Author: Tony

Was a music major. Spent 20 years in the Navy Music Program. Lived in in Florida 10 years. Have been in SC for 7 years.
Posted in Favorite Recipes

Curry Chicken

Posted on by Tony

Curry chicken is a nice recipe for busy weeknights, with chicken breasts, onion, potatoes, and carrots all cooked together in one dish. Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of breasts, and to replace the curry paste with 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons curry powder if needed.

Serves 2 – 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 – 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into chunks about 1 1/2 inches
  • 2 potatoes, peeled, chopped into chunks
  • 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
  • 10 baby carrots, washed, drained, cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
  • 2 tablespoons curry paste (traditional Indian yellow curry paste is best)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
  • Ground coriander, optional

Preparation:

Heat a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the heated wok. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Stir-fry until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the curry paste and stir-fry until fragrant. (If using curry powder instead, add a small amount of water to form a paste).

Add the chicken and stir-fry for about 5 minutes so that the chicken is browned and coated with the curry paste.

Add the carrots and potatoes. Stir for a minute and add the chicken broth, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 – 20 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked.

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Posted in Health

Time for a Checkup

Posted on by Tony

I am headed to the doctor’s office this morning. I have had somewhat of a relapse with my right hand. I had carpal tunnel corrective surgery in December. It was doing fine until a few weeks ago. I believe pulling the parking brake lever on the school bus re-injured my hand. When pulled out, the lever sends a shock wave through my hand. After three months of that my dominant hand is becoming my weaker hand because of the new pain in my wrist.

So today I am basically going to my doctor to be referred to the doctor who did the surgery. And not only for my right hand, but, my left also, which is showing the symptoms I had in the right before surgery. I also have an ear infection which has been with me since the beginning of April. I have gone through two rounds anti-biotics yet it persists.

Also, the pain in my neck has increased to a level I can’t even describe. Sometimes it feels like there is a knife in my neck (or what I imagine a knife in the neck feels like). And sometimes it feels like really hot water is being poured down my back starting at my neck.

So I’m hoping to see both the surgeons who operated on my hand and my neck. Sometimes I feel like I’m falling apart. I will also be giving some blood for my annual checkup. I’m not looking forward to that.

 

Posted in Favorite Recipes

Carolina Red Rice

Posted on by Tony

I just realized I have not been posting recipes!!!

I’m still eating, right? So, I had never heard of Carolina red rice until I moved to South Carolina and began taking culinary classes. We made this one in class. I don’t know what I expected to taste, but I did not think I would like it. To my surprise this is a very tasty dish. It is considered a comfort food here in South Carolina. If you like southern cooking you should give this one a try.

Makes one hotel pan (25 Portions)

3 T. Oil (I used canola)
1 C. Medium Diced Bacon
3 C. White Converted Rice
2 C. Diced Onion
3 T. Chopped Garlic
1 C. Chopped Green Peppers
3 C Tomato Paste
1.5 Qts Chicken stock
1 T Salt
1 t Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 C Small Diced Smoked Ham
2 C Sliced Smoked Sausage

Rondeau

In a rondo sauté (a round saucepan) the bacon in the oil until the fat is rendered.

Sauté the rice for about 5 minutes, add the onions, green peppers and garlic.

Sauté for 5 more minutes on low heat.

Add the tomato paste and half the water and mix together well.

Add the last of the water, the salt and the black pepper.

Hotel Pan

Transfer to a hotel pan and bake at 325° F for about 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes and stirring gently whenever necessary. Gently stir in the smoked ham and sausage during the last 10 minutes of baking time.

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Posted in Happiness, Sporting

I Want A Harley-Davidson Lowrider!

Posted on by Tony

It turns out that this is the blog where I not only write about my diet and health challenges, but also the things in life that excite me or disappoint me. Looks like it is my everything blog, kinda.

So, I am excited because I went down to the Harley-Davidson dealer (nearest me) and saw the next bike I want to buy. It is their soft tail Lowrider. Yep! That’s it on the right. It looks great in pictures, but, it is mind-blowing up close and personal. The only thing that bothered me a little was how high the mid-controls pushed up my knees. I am hoping Harley-Davidson will put out a modification for a more forward set of foot controls.

Other than that it is one of the most beautiful machines I’ve ever seen on two wheels. It’s no wonder HD is a favorite of Motorcycle riders all over the world.

My old bike to the left is a 2007 Suzuki Boulevard M-50. I have had it 11 years. My Son has asked me for it because he wants to learn to ride. This bike has been a good one. I had one issue where the gear oil leak out, or wasn’t replaced during a service call and ended up having to replace the drive shaft. And I’ve had to replace one gasket to stop an oil leak. That’s a pretty good ROI for this bike. And I’ve had a blast riding it. I think it would be a great start for my Son. Of course, I will make sure it is in tip-top condition before that.

