How-To: Freeze Brown Rice

This may sound like a strange statement, but I’m going to say it anyway.

Freezing brown rice has changed my life.

Seriously.

The Hubster hates brown rice. As in, flat-out-refuses-to-eat-it hates brown rice.

And I love it. As in, don’t-want-to-eat-the-other-stuff love it.

Makes it a wee bit difficult when you have one rice cooker and only so many burners on the stove to get it all done.

Enter a little idea about freezing rice and…

Boom.

Mind blown. Life altered.

Whenever I run low on rice, I make a big batch in our rice cooker, portion it out into 1.5 cup servings and pop the bags into the freezer.

When I want to devour some for lunch or dinner, I take it out and heat it up.

Couldn’t be easier.

And it helps to keep both us both happy when it comes to rice at dinner.

How-To: Freeze Rice

Freezing:

1. Cook brown rice according to your favorite method. (I am partial to a rice cooker, but stove-top or baked rice works just as well.)
2. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
3. Portion out rice and put into freezer-safe containers (or freezer bags). I do 1.5 cups for one person, but you could portion it out any way you want.
4. If using freezer bags, make sure to squeeze out extra air and evenly distribute to form bricks.
5. Stack and freeze.

Reheating:

I have tried several different methods to reheat frozen rice, and these two are my favorite.

There are several different ways to do it, though, including dropping rice (bag and all) into a pot of boiling water or place rice (still in the bag) in the microwave and reheat.

I’m just not so crazy about heating things up in plastic, if you know what I mean.

In the microwave:

1. If rice is stored in freezer bag, run under cold water for about 1-2 minutes to defrost.
2. Remove from bag (either by ripping, or gently pulling out).
3. Place in a microwave-safe bowl or glass dish and heat on high for 2 minutes.
4. Transfer to plate and enjoy!

On the stove:

1. Heat 1 tbs oil (canola, coconut) in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. If rice is stored in freezer bag, run under cold water for about 1-2 minutes to defrost.
3. Remove from bag (either by ripping, or gently pulling out).
4. Add frozen rice.
5. Saute until rice heats through completely.
6. Transfer to plate and enjoy!

 

Posted by Emily Levenson | 0 comments

Epic Adventures, Eric Hutchinson, and E-book’s

What do Epic Adventures, Eric Hutchinson, and E-book’s have in common?

Quite a lot, actually.

The Hubster and I have been fans of Eric Hutchinson and his music for a long time. His music is catchy, his lyrics are smart, and his sarcastic banter at his live shows kind of makes my heart skip a beat.

When I found out that he was performing in Pittsburgh last week, there was no question we would be going to the show.

We waited to purchase our tickets at the door, knowing that it was a Monday night concert and would not likely be sold out. As we were walking to the ticket window, an older gentleman (with family in tow) approached us and asked if we needed a ticket for the show.

The more we talked with this gentleman, the more we learned about him. We found out that his son had been roommates with Eric Hutchinson in college, and had the photographic evidence to prove it. He also mentioned that Eric had become an ordained minister so that he could officiate his son’s wedding in a few months.

And if that wasn’t epic enough, he told us that his son (aka Eric’s roommate) was a writer for a little show called Community. A little show that happens to be The Hubster’s favorite.

But wait, the epic adventure doesn’t end there.

After meeting this guy and purchasing our tickets, I did what any normal girl would do: I tweeted Eric Hutchinson.

(Okay. Maybe I’m not normal. But that’s how I roll.)

And you know what, he wrote me back.

After squealing with delight several times and forcing myself to regain composure, I sent him this gem back:

Two songs in, Eric was directing the crowd. “You’ll sing for a bit here. Then I’ll sing for a bit. And then we’ll meet up at the end for an epic chorus.”

That’s right. The man used the word epic in a sentence. On stage. After our scintillating conversation.

Now, you may or may not believe that I had any impact on his choice of words. But I do. And The Hubster did, too.

My point in sharing a story about my Monday night is this:

Epic adventures are possible at every turn. Particularly when you decide that you are ready to live a bigger, more powerful, more epic life.

Let’s go on an epic expedition of empowerment together.

Are you ready to set your dreams in motion and start living a life filled with passion, purpose, and panache? And perhaps a few scintillating conversations with your favorite musicians (or celebrities) on Twitter thrown in for good measure?

Fantazmo.

