Weekend Link List

Just about a year ago I got to spend a whole two weeks with this guy Riley pictured above. I was house slash dog sitting before my move to Madison and I jumped at the chance to hang out with a couple of dogs who actually like me (unlike our family dog, who tends to just tolerate anyone except for my mom, whom he worships).

Riley spent a lot of time in this position - chin propped on the edge of the couch, longingly looking at me to scratch his ears, pet his back, or BEST CASE invite him onto the couch too.

Sorry, pup. You're way too hairy to sit on the couch. But I still like you.

P.S. I never realized how much my life revolves around the internet until I didn't have any. Honestly the 18 hour outage was refreshing. Maybe there will be a whole day of unplugging in my future.

A frank interview with Lena Dunham.

Boys, these are the rules of Men's Dress. Pay particular attention to 10, 12, and 33.

Not all sunscreen is created equal apparently.

Oh, and by the way, self-tanners aren't safe either. I guess I'll be a cave-dweller, then?

The struggle of figuring out what music you want to listen too is solved by an app that plays music based on your mood.

Riley would totally do this. I particularly like 17 and 20.

Breaking Bad has brought about a meth-inspired ice cream. So bizarre.

I would very much like this table in a bag for my next picnic.

These bracelet hair ties are perfect!

This is my aspirational kitchen. Look at that stove!

Cranberry, Brie, and Spinach Sandwich

Money.

When I was studying abroad, I remember it being the focus of many conversations, mostly because no one had any.

"You paid how much for that cup of coffee?"
"Hey can I get a beer? Umm...whichever's cheapest."
"Oh, it's only two miles away? Yeah I'll walk. I can't eat if I take a cab."

It was really cool to be poor frugal.

I even convinced a MALE friend to start carrying a change purse when we were abroad because the coins are so much more valuable over there. Since he had no place to put the coins, he would just stick them in his pockets and then when he sat down anywhere - the couch, the bus, the booth at the pub - his coins would come spilling out of his pockets.

He was so happy with that little change purse.

MORE BEERS!

Maybe this sandwich is so popular in Europe because even when all of your change falls out of your pockets, you can still scrounge up enough money to buy a sanwich like this.

It's the "American Tourist/Student Sandwich".

I'll work on the name.

But even if you have found yourself lucky enough to take a cab to a restaurant and still have enough money to eat food, this sandwich is delicious enough that you might just want to stay home and make it anyways.

I decided to make the cranberry sauce from scratch, but go ahead and buy some if you're not into that.

But I'm not lying to you when I say it is literally as easy as the above photo makes it out to be to make is yourself. And oh, the swell of pride that will ensue!

I love that when combined, all of the really simple elements of the sandwich make it a really Fancy Pants Sandwich.

Slightly wilted farmer's market spinach + cranberries heated up and mushed around with some sugar + melted brie cheese + crusty bread = HAPPINESS.

I don't know if money can buy you happiness, but in this case, it doesn't take much.

Cranberry, Brie, and Spinach Sandwich
inspired by my sister, who is pinching her pennies  I mean, pence, in Europe at this very moment. Come back to me!
yields 1 sandwich

2 slices crusty bread
1/2 cup fresh spinach
4 slices Brie cheese
3 Tbsp cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce:
2 cups cranberries (I used frozen)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

Combine frozen cranberries, orange juice, and sugar in a pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then let simmer until reduced, about 20 minutes.

Stir the mixture frequently, smashing the cranberries to create a smoother texture. Add more sugar to taste.

When sauce reaches deisred consistency, remove from the heat and set aside. Extra sauce will keep in the freezer for two weeks.

Sandwich Assembly:
Butter one side of each slice.

Spread the cranberry sauce on the other side of each slice.

Layer the spinach and brie inside.

Place sandwich in a frying pan (preferably with a lid) over medium heat. Cover sandwich with the lid to allow the spinach to wilt and the cheese to melt.

After about 5 minutes, check the underside for desired amount of "grill". Flip the sandwich, and toast the other side.

Chow down!

Weekend Link List

Yep. This link list series is changing. You can't put me in a box. Or a corner. I'll give you a link list whenever I please!

But seriously, my friend who sends me pictures of the salads he makes with smiley faces made out of cucumbers (you know who you are) told me that he liked the Link List series, but that he would prefer if I put it out on Friday instead of Sunday because his work days on Friday can be pretty slow...

So I thought I'd give it a whirl. Unfortunately for me my Friday's are not slow, so I've got to plan ahead to get this bad boy out on Friday.You're welcome, Salad Man.

