Happy Spring Everyone!
I can’t believe that it’s almost the end of March already! I’ve decided to do a quick report on a collection of the
amazing products, foods, ideas, places and some other things that I’ve found thus far in our
still pretty new year.
FOOD
(In case I lose you later on, I’ll begin with food so we can
at least get that in)
Mangos:
I’ve become
obsessed. I get mine at Trader Joe’s for $1.29 each or at Stater Brothers for
$0.69 each. To me, price doesn’t matter because 1. Two mangos last me a whole week and
2. Their deliciosity makes them priceless. When choosing your mangos, go for the
ones that “give a little” when you squeeze them; kind of like a ripe peach! They
should also smell fruity— I actually do stand in the produce section sniffing all of
the mangos they’ve got! Mangos DO ripen more after you bring them home,
especially if you put them near apples (science). Now, cutting them is really the only tricky part, but after my mama taught me how to over spring break, I’m a pro. Here's my DIY mango slicing tutorial haha!
Mangos have a long pit sort of thing in the middle but it’s more like an
organically shaped knot. To cut a mango, first hold the fruit vertically with one
hand like so:
(My hands looked gross so for the photo I did this...but really use your whole hand)
With a sharp knife, I prefer serrated, start at the top, in
the middle and cut downward very slowly, feeling this knot with your knife and
gliding the blade around it. You can feel it not cut as smoothly when you hit
this knot and it sort of makes a scratchy sound. Once you have a section cut off, hold it in non-dominate hand with
the peal side against your palm.
Gently use the knife to cut vertical lines on this section
of mango, then go back over them cross-hatching horizontally so you have little
cubes but DON’T GO THROUGH THE PEEL! Be careful! No cutting your hands!
Put the knife down, then invert the mango piece so it looks
like a “little armadillo” as my mom says. Then shave the chunks off with your
knife. Continue to do this until it’s all gone, but be very careful because
mangoes are super slippery and I don’t want you to cut yourself after you run
out of peel to grip!
Also, sucking on the knotty center is the BEST part!!
What I’ve
been putting mango in:
Plain:
· simple is as simple does
Smoothies:
· 1/4-1/2 of the mango is usually a good amount
· I like them with grapefruit, kiwi & berries
especially.
Salads:
· My favorite salad right now is baby spinach,
grilled tofu or chicken, avocado, & mango with oil and vinegar as dressing.
Grilled:
· Add them into an omelet (avocado, lox, and
spinach accompany mango perfectly)
· Add them to salsa, like pico de gallo
YUM
*NOTE: I like to eat eclectic food flavors all at the same
time, so if the fruit with meat thing gets you, just ignore!
Lavender:
I’ve always
loved the scent of lavender. My mom used to put lavender oil on my pillows and
in my baths when I was little. I still love lavender scented lotion, body wash
and Epsom salts. However, it wasn’t until a trip to Portland in January that I
discovered that I love eating it too! At this adorable little how should I say…fabulously
mysterious hipsterish café/restaurant/fondue/bar called The Pied Cow I had a lavender & honey soy milk
steamer. It was seriously the best beverage I think I’ve consumed this year so
far (and then some)! There were pieces of lavender buds on top that gave it the
perfect underlying taste of lavender. I’m pretty sure I would drive all the way
to Portlandia just for this drink. THEN upon returning to Redlands, a co-worker
suggested a café called, The Queen Bean in Yucaipa. There, I had a lavender soy latte that was also to die for. SO I decided I
could make this on my own! I did my research, purchased FOOD GRADE lavender oil
(not essential oil) from PCC back home (you can get it on amazon as well).
About $10.00 for 3 ounces is typical.
And now I add it to EVERYTHING! Coffee, lemonade, tea, water, smoothies, even
my egg whites. Anything! It’s so yummy and it only adds a tiny hint of flavor, which
I love. It makes ordinary foods and drinks extra special. Life’s too short to
eat boring food—spice it up people!
Almond Butter:
Hi I’m
Katie and I’m addicted to almond butter. It’s my kryptonite. I could eat almond
butter all day every day. It's very healthy--if you do it right. I always make sure to get organic and unsalted almond
butter, brands like like Maranatha or the Trader Joe’s brand. These brands use
ONLY almonds. That’s it! That’s the only ingredient. How relaxing is it to check out a label and see ONE thing...that you know how to pronounce! Other brands put cane
sugar, salt and other mysterious ingredients in them, so make sure to look at the
ingredients list before purchasing to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting out of bed at 3am
for ;) I honestly eat it with just a spoon. It curbs my sweet tooth and gives
me energy for pre and post workouts. Just two tablespoons has 7 grams of protein,
only 6 carbs and 4 grams of fiber! Yes there is fat, but it’s the good kind of
fat that gives you lasting energy! I also lovvvve the texture. Since I don’t eat
bread or any grains, I don’t generally put my almond butter on anything, except
bananas and apples, but I bet it would be delicious on a bagel or piece of
toast!
