Monday, May 6, 2013
Dining in Nicaragua?!
Hi there!! It's been quite a while since I've written in here, and there's plenty of reasons. Aside from the fact that I cook a lot less than I'd care to admit, I've had a lot going on!
For the last few months I've been incredibly overwhelmed with work, volunteer commitments, and writing pieces. If you've ever worked in education, social justice, or creative endeavors, you're likely familiar with the uneasy feeling that there's always something more than can and should be done, that you can always do better, and that the work is never complete. I really started to doubt myself in many ways.
Thankfully, I've been encouraged by friends and family to keep moving forward while focusing on the positive. What keeps me going is remembering that it starts with one -- one word, one moment, one life. If I can impact just one person's life in a positive way, then I am confident that I'm working toward my purpose.
With that, I wanted to announce on here that I'M GOING BACK TO NICARAGUA! I'm going with my some fellow UCSD alums, along with a friend that I met at a conference a few years ago. We'll be working in a community where I volunteered last year to build classrooms and start an after school program for a rural school. Through this trip I seek to continue helping communities in Nicaragua while inspiring my own community to live life in service to others.
You can learn more about my project here: http://bit.ly/tiffnicaragua2013
More updates soon!
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Hungry for Comfort
Carne asada french fries. Freshly baked mac and cheese. Chocolate covered pretzels. These foods, paired with the comfort of my faith, family, and friends, can generally help me overcome just about anything.
Those close to me know that I somehow end up in charge of a lot of things. I'm a control freak. Just kidding. But really, it's not necessarily by position, but I always choose to be a leader; I choose to take responsibility for the well-being of those around me. Whether it's spearheading a project, or simply recommending an awesome restaurant, ensuring that others have a positive experience has always been a priority of mine.
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And as a leader, when a bad situation unfolds "on your watch," no matter the circumstances, you can't help but feel partially responsible. In seeking comfort, I am often reminded that hindsight is 20/20; the shoulda-woulda-couldas are always clear upon reassessment and the only thing to do is move forward.
But you know what? I'm tired of it. I'm sick of reactive action. I'm sick of the conversations and remedies that only occur as a result of trauma. To start creating pure, positive change, we need to stop letting good work be tainted by the bad situation that prompted it. Our paradigm needs to shift, making kindness and compassion a lifestyle, not just a tool used to fix problems.
This brings me back to those carne asada french fries -- what are we seeking when we turn to comfort food?
- Familiarity
- Warmth
- Control
- Security
- Gratification.
These are the things that are lacking when we're not filled with enough faith, hope, and love.
We were all put on this world for a purpose. I also believe that we were not meant to live in isolation from one another. We're here to connect with and comfort others -- strengthening family and friendships and building strong communities. Make a conscious effort to feed those around you with the living comfort food of familiarity, affirmation, and support:
- call a friend to see how they're doing
- volunteer to help out a neighbor
- take the time to smile and thank your bus driver or waitress.
Your kindness and compassion can go much further than you'd think, making someone even more joyfully full than a personal box of carne asada fries.
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Those close to me know that I somehow end up in charge of a lot of things. I'm a control freak. Just kidding. But really, it's not necessarily by position, but I always choose to be a leader; I choose to take responsibility for the well-being of those around me. Whether it's spearheading a project, or simply recommending an awesome restaurant, ensuring that others have a positive experience has always been a priority of mine.
And as a leader, when a bad situation unfolds "on your watch," no matter the circumstances, you can't help but feel partially responsible. In seeking comfort, I am often reminded that hindsight is 20/20; the shoulda-woulda-couldas are always clear upon reassessment and the only thing to do is move forward.
But you know what? I'm tired of it. I'm sick of reactive action. I'm sick of the conversations and remedies that only occur as a result of trauma. To start creating pure, positive change, we need to stop letting good work be tainted by the bad situation that prompted it. Our paradigm needs to shift, making kindness and compassion a lifestyle, not just a tool used to fix problems.
This brings me back to those carne asada french fries -- what are we seeking when we turn to comfort food?
- Familiarity
- Warmth
- Control
- Security
- Gratification.
