Monthly Archives: May 2013

Bananas Two Ways

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

photoYou guys I’m zonked.  That’s the only word that accurately describes how I feel.  Monday I gave up being sick and made my way to the doctor who prescribed me cough medicine and anitbiotics.  I’m sure the cough medicine was prescribed due to my whining about non-stop coughing and inability to sleep.  I may have even begged, “please help me sleep.”  My doctor took that to heart and ordered me a cough medicine with a dash of sleeping potion.  Honestly I can’t tell you what was dream or real over the past 48 hours.  It’s all fuzzy.  My whole body feels like it’s being pulled down by that lead blanket they put on you before taking x-rays.

I’m starting to feel better and I’ve held off taking the sleeping potion all day so I’m a little less foggy than I was yesterday.  I may even be able to vacuum or do the dishes today.  Nah … at the very least I can push around my lead filled wrists and fingers to write a blog post!

I’ve told you before I’m not a fan of bananas.  In fact just saying the name makes me gag a little.  Sadly bananas are good for you and I’m convinced that with a combination of greek yogurt, honey, applesauce and bananas you can pretty much sub out any of the bad things in any baked item for something healthier.  Oddly enough I do like banana bread.  Putting banana in bread form makes the evil mushy fruit edible, even delicious!  When I was on Pinterest recently I found a couple of banana based recipes I thought I’d try.  Hence this post.  Bananas two was (the good way and the bad way).

The good way – Banana Oatmeal Cookies (aka Germ Cookies) – Monday I couldn’t think of a single thing I wanted to eat.   Nothing sounded appetizing.  That is when I noticed the bananas on my counter were at the “very ripe” stage and decided to whip up a batch of cookies.  I’ve made these before so I knew that they would be worth the trouble of standing up and forcing myself into the kitchen.  There are many versions of this cookie on Pinterest so I’m not sure who to give credit to.  You actually don’t need a recipe.  Mush up 2 bananas, add a cup of oats, mix, put blobs on a cookie sheet and back at 350 for 15 minutes.  Done!  The first time I added white chocolate chips and coconut (because it was in the same place as the white chocolate chips and seemed like a good idea).  The second time I added another banana and another cup of oats, then when the cookies where almost done I plopped a chocolate melt on top.  My goal was to have the melt, “melt” all over the cookie so that it was covered in chocolate.  I used this method because I was lazy and zapped of energy from cough syrup.  It didn’t work.  You are better off using chocolate chips inside or melting the “melt” and dipping the tops of the cookies in the chocolate.  Don’t worry.  I still ate them!  As I was mushing the bananas and mixing in the oats I kept coughing and sniffling hence the nickname, “germ cookies.”  You don’t have to use that name if you don’t want to.  I really like these cookies and I have essentially lived on them since Monday.  I figure oats and bananas can’t make them that bad.

The bad way – Banana Pancakes – Seriously I’m almost embarrassed to write this up.  It was such a giant fail it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  The recipe for banana pancakes is easy.  Take an egg, mix in a mushed up banana and pretend it is pancake batter.  I’m shaking my head at myself as I write this.  As I was mixing the two ingredients together it became clear to me that the only thing I was making was scrambled eggs with banana.  There is NOTHING less appetizing than scrambled eggs with banana.  As I cooked my “pancakes” I tried to put that thought aside and tell myself they were a delicious fluffy breakfast treat.  I didn’t have any syrup around and putting powdered sugar on my mini banana omelets seemed like a bad idea so I dug in with my fork and a clear mind, then proceeded to move to the trash can, spit out everything in my mouth and dump the rest of the contents on the plate in after it.  WORSE PANCAKES EVER.  You can’t even call them pancakes. They are blatantly banana omelets and NO ONE thinks that is a good idea.

If you have “very ripe” bananas on your counter may I suggest turning them into cookies and skip the creepy pancake omelet.

Sick Day II

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

I’ve been coughing so much I can’t sleep which means I can’t think. It’s annoying. While I patiently wait for my prescriptions to be filled please enjoy this adorable picture of Riggins and Clover from this weekend. Cute dog pics always make me feel better.

