green Christmas detox smoothie

I am kind of in shock that Christmas is less than a week away !!! It's my favorite time of year but I don't really feel like I'm in the spirit yet...maybe because it's still relatively "warm" outside (anything above freezing feels warm this time of year) and we've hit a new record of days with no snow in Chicago.
 

This Saturday Ben and I are kicking off our great Midwest holiday tour, hitting Indiana, central Illinois, and Michigan all before New Year's, and I've been rushing around trying to finish last minute errands and presents. But first I wanted to share this green smoothie, because I have a feeling I'm not the only one who wants to inject some extra fruits and veggies into my diet before the holiday madness truly descends!

 

 

Green Detox Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

-1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped

-1/2 small apple, peeled and chopped

-small handful spinach

-1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

-a few ice cubes

-a splash of juice to get things moving in the blender

 

Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

 

This is definitely a smoothie (as opposed to juice) and is pretty pulpy from the apple. I've made green smoothies with spinach and frozen banana before but I've never tried to add other fruits or veggies. The cucumber gives this one a fresh taste and the vanilla yogurt keeps it sweet. Overall it's an interesting combination. I think I'll experiment with different fruits next time--I'm thinking oranges and frozen banana chunks....

Here's another healthy recipe to try for lunch: wheat berry and bean salad from Oh She Glows

I generally followed her recipe except used quick cook barley instead of wheatberries (because that's what we had and it's faster) and topped it off with goat cheese (because I'm not vegan).

I hope you stay sane and relaxed in the last few days before the holiday weekend!

 

Christmas in Chicago

This weekend my mother in law was visiting, so we met up downtown to witness the annual spectacle that is Christmas in Chicago. It's definitely magical and beautiful blahblahblah but let me tell you, Saturdays in December are craaaaaazy. Be prepared. We spent a few hours wandering the floors of the store formerly known as Marshall Field's, which I love visiting for the gorgeous architecture alone (see above and below). It also sells those delicious mint chocolates called Frangos, and I might have grabbed an impulse buy of Frango chocolate mint liqueur (best. find. ever). 

And then we attempted the Christkindlmarket, which is an adorable little German-style open air market set up in Daley Plaza, featuring delicious food and booths selling gorgeous hand blown glass ornaments and other kitschy Christmas things. I had been there once in high school for a German class field trip on a weekday and it was awesome. However, this Saturday it was INSANE. There were so many people crammed into the plaza that it was almost impossible to even get to the booths, let alone move! We instantly became claustrophobic and had to get out. (But if you're visiting the city I still recommend checking it out! It's like the Christmas version of the Bean.)

MASS CHAOS

Apparently this weekend was also a huge Christmas themed all-day bar crawl in Wrigleyville called TBOX.  The Addison red line station smelled like a frathouse and the streets were packed with a river of drunk people in elf and slutty Santa get-ups. Never a dull moment...

I was exhausted once we eventually made it home but I finally feel like Christmas is here!

banana bran muffins

It's a dark cloudy morning, perfect for muffin baking. I'm pretty much obsessed with muffins and quick breads (as seen on my recipe page) and bran muffins are my favorite, I think because the texture is so chewy and addicting. I'm always confused when every recipe I find starts off with some variation of "these are NOT your typical dry tasteless bran muffins!" because I have never eaten a dry tasteless bran muffin. I don't know, maybe I'm just lucky. If you've had an unfortunate encounter with one, please make this recipe so you can be converted to the way of the delicious bran muffin!

This recipe makes dense, chewy, sticky, delectable banana and walnut-studded muffins. (And as usual, they're pretty healthy.)

I found wheat bran in the bulk bins of my grocery store, and it was only 33 cents for 2 cups worth.

Banana Bran Muffins
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten)
Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients:
-2 cups buttermilk (the small carton)
-2 cups wheat bran
-1/3 cup canola oil
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup molasses
-zest of one orange
-1 t. vanilla extract
-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 t. baking powder
-1/2 t. baking soda
-1 t. salt
-2 bananas, chopped
-1 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350* and coat muffin tins with cooking spray or liners.
In a medium bowl mix the buttermilk and bran together and set aside.
In a large bowl mix the oil, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, zest, and vanilla.
Add the bran mixture to the wet ingredients.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine gently. Fold in the bananas and walnuts.
Fill muffin tins alllll the way.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the muffins feel solid and springy when you tap them.

