This week I will be going 'home' to Alabama to host and cook an appreciation dinner for friends and family...mostly members of my home church.
What is a home church? The church you feel you have embarked from and/or originally hailed from. I feel that most jobs and traveling have always been temporary relocation's, of which I will relocate again next year to Sierra Leone. Care to join me?
Hopefully I will leave behind an existing business 'launching' to be able and look back to see them survive and actually provide a small base of financial support for my mission/charity/humanitarian/volunteer work...call it what you will, nobody pays me for it. ( lest I forget, my wife is also part of this, I usually just speak for myself on this blog, force of habit). I work for Mercy Ships, in case you didn't know already...or are new to my blog.
Well lets see...back to the dinner, if you feel this would be something you are interested in (financially supporting my wife and I) this is fully covered at our website tyroneandstephanie.com. AND there is also a link at the bottom of the blog to donate and receive a tax receipt/credit for giving to a charity.
If you are going to be in the Huntsville, Alabama area please drop me an email telling me you would like to attend and I will be expecting your presence at the dinner!!! All the information and a map is supplied VIA the website.
Our catering company is currently developing specialty products for National online sales, as well as local cakes and baked items for the holiday seasons. That can be accessed thru ExclusivelyYoursCatering.com.
If you are coming to the dinner I'll see you this Sunday!!!
Fat Boy ~ A moment of truth
I have never been skinny. Ok, maybe when I was seven or so...
During middle school, high school, and my pre-college (running around) days I was basically a 'fat boy'. My weight came close to 280 in my young teens...my mother may not remember it that way, but I do! And if I could find those pics I would post them so you can see the difference. But right now I can't find them.
I am 6'2" and have successfully kept my weight between 200 and 220 for the last 10 years or so...but lately I have found that my clothes are becoming tighter and I feel less active. And I will not be buying new clothes just to fit in them!
If I don't do something to change for the long term I may find myself out of the 'big boy' stage and back in the 'Fat Boy' stage again...and that is unacceptable to me. Because I don't believe in dieting. Dieting meaning that 'commercial' plan of doing something to lose weight. No, everyone has a diet. Whether it be junk food, carnivorous, or vegetarian (just to name a few) everyone one, has one.
Possible reasons for this weight gain could be...less activity in my job. I still work hard, but till I get back on the ship I will be missing about 500 steps to run up and down a day. Not to mention your muscles always balancing out the sway and roll of being on a ship (and you can sweat to death in Africa or the Caribbean).
And there could be that period of time from 6 to 8 months where I neglected the gym all together because of too much going on: moving, starting a different job, getting married. I have been back in the gym for months now...but I gues I get frustrated because the weight loss doesn't seem to happen as fast as the weight gain.
Further contributions could be that now I work in a kitchen full-time and also work a second job catering. We are also working on some online products for sale. I think I realized that I probably sample/taste more calories then most people eat in three well balanced meals. How does that happen? You ask. Easy...spoonful of this, bite of that, few pinches and slurps everywhere else...then you get hungry and eat too!
I think I am on the right path to recovery but it sure is taking longer than I want! And during this time it is actually depressing and unmotivating when you can't seem to see results.
Plus, how many of you out there have vowed to change your diet but everyone and everything around you deters you from the lifestyle? You got to get tough, tell people NO! Tell grandma that you are already overweight and that YES, one more cookie will hurt! Because everyone will 'one more' you to death, literally.
All that being said I think I am going to implement more aggressive measures in my diet and exercise to find the balance I want. We'll see how it goes...donut anyone?
During middle school, high school, and my pre-college (running around) days I was basically a 'fat boy'. My weight came close to 280 in my young teens...my mother may not remember it that way, but I do! And if I could find those pics I would post them so you can see the difference. But right now I can't find them.
I am 6'2" and have successfully kept my weight between 200 and 220 for the last 10 years or so...but lately I have found that my clothes are becoming tighter and I feel less active. And I will not be buying new clothes just to fit in them!
If I don't do something to change for the long term I may find myself out of the 'big boy' stage and back in the 'Fat Boy' stage again...and that is unacceptable to me. Because I don't believe in dieting. Dieting meaning that 'commercial' plan of doing something to lose weight. No, everyone has a diet. Whether it be junk food, carnivorous, or vegetarian (just to name a few) everyone one, has one.
Possible reasons for this weight gain could be...less activity in my job. I still work hard, but till I get back on the ship I will be missing about 500 steps to run up and down a day. Not to mention your muscles always balancing out the sway and roll of being on a ship (and you can sweat to death in Africa or the Caribbean).
And there could be that period of time from 6 to 8 months where I neglected the gym all together because of too much going on: moving, starting a different job, getting married. I have been back in the gym for months now...but I gues I get frustrated because the weight loss doesn't seem to happen as fast as the weight gain.
Further contributions could be that now I work in a kitchen full-time and also work a second job catering. We are also working on some online products for sale. I think I realized that I probably sample/taste more calories then most people eat in three well balanced meals. How does that happen? You ask. Easy...spoonful of this, bite of that, few pinches and slurps everywhere else...then you get hungry and eat too!
I think I am on the right path to recovery but it sure is taking longer than I want! And during this time it is actually depressing and unmotivating when you can't seem to see results.
Plus, how many of you out there have vowed to change your diet but everyone and everything around you deters you from the lifestyle? You got to get tough, tell people NO! Tell grandma that you are already overweight and that YES, one more cookie will hurt! Because everyone will 'one more' you to death, literally.
All that being said I think I am going to implement more aggressive measures in my diet and exercise to find the balance I want. We'll see how it goes...donut anyone?
Kaze Shabu Shabu
Tucked away in Boston's Chinatown where Boylston turns into Essex, about two blocks down there is a restaurant called Kaze Shabu Shabu.
This quickly became a favorite of my wife and I. An induction top separates you and a guest, or many guests. After ordering the meats of your choice (beef. pork, chicken, seafood) you then order the noodles (4 or was it 6 different kinds?) of choice, or rice if you prefer. Then you need to decide what broth you would like, pick from 12. Pick two, they have split bowls. There is also a platter that comes out with it; vegetables, fish cakes, tofu...
I am still amazed or perplexed at how they get away with serving raw chicken & pork without some kind of violation of health department codes. But it did not deter me from trying it...actually I thought it was quite brilliant. The chicken and pork I ordered in the above picture (my wife ordered seafood deluxe) came out shaved and rolled about poster board thin. And frozen. Both cooked up fairly quick in the bubbling brew of broth (say it quick five times).
Once person said they would not suggest this 'hot pot' dish/entree for children under 10, but I would say not under 12 and definitely make sure you are a 'neat' eater. Or maybe bring along a Red Lobster bib till you get experience in using the tools and slurping your way along.
Check out the shabu shabu 101 & tutorial, I believe you will find it interesting: Shabu 101 & 3 step program.
Continued Education
Sorry that I have not posted anything of note lately as I am on continued education in Boston (some may call it 'vacation').
Yesterday I was at Harvard observing all the alumni reunions while dining on some local fair and Stephanie did a little shopping (as to be expected)...but then again, so did I.
I am a sucker for massive book stores, and small quaint 'used' book stores as well. The kitchen shops just don't hold my attention anymore. I have not seen really anything new in awhile (or at least not new that I would want to buy) and all the small kitchen 'shops' prices seem to be dreadful.
Its like being in a store with a lot of stuff you know you really like, and maybe want, but its much cheaper online or at Target and Wal-Mart. And I AM NOT going to buy it just so I can say I bought it in Boston at the "" store. Just so I can 'one-up' a friend of mine in competitive conversation. And you know what I am talking about...
example: oh last year I just got this darling shawl at Ann Taylor's in Boston (now what was really said is this= I went to Boston, I have great taste, I can afford to travel to Boston just to shop at Ann Taylor's because I have money,--unless of course you are bragging about getting it on sale, then it shows how shrewd you are if you really did get a bargain and that's a better 'bragging' point)...
(now my turn) that's funny I bought my wife the same one at the flea market last Saturday right here in town. -- See, kinda makes one look stupid just to have a 'bragging' conversation piece.
Now of course if you bought an item that may have only been available in that area, now that's something to brag, boast, and 'rub in' about. And along those lines I have a few restaurant experiences I will share later that are only available outside of where I live right now (in the South)...and some are only in Boston.
So maybe later after I have time to compile my study notes and 'continued education' materials I will post with some of my knowledge and wisdom.
AFM Galley/Kitchen
A first hand look at the kitchen aboard the Africa Mercy. There are a few things that need to be worked out as they start feeding 400+ crew of Mercy Ships!
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