A Holiday Wish

I'm sitting home right now and it's silent. I'm not playing music, didn't even plug the tree in yet, and just reflecting on the year. It's been a great one for me.

For many, the holidays are a difficult time. I hope that despite it all, everyone can find some love and peace in their heart, if only for a little while.

In the New Year, I hope to make my blog more robust, sharing more and better things. 2015 is going to be a truly magical year, filled with amazing things. I can feel it already, and I can't wait for all that lies ahead!

Until then, I'll be relaxing and eating with family and friends for the next few days.

Wishing you and yours the most amazing, wonderful, peaceful holidays and New Year.

xo Kate

Channeling My Energy

As you know, the past year I've really been on a journey and become so passionate about food and using it to help and heal. However, I've really only used this knowledge in a few ways (mainly to fix my stomach and lecture others).

Today, I was able to take a further step in that action. I'm the newest member of the Monday morning volunteer crew for God's Love We Deliver.

God's Love We Deliver (GLWD) delivers nutritious meals to people who are homebound due to life altering illnesses (cancer, MS, alzheimer's, etc.). It started as one woman delivering meals on her bike. They now deliver more than 1.2 million meals a year.

A Quick and Easy Lunch

This week was super crazy busy at work. I ordered take out because I didn't even have time to make something busy. Working on Sunday because I just need to catch up busy.

So when I paused today, I needed a fast lunch, but also something super healthy to keep me feeling energized and on track. Enter this easy, peasy 5 ingredient salad.

This salad is tasty and crunch, and you can add anything else you like, or throw leftovers in a larger green salad.

The Post Thanksgiving Meal Plan

It's the Sunday after Thanksgiving. If you're anything like me, you have done some serious indulging this past week. (Okay to be honest, I've been pretty indulgent since after my wedding since there's been no tight white dress in my future).

Either way, it's time to get back on the band wagon.

We went to Whole Foods this morning and totally stocked the fridge (which when I say was bare... I'm talking real bare). Fruits, veggies and whole grains galore. These meals for the upcoming week are going to be fun, fresh, and way better than just salad. 

Here's the plan:

Breakfasts: Granola with greek yogurt and berries; whole wheat toast and almond butter; green smoothies.

Lunches: Lunch is leftovers from the dinner before with side salads, hummus and veggies, or fruit. Sean is very considerate of his co-workers and won't bring in things that are too smelly, so on Wednesday, I'll get all the leftover shrimp and he'll take a sandwich and big salad.

Dinners:

• Monday: Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders and chopped salad (I use apples, carrots, cucumbers, pears, avocado, sprouts and walnuts, but use what you like!)
• Tuesday: Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry and Shrimp with Ginger Garlic Sauce
• Wednesday: Endive and White Bean Salad and Pasta with Garlicy Greens
• Thursday: Greek Rice Stuffed Peppers
• Friday: Going out to eat
• Saturday: Pear, pomegranate and goat cheese salad; finishing any leftovers. 

Snacks include nuts, fruits, hummus and veggies, pita chips and chocolate (organic 82% dark cocoa and a "snack" is one square, maybe two a day). 

I'm ready to get back into feeling great, especially during the holiday season where I can get so easily run down. I hope you enjoy some of these delicious recipes. I'll be posting them as I make them, so be sure to check back all week! 

Saved by Soup

I've not been diligent about blogging lately, because I haven't been cooking. My Dad has been ill, so I've been his primary caretaker, and mostly eating Au Bon Pan from the hospital. But he's finally home today, and I wanted to cook something delicious and nutritious for dinner. Enter, soup.

I love soup. It's a low calorie way to pack in lots of veggies and lots of flavor. I made this Vegetable & Lentil soup from Williams Sonoma pictured below (that pic is from Williams Sonoma, not me).

Coconut Curry Chickpeas, Please!

I had a small lunch today, so when dinner rolled around I was so hungry. Like snack on anything available while you're cooking, hungry. Okay, I was hangry. I needed something that would come together quick - and I knew exactly what it would be.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas. In 20-25 minutes, this meal is on the plate. Let's be honest, you can't even get take out that fast.

