35 Years Young!

Happy Birthday to me...well yesterday!  35 years old...jeez what the hell happened?  Is it me or did it feel like when we were all in high school that the year went on forever?  Now, it feels like it was July 4th yesterday and all of a sudden it's the end of July...WTF!  To have no responsibilities again HA

Mom's Turkey Day Recipes

The last two days were rather interesting; Sunday marked 3 months since we lost my mom and Monday was of course my first birthday without her around.  It was tough I do have to say...not hearing her voice giving me a call, seeing her signature on the envelope and card that my parents would get me.  I miss her a lot.  So Erin wanted to give me one of my presents on Sunday before we headed off to a little family gathering at Shannon & Mike's (sis & bro-in law) house.  Of course she didn't have "time" to wrap it, she bring out this big white'ish box.  I turned it around and my eyes completely start to well up with tears.  Growing up there was something I always looked forward too...and that was Thanksgiving at my house!  My mom would always make turkey, but would make two of the best sides EVER!  Stuffing and her drunken sweet potato's.  So so so so so so so so so good!  A number of years ago I asked my mom for the recipe she used for both and of course she wrote it out for me but I never made it.  This Thanksgiving was my first time ever cooking the entire dinner including my mom's stuffing and potato's.  Luckily I did a good job and will of course continue that tradition with my family.  Onto the present...I flipped it over and in a two photo spot picture frame was my mom's hand written recipes.  Even thinking about it now, I get a little teary.  Well from now on that frame will be hung up in my kitchen so my mom can always look over my shoulder as I cook!  I owe all my cooking skills and my love for cooking to my mom who made me at a young age learn how to cook and work around a kitchen.  My dad helped a bit too!

Monday, Erin was able to tell me what the rest of my present was and luckily it was delivered while we were out to lunch and the movies.  As many of you reading this know, I love music.  I also love playing video games...yeah I'm 35 but still a little kid. So putting both together in a game was amazing...Guitar Hero, Rock Band love it!  Playing a plastic guitar is always fun, but actually learning the real thing would be awesome.  So present number two was an electric guitar with amp and a "game" to teach me how to play, RockSmith. It's very cool so far, my fingers are killllllling me though.  Such a good birthday and of course all the B-day love I received through Facebook was great as well!

Battlecross - Autograph poster

  Finally, it has been the summer of music so far!  In June I headed out to Detroit, MI for the 2nd Annual Orion Festival put on by the might Metallica!  It wasn't as heavy as last year (band wise) but was still a lot of fun!  We were right on the front railing for Metallica as they closed out the weekend on Sunday and Saturday I got to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers again which was cool.  One of the bands I really wanted to see was a local to the Detroit area band called Battlecross.  They are an up and coming heavy/thrash metal band (they coin the term Blue Collar Thrash); the guitars are fast and heavy, the drums are just thunderous and the bass is as fast as I've ever heard.  The singer tops it all off with a deep growling voice mixed with screaming vocals.  The musicality of this band is fantastic, their ability, technique, lyrics and melodic writing really grasp the history of metal with an updated spin.  They were so good at Orion that it made me want to see them again when they came around to Hartford for the Rockstar Mayhem Festival.  During the festival after their set I was able to not only meet the band (all five of them), not only get their autograph, but had the opportunity to chat with them for a bit.  Letting them know how much I love the music they put out and that I've been following them online through Facebook and Twitter since we saw them in Detroit.  If you're into this type of music, it is definitely a band to check out and listen too!  New album is War of Will, but also check out Pursuit of Honor.

During the afternoon at Mayhem, Battlecross definitely stole the show!  The pit was crazy (and dusty as hell) and the crowd really loved it.  As for the headliners (Amon Amarth, Mastodon, Five Finger Death Punch and Rob Zombie) 5FDP by far had the crowd the most pumped, amped up and ready to rage!  Will be checking them out again in concert as soon as I can.  More metal to come this summer as we get to check out Avenged Sevenfold at Foxwoods in which I hope they'll play some more new music off their upcoming album Hail To The King!

That's all for tonight...I'll be back later in the week!

Weekly Food Rap-up!

