New Years Resolutions

There are a good 3-4 posts that just have not happened over the past few weeks. They will happen eventually, I think. As for now, however, let us discuss New Years Resolutions. I love them. I am AHHHMAZING at keeping them. So, for 2012 this is what I have decided upon:

1. Get into Graduate school. After I submit all of my applications, I don't think I'll have too much control over the acceptance process. All I can do is continue submitting the strongest applications I can create and pray everything works out. 
2. Get a tattoo. I have given this much thought, as one should with permanently marking their body, and I think Spring 2012 is going to be the time to embark on this. I will 100% post a picture when it happens. Hold me to it!
3. Year of the Abs. Forget losing weight, which is always one of my goals (which I did conquer in 2011!), this year I want a rocking midsection. I will overcome my hatred of all ab work and seriously tackle this goal. Eating appropriately 75...80% of the time included. ;)
4. Let us continue the theme of fitness. I would also like to run more this year. Definitely take on some more 5ks. Maybe even run a 10k next fall? I am hesitant to set the last goal because I am a scardy cat and I don't want to mess up my accomplishing New Years Resolutions streak. :D
5. In 2012 I would also like to date more? I am pretty iffy about this goal. I have been so uninterested in the opposite sex as of late, it is hard for me to imagine putting any real effort into meeting people. Don't get me wrong, I still love them and everything, but...I am just really uninterested. 2011 has not been a very social year for me...yet I don't have any real inclination to change that in 2012. Unless I get into Grad school. Clearly I'll force myself to make new friends at that point. I do want to survive!
6. Live It, Love It. Over my lifetime, all 23 years of it, I have struggled with appreciation. Over the past year or two, I have made very conscious efforts to embrace, accept and love my life as it comes to me. All of its ups and downs and happiness and ugliness. And in doing this I feel I have evolved into a better person, a happier person, a more well-rounded and balanced person. Thereby, this is one goal that I not only want to continue in 2012, but really be a part of each and every day I live.

So, this is what  I am looking forward to embracing in this upcoming new year. Have you considered what you'll conquer? Dear 2012, I'll see you in SF! SALUD Y FELIZ ANO NUEVO!!!

Love. Gap. Want.

I don't know if I ever told you this, or if you figured it out, but I essentially shop at two stores: Gap and Urban Outfitters. I also work at the Gap. I generally control my spending, but nevertheless, I am ALWAYS on top of new items. Thereby, here are my wants and loves from the Spring line!!! Salud!

1.Sooo...if I buy this in Tall. Like a Small Tall, it becomes a Tunic, right? Because that is how it works in my head and that is what I am trying to make happen. Plus, it has BATWINGS! YAY!! Downside: it's rayon. Rayon, without fail, will shrink no matter WHAT. :/ Also, unrelated, this model. I love her. I also love her hair. If I wasn't trying to grow my hair out, I'd have it cut to be an exact replica of hers.


2. SO! MUCH! POTENTIAL! What couldn't you do with this sweater and some leggings!? All Spring, All Fall!


3. I am on the fence about this dress. For starters, why does it not come in XS and S? It is quite slouchy as is and I cannot think that that is going to get better since it does not come in anything smaller than a medium. But it seems like it has such great potential. :/


4. I need new black flats. But I LOVE these in nude! LOVE. If they fit, I seriously might have to buy both pairs.
 

5.
I don't think I actually want this purse. I think it is very interesting, but one of those items you would have to see in person. There are no pockets, no wrist strap and it's 100% PU. I don't know what PU is exactly... polyurethane? Do I really want a polyurethane purse? Upside, it looks GIANT. I do like that. Hopefully we get it in store.

Lady Sailor

I was reading the January issue of Glamour & skimmed (read: read some quotes) an article about the growing trend of women cursing. One woman was saying that she believes women are doing it to impress men. Which, seems like a bit of a cop out. A stereotypical response, no? And so it made me question, when you use an explicative, why do you do it? (no one ever asks me these hard hitting questions in real life!)

Now, in truth, I'm not a big swearer. I call people "poop chutes" (think about it) and say "sugar cookies" when I stub my toe. I much prefer euphemisms. I think they're fun & quirky &, well, not vulgar. However, let me be frustrated & alone and I definitely start dropping f-bombs. OR if I'm talking to a long time female friend. Then it's like I was inducted into the Navy THAT afternoon & I can't stop. It ridiculous. I try to lock it up, but it feels SO unnatural. Thus, for me, most times it feels unnatural to curse, but other times it feels unnatural NOT to. What the heck, right? (that felt natural) I think, in truth, this is where this "debate" on women cursers lies. I 100% believe Mila Kunis & Chelsea Handler use vulgarity because that's where they feel comfortable, NOT to impress guys. I, in the other hand, role modeled myself after shows like The Brady Bunch and 19 & Counting and am a firm believe that cursing isn't lady-like. Thus not cursing is my comfort zone; especially in front of a guy! Maybe the magazine eventually came to that conclusion, but I think pinning this trend on an attempt to appeal more fully to men is, well, HOGWASH! Salud!

5k!!!

So, ladies & gents! I did it! I ran my first 5k!! It went pretty swimmingly during the run. Though, before the run, this is how my thoughts went: "Seriously, girly, what are you going to wear? It's 30 degrees outside! You never run in these temps. Further, you PAID people to let you run in these cold temperatures!? COME ON!" But once I got there & saw people in shorts, sans leggings, I felt a better.

Now, for the actual racing part! It went super well, in my opinion. I ran for the first 2.5 miles straight, the first 2 miles for sure. I did take a break from running to power walk for a little while, but then I picked it back up and ran all the way to the end. Party on Rockstar!!! Here's the funny/sad part. In my head, a 5k is essentially 3.5 miles, so I assumed the race was...3.5 miles. I finished the race with a time of 34:57 (though I SWEAR the time in person said 34:10. I'll let it go.) Now, you & I know my 3.5 mile time as of late has been right around 38 minutes. To finish UNDER 35!? Crazy effing PANTS! I was a SMITTEN KITTEN! However, later I checked the results and the race was actually only 3.1miles. -_- BOO MISINFORMATION! Honestly, I think I'm just going to pretend that I ran 3.5 miles in 34:10. My life! Long hair, don't care! I'll leave you with a picture. Salud!

How're You Doing, Thunder Thighs?

So this is going to be, supposed to be, a very quick life update. Where to begin? 5k? Okay! I signed up for a 5k that is taking place this upcoming Saturday and let me tell you, I SUCK at training. I have been planning this for over a month and each week I was supposed to consecutively run longer and longer, with a running schedule of Monday-Wednesday-Friday. At best I have run on a Tuesday/Friday split, per week on my "good" weeks. So, at this point, I am currently running the approximate 3.5 miles in right around 38 minutes and I am not running the whole time as I had hoped training would allow me to be. The upside of this is that 1. 38 minutes is only 3 minutes away from 35 minutes, which was my goal time for a 5k. 3 minutes might be a lot in running time, and I do not expect it to diminish suddenly in the next 3 days, but I still do not feel bad about that time. Especially since it is my first registered run. At least I am sticking to it and getting out there and staying fit. Cop out? Maybe, but I am very much into the power of positive thinking. 2. I also do not feel bad about this time because, what 8?, 8 years ago I was a chubby kid who could not run a mile, a single mile, in under 15 minutes. PROGRESS! Michelle Obama would be proud. (Also, remind me one day to record the conversation my parents had AT ME the other day regarding my fat stage. It was ridiculous.)

