A Taste Test - Mac n Cheese Style!

There are few things in life that I love more than eating tasty food. One of my favorite ways to partake in this aforementioned favorite hobby is to have a taste test so I can try different flavors and brands of my favorite dishes and narrow down my life's menu to only the best! As much as I enjoy eating delicious cuisines, ironically, I also am guilty of pinching every penny I can at the grocery store. If there is a store brand alternative I almost always choose it and I shop at stores like Aldi that carry only store brand products to save money whenever I can. This week I wanted to write a post about my latest taste test when I bought, prepared, tasted and reviewed: macaroni and cheese!

The showdown: Stove top Macaroni and Cheese

Competitors: Kroger Spirals v. Kraft Spirals

The outcome: I was SO disappointed by this taste test! Like I said I almost ALWAYS buy the store brand version and in this case what we realized is that in the case of stove top mac n cheese spirals: Kraft Spirals are HANDS DOWN the way to go! From the pans they were each cooking in I could see a difference almost immediately between the textures of the two. The store brand mac n cheese was clumping when I added in the cheese mix, milk and butter. Even with adding extra milk the dish still contained visible chunks of cheese and butter that you could taste in some bites. It sounds like it could be tasty but believe me, it's much better without. The Kraft portion was creamier and richer with the same ingredients (equal amounts of each also) blending much more intimately.

My friend and I both agreed that the Kraft Spirals were the better half of our lunch and we would prefer them in the future. For more than double the price I think it is worth the splurge for the Kraft mac n cheese which I should probably be eating half as often anyway so that would about even out the price. :-) If I was babysitting I'd probably give the kiddos the Kroger brand with some chicken nuggets and call that lunch but for me, personally, mix up some Kraft spirals, stir in some lightly steamed broccoli and that's one of my favorite meals! 

Even More Than a Pinky Promise

SPOILER ALERT FOR MY FAMILY: IF YOU READ THIS YOU WILL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING FROM ME FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR!

Okay, now that that is out of the way I want to talk about one of the coolest, most touching and inspiring grassroots campaigns for positivity that I've seen this year, and quite frankly all my life, run by a friend from Ohio University, Alex Sheen. Alex's organization is called Because I Said I Would and was established in memory of his father who passed away this past Fall from lung cancer. Since September, Because I Said I Would has inspired lesson plans, election platforms, promises in over 15 countries (including active military overseas), raised $7,500 for victims of Hurricane Sandy and currently, my friend Alex is sleeping outside as part of a promise to do so for two weeks to raise awareness for the needs of the homeless.

The basis of Because I Said I Would (and it's mission to honor Sheen's father) is that a promise is only worth as much as is promised if it is kept. Anyone is encouraged to write in with a request for promise cards - I finally requested mine last week and they came in the mail just a few days later. Inside the envelope is a list of instructions and 10 cards to be used as I wish to fulfill promises to those I love and to myself. I will volunteer at least three times in the next 6 months. I will be a better friend in 2013. I will support you through all of your wedding planning and do all that I can to make your special day the best day of your life so far.

This year has been a year of "out of left field"s for me. I've left the job I loved for the last 3 plus years, moved to a new city away from my family and am navigating the life of a young (trying to be) professional single woman. Thankfully I have the support of my family and my friends through this journey and I want to repay them for their love in any way that I can. Unfortunately right now I do not have much funds to support this so this year my closest family and friends will be getting the best gifts I've currently got to give - my love and my word. I'm going to create promise cards that will be fulfilled by Christmas of 2013, when I'll ask that the cards be returned to me. 

I am so inspired by Because I Said I Would and I encourage you to visit the organization's web site and support its mission and efforts for peace, promises and change!

Fireside at Hickory Creek

py·ro·ma·ni·a  [pahy-ruh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]  noun a compulsion and love to set things on fire. (okay I added the love part)

It's getting cold out in Columbus. I notice it in the morning when I wake up and it's a little harder to pull back the blankets and get out of bed. I notice it when I forget to put socks on right away after I shower and my feet are as cold as the pavement outside. The times I don't notice the cold are my favorites. When it's cold outside and I can SEE but not FEEL it (yes, I know you can't really see cold but I hope you know what I mean.) The best part of my Columbus apartment is that it awards me the ability to cozy up on my couch in front of a movie,  looking outside at this new, crisp, cold air, all while in the glow and the warmth of a crackling, wood-burning fire.


