Grapefruit Galore !

Living in Florida in the winter means that one not only has warm weather but also an abundance of citrus fruits.  Oranges, key limes and grapefruits have been in our landscape since we have lived here for the past 11 years. Grapefruits have been particularly plentiful. We have eaten them for breakfast, juiced them for a tasty refreshment, made grapefruit martinis, and given them away to visitors. For years, we had cows living in the farmland behind our house. Turns out, the cows loved our grapefruits!  My sister-in-law and each of us would sometimes feed grapefruits to the cows. Sadly, the cows are no longer here and we have tons of grapefruits!! I was wondering what to do with our "Ruby Red" sweet grapefruits.  Then, I discovered a pie recipe in the Four and Twenty Blackbirds cookbook. The pie is called "Grapefruit Custard Pie". It sounded rather strange to me, but I knew I needed to try this one.

The recipe is fairly simple, containing grapefruit juice, cream, eggs, and sugar. The crust is the usual excellent butter crust. One ingredient that the Elsen sisters love to use in their tasty pies is alcohol in some form or fashion.  In this case, they use Campari liqueur and a dash of orange bitters.
Custard pies can be a tad tricky, in that it can be difficult to determine when the pie is done.  The first time that I made this pie, I honestly cooked it a little too long.  It tasted good, but was a little dry for a proper custard.  This time, I cooked it less than the 50 minute recipe called for, and it was perfect! The tip on testing for a fully cooked custard is that the center of the pie should "wobble a little in the center", according to the Elsens, but not be liquid  The grapefruit flavor is sweet and tart, and really is a unique flavor. Rich preferred his with whipped cream, but I liked that tartness without the cream. Both of us agreed that we could have easily eaten another piece, but our good sense made us wait until tomorrow for the second piece.

If I have an issue with the grapefruit custard pie, it is the aesthetics.  I like a pie to look every bit as good as it tastes. This one has a weird color to me  It is kind of a cross between pink and orange. While this looks somewhat appropriate for Florida and its fondness for pastel colors, I am not wild about eating something with a Miami like color . Rich actually likes the color - he is an artist and likes this orange/pink mixture with our cobalt blue dinnerware. This is an individual issue but I can tell you this:  it is a delicious pie, and I will eat it, strange color or not.  And I am sure the cows would have agreed!!

Winter Wonderland Fitness: Skiing

As I write this, many areas of the country, including the Southeast, are experiencing snow.  Although I am currently in Florida, which is snow free, I couldn't help but think about my past life as a skier. Each winter, for many years, my husband Rich and I would go skiing. Sometimes the two of us went alone, but many times our trips included my daughter, Allison, or other friends.  For a week each year, we spent time in the often frigid weather skiing down mountains.  So how did a Southern raised girl like myself, who had rarely seen much snow, much less walked or skied in it, discover this "out of my comfort zone" activity?

It started shortly after Rich and I started dating.  Rich was raised in the Northeast, but had never done downhill skiing.  I had never skied in my life.  But I had always been fascinated when I watched the ski events at the Winter Olympics.  I thought it looked challenging but totally beautiful.  I would try to imagine how it would feel to ski down a mountain. I certainly never had the nerve to try it - that is, until I met Rich.  He helped to convince me that we should try skiing in North Carolina. (we were living in Atlanta at the time).  We both took lessons at Cattaloochee ski area;  he did great and was happily skiing by the end of the weekend.  I, on the other hand, had failed miserably, and declared more than once that I was not having a good time.  It could have ended there, but I just couldn't let go of the idea that I wanted to successfully ski down a mountain.  Finally, I tried again on my 40th birthday at Beech Mountain, NC.  At the end of the day, I had skied down the beginner mountain.  I did it once, then again and again.  I was skiing!!

From that point on, we took ski trips during the winter, usually in the month of February. Our ski passion took us to resorts all over the Western US, including Colorado, Utah, California, and also to Whistler in Canada.  We skied in Vermont when Allison was living there, and have skied in Oregon since she has been there.  One year we had the awesome experience of skiing in Chamonix, France, a truly breathtaking place. The more I skied, the more confident I became, and  more adventurous.  I would branch out from the green slopes (easiest ones) to try intermediate blue slopes. Since Rich was expert enough to ski the more difficult black runs, we would often ski separately. We would start out together at the top of the mountain;  I would take the easy run down while Rich would do the expert, and we would meet at the bottom.  I would ski with Allison - she was kind enough to be patient with her less competent mother.  Or I might take a lesson and ski with women like myself, whose husbands were skiing more difficult slopes.

It is interesting that Rich and I had totally different styles when it came to our ski experiences.  I would find my favorite slope or two at whatever resort we were visiting, and would ski those same slopes over and over.  I liked to ski that slope until I felt like I did it as fast and as perfectly as I could. Rich, in contrast, was much more willing to take risks and try most of the harder runs on the mountain.  Each of our methods worked for us.  My way seemed boring to my husband, but was wonderful for me.

We were lucky in not injuring ourselves.  However, one year at Lake Tahoe, I decided to try a more difficult slope and tore my ACL.  I recovered very well, but never quite gained back the confidence that I was beginning to have with my skiing.  The last few ski trips had me staying on the green slopes and spending a lot of time at the lodge drinking coffee.  I had fun, but I also worried about the possibility of injury and rehabilitation.  Rich has continued to go skiing with his buddies, but I have given up skiing at this point.  When it snows in February, I can't help but remember how proud I felt when I skied down a slope.  I remember the absolute beauty of the snow covered mountains, the drinks around the fireplace, and the best part - the hot tub at the end of a hard day of skiing!  I don't think I will ski again but you never know - maybe the hot tub will be my motivation to try one more bunny slope- over and over again!

Fitness and Focus: Yoga

A funny thing happened on the way to dance class the other day.  I had missed my usual Thursday class, and decided that I needed to go on a different day to get in my usual 3 dances a week.  Off  I headed to the alternate gym, only to wind up at my usual gym, where there was no dance scheduled. I had totally spaced out and forgotten where I was going!  Old age strikes again, I thought - or was it an accident?  The truth be told, I had really wanted to go to yoga that day, and not dance.  Oh yes, I thought - now I can go to yoga!

I have been serious about yoga only for the last 4 months.  Yoga is something that I knew that I should be doing.  Several friends talked about the wonderful benefits they were getting from their practice, and felt that it was the most important exercise that they did.  I have dabbled in yoga on and off for years, but never committed to doing it regularly.  I would do some yoga stretches at home, and that was the extent of it for me.  There were several reasons for this.  One reason was that I was putting my aerobic activities at a higher priority.  I decided that zumba and walking were more important for maintaining my weight and staying fit.  Also, I was never very good at yoga, with questionable performance on the balance poses.  Lastly, I did not like the idea of taking off my shoes and exposing my ugly feet to other class members.

One day I decided to try a class at my gym called YogaFit.  This class was described as being related to Hatha yoga.  The class is described by the instructor as an "active" yoga practice, meaning that poses were held for a relatively short time before going on to the next one.  For those of you who have never attended a yoga class, there are standard "yoga" poses that are done throughout the class. Terms like "Warrior One", "Downward Facing Dog", and "Triangle" are among those poses, and there are many others.  While many yoga classes were all about holding these poses for awhile, the YogaFit class moved pretty quickly from pose to pose.  This concept actually appealed to me, as I felt like I was getting a decent workout with the constant movement.  But I was also working on my flexibility, balance and strength- the things that all yoga classes are known to emphasize.

For me, the one aspect that set this class apart from others I have attended was the wonderful instructor.  She had a warm, pleasing, non-intimidating tone that I could relate to.  She didn't criticize people - she would come around the classroom sometimes and give suggestions if needed.  But she always stressed that the goal was not perfection - the goal, she stated, was to let go of competition, everyday worries, and stress.  She said that throughout the class, and also praised us each time that we completed a rather complicated series of poses.