I have the perfect plan to get you started. And it’s in the form of an Epic E-Book.

In this Epic E-Book, I’ll walk you through the ideas and exercises that have transformed my life — and the lives of my clients — and brought those ambitious dreams into being.

Posted by Emily Levenson | 0 comments

WholeFoods Market Opens in Wexford!

Dear WholeFoods:

I am completely and utterly jealous that you decided to open an amazing new WholeFoods in Wexford and not in the South Hills. Please come out to my neck of the woods soon.

Yours truly,

Emily

—

Seriously, this store is gorgeous. I was lucky enough to take a tour a few days ago, to sample some of the delicacies inside (fruit chia bars, barre bars, chocolates, cinnamon bread, hard cider), and to meander through the aisles.

I mean, just look at this stuff:

Look at the delicious produce:

Look, Pennsylvania. A bar that serves local beer, wine, and organic coffee in the supermarket:

Plus a fabulous health and wellness section (bestill my heart) that has a “make your own bath salts” section:

And perhaps the most impressive bulk section I’ve ever seen:

Want to see more?

Get thee to WholeFoods. Seriously. It’s worth the trip. This store is epic.

The address:
10576 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090

The hours:
8am-9pm daily

The official website:
http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/wexford/

Posted by Emily Levenson | 3 comments

We all evolve. Our closets should too!

Monday morning I began to go through my closet in preparation for a clothing swap with a group of girlfriends.

Monday afternoon, as I was looking over the two huge bags of clothing that I had pulled out from my closet, I had a major epiphany: I had been hanging on to way too many outdated versions of myself.

There was clothing that didn’t fit. Clothing that made me feel angry and miserable. Clothing that brought up memories of vacations and time spent traveling. Clothing that I thought I should have, but never wear. And shoes that seemed practical but were simply collecting dust.

When I stopped to look at the clothing — to really examine why I was still hanging on to it — the a-ha moments kept coming.

Every time I would have to dress up or wear something other than jeans, I would get cranky and throw a mini temper tantrum. Why? Because they were leftover relics from working in the corporate world. Same with the practical shoes that were collecting dust. Slipping on that clothing brought me back into that time in my life. And it was full of stress, anxiety, and anger.

A-HA!

The clothing that didn’t fit? I was hanging on to those pieces for the day when I could wear them again. Some were pieces from my travels through Europe. Others from a graduation trip to Paris with my parents. All of them held memories and emotions. It was the memories that were meaningful to me, and not the actual clothing.

A-HA.

There were also a few pieces of clothing that I second-guessed as being nice enough for someone else to wear, yet was still taking up space in my closet. If it wasn’t okay for another person, why is it okay for me?!

A. HA.

Once I was able to look at my clothing in this way — and how it was keeping me stuck — it was easy to let it go.

Each day I work hard to better myself, to learn and grow with each new experience. To evolve.

Yet, my closet hadn’t evolved with me.

My closet said that I was stuffy, boring, collecting dust, and not worthy of nice things. My closet kept me feeling angry, guilty, unhappy, and resentful. My closet was putting out the vibe that I didn’t want to learn, grow or evolve.

After the purge, I felt lighter. Looking into my closet actually made me happy even though it was substantially less full.

Bringing new items home from the clothing swap made me giddy. I tried new and somewhat scary pieces. I expanded my color palette. I picked pieces that were a true reflection of myself at this very moment in time. And pieces that reflected where I wanted to go.

And I still feel like I have room to grow.

If you want to create true transformation in your life, you have to create the space for it to come. Even if it’s in your closet.

When was the last time you really looked at the clothing in your closet? What would it tell a complete stranger about you if they took a peak inside?

If the answers make you unhappy, it’s time to take stock and create space for a more updated version of yourself to come through.

You never know what else will manifest in the process.

{Image source: this isn’t happiness}

Posted by Emily Levenson | 7 comments

It’s the Climb

{Please don’t hurt me for the Miley Cyrus reference. Or because I actually kind of sort of maybe actually like the song.}

Sometimes it’s not about how pretty you do something. Or how good it feels while your doing it. Or how healthy something is.

Sometimes it’s about bragging rights. About never having to do that something again because you conquered it and can move on. About facing your demons and knowing you can do whatever you set your mind to.

And sometimes, it’s all of the above.

Which is exactly what happened last month when The Hubster and I climbed Camelback Mountain.