Having a fireplace at my apartment has been an amazing gift since I moved here. I enjoy the coziness and heat it brings to my life and so does my cat who often falls asleep in front of the flames watching the embers glow and the fire grow then diminish slowly to ash. It's fun to pile the kindling and stack the logs, building the imperfect pieces to my perfect flame. I'll have to add a fireplace kit to my Christmas list as my fireplace has already gotten quite a bit of use and I only see more in the coming colder months.

Brand Ambassador Love

Last week I had an awesome opportunity to hang out on the Ohio State campus on one of the most unseasonably warm Fall days, soaking in the sunshine and handing out make-up samples to any interested Buckeye beauties while making some hard earned (more fun than hard!) cash. I came across the opportunity for a brand ambassador position on Craigslist and after a screening of my resume and a quick phone call, I was selected to work the Mary Kay Fall into Beauty Campus Tour event at Ohio State.

 

Working as a brand ambassador is a fun and easy way to make some money and add experience in branding, event marketing, promotion strategy, market research and general consumer interaction. The event last week featured an outdoor beauty tent where students could take a tour of Mary Kay products, Fall beauty trends and even experience a full cosmetic makeover from a professional make-up artist. I was stationed in the photo booth area and also spent some time handing out samples to students as they passed by the tent. It was a great experience interacting with the students, listening to what they enjoyed most about the experience and witnessing the sheer excitement they experienced as they sampled their way through the venue. 

Whether you are a student or just finding yourself with some extra time and are looking for a way to make some extra cash I definitely recommend looking into brand ambassador opportunities. In the future, if I work on a new product launch, creative brand promotion project or event marketing endeavor I now have direct operational experience in the implementing of these events. I look forward to continuing participating in these events to build my event promotions experience across multiple channels of trade - but I am definitely interested in working more beauty events in the meantime! 

Side note: The event also provided an opportunity to get to know some other girls my age in the area and I was lucky enough to reconnect with a former classmate from college, Alissa Henry (seen in the photo strip on the right, below). Alissa is in the running for Columbus' Next CW Star contest, CLICK HERE to watch Alissa's video and vote for her in the contest!

It's Raining, It's Pouring.. I'm Running?!

Remember that scene in "Can't Hardly Wait" when one of the characters stands in the center of the party after his first several drinks and yells "I can't feel my legs!"? That's how I felt out on the all purpose trail loop at Sharon Woods Metro Parks this morning. Not because I had been drinking but because I got caught in the rain! And not just any rain either; this was a down pour! My legs were so cold from the falling rain I could no longer feel them as I took the turns, slopes and sights of my favorite Columbus running trail, learning to find love on my unplanned run in the rain.

I've written before on this site about my love of running and before today I would have told you that as much as I love running, I hate running in the rain. This morning I woke up and looked outside to see a few clouds in the sky. I asked Siri if it was going to rain today which she told me was likely but I decided I knew better and that since I wanted to get my run in run in at that very moment, it wasn't going to rain. (I'm still working on that whole "patience" thing.)

About 10 minutes into my run I found out why I am not a meteorologist. There I was taking in the sights of Ohio in the Fall, thinking of this site and how maybe I could write about loving running outside during this season and even snapping a few photos of the trail and my pure joy as I ran, when the clouds opened and let out their wrath of rain onto Columbus. As I ran my clothes became heavier as they grew more and more soaked with rain. I remembered the awning we had on our house when I was very little. When it would rain, the water would gather in puddles on top of it and my sister and I would hit the puddles with a broomstick from the porch, watching the rain spill powerfully over the edge of the awning as it fell to the ground. On the bright side? I hadn't thought about that for awhile and it's one of my favorite memories of our life at that house. 

Another thing I enjoyed about running in the rain? I've heard a lot of the songs that I run to many, many times however I had not thought about them in the ways that I did when I heard them in the middle of a down pour. "Call Me, Maybe," I was thinking of all the people I wish would call me with a ride to my dry apartment. I even ran the route faster than I usually do which almost surprised me until I realized how much I was thinking about how badly I wanted to be home the whole time I was running; I guess the motivation paid off! The people on the trail were noticeably more friendly today than any other time I've ran. I think we all were laughing at ourselves and each other for being the fools in the rain... at least that's what I was smiling about. 

