What *are* ramps exactly?

So ramps seem to be a big thing in the local culinary scene here in New York, but until yesterday, I'd never even heard of them.

Turns out they are what I imagine to be a cross between green onions and leeks. Mostly like small leeks from what I understand. See above.

Given that I'm so into trying new things these days, I'm going to have to head on over to the farmer's market in Union Square to find some.

Both the New York Times and The Kitchn posted about them this week. Check out their ideas about how to use them below, and let me know how you would prepare them? I need some additional inspiration on this one...

Suggested Recipes:

Ricotta gnocci with ramp pesto
Morel mushrooms and ramp pizza
Ramp risotto
Sauteed ramps

Since we're talking about food...

...why not also talk about how it's served?

Check out these fabulous plates I just posted about on my other blog Dabble. What a great way to serve your food home style!

Image via The Moment.

Dinner time: Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

Still wanting to experiment with new recipes, I made this vegetarian Mexican casserole. If you haven't had Mexican casserole, it's like a stew with either a mashed potato, or in this case, a cornmeal topping.

I was quite surprised at how much work this was to make. Took me about 2 hours total, including 40 minutes of bake time. Tons of chopping and a couple of different pans cooking at the same time before it goes in the oven. I will admit that I am slow though. Perhaps this would go faster for someone else.

I've never cooked with squash before, so that was new. It's one of the main ingredients of the stew. But I was exhausted, and it was really late by the time it was done. So we decided to reheat the casserole and have it for dinner tonight instead.

It was excellent. Only 7 points. The serving size was huge and very filling!

My sweet tooth is kicking my butt

Last week, I was okay with a little something sweet after dinner, but this week, my sweet tooth is getting the better of me.

Is it better to indulge a little (as I have been) or to just stay strong and get that sugar out of my system?

I've been having little tastes. Like today in our meeting, there were cupcakes! I LOVE cupcakes! Bypassing a cute little chocolate cupcake (my favorite) isn't at all like skipping on a cookie.

So I had half of one.

And I've been looking at Weight Watchers dessert recipes.

Like these...

Chocolate Banana Napolean
Chocolate Souffle
Mini Chocolate Mousse Tarts

Clean, Chop, and Store Fresh Herbs

I just read a few really great tips on fresh herbs that I have to share. I was cooking with cilantro last night, so this info seemed rather timely and appropriate for me.

The post talks specifically about parsley, but it seems to me that they'd be relevant for cilantro, which we use a lot, as well. Or maybe even basil and other soft, fresh herbs?

After washing and shaking off excess water, pat the herbs dry with paper towels. Set damp paper towels aside to use for storing the herbs.

Another great tip for me, particularly in regard to cilantro, was how to efficiently "shave" the leaves from the stems by using your knife at an angle.

As for storage, use damp paper towels to wrap uncut herbs and store them in a plastic bag refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.

Visit the Real Simple website and watch the video above for more info.

Wow Snack: I just had the most fabulous yogurt mess...

...and it really was a mess today.

It's not all that original to add trail mix to yogurt I guess, but wow it was good! This trailmix is the Mr. Nature Unsalted Mix 'n Yogurt. Mostly unsalted nuts with a few yogurt drops.

The nuttiness of the trailmix, plus the tangy-ness of the 2% plain Fage yogurt combined with the sweetness of the yogurt bits was sooo good. This is one of the few healthy things they sell in our vending machine here at work, so I splurged as I wasn't feeling the plain yogurt thing today! Totally hit the spot.

More on the yogurt mess here.

Plantain Inspiration: Sweet plantain omelette

I love cooking new and interesting things. I just finished reading Mark Bittman's post on plantains, and I've been inspired. I've had plantains before but have never cooked with them, so I'm looking forward to mixing it up a bit.

I live in a hispanic neighborhood, so plantains are easy to find. In fact, I picked up a couple on the way home tonight.

Bittman writes about frying them up. However, I've also seen a couple of other interesting options such as a sweet plantain omelette. Details on the omlette below. I've adapted the recipe. The amount of eggs and other ingredients is optional/to taste.

Also note, the plaintains should ripen and turn yellow/black before using them. It can take up to two weeks for them to ripen.

