Donate a Gift for FREE Pilates :)

Tomorrow  at Align Pilates only, if you bring a new, unwrapped toy for St. Anne's Place which provides emergency housing / is a transitional center for women and children, you receive your class for free. Sign up now!

Life over Hockey Fandom

Life is funny sometimes isn't it? Last year there was nothing I loved more than hockey; talking to other hockey fans, watching hockey games, tweeting about hockey news...in a word I was obsessed. For anyone who has read my personal blog before you may have read the post earlier this Fall about the past six years of struggle I had been through, if not here's the Reader's Digest version. Shit happens, and sometimes when drowning you cling on to the ray of light that can bring you happiness and you don't let go. But as with all things in life, one day you're up the next day you're down. Somewhere along the line the online hockey community went from the thing that saved me and filled me with joy and energy to a place filled with negativity and whining. I can handle criticism but hockey seemed to invite people into my life to constantly criticize what I did, how I felt, what I liked and any opinion I had. I didn't realize it at first, I blamed it on the Avalanche crapping the bed midway through last season as to why I wasn't as into hockey but the Playoffs rolled around and I watched maybe two games. I couldn't care less, and I finally figured out why.

The hockey community is a great one, filled with fun individuals who really love the sport and want to talk to other hockey fans. The problem is that for me it felt like instead of going out and doing stuff I would talk hockey with other people. This past summer the hockey community was hit with tragedy, time and time again. Instead of banning together people fought over how other people should mourn, over what was classy and respectful and what was not. It was insane and above all else it was energy draining. I often found myself turning off Twitter and re-reading Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech - about living your life to the fullest. Somewhere along the line I realized that while online communities are great and connecting with other fans is fun, it's not the only part of my life. No wonder I had little to offer other than critiquing people on Twitter; I wasn't actually living an active life so I had nothing to comment on other than observe how others were living. What a boring life. Then the 10 year anniversary of September 11th came and Penelope Trunk wrote a piece that had me in tears at the end. Steve had nailed it on the head about remembering to make the most of each day, but even that seemed lofty and we always think we have tomorrow. But Penelope, well she smacked it out of the ballpark, bases loaded bottom of the 9th Inning in the World Series Game Seven for the Championship. I realized how to make me happy and what was worthwhile to me.

A few months later and I'm happier and healthier. I run two to three times a week, go to yoga four times a week and am out past 10 pm on most days. I hang out with cool people, learn something new each day, and get to laugh out loud instead of type LOL. That doesn't mean I don't love my Twitter family, it just means balance is needed in my life. For me, the pendulum swung all the way over to hockey and the online hockey community and as with all things the pendulum has to swing the other way to correct itself. I'm striking that balance any way I can, and sometimes that means by unfollowing people who don't have much to tweet about other than whine over how their team got screwed or their fellow fans or the return of Sidney Crosby.

But if you're wondering, I still love my Avs and am excited about Landeskog and the future for the organization. I still check out the scores, watch highlights and check out the news; but it isn't the only love of my life any longer. So if you're on Twitter and I'm tweeting about music, movies, food, technology and yoga, feel free to tweet me back; it's even more fun than just tweeting about hockey, I promise.

Mat Kearney - Young Love Tour

There's few artists I love hearing in concert more than Mat Kearney. While most people don't recognize the name they usually recognize his music. He's had his music featured on Grey's Anatomy right at the beginning of his career. That's no easy feat, so why was he so lucky? Well I'd say it has little do with luck and everything to do with the immense amount of talent and powerful lyrics he writes. Last night was a reminder of how incredibly powerful his songs can be, as well as fun and energetic or romantic. But "All I Need" is one of those songs I stop and listen to every single damn time. The piano right towards the end, just gives me chills thinking about it. So here's last night's song order, since we were the last city on the tour most people already know the set list.

Mat Kearney 11/20/2011
Fire & Rain
Young Dumb & In Love
Count on Me
Down
Breathe In Breathe Out
Closer to Love
Nothing Left to Lose
Girl America (w/Chasing Pavements)
Chicago
Where We Gonna Go From Here (Intro only)
Here We Go
Runaway Car
She Got the Honey
All I Need
Undeniable
ENCORE
Ships in the Night
Pumped Up Kicks
Hey Mama

Practicing Yoga

Every class my yoga instructor starts with an intention for the class and for the day. Today I had Ryann and she is fabulous. She told us that it always surprises her when she tells people she's going to yoga and they tell her to have a good workout. What surprises me is people tell me to have fun stretching, if they only knew. The funny thing about yoga is that there are physical benefits to the practice. The building of stability muscles, the loss of weight, flexibility etc. But yoga isn't about achieving weight loss or lean muscles; those are simply by products for what the yogi is trying to achieve. What yoga focuses on is grace, patience, mindfulness and concentration. We aim for grace and practice it through dancer's pose which forces us to use stabilizing muscles, our core, etc. The benefits to yoga are what most people who are new or who are unfamiliar with yoga think of and what they associate with yoga. But once the practice begins it becomes about calming the mind, even getting out of one's mind and into one's body; it's about finding what's important in life, living in the moment and learning about oneself.

I practice yoga four times a week and I do it because I am trying to find my patience, I'm striving to be graceful,  and I need to let the pressures of the day fall away. I leave it all on my mat and yes, since starting on November 8th I've gone down a pant size and a bra size; I have built muscles I never knew existed and I love that as well. But the real joy of yoga is going and every time getting deeper in my practice. I may not get better every day because every day has a different challenge, but every day I become more connected with myself, with the present and with my intentions.

That's what yoga has done for me. That's why I tweet about it, why I wake up at ungodly hours to squeeze a class in and why I find myself doing more laundry than I ever thought was possible. Because who I am becoming and the lessons I am learning through those sixty minutes is worth every (expensive) penny to me.

Canned Food for Turkey Burgers

Just received this email from The Blue Plate Restaurant Company inviting customers to bring in a canned good (for Second Harvest) and get their amazing turkey burger for $5. The Edina Grill's turkey burger is mouthwatering-ly amazing! Why not help someone in need out and save some money? While you're at it, upgrade to the sweet potato fries with the Chipotle aeoli. Yum!

Free at Align Pilates

Who doesn't love free? When I received my monthly email update from Align Pilates I noticed they were offering two free classes while they 'audition' two new teachers. While I am unable to attend, I hope you go! The two classes they are offering are as follows:

Thursday, November 17, 2011
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Barre Class

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Yoga Class

You do need to sign up to reserve your spot (there may not be any spots left!) and you can do that here. Align also has a great new student offer, one week to try all of their classes out for $20. Try Pilates, Barre, Yoga and Prana Stretch for $20.

Punch Pizza & Second Harvest

Punch Pizza is back with another incentive to give to those in need in exchange for their amazing, melt in your mouth pizza. Today only, give a can of food (though it's encouraged to give more) which will be donated to Second Harvest and you receive either a *FREE* Margharita pizza or $6.95 off any other pizza of your choice.

A Thank You Long Overdue

I often talk about how life has taken me down an interesting pathway and though I've lost friends along the way, I can't regret the choices I've made. I stand by that statement, except for one person. It's been over two years since I have last spoken to a former friend and I often wish I had done things differently. I've gone through phases of making excuses about why our friendship ended, blamed myself, blamed everything out there; and after two years I've finally figured out why everything happened.

