A New Chapter in Chicago

After a crazy weekend with Emerich's graduation from Boston University Law School and packing up our little Boston apartment, my mom-in-law and I met the movers and loaded my car with Buck and Roux and headed on our 16.5 hour journey across the country to Chicago. Emerich had to leave after graduating on Sunday to be here to pack for the bar, so he was lucky enough to fly.

We did 12 hours on Monday (leaving Boston at 2:30 p.m.) and arriving in Toledo, OH to visit Emerich's grandparents. It was so great to see them, and really great to get a good night sleep before the second half of my journey. On Tuesday I drove the last 4 hours and pulled into our new home. This is the home I have been so excited to move into for months now, except it just doesn't look the same without any furniture. 

Emerich and I unloaded my car and both dogs, who were relieved to get out of their tiny 3 foot by 3 foot space where they had been riding in the back of my car. 

Still with all of that stuff in my car, we don't have much to fill up our new house. So this was this weeks goal--to get a bed and to get some internet! After 12 phone calls, 3 hours, and 2 visits from comcast we were able to get some internet. But until last night we were still sleeping on a double-sized blow up mattress (not fun when your husband is 6'7"). After our bed arrived on Wednesday, we bought our rug on Friday and our mattress arrived yesterday, our room is starting to look the way I have always dreamed. Although we still need a few things...

What's For Dinner?: Rosemary Turkey Burgers stuffed with Goat Cheese

As an undergrad at UNC-Chapel Hill, I loved having friends over for dinner. A favorite dinner quickly emerged--my Rosemary Turkey Burgers stuffed with Goat Cheese with a Balsamic Glaze. We would all purchase an ingredient and the boys would grill them on the patio. I have so many wonderful memories of grilling out with my best friends eating these Turkey Burgers. After many trials, I think I have perfected this recipe and I am ready to share it with y'all. I promise you won't believe how great they taste and how healthy they are! (Even the boys chose these over red-meat burgers!)

Rosemary Turkey Burgers stuffed with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Burgers:

1 lb of 99% Lean Ground Turkey Breast

1/2 c. Skim Milk

1 Slice of Wheat Bread (Crust removed)

1 tbsp of Dijon Mustard

1/4 c. Worcester Sauce (or more to taste) 

1/2 Onion, Diced

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary, Chopped

Pepper to Taste

4 oz. Plain Goat Cheese

Toppers:

Balsamic Glaze

Tomato Slices

Caramelized Onions

Sauteed Mushrooms

Lettuce (Spinach or Arugula is great too!)

Hamburger Buns (I tend to go for the whole wheat buns)

Directions

Heat the milk over a stove top, but be careful to not let it come to a rolling boil. When the milk is warmed, remove it from the stove and pour it in a heat-proof bowl. Tear the bread into pieces and place it in the bowl. After the bread has soaked up the milk, add the turkey meat and mix well. After, add the remaining ingredients except the goat cheese and mix well. Using the turkey meat, make the patties and stuff 2 tbsp. of goat cheese in the middle of the patties. The patties should be no bigger than the size of your fist and be careful not to make them too thick or they won't cook throughout. Cook the patties on the grill or on the stove top until done. Place the burgers between buns or on a salad and enjoy!

As a Salad

Or as a Burger

Training Shoes

I am a Personal Trainer at Equinox and often get a lot of questions about foot wear. Training shoes, trail shoes, running shoes, barefoot shoes, tennis shoes...etc. The list goes on. But to be fair, the endless list of types of shoes is important. Your feet play a huge role in the way your body moves and if your feet aren't outfitted for the sport at hand, you just may be selling your performance short.

While running you are moving in a linear fashion, in tennis you are moving from side to side and in basketball you need to be able to get some air. The tread and the ankle support of the shoes you are wearing play a huge role in how your body responds to contact with the ground.

Let's get down to business. Gym shoes? Running shoes? Kickin' it shoes?

For the Gym: You want training shoes.

 

$84.95

Buy Them Here

I like New Balance's Minimus 20 Training shoe. Firstly, they are really cute, but most importantly they are lightweight and offer the perfect tread for training in the gym. This tread allows for any sort of twisting, lunging, jumping--you name it, but it also has enough support to help you during your workout.

For Running: You want running shoes. 

$109.99

Buy Them Here

The New Balance 890v2's are WAY cool. I may be partial because I am currently living in Boston and my friend Gretchen just finished the Boston Marathon, but how sweet are these shoes? Not only do they look great (because lets be honest, we all care that they look great), but they are actually really great running shoes. They are lightweight and have enough support to last you 26.2 miles. 

$65.00

Buy Them Here

Brooks is a great classic running shoe. The Defyance 4 is a great shoe for every type runner from beginners to advanced runners. Also, this shoe offers the first biodegradable midsole--neat huh? we all love eco-friendly shoes :)

For Zumba: You want dance shoes. 

$75.00

Buy Them Here

Without fail, after every Zumba class someone stays behind to ask me what type of shoes they should be wearing for Zumba class. In years past my answer has always been jazz shoes or some sort of shoe meant for dance, but recently Zumba has started selling their own shoes. How exciting! These shoes promise to offer more mobility during your Zumba class. Can't wait to try them out!

Have questions about other shoes? Email me!