Category Archives: foodie

Nudged: Finalize The List 2.0

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Backstory: We’re almost there! For the past few weeks I’ve been doing exercises to come up with nudges. (Scroll back through those posts if you want to do them too.) I have a long list of challenges that encompasses Passion & Play, Creativity, Spiritual Growth, Work, Self-Care, Home Care, and miscellaneous fun stuff.

Now it’s time to cut it down.

This week I’m going to read through my list and consider if each proposed nudge fits the following criteria:

  • Is this something I can do in one week’s time?
  • Is it inexpensive?
  • Does it make me uncomfortable? (It should.)
  • Is it fun? (Most should have some element of fun.)

What Happened: Here it is! The List for 52Nudges 2.0.

  • Assemble a gift basket for myself
  • Bake cookies
  • Book 4 hikes/walks with 4 different friends
  • Browse a clothing consignment shop
  • Buy a nice new dishtowel
  • Buy two bunches of flowers – one for me, one for a friend
  • Claim my “Bread”
  • Clean out my makeup box
  • Compliment a stranger
  • Create a chalk message on the front sidewalk
  • Curate my own film series
  • Do a Fairy Deed
  • Do a favor for a friend
  • Do something backwards
  • Do something crafty
  • Do something I hate
  • Do something patriotic
  • Do something that scares me
  • Donate
  • Enjoy a fire in the fireplace
  • Exhale
  • Explore a used bookstore, spend just $10
  • Explore/read 3 new-to-me blogs + comment
  • Find my new signature scent
  • Get to know one great female artist
  • Give a book to a Free Library Box
  • Give in to an impulse that gives me joy
  • Go on a date night at new-to-us bar
  • Go through one bookshelf
  • Go to a park, do nothing for 30 minutes
  • Go to coffee house with an educational book and learn something new
  • Go to the beach
  • Have lunch outside
  • Ignore the laundry
  • Immerse myself in one big project
  • Investigate free programs and put one on the calendar
  • Invite someone “new” to coffee
  • Iron. Seriously, iron.
  • Jump rope
  • Keep a gratitude journal for 7 days x10
  • Learn how to sign a fun phrase in American Sign Language
  • Learn something about my city’s history
  • Learn something from a YouTube video
  • Let something go
  • Limit my mobile phone time
  • Make a list of cities I want to visit; pick one to explore
  • Make a pie or tart
  • Make a plan to visit Krista
  • Make and decorate a cake
  • Memorize a poem
  • No complaining, no whining x7
  • Notice something
  • Phone a friend
  • Pick something from Big To Do List, break it down
  • Plate our dinners
  • Play dress-up
  • Practice scientific prayer
  • Purge the underwear drawer
  • Re-memorize the 50 state capitols
  • Read through an old journal
  • Room by room, tidy the house
  • Say “yes” to something new
  • Schedule a game night
  • Schedule a long phone chat with a friend
  • Send a handwritten thank you note to a client, boss, or coworker
  • Set a small goal and blow it away
  • Sit (and sweat) in a sauna
  • Spiff up my nightstand
  • Splurge on something for me
  • Take 1 photo/day of something that makes me happy
  • Take a hard look at my calendar and carve out time for me
  • Take a weeklong break from Facebook or online news
  • Take journal to coffee house for 1 hour
  • Thank a writer, artist, or musician
  • Throw a spontaneous party
  • Treat my feet
  • Try a new cocktail recipe
  • Use the good body lotion every night
  • Use the good china
  • Use the good silver x2
  • Wander Joann’s fabric/craft store
  • Wear different shoes every day
  • Wipe down the kitchen cabinets
  • Work 2 hours in a remote space
  • Wrap gifts
  • Write “thinking of you” postcards to 5 old friends

I printed it out, cut it into strips, scrunched each strip into a little ball, and loaded them into my special bowl. Each Sunday, starting in three days, I’ll pick one nudge and tackle it during the week.

This list is yours to use, too, if you wish. Feel free to print it out and cut it into strips. Or create your own list, or create a mix of mine+yours. (For inspiration, check recent posts for exercises that will help you develop your own nudges.)

