15 pound down

Just took some Nyquil and am now writing a blog… this seems a little dangerous, but it’s a short blog tonight I swear. I pretty much cannot remember the last time I crawled in bed before 10PM, but it’s been a long Tuesday, and I’m feeling a little under the weather. Thankfully I’m working from home tomorrow, which means rolling out of bed to take the dog outside, drinking copious amounts of coffee while responding to e-mails and writing a newsletter in my sweatpants. Glorious glorious Wednesday.

I had breakfast with my friend Mari yesterday, and after indulging in a gluten free scone, and a yummy bowl of spinach, grilled veggies, and eggs… we decided to lose 15 pounds. There is nothing like a good challenge, right? My birthday is in 16.5 weeks, so that means to be 15 pounds lighter by summer, we need to loose about a pound a week… totally doable. We are calling it Mar & Tay’s 15 pound down. It’s a simple plan really, drink more water, exercise 3 times a week, stop eating scones, and only drink alcohol on the weekend(ish).  I’m optimistic it will be easy enough to keep up with…

My unofficial goal is to drink 4 water bottles per day…. Though today I only managed 2… I’m building up…

I am also doing 1 salad meal per day… again easy enough. I love making fun salads with interesting ingredients, and it is hard to get bored with salads because you can constantly change them up! Though today it was practically snowing, and my office was 55 degrees, and it was a little hard to be enthusiastic about eating a cold salad… I was dreaming of mac n cheese, and hearty soups…Don’t get me wrong, the salad wasn’t bad… it just wasn’t warm.  I’ll crank up the heat tomorrow long before lunch time.

And as far as drinking goes… we work in the wine industry…. Drinking during the week is sort of a perk, but we are trying to be disciplined, plus we get trade days. Going out for dinner with friends mid week? Have a drink, but then don’t drink one of the weekend days… I think it will be good… though lord knows I will miss coming home and putting my feet up with a glass of wine. Again… discipline.

The last little part is that we have to sit down to eat, especially while snaking. No grazing allowed. I will admit, it seems like you would burn more calories if you are standing, but I realized this weekend while I was at a baby shower that it was so much easier to keep nibbling if I was mobile. Especially since I didn’t know a ton of people… what better way to avoid awkward silence than by looking like you are going in for another spinach ball? (but then you really have to go in for another spinach ball). So yeah, sitting down mindful snacking.

We’ll see how it goes… at least we have each other to keep accountable… and now I’m blogging about it, so its extra motivation. 15 pound down starts now! (well ok, yesterday, but you know.)

Not settling or too picky?

I promise The Awkward Olive is not becoming a blog about the perils in my dating life… though from time to time I do tend to focus my energy there… What can I say? In a small town, as a twenty-something with no prospects on the horizon it is something that I struggle with.

Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m either a late bloomer, or I entirely missed the boat. Looking at all of my friends who are in long-term relationships, they all met their other half when we were in school (some under grad, some graduate school) But let’s face it, dating was simpler when you had the option of hanging out in a study group, randomly running into someone on campus, and being able to admire someone from the back of a classroom as they discussed a book you were also passionate about.  In college you get to pick classes that interest you, therefore putting you in a group of other people with similar interest, and you have a built in buffer of roommates, and friends, and everything has the opportunity to be casual until it isn’t. It can be just a study session, or it can be a date. It can be a random campus sanctioned activity with a large group, or it can be getting to know someone better without the pressure of a real date. 

Though while I was in college, my roommates and I often thought we were in the wasteland of love (there may or may not have been a song that went along with that) little did I know, that my post college experience would actually be the real wasteland of love… Had I know then, what I know now, I would have dated a lot more in college (ok, ok, I would have dated period. Something I somehow seemed to have missed out on while in academia, though it wasn’t for lack of trying) I know all the clichés about hind-sight, but seriously, if someone would have explained to me that maybe starting to date someone while you are figuring out who you are, might have actually been more beneficial than getting your life figured out before settling down… Well ok I don’t know how to finish that sentence… what if someone had explained that to me? Would my life be different? Would I be working 13 hour days, living in yoga clothes, prancing around McMinnville with a bulldog? I don’t know.

