Where I'm From

One of my favorite blogs, Yes and Yes, recently posted an ode to the Twin Cities, her hometown, and asked the question, "What do you love about your hometown?" I've done stints in Ann Arbor and New York City, but I've lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan longer than anywhere else in my adult life. You know what, it's pretty cool and getting cooler every day. Here are some reasons why I love Grand Rapids, it's Where I'm From:

Wednesday Evening Bike Rides. Riders of fixies, mountain bikes, regular road bikes or cruisers are all welcome to join up with fellow bikers on most Wednesday evenings for a ride around our fair city. It's an awesome feeling to ride on a warm summer evening with 100 or so other bikers. It's also a great way to meet new friends, see some sights and get some exercise.

Wednesday Evening Bikers Gather

ArtPrize. I wasn't sure what to expect last year when the world's large$t (the top prize in 2009 was $250,000 and it went to Brooklyn painter Ran Ortner for Open Water no.24) art competition determined by public vote was announced. What ensued though, was an amazing event that literally had art blooming all over Grand Rapids, discussions about art amongst friends and strangers, and this truly infectious, captivatingly cool vibe swirling about. I can't wait for ArtPrize 2010, which begins September 22, 2010 and runs through October 10, 2010.

New Century Dance Company, ArtPrize Award Ceremony Performers

"Nessie on the Grand", Top 10 Finisher

"Salt & Earth" Installation by Young Kim, winner of UICA Curator's Choice Award

Ample opportunities to get physical. Biking? Check. Hiking? Check. Running? Check. Grand Rapids is home to the country's largest 25k road race and a host of other races throughout the year. Sailing? Check. Whether you want to sail a small boat on a lake in the city or go big, Lake Michigan is just over 30 miles away. Rowing? Check. Rugby? Check. Roller Derby? Check. Dancing en masse outside to Electronic Music? Check. The Y? Check. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Hiking at Townsend Park (one of my favorites!)

Dancing Crowd at 2009 Grand Rapids Electronic Music Night (I was out of town for 2010 GREMN!)

Farmers Market. Saturday mornings in Grand Rapids mean a trip to Fulton Street Farmers Market. Grab a cup of coffee, some cash and your market bag or basket to scoop up all the locally grown fruit, veggies and other assorted goods you can handle in a market where you're just as likely to run into an old friend, (if you're from here) as you are to make a new one.

Affordable Housing. According to a May 2010 study by the National Association of Home Builders, Grand Rapids ranks near the top of the list of the most affordable major metro housing markets. I'm well into my mortgage and am paying less per month than I would if I tried to rent a home of similar size near my neighborhood.

Balance. This town has more churches than the average town, yet we are also the proud home to a troupe of performers called Super Happy Fun Time Burlesque. How's that for balance? Kent County traditionally votes red, but Grand Rapids itself tends to elect Democrats. Everyone can do their own thing and some how for the most part it all works out for good.

If you're also proud to call Grand Rapids your home, what do you love about it? If you're living somewhere else, tell me about how cool your city is!

Lovin' the Quinoa

I recently spent some quality time with my family on vacation. Besides catching up with everyone, one of my favorite things is getting food inspiration. Everyone in my family loves to eat, cook and share recipes. I was born into the right family! My brother D and his wife U are into quinoa. U made a yummy quinoa salad while we were all together (must get that recipe!). It inspired me to find a recipe so I could try it out on my own.

I dug into my cookbooks and found a Black Bean Quinoa Salad in My Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites cookbook that combined many of the ingredients I already love with tasty and nutritious quinoa. Done deal. I changed the recipe a bit based on what I had in the kitchen, to simplify the preparation and to suit my taste, so here's my version:

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

1/3 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 tsp. veg or olive oil

juice from one fresh lime

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

handful finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tblsp. finely chopped onion

1 -15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10 oz. can diced tomato with jalapeno (drained)

3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced (in total you want about 2 cups of tomato whether you use one can and fresh. If you use all fresh tomatoes, add some hot pepper of your choice for a little heat.)

1 diced red pepper

salt & pepper to taste

lime wedges

Rinse the quinoa well under cool running water - I had to use a bowl and just drain the water out several times since the dry quinoa would have gone right through my sieve! In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer on low heat until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Combine black beans, tomatoes, peppers, onion and cooled quinoa in a medium to large bowl. Combine the oil, lime juice, cumin and cilantro in a smaller bowl, whisk together and pour over salad mixture. Combine thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with lime wedges. Serves 4. Enjoy!

If you have a favorite quinoa recipe, please tell me about it. I'd love to try it out!

Notes on Vacation

I just got back from an extended family vacation in Marquette, Michigan. With family roots in Marquette, I've been making the trek north almost every summer since I was born. This year was the first time in about two years that both of my brothers and their families were able to make the trek from out east, plus we had many more family members in town than usual. It was so excellent to see everyone. Here's a little post about the fun I've been having...

Hello nature! Marquette has so many beautiful natural views and great nature escapes. We hiked up Sugarloaf Mountain, I ran several times along the Lake Superior shore, we swam and beached it at Lake Superior - the water was actually VERY warm. If you know anything about Lake Superior, you know this is not something that

happens frequently!

Overjoyed about the fact that I got to spend so much quality time with my baby niece who is only 7 months old. She's amazing! The entire family would sing her favorite song when she started to fuss a little. She'd perk right up and smile when we'd sing to her. So sweet! The family sing-a-long was caught on video at one point while I was holding her. I cannot wait to see that!

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One of the best things about vacation is having unstructured/unscheduled days. There were plenty of opportunities to catch a little sun and cool breeze in the hammock or on the beach, sleep in and then stay in one's pajamas longer than you would or could on a normal day, play with my nieces and nephew. One day this week, literally, the most pressing chore of the day was getting ready to go out in public for dinner.

So many desserts, so little time. My mom makes a mean strawberry rhubarb pie. There were also a variety of brownies, including cream cheese brownies and regular. Macaroons! Other cookies. A spicy layered fruit dessert that involved pudding, whip cream and nilla wafers. A frozen pistacio dessert that my grandma used to make. And mini chocolate cupcakes. It was pretty ridiculous, definitely vacation-only type eating!

