A Look Back -- 2011 Goals

I had every intention of doing a monthly "goals update" post all through 2011, but as you can tell, that didn't happen. So here we are, right on the cusp of 2012 and I am going to take a quick look back at my 2011 goals and how I fared.

Healthy Mind/Body Goals

• Get out of the grocery store -- yep! I think I was pretty successful with this one. We did it by going to the farmer's market at least once a month (during the summer we were there almost every week) and we build raised beds for our veggie garden. The chicken coop we wanted to building didn't happen this summer, but it's on the list for next year!
• Read more often -- this is a yes and no. Yes because I have a ton to read for yoga teacher training, no because I haven't been real successful in reading novels or just reading for pleasure (not that YTT reading isn't for pleasure)
• Make more food items that I would normally buy -- check. See the make vs. buy comparison

Family First Goals

• Visit home more often -- we were on Maui in January and I got to see my mom in California (and here in CLE) in July. So I'd call that a win.
• Appreciate -- in the form of hand written cards to family: fail. 
• Stay in touch -- I think I did a good job with this one. I even visited my extended family for the holidays!

Experience Life Goals

• Meet new people -- thanks to this lovely blog, I did awesome at this one. 
• Explore photography -- I saved up and bought myself a dSLR that I'm in love with. My next challenge is actually using it more often.
• Travel, and stand on my head -- Maui, California, Chicago, Floyd, Jersey...I think I've done pretty good with this one! I didn't run a destination race though, saving that for next year.

Simply Goals

• Create more than consume -- we've done a lot of making rather than buying this year...and not just with food: scarves, legwarmers, doggie treats, my wedding dress. More to come on the DIY front, for sure!
• Don't buy clothing for one year -- fail on this. BUT for every piece of clothing that I did buy, I donated two. I thought that was a pretty brilliant way to keep my closet from overflowing with clutter.
• Get rid of "stuff" -- this was actually not my best effort either. I did go through all of my clothes and get rid of three or four bags worth of clothing, but I still have a ridiculous amount of "stuff" accumulated in my basement. I'll save it for spring cleaning in 2012.

Be Vulnerable Goals

• Speak up -- this is going to sound ridiculous, but I was so proud of myself for asking a question during our last YTT session. It's just not something I'm terribly comfortable with, speaking in front of a big group of people. Even though it was one simple question, I call that a big win. 
• Make eye contact -- also something that can be very difficult for me, but I'm working on it every day. It's still a work in progress, but I'm practicing -- and that's half the battle!

So there you go, my 2011 goals recap. Not too shabby right? I'm not going to write any goals for 2012, because I feel like my year 26 bucket list pretty much covered the things I want to do this year. I do have a theme for the year though:

live with intention

If I can walk, talk, eat, breathe, live and love intention, then I'm totally on the right path for 2012. 

I wish you all the best in the New Year and I'll see you folks on the flip side.

New Year Guacamole y Fruta

Hauoli Makahiki Hou (happy new year!)

Before I get to the best guacamole recipe ever, I want to take a second to talk about my resolutions this year. Normally, I am in the camp of resolving not to resolve but this year there are two things (albeit superficial things) that I want to bring into my new year.

1. Floss (pretty self explanatory, the world would be a better place if everyone flossed everyday)
2. Give up sweets for 40 days. This one is a little silly. I don't generally buy into not "letting" myself eat something, but my processed sugar intake has become alarming to me lately. Last year, I gave up cereal for lent (which, at the time, my cereal intake was also rather alarming). So, 40 days and I kicked my cereal habit. I still eat cereal, but I no longer put down an entire box in one sitting. I figure taking a 40 day hiatus from desserts will help me do the same thing, just continue to enjoy them in moderation.

Now, the most important guacamole recipe you'll get all year. Brandon and I made this (among many other NYE appetizers to enjoy with our bottle of wine) and had it with blue corn chips. It quickly became the best guacamole I've ever had...and I know guacamole!

