sicko

Remember when being sick was like a mini vacation? You got to stay in bed and watch movies all day. Even though you had to make up some of your homework, usually the teachers let you off easy.

Well, in college it means you do everything that you usually do, except you do it exhausted and foggy-brained. All it means is less productivity.

Emergen-C, anyone?

adventure time please!!

Ok, I know I am not the world's most outdoorsy person. I have always loved staying inside and reading a book or playing the piano. My skin turns to a fried crisp within 5 minutes of going out into the sun. I am not a fast runner or strong at all... doing curls with 8 lb. weights just about kills me. But for some reason, lately all I want to do is go disappear in a forest or something. I keep seeing photos of my friends hiking mountains and jumping in waterfalls and camping and I have to say, I am getting tired of my life being contained within four buildings (the HBLL, the MARB, Jenny's house, and my apartment at the Elms). I want to wear Chacos and hike things. Too bad Sam's in the MTC, she would indulge in this crazy whim with me. Also too bad that I need to be at this computer right now, making sure I get stats done by midnight. But I can feel a summer of no makeup and grunginess coming on. I've never wanted to get outside so much in my life!

confessions of a meat-i-tarian

The last few weeks, I have attempted to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This is more surprising to people who know me well. As a child, I was required to eat one carrot and one orange slice a day. If forced to eat more than this, I would usually throw up. I hate bananas more than anything on this earth. (If you want to hear a really gross story, ask me about how I now know that I think bananas are grosser than poop). My list of vegetables I enjoy is very short: peas, carrots, and spinach. The list of fruit isn't much better: oranges, grapefruit, berries, and grapes (if I'm really in the mood). So how have I managed to even attempt this goal? While I admit I haven't been perfect, I have found some secrets that have helped make eating healthy more tolerable (and even enjoyable).

Fruits:
*I discovered many variations on the common orange. Blood oranges and Cara Cara oranges are a little more expensive, but they are sweeter than navel oranges and also just a bit of a change. Clementines are definitely my favorite citrus-y alternative, although they are getting more difficult to find as they are becoming out of season. I have also enjoyed Minneola tangerines - they are so juicy! I was opening one in class and, I kid you not, a steady, forceful stream of tangerine juice hit my friend Kyle in the face. I had to forfeit a slice of the tangerine to obtain forgiveness.
* I saw a girl in my Neuro class eating a grapefruit like you would eat an orange. I tried this. Unfortunately, I thought it was really nasty. However, you might like it - go ahead and try it!
* If you get berries out of season or berries that don't taste amazing, a little Cool Whip goes a long way. As long as you keep it under a few tablespoons, you aren't consuming too many extra calories, and it helps out with overly tart berries. Just be careful because it does contain a lot of fat.

Vegetables:
* The little autistic boy I work with is on a very strict diet and eats a lot of healthy foods, so I experimented with something his mom makes for him - pureed cauliflower with spaghetti sauce. I also put grated cheese on top. This was admittedly not my favorite - the cauliflower taste was still really, really strong. However, Scott told me his mom put Velveeta cheese on cauliflower. I think next time I am going to boil cauliflower and just pour Velveeta sauce over it. We'll see how it goes
* Edamame is a life saver. It is delicious, cheap, and very easy to prepare. It is a great snack food. I put a little sea salt on it, which helps satisfy salty cravings.
* At Macey's I found packs of four individually bagged servings of baby carrots for only $1.39. This is great if I have forgotten to get all my servings or will be on campus all day. Also, each bag is only 25 calories but takes a very long time for me to finish. I am munching on it usually at least 30 minutes. Very good for satisfying hunger pangs.
* Spinach salads are always great and if you get a sweet dressing like Litehouse Blueberry Pomegranate or Litehouse Honey Dijon, you can satisfy the cravings for sweet. I like to eat salad at the end of my meal so I can have "dessert." I also like to put feta cheese on it and hard boiled eggs when I don't have time to cook chicken.
* I love peas and they are great filler food. I just use freezer peas (canned peas have a gross aftertaste) and put some salt on them.
* I have bought some freezer green beans but haven't brought myself to eat them yet... however, I think I am going to get some onions next time I go to the store and saute them and then combine them with the green beans and parmesan cheese. It sounds yummy to me!
* 1/2 cup of Ragu spaghetti sauce is more than a full serving of veggies! This is so easy to eat. You can put it on pasta, other vegetables, crackers, make pizzas on quesadillas or bagels... definitely my favorite way to "cheat."
* I love chili, so getting a more vegetable heavy chili definitely helped me grab an extra serving.
* This isn't the world's greatest option, but salsa also supplies some veggies. Pita chips or crackers are a little healthier than tortilla chips. I don't really like chunky salsa (although I've gotten better about it) so I look for smooth varieties... or if you make your own, you can do it in a blender.
* Cutting carrots in half and frying them in a pan on the stove in butter tastes surprisingly like sweet potato fries. Another "cheater" option but it is healthier than the real thing.

Anyway, I have lost two pounds since I started eating more vegetables! And whether or not it is psychological, I feel much better after I eat - none of that bogged down, too-full to move feeling. I don't LOOOOOVE vegetables yet, but I am proud to announce that over half of my grocery list involves fruits and veggies, and I hope to grow to love them more. :)

current obsessions

* Cupcakes


* T-strap sandals






* Bollywood movies


* yellow clothes
* Hawaiian haystacks
* Middlemarch by George Eliot
* My Kindle

junior high is over, right?

It is shocking to me how catty girls can still be to each other. I can't believe that 10 years after those angsty, pubescent days of middle school, we, now adult women, still have the need to belittle each other behind our backs. Does it really feel that good to "vent" our annoyances about others constantly? Is it really that big a deal if so and so "borrowed" your laundry money, your favorite pants, or your bread? Sure it's rude to take advantage of someone, and sure it's frustrating. No one likes to be taken advantage of, and most people don't like drama. But I think so often we are so busy complaining about how we've been wrong, we don't notice the hurt we are inflicting. Everyone has annoying habits, including the person complaining. But we all hope to be loved or at least treated with respect despite our imperfections. If a habit or event actually is a problem, it should be between the offender and the offendee and dealt with in an upfront manner, instead of talking about it to everyone except the person who has offended you.

In every apartment I've lived in, to some extent there has been the roommate that everyone else loves to hate on. Sometimes it's been me, sometimes it's been someone else, and unfortunately, I have to admit that sometimes I've been the one venting. But being exposed to it today helped me to realize that the most Christ-like thing to do is to try and understand the person who is driving you crazy and have charity for them. At the very least, keep your negative comments to yourself and discuss any problems with the person who is causing them. I want to apologize to anyone who has had to listen to me gossip or complain about someone in the past. I am making the goal today that I will not speak negatively or critically about other people to build myself up or "vent" my emotions. There is a difference between expressing frustration and trying to solve a problem and just attacking someone over and over again. We are counseled to try and have unity in our homes, and while we remain unmarried, our apartments are our "home away from home." This kind of action brings only division. If you ever hear me criticizing needlessly, please call me on it so I can apologize to you for making you listen to poisonous things.

wonder

I am sitting on the fourth floor of the good old HBLL in the Asian section. There is a little group of kindergarteners on a field trip doing a scavenger hunt. There are some random Asian artifact type things that are actually pretty cool, but have more or less become background to me because I study here every day. One group of little kids came right up next to me to this model of a Chinese house that is covered with really ornate gold decorations and one of the kids said, "It's like a miracle!" They were so entranced with these objects. Nearby there is carved wooden table and this little girl was just tracing over the carvings with her finger. (Like little kids ever obey the signs saying "Do Not Touch.") I was just reminded how beautiful things seem when you are a kid and everything is new. I think I should try to remember what it feels like to see everything for the first time and appreciate the beauty of what I see every day. :)