What Class Have I Taken Lately?

I've taken two classes—a floral class and a baking class—not at the same time.  This doesn’t include the various number of workout classes.  Let’s just stick to the floral and baking classes for now.

I imagine fairies would hang out here.

There was a “Woodland Stump” class with Bloom Florist Collective at pot & box several weeks ago that I took.  I’m never sure how it all comes about, but I’m given various floral and after thoughtfully placing each floral, magically the arrangement is beautiful.  It helps that Bloom Florist Collective chooses amazing flowers and greeneries.  They also demonstrate—they start off with a bare container or in this case, a small wood stump.  Sue from PassionFlower was the florist teaching the class.  She puts some moss around the trunk, adds various flowers and VOILA—beautiful arrangement.

handmade bird's nest added by my girl

I basically make an attempt to copy hers and somehow it looks fabulous too!  I’m always proud how it turns out and very surprised that it works out.  There is a possibility that my designs aren’t that great and it’s only in my imagination, but it still feels good.

Second class was a pizza making class at Zingerman’s BAKE.  As my friend told me, “what you know how to make pizza, you could teach a class”  What flattering words.  I’m a self-taught (via various tv cooking shows and cookbooks).   It never hurts to learn more about something I love—making and eating pizza.

Three years ago, I took a croissant making class with my husband at Zingerman’s BAKE!  It’s a fun activity to do together or alone.  My husband is my sous-chef, so it’s beneficially to have him take the class with me.

Our friend’s husband took the “Pizza:  The Other American Pie” class last year and I love that he had a wonderful end product and was able to reproduce it.

We went with another couple.  My girlfriend, C, who is not a cook.  I don’t think she’s even the sous-chef in her house.   The pizza she made looked gorgeous and I’m sure it tasted yummy.  It’s how I feel from my floral classes, I’m amazed that I created that!

our finished deep dish pizzas

We made two different types of pizza: New York crust and Chicago deep-dish crust. 

Zingerman’s BAKE! Has everything set-up and pre-measured.  Firstly, the instructor (in our case was Nikki) demonstrates – mixing all the ingredients and showing us the technique for the Chicago-style crust.   After she’s done, we do the same thing.  It’s hands-on.  It’s hilarious that C thought her and her hubby were going to work as a team.  We aren’t.  We each do our own. 

We put the mixed dough in a container so it can rise and we start the next crust—NY-style—after watching Nikki demonstrate.   Once again, everything is pre-measured.  It makes things go quickly and in all probability ensure the recipe will turn out correctly.  Since baking is a science, accurate measuring is crucial. 

We let that dough rise, Nikki’s dough is done rising, so she starts to stretch the pizza dough with her two hands.  That’s the most intimidating portion of the class—really? Stretching the dough without it tearing?  Watching experienced people doing something always makes it appear easy.  I was very doubtful that I would be able to stretch the pizza dough so easily.  I was sure that I would tear it.   She stretched the dough and topped it with fresh mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce, fresh basil.    There are three different “cooking” methods—two are baked in a conventional oven: one on a screen and one on a pizza stone and the last one in a brick fired oven. 

Eleven minutes pass, after all of them were baked, we sample all three baking methods of the NY-style crust.  They are all delicious.

We took half of our Chicago crust dough and made our own.  This is a crazy recipe, 1# of low-moisture mozzarella cheese and ½-lb of raw sausage.  The woman next to me who looked like she was in her 20’s maybe even 30’s and was with her husband (maybe) who looks like he was well over 40-y.o.  the age difference wasn’t so startling, the sunburn she had and the fact that they’ve been together for 22-years cringed at the 1-pound of cheese.  She might have even vocalize, “yuck.”   Yes, I kept looking over to see if she was in her 40’s.  I know, I even say 40 is the new 30, but I’m sure I couldn’t even pass as a young 30-year-old.

Amazingly, we each baked 2 pizzas in class that we got to take home and dough to make 3 more pizzas!  Since we both took the class that was 4 cooked pizzas and dough to make 6.  Crazy, but that’s why I take the class—some knowledge and all the grub to take home.  These were wickedly awesome pizzas too.  We gave some to our lovely neighbors and to our lovely babysitter.  

Why March of Dimes Walk is Personal

Birth Announcement - those are Theo's hands & foot prints

About 8-years ago, I was pregnant for the third time.   How did we get to three pregnancies?   Our first baby/pregnancy had a genetic defect, cystic hydroma, (fluid in the neck) which ended his life during the first trimester.  My second pregnancy resulted in a lovely boy, Chase, who recently celebrated his 9^th birthday.  YAY!  Happy Birthday Chase!

In 2005, I became pregnant for the third time.  Everything was going well until it didn’t. I will share the details of Theo’s birth another time.  On September 17^th, Theodore Hadley came into our lives way too early.  He was prefect, just not strong enough to survive at such a young age. 

I am grateful for all the love and support I have received during that time and everyday since.  For those who brought us meals, sent us words of kindness, who just sat with me, who sent donations to March of Dimes in memory of Theodore, for the moms who sent us a Japanese Maple sapling (which is budding)-- I am truly touched. 

So this Sunday, May 5^th, I walk to support the research to help babies who are born too early.  For me, when my water broke at 15-weeks, I knew it was over.  I hope for other families that’s not the case.

Please consider donating at http://www.marchforbabies.org/carol_c72 

Birthday of a Friend

setting table for birthday lunch

Today is one of my dearest friend’s birthday.  In previous years, we would go out for breakfast or coffee.  This year, since Kelly is preparing for the Tough Mudder (because she’s a tough mutha—hahaha!) and I’m getting back to working out, I decide to take her to my gym—for a quick workout class and a hot tub soak, while my Baby Boy is in the childcare facility.  Finally I’m able to get back to my gym and workout because Baby Boy is at the age when I don’t have to reserve him a spot.  The quick workout is a 30-minute class called, Cardio Crunch.  It’s basically a running class.  We run what’s called “suicides” – (I looked it up and it is part of agility training workout…in my case, also an intense cardio workout) up and down the basketball court.  We did some running forward and backwards.  I really can’t remember what other activities we did because my heart was almost beating out of my chest and I wanted to barf!  We did do a fun activity along the track…  our class of 20+ people were in a single line on the inside of the track, we had 4 basketballs throughout the line.  We would run and throw the basketball over-head to the person behind us.  Once the ball got to the end of the line, that person would have to sprint to the head of the line with the ball in hand – let me remind you that the line of people are running and we need to be in a tight formation because the person in front is throwing the ball behind them!  My heart is racing in addition to the cardio workout because I’m thinking of catching-throwing the basketball and then having to sprint to the head of the line—fear that I won’t ever catch up to the head of the line.  There was a penalty if the ball dropped, which we later found out was more running up and down the basketball court.  I did have to “sit-out” of some of the track running.  I did also manage to keep down what was in my stomach.

Card and Bumpy Cupcake

We stayed a little bit for the Abs Crunch class, but I wanted us to get a hot tub soak and I still need to pick up Baby Boy (he would be hungry and in need of a nap).

We came back to my house for a wonderful homemade Indian lunch of butter chicken, basmati rice and naan.  It is a box kit – there are 3 different packets—2 spice packets and tomato sauce mixture.  I had to add fresh protein (I opted for chicken breasts) to butter/oil and half & half.  

I said it was coconut themed lunch because we drank coconut water, coconut flavored sparkling water and coconut de-caf green tea.

I was finally able to use my cupcake stands and cloches!  I got eight of them for those luncheons I occasionally host.  I’m not kidding, I do host luncheons!

It felt like it was a birthday celebration for me—having my delightful friend spend the morning and good part of the afternoon with me.  Time is a premium and getting your friend’s time is precious.

Halloween party a few years ago

I met Kelly years ago, when I was attending Le Leche League meetings while she was pregnant with her daughter (that was almost 8-years ago).  Her son would love to play (I would call him a ring-leader) and I would always encourage Chase to go and play – so I could talk and listen to the other moms at the meetings.  For a few years, I would see Kelly and her children around town, at the downtown library, YMCA, etc.  and we would chat.  We just hit it off.  Then finally… 3-years after our initial meeting, in the summer, I invited her and her kids for a playdate at my house.  Lottie was an infant.   It became a weekly thing—one week she would host and the next week I would host.  That’s how we spent our time together.  The playdate would be in the morning, the hostess would make lunch, everyone would eat and then we would go our separate ways – my baby girl was ready for naptime.   It was the best summer.

