More blogging

Blogger is working on new "dynamic view" formats that are rather interesting. I'm not sure if I'd want to change, I rather like my little place the way it is, but it seems like people will be able to choose how they want to view your blog. In fact, you can do it right now! Click on these links to get an idea of the new options:

http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/view/mosaic
http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/view/sidebar
http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/view/snapshot
http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/view/timeslide

Interesting no? What do you think?

In other news, Andrew's mission reunion was tonight and although I went more for the food than anything else (hey, there's good food at these things!)  it was a nice evening. It's fun to see people from a part of Andrew's life that I didn't share.

with the mission president and wife

I also officially signed up for a 5K... so now I'm forced to do it. It's something I've been wanting to do for while, just to prove to myself I can (this is coming from the girl who hated P.E. such much she may or may not have gotten waivers more than once to get out of it when it was running time...), plus the cause for this one is something I can definitely get behind.

It's the second annual "Commit to Virtue" run, organized by BYU's Students That Oppose Pornography (S.T.O.P.). I may be pretty passionate about the first amendment, but when it comes to pornography it just isn't as simple as "I'm allowed to publish pornography and that is my right to free speech." It's also about the women the industry exploits and abuses, the families its influence destroys, the men who suffer from addiction, and the objectification of human beings. So yes, I think the world would definitely be a better place without it.

I started warming up today (I'd call it "training" but then you might think I actually knew what I was doing), and just about died... good thing I still have a little over a week! When you think about it, I've DANCED the homecoming parade route three years in a row, so this really can't be that bad right? And we'll be following essentially the same path. But realistically, I'll probably run, walk, run, walk, and just make it through to the end at this point. Hey, it's a start!

Elaine S Dalton will be doing it too, so we'll be in good company! The sad thing is she'll probably outrun me. Oh well.

Down at the DMV

I think there's a good reason we have to drag ourselves to the social security office or the DMV every once in a while: it provides us with a heavy dose of human reality.

I really have more on this, but right now it's been a long day and it's time for us to just sit here staring into space.

Also, I have officially finished driver's ed. (insert excitement here--I'm too tired)

Since we all love making lists so much

Meet my new best friend: the RM planner.

Yes, I know, I'm not really a returned missionary (although according to your average life-long Utahn I've spent most of my life in the mission field... so eat that you wimpy two-year varieties!) but this little planner is the best thing that's happened to me in a while. It was Andrew's spontaneous gift the other day (hmm, maybe this gift had little to do with spontaneity or undying love...) and it was exactly what I needed.

Let me illustrate:

Incidentally... gotta love the picture-perfect caricature of the RM--Omniture? 5K? Church calling? Spot on.

Anyway. This thing is perfect. I can fill out my weekly goals and there are only a few lines for each category which forces me to not write ridiculously long and unrealistic lists. Plus I always forget things and I feel so much more stable now. Today, I finished my to-do list before 11 am. Booyah! I feel so... in control. Agh! I'm a control freak!

I like the whole "balance" aspect of it, with a little spot to write a scripture study topic and exercise goals. Note that it's a little spot, meaning it's short and sweet, helps you make realistic attainable plans. I thought I didn't need silly things like planners anymore, but clearly that hasn't worked out so well. Thank you chéri-chou.

On another somewhat related topic, when we were engaged I bought this cool-looking book (yes, I have been known to buy books based solely on how cool their cover looks) called "300 questions LDS couples should ask before marriage," and I thought it was fantastic. There were a lot of obvious questions, but also a lot of thought-provoking ones and good conversation starters. For example:


How do you define tithing? (based on net? gross? do you pay tithing on interest?) Believe it or not, there are a lot of ways to pay tithing!


How will you react if one of your children tells you they are gay? 


Have you ever seen a psychologist? Been diagnosed with anxiety or depression? Has it been resolved?

How often do you expect intimacy? (incidentally, it's called "sex." I find it bizarre that we call it "intimacy" in mormonland, but whatever... I guess nobody wants to drop the s-bomb in church)

And so on. Lots of important topics that we don't always necessarily think of. And some of those questions can be downright scary. I think people should start asking some of these even before engagement, although it could be potentially awkward to pull out the marriage questionnaire after two months of dating :) But honestly, I highly recommend it, if for no other reason than that it gets you talking about very important subjects. 