Happy, Despite It All

I'm in a great mood today. It's funny, because in a way I feel like I have no business being so happy. I'm so behind at work. The apartment is a mess. I haven't worked out in days weeks and I have a race on November 23. I'm turning 29! And yet, I can't help but smile.

I'm drinking a fantastic cup of coffee. I'm going to pamper myself tonight and get a fabulous hair cut. I have an amazing husband. There's leftover Indian food in my fridge that will make lunch feel like a warm hug. My 90's pandora station is KILLING IT right now. Seriously, Sister Hazel's "All for You" just started playing.

So despite pretty much all the huge things in my life being in a semi-disasterous state, I'm sitting in the middle of the hurricane with a huge smile. Because, why not love every minute of it?

Lentil Chili: Healthy Comfort Food at Its Finest

Well, we are back from our amazing whirl wind wedding week and honeymoon! It really was the trip of a lifetime. I was so ready to come home and really, FINALLY, get settled into our new home. Instead, we came home with a head cold (me) and food poisoning (Sean). So needless to say, we're pretty much still living like hobos with wedding bags unpacked and boxes waiting to be organized.


Yesterday I was finally feeling better, and wanted some warm comfort food to go with the blustery fall weather. But I wanted something healthy too, because I want to make sure I kick this cold for good.

Honeymoon Part 1

I'm on a train going 120 mph from Vienna to Salzburg, Austria. The free wifi is as speedy as the train itself, so I thought I would whip up a quick blog post on leg 1 of our trip - Vienna and Budapest.

The cities are absolutely beautiful and so clean. Everyone has been so friendly and so helpful. Both cities are very metropolitan, and so we tried to find some spots where the locals hang in addition to seeing the big tourist sights.

We went to a local beer garden and I got a "jacket potato" (baked potato) with garlic sour cream and chicken fajita on top. So amazing. In Budapest, everything had Paprika, my favorite of all the spices, and I was very happy. We had traditional Hungarian goulash that was perfect. 

Below are a few photos, but there will be many more to come via our camera. Apologies in advance for any poor formatting, as I'm using the Blogger app.

Me at Shonbrunn palace.

Jacket potato

October fest being set up on the castle grounds in Budapest. There's been pizza everywhere here. Pizza unites us all.

My current view: the Austrian countryside whizzing by at 120 mph.

Honeymoon Part 2

Honeymoon part 2 is a little late, but there was no wifi on our 7 hour journey from Salzburg to Prague. There will be a very thorough blog when we are home, but here are some highlights of beautiful Salzburg, Austria!

Climbed to the top of Hohensalzburg Fortress!! 

A day trip to Halstatt, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Here's one of the Sound of Music filming locations. We did Sound of Music everything and it was perfection. 

We've been living it up in Prague and have just one day left! Two weeks had gone too fast :(

Can't wait to upload the photos from our camera. They're too beautiful. Also, there will be a "what I ate" post, followed by a "serious post honeymoon diet mealplans" post :)

The First Supper

Last night I was organized enough to cook our first meal in our new home. This was a big deal for me, because between the move, the wedding and work I have not cooked in about two weeks. Two weeks too long in my opinion.

I picked something simple but super delicious. I based it off this recipe, but didn't make the sauce, because I'm not that organized yet.

Instead, I just sliced up some avocado and topped the burritos with salsa and greek yogurt. Delish.

Outside My Window

It's a whole new world outside my window today. 

Today is the first Monday I haven't flown back to Chicago. The first day I really realized that I live here now. 

Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginnings End.

This is my last blog from Chicago. I'll keep it short and sweet, since I've already spent ample time discussing the matter on Facebook. I'm getting less sad and more excited for the move, but we'll see how I do on the other end. 

It's been such a lovely experience starting this blog from Chicago, and I'm so glad I have all of our memories and pictures on here. I will be chronicling our adventures in Brooklyn on the blog - sharing lots of fun and new recipes from our beautiful new kitchen (there is SO much counter space!). I hope you'll stay tuned - they tell me the best is yet to come. 

So with that, I bid you adieu, Chicago. It's been real. 