Now that I've changed out of my soaking wet clothes, taken a hot shower and am sipping a hot cup of coffee inside, the sun in shining with hardly a cloud in the sky and only puddles on the streets as evidence of this recent rain. If I would have waited an hour I could have stayed dry the entire time. I am thankful for the experience as now I know I can survive a run in the rain and there are some things that I actually enjoy more than my average non-rainy run. Why did it feel so good to run in the rain? Because it felt so good to stop! :-)

 

Road Trippin'!

"But it was Saturday night
I guess that makes it all right
And you say, 'Baby, have you got enough gas?'
Oh yeah
Little red corvette
Baby you're much to fast, yes you are
Little red corvette
You need to find a love that's gonna last"
- Prince "Little Red Corvette"

  

 

I took a trip home this past weekend and was loving the drive. Sometimes a long drive can be boring, tiring and even painful (hello, butt lock)  but my 143 mile trip home turned out to be just what I needed. Below are some things I love about road trips! 

• Atti came with me! I got to bring my kitty on the trip. My co-pilot rode in her pet carrier in the middle of my backseat so she could see me and the road and so she'd be out of harms way if I had to quickly stop.
• "Quick snack" not "Fast food" I try my best to eat healthy everyday but a road trip is the perfect excuse for a little cheat. I stopped at a Taco Bell/KFC and ordered a soft taco and a chicken sandwich - it was so great! To save some calories I fed a little bit of cheese from my taco to my cat. ;-)
• Have you looked outside in Ohio lately?! When I close my eyes and imagine the best part of living in Ohio I see orange, yellow and red leaves falling onto cold green grass. I see blue skies with big white clouds and can feel the sunshine beaming down from above me. The air is cool enough to run with shorts and a light jacket, and smells faintly of freshly cut grass, pumpkin, cider and the season's first fireplace fires. Thankfully for me, this time is now! 
• DJ BV, here, driving tunes extraordinaire! It's great having someone else with you in the car to talk with to pass time but I got tired of Atti not answering me or giving suggestions for my problems... kidding, totally, just kidding. I did not talk to my cat in the car, but primarily because I had such good music on I didn't want to be distracted! It was fun to make a playlist just for me with songs I knew would put me in a good mood and get me ready to be home. Below is a collage of some of my favorites.
• I just love my friends and family in Cleveland! Being away from home again is making me remember the things and people I love so much in my hometown. I miss driving on the Shoreway, living in Coventry, Cortina's Family Restaurant and even the construction by Progressive Field. The beauty is, when I come back I can go to each of these places and even if they are not exactly as I left them, I feel like it's a chance to catch each other up on what's been going on and all that's new. I move forward and grow and so do my surroundings - it's a wonderful reminder of my tiny piece in life's beautiful and everchanging puzzle.

I'm glad to be back in Columbus and settling into my new life here but my trip home was a great experience filled with fun times with family and friends, a couple delicious dinners, one terrible horror movie and two great road trips. See you next time, Cleveland!

 



My first Columbus Oktoberfest

A German toast....

"Dem Leben sind Grenzen gesetzt, die Liebe ist grenzenlos."
Life has limits, but love has no bounds.

 

Last Sunday I had a lovely afternoon at Columbus' Oktoberfest at the Ohio State Fairgrounds with my sister, her fiance and my friends Michelle and Matt. It doesn't take much to convince me to attend an event that takes place outside on a sunny day, serving brats, sauerkraut balls, potato cheese pierogies and other things I love to dip in ketchup even though I'm supposed to be too old to do so, along with a variety of the latest and greatest Oktoberfest draft beers. The festival was the perfect Sunday afternoon activity as we were able to ease ourselves slowly out of the weekend while enjoying the warm sunshine and fresh air with a cold beer in hand, surrounded by family and friends. I love Sunday Oktoberfest afternoons... I can't wait for next year!

 

 

 

If 2013 is too far to wait and your local Oktoberfest has passed, take a look at the ideas below on ways to create your own Oktoberfest right at home; no DD required!

