Sunday, August 12, 2012

Wow, Summer's almost over!

So, it's been a while since I've posted an entry here.  Lots of things have been happening.  I graduated in May, with my master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology, and I've been looking for a job since with no luck yet (had an interview last Thursday in Waterford schools, so I have hope there).  I will persevere.

I've also been doing a lot of crafting these last few months, since I can do it without worrying about it interfering with schoolwork.  I took part in the Tour de Fleece on Ravelry, which is an event in which we spin yarn while the cyclists spin their wheels.  Lots of fun, and I ended up with about 1 1/2 miles of new yarn! 

I'm also taking part in the Ravelympics - oh, excuse me, the Ravellenic Games (thank you USOC!).  Tonight is the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics, and those of us participating in the Ravellenic Games have been knitting, crocheting, and spinning our little fingers to the bone to finish our projects by midnight BST tonight in support of our national teams.  It's all in good fun, and simply another way to enjoy the Olympics while challenging ourselves a little bit.

Anyway, I'm also trying to get in a little bit better shape with some support from my Rav friends, and to that end am trying to eat better and work out more.  I've already lost about 12 lbs since I started at the beginning of July, and I have about 4 lbs to go to meet my goal for August (as well as working out at least 3 times per week - ran on the treadmill today, so I'm doing that too).  Here is a recipe I made up for lunch today, that I liked quite well, and I think it will lend itself to a lot of modification as the mood strikes me:

Mandy's Ginger-Lime Cucumber Salad

  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled & seeded, cut into 1/2" dice
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into fine dice
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into fine dice
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 a small-medium onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
  • 1 oz diced cheese (I used a cheese stick, cut lengthwise into quarters and diced up.  Fresh mozzerella would be better, but I didn't have any.  Crumbled feta would probably also be good, if you wanted that salty kick)
Dressing:
  • 3 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons organic honey
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar (cider vinegar would also work)
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I keep a jar of the ground stuff in the fridge, but if you have a fresh ginger root and a ginger grater, go for it!)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the veggies in a bowl.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and stir into the veggies.  Chill at least 10 minutes before serving.  That's it - Enjoy! 

No comments:

Post a Comment