I must say that after attending 2 of these classes, I was sold on this type of yoga. I felt so focused, and I did manage to relax and work hard on my body at the same time.  I attend two classes a week, one hour each, and these two hours are my time to just be in a different world.  It is not a social class for me - I think class members are focused on their own bodies, and we really don't compare ourselves to each other.  It is not an easy class at all - I really work my muscles, and my balance is constantly challenged (although I am getting better!).

For those contemplating yoga, but who have never attended a class, I would encourage you to try it. Don't worry about not knowing the poses.  Good instructors will help with this. I like to stand near the back of the class when I am trying it for the first time, but some like to be closer to the front, so that the instructor can see them.  Don't worry if you aren't perfect at first - you will get better as you attend more classes.  But most importantly, make sure you feel comfortable with the instructor.  If a yoga instructor constantly criticizes instead of gently suggesting, I would steer clear. Other people I know have had that experience, and it was not at all beneficial, and they never went back to yoga.

For me, adding yoga to my workout has been the best thing I have done for my fitness, particularly my mental fitness.  Focus is the part of yoga that I particularly appreciate.  I am totally focused on the moment, my body, and peacefulness.  I love yoga so much that I don't even worry about exposing my ugly feet to the world.  I am at peace with my feet!

Fitness for a Lifetime: Walking

Eight years ago, I had to have surgery on both of my feet.  I was born with bad feet,and after years of running and wearing high heels,  I was having quite a bit of pain.  Before the surgery, my orthopedic surgeon asked me what my goal was for the outcome of the procedure.  My response was that I didn't care that much what my feet looked like and whether or not  I could wear glamorous shoes again.  "All I really want,"  I said, "is to be able to walk for fitness without pain".  Fortunately, the surgeon, whom I think of as a god, accomplished my goal!

I have enjoyed walking for as long as I can remember.  When I was young, our family took camping vacations, and my Dad led us on many hikes.  I thoroughly enjoyed these, and as I got older, this love for walking continued,  whether it was a beach walk, a mountain hike, or a neighborhood stroll.  I did more running than I did walking as exercise for about 10 years, but after the surgery, I made the decision to give up running and become an exercise walker. Luckily, I could now walk 3-4 miles without pain.

I have generally thought of myself as a solitary walker - I actually preferred walking alone.  During my walk time, I could think about life, appreciate nature, and enjoy a little peace away from my work or routine mundane activities.  It was and continues to be for me a kind of "meditation" - meditating and moving at the same time.  I also like the fact that when I am walking solo, I can go at my own pace, which tends to be pretty fast. I often walk alone at the local Arboretum or in my neighborhood. Or I might walk to the beach, take a break on my beach towel, and walk back.  All are very satisfying for me.  One thing that helps me when walking by myself is to have a cool destination, like a restaurant, coffee shop, or a beach.  It is a good motivator to keep going!

The only time that I didn't walk alone was when I was walking with my husband, Rich.  Exercising together is really nice, since our other fitness activities take us on separate "paths"  (him- kayaking and tennis;   me - zumba and group gym classes.  It is also a wonderful opportunity for us to talk with each other- always a good thing for long married couples to do!  Walking on the beach together has always been a treat!

I had never understood the appeal of group walking.  I would notice groups of women walking together in the neighborhood.  Yes, they seemed to be having a good time, but I couldn't grasp the idea of walking and socializing.  That changed for me last spring when I joined a meet-up walking group in Asheville.  Rich encouraged me to join this group that emphasized city walks.  I wanted to know more about walking around North Asheville and downtown, as we had recently moved to that side of town.   I was reluctant, but decided to go on one walk and give it a try.  I think there were eight of us on that first walk, including the leader.  I enjoyed the conversations with group members, and found them to be really fun, interesting people, who, like me, just wanted to get exercise through walking. The group organizer did a great job of setting the pace and making sure that we had adequate water, breaks, and laughs. After joining the group, I  looked forward to these city walks and loved every one of them.  For the first time in my walking life, I realized that walking could also be a social activity!  Additionally,being a part of this group helped me to understand that a 5 or 6 mile walk was something that I could easily accomplish. Prior to my group participation, I generally walked no longer than about 4 miles.  I now regularly walk 5 miles or more several times a week with no problems or pain. The meet-up group helped to give me more confidence in my walking ability.

