OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS

just recently i have become obsessed with stand-up comedian louis ck. he has this amazing series called "other people's kids." if you ever get a chance to check it out…it's hilarious. this new obsession of mine  has started to make me very aware of my friend's and their kids. so a few weeks ago i was visiting my friend angie and her family and starting thinking about how my life is so not "kid friendly." now don't get me wrong… i love (most) kids but i'm at the age now were people feel the need to give me the "you are almost thirty" speech. this speech usually consists of three topics. 1. marriage 2. buying a house 3. kids. what is it about thirty that automatically makes people think all these things are a must? are they going to come and clean up after my future kids? are they going to babysit? are they going to hire me a housekeeper? i'm about 100% sure they aren't. oy! 

i digress. 

so when i was visiting ang and her kiddos i really got to see what it's like to be a young mom and have two kids and one on the way and i must say….brava ang!! i mean she may be one of the coolest mom's i have ever seen. her two bambinos are amazing. i kept telling her, "if i got a guarantee that my kids would turn out this well i would maybe start popping them out now. there was a moment when i was talking to her little girl addie and i felt like i was talking to a grown woman. what? since when do kids talk like adults? or maybe i'm just a child in a 29 yr olds body?  "tan tan, did you know that my mama has a baby in her belly and i'm going to help her take care of it? are you going to come visit the baby?" - addie huh? really? SHE'S 4! so um yea. 

kids today i tell ya.

i always think from time to time about what my great grand parents would think of the world today. for some reason i can still hear my great grams telling me, "don't eat anything that can't expire!" no little debbie's! got it grams. she didn't say anything about candy though! man o man… when was the last time you were at an old fashion candy store. well lucky lucky me…i was in the right town at the right time. wakarusa dime store is pretty rad if i don't say so myself. my little helpers addie and jack were totally okay with this little visit as well. jumbo jelly beans, bacon flavored suckers and last but not least… my mom's fav candy…SUGAR BABIES! when is the last time you saw a jumbo jelly bean? well this was my first time and i was just like a kid in a candy store…no pun intended.  

so here's to 4 year olds going on 44 and 29 year olds going on 12! 

chocolate smiles and jumbo jelly beans!!!!

GIRLS WHO EAT 1.8

Karyn's Cooked 

why do i say never to things and end up doing them? 

i mean don't get me wrong. i'm a super open-minded person…especially when it comes to food but there are just some things i truly believe i won't like. 

vegan food is one of those things. (or so i thought)

i've been told there is an age that we all hit were we say no to something and no one fights you on it? is it 30? please be 30. 

now i'm sure from past 'girls who eat' posts; you have gathered…i'm so not vegan. well i'm still not but i'm definitely very very open to having vegan food every now and then after visiting this awesome place…karyn's cooked. my friend lauren came to workout with me one saturday morning at indigo studio. karyn's is literally one block away from the studio; so lauren suggested it. i immediately rolled my eyes (as i do) and of course made some sort of disapproving grunt noise. she quickly told me to suck it up and remember my 2013 resolution of "think outside the box!" (why do i tell my friends these things? it always comes back to bite me in the butt) she quickly pulled me by the arm and dragged me the one block to karyn's. 

we walk in and i'm quickly put in my place; when i see a kid no older than four years old…chowing down on what i can only assume is tofu. at that moment i realized i was being such a baby. i had just thrown an adult temper tantrum over food. lordy!! 

we are shown our seats and handed a one page brunch menu. i start to browse and start spotting out words like "soy textured vegetable protein" and "tofu". i quickly closed my eyes, took a deep breathe and pulled my big girl panties on and under the guidance of my sweet sweet friend; selected the "rainbow mexicana." sounds safe enough right? 

what's in this you ask? why i'll tell you..."taco meat"(cue the textured protein), tofu scramble, onion, red pepper, yellow pepper and jalapeno with a side of tortillas, soy cheese and chipotle sauce. now that i look back…this did not sound good at all. 

minutes later….

the waiter comes back to the table holding two plates of "food" that look oddly similar; even though lauren and i ordered different things. (i quickly learned that all scrambled tofu dishes look the same) i stare at my plate for about a minute and mentally start to organize my plan for tackling this meal. i first seek out the recognizable foods. 

peppers. check.

jalapenos. check.

onions. check. 

(worst come to worse i'll eat these three and order a pizza when i get home. no wait. sushi.) 

mmm….sushi. 

i digress. 

lauren taps her fork on the table to bring me back to attention. clears her throat and says; "get at it!" while pointing to my food. 

i decide to balls it up and start assembling my "taco." i close my eyes and take a bite. 

AND….

of course it was amazing. 

how can this be? there's no meat, cheese or eggs in this dish. well ladies and gents…i was proven wrong. vegans clearly know what they are talking about. it actually tasted like a taco. a really really amazing one. who knew! (clearly millions of people) needless to say i cleared my plate. the only things left on it were a lot of peppers. ha!

sooooo good. 

dear karyn…

i don't know you but…

you are one smart lady. brava!!! 

there is now one less vegan disbeliever out there. 

(i eat my words…never say never)

until next time...

FRIDAY'S LETTERS

ignore the red eye

dear chicago, man o man have you kept me busy and exhausted this summer. don't you worry though…i have loved every minute of it. dear tinder dating app, i fought you and i fought you and now i have to say. you're pretty rad. who knew? dear forty-five lbs lost, don't think i'm writing this to say i miss you guys but could you be so kind and send a letter to twenty more of your friends and tell them to get the hell out of here!! thanks.  dear indigo studio, i love you so much and you don't even know it. thanks for keeping this chick motivated. dear mom, don't you worry…i'm still trying to get you steve harvey tickets. dear amazing friends of mine, i know i tell all of you individually how much i love you guys but seriously…i.love.you. dear toyota solara, you finally sold! we had some good times didn't we? but…i do not miss you and your payments. as lightning mcqueen from the movie cars would say, "ka-chow!" dear scandal, why aren't you coming back on until october 3rd? do you not care about my mental health? oh and did i mention i'm kind of mad at you for making me root for a cheating married man and his amazingly dressed mistress. but i still love you. 

xoxo