PHRASE OF THE WEEK: SUBTLE BLOG CHANGES

Usually when I make changes to the blog (like in the theme, or the subtitle), I make a big public announcement blog post.

Not this time.

After the Foodbuzz Festival in November, where I chatted with fellow bloggers about the direction I wanted my blog to go (and was leaning towards green living), one of them suggested using “food for thought” in the title, since I mentioned that I was writing my thoughts pretty freely, and not necessarily sticking to food anymore.

The change came last week. The latest?

Lisa’s Foods. And (unconventional) food for thought.

I think this one’s going to stick around for a long time.

INSTAGRAM PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:

Carvel gave us extra crunch.

Old Mack truck turned fire engine.

BLOG POST FINDS OF THE WEEK:

• More Spinning & Kale Loving (via Where’s the Beach?)
• Cranberry Orange Lentil Quinoa Loaf (via Daily Garnish)
• The Habits That Crush Us (via Zen Habits)

SEARCH TERMS OF THE WEEK:

• ricotta blackberry spread to buy
• running for newbies
• rickety house

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Whether you have a blog, or are thinking of starting one, there are a few techniques to come up with posts that you’re excited about writing, which, in turn, will probably inspire your readers.

Note: If you don’t have a blog yet and want to, but aren’t sure what to write about, think about things you love to talk about. Go with your passion, or go with something you know about.

1. TALK TO PEOPLE

Had I never gotten an email from a blog reader, the Unconventional Roots series may never have been born.

This very post started as a question I got from a reader email; if I hadn’t gotten asked about my blogging inspiration, this post probably never would have come to fruition.

Blogging ideas are best sparked by conversation – think about what you talk to people about, and what they ask you about. When people come to you for advice about certain topics, it’s probably because they trust your insight.

2. LOOK AT THE WORLD IN A NEW PERSPECTIVE– A BLOGGER’S PERSPECTIVE

In essence, if you are a blogger, you are a writer, an artist, maybe a photographer. And, like artists, you must look around for inspiration. All the time.

Yes, it can be tiring. But if I didn’t pay attention to the things in the world I’m inspired by, or want to change, or think about, I probably wouldn’t have many post ideas. (Or, I’d start writing about my daily eating, like I did when I first started blogging, which now would just bore me.)

3. BRING A CAMERA WITH YOU, AND SNAP PHOTOS OF THINGS YOU LOVE

Even if you don’t love photography, try carrying a camera around with you for a day. (You could use your phone’s camera, but if you have a clunky camera around your neck or in your pocket all day, you’ll be more likely to remember to actually use it.)

I’m not a huge photography person. I don’t own a DSLR, I try to keep my photo editing quick, and don’t always carry a camera with me.

But I do find that when I have my camera around, I notice things that I may not notice otherwise. Like an old vintage store sign. Or a beautiful display of vegetables at the farmers’ market.

When I have my camera, I take photos. And when I go home, I look through the photos to come up with new post ideas.

4. READ OTHER BLOGS IN YOUR FIELD

Notice that I put this down as one of the last techniques. Reading blogs is important (but it’s also important to get off the internet).

I have a bunch of blogs that come through my Google Reader – with some I read every post fully, others I skim through, and still others I just check out the title to see if it’s for me. If not, I skip right over it.

Time is short, and while I want to be supportive of my fellow blogger friends, I can’t read everything. (Sorry, just being honest)

I read blogs to see what the trends are.

If everyone is writing about how veganism is the new trend, then write your opinion on it too. You don’t have to agree with the trends, either – write what you believe, and the readers will follow.

5. BUT USE YOUR OWN VOICE, AND YOUR OWN IDEAS, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME

Remember – don’t just copy what you see. While inspiration from other blogs is important, it’s not as important as coming up with your own voice, your own ideas, and your own inspiration.

Try to write without the influence of other blogs – read a book instead, or write first thing in the morning. For the most part, it’s best to act, not react.

Do what you love, write what you love, and it will show.

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IMAGINE

On your way home from work, you want to pick up some things for dinner. Fresh foods, and just what you need for that night. You choose a supermarket or farmers’ market on the way home, fill up your reusable bag with some items, and walk or take the subway home.

You have not filled up the car with a week’s worth of food.

You do not have a house full of food that could go bad before you even remember you bought it.

One of my dreams, once I move to New York City, is to live a car free life. (And to buy groceries as I need them.)

A CAR FREE LIFE CAN HAPPEN

Plenty of other bloggers have done it. Leo Babauta. And Tammy Strobel. Yes, of course it’s easier to live this kind of existence in a city, but it’s possible to at least downsize or mostly use a bike or carpool even out in the suburbs or the country.

I’m not saying it’s easy. Just possible.

One of the reasons I’ve wanted to move to the city is to get rid of my car. I started driving when I was 16, and bought my first car at 22. While the freedom of having my own vehicle to pick up and go wherever I want is great, it’s also sometimes a huge pain.

Like last week when I had to take my car in to get a recall notification checked out.

Or when I need to pay the insurance each month. And fill it with gas every week.

THE FREEDOM OF LIVING CAR FREE

It’s funny. In America it’s seen as a freedom to own a car. We can go wherever we want – the whole world (or a few countries, really), are fully open for us to explore.

We just hop in, start the car…and go.

But as freeing as that feels, there are so many burdens to having a car, like the costs and maintenance and parking. But actually, when you think about it, there’s great freedom to living without a car, especially in a city with decent public transit.

You can walk or bike or take public transportation to many places, and still go wherever you choose.

While you’re riding the bus or the subway or the train, you can get things done that normally you feel you don’t have time for – blogging, or reading, or getting more sleep. Sure beats sitting in traffic.

Your costs lower, usually.

And if you really want to drive somewhere that you can’t get to easily? Rent a car, or use Zip Car. With the money you save on insurance and upkeep and gas, you should have more than enough money to rent a car once in a while.

It’s not for everyone. Not everyone can make this choice – they either do need a car, or can’t afford one, or have always lived without one and never thought twice.

I dream of the day that I sell my car, hand over my title, and wipe my hands clean of a lot of stress, aggravation, and money.

That car free life is coming. I can feel it.

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After I got that reader email in December, we continued to write long emails back and forth, about job ideas, about vegetarian cooking, about living a life with passion.

At some point in our writing, I stopped and thought – this would be much more effective on the phone. We can talk about all kinds of things, she can get the advice she needs uninterrupted, and we can connect.

The same kind of thing happened with Ann. We’ve been reading each other blogs for many, many months, and when she found out I’d be in her home state of Florida for the Disney Half Marathon, we decided to meet for breakfast and go to the parks for half a day.

Our connection grew stronger, we now have some fun inside jokes, and we know each other as real people.

GET OFF THE INTERNET

Sometimes – maybe I should say most of the time – it’s the real deal that’s important. The handshake you make with someone you’ve just met. Hearing a person’s laughter. Giving them a hug after you’ve spent an hour over coffee.

Sometimes – it’s best to just get off the time-sucking internet. And have real interactions with the people you want to meet, and the people you care about.

You could call it networking, or building friendships, or building community. But whatever you call it, the internet is just a small part of this thing called life.

The internet is not the end all or be all. It is not life.

NETWORKING (OR BUILDING COMMUNITY, AS I LIKE TO CALL IT)

For blogging, and job-related stuff, I’ve been spending a great deal of my time networking. I feel like over the last six months I have made lots of new blogging and Disney friends, and have connected with people in the local/organic/natural foods movement, and environmentalism, and other paths.

I love it.

Often, when people ask what the greatest reward is from blogging, I answer: the community.

Yes, I love to write and I like to take photos, and I love that I’ve learned more about web design and hosting and all of the technical things than I ever imagined. But by far, the most fulfilling part of blogging, and just about all parts of my life right now, is building my community.

Meeting new people, talking to them, hearing their stories, and sharing ideas.

In the same nature as the Year of Happiness and getting up and doing projects first thing, I also am getting more out of meeting new people. It’s what brought me to Walt Disney World twice in the last six months, and to two blogging conferences in the fall.

And the same kinds of community building are all happening again this year.

To grow and learn and live, get off the internet. Build your (real life) community.

If you’d like to chat sometime on Skype, email me at lisasfoods[at]gmail.com, and we’ll set something up.

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PHRASE OF THE WEEK: IN THE GROOVE

After setting a goal this week of getting my blog posts done the night before, I’m finally into it. I’m trying really hard not to write posts at the end of the day. Instead, it’s much more satisfying to get a post done the night before it goes up (if not earlier!), leaving me less stress, and more time to come up with posts and ideas for later.

Time management improvement achieved.

INSTAGRAM PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:

Dinner at the diner: eggplant parm sub with a side of pickled beets. Yes.

My new favorite breakfast.

Some funky frost on my windshield.

