Thank you, and you, and you and....Linky Linky Edition

First off - My apologies for my lack of blogging and my downer attitude lately. I'm still in a bit of a funk, but now I am making an effort to be gentle with myself about it and slowly work through it. What I have been doing lately is forcing myself into good moods and not actually dealing with the situation(s) at hand. So, in an effort to pull myself out of this in a healthy and sustainable way, I will be sharing more and more.

To start I want to thank everyone who sent me good wishes on both twitter and through my blog. Having a place to vent my nuts-o-ness is very very helpful.

In addition to writing, reading is great therapy. I finally caught up on my Google Reader today (after a week long hiatus) and found that there are so many people facing the same struggles or who have overcome them. My reads always leave me inspired and relaxed. I figure I should stop taking that for granted...

Here's a taste of what I've been relating too and drawing strength from:

On Money:

FCN listed some *interesting* money making ideas...I'm not beyond considering some of them!

J.D. at Get Rich Slowly helped me avert some spending by considering these questions....well, he hasn't yet, but he will next time I leave the house. This should be really helpful in achieving my "don't by anything (even food) until you've exhausted all options already available at HOME" goal (more on my recent goals to come).

Free From Broke discussed using Google calendar to stay on top of bills. I used to do that but have neglected to track much of anything since losing my job in October. Time to shape up...not having a job should not = laziness and inefficiency!!

Leo at Zen Habits suggested some HUGE ways to save. Got me thinking about my car. I love, Love, LOVE it! But, given the fact that the payment alone eats up a huge chunk of my unemployment, I am finding it hard to justify keeping it for anything other than "I WANT". I really need to put some serious thought into this. Any opinions out there??

Kevin at lifehacker reminded me to get off my self-pittying butt and get on those credit card companies to help me take a load off!!

Revanche got me thinking about my own pride and insecurities about asking for/accepting financial help. Just being on unemployment makes me feel like a giant leach...and don't even get me started how much I feel like a gold-digging jerk for having a wonderfully patient BF who is happily helping me make it through this shitty economy. Now, if it ever comes to having to ask someone else for help...Jeebus help me, I might just explode!

On Productivity (or lack there-of):

Blunt Money hit the nail on the head. I am also guilty of putting off things that I don't understand; even more, I put off things that just seem overwhelming. This, of course, only makes them seem more and more unmanageable. Kind of like writing over the last couple weeks....

The Wisdom Journal really struck a cord with me in this post. I definitely see-saw between these two mindsets. Recently, though, I have been nothing but a feeler: I've let my fears and hardships cloud my life. Not good, not good.

Zen Habits guest post by UrbanMonk was incredibly motivating. I'm going to give his exercise a try and report back.

On my Career/Job/Future:

On the plus side - Squawkfox brightened my day by telling me my resume is actually in pretty good shape; being action-word laden and all!

Another one from Zen Habits that helped me out. Jonathan just put into writing all the things I already know about myself. I am frightened, insecure, and afraid of judgment ... and it's holding me back. I have a plan to overcome this...

J.D.'s post at Get Rich Slowly about Finding Jobs right now gave me a swift kick in the arse and reminded me that giving up is not an option.

FCN is helping me overcome some of that fear I keep talking about. I am starting to formulate a plan, and this post come into play when I work on it. (I'll fill you all in soon!)

On Health, Fitness, & Sanity:

Over at Paid Twice I'm reminded that despite my own "problems", others need support with theirs. This post inspired me to reevaluate my own goals AND stop being so selfish and narrow minded about my situation.

Totally relating to L.L. I spent a beautiful weekend on a beach with my BF while having Pink Eye! UGH!! Our intimacy consisted of him carefully grabbing my face and kissing the "healthy side" Sooooo romantic! lols

Ms. Caitlin inspired my yummy lunch today. Check out my food photo-journal in the sidebar.

I've also been drawing strength and support from One Little Fish. I hope she doesn't lose faith in people completely! We're still out there! *Hugs* and Strength, One Little Fish.

And, of course, some funnies:

Searching for the yeti lists 9 words women use. I am guilty! So going to try and get BF to comment on all of these! I'll report back ... *must find tape recorder*

My kitties heartily agree with this little cutey:

And there are soooo many more bloggers out there that I adore and read daily. Thank you all for having the courage to share your lives! :)

Turkey Stuffed Pepper Recipe! (& other stuffs)

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

I've been inspired by SmarterFitter Blog and decided that, beginning Monday, I will start a photo food diary. I will not torture you all with it here since I do not have awesomely great photography skills or super sleek tableware. I may post the occasional item in my blog, of course, but I will mostly just use a flickr feed in my sidebar so you can click through at your own risk ;-)


I also have this DELICIOUS turkey stuffed pepper recipe. I made mine in a crock pot, but you can just do it on the stove by simmering at low/medium heat for about an hour (this is my understanding anyway).

Here goes:

Please note I have a 5.5-6Qt oval crockpot and made 6 stuffed peppers. So if yours is smaller adjust accordingly (modified from here with some tips from a close friend)

Ingredients
6 Bell Peppers (any color)
1 (1-1.25lbs) Package Lean/XtraLean Ground Turkey
1 cup cooked rice (i used instant brown rice)
1 can of tomatoes - any kind
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 small/medium onion (finely chopped)
some carrots(grated)
celery (finely chopped)
clove of garlic
any misc veggies you want to use up (finely chopped)
salt, pepper, garlic powder(optional) to taste

Instructions
carefully cut off the tops of the peppers and clean them out, keeping the tops
Chop and brown onions, carrots, garlic
Lightly brown the turkey (optional, I am paranoid about poultry)
Combine everything EXCEPT 1/2 jar of pasta sauce and the bell peppers
Stuff the peppers
Nestle them in the crock pot (no tops yet)
Pour remaining pasta sauce over the top letting it spill over into the crock pot
Put on the tops (cute and they add a bit more flavor)
Add approx 1/3 cup water to the crock pot (not to the peppers)
Cook on low for 6-8 hours (about 6.5 was perfect when I did them)

You'll probably have some stuffing left over, i just sauteed it all and ate it up, it was delish!

Frosted Mini Wheats

I have a dilemma with Frosted Mini-Wheat cereals. Most flavors are so tasty and filling. They're a great balance for my sweet tooth and healthy habits.

They cost as much as a regular box of cereal, but, because they are so bulky, there are only half as many servings per box (at best).

So, now I'm torn. As yummy as the blueberry flavored ones are (that I finished today), do I really want to buy more?

I could just go out and buy MultiGrain Cheerios or a nice granola mix which are just as healthy (if not more) and will last twice as long (if I adhere to serving suggestions). But the Blueberry Muffin Frosted Mini-Wheats were just so goooooooooooood.

Or, maybe, I should hold off to decide until all the household cereal is out....

Hungry Shopping = Bad

I must remember not to stop at the grocery store while hungry EVER. I bought 6 items and spent $26 because the salami, gourmet cheese, and buttery crackers looked too delicious to pass up.

Of course, now that I have finished my lunch I have a true case of buyers remorse. Not just because that was a bit pricey, but also because those are all high fat foods that I will no doubt inhale shortly. le sigh ;)

More Recipes Needed

I've come to realize that I need to expand my recipe base if I am to continue to eat (and keep BF eating) healthily on a regular basis.

These are are the recipes I can now make with my eyes closed (I'll post them oneday)

Dinner/Lunch Main Dish
Beef stew (crockpot)
Ground turkey stew (crockpot)
Spaghetti with turkey meat sauce (stove top)
chicken soup (stove top)
Avocado steak salad (stove top - steak)
Turkey meat loaf (crock pot, only made it once actually, I improvise with whatever ingredients I have and it's still delish!)
Avocado Tuna Salad (stove top, also an one time make so far, but I loved it!)

Sides
Mashed potatoes
Sauteed onions & green beans

Breakfast
Egg white fritata (using any random ingredients around the kitchen)
Banana chocolate Breakfast Bars (I like to sub grated carrot and/or zucchini for the coconut)

Desserts
Healthy variation of chocolate chip cookies
Cranberry and/or pecan shortbread cookies (I just sub the pecans for the cranberries or use both)
Banana chocolate breakfast bars (BF considers anything with chocolate game all day long)

I suppose that isn't too bad. But we have been eating all that since October with no variation other than eating out. It's starting to get a little repetitive at this point.

I do have a couple things I am itching to try in the next week or two (maybe this weekend would be good!)

Stuffed green peppers
Healthy fudge brownies (BF will be excited when I finally get to these.)

Then I'll have to do a little more research into some easy and healthy recipes.

And on a side note...
I need to change platforms soon and start networking other bloggers to get some readers on here! :)

Goals, Updates & Stuff

Yoga is good overall. I've been doing it for about two weeks now and my left knee and lower back are feeling much much better. I also started swimming around the same time so that could be the reason for the relief. Either way, I plan to keep both up to keep my workouts fresh. My right knee, on the other hand, not so good. It's been hurting for the last week or so. I tried to run on it today and it wasn't going to happen without serious pain. I'm going to get it checked out on Thursday to see if I can run my race on Feb 1. Hopefully I can!!

My 2009 goals are off to a rocky start. I have yet to get an interview (other than with recruiters) let alone a job, my debt is staying steady but I really need it to start going DOWN. My weight has been going down but I have not been eating well so it's going to make a U-turn if I don't whip myself back into healthy mode, the biking and running goals are still too early to start on so I can leave those in the back of my head for now.

My emotional life is a bit of a mess too. The BF is great, supportive and patient with my unemployment and frustration. I'm getting to the point where I feel the lack of response to my applications is personal and that is coming out in my attitude recently. A little more meditation, yoga, and resume tweaking will hopefully do the trick!

Blogging 2-3 times per week....yeah, if you read this I don't have to tell you how that's going; I'll get there! Networking is actually improving, I've been ignoring the negative voice in my head more and more, allowing me to be a little more risky with job applications and asking for help. It's a start.

I have been reading, maybe too much. I've already read 3 books this month. I think I will take a break until February now and focus on the other goals. I tend to get lost in my books (much like I did in TV) and leave everything else on the back burner. For example, I should really have been studying my Chinese all weekend instead of finishing my third book, whoops! But at least I did take the class and I do enjoy it, now I just need to pass it ;-)

So yes, I am a little overwhelmed, but, on the plus side, today's inauguration lifted my spirits. I feel like this is a fresh start for me as well. I mean, Obama is an inspiration for new beginnings and change (not to mention a BEAUTIFUL man, yum). And on that note....Off to do homework, cleaning and class!