I can say with certainty that I will walk for exercise for as long as it is physically possible for me to do so.  I will continue my walks with my husband, enjoying the sights in our neighborhood.  I eagerly anticipate being a part of the meet-up walking group once I get back to Asheville and look forward to walking with new and old friends.  And I will continue my solitary walks as well.  I have a goal this year to spend an entire day walking around Asheville, just to see how far my feet will take me.  I could stop for breakfast,  have a mid-day dessert, and walk home to collapse in my garden bench. Who knows - maybe I will cover 10 miles or more with these stubborn feet!

Who's Counting Calories?

02/19/15- I will admit that I love desserts and my husband would say that I have never met a dessert that I didn't like.  There are, however, even for me, some sweets that may not be worth the calories. For instance, if I grab candy from a vending machine, I will ask myself "why did I just eat that substandard, unhealthy treat after walking 5 miles?"  But then there are those delectable delights that I believe are worth every single calorie.  The Salted Caramel Apple Pie from the Elsen sisters'
Four and Twenty Blackbirds cookbook is one of these delicacies.

The Salted Caramel Apple pie was the first pie that I made from their cookbook.  And of the pies I have made thus far, this one remains my favorite.  The recipe includes fresh apples, cinnamon, other spices, and a caramel sauce made from butter and sugar.  The combination of these ingredients with the already delicious butter crust makes an apple pie unlike any other I have ever tasted.  There is quite a bit of prep work, as cutting and coring the apples takes time (although an apple coring device helps with this).  The caramel sauce also takes some time to cook properly and have the correct consistency. (however, the good news is that you can eat the leftover caramel sauce as an extra treat!)  As I have said before, the crust needs to be well chilled before using, so I usually prepare this pie over a 2 day period.

This pie looks as good as it tastes.  The lattice crust makes it look almost like a piece of art.  Lattice pie crusts take extra effort as well.  There are diagrams and detailed directions on how to do the lattice work in the cookbook.  The first time I assembled a lattice crust according to the cookbook instructions, I felt like a rocket scientist!  I was so proud of myself - even if the pie didn't taste good, it looked like a professional baker had made it!

But taste good this pie does.  This is my "go to" pie for any dinner guests.  And it is also my husband's favorite pie from the book thus far.  We have guests here from Asheville now, and I made the pie for last night's dessert.  They loved it as well, and thought it worth the calories.  As I write this, my husband and the guests are kayaking.  Note:  this blog will not have so much information on water activities, as they do not tend to agree with me.  I have previously almost drowned while rafting, and felt like I was dying from an unfortunate sea sickness event in Puerto Rico.  But they will be discussed at some point.  In the meantime, I am here at home doing a few push-ups and getting a piece of salted caramel apple pie while everyone is out!

Fitness for Pure Fun: Dance Trance

02/17/15-When I started to spend the winters in Florida, I was searching for a really energetic dance fitness class.   I had found zumba in Asheville.  But in Florida, I really hadn't found a zumba class that fit my expectations, or that had the "wow" fun factor.  When talking to a woman at my gym about my dilemma, she said "Try Dance Trance - trust me, you will like it".

I had never heard of Dance Trance.  This fitness program was started by Jay Handline and his wife, Beth.  The program is offered at a number of gyms mainly in Florida and the Southeast, but does include others around the country.  The idea behind it is to provide a varied, choreographed dance experience that is a break from the normal routine.  But the main difference between this and most dance fitness programs is that you are constantly learning new routines.  The number adds up so that there are actually several hundred dances in the Dance Trance library!

