best. line. ever.

Watching Dan Ho Show - have you ever seen this insanity?  It's a really sweet "life improvement" show on Fit TV (stop laughing; my cable is limited) with this nutty guy from Guam.  I love it!

"We tend to save our best things for some "what-if-a-cation."  Phft, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.  And when I do, I want them to say 'Great boots.'"

oui oui! midsummer bounty

I've been feeling rather French lately. I blame the vegetables. And the weather. And Molly Wizenberg. And the fact that it's August and - let's face it - I'm wishing I was with Anna right now in Brittany, soaking in the sun, buying cute little French soaps and sea salt (Anna, please - for the love of god - please don't forget my salt) and enjoying a nightly apéro.

But mostly I think I can blame the vegetables. Between my first week of being a CSA member, my effusive love for my Farmer's Market and my darling mother's garden...well, let's just say that my produce cup runneth over. And over.

First up, ratatouille. My dear friend Anna actually turned me on to this delightful dish several years ago and I have proceeded to enjoy it yearly since. There's something very effortless about whacking up a bunch of seasonal veggies and turning them into a hearty stew-like dish...which, after sitting in the fridge waiting for me, only seems to get better and better. I had just the right ingredients from the market and mom's garden: zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, onion, garlic. I got some peppers and started rifling through cookbooks - here, at Barnes & Noble, everywhere - looking for ideas. I went back to my old standby: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything layered and baked number. On the first day, we enjoyed it with soft cooked polenta (his with cheese and butter, mine without...detox, afterall) and a crispy rosé. I plated up two little Apilco round au gratin dishes with leftovers, sent a bag with the chef to be turned into a stew the next day, and left the rest in the fridge for nibbling. The following morning, I drained the au gratin dish a bit, dug a couple of holes and cracked two eggs into the dish. Baked those at 350 for about 13ish minutes and I had the perfect breakfast. Of course, a toasted baguette would have been the preferred accompaniment but on the no-wheat adventure, I was happily surprised by simple corn tortilla chips stepping in and doing the job nicely.

Next task, leek soup. Or at least that's where I thought I was going with this. Only serving to exacerbate my little French problem, I also picked up the new-ish paperback version of French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, & Pleasure (Vintage) and remembered her original advice about leek soup. I think it was called "Magical Leek Soup," in fact. So I was thusly inspired. Checking out my cookbook collection - and considering the rest of my bounty - I aimed instead for a slight riff on Ina Garten's Zucchini Vichyssoise instead (from Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home. Now THIS would be the answer to my late night, no energy for cooking question. This soup is meant to be eaten either hot or cold, and I'm guessing it will not be the first time this season it will be made. It's going gangbusters on the stove right now and will fill the lunch gap nicely.

Next up, addressing the lettuce situation. Every weekend I get this wild idea that I need salad. Lots of salad. So much salad that I might explode. And, of course, I buy salad greens. But my fridge is not a salad green-friendly location. In fact, it doesn't like much of anything that prefers to be crispy and sturdy. So I'm trying an experiment. About 3/5ths of my lettuce is just fine, 4+ days later. 1/5th is dead and headed for the compost. The remaining 1/5th seems salvageable; I'm soaking it in ice water to see if the shock will stiffen it up and make it lunch-ready. Feeling a little lousy about this, but I'm trying to recover. We'll see.

Lastly, I'm drooling over Molly Wizenberg. You may know her as that Orangette blog lady, or the writer of that great book A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table for which I waited patiently (ahem) from the library while 13 other people had holds on it, and the proceeded to buzz through it in 2 days. Now, I'm torn. I love almost every one of the recipes in there. Should I scan them for my collection, or should I bite the bullet and buy the book? (Those of you who know my book situation would probably calmly advocate for the former.) It's due tomorrow, I can't renew it (lots of others waiting in line) so I need to decide quickly. In the meantime, won't you check out her blog and, in particular, her index of recipes? She's a major Francophile - which shines through nicely in her recipes - and her husband is a vegetarian.

Because really, how much inspiration do you need this time of year? Gotta go, time to blitz the vichysoisse! Au revoir!

