Best Ever Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Now that the leaves have started to fall from the trees and the temperature has started to drop it's officially time to make my first batch of pumpkin bread!  If you're someone who has known me for a while you probably already have this recipe because it's just too delicious and too easy not to share!  If you're looking for an easy and delicious pumpkin bread recipe (or perfect holiday gift) this recipe is for you!

Ingredient List:

3 1/3 Cups of  Flour (I use whole wheat or gluten free)
2 tsp Baking Soda
1.5 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
3 Cups Sugar (you can also use stevia) 
1/2 Cup Oil (I use vegetable) 

1/2 Cup Applesauce (if you don't have applesauce you can use a full cup of oil)

4 Eggs
2/3 Cup Water
1 Can Pumpkin Puree (15oz) **Make sure you get Pumpkin Puree, NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling**
1 Bag of your choice of Chocolate Chips (11.5 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and flour three loaf pans
3. In a large mixing bowl (using an electric mixer) mix together all ingredients except for the chocolate chips. 
4. Once everything is good and mixed fold in the chocolate chips
5. Pour mix evenly among the three prepared loaf pans
6. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
7. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Notes:

*If you only want one loaf (trust me you won't) cut the recipe in half

*I usually wrap my loafs in both wax paper and foil

*This bread freezes great, just remove from the freezer and place in the fridge the night before you plan on eating it

3 Ways to Make Your Office Awesome

There are some weeks when I feel like I spend significantly more time sitting in my office than I do sitting (or even sleeping) at home.  I've come to terms with the fact that if I plan on paying my bills, I'm going to have to work...from my office...at least 40 hours a week.  Over the past year I've embraced the idea that my office is what I make of it, so I've decided that I clearly have to make it awesome!

Turning my work-space into a cozy, comfortable, well organized place has made it easier to walk into five days a week.  Below I've outlined three of the small things I've done that have provided big paybacks.

1) Get organized: I hate to admit it, but I keep my office more organized than I keep my apartment.  I'm not sure if it's because there is a steady stream of people in and out of my office, or because I'd lose all of my paperwork if I didn't constantly put it back in the same place.  You know that feeling you get when you're off work for a week and when you come back you have 50 new voicemails, 115 new emails, and your desk looks like an Office Max exploded all over the place?  Keeping your space organized can cut back on this type of chaotic stress.  Walking into an organized office produces better feeling than walking into a mess, and if you happen to come back from vacation and find your space a mess, having a system of organization can help you get the chaos under control in record time!

2) Get a little personal: The key to this is getting only a little personal, with little being the key word.  It's nice to add small personal touches (within policy) to your work space.  For example, I have a huge bulletin board behind my desk that I've covered with cards, photographs, and quotes that I really love.  I've also enjoyed using bright and happy colors, and hanging up framed postcards from my travels.  If you're able to, it can be nice to incorporate pictures of loved ones into your office, in a place where only you can see them.  Remember it's your office, you should feel at home in it.

3) Add calming touches: On Monday around lunch I became totally overwhelmed and needed to just get out of the office for a little bit.  I took a quick stroll over to Bath and Body Works and bought a bottle of stress relief aromatherapy lotion.  When I got back to my office I put a little on my hands and before I knew it my whole office smelled great!  Candle warmers are another wonderful, safe, and affordable (usually around $10) way to add lovely smells to your space. If you're not into smelly lotions and candles the good news is smell isn't the only sense you can tap into to create a tranquil environment.  Most offices are equipped with harsh florescent lighting, by bringing in a freestanding lamp you can control the amount and type of light in your office, creating the mood you want.  Plants are also a great way to bring a little color, life (and oxygen) into your space.

Regardless of how much we love or hate our jobs, there are steps we can take to make our time in the office as comfortable as possible.  Getting organized and adding calming and personal touches are simple ways to improve your work experience 

Love to Travel, but Hate to Fly

Something you should know about me is, I love to travel but I hate to fly.  When I say I hate to fly I don't mean I hate crowded airports, paying to check luggage, or spending several hours stuck between to strangers, I mean I hate the actual act of flying .  I'm totally one of those people who spends the 24 hours leading up to my flight losing sleep while preforming endless google searches on "how safe is flying," and forcing my friends and family to assure me everything will be okay. 

