It’s International No Diet Day! So Enjoy These Cookie Dough Brownies!

There are many designated days that I don’t understand.
I mean, do we really need to devote 24 hours to beer cans and men’s grooming? But if there is one day I can get behind, it’s International No Diet Day!

Now, in an ideal world, every day would be free from diets.  As someone who spent many years starving (and even vomiting) her way to a thin body, I tried everything from Fruit Flush to South Beach to the Cayenne Water Cleanse. They just made me miserable, tired and, obviously, hungry.  Later, in the post-recovery part of my life, I pursued a nutrition minor which made me hate diets more. Sure, you may shed some pounds when you cut out carbs or processed food for a month. But as soon as they reenter your body, so does the weight.

So take it from someone who’s dealt with diets on a personal and semi-professional level— they don’t work. The best thing you can do for your body is eat the rainbow (aka lots of fruits and veggies), exercise regularly, and give into those indulgences.

And my main indulgence, if you haven’t figured it out by now, is dessert. Whether it’s a bowl of ice cream or a bite of chocolate, I need something sweet at the end of the day. When I really want to treat myself I combine desserts, like a scoop of ice cream over a piece of pie.

So when I wanted to treat my football team for a season well-done, I decided to give them a double-dose of dessert with my cookie dough brownies. In my mind, these are the perfect indulgences. While you may want to eat the whole tray ( I mean, just look at them), they are so sweet that a small bite (or two) will do. Not to mention, they are super easy to make!

Cookie Dough Brownies
Ingredients

• 1 box of brownie mix (you can make your own, of course, but I have yet to find a recipe I like)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Prepare brownies according to the package / recipe. Let cool completely (I let them cool overnight).
2. Using an electric mixer, mix butter and sugars in a bowl until creamy.
3. Blend in milk and vanilla.
4. Add flour, mixing on low, until well combined.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a spatula (or if you want to get messy, your hands), spread the dough on top of the cooled brownies.
7. Let brownies refrigerate for an hour, so the dough can set.
8. Slice them up and watch the smiles grow with each bite.

While I opted for basic milk chocolate chips, feel free to use dark or white chocolate. Or, substitute half the chocolate chips for peanut butter morsels for a sweet and salty treat.

What’s your go-to indulgence?

Sunday Success Stories – Fashion Risks and Friendly Faces

“Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect. It’s about stringing together all the little things.” – Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

As the sun sets on another Sunday, I find myself thinking about this past week. Like most weeks, I had too much to do and not enough time to do it. I had many moments of frustration; moments where I wanted to scream, curl up in a ball cry. In fact, I broke down during a session with my trainer (and not because he had me do weighted squats). But the low points don’t last forever, and eventually you pick yourself up with a few feel-good moments.

Success 1 – I Took a Fashion Risk

Ask anyone to describe me and you’ll hear an array of adjectives. Sweet, shy, snarky– just to name a few. But you’ll never hear fashion-forward. 

That’s not to say I don’t care about clothes or the way I look. I just don’t have the theoretical balls to take risks. I prefer a basic pair of blue jeans to leopard-pint leather pants; a cute cardigan to faux-fur vests. I play it safe, and I’m usually OK with that.

But when I went to LOFT last weekend, a pair pants caught my eye. They weren’t the typical Leah pants– a blend of blues and browns in paisley pattern — but I needed to have them. Encouraged by some shoppers’ compliments, and a $25-off coupon, I bought them. Of course, they sat it my closet for a week before I found the courage to wear them. But when I did, I decided it was worth the wait.

I paired them with a white silk blouse and a pair of tan high-heels and, damn it, I think I looked good.

What do you think? What fashion risks have you taken?

 

Success 2 -  I Made a Friend Feel Better

Whenever I get upset over the little things, and even the large things, I try to remember that there is always someone who has it worse. This week, that someone happened to be a friend.

My friend, who shall remain nameless since this isn’t her blog, had been hospitalized after suffering from seizures and other epilepsy complications. As someone who once spent a week wearing an ass-bearing gown and eating flavorless food, I know how horrible the hospital can be. And it’s even worse when no one visits you.

So this morning, armed with an assortment of magazines and some bottles of nail polish, I  spent a few hours with my friend. We didn’t do anything special — just gossiped and painted each other’s nails. But the whole time, she had a smile on her face — a smile that told me she was going to be ok.

As I left the hospital, her mom wrapped me in her arms and thanked me for cheering up her daughter. While the thank-you was completely unnecessary  it was nice to know that my small gesture had helped my friend feel a little bit better.

How did you pick yourself, or someone else, up from a low moment this week?

Dining With the Dinosaurs – My Attempt a Paleo Baking

I’m always up for a challenge, as the title of this blog implies. So when faced with the task of whipping up some diet-specific treats for a party, I wasn’t afraid to say no.