(Update: the soup was absolutely amazing - recipe coming later today - and the lettuce snapped to like good soliders. Successful lunch all around! Now, where's that baguette...sigh.)

in the zone

I suspect we're about to be faced with a phenomenon. I've been enjoying my library copy of The Blue Zone for a week or so now, and wondering: why have I only learned about this recently?! The hardcover version of the book was published in January of 2008, and despite the fact that I have an interest in this type of living/learning/eating genre and that the author Dan Buettner lives here in my very own Twin Cities, there wasn't a lot of splash for this book locally. To be fair, maybe I missed it. I spent the better part of the months between traveling, working exessively, being absent. So, there are a number of things that I've missed, without doubt, not the least of which was my very own life. This book is wonderful though. It just makes so much sense to your emotional, intellectual, food-loving, life-living sides. It's a holistic approach to understanding why life and longevity are quite positive in certain areas of the world...and what we mere mortals can learn from these studies.

To cement his ubiquitousness, Buettner appeared today with Dr. Oz on Oprah. And oohhhh, the Oprah effect! (PS, the softcover version of the book is coming out in just under 2 weeks)

Buettner and his team identified 4 places in the world that have more centenarians than any other. And it sounds as if they're getting ready to announce a 5th Blue Zone. Interesting, indeed. His book is lush with scientific facts and personal stories telling why and how life is just that good in these places. They looked first at the stats - where the most people live to be 100. Then they sent in a bunch of smart people who could analyze the conditions in the area, the behaviors of the people, the lifestyle. And so now tons of information supports the nine lessons that we can incorporate into our own if we want to live longer, healthier, more enriching lives. Here's a quick synopsis from the book, but I have to tell you, reading the book is much more informative and helpful than just a quick run down...I've simply paraphrased.

• Lesson 1: Move Naturally - the idea here is that you can just make physical motion part of your day. No earth-shattering suggestions here but if you have fun, eschew modern conveniences (cars, elevators, blenders?), be social in your motion, plant a garden, do a little yoga, you add some beneficial movement into your normal routine.
• Lesson 2: Hara Hachi Bu - as I've been getting more and more interested in Japanese cuisine and have already bought into the social aspects of French and Italian eating, this makes so much sense to me. In theory, the idea is to stop eating when you're 80% full. As you have undoubtedly experienced the PAINFUL fullness after a big meal, you can relate to this concept. Realizing that your brain and your stomach need time to confer, the longer dining rituals - eating more slowly, with mindfulness and respect for the food, and being present with others at the table - lend themselves well to this idea of stopping before Tums become a necessity. In addition, serve yourself away from the table, use smaller plates, buy realistic packages (although this may seem counter to some of the greener initiatives), weigh yourself regularly (read: not obsessively), and for the love of Pete, SIT DOWN!
• Lesson 3: Plant Slant - this is easy. As Michael Pollan advised: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Eating 4-6 servings of fruit and veg each day is a no brainer theoretically, but less simple to enact. It's a real decision to make each and every day - eat 2 servings per meal, use meat as a side/accent, love legumes.
• Lesson 4: Grapes of Life - a daily drink provides benefit, but the key here is consistency and moderation, says Buettner. A daily glass or two of wine, sake or whatever helps to keep heart disease - the biggest killer of men and women in America - low. But too much puts one at higher risk for other diseases. So have one or two a day, not 14 on Saturday night. Sigh. Days of yore coming back to haunt... But the bigger issue with the daily cocktail isn't just the alcohol itself, but the ritual of sharing that "happy hour" (or apéro) with friends and family.
• Lesson 5: Purpose Now - "why I wake up in the morning" is a key and crucial element of contendedness, healthfulness and happiness in those studied. The first recommendation is to craft a personal mission statement, and as you know how I'm such a proponent of understanding your own personal branding, this concept speaks to me loudly. Next is to find a partner you can share your purpose with, whether this comes in the form of a spouse, family member or friend. And finally, keep learning...because this keeps you sharp!
• Lesson 6: Downshift - this is as much to do with being social as it is about being alone. Finding your personal happy place where there is little congestion of tv, emails, and other blah blah clutter. As Buettner says, "Most electronic entertainment just feeds mind chatter and works counter to the notion of slowing down." Well said. He also underlines reducing stresses that you can control like being on time. And making room - phyiscally and otherwise - for meditation.
• Lesson 7: Belong - faith, community, tradition, ritual. Not much explanation needed there, I feel.
• Lesson 8: Loved Ones First - coming from a divorced girl with no kids and a small immediate family, it may sound weird. But I understand the notion of putting family first, maybe because it hasn't always been a strong suit of mine. But this lesson also talks about living in smaller, more connected homes and respecting our ancestors, which I absolutely love. My favorite part of this lesson, and one that I have fought hard to create in my own life, is that of creating rituals. In my family, we didn't always fuss about with holidays or celebrations. If Thanksgiving happened on another day, so be it. As an adult, I've practically arm wrestled my mom into pulling people together for Easter (we're not really Catholic), Thanksgiving (despite the fact that a turkey is a hell of a lot of work) and all manner of other events, mostly because I just love bringing everyone to a single place, enjoying each others' company and indulging in our food and wine habits together. Thankfully my boyfriend also shares this intention and we've tried to establish a regular "sashimi and sake night" ritual that we can always go back to. Lovely.
• Lesson 9: Right Tribe - this is simple. Surround yourself with the people who know, understand and exhibit your own personal values. Be positive, attract likewise. And be diligent about allowing time with this "inner circle" of people.

