Rome 04-02-2012

counting down...8

That's right, 8 more days left of this diet. I am starting to think of the "after" and how to reintroduce foods back. There are so many things I miss: coffee, chocolate (more like chocolate cake), big juicy cheese burger and fries! I hope I can maintain my weight once I start eating normally.

7 days of Clean

Today is my 7th day on the Clean diet. I have been following the book touted by Gwenyth Paltrow and many Hollywood stars. It is a detox diet that lasts 21 days where many things are off limits (coffee, alcohol, beef, veal, sushi, bananas, potatoes, wheat). I ordered the book about a year ago, and put it away almost immediately upon arrival after I saw how hard it seemed. I thought a shake for breakfast and a shake for dinner was something just not do-able firstly because it would kill any inkling I have of a social life, and two because the things I was supposed to put in those shakes seemed impossible to find in Italy. Many of which I had never heard of.
Anyway, in an attempt to finally lose the last of the baby weight and start the new year off "healthier", I decided to try it.
You will be surprised to hear that the diet is going well. I make my own nut milk and coconut water using ingredients easily found at the supermarket or the nearest NaturaSi (organic supermarket). I have a shake that usually contains nut milk or coconut water, fruit, some sort of green leafy vegetable, avocado, and lemon for breakfast and a similar shake for dinner. Lunch consists of items on the "elimination diet" approved foods list which include fish, organic chicken (hard sticking to that in my office cafeteria), beans, lentils, and the like. Snacks are allowed if you are really hungry but it is preferred that you have herbal tea instead.
The elimination diet is a pre-cleanse diet aimed at helping you prepare for the cleanse. You can eat 3 solid meals a day all from the elimination diet approved foods list. I did 3 days of this diet before I started.
The good news is that I am still alive, I have energy, I don't feel any hungrier than I did before I went on the diet. The only exception is sometimes the shake for dinner is not that satisfying, and does not fill me up as much as I'd like, but you get over it. The worst part of this diet is that I followed a recipe in the book for butternut squash and apple soup, and it made me want to vomit after the first 4 spoonfuls. The reason for this reaction....the squash is to be eaten raw. It works in that after 4 spoonfuls I didn't want to eat anymore and I wasn't hungry. For some reason the squash totally blocked my appetite.
The best news is that I have lost weight. Overall weight loss from one week: 2kgs! I am back to my pre-baby weight!!!
One down, two more weeks to go....stay tuned.

Buyer beware

I love my BOB running stroller which I got in the US but wanted some accessories to go with it. From the US site I saw that they had partners in Europe. The Danish partner called USUS seemed like a good place for me to get two small items. I contacted them via email since their site was in Danish and they got back to me with a quote to send the two items to Italy. The quote was not cheap, and it would be a lot more economical to get them in the US, however with customs and the taxes I would have to pay I decided to go with the Danish option. I was asked to transfer the money to the company's account and then my items would be sent. I usually am suspicious of transfers since once the money is in their account, there is not much I can do about it. Since the transfer, a fair amount of time passes and I was never informed about my order. I contact the company again via email, but no response. I decide to call and end up speaking with the owner (I think), and he tells me he will investigate and get back to me. Well a whole lot of time passes with promises to call me etc, but after a round of phone calls, he emails me saying something went wrong, he doesn't really know what happened but they want to return my money asap and to give them my details. I forward all my bank information and wait about 2 weeks, but nothing. Long story short, 4 months later, still no refund. I can't believe that BOB would actually be in business with a partner like this and I tried writing to them but it seems that no one reads emails or can be bothered anymore.

Anyhow, you have been warned.

Trattoria Monti

I finally had a chance to go to Trattoria Monti. It has been on my list for a while, but last minute reservations are not a good idea since this small place is always full. For some reason I always imagined it to be a lot bigger, but it is small and cozy.
The food was good. We started off with the tortino of gorgonzola and red onions, which was really good, then I had the lentil soup, which was a typical lentil soup, full of flavor, and very filling. As a secondo I had the maialino al forno while my husband had a primo (which I can't remember) and the maialino as well. The suckling pig was really good and had a crunchy exterior, while inside the meat was very tender and flavorful. We ended with dessert of course, the semifreddo with amaretti and chocolate sauce and I had the apple tart with zabaglione. Both desserts were really good, but I expected more since many reviews said desserts were excellent.
All in all a really nice night, good food, good wine, we actually sent the first bottle back since it was a little off, but very hard to detect. The staff were very nice and professional and changed the bottle without any sort of fuss.

New year, new resolutions, new beginnings

I am not one to make resolutions, but this year there are a few things I really want to accomplish.
I would like to loose the last 3 kgs of baby weight that I have not shed.
I would like to start taking more risks in life.
I would like to seriously start exercising.
I would like to start my own business.
Mostly, I would like to become a better person. I want to be a better wife, a better mother, and a better human being in general.
I want to enjoy all moments and stop fussing.
I want to always remember that life is too short to waste being angry, bored, or frustrated.
I want to see everything through rose tinted glasses.
I hope I succeed.

Someone comment already!

Happy Holidays

Although I have all gifts taken care of, one of the most important ones is missing, baby's. I am not having any "ahhh" moments lately, mostly because I can't seem to choose a gift that he goes crazy over. It could be that he is only 17 months old, but I am having a tough time. My husband is sorted, and is usually easy to shop for, since I usually go the electronics route. I also went that way for my M.I.L. since she is in serious need of technology!
I have the rest of today and Saturday to keep on looking. Fingers crossed.

I don't know about you guys, but I am also having a hell of a time keeping my baby's hands off the xmas tree. He has pulled out every single decoration he can reach. Right now it kind of looks bare on the bottom and full on the top!
Merry Christmas to everyone, and I hope that 2012 brings health and happiness, and most importantly peace to all.