Love Life Lessons from Princess Tiana

Princess Tiana had one of the most convoluted love life progressions of any of the Disney Princesses.

Uninterested -> Unlucky -> Lucky -> Unlucky -> Lucky -> Very Lucky.

Okay, well, as complicated as movies that are targeted to largely under eight audiences can be.

From every step in her love life progression, there's a lesson to be learned! Let's walk through it together

1) Uninterested

Sometimes, you have to prioritize. Starting a successful business, the restaurant of her dreams, was more important to Tiana than dating, which I actually thought was pretty great.

But if you're spending all your time working, you can't expect to have your perfect Prince Charming just pop out of the blue while you're chugging away at the library or putting in sixty hour work weeks. Decide what you want, but then be ready to live with the consequences of your decision!

2) Unlucky

Don't go around kissing frogs and expecting princes. You're much more likely to end up with a bad taste in your mouth - or worse, if you're Princess Tiana! Being alone is better than being with just anyone.



Likewise, be careful of the company you keep. Hang out with frogs too often adn you might be swallowing flies before you know it, too!

3) Lucky 

If you're true to yourself and follow your heart, things will work themselves out. Don't drop your school plans for a boy, or change your personality for a boy, or stress too much about the fact that you're perpetually single (welcome to the club, we have ice cream to share).

You don't have to force love. If it's real, it has enough momentum of its own to make sure it makes it into your life.

You just have to make sure that you're open to it and not always elbow deep in dishwater!

4) Unlucky

Sometimes other commitments or considerations come up as a blockade to the fairytale happily-ever-after and the guy you thought was the one doesn't end up being the one that you get.

This is another reason why it's extremely important to (as per # 3, above) not give up your own dreams in pursuit of a happy-dappy relationship. Some boys (most boys) aren't forever!

5) Lucky

Things might not always work out the way that you planned them, or the way that you thought you wanted them, but you'll find that they might just work out in a way that can still make you very happy. Don't get too set on having things go exactly the way that you see them in your head!

6) Very Lucky

If you're a Disney princess, there will probably be just enough time between you realizing that things didn't turn out the way you expected/wanted for a catchy, but sentimental, musical interlude and you to have the above mentioned revelation (refer to #5). Then, ba-da-boom-ba-da-bing, you'll get exactly what you wanted all along - and more!

Because what's a Disney princess fairytale without a crown and some pixie dust? Putting a ring on it hasn't been enough since 1937.

Which of the 'new' Disney princesses do you like the best?

How excited are you for Frozen this winter?

How many more Disney princesses do you think there will be?

Spinach Artichoke Gratin (C3)

Spinach Artichoke Gratin (C3)

This is a Crockpot recipe!

Makes 6 servings

2 cups (16 oz) fat free cottage cheese
1/2 cup eggbeaters
4 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 10-oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved

Combine cottage cheese, egg substitute, 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese, lemon juice, pepper and nutmeg in your food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.

Coat your crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.

Squeeze moisture from spinach (I use a salad spinner, less messy!). Combine spinach, cottage cheese mixture, and green onions in a large bowl. Spread half of the mixture in your crockpot.

Pat artichokes dry with paper towels. Place in a single layer over the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp parmesan cheese.  Cover with the remaining spinach mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or on high 2 to 2 1/2 hours with lid slightly ajar to alloow excess moisture to escape.

Cran-Orange Acorn Squash (C3)

Cran-Orange Acorn Squash (C3)

This is a crockpot recipe!
Serves 6

This recipe is similiar to the spaghetti squash recipes that are posted on the internet where you bake in the squash itself, although with this recipe it is all done at the same time; the squash is not cooked separately or ahead of time.

3 small acorn or carnival squash
5 Tbsp instant brown rice
3 Tbsp minced onion
3 Tbsp diced celery
3 Tbsp dried cranberry (make sure there's no sugar listed in ingredients list)
Pinch of ground or dried sage
1 tsp olive oil
3 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup warm water

Slice off (lengthwise) tops of squash and enough of bottoms so squash will sit upright.  Scoop out seeds and throw away; set the squash off to the side.

Combine rice, onion, celery, cranberries and sage in a small bowl.  Stuff each squash with the rice mixture and drizzle the olive oil and 1 Tbsp of the orange juice into each squash over the stuffing.

Stand squash in your crockpot. Pour water into the bottom of your crockpot and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours or until the squash is tender.