This week was yet again another good week of food; from chicken and turkey to burgers and pasta, we had it all.  First we'll talk about what I've posted pictures of.  Since I don't have a grill anymore at our new place, I decided to pick up one of the dual grill tops with the flat skillet on the opposite side.  It had been something I was planning on getting for a while but I really wanted a cast iron one, not one of the non stick type aluminum ones.  First up on the grill was a delicious Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with grilled onions and grilled Ciabatta bread. The bread had a little olive oil and garlic while the chicken and onions were just seasoned with a bit of salt and white pepper.  This time however I did not make my own caesar dressing as time was a little short.  No big deal though, as there are plenty of good for you dressings that you can pick up at the store.  This was a great quick dinner; light and very summery!  Minus the bread was around 260ish calories, while the bread was about 130 calories for a 2" piece of it.  Of course I cut them into 1" slices.



Next up on the menu we have Jerk Turkey with Black Beans and Yellow Rice.  I've made my own jerk seasoning in the past however this time I used one of the store bought ones I had in my spice cabinet (which is overflowing LOL).  A little sweet and not too spicy the seasoning was perfect on the turkey and did not get too dry.  The rice was also quick to prepare, some sauteed red onion, throw in the rice, chicken stock and a bit of turmeric to give the rice that yellow color and cook till most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add in the black beans just to get everything hot and done!  The rice was awesome, flavorful with even a hint of the jerk seasoning because it was cooked in the same pan as the turkey was in the beginning.  Next time I might again make my own jerk seasoning.  Now this isn't your traditional jerk, since I don't have my own smoker and all that jazz.

To round out the week we had some Penne with Spicy Sausage and Zucchini in a Tomato Cream Sauce which was nice and spicy!  The cream sauce isn't as thick as you might think and using good canned tomato's make such a well rounded fresh tasting sauce.  Better than buying one of the store brand tomato sauces loaded with salt and whatever else they put in there.  Definitely easy to make and very filling.  The other meal we did was Tennessee Whiskey BBQ Burgers with a HOMEMADE jack daniels BBQ sauce.  Now I'm pretty sure everyone reading this has had at one time the TGIFridays JD BBQ...which is super sweet.  As awesome as that is, this was just as awesome.  Mine  was not as sweet as the TGIF version, very tangy and you could really get a sense for the whiskey flavor in it.  The Dijon mustard that was in it might have been a little overpowering but again gave it a nice bite!  This stuff would be awesome on anything!  Each burger gets about a tablespoon (which is a lot) of sauce and topped with grilled red onions and some turkey bacon it was great!  Luckily we had some spectacular Omaha steak burgers that were bought by a gift card given to Erin and I by our friends Amy and Angela...once again ladies, thank you so much.  The thought was very special.

Well that is it for now...tomorrow is my birthday and Erin already gave me a small gift, but more about that tomorrow.  Oh and no time for the music stuff yet....but soon, it is now off to see my lovely nieces and nephews and family from out of town!  Oh and I get to play with legos!

Some days are exhausting!

So like an idiot I just spilled water all over my computer desk, the floor, part of my keyboard, a ton of recipes and a few other things.  One of those days ya know!

I was thinking this week at least 3 or 4 times; DAMN I gotta write in my blog.  I sat there, thought about it...contemplated...and as you can see didn't write.  Some days its hard, I say to myself; self...my life is not that interesting to have things to write about everyday, sometimes even every other day even.  So I thought, well what can I do instead.  Once a week is kinda boring because half the time when I get to the weekend I forget what happened on Monday and Tuesday.  You know, that whole old age thing is kickin' in I guess.  It's not like my blog has a specific topic, or people really care about my opinions on ______ name your news worthy event or topic.  I'm also not a famous person who has like hundreds of people reading their blog everyday or have people sitting on the edge of their seats for my next insightful post.

I started this to be for me, myself and I...a way to get my thoughts out and written down, rather than actually writing them because I have terrible hand writing.  When I had been writing at least 3 or more times a week I always found it crazy that my friends, parents whoever were actually reading what I wrote.  Sometimes commenting, wishing me luck, congratulations or even asking for one of my yummy recipes.  It feels pretty awesome that you guys take the time to read my little posts, so thank you!

