amuhlou

My Vacuum Cleaner Dilemma

amuhlou — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:23:55 +0000

I’m writing this post in hopes that someone else on the brink of madness will find it reassuring. Ever since I moved into an apartment of my own, I’ve had issues with vacuum cleaners. My normal vacuuming regimen is as follows: vacuum carpet, switch to hose attachment and vacuum bare floors/tile/linoleum/etc. in preparation for floor scrubbing.

Here’s the problem: every time use the hose attachment, my vacuum blows dust, hair, and debris out the bottom. Pretty much defeats the purpose of vacuuming in the first place. I resorted to borrowing a canister vacuum for when I need to do bare floors.

I’ve had two or three vacuums, different brands (Hoover, Bissell, Eureka), all with the same problem.

One Last Shot…sort of

With the move to our first place rapidly approaching (read: more floors to vacuum), we sought to find THE solution to my woes. So Jason hit up Consumer Reports. The most highly recommended was a Hoover T-Series WindTunnel Rewind. It was on sale at Target so we decided to try it out on a whim. Jason faithfully put it together and vacuumed the carpet a bit so we could simulate the normal routine. Then came the moment of truth: we switched to the hose and vacuumed the kitchen floor. After a few moments I lifted up the vacuum and, much to my dismay, I had the SAME PROBLEM. Dust and hair on the floor right where the vacuum had been sitting. At this point, I was flabbergasted. Not only was it zero improvement over our current vacuum, the hose itself was stupidly short. Keeping this hunk of disappointment was not an option.

Thinking I couldn’t possibly be the only person in the world with this problem, we took to the Internet to see if anyone had the same problem or recommendations. We found nothing. I was in quite a state and refused to believe I was the only person with this issue. How was this possible? Do people just not use the hose attachment much? How is it that in the past 5 years, I’ve had the same problem with every vacuum I’ve tried?

Sorry, Consumer Reports

We decided that maybe Consumer Reports was wrong. Maybe we’re not typical consumers. After all, the GE Profile line of ranges was the highest rated by Consumer Reports but every time we looked at them in person they just felt…cheap. On the other hand, Electrolux was not quite as highly rated by Consumer Reports, but actual owners had given overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Hello, Dyson

After returning the Hoover, Jason stopped at Best Buy to look at some Dyson models. By some stroke of luck, the lady he spoke with actually knew what he meant about vacuums spitting out dust and hair when sitting on bare floors. Finally! She had experienced the same thing until she got a Dyson herself. Oh, sweet validation!

I know what you’re thinking. That’s one of those designer brands that is popular because the commercial voice-overs have an accent! I was thinking that too. I was also trying to swallow the price tag.

So we did the same test: vacuum carpet, move to bare floor. The Dyson is a very different creature compared to other vacuums. But different can be good. It features a button to turn off the floor brushes for when you’re using the ‘wand.’ And that seemed to do the trick. I lifted up the vacuum. Nothing? Nothing!

I’m Not Saying Go Buy A Dyson

My main point of this post is that not all vacuum cleaners are created equal. Don’t be afraid to try them until you find one that suits your needs. You may have to try a few to find the right one. Just be sure to get them from a place with a solid return policy.

Thoughts on the Couch to 5k Program

amuhlou — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:25:46 +0000

The Backstory

While jogging one night at the gym recently, it occurred to me that at one point I wrote a post about my first week of the Couch to 5k program. Almost 2 years ago? When did that happen? Or better yet, how?

Now I remember. Not long after I hit publish on that post, things changed dramatically. We had just moved our wedding date up a year (meaning only 2 months to plan) followed a death in the family. What followed was pretty much a roller coaster for the next 4 months. Oh and somewhere in there I changed jobs and Jason had outpatient surgery. Yeesh.

The Program

Though I never got around to posting about it, I did complete the couch to 5k program. And I can undoubtedly say IT WORKED! I finished the program sometime in August 2010, and that September I ran my first 5k from start to finish with no walking. I was pretty proud, even though my time wasn’t anything special.

