Friday, April 29, 2011

happy

friday! and  it's almost may :) 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Proudest Monkey

I have a bit of breathing room before my final on May 10th...I have big plans to get an oil change, go to this salvation army after work, then Body Attack. And meeting Joey for dinner at the awesome Whole Foods by Northpark.




I used to listen to this song all the time, so I thought I'd share.  Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

influence; aren't we a little old for peer pressure?

Something that I have been thinking about recently is the influence that others can have on our actions.

I have learned that I should not eat birthday cake. This may sound really weird, but it makes me feel awful. I am trying to figure out what it is about really sweet cake that doesn't agree with me, but it literally puts me in an awful mood. The best option for me is to politely decline the cake. Although it's tempting, I resist because it ruins my day. This makes some people feel uncomfortable and a little aggressive towards my decision. "It's a Birthday," they say, "you have to eat the cake!"

I still decline the cake.  What I am working on, though, is strengthening my inner voice.  After all, its not just about the cake.

chem 2 test 4...

done. it may not have been pretty, but its done.

Monday, April 25, 2011

shaved asparagus pizza...

yes please.  this pizza looks really good; I might swap pesto for the herbed cheese and use this recipe (always turns out perfectly!) for the pizza dough...yum.

Friday, April 22, 2011

happy earth day!

I have lived in Dallas for almost 3 years and I still haven't been to the Dallas Museum of Art.  I think now is the perfect time to visit because the Gustav Stickley and the American Arts & Crafts Movement exhibit and the Art of the American Indians; the Thaw Collection both look awesome.  In Dallas?  The Gustav exhibit is only here till May 8. 
In other news, here is the picture of the hail from last Thursday night:


crazy...

And a picture from launch:

GGXers

have a fabulous friday!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

clog

obsessed:


found here

found here


found here

my camera is not cooperating

so I am sharing another great quote:

"Jump on top of things. Sprint when you feel like it. Skip and hop. Ignore the funny looks."

-Zen Habits, here

Love that!!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

"we're

all too busy for power games."

-Seth Godin, here

sometimes the hail comes down in april...



The weather has been crazy lately; this song is cheesy, yet so good, and is describing my feelings about the weather perfectly. I love the 90's!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

the way things have become

I was driving home from work; it was hot and muggy outside and there were tons and tons of cars in front of me, which made the heat seem even worse.  Then I started thinking about global warming and how fun it would be to carpool with other people.  And how, in many areas, we have moved so far away from being a community; most of the drivers around me are solo, tense and stressed out about the traffic.  Carpooling makes so much more sense because there will be less cars on the road, people will be able to share the driving responsibility, and it is more fun.  But, the logistics, at least for me, are not plausible; I head all over town on most days. 

So, I often get frustrated with the way things have become in most areas, except the lucky cities that have ample public transportation and are more pedestrian-friendly.

For now, I walk to the gym and try to use my car as little as possible.  Walking more would solve so many of our societal issues; I wish there was an easy fix.

Monday, April 18, 2011

mangos

mangos have been amazing this week.. definitely pick some up if you can! 

which reminds me that I used to have a helpful/beautiful rainbow chart on the seasons of food; I think I downloaded it from design*sponge, but it got lost in the move.  if anyone knows where I can find it, let me know :)

oh and I am excited that I found this co-op in Dallas!

hello, Monday!

This weekend was a blur of fitness and cooking; the cx30 launch was really successful (it was the biggest class I have ever taught and it was challenging, in an awesome way) and I taught a special chocolate class.

Also, the weather has been beautiful in Dallas for the last couple of days, but we had a crazy hailstorm on Thursday night; I faced the hail to drive my Jetta to shelter and it felt like such an adventure to run out in the rain/hail!  That is pretty sad and I need to go on a real adventure...

But before I can, the culmination of the semester has begun; I can see the light at the end of the Chem 2 tunnel, but I still have a few hurdles before I can reach the sun.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

mmm yogurt

I used to be a pre-sweetened yogurt kind of girl; I liked plain yogurt as a healthy snack, but I always craved flavored yogurt (like stonyfield farms).

I recently found out that I just wasn't putting enough stuff in my plain yogurt.  I now really prefer good plain yogurt (organic greek is my favorite) with lots of good stuff mixed in:

local honey

north dallas honey co.

lots of sliced fruit (I sliced up a whole pineapple on Monday; pineapple is awesome in yogurt!), ground flaxseeds, cocoa, walnuts, and/or coconut

yum...now I just need to start making my own yogurt!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

on work and challenges

My first job out of college was a desk job at a small awesome company, who is doing extremely well because they have the best customer service ever.  This job was a really great first job (and I appreciate/miss my fair and awesome manager and co-workers a lot), but it was a shock for me to sit at a desk all day. 

During that time, I was really lost.  I had no idea what I wanted to do or what the first step to getting there would even be.

Everyday after work, I would head to the gym to take Body Step or Body Combat or Body Pump classes; they made me feel alive after work.

Looking back, I am so thankful for my first job; I was respected and treated well, it just wasn't in the right industry for me. 

Currently, I am facing different challenges.  I am out and about, which I am so thankful for, but I struggle on a daily basis to find my voice.  Lately, I have been feeling like I run around in circles.  I am cooking and working out and decorating and studying.  But, I don't feel as confident because I am trying things that are completely uncomfortable; I am putting myslef out there.  I always thought finding the path was the hard part.

I really just had to get that out.  I enjoy a challenge, but when everything is hard all at once, it kind of knocks the wind out of you.

Friday, April 8, 2011

cocoa rocks

This week has been a quite a week; the lesson that I have learned is to have a good attitude, you never know when things are going to get better.  I am loving the inspirational lists here.  I am in a smoothie mode, it is getting warm here already, and the shake below is one of my favorites.  Happy Friday!

I love cocoa, especially the good* stuff.  This shake can also be used as starting point for lots of variations:

Chocolate Shake
recipe for 1, can easily be adapted for more

1 ripe banana
handful of frozen blueberries
a few slices of frozen peach
small handful of raw cashews
1-2 T of good cocoa powder
 1 cup milk (1% or higher, or milk alternative)

Start with just enough milk to cover fruit, adding more if desired; shake should be thick.  Blend together, and enjoy in a tall glass with a straw.



*Callebaut has a really rich chocolate flavor and I can get it in bulk at Central Market for a great price.  If you can't find it, I also like Hersey's special extra dark.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

best quote ever

"But, like every woman with a spastic relationship to her hips and, in turn their relationship the butter, sugar and 70 percent chocolate that makes our taste buds go round, I paused. And paused. How could I adjust my Very Strong Need for a bite of chewy, dense, bitter-laced homage to cocoa mass with my need for my favorite skirt to fit it my favorite way?"

Deb from Smitten Kitchen, on eating brownies

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

chem 2, test 3...

done.  I have done 8 chem tests since September; 2 to go, then I'm on to Organic, wooohooo!

In other news, my wardrobe is at a point where it needs to be updated.  I have gotten:

A silk patterned skirt from Anthropologie. I love the ikat look and the deep pockets are very flattering. I had a gift certificate that helped make it affordable. I am now looking for a chartreuse top!

The skirt, girl on the right


These shorts disappeared online for a while and I regretted not getting them. When they came back, I bought them (Joey bought them for me!!) right away, something that I really never do full price!

gingham shorts

Oh, and I have recently had great success at Gap for great tshirts with fun details in the $10-15 range.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  I am now in Bodystep and C30x cramming mode, as launch is next week!

Friday, April 1, 2011

rabbit rabbit

Dance Tonight- the perfect way to start a new month.



Happy Friday!