I truly believe the ultimate plague of this generation is spam email.
When I was bored between classes the other day, I decided to open up my old email on Yahoo. I made the switch to Gmail about a year ago (as everyone should) but I still have to open up the old one every few weeks just in case someone still hasn't gotten the memo. To my horror, when I finally made it to my inbox (which took a while since I forgot my password... again) there were over 300 unread emails and only, like, two of them were actual emails. The rest of them featured everything from the American Cancer Society, to iTunes, to Indoor Soccer, to The Yoga Shop. There were things in there I have never even signed up for or heard of in my life.
So, I decided to spend the next hour going through every single one of those emails and clicking "unsubscribe." Sometimes all I had to do was click one button. Sometimes I had to put in my email address. Sometimes I had to click a list of things I wanted to be unsubscribed from and explain why. Other times I had to put in a code and then do all of the above. Overall it was awful. But I did it. I refuse to be one of those people with 6204 unread emails piling up in my notification center. (On that note, if you are one of those people: How do you do it?!)
The worst part about it all is that I'm still getting spam. I unsubscribed from every single one of those blasted email but I'm still getting like three a day. Which I admit is a lot better than 20 a day but still. Why?!
January 16, 2014
January 10, 2014
How to impress boys.
As you probably all know, my boyfriend is a chef. (A good one. Come to our parties.) Well, let me tell you about one of the most terrifying things you could do if you were me, which is: Cook for your chef boyfriend. Normally, I just make him make me everything, including the easiest things in the world (quesadillas and cereal) (entitled girlfriend alert). But this past Sunday, I decided to face my fears and make him real food. So I downloaded this awesome app called Yummly (it's also a website, you should check it out) and got to work making two delicious dishes, pasta and a salad.
I have an obsession with avocados, so when I saw this salad recipe I was all over it.
Buttered crouton salad with avocado and smoked salmon:
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. champagne vinaigrette
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. capers (coarsely chopped)
pepper
salt
1 baguette (small)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
salad greens
1/2 avocado
smoked salmon
So basically you're supposed to combine the first five ingredients to make some kind of fantastic salad dressing, but I'm a poor college student and also I have no idea what the heck capers are, so I got rid of that part and just bought honey-dijon dressing from the store, which I'm pretty sure was equally as fantastic.
Next step is you slice up that baguette, throw some butter and olive oil in a pan and toast those slices into croutons. Then get these croutons, the avocado, and the salmon, and put some salad under them, Sprinkle with some pepper and you're done. Full recipe here.
Pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella:
1 lb. bow-tie pasta
1 pt. cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1/2 cup pesto
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan (grated)
All you do in this one is cook the pasta and barely undercook it by a minute. Then drain it, put it back in the pot, and mix in everything but the parmesan and the basil. Cover it and wait for the mozzarella cheese to melt, and then toss in the other two ingredients (side note: I could not find fresh basil anywhere so I just used the regular basil that you buy in the spice aisle). Full recipe here.
Voila! You just made the meal of your (and your chef boyfriend's) dreams.
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Just be warned: after doing all this out of the kindness of your heart and doing your best to make it beautiful and thoughtful, your boyfriend will probably eat it and be impressed. He might even ask you to make it again in the future, or even later that night. But what you won't expect is that the only thing he actually wants more of is pieces of bread cooked in butter. Go figure.
I have an obsession with avocados, so when I saw this salad recipe I was all over it.
Buttered crouton salad with avocado and smoked salmon:
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. champagne vinaigrette
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. capers (coarsely chopped)
pepper
salt
1 baguette (small)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
salad greens
1/2 avocado
smoked salmon
So basically you're supposed to combine the first five ingredients to make some kind of fantastic salad dressing, but I'm a poor college student and also I have no idea what the heck capers are, so I got rid of that part and just bought honey-dijon dressing from the store, which I'm pretty sure was equally as fantastic.
Next step is you slice up that baguette, throw some butter and olive oil in a pan and toast those slices into croutons. Then get these croutons, the avocado, and the salmon, and put some salad under them, Sprinkle with some pepper and you're done. Full recipe here.
Pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella:
1 lb. bow-tie pasta
1 pt. cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1/2 cup pesto
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan (grated)
All you do in this one is cook the pasta and barely undercook it by a minute. Then drain it, put it back in the pot, and mix in everything but the parmesan and the basil. Cover it and wait for the mozzarella cheese to melt, and then toss in the other two ingredients (side note: I could not find fresh basil anywhere so I just used the regular basil that you buy in the spice aisle). Full recipe here.
Voila! You just made the meal of your (and your chef boyfriend's) dreams.
Just be warned: after doing all this out of the kindness of your heart and doing your best to make it beautiful and thoughtful, your boyfriend will probably eat it and be impressed. He might even ask you to make it again in the future, or even later that night. But what you won't expect is that the only thing he actually wants more of is pieces of bread cooked in butter. Go figure.
January 1, 2014
Beginnings: 2014.
This new year's eve was spent on top of a mountain in St. George, listening to music around a glowing fire with the best company. At midnight we joined in with the echoing countdowns from eager people on nearby streets, and shared in a long moment when fireworks exploded all over the valley. It was better than any party.
Ever since I started posting my new year's resolutions on my blog, I've gotten exponentially better at keeping them. It's incredible and you should all try it. Or, if you don't have a blog, just write them on your arm every morning or something (free tattoo). I recently learned that to really round out your life you should set goals in four categories: mind, body, spirit, and personal. Consider it done.
Mind
• Work on keeping my knowledge of French intact by watching one French movie a month and reading something in French at least once a week. Speak French (or French/Creole...) with someone twice a month for at least 20 minutes.
• Lower stress, produce creativity, and increase knowledge by practicing the guitar at least twice a month for at least 30 minutes.
Body
• Increase physical strength by working out 5-6 times a week for at least 15 minutes. This can include strength training, running, yoga, biking, swimming, hiking, or any other strenuous physical activity.
• Improve overall well-being by drinking lots of water, eating well, and getting enough sleep. Carry a water bottle everywhere possible and plan out meals the day before. Don't skip meals and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Spirit
• Study the scriptures for 10-15 minutes every day. Set aside time to do this and be present during these few minutes.
• Visit the temple at least 6 times this year.
• Spend at least 5 minutes a week in meditation in order to let go of stress and be grateful.
Personal
• Become more present by leaving my cell phone in my bag and on silent in social situations such as parties, group conversations or one-on-one conversations, and church or school whenever possible. When I get the urge to pull my phone out (or distract myself any other way) because I feel uncomfortable or awkward, resist that urge.
• Celebrate small victories such as getting a good grade on an assignment, submitting applications, getting a to-do list done, or making it through the day. A celebration can be a private dance party, making a sparkling cider toast to myself, finding someone to high-five, or anything else that makes me happy. Do this at least once a week.
Let's do this, 2014.
Ever since I started posting my new year's resolutions on my blog, I've gotten exponentially better at keeping them. It's incredible and you should all try it. Or, if you don't have a blog, just write them on your arm every morning or something (free tattoo). I recently learned that to really round out your life you should set goals in four categories: mind, body, spirit, and personal. Consider it done.
Mind
• Work on keeping my knowledge of French intact by watching one French movie a month and reading something in French at least once a week. Speak French (or French/Creole...) with someone twice a month for at least 20 minutes.
• Lower stress, produce creativity, and increase knowledge by practicing the guitar at least twice a month for at least 30 minutes.
Body
• Increase physical strength by working out 5-6 times a week for at least 15 minutes. This can include strength training, running, yoga, biking, swimming, hiking, or any other strenuous physical activity.
• Improve overall well-being by drinking lots of water, eating well, and getting enough sleep. Carry a water bottle everywhere possible and plan out meals the day before. Don't skip meals and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Spirit
• Study the scriptures for 10-15 minutes every day. Set aside time to do this and be present during these few minutes.
• Visit the temple at least 6 times this year.
• Spend at least 5 minutes a week in meditation in order to let go of stress and be grateful.
Personal
• Become more present by leaving my cell phone in my bag and on silent in social situations such as parties, group conversations or one-on-one conversations, and church or school whenever possible. When I get the urge to pull my phone out (or distract myself any other way) because I feel uncomfortable or awkward, resist that urge.
• Celebrate small victories such as getting a good grade on an assignment, submitting applications, getting a to-do list done, or making it through the day. A celebration can be a private dance party, making a sparkling cider toast to myself, finding someone to high-five, or anything else that makes me happy. Do this at least once a week.
Let's do this, 2014.
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