But I do like to cook, and there is evidence of that. In the video posted here, I made an easy Black Bean Soup from a package. The only thing that was really packaged however was the spices. I mean, come on, it’s bean soup. If you know how to cook beans you can make bean soup. There’s really no need for a package. Anyway, it’s very good and good for you. It has lots of fiber and protein.

Making Black Bean Soup

We’ve been having fun looking at and watching what others have been eating on a daily basis over on Utterli. @befitt came up with the idea, and since I had pretty much abandoned my plan to snap a photo of my daily diet and post on Flickr, I joined in because this just sounded like much more fun. I’m into video these days, so Utterli or course let’s me post video, photos, and audio to the group @befitt set up for us. First, let’s start with the why we would want to do this. Dieting is tough, especially if you are trying to count calories. We’re busy and we don’t have time to stop and write down everything we eat. So by snapping a picture with a cell phone and uploading to Utterli, it keeps a visual record of your daily caloric intake, so later in the day, if you choose, you can then record all that you ate.

Another reason to want to capture your daily food intake is to make yourself aware of what you are eating. Many people don’t pay attention to what they are eating, and as a result, they often end up eating too much or make poor choices for meals. Keeping a record is like holding yourself accountable for your food intake. Lastly, posting your food choices for others to see also creates a community around your diet where others can comment on your choices and encourage you to either eat better or applaud you for your wise choices.

After one week of posting food, I can say I’ve learned a lot. For one, I think we all know why Biray is fit and thin – she’s a vegetarian. I’ve learned that people who are gourmet chefs and workout maniacs don’t always eat the way you think they would and can seem to manage eating out for every meal. So jealous of @dgaudet. Others are similar to my eating habits, and some are very different. But all in all most of the food posted has been pretty healthy.

I posted the widget from Utterli so you can see some of our group posts. If you want to join us, sign up for an account and join our Utterlicious group. I’d love to see what you’re eating.

For the next 30 days I will be embarking on a 30 day challenge: Eating Clean. I did this once before with great success, but after my challenge, and maybe even before, I slipped back into bad habits of eating whatever and whenever, but mostly just not eating at all.

So what exactly is eating clean? I’ve posted the principles below. I’ll be posting a bit about my progress beginning tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Clean Eating Principles

• Eating a mini-meal every two to three hours (5 to 6 small meals per day total) to keep blood sugar level and prevent hunger
• Combining lean proteins and complex carbs at every meal
• Avoiding all over-processed and refined foods (especially sugar, white rice, and white flour)
• Avoiding saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats
• Avoiding soda and other sugary juices and drinks
• Avoiding high-calorie, zero nutrient foods (i.e., junk food)
• Eating proper portion sizes
• Drinking at least 8 cups of water every day

That’s it! You can do that. Why don’t you join me?

It was definitely an interesting evening. We had everything from drag queens, to dancing, to singing, to drinking, of course. And we covered some ground starting in Phoenix, then out to Scottsdale and back to Phoenix. Half the time we had no clue where we were. It feels like you’re in a tunnel when your in the limo. You can’t see out the windows. The limo would pull up to a bar, and we would all pile out, look up at the place, and say in unison, “Oh, Amsterdam!” or “Oh, BS West!”

Every bar we went into turned into an instant party when we rolled up. The best was Forbidden. It was so dead we weren’t even sure it was open. We walked in and instantly started dancing and the whole place filled up. I think they were sad to see us go.

We got a nice welcome at BS West in Scottsdale. They saved us a big table right up front for the drag show. What is it with drag shows anyway? People love them. I don’t get it. But if you have to see one, I guess seeing the best is best. We were graced with a show by a Phoenix drag queen legend, Barbra Seville. Have a look:

So, it was an interesting night. Now I must rest up because I’m sure there will be another 40th birthday for someone right around the corner. Happy Birthday Kelly!. It was great celebrating with you.

Get your own free countdown at MyspaceGeek.us

I hate to say it, but I think it’s a “black” thing. Yep. Ask any black person what kind of pie they’re having for Thanksgiving, and good number will probably say sweet potato. Out here in Arizona, they didn’t get the memo – sweet potato pie is better. Pumpkin pie is everywhere. To begin with, it’s not even fresh. Anyone who makes it, makes it from canned pumpkin. That’s just bad. Sweet potato pie is fresh yummy goodness. Here’s how I make it.

First you need the top secret recipe. Okay, it’s not so top secret. All the ingredients are pictured above and the recipe is listed here. I always double the recipe to make more pies. Doubling gets you two deep dish pies or three regular.

The instructions at the bottom say to preheat your oven to 400. Bake 20 minutes in raw shells. Reduce heat to 325 and bake until out edges puffed and jelled in the middle. That usually takes about an hour.

Begin by cutting up your sweet potatoes into small pieces and boiling them in a big pot. Once they are soft, drain the water out and start mashing them in a large bowl with a masher. Next you can begin mixing all the ingredients into a big bowl. Best thing to start with is the butter so the warm potatoes can help melt it. The rest of the ingredients can go in any order you want. You can mix by hand or use an electric mixer. I prefer mixing by hand even though it’s a little more work.

Don’t forget the lemon. It adds a little zing to the sweetness. I usually squeeze in half a lemon – fresh, of course.

The final part involves making a decision: home made pie crush or store bought. For me, there is NO decision. I’m just not going to make homemade dough and pie crush. Nope. Not happening, so I buy Marie Calendar’s pre-made deep dish shells.

Why mess with perfection?

I just fill them up and stick them in the oven to bake. It works great.
Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

I bought one of the new Heineken mini kegs last week at the corner store near my house. I bought it because it looked cool, and I do like Heineken Light. It’s not skunky like the regular version. I was surprised to see the kegs at a corner gas station/store. I thought for sure this would be something I would have to hunt down to try out. Not so.

The technology in the mini keg involves C0₂. Each keg comes with an internal C0₂ compressor that helps pump the beer up and out of the keg. It’s a lot better than having to pump the beer out. You just lift a little flap and the beer comes pouring out. The C0₂ compressor also helps to keep the beer fresh by allowing for air tight dispensing. It says on the side of the keg that the beer stays fresh for 30 days. I can’t vouch for that, however. My keg was empty after 3 days.

The keg holds 5 liters of ice cold frosty brew, which fits nicely in a small cooler, by the way. The cost per keg is $20. Five liters comes out to 169.070113 US fluid ounces. I know that because I used Google Calculator. That’s a little over 14 12-ounce beers at about $1.41 per 12 ounces or $8.50 a six pack. That’s about the same price if you were to buy the bottles, so there’s not much savings in the keg. But if you prefer draught beer over bottles, this is the way to go. You can read more about the Heinekein Draught Keg over on the Popular Mechanics Blog.

(Photo by Popular Mechanics)