Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘Nia Class Schedule’

Baking Time – Time Bake

Posted by terrepruitt on March 14, 2013

Since my current Nia class schedule has me teaching at dinner time on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have been using the “Time Bake” setting on my oven.  When talking about using this feature with some of my Nia students one student commented that her oven is really old and must not have that feature.  I confirmed with my mom that our oven had that feature and my husband’s childhood home oven has that feature too.  Both of those ovens are almost 50 years old.  So it could just be that the “Time Bake” feature is not something my student needed to use so was unaware of it.  Does your oven have a “Time Bake” setting?  I often use mine to cook dinner (meat), but I could understand if someone is going to be gone all day long they might not want to leave meat in the oven all day.  I am not gone that long so I don’t worry about leaving meat in the oven for it to start cooking while I am gone.  Also the oven isn’t on that long before I’m back to check on it.  The oven’s time bake feature is perfect for vegetables or potatoes, ya know, something you would feel comfortable not being refrigerated all day if that is what your schedule requires.  Time bake might be something you have on your oven and have not thought of using.  It really comes in handy.

On the days I have a Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumbalate Nia class we end up eating dinner really late.  I would rather eat late with my hubby than eat early without him.  It really helps me get dinner on the table faster when I have it cooking while I am gone.  Depending on what I am cooking there might be some partial cooking before I leave.  Lately I have been roasting eggplant and I roast it a bit on both sides before I leave.  Then put onions and cheese on it and leave it in the oven.  I have it start baking before I get home then when I arrive home it is done.

As you know if you’ve read a post or two of mine, I love having leftovers.  I try to plan it so that on my late nights I will have a left over protein (pork, chicken, steak) so I only have to cook a veggie.  Also, if you’ve read a post or two of mine you know I love to roast my veggies, so there you go; Time Bake is perfect.  I can prepare my veggies for roasting and leave them in the oven and it turns on and roasts them while I am gone.  When I get home I can heat the meat quickly and have fresh hot veggies.  LOVE IT!

But there are other things that “Time Bake” has helped me cook.  Pizza, chicken, casseroles, you name it.  It is a great feature on my oven.  It helps me cook and get dinner on the table.

What about you?  Does your oven have Time Bake?  Do you use the Time Bake feature on your oven?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Always Looking At The Clock In A Nia Class

Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2012

In Nia we use the clock a lot.  We don’t actually USE the clock, but we use the idea of a clock face on the ground.  When we are moving and dancing we often times refer to the hours on the face of the clock to indicate where to put our feet or move our body.  I had mentioned this in my post about Katas.  I find that it works well when I am learning the routines.  I note the “o’clocks” on my bars.  I find it works well when sharing the moves in my Nia classes.  And I find that Nia students appreciate having a reference point.  It REALLY helps me when there is an actually clock in the room in my line of site.  I know that probably sounds silly because the reason we use a clock to assist in the dance is because it is something familiar and constant, but sometimes it just helps to be able to glance up and be able to say, “Step to one o’clock.”  I use the clock a lot.

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, NiaOften times our stepping isn’t exactly on an hour.  Often times I feel as if it is BETWEEN the hours, say between one and two, but it is still a great reference point.  As with many of our moves in Nia it could be that we are stepping on the foot we have placed at a specific hour or it could be that we are pointing or tapping on the hour.  Using the hours of the clock as a reference can help prevent confusion when required to state which foot is being used.  Since we are moving to music one does not always have time to state, “Cross your left foot to the right diagonal and stop.”  And saying, “Left right diagonal” could be confusing, so it is nice to have a set “direction” by using the hours on a clock.  So I can say, “Left at 1:00” and that is even more clear than saying either one of the instructions previously stated.  It is clear that the left foot is to cross over and land at 1:00.

Also it seems to even work better than just saying the directional left and right.  If I were to say, “Put your left foot out” I have not actually indicated WHERE to put your left foot, but when I say, “Left to 9:00” it is clear where the left foot should go when it goes “out”.  Another example is a bow, it could be executed with the leg directly behind or crossed back so again the clock adds a greater level of instruction.

Of course, the participants in a dance exercise class are watching the instructor but giving them verbal instructions allows them to do it in their own body’s way instead of just trying to do it the exact way the teacher’s body is doing it.  Some people might have a LARGE clock face on the ground on which they are dancing and other’s might have a smaller one.  It all depends on where they leg reaches, but at least they know what direction.

In Nia there are even moves that refer to the clock.  Within Nia’s 52 moves we have a “slow clock” and a “fast clock“. So as I said we use the clock or at least the idea of a clock a lot in a Nia class.

Makes Nia sounds easy, huh?  It is.  And it is fun.  Find a class near you nianow.com or check out my Nia class schedule on my website (www.HelpYouWell.com).

