Healthy, Happy...and Gluten-Free

Food allergies are terrible. To name just a few ways in which allergies can be the worst things ever: Some people with nut allergies experience such a severe reaction to even infinitesimal amounts of nuts that they can’t go to baseball games because they might inhale particles floating around from all the peanut shelling. People with milk allergies get to discover that “whey,” a cheese-making byproduct, is in everything from ice cream and cottage cheese (where you’d expect it to be) to pastries and crackers (well, obviously, once you put the cheese on there…no. BEFORE the cheese. IN the cracker). And to people with soy allergies: respect. You guys are soldiers. I don’t know what you eat instead of food, seeing as soy is added to just about every product in the Western world, but whatever it is, you give me hope.

Unfortunately, millennials and subsequent generations seem to be more afflicted with food allergies than generations past, possibly because the Western diet has made us more susceptible to developing such sensitivities.

DIY Yogurt Revisited

Inspired by a previous post, I decided I was going to attempt to make homemade yogurt. I was excited when I found out that people can easily make their own yogurt; I had never heard of that before. I also really love yogurt and wanted to try and save some money. There was only one problem, would I like it? I wasn't sure if after all of these years of living off of Yoplait yogurt and the occasional Greek yogurt (if it was on sale) had conditioned me to only liking store bought yogurt. I didn't want to invest in buying a yogurt maker if I was going to end up not using it. After some research, I was saved by the always amazing Crock Pot.

The (Twenty-Something) Idiot's Guide to Bitters

Gone are the days when it was acceptable for our generation to be spied sipping on a White Russian, Whiskey Sour (or its weaker and even more shameful cousin, the Midori Sour), or Long Island Ice Tea. I ordered a Long Island this St. Patty’s Day—mostly for old times’ sake, and because it’s in the best interest of a sober millennial at a bar full of undergraduate youngins to dispense with sobriety as quickly as possible—and was appalled by just how foul it was. Yet I downed those babies every weekend for almost four years of college. How could I have been so misguided?
 

Wawa: Fueling the 20-Somethings

Morning is my favorite time of day. I rise with the sun and greet the day nearly every morning at 6 am, much to the bewilderment of my other 20-something roommates. There is nothing I enjoy more than waking up to a quiet house and sitting on my back porch with a good book and fresh cup of coffee. But not just any coffee.

Don't Be Afraid of the Wine Aisle

You’re standing there, wide-eyed, as a long row of bottles stretches in front of you. The labels don’t help. Hell, half of them are in other languages – though what’s on the ones in English isn’t all that much more illuminating, anyway. The questions run through your head: do I want a white? Is sparkling better? Should I get a Chardonnay? A Pinot Gris? Is California the best wine producer? Is French too expensive? Is this local one any good? The answer is yes. And no. Wine appreciation is all about what you like. You just need to know how to find it. Here’s how.

Food (And Drink) For Thought

Until this past winter there were few things I looked forward to more than nice meals out and a few cocktails to wash them down. It was my reward for slaving behind a desk all week.

And then, come January, I found out I was pregnant.

Beating old habits, one trade-off at the time

From www.junkfoodforlife.com

Trying to find a nutritional and effective meal plan to have energy in a natural way is not easy. I used to have the worst eating and sleeping habits, and by making small trade-offs with my self, I have figured out what eating right means.

The Awkward Dinner Party: Part II

In part II of this two-part series I talk about ways to throw a dinner party that your guests might possibly enjoy. Check out my earlier post for tips on how to survive such a party from the guest perspective of things.

First things first: I've never actually thrown a dinner party, so if you'd like to stop reading now I completely understand. However, I have hosted enough Thanksgiving meals for non-family members that I feel justified in offering at least a few tips on keeping twenty-somethings entertained around a dinner table. Here they are:

Ahead of Time

Don't invite every friend you have from every walk of life. Stick to a core group of people who know and like each other, with maybe a twenty percent mix of friends from another circle. Most people find it exhausting telling their abbreviated life stories thirteen times to thirteen people in the course of an evening. This way you'll gradually mix your social circles without making your guests work for it.

Eat With Your Eyes

Just because you're busy doesn't mean you can't eat a beautiful breakfast. Whether it's the weekend or a weekday there are little things you can do to make your morning meal look delicious.


Even if it's just yogurt and granola, think about the dishes you use. For those in big cities, take a look at stores like Fishes Eddy where you can find everything from classic pie plates to unique cutlery for $1. If you put a little work into what you eat off of you'll enjoy the result over and over again.



If you're not near a quirky dish ware store there are other options. Weck jars, are gorgeous, heavy glass canning jars that make for great bowls, pitchers and condiment jars. These are particularly useful for those who will have move in the near future (they hold up well to travel) and you can buy a set of four to six for under 20 bucks. It certainly beats the $40 dish sets at Target.

Going Healthy for Breakfast with Oat Bran

Are you crazy about cream of wheat, but turned off by how unhealthy it is? If so, then you and I have something in common. When I was a kid, I cherished those special mornings when I'd wake up to a bowl of fresh cream of wheat waiting for me. But as I grew up, I became aware of how much butter and sugar there is in a single serving. Fortunately, there's an easy-to-make alternative that's actually good for you and tastes just as good: oat bran

Alternative Friday Nights

Last Friday night I was invited to go dancing in downtown Boston. Multicolored drinks in large plastic buckets, loud music, and close proximity to curious smelling strangers- the whole delightful experience. It had been a long week of class and work and the gym (that one time), so I wasn't exactly feeling energized. In fact, I can't remember a Friday in the past month where I felt up to going out. So I've been using Fridays to explore Boston at my leisure. Here are a few Friday night alternatives for the weary, but social:

Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA

1. An old movie at an old theater- The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline are two of my favorite independent movie houses. Where else can you see Casablanca for half the price of a regular movie ticket?
2. Dinner- Possibilities are endless here, but I recommend anything Italian in the North End. I have yet to go wrong.
3. Trivia night- Hosted at Joshua Tree in Brighton, 21st Amendment in Beacon Hill, or The Tam downtown- to name a few.

The Esplanade docks, Boston, MA

4. The Esplanade- take a stroll by the Charles and relax on the Esplanade's public docks. They're perfect for relaxing with a good book or a good friend.

The Awkward Dinner Party: Part I

In Part I of this two-part series I will talk about ways to minimize your own discomfort as a guest at an awkward dinner party. In Part II (check back later this week) I'll offer tips on throwing a dinner party your guests won't want to run from screaming.

The farther away in time I find myself from my college graduation date, the more dinner parties I find myself attending. Not the worst predicament to be in, but as a twenty-something, not the best either.

I have my theories as to why these gatherings have so much awkward potential for millennials:

Dining Well for Less

Blame it on the Food Network. Blame it on irresistibly delicious new magazines like Lucky Peach. Blame it on the existence of foie gras crème brulee.  Millennials have a refined palate (as in, an insatiable appetite for expensive, exotic, challenging foods) and no kind of budget to enjoy the spoils of modern food culture. New York recently published an article about the growing number of twentysomethings who spend a quarter of their paycheck on fine foods. But we shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and living well. Here are some suggestions for enjoying nicer restaurants for less.

Break Away from the Grab-and-Go

As a twenty-something-year-old student juggling work, classes, internships, and friends, I need a space to simultaneously unwind and tackle my ever-growing workload, a refuge that combines the comforts of home with the structure of a classroom. Coffee shops provide the idyllic setting for me to write, relax, and recharge with delicious cups of freshly brewed coffee. Luckily, most major cities offer a plethora of such retreats for busy, young professionals to grab-and-go if they’re on the run, or to sit, sip, and collect their thoughts.

New Foods by Mail

It’s a simple fact: I love food. So I look at pictures of recipes, take pictures of my cooking triumphs and frequent local farmer’s markets. Somewhere along the line I stumbled across the Foodie Pen Pal Program. Hosted by the lovely Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean blog, it’s a “pen pal” program where food-loving folk can send care packages of local delights to one another.

Tiny Tweaks (In the Kitchen) Can Go a Long Way

A few months after I started grad school, I stepped on the scale to discover I was carrying around fifteen extra pounds. Fifteeen! The truth is, ever since I’d started grad school on top of my full-time job, most of my hours were spent sitting at my desk or in a classroom, and free time was dedicated to homework. Cooking was definitely not a priority, especially since I lived in a city where I could have all kinds of different foods delivered to me at any time.

But after seeing the number on that scale, I knew I needed to make some changes, and fast. So I started with the food (I’d tackle exercise later). I realized that part of the appeal to eating out was enjoying something different every day. Still, I didn’t have the time or energy to play around with fanciful new recipes. But then I learned that making some tiny changes to the basic recipes I did have time to handle made a huge difference in how they tasted and how much I enjoyed them. 

Cheap Beer Was Built for Summer

I am all about the microbrew. About the care that goes into a single bottle, the unique flavor that each yeast brings to the process, the story behind the product.

But I recently shared a precious moment with a Narragansett.  It was a very hot summer evening, sticky and uncomfortable. Someone thrust a red, green, and white sweating can into my hand. To tell the truth, what I really needed was water, but it was a backyard BBQ and this can of beer was the next best thing. The Narragansett was light, crisp, and seemed to pair well with whatever I ate — from hamburger to fruit salad to the microbrew I enjoyed after.

Later that week, while browsing the coolers at the liquor store, those same tallboy cans caught my eye. I walked past them, and then retraced my steps. They were imbued with the mythical qualities of that hot summer moment. I grabbed a six-pack. This was the first time I’d bought “cheap beer” in several years. I think I was scarred from too many years of Mountain Creek Classic Lager in college (which cost $8 for a 30-pack in Beloit, WI).

Chocolate Therapy

When I go to the library to study or write a paper, the scenario is generally the same. I sit at the same desk near the window, with a steaming cup of coffee (black) in my ceramic to-go mug, and a piece of Dove dark chocolate. I extract my treat from its foil, place the smooth square on my tongue, and commit the same fatal flaw: I bite. Disappointed once again my indelicacy, my chronic sense of urgency, I read the inspirational message printed within the Dove wrapper: Let yourself melt in life's goodness.