These are the things that are lacking when we're not filled with enough faith, hope, and love.
We were all put on this world for a purpose. I also believe that we were not meant to live in isolation from one another. We're here to connect with and comfort others -- strengthening family and friendships and building strong communities. Make a conscious effort to feed those around you with the living comfort food of familiarity, affirmation, and support:
- call a friend to see how they're doing
- volunteer to help out a neighbor
- take the time to smile and thank your bus driver or waitress.
Your kindness and compassion can go much further than you'd think, making someone even more joyfully full than a personal box of carne asada fries.
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Monday, March 11, 2013
Banana Nutella "Pizza" and a Free Download
Hello everyone!
After a very hectic February, I'm back with more food and ideas to share! I know it's been quiet Dining here at Tiffany's, but I promise I've been writing a bunch -- just in other places.
One outlet to which I've been contributing my writing is through my Volunteer Internship with Thurman Consulting. My project is to coordinate a free, online teleseminar series covering topics about career and leadership development based on the book How to be a Nonprofit Rockstar. I have the fun role of writing event descriptions and engaging in Twitter conversations at the hashtag #nprockstar. I love the topics since they align with the "Catering Your Success" themed posts on my website.
1. I want to continue "Catering Your Success!"
So by popular request, I'm sharing my template for graduate school application requirements. Click here or on the photo! I hope that you find this helpful as a way to keep track of the many details of completing your applications. 
2. I want to feed you! While Dining at Tiffany's is about both the food and the conversation, I want to make sure I'm providing enough food so you don't go hungry ;). I haven't been posting too many recipes because I have been way too busy to test out and perfect complex dishes. In the meantime, I figure I can always share some of the quick ideas I cook up in my kitchen! With that, I'll leave you with a fun dish I created over the weekend. This is a great breakfast or snack option for all you nutella lovers out there. It's also relatively good for you. Enjoy!
Banana Nutella "Pizza"
Ingredients:
- A few slices of flat bread (You can use whole grain pita, naan, etc. I used a freshly baked flat bread from here)
- A couple spoonfuls of Nutella hazelnut spread
- A sliced banana
- A handful of chopped, raw almonds (or any nuts you have on hand)
Instructions:
- Spread nutella onto slices of flat bread. This is your "pizza" sauce. Sprinkle with almonds to add crunch and extra protein!
- Heat in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes (Real Talk: I cooked mine over 10 minutes because I used the "medium" toast setting, burning some of the Nutella. When you make it, the Nutella should be a lighter brown, unlike the above picture. Oops.). Basically you want the Nutella to be melty and the bread to be crispy. The almonds get a nice roast as well. Mmm.
- Top with sliced bananas and enjoy immediately. I sure did, with a side of hot coffee (which I drank gallons of in February).
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
2013 so Far in 140 Characters or Less
Is it too late to say Happy New Year?
Nonetheless, I hope your 2013 has been great so far! I've been too busy to update my website this year, but here is a trail of Tweets to retrace my January.. I've only had time to create content that's 140 characters or less, in between:
1. Applying to grad school:
2. Starting a volunteer internship with a consultant that works across the country:
I started serving as a Volunteer Intern for Rosetta Thurman, author of the book How to Be a Nonprofit Rockstar and it's been great! We've created a new teleseminar series on career and leadership development and I've learned tons already about consulting. More on this later. Check it out!
3. Doing my best to contribute to positive change:
In short, Taco Bell put out an ad that indirectly disparaged vegetables, and people who are promoters (and practicers as much as possible) of healthy eating (like me!) were not pleased. So based on a campaign initiated by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), nutrition advocates across America Tweeted like angry birds @TacoBell.
The cool thing is, they actually responded:
You can read some of the coverage here on Forbes. I don't read too much Forbes (maybe because I am a nonprofit professional?), but I was pretty surprised that they had such a strong opinion:
They make a good point in that Taco Bell did not intend to diss vegetables, but the article quickly unraveled into something that made my stomach feel worse than if I had eaten that 12-pack of tacos.
While I agree that Taco Bell should be commended for being the bigger person and taking down the ad, I am disturbed that the writer goes on to criticize CSPI for addressing the ad at all.