Time, Not Distance

I really think that the program works because it lays out time and distance for each day. The distance estimates are for someone jogging about 6mph, which I was definitely not close to. I always used the time provided instead. Once you jog for 30 minutes at any speed, things start to get easier. You can also repeat a week or two of the program whenever you feel the need.

I wasn’t jogging five kilometers on week 9 of the program, but it gave me a jumping off point for the next few weeks. I just kept adding time until I was running for 38 minutes straight, which was a 5k for me. For my first race following completion of C25K, the Capital City River Run in September 2010, I came in at 36:51.

Keep At It

After accomplishing my goal of jogging an entire 5k, I began to work on my speed. Over the next 6-7 months I gradually increased my speed. In April 2011 I finished the Komen 5k in 31:05. Not winning any medals, but a personal best.

At Present

The Komen 5k came just before Jason and I went on our long-awaited honeymoon. I’ve been continuing to work at it and am pretty happy with the results – a 5k is now a weeknight workout for me, rather than a special occasion. It’s slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

I plan to keep working on my speed and hopefully do at least one 5k this summer.

Bottom line: I’d recommend the C25K program to anyone.

We’re Moving

amuhlou — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:59:34 +0000

As if the holiday season wasn’t bustling enough on its own, we’ve decided to add a layer of complexity by moving to a new home. We’re starting a new chapter of our life – one where we own, rather than rent.

A little over a year ago I wrote about why renting isn’t so bad. I still agree with my points in the article (and our choice of a condominium where some of those points still apply is no accident), however there are also some intangibles to consider.

A major reason we began to look into owning a place was that we have wanted to get a dog for quite some time. Not a necessity, but something that can certainly improve one’s quality of life. Our current apartment is not dog-friendly, and as we began the search, we realized how difficult it was to find a rental that included all the things important to us (read: kitchen & dog). Pets also incur additional rent charges and fees. We’re excited to search for our new pet once we’re all settled in.

We are equally thrilled to be moving to downtown East Lansing, MI. As they say in Real Estate, it’s all about ‘location, location, location.’ Our location is very walkable and we can’t wait to explore it more.

Now to hope that the weather holds out until we’re finished moving Saturday.

Comment Moderation

amuhlou — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:54:28 +0000

Just wanted to drop in and mention that I’ve enabled comment moderation on my blog for the time being. My site was getting overrun with spammy comments and I haven’t had a ton of time to keep up with it. I dislike moderation because I think it discourages discussion, but for now it’s the best option.

I’ve also changed my site to de-emphasize the blog a bit and made my portfolio the home page.

Where Am I?

amuhlou — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:44:05 +0000

I feel pretty guilty about letting the blog languish so I thought I’d take a minute to check in and say what I’ve been up to.

Honeymoon

Back in April Jason and I went to Hawaii for our long awaited honeymoon (we had been married for almost a year by the time of the trip). It was wonderful and we feel like we have some unfinished business there. We’ll definitely have to return someday! I took millions of pictures and if you’re interested, you can view my collection on Flickr.

Health & Fitness

Jason and I had achieved our goal weights prior to the honeymoon, so that was quite an accomplishment! Surprisingly, the trip didn’t undo all of our hard work either. We’re still working out as much as possible. Zumba is my absolute favorite workout, and Jason is working on his 5k time. I’m not as strict with the calorie counting, but I feel a lot more in control of my diet.

I also tried out acupuncture for my allergies, but it didn’t really seem to have long term results for me.

Food

I haven’t stopped cooking and taking pictures, but I have moved food posts over to Tumblr. I like how quickly I can publish posts there – for some reason I feel compelled to write more substantial posts here than I do on Tumblr. I’d like to find a way to pull tumblr posts into this blog.

We’ve also been trying out making our own soda syrups to use with the Sodastream we got as an anniversary present. Jason made a delicious cream soda. It has really been a treat to drink homemade soda with no weird ingredients!

Work

We have some exciting things on the horizon for our side business, hopefully I’ll be able to announce them soon! At our day jobs, we’re getting deep into Drupal development for websites, so that is promising to be a challenging experience.

I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone, but hopefully with the coming of fall I’ll have a bit more time to blog.

Meat-Free Week – Day 6 – Butternut Squash Risotto

amuhlou — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:11:29 +0000

For our last meal of the week we say farewell (or perhaps ‘good riddance’?) to winter with a winter vegetable risotto. I got the urge to make this dish after having an amazingly delicious butternut squash risotto at Markethouse Restaurant in Chicago. I put it on our menu for this week as our “experimental” dish and was pretty pleased with the results.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I read through many recipes before deciding on this one on marthastewart.com. I liked that the squash was cooked throughout and it used only 1 tablespoon of butter for the whole recipe. Somehow in my calculations, this dish came in at about 300 calories per serving assuming the recipe makes enough for 4 – I was expecting it to be a lot more.

Preparing the Meal

Risottos are not hard to make – they are more an exercise in patience than anything else. You simply can’t speed it up and still have good results. It’s definitely a dish where you feel like you’re truly putting your heart and soul into it.

The most difficult part was working with the fresh squash. They are very hard to peel, seed, and cut. It’s a pretty curvaceous gourd, so I would recommend a high quality, sharp “Y” Peeler. I do not own one and was really regretting it.

Impressions

Risottos are very rich by nature and this one is no exception. Any more Parmesan cheese and it would have been over the top. The fresh sage really brought the whole thing together, so I definitely would not recommend omitting it. I would make this dish again, but probably not until fall comes around.

Conclusions

Since I’m resting on Day 7, that wraps up our meat free week. It was a fun challenge to go meatless and I feel like it has acted as a sort of detox which my body can certainly appreciate. Hope you’ve enjoyed my little experiment!

Follow the Rest of Our Meat-Free Week

Meat-Free Week – Day 5 – Gnocchi in Marinara

amuhlou — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:01:58 +0000

Every week we plan for one very quick and easy meal. Often it’s a salad, but for this week, it was gnocchi. It’s not a glamorous dish by any means – I struggled to get a nice looking photo of it. Thankfully, it tastes a lot better than it looks.

Gnocchi in Marinara

Now, when I say we made gnocchi, I don’t mean I made those little potato dumplings by hand. Rather, we bought them from our local farmer’s market, boiled them, tossed them with sauce, and ate.

Preparing the Meal

I boiled the gnocchi according to package directions, which was 3-5 minutes for ours. I’m not positive, but I think when they float, they’re done.

I had some half-used cartons of broth in my refrigerator, so I boiled the gnocchi in that rather than water to give it some extra flavor (and to use up the broth). Meanwhile, I heated up some marinara as well as some frozen green beans as a side dish. I tossed the gnocchi in marinara and we were ready to eat.

Impressions

Though not something we crave, gnocchi is a nice change from the usual pasta and marinara combination. Our biggest problem is remembering to put it on the meal plan once in a while! It’s a nice, quick meal for those busy weeknights when you want dinner done fast. Beware of the “eyes bigger than your stomach” syndrome! Gnocchi may not look like a lot on your plate but I guarantee it’s filling.

Follow the Rest of Our Meat-Free Week

Meat-Free Week – Day 4 – Everyday Red Lentils

amuhlou — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:00:17 +0000

Happy St. Patty’s Day! Jason and I were pretty spaced out when we were planning our meals for the week, otherwise we probably would have had something more special for Day 4 of our meat-free week. Instead we’re going to India, with a lentil stew that’s unbelievably comforting and delicious.

Everyday Red Lentils

I saw Aarti Sequeira make this recipe for her mum’s red lentils on one of the first episodes of her Food Network show and I just had to try it. It was terribly delicious and I’ve become obsessed with these little legumes ever since. This recipe makes 4 generous servings at only about 160 calories each.