Even now—5-years later, I always try to figure out what makes our friendship work.  Is it because we are both Army-brats?  We grew up in the South?  We don’t have family near us?    We have commonalities, but they aren’t obvious—like same career or same age kids.  There are more differences than there are things in common.

None of our kids are the same age

Kids don’t go to the same school

She’s a scientist (geologist to be exact)

She isn’t much of a planner; I obsessively plan

I read the fine print and details; she does not.

I feel like we could talk for hours on end.  Things we talk about -- fostering friendship/relationships is more important than a clean house; quarks that our husband have—which aren’t the same ones; fashion; exercise; skincare; makeup all the things friends do and talk about.  She’ll listen to me analyze everything—my arm-chair psycho-analysis, especially about my children.

Often times we say the reason we get along is because we are similar to each others spouses.  Kelly is a scientist and mine is also.  I can be a bit tightly wound and so is her husband.  Kelly and my husband are not planners or worriers; whereas Kelly’s husband and I are.  It helps that our kids get along and our husbands do also.  That allows us to spend our holidays together and other momentious events together.

I can’t imagine my days in Ann Arbor without her.  When she is out of town and even if we don’t have any plans to get together, it feels like something is amiss.

I hope her day was a wonderful as mine was, Happy Birthday Kelly!

Last Day (#3) of Juice Cleanse

I mange to go to Skyzone for their class called, Skyrobics—  Jenn and Parke are complete with the cleanse.  This is my last day.  I’m still feeling good.  Should have gone to bed earlier, but didn’t have trouble waking-up.  It’s probably because I knew I had to get it into high gear in the morning, take kids to school, make MEAN Green juice (since I didn't have a pre-made one to fall back on) and be out the door to Canton, MI for Skyrobics class.  Canton is 30-minutes away, just to give you a sense of time.

Much like my stunted running, my Skyrobics class was cut short because Baby Boy didn’t want to bounce in the Tot Time without me.  Luckily my friends traded watching him a bit, which consisted of sitting or holding him, as I got my jump on.

I’m somewhat physically challenged, not that I actually have any medical condition, it’s just I’m not athletic.  I never played sport as a child or even as a young adult.   Today, I was able to jump from trampoline pad to another in a relatively good pace.  This exercise touts to burn 1000 calories per workout.  For my relatively short stink, my heart rate monitor said I burned 120 calories…that was about 7-minutes of working out.  I think that works out to be around 1000 calories for the full 60-minute class.  Granted I wouldn’t be able to sustain myself for 60-minutes.

 FINALLY, I made my Mean Green Juice, which consists:  2 med granny smith; 4 large celery stalks

1 cucumber; knob of ginger;  6 leaves of kale; and ½ lemon.  It was great.  I was worried about the 4 celery ribs making it harsh, but it tasted nice.  Not too sweet and not bitter.  I’ve done the beginners green juice because—well, I’m a beginner, but it appears I can tolerate the MEAN GREEN Juice.  Whoa!  That’s exciting.  This again supports that I have done a juice cleanse before, even though I can't recall it.

Can’t believe this is the last day of my cleanse.  There wasn’t the fatigue I was expecting.  I was able to do all the things I normally do.  I might have had more energy than usual.  Drinking pure fruit juice probably had a play in that.    I set out 4 types of juices (green, fruit, red and nut-milk) to drink at various times during the day and I added chia seeds mid-day to make sure I had enough protein.