For the omelette, beat egg whites and mix in a dash of salt and nutmeg. In a separate pan, use a cooking spray and cook the plantains on both sides, until medium golden brown.

Add cheese, plantains and garlic to egg mixture and whisk. Coat large sauce pan with oil, butter or non-stick spray, cooking egg mixture on medium heat on one side for about 5-6 minutes. Gently flip over and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until egg is thoroughly cooked through.

If you are unable to flip the omelette over, place omelette on oven-safe pan/skillet. Finish cooking in oven on 350°F for about 10 minutes or until you know egg is thoroughly cooked, or golden.

See the complete original recipe here on Bren's Flamboyant Eats.

Mark Bittman's NYTimes post also has a number of interesting suggestions in the comments section.

Join the Kitchn Cure

Does your freezer look like this? Or your fridge or cabinet? If yes, you need a cure. In this case, the Kitchn cure. The Kitchn blog is sponsoring a 6-week "cure" with weekly assignments to help get your kitchen in tip top shape.

This week's assignment, clean out your freezer and pantry.

Are you up for the challenge? If yes, sign up here! Since I'm spending more time in the kitchen lately, I just did...

(P.S. That *really* looks like our freezer! Except minus all the nummy ice cream. I better get to work!)

Soy and Cashews in Lettuce Cups

This recipe just in from Real Simple. I love lettuce cups and I love Boston lettuce even more. However, their version is chicken, and mine will most definitely be either tofu or fake soy chicken. The cashews are a huge plus.

See the Real Simple recipe here and substitute as necessary to make it vegetarian.

Wow Meal: Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce

While it's not a meal, it will definitely make your meal! Alex made the most phenomenal aji verde sauce tonight to go with our dinner. Alex is half Peruvian, and I first had this sauce at a Peruvian restaurant in Brooklyn.

I found a Weight Watchers version of it yesterday, so we had to try it out.

The recipe shows it with roasted chicken, but we were looking for something simple tonight so we ate it with veggie quesadillas. It completely makes a dish!

Light and fresh and only 1.5 points per serving, it's a blend of jalapenos, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, half & half and a few other seasonings. I was a bit nervous about all the jalapenos, but Alex adjusted the combination a bit so it only had a little kick. Also, a little goes a long way!

See the complete lower calorie recipe here on Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipe Blog.

For the more traditional version, see the Wandering Chopsticks recipe. Photo via Wandering Chopsticks.

Nutbar on the Treadmill

Check out this brilliant video from Eat Well and Take Care.

Bitchcakes' 35-Mile Bike Ride

What an inspiration! The Bitch Cakes' blog features her 35-mile bike ride today. 35 Miles!

Extremely impressive. Not only did she ride that far (see her route below), but she even stopped and took pictures as she went! That's her above before she started, looking super cute! Love the sunglasses and pink helmet!

This is just the kind of motivation I need to get out there and exercise.

Read more about her journey down to Coney Island and back here.

Just made my own hot yogurt mess

Okay, so I did end up trying Sweet Eats' yogurt mess, my own version however. These are my ingredients: blueberry non-fat Fage Greek yogurt, granola, strawberries and peanut butter.

The idea is great, but for Weight Watchers it's a bit higher in point count than I might normally prefer. However, since I slept in, this ended up being brunch for me. 10 points.

I think I prefer Sweet Eats' version with banana though. And where I went wrong on mine was the blueberry flavored yogurt. Plus this was the fat free version which I don't love. Unflavored 2% would be better, as the sweetened blueberry dominated the meal.

What was awesome however, and what made it a "hot mess" was the peanut butter. Though, I would normally go for a lower fat peanut butter, this was all I could get on short notice. I warmed 2 tbsp in the microwave and poured it on top at the end. YUM! Even better than normal, being a warm sauce.

If I decide to make this again, it'll have to be 2% plain yogurt, 1 tbsp perhaps instead of two of light peanut butter (less points), banana, and then either no cereal to cut the points or I might experiment with other options.

But it was a fun experiment, none-the-less! Below is my finished product...


Thanks for the inspiration Sweet Eats.

Sweet Eats Recommends

I love the Sweet Eats blog. She's got lots of great food ideas, including what she calls a "yogurt mess," shown above. This version of the yogurt mess includes 3/4 cup of my favorite yogurt fage, with truvia, honey kix, banana and Mighty Maple.

