Veggie frittata

This is one of our family's favorites!  It's simple, and loaded with veggies. As with most of what I cook, I don't use a recipe, I just judge quantities by how many people I'm serving. I usually figure in three eggs per person and whatever looks like one serving of veggies per person. Some eat more, and others eat less, so it evens out. I also try to pick veggies whose color compliments the yellow of the eggs. Tonight's veggies included red pepper, asparagus, mushrooms and onions. I roughly chopped all of them, small enough that no one needed a knife to eat.

Next I took nine eggs because there were only three of us, added a bit of water, and whisked them.

I love my cast iron skillets. They're less expensive to purchase than fancy cookware and they don't have any chemicals on their surface to make them non-stick. Did you know the chemicals used in Teflon will kill a bird when heated? If the fumes are that bad for a bird, what will they do to us? Remember the canary in the coal mine? Perhaps we need to think about that when thinking about using non-stick cookware! Plus, how much of those toxic chemicals leach into our food? Cast iron is naturally non-stick when used properly. Most of the time I just scrape the food out with the spatula, rinse, then wipe the pan clean. If it looks a bit dry, I just rub some oil onto it with the paper towel I used to dry it, then it's naturally non-stick for next time.

I put a half stick butter into the cast-iron skillet, let it melt, then sauteed the vegetables until they started to soften. Then I added the eggs, let them sit on the burner for a few minutes to let the bottom of them set and brown, then I moved them to the oven so they would cook through, another benefit of cast-iron, it can be moved to the oven. I have an Aga, which is a topic for another story, but suffice it to say, it's always on and the temperatures are approximate. I'd probably set a regular oven to 375. In my Aga, I set it on the bottom of the upper right hand oven (in case you're an Aga owner). Check on it after about ten minutes. It will be puffed up when it's finished, but you can stick a knife in it to test if it's done. Just slice and serve!

Tostadas!!!

I always get asked what I eat, so I thought it would be a good idea to include some recipes on the blog!  I eat a lot of raw fruits and veggies ... here's one of my favorite meals.

These were so good!!!!  My 14 year old son even said, "This is better than taco night!!" and that's saying a lot because taco night is a favorite around here!

Here's how it's made:

First, I made pico de gallo.  Finely chop a couple cloves of garlic ... don't use that jarred stuff!  I used to think that jarred stuff was fine until I got some fresh garlic in my Amish produce box ... jarred loses its bang!  Trust me!  I finely chop two organic heirloom tomatoes, garlic, a vidalia onion, a handful of fresh cilantro, and a pepper (I like jalapeños, but I like it spicy).  Stir and let sit so the flavors mingle.  You could even make this a day in advance.

Then I took Ezekiel Corn Tortillas and fried them in a cast iron skillet.  I put enough high heat safflower oil in the skillet to cover the tortillas.  I heated the oil first.  It must be very hot to keep the tortillas from becoming greasy (I learned this trick in New Orleans where they have great fried, but not greasy beignets!).  Once the oil is hot, I took tongs to place two tortillas at a time into the hot oil.  I let them cook on one side, then flipped them, but they were completely submerged.  Once they were crispy and a little browned, I placed them on a paper towel to cool off.

I heated up some organic refried beans, cut an avocado, and chopped up a spring mix that was also in the box.

I had everyone assemble their own by taking a tortillas, slathering on some refried beans, then topping with the spring mix, avocado, and pico de gallo.  The kids added organic grated cheese to theirs.

Mmmmmmm.  Now THAT is a tostada!!!

Halfway!!

Morgan and I are halfway through our Power Pilates comprehensive training!!  We took our second test at this 300 hour point.  There was a massive written test requiring much memory work.  I didn't realize how much it was stressing me out until I didn't sleep well for two nights before the test.  We also had a practical where we had to teach each other the intermediate system while being evaluated.

We teach this work all the time.  We know it.  We own it.  BUT, call it a test and we get nervous!  Minus a couple mistakes (me more than Morgan!), I think we both did fine on the practical.  We both did great on the written with A+'s!!

