Author Archives: Elizabeth

Twenty-something-year-old non-profit exec. with just enough free time to ramble about what's on tap for today.

Today: Totally jamming. {a chia giveaway}

21 February 2012

57 Comments

If I know anything about chia, it’s these two things:

  • Without it, there would be many a bald chia pet.
  • Those little seeds pack some major punch.

After doing some research Googling, I can’t help but wonder why we don’t sprinkle chia onto everything we eat.  The benefits seem to be endless.  Sure, they may get stuck in between our two front teeth right before meetings (why didn’t anyone tell me?), but those mighty little seeds serve as an excellent plant-based source of fiber, protein, Omega 3 and antioxidants.  Chia is a gluten-free whole grain that can be eaten raw, and incorporated into virtually every meal.  The Chia Company’s website boasts a variety of chia recipes, including drinks, soups, baked goods and desserts.  Like flax seed, chia seed can be used as an egg substitute.  It can be sprinkled onto Greek yogurt, salads, and soups or baked into your favorite granola recipe (I’ll share mine later this week).

While breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, it’s also my least favorite.  I find I am always rushing out the door on weekdays, and then rushing back in the door because I’ve forgotten my lunch, my keys, and 13 other things.  The last thing on my mind  is a nutrient-rich, tasty breakfast.  The weekends, however, provide the perfect time to up the ante a bit, and put a little thought into my morning meal.  On Sunday, I surveyed the contents of our cabinets and fridge, while ripping open a bag of white chia seeds (I advise caution, unless you like decorating with super foods).  With a quart of raspberries and a few blood oranges left at the end of the week, Bob Marley played in the background, inspiration struck and I knew it was time to jam.

Raspberry, blood orange and chia seed jam

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 medium blood orange, peeled
  • 1/2 cup of chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 packet of Truvia

Directions:

  • Puree the raspberries and blood orange in a food processor, or crush with a fork.
  • Mix in chia and water, and stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Add 1 packet of Truvia, or a natural sweetener of your choice (honey, agave nectar).
  • Allow the jam to thicken, by storing covered in the refrigerator for several hours.
  • Enjoy as a topping for oatmeal, or a spread for toast, bagels or waffles.

This recipe yielded two small jars worth of jam, perfect for a week’s worth of breakfasts.

I feel a bit like Oprah today, not because I am gagillionaire, but because I am giving away not one, not two, but six packages of Australian grown chia from The Chia Company, courtesy of the nice people at GNC.  You get some black and white chia sheets, and you get some black and white chia seeds, and you get some black and white chia seeds!

That’s right.  Six of you will receive tw0 10-serving bags of chia (one bag of black chia seeds, one bag of white chia seeds).  This giveaway will close at 6 PM on Friday, February 24th. I will announce six randomly-selected winners shortly thereafter.  To enter, please leave a comment below.  For an additional entry, please feel free to tweet the following, and leave a second comment… so that I don’t space out and miss your tweet:

Want to win @TheChiaCompany chia from @GNCLiveWell and @ElizabethEv? #livewellnow #fitfluential http://wp.me/pySBS-1qO

Full disclosure: GNC is the exclusive retailer of The Chia Co. products in the United States.  As a FitFluential Ambassador, I received complimentary product from GNC, but I was not compensated for this post, nor for hosting this giveaway.  I enjoy this product and I think you will too. :)

Also On Tap for Today:

What’s your favorite way to give your meals a nutritional boost?  Are you a chia fan?

Today: The ‘I Do’ to do list.

15 February 2012

12 Comments

Shortly after Nick and I got engaged, we checked off a few of the more important things on our I Do to do list.  We booked our wedding date at our church (one of the most special places in Boston, if you ask me… which you didn’t… but I still mean it), and found the perfect venue for our reception.  There was a bump or two in the road (specifically, when one reception site booked us for a date that wasn’t actually available, sending us back to the drawing board, and straight to an even better venue), but everything seemed to be falling into place.

Click this image to see how I procrastinate. In style.

