Others eat #Unprocessed, too! -- Clean Eating/Paleo Style

Introduction 

Hello! You just walked in for the second half of the October #unprocessed challenge, in which I join over 6,000 people to eat only whole, unprocessed foods for one month!

I've been eating very delicious, unprocessed foods lately, but of course I'm not perfect -- I have some deliberate exceptions that I have partaken in. It has been challenging, but it's totally doable!

"Autumn Cakes": Sweet potato, shrimp + fresh-squeeze orange juice, chard stems, garlic, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper

Garnished with chard leaves!

Deliberate Exception: Anything my mom cooks, like her specialty pancit (Filipino, stir-fry noodles). Processed foods include the noodles, soy sauce, & fish cakes. Other than that, my mom makes everything from scratch! Go mom!

You can join too, either by finishing up the rest October, or starting your 30 days today!

Scroll through this textbook to read the full introduction.

If you're on your mobile device, flip it on its side for easier viewing! :)

I can tell you that since I started eating unprocessed foods, I feel much healthier and I've seen a noticeable difference in my body figure! Let me know if you're joining me and we can be #unprocessed buddies. I might even send you fun texts like this one from the other day:

If you're in San Diego, I'm happy to share #unprocessed goodies with you! Take the pledge!

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If you're like most people in my life, you won't take my word for it and will probably ignore me.  :''(

So, I invited some guests over to help me convince you!

A Gym-Owner,  A Manufacturing Engineer, A Newlywed, A Master of Food, A Fitspirational Friend, & An Aspiring Personal Trainer.

In America, there is a dangerous dichotomy in which people are very body image-obsessed but at the same time, our country has become increasingly overweight. Because of this, many fad "diets" pop up here and there, with varying levels of effectiveness, health benefits, and sometimes even safety.

First of all, I don't like the term "diet." It connotes eating naked salads for lunch, and being very miserable. And I don't very much like having naked people or misery at Tiffany's. ;)

 

So, I wanted to invite people to the table that don't necessary "diet," but stick to choices and eating styles that involve nourishing themselves with good food!

Now, I'm on Instagram ALL the time, and like me, I notice that Instragram users often post pictures of their most glorious meals. Some hashtags that keep popping up under the most vibrant of these photos are #eatclean or #cleaneating and #paleo.

So, I took some time to investigate of the Eat Clean/Clean Eating and Paleo styles of dining.

Here are my findings: both of these eating styles involve choosing to eat whole, natural, and -- you guessed it -- unprocessed foods! Who knew?

I'm starting to believe in this more and more each day, especially since eating #unprocessed is found across many styles of healthy dining, like Paleo/Clean Eating, that are recommended by many fitness-lovin' people:

Meet Raquel, A Gym-Owner

Tumbl'n and Slippin' into October #Unprocessed

Hi! First, two announcements!

1. I made mayonnaise! From scratch! It was wild! (We'll come back to this shortly).

2. I have a tumblr now! Follow me @diningattiffs!

Now I know it seems overkill to start a second blog, but that's the thing.. I realize that in my enthusiasm for each topic and post, I DO tend to get a bit overkill, writing very, VERY long posts on this website. Eventually, I will turn some of my more popular posts (like resume and cover letter writing) into downloadable PDFs, but for now, just expect to find lengthy posts on diningattiffanys.com. I put a lot of time and planning into each of these posts -- I truly want to be a helpful resource for my readers, so I keep it nice and thorough, letting all the flavors and textures develop into something I'm confident you can enjoy.

My tumblr will be the "microwaved" version of this website, with quick fixes of the Dining at Tiffany's experience! Check it out!

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So that was the Tumbl'n, let's talk about the Slippin'!

When I was in high school (roughly 6 years ago, wow!), this is pretty much what my lunch would consist of everyday:

1. A bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Often doused in lemon juice and salsa. We all walked around with red fingers back then.

"If you can read this, thank a teacher." or.. "bAcK 2 sChOoL!"

Thanks to everyone that attended my Virtual Birthday Party!! Along with my In Real Life festivities, it was nice to get notifications all week from my online party!

[Birthday weekend at Disneyland!]

With September coming to a close, Back To School time is in full gear, whether it be K-12, college, grad school, or even sending your own kids to school. The summer fun (and my birthday month of festivities) is winding down. With that, the { dinner conversation } tends to lead to the topic of education.

We'll start off with a scandalous and shocking reveal of a little secret that I rarely share.

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Backstory: Back when I was in college, I was part of a student-run organization called Alternative Breaks @ UCSD. Focusing on addressing social justice issues, we trained and sent out groups of students to serve communities in need during spring or summer break, with the intent to not only serve those communities, but learn a thing or two about living a life in service to others.





In my first year participating in the program, I served as a Site Leader, leading a group of students to plan and implement a volunteer trip to San Ignacio, Belize to do public health outreach -- a topic that I was (and am still) very passionate about.

[My Team: Alternative Breaks Belize 2009]

[These are students from one of the schools at which we volunteered. We taught them about healthy eating and disease prevention.]

[Showing off my pseudo-breakdancing skills in front of the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins. This was three years ago!]

Virtual Birthday Party at Tiffany's!!

Hello, internets!

As some of you may know, it's my 24th birthday today (9/8)! I wish I had a venue big enough to celebrate with all my friends and family, and a jet plane to visit my friends and family around the country and world, but I can only dream for now! 

So, I decided to host an online birthday party, in conjunction with a launch of my revamped project - Dining at Tiffany's!



Dining at Tiffany's (www.diningattiffanys.com) started as a food blog, but as I continue writing, I realize that I want to write about more than just food. In the last 24 years, I've been blessed to discover so much about making life more fun, fulfilling, and well.. filling! From cover letter guides to promoting different social causes and sharing fun party ideas, I have a lot that I'd love to share through Dining at Tiffany's!

So as a reader of my website, you are cordially invited to celebrate with me this week! Like many great venues, there are THREE LEVELS! :D

Haphazard Advice for Soon-to-Be Recent Graduates.

Now generally, I write instructional posts about topics that I feel that I've mastered resume tips), that I feel that I'm warranted to talk about (cover letter writing). But this one is a little bit different. It's a bit raw. Let's imagine it's like I'm teaching you how to cook something that I've never-ever cooked before -- live! Tune in now and you'll learn along with me. My mom will always chastise me for taking a chance and trying out new recipes when cooking for parties. Not to sound full of myself, but really, every time I do this, it turns out amazing. So let's get cooking.

Tomorrow marks my one year anniversary of graduating into grown-up life and honestly, I'm still figuring it out. I'm right there with ya, kid.

"I'm a new soul, I came to this new world hoping to learn a bit 'bout how to give and take. But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear, finding myself making every possible mistake. See I'm a young soul in this very strange world, hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake. But why all this hate? Try to communicate. Finding trust and love is not always easy to make."

From the nomadic lyrics to the lighthearted sound, this song pretty much sums it up, so let's break it down. (Press 'play' now for full effect).

Hoping to Learn a Bit 'Bout How to Give and Take
[Give] If you're anything like me, you spent your college career not only trying to do relatively well in your classes, but also to gain lots and lots of experience in pursuit of exciting job opportunities post-graduation. I have a very pretty resume, if I do say so myself. Not only is it a formatting masterpiece, it lists my accomplishments both locally and even around the world. I used to have a very impressive gmail signature and was pretty darn smug about it, joking that "I pretty much ran the community service scene at my university." All my fellow students and staff mentors would give me many a pat on the back and word of affirmation. I rocked college and I'm proud of it.

But when you leave that stadium of fans and change out of your cap & gown, you're really just another person, another employee, another contact. You suck. Just kidding.

But really, outside of your bubble, simply telling stories about your accomplishments will never portray their actually worth. Know that your past experience gets you the job, but your work performance is what determines the level of respect you earn. Focus on doing your best and creating new accomplishments -- dwelling on your past ones will get you nowhere. 

