Book Club - Becoming by Michelle Obama

2019-20

Since stepping reluctantly into public life, I've been held up as the most powerful woman in the world and taken down as an "angry black woman.".  I've wanted to ask my detractors which part of that phrase matters to them the most - is it "angry" or "black" or "woman"?

He was asking for forgiveness.  He was saying goodbye.

When they go low, we go high.

And I will always wonder about what led so many women, in particular,  to reject an exceptionally qualified female candidate and instead chose a misogynist as their president.

Cookbook Cleanup - Will it stay or will it go? Book 1 - Simple Chinese Cooking

I am in clean out mode around here - well, I wish to be in clean out mode, but time and my family work against me.  I would love to declutter this house top to bottom but - when?  and how to get around these other 3 people who complain when I touch their stuff?  Ugh.

So far I've cleaned out the 2 bathrooms and reorganized the drawers and that felt good.  Next up is my part of the closet and my dresser - will I continue to hold on to all these clothes that no longer fit in hopes that I WILL drop some of these pounds???? - stay tuned!

I am also going to clean up the bookcases - both reading books and cookbooks and that's what this is about.  

A few years back I did a cookbook shelf clean up on Instagram and I kept meaning to bring it over here but didn't.

This is an area of my life that could definitely use some cleaning up, so I am going to go through all my cookbooks and see which ones should stay with us and which should move on so they can be more appreciated by someone else.

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First up is Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong.  A search for Kylie on my blawg reveals I got the book in 2007 (!) and that we loved the dishes we've tried.  I can't remember what I made out of here in the last cookbook clean up, but whatevs.  

This time we made (in order of appearance in the book):

White-Cooked Chicken with Soy and Ginger Dressing 

Crispy Kings Prawns with Honey and Garlic Sauce

Asparagus with Baby Corn

Stir Fried Hokkien Noodles with Chicken and Oyster Mushrooms

While a couple of the dishes weren't quite what I was expecting - the white cooked chicken had a lot of ($$) stuff in it but was surprisingly mild tasting dish; the crispy prawn batter didn't make for a crispy prawn - everything was very good, and easy to make.  I would make any of these again, along with what we've already tried, and there is much more I look forward to making.

This one stays on our shelf!

Intentions - enough with the sugar already

So, how did I do on my 4 goals last week?

1.  No more ice tea - Not bad!  I had a bit more tea that I thought, but once it was gone, I switched to water and the no sugar no flavor no fun sparkling waters I bought.  HOWEVER, The Mister casually mentioned a few days in that I did indeed have some more tea in the basement.  I lasted another day and then opened it and drank it.  Hey, I can't waste it right????
But - I think I am doing pretty good with this one.

2.  No more ice caps - I am not doing as well with this one.

3.  Portion size - I think this has been going well.

4.  Moving every day - I did well until Thursday and Friday when The Boy and I both got sick.  Getting back on track.

I also tried a "detox tea" recipe I found online, allegedly from Jillian Michaels - where you mix dandelion tea, unsweetened cranberry juice and lemon juice and drink like 2 liters of it a day for 7 days, to lose up to 5 pounds of water weight.  I did that Sunday to Thursday, then missed Friday, Saturday due to illness and Sunday due to not having my shit together, so I will do the last 2 days today and tomorrow to finish my 7 days.

Well, am I down any pounds this week????
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Down 2 pounds!

I am super happy with this as it was a sick/carb heavy weekend.  So, that 2 pounds is probably water weight I will promptly gain back this week.  :)


Goals for the week -

1.  Move the bod.
2.  NO ICE CAPS.
3. Make snacks healthy.
4. Lots of water.

Book Club - Audiobook - the year of less by Cait Flanders

2019-19

Book Club - Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

2019-18 

We sit, not speaking to each other, filling the quiet around us.