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Halloween Date Attire and Boobs – To See or Not to See

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In another life, I was a costume designer. Therefore, Halloween is seriously one of my favorite holidays because it was the one time a year I got to wear my creations instead of see them on others. But Cady Heron was right when she said “Halloween is a time when a girl can dress like a total slut” without repercussion. Not only can they, it’s expected.

Halloween is also a great night to meet people. But with this ridiculous “slut rule,” if you don’t dress like a slut, you may not get as much attention as everyone else.

But usually, I almost completely ignore the slut rule and wear something long, beautiful, and historic. And one year I got a great vote of confidence from a drunk girl:

“I just haaaaaaad to tell you, you are covered up, you look comfortable, and you are STILL. SO. SEXY.”

Yep, it wasn’t a guy, it was a girl. But hey, she was right that I was covered and comfortable, and I like to think she was also right that I was looking sexy! Not only that, I spent most of my night silently smirking at those girls who were walking around the literally-freezing city in next-to-nothing, just so they could go home with a man they would regret waking up next to.  But hey, to each his own, and whether you’re abiding by the slut rule or not, Happy Halloween, Daters!

How to Make the Most of Our Dogs’ Health

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Pets – The Single Gal’s REAL Boyfriends

While we’re primarily a food blog around here at The Hungry Dater, the “Dater” part of our name lends itself to a fairly large amount of lifestyle issues.  On Fridays we talk about general life issues which usually include wellness, fitness, fashion, and natural living.  But one thing I think people overlook a lot regarding those topics is our pets.  And for singles, our pets (and more specifically, our dogs) are our children, families, and… our boyfriends.  At least, my pets are for me.

My grandparents were regularly horrified when I called my beautiful (female) Bernese Mountain Dog, Flower, my “boyfriend.”  I guess it was just a bit too unconventional for them.  They sortof stressed between, “But it’s a dog!” and “But she’s a girl!”  But my feeling is, one way or another, that dog was the “person” who greeted me when I came home every day, went with me to Friday Happy Hour, and slept with me every night.  She was as much a boyfriend as I’ve had in years.

I never really imagined I’d be the “dog girl” or a “cat lady.”  And yet, here I am, going on 35 years old with no husband or kids of my own, and I could seriously plan my day or my week around my pets—and, most specifically, my dog.

…

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Catfishing – A Blow to Clearly Already-Low Self-Esteem (And I’m Not Talking About the Victim’s)

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I’ve been dating a long time. And as you know, I’ve experienced my fair share of awkward, stupid, and flat out cringe-worthy dates. But one thing I hadn’t personally experienced was “catfishing.” Well, last week I experienced it.

I know someone who was catfished.  They met online, talked for about a week, then made plans to go on a date.  He showed up at the restaurant and a woman waved him to her table and called him by name.  He was confused because he didn’t know her.  She told him she was the one he was meeting.  But she was a completely different race, build, and stature than the photos of the woman he’d been emailing with.  He said it was the only date he actually left before it started.

Catfishers: Setting Themselves Up for Failure

When he told me the story, I felt sorry for the girl. But then I thought, “you’re asking for this… You specifically put pictures of someone who looks NOTHING LIKE YOU on your dating profile. Obviously, you’re going to attract people who are attracted to THAT picture, not your own.”  I suppose you could try and keep them on that first date because they don’t want to be rude.  Then, on the foundation of “I-guess-I’ll-stay-for-one-drink-so-I-don’t-seem-like-an-asshole.” you try and hook them for future dates with your dazzling personality.  This plan sets you up for failure.

Last week I started talking to someone on Tinder who seemed like a pretty good match for me. His photo was a bit blurry, but to me he looked like maybe an olivey-skinned, light brown haired, medium build guy. However, when he showed up, he was NOTHING like the picture—even the blurry one. And we’re not talking an old picture of someone who just doesn’t quite look the same… This guy full on posted a blurry photo of someone else….

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Confessions of a Black Thumb Month 1 — Another Spring Begins

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Let me make one thing clear:  Plants come to my house to die.  They seriously walk through the door and start making their suicide plans.

