Jillian Michaels, I heart/hate you.

I am a little bit of a work out junkie though you wouldn't know it from looking at me! I am NOT one of those people that work out because I love to exercise and feel the burn. No, no I do it because otherwise I would be the size of a water buffalo. While I admittedly do always feel better AFTER my workout is over, I do not love the workout itself. There are certain exercise activities that I enjoy more than others but for the most part I still dread them all. Also I am a tad obsessive and when I don't work out I am overwhelmed by own guilt and end up tormenting my husband with endless questions like "do you think I will get fatter if I don't go to the gym tonight?" or "do I look like a dump truck?" And, I'm a wino. Wine means calories and I try to "earn" my wine by working out. So to stay sane, keep my weight under control and not annoy my husband so much that he leaves me, I try to make exercise a priority in my life.

My general philosophy is if I'm going to take the time to work out, I want it to be worth my time. So I try to work hard even if I am only able to spend 20 minutes exercising. Now I am good at doing cardio but I have a terrible time motivating myself to do any kind of weight training which is a huge part of keeping your body looking the way you want it to. I love classes because I am good at following directions and the gym I belong to used to have some really great resistance training classes that had me in the best shape of my life. But sadly these classes were canceled (doesn't that always happen). So I was kind of in a slump for a while trying to figure out how to get my strength training in, in a short but effective way. Enter, the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. (source)

Jillian Michaels is that crazy trainer from "The Biggest Loser" that always makes people cry but is definitely hard core! I had seen a couple of good reviews of this DVD and for $7.50 on Amazon I thought I would I give it a try. Each workout is only 20 minutes long and includes three 6 minute circuits consisting of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. Since it was Jillian Michaels I knew that it would be a pretty intense workout so it really fit all of my qualifications for a good workout. As an added bonus I could do this at home and not have to go outside in the freezing cold to get to the gym. Yeah!!

There are 3 different workouts that increase in difficulty. The premise is that you are supposed to do this workout for 30 days and you will be "shredded" by the end, hence the 30 day shred as the title. It also claims you can lost 20lbs in 30 days though you are supposed to be following a diet which I was not exactly doing. I was more interested in the "shredding" than with the actual number on the scale. So I set out to do this after the New Year for 30 days. I started at level 2 because I convinced myself that level 1 was too easy. Dumb idea! Start at level 1 and move up if it's too easy for you. Anyway, I did 15 days at level 2 and 16 days at level 3 and I was very happy with the workout and my progress. While I don't think I really lost a whole lot of weight, I wasn't really sticking too hard to the diet (shame on me!) but I definitely noticed a difference in my strength and the overall firmness of my body. Who doesn't want that??

I found Jillian to be a very good trainer, not perky and annoying like alot of video instructors, but motivational and good at explaining the movements and why you were doing them. I'm not gonna lie, it's not an easy workout even though it is only 20 minutes long and it was not easy to do the video for 31 days (yes I did it for 31 days, I'm an over acheiver). You think it's easy for the first few days but then you get to the point where you just want a day off. It was definitely tough to make it to the end but so worth it!

The actual workout includes some real basic stuff like jumping jacks, butt kicks, lots of squats and even old school sit-ups. But there is also some cool and different stuff in there like walk-out pushups, supermans and mountain climbers (all of which are evil but very effective). One thing I didn't love is that there is alot of plank work (aka essentially in a push up position) that can be hard on the hands and makes it sometimes difficult to watch what the are doing on the video. But by the end I could actually hold a plank position, do a real push-up (not the girly kind) and I just felt in general more fit and toned. It's a great workout and the best part is that it takes only 20 minutes. Most people can find 20 minutes in their day to squeeze this in. I also really liked that you only do each activity for about 30 seconds. So if you hate it, you only have to do it for a short time and you can move on to something new. On days when I had more time I paired the video with 20-30 minutes of low impact cardio like the elliptical, tread climber or my handy Gazelle. By the time I finished I was officially addicted to Jillian Michaels workouts, hence the reason I heart her, but at the same time during the workout I hate her! Right around the time I was done with the 30 day shred, she came out with two new workout DVDs that I like just as much if not more. I am planning to review these videos next time and tell you about a move called "the surrender" that I promise will make you want to raise you white flag and indeed surrender.

The endless winter...

