Nia class.

Last night I taught a Girls Night Out class for my Nia class. It was rather amusing... I haven't taught it from start to finish before - I generally pick out a few songs and mix it up with another routines of Carlos'. That's the problem when you are starting out and only have a few routines - keeping it fresh and exciting! Luckily I share teach my class with another White Belt (alternating weeks) and we focus on different routines. By alternating weeks with another teacher it keeps things fresh and interesting for the students while I am builing up my routine database. It also makes it heaps easier to fit in with a full time workload on top!

So last night out of the 8 or so songs we danced I had never actually taught about half of them. Luckily for me the class numbers were down - thanks to cold and dark winter evenings! - so there were only a few students to witness "Steph's Night Out".

I was certainly "in my head" throughout the class, but we had a great time with added leaps, impromptu clock steps when I couldn't recall the next move and this strange hybrid move that I think was generated from a scoop but got confused along the way. Will have to review my DVD and see just how far off track I got in parts...

I laughed when the Hip Hop / Urban Dance class came into the room after our Nia class and proceeded to mop the floors with towels. Apparently we tend to sweat quite a lot and the floors are a little slippery. To all the people who look at Nia and say "that doesn't look like a workout" let me assure you... it is!

But hey... Last night despite all of the hick ups we kept our bodies moving, we laughed, we sweated, we grooved and had a great time. To me... that's the key to Nia.

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Vegetable patch woes.

Something is eating my veggie seedlings... I built a possum and cat proof fence around my veggie patch after replanting my beds as I thought they were the enemy. However recent intelligence has got me thinking it is the evil grasshopper empire yet again...

Little buggers ate all my parsley, nibbled on the basil, munched on the sage and are working their way toward the lettuce and sugar snap peas.

I am interpreting this as a direct assault and will have to establish a plan to retaliate against their well planned sneak-attacks.

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Life, love and mung beans.

Know how some years your birthday rolls around and you really don't feel like celebrating much? This year I really didn't feel up to it, just wanted to ignore it and carry on. Not too sure why. Generally, I love birthdays.

Last week I turned 32. My darling boy treated me like a princess and I love him so much more for it. He took me to my favourite restaurant and we ate so much we both felt ill coming home. Over indulged is too weak a term for the amount we ate. Morrocan lamb with cous cous for me. Dessert was at a different restaurant and was a chocolate/raspberry tart. He bought me the gifts he knew I would love.

Yet I really had a crap day and it rolled into a crap week. I guess the funky mood was sort of because I work in a new unit and I don't feel "part of the crowd" - don't think I ever will. I knew that noone would remember or even realise it was my birthday. Noone did.

I think it was the a little to do with the "getting older" and still not having acheived a few important things in my life. Every birthday is just another reminder that I am indeed getting older and another year has passed with nothing exceptional happening. I hate this feeling. I hate getting older. I hate being 32 and feeling like there is still something missing.

Why can't life be as simple as 5 years ago?

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Junk food.

Does anyone have a junk food item that can beat the Hungry Man? Apparently the Baskin and Robbin's Reese Peanut Butter Cup Sundae does in the fat content arena...

Three scoops of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream topped with layers of Reese's Peanut Butter Sauce, chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, hot fudge and whipped cream on top!

Darn it! It sounds so freaking yummy! Peanut butter is a gift from the gods I tell you!

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Serving Size 1
Serving 344 grams
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Amount Per Serving % Daily Value*
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Calories 1250
Calories from Fat 730

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Total Fat 81g 125%
Saturated Fat 32g 160%
Trans Fat 1g

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Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 680mg 28%
Total Carbohydrates 108g 36%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 91g
Protein 27g
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Calories per gram:
Fat 9
Carbohydrate 4
Protein 4

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What the heck??

Some days I am amazed that people wonder "how did the level of obesity get this bad". Here's part of your answer... Is this sort of thing actually sold here in Australia or is it the sole joy of our American cousins?





Yep... that is one "death in a box" meal. However, I'm not sure what I am more grossed out by the nutiritional content - or lack thereof - or the idea of microwaving the contents instead of cooking from scratch... Microwave pancakes - gross!

Edit: One man's experience of the Hungry Man Meal. Found this on the net and it is quite a funny breakdown of the meal.

And while I am at it... Can one of my American friends please tell me what the heck is this? The Jimmy Dean's Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick. No really you did read that correct!

Your favorite breakfast foods are even easier to eat. We wrapped a delicious sausage inside a sweet pancake, and put it on a stick to make it portable.

In the words of an anonymous contributor to a junk food blog:

Jesus tapdancing Christ, what's next? Chocolate covered deep-fried twinkies with bacon grease in place of frosting?

Makes my breakfast this morning of a banana, an apple and 2 pieces of gluten free sultana toast look rather boring now.

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