Most of the time, we enjoy texts from people whom we like.
Most of the time.
But there are some texts that, regardless of who they're from, send me straight into grumpy cat land.
Jan 29, 2015
Jan 26, 2015
My Style: All Dressed Up and Everywhere to Go
It has been a busy, but delightfully so, January. When you're really busy, there are often days when you need a multipurpose outfit.
Layers and versatility are key! I like to layer a blazer over a nice dress for the business part of the day.
I prefer a more structured blazer to a loose cardigan for a more professional look.
If you have a dress-up event next, change out of formal flats into a nice pair of glam heels!
These, last year's Christmas present from my big sister, are incredibly comfortable!
Jan 23, 2015
Tali-O Bites Review
Dates can be a lot of things. They can be fun or awkward, good or bad, exciting or duller than a dollar store can opener. But you know what dates you can always count on?
The sticky kind, especially with nuts.
Bahahahahahaha I know, I'm so funny (why isn't anyone laughing?). Moving on...
As a self-proclaimed date-lover, I was excited to try Tali-O Bites! They're date and nut bites (also available in bar form for those who don't find all miniature finger food snacks adorable) and they are vegan, certified paleo, all natural, and made exclusive of whole foods with names you can pronounce!
The sticky kind, especially with nuts.
Bahahahahahaha I know, I'm so funny (why isn't anyone laughing?). Moving on...
As a self-proclaimed date-lover, I was excited to try Tali-O Bites! They're date and nut bites (also available in bar form for those who don't find all miniature finger food snacks adorable) and they are vegan, certified paleo, all natural, and made exclusive of whole foods with names you can pronounce!
Jan 20, 2015
What Dating in NYC is Like
Being a twenty-something single girl in NYC sounds so exciting. And it is!
Sometimes.
But then you let your well-meaning, meddling friends and family convince you to 'get out there' (but it's so warm and cozy in here). A whole lot of the following ensues.
You go on a date with someone who randomly asks you out in real life and it goes really well.
If you know what's good for you, you'll stop there.
If that's what luck gives me, a setup from my friends will be even better! Right? Riiight?
Sometimes.
But then you let your well-meaning, meddling friends and family convince you to 'get out there' (but it's so warm and cozy in here). A whole lot of the following ensues.
You go on a date with someone who randomly asks you out in real life and it goes really well.
But who are we kidding? Let's continue.
If that's what luck gives me, a setup from my friends will be even better! Right? Riiight?
Jan 17, 2015
My Thai Sesame Noodles Recipe!
I'm a bit of a Plain Jane sometimes when it comes to food, but a lot of my friends prefer more complex, spicy dishes. Here's a dish that even my it's-never-spicy-enough Thai food-loving ex enjoyed!
The best part? It's really quick, really easy, and is best served cold - making it a great choice for a work lunch!
Jan 14, 2015
Sick Day Hacks for the Single Girl
When you're little, being sick is no fun, either. But you know your mommy will make it all better.
But when you're a 20-something city dweller living several states away from your family? It can be a little trickier - especially when it suddenly sets in and you don't have time to prepare.
That happened to me this weekend. I felt fine on Friday, fine on Saturday, and then a little nauseous on Saturday evening, but not terrible. I played a couple games of Resistance with my roommates (highly recommend) but by the time one of their friends came over to join us, I felt quite unwell. I excused myself, went to bed, and promptly ran to the bathroom, to spend the next 1.5 hours suffering. I finally went to sleep for an hour, woke to loudly throw up, and eventually returned to bed, where I would spend the next 13+ hours sleeping fitfully.
Unpleasant, but simple enough. But what do you do when you finally wake up? You'll need flu-appropriate foods to replenish your energy, but few delivery places offer plain toast, applesauce, and ginger ale. You'll want comfort and warmth, but there's no one to cuddle you.
Here are my hacks to surviving a sick day on your own!
But when you're a 20-something city dweller living several states away from your family? It can be a little trickier - especially when it suddenly sets in and you don't have time to prepare.
That happened to me this weekend. I felt fine on Friday, fine on Saturday, and then a little nauseous on Saturday evening, but not terrible. I played a couple games of Resistance with my roommates (highly recommend) but by the time one of their friends came over to join us, I felt quite unwell. I excused myself, went to bed, and promptly ran to the bathroom, to spend the next 1.5 hours suffering. I finally went to sleep for an hour, woke to loudly throw up, and eventually returned to bed, where I would spend the next 13+ hours sleeping fitfully.
Unpleasant, but simple enough. But what do you do when you finally wake up? You'll need flu-appropriate foods to replenish your energy, but few delivery places offer plain toast, applesauce, and ginger ale. You'll want comfort and warmth, but there's no one to cuddle you.
Here are my hacks to surviving a sick day on your own!
Jan 11, 2015
The 4 Best Things About Breaking Up
Breakups suck, I know.
But like every sucky thing, there's a silver lining. Here's a short list of four of the best things about breaking up!
But like every sucky thing, there's a silver lining. Here's a short list of four of the best things about breaking up!
Jan 8, 2015
(Better) Brownies - Raw Vegan Style!
We're heading into the second week of the shiny New Year and resolutions - like eating healthy, being nice, and texting less than 50 100 times per day - are threatening to break, if they aren't broken yet.
I can't do much about the slow walkers who tempt you to let out your inner snark or the fact that you're battling a severe iPhone addiction (hang in there, we'll fight it together), but I can help prevent fits of hanger and feelings of deprivation!
How? By encouraging you to partake in the above fudgy, sweet, rich, scrumptious brownies.
Before you throw your hands up in the air - 'But Danai! I want to be healthy this year' - let me clarify. These are not your usual from-a-box overly processed and nutritionally void brownies. There's space for those in a healthy diet as an occasional treat, but these are the kinds of brownies that you can eat every day as part of what makes your diet a healthy diet!
Jan 5, 2015
Kitchen Hacks for the Renaissance Woman
2015 is a pretty awesome year to be a woman in the western world.
We have the right to education, non-domestic employment, equal treatment, and endless selfies on Instagram (shameless - follow me @danaikadzere).
With all that we can do, and a great big world of opportunity out there for all of us, it's no wonder that our schedules are more packed than ever!
So how does one best balance a young professional's schedule with a love of baking, homemaking, and all things cute?
By hacking life!
Today's hack focuses on how to optimize your kitchen time to make baking and cooking (baking is my favorite) even more enjoyable, as well as more practical for our busy lifestyles!
Big batch bake.
This one is actually more relevant for cooking (though it works for baking. as well) but I wanted the alliteration. Because alliteration is like...
...anyway, doubling a recipe is generally just as easy as making a single batch of the same recipe. It certainly won't be double as time-consuming, even if it does take a little extra time!
No one wants to eat the same lasagna day in and day out for weeks at a time (at least, I don't), but if you make a large batch at once and freeze it in single or double portions (time to hit up a tupperware party!) you can enjoy it for months to come, but only when you want it!
It's also a perfect strategy for when life gets a little to crazy for cookingand being fabulous. (Redacted, because life is never too busy for being fabulous).
Especially if you have roommates you have to share freezer space with, investing in an extra freezer (a single chest freezer starts as low as around $100, possibly less if you shop on one of the major sale holidays) could be well worth it.
Multitask.
We are all expert multitaskers already, but multitasking isn't just for the office. You can multitask in your downtown without adverse effects!
I don't mean literally do a million different things at once and not enjoy any of them, because we all already do to much of that, too. But there are some great ways to multitask without decreased benefit!
One of my favorite kitchen multitasking ideas is that I love to bake sourdough bread when I'm feeling a little frustrated or stressed out. Kneading (and, let's be real, punching) the dough is great way to calm down and get an arm workout at the same time, all while making breakfast!
Win.
Use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.
Seriously, if you've never baked with whole wheat pastry flour, you need to try it! It works just as well as all-purpose flour (1:1 substitution) and it has all the vitamins and minerals of whole wheat flour. Optimal nutrition helps you achieve optimal performance in whatever it is that you do!
Normal whole wheat flour doesn't substitute as well in many recipes, because the coarser flour doesn't rise as well and imparts a hearty, nutty taste, but whole wheat pastry flour is much milder in flavor and produces a soft, light result comparable to all purpose flour!
Unless you can't bake to start with, in which case...
It's never too early to start learning!
Baking is very fun and pretty much anyone can learn how to do it. I suggest starting simple. Think chocolate chip cookies as a starter recipe, rather than a fancy souffle, and you're already on the right track!
What are some of your personal kitchen hacks?
We have the right to education, non-domestic employment, equal treatment, and endless selfies on Instagram (shameless - follow me @danaikadzere).
 |
| How else are we immortalize the perfect lashes? |
So how does one best balance a young professional's schedule with a love of baking, homemaking, and all things cute?
By hacking life!
