PeaceLifeHappiness

A semester to remember...

2014-12-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

It was the best of semesters. It was the worst of semesters. Despite it being the last 4 months of my nutrition degree, it proved to have its challenges.

During these 4 months I have never felt such a wide range of emotion.

Elation, success, love and loss, hope.

I married the love of my life, I discovered another beautiful part of the world in Acadia national park. I lost one of my best friends being the best cat friend a human could have. An aunt battled leukemia and won, A close friends baby boy was diagnosed with a rare cancer and is fighting hard, and pepere had a stroke but is being rehabilitated.

2014 was a series of ups and downs and intense change.

While still experiencing some of these challenges, I am closing one long chapter of my life

and opening another.

2015 will be a year of self-discovery. Mike and I will take on the world on our honeymoon to Europe. A new career is on the horizon, and there's so much more to look forward to.

I am hopeful for health and happiness for everyone I know in the christmas season

and the new year.

A beautiful moment with my love

My beautiful aunt at my wedding

The Cavan Family

15 years of being there to comfort me, and knock down every glass of water in sight

My Pepere

2014-11-13T23:36:00.006-05:00

There are two ways to shine...
You can be the candle,
or the mirror that reflects it.
~chinese proverb

weddings, reviews, and marriage

2014-10-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

We are the Behrmann's!

Brace yourselves. I've had a few people ask about some of our vendors or the things we did for our wedding. It's a bit long, but well, here it is. Here is everything I think about everything having to do with getting married. And it's not all that bad.

Let me start by saying that my now "husband" (that will be weird to say for a while) Mr. Behrmann has been an absolutely amazing person throughout everything in this entire process.

Mr. Behrmann has understood my quirky ways since day one, but he honestly took on a lot more than the average groom takes on (I think) when it comes to the details of planning a wedding. Not only did he help with coordinating with various vendors, but he also helped pick smaller detail items like napkin colors and which invitation looked best out of 3 (which I painted myself! Ah thank you.) and printed through vistaprint.

And I can't take credit for the entirety of our wedding website through weddingwoo.com.

Even though he didn't agree with the amount of dresses I needed for various events, he understood that there are some things that a girl needs to take care of on their own. This includes not only what you're wearing on the outside, but also what you're wearing for jewelry, hair and makeup which vanity hair studio did a phenomenal job for the wedding party, the moms, and myself, and don't forget about what you're wearing underneath ;)

This leads me to the gift end of things. Even though I wanted to get Mike a nice new shiny watch, I opted to go for a more personal gift. So, I took the time to write down small cute things mike did ever since the day we got engaged for an entire year. I booked a nature shoot with a nature photographer (because we both love the outdoors) william kramer (who also shoots engagements/weddings!), and created a photobook on snapfish and called it "Reasons I want to Marry You" and gave it to him the night before the wedding. (He told me he fell asleep with it that night). Here is one of my favorite photos from that shoot that ended up being the cover of this book.

Besides the things we did for each other on a personal level, there was a lot of communication with the vendors that made the whole process that much more amazing.

Wedding Coordinator: Nicole Mower, based out of Portsmouth, NH, was an absolute godsend, and really one of our best investments. We wanted a day-of wedding coordinator not only because our venue in New Castle, NH, was its first wedding, but because we wanted peace of mind for the day-of with minimal worries...and we got just that. Nicole is a seasoned expert when it comes to unique and challenging wedding venues, and she has worked with many tented seacoast weddings, which made her perfect for us! It was way too windy the day of our wedding to keep the siding off our tent for the stunning views of the ocean, so windy that the linens wouldn't stay on the table. But Nicole made sure she had the tent company come down again to put the siding around the entire perimeter of the tent so that ourselves and our guests could enjoy themselves, and all within hours of our event! She went the extra mile to ensure that everything was perfect down to the last detail. Even though I was happy to be a DIY bride, she made sure we remembered a lot of small detail items that would have been too important to miss. She even sent me a good morning text the day-of reminding me to drink some water and eat snacks even if I wasn't feeling hungry! I would recommend Nicole to any bride, anywhere, anytime.