The background:
My brother was my best friend, it felt like we were a team and I was always so proud to be his little sister. Growing up in a family where I was the youngest by years, I loved my oldest brother and older sister, but there was such an age difference that they were more like siblings than friends. As the years go by and I get less annoying (i.e. older) we've gotten closer, but my brother Colin was my best friend growing up, and everyone knew that. When Colin became estranged with our family I can't say it felt like a piece of me died or that things would never be right again, it just set forward into motion a series of events that would take me a long time to recover from.

My senior year I found myself at odds with my father about moving back to Colorado, binge drinking three to four nights a week, sleeping through classes and unmotivated to do anything. But people thought I was fun. When the year ended and I was done with St. Thomas, reality set in. Trying to find a job as a Psych major was downright hard. I worked at Club Monaco to pay for the bills, fought with my parents almost constantly, got into some debt, continued to party, and just was on a downward trajectory. The place I worked made me feel like I was ugly and fat, which only further contributed to how badly I felt about my current situation. So I drank.

Somewhere along the line I stopped drinking as much, stopped going out as often, and stopped being that person who laughes the loudest and is excited about doing things. Somewhere along the line, I went from living my life out of control, to barely living. I had no energy, I was a negative person, a shell of a person that I once was. The problem with being situationally depressed is that you think that you're doing a good job of managing it. You think 'Well, this really sucks right now but I'll get myself out of this soon.' and you honestly believe that your friends know what you're going through even though you tell them nothing. You start to say no to going out and soon after your friends no longer ask you.

I had a friend, a best friend even, who avoided confrontation like the plague. Not that she was afraid of confrontation, just that she believed there were more pleasant ways for things to get taken care of. One night we went out for dinner and she told me she was worried about me, she thought I needed to seek help, and that she missed the old me. When you're in survival mode and someone you love lets you know you're not fooling anyone it's a shock to the system, and not the good kind. It's not the self-examing kind that kicks your butt into gear, it's the kind that makes you resent the person who told you the very advice you needed to hear. It took me well over two years to realize this, two years to finally be grateful for the advice.

That conversation was the beginning of the end of our friendship. I began to resent my friend and became even more depressed. I'd then spend another year in a worse situation than the one I was already currently in. Being baited and switched by my former employer/landlord into a housing situation that was not financially feasible for me made climbing out of the hole I was in at that time near impossible. It's been a year since I've lived there and the financial reprocussions are still taking a toll on me, I'm still digging my way out but I'm almost there. And I'm proud of myself for doing it on my own.

Last year while I was slowly beginning the healing process I found something I loved. While running a website took all my time and energy, I buried myself in it anyway. Hockey was my healing process, the thing I needed to let take over my life to finally get back to being me. I started being more like my old self, going to concerts by myself if no one cared to go, meeting up with friends, traveling the country, being adventurous. It was slowly starting to feel normal again, despite various other speed bumps along the way.

Finally this Spring something changed. My mother reached out to my estranged brother and his wife. The communication was slow but optimistic. Looking back at the entire situation that led to estrangement, it all seems so trivial compared to the joy of family but at the time felt larger than life. Hindsight isn't 20/20, it's about looking at things with a fresh perspective, from outside the situation rather than in the midst of the chaos. And hindsight told my mother that she needed to reach out. And soon she sent me emails that made me cry, emails of her communication with my brother and his wife and how much my brother missed me. Just as much as I missed him, but the embarrassment kept him from reaching out. I've taken a lot of heat from family members who don't believe I should even let my brother back into my life, but they don't know what I've gone through these past six years. And they really don't know how instrumental this has all been to getting me back to being me.

This past July marked a change in my life when it felt like I wasn't pretending to be happy any longer, but was actually really happy. My loud laugh often fills the room I'm in, my sarcasm is back in full force and there's somewhat of a spring in my step. I finally feel like me again, but there's still something missing. I never got to apologize to my friend who loved me enough to tell me she was concerned. The friend I thanked by being an awful friend, pushing her away and ignoring her advice.

Lizzy Freeman, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you voiced your concern. I miss you every single day.

Gym Membership? Fuel up with BOGO at Punch

The one time a gym membership would have served me well. As someone who refuses to pay the start up and administration fees, I've avoided gym memberships, choosing to walk around Lake Harriet, doing Pilates courses or grabbing Groupons for gym classes with no commitment. It appears my counterparts who thrive on attending the gym benefit from this one (though I'll use the money saved on avoiding said start up and administration fees to buy a pizza or two.)

August 22nd - August 24th if you purchase one pizza and show your gym membership, Punch will give you a second pizza for free.

Of course the usual rules and regulations apply, pizza purchased must be greater or equal value to the one being received for free.

My Food Revolution: Easy Caprese

There are times when nothing sounds better than sitting down in front of the television and popping a snack while mindlessly watching whatever is on at the moment. But snacking doesn't have to be filled with processed foods that are bad for you, so here's another new and incredibly simple snack to try. The same friend who introduced me to the 'Italian Style Salad' made these for the appetizer. So have at it, and don't tell me you didn't try it because it was too difficult to make!

Easy Caprese:

1 toothpick

1 Cherry Tomato
1 Basil leaf
1 Mozzarella ball

*Repeat
**If you're feeling adventuresome drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

My Food Revolution: Three Month Anniversary

When I first started down the road to eat healthy and live better I didn't know what I was embarking on was a 'Clean Food' diet. Well this isn't a fad for me, this is a lifestyle change, meant for the long haul. I stand here before you three months into my journey with new perspective, tidbits and even more recipes to share. I've read interesting books, watched startling documentaries and ultimately changed the way I view the world, food, and my health. I've lost weight, both emotional and physical and feel content for the first time in a long time. I'm taking care of me, cooking, cleaning, working out all because I made one decision: eat healthy.

Every day it gets easier to eat healthy, not to say there aren't days where I just want to order take out and veg out, but if I do it's a special occasion and I better be hitting the gym extra hard the following day. Finding a balance for you is the most important thing. I've always been an 'all or nothing' type of personality, when I work out, I work out hard. When I get off the exercise train I don't think you could motivate me to just go for a walk. If I do, the next thing you know I'm running the following day, expecting to do a 5k effortlessly. It's who I am. So when I made the change to 'slowly remove processed foods from my life and document that journey' I should have known better. I threw out fast food and soda in the first week. Processed foods the following week. I never do anything the easy way, but it was my way and I have found balance along the way.

Finding motivation in others, in the media is easy if you know where to look. Watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution as well as NBC's The Biggest Loser and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition are constant reminders to me that every time I take a bite of food I am making a decision about my health. Every time I purchase organic, locally grown food I am spending money to support them and money against the giants like Monsanto who care more about profit than consumer health. Every Tuesday I watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition before heading down to the gym. There doesn't seem to be an excuse in the world that can stop me after watching how eating your emotions and being sedentary can destroy your life. It's pretty easy to stay motivated while eating at home or being in control of where I go out to eat, but life isn't always that easy.

Last month I went out to Happy Hour (HH) with my coworkers. Many of my coworkers know that I've radically changed my diet and thus were giving me a hard time when I showed up, had one cocktail (well half of one) and ate some of the food that was there. I talked about it with my Mom beforehand, and I figured it would be my one treat as it was for socializing purposes and not a daily occurrence. The food didn't have the same hold on me, I wasn't mindlessly eating it and the following day my stomach hurt. Not to mention that after I got home I was hungry again, I forgot how unsatisfying garbage is for you. Now whenever I'm tempted to eat something on my old diet I know without a doubt that I'd be much happier with making my own meal. What a difference three months makes.

