Eeewwww….I smell like a big vinegar factory!! The home remedy for ear infections includes one part vinegar to one part alcohol. This concoction has actually been doing the trick (it’s pretty much the same stuff the pharmacy would give me…), but the smell is not fun!!

Okay, on to BTD news…

No exciting recipes to share; it’s been so hot lately that I’ve been eating PB&J sandwiches, frozen grapes and blueberries, watermelon and taking my superfood. Needless to say, I’ve been “off” on my weekly servings of protein, beans, yogurt and veggies.

Oh wait!! We are having a yummy salad tonight. This is so cool and delicious…enjoy!! Chopped up tomatoes, onions and cilantro with Italian dressing…that’s it…just cool it a while. For a meal-meal I enjoy it with tortillas (spelt or flour), beans and homemade salsa. Yum!!

I’ve got a swimmer’s ear infection. I’ve know it’s been coming for a couple of weeks now, but have been able to keep it at bay. It’s now a full blown infection…swollen ear and face, fever, localized pain…the whole nine yards. I know how it snuck in to become a nasty nuisance in my ear. I ate Doritos on Friday night whilst working on the thesis. I succumbed to PMS, studying blues and junk food habits. And now I have an ear infection. A bad one.

Well done me.

I’m off to take a nap and let the home remedy set in the ear (obviously no pool for me today). I’m loading up on tuna, superfood and other benne’s…trying to give my body defenses to fight this and anything else that might want to rear it’s ugly head. I think that this may be a big enough lesson to treat corn with the respect that it deserves…AVOIDANCE!!

Ugh! Okay, maybe I’m PMSing here, but I am so SICK of packing food everyday to take with me!! I dream to create a life that allows me to go home for lunch and dinner so that the necessity of carrying enough calories daily doesn’t exist! Don’t get me wrong, I love that I DO pack my lunch/dinner/snacks so that I’m not a slave to the fast food scene…my checkbook thanks me for this as well…but I’m just so tired of worrying about what I have, if it’s enough and how to keep it cold.

Sheesh…I suppose that I should be really thankful that I have access to a dishwasher to take care of the Tupperware…rather than having to wash it all by hand. Thank you dear universe for small gifts and extraordinary favors.

I know that the heart of all of this can be summed up in one word: summer. Summer is a time to live by the seat of your pants, to find random adventures off the beaten path, and to get up and go without having to co-ordinate a week’s worth of “stuff.” Basically I’m just bitter and don’t want to cook and prepare several days worth of food in advance just so I can have a lunch bag packed every morning. I want to do that in the fall, when the evenings are cool and standing over the stove isn’t so bad. When the days aren’t so light and the coziness of the kitchen is inviting. Sigh…maybe I just really need something to gripe about and this was it for today!!

Here’s hoping that y’all are packing your lunches with AB friendly foods, that you’re drinking enough water and going slowly enough to enjoy the last precious half of this wonderful summer. Take care, be well and freeze your grapes…they’re so yummy and cool that way!

The universe has undeniably told me today that it is unacceptable to be the cheapskate that I’ve been, regardless of my financial status at the moment (been a mostly unemployed student all year…). If you read my blog ever, you know that I swim. A lot. Like nearly every day. Okay, so I also live in Southern California. The pool’s outside. With chlorine. And lots of sunshine.

Any idea where I’m going with this?

My one piece suit is getting holes in it from overuse and overexposure. So I wore my two piece (trainer, not a bikini!) underneath trying to eek out a few extra swims without having to purchase a new suit. That didn’t work out so well today b/c the little holes in my butt turned into a gigantic tear (thankfully the two piece bottom was there so my bottom wasn’t!). I decided, what the hey…I’ll bare my big white tummy to the world and finish the last hour of my set in the two piece. Except that the top’s too big…so the friction of swimming sets my bosom’s dangerously close to the outside of the swimsuit!!

Dog’gonnit…clearly this means that I need to go bathing suit shopping this evening if I want to be in the liquid tomorrow. Drat…

What does this have to do with the BTD? Nothing…I just needed to vent a little!!

There’s not much news on the BTD front…I’ve remained compliant and bought more Superfood (Dr. Shulze) this weekend and feel like a superhero again. I thought that I’d double my money and get some tuna steaks on the way home tonight. I promised a recipe a while back, so here’s one from dinner yesterday. Totally AB compliant and very yummy! Hope you try it! It’s quick and easy…

Stir Fry over Rice Noodles

(You can use any compliant veggies you like…these are what I picked…the colors are extraordinary!)

Asian Eggplant, Snow Peas, Yellow Squash, Mexican Squash, Red Cabbage, Onion, Garlic, Olive Oil, Vegetarian stir-fry sauce, Veg. Hoisin sauce, Veg. Soy Sauce, Veg. Bullion, Hot Sauce, Rice Noodles

Start with the olive oil and a hot pan. Add onions and garlic. Sauté. Add eggplant, then squash. Sauté. Add cabbage and peas. While sautéing, mix bullion with some hot water to “melt.” Through in pan, add bits to taste of the other sauces. As this is cooking, boil water for noodles. When all is done, enjoy stir-fry over noodles! The liquid from cooking is plenty for flavor…if you need more, use soy sauce and hot sauce to taste.

Compliant eating and be well…

I’m a much happier little minx now that I’ve not pressured myself to bare all food choices ahead of time onto the computer. Haven’t done anything extraordinary in the culinary world this week yet, but will post a recipe as soon as one comes to me! Went to the market yesterday and stocked up on squash, greens (collard this time), parsley (5 bunches!!), sweet potatoes, sweet onions, eggplant (going to make spicy garlic eggplant soon—this will be the recipe that I post for ‘ya), cucumbers, cauliflower, apples, grapes (still freezing them…yum), and plums. I also bought red beans for a change rather than pinto and hope to be around either tonight or tomorrow morning to cook them up. A yummy bean recipe is to add garlic, onions and bullion seasoning into the water when there’s just a half hour or so left to the cooking…I’ve gotten away from adding cheese when the beans are flavorful alone. Try it…you’ll like it!

Have a great day, enjoy your weekend and come back to visit soon!

Be well…