And then I took a four month hiatus from planning.  Oops.  After re-focusing, spending less time pinning wedding inspiration and more time actually making moves, I have been checking off items on that list left and right.  In the past week alone, Nick and I have met with our DJ and photographers (one of my high school classmates!), confirmed our caterer, and sent out our save the dates.   After poring over hundreds of invitation suites, both in person and online, I found a graphic designer on Etsy who created an invitation specifically for art gallery weddings.  Because our reception is being held in a performing art space, and our cocktail hour in a gallery, this grabbed my attention immediately.  The designer worked with us on custom colors and sent us the files while I handled the printing, cutting, addressing and stamping.  In less than an afternoon, they were ready to go.  Though I didn’t time this intentionally, the save the dates (I am making a conscious effort to stop calling them STDs) were postmarked on Valentine’s Day. When Nick pointed this out, I decided to mail one to ourselves.  When I am old and senile, I will look at the postmark and imagine that I planned it that way.

Please feel free to analyze my handwriting.

If wedding planning were a judo competition, we’d presently be kicking ass and taking names (and writing checks to people with those names).  We have a few more appointments this weekend, including a trip with my parents to visit the dress.  I found it the day after Christmas with my sister and sister-in-law.  Though I intended to visit several dress shops, after trying this one on…. well, I knew nothing would compare.  I sort of want to hire a Ghosts and Gravestones trolley, but I don’t think that really fits with our overall aesthetic (i.e. not intentionally hideous), so I need to do some research about transportation.  We’ll meet with our priest, dig up our baptism certificates and complete Pre-Cana (marriage prep for Catholics). Nick has a tux in mind, and I’ll tag along to touch fabrics and be sure they don’t cause me to break out in hives.  We have song lists to make, bridesmaid dresses to pick, and a honeymoon to daydream about.  To think that we’ll be nearly done with just about everything on our list in the next few weeks is rather incredible.

That leaves us with essentially eight months to enjoy ourselves as the plans unfold and the big day approaches.  With so much out of the way, I’ll have time to ponder all kinds of questions.  For example:

  • What does one register for, when one really has everything?
  • What sort of underwears will fit under my dress whilst giving me, um, boobs modest enough for Mass, yet… lively enough for a party?
  • Is there a school that can teach me to be photogenic?
  • Is it too soon to make a color-coded seating chart?
  • Is it too late to kidnap Martha Stewart and coerce her into designing a tablescape?

Fortunately I have my answer to the biggest question ready to go: Yes.  I do.  Muhahaha.

Also On Tap for Today:

Do you keep lists all over the place too?  Or do you have a magic memory?

Today: Romance is alive and well.

14 February 2012

3 Comments

Truly.  I saw it with my own eyes on a doorstep in the South End this morning.  Chivalry may be dead (who knows?), but romance is alive and well.

If that’s not enough to melt your heart, welp… you just may be a lost cause.  Just kidding.  And yes, it did occur to me that these petals could be a sign of a bouquet gone wrong, but I am fairly certain this was intentional.  And incredibly sweet.

Also On Tap for Today:

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve witnessed lately?

Today: 11 things (including something especially… weird).

14 February 2012

10 Comments

You may have seen the “Eleven Things” posts circulating around the internet lately.  Whitney, a fellow Bostonian and FitFluential Ambassador recently tagged me.  She and I had a lovely dinner last week at Franklin Cafe, and chatted about everything from work, yoga, and relays to house-hunting. I usually shy away from these types of things, but I could not say no to Whitney.  Plus, I like things that come with rules.  So there’s that.

RULES

1. Post these rules. 
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the person who tagged you set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

Without further ado, eleven random things about me:

1.  I am the second of four children.
2. In fourth grade, one of my classmates stabbed me (unintentionally, I assume) with a pencil.  The pencil tip is still in my hand.  For real.  Weird, I know.
3. I met Al Sharpton and Hillary Clinton in the same week.  I was 18.  And socially awkward. (Not much has changed.)
4.  I would be lost without my day planner.
5.  I don’t trust fax machines and firmly believe that we should stop using them.
6. I will probably cry when Picnik goes away.
7. My confirmation name is Blaise.  Like the saint, not the American Gladiator.
8.  I majored in French and minored in Fine Arts in college.
9.  I am prejudiced against cats.
10. I love crime shows (actual crime, not so much).
11.  “Walking in Memphis” is probably my favorite song of all time.
And here are my answers to Whitney‘s eleven questions:

1.  If you had to choose, would you pick running over yoga or vice versa?

Yoga.  Mostly because I can’t sneak in a nap while running.

