Becca Borawski’s Blog

I have a number of blogs that I am committed to reading.  I find inspiration in these pretty regularly.  Not every post is mind-blowing, but a fair number of them resonate in some way and I find myself sharing them with friends and coworkers.  Check it out and see what you find.  If you know any others you think I would enjoy, please let me know in the comments!

Zen Habits – Simple Productivity
Lifehacker - Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done
Unclutterer - Daily Tips on How to Organize Your Home and Office
Rowdy Kittens – Social Change Through Simple Living
mnmlist - Minimalist Blog
Food Renegade – Challenge Politically Correct Nutrition
Seth Godin – Seth Godin’s Blog

I can not recommend enough to anyone out there even remotely considering it – TAKE A COOKING CLASS.  I took one during August and September and it has made a tremendous impact on my cooking, my lifestyle, and the variety of foods that I eat.

Previously, I just did not know enough about cooking to have fun with it. I was not known as someone who knew how to cook, and NOW the people who know me can not believe what I am up to.

Now, I can look at a recipe, decipher it, feel confident in adjusting it to my needs, and try out new recipes and foods all the time.  I am positive it is a healthier way to eat, as well, as I am now eating a bigger variety of foods and therefore getting a bigger variety of nutrients and vitamins.

Since I took my cooking class, I now experiment at least once a week with brand new recipes, and also have made my regular evening meals much more interesting and tasty with the new techniques.  I have also totally retooled my kitchen – rearranging my cupboards, buying new dishes, utensils, pans, etc.  I have rearranged my apartment so I actually have a dining area, now that I actually dine!

So, if you are even thinking about it, I say do it – sign up for a cooking class and you will be surprised by how much fun the classes are and what a great impact it can have on your health and life.  I took my classes at Chefs, Inc. in West LA, but there are lots of great schools out there.

Here are some of the dishes I have prepared since graduating from my class:

Pork Tenderloin with Mango Chutney, side of sauteed Asparagus & Red Bell Pepper

Steak with Peppercorns and Pomegranate Glaze, side of Arugula and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard Maple Pan Sauce, side of sauteed Kale with Shallots, Garlic & Capers

Brussel Srout Slaw with Mustard Dressed & Maple Glazed Pecans, Chipotle Cranberry Sauce

I graduated from a six week beginner cooking course recently, at Chefs Inc. in West Los Angeles.  I highly recommend taking a course to anyone out there who is not confident about cooking or just wanting to learn more!  It has made a huge difference in my ability to prepare interesting and tasty meals for myself.  Before, I always prepared healthy food, but it wasn’t always very interesting food.  Now I am cooking meats I’ve never cooked before (lamb, pork tenderloin, fish, etc) and doing it in a way that is both fun to do and fun to consume.

Check out some of my most recent meals…

Lamb stew with sauteed zucchini:

Buffalo burger & green beans, cooked up with garlic & shallots:

Pork tenderloin with mango chutney, on the side is sauteed asparagus & red pepper:

Some people might think of “maintenance” as exercise, but to me maintenance is the stuff you need for your body that’s like getting an oil change or a tune up.  Stuff you need that supports the work you do and keeps you running smoothly.

A while back I made a commitment to get a massage every month.  I got one in August and September and then missed last month.  This month one WILL happen, however, and I was also worked on today by a body worker who does what he called Neuro-Muscular Reeducation.  His name is Jay Zemliak and he’s worked on a number of friends of mine who rave about the results.

Here’s an excerpt explaining more about what he does:

Neuromuscular Reeducation? (NMR) is a hands on, movement based method of soft tissue bodywork that is very effective at reversing a broad range of painful conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.  Pain and/or tight muscle spasms in regions of the neck, shoulder, back, hips, legs and arms are all areas of the body that respond positively 90+% of the time to NMR work.

And here’s a link to his website: zemliaknmr.com

Today, for me, he worked on my neck, traps, and shoulders – specifically focusing on the right side, due to an injury I sustained in jiu-jitsu a few years ago.  I basically had my shoulder and collar bone squished during sparring, and ever since the injury I’ve had tightness and crunchiness associated with the trauma caused to the joints at both ends of my collar bone.  It’s caused issues with range of motion in my neck and my shoulder.  The burpee extravaganza we’re in the middle of has not helped and has in fact irritated my shoulder — this is what motivated me to call Jay!

As soon as he was done, I could already feel I had a bigger range of motion in my neck.  I am looking forward to getting treated another 2-3 times to really work more of this junk out of those joints!

I encourage everybody out there who are athletes, of any level, to get this kind of work done — take care of your machine!

It’s amazing how much tiny changes can make a difference. The other weekend I did a big clean out of my apartment – rearranged furniture, took eight bags of items to Goodwill, threw out lots more – but a small change actually made a big difference.

I organized my laundry baskets. Yes, that’s right – the laundry baskets. Before, I only had one big basket and every time I wanted to do laundry I had to sit down and sort through all the clothes. For some reason this always felt like a lot of work. So, finally, I got two more baskets — one for whites, one for colors, one for reds. When I toss my clothes in the laundry I just put them straight into the appropriate basket and everything is presorted.

Somehow this made a big difference for me. It made life a little bit easier. It’s less daunting to do my chores and I have just a couple more minutes to relax each weekend.

Are there small changes you can make to make the day go smoother? Or that make it possible for you to do something enjoyable, or get closer to a goal you’re seeking?