Running and applying to graduate school is taking up the bulk of my life currently. However, I was skimming my new issue of Oxygen Magazine (LOVE) and they had this legs routine entitled "No More Thunder Thighs". This title had me rolling, hence my title. I definitely have not been squatting like I was last spring and it's showing, but I do not think I am yet at the title of Thunder Thighs. I took some pictures of my running outfit today to show the overall loss of muscle tone, but not the complete lack thereof. So, what am I going to do about it? Follow this handy guide Oxygen sent me! December is about to be the month of triceps & (non)Thunder Thighs. I'm pretty excited. Running all the time gets a bit mundane for me.

Okay, back to running! As I was running today on the treadmill I decided that when I choose to power walk instead of run, it is not because I am out of breath or feeling weak, but because I am tired of running. Pushing myself to keep going and hit new goals is a real struggle for me because I, so I believe, am inherently lazy. I flat out get tired of running, it is ridiculous you know. However, I have really been trying to push through and keep going and I think I did an ace job of that today. Not only did I run for a longer stretch, I was able to hit that time of 38 minutes which, clearly, I am extremely proud of. And, to top it all off, I am sore! Go team this girl! Okay, now that I have said all that I, sadly, must get back to working on grad school apps. Life is getting crazy, I will try to post about these apps (or food!!!) tomorrow/sometime this week. Salud!

Maturity Blogging and Chicken Noodle Soup, Part Deux

I was scouring for new blogs to follow this morning/afternoon (It's already 2pm!? !Ay Dios mio!) And I have come to a conclusion: I think my blogging interests have matured. I am unsure how to explain it, exactly, but blogs focused on people, generally women, in graduate school and their resulting lives is what is interesting me the most. Perhaps it is because I am embarking on graduate school as a female so I thereby feel more drawn and interested. That probably is it, nevertheless, I definitely hope this influences my own writing and life maturity overall...slowly. I cannot imagine, of a sudden, being mature at their level all at once. I do like where it is leading though! Here is a list of the new blogs I am investing myself in.

• http://babynhm.blogspot.com
• http://cherishedcollapse.blogspot.com/
• http://nolongersilent09.blogspot.com
• http://thesabbathbee.blogspot.com/

On an unrelated note, I made Chicken Noodle Soup again. I need to work on my broth making skills. This stuff tastes like plain noodles in hot water with boiled chicken. It is NOT the best forray into cooking I have ever had. *sigh* We'll get em next time, tiger. Salud!

Maxi Skirts?

I really did spend a large chunk of time today exploring Maxi skirts. I didn't want you guys to think I was being COMPLETELY flaky! And with all of my looking I have decided that...I am going to have to sew my own Maxi skirts. My legs are just too long to be successful in commercially produced maxi skirts. I wonder how that's going to pan out if I want patterned skirts. I will clearly have to start with solid colors. This is seeming like a very tricky endeavor. Are skirts just made from super giant pieces of fabric!?  *sigh* I did find two skirts to leave you pictures. The first is a Winter Kate and at $135 I'm glad it is out of stock b/c I'm pretty sure I would not have been willing to hand over this amount for it. The second is not a Maxi, but it's totally cute, reasonably priced and I want it! Salud!


http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=WINT-WQ1&c=


http://shopruche.com/retail-therapy-skirt-in-green-p-9182.html#NP=facf57c665ddf055c22f33705e159c6d

Clothes I Suppose

While I was lying in bed not sleeping this morning I had all these great things to blog about. Now that I am actually here, they seem to have gone. Let's see if I can pull something together. I was watching New Girl, I wanted to post about tv in general (coming soon)...okay, ready!

I think Zoey Deschanel, in character as Jess, is going to cause a clothing revolution in my life. Her and Lea Michelle as Rachel. In one of the episodes of New Girl "Jess" is wearing this scoop neck shirt, 3/4 sleeve I think, but the scoop is showing off some serious cleavage. The only way she is able to get away with this, however, is because she's small busted. I have always been a big proponent of rocking extra cleavage as a small busted person, mainly because I am a small busted person and I like it when double standards work in my favor. Fact, I can wear the SAME cleavage exposing shirt as a bigger busted person and look normal while they look inappropriate or worse. One of the few few perks. Ahm, now that I have appropriately digressed, let me regress and get to where I was going in the first place. I like this movement of not skin tight, semi-mini skirts being combined with sleeved shirts. I think I might pick this up for...late spring. I find it to be tricky because I don't like to be cold and my shoe collection is NOT fly enough to promote mass usage of leggings. 2012, I will definitely be working on my shoe collection. Round toed flats is what it seems I need. Maybe throw in some kitten heels for good measure. In addition, I also want to add maxi skirts to my wardrobe. Being 5'10, however, nothing is ever "maxi" enough for my tastes. I'll try to work it out. On that note, I want to leave you with a picture (from my new iphone!!!) of my current clothing desire. Indeed, it might prove prudent to create a whole post of pictures. Salud!

New Running Leggings

Let us start this post off with a picture.

Look how cute my running outfit is! Note the water, hydration is a must! Now, note the leggings. I just purchased them from the Gap. They're the gFast running leggings in a size medium. Clearly, as the picture attests (haha), they look great on. Function wise...not quite it. Before I begin this tale of woe, because that is what this is, let me preface by saying that I totally laughed at one of the girls in my colorguard group the other week because she was wearing leggings and the crotch part kept falling to her knees. *Karma* 

Today I broke in my new leggings. I was running along, getting into my groove when my new leggings slowly, but surely began to shimmy down my legs. First I had to make sure this wasn't just in my mind...then I had to stop and pull them back up. Now, because I'm ridiculous, my leggings were tucked inside my socks so I thought, "Hm, maybe if I UNtuck my leggings they won't keep falling down." False. I had to stop and adjust my leggings 3 more times. It was really quite annoying...and a wee bit awkward. Nevertheless, I have not given up on the leggings. Maybe post wash they'll get their business together and work out better. Or! Maybe I need to wear shorts with them. I'll try both and see where it gets me.

Upside, I was able to knock out the 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. If I can up this to 3 miles in 30 minutes next week and then 3.5 miles in 35 minutes the following week I should be GOLDEN for the 5k I'm running on December 10th (not 5th). Fingers crossed training goes smoothly even with the inclusion of Thanksgiving. Salud!

Ps~ I made a pact with myself that I would NOT be gaining winter weight this year, I think it's working out in my favor!

Loving It Because It's Friday!

So, I didn't really have too many favorites this week. Not that it wasn't a good week, but nothing really rocked my socks. Well, aside from these cookies. But I haven't even tried them yet, so Idk how much of a favorite they can be. Maybe it should be Friday of Potential Favorites. Let's go with that so I can add more items!

