What I Learned When I Was Nineteen

I was formatting my 5-years-in-progress novel last night, and I felt agonized by the whole process. Some nights (like two nights before last) it goes smooth as silk. Others, I want to toss this whole unpaid writer shebang out the window. Hence, the 5-years-in-progress thing. 

I started outlining and writing the story in 2007, when I lived with my best friend and had a hot pink bedroom full of tossed-off bar outfits and booze bottles. I started living it long before; at about age nineteen I experienced a very different life from the domestic cupcake who now pens this healthy, hippie, happy blog. (Yes, I'm exaggerating, kind of. I will never really be that girl.) I think everyone comes of age at a certain time, and that it's a different number for different people, and for me it was certainly nineteen. My headspace back then was (cloudy and) creative, filled with lust for every little thing, and recklessly, horrifically fun, amidst quite a bit of tumult, which I think back then I harbored quite an addiction to. 

Anyhow, the book was born of a million things and people and ideas, and of living in a midwestern post-factory town and in bars, and of being--or becoming--an enlightened fuck-up. 

After I moved to Blissfield (oh, what an accurate name in so many ways) with Ben, it took me a couple of years to find my footing. I didn't touch the manuscript for a long time. It made me too sad. I stopped working at the bookstore and worked for a little while as a bank teller. If you know me personally, you'd attest that the last sentence is evidence of a total identity crisis on my part. I truly felt lost, but not in the good purple-haze way of yore. 

Somehow, I found my way back to the book. And it sort of saved me, and maybe in a way that's why it's hard for me to be done with it. Allowing somebody to scrutinize something so deeply personal feels really scary. Over the years I have grown attached to all of my characters and to my little made-up Midwestern world. 

Tonight, I felt inspired to look through a few things from the year I became me, the year where I started looking around and mentally scrapbooking snippets of life for later words in sentences in chapters in this mess of a thing I call a novel. 

Here are pages of my '04 journal:

"It's okay to think you're fabulous."

-advice from a hedonistic young adult

....................................................

I wish I had done this every year, written out my yearly lessons and mantras. Maybe I will, from now on. In comparison, here are some things I learned (or believed) when I was 27:

-"You are not in the world. The world is in you." -Deepak Chopra

-You should be a constant learner. Learn about every passing curiosity. Learn how things are made, how things work, how things are, how you wish they were, and how you can change them. Knowledge really IS power. 

-Going to college straight out of high school doesn't work for everybody, and sometimes you are better off waiting to go back until you have real reasons for being there in the first place, even if you're pregnant with your second child in 17 months and working full time and are married and have bills to pay. 

-The busier you are, the more productive you will generally be or become. 

-"Leading with your heart" is not always sound advice. Sometimes you gotta chuck that heart out of a rolled-down window and move the eff on. 

-Fitness and nutrition are sexy. People who party too hard for too long are not sexy. Moderation!

-People generally don't judge you as much as you fear they do. 

-Learning to say no to things that don't align with your top priorities makes life a bajillion times simpler. 

-Becoming a mother is truly the most astounding experience. You realize your potential for being an unselfish person. You also see the world through brand new eyes.

-Whatever you think most about, you become. 

-Anything is possible with a positive attitude.

-It's never as scary as you think it's going to be. Your mind contorts things out of your fear. Good news: you control your mind. Practice!

-Unfortunate events occur from time to time. You are always strong enough to handle them. You are, after all, a pillar of self-sufficiency. If looked at in the right light, all of these events are opportunities to discover who you really are.

-At the risk of sounding new-agey, there is a silent place in all of us that is infinitely wise and calm. Sometimes we have to shut up to find it.

-Regret is pointless. Move forward. Great advice from my cousin Jamie: "Remember, you did the best with what you had at the time." Isn't that so true? Hindsight's 20/20. Living in the present is, like, 20/500, but it's way more fun!

-You are only as old as you think you are. It is NEVER TOO LATE to be exactly who you want to be. My sister's freshman classes at Cleveland State were peppered with students of all ages, including seniors (as in citizens). My mother is 50 and teaches aerobics, spinning and linebacker classes. Take care of yourself, keep learning, and the world is your oyster. 

-You never know when your kind word or your piece of advice or your shared story is exactly what someone else needs to hear. Be genuine. Share what you know. 

-Wake up every day and go to sleep every night with gratitude. No matter how shitty things seem, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for, and the more you appreciate what you have, the more you'll have to appreciate. 

