Bright-Eyed & Bushy-Tailed: A limetwist's life after losing it all

[NH_Free]

Hey, limetwist - Happy New Year!

I just had to say thank you for the link on cooking prime rib. Our roast beast was awesome.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by Cryssi

Can I move in with you? I'll do the dishes!

WHY YES! I need someone to clean up all of the little containers I get dirty when I get my mise en place together like the fancy chef that I am.

Originally Posted by shelby'snana

I'll move in too, but NO DISHES I just wanna help eat all her leftovers

Love the peg board, I've never thought of doing that......may have to hit up DH for one

Cris, do you make your own broths ?? I am gonna attempt it maybe tomorrow ( bones and all ) - lots of interesting posts about it on another thread. I knew you wanted to try new things

Can you do laundry?

It's really, REALLY awesome. I love it. It's so nice to have all of my tools right out at my disposal rather than tucked away in a dark drawer.

I do make my own, though the only ones I have attempted thus far are chicken and turkey stocks made from the carcasses of birds I've roasted. I got a pressure cooker for Christmas, and I've read they're awesome for making quick broths/stocks. I need to buy some beef soup bones and try bone broth some day! If you have any interesting links, I'd love to read up on it. I usually make mine in the slow cooker.

Originally Posted by alex_in_wonderland

This is a GREAT blog! I have to say you remind me of myself at a younger, pre-parent age, oh if only I had started my low carb journey back then!!! Love your outlook on things, and thanks for all the great pics! Inspiring and drool-worthy. You have me thinking of ways I can do something like your peg board in my little apartment kitchen...but I have to child-proof too b/c all those shiny pots n' pans would be like a toddler beacon just calling out to my little guy!
I started LCing last year, and I love listening to America's Test Kitchen and Splendid Table on NPR, and thinking of ways to LC the high carb stuff.
Cheerio for now, Happy New Year, and KUTGW!

THANK YOU! I'm so thankful to have "figured it all out," so to speak, early in my life. I really don't intend to stray from my path of healthy living and hope to continue the way I am until, well...forever! At least you're here now; that's all that matters.

As a recent aunt of a very rambunctious and curious ~1 year old, I totally understand what you mean. The little sucker can't even walk yet and will get away from you in the blink of an eye!

I listen to America's Test Kitchen, The Splendid Table, and NPR's The Salt (I think that's what it's called) podcasts at work! I totally do the same thing; if anything, it's good to learn the techniques, even if I don't necessarily intend to consume them myself. I still like to learn about how to make the perfect pie crust or the difference between types of roux. Any knowledge regarding the kitchen that I can absorb is considered to be a boon in my book. Happy, Happy New Year to you!

Originally Posted by NH_Free

Hey, limetwist - Happy New Year!

I just had to say thank you for the link on cooking prime rib. Our roast beast was awesome.

HEY! Happy New Year! And oh my gosh, I'm so glad someone else tried out that recipe. Isn't it GREAT? And it's foolproof. Now that I've done it twice and had perfect results both times, I'm utterly convinced that it is the most magical recipe on earth. Yours looks incredible! Did yours have a bone? It looks like yours was boneless, though you may have just done a really good job cutting the bone out. I um, may have mangled mine just a tiny bit. Still learning how to carve meats.

--

Speaking of prime rib, my fiance and me had prime rib leftovers for dinner. VERY yummy. It heats up pretty well in the oven. Just tossed it in at 200F while we did weightlifting in our home gym and it was pretty much ready to go by the time we were done—about an hour or so. Served it up with the rest of our leftovers. A nice, easy, no-brainer meal. Also had a giant protein powder cookie with 2 eggs in it; it was so nice and fluffy! I used some of the "batter" as icing.

I called my mom tonight and she told me that the dinner that she made paled in comparison to what I cooked for them yesterday, and that the prime rib I made was honestly one of the most fantastic meals they have ever had. This is coming from parents who have had 80 dollar prime rib in Vegas. It really meant a lot to me. They aren't the type to lie to inflate others' egos, so they really meant it, too. They let me know that any time they come down to visit, they're buying a prime rib and I'm going to cook it. Oh, life is so hard, isn't it?

Had a great workout tonight, too. I failed one of my sets, but that's okay. It was worth a shot to try lifting heavier! I got through 4 reps and just couldn't get the last one up! SO CLOSE! I'll try it again next week. GRRRR!!

Hula Hooping:
- 0:15:00 || Broke a Sweat
- Warm-up!
Barbell Deadlift:
- 55 lb x 5 reps
- 75 lb x 5 reps
- 85 lb x 5 reps
- 100 lb x 5 reps
- 110 lb x 5 reps
- Getting better and better. This felt great.
Bent Over Barbell Row:
- 45 lb x 5 reps
- 55 lb x 5 reps
- 55 lb x 5 reps
- 60 lb x 5 reps
- 60 lb x 5 reps
- I hate these slightly less now. That's a good sign, right?
Standing Military Press:
- 45 lb x 5 reps
- 45 lb x 5 reps
- 50 lb x 5 reps
- 55 lb x 5 reps
- 60 lb x 4 reps
- 55 lb x 2 reps
- Failed the last rep on the set of 60. DRAT IT ALL. Maybe next time?
Dip Station Bent Leg Raise:
- 10 reps
- 10 reps
- 10 reps
- 10 reps
- 10 reps
- DIPPADIPPADIP

No pictures for you cool cats today. Sorry. u_u

[Vilya]

Hi there! Just got caught up on your journal here. Love the pix, you've inspired me to start posting pix in my 2013 thread.

I'll be over in 10 minutes for prime rib.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Hi there! Just got caught up on your journal here. Love the pix, you've inspired me to start posting pix in my 2013 thread.

I'll be over in 10 minutes for prime rib.

HELLO! That's wonderful! I really love reading the logs with photos in them. It just feels so much more personal and fun that way. And plus, who doesn't love looking at food photos? :P Thank you for the comment!

Rest assured there will be more prime rib in the future! My parents joked that they were going to make reservations at my house for Valentine's Day.

[jmc305]

OK all your photos have got me wanting to try that prime rib! I'm going to look for it at Sam's the next time I go. Also, about the carving meat thing, I mangle it horribly unless I use an electric knife. I have also seen Alton Brown use one, so ya know, it's got his seal of approval. If it's good enough for Alton, it's good enough for me.

Your workouts seem to be going well! Your deadlifts are coming along nicely. It seems you're not fond of rows. Have you ever tried an inverted row AKA an Australian pullup? I don't know if you have a place to do them, but they would be a very good way to build up to doing real, bodyweight, legit pullups. I'm sure you can google them and see what I'm talking about. There's always the "Perfect pullup" as seen on TV. I just thought I'd throw that out there since you are new at this.

Also, when I got to about 15 reps on the bent leg raises, I'd break out the ankle weights. Some people will tell you that adding weights to abdominal exercises will only serve to thicken the abdominal wall and make your waist BIGGER but I think that's been debunked as a myth. I see people in Mens Fitness holding dumbbells between their feet and using a medicine ball for ab work. So I don't think adding some weight would hurt. It would just add more abdominal strength IMHO. But just like any of my suggestions, you can take them or leave them.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by jmc305

OK all your photos have got me wanting to try that prime rib! I'm going to look for it at Sam's the next time I go. Also, about the carving meat thing, I mangle it horribly unless I use an electric knife. I have also seen Alton Brown use one, so ya know, it's got his seal of approval. If it's good enough for Alton, it's good enough for me.

Your workouts seem to be going well! Your deadlifts are coming along nicely. It seems you're not fond of rows. Have you ever tried an inverted row AKA an Australian pullup? I don't know if you have a place to do them, but they would be a very good way to build up to doing real, bodyweight, legit pullups. I'm sure you can google them and see what I'm talking about. There's always the "Perfect pullup" as seen on TV. I just thought I'd throw that out there since you are new at this.

Also, when I got to about 15 reps on the bent leg raises, I'd break out the ankle weights. Some people will tell you that adding weights to abdominal exercises will only serve to thicken the abdominal wall and make your waist BIGGER but I think that's been debunked as a myth. I see people in Mens Fitness holding dumbbells between their feet and using a medicine ball for ab work. So I don't think adding some weight would hurt. It would just add more abdominal strength IMHO. But just like any of my suggestions, you can take them or leave them.

I saw them test electric knives on America's Test Kitchen the other day, actually. It looked hilarious, but I'll be darned if it didn't cut through the roast they were carving like butter...I, too, carry the opinion that anything good enough for Alton is perfection. I used his horseradish cream sauce recipe for my 'rib the other day, actually! Alton is my food hero. Though it took a while for me to become a confident, established cook, he planted the seed in me as a small child with Good Eats. Phenomenal series.

Your post was INCREDIBLY helpful. So, I looked up the inverted row, and it seems like a Smith machine or power cage is necessary? I have a silly little bench that I got from Academy:

Academy - Body Champ Olympic Weight Bench

So I don't know if I would...be able to do that at home? I've been doing wimpy barbell curls as a substitute for my inability to do a real pull up/chin up, as I read that was a decent substitute if you can't do a pull up yet. Do you have any other exercise recommendations in lieu of chin up/pull up?

I've tried a few times. The first time I could barely even just hang there. A few weeks later I could wiggly slightly skyward. I think I may try it again tomorrow and see if I can do anything more. :P

We have a Vertical Knee Raise station in our home gym too, so that's where the fiance does his pullups.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by limetwist

I saw them test electric knives on America's Test Kitchen the other day, actually. It looked hilarious, but I'll be darned if it didn't cut through the roast they were carving like butter...I, too, carry the opinion that anything good enough for Alton is perfection. I used his horseradish cream sauce recipe for my 'rib the other day, actually! Alton is my food hero. Though it took a while for me to become a confident, established cook, he planted the seed in me as a small child with Good Eats. Phenomenal series.

Your post was INCREDIBLY helpful. So, I looked up the inverted row, and it seems like a Smith machine or power cage is necessary? I have a silly little bench that I got from Academy:

Academy - Body Champ Olympic Weight Bench

So I don't know if I would...be able to do that at home? I've been doing wimpy barbell curls as a substitute for my inability to do a real pull up/chin up, as I read that was a decent substitute if you can't do a pull up yet. Do you have any other exercise recommendations in lieu of chin up/pull up?

I've tried a few times. The first time I could barely even just hang there. A few weeks later I could wiggly slightly skyward. I think I may try it again tomorrow and see if I can do anything more. :P

We have a Vertical Knee Raise station in our home gym too, so that's where the fiance does his pullups.

I want to keep watching this thread. I would LOVE to be able to do a pull up. I'd take just one!!!!

[NH_Free]

Originally Posted by limetwist

HEY! Happy New Year! And oh my gosh, I'm so glad someone else tried out that recipe. Isn't it GREAT? And it's foolproof. Now that I've done it twice and had perfect results both times, I'm utterly convinced that it is the most magical recipe on earth. Yours looks incredible! Did yours have a bone? It looks like yours was boneless, though you may have just done a really good job cutting the bone out. I um, may have mangled mine just a tiny bit. Still learning how to carve meats.

I almost ruined it and tried Bobby Flay's recipe with thyme au jus (cooked at 350* - the horror). I saw your post the night before I cooked it, thankfully. Mine came from the store with the bones already cut off and tied back on with string. Otherwise, it would've been mutilated beyond recognition from my dull knife and even duller carving skills. I cooked it at 200* for 4 1/2 hours (6 lbs. of beast). Thermometer said 130* inside. It was so tender, we re-heated it in the microwave the next day and could still cut it with a fork.

Thanks again for the tip. You've single-handedly saved us from ever again having to pay $100 a dinner at our favorite prime rib place! I feel like I should send you a tip or something.

[Sicca]

Mmmmm... Yes thanks for the link. I just printed it out and will be trying Prime Rib for the first time- likely next week!! Maybe I'll cook it for MY parents, that would really blow their socks off :-)

Keep up the great posts- you are such a joy to follow!

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by Tilly

I want to keep watching this thread. I would LOVE to be able to do a pull up. I'd take just one!!!!

Believe me, I would love to too! The first time my fiancé did one in front of me, I swear my jaw dropped to the floor. It's so fun to watch him do it. I will be able to do one before this year is over with. I WILL DO MULTIPLE ONES!

Originally Posted by NH_Free

I almost ruined it and tried Bobby Flay's recipe with thyme au jus (cooked at 350* - the horror). I saw your post the night before I cooked it, thankfully. Mine came from the store with the bones already cut off and tied back on with string. Otherwise, it would've been mutilated beyond recognition from my dull knife and even duller carving skills. I cooked it at 200* for 4 1/2 hours (6 lbs. of beast). Thermometer said 130* inside. It was so tender, we re-heated it in the microwave the next day and could still cut it with a fork.

Thanks again for the tip. You've single-handedly saved us from ever again having to pay $100 a dinner at our favorite prime rib place! I feel like I should send you a tip or something.

WHEW! A bullet narrowly dodged. I'm glad you went with the Serious Eats method. It seriously is perfect.

That is totally awesome. I'm so happy for you. Really, though...I don't think I can ever go out to eat and order prime rib ever again. My parents agreed. You are most certainly welcome! What you can do is spread the gospel of the Serious Eats Prime Rib!

Mine reheated very well too! I did mine in a low, low oven though. It was still nice and deep pink despite being heated up again.

Originally Posted by Sicca

Mmmmm... Yes thanks for the link. I just printed it out and will be trying Prime Rib for the first time- likely next week!! Maybe I'll cook it for MY parents, that would really blow their socks off :-)

Keep up the great posts- you are such a joy to follow!

Take a picture if you do! THANK YOU for the kind words!

[jmc305]

Originally Posted by limetwist

I saw them test electric knives on America's Test Kitchen the other day, actually. It looked hilarious, but I'll be darned if it didn't cut through the roast they were carving like butter...I, too, carry the opinion that anything good enough for Alton is perfection. I used his horseradish cream sauce recipe for my 'rib the other day, actually! Alton is my food hero. Though it took a while for me to become a confident, established cook, he planted the seed in me as a small child with Good Eats. Phenomenal series.

Your post was INCREDIBLY helpful. So, I looked up the inverted row, and it seems like a Smith machine or power cage is necessary? I have a silly little bench that I got from Academy:

Academy - Body Champ Olympic Weight Bench

So I don't know if I would...be able to do that at home? I've been doing wimpy barbell curls as a substitute for my inability to do a real pull up/chin up, as I read that was a decent substitute if you can't do a pull up yet. Do you have any other exercise recommendations in lieu of chin up/pull up?

I've tried a few times. The first time I could barely even just hang there. A few weeks later I could wiggly slightly skyward. I think I may try it again tomorrow and see if I can do anything more. :P

We have a Vertical Knee Raise station in our home gym too, so that's where the fiance does his pullups.

This is kind of what I had in mind: (I hope the link works, I'm not too techy)
Perfect Pullup - Upper Body Strength Maximizer

I'm pretty sure it fits in a doorway and it's definitely worth the trouble, I first saw them doing inverted rows on Biggest Loser, and yes they typically do them in a power cage or on a Smith Machine. If you have a horizontal tree limb anywhere around, you can get some chain and some handles and make your very own TRX station, but I think the perfect pullup would be easier for you. The higher your head is off the ground, the easier it is and the more weight is supported by standing on your feet. The lower your head goes, the more weight you are pulling with your upper body. You can put your feet on a bench to make it even harder. By that time, you are ready to move on to the real McCoy.

There is another option. They also sell stuff like this:
Amazon.com: P90X Chin-up Max - Pull up Assist Band: Sports...
It's basically a resistance band that *helps* you instead of giving you resistance. You could use something like the above with your Vertical knee raise station.

[Cindy-lou]

Wow it's people like you that keep me motivated!!
you look A M A Z I N G !!

