A Confession.

I have a confession to make.

Sometimes... I'm tempted to only blog when things are on an upswing. As in, pretend the bad days never happen. I mean, part of the whole purpose of doing a blog like this is that you want to encourage people, right? Inspire people. Be positive. It's such an easy trap to fall into. "Well, I didn't cook myself any food today, so what's the point in blogging?", I think to myself. Or "I'm feeling frustrated as hell today and like I'm making no progress at all....ain't nothing worth blogging about here."

Well, today was one of those days. I found myself feeling rather defeated that I've had a hard time getting back into cooking since my recent parade of flus and colds. And in a hardcore amount of pain from the new gym regimen I tried out yesterday (which involved a barbell, a bunch of attempts at squats, overhead presses and deadlifts... and a bunch of snickering bodybuilders. Who were obviously just jealous.) So I got home this evening, feeling like I should blog...yet not wanting to admit I had a less-than-stellar day.

But then I remind myself that these are the times I absolutely HAVE to blog.

Not this time, brick wall!

Why? Because I've hit my head against a brick wall trying to believe perfection is possible before. But I always learn the same lesson: it's a bunch of hogwash (pardon my British). And the real purpose of this blog is to take all of these revelations that I've had the good fortune to stumble upon (particularly over the past year of my life, which was revelation-heavy), and put them into practice. And maybe even have them translate to somebody, via this electronic piece of paper. Well, I wouldn't be doing that if I conveniently forgot to mention all of the hard stuff. You can't enjoy the view from the top of a mountain unless you're willing to climb the thing. And climbing is hard. So is life sometimes. And eating healthy.

So yeah, today was hard. In fact, it sucked. I wanted to cheat. Having forgotten my lunch, I stared at the vending machine at the library and contemplated the bags of chips and chocolate bars staring back at me. Such an easy solution! And so tasty too... I can barely remember what chocolate tastes like. Maybe it's time to remind myself. Nobody will know. There's nothing else to eat around here. I'll just have one!

Oh, I wanted to. But in the end, I turned around and walked away, continuing my search for something healthier. And having admitted how close I was to chucking my resolve makes not doing it that much more meaningful...because there ain't no such thing as success without struggle.

So on I march. Ready to take on the world (and those bodybuilding guys) again. And again. And again.

xo Janine

Anyone have their Ph.D in muscle building?

This guy looks like how I felt trying to figure this stuff out...

Finding literature. Critiquing it. Gathering evidence. Asking the experts. Building an argument.

I feel like I'm writing a thesis all over again. Incredibly, this is the same process I have to subject myself to just to figure out what the hell the right way is to gain muscle mass.

I've made it my primary healthy living goal over the next little while to continue to gain muscle, which would be a lifelong dream fulfilled. So I set out to learn the best way to go about it to really see results. I thought this would be an easy, google-and-learn exercise. I would click the first link that came up and it would tell me what the most effective way is gain weight that's muscle, not fat. Well, it did, and I would have been satisfied to accept the logic and move on...if I hadn't clicked on the second link, where it told me almost the exact opposite thing. And then the third link. Different again. Soon I found myself drowning in a sea of strength training advice that left me with far more questions than I had answers. I even found myself suckered into watching a 30 minute  video that promised to clear up all of my confusion about weight training (it was so promising), only to have it turn out to be a promotional ad for some hard-gainer's book. A ridiculously long promotional ad, might I add. There's 30 minutes of my life I will never get back...

Anyway, I'm now of the opinion that common sense must prevail here. There are certain principles that seem to pop up repeatedly throughout all of this information. There must be a reason for that. And some things just plain sound right. (Yep, this is science at it's best, all right.)

So far, my favourite thing that I've learned is that it's not ideal to try to gain muscle mass and lose fat at the same time. I read this online last night, and it made me recall Eric (the Premier Fitness kinesiologist) telling me something similar. My fitness goal was to try to gain 6 pounds of muscle mass and lose 3 pounds of fat. But he had recommended I work on gaining the muscle mass as the first stage of my training, and then focus on losing the fat. This two-stage approach didn't really sink in at the time, but now that I've done more research, I think I kinda sorta get it. You need to eat MORE calories than usual while your body is trying to build muscle. You need to eat LESS calories than usual while your body is trying to burn fat. This quite obviously is contradictory. And while I guess it's hypothetically possible to gain muscle AND lose fat weight at the same time by increasing your calories while at the same time decreasing the amount of fat you're eating, in terms of diet, it would be like a complicated science equation trying to figure out how to get the right amount of nutrients to do both at once. Much easier to stick to one thing at a time.