----------------------------

MY PLAYLIST AT 19:

Saves the Day (Rocks Tonic Juice Magic)

The Get Up Kids (I'll Catch You)

Hole (Miss World)

Death Cab for Cutie (Title Track)

Death Cab for Cutie (Residential State Street)

Ben Kweller (Family Tree)

Modest Mouse (Bukowski)

Audio Learning Center (Hand Me Downs)

Armchair Martian (Jessica's Suicide)

Bright Eyes (Haligh, Haligh, a Lie, Haligh)

Pedro the Lion (When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run)

Pedro the Lion (Options)

Tori Amos (Icicle)

Tori Amos (Northern Lad)

Logh (Yellow Lights Mean Slow Down, Not Speed Up)

Broken Social Scene (Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Rich)

The Stills (Gender Bombs)

The Stills (Still in Love Song)

Cursive (The Recluse)

The Shins (Girl Inform Me)

The Shins (So Says I)

The Shins (Pink Bullets)

Metric (Succexy)

Cat Power (Speak for Me)

Liz Phair (Flower)

Interpol (Stella was a Diver and She was Always Down)

MY PLAYLIST AT 27:

All of the above, plus a million others, including

Great Lake Swimmers (A Merge, a Vessel, a Harbor)

Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos (Jen's Bringin' the Drugs)

Pedro the Lion (Criticism as Inspiration)

Smith Westerns (Be My Girl)

Friendly Fires (Hurting)

Bon Iver (Skinny Love)

Metric (The Gates)

Nadia Ali/Sultan& Ned Shepard (Call My Name)

Mutemath (Spotlight)

Real Estate (Green Aisles)

Wild Nothings (Live in Dreams)

Doves (M62 Song)

Atlas Sound (Recent Bedroom)

Stateless (Bloodstream)

The Xx (Crystalised)

Lana del Rey (Without You)

-------------------------------------------

Money can't make you rich like experience can.

-penniless, experience-full 19 year old Lindsey Smith. 

:)

Easy Low Calorie Meals & Snacks Part II

Here are a few more of my favorite easy meals and snacks. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be an elaborate science. Yes, it does take a little planning, or at least more planning than hitting up the drive-through for a McCoronary—but preparing your own food gives you many benefits, like:

-knowing everything that’s in it. No hidden ingredients! YOU get to control the amount of any ingredient, and even change it up a bit to scale down on sugar, or gluten, or sodium.

-feeling empowered. Your kitchen, your rules. And if whatever you made kicks major ass, you can take all the credit for it.

-continuing your knowledge about food and health. I’ve learned more about being healthy by cooking my own food, than by any other practice or research.

Here are some fun foods to try:

Black Beans & Brown Rice with Cilantro, Lime &Avocado—such a complete meal! Cilantro and lime make everything sparkle. I tend to make a big batch of brown rice, and Tupperware leftovers in the fridge forreally quick meal-making during the week. And FYI: avocados have fat, but the “good kind.” They will not make you fat; low-fat, sugar-free, fake food WILL.

Brown Rice with Sauteed Veggies & Sunflower Seeds—I take all the vegetables in my kitchen that are looking a little sad and will spoil in the next couple of days, and lightly sautee them in a splash of olive oil.If you’re using greens, add them last and just let them steam on top of the other vegetables. I just learned this little factoid, too: the longer yousautee or steam a vegetable, the more nutrients leach out and become unavailable to you (hence all the hype surrounding macrobiotic and raw diets),so it’s best to leave a little crunch. I am currently loving sunflower seeds mixed into my rice. Play with this dish! Don’t always use the same veggie medley, and mix up the seasonings. Rosemary is particularly wonderful; basil always keeps things fresh-tasting; Emeril’s Essence is good for garlic and spice; Spike seasoning makes it savory. I also love a sprinkle of Daiya vegan cheddar cheese, made with arrowroot instead of soy. It melts and (dare I sayit?) tastes just as good, if not better than, the real thing.

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad—So yummy, especially after chilling in the fridge for a day! Mix 1 c. cooked wheat berries (and if you haven’t tried this delectable whole grain, do), 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp.honey, 1 chopped apple, 1/3 c. Greek or soy plain yogurt, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and some raisins. I think I got this originally from the back of thewheat berry package. I use Nature’s Earthly Choice brand. You can also add celery, but truth be told, good old celery is the only vegetable I loathe.

Wheat Berry Chickpea Salad—mix a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with a couple of cups of cooked wheat berries, and chopped zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, spinach and parsley. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Add any crunchy veggies in your arsenal! Steamed pea pods or lightly cooked broccoli would do well.

Spicy Sweet Potato & Black Barley—I don’t remember whereI got the basis for this recipe, but I think it called for lentils. Black barley can be found in the freezer aisle of some healthier stores, like Anderson’s Market in Toledo, and probably Whole Foods, and it worked SO well that I’ve made this several times and batched it up into individual portions for work lunches. In a 400 degree oven, roast 3-6 cubed sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, cumin, Spanish paprika, and sea salt, until they meet your level of done-ness (I like mine almost charred, but I’m weird like that).Mix with ¾ cup prepared black barley, or more if you desire—your kitchen, your rules! Add some red wine vinegar, and maybe some fat free feta if you’ve got it, and even some greens—arugula is especially wonderful. Seriously, I don’t know who wouldn’t love this dish! It's so savory; a must-try.