Preparing the Meal

I take some shortcuts when making this recipe and so far, I’ve had no complaints. Instead of dicing the tomato and onion by hand, I cut them in large chunks and throw them in my food processor. Everything just cooks down, so it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the final texture. I also use pre-minced ginger from a tube and pre-minced garlic from a jar which both tend to keep longer than their fresh counterparts. We skip the cilantro (because we’d have to buy an entire bunch just for this dish) and garnish it with a squirt of Sriracha instead.

Impressions

This is another tried and true recipe in our home. We absolutely love it but are afraid to cook it more often on the chance that we’d get sick of it! Neither of us had eaten lentils before this recipe and now I am on a mission to find tons of lentil recipes for our rotation (another great one is the Indian Dal Nirvana over at Steamy Kitchen). Their high fiber and protein content really fills you up for a very low calorie count – I’d consider them a super food!

Got any great lentil recipes for me? Leave them in the comments, or send me a message :)

Follow the Rest of Our Meat-Free Week

Meat-Free Week – Day 3 – Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

amuhlou — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:15:56 +0000

If you weren’t already aware, I’m a huge fan of Ina Garten, so Day 3 features one of her recipes.

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

We don’t make these sandwiches very often, but they are a nice change from the norm. Goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and basil – how can you go wrong (or should I say, ‘how bad can that be’)? I calculated this recipe serving 4 at about 350 calories each. It will vary wildly depending on your bread however.

Preparation

While this recipe is essentially an “assembly” style one, Ina has you roast the peppers on your own. I did that…Once. It was a huge pain and so now I use pre-roasted peppers from a jar. The peppers also are supposed to marinate for a few hours, so it takes a bit of advance planning if you want to eat at a reasonable hour.

Impressions

Being a huge fan of basil and balsamic vinegar, I really like these sandwiches. The idea of a roasted vegetable sandwich is a great one to build upon. Someday I may swap out the peppers for roasted or sun-dried tomatoes and the goat cheese for fresh mozzarella. Absolute heaven!

Follow the Rest of Our Meat-Free Week

Meat-Free Week – Day 2 – Fattoush Salad

amuhlou — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:24:00 +0000

I’m not going to lie, Day 2 of our meatless week was pretty much phoning it in. I originally made this salad to go with Chicken Schawarma, but we liked it so much that we eat it now as an entree. We have it at least twice a month, possibly more.

Fattoush Salad

I found the recipe on the Food Network website, nestled in a page of Lebanese side dishes. It’s light, refreshing, and very unique. I calculated it at about 6 servings of 206 calories each (the calories are mostly from the olive oil in the dressing). Aside from the dressing, I rarely measure the ingredients for this salad – I just chop up what I have and it always turns out great.

Preparing the Salad

Like the vegetable stew, this dish requires a lot of chopping. We actually prepped it the day before while we were already in the kitchen chopping up a storm for the vegetable stew. I combined the lettuce, mint, parsley, scallions, and Sumac in a container and stored it separately from the tomatoes and cucumbers. We use grape or cherry tomatoes because they’re usually more convenient and quicker to chop. The day we had the salad for dinner, all that was left to do was make the dressing.

Impressions

This salad has really become something we crave. It has a freshness that screams summer, and I’m hoping to grow mountains of mint and parsley this year so we can use them in our cooking. The herbs at the grocery store are pretty puny right now, but dried ones just won’t cut it for this salad. The dressing is very simple, so I’d also recommend using fresh squeezed lemon juice if possible (1/2 cup should be the juice of two lemons).

A note about the ingredient Sumac – I don’t consider it crucial to the dish. I was only able to find it at an Asian grocery store, in a huge container, and I’m not sure how much it really adds to the salad aside from an interesting visual. It resembles chili powder, but smells sort of like tobacco.