Baked at Mackenzies’

Car sharing creates plenty of time for the soccer mom syndrome to surface. Everyone knows suburbia is full of coffee shops and cafes because the soccer moms need a rest stop in between tutoring and tap dance.

While one of my roommies attended a meeting at the Co-Op I scooted across the parking lot to Mackenzies’ Bread Bakery. Having chomped on a few chips and satisfied my salt craving, the sweet craving took over. This bakery entices you as soon as you walk in with an antique table displaying their jams, breadsticks and crackers packaged and ready to go.

Their display cakes did not look impressive. Just average cakes you could get at a grocery, but they were clean and looked fresh.

I decided to try a strawberry smoothie made fresh ($3.85, which is way cheaper than Waterstreet) and Mackenzies’ Cake Slice — a birthday cake-esque slice.

The smoothie was fresh and tart. It had a really good taste. I still have not found a smoothie in town that blows my mind, but my other favorite smoothie places are Smoothie King on Drake, Something’s Brewing downtown and Waterstreet.

The cake was light, and incredibly soft. The icing was perfectly smooth and didn’t have that hard top layer. This definitely will be where I get my birthday cake from unless I have the House O Lez Pancakes which has not lost support in our household.

In the cooler are fresh tuna and chicken salads, the peach smoothies in to-go form, green salads and sandwiches.

It’s a relaxing atmosphere. I’d definitely come again. They also have fresh doughnuts, cookies and other bakery staples.

Next trip I’m trying the Paczki in honor of Mardi Gras.

 

Dig In and Stretch Out

I carry most of my stress in my back and hips, and the bad knees a biking accident left me with don’t help. I constantly find myself correcting my posture, attempting to stretch my back out and asking people to dig into spine for relief.

My in-house massage therapist, Felicia (no, I’m not rich but I am lucky enough to have her as a roommate), works out those back muscles while giving me tips on how to change my energy and ways of thinking to bring more comfort to my body. According to the professional, my sloppy posture is a result of trying to protect my heart chakra. Relationship drama proves her right.

Then, I go to see Laura, my in-town stretcher. She does all the work for me, turning my body where it needs to go, holding up all of my weight and pulling my limbs in the right direction. She tells me that the stretch that’s difficult to get in my calves is from my body repositioning itself to protect my knees in their healing process after the accident.

I rely on both of these ladies to help my body adjust to life’s changes. But in my head, the fantasy of having back-to-back sessions with them longed to line up with my busy schedule.

Last night, a miracle happened, one that outdid my fantasy.

I let myself be used in the greatest way.

In preparation for the March 25 massage and stretching class at Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative (1249 Portage Rd. in Kalamazoo), Laura and Felicia used me as a example of how they would simultaneously stretch and massage someone. For 30 minutes, I was a goddess being pampered by four professional hands. Laura stretched my legs while Felicia massaged my neck. Felicia dug the ball of her palms at the perfect pressure into my back while Laura stretched my hips. Then, they taught the other participant, my friend Sarah, how to do the stretching and massage on her partner.

What you will learn: How our emotions manifest in the body, how to stretch yourself, how to stretch your partner, how to massage yourself, how to massage your partner, checking on your partner for breathing and support and how to take care of your body in between professional stretching and massages. Oh, and most importantly, how to LOVE your body no matter what.

Sign up for the Class at thisisfire.com. Also, follow Fire on twitter for updates.