Florist: Heidi Hamblett from Flowers by Leslie in Portsmouth NH was one of my favorite vendors to work with. She is incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about what she does and she will work with you to go above and beyond what you imagined. I changed my mind A LOT about the centerpieces and she was there to take my vision to the next level, nailing it on our wedding day. She went the extra mile to work with our budget and really created something beautiful on our wedding day. She really tied together the mood of the decor for the day, and she was so easy to work with. Definitely recommend Flowers by Leslie for any event you need floral or decor for.

Square birch boxes with hydrangea, peach and pink garden roses, air plants, blue thistle,

dusty miller, and billy balls. Photo by wedding guest and cousin Jennifer Lee Photography.

Table numbers made by bridesmaid Laura - Thanks!

Caterer: There are way too many good things to say about our farm-to-table caterer. From the tasting to the wedding day, the food was spot on and fresh. We wanted sustainably conscious, local, in-season, and delicious food with fall flavors, and Flavor Concepts out of Dover, NH, really delivered. They will craft your menu based on your likes and dislikes and develop a personalized food list to choose from. The chefs and staff are also very personable and professional. They were very efficient but never rushed. One thing I will reiterate is the food. tastes. good. Be ready for a good experience any way you cut it. (Badum-ching.)

I would highly recommend trying the restaurant portion of their catering company called Stages out of the same spot they do the catering tasting, just to get a feel for the food. They only have 6 spots, so you need to have a reservation, but dinner is fun and interactive because you can watch and talk to the chefs while they cook you a four course meal for $40 with in-season ingredients.

Beer Truck: If you're looking to have all of your beer needs taken care of, look no further than having a beer truck by Throwback Brewery that can hold up to 4 kegs of locally brewed delicious beer in a retro looking beer truck. They will provide the bins and ice so that you don't have to worry about going out to get these separate items if you are hosting your wedding at a unique venue. They also provide little magnetized chalkboard signs where the beer names are written! One of the best investments of our wedding and it was tapped out at the end of the night.

Cupcakes and favors not included.

Cakes: Our cake and cupcakes were some of the best our guests and ourselves have ever had! We had pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel frosting, chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting and a caramel filling, and vanilla almond cupcakes with raspberry filling and raspberry liquor buttercream! These were made by a family member who is getting into the cake business and makes some phenomenal cakes for various events. Ask me if you'd like more details/contact info!

Disc Jockey: Chris Maurice of Mojo Music really brought out the good mood and got everyone on the dance floor. He has a talent for crowd pleasing music while still playing songs that the bride and groom like. We had lots of comments about how good our DJ was and we couldn't agree more! With over 15 years of experience, he really knows what he's doing!

Bridesmaids robes: If you're like me and get things dirty just by looking at it, then you'd probably be interested in having some type of colorful robe that I found on etsy for you and your bridesmaids to wear the day of your wedding when you get ready. You won't have to worry about ruining all that makeup, all those bobby pins and perfectly styled hair when you can just undo robe and skip that whole fiasco. Or wear a zip up hoodie. Whatever.

Look at how cute we are!

Hair and Makeup: Me and my 6 bridesmaids, and the moms had our hair and makeup done at Vanity Hair Studio in Portsmouth NH, and I would absolutely recommend them to everyone for their hair and makeup (and skincare) needs! They really went out of their way to not only make sure everyone looked and felt beautiful, but that throughout the whole process that we were all satisfied and happy with a mimosa and bagels while we waited. They have bridal packages that will fit your style, and ended up being more affordable for everyone in the long run. I went for the "Bohemian Babe" package where they use a high quality mineral makeup that doesn't clog your pores, but is still resistant to wiping and weeping. They are very professional and knowledgeable about any hair type, and will work with you to make sure everything comes out looking the way you want it. Ingrid, Heidi, and Amy were absolutely amazing. Everyone at the salon does an amazing job, and everyone had such a great time, it's no wonder they got top 100 salons in America!

