Farewell Appendix, Farewell Hostess. Hello, Thanksgiving!

So I had these grand plans for November at Tiffany's. It involved moustaches, drummers, entrepreneurs, men, and more!

But as you may have heard, my appendix decided that it was time to go.

What I thought was a terrible stomachache landed me the hospital, visiting the different wards in this order:

1. Urgent Care
2. CT Scan Room
3. Outpatient Unit
4. Surgery Room

As you can see by my laywoman hospital terms, I ended my pre-medical career early in college, (after organic chemistry to be exact). But anyway, I was very shocked (and kind of annoyed) that I had to have surgery! (Oh!! "Operating Room".. Now I remember what it's called..).

After I bid my appendix adieu, I spent an entire week on sick leave at my parents house while enjoying tons of homemade Filipino food and personal half-gallons of ice cream (impeccable timing with the end of October #Unprocessed!). Thankfully, my surgery was routine and recovery has been going smoothly. I'm back to work!

Speaking of back to work, I have a small announcement:

You know how I provide guidance for career goals, like resume and cover letter writing (see most popular posts!)? Well, I decided that "Hostess with the Mostest" isn't a very telling title, so I've re-labeled such posts with..

"Catering Your Success!"

Look forward to more success-catering posts in the future, like tips for interviews, transitioning into a new professional setting, and more!

I also thought the timing just made sense with the whole Hostess-going-bankrupt thing.

Zombieland, anyone?

Poor Tallahassee of Zombieland. No more Twinkies for him. :/

You know what I think about the Hostess bankruptcy?

Who cares?! ;)

--

In other news, Thanksgiving is tomorrow! With my health condition, I haven't put much thought into writing a festive post. I am, however, here to answer any last-minute Thanksgiving feast questions! Ask on my Facebook page!

Here is a sample Thanksgiving consultation for my dear older sister who lives in Hawaii:

[Sister] 
So.. I'm getting a little nervous about hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner although it'll probably just be me our good ol' neighbor and her hubby, haha.. What do you think of this menu so far..
-Turkey + Gravy
-Ham
-Pot Roast..maybe
-Mashed Potatoes
-Stuffing
-Some veggie dish..? Maybe green bean casserole?
-Sweet potato or yam dish
-Cranberry dish
-Dessert: A pumpkin and an apple dish..

Suggestions? I'm trying to think of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner that I miss so much!!

[Dining at Tiffany's]
I would recommend going to www.foodgawker.com for veggie side dish ideas. I even have the app on my phone. I find most of my recipes there. It should be choc full of ideas soon!

I like the menu. Isn't that a lot for just two couples? Also, are you doing this all by yourself? That might be a little crazy, haha.

[Sister]
Haha, maybe.. There may possibly be another family of four coming if they don't end up hosting for a group of single Marines. And I may or may not ask our good ol' neighbor to help, but now that I think about it, she won't really have anything kitchen wise since they'll already be all packed up ready to move to San Diego on the 28th. Yipe! Maybe it WILL be crazy after all! I just need to plan this accordingly and cook ahead of time where I can..

[Dining at Tiffany's]
I would recommend against three proteins and a bunch of sides. You don't want leftovers that last through Christmas!

[Sister]
Haha. True.. I guess this is just an ambitious menu then. Maybe no pot roast then? Turkey and ham? Or no ham?

[Dining at Tiffany's]
Casually ask your guests if they like ham or roast beef better. Like not in a planning conversation, but just a jovial, lighthearted banter about Thanksgiving!

[Sister]
Casually.. haha. I'm just gonna ask my neighbor, "Hey! You want ham or not?"  haha. 
 -

As you can see, I love answering questions about Thanksgiving! Send them over if you have any! At the very least, I hope you're a little more enthusiastic about Thanksgiving than my sister's dog Sasha:

Sasha says, "Thanksgiving, Smanksgiving."

---
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving full of food and family and friends and festivities!

Whether you are a first time or long time reader, I am so grateful that you came! Though I got rid of my "hostess" title (and appendix if that matters), my goal is to always provide food and fun conversation to my readers like you -- I hope that you enjoy Dining at Tiffany's!

More to come soon.

Now it's time to brine my turkey...


With love,
Tiffany
Dining at Tiffany's

I See Processed Food -- It's everywhere -- 5 things I learned fromOctober #Unprocessed

Hello! Happy Halloween! For me it's even happier because I'm celebrating the grand finale of October #Unprocessed!

For the month of October, I joined thousands of others to eat only unprocessed foods. Overall, it was a great experience -- I ate very healthy and well, while making connections with friends old and new!

Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd share 5 things I learned from October Unprocessed, some spookier than others. ;)



(5)
People would often mistake me for a rich rabbit (not to be confused with a Playboy Bunny..)

Like many things I do, the concept of "unprocessed" took so much 'xplaining
to do!

I'd try to mention that I was eating only whole foods, but that just got me these stares that cleary said to me, "wow, how do you work in nonprofit and afford to shop at Whole Foods?" or "you said you weren't vegetarian*.. have fun eating like a rabbit!"

