As I find ways to procrastinate studying for my midterms, I thought I'd share with you my top granola-ish wants at the moment.
1. An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace. By Tamar Adler.
I think this video might help you understand why I would like to own this cookbook.
2.A potted orange tree. For a never ending supply of vitamin C, and because I think it would look great in my apartment.
3. A Chemex coffee maker. For entertaining guests.
4. A free day in the sunshine. Without feeling guilty for not studying for a test.
I have mixed feeling about this holiday. I'm a little annoyed by the pressure couples feel to impress each other, and how single people all of a sudden get down on themselves. Nevertheless, I always find myself participating one way or another. So I wanted to share some Granola-ish ways to I like to celebrate.
1. Skip going out to dinner if at all possible! Instead, make this rendition of Vegetarian Pot Pie. I made this last year for Valentine's Day after I was inspired by the post on Big Girls, Small Kitchen. I liked the idea so much that I always make pot pies this way. It's adorable, and you end up eating MUCH less crust. I love the recipe these girls put together, it's an upgrade on the classic. However, I love to play around with pot pie recipes and end up making it a little differently each time.
2. Save some of the veggies (raw) you used to make your pot pie and eat them with this beet hummus to share at the office or with friends. Use the heart shaped cookie cutter you needed for the pot pie recipe, and make heart shaped pita bread.
3. I'm definitely going to try and do this DIY project I saw on Honestly... WTF, I love elbow patches.
4. Homemade cards are the best. I usually make the children's type to bring back the nostalgia of Valentine's day in elementary school (and they are compatible with my DIY skills), however this one I found via Pinterest really impressed me!
5. Lastly, make the day an excuse to give your sweetheart a massage. I recommend a foot massage, and when your fingers get tired, use this technique Shiatsu technique I learned in school. Ease into it though, elbows can be pretty intense!
***Bonus- you can listen to this animal collective song that I love, and think is very romantic.
On the Thursday night episode of The Daily Show, John Stewart interviewed an oncologist named Dr. David Agus. I was pretty impressed! So much so in fact, that I may have to buy his book (which is rare for me nowadays because I'm on a limited student budget). I wish I could find a clip of the interview for you, but you can watch the whole episode on Hulu, or Comedy Central.
After seeing it, I visited Dr. Agus' website, and I found a link to a personal health inventory questionnaire. THIS IS GOLD. Seriously. He made it so that you can fill it out before your next doctor's visit. This way you'll get the most out of your appointment. I find that M.D.'s these days skip these questions, and many of us don't spend time thinking about our personal health until something goes wrong.
Chances are if you're seeing an N.D. or an acupuncturist you have already thought about these things-they are trained to ask you these questions. However, no matter who your primary care doctor is, they should know these things about your health, and you should too!
Has anyone already read this book? What did you think of it? Do any of the questions on this questionnaire surprise you?
We went to Forbes Island to celebrate my friend Lauren's birthday last night. You have to take a ferry to get there. Then you have dinner on this island, that is also a boat, and also a restaurant. I had a delicious, put pretty heavy/meaty dinner with plenty of wine, so I thought I would make something light tonight!
So I made homemade udon with a miso broth. I love miso. The fermented bean paste has so many health benefits, I aim to eat it as much as possible. I've never made homemade udon before, but I've been meaning to try it out. I got the recipe from Mayumi's Kitchen. Mayumi is one of my favorite macrobiotics chefs. She used to cook for Madonna! I highly recommend buying her cookbook.
You can throw these noodles into just about any broth base. Tonight I made a miso soup with sweet potatoes, onions, and bok choy. Noodle recipe is after the jump!
I really like this brand of Miso. I bought these at Whole Foods. Another great thing about miso is it lasts for a REALLY long time, so you don't need to worry about "wasting" it.
Are you kicking your own butt? Many people I know are working on improving their heath, and often I see my family and friends punish themselves, or get frustrated when they don't succeed or stay on track. Whether it is sticking to your diet, cooking more meals at home, exercising, or whatever it is, we must understand that it is a lifelong process. Life gets crazy sometimes, and things WILL get in the way. So be gentle with yourself when it doesn't go as planned. Treat yourself how you would want others to treat you.
Have you ever considered what it is that your doing doesn't serve you? For example, I used to run. I would make plans to wake up early in the morning and work on my mileage. I dreaded it, and every few weeks I would quit, and then I would feel awful about it. My Dad even thought my running habit was crazy. He would say," If you see a Root running, you better run too, because something is chasing him." One day I finally realized he was right, and I quit. After that the guilty feelings I had subsided, and I noticed it left more room in my life for other things I liked to do.
I'm not suggesting you should quit exercising if you don't like it, but maybe try yoga, or swimming, walking, etc. Spend more time doing the things you like, and you'll probably be more successful.
*Listen to this if you ever need a reminder to be nicer to yourself.
