Heart-Mind-Body-Soul: Man-tox Time (aka The Removal of Toxic Men)

Detox
(noun) Treatment designed to rid the body of poisonous substances, esp alcohol and drugs.

Reading over the definition, I find the words "poisonous substances" interesting. Are poisonous substances the only thing that you can rid your body of via detoxifying?

This is the second week of my "clean eating" and I have to admit that I'm feeling better. While I know I'm still not drinking enough water, it hasn’t been difficult to stick to eating fruits, veggies, and lean protein. Over the last week I have discovered (or re-discovered):

• How AMAZING summer fruits and veggies are.
• Cooking for one is ultimately really rewarding, but also a little depressing.
• Gazpacho while delicious is really just like eating a big bowl of pico de gallo.
LOOK FOR A YUMMY RECIPE FOR GAZPACHO THIS SATURDAY.
• It's really not that hard to make good choices while eating at a restaurant.
• When you eliminate the junk in your life, the simple things taste SO much sweeter!!!

It’s that last line that got me thinking about what other “junk” I can remove from my world to help me become a happier, healthier, more whole person. I decided in addition to a food detox, I also needed to do a:

Mantox
(noun) The process which involves removing men or a particular man from one’s life.

For those of you who know me, you know my history of men and relationships. You know that I seem to be perpetually drawn to the bad-boy who; has financial issues, is afraid of commitment is a player, has a huge ego, has a complete charming quality to them, likes to hear themselves talk, and has some “conflict” in their life that “only I” can help them with.

You also know that while I’m fully aware that the relationships I get myself into can be toxic, I continue on even if the outcome leaves me hurt. As a friend of mine said, I ALLOW the guys to take advantage of me.

Those of you who don’t know me, now you’re caught up. :-)

This leads me to my need for a MANTOX. How am I supposed to find the caring, confident, thoughtful, supportive man I deserve to be with if I still surround myself with men who talk big and take until I hurt?

There a few men in my life that I need to remove. The tricky thing about living in a city like Reno is you can never FULLY remove someone because of how small it is (they don’t call it the “Biggest Little City” for nothing). In my case the men on the chopping block are also people I see in the “real-world” so some interaction is inevitable. I realized that while our paths are bound to cross, there is no reason to stay friends with them. There’s a complete difference in being friendly and being a friend.

As part of this mantox, I plan on putting an end to all “interpersonal relationships” with these guys. While I hope that my social interactions won’t be effected, I’m willing to take that risk to better myself. And in the spirit of a true mantoxicification (???) I feel it’s time for a digital removal too. Yes, that’s right…time to delete phone numbers, emails, and most importantly ::gasp:: Facebook! I don’t know what it is, but I hold on to contact information like a hoarder holds on to…well, everything. It’s time to purge it all.

So if you are one of those who are scheduled for deletion, this is your open warning as to why you won’t be hearing from me. I didn’t lose your number, I purposely deleted it.

And in the words of the amazing, talented Taylor Swift (yes, y'all I'm quoting country):

You're a redneck heartbreak, who's really bad at lying.
So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time.
As far as I'm concerned you're just another picture to burn.
Burn, burn, burn, baby, burn!

Rediscovering Reno: When ART takes over the TOWN



"Summer evenings in Reno are like Mother Nature giving you a big hug!"
 ~ Some pearls of wisdom from yours-truly after a few cocktails.


A few days ago I was having some cocktails with friends outside on my patio.  It was early evening, the sun was setting, there was a slight breeze, and it was still warm.  As the vodka/lemonade I was sipping started to take effect, and as the summer air took a deep breath, I declared:

"Summer evenings in Reno are like Mother Nature giving you a big hug!"

As silly as what I said is, there is some truth behind it. It seems like everyone is in such a good mood, and everyone is happy to be interacting outdoors.

One of my favorite things about Reno in the summertime is all of the things there are to do.  And with long days, and beautiful evenings it makes me want to stay outside as long as possible.


Reno IS Artown

During the month of July, Artown is held.  This year is the 16th Anniversary of the event.  Sixteen years!  I remember when it used to be a little one-week event that included story-telling, the Chautauqua, and a few concerts/events.  Now Artown is a month long celebration that takes place all over Reno.

The highlight of Artown is that the majority of the events are FREE.  And the variety in activities is broad.  Concerts, exhibits, shows, dancing, art projects, speakers GALORE!!! It's easy to stay connected and find out what's going on each day with the Artown website, Facebook Page, Twitter updates, pamphlets, posters, and even an iPhone App.

Celtic Dancing on a beautiful night in Wingfield Park

In the last week I attended a Celtic Dance Show in Wingfield Park. Those girls can sure dance!  How they move their legs so quickly, I will never know.  The highlight of that night was when one of my best friends, Ms. B., got on stage and danced with a group of children.  Live music at Se7en on West.  If you haven't been to Se7en, it's definitely one of Reno's hidden secrets.  They seriously make one of the best mojitos in town.  And the variety of live bands they have are refreshing.  A guaranteed good time.  The annual Art in the Garden event, that supports the Washoe County Library System. I left this year with an antique planter/vase thing that will be a perfect addition to my re-vamped patio/garden area.




Art in the Garden 2011

While I would have liked to have attended some more events, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  We're only in the first week of July, and there is PLENTY of Artown left to enjoy.

Tomorrow I plan on heading back down to West Street in the morning for the opening day of their weekly Farmer's Market.  I thought this would be a perfect way to load up on fruits and veggies for my clean eating (READ ABOUT IT HERE) and participate in the opening day festivities.

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weekend as much as I am!

Oh, and for a complete calendar of Artown events, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Heart-Mind-Body-Soul: Eating Clean

This week's "Heart-Mind-Body-Soul" is going up a little late.  But a little late is better then never. 

After a 4th of July Weekend of over-indulging (hell, it's been a whole summer of that so far of gluttony) I realized I was feeling a little a lot sluggish.  In my effort to improve myself I realized that in addition to working on my outer-self, I also need to improve what I put into myself.

Over the years, I've tried a lot of different types of diets, fads, powders, and cleanses.  Some have worked, some haven't. 

A couple of my friends are currently on the quest to lose some weight and get healthy. Along with regular exercise, they are "eating clean".  This basically means eating simply, and CUTTING THE CRAP.  Your food intake is mostly fruits, veggies, and lean protein.  And TONS of water. 

After talking to my Bestie, she convinced me to do this as well.  For six weeks.  She has a Wedding Shower in six weeks, and I have my 10 year high school reunion.  Perfect reason to get down a few lbs and feel better!

So for the next 38 days (and when you put it like that, it's really not that much) I will be eating clean.  This is more or less what I will be eating:

Breakfast

Toast w/an Egg or Shakeology

 (This stuff is actually really tasty and fills you up.  CHECK IT OUT)

Snack

Fruit

Lunch

Chicken/Turkey Salad

 (protein, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, pepper, etc)

Snack

Fruit

Dinner

Lean protein and veggies

We will see how this goes, and you better believe I will be blogging about it.  My Bestie says that in addition to losing weight, she has more clarity and energy.  And really...how can you beat that? 

I'm actually excited by the fruit and veggie intake.  This is a perfect time of year to find great produce.  With several farmers markets around town each week, I have plenty of opportunities to get the freshest-of-the-fresh!

Right now I'm on a nectarine kick.  The ones I picked up last week are finally ripe.  So juicy, so sweet, so delicious!

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July y'all!

As I celebrate our nation's birthday today,

I am reminded how much I love being an American!

We truly live in the greatest country in the world,

and I am thankful for the endless rights we're entitled to.

Today I'm going to celebrate the good ol' USA in full patriotic attire:

red/white/blue t-shirt, flag headband, decorated nails, and flip-flops.

Have a wonderful Independence Day.

Sarah's Gastronomic Adventures: Grilling without FIRE

Although I think Mother Nature is still a bit bi-polar, Summer for the most part, has arrived to the Truckee Meadows.  Between the warmer weather, and my renovated patio/backyard I was inspired to do some outside-entertaining.

I invited two of my Besties over for some "gourmet" shish-kabobs.  The fundamentals of shish-kabobs are simple: take the items you want to eat, skewer them onto some kind of stick, put over fire, eat once cooked.  The barbarians did it, this is easy.  I however was looking for some kind of yummy marinade for our skewerable food.

While I could have scoured through my bookshelf of cookbooks, I went to the internet.  Good ol' FoodNetwork never lets me down.  They had the perfect recipe, which included different marinades for each item you were cooking.

NOTE: Instead of re-writing the recipe like I do some weeks, I'm just going to post the link for this one. 

CLICK HERE for this recipe from FoodNetwork.com

I followed the recipe exactly this time around and didn't make any modifications to the marinade ingredients.  The ladies that were coming to eat aren't big red-meat eaters so we didn't make the steak kabobs (although they sounded amazing). My friends provided the veggies (mini-bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts).


Not the prettiest presentation, but it sure tasted good!

The verdict?  This recipe was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!  Besides the fact that my grill decided not to work at the last minute, and I had to use my grill pan instead (which totally defeated the whole inspiration for wanting me to cook this recipe). The chicken, by far, was the best part. It was so moist, and the simple citrus/herb marinade made it delicious.

I would totally make this dish again, as soon I can figure out how to make fire in my backyard!

A SCENT-sational Summer

I find sensory association fascinating...the way one smell can evoke a feeling or memory immediately.

As I was walking to my car after work today, I got a whiff of Honeysuckle.  Stopping dead in my tracks, I scanned the area for the white and golden trumpeted flowers.  Sure enough there they were.

Honeysuckles always remind me of my childhood and summer.  Every house I've ever lived in as a kid had honeysuckles.  My mom taught me how to bite off the end of the flower and suck the sweet drop of nectar out of it.  I find the smell of the blossoms intoxicating and comforting all at the same time.

There are other scents that I associate with summer.  Each time I smell these different things it takes me back to a feeling, memory, or thought from my past.

Here are some SUMMER SCENTS that I LOVE



Honeysuckles



The way the air smells like sagebrush and freshness after a Nevada rain.



Campfires



Lavender



Vine Ripened Tomatoes (yes, they have a smell)



Fresh cut grass.

So get out there y'all.  Enjoy your summer.  Get smelling! 

What are some of your favorite scents?