Healing recipes: A multicultural potluck

Today I completed week five of my six-week Coursera class on nutrition for health promotion and disease prevention. This week's assignment was so interesting I thought I'd put a poll out there to see what you would do if this was your homework.

Professor Ferraro asked us to identify a food with cultural, personal, religious or political importance to us, with "purported effects on health promotion or disease prevention". We were to prepare the dish (eliminating my obvious choice of madzoon), keeping notes on the ingredients and step-by-step instructions, take a photograph of the food and prepare a nutrient analysis of the food we prepared. She continues:

No matter the culture you align with, to some degree, food in your culture is polysemic. Polysemic symbols are those that carry several, simultaneous meanings. For this assignment, you will create a food item or dish that represents the ability to prevent disease or promote health in your food culture.
Examples of food items with perceived therapeutic benefits include:

• Use of nopales (cactus) in Mexican food culture to help lower blood sugar in people with diabetes 

• Use of chicken soup in the United States to convey healing for people who are sick with the common cold or flu 

• Kimchi used in Korea is thought to promote digestive health among other health benefits

So, my questions for you are: if this was your assignment, what would you make? And, of course, what do you think I turned in for my homework?

Tiny Habits

My company pays me to find creative ways to build healthy workplace cultures through behavior change. To use Dominic's language, this is a 'pretty sweet gig'. I, like most people, have plenty of unhealthy behaviors I'm trying to change so I often try out new ideas in my own life before incorporating them into my client's toolkits and programming plans. One trial was so interesting I thought I'd write about it here for your own enjoyment.

Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford professor and author of Persuasive Technology, kept coming up in conversation. I had intended to read his book last September for book club, he was interviewed on a radio program more than a year ago, and to be honest he had been on my mind last week as I'm quickly realizing I really need to get my act together in preparation for graduate school. Dr. Fogg believes in changing behavior by creating tiny habits. The process is fairly straight forward and I thought it would be helpful to experience the approach for myself this week.

I enrolled online last Friday and spent this week honing my tiny habits. So far I'm two for three. A tiny habit is: something you do at least once a day, something that takes you less than 30 seconds to complete, and something that requires little effort. Mine were:

1. After taking off my work clothes do two pushups 
2. After getting in the car say a prayer
3. After answering the phone stand up

I'll admit, mine aren't great. I never remembered to do the pushups (my one failure this week) and I couldn't remember to say a prayer when I got in the car after work, only before. Here are some other examples that are probably better.

I was initially quite attracted to the 'something that requires little effort' description. Dr. Fogg writes: "The easier the behavior, the less it depends on motivation". Wise words considering we all know how reliable motivation can be. He goes on to explain that the habit should be on schedule. The new habit should come directly after an existing habit. He calls the existing habit an anchor and instructs us to always use an existing anchor to trigger the new tiny behavior we want. Another important requirement is to celebrate successes. He suggests saying 'victory' to ourselves not only when we do the behavior but also when we think of doing the behavior. I kept finding myself saying yes and jolting my elbow back like I've done since I was in first grade. Whatever works.

I'm going to keep trying to work on these tiny habits because the payoff could be big. If I'm already standing when I answer the phone, chances are I'll stay standing during the entire conversation. If I can do two pushups, chances are I'll stay down there to do 10 more. You see where this is going.

Curious? Try it here, or just follow some of Dr. Fogg's thoughts here.

Gather Around

Thursday evening LIFE group.

Tom & Peg, an Introduction

Today is Tom & Peg's 40th Wedding Anniversary!

In honor of this couple I've come to love, respect and admire I thought I'd share my memory of our first encounter:

It was November 2008 and Dominic had invited me to Los Angeles for his big sister Lina's wedding. I was excited about this trip but knew I had my work cut out for me so I began studying the Monley family tree on the flight from Seattle. We had flown down after work and didn't arrive to LAX until at least 10 p.m. Anyone who knows me knows that that's very late. 

Peg graciously picked us up at the airport and, as anyone would be at the wedding weekend of their only daughter, was a bundle of energy and excitement. I sat in front and concentrated on our conversation which, according to Dominic, was a good idea given the traffic and lane maneuvering required to get us to the hotel. He still teases her about nearly stopping on the 405 when she missed the exit.

We made it safe and sound to the hotel and went straight to Tom & Peg's room for a meet & greet. I still remember walking in to find Tom in the back of the room next to a flying pig. Honestly, it was circling from the ceiling just like in a children's toy store. You've all seen them:

 I was quite shocked (and remember, very tired), so in the most polite tone possible, I asked my future father-in-law something to the extent of: "Is this something the hotel installs in every room?" Everyone laughed and I found out I had passed the test! If you can't laugh off a flying pig after all, how are you going to make a relationship work for the long haul?

Thank you, Tom & Peg, for your enthusiasm and energy, for your sense of humor, and for welcoming me into this family from day one. I love you dearly. 

Gather Around

Family, old and new

Coursera vs. Winter

My attitude and overall mood rise and fall with the temperature. This morning we were listening to the radio and heard that the windchill would hold steady around 1 degree today, so as you can imagine my general disposition hasn't been too pleasant.