Marinated Olives—I did this when I had that annoying amount of olives left in the can after using about 10 for a recipe. Pour them into a container, add olive or grapeseed oil and any spices you care to use, put a lid on it, and shake. Then store them overnight in the fridge and let them soak up the flavor. I used garlic, sea salt, black pepper, oregano and thyme. These would be great served with crackers and cashew cheese.

Tomato, Avocado and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro-LimeDressing-- I threw this together about a week ago, and my husband just loved it.(See? Take stock of what you have in your kitchen, and just start throwing stuff together! Once you start cooking more, you learn what tastes good together, and you’ll be able to whip something up in no time. I used to think applesauce and cottage cheese were food groups, okay? Practice makes almost-perfect!) Chop up a few tomatoes (heirloom or beefsteak are incredible),red onion, and avocado. Stir in some cooked quinoa, and dress with fresh lemon and lime juices, a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper. Garlic would work, as well.

Cannellini Bean & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella—Another easy-peas ythrown-together dish that made several lunches! Throw one can of cannelli beans (drained and rinsed) into a large mixing bowl. Add chopped heirloom tomatoes, chopped cucumber, diced red onion, green olives, and any other light, refreshing vegetable you have on hand. Tear some chunks of sorta-stale whole wheat bread (the real kind, that you bake yourself or buy from a bakery—nothing pre-sliced!) or toast fresher bread, and then tear. Add the bread, and mix in a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, along with torn fresh basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. I know the whole soaked-bread thing seems kind of icky, but really it’swonderful, and the crustier the bread you use, the better it will hold up.

PB Banana Roll-Up—The quickest breakfast! Spread some nut butter on a whole wheat wrap, and envelop a whole banana in it! Instead of the wrap, you can also use big leaves of romaine lettuce. I also use a pinch of cinnamon.

As always, there are plenty more recipes where these camefrom. Ben’s loving my sudden cooking itch, and even told me, “You might deserve a brand new kitchen!” Of course, this massive project will be the last in our crazy reno-house, but nevertheless, I’m excited.

For another blog post: I’ve been officially vegan for six days, and am LOVING LOVING LOVING it! Me, the cheese queen, loving veganism—imagine. If anything, it’s made me more creative. I’ve come across no shortage ofyumminess, including Tempt hemp milk ice cream (yeah, not the healthiest of vegan fare, but OMG. Definitely good enough to keep me on track the rest of the time.)  I just feel better and brighter and more…clear, kind of. It’s hard to explain, but amazing.

And for another blog post: I’m already 26 weeks pregnant. It’s going so fast this time. Too fast. Ahhh!

And for aNOTHER blog post: I am renovating not only my house, but my life. Major life decisions are currently underway. Scary, but I am ready for my family to live an inspired, healthy, creative, productive life.The time will go by anyway. I’m gonna make it worthwhile. There! I wrote it, and it’s out there in the universe, and not only in my head where it can easilyget tromped on by the spiked stilettos of my every day routine. I am CHANGING MY LIFE.

Change yours, too! (Unless of course it’s already fabulous.) And start by eating healthy, because the cleaner you eat, the more energy you have for every other area of your life.

Lindsey.

Simple Tips for Healthier Eating

Simple Tips for Healthier Eating

 Don’t try to do it all at once. Start with a simple task, such as incorporating more vegetables into your diet, adopting a “Meatless Monday,” going whole grain, or trying a new healthy recipe once a week. As you get comfortable, keep taking those baby steps. They add up. Burn-out sucks, so don’t try to overhaul your lifestyle in a single weekend.

Read everything you can get your hot little hands on about nutrition. Subscribe to health, fitness, and light cooking magazines. Read blogs. Keep up on the latest research. “Like” fitness pages on Facebook for regular updates.

Watch documentaries. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to make time to read a book (although I am ALL FOR BOOKS, and I think that apps like IBooks give us no excuse not to read when we come across surprise downtime), and a good nutrition documentary like Forks Over Knives, or even some DVRd episodes of Dr. Oz, can keep us on the up and up about nutrition.

Make a list of your current ailments and what you’d like to change. Perhaps you want to lose 30 pounds. Maybe you don’t want to be dependent on insulin or a blood sugar pill for the rest of your days. Maybe you’re bothered that the meat on your plate meant something was slaughtered, but you aren’t sure what the heck else to eat. Perhaps you want better skin, less cellulite, a deflated spare tire. Go from here. You cannot formulate a plan until you know what you want to change.

 Decide how badly you want, or need, to change. Maybe you’re within a healthy weight range and BMI, and 30 pounds isn’t maintainable if you ever want to eat anything ever again; in that case, maybe go for 10 instead. If you are overweight or obese, decide what small steps you can manage to start with. After all, every journey begins with a single step and all that jazz. I know many heavy people who complain about their weight but are TOTALLY unwilling to give up the Fritos or get off the couch—I’m not judging their choices, but I AM judging their complaints. If you’re unhappy, decide to change. If the change you think you want isn’t really doable, rethink your priorities. If you aren’t willing to change your bad habits, don’t bitch about them, and be prepared to accept the often-ugly consequences.