[Take] Now out of habit, I joined quite a few organizations outside of my day job. I'm really happy that I did -- I've met a lot great, like-minded people and have cultivated my skills in a more professional setting. It took some time, but I had to (re)learn that I have my limits and reassess my commitments. Taking a step back, I realized something quite simple -- some commitments will help me, and some will not. Always take a moment to assess yourself, ensuring that you choose activities that are in line with your priorities, both current and future. 

Finding Myself Making Every Possible Mistake
[Mistake 1] Sleeping through a college lecture is okay. You can always borrow notes from your friends, and your professor may even offer recordings. In the workplace, there is no catching up for missed time and you won't get paid for it. You can't even slip into the room late and go unnoticed. If you're not a morning person yet, learn to be. I'm happy to say that on any given morning before 10AM, I am now much more alert than my friends that are still in college. But really, it's something I'm working on that I wish I had started earlier. 

Last Friday Night! or "Why Deep Frying is Terrifyingly Bad for You"

A few Fridays ago, I decided to cook an Indian-inspired dinner to cheer up my inspiring, female Indian friend.

Here is what was on the menu:
- Tilapia Fillets in Coconut-Tamarind Curry
- Roasted Cauliflower with Garam Masala
- Spiced Bulgar Wheat and Zucchini Salad

My male Indian friend arrived early and brought basmati rice and frozen veggie samosas (Indian filled pastries). I had never prepared samosas before, so he instructed me to deep-fry them.

"But I never deep fry anything! That's so unhealthy! Plus, it wastes SO much oil," I exclaimed in protest. He argued and told me that it was how his mom prepares samosas. Since one of my life missions is to learn everyone's mom's cooking methods, I obliged.

I felt very skeptical as I emptied the last of my vegetable oil into the pot and turned the heat up to high. "Wow, this is taking forever to heat up," I thought. So, I proceeded to cover the pot using a glass lid with a metal handle, just like I would when boiling water. Rachael Ray will forever (and obnoxiously) preach to America that "A watched pot never boils -- so put a lid on it!" and clearly, she has indoctrinated me.

Many minutes later, I finally glanced at the pot and noticed that the clear glass had turned very brown and was starting to steam. I quickly picked up the lid off of the pot, minus a a pot holder, discovering that the lid was extremely hot. Then, the following happened in a span of about 5 seconds:

Festively Green

My friends know that I am a big fan of organized fun and very adamant about enforcing themes for get-togethers! From food to requisite attire, it makes everyone feel extra festive!

Here are two, quick St. Patrick's Day inspired dips that I made this weekend. How could I not?! I would've deserved a pinch if I didn't serve green snacks!

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Arugula Almond Hummus
I make arugula almond pesto pretty often because I often get these items in my weekly CSA produce box from my local farmers market. This tastes great over pasta, fish, or chicken. I added garbanzo beans to my recipe to turn it into a tasty hummus for parties!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of fresh, rinsed arugula
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 can of garbanzo beans, reserve water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp lemon

Instructions:
1. In a blender or food processor, chop the almonds finely. Transfer to a pan on medium heat and toast for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (be sure not to burn them. You'll be able to smell when they're about ready).
2. Blend together garlic and arugula. Stream in half of olive oil.
3. Alternate adding toasted almonds, cheese, and remaining olive oil. (oh look, you just made a pesto!!)
4. Blend garbanzo beans, and use the liquid as needed if mixture is too dry.
5. Blend in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with pita bread, French bread cubes, or even fresh veggies!

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Avocado Tomatillo Dip
This is a great zesty recipe to change things up from your standard chips and salsa.

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of tomatillos
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 3 small avocados or 2 large ones
- 1 habenero or jalapeño, seeds and veins removed
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lime

Instructions:
1. Boil tomatillos for about 7-10 minutes, until the color changes and they become softer.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. (Note: I always use the stems of cilantro, they actually have more flavor than the leaves!). Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy with tortilla chips and garnish with cilantro. We ran out of chips during the party, so I cut up fresh radishes as a substitute.

Happy St. Patricks Day!!


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's