Work Out(Fit)

Recently, I started working for the man.
Just kidding. Kinda. I got into the corporate world.
Which is a little strange because I still work in production.

But it was, like, the most perfect position for me.
I could be in my free-spirited industry, but have all the rules and regs that come with a business.
It was a dream come true.

Then someone asked me, "What are you going to wear on your first day?"
Gasp!! I didn't know.
I had never had a professional job like this before.
I was privileged to have worked in casual environments post-college. I never had to think about what I was wearing.
But now I was going to have to look the part of a professional.
Every. Single. Day.

So, I started Pinning. What else is a girl to do?
I wanted to find a style that was uniquely my own (sweats and a t-shirt??) but mix it with the professional suit and tie.
So I started experimenting.

Felicity Smoak has become my spirit animal.
She's basically everyone's dream crime-fighting secretary.
I love it.

Just take a gander HERE to see what I mean.

So anyway, my style has become quite the fun little game to play.
I find a picture on Pinterest that I like, then I try to recreate it, only putting my spin and style on it.
It helps me stay in the professional mindset, while also being myself.

Here's one of my favorite dresses to wear.
It's got a cool story that goes along with it, but ask me later cause it's really not that important.

Please ignore the smudges and messy room. 

Working in a huge office building(s) gives me lots of ideas, because I see so many people every day that have such good style.
I'm excited to see what other outfits I can come up with. If you have any ideas, send them my way!!

<3XOT

Goal Post (See what I did there?)

How do you make a goal?

Normally, I just find something that I want to look forward to and make a path that leads up to it.
Like, I want to run a 5K, so I find a workout plan that will help me reach that goal.
Or, I want to go to South Dakota to visit a friend, so I start saving my money.

But it's always a destination.
There's always an end.
My goal gets completed.
I can check it off my list.

So, what happens when you have a list already full of fun things, not just goals, per se?
How do you make goals to look forward to, when you already have so much in your future that's going to make you happy?

It's got me thinking - how I do make a goal?
An attainable goal? One that will benefit my life?

For starters, I asked myself four questions:
1. How do I stop making excuses to reach that goal?
2. What does it look like to be "healthy" in my life, in relation to this goal?
3. Where are my finances going to go to support this goal?
4. Where/what do I need to sacrifice in order to better myself or others?

The next step is to figure out what part of my life I can really improve by setting another goal.
It could be my physical self, or maybe my spiritual self.
But regardless of what I choose, if I keep it within this frame of mind, and answer those four questions, I know my life will be better once I reach that goal.

<3XOT

It's A Lifestyle

So my dad sent me this article this morning. He wasn't passing judgment, he just had bought me a Paleo cookbook and wanted to educate me about what I'm getting myself into. However, from using Arbonne products and doing their detoxes already a couple times, and my copious hours on Pinterest, I've got plenty of info in my arsenal. It never hurts to have more, though. It's a pretty basic read, so if you don't know what paleo is, read it.

But here was my response:

Don’t those symptoms seem gross?!?!? Leaky gut. Just the name of it makes me want to eat paleo for the rest of my life!!! But I realize that’s not the reality I live in. I have fast food joints at my fingertips, restaurants that make cheeseburgers with the cheese already inside, and a boyfriend whose main dish is Pizza Rolls. 

As I sit here sipping on my coffee (from my badass Captain America mug, thanks Molly)(coffee is against the Paleo diet), I’ll be the first to say I never do a diet 100%. The Autoimmune Paleo Diet is one that is strict and restrictive on your intake of food. No grains?? Not even quinoa. No coffee?? How do I wake up in the morning. No cheese?? Kill me now. 

But moderation, now that’s not too much to ask. I can do moderation. In fact, since college, I’ve been working really hard to stay at a moderate intake of food. (And I’ve lost 50lbs since graduating high school…bet you didn’t know it was that much.) Kinda trying to live by the 80/20 principle. Where 80% of the time, I eat healthy. It’s like when I cook food at home, I try to make it clean and/or paleo. Which does get kinda difficult and sometimes wastes food, because I never get around to eating it, or there’s just too much for me to eat by myself and we’re limited on space. (Speaking of, if you have any ideas where I can get a legit spice rack to put all my wonderful spices, let me know!!) Then, 20% of the time, when I go out with friends, or out for the weekend, then I feel like I can splurge and eat a little unhealthy and not feel guilty for “breaking a diet” – because it’s my lifestyle, not a diet. 

Like I said, I’m not perfect and there’s no rhyme or rhythm to my life right now. So it’s hard to say exactly what I’m going to eat. But, I know I’m going to be cooking from home with great ingredients, because I can trust that. Like this: http://paleomg.com/crockpot-coffee-ancho-chile-short-ribs/ - doesn’t that look hella good??? Yeah!! 

