Basement packing and a summer Sunday dinner

Thank goodness for meals that require very little effort!  This afternoon, DH and I started the packing and hauling of our basement stuff to our garage.  We need to do this to give the construction guys room to work in the basement and to keep our "stuff" relatively clean and dust-free.  Yes, Artemesia's fleece is safe and sound.  We'll be working on cleaning out the basement for a few more weekend days.  I hope we have enough room in garage for everything!

Dinner was Willy Street Co-op spinach dip with corn chips as an appetizer/vegetable course.  Then we had smoked salmon with vinegar cucumbers (the first recipe at Amy's) The smoked salmon meal is an assemble it yourself dish.  I placed some salmon on a sesame cracker with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of sour cream and horseradish mixed together.  We like it a bit heavy on the horseradish.  Yum.  We first had this appetizer/course at a bar in Houghton, Michigan (in the Upper Peninsula.)  DH asked me to point out that freshly smoked lake trout is especially outstanding for this dish but this salmon was very good.  The cucumbers are very crisp, simple, and delicious, as well as a very nice compliment to the smoked fish.

Our third and last course will be was beef filet chunks sauteed with whole garlic cloves and fino.  The last recipe is from Penelope Casas.  All of the servings are relatively small for each course.  (I had to mention that since I'm going to talk about exercise in the next paragraph.)

I'm going to summarize my exercise efforts every Sunday and spare you all the rest of the week.  This week, I worked out at Curves every week day (skipping the weekend).  Two workouts were at my "home" Curves in a nearby small town and the other three workouts were in West Bend which has a larger Curves facility and is a bit more professionally decorated.  On Friday I heard that the "home" facility has been sold to a new owner.  I'm hoping the overall atmosphere will improve.  Of course, the atmosphere really shouldn't matter, should it?  I'm there for the workout.  Just for the workout.  I have to remember that and not let other matters interfere with my goal. 

Ack.  I said goal.  It is a reasonable goal but not an easy one either.  It is also an interim goal.  I won't be devastated if I don't reach it by my birthday but I hope I am relatively near it by the time November shows up.   I would be quite happy to weigh what I weighed when I was married a bit over eight years and two dress sizes ago.

Comments

[Evil Stacey]

*hugs* You're doing great! I agree that the atmosphere does make the difference. The meal sounds wonderful.
Don't over do it and don't get discouraged if you don't reach the goal. Sometimes we're hardest on ourselves. :D Just sayin'
xoxo

[Brenda]

You are getting a pretty good workout moving all your stuff too! Gardening and housework are good exercise, so keep that in mind too. And atmosphere does make a tremendous difference, even though we think it shouldn't. I hope things improve at your local Curves.

[Nora]

Oh, yum!

Go Angie!! You're doing great! Remember not to be too hard on yourself, and get plenty of protein. You rock, girl!!

[Angie]

I always suggest goals that are less empirical. Increased energy, fluidity of movement, confidence to dance. Numbers suck.

[Cookie]

Smoked lake trout. I really do love your Wilson.

Sounds like you worked out over the weekend, too. ;^)

I've heard about Curves and I think the atmosphere is a big part of it. If you can't do your thing in peace, it's not going to be as enjoyable for you and you'll be more likely to not go or find something else to do.