Now I know as a native upstate New Yorker I should be accustomed to long, never ending winters that bring blizzards as late in the year as March and snow into April. In fact I have long prided myself on being a tough, cold loving upstater who makes fun of these silly Illinois winters and mocks the people here who don't drive when it snows. People, if we never drove when it snowed in the winter at home, we would never go anywhere!!! Indeed I came here thinking this is a joke in comparison to home. I mean sure, there is some snow and it gets pretty cold and windy but winter at least ends here at a reasonable time. And it's flat!! I survived 4 long years treking to class on a campus that earned us the title of "best legs in the Ivies." The hill known as the slope became more or less like an ice chute in the winter and it was safer to stay off the path and plod through the snow so that you didn't fall and roll to your death at the bottom of the hill where there was a conveniently located street. But this year....has been rough....and I'm tired of it. I think it's true that the older you get the less tolerant you are of winter. I guess that's why all of the old people go to Florida in the winter. But the winds, and the constant fluctuation in temperature....well frankly I've had enough. Last week I threatened to move to a tropical place and live off the land in order to escape the winter. I think it is the flatness that makes this place suck so terribly. And if it's going to get warm can it just stay warm? Otherwise I would just prefer it to be cold. I don't do well with all of these changes in temperature. It confuses my body and makes me crabby! I don't know if I have become more of a baby or maybe it's just a bad winter. Either way, spring can't come fast enough. Bitchfest over.......for now.

Moving on, it was a fairly uneventful week. Got some good and bad news on the job front for the husband but I'm convinced that if I talk about it, I'll jinx the goodness that happened. So we'll leave it at that for now. Watched Changeling last night and thought it was pretty good. I can see why Angelina got nominated for that role. But there were some unexpectedly disturbing moments. Sage has taken to digging holes in the backyard much to the dismay of Matt. Admittedly she looks super cute when she is digging but I understand his frustration. This week marked Ivy's first trip in the closet since the Fall. We had a couple of thunderstorms which absolutely terrify her and she goes and hides in the closet whenever she hears even the faintest rumbling. Occasionally, when the tornado sirens go off we have to join her in the closet and needless to say she is not happy about the company in her hiding place. She is particually annoyed that we have to bring Sage in there with us. Sometimes when the closet is unavailable she hides in the shower or between the shower and the toilet which is a space that no 65 lb dog should be able to fit into. I didn't know she was there one night when I got up to go to the bathroom and imagine my suprise when I sat down on the toilet and felt her furry head next to me. Not a pleasant night!! Anyway, her stay in the closet was pretty short in comparison to other times.

Finally, some more wine reviews because really what else is there to do in the winter except try new tasty wines? The first, sorry no picture, is the Trocadero Blanc de Blanc Spakling Wine. This little french delight is fantastic. It goes down nice and smooth with lots of bubbly goodness. The best part...is that it is dirt cheap for a nice sparkling wine. It is a steal at around $8-$9 per bottle, akin to many of the grocery store brands but infinitely better!! We buy this for any special occasion where we have guests since it is super good but easy on the wallet. We also buy it just for us! The second wine is a New Mexico (yes you read that right) sparkling wine from the Gruet family that makes super good sparking wines. It is the Domaine Saint Vincent brut and is great! We like the rose even better. Again it is light, with a little sweetness and moderately priced at around $14 per bottle.

Pitty party day and super tasty dinner: Sriracha chicken and banana fried rice

Ugh! I'm getting seriously tired of winter. Today was one of those days where I just felt like I needed to get out of here. Like I couldn't get out of grad school soon enough and needed a break. So I threw myself a little pitty party, talked to my family, laughed with my husband, skipped my workout and had some sparkly wine. Tomorrow is a new day and I'll be back on track first thing. Jillian Michaels workout videos (aka torture) ....I'm ready for you!!

Ooo, also I watched the Oscars last night (on DVR of course) and I loved Hugh Jackman. I'm a total sucker for singing and dancing so that was right up my ally. I've always said that since I didn't get to take ballet lessons as child, I am fascinated with all things dancing as an adult. I like to go to step class because it kind of feels like dancing!! Anyway, I was also so happy to see MILK pick up a couple of awards and bring gay rights and Prop 8 back to the forefront.