Today at 3pm- 5pm,  I did experience a lull.  I drank another tablespoonful of chia seeds mixed with my fruit juice.  I found 6oz of beet juice from another day tucked in the refrigerator, so I quickly drank that.  To keep your energy up, make sure you are “constantly” drinking.  Since I my goal wasn’t weight loss, I knew that I could drink as much juice as I wanted.  Keeping in mind, opt for more green-type juices.  You have to remember to stay hydrate too.  In addition to the 6oz of beet juice; 100% fruit concoction with chia seeds, I drank 16-oz of water.  That seems to do the trick.  

homemade cashew milk

By dinner time, I was able to continue my massive loads of laundry, microwave chicken potpie for my kids and the neighbor child.   Not only am I handling the normal things in the course of the day, but I can add one more child in the mix.  I’m feeling like super woman!  Granted our neighbor is a delight and it was a nice playdate.  Still, I’ll pat myself on the back.

Around 8pm, I’m rustling the children for shower/bath and bedtime, good-bye to our neighbor and dinner dishes into the dishwasher.   Oh did I mention I don’t have help tonight because it’s the second Thursday of the month, when my hubby goes to beer tasting at Arbor Brewing Company.  I’m doing this all alone.  Luckily everyone was cooperative—meaning the kids bathe themselves and I enjoyed my last bit of homemade cashew milk.  Most people might enjoy a nice glass of wine, I’m enjoying a nut milk. 

That concludes my 3-day juice cleanse. YAY!  It was a success.  I had energy, it felt good doing it and I think my body liked it.  I wonder what my first meal should be?  I know it will be something somewhat healthy…maybe a salad…

Day 2 of Juice Cleanse

Day 2 of Juice Cleanse.  Still feeling good.  I did have trouble sleeping last night.  I was tired but my body didn’t want to relax enough for sleep.  It didn’t help that Baby Boy woke-up 3times.   One of those three times I asked Scott if he could take care of it.  Without any complaints he tended to Baby Boy.  That’s a nice husband and father in my book.

In the morning I didn’t have time for my Golden Elixir, even though I had the electric kettle boiling water and a lemon out.   I also didn’t have time for the MEAN Green juice.  Luckily I had a store-bought green juice handy. 

 I managed to make it to the Great Lakes Zoological Society for a special Fit4Mom Ann Arbor (aka Stroller Strides) workout.  Yes, moms and babies/tots in the strollers exercising there among the reptiles, amphibians and arachnids.  We were able to enjoy a post-workout playdate.

During spring break, we kept Lottie’s two classroom rats (Thunder and Lightening).  They lived in a glass tank and Baby Boy loved to watch them.  He would point and make  “woo-woo” sounds the whole time.  Each morning, we would ask him, “want to go see the rats?”  He would run into Lottie’s room, stand on the step stool that he removed from the bathroom, to point, watch and talk about them and tell us about them.  So precious.

At Great Lakes Zoological Society, many of the smaller creatures were in tanks.  Baby Boy would point and “woo-woo” to or at them.  I think he was telling us that he use to have rats in the tanks.  He can say, “…at” the r being somewhat audible but not clearly formed. 

Fit4Mom Ann Arbor doing lunges

I drank my store-bought green juice called GLOW made by a company called SUJA after by workout.  That was my first juice for the day at 10am.  I did have 2oz of liquid probiotics before I left the house in the morning.  It was nice to have something that wasn’t sweet tasting for a change.

I stopped at my local grocery store to pick-up another green juice, in case I needed it to keep me going in the afternoon and a nut milk one.  To my surprise, there was only one SUJA drink left!  How can that be?  I asked one of the staff and she told me that someone woman came in and took all of them except the one remaining, which was the beet-type juice.  I like how the staffer made a gesture with one arm, a huge sweep towards her body and saying, “and she took them all.”  Could the woman be one of my friends?

What prompted me to do this juice cleanse are my two friends, Jenn and Parke.  We try to find one fitness class together each week.  This initially started with the trial class at Title Boxing.  Then it was decided that we should try a new class each week, keeping an eye-out for deals.  We loved Title Boxing but we all belong to the same health club with family memberships and didn’t want to take on Title Boxing membership.

To add on the fitness, Parke stated she was going to do a juice cleanse after the Easter holiday.  She had done with babo:market and loved it and wanted to do another one and if we wanted to join her.  Jenn and I said, “why not.”  We set the date to be morning of Monday, April 8^th.  Due to my stomach virus, I opted to start later.  I was enjoying eating the one handful of rice crackers too much to give it up so soon.  Really, my stomach wouldn’t have been able to handle so much nutrients.