Lots of dogs. In all seven dogs. Newest dog memebers of the family include my cousin B's Vizsla and my cousin J's Jack Russell (pictured below). Makes me want a dog!

Whenever the family gathers together, Mehndi has been a family tradition ever since my sister (in-law) M joined the family. Such a great way to chill and have a bonding experience with the ladies in the family, plus you have a very cool reminder of the time together right on the palm of your hand!

I've seen Inception twice now and you should go see it if you haven't already. I loved how layered the movie is and how much discussion you can have about it afterward. Best movie I've seen in a while.

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It's definitely better to do a longer vacation than a shorter one! Re-entry into real life is going to be a bit difficult though. I've only been home for a few hours now and I am already feeling a little bummed out about being home and knowing that it will be a while before I'll see that much of my family together again all in one place. Great times, great family! I'm so lucky!

Camp

The middle school I went to sent all its 5th graders to overnight camp. It was a three day, two night (from what I remember) adventure in the wild. Well, "wild" might be a stretch, but it was an adventure!

We stayed in cabins that were rustic. We made food in tinfoil packs over a fire. We made walking salads. Want the recipe? Take one lettuce leaf, spread a smear of peanut butter, sprinkle with shredded carrots & raisins. Roll, eat and enjoy. We did some sort of course through the woods that encouraged us to use senses other than sight. I believe we did some canoeing and campfiring. I do remember that it rained and that there was a cabin called Stargazer. Other than that, the details are a little sketchy. It was a loong time ago, all right?!

My two favorite camp movies are The Parent Trap, (the Haley Mills version, of course!). I love all the scenes at the camp and the camper hijinks. And really, how can you not love the whole, "What do you mean I have a twin I never met? Our parents are both still single? We should trick them into getting back together."

and a little known movie called Indian Summer, where adults who went to camp together as kids get together for one last stay at their summer camp located near Canada's Algonquin Provincial Park. If you haven't seen this movie and you have a love for camp, you should check it out.

Did you go to camp as a kid or maybe you were even a camp counselor? Do you send your kids?

Perfect Summer Afternoon

One of the fun, stylish blogs I follow, What I Wore is hosting a contest sponsored by Coach and Polyvore. Here's the gist, just create a look on Polyvore featuring Coach's new Poppy fragrance and post the link in the comments of the What I Wore contest entry. Up for grabs is the fragrance itself and a some Coach swag worth $498. It's been awhile since I've played in Polyvore, I was feeling inspired and who doesn't love a chance to win a fabulous prize. If you're feeling equally inspired, go make your own set. Contest runs through July 21, 2010. Here's my set:

Perfect Summer Afternoon by *fish featuring Coach bags

Sleepin' In Summer

I love my sleeping mask for weekends in the summer! If the cats were allowed in the bedroom and if I had perfect hair, this is how I'd look when I slept during the summer - minus so many blankies, unless the A/C is on. Is there anything Audrey did that wasn't glamourous?

The bedroom gets Eastern sunrise sun and lots of it, so if I ever want to sleep in past sunrise I have to don my trusty sleep mask. I was a bit dubious at first, because who actually uses those? For real? Yeah, for real, it works! I tried it out of desperation and lack of early morning sleep and have been quite happy with the sleepy results.

Sun got you rising before you want to? Try on a sleep mask and you too could be slumbering away long after day break! Just thought of you folks with kids or barky dogs, I don't think there's a mask that allows you to keep sleeping after they've been summoned from their slumber in the morning. Sorry!

Today's Catch

I found a crumbled $5 spot on the floor while grabbing an iced coffee this afternoon at the company Starbucks. I gave it to the lovely barrista who knows all her regulars - figuring she'd know who had just been there before me. I'm hoping the $ gets back to its rightful owner.

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I love the Pure Michigan ads on the radio (they're on tv and online too, but I usually only hear them) narrated by Tim Allen. They are really well written, captivating even. If you're from the mitten state you know how well they've captured the feeling of vacationing/visiting our special state. If you're not from here - check out the ads, then come visit and see what you think!

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Procrastination. Why do you eff with me sometimes? I hate you.

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Ever go to the car mechanic and think you're just in for something simple and then it becomes the car equivalent of The Money Pit? That didn't happen to me today, although the potential was there. Whenever the VW is close to needing an oil change, it basically yells at me until I get one. This scary oil pressure warning light comes on whenever I'm driving through loopy turns (think loopy highway exit ramps). It actually says STOP! Then the check engine light comes on. I don't stop because I know it's not the end of the world, but the first time it happened, I freaked out! I told the dude at the dealer that the light had been coming on again and he said they'd check it out. Turns out I was right, the VW is just really particular about getting its oil changed!

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Guilty TV (hulu.com) pleasures lately - The Bachelorette and Losing it with Jillian Michaels.

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Do you have a dermatologist? Do you visit often? I went this week for the first time in years just so she could have a look-see at my 30-something skin. What's up with a bit of what I don't want to call "age" spots? How about sun spots? Apparently, yes, my fair skin does have a bit of sun damage. Crikey! All the more reason to stick to my Arbonne lotions & potions and up the sun screen factor on my face!

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Here's where I tell you something completely nerdy about me - I bought a new dehumidifier this weekend for the basement and it's amazing how much water it collects, seemingly out of thin (actually thick) air! Yep, I'm stoked about an appliance and it's not even one of the sexy kitchen appliances that people get excited about! The old dehumidifier had been running constantly for years and it finally lost its magical dehumidifying powers, leading to a clammy basement. This new one made the basement feel better in just a few hours. Dry basements are where its at, yo!

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Is there anything better than going to bed early? I'm headed there now. I almost fell asleep before going to the gym tonight (way too hot to run outside tonight!) so I'm feeling the need for some extra zzzz's! I hope I get lucky and have some cool dreams. Good night!