[avid]

Thanks for including your workout routine in this blog.
I go to the gym regularly (never could get motivated at home) and believe that weight control is meaningless unless accompanied by general health and fitness.
One word of caution...I see you mention a smith machine....a google of "dangerous gym equipment" or something similar reveals that the smith machine is potentially very harmful...The search has a number of articles that all say something different but the smith machine is on most of the lists so I stay away from it.
Thanks again for the posts and keep the pics coming of you doing your thing.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by jmc305

This is kind of what I had in mind: (I hope the link works, I'm not too techy)
Perfect Pullup - Upper Body Strength Maximizer

I'm pretty sure it fits in a doorway and it's definitely worth the trouble, I first saw them doing inverted rows on Biggest Loser, and yes they typically do them in a power cage or on a Smith Machine. If you have a horizontal tree limb anywhere around, you can get some chain and some handles and make your very own TRX station, but I think the perfect pullup would be easier for you. The higher your head is off the ground, the easier it is and the more weight is supported by standing on your feet. The lower your head goes, the more weight you are pulling with your upper body. You can put your feet on a bench to make it even harder. By that time, you are ready to move on to the real McCoy.

There is another option. They also sell stuff like this:
Amazon.com: P90X Chin-up Max - Pull up Assist Band: Sports & Outdoors

It's basically a resistance band that *helps* you instead of giving you resistance. You could use something like the above with your Vertical knee raise station.

Oh man, thanks for all of those options. I love hearing experiences from others who have been doing this for some time! I don't have access to a power cage or Smith machine, so I think I'll just keep up with the regular barbell rows for now. They've definitely gotten easier for me since I started. Doing rows with the empty bar feels like air now! I think it'll just come with time. I can at least lift it upwards, unlike with the standing military press at first. I couldn't even get the empty barbell over my head.

Originally Posted by Cindy-lou

Wow it's people like you that keep me motivated!!
you look A M A Z I N G !!

Cindy-lou, THANK YOU!! And it's people like you that keep me motivated to be the best I can be—kind, wonderful individuals who take the time to cheer me along and say such positive things.

Originally Posted by avid

Thanks for including your workout routine in this blog.
I go to the gym regularly (never could get motivated at home) and believe that weight control is meaningless unless accompanied by general health and fitness.
One word of caution...I see you mention a smith machine....a google of "dangerous gym equipment" or something similar reveals that the smith machine is potentially very harmful...The search has a number of articles that all say something different but the smith machine is on most of the lists so I stay away from it.
Thanks again for the posts and keep the pics coming of you doing your thing.

Avid, I will continue to include my workouts! I thought it might be interesting for someone out there, at least. And if I'm doing anything wrong, it would allow those more experienced in the ways of weight training to give me some pointers.

I do agree with you on the dangers of the Smith machine. I hear terrible things about them too. I don't have access to one, as I have a modest home gym. You're very welcome, and thanks for commenting!

--

Man, my memory of yesterday is really hazy. It's like my brain has jet lag and I've finally normalized today.

I always, always, always have to wake up in the middle of the night for a mid-night potty break. I thank ketosis for that one. The night before last night was no different. 3:30 AM, and off to the toilet we go! But this time, my brain was like "Okay, Cris. Now you're going to just stay awake, okay? Cool."

So I did. :| DANGIT!

I had gone to bed at like, 11:30 too. What the heck! It's interesting, actually. I function a ton better on small amounts of sleep since switching to a high protein/fat diet and ditching the sugars and carbohydrates. I definitely try to aim for 8 hours on work nights, but sometimes on the weekends, I'll just naturally wake up after 5-6 hours of sleep and be ahem, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Ready to go! I honestly think I have more energy than I used to.

3:30 on a work night, however, is a bit of a stretch for me. But still, I listened to my body's demands and just got up, knowing that I'd rather be really sleepy Thursday night and get a good night's sleep in for lifting on Friday. I watched America's Test Kitchen and played Pokémon, my cat draped across my belly, in the light of the still young rising sun. It was kind of relaxing!

But then I ended up having a long day at work too, and got home after 6 PM. My fiancé had a long day at work as well, going in early and staying late. I made dinner, a delicious spread of broiled pork loin chops and a beautiful green salad with romaine, spinach, and green beans, and we ate mostly in silence. Not because anything was wrong, but my brain was just...mush. I went to bed at 10 and woke up today feeling much better.

I actually talked his ear off while I was in the shower this morning, sharing with him all of my work stories from the day before. It was like being awoken from a state of suspended animation.

Long story short: low carb gives you crazy energy that makes you into a time capsule, and then you explode and chat your partner's head off while you wash your armpits.

I just had my morning coffee.

Bring it on, Friday.

[Vilya]

I'm the same way with sleep now. I function better on 5-7 hours than I ever did with 9+ hours. Some of that is being 100 lbs. lighter - no more pain while sleeping! - but some is just the LC diet, I think. You can just do more with less.

I don't have a partner, but sometimes I talk to my dogs while washing my armpits. They like to lie on the bath mat and keep me company while I shower.

[shelby'snana]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I don't have a partner, but sometimes I talk to my dogs while washing my armpits. They like to lie on the bath mat and keep me company while I shower.

I can totally relate ! Allie ( my very very spoiled dog ) cries when I take a shower cause she thinks I'm going to work and I tell her as I shower "Momma's not leaving ! It's ok )

[shelby'snana]

Cris -- do your fiance's eyes glaze over when you get on a rampage....talking his ear off ? My DH does ! It's so funny , he just nods and says 'yeah' and then I'll ask him "what did I just say ?" BUSTED !!

