Hit the Bricks

Almost…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Michelle

Yesterday was on track to be my healthiest day of eating, ever. Until we went to the Celtics game.

But I’m never one to turn down a Celtics game. Its just hard to eat healthy there! Can a girl get a salad at the Garden?

I made a sandwich loosely based on one of my favorites from Beantowne, my most favorite coffee & lunch place. I took a picture but it didn’t present very well, so I’ll tell you that it was garlic hummus, half an avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. It was so good!

I’ve also been having trouble with the ol’ vending machine at work and staying away from the Combos. As healthy as I like to eat, Combos are my weakness. I think its the salt.

So I brought a bag of these puppies yesterday.

Somersaults come in five flavors: Sea Salt, Cinnamon Crunch, Salthy Pepper, Dutch Cocoa, and Santa Fe Salsa. The main ingredient is sunflower seeds and they have a healthy dose of sesame seeds, too.

One serving of sunflower seeds contains 4 times more antioxidants than blueberries, more fiber than an apple and 50% more protein than almonds. I was excited to try them as a healthy snack! My favorite flavors are the Sea Salt and the Cinnamon, but they are all good. Bringing the salty ones kept me out of that darn vending machine yesterday! They come in 6 oz bags, 2 oz, 1 oz, and little .5 oz bags to throw in lunches. I would definitely recommend scooping some up for a healthy afternoon boost.

Do you have any tricks for keeping yourself on track with your food choices?

I was sent complimentary samples of Somersault Snacks, all opinions and experiences are my own.

Posted in Food facts, Products | 6 Comments

How to know what you’re talking about on Sunday

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Michelle

Who’s excited for the Superbowl?

I am! And I don’t just mean the food or commercials, I’m excited for the actual game. I know there are a lot of girls (and some men) who really don’t care about the game itself, and I’ve come to realize that some of the time its about not understanding the game of football. I’m here with some tips for the game and how to sound like you know what you’re talking about during the big game.

1. Downs

This can be the most confusing part of football for some. When one team has the ball, they have four downs to move it a minimum of ten yards. Then they get another four downs to move it ten more yards and so on until they hopefully score a touchdown – the ultimate goal.

Translation: Its like when you have a card at your favorite coffee place and you need four stamps (punches, whatever) to get a free coffee. You get the coffee… and then you get another card, and you need four more stamps, and so on. Each of those stamps is a down. Getting that coffee is like moving the ten yards, and the new card is like getting another four downs. Make sense? However: if you move those ten yards in less than four stamps… you reset, get your new card, and go back to first down.

2. The Red Zone

The Red Zone is the 20 yards in front of where the team with the ball is trying to score.

Translation: Don’t talk about anything but football when the ball is in the red zone… especially if the score is close, its the end of the game, or the team that the room is rooting for is in the red zone trying to score. It can be intense. Especially since the Patriots didn’t have a great year defensively and are ranked as average in red zone defense. Luckily our offense is good…

3. Gronk’s ankle (The Gronkle)

Are you wondering why everyone is talking about Rob Gronkowski’s ankle? It seems a little excessive. He hurt it in the AFC Championship game two weeks ago, and as of this writing, it is still up in the air if he’s going to play or not.

So what’s the big deal about one guy? For starters, Gronk had the best season (i.e. most touchdown passes) ever for a tight end. The Pats scored 39 passing touchdowns and he scored 17 of them. That’s over 40% of them! (source)

Translation: While he’s not the whole team, Gronk is a big deal. Feel free to throw out that 43% stat on Sunday, you’ll really turn some heads.

4. Blitz

Ah, the blitz. There are 11 guys on the field for each team during any passing or running play, meaning when the quarterback is out there and has the ball. The defense has a few guys (typically four) who get in the quarterback’s face… these are linemen, and they’re pretty much always there. Then there are guys who hang out right behind and around the linemen and there are guys who are way back, to cover people that the quarterback will pass the ball to.