That being said, I gave myself some wiggle room by calling it the Weekend Link List, but that's mostly because I like to wiggle.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm planning on hanging out at the pool (if Slaton answers his phone!), tracking down another jar of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut spread, and wearing my new maxi dress that just got delivered for the next 48 hours straight. There very well might be a replica of the above scene in my kitchen as well. I might need some taste-testers if you're interested. Woot Woot!

I'd probably choose Aziz over Michael Buble anyways.

I'm always looking for easy dinners, and this kale, avocado, and noodle dish looks delicious.

And oh yeah, I'm definitely making this Moroccan Summer Squash salad too.

I like the comfort of knowing that these manatees care for me.

Liza says that people go bonkers for Millie's cookies in London, but ours are better. How 'bout a bake-off Millie?

What Would Don Draper Do? A flowchart.

But Mad Men is over and Breaking Bad is coming back!! Obsessed with this poster.

Speaking of Breaking Bad, Jesse loved Corn Pops as a kid.

Be still my heart. This website exists just to taunt me.

Oh, and I went through my fourth iPhone case in fifteen months, so I got this one. I know, I'm the reason iPhones need cases. It's a problem.

Don't De-Stress, Learn Stress

At my yoga class last night, my instructor decided to have a "Dharma chat" instead of the brief meditation session she normally leads before class.

Bear with me, there's a non-hippie-dippy point to this.

During the chat, she started talking about how many people come to yoga to "de-stress" from the day. People see their yoga practice as this escape from the stresses of everyday life - a time when they can go into a warm room, do some stretching, lay on a mat, and find a sense of calm.

This resonated with me. Yoga is a great way to disconnect from the outside world, focus on those things in your life that are truly elemental (breath, balance), and find solace in the simplicity of the environment.

However, it's a rare day when I go to yoga and I don't spend the first ten minutes thinking of all the other productive things I could be doing with my time and the last five minutes of savasana creating the "To-Do" list of things I need to do IMMEDIATELY once I leave the studio.

Hey lady standing in front of the door, can you please roll up your mat faster!

My teacher went on to say that we shouldn't see our yoga practice as an escape or a way to de-stress, but instead a way to learn how to deal with stress and replicate that in our daily lives.

LIGHT BULB.

If we try to escape from our stress, it will always be overwhelming when we are confronted with stressful situations. I can't just drop down into child's pose when my boss starts grilling me about issues with our client. I mean, I could, but talk about office gossip.

Escape isn't always an option.

Talk about an escape. But seriously, not always an option.

However, I can apply the coping mechanisms I apply to the physically stressful situations I encounter in yoga to my real life.

You know what I'm talking about - you're holding a chair pose, your arms are above your head, your thighs feel like they are about the explode into flames, and the sweat dripping from your forehead is streaming into your eyes, obviously resulting in eventual blindness if you don't wipe them RIGHT. AWAY.

This is a stressful situation.

But what does your teacher tell you??

"Focus on your breath. Root your feet into the ground and breathe through the pose. Find balance."

Focus on the small task for two seconds. Take a couple steps back ( and perhaps a couple breaths) and look at the situation. Then identify what you can do to make it better. If you make the stress tangible, then you can do something proactive to relieve it.

And then you leave class, feeling accomplished, centered, strong. Your yoga practice helps you practice the poses, sure, but it helps you practice stress. Practice your stress, then you'll know exactly what to do when it sneaks up on you in real life.

Even if it is just breathing.

Farmers' Market Spinach and Cheese Egg Bake

Multi-tasking.

My life is all about multi-tasking. Answering e-mails while sitting on conference calls while simultaneously scheduling the next meeting.

Brushing my teeth while putting on face lotion while blow-drying my hair.

Mix ups can lead to double-booked meetings, a minty-tasting face, and very moisturized teeth.

Trips to the Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings are also a multi-tasking venture. Getting a head-start on grocery shopping for the week as well as free entertainment in the form of people watching? Count me in. And if I can make a meal solely with ingredients I've purchased from the market, that's a multi-tasking bonus in my book.

This egg-bake is a serious multi-tasker. Is it breakfast? Lunch? After-work snack? Yes. All of the above.

Even better, this egg bake almost makes itself. Throw your ingredients in the pan, bake it up, and have breakfast, umm, meals, umm...FOOD all week long.

See? Boom. Done. Shredded cheese, whisked eggs, and spinach in your pan. A whole phone conversation can happen in the midst of this process. Go ahead and call your mom - she'll be glad you did.

To finish it all off, I gave it a sprinkle of parmesan, a couple cranks of my Everyday Seasoning, and a little Salt-N-Pepa.

All of that sprinkling can be done with one hand. Make it your non-texting hand and you can text your sister about softball-sized Chupa-Chup lollipops in the Luton airport and how her new favorite snack since studying abroad is celery and salsa.

Okay so that's what I talk to my sister about, but you can text the hot girl you met last night and then impress her by bringing over a delicious egg bake.

See that? Multi-tasking. Bringing it all back.

Spinach and Cheese Egg Bake
makes 8 servings

8 large eggs
4 cups uncooked baby spinach
1 cup flavorful cheese of your choice (I used tomato basil cheddar)
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp everyday seasoning (I use the Trader Joe's version)

Preheat oven to 375F, and spray a baking pan with non-stick spray. I used my 6 and 3/4" x 10" Le Creuset pan, but use what you have available. Make sure to bake it thoroughly if the pan is smaller and not to overcook it if the pan is larger.

Pour olive oil into saute pan over medium heat. Sautee spinach with olive oil until just wilted. About 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk eggs.

Grate cheese (if necessary).

Place spinach on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle the cup of flavorful cheese on top of the spinach. Pour eggs on top, and combine the enitre mixture gently using a fork.

When the ingredients are combined, sprinkle the top with parmesean cheese and your everyday seasoning.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until mixture is completely set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve! This will keep in the fridge for about three days for a quick breakfast option or snack, but mine only lasted a day and a half.

If you'r eating it as leftovers, zap a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds.

How To Do a Tripod Headstand

Halfway through the year, and I've resolved one of my New Year's Resolutions. Perhaps it is the core strength I've mustered while riding my bike, or perhaps it's just that I decided to practice out in the middle of a park, so I wasn't nearly as terrified of taking out the girl next to me in yoga.

But either way, I can now hang out upside down for an extended period of time! I still have plenty to practice, but hopefully by the end of the year I will be able to do a forearm balance as well.

If you're looking to do a beginner inversion, here is a step by step of a Tripod Headstand. It's great because it gives you the most stability, while still getting you comfortable with the feeling of being upside down. Have fun!

1) While crouched on your toes (or on your knees) place hands on the ground in front of you, about shoulder-width apart.

2) Place the crown of your head on the ground, creating a triangle with your hands.


3) Raise your knees and balance them on the backs of your arms, about halfway up between your elbows and your shoulders.


4) Once you've gained your balance in this "modified Crow pose", begin to raise your legs above your head until you are balanced in a headstand.


5) If you have your balance, great! Hang out until you get a head rush. Come down slowly, bringing your feet down and then lifting your head.


If you're nervous about trying it, ask someone to spot you! It's a great way to get a sense of where your balance is when you're upside down. For me, I needed to get comfortable with feeling like my legs were too far back, so once I got comfortable with where they needed to be for me to be balanced, it clicked!

Sunday Link List

I've been feeling under the weather today. As in, all I've been able to keep in my stomach is twelve Saltine crackers under the weather. But luckily, I have a roommate who was nice enough to buy me Saltine crackers, a sister who started running to Madison from the South Bank of London in order to take care of me, and a boyfriend who likes to participate in the Sunday Link List.

Matt was more than willing to step up to the plate and do some research for me when he heard that I was lame and gross, and when I realized that Liza wasn't actually going to swim across the Atlantic to care for me, I told her to send me links to things that make her smile instead.

So even though you aren't here to make me drink Gatorade or do my laundry for me, Matt and Liza, thanks for helping me give the loyal readers something to check out whenever they need a little procrastination session this week. I've sprinkled some of my own finds in here, but the list was a team effort.

And if you're up for a game, let me know who you think is responsible for each link. That will be fun and I will give you a prize if you get the most correct. Ready, Go!

This is always a good thing to ask yourself in the morning.

Be proud of yourself. I'm fond of number two.

Make sure you check your yard before you report your car stolen.

I truly hope this vidalia onion soup is in my near future.

These animals are worried about you.

These animals are disappointed in you. Who knew otters cared so much? I love eleven and twenty-one.

This app is really cool. I can't wait to get super good at these photos.

I love that this workout uses Resistance bands. It is probably helped Stacy snag George Clooney.

T-Rex is trying. This one spoke to me in particular today.

I've been watching Girls and enjoyed James Franco's review.