Bad Reviews

"I'm an A student. I'm addicted to feedback, and I want to please people. That's sort of how I've gotten to where I am. And I think that it's insidious to be spending more of your time reflecting and talking about [critics], and talking more and more in smart ways about your otherness, rather than doing the hard work of your job." -- Mindy Kaling speaking with Rachel Martin of NPR's Morning Edition

(hear the interview here)

I heard that interview this morning and figured it was serendipity and great inspiration for this here little 'ol blog. Like many, I can completely relate to Ms. Kaling's people-pleasing compulsion. It's something I wish I could change about myself, but it's also what's gotten me to accomplish a few things I'm pretty proud of. Nevertheless, that need for an A+ or a pat on the back from your boss or the acceptance from a new group of peers never quenches the thirst of a true people-pleaser. That's because there's always someone else to impress, something else to achieve, another gold star to jump through hoops for. It turns into a tiring and not-so-fun race against yourself-- a race you can never, ironically, win. The blogosphere is full of lots of how-I-live-my-perfect-life-and-how-you-should-live-yours. I get it-- I love reading those blogs too! This blog or at least this post is a bit more...."ain't no body got time for that!" Next month I'll  become another year older, and although I feel like a life-long adolescent what with the being in 19th grade and all...It's probably time to give up the life-long pursuit of getting an A+ in every aspect of life. Recently I found out that someone I really wanted to like me did not feel even close to that way about me, and my immediate people-pleasing gut reaction was to think 'wait, what did I do wrong? how can I fix it? how do I get them to like me back?' and then I realized....I have spent WAAAAY too much time being concerned with these ridiculous questions and quite frankly-- I am in 19th grade and ain't no body got time for that! 

"7 Habits of Remarkably Happy People: #1. They choose (and it is a choice) to embrace who they really are."
This is not a photo I authorized taking (as you might be able to tell), but here in my PJ's enthralled in making the best meringue I could manage, I didn't notice I'd gotten it in my hair-- that's who I really am :-)

Now, what I do have time for is this incredibly easy and fast breakfast. I'm a morning person (there! I said it), and the one thing I'm always running out of time for is eating a great breakfast. With this gem of a recipe, you will still have time for your morning workout, shower, blow dry, 'I have nothing to wear' mini meltdown, and commute. Also, did I mention that it tastes phenomenal and actually keeps you full 'till lunch?!

KiwiConfections Spicy Avocado Egg-wich

Serves 1

1 whole egg

1 egg white

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Half of a small/medium avocado, sliced

1 Slice Low Sodium Ezekiel Bread*

1-2 teaspoons Hot Sauce

Directions

1. Spray a small/medium frying pan with some non-stick cooking spray. Heat the pan on medium/high heat.
2. As the pan is warming up, slice up half of an avocado. (Store the other half in a Tupperware container and place back in the fridge.)
   
3. Crack the eggs into the pan, salt and pepper the eggs, and flip to cook both sides
4. While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread
5. Once the eggs are cooked, remove the pan from the heat.
   
6. Once the toast pops out, place your sliced avocado on top of the toast.  Dribble hot sauce on top of the avocado. Place the fried egg on the top.
7. Enjoy immediately 
   

*”Sprouted Grain breads made of a variety of grains and legumes, like Ezekiel bread, deliver all of the amino acids necessary to make up a complete protein. And while most of us don’t rely on grains as a good source of protein, sprouted grains can be a good place for vegetarians to pick up some of the complete protein they’re missing out on by not eating meat.” -- Monica Reinagel MS, LD/N, CNS

Why does unhealthy taste so #*$#@!% good?