I wasn't actually familiar with Mighty Maple until I read her post.

I might make my own version of this tomorrow morning, but perhaps a bit simpler, with strawberries and peanut butter. I'll let you know how it goes...

Sweet Eats also recommends the baked sweet potato/almond butter combination shown below. I wouldn't have been sure based on the looks of this, but she raves about the combination of sweet potato and almond butter.

Just bought a sweet potato on today's veggie shopping spree, but now I'll have to get some almond butter.


Post via Sweet Eats.

Sweet Tooth: Chocolate cake, whipped cream and berries

Those of you who know me know that I have a *serious* sweet tooth. Mostly, I've been trying to cut out sugar, but tonight I decided to make a little desserty treat.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones chocolate chip chocolate muffin heated, plus fat free whipped cream, plus strawberries = YUM!

4 points.

Diet Sloppy Joes and Cheese Fries?

I just saw a fabulous sloppy joe recipe over on the Biggest Diabetic Loser. Of course, I'll have to make a vegetarian version with some ground soy. However, Alex can do his with the sirloin.

The carrots and red peppers are drizzled in Green Goddess dressing. The fries are baked with a small amount of cheese.

Visit the Biggest Diabetic Loser for the complete recipe.

Vegetarian Chili

I've been craving chili lately and decided to make it tonight when I found an old chili recipe my mom sent me wayyy back in the day.

Alex was also much more willing to have some since my mom added a note to the recipe saying that this was veggie chili even she would eat (given that she's a meat eater). He also added ground turkey to his.

This chili is mostly beans and veg rather than soy. Next time I make it I might add a bit more chili powder or garlic to give it more of a kick though. And some corn, lime juice and cilantro might be a nice touch as well.

It's great garnished with fresh onion, a wee bit of fresh cheese, and since I was feeling indulgent today, I also added just a few fritos from a single serving bag we bought at a convenience store down the street. (Absolutely can't have leftover fritos hanging out!) It would have been better to add baked tortilla chips. That'll be my official recommendation!

Unless you want tons of leftovers, you could make just half the recipe. I went for the whole thing though since I didn't want to have half cans of beans leftover. I also used canned lentils instead of dry ones, and I wouldn't recommend that. They were too soft.

I also have to recommend the largest stock pot you have. I used what I thought was big enough, and it wasn't.

The recipe makes 12, count 'em, 12 servings at 5 points each and 260 calories. Plus whatever you use for garnish. Mine was 7 points per serving with the cheese and fritos. Still not bad!

Recipe Below:

Five-Bean Vegetarian Chili

2 tsp olive oil
2 med. onions, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1-12 oz. pkg dry lentils
1-16 oz. bag frozen black-eyed peas
4 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes w/puree
84 oz. water (3 tomato cans filled)
1-16 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1-16 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1-16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 tsp salt

In a large kettle, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and peppers. Cook, stirring occassionally for 8-10 min. or until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.

While vegetables are cooking, pour the dry lentils into a colander and rinse thoroughly under water. Drain. Add the lentils and frozen black-eyed peas to the kettle, along with remaining ingredients.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 min.

Stir occassionally. Chili should be thick and rich. Season to taste. For spicier chili, add more chili powder or up to 1 tbsp hot sauce.

Flavor improves if refrigerated overnight. Add water if necessary when reheating.

Italian Eggs Over Spinach and Polenta

I almost bought a package of polenta at the store today-- so mad I didn't because I just found this awesome-sounding recipe on Cooking Light.

I'm looking for variety and want to try new things, so this is perfect as it's unique, healthy, simple and fast enough, but still vegetarian. I'll let you know how it turns out when i do make it.

Only 264 calories and six points per serving.

See the complete recipe here.

Real Food: This is what I eat

Personally, I find it interesting to see what people *really* eat. This is one of those kind of meals. Not fancy or special, just real.

Soy chicken nuggets, vegetarian baked beans, peas. I was starving when I came home, tired, and this hit the spot. Definitely comfort food, but still decent point wise.

The Cookie Monster Strikes Again!!

Ummm...yeah...that would be me!

