It's a great day for fitness!

You can blame my gym for the title.

Like nearly every other person, one my goals for 2016 was to start exercising. I mean yeah, I want to improve every aspect of my life (being kinder, being better with money, being more mindful of my actions and my words), but exercising is the hardest because I don't exercise. Or, I didn't, until recently. It started with me texting my friend and asking if she wanted to try a kickboxing class with me. I've always wanted to be badass, and so we went, and we had the most fun. Kickboxing is a dream and our instructor is great (plus the membership for the gym was pretty affordable, especially if we went enough). It was the first time in a long time that I remembered how good you can feel after exercising.

In any case, I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to exercise at least two times a week. Two times a week really isn't much, so I'm setting a new goal for myself:

Mondays: Yoga, or rest
Tuesdays: Kickboxing
Wednesdays: Kickboxing
Thursdays: Rest
Fridays: Spin
Saturdays: Yoga
Sundays: Kickboxing

Really, I'm giving myself either Thursday or Friday to take a rest day. Depending on the week, it can switch up, but I'm rooting for Thursday as a rest day, since Tuesday and Wednesday will both be kickboxing days.

I came up with this plan yesterday afternoon, after dragging my lazy bum to the gym to spin for 35 minutes. And I felt great afterwards! I felt good! I was proud of myself for going and my body always just feels better after a work out.

I want to feel better about my body. I'm still slim but I'm the heaviest I've ever weighed, and frankly, I just feel uncomfortable in my body these days. I don't like looking in the mirror, I don't like how my body feels when I move. I want to lose weight, yes, but I also want to feel good about myself and my body.

I frankly doubt I'll change my eating habits – which aren't that terrible, in reality. We could eat out less (more for financial reasons), but we don't eat junk food or get fast food and we mix up our meals. We could probably eat healthier if we really tried (cut out sugars, eat more whole grains, incorporate more fruits and veggies) but I'm pretty comfortable with how we eat now. I do want to eat healthier meals but I really think the complete lack of exercise in my life is what needs to change.

So, for the very important Day 1 progress report (complete with a capital D to show its importance), I plopped onto a cycling machine and went for 35 minutes -- did three cycles of level 9 resistance, alternated with level 5 resistance, and then continued with level 5 resistance for the last 20 minutes. Burned 225 calories (which, if I'm being perfectly honest, means next to nothing to me) and weighed in at 125 pounds.

I went to kickboxing this afternoon too! I'm on my way, I'm doing it!

Chicken Tikka Masala

I tried making a chicken tikka masala dish tonight. It turned out pretty good! I'll probably tweak it in the future, but for future reference, I've got the recipe below:


Ingredients:

2 chicken breast

Olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

Ginger, grated

Garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 heaping teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more to taste)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup chicken stock

Lemon juice

Directions:

Sous vide cook the chicken breast. While the chicken is cooking, put a splash of olive oil and the butter in a dutch oven. Throw the onion and ginger in the pot and sauté until soft. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Throw in the cans of diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the garam masala and cayenne pepper (start with a small amount of pepper, and add in more to taste if you like it spicier). Add the milk, Greek yogurt, and chicken stock. Throw a dash of lemon juice to brighten the dish. Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred and add to the gravy. Let it cook on low, low heat for a few minutes while heating up some papads. Serve with rice, cooked with a tablespoon of butter and a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. 

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out – it's certainly tasty, and wasn't too spicy (I tend to add too much spice). 

Financial Goals, 2k16!

This is the year I set real financial goals for myself! Obtainable ones! I'm going to work my butt off for them, but I'm going to get them!

My goals are largely focused around two things: (1) our lease is up in August and we have no idea where we are going yet except for the fact that (2) we want to backpack through Central and South America for a few months before we settle down somewhere. With those in mind, I want to pay down my debt, build up my savings, take advantage of my 403(b) account, and save for traveling.

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GOAL #1:
Pay down my credit card bill.

I built up some credit card debt by doing the normal things one does to build up credit card debt – kept adding purchases onto the card, without paying off the full amount each month. The most basic mistake that I knew not to make and yet I still did it. It's not a terrible amount, and certainly people have had to handle worse, but it is enough that I can't pay it off in one paycheck. I'm taking responsibility for my previous actions and I'm actively working to pay it down.

It's mid-March and I'll be able to get it all taken care of by May 10th (if I stick to my payment plan and my budget). I've made myself a tight budget until it's taken care of, partially because I want it taken care of as soon as possible and also because I'm punishing myself a little for being so fool-hardy. There's so many little things I'd like to buy (some new exercise clothes and new underwear, a new pair of shoes for work, etc.) but I'm trying to force myself to stay within my budget, so I can keep paying off my credit card with some emergency cash and while still contributing to a savings account.

GOAL #2:
Build up an emergency savings account.

I've luckily never had an emergency that my parents haven't been able to help me out with (even the big dumb ones that I brought upon myself). Up until a few months ago, I haven't had jobs that paid well enough for me to really save. Which, I suppose if I had made a budget and truly followed it, it's possible that I might have been able to, but I'm now in the position of being able to really save money.

I'll be 23 years old in a few weeks, and I really want 23 to be the year that I pull my life together. I want to be a responsible woman who can take care of herself, even when shit happens. Starting from this last paycheck, I set up an automatic transfer from my checking account to my savings account to pull $200 each month. It's not a lot, but my main focus is paying down my credit card debt. I still want to have some money set aside, in case something happens between now and May.

