What the hell are you doing?

I ask myself this every day for a variety of reasons! I’m asking all of you now because I want you to think about it, too, with regard to AlamoShape. While it has great value, and on an individual day basis it is a fantastic deal, the check you write to workout at our club isn’t insignificant. Make it worth your while by using your key to get in almost any time of the day for training clients, or by utilizing multiple classes a week for aerobics/yoga students.

Training clients also get free nutritional support and measures if you put in your part of the effort deal (track nutrition, weigh-in, send me daily updates, etc). We used to charge $200 a month for this service with a 5-month commitment for gals doing competitions…it’s currently available to any training clients at no charge. If you want me to charge you more, I can, lol, but at least make the commitment to yourself to get the most out of what we offer.

None of us are getting any younger, and most of us aren’t getting any fitter, just maintaining what we worked so hard for. Unfortunately, some are going the other direction. Let’s turn it around and stop putting work and other people at the top of your list or some day you might wake up and think “What the hell did I think was more important than my own health?”

-Rosemarie

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(Below this is a recipe for candied orange peels. If you’ve given up on your fitness and weight loss goals, you might as well enjoy something tasty, lol.)

MY TWO-STEP PROCESS FOR EASY CANDIED ORANGE PEELS

I combined two recipes to make the orange peels not only safer to eat, but also easier to make. I’ll send the full recipe for each at the bottom of this email, but in a nutshell:

*Peel as many oranges or cuties as you can stand to eat over the next few days (they store just fine in containers or baggies in your fridge) because you are going to want to have a lot of these candied peels once you try them!

*Boil the peels 45 minutes, drain, rinse, drain and rinse. If you do this you don’t have to make the effort to get the white pith off of the peel because it essentially boils away.

*Then I used as little water as possible to create the simple syrup, but it is a 1:1 ratio of water to sugar. I used one cup of water, one cup of sugar for the peels of about 12 cuties (tiny oranges) in a medium sized saucepan.

*Bring the syrup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer after tossing in the peels (sliced ¼ wide strips).

*After simmering 20 minutes stir in 1 tsp vanilla and then use a slotted spoon to remove the peels to a drying rack.

*I sprinkled ½ with a small amount of sugar and the other half with granulated Truvia. The latter tasted just as good.

*They need to dry for a few days before storing, but you can eat them as is right away if you like.

*Be sure to save the tasty orange-flavored simple syrup for any recipe you like requiring water and/or syrup, from tea to old-fashioneds to pies. It will store in your refrigerator for several weeks.

CAN (OR SHOULD) YOU EAT ORANGE PEELS?

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/can-you-eat-orange-peels#bottom-line

ORANGE PEEL BENEFITS

https://www.organicfacts.net/orange-peel.html

THE ACTUAL RECIPES I COMBINED

Recipe 1

The technique of candying fruit originated as a food preservation method; it stuck around because it’s delightful. This easy recipe produces candied orange peels that are aromatic and downright jewel-like in appearance. They’re also surprisingly versatile: You can fold these candied peels into florentines, sprinkle a few over chocolate pudding or ice cream, or perch one on a cocktail for a fancy garnish.

The process of blanching the peels might seem like overkill, but it’s necessary to diminish the bitterness of the pith—the white, spongy portion under the peel—and to give the final product an appealingly soft and chewy texture. (Generally, candied peels from navel oranges are only blanched once, while grapefruit or lemon peel is often blanched two times.) Tossing the softened peels in granulated sugar adds a lovely crunch, and helps preserve the peels. This candied orange peel recipe makes a fragrant simple syrup as a by-product—don’t discard it! The sugar syrup is fantastic in iced coffee or tea, or it makes a top-notch old-fashioned.

An important thing to note: The candied peels need a day or two to dry, so making candied orange peel is not a last-minute endeavor. However, most of the time this recipe takes is hands-off. Once they’re dried, the candied citrus peels will keep up to two months in the freezer, so they’re the perfect DIY gift. Take your cues from fancy French bakeries, where they’re often sold dipped in dark chocolate and packaged in a little box.

Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

2 large oranges

4 cups sugar, divided

1. Step 1

Using a sharp paring knife, slice off tops and bottoms from 2 large oranges; discard. Score peels vertically into quarters, then remove peels with white pith attached; save flesh for another use. Slice peels lengthwise into ¼”-wide strips.

Step 2

Cook peels in a large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, then drain again.

Step 3

Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peels, reduce heat, and simmer until very soft, 40–45 minutes; drain.

Step 4

Toss peels with remaining 1 cup sugar on a rimmed baking sheet to coat. Transfer peels to a large sheet of foil and let sit until dry, 1–2 days.
Do Ahead: Orange peels can be candied 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.

Recipe 2

Ingredients

4 large navel oranges or 5 small
2 cups water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Trim the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Then use a vegetables peeler to peel the oranges from top to bottom, into 2-4 inch segments. Press the peeler firmly against the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel. Be careful to trim off just the peel, not the white bitter pith. Then cut the wide strips into ¼ inch thin strips.

2. Place the orange peel segments into a medium saucepot. Set over medium to medium-low heat. Add the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, set the timer and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until the peels look soft, but still retain their vibrant color. (You don’t want them to turn brown, so set the stove just hot enough to hold the simmer.)

3. Meanwhile, place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl and set aside. Set out a drying rack and place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.

4. Once the orange peels have simmered 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and let the peels rest in the sugar syrup for another 5-10 minutes.

5. Use tongs to move the orange peels to the cooling rack. Allow the orange peels to rest at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. Then toss them in the sugar to coat. Let the peels dry completely at room temperature. Then store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

You can candy lemon and lime peels as well!

Nutrition