A little background info. A few of my dancer friends and I were getting together one night and, like always, I offered to bring the baked goods. One girl, however, said she’d have to pass since she was on the paleo diet.

For those who don’t know, the paleo diet takes people back to the days of dinosaurs and club-carrying cavemen. Like our ancestors, they eat all the fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs and meat that they can gather and hunt (or, more realistically, buy at Trader Joe’s). However, they can’t eat any grains, dairy, salt, sugar or oils— basically all the essential elements of baking.

I could have said, “well that sucks,” and made my famous, sugar-filled brownies. But I hate excluding people, especially when it comes to food which brings people together. So after scouring Pinterest, I found a recipe on Multiply Delicious that  would please the paleo and modern eaters alike! Of course, I did a little tweaking, but I’d like to think these are just as good as the original.

Chunky Monkey Bites
Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed banana, about 2 bananas
• 3 Tbsp. cashew butter (you can also use almond butter, but stay clear of peanut butter. It’s a paleo no-no)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 cup almond flour (you can also use rice or coconut flour)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix banana, cashew butter, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl till creamy.
3. Add in flour. (Note: Since almond flour is so grainy, the batter won’t be smooth. Accept this and move on. )
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Cover bowl and let batter sit in fridge for about 2 hours. (You can skip this step, but I found it’s easier to form balls if it chills).
6. Scoop about 1-1/2 Tbsp of dough and form into balls, placing on the sheet about 1/2-inch apart.
7. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until golden on top.

While I won’t be making these every weekend (the almond flour is REALLY expensive), I do think these were a nice, light treat for a girls’ night in.

Will you give these treats a try? Have another paleo recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Success Story – Stringing Together Small Things

“Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect. It’s about stringing together all the little things.” – Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Years ago, as I made the transition into high school,  I picked up The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I wouldn’t say it was the most inspiring book I read that year—or ever—but the quote above always  stayed in my head.

As a mentioned last time, my life has been anything but picture perfect over the past few months. Rather, it’s been a series of rough drafts that you toss in the trash. But after the tragedy that occurred last week, I realized that my life may not be perfect, but it’s far from awful. In fact, it’s pretty damn good. So instead of focusing on my “failures”, maybe I should string together my successes, however small they may be, and truly celebrate them.

So from now on I plan to use my Sundays (and my little blog) to celebrate the small and amazing things that happen over the week. And I encourage you to do the same!

Success 1 – I Got Some Sweet (Free)  Swag

It’s not always easy to find the bright side in a job where you do a lot of work for little pay. But this week, that side shined quite a bit. With my boss being out, I had to take on a lot of extra tasks, which included going to preview events for the fall fashion lines. And when you go to these events, you score some amazing things, like a too-cute tote bag, a pair of normally un-affordable shows, or a piece of jewelry you wouldn’t have bought for yourself.

This is one thing the Devil Wears Prada never mentioned about working for a fashion magazine.

Success 2 – I Ate Ice Cream for Dinner, and Didn’t Care
But bags and bags of swag can’t make up for the late hours and work overload that I had to handle this week. One day I had to stay late, forcing me to miss a session with my trainer (my main form of sanity) and a meet-up with a good friend. I was obviously upset and needed a quick pick me up before my late-night dance session. So I channeled my six-year-old self and indulged in ice cream for dinner.

Now the old, weight-obsessed Leah would have had the ice cream then jumped on the treadmill for an hour to burn it off (and then some). But on the warm spring night, I sat in the park and  slowly savored every bit of that vanilla cone with cherry dip.

Talk about a small, and sweet moment of happiness.

Success 3 – I Went on a Date
The hardest thing about heartbreak, other than putting the pieces back together, is moving on. After about 3 months of cutting internet ties, tossing out photos and a few too many pints of Ben and Jerry’s, I felt like I was finally ready to re-enter the dating game.

I won’t go into the details, because I’m sure most of you don’t care (and if you do, you’ve probably already called and chatted about it), but it went better than well. Whether it turns into something or not, it was exactly what I needed to feel confident about dating again.

What were your successes this week?

Finding the Light During Dark Times

For the past few months, I’ve been struggling to find happiness in life. Between having my heart broken and losing an amazing job, I’ve felt  like a failure. And when you feel like a failure, your life takes a turn for the worst. You slowly move through the day, counting down the hours till you can curl up in bed and cry yourself to sleep. You see the smallest mistakes as another  sign that you suck. You can’t see the sunshine; only the darkness. 

But then something truly tragic happens, and you’re forced to face the fact that your life, while difficult at times, could be worse . For me, that tragedy was today’s attack at the Boston Marathon.

When I first heard the news, I wondered why. Why would anyone want to hurt 27,000 runners and their fans? Why do we have to hurt innocent people to prove some sort of political statement? Why can’t we use words instead of violence, guns, and bombs?