1. I am UBER excited about trying these Peanut Butter Cookies from thegraciouspantry.com. Look at these puppies, LOOK AT IT! I wonder if the whole wheat pastry flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour. Or if you sift whole wheat flour it'll thin it out so it won't be as heavy. We'll find out. GET EXCITED!



2. Drake, Take Care
So, you know, haven't heard the album. I've heard the songs that have hit the radios like Headlines and Marvin's Room, The Motto. Big fan of EVERYTHING he's doing currently, so I assume I'm going to be really into his album. But it's like $15 on itunes. On the one hand, because I'm such a strong follower, I am almost certain the record is worth the $15. On the other hand...I feel like that price is high. So, I'm going to play the waiting game. Maybe it'll be a Christmas present?? (It's weird not having a picture or something)

3. Iphone 4s
I ORDERED IT!!! It's not arriving until December 9th. ALL the stores are out! I'm super excited. I got it in black, I hope I like it better than the white. The white seemed too...popular. Like everyone and their mom was going to have it. I'm unconvinced Siri is going to be vital to my life, but being able to email, BLOG, and track my running ALL through my phone!?!? Priceless! Clearly not priceless seeing as I dropped $200 on this mess. (Now you know why wack self won't pay that $15 for the Drake album. My bank account needs to recoup!) I'm super excited about this phone. Oh, you know who else was super excited about it though? Adonis! Lol. He was almost more excited than I was. I hope he knows I don't share.


4. Mac Miller, Blue Slide Park
I've been listening to a lot of Hip Hop recently. I am unsure why, it might make me feel extra cool. So, somehow I discovered Mac Miller. I enjoy his album lots, but not actually enough to call it a favorite. I think if I found him less attractive I would probably listen to it less, which is terrible because it would have absolutely NOTHING to do with his talent. Regardless, in my head this is what he looks like daily (see below) and I think he's really attractive in the thin-lipped, rough around the edges kind of way. I really enjoy people with thin lips sometimes. Again, this has NOTHING to do with his rapping ability. This is why I don't discuss certain music genres with people, I'm SO... illegitimate! To be more...legitimate I will say that I DO have a favorite track on the album. Missed Calls. I always enjoy tracks that are smooth and ride the line between rapping and singing. It's probably why I'm so drawn to Drake as an artist. I added the song below. Salud!

Chicken Noodle Soup, Part 1

Guys, I don't know why I lied and said I was going to triple post yesterday. I didn't even have three posts lined up. But I DID make Chicken Noodle Soup yesterday. I'm going to tell you right now: it was labor intensive and next time I'm making it using homemade stock. I'll explain that last part at the end. So, let's get started. I cooked this in three sections.

Section 1: Chicken
(Do you know how to cook chicken? In my house it's generally always a variation) 4 skinless chicken breasts heavily seasoned with: thyme, basil, parsley and pepper. Brown on both sides in a skillet. Add combination of water and chicken broth (about a cup together) and some bay leaves. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, turning half-way through. Save liquid. Cut up chicken.

Section 2: Broth Thickener
Boiled a potato, cut into chunks, (small golden kind...Yukon Gold) and 4 sections of garlic in about 2 cups of chicken broth until everything was soft enough to mash. Then I mashed everything. THEN I put everything in a mesh strainer, strained the liquid and alternately mashed the solids through strainer and scraped the mashings from the outside of the strainer to add to the previously strained broth. Then I had to heat and swirl, a la the Clean Mac n' Cheese recipe, until the SUPER strained potatoes and garlic mixed into the broth. Clearly this took 7 years.

Section 3: Soup
I took the liquid from sections 1 and 2 and added 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water in a large stew  pot. Then I added potato, onion and carrot chunks, chicken and 3 cups of noodles. I cooked this, adding combinations of broth and water depending on how low the liquid became, until the noodles were finished cooking.

Verdict: Super tasty soup. Way too many noodles. I don't even want to think about how much sodium ended up in there because of all the store bought "reduced-sodium" broth I used.

Changes I'll make in December when I cook this again: 2 cups of noodles instead of 3, more strained potatoes to make the actual stock thicker (maybe 3-4), cooking a stock ahead of time from scratch, adding seasonings to the stock (instead of relying on the seasoning from cooking the chicken), less carrots and potatoes and I might use a string pasta instead of rigatoni. Hopefully, in December I'll have a camera too so I'll have a picture to show for all my hard work. Dreaming big! Salud!

Clean Mac n' Cheese

Triple Post Sunday!!! You have to wonder why I don't post throughout the week instead of overloading on a single day. Your guess is as good as mine. I'm going to start with laziness and end with I'm busy. Maybe I'll try to do better next year. New Year's Resolution? Lol. Anyway, I wanted to do a second review of thegraciouspantry's Clean Mac n' Cheese. That's right, I tried it again and really aced it this time! I figured out that go get the flour to meld into the milk, you have to nurse THE MESS out of it. I mean adding fragments of teaspoons of flour at a time and then alternating between swirling the pot and whisking. Of course, simultaneously, you have to make sure the milk doesn't boil. So at this point you're swirling, whisking, taking the pot on and off the stove, sprinkling fragments of flour, repeat until all the flour is in there. *whew* right? Definitely WHEW! But, totally worth it in the end. Also, instead of whole wheat flour I used basic unbleached white flour. I think using both whole wheat flour and whole wheat noodles creates too strong of a whole wheat flavoring. In addition, I used less ground mustard. Overall this attempt was far superior to the one prior. And, plus side, the recipe is so simple it's super easy to throw together in a pinch. Which I did. At this point, I would 100% say this is a 4 star recipe. If for nothing more than the ease of creation. It taste good too, not yet kraft, but definitely passable as a mac and cheese sauce recipe. Check it!


http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-macaroni-and-cheese/

(I really need to buy a camera.)

Big Decision...Friday

Haha. It's not a Friday Favorites post, though I will try to do one later. I have decided that I may attempt to make...Chicken Noodle Soup today. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but you also don't know my relationship with Chicken Noodle Soup. It's generally a HEAVILY skeptical, squinty eyed "I don't like you, I don't trust you and I'm 97% sure I don't want you in my mouth" relationship. Honest to goodness, I didn't eat Chicken Noodle Soup until I was...21. And when I get sick, heads will roll if someone brings me the stuff (instead I eat Chicken Tortilla [from Rayley's]{I'm a terrible sick person.}). That being said, there is that 3% of the time when I love the soup. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to make it personally so that it falls into that 3%. Wish me luck!

Loving It Because It's Friday!

aka Friday Favorites!