This weekend I took an awesome impulse trip to Seattle with a couple of my girlfriends, and I had to put my ass on a plane in order to get there.  Before I left, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to spend sometime looking at my fear of flying and trying out techniques I thought might help make the experience as pleasant as possible.  Here is it, what I did, how I did it, what worked great, what didn't work so well.

Before I even set foot on the plane I spent a fair amount of time time reading articles written by folks who also fear(ed) flying.  I read about when they became uncomfortable, some could pinpoint the exact moment, the when, the why, the how.  Others had no idea why there were so afraid, they simply got on the plane one day and found themselves afraid.  I fell into the second group, I had gone years getting on and off of planes like it was nothing, but simply got on a plane one day and felt afraid.  Reading about all these folks made me feel better immediately, I wasn't alone, I wasn't the only person on the face of the planet who feels afraid to fly.  I knew this of course, by the reassurance was nice.  I also looked up flying safety stats simply to entertain the rational part of my brain.  We all know that flying is safer than driving but if you're still a little freaked out take a good long look at the stats I think you'll be surprised with what you find (and I mean that in a good way).  Next, I talked with friends and coworkers who are also afraid to fly about what works for them, they suggested: sitting with someone you know talking the whole time, a good book, wine...lots and lots of wine.  Armed with ideas and information I made a list of what I thought I might work for me.  

This Was My List

1. Start a new book, but read only enough to be interested so I'll look forward to reading more on the plane
2. Arm myself with several trashy, mindless, gossip magazines
3. Talk, Talk, Talk (my poor friend flying with me)
4. Bring along a notebook and pen and jot down ideas for my blog
5. Take long, slow, deep breaths, counting down from 100
6. If all else fails, wine, wine, wine

Armed with my list I felt a little bit better after boarding the plane.  Because I was flying Southwest I was able to grab a seat next to my friend up towards the front.  My first real test came during takeoff, the turbulence and the adrenalin pumping through my veins lead to anxious feelings.  I attempted to talk to my friend, making jokes and small talk, but this did not work.  I pulled out a magazine, but I couldn't focus, so I closed my eyes, got as comfortable as I could and started taking deep breaths and counting down from 100.  To be 100% honest this was the last thing on my list I expected to work, but it did, and in that moment it was exactly what I needed.  By the time I got down to 1 the turbulence had stopped and my breathing was normal, I felt totally calm.  Next, I pulled out my book and started to read.  I used this calm moment to re-frame how I felt about the situation, I chose to feel thankful that I had two quiet hours to simply read.  I told myself I was not about to start feeling stressed out and anxious that I was floating up in the air, everything out of my control.  I read until it was time to prepare for our descent, at that point I was feeling calm and happy and used the last 20 minutes to chat with my friend about our wonderful trip keeping my mind occupied.  

It took a little preparation, an open mind, some deep breathing (this still helped more than anything else), and  re-framing of the situation but I left the airport feeling better about flying than I had in years.  I know that I can expect some of these same anxious feeling to reappear on my next flight, but there is something very soothing about knowing I have the tools to deal with my feelings in a very nice, calming, way.  

4 Steps For Dealing with Uncomfortable Emotions

There are moments in all our lives where we feel anxious, terrified, confused, stressed, etc...  Just last weekend I had a near melt down over driving through the narrow, winding, Colorado mountain roads.  I make this same drive every fall with my friends, fiance, or parents to check out the beautiful changing colors and to enjoy the lovely crisp, clean air.  Usually a passenger along for the ride, this year I found myself behind the wheel, and it terrified me.  In this moment of terror I had a choice to make, I could either recognize how I was feeling and take control, or I could remain frightened and let this uncomfortable emotion control me. Like it or not there are moments in our life, both big and small, where we're going to experience uncomfortable emotions and like it or not we're going to have to deal with these emotions in one way or another.  The good news is, with a little prep work we can better equip ourselves with the tools we need to take control of our uncomfortable emotions.

