I Officially Love Something Vegan

I know, I KNOW!!!  What self respecting Midwestern girl would EVER entertain a cheese-less mac and cheese?  But I've really been trying to add more variety (ie: things that aren't meat, cheese and bread) into my diet.  My recent trip to California to visit my friend Lauren really served as a great reminder that I really do enjoy a healthy, well made meal that accentuates the freshness and natural deliciousness of REAL food rather than relying on heavy sauces and fats and salts.  That and the lack of my Blue Apron meals this week were all of the encouragement that I needed to try a recipe that I had been eyeing  for weeks.

I am constantly on the prowl for a Mac and Cheese recipe that I don't need to feel guilty about.  Because I LOOOOOOOVE Mac and Cheese.  It's like my desert island food.  I love it.  I could eat it everyday.  But healthy hacks always seem to fall short...I miss the creaminess and the comforting flavor and texture.  I was really beginning to think that it was a hopeless quest...

BUT (!), I recently discovered a Blog called Cookies to Kale that an acquaintance of mine, Synthia Link, runs.  I met Synthia while working on a choreographer showcase situation for Chet Walker and have since kept running into her at various fitness classes around the city.  She's the kind of girl that you look at her and think "What the hell does she do to look so good?  I need to know what she eats IMMEDIATELY." You know, the whole Slender/Strong/Ballerina/Rockette body type.  Luckily, she has started sharing some great recipes on her website...recipes that are often dairy/nut/meat free.  So naturally I expected it to be....healthy tasting.  I know you know what I mean.  But this Vegan Mac and Cheese, blew me away...and I can't WAIT to try more of her meals soon!

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE
 http://www.cookiestokale.com/vegan-mac-and-cheese/

A delicious vegan mac and cheese that is kid friendly and easy to make! Fat free, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, grain free, and nut free!

Author: Cookies to Kale

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped
• 1¼ cup butternut squash, chopped
• 1 tspn salt
• 1 cup nutritional yeast (you can use parm. cheese if you eat dairy)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2½ TBS lemon juice
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• 1½-2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of choice)
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup broccoli, chopped
• your favorite pasta (I used quinoa pasta)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray a large pot with non stick cooking spray
2. Add minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes
3. Next, add coconut milk, cauliflower and butternut squash, cover and bring to a boil
4. Once boiling, turn heat down to a simmer (leave covered)
5. Allow to cook (about 25 minutes) or until veggies are soft
6. Once soft, transfer contents of pot to a blender
7. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high
8. Cook pasta according to directions
9. While pasta is cooking, add broccoli (to the boiling pasta pot) and allow to cook until pasta is done
10. drain water
11. add desired amount of sauce
12. ENJOY! 

Now, confession time...I DID opt to go with the Parmesan Cheese option, so I guess mine wasn't TOTALLY vegan, but I really think that the full vegan option would be JUST as delicious.  Easy, creamy, tasty, deceptively rich...you'd never know if was full of veggies! (Even the Murphy family contingent would love it!)  Synthia, you knocked it out of the park!

Don't forget to stop over to Cookies to Kale to check out of even more nutritious and delicious recipes!!

-e

...In with the new (but LOL, this is so late...) aka Lighter Boots

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Yes it's March.  Sometimes I'm a late bloomer...I guess that a lot has been going on since my last post.  ...Back in December. Let's see...I went back on the tour for the beginning of January.  I have to admit that I was kind of over it at that point.  I still enjoyed doing the show, but it's really hard to come back for only about two weeks after being off for almost a full month.  And the travel on that last leg was ROUGH. Long flights, majorly delayed flights, a couple unacceptable hotels, MONTANA in the winter....Yeah, I was ready to come home.

So "See Ya, SJC Tour", "Hello (again), NYC".  So here I am back in the city. Starting a new year and a new chapter yet again.  I may have mentioned in a previous post that last year was just kind....so, so.  I felt like I started on such a good note and then just fell back on old habits and insecurities.  But hey, you just pick yourself up and dust yourself off and start again.  I'm not really one for New Year's Resolutions, but...actually I totally am.  I love the idea of getting a fresh start at the start of a new year, even if it is just an illusion.  So this year I made a list...things I wanted to get done, things I wanted to be... I have to say, so far I am nailing it.  Maybe I subconsciously waited til March to write this just to see how it all went...and you know what?  I actually think it's going really well!

2015 is the year of being happy and healthy.  I know, I know...isn't it always?  But listen, I absolutely believe in the power of the mind...call it the law of attraction or whatever (but not that "Secret" bullshit.) And I can occasionally be wishy washy, but when I do set something in my mind I am usually gonna somehow make it happen.  Things start to come out of the woodwork to aid me in my pursuit.  Which is exactly what happened these past couple of months...

First of all, let's talk about my friend Lindsey Clayton.  She's a star and she is someone with which I feel a definitely kinship.  We tend to be on the same page in life most of the time, for better or for worse.  So it wasn't a HUGE surprise when I came back home and Lindsey was also on a "happy and healthy 2015" kick - Lindsey had a major life change last year when she tore her ACL jokingly dancing to Taylor Swift (DAMN YOU, SWIFTY!) before one of her classes at Barry's Bootcamp and, as an in-demand trainer, it was really a huge blow that forced her to slow down and evaluate what was going on in her life. And while I didn't get injured this year, I kind of feel like I tore the ACL in my soul (**shhhhh....just go with it, move on.**) Things felt awkward and painful and stagnant.  I am reminded of a great metaphor in this book I'm reading right now. The main character, a young boy, often says that he gets "heavy boots" when things are tough.  And I get that. I had Heavy Boots for lots of last year.  But Lindsey had found and taken this Vedic Meditation course before I got home and told me that she thought that it would be my jam.  So I went and attended the Intro Talk with Emily Fletcher (a former Broadway performer) of Ziva Meditation.  I was sold in like 5 minutes and ended up taking the course that same week.  I'm not gonna get into the actual practice much, but it has definitely been just what I was looking for.  It always amazes me when things show up in my life that I literally just wrote down a few days or weeks before... I get a residual check in the mail when I have needed more money,  I book a show that asks me to dye my hair when I want to go from brunette to blonde, I get a job in Chicago just when I think I'd like to be home more often. It's really crazy.  And this practice has been kind of taking care of a lot of the esoteric New Year's goals that I wrote down a couple of months ago.  I have only been meditating for about a month, but I can't wait to be 3 months in...or 2 years in...or 10 years in.  And it's really nice to have a friend that is working towards the same goals I am...while still enjoying an OCCASIONAL (**shhhhh...just go with it, move on**) bottle of champagne.

I have a ways to go, and there are definitely things that I need to work out...but I feel awesome and in control and inspired! I also found a great Yoga Groupon, so I've been working on that...cooking more of my own food...taking care of my mental/physical/emotional health.  I've been working out a lot (again, huge kudos to Lindsey for always letting me use the comp to her class when I'm the most poor) and it feels good to be getting stronger and better and more grounded.  Cause, yeah, I know...New Year's Resolutions, Ugh! But isn't it better to at least TRY to be a better/stronger/healthier/happier/fitter/smarter/kinder/braver human this new year?  The other option doesn't really seem that appealing...

-e

Out With the Old...

This was kind of a weird year.  It started off so well.  I felt like I was on the right track to becoming the person that I wanted to be...better, and wiser, and softer, and on top of my shit.  But the year seemed to turn into "one step forward, two steps back..." (Well, maybe two steps forward, one step back) as it tends to happen on a personal journey. I started the year well and then totally regressed and went off track and only now FINALLY feel like I am back where I started...kinda like this whole year didn't happen.  Don't get me wrong, a lot of awesome things happened this year...I worked a lot, saw my family a bunch, made some great new friends, reconnected with some old friends as well.  But on a personal level, I am not sad to see this year go...

So I thought that instead of going on and on about my year, I'd just throw out some things that I thought were awesome in 2014... 

1. Warsan Shire

I guess technically I came across this British-Somali poet last year, but my love of her work really blossomed in 2014. Something about the way she writes and the emotions and situations she talks about really gets me right in the feelings. I could post Warsan Shire quotes all day, but I'll just drop one of my favorites on you and strongly encourage you to look into her...

