angilio: loud and proud

angilio 2.0!

2011-01-03T19:56:00.002-06:00

happy new year!

after four years, i've moved to a shiny new blog.
come join the fun.

climb on!

2010-11-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

one of my favorite companies favorite mottos is "do one thing a day that scares you." oh yes, lululemon dreams big. they are huge believers in goal-setting, putting things out into the universe and making them come true. i love their brand - i love their spirit - and i love their community involvement. i would also love to work for them and perhaps someday the planets will align, but for now i just try to channel their energy and apply when necessary and possible.

so in the name of 'doing something that scares you' and 'sweating once a day' i signed up for rock wall climbing class at my gym. i haven't climbed since high school (and i'm not sure that counts cause it was only a couple times) and even though the gyms i've been at for 5ish years have always had walls, i've never even considered strapping on a harness and giving it another go.

then, one day i did.

a few days later i tried the complimentary climb. it was hard. waaaay harder than i remember. and i maybe made it up 15 feet of the 50+ feet wall. my arms killllled for days. but i did it. and i'll only get better. and stronger. and damnit, by the end of my four week class i will be able to get to the top of that wall. when that happens someone better be around with a camera cause the internet needs to see that moment.

the next few weeks will be full of soreness and fun rocky challenges. i'm excited to learn from the pros, get stronger and overcome that scary wall. it's hard to not feel like a badass afterwards and when you have a blah day, or week - something shiny and new is just what you need to get you outta that funk.

CLIMB ON!

words! a recipe! plus a special cameo!

2010-11-16T23:02:00.005-06:00

so it's been a while since i've said something of any substance around here. have my picture laden posts kept you around? or have i long been banished from that reader of yours thanks to my neglect of this dear space?

these past few months have been a whirlwind, much like this entire year. i been trying to just breathe in all the amazingness and chaos, but i wish i would have taken the time to share it with you – and myself really. this little blog has been a sort of diary for the last several years and it's fun to go back and see what i was up to a year ago. or where my head was at. or how stupid i really sounded. (okay some parts are more fun than others about years and years dictated online.)

sometimes i think i've outgrown this little blog. or think maybe it's time to retire this one and start something fresh? oooor maybe it's just time for a face lift? time will only tell. odds are i do nothing and keep sporadically rambling. eh, at least that'd be consistent.

i leave you with this tasty mushroom 'bolognese'. just follow their instructions. it's easy peasy and tastes far more flavorful and hearty that you would ever expect. i added a couple handfuls of spinach to prettify and add a little more texture. plus, easy way to get some greens in this meal without having a salad on the side.
be careful though. if you don't plan on sharing, you'll make everyone jealous. including your pup :)
manga!

things that make me laugh

2010-11-01T00:40:00.007-05:00

not knowing how to use new toys:

my dog:

technology:
(they are bumping to exchange money via paypal. seriously, mind BLOWN.)

the leaning tower of niles?
this.
(so much fun with jessica on saturday :)

GPOMPW

2010-10-06T22:21:00.003-05:00

gratuitous picture of my parents wednesday - wedding style, throwing their arms up cause (sing it with me) "...it's SO good SO good SO good!"

embracing fall with hot cider in hand.

2010-10-04T23:50:00.008-05:00

i've favored pictures to words these days; but i will say, this was a remarkably darling way to spend a sunday afternoon. hats off county line orchard. you charmed the pants off our group.

jump!

2010-09-15T22:26:00.008-05:00

today...
i jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.
14,000 feet above the ground at a free fall drop of 120 miles per hour...and it was a-mazing.
cannot wait to do it again! what an incredible rush.

sensory overload

2010-09-09T00:57:00.010-05:00

by now its no surprise that i am a busy girl. aaaand let's be serious, i like it that way. but this week, there is so much goodness packed in that i don't even know what to get excited about first. most of these things have been on the calendar for some time, but they were safely stowed in september, while my mind was out playing in summer's sunshine. now here we are with a crisp bite in the air and a whole lot going on.

first up, the lovely janiece is coming to town. she's one of my oldest friends and we always have a blast. friday we will eat like kings and see where the night takes us. hopefully it won't take us to a 4am bar because saturday we need to bring our A game. we are all signed up (and maybe a tad too excited) to be participating in the city solve urban race. basically we'll be running around the city for 5 hours on an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt. i've been wanting to do one of these for years and i couldn't think of a better partner. we have quite the history teamwork department. even gold medals to prove it...

sunday we are spending the day down on in wicker park at most favorite festival of the year, renegade! i always find really fun things year after year and couldn't be more excited for janiece to get to see all the goodies for herself.

i'm especially looking forward to nabbing a 2011 calendar from the ever so talented illustrator (and friend :) jessica swift and one or ten pieces of from sarah at cursive design. i'm also going to be on the lookout for some art. my freshly painted walls are aching for a little love. i can't wait to see what we find.

after i say my goodbyes to j, it's back to work but a quick 8 hours later, it's time to play at the jenny and johnny show at one of my new(ish) favorite venues, lincoln hall! aaaand i'm more than a little excited to see miss lewis on stage. i always knew hannah would be a star.

then its a day off from the nonstop fun and a check in with my physical therapist (hello my knee is finally going to be fixed...eventually anyways) probably followed by an early bedtime.

wednesday is the big day. the day i didn't even know i was waiting for. the day that completely terrifies and excites every bone in my body. wednesday i go SKYDIVING! ahhhh. we've been talking about it for months? years? but a groupon spoke to us one morning and before we knew it four of us were all signed up and ready to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. my good friends did this in high school but i wasn't allowed to join them. this time, i'm an adult and ughhhh probably waaay more scared than i would have been a decade ago. BUT, we're doing it and ahhhhhhhh.

what are you looking forward to!?!?

GPOYW: a year ago

2010-09-08T22:11:00.002-05:00

look at that little thing. what a year it has been...

noted.

2010-09-01T23:34:00.003-05:00

i read. a lot.
lots of books. lots of magazines. lots (and lots) of blogs.
naturally, people say inspiring, geniune, thought-provoking, funny or just things that speak to you for whatever reason. i write these things down.

here are some of them from my optimistic stash...

it's difficult to parse out someone else's formative moments from their trival ones when you weren't there to witness either.

happiness is a consequence of person effort.

you must be very poliet with yourself when you are learning something new.

the future is called "perhaps", which is the only possible thing to call the future. and the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.

you cannot always change circumstances, but you can always change your reaction to them.

living in the past is a dull and lonely business; looking back strains the neck muscles, cause you to bump into people not going your way.

if i am doing nothing, i like to be doing nothing to some purpose. that is what leisure means.

high tea? yes please.

2010-08-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

free one saturday or sunday afternoon? say around 3? have a group of 8 or more waiting to be charmed to pieces? well, you're in luck. perennial's weekend high tea hours are just the thing.

snack on fresh baked goods, mini sandwiches and desserts - not to mention all the tea you can take. or, if you're feeling adventurous, for an extra fee add unlimited mimosas, bellinis or the house sparkling to your tab. it is the weekend after all. may as well make it count...

okay maybe tea and adorable tiny desserts aren't your thing, their brunch menu sounds fantastic. aaaand not surprisingly, so does their dinner. they are also doing a sweet corn tasting menu through september. wowza.

best of all, perennial uses mostly local and sustainable produce and can be found directly across from the green city market, which they proudly support.

eat up. its for the good of the community.
now, who wants to join me?

back to school special: a giveaway!

2010-08-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

anticipation. the simple action of looking forward to something. its amazing how that can get you through a rough patch or those long weeks when nothing seems to be gong your way. its one of my favorite things.

august has always been filled with this emotion. for so so many years it meant back to school time. it meant a fresh start, a new tennis season, stacks of clean notebooks, new friends, new teachers and new things to freak out about. but best of all, it meant it was time to go school shopping! you can't very well start your brand new school year in a grimy shirt from the year before.

this was quite the event for us kids growing up. grandma would give us a little allowance (that could now barely buy a pair of jeans) and mom would come along to pitch in for a few things as well. it was always a game to see who could spread their money the furthest and oh so exciting coming home with new things to try on a thousand times in your bedroom before figuring out what would be the best for your big first day.

life doesn't quite work like that anymore. years, months, seasons run into each other and its not often you get a fresh start or a funded pair of jeans from you grandma.

well, i'm here to talk about both, sorta...

1) the least exciting for you...a new beginning. i'm starting a fulltime job at the end of the month. after a year of contract work, i'm going to be an official 5 day a week employee. i'll sure miss my tuesdays or long weekends, but its time routine becomes, well, more routine.

2) I'M GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF FREE GAP JEANS! the lovely powers that be at brand about town hooked me up again. this time i got a cute faded jean jacket that i just adore for me and a coupon for one pair of FREE JEANS for YOU!

to enter my jeans giveaway just leave a comment about your favorite back to school purchase. winner will be choose at random and contest goes through monday (8/23) at noon. winner will be notified that evening. *contest is open to girls and guys!*

for the record, my absolute favorite back to school item was a pair of gold corduroys i got in 5th grade from kids R us. funny enough, i found a practically identical pair last year on GAP's sale rack. lovely coincidence.

good luck!

this ones for the locals

2010-08-17T16:56:00.003-05:00

free things to do in chicago: if you're not a fan (or haven't given them a thumbs up) on facebook, i suggest doing so. mulitple times daily they post things that are totally free to do around town. as someone who considers themselves pretty in tune with things, i'm constantly shocked at how many of their posts are brand new to even me.

here's a lil taste of some cool things out there:

• free movies at lincoln hall: this wednesday (8/18) they are starting their monthly free movie nights. this time "they focus on Chicgao's own John Cusack in “High Fidelity,” also starring Jack Black combined with another record store flick, “Empire Records.” Lincoln Hall would like to know how many are coming so please go to their Facebook page and RSVP — if you do, there’s another freebie for you – free popcorn!" - sounds like a pretty sweet deal. not to mention how wonderful this venue is. its like a cleaned up version of the vic's brew and view. ummmmm and there is karaoke afterwards. LIKE!

• free homemade pizza company pizza in old town: august 17th – 19th, 4–7 each night. "HPC invites all to join in the three-day celebration that includes meeting the founders (Chicago natives), children’s games, dough tossing demos and free samples of pizza, salads and cookies." nice!

• free legal advice: The Chicago Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service will host its next FREE monthly Call-A-Lawyer program on Sat., Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteer attorneys will give free legal advice over the phone to Chicagoland residents who call (312) 554-2001. never know...

• free music: free download of chicago’s suns debut indie album, then come August 20 for the album release party. are they good? no idea, but it won't cost you anything to check out.

not in chicago? i'm sorry you should be. i kid, sort of. but just google "free in your city" and see if you can reap some internet savvy benefits too.

happy saving!

bits & pieces

2010-08-11T23:39:00.000-05:00

prizes • beaches • celebrations • pups
life has been happening.

most ~~noteably~~ consuming, my little lulu has been sick. seems she caught a lil bug and now she's all dehydrated and out of sorts. which in turn has also made her mom out of sorts...but we're getting better over here. hopefully she'll be back to herself soon. i *almost* miss throwing the ball for 5 hours a night.

keep your fingers crossed for the little one!

taco time!