20130513-140910.jpg

(Dog) Mom’s Day

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Riggins

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

It’s that time of year.  Allergies kick up, shedding requires more pushes of the vacuum around the house, the weather can’t decide if it’s winter or summer, and childless single woman over the age of 30 refill their Xanax prescription to prepare for their 24 hour Facebook blackout on Mother’s Day.  I’m actually convinced Facebook has some sort of under the table deal with the anti-depressant folks.  You can’t tell me since the people of the world have decided to post every minute of their day (me included) on a “wall” for the entire world to see, the rate of severe clinical depression hasn’t risen.  I envy those who are social media blind and don’t know their Facebook from their Twitter.  Their lives seem so uncomplicated and serene.

When Riggins was a puppy I had a dream that Josh (Anna’s oldest son, who at the time was very young), Riggins, and I were standing on a platform inside a volcano and I had to choose which life I could save.  Riggins or Josh.  I immediately chose Josh but it made me so furious.  I was angry for a long while after that dream.  Of course I would choose the human child but the fact that Anna’s adorable baby was more valuable than my adorable baby, and this really couldn’t be debated, pissed me off.  Don’t try to debate it.  You can’t.  In that horrible Sophie’s choice you HAVE to pick the human child.  There is no way that you can say a dog and a human child are equal.  You just can’t.

So when I saw an article on Dogster (a dog blog site) titled, “Do ‘Dog Moms’ Count When It Comes to Mothers Day?” I was ready to get annoyed.  It was on a dog blog so undoubtedly the answer was, “yes.”  I was all ready to scream, “Stop giving us crazy dog people a bad name!”  Let’s face it.  I don’t need anyone giving me a lift to crazy town.  I can manage my way there all by myself, thank you very much.  I have to say after reading the article I, reluctantly, started changing my mind.  Perhaps I was part of a population that could celebrate on Sunday.

Here are the arguments and counterarguments I came up with while reading:

* I never refer to Riggins as “my dog.”  He’s always, “Riggins.”  When we walk I yell out to him “sweet baby boy,” “sweets,” “baby,” “cutie boy,” “sweetheart,” etc. although I’d never call out “come my son.”

* Riggins will, very most likely, die before me.  Some people put this in the “pro human” category to prove dogs aren’t “children.”  I “only” take care of my baby for 13 years-ish while you get yours until he is 18.  Who are we kidding.  I’m 39 and my folks still take care of me.   I see this as a huge negative.  I don’t know a single “dog person” who wouldn’t love their baby to have the same life expectancy as a human.  I’m a mom to a child that I know has a shorter life expectancy than me.  It doesn’t make me love him any less.

* My baby can’t communicate.  He can never tell me what hurts or how he is feeling.  I have to figure that out on my own.  I have insurance for him and he sees the vet more than I see my doctor.  When Riggins had that unfortunate ear issue and Riggins couldn’t get comfortable on his bed I dragged a pillow into the office, where he was sleeping, and laid down next to him so I could be there if he needed me.  His comfort often comes before my own.

* I can leave my baby unattended alone while “real” mom’s can’t (without having child protective services being called on them).  I do admit that is pretty convenient but given a choice it would be a very hard decision.  I wouldn’t mind taking him everywhere I went with me.

* The clincher to me was my attitude now that I’m a dog sitter.  The dogs that stay with me aren’t treated like “dogs.”  They are treated like someone’s baby.  I even refer to them as such in emails and texts (see video below that I recently sent to Clover’s folks).  Why was I allowing them to be “dog parents” and not me?

Riggins isn’t sitting in his kindergarten class pressing his paw into a round clay disc to gleefully hand me on Sunday but I think I’ll go get myself an ice cream as a celebration for me!

Happy Friday! (And Happy Mother’s Day to Mothers of humans and other living creatures.)

My First Quilt

09 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Riggins

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

(I’m still sick. I don’t know what hurts more my throat or my chest. I’ve decided to ignore it. I’m sure that will work …)

photo (9)I’m thrilled to announce that I (finally) finished my first quilt! I first mentioned this quilt to you in mid Feb so it’s been awhile. The majority of it was completed months back but the hand sewing of the binding (the edge of the quilt) took more time than I expected mostly because I had to keep it away from any dogs that would prefer they be on my lap vs. having me concentrate on sewing.