Tent and rentals: Everything we rented was beautiful, and Lynsie at Exeter events and Tents was great to work with throughout the entire process. The team really saved the day bringing some tent sidings the day of the wedding when it was too windy to even keep the tablecloths on the table. They really hit the ball out of the park with professional staff who were problem solvers and very knowledgeable about tent set up and spacing on a challenging and new wedding venue. They were helpful throughout the entire process and made suggestions on what may be the best option on various items. We felt comforted knowing that exeter events and tents were there to provide everything we needed for our wedding day, from various types of glasses, to plates, silverware and a dance floor. Would definitely work with them again.

Compost: We wanted to keep our wedding environmentally friendly and produce the least amount of waste that we could so we had Mr. Fox composting for our event. We can feel better knowing that all the compostable waste generated from our wedding will be recycled and used for growing more delicious food on gardens and farms in the north east.

Wedding dress: Celia Grace is not only a dress company with environmental and social concerns, they are company that makes stunning dresses made of handmade eco-silk and each dress is timelessly elegant. If you want a dress that helps people in the process, a fair-trade dress is the way to go. They are made in safe, fair, and empowering Fair Trade conditions and they donate a water filter with each dress sold. I felt absolutely amazing in my "marie" wedding dress made of hand-made lace by women's cooperatives, fair trade producers, and refugees rebuilding their lives in the united states. My dress fit perfectly when I received it, I only needed to add a bustle! The dresses are reasonably priced and they are extremely professional and passionate about what they do. And she just released a new collection!

Videographer/Cinematographer: Our cinematographer JJ Degen did a phenomenal job capturing our day into a film that we will live through again and again for years to come. His artistic style and ability to capture the emotions of the day are unmatched, and he charges a reasonable rate depending on which package you choose. If you want a video that is artfully produced and carefully constructed, Justin will do just that.

Here is the amazing video he edited and finished within 2-3 weeks!

Photographer: Pretty much as soon as we were engaged I booked our photographer with Chattman photography. I loved their dreamy and moody style and the fact that every single photo is beautiful and effortless. It never felt rushed and they make everyone feel comfortable. They are experts in their craft and were extremely professional and personable. We are really happy with their work and would recommend them to anyone who wants their wedding photos to be beautiful magic.

Here is a sneak peak of those 5 photos:

We also had amazing engagement photographers who I would recommend as well!

Eric McCallister: A photoshoot we won and shot at the Currier Museum of Art (who also hosts weddings!) in Manchester for Mike's proposal story in Seacoast Weddings Magazine.

Eric McCallister does an excellent job with working with couples to pose them effectively, and his dramatic use of light for especially night time settings are tough to beat. He can shoot in any weather condition, indicative of the many stunning rain photographs on his page. Would totally recommend Eric for engagements or weddings.

Peter Greeno: Peter Greeno was our original engagement photographer, and he was amazing to shoot with in Boston in the winter. He is personable, and he created a video interview for us where he made a video compiling some of our talking without noise, and some other photographs all put to music. He is very detail-oriented, even down to the pretty packaging you receive everything in, and will take your ideas into consideration while he's shooting.

I also want to give special thanks to all of the family and friends who supported us throughout this whole process. You know who you are and it means so much to us

So, today marks 2 weeks of marriage! We have so much more love for each other each day. I wouldn't change a thing about our past that lead us to each other, the bumps along the way, or the little things that may have gone wrong on our wedding day. We had an amazing few days in Bar Harbor, Maine for our mini-moon (many people recommended getting away for at least a couple days after the wedding), and we are looking forward to being in Europe in about five months for our honeymoon! We did it this way not only because I am still in school until December, but this gives us time to update passports, plan out where we want to go, and also have better weather while we're there. Here is the route we are thinking, our target countries are Iceland, Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, France, and either Spain or the Netherlands. Any of you who are well traveled and have any suggestions on where to go, or have comments/questions about this post, please leave a comment and some love below!

