Vegetable Lentil Soup

Blame it on my trip back to metro Detroit for Christmas or the chilly Bay Area weather, I haven't been able to shake the craving I've had for comfort food: heavy creams, hearty potatoes, and warm soup. As I'm attempting to shift back into clean-eating mode in order to shed the winter-weight I gained from Christmas cookies and hot toddys, I've been making a lot of soup recently. I've also been trying to slip in extra greens into everything I cook, to add a little more nutrition in order to keep myself feeling full and energetic.

This soup is hearty and warm, but still quite healthful. Think, a minestrone without pasta and lentils instead. A subtle tomato base with a kick of cumin and dill: kind of a combination of a classic lentil soup with a tomato base. 

Ingredients:

-5 garlic gloves, minced
-1 cup chopped red onion
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3/4 red lentils, rinsed & drained
-3 1/2 cups kale salad (bought from Whole Foods- or: 3 cups kale, chopped with stems removed and 1/4 cup shredded carrot and 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage)
-1 sweet potato, skinned and cubed
-16oz crushed tomatoes
-1/2 tbsp dill
-2 tbsp cumin
-1/2 tbsp thyme
-4 cups water
-salt to taste

Method: 

In a large pot, heat olive oil on the bottom of the pot, adding garlic and onion as the oil begins to warm on medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add kale salad and sweet potato. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes on medium. 

After 5-7 minutes, the sweet potato should yield to soft pressure and kale will have wilted a bit. At this point, reduce heat back to low and add the rinsed lentils. (It is important to reduce the heat otherwise the lentils will start to burn as soon as hitting the pan since they are wet) Stir ingredients in the pan for about 3 minutes. At this point your ingredients will be well combined and lentils will have started to change color. Add in spices and cook for a few minutes until your kitchen is becoming fragrant and all of your ingredients are well coated in the spices.

Once well-combined, pour in water and crushed tomatoes and return temperature to medium heat. Bring the soup to a boil. Add salt to taste. The soup is ready to serve once hot and lentils cooked until soft. 

Enjoy!

(Note: you can change the consistency from soup to stew depending on how much water you add and how long you boil. For a thicker, more stew-like consistency add 1/2 cup less water or more. For an even more soupier broth, add 1 cup or more of water)

Pantone's Color of the Year 2014

The great thing about the holidays being over is that everyone gets back into the spirit of fashion! Sometimes during the holiday seasons, heels are traded in for comfy socks and slippers and great looking denim is swapped out for sweats. It's not about being lazy: the holidays have more important things going on, like spending time with the family and cooking delicious meals. Sure, there are still ways to make lounge look chic :D

But after the holidays, there is the precedence to start thinking about the new year. New Year's isn't just a time to reset life goals: it's also a time to set the tone for the year fashion-wise! And what better way to do so then to check out what colors will be "in" for the entirety of 2014?!

Pantone recently announced their Color of the Year for 2014: Radiant Orchid. When I first saw what it was, I must admit I was a bit skeptical. If you step into my wardrobe, you'll notice lots of dark tones and neutrals, so the idea of something vibrant and near-flourescent rattles me a bit. And then I started hunting through my cosmetics. And guess what, I guess "Radiant Orchid" isn't so bad after all. . . I found plenty of the color family in some of my favorite products. Plus, cosmetics and accessories are the perfect way for someone that is leery of color to incorporate it into a look! 

So what am I eyeing now that I've fallen for this purple-pink hue? Of course, lots of makeup and bags! If I were to purchase any of these items, how great would they look along side a grey skirt or black pants to add a bit of warmth and color? 

(Clockwise from top left)
1. 'Venus' Satchel by Furla, $548
2. MAC Pressed Pigment in 'Amethyst', $21
3. Clear Conscious Clutch in 'Transparent Noir', $37 at Karmaloop
4. Illamasqua Nail Varnish in 'Jo' Mina', $24
5. Vivi Indexer by Vince Camuto, $78
6.MAC Tropical Taboo Cremesheen Glass in 'Narcissus', $21
7. DUDU Wallet in 'Garnet', $93
8. Illamasqua Nail Varnish in 'Stance', $24

What is so appealing about this color is that it really would look chic year-round. In summer it'll be the bright shade in a floral-printed top and winter it'll be a great addition as a scarf alongside a classic peacoat. 

In what ways might you use this color in 2014? 

Holidays for All: Gift Ideas for the Coffee Lover

If you've spent a day in the Atkinson household, you were probably at some point offered a cup of coffee. We take our coffee VERY seriously. But we aren't the only ones we know that are like this: We have a few friends we'd probably refer to as coffee aficionados that love a cup of fresh coffee.