2010-08-05T16:13:00.006-05:00

some nights all i can muster out of life is chips and salsa for dinner...or if i'm feeling fancy, a lean cuisine. other nights, i spend hours in the kitchen preparing, inventing and experimenting. this is an experiment below, i applaud.

generally when i do my weekly grocery shopping, i come prepared – list in hand and dinner ideas fresh on the brain. however, life doesn't always allot time for that now does it? so this past week, listless, i had to get creative on site. cue a sale on pork chops and an abundance of farmer's market produce already in the fridge. what do you get? pork tacos with summertime salsa. mmm.

what you need:
• 3 pork chops, sliced thin
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• pineapple juice (just whatever is left over from the can)
• sour cream (as much as you'd like. i, like a lot)
• cumin (sprinkle in meat and add to sour cream for an extra little kick)

• 2 fresh peaches, diced
• hearty handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small can of sliced pineapple (could definitely use fresh, but i wanted to BOGO my efforts with the canned juice from above)
• handful of basil, chopped
• juice from one lime
• a few swirls of olive oill (i'm very precise)
• salt and pepper to taste

how to:
start with the salsa. literally, just mix it all together. the longer this sits between serving the better. great if you make it the night before or even just 30 mins and let it hang in the fridge till you're ready for it.

for the meat, in a large skillet get your onions and garlic going with a little bit of olive oil. then add the pork and remaining pineapple juice with a few shakes of cumin. let it marinate and cook through. shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. then its time to eat.

dish out in your favorite tortilla shell lined with that dressed up sour cream and top with your fresh salsa. i also added spinach to mine for a little extra greens.

see, it's super simple. mostly just a lot of chopping. put on some tunes and rock out in your kitchen and it'll be bon appetit in no time!

weekend warrior

2010-07-30T09:21:00.000-05:00

well, its the weekend. so like most this summer, its time to pile in the car and gear up for another adventure. this time, we're heading north to my bff's cottage in michigan. and as an added bonus, two of our college roommates are making the trek from cinci (sans babies and husbands). watch out!

there will be days at the beach, inevitable drinking games (zoomy zoomaaaaay), the rehashing of all our favorite tales about each other during those college dayton years and all that other general catching up you do when you see a collective group once a year (if you're lucky).

its going to be fantastic to slow down, lay in the sun and just be with some of my absolute favorite people. we always pick up just where we left off and this trip will undoubtedly spark more dates to be scheduled on our busy calendars.

have i mentioned i have the best friends?
cause i really do.

GPOYW: drinking with mom edition

2010-07-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

there's not too many things better than a sunday funday. am i right?
pair that with sunshine and a giggly mom, you definitely get a win.
she just couldn't resist the shadow pup...

GPOYW

2010-07-21T08:22:00.000-05:00

aaaaand my little dog too.

O-H...

2010-07-20T20:14:00.006-05:00

oh haaaay tuesday. how's it going?

i'm still processing my glorious weekend back home. i got to spend time with a ton of my family and friends i see far too little of. but why is there never enough time? (is this a theme or whaaat?) geez.

i'd just like a few more hours to sip mimosas and laugh too loud with miss alexa - stay up too late playing the jukebox with BK - bust a few more dance moves with my cousins and baby sis on the dance floor - hang in the backyard with my pups - and drink beers in and watch the fire crackle with my parents. the weekend was certainly action-packed and i didn't get nearly enough sleep, rest or exercise, but if there was a rewind button, i'd be using it.

today i'm reminding myself to just soak it all in.
balance, you are a tricky devil.

can i get a pause button?

2010-07-12T18:44:00.004-05:00

why hello. pardon the dust.
it seems summer has taken over and knocked just about every routine i know and love off its tracks...including this corner of my life. i'm certainly not complaining. the last (cough cough) six weeks have been a whirlwind of adventures. i went to vegas, worked a successful event that was practically running my life for the better part of two months, lost my voice in the process, celebrated a few birthdays, ran a race on my dumb knee, saw some awesome live music, supported my gays, made a quick trip home, scored some wheels for a few months and today i am fresh off an amazing cabin/lake weekend in wisconsin.

aaaaaand now here we are mid july, with the rest of the summer on the same action-packed path. i am so so grateful to be able to spend the time and resources enjoying travel, my company and the sunshine – but summer, pleeeeease slow down. i just need a minute to breathe and a few more to soak it all in.

how do you stay on track when life gets crazy?
or hell, is embracing it my best option?

next stop, vegas please...

2010-06-09T07:23:00.000-05:00

ever reach that point where you just need to get out of town so bad you can barely stand it? well, that's me right now. life has been a little too insane. i'm in dire need of my traveling bffs, zero responsibilities, sunshine, champagne and my favorite escape destination: las vegas. ahhhhhh i'm counting down the hours till my bag is checked and we are high above the chicago skies heading west.

i'm not going to pretend i know what number trip this is to sin city, but i do know that each trip has been more memorable than the previous. sometimes i wonder if this trend is maintainable, yet each time we come home we all agree...wow THAT was the best visit yet.

vintage pic from our first adventure as a trio

what will this trip bring? time will only tell.
viva las vegas!

Biggest Loser: The Finale

2010-06-07T23:10:00.002-05:00

its hard to believe its been 6 months. i really don't know where time is going. but here we are entering summer, sunshine on our faces and our clothes fitting a bit looser thanks to all that hard work and dedication.

biggest loser has come to an end as of last friday. ironically, the scale at my gym was busted (seriously the only day i ACTUALLY need it?!) but i weighed in a couple days later and much to my surprise was down a pound. i know, doesn't sound like much, but when you have had a month of events, a bum knee you can't run on and other life things getting in your way...anything is progress!

so after 6 months i am down 18 pounds (and two sizes thank you very much). i'm not quite where i want to be, but like i said, it's a work in progress. and i'm okay with that. i'll get there. besides, there's no going back. all those clothes were bagged for goodwill and i certainly don't have the bankroll for another shopping spree.

it's the year of balance and this was a great way to kick start things. now, comes the struggle to maintain through the summer and push through the rest of the year living my most healthy life.

best of luck to all the girls and their continued journey and a big shout out to miss taylor who won the prize money!

calling all breakfast lovers

2010-05-26T06:05:00.000-05:00

there's no denying my love for food. it modivates most decisions in my daily life. there's also no denying what food category i enjoy the most - breakfast! its sweet - its savory - its eggy - its potatoey - its cakey. the options are seemingly endless. best of all, its completely appropriate to have at any hour of the day. an omelet for dinner? french toast at 11pm? sure. and in my casa, it's encouraged.

and now if you are looking to put yourself in a food coma, no matter the time of day, i'm here to help...

banana almond oatmeal pancakes
(inspired and basically copied from fitsugar, serves 3-4)

what you need:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick or rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 cups skim milk
1 banana, diced
Cooking spray for pan
1/4 cup almonds
1 banana, sliced
sprinkles of powdered sugar

how to:
mix all the dry ingredients and honey together, then add milk. once blended add diced banana and continue to stir. pour batter in griddle and flip when they start to bubble (just like normal 'cakes). once complete, add sliced nanas and almonds to top and add a sprinke or two of powdered sugar for good measure.

sit back, stuff your face and then take a nap. you're gonna need it.

its the little things - v2

2010-05-23T22:49:00.003-05:00

it's no secret i adore my gym. the classes are fantastic. the instructors are inspiring. the mere proximity to my apartment. the fact that is has a pool on the rooftop in the middle of the city. the ratio of straight girls to gay men. my workout buddies i've made along the way. i love it all.

one of the highlights of my week is monday night dance fusion. it's late enough that "i had to work late" is a nonissue and early enough in the week that you aren't "burned out." and best of all, it has a steady following. so really, it's like you go to the gym to dance and sweat for an hour with your friends.

last week, despite my knee telling me to stay home and advil, ice and elevate...i went to my beloved class and halfassed my way through the routine. after 5 days away from the gym i was getting stir crazy. i left the jumps, lunges and squats for the others, but still a nice sweat going.

post class, out of no where, a woman approached me and introduced herself. we shook hands and i smiled back at her a bit confused. she then proceeded to tell me that I was what keeps her coming back to this class every week. "you just look like you are having so much fun and your energy is inspiring and encouraging. it can be so overwhelming for me, but i know if i can't see the instructor to follow along, i can just watch you. i just wanted to thank and tell you that you make this easier for me every week."

ummmm WOW. this completely threw me. i had never even seen this woman before but somehow little ol me being at this class every week made her feel better. now THAT is powerful stuff.

2010, you've been pretty amazing. and more than ever, i'm reminded that life is certainly about the little things. last week's encounter kept me smiling for days and as trite as this may sound, inspires me to continue to try to live my best life. hey, you never know who's life you'll touch.

you win google...you win!

2010-05-21T10:33:00.006-05:00

have you been to google yet today? you can play pacman!
and if i could challenge you i would...

happy friday!

bikes are for lovers

2010-05-20T07:35:00.000-05:00

in the spirit being a new bike owner, may being national bike month, this very week (May 17-21) being "bike-to-work week" aaaand friday being national "bike-to-work day" - its my duty to say RIDE YOUR DAMN BIKE. of course, i'm going to be a hypocrite and not ride mine into the office tomorrow. mostly cause i'm terrified of navigating through the loop and secondly because i have a very important going away party to be at promptly after work. additionally i'm even less cozy with the idea of riding home from downtown after a few bittersweet celebratory cocktails.

but you, you should definitely ride your bike to work.

while we're on the subject...i have a super fun event to tell you chicagoans about. help raise money for our city parks by joining 9,000 cyclists at friends of the park L.A.T.E. ride – chicago's only after-midnight cycling event. its saturday night (sunday morning) july 10th. cycle at your own pace, pedal along the lakefront, enjoy music and refreshments and even take home a goodie bag. register here to join the party!

now go ride your bike.

a contest to not pass up!

2010-05-19T06:33:00.000-05:00

do you like food? do you like wine?
of course you do.

would you like a chance to win two passes to the 2010 FOOD & WINE classic in aspen as well as a $500 gift card for travel purposes?
that's what i thought...

well i have just the contest for you.

plastics make it possible happens to be sponsoring that very contest. all you have to do is visit the contest page and leave a comment answering one simple question:

“how do you use plastics to create your favorite foods or memorable parties?”

it can be anything from your favorite plastic kitchen gadget or a fancy new cooking technique. be creative with your answers! links to photos and videos can only help your odds. i'm still trying to figure out how to make myself stand out. (yeah you better believe i'm entering!)

the contest runs through June 3rd. the winner will be announced the next day on the contest page. please see the contest rules and restrictions for more details.

good luck and if you do win...2 get two passes. so remember where you heard this first ;)

an apple crisp from the archives

2010-05-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

inspiration tends to strike me at the strangest of hours. when i should perhaps be settling into bed, i decide to bake my first loaf of bread or decide 2am is a perrrfect time to start cleaning out my closet. i'm not going to pretend like this is a new thing. for as long as i can remember, i've been wired as a night owl. it was quite useful in college but tends to work against me in this real world business where people actually function before 10am. not sure i'll ever adjust to all that...

alas, my sweet tooth reared its ugly head around midnight. i tried to quiet it down, but sometimes it's just better to give in and see what you can come up with. this time i called on the childhood archives.

besides a dependable chicken dinner, you could also count on a few desserts to be lingering around the stove from time to time. next to brownies, apple crisp was certainly one of them. of course with these baking ideas floating through my head long after mom has gone to sleep, i had to find my own version of her recipe.

really, what did people do before the internet?

apple crisp with almonds
(recipe credit to sillygrrl via the food network)

what ya need:
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup almonds
Pinch fine salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
4 medium baking apples

how to: (its so simple!)
1) preheat the oven to 375 degrees. lightly butter cooking dish.
2) whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds and salt in a medium bowl.
3) peel, core and coarsely chop the apples and lay in dish. scatter the crisp topping evenly over the fruit. then add pieced butter.
4) cook for about 30 mins. let cool for about 10 minutes (although i bet you'll be picking at it before that).
5) serve warm perhaps with a dollop of cool whip or scoop of vanilla bean.

at right around 250 cals a piece, this treat is definitely worth a little after dinner splurge. can't wait? no prob it will also go perfectly with your morning coffee. nom nom nom.

a PG-rated adventure

2010-05-17T23:36:00.000-05:00

sunday was gorgeous. warm sun, a slightly cool breeze and an unexpected early wake up that lead to worlds of productivity. it was also just perfect for an evening biking adventure with some friends.

we had a mysterious destination - a wooded path northeast of our familiar stomping grounds. we battled traffic, tried to steer clear of barreling buses and before long we found ourselves at the allusive path. while yes there was a short cemented path, it was highly outweighed by the treasure we found: a badass dirt bike track with jumps i was even a little nervous walking down. of course, the boys were more daring and i think rather impressed with their super sweet biking-jumping skills (or maybe them just not killing themselves) till some 12 year olds rolled in and showed us late 20somethings we needed to be on our way.