Word of the Day

Every day I receive a made up 'Word of the Day' abbreviated WOTD on Twitter from my friend Mark Willoughby over at The View From 111 blog. I asked him if I could catalog them, as I wanted to keep track of them. he gave me the go ahead so please enjoy the genius that is my friend Mark. And if you are on Twitter, be sure to follow Mark here.


If you use these WOTD in a post or whatever else, please credit Mark as they are his intellectual property. Thank you!

My Food Revolution: Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Rolls

I find my inspiration for new recipes from many places, most of which do not come from the internet. Childhood meals, digging through my cabinet for anything that could be thrown together and most recently celebrity inspired. In an issue of US Weekly they showed what 'diets' certain celebrities partake in and two of which I was most intrigued with used food services to cook and send their fresh food so they never had to lift a finger. Certainly makes dieting easier.

As a source of inspiration I turned Sunfare and checked out what they had on their menu. Several items caught my attention, and here is one of them. From Sunfare's 'Signature Diet' menu the Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Rolls.

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Rolls

Slice Zucchini about 1 cm thick the long way

Grill on both sides until fully cooked

Place a small scoop of herbed Goat Cheese in the middle

Roll up - use toothpicks to hold the ends together if necessary

My Food Revolution: Traditional Caprese

When my parents came back from Italy they could not stop talking about how they loved Caprese and ate it everywhere they went. When they came to visit they made the dish as an appetizer and I too fell in love with its rich flavor. It's easy to make and the ingredients are all great for you. We may not be in Rome, but let's do as the Romans do!

Traditional Caprese:Ripe Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzerella
Fresh Basil diced
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Slice the tomatoes and the cheese. Please the tomato on the bottom topped by the slice of fresh mozzerella. Stick in the oven until warm. Sprinkle fresh diced basil on top and pour Balsmic Vinaigrette over. I recommend eating with a fork and knife.

Rue La La ;)

Many of you have received an email from me inviting you to this site. A coworker invited me and I'm sharing the wealth. Basically, they have these great sales on awesome items for two days only. Super trendy, super expensive stuff goes quickly, so you'll need to have the credit card ready to buy if what you want is on sale for a great discount. Hopefully you take a look and consider joining. :)

Click here to receive an invitation to Rue La La (membership is by invitation only.)

YPOTC: July Get Together

YPOTC is excited to officially introduce our newest supporting sponsor, The Columns Resource Group -Northwestern Mutual


Grab your friends and join us July 12th from 5:30-9PM as we conquer the professional world one pint at a time at Brit's Pub! With scotch eggs, Guinness, and with an amazing view of downtown you're guaranteed to enjoy this Second Tuesday event! Brit's has reserved the Veranda for our group and is offering YPOTC appetizer and drink specials until 9pm.
 
Brit's Pub and Eating Establishment.
Who: You
What: Networking
Where: Brit's (check out the Google Map) 1110 Nicollet Mall  Minneapolis, MN 55403  
When: July 12th, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Why: Why not?

One Month Milestone: Time to Kick it up a Notch

Today marks the one month anniversary of my workout regime. As a motivation I try to do two things. First, I reward myself on every monthly anniversary with a nice pedicure for the hard work my feet have done (whether it’s running, Pilates, workout DVDs or Yoga they’ve kicked it up a notch.) The second? Well it’s to share what I’ve done, where I’m going, etc. with whomever reads this blog. Why? Because personal accountability is why people work out with friends or trainers.

My issue is I like my ‘me time’ when I work out. I like going to classes by myself, heading down to the workout area by myself, etc. I don’t want to socialize when it comes down to it. Classmates will socialize beforehand but rarely interrupt the actual workout (hence I am friendly with fellow classmates) and the same thing cannot be said of friends attending classes together. I need my independence, my ability to work at my own pace without judgement, and an escape from the daily grind without worrying about offending a friend if I advance at a faster or slower pace. I am there to improve myself, and in the end I need to worry about me. I know this sounds incredibly selfish but maybe we all need to be a bit more selfish when it comes to our health.

So today when I hit my one month anniversary I am not going to get a pedicure (that will be tomorrow) but kicking my workout up a notch and adding Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred back into my routine. When I started running I immediately started Pilates. I’m glad I did as the core workout will hopefully help me with Jillian. The reason I am adding a bit more strength training/cardio into my routine is to not only switch it up but also to build more muscle to burn more fat. The arms are the most noticeable area where you can tell if someone uses weights or not. Based on experienced trainers’ opinions, the addition of weights will kick up my metabolism, add muscle, burn fat and help change it up to keep me interested. In other words, get me one step closer to hitting my goals before my 27th birthday this August.

My Food Revolution: Broccoli Chicken Pasta

When I was younger my Dad was told he had to either give up beer or change his entire diet to avoid Type II Diabetes. Being the beer lover that he is, my father kicked up his exercise and made the whole family change their diet. I feel like most people would pick the same thing if given the choice, so I try not to begrudge him for making me eat more whole grains. One of the dishes my Dad loved to make was an easy summer pasta, it was delicious and paired with a cucumber salad it just hit the spot on summer days. So here's my take on their dish, there are two types of chicken I used, and I've linked both.

Broccoli Chicken Pasta
Frozen Broccoli (Green Giant Steamers is probably the best, no need to dirty a pot to cook the broccoli in water.)
1 box of noodles
5 pieces of pan cooked chicken (not chicken breast, chicken thigh is about the right size)
2 pieces of oven baked garlic pepper chicken (not chicken breast, chicken thigh is about the right size)

Parmesan cheese
2 Shallots
3 Garlic Cloves
Garlic salt and Garlic pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I tried two different chicken recipes as I wanted to see which one I liked best. Turns out I liked the pan cooked chicken for this recipe better than my tried and true oven baked chicken. Cook noodles, bake and pan cook chicken with garlic and shallots, microwave broccoli. Mix all together and drizzle more Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top. Grate some fresh Parmesan on top of finished dish.

*For even better results do what my parents did and get whole grain cracked pepper noodles. They're typically longer and look like Fettucine noodles. That would eliminate the need to make two different types of chicken and allow you to only use the pan cooked.

My Food Revolution: Pan Cooked Garlic Chicken

I saw this recipe on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution tv show. He was showing the kids of a single Dad how to cook a meal in under 40 minutes. The way they made the chicken looked easy enough and I decided I would try it out just for fun. I made mine a little more salty, because I have an addition to garlic salt, but season as you wish.

Pan Cooked Garlic Chicken
Chicken thighes (I use grass fed, free range)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Shallots
Garlic Cloves

Drizzle EVOO, add chicken, chopped shallots and garlic cloves. Cook until done. I add garlic salt at the beginning, just lightly for a little extra taste as I didn't use a sauce in the pasta dish I used this for. While still cooking I also pulled the chicken into smaller pieces. For more taste, add more shallots and garlic cloves.

My Food Revolution: Light, Crisp Salad

Taken from another former roommate's mother who had us over for dinner and supplemented a filling dinner with this light, fresh salad that was devoured. What I love about this salad is it's another great alternative to eating creamy salad dressing (filled with salt, fat and sugar.) Every salad you can get away from the Ranch or Bleu Cheese is good for you.

Light, Crisp Salad:


Hearts of Romaine lettuce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Either 6 drops of lemon juice or a slice of lemon squeezed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste
Add favorite vegetables (Cherub Tomatoes, Baby Corn, Onions, Olives, etc.)

My Food Revolution: Sweet Potato Fries

There are a few things that are as satisfying as a burger and fries. Pair that grass fed, free range beef OR bison burger with a whole grain bun from Great Harvest and you're on the right track. But the fries can make or break the meal, so here's three different ways to make sweet potato fries.

Extra Sweet, Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Sprinkle 1/4 Cup of Light Brown Sugar over the fries.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desire crispiness.
Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Season with Cracked Black Pepper (not regular dinner table pepper, you want this to have a kick - you'll use less salt this way) and a teensy bit of salt. More pepper than salt.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desired crispiness.

Kick You in the Pants Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Season with Red Chili Flakes, Paprika, Chili Powder, Cracked Black Pepper (not regular dinner table pepper, you want this to have a kick - you'll use less salt this way) and a teensy bit of salt.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desired crispiness.

Pilates: The Real Deal

When I started Pilates three weeks ago (just going on Sundays) I knew it would be a different experience and a good workout but I never expected this. This being the transformation my body has begun, the complete difference in how I feel, stand, workout and increase in understanding my body. Cheesy? Probably. True? You better believe it. For anyone who wants to trim their fat, tone their body you should check out Pilates.

We've all heard that Pilates is a great workout and that it 'strengthen and elongates muscles' but I figured it would take weeks, months, maybe even years to really see/feel the results. Boy was I wrong. The first Sunday in June I attended my first Pilates class at Align Pilates. To say it was anything short of spectacular would be to commit libel. I was sore for two days afterwards, considering it worked muscles I usually didn't attend to the fact that running that Tuesday helped was a minor miracle. On Monday I was sitting at my office and sneezed. I usually sneeze in threes, and they're not quiet. I sneezed loudly and then whimpered in pain. My boss was in his office and asked me if i was okay, that's how much pain I was in. No, I didn't pull or strain any muscles I just never worked them that hard before either.

In three weeks my waist has lost inches. I've only lost two pounds but my pants aren't fitting due to excessive bagginess and the flab on my tummy is slowly disappearing. I have done a million different workout regimes, this is the only one that has had these results. I'm definitely a believer in Pilates, I plan on practicing the rest of my life and one day even becoming a certified instructor.

This past Sunday was my third class and it was easier than my first or second class. I was slowly building up my core muscles. I should mention, it was easier it was NOT easy. I've found myself looking forward to Sunday every week. It's an hour of 'me time'. I spend that hour focusing on my health, doing an activity I enjoy that is exercise at a studio I love. Isn't that what exercise should be like?

My Food Revolution: San Antonio Style Guacamole

While visiting San Antonio for a wedding a few years back we went to every Mexican restaurant there was. Most had awful guacamole, you could find better stuff at Chipotle. But one spot, Bordeau's had great guacamole they made at your table. Here's the recipe in case you're looking for a great little treat. Experts recommend eating one half of an avocado a day due to its healthy nature. But beware of the food we typically add it to (tortilla chips and pre-packaged tortillas.) My sister makes her scrambled eggs with a little milk, salt and pepper and then adds either sliced avocado on top or sometimes a bit of rough guacamole. This would be the perfect guacamole recipe to use!

Bordeau's San Antonio Guacamole
1 Avocado - if ripe you should be able to take the pit out with the knife.
1/4 of a Orange - squeeze in the juice
1/2 of a Lime - squeeze in the juice
1 Tablespoon of chopped red onions (orange 'juice' lessens its sourness)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons of stewed tomatos (theirs had been marinated a certain way)

My Food Revolution: Summer Strawberry Salad

There's nothing better than the sun shining down while eating on the back porch with good friends and family. Nothing. BBQs are likely to be in full force by now and if you're looking for a great salad to hopefully cut down on the kids' (and let's be honest, you too) intake of the potatos chips this salad is so delicious you'll be reaching for seconds or thirds.

Summer Strawberry Salad:

Spinach leaves
Sliced Strawberries
Feta Cheese
Semi-crushed Pralines (or sugared walnuts)
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Option 1: Put each ingredient in separate bowl and allow guests to mix together.
Option 2: Two bags of spinach leaves, 3/4 of a container of sliced strawberries, 20 crushed Pralines, half a package of Feta Cheese.

Punch Pizza: Coca Cola for a Quarter

My favorite pizza place has another deal going on this week for those who were unable to partake in their wine deal. Perfect timing too, my good friend from CWGAP Ally is coming in from Atlanta. You know a Georgia Peach can't drink Pepsi products!

This Punch Pizza coupon is good from June 20th - June 26th.

My Food Revolution: Almond and Mandarin Orange Salad

Salad that tastes good enough to pass as dessert? Yes please! This recipe was taken after eating at a former roommate's parents' house. They brought this salad out and you can believe that it was gone before the end of the meal. It's tasty and a nice little treat. The dressing is available at Macy's, in the Cities it's available at the Ridgedale Macy's.

Oriental Salad:


Spinach Leaves & Romaine Lettuce mix
Mandarin Orange slices
Sliced Almonds
Warmed Sesame Dressing from Macy’s

Punch Pizza: Wine a la Napoli

The good people of Punch Pizza have fun promotions every once in awhile, and it would be idiotic not to indulge when they're sent out. Seeing as I'm not big on beer or wine, I will pass on this one but plan on taking good friend Ally there when she comes into town for the NHL Draft. So here's me sending along something that hopefully you will all be able to enjoy.

Workout Playlist: Interval Training on the Treadmill

There are few things in every day life where music matters more than while working out, if there are any. Yes, picking the perfect wedding song and music to walk down the aisle to are important and there should be a great deal of thought behind the song selection. However, nothing breaks your momentum more than working out and the wrong song comes on. You think you know what you're picking, you know the song needs to be semi-fast to work and that you have to like it, unfortunately that's not enough for most music.

It's taken me months, no actually it's taken me years to find the perfect playlist for a workout. One that I can listen to from start to fnish wthout pressing 'skip'. If you have songs you think are worthy of listening to while running send them my way. For now, here's my list, remember there is a warm up and cooldown included.

Courtney's Running List:
Tim McGraw - Where The Green Grass Grows (for walking down to the gym, getting machine started, etc.)
Glee - Raise Your Glass
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Glee - Somebody to Love (Bieber version)
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris - Break Your Heart
Escala feat. Slash - Kashmir (Instrumental)
Glee - Baby (Bieber version)
Natasha Bedingfeld - Unwritten
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
P!nk - F**kin' Perfect

My Food Revolution: Two Month Anniversary

It seems like yesterday I just reached my one month anniversary, and at that time it felt like I had just started. Eight weeks in and I've never felt better. Eating food, not science by-product is one of the main reasons I feel the way I do. I'm happier, healthier and hopefully in the near future thinner. :)

Here's what I learned this month:

The longer you do something, the more respect you get when speaking about it.
Never stop learning, whether it's books or documentaries or articles the more you fuel your education the greater your motivation to change your ways will be.
There are chemical reasons why some people struggle with food, if you don't be thankful and empathetic.
We should enjoy our food, but we shouldn't let it control us.

Next month's goals:
Try more recipes from friends and cookbooks.
Go one week vegetarian. I may have missed 'National Vegetarian Week' last month but who's to say I can't do my own?

As you hopefully noticed there is a new page entitled 'What I'm Eating' and it lists every single recipe I've posted on this site. If you're looking for a recipe to try out, give one of those a try. If you have to share leave a comment - I know others will be grateful for new, easy to make recipes in their repetoire.

Honorable Mentions: They Didn't Make the Cut

There are so many songs that I would include if I could, but alas not every great song can be special enough to be on my list ;) So here's some of the other songs I was crossing off the list when I made my decisions. If you get crazy enough to create your own list, send it on over!

Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around: One of my favorite sayings in regards to karma. I've loved Justin since 6th grade, and when he went solo the rest of the music loving industry finally understood my love. He's a talented musician, actor, dancer and comedian.

Feist - I Feel It All: I love My Moon, My Man and 1234 but this song is so happy and more upbeat than either of Feist's other popular songs. When I first heard it I whipped out my iPhone and used my SoundHound to figure out what song it was so I could download it immediately. It just makes you that happy.

Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely: A song about one's love for their child. As someone who isn't a mother I haven't yet looked down at something so miraculous that is a part of me but I am an aunt. Babies are a miracle, a beautiful miracle and this song reminds me of my nieces, nephews and cousins. I know everyone says their family members are the cutest, but let's be real, mine are!

U2 - Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: Ever feel like you're treading water and just can't find who you're supposed to be or what you're supposed to do? No? Well I have and it's something I still struggle with now, something that I've resigned to the fact that I will always be looking for. Not to say that I'll never be happy but rather that I will always be looking for something more, for better or worse.

The Beatles - Blackbird: This is not a Beatles song I was familiar with, I knew their greatest hits, their popular songs but this particular song I was not familiar with. When I heard it on Glee and found out it was originally The Beatles I understood my love of the song. They have such a way with words and melody that you don't see often these days. I'm glad I finally found this song. :)

Wicked - Defying Gravity: I was never a Broadway buff and even when Glee performed this song I didn't really 'get it'. It was a year later when I finally found an appreciation for this song. Going against the grain to follow your dreams, to find happiness. I imagine most people who encounter this song will love it. I've added the Glee cast version to almost every playlist I have (well except for working out!)

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir: I know that 'Stairway to Heaven' is their most famous song, and for good reason. However, Kashmir was always my favorite. Lyrically it's not nearly as strong as 'Stairway to Heaven' and I know this. Its appeal? Well I love the instrumental of this song. There's few songs that motivate me to keep working out without lyrics. In fact, only one song can do it, and it's this song. Why? Well this song's instrumental is just that good.

Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay: There were just too many good songs to include but this one takes me back to our minivan every time. It seemed every roadtrip we took (and trust me, we took A LOT of roadtrips) had this song playing. In fact roadtrips definitely shaped the person I am, when we were traveling with my Dad there was no stopping until we needed gas. At which point you ate and used the bathroom and didn't stop again until you needed more gas. I think a large part of why it's easy for me to control drinking soda or eating food is due to those trips, because you had to learn will power not to eat the junk food and soda made available for the trips when you weren't going to stop for another few hours!

My Food Revolution: Homemade Pasta Sauce

This was my first time making my own sauce so I turned to Teresa Guidice's 'Skinny Italian' for help. While I didn't use her actual recipe for the sauce I did use her canning tomatoes information. Even though I'm telling you how I did it here, it's worth the book just for her sauce recipes. I can't wait to try them!

1. First you'll need to buy some good Roma Tomatoes, for 1 lb of meat I'd get at least 10 good sized tomatoes. Wash tomatoes and place in a large pot bring water to a boil. I put tomatoes in before it was boiling.
2. Once the skin cracks on the tomatoes you will need to dump the hot water and run the tomatoes under cold water. I ran this for about five minutes. (While doing this I put my lean, free range and grass fed ground beef in a skillet on the lowest setting.)
3. Once the tomatoes had cooled a bit I grabbed the skin and pulled it off of all the tomatoes. (I would highly recommend doing this as it gets MESSY once you start to get rid of the seeds)
4. After all the tomatoes were skinless I grabbed a knife and cut off the top where the tomato would have connected to the vine. From here you'll see a white/yellow coloring form an I down the middle. I cut parallel to the I and then slightly squeezed the tomato over my sauce pan. I prevented seeds from getting in there an
5. just let the juice squeeze out of the tomato into my sauce pan. Then I finished cutting that part of the tomato off and put it in the pan and scooping the seeds out and throwing them in the plastic bag the tomatoes came in. Turn tomato over and repeat.
6. Once all the tomatoes were in the sauce pan I bought over to the stove and turned on low heat. I added a light sprinkle of garlic salt to the meat and flipped it over.
7. Heading back to the tomatoes I dug back in and broke up the tomatoes with my fingers. After I rinsed my hands off I added two tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one diced shallot, a nice helping of Red Chili Flakes and a sprinkle of Garlic Salt. I let simmer.
8. Once the beef had finished cooking I drained it and added to the sauce. At this time I turned the sauce up to a medium low and stirred in the meat.
9. I put on a pot to boil water for the noodles. Afterwards I added a few small chunks of mozzarella to the sauce and stirred it in.
10. Once the noodles were finished I spooned the sauce onto a plate and grated some Parmesan on top. I used baked ciabatta bread to sop up the excess sauce after I finished eating.

To say this was the best Italian food I've had in awhile is an understatement. The sauce makes all the difference. :)

How to Save a Life: It Only Takes 20 Minutes

The past few days we've seen #AlicesBucketList or #AliceBucketList trend worldwide on Twitter. While it's great that so many people are tweeting and re-tweeting about Alice, it would be even more wonderful if they would think about the one thing she wants the most. for everyone to get tested to donate marrow.

This past year hockey fans everywhere were told to go and get tested for Mandi Schwartz, they were told to 'Be the Match' and sign up. I was as touched as everyone else, crying every time I read about Mandi, yet I always forgot to sign up to get tested. Upon seeing Alice's story I was instantly reminded of Mandi's, her struggle and ultimate death. But I wouldn't call her death the end, her memory and legacy is alive in those who were touched by her story and chose to act on it. And that now includes me, as I've signed up to become a donor. I'm ashamed I didn't sign up earlier, but I've made the decision not to dwell in the past but move forward as a better person tomorrow. Hopefully enough people will be motivated by Mandi and Alice alike and seek to take a whole fifteen minutes to answer a questionnaire and five minutes to conduct a cheek swab. That's it, less than twenty minutes total to find out if you can save someone else's life.

Super heroes are great, they're entertaining and fun to watch. But even a super hero can't match an everyday hero who saves someone else's life not by gift, but by choice. It's a simple choice, but an important one. Won't you take the test so Alice's story has a different ending than Mandi's?

My Food Revolution: 'The End of Overeating'

When I first started on becoming healthier I had heard why eating out was a bad idea but the author's focus was more on eating healthier overall and he didn't delve into the science behind it. I had decided to limit going out to eat as it was harder to do when I was spending more on fresh produce as that food has an expiration date. So I focused instead on making homecooked meals and changing my diet towards eating healthy. I found that eating healthier was not as hard financially as many claim it is, when you go out to eat more often the food you have in the fridge that expires and then you have to buy more, wasting food and money. When I stopped throwing away food, I noticed there wasn't that big of a difference in terms of how much money I spent. I still occasionally went out to eat with friends, but felt somewhat guilty for doing so.

So when a friend recommended The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, MD. I decided to read it. Finding it was only $2.99 prompted a quick buy and immediate reading. While I'm only halfway through the book here's my first impression.

1. The food that's super bad for you actually changes your neural pathways to reinforce the action of you eating it. This is essentially making food a drug but without the abundance of warnings and access to food at every corner on every street.
2. Some people literally cannot stop thinking about food. I have never understood this as I am not one of those people but to see how people describe their suffering is very similar to what an alcoholic goes through, it's fascinating and frustrating at the same time.
3. Chain restaurants are basically fast food places where you sit down and pay more. There's practically as much frying and processed food on your plate as there is when you eat from McDonald's. Your food isn't being cooked, it's being manufactured, so can we really call it food anymore?
4. Scientist are finding interesting studies showing how 'highly palatable' food is changing the pathways in animals and food manufacturers are using this information for a profit at the expense of our health.
5. We need to stop using food to reward good behavior or soothe us when we are stressed as it reinforces the 'desire' for food and forms habits that soon become automatic.

If this isn't enough to entice you to read the book then I don't know what is. The fact that the food industry not only puts so much fat, sugar and salt in their food to make us unhealthy but do it because it's addictive is a sign that we all need to educate ourselves. If after reading books on these topics we choose to eat the same way many currently do then that's a decision, it's a choice that was made after finding out all the facts. Because if we were to be honest, we know very little about what we're putting in our bodies, why we crave it and how to break the habits.

My Top 27 Songs - Part Three

Took me a few weeks to finally finish off the list, truth be told it is a long trip down memory lane trying to figure out your favorite songs, songs you don't believe you'll ever get sick of listening to. But I put on the music and sat and thought about why they were so special to me. Part of the problem is so often I'd get distracted and just listen to the music or sing along! So here's the last nine of my list, hope you enjoy!

Earth Wind and Fire - September

Every day in September I start my morning out with this song. I go to the bathroom and turn on the faucet for the shower and play this song before jumping in. It gets me moving, makes me happy, and now reminds me of my cousin Lauren's wedding. Lauren and Ryan got married in mid-September and this song was played in the warm Colorado air while we all danced away. I love my family and any song that reminds me of a joyous occasion surrounded by my family is a good song in my book. Besides that, the song rocks, every person should have at least one Earth, Wind and Fire song in their iTunes library (though I'd argue many should have MORE than just one!)

Oasis - Wonderwall
I feel like this one is self-explanatory, well really I feel like most of the songs on here are self-explanatory. You asked for my favorite songs and it seems logical that my favorite songs would include some of the greatest songs (not all, because honestly there are too many great songs that I can't have them ALL on here.) No matter how stressed out or tired or sick or sad or angry I am, this song always soothes my nerves. I love the original, LOVE it. But I listen to Ryan Adam's version when I need something a little slower, first discovered Adams while watching the first season of 'The OC' the one which takes place over Valentine's Day where Summer and Cohen are slow dancing in his room. Either version makes me stop and listen with a smile. And after all, isn't that what music should make you do?

Billy Joel - Piano Man
I feel like I'm at the neighborhood bar whenever this songs comes up, well a hybrid of the bars I went to when I was in college. A mixture of Plum's (neighborhood dive bar) and Shout House (dueling piano bar which plays 80's music.) Both hold fond memories for me, and this song was played at both places. Any time I hear this song come on I start to sing along, such great lyrics, such a great melody, you feel as if you've been to that bar, that you know Billy Joel. That's powerful. Every person I know likes this song, I'm always surprised when they don't, I always ask if they drink or not, because this is a classic bar song and most people are reminded of some of the best nights at the bar.

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Great song, great lyrics, great story behind the entire album. Love the creative energy Fleetwood Mac used to channel all of the negativity surrounding the group before the break up into some of the best songs they've ever done. I have two versions of this song, the remix version Stevie Nicks has on her own album (which is semi-techno but super awesome) and the original. I play different versions depending on my mood. If I need something more relaxing I reach for the original. If I'm peppy and want a little faster beat I listen to the remix. Both versions are awesome, and my favorite line in this song is: 'Thunder only happens when it's raining. Players only love you when they're playing.'

Coldplay - Sparks
I love Coldplay, but I didn't always love them. When I first heard 'Yellow' I knew it was a good song, but MTV's TRL played it a thousand times and the music video kind of ruined the song for me. I wasn't able to listen to how great of a song it was while my attention was on the music video, which I thought was awful. As time went by and they kept coming out with songs I grew to love them. They're one of those bands where you either LOVE them or you like a lot of their songs without even realizing you do. That's the group I fell into until I lived with one of my roommates who loved them. Her love for them, playing them constantly slowly turned my liking of their music to loving their music. This particular song could lull me into a peaceful state regardless of what happened in the world. And now that I live in an apartment where the upstairs neighbors sound like they're practicing to join WWE, music that does that is something I can't live without.

The Beatles - Let It Be

What can I say? I love The Beatles and the greatest bands produce the greatest music. I often talk about how songs make me feel peaceful and why I'm drawn to them. Yes, there is a need for songs that pump you up, that get your heart racing, heck I have a list of music that's perfect for the treadmill and have the songs placed in order as to make sure I can run the entire time. However, for every day aspects of life being happy, feeling an inner peace, those are things that draw me to music. Great lyrics, great message, something I can relate to. To me this song is about taking a step back, asking for help, knowing there is something greater than myself who has a plan. I never got into church, I never felt that connection with God there but music? Music reminds me that there is a force bigger than me and nature confirms my belief in that force.



Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
I feel like every person over the age of 21 can relate to this song at some point in their life. When we were younger we were fearless, swiftly going from one adventure to another, never giving a thought about the ties that bind. For me, I've grown more cautious as I get older. I'm not just talking about thinking twice before partaking in risky adventures but even small ones. Is this worth the risk? I think there's a breaking point for everyone who has ever been hurt when they stop 'surviving' life and start to live life. As I get older I'm learning to take smarter, calculated risks and not getting stuck where I once was. It may not be the meaning of the song, but it's what it means to me. And isn't that what counts? 'Well I've been 'fraid of changing cause I built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, even children get older. And I'm getting older too.'


Journey - Faithfully
Is there really any explanation needed for this song? I love Journey and wake up to this song daily. I love the arrangement on this song, I love the lyrics, I love the overall flow. Did I mention I love this song? It seems all of my favorite Journey songs have a kick-butt, high-note ending that make the songs very hard for other artists to cover. It's why I love the songs so much, you rarely hear covers of them, and when they are done they're usually done by the most talented artists. You won't find singers who use the help of auto-tune *ahem* Katy Perry, Britney Spears *ahem* and it makes it that much more special.

Now that I've done my favorite all-time 27 songs, have you started your own list?

My First Groupon :)

Yesterday I ventured out and tried my hand at Pilates at Align Pilates. For the record, it kicked my butt yesterday and I'm still sore today. To say it was worth it is an understatement, I now get why people are flocking to Pilates in herds. Today when I opened my Groupon I saw that my Pilates studio was having a deal for Barre Class at Align Pilates. The deal? Four one-hour sessions of Barre class for $36. That's $9 a class. Being new to Groupon I had a $20 credit, so these classes are literally going to cost me $4 for each class. $4 for one hour of intense workout in a boutique studio. Yep, there won't be a ton of people in there with me, my Pilates classes fit six people, meaning my first timer embarrassment will be limited to five other people plus an instructor. Not too shabby. :) For the Align Pilates Barre Class Groupon deal click here.

Pilates? Yes Please!

Yesterday on Twitter I asked my followers their recommendations for Pilates or Yoga and the responses I received on both were overwhelming. I have already done Yoga in the past and knew how much it helped; I really saw a difference in my body from doing Yoga in terms of feeling more lean and less bulky. So what is the difference between the two and why should I invest time and money into Pilates when I can do my Yoga DVD at home?

The distinction between Yoga and Pilates is not easy to find, for one Yoga is often connected with spiritual history and processes that focus much more on reaching actualization than they do on what their physical aim is. Pilates is more straightforward.