Here is a little compilation of photos from our mini-moon in bar harbor

10 Incredibly Helpful Wedding Planning Tips I've Learned Over a Year

2014-07-27T23:41:00.002-04:00

This year has breezed by! It's almost been a year since Mike proposed, and there are only 54 days until Mike and I seal the deal with our first kiss into married life.

Over this time I have come across many things that have made wedding planning so much easier. Between going to school full-time, work, and snuggling our two fur babies, it's nice to get some inspiration and ideas from other sources to really nail everything down.

1. Find a checklist.

If you're more tech savvy, I used apps on my phone for most of my needs, but you can also have a tangible version that you can hang somewhere visible as a reminder as well (I liked Real Simple). The Knot app has a great detailed checklist with a countdown front and center. It also has an inspiration tab to start getting ideas on what you might want. WedHappy is also great (I used this app most and the knot to supplement) and it will send you reminders and tell you how many tasks you have left for those type A people who love lists (like me!)

2. Stop everything you're doing and sign up for Style Me Pretty.

Do it. On the computer, and download the app on your phone or tablet. Even if you're not planning your wedding yet. The swoon factor is high on this site packed with a whole lot of whimsy. When you're waiting for the bus, your latte, or your fiancé to get home you can browse countless personal weddings from backyard to ballroom, or from beach to the mountains. You can filter weddings by state, wedding color palette, theme, style, etc. Wedding Gawker is also good and is a more randomized version of this.

3. Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest.

Did I say Pinterest? It is one of the best things to ever happen to wedding planning and you're probably already using it. What did people do before this "pinspirational" organizing dream website? The only downside is that much of the pins don't actually lead you to said shoes, favors, woodland animal cake topper, etc in order to order it. My recommendation? Research items you want from wedding/etsy/other stores websites and pin them onto your wedding board. That way when its time to buy it you can pull it up in a couple clicks. Break it down to different categories like flowers, bridesmaids, or decor so it is easier to pull up everything you need to look at in one spot.

4. Set your budget lower than you think.

Discuss a budget that you two think is reasonable, and then a budget that would be your max. We set our budget pretty low but there are a lot of hidden costs no matter how you try to keep costs within that budget range, so shoot lower so you can expect to accommodate those fees. Remember that catering, the DJ, the photographer, and the dress are probably going to be the most expensive costs. It may be smart to choose where you can splurge and where you want to save. For example, if you are both really musical souls you can invest more into a DJ or live band. Mike an I are eco-minded foodies (we're talking an environmental conservationist and nutritionist here) so we wanted to make sure the food was what we dreamed. We'd highly recommend the farm-to-table catering company we're going with called Flavor Concepts based out of Dover, NH.

5. There's a price tag to saying the word "Wedding"

Unless they are going to give you a deal, fees are automatically jacked up at least a couple hundred when you mention the word "wedding." You can find things on the cheap like shoes and accessories if you just look outside of the wedding shops or websites. Mike got his shoes for about $60 from Clarks at the Kittery outlets in Maine. I was able to find my shoes for $15 at Madeleines daughter bridal shop in Portsmouth, NH but this is pretty rare. Try to avoid it when you're booking a rehearsal dinner or any other events if you can.

6. Make your own invitations.

You can save a boatload doing it this way if you have some kind of editing program. I was able to browse the inter web and pull ideas to personalize exactly how I wanted my invitations to look. I chose to watercolor paint backgrounds in our wedding colors and I simply scanned the paintings into the computer and looked up the invitation language I wanted online. I used Adobe Photoshop CS6 and a free font called "Jane Austen." There are many sites you can print from. The cheapest for me was Vista Print, but Wedding Paper Divas has more paper options like a pearly shimmer or gold foil. The only downside to ordering online at vista print is you need to make a small order (10 is the least) to make sure the invitations look the way you want (hopefully this will change), whereas WPD or any other local printing shop will give you a free sample.