In an attempt to knock the quarterback down with the ball or make him hurry and throw a bad pass, a defense will send guys across. This can be risky because if defense is all focusing on the quarterback, they’re not focusing on the guys that could be catching the ball. If the quarterback gets his pass off quickly enough, and his guys are open because of the blitz… that blitz didn’t work. BUT, if the defense can get to the quarterback in time and knock him down with the ball, or make him throw a fumble, that’s a good blitz.

Translation: When you see the defense moving up, its a strong possibility that they are going to blitz. Go ahead and ask the room “Are they going to blitz?”. I wouldn’t do it more than once a quarter, though. This is one that if you overuse it, you just look like an idiot.

5. Brady vs. Manning

If all this football talk is still “blah blah blah” to you, you can participate in girl talk but still be talking about the players. I overheard on the radio that a recent survey revealed that more women would have an affair with Eli Manning than Tom Brady

Really?

Women said that they are more drawn to Eli’s boyish good looks, but more importantly, are intimidated by Tom’s supermodel wife, Giselle. Um… if I were to be having an affair with Tom Brady IN MY HEAD… you can bet Giselle wouldn’t be there. I think these ladies need to keep in mind what a fantasy is. Live a little!

Translation: Stop thinking about Giselle when you think about Tom.

That’s it! Hope I gave you some information to enjoy the game a little more on Sunday! Will you be watching? Who are you rooting for? Would you have an affair with Brady or Manning?

Posted in Celebrity Crushes, Holidays/seasons, Moods, Silliness | 2 Comments

Why I don’t do crunches

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Michelle

I’ve said a few times that I don’t do crunches and opt for planks instead. For years I did crunches… on the mat, on the ball, center crunches, side crunches. It was during a meeting with my trainer-friend that I was told “oh… you’re rectus dominant.”

Whaaaaaaat?

All that meant was that I was using my rectus abdominus (the six pack muscle) more than those deeper stabilizing muscles in my abdomen, or the transverse abdominus. It wraps around your spine for protection and stability.

Alrighty, so what’s so bad about that? Studies have shown that there is a connection between the inability to efficiently contract the core muscles and chronic back pain.

To improve stabilization, its important to work the muscles that are closer to the spine and keep the spine and lower back stable and supported. Those are the transverse abdominus muscles. (The superficial muscles work to help with movement.)

The number one exercise for the transverse abdominus is the plank! When I incorporated these into my routine, I noticed a big difference in how I felt. I stood taller and did have less back pain. I can feel it when I neglect them, too. Crunches have their place, but if I’m focusing on my abs, I want to be working on my inner core.

I find that the plank works best for me when I focus on making myself very long while I’m up there, and as they say, focus on pushing your belly button toward the ceiling. The plank can be tough at first and even induce some shakes, but is well worth it in the long run.

Are you a plank person or a crunch person? Or do you do something totally different for your abs?

I am not a trainer or medical professional. My observations and information come from discussions with trainers, perusing the internet, and personal experience.

Posted in Strength Training, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Wah wahhhh

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Michelle

I haven’t run much in the past week… only once in fact! Wah wahhhh… know that noise?

Debbie Downer cracks me up.

So even though its just that one run, it was a great one! 2.79 miles in 27:00, for a pace of 9:41/mile! WHAT? I haven’t run that fast in awhile! Its gotta be the shoes.

I do love my new Nike Frees and I would highly recommend them. I run faster in them and my hips are less sore the next day after running, and as you can see, I’ve been running hard. This could also be because I’m stretching well after my runs. I make sure when I go to the gym that I’m budgeting in ample time to stretch after I work out so I don’t get hurt again. This isn’t something I was good about before… and look what happened. Long stretches, strength moves for my legs, and positive thoughts will keep me injury free this race season!

Speaking of positive thoughts… here’s more Debbie Downer. This skit has always cracked me up for multiple reasons, mostly because Jimmy Fallon can’t control himself… as usual. We all know them, so I’m curious… How do you deal with Debbie D’s?

Posted in Moods | 2 Comments

One nation, under God…

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Michelle

Its no news to New England residents… President Obama hosted the Boston Bruins at the White House today.

Its also well known that goaltender Tim Thomas decided not to go.

My Facebook and Twitter has been full of people with opinions on this matter, some good and some bad. I try not to get political here, but I need to say something.