Okay. So I'm supposed to eat more calories than usual then, since I'm in the muscle building phase. I get this. But how many calories? First of all, if we're comparing to my baseline here, eating the same diet as a regular 6-year-old boy would be getting more calories than usual for me, previously known as the one-meal-a-day wonder. My diet has been better since I've been eating healthy, but I still have no idea how many calories to actually aim for if I'm trying to gain muscle. I try some of these online calorie calculators. One tells me 2300 calories a day. I'm highly suspicious of this for myself, since I'm pretty sure I can eat about half of that on a typical day and maintain my weight. However, I'm fearful of not eating enough calories, because that would mean my weight lifting would amount to absolutely nothing. Plus, this recommendation matches up decently with the Canada Food Guide recommendation for my age/gender of 2100 calories a day. So I think I've decided to aim for that. It's not going to be easy. (I tried it today, and have literally been force-feeding myself from morning until night trying to get there.) But we'll see how it goes. I can always cut back if I start to notice the scale creeping up....

Now, the problem is this: how do I make sure all of these calories are turning into muscle and NOT fat? Well, working out enough is the first answer, I suppose. But if you think there's an easy answer here as to what constitutes "enough", you're kidding yourself, my friend. Some websites say 2 times a week is good, and overtraining will hinder your progress. Some say aim for 3-4, or you won't see results. Which is right? I have no idea. Best to aim for moderation in these guesstimate circumstances I say, so 3 will be my goal, plus maybe a day of cardio a week. (I've been doing about half and half to date, but something tells me it's making things more complicated in terms of that muscle-building-fat-losing balance, so I guess I'll put more emphasis on the weight training for now). Then we have the issue of what kinds of exercises to do, and how many. I keep reading that I should vary the exercises and amount of reps each time. Sigh. It's not good enough for my muscles that I'm working out...they need different kinds of challenges every day too? Demaaaanding. Either way, I should be lifting until "failure", which sounds depressing but actually just means you lift until your muscle literally gives out on you. (I would tend to want to call that "success"...just call me an eternal optimist.)

I also gather that eating the right kinds of calories is important too. This brings us back to my favourite topic: protein (which I lamented in a previous post). Protein is necessary for building muscle. This I get. Have to make sure I eat enough protein every day. However, the jury is still out on how much protein is enough protein. I easily ignore the advice from huge guy bodybuilding websites that tell me 250g should be my daily goal. That is just ridiculous, and obviously not bite-sized-person appropriate. But even the calculators differ greatly in what they're telling me. Some say it's a waste to aim for any more than 0.5-0.7g per pound of body weight every day, which is around 60-80g. Some say you need at least 1.1g/pound, which is over 120g. Good lord. Time to guesstimate again. I think I'll aim for around 80g for now, since I can't see myself successfully eating more than that anyway.

Then there's the issue of timing. When to eat? Most of these websites agree that 5-6 smaller meals a day is better than 3 big ones. Given my daily caloric intake, this must mean I should eat about 400-450 calories, 5 times a day. Another website told me I should be sure to fuel up with a meal about an hour before working out, and to eat after to give the body energy to start building it's muscle. *Shrugs* sounds good to me.

Apart from that, I guess basic nutrition prevails. Avoid processed foods. Eat vegetables. Get recommended daily amounts of carbohydrates, fats. Avoid saturated and trans. The common sense stuff.

This is all beautiful in theory. However, there is no way in god's good graces I'm going to be able to keep track of all of this every day, while still having time to pursue other things. So there's only one viable solution I can think of to this conundrum: I need a meal plan. Something that takes the thinking and planning out of doing this every day. A bunch of pre-thought-out, 400-calorie healthy food combinations that I can draw from to choose 5 every day. Something that will free up my life from this nutrition overload, while hopefully at the same time slowly taking me out of the realm of scrawniness, once and for all (in an ideal world).

Excellent. A new plan. I'm working on it. Will post them when I figure out what they are...

xo Janine

Some weight-y news....

Well friends, here's an update from the fitness side of things. Not having stepped on a scale in a few weeks, I decided it was time to check in with my weight last night. I wasn't really expecting anything different, so I was mildly surprised to find out that I'm now a robust 116.5lbs...which means I've gained 7-8lbs since I started this whole thing. Is this fat? Is this muscle? I reflect on my weight lifting progress and my eating habits and come to the conclusion that it's probably some proportional combination of both, although I'm not sure it really matters since I was severely lacking in both before. Later on I catch a casual glimpse of myself in the mirror, trying to pretend I'm not looking to see whether I look any different. (I totally am).
 

