We are now two months into this modified diet and I wanted to comment about the changes we have made.
First some successes:
Both of the following have been staples of our daily diet.
Red Meat - I thought this would be the most difficult to give up, but to my surprise it has been quite easy! I don't generally crave red meat anymore and find chicken, turkey, fish and even tofu acceptable alternatives.
Potatoes - no longer consuming them having replaced them with rice and couscous. I love potato chips but have substituted them with multi grain chips that satisfy my craving for salt.
When we do eat out it has been fairly easy to opt for the fish, chicken or salad and skip the meat all together!
Now for the failures:
Dairy - We have discovered that we can't live without cheese, particularly cheddar. So we eat it in moderation rather than cutting it out all together. We still drink milk although Soy milk is fine it is a cost issue.
Alcohol - I still love drinking a beer after a good workout such as mowing the lawn, but we have tried to be more intentional about drinking a glass of wine that is better for us.
Breads & Sugars - Bread is something that we make and love, particularly Cheddar Cheese Bread! We will keep enjoying this on a regular basis. I have discovered that I have more of a sweet tooth now, enjoying cookies and ice cream recently. I do try to use honey as a substitute but I still consume far too much processed sugar.
Side Notes:
Ground turkey is a wonderful substitute for beef. We have made stroganoff, burgers, and spaghetti with great results!
Couscous are great especially when you need a side dish is a hurry, be sure to add some spices to the dish especially cumin!
I have discovered a dill sauce for fish that is divine - of course it has dairy in the ingredients - but it is awesome!
We have discovered that asparagus and corn cooked on the grill are delicious!
That's all for now.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wilderness Wanderings
30 Days out!
Every year my dear friends Bob "The Bobber" Schubert, Clark "Bwana" Lentz, and Mike "Doc Mike" McMahon plan a 10 day wilderness adventure to the western United States. In years past we have visited California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. This year we'll visit the Escalante Wilderness in Utah. Our trips regularly test our outdoor skills and always bring us closer together! We are approaching 20 years of trips and here are some of the highlights!
Our trips began in the summer of 1991 when we made our first backpacking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. Since then we have been known as the "Glacier Guyes" and our adventures and misadventures live on like the story a fisherman tells of a great fish!
We have climbed peaks including Mt Whitney (14,500') in California which is the highest peak in the lower 48 states and was probably our least favorite summit. We have hiked through acres of wildflowers, skinny dipped in frigid lakes and "canoed" on melting icebergs.
We have met some interesting people along our journey; Little Brother in Glacier, a strange man carrying several steamer trunks, and a man who lost all his food to a bear. There was the beautiful young woman whom Clark and I encountered on the Continental Divide and 18 years later Clark is still kicking himself for not pursuing the woman of his dreams.
We too have seen all sorts of wildlife; Grizzly & Black Bears, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Marmots, Pica, Mule Deer, Squirrels, Loons, Eagles and Bwana Clark has reeled in many a trout for us to fry up and enjoy.
Food is often a focal point of our trips and we have enjoyed dishes created along the trail with appropriate names like, "Golden Trout Fish Nuggets; Blue Diamond Lake Trout Almondine; Louisiana Red Beans and Rice which has been banned from future trips! Thimbleberries, raspberries, blueberries, Schubert's Mint, are included in the wild edibles in addition to the fish.
Bears like "people food" a lot; on our Mt Whitney trip we were three days from the end of the trip when we literally fought off a 250 pound bear who had invaded our camp looking for an easy meal. The bear left after 20 minutes of being pelted with rocks!
The Glacier Guyes have been joined by some friends on various trips. Ronnie who tells the best stories I've ever heard; Rodney who will never be forgotten for his dive (a forward 1&1/2 somersault from the pike position) at Hilton Lake; & the rite of passage to manhood for Jim and Sam, my sons who share my love for all things wild.
I'm so very blessed to call all these me my friends and look forward to our adventure next month!
Greg "Greggy" Ward
Every year my dear friends Bob "The Bobber" Schubert, Clark "Bwana" Lentz, and Mike "Doc Mike" McMahon plan a 10 day wilderness adventure to the western United States. In years past we have visited California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. This year we'll visit the Escalante Wilderness in Utah. Our trips regularly test our outdoor skills and always bring us closer together! We are approaching 20 years of trips and here are some of the highlights!
Our trips began in the summer of 1991 when we made our first backpacking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. Since then we have been known as the "Glacier Guyes" and our adventures and misadventures live on like the story a fisherman tells of a great fish!
