Make-your-own Easter Baskets

Spring time is officially here!  Time for those chocolate bunnies to start hopping into Easter baskets.

But while peanut butter eggs and plastic easter grass are fine for the kids, those over the age of saturday morning cartoons often get left out of the fun.  Homemade baked goods with an Easter-esque flair make great thank you’s or celebratory favors for the adult crowd.

Cupcakes become a lot more festive with jelly beans, spring colors, and of course, mashmallow peeps.

 

Of course, who could forget that GirlScout cookies also make their appearance around the end of March?

Thin mint coconut cupcakes!  GirlScout cookies provided by a real GirlScout:

My beautiful little sister

Chocolate flavored cupcakes seal the deal for a great springtime treat.

Manscaping: a Woman’s opinion

Ladies, which of the following males would you rather see at the beach?

David Beckham

v.s.

Jacob Black (mid-transformation)

Obviously, David Beckam.  Who else is going to play soccer with you while everyone else hits the volleyball courts?!

While men range from smooth-as-a-baby’s bottom to THAT’S-A-HAIRY-BOTTOM, there is a clear modern trend of non-facial hair removal.  While not every guy’s a true manscaper, it’s definitely become an accepted part of American culture.

Frankly, I’ve yet to experience this obsession first-hand.  I’m fortunate that my boyfriend’s hair resides on his head and not on his back- though I haven’t been quite as lucky in the past.  None of them were ever metrosexuals- that straight, elusive male who wears more designer labels than a New York socialite.  Thank goodness for that.

But is male body hair really that bad?  While most women dig a hairy chest or happy trail, we all live in terror of bedding the deceptive hairy beast.  Whenever this subject comes up in conversation, I’m forced to remember my freshman year of college and parties at the campus “Jew Frat.”  With one of my roommates hailing from the wealthy Bexley high school district, we spent a lot of weekends at this particular house.

Now, I’m not trying to stereotype Jewish men here.  But the fact is, kittens are adorable, the Twilight sagas are terrible, and, at least in my experience, Jewish men are naturally bear-style hairy.  As I think back to those Saturday-night drinking tournaments on their awesome Star-of-David pong tables, I’m always confronted by the images of the brothers- short and smart, with glorious carpets of hair peeking out from their popped-polo collars.

Although I’m now thankfully old enough to skip out on the frat-house nonsense and go to real parties, I’ve begun to notice a change in the general male population.  Suddenly, it’s no longer effeminate to care about their appearance (And may I say, it’s about time).  While I certainly don’t want to date a guy who spends more time getting ready than I do, I think most of us appreciate a well-groomed man.

In the contemporary ladies’ opinion, there are rules to be followed when taming the wild man-jungle.

The first and most important rule:

1. No woman wants to see a completely hairless man.  Trust me, it’s gross.  Plus friction and razor burn, especially on sensitive areas, are never, ever friends.  So unless you’re Michael Phelps, please remember moderation.

With that in mind, there are basic guidelines to what kind of removal is (commonly) acceptable.

Places to groom:

Chest and armpits.  Most women expect to see some hair in both of these areas.  None of us want that hair to resemble shag carpeting.  Keep both of them trimmed to a reasonable length.

All points down south.  There really should be no double-standard here.  Having no hair, while “enhancing” the size of certain appendages, reminds us of pre-pubescent boys- not sexy, please do not attempt.  Unfortunately, men are often clueless about how unpleasant too much hair makes certain bedtime activities for their partners- trust us, gentlemen, it can get funky down there.  You don’t like an untamed forest on us- please, do us all a favor and keep things well trimmed, and she’ll be more likely to make longer visits.

Ears, nose, and over-grown eyebrow hair.  These areas are pretty self-explanatory- it’s easy enough to pluck anything that sticks out too far.  No need to get fancy- in fact, over-plucking nose hairs is unhealthy as it prevents proper airway filtration.  Just be sure you have two distinct eyebrows and don’t look like this:

Hungry, hungry caterpillar.

Places to GO:

The back and shoulders.  These are terribly disgusting places to have large amounts of hair.  I don’t really know why, it’s just gross.

The belly.  I’m not talking about a little happy-trail action here- this is for the men with a silky horses’ mane growing out of their navels.  No need to go male model smooth on this one: I still remember my friend Paul getting waxed by my roommate.  After a while he couldn’t take the pain, leaving him with milk-white patches in a dense field of hair.  Just don’t resemble Steve Carell in “40 year old Virgin.”

Poor fuzzy-wuzzy teddy bear.

The bottom line, guys, is we women don’t expect you to look like a Calvin Klein advertisement.  We understand better than anyone the pressure to look perfect 100% of the time.  But trust us when we say that we appreciate a man who cares about what he looks like.  Yes, nature might have been heavy-handed with the body hair.  Yes, it is strange that women prefer chest to back fuzz.  And yes, it is a pain in the ass to get rid of.  But guess what?  Women- all women, at least in America- have to shave about half of their bodies, all of the time.  We don’t get a “free pass” just because the upkeep gets tedious.

So keep on manscaping gentlemen, and you’ll be first pick for the girls’ beachside soccer game.