1. Everyone who is anyone knows that I have been wanting a Letterman's Jacket for AGES! And Drake, with his...RIDICULOUS self is answering my dream and dangling it outside of my reach at the same time! Check it:

OVO Tour Jacket!!! It's it NOICE!? *sigh* I want, I want, but look, it's only available in two places...neither of which are close to me! *double sigh*

2. Well we may as well stay on the Drake train! He released a new song...ish. I'm LOVING it! Check it:
Drake - The Motto Feat. Lil Wayne by octobersveryown
In fact, check out his whole blog. I do enjoy going there from time to time. (Errrday, errrday, errrday)
http://octobersveryown.blogspot.com/

3. All things mini! Yesterday's post I mentioned I made mini-meat-loafs that were delicious even though the bottoms weren't completely solid. :/ But today, I took it to a whole new level and made...MINI PUMPKIN PIES!!! I stole the recipe from Bakerlla, down sized it, yet still had a dumb amount of pumpkin pie filling left over. These puppies were delicious and VERY dangerous. I thought making them smaller would curtail how much I ate. On the one hand, sure, on the other hand I've had four this evening. That's 1/3 of the batch I made. :/ Also, there is NOTHING clean about this recipe. Didn't even try. :/ -> :( (Haha, it's like I'm not even on the clean eating train right now! I am...) But, if you do want to cheat/reward yourself, THIS IS IT!
http://www.bakerella.com/pumpkin-pie-bites/
 

4. Also, the Hillbilly Housewife saved my life tonight. Did you know that if you need tomato juice, you can make a low sodium version using tomato paste and WATER! It's the little things that get me every time! Love, love, love!!!
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/tomatojuice.htm

Heck yes, Friday! HECK YES! Salud!

Tomato Soup...TOMATO BASIL SOUP

BIG DIFFERENCE. I do like them both, but Tomato Basil is SO much richer. But! Do you know why it is so much richer?? Because legit Tomato Basil calls for heavy cream AND a good chunk of butter. Delicious...definitely not nutritious. My favorite recipe, thus far, is from allrecipes.com (In your face! Not from Tiffany! Lol.) http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rich-and-creamy-tomato-basil-soup/detail.aspx It's super legit. 5 out of 5.


Today I pulled this recipe from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-basil-soup-10000000225897/. It's also legit. The cream cheese did not blend in properly, so there were specks throughout. Didn't actually affect the taste. I will say that I added sugar at the end because it was very acidic. (I also used a combination of tomato paste and water instead of tomato juice) So, I think it was "cleaner" than the OG version above because it used 2% milk instead of cream, but it also used cream cheese instead of butter & cream. I don't think cream cheese, I know, isn't clean. Clearly I'll have to keep looking.


Until then, there is always Tiffany's recipe!!! It's totally clean and totally delicious. It's just not a Tomato Basil, solely Tomato-- which is fine if that's what you're in the mood for. Personally, I like to add extra carrots. http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-tomato-soup/ .


Until I figure out how to make clean Tomato Basil, I'll just have to keep going back and forth between these three. Clearly cooking Tomato soup more often than Tomato Basil...maybe. :D Salud!

Oh. My. Lawd!

Uploading this DANG BLASTED VIDEO! I can't. I'm going to bed. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Salud!

Rookie Mistakes

I've been making them all day. *sigh* But, lesson learned, you know? So I had this serious hankering for Mac and Cheese and we all know, if I'm cooking it's going to be clean. Therefore, I turned to my favorite clean chef Tiffany at, you guessed it, Thegraciouspantry.com. Check it:

I thought it was good. Kinda hit the spot. A 3.85 out of 5. I don't think I like Mac n' Cheese that has a pourable sauce. I like it to be combined. Like with Kraft. Or baked, like real homemade Mac n' Cheese...but mainly like Kraft. ANYways, I don't think using whole wheat flour (which I assume is used as a thickener) was wise...it's not that it settled or clumped, but you could definitely taste it. But I will say the sauce, overall, has a lot of potential. I would try it again sans flour and less ground mustard (my B!) AND I was thoroughly surprised how tasty the whole wheat macaroni turned out. I was expecting it to taste like poop. If  you really want clean Mac n' Cheese I recommend trying it; it's easy and tasty in it's own way.
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-macaroni-and-cheese/

Further, I decided that along with my Mac n'Cheese I wanted to have mini meatloaf. Great idea, on the one hand, that I stole from Lacey at http://shesinyourface.blogspot.com. (Clearly I don't come up with my own recipes) She stole her recipe from Jamie Eason (I die!) and overall, it looks totally legit. Check it:

http://shesinyourface.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-heart-mini-meatloaves.html
I didn't use that recipe. Maybe one day. Instead, I used a basic meatloaf recipe (ground beef, green onions, bbq sauce[clean aspect OUT THE WINDOW!], bread crumbs[c'mon Lady!], an egg, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce & 1/2 serrano pepper). If you really want the recipe laid out bit by bit, let me know. Well, let me tell you. Generally speaking, I'm an ace meatloaf maker, however, because I decided I wanted to make mini meat loafs, here are two key aspects that everyone should know, and I should have caught.

Rookie mistake #1: If you note, the recipe at Lacey's site specifically uses a super lean meat (ground chicken or turkey). I, on the other hand, used lean ground beef. Normally this would be okay except when you make meatloaf in a muffin tin, there's no where for that extra oil and fat to drain to. Instead it's just sitting in the bottom of the muffin paper waiting for you. *sigh*

Rookie mistake #2: I like to minimize cleanup and thereby always use aluminum foil, or in this case, paper cupcake holders. I think, I know, this caused the meatloaf to cook unevenly so the whole thing was cooked, but the bottom part sitting in that contained oil didn't stiffen. It was super lame and super rookie-ish on my part. *sigh*

We'll get 'em next time, tiger, no? Salud!

Pumpkin REVIEW(S)!!!

I don't know if I've ever disclosed this, but! I love Tiffany at http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/. Well, I don't know her, but I love the recipes she provides (they're clean and doable!!!), particularly these two I recently discovered involving pumpkin.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte

Totally delicious. Totally reminiscent of Starbucks. Personally I like it better than Starbucks...the Starbucks version is too strong (coffee & pumpkin spice wise), but this version is wonderfully tweakable, which is key for my burgeoning coffee addiction, but easy on my still low tolerance for caffeine!! Totally try the recipe, I promise it will be your new favorite fall drink!
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-pumpkin-spice-latte/

2. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

So...I wasn't actually a fan. I think the ratio of pumpkin puree, for me, was off. Don't get me wrong, I totally ate it because I'm ridiculous like that, but I cut the recipe in half and if I were to make it again, debatable, I'd have to cut the puree portion in half again.

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal/

Shot post, short reviews, short and sweet recipes! Gotta love it, no? Salud!

Hair Update & New Piercing!!!

Watch the video!!! (Look at me pretending I'm tech savvy and it didn't take me 7 flipping years to get this down! Lol.)

Gymspiration?

Help! I have none!! I am completely unmotivated to go to the gym. Mainly because it's boring as heck. There was this gym class that captivated my attention for a while, but we've been doing the SAME routine for WEEKS! Seriously instructor!? You can't create new routines??? I miss BodyAttack. We were FOREVER doing new routines and it was fun and challenging and my instructor loved me. *sigh* I really think if I could I would plan my life around gyms that hosted BodyAttack classes and the times for those classes. This other class with Rita, I'm not even sure that's her name, is for the birds.
In turn, because, I was SO unmotivated today, I asked my twitter followers for some gymspiration. One person responded b/c they all suck and that one response was crap. Why couldn't any of them say, "You know you're light-weight seeing a guy with the body of Adonis who's going to ask you to go hot tubbing later! You better take your sorry behind to the gym!"? Probably because no one knew Adonis was going to suggest hot tubbing. Also because I never update anyone about my life and thereby no one knows of Adonis. Lol. Needless to say my fat self turned down the offer. I also went to Carl's Jr. for the most unsatisfying dinner I've had in a LONG time. Why do I ever take breaks from eating clean??? *sigh again* So I think my new game plan is to go to the gym after work tomorrow, come hell or high water, and to subscribe to Oxygen magazine. Huge fan of the mag, never manage to send in my subscription. Game face on!

Ps~ On the one hand, I am totally complaining about being a lazy-bot and not going to the gym. On the other hand, I'm stressing about these graduate school application essays, one in particular, and it's making me a Crabby Cathy. Mainly because the essay is COMPLETE crap and I can't get it to be otherwise. I was supposed to be sending it out tomorrow. That's not flipping happening. *stress buckets* I don't know why this essay is so difficult for me. I'm applying to ENGLISH graduate school! If there is one area I should be acing, it is essay writing. *sigh again again* I need more Yoga in my life. Salud.

Shoes!

Did I ever tell you I love it when a heavily trademarked brand makes an item or line that doesn't necessarily fall into what they're known for producing? I'll give you two examples: Crocs and Sperry Top-Siders.

1. Crocs. Everyone and their mother should be aware of what Crocs are. Those atrocious, holey, rubber shoes that people buy "to garden in", but end up wearing EVERYWHERE because they're "so comfortable". I hate Crocs because they are ugh! gag! vomit! UGLY. I refuse to let anyone in my family purchase a pair and seriously question friendships when I find out someone I know owns a pair. It's that serious. That being said, Crocs came out with a sneaker that I think is aDORable! Check it:

The only reason this works for me is because it looks like nothing Crocs has ever put out EVER. I love it. The website says they're a retro style sneaker and I'd have to agree. I'm not even a sneakers fan, but these definitely look like something that should be added to my wardrobe. Can you imagine this with some rolled up skinny jeans? Perhaps the dark purple (Gap calls it "terra brown". Brown my foot!) Always Skinny ones from the Gap??? Yup, I just planned an outfit in my head around items I don't own...yet!

2. Sperry Top-Sider. I feel the COMPLETE opposite about Sperry as I do about Crocs. Sperry can do no wrong in my eyes. Love love love just about everything they put out. Everyone again, and their mother, should know what the classic top-sider looks like. And there are always fabric and texture variations that go along with the classic. However, I love it when Sperry walks into the boot category.

If you need a rain boot, this is where I'm sending you! It comes in 5 different colors/color combinations, including a Brown Suade that is SUPER bossy! I find Sperry making rain boots makes sense, because, in my head, they're all about water. But I am a super picky rain boot wearer and these rain boots are hitting my standards. I think they are a thoughtful and fun option to the super basic contraptions found at Target or the less basic, but still not up my ally, boots from Hunter. In short I think they're great and if I didn't already have a winter shoe, I would definitely pick up a pair. Salud!

Links!:
Crocs: http://bit.ly/osAu9l
Gap: http://gap.us/qjY2SR
Sperry: http://bit.ly/njmo3x

The Body Issue

I was talking to my friend the other day and he asked me, point blank, "how do you feel about your stretch marks?". It was a perfectly acceptable question, but it got me thinking. So I took a good hard look in the mirror at myself, and my stretch marks, and concluded that they are actually something I generally don't think about. It's not that I like them, but they're there and I so I accept them. Plus, no person is ever going to see them and think "Oh, she has stretch marks. I want nothing to do with her." And if that's what they really thought, then surely we need not be friends. It isn't that I'm super body confident. I know I could do more crunches, I know I shouldn't have eaten that second piece of cake, I know my hair needs to be shaped. But those are all things I can take care of. Stretch marks, they are what they are. I'm glad I know where to draw the line.

Because It's Friday

I wanted to share, very much akin to Friday Favorites, what is rocking my socks this week. I really should have done this earlier when I had all these things on my mind. I'll try to pull it together.

1. Lauren Conrad, of course! Quite frankly, I seem obsessed at this point. I follower her on twitter and she linked to her hair of which she dyed her tips peach. PEACH! Not yellow, not orange, not pink, PEACH! I just thought it was such a novel move because it almost blends with her blond hair. It caught me off-guard in a good way.

There are more details when you go to: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/10/color-code/

2.This boy. I was watching tv with him the other day and got into this conversation:
Him: I bet you don't know who that is [in the commercial].
Me: Derrick Rose.
Him: Wow. I'm surprised you know that
Me: *angry face*
So today he sent me this picture with the caption: I bet you don't know who this is. It was him. It was hilarious.
http://montereyherald.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=34576095&event=1206528&CategoryID=35605&picnum=2&move=B#Image

3. Selena Gomez! She tweeted this video and it had me rolling! The gangster version, I thought, was risque. Not in the I'm-up-in-arms-about-it risque, but the I've-never-seen-this-side-of-Selena-and-I-don't-know-if-I'm-ready-for-it risque. Nevertheless, I love her and this video and I'm happy she's hosting the EMAs. (EUROPEAN MUSIC AWARDS! I just figured out what that stood for.) "Seriously, shut your face!"
http://tv.mtvema.com/video/ema2011-promos

4. Let's talk music. Generally anyone can tell you that this girl, not a fan of Beyonce. But she got preggers, and I always find pregnant celebrities INFINITELY more fascinating than non-preggers celebs. That, apparently, is why I am LOVIN' her song Countdown. I have listened to it SO many times today that I assumed I would like the whole album and downloaded the whole thing. I then had to go delete everything but Countdown because I, in fact, still dislike her music. Ridiculous. I know.



Also, check out this new song, Wetsuit, from The Vaccines. It's another sole song that I'm loving today.



Well I did it, mijos. I remembered everything that I should have. I wonder if I'll have a stockpile of things I'm loving next week. We'll see. Salud!

Hair Update!

So I made a video, to update you all, on my hair. I may have been a bit dramatic. I'm just in this limbo place with my hair...though I feel that's been the story for a while. What I'm thinking is I should dye it...like a lighter shade of brown/auburn/brown with red undertones? Or, thought of this today, maybe some highlighting? Huh? Huh? I don't know. Like the video will say, I have to go to the hairdressers soon so we'll see how it turns out. Enjoy!

Proud New Owner

of these:


They're the new Hiker Boots from the LC Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl's. I'm SUPER excited. They're crazy cute on. They make me look like I'm going to do something sexy and rugged at the same time...like a bikini photo shoot while you're in the desert. A completely ridiculous situation, but you know me. Love it!
Speaking of me and loving things, I am all over Lauren Conrad's ENTIRE collection. I bought her motorcycle jacket last spring, I bought her ruched sleeve, open front blazer in black a month ago. She is just on top of making pieces that a girl can work around. Really love where she's taking me right now...even though she is simultaneously hitting my pocketbook pretty hard. :D I'll survive.

I also love these tops she created. It has the shape of a top that I find to be reminiscent of the 1950s. Check it:
 

Salud!

Fall Nails! (the beauty department/LC)!!

