BSI Winner

well, i think it's officially summer.

apparently everyone was out enjoying it and not blogging, because i only had two people send recipes for the Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest.

two people!

but i'm glad there is more to life than blogging, yes?

the theme this week was peaches, sweet or savory recipes.

the lovely two bloggers who submitted recipes were from Quips, Travails and Braised Oxtails and Biggest Diabetic Loser.

here are their lovely recipes:

Michele's Peach Hand Pies with Lavender Cream

and our lovely host's Grilled Peaches with Sugar-Free Candied Walnuts

looks incredible, no?

honestly, i would have been happy to sink my teeth into either.

you pretty much have to prostitute your body to pay for organic peaches in richmond, so they are a rare treat for me!

i loved the stories behind both recipes - check our their originial posts!

since i am required to pick a winner, i'm gonna have to go with Miss Michele's hand pies.
the lavender cream just calls to me!!! i wish it could be shipped :)

congrats to both lovely ladies.

next week, the BSI will hosted by my buddy Jessica at Healthy Exposures.
I can't imagine what ridiculous theme she'll choose...
-rebekah

don't forget!!!

hey guys!

long, poopy day, but just wanted to pop in and remind you to send me your recipes for the Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest!

the theme is peaches - sweet or savory recipes, and a picture if you have one!

the deadline is tomorrow night, june 20th.

looking forward to some good eats!

-rebekah

letter to my body.

this is a hard post for me to write, i hate to admit.

you guys know how passionate i am about positive body image. after my struggles to accept my own body, i won't stand for one more girl to hate hers! i want you all to know how totally gorgeous you are!

because of that, i've been planning for a month or so to do an exposed post.

what is exposed, you say?

exposed is an amazing movement started by Mish of Eating Journey, where brave women (and men!) post a picture of their bodies and list positive, strong things that their bodies do for them.

in a world where women live to bash their bodies and are expected to botox, exposed is a bold counter-movement to embrace our bodies for what they are - real, and incredible!

and yet, no post. what gives? 

honestly, i just didn't feel good about posting any of the pictures i took. at all.

after a few days of debating if it was a good idea or not with my boyfriend, i decided i felt like i was taking bikini girl body-shots... and if you know me at all, that's not who i am.

do i think the other bloggers who participated were just showing off? NOT AT ALL! their pictures were beautifully candid, painfully honest, and tasteful.

but behind my camera lens, my body didn't... translate that way, if you know what i mean. i cried, i plotted, and eventually, i gave up.

so, change of plans.

i discovered something equally as powerful, Tasha's (the Voracious Vegan) love letter to her body, and after yesterday's post, i knew i had to follow today with something more positive.

i am very concerned about how we judge our bodies by the scale. i think it's those disordered, obsessive thoughts that lead us to a dark place. you aren't going to get fat in a day, i promise. There's nothing healthy about fearing food and using exercise as a whip just to make the scale not budge.

my prayer is that instead of using the numbers to "check ourselves," we just breathe, and look at our bodies for what they REALLY are - not defined by a number.

my goal is to encourage you all to see your bodies in a new light. to love yourselves just as you are, not 10 pounds from now. to look in the mirror and thank god for your incredibly strong, perfect body.

TO MY BODY:

i love my face and hair because it is totally unique to me. i have a punky boy haircut, but the most feminine, delicate nose, and i thrive off the irony. my eyes are completely normal in shape, but can cut you like a knife if provoked. my lips are red enough to never merit the use of lipstick, and after years of struggling with rosacea, i'm finally just graced by rosy cheeks. 4 years of braces sucked, but i will never take my straight teeth for granted again.

my mouth can be quite a curse, but it also can be the most effective tool i have in loving others. when i feel passionate about something, my mouth can show that. it is the vehicle for my thoughts, emotions, and equally important, it lets me eat!!!

i love my shoulders because they are the paradox of strength and delicacy; graceful and slender, yet powerful and toned. they have pulled me through thousands of swim practices! i love my collarbones for screaming feminity, yet modesty in a scoopneck shirt.

where would i be without my arms? they allow me the sheer pleasure of hugging those i love. they give me a place for my tattoo, and no matter how much weight i gained, my hands remained graceful.

now, on to my stomach. i cannot thank my stomach enough for putting up with me all these years. we've been through so much together - binges, crash diets, sunburns, muffin-top, greasy cafeteria crap, stomach flus, food allergies, and too much tequila. after hating my stomach my whole life, i now see how incredible it is for hanging in there with me! i see it now as my support for long runs, and a work in progress (elusive 6-pack be darned!!!).

i've learned to love my hips and butt because they frustrated me so much! they are not womanly or shapely at all, and never have been. i have struggled to thank God for them, but now i love them because they remind me there is no such thing as a "perfect" body. they fit in my jeans just fine, so what more could i ask for?

my thighs are one of the body parts i am most grateful for. they have powered me through thousands of laps in the pool and countless miles pounding the pavement. no matter how fibro made me feel, my legs never stopped working. pain hasn't stopped me for training for a half marathon, and i believe my legs are responsible for giving me that victory. they are strong, powerful, and announce "HEY WORLD, I'M ATHLETIC!" it could be worse!

i love my feet because they have taken me so many beautiful places. they've given me memories of mexico, san diego, st. thomas, canada, new york, florida... i cherish those places as some of the highlights of my life, and will never take for granted again the gift of simply being able to walk. they've also led me though experiences with incredible people, and i'm looking forward to seeing where they take me from here.
your turn!
what do you love about your body?
-rebekah

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don't forget to send me your peach recipes for the Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest!

the deadline is sunday night, june 20th.

join the fun!

you ready?

cred.

my parents' bathroom scale is broken.

no matter who weighs themselves, the first time you step on it, it says 112 pounds. the next time, 119 pounds. i'm pretty sure this isn't accurate for all five of us living here...

as you may know, i am not an fan of the scale. i don't weigh myself often, but every once in a while i hop on to check i'm not losing muscle weight.

do i really need the scale to tell me that? not really, but it's there.

when i realized it was broken, at first i thought about running out to replace it for them... but why should we get a new one?

i don't really believe that we can judge good health by the number on the scale, for the most part. i'm not talking about extreme cases, here - i'm talking about people who live active, healthy lives.

any athlete who has ever calculated their BMI and been declared obese knows how ridiculous numbers can be. if you have muscle, the number will be higher, whether it's on the scale, from BMI, or the circumference of your thighs.

can the scale be a helpful tool? probably. but i believe in the life of a healthy, active person, it can do more harm that good.

think about it. when you've gained weight, do you really need a machine to tell you? do you really think all your pants just mysteriously got tight, at the same time?

and when you haven't been eating enough, you know by how you feel. you have no energy, you look rough, and your bones jut out. you don't need to the scale to know that, either.

why do we put ourselves through the anxiety of daily/weekly/monthly weigh-ins? why do we let that electronic in the bathroom have impact on our emotions?

you are more than mathmatics, love. you are a person, comprised of actions, feelings, and powerful words.

look, i have been on both sides of the scale - disgusted by it, and terrified by it. but really, i am who i am, regardless of the number... when is enough enough?

will my parents eventually replace the scale? i don't know, and now, i don't care.

 cred.

---> i challenge you guys to ask yourselves what the scale means to you.

why do you weigh yourselves?

what do you feel when it's higher or lower than normal?

---> are you ready for the next step?

go scale-free.

as of today, i'm not weighing myself anymore. i am me, take it or leave it!

i know it's scary, but don't you want to be free just being you? no numbers needed?

reactions? thoughts? anyone joining me!??

-rebekah

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also, don't forget your peach recipes for the Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest!

your heavenly recipes are due by sunday, june 20th!

days go by.

i am officially old.

today, my baby sister graduated high school!

love you, girl, and congrats!

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as a result of said milestone, i don't have another disgusting post for you guys today.

but i can use this one as a shameless plug for the Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest!

don't forget, your peach recipes are due by Sunday night, june 20th!

you don't have to be a cooking whiz to enter, either.

sometimes, the best things in life are the most simple!

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what was something that made you feel really old?

-rebekah

Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest

i'm hosting my first contest! hooray!

the beautiful Mo asked me to host the challenge this week.

challenge, you say?

BSI stands for Blogger Secret Ingredient. Each week a new host picks an ingredient and anyone (food blogger or not) can submit a recipe. The contests starts on a Monday, and recipes need to be submitted by Sunday night of that week. Then the next day the host chooses a winner and picks someone to host next weeks contest.


It is up to each weeks host to deem what the prize will be.


the rules?

1. i pick an ingredient, preferably one that is in season and readily available and not too expensive;

2. i link back to all the other previous weekly hosts;

3. i review all your lovely recipe submissions by Sunday night (june 20th, 2010);

4. i pick a recipe that is my favorite; and

5. i'll post the winner Monday morning and send the winner a token prize of my choosing.

