Thursday, May 20, 2010

Three Cups of Tea

Tuesday night's splurge left me with a gross, unhealthy feeling.  Not exactly surprising, since we ate chips and salsa for dinner.  With beer for Austin, cocktails for me.

It tasted great while I was eating it, but it did not accomplish the same full and satisfactory feeling I get after a healthy dinner.  I'd eaten a couple snacks earlier, but I just never achieved the satisfaction of a real meal.


Too much over-indulgence led me to realize that I need to start exercising more self-control.


Yesterday's eats were much healthier.  I started out the day with a piece of toast with jelly and a smoothie with Amazing Meal.


The Pomegranate Mango Infusion was an interesting addition to my smoothie.  It had a "healthy" taste and that made the mildy strange-flavor it worth it.  It was also very filling.

Lunch was a delicious salad with a ton of stuff throw in it: romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, broccoli, tomato, avacado, artichoke hearts, salmon, and croutons.

For dinner, I made spaghetti.


I used 1 lb of ground turkey, 1/2 chopped onion, 2 tsp garlic, 8 oz mushrooms, 2 sliced zucchini squash, 3 sliced tomatoes, and a can of pasta sauce.  Served with whole wheat spaghetti and parmesan cheese.



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After dinner, I finally got a chance to finish reading Three Cups of Tea.


This book is about an inspirational man, Greg Mortenson, who spends his life building schools in Pakistan.  It is a great story about the challenges he faces.  He has difficulty raising money, he encounters resistance from leaders, and he has to build a bridge to the city before he can start building a school.  It is amazing to read about his sacrifices, being away from his own family for months at a time so that the young girls in Pakistan can have an education.  It is also interesting to read about the impact that 9/11 had on his institute.

I have to admit, this book took me a lot longer to read than most.  It was, of course, non-fiction, but I don't think that's what slowed me down.   There was a lot of foreign vocabulary intermixed in the story, and it lacked momentum, or a true climax. 

I was discussing this book with a friend, and we came to the conclusion that this book could've been written as a magazine article, and the story would have been told just as effectively.

I would definitely still recommend the book, though.  This man deserves to be recognized for his accomplishments.


Who inspires you?
I am always inspired by books and movies.  I am also inspired by my mom!

13 comments:

  1. I must read this book! I'm putting it on my list now! And your spaghetti looks great- I love adding zucchini :)

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  2. sounds like a pretty interesting book. thanks for your honest review. I thought you were gonna tell us about how you drank 3 cups of tea after all your cocktails. haha.

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  3. I like the amazing grass smoothie infusions! Fun way to pack in extra nutrients. Spaghetti is still one of my favorite meals, although I make it healthier like you do!

    My mom just read that book and loved it. We have it sitting around somewhere...maybe I should try it.

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  4. I have heard good things about that book - thanks for reminding me to put it on my book list. I also have to say that my mom inspires me too. :)

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  5. Reading this post just makes me want to come over and enjoy a meal with you. And also join a book club. (Don't worry, I promise not to embarrass you....I won't admit in front of everyone that I pick my books based on if they have a good cover or not. :)

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  6. My friend is reading Three Cups of Tea and said the exact same thing. She has been reading it for months, doing a little bit before bed each night, while simultaneously reading other books. It looks so interesting, but definitely not a light read!

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  7. My teammates always inspire me, especially on race day!

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  8. I've heard really good things about that book, I'll have to find it.

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  9. my mommy inspires me the most! i love that u mentioned that ;)

    im also inspired by people who are naturally generous and nice to random people uno? its so amazing to witness kindness.

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  10. Honestly...a meal of chips and salsa sounds pretty darn incredible to me ;) Great pasta dinner- I love adding veggies to my pasta dishes. My mom, my husband and my group fitness classes all inspire me ;)

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  11. I hate the feeling I have after over indulging! It's not that I feel guilty, it's that I feel physically sick!

    Your meals yesterday look super delicious and healthy. :)

    I'm inspired by the blogging community. It's so full of such positive attitudes!

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  12. I haven't had the guts to try my pom mango infusion. Bok bok! ;)

    Like Chelsea said, I am inspired by the blogging community as well as my amazing mama and sisters!

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  13. It's OK to indulge every now and then. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and it's a daily grind not to eat chocolate every day : )

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