I was talking to someone the other day and I was mentioning that I started writing in my blog again and that in one or two posts I mentioned that I feel like I not only let myself down with the whole weight loss thing but that I felt I let my family and my readers down as well.  I had professed online in my own words what I had been doing and the obstacles I overcame and then just went back to my shitty ways.  She paused for a second and asked me, well turn the tables and if it was one of your friends in your place would you feel let down that so & so had a slip up?  I thought for a brief second and I said not at all.  She kinda looked at me with one of those 'seeeeeee' faces.  Of course I was like well ya, but still I feel bad.  I guess it's just in my head that I know I let myself down in an immense way that even though I don't show it much the little bit I let people see on the outside is actually a lot more on the inside.  By saying I let "everyone" else down is just something I do, I guess....who knows.

Anyway, back to the future of the blog.  I'm going to continue writing and I want to do it more than once a week, so now I have to figure out what to do.  Maybe a once a week "life" post, a once a week weight update type of thing, and then one or two posts about the cuisine that's being cooked up in the Bennedum household.  Not sure...what do you all think?  Please let me know.  I'm going to still try and do the web cooking thing, its something that has still been in the back of my mind to do.  It's just a lot of prep, thinking and time to do that.  Of course I'm probably over thinking the entire thing but I like to do everything as best as I can.  Hence why I take an extra minute or two to attempt to plate my food nicely for my pics.

Well that's it for today.  I'll write again tomorrow morning to put up some music festival stuff, food from the week and whatever else pops into my head.  Right now it's off to Kraemer's for some pool time and relaxation!  Oh and I lost another 2 pounds this week bringing the new total to 6 pounds.  I have to get on that exercise 3-4 times a week thing....

First week in the books....AGAIN

Dinner from Friday night - Pork Chop Marsala

Well the first week is in the books and man am I tired today!  I have been trying to give myself more of a routine wake-up time and since I'm a working person that time is anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30am.  That includes weekends since my internal clock wakes me up at that time.  This morning I had planned on snoozing till like 6:30 or so; but when my alarm went off at 5:45 then again 5 minutes I was wide awake at 6am.

Since last time I almost passed out from low blood sugar, I thought it would be better to start the morning out with something to eat before I went for my bike ride.  A ripe peach to start off the morning and I was on my way.  Boy it was muggy this morning and luckily not many people on the trail although it was more than last week since it has been so hot in the late morning/early afternoons here.

So came home, took a quick shower....got my weight logged for the first week back and then had some actual breakfast.  Then my morning continued with errands to the bank, Bed Bath and Beyond, a quick car wash, the post office...home, then back to Bed Bath and Beyond because I forgot something...dumbass I am!  Finally back home I made some homemade Shrimp Salad, kind of like what I used to make back at Associated Foods where my dad used to work.  Suffice to say, I haven't made this in about 15 years and I did a pretty damn good job.  Made one serving just for myself and done!

The rest of the day I spent getting the menu ready for next week, making the grocery list and of course...going shopping.  BTW on a side note, these damn gas prices are killing me and everyone.  $3.90 and up in most places. Luckily going to Stop n Shop I get whatever cents off gas depending on how much I spend on groceries...so today was .40 cents off, which made it a little more bearable.  So that was nice!

Hoisin BBQ Chicken

And finally we're at dinner...tonight was Hoisin BBQ Chicken with sweet potato fries and Spicy Summer Corn.  The BBQ sauce I made from scratch was FANTASTIC!  The chicken was still nice and juicy after being under the broiler and the sweetness from the sauce paired nicely with the little bit of spice in the corn.  All in all, a great dinner.  After dinner I pretty much kept going..prepping everything for a Raspberry Ginger-ale that I saw Bobby Flay make in one of his shows along with some Carrot cake!  It's amazing how much I just wanted to cook today.  Erin was like, you might want to take it easy...I say, so I shouldn't make rice pudding also then LOL

Raspberry Ginger-ale

Anyway...dinner was fantastic, the homemade ginger-ale was great too and the carrot cake looks like its going to be a winner as well.  I will post pictures of that probably Monday as tomorrow I will be at the Rockstar Mayhem Festival all day in Hartford!  Cannot wait to have another full day of just pure hard rock and heavy metal and I get to see one of my new favorite bands Battlecross!!

Oopps and now finally after the first week back at it...I have lost 4 pounds!  Very proud of myself for getting back into the swing of things but I still feel sorry for what I see as letting myself and others down with putting on a good chunk of the weight I originally lost.  That's enough feeling bad!  Goodnight everyone...till Monday!