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I'm the same way with sleep now. I function better on 5-7 hours than I ever did with 9+ hours. Some of that is being 100 lbs. lighter - no more pain while sleeping! - but some is just the LC diet, I think. You can just do more with less.

I don't have a partner, but sometimes I talk to my dogs while washing my armpits. They like to lie on the bath mat and keep me company while I shower.

Yeah, I sleep so much more soundly, it's insane. It seems like I used to be a really, really, really light sleeper. I still sleep on the lighter side, but things just seem better. The benefits of LC just keep piling up.

Hahaha! I have a little pedestal next to my shower and sometimes I'll peek my head out and see my kitty staring at me.

Originally Posted by shelby'snana

I can totally relate ! Allie ( my very very spoiled dog ) cries when I take a shower cause she thinks I'm going to work and I tell her as I shower "Momma's not leaving ! It's ok )

That is adorable. Oh my gosh. I love it.

Originally Posted by shelby'snana

Cris -- do your fiance's eyes glaze over when you get on a rampage....talking his ear off ? My DH does ! It's so funny , he just nods and says 'yeah' and then I'll ask him "what did I just say ?" BUSTED !!

HA! I know that "BUSTED!" situation, but not with my job talk. He's generally interested in what I have to say, because I work for a mobile technology company. It's like, HIS DREAM WORLD. Cell phones, cell phones, and more cell phones as far as the eye can see. Nerds everywhere. I think he lives vicariously through me. He works in Payroll, so generally it's my eyes that are the ones that glaze over. It's only because I'm so confused by all of the payroll lingo, I swear! I try hard to understand, but all of those taxes and percentages...

--

Ah, today was a good day. The fiance and I both stayed a little late tonight at our respective jobs (he stayed later), so I went home and got dinner ready for us to eat before we lifted. Generally I lift before dinner, because it's so much more rewarding to eat a huge 1000 calorie dinner after lifting heavy weights. However, we were both hungry and tired tonight, so we went ahead and had part of our dinner first. We had Five Spice broiled pork chops (Five Spice, salt, pepper), green beans, and marinated English cucumber salad. After my lifts, I had a protein "cookie" with 2 scoops protein and 2 eggs. Mmm.

I also zested some lemons that I bought the other day. They were already going bad. What the heck!



So I froze the lemons for later, as well as the zest. I've never cooked with lemon zest before. I'll have to find a recipe.

Here's my lifts for tonight. Set a personal record for my squats - 105 pounds! Whoaaaaa! It's amazing to think that I'm now squatting more than the weight I've lost.


Hula Hooping:
- 0:12:00 || Broke a Sweat
- Warming up.
Barbell Squat:
- 65 lb x 5 reps
- 75 lb x 5 reps
- 85 lb x 5 reps
- 95 lb x 5 reps
- 105 lb x 5 reps
- AWWWWWW YEAHHHHHHH
Barbell Bench Press:
- 60 lb x 5 reps
- 60 lb x 5 reps
- 65 lb x 5 reps
- 70 lb x 5 reps
- 75 lb x 5 reps
- 75 is still tough. Whew.
Dumbbell Bicep Curl:
- 5 lb x 5 reps
- 5 lb x 5 reps
- 5 lb x 5 reps
- 15 lb x 5 reps
- 15 lb x 5 reps
Dip Station Bent Leg Raise:
- 15 reps
- 15 reps
- 15 reps
- Trying more reps.

--

As I was doing curls in the mirror, I was really noticing the muscle definition in my arms/shoulders/collarbone region. It's awesome. I love lifting weights so much. My legs feel like jelly from the heavy squats. I can't wait to be able to squat my bodyweight.

We're going to go hiking tomorrow if the weather is good! I hope I hope! <3 I'll try and take some pictures if we end up going.

[jmc305]

That's a lotta zest ya got there....It never occured to me to freeze zest. I didn't even know you could.

So, you've mentioned a few times that you don't have a squat rack, cage, etc. I'm just wondering how you get the weight on your shoulders? Does it rest on the floor and then you have to pick it all the way up and hoist it onto your shoulders? Just don't hurt yourself, K? One thing you could do is directly after your squats, go do some wall sits for about 3 sets of 1 minute. Sets your quads on FIRE!!! I'm not trying to be your trainer here, I was just thinking that you don't have a lot of equipment and wall sits can be done with just a wall, obviously.

I noticed you added 5 reps per set to your knee raises. Great job! Keep the posts coming. I love your enthusiasm. You never act bored or disinterested in the diet--err I mean WOE/lifestyle. I think you really do love it. You're a great example for others, myself included.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by jmc305

That's a lotta zest ya got there....It never occured to me to freeze zest. I didn't even know you could.

So, you've mentioned a few times that you don't have a squat rack, cage, etc. I'm just wondering how you get the weight on your shoulders? Does it rest on the floor and then you have to pick it all the way up and hoist it onto your shoulders? Just don't hurt yourself, K? One thing you could do is directly after your squats, go do some wall sits for about 3 sets of 1 minute. Sets your quads on FIRE!!! I'm not trying to be your trainer here, I was just thinking that you don't have a lot of equipment and wall sits can be done with just a wall, obviously.

I noticed you added 5 reps per set to your knee raises. Great job! Keep the posts coming. I love your enthusiasm. You never act bored or disinterested in the diet--err I mean WOE/lifestyle. I think you really do love it. You're a great example for others, myself included.

Oh! I have this...adjustable bench thing. You can raise it high enough so you can do "walk in" squats, as the website described: "The freestanding uprights enable walk-in squat capability, and a locking leg lift pin allows sit-ups."