Guacamole y Fruta

inspired by this from the New York Times

make about a cup and a half of delicious guac

ingredients:

1 1/2 ripe avocados

1/4 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 tomato, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want it)

1/2 apple chopped, any type

seed from half a pomegranate

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt, to taste

method:

Mash the avocado and garlic together until you get your desired guac consistency

Add all of the other ingredients and mix thoroughly

Enjoy with your favorite chips!

What are your favorite New Year's Eve appetizers? Are you making any notable resolutions for 2011?

a defining moment

29 December 2010: Defining moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. 


This one's easy. Dave Matthew's Concert @ Blossom. June 25th, 2010.


Here's where I was in my life: content, but stagnating. Bored.


A friend from college, and Dave Matthews enthusiast, had been trying to get me to go to a DMB show for years. Since I've moved to Ohio, he has come to Blossom every single year (although, apparently he's done touring so that won't be happening in 2011) and John (DMB enthusiast, college friend) has texted (is that even a word?) me every single year telling me to get my butt to the show. He called me right before we left to tell me how excited he was and closed our conversation with, "don't forget to hippie dance for me!" Don't worry, John, I didn't.


Finally made it this year. Armed with my roommate at the time, Emily, we packed our cooler full of booze and hit the road (for the ten minute drive). Greg, my boyfriend at the time, wasn't interested in seeing the show and had previously sent in his absentee ballot. In retrospect, it was the worst choice he could have ever made as my boyfriend. 

The "parking lot" at Blossom was incredible. Their lot is really just a huuuuuge field of rolling hills. That day, it was absolutely packed with cars. So when Emily and I had boozed up sufficiently (and by "sufficiently" I mean I was toasted in one drink--and I even spilled half of it on myself), we took our roll-y cooler on the mile-long hike to a different area of the parking lot to meet up with more of Em's friends.

Enter Brandon, stage right.


His friends described him as this super easy-going hippie. Emily described him as "Becca-sized" (he's 5'5"...and, ahem, we prefer "fun sized"). Ok, so there was a brief greeting and introduction and I commented on his Om necklace (actually, I was highly intrigued because I don't know many male specimen with much knowledge on the subject and I have learned a lot about it this year) and then he trotted off to engage in discourse with a limo driver who had had a small guitar left in his limo the night before.


Amber (Emily's friend) immediately let me know that if I wasn't dating Greg, she would be setting me up with Brandon. My response? "I always keep my options open." Yep, I obviously hadn't met Mr. Right yet. Plus, like I said earlier...my life had stagnated. I was content, but borderline unhappy. I needed to start letting go of the things that did not serve me, as all of my yoga teachers constantly quipped. 


On to the show. I knew a total of two of the songs he played that night, but I enjoyed every single minute of it. I remember at the very beginning, Emily and I braved the pulsing crowd and walked from one side of the pavilion to the other. All I could smell was marijuana. All I could see were people truly living in the moment. Enjoying every sound, every word, every feeling, every movement. I remember thinking "why don't I have that?" It was like they had reached pure enlightenment and it was beautiful to behold.


When we got back to our group (up a couple of drinks, of course) Dave played the song "Ants Marching". It was the one and only song Emily wanted to hear. So we got up and danced together, and that's the first time I did it. I let down my hair and did my hippie dance! 


and there it was...my true self. Not only could I appreciate all those people enjoying life and the music that came with it, but I could feel it now too. 


The only other song he played that I knew was "You and Me" and I guess it isn't surprising when I say that it wasn't Greg I was thinking about. For some reason, Brandon couldn't find his way out of my head. Later on, I got to share my hippie dance with him too. When everyone had decided to leave, he stopped me to dance with him through the last song that was played, "#41".  When it was over, I turned around expecting everyone to have left, but there they were, watching us dance our silly hippie dance and patiently waiting for us to let the moment go. Emily told me "you guys looked so cute." Thanks Emily, as if my brain wasn't already in over-drive.


