Happy 6 Month Birthday Ryder!

I absolutely, positively, cannot believe that Ryder Roo is already 6 months old. Where in the world has the time gone? I remember visiting him in the hospital less than 24 hours after he was born.

Ryder William Miazga 7.23.12

I remember when my brother, sister-in-law, and Ryder drove to Cleveland from Cincinnati for our side of the family to meet the little guy.

Grandpa holding his great-grandson

Grandma holding her great-grandson

I remember becoming the Godmother of my nephew and welcoming him into the Catholic community at his baptism.

Godparents

I remember looking at pictures of him during his very first Halloween. Such a sweet little pumpkin!

Waving to the camera!

 
I remember celebrating his first Christmas. Being the dutiful Godmother that I am, I got him some wooden blocks and a set of stacking rings. Along with those came a bountiful amount of smooches on his chubby cheeks.

Such a happy boy!

Hard to believe my nephew is already 6 months old. I cannot wait until he is old enough to spend a weekend at his aunt's and get spoiled rotten.

6 months old!

Happy 6 Month Birthday Ryder!

Love, Auntie Aly   

Starstruck

Funny story. Actually, it is not funny at all. It's absolutely spectacular. As I was walking around Giant Eagle this morning who do I run into?

Chef Carla Hall!

None other than Chef Carla Hall from Top Chef and The Chew! Holy moly words cannot even explain how starstruck I am. I have watched Top Chef ever since Chef Carla was on. It was actually Chef Carla who got me hooked absolutely addicted to this series. She was at Giant Eagle promoting her new cookbook Cooking with Love which I want am absolutely dying to get a copy of! From the few minutes that I spoke with her I realized she is truly a humble human being with a passion for food and sharing this enthusiasm with others.

Dreams do come true.

Question of the Day

Have you ever met anybody famous?

Chef Carla was definitely the first famous foodie that I've met, but other famous people include:

Soccer Player Otto Orf

Barry Williams, famously known for his role as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch

Bridget Marquerdt from The Girl's Next Door

And of course...

Ohio State's very own Dr. Gordon Gee

January Workout Challenge (and a recipe!)

I still have no idea where the year of 2012 went. It flashed by like a lightning bolt right in front of my eyes. Before I knew it, the holidays arrived, baking began, and wrapping presents happened. December was also a time where I completed the squat challenge. I still cannot believe that 1,975 squats were completed! Congrats to everybody who rocked this test!

Yet, December has come and gone and now the month of January is upon us. I decided that every month I am going to find a daily challenge that works on a specific part of the body. This month: abs.

I know it says March, but January has the same amount of days so it works out perfectly. Every morning I wake up and complete that day's specific tasks. I love working towards a final goal. The end results are always fantastic! Rock hard abs...here I come!

As promised in the title I also have a scrumptious fudge recipe for you that I adapted from Martha Stewart! This dessert is incredibly easy to make and being the health nut that I am, I lightened it up a bit by using fat-free sweetened condensed milk and light butter. This fudge combines the two tasty treats of chocolate and pretzels. Bring this dessert to a party and it will surely be a hit!

Salty + Sweet = Deadly Combination

Easy Chocolate Pretzel Fudge
Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tbsp light butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups (16oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14oz) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups miniature pretzels, roughly chopped

The ingredients!

Directions
-Coat an 8x8 square baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides.
-Place butter, chocolate morsels, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in
a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of barely simmering water.
-Stir occasionally until chocolate just melts and mixture is combined and warm but not hot (about 8-10 minutes).
-Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups pretzels.
-Transfer mixture to pan and smooth top.
-Press 1/2 cup pretzels on top.
-Refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to overnight, wrapped).
-Using parchment, lift fudge from pan and cut.
-Enjoy!

I kept the fudge in the freezer after cutting it into pieces. I would take them out and eat as is and found it to be extremely satisfying with my morning coffee.

Best mug ever!

Question of the Day

Pepsi or Coke?

I very rarely pretty much never drink pop. I may have it once a month but that's pushing it. However, if I had to choose, I'm a Coke girl all the way. I feel Pepsi leaves an extremely syrupy feeling in my mouth and is super sweet. Pepsi: no thank you.


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Happy New Year!

It's that time of year again. It is the time of year to have pork and sauerkraut for dinner to bring good luck and fortune for the upcoming 365 days, or 366 days since it's a Leap Year! It's that time of the year when people all around the world come up with resolutions. It's that time of the year when the gyms are packed and health food stores get ridiculously busy. It's that time of year when I will make a few resolutions and stick with them.

I have a few areas of my life that I want to improve on. A great way to increase the success rate is to write them down and post them in a place that you will see them daily. I posted mine on my bathroom mirror. Seeing the list will greatly increase the likelihood of you sticking to them.

Tell others your goals so you are less likely to give up if others know what your plan is. You could even request that they ask once a week how the resolutions are holding up!

 So what are my resolutions this year?

1. Blog at least once a week.

2. Complete a 10k.

3. Run a 1/2 marathon in a city other than Columbus.

4. Smile and laugh more often.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Question of the Day

What are your New Year's resolutions?

I already said what mine were. Whatever yours may be this year just remember that you can do it! Don't give up if you fall of the tracks. If at first you don't succeed, push yourself up and try again!