1) Write down what works, what doesn't work, and what might work for you:  How do you normally react when faced with uncomfortable emotions? Do you take a couple of deep breaths, go for a walk, cry (not that I ever do this one or anything...), grab the first candy bar in sight, lash out at the first person you see?  We all have tools for dealing with our feelings and some are healthier than other.  Spend sometime making a list of the tools you currently use, once that's done, spend sometime identifying the tools you want to continue to use and the ones you might be better off without.  This is also a good time to identify three or four new tools you'd like to add to your toolbox, meditation anyone?

2) Give it A-Go: Once you've established which tools you feel best fit you, give em a go.  It's going to take a little bit of time to figure out which tool fits best which each situation.  Maybe try out going for a walk and deep breathing when feeling overwhelmed at work, or try out doing yoga and chatting with a friend after a fight with your significant other.  The idea is to try out different tools in different situations to help you identify what works best for you.  It's not one size fits all so feel free to be creative and experiment.   

3) Articulate what you need from those around you: Sometimes the best thing to do is to reach out to those around us for support and guidance.  It can be incredibly valuable to express out loud how we are feeling and what we need.  While I was making my scary drive back down the mountain I expressed to my friends how I was feeling, they simply reassured me that we would be fine and that I could drive as quickly as I felt comfortable, there was no rush.  Knowing that there are people in our corner can make all the difference in the world.

4) Practice, Practice, Practice: Just like with anything else in order to get into the habit of using your new tools, practice is key.  The more you practice implementing your new tools, the easier it will become and before you know it you'll be controlling your uncomfortable emotions instead of letting them control you.

Life Might be a Little Too Sweet- 30 Days Without Processed Foods

Last Friday afternoon I was rushing around work, filling out paperwork, meeting with clients, all while attempting to make it to a staff meeting on time.  When I finally took a second to break from the several things I was attempting to do at once I felt my stomach start to rumble and realized I was hungry.  Due to poor planning on my part I opted for a Snickers bar....Terrible, Terrible idea.  An hour later I found myself sitting in a crowded courtroom (for work), tired, irritated, and with a headache.  I wish I could tell you that this is an infrequent occurrence with me, but it’s not as much as I’d like to let on.

While I no longer eat meat or drink soda I still manage to eat more than my fair share of "junk."  I've finally developed the mindset that I’m simply someone who does not eat meat, drink soda and spends her evenings drinking tea and doing yoga; the problem is this does not make me healthy.  I can avoid meat all I want but if I’m filling up on doughnuts and ice cream then I’m not accomplishing what I've set out to accomplish. 

 After a weekend with friends up in Breckenridge, drinking lattes with whipped cream and eating giant frosting filled cookies I realized that it really truly is time to cool it with all the sugar.  That being said I'm getting ready to begin a new challenge, 30 days without sugary, processed foods.  Goodbye ice cream, goodbye cookies, goodbye taunting doughnuts sitting outside my office, it’s been fun, but it’s time we part ways.  This is the plan I'll be sticking too, OCTOBER UNPROCESSED 2012.  The fun starts on Monday 10/15/2012 If you’re interested in getting in on all the anti sugar action let me know!

Why I Love Yoga

Until last week there was a bright pink yoga mat sitting in the trunk of my car.  Poor thing had been sitting back there for well over a year collecting dust and feeling neglected.  I thought about my bright pink yoga mat from time to time reminiscing about all the good times we use to have together.  Until recently those days were long gone.  I moved, cancelled my gym membership, and got back into distance running.   Last week at work I attended a training that inspired to me to rescue my yoga mat from the trunk and put it to good use.  