Decide: maybe spend a little extra now on fresh produce and whole foods (and maybe some workout DVDs, equipment, running shoes, or a gym membership), or a lot extra in medical bills later. You are not exempt from health issues.

 Understand that food can be an addiction as real as any other. Case in point: remember how not that far back I was singing the praises of cheese and blogging about that lovely aged gouda and how it’s the one vice I won’t give up? Guess what? I’m giving it up. Once I did my research and learned the effects of dairy on the human body, the animals of our planet, and our planet in general—and also once I realized that the casein in cheese does all kinds of shenanigans to the chemical receptors in our brains—I came to the conclusion that I don’t need it. It doesn’t make me feel good. It’s lardy and fatty. It’s cholesterol-inducing. And it’s addictive! I don’t want to be addicted to anything; call it my Emery stubbornness. Chances are you may have a food addiction; it’s real and it can be broken. Like any withdrawal, you may experience some ugly symptoms and cravings, but guess what? You can handle it.

 Have a very visual goal in mind, and think about it often. Do you want to fit into that bikini from two years ago? Keep it where you can see it. Daydream about how frickin’ fab you’ll look in it in a few months. Do you want to be able to run a 5k? Visit race websites, cut out photos from running magazines, subscribe to related blogs—and imagine yourself running, down to the very sports bra or brand of shoe or scenery. A fantastic way to keep track of all your inspirations and revisit them often is to create a pin board on Pinterest.

Think of food as fuel. Sure, some of us love to eat during celebrations and some of us love to eat to soothe our frustrations, but that’s really not the point. We can still DO these things, with better choices (kefir or almond milk “ice cream” rather than a pint of triple fudge chunk; a veggie quesadilla with fresh salsa instead of a heaping pile of nachos), but for the majority of us, when we visualize our ideal body and our ideal workout performance, see someone who resembles an athlete or a person who at the very least takes care of themselves—and regular ice cream jaunts and nacho pig-outs do not an athlete make.

 Judge a food by how you feel after you eat it. My husband has gone down to one meat meal per day, if that, and I have started really cooking—from scratch—the majority of our food. We focus on plants, plants, and more plants. He says he feels way better after a whole-food, non-processed meal than the stuff he used to eat. My pregnancy, this time around, has been a gazillion times easier, and my weight gain has been perfect and steady. When we were eating out more, and consuming more animal products, we felt sluggish, bloated, and full. It is easier to stick to your guns when you feel stellar.

Organize your kitchen. Splurge or save up for some really kick-ass tools, like a food processor or juicer or amazing chef’s knife, to enjoy your time in the kitchen a little more. We recently installed a dishwasher, and it makes me want to cook more elaborate meals, because clean-up is so much faster. Buy new BPA-free, dishwasher-safe Tupperware to bring your healthy meals and snacks with you on the go, and to organize the nuts, seeds, grains, and pastas in your pantry. You will reach for healthy food more often when it’s easy to reach and prepare. Another time saver: cut up and/or wash fruits and veggies all at once, to save prep time when you’re in a pinch. My downfall used to be reaching for my husband’s junky snack food when I got into famished-mode, because peeling and dicing and cooking vegetables would take too long to catch up to my sugar crash.

 Always have a fruit bowl on the counter. It looks so pretty, you’ll be more likely to grab an apple or orange. On the flipside, keep junk food in hard-to-reach places if you find you just can’t control yourself. If you have to get on a stepstool to reach the Chips Ahoy, chances are you’ll have a few seconds to think twice.

And speaking of Chips Ahoy…have a treat now and again. Decide in advance what your favorite splurge is. An example: I am not a big fan of chocolate cake, but I love blueberry pie. If I’m really in the mood for a treat, and blueberry pie happens to be there, it’ll be worth the splurge because I’ll enjoy it. Chocolate cake, not so much. A few bites will suffice, if I’ve got a sweet tooth, but I always have 75-90% dark chocolate on hand, and a square or two will usually calm cravings.

If you can’t kick a craving, try to find something a little better for you that will still curb it. Want French fries? Have a baked potato, or some baked sweet potato fries, or at the very least, make oven “fries” instead of getting out the deep fryer. On that note, don’t even own a deep fryer. What’s the point, aside from tempting yourself and making your house smell like stale McDonald’s?

  Don’t buy shitty food. You’re less likely to make a special trip to buy junk food when you’re in the mood for it if it isn’t already on hand, and if you do run out to the corner store for corn chips, you’ll have a drive in the car to contend with yourself.

Use seasonings, and not of the salt variety. Studies show they can help you consume less. Making your food savory might satisfy you sooner. The first bite is always the best bite. When it stops tasting delicious, stop eating it.

 Get over the “clean your plate” thing. Whether it goes in your belly or the garbage disposal, a starving child in China is still not eating it. If you truly aren’t hungry (remember, it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full, so slow down and put down your fork!) , there is no shame in boxing up, Tupperware-ing up, giving to your dining companion, or otherwise disposing of the rest.