I'll have you know that I did not visit Whole Foods once (it's amazing, but expensive! Sprouts and Farmers Markets to the rescue!) this month. Nor did I abstain from yummy meat (still not a Playboy Bunny..)



At the very least, I hope I was able to spread the word about the wonders of natural, unprocessed foods!


(4) 
Beware, You will be taunted.

On October 2nd, yes day 2, my roomies brought home not one.. but TWO boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts. Ack!


(I'm proud to exclaim that not a single donut was eaten by Tiffany in October. And I used to eat pastries on the daily! I did eat a 4th of a cookie though.. Don't tell Andy of @eatingrules!)

Not to mention me winning sweetheart-of-the-month award by picking up in n out for my love while getting exactly ZERO items for myself. Hey, I didn't make him pledge #unprocessed!

But this brings me to my next point..


(3)
 Fast Food and Unprocessed Food are pretty much antonyms.
My deliberate exceptions were as follows:
- Anything someone graciously cooks for me (especially my Mommy).
My mom makes almost everything from scratch, but there are a few staple, Filipino ingredients that I could not (and WOULD not) avoid. I'd like to dare you to refuse my mom's cooking.
(*big reason I am not vegetarian).
Also, my sweet roomie made me pancakes from the box so I compromised by making a fresh fruit compote to avoid eating syrup full of refined sugars.
- Dining Out. Now this doesn't mean throwing #unprocessed out the window when going out, but I at least tried to make the most unprocessed choices I could. I don't think I have any right to interrogate waitstaff and chefs about what kind of sugar/flour they use; a strategy I used was to avoud chain restaurants and eat exclusively at local, family businesses, especially those that use ingredients from local farmers and artisans.
- Some perishables that I bought before October, like granola and fruit juice.

Even with these exceptions, eating unprocessed was very challenging. Which is why...

(2)
Planning Ahead is the Key to Success

Thankfully, I have a good amount of time on my hands after work. Some strategies I used to ensure unprocessed eating include:
- packing lunch the night before, often leftovers from dinner. No frozen burritos were eaten by Tiffany in October!
- Cooking in bulk: i think i will actually continue this food prep method. I get a lot of produce fron the farmers market, and one of my favorite preparations is roasting. Yum! Don't believe me? I have turned yuck-sayers of cauliflower and brussel sprouts to enjoyers of these, simply with an easy roast in the oven! Even if I didn't need a veggie right away, I'd chop it, roast it alongside other ingredients, and save it for later that week (Like sauce! And hummus! and salad!)
- always carrying snacks. One general rule of thumb for unprocessed eating is to avoid buying food at the same place that you fill up your tank with gas. I'm always on the go, so packing containers of almonds, fruits, and more saved me from impulsively buying any bags of chips/candy bars this month.

(1)
Eating Unprocessed is a Wonderful Luxury
It is a luxury of time, money, and knowledge.

This month, I spent so much of my time planning what to eat and thinking about food (yes, even more than usual, fellow food gawkers!). I would imagine that someone much more busy than me.. taking classes, working multiple jobs, toting a kid or two.. would face many more challenges than me (I can hear the "Amens" now).

Also, I spent a ridiculous amount if time scrutinizing labels. Looking back, I must have appeared to be having intimate staring contests with various packages of food..

It took me a lot of reading and reasearch to learn about and practice unprocessed eating, but I'm really happy I did! And I hope to continue sharing this knowledge, both here and at the meal table.

I can say with confidence that my body has never felt this great! I am much more alert during the day, have tons more energy, and feel stronger than ever.

This may also be attributed to a more regular workout schedule, but I'm pretty sure fueling up on fruits and veggies did my body immensely better than would their food-like wannabe counterparts.

& those Hot Cheetos of snacktimes past? Sure I'll grab a bag or two every now and then.. But after this month I'd much rather eat unprocessed food if I have the choice.

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's
(written from my mobile device, will format later ;D)

The Ballot at Tiffany's -- Politics at the Dinner Table

Hello there! You're a little late to the dinner table tonight, but that's okay! I was just telling my guests how to register to vote online! The deadline was yesterday (10/22), so hopefully you registered before you got here. If not, you are welcome to smile and pretend that you did. :)

Oh, hi again! Yes, another post so soon. Why? Because this is time-sensitive, with an impending deadline of October 22nd at midnight. I'm still getting over some of my procrastination issues, but I'm hoping I can use them for good this time:


Did you know? In California (and several other states) you can now register to vote online! But, the absolute deadline is MIDNIGHT, OCTOBER 22nd. (Not after Monday, but BEFORE Monday) So, do it today! If you haven't already, register to vote now!

"But, Tiffany, how does THAT work? Are YOU registered to vote?"

This is how it works: 
- Once you fill out the online form, the system will search the DMV database for your California driver license or ID card number, date of birth, and last four digits of your social security number. 
- If your information is found, you have the option to authorize elections officials' use of your DMV signature
- once you hit SUBMIT at the end of the online application,  an electronic image of your DMV signature will be added to your voter registration application! 

And yes I am registered to vote, thankyouverymuch. I even voted in the primaries! :) 



"But, Tiffany, I don't live in California!!!"
Sad times. Many of my other posts are globally-friendly, though! :) Comment below with your location and I'll email you something fun to make up for this post!

So, Californians, here's is what you need to do, immediately:
[STEP 1]
Cut a hole in the box. Just kidding.

Actually, check the database to see if you are registered to vote: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status/

All you need to input is your house number (just the number, not even your street!), your date of birth, and your zip code!

This is what it looks like if you're registered to vote (well, without my pink censoring):

Skip to STEP 3 if you are already registered vote.

[STEP 2]
Register to Vote!!

To make it easier, be ready with your California driver license/ID card number, the last four digits of your social security number, and your date of birth.

If you do not have a CA driver license/ID card, you can still register online by 10/22 at 12am, as long as you print out the form, sign it, and mail it to your county office immediately.

Disclaimer: If you are enrolled in a confidential address program, like Safe at Home, DON'T register online. There ways to register confidentially if providing your address could put you in life-threatening danger.  

Here is the link to Register to vote:  http://registertovote.ca.gov/ 
You will find the following button on the bottom of the page!

[STEP 3] Take a moment to appreciate being a citizen of a country built on freedom and democracy. Of course, America is not perfect, but at least we know we have a voice, and can make an impact if we take action!

You did it!

Now that you're registered to vote, you can leave now if you'd like.

I've always heard that it's impolite to discuss politics at the dinner table, so really, you can stop reading now.

Stop it!!!

...bye?

Okay if you r e a l l y  wanted to know how I am going to fill out one of the bubbles on my ballot, stay and read on. This bubble will actually make an impact on the food that makes it onto the average American's dinner table:



If you've been following along this month, you know that I've participating in October #Unprocessed. The basic reason that I eat natural, whole foods is for the wonderful health/environmental benefits, but it's also to avoid some pretty scary things that happen to processed foods:

This November 6th, I will be voting YES on Proposition 37, supporting the Right to Know what's in our food. Why? Because I love to cook for my family and friends, and I want to be sure I don't feed them anything harmful along the way.

Basically, Proposition 37 will require that food in stores be labelled honestly and clearly if they contain genetically engineered foods. For me, this means being able to serve food from my kitchen and into people's tummies that is free from harmful chemicals that big food companies do not want us to know about.

In striving to eat mainly natural, whole foods, I've spent a lot of time scrutinizing the ingredient labels as I shop for food. Though I'm pretty well versed in food and nutrition, it can still be challenging for me to really know what's in the foods I'm eating. What is soy lechitin and what is it doing in my chocolate? What type of plant oils are natural and which are chemically engineered? I believe that we as consumers have the Right to Know, no matter how little or how extensively we have studied food.

In case I lost you there, here's a quick video that sums up this new report about genetically engineered foods:

If you haven't heard the name Monsanto before this video, or have never thought twice about picking up that bag of hot cheetos at the gas station, I'd like to give you a little insight about the American food system.




While there is a seemingly vast variety of food brands out there, most of them are controlled by Big Food companies that have lots of financial lobbying power. Not to mention, they're all buddy-buddy with the Mr. Genetically Engineered Food Man a.k.a. Monsanto.

Interestingly enough, "Coke, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kellogg's .. are donating tens of millions of dollars against 'Yes on 37,' [and] already label GMO foods in 50 countries around the world, including all of Europe, Australia, Japan, Russia and even China.

It's hard to believe that Pepsi, Kraft and Nestle could label GMO foods in China, but somehow want to deny consumers in California that same right! For some reason, the same corporations that espouse the ideals of free market capitalism believe that  Americans shouldn't have honest and transparent labels on their food. - [source]

I could talk your ear off about this, but I'd never want to spoil your appetite while you're Dining at Tiffany's! Also, I'm no political/scientific expert -- I'm just your average consumer that believes we have the Right To Know what's in our food.

Here are more useful links to read so you can decide for yourself if you believe that we have the Right to Know:
California Right to Know - Get all the facts!
Just Label It - Ways to take action
New York Times  by Michael Pollan - a MUST-read to learn about the maginitude of Prop 37

Last but not least, here are some ways you can spread the word:
- share this post with others!
- If you're on Tumblr, REBLOG THIS POST (click here) to encourage others to vote too!


I'm love to discuss this Proposition with you further. Please email me with any questions & remember to VOTE on November 6th! :)


With love,

Tiffany R.


Dining at Tiffany's
diningattiffanys@gmail.com
Twitter: @diningattiffs
facebook.com/diningattiffanys
Instagram: @diningattiffs 
Tumblr: @diningattiffs


PS: Yes on 30, No on 32. :)

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!

---

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!

----

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.

------
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