I don't think I have done any justice to all the points in the night that Brandon and I truly connected. There were some moments in the parking lot, there was a conversation about silly bands and Ganesha, there was a dance here and there. The whole night definitely had me reeling...and wondering why I was okay being just content Greg when I saw absolutely everything I valued in my life embodied in Brandon.


The after concert plans were to go to Keri's house (one of the girls in the group we were with) for a bonfire. Yes! I'm excited about this because it means I can spend more time with Brandon. When we got there, Emily and I poured one more drink for each other (I made her finish mine) and we sat around the fire. I guess Brandon was in pretty bad shape at that point, because he stayed for about 5 minutes and then got up and went inside. 


I never saw him again that night. He didn't even say goodbye.


(Hahaha, that last sentence is just to pour more salt in the wound for him...it did turn out to be a rough night for him, as I believe there were some upchuck reflexes involved).


The short of the long is, we did reconnect. I did break up with Greg. I haven't looked back once. I'm happier than I have ever been and I can always recall the feeling I get when I let down my hair and did my hippie dance, because I have Brandon by my side.

The Dave Matthews concert was my defining moment of 2010. What was yours?

Reflecting on 2010 and a vegan cookie recipe

Merry Christmas!


25 December 2010: Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

Brad Paisley Concert. July 23rd 2010. @ Blossom.


Started my day without going to work (woo!) taking a yoga class, spending time with my friends by the pool. It probably hit about 90 degrees that day. There was tailgating, jello shots galore, lots of pickup trucks and confederate flags were flying. 


As with most country concerts, there were about 7 different people performing, we made it in to the venue in time to see Darius Rucker, someone who I don't know, and then Brad came out. Not three minutes into his set, black, ominous clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. I think three of us (Brandon, Tanja and I) attempted to stay dry underneath a poncho for about 5 minutes before we decided that it just wasn't worth it. Maybe we could make it through one more song? Nope.


It was coming down so hard it wasn't even worth trying to stay dry. We just needed to make it out of Blossom before the parking lot became a swimming pool and no one could leave. This picture was taking on the mile-long hike back to the parking lot. 


In this moment, I was absolutely free of any care, worry, doubt...I was just in it. Completely in the moment. In the zone. There was absolutely nothing we could do about all that rain, so we just went with it. 






Now, onto the cookie recipe. I got home and realized that we didn't have any butter or eggs so I veganized it with some pumpkin and "chia eggs". I also didn't have the oats I though were in the pantry, so I subbed some crushed nuts. The pumpkin gives it a bit of a different taste, but they're just as delicious as the original. The mesquite flour is definitely the ticket for these cookies, it gives them a flavor that nothing else in the world (that I can possibly imagine) would give. You can find mesquite flour on amazon, as I found it impossible to find in ANY store.

Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

About 45 cookies

Adapted from Super Natural Cooking (Ten Speed) by Heidi Swanson

2½ cups (330 g) flour
1 cup (160 g) mesquite flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
8 ounces (220 g) pumpkin puree
1 cup (400 g) natural cane sugar
3 chia eggs (1 chia egg = 1tbsp chia seeds + 3tbsp warm water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (230 g) various crushed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
2 cups (360 g) chocolate chips

Two baking sheets covered with parchment paper or lined with silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. With an electric mixer, beat pumpkin puree and sugar until creamy. 

3. Add the chia eggs until completely incorporated, then the vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture in three batches, incorporating it as you go.

5. Mix in the nuts and chocolate chips. The dough is quite stiff at this point and if you’re not using a powerful standing electric mixer, you may wish to roll up your sleeves and use your hands, like I did.

6. Drop mounds, about two tablespoons of dough each, evenly-spaced onto the baking sheet.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just beginning to set. Err on the underbaked side, I usually go for 10 minutes.

Here’s a tip to help keep chocolate chip cookies moist when they cool: When you pull the cookies out of the oven, take a spatula and tap the top of each cookie once, very lightly, to flatten any peaks and level them.

Then let them cool as usual for the moistest, chewiest chocolate chip cookies imaginable!

and a few more pictures from my wonderful Christmas staycation: