Not A Real Blog Post...Just A Bunch Of The Random

Ok so there are a ton of things that I appreciate in the world but then there's the crazy. Just flat out crazy. And I feel compelled to share all the crazy, both the real and the stuff that's just in my head, with all of you. Aren't you thrilled?

I have been having some amazing dreams. AMAZING I tell ya'. I hate talking about dreams. What's more, I hate listening to other people's dreams. They're often just weird, nonsensical and often disturbing jibber. And yet these were awesome for me. Two nights ago, I had a dream that I was Audrey Hepburn, being asked to wear a Prada original to my latest movie premiere. Not bad right? I mean I can see how it'd be bad if I was some sort of homophobic, extreme-introverted, male jock in real life. But I'm not. I'm a woman who loves fashion, vintage, and has a love for the Arts. That was great.

And then today while I was napping, (Yeah, my life is hard. I know.) I dreamt I was in a competition to be an assistant stylist that works with Garance Doré. The unfortunate part, was that I was trying to put together my entry for submission, while staying at a ski lodge as part of a security detail for a vampire couple who I was somehow related to. My current duty was to dog sit but someone at the lodge kept trying to set the place on fire. Yeah. See what I mean? Weird, nonsensical and even a bit disturbing. I was actually bummed when I woke up and discovered the stylist competition wasn't real. I blame the Vampire bit on a series I just finished called "Elemental Mysteries".

For my readers, I recommend a pass on this one. That's why I'm not going to even include a link to the series. I don't like to dash people's bubbles and I won't provide any spoilers in case any of you do decide to venture into them. I will however be honest and say, I literally felt myself get dumber from reading them. I was sucked in by 100's of 5 star reviews. The readers had to have been on crack. There's no other explanation. I only finished the series because I'm neurotic enough that I HAD to see what happened to the bad guy in the end. I can be big enough to at least say, "thank you" to the author for touching on enough subjects that I know nothing about, to light my intellectual curiosity. I have to redeem myself somehow. I have to learn something to compensate for the brain cells the series killed off.

Remember the real-life cray cray I mentioned? This isn't the actual text convo I had with my husband but it's the general gist:

Me: "I was just at the Farmers market stall, picking out items from the stall. An old couple just about attacked me over a chicken."

Him: "What? Why?"

Me: "I don't know. They weren't near it. They were standing back from the stall talking to each other when I approached. I couldn't understand a word they were saying but then there was spitting and hands flailing in my direction."

Him: "What did you do?"

Me: "I made devil horns with my fingers and stuck my tongue out at them. What do you think I did? I smiled at them, rolled my eyes at the cashier when I turned my back on them, bought my chicken and ran."

Him: "Oh. Well, at least you're away from them now right?"

Me: "True. But now, there's a flock of shoplifters being chased around me by a security guard."

Him: "Where the hell are you?!"

Me: "The grocery store. I have no idea what's going on. I just want to get my groceries and go home now."


And ladies and gentlemen, that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a crazy world out there. Please tell me I'm not the only person this stuff happens to.

Leaning In With Imaginary Conversations And Food

This is going to be the most far ranging blog post I think I've ever done.

It's time I come clean. I have imaginary conversations with you guys all the time. There. I said it. And I'm not ashamed.  I love talking with you guys. I need to work on sitting down, telling the rest of my world to go take a hike, and letting myself chat with you guys. I often feel guilty for doing this instead of taking care of the 9 billion other things that I'm supposed to do on a daily basis. I hope you guys forgive my long silences and that you know how much I appreciate you. A mother's guilt. It never rests eh?

About a month ago, I was going through an incredibly painful massage therapy session when something suddenly clicked. Luckily, it was just in my head and not something in my body. If I concentrated on that screamingly painful muscle the therapist was pummeling massaging, and asked it to  "lean in" to the direction she was rubbing, it didn't hurt as much. In fact, it actually felt good. It was such a bizarre concept to me. I've noticed whenever I find myself in pain, I brace myself against it somehow. I even do it when the pain I'm experiencing is mental. My shoulders move up towards my ears, my neck, upper back, and even my stomach get tense when I'm nervous, stressed, unhappy, or angry. Reminding myself to breath deeply through my abdomen, and consciously relaxing tense muscles, can be tough but it's worth the effort. I end up feeling a lot more human and a lot less manic. This is going to be my new way of leaning in; even when it's tough.