The training was on secondary trauma.  Turns out when you spend 40+ hours a week working with the same folks you see on the nightly news you absorb a few things and if you don't have good self care you'll make yourself sick and crazy.  For a long time running has been my biggest coping tool, but recently I've been burnt out on it, which is basically a nice way of staying It's been a while since I put any miles on my Nike's. Which brings me to my yoga mat.  After the training I walked away and really thought to myself, "um, self, you have really inappropriate coping skills right now.  Drinking wine while watching Project Runway does not count as a coping exercise.  You can eat a whole lotta leafy greens, drink gallons of tea, and walk all over the damn place, but if you're stressed out beyond belief you're not going to feel as awesome as you want to."  So I went to my car rescued my mat and subscribed to My Yoga Online.  That evening I unrolled my mat, did a 45 minute practice while my fiance looked at me like I had lost my mind, and then went to bed where I slept like a baby.  Turns out this whole yoga thing really ties in well to my new nightly routine, which has been incredibly valuable by the way.  A weird thing happened the next day, I woke up on time and I felt great. When I got to work I was happy focused, and best of all calm. 

I've done some cool things in the last couple of months, changed my diet, upped my movement, and developed valuable routines, but I have a feeling this whole yoga thing might trump everything in awesomeness.  I've been doing yoga every night for the last five nights, and friends, if you haven't tried yoga you're missing out.  I still have a long way to go if I want to do some the beautifully scary looking poses but I know that with time, patience, and practice, it'll come.  Who knows, maybe I'll actually join a real class again.  

Building a Better Bedtime Routine

Last Thursday morning I was sitting in my office bright and early at 7am, tired, groggy, and in a fog.  I spent the first 30 minutes attempting to wake up, walking around the office, drinking a strong cup of coffee, and staring at my healthy breakfast thinking about how I should eat it, but how much better the doughnuts across the hall looked.   I may have watched one too many episodes of Mad Men on Netflix pushing my bedtime back a little too much, and now, when I needed to be productive and alert I was seriously paying for it.  I work in criminal justice so it's important that when I walk into the office in the morning I'm ready to go.  If a Judge asks you a question in court you need to be able to answer it on the spot. Turns out responding with "huh, what?!" is frowned upon, not that I'd know or anything....  Thursday night I vowed to get a goodnight sleep, I couldn't have a repeat of Thursday again it was just too ridiculous. 

Thursday night I took the time to unwind relax and get to bed at a reasonable hour and as a result Friday was amazing.  I was awake, alert, and productive, it was great.  I've decided that having a bedtime routine is totally underrated, making this my next 30 day challenge!

30 Day Challenge #4: Gettin Some Zzzzzz's
For the next 30 days Weekends or not I'll be following a bedtime routine and here's what it looks like it:

• Turn the technology off!  At least 30 minutes before bed.  I'm embarrassed to admit how hard this truly is for me.  I'll use my laptop, while watching TV, and sending texts from my phone.  Right now I might or might not be watching Family Guy and flipping through Instagram while writing this....yeah I know.  The good news is, we have one TV in our apartment and it's not in the bedroom.

• Drink up!  Tea that is.  Over the last couple of years I've learned that drinking tea at night will prevent me from eating something sweet or drinking wine (it also helps to just keep these out of the house all together).  Like I love a good cup of coffee in the morning, especially in the fall, I love a warm cup of tea in the evening.  I also love that there is a tea for everything, digestion, detox, sleep, calm, awake, etc... I personally love Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Teas, Peppermint, or Chamomile before bed.  Personally I just find the sensation of holding something warm and very soothing.  I drank a ton of tea when I was living in Ireland so I have a happy association with drinking tea anyway.  

• Quiet the mind with meditation.  When I can't fall asleep the reason is usually that my mind is racing and I just can't turn it off.  I've been wanting to give meditation a try for while now but I keep coming up with reasons not to do it, the biggest one is I think I'll look and feel silly, although no one is watching.  I like to play Just Dance on the Wii and I'm pretty sure I look much sillier doing that.  I've been using a guided meditation from YouTube to help me do this.  I've come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to put in the time and practice if I want to better at meditation, but for me, the benefits of being able to meditate totally outweigh the frustrations of learning how to do it.

I know that changing my evening pattern will lead to a sounder sleep, which will lead to a better morning, which will lead to a more productive day!