I ask my friends, my mum, my sister, and my fiancé this question. Sometimes I ask this question mid-pain-au-chocolat-bite or post-pasta-massacre (as in, I killed all the pasta on my plate). But in all seriousness: How are humans-- the arrogant over-achievers of evolution-- so vulnerable to the dangers of cookies, cheese, and bread?! We humans have no natural predators (other than ourselves), and, yet, come 3:00pm those oreos seem like the closest thing to just that. The issue is that our love affair with food has outpaced the evolutionary tweaks needed ever since we stopped having to run after and shank our food. 200,000 years ago our Neanderthal ancestors didn't live the cozy life of being able to stock up on food at the local Piggly-Wiggly, and foods high in fat, sugar, and salt were rare. When they did find those paleolithic equivalents of a snickers bar, they cherished it and ate up because who knew when you'd find another. Fast forward a quarter of a million years and our brains are still hard-wired to cherish and gobble that [actual] snickers bar even though there's about 4000 of them within a 3 mile radius of your condo. Eating healthy definitely has the most significant impact on your physical health when compared to exercise, but for me (and many) it's probably the hardest thing to modify and stick with. Salad is something I rarely want to eat when I'm in my own kitchen, but at many restaurants there are salad magicians. These salad sorcerers can take leafy greens and mix them with random gems like fruits, nuts, and more veggies and suddenly you have a dish that can honestly compete taste-wise with that other delicious, carby, fatty thing on the menu. The trouble is-- most of us do not live with these salad magicians. But...now, you too can make at least one magical salad! On a recent trip to a favorite KC eatery, I begrudgingly ordered a salad as opposed to that other delicious, carby, fatty thing on the menu...and it turned out to be the best thing we ate that night. The next day I was determine to re-create it, and I honestly think I created its exact magical clone! The key to making this or any delicious salad part of your "everyday" is to chop up everything once and store everything in separate containers in the fridge. When it's Tuesday night and you don't have the energy or motivation to be a salad magician, you can just be a regular person and simply mix what you've already cut up. It really is impractical to do all this prep work every single time you want a salad-- so do it once, and reap the benefits of your one-time-only prep work.

The Salad You’ll Actually Want to Eat

Serves 10

Salad Components

3 Heads of Romaine, washed and chopped

1 Bag of pre-washed mixed baby kale and chard

2 Golden Beets

2 Red Bell Peppers

8 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped

Sliced Almonds

Goat Cheese

Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette

½ Cup Raw, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

¼ Cup Olive Oil

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey

2 Garlic cloves

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon of salt

½ Cup water

Directions

‘Da Beets

1. Chop off the tops of the beets. Place them in a large pot and fill it with water to cover the beets. Boil the beets for 20 minutes on medium heat.
2. Once the beets can be easily pierced through with a fork, remove the pot from the heat.
3. Peel the beets and set them aside to cool.
4. Once cool, slice and quarter the beets

‘Da Bell Peppers

1. While the beets are cooking, work on the bell peppers. Wash, core, and julienne the red bell peppers.
2. Toss the bell pepper slices in olive oil and spread them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Roast the bell pepper at 425° F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow peppers to cool.

‘Da Dressing

1. To prepare the Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette, begin by toasting the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens slightly. Don’t allow the pan to get too hot, or you will scorch the sunflower seeds. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Remove the seeds from the pan and allow them to cool
3. Place all the vinaigrette ingredients (EXCEPT the water) in a food processor.
4. Run the food processor for one minute. Add the water.
5. Run the food processor again until the dressing is smooth and free of lumps.
6. Taste and add more honey, salt, or pepper if you see fit.

Magic Time!*

1. Place your greens in a large bowl. Add some of the Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette to the greens and toss to coat.
2. Add beets, bell peppers, dates, and almonds to the greens. Toss to combine.
3. Plate the salad. Crumble goat cheese on top and serve

*I would advise assembling only the amount of salad you plan on eating immediately. I would not assemble all the ingredients into a salad and then store that. However, you can assemble a salad in the morning, store it in a Tupperware, and eat it for lunch a few hours later.

Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette Recipe Adapted from: Naked Cuisine

Recipe is inspired by the Napa Garden Salad at Urban Table in Kansas City