The other options are to simply follow along and do Nudges with me, or read along and take in inspiration whenever it hits. It’s never too late to join in and there’s no “right” way to do it.

Ah-Hahs: It was challenging at times to decide what stays and what goes. You’ll notice that there are more than 52 nudges on The List, and that’s intentional. I want to always have options, I want to always feel surprised.

As I went through this last step, my overall feeling was excitement. I’m looking forward to being delighted and challenged by each nudge. I’m ready to do this, and I hope you’ll join me.

52Nudges 2.0 starts Sunday, September 8!

See you back here Sunday morning!

 

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Nudged: Review the original List

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Backstory: For the past couple of weeks I’ve been journaling and brainstorming and exploring tasks that might make it on to The List for 52Nudges 2.0.

This week I’m going to review old posts, to see if there are any old Nudges I’d like to do again. Take a look, and let me know if there were any you thought were particularly effective–or worth revisiting.

Before I started the whole project, I reached out to a my sister and a couple of close friends to ask “What do you remember about me as a kid? What did I love to do? What was I passionate about? What have I let go that you think I should try again?” Their answers led to some of my original Nudges, so I’m not interviewing anyone this week. But you might. What have you forgotten about yourself? What have you let go of that you’d like to try again?

What Happened: I took a break after delivering a big job early Wednesday morning and spent an hour reviewing all the post topics (dating back to March 2018) from the first round of 52Nudges. Some seemed so small, but had big impacts (Wear red lipstick, Visit a new-to-me bookstore). Some didn’t work out so well (creating a vision board was a bust), but others were fun, challenging, motivating. I got to “Create a chalk message on the front sidewalk” and immediately got up from my desk, grabbed the basket of chalks, and headed outside to do this:

Have a FUN day!

It’s going back on The List because it scratches my creativity itch, it’s uncomfortable (I’m sure the neighbors think I’m nuts), and it feeds my soul (those uplifting messages are really directed at me, you know).

The point of this week’s Nudge was to see if there were any I wanted to do over, either because they were really fun or because I feel there might be more for me to learn from them. Some that may make it onto the final 2.0 List:

  • Compliment a stranger
  • Work offsite
  • Go through one bookshelf
  • Be early to everything
  • Use the good silver
  • Fix something

Ah-Hah: One is definitely not going the list: Listen to 2 old CDs. Why am I dropping this? Because that one tiny Nudge has been a huge success. I drew that Nudge in September 2018, and after I went through our personal collection, I branched out. Now, every couple of weeks or so, I go to my public library and request CDs of music I’ve never listened to before. I’ve heard opera, hip-hop, jazz, pop. I’ve sung and groaned aloud, depending on how much I liked/disliked what I’ve heard, whether it be country or classical or contemporary. I’ve developed new appreciation and respect for great artists of past and current generations, and I’ve let go of any need to like someone’s music because someone else said it’s “great”.

All because I nudged myself to try something different.

Cool. 🙂

 

 

 

Re-Nudging: Visit a new market

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I’m on vacation–a real, fully unplugged vacation! While I’m out, I’m re-running a couple of favorite Nudges. You might try them again for yourself, read them simply for entertainment, or use them as inspiration to try one of your own new Nudges this week. When I get back, keep an eye on this space for news about a rebooting of 52Nudges in the fall. I’d love to have you join me. And if you haven’t already, sign up to receive the posts in your inbox. Subscribing is FREE. Cheers! — Kathleen

Backstory: A few weeks ago my husband and I tried out a sushi restaurant that just opened up in the neighborhood. At the table next to us, a dad ordered a table full of items for his two girls, who looked to be about five and two years old. No one complained or whined or insisted she was no longer eating things that were green (or raw or gooey). The two-year-old gobbled up salmon roe like they were jelly beans. It was amazing to watch—so inspiring! When I was growing up, I wouldn’t touch fish unless it was smothered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. And (and this is a tad embarrassing) I didn’t have my first sushi until I was in my 30s. Even now, I order the same things pretty much every time we go out.

