About Ari:
- I’m 28 years old, married to the funniest guy I know, and a mama to two puppies that I am ridiculously attached to.
- I have my BFA in Musical Theatre and currently work as a freelance director, choreographer, and teaching artist. I love my job.
- I love food. A lot. I learned to love running because I love food. Now I love both things, and kind of refuse to sacrifice what I want in either area. A long run followed by a beer float is my idea of the perfect Saturday.
- I’m almost never serious, so please don’t take me too seriously.
- I geek out at the mention of people only musical theatre nerds think are famous like Stephen Sondheim and Bernadette Peters. I’m also a musical theatre snob, and I don’t think Wicked and Rent are the best musicals out there. That doesn’t stop me from singing at the top of my lungs to Defying Gravity in my car on a daily basis.
- I love bad movies and music. I could watch the Step Up movies over and over. And over. My ipod includes “artists” such as Hanson, Ace of Bass, and The Spice Girls.
- I’m super emotional and sentimental. I’m also a big people pleaser. If you give me a compliment, I will often cry. I like to do things right, and I thrive on positive affirmation. I’ve learned to embrace these things about myself.
And carry tissues. - I lost 75 lbs. I’m eternally grateful that I had my “a-ha” moment, but I don’t believe I am defined by the choice to now live a healthy life style. It is just a piece of who I am. Albeit a part I am very proud of, but still merely a small piece of who I am.
- My goal in life is to leave this world a better place than I found it. I want to inspire others to find strength and abilities they never knew they had, while searching to find the best version of myself. I am a work in progress.
- I’ve seen every single episode of Seinfeld at least 10 times. If you quote Seinfeld, odds are I will immediately ask you to be my best friend.
- I love to cook. Mostly for other people. Come over, and I will cook for you.
- I am not “proper” or exceptionally “well mannered”. I will always find poop jokes funny, and I will never be the graceful one in a social situation. I also refuse to apologize for that, or be anything other than my ridiculous, goofy, and often embarrassing self.
About Ari’s Menu:
- I started blogging when many friends asked for the recipes I was using during my weight loss. I would occasionally write up a recipe with no pictures and put it up in about 10 minutes. I never expected anyone to actually read this thing.
- I got more serious about blogging in August 2011 when I started reading other healthy living blogs, and decided I actually wanted to invest some time and energy into this site in the hopes that it could help others achieve their goals, and enjoy healthy food as much as I do.
- When I started the blog, I had never run more than 2 miles, and I never expected this to be a place where I posted marathon training plans, or track work outs. A lot has changed in just a year!
- The goal of Ari’s Menu is to share recipes that inspire others to eat foods that are both healthy and delicious. I love taking things like Fettuccine Alfredo or Chicken & Waffles, and finding healthy ways to recreate them at home. I feel like the more accessible healthy eating is to every day life and tastes, the more we will all be able to lead healthier lives without feeling restricted or deprived of our favorite things! I also hope to inspire others to find a form of exercise that they love and set goals for themselves. This does not have to be running. Running just happens to be what I enjoy right now. I just hope that by getting out there and pushing myself, someone will think “If she can do it, so can I”, and maybe, just maybe, that might spark their journey.
About Steve:
- Steve is nice. I like him. I guess that’s why I married him. We got married on March 18th 2011.
- He’s a better photographer than me. In fact, he used to take all the pictures, but I’m a control freak so I made him teach me how. Now I just make him take millions of pictures of me so I can talk about myself on the internet.
- He works in IT, and loves cycling.
- He has this obsession with being early. When he does his group rides, he leaves like 2 hours ahead of time to go down the street. I do not share this obsession.
- He is more embarrassing and socially ungraceful than I am.
- He is also better at cleaning.
- He’s warm and fuzzy on the inside.
- He’s bad at transitions. One minute we’re all having a conversation, and the next I have no idea what he’s talking about. He will give me some very far fetched description of how he got there, but usually it makes no sense to me.
- He is Clementine’s favorite.
About Winston:
- We rescued Winston from the pound in August 2010. He is a Jack Russell mix and is almost 3 years old.
- He is a great runner.
- He is super lovable and cuddly. In fact, he likes to spoon like a human.
- He’s a mama’s boy.
- He’s very playful and high energy.
- He’s really good at tricks. He can sit, shake (with both paws), high five and lay down. He gets an A+ for trick learning.
- Read more about his first year with our family!
About Clementine:
- Clementine was given to us as a wedding present when she was just 8 weeks old.
- She is a Mini Dachshund, and has more energy than a kindergartner with a caffeine IV.
- She loves to be all up in your business, and playing with her brother.
- She really loves her dad.
- She does this really weird thing where she runs circles around my neck, and also tries to dig in my hair, and rub her body into my face. I don’t really understand her, I just love her.
- Her favorite thing to do is play foam roller. As soon as I get it out, she starts jumping around. Then when I foam roll, she nibbles on my face. She thinks we’re playing a game. She’s too cute for me to even be annoyed.
