Which Layla Do You Prefer?

My eighth grade English teacher once told our class that you could tell a lot about a person based on whether they preferred the acoustic or electric version of Eric Clapton's "Layla". I don't remember much about the poetry we read that year, but that comment as always stuck with me for some reason, and I happen to believe that there's some truth to it. It's a pretty interesting conversation starter, too!

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So which do you prefer? Acoustic? Or electric? I'm an acoustic girl myself.

Happy hump day!

xoxo,
E

Wine/Beer Pairs

When it comes to wine, my knowledge pretty much begins and ends at "I really like red wine". For some reason, I've never been big on white wine, but I love a good (or just cheap) red.

For those of us who like wine and beer, but don't know much more than that, the kind folks at VinePair, a website dedicated to all things wine, made us this:

 

Helpful, right? You could use it to find a corresponding wine that matches up with your favorite beer OR the other way around. I've never tried a lambic beer, but I know I like pinot noir...so I'll have to give it a shot!

Happy sipping!

xoxo,

E

Follow Your Arrow

One of my favorite reads, A Cup of Jo, recently lead me to this incredibly interesting read. It's an article about a mother who, in an attempt to bring culture and worldly perspective to her children's lives, moved her family to Paris for a year. Since the French seemed to have the market cornered when it comes to doing, well, everything right, she thought she would come back to the States with little citizens of the world, cured of all their obnoxious American ways.

As someone who doesn't have any human children, I was surprised by how much the article resonated with me. Lately, I've been reevaluating where I am, geographically, professionally, personally. I've been looking within and without for my next step, wondering where I should go next in pursuit of the life I want for myself. Gosh, crafting the life you want for yourself is a lot of pressure! Following your passion and finding the next "right" thing is hard! I sometimes wish for a crystal ball that I could look to in order to know that, five, ten, fifteen years down the road, I will have made the right decisions and ended up where I wanted to be.

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The moral of this article seems to be that we are all making it up as we go along. The old adage to focus on the journey, not the destination should be changed to focus on the journey because that's all there is. Maybe there is no destination. The only destination is the one we reach when we stop journeying. We just have goals in mind that we try to align our actions with.

 

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So, I guess this is all to say that if you are feeling the need to make a move but are not quite sure where to...I feel ya. I find that every few years I start to feel the need to do something else. I'm hoping someday I'll settle into something that makes me want to stick around awhile, but I'm not sure I've found that thing yet. Does anyone else get the itch to move on like that?

Lots of big picture thinking going on around here lately! I hope you have a wonderful Monday and don't forget to follow your arrow :) 

xoxo,

E

Roasted Rosemary Almonds

One of my new year's resolutions was to try one new recipe each week. This resolution was made with the hope of channeling my love of food into broadening my horizons and eating more cleanly, instead of, say, shoveling Girl Scout cookies in my mouth by the handful. (ps- Have you seen this? Hilarious.)

Luckily, I have enjoyed just about every new recipe I've tried, but the most recent one I've tried is definitely a keeper. It's funny how the easiest recipes are usually the most memorable. These roasted rosemary almonds are the perfect snack: crunchy, salty, a touch spicy...and pretty healthy! Plus, by making your own seasoned roasted almonds, you control the ingredients and save money! Win-Win!

I made half of the recipe to make sure that the almonds stayed fresh since I'm the only one eating them. Make them soon!

Happy snacking!

xoxo,
E

My Favorite Juice Recipes

Are you on the juicing trend train yet? I got a juicer a few Christmases ago and have loved throwing whatever I can find in my juicer to see what it tastes like.

Delicious "green lemonade"--such a pretty color and amazing for after you've had a weekend of fried food and beer :)

I've done a few three-day cleanses, kind of a modified version of the BluePrint Cleanse. I would love to try BluePrint to see how it compares, but it's so dang expensive! Plus, I can't imagine that any type of bottled juice could be as good as the kind I can make in my own kitchen.

I have this Breville juicer. I used a 20% coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond, and it wasn't too bad--pretty much middle of the road when it comes to juicers based on my research. Also, I always use these pretty glass bottles to store my freshly made juice. Keep in mind that you should drink freshly made juice within 36 hours. I've tried freezing it, and it's OK, but not great.

Here are my two favorite juice recipes...try them; they are seriously delicious!

Green Lemonade (makes 2 big glasses)
As much spinach as you want
3-4 lemons, peeled
1-1 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled
3 green apples
1 cucumber
3-4 celery stalks

Wash everything well. Add spinach first--awesome dark green color! The more spinach the better! Stir the juice well and either pour in bottles (drink within 36 hours) or serve over ice immediately with a straw because straws make everything taste better.

Carrot-Orange Juice (makes 2 big glasses)
5-6 peeled carrots
4-5 peeled oranges
1-1 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled
2 peeled lemons
2 green apples, peeled (I only peel them so the juice stays a pretty orange color)

Wash everything well and dump it in the juicer! Stir it up and either store it in bottles for up to 36 hours or drink immediately over ice. A straw is, again, mandatory.

When I drink fresh juice, I definitely notice an increase in my energy...I just feel healthier all around!

Happy Juicing!

xoxo,
E

Work It

When I work out, I mostly enjoy taking classes since someone telling me what to do forces me to slack off a little less. If I'm not taking a class, I prefer walking outside or spending some time on the elliptical listening to music that makes it easier to up the pace a bit.

Please tell me you remember this lady.

Here are a few songs that are currently on my happy workout playlist...
1.) "Happy" by Pharell Williams
2.) "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock
3.) "Follow Your Arrow", Kasey Musgraves
4.) Various Glee Songs, but mostly this, this, and this (I can't pass up a good cover, especially if it's a cappella)
5.) "Kiss You", One Direction
6.) "Loca", Shakira
7.) "Love Shack", B-52's

OK, so I have the music taste of a 13-year-old girl. But you have to admit that a smile-inducing song makes a workout go a little faster!

Happy listening!

xoxo,
E

Don't Say The "S" Word

Happy Monday! Our spring break was last week, and that, combined with Daylight Savings has made for a...grumbly Monday. But! This past weekend was so full of sun and breeziness and glorious weather that it has almost made up for the fact that I'm stuck back inside today.

You're pretty, Greenville.

I have a theory that the kind of weather we have been having is incredibly skittish, so much so that I only to refer to this time of year as the "'s' word". You know, that brief season (at least in South Carolina) between February and mid-May (if we're lucky) where we experience a happy combination of sunny, clear skies and very little humidity. If you say the "s" word, you'll scare it away, and we'll be left with oppressively hot, humid, don't-leave-the-house, I-don't-even-want-to-think-about-the-AC-bill-this-month weather.

So! I hope you're enjoying the same amazing weather we've had these past few days, and can we all agree not to speak the "s" word until maybe May? Maybe that'll keep it around a little longer? I have a few lightweight sweaters that would look great with shorts and ballet flats that would be so thankful...

xoxo,
E