m thinking I’m going to make some Cajun-spiced shrimp for me, Cajun-spiced chicken for MSP, serve it with some jambalaya-style rice (topped with either red beans, or a red bean purée) and then make some dairy-free high-raw “creamed” spinach. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants on these but usually that’s when I make my best meals I think! So cross your fingers for me! I’m excited for dinner! It should be pretty darn healthy!
Then later this week I am going to try making a roast in the pressure cooker for MSP. I found a really good quality BISON at the store today so I’m going to sub it into a recipe I found with some plum sauce. I am still attempting to master the pressure cooker – and this will be the first meat made in it since I’ve been using it so far just for my rice, beans and vegetable stock. I’m thinking maybe I’ll make some tempeh for me and use the same plum sauce and maybe serve it with some jasmine rice.
Discussion time: let’s hear from you on any or all of the random topics above. Article on competition leanness and the obsessiveness that comes with it – what are your thoughts? (I totally agree with her that many women who compete come away from it with a bit of a disordered view of our bodies and our diets – I know I experienced that for a while). Thoughts on celebrities who ‘love’ their cellulite? Or tell us what you’re doing for Mardi Gras? (Are you cooking “Mardi minus the Gras” style?)
Have a TERRIFIC Tuesday blog buds!
– Shari B. =)