Behind the Times - RSS Feeds

Like many people, I enjoy keeping up with a lot of sites on the web.  I have tons of bookmarked sites that I try to keep up with regularly.  Lately, it seemed like keeping up with fitness, finance, and sports blogs had become a chore.  I felt like I was always forgetting to look at a website, and therefore missing out on something.

Also, like many people, I love finding easier ways to do things.  So called "Lifehacks."  Which got me thinking, wouldn't it be great if somehow I could keep track of all the sites I regularly visit, and know when there was new material available?  Sounds like a great market opportunity right....?

Stuffed Pablano Peppers

Leah and I had company over for dinner Sunday night. So naturally, I wanted to make something on my Big Green Egg.  We've made stuffed Jalepenos before, but they're usually too spicy and tear up my stomach after 1-2 poppers.  Not an enjoyable dining experience...hello Pepto Bismol.

My mom gave me the idea of using Pablano peppers instead.  They're bigger than Jalepenos, and not as hot, so they're ideal for stuffing and eating as a meal.  I made these two ways - stuffed with chicken and wrapped with bacon, and filled with whipped cream cheese, olives, and green onions for Leah.

Articles of the Week - Monday 8/22/2011

Every once in a while I'll share a few articles that I enjoyed from the previous week.  These will be from a wide range of topics....as you'll see today.

1.A Different Spin on compensating college football players.  A surprisingly well written article from a former University of Miami football player.  It seems pretty ridiculous that so many people profit handsomely from college football, yet most players are barely getting by. Makes you think.

2. Romantic Love Can Last - from Art of Manliness.  A pretty cool look at the brain's chemistry and mechanics when it comes to identifying the differences between romantic and companionate love.  No wonder so many people love "falling in love" and then can't stick around after the honeymoon phase.  Your brain has the same reaction to romantic love as it does to cocaine!

3. Buy, Hold, and Rebalance - from My Money Blog.  Think this last decade was a "lost decade" for stocks?  Think again.   Shows the importance of diversification, and continually rebalancing your portfolio.

4. Little Toddler Terrorists - from How to Be a Dad.  Without a doubt, my new favorite website.  Some absolutely hilarious stuff.

Meatza!

In general, I try to minimize my processed grain and refined sugar intake to my peri-workout nutrition and my post workout meal.  You could call it low-carb, or a loose "Paleo".  Eating this way, combined with lifting weights, has been the big reason I was able to shed 50 lbs. in two years, and have kept it off for two more years.

It doesn't take much for me to give into my carnivorous impulses, so tonight I made a pizza where the crust has been replaced by a layer of ground beef.  Hence the term "Meatza." 

This was a perfect choice for two reasons...both because Leah was visiting family in Florida.  First, Leah hates to use the oven in the middle of the summer in Alabama (I agree, it makes the house even hotter).  I'll get to the second reason in a minute...

Here's a photo of all the ingredients:

Start with 2 lbs. of ground beef, mixed together with 2 eggs.  Next spread the mixed ground beef on a cookie sheet, and season (I used Dizzy Pig's Cow Lick Rub).  Part of a Dizzy Pig Sampler pack that I received as a birthday present from my parents.

Bake the "crust" in the oven for 10 minutes, remove, and top just like you would a regular pizza.  For this one I used pepperoni, cubed ham, and a frozen pepper/onion blend.  Put back in the oven on broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

I can usually put away half of a pizza (or more), but it didn't take long for this to fill me up.

Oh yeah, that second reason this was a perfect recipe for when Leah was gone?  She's a vegetarian!

Welcome to the New Blog!

I've taken the leap into the blogging world.  Insert generic "I've always followed other people's blogs and finally started my own" comment here.  But...I've decided to start writing for three reasons.
 
1. There is a ton going on in my life.  I'm recently married to my beautiful wife Leah.  (Her Blogs - Watching the Wolfpack & Following Fuller) We're expecting our first child (a Boy!) in just under two months.  Part of me feels compelled to blog and share our experiences together.

2. I have a terrible memory.  I'm notorious for having to do something immediately, write it down...or else I'll forget.  Pictures are great, but I know I've forgotten more details than I'll ever remember about all the trips I've taken, food I've eaten, and people I've met.  Hopefully a blog will help.

3. So I don't look like an alcoholic/complete fat kid on Facebook.  (Half Kidding)  Leah is growing tired of my photographic "Beer Journal," and cooking pictures, so she suggested this might be a good alternative.  I'll make random posts with reviews of beers I've tried and/or pictures of dead animal flesh that I've grilled on my Big Green Egg.

All in all, I'm looking forward to using this outlet to share everything going on in my life.