well played tweens. but we'll be back. this time with a real camera (your iphone can only get you so far) and perhaps a full suit of body armor.

on the way back a divey (looking) cuban restaurant spoke to our grumbling tummies. it looked like it had been hiding on this corner for decades, but once we got inside we soon learned we certainly the first to find this prize. its yelp approved, chicago magazine adored and highly zagated. yes, i think we'll stay.

i went with a house favorite (the lechon sandwich -- shredded pork, grilled onions and plantains) and really could not have been more content with our pit stop.

lesson learned: do new things. go on more random bike rides. and plantains are fantastic. okay i knew that last part but i appreciated the authentic reminder.

have you had any PG-rated adventures lately?

bread for dummies

2010-05-12T00:30:00.001-05:00

there are several things that terrify me: running a marathon, moving across the country alone, a life without wine...you get the idea. but believe it or not, baking bread happens to also be on that scared-y cat list.

however the other evening when i should have been getting ready for bed, i instead decided there was no better time to get friendly with some flour. yes i used the fool proof recipe from the back of a whole wheat flour package and yes it was basically effortless. what a welcomed surprise. just like so many of you had told me...

this certainly doesnt mean i'll be facing those other fears anytime soon (if ever). but maybe this is a little lesson in perspective? what may seem daunting and out of reach from afar might turn out to be sparkly and completely tangible up close.

oooooor i just baked some bread. you pick.

quick wheat loaf
yields about 12 slices, 120 calories a slice (and its DELICIOUS. sweet and savory!)

what ya need:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 1 can or bottle of beer (12 oz)

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

how to:
1) preheat over to 375*

2) grease loaf pan (ie: banana bread pan - the only other bread i have ever made)

3) in a large bowl mix all dry ingredients then add beer and stir until blended (this part takes a little bit of muscle)

4) spoon batter into pan and brush with melted butter

5) bake about 50-55 minutes

6) cool 5 mins in pan then transfer loaf to wire rack (or plate) to cool completely

7) enjoy!

now go ahead, top a toasted slice with a fried egg and start your morning right.

on your mark..!

2010-05-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

if you would have told 18 year old angie that one day she'd actually run "for fun" she would have likely laughed in your face, carried on about how absurd that statement was and maybe even hit a tennis ball at your head. but here we are ten years later, investing in running shoes, workout clothes (okay its also cause they are cute and pure comfort) and logging more treadmill hours than ever. that sassy teenager would never have believed her eyes.

but the truth is, now with the weather warming and me feeling lighter in my shoes - its time to get some "fun runs" and races on my summer schedule. two summers ago i did my first 5K and absolutely loved it. the running community is so vast and inspiring. it's certainly not surprising why these races sell out and attract the masses.

so where to begin?

for those of us in chicago, its easy. fleet feet offers several weekly "fun runs." their entire calendar is posted online. some of them are even just for women and others have events wrapped around them. best of all, they are free and when you track your miles you get points toward fleet feet gear. not a bad deal.

also on their site, you will find a comprehensive list of all the chicagoland races. it lists everything from walks, 5Ks, 10Ks to half and full marathons. most are themed, have been going on for years and are held on early weekend mornings. not being much of a morning person, the exceptions tend to catch my eye...

here are a few i'm excited about. join me!

• solider field 10 mile memorial day weekend - 7:30am 5/29 -- that also happens to be the day of one of my favorite street festivals and a highly anticipated rooftop birthday party. butttttt i suppose this run would be long gone by the time those beer-drinking celebrations started. 10 miles...yikes. ummmmm running buddies please step forward. there's no way i'm doing this one on my own.

• beachathon - 6/26 -- FUN! 9am start time, north ave beach -- its a 4 mile race with beach themed obstacles and a luau party at the end of the course. ummmm yes. this one is a MUST!

• run for the kids -- 7/15 thursday night, 6:30pm starts at solider field -- all i can think about is how hot it will be mid july. butttt its for the kids...

• elvis 5K -- thursday, 8/5 @ 6:45 -- this is also another must. its just a blast. besides, there's peanut butter and banana sandwiches and beer at the finish line.

• lung run -- 9/11 -- saturday 9am at montrose harbor

• then there's this guy. i've been considering the half marathon for some time now...buttttttt not sure i can swing 13+ miles just yet. my knees have been acting up, i'm quasi terrified and odds are i will conveniently wait to make up my mind till after the race is sold out. ha. and hey, maybe it'd be fun to train and travel somewhere to race anyways?

---
how are you staying active this summer? doing any racing? have any tips to share with me? i'm certainly still a beginner. and please join me if you are in town - especially for that beachathon!

beet it.

2010-05-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

when you make a salad at home that rivals one of the best you've ever tasted out...its time to share that recipe. even if its as simple as can be. what's that? you think you don't like beets? do me a favor. roast 'em and dress 'em up with a little culinary love and try again. perhaps your palette will thank you?

roasted beet salad -- serves 2
(inspired and just about copied straight from rebecca)

what ya need:
• 2 beets
• 1 orange
• 1/2 cup feta
• drizzles of balsamic vinegar
• a splash of olive oil
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste

how to:
1) preheat oven to 350
2) rinse beets, chop off ends, wrap in foil and place on baking sheet in oven for about an hour. (if you can slide a knife through them easily - go ahead just poke the foil - then they are good to go.)
3) let cool, rinse with cold water and slice
4) place beets on each bed of spinach
5) squeeze juice from 2 orange slices over each plate. then chop and add remaining orange pieces to salad along with the feta.
6) drizzle with balsamic, a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper

bonus: leftovers make an awesome lunch.
nom nom nom.

Biggest Loser: Month 4!

2010-05-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

well april has come and gone at a rapid pace. i feel like i was just at home for the holidays talking about starting this competition and here we are with only one month left. only four more "weigh in wednesdays." granted, my journey will be no where close to over, but our BL game will be. i have a plan up my sleeve that will start after our highly anticipated vegas celebration. details are still brewing, but i fully intend to be at my goal/happy weight come 2011. what i'm doing is working, slowly but surely - but it may be time to enlist a professional. we shall see...

this month i struggled with balance. the sun came out and suddenly there were too many calorie-laden events and few too weekend workouts. but i did get my sweat on 21/30 days, which on paper sounds pretty damn good. regardless, i'm only down 2 pounds from where i was 30 days ago. disappointed? nah. most of my wardrobe has to be replaced. so maybe toning was king this month? i even fit into my jeans from early college. those said jeans also went straight into the goodwill pile as they were grossly out of style. but! but! BUT they fit!

however, the impending debauchery of the summer does scare me a bit. us chicagoans don't get many months of outdoor playtime so we tend to try to soak up every ounce. baseball games, outdoor patios, days at the beach (cough cough castaways), BBQs, el fresco dining, weekend visitors, etc, etc - there's always a reason to eat and drink in lieu of the gym. there's no doubt balance will continue to be a challenge, but this is my year damnit.

i'm down 17 pounds!
wish me luck in these final 31 days. i have some money to win after all.
not to mention a bikini to rock...

weekend-ing in DC

2010-05-03T22:13:00.004-05:00

warm weather, walking and lots and lots of food. that was my weekend in DC. but sunshine, exploring a new city and a full belly will never have be complaining!

here are the highlights:

• dinner at birch and barley -- this was the perfect first stop. it was trendy, but laid back with a huge beer list and fantastic service. plus the food could not have been better. light, fresh and thoughtful. despite our full bellies (this will be a theme) we couldn't say no to the dessert menu. peanut butter tart with a vanilla/burbon mini milkshake and the cookies and confectioners plate, which included mini homemade versions of some childhood favorites. yes please.

oh and i had totally forgot i read about this earlier in the year. just yum.

• running tour of the city -- we were up earlier than normal for a saturday and took full advantage of our early bird status with a 2-ish hour run/walk around town. j was a great guide with awesome antidotes all along the way. as a bonus, we even popped in the smithsonian (which is FREE, as most museums are in DC) and checked out some dino bones, the biggest squid ever and the hope diamond. fun little pit stop.

• old glory BBQ -- while they are known for their BBQ, it was the spicy catfish wrap that caught my eye. besides forkfuls of pulled pork was just an arms length away. this was some traditional southern BBQ that highly rivals chicago's smoke daddy. their mac and cheese is a force to be reckoned with!

• shopping in georgetown -- what an adorable, bustling little neighborhood with each and every shop you can ever imagine. of course, we had to make stops at anthropolgie and lululemon. it would have been a shame to come home empty-handed. oooo! aaaaand...i picked myself up a pair of jcrew shorts that happen to be 2 SIZES smaller than my pre january size. holla!

• cupcakes! -- "famous" cupcakes? okay...twist my arm. the chocolate pb chip one was completely worth the 40 minutes we waited in the line that wrapped around the building. no really.

• a big win for the cavs! -- nothing like watching a game with someone from home. well aside from actually being at home. somehow we pulled out a win in the first game of the series with the celtics. hoping for a few less nail biters. however, tonight did not look too good...yikes!

• meeting heather! -- finally. we've been blog friends for years and i even introduced her to janiece when she moved to town. so we aligned our schedules and voila, it all worked out. so nice to meet you lady :)

• brunch at founding farmers -- you may remember this place from last week's post. everything about this place was perfect. from my meal (“red flannel” hash), to the creative decor and all the other inventive menu items, i was thoroughly impressed. helloooooo “banana fluffer nutter” and drinks made from freshly squeezed juices. its all local and organic and not in that annoying granola hippie way in the slightest.

great, great, long over-due weekend. janiece i adore you more than ever. don't ya just love when you have those people you can pick right back up with no matter how much time you have spent apart?!

thanks so much for everything.
and DC, i'll be back...

architectural artifacts: worth a visit

2010-04-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

certain things, experiences or people have the innate ability to leave a lasting impression. maybe its the first time you saw the ocean, or the distinct memory of your grandmother's laugh or maybe its just the intense comfort you feel around your best friend. whatever it may be (even if you can't explain it) sticks with you.

from the moment i stepped through the doors and admired the chandelier-covered ceiling, i knew architectural artifacts would be one of those sticking memories. you don't know where to even begin looking, besides away from the price tags, but i did know to get my camera out and document the wonderment.

enjoy the pretty pictures and if you ever have a reason to hang out in this space DO IT!

want more photos? no problem.

travel: straight ahead

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

in a few short days i'll be jetting off for a weekend in our nation's capital.

i have not visited DC since my 6th grade field trip over 15 years ago. then my priorities were more aligned with who i was sitting next to on the bus rather than appreciating the sights of the city. this time i have one my oldest friends as a tour guide and i couldn't be more excited for friday to arrive.

aside from obvious cherry blossom picture-taking, a visit to the local lululemon and a run around the city - no plans are set. however, i did come across this facebook fan page (like page?) of 365 things to do in DC.

here are some of their suggestions:
should not surprise you the food/drink related ones caught my eye...

• brunch at founding farmers <-- umm YUM!

• take in an early-evening drink at the top of the W Hotel. one of the best views of the city!

• arrrive early to Mr. Smith's Piano Bar and secure the small table just inside the front window. order drinks, request a song, and enjoy one of the most surprisingly fun places in the city. <-- i do love a good piano bar. anyone know the cheese factor on this place?

• spend a crisp spring morning at the dupont circle farmer's market. with over forty local farms represented, the market boasts an amazing mix of produce, jams, candy and other goodies. 9 am - 1 pm <-- sounds heavenly aaaaand right in the neighborhood.

clearly, i am just skimming the surface. restaurant, bar, shop suggestions PLEASE. things i like that may help you include: long meals, wine pairings, craft beers, good jukeboxes, live music, gelato, jewelry, fun thirfty/vintagey shopping, pretty things worthy of photos, food, food and more food, really good iced tea, people watching and general merriment.

it's grilling season!

2010-04-27T22:41:00.005-05:00

no one can deny the pure satisfaction of biting into a delicious burger. be it beef, turkey, veggie – or in this case, portabella – when it's done right you take note.

this beautiful mushroom cap was part of last week's CSA share. about a month ago i joined with one of my favorite foodies and each friday we get a box of farm fresh produce to share. (how fun and green of us, huh? shop local!) naturally, this has inspired several kitchen concoctions. but last night's was by far the simplest and tastiest yet.

all you need is a grill (yay for grilling season - although the oven would work just fine), some basic seasonings and of course, cheese.

what ya need:
• one portabella cap (remove stem)
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 white onion (another CSA inclusion)
• 1 handful of feta (very exact, i know)

how to:
1) clean portabella and cover each side in balsamic vinegar plus a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
2) chop onion and garlic (allowing vinegar to mix on plate is just fine, if not suggested)
3) put shroom on the grill (inside side down) and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes
4) flip cap and add chopped ingredients and cheese. leave for another 4 to 5 minutes.
--

easy as can be my friends.
yes i was talking about burgers, however i just ate it beside some grilled asparagus and mini pita bread. it would have been a sin not to soak up those juices.

happy grilling!

want:

2010-04-26T18:37:00.004-05:00

• to win the lottery
• it to be friday
• a friend for lu (in theory)
• my thighs not to rub together
• a fountain diet coke machine (in my kitchen)
• the cavs to win it all
• a whole new wardrobe (that fits!)
• a sparkling mom-just-cleaned apartment
• this gadget
• this life
• summer!

what about you?

GPOYW

2010-04-21T14:07:00.005-05:00

i had a really great weekend edition:
gay bars, fake siblings, a voyeristic sketch, an amazingly successful bake sale, serious zumba-style dancing (not pictured, try not to be too upset) and the scleroderma food fight.

things that are funny:

2010-04-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

• gak
• the phrase: be kind, rewind.
• this episode of seinfeld with elaine dancing
• the fact that i never repeated an outfit more than twice a year in high school.
• all the million flavors of jelly beans in this world
• my mom still having my rainbow bright sheets.
related, i still know every last one of those theme songs...
• frizzy hair being in style

okay, basically the 90s.

as if i needed another reason to skip town...

2010-04-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

this month's self magazine reports that 'an old-fashioned trip is the only way you can really recharge.' apparently one in three adults don't use all their alloted time off. need an excuse, i'm here to help or ya know, take those days off your hands...

here are their 5 excuses to travel:

1) you'll be fitter and slimmer. getting away helps reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to excess belly fat. being active on vacation (other than just raising a cocktail) will help you relax even more.

2) you'll sleep better. people who make a habit of engaging in pleasurable pursuits, such as taking a trip, catch higher-quality zzzs.

3) you'll live longer. women who go on two more more excursions a year are 8 times less likely to develop heart disease. allowing time to decompress can alleviate stress, which has been linked to cardiovascular issues.

4) you'll be calmer at work. using a higher percentage of vaca days for enjoyment, rather than life duties, can help people return to their cubicles feeling less overwhelmed.

5) you'll strengthen your bond. women who get away at least once a year are almost twice as apt to be satisfied in their marriage/relationship. hit the road together or apart, just go.

time to book a trip, eh?

but hey, maybe you could win one? they are giving away 20 spa vacations. just remember where you heard that when you're considering that travel companion ;)

this weekend: give back...with food!

2010-04-14T23:04:00.000-05:00

hey chicago friends there are two very special (food-related) events going on this weekend. why not get out, give back and eat up!?

first up is the national food blogger bake sale. come kick off the share our strength fundraising season at smash cake bakery, 2961 N. lincoln, this saturday (12pm-3pm). some of chicago's finest food blogs and bakeries will be there as well as a little help from those of us who just wanna pitch in. i made some rather tasty oatmeal peanut butter coconut cookies for the occasion. aaaaand i don't bake so you know this has got to be special...

next up - chicago's food fight for scleroderma. join us sunday night at the chopping block (in the merch mart) from 5pm-8pm to witness three chefs go head-to-head in a live culinary battle. all benefits go to the the scleroderma foundation and while you're helping the cause, nibble on the food, sip vino and mingle.

hope to see you this weekend!

Dove Visibly Smooth Sleeveless Ready Party!

2010-04-13T17:59:00.001-05:00

there's no denying my love for a good workout class. make it zumba and i'm even happier. add 10 girlfriends, free stuff and a themed party just for us...insert jumps of joy!

so obviosuly when i was asked if i would be interested in hosting a fitness centric event sponsored by dove including all those wonderful things, i instantly replied YES!

this past sunday we gathered at cheetah gym in bucktown for our private class with the wonderful haley stone and her partner in ass-shaking crime, julie steffen. we were promised a good workout and boy did we get just that. their energy was outstanding plus i absolutely loved the variety of dance styles and music genres they combined throughout. i'm used to go to these group classes, but its not often i am surrounded by good friends to giggle with in the mirrors. that, of course, made it that much more fun. i was basically in a state of sweaty hysterics the entire time and loved every moment of it.

want a taste of some of the songs we got down to? no prob, miss haley has a youtube channel devoted to just that. this rihanna routine was probably one of my faves. guess i can practice in my bedroom now no prob. and hey, so can you...

post dance party i think more than one of of us were grateful for our stick of wild rose deodorant and fresh tank to change into.

huge thanks goes out to dove, haley, julie and my lovely guests - jess, stef, katie, erin, maris, laura, leanne, leah, suz and kelly! such a fun way to get your butt off your couch on a sunday afternoon.
-------------------------------------------

now its your turn to benefit from dove's love. leave a comment and five random readers will receive their own stick of dove visibly smooth. contest goes through sunday (4/18) and winners will be announced early next week.

full disclosure: dove provided the the theme and tools for my sleeveless party - including: product samples (for party and giveaway), time with trainers and workout tops.

GPOYW

2010-04-07T20:32:00.004-05:00

we had a fake facebook relationship on saturday edition:
(mature, i know. also, highly entertaining.)
later that evening, we told the woman working at taco bell we were a couple. then proceeded to go on and on about how cute our babies would be. blankly and oh so seriously, she told us our children would be "average. yeahhh definitely average." so so funny.

also, big big happy birthday to this guy. love ya chad!

the one where we out-do ourselves...

2010-04-06T14:30:00.004-05:00

growing up easter was always celebrated with jelly beans, a slab of ham and my extended family. of course, from time to time i found myself poolside in vegas with a partner or two in crime, but that's what happens when spring break correlates so well. but for the last four years - my chicago family and i have been doing our own kind of celebration. its a tradition we hold close to our hearts and each year seems to out-do the previous.

per tradition - there was an easter egg hunt with the most clever contents to date. the alley egg toss started fine - albeit crowded - but turned into a bit of a yoke-y mess. me thinks next year we start that activity a tad sooner to avoid a repeat egg fight affair. there was an amazing dance party and hundreds upon hundreds of photos. also, a glorious ice luge was a welcomed addition to this year's festivities. oooh yes, surprises are a good thing...

without further ado, here's a taste of my easter:

already looking forward to next year!
thanks again to the kids on eddy for hosting and mr. dixon for the stellar pics.

Biggest Loser: Month 3!

2010-04-05T23:52:00.004-05:00

well we are halfway there.
three months through this lovely weight loss competition.

thankfully march was a little (just a tad) kinder to me than february. in fact, one week the scale moved more in those seven days than it did the entire last month. i think after three weeks of goose eggs my body was just ready to let go of some lbs. it seems to always work like that. you keep pressing along and fight NOT to get discouraged - cause hell, you DO feel great and you CAN notice some differences...and then right when you're ready to throw in the towel cause you can't lose another pound BAM down three. and like that, you're back on track and feeling good about things.

it's hard not to fixate on that number on the scale - when ultimately, it is the measure of your success. sure, you know better. just cause you didn't lose this week doesn't mean you failed. or more importantly should you discount your entire summer wardrobe being two sizes too big. yet, we place so much value in that number. how do you focus on losing without focusing on what you lose?

what i do know is i am down 15 pounds! i worked out 23 out of 31 days last month (that includes a 4 day vacation people) and i've been increasing my miles each week. friday night (like after work!) i ran 6 miles. i realize this may sound like chump change to many of you, but when you are used to three or four - six is pushing it! aaaand i felt like i could keep going. but there was dinner plans and a pup to get home to.

this month i'm gonna keep steady with my gym routine i've come to need and love. but now with spring warming the city there are going to be lots more runs/walks with the pup and bike rides (new bike arrives this weekend!) along the lake. it already feels so good to be outside playing in the sun and walking more places. ahhh yes, life is just a little easier with sun-kissed cheeks and the breeze in your hair...

april, you're a busy one, but i'm ready for you!
(as always, if you have any wise words PLEASE pass them along. we're hoping for another 15 gone come june!)

GPOYW

2010-03-31T00:57:00.003-05:00

me and the pup by the lake trying to take a decent photo version:

there are about 15 more out takes where these came from. little wanted nothing to do with the camera. but the sun was fantastic and just being by the lakefront again made me smile. ahhhhh summer will be here before we know it!

spring training - round 1

2010-03-30T17:31:00.000-05:00

in light of the birthday and getting back in town madness, i completely forgot to report on my long weekend in arizona for spring training with friends and family. i got to see the cubs and sox play with my friends and the very next day caught an indians game with the fam. one game was a bit more beer soaked than the other. i'll let you use your imagination. other highlights, winning $418 on the penny slots, spending a entire day in the sun, CVS tailgating, in-and-out burger and coming back from a trip *actually* relaxed! ehhhh perhaps any more details are stale at this point two weeks out. so pictures will have to suffice.

you better believe i'll be going back next year. its such a perfectly timed break from chicago's cold. not to mention, a BLAST!

sleep, bikes and anticipation!

2010-03-30T13:04:00.005-05:00

ever have one of those weekends where you get plenty of sleep, ample bursts of exercise and make 90% smart food choices - but you are STILL exhausted come the start of the work week? that is my life and i don't quite get it. maybe i'm getting too much sleep? or maybe i need to make myself stick to that to-do list instead of curling up with my book and nodding off hours before my "usual" bedtime? seems backwards. i'm sure its just a little funk. or maybe i'm fighting off a cold? either way, i'm over it. there are things to be done!

this weekend was productive and low key and completely necessary. friday was zumba, errands and whole foods sushi for dinner. pretty sure lu and i were tucked away in bed before midnight. not sure she appreciated her ball-throwing being cut short a couple hours, but that's what happens when you're the DOG.

saturday am i logged some solid treadmill hours and then headed out to meet stef to begin our day of bike-shopping! we visited just about every shop on the northside and were at it for a good 4 hours before we found our dream bikes. yes, they happen to be the same ones. we knew we were both searching for the same SORT of thing, but never did i think we'd end up with twin bikes. of course, they had to order my XS small frame from the factory, but stef got to ride her beauty home. i cannot wait to tear up the neighborhood this summer. life is just soooo much easier on two wheels.

sunday was that crave party i mentioned last week. a few ladies joined me and i will speak for the crowd when i say we were all relatively disappointed. it just had such potential and instead it was disorganized and lack luster. sure i got a free vitamin water, but that was about the extent of the perks. sorry, but "lululemon sponsored bags" should really mean more than the ACTUAL bag. but it the venue was stunning and at least my camera got a good workout!

how was your weekend?
i'm already itching for the next one. our annual easter egg hunt is saturday. without a doubt, this is my favorite tradition.
and this year, josh and i may have a little something special up our sleeves...

wellness is the word

2010-03-22T13:52:00.007-05:00

i've always loved a good sweat. whether its a competitive match of tennis or just logging some treadmill time - getting those feel good workout endorphins going have always been part of my life. however, maintaining a routine and sticking with it has not. life gets busy. you work long hours. you travel. you have dinners. you have happy hours. you have hangovers. before you know it, a week can go by and you have done nothing good for your waistline – besides burning a few calories giggling over wine and cheese-laden appetizers.

these past few months, i've worked hard to get back on track and make fitness a priority. i started a biggest loser competition among friends (as many of you know), i've become a regular at my gym and i'm cooking calorie-conscious dishes more than ever. along with those habits i've tried to instill in my daily life, i have been trying to find other ways i can stay excited about fitness when facing the standard gym routine seems daunting.

enter: CRAVE Bloom & Tone party - a wellness event taking place this sunday in the chicagoland area. the party is from 1 to 6 in ravenswood (just a block from the montrose brown line stop). registration is $25 and when you sign up you'll get an email asking you to choose four 30 minute class sessions to participate in that day. additionally, there will be mini-spa services, a pop-up lululemon store and healthy snacks available to you (along with lots more) throughout the day.

best of all, there are goody bags stuffed with lululemon loot. woohoo!

hope to see you there on sunday ladies :)
not in chicago? check their site...CRAVE parties are all over!

the final countdown

2010-03-14T22:14:00.002-05:00

did i do it? are those classic lyrics swirling in your head? yeahhhh it was pretty inevitable and good luck getting that tune outta your head. but i'm not here to talk about jams from the 80s.

i'm here to talk about MY final countdown to warmth, relaxation, friends and family. there's only three rings left on that paper chain of mine and i couldn't be more excited for thursday to get here.

oh yes, thursday afternoon i'll be jet setting to arizona for some baseball games and good ol fashioned 82 degree weather fun. a vacation is long overdue and with chicago's bipolar spring tendencies, it could not be more perfectly timed.

i'm just just three days of work and a big to-do list away from bliss.
<>

what are you looking forward to?

its always been chicken

2010-03-12T00:07:00.000-06:00

growing up there were a few things you could always count on. coors light in the fridge, mom asleep on the couch by 10pm and chicken for dinner. i would really love to know the number of chicken breasts i consumed living under that roof. even just in high school, i'm sure it was easily over 500. of course, i'm not complaining. you throw it on the grill and 7 minutes later you have dinner. with our family always running in a million different directions, its just about the only thing that made sense. granted, we had pasta on sundays and the occasional tuna noodle casserole here and there - but chicken was the staple.

fast forward to being out of the house for nearly a decade and what meat is the only one i consistently cook? you guessed it - chicken. however, i tend to get a little fancier than mom thanks to food blogs, dining out and foodie friends.

tonight's cooking adventure comes from closet cooking, easily one of my favorite food blogs. from the well lit photography to the ease of the recipes, weekly (if not daily) there's something i'm looking forward to trying in my own kitchen.

this time is was the roasted red pepper, pistachio and feta stuffed chicken caught my eye. of course, mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as his stuffed spirals, but the hell with how it looks, it tasted a-mazing!
--

what ya need:
• 1/2 cup feta (mashed)
• 1/2 cup pistachios (coarsely ground)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts (butterflied and pounded thin)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (i would have used normal paprika, but i actually forgot this part entirely)
• 4 roasted red peppers (i just used the ones in the can)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic (grated)
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)

how to:
(these are basically just copied right from CC - why fix what isn't broke?)
1. Mix half the feta, pistachios and olive oil until they form a thick paste.
2. Lay the chicken breasts out and season them with the smoked paprika and top them with the roasted red peppers followed by the pistachio mixture. Roll up the chicken around the filling and secure it with toothpicks.
3. Season the chicken with season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the oil in a pan.
5. Add the chicken, brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.
6. Place the chicken in a baking dish and bake in a 350F, about 30 minutes.
7. Add the wine to the pan that you browned the chicken in and deglaze it.
8. Add the chicken stock and garlic and bring to a boil.
9. Simmer to reduce by half.
10. Add the yogurt, feta, lemon zest, thyme and season with salt and pepper.
11. Simmer for a few minutes and remove from heat.
12. Plate on bed of spinach (or rice) and enjoy!

serves 2: about 400 calories/serving
--

i will be making this again. but perhaps not a night i am at the gym till 8:30pm. it takes at least an hour start to finish, which isn't exactly conducive to my growling feed-me-now stomach at that hour.

give it a try! this one's a keeper.

wine on wednesdays

2010-03-11T11:45:00.004-06:00

hey chicago foodies:

do you love wine? do you love when its perfectly pared with small plates in a stunning, trendy river north restaurant with incredible service? thought so.

i present to you - wine on wednesdays, brought to you by mk.

i've been wanting to try this for months, but it can be hard to carve out time in the middle of the week when you're trying to get your butt in shape and have a pup at home you need to get home to. alas, we finally made it work and holy hell was i impressed.

here is the menu for yesterday's experience.
but do note, this changes weekly and you can get on an email list to make sure you are taunted weekly. additionally they have 'beer on tuesdays.'
--

california's take on classic french favorites

2008 sauvignon blanc, cade, napa (loire valley)
red snapper, caramelized cauliflower, preserved lemon relish

2007 cabernet franc, lang & reed, north coast (chinon)
grilled breast of squab, hen of the wood mushrooms, braised red cabbage

2004 meritage, bernardus, marinus, caramel valley (bordeaux)
28 hours sous vide short ribs, glazed parsnips, cippolini onion rings <--- soooo good!
--

all for $25!

of course, we couldn't stop there. the last wine was so tasty we choose to have another glass and call it dessert. well, until they read us the desserts and we ended up with a trio of amazingness in front of us – as well as that said glass of vino.

but could you pass this up?
two bananas walk into a bar banana soufflé cake, toasted marshmallow fluff macadamia nut crumble, dark chocolate sauce malted banana ice cream

mad props mk. i'll be back.

smart series

2010-03-09T15:58:00.008-06:00

loving this project from paul octavious, a chicago based photographer who specializes in series work.

this set is titled same hill different day.
"For the past 2 years I have visited a beautiful mound of earth that I have come to call "the hill." Each time I have come to the hill a new story is told to me as if the hill is my stage and the locals are the actors in this daily play." - paul

pretty cool.
perhaps, especially cause i'm familiar with that very location...

this series The Things I Saw from JFK ✈ SFO has some stunning shots from the sky...

and his puffin clouds shots are just fun...

some of these would make great wall art huh? well, don't worry...he's thought of that.

there's lots to look at. go explore!

Biggest Loser: Month 2 Recap!

2010-03-04T22:41:00.005-06:00

today marks two months into my biggest loser challenge. the first month went incredible. i worked out and counted my calories and BAM - the weight fell off. i reached my 7 pound goal and went into february with high hopes of losing 7 more.

well, i didn't.

i amped up my workouts and continued to watch what i ate, but much to my dismay - the steady loss i had gotten used to seeing on the scale slowed.

this month i lost 3.5 pounds, half of my goal. when you're sweating your butt off 5-6 days a week and being mindful of your calories this is a hard fact to face.

what had i changed? where did i go wrong? am i setting my expectations too high? do i need to battle the vicious "plateau" already? probably not.

what is more likely/realistic/less OMGdramatic is that my body is adjusting and not as shocked by my workout intensity as it was the first month. i'm building muscle and maybe those two weeks where the scale barely moved i had a few too many martinis or was a bit too liberal with my calorie-counting?

i'm down 10.5 pounds after 8 weeks. while i'm not where i ideally wanted to be...the loss is certainly nothing to turn my nose up at. it's working...just a little slower than i wanted. i'm leaner and stronger and tuesday i got the nicest compliment from a stranger. a girl at my gym i had met 6 months ago and hadn't seen since stopped me in the locker room just to tell me "you look great!" that, despite the non-budging scale, made me smile. my body IS changing and hell, someone who could give two shits about me noticed!

the month of march is all about cracking down and getting this losing cycle back on track. maybe its time to change up the treadmill routine? add a couple more miles onto my week? add more intervals? try a new class? we are still 4 months from the finish line and i plan on needing a whole new wardrobe come summertime. better yet, i'm 2 weeks away from a long weekend poolside. time to focus!

do you (or did you) struggle with your weight? have you learned any tricks through the years to fend off the scary (perhaps inevitable) plateau? and what happens when you do everything right (food, change up workouts, no booze) and you still aren't budging the scale? i would LOVE your advice dear readers.

fun (food) finds - v2

2010-03-01T23:05:00.004-06:00

some people dread the grocery store. however, i happen to find wandering down the aisles a rather calming part of my week. i have my list and i know where the tiny cans of green chilis are tucked away. but i like to keep my eyes pealed for new products.

here are few things i've picked up lately:

• special k low-fat granola -- an easy breakfast or quick snack and relatively low in calories for granola. of course, its 'better for you' if you make your own, but sometimes there just isn't time for that. and when the box is on sale for $2, why not grab one?

• santa barbara roasted red pepper, corn & black bean salsa -- i found this jar of deliciousness a few weeks back. you may remember it complimenting my shrimp dish rather perfectly. the rest was scooped up by tostitos rather rapidly. if you can find it, i definitely recommend tossing it in your cart.

• vita coco -- all natural coconut water. its tasty and low in calories, though not the easiest to find in just any store. luckily, treasure island is just down the street and their shelves are always stocked. the one with pineapple is my fave. do try.

• special k crisps -- these may be the best damn thing i've found in months. they come two per pack and they taste like an adult version of a pop tart. and at only 100 calories, these have quickly become a staple of my cupboard. my afternoon sweet tooth doesn't stand a chance.

• smart & delicious low carb, high fiber tortillas -- not that i'm particularally watching my carbs, but when you can get a flavorful tortilla for 50 calories - i'm ready to give them a try. i picked up the green onion variety to complete my chicken tacos and they did not disappoint. i see several wraps and quesadillas in their future. olé!

• dreyer's slow churned light ice cream cups -- when it comes to treats, i think many of the experts can agree its all about your portion size. oh yes, moderation is key. then again, when is it not? so what better than single sized ice cream servings? don't be fooled by the "light" in their name. they will trick you into thinking you're being naughty. but when the carton is empty, you can go on with your life - instead of holding on to that spoon and finding yourself standing in the kitchen cradling a 2 gallon tub ten minutes later. these are not a new addition to my home, but one i strongly stand by. they only average about a dollar each - so pick some up, you'll thank me.

peace out february

2010-02-28T23:26:00.005-06:00

the month of february is never fun for anyone in the midwest. the cold temperatures have lost their luster and your need for sunshine aches deep in your winter wounds. tomorrow, despite being monday, i will gladly welcome march. march means spring. march means birthdays. march means hope. and best of all, march means i'm headed on a vacation in just 18 days.

so what did i do with my last week of february? new things!

taking full advantage of my weekday off, a few of us ventured up 103 floors to the top of the ~~sears~~ willis tower. in all my years living here, i'd never been to the top and now with the glass skydecks installed, it seemed like a good time to get a lil touristy. we got some cool pics and i'm definitely glad i did it, but once was plenty.

saturday a group of us took full advantage of one of the awesome little treasures of our city - the half acre brewery's tour. located just south of darling lincoln square, the tours are every saturday at 1pm. totally free (includes pitchers of beer they urge you to drink throughout) you get to walk through the warehouse and learn brewing process details straight from the owner. definitely a fun way to start your saturday afternoon.

after that, it was an inevitable few hours posted up at a local bar and lots of laughs with friends. an impromptu dinner and hangs with the pup followed. though low key, my morning was welcomed with a 'stop-mixing-booze-headache' and several necessary naps.

have you done any thing new lately?

let's...

2010-02-28T23:16:00.003-06:00

{via here, sorta}

today is just a day

2010-02-26T01:33:00.005-06:00

we all have ~~bad~~ shit days. our hair refuses to lay right, our to-do list never ends and that damn girl on the bus shoves you with her massive bag and you fall on your ass. or maybe you have a bit of break down and you are all OMGwhatamidoingwithmylife!? and find yourself crying in the bathroom at 2pm on a tuesday?

on those kinds of days, its important to remember its just a day. and in a few days (maybe even tomorrow) the clouds will part and you'll see the sun again.

till then, maybe you need a reminder that there are happier days ahead?

tonight i watched a mindless movie and made a paper chain counting down the days to my two sun-filled vacations. its hanging in my bedroom much like a 5th grader and for the next 105 days, will remind me to keep my head up. a reward awaits!

besides, life will figure itself out. it always does.

how was your weekend?

2010-02-22T23:25:00.004-06:00

mine was fantastic.

oh the things you overhear...

