Om Shanti

Kai and me in exalted warrior pose

Today, I reached my target post-baby weight! This is huge. I never knew it would be so hard to lose weight. Nearly ten months of off-and-on dieting, running, yoga, zumba, weight lifting, and resistance training put me here (more than I was doing before I was pregnant). I no longer wonder why folks lose motivation while trying to lose weight. IT IS SO HARD! New mommies pack on maternal fat stores, which are perfectly healthy and normal, in order to create fat needed for breastmilk (in cow's milk terms, think heavy cream). The baby gains weight and nutrients from this. Some lucky LUCKY ladies lose all their pregnancy weight just by breastfeeding. Some don't. I am one of the latter - I stayed exactly the same until I started moving and dieting. Today, I'm proud of myself and happy that I lost weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

In related news, I'm participating in a 3-week total yoga immersion in Carrboro next month. I'm stoked! I've been wanting to do an immersion for a few years, but never had time nor money to do it. After months of researching trainings, I decided to take one with Stephanie Keach, founder of the Asheville Yoga Center. I took a couple of classes at her studio (one of those with her) and adored them. I have heard her called the mama bear of yoga in the south. :) The training will teach me a ton about yoga, mostly focusing on Vinyasa Flow style, but also delving into Kundalini and Iyengar. I'll be set up to teach and adjust others, with a 200-hour level certification and the letters RYT behind my name. Wow! I'm a little nervous since I've been nursing a few injuries this year, but I am mentally prepared (or so I think). It'll be intense - 8 hrs in the studio M-Sat, with reading, writing, and home practice at night. Thank goodness for my awesome parents' help during this time!

The immersion really motivated me to get healthy again these past 10 months. It also brought me back to self-care and self-love. After Kai came into our lives, he was the center of all my thoughts and time. Slowly, I have learned how to take time for myself and still feel that I am giving him all the love and time he needs too. I belive realizing this life-goal will help me continue to strike that balance.

I've been practicing yoga for 10 years now, originally an student of Bikram Hot Yoga, later moving into Power Flow Yoga, now a little of everything. It strikes me the same way that dance used to: self-actualization, moving into beautiful shapes, imagery of the mind being played out by the body, healing hurts, having fun. It has a lovely spiritual aspect too - truly as heavy as you'd like. As most of you know, yoga involves feeling at one with/honoring those people and things around you and being at peace with yourself.

I'll keep you posted on the outcomes. Until then - Om Shanti, meaning a prayer for peace.

So you think you can dance?

image from here

Well, I did. Then I started a fast-paced high-intensity Zumba class on Wednesday nights at Ninth Street for the last 10 weeks.

I sauntered into the first class thinking I would do well, with a dance background (albeit from high school and college - EONS AGO). Then, the first song started and everyone started dancing! No instruction, no slowing down, no counting the steps out. These were GOOD dancers, the teacher was a GREAT dancer, and most of the students were REPEATS to her class. Everyone knew all the moves already. Yikes! Quite the learning curve.

But, I loved it. I loved the challenge, and I love the sensuality of latin dance. It provides much-needed balance to my mundance desk job and totally unsexy life of mommy. Last week, after 9 weeks, I FINALLY felt like I was getting it. I can sway my hips correctly, pop and lock, put in a little flair. Oh, how I missed dancing!!!!!!

After that satisfying realization, I think I got owned by a Samba song. You see, the Samba still gets me everytime. I just can't do it fast; Brazilian carnaval queen I will never be. Sigh.

Aloha and a Bloody Good Time

Keeping with our theme of dinner foods honoring guests' heritage or interests, we had two fun dinners with friends - one Hawaiian and the other English.

Our dear fried Metta hails from Hawaii, so we asked her for menu ideas. The night was sweet, filled with good conversation and foods. Here's the lineup:


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Oven Kalua Pork
Potato Mac Salad
Fresh Green Salad
Passionfruit Cake

We were in charge of the mac salad - ALL foods were amazing, but I thought the Prieto's beautiful cake creation was phenominal! Thanks for the great luau guys. :)




Next came a reunion with a couple of UNC Public Health classmates, Rebecca and Liz, along with their mates. Catching up was a lot of fun and long overdue. Liz was the guest of honor, having dual citizenship in England and the States. The English dinner fell on the day after the royal wedding - another fitting tribute. Goods included:

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Fish and Chips with vinegar for dippping
Brussel Sprouts with Shallots
Eton Mess (strawberry and cream dessert)
English Tea


Again, it was AH-mazing. We were in charge of the fish - One of our few attempts at skillet frying...it was delicious but very messy and somewhat dangerous, what with all the oil popping and whatnot. We used rice flour for the frying and it was glorious! Here, here HPM. :)

Россия праздник (Russian Feast!)

I translated that with Google so I don't know if its accurate...correct me, Russian enthusiasts?

A couple of weekends ago we had Alex, Olga, Kim, and Tyler (and baby Liv!) over for a Russian dinner. The first two are from Russia, recently married there and living in Durham. The second two served missions in Russia and are about to start PhDs in Russian. We wanted these couples to meet - turns out Kim served in the area where Alex is from and Tyler served in the area where Olga is from! Serendipitous, much?

We decided to celebrate Mother Russia with a feast and lots of good cheer. Here's the menu:

Chicken Kiev - lots of butter!
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 (6-ounce) thin cut chicken cutlets
10 blades fresh chives, chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh parsley, finely chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh dill, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons chilled butter
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs
A wedge lemon
Plain, round toothpicks

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium high heat. Pound out cutlets to 1/4-inch thick with a small heavy skillet or a rubber mallet. Be careful not to tear meat (if needed - we didn't need to). Combine chopped herbs on cutting board with chopped garlic. Cut 4 (1 1/2 tablespoons) pieces of cold butter (!!!) and coat each piece liberally with the herb garlic mixture. On 3 plates, set out flour, eggs beaten with a splash of cold water and bread crumbs. Uncover chicken and squeeze a wedge of lemon over breasts. Place an herb-covered piece of butter on each piece of chicken. Wrap and roll cutlets tightly up and over the butter cubes. Discard pie tins used for breading. Secure stuffed chicken with toothpicks. Roll stuffed breasts in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Fry the Kiev bundles 7 to 8 minutes on each side until deep golden brown all over.

Haluski
4 cups wide egg noodles
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sliced sweet onions, about 1/8 inch thick
2 teaspoons brown sugar
6 cups red cabbage, sliced thin
1 teaspoon caraway seed
pepper to taste

Cook egg noodles according to package directions, then drizzle with a bit of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together and set aside. While noodles are cooking, melt butter in large deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, sprinkle with brown sugar and saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add cabbage to skillet, stirring well to incorporate with onion, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in caraway seeds if using, then cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn heat back to medium, add cooked noodles, salt and pepper, and stir well until noodles are heated though.

Russian Mashed Potatoes (c/o Kim and Tyler)

Apple Sharlotka and Russian Tea (c/o Alex and Olga)

April Fools' Backfire

So....

I decided to play a joke on Aaron yesterday. I sent him a picture of a pregnancy test with a positive result (I took a picture of my computer screen with my phone's camera) and said simply, "We need to talk." He responded with shock via text and some questions. A few minutes later I received a call and text letting me know, in his daze, he had gotten in a wreck! Not serious, but a fender-bender that ruined his headlight and bumper.

Yikes. Major backfire. Of course, I let him know if was a joke. He was a little miffed. :/