Going Hardcore

Gosh Food Guy, it sure has been a long time since you've posted -- what's up? That's what you've been thinking, right?

Sorry, but it's that time of year. Mrs. Food Guy and I refer to it as "Going Hardcore." From January 1 to Valentine's Day, we remove all junk from our diets.

Now, don't confuse going hardcore with dieting. We typically eat pretty healthfully, but during the holidays we tend to get a little nuts. So we use the first six weeks of each year as a refresher course in eating well.

And we love it. It feels better to eat well. I miss cake, don't get me wrong. But when I do have a piece of cake or some candy on February 14, I appreciate it. A LOT!


So when you have a cookie, a Fire-flavored Twizzler Pull and Peel (they taste like FIRE!!!!) or a hunk of cake with extra frosting... think of me. Think of my pants fitting better. Think of me getting into working out again and knowing that come spring I won't be embarrassed to take my shirt off. Think of me happily eating dried dates for a snack and remarking aloud "Dried dates -- natures candy!"

And think of me scarfing up my Valentine's Day junk food with abandon, not thinking about any of those things.

Mmm... Smoothies. Smooth!

Smoothies may be considered a beverage, but the Food Guy doesn't see the need to discriminate between liquids and solids. I drink a smoothie for breakfast several mornings a week, and it sticks to my ribs better than any bowl of Grape Nuts.

I'm not proud of this, but I don't eat a lot of fruit. I like fruit, but somehow it just isn't a real go-to food for me (maybe because there's no bacon-flavored fruit. If there was a bacon fruit tree, I'd have an orchard!). But my smoothies are loaded with fruit (are you dying for my smoothie recipe yet? You'll have to keep reading...) so I feel really good about drinking them.

Have I mentioned how delicious they are? I love my smoothies so much that sometimes, when the alarm goes off at 5:30 am and my sleepy brain says "Ahhh, missing one workout won't kill me. I'll go to the gym tomorrow...", my sleepy stomach responds "But what about my smoothie??" And I get out of bed. Because yes, my smoothies are good enough to warrant getting up early, moving big slabs of iron around and running for miles and miles.

And they're portable. I make my smoothie and head off to the shower. I drink it while I shave, while I get dressed. I can chase the little guy around the house and still get my breakfast in.

There's one more thing about smoothies that I love. This is a new one. And it has to do with my son. He's just over a year old, and when he was tiny, I used to come home from the gym, put him down for a nap, and hope my smoothie-making wouldn't wake him up. As he got a little older, he was scared of the blender sound, so I'd yell out a warning before I started it up. My wife would bring him into the kitchen so he could see what was making the noise. Then one day we realized that he had grown to like the sound of the blender -- he wanted to watch the blending. So I offered him a sip of my smoothie.

At first, he looked in that big cup, at that weird, thick, purple stuff, and he laughed and laughed. Then he took a sip, and got a big smile. And a big purple smoothie mustache. Now when he hears the blender he comes running. He actually smacks his lips in anticipation of his sip of my smoothie. It's something he and I share on a regular basis, and it's pretty cool.

So now, finally, my smoothie recipe!!!

8 oz. low fat soy milk
1 frozen banana (peel it before you freeze it!)
1 cup frozen berries (blueberry is best, but that's just my opinion)
1 scoop protein powder (I like chocolate!)
1 tablespoon flax seed
1/4 cup rolled oats
about 1/2 cup water

I like to start with just a little water, blend for a moment, and add water as needed. I like a thick smoothie but if you like yours thinner, more water is your friend.

Nutrition Info
(this varies depending on the type of protein powder you use)
400 cal
7.5g fat
68g carbs
26g protein
Iincidentally -- this is an ideal ratio for a post-workout meal. And a terrific breakfast even if you haven't just been to the gym)

The Food Guy Writes

I'm now officially The Food Guy. I love food -- talking about it, cooking it, eating it. I love all kinds of food, so this blog isn't going to be some elitist (we hate elitists!) foody blather about fancy restaurants and fine wines... though I suppose I shouldn't rule that out if the mood strikes me. What I want to write about is what I love about food -- it doesn't really matter what it costs or where it came from. What matters about food is how it tastes and how it makes you feel.

So on that note, I'm going to say a few words about my favorite food: Hamburgers. I think I've eaten at least one hambuger a week for 10 or 15 years now, and in the weeks that I haven't, I've felt their absence. A hamburger is basic. It's not complicated, though you can make it complicated if you really want to. A good hamburger is juicy, flavorful, has the right toppings for the moment... When the juices drip down the side of your hand and fall from your wrist bone to the table, you know you're eating something special.

That's all I'll say about hamburgers for now. It's not much, but it's a start.