And then I realized, there were other things I should probably be trying to lean into. Life is short. I can't worry about the million and a half insecurities that flash through my mind daily.  It's paralyzing. That's not the example I want to set for my kids. One of those insecurities has been body image. It's something I've struggled with my whole life to the point that I've not even worn super short/cap/sleeveless tops in at least a decade. Guess what. That's changed. I'm leaning in to it and I'm happier for it. It's all about the baby steps people.

To top it all off, every time I turn around, I'm running into the phrase "Lean In". From UpWorthy videos, which led me to a fabulous website for women, to the Bloggess. I take that as a sign that I'm on a good track. I promise, I'm leaning in.

Food has always played a large role in my life but I've found myself really uninspired lately. That lack of inspiration has lent itself really well to ordering take-out and ready made meals. I'm not proud. As a way to shake off my food-lethargy, I started dusting off cookbooks and watching new cooking shows. My most recent favorite discovery has been Two Greedy Italians. Their recipe for pizza crusts is da' bomb!

500g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
10g salt
10g fresh yeast
325ml lukewarm water
a few dried breadcrumbs for sprinkling

Makes 2 large pizzas

Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas 9. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and gradually add to the flour, mixing well until you obtain a dough. If you find the dough too sticky, just add a little more flour. Shape the dough into a ball and leave to rest, covered with a cloth, for 5 minutes. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes and split it in half. Knead each of the pieces for a couple of minutes and shape into balls. Sprinkle some flour on a clean kitchen cloth and place the dough on it, then cover with a slightly damp cloth.  Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on a clean work surface and spread the dough into a circle about 35–40cm in diameter, making it as thin as a pancake (being careful not to tear it), with the border slightly thicker. Repeat with the other dough ball. Sprinkle a few breadcrumbs on two large baking trays and place the pizza bases on them.

I topped these wonderful crusts with Crème fraîche, salt, pepper, grated Gruyère, sliced onions, sliced bell peppers, black olives, artichoke hearts, grated mozzarella, and fresh oregano. Any of your favorite flavor combinations are bound to be a hit on these crusts. Place the pizza's in the oven for roughly 7 minutes or until the crusts reach your desired crispiness.

 So we've talked about the feeding the mind and body, now it's time to work it out. I've been trying to work myself into the 10,000 steps-a-day challenge. The claimed benefits include:

• it's low-impact, safe, simple and free
• improves cardiovascular fitness (lowers blood pressure, cuts cholesterol)
• burns kilojoules, helping you lose weight
• is great for your mental health
• prepares you for other sports and exercise
• strengthens your back muscles and bones
• slims your waist and shapes your legs
• reduces risk of diabetes and colon cancer
• provides opportunities to be with friends and family and pets*

Obviously I want to live forever, like a vampire, but without all the blood sucking stuff. If walking 10,000 steps a day is a good way to get me closer to that, then I'm all in. The best reward/incentive is to ultimately find a version of and fit into this outfit:

 Olivia Palermo {image source: Getty Images via Glamour.com}

I've looked long and steady for a similar version to this shirt. If anyone's got any tips I'd love to hear them. So far, this is the closest I've come. A bit too rich for my blood and not true enough to Olivia's version. Instead, I've found and fallen in love with something that's not even close:

Michael Kors Striped Tie-waist dress, Neiman Marcus, £90.31

Yeah, I know. I need help. Or a generous soul who loves giving people they don't know, fabulous clothes. Any takers? No? Ah well. Time to hit the pavement. Gotta get those 10,000 steps in for the day! How about you? Was this post, far ranging enough for you? Because obviously, all these things go so well together.

*Info from Everybodyliveto100

Just Hit Pause!

Hey there:
O.K. life, can we just agree to take a minute and breathe?? Things have been moving so fast and so continuously for me I'm not even sure which way is up anymore. I couldn't go another day without at least saying "Hi" to everyone. I miss you all too much.

When my life thinks it's a movie:
The other day, my husband and I were kid free. That doesn't happen very often so when it does, we like to run buck wild. I mean, if you consider viewing crazy old Cathedral's, art work, shopping, dining, and movies "buck wild" - then we. fit. the. bill. Baby! My husband and I have never been big fans of the "Fast and the Furious" franchise but the surprisingly high ratings suckered us in for this latest one. On the way to this magical movie going, we stopped at a red traffic light. You know. Like you're supposed to. As the light turned green  it was like a fellow driver, knew we were going to see "Fast and the Furious 6", and they wanted to give us a taster. Someone driving a 1970 Barracuda tore out from the intersection and disappeared from sight in about 3 seconds. 

image src: Autoblog.com

Dear driver, I know it's a bitter disappointment but I feel obligated to point out, you aren't really Vin Diesel. And even if you were Vin Diesel, you would still need to obey the speed limit. I'm just sayin'.

After the movie, (which we found fairly entertaining and you should totes go see if you don't mind some tongue in cheek action flick silliness), we found ourselves first hand witnesses to a slow-mo car chase between a civilian and a police officer. Neither were going more than 30 miles per hour, but neither were giving up. Because that's how we role here in the U.K. yo.

Because that's just too hostile:

To follow up our surreal movie going experience over the weekend and entertain the kids, we decided to do something all parent-y. We took the kids to Stonehenge. I managed to get some great photos while we were there. Our exodus took us through the gift shop of course. And lo', I found myself in a face off with a determined 7 year old who desperately wanted his, "very own bestest Stonehenge t-shirt ever! Pleeaaase!? Please, mom? Pretty pleaaaassee?"  And that's when I was struck with the inspiration to use my photos for a higher purpose. I'm going to make him his own personalized Stonehenge t-shirt. The first idea I had was shot down by my husband.

The Slaughter Stone T-shirts by RachelsSymbioticLife
More Stonehenge T-Shirts

So now I need to work on a more kid appropriate shirt. It has to be a design the little old man, who is trapped in my 7 year old's body, will think is cool. I'll keep you posted.

Don't be afraid:

And last but not least, I wrestled once more with my fear of baking any kind of pastry. The mythical powers of pastry have long intimidated me. My whole life it's been drummed into me just "how hard" working with pastry is. I've finally made the leap of faith, into the pastry breach. I've started using pre-made shortcrust or puff pastry goods in my baking. Yes. Even those have intimidated me. What?! Yes! I'm that big of a baking wimp. What of it??

It might not be pretty but it's all mine and it's super tasty. I was so surprised at how easy this recipe for a rhubarb tart was. I made a few modifications of my own, like a teaspoon of cinnamon and vanilla bean paste drizzled over the rhubarb mixture. It was so easy. I thoroughly recommend it for any newbie trying to tackle pastry.  You're welcome!

The Dash to Dublin

My husband recently had to go on a business trip to Dublin and on a whim, I decided to join him. It was just a quick dash and back but it was really fun. 

There's tons of history, culture, and entertainment in the city but the highlights for me were definitely the food and shopping. 

 Unfortunately, (cough-cough) there may have been some wine involved so I don't have a lot of details for the few photo's I grabbed with my cell phone. If you'd like to see the full sized photo's click here. 

The places I remember with particular fondness for food were The Green Hen, the V'n V inside the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, and the Eden restaurant. Buyers beware though, you may have to take out a small loan to eat out regularly in Dublin. Each meal averaged 85 € for two people.

As far as shopping, I'm not sure how to convey the sheer joy I experienced on Grafton Street. For someone completely unfamiliar with it, it was truly a shopping paradise. The buskers on the street added so much fun to my spending spree. I walked from area to area, listening to really diverse, talented musicians. 

What adventures have you been on lately?

Holy Freakin' Yum Y'all

I found myself in Poole the other day having an AH-may-ZING lunch at R's Kitchen. 

 

Mushroom and holloumi on brioche with a gravy that will blow your mind. I have a slight addiction problem when it coms to mushroom and holloumi. If it's on the menu, I have to try it. This one at R's Kitchen is right up at the top of the charts for me.

Apple cake with fresh cream. I couldn't have asked for a better way to cap off this lunch.

I would happily recommend this place for anyone that finds themselves in the Poole area. Have any of you tried any tasty mushroom and halloumi dishes lately? If so, spill the beans!

Cherry Picking

Someone once commented on how often I compare things to each other. I realized they're right. It's what I like to call "cherry picking". 

I like to find the best of the best and I'm always on the hunt. This time, I stumbled upon the Boathouse.

Food In Pisa

I've had friends who visited Italy who said things like, "The food is just AMAZING. You'll never believe it." I didn't want to set my expectations too high though. I mean - food is just food right? The thing I loved the most about eating in Italy

Running Around Like A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off

When I was growing up my mom was always saying, "There you go again, running around like a chicken with it's head cut off." I don't even know what that means. I've just always imagined it as a very energetic, messy and directionless activity. These past few weeks have been just like that. When I saw these metal chickens at Stewarts I was immediately reminded of Beyoncé, the Big Metal Chicken courtesy of The Bloggess. I'm fully convinced these little guys are her distant English cousins.

Caprese Salad

After pretty much two weeks straight of being sick I couldn't be happier to feel better. What was even better was having such a beautiful WARM sunny day. I would hug the weather if I could. 

The sun had me totally inspired for lunch so I whipped up my modified version of a fresh Caprese salad. I fly pretty loose with ingredients when I'm in the kitchen. If you'd like a fairly standard recipe for a Caprese salad there's a good one here. I dice all my ingredients because I love scooping it up with some warm garlic bread.

Caprese Salad Recipe

1 tomato per person

buffalo mozarella to taste

2 artichoke hearts

3 clove of garlics minced

salt to taste

a healthy pinch of dried oregano

2-3 tbsp of fresh fennel minced

2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

 fresh basil to taste

Like I said before, I dice all ingredients to make it bread friendly. Mix it all in a bowl and enjoy. So simple. So tasty. 

What are some of your favorite warm weather foods?

Starz, A Contemporary American Diner

For a Star peppered American Dining experience in the Bournemouth area, Starz might be just the diner for you!

You'll Want to Bake this Cake

Let's pretend like there was no report released earlier this month labeling all sugar as toxic and just appreciate the tastiness that is a Victoria Sandwich. If you've never had one or were afraid to try and bake one, I found a super simple recipe that you just have to try.

OMG Not That! (Otherwise Known As: A No Non-sense Guide To Surviving The Barf Zone)

I love spring. At least, I love this spring. It's sunny, warmer, and the flowers are so pretty. Almost nothing could ruin all of this for me. Except this. That phone call you get from your kids school...

Oh Sugar!

Thanks to Hannah and the Cupcake Hayatlar I've been bitten by the cupcake bug something awful. When I stumbled on these gems at Waitrose I had to try them. Lemon and lavender cupcake creations, peppermint and chocolate cupcakes, and red velvet whoopie pies. My, oh my. I still haven't come down from the sugar high.

What are your favorite sugar snacks?

48 Questions (Part 2)

Here's the rest of the 48 Questions showing my preferences for movies, shows, foods, and whatever other goodness may be thrown in there. If you're just tuning in and would like to see Part 1 first click here. Otherwise, let's get cracking!

48 Questions (Part 1)

A brief look at some of my favourite products, movies, shows, and other lifestyle choices through a wonderful game of 48 questions I found on Jen Kakio's blog.

Grounded

I've had a very interesting and somewhat stressful few days. My blog has born the brunt of it through extreme neglect. I miss all the friends I've made here online which means I couldn't stay away any longer. I decided that while I'm not quite sure how to share what's been happening I could at least share  with everyone how I've been trying to deal with it.

Soho at Christchurch

{image source from soholifestyle.co.uk}

I had a lovely lunch with my friend this weekend. They treated me to an amazing pizza experience at Soho in Christchurch. It was a really great treat to have such a wide variety of artisan pizza's to choose from. I had the Grecian Gourmet.

{image source: me}

It had Feta cheese, sweet potatoes, spinach and cashew nuts

with a pesto dressing. It was really yummy.

This is one of their current advertised specials: Soho Christchurch has gone crazy on Thursday Nights- 2 for 1 Pizzas and Cocktails

Join our Weekend Warm Up on a Thursday Night in Soho Chistchurch. Choose a pizza and a cocktail and get the same again FREE 

Book a table at Soho Christchurch: 01202 496140

This is not a paid advertisement. I just liked their food. The place is pretty popular though so I would thoroughly recommend booking a table instead of just showing up, otherwise you might not get a table without a long wait. For those who are in the area and would like to see more of what food and drink options they have, here's their menu.

Boscanova Cafe

{images from www.cafeboscanova.com}

{image soure: me}

Remember the less than ideal experience at the Cliffhanger the other day? My wonderful husband decided we needed to give this type of event another go to celebrate one of our rare kid free moments. We'd had Boscanova Cafe recommended to us on multiple occasions so we decided to give it a whirl.

This place just about made me squeal with joy. It's not some super posh fancy place. It's like a coffee house cafe straight out of Seattle. The cappuccino was literally the best I've had since I left the Seattle area and the breakfast options were the perfect blast from home. Actual thick American style pancakes (which were amazingly wheat free and yet still springy), real honest to goodness maple syrup, and bacon just like from back home hit my homesick spot and stamped it down nice and tight. 

The decor is ecclectic and fantastic. It's so much fun to explore it all from the tiny pieces of art painted/drawn on the backs of chairs, to the lamp shades made out of empty paper cups, to the painted murals on the way to the toilets. (Nothing like trying to grab a photograph of a mural that approaches the toilets before someone see's you and thinks you're a perv.)

Really and truly, this place made my day. All of the staff were super friendly. They had no idea they'd end up on my blog and this post is completely unsponsored. If you're in their area and hunkering for some good old American breakfast grub, I can happily recommend giving them a go. 

Back to School Par-Tay

Ok, so it's not back to school from the summer and it's not September so there might be a flaw or five by choosing this song but I'm ok with that. Besides, I can't watch this through without laughing. The cheese in it kills me.

Tea Time

Dragonfly Teas Cape Malay Organic Rooibos Chai Tea

I was excited to find a Rooibos version of Chai tea. In an effort to continue a detoxification process I've been working on for a long time,  I'm limiting the amount of caffeine I consume.  Rooibos leaves are caffeine free so this is a great way to try and explore some chai love. 

Pros: The cost is fairly reasonable. It's organic. An organic product is always a great tick in my box. I'm a big believer about minimizing the toxins I'm ingesting. All toxins take a toll on us. Its aroma is really lovely. It smells almost cinnamon like. 

Cons: This makes me super sad. This tea tasted like bad tuna to me at first. Seriously. As it cooled, the flavor seemed to mellow and tasted more like a normal chai.

Conclusion: It's affordable and has a lot of positives. If you love chai tea it'd probably be a great purchase. I'm not sure this would be something I would drink everyday personally. There's something I really like about sipping a super hot drink when you come straight out of the cold and wet. Since I'm not that fond of the flavor until it cools, this doesn't fit that bill.

If you're interested in learning more about detoxification or cooking my friend Gwen @ Saturdays with Maggy is inviting others on a detoxification process for the body, mind and soul this year. I'm excited to see what she and others do along their journeys.

Do you guys have any Rooibos Chai teas you recommend?

xoxo