We are already trained, so why the additional training?  Let me tell you, this is different from what we had before.  Power Pilates is an awesome organization and Julie is an excellent, thorough teacher.  So far, we have had four training weekends that total 72 hours of training that are in addition to the 300 apprentice hours we've completed.  We meet weekly for two hours to go over what we're learning.  And, we practice, workout, and observe 20-25 hours per week.  How do you become outstanding at doing something?  By practicing, observing and apprenticing for many, many hours.  This training reminds me of what you see in movies set years ago when people are trained for a trade.  It's not just classroom work.  It's getting out there and doing the work supervised by a mentor.  We are so much more equipped to teach than we were before, even having gone through a training program previously and having taught for two years.  We found this training to be so valuable to us personally that we both severely cut back the hours we were teaching for pay in order to free up time to take this program.  It's *that* good.

We have learned how to teach people at their level and help them progress to the next level.  We have learned how to deal with special cases, ie, knee problems, back problems, older clients, younger clients, pregnant clients, etc.  In short, we have learned to tailor the workout for the person rather than a cookie-cutter workout for a group.  It's awesome!  Come try it out.  If you aren't sure it's for you, let's have a mini-session at no charge to you .... we'll spend about 20 minutes showing you the equipment and talking about a workout plan special for you.  Give us a call!

How many days a week should I do a pilates workout?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions!  My short answer is, three or four times per week is ideal.  So you can't afford to come in three or four times per week, is it still worth doing at all?  YES!!!  We have had clients who have only worked out once per week total and still saw results.  Is it ideal?  No.  Did it work for them?  Yes!

What if you're motivated to workout every day but can only afford one or two sessions per week?  Well, we can work with that because that's the most common situation .... we can give you mat exercises that you can do at home daily!  With your one or two sessions per week, you're getting that personalized attention when you come see us, then you can take that understanding into your home workout and continually improve your work at home.

Can you overdo it?  Sure.  You can overdo anything.  What works for me personally is two really hard, working at my full potential workouts per week, and two or three moderate workouts per week.  If I do five full potential workouts in a week, I start getting fatigued outside of my sessions.

Can you do pilates every day?  Sure.  It's a moderate level of strength training so is different from heavy weight lifting which cannot be done every day.

And, last, but not least, my favorite question .... can I take more than one class in a day?  My answer, if you're being worked to your full ability, you won't be able to!!  This is where we're different than reformer classes.  Reformer classes are taught to a group at an average level so that everyone can participate.  In the beginning, a person will find reformer class very difficult because it's above their level.  As time goes on, the reformer class is the perfect workout in every way.  Then later, as the client's ability grows, the reformer class is easy, so the client wants to take more than one class in a day.  What's different about having personalized attention is that you are worked out with exercises appropriate to your own personal level.  You wouldn't dream of needing a second hour.

Schedule your session today!  We're trying to build our business, so we've lowered our prices temporarily.  Come see us and see how we're different!  You'll love it!

New door!!!! (and update)

The Pilates Club entrance

We finally started construction on our new front porch!!  Up until now, we've been sharing the front door with the upstairs business, but when the porch is complete, we'll have our own side door right into the studio!

Training is going very well.  We've both passed the 200 hour mark!!!  We're a third of the way there!!  Our original training was only 200 hours ...  the Power Pilates program is much more comprehensive.  We're far enough into the program now that we're apprenticing at the training studio (Body Mind Balance) in addition to teaching at The Pilates Club.

We have learned so much about movement, the body, Joseph Pilates' original work, various apparatus, special needs, etc.  We're excited to be able to bring to you all that we've learned at your level, and taking into account your needs and goals.  We do not have a cookie-cutter approach like most group reformer classes do.  We work you at your own personal level.  So if you're advanced, we can offer you a challenging workout.  If you're a new beginner with some kind of special need (injury, etc.), we can offer you a challenging workout at your level taking your special need into consideration.  It's all about personal attention.  That's what sets us apart.

For the month of January we have a SPECIAL!!!  Refer a friend who purchases an initial consulation package and we'll give you a free session.