 Eat from smaller plates. I like to use salad plates. In America, the circumference of our dinner plate has drastically blown up in recent decades—along with our waistlines. And remember that a restaurant portion is usually especially blown out of proportion, so stretch your budget to save your gut by asking for a to-go box, or share with the people at your table.

 Eat low-calorie, high-density foods. Allow your plate to overflow with all the goodness nature has to offer, and skimp on the heavy, caloric stuff. Fill the majority of your plate with veggies. You’ll trick yourself into thinking you’re consuming more than you really are.

 Don’t, for the love of God, drink your calories. Okay, sometimes—in the case of an amazing glass of vino, or a green juice you juiced yourself or a meal-replacement shake of high nutrient density, like Shakeology. Don’t drink soda. Don’t drink a ton of fake juice or powdered lemonade or aspartame energy drinks. A lot of us forget that these calories count, too. Get yourself in the habit of drinking water and real tea.

Drink a ton of water. The amount will vary per individual and activity level, but on average I would say I drink about three liters of water a day. The smallest bit of dehydration leads to migraines on my part. Plus, many times we misjudge our hunger—we aren’t hungry, we’re thirsty. For water. Add lemon, add cucumber, add a tea bag (green tea is great for metabolism), add whatever (and I don’t mean powdered drink mix with fake sugar) helps you drink it down. And carry a canteen or a water bottle wherever you go.

 Collect recipes. They make eating healthy way more fun. I barely ever follow a recipe to a tee, and I never measure anything, but a recipe gives me a base to get creative. (Then when I make something incredible, I have no idea how to replicate it! ;)

Visit a farmer’s market or a health food store, or plant a garden. Not to get all flowery (no pun intended), but seeing Earth’s beautiful bounty in the form of all that colorful produce just strengthens my resolve to nourish myself with what sprung from the soil and didn’t hurt anything or anyone to get here. I like to support local farmers, and I also like knowing that my tomato came from down the street and not from Argentina. Local means more nutrients and a reduced carbon footprint.

2Check ingredient labels. Many times, foods that look healthy simply aren’t. Michael Pollan advises in “Food Rules” not to buy anything with health claims on the package. If you can avoid MOST things in packages in the first place, you won’t have to worry so much. My rule is that if the food has a list of ingredients too long to clog up the aisle to bother to read, or if it has ingredients that remind me of chemistry class, I put it back on the shelf.

 Shop (mostly) the perimeter of the store. Whole grains and salsas and oils and such will be in the aisles, but once you stock up on the staples, you will mostly shop in the produce section the majority of the time you’re in the store. Bonus! Most of the items here don’t have labels and include one ingredient, simplifying your plight to decipher what’s healthy or not…

  BUT…there are some plants (and many processed, packaged items) that are genetically modified (or contain genetically modified ingredients). I won’t go into all the science of why this isn’t a good thing, but I will advise you to do some research on this subject. There are even apps for your phone that can show you, in a pinch, which brands and items to steer clear of.

.  Designate one day a week for grocery shopping (or market shopping). If you’re going a few weeks without buying groceries, you’re probably not consuming the freshest, healthiest food.

  Don’t be afraid to stick to your guns. People won’t like you less because you’re vegetarian, or vegan, or cutting out sugar or gluten or whatever. If they do, there’s something wrong, and it goes further than a dietary choice. Some people close to you may feel threatened when you decide to get healthy. It causes them to examine their own choices. You don’t owe it to anybody to be unhealthy or to eat things that make you squirm just so that everyone else is comfortable. I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life, and am going mostly vegan. At gatherings, I just offer to bring a dish. At restaurants, I find something (or create something) on the menu that I can eat. I don’t make a big deal out of it, so other people don’t usually feel the need to, either. If all else fails, keep a bag of nuts or a Clif bar or an apple in your purse or glove compartment, or eat before you go!

  Live by example. Prove to yourself, first and foremost, that you can feel, look, and be better by choosing health over the processed standard American diet. When you embody confidence in your choice, your enthusiasm is contagious. I had no idea my food/fitness blog posts inspired people, until I got e-mails thanking me for putting them up. In turns out a lot of us are interested in bettering ourselves, our communities, and our planet through the single most influential action: changing our diet. Remember that you’re NOT depriving yourself of the “good stuff” in life by eating clean. Quite the contrary. The stuff most of us claim to want (health, fitness, vitality for life, a long-lasting sex life, a lit-from-within glow, a hot body) stem from this very practice. Try it yourself, give it your all, and be astounded.

Here are some resources I have found super-helpful in my quest for great health. Check them out!

Cooking Light magazine

Women’s Health magazine

Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet

Beachbody

Chalene Johnson

Veganomicon cookbook

The Food Revolution by John Robbins

Food Rules by Michael Pollan

Meet Your Meat (PETA)

Forks Over Knives

Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

Center for Safety’s True Food app for iPhone

Leaping Bunny’s Cruelty Free app for iPhone

Urbanspoon app for iPhone (to read menus before we stop somewhere on the road)

MyFitnessPal app for iPhone (to track calories and goals)

Livestrong.com

Main Street Vegan by Victoria Moran

Pinterest (for recipes!)