I discover it is not Jenn or Parke taking all the SUJA juices!  As Parke texted to me, “we are trendsetters.”  I agree with her. 

FYI:  Parke is doing a modified one from babo: market and Jenn is doing modified SUJA and BluePrint.  I am doing a combination.  Since I own a juicer, I knew I could make many of my own.

empty SUJA bottle from Jenn - that's FIJI

The juices I consumed today were similar to the ones I did yesterday.

Morning:  SUJA Glow, which consists of apple, cucumber, celery, mint, kale, spinach & collards.

Late Lunch:  all fruit juice homemade—pineapple, carrots, apples, lemon.  This time I mixed it with water so all that sugar wouldn’t hit my bloodstream so quickly and give me a headache.  I’m holding on to the belief that the sugar was giving me the headache and not a “side-effect” of the juice cleanse.  Many people say they experience brief headaches during day 2 of the fast.  The idea is that your body is dumping the toxins quickly.   I also finished off the beet juice I made the night before.  I felt somewhat hungry and panicked that I wasn’t taking in enough calories or protein.    I ate one tablespoonful of chia seeds after it congealed in the quarter-cup of water.  It was like eating Jell-O with poppyseeds.

blending up soaked raw cashew with vanilla

I soaked my raw cashews in water in preparation for my homemade nut milk.  This is similar to BluePrint’s nut milk juice.  I never drank BluePrint’s nut-milk based juice.  All the nut juices at our local stores have been sold out.  Word is getting around—“do a juice cleanse” hahaha!

I manage to make the family lovely homemade stovetop macaroni and cheese.  My kids’ favorite meal.  Much like the hot dog dinner yesterday, I didn’t miss having it.  I typically don’t eat macaroni and cheese, unless I’m at a potluck or finishing off my kids’ order of Mac & Cheese remaining from Noodles & Co.

I made another red juice but this time I didn’t add as much ginger and reduced the apples.  It didn’t have the zip as yesterday and wasn’t as sweet, which are good things for me.

After a full evening with family, I made homemade nut-milk.  Added some vanilla seeds and coconut water, along with cinnamon and nutmeg.  I didn’t add any agave or honey.  I felt the cashew milk was fine since I’m getting enough sugars from the fruit.  I found honey granules in my collection of spice tins.  Score!  I didn’t have to use it, but nice knowing I had it.

making bead bracelet with Lottie

I’m still up-right after Day 2; no headaches, no grumpiness, and no cravings.  I thought I would want to eat everything.  Surprisingly, I’m doing well.  I do want to eat, not because I’m hungry, but I enjoy eating and I miss that.  It’s true that I don’t have cravings.  I was able to have a jar of chocolates from Easter in the front floor-well of my minivan and never had the desire to eat one.  That’s one of the benefits of a juice cleanse.  Somehow re-programs my brain and body to reduce the desire for less healthy foods. 

For me, doing the juice fast isn’t about losing weight, even though I want to loss weight.  It’s about doing something good for my body, letting my digestive tract to relax, yet still get plenty of nutrients.

I’m still able to function.   I exercised, walked to drop & pick-up  my daughter for her art class in the afternoon; cook a meal; did some craft with Lottie and plan for the next day.

Woo-hoo!  Day 2 of juice cleanse done!

Juice Cleanse - Day 1

plan and grocery list

produce for juicing

Day one of Juice Cleanse starts off hectic. Need to return my daughter’s class rats back in the morning.  Luckily, My husband was helping out.  He was meet us at the school to carry them in their cage (which is a former aquarium tank) to the classroom while I kicked the kids off on the curb-side drop off.

Off I went to Whole Food to pick up all my juicing produce and milk for the baby (we get milk delivery, so having to BUY milk at the grocery store is an event. )  For those who don’t know, there is a local farm, Calder Dairy.  They deliver milk, butter, ice cream right to your doorstep.  You just need to set out a cooler.  The milk comes in glass bottles.  Not like the nostalgic bottles, but rectangle shaped ones.  It’s a $3 delivery charge and the cost of dairy.  We get 5 half-gallons of whole milk, quart of skim and monthly salted butter.  Today we left our milkman treats—Lindt chocolates from Easter.