I will search the wall sits and see if they look like something I could do! You're not bugging me at all; I definitely appreciate ANY feedback.

Adding 5 reps to the knee raises was killer, man. My poor abs were pleading for mercy by the time I was done. AAHHHHH!!!

I have always been an enthusiastic person regarding most aspects of my life, and—you're right—my "diet" () is one of those things that really gets me going. I have such enthusiasm because eating this way has blessed both my fiance and me with such success. Between the two of us, we've lost 130 pounds. That's a small adult lady! It's just so hard to not talk everyone's ear off about the amazing way of living that enables the consumption of such delicious food, all the while offering incredible health benefits. I truly do love it.

[GailyGail]

Limetwist, I wish you had your own show on the Food Network. I am serious. You would be fabulous. Your recipes are divine, low carb and healthy! I think someone like you could convert the masses into eating delicious, flavorful low-carb meals.

[qwertyui]

Hello Limetwist! Thought I would introduce myself! I'm qwertyui - AKA Jennifer!

I just put in my oven, a pork shoulder. I did it because of your post! OMG - did that look good! I put it in at 9:30, and it's about 15 lbs., so I'm roasting it at 275 for 9 hours. Hopefully that will be enough, or we are eating it tomorrow!

Lemon zest - I have a great recipe using lemon zest!

1. Make a paste (or sorts) with 2 cloves of garlic, fresh or dried rosemary, lemon zest, and salt and pepper, sort of equal parts garlic, rosemary and lemon zest.

2. Take 4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, jam the paste under the skin of the chicken, and then heavily salt and pepper the outside.

3. Preheat the oven at 425. Heat a cast iron or very heat resistant pan up to medium high heat, and heat a tsp of oil and a tsp of unsalted butter. When it is super hot, sear the chicken breasts, skin down for about 3 minutes, should be browned and crispy when you flip it over.

4. Pan roast for about 25 minutes. Take out, put chicken on a platter, and tent.

5. Put the pan back on the stove at medium heat, quickly dice one shallot, throw it is and saute until browned nicely, add about 3/4 cup of chicken broth, let reduce for 4 minutes or so, the swirl in a tbsp of unsalted butter. AWESOME!! It's one of my favorites! You could also deglaze the pan with a splash of wine wine, then add the broth.
Perfect served with green beans, or steamed broccoli.

Thought I'd give you an idea for zest!

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

Limetwist, I wish you had your own show on the Food Network. I am serious. You would be fabulous. Your recipes are divine, low carb and healthy! I think someone like you could convert the masses into eating delicious, flavorful low-carb meals.

Ohhh my gosh, you are TOO SWEET! HAH! I briefly considered the idea of doing little how-to videos in my kitchen... I'm hoping to convert my family little by little by cooking for them and showing them that it is a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by qwertyui

Hello Limetwist! Thought I would introduce myself! I'm qwertyui - AKA Jennifer!

I just put in my oven, a pork shoulder. I did it because of your post! OMG - did that look good! I put it in at 9:30, and it's about 15 lbs., so I'm roasting it at 275 for 9 hours. Hopefully that will be enough, or we are eating it tomorrow!

Lemon zest - I have a great recipe using lemon zest!

1. Make a paste (or sorts) with 2 cloves of garlic, fresh or dried rosemary, lemon zest, and salt and pepper, sort of equal parts garlic, rosemary and lemon zest.

2. Take 4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, jam the paste under the skin of the chicken, and then heavily salt and pepper the outside.

3. Preheat the oven at 425. Heat a cast iron or very heat resistant pan up to medium high heat, and heat a tsp of oil and a tsp of unsalted butter. When it is super hot, sear the chicken breasts, skin down for about 3 minutes, should be browned and crispy when you flip it over.

4. Pan roast for about 25 minutes. Take out, put chicken on a platter, and tent.

5. Put the pan back on the stove at medium heat, quickly dice one shallot, throw it is and saute until browned nicely, add about 3/4 cup of chicken broth, let reduce for 4 minutes or so, the swirl in a tbsp of unsalted butter. AWESOME!! It's one of my favorites! You could also deglaze the pan with a splash of wine wine, then add the broth.
Perfect served with green beans, or steamed broccoli.

Thought I'd give you an idea for zest!

At the very least, it WILL be done, but will slice more like a roast. It should still be delicious! Let me know how it goes.

And THANK you for that recipe. That is exactly the kind of stuff I'm into. Ohhh man! Very nicely written, too. Sounds like a dream.

--

Now, onto my day.

GUYS.

I AM

SO.

TIRED.

In the best way possible. Physical exhaustion as a result of an awesome hiking outing consisting of lots of rock hopping, mud dodging, and beautiful, verdant nature—yes, please!

Oh my gosh. I've been wanting to do more hiking, and considering that today's forecast put the highs in the mid 40's, my brain was like GO GO GO IT'S NOT FREEZING YAY. So the fiance and I packed up and went to a park ~25 miles away, where we powered through an awesome hike.

4.5 miles total. DANG.

And the funny thing? I wasn't tired at all through it. Normally I huff and puff and drag myself along, but it felt so much easier. I felt light on my feet, and easily pulled my way up and over giant rocks, hopping over gaps and confidently traversing every bit of earth before me. My fiance felt the same. We definitely attribute the ease with which we completed the hike to our recent foray into weightlifting. We hiked this trail a little over a month ago, when we just had started lifting weights, and had a comparably harder time.

This time, however? We ADDED two miles on! It was awesome! The trail was gorgeous, green, and rather muddy. But all of that water meant that the creek it follows was rushing and roaring. Very gorgeous. I took no pictures because there was a threat of rain (no DSLR!) and I didn't want to take my gloves off for cell phone pictures.

We finished up, feeling successful, and decided to check out some stores for a little shopping. And then it hit us...

I COULD BARELY WALK! Hahaha! Somehow, pulling myself up rocks was so much easier than dragging my butt around Best Buy. And I didn't even buy anything! Oh well.

We both got home and collapsed and nearly fell asleep, but I managed to cook dinner instead of passing out on the futon upstairs. With some food in my system, I feel much more awake.

Here's some food pics.

Lunch:



Five Spice pork loin chops, broiled in the oven.



With a salad. Collard greens, spinach, cucumbers, and sour cream/horseradish sauce. Mmmyum!

Had more pork cutlets for dinner and more spinach, as well as a fat bomb and some almond butter. I'm happy.

Oh, and I'm putting a PORK BUTT!!!! in the oven tonight to cook for like 14-16 hours on low. Ohhhhhh yessssss!!!!!! I will take fancy pants pictures of it tomorrow if it turns out sexy, which it should. Pork butt is always sexy. Sexy and delicious.

[marieze]

I'm so glad I found this blog.....I think you are absolutely adorable and love to read your posts!

One of these days I plan on making your Pork Butt as it looks so delicious and I know that is one of, if not your favorite meal!

Personally, I REALLY appreciate you going to all the trouble of taking pictures and posting them for us. It's a chore but for someone visual like me I "get it" so much better when I can see what the end result is supposed to look like...so gain....thanks! Glad to be aboard!

Marieze

[avid]

I agree. This is a delightful blog and the pictures are a big part of the reason why.

[Kateee]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

Limetwist, I wish you had your own show on the Food Network. I am serious. You would be fabulous. Your recipes are divine, low carb and healthy! I think someone like you could convert the masses into eating delicious, flavorful low-carb meals.

I second this I this blog too

I'm browsing my online library this morning, and I saw the book "The Butcher's Apprentice" and I thought of you

I don't know if you read it, but it may be of interest you.

Happy reading if you do!

[jmc305]

Originally Posted by limetwist

Oh! I have this...adjustable bench thing. You can raise it high enough so you can do "walk in" squats, as the website described: "The freestanding uprights enable walk-in squat capability, and a locking leg lift pin allows sit-ups."

I will search the wall sits and see if they look like something I could do! You're not bugging me at all; I definitely appreciate ANY feedback.

Adding 5 reps to the knee raises was killer, man. My poor abs were pleading for mercy by the time I was done. AAHHHHH!!!

I have always been an enthusiastic person regarding most aspects of my life, and—you're right—my "diet" () is one of those things that really gets me going. I have such enthusiasm because eating this way has blessed both my fiance and me with such success. Between the two of us, we've lost 130 pounds. That's a small adult lady! It's just so hard to not talk everyone's ear off about the amazing way of living that enables the consumption of such delicious food, all the while offering incredible health benefits. I truly do love it.

You can definitely do them if you want to do them. Just put your back against a wall and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor and stay there for as long as possible. Longterm I can see boredom as your biggest enemy on your weight training routine, so I was just trying to give you ideas for new things to try when that happens.

I hear you on the knee raises, they are hard but they get results. On those, do you bring your knees up (legs bent) or do you keep your legs straight and bring your feet up? I was just wondering. You can also hang from the pullup bar and do that exercise. You can keep your legs as straight as possible and bring your feet all the way over your head. I was amazed the first time I figured out I could do this. Low carb is awesome!

[qwertyui]

"At the very least, it WILL be done, but will slice more like a roast. It should still be delicious! Let me know how it goes."

Yes - it wasn't as tender as I would have liked, and it was very fatty. Very fatty! I'm gonna throw the left overs in the crock pot and see if I can make it more tender. I'll do that tomorrow with the leftovers.

I hope you do make that chicken dish. Let me know what you think?

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by marieze

I'm so glad I found this blog.....I think you are absolutely adorable and love to read your posts!

One of these days I plan on making your Pork Butt as it looks so delicious and I know that is one of, if not your favorite meal!

Personally, I REALLY appreciate you going to all the trouble of taking pictures and posting them for us. It's a chore but for someone visual like me I "get it" so much better when I can see what the end result is supposed to look like...so gain....thanks! Glad to be aboard!

Marieze

AW, shucks! Thank you. Boy, if you think the pork butt looks delicious, you better stay tuned for the rest of this post! It's one of the biggest (literally and figuratively) staples in my diet. Love it.

It's been a good exercise for me, too. Constantly photographing, that is. I like to have something to remember my days/months/years by, even if it's a silly cell phone snapshot of a particularly yummy lunch I brought to work, or my doofy face tasting something at the stove. I am hugely a visual learner, so I'm always drawn to the threads with photos here. Glad to hear that many are enjoying them. Kudos to my fiance for taking a lot of the photos, too!

Originally Posted by avid

I agree. This is a delightful blog and the pictures are a big part of the reason why.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Kateee

I second this I this blog too

I'm browsing my online library this morning, and I saw the book "The Butcher's Apprentice" and I thought of you

I don't know if you read it, but it may be of interest you.

Happy reading if you do!

WHAAAAT? No, I have never heard of that! I see it's a blog, too, apparently? Totally going to check it out. I find the art of butchery very fascinating; I'd love to work in a shop. I just really respect butchering as a profession and have a ton of admiration for the work that they do. I also may or may not want the chance to attempt to throw around heavy chunks of meat to prove my weightlifting prowess. ...also to eat a lot of delicious meat. But really, this is cool. Totally gonna read the blog.

Originally Posted by jmc305

You can definitely do them if you want to do them. Just put your back against a wall and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor and stay there for as long as possible. Longterm I can see boredom as your biggest enemy on your weight training routine, so I was just trying to give you ideas for new things to try when that happens.

I hear you on the knee raises, they are hard but they get results. On those, do you bring your knees up (legs bent) or do you keep your legs straight and bring your feet up? I was just wondering. You can also hang from the pullup bar and do that exercise. You can keep your legs as straight as possible and bring your feet all the way over your head. I was amazed the first time I figured out I could do this. Low carb is awesome!

Ah, I gotcha! Okay, you're totally giving me some great ideas. I think I may try the crazy hanging pullup bar leg raise tomorrow, just to see how it goes! Woo! I like the variety involving weightlifting. So much to do. So little time.

Originally Posted by qwertyui

"At the very least, it WILL be done, but will slice more like a roast. It should still be delicious! Let me know how it goes."

Yes - it wasn't as tender as I would have liked, and it was very fatty. Very fatty! I'm gonna throw the left overs in the crock pot and see if I can make it more tender. I'll do that tomorrow with the leftovers.

I hope you do make that chicken dish. Let me know what you think?

Hmm, maybe it didn't have enough time to properly render out the fat? Or maybe you just aren't as big of a fat fan as I. I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of fat. It's like meat candy as far as I'm concerned. That fat cap on the top of the pork shoulder might as well be a Reese's peanut butter cup, man (Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit ). I really do love fat, though. But it has to be cooked well. No one likes the gummy, "piggy" tasting fat. Certain parts of the pig I've tried carry a piggy taste, so maybe you just had bum luck. :/ Did you check its internal temperature, by any chance? Got any pictures? Just curious to see if I could help ya figure out why it wasn't as good as it could be. I had probably an 8-9 lb roast that I cooked last night for 16 hours and it still didn't pull all the way through, so yours may have just needed more time.

--

Today is a rest day. Ultimate lazy Sunday. <3 Heck, I need it after the beating I gave myself with that huge hike yesterday. I'm sore!

Despite it being a lazy Sunday, I have still been productive! I cleaned the kitchen, did laundry, and prepped some food that's been sitting around, in danger of going bad. Bought some limes on sale the other day (26+ for two dollars...I love my Asian market) and they were getting a bit dodgy, so I chopped 'em all up and froze them. Apparently you can freeze citrus. I Googled it and am now an expert; you just thaw them out and can juice them like normal. Sweet! ...I mean sour!

I put my pork roast in last night at 8 PM, letting it roast allllll night at 200F. I woke up this morning at around 7 to a very intoxicating, alluring aroma. It taunted me all morning until lunchtime finally rolled around! GAH!

To distract myself, I decided to try my pressure cooker that my fiance got me for my birthday. I had some leftover chicken and pork bones in the freezer, so in they went with some water and veggie trimmings to make stock.

I was, to be quite honest, terrified of the cooker! I've been telling myself for a few days that I'd try it but kept chickening out. But hey, when you read horror stories about the pressure sending a giant hunk of metal shooting through one's ceiling (granted, this is due to gross negligence on many peoples' parts), you tend to get a little gun shy. However, I managed to conquer the cooker.

I brought it up to pressure and was quite alarmed to hear a very distinct, unique hissing sound! I've only been around someone pressure cooking once before, so I didn't know what to expect, exactly. Cooked my bones/water for 30 minutes under pressure and let it cool down on its own.



Isn't it pretty?



The stock that came out of the pressure cooker was a much deeper, more intensely colored liquid that what I usually get. I don't know if it was because I used the pork neckbones as well as chicken bones, or if it was the pressure cookers work, but the taste is very unctuous and complex. It was really awesome; the pressure cooker left the bones so spent that they crumbled in my fingers.

Salted it to taste and threw it outside for a few hours to chill. It's now in my fridge, where I'll scrape the fat off that congeals atop it tomorrow.

And now for the main attraction, folks...my love, my life, my legacy...

PORK BUTT SUNDAY



I made pan-sauteed green beans for the side. Coconut oil, then steamed with water until bright green and crisp, finished with butter, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic. Lemon juice spritz at the end for some oomph. Tasty. Wow.



Here's the beauty of a roast. It smelled amazing. Ohhhhmygosh.





It turned out so moist, tender, and juicy that I could cry. The knife went right through it like butter.

The fat was crisp, airy, tender, and creamy all at the same time. The meat had the perfect amount of pull, but still retained its shape. Seasoning was divine(salt and pepper). Needed no sauce.

My brain turned off at one point, it was that good.

Another win, for sure.

And now, it's not even 3 PM. The rest of the day gets spent doing piddly chores and playing Pokemon while hanging out with my awesome kitties and loverboy.

[shelby'snana]

Glad you used your pressure cooker Limetwist ! We put frozen meat with veggies in ours when we forget to thaw something out and in 90 minutes it's done !
Good for a pot of beans too ....... DH loves that

Enjoying your blog here ...... you definitely make your food sound yummy