But I want it different.  As many of my readers know, my pup’s name was Flower and she was diagnosed with terminal cancer this year.  My mom has since decided that this year is going to be the “Year of the Flower,” meaning our family is going to cultivate and flourish as many flowers as possible in our gardens in honor of my baby.

I also read these stories and see videos about people with an “urban homestead,” and I want so badly to be a part of that movement.  Does that mean I actually water things enough or spend time in my yard enough?  Well, no.  I’ll admit I don’t hang out in my yard enough to expect big results.  But I want to.  I want to want to.

I also was originally planning on having bees this year.  This is a huge reason to have beautiful flowers and wonderful veggies anyway, but I was also thinking to offer as much food for my new “pets” as possible.  Hopefully next year.

So I’ve decided the best way to commit to being a better plant mama–and hopefully to reap the benefits of that–is to tell all of you about my experiences and plans for my garden so that I have as many people as possible keeping tabs on me and keeping me accountable…  Like a whole community of garden “accountability partners.”  😉  Every month I’ll give updates and pictures regarding the process of keeping my new garden.  This is the first!

Spring Has Sprung!

In Reno, we often have winter until well into May.  That means our gardens get planted pretty late in the year.  But for this month, I figure I can go over what I plan on planting and why, the kinds of processes I’m employing to make my garden as automated as possible so that even I might be able to have some awesome veggies and flowers this year–even with my tendencies of being lazy in the yard.

Eat What I Sow

The biggest reason I’ve always wanted to take after my family and get good at growing things is I’m dying to grow my own natural, tasty, organic vegetables.  As you all know, I’m bad at consuming vegetables, but when they’re home grown and fresh, they’re much easier to take.  This year, I think the best way for me to have a fighting chance at a great garden is to try for a) veggies and fruits bees will love (in prep for my hopeful next year), b) things that will be easy-ish to grow, and c) those which I’ll actually eat.

I get both the Burpee and the Gardener’s Supply Co. Catalogs.  (Not that I’ve ever needed them.  Haha.)  While I’ve ordered from them before, I decided recently that I won’t order plants anymore because of the way they’re sent (and my dearly departed pup’s tendency to dig them up).

Also, though I’d love to be able to order some of the heirloom tomato and pepper seeds I’m seeing, I think for tomatoes at least I need to buy the plants.  I think that’s a better idea beginner-wise.

So this year I was planning to order a fair few seeds and tubers from Burpee, but I decided to purchase the seeds at Lowe’s and I’ll fill in with plants from Lowe’s later instead.  Here’s the list of what I’m going to try for (again) this year:

Seeds:

Lettuce

Kale

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Jalapeno

Plants to Buy:

Lavender

Tomatoes — I used to get three different types.  This year I think I’ll get all cherry tomatoes.  My mom always has thousands of these because she has a very easy time growing them.  (Though, of course, that’s my mom who’s a freaking fabulous green thumb.  😉 )  But I’m hoping that means they’ll be the easiest for me to try.

Left Over from Last Year (a miracle):

Raspberries

Mint

The Year of the Flower

My Flower is gone.  She was my baby for a very short, but very full, while.  My family has been amazing both during Flower’s illness and in my time of loss.  They loved my baby almost as much as I did.

When my mom found out about Flower’s diagnosis, she suggested we all make this year the “Year of the Flower.”  Of course, for the rest of my family, this is easy (my mom admitted to me the other day that one of her cutest trees in the front yard is there because she stuck a peach bit in the ground when she was finished eating it).  For me, this will be work.  But it’s work I’m ready to do in the name of my wonderful baby.

I already have a few flowers at my house.  My most favorite things are those which are wonderfully scented and vibrantly colored.  Last year, I planted both a lilac bush and a forsythia, and later planted a climbing honeysuckle on my window sill so I can open the window in the summer to wonderful smells.  I also purchased and planted a couple of lavender plants as I love lavender lemonade and am hoping to grow and dry my own lavender.

When I bought the house, there were also two trees with a white flower on

them that flower in the early spring.  It’s a wonder any of these things survived, but many of them did, and this year I’m committing to double down and let my garden flourish.

There are two other reasons this will hopefully be a bit easier for me to commit to growing some things this year than in years’ past.