Anti-Inflammatory foods: the new Superfood diet?

As we move into springtime, changes abound.

The trees start to flower.  Allergies are in full bloom.

Cute little bunnies scamper over the lawn.

Clocks are turned forward, to the disgruntlement of students everywhere.

And bikinis make their appearances on department store walls.

Emerging from the heavy indulgences of winter hibernation, I decided a healthier diet was in order.  Most of it’s common sense- more fruits, more vegetables, and a strict supervision of how many Girl Scout cookies I inhale.  (Thin mints are my weakness).  But I found myself wondering if there were certain foods I should be concentrating on more than others.  Which are better for my overall health?

That’s when the google led me to the anti-inflammatory diet.

First off, what exactly is inflammation?

Commonly speaking, inflammation is the redness and swelling we associate with our bodies fighting infections.  Without it, white blood cells would not be as effective in eradicating bad bacteria or healing injuries.  However, just like having your cake and eating it too, too much will make you sick.  Or at least fat.

Hence, the dieting.

But choosing anti-inflammatory foods isn’t simply a matter of losing weight.  Unlike Atkins or any of those fad celebrity diets, this system of eating isn’t meant to “drop 20 pounds in two days” or any of that unrealistic crap.  Instead, I figured a more long-term approach focused on less-processed and more nutrient filled was the better way to go.  Does this mean I’m gonna give up that proverbial chocolate cake?  Hell no.  But maybe I’ll skip on the Chic-Fil-A.

Top foods on the “good to eat” list:

1. salmon: the key here is omega 3 fatty acids, which blast inflammation to oblivion.  Other benefits of this tasty fish include helping to prevent heart disease and certain cancers.  A real perk of choosing salmon is its meaty feel- for those of you who aren’t seafood people, give dense fish a try.  Alaskan fish, the wild-caught type, is usually more pollutant-free than the Atlantic (i.e., farmed) kind.  Other healthy choices include tuna, mackerel, anchovies and sardines (yuck).

2. walnuts: contain vitamin E key to preventing heart disease in men, as well as calcium, fiber, and potassium.

3. avocados: surprisingly, a common theme of this diet seems to be fat intake- that is, good-for-you fats.  While these berries are packed with fat, its the essential kind that helps the body burn off the bad stuff and lowers LDL while raising HDL (the good cholesterol).  It is also potentially anti-cancerious.

4. mushrooms: immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, flavor-packing little powerhouses!  Not only are mushrooms extremely tasty, they can prevent colds when eaten several times a week.  Extremely versatile, they also have a meaty feel to them and are a great substitute for less-healthy options.

5. green tea: pretty much everyone knows that this Far East export is full of antioxidants that reduce the risk for cancer and heart disease.  However, its flavonoids are also anti-inflammatory.  Added bonus: steeped green tea bags make GREAT under-eye depuffers.

6. blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries: antioxidants galore!  Berries are great sources of fiber and vitamins.  The scientific name for their inflammation fighters is phytonutrients; all you need to know is how great these little guys are at preventing cancer and dementia.

7. cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages contain nutrients that fight carcinogens.

8. almond milk: a great and tasty substitute for cow’s milk.  Unlike lactase and hormone-based milk, this almond beverage doesn’t irritate the immune system or cause breakouts.

Other tips: cook with olive oil, preferably extra-virgin.  Polyphenols protects the blood vessels from plaque build-up and joints from rheumatoid arthritis.

Spices are your friends!  Cook with basil, chamomile, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and turmeric for their medicinal benefits.  Who wants bland food anyways?

Avoid omega-6 fats found in corn, peanut, and sunflower oils.

Most importantly: hide the Girl Scout cookies.

Some food for thought

Hey guys,

It’s the end of the quarter here in Cincinnati, which means I am currently inundated with papers and exams.  I really appreciate everyone who’s been reading my blog and I promise I will be posting another recipe soon.

In the meantime, I saw this picture being passed around facebook and I decided to repost it here.  As a woman who recently escaped this situation about a year ago, this really hit home for me.

taken from facebook.com

“My rapist doesn’t know he’s a rapist.  You taught him it wasn’t his fault.  I drank too much, flirted and my shorts too short.  I was asking for it.  He left me in a parking garage staircase.  My (ex)Boyfriend spit in my face.  He called me a SLUT, he called me a whore.  I deserved it.  My friends gave me dirty looks.  They called me trash, not realizing, it could have been them.  This culture, your culture, my culture, told them, told me, this was my fault.  And I suffered.  But, my rapist doesn’t know he’s a rapist.  I am not ashamed.  I will take a stand.”

-SLUTWALK D.C. 2011, Anonymous.

To all the women out there, perhaps especially all the college-aged women, never be afraid to demand respect.  If you don’t expect it from your partners, even if you’re not “abused,” you’ll still be less than you can be.  My heart goes out to this girl and all the women who are taken advantage of.

To all the guys, no matter what your age, please remember that every woman is someone’s daughter or sister or mother or friend.  A guy who treats a woman with respect is a true man.  A guy who uses a woman is just a sad little boy.

Love is such a gift!