P.S. Yes, I quoted Semisonic. No, I'm not sorry. #90s4Life

More Meals, More Fun!

I got a lot of great feedback from my last post about my meal plan, which made me very happy! I know how much time my meal planning takes on a weekend, but it saves me time during the week, so if can save you time by sharing, that makes me even more happy. 

It has been a crazy week here. I was home for a week running around doing all sorts of wedding prep, then took the 6 a.m. flight in on Tuesday and went right to work and hit the ground running. Now that I've had a minute to breathe, I spent the morning making this meal plan and grocery shopping and I'm really excited about it (like I wish I could eat it all right now).

Go out and enjoy your Labor Day Weekend, and don't stress about what you're going to make this week. I've got you covered!

Those Who Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.

I'm very diligent about meal planning - if I don't do it, it is my absolute downfall. I'm not the kind of person who can operate on the no-plan plan when it comes to eating - I'll inevitably get take out or crap at the store. So each week, I sit down and map out every meal (even breakfast!) and make my grocery list. 

Over the course of doing this, some friends and family asked if I would share it with them, so I've been sharing it via email. Then I thought - why not just put it up on the blog for everyone? 

Eggplant: It's What's For Dinner

The first time I ever had eggplant was about two years ago. Friends had Sean and I over for dinner and they grilled it (along with some other vegetables), and in the interest of being a polite guest, I took a slice. Then I tried not to act like a freak at the table when I realized how good it was and helped myself to a half an eggplants worth sized helping.

Needless to say, I've tried multiple eggplant recipes, including by beloved eggplant rollatini, but this one might take the cake. 

Grilled eggplant with goat cheese crumbles and balsamic reduction on crostini. 

65 Days to Go

In just 65 days, I will be Mrs. Kate Kerley! I can't believe it's just over two months away. It's kind of crunch time, and I want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything. 

All the obvious stuff is taken care of, but I'm worried I'm missing something little. Something I would NEVER even think of. So I turn to you, all my recently married (and not-so-recently married) friends. What is the one piece of advice or tip you can give me that you wish someone told you on your wedding day?

Aaaaand GO!

Fresh & Fun

I'm so excited to reveal the new look of my blog! It feels so fresh and light and wonderful. I hope you love it as much as I do. 

July was very busy, but I'm ready for August and everything after (yes, that is a Counting Crows reference. No, I'm not sorry). The biggest update for July, besides my working of 12 hour days and working on the redesign of the blog, is my new obsession: hot sauce.

Yes. You read that right. I love hot sauce. 

Pasta Salad: Not Just for BBQ's

Good morning friends! It's been so long, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer! 

Mine has been so awesome and so crazy. We spent 4th of July in NY seeing friends and family and doing wedding stuff. It was wonderful!

When we came home Monday we hit the ground running. We took the 6 a.m. flight to Chicago and went right to work, where I'm preparing for a huge educational conference. Extravagant dinners aren't on the menu with the craziness of this week, but this simple, veggie filled pasta salad makes a quick and nutritious meal with leftovers for lunch! 

Odor is the Pits

On my quest to remove all toxins from my life, I found a lot of research about the dangers of aluminum in deodorant. I tried two store-bought aluminum free brands, but they were awful. So I decided to make my own. 

That's right - I make my own deodorant. 

It's very easy - 3 ingredients and 2 minutes is all you need. 

Caf-fiend

I'm a coffee fiend. I have been since high school. I love coffee. I have cut back significantly - I used to drink about 50-60 oz per morning (yes, that is about 6-7 cups). Even now that I'm down to one large, I still just LOVE my morning cup of coffee. I love it. 

When summer rolls around, I switched to iced coffee. The problem is, I don't want to spend $4 for an iced coffee (my job is only near a Starbucks) and if I add a ton of ice to hot coffee, it just waters it down. This issue has been going on for the past two summers but now, all my problems have been solved.

Thanks to this amazing blog post, I am now cold pressing my own coffee. Mornings will NEVER be the same.  

Yummmmmmm

A Sweet Summer Treat

It's Sunday evening and the Tony Awards (my favorite!) are coming on and I want something sweet to eat, but not with sugar. So I searched clean desserts and found this amazing ice cream recipe - with no sugar and no cream. 

If you need a sweet treat, try one of these ice cream recipes. I made the strawberry ice cream and it is ROCKING MY WORLD. It'll be only as good as Hugh Jackman singing and hosting the Tony's.

The Hawaiian One Pot Wonder

A few nights ago, I tried a new recipe that required pretty much every pot, spoon, knife, cutting board and measuring cup we own. Sean, who usually does the dishes, did not love it. So Friday night I figured I'd save both of us some time and whip up this easy, delicious, healthy one pot wonder - Hawaiian Sloppy Joe's. 

It's based off this vegan recipe by Chef Chloe, who I love. However, her recipe calls for mushrooms, which I'm allergic to, and Sean likes meat, so I've adapted it. You can use hers, mine or a combo! Either way - dinner will be done in no time and with only one pot to clean. And that's something we all love.

I put them on mini Hawaiian Bread rolls,
to keep with the Hawaiian theme. 

5 Weeks in Photos

Hi friends! It's been over a month since I've blogged. I'm so sorry, but I've been quite busy living my awesome life. I'm hoping to get back in the regular blogging swing, but for now here's a quick photo update on where I've been and where I'll be off to next!

First up was a big work event - our annual 5K at Soldier Field with over 4,200 participants! 

Then I was off to New Orleans! Say hello to my little friend....

Next up was Sean's law school graduation weekend. I've never been so proud! 

We also caught a bunch of Yankees games in Chicago. I've never been so disappointed :(

The face of disappointment

Speaking of the Yankees, next stop was New York for one of my lifelong friend's weddings. It was a most beautiful day for a most beautiful couple!

The new Mr. & Mrs. Betz!

The most amazing view of the NYC skyline at cocktail hour.

And now I'm back in Chicago. It's been a whirlwind, but totally awesome. Once I make my way overdue to the grocery store (a place I vaguely remember....) I'll be back with more recipes, more updates and more fun! 

Easter Dinner

Though I'm not 100% Italian (okay, not even 50%), it's my favorite side. I have a lot of Italian traits - I'm loud, I'm passionate and I love to cook. I cook when I'm happy, I cook when I'm sad, I cook when I'm angry, and I cook when I'm celebrating. (I also cook when I'm just hungry. That happens too).

So, since I was feeling a little blue and missing my family on Sunday, I decided to whip up an awesome meal. I made eggplant manicotti and homemade whole wheat bread (WAY better than store bought and no preservatives or added crap!). It was AMAZING! We'll start with the main dish:

Eggplant Manicotti:

You need:
1 Eggplant
1 cup Ricotta Cheese (I use organic whole)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or just parmesan is fine)
1 cup fresh basil (chopped)
2 cups tomato sauce (I use Trader Joe's organic tomato basil)
Mozzarella to top (I only use a little fresh, some people like a lot, so however much you want)

Here's how:

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Cut the top and bottom off the eggplant and two sides, so its kind of a square, and you can stand it on its bottom. Slice the eggplant longway, top to bottom, in about 1/4 inch thick slices. (I ended up with about 9 and one sorta wonky thin one from the end)
• Place the eggplant on parchment paper lined baking sheets,  spray with olive oil (or brush), and sprinkle with salt and paper. 
• Roast eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes (I had them on two trays, so at 10 minutes I swapped the racks so they cooked evenly).
• Take eggplant out to cool after it's roasted, but leave the oven on.
• Grab your pan, and pour 3/4 cup of sauce into the bottom (I used my 2 quart square pyrex dish).
• While cooling, mix the 1 cup of ricotta, 1 cup of basil, and 1/4 cup of parmesan in a bowl.
• When the eggplant is warm but cool enough to handle, scoop about 1 tbsp of the ricotta mixture into the bottom end of an eggplant strip. Roll up (like a jelly-roll) to the top, then place the eggplant seam side down into the sauce. Repeat with all the slices of eggplant.
• Pour remaining sauce on top and top with some extra parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
• Put back in the oven, about 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

And ta-da, you have a delicious, healthy, gluten free amazing meal. It's about 150 calories per each slice of eggplant. 

