February 11, 2011 · 5:18 pm

An egg-cellent choice

I’m not one who cooks often. I’m usually content making a turkey sandwich, eating pre-cooked rice out of a bag or going to Panera, which is just a five-minute walk away from my apartment.

This past Christmas, however, my family seemed intent on having me learn how to cook for myself and I received some fabulous new cookbooks as gifts. I haven’t used them a whole lot yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.

The dish I made yesterday didn’t come from a cookbook, but it did come from a family friend who made this delish egg bake for my mom and I last weekend. It’s super simple to prepare and only takes about an hour to make, including prep and baking time. If you’re interested check out the recipe below.

Before:

After:

You will need:

32 oz. cottage cheese (I like the Dean’s brand)
2 8-oz. bags of shredded cheese (I used cheddar and a mixed cheese bag, but you can choose whatever kind you like)
6 eggs
Veggies of your choice (I think broccoli, red pepper and onions are best, but spinach would be tasty as well)

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, and enjoy!

2 Comments

Filed under Recipe

February 10, 2011 · 9:58 am

Workout mania

Since graduating in December, my membership at the SERF (UW’s on-campus workout facility) promptly expired midway through January. At first, I was at a loss. Not only was the SERF just a five minute walk from my apartment, but I had finally worked up enough courage to do more than just the treadmill and the elliptical machine. I had finally ventured into the weight room and had become a regular at several of the group fitness classes.

With the mountain of snow and ice on the ground, and the temperatures barely hovering above double digits, the weather has not exactly been ideal for running and biking outside. Plus, my budget as of now won’t support a gym membership, at least not for a gym as nice as Lifetime Fitness back home.

So the answer was clear: exercise DVDs. I quickly invested in two five-pound and two eight-pound hand weights and decided that Jillian Michaels, the personal trainer from “The Biggest Loser”, would be my go-to girl. She’s had some controversy come her way and her voice can be slightly obnoxious most of the time, but so far her workouts are great. I now own four of her DVDs, and until I can stand to be outside for longer than 20 minutes, I think I’ll stick with her.

Here are the DVDs I’m currently using:

Jillian Michaels 6 Week Six-Pack
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Jillian Michaels: Shred-It With Weights

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

February 9, 2011 · 7:14 pm

My furry little valentine

I promise that my daily posts will not become the sole outlet for me to wax poetic about how much I love my dog or how I think everyone on the planet should donate their time and money to a worthy animal cause, but after yesterday’s post about the Pedigree Foundation, I have more to say.

The ASPCA is currently hosting its 2011 My Furry Valentine Photo Contest. With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, I couldn’t help but enter my pooch, Frasier into the contest.

To enter: remember the moment you realized you and your furry (or finned or feathered) companion were meant to be together forever. Oh, and attach a prize-winning photo of your best friend too. Cute, no?! Puppy love at its finest.

Although I could have written pages about what a good (and at times, very strange) dog Frasier is, here’s my entry and the corresponding photo I sent in:

The moment Frasier’s wolfish blue eyes locked with mine nearly 12 years ago, I knew I had made a friend for life. It is when I left for college four years earlier, however, that I knew my innocent puppy had truly become a treasured member of the family. Each and every time I came home, Frasier acted like I had never left. His love for me never wavered. When I see him sitting at the front door waiting especially for me, and our eyes lock once again, I know he is mine forever.

If you’re interested in entering your own pet, click here for contest rules.

2 Comments

Filed under Dogs

February 8, 2011 · 2:49 pm

The right pedigree

Without sounding like a broken record or a public service announcement, it can’t be said enough: there are millions of dogs that wind up in a shelter somewhere across the country every single year. And not all of them survive.

Fortunately, there are many organizations who work every day to make sure they do survive. They give adequate care to animals in need, while working to find them a forever home. One such organization is the Pedigree Foundation.

The Pedigree Foundation aims to provide grants to shelters and animal rescue groups across the United States while encouraging dog adoption at the same time. The foundation can help you find volunteer opportunities and dogs available for adoption near you. If you’re not in the position to care for an animal, that’s okay too because all donations directly benefit rescue organizations across the United States, are tax-deductible and are accepted all year long.

Be sure to check out the foundation’s video on their homepage, voiced by David Duchovny. I dare you to watch without tearing up.

How could you resist a face like this (although, sorry, he’s already taken)?
Adopt, volunteer or donate.

Leave a comment

Filed under Dogs

February 7, 2011 · 9:12 am

Cheeseheads unite

The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl last night and I’m really not all that excited about it.

After watching the Bears’ horrifying loss to the Packers two weeks ago–effectively stomping out their chances of yet another Super Bowl title–I just couldn’t get into the game. Although, the fact that I’m basically the world’s worst sports fan and could care less about professional sports, especially the NFL, might have something to do with it. Let’s celebrate, idolize and pay millions of dollars to people who have been accused of repeated sexual assault violations and dog fighting.

But, I digress. What can you do?

Fortunately, the commercials aired throughout the Super Bowl are always better than the game. Admittedly, I wasn’t even all that into them yesterday, but there were still a few I enjoyed. And for those who know me well, no, my favorites were not the Bud Light: “Dog Sitter” ad or the Doritos: “Pug Attack” ad. The NFL: “American Family” ad was by far my favorite. Any commercial with 90210, Golden Girls, Full House, How I Met Your Mother, Happy Days, Modern Family and The Sopranos in it is good by me.

Here’s a full roundup of all the commercials aired last night, courtesy of AdAge:

Click here to watch!

Leave a comment

Filed under Journalism, Random