Simple. Straightforward. Sensible. Get the book and read it. Better yet, live it!

forcing it

This weekend I decided to embark on the exaulted spring ritual of convincing detatched tree limbs that it's in fact warmer and springier than they realize. So I picked up a big bunch of what I believe are probably (and somewhat ironically) Japanese Quince branches. They weren't marked, I just thought they were pretty. And considering I saw the flowers, you can extrapolate how little work I would need to put into this endeavor. Even in their little refrigerated room at the florist, they had already set a ton of buds and launched a few open. And just a few days later, I have beautiful pink blossoms adding a nice little touch of newness and rebirth in my home.

Never mind that, after several near-70 degree days in the past month, we're awaiting another late season snow/rain storm and are experiencing temperatures around 15 degrees below average this time of year. Mother Nature is confusing everything around here.

Which just goes to show you, even out of our element and under difficult conditions - with the proper care and feeding - we can still flourish, bloom, and make our own little world a more lovely place.

apéro

Several years ago, I had the glorious pleasure of adding a "just like the locals" segment to a trip to Paris: we traveled by train to Nantes in the Brittany region and stayed 4 or 5 days with friends at their family home near the beach. I say "4 or 5 days" because, honestly, it was a stretch of time riddled with jet lag recovery, deliciously cheap French wine and one day blending seamlessly into the next. Breakfast was strong coffee and the leftover baguette from the night before, toasted and covered with jam. And a fabulous thing - apéro - started around lunchtime during those lazy summer days (well it WAS August, after all).

Apéro, for all intents and purposes, is cocktail hour in France, the word sort of a simplified version of the beverage - apéritif (French) or aperitivo (Italian). In whatever form, it's another reminder of how much more social, laid back, food/beverage focused, and so very cool our European neighbors can be. Apéro is that time well before dinner is even started in the kitchen (or a path is mapped to the local restaurant) when everyone gathers around, has a tasty beverage or two, and just interacts with each other. My cousin in Switzerland calls it "closing out the day and starting the evening," a ritual for transition from the work day to social/family time. Typical drinks are champagne, Campari, pastis, sherry or maybe some ouzo if you find yourself in Greece. Little nibbly food is served, sometimes as simple as a bowl of nuts and sometimes more elaborate like cheese, crackers or maybe those cute little cocktail weinies. Personally I have been getting a LOT of mileage out of the large packages of cocktail weinies, baked off in the over for 10 minutes and served with a blob of really good dijon. It seems everyone loves these for cocktail hour. But in the end, it's all about staving off the late afternoon munchies while priming your palate and appetite for dinner. I often wish I can keep this schedule all the time.

