Category Archives: foodie

Nudging: Use the good silver x2

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PASS #2: My first draw this morning was “Practice scientific prayer”. As I understand this, scientific prayer is praying “as if” you already have what you’re praying for. Instead of “Please heal me!” for example, you say “Thank you for my whole and healthy body!” It’s deeper than just saying the words, as the practice is to get you to the place where you feel the Truth of what you’re praying. This is a great nudge, for sure, but since I’ve recently kept a gratitude journal and practiced other exercises with the Law of Attraction, this feels redundant. So…. Next! 🙂

Backstory: By sheer luck of inheritance, I have two full sets of gorgeous silverware. One set gets brought out for the occasional special occasion. The other set has…ahem…never been used. I’m really not “saving” these precious items, I simply don’t remember to use them.

Until now. Break out the good stuff, people! Let’s use and enjoy what we have!

Nudged: Take 1 photo/day of something that makes me happy

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Backstory: I see this campaign, or something like it, on Facebook all the time: Post something that makes you smile! Share the 27th photo on your phone!

Actually, though, it was Carrie at Me & My Quite Contrary Life who inspired me to “capture my joy” for this nudge.

One week, seven photos. Starting with…a perfectly relaxed and civilized breakfast.

What Happened: I almost cheated! How easy it would have been to snap seven quick shots on Sunday and be done with this. But I’m so glad I resisted that temptation, because this nudge (as usual) turned out to be more than a simple task.

Here are my other six, one per day:

Great books.

Scharffenberger dark chocolate. No nuts!

Louie, my cuddle bug.

My beautiful old home (with circa 1928 tiles).

My Thor, my everything.

Healthy plants that feed my body…

…and my soul. These were both gifts from friends, and I think of them whenever I see these plants.

The Ah-Hahs: This nudge was super fun. It totally lifted my spirits this week, and it taught me about noticing and appreciating in the moment. I found myself searching for things that make me happy all week long, and I easily could have posted 100+ photos. I slowed down, I paid attention, I looked at the details.

The bathroom tile came late in the week and kind of blew me away. I love our old house, her character, her strength. We’ve resisted doing any serious remodeling in the bathroom because we don’t want to lose the great tiles. In fact, I love showing it off — even with some of its signs of age — when we have guests, but usually I just point out the pink tiles on the walls, the checkered floor. It wasn’t until I went in close to take the photo for this nudge that I really appreciated the designs within the design. What a gift!

Over the past couple of months I’ve struggled to find joy amidst the challenges. So often I told myself I’d get through it all by looking at the Big Picture. I’m now recognizing how looking at the small picture, appreciating the delightful “little” things in life, can really help too.

Wow. 🙂

Nudging: Take 1 photo/day of something that makes me happy

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Backstory: I see this campaign, or something like it, on Facebook all the time: Post something that makes you smile! Share the 27th photo on your phone!

Actually, though, it was Carrie at Me & My Quite Contrary Life who inspired me to “capture my joy” for this nudge.

One week, seven photos. Starting with…a perfectly relaxed and civilized breakfast.

 

Nudged: Bake cookies

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Backstory: This nudge came from some brainstorming I did as I thought about what to include on The List. I devoted some time to recall “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” I loved baking! I loved being creative in the kitchen! In elementary school, my best pal (Hi, Krista!) and I did a lot of experimenting and even had our own sort of “signature” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So this is my nudge to get back to doing things that feed my soul. The “uncomfortable” part? Well, I don’t really like eating most baked goods. (I know, crazy.) I’ll give them a taste, then I’ll give the rest away in care packages. Feels like a win-win!

As always, you can do this week’s nudge with me or pick something that speaks to you. What did you love doing when you were eight years old? Here’s your excuse to do it again.

What Happened: I chose a new-to-me recipe–for apple+raisin+oatmeal cookies–and tried it out. They were…meh. About as exciting as they look:

But I enjoyed the experience, and that’s what counts!

After I delivered care packages to a few neighbors (with promises to share samples of my next experiment–I hope it’s better!), I sat down and looked through the rest of that particular recipe book. I’ve had it since the mid-1990s! There were notations of hits and misses, suggestions for future improvements, and tags on recipes to try. I got kind of a tingly feeling as I flipped through. Anticipation, excitement. I marked a couple of other recipes I want to try and some I want to revisit, and I’m thinking maybe I’ll work my way through the rest of this book over the next few weeks. I’ll make copies of the recipes I want to keep, then share the book with someone else. Baking, creativity, care packages, decluttering. Fun!

The Ah-Hahs: I’ve noticed recently that baking/cooking is a theme in my life. Many of the TV shows I watch are either competitions or lessons. I love novels that include recipes. Even when I go to the movies, I like scenes about preparing and sharing meals. When I watch period movies or documentaries or take tours of historic homes, the rooms I most want to study are the kitchen and dining room. I don’t think I need to unpack this much further. Ever since I was little, baking has made me happy.

Baking + creativity + care packages + decluttering = FUN!