2.  Kindle, iPad or Actual Book?

Actual book.  For sure.

3.  Favorite fitness magazine and why?

I am a magazine junkie, but Self has always been a favorite.  I love their focus on balance and happiness, and have been reading since I was high school.

4.  Favorite vegetable and favorite way to cook it?

I really dislike cooked vegetables.  Raw or bust.

5.  What is your favorite kind of sweet? Cake, ice cream, cookies, tortes, you name it!

Junior Mints. :)

Very out of focus. I blame the sugar coma.

6.  The Olympics are this summer, what sport are you excited to watch?

I am obsessed with the Olympics.  I seriously cannot wait for all of the swimming events (especially relays), diving, tennis… let’s see… track and field, gymnastics… you get the point.  I have never paid much attention to Olympic boxing, but now that I have a teensy bit of experience, I will definitely be watching this year and hoping to learn a thing or two.

7.  What kind of running shoes do you wear? Why?

I’ve worn Mizuno Wave Alchemys for four or five years now.  They fit my feet, plain and simple.

9.  What kind of yoga mat do you have? Do you even have a yoga mat?

I use an Aurorae classic mat.  I love their colors, and the feel of the mat, but it gets a bit slippery, especially during hot yoga when I am sweating like a man.  In my quest for a solution, I discovered that Aurorae sells small rosin bags for this express purpose.   I haven’t used it yet, but am looking forward to giving it a try. I keep a G2 Lifestyles Trainermat at my desk, for use in the rare event that I have 20 minutes to take a lunch break and can fit in a little stretch.

10.  What is your favorite topic to blog/write about?

I love writing about entertaining, running trials and triumphs, and Clark.  Clark brings all the boys to the yard readers to the blog.

11.  What do you do for a day job?

I work in the non-profit sector.  Aren’t I mysterious?

And now, I shall tag the following people: Bridget of Yogurt and Berries, Jessica of Dairy Free Betty, Jaime of Embracing Balance, Halley of Blunder Construction, Colleen of the daily craic, Michelle of Hit the Bricks, Mattie of Comfy and Confident, Michelle of Fun and Fearless in Beantown, Meghan of Travel Wine & Dine, Cynthia of It All Changes, and Erin of Big Girl Feats.

Here are my 11 questions for you lovely ladies:

  1. If you could pick your theme song, what would it be?
  2. What is your favorite local restaurant?
  3. What day of the week were you born?
  4. Tea or coffee?
  5. Pants or skirts?
  6. Where would you go on your ideal vacation?
  7. What’s your favorite day of the week?
  8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
  9. What is your favorite sport to watch?
  10. Do you have a secret talent?
  11. What is your go-to workout song?

Can’t wait to read your answers.  And, um, if you happen to know anything about the longterm effects of pencil tips living below your skin…. please.  Get in touch.

Also On Tap for Today:

Did you ever send a chain letter and have it work out?  I am still waiting for those 21 pairs of socks to arrive.

Today: I want to write the world a valentine.

13 February 2012

3 Comments

February 14th marks a day to be as openly mushy (or, if you’re so inclined, as miserable) as you like.  Personally, I wish that childhood tradition of handwriting a valentine to everyone in the class (regardless of how annoying, tall, loud, or smelly one might be) carried over into adulthood.  Wouldn’t it be lovely to acknowledge the whole red line car, or Starbucks line, or cubicle row with a box of conversation hearts?  Or a cardboard fold-over Sesame Street card, affixed with a tiny red heart sticker?