A New Home

My parents just bought a new home this year.  This is the first new home they’ve had since I was born.  As I’ve said, my mom is a wonderful green thumb and has decided this is the “Year of the Flower.”  Because they’ve moved to a place with a smaller yard, she isn’t going to be able to transfer all the plants she’d like from the old home to the new.  Instead, she’s offered the rest of us in the family, choice of our favorite transferable plants from her wonderful garden to put in our own.

Many of these plants have come from other family homes including my grandparents’ summer home at Lake Almanor, my other grandmother’s previous home here in Reno, and plants given to my mom by many of my other favorite people in the whole world.

I’m hoping that the sentimentality of these gifts will keep me committed to making sure these transfers take.

Bee Food

I was hoping this year to get permission from my HOA to have a Flow Hive put in behind my house.  While they didn’t approve the hive this year, I’m hoping to maintain a great bee garden so that I can  be ready if and when they do approve it.

I love honey and I utilize it in many culinary and beauty ways because it has several amazing benefits.  I also hope to try and review the Flow Hive as a total beginner.

I know that sometimes new beekeepers don’t get a lot of honey the first year, but my hope is that with a thriving garden with lots of flowers and vegetable plants that bees love, I’ll get enough honey to bribe my neighbors into loving the hive and showing the HOA it’s a great thing.

Things I’m Doing to Lighten the “Blackness” of my Thumb by Automating Plant Care

Last year, I installed an automatic timed watering system and soaker hoses.  I kept more things alive than I ever have before.  I’m sure it’s because of the automation.  This year, though I’m completely committed to doing more daily work for my yard than ever before, I also plan on making things even more automated than they have been in the past.

First, I’m going to get some more soaker hoses.  They worked wonders last year, and I think they’re a huge part of the reason my few things that did survive last year lived.  I’m also planning on taking more time to view the soakers and really time things effectively.  While it might take a few days to perfect, I’ll make sure to let you all know what I end up finding out.

So welcome to the first installment of “Confessions of a Black Thumb”!  Hopefully my community of accountability partners will not only help my garden flourish, but maybe my journey can help someone else to solve their own Black Thumb issues.  🙂

Tahoe Rim Trail Segment Hike – BEST SUMMER EVER!

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Around here if “adventuring” isn’t one of your hobbies, you’re a weirdo.  And along with being a weirdo, you’d also be completely dateless.  We live in a place (and actually a world) where a huge part of dating is “adventuring.”  It’s actually gotten to the point where people are now scoffing at the word “adventure” in each other’s dating profiles because it’s getting so overused.  But, bottom line is, today adventuring is an important pastime in the dating world, and this usually includes being physically active in some way.  That’s why here at The Hungry Dater, while we believe dating and food go together, fitness must also be included.  You want to eat what you want, but you also want to look good.

Crazy Hiking Adventures

One of the best ways to “adventure” is hiking.  Most of the time, this means that you can be adventurous without being too crazy about it.  But then there’s those of us who are crazy about it on purpose.  I’m not usually one of them.  It takes something special to make me want to be a crazy adventurer—and last year, my dad found it.  For his 65th birthday, my dad asked my mom and I to hike the full 168.5 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail with him.

In my opinion, Lake Tahoe is truly one of the Wonders of the World (there are way more than 7).  And I really don’t think I’m alone.  I’ll never forget going to France for my high school graduation.  Any time people asked where we were from, “Reno” generally got blank stares.  But when we said “Lake Tahoe,” Parisian faces lit up in recognition and excitement.  Many even said visiting Lake Tahoe was on their bucket list.

Living so close to Tahoe makes it easy to “adventure” on a regular basis.  And the Tahoe Rim Trail is one of those adventures that becomes more than you ever could have imagined.

History of the Rim Trail

The Tahoe Rim Trail’s history starts in 1860 with the Pony Express.  They used the Kingsbury Grade to Echo Summit portion of the trail to deliver mail to Sacramento.  Over the next century, various parts of the trail were established on their own as individual hikes or camping destinations; until in 1981, Rim Trail founder Glen Hampton envisioned mapping out a 150 mile loop following the ridge tops of Lake Tahoe.   Construction on Hampton’s vision started in 1984, and in 2001, after 200,000 volunteer hours, the Tahoe Rim Trail was complete.