 

• What is Oktoberfest? - Now this is not essential knowledge to host the party but just in case a guest asks you, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival celebrating beer held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. Mass amounts of beer and traditional foods are served in honor of German Unity Day on October 3rd. Plenty of more information from Wikipedia here if you're curious.
• Decorations & Apparel - Think St. Pauly's girl here, mixed with Hansel and Gretel and throw in a little Heidi Klum style. You'll want plenty of blue and white decorations on the wall, a German flag (black, red and gold) would be a great addition for the walls. Be sure to wear (and have a few extra for your guests) your favorite green or grey alpine hat and have plenty of  clear plastic boots (to be used as cups of course!)
• More like OktoberFEAST - At Columbus' Oktoberfest I had a delicious meal of cheese and potato pierogies, German potato salad, a bite of a Bahama Mama and a cream puff. For your party consider some of those items I mentioned or look up recipes on your own; potato salad can be prepared ahead of time and you can cook brats on the grill easily while entertaining your friends. Another suggestion would be pretzels as those are a tradition in German cuisine and are very easy to supply party snacks.
• The beer! - Sure some of guests are attending for the brats and your fine company but I'm willing to guess a few will be looking forward to what you've got in the cooler. Thankfully a number of delicious German beers are available in grocery and specialty stores across the country, especially during September/October during the Oktoberfest season. Do a quick Google search to read reviews on beers currently on the market then head to the store and decide for yourself which are your favorites.

 

I love the timing of Oktoberfest; early fall has the crispest air. I love that Oktoberfest is for families, with activities for adults and kids alike. I love the food and the beer at Oktoberfest; enough said on this one I think. I love being able to spend a sunny day outside with some of my favorite people and a beer in my hand. Prost!

 

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

"Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain," Billie Holiday

We have had some beautiful sunny days lately in Columbus but I can't get one of last week's thunderstorms out of my mind. I wanted to put together a post with some things I love about the nights when the sky opens and shares with us thunder, lightening and rain. 

• 
  Like a fan in the corner of your bedroom, a thunderstorm provides white noise to ease the calming of your nerves and help you relax. I fell asleep to the sound of rain drops on my rooftop and slept soundly through the night.
  
  
• A thunderstorm is the perfect time for reflection, and not just your image in the puddles. I sometimes have a hard time slowing down in my day and appreciating where I am, what I'm doing and who I'm with. Whether you are home alone, cozied up with someone special or stuck in a restaurant until the storm passes, use the time to think about what's great about your being there.
  
  
• Like any hard point in life, this too shall pass. During last week's storm I sat on my porch and thought about all the things, people and situations that brought me there including some situations I considered as really hard, sad or confusing. I thought about the good, bad, hard, easy, happy and sad times that have led me to where I am today and thought to myself, 'What do I have to say to the world?' As I looked out into the dark, wet night, the sky filled with stars and lightning I said out loud, "Thank you." A thunderstorm makes me thankful for the sunny days and encourage me to find grace in the rain.

Life is going to give us sunny days and there will also be days filled with thunder and lightening, both literally and figuratively. It's up to us to see the sun on the darkest days and remember and have thanks for what got us there.

Bike Father, Bike Daughter

My dad is the person who taught me how to solve word problems, that tomatoes actually taste good, how amazing college is at OU and among many other things how to ride a bike. We eat tomatoes on our salads now, reminisce often on good times in Athens, quickly solve simple math problems and yesterday, we rode our bikes together on the Olentangy Trail. 

I love my dad way too much to make this post just about things that I love about him so I'm going to get even more specific and share some of my favorite things about riding bikes with Dr. Rob:

• My bicycle was my most recent birthday present! Sure, a bike may seem more like a gift you'd ask for when you're 5 or maybe even 15, but my for my 25th I asked for and received a brand new bike! Having recently moved to Columbus I am learning how bike-friendly the city is and spend much of my time riding on the bike paths that interweave this city.
• My dad has book smarts, street smarts and bike smarts. The breadth of the things my dad dad could be considered an expert on inspires me to try to learn more about more every day. My bike was "broken" when he arrived but I now know that some bikes do not have numbered gears and you need to turn until the gears click and then you're all set to ride.
• For an older guy, my dad can move! Most of my days have been spent in front of a computer lately so it's really nice when my dad comes to visit and encourages me to get up and moving too. It's always extra nice to see him when rather than feeling guilty about the food we eat over dinner, I can feel proud about the calories we burned first.
• He can move, but not as fast as me! I used to struggle to keep up with my dad whether we were walking, jogging, figuring out the ending of an episode of Full House, finishing our plates at dinner or riding bikes. My dad can still beat me at a few of those things but yesterday I heard for the first time, "Okay you gotta slow down, I can't keep up!" 

I had a great day riding bikes with my dad yesterday and look forward to the next time we'll get out on the bike path together. Until then I'm guessing I'll write another post about something else I love to do with my dad; he's really that great! 

On Your Mark. Get Set. Cheers!