So, I'm a pretty solid fan of Lauren Conrad and she talked about her fall nail pics at thebeautydepartment.com. I, thereby, thought it would be prudent to share. I recently purchased a set of mini-polishes from Opi (Roadies) and I think they're going to be the basis for my fall nails. I'll blog about that later because I'm IN LOVE with these four colors. Until then, definitely check out the link below. Because if LC says that's what's up...THAT'S WHAT'S UP! Also, if you too love LC (did you know only her fans call her that? Lol. I'm lame.) you'll find it worthwhile to check her personal website. It's legit, much like the creator.

Pick a color… - thebeautydepartment.com
http://www.laurenconrad.com/

Fall Fashion

So, I'm here to declaim that I am very into everyday fashion. I'm not a runway lover or a thrift store peruser.  I like clothes that flatter my frame and personality. Why would I wear something that I'm not going to get complimented in? Nonsense! I will say, that this philosophy changes in Winter when I like to pretend I'm from the Ozarks and dress accordingly. That being said, I thought I'd share some of my fall fashion desires!!! (Thus far)

1. (This isn't actually on my list, but!)

I think this faux ostrich skin hobo has a lot of potential because it's a neutral taupe color. I think neutrals and browns are a HUGE part of fall collections, always, but finding interesting tones and usages of the colors, like the texture here, is not always the simplest of undertakings. On the downside I wouldn't buy this bag because there is no picture detailing what it looks like inside (don't you hate that!?). Also because some/many faux fabrics feel cheap. I know I'm balling on a budget, but anyone who sees/touches my purse doesn't need to know that!
Nevertheless, if you are a fan of the bag, I pulled it from Avon.  http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?ode=&level1_id=300&level2_id=584&pdept_id=662&pf_id=42839&level=3

2. This sweater is what I really went to Avon for. I'm, sadly, on the email list for when it is finally available for purchase. :(

This picture is what sold me on the item. In my head this lady is a SPOT ON paradigm of what my style is! It's cool, it's casual, it's simple, it's tied together, it's ME! In addition, I am also particularly fond of this cocoon sweater because of its shape. There are a lot of cocoon sweaters out there that seem to not complete the cocoon shape. Instead they end like any other sweater instead of curving around the bum. I want that curve...I just want this sweater. I'll take a picture when I finally receive it in the mail.
http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?src_page=product_list.aspx&level1_id=300&level2_id=584&pdept_id=372&dept_id=649&pf_id=42596

3. Speaking of sweaters, I discovered this new sweater company located in England. I decided I wanted a fisherman's sweater and I found that and a WHOLE lot more! The website address is Woolovers.us; that should tell you something right there... OZARKS!!!

This is the Classic Aran sweater, crew neck. I really want it in this oatmeal color, but there are two problems. I hate sweaters that rub against my neck (read: anything crew neck) and I look HORRIBLE in anything oatmeal. It's that one color I ALWAYS want to wear, but never can. Thus I think I would need to be reasonable and purchase:

THE ARAN ZIP SWEATER! Lol. I'm not as fond of it, but I think it is going to be crazy warm and un-fashionable and I thereby DIG IT!
They also have really cute cashmere sweaters for women in v-necks that I like a lot, but not more than these manly, heavy duty sweaters. I think these sweaters are unisex, to be honest, but I pulled them from the men's pages.
http://www.woolovers.us/british-wool/unisex/oatmeal-nep/wool-aran-jumper.aspx
http://www.woolovers.us/british-wool/mens-womens/kiltimagh/aran-cable-zip-neck.aspx
Fyi, I just reviewed their women's sweater section and on the one hand, the women's sweaters are SUPER cute. I generally steer away from men's sweaters/clothing because men are built differently than women and so the overall fit becomes a bit boxy. I'm not actually into boxy, but I much prefer the length of the unisex and men's sweaters to that of their female counterparts. I don't like sweaters that end at the top of my pants. I find they 1. let cold air into my mid section and 2 make me look fat.

4. Snake skin, my friends, is ALWAYS in style!

So, the print is super subtle, which makes the fact that it is covering this legging jean super acceptable. I've yet to buy a pair of legging jeans from the Gap because I have issues with the sizing, mainly that the tall generally comes in styles I don't want. But these, my friends, these are the bees knees. I think I'll definitely own them by November. Ps~ the model is topless, Idk if you knew, because there's this serious movement raising the waist of jeans/pants. It started with the comeback of the high-waist and has trickled down to popularizing the mid-waist, which this pair of legging jeans happens to be. Good-bye pants slipping down!
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=56799&vid=2&pid=869209

So, my dears, those are my fall idols. Very basic items, but I'm EXCITED!!!

I Did It!

It's done! I took the GREs! Phase 1: complete! I can't tell if I actually made a good showing or not. I did go in there with my head up read to take the test balls-to-the-wall. I feel like I did okay. I did my best, I feel...though Heaven knows that's not always good enough. We'll see what November reveals to us. Until then, Phase 2: recommendation letters and Phase 3: actually applying will commence!

I'm really glad the stress about taking this test is gone.

Hotel Adventures

I made it (hours ago in case you were truly concerned)! I'm sitting here sipping "Bed Time" tea, for the nerves you know, and I think the final verdict is that tomorrow, when I take this test, I'm going to make a solid showing. Of course I am going to aim for that 100%, best scoring of my life, but regardless I want graduate schools to look at my scores and say, "This girl. She has potential. She could make it here." Or even better, "This girl. She would be an excellent addition to our institution." That would be the ace's spades (is that a real saying?). That being said, I must hit the hay; this tea is kicking in. This post had nothing to do with hotel adventures. I will say, however, that this coffee pot is was as all get out. It has been percolating for a good hour, yet there's less than a cup of water prepared. -_- Idk what is going on, I'm just going to turn it off.

Day Trips Are Worse Than Moving

Lol. NOICE! So, I am on my way to a hotel for the night because I finally take the GREs tomorrow! 1. STRESS BUCKETS!!! 2. I have packed food for this trip like I'm going to wind up starving in the next twenty-four hours. Fruit, lunchables, high-fiber cereal, trail-mix, water, home-made frappuccino and almonds. I've decided I want a salad from McDonald's for dinner, unless I find a Q'doba, then all bets are off, and the hotel comes with a complimentary breakfast. How much food does one person need!? A lot, b/c I've decided I'm a stress eater...and I can't trust anyone but myself to provide fiber. You do know that fiber is where it's at, don't you. So, yes, let us embark. I think I have everything...and then some. Clearly.

Hopefully I'll come back later tonight to post about stress or something thereabouts. We'll see.

Mulberry

This post would be more aptly named "shit I can afford", but no need to disparage myself in public... I discovered Mulberry last night, kinda fell in love and thereby wanted to share with the world. Their purses, SO LEGIT! I adore their strap and buckle details which, I'm getting the impression, is a signature of theirs. Let's have a look, shall we?

It's their Oversized Buckle Bag that, I like to believe, dreams are made of. I'm unconvinced how "over-sized" it truly is, but I would 100% be down to add this to my collection. The color, the texture, THE BUCKLES and the "post-man clasp", to DIE for! Love it x100!!!