A small change could be skipping the nightly ice cream, if you’re trying to lose weight, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or a small change might mean putting a hook next to the door, so you don’t lose those minutes each morning searching for your keys and no longer get to work late. Or maybe it’s buying a plant to put on your desk or hang in the living room to bring a little brightness and nature to your daily life.

What’s a small change you can make that will make a difference in your daily happiness?

One of the ideas of CrossFit is for you to be ready for any thing at any time. This could mean your job, your sport, or an emergency situation. While CrossFit can get you physically fit to handle any situation, are you prepared with the proper supplies in the case of an emergency? Do you have an emergency kit put together? What will you have at hand if there is an earthquake or some other type of disaster?

I have two emergency kits and keep both very accessible. One is behind the front seat of my car and one is in my coat closet in my apartment. Both are backpacks filled with supplies and therefore very easy to grab and transport. If you don’t have a kit in your car and in your home, you should seriously consider putting it at the top of your “to do” list. If you have relatives or loved ones who don’t have a kit, consider putting one together for them as a gift.

So what do you put in a kit? Let me tell you what’s in my home kit:

-Waterproof matches
-Water purification tablets
-Packets of “Gu” or other types of energy gels
-Whistle
-Wrench (for gas valve shut off)
-Can opener
-Pen, pencil, sharpie
-Dust masks
-Duct tape
-Ziplock bags
-Garbage bags
-Emergency thermal blanket
-Nylon rope or 550 cord
-Burner and fuel canisters
-Emergency radio (hand crank and battery powered)
-Batteries
-First Aid kit
-Babywipes
-Copies of all important paperwork
-List of emergency contact information
-Cash
-Spare keys to home, car, safe deposit box, etc.

For your home you should also keep a supply of water and food on hand.

For your car emergency kit, you’ll want to consider some different items. Your home kit assumes that you’re home and have access to certain things like a good flashlight and a sturdy utility knife (if you don’t have these at home, please get them!). Your car kit should prepare you for being in the middle of nowhere. Items to have in your car kit, in addition to what I listed above:

-Tinder (laundry lint is great for this)
-Eating utensils
-Flashlight
-Multitool (Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman)
-Compass
-Personal toiletry items
-Medical prescriptions
-Hand sanitizer
-Work gloves
-Contact lens supplies

It’s also a good idea to keep extra shoes and spare clothing in your car.

If you have children, the best idea is to prepare a bag for each of you – make them back pack style and personalized for each person’s needs. Make sure you have identification and emergency contact information in each bag in case you get split up.

Also, don’t forget the pets! If you have animals at home have a carrier on hand in case you need to evacuate! Be sure to have food and any medical supplies needed for them packed as well!

These are just some basic ideas – you can get pretty elaborate with these kits, or keep them pretty simple. The point is – HAVE one. Have a couple! And make sure everyone in your home knows where they are!

I’ve told a few of you recently about the “Meat Lady” that Andy turned me on to. Her name is Beth and she works for Horizon Foods. She sells flash frozen beef, chicken, seafood, pork, lamb and other items that are very high quality and also incredibly convenient due to the individual packaging. Here is some info from the Horizon Foods website to explain why this is good:

What is flash freezing?

* Our food items are vacuum-sealed and “flash frozen” in their own airtight packages. Flash-freezing is a revolutionary process of quick freezing (usually within seconds). This locks in all the flavors, juices, vitamins and minerals and allows the products to keep perfectly for long periods. Each product is held in this condition until it is thawed, ensuring that it will be just as fresh as when it was frozen.
* “Flash” freezing means Horizon uses sophisticated, ultra-low temperature freezers to freeze their cuts immediately after they are individually vacuum packed. This quick freeze process is absolutely essential to maintain the flavor and texture of Horizon’s fine food products. Horizon’s “flash freezing” technique ensures that there is no deterioration in the quality of the product you receive.

Why is flash freezing better?

* Flash frozen foods have a much longer shelf life and they will not suffer freezer burn, but that is just the beginning. There are many other advantages to buying flash frozen foods.
* First of all, rapid freezing has nutritional benefits because it maintains the quality of the product without artificial preservatives.
* Taste is also superior because these foods are selected at the peak of quality and then flash frozen to seal in flavor, aroma and nutrition.
* Another benefit of frozen foods: Convenience. The cleaning and other preparation has all been done for you. Easy preparation is a must in our busy world.
* And, thanks to flash freezing, the availability of fish and seafood is never a problem. Even if you don’t live near a seaport, you can still enjoy delicious, quality shrimp, crab, lobster and other fish and seafood. Our fish is cleaned, filleted, packaged & flash frozen less than 4 hours after catch, right onboard the fishing vessel.

I purchased hamburger patties and chicken breasts from Beth and have been very happy with the product. It is really simple to prepare — since they are individually packaged I can remove one or two servings without having to worry about the rest of the bag spoiling or getting freezer burn. I can throw a hamburger patty on my Foreman grill and within 10 minutes it’s gone from frozen to ready to eat! The taste is fantastic, too.

All of the products that Horizon Foods sells are raised and processed at very high standards. The chicken is all hormone and antibiotic free and you can read more about the standards for their seafood and beef products as well on their website.

To add to the convenience of buying meat this way – you buy the food in bulk, so you don’t have to shop nearly as often, and Beth delivers the food to you! When you figure it by the portion, the cost is actually less than buying fresh meat at Whole Foods and it’s far more convenient. Plus they also sell some preprepared items for the days you’re REALLY busy or for throwing parties.

To contact Beth, you can email her at bkandell@horizonfoods.com — be sure to tell her you’re from Petranek Fitness!

You can also find out a lot more about Horizon Foods at www.horizonfoods.com