The Avocado and Me

I hope you have a sheet of paper and a pen handy because you are going to need them. Or I guess you could simply make use of the convenient 'notes' app on your phone. Or, you could even just make a list in your head. As it turns out, you have a lot of options. Okay. So I would like you to please put your pen to paper, your finger to the notes app on your screen, or... your mind to work. And please generate a list of all of the things you love. My list, for instance, would go something like this: - Arugula, avocados, and blackberries - Coffee and tea - My friends and family - Weight training and yoga - Harry Potter, movies, and Stranger Things! - Writing, writing, writing - Learning and Music What's on your list? Do you enjoy playing soccer, or pottery classes? You didn't forget to include your adorable German Shepard, did you? And you definitely remembered your best friend on the cross country team? Good. But there is probably one crucial element missin

I've been busy, dear reader. For the past few days, I have been texting everyone in my contacts, talking to people in class, sending emails, and stopping random strangers in my school hallways to answer one question: How do you define beauty? Recently, I viewed an inspirational TED Talk presented by Esther Honig. The Talk was titled "What Does It Mean to Be Beautiful?" and discussed beauty ideals around the world. Several years ago, Honig, a journalist, decided to send a photograph of herself to photo editors across the globe. She asked them to make her look pretty. The result of her little project was outstanding; not only did it clearly display how differently beauty is regarded in different countries and different cultures, but it also showed that beauty has no one definition. It is open to interpretation. So I've been asking pretty much everyone I can reach the same question: What is beautiful to you? Boy, have I received some phenomenal responses! A huge shout

Have you ever decided to create something new just for the thrill that comes with experimentation? Well, I do that in the kitchen. All . The. Time. My poor family members are often the test subjects of my inventions, and they've tasted everything from bone-dry meats to under-cooked vegetables. There's an even higher likelihood that my recipes will be disastrous because I don't use many conventional ingredients. When you eat low-carb, and lots of whole, natural foods, there's no flour or sugar in your pantry. But you do have plenty of almond and coconut flour, tapioca starch, and monk fruit. And sometimes, substitutions aren't exactly one to one (I learned this after making a pan of positively catastrophic grain-free brownies one day). On occasion, however, I'll invent something that actually tastes good! If the recipe gets an A+ from my sister, who is extraordinarily difficult to please, I jump right to the computer and type it up for you all. And oh boy d

Happy, happy autumn, everyone! At precisely 9:54 P.M. today, my favorite season of the year will have begun! Why is it my favorite season? Well, I'm so glad you asked! Fall means crunchy leaves and brisk weather, sweaters, and lots  of tea. Halloween and Thanksgiving take place in autumn, we can enjoy delicious bowls of hot soup, and carve pumpkins into cats and bats. And speaking of pumpkins... it's also Pumpkin Spice season! I have this very vivid memory of sitting in my local Starbucks sipping a warm Pumpkin Spice steamed milk with my dad and sister. Mom always left for work too early to come, but sometimes, Dad would take Abby and me to the coffee shop for a special breakfast treat. My order would either be a slice of thick pumpkin bread or a bacon and cheese sandwich with a Pumpkin Spice steamer. Mmmm. Those were good times. But there is a slight problem. Now a days, I'd probably get a Pumpkin Spice Latte instead of a steamer (I'm gradually warming up to co

Do you know what I think is absolutely ridiculous? When schools prohibit girls from wearing tank tops. Actually, in my most humble opinion, all dress codes are pretty silly; sure, people shouldn't be wearing insanely short shorts or superman suits to biology, but I believe that people should not only be allowed, but encouraged, to express themselves. Well, my old school didn't quite agree with me. Students, especially girls, were dress coded all the time. And the most ludicrous thing that they were scolded for were tank tops. There is something called summer. Have you heard of it? Summer involves really, really hot weather in my neck of the woods. I'm talking ninety to one-hundred degree days, everyone. But if a single girl dared to dressed in a tank top on one of these scalding afternoons, they were promptly instructed to put on a jacket. You see, tank tops show shoulders . And shoulders were apparently distracting . Hmm. Do you think shoulders are distracting? I su