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

I blogged a while back about wanting to try some new recipes this summer. A new, adventurous salad was on the list. I bought one of those cute mini seedless watermelons (so cute, right?) this week and decided to try making a salad with it. I had seen several different recipes involving watermelon, feta and mint. They were all slightly different, so when it came down to choosing I ended up using different elements of several recipes. I wanted to keep it simple and involve the fewest ingredients so the flavors would burst through.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

1/2 mini watermelon, cubed

8 oz feta cheese

hearty bunch of fresh mint, cut into ribbons (chiffonade)

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

olive oil

white pepper

Cube the water melon and place in a bowl, add the feta cheese. For the dressing, I combined probably a touch more than a 1/4 cup of balsamic, and just a bit (probably about an 1/8 of a cup) of olive oil in a bowl with several grinds of white pepper (black pepper would probably work just fine too). Once whisked together, pour the dressing over the watermelon feta mixture. Chiffonade the mint and add to bowl. Mix in most of the mint and gently combine everything and save a bit of the mint for a garnish so your dish looks pretty before serving.

Overall this is a really simple recipe to make. Chopping the watermelon was the most time consuming part of the process and it didn't really take that long. You could also use a melon baller, which may make the process of freeing the rind-locked melon go more quickly. Plus you get to call yourself a "baller" while doing it!

I took the salad to A's 4th of July gathering. (A- we had so much fun with y'all! Thanks!) I really liked how the flavors tasted altogether - absolutely love the mint- others may have not known what it was all about. It seems like it has the potential to be one of those salads you start seeing at every summer gathering since it's so easy, but I think the look and idea of the flavors has yet to catch on as a mainstream go-to pot luck staple. Give it a try if you're looking for something a little different and absolutely refreshing to do with watermelon. I just ate some as a snack and it's still delicious the day after. It does get a little juicy the day after. Just drain off some of the juice and use a slotted spoon to scoop it out of the dish. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Celebrate your freedom today by celebrating you - the choices you've made, the growth you've accomplished, the goals you've set and squashed and the adversity you've been strengthened by. Become truly liberated by feeling free in your own mind, free from our own negative self talk, free from past baggage, free to express yourself and be who you are meant to be. We are an integral part of this country and deserve to feel true Independence!

I'm celebrating with R and friends tonight with a barbeque and fireworks! Looking forward to it! How are you celebrating your freedom today?

Food Mood

Summer is typically not the season for slaving away in the kitchen on elaborate meals. And in my case it seems that recently it's not about slaving away on any meals. I feel like I've been eating horribly and for every time I think, "I need to be eating better," there's no motivation to work up a healthy menu for the week and make the trip to the grocery store. Seriously, you'd think it involved walking across hot coals or scaling the Mackinaw Bridge the way I've been avoiding making healthy eating a priority.

They say you'll keep repeating the same crappy, self-defeating behaviors even though you try to talk yourself into better behavior, until the pain is too great not to change that crappy, self-defeating behavior.

It's time for a change, people. I'm sick of not having the energy I want. If I'm tired, I want it to be because I've just had a really good run or I've just had a heck of an active/productive day. (I could do a whole other post about how my running career is doing right now. I'll save the post and just say it's in serious need of a kick in the running shorts!) I'm sick of the hassle of getting dressed for work when there are a few items I'm avoiding because they feel pinchy and a liiittle too snug for the workplace. Ugh!

Remember that whole cleanse I did back in January/February? You'd think I did that eons ago and then suffered severe memory loss the way I've been eating. While I don't necessarily want to do another cleanse right now, I want to re-embrace some of the principals - more protein, more veggies (hello, Farmer's Market?!) fewer carbs, low to no-sugar (I don't want to stop baking, it just would mean more sharing of the baked goods!) and definitely no more sodas.

Good thing it's never too late to rededicate yourself to healthy!

The Yarden

I said I'd post some pics of the new landscaping in the backyard. The space is super shady, so proper "shady" plants (ha, that reminds me of "Shady Shorts", the nick name my friend K had for someone who shall remain nameless, but totally deserved the name) had to be installed once the crazy, wild ground cover was ripped out. The space used to be all ivy, doing its ivy thing. But then wild strawberry (huh?! where did that even come from?) invaded and the whole space looked ridiculous and overgrown. I'm so happy with how it looks now! Even happier that it was done in record time, (seriously it felt like magic) by the good folks at Tazzia Lawn Care. I'd highly recommend them if you're in the market for some landscaping.

Without further ado, here's the before (after ivy and wild strawberry were cleared) picture, followed by the beautifully ever after:

Cleaning Up

My spring cleaning came a little late this year. I've actually never adhered to an actual by the calendar schedule for spring cleaning, it's more of a feeling that comes over me after the snow is gone and the weather is nice. Time to clean, declutter and organize! I had some landscaping done (which was something I'd been thinking about for a while. I will post pics soon!) and I think it had something to do with my mental shift toward cleaning and organizing. I basically took the better part of this past weekend and did the following inside and outside the house:

Shredded documents that I no longer needed. I'd be embarassed to tell you how many. There were SO many.

Gathered all my recycling, including a giant stack of magazines that I finally cut recipes out of. RECYCLE, Ahoy!

Cutting recipes out of the old magazines led to reorganizing my recipe notebook. I have a three ring binder with clear plastic sleeve pages where I keep favorite recipes from family, friends and other various sources. I love it, it's my own personal cook book!

Straightened up my closet, which included buying a couple stackable wire shelves for further organization and a few more plastic shoe boxes for my growing shoe collection.

Made piles for the dry cleaner, laundry and Goodwill. Found out that my dry cleaner has a special on pants on Wednesdays, which I did not know. Too bad it was Monday when I dropped them off! I'll know for next time, right?!

Cleaned all my silver jewelry. I don't mean that to sound like I'm sitting on a pile of jewlery pirate-treasure-style, it's just the stuff I normally wear. Silver gets a little tarnished even though you wear it all the time, so I like to freshen it up now and then. Now it's shining a bit brighter for summer!

Vacuuming. Keeping up with two felines is a full time job.

Dusting. See note above about felines.