7. Use excel for your guest list, budget, and keeping track of hotel room bookings

My world changed when I found out that its easier to organize the guest list by household and not individual names. Here is the template: (Storyboard Wedding Guest List Template), and This website will provide you with the instructions. You can thank me later.

8. Create a wedding website.

Many millennials, like myself, are finding that a wedding website can be one of their best tools. All the information like directions, background stories of how the couple met, schedule of the day, and your cute engagement photos are all in one spot. Some sites even have an RSVP section where you can export all of the RSVP's onto an excel sheet. I used WeddingWoo which allows you to really personalize your page. You can add music and even a hashtag for your wedding where all the photos will show up in one spot. This website has a flat fee for one or two years, but there are many other websites you can find for free as well.

9. Choosing a Registry.

I can help you out with a different kind of registry. If you're a couple that's been living together for a while, you may have collected many of the home items over the years. A great honeymoon destination may be something else that you're interested in that people can contribute to. Some people may choose to do both a home registry and honeymoon registry. We decided we wanted the most help with having an adventure full of memories. There are multiple honeymoon sites with some of the most well known and cheaper options (cheaper meaning the interest charged for guests making a credit card transaction) including Wanderable, Honeyfund (these two have the lowest fees), HoneymoonWishes, or TravelersJoy. Here's a comparison site for you see the break down of each. Examples of different items people can contribute to include "scuba diving" or "plane tickets". You could also take photos while you're doing these activities to show a quick thank you to your guests and the fun your having with their gift.

10. A little stress is healthy, but don't overload yourself

Having some stress gets shit done. Having too much stress will affect your body, mood and behavior. You can plan to the last possible minuscule detail and something is bound to be forgotten or missed or imperfect. What matters is that you're marrying the man of your dreams, so don't forget he's there to help, along with your bridesmaids and family.

Do you have any tips that helped? Please share below!

2014-04-21T09:53:00.001-04:00

Nothing

Compares

To a beautiful

Conversation

With a

Beautiful

Mind.

2014-04-21T09:29:00.001-04:00

There's a brief moment when

you first wake up where you

Have no memories. A blissful

Blank slate, a happy

Emptiness ~Anna Sopgia Robb

2014-04-20T23:17:00.005-04:00

to love
a person is
to see all
their magic
and to remind
them of it
when they
have forgotten

2014-04-20T23:16:00.000-04:00

when you get to know
someone, all their physical
characteristics start to
disappear. You begin to dwell
in their energy, recognize the
scent of their skin. You see
only the essence of the person,
not the shell. That's why you
can't fall in love with beauty or
looks. You can lust after it, be
infatuated by it, want to own it.
You can love it with your eyes
and your body, but not with your
heart. That's why when you
really connect with a person,
any physical imperfections
disappear, become irrelevant.

2014-03-22T06:28:00.001-04:00

I want to live simply. I want to sit by a window when it rains and read books I'll never be tested on.

I want to paint because I want to. Not because I've got something to prove.

I want to listen to my body. Fall asleep when the moon is high and wake up slowly. With no place to rush off to.

I want to not be governed by money. Or clocks or any artificial restraints that humanity imposes upon itself. I just want to be, boundless and infinite.

Engagement Video

2014-02-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl Tasties! Turkey Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese!

2014-02-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

I don't usually go crazy for super bowl, maybe some chips and hummus, pizza and the usual apps. This year I wanted to try something new. And it was actually pretty easy!

I grabbed all the ingredients from Trader Joe's for this tasty concoction.

These dates still had the pits in them. So I just cut a slit down the middle, enough room to fit the goat cheese in, and took the pits out. Make sure you set your oven to preheat at 400 F.

This goat cheese had the perfect texture and flavor, and I had plenty left over for salads, etc! I scooped a small amount into each slit with a teaspoon.

I thought the peppered turkey bacon would be a little bit healthier, lower fat alternative and add a bit more complexity than unpeppered regular bacon. I cut the lot in half so I had 16 half strips to wrap around the stuffed dates.

I used your typical wooden toothpick but I wet them a bit and stuck it right through the middle to both hold the turkey bacon in place and as a means to pick them up. Set them in the oven for 20 minutes, and then turn them over so the dates cook evenly for a total of 40 minutes in the oven.

Once you put these tasties in the oven, if you'd like to make a balsamic reduction (it's easier than it sounds!) to drizzle on top - trust me its a worthy addition. Take 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and put it in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer at medium-low for 40 minutes. I didn't get a picture of this but it also makes these morsels look better!

And ouila! Delicious cheesy salty sweet snacks!

About 100 calories a piece. I would be careful because these are extremely addicting :) You can also buy smaller dates or use smaller pieces of bacon for lower calories. But on super bowl sunday, there aren't any calories, right??

Note: Use a thin type of bacon, or a prosciutto for a less chewy texture than the turkey.

2013-12-15T01:25:00.004-05:00

climb mountains
not so the world can see you
but so you can see
the world

2013-11-17T23:48:00.001-05:00

Sonder - noun. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own - populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness - an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

I'm Engaged!

2013-09-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

The conclusion of summer brought on new beginnings when Mike took me out for our 3 year anniversary to a "Love Tour" at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH. And we have proof!

Mike had been planning this whole proposal since last year, and his thoughtfulness and creativity shows in the events that led up to this moment in time:

I am the happiest girl in the world and I almost don't know what to do with myself, besides love my fiancé, and start planning!

Here are some additional photos from that day:

Standing with the woman who gave us our love tour.

This masterpiece is actually a recording of Mike saying "Erika, Will you Marry Me?" There's a company who will convert audio into visual sound waves!

The most beautiful ring I have ever seen. It is Mike's grandmother's ring from the 1920's. Almost 100 years old. This photo doesn't even come close to doing it justice. I am so honored to embody her spirit and carry with it another lifetime of love.

Summer Happenings

2013-08-08T18:47:00.001-04:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. It always happens where I become quite busy and then I remember what I used to do when I had free time. It's kind of funny when you have to schedule free time. Between the internship and getting booked for multiple shoots (two this week!) and work, I don't really have a day off. Besides this recent vacation!

But I will share with you what I have been up to lately.

Osheaga was a blast! A group of us from good ol' New Hampshire made the trek out to Montreal - stopping in Burlington, VT on the way. There were 35 bands that played in one day. My favorite that day was probably Vampire Weekend followed by Alt-J. During Ellie Goulding's performance (a singer from Britain) They sprayed a firehose of water over the crowd. It was definitely an amped up show. The only beers we could find were Molson Canadian beer or Coors light, and then they ran out of Molson! The fashion was quite hilarious - I wish I would've gotten a photo. It seems ass cleavage is in fashion.

Night hours were beautiful. The two photos on the left are from Osheaga while we were taking a walk through their huge campus at night. The sunset over Montreal was beautiful - I managed to get in front of the crowd of people with their smartphones to snap a quick photo of the city's horizon. The two on the right are from the second night in Montreal where we took a walk into downtown old port to compare the Basilica from when we went in the winter to what it looked like in summer. Mike and I noticed how much more quiet Montreal is. Not just in terms of the people, action, sirens of firetrucks and police officers - but also in terms of the energy. New York City is completely opposite.

On the third day, we meandered around the Biodome. We were originally going to see the animals, but the line would have taken all day to get through. So instead we marveled at the absolutely perfect nature of all the purposefully laid out landscaping sculptures and landscapes of the Botanical garden. I was blown away by how artfully done by every aspect, and awed by its scale. They offered patrons to come back for a second visit because it would take 6 hours to view it in its entirety. The Insectarium housed many creepy crawlers I can only dream about including scorpions and giant tarantulas. It really was one of the highlights of the trip.

My internship with Portsmouth Hospitals Nutrition Dept is coming to a close as is summer, and I have accomplished so much and now have such a wonderful network of professional connections. I will continue to work with the Food & Nutrition dept as well as LNA throughout the next few semesters until I graduate.

2013-07-08T20:56:00.001-04:00

Dietetic Internship!

2013-06-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

And... There goes my summer. In a good way! I opted to intern with the hospital I work in for the summer with the Food and Nutrition Department.

It has been a wonderful month so far, working on various projects ranging from creating handouts about healthy snacks for a group of hikers and bikers to making a monthly nutrition board outside the cafeteria. I have also been shadowing some of the Dietitians. They work with different floors and each have a slightly different way of working their routine and educating patients.

Most recently, I have been shadowing an outpatient Dietitian a few buildings over. It's quite a different setting. The patients are generally healthy, and they come to you on their own time. Many of them are bariatric patients who have elected to undergo surgery, like gastric bypass or the sleeve gastrectomy (in which the stomach is reduced to about 25% of its size by surgical removal). But some of the patients are normal patients that just want to lose weight, and others need intensive treatment due to cancer.

Yesterday, The Clinical Nutrition Manager and I were involved in a Health Fair at Kittery Trading Post in Maine.

We had cups of sugar cubes representing the amount of sugar in commonly consumed energy bars and beverages - which really put in perspective the amount of sugars hidden in these seemingly "healthy" items. I wish I had a close up picture of this! We also had a "body fat analyzer." A handheld device that sends a small harmless electrical current through the body in order to determine body fat percentage. A lot of people seemed to want to try it!

Whether I end up working in the hospital, outpatient, grocery store, or even for myself - this internship brings me one step closer to Erika Peace, RD LD.

Carla Caruso Jewelery + Chattman Photography

2013-05-30T10:52:00.003-04:00

I'm on Carla Caruso Jewelry's Website!

Also a few more images from the shoot:

the national - don't swallow the cap

2013-05-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

Went to a festival last sunday in boston (bostoncalling.com) where the national headlined. Great show!

Quick Quinoa Pilaf

2013-05-14T20:10:00.001-04:00

I decided to get a little crazy and do something different for dinner tonight.

I have to say that this particular recipe will definitely become a tradition in this household!

It is the perfect combination of curry, spice, sweet, and savory with a tang of cilantro.

It has currants and chopped cashews, or you may use almonds.

Quinoa Pilaf

Yield 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 each jalapeno or chili peppers, 1/8 inch dice

½ cup cashews, chopped

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ cup dried currents

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

To taste sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large (2 quart) sauce pan.

2. Add the garlic and peppers, season and cook approximately 1 minute.

3. Add the cashews and continue to cook approximately 3 more minutes; watch the nuts and stir so that they do not burn.

4. Add the turmeric, cumin, and ginger and cook another minute.

5. Add the currents, quinoa and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

6. Stir, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.

7. Cook for about 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the grain is tender.

8. To serve, fluff the quinoa with a fork and top with chopped cilantro.

It's so easy! and it only takes about 10 min prep, 20 min to cook. We added some cut up jalepeno chicken sausage, and it was delish! But it is perfectly great as a vegetarian dish on its own. And if you are afraid of spicy, just use one jalepeno and it's still just as tasty.

Spring flowers

2013-04-25T09:30:00.001-04:00

2013-04-24T00:23:00.002-04:00

never trust an atom
they make up everything

the voice...

2013-04-24T00:09:00.002-04:00

float on ~

2013-04-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

2013-04-24T00:04:00.002-04:00

beautiful things are never perfect