BLOG POST FINDS OF THE WEEK:

• Stuff a Squash (via The Flying Onion)
• Pickled Eggs (via Cooking Healthy for Me)
• Some Comments on the Rise and Fall of Twinkies (via Mark Bittman)

SEARCH TERMS OF THE WEEK:

• mushy ice cream game
• simplicity philosophy food blog
• hope you start this year with the happiness

Subscribe to the Lisa’s Foods monthly newsletter and get my free vegetarian cookbook.

I’m in the middle of reading Seth Godin’s book Linchpin, and Laura Vanderkam’s book 168 Hours.

Both have the same theme:

Don’t waste your time reacting. Spending your time acting.

The first thing I do in the morning, most of the time, as hard as I try to fight it, is to react. I open up my emails, I check Twitter, I check Instagram, and read blogs.

I’m taking in other people’s information.

But I really want – and encourage you to do the same – to do more acting. To wake up and either go straight outside for a walk (which makes for great thinking and inspiration, especially early in the morning), or to turn on my computer, leave the internet browser alone, and start up a new blog post, based on my initial thoughts for the day.

Untouched by other people’s thoughts.

Do you hear what I’m saying?

When we start the day reacting, we’re listening to what everyone else is doing, and often do things based on everyone else.

But when we start the day acting, we’re making our own choices, working on whatever the hell projects we want to work on, and if others want to react to us later in the day, then that’s even better.

I want to be more of a doer than someone who just peddles along, not questioning or thinking about the big picture.

And I want you to do the same.

So act. Don’t react. Start today.

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Yes. You read that right. Chocolate for breakfast.

It’s my new favorite thing.

Well, that’s not true. When I went to a Peanut Butter & Co event many months ago and got a free jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams, I added a big dollop of that stuff to my morning oatmeal. It was delicious, sweet, and filling, and most of the time, I found I craved chocolate and sweets less later on in the day. (But don’t take my word on that one – it wasn’t always the case, and won’t necessarily happen for everyone.)

Since finishing that jar, I’ve craved adding chocolate to my oatmeal again.

Inspired by my one of my favorite ice cream dishes – vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, banana, and chocolate sauce – I decided to give chocolate oatmeal a go.

And it’s really tasty. Especially if you put the chocolate at the bottom, pour the cooked oats on top, and have melted chocolate hidden underneath. Yum.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup dairy or non-dairy milk (I use rice milk)
• 1 one inch square chocolate
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 banana, sliced

Directions

1. Pour oats, water, and milk in a saucepan, and cook on medium heat. Add half the sliced banana, and stir occasionally to keep oats from sticking. Cook oat and banana mixture for about 5 minutes.
2. While oats are cooking, place chocolate, peanut butter, and the other half of the sliced banana in a bowl.
3. After the oats are done, pour into the bowl.

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It’s funny. I often feel like the path I’ve taken is pretty different from many of my friends and family. I took time off from jobs to try all kinds of travel adventures and internships, to really embrace life and figure out what I loved (and learned what I didn’t love, in the process).

Knowing that, and knowing that many of us were raised in similar ways, and grew up in similar areas, I always wonder where this difference came from.

And I’ll never know for sure. But looking back to earlier pieces of my life make me realize just possibly how influential some experiences might have been.

CAMP, CAMP FRIENDS, CAMP LIFE

I grew up going to camp, and working at camp – and at one day camp in particular.

When I was seven, we had recently moved from New York to Connecticut, and my parents wanted my sister and I to stay busy for the summer. We were enrolled in a day camp about 30 minute from our house, and for the next twelve summers of my life, I was immersed in that place.

My first date was from that camp. My first hike (albeit short) was through that camp. My first (and only) times watching snakes eat mice was at that camp. Ha.

I learned to swim and boat and weave there. I learned to love the Grateful Dead there.

I absolutely loved camp, so much that I went on to teach environmental and farm education, and work in public schools. It was my second home for many years, and I’m still in touch with some old friends from that dear place.

I know – it must be – that this camp deeply influenced who I am.

MY BEST FRIEND, THE VEGETARIAN

By junior year of high school, one of my closest friends became a vegetarian.

It was a slower change for me. But eventually, by the summer after my senior year, I eschewed meat, and eventually became a vegan.

Had she not become a vegetarian back then, I don’t know if I would have taken that path too, towards vegetarianism, and veganism, and back again to being a vegetarian.

Yes, I’m quite sure my good friend the vegetarian (though she no longer is, which we joke about now) deeply influenced me.

MY SUPPORTIVE FAMILY

Of course, what supportive family doesn’t influence their children?