Transferred an old perfume that's been trapped in a leaky bottle to a purse-sized spritzer. I've been wanting to do this for a while and finally had the time to do it.

Basically weeded and or hacked away at anything left in the yard that was over grown. Mowed the lawn and then cleaned up all the debris. Then sat back and enjoyed the pretty view.

And of course, there's always more to do, but I was grateful to be able to start the week feeling super productive and loving how clean and uncluttered the house feels! I am thinking about putting tiny dusting mits (maybe "kitten mittons - an elegant, comfortable mitten for cats" would do the trick!) on the felines so they can help me keep the place tidy! Wouldn't that be great?!

What's for Dinner?

A bit ago I re-discovered the corn tortilla. There's a great family-owned authentic Mexican restaurant in Grand Rapids called Maggie's Kitchen. My usual gig when I go is a veggie burrito with guacamole and onions. One day after a long run, I made my way to Maggie's in search of nourishment, lest I chew my own arm off in my savage hunger. I got my regular burrito to go AND a cheese quesadilla made with a corn tortilla. I ate the quesadilla on my way home and the first bite brought me back to a favorite childhood food memory. Mmm...warm, soft corn tortilla!

We used to have build-your-own-taco nights when I was younger, complete with soft corn tortillas. My mom would assemble all the fixings: beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, salsa on this fantastic table top ceramic lazy susan. Spin it to win it, or um, to make your winning taco. I loved it when we had taco nights!

Hit by a bit of nostalgia for build-your-own-tacos and a wicked taste for corn tortillas, I've begun holding my own build your own taco nights and you can too!

Here's what to do:

Gather your favorite taco ingredients. Here are mine:

Refried beans

Cilantro Lime Rice

Guacamole

Tomatoes, chopped

Onion, chopped

Lettuce, chopped

Corn tortillas (Taco-sized, natch)

Other optional ingredients could include:

Salsa

Sour cream

Cheese

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Meat (if that's your bag, baby!)

Once you have everything chopped, assembled and ready for taco building, heat a larger frying pan with a touch of vegetable oil. Heat a few tortillas at a time, moving them around and turning them so they heat evenly, just until they're soft and warm. You want to be careful not to keep them on the heat too long because they may get a little tough and veer dangerously close to tortilla chips. Hand a couple heated tortillas to your first guest and have them get started building their very own tacos. You can heat the tortillas as you go for each individual taco builder or heat them all, keeping them covered and warm as you heat enough for your taco builders.

He or she who builds the perfect-size taco, without overflowing filling wins a prize! I've found it pretty tough to not want to heap a ton of all my favorite ingredients into each tortilla. Mind the eyes bigger than the tortilla phenomenon.

I'd love to hear if you have your own festive taco building night. What is your favorite meal from childhood? Have you procured the recipe and made it your own in adulthood? Do share!

Bad Romance

Dear new next door neighbor,

Although I have not met you yet, I already feel like I know a bit more than I should about you and your "boyfriend". Last night you woke me up with another fight in the street/alley. This was the third one I have heard in the middle of the night or very early morning. You've been crying and or screaming at him each time. And each time, from what I can tell from my nosy neighbor window, he can't be bothered to get out of his truck to talk to you nicely. I heard you scream something about another woman. Really, that about sums it up. If there's another woman involved and you're not happy about the way he's handling things or his actions and words are not adding up, get as far away as possible from the guy. And stay away!

Clearly, there's absolutely no way I can know exactly what your situation is, but with each Jerry Springer moment that plays out on the street for me to hear, I hope you come to some clarity about what's really going on and leave well enough alone. Life is too short to be that upset on a continual basis, in any relationship.

Your neighbor,

*starr fish

Cutie Biker Chic!

Inspired Summer Biking by *fish

Had a little fun assembling some items that would be both fun and functional to wear while tooling around town at a leisurely pace on that fantastic-looking bike. I haven't done much biking yet this summer, but intend to. I'm very lucky to live in an area that is super bike friendly - bike lanes, bike paths, and lots of fellow bikers and group rides. Go, Grand Rapids!


Get on your bike and ride! I've got a road bike and after studying this bike, I've got a hankering for something a little more relaxed and mellow. Road bike + necklace = probably not, but I could probably rock everything else with comfort on my bike.


Are you a biker? What's your style? Cruiser, mountain bike, road bike, fixie? There's something out there for everyone and plenty of places to ride and things to wear while riding. Perhaps I shall compile a spread for road biking...

Gulf Oil Disaster

Birds and wild life are covered in oil.

They are COVERED in oil!

I don't watch TV news, so I have not been seeing any video or photo coverage. I just saw a few pics though and they literally made me cry. I cannot believe how terrible things are and that there's not really an end in sight. I wish there was some way I could help.

The entire eco system in the Gulf of Mexico is extremely effed because of the BP disaster - the fact that it's being called a "spill" makes me sick. You might spill some water or a soda, but oil gushing into the ocean? It most certainly is not a "spill." There's no telling how far reaching the effects of this debacle will be. We probably won't know the true environmental impact for years.

Sad state of affairs.

Holiday Weekend Hightlights

So...the Memorial Day weekend was a good one! Oh, how I love the long weekend. I even had Friday off, which made it a full four days off. Delightful! That should really happen more often.

Highlights included:

Passing my written motorcycle endorsement test at the Secretary of State! Pretty excited about having the little CY on my driver's license now!

Having a lovely dinner on a sunny patio with some of my girlfriends and then seeing Sex and the City, 2. The movie wasn't as good as the first one or even the series, but it was fun to see the girls (and Aiden) again!

Playing lots of pinball (and playing pretty well, I might add) after a delish dinner at Stella's with R. If you go to Stella's, try the World Eater! MM...goood!

Doing a something akin to a circus act with R to trim the back hedge. Who says shoulder rides are just for kids, or playing chicken in the water? Our combined height came in pretty handy for tackling the overgrown hedge!

Wading through a torrential downpour yesterday afternoon with R to see the 2010 Regional Arts Competition, which is the juried art show for Festival of the Arts.

Helping a friend move her closet! R & I dug hanging out with A and her man B. for a bit in their new place. And I scored a few closet cast offs, can't wait to rock the harem pants, thanks, A!

Having book club dinner and ice cream on a beautiful Sunday night in the neighborhood. We didn't talk much of the book...but it's really more about spending time together and catching up with the BC gals who can be there. Missed our Depeche Mode-loving friend A, our friend CurlyGirl, who just had a baby boy and our on BC hiatus since she's living out of town friend, AP.

Having an indoor picnic at my mom's last night, complete with indoor s'mores!

What was the highlight of your Memorial Day weekend? Did you see Sex and the City? Good eats? Time with friends & family? Did you make it to the beach? Do tell!

Shaka Shaka

My geometry teacher had this deal for choosing lucky contestants to come to the board and write out proofs from our homework assignments. She called it "shaka shaka." Every student's name was on a tiny slip of paper in a can on her desk. She'd give that can the ole "shaka shaka" and pull out a name. If she picked you, it was your lucky day for putting your geometry skills on display. Everybody loved/hated shaka shaka. It broke up the routine of the same kids always solving proofs, but breaking up the routine meant you could be the one put in the geometry hot seat.

I'm hoping to shaka shaka my life, by breaking up my routine. I'm so craving excitement and fun. I've felt stuck in a rut for a while now. Perhaps that's why I've been a little more quiet than normal around these parts, there's been nothing terribly noteworthy to blog about.

Shake It Up, Hand Painted Giclee Print on Canvas

by Russell D'Allessio

Instead of waiting for something exciting to happen that I can be a part of, I need to make my own excitement. This could take on many forms. Mainly, I can't keep waiting for the good stuff to happen. I need to make it happen. It's so easy for me to get trapped in the daily grind of work, run, eat & sleep that I forget there's so much more to life. I'm not in the thick of training for a race right now, so now is a perfect time to shake things up, to do things a little differently, to do things I've been thinking about doing, but haven't.

I've already changed things up a bit today. I got my running miles in this morning. I actually got out of bed at 5:00 a.m. and was running by 5:15 a.m., which when you consider my previous snooze button abuse, this is a big deal. I'm already so into the morning run, I'm looking forward to getting up tomorrow and doing it again. Tomorrow isn't even a day I'd usually run! There's something very cool about being up before the sun. The streets were mine and I was home before I would normally even be out of bed! With the heat we're experiencing here in Michigan, the morning run will probably save me from heat stroke.

So that's just one example of me giving my routine the old shaka shaka. I've got to keep the momentum going so I'm continually looking forward to something. I'll try to keep you posted. What do you do to break out of a rut?

Slaw-nomenon

I made a batch of broccoli peanut slaw last night. It technically serves eight grown adults. I will admit, I can't stop eating it. This is something of a phenomenon, dare I say a slaw-nomenon, with me. I have been known make a batch of slaw and eat it like it's my first meal after being stranded in the desert for years with nothing but sand(wiches) to eat. Then I'll make another batch and do the same thing over again a few days later. Repeat scene until I burn out. It's slaw, not sweet rolls. I guess that's why this seems so odd to me. My food obsessions usually involve a bread or starch of some sort. Seriously, does anyone else have recipes like this where you make it and you can't help but eat it like a fiend and then make it again a few days later? If you do, please share!

This is a first time I've made the broccoli peanut slaw, but I've had it many a time when other's have made it. I think I actually got the recipe a while back from my Aunt. Out in the non-vegetarian world, this little veggie has to be careful because people usually make it with real bacon. I made mine with fake bacon and it tasted so good, I had to tell you about it. It makes a ton - perfect for potlucks, picnics or back yard barbeque parties. Or, if you're me, it a perfect breakfast, lunch and dinner. No special occasion needed, just grab a fork!


Broccoli Peanut Slaw
1 12 oz. pkg. broccoli slaw mix (I used Mann's brand)
2-4 cups broccoli, broken into small florets (I used just over 1/2 of bundle of broccoli)
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cups dry roasted peanuts, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 strips fake bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped

Dressing
1 cup slaw dressing (I used Marzetti Light Slaw dressing)
2 Tbsp. sugar

Mix together package broccoli slaw, broccoli florets, raisins, peanuts, onion and "bacon" in a large mixing bowl. Whisk sugar into dressing in a separate bowl, then pour dressing over veggies. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight so flavors can meld. I added a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy and share, if you can!

Summer (Dreaming) Eats

The weather here in Michigan this week has been far from desireable for late spring. It's been about 45 and cloudy and/or rainy since earlier this week. So what else can a foodie girl do but start dreaming of all things summer? I've been thinking about food in particular, things I want to make that will help enhance the summer mood, once it finally does arrive. Here's what I've got so far:

Ice cream sandwiches made with homemade cookies and or graham crackers.
Salsa from scratch.
Blueberry pie.
Peach pie.
Pesto with fresh basil.
S'mores.
Grilled corn on the cob.
Pasties.
Potato salad.
New and adventurous salads.

I've made a number of these things already, but look forward to them each summer. I love things that are rather simple, yet full of flavor. There's nothing better than making something with items I've picked up at the Farmer's Market earlier in the day. Each of the recipes I've made are seasonal palate pleasers that pretty much fit that bill (except maybe the S'mores!) and I can't wait to create some new summer snacks to share with family & friends and you. My plan is to document a few of these and post pics here.

What foods are your summer favorites? What am I missing out on? Wanna swap recipes?

Riverbank Run! Run!

Through cold and wind, my legs kept going for the full 25k on Saturday for the 33rd annual 5/3 Riverbank Run. Since I had run the course two weeks ago, I wasn't really concerned with not finishing, although I did want to improve on my time from two weeks ago or my time from last year's race. I finished with a 2:43:38, about two minutes faster than last year's time and about three minutes slower than two weeks ago. Go figure! I was happy with my finish time. Next time though I'm hoping to improve even more!