Front of our building

Christmas diet

I definitely go right along with the magazines… December is the month of sweets and anything delightful! January (or for me the first week anyway) is the month to make up for December. I am already seeing how that sugar withdrawal week will go…. Yikes!

Source RecipeGirl

While teaching Pilates this week, a topic came up about avoiding gaining weight during the holidays. For me, I don’t focus on that any more than I would if it was another ordinary month. I have a way that I eat. I try to eat healthy, but when that doesn’t work out, it’s no big deal. If I eat junk for lunch, then I try to eat something healthy for dinner. Not that complicated. When I get more junk in my diet, I then will have a week or so that I focus more on the nutrition I need.

Also, I don’t like fast food. If I eat “fast food” then it’s Panera Bread, Chipotle, or Five Guys… Not too fast. I stay away from soda and when I have my kitchen stocked, I usually have waaaaaay more fresh food in the fridge than frozen food in the freezer. I like to see what goes in my meal… I like it to be very clear.

But between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my daily diet definitely goes down the drain. It's funny to see how I make up for it. Today, I am giving you my top 6 tips to keep up with the holiday!

1. When sweets are out to grab, also put out carrots and celery with some sort of dip. For me, the dip makes the vegetables seem more special and I then proceed to eat twice as many veggies than sweets … Usually it would be reverse.
2. Make sure you eat a little protein when pigging out. Left over chicken leg in the fridge? Cheese out on the cutting board? Man this saves me! Instead of eating three times as many sweets and then collapsing with a sugar crash and over-eating a full blown meal that I didn’t really  need, I have a much less severe crash. I’ve gotten some protein in.
3. When you are snacking. Stop as soon as you realize you are now only eating because you are either a) bored or b) trying to be comfortable in that awkward conversation. Stop now. Be happy later.
4. Keep up your fitness routine. Don’t let yourself get down. First of all, working out usually works off those calories. Also, you know we are going to totally (and caringly) kick your butt when you come back in to see us ;)
5. Keep the treats hidden. You know where to find them if you want them, but be sure they are behind closed cupboards. In the open, keep something you know you will be happy to grab but is also a healthier option… For me? It’s currently cheese and crackers! Crackers are on top of the fridge and I see them as soon as I walk into the kitchen!
6. And finally, Christmas parties! If you find yourself drinking beers, martinis, wine or anything in that same category, cut out the sweets. If I find myself enjoying cocktails, I definitely count that as my guilty pleasure for the day and say goodbye to the sweets. Once I start eating the sweets, I won’t stop until I am in a sugar/alcohol coma.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. These are only my opinions and my personal habits. I realize they aren’t all completely healthy… but hey! It’s Christmas season!

Happy holiday eating :)

Morgan

Update on training after our second intermediate weekend

An update on training:

1) Pilates is fun!

2) 600 hours is a lot.  We practice teaching on each other, so if one of us is practicing, the other is working out, thus, we usually get in more than an hour or two of exercise each day.

3) Pilates is fun!

4) We take mat classes when they're being taught at the studio even if we have our semi-private lesson later that day.  On days like today, we've done an intermediate mat, practiced on each other, AND had our semi-private!!  Okay, maybe on days like today we practice the easy exercises on each other .... will someone please pass the turmeric?

5) Pilates is fun!

6) As we learn to teach the more difficult exercises, putting in the hours we put in with the beginner exercises becomes much more challenging.  

7) Pilates is fun!

But we're doing all this because we're passionate about pilates and what it does for a person.  It makes you stronger, leaner, more fit.  It makes your musculature work in an integrated way.  And it's efficient so, unless you're in training to become an instructor, you don't have to spend more than an hour about three days a week working out.  

We had some great client feedback this week.  She was wondering if after so few sessions it's normal to already feel a difference.  Well, here's what Joseph Pilates said, "After 10 sessions you will feel a difference.  After 20 sessions you will see a difference.  After 30 sessions you will have a new body!"

Give us a call, we think you'll like it, too!