Tim Thomas is one of the two Americans on the Bruins invited to meet the President, and in my opinion, he acted the least American out of the whole team. Our President is our elected leader, whether you vote for him/her or not. And unless we as a people impeach said President, that is our leader for four years. It is a position to be respected, and if you don’t love him or her, that’s fine. But our country was built on democracy and elections and we have four year terms. I am all for debating and being as crazy as you want about candidates during an election, but once someone is elected, they are in… and negativity is not going to remove them or change their views or policies.

Every time I get a political email bashing the President I delete. I do not find them amusing, and it makes me upset that people are choosing negativity over focusing on unity. I’m not sure how much sense it makes to take joy in a Presidents shortcomings and failures. And during election time, I did not support him. But I do now. Whether or not I vote for someone, once they are in, I want them to succeed, because isn’t it in our best interest for our politicians to succeed? One of the reasons that we are having trouble with our economy is that we are so divided. Divided as a government, and clearly, divided as a people.

Tim Thomas wasted an opportunity today. He is a role model to many kids around here and many adults like him. Instead of taking the chance to show that we can all come together despite our differences, he chose to display negativity.

And yes, I realize that I’m getting sucked into the negativity by getting so fired up about it. Not to mention that instead of a fun visit for the Bruins and President Obama, the news is focusing on Tim Thomas and his absence. Way to be a team player.

What do you think? Do you think Thomas made a strong decision and stood up for his beliefs? Or do you think he was merely seeking attention and being negative?

Posted in Moods | 1 Comment

Instagram and New Kicks

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Michelle

Hi! Hope you had a great weekend, I did!

I’ve been loving Instagram lately. I used to just use it to change some of my pictures that I took on my phone, but its turning into a new form of social media for me. *sigh* I need more social media like a hole in the head, but I now check Instagram as much as Twitter and Facebook.

So right now there is a January Photo a Day challenge going on and its fun! Its not just for Instagram… you can play on your blog, Facebook, with a point and shoot, whatever you want. Every day is a new theme, you post a picture of your interpretation of it. Simple and fun. Here are some examples.

Day 7: Favorite – My favorite perfume
Day 10: Childhood – The Star Wars obsession begins…
Day 14: Something you’re reading – I just started this book, it was a gift from a very thoughtful friend and I love the small amount I’ve read so far.
Day 15: Happiness – New sneakers and time to use them!

Those are Nike Frees and I’m not ready to give my full review yet because I’ve only worn them once (yesterday), but that once that I wore them was great! It definitely felt different to run in them at first, but before I knew it I looked down and realized I had run half a mile without thinking about it. This could also be because the sneakers I had before these were so old they were giving me shin splints…

I ran 2.63 miles in 25:54, a 9:51/mile pace! This is very good for me, speed-wise. That darn IT band is screaming at me today, though. I rolled it out earlier and I’ve been good about stretching well after every run… something I wasn’t so good at before PT. Ever wonder what this strap is for?

I used to wonder what kind of torture strap that was. Turns out I now use it to stretch my hamstrings. And it is a torture strap. I hate those stretches, but I try to tell myself how good they are for me.

Need motivation? When I was researching my sneakers I came across this video… watch it and then try to not want to work out. Makes me want to slip them on and go for a run. In 5 layers. Its COLD out there!

Stay warm, my friends!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Magic Mac and Cheese

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Michelle

Who loves macaroni and cheese?

I know I do.

I was pawing through Ellie Krieger’s book, The Food You Crave, looking for meals for the week. I like this book a lot, the food tastes good and I don’t feel guilty about eating anything I make from it. My friend gave me this book, and I can’t remember if she wanted it back or not. So… I’m calling it mine. Ha!

When I saw macaroni and cheese in here I wasn’t sure why it was included… until I read the ingredient list. Butternut squash! Well, she calls it winter squash, but c’mon… butternut squash.

It was easy enough to make on a week night (I like to keep my weeknight meals simple and fairly quick) and lasted us for a couple of days AND… a 2 cup serving is only 390 calories. Awesome.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses from “The Food you Crave” by Ellie Krieger

16 oz elbow macaroni (I used a different kind)
2 10 oz packages frozen pureed winter squash (I bought 20oz frozen butternut, boiled it and mashed it with a potato masher)
2 cups lowfat milk (I used whole… did I even follow this recipe?)
1 1/3 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)
2/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil

- Prehead oven to 375. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Or butter. I heard that someone did that and it came out fine.

- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and transfer to prepared baking dish.

- Place frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, til squash is defrosted. Or, if you’ve already pureed it, just mix it with the milk here. Cook til mixture is almost simmering.

- Remove pan from heat and stir in the cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard, and cayenne. Pour over macaroni and stir to comibine.

- Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl, sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until cheese around edges is bubbling, about 20 mins, then broil 3 minutes to crisp and brown the top.

That’s it! This is also a great way to sneak a vegetable in if you have finicky eaters in your house… you don’t even need to tell them, because you can’t even taste it. I really tasted the ricotta and mustard the most. Of course, you’re going to want to tell them while they’re eating it, but then they might not trust you again, and make that face like you forced them to eat something healthy, and then nobody wins. Just keep it to yourself.

Do you have any non-healthy dishes that have been turned healthy?

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments

Miss you already!

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Michelle

What a wonderful weekend I had.

I finally went food shopping and filled our fridge and pantry. The holidays really messed up our food.

I finally got together with a friend that I haven’t seen in two years. The holidays had us quoting SNL Christmas skits over text which led to dinner plans.

I finally took down our Christmas tree… but I still think it was too soon.

Last year, this is what our tree looked like when I took the ornaments and lights off of it.

no joke… Isn’t that horrible? But this year… quite the opposite. The tree wasn’t even dropping needles on Sunday, in fact, it was growing new ones!

We clearly picked a right tree, and it was the right kind of weather this year, and we did things right when we got it home. It was so heartbreaking for me to think of taking down this perfectly good tree when it still had so much life in it.

So I thought about decking it in red and pink and keeping it up for awhile longer. I started with a few.

Nope, still just looks like a Christmas tree.

So, we compromised. As always, I stripped the tree of all its sparkle and lights and Erm dragged it outside and put it in the woods for all the little woodland creatures to enjoy.

In my head it looks like this:

But Erm claims that he’s never seen any creatures in there. I think the real story is somewhere between our visions.

Til next year…

Have you de-holidayed your house yet?

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Wild Child

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Michelle

Whatcha doin tomorrow night? Any big plans?

There’s the little crazy part of me left that really wishes I was going to Adam Lambert’s party in the woods. But my invitation never came. And even if it did, I don’t have nearly enough glitter to fit in.

You didn’t know I love Glambert, did you? Well, now you know.

My party days are behind me, I believe, and that’s quite alright. This year has been… a year. I’m not one to complain, but 2011 definitely had its many ups and some downs and we’ve had a lot going on!

We took an amazing trip to Portugal and Spain.

I watched one of my best friends get married… in a great spray tan.

We touched the Stanley Cup.

I reconnected with family I haven’t seen in awhile. Awesome.

Erm took a new job. I started a little project of my own. We had countless dinners, adventures and good times with each other, friends and family.

And there was the rough stuff, too. But, one thing I learned this year is that everybody has stuff. And there is always someone with more stuff than you and there are always people with less stuff than you. You just have to deal with your own stuff. So many people get so caught up on how they’re doing compared to everyone else, and its just so destructive.

Its best to just make sure that you have the best tools available to deal with your stuff. Whether its a therapist, getting your stress out with exercise, letting loose with friends, driving to a beach and sitting and thinking… do whatever you need to do. I was lucky enough to marry my tool Nothing strengthens a marriage like going through stuff together. Not to say that I can’t deal with things myself. But we are definitely a good team.

So on New Year’s Eve, I will not be partying in the woods. I will be having a quiet night celebrating a great year and looking forward to a new one, with a homemade dinner with my husband, and will probably be cozy sound asleep by the time 2012 gets here.

And money, fame and fortune never coouuullld compeeeeeete…

Posted in Celebrity Crushes, Holidays/seasons | 2 Comments