I experienced lots of things for the first time tonight. There ain’t nothing like the first time. 
1. The first first of the evening was eating tempeh for the very first time. I don’t think I could have started off on a better foot recipe than I did. I made the [not spicy] Spicy Thai Tempeh with Cashews recipe out of…you guessed it…Clean Food [pg. 236] along with a modified version of the Zesty Basmati Rice with Cinnamon & Cumin [pg. 241] (modified because I used leftover rice instead of starting from scratch).
Yes, it was as good as it looks. Seriously, I kept going back to the pan for more bites. The flavor of the tempeh dish was awesome and I loved the orange zest in the rice. Fork out $20 and buy this cookbook; it’s worth the price for this recipe alone. (And no, I’m not being paid or incented for saying all these nice things about the cookbook.)
What’s tempeh you ask? Well, in the handy dandy what’s-what guide of Clean Food, Terry explains: “TEMPEH Made from pressed and fermented soybeans. Comes in many varieties based on added ingredients such as grains and vegetables. It is 19.5 percent protein […], strengthening and easy to digest.” I found it in the refrigerated section by the tofu at Whole Foods and bought the original WestSoy brand [sorry I forgot to take a pic of the package…next time….]. I know, fermented soybeans sound disgusting. I promise tempeh is not disgusting, especially in the form of this recipe.
One serving of tempeh, which is 1/3 of a package, has 16 grams of protein. Score! And it’s really cheap…I think I paid around $2.50?
2. The next first of the night was a little ride on the Precor AMI 100i.
Source
For the Out of the Box Challenge, I decided to try this funky looking thing. I’d seen this machine at the gym before and thought it was a modified stair-stepper for sissies. Um, not quite. It was an great workout – definitely beats the elliptical. It’s like 3 workouts in 1. You can go from stair-stepping to an elliptical-like glide to a full-out running sprinting motion (minus the impact) just by adjusting your leg and arm motions.
It definitely required some getting used to and I totally felt like an IDIOT for a good 10-15 minutes, but once I got the hang out it, I loved it. And I have a sneaking suspicion my booty is going to be achin’ tomorrow. If your gym has one, try it. Preferably late at night when there aren’t many people around.
3. The third first of the evening wasn’t really a first…but it’s my first day back on the bandwagon with the 100 Push-up Challenge. You may have noticed I’ve slacked off. You’d be right. I left off on Week 5 and based on my fourth max test, I was supposed to repeat Week 5 again. So I did Week 5, Day 1 again tonight and maxed out at 25 on the last set. Sadly, after a couple weeks of not following the program, I can tell my strength has declined. But I’m back at it! I swear!
4. And the final first of the evening will be seeing Rob for the first time since Friday! Woohoo! He has been in Oklahoma visiting his family over his spring break and he is driving back tonight. Yes, DRIVING. 18 hours. Poor man. He should get home in a couple hours and Maizey and I are very excited. We’ve both been rather sad and lonely without him.
Alright, this is one of my lengthier posts….so I’ll end it…NOW.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I love tempeh! Try cooking it according to the package directions (with garlic, coriander, and soy sauce) then toss it over a spinach salad. If you overcook it just a tad it will be nice and crunchy. It’s one of my favorite lunches to make because it’s quick, easy, delicious and healthy.
ooh, that does sound good!!! Sometimes I miss chicken on salads, but (1) I hardly buy chicken and (2) I hate taking the effort to cook it, so tempeh sounds perfect!
oh man, i’m getting ready to start the 100 push up challenge at the end of this month…yikes! that’s definitely going to be a first for me
Yay! You’ll be great! You’ll be surprised how quickly you build strength.
I totally made that recipe the other week. Very good. You MUST..seriously MUST try the orange pan glazed tempeh from 101cookbooks. I swear the tempeh ends up tasting like fried pork
If you think that was a long post…you probably snoooooze thru mine!! haha That machine looks intense and I totally hate figuring machines out for the first time. I was at a gym recently where there was a TV on the machine…and all the controls were touch screen on the TV…yipes!!! And then it started blowing out air at me!! LOL i was scared! I’m so not joining in on the push up challenge..hehe
mmmm….that recipe does sound yummy. By fried pork, do you mean bacon?? because I love bacon. A lot.
Your posts are long because you have lots of pretty pictures; therefore, acceptable.
Bahahaha! I love the machiens with TVs! And the built-in fans are such a cool concept….but I’m never tall enough to actually be in the line of airflow.
You don’t need the push-up challenge, Mrs. I-can-bust-out-29-pushups-on-a-whim.
My fabulous gym has several of those ridiculous-looking machines. I was skeptical at first too, but they’re awesome if you want to eliminate impact.
I think I need to jump on the tempeh bandwagon stat!
Yes! I like tempeh way better than tofu. It was a pleasant surprise.
I’ve never tried that machine – I’d love to!
I seriously felt like a goofus and was laughing out loud at myself for a while until I got the hang of it. But it’s actually a pretty fun machine.
Mmm all your food pics from this book are making me want to check it out! I’ve never had tempeh either!!
Yes, yes you want it. I was surprised how much I liked the tempeh.
Oh I LOVE tempeh, and the recipe looks good. It sounds like I should prolly pick up that book.
I’m so glad you tried that machine, it’s so great. Much less knee impact than any of the other machines for sure.
It is great! I couldn’t believe how long impact it was. It was like exercising in water or something.
So glad you liked the tempeh dish!
I’ve slacked on push-ups a little as well. Right about the 5 week mark as well. I did my test 2 nights ago though and barely pushed out 50 in a row…with a couple 3 or 4 second rests on my knees…so I’m trying to get back to it. It’s amazing how quickly you lose it if you don’t use it!
I once had tempeh at a restaurant and really liked it, but have never made it well myself. I’ve tried one recipe and it was YUCK. Yours looks fantastic, I’ll have to try that next time.
It’s really easy to make and I love the texture. I’ve heard the tempeh recipes on 101Cookbooks are really good.
I just tried that machine for the first time last week, and I felt like my brain wasn’t working or something! I was sure I’d forgotten how to move my legs properly, until I figured out I was gliding along smoothly. A few minutes later, I looked down and realized I was going BACKWARDS. But you’re right…30 minutes later, I tried hopping off the machine and my legs nearly buckled underneath me. It was a great workout!
LOL! Oh my gosh, those we my exact thoughts! I seriously felt so stupid and had no control over my motions for like 15 minutes. I’m so glad it wasn’t just me! But my booty is STILL sore!
I’ve never tried tempeh and have been itching to do so! Your description has me wanting to try it this weekend!!! Thx!
I hope it goes well!