Workouts, AA, Yusaf Mack and Spanakopita

Diet

I mean, I guess it's going well. My eating has been on point, and yesterday I got in two miles at the track and a 45 min boot-camp style workout at Peraza Boxing Gym. One thing I don't want to do here is become one of those cheerleader weight loss blogs....I mean, I like them.  Don't get me wrong.  I just can't relate.  I am not on my "gym flow," and I saw a pizza emoji yesterday that made me hungry.  I gotta do this though, for my career, for my family and for myself. I love my family, but seeing them struggling with preventable health issues in their later years terrifies me.  

To AA or not to AA

I read a book many years ago called Good to Great, by Jim Collins.  It was about improving your business, but there are a few things that have stuck with me over the years.  One is this concept that, in order to improve, you have to pick up the rock and look underneath and see all the squigly bugs and things.  Through this process, I have to face the squigly things...the things that make me uncomfortable about myself and my lifestyle.  

I have a problem... I love alcohol. It's been an issue most of my adult life. I should be great at quitting, I've done it 1000 times (har har).   I can't really make a good run at this project/goal without addressing it. I have enlisted a friend, who has been sober for years, to be sort of a sponsor for me.  The kind you call when you have the desire to drink (I guess?).  I tried AA years ago and found it super depressing.  I stopped Sunday... I'm just going to try to stay stopped I guess. Have any of you dealt with this issue? What did you do?  I am new at this but I think you can comment on this blog or send me a message privately. 

Yusaf Mack

Leave Yusaf Alone! 

I watched the whole Yusaf Mack thing unfold on twitter yesterday.  I felt bad for the guy, and was glad he wasn't on twitter.  If you don't know the story, Yusaf Mack, former professional boxer, was in some gay porn. Somebody stumbled upon it (probably looking for gay porn), and put it out there.  He scored a front page spread on a Philly publication where he explained he was drugged, and he is an engaged "whore monger," who loves women.  First of all, who gives a fuck, really. If the guy wants to do gay porn, great. If he wants to lie about it, great.... I mean, I hear people say, "Well, if he'd just come clean..." well...he doesn't owe that to anyone.  He has a fiance, maybe he was trying to save her the embarrassment. Maybe she knows, maybe she doesn't. The point is, that I certainly don't.  My second point is that I would do unspeakable things to make sure my children were fed and sheltered.   This guy has ten kids. TEN KIDS. I struggle with three. You know something I would do to feed my kids? Gay porn. Gay porn that is discovered by everyone who cheered me on and kissed my ass when I was successful, and then I'd deal with the onslaught of the internet and the shunning by my friends and family. $4500 buy a lot of meals and pays the mortgage.  So go on, Yusaf.  Be your best self.  You don't owe anyone shit. 

Spanakopita

Last, but not least, I promised to share my spanakopita recipe for Matthew Swain.  I  don't really use measuring tools for everything so bear with me. 

Most important:  Respect the phyllo.  Don't think that you can take the phyllo dough out of the freezer one minute late and that you will be able to use it.  Phyllo is sold in the freezer section.  Take it out and put it on your counter 2 hours or more before you plan on using it.  My first phyllo experience ended in tears. 

You'll need
For the filling:
1.5-2 bags fresh, washed spinach (feel it out - I use about a bag and a halfish)
1/3c yellow onion, grated
1 small white onion, chopped
1tbsp dried dill
.5 c heavy cream
5 eggs
Like a handful of chopped fresh parsley
.5 c melted butter
1lb feta, crumbled 
Salt & pepper to taste

For the pie:
1 package phyllo dough
.5c olive oil
.5c butter

Mix all the filling stuff together.  (Can you tell at this point I have never written down a recipe?)

For the pie, grab a 13x9 cake pan and brush the botton and inside sides with oil.  (Duh, of course the inside sides. Like you'd do the outside sides).  Lay two sheets of phyllo next to each other so that they cover the bottom of the pan and sort of hang off all the sides.  Brush the phyllo with your oil and butter mixture (oh yeah, mix those two together. I am awesome at this).  

Holy crap. Heat the oven - 350 degrees. I totally spaced it. 

Okay... basically repeat the whole laying down phyllo and brushing it with the oil/butter mixture until you have a good bottom/side crust. It's a little less than half the package of phyllo.  Take your filling and put it inside, and spread it around until it's flat.  Then take the sides that are hanging off the pan and fold them over onto the filling. It won't cover the filling probably.  Brush the phyllo edges. By this time you've noticed how dried out the phyllo gets. You gotta do this part kinda quickly. No pressure.  Repeat the laying of phyllo/brushing with oil/butter thing til you have a nice top crust.  You'll still have phyllo left and if your kids are around, give them a sheet or two to eat. Then clean up all the crumbs it makes. 

Score the top few layers of phyllo with a sharp knife to make cutting easier for serving.  Flick some drops of water across the top.  

Bake for an hour at 350.  Give it about 20 mins to get itself together when you've taken it out of the oven. Then eat it... and tell me about it because I'm hungry and would love to live vicariously through you. 

The end. 


You can find me on most social media platforms as @emilyboxing.