There it is, all rolled up!

The bread recipe is from the website A Well Floured Kitchen, and I used it almost verbatim. I ran out of whole wheat pastry flour after about 3.5 cups, so the rest was plain ol' whole wheat flour. The bread came out awesome, though I didn't make the top cuts big enough, so it didn't get that crusty separation. 

Now that I've made and ate this delish meal, I'm happy again. Which is a perfect emotion for heading back into the kitchen for some dessert! 

Centerpieces: The Epicenter of my Universe

One of the benefits of having a long engagement is the lack of stress. If I don't want to do something today, most times, I don't have to. If I want to spend six hours scrolling through wedding invites online, I can. It's been nice being able to do things when and how I want without rushing.

The one thing that I find funny, however, is that many of the things I thought I would care about in wedding planning, I don't. And the one thing I said I couldn't care less about has now become priority #1. Centerpieces.

When we got engaged I said (multiple times), "just throw some flowers on the table and call it a day. I don't care." Then, Pinterest happened. And now, our centerpieces and table settings have become (in my mind) one of THE most important pieces of the wedding. 

Despite the fact that I know almost no one remembers them, and no one has ever left a wedding saying 'those were some great centerpieces' (myself included), I can't stop myself. I have a vision. And the vision must be met. And that was fine, until the candles I wanted were out of stock. 

I've spent countless hours this weekend hunting down candles, so now I'm turning to you, friends. Does anyone know where I might find candles that look like this: 

I will be forever indebted to whoever can help me out! 

Cafe Coziness

It's a pretty dreary day here in Chicago, as most of the past six months have been. Sean is doing a bar prep class, so I have most of the weekend to myself. I've decided to cozy up at our favorite local cafe, Cafe Vienna. 

It's a great little bakery and cafe that actually inspired our final honeymoon decision. As I sit here on this gloomy day, all I can picture are the bright ones ahead. A wonderful summer with friends, marrying Sean, traveling to Austria and Prague. 

Maybe it's the cafe's atmosphere or the amazingly strong cup of coffee brightening my mood, but on this cloudy day, all I see is sunshine. 

Just Being

I feel like I haven't blogged much lately, and that's partially because I feel like I haven't had much to say. I'm in a state of just being - going to work, coming home, relaxing. The usual. Nothing exciting or crazy or awesome or not awesome happened. I just am.

This morning, I decided to enjoy the just being. I snuggled up next to Sean, and just listed in my mind all the things I am thankful for. I recognized all the wonderfulness that my life is. I acknowledged the beauty that is just being. 

Getting to a point where I could just do that has been a long road. By nature, I am a high-strung pessimist. I often find it hard to turn my brain off. But one of my goals from last year was to learn how to ease my mind. And as I optimized my health through food and exercise, I knew optimizing my brain was the next step. 

The website Mind, Body, Green has been an amazing resources for helping me do this. Not only have they helped my physical health (they have great recipes!), they have helped my mental health. 

When I listed things I was thankful for this morning, just being able to make the list was at the top. Before, I'd would get terrible sleep (both due to stomach pains from poor nutrition, and stress. I'd wake up worrying about work, the day, food, working out, who said what and who didn't. Though that still happens sometimes (change takes time!), the fact that I was able to take some time to just be grateful felt so good. So if you don't hear from me from time to time, know that I'm not busy. I'm just being. And it feels great. 

Spring Ahead

First day of Spring! Though it's snowing here in Chicago - because why wouldn't it be - I'm so excited for the Spring. There are so many amazing things that will be going on from now through the rest of the year, and this is pretty much the starting line of it all! 

Last week we went to Nashville and the warm sun on my face felt like heaven. It reminded me of all the wonderful things that are coming up and how wonderful they'll be - like the wedding of one of my best friends, my own wedding activities, Yankee games, BBQ's and so much more. 

Though I don't know that I'll feel warm sun on my face anytime soon, I know my heart will be warmed with love from family and friends and all the wonderful things in my life. And that's good enough for me. 