Also, this scarf:

I'm going to have to make it happen this winter! I live in California, but I have a penchant for dressing like I grew up in the Yukon. Yet, tel me why this scarf is the ONE thing I can't find on their website!!! Well, that doesn't actually matter seeing as I'd have to buy an ersatz version anyways. But really, TELL ME it's not to die for!!!

Oh Mulberry, you really have captured my heart! Go check them out! http://www.mulberry.com/#
Further, they blog, so, you know, get on that too! http://blog.mulberry.com/
Finally, I do want to leave you with one last image from Mulberry. Because I find it amazing and I think it'll be far easier for me to admire it on my own site. Enjoy!

Style

Look what the cat dragged in! A four month hiatus!? Really?? I suck, I know. I feel like that might be the general vibe of this blog--this eclectic exploration of self-expression. (Tehe. I like to be prolix from time to time) Anyway, I happened to stop in today to double post, this being the first of two, about clothing. Not that this is going to be a fashion blog by any means--mainly because I'm not actually a fan or subscriber to fashion. I like clothes, particularly clothes that fit and flatter my frame and current mood. Generally I spend all my time, at least during the summer, wearing a uniform of denim panties, read: denim short shorts, and a white t-shirt. When it gets a little chilly outside I spice up this ensemble by wearing cuffed ripped jeans...and a white t-shirt. I am a SOLID fan of the white t-shirt if you haven't picked that up. That being said, I am a avid shopper with a closet full of completely functional clothing. So, somehow, these past two days I've caught the style bug and I'm a wee bit proud of myself for branching out and putting thought and effort into an outfit. Here's what I wore:

Yesterday.

• Long sleaved, blue and white stripped oxford with ruffles down the front (Gap)- sleeves cuffed & then pushed above elbows
• Navy blue shorts, twill (maybe khaki), high-mid thigh length (Target)
• Nude peep toe wedges (BCBGeneration- Macy's)
• Grey woven belt (Mother's closet!!!)- worn around waist

Today.

• White button-down tunic with ruffles down the front (Forever 21), buttoned and knotted in the front so it sits on the waist band of my shorts
• DENIM PANTIES!!! (Forever 21)
• Idk about shoes yet. Maybe open toe flats...maybe sneakers, but I really dislike wearing sneakers with shorts. we'll see.

So, not a big move from my daily wear, but a move nonetheless that I enjoyed and wanted to share. I'll try to add pictures so you can see what it looked like in real life.

Hugs & Kisses

Protein Oatmeal

I 100% stole this recipe from Larisa Reis, but it has become one of my all time favorite breakfast recipes. It is super SUPER easy and thus convenient when you need to eat fast. Personally I whip it up and then carry it around with me as I continue my morning routine; talk about two birds one stone! Anyhow, this is how the recipe goes:

• 1/2 cup of oatmeal
• 1/2-1 scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder
• 1/2-1 cup of water
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• raisins (optional)

Start with a microwave safe bowl, mix oatmeal and protein powder together. Add desired amount of water; I generally use between 1/2 and 3/4 cup (the more water you add, the longer you'll have to cook it). As you add water, mix oatmeal and protein powder together so you don't end up with uncooked lumps. Place bowl in microwave and cook for about a minute. I like to wait for the mix to rise before I take it out. (CAUTION: The mixture will spill over the sides if you don't watch it diligently.) Remove from microwave and add the optional ingredients if so desired.

Let me know how you enjoy this! Larissa & I might be on our own in our appreciation of this dish.

Because I Am a Foodie at Heart

I wanted to share with you this SUPER AMAZING recipe I discovered/ finally tried. Of course it is a clean recipe, though I am unsure just how clean it is seeing as I used sour cream. Anyways, I got the original recipe from cleaneatingmag.com, but because I am who I am I made a few tweaks here and there. I've shown my tweaks with brackets and I'll go over them at the end. The recipe was for Portebello Mushroom Stroganoff and it looked like this:

Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 30 minutes.
Total time: 30 minutes.

CATEGORY:
Under 45 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz whole-wheat egg noodles (Negative Commander. I did make brown rice!)
•  Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (1/2 onion, if that)
•  4 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced (8 oz roughly chopped. Think chunky.)
• 8 oz portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced (In this economy? Please. See above.)
•  1 clove garlic, minced (2.5 cloves, sliced. MUCH better flavoring!)
• 14 oz medium-firm tofu, pureed in blender or food processor
• 8 oz low-fat sour cream
• 8 oz low-sodium beef stock (8oz homemade chicken stock & 1 beef bouillon cube)
• 1 tbsp unsalted tomato paste (forgot it)
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (Don't own it.)
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste (I don't cook with salt)
• 1 tsp dried dill (forgot it too. Also unsure if I own it.)
• (1/4 jalepeno pepper chopped minced)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high for 1 minute.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, mist with cooking spray and add onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes or until caramelized. Add white and portobello mushrooms and garlic. Mist with cooking spray, if needed, and saute until cooked, about 5 more minutes.
4. Add tofu, sour cream, stock and tomato paste, and stir until smooth. Stir in seasoning, salt and pepper.
5. Pour mushroom sauce over cooked noodles. Serve topped with dill.

Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 140, Total Fat: 3.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 18 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 9 g, Sodium: 140 mg, Cholesterol: 15 mg

So clearly I made quite a few tweaks. Half are self-explanatory, I think, but I'll go over them all. The dill and tomato paste were items I would have added, but I simply forgot. I don't think the dish missed the dill, but it was a bit watery so the tomato paste may have helped thicken it. Maybe. Though I cannot image a single tablespoon going very far. While we're on seasoning, I would have added Cajun seasoning but I do not own it and as a replacement I would have added cayenne pepper (maybe chili powder or paprika), but that didn't occur to me as I was cooking. The next time I make the dish, I definitely will. I did add that 1/4 jalapeño because I had some sitting around; I think that was an excellent addition and I'll probably use 1/2 next time, in tandem with noted spices above.

As far as broth, I 100% was going to use beef...but it was old, and smelled/looked suspect. And I made chicken stock last night (because I'm cool like that), so I figured if I mixed the chicken broth with a beef bouillon cube...that would be about the same, no? The garlic I didn't mince b/c I am lazy, but I am glad I didn't because the flavoring was much bolder and much better, to me. I used less onion b/c I never use the called for amount. I never like that much onion in anything. I didn't use portebello mushrooms b/c those high prices aren't currently in my budget. So I used a whole packaged of pre-sliced white mushrooms, the basic kind found in the produce section, of which I roughly cut up. I like mushrooms and I like them to be in chunky,  noticeable pieces. In terms of pasta, I generally try to stay away from it; I think it's generally more carbs than my body needs to handle at once.

Overall, I think the dish turned out wonderfully. Like I said, it was really watery, so I'll probably end up eating it as a soup. I like eating food in liquid form as is, so not a problem for this girl! But in the future, I will definitely add that tomato paste and make it spicier. What can I say, I like spicy. Any who, if you do decide to make it, let me know what you think/how it turns out.