6. you do not have to have a food blog to particpate

7. you do not have to submit a photograph

8. if you don’t have a blog, you can submit your recipe to me, and i will post your recipe for you!


here's the past lovely blog hosts:

Week 83: Mo’s Kitchen - Rice
Week 82: PreventionRD - Paprika
Week 81: Waisting Duxie - Swiss Chard
Week 80: Fuss Free Flavours - Capers
Week 79: Jenn Cuisine - Honey
Week 78: Living Free - Cashews
Week 77: Affairs of Living – Artichokes
Week 76: One Frugal Foodie - Sunflower Seeds
Week 75: Part of the Whole - Beets
Week 74: Dinner at Christina’s - Sour Cream
Week 73: The Chef in My Head - Goat Cheese
Week 72: 5 Star Foodie - Asparagus
Week 71: Eats Well With Others – Carrots
Week 70: Burp and Slurp - Brussel Sprouts
Week 69: Fun Fearless Foodie – Parmesan Cheese
Week: 68: Natalie’s Killer Cuisine - Cocoa Powder
Week 67: Eat, Live, Travel, Write - Lemon Zest
Week 66: Travel Eat Love - Coconut Milk
Week 65: Run Beans Run - Tofu
Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val - Mushrooms
Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Cheddar Cheese
Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life – Balsamic Vinegar
Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers - Nutmeg
Week 60: Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now - Garlic
Week 59: Home Cooked Em – Cinnamon
Week 58: The Balanced Broad – Flax
Week 57: Cookin Fanatic - Blue Cheese
Week 56: Foodie in the City - Ricotta Cheese
Week 55: Savvy Eats - Maple Syrup
Weel 54: Sound Eats - Dried Fruit
Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs - Acorn Squash
Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point - Pancake Mix
Week 51: Live, Laugh Eat - Almond Butter
Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias! – Cauliflower
Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living - Chickpeas
Week 48: Thought 4 Food - Yogurt
Week 47: London Foodie in New York - Chocolate
Week 46: Johnstone’s Vin Blanc - Oats
Week 45: Guilty Kitchen - Figs
Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet - Peanut Butter
Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet - Brown Sugar
Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction – Lime
Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny – Coffee
Week 40: Chaya’s Comfy Cook – Broccoli
Week 39: Healthy Delicious – Plums
Week 38: Zoe - Feta
Week 37: ChezWhat- Potatoes
Week 36: Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice – Blueberries
Week 35: Girlichef -Greens
Week 34: The Ungourmet – Watermelon
Week 33: Bread + Butter – Bell Pepper
Week 32: Burp and Slurp -Corn
Week 31: Say Yes to Salad – Kabocha
Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now – Cherries
Week 30: Thinspired – Bananas
Week 29: To Be The Whole Package – Almonds
Week 28: Kristas Kravings – Lemon
Week 27: From French Fries To Flax Seeds – Coconut
Week 26: Plentiful Plants – Avocado
Week 25: Training Fuel – Eggs
Week 24: Dinner at Christina’s – Cabbage
Week 23: Hey What’s for Dinner, Mom? – Strawberries
Week 22: One Bite at a Time – Basil
Week 21: Just Sweet Enough – Black Beans
Week 20: What I Ate Yesterday – Kale
Week 19: What’s for Dinner – Orange
Week 18: BranAppetit! –Spinach
Week 17: Tales of Expansion - Dates
Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Zucchini
Week 15: Sweet & Natural –Peppermint
Week 14: bella eats [and runs] – Ginger
Week 13: Coffee Talk – Walnuts
Week 12: For the Love of Oats – Pumpkin
Week 11: Trying to Heal – Sweet Potatoes
Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate – Eggplant
Week 9: Itzy’s Kitchen – Pears
Week 8: The Fitnessista – Cranberries
Week 7: Tri to Cook – Lentils
Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests – Polenta
Week 5: Eating Bender – Butternut Squash
Week 4: Care to Eat – Apples
Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat – Mushrooms
Week 2: Hangry Pants – Tomatoes
Week 1: sportsnutritionliving – Quinoa

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this weeks challenge is PEACHES!
 
so get crackin' on your peach recipes, y'all. i'd love to see sweet and savory recipes, and you could win a prize :) 
 
please email me a link to your blog, your recipe, and a picture, if you want - my email is rrn2139(at)email(dot)vccs(dot)edu.
 
remember, your fabulous creations are due by Sunday night, june 20th!
 
i'll post the winner and your recipes on monday. good luck!
 
ps- if you want to host next week, shoot me an email!
-rebekah