[Refreshing Refuel] Orange Spa Water

On a hot day, or after a fierce workout, I like to add a little twist to my ice water.  Orange Spa Water is perfect for those who want a hint of orange taste, but don't want all of the sugar and and tartness of straight orange juice.  Also, who doesn't love thsi pretty spa water in tall icy glasses?

Orange & Strawberry Spa Water
1 gallon of purified water or sparking water
1 orange sliced into 0.25 inch slices
4 strawberries rinsed & sliced vertically into thin slices

Refrshing Refuel: Berries & Cream

Our cafe at work, Bon Appetit, offers many organic and and healthy options.  Their lunches are always playful and experimental, but one of my favorite things is their snack options.  Recently they added KRAVE jerky to their options, and I must say, I love having low carb, high protein snacks for post workouts or that 2oclock snacking.  A new snack I discovered today is the Berries & Cream fruit cup.  Freshly whipped vanilla ceam & slicked strawberries and black berries.  

Try making at home with this simple recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb carton of strawberries

1 carton of black berries

Vanilla Whipped Cream, 

1) Wash strawberries.  Add 1 tbsp salt and rinse thoroughly.  The salt helps kill and germs, but make sure you rinse it off completely to not alter the taste. 

2) Pat dry with a paper towl 

3) Cut off the green tops, then quarter the strawberry length wise.  Pour into large bowl.  

4)Wash blackberries in similar fashion to strawberries

5)Toss in large bowl until evenly mixed.  

6) Pour fruit mixture into snack-sized cup, and Pour an indulgent 3 tbsp of whipped cream on top

7) Enjoy!

Spices, eggs, toast!

Mediterranean Night!

It's Jimmy Johns Time!

Andy took me to Jimmy johns....I haven't been there in over a year!  It was better that I remembered!  Om nom nom? Here's a pic of my fav sandwich eater lol

Happy Heart Lasagna

February is the months of hearts.  The passionate whimsy of Valentine's day combines with the serious warnings of Heart Health Awareness month.  To celebrate the new season, I put together a Heart Healthy Lasagna recipe for you to share with your loved ones.

[bake][scones] Basil & Strawberry Scones

My friend Jason and I were reminiscing about the delicious scones we had tasted 2 summers ago in Seattle.  There's something about reminiscing about a distant memory, an anecdote that only you two share-the inside joke of anecdotes.  fuzzy memories and happy smiles filled our dialogue-weren't those the happy carefree days of our youth?  The conversation made me nostalgic...and then very hungry...I wanted to taste that summer, taste the freedom once again...and then 30 minutes of internet research later, these scones were born:

Figure 1: Fresh Basil & Strawberry Scones made with whole wheat

.  

I adapted this from a recipe from happyolks.com.  It was a cold rainy day in Portland-the kind that makes you want to cling onto the faux-summer days that were given just weeks ago.  I adapted half of the recipes to fit our family's needs(olive oil instead of butter for added heart health, whole wheat flour instead of white flour, almond milk instead of full fat coconut milk, etc.)  Also, I dropped the baking powder because I didn't have any more, and the Portland Snowpocalypse prevented me from venturing outside.  

Accompanied with a glass of milk or warm cup of black tea or coffee, it makes a yummy, filling snack. I work long hours at my high tech company, so I count on these yummy scones to keep me alert and happy until I go home at 8pm.  

Strawberry Basil Scones

2.5 cups whole wheat flour

2 tbsp turbinado sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil (OR 1/2 cup butter)

1 1/4 cup chopped strawberries

2 tbsp minced basil

1/2 cup almond milk

2 large eggs

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2)Combine whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt in a medium bowl

3) Crack the eggs into your large mixing bowl.  slowly add almond milk, oil, and sugar in, and whisk lightly with a fork until it's combined evenly

4) Add basil and strawberries.

5) Slowly pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, while continuously stirring.  Continue to mix until the mixture is evenly mixed.  

6) Point your hands like shovels and lightly knead the dough until there is no more loose dry ingredients.

7) Shape into a ball and transfer to baking pan

8) Flatten into a 1" thick disc

9) Use a sharp knife and cut into halves.  Then rotate 180 degrees and cut again.  Then cut each of the quarters into halves

10)When the oven is ready, pop into the oven

11)Bake for ___ minutes.

12)Use a bamboo skewer to poke it to see if it's ready.  If it comes out clean, it's ready!

13)Pull out of the oven and let it cool for a minute

14)Use knife and separate the slices before they cool down. 

15)Plate and enjoy!

Thanks,

Livy

[Run Run Run]

Hi,

I've been keeping a running/race blog on my other blog site, check it out here!
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6050154916143628560#allposts

Healthy Sips: drinks to sip on at work or school all day long!

I learned an awesome tip from my cousin Audrey the other day.  Instead of eating out of boredom to get through her long medical school studies, she drinks water to stay awake and alert.  She carries her Camelbak waterbottle all day, and uses refill breaks to force her to get up and stretch and move around.

If you're like me and sometimes need something a little stronger than water to stay alert, have no fear!  There are a lot of awesome low calorie options that also have strong health benefits at the same time:

green tea + lemon

Studies show that if you add lemon or lime to green tea, it intensifies the antioxidant properties.  Also, lemon makes green tea more palatable for those who think that it has a slightly metalic taste.

