24 Things I've Learned as a 24 Year Old

1. The wind may get taken out of your sails but have faith, it'll come back at just the right time.
2. Friends and family are more important than any laptop, piece of jewelry, etc.
3. Eat real food - it'll do you wonders.
4. Own who you are.
5. It's ok if that changes over time too :)
6. Don't be afraid to try new things. After all, if I had succumb to my fears, this blog wouldn't exist!
7. TAKE ADVENTURES!
8. Travel! You can have just as much fun in the next town or city as you can across the country or ocean.
9. The power of a compliment lasts beyond anything I've come across this year. In fact, when I replay one I received last summer, I smile just the same as I did when I was first lucky enough to receive it.
10. Find a mentor. Or a few. The things you will learn will make you a better person, whether or not you realize it in the moment.
11. Be proud of where you come from. It might even be ok if you slowly start turning into your parents. For me, I wouldn't be as organized, dedicated, or willing to take a stand for something if it wasn't for my parents. Plus, there's no denying we're related when you see us :)
12. You're never to old to play like a kid!
13. Don't let yourself get too depressed about something. It may suck for the time being but eventually, you'll tire of feeling that way and look for the good in things.
14. Look for the good in things! There may be an unexpected silver lining just waiting for you.
15. It's ok to look out for yourself. If you don't, who will?
16. It never hurts to ask.
17. Quarter-life crises don't have to come at 25. If fact, if it happens at 24, you may be setting yourself up for an even better 25!
18. Yes, you might be old enough to have a child. That fact does not preclude you from acting like one every now and then :)
19. Own what you know. Don't be afraid to be confident in your abilities, even if you don't have a degree in it (unless you're a doctor or something...)
20. Learning what you don't like is just as important as learning what you do like. If everything is always roses, you won't know how to cope with adversity.
21. Don't burn bridges. People from your past will still be willing to help you out. I'm serious.
22. Do something that makes you slightly uncomfortable. It'll expand your horizons.
23. Kill 'em with kindness. Whether it gets you on a plane to escape a blizzard or brightens someone's day, being mean is far less effective.
24. Love who you are and even if you don't love everything love what you can. Constant scrutiny just isn't worth it!

Here's to an even better 25!

All Growed Up

I'm here in Chicago spending the morning in meetings before leading an afternoon of training sessions and kicking off my sorority's national convention!  I'm so excited to be spending the big day with so many friends and family that I've known for so long. I can honestly say that I've gained amazing, life-long friends through the sorority.

I had the idea to share pictures with you all from various birthdays throughout my life. The benefit of a summer birthday was getting to have pool parties and other fun things. I hope you enjoy them!!


On the left is Lauren, my close friend since before we were born. I'm clearly upset about something at our 1st birthday party...

2 years old and celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese

 

My grandmother made this cake from scratch for my 3rd birthday

 

4 years old

 

Best birthday party ever for 5 - a carnival in our backyard with games, spin art, and more!

 

Turning 6 and a little gymnast

 

Celebrating 8 while on a family cruise in the Caribbean

 

Sometime as a teenager, 15 perhaps? Definitely had my awkward stage...

 

I can't wait to see what the next 25 years will bring!

Jen and Jeff get married!

You might recall that I was in Dallas last weekend for a wedding. My good friend Jen, who I've known since my junior year of high school, was getting married. I knew I couldn't miss this special weekend and was so glad to have been part of the simcha (happy occasion in Hebrew).

I was eager to get out of DC for a few days since we were still in the throes of blizzard (x2) recovery. Sadly, Dallas wasn't much warmer and still had some of their snow on the ground. Nevertheless, it was nowhere near DC levels so I was happy my plane was heading for warmer (and less snow-filled) pastures. I entertained myself on the flight with the essentials - a good magazine, some gluten free snacks, and an apple.

My parents picked me up and we were immediately off for a quick lunch and some shopping at my favorite place: Whole Foods. I know I've alluded to my obsession before, but allow me to indulge just a bit. As a Texas-based company, the stores throughout the state are much better than those I have access to here in DC. I love my Whole Foods here, but nothing compares to the size, amount of products offered, special gluten free aisles, and friendliness of the staff of the Texas stores. I was starving and made a fantastic salad filled with tons of veggies. Then, we were off in search of a few things to bring back to DC as well as getting a few of my favorite gluten free products for my dad to try.

Saturday night was Jen's bachelorette party, planned by MOH and sister, Emily. She really planned a wonderful evening that hit on many of Jen's favorite things and it was a blast getting to know some of Jen's friends from school as well. Our first stop, after picking up Jen, was our private make-your-own sushi dinner! Emily is a CIA student (that's Culinary Institute of America, not Central Intelligence Agency...) and had arranged quite the feast for us at the location of her externship. There were all sorts of delicious vegetables to put in our sushi and the beauty of the crowd I was with was that everyone understood food allergies (we're all Jewish and allergies abound) and was happy to make sure fish didn't come in contact with anything else, so I didn't have to worry! I also won one of the "door prizes" - my own sushi kit complete with bamboo mat and 2 sets of chopsticks. Very excited to own chopsticks of the non-take out variety :-)

 

 

I made this beautiful creation of: seaweed, rice, red bell pepper, cucumber, mushrooms, and carrot. It was so good that I went back for a second mini roll. Mmmm!

We then headed to Central 214 in the Palomar Hotel, home of Blythe of the Naughty Kitchen. I have never seen the show but Jen is obsessed and was so surprised when we arrived. Emily had planned dessert and drinks as well as another surprise - we got to meet Blythe! She was really nice and spent a long time talking with our table.

 

 

The restaurant is fabulously decorated - there were many modern twists to the space. And, I love an open kitchen where you can see everything that's being prepared. It all looked so good!

 

 

After drool perusing the menu, I realized that there wasn't anything gluten free that I could enjoy. Not to worry though! I got to enjoy the sights of everyone's desserts, including the 2 that Blythe recommended: fried PB&J and the chocolate pecan waffle.

Our night ended shortly after dessert - the bride had a big day ahead of her and we were all exhausted from our travels.

I had my own exciting plans for Sunday morning. Earlier in the week I had decided not to tell my grandparents that I was coming to town, and instead got my parents in on a plan to surprise them for Valentine's Day. My dad had arranged for breakfast with my family, and not suspecting anything, were truly shocked when I walked up to our table! The looks on their faces were priceless and it was a special moment. I enjoyed about 1/3 of my egg white and veggie omelet and about 1/2 cup of fruit. The day before at WF, my dad and I discovered a new gluten free bagel which we split as well.

After breakfast I was off to a haircut, a few errands, and get ready for the wedding.

For those of you less familiar with the traditions associated with a Jewish wedding, this explains much of the night. It was a wonderful evening and Jen was a beautiful bride!

After Jen made her entrance and was veiled by her soon-to-be husband, there were still a few minutes until the actual ceremony. Emily found me in the crowd and presented me with a small piece of jewelry that Jen wanted me to hold during the ceremony. There is a custom of doing this to bring good wishes, love, and happiness to the jewelry-holder. It was really nice to be thought of for this honor (and I'll take any good wishes) and I appreciated it!

The ceremony was beautiful and then it was on to a night of celebration! There were many highlights, including the cutting of the cake which Emily had helped to create. It was beautiful.

Monday felt short and after packing and a quick lunch with my parents, it was off to the airport!

It was my quickest trip to Dallas in a while and was totally worth it to celebrate Jen and Jeff. It was a beautiful weekend with old friends and new and I'm happy that I was able to be present for the occasion!

100 and Going Strong!

Hi bloggies! I'm still here. Sorry for being MIA for most of the week. When I discovered that my next post would be my 100th, I wanted to make sure that the eats were truly noteworthy!

It's been a great food day, so let's begin.

I kicked off the day with some Vanilla Berry hot cereal. In the mix: BRM hot cereal, buckwheat groats, smashed sweet potato, 1/4c blueberries, a splash of vanilla extract, cinnamon, a few raisins, drop of sugar-free syrup, and 1/2 tbsp total of PB and AB. This was the best bowl of hot cereal that I've had in a while! The splash of vanilla really enhanced the flavor of the berries and grains, and surprisingly, of the sweet potato! My tummy was very happy.

Mid-day, I headed a few blocks away from campus to meet a friend at a vegetarian restaurant called Java Green. I've always heard great things about this place but had never been. Now that I really enjoy tofu and other vegetarian fare, I was excited to meet up with friend and food blogger Rella for lunch.

I arrived early, knowing that with a new menu full of gluten free things I was going to need lots of time to make my decision on what to order. The place was packed but I snagged a menu to peruse while I waited.

I ordered the gluten free Rice & More Bowl which included: jobchae noodles, organic black rice, spicy kimchi, steamed broccoli, kale, cabbage, spicy tofu, and an asparagus spear. YUM!

 

 

I loved this so much - fresh, light, and filling all at the same time. I was happily full from this meal and ended up taking home half of my tofu, rice, and noodles. I had fun with Rella and am looking forward to our next lunch date (at another new restaurant)!







The afternoon flew by at work because of the couple of projects I'm working on (and I think the fantastic lunch helped too) and then made a special pit stop on my way to the gym (see below). I wasn't really feeling it tonight at the gym so I just did 35 minutes on the elliptical and some stretches.

Dinner after the gym was light and savory. I had a roasting bonanza - kale, beets, and brussel sprouts, mmmm. I had half a serving of Amy's baked beans as well and it was exactly what I needed. I wasn't too hungry after my big lunch today.

Now, it's time to relax with The Notebook and enjoy a pear and a small piece of this special delight: my favorite gluten free cupcake, vanilla with strawberry frosting, from Hello Cupcake. They are the only bakery in DC that consistently carries a gluten free option and varies their flavors throughout the week.  The cake is moist and fluffy and the icing is creamy and out of this world!

Happy 100th to Gluten-free Grazer and thank you to my loyal readers. Feel free to keep sharing your feedback, whether you comment on the blog, find me on Twitter (@glutnfreegrazer), or via email (glutenfreegrazer@gmail.com).

And many more...