I haven't been sleeping well (which i can't figure out) and have been super tired. Unfortunately, when I'm tired and cranky, I turn to food. So this morning, I had a bigger breakfast than usual to try and combat that a bit. I totally inhaled it! Which was fine, all within my Weight Watchers points. Except that I still wasn't satisfied. But i wasn't technically hungry either.

Tired, having trouble concentrating on the notes for my morning meeting, I went to the kitchen for an extra cup of coffee. Again, okay. But then it happened...*someone* left two big bins of cookies on the kitchen table! Chocolate cookies!

Totally snarfed one down!

So that's the bad part. The good part is that a) it was quite little, b) i resisted a second one by asking myself what good it would really do, and c) this was the third day someone had left out different kinds of awesome cookies. And this was the first time I indulged.

So a little bit at a time I guess.

It's more about why I was eating this morning, than what, at the end of the day, i did eat. My biggest challenge too is that I totally felt better after my snarfed breakfast, cookie and coffee.

I should start calling that gnawing part of me the cranky monster.

OMG, I'm obsessed with Whole Foods' Salad Bar

Even when I'm not eating healthy, I still LOVE Whole Foods' salad bar. During my lunch time meander today, I made my way over there and totally indulged, but in a healthy, veggie kind of way. Dark leafy greens, tons of fresh veg, marinated mushrooms, and TOFU! Mmmm...

If you haven't checked out your local Whole Foods' salad bar, you've gotta get over there. It's like the mecca of healthy salad bars. Now I just need one near our apartment!

Google Fitness

For those of you trying to squeeze in a bit more exercise, Google has just made it easier to track the distance you walk/run/bike. Gmaps pedometer allows you to click various points on a map until you have tracked your entire path. It then tells you the distance traveled and if you enter your weight, calories burned.

How cool is that!?!?!

I've decided to start walking at lunch, especially now that the weather is better. I managed a bit over a mile today traipsing around Tribeca.

Original post via Dabble.

Wow Meal: Tempeh Coconut Curry

I tried something new tonight. I gave tempeh another try, but this time in a coconut curry with mushrooms, peas, red peppers and scallions -- on a bed of brown rice.

It was superb and surprisingly low in points. I used the Tofurky tempeh strips, so talk about easy.

Maple Smoked Tempeh Bacon

Maybe I'm just hungry, but WOW this sounds good! I've never been a fan of tempeh, but I'm finding that if it's prepared right, it can be great.

Check out the full recipe at The Vegan Ronin.

Water with Orange and Basil (Really!?!)

Yes, really! I've certainly had water with lemon and even water with cucumber which is lovely and refreshing.

The orange sounds great, but basil? Green Lemonade raves about it though. Convincingly enough that I have to try it!

Sweet Treat: Greek Yogurt

In the past, I would eat yogurt but never really craved it. I think it had to do with the artificially sweetened, non-fat stuff I was eating. It just never had any substance to it and was way too high in sugar and/or had fake sweeteners.

However, recently, I went on the hunt for full fat yogurt. I was thinking I'd rather have plain, better yogurt in small portions than what I've eaten previously.

And now I'm really, really into yogurt. I find the fancier stuff hard to find in my neighborhood, but where I work, there are tons of little health-food type markets with a big selection of either full fat, 2% or Greek yogurts.

The stuff's so thick and good, it's like I'm having a serious treat. So much so in fact, that I think I'll be making yogurt pops out of this stuff come summer.

What a wonderful satisfying afternoon snack. Today's was Fage 2% with strawberry on the side. Totally sticks to your ribs as they say. (Unlike the other stuff!)

It's all about white tea for me!

I've never been much of a tea drinker, not until I discovered white tea that is. It's great hot, very mild, but it's even better cold.

Many of the cold teas that you can get in convenience stores have super high sugar counts, but Inko's doesn't. It's healthy and refreshing and great when I'm trying to cut back on soda.

I'm not sure how extensively it's available nation-wide / or even internationally. However, you can buy the different flavors on their website.

And the best part is that they've just started selling larger sizes too. Not cheap but definitely worth it! To really stretch your dollar/calories/points, mix a bit of the tea with some spritzer.

Originally blogged on Dabble.

Mmmm...Tostadas

So I had a little dig in the pantry last night and decided to make tostadas. Mmm...tostadas. It was a great, satisfying meal. In general, I've found that dieting helps me enjoy my food more. I take more time to appreciate what I do eat.

I made the tostada shells myself from corn tortillas and added all the fresh veg I had, plus red beans, a sprinkling of cheese and the teensiest bit of fresh avocado.

My recipe was a bit hodge-podge, but check out the Weight Watchers one on their site here. Theirs includes jicama, corn, avocado and lime. Yum!

Why oh why did I ever get rid of my Misto?

Do you know the Misto?

It takes that oh so healthy olive oil, or any kind of oil really, and dispenses it in a fine mist for cooking, salads or whatever other use you can think of.

Everytime I pour out some olive oil and a bit too much comes out, I think of this thing. I'm going to have to go get another asap!

The New York Diet

New York Magazine has a fascinating series called the "New York Diet" where they ask an eclectic series of people to document what they eat in a given week. And for whatever reason, it's oddly fascinating.

Not all of them are healthy, but I was surprised that many of them are (or claim to be). This includes people that simply diet, those who are vegan, caffeine-free, organic locavores and those who do no sugar. And of course there are those who are gluttonous and eat it all!

You'll find all of the articles in the series linked here. Enjoy!

Photo Above, Mary Stuart Masterson, via nymag.

Lose weight for the environment?

Here's one more very interesting and unique reason to lose weight from the New York Times.

They argue that being overweight is bad for the environment. Not specifically meat eating, which does have ties to environmental destruction, but over-consumption in general.

According to the article, "The study concludes that being overweight or obese “should be recognized as an environmental problem” because of its contribution to climate change from additional food and transport emissions."

Agree, disagree, want to learn more? Read more here.

VB-6, "Vegan Before 6pm"

New York Times columnist Mark Bittman tells NPR about his new philosophy on losing weight and saving the environment. He calls it "VB6 — Vegan Before 6[pm]" During the day, he eats fruits vegetables and grains, but after 6, he eats what he wants.

While many vegans may scoff at this concept of calling yourself any type of vegan when you still eat dairy (or in his case meat), I like it as a transitional approach to going vegan and eating healthier. Start small and build.

However, for those of you who like the idea, but have no intention of doing it full time, go for it. Any effort should be applauded.

See Mark Bittman's original article on NPR. Post via New York Magazine.

Zucchini Pasta with Raw Marinara Sauce

I've just discovered The Vegan Foodie. She has the most fantastic recipes.

This zucchini pasta not only looks good, but I find it quite intriguing since it's all raw food. Sounds easy to make. (No cooking involved, of course!)

Plus, she says that it gave her energy, gotta try some of that!

I'll let you know how it turns out. The original recipe is from the Raw Food, Real World cookbook.

Pizza and spades

So Alex had the guys over tonight to play cards, and I had to face the temptation of pizza.

I planned on eating just one piece but ate a second when I saw I still had enough points left for the day. Now the rest sits in the box taunting me.

Which made me wonder, point- and health-wise, is it really worth blotting the oil off pizza? Does it work, I mean? Are you a blotter?

Spinach, Vegetable Quesadillas

I'm all for quick convenience foods. I'm often tired when I get home from work, so quicker is better. I also grew up in Texas where Mexican food reigns, so that's pretty much a staple in my diet as well.

One of my favorite foods are quesadillas. Which, if not done right, can do you in! However, follow my instructions below and you'll have a quick, healthy, vegetarian dinner option.

Vegetable Quesadillas

Ingredients
fresh spinach
diced onion
fresh minced garlic (or garlic salt (optional))
mushrooms
diced red pepper
low fat cheese
small low fat/whole wheat tortillas (corn are even better!)
hot sauce

Preparation
Using a no-fat cooking spray or a tablespoon of olive oil, saute the garlic and onion until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and let cook a few minutes. Finally, add the rep peppers and spinach for a final two or three minutes.

Add the sauteed vegetables and a small amount of cheese to a tortilla, fold in half and heat in the same frying pan, just until the tortillas are warm and soft.

