Be your best Valentine

So we're on the cusp of one of the biggest commercial holidays of the year, the big holiday full of overpriced flowers, guilt, candy, loneliness, and apparently love. Call me a cynic, but romantic love is only one brand of love. I've just been thinking a lot lately about the unsung hero that is loving yourself.

It's always been my belief that love is what happens when you gain acceptance of where you are, acknowledge that there is still work to be done, and you've happened to focus your gaze on something besides chasing it.

Someone told me to "take care" the other day in passing, and it gave me an 'ah-ha' moment. Taking care of yourself is extrememly powerful, and only recently have I learned how it's given me more energy to give love to others as well as my passions.

Five months ago, I made an agreement to myself to spent more time working out, and in order to make good on this promise I had to make some big changes. First, I needed to reset expectations with myself. It's okay to not be home to cook dinner and it's not okay to lazily watch media all night. Then I had to ask for help at home, which I did by requesting to agree on a few nights a week where my boyfriend would "cook" or fend for himself. Luckily, I'm fortunate enough to have someone special in my life that realizes the value of my time investment in myself. Which is perpetuted attitude, my health, and my ability to be more present in my life with him. Finally, I had to make good on my promise to myself to be disciplined in my schedule  which is something that's very hard for me, but was accomplished by finding some classes that I enjoyed going to and have ramped up from 1-2 days a week to 3-4. The sweating, laundry, and public showers aside it's interesting how vibrant new relationships can be formed when you involve yourself in a community of people with like interests. I've made new friends and perpetuated healthy habits with current ones. Needless to say the way I feel and my patience with life's inconveniences has improved drastically.

In my experience, there are a million reasons why you should put yourself last and only one great reason not to. When you're last on your own list you limit your own ability to give to others, and you send powerful signals to everyone else that you're not even worth your own time. At the end of my days, I'd like to reflect back on my life and enthusiastically choose to be the main character in the life I built. If the routine of your daily grind is wearing you down, you might consider falling ever-so-optimistically for yourself.

To everyone reading this, whether your single or committed consider the benifits of giving the gift of attention and love to yourself. Happy Valentines Day.

A Gluten-Free Year in Review

CC image from flickr compliments of somecanuckchickJust last week my brother-in-law recounted the cutest story about his niece asking Santa for a gluten-free dog for Christmas. You may choose to laugh at the innocent mistake of this young girl, but it is a response much larger feeling many with gluten intollerance, allergies, and celiacs disease can on some level understand.

When people ask me about being gluten-free I can sum it up in two words.

Life changing. 

As an adult, changing your behavoirs is incredibly difficult. No matter what age, remembering to investigate almost everything you put in and on your body can be exhausting. (Everything from salad dressing to shampoo).

As a child, showing restraint, being singled out, and understanding the importance of the impact of the decisions you make about what you're eating can seem all-consuming.

For me, I've been obsessed with photographing, documenting, and sharing information about gluten-free living. though I'm sure it affects each of us differently.

(I suppose this applies to adults, too.) 

No matter what your age, our choices impact our lives greatly. Its no wonder that many people, identify and differentiate ourselves as individuals from what we choose to eat. Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Omnivore, Locavore, and all others that have chosen or prescribed dietary restrictions can find ourselves in the spotlight of conversations. Often educating others about what it is we're choosing to eat and why. There are so many very personal and political reasons for wanting to choose to eat this and not that. While I'm could drone on and on about food politics, that it for a different series of post.

For me, going first wheat-free and later gluten-free has changed many aspects of my life. My energy levels are at an all-time high, my sleep schedule is more normal, and I can feel the difference in my ability to focus and think clearly. I know that last one sounds like a jump, but I used to feel foggy brained in the morning, most people could equate this to the 2:30pm coffee zombie feeling. So looking back over the last year, I can empathize with a request for a gluten-free dog from Santa.

This year I count myself luckier than the last, healthier, happier, and more focused on envisioning things I'd like to accomplish in 2012. Keep a look out for more gluten-free recipes from "eat", art and movie reviews for the "see" section of the site, and some tech goodies for "surf". I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012, Cheers!