Okay, this is not quite how I look...yet.
But I'm catching up to you, Arnold!

Now, I'm used to having a pretty scrawny upper body staring back at me. I never really used to give it much thought or attention (there are usually more pressing matters to worry about in life than having spaghetti arms), although it has had its drawbacks over the years. For example, during shopping sprees with friends I have always enforced the rule that any fashions emphasizing the shoulders and arms are off-limits, since they reduce me to looking like a 12 year old preteen (best friend always argues vehemently against this, but I'm pretty sure she's just loyally trying to protect my self-image). Have I mentioned I've never won an arm wrestle before in my life? This includes one time when I was 13, arm-wrestling an 8 year old boy. Seriously.

However, this may ever-so-slowly be starting to change. Raph is convinced I'm starting to look different. My mother told me a few days ago I looked like I'd gained some weight...I took it as a great compliment (even as she performed her motherly duty and looked me up and down to decide whether she meant it as one or not. In the end, she did.) Plus, I'm not getting the same mocking looks from the huge bodybuilder guys in the weights room anymore. Maybe they've just gotten used to seeing me. Or maybe I've gained an eensy weensy ounce of respect from them, for consistently showing up 3 times a week for the past 5 weeks, crashing their testosterone parties while I confidently lift my 8 and 10lb weights (which conveniently, nobody else is ever using.) Either way, it was a thoroughly satisfying feeling to step on the scale and see a change. I imagine this is what  the contestants on The Biggest Loser feel like...except, well, for the opposite reason.

Anyway, as I continue to try to build some more muscle, I'm faced with the ever-so-complex matter of protein intake, which I still haven't managed to quite figure out yet. There are basic things I know. I know protein builds muscle. I know if I don't get enough protein, all of this iron pumping will be for naught. I know meats and lentils have protein in them. But exactly HOW much protein should one be getting if they're trying to build muscle? And what kind of protein? Does it matter? This may seem like a simple issue, but let me just say I made a trip to the local GNC (general nutrition centre) last week, and you'd be friggin' surprised how many different varieties of proteins there are out there, if you've never been yourself. Google has given me daily protein intake recommendations ranging anywhere from 0.8mg to 1.8mg per kg of body weight. That's a pretty big darn difference. Which one is right? And can you overdose on protein? I can just see the headlines now... "Woman, 24, dies from protein overdose after attempting to build some lean muscle mass." Yeah, I need some verifiable information about this before my imagination gets the better of me. 

So far, I've been sticking to a pretty moderate regimen. I down a protein booster juice after every workout, which has about 20-25g in it. I try to eat a serving of greek yogurt every day, which has another 20g. And I usually try to have some kind of meat. But lord knows if this is enough...and also if I need to be supplementing with some kind of whey protein powder. Does whey make a weigh-ty difference? (Sorry, horrible pun). These are questions I'll be looking into more. I'll keep you posted. (Or you keep ME posted, if you happen to know about these things...help!)

Until next time,
Janine

I still love you, Oprah...

Sigh. The flu bug has come back again to bite me in the...er, throat. Yep, this is cold season (and even if it's NOT cold season, I'm declaring it so... because two flus in the course of three weeks automatically meets the criteria.) Now, I'm not gonna lie...it's not exactly easy being focused on a healthy lifestyle when you've spent two straight sleepless nights just trying not to cough up one of your two precious lungs. I'm groggy, slightly irritable, definitely medicated, and my first priority is not getting out to the grocery store to replenish my fruits and vegetables. In other words...I need some inspiration, and I need it fast. So naturally, where do I turn? Why, to the queen of all tearjerking, motivating, live-your-best-life material, of course...

*Sigh*. Oh Oprah...where have you BEEN for the past 6 months?? Don't you know women across America are slowly wasting away into mindless zombies without your daily 4:00 life lessons? Just look at that face. "Oh hells yes you CAN!" she says...and who's going to argue with someone whose name is practically a religion? Well, I know I'm sure not.

