January conclusions

Well my No Booze January experiment has concluded and, while it was educational and a good "reset", I did let things taper off toward the end there. Really there isn't much to say that I didn't already cover in last week's blog post. Essentially, I found it overly restrictive and I'm more of a sustainable goal type than an all-or-nothing type. It definitely helped me gain some perspective, but part of that perspective is "Dang, a glass of wine with dinner sure is nice!" Seriously, last week's post makes for a better summary, so you can go read that instead, but as for how I did on the goals I outlined at the start of the month:

-To lose aforementioned holiday muffin top.
Nailed it! I amped up my workouts too so I'm back in preholiday shape. 

-To see drinking as a treat, not a given. 
 Definitely. I savor every drop of booze that passes my lips!

- To force myself to think outside of the box for non-drinking activities.
I'd say met this goal as well, with the early morning waking, long walks and booze free brunches. 

-To satisfy some curiosity and exercise willpower.  
Yes on the curiosity, "sort of" on the willpower portion. So uh...B-?

Other goings on: I've substantially upped my vitamin D intake and I think it's at least partially responsible for me avoiding the winter blues this year. Overall my mood has been fantastic, which I also attribute to a good workout regimen and forcing myself to go outdoors whenever we have a warm sunny day. This is an uneventful time of year for me, but I'm finding that pleasant and not depressing like usual. Next week is my 30th birthday and spring will be here before we know it so all in all things are pretty alright :)

No Booze January - Week 3 down

I bent the rules a bit over the weekend so No-booze January become Negligible-amount-of-booze January. Greg and I took a little daytrip to the Navasota/Brenham area and were surprised to find there was actually something going on for once. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was a wine festival! I didn't indulge, but it got me thinking about how I was passing up a fun and novel evening for...what exactly? Ultimately I was forced to acknowledge that the only reason I was completely abstaining at that point was so that others wouldn't judge me. Since I historically don't give a shit what others think, I decided that wasn't a good enough reason. I ended up having a margarita with dinner that evening and a beer later that night for a friend's birthday. It was a nice way to cap off the day and I went to bed with no regrets.Then on Sunday I had a beer and a half while visiting a friend who is moving to Malaysia. I felt like my reasons were pretty good because I was treating myself for nice events instead of caving after a bad day or something. I know this sounds an awful lot like weak-willed justification, but I made the decision to indulge after much careful consideration, and keeping in mind that a treat of a drink or two doesn't have to turn into a lazy hangover the next day just because it's the weekend.

There is a small part of me that wishes I wouldn't have done it because at the end of the day I know I could have made it the whole month, and the drinks I had didn't really live up to the anticipation. Oddly, that makes me glad I did do it. The fact that it wasn't really worth it is a useful thing to know, in case I ever decide to do something like this again. It's all part of the experiment as far as I'm concerned.

 My sole reason for abstaining, which is to focus on trimming down and being fit is still intact; a couple of drinks won't hinder that. I've lost 2 pounds which doesn't sound like much, but I have a small frame, so 2 or 3 pounds around the waist can be a pants size for me. The key going forward will be to moderate during the holidays and cut out weekday drinking like I do the rest of the year. If I successfully do that, there's really no reason to have such a strict January. I read that most people gain a few pounds of holiday weight and never lose is, so it stacks up every year. That's a bummer, and I think it's easier to not gain it in the first place than to lose it. I'm more about sustainable goals that you incorporate into your daily life, as opposed to strict limits, so for that reason Dry January isn't a thing I see myself repeating. I'm glad for the experiment and I'll see it through (though I may allow myself a 2 drink max for a good friend's birthday this weekend) but unnecessary deprivation serves only to suck the joy out of life! I don't eat sweets, I don't smoke, I don't overdo caffeine.

I could look at my small indulgences as a failure of the experiment, or I can consider it a B instead of the A+ I had planned. I choose the latter and I'm good with it. Next time I stumble across a wine festival in a cute little town I'm getting out of the car and enjoying myself, damnit.

No Booze January - Week 2 down

I'm at the halfway point of Dry January and I'm feeling good. I read that the second week was the hardest for most, and my experience matched that. I had my first bar outing on Friday and have to admit I was a little grumpy, especially since we were at a place that served great cocktails and that I rarely go to. I also had a twinge of longing when I had some delicious tapas without wine for probably the first time in my life. I haven't thought much about booze during the week though, so I've at least "reset" my bad holiday habit of indulging on weekdays.

I had a light, booze free lunch with Jenna on Saturday, which strengthened my vow to take it easier on weekends. Look, I love getting daydrunk on mimosas then taking a glorious nap (and you can bet your ass I will continue to do so) but it was nice to feel energized and refreshed after brunch for once. It was a gorgeous day so Greg and I went to the Mercer Arboretum for a walk that afternoon, something a boozey nap would have nipped right in the bud. Our weekend walks have been really enjoyable, and they are a habit I definitely want to keep up. I can see myself curbing the weekend beers to facilitate this, and that so far is the most positive discovery I've made. It's really nice waking up at 9 instead of noon. I feel like I have a lot more weekend.

Now that I've reached the halfway point I feel like it's smooth sailing from here. I was hoping to have the added motivation of weightloss (I think I've lost a pound?) but I am carrying some extra water weight this week from...reasons so it's basically my conviction getting me through. I've already begun to form some thoughts on Dry January in general, but I'll save them for my end-of-the-month post.

Status at end of week 2:

Maybe lost a pound, but bloated so blah I can't tell. Good energy levels and mood. Sleeping well, waking up earlier and being more active on weekends. Grouchiness experienced and thankfully subsided.

No Booze January - Week 1 Down

This year I decided to join the masses of smug masochists (j/k, love yoooou!) in Dryuary, or what I've been calling No Booze January. I'm generally happy with my alcohol intake but I've been working on getting healthier for the past year and a half and figure this certainly can't hurt. This isn't a New Years resolution thing, it's just convenient timing after indulging in so much holiday gluttony and sloth. Temptation is so hard to resist when all of the good seasonal beers are out, plus salad is not appealing when my office is frigid. Anyway, I'm a week in and things are going great! Here's a run down so far.

Status on day 1
Feeling a little muffin-toppy in my size 6 jeans - probably closer to an 8 right now - and tired and sluggish from holiday overindulgence. To be fair, I've also been fighting off some cooties.

Goals
-To lose aforementioned holiday muffin top. Weight loss isn't necessarily a goal, but by my calculations it's possible I might lose 3 pounds or so. That's not much, but it happens to be what I've put on over November and December. If I don't, I'll be happy with de-bloating and seeing the results of my strength training pop a little more. I'm going to be fully honest here and admit that this is my main goal. I'm vain as shit and I want to look good for my 30th birthday.

-To see drinking as a treat, not a given. Prior to the holiday season (during which I had a beer or two nightly) I was limiting drinking to weekends, so the occasional weekday drink was a treat. The thing is, I was still drinking all weekend out of habit. My relationship with booze has changed since my early 20's - I'm much more into quality over quantity - but I would like to view weekend drinking the same as weekday drinking: a special indulgence.

- To force myself to think outside of the box for non-drinking activities. Is drinking keeping me in a socializing rut? What's it like to wake up truly refreshed on a weekend? Will the day's activities be different?

-To satisfy some curiosity and exercise willpower. In addition to the small, reasonable goals above I really just want to see what happens and gain a sense of satisfaction. If there are some unexpected benefits, that's additional motivation that will help me to make better choices in the future. I don't plan on giving up drinking altogether, but how I feel when abstaining is good data to have.

Week 1 Summary
The first booze-free weekend was a bit weird, trying to figure out where to go that doesn't involve drinking, but it helps that I'm ultimately fine with being a homebody because of the winter weather. The exception to my homebody lifestyle was Saturday morning, when I woke up at 9:30 and Greg and I headed off to Brazos Bend for a couple mile walk. Now, that's definitely not something I would have been motivated to do if I drank the night before. I'm pleased and a little smug that I'm making better health decisions only a few days in.

As week 1 comes to a close I can report that I'm super hydrated. I drink a ton of water normally, so this usually isn't a problem for me overall, but I still notice my skin is less dry. I'm well-rested and energetic. The decrease in carbs and calories plus resuming my strength training routine has me mega hungry though. I'm also craving sugar which I never do, but I expected that. I'm doing ok at only giving in occasionally, like when I had donuts for breakfast over the weekend (a once in 5 years occurrence that I always sort of regret. I hate that sugar rush feeling!) No weight loss, but I'm feeling more svelte and my jeans fit better already. My stomach is a little flatter though I'm not back to pre-holiday shape. I think occasionally about how a beer or cocktail would be nice, but I wouldn't classify it as a severe craving. It's akin to when I walk right past Treebeards and their delicious chicken fried chicken on my way to the salad place. I do miss margaritas with my texmex though, not gonna lie, and if I'm being completely honest I did shoot down my friend's suggestion that we go to our favorite Belgian place for dinner tonight because I simply will not have moules frites without a nice tripel.

Anyone else participating? How's it going for you?

New Years Eve Feast

Greg and I decided to stay in for New Years Eve this year, a low-key way to cap off a fairly low-key 2013. I had an idea to cook a nice meal together, and decided on some surf and turf. I was going to do filet mignon and scallops but Greg got me this amazing stainless steel Cuisinart cookware set for Christmas and I couldn't wait to use the stock pot and steamer insert. Thus: lobster tails.

I've never cooked either filet mignon or lobster tails so this was a bit ambitious of me, but I figured that as long as one of those elements turned out edible, we would be ok. I expected something to go wrong and was prepared to write it off as an expensive experiment. Well this is where I start to sound braggy, because it turns out I seriously underestimated myself. I think my success can be attributed to a combination of a lot of research, a good sous chef, and the fact that I was just in the zone that night. And perhaps most importantly: quality ingredients. We spent awhile at Central Market picking out what we wanted, which also included ingredients for a butternut squash and saffron risotto. I wanted to incorporate some wintery, seasonal elements so in addition to featuring the squash I got some leeks for roasting.

Here's a quick breakdown of how I assembled the meal. If you plan on making one or all of these dishes, I suggest reading ahead first as there are some important notes on timing.

Roasted Leeks

This is an ingredient you are going to want to read up on before using. I've never cooked with leeks and I am so glad I did my research on how to prep them. The reason is that they are dirty you guys. A simple rinse will not do. You must chop them up and soak them because there are clods of dirt in between each layer. It was truly a surprising amount and I totally would have missed it and served mud for dinner had I not been prepared. Anyway, after a thorough cleaning I drizzled one inch long pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 400 for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. These can be roasting away while the rest of the meal is going.

Butternut Squash and Saffron Risotto

I used Ina Garten's recipe with a few small modifications, namely less salt and less saffron. Make sure to use unsalted chicken stock, use less salt than specified when roasting the squash and add only 1/2 teaspoon of salt when you add the saffron as opposed to a full teaspoon. The cheese you add at the end will have plenty of salt, trust me (speaking of cheese: you better buy a nice wedge of parmigiano reggiano to grate up - this is not optional). The other modification I made was that I only used a gram of saffron. Look, the stuff is not cheap and I thought a gram would be plenty. Turns out the recipe calls for like 4 times as much. To be honest though, I thought the saffron was almost overpowering, so consider using less or even omitting it altogether. You'll be fine.

A very important element to risotto is doing all of your prep beforehand, so factor that in. You don't want to get to a critical step and reach for a sealed bottle of wine, unmeasured rice or ungrated cheese.You can even roast the squash the night before, like I did.

Filet Mignon

We splurged and got some very nice cuts of meat, a little over 2 inches thick. You're going to want to get them out of the fridge about 45 minutes to an hour before you plan to cook them so that they can come to room temp (You're busy doing your prep for the risotto anyway right?) When I do steaks, I always put them on a cutting board, brush them generously with oil then rub them with a good amount - probably more than you think you need- of sea salt and coarsley ground pepper and let them come to room temperature. When it's time to cook them  (i.e. when the risotto is on the home stretch) get a cast iron skillet very hot (drops of water should dance and evaporate quickly) and make sure your oven is preheated to 400 (If you're roasting those leeks it already should be). Now, I always anticipate smoke when I sear steaks so go ahead and pop that battery out of your smoke alarm. Just don't forget to replace it!

Sear the steaks 4 minutes each side then 30 seconds or so around the edges so that the whole thing is seared and has a nice crust. You can expect smoke, but do not move them around. You don't want to interfere with the sear (rhymes!) and really you don't have to worry about them sticking. Resist the urge to peek and just be patient. Pop them in the oven for 5 minutes, then wrap them in foil and let them rest while you finish up. I recommend reading up on how to tell doneness by touch, just don't forget to factor in the additional cooking that will happen while the meat is resting.

Steamed Lobster Tails

You can broil them or poach them in butter, but I really wanted to use my fancy new pot with steamer insert so that's what I did. I got some water boiling earlier in the game, with some white wine, lemon, peppercorns and garlic in it. There are conflicting opinions on whether adding aromatics to your steaming water will actually infuse the meat with flavor, but I figured it couldn't hurt. I prepped the lobster tails like so, omitting the garlic on top but adding a pinch of cajun seasoning and steamed the 2 4oz tails for a total of 6 minutes. Some people recommend running the lobster under cold water afterward to stop the cooking, but I just used a conservative cook time and plated immediately. This will be made substantially easier if you do the prep while the steaks are resting and the risotto's finishing up, and cook the tails last.

A quick note: When shopping for your lobster, make sure to get cold-water. I bought these Maine lobster tails at a very reasonable price, frozen, and thawed them in the fridge overnight since we did our shopping the day before.

The finished product. Excuse the poor photo - I was just so damn excited to eat!

As you can see my lobster tail was a little bit mangled and ugly but I didn't give a damn because it was absolutely delicious, better than some of the lobster I've had at restaurants. Make sure to add another little pat of butter and a squeeze of lemon. The filet was a gorgeous medium rare. I served it on top of the roasted leeks and topped it with some garlic and herb compound butter I had made the night before. I won't bother with a recipe for the butter since there are so many online, but I will tell you that I like to sautee the garlic instead of leaving it raw. I will also divulge my secret ingredient.

Are you ready? It's anchovy paste. Just trust me.

I'm not going to say this was a cheap meal, but it was cheaper than it would be at a restaurant. Plus, I got some fun time in the kitchen with Greg (he can stir risotto like no other) and the smug satisfaction of making a truly restaurant quality meal at home.

My choice of accompaniment didn't hurt either ;)

Hope you all had a fun, safe and decadent New Years Eve as well. Cheers!