Post-Holiday Detox

The holidays are over!  I'm already mentally preparing for a return to campus for spring semester, but first I need to take care of another pressing issue:  post-holiday detox.

I'm not super serious about detoxing like some people are.  As much as I would love to do a ten-day juice fast (if you haven't seen the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead you should check it out), I don't exactly have room in my apartment, or the funds, for a juicer.  And I always say that I could easily become a vegetarian, but the truth is that I would miss chicken and the occasional seafood.  I'm also a huge fan of Mexican food, and... yeah.  Enough said.

My idea of detoxing is making an effort to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, and limiting meat and grains, but not cutting them out entirely.  The point of a detox is to give your body a rest after a prolonged period of heavy eating by emphasizing whole foods and cutting out excessive sugar and processed foods.  It's not a full-time diet.  You can decide how strictly or not you want to stick to the traditional detox rules:  no sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, or processed foods.  Frankly, I don't have the willpower to carry it out to that extent, nor do I think I need to.  I'm relatively fit, I'm close to the target weight for my height and age, and I don't have any gluten or other food allergies.  The best detox plan for me is not a plan so much as a goal to eat more whole foods and keep indulgences to a minimum.  A little chocolate now and then never hurt anyone, after all.  The idea is to think about what you're eating and what nutritional purpose it serves, and be good to your body so you'll feel energized and happy.  Go easy on yourself; strive, don't deprive!

Before I start sounding like a diet book, here are some recipes (all from the Internet) that have served me well in the past, and a few that I'm eager to try.  I recently took the Kale, Apple, and Pancetta salad with me to an office potluck and it got rave reviews.  The Pan Seared Fish with Chermoula Sauce is a recipe that even picky eaters, my brother for example, will enjoy.  I made it for us one night after classes and he cleaned his plate.  Out of the untested recipes I'm most excited about trying the brussels sprouts recipe; my mom hated them as a child, so she never made them for us growing up.


1. Watercress Salad at La Tartine Gourmand
2. Kale, Apple, and Pancetta Salad at Once Upon a Chef
3. Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans at Real Simple
4. Pan Seared Fish with Chermoula Sauce at Bijouxs

1. Buckwheat Soba Noodles with Steamed Veggies at YumUniverse
2. Endive Appetizers at Love & Lemons
3. Detox Apple and Cabbage Salad at FitSugar
4. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Almonds and Crispy Proscuitto at Eat Sleep Cuddle (plus    three other brussels sprouts meal ideas!)

What are some of y'all's favorite healthy recipes?  Drop a line in the comments and share the good news!

This Year Could Be Our Year

Photo source:  Kalnai by Jokübus Mulerskas

Perhaps my favorite New Years moment this year was shortly after midnight, when my mother hugged me and said, "This is going to be a good year."  The past year wasn't easy, but she still feels hopeful.  My mom truly is the strongest person I know.

I have high hopes for the new year, too.  I don't usually consider myself an optimistic person, but I always tend to feel positive around New Years time.  I like the idea of taking the new year as a clean slate.  And even if I don't always keep my resolutions to the letter, I do feel like I've grown as a person and loved more every year, and those are the important things in life.  When I get caught up in the details I have to remind myself of the big picture, and remember that "someday this pain will be useful to you." (Ovid)

I do have a few resolutions that I want to hold myself to:
1.  Read at least 25 books
2.  Learn HTML5 and CSS, as well as the Adobe Creative Suite applications
3.  Practice yoga
4.  Grow fresh herbs for my kitchen
5.  Eat more whole foods

What resolutions do y'all have for this year?  I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing a curation of detox recipes for those of us who want a break from all the heavy holiday foods.  I know I had a hard time resisting all the delicious fudge my aunt made while she was visiting for Christmas.

Here's to a healthy and fulfilling new year!

New Years Party: Mixtape #3

Photo credit:  Emma J. Hardy

Here's the last mix in the New Years series, just some jams to keep you awake until midnight!

Have a safe and fun New Years Eve, and enjoy the mix!

New Years Eve Party from fatalistpalmistry on 8tracks Radio.

New Year, New Leaf: Mixtape #2

Photo Credit:   Chillhiro on Flickr

Here's mix #2 in the New Years series.  It's less gloomy than the first one, promise!  

These songs are great to listen to while you're deciding on your New Years resolutions.  I'll be sharing mine on Tuesday.  I know some people are anti-resolutions (my mom included), but it helps me to have some concrete goals.  Now if only I was better at following them. 

With my boyfriend spending the holidays in Pennsylvania with his family, I don't have any exciting New Years Eve plans so far.  I used to always spend the evening with him when his family still lived in Texas.  I'll probably relax at the house with my parents, have some hot tea next to the fire, and play a nice game of trivial pursuit.  Strangely, I don't feel tempted to go out.  The older I get (and especially the closer I get to graduating from college), the more I realize how precious spending time with my parents is.  One day in the not so distant future I'll be living on my own (well, with Josh), and I might not even live in Texas.  But I won't dwell on that now!

The cover art for today's mix is a photo by Amy Merrick.  I've been admiring her floral arrangements and styling for a long time.  Her blog is also a refreshing read.  If I ever make it up to the New England area I'd love to take one of her classes.  

Enjoy!

New Year, New Leaf from fatalistpalmistry on 8tracks Radio.

Photo credit:  Amy Merrick

New Years Blues: Mixtape #1

What better time to start a new blog than the beginning of a new year?

This blog is going to be about many things:  fashion, design, food, beauty, music, and whatever else I'm feeling excited about.

I thought I'd kick things off with a playlist series, because first posts are awkward and I feel like a glimpse into someone's music taste is a great introduction.

I'm a compulsive playlist maker.  I've made an iTunes playlist for every month since about 2007.  Being in a long distance relationship, I take a lot of road trips, and I usually make a new playlist each time.  I even have a playlist of music I heard while shopping in Anthropologie (thank goodness for the Shazam app).  Some might say I have a problem, but I like to think it's harmless.

I set out to make a playlist for New Year's Eve and it started to get out of control (something tells me a 60+ song playlist would be unwelcome).  I couldn't keep the tone consistent, but I did start to notice a few patterns cropping up.  So here's the plan:

Today:  Part 1 "New Years Blues" (or am I the only one who gets a little melancholy when another year ends?)
Sunday:  Part 2 "New Year, New Leaf" (more hopeful/upbeat songs)
Monday:  Part 3 "New Years Eve Party" (goes great with friends and champagne)

My only disclaimer is that these songs seem New Years-y to me, but might not to anyone else.

The cover art is a beautiful painting by Devon Smith, aka Deerface on Etsy.

I hope y'all enjoy!
-Caroline Grace

New Years Blues from fatalistpalmistry on 8tracks Radio.
Photo credit:  Devon Smith