Attitude of Gratitude

Several of my favorite bloggies are taking part in the Attitude of Gratitude postings as started by Mama-Om . I have been in a foul mood lately and decided the best way to shake off a blue funk was to concentrate on what I'm grateful for. So I'm joining in on the Attitude of Gratitude wave. Join me! Comment here on what you are thankful for at this moment, in this day, in your life.

I am grateful for:

1. The opportunity to spend next week in Mexico with my family and friends

2. The celebration of my sister's marriage to her best friend while in Mexico

3. Carpooling with my partner this morning and this afternoon

4. My egg whites and oatmeal this morning- silly I know, but warming and totally a comfort on this rainy Alberta day.

And I am grateful for you and everything you do to contribute to this wonderful world.

Training in Prep for Mexico

The long weekend included two indulgences outside my treat meal (parfait party) on friday night. The Levain cookie failures from my last post, and about 6 fries. Those 6 fries ruined my sleep last night; eating junk like that affects me to the core. I physically react to it and I wonder how many other people do too, but pass it off as being 'tired' or 'lacking energy' when their body is really just trying to cope with digesting the junk you've just put in it. Anyway, my resolve to eat clean has been strengthened and I hope to get some sleep tonight.
Over the weekend, I weighed-in with myself. I intend to do so as it was a pattern to weigh-in with my trainer every Saturday when in prep for the fitness competition. It's not obsessive to do it once a week, and I only do it to monitor and stay at my healthy weight. Well, I weighed-in at more than I ever have in my entire life! More than 5lbs over my heaviest weight. I was at my heaviest when I was living with a room mate who enjoyed a lifestyle very different from my current lifestyle. I got to eat ice cream, chips, and cookies every day and did no exercise at all- and now, working out twice a day and eating clean i weight more than I did then? Inconveivable!
It's due to my muslce mass gain from the competition- I have switched up my weight training to focus more on maintenance rather than building muscle. This week I even upped my cardio to 90 min a day to lean out for Mexico.
The scale does not determine the level of health, but it does let me know what I should tweak to get what I want from my phsysique. Right now it's leaning out, losing some fat and some of the muscle bulk I've gained.
So onward I press this week, focusing on high reps, low weights and lots of cardio. I have dropped a carb meal as well, only temporarily, as this degree of low-carb is not healthy. I will eat clean in Mexico- I don't want to 'diet' when I get back, nor do I want to continue this schedule of cardio to 'make-up' for indulgences that will affect me like the fried did, and counteract all the healthy activity I'm doing right now.

My first GF baking failure/success: GF Levain Cookies

I have not had the pleasure to experience New York, but I read tons of posts about Levain Bakery and their fantastic cookies. I got a recipe from Cookie Madness for two BIG copy cat Levain Chocolate chip cookies and decided to try my new gluten free flour mix in them. Take a look at her cookies- fabulous! Then take a look at this:


My cookies spread over the entire cookie sheet. I added Xanthum gum which apparently you don't need to do with some flour mixes- I have to check to see if mine has it in it. Also, it is rare that you have to add it when baking cookies- two lessons learned. I was desperately disappointed as I was looking forward to trying to bake only 2 cookies, and gluten free cookies to boot. I used my favorite pb m&m's in these failures- a sad silent moment for their waste please.
Anyway, my partner loved them because he likes flat, crispy cookies while I like soft, cakey cookies (almost raw which is why I choose this recipe).


So my next challenge will be brownies! http://www.cookiemadness.net/index.php?paged=2 this is a small batch recipe, which is good, because if I mess it up like I did these cookies, I won't waste too much expensive baking products. This will have to wait until after Mexico though, don't want brownie belly on the beach (as I will eat any mistake I make in the kitchen- even the fish-flavored chicken I made once- blech).
From what I read, this kind of failure is common when first starting out with GF baking; other GF bakers have commented on many hockey-puck cookies, and flat cakes. I don't relish the potential for failures in the kitchen as I pride myself on being a pretty darn good baker with regular flour (but anyone can be). But I'll get over my pride and fear of flat, miserable cookies and cakes and saddle up again soon.