To save money, Mark and I imposed spending bans on ourselves. Me: no market for two weeks. Mark: no video game buying for two weeks. For me, this means digging into my pantry and seeing what I find, which I did tonight.

I had an odd craving for some homemade Indian goodness. Neither turmeric nor garam masala was in my life before recipe testing for Lindsay, and I was definitely missing out! I roasted a can of chickpeas topped with 2 t of curry powder. I cooked some onions and garlic, then added a 1 lb. cubed eggplant.

I didn’t have any tomato paste or diced tomatoes & couldn’t buy them, so I added about 2/3 C of Bertolli Arrabbiata Sauce and some water. It's definitely not a traditional Indian dish, but with a little turmeric, garam masala, and garlic powder, it came together quite nicely. After cooking on low for probably 20 – 30 minutes until the eggplant broke down, I added the roasted chickpeas and enjoyed my feast!

I was feeling snacky, and I had probably one too many dried apricots dipped in Cocoa Haze.

When Does Exercise Go From Good To Bad?

I left work an hour early today because I had a doctor’s appointment. I was really looking forward to that extra hour in my day, but of course, the wait was an eternity, and I ended up with no extra time in my day—Booo hiss.

After my appointment, I went to the gym for some good old-fashioned elliptical. While there, I read the article “Confessions of A Cardioholic” from the March Fitness, which features quotes from Angela and Melissa. I love this article and this topic!

When does exercise go from an excellent healthy part of life to an obsession? It’s interesting that exercise is good for us, so those of us who do it, even compulsively, are applauded and admired for our commitment. We are motivating and dedicated, not crazed and maniacal exercisers! Or are we?

Does exercise turn ugly when exercise interferes with life activities? For example, do you go for a run instead of going to breakfast with friends? Or is it a matter of intent and state of mind? If you skip the spin class do you feel guilty? If you are too sick to get into your down dog, do you go anyway?

This is such a tricky and personal topic, but I really believe that it’s essential, especially here in this healthy living blog community. I think I’ve been there. Definitely, actually. Right after I moved home to go back to school I ran so much that I complicated the lives of the family members I lived with.

I wanted to run & liked to run, but in retrospect, I was using it for more than exercise. I didn’t have a lot going on and kinda felt bummed out, so I ran because I could and to have something to do. It turns out I broke my parents' treadmill.