Nudging: Bake cookies

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Backstory: This nudge came from some brainstorming I did as I thought about what to include on The List. I devoted some time to recall “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” I loved baking! I loved being creative in the kitchen! In elementary school, my best pal (Hi, Krista!) and I did a lot of experimenting and even had our own sort of “signature” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So this is my nudge to get back to doing things that feed my soul. The “uncomfortable” part? Well, I don’t really like eating most baked goods. (I know, crazy.) I’ll give them a taste, then I’ll give the rest away in care packages. Feels like a win-win!

As always, you can do this week’s nudge with me or pick something that speaks to you. What did you love doing when you were eight years old? Here’s your excuse to do it again.

Nudged: Explore 3 new-to-me blogs + comment

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Backstory: I’m always looking to expand my horizons, learn something new, challenge myself. This nudge is designed to encourage me to set time aside to actually do it.

Will I discover a new hobby or a company I’d like to work for? Feed a curiosity? Be inspired by someone I admire? All possible.

The uncomfortable part is the commenting. But like with other activities, I’m sure I’ll get more out of the experience if I actually engage.

What Happened: Well….

1) An author’s blog. I’d signed up for this person’s newsletter a while back, but have never received anything beyond the welcome message. This week I explored her website in search of the promised blog (no luck) and checked out her Instagram, but it appears to be mostly personal/family photos. Bust.

2) A specialty soap company. Was hoping for some interesting info, but it was mostly notices about new products and sales promotions. Nonetheless, I am intrigued by their lovely offerings, and I got some ideas for gifts for upcoming holidays and birthdays–including a possible splurge for my own birthday. Pretty much another bust.

3) A prosecco club. I love bubbly wines and am currently on a quest to learn more about how champagne and prosecco are made and how I might pair them with food. Did a quick search to find related blogs and found one that looked promising. A post on travel packages mentioned a hotel that offers a bath in a tub filled with prosecco(!)…starting at 9,000 euros. (Not in this lifetime!) Other posts featured cocktail recipes, but I soon noticed some of the pictured ingredients were missing and instructions were inaccurate. (Meanwhile, it made me thirsty to try some new things, like pairing prosecco with fish ‘n’ chips–yum!) I gave up, however, when I noticed that the last post was over two years old and there was no place to add new comments. Semi-bust.

Another completed nudge–cheers! (Bubbly image by vbosica from Pixabay)

The Ah-Hahs: This nudge was disappointing. I’d hoped to find something that tickled and intrigued me and inspired me to learn more. Didn’t quite come together. Still, I’m glad I tried. And I haven’t given up. There’s a worldwide web of information out there, and I will explore some more another day.

I am curious: Did you find anything that intrigued or inspired you? Did you comment, and did you hear back from the host? Please share.

Nudged: Learn something from a YouTube video

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Backstory: This nudge is inspired by part from when I taught myself how to whistle through my fingers by watching YouTube videos. My main inspiration, however, came from our friend, who we’ll call “Mr. Fab.” A few years ago, in his late 50s, Mr. Fab decided to learn how to cook. His wife is an excellent cook, so he had no need to add this to his skills set, he just wanted to try something new. And not just “How to scramble eggs.” The first meal we had with him was a roasted suckling pig. Bam! He learned how select his protein, prep and cook it, and carve it, all from watching videos online.

When I drew this nudge early this morning, I didn’t have to think long and hard about what I might like to do. I want to learn how to make pretty patterns in our coffees, like those cool people do at cool coffeehouses. So here’s this morning’s cup, as a baseline (i.e., just a mocha).

Tomorrow I’ll set aside time to search for and watch instructional videos. Fun!

What might you learn this week?

What Happened: OMG THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN I LEARNED A LOT CAFFEINE IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND!!!

…deep breath…I had a lot of espresso this week. 😉

After watching and studying different videos about the basics, tips, super fancy creations, and very intricate and beautiful designs, I felt I was ready to dive in. Tuesday morning, I created my first latte art heart:

I laughed so hard, if I’d taken a sip, it would have come out my nose. I texted the photo to a friend. “Check out my first-ever latte art heart!” She replied, “Maybe you should tell people you were going for ‘lungs’.” HA! 🙂

I swallowed my pride (and a very yummy beverage) and tried again Wednesday morning, this time attempting a hibiscus flower:

Okay, not horrible. More practice followed.

This morning I tried the hibiscus flower yet again:

I wasn’t happy with how it looked, so added some swirls and decided to call this a “swirling snowflake”. I think it’s very pretty.

The Ah-Hahs: This affirmed something I’ve always known about my self: I am a wordsmith, not a visual artist. Still, it was fun to stretch my creative muscles and try something totally outside my wheelhouse.

I also learned than when you concentrate and take your time and try to do latte art right, the one thing you’re guaranteed to get is cold coffee. So when I’m making coffee drinks at home, I’m just going to blend everything together and enjoy the warm goodness. And the next time I am handed a beautifully decorated coffee drink in a coffeehouse–that’s still hot!–I’m giving that barista a huge tip!

