Happy weekend

Here's some interesting reads I found this week:

Yoga

Everyone's going on and on in the internet yoga community about this article. The assigning editor wrote her response. Another writer from the same site gave her opinion. Personally, I liked this smart response. And now I'm officially over it, which brings me to...

Feminism

...this interesting piece on feminism's toxic Twitter wars. Luckily I mostly read, and not post on twitter about my opinion, but I could see how difficult it could be if you are heavily invested in the medium and receive a lot of backlash. 

Food

Are you a property owner in the LA area with fruit trees overburdened with their production? Sign up here to donate your excess to a good cause. If you don't have that particular blessing of too much fruit, but are still looking to give in another way, you can register here for various events to help collect and harvest fresh food. Food Forward is an amazing organization that rescues fresh, local produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need. I plan on joining in myself.

The benefits of Food Stamps (definitely worth the click through)...

Which will be cut by $8 billion over 10 years by the recently passed farm bill.

Random

The Napoleon complex, explained. As a short person, this might explain a lot. 

This physical art is so beautiful.

Happy Friday.

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I'm not going to lie. I'm feeling a little bit exhausted. Starting a new job and acclimating to a new space, new energy, new politics. It really has been draining. I'm extremely grateful to be where I am, and I'm definitely learning new things, which is all I really was hoping for this opportunity to be. And it's only my second day. After being freelance/unemployed/underemployed since October, it is a bit of a harsh shift for me, not even considering the fact that I was very spoiled with a cushy position in my last job. This is a whole new ball game. 

Print by TheMotivatedType on Etsy, $12 to $65 depending on size

And, speaking of ball games, apparently it's the Super Bowl this weekend. I won't be watching this year (!) since Rob will be working and I'll be free to watch anything I want. Most years we have people over and serve up fun food, so at least I'm paying attention to being a hostess, instead of the sport: last year we did quesadillas to order, one year we did a big batch of chili, and one year we did wine and cheese pairings. Because of course wine and cheese go with football - in my house at least. If you're going to make me watch a sport I'd better get to enjoy what I'm eating and drinking. Honestly, I don't think I've watched more than a few minutes of football over the years - and I like it that way! Well, anyway, If you're watching the game, have fun! and don't eat too much junk if you can help it. Think of me - I'll be spending my weekend sleeping late, doing yoga, and relaxing. And not watching football.

Happy Weekend

What are your plans this weekend? I'm wrapping up a bunch of work, cooking and prepping for the upcoming week, and apartment hunting. Here's some interesting reads I found for your weekend:

Environment

This collection of photos is worth seeing - photographers traversed the Marcellus Shale formation documenting what they could of the effects of fracking. My father previously owned a house with a beautiful waterfall and river on the propery in Pennsylvania, and sold it right before the fracking boom there. It's too bad the photographers weren't able to get any shots of the workers, more of the industry and all the promise it does provide, in order to provide more of a counter to the arguments against the environmental devastation and health risks.

Yoga

After the NYTimes has reported so. many. times. on the perils of yoga, it seems other news agencies are trying to get in on the scare tactics. My advice: Listen to your own body, honor your limitations, and be patient with your practice. You can transcend boundaries as long as you're careful.

Feminism

This collection of covers comparing the Hillary Cover to images for other (mostly male) politicians basically speaks for itself. What were they thinking? Not that I'm a huge Hillary fan, but that's no justification for that type of absurdity.

Mike Huckabee (former Republican Arkansas governor) said the government shouldn't provide co-pay free birth control to women who "cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government." He says this to argue that Democrats feel that women are "helpless and hopeless creatures" who just want government-provided birth control, and that women should be empowered to be "something other than victims of their gender." This isn't surprising considering he supported Akin's "legitimate rape" comments.

Food

This is an interesting article on intermittent fasting, a form of dieting which is touted as a healthy choice for dieting, the best lifestyle to stay healthy over time, but also a worrisome choice to those with possible histories of disordered eating. A scientist is currently doing an NIH-funded study comparing people doing six months of every-other-day dieting, as compared to six months of every-day calorie restriction. I'm curious to see the outcome.

Happy Friday

I didn't make it to the farmers market this Thursday, so I'll have to hit it today or tomorrow instead. The last time I went, there was so much local citrus fruit that I was really overwhelmed and I didn't end up getting any. I think this week I'll have to go in with a plan. 

I was so ecstatic when a student brought in some lemons for me fresh picked from her backyard tree on Tuesday, and I've been dreaming about a citrus tree of my own. 

Fresh from a student's tree! It smelled like heaven.

For now, I'll focus on trying to buy what's in season - and lucky for me, the main winter crop in California is citrus. Mandarin oranges are the ones that are seedless, sweet, and easy to peel. Tangerines are probably the only type of Mandarin I'm used to getting in New York, that have a thicker skin and a slightly darker orange color than other Mandarins. There's a huge variety in types, and I've been getting the Minneola Tangelos on the regular, which vary in size and sweetness but have a steady, bright orange color.  

These are mandarins

I've also tried the Cara Cara Pink Navel Orange, which is sweet and not acidic. It has a beautiful pink flesh. It's almost like a blood orange, without as much of the tartness in that signature tart/sweet blend. 

Beautiful fruit

I've even recently seen little kumquat trees in pots for sale. I thought long and hard about it before I decided I had to wait. Eventually I'll have my own space with my own yard (hopefully) and I'll be able to buy as many little fruit trees as I want. Patience! For now, my plan is to buy as many of the weird varieties that I've never seen before. I'm going to stay away from the familiar and go for the local varieties. Why not, right?

Happy Friday.

I have a lazy weekend planned, filled with lounging in the California sunshine, catching up on some work, and cooking. I bought a beautiful orange cauliflower at the farmers market yesterday, and I'm debating whether to try something new. 

Generally, I just roast cauliflower, because it gets this sweet, creamy delicious flavor, and it's super simple with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. But I'm considering trying something a little different this time. 

From My Darling Lemon Thyme

I'm a huge salad fan, and I like to throw quinoa in at every opportunity, so of course I love this beautiful Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Quinoa salad. This is definitely something I can see myself throwing together - delicious, easy, with multiple layers of texture and flavor. 

From My New Roots

I'm fascinated by this idea of a whole roasted tandoori cauliflower - I've got everything but cardamom in my spices. This would definitely be outside of my cooking comfort zone, and I like a good challenge. I think it's good to go outside the lines every once in a while. 

I'm consistently blown away by how much better all the fruits and veggies are than what I had gotten used to in New York. I'm so grateful to be here in California. The fresh and local lifestyle is definitely - so far - the #1 most amazing part of living here :)