2010-02-19T14:25:00.003-06:00

woman 1: "so we've been looking for a bed...i finally found the one we want, but its only sold in NYC and its $900. that doesn't include a mattress or anything!"

woman 2: "yeahhhhh things are expensive..."

woman 1: "but then i found it on craigslist for only $500. so i called the lady. her first question was 'are you a christian?' i said yes, even though i probably shouldn't of, but i was totally caught off guard. she asked my name and she said, do you know that means messenger from god? you are the one who came to me in my prayers. i want to give you this bed free of charge. its god's will."
--

true story.

a laugh from lu

2010-02-19T10:44:00.003-06:00

ever have one of those weeks when OMG YOUR PUP WON'T EFFING SETTLE DOWN!? its all look at me! pet me! throw the ball for me! i never get tired and if you talk on the phone or try to go to sleep or try to do anything remotely productive i will bark at you until you give me your undivided attention? yeah well, that's been my week. princess lu has successfully made me insane this week. but all this energy has to equate to something remotely entertaining, right? right.

earlier this week i'm pumping some jams and gathering my laundry. exciting tuesday stuff over in boystown. whenever i do this, lu always watches me with confusion in her eyes. momma whaaat are you doing? where are you going? i don't have to go in my crate!? can i come run down the hall? is there someone here i can jump on? no lu. you stay put. i gather my things, close the door behind me and head downstairs to get this laundry party started.

when i come back upstairs i see something scurrying towards the end of the hallway. a rat? a cat? a ferret? oooh no, that's just MY DOG running free through the hallway while her owner is now where to be found. lovely.

once she sees me she knows she's in trouble and darts back inside the door. i guess i didn't close it all the way? or maybe someone was trying to sabtagoge me and let her out? she does bark a LOT. whatever the case, i firmly explain to her that she can't just go off running around the building unsupervised. i'm fairly certain she was rolling her eyes at me.

hours later, i come home from the gym. i'm walking down to my apartment, leafing through my mail, minding my own business - then BAM i nearly step in a pile of dog shit in my hallway. yes, the very hallway little lu was running through earlier. ahhhh yes, it looks as someone else was not a fortunate as me and actually did step in it earlier.

when i realize its MY dog's poo i gasp - look around to see if anyone has noticed we're responsible - and immediately grab the #2 with some junk mail. thank goodness for weekly ads from walmart i'm never going to use.

well, at least she keeps things interesting.

fun finds

2010-02-14T19:35:00.005-06:00

i haven't done one of these in a while and with a pile of magazine clipping laying on my coffee table, what's a better time than now to share some of these fun finds.

• looking for a new book? enter bookseer. just type in the title and author of a book you liked to see suggestions for other titles you may be into.

• see the connections between your habits and your health by tracking daily patterns with the carrot. you can monitor your workouts, diet, mood and sleep patterns (plus lots more) and run detailed trend reports. all for free – and no surprise, there's an app for that.

• ever wonder what color matches your personality? well here's a quiz to help. if you don't goog share with me, then this may be new to you. i was black -- "nothing can stand between you and your demand for a calm environment. to be free of conflict and disagreement is the only way to live...your ability to focus is undisputed, and while you enjoy attention, you still have problems understanding how to handle it. no other color lives by the golden rule as much as you do." -- but so were most of my friends. are you?

• the next book deal in the making -- hipsterpuppies.

• pretty things: fabrics, wallpapers and twitter backgrounds.

• one of the coolest uses of space ever. watch the video. i assure you its worth your 4 minutes.

• if you just want to kill some time and make yourself hungry in the process – make your own donuts here. while you're clicking, enter the contest. you could win 12K! i only expect a third of your winnings for the tip.

did you find anything fun lately?

fried chicken friday

2010-02-12T19:17:00.004-06:00

when you're in the process of essentially repositioning your life, you need to be clever. yes you are changing your eating patterns, but you can't completely deprive yourself of life's tasty treats – or before you know it, you're falling off the wagon covered in dirt and mcdonald's wrappers.

so when a cravings for fried food sets in, it's time to get those creative juices flowing. or more accurately, consult my starred google reader posts and/or pile of magazine clippings. last night's help came from good ol' women's health. faux-fried chicken? don't mind if i do...

i basically followed their easy instructions, minus the blender and plus a little horseradish in my dijon. i just put the cornflakes and spices in a baggie and smashed it all together with my fist. next time i'll cut back on the sage and maybe add a little fresh parsley? or some red pepper flakes to take it up a notch? bam.

--
faux-fried chicken
3 chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
3 tbsp dijon mustard (with horseradish to taste)
2 1/2 c cornflakes
2 tsp minced fresh sage (maybe just 1 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp BBQ for dipping (optional - but totally recommended)

1) preheat over to 400°F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. coat each piece of chicken with dijon mustard.

2. in a food processor or blender (or don't), combine the cornflakes, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. pulse to a coarse meal and transfer to a shallow dish. dredge each chicken strip in the cornflake mixture until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. serve with dipping sauce, if desired.

250 calories / Makes 2 servings
--

easy dinner and warms up nicely for leftovers. mmmm leftovers...

GPOYW

2010-02-10T19:31:00.001-06:00

so excited to be going to home bistro for dinner edition.

happy accidents

2010-02-09T23:15:00.006-06:00

some people are known for their good luck. oooh look at me, the perfect job just fell into my lap. what's that? a $100 bill on the ground. woohooo blackjack!

i am not one of these people.
i'm much more the type to be assaulted by a facialist, wake up to puppy shit in my bed or have a freak lip-swelling situation. so when happy accidents come my way, it's important to note – even if its just a cooking experiment.

thanks to the grocery store being completely out of lentils, i had to adapt my previous dinner plans. those jumbo shrimp certainly could not go to waste atop a salad or in something equally as mundane when i had such delicious plans in my head. so when i got home, i looked at my inventory and got creative.

friends, i bring you jumbo shrimp with a kick!
its super easy and crazy tasty. i couldn't quite believe little ol' me threw it together in just a matter of 10 minutes.

the fixings:
• 3 jumbo shrimp (i just used the cooked ones from the grocery store that were on sale - spent a whopping $2)
• 1 instant brown rice cup (i swear by these things)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 shallot
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 lemon
• flavorful salsa (i used santa barbara's roasted red pepper, corn and black bean)
• crumbled feta (just a little)

how to:
1) get a little oil olive warming in your frying pan, add garlic and chopped onion. cook until shallots are almost see through (2-3 minutes)
2) add chopped parsley, brown rice and a little balsamic vinegar - mix all together.
3) slide rice mixture to edge of pan to make room for shrimp and cook them for about 90 seconds on each side. (they are already cooked, just warming and infusing some flavor)
4) squeeze half of lemon juice on top of shrimp and rice.
5) plate food! lay rice down first, then stack shrimp and add salsa to top and sides of rice. garnish with feta and another squeeze of lemon.

enjoy.

like dog, like owner?

2010-02-07T17:06:00.006-06:00

apparently. lives in city, check. accident prone, double check. likes little miss sunshine, checkmate. at least i don't have a big nose.

this study is pretty funny to read. i'm sure you can find correlations to more than one person in your life.

gotta love the pups...
{thanks for the goog share billy}

Biggest Loser: Month 1 Recap!

2010-02-04T20:00:00.003-06:00

its hard to believe its been an entire month. 31 days of counting calories, making health conscious decisions and routinely getting my ass in gear. i've done more squats, lunges, push-ups and jumping jacks than i can even begin to count. i've logged miles on the treadmill, danced my butt off in classes and pushed myself when i didn't think i could. i did this 25 days out of those last 31. if i stopped tomorrow, i'd still be impressed with myself.

but i won't be stopping. ooooh helllll no. this is a competition after all! there is money on the line. but more importantly, there's weight to be lost and goals to be reached.

1) watch what you eat. write it down. plan.
2) get 7 hours of exercise in per week. seemed daunting at first, but i promise its totally do-able.
3) lose 6 to 7 pounds

this month i kept the goals relatively simple:and guess what?! because of 1 & 2...
i lost 7 pounds this month!

i feel stronger, lighter and more energized than ever. best of all, i know its only going to get better from here.

next month the focus is working on toning my arms. by the time summer comes, i'm going to be proud to show off these guns. they haven't been sculpted since my younger tennis days. its time.

so one month down, 5 to go! its gonna be a journey, a very sweaty journey - and i'm sure i'll need a little help along the way. a girl is bound to get burned out, plateau or completely fall off the wagon and stuff her face with late night pizza. when that happens, someone please remind me of this post and how good it feels to take care of yourself.

genius

2010-02-02T09:26:00.002-06:00

this would change my life...

i must throw the tennis ball no less than 200 times a day. if you've played with lu for more than a few minutes you know i'm not exaggerating. yes, if i had this puppy's energy i could do major world-changing things. i'll get back to you on what those might be but i totally could. also, i don't think there's a market for women in their late 20s who 'have mad hops' jumpping three times their height...but i could totally do that too. wait, do people still join the circus?

anyways, anyone know where i can pick one up!?
it'd make for a much more productive mommy.

iHate

2010-01-31T14:21:00.004-06:00

we get it. you're cute and tiny and oooooo soooo simple to use. well guess what apple? your new lil shuffle sucks!

is it too much to ask you to simply work? without fail, 20 minutes into my workout it starts freaking out. first the volume goes. then you can't skip songs. but worst of all, this robotic voice cuts in during each song OVER AND OVER AND OVER telling me the artist and song title. "juuuuuust da-aaance laaadeeee gaaaga." then it'll start skipping and get even quieter.

before i know it, i'm in the middle of my workout, legitimately angry and completely distracted. obviously, this is not conducive to my gym productivity.

yes, i'm surrrrre i could just take it in to the apple store (and i'm sure i will eventually) butttttt i've had enough and i'm ready to throw this thing in the trash. i really can't remember the last time i hated a gadget so very much.

anyone else have any problems with their stupid shuffle?!

thank you eblasts

2010-01-28T11:44:00.003-06:00

i'm really loving boden this season. i even have a page from their catalogue ripped out and hanging on my fridge. major coat lust. the rest of it just looks like pure comfort.

related: can't wait for their swimsuits to debut. yes, i know its january. but year in and year out they never fail me. perfect fit every time. makes me wonder why i even look elsewhere. come onnnnn summer!

bonus: they are doing 10% off and free shipping right now!
happy shopping :)

GPOYW

2010-01-27T12:46:00.002-06:00

i've always enjoyed my food edition:
(circa '83)

a beautiful mind

2010-01-25T19:58:00.002-06:00

its crazy the things people remember. it can be sparked by a song and instantly you can see what you're wearing, who you were with and how the air felt that day. or maybe its a smell? it reminds you of your grandpa who passed away over a decade ago, but just a little scent of old spice all the memories come racing back.

of course, its not the sensory driven memories that get me, its the random ass facts that we all (some more than others) store away. bar trivia is a great example of this business. it completely blows my mind the types of things you guys pull from the memory banks. seriously, you know the title of this 1970s movie from a 2x2 black and white still?

i can hardly remember to grab my return-able netflixs before leaving the house without putting a post-it on my door.

so imagine how taken aback i was when i was checking out at the grocery store yesterday and as my receipt was printing, the clerk asks if i want to play trivia based on what i studied in school. ummmm okay? graphic design. he then rattles off this question: "the term bit comes from two words put together. the first one being binary. what is the second word?"

ummmmmm whaaaaa? i made a guess. i was wrong. but this dude really just comes up with this stuff on the spot!? "are you a walking encyolpedia?" -"nah, i just have a crazy mind."

indeed.

do you know the answer?
(no cheating friends)

weekend wrap-up

2010-01-24T22:01:00.007-06:00

not even sure the last time i was inclined to do one of these wrap-ups. but 2010 has been stellar and there's no reason to keep it to myself.
--
the weekend was a marvelous mash-up of friends, food and fitness. the triple F, if you will. this year is allll about balance and i practiced what i preached for once.

friday night we took the night by storm and hit the ice rink at wrigley. it had been a solid 12+ years since i'd rocked a pair of ice skates. the most i can say for my performance is that i did not fall down. however, mr. joshua put on quite the show. just when we thought talk of leotards and triple axels were a joke, he emerges from the bathroom in a full black ensemble that showcased things not meant for children's eyes. his moves were questionable but entertaining none the less.

saturday began with miss lulu eating through her cone. apparently a week was plenty for that princess. we spent most of the morning being cuddlebutts on the couch before i forced myself to log some treadmill time. next it was off to rogers park for an evening of old friends, babies and bubbles! my glass was never less than half full, there was a constant flow of conversation, snacks and lots of photos + laughs. perfection.

then it was time to bid adieu to mr. harvard. it was a fun month but now i suppose its time for me to go back and visit the east coast. nevertheless, we'll miss ya buck.

sunday morning was an ambitious one. i was out of the house and ready to workout in the 9 o'clock hour. impressive if i do say so myself. but it was time to dance at a lululemon and as an added bonus, shop afterwards. the class was tough. i was a sweaty mess by the end of it and will definitely be trying another class at all about dance in the future.

despite TKTC's warning, much to my surprise and not long into my post-workout shopping - i got stopped by one of the lulu girls.

"are you the blogger from zumba!?" why yes i am. "we loved your post. it got emailed around to our whole district!" awwww.

i love the internet.
then, of course, we had to get a picture for their FB page.
related: they make me want to work there. you girls hiring? ;)

an armload of clothes later it was time for brunch. An obligatory champagne cocktail paired with having your workout checked off your list before noon - does not make for a bad morning. i will be doing this again next week.

how was YOUR weekend?

you should celebrate...

2010-01-23T14:55:00.002-06:00

its happy national pie day!

and its saturday. not being at the office is reason enough to be celebrating something.

tonight i'll be celebrating old friendships and new beginnings with wine and cheese. its not pie, but its definitely a tasty treat.

happy weekend-ing.

living with a cone head

2010-01-22T14:56:00.001-06:00

seven days ago princess lu went in to get her womanhood surgically removed. this momma wanted no part of 'girl put in heat' cleanup or her continued, excessive humping. plus, i wanted to make bob barker proud.

i dropped her off early in the morning and didn't get my baby girl back till around seven. not sure what i was expecting as the doc read me all the instructions, went over the antibiotics and explained her predicted temperament - but for whatever reason, i did not realize little lu would be banned to a cone head existence for the next TEN days.

"even when she sleeps?"
"ESPECIALLY when she sleeps."
oy. she is not going to like this...
"oh, also. no playing - no jumping - no running."
riiiiiiight.

the first couple of days were hard. i felt bad for her pathetic little self. she was all dopey, clearly uncomfortable and could NOT understand what in the hell was one her head. then princess started to show signs she was back to herself and operation 'get this thing of efffff off my face' begun.

she's clever. she goes places she knows the cone won't fit and just pulls. or spins it so the tie is in the front and if she jumps juuust right she can loosen the bow. see, clever.

she's been successful a few times. but then there's this weird separation anxiety paired with leaps of freedom. "its off! i win! wait mom, that's mine!"

after a week of living with my little conehead - i think she's finally getting used to her accessory. she's learned to use it to scoop up balls or stop them in mid flight and position her head just right so she can still cuddle and watch tv with mommy. but her scar is healing nicely. i'll be glad to see the cone go in a few days. its probably safe to say lu will be too, but only time will tell. i predict furious puppy laps around the apartment and hours spent under the bed just because she can fit again.

alt ctrl delete

2010-01-21T09:51:00.003-06:00

i can't believe there is a design summit blogging conference happening RIGHT NOW in salt lake city and i'm JUST hearing about it!

how fun. perhaps this needs to go on my wish list for next year...
not sure its quite as high on the list as type camp, but its certainly more affordable.

its the little things

2010-01-19T15:43:00.005-06:00

tuesdays. its no news i love tuesdays. but i think this week i needed it more than i even realized.

last week was a bit rough. my bruised face and awful facial experience showed that, but i powered through and i'm back to feeling like myself. perhaps even that adult version i was referring to just a few weeks ago. thank goodness.

i think this change of spirit began last night. i dragged myself off my couch at 8pm and went to a dance fusion class. its hard to argue with the little instructor's energy. before you know it the hour is gone, your abs hurt from more than just laughing and you are soaked. its an awesome feeling.

fast forward through household chores and enter wonderful tuesday morning. body blast and my love, zumba. sure the class was fantastic, but my favorite part is what inspired this post. after class, we're putting away our mats and i see a group of lululemon girls run up to one of the regulars in the class and hand her a lulu bag. they ask her if she's heard of their brand and tell her they got her a gift simply because she rocks.

a little background, this is an older-ish woman who most certainly dresses the zumba part and damnnnnn can she shake her shit. she's itty bitty and is often dolled up in leg warmers, leotards and totally owns it. the girls got her a new pair of lululemon leggings and it was just breathtaking how grateful and surprised she was.

those girls made her day - if not entire week - and made her feel so welcome. and all of that made me smile.

its the little things people.

it was going to go one way or the other

2010-01-16T12:27:00.005-06:00

its a simple fact of my life that things never go "ooooh so so." they are either ridiculously amazing or a effing disaster. so, as expected, my first experience getting a facial was not going to be an exception. there were two possible outcomes. OMG THIS WAS AMAZING I CANT WAIT TO GO BACK - or - CAN YOU BELIVE THIS IS MY LIFE LISTEN TO THIS FREAKIN STORY.

well, it was the later - and here is my story.

after a nice friday afternoon brunch with two of my favorites at one of my favorite places in the city, lis and i headed south to the aveda school to get our very first facials. i'll admit, i was a bit skeptical. not at the idea of a facial cause come on how can that not be amazing, but the idea of not having a 'professional' play with your face. but at less than half the price and no full-time jobs to speak of, we decided to suck it up and give it a chance.

sure, i had heard my full share of horror stories from the aveda school. but they mostly involved a bad trim or a cut resembling a mullet. people who had gone the spa route weren't as cynical. translation: stay away from the cheap haircuts, but i'm sure a massage or something is totally harmless at their nice discounted rate.

FALSE.

so we get there, fill out some paper work and everything seems very professional. thanks to a platter of breakfast-y foods, a bloody mary and some great company - i'm in terrific spirits. we take a seat and wait for our facialists(?) to greet us and start our treatment. lis gets called back first by a darling tall gay and i think awwww that will be perfect. then i sit. cute girl about my age comes out and as i just about stand, she calls someone else's name. oh.

then, seemingly from a cave where only trolls can fester, a overweight trashy redhead says: "angie?" oooooh yes, that's me. and this is my fate.

all goes well for the first five minutes. she's awkward but perfectly professional. maybe i was being too harsh? i joke around and pretend THIS IS FINE and then i tell her about my black eye and head gash situation. "ooooh that's no problem." so we proceed.

everything a facial is supposed to be, this was not. relaxing, calming, positive - all no. not when she's basically yelling like a truck driver, saying inappropriate things and constantly telling you how much better it is to go to salons. then she tells you how NICE YOUR SKIN IS about a million times and ridicules you for thinking its "a little on the oily side."

later on as one of the masks sits you don't know where she is cause she's being oddly quiet for waaaay too long of a time period, you are CERTAIN she's standing above you just staring, perhaps with a knife? then your mind starts racing and wait, you're supposed to be RELAXING but now you just know you are going to die with this peppermint infused mask on your face wrapped like a burrito in this bunk ass curtained off corner of a spa. THEN, she starts massaging my legs. i about vomit. not to mention, she was terrible. there was slightly more pressure than a soft rub, but barely.

then she starts talking about my eyelashes. whaaaat mascara do you use? oooooooh cover girl doesn't do that too MY lashes.

get. me. out. of. here.

there was more awkward rubbing, loud comments about things HER TEACHER JUST SAID (what?) and me just wishing away the minutes.

then when it was all over, i sat up and she was like "OH MY! you only have purple shadow on one of your eyelids!" "ummmmm NO, that's my BLACK EYE, remember!?" you've only been staring at it for the last hour!

i get dressed, fill out my comment card while she WATCHES ME and then proceeds to read it. so i give her average scores and just want this all to be over. she assures me lisa is already outside and waiting for me. oh really? then why is her coat still hanging on this rack? oy. finally, i pay, give a shit tip and wait for lis.

oooh and what do ya know, she has a big grin on her face and the first thing she say's to me is " i want to do this every week!" i bet you do. look at your wonderful gay.

we share stories and laugh at my ridiculous experience in strict contrast with her amazing one.

oh life.
(not even sure i did this story justice)

what font are you?

2010-01-12T23:49:00.000-06:00

i'm cooper black italic, according to pentagram. stupid answer, but kinda fun. (the password is character)

GPOYW

2010-01-06T16:00:00.000-06:00

san diego style - just about a year ago:

oy. can we go back?!
i'm over winter already...

buhbye chub

2010-01-04T23:51:00.000-06:00

so there's this show. you might have heard of it? it's called the biggest loser. i do believe season 9 starts tomorrow. timely with the new year and all. hmmm could that have been planned?

wanna know what else is timely? me rounding up some of my girls and us playing along ourselves. sure, we may not be going away to the ranch and working out 10 hours a day with bob and jillian - but damnit, we are going to make some changes - in our diets, in our routines, in our laying on the couch instead of working out business. it's down with the chub for once and for all!

there are set goals, before pics and some motivated ladies. we are "playing" for 6 months. june 4th, the biggest loser (percentage wise, just like the show) wins some serious bragging rights and the cash prize! sure it may be a whopping $120 but hell, that's not bad for taking care of yourself and beating your friends in a little friendly competition. the money is just a bonus, i think our tight jeans and numbers on the scale are more than enough encouragement to take control of this situation, finally.

today was day one. i kept my calories in check, made it to the gym for an awesome class and didn't even binge on the fancy chocolate my coworker brought in from rome. granted, its day ONE. of course my will power is strong now. let's just see how these next several months go. i'll of course slip up from time to time, perhaps on purpose with a few too many calorie-packed beverages, but its gotta be a lifestyle. that's the only way things like this work with any sort of permanence.

balance. its all about balance. its time to find it in all the layers of my life. this is certainly a great place to start. healthy angie is definitely a happier one.

good luck ladies!

anyone else jumping on the healthy train this year? it's the first week of january, so i can imagine its a pretty packed car. some years i get off early, but this time i definitely intend to stay on this ride to skinny land. i've never been there, but i heard it's nice...

word.

2010-01-04T19:50:00.003-06:00

being that it's monday - the first week of the new year - the first day of my biggest loser challenge with my gf's (more on this later) and after last year, this couldn't be more timely of a find.

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
- Andy Warhol

GPOYW

2009-12-30T11:09:00.004-06:00

new years eve: 2007 style

this was the year we finally got a clue and skipped the $70+ bar package. awesome house/dance party with my best of friends only to be followed by 2008's repeat affair at me casa.

this year will be much of the same, but with practically a whole new cast of characters. friends i've become closer to through the years and new ones who i'm so excited to spend more and more time with - and of course, its a puppy-friendly affair. there is also bound to be a heavy focus on the food, which you'll never hear me complain about.

i'll miss my standards whom i typically ring in the new year but 2009 has been all about change - so why not shake things up?

2009, what a ride.

2009-12-28T22:29:00.002-06:00

the older we get, the faster the years go. however, most of the time i think back and say "what did i even do with myself this year?" travel is my typical answer - oh and we have some traditions that always exist- and summer is always filled with fun beer-soaked events. but what did i DO? what did i LEARN? am i a better person 365 days later? did i keep any "resolutions"? am i healthier? did i take care of myself? make that change...

i know, how reflective.

but this year, i feel like i have finally made some progressive strides toward adulthood. most of it unplanned, some of it forced and all of it welcomed – once digested. responsibility has increased, confidence was jolted and there were days that i couldn't quite manage (read: buying a condo is more stress than i could have EVER imagined). but coming up on the new year, i'm feeling stronger, wiser and happier than i have in months, maybe years.

just to highlight the milestones: i have a new puppy, a new job and a new home. big BIG year.

i'm in a good place. i feel centered, calm and ready for the clean slate of 2010.
now we just need to work on this year's slogan...

coexistence

2009-12-24T14:57:00.005-06:00

there was certainly an adjustment period, but now they won't stop chasing each other around the house. aaaaand we can't stop laughing. the highlight has definitely been when coco was on her back and picked up little lu and held her over her tummy. i didn't get a pic of that, but i absolutely got some other ones...

this is highly entertaining, trust me.

we could only be so lucky

2009-12-18T11:56:00.004-06:00

me: well, nick lachey was the host

Carrie: nick lachey. hahah

me: i mean, this is the best thing he's done in years

Carrie: did he show off his sweet tribal arm tatts?

me: ha

Carrie: or sing UNA NOCHE???