Enjoy!

paper snowflakes

Ben and I are still debating whether or not to go through the effort of getting a tree, but I figured I should at least put up a little seasonal decor. Despite the ridiculously high temperatures here in Chicago (70* today, what??) I decided to re-connect with my childhood and cut out some paper snowflakes. They turned out really cute!

I followed these instructions to make 6-point stars, and used plain computer printer paper. Tracing paper would work great because it's thinner and so it would be easier to cut more delicate designs.

 (fold a square of paper diagonally twice)

 (the tricky part...fold the small triangle in thirds)

(snip the top points off) 

The trick to avoid ending up with 3rd grade-style snowflakes is to make sure you cut at least half the paper out, leaving the pattern as thin as possible. Here's what I ended up with--the folded snowflake is pictured above the unfolded version.

I'm sure you could Google some really cool designs too. 

I taped the snowflakes to some dental floss (fishing line would be even better) and hung them in our window where I already had twinkle lights that we used for our wedding.

Cozy finished product!

October 6, 2012

I will remember every detail of that chilly, overcast October day. 

Waking up from excitement at 6 am in the hotel room I was sharing with my best friend and looking out at the sunrise over the Mississippi, thinking that this was a beautiful day to get married.

Popping champagne in the salon with all my bridesmaids while blasting the Cyndi Lauper Pandora station. 

Picking up lunch at Panera in street clothes and a veil.

Putting on makeup in the hotel and getting a peek out the door of my dad wearing his fathers' suit and top hat with the guys in the hall. That's the moment I knew this was for real.

How exhausted I felt from not being able to sleep the week before.

Meeting Ben under the arches for our first look, and finally releasing all the anxiety and tension and replacing them with calm and excitement and love. 

Standing outside the chapel doors with my bridesmaids and parents right before the ceremony, and my mom telling me that this was exactly how she'd wished I would look on my wedding day.

Stepping into the golden light of the chapel with my dad, and feeling surrounded and overwhelmed by love and joy.

Freaking out when Ben started saying his vows, because he started crying and then I started crying and I didn't know how I'd get through mine. 

(I ended up starting great, until we both started church-giggling at how surreal it all was.)

The reception was just how I wanted it: relaxed, fun, intimate, like a dinner party with all my favorite people in which I just so happened to be wearing an ivory ballgown.

My little sisters delivered a toast full of cheesy childhood stories and songs.

My bustle ripped out during a Dutch party dance and I didn't even care.

Ben and I danced to Green Eyes by Coldplay.

I accomplished my reception priority: getting to eat my own wedding cake.

The day didn't fly by like everyone said it would. It actually unfolded in perfect time (after an intense and hectic morning) and when the party was over I was ready to leave with my new husband and begin the rest of our lives.

  

Our amazing photographer Christy has posted our wedding photos on her blog so this is an excited announcement to go check them out if you are into weddings :)

These photos of us under the arches at Augustana are my favorite, in part because Ben showed them to his (Southside Chicago) students and they said I looked like Tinkerbell.

book review: Juliet

 

I just finished reading Juliet by Anne Fortier. It took me about a third of the way through to actually get into the book, but ended up being pretty exciting and entertaining in a Dan Brown-meets-Shakespeare in Love kind of way. 

The story goes back and forth between the present day and 1340 Italy, and traces the story of the "original" Romeo and Juliet.  Julie Jacobs aka Giulietta Tolomei is a modern 25 year old who follows her past to Siena, Italy to finish her late mother's quest of finding out her true ancestry. It turns out she is indeed descended from the original Giulietta Tolomei who inspired Shakespeare's story, and frequent flashbacks to the past reveal the original tale of the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

The plots in both time periods involve feuding families, murder, love, legendary treasure, and lots of shocking twists and turns. Honestly, the modern story was pretty cheesy and hard to buy, but the historical bits were very colorful and entertaining. As we all know, the story of the original Juliet ends in tragedy, but Julie Jacobs' story ends with an Indiana Jones-style trek  through the bowels of Middle Age cathedrals and catecombs in search of Romeo and Juliet's hidden grave. 

Worth a read, mainly for the entertaining historical fiction.

 

free at-home winter workout ideas

So.

We are officially in the middle of holiday season, and it is officially winter. Which means we are all stuffing our faces with delicious feasts, cocktails, cookies, and pie while the temperature keeps dropping and dropping along with any motivation to work out.

If you'd like to salvage the inner willpower to burn calories-- either to offset holiday binging or to increase your metabolism so you can eat even more (or both)--this post is for you.

If you have access to a gym, I suggest checking out some fun workout classes! Spinning, Body Pump/any class with muscle conditioning in the name, and Zumba are my personal recommendations.

If you are gym-less at the moment like myself, keep reading.

I bring you my super cheap home gym:

-squishy mat (TJ Maxx, $14)

-10 lb and 5 lb dumbells (Target and TJ Maxx, roughly $30)

-exercise ball, one that's weighted so it doesn't roll everywhere (TJ Maxx, $15)

-pretty rug (Big Lots)

This equipment, an internet connection, and a sports bra are pretty much all you need to get in amazing shape. I haven't been to a gym since February, and I can personally attest to this claim. (Granted, having a wedding is the ideal motivation to get your butt in gear, but the point is... you don't need to spend mega bucks every month to work out!)

To avoid boredom, I like to combine lots of different types of exercise and work out 4-5 times a week. Running, pilates, yoga, and circuit workouts are all in my rotation.

Running Tips

If you hate running with the passion of a million burning suns, then don't do it. Walking counts too, and you can chat with a friend while getting outside.

-Invest in good shoes. They should cost $80-$100 and last about a year if you're a steady/casual runner.

-Running in cold weather is the best, because you won't die of heat. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY COLD. Here's a post on what to wear!

 -Map your distance on mapmyrun.com or Google maps! Make up a route in your neighborhood before you head out. *Circle routes are the best because you can't quit half way...you must complete the circle to get home!

Pilates Tips

I like mat pilates for toning, either after a run or by itself. It's awesome because all you need is your own bodyweight! Don't underestimate low-impact workouts.

-My current favorite (and FREE!) resource for pilates videos is Blogilates.com. Go to the Workout tab and check out her POP pilates videos, and HIIT intervals if you want some cardio. My fave is the Bikini Blaster 1 video. Cassey's endless energy might be kind of annoying at first, but then you realize you're addicted. And then you realize your booty is on "FIYAHHHH!!!".

Yoga Tips

All the pros say to check out an actual yoga class before you do videos so you can get the correct alignment etc. I have not followed that advice, but I'm just passing on the disclaimer...yogis, feel free to yell at me.

-Check out Yogadownload.com for free 20 minute videos and cheap downloadable longer videos for all levels and styles of yoga. I like the vinyasa/power yoga and yoga with weights!

-Dave Farmar's FREE yoga podcasts are killer.

Circuit Tips

I think circuit workouts are my absolute favorite. They combine strength and cardio and you can burn tons of calories in small amounts of time!

-Jillian Michaels is the queen of circuit workout videos. My absolute favorite is 6 Week Six-Pack BUT you have to use an 8-10 pound weight to get results. Just go for it :) No More Trouble Zones is a good strength workout, and Ripped in 30 is awesome when you graduate from the 30 Day Shred.

-Check out my Pinterest workout board for tons of at home circuit inspiration. Blast a workout station on Pandora and get to it! My favorite circuit workouts come from fitfabcities.com and pbfingers.com

-Indoor circuits are also great in the summer when it's too hot to run outside!

So there you have it. All my at-home workout secrets!

I hope these tips help you can find the motivation you need to get your endorphins flowing, and then you can justify those cookies.

"It's cold outside" and "I'm saving it for New Years'" are NOT EXCUSES to neglect yourself!

pumpkin cranberry oatmeal

It's Thanksgiving week! 

Which means I have random seasonal stuff in the kitchen like pumpkin and cranberries. It's also getting colder out, which means I'm back on an oatmeal kick for breakfast. I love adding lots of spice and mix-ins to my oats to make them extra delicious!

This oatmeal combination has been my go-to recently. It's festive but also extremely healthy with fiber, vitamins, and protein, and does a pretty good job of keeping me full for the morning--an impossible feat since I need to eat like every 3 hours no matter how big my breakfast is. Oatmeal tends to have this boring and yucky stereotype that will be smashed to bits with this jam-packed bowl! Did I mention it's also a great way to sneak veggies (pumpkin) into a sweet breakfast? 

*if you have leftover fresh cranberries try making sparkly cranberry muffins!

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients

-1/2 cup dry old fashioned oats (not quick-cook)

-cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (or pumpkin pie spice)

-1/4 cup fresh or dried cranberries

-1/4 cup canned pumpkin

-walnuts

-maple syrup and milk to top

Bring 1 cup of water and the cranberries to boil on the stove. I used fresh cranberries here but dried (Craisins) would be good too, and not as tart. Add the oats and a generous amount of spices (they will get absorbed by the oats and pumpkin, so don't be afraid of going overboard), turn the heat down to low, and stir. Let the oats cook about 4 minutes, or until almost all the water is absorbed. Add the pumpkin, stir until the oats are done and all liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a bowl, top with crushed walnuts, maple syrup, and milk, and try to finish it all on your own!

cookie Friday

Happy Friday!

{Mmmm Snickers explosion.}

I spent my afternoon baking these amazing peanut butter Snickers cookies, and let's just say they're as good as they sound--and a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy, if you still have some laying around! Mine didn't turn out as pretty as the original recipe makes them look thanks to my wonky cheap off-brand apartment oven, but that didn't stop me from eating the reject cookies...so much for my personal mission to eat healthy until Thanksgiving. 

This week went so fast, I can't believe it's Friday night again. Not a bad problem to have, I guess! Friday night is the official "date night" for Ben and me, so tonight we checked out a really delicious and cute sushi place in our neighborhood, and now I think we're going to make use of our wedding gifts and concoct some martinis :) 

We don't really have plans this weekend except for a pizza and Settlers of Catan night tomorrow with my sister in law and her boyfriend, which I am nerdishly excited about. Settlers is one of my favorite board games, and a pretty easy one to learn. Tomorrow is also the Lights Festival parade downtown, in which they ceremoniously turn on the Christmas lights along Michigan Avenue. I guess the holidays are officially here!

Have a great pre-Thanksgiving weekend! 

on being underemployed

 People house and squirrel house. Love being able to see all the little nests in the trees.

 

 The last tree on the street holding out with some green

 

 My sidewalk

 



 Some dusty miller in the leaves, pretty gray and yellow

 

 Fuzzy boots, more gray and yellow

 

 Fave scarf of the moment

 

View from my porch, typical Chicago northside

 

{pictures from my walk to the post box this morning}

 

 

Last night I had my first ugly breakdown since my September pre-wedding freakouts. 2012 has been a huge year, to put it mildly, bringing me the happiest days of my life and also the most frustrating personal challenges I've ever experienced, and I'm trying to process it all and reflect on what has happened and where I'm headed. It's been almost a year since my job with the Nature Conservancy in Oregon ended and Ben and I decided to pack our cars and drive back to the midwest to live with our respective parents until we figured shit out.

 

Actually, "figuring shit out" could be the tagline to this entire year

 

Here's the quick re-cap of what has happened since last December:

 

 I spent a pretty gloomy winter in my childhood bedroom attempting to job hunt while Ben lived with his mom in Michigan (he had an online job at the time). After having spent two years hacking it long-distance at the end of college, being forced to live hundreds of miles apart AGAIN--after we were engaged for pete's sake and I thought we were past that tough stage--well, it was the figurative straw that broke me. And it sucked. I was saved in the spring by my uncle, who offered us temporary free use of his empty condo in the Quad Cities so that Ben and I could actually be together while we figured out our lives and wedding plans. The QC is where we met and went to college, so it was a fun blast of the past to re-connect with our college friends and spend a summer re-living our college days. I also started substitute teaching at the end of the school year, which gave me something to do and kept me sane! All you need to sub in Illinois is a college degree, so it's a pretty good in-between-jobs filler if you're willing to deal with an unpredictable schedule and whiny high schoolers.

 

The rest of the summer was consumed by figuring out how to throw a beautiful and fun wedding when you're broke, spending time with family, and distracting myself from not having a job. Honestly, it was pretty nice to have the time to do things like make my own wedding invitations (DIY blog post to come on that...) and it was plain awesome to catch up with friends and family after living so far away in PA and OR for the past three years. Ben continued working online until he FINALLY was offered his dream teaching job: high school history at a charter school in Chicago. I cried tears of joy. We moved to the city in August, I was extremely lucky to start working part time at the Morton Arboretum, we got married, and now it's the holiday season and I'm coming up for air!

 

I really love my job and co-workers at the Arb, but I only work in the spring, summer, and fall, and part time at that. Plus the commute is rough... an hour and fifteen minutes to drive out there in morning rush hour, 45 minutes to get home in the early afternoon. I've begun picking up some babysitting jobs, which--like subbing--is also a great filler job if you are female, like kids, have experience being in charge of them (thanks Mama for my younger siblings), and are CPR/First Aid certified, and live in a family-oriented area. I am very grateful I fill all of the above requirements :)

 

So anyway, it has been almost a year since I had a full time job, and a year and a half since I graduated with my master's degree. Almost all the 20-somethings I know have been un/under-employed for at least a few months at some point. It's just really. hard. to be 25 right now.

 Obviously I am really grateful for my supportive family, being married to an amazing person who has a job to pay the bills and support me, my education, and my experiences thus far, but there is still a big void inside of me where I'm missing a job that will fulfill me and make me feel productive with my time and talents. I've learned how to be resourceful and work with what I have, but it's really hard to have patience for that one perfect job to appear--because I'm not going to be hired unless the employer thinks I am absolutely perfect. It's extremely humbling to be rejected from jobs you know you're qualified or even over-qualified for, and I know that even though I have a master's degree and as much experience as I've been able to cram into my life so far, NO JOB or experience is beneath me right now.

 

I'm looking forward so much to the day when Ben and I have a double income and can start actually saving money to someday have kids and buy a house, in addition to merely not feeling super guilty every time I buy something. In the meantime it's a constant process to stay grateful for the many many blessings I DO have in my life and to trust that everything will work out when the time is right.

 

2012 has included three moves, multiple part time and temporary jobs for both Ben and me, a wedding, and lots of memories and learning curves both good and bad. No wonder I'm mentally exhausted! I have no idea what 2013 has in store, and it's really weird to anticipate a year with no graduations, wedding, or any other pre-scheduled milestone. Hopefully there are a couple less enormous changes, and I can continue to settle into the second half of my twenties.

 

 

chill in the air

We enjoyed what I'm assuming was our last weekend of balmy 60* temperatures in Chicago, and now the weather has plunged back into the 30's in true Midwestern style. At least it hasn't snowed yet!

 

November was always one of my least favorite months because of the general ugliness brought on by bare trees and drizzly yucky weather, but I think times are changing! I'm married to a November birthday boy, for starters, and we celebrated his 27th year earlier this month with a delicious ice cream cake covered in brownie chunks.

 

 

You're super old now, Ben :)

 

I'm also excited about this month because it signals the approaching holiday season, which is by far my favorite time of the year. I'm obsessed with all seasonal foods and can't wait for Thanksgiving! If you're looking for something yummy to bake to get into the holiday spirit I highly recommend  this healthy cranberry sweet potato bread.

 

 Recipe notes: I used 2 full eggs instead of 3 egg whites, and added an extra 1/3 cup or so of orange juice because my batter was extremely dry. I was kind of skeptical because the recipe was so dry and had zero oil, but it turned out incredibly chewy and delicious!

 

The slice above is pictured slathered in this equally amazing (and easy) crockpot apple butter. I halved the recipe and it still made an enormous jar...good thing because I want to pour it over everything.

 

I've been loving my extra free time lately since school programs are done for the winter at the Arboretum. I'm trying to pick up more babysitting jobs to keep me distracted and in cash, and in the meantime I've been organizing and nesting like crazy in our apartment. It's been a very slow process to settle in and make this place feel like home but I think it's coming together!

 

 

Boots, scarves, and leaves are taking over the entryway, and the Dutch art calendar pictures are getting darker and drearier each month. We're definitely in the fall/winter transition!

 

I've been feeling grateful this weekend for our veterans who have given so much to our country, and I'm also grateful that Ben gets today off from school--so instead of grading and lesson planning all day on Sunday, he's catching up on work today, and we got to spend a rare two days together hanging out, pilgrimaging to IKEA, and catching the new James Bond movie! Which has put me in a very happy mood because during the busy week it seems like we never get a chance to spend time together.

 

Life is crazy, but right now it is good. 

 



fall at the morton arboretum

This fall I’ve been leading outdoor educational programs (aka field trips) at the Morton Arboretum, an enormous outdoor tree museum in the Chicago suburbs. Most of the leaves have fallen by now but a few weeks ago I got out to snap a few pictures of the scenery! I’m so grateful that I live in a state that experiences a gorgeous autumn, despite the horrendous winters that follow.

 

                     

It’s been extra dreary and dark here now that Daylight Savings has taken effect and I’m trying to motivate myself to tackle some inside projects, since it feels like our apartment will NEVER be completely organized. We’ve been living here for three months now but still have the “junk room” full of random crap that drives me crazy. Oh well, it will all get sorted out eventually, after a few more trips to IKEA to stock up on shelves and bins. I’ve also been trying to get back into posting more regularly on the old blog (a constant battle since I left grad school), so thanks for still reading this :) I hope your fall has been splendid!