Coffee really is a special thing and people that take coffee seriously aren't going to appreciate a bag of generic coffee. What they really might love, however, is a bag or two of incredibly fresh beans or even a coffee subscription. In our household, we really love Tonx coffee. Our Tonx gets shipped to us every other week and the bag sent arrives a day from when the beans were roasted: meaning we are getting some really awesome coffee. In our home, the only way we brew is by aeropress and occasional french press. 

If buying for a coffee lover like the Atkinsons, here's some suggestions:

(From top left, clockwise) 
Tonx offers a gift subscription and you can select options of how frequent you'd like to send the recipient coffee. You can even set it up in a one time delivery and choose to give a gift bundle with an aeropress and mug for $69, which really is a great deal. 

Coffee lovers also love a great mug. And what better way to personalize it than with a monogrammed mug from Anthropologie. What I love about these mugs is the weight of them and how great they look on a counter. I've given these mugs as gifts a few times now and believe them to be an absolutely great gift. 

Four Barrel coffee in San Francisco is truly special. Their beans are fresh and delicious. Share the goodness with a friend! For a 24-week subscription at $175, you'd be spending less than $8 a bag, which is a really great option. Four Barrel offers smaller subscriptions as well. 

A french press is a great option for a gift because it allows the coffee-fiend to make more than one coffee at a time. Plus it is great for the coffee-lover that loves to entertain! 

Do you love coffee? Tell me more about your subscriptions or coffee gifts you've given in the past! 

Holidays for Her Part One: Stocking Stuffers and Secret Santa

The Christmas tradition of stockings has always appealed to me. For some, this is the part of Christmas morning where they are getting the items that they need in addition to gift cards and smaller items. Whenever I'd sift through my stocking on Christmas morning at my grandparents' home, I'd pull out an orange, a bag of mixed nuts, candies, and generally a five dollar bill. As a kid I never appreciated the stocking as much as unwrapping the larger gifts, but as an adult it's a tradition I have grown to miss. 

There's something that feels so thoughtful about getting the things you needed but don't necessarily think about, and a bunch of small items that you'll definitely use and love. I know that's supposed to describe Christmas (getting thoughtful gifts from family and loved ones) but sometimes with large, frivolous gifts the heart is sometimes missed. 

That's why when I am attempting to purchase stocking stuffers or secret santa gifts for friends and family, I sometimes get a little stuck. For purchasing small gifts, I like to pick out items that cater to that person's interests but also to their needs. How thoughtful is it to open a small candle that just happens to be your favorite scent? Or have a tin of tea in your stocking that you can't wait to brew and enjoy while you open your other gifts? When your loved ones give you hints that you need to relax, just don't deny it!

For the few short weeks leading up to Christmas, I am going to offer some ideas of gifts that I love and ones that I have picked out for possible gifts for my loved ones. Maybe a little inspiration will help you out, too! Plus, all of the items listed below are under $50, so some might be great for a Secret Santa party! 

Here are two sets to start off. They both appeal to relaxation: we all need to treat ourselves sometimes! 

This first set is for the person I find trickiest. She's a little rough-and-tumble but still girly. She loves tea and candles, but nothing too fruity or floral. I see her as kind of practical but still wants to relax, and darn it, she should: It's Christmas after all! So the scents I've picked for the candle err on the masculine more rustic side, and the tea is sweet like the holiday but not fruity. And the wine soap? Well, she loves wine (and who doesn't really?)

1. Gingerbread tea from DAVIDsTEA, $16
2. Tobacco & Patchouli candle from PaddyWax Apothecary , $19
3. Summer Crisp Chardonnay Wine Soap, $9

The second set of gifts is for the girl that loves beauty products. Some of these finds are really great bargains and especially fun for the holidays due to their packaging! I mean, nail polish in christmas bulbs and a bath bomb shaped like Santa, who can resist? 

1. Real Techniques Sam's Picks Brush Set, $30
2. Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Mask, $16
3. LUSH "Ho Ho Ho" Bath Set, $14.95
4. Ciate Tree Trinkets Polish, $21

 

The brush set is great since it is from one of my favorite brush manufacturers. The brushes last a while and the bristles are soft and plush, yet dense. Plus this specific set gives you a variety of brushes that are great for daily use! 

This set of gifts really is about pampering yourself. The Macadamia Deep Repair Mask is great for moisturizing damaged hair, but it's not greasy so it is great for extra moisture for regular hair as well. To continue the pamper-session, dissolve Santa's face in your bath: The Father Christmas bath bomb is citrus-y and turns the bath water from Christmas red to a lush green with a bit of white bubbles. Top of the relaxation with a festive Ciate polish: your nails will sparkle. 

What are some more great small-gift ideas? Anything you've been eyeing? 
Be sure to check back here on Friday for more Holiday gift ideas for "her"! 

Why I Love Comics: Part Two

Of course I must write about The Sandman. . . 

There is a cathartic feeling you get from watching someone else experience what you've been through and might not have dealt with the emotions of that situation just yet. And that exists not only in support groups or counseling. You don't have to go to emotional rehab to find people that are thinking and feeling the way that you are. Sometimes when you need to battle emotions, it takes opening a book and thinking that you are outside of yourself. Once you are in someone else's story and mind, you might start seeing things from the outside.

My counseling came from the pages of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. If you've read it and talked to other people about it, you might have learned that everyone takes away something different from this series. There are parts that stand out to one person and not to another, and then if you read through it another time different arcs of the story mean something else. That is probably my favorite part about this series, but also about comics in general. Comics can be personal with raw, overwhelming emotions.

The series does this amazing thing. It opens up an entire new world yet there is something unbelievably universal about the story: a man is struggling with reclaiming his identity and seeking to square wrongs that might have happened while he was lost. Without giving too much away, the story rides on a theme of change: how to deal with changes that have occurred within oneself as well as adjusting and flowing with the changes that go on in life and your environment. 

"Omnia mutantur nihil interit" 

When I read this quote from The Sandman, it instantly felt familiar. The quote is originally from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Here's where another part of my world was colliding with comics and nurturing my love: Neil Gaiman knows his shit. One of my favorite things about comics is that it draws influence from the past and from literature. These aren't just silly stories about superheroes and god-like beings. These are stories about humanity.

But that quote wasn't familiar only due to it's source, it was familiar because of the meaning. "Omnia mutantur nihil interit" meaning "All things change nothing perishes." Life is constantly changing. Everything around us is changing. No one thing is stagnant. The relief of this thought is that any bad in our life is probably temporary. We may be mourning over the bad, but it is changing. Things pass and die from the form we recognize them, but they still exist in other ways: in memories.

 As a young adult, this made me extremely emotional. Whatever I was going through then has shaped me into who I am now but I am no longer battling those emotions. Sometimes what is needed to heal is to recognize the world changing around you and realize that you initiate change as well. All things are a catalyst of change in one form or another.

That sounds incredibly complicated, but it's not. 

The Sandman brought about powerful emotions inside of me and I knew that it had for others as well. After completing the series I took to reading message boards, articles on the series and sought out others that had read it to discuss. Every person that I encountered seemed to have their own personal attachment to The Sandman. I had never experienced this before. At first, I felt odd saying that a comic book helped me through some pretty dark times, emotionally, but looking back it's not weird at all. Comics can nurture and mend emotions. They can support change. 

Makeup Monday: My Beauty Bag Essentials

"If trapped on a deserted island and you can bring only one makeup-related thing, what would it be?" It'd be a tough call: I love all of these items, so can we just say "My Beauty Bag!"?

I have had many favorites over the years, but there are a few products that I keep returning to the makeup counter to repurchase. I love the thrill of trying out new products that others are raving about, but sometimes a favorite can't be beat.  

Because my makeup most days is pretty simple, some of the products I'm sharing are more skincare products or makeup products that I use every single day. These are the items that I use even when it might not look like I have any makeup on at all! 

Also be on the look-out for some of these items as possible stocking-stuffers! The holidays approach!

1. Celestial Moisturizer, LUSH cosmetics, $24.95
2. Makeup Finishing Spray, Skindinavia, $29
3. Blush in "Deep Throat," NARS, $29
4. Gimme Brow, Benefit Cosmetics, $22
5. Herbalism cleanser, LUSH cosmetics, $13.95
6. BAD gal Lash mascara, Benefit cosmetics, $19

