Par’s Picks – 11

Better late than never seems to be a theme I’m carrying over into 2014.  I’ve obviously been slacking with these particular posts.  There was one week where I had a set of articles I wanted to share but just didn’t get around to the writing part.  Oops!

Well, I’m picking up with where I left off and hoping you enjoy the 11th installment of Par’s Picks.

SELF/LIFE

5 Things That Are More Important Than What Someone Thinks About Your Body – Something a lot of people need to think about.  Including me.

Pick Your Battles: 3 Questions to Ask Before Disagreeing at Work – Love this and find the advice to be applicable to life beyond work.

14 People Share The Best Advice They’ve Ever Received – Great tidbits of advice.  It’s got something for everyone.

4 Reasons You Won’t Be Happy No Matter How Hard You Try – Love this and truly believe that happiness is all about attitude and self-awareness.

Why Finding Yourself Is Overrated – I used to be one of those people who thought that life was about unraveling yourself and finding out who you were as you went along.  Over the past few years, I’ve learned that way of thinking is not going to get you far.  Life is most definitely what you make of it – taking chances, living with intention, etc.

I’m Not Wasting My Degree: My MBA Stands for “Mother Bad-Ass” – One of my favorite reads of the week.  As the author states very clearly, do what works for you and your family.  The hell with everyone else!

HEALTHY LIVING

Grocery Store Traps to Avoid – Even though I like to think that I have the grocery store all figured out, I learned a lot from this short list of traps.

5 Pieces of Diet Advice You’re Better Off Skipping – It’s the new year and we’re all thinking of ways to be healthy, but sometimes we end up doing more harm than good.  Take a look at this list for some great tips on what not to do.

RECIPES

Light Gorgonzola Sauce – You won’t believe how simple this sauce is to make!

Creamy Thai Sweet Potatoes and Lentils – Make this ASAP!  Both Vishnu and I loved the simplicity and flavor of this dish – it had a very Indian/Thai taste and aroma to it.  YUM!

Mushroom Corn Cashew Curry – This may sound strange and complicated, but it was honestly one of the easiest Indian dishes I’ve ever made.  And the cashews add a nice surprising creaminess to the sauce.

Healthy Black Bean Chilaquiles – I made this dish last week and the pic I posted on IG was quite the hit.  For those of you looking for the recipe, here it is!  Simple, quick and delicious!

Thick and Fudgy Brownies – My friend Monica sent me this recipe on Thursday, and I made these bad boys on Friday.  Vishnu and I loved the dense, rich, chocolaty flavor and texture.  I also loved them because they aren’t overly sweet.  If you prefer sweeter treats, you may need to adjust the original recipe a bit.

Crunchy Quinoa Granola – Our apartment smelled like heaven the night I made this.  I didn’t have flax seeds (only flax meal) so I threw in some chia seeds instead.  Great idea on my part – added a nice little extra crunch.

Quinoa “Fried Rice” – Like all of Gina’s dishes, this one turned out great.  So so so easy to make, and full of flavor.  A great weeknight meal (my meat eating hubby supplemented this with some grilled chicken).

INSPIRATION

Happy weekend!