I purposely made the newer bike photo bigger here because that’s exactly what it felt like to ride my bike to the Harley-Davidson dealer and see the LowRider in person. Other than the one issue I’ve already mentioned this bike is freaking awesome. The feel as I sat on it made me feel powerful somehow. It’s hard for me to describe it. I can’t wait until I get to test ride it.

The new Milwaukee 8 engine powering the Lowrider dwarfs the 805 cc of my Suzuki. It is 107 cubic inches in displacement. That’s about 1753 cc. The size difference is massive. The Suzuki is shaft driven. The HD is belt driven (which I like because it’s probably easier to keep up than a drive shaft). Out of everything I have heard people say about this Lowrider the thing that sticks out is, “this thing has massive power and torque.” I get excited just thinking about it.

Anyway, that’s what happening in my life today. I probably won’t buy this motorcycle for a while. I have some other things to do financially first.

As for diet and weight loss, I am still eating crap (fried chicken is awesome!). And where I thought I had gained about 8 pounds, it turns out I had lost about 2. Go figure.

Posted in Diet

I’m Tired

Posted on by Tony

Well, WordPress notifications tell me that I haven’t posted in the last 22 days. So here is an update. I have continued to eat whatever I want whenever I want and I am paying the price. I have gained about 8 pounds I think. And I can feel the affects of it. My back and knees hurt. Of course, the thing with the knees could be because of the bus driving.

I really do need to try to get back on track. I have let my schedule at work dictate how I eat. My excuse is that I don’t have the energy to prepare my meals, or plan my meals as I should. Enough with the excuses though. I need to get my crap together. I don’t even want to know what this is doing to my inner workings.

My battle feels like an uphill endeavor. My energy is sapped by my physical pain, which is increased the more I eat the wrong things. Inflammation, low energy, and just not feeling quite right is the worst.

In the beginning, the busy work schedule seemed to be helping me. But then I let my sweet tooth take over. A little ice cream here and there became ice cream for lunch. The more sweets I ate the more fried foods I wanted, and the more fried food I had.

So now, I am at that place where I have to fight to get started again. I have to fight to make myself eat the right stuff and get rid of things I don’t need. I am truly living yo-yo diet life style. I like how eating the right stuff makes me feel, but I also love the immediate feeling the wrong foods give me.

I will keep updating and reporting the good and the bad. I really wish my first eating habit had been a better one. Maybe all of this would be easier.

What can I do about it? The best I can. That’s all I know to do. I’m tired.

Posted in Diet

Salads Rock

Posted on by Tony

Well, its seems that having a job and keeping a schedule is a big help toward eating better. Most times in the past when I was pressed for time because of work or whatever, fast food was my choice; McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy’s. I’m not saying these are totally out of the picture. I AM human.

Lately, about the last month I have chosen to  eat salads with some sort of grilled meat; chicken or steak. There are actually a lot of choices. And no, I don’t get salads from the three placed mentioned above. If I go to those place I’m eating a burger and french fries.

Walmart is a place that has a great variety of different salads. They are made fresh daily, though I don’t think they make them in house. They are quite tasty though. I usually buy 3 or 4 at a time. And like before I don’t get really hungry because of the low glycemic load.

The salads are pretty big, probably 4 cups of green leafy stuff. The dressings are pretty nice as well. Each salad comes with a specific dressing. Some of my favorite salads are the Southwestern with steak, Grilled chicken with apples, dried cranberry, blue cheese, and walnuts is another good one. I don’t remember what that one is called. Of course they have the Chef Salad, not on of my favorites. It will do in a pinch though. And there are many more to choose from.

I’m not saying I’m back on course, but it is a start in the right direction. I seem to do better when I don’t try so hard. So I just try to make one smart decision at a time where eating is concerned.

Well, that’s about all I have to say for today.😊

Posted in sickness

Sinus Infection

Posted on by Tony

450In March I had an ear infection. I underwent a round of antibiotics.Then I got sick for the week of Spring break. And I then I got a sinus infection. So I have been sick for a few weeks, which has never happened in my life.

So I’m on another round of antibiotics to clear the sinus infection. My doctor also instructed me to use a product called NeilMed Sinus Rinse. I was very hesitant to use it. It involves a saline mixture being squirted into one nostril and flowing out of the other. It didn’t sound pleasant.

However, after using the rinse I felt so much better. I also saw stuff come out that I couldn’t blow out into a tissue. And I didn’t get a headache after doing it. In fact, it felt so good when I finished I immediately did it again.

So I will be glad when all of this has cleared up. I have been feeling awful for several weeks and I’m really tired. My doctor also told me I need to wear a mask to block dust on certain part of my school bus route where there are dirt roads. They are pretty dusty and may have contributed to my infection.

I’m feeling better already.

Posted in Diet

All-Star @ Waffle House

Posted on by Tony

Yea, still not worried about any diet. I’m at Waffle House having breakfast. Waffle House is one of my favorite places to eat. I can see them prepare my meal, which makes me more willing to eat the food.

At this point, I have mostly given up on the diet thing, but still watching out for my health. I know I can’t eat like this every day. And for the most part, I eat at home and things are pretty plain jane.

The All-American is a big breakfast. It comes with your choice of bacon, sausage, or ham, eggs to order, grits or hash browns, toast and a big ole waffle!

The coffee is always good, and the price is right. I’m only here because I missed breakfast this morning. I could have gone home but I didn’t want to. I’m enjoying myself.😊

Posted in Diet

My Spring Break

Posted on by Tony

I have made no progress in this venture. I think the problem is that I don’t seem to care anymore. And I don’t care about not caring either.

I have been really busy with this new job (school bus driver). I’m pretty sure that I like the job enough to keep it for a while. It wears me out though because I have to be up before the kids who ride the bus. So I’m up around 4 a.m.

I don’t know what bearing this has on me eating right. It would be just another excuse I suppose.

This morning I am emerging from a week with the worst cold I have ever experienced. And as luck would have it, it was Spring Break for the schools I serve. I wanted to enjoy the break just like the kids. Instead, I lay on the couch or in bed struggling to stay alive. At least, that’s what it felt like.

It began with a cough on Friday evening. Saturday, I was down for the count. I was in pain all over, sneezing, chilled to the bone and wishing I could be someone else until this thing was over.

And for the cherry on top of it all, yesterday I discovered I somehow got Thrush, a fungal infection which babies usually get. At least that’s what I hope it is. I’m not accepting anything else! It is very painful. It’s no wonder that babies scream when they have it.

So, tomorrow is the end of my break. I didn’t have any fun.  I’m back to work Monday morning. I’m not even gonna pretend that I intend to try to get back on track with diet or exercise because I just don’t care at the moment. Just glad I didn’t die this week.

Posted in Change

The Wheels On the Bus

Posted on by Tony

It has been a while since my last post. Since then, I have been hired as a school bus driver. The wheels on the bus go round and round… and all that.😂

So I have to be up at 4:00 A.M. The routes I’m driving begin at around 5:50 and I finish up around 8:30. Then the afternoon route begins at between 2:45 – 3:00 P.M. It finishes up around 5:00. At least it does when the bus driver really knows the route.

I drove the afternoon route, my very first route for the first time on this past Friday. I don’t know the routes all that well yet. So, I finished up around 5:45. Only a little bit late.

There is this one little kid, about 5 years old, and his name is Walker. When I was just riding the bus as a monitor or helper (a person who rides the bus to keep the kids in line so the driver can concentrate), Walker had to sit with me because he is pretty fidgety. During the days he sat with me we got to know each other a little.

So as I was driving the route, with the actual bus driver acting as the monitor, and Walker seated beside her, I missed a house where I was supposed to stop. Walker blurts out, “Awe, You don’t know how to drive the bus!” Every one laughed. Then I responded, “man, I thought Walker was my friend, and now he’s making fun of me.” To my surprise, he was embarrassed by the fact that he might have hurt my feelings. I assured him that I was okay.

The little kids are great. However, the middle school kids who are also on the bus are a little more sneaky and much less well behaved. They are mouthy and sometimes disrespectful. No doubt they will be a challenge.

They are way worse the little kids. They don’t stay in their seats. They throw things back and forth, and the scream back and forth at each other as if they are outside. They are so loud.

Last, I pick up and deliver the high school kids. They are a breeze? They are extremely well behaved, quiet, and helpful. They will let the driver know if a stop is unnecessary if the kid who lives at a certain address is not on the bus. This was a surprise to me. It was the high school kids whom I expected to be wild and out of control. They turned out to be the easy group. I can’t imagine the middle school kids growing into what I see in the high school kids. That would be a miracle.

So, I’ve been busy. I haven’t worked in 7 years and find it a little difficult to get used to it again. Up before dawn, and then that long break during the day and then back at it in the afternoon. I don’t dare take a nap during that time in the middle. I don’t trust myself to wake up and go back to work. So I find things to keep me busy during that time.

When the day is finished, so am I. When I go to bed all I can think about are the wheels on the bus going round and round. So, that’s where I’ve been. And it involves getting plenty of exercise; a good bit of walking during the day. Just being out of the house is helping me toward staying on track with my desire eating habit. Since I’m not at home all day I’m not snacking all day. And that is a good thing.

Well, that’s it. Until next time.