I was sitting at home feeling sorry for my sorry self when I remembered that I recently signed up for a free Coursera course called Nutrition for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Coursera is this brilliant website started by a few social entrepreneurs who decided to partner with the top universities around the world to offer courses online for free. I signed up for this nutrition class, but there are topics ranging from control of mobile robots to songwriting. My class is taught through the University of California San Francisco, but I could go to University of Melbourne or Princeton! My professor is Katie Ferraro. She's a Registered Dietitian and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Health Care Nursing. She works as a consultant dietitian.

Believe it or not, I started watching my course lectures and like magic the learning started washing away my winter woes. Who knew learning could improve mood?

Professor Ferraro challenged my classmates and I to consider interesting concepts like malnutrition being the result of under- and over-nourishment. She also helped remind me of macro and micro nutrients and which ones yield energy. I learned helpful information about my personal diet like the fact that tannins found in tea can interfere with iron absorption. I even calculated how many calories I need (1269) and Dominic needs (1738) per day based on the Harris Benedict Equation. 

We know that poor nutrition increases our risk for chronic disease, reduces our quality of life, and impacts our financial status. If knowledge is power watch out winter!

Gather Around

Dear friends and loving Lord of Life members Mike & Lorie gathered around for Mark's Mexican carnitas last night.

Happy New Year

Is that pork and kraut? 

Then it must be a New Year!

Wishing you and yours all the best in 2013.

Make a Joyful Noise

What better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus than in song? From Christmas Sings to Spanish Pastorelas, we rang in the holiday season with as much music as possible. 

It all started at Katelin and Ryan's house. They host an annual Christmas Sing and we were included this year. We were invited to bring our unique style and funk and gather around the piano for a good time with the Church for All People congregation. 

On December 22 we were invited to the Golden Paper Semi Bi Annual Locally International Christmas Caroling Extravaganza in Woodland. Bigger and better than ever, Tom and Peg hosted the celebration with an overflowing pot of confidence-building Glugg, instruments and snacks. It was a great kickoff to our California Christmas.

On Sunday after church Nate, Finn and Selah performed in their parish Pastorela. In Mexico, these theatrical works were first developed to teach the Christmas story. Traditionally the show begins with an angel telling the shepherds the birth of Christ, but this particular performance started with the creation of the world.

You don't have to be fluent in Spanish to understand that the little angel on the right is the cutest ever.

Sunday evening the cousins gathered for another competitive round of karaoke. Although John and Colin tried to win with a beautiful rendition of little drummer boy Dominic pulled out the win with a score of 97 at the end. Lesson learned.

Happy holidays, from our musical family to yours!

Barnstormer Birthday

We celebrated Grandpa Hoffer's 86th birthday in style at Barnstormers Grill. Located at the Ohio State University airport, this cosy cafe gave us the perfect setting for a leisurely lunch of chicken salad wraps and a cheeseburger for the birthday boy. 

It has been a rainy Christmas season, so after lunch we took a stroll around Tuttle Mall. We were quite entertained by the 4-ft remote helicopter...

May this be the best year yet Grandpa! I love you so much I could squeeze the puddin' outta you.

Gather Around 3

Look how much fun Katelin and Ryan had listening to one of Dominic's stories this evening:

Katelin and Ryan are our new friends from Church for All People.

You should come visit too!

A Few of Our Favorite Things

Today I was invited to a Favorite Things gift exchange. It was a fun idea my friend Jill had for a holiday party that pulled together four friends who have stayed close since high school. 

Rachel hosted brunch and we were each told to bring four copies of a favorite thing. It could be anything with a maximum of $10/item. Think Oprah's tradition on a miniature scale. 

We each had an opportunity to go around and present our favorite thing to the group. Thanks to my friend's impeccable taste and generosity, I have a minty eucalyptus smelling bedroom, shiny cherry tasting lips and warm (or cold) beverages to sip on during my commute. Each of these items spoke to our desire to look good, feel good and smell good this season. It was a fun event and a nice way to exchange gifts. 

What would you take to a Favorite Things party this year?

Any guesses on what I took?

Gather Around 2

Come gather around our table for a meal and a good time. Uncle Tom, Aunt Lisa and the Zaengers did:

Sarah's parents and godfather

Deck the Halls

Dominic and I haven't been able to match up our PTO very well this year. This has meant a lot of free time for me to do my thing. I wasn't sure what my thing was until all of a sudden this morning Christmas cheer hit me like a rock. I was driving along picking up nuts and fruit to make my holiday trail mix tins like any modern day scavenger when Mannheim Steamroller came on the radio. Not even two minutes into Fum, Fum, Fum and I was making a beeline for the nearest tree lot.

It turns out the nearest tree lot was the Hope Thru Housing farmer's market. Apparently HTH, a residential treatment center for men with substance abuse problems, replaced their tomatoes and potatoes with evergreens for the holiday season.

The men in the program run the farmer's market and tree lot as a part of their vocational training. HTH started about two years ago and invites men to live in a house and rehabilitate while learning some life skills and gaining work experience. Impressively, the market, trees, and craft item sales provide 60 percent of the organizations funding.

I brought my carefully-chosen pine home in the backseat and decorated it with pride. This 5-foot beauty earns one foot of it's height from that top branch. It sticks straight up all by itself and has been said to resemble a piece of asparagus. Who needs an angel when you've got produce?

Merry Christmas!

What Moves You

I've been thinking a lot about the places we have lived and how those places have shaped us. For the most part, hindsight makes this pretty easy:

Armenia shaped my career and taught me the value of keeping family close.
Seattle made me a fiancee, then a newlywed and taught us both how to be a little more outdoorsy.
New York educated our views on community and income.

We know exactly why we moved to Columbus in September. The reasons borrow a little from each of our previous experiences and ultimately having family close trumps all other decision-making factors.  

We are, however, still trying to find our way. We have everything we could possibly need: a church, a home, two good jobs and a car (it is the midwest after all). Now we just need to understand how we live here as Sarah and Dominic - not just as adolescent Sarah.

It's going to be a process, let the experiential learning commence.     

Gather Around

The table is complete! Nothing better than a dinner party to celebrate.

Aubrey, Rachel, Brooke and Jill came over to celebrate Thanksgiving.

It's the people, people

I've been a 'remote' granddaughter, daughter, sister and godmother for as long as I've been a grown up. Moving back to Columbus has afforded Dominic and I the opportunity to spend time with family in the day-to-day kinda way that has been completely new and special.

Thank you Mom and Dad. Your hospitality and generosity this month has blessed us beyond what you could ever know. 

Mom's birthday hangout.

Carly's (far left) first soccer game of the season. 

Ok, it's not all good in Ohio...

But we're looking forward to sharing this city with each other and with our family. 

Westward Bound

We set off for Ohio from the city Friday afternoon. Before we knew it our scenery went from buildings and bridges to fields and flowers.

We decided to make the long weekend a vacation. Rather than push through Pennsylvania, only stopping for potty breaks, we took our time and enjoyed the back roads.  

We parked the truck and rode bikes into State College on Saturday afternoon, arriving just in time to meet paper Mitt and a welcoming tailgater.

Dominic even got to rub the lucky rock with paper Barack 

We made a pit stop at the coffee pot before finding a hotel for the night. Although my co-workers questioned my hotel choices during all those trip to Seattle over the years, I realized the effort paid off during this trip. Choice Privilege reward point hotels are everywhere. Need a place to stay in Somerset, PA? There are at least three hotels in a five mile radius. It has been perfect since we didn't make any effort to plan this adventure.

Dominic made a friend near Bentleyville, PA. Big Jim, the metal cowboy, was quite the sight for road-weary eyes:

If we could do it again we would have planned ahead and made a visit to Falling Water. It was on our list, but the tickets were sold out this weekend.

There was something special about this trip for me though. It may have been the flexibility we felt, perhaps it was the Amish buggies we spotted along the way. I think it may be the reality that this trip marks the end of an era in our marriage. Dominic and I have lived away for years and we have talked about being closer to family since Armenia. I wouldn't trade our experiences in Seattle and New York for anything, but I'm really excited to insert our lives into the network of extended family in Ohio. Watch out Buckeyes, we're on our way!

Pack 'er Up and Move 'er Out

We'll miss the Bronx. We'll miss the Bronx people, their Bronx noise, and bumping into them in the Bronx bodegas. 

I'll sincerely miss the Botanical Garden Farmer's Market, our favorite Mexican restaurant OK Mr. Pancho, the Oval Park, the fruit stand by the 4 train and Leroy's pharmacy.

I will not miss the grocery shopping situation in the Bronx.

We're saying goodbye to this apartment building. It served us well:

We lived in 2C (the four windows from the right on the third floor)

I remember this process... that truck looks a lot larger than our pod two years ago:

Here's what we've learned about how to be a good mover towards your friends:

1. Have your apartment packed before your helpers arrive. No one wants to pack up your stuff.

2. Have a vision for the box arrangement. No one wants to have to figure out what goes where.

3. Have a good attitude. No one wants to help a grump. It helps to cheer compliments out the window. 

Thank you Donna, Rob, Elizabeth and Juliet! We couldn't have done it without you!

Late Night Cooking Class

Two lessons from New York: 

1. Learn to eat late

2. Learn to stay up even later

Dominic and I were invited to a lots-of-IPEDers-are-in-town dinner party tonight. It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with grad-school buddies, many of whom spent the summer abroad, before our move. 

Since dinner didn't start until 8 p.m. we met up in Harlem for happy hour after work.

I was super excited about the invite because dinner was make-your-own sushi! I'd never made sushi before, but learned quickly from Pat's instruction. 

We're all pretty good at loading, not so skilled at rolling. Keeping those rolls perfectly together for cutting is 75 percent of the challenge. I learned that in order to keep the paper together you should dab a quick layer of water and vinegar along the edge. Although it took about an hour to make enough rolls for the crowd, the process made dinner worth the wait.

Good friends, good food and good learning. Now we just have to make it down to Pearl River before the move so I can get sushi equipment for our next party!