I still remember vividly my first Dance Trance class 3 years ago.  I stood boldly near the front of the class, like I always did in zumba.  Little did I know that the dancing was complicated and that I would be turning right when everyone else was turning left, or facing the front when I should have been facing the back of the class.  But I loved the music, which ranged from J Lo to Pink, Maroon 5, and an occasional MJ song!  So I attempted several other classes, but was still intimidated, both by the experienced class members and the beautiful instructors.  I really wanted to learn it, but didn't know what I needed to do to get better.  I learned that several times a week, they would break down the new routines, so I started going to these sessions, as well as going to regular class at least 3 times a week.  In several months, I was much better, and started to really have fun!

It is almost impossible to describe a Dance Trance class. I think it could be called a combination of cheerleader dancing and dirty dancing.  Participants are all ages, but are probably overall a younger aged group than zumba.  There is hip shaking, swaying, jumping, and gyrating, among numerous moves.  Because it takes a lot of commitment to learn the routines, you see the same people over and over.  I have met a lot of nice women as a result of the class.  In the class, we celebrate birthdays, (you get to choose your favorite dances on your birthday), dress up for holidays and even dress for Mardi Gras!  I have a great time at each class - it is almost like a dance party, and I laugh out loud at least once during every class!  What could be better than that?

I don't think Dance Trance is for everyone. Men, unfortunately, get intimidated, but do enjoy watching us from the window outside of the classroom!  The commitment to learning the dances is really important if you truly want to enjoy it.  I sometimes wonder if my Dance Trance weekly schedule is worth the effort.  I was hesitant last week about going to my usual Sunday class. That day, a class of 50 of us "shook it off" to Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off", and got to watch our male dance instructor expertly "out shake" all of us.  Is it worth the effort?  Oh yea!!!

Core classes, Crunches, and Cheap Bikinis

02/16/15 - One day I had finished my usual Zumba class, and was chatting with my instructor after class.  He said "You know, Sylvia, it's great that you like doing Zumba all of the time, but as we age, it is good to try other classes as well;  I particularly think that core classes and weight training are good as we get older."  This was quite upsetting and disturbing to me.  First of all, I was perfectly happy just doing my zumba, and thought I looked pretty fit, so obviously he noticed something about me that I hadn't realized.  Secondly, until that moment, I actually didn't know that I was getting older!

Armed with this new information, I decided to look for some classes that would "be good for me as I get older".  There are many classes that emphasize working on the "core" muscles.  These are, simply put, the muscles of the torso area , with special emphasis on the abdominal muscles.  Supposedly, stronger core muscles will help keep my back strong, and in general, help with day to day activities like bending and lifting.  Core classes go by different names:  core conditioning, abdominal work, mat pilates, and core strength are a few that come to mind.  My gym had a class called "CX works" that was listed as a core strengthening class.  It was recommended by one staff member at the gym, so I decided to try it.  CX works is another class with the Les Mills program, so it is found at many gyms around the world - I even saw one listed on a gym schedule on a recent visit to Hong Kong.

The instructor was very attentive- she would actually look around the room to see if the core moves were being done correctly.  The equipment for the class consisted of a mat, medium hand weights, and bands.  The mat was used when we did crunches. (crunches are modified sit ups;  you don't come entirely up, and your back is more protected that way.  Another classic move for CX works is the "hover", when you are in a push-up position but on your forearms.  Part of the class consisted of what the instructor termed "a holding hover", where you may stay in the position for a period of time. (whatever amount of time the instructor deems appropriate torture).  Bands are used  when we did squats and lunges. All of the above was done to music, and lasted only 30 minutes.

I must say that I thought that first class was really difficult.  I couldn't believe that something that only lasted 30 minutes could cause extreme exhaustion.  There were about 30 women and men in the class, though, so I thought it must get easier with time. But I found out that each class was just as bad as the last!  It never got easier.  However, although class itself was painful, I never suffered pain or injury afterwards.

Two years after that initial class, I am still going to CX works.  The reason?  Because it really does "work"!  I go twice a week at my Florida gym.  My body is stronger and I feel better when I am going to this class.  The instructors are skilled, intense, and mean business.  I don't goof off in this class, and it is not an exercise that I enjoy.  But the reward: I can sometimes wear my cheap bikini at the beach and not scare people off!