The Pilates method seeks to increase the strength, flexibility and control of the body. Pilates is a body conditioning routine that helps to not only build flexibility, but also strength, endurance, and coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back.

Another site lists the benefits of Pilates and Yoga, citing they complement each other and one would benefit greatly from the combination of the two (which I plan to do - Yoga on Saturdays and Pilates on Sundays.) This site states that Pilates helps with the core, elongates muscles, etc. and Yoga's benefits are targeted towards the internal organs and overall health of the participant with the added bonus of stretching, flexibility, toning, balance as well.

I think fully understanding what you're getting yourself in for and why it's so good for you is essential to actually seeing it through. If you're looking for a good Yoga DVD I recommend 'The Biggest Loser Yoga' it's with Bob Harper and it's not as spiritually focused as some which I find to be boring but it definitely works. When I used it a few summers ago (it was free on Comcast under their Sports and Exercise section, I just recently purchased it on Amazon) I was running Lake Calhoun on a regular basis. I noticed immediately how elongated my legs looked and it felt great to stretch out as they recommended. My balance (which is awful) improved markedly and overall I felt great. I tried other Yoga workouts and never noticed the same results, often getting bored and listless during the workout and eventually dropping it from my routine all together.

And for those looking for a good Pilates exercise I suggest checking out local Pilates studios, there are often really good deals for newbies or to attend classes by a teacher in training. This upcoming Sunday I am taking my first ever Pilates class at Align Pilates in Uptown. Their 'Save Your Bucks Sunday' offers mat classes for $5 and reformer classes for $10, with personal one on one instruction for $20. So this Sunday I'll be on the mat, the following Sunday I'll be on the reformer. I'm excited to try something new, and for $30 a month to get a good workout in, I'll take it!

My Food Revolution: Organic Peanut Butter

Thus far my journey into removing as many processed foods has been relatively easy. Vegetables just require an understanding in how to make them before you start craving them. My baked asparagus? Heaven. My sauteed summer squash? Pure bliss. While the majority of my changes have been more than easy to make there was one that was somewhat difficult. Organic Peanut Butter. Why? You'd think this would be easy as you'd think they didn't put much into the PB. Wrong. But the thought of ingesting chemicals makes me gag a bit so while it took a little manipulation I figured out a great solution and thought I'd share with you too. :)

The bread I eat is the Honey Wheat bread from Great Harvest and because the Peanut Butter I have requires refrigeration I have to toast my bread so it spreads a bit easier. I then slather on some honey on to the other piece of lightly toasted bread and hanker down. It's quite simple and the end result is amazing. The Peanut Butter is a bit hard for me to eat without a bit of sugar and I eat honey on my Peanut Butter sandwhiches so it provides that extra bit of sugar I need, the heat from the toast needed to melt the Peanut Butter a bit (as it has a very weird looking texture as it is cold) and a bit of a crunch with the toast.

I get my Peanut Butter from Parker's Farm which is available at Lunds and Byerly's stores across Minnesota.

My Food Revolution: Frozen Foods

It's inevitable, there are going to be times when we need to grab a frozen meal and have it for lunch or dinner. But that doesn't mean it has to be filled with chemicals, we can still make good food decisions when we grab something to eat. Now usually that means forking over more dough, but it's well worth it. It can also mean more caloric intake, but it might not be awful to intake more calories that are healthy than binging on cookies later due to hunger.

Amy's Organic Kitchen is a great brand found at most grocery stores. The products are vegetarian and organic as well as steep in price. However, Amy's is often on sale and that's the best time to stock up. Now sodium wise their dishes are comparable to Lean Cuisine but they do have great low sodium meals that are just as wonderful. Let's compare Amy's Mac & Cheese to Lean Cuisine's Mac & Cheese (which I've had, and it's nothing to write home about.)

Amy's Organic Kitchen Mac & Cheese:

This dish has one ingredient with three parts and then six other ingredients total. That's it. Total sodium? 290 mg. The calories are higher but the dish is actually tasty instead of a waste of calories.

Lean Cuisine Mac & Cheese:
Trying to count the number of ingredients in this dish made my heard hurt. Some ingredients had multiple ingredients which had their own ingredients. This isn't food, this is science. And while science has made great leaps I'd rather have food than science when it comes to lunch.

And that's not all Amy's has, there's snacks and soups, breakfast burritos and salsas. When I went to compare Amy's Cheese Pizza Rolls with Totino's I couldn't even find the nutritional information available on Totino's site. No list of ingredients or caloric inventory, just information on how to cook them.

My Top 27 Songs - Part Two

Sometimes picking a song is so easy - you know where you were when you heard it for the first time or when it finally clicked. Or maybe it's a lyric or a sentiment you share, something that connects you to the song. But other songs, they're more difficult. Yes you like the lyric, but why does it speak to you? Maybe the song just makes you happy no matter what is going on with your life and you turn to it whenever you're down but you never realized it before. The associations we have with music are strong and complex, and the reason behind picking a song isn't as straightforward as I once thought. So here's the second part of my top 27 songs, tomorrow will round it out.

Augustana - Boston

I remember when I first heard this song, and when I had to give up free concert tickets to their show to cover a shift for a coworker. I absolutely love Augustana, their music is light, sweet and fun. This song is the song that introduced most people to their music, their breakthrough hit. I love the piano arrangement and my favorite part of this song comes at 1:54 in the song. It's for anyone who has ever wanted a do over, though most of us are too scared to ever follow through. When I finally saw Augustana play live it was at the Basilica Block Party - we got caught in the downpour and I was sick for weeks afterwards, but it was so worth it. The picture to the right was pre-rainstorm.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Michael Jackson may have been crazy or misunderstood or sad or genius depending on who you ask. But whatever your personal opinion of him might have been there's no denying his musical talent. This album is filled with amazing songs yet Billie Jean is the one that I love the most. Thriller, while great, gives me slight anxiety at not being able to dance the dance and thus often do not participate on the dance floor when it comes on. Billie Jean, on the other hand, is perfect for rocking out on the dance floor with your friends. Growing up my Dad lived in Merville, IN and during his summers home from the College of St. Thomas he worked in the steel mills. He actually worked with Joe Jackson and when Joe was bragging about his kids all of Joe's friends used to tell him that his kids weren't talented and would be going nowhere.


Tim McGraw - Where the Green Grass Grows
I have such a love for this song and out of all the country songs I have this is the one that makes me smile no matter what. Back in high school I discovered country music my Senior year. It was actually Tim McGraw's song 'Something Like That' that I used to make fun of (until I heard the actual song and not just a clip that is) and his other song 'I Like It, I Love It' that had me wandering down the country path. And while I can think of plenty of other country songs that hold so many memories for me this is the only one that I sing along to without even thinking, push replay and think of first. Considering Tim McGraw was so integral in my discovering country music it just seemed odd not to have him on here. Go ahead, listen to this entire song and try not to smile, I dare you.


Queen - Somebody to Love
My favorite part of this song is the end, not that the song is over but the chanting 'Find me somebody to love' - it's a fun song that always has me singing. I know I listened to Queen growing up, my Dad was on a mission when I was younger to get the Billboard Top 10 hits for every year from the late 50s to the mid 80s. I remember searching for the years, the look on my Dad's face when he found it and how embarrassed I was when he shouted joyfully in a Blockbuster that he had 25 years of Rock and Roll Top Tens. But I loved those cds, and I would play them in our five disc cd changer on shuffle, trying to see if I knew the year the music was from. So when Anne Hathaway and Jesse McCartney redid it for Ella Enchanted I went to my iTunes and listened to the original. And when Glee did it last year I listened to all three versions. I love this song, and while I really do like the remakes, the original is just classic.

Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
I love Simon and Garfunkel, they were always part of my childhood as my parents both loved them. As I went through my Pop phase I didn't listen to them as much; once I turned 21 and was in the bars my love for them was rekindled. I remember hearing Cecilia at Bootleggers one night. I knew it was the from the second the song started and once I got home I had to play all of their music. Like any artist there are songs you like but skip, songs you just skip and songs you need to listen to more than once. Bridge Over Trouble Water is so soothing it was always my favorite of all their music.

Don McLean - American Pie
I listened to this song all the time as a kid, my Dad used to tell me what the lyrics meant and how they referenced history and other songs. It's that song that is always kind of in the back of your head, you know you love it but its length can sometimes cause you to leave it off of your playlists. When I originally created this playlist I didn't instantly think of it but upon glancing at the music I had on my iPhone I added it immediately. I don't think there are lyrics that are better written, more meaningful, or as intricate as these.

The Beatles - Hey Jude
Why this song over other songs? How many other songs can have the first three minutes be about going for it in a relationship and then at the 3:00 mark use only the words 'better, hey, Jude, na, yeah' and still keep you listening the rest of the remaining 4:02 of the song? None. The Beatles are unparalleled in their music, period. Quite simply put, I love this song because The Beatles CAN do what they want and it's still amazing. They've proven they can have a song that's 2:05 and be perfectly succinct in Yesterday and then they can have a song that's 7:02 and have more than half of the song without real lyrics, yet few people press skip after the first three minutes.

Don Henley - The Heart of the Matter
I always knew this song, but never really paid attention. Then Sex and the City the movie came out and India Arie redid it, it was interesting but it sent me digging into my iTunes library looking for the original. Later I would lose a few relationships and there was a lyric in this song that always stuck with me. Something that reminded me to remember the good times with a smile as well as to be thankful the relationship ended because it obviously wasn't good for either party involved. That lyric? 'There are people in your life who've come and gone. They've let you down, you know they hurt your pride. You better put it all behind you babe, because life goes on. You keep carrying that anger, it will eat you up inside.'

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
There are so many fun memories associated with this song for me, whether it's the first time I heard it or the Mountain Dew commercial that emulated it this song is iconic. The reason it's on here is because of Shout House and a former friend. We were at Shout House for our roommate's birthday and the two were feuding (who knows why) we were standing with two guy friends when this song came on. My two guy friends and I started singing, she stood there quiet. We all looked at her incredulously, she had never heard the song before. I gave her such grief for it and even worse when she told people I was making fun of her for not knowing the song 'Bombs Over Baghdad'. Yep, that's what she called this song, and hearing it today just brings fresh that memory of fun times Senior year of college with friends, and how much fun you can have with your friends with a drink in your hand and some classic rock blaring.

Top 27 Songs for (Almost) 27 Years

I turn 27 this year, a scary thought to think about. I'm approaching the end of my twenties and it doesn't appear I'll be settling down any time soon. Amid my panic moment I thought of all the good times I've had, and how this is just the beginning. I realized just how many songs are tied to memories and I decided I wanted to see what songs evoked the most memories in my 26.75 years (well, let's be honest no one remembers the first few years, but whatever.) So here's the first nine songs of my list along with the reason I picked each song.

Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

I can't have a favorite songs list without this song. This is my all time favorite song. I still remember when I had gotten my Mariah Carey cd and she had redone 'Open Arms', I loved it. My dad heard the remake and pulled out his Journey cd making me listen to it instead. It took some time for me to truly appreciate how great Journey was; there wasn't a single moment that it clicked I just appreciated their music. It feels like it's just been a part of me for so long and when it got popular again like everyone else was let in on the secret of how awesome they truly are.

Ben E. King - Stand By Me
This song was originally written by King for someone else and when they didn't record it that could have been the end of this great song. This song has been redone by so many people, yet there's no one who does it quite like King. Short, sweet, no synthesizers, just music. The way it should be made. I can't imagine going the rest of my life without being able to listen to this song.

The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
I remember learning this song on the piano - I loved playing it because it was so soothing and beautiful. I loved the instrumental long before I loved the words. When I finally heard the recorded version I remember thinking how moving the words were and how beautiful and sad it was at the same time. I can close my eyes, listen to this song on repeat and feel completely relaxed and at ease.

Justin Timberlake and Charlie Sexton - Hallelujah
I know that Justin didn't write this song nor was he the first to perform it. I've loved this song since I heard it by Rufus Wainwright. I've listened to Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen's versions but I always preferred Rufus, that was until the 'Hope of Haiti' concert when Timberlake and Sexton gave this raw, emotional and all together moving rendition. The music isn't as forceful and there just seems to be so much more feeling in the song.

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl
There isn't a song I remember more than this one. Ever since I could remember I always loved this song, an anthem for the girls with brown eyes. You never hear someone say 'You have such beautiful brown eyes' and I was often jealous of my green eyed and blue eyed friends. I don't think there has been a wedding where I haven't danced to this song with my father. This song reminds me of love, weddings and my Dad.

The Beatles - Yesterday
My Dad loves The Beatles, I mean LOVES The Beatles. Growing up he had their albums on vinyl and slowly added the cds when they came out as well. People often marvel at how this song is so short, yet so perfect. Whenever this song comes on the radio or my playlist I always stop and just listen. It takes me back to a place I've never been before, where music is art and lyrics mean something. I love listening to this song, I just don't necessarily like people trying to cover it, it was perfect as is - no need to cover it.

John Lennon - Imagine
Imagine is one of those songs that just grabs hold of you. I wasn't alive when Lennon was, and until I was older I didn't know he had been murdered. I think a moment that changed the way I listened to this song forever was September 11th. Listening to the lyrics preach of tolerance, love, freedom and peace which at the time felt so far away. I cried to most of the songs they used for 9/11, but this one was somehow optimistic. I remember watching Glee last year and the episode 'Hairography' came on. When the show choir for the deaf school started signing 'Imagine' and the cast joined in singing and signing with them I started crying. This song for me just strikes something deep within me, it's why it connects to generations who weren't alive when Lennon passed away yet alone played.

Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
This song takes me back to Hawai'i every single time I hear it. That's more than enough reason to put it on this list as Hawai'i was the best month of my life, ever. The song's lyrics talk about no one else can feel anything for you, that you have to go out there and live your life. I did a lot of living in Hawai'i and I don't regret a second of it. Whether it was swimming in the ocean off Waikiki at night, swimming with dolphins on my off weekend, dancing with my friends till the wee hours, eating new foods or surfing it was all worth it. The part about 'feel the rain on your skin' makes me laugh; when we were in Hawai'i we'd often avoid the beach because where we were was raining. On the last day of our time there they told us the valley where we were had 86" of rain per year and the beaches got about 0.5" of rain a year. Often it wasn't raining on the beach and we had missed some opportunities to lay out because of the crazy island climate.

Glee - I Feel Pretty / Unpretty
What girl hasn't felt like she was the most beautiful girl in the world? And on the flipside, what girl hasn't felt so low that she wanted to change everything about herself? There are people who can influence how we actually feel about ourselves and this song just spoke to me and most of the women I know. There are days I wake up feeling absolutely disgusting and there are days when I have a one of those 'on top of the world, feel like a princess' moment. This mash up is done perfectly and when it first came out I listened to it on replay for two days straight.