Ruts. If I’m honest with myself, I have too many. I need to shake up my routines and expand my experiences. So for this week’s Nudge, I am going to check out a store that is new to me and wander for inspiration. Maybe I’ll go to a spice shop. Maybe I’ll pop into a bakery that creatively blends traditional flavors with contemporary culinary tricks. Or maybe I’ll just go to the big, beautiful, brand-new Whole Foods that’s nearby and see what’s in season.

What looks intriguing to you this week?

What Happened: My first thought was to visit our local farmers’ market, but it’s only held on Sunday mornings, and we almost always have something else to do at that time (see family or friends, go for a bike ride, sleep in). I also didn’t want to take my chances of putting this Nudge off all week and screwing it up (see Nudged: Wander an expensive store). My second pick was a decades-old produce market neighbors have raved about. Apparently it’s like an every-day farmers’ market, and generations of my friends’ families have made it their go-to shop for local fruits and veggies. Perfect!

But as my darling husband and I discussed the Nudge, he suggested I go way outside my comfort zone. Way, waaaaay outside.

“What about the Chinese market you always walk past?” he asked.

“But I wouldn’t know what anything was.”

“Exactly. You’d have to ask, How do you make this? What’s it good in?”

Hmmm…. Wise man, my guy.

So, while out and about walking errands in our neighborhood, between picking up a prescription at Target and returning books to the library, I paused at the Chinese market. Out front I spotted pineapples and ginger roots in bins. I wasn’t completely lost. Encouraged, I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was a little like stepping through a portal to another country. The signs were all written in Chinese, and I recognized very little of the packaged goods. Even the packages that had English translations were baffling. What in the heck is a “three tooth fish”?

Salted Dried Three Tooth Fish

Live frogs–for real

But the fun began with the live stuff. Big tanks with crabs and lobsters and fish, and a trash can-sized barrel of…What is that?…Are they moving?…Holy Toledo, that one just blinked!…live frogs, each about the size of my husband’s fist.

I was so not buying a live frog.

Feeling slightly freaked out, I made my way around to the front of the shop and spotted a bin of something that looked like mini cucumbers. For $1.99/lb., I could risk it. I took my one tiny item to the checkout counter, where the woman at the register greeted me with a long stream of I have no idea what. I smiled like an idiot and mumbled “Thank you,” hoping that was an appropriate response to what she had said to me.

That night I chopped up my mystery item and was relieved to discover it was, in fact, some kind of cucumber. I had planned to take a photo so you could see it, but it was so delicious, we ate it before it hit the plates.

Delicious cucumber things

The Ah-Hahs: I’ve daydreamed about, and my husband and I have even discussed, the possibility of living/working in a foreign country for a period of time, maybe three months, maybe a year. While my job can be done remotely anywhere, his does not translate. Maybe we could do it if we won big in the lottery and didn’t have to work. It could happen.

But probably the biggest hindrance is neither of us in bilingual. I’d like to think we could, with time and effort, learn the basics of a language here and be able to pick up idioms once we established a residency, but geez, it would be hard. Just getting around, learning the customs and courtesies, taking care of things like banking and driving, and, well, finding food, would all be exhausting. I imagine myself repeating my encounter with the woman at this market’s counter, of being overwhelmed by the selection of unfamiliar foods, of having her talk to me in a steady stream of what sounds to me like gibberish, and standing there like an ugly American tourist who has made no effort to even try to be respectful. This could certainly happen outside our borders, because, heck, I just had it happen a few blocks from home.

Still no clue what this is

Or would it be exhilarating? Are we too old and set in our ways to pursue a grand adventure? I’m thinking maybe, which strikes me as a little sad, but also a little realistic. I’m thinking it might be enough to broaden our Bucket List of places we want to visit, then be sure we line up some savvy English-speaking guides. Or maybe we start by asking around about authentic restaurants in town. Certainly we have an abundance of choices in cosmopolitan San Francisco.

Inspired, I did a quick google search for “best ethnic restaurants in San Francisco.” Jackpot! I found this article from two years ago.