"There is nothing about football or Super Bowl Sunday that is meant to be a teachable moment."
Not a teachable moment?!
Okay, when just about $133,333.00 per SECOND is spent on Super Bowl advertising (oh you know, about twice the amount that most American households earn in a year), we very well SHOULD be learning something from the Super Bowl and its advertising.
When watching commercials, we should always ask the question: "Where does America put its money?"
"Where its mouth is," of course! Unfortunately, America's mouth is not only promoting and subsidizing really unhealthy obesity/diabetes/heart disease-inducing junk food, but is also subtly hinting that we should hate on people that provide or prefer healthier options.
The funny thing is, I think Taco Bell tastes good. It was my favorite fast food as a kid -- in fact, one time on a long drive my older sister covered my eyes as we drove past a Taco Bell and I CRIED. True story (no she's not that mean anymore, haha).
I personally have avoided Taco Bell since college because my body no longer embraces greasy junk food; at the same time I also think that people will eat and advertise what they choose. But companies like Taco Bell that have a lot of money and thus a powerful media voice need to be careful about the messages that they might spread in an already overweight and heart-disease ridden country.
For now, I'll continue to produce yummy, healthy food alternatives from my kitchen and here on Dining at Tiffany's, and of course continue supporting communities like CSPI that contribute to the improvement of our country's well-being.
See you in February!
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Facebook.com/diningattiffanys
Twitter: @diningattiffs (Same for Instagram, too!)
Nonetheless, I hope your 2013 has been great so far! I've been too busy to update my website this year, but here is a trail of Tweets to retrace my January.. I've only had time to create content that's 140 characters or less, in between:
1. Applying to grad school:
2. Starting a volunteer internship with a consultant that works across the country:
I started serving as a Volunteer Intern for Rosetta Thurman, author of the book How to Be a Nonprofit Rockstar and it's been great! We've created a new teleseminar series on career and leadership development and I've learned tons already about consulting. More on this later. Check it out!
3. Doing my best to contribute to positive change:
In short, Taco Bell put out an ad that indirectly disparaged vegetables, and people who are promoters (and practicers as much as possible) of healthy eating (like me!) were not pleased. So based on a campaign initiated by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), nutrition advocates across America Tweeted like angry birds @TacoBell.
The cool thing is, they actually responded:
You can read some of the coverage here on Forbes. I don't read too much Forbes (maybe because I am a nonprofit professional?), but I was pretty surprised that they had such a strong opinion:
 |
| Forbes say "Taco Bell Will Win Super Bowl XLVII." |
They make a good point in that Taco Bell did not intend to diss vegetables, but the article quickly unraveled into something that made my stomach feel worse than if I had eaten that 12-pack of tacos.
While I agree that Taco Bell should be commended for being the bigger person and taking down the ad, I am disturbed that the writer goes on to criticize CSPI for addressing the ad at all.
"There is nothing about football or Super Bowl Sunday that is meant to be a teachable moment."
Not a teachable moment?!
Okay, when just about $133,333.00 per SECOND is spent on Super Bowl advertising (oh you know, about twice the amount that most American households earn in a year), we very well SHOULD be learning something from the Super Bowl and its advertising.
When watching commercials, we should always ask the question: "Where does America put its money?"
"Where its mouth is," of course! Unfortunately, America's mouth is not only promoting and subsidizing really unhealthy obesity/diabetes/heart disease-inducing junk food, but is also subtly hinting that we should hate on people that provide or prefer healthier options.
The funny thing is, I think Taco Bell tastes good. It was my favorite fast food as a kid -- in fact, one time on a long drive my older sister covered my eyes as we drove past a Taco Bell and I CRIED. True story (no she's not that mean anymore, haha).
I personally have avoided Taco Bell since college because my body no longer embraces greasy junk food; at the same time I also think that people will eat and advertise what they choose. But companies like Taco Bell that have a lot of money and thus a powerful media voice need to be careful about the messages that they might spread in an already overweight and heart-disease ridden country.