I think the real kicker though, was when I was in college. Every year my parents would say, “Why don’t you take a business class, Lisa? It’d be good, just to have it.”

But my parents also would say, “We just want you to be happy.”

And every year, I said no to the business classes. I went on with my dance and arts and anthropology classes, loving every minute of it. I was so happy in college – getting involved in all kinds of clubs and volunteer projects, and loving my studies.

I went with happiness. But getting a liberal arts degree doesn’t always translate easily to jobs, so I went on, finding more unusual positions that matched what I wanted to do.

And feeling supported. Thankfully.

GET THE REST OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL ROOTS SERIES:

• Unconventional Roots: New Beginnings

Subscribe to the Lisa’s Foods monthly newsletter and get my free vegetarian cookbook.

Okay. So I’m no expert, nor have I done any research…

But, if you ask most people what they would do if they had more time, many of them would say they’d volunteer. And in case you didn’t know, today, MLK Day, is also a Day of Service.

From what I’ve read, volunteering boots happiness. So what better way to begin the Year for Happiness and MLK Day than to think of community service project you’d love to get involved with?

Volunteering to clear brush in a national park in New Zealand.

MLK DAY

Back after college when I did AmeriCorps, we spent Martin Luther King, Jr. Day doing community service projects. We made a mural with local kids, helped prepare a community dinner, and organized volunteers at projects all over Burlington, Vermont.

Unfortunately, I haven’t made a point to volunteer on MLK Day since then, but every year on this day I reflect on the of service, and giving to others.

Over the years, I’ve been involved in many kinds of volunteer projects, and don’t necessarily want to dedicate one day to service. Instead I try to volunteer year-round (though since my move, I haven’t fully committed to a new project).

When I do pick something in the next few months, it’ll be based on what I’ve done before, what I’d love to spend time doing, and will probably be something completely different from my job.

For happiness. For fulfillment. For a connection.

MY FAVORITE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS

I’ve made a point to get out and volunteer ever since high school, when I joined the Key Club to get more involved in the community (and, to be honest, thought it wouldn’t hurt for the college search down the road).

Some of the volunteer projects I’ve done over the years include:

• visiting homebound elders
• running programs at a center for adults with disabilities
• clearing trails and brush
• cooking meals at a soup kitchen
• cleaning bathrooms at a yoga center
• organic farming

I want to be clear with all of this. I’m not writing this to make you feel guilty. It’s just that I have made great friends, felt more connected to my community, and truly felt happier from volunteering. It’s good stuff.

GET OUT AND SERVE, FOR HAPPINESS

If you’re looking for a little more satisfaction or fulfillment, or have always wanted to try clearing trails, cooking food at a soup kitchen, or playing with dogs and cats at the animal shelter, it’s not too late.

There are lots of great reasons to volunteer. When you’re trying to choose, think about how you want to spend your time. You can do just about anything, and since you’re not getting paid for it, you ought to pick something that you want to spend time doing.

And most likely, the process of finding the right place to volunteer, and then actually getting out there and doing the community service will make you happier.

GET THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR HAPPINESS SERIES:

• 2012 Is the Year for Happiness

Subscribe to the Lisa’s Foods monthly newsletter and get my free vegetarian cookbook.

PHRASE OF THE WEEK: BACK ON TRACK

And that’s it. As usual, the build-up before a trip is unbelievable…and then it ends faster than you ever imagine.

As you can tell, I had an amazing time. I met lots of new people, hung out with friends from my trip in October, and fell in love with runDisney even more. I have a lot of respect for their program – yes, it’s pricey, but the entertainment and quality are excellent. So is their customer service and organization.

I’ll be back, for sure. I’m thinking of signing up for the Tower of Terror 10 Miler in late September, and at least the half marathon again next January (and maybe the half marathon relay the following day?) Who knows…I just know that I’m addicted. Clearly.

INSTAGRAM PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

One last pic before leaving Epcot.

My lunch on Thursday. #notsohealthy

A pear cider, after all that hard work of watching the WDW Marathon.

BLOG POST FINDS OF THE WEEK:

• Your Top 10 Clutter Questions, Answered (via Zen Habits)
• What To Eat/Drink Before and During your Race or Long Run (via Jeff Galloway’s Blog)
• Planting of GM Alfalfa Approved, Again (via The Red, White, and Green)

SEARCH TERMS OF THE WEEK:

• pizza and baked beans
• make your own oat cereal
• can u put shredded wheat in a smoothies?

Subscribe to the Lisa’s Foods monthly newsletter and get my free vegetarian cookbook.