Kris Carr

:)

Lindsey.

Black Truffle Rigatoni with Gruyere, Fontina, and Kale

This is one of those thrown-together experiments that I am absolutely loving right now. You can bulk up on the kale and eat less pasta to lighten things up, but I wouldn't substitute the heavenly gruyere and fontina for anything "light." Even I have my limits!

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

2 servings whole wheat or whole grain rigatoni, cooked al dente

1/4 c. (more or less) diced gruyere

1/4 c. (more or less) diced fontina

2 tbsp. flour (I used brown rice flour)

3 tbsp. milk (I used almond milk)

sea salt & pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper, to taste

2-3 large curly kale leaves, torn

splash of olive oil, for sauteeing (cooking spray or water work fine)

drizzle black truffle oil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain. 

In the meantime, heat sautee pan over medium and lightly sautee kale with red pepper (and a dash of parmesan, if desired) for 2 minutes. 

Toss cheese, flour, and milk into hot pan with pasta, and stir. It should get delightfully gooey. Add salt and pepper, if needed. 

Serve topped with kale, drizzled with truffle oil.

Yum!

I have been making this as a quick dish on my lunch break, and eating a small portion (it's filling, believe you me!) with a nice side salad. 

(My current favorite salad includes mixed leaf lettuce and baby spinach, kalamata olives, cucumber, sundried tomato, fat free feta, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar.)

Kale is probably my biggest pregnancy craving this time around. (I know, I know...I'm not normal.) Funny, I just read somewhere that people who start to eat "clean" diets will begin craving things like kale. I'm all for a good kale chip, but this red pepper sautee is truly amazing. I pair it with everything. 

Fun Kale Facts

(because I'm a listaholic nerd):

-repairs cellular damage and slows down/prevents cancer

-great source of vitamins C, K, beta carotene, and calcium

-is in the cabbage family

-steamed kale can help lower cholesterol (whfoods.com)

-natural anti-inflammatory

Back in my heyday, I never, EVER would have believed I'd be singing the praises of something in the cabbage family. What the eff has becoming a mom done to me? ;)

Lindsey.

-

(PS: On another note, because I've mentioned this previously: my mom had surgery today to remove precancerous cells in her breast. Her mother (my beautiful, lovely grandma, who is, to this day, one of my biggest inspirations) died at 59 years old of breast cancer--it spread to her bones and her brain. One of the BIG pieces of advice to my mom from her doctor is to LAY OFF the Diet Coke. My grandmother, too, was a constant drinker of diet pop. Of course, maybe it's just a coincidence, and I know heredity/genetic disposition plays a part. But I used to drink Diet Coke constantly, and this gives me another reason to feel great about not drinking it! My mom, too, has been working to give up the Diet Crack Coke. 

I love you, Momma!)

Night Playlist

What I'm listening to while I'm writing, revising, or wasting time reading Fifty Shades of Grey or playing Scramble with Friends.

The Antlers: Two
Deep Sea Diver: Repatriate
Lana Del Rey: Radio
Birdy: I'll Never Forget You
The Antlers: Epilogue
Real Estate: Green Aisles
The Kooks: Seaside
Vast: You Should Have Known Id Leave
Bon Iver: Beth/Rest
Metric: Twilight Galaxy
Emily Haines: Detective Daughter
Stars: Window Bird
Real Estate: Out of Tune
The Antlers: I Don't Want Love
Metric: The Gates
Lana Del Rey: Put me in a Movie
Red House Painters: Song for a Blue Guitar
Bon Iver: Michicant
Deer Tick: These Old Shoes
Neon Indian: 6669

Here's to being productive!

Lindsey.

Husband & Wife DATE IDEAS

We all, and by we I mean married people, are guilty of it. I mean, I think we all are. Maybe there are some of us who are innately skilled at keeping the romance alive despite years of matrimony, fights about bachelor parties, overworking, dirty diapers, toys all over the bedroom floor (and by toys I mean the Fischer Price variety), lack of time, lack of effort, lack of...makeup.

The rest of us, we struggle to keep our marriages hot.

We find ourselves wondering what happened. We used to have time to plan our outfits and dress sexy and wear perfect lipstick, and go out on amazing dates. Now a stolen block of five minutes feels illicit. We talk about the kids. We wonder what they're doing at the babysitter's. We hurry with our dinner. We complain about work. We drive home in panicked exhaustion that we've stayed up too late.

And on and on...