We have climbed peaks including Mt Whitney (14,500') in California which is the highest peak in the lower 48 states and was probably our least favorite summit. We have hiked through acres of wildflowers, skinny dipped in frigid lakes and "canoed" on melting icebergs.
We have met some interesting people along our journey; Little Brother in Glacier, a strange man carrying several steamer trunks, and a man who lost all his food to a bear. There was the beautiful young woman whom Clark and I encountered on the Continental Divide and 18 years later Clark is still kicking himself for not pursuing the woman of his dreams.
We too have seen all sorts of wildlife; Grizzly & Black Bears, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Marmots, Pica, Mule Deer, Squirrels, Loons, Eagles and Bwana Clark has reeled in many a trout for us to fry up and enjoy.
Food is often a focal point of our trips and we have enjoyed dishes created along the trail with appropriate names like, "Golden Trout Fish Nuggets; Blue Diamond Lake Trout Almondine; Louisiana Red Beans and Rice which has been banned from future trips! Thimbleberries, raspberries, blueberries, Schubert's Mint, are included in the wild edibles in addition to the fish.
Bears like "people food" a lot; on our Mt Whitney trip we were three days from the end of the trip when we literally fought off a 250 pound bear who had invaded our camp looking for an easy meal. The bear left after 20 minutes of being pelted with rocks!
The Glacier Guyes have been joined by some friends on various trips. Ronnie who tells the best stories I've ever heard; Rodney who will never be forgotten for his dive (a forward 1&1/2 somersault from the pike position) at Hilton Lake; & the rite of passage to manhood for Jim and Sam, my sons who share my love for all things wild.
I'm so very blessed to call all these me my friends and look forward to our adventure next month!
Greg "Greggy" Ward
Monday, April 27, 2009
Money Strategist
Saving money knows no season.
Spring is in the air and things are growing like crazy in our gardens! Beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees are all enjoying life anew with the advent of warmer temperatures. Last week I prepared the mower for another year or mowing. I checked the oil, replaced the air filter and noticed that the grass catcher still had a plastic bag stuffed in it to seal a hole that let grass escape. I checked on buying a new grass catcher but that was going to be more than $75 with tax and shipping. My thinking is that the grass catcher works but it looks horrible.
Just a couple of days later I'm driving along a busy highway and I spied a grass catcher that looked to be in great shape lying on the shoulder of the road. I wonder could it possibly fit my mower? I turned around and picked up the grass catcher, and quickly tossed it into the back of my truck since I was stopped along a busy highway. I returned home and low and behold it was a Craftsman 21" grass catcher, the exact model as the one on my mower! Score a $75 bonus for this lucky guy!
There are lots of opportunities to get bargains out there. It is unlikely that I'll find another freebie on the side of the road but I'll keep my eyes open! In the past year I have started visiting estate sales and I have scored a breadmaker that is incredible (I use it at least weekly) for $25! I have picked up a 24 bottle wine refrigerator for $75, and a food processor for $10.
Using the internet I used my coke rewards points to score a $50 Walgreens Gift Card. I helped my son purchase an airline ticket on E-Bay for $350 saving him $250 dollars!
My $9,000 pick up truck was purchased for $4,700 in cash and a 42" plasma TV with the wall mount was bought for $420 in cash at a tax asset auctions. Both have served me well for three years now.
Most of this requires a little bit of imagination, looking past some dust, and spending time on the internet, or the newspaper. Being smart with your money doesn't mean that you have to live like a pauper, in fact, I submit to you that I live well beyond a pauper precisely because I have learned to become a money strategist.
I'd love to hear some of your stories so I can learn from you!
Spring is in the air and things are growing like crazy in our gardens! Beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees are all enjoying life anew with the advent of warmer temperatures. Last week I prepared the mower for another year or mowing. I checked the oil, replaced the air filter and noticed that the grass catcher still had a plastic bag stuffed in it to seal a hole that let grass escape. I checked on buying a new grass catcher but that was going to be more than $75 with tax and shipping. My thinking is that the grass catcher works but it looks horrible.
Just a couple of days later I'm driving along a busy highway and I spied a grass catcher that looked to be in great shape lying on the shoulder of the road. I wonder could it possibly fit my mower? I turned around and picked up the grass catcher, and quickly tossed it into the back of my truck since I was stopped along a busy highway. I returned home and low and behold it was a Craftsman 21" grass catcher, the exact model as the one on my mower! Score a $75 bonus for this lucky guy!
There are lots of opportunities to get bargains out there. It is unlikely that I'll find another freebie on the side of the road but I'll keep my eyes open! In the past year I have started visiting estate sales and I have scored a breadmaker that is incredible (I use it at least weekly) for $25! I have picked up a 24 bottle wine refrigerator for $75, and a food processor for $10.
Using the internet I used my coke rewards points to score a $50 Walgreens Gift Card. I helped my son purchase an airline ticket on E-Bay for $350 saving him $250 dollars!
My $9,000 pick up truck was purchased for $4,700 in cash and a 42" plasma TV with the wall mount was bought for $420 in cash at a tax asset auctions. Both have served me well for three years now.
Most of this requires a little bit of imagination, looking past some dust, and spending time on the internet, or the newspaper. Being smart with your money doesn't mean that you have to live like a pauper, in fact, I submit to you that I live well beyond a pauper precisely because I have learned to become a money strategist.
I'd love to hear some of your stories so I can learn from you!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Loaning Money To Friends
If you want to wreck a friendship either borrow money from or loan money to a friend. I learned this the hard way on two separate occasions. A friend asks to borrow money from you because a bank won't loan them the money. Banks are in business to loan money, at interest, so they can pay dividends to their stockholders, build nice buildings and pay their employees hefty salaries. If a bank won't loan someone money it's because they don't believe the person is a good credit risk or stated another way, "they don't think they will get their money back!" DUH!
So when a friend comes to you for money you have two options:
1) Give them the money without expecting them to repay you, because they probably won't pay you back.
2) Tell them no and the reason is that you don't want to ruin your friendship by loaning them money.
Now repeat after me, "I am not a bank, and I don't loan money to friends."
Now if you think I'm joking about this read this next part. I was "Steve's" best man when he got married. A few months later he called and asked to borrow $700 for three weeks until a real estate deal closed. I loaned him the money and three weeks later the real estate deal didn't close. I would call him up and I continually got a sad story about why he couldn't pay.
I did a little digging and over a dinner conversation with another friend I learned that "Steve" had borrowed money from her and a number of other people. Well this only served to make me more determined to get the money repaid to me and others!
I began calling him on a regular schedule and nothing was happening. I discovered his wife didn't know about his creative borrowing habits and so I brought her into the "loop" and that was the catalyst to get things moving! I finally got repaid but it took two years and ruined our friendship. I have not heard from him once since then and that was three years ago.
I haven't had any other friends request to borrow money but I now have my reply, "Sorry, I don't loan money to friends."
PS - NEVER co-sign a loan for anyone, under any circumstances, ever!
So when a friend comes to you for money you have two options:
1) Give them the money without expecting them to repay you, because they probably won't pay you back.
2) Tell them no and the reason is that you don't want to ruin your friendship by loaning them money.
Now repeat after me, "I am not a bank, and I don't loan money to friends."
Now if you think I'm joking about this read this next part. I was "Steve's" best man when he got married. A few months later he called and asked to borrow $700 for three weeks until a real estate deal closed. I loaned him the money and three weeks later the real estate deal didn't close. I would call him up and I continually got a sad story about why he couldn't pay.
I did a little digging and over a dinner conversation with another friend I learned that "Steve" had borrowed money from her and a number of other people. Well this only served to make me more determined to get the money repaid to me and others!
I began calling him on a regular schedule and nothing was happening. I discovered his wife didn't know about his creative borrowing habits and so I brought her into the "loop" and that was the catalyst to get things moving! I finally got repaid but it took two years and ruined our friendship. I have not heard from him once since then and that was three years ago.
I haven't had any other friends request to borrow money but I now have my reply, "Sorry, I don't loan money to friends."
PS - NEVER co-sign a loan for anyone, under any circumstances, ever!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Shade Tree Mechanic
The radiator on my truck has been slowly deteriorating and I made the decision to replace the radiator. First, I took it to my local repair shop and they pressure tested the radiator to confirm that it indeed needed to be replaced. They quoted me $507 to do the repair. I thanked them for the quote and decided I needed to do a bit of research before I let them do the work. I called a local radiator supply and discovered that I could purchase the radiator for less than $200, the repair shop wanted $350. I then got a second quote for installation only from a second shop which was $150. I then went online and watched a how to video on replacing your radiator. It seemed straightforward so I enlisted the help of my friend Larry Rice and we decided to tackle it ourselves.
We met yesterday morning to do the work. We removed the radiator, took it to the radiator supply where we purchased the new radiator and verified that it matched the one from my truck. We stopped by Autozone and purchased some antifreeze and transmission fluid and returned to my garage where we installed the new radiator.
The only mishap was a pair of needle nose pliers that slipped into a crevice in my engine compartment that we failed to fish out and they became a permanent resident of my engine compartment.
I drove the truck to work and noticed a small amount of fluid on the pavement under my truck later in the day. Thus, I have a little follow up work to figure out which hose or fitting is not quite tight enough. Judging by the color of the fluid I think it is a loose fitting for the transmission line. But, overall a successful shade tree repair and a net savings of just under $200 after paying my friend for his time and effort to help me.
I have nothing against using a repair shop and I'm willing to pay a bit more for the expertise and convenience that a repair shop offers but I was turned off by the attempt to gouge me an additional $150 for the radiator. The job took us three hours to complete and that included one hour going to get the radiator and half an hour trying to recover the pliers.
Watching the how to video on the Internet was invaluable and made the job much easier because I knew what to expect and what to look for during the actual repair. I learned that the radiator also cools the transmission fluid, in my truck, which came as a surprise to me.
We met yesterday morning to do the work. We removed the radiator, took it to the radiator supply where we purchased the new radiator and verified that it matched the one from my truck. We stopped by Autozone and purchased some antifreeze and transmission fluid and returned to my garage where we installed the new radiator.
The only mishap was a pair of needle nose pliers that slipped into a crevice in my engine compartment that we failed to fish out and they became a permanent resident of my engine compartment.
I drove the truck to work and noticed a small amount of fluid on the pavement under my truck later in the day. Thus, I have a little follow up work to figure out which hose or fitting is not quite tight enough. Judging by the color of the fluid I think it is a loose fitting for the transmission line. But, overall a successful shade tree repair and a net savings of just under $200 after paying my friend for his time and effort to help me.
I have nothing against using a repair shop and I'm willing to pay a bit more for the expertise and convenience that a repair shop offers but I was turned off by the attempt to gouge me an additional $150 for the radiator. The job took us three hours to complete and that included one hour going to get the radiator and half an hour trying to recover the pliers.
Watching the how to video on the Internet was invaluable and made the job much easier because I knew what to expect and what to look for during the actual repair. I learned that the radiator also cools the transmission fluid, in my truck, which came as a surprise to me.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tofu Adventure
I've been reading this book about eating foods that are appropriate or healthy for my blood type. First of all I was pretty bummed to lean that the majority of the foods I have been eating are not healthy for my blood type. This goes beyond the obvious "unhealthy" foods such as greasy cheeseburgers and the like. I found that the best diet for my blood type is a "Vegetarian" diet. I was neither impressed nor happy to learn this. I love, really LOVE, red meat and the number one thing about blood type A people is that red meat is not to be consumed at all! Talk about bummed; no more rib eyes, pot roasts, bacon, sausage, BBQ, or Nathan's Hot Dogs, and no more hamburgers or anything that has hamburger.
So I'm trying to see how all of this is going to work. My wife and I share the same blood type, so this makes it a bit easier right out of the gate. After a couple of days we attended a basketball game - try to find something on their menu that is healthy for a type A... We ended up with chicken tenders, fries and a beer. Well at least chicken is allowed (not fried)... So we ate the food and man did I feel miserable afterward - I think it was a combination of our bodies adjusting to the new diet and rejecting the breading, grease, potatoes and beer. My weight was up two pounds overnight from this adventure!
Saturday, I headed off to the grocery store in search of Tofu and soy milk (dairy is not on the menu so no milk, cheese, butter, or ice cream. I guessed that tofu would be in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, it wasn't. I was looking at some recommended flour and right down the shelf voila' there is the tofu in a nice little carton. I got the tofu, some squash, baby portobello mushrooms and took all this stuff home. Lunch became those ingredients and a carrot, garlic, and an onion sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with soy sauce and sea salt. It was actually tasty and we enjoyed our lunch. I have to admit that I was very skeptical of the whole tofu thing but combined with the other ingredients and the seasoning worked fine for us.
Sunday, I baked a chicken in the oven (beer can chicken recipe) - the beer was a cheat and the spice rub was probably not the best choice either... But the chicken turned out well and we enjoyed it and will have leftovers tonight with some fresh steamed veggies.
The major adjustments thus far have been significantly reducing red meat and dairy products; reprogramming my mind to think about a healthier diet and focusing on the foods that are recommended like peanuts!
This morning I awoke without my normal body aches - fluke or new benefit from the diet?