I only bring this up, because once upon a time people used to tell me “don’t settle, its ok to be picky” and “don’t get tied down too young. The world is huge, and you have your whole like ahead of you” etc. etc. But these days I’m getting more advice along the lines of “you know, at this point you are just going to be set in your ways and its going to be hard for you to find someone who lives up to your standards” AH! At what point does not being willing to settle, turn into having too high of standards? The once encouraging words of “go out, figure out who you are” are turning into “well I hope you find someone who puts up with all of your quirks”… and lets face it, the older I get, the quirkier I become. And the more life experience I have, the more I realize what type of man I want to date, and what my own interests and goals are… and yes, the older I get, the pickier I become. And this makes me a little panicky…

Ok not panicky… I haven’t had a nervous breakdown yet about being single the rest of my life… I spend way too much time planning other people’s weddings to sit down and let go of the optimism that  a wedding might not be in my future.  But I also can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I would have had a serious relationship when I was a little bit younger, before I knew what I wanted in my life. Would it have been easier to adapt to someone before my own dreams were set in motion? Would we have had collective dreams that grew together? Would my hypothetical other half have been excited to stay in McMinnville, plant a garden, and get a bulldog?

Because at this point, it does sort of seem like a lot to ask of a person. Here I am, this is my personality, and my sense of humor, and this is where I live, and this is my job, and my bulldog snores really loudly, and I need to be home to water the garden, and I’m not a huge fan of whiskey, and all of our future dogs will probably be named after Red Sox players, and I’m an olive oil snob, and I have really crazy morning hair, and sometimes I wear yoga clothes all week. (not that I would actually present myself that way,  even I know that makes me seem a little crazy town).   

It seems like it would have been simpler to have met someone before my dreams were my dreams, and before my reality was my reality, and before I really knew exactly what I wanted… because not being willing to settle, is quickly approaching being too picky… But at the end of the day, I want to be with someone who shares my interests. I was tooling around on Pinterest earlier, and I saw this picture of Ryan Gossling (which I don’t really get the whole obsession. Sure he is handsome, but why is everyone suddenly going gaga over him? When did he become the It guy? And quite frankly, I hate the gushyness of The Notebook so much, that it probably has ruined Ryan Gossling for me… truly. But all that aside, some of the random pictures of him with the seductive text make me LOL.) 

This is what I want… to stay up late looking at seed catalogs, planning out the summer garden. I want to tell funny stories about what I little ham my puppy is, and how is can be such a little tool when he wants to be. I want to read excerpts from Extra Virginity about the adulteration of the olive oil business, and have someone else be just as fascinated as I am. I want to be with someone who will occasionally go to yoga class with me, and who will help me drag Toby the first ½ a block of his walk. I want someone else to be a little nostalgic about the Fact that Tim Wakefield retired, and that Varitek is gone (I know he is old, but he was the team caption for crying out loud. Yes, the team needs some new blood, and that is baseball… but at least give me a moment of nostalgia). I want to be with someone who puts up with my neurosis, (and maybe even finds them endearing? Along with my occasional awkwardness)  And I want to find this person before I become completely jaded about relationships… and also before I become too frumpy…

Because I wish I was more likely to meet a guy on a yoga mat, rather than at a bar

Last night while surfing the web I stumbled across an on-line article entitled “ 5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga”. I was intrigued to read on, as earlier in the week I was having a conversation with a male friend about guys who do yoga. His response was of course something along the lines of “yoga is for sissy men” which of course lead to a huge eye roll from me, and a retort of “Real men do yoga”.

Realistically the classes that I teach have more men than women. And actually they are all pretty manly men. Yes, most of them are there with their wives or significant others, but I’m here to tell you, there is nothing sissy about yoga (ask the guys in my Wednesday Night Vinyasa class… their hamstrings may never be the same).

So when I stumbled across this article, written by a man, I was curious as to what his 5 reasons were. I couldn’t help but laugh a little at his last two “It’s a cheap date” and “The women” though the more I got to think about it, he is pretty spot on. I’m not suggesting that all you single men out there should head out to the nearest yoga class to start creeping on women… BUT I am saying, yeah there are a lot of women who go to yoga classes, and a lot of us are single. And realistically I am not the type of girl who likes to go out by myself and sit at bars or restaurants hoping to meet someone. I’d rather pour myself a glass of wine at home and put my feet up than sit awkwardly at a bar and spend money on a cocktail or two… but I have no problem grabbing my mat and heading to a yoga class by myself. And the truth of the matter is that I’m much more likely to strike up a conversation with the person on the next mat, than at the next bar stool. Not only that, but even when my schedule gets busy, I still make time to get to a yoga class… other projects and leisure activities can drop off the deep end, but since I’m teaching I’m guaranteed to be in at least 4 classes a week… you might not run into me out on the town, but your odds of running into my at a yoga class are pretty damn good. I’m not saying this is a call to all single men out there to get to my yoga classes. But I am saying that the article might actually have a point. I mean if people meet at the gym, why not at a yoga class? I don’t think this necessarily is true yet for McMinnville… as I mentioned most of the men I know who are taking yoga are there with their wives or significant others, but since it seems as though more and more of my time is going to be spent at yoga studios, I am kinda hoping this is a trend that changes. Maybe I AM kinda putting out a call for single men to come do yoga… but only if you are there for the right reasons, and not to check out ladies in stretchy pants.  

Maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part… but to some degree isn’t that how people start dating? Aren’t you supposed to go out there and do activities and things that you enjoy and that fulfill you, and maybe along the way meet someone who has a similar passion or interest? Is it really so crazy to think that I might meet my someone at a yoga class?  Maybe in this particular community it is a little much to ask, that I find a handsome single yogi who isn’t too out there, who tolerates baseball (preferably passionate about the Red Sox… but I’d handle toleration) and who puts up with a dog who snores louder than any man I’ve ever known… It’s a stretch… obviously, I haven’t managed to find that person yet. But the second I let go of my hopeless romantic optimism that this particular guy has to be out there somewhere, is the second I start drinking more wine and stop getting out of bed, so I just keep plugging away, eternally hopeful. (totally frustrated, but hopeful.... I realize I might not find him at a yoga class, but a girl can dream).

I also agree with the article that going to a yoga class would be a great date, though my same male friend thinks I’ve totally missed the mark. Sure, yoga isn’t the best place to have a conversation or deeply get to know a person… but then again, neither is going to the movies, or going bowling (I don’t know if people actually go bowling on dates… but they might). Why not go to a yoga class, be a little active, have a common experience, and then go out for a drink afterwards? I tend to be a fan of more active dates where there is something more to do than just have conversation. I’d rather be up doing things, because it is less obvious when you awkwardly fidget or search for conversation. I realize that I am passionate about yoga, and so this seems like a natural activity for me… it also sounds ideal, because it eliminates the “oh what do I wear” debacle, and frankly most of my yoga clothes look better on me than my regular clothes. It is true, that I have often said I am the best version of myself while practicing yoga, and so maybe that is why this appeals to me so much. Why wouldn’t I want a date to see me at my best, to be sharing something with me that I love? I realize not everyone is on the same yoga train that I am, but I really think there are far worse places to take a date than to a yoga class. 

In the meantime, I’m going to be thankful for the male students that I do have in class, because they totally change the dynamic of a practice, and I guess I’ll just have to rely on my baby bulldog to be my yoga date for now. And we can be the best single versions of ourselves, together.

Tasty little quails, and why I'm mostly givng up meat.

Last night I had one of the most wonderful meals… I won’t go as far to say “in my life” but it was pretty spectacular. I ate the entire thing standing up, hurried mouthfuls between busing dishes, and pouring more wine. 10:30 PM found me with my shoes off, picking cold pieces of Parisian gnocchi of a plate with my fingers, sipping dregs of wine from the unfinished open bottles… the entire staff agreed, it was the best event we had ever put on.

The meal was prepared by Andrew Biggs of Hunt and Gather catering… The table was decorated with air plants and terrariums, candles , burlap, and the meal was exactly what we wanted it to be. a Hearty winter meal. (but surprisingly it didn’t leave you feeling heavy and gross… it was rich, but not overly so)

Pan Seared Albacore Tuna with Bana Couda Dipping Sauce

Vegetarian Option: mozzarella cheese and oven dried tomatoes, wrapped in fresh zucchini, drizzled with basil oil.

 (Sadly no pictures of this, but they were beautiful!)

Hubbard Squash Soup with Crispy Pig's Ear Gremolata, Finished with

Olio Nuovo Tuscan Blend

Nicky Farms Boneless Quail Stuffed with Pheasant and Calmynia Fig Sausage, Sautéed Root Vegetables and Parisian Gnocchi, Finished with Arbequina Oil

 Cara Cara Orange Cake with Olio Nuovo Koronieki Ice Cream

And after all that… I think I’m ready to turn over a new leaf.

The food was impeccable… but I’m coming off a weekend filled with documentaries, you know the kind that tell you how unhealthy American’s are, and how we are essentially killing ourselves with what we eat. I know there are two sides to every story, but the thing that stood out to me the most was that 500 calories of plant based food essentially fill up your stomach… so not only do you feel full, but you are also getting tons of essential micronutrients. 500 calories of processed food only fill up about half of your stomach, leaving you still feeling hungry, and not getting the essential nutrients that you need.  And I figure I owe it to my body to do a bit of a detox… and what better month than February? (ok there are plenty of better months than February… like any month when there are actually fresh things readily in season… but I’m going to give it a try)

Just looking at my family history, it seems as though making healthy choices now will really be beneficial. My mother has had cancer, twice. My grandmother has had cancer, twice. My Great aunt is dying of cancer, my other great aunt just discovered pancreatic cancer… The odds are not in my favor. So it only makes sense that starting at a young age, I should make a conscious effort to be active, and follow a lifestyle that will reduce my health risks.  I don’t think that I am currently un-healthy… but I do sometimes fall into a food rut, and I rely far too often on burritos (though I think there are far worse things I could be putting in my body… at least it has vegetables and isn’t deep fried)

I’ve blogged about it before, but my typical life cycle seems to be that I eat really poorly when I am stressed… therefore my body isn’t getting everything it needs to combat the stress, my immune system gets weak, my body gets sluggish, and the overall overwhelmingness of the stress effects my body… It makes so much sense to me that the busiest and most stressful times are actually when we need to be taking care of our bodies the most. This is when we need the healthy home cooked meals… and for me this is when I get them the least. It takes 5 minutes to get a burrito, or grab some take out, but it takes planning and foresight to plan out healthy meals... and it takes time.  And it’s something that I’m working on.

Last weekend I planned out menus for the entire week. I spent most of my day off grocery shopping, cooking for the week, and doing dishes.  I was prepping lunches, prepping snacks… and it was kind of awesome. It was a week filled with meetings, extra yoga classes, after hours networking, late night events… and here I am at the end of the week feeling no worse for ware, and ready to tackle another hectic week. It often meant eating dinner at 9PM, and getting up early to make breakfast… but my energy level is great ! And so next month I’m taking it a step further…adding in a whole foods, essentially plant based diet (god I wish I had a juicer).

I essentially grew up in a vegetarian house-hold. I didn’t eat meat until the age of nine, and even though I love meat now, I rarely ever cook it for myself. There are a few exceptions to this… and there will be at least one exception to it this month, since I have a Coconut Chicken night scheduled with my good friend.  My own personal philosophy on a wholefoods plant based diet is “everything in moderation” I am pledging to cut out meat (minus the coconut chicken) and cut down on dairy, eat fewer eggs, and try to focus more on plants… especially eating more raw vegetables. But I’m not going to give up coffee, I’m not going to give up wine… (will I drink less of it? Probably. ) Perhaps if I were knocking on deaths door, I would be inspired to make a radical change… but really it’s just an experiment for now, and the last thing I want to do is completely inconvenience my life, or the life of others around me. I don’t want to show up for a dinner party, springing my vegetarianism on someone… but like I said, moderation. I plan on spending the month eating less non-plant food, and plan on pumping up the vegetables.

Dear quail stuffed with sausage and figs… you were freaking delicious. Thank you for being a wonderful send off into the land of temporary vegetarianism.