Cookie Monster strikes with Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Out of all things I miss most about my gluten-free lifestyle, baked goods come in third behind fresh baked focattia bread and pizza. While I no longer crave them often there are a mirad of cookies that I have fond memories of munching.

Here is my list of all time favorite cookies

1. peanut butter cookies
2. oatmeal rasin cookies
3. chocolate chip and chocolate, chocolate chip cookies
4. snicker doodles
5. sugar cookies
6. coconut macaroons
7. french macaroons (allergic to tree nuts, sad times)
8. italian wedding cookies
9. ginger bread cookies
10. oreos -- the peppermint oreo cookies are my fav!

If you'd like to share your favorite cookies in the comments below I'd love to hear what your favorite cookies are.

Given that peanut butter and oatmeal rasin cookies top my list of most missed cookies I decided to make the gluten free Oatmeal Cookie recipe from the back of the Trader Joes's gluten free rolled oats bag. Since it called for peanut butter it also satiated my peanut butter cookie craving. Here's the origial recipe and the adapted version, since I'm incapable of following a receipe to the letter I cut it in 1/2 because I didn't want so many cookies hanging out at the house and I added a couple handfuls of regular and golden rasins to add to the chewy texture. This recipe is the full version, you'll have cookies out the ears if you make a double batch. *All adaptations are denoted with the astrist below.

 Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup gluten free Trader Joes rolled oats

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

6 oz chocolate chips* (omitted used rasins instead)

1/2 sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts (I used chopped cashews, because I had them handy)*

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda and mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips* and nuts. Place a tablespoon of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 10-12 mins.

These turned out great, I'd definately make them again! Next time I'll make a full batch and freeze half.On another note, they're tough cookies the next day, but soften up nicely when they're put in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or the toaster oven. Happy munching!

Art matters when...

It moves others to see, act, feel, or think differently than they did prior to interactiving with it.

There are few times in the history of culture where there is an opportunity to reclaim their national identity. This photo project attempts to do just that by negating the ruler with the visual language commonly associated with propaganda. This truly inspiring work from JR points to the opportunity we all have as part of a collective to represent our selves as well as our nation.

I also recommend checking out his work in Israel/Palestine and head over to insideoutproject if you want to participate in this work.  

3 Tips for Stove Popping Popcorn

image by a.g.photography.I never realized that stove popping popcorn could be a difficult endeavor until I mentioned this to some of my work colleagues, who mentioned the issue of burning it. I suppose there is a secret technique to set you up for sucess, follow the recommentions below and show Orville Redenbacher you know what's up.

Choose your Fat

For those of you that like to nerd out about food, here's a chart of the smoke point of various fats: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/50/Smoke-Points-of-Various-Fats. Butter will work, but you'll need better temperature control because it can easily burn/oxidize if you're not watching your heat. I personally like to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it has the highest smoke point of the fats I typically have in the house and I prefer the taste.

Heat your oil first

This is what's most often missed when popping popcorn on the stove. If you don't heat the oil first you're more likely to burn it. I'll typically drop the oil with my seasonings (peppers, spices, or sugar) depending on my mood. This will usually take about a minute or so with the stove on. Then drop your kernels, keeping in mind a little bit goes a long way.

Shake above heat source

Once you start popping pick up your pot and make sure to create a little bit of distance between the heat source and the popcorn. I'll usually leave about half to a quarter or an inch from the burner, I've done this on both a gas and electric burner and it works great.

Think about campfire Jiffy Pop and shake your pot like a Polariod picture just above the burner. Once you're popping, just like the microwave kind take queues from the popping frequency and pull it from the heat source as the kernels slow down in popping frequency.

In my most recent batch,  popped yellow popping corn with Tumeric, Paprika, and a dash of salt using extra virgin olive oil. It whad a wonderful a smokey citrus undertone, and ended up being a perfect snack to bring to work the next day because the fat was real it didn't get strangely mushy like the microwave type.