Random Stuff

First of all, check this out:

http://textfromdog.tumblr.com/

Some are better than others, but I thought it was pretty funny on the whole. 


Next, I've been making a lot of soups recently. They've been a good way to get a meal + salt fix, without feeling too full. In theory, they should be fairly healthy (I don't add any oil or cream). 

A few quick tips:

1) Add the meat first - doesn't matter if it's chicken, beef, pork, whatever. The meat needs to cook the longest, and you want it to be the most tender, so let that cook/stew for the greatest amount of time, over relatively low heat. Beans should go in next (if the recipe includes beans). This helps break down the skin, which can be hard to digest for some. Beans are healthy and filling, so it's good to find a way to incorporate them into the soup.

2) Vegetables/pasta should go in last, possibly after you've turned the heat off. Things like spinach, peas, pasta will become overcooked if you add them before you're done boiling. 

3) Sweet corn goes pretty well in almost all soups that I've tried. I keep a big bag of frozen corn in the freezer, and just add about a pound to any soup that I make. Obviously, if you don't like sweet corn, this isn't for you. 

4) Tri-tip works best if you're making steak chili. It has a good flavor and isn't too chewy. Also, I add a little bit of BBQ sauce to my chili for flavor.


Lastly, I learned that beer has a LOT of calories. The rough metric is 30 calories per 12 oz per 1% ABV. So, a 5% ABV beer has roughly 150 calories for a 12 oz. serving. 

That means if you have a pint (although most restaurants/bars serve you 12 oz even when they list a pint - very few have actual pint glasses from my experience) of 7% beer, then you've had 7*30*4/3 = 280 calories PER PINT.

This explains why I can't lose weight while drinking, and why so many guys have beer guts. 

Have a good week.