Then I started thinking about all the tragedies that occurred in the past year, specifically the Newton massacre and the Aurora shooting. These ordinary people were doing  ordinary activities before they lost their lives. Since when did the simple things, like going to school, the movies, or for a run, turn into scary risk-taking events?

As I reflected on today’s tragedy, and those in the past, I realized how lucky I am. Yes, the past few months have been hell. Yes, break-ups and unemployment suck. But you know what, I’m alive as are most of the people I love. I  can call my mom tonight and hear her say, “I love you.” I can take the subway to see hug and my friend. I can wake up tomorrow.

Too many people have lost their lives or their loved ones to tragedy. I may not be able to help all of them, but I can honor all of them by finding the light in my life. By letting go of those tiny, meaningless upsets and taking in more joy no matter how small it may be.

And I challenge all of you to do the same.

March Ab-Ness: 30 Day Ab Challenge

Welcome to March my friends. The month that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, whatever that means. So far the only lion-like things about this March are the roaring winds and the furry frocks New York women find so stylish.

The one thing getting me through these cold days: knowing that in two months I will be boarding a ship and setting sail to the Bahamas with my best friends. Four days of sunshine, sandy beaches and the occasional spa treatment. This also means I’ll be spending a majority of the four days in a bikini.

While I like to think I’m confident in my body and looks, the truth is I—like most American women— suffer from some serious body image issues. As if rocking a two-piece among strangers isn’t intimidating enough, I’ll also be with my two tiny friends. Nothing like a little added pressure.

Now in a former life, filled with  water-only diets, I would have starved to get a tout tummy. But now, I know better. I know that if I want to achieve my ideal stomach, I need to work out and eat well. So I will be taking on March Ab Madness.

At first glance, the schedule for March Ab-ness intimidates me. I mean, push-ups? My Jello arms can’t handle those. But looking it over, it doesn’t seem to bad, right? I mean, I do get Sunday off. . .

30 days of push ups, sit ups and planks.

For 30 days I will follow this Pinterest-based plan, and hopefully the hard work will pay off. And to keep track of my progress, I am doing something I never thought I’d do: post pictures of my stomach online. (NOTE: Save your negative comments for your own blog.)

ABS: Day 1

Does anyone care to join me on this month-long ab challenge? If so, post in the comments below or link-up in your own blog, Lord knows I’ll need the moral support!

New Year’s Resolutions: The 2 Month Mark

Was anyone else surprised to look at their calendar (or, more likely, their iPhone) and saw that today was the last day of February. It seems like only yesterday I was popping champs and attempting to stay up till midnight. But alas, it was only two months ago and a lot has changed since then.

Since we’re 59 days into 2013, I thought I’d give you folks an update on my New Year’s Resolutions. Some have been very successful while others are still a work in progress.

1. Stop Worrying About Weight

Photo via More.com

Believe it or not, I’ve been the most successful with this resolution. I actually haven’t weighed myself since 2012 (which may not be the best thing in the world) nor have I counted calories. I still run three times a week, dance twice a week and will soon be returning to my personal trainer. But I do that out of enjoyment, not an unhealthy obsession. To finally see food as something that keeps me alive and brings me joy, rather than making me worry about my waste line is the best gift I could have asked for.

2. Write More Letters

Photo via WinningFuturesBook.org

I would have to give this a challenge fail– so far! I don’t know why it is so hard for me to put pen to paper. I did it as a student for 16 years! I even had a teacher who required us to write all our essays by hand; we weren’t allowed to type it till the day before it was due and it had to match the original. Perhaps I need to join some sort of old-school pen pal network like in elementary school. Anyone know of any?

3. Give Back

Samantha, the child I sponsor through Plan International.

Again, another shock when it comes to successful challenges. But as I shared with you on Monday, this charity chose me and I’m so happy it did! I can’t wait to watch Samantha grow into a young lady and I hope I’m able to help her grow into one successfully.

4. Read 50 Books

The Kindle, a gift from e to me

So far, I’m at 8 percent with this goal. Maybe not impressive ot some, but considering one of my reads was Gone Girl, an intense 300+ page thriller I’ll give myself a pass. I also read This Beautiful Life, a novel about growing up in a technology and sex-crazed world, Talking with My Mouth Full, a memoir from Top Chef judge and my personal idol Gail Simmons, and Drinking and Tweeting by Brandi Glanville. One of the reasons I haven’t been able to read as much is because the books I chose aren’t easy to carry on the subway. Hopefully my Kindle will help make this a little easier.

And while we’re at it, does anyone have any good recommendations?

5. Blog, Blog, Blog
I know guys. I know. You (might) want and definitely deserve more. And trust me,  I’m trying. Thank you to those who continue to stand by and read my work despite it’s consistency.

So far, I’m not doing that bad. As always, I could be doing better but as my dad always tells me, “it’s not how you start the race, but how you finish it.”

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions?