It happened

Well I caved. T has been on my case for months trying to get me to go to Kung Fu with him. And since I had a messy breakup with Running, I finally decided to give it a try.

What's worse? I love it. Which means I'll probably shell out money every month to keep going. Because not only is it a great workout, I feel like I'm learning practical self defense skills, which any modern gal like myself should know.

I'm hoping I will be in fightin' shape come May 8. Especially if a gang of thugs crashes the wedding.

(T, after seeing my post: "Wouldn't it be awesome if they did?!?!")

2009: A Year of Miracles

You look tired. Are you tired?

No. No I'm not. But thanks.

Easy Eggnog Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake for a work party this weekend. It was a huge risk, given that I've never made the recipe or even a cheesecake for that matter! BUT it was a huge hit and I've had people asking me for the recipe! And I'm only a little proud of how popular it was. :)

Easy Eggnog Cheesecake

CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
Dashes each of cinnamon and nutmeg

CHEESECAKE

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 and 3/4 cup eggnog
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rum or vanilla extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg

TOPPING
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Dash of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. (Cover bottom of pan with foil for easy removal later.)
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a food processor combine cream cheese (softened in the microwave), 1 cup sugar, flour and eggnog; process until smooth. Blend in eggs, rum/vanilla and nutmeg. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 and bake for 45 minutes, or until center of cake is barely firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately loosen cake from rim. Let cake cool completely before removing the rim.

Whip cream with powdered sugar in blender or mixer until peaks form. Spread generously on top.

Chill for 1-2 hours.

Serves 16.

My big break

So I've finally launched my modeling career. Yes, it's late, but through hard work I'm finally a cover girl.

Or maybe my friend writes for a news magazine and asked me to do their cover as a favor.

But what a fun favor!

I got all dressed up while my friend did my makeup, then we headed over to the 99 Cent Store, who graciously let us roll around their aisles throwing coupons around. The cadre of ogling onlookers was a bonus.

So check out The Times publication next month to see the final copy of yours truly. I'm sure my phone will be ringing off the hook!

Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

I love Christmas. I really do. The music, the treats, the family traditions. All bring joy to my soul.

So imagine my disappointment this weekend when I went to buy Christmas decorations for J Place, Tony's new house that will become ours in May.

My priorities were pretty simple going in: I was looking for garland and lights to hang outside; a tree and centerpiece for inside. I didn't think I would be looking for something more.

But as I looked at the displays in Target, Wal-Mart and Michaels, I noticed that anything resembling Jesus or the nativity is a little hard to come by. Sometimes they are even banished to one seemingly "Christian Corner" out of all the rows and rows of items. Instead, you can choose from fancy Santa, cute Santa, toy Santa, NASCAR Santa and any number of snowmen, reindeer and elves.

The worst was the row that offered Christmas decorations in hot pink and neon green.

I was surprised at my own revulsion. I happen to own a little white tree with pink lights. I buy into the commercialism every year it seems.

But this year was different. Maybe I was just looking for something unique. I hope it is because for the first time I am decorating MY HOUSE, the future site of a 2-person family with hopes for more. And I want Christmas to be about Christ. About joy. About the brave Mary and her loyal husband. About the grand sacrifice for mankind.

I want my home to feel warm and loving all the time, not only during Christmas. But you'd think it would be a little easier to create a Christian environment during such a holiday.

My first wedding gift

This 8-piece Serva-Snack came from my Nana Payne. She said she received it when she first got married but never really used it. I think that makes it 50 or 60 years old.

Inside are glass cups and dishes just right to Serva Snack to your friends. I love it for its 50s authenticity. And that it came from Nana.

She's 92 years old and frequently has falls or little trips to the emergency room. I'm honestly not sure she will be around for my wedding, but I really hope so. She is an anchor to a family of hundreds, with three generations proudly bearing her name. She is sweet and tough as nails, ready to give a word of encouragement or an honest assessment.

I feel honored that she would give me such a personal gift. I hope it will serve to remind me to be hospitable, generous and lighthearted like my Nana.

Yes We Can

yes we can.

Third favorite holiday of the year!

OK so maybe every two years.

I just couldn't contain my excitement to vote today. Even when I showed up and the line was down the street. I really think Election Day should be a holiday. I almost didn't have a chance to go this morning, and I could have been stuck going tonight and waiting in an even longer line!

But why don't we have the day off? Would too many people go boating instead of voting? Maybe we could save it for national election years.

I think more people would vote. And then I would also have more people coming to my Election Party!

Fiber is #1!

I met with a nutritionist this week, and it was very enlightening. Most of it was not new info (take half your meal to go, portion your meat to the size of a playing card), but it WAS nice to have the official word on food.

I am easily swayed by the advice from the last article I read, be it "focus on protein" or "carbs are OK," or "it's totally cool to eat Zebra Cakes for breakfast and lunch."

I took two major messages away from our meeting (and several minor ones): 1. Eat little snacks between meals. 2. Focus on being fiber-iffic!

Already the little meals are helping a lot. I'm not nearly as famished by dinner when I've had an apple or something at 4 pm.

And as for fiber, I was sadly uninformed about where it's found. Apparently it is in ALL fruits and vegetables! Wow! So I was given carte blanche for all fruits and veggies. I can go crazy with it.

So if you want some free second-hand nutrition advice, eat 2 snacks a day, and add veggies, fruits, beans and whole wheat to your menu.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra

We saw David Sedaris at Gammage last night, and it was wonderful! He is one of my favorite writers and so very hilarious. This was the second time we've seen him, and both times were fantastic.