"the year of letting go, of understanding loss. grace. of the word ‘no’ and also being able to say ‘you are not kind’. the year of humanity/humility. when the whole world couldn’t get out of bed. everyone i’ve met this year, says the same thing ‘you are so easy to be around, how do you do that?’. the year i broke open and dug out all the rot with own hands. the year i learnt small talk. and how to smile at strangers. the year i understood that i am my best when i reach out and ask ‘do you want to be my friend?’. the year of sugar, everywhere. softness. sweetness. honey honey. the year of being alone, and learning how much i like it. the year of hugging people i don’t know, because i want to know them. the year i made peace and love, right here."

Started my year with this poem, and starting the next one with it too...

2. Tank and the Bangas -"Think Tank"

I stumbled upon this New Orleans based band in kind of a roundabout way... One of the dancers on SYTYCD used their song "Oh Heart" in her audition and I just fell in love.  Some sleuthing on The Google lead me right to this album. 

Step 1: Go to Spotify

Step 2: Listen to "Oh Heart"

Step 3: Move on to "Walmart"

Step 4: Live. Your. Life.

3. Hand Lettering

I like to make things. I've been making stationary for a while now, painting, baking pies, knitting, etc etc etc.  Hand Lettering is my new creative obsession.  I'm not great at it yet, but I'm just starting.  Ask me again next NYE! :) and SPEAKING of pies...

4. Hoosier Mama Pie Book

My mom got me this new book for Christmas!  So far I made the Chicken Pot Pie, but I'm really excited to step up my pie game when I get home. Banana Cream, maybe?  I'm gonna be making a ton of pies this winter.  I may need some taste testers- any volunteers??

5. Thai Food

This isn't new.  It's just a very big part of my life.

6. Jim Harbaugh 

I am so, so happy about this!  Maybe you have to be Michigan fan to really get it, but this is huge!! Harbaugh coming back to the Wolverines is really great for a struggling program with a huge storied legacy, it's awesome for the lackluster Big 10...it's just good for football!  I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out, but for the first time in a long time I'm excited for college football to come around again!  And for a sports fan, that is everything....

7. Champagne 

Again, nothing new here.  But this year was definitely brought to you by champagne.

So yeah, I'm just gonna leave that riiiiiiight there... Happy New Years, everyone!  Lots to be excited for in 2015! 

-e

Turn, Turn, Turn

I cannot BELIEVE that it is December!!  Time is just flying by these days...  It seams like people dread the coming of winter, or maybe people just love the camaraderie of complaining, but it is one of my favorite times of year.  I could never imagine living in a place that didn't have 4 separate seasons.  Is there anything better than that first Spring day that you can ditch your coat and rock that sundress (with an accessory of goose bumps, cause let's be honest...it's not QUITE warm enough for that yet.)?  Or the first middle of the day margarita with your friends in the summer?  Or how about that week that the city smells less like hot garbage and suddenly there is a crispness, a new-ness in the Autumn air?  Or, come one, that first beautiful snow!  That is my favorite.  There is nothing quite as magical as that, I don't care how much you "bah humbug" me...

Last year, I spent my fall and most of my winter doing a show down in Florida, wearing shorts and chilling on the beach.  Poor me.  And while I wasn't sad to miss the ensuing "Polar Vortex" that was to come, I did REALLY miss the wonderful transition from Summer to Fall to Winter.  I love the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas...  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It encompasses so many of my favorite things...Baking, entertaining, day drinking, eating copious amounts of food, friends/family, football, and falling asleep by 9pm.  BOOM.  And everyone knows that the day after Thanksgiving is the day that the Christmas season really starts!  Growing up, my family always went to Sinnissippi Christmas Tree Farm the weekend after TGives to cut down a tree and I have such fond memories of that.  Apple cider and doughnuts, clomping around in the mud, pushing each other into trees, being all bundled up, finding the PERFECT tree...  And that's also the weekend that it becomes acceptable to break out the Christmas tunes and unpack all of the ornaments and decorations.  It's beautiful, it's fresh, it's sparkling, and somehow just the right amount of all the bittersweet feelings (Bittersweet? Listen to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" -  the Judy Garland, Meet Me in St Louis version.  I rest my case!)

Despite no one smiling, we all really had a great time. I swear.
Everyone was just really focused on eating.  

Last year, I got none of it!  It's just not the same in Florida when you go to a restaurant for Thanksgiving, buy a mini-tree from Wal-Mart and spend Christmas on the beach eating Chinese Food.  This year, all of my Rabid Martha Stewart Apartment Decorating had to be put on hold yet again, what with being on tour and all.   However, I did get to go home to New York this Thanksgiving which was just as great.  For the past few years, my friend Kris has been having us over for the BEST FriendsGiving and it's always amazing.  Smoked Turkeys, way too much food, so many laughs...its awesome.  And this year may have been the best yet!  Plus, Sarah, Vinny, Ashley, Ashley's Mom Mary, and I all headed up to Connecticut to cut down trees again.  This is the second time that we have been to Jones Family Farm and I can't recommend it enough.  They have SOOO many trees and it's super festive with gorgeous views, a Holiday Market, Wine Tasting and an outdoor bonfire.  Apparently, they also do pumpkin and berry picking the rest of the year...I'll have to get on that.  And then of course, we have the traditional trip to Olive Garden afterwards (no judgement.  Have you had the breadsticks lately??).  Lindsey was more of an "indoor girl" this year and she and Amber got their tree from the street corner so as not to have to commune with nature quite so much.  And they were nice to enough to let me help to decorate it with them while sipping some champs and watching White Christmas....Wonderful.  I was so happy to get my holiday groove on during my Thanksgiving layoff.  PLUS, I asked my parents to wait to decorate their tree til I got home for my Christmas Layoff.  My THREE WEEK Christmas Layoff! (Odd mixture of "yikes!" and "yay!") My mom was happy to oblige and she is super excited to have a helper for Christmas cookies again finally... Yeah, I have a feeling that I'm totally gonna get my fill of Christmas cheer this year!

When January and February roll around, you may have to remind me that I said I loved winter.  But this year has been so amazing and the good news and exciting surprises that keep rolling make me think that it's gonna take a lot more than some snow and chilly temps to wipe this smile off of my face!  (That's not a dare, Mother Nature!!)

-e

Post Election Day Blues

It's here!  One of my LEAST favorite days!  The morning after elections...  Not quite as bad as the months leading up to elections when everyone is forced to watch uncomfortable, scathing, childish political commercials that contain only droplets of truth but buckets of empty promises, but still... I went to bed last night watching NBC's "Decision 2014" election coverage, but I eventually had to turn it off.  It makes me SO mad.  First of all, it is just another example of the terrible 24 hour news cycle that we've become accustomed to (I won't even get into that...).  It's just HOURS of watching people speculate on what the outcome MIGHT be and what the implications of that supposed outcome MIGHT be.  And then secondly, they have the most uncomfortable interviews I've ever heard... "So, [Generic Politician],  it's REALLY looking like you are going to lose.  The polls are 36% counted and it's not looking good...Thoughts?"  Just brutal.  And unnecessary.  These news sources just thrive on any sort of drama that they can cause/find/report on.  So yeah, **CLICK**, let's just switch the channel to this rerun of "Property Brothers" on HGTV....

I woke up this morning feeling good.  I got 8 actual hours of sleep, actually drank enough water and ate a few vegetables yesterday... So far, so good. Then I popped onto Facebook.  And there were all of the political statuses and almost all were containing an air of disappointment, sadness, anger or fear.  And how can I blame them?  I tend to lean to the Democratic side of things for the most part, and so do many of my of my Facebook friends, so I understand those feeling.  And I, too, feel the disappointment and helplessness...but I don't only feel those things because of this year's midterm outcomes. The entirety of it all really bums me out.  The general apathy bums me out...and I am a part of it.  How do you make a decision that you feel passionately about and put your push behind someone that you truly believe in when there doesn't seem to be a good choice to be had?   Every option is just 2 sides of the same shitty coin.  True, I like some candidates' promises more than others, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to follow up on them or that they COULD even if they wanted to.  The system is so broken.  Even the "good" politicians seem to have their hands tied by political parties, by campaign contributors, by their own career ambitions...it's like one big traffic jam.  And Congress is the worst! Back when our Founding Fathers were setting up our new fledgling government, there was a much different outlook on being a public servant.  A PUBLIC SERVANT.  It wasn't a career.  Many of those men didn't want to be in office for long periods of time.  They had other vocations and ambitions....inventors, lawyers, farmers, teachers...  Now, I'm not naive enough to think that those men were perfect by any means.  It was just a different outlook and they didn't anticipate the advent of the era of political parties.  These days, everyone is a slave to their party.  They have to tow the company line or else.  There is no option to mix it up and there is less and less grey area to be found.

And let's get back to Congress just generally being the worst.  I mean the Congressional recesses and vacations?? I mean, I get it...they need time to meet with their constituents etc., but do they really use it that way?  Or do they go to the Bahamas?  And who the hell gets to set their own six figure salaries?  PUBLIC. SERVANTS.  No wonder they are so out of touch with ordinary citizens.  They quickly lose interest in serving and start worrying about their careers.  But the worst part?  The worst part is that so much of the time, they are more worried about making another member or political party look bad than actually trying to fix the problems of the country.

I didn't mean to make this in a rant.  I just have to shake my head on days like this day.  The days you realize that the outcome could have been different, but not different enough.  I know it's not easy, this is a huge country and always has been difficult to bring together and unite.  But no one seems to be trying to do anything but polarize, tear down and finger point.  And EVERYONE is disappointed. Because nobody wins.

-e

On The Road Again

Here we are, back on the road...  A couple of weeks ago, I left New York and set out on the SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE tour.  A new adventure.  It was a bit of an odd situation, since most of us had already done the production at The Gateway over the summer, but there were a few people from that production that either didn't want to or couldn't continue on with the tour, so we had 5 new people (3 on stage tracks + 2 swing tracks) learn the show, as well as a new Stage Manager, a new-ish Musical Director and some new band members.  That made rehearsal and tech a little lopsided at times, but by our opening night, things were mostly on track.

I knew going into this production that is was going to be a challenging contract, but sometimes you have to do them anyway...to get back on top of your finances, get your Equity Health weeks in, because you love the show, because you need some time away, because you love the people you are performing with, who knows... and it has definitely been challenging.  It's been a lot of cities in a little time... I counted at some point and I think that we had either stopped in or passed through 15 states in one week.  So yeah.  That's a lot of time on a bus.  Or in an airport.  If there are two things that I love and honor, it's my need for occasional (occasional+...habitual??) solitude and my penchant to nest...now, those are two luxuries that aren't abundantly available with this type of schedule.  But like I said, I knew that it was going to be challenging...

And the funny thing, I actually think that it hasn't been that bad.  I started enjoying my time on the bus after I decided I didn't need to sleep the whole time away.  Since when do I need 12 hour of sleep a day?  It just made me feel grungy and groggy.  Instead I've spent most of my time knitting (thank you Sadie for teaching me and giving me a challenging pattern so that I don't get bored!!), writing and as soon as I find the charging cord for my Kindle, I'm gonna get back to that long book list I have.  It's also pretty incredible to see the things that pass by the windows of a bus while you're making your way across the country...from the changing leaves on the mountains of Vermont to the huge herds of cattle grazing in the fields of Texas.

I also love hotel living.  I'm not quite sure why, actually.  Is it the continuously clean linens?  The tiny shampoos (I love anything miniature or giant sized...)?  Cable TV?  Who knows...maybe it's something intangible that I haven't quite pinned down yet.  But I do love it.  It ironically feels like home.  Or maybe it's the fact that it doesn't feel like home...more like freedom or vacation.  And after this week, we should start to move a little (a LITTLE) less and stay a little longer in the hotels (sometimes)...maybe I'll even get to take some things out of my suitcase and nest a bit. :) Oh, and a free gym.  There's always a free gym at the hotel...and I've even started using it!

The show itself makes this schedule a bit easier.  First of all, the show comes in at a swift 1hr 45min.  Wham bam, thank you ma'am, on the bus to the hotel.  Plus my track is pretty easy.  Sing a few songs, dance a couple of dances...let everyone else do the rest of the work.  (The last time I was on tour, it was with HAIRSPRAY and I essentially spent two and a half hours running and jumping up and down.  It was exhausting.  Super fun! ....but exhausting.)  We had a few hiccups with our tech in the first few performances - the joys of changing theatres every night! - but that has since eased.  Knock on wood!

One of the reasons that I, personally, decided to take this tour was to get away.  I love exploring new places, I love leaving the "busy" behind, and I love having time to take care of myself...the last often takes on a different meaning each day.  So hopefully the upcoming weeks will make that easier, but more importantly, I need to start taking that time for myself.  Starting with cozying up on this rainy day and watching the Lifetime Original Movie that's about to come on.... ;)

-e

PS:  I was just reminded that a year ago today, I was just about to open THE PRIMADONETTES in Sarasota, FL.  I was just about to spend months watching sunsets, eating delicious seafood, singing iconic songs, getting in the best shape of my life, attending Selva Sundays, and slowing and arduously evolving into a new version of myself.  Oh, where has the time gone this year??  How does it go so fast and yet contain so many events and twists and turns?  How are we back here yet again?

"Time is free, 

but it is priceless.

You can't own it,

but you can use it.

You can't keep it,

but you can spend it.

Once you've lost it, 

you can never get it back."

...but that's a whole other post!

Extended Midwest Vacation!

Alright, I think that most people in the NYC area might agree that I've been pretty MIA for the last couple of months...but it's with good reason! Back in June I did a show out at the Gateway called SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, an experience that was honestly one of the best times I've ever had, with some of the most wonderful people I've ever met, doing a show that is very near and dear to my heart.   That same production is headed out on tour!  However, I had a couple of months in between to play with.  Most of that I spent in the city working at The Skylark, but honestly the money there was just not what it should be.  SOOOO, I decided that it would be a better option for September to just sublet my apartment a month early and head home for a couple of weeks.  I don't think that it's ever been a secret that New York City gets on my nerves sometimes....the over-crowdedness, the smell, the cost, the dirt, the grind.  I love NY, but I LOVE to leave NY too.  So instead of just working to pay rent, I went home and ate all of my parents' food. :)

My extended trip home was much, much needed.  It's been so long since I've had very much time at home without a wedding or a holiday or other event...and it is SO nice to wake up and literally have nothing that I have to do that day.  NOTHING.  No responsibilities, no plans, no nothing.  I spent a lot of time bike riding on the bike path along the river, exploring places that I haven't been since I was a kid - Pottawatomie Park, Island Park, the Japanese Garden, the Fabayan Windmill - and places that I never knew existed either.  I hung out in downtown Geneva a bit, which has actually become an awesome little downtown with new wine bars, chocolate shops, boutiques, trendy restaurants, outdoor seating and festivals (I finally got to enjoy Festival of the Vine...I did NOT appreciate the joy of a wine fest in my youth!).



It was also so great to spend time with my family.  I made a lot of meals and watched a lot of football with my mom and dad.  I also got to spend time with Ryan and Sadie and Abby, which I love.  Sadie was helping me learn to knit (made much more difficult by a previous few rounds of beer...haha) - I'll post a picture when my first project gets a little farther a long!!  It was also so fun to spend time with my niece, Abby.  It's great to get to a point where she is comfortable with me and knows me and has fun with me.  It's hard to form a relationship with a 2 year old when you live hundreds of miles away and only see each other for a few hours at a time once every few months... Makes me very happy to hear her call me "Auntie" or "Eein" when I walk in the door! And she's such a sweet little girl, I just love getting to spend time with her...



What else did I do for 3 weeks?  I went to the library, worked out at my parents gym, went out to eat, took a side trip to Ann Arbor for a Michigan game,  drove down to Starved Rock for some hiking and nature, baked pies, went shopping with my mom, caught up with old friends, met my dad for lunch, watched HGTV, slept 9 hours a night, woke up at a decent time every day, and generally felt healthy, happy and renewed.  It was awesome.  And just what my sanity needed before I popped back to NYC for a couple of days of rehearsal before heading out on the SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE tour....but THAT'S a whole other post! :)