African Peanut Soup (C3)

African Peanut Soup (C3)

Source: Weight Watchers

Serves 4

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
3 Tbsp compliant peanut butter (ingredients should show Peanuts as the only ingredient)
2 onions, chopped
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Combine chickpeas, 1/2 cup of the broth, and peanut butter in a blender or food processor and puree.

Spray large nonstick saucepan with olive oil nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add onions and ginger; cook, stirring until onions are softened (about 5 minutes).  Stir in curry powder and cook about 1 minute.  Stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth, the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, cayenne, and chickpea puree; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, to allow flavors to blend.

Ladle soup evenly into four bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions.

So You Want A Job: Resume Bloopers

Taking life too seriously is no fun. Even when you're thinking about something as important as your entry into the job market, you can still have a little fun and stay light-hearted about the whole thing.

For everyone who's currently working on polishing up a resume to apply for jobs, here are some funny resume don'ts. Don't let any of these be you!

Spell, much?

People blog professionally? WHAT.

Accurate spelling isn't enough. Make sure you're also clear in your resume, because misunderstandings can be unfortunate.

Don't use colloquialisms (or profanity!) in your cover letter. Please.

Remember to target your resume distribution, guys, don't just send it to any and every company out there.

While it's great to leverage your networks when you're looking for a job, make sure you do so in an appropriate, tasteful way.

That wouldn't be an appropriate way.

Sometimes things don't go in your favor and someone else gets the job. While you shouldn't let that make you feel bad about yourself, don't assume you didn't get the job because you're just too awesome. Or do assume it, if that's what your ego needs, but don't tell everyone that - whenever I hear that, my immediate reaction is to internally roll my eyes.

Right. And I'm not the Queen of England because I'm too royal.

If you do get the job, don't be lazy.

But don't worry, workers aren't the only ones making mistakes.

Maybe we could all benefit from some more spelling bees. 

As well as more realistic expectations.

More realistic expectations, coupled with a better understanding of how math works, certainly wouldn't hurt.

Neither would a new recruitment manager at Pizza Hut.

Something tells me the applications aren't pouring in. 

At least the competitor's recruitment efforts aren't going much better.

One can only hope, right?

What is the most exciting thing on your agenda week?

How often do you update your resume?

What's your ultimate career goal?

Statins increase the risk of muscle disease by 36% in diabetics

This study was published in Clinical Therapeutics 2008 Mar;30(3):535-42

Study title and authors
The risk of myopathy associated with thiazolidinediones and statins in patients with type 2 diabetes: a nested case-control analysis.

Koro CE, Sowell MO, Stender M, Qizilbash N.
Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, USA. carol.e.koro@gsk.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18405791

This study investigated the association of statins and various antidiabetic drugs with the risk of myopathy (muscle disease) in patients with type two diabetes. The study included 3,696 patients with myopathy who were matched with 21,871 controls.

The study found that compared with patients who did not use either statins nor antidiabetic drugs, those who used statins had a 36% increased risk of muscle disease.

Oloves Love! A Review

Now that the fall semester is in full swing, I'm always appreciative of convenience items to make my life easier. Oloves is just that!

Sometimes I leave the house without knowing when exactly I'll be back, or when I'll be able to grab a snack. I always keep bars in my backpack for just that reason, but that means that some days (when I'm out and about a ton, so a ton of snacking is needed) that can mean that I need four or five bars! Fruit gets bruised easily, veggies need cooling and can't be stored in my backpack over weeks for convenience, yogurt needs a cooler pack, cereal is messy - it ends up needing to bars! I love bars, but it's nice to having something different now and then, especially as a different snack on a multi-bar day.

Oloves is perfect for filling that need!

I got to try three of their handy olive snack packs and three dips (perfect if you have a snack pack of crackers in your backpack)!



The hummus was nice and creamy and I loved that it featured just healthy, natural ingredients.



The black olive tapenade was new to me, but good!



I really liked the bruschetta, but think that one is better to enjoy it home with fresh bread, rather than on the go with crackers.



The Oloves olives were by far the best, however!



They were such a handy little snack and so tasty!



Unlike your usual olives, they're not packed in liquid and are thus mess-free. Even though the nutritional stats are broken down into two tiiiiiny servings, the values advertised on the front are for the whole packet. Which is good, because it's small and no normal person would bother eating just half the bag. It wouldn't even put a dent in the smallest appetite!



They're packed in a little oil (but not enough to make a mess or spill anywhere, just coating the olives and enhancing the flavor). I liked that they used a healthy, natural vegetable oil for that!



All three varieties tasted great and the Hot Chilli Mama wasn't too spicy, but my clear favorite was the Lemony Love.



They're such a great snack and so tangy and delicious. Yum, yum, yum!



I'm not even that huge of an olive fan (I don't like them on salad at all) but these convinced me that they can make a great snack!

Do you like olives?

Have you tried a tapenade before?

Do you prefer green or black olives?

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

A new gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin cupcake recipe for Fall.

Before I get to my pumpkin cupcake recipe, I need to wander off a bit. Just briefly. Because it's who I am. A person who wanders. Ponders. Finds solace in books. I've been like this since girlhood. Curious. Serious. No good at catching balls. Or dressing dolls. I am beyond inept with hair. And eyeliner. Nail polish. I get anxious and non-verbal if I have to wear anything that isn't a pair of jeans.

It might be because I'm a child of The Sixties, that starstruck Age of Aquarius, when kindred souls united for peace, beauty, and rock and roll. As Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right," and there was that "...sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave."

I've been remembering the beautiful wave lately. The idealism. The hope. The belief that there is more to life than collapsing in front of the television and microwaving hot dogs. The belief that beauty- as Steve Jobs believed- is important, has value. That we are deeply interconnected. That life on Earth is precious- from the house sparrow to the living sea. That we are part of a vast and mysterious collective- not merely of our absurd egos (who natter inside our heads and squander our attention on drama, conflict, acquisition and the need to control)- but of a newly unfolding awareness of astonishing inner space and outer space. Infinity in every direction. The Universe is far more capacious than we ever dreamed. Perhaps even multi-dimensional. A Multiverse.

Which begs the question.

Who am I? Really. I know I am not the car I drive or the laundry detergent I use. I know I am not what I identify with. I am not what I embrace- or reject. Though for years I thought so. I believed my opinions created a self. Made me Me. Now that I am old enough to have lived through countless opinion reversals, I realize opinions are temporary.

And not defining.

Just as I am not my baby teeth. Or my once lactating voluptuousness. Or my sprouting silver hair. Or what music I listen to. Or what jeans I outgrow. I am not even the woman baking pumpkin cupcakes for her readers. Or am I?

Well, maybe I am. Just a little. But wait. Doesn't that make me the sum of what I do? I bake therefore I am? I am trying lately not to be so much of a human doing. And more of a human being.

It's not as easy as one might think.

And therein lies the trouble. The whole thinking thing. Our brain. Our wired hardware. It disconnects us. It addicts us. It overrides the heart and soul of what is really going on. The being we really are. Beneath the seductive and glossy surface of things. The spark that burns from the greater whole.

I see that spark in you. In your words and comments. In your avatar's eyes.

And that spark?

It's why I made you cupcakes.

xox


Read more + get the recipe >>

Statin users suffer from significantly more musculoskeletal pain

This study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine 2008 Aug;23(8):1182-6

Study title and authors:
Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and statin use.

Buettner C, Davis RB, Leveille SG, Mittleman MA, Mukamal KJ.
Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. cbuettne@bidmc.harvard.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18449611

This study sought to evaluate whether statin use was associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain. The study included 3,580 participants, aged 40 or over, without arthritis.

The study found:
(a) Compared to persons who did not use statins, those who used statins had a 50% increased risk for any musculoskeletal pain.
(b) Compared to persons who did not use statins, those who used statins had a 59% increased risk for lower back pain.
(c) Compared to persons who did not use statins, those who used statins had a 50% increased risk for lower extremity pain.

This study finds that statin users are significantly more likely to report musculoskeletal pain compared to persons who did not use statins. 

Speaking in Lisbon on October 5

My friend Pedro Bastos graciously invited me to speak at a conference he organized in Lisbon on October 5 titled "Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases".  I will give two talks:

• "Ancestral Health: What is Our Human Potential?"  This talk will explore the health of non-industrial cultures in an effort to understand how much of our modern chronic disease burden is preventable, and it will briefly touch on one major aspect of non-industrial life that may protect against the "diseases of civilization".  This presentation will focus on age-adjusted data from high quality studies.  
• "Why Do We Overeat: a Neurobiological Perspective."  This talk will attempt to explain why most of us consume more calories than we need to maintain weight-- a phenomenon that is a central cause of morbidity and mortality in the modern world.  It will touch on some of the brain mechanisms involved in ingestive behavior, and outline a framework to explain why these mechanisms are often maladaptive in today's environment.

Pedro will speak about dairy consumption, vitamin D, and chronic disease.  

The conference is targeted to health professionals and students of nutrition, however it's open to anyone who is interested in these topics.  It's sponsored by NutriScience, a Portuguese nutrition education and consulting company.  Sadly, I don't speak Portuguese, so my talks will be in English.  

Access the full program, and register for the conference, using the links below:

Program

Registration

You Might be a Fairytale Dwarf If...

Have you ever felt a little out of place, or like you didn't belong? You might not. You might be a fairytale dwarf! After all, there are several fairytale dwarfs that didn't make the cut for Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Think one of those dwarves might be you? Read on!

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you like shiny things. A lot.



You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you like to wear heel-less sock on your head day after day after day.

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you have a disproportionately large, red nose. The more bulbous the nose, the more likely that you are one!

...or that you're a Thornberry

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you have a very one-track personality, such as can be comprehensively described in one, preferably child-friendly, word.

...or a short phrase.

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you find yourself hanging out with cheerful, naive, anemic scullery maids a lot.

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... your name is Wheezy, Puffy, Stuffy, Biggo-Ego, Jumpy, Baldy, Nifty, Gabby, Stubby, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy and Burby. They all didn't make the cut!

Some original dwarf renderings

You might be a fairytale dwarf if... you're grown up, but still live with loads of roommates and can't quite seem to figure out how to cook your own dinner.

It's not always easy being a dwarf, even though you get to spend your days contentedly whistling while mining gems and everything else that sparkles. Sleepy was the only one of the seven dwarfs not to get a good-bye kiss from Snow White! It just goes to show that some 'wisdoms', like you snooze, you lose, apply to dwarves, too.

But the dwarfs aren't the only ones who don't always get what they want. To keep Snow White special and keep from ruining the illusion of the perfect princess, Disney kept voice actress Adriana Caselotti (the voice of Snow White) in a strict contract that prevented her from appearing in any other film or stage productions.

That was quite a sacrifice for the 19-year-old aspiring opera singer!

Would you give up the hope of a long career if you could, instead, of a 'one hit wonder' type thing like Adriana Caselotti did?

Which one of the dwarfs do you find most sympathetic?

Might you be a dwarf?

Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

  

Warm from the oven buckwheat chocolate chip cookies.

{Updated for 2013...} I know what you're thinking. Not another cookie recipe. Please. I've had it with melty chocolate chips and crunchy, chewy sweetness. Where are the rutabaga recipes, dagnabbit? And what about beets? Or parsnips? I've got a hankering for kale the size of Wyoming. I yearn for jicama. Cook me up some kohlrabi, already.

Sorry, Darling.

Not today.

You'll have to be patient.

There are cookies to bake.

And these are gluten-free.

And dairy-free.

And vegan.

But I'll be honest.

Baking egg-free, butter-free, gluten-free cookies (that actually taste tempting) can be tough. So if you- or an angel you love- are allergic to several of the top allergens, or living GF/CF for ASD reasons, just know I'm in the weird and rocky boat with you.

Which is why I keep experimenting and tweaking recipes.

And if the butter eating glutenous In Crowd doesn't get it, I say, You know what, Cheese Breath? Just go eat your Twinkies, will ya?

Read more + get the recipe >>

Lenny & Larry's Protein FIT Brownies Giveaway!

Did you enjoy my Lenny & Larry's Protein FIT Brownie review yesterday?

Today I have a giveaway for y'all! One lucky Living, Learning, Eating reader will win an assorted box of Lenny & Larry's Protein FIT Brownies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Are You Your Own BFF?

When is the last time you dined by yourself at a gorgeous restaurant? Took yourself to a museum exhibit? Sat at a swanky hotel bar and had a dirty martini alone while listening to a live jazz band? 

There is something so rejuvenating about spending time with yourself. I've worked with countless women who are petrified of being alone - I'm talking petrified. When I encourage them to "date" themselves, they typically greet me with a myriad of excuses: they feel like everyone will stare at them, they're afraid to be alone with their thoughts, they don't have the time, they feel like they'll look too fat, too weird, too lonely. After some gentle prodding (read: ass kicking), I can usually get them to agree to spending at least some time with themselves. And guess what? Every single woman who does it becomes hooked. Their responses are usually along the lines of:

 

- "Wow that was so liberating!"

- "Holy sh*t, that was relaxing"

- "I seriously just got so many ideas for my business!"

- "I have never felt more creative"

- "Why didn't I do that sooner?"

 

This weekend, I want you to give this a whirl. And I don't mean running up to the supermarket alone in sweatpants and no makeup. I want you to plan something special for you and only you. I want you to wear an outfit that makes you feel amazing, blow out your hair, spritz on your favorite perfume, and take yourself on a full-fledged date. And when you're done, email me and let me know how it was.

Happy planning!

Cheers,

Cara

PS -- Want more assignments like this? Today is the LAST day of registration for my signature "Create Your Champagne Life" virtual group workshop! I won't be doing another one until January and frankly, that is just too long to wait to start designing your brand new, effervescent world. Want to know more? Email me and I will hook you up.

Review: Lenny & Larry's Fit Brownies!

Lenny & Larry's make ridiculously delicious, protein-packed treats - all sorts of yummy cookies and brownies! I love their brownies, but even though they come with a good deal of protein the 400+ calories in each treat can be a bit much for a regular dessert for some people. 

Especially when topped with ice cream (aka: the only right way to eat a brownie).

 That's why they've introduced the new Fit Brownies line!

There are three tempting flavors.

There's Chocolate Raspberry.

There's Chocolate Decadence.

There's also Peanut Butter Crunch, which (of course) is a favorite.

Fit Brownies offer the same chocolaty indulgence of the original brownies, but at just under 200 (190, to be exact) calories each and with substantially less sugar and a smaller size.

They're also gluten-free, for anyone with Celiac's Disease!

As noted above, they come in three varieties. The are not just carbon copies of the originals. The Chocolate Raspberry Fit Protein Brownie, for example, is a new flavor.

These are the perfect size for a not-too-indulgent dessert that you can enjoy daily. They are less sweet, and somewhat less rich, than the original brownies, so those can certainly still have their place as a sometimes treat. 

The texture is really fudgy, not cakey, which I liked. 

Cakey brownies are a total ripoff, it defeats the point of a brownie if the chocolate doesn't stick to your teeth!

I was really pleasantly surprised by the Chocolate Raspberry brownie, as I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

I'm not wild about the chocolate-fruit combo usually, but it really worked here!

The raspberry icing on top was a nice touch.

Do you prefer cakey or fudgy brownies?

What's your go-to dessert at the moment?

How often do you have dessert? Three times a day, duh.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin pancakes with apricot jam and pepitas.

I haven't made gluten-free pancakes in a long time. I am- typically- not a big breakfast person. A solo slice of golden gluten-free toast glistening with melting cashew butter and a big mug of hot coconut milk chai usually does it for me.

So what possessed me to change my routine? Why did I suddenly have a deep growling desire for pancakes?

In a word: pumpkin.

My favorite cucurbit.

I could wax ridiculously poetic about this humble gourd and what it brings to the grit littered landscape of gluten-free land. I could draw you a map of flavor that curves through a forest of cinnamon and nutmeg. I could don a teacher's cardigan and chart the impact of pumpkin's inherent cellular moisture on milled non-gluten grains. I could sport an orange baseball cap and pitch you a three act plot line where pumpkin is the hero rescuing the wan, deprived princess in the Kingdom of Celiac.

But instead? I'll just share the recipe.


Read more + get the recipe >>

Follow the Frog with Balance Bar!

I've reviewed Balance Bars in the past and they're not only delicious, but also up to some good! Here's a message from the friendly folks at Balance Bar!

Follow the Frog with Balance Bar!

Balance Bar is following the frog and you can, too! What frog? This frog!

September 16-22 is Follow the Frog Week. During this special week, Balance Bar will be showing its support for the Rainforest Alliance and offering you some great deals along the way.

Every time you see the green Rainforest Alliance Certified™ frog seal on products you buy, you can be proud that you’re making a responsible, sustainable purchase that’s good for you AND the environment. That includes products like our Dark bars, which are made with cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms!

To get you as excited as we are, Balance Bar has a special offer to keep you snacking sustainably. Order any variety of Balance Bars on www.shopbalance.com and save 15% on your entire purchase when you use code BALFTF2013. Plus, enjoy free shipping and a free 6ct box of our Dark Chocolate Crunch Bars, which carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, when you spend $75 or more!

Offer ends September 22, so leap over to www.shopbalance.com and take advantage of this special promotion!

Want another reason to get excited? We’re also giving away boxes of Balance Bar Dark Bars on Twitter! Follow @balancebar on Twitter! We’re giving away one box per day September 16-22.

Learn more about the Rainforest Alliance’s commitment to the environment here.