Day 3 of the Comeback

Well day 3 of the comeback is coming to an end and I've been sticking to it getting past some of the urges.  One of my coworkers has a little tub of sweets and every time I pass it, I just want to reach in and get a York Peppermint Patty or a Nestle Crunch.  So far so good.  Even though I hadn't written in a while I was still cooking at home; probably one of my favorite things to do.  Getting back into the swing of things I've gotten my spark back to cook and cook healthy. 

Sunday I created my menu for the week.  An so far it has been a hit.  Erin always pokes fun at me because I make "fancy" dinners.  They're not fancy in my mind...they just look fancy.  Take for example last night dinner...Panko Crusted Salmon with Chile-Cilantro Aioli. Sides to the dish were just steamed veggies and some White Wine & Cilantro Quinoa.  I do have to say that the fish was pretty much perfect!  The right amount of crunch, not dried out and not burnt.  The aioli was pretty easy to make, I've made them before...this was just cilantro, jalapenos, mayo, garlic and just a bit of olive oil.  The peppers made it have a little kick but the cilantro was very refreshing.  The fish itself for a 6 ounce portion at about 365 calories.


Monday was back to work and I do have to say, I should of had a bit of a bigger breakfast.  Note to self for tomorrow!

Dinner tonight was a quick one; Orzo with Chicken, Broccoli and Pesto.  This took less than a half an hour to do.  One thing I've been trying to do when I cook lately is to not waste time.  Try to plan the cooking a little better so that all the different pieces come together at just about the same time so that I'm not waiting for one thing to be done, letting the other pieces get cold.  The recipe called for homemade pesto, but we had a jar in the fridge so I figured I would use that to save a bit of time.  I don't think I seasoned the pasta and broccoli enough while I was cooking it that it needed just a bit more salt.  Again another well cooked dinner and it tasted great, and was easy.

The rest of the week has some great dishes up too.  A pork dish, steak and some shrimp will round off the week.  Now if I can just get rid of this nagging lower back thing I can really get back to working out like I did last time.  Elliptical, crunches, pushups, some back strengthening exercises, walking, riding my bike and the resistance bands as well.  Planning of the food and nutrition was part one...part two is going to be getting a workout routine going and sketched out.

Thanks for reading all...let me know if you want recipes!

Back in the saddle again!

So my last post was a clearing of the air, mostly within myself.  It has been a rough year'ish, but I think I'm finally ready to move on.  My setback in life and going back to crappy food and a terrible diet, no exercise is done!  Over the last year when I didn't write (mainly because of what was going on and the weight I was putting back on) it was because I felt like a failure.  I had set these goals, had set to live healthier and had set to make a change for good; and I failed and I feel like I let my family, my friends and the people that have read and supported my blog and change down.  It was a terrible feeling.

Well as much as I am disappointed in myself for the setback, as I stated in my first blog post and the title of my blog...The Long Journey Ahead.  It is a journey, sometimes we get lost, side-tracked, take the wrong path.  However the journey doesn't end when those things happen.  You eventually find your way again and find that original path that made you successful, made you get over those tough obstacles and made you change your life.

I started playing hockey again two weeks ago and other than a little lower back pain the return to the Dragons was a successful one.  We won in OT 2-1, and I scored the game winning goal on the power-play!  Yesterday I woke up early in the AM, got my workout clothes on and prepped my bike for my first ride in a very long time.  5 miles later (after wanting to die a bit trying to get up the hill to my place) I felt good.  Hockey game later in the day went pretty good again with a 7-2 win and our team remained undefeated at 4-0.  Hurt my back a bit, by wrenching something the wrong way and I'm definitely paying for it today.  Heating pad, walking around, some ibuprofen and rest.  If any of my PT or doctor friends out there know of anything else I should be doing...PLEASE let me know!

So here we are again...back at it a second time.  To in a way help my motivation I've designed a little logo that I'm going to post here and on Facebook and it's going to be my "mantra".  Maybe i'll make some t-shirts too LOL.  It's what I like to call the "Do It 4..." campaign.  For me...it's "DO IT 4 MYSELF".

So there it is!  Food updates and menu to come for the week.  Thanks for reading, till next time!