My mom has been hard core quilting for about a year now. She’s REALLY good at it. I’m lucky enough to own two of her pieces. She made me a tiny quilted center for my dining room table and a HUGE and beautiful quilt for my bed. That one isn’t even the biggest she has made. That amazes me. I can’t image (27)even imagine making any quilt bigger (or with so many more pieces) than the lap throw that I did!

When I showed my mom a picture on Pinterest of a quilt I liked she decided I should make it. At first glance it seemed pretty easy, for a quilt, so a perfect project for a novice quilter. There wasn’t really a pattern but the overall look was a tree bark that had a heart and initials “carved” into it. Of course it was a no brainer that I would change the initials to “Riggins.” (The original Pinterest poster now makes these on request. You can purchase at her Etsy store. Although I think it is kinda weird to have a stranger make something so personal for you it isn’t a bad price. You’d have to pay me closer to what Demi Moore’s character was offered in Indecent Proposal to make this again.) A trip to JoAnns yielded the perfect fabric including material for the back/binding that had brown leaves all over it. (We didn’t purchase enough and my mom was nice enough to go back and get more so I’d have enough strips to make the binding.)

image (11)The hardest part (and when I say hard I mean the part that most tested my patience) of quilting is the need for PERFECTION. Everything has to be perfect. The Wendy attitude of, “good enough” does not work. My mom helped cut and pin everything … thank goodness. She sewed on the heart to the main piece of fabric but after that refused to sew another thing despite my, sometimes constant, begging and whining. According to her I needed to be able to say that I made the quilt myself. So there you go! I can officially say that!

If you choose to make this quilt, and why wouldn’t you it’s adorable, I suggest making the bark pattern fatter. Meaning more space between stitches. It seemed like such a good idea to put them close together for more texture when I was zipping through the first few but about 1/3 of the way in I was done. By then it was too late. I couldn’t go from skinny image (10)to fat part way through my quilt! I had to grit my teeth and power through. (There was no pattern for the “bark.” My mom and I started to draw a pattern on with pencil until she looked at me and said, “You can just do this right? We don’t need to draw this on.” I guess so …) I’m pretty proud of the bark pattern. When I was nearly finished my Dad, clueless at what was happening, came in and said it looked like a tree. GREAT! PERFECT! GOAL ACHIEVED!

During this process I was reminded of something I’ve always known. If someone makes something for you (a quilt, afghan, needlepoint, etc.) they REALLY LOVE YOU. They have spent their time, money, energy, tears, and sometimes (in my case) blood to hand make something, a one of a kind something, especially for you. Cherish it. It’s special. I choose very carefully who I hand make presents for. I have to feel like they will appreciate it and the effort it took me. Personally I feel that a homemade gift is far superior to anything you can purchase at a store.

Now I can move on to my next project. I’m cross stitching a sampler as a gift. I realized, when describing it to friends, that many people don’t know what a “sampler” is. To be honest how I’m using the word and what it really describes is a bit different. Long ago, pre-patterns, women who were good at needlepoint would keep a “sampler” of their work. Anytime they invented a new stitch it would be added for reference. These samplers are a mix of different types of threads and needlepoint styles. They would often include using the stitches in an alphabet along with basic patterns and numbers. These were passed down in families and eventually seen as art and framed and hung in homes and museums. A bit later a “sampler” became a learning tool for young girls. In school needlework was an important subject and each girls “sampler” showed off what she had learned. These also often contained the alphabet along with quotes, sayings, etc. Apparently you could judge a girls status based on her sampler, skill (financial ability to get lessons), and quality of fabric and thread. Laura from Little House on the Prairie most likely had a sampler.

photo (5)Today when I say sampler I am referring to a needlework pattern that contains the alphabet and sometimes numbers (Although I’d consider a “Home Sweet Home,” “Home established …”, or other such sayings samplers as well). My mom made the sampler that hangs in my entry way right now. This is its third house/apartment it has been hung up in and I love it. A handmade sampler, to me, is a symbol of a loving and happy home.

There are patterns for very simple samplers. Much like those girls on the prairie it’s a great place to start if you want to get into needlepoint.

Sick Day

08 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. It really pisses me off. Clover deserves to hike Runyon and run free through the flowers. Instead I’m going to have to force myself out of bed and take Riggins and her to the dog park. Not nearly as much fun for any of us.

I’ve missed my last two days of Bar Method class and today isn’t looking great. I despise being sick.

I blame the crazy weather flux in LA this past week. Thursday it was shorts and tank tops hot. Monday it was pouring rain. I suppose it didn’t help that I took the dogs to Runyon Monday morning rain be damned. You know what Clover likes more than being wet? Being wet and muddy. She was so happy!

I hope I feel better tomorrow so Clover can have more Runyon days before she goes home.

20130508-085021.jpg

The Gentle Giant

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by in Riggins

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

image (9)Don’t hug a dog.  That is one of the top rules of dog and human etiquette if you don’t want to loose part of your nose in a dog’s teeth.  Understandably the dog sees the move as aggressive (or if he/she is well socialized a move to wrestle).  Kisses are another no-no.  What moron would put their face up to a dog’s nose (shamelessly raising my hand).

I hug and kiss dogs.  Every single dog I’ve ever dog sit or know well I’ve hugged.  I get right up in their face and give them kisses and a snuggle.  I don’t suggest you do that.  Per the rule it just isn’t smart.  And yet … Riggins gets cuddles almost every morning.  He will come to my bed and wimper until I say, “come up and get kisses.”  He jumps up and positions himself so I can drape my arm over him.  I’ve curled up with Morgan in the Gogreve’s guest bedroom.  Even the killer, Lousy, wanted to snuggle whenever possible.

image (26)90% of what I do would give Cesar Millan a heart attack.  Cesar’s dog etiquette follows the main rule that a dog is a dog.  Not your baby.  A dog.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha!  As if.  Riggins puppy trainer told me how he gave his dog his own steak every now and then.  He also fully admitted his dog had separation anxiety as the dog went EVERYWHERE with him.  His reasoning is that his dog’s life is short so f*ck it.  He was going to do anything he could to make his dog’s life the best possible.  Hazzah!

In general the bigger the dog the shorter the dog’s average lifespan is.  This is proof positive there is no God.  Big dogs are almost always the biggest hearted lovers you could ever meet.

image (25)Case in point … Clover.  Clover is a golden retriever mix (mixed with something big) who is staying with Riggins and me for a while.  I call her the Gentle Giant.  She is about 35 pounds bigger than Riggins with fur that feels like crushed velvet (and is all over my house … I just vacuumed yesterday and my hall/bedroom looks like it has a white fur rug over it) and a giant fluffy squirrel tail.  Clover spends our time at home laying in the middle of my house where the bedroom door and kitchen door meet the hallway.  No matter where I want to go it requires me to step over Clover (usually bending down to give her a smooch).  The best thing ever is hugging her.  I lie down and use her as a full body pillow.  This poor dog doesn’t get a normal Wendy hug she has to endure a full body hug!

I’ve walked the neighborhood with Clover and Riggins only once so far and every single person was scared crapless of the terrifying creatures at the end of the leashes I was carrying.  Riggins and Clover where much more interested in getting to the many squirrels we saw scurrying up the trees, than tearing any humans to bits.  You have a much better photo (8)chance of getting nipped by a chihuahua then Clover!

Give me a big dog any day.  Not that I don’t like small dogs too.  I do.  It’s no secret that if I had a little dog he would come EVERYWHERE with me in a fancy little purse.  Poor thing.  Imagine how tortured he would be.  When it comes to hugs, comfort and overall goofy happiness I pick big dogs.  Big dog hugs are the best!  Cesar is missing out.

The dreaded word: Exercise – Guest Blogger

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

I realize you may be sick of me preaching about how great Bar Method is and forcing you to look at a zillion pictures of Riggins and me.  Today I decided to mix things up and have you listen to my good friend Michelle talk about her exercise of choice and show you pictures of her and her dog, Buddy!  Recently I went with Michelle (and her friend Olga — more about her in the post below) to a dance (salsa-y) aerobic class and it was a blast.  Generally during my exercise time I tend to put my head down, concentrate, breathe and focus for the hour or so.  Michelle may be onto something with the whole “have fun while you are doing it” idea!  I’ll pass it to Michelle to tell you more about her work-out philosophy —-

The dreaded word:  Exercise

First, let me clarify.  I don’t dread exercise itself.  I actually enjoy physical activity.  But I want it to be FUN.  I want it to be something I look forward to doing.  I don’t want to ever feel like it’s something I have to do.  Simply put, I don’t want it to feel like “exercise”.

My entire life, I’ve always done some sort of physical activity (note that I’m not using the word “exercise”).  Growing up, we lived outside of town so if I wanted to see my friends outside of school, I typically rode my bike.  In high school, I dabbled in track and basketball until I found my favorite sport – soccer.  In college, my physical activity consisted of walking to and from class, and up and down State Street to the various bars and fraternity parties (it was a pretty big campus so there was a LOT of walking).

Michelle & Buddy - Photo taken by Lori Fusaro

Michelle & Buddy – Photo taken by Lori Fusaro

But later in life, in my 30s, I had to come up with something new.  I always enjoyed being outside.  And I grew up with animals.  So I decided it was time to get a dog – THAT would ensure physical activity – I would take the dog on daily walks!  For the next 13 years, my beloved dog Buddy and I went on regular walks – about a mile and a half up to 5 times a week.  But as Buddy grew older he started to slow down a bit, and at the same time I entered my 40s.  Daily walks weren’t going to cut it.  I needed to change up my exercise routine or my waistline was going to start – and continue – to expand.

One day, one of my employees suggested I try Zumba.  “What’s Zumba?” I asked.  She explained that it’s like aerobics but with variations of Latin dance, usually with Latin music.  Well, that sounded pretty good to me!  I love to dance!  Another appealing aspect was that Zumba is offered in a class setting.  I live alone, and at work I sit in a private office with limited interaction with others.  It can be very isolating, almost depressing at times.

I wasted no time getting online to find the nearest Zumba class (www.Zumba.com).  Lucky for me, classes were offered at a gym only a few blocks from my house.  I could request a free 7-day pass and take at least 3 classes for FREE!  Sounded good to me!  Three classes later, I was hooked and joined the gym.

To me, Zumba is like a dance party with your girlfriends sans the tequila.  (Yes, the classes are mostly women – men should get a clue!  Hot, fit women in tight workout gear swinging their hips!)

Michelle and Olga

Michelle and Olga

But the most unexpected benefit of this “exercise” was the friendships I formed in the classes.  At my age, most of us already have an established circle of friends; our closer inner circle and our more casual extended circle.  We’re not necessarily looking to add to those circles.  I never would’ve expected that within a year I’d meet someone who I now consider one of my closest friends.  Olga and I are around the same age, both single, love travel, dance, good food and wine, and live just two blocks from each other.  How great is that?  We’re even planning a trip to Europe in the fall.

Having friends in class REALLY helps motivate me to go on those few days when I’m just not in the mood.  I look forward to dancing with them, sweating with them, and often going for coffee or a cold drink after class.

I guess the moral of my story is:  “Exercise” doesn’t have to be a dreaded activity.  It’s all a matter of finding something you genuinely enjoy – walking your dog, dancing with friends – that achieves the same results yet doesn’t feel like “exercise”.  And who knows what unexpected benefits you’ll find along the way!

Super Duper

03 Friday May 2013

Posted by in movie

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

On the look out for bad guys.

On the look out for bad guys.

I saw Iron Man 3 this morning.  I liked it.  Not my favorite Iron Man movie but well worth my movie and popcorn money!  I may have been the only woman in the audience and therefore the only one charmed by Mr. Tony Stark.  There were a number of times I was giggling and I could feel the eyes of the Marvel believers around me trying to shoot laser beams into me.  I don’t know why.  The character is funny … weirdo nerds (said the woman who got up early to go see the first showing of Iron Man).

Would there even be a successful Iron Man movie franchise without Robert Downey Jr.?  Maybe.  I suppose they’d find some other charming Hollywoodian to portray Stark, but it just wouldn’t be the same.  No matter his faults that Robert Downey is a good little actor!  He even makes me forget about how much I loathe Gwyneth Paltrow.  So thank you Robert Downey Jr. for bringing Iron Man to life (well and Stan Lee, those other guys at Marvel, all those folks that worked on the movie …. you know … the little people).

photo (6)The previews, and there were many, shown this morning were jam-packed with super hero movies so I came home and immediately made Riggins dress up in a cape to take pictures with me.  Well actually his cape is Super Girl’s skirt but don’t tell him that.