And the reason I'm talking about this is they've come out with a new book! 300 questions couples should ask for a more vibrant marriage. I just got it, and can't wait to get started on it! (I'm not saying that my marriage is boring, by the way, just needed to clear that up, but there's always room for improvement, and of course diagnosing problems before they become huge is important as well) Some of the topics are for more mature couples (disciplining children, going on a mission etc) but that's ok, it can just sit on our shelf until it's time to pull it back out again. It's nice to sit down and just analyze where you are sometimes.

Incidentally, this is a great FHE activity, just a few questions, and a spiritual message. That and filling out your little planners together for the week :) 

Date nights

I just discovered this awesome website:






There are some great ideas, and some cheesy ones, but the point is there is tons of choice and I think this is such a neat idea :)

Single-sex classrooms

Wow, I didn't even know this existed. My first thought was "that is so NOT politically correct?!" and then my second thought was "what if this actually worked?"

Depending on who you ask, there is either no conclusive evidence or very strong evidence that separating boys and girls in school is effective.

From singlesexschools.org:

"Researchers at Stetson University in Florida have completed a three-year pilot project comparing single-sex classrooms with coed classrooms at Woodward Avenue Elementary School, a nearby neighborhood public school. For example, students in the 4th grade at Woodward were assigned either to single-sex or coed classrooms. All relevant parameters were matched: the class sizes were all the same, the demographics were the same, all teachers had the same training in what works and what doesn't work, etc. On the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), here were the results:

Percentage of students scoring proficient on the FCAT

boys in coed classes: 37% scored proficient

girls in coed classes: 59% scored proficient

girls in single-sex classes: 75% scored proficient

boys in single-sex classes: 86% scored proficient.

Remember, these students were all learning the same curriculum in the same school. And, this school "mainstreams" students who are learning-disabled, or who have ADHD etc. Many of those boys who scored proficient in the all-boys classes had previously been labeled "ADHD" or "ESE" in coed classes."


Ok, so it looks pretty promising. But I can't help but wonder what other effects might come of this... in the real world, men and women interact on a daily basis, so wouldn't this create a bunch of very socially awkward kids? Isn't socialization the most important part of public school? 


I really don't know what to think. My initial reaction is not terribly positive, but have I just been brainwashed into being too politically correct? If this really works and helps both genders, than why not? I think that it's generally accepted that there are real gender differences (or perhaps we should call them sexual differences since gender is a social construct whereas sex is biological), but for some reason it is not ok to really talk about it.  


NOW is not cool with it (not surprisingly, doesn't it sound an awful lot like "separate but equal"?) but from what I've been reading, it sounds like boys are getting the raw end of the deal in our school system these days, a huge reversal from a few decades ago, so my gut feeling is this isn't really discriminatory against women. If anything, this is almost geared more towards helping boys, and I don't think the feminist agenda is to destroy little boys.


Single-sex advocates argue that the key to successfully teaching boys and girls separately is to really understand gender differences instead of making sweeping generalizations like "boys like to build robots and girls would rather read about unicorns." 


Wait, wasn't there a Simpsons episode where Lisa and Bart are put in separate classrooms, and Lisa pretends to be a boy to get into the boys' class?


A few more stories on the topic:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/education/11gender.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13229488/ns/us_news-education/

I'm curious to hear what you think. Is this weird? Is it wrong? Or could it be the answer?

22 years old and still no driver's license

But by next month... I'll be official!

You see, I got my learner's permit almost a year ago, and now it's time to buckle down (he he, pardon the pun) and get this thing over with.

I am scheduled to do four more two-hour driving/observation sessions, one tonight (that I need to leave for just about now) and three next week (yeah, I'm tired of dragging this thing out) and then all I have to do is take the test.

Hopefully, after one year of driving with a very strict instructor (and I'm not talking about A-1 driving school...) it shouldn't be too much of an issue. And I'm a pretty dang good parallel parker if I do say so myself!

Why do I still not have a driver's license? Good question. In France you can't get it until you're 18, and since I was moving here in just a few short months I decided to wait until I came here. It's cheaper (a LOT cheaper) and easier, so win-win right? Only to drive you sort of need a car, and without a car... no go. But now I'm doing it and by golly I will have a driver's license before we leave for France!

Woohoo!

Yellow!

Well we've officially signed for our new apartment, and I'm very excited to move in there at the end of April (right before we leave for France)! And of course the whole thing has got me thinking about how I want to decorate.

I think I've finally found the perfect duvet cover, and it involves this awesomeness:

Unfortunately Andrew is less than passionate about it... boo. We shall see. The fabric is from this fantastic store and the idea that got me started was here.

Two things

This is just beautiful




And today I'm really missing my friends from back home. I've been pretty bad at keeping in touch (although I'm certainly not the only one) but lately it's been radio silence. Nothing. I've sent about three emails in the past months to my best friend and haven't heard a peep. I know we're all busy with school, men, life... you know, the usual. But right now I wish she'd write. And I wish I had gone to temple square to visit my other friend who was serving a mission there.

Sometimes I get the feeling I'm a terrible friend.

A hair affair

So yeah, I got my hair cut. (again. apparently I do this too often) I was holding out until after DanceSport to chop it all off again. To be completely honest, I had almost gotten used to longer hair and was slightly anxious before going in to get it cut. But I didn't stay scared long.

Incidentally, the flash is doing funny things. I'm not actually a redhead, although I have been going progressively more natural with my colors. The whole bleach-your-entire head thing was great for ballroom but not so great for my poor scalp or me in real life (or on camera for that matter: Bro. Curtis would repeatedly tell me that I looked like I had a halo around my head... and I don't blame him). So highlights and lowlights it is.

You know what, the funny thing is cutting my hair has had an almost symbolic meaning for me. I know I'm getting all cheesy on you, but it really does feel like more than just trimming split ends. For one, my dad refused to let us girls cut our hair EVER growing up (it took a lot of whining and rationalizing with our mom before I could finally get it just past my shoulders) and as a result I looked like a little polygamist most of the time. Case in point:

That would be me in the greyish sweater. For some reason I thought a big sweater was cool. Of course, my perception of "cool" has quite often been very far from reality...

So anyway, when I was finally old enough to start making some of my own decisions, I went a little crazy (there was a redhead phase... not too good) but eventually, I decided I definitely like short. It's how I want to look, and I'm glad my husband likes it too.

Then there was the time I applied to the broadcast program and was expected to chop my hair off to have a professional appearance. (Although it isn't standard for all stations, it is a good professional look and that's the expectation in BYU's newsroom) That certainly caused a lot of drama within the department, and at the time I was still on team and needed hair long enough to make a bun for performances--but then I made the decision to just go for it. I wanted to show that I had guts.

And I did it. I was the first one to walk into class with my hair chopped off, and it was fantastic. It somehow felt incredibly liberating, although I really hated that first haircut. (Not because it was short but because it wasn't at all what I had in mind going into it). Since then, it's been great. Maybe it's the slightly rebellious girl in me, but it just works.

Aren't you loving this dissertation about my hair story?

Computer vomit

I currently have exactly 70 drafts in my e-mail inbox. It's the place I store pretty much anything I ever come across that looks even remotely interesting. Also, I have a headache right now. Blegh.

But back to my drafts. Titles range from "blogs I stalk" (wouldn't you like to know) to "ERA" to "Family Traditions" to "Things to do in Paris." (suggestions?) The biggest one is called "Interesting things to read/watch/listen to" and it keeps growing. Here are a few interesting reads:

http://ldswomenshistory.blogspot.com/

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/manipulating_kids_for_the_shove_KPImNCo2nHfU6zOOeNVhqK/1

http://godswordtowomen.org/Preato3.htm

http://www.newsweek.com/2007/12/03/why-women-lose-weight-or-don-t.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/science/08tier.html?hp

Not that you care, but there, have fun.

Here's a funny and related story though: when Andrew and I had been dating for less than two months, I grabbed my laptop and opened my email. It took my a while to figure out that Andrew was still logged in and had emailed himself a letter entitled "How to propose to Lydia"... it was pretty funny to see the look on his face when I asked him what that was all about :)

Also, since this is pretty stream of consciousness already, I got a new haircut. I love it. I like having short hair.

It's not funny

I have always wondered about the "loud/excessive laughter" clause of Mormonism. I understand the principle of avoiding light-mindedness because too much levity could eventually lead to not being serious or passionate about anything. But loud laughter? Surely it's not the kind of sin that keeps you from getting to Heaven. And our prophets and general authorities have often talked about humor (more often than not in the context of marriage, interestingly enough).


So what's the deal with laughter?


I remember that a religion teacher at BYU once said that in the scriptures the word laughter was never used in a positive context, as in: 


"for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!" (3 Nephi 9:2)


or 


"And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced." (Moses 7:26)


Just warms the soul, doesn't it...


But other entries in the Topical Guide are not as gloomy and in many instances the words laughter and rejoicing are used interchangeably. That still doesn't answer my question though. D&C 88 says "cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you."


But what exactly makes this such a big deal?


I found that this talk by Peter B. Rawlins entitled "A Serious Look at Humor" was very helpful.


What are your thoughts on the matter?

We have a place to stay

For real this time.

And it's awesome. In downtown Paris, only a three-hour trip on the train to my hometown, utilities, dishwasher/dryer and internet/phone included it will cost us under 400 euros a month. (About $550)

BOOYAH!

I'm so excited. We're just* going to be chilling in Paris all summer, eating FANTASTIC food like this:

* and by just I mean when we're not involved with our local ward, Andrew's not going crazy at his internship or during his daily commute, and when I'm not translating, studying, writing, or practicing for a certain standardized test I may or may not have considered taking. 

Rain tends to make me nostalgic

I walked home for the last time today – finally.

Treading lightly on dried up worms left over from last night’s rainstorm,

Negotiating the cracks in the pavement as the cold made a half-hearted attempt to chill me.

I didn’t really have time to notice—the birds were irritated, and the sweet brown sparrow in the tangled thorns gave me a look that said: I’ve got my eye on you.

The joke’s on me I sighed, you at least can fly away.

And look at the grass grow,

It looks so much brighter when the skies are that color of gray.

Helping Japan

The company I work for is matching donations to victims of the events in Japan. The money will be sent through LDS Philanthropies. If you'd like to help, please contact me and we can make your donation go further.





On a completely different note, if you've ever wondered about whether to use "further" or "farther" (you might guess where this is coming from...) here's your answer.

Perfect

A friend introduced me to this gem. I think it eloquently portrays the struggles of today's youth:



I am absolutely speechless.

Ah, motherhood

Read this lately. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/26/magazine/26WOMEN.html

I don't know that this so-called "opt-out revolution" is necessarily a bad thing. I'd argue that if women are actually consciously choosing motherhood over a career after having the opportunity to explore all their options, by all means let them! Don't you think it's sufficient that women can do anything they want, but chose to sacrifice anyway for their children? Have we really failed the feminist movement? Assuming that women should ascribe to a certain role in society as defined by others sounds oddly familiar... If anything, a major success of the feminist movement was to enable women to become whatever they wanted, and choosing motherhood should not be regarded as a failure.

There's a lot more to the article though. The author goes on later to talk about how she thinks a large part of it might be that women quit out of job dissatisfaction rather than as an altruistic desire to care for their families. Interesting, and not too surprising either.

What think ye?

Yesterday

This basically sums up how Andrew and I feel about yesterday's competition:



Watching this video considerably cheers me up though.

Documenting a revolution

I am just amazed at the efforts there have been in the events of the past weeks to document and preserve the stories and voices of the Egyptian revolution. We still don't know what will happen, it will take time for Egypt to reorganize itself, but it's inspiring in the meantime to read and hear the individual accounts and feel the general spirit of hope for the future coming from the Middle East. Perhaps I am hopelessly naive, especially since there are so many unanswered questions at this time, but I love witnessing the conscious process of collecting the stories and compiling a history: in many ways, it's the creation of a new identity for a whole new generation.

Here are few projects that I've heard about:

http://egypt.alive.in/
And particularly interesting was this account of a man called the "Revolution Singer" (warning: there are some relatively graphic images) http://egypt.alive.in/2011/03/10/rami-issams-revolution-singer-testimony-of-his-torture-by-egyptian-army/

A feature on the women of the revolution on Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/2011217134411934738.html

A play inspired by true stories from January 25th events in Egypt; it's still in the process as they are collecting testimonies to create it. http://www.tahrirmonologues.com/

a time to prepare

Turns out many Catholics are giving up things like Facebook for Lent (here)

According to good ol' Wikipedia:  "Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Now I may not be Catholic, but I do admire their process of preparation for Easter. I think it's something we could all learn from. A lot of the time Easter ends up sneaking up on us and then it's over; for some reason, we don't seem to give this important day nearly as much attention as it deserves. We spend months preparing for Christmas! On Easter we celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that is something worth thinking about before the actual day comes up. I think if anything this year I want to spend more time preparing and cleansing for this wonderful celebration. This year, I want to make it extra special, and maybe a spiritual spring cleaning is exactly what we need.

He is not Here  by Walter Rane

How do you prepare for Easter? Someday, in the not too distant future, we will have children and I want to make sure they understand the important of the Atonement. Easter is great for chocolate and eggs, but it's about so much more, and I hope that we will manage to teach them with the absolute importance of what the Savior did for them, and for all of us. Perhaps a good goal for these coming weeks would be to read "Jesus the Christ." I own it and have started it at various times, but maybe now is a perfect time to take it up seriously. And of course, spend less time on Facebook...

Are you observing Lent? (And yes, I realize it technically started yesterday, but better late than never)

Prerogative, methinks?

I have just informed my husband that every time I have a baby (however many times that ends up being), I fully expect the following immediately after childbirth:

A new haircut and color
Massage and pedicure
Full body spray tan. (At least my skin can look good while I'm trying to regain a normal waist, right?)

Of course, I'm sure this will make motherhood more than worthwhile.



Yes, it's laughing baby. Fantastic.

Twitterpated

I have a confession to make:

I'm Twitter-pated.

Seriously, I've spent the past few days figuring out this whole thing and now I'm hooked. I probably like it so much because it's news, nonstop, right now.

Just to think that this simple tool played a small part in the uprisings in the Middle East is incredible. It's pretty exciting to find people that are in the middle of the action and follow what they're saying. And I love the immediacy of it all. Twitter is a reporter's dream, on steroids: I can have immediate access to people as they are protesting on Tahrir square!

It's amazing what you can do with this! For example, follow the Utah Senate and BAM you have instant updates on what bills got passed and other relevant info. Follow a politician and get a feel for where his campaign may or may not be leading. Provo Mayor? You know what's going on in your community. And of course, follow friends, although not many of my friends are on twitter that I know of. (Hey, come on over to the dark side! Find me @LydiaDN)

And in the end, what's most amazing is the possibilities that this new format is bringing. Oh, the things I could do with an iPhone...

And sadly, it's off to a bad start

International Women's Day starting out poorly in Egypt. Women gathered to request more equality in the new government, but it didn't seem to be received too well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/womens-day-protest-tahrir-2011-3

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/7232/Egypt/Politics-/Women-excluded-from-Egypt-constitutional-reform-me.aspx

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/03/201138133425420552.html



On twitter, @pakinamamer was posting updates all morning (she was on the square) and it doesn't sound pretty.

More stories:


http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0308/On-International-Women-s-Day-Egyptian-women-demand-revolutionary-role


http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/08/2104157/egyptian-womens-rights-protest.html


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/08/rival-protesters-clash-women-tahrir


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=134369238

And on a somewhat more inspiring note: Women of the revolution

Women's day: let's party!

Happy international women's day!

And while the following video is actually quite serious in nature.... well, James Bond dressed in drag is quite amusing.



Hope you have a wonderful day.

Also, if we were in Russia we'd be receiving flowers all day from complete strangers in the streets.

Today, to celebrate, I am going to go to school. Then I am going to go to my job where I work side by side with other men, then I'll dance, have enough to eat for all my meals, and go to bed in a comfortable apartment with a husband that is kind, respects me and encourages me to follow my dreams. Perhaps someday all the women in the world will be able to say the same.

Croque Monsieur

This is the French (and therefore superior) counterpart to grilled cheese sandwiches (although I do love grilled cheese sandwiches too).

(Not my photo, but can't find my camera so this'll have to do)

Toast bread lightly, and spread some butter onto one side

Grate swiss cheese (it's also really good to mix half swiss half dubliner)
Mix cheese with enough sour cream to make it stick (about two tbsp) and add salt and a good dose of pepper
Put cheese mixture onto non-buttered side of bread and add ham slices
Grill buttered-side down on low heat until cheese is completely melted.
Enjoy!

Creamy zucchini soup

I promise this won't become a foodie blog. That being said, this recipe is too good, fast and easy not to share. The best part is you can indulge and not feel guilty because it's so good for you (well except for the sodium level, but I've decided I don't care about sodium. Salt is too yummy)
My aunt Adeline is actually the one who taught me how to make this, so I give her full credit.

Four zucchini/yellow squash (I often do half and half)
About 3 chicken broth cubes (or beef, whatever tickles your fancy)
Cumin
Seasoned salt
3 tbsp of sour cream, or more if you want to really go crazy

Wash and scrub the zucchini, cut off any parts of the skin that look funny, but don't peel them. Dice.
Boil in about enough water with broth cubes to cover the zucchini, but not too much or your soup will end up too watery. This will take about 15 min or so. Don't boil it so long the zucchini is disintegrating into complete mush though!
Add cumin and seasoned salt to taste. Cumin is the major flavor here, so go ahead--you'll like it. I'd say a heavy sprinkling is enough.
Once the zucchini is soft (not too mushy, but definitely soft) turn off the heat and blend the water and vegetables. I use this little guy:

Be very careful not to splatter because the mixture is very hot and you will burn yourself. It hurts.
Put it back on the heat for a little more.
Mix in the sour cream before serving and enjoy! Serves two, three if you're having it as an entrée.

You can skip the sour cream and it still tastes good, but even just a little bit of sour cream really adds a lot.


Jourdan: aren't you proud I didn't say four zucchinis? :)

What I learned when I started counting calories

I just discovered this awesome food blog: See Jane Cook and the recipes not only look delicious but also very easy. (This place is also awesome) It's funny because since starting this whole diet/workout/eat right thing, I've really been missing some things (the pizza last night that made me regain the pound I had just lost for example) but in general my relationship with food has actually gotten better. Because foods that are more wholesome and less processed automatically have less calories than ones that you buy pre-made, I'm much more inclined to eat healthier and more natural foods.

For example, the other day I got some of those "Grandma's recipe" chocolate chip cookies out of the vending machine in a moment of weakness: over 300 calories. Five bites, and it was over. That's pretty crazy when you think about it. If I had made cookies at home though, it would have been nearly half the amount.

Also, I can stock up on vegetables like crazy without having to worry, so because I want to maximize quantities I can have a massive salad and not feel bad. Ranch dressing, however, is the bane of my existence. I LOVE ranch dressing, but it really doesn't love me. Neither does Kraft in general. One tablespoon of ranch dressing is a whopping 74 calories, and while that doesn't look like much, that's about the same amount of calories in the entire salad. Yikes. The sad thing is that I absolutely hate light. It's disgusting. I'm not sure how I'll get around this... maybe homemade ranch would be less fattening? You'd think the girl from the land of vinaigrette could just go with that, but ranch dressing has played a solid role in my acculturation... If you want some vinaigrette though, here's my recipe:

Half and half olive oil and balsamic vinegar
A clove or two of garlic crushed
Salt and Pepper
Herbes de Provence. This is a mix of herbs native to southern France, but if you can't find it (I don't know if they sell it here, I had my dad smuggle a whole bag through airports) just mix the following herbs*: 
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chervil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 powdered or chopped bay leaves

*This makes a 1/3 cup mix. Don't put the whole thing in your vinaigrette!

And keep in mind it's OK to only use some of the herbs, you still get a nice flavor with just thyme, rosemary, oregano and bay leaves.Many people also put in a tablespoon of Dijon Mustard (the gritty kind with plenty of texture, not the nasty yellow goo you put on hot dogs) which is good, but that makes a different taste. I really like the vinegar. You can really mix and match the ingredients to make it what you want.

Anyway. Where was I?

I think fruit juice was the biggest surprise. An 8 oz glass of apple juice (it's just water with some apple in it right?) is nearly 120 calories. In fact some scientists are saying that it's basically as bad as soda (minus the caffeine). Might as well just have some strawberries in that case.

A lot of this is common knowledge, stuff you hear about all the time, but it's not until you start really tracking your intake and reading labels closely that you realize just how much junk there is in your food. Or how sneaky the food companies are: lobbies are very, very powerful organizations... ahem. (Speaking of lobbyists, have you seen this article? That must be terribly awkward)

So for example, those chocolate chip cookies I was talking about:

Did you notice the serving size? Who buys a pack of two cookies, eats one and throws out the other? So you read the list, and while the entire package contents are on the right, it's easy to not notice it. And again, who really only eats one cookie at a time. Seriously?

I'd like to see a law passed that forces companies to not make the serving size "a quarter of a cookie" (think I'm joking? Go to the Twilight Zone and read the nutrition information on those jumbo chocolate bottom cookies. I can't remember the name at the moment, but I'll go check it out). There is a very serious portion problem in this country (and yes, I recognize that it's spreading to Europe and Asia as well). Honestly, I wish vendors would just make things in 1-portion sizes, because it gets really frustrating... On another level, it's really sick that we're buying 4-portion packs of popcorn when some kids get a cup of goat's milk for the day. Hey, here's an ethical business plan: copy Toms' business model only for food. You buy a (1-portion) pack of cookies and the company donates the other portion (of something a little healthier hopefully) to a child from a third-world country.

Ok, off my soapbox.

So far it's been about trade-offs and rationing. Last night, I really wanted a PB&J, but one look at the nutritional information on the back of the jar nearly made me hit the ceiling, so I compromised. I only used one slice of bread cut in half, and therefore got half the calories--with the taste I was craving. I didn't feel as guilty because I was still letting myself indulge, but reasonably. And because I've been eating smaller portions lately, I didn't feel like I was starving after that.

Unfortunately, Andrew came home with pizza later that night, but oh well... If you do slip up and go crazy on lunch, it's OK to just have a cucumber and a big bowl of broth for dinner. It's not the end of the world. (Ok first, calm down, I am eating real food. Also, I've often heard that it's better to eat a light dinner and use up most of your calories at lunch.)

I've also finally been getting myself to the gym. I realized that the only way I could make myself go was to bring a change of clothes to school/work and stop off on the way home. That way it doesn't require an extra trip, and I've already lugged my shoes around campus all day so I darn well better end up using them! It's all about tricking yourself :)

I'm aware that people have different metabolisms, body types, genes, health issues, etc. but this is what I've found has been working for me. I don't know the first thing about nutrition (OK, I do know a little) but I
know that I've developed something that works for me:  

"eat real food, eat less of it and exercise"

(See this NYT article. The author also talks about the FDA and food lobbies...) 

Revolutionary, no? I feel so much better now that I'm not shoving junk down my throat and that I'm not overeating anymore. I'll make one thing very clear: it's absolutely been about aesthetics, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I want to slim down and tone up: I'm a dancer, so my body is part of my art, and a huge part of my "career" is appearing on camera.

I have a weight loss goal at the moment, which is why my caloric intake for now is pretty low, but I have a very specific target weight and as soon as I reach it, I plan on readjusting my daily goal for weight maintenance.

And dang it, I've already lost weight and I'm proud of it!

Wishful thinking

I feel like a new woman right now.

All my midterms and papers are handed in. Dancesport is coming up and the dancing is feeling good, despite the fact that we only started practicing last week. (It helps that Andrew spends a ton of time practicing already, I just have to jump in and follow him... although I could definitely use some more work.)

And most importantly, spring seems to be creeping up on us. Which means that

1) Soon I won't have to lug around my enormous coat that leaves feathers all over my clothes, especially the dark ones (although I am very glad for the warmth it provided all the freezing winter long)

2) General Conference is next month.

3) Easter is next month. Easter may almost top Christmas on my favorite holidays list. (Unfortunately, due to my current dietary goals it will not be as calorie-filled as past years. I don't know if I dare make an exception quite yet.)

4) Soon I won't have to wear a million layers anymore. And I can wear summer pants, and skirts, and short-sleeved t-shirts, and make lots more clothes.

5) We'll be in France in two months!

Of course the minute I post this it's going to start snowing again or something, but the weather can't get to me now--bring it on. I'm going to France.

And maybe I'll take my sewing machine, because I want to make these:

Also, I'm thinking of some good khakis.