So I google the big O, except I don't type that, because that would be a mistake. I hit up her website, and find out she's doing this "Lifeclass" thing on the OWN network now. Ah, yes. There's that Oprah inspiration we all know and love. I watch an archived video or two, and predictably feel more empowered. If Oprah can give away 300 cars to needy deserving families, I can get my ass off of my computer chair and make myself a healthy sandwich! (I know...and yes, it's come to this. Desperate times call for desperate measures.) While I'm on the website, I start clicking around and discover that it has a food section. Oooh. I stumble upon a link with "29 healthy, eat-right recipes". Spaghetti al Forno. Sea scallops with orange and rosemary. Cornmeal crust pizza with greens and ricotta. I have no idea if these things taste as good as they sound (and look, in the tantalizing pictures provided), but I came here looking for some inspiration, and predictably, I found it.

Then again, it's common knowledge that Oprah never disappoints.

xo Janine

The Turkey Day Trials

Hello friends! Well, turkey day weekend just passed us by, leaving us all a minimum of 3 pounds heavier than when it began. Now, thanksgiving day usually doesn't translate to me going anywhere near the kitchen (one more thing my family is typically thankful for). However, this year is notably different. With my new culinary savviness (girl can dream) in my back pocket, I've had thanksgiving day circled on my calendar for weeks, and have been researching recipes I could put into action to contribute to the table spread.

I could use hundreds of words to describe the process. Or, I could just leave it at this: me, orange vegetables, and a whole lot of trial and error.

Here are the picture chronicles of my thanksgiving tribulations....

Trial #1: Mini Sweet Potato Pies. This was a fabulous idea. In theory. Simple recipe. I've worked with sweet potato before. How hard can it be? I buy all the ingredients, plus pie crust. Which I'm only aware of being sold in rolls. So I roll my own stuff. Just like the pioneers.

Then comes the throw-everything-in-the-blender-and-watch-it-transform part, which is fun!

So far so good. Now, combining the two...a dollup of the pureed sweet potato stuff goes in each pie crust...gets popped into the oven...and comes out....doughy as shit.

Uh oh. No matter what I do to these things, the bottom of the pie crust remains completely uncooked. I use a lifeline. I phone a friend. She suggests wrapping them in foil. This is a good idea, but unfortunately does not pan out. After an hour of trial and error, I decide they're a write off. Then my mother enlightens me about the existence of tenderflakes premade mini pie crusts. "Why didn't you use those in the first place?", she asks. "I would have, if I knew they existed" I reply, a hint of uncalled-for resentment in my voice. It's not like she knew what I was doing, so how could she have prewarned me? But like the supermom she is, she comes with me to the grocery store and we pick them up together. Phew. The final product turns out beautifully, and gets served at Raph's thanksgiving family dinner.

Trial #2: Carrot soup. This gets used for our own little family thanksgiving dinner. I'm feeling more confident about this recipe since it doesn't involve pie crusts (or anything else unpredictable, for that matter). I spend what feels like an hour peeling vegetables and produce a mountain of carrots and potatoes (10 carrots and 2 potatoes to be exact, which is what the recipe calls for).

Then, I get to grate some fresh ginger...I always find working with these kinds of new ingredients fun, since I get to find out where all of the flavours come from that I've tasted my whole life and never really thought about before.

Finally, it all gets thrown into a pot, cooked, and then blendered (okay, pureed).

Now, the moment of the taste test: It's good, but I think I got a little carried away with the ginger. Hmmm. How to dilute? I add some extra water, and it helps a bit. Then Supermom flies in again and suggests adding some cinnamon too to dull the ginger-y taste, which helps even more. The final product? Yum-erful.

In conclusion, all's well that ends well, and the trials and tribulations result in triumph. However, I predict I won't want to lay eyes on anything orange (except maybe Halloween decorations) for the next few weeks...

xo Janine

Thank you.

I tried to count my blessings earlier today. I lost count after about 57 280.

That makes this day, which has been officially reserved for “thanksgiving”, a good time to pause, take a step back, let it all sink in, and just marvel at everything. There are 364 days left in the year to want more, wish for bigger and better, regret missed opportunities, and hurt from the losses we all are bound to suffer. And lord knows I do enough of that.

But I’m a girl who wakes up every morning in a warm bed not even bothering to think about survival, because I always know there are cupboards full of food to be consumed, a tap with a neverending supply of water, and a safe neighbourhood waiting for me outside. I wouldn’t even recognize the sound of a gunshot, because I’ve never heard one in my life.

I’m a girl who has the kind of sacred freedom that allows one to pursue the higher good, soul-search, and recognize the beauty intertwined in the struggle.

I’m a girl who never has to wonder where I’m going to find a hug, a word of encouragement, or a shoulder to cry on when I’m having a rough day. I have parents whose love, help, and generosity knows no bounds. I have a sister who has never wavered in her loyalty, never not had enough time for me, and never turned down a coffee date. I have a boyfriend who always knows exactly what I need…whether it’s a long drive, a night in watching “say yes to the dress”, or a Starbucks tea and a good conversation. And I have incredible, genuine friends who are there every step of the way with me to celebrate life’s successes, survive life’s challenges, and enjoy the adventure along the way.

I’m a girl who’s made the mistake, particularly recently, of complaining that there are not enough opportunities for me out there today. But I’ve had opportunities most people only get to dream about. I have an education, which has afforded me exposure to multiple points of view on life, and the luxury of choosing the one that speaks to me the most. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to beautiful places. I’ve sunbathed on beaches in Florida, stood on the outlook of the Eiffel Tower, stared out the window watching the rolling hills of Italy pass by on an overnight train, and even wandered aimlessly through the simple streets of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, marveling at its unexpected beauty without a care in the world. I have the opportunity every day to carve out a path in an endless landscape, with the resources to do very nearly anything that speaks to me.

I’m a girl who’s been given the gift of music in her life, along with the priceless realization that its value has absolutely nothing to do with fame and fortune, and everything to do with its ability to induce joy, laughter, connection and peace. I’ve been given a voice, a stage, instruments, selflessly talented musicians, and an incredibly supportive audience with whom to share in its beauty.

And yes… I’m a girl who’s practically got the entire world at her fingertips. I’ve got “stuff” coming out of my ears: more clothes, books, furniture, and accessories than one could ever possibly need in a lifetime. I’m grateful for that. But what’s most meaningful is recognizing the profound beauty hidden within each day...no matter what week, month or year it is, what I’ve gained or lost, what has happened, or what may happen in the future. Because on this day, I will experience exactly what I need to in order to learn to be grateful for all that I have.

So today, I would like to say a simple “thank you”, to each and every one of you who are reading this, to those who aren’t, and to life itself… and acknowledge that when I step back from the constant stream of activity, information and even drama that pulls us along through each day… I notice. It’s not as often as it should be, not as enduring or as joyful…but it happens. I recognize what has been given to me. I notice how perfect it is, even though the perfection of the whole may not be convenient for my small self all the time. And sometimes, though far too rarely, I experience those moments of silent wonder at how lucky I am.

xo Janine

A "Chili" Saturday...

It will probably be a shorter post today....early appointment + catching up with friend + resume writing all day = verge of falling asleep at my computer desk. Who knew being unemployed could be so exhausting? This is the single biggest challenge in my healthy living project over the past little while: not finding enough hours in the day to make/prepare/cook new healthy foods AND hit the gym 3-4 times a week, while also taking care of all of life's other responsibilities. I'm currently wrapped up in a whole whack of other quarter-life-esque engagements, like volunteering, catching up on appointments, looking for employment (via constant job board prowling, networking and resume writing), and (considering) starting to study for my OT registration exam. Overextended much? Perhaps...but then again, I've always liked being busy, so I guess the solution is this: I need to learn the art of budgeting my time more wisely. Preparing fresh breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day may not be entirely realistic as an ongoing lifestyle...so I need to start getting creative about how to be healthy efficiently! Will update on my progress there sometime soon...

A couple of updates from the past few days though. First of all, my cousin was over on the weekend, and she bore gifts of healthy goodness: spices from bulk barn.

 Rosemary, oregano, cumin, chili powder now grace my spice cupboard (which prior to the addition of these spices could not validly be CALLED a spice cupboard, since the single containers of black pepper and garlic salt looked incredibly lonely in there). So I was incredibly excited to learn that she had brought along these little baggies of goodies. She also brought along a bag of a vegetarian protein-substitute which can be used in the place of meat, which we used in the chili we cooked up together for lunch on Saturday (and chili proved to be an ironically appropriate meal choice for that day, given the freezing weather...touche.) Anyway, it turned out delicious. And now I have a basis of knowledge in what spices go where, which is a relief since it was always like speaking another language to me before...

Also, a quick update from the fitness side of things: I can proudly say that I have been hitting the gym regularly so far, doing the recommended 2 times/week of strength training and 1-2 times/week of cardio. It's DEFINITELY involved quite a lifestyle change trying to keep up with all that, because it really is a huge time commitment...but it also feels fabulous and empowering. So watch out, bodybuilding competitions involving too much spray tan...here I come! (All right, not exactly....being on the right track is plenty good enough.)

Anyway, the next couple of days will be hectic as heck too... another host of appointments and engagements tomorrow, and then the next day is the day of the provincial election, which will be completely spoken for as I'm volunteering from 9am-6pm to help our local NDP candidate bring home the bacon! And by bacon, I mean...salad. At least, that's what I'll be hopefully bringing home from somewhere to consume in between all of this to-do stuff....

Until next time,
Janine

The Malaysian Equation

Well, I'm happy (and relieved) to report that my flu finally seems to be in retreat, save a few mildly unpleasant remnants (think stuffy nose, slight cough) - but nothing my healthy living habits can't overcome, so it's time to return to full-force healthiness.

Now, one of the biggest challenges I've come across since I began this whole thing is the feat of choosing health-conscious restaurants. My boyfriend Raph and I have (pretty consistent) weekly dinner dates on Friday nights (a long-standing tradition dating back to circa 2005), and where to dine has always been a pretty easy choice without all these dietary limitations in place. However....things have changed. There are still certain basic criteria we have to meet in terms of meal standards (for example, it has to taste good. It has to be a decent-sized portion. It has to feel like a meal fit for a TGIF celebration.) But now... it ALSO has to be free of unnecessary fat and refined sugar, and ideally rich in vitamins, minerals, and all that other nutritious stuff that constitutes a healthy meal. So nothing fried. No burgers. Limit empty carbs and calories as much as possible. This eliminates a LOT of options, including most of our old standards. (I mean, sure, you can technically find a salad pretty much anywhere you go...but you quickly discover that there are certain places that just have no business serving salad. You stop going to those places for a healthy meal pretty quickly.)

So, we've had to get extra creative and explore new territories. This is the part where I tell you about my new faaaaaaaavourite cell phone app: Urbanspoon. Available for iphones AND blackberries, this golden piece of software genius operates somewhat like a slot machine: you choose the area you're in, the cuisine you'd like, and your price range. You press "spin". And it will provide you with a restaurant option that fits your criteria. Or, if you'd like, you can just press "spin" without specifying what you're looking for, and it will give you a totally random option. Then, you can check the "audience satisfaction" percentage for that restaurant, and based on that, decide if you're going to give it a go or spin again. It's fabulous. THE best way to discover new restaurants, since it has pretty well every single one in the greater Toronto area stored in its database.

This is the Friday-night restaurant choosing method that Raph and I default to when we're stumped for food ideas. Which brings us to yesterday. I was in a particularly adventurous mood, and was looking to try something completely out of my comfort zone...something I had never even come close to trying before. So we spun the Urbanspoon slots a few times, got a few clunkers, and then... "Restoran Malaysia". "Hmmmm...what is Malaysian food?", I wondered. I was thoroughly intrigued, realizing that this was a cuisine I had no mental concept of, let alone ever having sampled it before. Bingo. Perfect. I propose the idea to Raph. He is game for this experiment too.  So we excitedly head there in avid anticipation.

Upon arriving, the interior looks nice... sort of a Thai-esque design. It smells good. That's a good sign. The waiter hands us our menus. I open it up....wow. I look for something that sounds mildly familiar to orient myself to this unfamiliar list of selections, but for the most part, it's ALL new. This amps up my spirit of excitement, because I know I'm in for a culinary adventure here...for better or for worse. I'm grateful that each item has a list of all the ingredients involved (they must be aware that many people aren't exactly savvy in Malaysian cuisine.) It takes me a good 20 minutes to decide on something, and eventually I choose what they call the "traditional Indonesian chicken"...partly because I want the authentic cultural experience, and partly because it's the first item listed on the menu, which I somehow deduce to mean that it must be a good choice. I order coconut rice on the side. We get some spring rolls as a backup, just in case the chicken proves to be too adventurous for my taste buds. It arrives...

Hmmm, okay... it kind of looks like a meat dish you'd get at an Indian restaurant. I smell it first, to warn my mouth what it's in for. Then, I try a bite. It takes me a minute to process the taste. "Wow..." I say to Raph... "it's...interesting!" It's really like nothing I've ever tried before. There's a hint of coconut which is Thai-esque, but also a blend of Indian-style spices, and some other flavours I can't really pinpoint. Oh... and it's hot. They had the chili-pepper code on the menu to signify levels of spiciness...this had one out of four, but me and my overly sensitive tongue are still alternating bites with sips of water. As I eat more of it, I decide that it's pretty tasty, but not something I would necessary order an entire bowl of. Still, I'm satisfied to have tried something totally out-of-the-box.... and happy I survived another restaurant trip with my healthy diet intact. Chalk another one up to Urbanspoon.

Until next time,
xo Janine