Spring is elusive in the midwest during March and April. It pokes its head out for a few days, lulls us into that warm sunny reverie and then disappears again. We had a lovely stretch of sun filled days late last week and into the weekend culminating with one of the more gorgeous Sundays I can remember. I got out and walked 5 miles and started Sunday apéro at a local French restaurant around 3. It was fabulous.

Monday, I was inspired. Although the weather fell off to wet and gloomy, my happy hour mindset remained and I ran off to my local SuperTarget for supplies. I have been ever-impressed with SuperT and their private label food items. Two weeks ago I stumbled upon their Archer Farms Organic Sea Salt Flatbreads and couldn't believe how great they were. The ultimate in simplicity, just wonderful crackers seasonsed perfectly with big flakes of sea salt. No, it wasn't the wonderful Brittany grey salt, but one can only be so choosy without making crackers from scratch! On Monday, determined to find some great apéro nibbles before dinner, I checked on the Archer Farms selection again and found: Apple Chardonnay chicken cocktail sausages, Chipotle Honey Mustard dip and added it to a mix of their Balsamic Almonds, cashews and Craisins (those are 3 different products that I mixed myself) and some sparkling wine. A generous apéro spread; I was hoping I wouldn't ruin my appetite for dinner!

The flatbreads are perfection (and organic, no less!), the sausages were delish, low in fat and well flavored. Although I thought I'd use the Chipotle Honey Mustard for a sausage dip, I ended up preferring good ol' Maille dijon for this purpose. But the next day, I discovered that adding a little olive oil and red wine vinegar to the dip loosened it up into a nearly perfect salad dressing. Or in my case, dip for a couple of chunks of sweet apple. The Balsamic Almonds are really stellar though - the perfect combination of tangy sweet balsamic with salt...oh! So nice! And when you mix those guys with roasted cashews (my favorite) and the Craisins, you end up with a lovely, balanced blend.

My passion for the evening cocktail hour is reinvigorated. Warm days are ahead of us. And Tar-zhay can join me for apéro anyday.

getting unstuck

I frequently return to this book when I have those days of unmotivated, indecisive, lethargic blah. And somehow it always seems to make me feel like I can get a grip again. To me, If the Buddha Got Stuck is sort of a digestible and practical take on some basic Buddhist concepts. It's not rife with God or religion or anything that feels heavy or overwhelming, or to the point, something that will make me feel MORE stuck. It's bite-sized chapters that you can just poke through and pick what moves you for the day. There are some journal-y exercises to do, as well. I'm thinking of throwing it on my Kindle just so I don't have to be without it; it's that valuable of a tool for me during this process of transitioning my life. Talk about potentially overwhelming.

Best of all? It has siblings: If the Buddha Dated, which I could definitely use at this point in my life, and If the Buddha Married, which I clearly should have made friends with already. But part of this whole process is learning and not being too hard on one's self, right? Mostly I think this wonderful author, Charlotte Kasl, is joining my list of idols along with Martha Beck.

Today I'm enjoying chapter 50 titled: Seventeen Strategies for Staying on Track. Which could actually be the name of the manual for my life these days. I'll give you the list and just a few of the concepts that are working for me today:

(the bolded portions are directly from If the Buddha Got Stuck by Charlotte Kasl)

1. Do not demand perfection.
2. Have realistic expectations, be flexible, and start with small goals.
3. Develop strategies to make life easier. This is key to success with so many things and she mentions here about eating healthier; buy healthy prepackaged foods like washed salad greens to make the whole good food thing easier on yourself. After my time with WeightWatchers, I absolutely know this to be true. And while you're at it, portion those suckers right when you get home. Nothing like a little bag of potato chips to satisfy a salt/crunch need vs. half a bag to fuel your guilt.
4. Start with whatever is easiest.
5. Get help from a friend or be near other people.
6. Change the setting.
7. Hire someone. This is a wonderful lesson that applies to all facets of life: don't stress about something you need to repair or create or whatever if that something doesn't really fit your passions or your available time. Find someone else to do it. Focus your unique skills and energies on what does move you and let the other experts do their thing. So sensible. And with a new business and a crappy economy out there, this is also giving way to another of my favorite concepts, bartering. Get creative while you move forward!
8. Give yourself rewards.
9. Readjust your goals.
10. Do something for a given period every day. I'm taking this one to heart this week; I've been craving schedule and structure so I figured out how much of my time should be dedicated to writing/researching, networking, finding new clients, taking care of myself, etc and then I'm starting to give them some borders in my calendar. I'm excited about this one.
11. Stay focused on the big picture.
12. Make appointments on your calendar. Whoa. See #10. Fantastic alignment, no?
13. Hang out with your resistance.
14. Give yourself a whack. Kasl describes this as tantamount to "just say no" or giving yourself a little lecture about not going there anymore...wherever there is that keeps you stuck.
15. Take one extra step. This is so critical to finding your way forward, because we all come with these notions of who we are and what we're comfortable doing. Who came up with these ideas anyway? In the end, we're setting (or accepting) our own boundaries, sometimes unintentionally. So, if they're in our control anyway, why not just push through them and set new ones?
16. Do it anyhow - anxiety and all.
17. Lighten up. I'm going to hope Kasl forgives me but I think this is a really important one to leave you with:

"Remember, in the big picture it all matters - but it's not serious. Whether you keep moving down the track, sit by the roadside, or even have your feet stuck in the mud, it is just where you are at this moment - nothing is better or worse - it's all part of the big cosmic dance, the One Energy. We take the steps to lower stress and bring ease to our lives so we can have more clarity of mind and peacefulness of body. Make your best effort, and watch the unfolding drama.

Imagine flying up in the sky and looking down at homes, hospitals, prisons, office buildings, bars, and movie theaters and watch the unfolding dramas of so many lives, very similar to yours. Not on the surface, perhaps, but at the heart everyone wants to be free of suffering, be cared for, know happiness, and find some form of peace. Above all, be kind and merciful with yourself."

iHad no idea iWanted an iPhone

Let's be clear, I'm a gadget junkie. I love having great technology that's intuitive, easy to use and actually adds value to my life. I was an iPod lover from early on and am actually on my 3rd upgrade (which I justified to myself by saying something like, "Well, if I just buy the 160GB now, I'll never need another iPod again, so long as we both shall live.") This was partially true and also partially covered up for the fact that my local Best Buy store didn't have the 80GB instock and I had bonus money burning a hole in my pocket RIGHT THEN. But that's another story altogether: Instant Gratification and Low Instocks Conspire! News at 11.

I have been very faithful in maintaining a 4+ year love affair with my BlackBerry. With the exception of the most recent model last year, I have purchased each and every one of them myself. I just loved the technology, and having everything at my fingertips was key for me. I'm too forgetful and scatterbrained to exist otherwise. I really came to depend on it. I used it overseas and domestically while traveling for work and fun. Staying in touch mattered. Recently, I've come to love the GPS capabilities and that thing has gotten me unlost more times than I care to admit. I simply love having everything all in one easy to carry package that is 100% backed up at all times. Nifty! After all, this is my one and only method of outside communication other than the internet. I gave up my land line years ago.

So when the iPhones started making news, I played shy. I mean, what did I need one for? I already had the mother of all iPods which took care of me everywhere I went. I had a camera (no, not a camera phone...somehow I missed the BlackBerry revs where they realized that incorporating those might be a good idea). I had a phone. Nevermind its gorgeous industrial design - it's in the Apple DNA. I swear they feed those people something special out there in Cupertino. Spike the water. Something. I was intrigued, but I decided to admire from afar.

Well, fast forward a few years and now the iPhones are everywhere. You can't swing a laid-off banking executive without hitting one. So I started paying a little more attention. My neighbor entertained a small group of us one night while in the sushi bar's little private tatami room with her iPhone on speaker; a little music made the evening's ambience that much better. A colleague sold me on the neat messaging interface. So much more intuitive than my BlackBerry. And let's face it, the thing is cute as pie.

So, despite our agreement of "no gifts," my guy presented me with an iPhone 3G for Valentine's Day. This guy really knows how to knock one out of the park! I was shocked; first, at the generosity (although I'm not sure why, this is his trademark), and next by the thought that I'd be forced to give up my Berry. My constant companion for the past 4 1/2 years. My lifeline. Was I really ready for this?

My excitement for the latest and greatest won out. A scant 14 hours later, I held in my hand my precious new 16GB iPhone 3G...in white, claro. I've had it for just a day now. I'm still getting used to it, figuring out how to protect and love it, and finding out all of its secrets. So far, I absolutely love it.

The oddest thing I've found so far? This piece of technology has really grafted to me in a way that I wasn't expecting. Did my boyfriend have a plan other than - I suspect - a rather unsubtle hope that I'd learn how to use my new iPhone so I could teach him how to use his? Was he seeing me making changes in my life and subconsiously helping me down the path? I have to type slower, so I am slowing down overall. I simply can't text in the car anymore so I talk to people more...what a concept. (Oh and I won't get that nasty ticket either.) And because it's not that same old Berry, I feel like this isn't ho-hum work anymore; it's play. Even when it is work. This is my new work philosophy come home to roost. The iPhone and its timing fit my own transition. I'm sure there are things I'll find that I don't love and I'll work through them.

But for now, it seems like this pretty piece of technology is going to make life easier to live, make me happier and more productive, and make my transition to "whatever this is I'm doing" more fulfilling. What a gift, indeed.

live rich

Downshifting. Right sizing. Lifestyle change. Living an authentic life. Call it what you will, it's been on our minds. The economy is sporting a big black eye and everyone is feeling the headache. I have found it interesting these past months to read what's being written in the media these about how people and businesses are being impacted by the recession, layoffs, foreclosures, etc. And how many are taking this as an opportunity to look more deeply at their lives and their work. In some cases, tough economic times are bringing about very positive changes. To me (and because I'm experiencing this very phenomenon first hand), it's starts with gratitude. And looking around you and seeing what's really important. And then acting from a place of strength, not fear.

I personally made some headway into a pretty big lifestyle change 3 years ago when I bought an 1100 square foot loft and moved downtown. After visiting Europe a few times, I really embraced the way that they lived: a much smaller footprint and making smart use of every single inch; striving for green habits at home, in hotels, even in large factories; valuing a slower pace and social time, particularly around meals; walking and making use of public transportation. Those Europeans just seemed so damned smart to me. Sophisticated in their simplicity. Much cooler and healthier than we Americans in our bloated, oversized lives. It felt to me, in Europe, there was much less excess. That felt good.

I haven’t perfected the smaller lifestyle yet, but I’m learning. Those were my first steps, and I’m looking forward to taking a few more. I’m thinking a lot about what my next life phase will look like. I’m thinking of cleaning out my office. I’m thinking about organic food and juicers and walking more. I'm thinking about those I love and who feed my soul. I’m thinking about my true passions. And I'm petrified about what the next few months will bring, but I'm so ready. And I'm so excited for the possibilities!

Even if you’re not contemplating a major lifestyle shift, there are some wonderful lessons to be learned here. This isn’t rocket science and clearly I’m not the first person to mention them. But all the reading that I’ve done lately about charting your own course has led me to think pretty intently about a few things. Everyone does this their own way but here’s my short list:

• Be grateful every single day – regardless of your situation, there are always things to be grateful for. Finding even the small things can help bring about that elusive perspective. I’m a big fan of those “gratitude lists” – every day, 10 things you are grateful for. Or a big list of 100 things.
• Dig deep and learn your truth – your own truth. Not your parents’ or your partner’s or even that “truth” you’ve been carrying around about being an employee or a spouse or a parent. What’s your authentic self telling you about what’s important to you now?
• Figure out what you really want your life to look like, now and in the future – I mean, sit down and envision how a day will go. How are you going to work today to make that happen? Steering away from your truth will not help you get there.
• Focus your resources on moving the ball. It can be overwhelming, to say the least, to contemplate big life changes. So, like any good project manager would advise, just break them down a little bit. Cross a few things off your list. But keep moving forward.
• Live rich. I read an article the other day about couples who run restaurants together. One couple talked about their success and said “We’re not rich, but we have a rich life.” I can’t think of a better way to life.

Some of my life and business inspirations come from reading these fabulous authors: Martha Beck, Dr. Andrew Weil, Oprah, Michael Gerber.