Positivity is Key!

These past few months have been particularly difficult for me. The combination of moving back home, not being able to find a job I enjoy, not being sure which direction my life is headed in, and all of the changes that have occurred since graduating college have left me feeling pretty blue. While I know this is normal and I have a few friends who are also experiencing similar situations, it hasn't been easy to deal with. Often time I can't help but feel alone in my struggles, which is one of the reasons I started this blog, in hopes that I can reach out to anyone feeling the same way.

However, I've recently begun to change my perspective and put an emphasis on positive thoughts. Many days I find myself still feeling down in the dumps, but I keep reminding myself that it's going to get better because I believe it will. There is power in belief, but you have to truly mean it.

Anyway, my point in these ramblings is that I recently landed a job that I have a good feeling about and I'm so excited! I'm also really scared and nervous, but that's inevitable with my kind of personality. I'm staying positive. And that's one of the reasons I think I was finally able to get a job, and a good one at that. For months my mind was clouded by negative thoughts. Even if I had high hopes there was always that nagging little voice reminding me what the worst that could happen was. And I kept letting her win. I tried my best to fight it off and change my way of thinking, but certain events kept throwing me back down and each time it got more difficult to pick myself back up. We do not have control over what happens in our life, but there is some truth behind the power of positive thinking. If anything, it determines how you handle the bad shit that happens to you, and that can make a world of difference.

I'm not sure what happened that made me change my perspective on everything and truly believe that good things would happen, but I'm glad I did. I still get that nagging voice in my head (more often than I'd like) but it's a battle that I'm going to keep fighting.

It takes time.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: no one has a clue what they are doing. It doesn't matter how old they are, what stage of their life they're in, how much experience they've obtained, etc. We are all living life as it comes at us, some of us are just better at pretending that we have it all figured out. And it's okay. It's okay to feel lost, scared, confused, or any of those other emotions that come with the territory of being HUMAN. I think we put way too much pressure on ourselves these days. There is so much pressure coming from all different directions- whether it's your family, friends, the media, society, even yourself. We often find that those who love us the most are the ones who put the most pressure on us, but it's simply because they want us to succeed in life. What is success, though? For some people success means money. For others it means having it all- the perfect job, perfect home, perfect family, perfect life. But you know what true success is? Being happy. Being okay with where you're at in life. Being at peace with yourself. Accepting life for what it is and not trying to fit a mold you are constantly being told you should fit into it.

The people who truly suffer the most from these types of pressures and stress are, you guessed it, us. The twenty-somethings. The ones who are just starting out their lives. The ones who are full of life and dreams and expectations. The ones who haven't been knocked down yet, and if they have been, the ones who still have the energy and will to stand back up and give it another try. I'm not trying to say that these are bad qualities to have, because I actually think we should feel this way about life throughout our entire lives, whether you're 25, 45, or 85. You should always look at each day as a new opportunity for something spectacular to occur. You should always be proactive in your own life. There's no other way to truly live. The problem is that as post-grads we put so much pressure on ourselves to live out our dream life and accomplish everything we have ever wanted- and what's worse is we want it all within a very short time. That's why it's so disheartening when you finally graduate and are onto the next chapter in your life and you find yourself at a job you absolutely hate, even though you thought you would be doing what you love, or you're not even sure what exactly you want your career to be. If you're anything like me, you want your life to start NOW. You want to have the job of your dreams (or even settle for something you half-way enjoy and make decent money at) so you can be out in the world on your own and really LIVE. But usually, as in most cases, reality slaps you in the face.

I'm here to tell you that just because you graduated college and are entering "the real world" does not mean you are going to automatically have it all figured out. And even if you're a smart individual who already knew all this and saw it coming, actually living it is not what you might have expected. It is a lot harder than any of us imagined it would be. We might have told ourselves that it'd be okay to just go with the flow for a couple years until we really figure it all out. And you're right, it is okay to do that, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. But that's okay, too. You got this. You will figure it out. It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to feel confused. It's okay to not know which direction to take, let alone which direction you're facing. The best piece of advice I can give anyone who is going through this (and something that quite frankly I need to listen to as well) is to just live. Live your life. Live in the now. Take it one step at a time. If you're in a situation in which you're not happy, change it. Do not stick with it if it is not working for you. Only you can decide what you truly want, what you truly need.

We are lucky because we are still young. But even if you're not a "twenty-something", you still have time. Time to find your passion, to find what inspires you, to do what you want to do with your life. No situation is ever set in stone. There is always a way out, somehow. Even if you just take baby steps. Have the courage to look life in the face and say, "Today I will live."

Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Tofu

If you've never had spaghetti squash before, add it to your next grocery list RIGHT NOW! It's such a great alternative to pasta and it can be paired with just about anything. I've made pad thai with it before, but this is my first time using it as an alternative to actual spaghetti and let me tell you—I'm smitten. It might not be as easy to cook as pasta, but it really is a pretty simple (and fun, might I add) process! Here's how I made my version of spaghetti squash marinara.

