Cooking Project: Baked Sweet Potatoes

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) USA ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. How about that?  I gotta admit, I never really pay much attention to this vegetable in the past but I try to eat more of this recently.  I've tried steaming the potatoes and eating it as it is, but it is so tedious peeling the skin off.  I've also tried boiling the potatoes with ginger (with some sugar and sago) and

having it as desserts. 

Then, there's the ultimate project....baking sweet potato as chips.  This is such an easy baking process. It doesn't require much prep, ingredients nor does it take up a lot of cooking time.

Sliced sweet potatoes in the toaster oven. I sprinkled some cinnamons for flavor, and spread some butter/olive oil to avoid the potatoes sticking to the foil.

Baked them for 10-15 mins, with constant monitoring.

The outcome.

Verdict:  Very flavorful and sweet (duh!) but could not get the chips to crisp up without burning them.  The rest were just soft.  Tried cooling them in hopes of them crisping up eventually but that didn't work either.  Thought maybe I had used too much oil or butter so I reduced that in the next batch.....didn't work too.  Needless to say, I will not be trying this again, ever. 

Another nite wasted

For the 2nd time in recent months, I went to the gym for my usual Body Jam class last nite (and I was really looking forward to it too) only to find the class being replaced by another class.  I had a moment of "Aaaaarrrrggghhh!".  To say that I am pissed is really an understatement, considering that the class was at 8.45pm and I wasted my time and effort to get to the gym only to turn back and walk out.  I wasn't sure if the replacement was a last minute change...but if it wasn't, to say that I am pissed at the group exercise manager (who handles scheduling) is really an understatement.  I had checked the internet schedule earlier to ensure that class was on.

Anyway, it wasn't a good start to my return this week, so let's hope today's pilates class will kick off in a much better way.  I could have gone for that replacement class but then it was Easy Step, a new in-house program introduced by the gym a year ago, of which clearly I am not a favorite.  It really makes no sense to me to invent another program that is identical in format and style to Body Step, an already established Les Mills program that the gym has been running for years.  For goodness sake, if you're gonna create a new program, be original.  Or bring in more creative exciting programs....kettlebell classes, or Capoeira maybe.

We're bored.

Well rested my foot!

I gave myself a whole week off from gym and a whole weekend of no physical activity, except for an hour of much needed housekeeping, thinking that I can restore my body's energy and catch up on lost sleeps. I swear my body is feeling more lethargic, and I don't feel any different than I did last week or the weeks before.  I probably slept too much too over the weekend and don't even mention the amount of watching TV...and then, I woke up this morning with sinus and a headache.  How about that?  It's no wonder fitness freaks like to preach about the benefits of exercising...

The misery of allergy...

I am declaring myself as the world's most allergic prone person.  Well, I've known since childhood that I am allergic to prawns and crabs (not other shellfish though), and consuming these food will cause immediate purging.  Not very pleasant experience each time. A month ago, I developed swollen eyes due to some allergic reaction to....I don't know....it was either antibiotics or some ingredients in some cosmetic item or a combo of both.  4 whole miserable days of suffering.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting hives.  Hives? They are slightly raised red or white bumps on the skin that caused itchiness. Hives is the body's reaction to an allergen, a foreign substance in or on the body. It could be allergy to certain food products, dust mite, bed bugs, insect bite or even stress (I certainly didn't know this one).

I wanted to take more pics but I think this one is ugly enough to make people go yuck..

I have no idea what I did or ate that caused hives.  It certainly isn't the first time that I got them...though the last time I had them was prolly more than 5 years ago and I remember as a kid, I had them a couple of times too.   The hives got became intenstely itchy late into last nite (cold compress didn't help, neither did cold shower) and I had no choice but to pay my less than favorite 24hour clinic a visit.  Was given an injection by whom I presumed is a nurse of some sort as I'm guessing the locum doctor is either not authorised or did not want to give out japs himself or too lazy.  For the first time, I was teary eyed after getting an injection.  Anyway, this allergy ordeal pretty much caused me a sleepless nite despite the amount of calamine lotion used and btw, I took double the tablet medication dosage prescribed by the doc. It was that bad.  How to sleep when I have the urge to scratch and claw my whole body out, right???

I thought my body was new again this morning (jumped for joy, no need to return to the clinic for MC) but now... several hours later, the hives are back.  I swear I have the ugliest thighs right now.  Blardy useless injection, which btw, caused me pain that I can still actually feel some effect of it. My arms and torse are spared at the moment but I don't think it will take too long for the hives to spread everywhere else. Sigh....the joys I get in life sometimes....

Too much Pink....

I find this such a coincidence that it's almost freaky.  For the past couple of weeks, I've been listening and watching P!nk's concert videos on youtube repeatedly.  I knew that in Body Pump & Body Combat past releases, there were tracks from P!nk's albums, such as So What!, U & Ur Hand (in BC), It's All Your Fault, I'm Not Dead (in BP)..and maybe more...so I was jokingly thinking that one day perhaps I should request the instructors to play all available P!nk tracks in the class, right?. Of course, I was telling this to myself....

Last Wed and yesterday, indeed 2 P!nk tracks were played during Body Pump!  And not only that....the hit from 4Non Blondes "What's  Up?" were also played...and this was a song that P!nk performed during one of her tours few years ago.   How's that for weirdness, huh? It was pretty cool actually albeit edging on freakiness. 

Now I wait and see if any of P!nk BC tracks will be played in upcoming Body Combat classes..and I guess I really should cut down listening to P!nk.

I am so sleepy I have to write something...

And again we did Bicep Track to the tune of  "Pump It" (by Black Eyed Peas)  in Body Pump last nite.  So freaking ridiculous.  The program director in Les Mills ought to be shot for this.  I just think that by using this song, a lot of the members compromised their forms, me included, because the song is fast.  So silly.  No, not the song....the song is lovely. I suppose I could have gone with much lighter weights but then again, that will just be a step backward.  I couldn't be more pissed last nite.

Speaking of songs, I am now an adoring fan of P!nk. Watched a few of her interviews in Youtube.  That girl has an infectious laugh.  And I truly believe that P!nk is the most underrated singer in the world.  What I like most is that she does not lip sync...and I love love singers who are able to sing live.  In fact, listening to P!nk singing live is almost like listening to her songs direct from the CD.  That is how awesome and incredible she sounds. She's the real deal.  Her "Glitter in the Air" trapeze performance in the Grammy Awards earlier this year was mesmerising.  Her performance was really the only thing I can remember out of the entire award show. 

I am so glad the weekend is coming soon.  I am so wanting to sleep in.  Aside from that and Pilates and Body Pump, there is really nothing to look forward to this weekend....but I still can't wait for the weekend to arrive anyway.  OH!  I have got to say this.  74 push ups done last Sunday.  24 on my knees during Body Pump and an extra 50 on my toes at home.  Take that!  I am gonna make this a weekly routine and every week the number has to increase.  A real test for me, I'm sure.  Bring it on....