Some photos from my Nashville trip:

A Day, or Two, Late... But Who's Counting?

198 days until we are married! (I wanted to do a 200 days post, but the week got away from me).

I did some quick calculation (so leave room for error) and realized we have been together for 1,670 days. And that has flown by. So 198 days is going to feel like a blink. And that's ok, because I'm so ready. I can't wait (even though I have to). 

It's hard to believe that the two crazy kids in this picture are going to be MARRIED soon. 

March, the Lioness.

My issues with winter are well chronicled. Even March in Chicago isn't great - we started it with back to back snowstorms. But March holds the promise that really motivates me and takes me out of my winter slump. The promise that the weather will improve. The promise of travel. The promise that I can work hard AND play hard (not just hibernate). They say March comes in like a lion, but it goes out making me feel like a lioness, who is ready to take on anything!

So I'm ready. Bring it on, March. Bring me warmer weather, travel, great times with even better friends, lots of loves and laughs. And really, please bring me that warm weather. 

My New Bad Habit Leads to a Big Milestone

When I first started this blog, it was to hold myself accountable to my 2013 resolutions/lifestyle changes. It's grown and changed since then, but I'm bringing it back today to reflect. 

When I first started, I ate a ton of junk and never worked out. Now, I eat fruits and veggies every day, no processed food and have tried probably 20 new foods, including fish and sushi! I also work out a couple times a week which is a big change. 

However, I'm developing a bit of a bad habit (in my opinion) of deciding my work out wasn't good enough. It used to be amazing just because I did it. Now I sometimes notice myself thinking I should have pushed harder, worked an extra 10 minutes, etc. I try to remind myself every work out is good, because it's better than the nothing I was doing. But my old competitive self is starting to creep back in, which is great, but also I should be proud of how far I've come. 

Today when I stepped on the scale, I really realized how far that is. I reached a big milestone - losing 25 pounds!! Though my true goal was to build a healthier lifestyle, this feels like a really big deal. 

And I'm so happy to say I did it the healthy way over a year, learning about proper nutrition, building healthy habits, and still enjoying life, dinners, celebration and treats. No crash diets, no crazy hangry mood swings. I've never felt better!

Taking my health into my own hands was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I know it's something that will last throughout my whole life - a long, long, healthy one! 

(If you're interested in learning more, two of the best blogs I've read and followed are 100 Days of Real Food - www.100daysofrealfood.com - and the Food Babe - www.foodbabe.com.)

FOMO

I've recently learned about the term FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - from Sean's cousin, Shannon. Then I came down with a bad case of it.

Though we've been in Chicago for 2.5 years, and it has become increasingly easier to view Chicago as home, once in a while I get a bad, bad homesickness (or FOMO). 

It more often occurs in the winter, because I go home far less often than the warmer months. I was home for Thanksgiving, and two days the first weekend of January, and I won't be going home until the end of May. That's a REALLY long stretch. And I miss my people.

I know the time will fly by. Work is very busy and we have some fun activities planned, and before I know it I'll be saying how exhausted I am traveling back and forth every couple of weeks. 

But it's my favorite exhaustion in the world - getting on a Monday 6 a.m. flight and rushing to my office after an amazing weekend. Staying up way later than I should (ok, that's like midnight at this point in my life) to get in EVERY last minute of quality time. Rushing around all weekend to see everyone I can. It's the best, most loving, most fulfilling exhaustion ever. And I can't wait for it. 

Bust a Move!

For those of you who don't know, I hate Tuesdays. Least favorite day of the week by far. So every Tuesday morning, I PUMP UP THE JAM! I make a little playlist for my walk from the train to my office that is so upbeat, I have to try not to dance across the parking lot. 

Today's Tuesday jam is "Move" by Little Mix. I am obsessed with Little Mix and this video is all the reasons why. So go ahead and turn it up and try not to bust a move. I dare you....

Valentine's Day

I've always liked Valentine's Day. Maybe because it's my sisters birthday, so we always had a reason to celebrate as a family. I never really felt any pressure around it. I just figure any chance you have to tell someone - a friend, relative or significant other - that you love them is a good day, in my opinion. 

One Valentine's Day will forever stick with me though. I was in 10th grade in Spanish class. Before class started my teacher, Ms. Sansota, stood up and said she wanted to make an announcement. She said today is just another day, and she wanted to remind everyone that their self worth is more important that being single or not, than getting flowers or chocolate on Valentine's Day or any other day. That it is up to each of us to decide our value, not base it on someone else deciding that we're worth over priced roses, and to always remember that. 

To this day, I have never forgotten those words. And every Valentine's Day since, I've thought of her and how lucky I was to have a teach delivering such an important and powerful message to young students. She taught a much greater lesson than whatever we learned in Spanish that day.

I hope that there are teachers out there trying to teach this message to young people every day. Though I've not kept in touch with her, I hope somewhere Ms. Sansota is still teaching, and I hope she knows how many students lives she has touched over the years. And I hope I am able to spread and continue this very important message of love and self worth to anyone who feels like they need a little extra love today.

You are loved. Happy Valentine's Day. 

The Tipping Point

The tipping point has happened! It's here!

The tipping point is very unscientifically chosen day, when winter starts tipping to spring. It's the first day I leave work and there is still light left. A gleaming, sliver of hope that that we're now on the upswing toward spring. It may not be getting warmer, but it is getting lighter, which is a step in the right direction.  And sometimes, that's all you need. 

My glimmering ray of light!
(Also you can see how clean they keep the CTA windows.)

Ich lerne Deutsch

One of the most exciting things about wedding planning has been honeymoon planning. Though it took us a really long time to narrow down where to go (we both have a travel list about a mile long), we finally picked Austria & Prague! 

We'll be doing a few cities in Austria, then finishing up in Prague, and I couldn't be more excited. Also, it gives me a reason to learn a new language, something I've been wanting to do for some time but never really got around to doing it.  Now I finally have a reason. 

I've been using Duolingo, but I'm looking for suggestions on what people have used and has worked. I think my biggest challenge will be that I don't know anyone who speaks German, so I won't get to practice with someone as much as I would like.

I'm open to suggestions - let me know what has worked for you!

RPM: The best meal I've had since 2007.

Though I've been really advocating our GMO-free, organic lifestyle, I also believe in treating yourself on occasion (like Chicago's restaurant week). Depriving yourself is a sure fire way to go crazy and binge, so when we go out for a special occasion, I order what I want and just enjoy myself. And last night, I REALLY enjoyed myself. Like, the best meal I've had probably in 7 years (when I was in Italy).

Sean and I went to RPM Italian (Bill & Giuliana Rancic's restaurant) and it was AMAZING. The atmosphere was lively and fun, the waitstaff was beautiful and friendly, and the food was out of this world. 

We each got an appetizer - fresh, homemade ricotta with crusty semolina bread and zucchini fritte. The ricotta was perfection. Creamy, rich, flavorful, covered in herbs, served with big chunks of crusty bread and tomato sauce for dipping. It was fabulous. The zucchini was okay - cut super thin and flash fried with a tempura batter - but it paled in comparison to the ricotta. 

For our meals, I got carbonara and Sean got lobster ravioli.  I don't eat lobster, so I didn't try Sean's dish, but mine was incredible. It came out with a raw egg yolk that a server hand tossed into the pasta at the table. The pancetta was super crisp and peppery, which really helped cut through the creamy sauce. Though they say they have small plates, but this dish was heavy enough for me to have leftovers.

We finished the meal off with dessert. Now, I'm not much of a sweets person, but this was the best dessert I have had in my entire life. This picture say it all: 

That is fried dough, rolled in sugar, served with mascarpone cheese and nutella. MASCARPONE AND NUTELLA, people. I died and went to heaven. (In the background is Sean's coffee gelato, which he said was good, but I was too busy licking mascarpone out of the dish to care).

Seriously, this was probably the best Italian food I have had since I was in Rome all those years ago. I will dream about this meal. I will remember it fondly whilst working out today. Yes, I splurged, and it was worth every bite! 