Ingredients

• Medium sized spaghetti squash


• Approx. 1 cup of marinara sauce


• Half a block of tofu (extra firm)


• 4 tablespoons butter, melted


• Garlic (to taste, but I used about 1-2 teaspoons)


• Italian spices (I used thyme and basil)


• 2-3 tablespoons onion, chopped

1. While it's not necessary to let the tofu marinate, it definitely helps let the flavors seep in. I chopped up my tofu into cubes (about 1/2 an inch or so) and then mixed it with the melted butter and spices. This time I let it marinate for about two hours, but the longer the better.

2. This step takes about 45 minutes, so plan accordingly. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a very sharp knife, cut your squash in half down the longer side. Microwave the halves for about 4 to 5 minutes. This will help them cook faster while in the oven. Once you're done with the prepping, place each half face down on a tray (make sure to spray some non-stick cooking spray if your tray isn't non-stick.) Put in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. At this point you can check to see if they're ready by poking holes in it with a fork. If the fork goes in easily, the spaghetti squash is ready. I usually turn the oven off and leave the squash in for another 10 minutes or so to make sure it's soft enough.

3. After the squash has been in for about 25 minutes, I start working on the tofu because this part can take up to 20 minutes or so. Use a frying pan and set the heat to medium-high. There shouldn't be a need for oil or cooking spray because there is plenty of butter. Mix the tofu cubes well and continue to stir every 3 to 5 minutes. If you notice that it's starting to cook too quickly or burn, set the heat to low. This step can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on what heat you set it at and how "crispy" you want your tofu to be. Once the tofu starts to brown up, you can add the chopped onion to the mix.

4. Now that your squash is softened and ready to be scooped out, set it aside for a few minutes to let it cool. You're gonna want it to be cool enough that you can hold it (I'm too impatient and always end up burning myself -_-) Hold the squash upright, take a fork to it and scoop out the seeds. Don't miss any! Once you've taken care of the seeds you can start scooping out the good stuff with your fork. Set the spaghetti aside.

5. In a medium-ish sauce pan set to medium-low heat, pour the marinara sauce and let it warm up a bit. Next, place the squash in the pan and mix it well with the sauce. It's really up to you how much sauce you use, but remember that the squash really soaks it up so you don't want to go overboard. If anything, pour it little by little and see how it goes.

6. Once the squash has heated up for a couple minutes, go ahead and add the tofu and onion mix! Mix everything really well and WAH LAH—it's ready to serve ;)

So there you have it, a delicious and somewhat healthy alternative to your ordinary pasta dinner. Don't be intimidated by spaghetti squash! Give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do.

Eggplant Pizza (no crust needed!)

Do you love pizza as much as me? Is Italian food your guilty pleasure? Looking to add more vegetables into your life? Are you on a low-carb diet and just DYING without delicious warm bread?! Well then I got the perfect recipe for you. This is one of my favorite foods to make because it's pretty easy, doesn't take too much time or effort, and it's so freakin' tasty. Obviously like with any pizza, you can customize and change things up as you wish, but this is my version of Eggplant Pizza and I promise you'll love it!

Feeds about 2-3 people as a main dish and 4-5 as a side dish.
Total cooking time: about 1 hour, give or take 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant


• 1/2 cup of olive oil


• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of marinara sauce


• 1-1 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese


• 1/3 cup of bread crumbs (optional)


• seasoning to taste (garlic, parsley, oregano, etc.)


• a few pinches of salt

1. Rinse off your eggplant. Cut it into about 1/2 - 1 inch slices. Do not make them any thicker or else it takes longer to roast them! Place the slices onto a tray. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt onto the slices (do NOT overdo it!) This is meant to bring out some of the bitterness of the eggplant. Let them sit for 15-30 minutes.

2. Before starting this step, preheat the oven to 375°. Place the oil in a separate bowl to make it easier. I usually add my spices into the oil and mix it together to make it a bit simpler, but you can add your spices after the oil process. You can do this step with just a spoon but if you have a cooking brush definitely use that. Brush a layer of oil onto each side of the eggplant slices. Don't overdo it with the oil, but also make sure there's a good even layer on each side!

3. Place the tray of eggplant slices in the oven for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip EACH slice over so now the other side gets to roast. After about 10 more minutes (check every few minutes since every oven is different) take the slices out and flip em over again. Now they're ready for the sauce and cheese!

4. Place about a spoonful of sauce on each slice, depending on how big it is. How much sauce you put on is really up to you and what your preference is, but I suggest putting a medium layer on—enough to give it that pizza style but not so much that it makes the eggplant soggy.

5. Next comes time for the CHEESE! This is also up to you and how much you love cheese. I put enough so that the slice is covered but not overflowing with cheese. You can also add a few bread crumbs (panko would work best) to give it a bit of a crunchy texture. Once you're done with the cheese, the slices are ready to go back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how melty and "burnt" you like your cheese. I also suggest lowering the oven temperature to about 350° or 325° for this step.

Let cool for a few minutes and you're ready to eat your low-carb but delicious eggplant pizza!!! Enjoy :)

P.S. I don't have a picture of the final product because they're so good that I devoured everything before I got a chance to snap a pic :-x