It managed to stay dry for almost the entire race. It did start to rain when I had about one mile to go. Not that big of a deal since it rained only briefly and with 14.6 miles behind you, you just push on.

A & I found our running buddy Fred near the start and we ran with him and the 10 minute mile pace guy for a while. I was feeling really good for keeping that pace and was hoping to be able to keep up for the whole race. I ended up losing them somewhere around mile 6 & 7 though. My knees historically get very tight between those two mile markers and I had to stop to apply some Tiger Balm. The knees chilled out and I was able to keep moving. A & Fred were rock stars and finished about eight or nine minutes ahead of me! WOW! I really have to get on my speed work to be able to kick through the end with them next time!

It made a big difference to see this guy Paul from GRRC (whom my friend A dubbed Motivator Man before we knew his name) a couple times along the course. He showed up a few different places to cheer people on. So cool to see a familiar face and get that boost of energy. I also ran into Dry Cleaner Mike in the home stretch. He was actually running the race and keeping an eye out for GRRC runners.

The finish was good. I was able to tap into my reserves and pick up my pace once I rounded the slight bend on Ottawa and could see the finish. I love that feeling! Best feeling ever though is being able to stop, collect your medal and know you don't have to run again for the rest of the day! My mom, her friend D and R were at the finish. I actually saw my mom, which was cool since the finish line can be a bit of a blur!

Post race included a small bagel snack, water and picking up gear from gear check (something we did for the first time ever and will do again.) Then hot shower, warm clothes and a trip for celebratory pancakes! I am so happy to be a runner and thankful that I can include it as part of my life. I'm still not sure what our next race will be, but I'm already looking forward to getting back on the road and logging some miles.

Photo Shop

"I'll take you to the Photo Shop, I'll let you cut and paste photos till you hit the spot, C'mon girl, don't you stop."

...That's gotta be Premier Skateboarding's favorite song. Hehe! I follow this local skate shop on Twitter and was intrigued when they mentioned 50 cent in a recent tweet. The intrigue comes because Mr. Curtis Jackson is currently in my fair city shooting a movie, in fact the current set is just a short walk from my house. So I clicked on the link to find this little story about how someone at the shop had met Curtis and convinced him to come back to the house for a little impromptu show for some girl's birthday. Here's the pic they posted with the story:

I actually believed it for a second and then got skeptical. I did a google image search and found this, it was the second image on the page:

Uh, huh. Look familiar? I had to laugh! They got me for a second. Just think there are probably kids out there who actually still think the story is real, that if they come to the shop they've got one degree of separation with 50. The light and the fact that it's only May in Michigan, you just wouldn't get that sweaty if you were on the mic on someone's front porch with your shirt off, gave it away. Nice work taking us to the Photo Shop though, guys!

Cross it off the List

I've learned how to ride a motorcycle! It's something I've wanted to do for a while now and I can officially check it off my list. The class I took was a four day adventure. Two days (two evenings, actually) in the classroom and two days (five hours each) on the range on an actual motorcycle!

Talk about a good time! I wasn't sure what to expect, but they start the riding portion of the class out literally with baby steps. You do things like the pre-ride inspection, then suit up and get on the bike and learn how to start it up properly. Your first movement on the bike is something they call "power walking". You're on the bike working the "friction zone" - the point where the clutch and the throttle are balanced enough to move you forward, but you don't actually pick up your feet. You kind of walk along using your feet/legs to get a feel for the balance you'll need. From there, we moved through turns, braking, upshifting, downshifting and running over obstacles. And whole host of other stuff to make us safe riders.

Then at the end of the second morning, comes the evaluation. I did really well throughout the class and picked up some points during the evaluation. Points are not a good thing. I still passed, but as one of my rider coaches said, "you did so well through class, what happened to you?" I was a little bummed that I didn't pass with fewer points, but I still passed! I think I was just tired, and trying to concentrate on everything we had learned. There's a lot to think about while being evaluated and you know you're being watched like a hawk by the rider coaches and the entire class. Everyone in class was super supportive of each other, which was cool. But they were still watching!

Did I mention that it rained most of the morning this morning? Not just a little bit of rain. Lots of it! We rode anyway. Thank goodness for rain gear. With running in the rain for my race training, I'm getting pretty used to doing activities in the rain. Rain was better than blazing sun though since you have to be in full pants, sleeves, gloves, helmet and eyewear the whole time you're on the bike.

One of the main reasons I took the class this spring is that I need to get my Vespa licensed and insured. The endorsement comes in handy for that since my little Italian friend is 150 cc and can do 65 mph max! Going into the class I thought, "I'm good with the Vespa, I don't think I'll want to get a motorcycle for a while." Now that I can actually ride, my vintage motorcycle dream has reawakened!

Good times! I'm happy that the class is done though. It was a busy week getting class and my training runs in, plus the rest of my life! I'm a little sleepy! Now that I can cross learning how to ride a motorcycle off my list, it's time to come up with something new to cross off.

Have you crossed anything off your "I want to do that" list recently? What do you want to learn?

This That and the Other

The teeth hurt. Top braces were installed this morning. Eating a sandwich as one normally would was not possible at lunch. Had to cut it into pieces and eat with a fork, rendering it not that enjoyable to eat.

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My yard is in dire need of an extreme make over. I know this. I just haven't made the time to do any spring yard cleaning yet. Random strangers are apparently taking note as well. I had a dude knock on my door this afternoon and ask if I'd want to pay him to do any yard work. Probably need to make a point to get on that.

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The cat asthma medicine project has been going rather well. Junior and I have a nice system worked out now whereby he gets a treat then his medicine. Then another treat. He's actually just swallowing the pill when I pry open his chompers and toss the pill in. Well, truth be told, I do have to gently hold his mouth closed for a minute until he does, but we're done with the struggle.

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I am in the market for new pants for work. When the weather turns summer warm, I tend to wear skirts almost every day, but with the weather being all 40s in the morning, low 60s in the afternoon here in Michigan, I've been wanting to wear pants. Winter weight woolly type pants aren't working, so goes with the two pairs of velvet-like trousers that I have. If I weren't in between sizes, I'd order some pants online and just see what works. I'll probably have to venture out and actually try some on though before finding a suitable spring-time pant. I just decided, I like shopping best when I don't actually need anything.

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I read a lot. I'm a writer for my day job. Editing as I read is an occupational hazard. I know I'm not perfect when it comes to sending a blog post up the flag pole. But I do read each post before I post it and then after it's posted. The rate at which I've been spying typos or full-on grammatical errors lately seems to be increasing. Just saw the misuse of "it's" vs. "its" in a very popular local blog. The other day it was someone talking about a "coy" pond, I'm pretty sure they meant a "koi" pond, but I could be wrong, they could have been discussing a rather quiet or shy pond. I should start a proofreading service.

Notes from the front.

Remember where you put your orthodontia! I thought I threw away my lower expander over the weekend and it made me feel like a complete idiot. I was dreading having to tell my orthodontist. The good news: I ended up finding it, in my own kitchen trash.

Cats 1. Me 1. Found out over the weekend that Junior has asthma. He has a history of coughing/wheezing and he's been officially diagnosed. He also now has meds that must be given to him twice a day. He managed to lick all the way around the tiny pill hidden in some wet food. I crushed it up the next time and he wouldn't even eat the food. Tonight, it's going to just have to go down the hatch without food to cover it. I'll likely have to wrestle him, risking bites and scratches in teh process in order to do so, but he needs to finish his perscription. We're only on day three! Oy! Point goes to Junior. I am also trying to train them to stay off the couch. I've basically turned the couch into a book shelf - it's covered with books, magazines and newspapers. They don't find it so comfortable and have resorted to sleeping in their cat basket bed. That point goes to me!

Love the Art Scene in Grand Rapids! R & I went to Michigan. Land of Riches on Friday at the old Public Museum. We had such a good time checking out the art mixed in with the old museum pieces. Some super creative folks came up with the idea to mix in artwork with many of the items within the museum and the musueum's archive. The vibe on Friday night was super cool with a dj spinning some tunes. There were drinks and snacks to be had and plenty of people on hand for people watching. We actually ran into quite a few people we knew, which is always a good time! The exhibit runs for a bit, so go check it out!

Run + Chat. with other runners, makes the miles go by quickly! My friend A and I are making some new running buddies during our Saturday long runs. There's always something to talk about with fellow runners and it really does help the miles tick on by. Only 18 more days until RiverBank Run!

Prepare your pan. I made some banana bread this weekend and did not "prepare" the pan. It's a fricken non-stick pan and I was feeling lazy, didn't want to go the extra step. Or I was testing the actual non-sticky-ness of the pan, yeah, that's it. Turns out the pan is rather sticky. While the bread looked like it was done, I threw it back in the oven because once it broke in half-ish when I was trying to free it from the pan I realized it was still a little mushy. It was sort of a mess. R spied the mangled bread on the counter in a zip lock bag and said, "did the cats do that?!" They are naughty cats sometimes, but the bread was all my doing. It still tastes good!

Seen on the Run

On my run tonight, I ran up behind a smoker just as he flicked a cigarette to the ground. As I ran past him I said, "you dropped something." He looked confused. Smoking is a personal choice, but littering? C'mon....the world is not your ashtray, dude!

This and That

Here's a bit of this and that for a Tuesday afternoon:

Orthodontist tomorrow morning. Cannot wait. My bottom expander broke a week ago, so there's that. And the upper "appliance" that I've got now (it's not the original expander, it's more of a place holder - a trap(per) keeper!) is killing my tongue. Totally needs to be adjusted. The braces on my bottom teeth are doing great thhough. Teeth are on the move!

Totally tweaked my back last night. I wasn't even doing anything interesting or strenuous. I just moved and felt it tighten up. It now feels like I'm wearing a really heavy, yet tiny backpack in the middle of my shoulder blades. Not cool.

Broke down and bought the Aveda Air Control hair spray. I know you've all been waiting with baited breath to see how I'd solve my hair spray quandary. It's awesome. Love how it smells. Love the hold. It's not sticky at all, goes on very dry, yet holds. It's amazing!

There are 24 days until River Bank Run! Totally looking forward to it. Training has gone really well this year. I won't speak of what went down around this time last year. You can read about it, if you want, but I don't want to jinx anything! I got a new pair of shoes that should be broken in just enough by the time the race rolls around. I'm already thinking about what I'll wear, and how exciting it will be to cross the finish line! And I'm considering possibly taking that Friday off...hmmm?!

I think I've probably already extolled the amazing qualities of Airborne in a previous post, so if I have, just humor me. The stuff is great! Last week I was feeling a bit off, had a bit of a scratchy throat and low energy. I started a course of Airborne almost imediately, rested plenty over the weekend and aside from my back, I'm feeling good!

Remember that whole "I'm going to redo my bathroom" jag I was on? Yeah. It's sort of come to a standstill. Dudes don't call you back when they say they will. What's up with that? I have one estimate from one guy. Spoke with two others. One actually came to the house, never heard from him again. I'm not going to chase you down for an estimate, dude. You either want the work or you don't. I take your silence as a "hey, lady, I'm not intersted in your tiny bathroom redo project! I've got bigger fish to fry." Will likely get in touch with "Best Follow Through Skills Dude." To me, it makes sense to get the project going AFTER River Bank. We shall see if it aligns with Dude's schedule.

Want these sunglasses:

Today's Mystery

When you've lived in the same neighborhood as long as I have, you know people by name, face and/or car. Even if you don't know someone personally, you know if they belong in your neighborhood because you've likely seen them before.

This morning on my way to work I saw someone that I'm still thinking about because I don't think they actually live in my neighborhood, yet they looked strangely familiar.

This person was walking through the alley that is behind my house. In my experience, the only people who routinely walk down the alley are people who live on the alley or are very familiar with the neighborhood, or are up to no good.

