Exercise Tip

If you live in a cold climate and have trouble staying motivated to walk or jog on a treadmill, try this tip to keep you going until warmer weather arrives.

1) Start by creating a 25-minute playlist on your MP3 player.
2) Walk or jog for one song and speed up for the next.
3) Continue to alternate for the entire workout and be sure to end with a slower interval to cool down.
4) Add five minutes of music every two weeks to gradually increase your workout and you will be ready to hit the road in the spring!

My Hometown #2: Rowland Heights, CA

The latest yahoo article praised Rowland Heights for being the best place to raise kids in California. They included an honorable mention of my High School too!  I believe this gives me bragging rights. Rowland has come a long way in the past 10 years, and my favorite aspect of the city is its proximity to a wide range of food and entertainment. Not bad for a suburb!

Best place to raise kids in California: Rowland Heights
Population: 46,793
Median family income: $72,985

In San Gabriel Valley about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Rowland Heights is home to a large Asian community. According to data from Onboard Informatics, nearly half the population is Asian and 33.2 percent is Hispanic. The area has several highly regarded schools, including the John A. Rowland High School and Killian Elementary School. “Rowland Heights is … close enough to Los Angeles and all the excitement of big-city life, but [Rowland Heights] benefits from an influx of residents looking for a subdued setting,” states the website of real estate agent Vincent Gottuso.

 

My Current Town: Naperville, IL

I am currently living in Naperville. It has recently been rated by CNN Money as one of the top 10 places to live. My favorite places in Naperville are hands-down:
-Centennial Beach : quarry that will cool you off in the hot summer while overlooking the Riverwalk and the Carillon, which plays tunes at 4pm such as “God Bless America” on the 4th of July and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” on another random Saturday.
-Nichols Library: located also in downtown it has all the books you could ever want and I love spending time there just reading (most of the times I read the latest magazines, so don’t praise me just yet)
-Sugar Monkey Cupcakes: thick cupcakes with tasty frosting
-Quiggley’s Irish Pub: I don’t go there often but I have fond memories of chilling there at night with a beer while there’s a live band covering all my favorite songs.

 

Population: 143,117
Median Family Income (Per Year): $125,702
Median Home Price: $330,000
Blurb: A river walk runs through this idyllic suburb of Chicago. Complete with winding brick paths, covered bridges and shepherd’s-crook light poles, this downtown attraction marries Naperville’s historic past with its rich present. In the surrounding tree-lined neighborhoods, you’ll find a mix of quaint historic homes and mammoth McMansions. Locals enjoy recreational options from paddleboat tours to bocce courts. Great schools, a nationally acclaimed library system and charitable neighbors provide the cherry on top.

Thunder Rage

This is weather worth writing home about. The more time I spend in Illinois, the more I am appreciating the Midwest a little bit more. Initially, I hated how much weather became such a part of my day and normal conversations. I still feel that way but a little bit less, all because of Wednesday night’s amazing thunderstorm.

The storm began late into the night. You could have easily missed it if you love the sound of heavy rain, but the thunders were hard to ignore. The thunders roared one after the other–they didn’t take breaks. For hours and on the thunders kept “talking” to each other, and every once in a while, one of the thunders would “compete” to be the loudest. I’ve never heard anything so loud and so continuously violent. The apartment building shook and a car alarm went off. I may have seen such strength of rain and thunder in Brazil, but I’ve never experienced a storm that had thunders going off one after the other for hours! Talk about stamina!

When I checked the weather earlier that day, there was a warning talking about possible flash floods. It was 85 degrees and humid at that time and I never imagined the weather gods were planning a party and would rage through the night.

Easter Breakfast

Hmmm... Easter Pancakes

When I asked Brian if he would like to do something for Easter, he said “Yes. Let’s make pancakes.” “Pancakes?” I thought, “Okay!” I wasn’t too excited at first because I was thinking Easter dinner, which is what people traditionally do. But then I started thinking about how special we could make these pancakes and Brian brought up a good point that we hadn’t had pancakes in a long time. The next morning finally came and I already had in mind what to do for the pancakes. We had the Aunt Jemima mix so I didn’t have to worry about the flour, sugar, etc. I used 1.5 cups of Aunt jemima mix, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, sprinkled with cinnamon, then mixed into 1 cup of milk, 1 Vanilla Activia yogurt, then folded in the sliced strawberries at the end. You wait for the pancake to bubble then flip it over (takes about 2-3 minutes on medium heat) then cook it on the other side for another 2 minutes so that is golden brown all over. I microwaved blackberries and strawberries intermittently for a few minutes and that created a juice too. Once the pancakes are stacked and ready to serve, I put the “sauce” on top.  They were pretty, fluffy, and yummy. We dyed eggs afterwards.

Happy Easter!

Apple Squares

How come a $2.99 bag of apples at Target comes with good apples but the same bag at Jewel comes with powdery, sad tasting apples? Oh well, what can you do? I know, bake apple squares!

Since I am on a diet and have limited supplies, I tweaked BarbiAnn’s recipe and baked as shown.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup-pack applesauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.5 cup chopped apple
• 1/2 cup oats (the BearNaked stuff from the previous recipe)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 8×8 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil and brown sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and oats. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the mixture and then top it off with some cinnamon powder.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

While researching the use of apple sauce in baking, I learned some things. The reason you would mix the flour and other powders together first and combine the mixture with it at the very last minute is because glutten begins to develop right when those two are combined. This is what makes your baked goods harder and less moist. Also, applesauce can’t work without vegetable oil. Oil is a necessary chemical needed to “provoke” the right reactions.

Bucket List Check: Have a Boot Named After You

Also available in tan

I was at the mall with Brian around Christmas and went into Baker’s looking for a riding boot. I didn’t see anything I liked and was ready to leave when Brian pointed out that there were more boots in the corner section of the store. I saw the boots above and decided they were cute enough to try on for sizing and reference, so I went for it. While putting it on, Brian exclaims “OMG!” I get pretty worried thinking there was something seriously wrong with the boots, but then he explains, “Look at the inside of the boot.”

“Made in China.” Okay, I thought, maybe they are not the best boots? Maybe it coincides with my recent visit to China? No, wait, these boots are named “IVANA”.

I know it’s silly, but I rarely find things with my name on it. Now I find them on boots (I love boots-own approx. 8 pairs)? Bakers really did me justice here – this is definitely my style.

Well, I guess I can cross that off my list.