* Different topic.  I don’t know what accent those Smith boys are sporting in After Earth but I don’t care.  I’m in.  I heart all the Smiths …. every single one of them.  Whipping their hair, fighting aliens, fighting computer generated creatures, karate chopping.  I love it all!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Extra pic: This obviously isn't Riggins. It's baby Gavin wearing the cape I had made him. I like capes.

Extra pic: This obviously isn’t Riggins. It’s baby Gavin wearing the cape I had made him. I like capes.

Bar Method – Connecting my Brain with my Body

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

, , ,

I’ve written a lot about Bar Method (here, and here, and here, and here), so you know it is my exercise of choice. You also know that it was not/is not easy for me! When I took my first class on 9/8/2009 I was super cocky. After all I was a triathlete. What did I have to fear? I promptly almost threw up 1/2 way through class! After nearly passing out I walked out of class into the waiting room where one of the owners (although I didn’t know that at the time) Kate, came out to check on me and Mason (who I also didn’t know at the time and wasn’t even the super star teacher he is now) promised me it got easier. I must have looked as bad as I felt.

Just a small sampling of the classes I've attended.

Just a small sampling of the classes I’ve attended.

Over the years I got better. Not great, but definitely better. I’ve admitted before I’m not at all flexible so it is a slow process for me. The day I could touch my toes I was elated. The day I got through all of thigh exercise without re-setting I was beyond happy. The day that one of the teachers said, “Oh my goodness Wendy you are at the tall barre.” I smiled like a cheshire cat. All of these things were HUGE accomplishments for me.

Last year I took a time-out from life (as you know). Due to travel and mental angst I didn’t go to class as often. When I left my job at the beginning of the year, I told myself that while I was looking for my new career I would take Riggins up Runyon and go to Bar Method as much as possible. My health and happiness was going to come first … dang gumit!

Going back “full-time” to Bar Method was not easy. I re-dedicated myself to 3 or 4 times a week. If I was insane, or it was raining and I couldn’t do other activities, I’d bump that number to 5. It took me a long time to get back to where I thought I had been before (minus the gumption to stay in thigh … man I hate thigh). It was heartbreaking how hard it had become again but I wasn’t going to give up.

This week I made myself a vow to step it up to the next level. Riggins is still limping so my daily trips up Runyon or my run around Silver Lake isn’t happening. I have no excuse not to give 100% in my evening Bar Method classes. I can’t rely on the crappy excuse that I was up early spending an 1 and 1/2 hours hiking up and down a mountain with a dog or two, so didn’t have to work as hard. I needed to dive deeper into Bar to move to the next level. This week during class I realized what I had been missing. I was missing the mental aspect of class. It took me this long (4 months) to shake the self-doubt and general unhappiness I had last year and to refocus on what I was doing for myself. My body wasn’t the only thing in the game anymore. My head was back in it as well!

Concentrating really hard on controlling my shaking hand.

Concentrating really hard on controlling my shaking hand.

Let me tell you it is tough! I’m back to hurting every day after I work out. Something somewhere hurts every day. The good hurt. When I leave the parking lot and put that little parking ticket in the machine to let me out, my hand is still shaking from how hard I worked. Tonight I went to meet a friend for a drink and had a hard time holding the wine glass correctly without it slopping all over the place because of my STILL shaking body (1 1/2 hours after class had ended). What has changed exactly:

  • I force myself to always take the “extra challenge” in class. Extra challenges make the hard movements even more difficult. I’ve always been good at taking some but now I at least try them all … well most of them. I mentally give myself a point for every challenge I try, and two points if the instructor gives me a “wow Wendy” or “way to take the challenge Wendy.”
  • I demand that I can do better for each move that I hate. Thigh in wide second …. hate … go deeper. Pretzel … hate … move my knee back further. Arabesque … hate … get that leg higher. I’m constantly trying to check to see if I’m doing the most I can. It’s a pain in the butt … sometimes literally. It IS not easy to keep that up for an entire hour. I can also feel more of my muscles working beyond just the “main” ones that exercise focus’ on which means overall I’m getting more bang for my buck.
  • I try to stop caring about the counting (just get me to the last number … please) but instead try to listen to the music. This was suggested by the founder of the Bar Method in her last blog. It is working for me. She suggested it for thigh … I haven’t mastered it for that section yet. I’m in too much pain. In general if I feel I can’t keep up the level I’m at for any longer I try to listen to the music. This doesn’t work when that Barbara Streisand song is playing. That thing cracks me up and I have to tune it out.
  • I don’t give a shit that I’m not the most flexible, strongest or best in the class. I’m not. Nor am I the youngest, skinniest or prettiest. Who gives a flip? It use to really bug me that I would get so sweaty during class while the adorable young 20 something year olds glide through the movements with obvious ease and nothing past a lovely “glisten” covering their brow. I was the dancing hippo next to the lovely gazelles. I would get upset when I would read a review about the Bar Method that says it’s great that you don’t get sweaty. Were they on crack? And really what an odd thing to say, “this is a great exercise you work so hard you don’t get sweaty.” I get sweaty. Granted I get sweaty doing anything … a n y t h i n g … but that doesn’t make me any less of a bar-er ball-er. Now I purposely try to work so hard I HAVE to change my top after class because I’m such a sweaty mess.
  • I always use to play mental games with myself while I was running why didn’t I do that in class? Sometimes I pretend if I can stay in thigh the entire time the cute guy from Match.com will write me back (never works but it’s a good way to push myself). I will pretend that my friend I’ve been trying to get to come to class is behind me and I have to show her how it’s done.
  • I try to act as if the teacher is always watching me … the thought that they are makes me work harder.

None of this is earth shattering. In fact it’s odd I didn’t put two and two together months ago. Again I blame everything on my horrible last year. I obviously had to turn my brain off to survive and it’s starting to fire back up again!

One day I was walking back to my car after class and a young woman asked if I had been going for long. I said I had and then she asked if I ever feel like it is hard. Apparently she felt she didn’t get a workout and would now have to go to the gym. I told her she was doing it wrong. I was a little nicer than that but not much. I feel the same way when people leave negative reviews online (there aren’t many). It’s easy if you want it to be. Get your head in the game, and mind your positioning (aka do it right) and you will be shaking when you put the parking ticket in the machine too! If you aren’t feeling it you are letting yourself do it wrong.

I have followed this new and improved work out plan for an entire 3 days! Ha! I feel like I’m getting more out of it and overall I’m prouder of myself and find myself standing up taller. The best thing of all? Now I’ve written it down so I HAVE to keep it up or I’ll not only disappoint myself but I’ll disappoint you and we can’t have that!

Please share any tips you have on getting to the next level of your exercise of choice. I’d love to steal them! AND … if anyone can give me tips on how to get through dreaded thigh during Bar Method class PLEASE enlighten me.

The current Pasadena instructors (and owners Kate & Liz).

The current Bar Method teachers at the Pasadena studio. Source.

(Bar Method studios are all over the US & Canada. I have been loyal to the studio located in Pasadena, CA and can tell you all the instructors there are wonderful. I’m not the kind of person who chooses the class she goes to because of who is teaching it but instead I go when it is the best time knowing no matter who the teacher is, I’m going to be getting a good one. The two owners of the Silver Lake, CA studio used to teach at Pasadena so I can tell you they are also pretty brilliant.)

A Cupcake Story – Guest Blogger

01 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Anna and her family. 2010.

Annemarie and her family. 2010.

While writing my blog I’ve given you a number of recipes and cooking tips all with the caveat that I don’t cook, don’t bake, and don’t like it.  I realize this makes me a horrible source!   I wanted to let an expert give you her advice.  Well maybe not an expert baker but an expert mom for sure.  Annemarie is one of my dearest friends.  Not only is she a wonderful mother to her two boys, she is also a great friend.  Add the fact that her husband is super sweet AND will serve me wine while telling me all about it makes them the perfect family!  Honestly I could write all day about the fun Annemarie and I have had over the years but if I did that we’d never get to her guest post.  I’ll skip those stories so Annemarie can take over …

A Cupcake Story

I am a dessert-first girl.  I LOVE my sweets so today we’re talking cupcakes—actually, one special cupcake.  For the better part of the last 10 years I had been on a quest, a cupcake quest.  You see, my two boys have food allergies. My 7-year-old, Benjie, is allergic to peanuts. Josh, who’s 10, has multiple food allergies. His toughest allergies are to dairy (milk, cheese, butter, etc.), eggs, and all nuts. Pretty much everything I bake is dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. From the beginning, birthday parties were challenging.  Josh can (almost) never eat the birthday cake, so it was up to me to find a replacement. I started experimenting on cake recipes when he was 1.  In the beginning he seemed okay with the bland vanilla cupcakes I made, but I wanted more.  I wanted him to jump up and down when he heard, “It’s cake time!” I wanted his cake to be as yummy as the one that held the candles.  I went back to my kitchen and tried again, and again.  When I’d find a cake recipe that showed promise, I would make my allergy-friendly substitutions—rice milk for milk, vegan Egg Replacer for eggs, Spectrum Shortening or Earth Balance for butter.  The cakes were all “just okay” and Josh could take them or leave them.  I gave up for a while.

Then I discovered that I could make Rice Krispie Treats with Spectrum Shortening or Earth Balance and Josh loved them! These became our go-to, all-occasion party treats. They were tasty and easy to make. I brought them to school to celebrate the boys’ birthdays and everyone was happy.  The treats easily transformed into hearts, pumpkins, dreidels, or Christmas trees.  They were fantastic…until they weren’t. After a blissful Kellogg’s year Josh had burned out on his dairy-free Rice Krispie Treats and I was back in the kitchen experimenting.

Next was the year of the “Perfect Sugar Cookie”. You know those sugar cookies, the ones in the shape of flawless flowers and beautiful butterflies. They have that smooth, satiny, multi-colored icing. I found an amazing sugar cookie recipe that Josh and I both loved. It was delicious even with my dairy and egg substitutions. Then, I went to Michael’s and brought home all the equipment to decorate the cookies just so. I watched dozens of You Tube videos to get the icing techniques down. And it worked! Those cookies wowed the crowd and I didn’t even have to qualify them with, “They’re dairy-free and egg-free. That’s why they taste like that.” There was just one problem. They took hours, sometimes days to make and decorate. It was just too much, especially when we had parties every other week. Eventually, I reassigned the Perfect Sugar Cookie to very–special occasion treat only.  It was back to the kitchen for me.  I was determined to find something just as good, but simpler. And I did!

A few months ago, I came across a quirky little recipe that was supposedly created during the great depression. It requires no eggs, no milk, and no butter because those items were rationed at the time. I tried the cake recipe and it wasn’t bad. On top of that it was ridiculously easy. I tweaked it here and there, adding more chocolate and more sugar.  It was pretty darn good but it didn’t become THE CUPCAKE until I added chocolate chips. Wow! The chocolate chips made this cupcake a winner! It’s super-chocolaty, almost brownie-like.  I pair it with a homemade vanilla frosting but it’s delicious even without the frosting.  It’s  a big hit, with everyone except Josh that is. He doesn’t like chocolate! I know, what? I’m experimenting on a lemon cupcake for him now. I’ll let you know how it works out.

I, for one, love this cupcake. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP UntitledCUPCAKES

  •  1½ cups flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cups sugar*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup soymilk (or water, or any milk of your choice)
  • ½ cup Enjoy Life dairy-free mini chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
  3. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until you get a smooth batter.  Do not beat.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Fill the muffin liners about ⅔ full.
  7. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

*This cupcake tends to be super sweet, especially if you add frosting.  If your palate doesn’t like things too sugary, feel free to reduce the amount of sugar or ease up on the frosting

Vanilla Frosting – Adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal

  • ½ cup dairy-free vegetable shortening**
  • ½ cup (1 stick) dairy-free margarine, softened**
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup rice milk, or whatever milk you like
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and margarine on medium speed for about 1 minute.
  2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Pipe onto cool cupcakes and finish with extra chocolate chips.

**I use Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for the shortening and margarine respectively. If you like, you can use all shortening or all margarine.

Before I go, I want to give a shout-out to Wendy and Riggins for inviting me here today.  Wendy is my dear, dear friend.  We share a love of wine & cheese–as a meal, much-too-much TV, and all things arts and craftsy. I am honored to be blogging in her space today.