Back to my juicing..

here's the ready-made juices

Before I went for my morning workout, I went to Whole Foods for all my juicing produce and to buy a couple of prepackaged juices because I wouldn’t have time to clean, prep and juice my morning Mean Green. 

They didn’t have one of the juices, I specifically set out to buy,  SUJA Vanilla Cloud.  Since I was heading directly to workout, I bought SUJA’s GLOW, which is their suggested breakfast juice.  I also picked up coconut water for my workout recovery drink.

I wasn’t hydrated enough from being sick on Saturday so I didn’t do a worthwhile cardio workout.  On those moments, I like to tell myself, at least I’m there making a concerted effort.

I wanted to make sure I was getting enough protein so I ate chia seeds about ½ tablespoon dry  then added another half tablespoon seeds to half cup of water.    Chia seed origins are from South America during the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.  It’s a power food - high in Omega-3, dietary fiber and a complete protein. 

produce for juicing

pulp on one side & pure juice on the other

For lunch I made a fruit juice consisting of: 4 long carrots; 2 Granny Smith apples; ½ pineapple; 1 orange, ¼ lemon.   You cannot juice the skins of oranges—it’s not good for you.  I just cut the skin and pith off.  I don’t want to say it’s toxic, but it’s not healthy.  You can leave the skin on lemons.  I core my apples and I take the tops off the carrots.  I think those things can be bitter so I just remove them.    All that fruit made 22-oz of juice!  I save 16-oz for my run at 3:30pm.  After drinking 6-oz of pure fruit juice, the sugar was kicking in.

 

22-oz of pure fruit juice!

bottled for later

After my 2-mile run with my Run Club and my 3 children, I gulped down the juice.  You’re suppose to drink fresh juices quickly, but not gulp it down.  It’s suggested you swish the juices around your mouth (think fine wine tasting or even mouthwash) so your saliva will aid in the digestion.  Since there is no chewing, you need the help the juice to “obtain” more saliva.   I don’t do this as often or as long as I should.

I did get headaches after drinking the sweet juices.  Not to say, I don’t get my fair share of sweets, but with juicing, it’s sugar without much fiber (if any).  It hits your stomach and it ready and available.  This was good for my post-run.

If it weren’t for a crying girl running next to me, I think I could have run better.  I mean that it wasn’t my previous stomach virus or doing the juice cleanse keeping me from a good performance.  Lottie is hilarious in that she’s complaining the WHOLE time how we need to stop, she can’t run, we need to walk, etc.  but she’s running along side of me for 2-miles.  I did have to stop a couple of times because she broke down on the middle of the pathway.   If she focused more on the running and less complaining, she could be a serious runner.

produce for "Beet This Juice"

finished!

I came home to juice myself dinner—which is what I call the red juice.  That’s something that contains beets.  I use the recipe “Beet This”  from http://juicerecipes.com  My husband says it tastes like one of our local food favorite’s beet juice (That’s Hut-K).  I tell him that’s because it has lime and ginger, which makes most beet juices taste similar.  Ginger adds zing and a peppery note.  Lime helps cut the earthy-taste (some people say the dirt taste) of beets and brings out the sweetness more.

I only could drink 4-oz because I was having a headache, from what I consider a sugar head rush from my 100% fruit juice. 

After a day of juicing, I’m still feeling good.  I did enjoy 8-oz of the Suja’s Cloud Vanilla.  I did get another headache after that.   I didn’t drink all the juices I should have today, but I really didn’t want to drink anymore.    One of the problems with the juice cleanse for me is all that sugar going into my system and there is nothing to counter that.  All the juices have a sweet taste. 

My family ate all-beef hot dogs, baked beans and potato chips.   While I enjoy that type of food at a BBQ, I wasn’t sad I was missing it.

Hooray for a successful Day One of juice cleanse!  I wonder if I’ll be saying the same thing tomorrow?