EmergenC + orange and lime slices

This is great for brisk fall and winter days where everyone at the office is fighting some sort of bug that you don't want to catch!  Adjust the amount of EmergenC on the intensity of bugs in the office.  When I'm feeling fine, and am using it more as a preventative measure, I pour half of a packet into my 0.6 L Camelbak and add 2 slices each of lemon and orange.

When I'm starting to feel a cold come on, I up the dosage to a full pack and squeeze the rest of the orange into my drink.  If you want to amp up the vitamin C up even more, slice some strawberries and shake up :)

Tumeric+lime

Tumeric is well know for its anti-cancer properties.  It honestly has an acquired taste, but in small quantities, it can be made more palateable with a small squeeze of lime.  It's also known to be useful for disloging phlegm from your throat, so if you're feeling uncomfortable, adding a tsp to your water bottle can help free of the phlegm around your throat.  

[Ergonomics]Carpotunnel and staying safe in the workplace!

One concern that a lot of new professional millenials don't think about is ergonomics.  I can't speak for everyone, but when I was in college, I used to sit in wierd positions and work through projects and papers without a second thought.  And when I did, I didn't feel anything more severe than the common pins and needles or asleep foot.

When I started working my office job, I started working really long hours.  I know we worked for long hours in college, but we had classes that broke up the day, and you got to walk around a lot.  Since things constantly needed my attention, I would sit and type, mouse, and stare at the computer screen for hours upon hours at a time.  When my work schedule started hovering around 8am-8pm, with working on the weekends during releases, my wrists started hurting really badly.  I *tried* to relieve the stress with stretches and taking breaks, but there's only so many breaks you can take when there's a release around the corner and you're being pulled 20 ways.

From the Mitten to Silicon Valley to the city that encourages people to "Keep Portland Weird"

In 2012, I graduated from college and eagerly took an exciting job in Silicon Valley, California in search of a career and self actualization.  Growing up in a suburban middle class neighborhood, under the careful eyes of self-dubbed helicopter parents, I saw the west coast as as my equivalent of an Australian Aboriginal Walkabout.  Having true freedom for the first time, I wanted to soar with my newfound wings and experience all that life had to offer.

Silicon Valley at first glance is captivating-this was the land where all of the brightest, most bright eyed and bushy tailed computer geniuses flocked to.  I was so eager to be among the brilliance and partake in my share of the silicon valley experience.

My first summer there was amazing-having been from the cozy womb of the suburbs, I got the opportunity to experience action packed activities that my cautious parents would have never agreed to.  From rock climbing off the cliffs near Lake Tahoe to surfing in Pacifica(where I later found out that sharks reside in...had I known, I'm not sure I would have so eagerly partook in the surfing so eagerly), I had never felt so alive.  I felt like I had freed myself of materialistic possessions and that I had found meaning in experiences.

Honestly, it was a great life-work was rewarding, and there always adventures to be had on the weekend.  However I think I wasn't ready for that kind of blissful living yet.  I had just graduated from a tough program at my university with a degree in computer engineering.  Even if you were "naturally smart", the intense projects demanded discipline and long hours.  Even if you were resistant, you learned to crave the challenge-you learned that with great challenge comes great rewards.

This mentality made life in Silicon Valley a little confusing for me.  I had landed a great job with an amazing work life balance that I now drool about.  I worked out 2 hours per day in the gym to maintain my newly sleek physique.  But for some reason, I felt like I was destined to do more.  Essentially, I felt guilty and felt like I should be investing more sweat and elbow grease to my career instead of happily living a balanced lifestyle.  I wanted to move up the career ladder quick, and I wanted it now.

My mentor advised me to explore my horizons-I'd only interned/worked at this one company;didn't I want to explore more options?

One day I got a call from a huge high tech employer in the pacific northwest.  They saw my old resume, and wanted me to interview!  Taking my mentor's advice, I interviewed and landed the job.  I felt so much pressure from myself to take the job.  It *was* one of my dream companies, and this was my chance to take it!  I knew that if I turned it down, I would regret it and always wonder "What if?"

Fast forward to the next year.  I agreed to try the new job out-I wanted to explore my options now, before I settled down and had a family.  I moved to Portland, Oregon, the city of alternative living and "keeping it wierd".  I totally fell in love with the city and the people here.  My new job definitely gave me the challenge I was seeking-it's demanding and rewarding.

2012 in Silicon Valley was a year of amazing self discovery.  2013 was definitely a successful year in career growth.  In 2014, I want a balance of the two.  I want to continue the amazing career growth from 2013, but also fit in the daily workouts that I used to so loyally execute in California.

This year, I want to focus on eating healthy, exercising healthy, executing upon my creative hobbies, and applying for grad school(aspiring MBA student right here :) )

Here is my lifestyle blog, where I show tips about how to grow your career, get involved in the community, and life a zesty yet fulfilling zen experience.  This blog is a marriage of my deepest passions-teaching, creative arts, and technology.

Thanks for your support, and enjoy!

Livy <3

Zest and Zen

Hi y'all!  My name is Livy, and I'm a twenty-something millenial who loves baking, fashion and psychology.  I currently work in the high tech industry as a Product Owner, and manage a group of engineers working on the software used for developing bleeding edge microprocessors.  I love logistics and puzzles and learning new languages(linguistic and technological, alike).  I'm a serious worker and simultaneously known as the office fashionista.

Here is my lifestyle blog, where I show tips about how to grow your career, get involved in the community, and life a zesty yet fulfilling zen experience.  This blog is a marriage of my deepest passions-teaching, creative arts, and technology.

Salamat Pagi,
Livy <3