Lately, depending on your perspective, I have been either a) totally getting my health on, or b) punishing myself with torture that may lead to premature death.

To wit:

Today was my second Bikram yoga class. Today I watched a puddle of my own sweat form on the part of the yoga mat not covered by a terry towel during one asana. It was dripping off my back, onto my face, and then from my head.

Bikram yoga is 90 minutes of yoga in 110 degrees at 50 percent humidity. Apparently, you burn upwards of 500 calories in one session. Afterwards, you are starving and sleepy, and in some cases (like mine) feel like you want to die. Sounds good, right? Apparently, this is the way you are supposed to feel. Cleansing toxins from your body and massaging your organs and all that. I even have a friend who swears his stinky office mate got less stinky after starting Bikram.

Right now, I feel like I've been hit by a truck, but then again I've also got better posture, spring in my step, and those stairs to my apartment feel like nothing. Go figure.

I have a one month promo membership -- let's see where this goes.

And tired of paying $3 a pop for probiotic goodness in a jar, I've also been brewing my own kombucha.















^^ That was my first batch, made with Earl Grey tea. You can see the "mother" kombucha colonies (or "mushrooms") at the bottom of the jars. First batch was super vinegary, but produced some fine looking mushroom "babies" (the white layer on the top):



















Just harvested my second batch today -- this time made with green tea -- and it was significantly less vinegary. A lot of people say kombucha tastes like sweaty socks, so people will generally put a tablespoon or more of fruit juice in the glass to make it palatable. This batch is so easy to drink straight I thought I'd done something wrong.

Anyway, let's hope I'm doing more good than harm! Now I'm off for a beer.

I have a problem with being annoyed about things I cannot really change, especially those small human defects we all have that very often result in scenarios that are really none of my business. Like going out to dinner the other night at a pizza joint, and the young lady at the table next to me ordering garlic and pineapple on her slice ("hmmm" I thought, "that's exactly what I was going to order"). She then sent it back when it arrived as she had ordered it, and bagged on the waiter to her friend while waiting for her replacement slice (though she took the offending slice on the house as well). She had apparently forgotten she asked for garlic (or maybe she was just super-stoned). Either way, lame.

And lame that I even care! Hating on entitlement, working class solidarity, annoyed by people with bad memories, or just plain sad -- call it what you want, but that kind of shit just makes me crazy. Feel my pain -- it sucks!

So as you can imagine I've refrained out of self-preservation from posting about the really big fuck-yous that our humanness hands us, like AIG and all of the banking crooks who are in the process of using taxpayer bailouts to pay millions in bonuses and renovation of their headquarters, among other things. And that is because it fills me with so much annoyance -- nay, rage -- and helplessness that I can hardly see straight -- don't need to be reminded of that on my blog!

But this bit in the New York Times today is worth it:

A.I.G. Revenge Is All the Rage, but It Isn’t Healthy

Maybe it’s time to take a deep calming breath. Some people already have, no matter how deep their economic suffering. They are finding constructive ways to channel the anger they’ve been feeling — outlets that quell the instinct to throw a rock through the window of somebody’s mansion.

Joe Maysonet, the fitness manager at the Printing House Fitness and Squash Club in Manhattan, said there has been a rush of new attendees at boxing classes. Punching a human-shaped rubber dummy is especially popular.

While fists fly, trainers yell inspiration like, “You’re punching your money back into your pockets!” he said. “You’re punching that portfolio you used to have!”

Ha ha...humbug.

Though I do like this bit:

The dummy, Mr. Maysonet said, will not press charges. “He’s withstood it all,” he said. “Just like our country.”

Super Saudade (after 6 months nonstop at the gym and a trip to Stormy Leather):


















Create Your Own Superhero

A big favorite for me to watch on teevee at the gym is Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. Watching Italian comfort food being made by a gorgeous woman who is as slim as a stick, whilst sweating away on the treadmill? Yes, I'm sick like that.

One of the best things about cooking that is so easily forgotten in the sea of 30 step recipes and exotic ingredients is how easy and fun it can be. De Laurentiis brings that to her Italian kitchen.

The other day she made a tortellini bake that looked so delicious and was so easy to make that I could remember the basic recipe all the way home. But even so, luckily, with the internets, the recipe wasn't hard to find and I could double-check my memory.

The thing is, even if I hadn't found it, it would have been okay. It is exactly these types of recipes that put some joy into cooking, and help beginner cooks gain confidence and become better, because 1) you can fudge the ingredients a bit or add your own flair and probably still come out with a decent dish, and 2) it is so easy that even someone with limited cooking experience can put something stellar on the table.


















I made this for my husband for one of his birthday week special dishes and he raved. But like De Laurentiis always says: pasta, marinara, cheese -- how can you go wrong?

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

my tip: don't whisk the marscarpone into the cold sauce -- too much work! Wait until you add the hot pasta and use the heat to melt the marscapone to blend and coat the pasta. I also like to add a bit of cayenne pepper to the marinara mixture -- the heat with the smoked mozzarella is a really nice combination.

Olive oil

2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 pound purchased fresh cheese tortellini (or dry tortellini)
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes (for fresh). Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt and begin to brown, about 30 minutes.

My and my sweetie-pie's 4th annual 4-mile Christmas Day snow hike around Pinecrest Lake (new and improved this year with the addition of Floating in Green) was amazing! My ass feels like it is going to fall off, but you know, whatever. Now with a belly full of Mexican food and a beer in hand, we're settling down to a warm fire and Family Guy.

BTW, three words: mmmm. bacon. brittle.

Sigh. The Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2007 collection.

Oh heavenly squee...









This is all sorts of wrong for me (fur, a color near my face that makes me look jaundiced, fur, the fact it probably costs more than some new cars) but oh how I am consumed by desire to wear it. The golden embroidery, the luxurious fur (meep) skirt, the leather shrug/glove combo -- all fantastic.

I'm glad to see my long-time love, his leather leggings, are still going strong. Love them, want them, will only be able to afford them, well, never.

And I don't even have a teevee, so how am I addicted to Tim Gunn's Guide to Style? Because my gym installed cardio equipment with televisions. Good news is that if my addiction keeps up, I have to do an hour's worth of cardio to get my fix. I may just be able to wear those leather leggings without shame. Must win lotto first though.