Oh. Em. Gee. We climbed a mountain.

I still can’t believe it happened.

It was the most terrifying, exciting, thrilling, anxiety-inducing, exhausting journey I’ve ever been on. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

We hiked up steep trails, scaled mountain sides, slithered down steep rock cliffs, and saw gorgeous scenery. All without seeing a rattlesnake {thank G-d!}.

Climb your own mountain.

Everyone has an obstacle or proverbial mountain that they want to climb. Here are 5 things that helped keep us sane {and moving} on our climb.

1. Just start. The Hubster and I have talked about climbing Camelback Mountain for 4 years. Every time we would go out to Phoenix, we would say this was going to be the trip. And then we would make other plans. Even if it’s just researching trails or scoping out the scene, it’s a start. And will keep you motivated to take the next step.
2. Take it one step at a time. If you would have told me I was going to climb a mountain, scale a really big rock, or be so tired that my legs might give out on me while climbing down the mountain, I would have said “no thank you”. But taking it one step, one rock, one minute at a time made everything seem possible.
3. Have a cheering section. When I was tired, The Hubster would sit me down and say how proud of me he was, how amazing the hike was, and how kick-ass I was doing on the hike. And when he felt like he couldn’t make it any more, I did the same thing. Without his support I don’t think I would have kept going. The more people in your life know what you’re up to, the more they can cheer you on, and the more likely you are to keep on keeping on.
4. Admire the scenery. Take time to look around and enjoy where you are. Even if you aren’t overlooking the city from the top of a mountain, you still have amazing things happening all around you. It could be a blog post that garnered a lot of attention, a class that had double the people registering for it, or even being able to wear your favorite “skinny jeans” again.
5. Share your successes. Share it on Facebook, on twitter, and on your blog. Telling your friends, your family, and your coworkers that you kicked some major butt inspires others to want to do the same. It’s not bragging, it’s excitement. And that excitement is inspiring.

And in the spirit of #5, what is something that you are most proud of accomplishing? Share your successes in the comments below.

Posted by Emily Levenson | 3 comments

Be Grateful. No exceptions.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.
Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for so many reasons.

For starters, it’s an entire holiday devoted to cooking and eating seasonal delicacies like squash, sweet potatoes, and pie. It’s also one of the few holidays that I get to spend with my entire family: mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, nephews, aunt, uncle, cousins. It makes my heart happy.

And if that wasn’t amazing enough, this holiday is all about giving thanks and expressing gratitude.

Food. Family. Gratitude.

It really doesn’t get much better than that.

So why not keep it going all year long.

The gratitude parade doesn’t have to be a once-a-year event. It can be an every day thing.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Schedule time in your calendar. The Hubster has a reminder set every Monday at 2pm to take time out of his day and think about what he is grateful for. More times than not, the reminder has caught us both at a time when we needed it the most.
• Say thank you. When someone does something nice for you, however small, say thank you. It will brighten their day, and help to make yours that much better.
• Do a random act of kindness. Show your gratitude for others by doing something nice without any recognition or need for acknowledgement. It’s liberating. It’s amazing. And it allows you to connect to something bigger than yourself. Need ideas? Check out the Secret Agent L Project.
• Find the good in the bad. Nothing is inherently good or bad in this world, it’s our thinking that makes it so. We assign meaning to every single event, thought, and action in our lives. Why not try to find the good in situations that stress you out, make you cry, or even get you shouting a few expletives. Who knows, you might realize that it’s the “bad” situations that have taught you the most, and helped you get to a better place in life.
• Start your day off right. Every morning you open your eyes, make a conscious effort to start it off on a positive note. Try to find at least 3 things each morning that you are grateful for. Even if it’s that you are here to witness another morning.
• Go to bed happy. Just like starting your day with 3 things that you are grateful for, end your day in the same way. While you’re laying in bed at night, think about the wonderful things that happened to you during the day and make a mental list.
• Smile and laugh every day. When we smile, our brains take that as a cue to say we’re happy. Even when we’re faking it. Same with laughing. Do something every day that will make you smile; try laughter yoga, watch a funny YouTube video, or catch a comedy show. Doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you smile.

What’s one thing {big or small} you can do today to start adapting an attitude of gratitude?

[Image Credit: Be Grateful. from SnoShuu]

Posted by Emily Levenson | 2 comments