"Why did the idiot start hitting himself over the head with a hammer? Because it felt so good to stop." This is among my favorite jokes and my very favorite running analogy. I still remember laughing the first time my dad told me this as I was running cold water from the hose in our front yard over my head after coming home from a mid-day summer run. Why did I go out for a run that day? Because it felt so good when I stopped. To me, it's just too funny.

Running doesn't always have to be a sport only celebrated when you've stopped; case in point, a fun run! This past Friday evening my friends and I supported the March of Dimes Night Moves run through Columbus' Brewery District. Being an evening run, we were given the brightest race shirts I've ever seen and encouraged to bring along other bright lights for our run through the dark streets of the city.

Decked in neon shirts, hats, socks, shoelaces, necklaces, rings and any other accessory we hoped could be seen from a space shuttle, we took the streets along with about 1,000 other runners in support of babies, the sport and each other. At the end of the race I had a smile on my face, pride in my accomplishment and a ticket in my hand for free pizza and cheap beer (another common fun run bonus!).

I loved the anticipation of the challenge, spending time with my friends and for being able to help a worthy cause. Evidence of my college career will prove to you that I love theme parties so a themed race is right up my alley - it was so fun compiling our accessories and dressing up for this run! Once the race was finished there was a party for all the runners with live music, food and draft beer. We all agreed that Night Moves was a great way to spend the begining of our Friday night!

And another plus, every bar we went to later that night people wanted to know where we had been and why were so loudly dressed. When you respond you just finished running 5 miles in support of premature babies, they almost always respond with a beer. Check out this listing to find a fun run near you and get some friends together, I promise you'll have fun, burn some calories and you might get a few free beers out of the evening as well!

The Light in Me Bows to the Light in You

Yesterday I revisited a hobby I used to enjoy much more often than I do now, yoga! I forgot how much I enjoy practicing yoga and wanted to put together a reminder for myself of the things I am loving about it so much now, to remind myself in the future. 

• Yoga can happen any time, any place. - Yesterday we did yoga in my friend's backyard under the sunset and eventually in the light of a bonfire. From a yoga mat to a scrap from a gym floor, and even on the grass we moved from cobra to down dog to warrior one and through a series of poses that left me feeling relaxed, stretched and centered.

• In yoga, whatever you can do, is perfect. - Everyone is different. Skills, beliefs, flexibility, we are each unique. In yoga this is recognized and although everyone is shown the same moves, the way you feel and experience each is up to you. It was entertaining and at times impressive to see the moves my friends were attempting but there was more than once (especially during the head stand moves in the slight decline of the backyard) that I found myself relaxed with a smile on my face in child's pose or resting on my back under the newly emerging starlight. 

• You will never hear "This seat's taken" at yoga class. - We've all seen the movie or been the kid on the school bus that walks the aisles fearing the words of someone telling you you're not welcome to share their space. I've never felt this way in a yoga class and feel that each time I go I am amazed and inspired by the openness of everyone to the practice and to each other. Each of us at yoga yesterday had a different day, different worries on our minds and different joys in our hearts. For an hour, we took all the positive energy we could muster and whether we knew it or not, put it out in the air and shared it with each other freely. 

Some of us could stretch farther or hold poses longer but in the end we all laid down, closed our eyes and embraced the newly found warmth in our bodies and calm in our hearts. Click here to take a look at the Sun Salutations we practiced and try them for yourself next time you're feeling a desire for some chi... no guys, sorry, not cheese.

 Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours. 

Swedish Proverb

Love, Love Me Do

"Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast,

it is not proud." -The Corinthians

"There's nothing you can know that isn't known.

Nothing you can see that isn't shown.

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.

It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,

All you need is love, love, love is all you need." -The Beatles

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs

"In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it." - Barack Obama

From Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City" to Barack Obama's politics in our cities, love is everywhere! So much of today's news is filled with anger, hate, violence and fear that it can be hard to see but it is so important to the success of our country and ourselves that we look to love in our actions, hopes and beliefs. 

The point of this blog is to remind myself (and anyone who reads it) of the importance of finding love in the little (and the big) things that fill our lives. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by a task or a problem because the big picture just seems like too much! If I can take a step back and appreciate and find love for some part of each task, the project seems much more manageable and I find myself excited to tackle the challenge. I'm going to apply this theory to my life and look for ways every day to remind myself of the love for the things that fill it. With faith, patience and hope, I'm sure the love will continue pouring in!