Probably the most amazing aspect of the trail is the fact that it was made with volunteer hours.  The Association does have a few employees who work to maintain the trail and run the programs, but everything else is done strictly on a volunteer basis!  Of course there are the guides who many of us see on a regular basis.  But there are even more who are behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting.  Last year alone, they had more downed trees on the trail than ever before (downside of the big snow years), and all of them were removed by volunteers—many times with hand saws!!!  Remember, there’s no equipment up there, so most of these things have to be carried in and out on foot and by hand.

 

A Birthday Request

When my dad announced this was what he wanted for his birthday, I knew there was no way I could say no; but honestly, I wasn’t super excited.  In fact, I was terrified.  We decided to apply to be a part of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Segment Hikes.  This meant that every Sunday for 12 weeks, we would meet up with a guide and a group, get in a van, drive to the trailhead, and hike one segment of the Trail back to our cars.  Each segment consisted of 12-25 miles.  Ugh.

Hiking and Healing

Then, right after we signed up for the hikes, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  We delayed our hiking group for one year while she got better.  Suddenly, hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail became more than just a transformative experience for us as individuals, but proof that we’d survived and thrived as a family through the worst of times.  Our strength had been tested.  We were strong, and we got to prove it every Sunday for 12 weeks.

But while I could talk about the transformative nature of this experience for days, honestly, the transformation and personal exploration wasn’t even the best part.  By hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, you’re getting to see parts and views of Lake Tahoe that are untouched and impossible to see any way other than hiking up a mountain.  For miles.  Sometimes in the rain. With snow on the ground.  Or in the super hot sun.  Still with snow on the ground.

Even with all of that, it’s worth it.  And more than that, it’s amazing.

 

A Transformative Experience

Now, am I going to tell you I didn’t cry like a small child more than once in the summer last year?  If I did, I’d be lying.  I totally cried like a baby at least 5 times, and hiked 20 miles with a mild stomach flu once.  I complained that my summer weekends were shot; I was horrified when, after walking 25 miles the guides told me it wasn’t even the hardest segment; and I often hung out at the back of the pack, trailing behind the group simply because that’s where I liked to stay.  We saw a bear, peed in the forest, bled a lot, learned the importance of driving with towels on the seats to protect them from dirt and sweat, got consumed by mosquitos, and lived on chocolate milk, apple juice, cold sandwiches, and GORP.  And still, it was worth it.

We met the most amazing people, saw things many people wouldn’t see in three lifetimes, and learned what we are made of.  We went for the views and to help us get and stay fit.  What we found was we got “healthy” in many many unexpected ways.  We got fit enough to hike through Desolation Wilderness, we learned how strong we can be mentally with the proper mantras, we made some new friends, we got even closer to each other, and after a truly heinous year, we got the opportunity to heal as a family.

I realize that most people around here are perpetual hikers and this experience would have just been a fun summer jaunt for them rather than a transformative experience.  But even if that’s the case, I’m sure there are still major shifts that would happen for them during these hikes.

And hey, if nothing else, you can’t beat the views.

Once-in-a-Lifetime Views of Lake Tahoe

Every person had a different “favorite” segment.  Mine, by far, was Christopher’s Loop.  It’s a 1.2 mile loop that is extra on the 25 mile segment (the longest of the summer—but not the hardest!).  Because of that, it’s really easy to talk yourself out of going that extra mile.  DON’T DO IT.  That extra mile was my favorite view of the entire summer—and maybe of my life.  Seeing Lake Tahoe from that angle is something I will never ever forget.  As a matter of fact, my mom and dad were gone that week, so they’re making that one up this summer—I’m going with them.  While we aren’t doing the whole 25 miles, even if they were doing the whole thing, I’d still do it with them.  It’s breathtaking in every way.

But there really was something amazing on every segment.  From the flowers to the wildlife to the views, you’ll never be bored.  (You might be crying, but you won’t be bored.) 😉

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association works incredibly hard to keep this wonderful place well-designed, walkable, and pure for all of us to enjoy.  They work tirelessly to improve the trail all the time.  Last year alone they created another ¾ of a mile worth of trail so that no more hikers would have to deal with the “death hill” (at least that’s what we called it).  And that was just the beginning of their work.  Their volunteers go up on the trail without equipment to move rocks, pound dirt, gauge distance, cut trees, and make sure everything is kept up enough to support the over 400,000 hikers that come through every year.  They host the Segment Hikes, backpacking classes, Rim Trail Thru Hikes, kids’ education classes, and have single-handedly made the “Leave No Trace” movement a household name.  All of this is done primarily through volunteers.

Do It Scared

Before this experience, I’m not sure I ever considered myself one of the local adventurers who could stand up in the local adventure-y dating scene.  Now, there’s no doubt I can.

So, don’t underestimate yourselves.  Do things you’re not sure you can.  Keep in shape and make sure you have fun while you do it.  But don’t forget that those fun things might also make you cry.  Do it scared and you just may have the experience of a lifetime.  If you find things like this you love, you also may find the Love of Your Life.  And in the meantime, you’ll survive—and maybe even enjoy—this crazy “adventure” filled dating scene… All the while maintaining that date-worthy physique and a life-long health that will keep you beautiful and spry for your future (or current) Love.  But most importantly, do it for yourself.

And hey, bonus:  the more you exercise (or “adventure”), the better you can eat.  😉

Stay healthy, Daters!  And, as always, HAPPY Cooking.

 

Sunbasket–Best Meal Kits on the Market!

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While I’m a huge proponent of making your own meals for health, ingredient identification, and weight management; with a full time job, a family, friends, an active blog, and people who depend on me; sometimes coming up with a recipe, shopping for, and preparing dinner just doesn’t seem viable.

Enter the meal kit.  A few years ago several companies started advertising a completely new service where they deliver ingredients and instructions to make several dishes for the week, eliminating the guesswork and planning that goes into fixing dinner on a weeknight.

As a working foodie, I’ve tried several of these meal kit services.  I love the fact that one day I can come home to a full week’s worth of meals which have been dropped on my doorstep.

Sunbasket Rocks!

I have tried a couple of these kits, but among all the kits I’ve tried, Sunbasket is by far my favorite, for many reasons.

I’m allergic to wheat which means I have to eat gluten free.  As such, I have specific dietary needs to pay attention to.  Lots of other meal kits say they’re compliant with dietary restrictions.  But my understanding is lots of them just tell YOU how to adjust the recipes to comply with your dietary restrictions.  To me, that’s not convenient.  It also defeats the purpose of these kits when I still have to hit the grocery store to pick up the “few ingredients” necessary to adapt the recipes to my specifications.  All that means is I’m spending double and still spending time to adapt these recipes to my lifestyle.

I was also a member of one meal kit service for a while that, while they were great with natural and organic ingredients and they did have a gluten-free service option, when you chose the gluten free option, you were stuck with the three options they sent.  There were no choices.

Sunbasket avoids both of these issues completely.  They offer several choices of meals with many dietary restrictions in mind, and there’s so many weekly recipes available that people with almost any dietary restrictions have tons of options to choose from.

Quality

As you all know, I’m a big supporter of real, quality, mostly-organic ingredients.  While there are some services which brag only organic ingredients, Sunbasket strives for the best, mostly-organic, but always local ingredients to give you the best, most well-rounded meals that are nutritionally valuable, visually beautiful, and downright delicious.  Plus, they support a locavore-type existence; supporting the farmers closest to them and encouraging seasonal eating and sustainability.  Honestly, Sunbasket provides the exact type of meals I’d want to make myself.

Time-Saving Tuesdays

So, I realize it’s a bit strange for me to be supporting and promoting a meal kit when the whole premise of my existence is either going out or making your own recipes.  But honestly, during the week, sometimes that just isn’t an option and I’d love to have something that is still healthy, home-cooked, and delicious, but which I also needed only minimal time and attention.  THAT is what Time-Saving Tuesdays are to me.

Date Worthy?