Adding to the enjoyment was something I didn't expect: The sign language interpreter. (Aside: Why would a deaf person attend a book reading? Much of the humor comes from the author's vocal nuances. Oh well)

The interpreters stood to Sedaris' left onstage and did a phenomenal job of keeping up with his fast-paced stories.

The best interpretations:

"Throwing up gang signs," where the interpreter promptly put her hands up in front of her chest with index and pinkie fingers at attention.

"Slave monkey," where the interpeter curls her arms under her armpits in classic monkey fashion.

"Human feces," which is some kind of gyrating stomach movement.

Anyway, good times had by all. Oh, and he shared the joke listed in the title, in addition to "A baby seal walks into a bar. Bartender asks, 'What'll it be?' Seal says, 'Anything but a Canadian Club.'"

An open letter

I stole this idea from my shore. I was feeling a little sentimental tonight, so I thought I would partake.

Dear Colin Powell: Thank you. Your wisdom and courage has inspired me and given me hope for my future.

Dear Stress about the wedding: Can you please wait? How bout just a month or two? do I really need to decide everything now?

Dear Worries about my weight: I know you're important. I want to address you. And I'm going to try. But in the meantime, maybe you could just take a break.

Dear Tony: I love you more every day. I'm so lucky. None of this would be worth it without you.

Dear Starbucks: Thanks for making a little treat for me when I need one. I can't wait to try your salty caramel hot chocolate.

Dear Halloween: I love you! You're so fun!

The BIG News!

Collect your bets! Tony and I are tying the knot!

Last night, Tony invited me to come by his (well, almost his) new house in Mesa. There, he was waiting with a table and a vase of flowers. On our ninth anniversary as a couple, Tony proposed to me -- and I said YES! Then we had to leave because technically we were trespassing.

Stay tuned for more details on a May wedding.

The worst 'healthy' foods

I really appreciated this blog by David Zincenko and Matt Goulding, authors of Eat This, Not That.

It talks about supposedly healthy foods that are lined with corn syrup or full of fat. Like granola bars -- held together by high-fructose corn syrup. Or bagels -- up to 700 calories if you get the schmear (and I always get the schmear!).

I really appreciate blogs like these. I get totally suckered into thinking, "oh it can't be that bad," and basically ignoring the facts or calorie counts.

However, I almost always come across blogs like these at the wrong time -- like how I just bought a huge box of granola bars. :)

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?

You meet a lot of interesting people when you run at 6 am on Sunday mornings:

Shopping cart guy

Pretty harmless. Usually has a destination. Still, avoided by me when possible.

Punk rock guy

This is one that threw me for a loop. I saw two separate guys dressed all in black, smoking and walking down the street at 6:30 a.m. Was he up all night? Is this when he does his best thinking? Is he trying to get his cholesterol down?

Bikers

Very flashy outfits. Extremely muscular legs. Usually good about warning you before they run you over.

Other runners

Pretty friendly. Generally running faster than me. But hey, they're out there. And so am I.

Borrrrrring!

Have you ever been so bored you actually get tired because of it? It's so sad to go to bed at the end of a day feeling like you didn't deserve the rest.

PS don't you love Google image search? Fun time-filler: Google words that should not have an associated image (divorce, humiliated, or yay!) and see what pops up.

Happiest Race on Earth

Yesterday my good friend Catharyn and I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon in Anaheim. It was wonderful! The path took us through the actual park, where we were greeted by Pinocchio, Buzz Lightyear, Belle and the Beast, Alice and the Mad Hatter and many more.

The medals are awesome, too. Golden Disney castles. I plan on wearing mine for the next month.

The only disappointment was the time. I finished my last half marathon, PF Chang's, in 2:25 (two hours 25 minutes). This one was 2:47, due to the several times we actually had to come to a dead stop during the race because the running path was too narrow and we had to wait to get through.

But aside from that small setback, we had a great time and I would definitely do it again!

So what, did they use real moles?

Last Saturday I ran 9 miles in anticipation of the Disneyland half marathon on Aug. 31. I've spent the past two days nursing three blisters and two sore shoulders.

Today I bought insoles, moleskin and $25 socks. These accessories are in addition to the $80 shoes, $100 GPS tracker and $249 iPod.

I can't help but wonder...why do I NEED all of this crap? And I really do need it, unfortunately. My feet blister at the very mention of cotton socks. And I can't go 5 minutes if I don't have some overly peppy song blasting.

But the cavemen didn't need Adidas or moleskin to chase sabre tooth tigers and wooly mammoths. All they needed was an empty stomach and a spear.

I would have made a terrible cavewoman. I would have been forced to be a vegetarian, because carrots don't run that fast.

Halloween spirit

This week I walked in Michael's to see they had put out all of their Halloween decorations. Fall-colored leaves, pumpkins and spooky characters were on display. It made me so cheerful, because I love Halloween! Of course, it's the beginning of August so it seems a little premature, but it made me want to decorate and start planning my costume.

Tony and I have pulled together some pretty sweet duos in the past, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with an interesting couple costume. Any ideas out there?

Ricky and Lucy Ricardo





Poison Ivy and Two Face











Illegal Immigrant and Border Patrol Agent

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

This recipe was compiled by a New York Times Writer after interviewing several top chefs. Turns out, the secret recipe is letting the dough sit for 24-36 hours. Maybe that's why store bought dough is always SOOO delicious.

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.