Today's hack focuses on how to optimize your kitchen time to make baking and cooking (baking is my favorite) even more enjoyable, as well as more practical for our busy lifestyles!
Big batch bake.
This one is actually more relevant for cooking (though it works for baking. as well) but I wanted the alliteration. Because alliteration is like...
...anyway, doubling a recipe is generally just as easy as making a single batch of the same recipe. It certainly won't be double as time-consuming, even if it does take a little extra time!
No one wants to eat the same lasagna day in and day out for weeks at a time (at least, I don't), but if you make a large batch at once and freeze it in single or double portions (time to hit up a tupperware party!) you can enjoy it for months to come, but only when you want it!
It's also a perfect strategy for when life gets a little to crazy for cooking
Especially if you have roommates you have to share freezer space with, investing in an extra freezer (a single chest freezer starts as low as around $100, possibly less if you shop on one of the major sale holidays) could be well worth it.
Multitask.
We are all expert multitaskers already, but multitasking isn't just for the office. You can multitask in your downtown without adverse effects!
I don't mean literally do a million different things at once and not enjoy any of them, because we all already do to much of that, too. But there are some great ways to multitask without decreased benefit!
One of my favorite kitchen multitasking ideas is that I love to bake sourdough bread when I'm feeling a little frustrated or stressed out. Kneading (and, let's be real, punching) the dough is great way to calm down and get an arm workout at the same time, all while making breakfast!
Win.
Use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.
Seriously, if you've never baked with whole wheat pastry flour, you need to try it! It works just as well as all-purpose flour (1:1 substitution) and it has all the vitamins and minerals of whole wheat flour. Optimal nutrition helps you achieve optimal performance in whatever it is that you do!
Normal whole wheat flour doesn't substitute as well in many recipes, because the coarser flour doesn't rise as well and imparts a hearty, nutty taste, but whole wheat pastry flour is much milder in flavor and produces a soft, light result comparable to all purpose flour!
Unless you can't bake to start with, in which case...
It's never too early to start learning!
Baking is very fun and pretty much anyone can learn how to do it. I suggest starting simple. Think chocolate chip cookies as a starter recipe, rather than a fancy souffle, and you're already on the right track!
What are some of your personal kitchen hacks?
Jan 3, 2015
Luna Bars for a Healthy New Year!
A surprisingly small percentage of the popular protein and snack bars out there are vegan. Luckily for all the vegans of the world, or even those who are just trying to be a bit more plant based, Luna Bar is so awesome that you don't need anyone else!
I recently had the pleasure of trying their full line of bars and protein bars, specially formulated by women for women and all vegan!
Luna Bars have long been some of my favorite bars. They're the perfect size for a snack, filling, sweet enough that you really look forward to eating them but not so sweet that you go into a sugar coma after eating them, and come in a variety of great flavors!
You can find in-depth reviews, inclusive of photos, of their various flavors here, but today I am focusing on how including Luna Bars in your daily routine can help you keep your resolutions for a healthy New Year!
1) Reach for a Luna Protein Bar to beat the mid-afternoon slump cravings.
You know that feeling when it's around 3pm in the afternoon, you have a pile of all the boring work you've been putting off during the day (in favor of the fun work) staring at you, and lunch is but a distant memory? The boredom, paired with the energy dip, is a huge culprit for sneaky cravings.
Nip those in the bud with a Luna Protein Bar, which will give you the sweet, luscious chocolatey-ness that you crave, but without the sugar crash that will turn you into a human hoover come dinner time. The protein will keep you satisfied, helping you make smart choices at dinner, and the nutrients and energy will give you that second wind you need to make it through the rest of the workday!
2) Snack on a Luna Bar to cover your nutritional bases!
One of the many great things about these bars is that they are really balanced nutritionally, with a great combination of healthy fats, whole carbs, and plant protein.
Further, there are a lot of additional vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy! Especially if you're vegan, getting enough vitamin B12 can be tough. If you're vegetarian, you're usually covered as long as you eat enough dairy. But vegans who eat a Luna Bar a day get 80% of their vitamin B12 right there!
3) Grab a Luna Bar an hour or two before a workout for an energy boost that won't weigh you down.
It's hard to beast a workout if you're out of energy! On the other hand, eating too much can leave you cramping or nauseated.
A Luna Bar is just energizing enough to power you through, but light enough to keep you from feeling too full during your sweat session!
What were your New Year's Resolutions?
How do you stick to your New Year's Resolutions?
What are your favorite go-to snacks?
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