Dreamy Atlanta

Tonight was sweet and dreamy in Atlanta. Melissa and I did a big, big clean of our house & poured a glass of wine and orange juice. 

Then we joined forces with my brothers and headed over to the West Side for the summer sundown series. It was the last one of the summer. The weather was perfect, the entire place was bustling and Jeni's couldn't have tasted better. 

The night reminded me why I love this city and the amazing people around me. Not that it takes a reminder. :)

Happy Thursday Atlanta!

on rest & harvesting

I spent tonight with some dear friends, talking about peace and chaos, what our 20s mean and what happens next. It seems that we're all reaching a new phase in our 20s - the latter half. And with this season - the late 20s instead of the early and middle - it feels like things are calming down. 

Things are slightly less chaotic - there is a little less job searching, relationship stressing, future worrying. And a little more knowing who we are and what we want. 

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Don't get me wrong: some of that stressing is still there. I'm still working on my budget and trying not to worry about my ovaries. That stuff doesn't go away over night. But it has subsided a whole lot. We're more sure of what we want and it helps make the chaos a little less chaotic altogether. 

But something that we're still figuring out is how to know when you're supposed to rest and when you're supposed to grind. In this time, when things feel easier and I'm less worried about what will happen tomorrow, I hear my heart telling me: rest, rest, rest. Enjoy this. It might not last. Eventually there will be a job or relationship or life change. Eventually there will be a greater level of chaos. But my head? It's telling me go, go, go. Make a change, take on a new project, develop yourself, hustle. 

And it's a fine line. Because going and creating is so, so good. We're meant to make the most of our time on this earth - to leave it better than we found it. But, there is something so important about stillness. When things slow down, it's important that we embrace it. 

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For me it's this sweet, sweet summer season. When things are a little less crazy before always-busy fall arrives. I was talking with a friend recently about a list I'd made of errands to run and gifts to buy and cards to write. The list was important, in a way, but not right-now-important. I was talking about having to get it all done and then enjoy the weekend. But relaxation couldn't be had until I checked those things off. And she said: I don't think you know that some time is meant to be unproductive. You're always being productive.

And I stopped in my tracks. Unproductive? What does that even mean?

But she was right. Some seasons are meant to be the busiest and others are meant to be the calmest. And the same goes for some weekends and some Tuesdays. 

I recently heard a theory about crop rotation and how farmers had to figure out that you can't plant in the same soil every season, because your crops will be fruitless, as the soil will be too tired. You have to rest the soil, so you have to rotate your crops. And right now, I'm rotating, too. This summer is about enjoying all of the good and being so grateful for it.

Soon, we'll be planting and harvesting. But today? Is for enjoying this summer season for as long as it lasts. 

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Spicy-Lime Chicken Salad & Cast-Iron Charred Corn & Yucca (two recipes)

Being a Hoosier means a lot of things to me. And of of those things is that summertime = corn time. Knee high by the Fourth of July is no joke where I come from. 

Earlier this week, I got an itchin to be in the kitchen and wanted to try something completely new. I knew I wanted corn involved and the meal had to be fresh. Essentially, seasons completely dictate my palate. 

Since I was feeling adventurous, I decided to try out Yucca Root (the grocery labeled it as Yuka FYI). It has a lot of vitamins, antioxidants and some fiber and protein. And also, it looks like a tree. Sooo I wanted to try eating it. Because that's fun. 

Normally I shy away from anything I don't know how to make (like Yucca) but I strongly recommend it. It was easy peasy! And here's how you do it...

{Side note: Because the chicken is better the longer it marinates, I would start with that and while it is in the fridge, start on the Yucca. But I did it backwards and it was still tasty :)}

Cast-Iron Charred Corn & Yucca

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 Yucca Plant (about 12 inches long)

3 c. Corn (frozen)

1 T Coconut oil 

Salt, pepper, Cayenne and onion powder to taste

Directions

Cut ends of Yucca plant, then cut in half

Begin shaving off the bark - similarly to how you peel a potato. It's OK if you lose some of the meat of the root in the process.

Cut the remaining plant into cubes

In a regular sauce pan add coconut oil and cook Yucca at medium heat 

Add salt, pepper, Cayenne and onion powder to taste

Cook until plant begins to brown (see below)

Mix Yucca and corn in cast-iron skillet

Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for 7 to 10 minutes - until the corn begins to brown (if you want a creamier taste, you can throw in more coconut oil here. I also added more Cayenne to the corn because I love spicy.)

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes - stirring often

Enjoy!

And next up: Spicy-Lime Chicken Salad 

  

Spicy Lime Chicken Summer Salad

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

4 Chicken breasts

5 T hot sauce (I prefer Frank's)

2 limes

1 large bag of spinach

1 c. cherry tomatoes

1 large avocado

1 pineapple (confession, I bought one package of pre-cut.)

1 red pepper

1 cucumber

Salt, pepper, Cayenne and onion to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk hot sauce, squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper

Cut chicken breasts into cubes

Mix chicken into marinade bowl and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes

While chicken is marinating, cut vegetables and lay over spinach

Refrigerate while chicken is cooking

Bake chicken on a lightly greased/oiled cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes (until cooked all the way through). Flip chicken once throughout baking to ensure it's cooked evenly.

Eating alongside the corn and yucca and enjoy!

And that's all :)

on summer and happiness

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Lately in Atlanta, the humidity has been low and it's been almost fally. Every night the sidewalks are bustling - people out and about, soaking up the oddly cool late July. Last night, my very oldest Atlanta friend, Katie, and I went for a walk - joining in on the street parade and catching up on life. 

While we were walking, she was sharing some exciting news in her life and told me that sometimes she thinks people view happiness as a Zero-Sum Game and that she doesn't think it has to be that way. Not an economist, I had to ask her to explain more. In econ, there is a theory that in order for one thing to gain, another must be lost, so the sum is always zero. 

She said that when it comes to happiness, just because one person gains happiness, doesn't mean another person has to lose it. 

She said she believes, honestly, there is enough space in the world for all of us to be happy.

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It can be easy in your 20s - in this season of uneven - to feel frustrated when someone else gets what you want. But, to Katie's point, just because you bought a house, got a boyfriend, got a promotion and got engaged, doesn't mean I can't have those things. Your gain doesn't mean my loss. It simply means your gain. 

I think it's important to remember. Because the best thing we can do is root for one another. 

And if we get into the habit of believing that another person's happiness equals our unhappiness, it takes up space in our minds - and in our hearts. It makes it so we're unable to just be glad for our friends - it forces us to look at everything through our own selfish lens, instead of looking at it through someone else's.

So that's what I'm remembering today. To root for the happiness, the success and the joy of those around me. To remember that there is enough space in this world for your gain and my gain and for each and every one of us to create the life we want. And to remember every day that happiness isn't a zero sum game. It's just a sum game. It all just continues to add up. And that's pretty great.