The other side of any intake of food is how you’re going to expense the energy that it gives you. Since November, I’d been busy with The Wedding (yes, it deserves to be a proper noun, because of all the life it sucked out of me, but damn was it a beautiful day!!) so I wasn’t working out and I ate out probably 75% of my meals. 75%!!! Holy cow, I feel it. I’m dense, I’m sore, I’m tired, I’m greasy and blobbish. And I’m 100% sure that comes from poor eating and no exercise. So, I joined a gym, a yoga group, and signed up for a 5K. I will probably only go about 3x’s a week, but that’s ok. I don’t have to be a psycho workouter, that’s unrealistic. But even 3x’s a week can make me feel better. 

It’s not always about what diet you’re on. It’s got to be a lifestyle. And more than cooking strictly from my OMG That’s Paleo?? cookbook, I’ve got to put good things in my body and workout. I need cheat days where I have a bowl of cookie dough and a bottle of wine by my side. And I need days where I’m so stressed I need to run 5 miles on the treadmill just to calm down and use up some energy. For me, it’s not about weight or abs or following a fad. It’s feeling better and looking better…from the inside out. 

So THAT’s why I like Paleo, and that’s why I asked for the cookbook. It encourages me to be 80% good to my body. And that’s 80% more positive energy and vibes that I’ll be able to give back to my friends and family. So no, I’m not “Paleo” or “Gluten-Free” or any other diet that’s going on. I’m me. And I’m healthy.

I just kinda want to make that a PSA. I know I'm always talking about food and what I want to be doing, but I think it's so important to have information on why you're doing what you're doing. Especially when it comes to your body. So thanks for that, dad. You gave me a reason to write again.

<3XOT

Weekend Sweets: GF Pumpkin Cookies

I'm still on my Gluten Free Cookie kick.
Even though it's past Thanksgiving, I still think pumpkin can be used for a few more weeks. Then it'll switch over to peppermint. But for now, I'm still white girl crazy about pumpkin.

So I made Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies.
And I had a little help…

These cuties helped mix, dump, and stir all the ingredients together.
It's a pretty easy ingredient list, but because it's gluten free, you have to find a flour mixture you like. I don't think the recipe needs a specific one, per say. I used Pamela Mix.

• Cookies:
• 1 cup light brown sugar (I used dark)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canola oil (I used half coconut/half veggie oil because I ran out of coconut and that's the only other one I had on hand)
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3½ cups flour King Arthur gluten free flour (I used Pamala Mix) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 T pumpkin pie spice
• Icing:
• 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt (I used honey flavored)

Like any pumpkin cookie, it was moist and delicious.
If you wanted to make it dairy free, don't put on the icing. I personally think they're good either way.
The recipe made almost 4 dozen cookies so there are plenty to share. I'm sure if you made the cookies a little bigger, then you'd make a few less. But 3 1/2 cups of flour makes a lot of cookies.
Just a helpful hint, the icing doesn't really dry, so stacking the very moist cookie with icing makes for a bit of a mess. You might want to have multiple Tupperware containers with you.

I'd definitely make these again.
<3XOT

Wednesday Review: Lady Dates

My friend and I go on dates.
Because we're both ladies, we've coined the term "Lady Date".
We try to do them as often as we can, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Recently, we have been able to do a couple to great local places.
First, Town Hall Tap.
Second, 612Brew.
They were both really good - and the best company I could ask for!

So, Town Hall Tap is down in South Minneapolis. Actually, it's located on the same block as Sovereign Grounds - a local coffee shop that I take my Little Bean.
It's about 3/4 miles off 35W. Super easy commute from all directions. Parking gets a little convoluted, because it's all street parking. It's actually tucked back in all the shops. Nothing flashy, no great big signs.
Once we parked, we were able to go right in and get a high top near the bar. The waitress was very prompt and friendly. I had previously looked at the food menu, but not their beer selection. Boy was I in for a decision. I can't remember which one I ended up getting - I changed my mind like 100 times, then the waitress recommended something and I went with it. Like most locally brewed beer, I enjoyed it!
Then came the food. At home, I had limited my selection to three options. But when Ryanne ordered a brat, I did too! I got the "The Works" - Sauerkraut, onion, sweet relish, shredded cheddar, and mustard. You would not have wanted to kiss me after, but it was so good. The brat had a good flavor, not too spicy, but just enough to give it a distinct flavor. It was juicy and filled the bun. The toppings were all marvelous. It was definitely an indulgence, but was completely worth it. The shoestring fries had a house seasoning on them and they were perfectly salty, just how I like.
The only thing I would change is giving me a bigger plate! The staff was punctual, the food was delicious, the beer was smooth, and it was overall a great price.
It's not really a convenient location, but well worth a night out for a date. It wasn't completely out of the way if you wanted to head back to Uptown or Southdale to catch a movie. It's about a 15 minute drive either way. I will definitely go back!

So then we went to 612Brew. Not a lot of people have heard about this. But, I used to work in the building next door and frequent Spyhouse Coffee - also for lady dates! It's a fun little building. There's a CorePower Yoga place in the building too. Totally hipster. Totally Minnesotan. It's right on the intersection of Broadway and Central. The parking lot is normally full because of everything there, but you can usually find a spot or two.
Walking in on a Saturday night was a bit overwhelming. There were lots of groups and all the tables were taken. So we snaked into the bar, where we found two seats in between a couple couples. No big deal. We talked to the bartender and he told us his favorites. He was super pleasant and knew about what he was supposed to know about. I ordered a Payback - an oatmeal porter. Really good! It was 7.2% and had a nice sweet flavor to complement the thickness. I also ordered a Rated R - a rye IPA (also their most popular beer) and it was great, too! I'm not super into hoppy beer, but I wanted to be popular (jkjk). It was really good and I'm a sucker for anything citrus, so that evened out the hops.
They don't have an open kitchen so we went to the food truck outside. It was a hibachi grill on wheels. How awesome is that? I had their chicken meal - served with fried rice and veggies, added yum yum sauce and scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow. Rave reviews for them, too! Go find them and order some food.
Overall, the night was a super success. Partly because we found am awesome group of girls and had great fellowship. The food was yummy, the beer was amazing and local, and we laughed all night!

I'm sure we'll check out more local places this winter - and hopefully meet some more great people! I'm so thankful I'm here in Minneapolis and the friendships I've created and the places it's lead me.

<3XOT

Weekend Sweets: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend's sweets experiment was a cookie.
A cookie that falls into my GF choices.

This cookie has no gluten, no flour period, no dairy. Just lots of yummy ingredients that blend into a soft, fluffy cookie! This cookie is approximately 150 calories.

The peanut butter I used was this fun jar I just found at Trader Joe's - crunchy and salted with flax and chia seeds. Why not help your digestion? Cause lesbihonest, you're going to want to eat all of these.

The recipe came from THIS blog, which I love! I love that it's called the Ambitious Kitchen…because that's how I live my kitchen life too. Always something new!

My cookies look a little more dry than the ones in the picture, so I wonder if the add ins to the peanut butter took some of the moisture out? But they are really good!
Next time, I would add more chocolate chips. The peanut butter isn't too over powering, but it masks the chocolate chips. I love the oatmeal in the cookie, because it gives it even more texture!

It was fun to try a new gluten free recipe - I'm sure no one will even know unless they ask!
Here's the recipe! (PS: I used gluten free oats)

<3XOT

Wednesday Review.

I had a lovely time talking to my mama last night.
We talked about everything from food to boys to family to me being extremely homesick because I'm going home in a month.

All the while I'm trying to make pizza.
Now, I'm a great multi-tasker, but when I'm caught up with my mom, there's really no telling where my mind is going to go. I messed up, but it still tastes great!

I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust, whole grain mix.
It actually turned out really well.

Review:
The crust was the same thickness of a "hand tossed" pizza. It wasn't too thick which was good, because as much as I love carbs, when it comes to pizza, I want the toppings. Like most other GF products, the top was a little flaky. But it didn't fall apart and I loved that. I followed the directions on how to cook it before and after the toppings. That was the perfect amount of time to cook it all the way through and not leave it tacky or gnaw-y.
On top, I added red sauce from Trader Joe's. It was the only pizza sauce I could find that didn't have added sugars to it. It's actually a really good sauce and I've used it before. It's pretty neutral when it comes to pizza sauces. Tastes just like an original Ragu. I bet if you put extra basil or garlic in it, it could change the taste a little. I personally love chunky sauce, but this sauce is smooth.
On top of that, I put spinach, cage-free grilled chicken, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
It made about an 8-in pizza and I have half the dough for next week. The package said two-12 inchers or one 18-incher. So if you have a family, one pack could feed you all. The instructions say, if you split it, it can stay in the fridge for a few days. I'm testing it to see if it can last for a week in the fridge. If it does, then I might just start having a pizza night and try mixing up the sauces and ingredients to make it not so plain.

Overall:
I think it was really good! Nothing special in terms of pizza. But, it is fresh and I know I'm not putting crazy toxins in my body with these ingredients, so I know I won't have the "Pizza Regret" feeling in the morning.
The time from beginning to end was probably a little longer because I was talking to my mom and messed up the dough to begin with. But it is very easy to mix together and only needs to rise for 20 minutes. It cooks for 7 minutes, add toppings and 15 more. So it's definitely not a "quick" pizza, but it doesn't take as long as making from scratch.

[So my screw up was I added the water to the flour mix before adding the yeast. So, I just drained the water into another bowl, added the yeast and then re-added it back into the flour mix when it had sat for a while. I added a little bit of my GF flour to it at the end, when I rolled it out.]

My tweakings: 
It said to make in a mixer, and I just used a bowl and spoon. No kneading needed. It also says to put plastic on it to let it rise, I just put a wet paper towel. So maybe if I didn't mess up the yeast it would affect how the crust rises? Personally, I loved it as is, so I'll mess up each time.

<3XOT