Another big thing here at The Hungry Dater is that when I review other food (or other restaurants) I do it based on the assumption that you’re probably eating there on a date or with a significant other.  So are these meal kits date-worthy?  I think so.

Of course, you don’t want to invite a date over on the first or second date to cook dinner (unless of course that’s your thing–personally I think that’s a bit unsafe), but I think once things go a bit more forward and get a bit more steady, a meal kit makes a relatively great date.  First, the instructions and the actual cooking are pretty darn easy.  Because everything is so straight forward, there would be fun kitchen time without the potential stress that could come with that in any other “cooking together” situations.

The kits are also put together to feed two.  In my experience, though, Sunbasket pretty much serves me for three meals.  Also, in my experience, men tend to eat more than I do, so this would probably work out pretty well.  I get as much as I want, and he gets the leftovers.  Hahaha.

Conclusion

Bottom line is:  When you still want a great home cooked but know your week is crazy and that you just won’t be able to bring yourself to cook every night, Sunbasket is a stellar option.  A true testament to Time-Saving Tuesday.

Happy Cooking!

Ultimate Date Night Package – Day 12 of 12 Days of Giveaways (Reloaded)

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To close out the First Annual 12 Days of Giveaways (Reloaded), we’re giving away an ultimate date night care package!  At The Hungry Dater, we talk about dating, food, and drinks.  So what better way to celebrate the end of the first annual 12 Days of Giveaways then giving a package that celebrates all of those things!?!  While I was hoping this would be a

Holiday themed date night package, this year it’s gonna have to be a winter theme.  This package is perfect for any kind of date:  family, boyfriend/girlfriend, solo—whichever is your favorite wintertime dating ritual.

 

The makeup of the package is a surprise, but expect to at least see a movie, some wine, and something tasty to share.  (Must be 21 to enter.)

 

Comment below to enter and a winner will be picked at random on January 31!

 

Spiced Pecans – Day 11 of 12 Days of Giveaways (Reloaded)

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My mom started making the spiced pecans here when I was in high school.  Back then, I didn’t like anything spicy–until I decided these nuts were worth a little mouth pain (make no mistake I was a suuuuuuper wimp).

As the years continued on, these nuts became a staple in the fall and winter in our house (and ultimately in my own house).

When I went to law school, I made several pounds of these nuts every year.  I had to.  I had a roommate the second half of law school who deemed these “YUM.”  Just YUM, in all CAPS.  Since then, these nuts have become a staple gift.  Hostess gifts, Christmas gifts, I-made-you-something-special-for-your-hike-gifts…

So, on behalf of Zach, the Monday giveaway is a jar of YUM.  Great in salads, as a snack, or as an accent to a great cheese and charcuterie plate.

Comment below and a winner will be picked at random on January 31!

Intuitive Eating – Day 10 of 12 Days of Giveaways (Reloaded)

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Well, it is January, and January is the time for new beginnings.  And here at the Hungry Dater that often means re-evaluating our eating habits to improve on eating and being healthy.

But anyone who knows me (or whose been here a while) knows that I am no longer a dieter.  I dieted for a lot of years.  It ruled my consciousness for a good bit of my adult life.  Then I read Intuitive Eating.  I promise I’ll do a full article on it in the very near future, but for anyone who’s looking to get healthy in the new year without starving themselves, this is the perfect book to read!

Comment below for a chance to win a copy on January 31!

Berried in Chocolate – Day 9 of 12 Days of Giveaways (Reloaded)

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Saturdays on Hungry Dater are generally reserved for party foods and sweets.  And NOTHING is sweeter than these chocolate covered berries.

Half Dozen Assorted Swizzle

Shari Fitzpatrick cornered the market on chocolate covered fruit delivery several years ago, and now she has started a new company to continue improving the chocolate delivery market.

It’s a little early for Valentine’s Day, but these would be an amazing finish to any meal (or, let’s face it, any Saturday morning post-happy-hour, in-bed -by-yourself-with-the-dog breakfast!  Oh… Just me???  Shucks.)  😉

The winner of these, can let me know if they’d like them delivered to someone else as a sweet “thinking of you” gift, and the date you’d like them delivered.

Comment below to be chosen to win on January 31!!!

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