For now, I'll continue to produce yummy, healthy food alternatives from my kitchen and here on Dining at Tiffany's, and of course continue supporting communities like CSPI that contribute to the improvement of our country's well-being.
See you in February!
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Facebook.com/diningattiffanys
Twitter: @diningattiffs (Same for Instagram, too!)
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A Bel8ted Christmas & Tapas!
Hi everyone!
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year! First I will address the elephant in the room: YES, I was 4 days short of the 12 Days of Gift Ideas. In my defense, Day 6, 7, and 8 had a total of 21 items, so technically I gave you double the amount I promised. ;)
To make it up, here are some recipes that you can use for a New Year's Party, or for any potlucks and get-togethers left in 2012.
I made these for my family's Christmas potluck and they were a hit! In fact, those on the right were gobbled up within 10 minutes of saying "grace!"
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Many of my relatives asked me, "Tiff what are those?" I replied with, "Spanish Tapas!" These are basically small appetizers or dishes that are full of flavor. Traditionally, they are served with drinks to keep good times and conversation flowing. For our purposes, they served as fun appetizers and snacks throughout the party. Tapas are always so delicious because they are full of rich flavors and fresh ingredients, so consider preparing them for your next party or even just a night in with close friends!
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year! First I will address the elephant in the room: YES, I was 4 days short of the 12 Days of Gift Ideas. In my defense, Day 6, 7, and 8 had a total of 21 items, so technically I gave you double the amount I promised. ;)
To make it up, here are some recipes that you can use for a New Year's Party, or for any potlucks and get-togethers left in 2012.
I made these for my family's Christmas potluck and they were a hit! In fact, those on the right were gobbled up within 10 minutes of saying "grace!"
.JPG)
Many of my relatives asked me, "Tiff what are those?" I replied with, "Spanish Tapas!" These are basically small appetizers or dishes that are full of flavor. Traditionally, they are served with drinks to keep good times and conversation flowing. For our purposes, they served as fun appetizers and snacks throughout the party. Tapas are always so delicious because they are full of rich flavors and fresh ingredients, so consider preparing them for your next party or even just a night in with close friends!
I came up with this one on my own. The star of these tapas are proscuitto, which is a cured ham sliced very thinly. You can find this in the deli section of the market, just ask the butcher! I chose ingredients that complement its flavor and add a festive touch. Arugula is a leafy green similar to spinach that has a peppery taste to it. You can find prepared packages at Trader Joe's and most salad shelves.
Tiffany's Proscuitto Tapas:
Ingredients:
- 1 5 oz. package proscuitto
- 2 packages (about 60 pieces) mini whole wheat toasts
- 1/8 or so cup fig butter (available at Trader Joe's)
- 1/8 or so cup cream cheese (I found a fig + walnut cream cheese that worked perfectly)
- 1/2 or so cup arugula
Instructions:
- Chop proscuitto into small pieces. Stack all pieces of proscuitto in the package and roll it up into a long log (also known as hot dog style?). Chop into 1 centimeter-wide ribbons. As you assemble the tapas, you can pull apart the ribbons to get relatively event pieces
- Prepare other ingredients. Open the package of toast, Make sure the arugula is washed, and get a butter knife ready for the fig butter and cream cheese. It would be good to get some help with this too!
- In assembly line style, add a tiny bit of fig butter onto the toast, then flatten a piece or two of arugula onto the toast, using the fig butter as adhesive. Quickly put a pat of the cream cheese onto the arugula to seal it onto the toast. Finally, top with a piece of the proscuitto ribbons that you cut earlier. Serve on a pretty platter. These are pretty stackable, but take caution when transporting.
With the leftovers, you can throw together a salad of arugula -- just add cheese, proscuitto (if any), and fig butter (thinned out by mixing with just a bit of oil and/or red wine vinegar)! Leftover mini-toasts make perfect croutons!
Anchovy, Aioli, and Red Pepper Tapas
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it via foodgawker.com. Check out the link! These were very time intensive (as homemade mayonnaise always is), but VERY worth it! The flavors from each component were very rich, but melted together with a satisfying harmony. This recipe worked especially well with my Filipino family because the anchovy was reminiscent of smoked fish delicacies like tinapa & dilis.