Once my credit card debt is paid off, I'm going to start funneling at least $800/month into my savings account, so by the end of August I will have at least $3600 in my savings account for emergencies. This also translates to about 3 months of living expenses. I ideally want to have at least 6 months saved up, especially as we may be moving, but even just 3 months will be better than nothing. Also, when we move out, we will (hopefully) get all of our security deposit back, which will be $2500 I can plop right into that savings account.

The goal for this savings account really is for emergencies – this isn't just a savings account for me to put extra money. This goal is purely focused on putting aside money for some sort of unplanned emergency. My immediate goal is to have 3 months of emergency savings by August (based on my current living expenses, which admittedly makes me nervous because I don't know where we're moving. If our living expenses increase, I'll have even less funds in comparison, but I'm focusing on what I know now and trying not to panic too much)(trying). My long-term goal is to keep building it up until I have at least 6 months of savings.

GOAL #3:
Invest in my retirement account.

My current employer offers benefits. I'm an adult! With a full-time job! With benefits! One of those benefits is a 403(b) account which my employer matches up to 4.5%. So, I'm contributing 4.5%. I want to put in more, but Goals #1 and #2 are more important to me. I'm taking advantage of what my employer is matching which is good enough for now. Once my credit card is paid down and I have an emergency savings account of three months, I'll start contributing more. Once I have an emergency savings account of six months, I'll start seriously looking at what I'm making and how much I can start putting away for retirement, but I'm happy just getting into the habit and starting something while I'm young. This goal will probably just stay at that 4.5% investment for the time-being, since a more immediate goal is saving for South America.

GOAL #4:
Save for traveling.

This is backpacking household. I love backpacking (I do! Even when I complain and feel crappy because I'm so out of shape) and the boyfriend has always wanted to backpack through Central and South America. Our lease is up in August, and we've got grand (still somewhat vague) plans to take off to South America for a few months. If I'm really good about not spending money, I'll have 2.5 months worth of money (plus a plane ticket) for backpacking (assuming $50/day). If I take the money from the security deposit and use that for the trip instead of emergency savings, I'd have enough for 4 months.

I would really love to go for a longer trip, but 4 months away from home (meaning pets) is a long time. I also don't necessarily want to spend that money from the security deposit on a trip, as much as I'd love to travel for a longer period of time. I'd prefer to keep that for our next security deposit, or just put it in my emergency savings account and bam! I'm that much closer to 6 months emergency savings.

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AND SO. There you go. I've got financial goals. Big ones. They are totally achievable, if I'm smart with my money (which is such a struggle, especially since I tend towards the TREAT YO'SELF mentality). I'm trying to remind myself that saving for my future and saving for traveling is in fact treating myself, but it's an uphill battle. I really believe it's possible though, I just need to keep my focus.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Do you know the easiest way to start someone's day off right? Wake them up by saying, "Want me to make pancakes for you?" 

If your someone is like my someone, the half-asleep head that was resting on your shoulder will jerk back and sleepy eyes will half-open and you'll be rewarded with an inquisitive squeak.

"Want me to make pancakes?" you'll repeat.

"You wanna make pancakes for me?" your sleepy someone will ask, because it's early and they aren't quite awake yet.

"Yeah, let me make you pancakes," you say. And your sleepy someone will give you a hug while they stretch, and you'll get a yawn in your face full of slightly smelly morning breath, and you'll give a big hug back because buttermilk pancakes = love. This is a fact.

Anyways, these pancakes are pretty lovely. They're delicious and fluffy, and considering that I don't even really like pancakes, I like these ones. Because they're that good. Also because I love my sleepy someone, but they are still delicious enough where I'm willing to eat them on a fairly regular basis. I originally snagged the recipe from here. The recipe below is adjusted down for two people, because I'm not trying to feed an army, jeez.

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

Mix the buttermilk, milk, and egg to a mixing bowl. Let these guys sit out for about an hour until they come down to room temperature – you'll get fluffier pancakes. I usually make coffee and clean the dishes and tidy up the kitchen, then start back up with adding in the rest of the ingredients. 

Before adding anything to your bowl, put your pan on the stove and heat it up. It's ready when you can flick some water on it and it sizzles. 

 
Grab your bowl of wet ingredients and add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and butter. You want to mix it with a fork until it's juuuuusssttt baaarrreeelllyyy mixed together (you want the batter to stay lumpy). 

 
Pop those babies in your pan, flip them when the bubbles pop but their holes stay, and enjoy! Though to be honest with the cooking part, my sleepy someone has usually woken up and is in charge of the cooking and flipping, because I'm too nervous to flip the pancakes. Alas, we all have our weaknesses.

Welcome, and Step(h) into the Kitchen

I'm Stephanie and I like to cook.

Get it??? Step into the kitchen, but Steph! 

And with those two lines, I've summed myself up pretty nicely. Hi, I'm Stephanie, I like to cook, and I am a giant loser. I'm also a dog enthusiast, lover of babies, and a notorious blog deserter so let's see how long this will last. 

I made this blog with the intention of writing down the recipes I like as well as posts about life around the house but I'm sure this blog will also include posts about financial goals, career and educational moves, travels, and just life in general, because it's my blog and I can do what I want, including writing long run-on sentences. Welcome! I hope you've enjoyed your stay, no hard feelings if you're horrified and never come back again.