Up in the Gym Just Workin' on My Fitness

Thank you Fergie for that fine introduction! I wanted to drop by today and touch on where I am at fitness wise. There is a whole story to be told about me and fitness, which I will give a very brief version of. I was not always as fitness oriented as I am now. From middle school through high school, PE was an embarrassment. I was a chubby kid who ran 18 minute miles on a good day. In high school I joined color guard, which really is like taking up a sport, and accidentally started down a route of "surprise, I like to exercise". Then when I entered college I started exercising regularly to deal with stress. To the best of my ability I would schedule my academic classes around my gym classes. It was pretty sweet. And then, junior and senior year I discovered BodyAttack and I became a GYM RAT! I don't know what it was about this specific class, the instructors, the intense routines, but I loved it. I didn't care what I needed to do academically, that one hour class was my top priority. Oh, I have to skip dinner? Oh, I have to study for a final? Oh, I'm going to have to stay up until 6am to get all of my work done? Whatever! I'll worry about that post-BodyAttack. In fact, I was so dedicated to this class that one instructor told me I should become a certified instructor. Hard! Core! And I was totally into this idea, but I never looked into while I was there and then I moved back to California and blah de blah it never happened. I did, however, join a gym when I moved home, but by the time winter '10 I was in a rut and barely going. 

Then sometime in January I discovered Oxygen magazine and in February I bought my first one and for various reasons embarked on their plan of clean eating and strength training. And let me tell you, four months later I am HOOKED. I'm not as into strength training as I was/am BodyAttack, but I do love and appreciate where this current path is taking me. And honestly, even with only four months under my belt, I can tell I am in the best shape of my life.

At some point I will upload a calendar to give a better idea of how dedicated/into fitness I currently am. And hopefully as time goes on I will create and post videos about exercising and clean eating. Right now I am going strong because I have reunions coming up in a few weeks that I, vainly, want to look smoking hot for. But long term I think I will seriously look into 1.competing in figure competitions and 2. becoming a BodyAttack instructor. Because I do not want this to be a momentary, I was 22 and did this for a while change. I want this to be my life forever. For me, this was a lifestyle change.

The Importance of Female Friendship

(what a stuffy title!) For years I was one of those girls who routinely said "I don't have very many female friends. Guys are easier to get along with." And for the most part it still stands true; the proportion of male friends I have is much higher than that of female friends. (This girl, who wasn't my friend, once told me that it was b/c I'm physically attractive. As if my personality and wit was negligent/nonexistent. Gee, thanks.) Be that as it may, I have slowly become a strong proponent of female friendship. No matter how close a girl is to her male friends, there is always this breach in understanding. What holds meaning and significance and thus how we approach and view topics is very different. Let me put this into context. A major issue in my life for about the past year has been hair. We can stop right there, and evaluate that. Most men, after that line, would be ready to move on with a careless wave of their hand and a "Don't worry about it" or "I'm sure you'll figure it out." To them the topic is over; to me it is just starting and it is SERIOUS. Even if they discuss the topic with me, it still doesn't register to them how serious and upset I am by the topic. Because to a man, how can hair be a serious topic? And maybe it is a result of me choosing to be serious about topics that most others would find frivolous and inconsequential. And by others I mean men, because you know who else considers hair to be a serious topic? Many other women.

Good Gossip?

I was talking to my friend recently when she said, "Girl, I have some juicy gossip for you. You can't tell anyone!" Of course I took the bait 1. Because what gossip monger could resist? 2. She happens to be my favorite person to gossip with. So she began to tell me this tale of a mutual friend who, up to now, had a pretty solid reputation. (Before you get your knickers in a knot, let me preface, I personally do not hold much store by that kind of "reputation"; how does your sexual activity affect me? It doesn't.) She had rode the line of experience, shall we say, far better than most college students. She could be a virgin, she could be exceptionally experienced, she could be somewhere in between: no one quite knew. Until she hooked up with the wrong guy, who started to spread the word and she had to go around doing damage control/clear her name. (Or so I am told.) On the one hand, it was a solid piece of gossip. But what I found even more interesting was the reaction me and my friend had. It was not spiteful or gleeful or pitying, per se. My automatic response was "I can't believe this guy would do that to her". The girl is not my best friend, but she is a good person. She is super enjoyable to be around, she is funny, she does not take crap from anyone. In short everyone loves her. In turn, she just is not the girl you would expect to be the victim of gossip. (Though I cannot imagine her responding in victim fashion. I can imagine her berating him/him getting the cold shoulder from their mutual community.) Nevertheless, even though the gossip itself was potentially damaging to her reputation, all it did, for me, was bring up feelings of fondness about how much I like this chica bonita. I never considered gossip functioning in this way, as a means of evoking good feelings.

I think a majority of people use and interpret gossip in a way to make other people look and feel bad, about themselves and their actions, and in turn make themselves feel good. Especially women. And looking back, with this example as a reference, I do not find that aspect has even been a part of my gossiping. Do not get me wrong, I do gossip frequently and even my closest friends are not exempt from it, but I gossip because 1. I am nosy and enjoy hearing about other people's business/transgressions and 2. it reinforces that people are human. I like celebrity gossip because it tells me that they look just as washed out as I do when I do not wear foundation. I appreciate the fact that they like to wear sunglasses because they are dead tired yet need to run errands. I do that too! I like real life gossip for the same reason. I could care less if a girl slept with half the lacrosse team, but I do appreciate the fact that she has an affinity for muscular men and sex. I like muscular men too! Indeed, sometimes gossip inclines me more towards a person because now I know we have a little more in common.

And maybe I can take this stance because I have never been the victim, to my knowledge, of seriously hard hitting gossip. Oh wait, on second thought, I have. I think I can take this stance because I have a solid concept of who I am and I surround myself with people who have a solid concept of who I am and who they are. Even when we do gossip about each other, it is never vindictive, it is never to put the other person in a bad light. It is generally to point out what a hott mess we are and thereby why we are so fond of each other.

It is not to say that I think gossip is good, per se, but I do think that there can be positive forms of gossip.

Did I do it?...VIDEO!

Because with perseverance and bulldog-ish dedication, this girl GETS. IT. DONE.
Suck it technology.

Technically Speaking

a person's first post (it isn't) should be, well, about herself. Yes? Maybe a little definition on who I consider myself to be or about what I hope to gain from creating this space or even a brief overview of what this space is going to be about and explore. Maybe another time; all that sounds very trite and uninteresting to me right now. In fact, look at the header, I feel that tells a reader all the information he needs to know. No? Oh well. Now, what topic I do want to broach immediately is: HAIR!
No I don't mean the musical, though the original soundtrack was quite entertaining. But my hair. A big reason I created this space was to document my journey through hair. Do not get me wrong, this definitely is not a blog about my decision to go natural (b/c I haven't made any such decision), but I do go through various hair phases because I think hair is fun and I am young enough to deal with even the most haphazard of hair ventures. I should have started something like this blog back in December when I cut off all my hair for the first time [It went from shoulder length to Monica short: http://tinyurl.com/3boljme ] And let me tell you, it was super cute. Since then I have been going from short hair style to short hair style, a very fun and exploitative process, and I am only now realizing that I should document this! And so, here I am and from here we go forth.

[At this point I was supposed to upload a video. I am not tech savvy enough to do that yet. Working on it.]