Nudging: Learn something from a YouTube video

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Backstory: This nudge is inspired by part from when I taught myself how to whistle through my fingers by watching YouTube videos. My main inspiration, however, came from our friend, who we’ll call “Mr. Fab.” A few years ago, in his late 50s, Mr. Fab decided to learn how to cook. His wife is an excellent cook, so he had no need to add this to his skills set, he just wanted to try something new. And not just “How to scramble eggs.” The first meal we had with him was a roasted suckling pig. Bam! He learned how select his protein, prep and cook it, and carve it, all from watching videos online.

When I drew this nudge early this morning, I didn’t have to think long and hard about what I might like to do. I want to learn how to make pretty patterns in our coffees, like those cool people do at cool coffeehouses. So here’s this morning’s cup, as a baseline (i.e., just a mocha).

Tomorrow I’ll set aside time to search for and watch instructional videos. Fun!

What might you learn this week?

 

Nudged: Learn something new about my city’s history

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Backstory: It’s embarrassing to admit, but I have now lived in my “new” city for over a decade and there’s still so much I don’t know about her!

So this week, I am nudging my inner history geek to do some research. I might look into a walking tour (something that I do regularly when I travel, but that languishes on my to do list here), pick up a book, watch a documentary movie, visit our library’s photo archives, or search for old maps.

If you and your city are already well acquainted, take this opportunity to research a city you’ve always wanted to visit. Do a little armchair traveling, and maybe it will inspire your next adventure!

What Happened: This nudge completely tickled my curiosity. Monday morning I thought about what I might like to learn, and started by googling “famous writers in San Francisco”. And down the rabbit hole I went! I learned Robert Frost was born here; the wonderful Lemony Snicket (real name Daniel Handler) is a current resident; Isabelle Allende, Anne Lamott, and Amy Tan live in nearby cities; and Mark Twain (who I knew had visited) worked here as a journalist (the first and last time he was ever fired from a job) for 19 months.

As I read more about Twain’s connection, I learned he stayed at the Occidental Hotel, a luxury hotel that was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake+fire. Robert Louis Stevenson was another famous guest.

Occidental Hotel, San Francisco

It’s also where bartender Jerry Thomas claimed to have invented the martini. There’s a huge debate about who shook or stirred the first martini. Thomas, though, is considered the “father of American mixology”. In 1863, he was earning $100 a week, which, I learned, was more than the vice president of the United States made at the time.

But back to Twain. While staying at the Occidental, he made frequent visits to the Turkish baths just down the street. It was there that he reportedly met a man named Tom Sawyer.

Cool!

The Ah-Hahs: As I skipped around from link to link, learning new tidbits about my beloved city, I gasped, I oohed, I laughed. And I planned. I want to walk in some famous footsteps. So, next date night, I’m going to suggest we visit one of the classic old bars downtown and raise a couple of martinis–to writers and innovators and people who make history. Fun!

To my readers who celebrate, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Kwanzaa!

Nudged: Investigate free programs, put 1 on the calendar

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Backstory: This nudge is designed to physically get me out of my comfort zone by exploring new places and trying new things. The “free” part may be the big challenge, and I’m going to need to be a bit creative. Street fairs, talks, programs at the library…? I’m feeling curious, and it feels good.

What Happened: This nudge was crazy-fun! I totally didn’t expect that! Here’s some of what I looked into:

  • Upcoming author events at my favorite foodie bookshop. (But I know I’d buy a book, so it doesn’t count as “free”.)
  • Checking out a local writers’ group. (A friend sent me the link. It wasn’t the right fit, but I was touched that she is looking for fun things for me to try.)
  • A Q&A with a local historian. (He’s promoting his new book, and, well, see bullet #1.)
  • A plethora of political events, from rallies to debates to meet ‘n’ greets with candidates.
  • Events and workshops at my nearby public library. (Was all set to go to a crafting event, till I saw it was for teens. Then got excited about a read-aloud event*, till I saw it was for toddlers. Sheesh.)
  • Open galleries and art shows.
  • Food & beverage events. (Found a coffee festival and a “Whiskies of the World” event, but both had hefty admission fees. Phooey. Then found a free chocolate-tasting event. Huzzah!)

What finally sparked my enthusiasm was a link to upcoming holiday events. For several years, my husband and I attended the big tree-lighting ceremony in Union Square the Friday after Thanksgiving. Great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Photo from UnionSquareShop.com

Since this nudge is about finding new things to do, though, I did a little more digging and found:

  • A tree lighting of a 100-plus-year-old live maple tree in Golden Gate Park.
  • The lighted boat parade on the Bay.

And something else caught my eye on one of those sites, so I clicked through and have added a note to my 2020 calendar to check back in the spring for:

  • Japantown’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

What fun new things did you discover?

*With Halloween coming up, I’m reminded of a good friend’s really cool tradition. While waiting for the few trick-or-treaters who come to her door, she and a couple of friends cozy up to a crackling fire and read spooky stories out loud. Think Edgar Allen Poe and his “Tell-tale Heart” or anything by Stephen King. I might have to try this on the 31st.