--

what would we do with our lives without gchat?

"a little help from my friends..."

2009-12-15T10:09:00.007-06:00

sadly, i haven't seen an episode of the wonder years in well, years. but for whatever reason, i woke up with the theme song stuck in my head and the opening credits flickering by in their movie-like fashion. what was i dreaming about? winnie cooper's perfect hair? the young, studly fred savage? never know...

so i thought i'd get a little help from my friends this afternoon and share with you some timely and funny posts. maybe you've read them, maybe you haven't.

• the first one comes from on of my favorites - miss lisa. her and her hubby babysat my pup when i was in vegas and well, now they get it ;)

• next is a comedian from cleveland named narm. he often cracks me up, but today it was especially funny. this is the line that got me:
"Last night I couldn't get out of the couch to get the remote so I watched "What Not To Wear" for an hour. If I could have gotten the remote I wouldn't have changed the channel, I would have turned that shit UP. Give it to me straight, Clinton!"

• then there's the new chicagoan: maris. her and i had quite the adventure with spiced wine that tastes more like warm vomit than much else. but she's giving you lots of other cocktail suggestions for the holiday season. cheers!

• last but certainly not least, dear chris. you may remember his antics from when his "surviving myself" days, but he's back from his hiatus and taking tumblr by storm. and today's post involving the duggar kids tweeting - awesome.

thanks friends :)

impromptu stir fry

2009-12-14T21:14:00.007-06:00

weeknights can be tough. you sat at your desk all day, using your brain or maybe just clearing your reader for 8ish hours. if you're me, you've been snacking at things in your desk drawer all day and have just about burned through the battery on your ipod. most nights you try to go to the gym, but happy hour and/or other social outings often seem more appealing.

it's hard to stay motivated and be productive after five, let alone come home and cook a balanced/healthy/tasty/decent dinner. i think that's why many of us stock our fridges with lean cuisines or other frozen delights for those off days.

however, sometimes you want something fast, easy and hot (twss) - but not *totally* processed.

in that light - 'impromptu stir fry' was born.

what you need:
• a frying pan
• a cup of brown rice (i like these cups that you toss in the micro for 60 seconds)
• 1 egg
• 1 package of frozen green giant veggies (i love these immunity blends. cooked broccoli, carrots, yellow and red peppers in a light buttery sauce)
• soy sauce (low sodium is what i always have in my fridge)
• fresh carrot straws and green beans (optional)

method:
heat pan to medium, add cooked rice, stir and let crackle a bit - add just enough soy sauce to coat the rice. whisk egg in dish as if you were going to scramble and dump in with rice. allow egg to get scrambly texture, add fresh veggies, stir. add cooked veggies and a little more soy sauce till everything is seeming to blend together.

total cook time: 7 minutes. easy peasy.

it could easily feed two, but i tend to stuff myself or save half for lunch if i'm good. after two blue moons and an 8:15 time dinner - you can go ahead and guess what i did tonight...

smiles, giggles and full belly laughs

2009-12-10T13:15:00.001-06:00

here are a few things responsible:

• boy trying to handle both a big jumpy puppy and heaping bag of takeout food. priceless.

• million dollar quartet - the guys were really talented and it was highly entertaining - and best of all, my boss hooting and hollering at "the cute one" cracked me up.

• running up and down the block with lulu. homegirl does not like walks. yes, she IS a dog. but often, princess ~~prefers~~ insists on being held. i tricked her by heading towards home, which she always gets excited about and wants to lead the way. i was running at full speed and my little thing was still ahead of me.

• half off several things. thanks groupon!

• recounting the vegas stories and the hilarity and irony of this video.

• checking all my xmas gifts off my list. now comes the wrapping...

• me falling on my ass in the restuarant saturday night. additionally, me grabbing a waitresses ass and dude's shoulder to break my fall.

• homemade, delicious red pepper risotto.

• zumba (duh)

• my espresso machine that i have become uncharacteristically addicted to. frothy beverages are now at my fingertips! this is a wonderful thing.

• only having 6 working days till i go home for the holidays. woot.

what's making you smile?

kids, they grow up so fast

2009-12-10T09:51:00.004-06:00

my little lulu is just a few days over 5 months old. seems like yesterday i just brought my little ball of energy home. she was maybe two pounds and couldn't be more snugly and adorable. then she was a royal pain my ass for a while.

since, she's learned to pee and poo outside - sleep longer hours - find her ball (by name!) - graduate from puppy school with her winning spin move - and as of yesterday, run up the stairs! wait, stairs? she generally just stands at the bottom of them and looks up at me with longing eyes of helplessness...

i get home from work yesterday and skim the note left from my dog walker. typically it says the same things. "lu refused to walk - hated being outside in the cold - wanted to be bffs with all the other dogs and then ran towards home and played with her toys with loads of energy till it was time to go back in her crate."

but yesterday, the note casually mentioned she ran up ALL the stairs!

seriously, this must be what a mom feels like when she misses her kid take his first step. my baby ran up the stairs unprovoked and without hesitation and she did it all by herself. my itty bitty puppy is getting to be SUCH A BIG GIRL.

i'm looking forward to taking her home for the holidays to meet miss coco - the ruler of my parent's house. this big girl thinks she's a person, especially one that should be on your lap. AT ALL TIMES. despite her massiveness.

related: she hates all other dogs. lu, on the other hand, looooooves everyone and anyone, especially big dogs. soooo yeah. this dynamic will surely prove to be an interesting 5 days.

oh puppies...

wish list

2009-12-08T15:30:00.003-06:00

no idea what santa has in store for me this year.
but he could start here :)

1) a new watch. i've been rocking the same brighton one since '02. i think its time to have something to switch it up with. i fell in love with it at art effect last week and then last night, it was featured on entertainment hollywood or one of those terrible shows - so clearly, its cool.

2) fun envelope labels - yes, really.

3) The Visual Miscellaneum: A Colorful Guide to the World's Most Consequential Trivia -- pretty info graphics book. yay!

4) echo touch gloves - its mighty cold out there and sometimes you just need to be on your phone. maybe its cause you're addicted to checking twitter at the bus stop or email while you are walking home from the gym, or maybe you just don't want to take your gloves off to make a call. whatever the case, i want.

pretty pretty

2009-12-06T23:57:00.004-06:00

in spite of the bitter cold (and my winter-hating self) - montrose beach was looking quite beautiful this afternoon. as my crappy point and shoot doesn't quite do the scenery justice, you'll just have to take my word for it. but as an added bonus, we caught the pink and very quick sunset.

badass biking

2009-12-06T17:46:00.005-06:00

cyclists, rough terrain and utter mockery - that's what my sunday afternoon was full of.

today i experienced my first cyclocross race and let me tell you, it was so much fun. sure it was freezing, but when you wear ten layers, wrap yourself in a blanket and cheer on those falling fools - it almost makes 30 degrees seem bearable.

until a few weeks ago i didn't even know what dave was saying when he said he was starting to do these new kinds of races. even today i had to have lisa spell it for me. granted, with my spelling history, i'm not sure that is saying much. but when i heard it was this basass biking/racing/running thing and dave was doing well in it, i knew it had to see it for myself.

so today was the day and damn was i impressed and thrilled to be there. nothing quite like heckling the riders on seemingly one of the toughest turns/hills of the race. we saw some great falls, great costumes and great riders more than willing to accept whiskey shots and/or PBRs before and after those wicked turns.

it was the last race of the season, but you better believe i'll be going back for more cheers of mockery next year.

well done dave!

GPOYW

2009-12-02T10:15:00.001-06:00

what i'm thankful for edition:

zumba 2.0

2009-11-25T15:29:00.001-06:00

a while ago i told you about a new love of mine, zumba. since the jump, i've only fallen deeper.

thanks to a more flexible schedule than typically desired (yay for working three days a week?) i am able to attend a class tuesday mornings. that, coupled with an awesome body blast class beforehand, is easily the best 90 minutes of my work week. i laugh, sweat my butt off and leaving feeling inspired and often grinning.

i ~~think~~ know the darling instructor kevin has lots to do with this - but just imagine if you felt like this everytime you left the gym? how could you have any excuse to not go? and why would you want to?!

trust me, there's nothing like 'getting low' and shaking your booty before noon. in fact, i recommend it.

BYOB(utter)

2009-11-25T08:22:00.000-06:00

comfort food, a couch and a nap was just about all i wanted after some glorious wedding festivities a few weekends ago. alas, there was only time for lunch. so i settled for a chain restaurant and hilarious hungover recollections of the previous night with my bff. thanfully (this time) suburbia can be so dependable and since we had NO idea what we wanted, we opted for the cheesecake factory where they have a 20 plus page menu of everything. ya know 3000 calorie salads, meals large enough to feed three people and an overflowing bread basket. delectable little devil. but after shaking it on the dance floor the entire night before, we ~~earned~~ needed it.

the thing is, you know what you're getting yourself into the moment you set food in the place. you can pretend to watch your calorie intake, but frankly, it better be about the dining experience and/or your company cause you aren't doing your body any favors. But! that's okay. you're are there. enjoy it. order the salad minus the fixings or don't.

so we settle in, order the exact same meals (that we should have just shared) and begin to recount the night.

not long after we order, two twenty-something girls sit down, also laughing about their night. one has the most darling haircut. short, shapely, trendy. kinda like the bob's cool older sister. i considered snapping a photo, but noting the promixity of the tables - i restrained. despite their closeness, i didn't pay much more attention to the girls till their bread basket arrived and i noticed 'cute hair girl' digging in her bag and pulling out a family size bottle of 'i can't believe its not butter' spray. i stare. i look at pam. i look again to be sure. yep, homegirl brought spray butter to the cheesecake factory.

then they screw off the top and dump it on their plates. ya know, so they can dip their bread. WHAT!? how about just dont use butter?! and how long has that been in your bag? do you bring it everywhere? ahhhh. i can only imagine what my face was doing. thankfully my bff caught on and shot back an equal 'WTF?!' look.

then their meals come. what did 'cute hair girl' get? oh, a side of steamed veggies and scoop of white rice which she combined and proceeded to pour the spray butter all over it.

pam and i lock eyes, smile and simultaneously take big bites of our crispy chicken sandwich.

homegirl, it does not say BYOB(utter) on the menu.

oooh its so time to go. we take a little stroll around the mall, get some coffee and head back to her car. we look up and sitting on bench are those two spray butter dumpers...flossing their teeth!

i looked at pam and say, "get me out of this place."

my kinda town

2009-11-24T19:58:00.004-06:00

vegas oh vegas. how i love thee. i really do wonder if the excitement buzz of that glorious place will ever wear off. friday we were sitting in the sunshine, eating lunch, sipping champagne (which most certainly tastes better there) and i couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face. that moment is exactly what life is about. friends, laughs, warmth and just soaking it all in. winter, please don't smother me and make me forget that feeling.

vegas might not be for you – but its absolutely for me.

where's your happy place?

GPOYW + bff

2009-11-18T15:15:00.003-06:00

wedding edition:
a little sweaty and a lot happy in a very pretty borrowed dress. i've never gotten so many compliments in a single night in my life. apparently its time to bring more blue to my wardrobe. noted.

rappers delight

2009-11-16T15:12:00.003-06:00

yeahhhhh i'm gonna go ahead and classify this under 'things you MUST watch' category. you're welcome.

{thanks kev}