Today is as slow as molasses. My goodness.
Last night I took a killer Pilates class. Arms, legs, abs. Eerthing. We did some crazy ab work. My instructor (who I love and hate) was discussing the benefits of really controlled breath (obviously, one of the key principles in Pilates). She explained that holding one's breath does not engage the abs at all. Instead, they (and she meant me LOL) should concentrate on swift and hard breaths out. Two inhales in, two seconds hard inhale out to contract and engage the abs. It sounds pretty easy. I mean, it's just...breathing. Right?
WRONG. Controlling your breath like this during an ab series is murder. The last move, a side crunch, involved starting with our legs in table top, then alternating which leg went out and also moving one elbow or the other toward the edge of the mat on either side. While holding for two breathes and breathing out for two. As slow as possible. I mean. I have no words. My stomach felt like it was cramping and on fire all at once. The girl next to me got a scary sharp side pain and stopped. Serious bidness.
At the end of class, the instructor commented as I was leaving that I was "getting a little bit more flexible". I will take any compliment I can get from her as she can be very no-nonsense to the point where she comes of brusque. I thought to myself after...what is "a little more". What's the benchmark? The first time I was in her class? The last few times? What is she comparing it to? When I first started, I could barely keep my legs in tabletop while doing crunches. I lived in fear of pulling my back out. Now I'm doing monkey poses and getting through an entire ab series.
The dreaded monkey pose don't scare me anymore.
What maybe little to her is huge for me! I did this on Sunday:
Sure it was brief and laborious to do this for five seconds but...it still counts!
Completing She is the most challenging instructor though, so I'll keep coming, and hopefully she keeps noticing how hard I am working!
I wore my Ebb to Street tank and although the cut is pretty flattering, I just don't get the rave reviews. I'm really considering selling it, as it stretches out and pools at the stomach. I do like the bewbie padding but, I don't know. It's just not impressing me.
My WUP's in coco pique reverse came to my mom's house and I'll probably be swinging by tonight to trade as she purchased a fresh teal Forme that came to my house. It's such a gorgeous jacket. I'm glad she caved. I'm slowly but surely creating a monster! Hahahha. She recently bought a No Limits Tank and Ta Ta Tamer bra too! And she is lusting for an Off the Mat. LOL. Oh mama. Sorry for what I've done!
I don't know how the pants will fit. Since I bought these Kyodans, I've realized I just don't really love that soft textured tight feeling. I like something more compressive. If it's not compressive it at least has to be breathable. Maybe these will be an easy pass. If they are, I'm heavily heavily considering my first CRB Xl (for extra long) in this caspian ziggy pattern, which is kind of purple. I am kind of in love and happened across it reading a thread in the boards.
With the rate I'm going, I'll probably have a little something of everything and then be TOTALLY over it by my birthday LOL.
Tonight, I'm also going to make some DELICIOUS flank steak. I used the one below last time and it was awesome. C/o Simple Recipes.
Quick and Easy Pan-Fried Flank Steak Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 pound flank steak
- Dry mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Softened butter
- Salt
METHOD
1 Remove the steak from the refrigerator a half hour before cooking. Cut away any tough connective tissue on the surface of the steak. Using the tip of a sharp knife, poke small cuts into the meat, almost all the way through. The cuts should be at an angle, in the direction of the grain of the meat as the knife tip is going in. The cuts should be about an inch apart from each other. Turn the steak over and repeat the cuts on the other side. Make sure that the cuts you are making on this side are parallel with the cuts you made on the other side, otherwise you may cut across an existing cut, and end up poking a hole through the meat.
2 Sprinkle one side of the steak with dry mustard. (You can use regular mustard if you don't have any dry mustard.) Sprinkle the steak with freshly ground pepper. Rub a tablespoon of butter all over the side of the steak. Turn the steak over and repeat with the dry mustard, pepper, and butter.
3 Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat. Sprinkle both side of the steak with salt (unless you have used salted butter, then you can skip the salt.) Place steak in hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Use tongs to lift up to see if nicely browned. If so, flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes in the residual heat of the pan (assuming you are using cast iron, if not, lower the heat to low).
4 Use your fingertips to check for doneness or insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak - 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. Flank steak should be served rare or medium rare, otherwise it may be too dry. Remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.
5 Cut the meat in very thin slices, at an angle, against the grain of the meat. (This way you break through the tough long muscle fibers.) Any juices that come out of the meat while cutting or resting, return to the pan. Return the pan to a burner on high heat and deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up any browned bits. Once the water has mostly boiled down, add a little butter to the pan for a nice sauce. Arrange the cut meat on a serving plate and pour the deglazed pan juices over the meat.
That's all for now. Good night everyone!
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