Thursday, May 24, 2007

Dedication

Since I started to go to the gym during my lunch break instead of after work, I've been able to go fairly regularly. When you go around the same time every day, you start to notice other people who are there the same time as you. I don't particularly care who these people are because they're doing their own thing while I do my own thing. But I have been noticing this elderly lady who is always there.

She doesn't look to be in particularly good shape. She's a little chubby, is slightly stooped over, and her walk is more of a shuffle with a slight limp. I don't know if it's arthritis or what it is that has caused her decrease in mobility. She looks uncomfortable as she shuffles from one weight machine to the next, yet she persistently goes at it day after day.

Maybe she got a late start on her commitment to fitness, but she's committed now. It would be easier for her to sit in a rocking chair, knitting. But she's decided she's not going to go down without a fight. She's a picture of determination. It doesn't matter what age you are, it's never too late to be dedicated to your health.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Good use of badly cooked salmon

You probably already know that salmon is a great source of omega 3s, which is vital for healthy cell walls and other things. You hear all these great things that salmon is good for health-wise, but they don't tell you how tricky it is too cook it.

Salmon is really yummy when cooked just right, but it is very easy to overcook, whether you are baking it, grilling it, or pan-frying it. Overcooked salmon, like most overcooked fish, becomes dry, rubbery, and generally unpleasant to eat.

Over the weekend I found a great use for accidentally overcooked salmon. Instead of tuna salad, make salmon salad. The mayo (I substitute half the mayo for ranch dressing because I love the flavor) eliminates the dryness of the fish, and after you mash up the fish meat, you don't really notice the rubberyness of it anymore.

You'll usually have already seasoned the fish when you first cooked it, so that means you don't need to do anything other than chop up some celery to throw in with the mayo and dressing. Mash it all together and it's done. It turns something that you were likely throw away into something you actually want to eat.