Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me semi-recently online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.  

Reminder: never give up. Meghan Wilson, who has quadriplegia, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with her M.D. and Ph.D. (Thanks, Becka for sharing the story!)

" The expectation behind “strong is the new skinny” is that women who take it to heart will allow the pursuit of strength to supplant the pursuit of skinniness when it comes to their physical goals.  But what is actually happening for a lot of women is that they are not abandoning “skinny” in favor of “strong.”  Instead, strength has become yet another physical ideal to be piled on top of all of the other physical ideals they are already trying their damnedest to attain. .... We don’t need a new “skinny.”  We don’t need a new beauty standard, nor do we need yet another physical ideal hanging over our every thought and move like a little black cloud of doom.  What we need to do is change the paradigm so that we value our bodies for all of the amazing things they let us do." What happens when the pursuits of “skinny” and “strong” collide? (via Gabby's Gluten-Free)

A generous and brave action that made my eyes water. (via The Improvised Life)

More incentive to stop making meals that are ready at 9 p.m. Really? The Claim: Taking a Walk After a Meal Aids Digestion

How To Improve Your Home Cooking with the Power of Science (via Chessa)

Recipes Bookmarked
Sweet Potato Chocolate Milk at Healthful Pursuit
Honey Mustard Crunchy Chicken Plantain Salad at PaleoOMG
Spicy Lentil Summer Rolls at Sprouted Kitchen

Shampoo of my adolescence, I'm glad to have you back. I'm even more pleased that I purchased you for $3.30 with a $1 coupon toward a future purchase. #extremecoupontypepurchase

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me semi-recently online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.  

“We are never living, but hoping to live; and while we are always preparing to be happy, it is certain, we shall never be so” Pascal via Hardcore Happiness

Fair Food, an organization in Michigan, is piloting a program in three grocery stores where a $10 purchase with food stamps will result in a $10 reward card for local produce. The program is modeled after similar ones for Farmer's Markets. It seems like a promising way to encourage enrolled individuals to eat more fruits and vegetables, so I hope it works out and expands. Read more at Nudging Detroit: Program Doubles Food Stamp Bucks In Grocery Stores.

I NEED a cronut. 

I also really want to try Djaj Bil-Bahar Il-Asfar (Iraqi Yellow Spice-Rubbed Chicken) after reading this piece of remarkable food writing, but that lengthy ingredient list will likely keep me away.

WHAT I “REALLY” LOOK LIKE, A PERFECTLY HEALTHY BODY IN MORE AND LESS FLATTERING PHOTOS. Yes, I already posted this on Facebook. But I think it is important, admirable and desirable and want to help share it with the world. (via Crossfit Full Circle)

Recipes Bookmarked

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon, Olive Oil and Mint at Epicurious
Lemon Blueberry Scones at Everybody Likes Sandwiches
Basil Creamsicles from Writing Loves Food at Deliciously Organic

Azalea(s) at Bryan Park, Richmond, VA, April 2013

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me semi-recently online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.  

YES by William Stafford (scroll a bit past halfway down and enjoy the flowers on the way)

If you like words, this list will gorgonize mesmerize you.

"Starting in the 1990s, though, scientists began to realize that fat is best understood as a single huge endocrine gland, one that wields powerful influence over the rest of the body. “For a typical North American, their fat tissue is their biggest organ,” says James Kirkland, M.D., director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic. ... FAT IS STUBBORN, DEMANDING stuff. Much of the time it’s telling you to eat more, which is one reason why most attempts at dieting are doomed to fail."   Your Fat Has a Brain. Seriously. And it's trying to kill you. 

Nine things to organize before a tragedy. These items aren't exciting to consider, but they are smart to have set. 

Glass of Water Stress Management Analogy (via Motivation Into Habit)

Recipes Bookmarked
Butterscotch Pudding at NPR's Kitchen Window
Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cake at Cooking Channel TV
Butter Beer Ice Cream at Epicurious

Virginia War Memorial, Richmond, May 2013