1. Celestial Moisturizer by LUSH Cosmetics This stuff is a favorite on so many levels. The scent of this moisturizer is heavenly! It's got a soft almond scent that is rich but not too overpowering. And with many LUSH products, a little goes a long way! I bought this product as it is advertised as working well with sensitive skin. In the winter, my skin becomes quite dry and gets irritated easily. This stuff is the perfect balance between moisturizing and fresh. I'd recommend this as a stocking-stuffer as it has such a beautiful scent and would work well for most skin-types!
2. Makeup Finishing Spray by Skindinavia I cannot imagine a better product. The formula is light-weight, dries fast and shows no sign of itself sitting on your face, other than holding your makeup to your skin longer! I go through so many bottles of this stuff and absolutely cannot imagine wearing makeup without it.
3. NARS Blush in "Deep Throat" This color is a favorite for many women: It is a soft pinky-peach that gives cheeks a natural glow. I love putting this on with just about every look because it is never over-powering and is the perfect shade of pink!
4. Gimme Brow by Benefit Cosmetics I have the patchiest eyebrows. They grow in dark in some spots, are non-existent in others and have an odd shape. It doesn't matter whether I wax, pluck or shape those bad boys: they always look insane without filling them in. I've battled with finding a product that works perfectly AND is the right shade, which in the past led to a lengthy process of multiple products. Using Gimme Brow, that's all I have to use. The formula is the right weight and color: Perfect for blondes and light brunettes. It dries fast and stays all day! It not only fills in the spots I'm lacking growth, it also shapes the unruly hairs that don't sit straight!
5. Herbalism Cleanser by LUSH I love LUSH cosmetics and at this point, I'm sure that's no secret! This cleanser is perfect for combination skin, in my opinion. It gets into the spots that are oily and fully cleanses them while being sensitive enough for drier parts of the face. It's herb-y and fresh smelling. This product is great because you only need a pinch! 
6. BAD Gal Lash by Benefit Cosmetics This brand is another favorite of mine. Evenings out with crazy long lashes I tend to use their Lash Injection. But BAD Gal Lash is my everyday mascara that gives both length and volume. When choosing a mascara, I like the formula to be drier and the brush to be full of soft bristles. This mascara offers both. 
 
I cannot more highly recommend all of these products. If trapped on a deserted island with only one beauty product, I'd have a tough time. I'd love to hear whether any of these products are favorites for you as well! And do tell me, what's in your beauty bag consistently?

Why I love Comics: Part one

Prior to falling in love with comics, I had a mixed perception of what the comic world was. I thought that everyone that read comics had to be extremely flawed: They were reading floppy backed serials with pictures, for goodness sake. I pictured everyone that read comics as being basement-dwelling, mouth-breathing, dirty t-shirt wearing nerds. And because I'm judgmental, that turned me off to an entire art form. 

That's really unfortunate. But I don't think I was alone.  

And then fell in my hands "Blankets" by Craig Thompson. A friend kept insisting that I read it so I obliged. (Somewhat of a mega-nerd in my mind, but at this point I'm not far behind him.) At first it felt as though I was being given homework ("Blankets" is a heavy book: in physical weight and emotional.) and the book sat on my shelf for a week or two before I actually touched it.

A panel from "Blankets" by Craig Thompson, 2003.

Then I opened the pages. The art was not what I had thought comics were about. I thought that every comic in existence involved bright, primary colors, cartoon-y speech bubbles and superheroes. Now I think all those things are great, but at the time it didn't relate. I was barely out of high school and knew it all. I was too high-brow for picture books. But this, this just wasn't a picture book. This was a masterpiece. "This guy drawing and writing, he must know me!" And to an extent, he did. 
 "Blankets" was dreamy. Like I had dreamt it and it came alive on paper. The art was a black and white reel of things I had experienced. The doubt of your upbringing as a young adult, the mixed emotions of falling for a person for the first time, the struggle with finding yourself. Craig Thompson, how did you get inside my brain?
 
 That was enough for me: I was hooked. 

For the first time in all my reading, I was narrating a story internally and feeling the emotion, all the while seeing the story in film-like style. Before, I could read a book and create my own world around it, but somehow I was not those people. I was never the great storytellers I was reading. I could watch movies and realize, I'm a fly on the wall: never putting myself inside the film. Movies and literature were a safe place. This, this was dangerous and new. I was reading and seeing and feeling, all at once. 

There are many ways to tell a story. It can be an epic poem with grandiose phrasing and gods and mysticism and adventure: and at the time that was great to me. It could be a novel, with simple words yet detailed and elegantly delivered: accessible. A story can be told by mouth where the emotion is on the actor's face, on a screen. At that time in my life classic literature and film were my loves. I could lose myself and find myself and see the world, without having to actually encounter others or experience leaving my bed. But picture books? 

I had learned: they're a story too. 

And because they were a story just like other medias I loved, it didn't matter who read them. If I was feeling something from reading them, and I was now a part of that culture. I was sharing emotions with others. Guess what I found out about that culture? It was nothing like I thought. Sure, there are a lot of nerds. But there are some amazing people in the comic world. Ones that are fashionable and intelligent. Ones that loved film and literature just as I do. Ones that cook and run and lift weights. I had stuck the art form in a box. Never again. 

I love comics because they continually surprise me. The world surrounding comics is the most accepting world I've have ever been a part of. The artists involved are that: they're artists and insanely talented. The fans? The fans are the best. 

I love comics and I will continue to tell you how much I love comics. Even if it annoys you. Even if you think that I'm a geek. I will continue to tell you about my love for comics until I convince those that don't read comics, to read comics. And I will continue to tell you about my love for comics so that I can talk to those of you that agree. You ready?