I first noticed said person, a lady, when I was pulling my car out of the garage. She must have sped up her pace when she saw the garage door open. She was already across the street when I exited the alley. Walking very fast and with purpose she cut through a parking lot near my house, almost as if to avoid being seen up close. I saw her dark hair, winter knit hat pulled down low. I thought I spied a band aid near her eye. As I sat at the corner waiting for traffic to clear, she hurried across the street and then disappeared.

Who are you, mystery person? Did I really see you or were you a figment of my imagination? Strange.

Roooarr!!!

I'm Eating My Lunch

...and I needed to take a few minutes to myself to breath. Aye carumba, this week is insane! I know in comparison to other's lives, my jam-packed week may seem like not such a big deal, but it's starting to wear on me as evidenced by how tired I am and the onset of a mild scratchy throat. Uck! I've already started taking Airborne! Here's a run down of the week:


The j.o.b. is so busy. I swear projects are multiplying any time I turn my head! Grateful to be working though!

Running after work Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and on Saturday morning.

Tuesday, I had a hair cut scheduled with my mom. Mix in dinner and some chatting and I did not get home until close to 10:00 p.m.

Wednesday, I had a meet up with my girlfriends from high school for our every other month or so gab fest. That was AFTER work, running and cleaning up after putting in my Wednesday miles. It felt good to finally sit down when we were seated at a fave local restaurant around 8:00 p.m. Got caught up on all the latest in my girls' lives, had a pretty good peasant salad and a few bites of dessert.

Today. I'm running again after work. Or, so I hope. I'm actually contemplating just going home and climbing into bed because it's cold and rainy again. Who am I kidding? The run will happen. It's too close to River Bank Run to start skipping miles. I actually have dinner scheduled with relatives who are in town for a couple days. Can't really ditch those plans.

Friday. Work as per usual. It's a rest day from running, so I'm planning to come home from work, get in my cozy clothes and get horizontal. Seriously.

Saturday. Up at 6:45 a.m. to meet up with the running crew for an 8:00 a.m. run. Did I mention we're up to 14 miles this week? Hoping for decent, non-percipitation weather for Saturday morning. I don't care what the weather does past say 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.

Sunday. Sleep in!!

Happy Easter!

For Easter dinner at my mom's I made this lemon cream cake with a lovely Peeps adornment. The cake is usually a stand-alone stunning-looking cake with this sugar crumb topping, but my cake rounds which I made ahead of time (last night) in an effort to save time were being extremely shy and would not come out of their pans. Ugh! When they did come out, they were a bit of a broken mess. I had to improvise. I dropped one cake in my spring form pan, layered on the lemony cream filling/topping then put the second cake round on top of that and added the rest of the lemon cream. Skipping the sugar crumb topping, I pulled the Peeps in for an improvised topper and called it good. Easter cake crisis 2010 narrowly averted!

The cake followed up a delish dinner that my mom put together. We had great company in R & D. Laughs and fun were a big part of the evening! I hope you had a lovely Easter and/or Sunday however you chose to spend your day. Peace out! Peeps out!

Hair ye! Hair ye!

I'm in the market for a new hair spray. It's been quite the ordeal! I purchased my third hairspray today in probably as many weeks and I'm going to return it.

Today it was L'oreal Elnett Satin Extra Stronghold Hairspray. Available at your local Target. I was intrigued by this hairspray because Ford Artists' Hair Stylist and youtube video hair-to super star Johnny Lavoy tweeted about it a couple months back. He's an awesome stylist, so I thought I'd give it a try. I liked how it sprayed, but CANNOT stand the smell. To paraphrase an amazon.com reviewer, "why would you get all dolled up and want to smell that bad?" It's a smell that does not go away either. I'm so returning this tomorrow, unless someone out there wants to try it and maybe trade me something you have but don't like. Total let down.

I've also tried L'oreal Vive Pro Glossy Style non-aerosol hair spray. I still have that one, but it's not my favorite, because it sprays on too wet. If you're local, I actually know you and you want to try it I'll give that one away. There was a John Frieda aerosol spray in the mix too that went back to the store after one try - the spray was way too powerful, we're talking pressure like those cans of air that you can clean your computer keyboard off with. It was ridiculous!

I'm really looking for a good areosol-type hairspray. I've been using Aveda's Witch Hazel hairspay for years. I adore how it smells, but have found that sometimes you need the finer mist of hairspray than the heavier spray a pump hair spray gives you. May consider trying Aveda's Air Control hair spray. It's at a slightly higher price point than I'd like to spend, but may have to break down and try it. At this rate, I need to widen my scope since I just really want to find the one that will do the trick, hold a style in place without creating helmet hair, provide volume and most importantly smell good or not smell at all.

Totally need to crowd source this: what hairspray are you using? Why do you love it and where can I get it? Please let me know, clearly I need your help!

In the Bag

What's in my bag?! Because I know you're all dying to know what I carry around with me every day, I've got just the blog post for you! I've seen this kind of post done many times on different girlie fashion-type blogs and thought I'd take it for a spin and share my bag with y'all.

This is my most often used handbag lately. There are many things to love about it, it's my favorite color, it's large enough to hold a lot of stuff, it was inexpensive, but doesn't look cheap. Inside the bag, here are some of the items I have with me on a regular basis:

• Chilewich make up bag. I've pulled out the most used items it holds: Burt's Bees Hand Salve, Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie Lip Gloss in Dreamsicle (thanks A!), Vaseline Lip Therapy, Stila Lip Color in Andie.
• Wallet, complete with a lovely picture of Lakshmi the Hindu goddess of prosperity
• Lara Bar in Ginger Snap
• Nalgene water bottle
• Giant Sunglasses, Marc by Marc Jacobs
• Ipod Mini (way old!), still does the trick for running and listening to tunes at work. The Its little green pouch is from Ateneum (Art Museum) in Helsinki, Finland. The pattern is the same as the tile floor in the museum. I love it because it's a reminder of a great trip.
• LG Rumor phone
• Moleskin yearly calendar
• Blue Flare pen (my favorite pen!)
• Key to the wheels
• Tea Tree Therapy infused toothpicks . Since I can't chew gum with the braces, these do the trick!

What's in your bag?