Well, List Queen that I am, I've been jotting down Date Ideas in hopes that I can use them on my husband. Last week, we left Reese with my mother in law and drove to Ann Arbor for an incredible meal at the brewery and a glass of wine (me) and Manhattan (Ben) at this fancy-pants place called Vinology. For the first time in too long, we connected. We let ourselves have fun, or at least as much fun as we could in my pregnant state. We talked. We held hands. We held hands! Hand-holding has been replaced in my vernacular with baby-holding, so the simple act of holding my husband's felt very sweet. I realized that I miss him. And I think most of us do this: we long for a family, and then we have one; instead of balancing all of our relationships, we throw all of our energy at the kids. Here's my belief: a strong marriage can only, in turn,  be beneficial for your kids. Here's my other belief: making time for JUST the two of you fortifies a strong marriage. You and your husband make time for canoodling and hand-holding and adventuring, and everybody wins.

Without further ado...

100 HUSBAND & WIFE DATE IDEAS

1. Stay at a swanky hotel, even in your area. Enjoy room service, hot tubs, and just being away from home.

2. Visit a winery (or several, but take a taxi!) for a tasting. Purchase a bottle of the one you both love best and save it for an anniversary. 

3. Take a boxing class together. (An excuse to buy some cute pink gloves!)

4. Visit a new city.

5. Try craft beers at a brewery. Most of the time, brew pubs offer excellent artisan food--bonus!

6. Take a restaurant tour: drinks here, dinner there, dessert somewhere else, and a nightcap. Works best in a walkable city.

7. See a baseball, football, basketball, or hockey game. Dress for your teams and take pictures. 

8. Go to a ballet, for an elegant evening out. 

9. Tour an art museum. A lot of them are free and have rotating exhibits.

10. Find a festival or fair and ride the rickety Scrambler together. No funnel cakes beforehand!

11. Amusement park!

12. Drive to the beach or the lake for the day...or even a local pool. 

13. Take a long bike ride.

14. Get in the car and JUST GO.

15. Go to the races. Bet against each other. 

16. Take a trip to the casino. (But spend wisely.)

17. Bust out the Mad Libs.

18. Visit the Humane Society and offer to walk the dogs. If you're looking for a pet, consider adopting one you find and fall in love with at the shelter. 

