Wedding Food and a Plan of Attack

This past weekend was the wedding of one of my best friends. She and her new husband have been together for eight years, having met while we were all in college together. I thank Jeff for teaching me to love CSI while he dominated our house’s television on weekends, for bringing me into their reality TV weekly celebrations while they lived in Queens years later, and his impromptu dermatological consults. Jeff and Anita have been a couple almost as long as we’ve been friends, and I am so happy to have been a part of their long awaited celebration.

This was my first time in the wedding party since I charmed churchgoers as my cousin’s flower girl in 1992.

Over the past two years, I’ve been excited to take on the role of bridesmaid and support the bride-to-be in any way I could.  From stuffing wedding invitations to delivering cocktails at the reception, my focus was on the couple. Except, of course, when my attention was diverted by food.

Oats, oats, oats!

When the days were toasty warm and hovering in the low-80s just a couple weeks ago, I made some “Overnight oats.”  After reading many posts by Kath Younger of Kath Eats Real Food about her love of these oats I finally decided to give them a try.  Her recipe is simple: 1/3 c uncooked rolled oats, 1/3 c milk of some form, 1/3 c yogurt mixed together and left in the fridge overnight.  That’s it; no cooking involved.  It sounded great for a warm, late-summer morning when the time was not yet ripe for cooked oats.  To the three ingredients, Kath adds any number of toppings either the night before to meld with the oats or the next morning to give some extra texture and flavors.

Experimental Exercise Part II: Instructors that Care

This summer was the summer of an exercise experiment. July through September, I tried out different classes at Crunch Gym (squeezing in thirteen classes with nine different instructors), a few practices at Yoga to the People, and five sessions with Circuit of Change. At Circuit of Change, Mike and I took three types of classes, one style outdoors on the Hudson River and two different types indoors. It was definitely a busy summer!

Mike and I in the first row on the left at Circuit of Change’s new studio near Union Square.

Photo by Circuit of Change. I thought I saw a flash go off during class!

Experimental Exercise I: Problem and Procedure

If you ask anyone who has spent some time with me “What are some of the things [I] dislike the most?” they would probably be able to tell you that they are:

1. Mean-spirited people.
2. Spending money.
3. Exercising.

Yep, that about sums it up.  Maybe I hate shopping because I feel like it always involves all three.

I decided that this summer I needed to challenge my hatred of exercise. I didn’t want to hate it.  I did, however, need first hand evidence to convince me it’s worthwhile.  Sure I know of the health benefits, the endorphins, and the anti-aging properties… but my couch is so much comfier.  Without hard proof, the couch would always win.