Natural Hair Care

My wonderful cousin Katie posted this link on her Facebook about cleaning your hair the natural way - with baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil. She and my sister nominated me to give it a try, since I'll try almost anything once. (Except anything with mayo. Never mayo.)

Anyway, I have been using this method for two weeks now and I am OBSESSED. My hair is amazing, and not loaded up with the toxins and chemicals that fill our shampoos and conditioners, and it's so easy. Here's what to do:

For shampooing: Wet your hair thoroughly in the shower, and then put 1/3 - 1/2 cup of baking soda in it. I usually put it in a measuring cup, then pour some into my hand and massage into my scalp. (The first time I just poured it all over my head and that was a mess). Rub it all in and then let it sit for a minute. Rinse thoroughly.

For conditioning: Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water. I let the ends sit in it the cup for a minute or two, and then pour it over my whole head. I let that sit for a bit and then rinse thoroughly. 

Your hair will NOT feel soft and silky after using the apple cider vinegar mix, like it does after using conditioner, but when it dries it is great. 

For deep conditioning: Once a week I've been using coconut oil on the ends of my hair for a great deep conditioning, especially because my hair is naturally VERY dry. I just rub organic coconut oil (purchased at Trader Joe's) on the bottom half of my hair, and let it sit for a few hours (you can also do this overnight if you like). 

You do need shampoo to get the coconut oil out of your hair, so I use an organic shampoo on the bottoms when I do this and just use baking soda at the roots. 

My hair feels amazing, and I feel amazing knowing I'm not consuming extra toxins. And here's the photographic evidence:

And if you're interested, this blog also has the science behind what makes this so great. Test it out and let me know what you think! 

Soul Food Sunday

Things have been super busy lately. Works been crazy and Sean's back at school, so easy dinners are where it is at! Last night I made this amazing meal that warmed my soul on a freezing cold night, and required VERY minimal work. Slow cooked pork in the crock pot and an easy-peasy mac and cheese(y). (Sorry, I could not help myself). Here's the meal:

I based the pork off this recipe from 100 Days of Real Food (one of my favorite blogs) but changed it up, because I like more of a sauce to mine. Here's the recipe for this amazing, healthy, delish pulled pork:

• 3 tablespoons of paprika
• 1 tablespoons salt (if desired, you can cut back on the salt by only using 1 tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon dried savory spice
• ¼ cup light agave
• ¼ cup ketchup 
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ water in the bottom of the crock pot
• 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin (or your preferred cut of pork)

Mix up all the spices in a medium sized mixing bowl, and then mix in the wet ingredients (except the water) to make a paste. Put the water in the bottom of the crock pot, place the pork in, and cover with the spice paste mixture. Cook on low for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, carefully take the pork out and it will be fall-apart tender. Use a fork to shred any big pieces, and pour sauce from the crock pot over the pork (or pour into a dish for everyone to put on as much or as little as they would like). That's it.  It's that easy! 

Later in the afternoon, I realized I hadn't planned any sides, and I thought mac and cheese would be super yummy, but I didn't have butter. A quick google search (God bless Google) revealed PLENTY of butter-free mac and cheese recipes. I went with this one.

I cut the recipe in half, since we're just two.  Here's the butter-free Mac & Cheese:

• 2 cups dry pasta of choice (we had Rotini, so that's what we used)
• 1ish cups shredded cheddar cheese (I might have used a little over a cup)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

I don't like to use the microwave, so I just made it on the stove stop in the same pot I used to boil the pasta. 

After making the mac and cheese (took about 20 minutes by the time I boiled the water, cooked the pasta, mixed it all up), I decided to get fancy and I put it in little dishes, sprinkled with whole wheat panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on top, and threw it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it up. 

Then I just steamed the green beans (Sean had raw carrots because he hates green beans) and we were done! This amazing dinner took about 40 minutes between prepping the pork at 10 a.m. and making the mac and cheese and green beans about 30 minutes before the pork was done. 

If you have a busy day ahead of you, I would highly recommend this meal! Whether it is Sunday dinner or a weeknight meal - you can't go wrong! Buon Appetit!