Afghanistan, Chile, Iceland. Iceland! Something like 70 countries are represented. The article ends with “Forget packing your bags. The adventures offered at these Bay Area eateries require only a love for food and a willingness to try new things.”

Guess what’s going on my List for future Nudges?

Re-Nudging: Pre-dinner drinks outside

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I’m on vacation–a real, fully unplugged vacation! While I’m out, I’m re-running a couple of favorite Nudges. You might try them again for yourself, read them simply for entertainment, or use them as inspiration to try one of your own new Nudges this week. When I get back, keep an eye on this space for news about a rebooting of 52Nudges in the fall. I’d love to have you join me. And if you haven’t already, sign up to receive the posts in your inbox. Subscribing is FREE. Cheers! — Kathleen

Backstory: I love eating outside: a picnic in the park, dinner under the stars, morning tea on the front porch. When I lived in Southern California, all three meals might be enjoyed at my little bistro table in the front yard, and in the summers I hosted the occasional dinner party under my flowering crepe myrtle tree. Bliss. Now that I live in San Francisco, the colder weather makes this less appealing, and I’ve missed it.

Also, when I’ve traveled in Europe, I’ve appreciated the ritual of transition between working hours and the dinner hour. Some of my favorite meals in France were preceded by a glass of wine, good bread, and bowls of olives and goat cheese, plus light conversation. Too often at home I go straight from the stress at my desk to the scramble of dinner prep, to scarfing down dinner, to collapsing into bed.

There has to be a better way.

What Happened: Naturally, I drew this challenge on a particularly cold and gloomy week, so forget taking in a dazzling sunset. It was also a week when my husband worked some long and late hours. I put it off, hoping circumstances would be more favorable, but at some point I just had to bite the bullet and get it done.

I poured some good wine, opened a can of black olives, and set everything on a pretty silver tray. Bundled up in a thick scarf and down parka, I made my way to the front door. My husband was still at work, so it was just me this time. I sat on the front step, sipped some wine, and…watched the storm clouds go by. When was the last time I watched the clouds? I honestly can’t remember, but easily 10 years ago. How sad is that? I felt myself taking longer and deeper breaths, slipping into almost a meditative state as I released the tensions of a full day of work. I resisted the urge to check text messages, although on another occasion this would be the perfect time for a brief catching-up call with a friend. Or better yet, I could invite a local friend to join me. Just 15 minutes did the trick. After his own very stressful workday, my darling husband was greeted by a glass of wine, a bowl of olives, and, best of all, a calm wife who set the tone for his evening.

The Ah-Hah: I want to do this more regularly. On dark, cold nights, a candle (or several) would be a nice addition to make my porch a cozier refuge. I’d also like to try this in the morning (sans alcohol, of course), to watch the sunrise and begin my day with calm. It’s not a big production, it doesn’t take a lot of time, but I can feel a big positive impact.

Nudged: Try a new recipe

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Aaack! I was doing some admin this afternoon and discovered this post–originally scheduled to appear on April 13–never went live due to some technical glitch. I did indeed complete the Nudge in the one week, it’s just making it’s appearance now. Better late than never! 🙂

 

Backstory: Good timing!

I pulled this Nudge several months ago, when I didn’t have the time and wasn’t in the mood. But I love cooking and baking! I love experimenting in the kitchen! And my file of recipes (clipped from magazines and printed from online sources) is overflowing, so this is the perfect time to get back into an activity that feeds (pun fully intended) my soul.

Maybe this is the week you try a healthy version of one of your favorite dishes. Or challenge yourself with a meal from a different culture. Or, if cooking is not your thing, spread your wings and try a new technique in a hobby that makes you happy. The key words here are “try” and “new”.

What Happened: I had big plans for this week. BIG PLANS! I pulled two recipes for new-to-me entrees, two for spring veggies, and three for desserts. By Friday, I got a little more (ahem) realistic and decided to make one of the desserts, a “simple” raspberry tart, for a dinner party tonight.

Friday night I made the crust. We knew something was up when, in the middle of a relaxed dinner, all of the smoke alarms went off. We opened all the windows, I opened the oven, and, once the smoke cleared, I found this:

WTF?!?

A quick review of the recipe revealed I had used 3/4 of a cup of flour, not the called-for 1+3/4 cups. Disaster! “We can buy dessert on the way over,” my darling husband said. Well, phooey.

Two hours later I was back in the kitchen with laser focus and renewed determination. “I love when you get feisty,” my darling husband said.

This beauty came out of the oven:

Just now I added the fresh berries, and we will soon be on our way to share this with friends. Fingers crossed it tastes as delish as it looks.

Ah-Hahs: I am out of practice. I haven’t used these muscles in a while, and it shows. This week was a wake-up call for me, a reminder to use my gifts, to practice, and to enjoy my skills. To that end, I am going to make another tart—with a couple of twists—for a dinner party next weekend. Bon appetit!

Nudging: Try a New Recipe

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Backstory: Good timing!

I pulled this Nudge several months ago, when I didn’t have the time and wasn’t in the mood. But I love cooking and baking! I love experimenting in the kitchen! And my file of recipes (clipped from magazines and printed from online sources) is overflowing, so this is the perfect time to get back into an activity that feeds (pun fully intended) my soul.

Maybe this is the week you try a healthy version of one of your favorite dishes. Or challenge yourself with a meal from a different culture. Or, if cooking is not your thing, spread your wings and try a new technique in a hobby that makes you happy. The key words here are “try” and “new”.

Nudged: Do something I hate (i.e., weeding)

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Backstory: Ugh. Remember when I/we did something that scared us? (Read that post here.) That was scary (obvs), but it also had an element of fun. Not so much this Nudge. This has a taint of must-do, take responsibility, be an adult.

Or…I need to see this as spreading my wings and taking a leap of faith out of my nest.

That seems much more exciting, doesn’t it? 🙂 Let’s do this.

What Happened: The actual slip of paper for this Nudge includes “(i.e., weeding)”, so I initially thought about weeding at least part of the backyard, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. (Seriously, I do not enjoy gardening, as we learned in this post about finding a new bookstore. When I win big in the lottery, my first outsourcing will be to hire someone to clean up my garden—and maintain it—for me.)

Instead I decided to tackle the refrigerator. This is one of those household tasks that ends up on my to do list almost every week, and almost every week gets bumped to the end of the line.

So… I pulled on the ol’ rubber gloves, grabbed the trash can, and dove in.

Two words: Bio. Hazard.

Is sticking to a new diet on your list of New Year’s Resolutions? Then I’ve got a sure-fire trick for you to achieve your goal. Just pull a few condiments out of your fridge, read the expiration dates (oh, sweet god), then try, just see if you can open the lids that have become glued to the jars by what is now unidentifiable muck.

Gag-o-rama.

But it got done. All of it. And honestly, it wasn’t all that bad. Nothing pre-dated my marriage, which made me feel a tiny bit better about things. (I say this because there was a time when I went through the spice rack and discovered some items lurking in the back that should have been added to the compost pile ages ago). And there wasn’t a lot. I was definitely shaming myself for wasted food as I tossed unused items, but I couldn’t dwell on things that at this point were way beyond saving.

Ah-Hah: So fresh start. Clean shelves. Open spaces. When I popped out to the market this afternoon, I only purchased ingredients for our next several meals, and you can trust that moving forward I’ll be conscientious about only buying what we need for now.

It’s not perfectly organized, but it’s clean and I know what’s in there. Progress!

I’d like to tell you that during the process I also experienced a personal ah-hah, one in which I chose to embrace that every day is a fresh start with open spaces for new opportunities. I didn’t.

I also could have looked at this as an opportunity to examine the things in my life that have the potential to make me “sick”, physically, emotionally. I didn’t really do that either. But somewhere in the back shelves of my subconscious, the ideas are there, and maybe I’ll find myself making healthier choices as a result.

What did you weed out of your life this week?

52+: When Nudging pays off

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There’s this local craft spirits distillery I’ve been curious about for a couple of years. When a friend introduced me to their gin, in particular, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I wanted to learn more. I picked up a book about the history of gin. I tried flights at bars and experimented with cocktails at home.