Onward to food!!! Mmmmmmm! Sriracha chicken with banana fried rice is one of my all time favorites. I never knew what sriracha was (although in retrospect I had seen it at many restaurants) untill I watched that episode of Top Chef where Casey makes sriracha ice cream. And then I was just intrigued. What is this sriracha that comes in the fun squeezy bottle? Basically it's Thai-style hot sauce and it is super tasty! So how do you make this awesome dinner?
Shopping List:

- Protein of choice for 2-either tofu or chicken. I'm going to show chicken but the directions for tofu are essentially the same.
- 2/3 cup of fruit preseves of choice (ie orange, apricot, mango, apple, pineapple basically anything. We buy the smuckers low sugar or sugar free to cut down on the calories)
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 spring onions
- 2 bananas that are under-ripe (ie greenish yellow)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Cinnamon
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 cup rice (brown or white)

Sriracha chicken:
For the sauce/marinade take 2/3 cup of fruit preseves of choice and combine with 2 tbps of rice wine vinegar, 3 chopped spring onions and 2 tbps of sriracha. Combine and pour marinade over protein reserving a small amount for sauce. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes or longer to infuse the flavor.

Pre-heat grill over high heat. Oil the grates and grill chicken on each side untill cooked through about 5-6 minutes per side. When done, top off with sauce.

Banana fried rice

Cook rice as directed. We cook 1 cup of rice for two people but this can certainly be scaled up.

Chop the onion.
Chop banana into half inch thick slices
Toss the banana slices with sugar
Heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat in a saute pan.
When hot add bananas and cook on each side untill carmelized
Turn off heat and remove bananas into a bowl

In the same pan add 1 tbsp oil and add onion. Cook untill softened and translucentSeason with cinnamon to taste. Add bananas and rice. Add salt to tast and serve
Yummm!!!

Well no food entry would be complete without wine so I will review two of my all time favorite wines, the Huber Gruner Veltliner and the Naia Verdejo.

The Gruner Veltliner (GV) is a less well known, and highly underappreciated wine from Austria. These wines are in a word......superb. They were introduced to us by the fab folks at Corkscrew wine store in Urbana and I just can't say enough good things. They are affordable and utterly delicious. One of my absolute favs is the Huber GV. Just look for the rainbow bottle!! This wine is super affordable at about $10-$12 per bottle and perfect with chicken and tofu. It is unique and light and absolute perfection for a summer day. You are missing out if you have not tried a GV. Go out and get one now!!!!!

I have a small but definite obsession with verdejos. These wines are typically from Spain and are freakin fantastic!!!!!!!!!! Can you say obsessed??? One of the best and available at almost any wine store is the Naia. This bottle runs around $15 and again paris perfectly with chicken and tofu. Did I mention I don't eat red meat?? Verdejos have their own unique minerally taste that is superb. LOVE!!!!!

Ok, that is all for now. Project pitty party is officially over!!

Date night and some wine lovin!

A couple of months ago Matt and I decided that we needed to institute date night about once a month. My husband is such a good cook that we most often just opt to eat at home instead of heading out for a dinner at a restaurant which also saves us money. That is always a good thing. One nightwhen we were out for dinner we realized that we really did need to start having a date night. At home we usually sit and watch TV while at the restaurant we talked happily with one another. Perhaps the biggest reason we decided that date night was much needed is our delightful duo of wagging tails. While we love them to death.... they can be a bit....needy. Usually they both sit under the table by my feet hoping for handouts or rogue droppings from my plate. It's a glass top table so it's kind of creepy to look down and see them staring up at me. Even more charming is that inevitably they have to go outside as soon as we sit down. We have them "trained" to ring a bell on the door when they need to go out. Needless to say they also abuse this trick and ring it whenever they feel like going outside regardless of their bathroom needs. And inevitably they need water and then they drink too much water and we have to yell at them. Frankly, sometimes it's just too much and we need a little time away from our hairy princesses to maintain our sanity. Hence date night was born!! We tried to have date night a couple of weeks ago. We went to Applebees because we had a gift card. Ugh! Date night was ruined by a not so amazing dinner most of which went straight to the dogs. So, since we got our tax return the other day, we decided a redo of date was in order courtesy of Uncle Sam! So it's off to Biaggi's for the hubs and I tonight!! But first we are going to Banana Republic to spend the gift cards we got for Valentine's Day from Matt's parents. Thanks Mark and Therese!!!

But before I go enjoy dinner, I wanted to take minute to review the two wines we enjoyed for our Valentine's Day dinner. We have a little tradition of getting a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's so we didn't cook anything up fancy but both wines that we had were fantastic!!

The first wine we had was the NV Veuve Clicquot Rose. This champagne ranges from about $65-$75 typically. Our local wine store had it on sale for $50 so even though that is way more than we usually spend, it was a good deal and we have been wanting to try this sparkler for years! It certainly did not disappoint. We have had the yellow label Veuve Cliquot and liked it very much but the Rose was definitely superior. It was nice and light and had an after taste that was beautifuly sweet, with a touch of dryness. I wouldn't buy it all the time but for a special occasion, I wouldn't hesitate to get it again!

The second wine we had was sent to us by my Mom from Glenora wine cellars in the Finger Lakes region of upsate NY. Yummm!! It was the '07 Riesling which was voted best US riesling by the Beverage Tasting Institute in October 2008. This wine was super nice, light and minerally and finished much smoother than most rieslings. If you don't live in NY Glenora ships to most states. It is one of my favorite wineries!!

Ok off to have a date with husband!!

Willises, wine and wagging tails....my first blog.

I have never had a blog of my own before. I am an avid blog reader and obsessively check for new updates of my favorite blogs. In fact, I often wonder what I did before I had blogs to read. I so enjoy reading what other people have to say and do, even if it is just every day stuff. So, even though I am slightly intimidated to write about my own life, I thought I would give it a try if for no other reason than to have a record of our families life! And with that.....here we go.

I'm not sure exactly what this blog will be all about but one thing is for sure, it will about willises, it will be about wine and it will of course be about wagging tails. I hope to sneak some other stuff in here too like cooking/food, crafting and baking.

Ok well I guess I'll start at the top with a little bit about the Willis family. My husband Matt and I met when we were undergrads at Cornell University in the Spring of 2002. We were so in love with each other that we decided to go to grad school together and moved to Champaign Illinois in 2004 where we currently reside. Matt proposed in 2006 and we got married the following summer at Cornell. My smarty pants husband received his PhD in chemical engineering in December and we are currently waiting for this slow poke to finish her degree in Microbiology before entering into the big bad working world.

Here we are on west campus of Cornell University where we met.
And walking together at Cornell!

These are two of my favorite wedding pics. The first is during our ceremony in Sage Chapel. And the second was taken inside the AD White library inside Uris Library. All credit for the above images goes to our awesome photog, Frank Dimeo!

Along the way we have acquired two beautiful but naughty dogs. We rescued Ivy (can you guess where her name came from??) in the summer of 2005. She is a rottweiler/coon hound mix. We like to call her our special needs dog because she has various issues ranging from severe noise phobia and anxiety to a general dislike for most people. She has a shortlist of about 10 people who have security clearance to enter her personal bubble. She also detests any kind of delivery person, UPS, USPS, fedex, she hates them all. But she is a loyal and loving baby and we could not love her any more. We love her so much that we didn't hesitate to spend thousands of dollars getting her "doggie ACL" repaired and rehabilitated last year.

Me and the big puppy, Ivy!

Dog number two we rescued shortly after we got married with the theory being that Ivy needed a playmate to keep her entertained. Sage (bonus points if you can figure out how she got her name) is a basset hound/spaniel mix and has been described (not by us) as the cutest puppy in the world. While Sage is adorable she is also very stubborn and a highly skilled destuffer and destroyer of toys. She is also a bit of a drama queen. When she was teething and getter her adult teeth she would cry and whine. We asked the vet if this was normal and he informed us that he had never ever heard of a dog doing this. My dad affectionately calls her "treasure" for ability to cause mischief and wreak havoc on the house. Again we adore her and treat her like our child! Matt and the little puppy, Sage.

So I guess that covers the Willises and the wagging tails, so what about the wine. Well, Matt and I are self-professed winos. The people at our favorite local wine store wave to us when we come in the door and no longer need to ask what our last name is when we go to check out. Our love for wine started shortly after we started dating. We started trying some how shall we say, bargain wines (aka bad wines though not all bargain wines are bad wines!) and eventually our love for wine was sparked by the fab wines of the Finger Lakes region where Cornell University is located. We would go wine tasting and some of our favorite memories have come from visiting those wineries together. Since we have moved out of the Finger Lakes region we have grown to love all different kinds of wines with emphasis on the sparkling wines and sauvignon blancs of New Zealand! So, over time our love for wine kind of grew like our love for each other. It is something that we both absolutely love and we will be writing and reviewing some of our favorites.

Well that's it for now I suppose. Just a little intro to us!