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Grated Zucchini is GREAT

Posted by terrepruitt on June 21, 2012

As a Nia teacher, my schedule changes a bit sometimes.  I had recently added an evening Nia Class to my Nia Class Schedule that just wasn’t getting the attendance I needed in order to keep it going.  So sadly there is no longer Nia in Campbell on Monday evenings.  The end came rather quickly so the announcement time was short, but sometimes it is better to just rip the bandage off and move on.  The opportunity given to cancel the class was wonderfully kind so I took it.  You know how I have to cook on Sunday to be ready for Monday.  Well, that Sunday’s cooking plan got de-railed because of a party so at the party in my head I was planning on spending my Monday afternoon cooking, but in the wee hours on Monday morning the opportunity arrived to cancel the class.  So I actually was able to cook Monday’s dinner on Monday evening.  Thankfully there were leftovers, because I was asked to sub for a class on Tuesday.  I was still working through my vegetables that I had received.  I had received two zucchini.  Since I have been out of cucumber I have been putting the zucchini in our salads.  I like raw zucchini in salads, but I like it sliced REALLY thin.  I had used a half of zucchini for salads.  I don’t often buy zucchini because the only way I know how to cook it is to roast it or cook it in a pan where you lay the rounds out in the pan.  Then you have to flip each little round to make certain they get brown and yummy on each side.  That is a bit too time-consuming for me sometimes.  That is how I usually cook it, because I forget about grating it.  When I remember I am so happy.  Grated zucchini is GREAT!

I don’t remember where I first learned about grating it.  But I know the first thing I did with it was mix it with pasta.  I am not a big tomato fan.  I have never liked tomato based pasta sauces.  When I cook pasta it is usually dressed with a little butter and cheese or olive oil and garlic, but not tomato sauce.  So one time I grated some zucchini then sautéed it.  I tossed it with the cooked pasta and VOILA my husband actually liked it.  He is not a big pasta fan so to have him like it was great.  As I said I don’t remember when I learned about grating zucchini but it was a long time ago.  And I haven’t done it that often since.

Recently I was visiting my mom and she puts slices of zucchini in her salad.  So I came home and bought some to put in our salads, which I did, but then  I remembered about grating it and I added it to rice.  Again, I was reminded of how good that is.

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, NiaAs I was wondering what to cook for dinner Monday night, I was thinking I would use my baby bok choy with the ground turkey I had taken out to defrost on Sunday.  But when I took the lone bunch out of the fridge it just seem too lonely to mix with all that turkey.  So I decided to use the zucchinis that I had left.  As usual, as I was cooking I thought I should take a picture because I will probably post about it, but then I thought, “No, I won’t post about it.”  But here I am posting about it because I think that grated zucchini is GREAT (Ok, I like saying that!) and I want to share.  I don’t know many people who grate zucchini and add it to things.

So while I was not really that impressed with the entrée overall, I did love the turkey and zucchini.  I grilled some corn tortillas and lined a 9X13 baking dish with them.  My plan was to cook the turkey and zucchini with my “normal” mix of onions and garlic.  I had forgotten until after that I had originally planned to add a bit of Nutritional Yeast for an extra “cheesy” flavor.  Half way through cooking I decided to see if we had and taco seasoning.  I decided NOT to look at the ingredients on that package and I dumped it in the meat.  Then I added the zucchini.  Then I thought, “Well this is going to be weird.”  Well, I might have ended up being weird, but I liked it.  I put the meat on top of the tortillas then put some cheese on top.  Part way through I remembered the green onions and the Nutritional Yeast so I threw them on top.

I use my blog as a bit of a recipe book and to remind me of things.  With this post about how much I enjoy grated zucchini I am sure that I will remember to use it more often.  I might not mix it with taco flavoring but I do love it with pasta and rice.  Since it is is so good I am going to experiment with it an other things.

Do you ever grate zucchini?  How do you cook it?  What do you add it to?

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia

Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

HEALthy Food Needed

Posted by terrepruitt on June 12, 2012

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, NiaI mentioned in my Stuff Happens In Life As Do Moments that I had to rearrange my Nia class schedule because of “stuff”.  The stuff that was happening required me to be visiting someone in a hospital.  There was surgery involved in the situation and the situation required a “nutrition plan”.  As with all surgeries and most medical situations the patient should be eating healthy food.  The word HEAL is even in the word HEALthy.  One of the “food stuffs” the patient was given to consume was “Health Shake”.  I was curious as to what kind of health could be delivered in a carton.  Well, after reading the ingredients it was confirmed that there is none – at least not in this carton.

The first ingredient is skim milk.  At this point, I will not comment on that.  Skim milk and dairy in general will probably be a topic of separate post, but for now, I am sticking to this “Health Shake”.  The next ingredient is actually a good one: water.

The next five ingredients and/or additives were what caused me to have a conniption fit in the hospital room.  I could not and cannot believe this carton of disgusting stuff is fed to people who are ill and need to receive nutrients to heal their bodies.

This to me is a huge glaring prime example of why so many people are sick in America.  If this is what is consindered healthy and nutritious we are truly doomed.

CORN SYRUP, CORN OIL (WITH BHA/BHT), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SOY PROTEIN ISOLSATE!!!!

There isn’t actually any nutritious food in this carton.  I didn’t even look at the “nutritional value” because to me there is none.  NOT ONE IOTA!  Genetically engineered sugar, with genetically engineered oil — that contain preservatives that most counties have banned, with more genetically engineered and further chemically altered sugar, with some genetically engineered protein.Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia

The ice cream they served later was much healthier than this “Health Shake”.  I really am completely disgusted with this item.  I am disgusted that they are feeding it to a person who needs nutrients.  I am even more disgusted that it is called a “Health Shake”.  If they called it a chemical shake or liquid crap, I don’t think I would be so upset.

I was even more upset when later on I saw a straw in the carton — meaning the patient actually drank it.  Now, let me remind you that I am not a perfect eater.  I eat processed foods.  I work to avoid food with high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup in them, but I do eat processed foods.  But to say that these ingredients are healthy is shameful.  To feed a body that needs healing a carton of chemicals is sad.

I just saw this statement:

“The U.S. does not have a healthcare system. Rather, it is a ‘Sickness System’ where the system thrives on people being sick. Far more profit is generated by sickness than health.”

And with this “Health Shake” being given to people in the hospital I am thinking it could actually be evidence that the statement is true.

Many of us have different ideas of what we think is healthy, but I am guessing that most people could look at this list of ingredients and agree that this is nothing but a cacophony of chemicals that really have no nutritional value.

Would you choose to drink this?  If you were in a hospital and given this to drink would you think to read the ingredients?  What do you think about this?

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

HelpYouWell.com Got a New Look!

Posted by terrepruitt on February 18, 2012

After three years of teaching Nia and promoting it via my website, I have moved my website to a different host.  Sometimes it is nice to have a new look to things.  I don’t necessarily always feel the need for a new look.  Since I have limited time I don’t always enjoy going to a site that I visit often and have it be completely revamped so I have to spend extra time on it to find what I need.  But, I understand that it is nice to change things and have a fresh look.  Sometimes there are other reasons to change things, there might be other benefits that are sought so it is all just part of the change.  My site is still the best source for my Nia Class Schedule because even though I have been teaching at the same place for three years* sometimes there are changes.  Sometimes it is out of my control, like when one of the studios I teach at moves my class time, but sometimes I am holding a special class or announcing an additional Nia class (new Nia Class in Campbell).  Either way, it is best to always check my site for any adjustments that might occur in my Nia Class Schedule.  Otherwise you can find the same information on my new site as you could my old site.  The way is it arranged is slightly different as I put more of the information under headings instead of having the long list of pages on the side.  The new look to HelpYouWell.com is a nice way to start off 2012!

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout,My site still contains the following information:  How Nia started, What is Nia, Seven Cycles of Nia, Main Benefits of Nia, Tips for a Pleasurable Nia Experience, Nia’s Principles of the Body’s Way, Tips for Moving with Nia, a list of Nia’s 52 Moves, Nia’s Belt List, Indexes for the Nia Technique Book, and a few other things.  New is a list and map of locations where I hold Nia Classes. 

Because I switched to a new host I have to go through all of my blog posts and update my links, both the hotlinks in the text AND the pictures.  Not sure everyone even realizes that the different color words in a post are links to other things.  Usually they link to my site, so since the page addresses have changed, I am working on going through all 491 posts.  If you click on a link and it does not work, then I have not gotten to that one yet.  I always welcome the information though, so if you want to let me know, I would appreciate it.  So far I have made it through September 2011, and May 2009.

*I have been teaching at the same place for three years.  I am still at the studio in the Willow Glen area of San Jose.  For three years I have had a Monday and Wednesday morning class at 9 am.  I would love for you to join us one of these days.  I make it a point to teach on Holidays because since it is a morning class that is the time when many people can make it.  When they have the time off of work.  So if you ever have the opportunity please join us.  We are there every Monday and Wednesdays (do check the schedule, though). 

Well, I hope you will take two minutes to click through my new site.  Let me know what you think.  You can comment or contact me through the contact page on my website.  Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

So?  What do you think?

Posted in Misc, Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »