Day 4 - Ahh, back to my original studio from Yoga Month last year. They actually have two locations, and this was at the location that was older and smaller, and yet it still felt like a breath a familiar fresh air. The class wasn't crowded, it was very clean, it was nice having the staff remember me (they are all very nice) and I really enjoyed the class (it was a new type of class that incorporates some ballet barre work . . . something I'd never tried before. Who knew that such tiny little movements could be so difficult? It was a bright and early class (I had to be there at 6:15, on a weekend), but it was worth it . . . I wish I could go to all the rest of my 8 classes there. Ah well, 4 down, 4 to go . . . let's see what these other places have to offer :)
Day 5 - My workout today was at an older studio, but everyone was really nice. It was a TRX boot camp class, so it started with some outside warm ups (yay, it's finally warm enough to be outside :)) and then basically an intro to and basic workout with the TRX system (here's a link to some YouTube videos about TRX if you don't know what it is). It's interesting, but if you have a sensitive back you have to be very careful, especially with the "Rip Trainer". It was definitely fun to try something new though.
Day 6 - Today was TRX again, but I enjoyed it more this time (I think it was because there was no "Rip Trainer" portion). The class today was at a smaller chain studio, mostly focused on personal training. It seems really nice and very personalized . . . I wouldn't mind going there, and I think it would definitely produce results. The parking lot was super busy, and that made me a little late, but other than that, everything went smoothly. It was a small class, only five girls (including me) in my class, but it was a nice size for the space available at the gym. I worked out pretty hard and felt good afterwards. This was my first time using those crazy big rope things too (the ones you always see on "The Biggest Loser" ads). Oh, and the trainer was at least 6 months pregnant, so if she could do it, so could I. Only two workouts left!
Day 7 - Whew . . . I think this is the sweatiest I've ever been in my life. When hot yoga first came out, I thought it sounded like a really bad idea and really unhealthy (seriously, who thinks that working out in super hot conditions is a good idea, it sounds like instant dehydration and an easy way to pass out to me). Unfortunately, this class made it feel that way. I was rather dizzy and kind of nauseous the whole time. It was just SO hot and humid, I was kind of uncomfortable and rather glad when it was over. I did push myself and I felt good when it was done, but I'm glad I didn't go to that studio for my yoga month . . . I wouldn't have survived. It's kind of a bummer, because the studio is in a great location really near work, and I wanted to love it, but sadly I didn't. I'm glad that one is over though and that I know not all hot yoga is like that . . . I never would have claimed to like it if it was.
Day 8 - I MADE IT :) Today was quite challenging, but I enjoyed it. It was a small gym with just a few trainers. The average class size is six, but my class was just two. Because of that, we got lots of personal attention and the focus of this class was on learning how to do the exercises properly. I definitely think this place is a great place to get in shape and you will be spent when you are done, each and every time. I didn't think I would like this place, but I did and I am happy I got the opportunity to try all of these places . . . very cool experience.
So there you have it . . . eight different classes in two weeks. Some were great, some were not, but all in all, I'm very glad I got to try all the classes and studio/gyms and meets all the new people. There was an "after party" thrown by the sponsor of the challenge, but I had other plans and couldn't attend, so I can't say how that was, but the opportunity to try all of these classes for free was great.
Now that I've worked out so much, I deserve lots of sweet treats, right? Of course :)
I made a few new things this week, both sweet and savory. I guess I should start with the savory ones, since I made them first.
To begin with, I tried a new pizza dough recipe. I don't know if it beats out my old standby (Emeril's perfect pizza dough), but it was worth a shot. I used whole wheat flour and, on the suggestion of one of the commenters, added crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning to the crust . . . brilliant idea. I topped it with fresh tomatoes and basil, two cheeses and some pepperoni . . . that experiment was a success :)
 |
| Mmm . . . pizza |
Next, I tried my hand at roasted asparagus. Asparagus was on sale at my local Aldi, so I decided to buy some. It's not my favorite vegetable, but I was pretty desperate for anything fresh after the long, cold winter, so I figured it couldn't be too difficult. The recipe was easy, and turned out pretty good. I think I'd prefer hollandaise sauce to the hard-boiled egg (even though it's more difficult) and maybe the Meyer lemon would be better than the regular lemon I used. I only had old lemon zest too, so it was lacking that lemon kick that I was hoping for . . . that's my own fault though, not the recipe. I partnered the asparagus with my lovely truffle potatoes, a slice of the whole wheat bread, and lemon-pepper baked fish . . . take that Friday night fish fry :)
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
 |
| Mmm |
The no-bake energy bites were a great Pinterest find and super yummy. I used ground almonds because my ground flax was rancid . . . oops. They were easy to make and definitely hit the spot :)
 |
| No-bake energy bites |
The Pop Tarts (which I made with my lovely friend, the Ganache Queen) turned out more like pocket pies, and the dough was nothing like the pastry dough in the picture, but considering the recipe called for "1/4 unsalted butter" it wasn't surprising we got confused. 1/4 what? Cup, pound, ? We went with 1/4 cup and it wasn't really flaky, so I'm thinking 1/4 pound was probably correct, but I'm not really sure. Anyways, the idea was good, but the recipe needs a bit more work I think. I wouldn't recommend the recipe, but I do recommend the idea, and love the fact that you can make tons of different fillings. We made strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, apple cinnamon, brown sugar cinnamon, and s'mores. They all oozed out a little bit, but they were still tasty little pies.
 |
| Pocket "pop tart" pies |
No comments:
Post a Comment