This might just be the last post of 2012. I have really exciting things in store for 2013. If you're reading this right now, know that I write for you, in hopes to share joy through food and more. Thank you so much for stopping by!
With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Day 8 - $20.12: Drinks for Sipping
Holidays are great because seasonal drinks add even more cozy feelings to the mix! This year, give someone a cup of cheer!
On the 8th day of Christmas, Tiffany gave to me:
8 Drinks for Sipping!
7 snacks for hiking
6 games for playing
5 wooden things
4 cards with words
3 simple words
2 penguin gloves
& a cutie from a citrus tree!
Buy a cute mug (I recommend World Market, where this Dalmatian mug was bought) and add a baggy of drink mix!
Try to make it as personal as possible to be thoughtful! Favorite animals, colors, and prints are great! I try to stay away from holiday-themed because I like giving gifts that can appropriately be used all year. Here are some ideas:
1. Tea/honey: Add a few packets of tea and some honey to the mug for a calming, warming treat. My daily tea is Rose Green Tea by TenRen. They sell this at Tea Station cafes and at TenRen stores (I only know of a TenRen in the Bay Area). I love buying this because it's $4, even less than a single cup of milk tea at (in my opinion: overpriced) Tea Station.
You can even add a mini honey bear or honey sticks. You can get these at any farmers market with a local honey vendor, like Brian's Farmers Markets!
2. Hot cocoa add a candy cane: Just empty a hot cocoa packet into a little baggie (get it from Michaels, or Do It With Icing if you're in SD) or make your own following the instructions on the side of any tin of cocoa powder! Note: I DON'T buy Hershey's chocolate because of their inhumane farming practices, so my favorite, affordable cocoa powder is from Trader Joe's. Speaking of which..
3. Chai Tea Latte: You can do the same with this Chai Tea Latte mix from Trader Joe's. I absolutely love this stuff, and they have since added seasonal flavors! I bought this back in autumn, and I noticed this week that they had Sea Salt Caramel Chai. Yum!!
4. Instant coffee: The other day, I NEEDED coffee, but didn't want to break the bank. I found these little packets at Trader Joe's. They're pretty good. Not the best, but it does the job! Pop a few of these in a mug for friends that could always use a coffee fix. Just add hot water! Easy!
5. DIY Spiced Apple Cider Kits: Try Something like this!
6. Bottled Apple Cider: This won't fit in a mug, but it's always a crowd-pleaser for all ages. FUNNY story, my boyfriend decided to drink this straight from the bottle on our late-night car ride to visit my parents. Of course, there was a DUI checkpoint. He had to frantically tell the police officer from the passenger seat, "It's only Martinelli's apple cider, I promise!"
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7. Dessert Wine: For those of age, you can't go wrong with a Moscato. A very affordable and very delicious brand is Barefoot or Yellowtail!
8. Drink Voucher: See Day 4, and invite a friend for a drink somewhere special!
Cheers!
With love & Christmas Cheer,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
On the 8th day of Christmas, Tiffany gave to me:
8 Drinks for Sipping!
7 snacks for hiking
6 games for playing
5 wooden things
4 cards with words
3 simple words
2 penguin gloves
& a cutie from a citrus tree!
Buy a cute mug (I recommend World Market, where this Dalmatian mug was bought) and add a baggy of drink mix!
Try to make it as personal as possible to be thoughtful! Favorite animals, colors, and prints are great! I try to stay away from holiday-themed because I like giving gifts that can appropriately be used all year. Here are some ideas:
You can even add a mini honey bear or honey sticks. You can get these at any farmers market with a local honey vendor, like Brian's Farmers Markets!
2. Hot cocoa add a candy cane: Just empty a hot cocoa packet into a little baggie (get it from Michaels, or Do It With Icing if you're in SD) or make your own following the instructions on the side of any tin of cocoa powder! Note: I DON'T buy Hershey's chocolate because of their inhumane farming practices, so my favorite, affordable cocoa powder is from Trader Joe's. Speaking of which..