Then about eight months ago, I nudged myself and coordinated a group of friends to go for a tour and tasting. It was fantastic. The whole time we were there I kept thinking, “It would be really fun to work here.”

So I nudged myself again and called them. Turns out they were hiring for the tasting room team, so I applied. And then I interviewed, went through intense training, was tested extensively, and got hired. I’m now there every Sunday alongside wonderful colleagues. I welcome guests from all over the world, tell stories, and learn new things.

I know: Wow!

This isn’t replacing my day job; it’s actually on top of all the other things I do. Friends have suggested I’ll one day write a book about gin, or start distilling my own in the bathtub. (Never say never!) I don’t know. I don’t know who I might meet or where it might lead. The future is uncertain, of course, so for now I’m just having fun. (And getting paid a bit while doing it.)

I have been meaning to share this with the 52Nudges community for ages, but there was part of me that wanted to make sure the job would “stick” before I went public. That sounds silly, now, but I was uneasy. Would they like me? Would I screw up? Would I burn out?

So far so good.  🙂

I share this with you now because I realize all of this came about because I opened myself up to opportunities and I nudged myself to:

  • Plan a fun outing with friends
  • Do something that scares me
  • Take a risk
  • Challenge my intellect and learn something new
  • Pursue a passion

If I wrapped up this whole 52Nudges project right now, I’d consider it a win. However, this experience inspires me to keep going. What might the next Nudge reveal? I am excited to discover the possibilities.

How will you nudge yourself this week? Is there something on the edge of your dreams you want to try? Please hear this from me: Go for it. ♥

Nudged: Open DNS wine; drink from Waterford glass

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Backstory: DNS stands for “Do Not Share” and represents the bottles of wine in our basement on which we’ve spent too much money. They were purchased amidst conversations such as “This would be great for your milestone birthday! We can open this on our anniversary! Let’s save this for…”, but then they sit on the shelves because nothing ever seems quite “DNS-worthy”.

Ridiculous. These are meant to be enjoyed!

So this week I’m going to open one up, let it breathe, then pour it into the Waterford crystal glasses my mother gave me decades ago for my Hope Chest.

Anyone else have one of those lying around? When was the last time you opened it? When was the last time you used one of the “special” items stored inside?

Here’s your Nudge to do just that.

P.S. I’m not yet sure of my husband’s plans this week, but I will try to work around his schedule so he can share in this. If he isn’t available, I’m still going to do this Nudge by and for myself. Whether you’re with a significant other, a houseful of cranky teenagers, a roommate, friends, or just your wonderful self, I hope you’ll find a way to treat yourself to something extra special this week. Don’t have anything stashed away? Why not splurge a bit and go get something, even if it’s just one glass of a super delicious beverage at a restaurant or bar? Not a drinker? Then buy the fancy chocolate or overpriced organic produce or the freshest and most delicious cut of something at the butcher’s or fish counter. You’re worth it!

What Happened: Last night, I ordered Chinese food for delivery. But instead of eating out of the little white boxes in front of the TV (a typical weeknight practice after long days), we spooned our food onto the good china plates and took everything to the dining room table. I lit some candles, and I poured the wine into the beautiful Waterford glasses. Everything about this meal encouraged taking our time. We ate—not gobbled—our food. We sipped a gorgeous wine that encouraged enjoying, not overdoing. We had a relaxed conversation, versus trying to achieve relaxation by zoning out.

It was a lovely evening.

Ah-Hah: Making tonight happen actually took very little effort. Why is it I felt like it would be a hassle? I clearly spent no time on food prep, and cleanup was not so bad. Amazing how just a few adjustments—using the good plates and glasses, choosing to sit at the table versus the TV trays—could make such a difference in how truly relaxed we felt.

Also, sometimes I look at our modest collection of wine in the basement and I imagine how I’ll feel if it all comes crashing down in an earthquake. Sobering, right? (And I realize that was a lousy pun.) We’ve worked hard for the nice things we have in life, and it’s time we started enjoying the fruits—and wines—of our labors.