When I was younger, and my grandfather was still alive, my grandmother would sign all of our birthday cards like this:  ”Love, xGrandma and Grandpao”  Just like a hug and a kiss, the two of them belonged together.  In some ways, it was as if my birthday card was also a valentine, from one grandparent to another.  I often think about that sweet signature when I sign my own name on birthday or Christmas cards.  I think about them a lot when I think about love.

Whether it’s a note to your better half, a phone call to a parent, an extra game of fetch with your furry pal, or a flower for a friend, valentines need not be limited to just one day.  After all, what bad could come from sending a little bit of extra love out into the world?

I hope you all have a very happy Valentine’s Day.

Also On Tap for Today:

Did you write valentines to classmates as a kid?

 

Today: Let’s reach the beach.

6 February 2012

16 Comments

Here’s the story, of a team named… well, we don’t know yet… but we do have a team.  I am really excited to be running the New Balance Reach the Beach (Massachusetts) relay with eleven lovely ladies.

And now you know what I was doing (stealing people’s identities) when the stress of last night’s giant loss (get it…) got to be too much.

Our team includes:

  1. Anne of Fannetastic Food
  2. Sarah of SarahFit.com
  3. Patricia of Run Foodie Run
  4. Tina of Carrots ‘N Cake
  5. Ashley of A Healthy, Happier Bear
  6. Bridget of Yogurt and Berries
  7. Me (obvi)
  8. Theodora of Losing Weight in the City, whose shirt is proof that Patriots and Giants fans can peacefully coexist… in a photo collage, at least.
  9. Gretchen of Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!
  10. Monica of Run Eat Repeat
  11. Ali of Food Fitness Fashion
  12. Melissa of Fitness NYC

The relay will cover 200 miles over the course of 24 hours, beginning at Wachusett (were I learned to ski way back when) and ending in Westport.  We’ll pass right by my hometown.  And a bunch of other cute places, too.

[Image source]

I have wanted to run Reach the Beach since I learned it existed, so needless to say… I am excited.  Excited and nervous.  To be specific…

I am excited about:

  • Having a “motivation race” on the calendar.  When I swore off marathons for 2012, I initially thought the longest distance I’d be covering would be the walk down the aisle in November.  Depending on which shoes I end up in, it may be a speed walk (truthfully, I will likely have to talk myself out of sprinting directly to Nick… I just can’t wait… in a balanced, non-crazy way).  But just two months into the year, I’m finding myself itching to get a few longer races on my calendar.  I miss training.  I never thought I’d say that.  But I just did.  On the internet.
  • The adventure.  I love navigating (when my blood sugar is regulated, and there’s no traffic).  With the exception of a small stint in New York, I have lived in Massachusetts my entire life.  Yet there are stops along the Reach the Beach course that I have never visited, and some that I’ve never heard of.  I am looking forward to a little exploring.
  • A little friendly competition.  I have heard such great things about the race course, staff, organization and atmosphere.
  • “Living” in a van for 24 hours.  It could be awesome.  I’m envisioning mix tapes and hilarious stories and hair braiding.
  • Nighttime.  I haven’t run at night in ages, mostly because it’s either been unsafe, or I’ve been asleep.  I am looking forward to our nighttime legs.  I think reflective gear is a good look on me.

I am nervous about:

  • “Living” in a van for 24 hours. It could be terrifying.  I’ve recently realized (at one of Clark’s vet appointments, where I nearly hyperventilated into a poster about deer ticks) that I am claustrophobic.  And I think any of my siblings will tell you that I am cranky when underfed or overtired.  Plus, where will I plug in my hair straightener?
  • Nighttime.  I have read ever murder mystery available to me and watched every crime show (both true and ripped-from-the-headlines) that ever aired.  My imagination works on overdrive, especially when the sun sets.  While I know quite a bit about sociopaths (thanks to the serial killer marathon Meg and I watched after graduation), I know very little about nature.  What I do know, though, is that racoons, bears, mountain lions and the occasional escaped domestic boa constrictor can and very much do exist in Massachusetts.  The two times I’ve been camping, I stayed awake all night to keep watch.  For what, I don’t know.  Regardless, I am not sure a headlamp and a year’s worth of training at Peter Welch’s will cut it.

Clearly, I have a lot to learn over the next few months.  If you’re a relay veteran, your advice would be most welcomed and appreciated.  If you’d like to pass me on the course, or jump out of a bush and terrify me, registration is still open for both Reach the Beach relays.

Also On Tap for Today:

What would you name your relay team?

Today: Are you ready for some football?

5 February 2012

1 Comment

I’m definitely ready for some snacks, I can tell you that much.

I hope you’re all enjoying Super Bowl Sunday (and I especially hope that the New England Patriots win).

Also On Tap for Today:

What is your favorite football snack?

Today: What’s wrong with this picture?

3 February 2012

3 Comments

Because it’s Friday, and we could all use a laugh, I will let this screenshot (captured while placing a Superbowl-sized Peapod order) speak for itself.

Click to enlarge

In this case, I advocate choosing conventional over organic produce.

Also On Tap for Today:

Let’s hear it: Patriots or Giants?

Today: And the winner is… {Sparkly Soul giveaway}

2 February 2012

6 Comments

Well, hey.  I needed to hire an assistant to wade through all of those fantastic Sparkly Soul giveaway entries.  Sadly, my assistant decided to take a nap, and then crawl into his crate with a giant stuffed dinosaur.  Typical.

Without further ado…. the winner! (If you listen closely, you can hear Clark snoring at the beginning of this video. Muhahaha.)  Oh, and that wink was a space filler.  This was all above board, I can be trusted.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Please send me an email at ontapfortoday(at)gmail.com and I will make sure you’re sparkling in no time.  For everyone else, Sparkly Soul is offering a 15% discount on all orders placed now through March 1, 2012 (my birthday… hint, hint).  Simply enter FitFluential at checkout.  Thank you so much for taking the time to enter; and special thanks to Sparkly Soul for the bling. ;-)

Also On Tap for Today:

Did anyone else stay up past their bedtime to watch Pee-Wee Herman on Top Chef?

Today: Let the countdown begin.

31 January 2012

9 Comments

In a mere thirty days, I will be thirty.  It’s been nine years since my last milestone birthday, and man, what a difference those years make.  I spent my twenty-first birthday in Montreal, drinking buckets of Labatt Blue and speaking French (specifically, C’est mon anniversaire. Je vais vomir.) with the lovely people of the Quebec province.

The twenties have spanned quite the spectrum for me.  I have lived in two college dorms, my parents’ home (where quarters were not required for laundry and my roommates, better known as Mom and Dad, were totally cool), an apartment in Coolidge Corner, and our condo in South Boston.  I’ve worked at two organizations (despite hearing at my high school graduation that our generation would switch jobs five hundred times during our first ten years out of college), been promoted three times, and had precisely one feral cat die under my car during the span of a workday.

While in my twenties, I’ve been single, single, single, not single, and engaged.  I met a couple of non-ones during my twenties, before meeting the one weeks before turning 25.  Somehow I tricked Nick into falling in love with me, finding me a French bulldog, and agreeing to spend the rest of his life with me.  As a twenty-something, I’ve seen my older brother graduate from law school and my younger sister and brother graduate from college and enter law school and graduate school, respectively.  During my twenties, the four of us landed in Boston.  We are but a bridge away from one another.  I’ve watched in awe as all of my siblings turned into real live adults, following the example our parents set so well for us.

The twenties had its ups and its downs.  All of the worry about finding a job, and then finding the right job, and then finding a job that paid more than $13,000 (you’ve got to start somewhere… and, um, that’s where I started), finding roommates that wouldn’t kill me in my sleep, finding a non-hideous outfit for my 10 year reunion, finding my better half, and finding myself?  It was all worth it.  It was worth it because I get to enter the next decade of my life more confident, more accomplished, and more interesting than I was ten years ago.  I get to spend my thirties with a stronger body, a stronger brain, and a more full heart.

Let the countdown begin.

Also On Tap for Today:

What was the best part of your twenties?  Or thirties?  Or whatever-ies?