So I'm trying to see how all of this is going to work. My wife and I share the same blood type, so this makes it a bit easier right out of the gate. After a couple of days we attended a basketball game - try to find something on their menu that is healthy for a type A... We ended up with chicken tenders, fries and a beer. Well at least chicken is allowed (not fried)... So we ate the food and man did I feel miserable afterward - I think it was a combination of our bodies adjusting to the new diet and rejecting the breading, grease, potatoes and beer. My weight was up two pounds overnight from this adventure!
Saturday, I headed off to the grocery store in search of Tofu and soy milk (dairy is not on the menu so no milk, cheese, butter, or ice cream. I guessed that tofu would be in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, it wasn't. I was looking at some recommended flour and right down the shelf voila' there is the tofu in a nice little carton. I got the tofu, some squash, baby portobello mushrooms and took all this stuff home. Lunch became those ingredients and a carrot, garlic, and an onion sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with soy sauce and sea salt. It was actually tasty and we enjoyed our lunch. I have to admit that I was very skeptical of the whole tofu thing but combined with the other ingredients and the seasoning worked fine for us.
Sunday, I baked a chicken in the oven (beer can chicken recipe) - the beer was a cheat and the spice rub was probably not the best choice either... But the chicken turned out well and we enjoyed it and will have leftovers tonight with some fresh steamed veggies.
The major adjustments thus far have been significantly reducing red meat and dairy products; reprogramming my mind to think about a healthier diet and focusing on the foods that are recommended like peanuts!
This morning I awoke without my normal body aches - fluke or new benefit from the diet?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Opportunity Cost
Last night I heard a story about a young man who decided that he wanted to buy a certain Mercedes model. He actually set the money aside for the car (Novel idea, actually paying cash instead of financing). He promised himself that the first year he made 100k he would buy the car.
Well he soon made the 100k and headed down to the Mercedes dealer in his old diesel VW Rabbit. The salesman looked down his nose at the still young man who drove there in a "beater" car and asked him how he expected to pay for the Mercedes with a price tag of 40k? The young man replied, "I'm going to write a check". The salesman changed his tune and off they went for a test drive. The young man was pleased with the car, it truly was everything he wanted right down to the leather seats!
Ultimately, the young man decided not to part with his hard earned 40k. Instead, he put it in a mutual fund and left it there. One day 12 years later the was driving his Rolls Royce and pulled up alongside the very model of the Mercedes that he had so dearly coveted. He rolled down his window and said to the man driving it, "I don't wish to be rude but can you tell me about your car?" The man told him that he had just purchased the car and it was in mint condition. He went on to say that he was able to buy it at book value for $4,000! The young man smiled and said thank you and they parted ways.
The young man learned a valuable lesson about "Opportunity Cost" that day. You see, 12 years ago he could have bought the Mercedes for $40k and today it would be worth 4k. Instead, he left the money in a mutual fund and 12 years later it was worth over $300,000!
12 years ago he could only use that money for one purpose and he chose to reward himself by saving for his future rather than spending it in the present!
What a great lesson to learn. I am fortunate to have all of my needs met everyday. May I be wise with my extra income and not waste it by failing to understand the opportunity cost.
Well he soon made the 100k and headed down to the Mercedes dealer in his old diesel VW Rabbit. The salesman looked down his nose at the still young man who drove there in a "beater" car and asked him how he expected to pay for the Mercedes with a price tag of 40k? The young man replied, "I'm going to write a check". The salesman changed his tune and off they went for a test drive. The young man was pleased with the car, it truly was everything he wanted right down to the leather seats!
Ultimately, the young man decided not to part with his hard earned 40k. Instead, he put it in a mutual fund and left it there. One day 12 years later the was driving his Rolls Royce and pulled up alongside the very model of the Mercedes that he had so dearly coveted. He rolled down his window and said to the man driving it, "I don't wish to be rude but can you tell me about your car?" The man told him that he had just purchased the car and it was in mint condition. He went on to say that he was able to buy it at book value for $4,000! The young man smiled and said thank you and they parted ways.
The young man learned a valuable lesson about "Opportunity Cost" that day. You see, 12 years ago he could have bought the Mercedes for $40k and today it would be worth 4k. Instead, he left the money in a mutual fund and 12 years later it was worth over $300,000!
12 years ago he could only use that money for one purpose and he chose to reward himself by saving for his future rather than spending it in the present!
What a great lesson to learn. I am fortunate to have all of my needs met everyday. May I be wise with my extra income and not waste it by failing to understand the opportunity cost.
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