Healthy Twists

This week, I worked on getting organized. I use Google Calendar to plan out my workouts and my dinners for the week. I know that sometimes, things will have to shift, but planning out my schedule makes me feel a lot better when I have a lot on my to-do list.

On my Google calendar, I have different colors (technically, each color is it’s own calendar but I have them all combined into the master) for categories such as workouts, yoga, bills due, going out with friends, “to-do list,” dinner meal plan, and I’ve even downloaded public calendars of important items like Jewish holidays and the Chargers schedule (season starts in a few weeks…yay…and boo since I’m totally a football widow). Once school starts, I’ll add in my assignments and other school-related tasks.

I also have my Outlook calendar at work set to synch to my Google calendar so I can see what I have on my work calendar (but not the other way around so it doesn’t have my yoga schedule on my calendar at work).

I also have birthdays on my calendar (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!). Like how I did that?

Do you use a calendar system? Tell me about it…Gcal, Outlook, pen and planner (how retro), or do you use one of those fancy smart phones that I’ve heard are cool but I’ll never own because I’m too cheap and it’s probably more of a “want” than a “need” anyway but that doesn’t stop me from being really jealous of anyone who has a Blackberry or iPhone?

I’m going to share some more of my organizing methods on the blog. I know nothing I’m going to do is revolutionary, but I know how stress is bad news bears for me, so I need to manage that as best I can from here on out. I don’t have the time to freak out, so I need to be prepared and thoughtful. My goal is to share some tips or thoughts along the way that help out others

Another way I plan to keep my head above water over the next few years (and beyond?) is ask for help when I need it. And plan, plan, plan. I knew I wanted to make a bean salad for a potluck at work so when Mitch called me at work and said he was going to the grocery store and did I need anything, I said, “why yes: beans, celery, and green onions, please.” I really wanted to add ice cream to the list, but I refrained.

Using a few bean salad recipes I’ve seen in blogland plus some others, I came up with this recipe and I must say, I was very pleased with how it came out. I think the little bit of sweetness made the dressing, and the crunch from the celery contrasted the mushy (in a good way!) beans.

And, you really cannot go wrong with fresh basil in the summer. I dare you to try.

Bean Salad with Basil

• 1 can green beans
• 1 can wax (yellow) beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar (or sugar)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain canned beans
2. Add beans, celery, onion, and basil to a mixing bowl
3. Combine vinegar, agave, oil, salt and peper and mix to combine
4. Toss dressing with salad, cover, and let sit 12-24 hours. Serve!

I had the salad leftovers today for lunch. Delish. And people at the potluck really liked it too. But I’m not going to talk about why we were having a potluck from work. I’m not going to talk about cake-grilling friends leaving me to go teach in Thailand for six months. So don’t make me, ok??

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