working it out

OK, don’t make fun of me.

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I needed exercise! Cheap exercise! I don’t like running! I try but it hurts!

Yes. These are 3 lb weights.

3 lb weights are cheaper than 5 lb weights! 5 lb weights are pretty heavy, eventually!

[So are 3 lb weights, for that matter, 20 minutes in.]

I basically did this every other day for a month (a few months ago now), and saw pretty prompt results. I’m a good candidate in a way, because I’m not trying to be especially ripped or the queen of stamina or anything, I just want to be healthy (you could absolutely get ripped doing this, but I mean a good candidate for a DVD, which can be turned off and abandoned at any point, and probably is). Gaining muscle tone isn’t my goal, not losing muscle tone is my goal (and the recommended goal of those over 30, according to lots of sources that seem sound to me). I can take a desultory approach and still maintain good cardio health and muscle.

With my approach the regimen has only a moderate effect on weight (diet is much more significant than exercise) but I can see that if I were doing it every day, and seriously attacking the exercises, I could have all of the abs a girl could want. [I could have way too many abs.]

I don’t mind Jillian Michaels, either. She’s business-like, and not overly friendly. I do it less often now, maybe once a week, or not even that depending on what else I do that week.  At first, in fact, it was a little too effective. My thighs were getting boxier than I wanted, which allowed me (conveniently) to justify doing it less…

So. Yes, I bought the 30 Day Shred. I am keeping it.

on the menu: Basque chicken

I finally had a chance to make this Basque chicken recipe from Sorted while I was in San Francisco. It went so well that I made it again, with slight modifications. Better sausage.  A lot more garlic than it calls for.

IMG_7763I like these one pot meals, and this one has a lot of flavor. You basically sautée the base elements, chorizo, onion, peppers, garlic, what have you, deglaze the pan with red wine, preferably Spanish*,  add rice, pimentón, herbs, extras, broth, and shove the whole thing in the oven. The chicken you brown beforehand and place on top before baking. It’s spicy from the chorizo and pimentón, rich from the wine and olives.

More cooking with wine is in order.

*I used the 90+ Cellars Garnacha, which was quite good. Have had such good luck with all of the 90+ Cellars wines I’ve tried.