Weight Watchers Points
Points will vary depending upon the amount of cheese, oil and the type of tortillas you use, so please measure accordingly. However, points range from 2 to 4 per half quesadilla.

If you're really strict, you could even do a half quesadilla (ie: one tortilla folded) for one point (corn tortilla, a dusting of light cheese, no-fat cooking spray).

Adapt the vegetables to suit your taste. To shave some time off the cooking, keep the mix of veg simple.

Enjoy!

Healthier "Cranky Food" Options

So far so good. I've only had one minor slip up in the last few days.

I was super cranky much of the weekend for whatever reason, and I did splurge on ice cream Saturday during the worst of it. It was actually frozen yogurt, but still... Definitely a pattern for me to turn to sweeties and comfort food when I'm in a mood.

However, I balanced that slip up with the fact that last night, I was cranky and super starving, but instead of ordering out as I usually would, I zapped some low sodium minestrone soup in the microwave, added a bit of parmesan and fresh spinach, and really enjoyed my very low point dinner.

I just needed something with zero effort and instant gratification. The soup surprisingly did the trick. I just need to remember that next time!

Then I worked on an art project to help focus my energy in a different way. Hopefully, if it turns out as I hope, it'll soon be featured on my blog Dabble.

5K Run Across the Brooklyn Bridge

As far as exercise goes, I need as much motivation as I can get, so the idea of building up to and preparing for some sort of race is appealing.

I've done a few 5Ks for charity purposes, but never for exercise. All of those times, I walked the 5K, my only expectation just to finish it. So perhaps I can not only sign up for this one, but keep an eye on the time and set certain goals for myself.

The Weight Watchers website has created the Momentum Walk-It Challenge. They've set up all kinds of resources with a whole section for walking teams, info on area trainers (a lot for New York), and a list of 5Ks and other events to sign up for. Very cool. As an extra perk, you get a couple of freebies for joining. For signing up for a 5K, Weight Watchers gives you a free 6-month subscription to their magazine.

I've decided to sign up for the Sgt. Keith A. Ferguson 5k Run Across the Brooklyn Bridge. The fact that it's on the Brooklyn Bridge is another big perk. What beautiful views!

NOTE: Yeah! Alex has just agreed to sign up with me!

The perfect weight

Sugar Shock

If you're anything like me, you have a serious sweet tooth. But at the same time, I'm quite sensitive to sugar. It's not uncommon to end up with a bit o' sugar shock even from just my iced coffee. Or worse yet, that crash and cranky mood when it wears off.

So I'm actually considering going sugar free again. I did it once, after a friend's recommendation, and although it was difficult, it was also made me feel great. My mood was good, those spikes and crashes in my energy levels were gone, my energy was higher in general, and the best part was the weight loss.

Plus, diabetes runs in my family, so I'm always aware of that potential risk.

Beyond just wanting sugar, I was surprised how often it came up socially that I felt like I needed to explain to people why I wasn't eating sugar, for an office function or a friend's party. I was really surprised that people thought it was weird. It definitely would've been easier just to say I was on a diet.

For now, I'm reducing sugar. Will be thinking about cutting entirely. I'm already a vegetarian, but in a perfect world, I'd cut sugar and even dairy. But I love sugar and dairy...soooo...I try to stay healthy in other ways.

Pondering my blog reading choices

So in keeping my mind set registered firmly to "healthy," I had to ponder today whether I should actually change my blog reading choices.

Ie: food-related blogs. One of my favorites is Cupcakes Take the Cake. It's not like I go eat a cupcake after I read it, but it does keep cupcakes on the brain. Given some of the adorable cupcake designs, I appreciate them as an art form, but i can see wanting positive-only motivation at this point.

What do you think? Do you have any healthy food related blogs you follow?

Image via Cupcakes Take the Cake.
(I had to go with the non-cupcake-but-still-super-cute image above, rather than tempt anyone here with food. So be forewarned before clicking through to their blog!)

My journey begins!

Not that I haven't been on this journey before! I've been on Weight Watchers however many times in the past. It works, believe it or not; it's just a matter of staying on the program!

This blog is less for public consumption, though it is of course public, and more for me to focus my energies. However, the accountability of having to report my point totals and weight loss publicly is a good thing.

So, here we go!

"Before" picture above.