Nov 30, 2010
Woot! I’ve been nominated in the “Best Specialty Food Blog” category for the Austin Blogger Awards, sponsored by the Republic of Austin.
You can see all the nominees here – they’re based in Austin, but publish stuff that’s good no matter where you find yourself. (And I’m delighted to see one of my favorite punk rock foodies in my nomination category… hell, yeah,...
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Vote For Me? Austin Blogger Awards
Nov 30, 2010
But Dirty Can Be So Much Fun
Melissa and Dallas over at Whole9 Life have a brilliant post today about how to allow “treats” in our lives for optimal health and happiness. After all, even a superhero-in-training wants/needs a tortilla chip once a while. Help yourself to two heaping servings of good advice from the giant brains behind the Whole30 (which are so awesome, I desperately wish I’d written them myself): The... read more
Nov 29, 2010
I la-la-love the flavor palette of this time of year: lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, cranberries, sweet potatoes… everything is earthy and warm and makes me want to curl up under a blankie with a cup of tea.
But we superheroes-in-training can only afford to do that on rare occasions. The rest of the time, we need foods with bright colors and bright flavors that get us fired up to lift heavy things,...
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Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps
Nov 26, 2010
I recently found another great resource for clean eating and smart thinking: Modern Paleo.
Modern Paleo offers writings and other resources by Objectivists on the principles and practices of nutrition, fitness, and health most conducive to human flourishing.
We advocate a “paleo” perspective on these subjects. We use the evolutionary history of mankind, plus the best of modern science,...
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Modern Paleo: Paleo Bloggers Rodeo
Nov 23, 2010
Today, my good intention bricks have been added to the road to Hell. I was super busy all day with the corporate overlords, and here it is, Thanksgiving Eve Eve. My house is kind of a wreck, it’s almost time for bed, and I have plans to cook all day tomorrow.
I must admit defeat: The duck and sweet potato french fry recipes I promised you are going to have to wait until after Thursday, when I will...
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Let’s Talk Turkey, Part 4
Nov 23, 2010
Oh, dear friends! I’m running late with my recipes… forgive me! I’ll get them posted early this evening, but should you need an emergency duck or sweet potato fries recipe, here are some good stand-ins ’til I get my act together.
The roast duck and braised cabbage recipes I’m using are from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I will type them up 100%...
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Let’s Talk Turkey, Part 3
Nov 23, 2010
photo from Flickr
Here’s something you probably don’t know about me: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I’m sure you’re thinking it’s because of the food. And yes, it’s partially because of the food. But it’s mostly because I associate T-Giving with a laid-back attitude that’s all about togetherness and love. (And food. Which is love. If you do it...
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Turkey Day Tabata or Feast Gone Bad
Nov 22, 2010
T-minus two days ’til Thanksgiving. Are you gettin’ ready?! You can see our menu for our Mostly Dino-Chow Thanksgiving™ right here.
I’m sharing the recipes for our Mostly Dino-Chow Thanksgiving™ in two batches. In the interests of full disclosure, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
1. Several of these recipes are *Special-Occasion Only, which means they...
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Let’s Talk Turkey, Part 2
Nov 22, 2010
Hot off the presses keyboard… you can read me blah-blah-blah-ing about my Roller Derby days over at Sunnie’ Flowers.
Want the CliffsNotes version? Check it:
We ALL have a figurative Rollergirl inside of us. To be a Roller Derby athlete, you need to wear skates — but to embody the spirit of Roller Derby, you don’t need wheels… you just need to challenge yourself, develop the...
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Talk Derby To Me
Nov 20, 2010
This year, we’re having a Mostly Dino-Chow Thanksgiving™. Everything on our table will be dino-chow-approved with two significant exceptions: we’re imbibing (Imbibing!) Czech beer, pink Prosecco, and Becherovka… and we’re indulging in a homemade dessert.
Here’s our menu:
Nibbles While We Play Board GamesSpiced NutsSpiced OlivesCrudité plate with herb olive oil for...
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Let’s Talk Turkey
Nov 18, 2010
Through the years, I’ve used a food log on and off.
At Weight Watchers in 2004, I bought their branded journals and dutifully tracked my “points.” It was illuminating to get a handle on what I consumed each day, and I loved the ritual of ticking off boxes and scribbling down each meal.
When I switched to the Zone, I bought a notebook specifically to track my blocks and my training. This...
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The Dinner Diaries
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Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan • melissa@theclothesmakethegirl.com
Reading right now...
The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
I'm about two-thirds of the way through this detective thriller, and I'm hooked. It's set in modern Norway with flashbacks to WWII (catnip for me!) and features a somewhat grim hero that engenders empathy. I can't help pulling for the guy as I watch him struggle with his case and his life. The cast of characters is a realistic but motley crew, and it reminds me of other favorites set in cold, snowy climes: the Millenium Trilogy and Smila's Sense of Snow.
Recently finished...
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
I picked up this book after reading an interview with Lee Child (author of the Jack Reacher thrillers). He referred to The Lost as "the book of the century" and since I devour as much as I can about the Holocaust to try to make sense of it all, I decided I needed to read it immediately. Part memoir, part detective tale, this book was thoroughly engrossing. It's intelligent, annoying, moving, frustrating, and ultimately, rewarding and beautifully written. It challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and I was sad when it was finished.