**Sorry there's no pictures of my almond butter because I ate it all
BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Burt’s Bees Carrot Day Cream:
This little
jar is densely packed with the most lusciously thick and dreamy face cream you
can think of. My mom bought it for herself and I borrowed it (of course) when I got home
over spring break. It’s amazing! It smells heavenly but not really like
carrots, if anything, carrot cake. I don’t use it during the day even though it
is “day cream” just because it is a little thick. Instead I lather it onto my
face, neck and hands before I go to bed. Being in dry SoCal, especially in an air-conditioned
house, my skin gets so dry so quick! During the night it is crucial for me to
moisturize. I layer 3 different moisturizers on just to make sure my skin is
dewy in the morning. This cream is the last one that I apply because I love how good
it smells and it feels like it locks in the others with its thick dreaminess
haha.
Tea Tree Oil:
I actually discovered this back in high school
when girls in my class were getting lice (EW) and I was so paranoid of it happening
to me. Mom researched lice and apparently those nasty little buggers hate tea
tree oil! It’s actually an antiseptic. I use 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil. I
simply use a q-tip or cotton ball and dab it mostly on my acne prone areas. I also put
it on any skin irritations or red spots. The scent is REALLY strong so be aware
of that, but I love the effects. It quickly takes out any redness and keeps
bacteria away!
Coppertone Sport Sunscreen:
Going to
school down here, it took me about .000001 seconds to find the importance
of SPF. MOST, not all but most (older) SoCali natives have one thing in common: their SKIN,
Leathery, wrinkled, spotted and terrifying for that matter. I refuse to let
this be my skin. Before I greet the sun...or the partly cloudy for that matter--ok every day I apply a dime size amount of Neutrogena
oil free moisturizer SPF 15 on my face and neck. Then I use SPF 15 foundation
makeup, SPF 15 Sugar Fresh chapstick and lastly my Coppertone. After I’m
dressed, I use this SPF 30 clear spray on any revealed skin. You could say I apply sunscreen like it’s my
second job (erhm 4th); I’m obsessed. Now the reason why I love Coppertone so much is
because obviously it protects my skin, but it ALSO, makes my skin glow. It
adds a shimmer that makes my skin look healthy and dewy (not greasy at all). On top of it, the
smell of sunscreen soothes my aching soul and reminds me that a future of a leather
neck is more and more unlikely. Skin care is SO crucial to me and it’s something to take
very seriously! Please please please use SPF. Tan skin looks OK, but healthy
skin looks radiantly beautiful.
PLACES
(dining apparently)
Redlands:
Dining local in Redlands is sometimes hard to get started. I find myself wanting to go to what's familiar, like Starbucks or Panera but Heska's is a
local café on Lugonia right in Mentone! It’s a tiny little hole in the wall
local place. They have breakfast foods, sandwiches, pastries and COFFEE! Heska,
who owns it remembers you by name and is going to help one of my organizations
with our next fundraiser! The atmosphere is almost beach house like, with
vintage furniture, creaky wood floors and outdoor seating! Perfect place to
study, talk to someone new or grab a coffee to go.
Los Angeles:
Simply to
die for. I came across this restaurant and bakery through one of my old high
school classmates who posted something about it on Facebook. I began following
Bottega and every photo was mouth watering—especially the macarons. I finally went!
I enjoyed DELICIOUS macarons in rose, vanilla and earl grey flavors (they
really taste exactly like those), giant yogurt covered pretzels, Gelato, and a
soy latte. The macarons and pretzels were to-go—don’t worry I didn’t eat that
all in one sitting! The atmosphere is really fun with lots of people, and by
people I mean young handsome waiters with undercuts. You can wait to be seated
in the restaurant or casually drop by and grab an available table
outside the bar and bakery. Everything was so intricately presented and it
tasted SO delicious.
MENTALITIES
These are a few mentalities that I’ve adapted recently and
I’m finding myself happier now that I have them
1.
Not talking badly about your exes
I personally admire
the different guys I’ve dated in my past. Since it’s been so long since I’ve
been with these guys, I find myself mostly remembering the good times and
looking back on those relationships with positive nostalgia. I think talking garbage about the people you’ve dated reflects poorly on you. It’s OK to say
nice things about your exes! It doesn’t mean you’re weak, or that you want to be with
them again. It shows that you are proud of the decisions you’ve made and
that you’ve learned from your past experiences. There was a reason why you
liked them in the first place, HELLO!
2.
Missing people and praying for people who are
not meant to be in your life
It’s OK to know that someone isn’t
right for you or doesn’t add meaning to your life or butterflies to your heart
and it’s equally OK to miss certain things about them and to pray for their
well being. If someone doesn’t treat you right, it’s a reflection on them as a
person—not you. Don’t be embarrassed to miss someone terribly—even those
dirt bags who hurt you or the guy you haven’t seen in years. I say embrace it, missing people, in
my opinion, feels really good.
3. Telling people what you need and what you want
I’m sure
you’ve heard this one before, but recently I’ve found that it can be very true. If you think someone is great, tell him
or her! If you see someone talking
badly about someone behind their back, stick up for them. Guys and girls are EQUALLY gossipy and mean to one
another and it’s repulsive. Stand up
for people; you only have to do it once. If you need someone to speak to you in a certain way, tell them! One example is this (and I won't say any names), I was headed to the airport and these two guys from my school drove me. For some reason they were being incredibly sarcastic and rude in our conversation and asking condescending questions about what I've been doing. After a few minutes of this, I said, "Can you stop being so condescending and rude?" and they did! They weren't offended...I think they were taken back that I can stand up for myself but they stopped and we had a great conversation to follow.
4. Talking to strangers
I encourage
this WHOLE heartedly. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to go anywhere and
know that I will probably meet someone new. I think my best examples come from the
airport, but I tend to talk to people wherever I go, (that Chipotle line can get
so long sometimes, what else am I going to do? Be on my phone?) Anyways, back to the airport. I’ve
literally met some of the coolest people there and on my flights. There was the one guy from Sacramento
who was an architect for the Deaf School in Riverside…hello! Right up my
academic alley. There was the guy from Issaquah who went to my rival high
school and who’s grandkids currently go to my elementary school. There was the woman from Claremont who was a language school teacher in
Thailand. She met her husband there and still works in linguistics! We got to
talk about how children under the age of two have a universal ear and can hear
variations in language that people older than that cannot! That’s why raising
your child bilingual is relatively easy. Let’s see…I met the cutest Redlands
alum at the Starbucks in Oakland and thank goodness I did because our next
flight was cancelled and I got to talk with him for a few hours to kill time. There was
the old man from the Bay Area who was buying a boat and didn’t know what to name it, the
retired woman moving to Texas for the hell of it…SO many! I feel blessed to
have encountered these people and remember their faces so clearly. What I love
most about this is that we ALL had something in common and I couldn’t believe
how many people encouraged my major and loved what I plan on doing for the rest
of my life. Many of them were in similar fields themselves! Bottom line: talk to strangers.
Get to know the people who are physically around you & get off your phone so you
can do so.
5. “At least it’s not…”
This one my
mom taught me 100%. I can remember a very perfect example to show how amazing
this mentality is. Over Christmas break, I was driving to the gym with her and
there was this grumpy couple on a walk together. It was raining and they looked
miserable. I said, “Wow they look grumpy!” and my mom said, “At least it’s not
snowing!” How perfect. I’ve 100% adopted my mom’s eternal optimism, and thank
goodness! She is the QUEEN of turning any situation into a positive one. It can always be worse. Remember that.
COLORS
Lilac:
Lilac is such a wonderful color. It’s fresh, clean, and
springy. It looks good on anyone too! My amazing co-worker Rachael and I are obsessed. We both have green eyes and it really brings them out. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't look great in lilac!
Shorts:
$45 at J. Crew
Clutch:
$128 at Anthropologie
Tank:
$16 at Victoria’s Secret (sport)
MOVIES
It Happened One Night:
Suggested to me by someone very near and dear to my little heart (if you’re reading this, you can say, “I told you so”...but just once!) This movie is apparently the first romantic comedy and it’s just darling. Starring Claudette Colbert (perfection) and Clark Gable (captivating), It Happened One Night is a black and white and it’s hilarious, raunchy, witty and I adore it. Basically, the daughter of
a rich and famous man runs away and meets this guy on a train. Weather and other
circumstances prevent them from getting where they’re headed and they are
pretty much stuck with each other until they fall in love! I would watch it
again and again and again but next time maybe with someone handsome, fantastic and cuddly. It can be rented for 24 hours on iTunes for just $3.99! Worth it!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
The Jar:
On
January 1st I decorated a giant mason jar and bought a ton of nice uniform paper construction paper. Every single day so far this year, I’ve
written down something good that’s happened that day. Whether it’s an A on an exam,
meeting someone wonderful, my crush texting me, running further and faster, or
simply the weather. There is ALWAYS something good to write down. I do it every
single night before I go to bed and it allows me to reflect on my day and go to
bed with a smile on my face thinking about the good things that have added
up. Even if my day all together wasn't great, my coffee might have been! I can’t wait to dump out my jar on December 31st 2014 and read
365 + good things that happened over my year. I would HIGHLY suggest doing this
and doing it faithfully. To be quite frank, a lot of you reading this
are probably mentioned in my jar!