3. Chai Tea Latte: You can do the same with this Chai Tea Latte mix from Trader Joe's. I absolutely love this stuff, and they have since added seasonal flavors! I bought this back in autumn, and I noticed this week that they had Sea Salt Caramel Chai. Yum!!
4. Instant coffee: The other day, I NEEDED coffee, but didn't want to break the bank. I found these little packets at Trader Joe's. They're pretty good. Not the best, but it does the job! Pop a few of these in a mug for friends that could always use a coffee fix. Just add hot water! Easy!
5. DIY Spiced Apple Cider Kits: Try Something like this!
6. Bottled Apple Cider: This won't fit in a mug, but it's always a crowd-pleaser for all ages. FUNNY story, my boyfriend decided to drink this straight from the bottle on our late-night car ride to visit my parents. Of course, there was a DUI checkpoint. He had to frantically tell the police officer from the passenger seat, "It's only Martinelli's apple cider, I promise!"
.JPG)
7. Dessert Wine: For those of age, you can't go wrong with a Moscato. A very affordable and very delicious brand is Barefoot or Yellowtail!
8. Drink Voucher: See Day 4, and invite a friend for a drink somewhere special!
Cheers!
With love & Christmas Cheer,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Day 7 - $20.12: Snacks for Hiking
Welcome to "Day 7" (Like you, I have been extremely busy this pre-Christmas weekend, so I'll save the stories and keep the rest of the series in relatively short, list form!)!
On the 7th Day of Christmas, Tiffany gave to me:
7 Snacks for Hiking
6 games for playing
5 wooden things
4 cards with words
3 simple words
2 penguin gloves
& a cutie from a citrus tree!
These days, a trend I've loved to see growing is adventure outings, like hiking, camping, and for those that can afford it -- travelling!
For example, look what I did once:
If you know someone that loves (or should try) adventuring, these gifts are quick and relatively inexpensive!
1. Trail Mix: This can be a bit expensive, and I can rarely find one that perfectly fits my preference, so why not make your own? Grocery stores are a bit less crowded than the mall and are surprisingly good places to find gifts! Save money by making your own: find bulk bins (like at Sprouts or Whole Foods) and get a bunch of different nuts, dried fruit, and more. Put them in little boxes or cellophane bags for cute gifts. To save even more money, you can just do one-serving packages to invite a friend on a hike!
2. Loaded Granola Bars: Give someone a package of yummy granola bars for their hikes and travels! Sometimes I even have these for breakfast. I enjoy Luna Bars (especially lemon and white macademia), and when on hikes, I like Moutain Mojo by Clif (disclaimer: I've only enjoyed these at high altitudes, but some reason they don't taste as good as an everyday snack!)
3. Reindeer Chow: Okay this one isn't that healthy, but it's super cute for the holidays. Perhaps it can be snacks for holiday outings or long drives!
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Check out the recipe from my good family friend at Art of Dessert!
4. Reusable Water Bottle: Okay, EVERYONE needs one of these. Save the environment, have convenient water, etc. If you know someone who doesn't own one, GET IT FOR THEM. And perhaps even some of #6 to along with it...
5. Propel Hydrating Packets: These could really save people from the terrible side effects of dehydration!
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Just add a packet to your water bottle and get extra electrolytes to balance out dehydration from heat and exertion. In the following case, both!
6. Hand Sanitizer /Portable Soap: Okay I know these aren't snacks, but you can never have enough. Pier 1 currently has a really awesome, inexpensive gift section full of useful items!
I bought these (along with other items) for my boyfriend and his family as they are leaving for a vacation to Vietnam for 2 weeks! (Another reason why these posts have been so late. Gotta spend quality time to make up for missing the holidays together!)
7. Adventure Invitations: See Day 4, and perhaps turn this into an invitation for an adventure. Create your own voucher or card and get creative using pictures of scenery you hope to visit!
Happy adventuring!!
With love,
Tiffany
Dining at Tiffany's
PS: I got to Day 8:
8 Drinks for Sipping!
7 snacks for hiking
6 games for playing
5 wooden things
4 cards with words
3 simple words
2 penguin gloves
& a cutie from a citrus tree!
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