19. Attend a poetry reading. Bonus for erotic poetry!

20. Go out for late-night coffee. 

21. Meet on your lunch break for a walk in the park or a tryst in the car. Just don't get caught ;)

22. Take a home tour, or walk around your favorite neighborhood. Talk about what your "dream home" should have.

23. Start a home improvement project together. Celebrate when it's done.

24. Take photos in an unexpected environment. See what beauty you both can find when you really notice. 

25. Drive around and listen to a playlist of "your" songs.

26. Redecorate the bedroom--less clutter, more sexy!

27. Go dancing.

28. Rollerblade.

29. Hike the local terrain.

30. Pick out fresh produce at a farmers market or roadside stand, and enjoy it together.

31. Plant a garden. 

32. Rock climb.

33. Throw a dinner party. 

34. Get your favorite photo or work of art custom-framed together and create a showpiece for your home. 

35. Show each other the highlights of your hometowns, however small, if you're from different places. 

36. Pack a picnic, for the beach, park, or backyard. 

37. Lowkey night at home: grill out and hang out around a campfire. 

38. Sidewalk chalk and bubbles. Find your inner kid. 

39. Attend an opening at an art gallery. Support local art together.

40. Go on a mission to find out the history of your house.

41. Sleep in! Eat breakfast in bed and snuggle the morning away.

42. Find a great Groupon for something you wouldn't normally do.

43. The circus.

44. Take turns planning dates. Week one, he picks. Week two, you pick. Get to know each others' interests.

45. Couples photo shoot.

46. Visit a wildlife preserve.

47. Go for a walk around your neighborhood. Hold hands.

48. Catch lightning bugs.

49. Enter a 5k, a 10k, or a marathon. Train together!

50. Visit a haunted house, real or at Halloween.

51. Tailgate at home. Watch the game, make game food, and wear your team colors. 

52. Create a scavenger hunt.

53. People-watch and make up stories. Good places: diners, sidewalk cafes, parks, and laundromats at night.

54. Test drive the car of your dreams.

55. Pool hall. Place bets.

56. Go to a dive bar and play your old favorites on a real juke box.

57. Visit the zoo.

58. Have childlike fun at the science center.

59. Throw a theme party together.

60. Go back to where you first met.

61. Try a new workout at a fitness center. 

62. Get the season DVD of a show neither has seen and spend a rainy day watching it. With popcorn and warm blankets. 

63. Cook together.

64. Build a bonfire and roast marshmallows.

65. Meet somewhere and pretend it's the first time.

66. Splurge on fancy drinks at a cocktail bar. Dress up.

67. Scour the newspaper for local events and try something you wouldn't normally be interested in. 

68. Attend a charity function for something you both believe in, or host your own. 

69. Volunteer together.

70. Try a new church, if you're exploring your religion.

71. Get a couples' massage.

72. See a local band.

73. Go to a concert.

74. Drive-in movie. "Neck" in the car ;)

75. Have an at-home movie marathon.

76. Walk at the park. Play on the playground and be silly together.

77. Get ice cream.

78. Create new cocktails. Become mini-mixologists and build up an impressive bar.

79. Play old-school board games.

80. Carve pumpkins. Hello, competition!

81. Pick apples at an orchard in the fall. 

82. Scour antique shops for amazing vintage finds.

83. Shop someplace you could never afford anything, just for fun.

84. Road trip!

85. Camping.

86. Save up change in a change jar for a special occasion. Post the occasion on the outside of the jar for motivation.

87. Do something that scares you: roller coasters, bungee jumping, scuba diving. 

88. Go fishing.

89. Take a canoe or kayak trip.

90. Create a piece of art together, even if it's just with fingerpaint.

91. Build a sundae bar. Invite some friends over on a hot day for ice cream.

92. Do something so high school, like laser tag or paintball. 

93. Make a dinner date and pick out each others' outfits. Good insight into what the other person loves on you!

94. Go horseback riding, or take a lesson if you've never been.

95. Tour a historical building or town.

96. Watch a thunderstorm from your front porch.

97. Go ice skating, and out for cocoa afterwards. 

98. Build a snowman.

99. Write short letters to each other, or collaborate on a journal entry about your life together, and seal them. Open in 20 or 30 years.

100. Get up early and watch the sunrise together, then watch later as it goes down. Toast to another lucky day together. 

Hope these ideas are interesting for those of you looking to spice things up a little! I'm lucky to have married an incredibly fun, handsome and hardworking man, and I plan to implement these dates into our life together. It's especially important now that we're parents. After all, the kids wouldn't be here if it weren't for our love for each other. I think we should pay homage to that! 

In closing, because I'm feeling cheesy (I am NOT a "romantic") and in love, here are some lovey-dovey photos of my husband and me, in moments when we were feeling crazy about each other. Here's to many more of those!

Yearly Challenge List

It's been a hot minute since I've blogged, but man oh man--time is flying. With Reese's first birthday party (which doubled as my mom's surprise 50th), and various other crazy things, I have had very little time to even wash my hair. Anyway, I've been reading Brendon Burchard's The Charge and getting uber-excited about life (most of the time, anyway). If you need something to pump you up, get your engines charged, and inspire you to be kind, productive, and just generally better, this book is IT. This is one of the exercises Brendon suggests, and I had fun with it because I have a perpetual case of what I call List Lust (although now Reese is crying from her crib, and I guess my night of reflection is suddenly severed. Teething! Ugh!)

I hope that posting this will hold me to it, since I'm the queen of letting life get in the way.

Here's my list:

A YEAR Of CHALLENGES 

June: Learn to sew. (Take a sewing class. Get a sewing machine. Learn to hand-stitch. Practice with journals and crafts. Blog about new projects. )

July: Finish revising my rough draft. (Be DONE. Love it how it is. Be open to suggestion. Pray. Find an editor/editors to work their magic on it. DO NOT allow fear of rejection to hold you back from believing in the power of this little story.)

August: Learn about small business. (Read books. Make appointments. Read message boards. Follow through. LEARN. Knowledge is confidence. Make lists of questions and ask the right people. Continue making things. Create a vision board.)

September: Make things. (Scout for vintage fabric. Learn new techniques. Blog about it. Make those journals. Sell those journals! Start out small, and get into a groove. Little changes now equal big changes later. Be creative. Network. Ask.)

October: Write short stories. (Really focus. Continue crafting, but carve out time—before baby’s arrival!—to really get some good writing in. My favorite month! Be prolific. Write in an orchard. Be alone. Reflect. Use those journals!)

November: Be a mom (again). (Maternity leave. Enjoy it. Take pictures. Exercise. Eat well. Love. Spend family time. Meditate (I’ll need it!). Make & sell journals. Write & send stories to lit mags.)

December: Find an agent. (Focus extra time—aside from family & workouts & crafting & day to day miscellany—on actively pursuing publication. Send, send, beg. And enjoy the holidays.)

January: Focus on health. (Get a bangin’ body back. Train HARD. Eat like an athlete. Pick up a new workout. Take a class. Teach my daughter about exercise & nutrition. Be an example. Make new habits and lifestyle changes. Blog about it.)

February: Carve out time for reflection. (I’m turning 28! Do everything I love: exercise, write, craft, spend time with people I adore. Focus on abundance. Write down what I’ve learned and what I’m grateful for. Take photos. Read Buddhist books. Smile more.)

March: Make special time for special people. (Plan something lovely for each person who means so much to me: a phone call, a date, a trip, a card.)

April: Read. (Studying to be a good writer means reading good books. Pick 2 novels, and habitually read short stories and poems. Get inspired. Be a student.)

May: Tie up loose ends. (If I haven’t spoken to someone in a while, I will call them. If I haven’t done enough with my book, I’ll do it NOW. If I haven’t published enough stories or poems, I’ll send more. If I haven’t created a business to my fullest ability, I’ll focus my efforts on it. And I’ll make my new Challenge list, and get even better next time around.)