Today it seems nearly impossible to get any actual work done.
This is bad because:
1. I have a LOT to do.
2. Tomorrow we look at houses!
3. Wednesday I get a haircut.
4. Thursday I go to Phoenix.
And I'm not going to do anything while I'm on vacation.
Ok, maybe on my 3 hour plane ride but that's really only to look cool by pulling out my MacBook.
Guys, my schedule is packed. When will I have time to get my work done??!?!?!?!?
JK. I make my own office hours. I think I'll work tonight over a bowl of Quinoa Vegetable Soup and a bottle of Merlot.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Vegetarian Food
One of the biggest knocks on eating vegetarian meals is that they aren't very filling. But here's whats great about vegetables: you can eat as many as you want! Want seconds? Get seconds. Want thirds? Get thirds. Seriously, eat as many vegetables as you want. You don't have to feel guilty about it. It's tremendous! Here's a couple things we gorged ourselves on this week:
Delicious Tomato Soup
Of course, I recommend you make recipes your own. Instead of using canned diced tomatoes, dice up your own Roma Tomatoes. Instead of using 6 tablespoons of sugar, use a lesser amount. Don't add the Sherry. Seriously, cooking should be fun, creative, and expressive. Make your food your own. And then demolish it like you own it.
Tuesday was just so beautiful outside so we cooked some black bean burgers. Before you call me un-American, try them! They are wonderful. They have a southwest spice to it and goes great with some avocado or jalapeño if you're looking for some spice. We buy ours from SAM's, but our membership ends at the end of this month so we may attempt to make our own over the summer. Until then, here's the kind we buy: Black Bean Burgers!
We served our burgers with some home-made sweet potato fries, broccoli and some strawberries. Great porch food. Might as well have an Angry Orchard too!
Also, usually I get really hungry when I cook. And I eat without thinking, "I should snap a pic of this for the blog." But my wife is really good with the camera. If you want daily pics of what we are eating and doing, follow her on Instagram here: Sonja Tapper.
Tomato Soup
I love having Monday as soup day. It is seriously fantastic to have lunch prepared for days throughout the week that you can just grab out of the fridge and go. It was really simple and didn't take much time.Here's the recipe for it:Delicious Tomato Soup
Of course, I recommend you make recipes your own. Instead of using canned diced tomatoes, dice up your own Roma Tomatoes. Instead of using 6 tablespoons of sugar, use a lesser amount. Don't add the Sherry. Seriously, cooking should be fun, creative, and expressive. Make your food your own. And then demolish it like you own it.
Black Bean Burgers
Tuesday was just so beautiful outside so we cooked some black bean burgers. Before you call me un-American, try them! They are wonderful. They have a southwest spice to it and goes great with some avocado or jalapeño if you're looking for some spice. We buy ours from SAM's, but our membership ends at the end of this month so we may attempt to make our own over the summer. Until then, here's the kind we buy: Black Bean Burgers!
We served our burgers with some home-made sweet potato fries, broccoli and some strawberries. Great porch food. Might as well have an Angry Orchard too!
Also, usually I get really hungry when I cook. And I eat without thinking, "I should snap a pic of this for the blog." But my wife is really good with the camera. If you want daily pics of what we are eating and doing, follow her on Instagram here: Sonja Tapper.
Avocado Tacos
These are SO GOOD. And really, really simple. No joke, they take 10 minutes to make. If you're looking for a quick fresh meal, eat this. Here's what you do:
First, dice up a half an onion and a tomato. While you're at it, dice up some cilantro as well. Next, mash up a couple avocados. and mix it with a half can of corn and your other ingredients. Season it with garlic, salt, pepper, and some cayenne. Serve it on a corn tortilla with some black beans, bell peppers, and of course some margaritas! Make your own salsa and enjoy a relaxing Mexican night while your wife watches Grey's Anatomy.
Enjoy!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Food for Thought
*Disclaimer: some of you might think this is ridiculous.
FYI, you are wrong.
Recently Sonja and I changed our diet.
No, not because we were fat (although admittedly we each had a few pounds to lose). We simply wanted to eat better food. We watched a few food documentaries on Netflix (Forks Over Knives, Food, Inc., Farmageddon, Food Matters). OK, we may have gotten carried away with the documentaries, but they really changed the way we view food. We now view food as what fuels our body instead of a wonderful hobby we couldn't get enough of. So we examined what we were eating and decided to make a few changes.
The first change we made was to cut out as much processed food as possible. We decreased our dairy consumption (the whole idea of drinking cow's milk is kind of weird if you think about it), switched to whole grain breads and pastas, and made it a point to go for organically grown products. Oh, we also started a garden! And that was a lot of fun. When you see your food from the seed to your mouth, you just feel great.
After changing our diet, we felt better about what we were eating. We felt healthier. And more importantly for a lot of people, our grocery bill didn't go up! We were eating better food for the same price as bad food. Healthier without emptying your wallet? That's a pretty sweet deal. And one that you can do too (you know, if you want- If not, that's cool too)!
After 6 months or so, we decided to make another change: go to a plant-based diet, consuming less meat and eating more protein rich vegetables, beans, and the like. Before you shrug this off as another "hippie pushing an agenda," let me assure you that it is totally fine to eat meat. Our decision to cut back on meat has nothing to do with overpopulated chicken coops or grain fed cattle. In fact, we still eat meat sometimes. We simply eat it in moderation.
I know a lot of people who hear about the way we eat and respond with "I could never do that! I love meat WAY too much!" Let me tell you, I was one of those people. When I was a bachelor, and for the first month or so of marriage, I ate steak EVERY Monday night. It was my way of rewarding myself (sometimes you have to treat yourself to a nice dinner, right?).
When Sonja approached me with the idea of switching to plant-based, I was skeptical and unsupportive. But, like any good husband, I was willing to appease my wife for a month or so and then when things didn't turn out well, we would go back to the way we had been eating for our entire lives. But when we switched to plant-based, I felt healthier (more energetic, weight loss, better mood) and our grocery bill WENT DOWN! Not only that, but the food we were eating tasted GOOD. I was just as surprised as you. So, for a while now, Sonja and I have gradually decreased our meat consumption to the point where we are discussing going completely vegetarian (Who am I?).
So, if you're wanting to try out a vegetarian meal every once in a while, I'll be posting a food recap every Friday/Saturday with a few things we ate throughout the week. I'll do my best to include pictures and links to recipes, but if I eat my food before I snap a picture, don't judge me. Here's our first menu:
Here's the Recipe: Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup
But wait! There's meat in that recipe! Yes there is. Remember, we are eating plant-based right now, not vegetarian. So, we bought a pound of Italian sausage (the recipe calls for 1.5 lb.) and made this soup. Why? Because Kale is SO good for you. Seriously, read up on Kale and it's benefits. You'll be impressed. Obviously, we cut down the meat portion of the recipe and also subbed out the whole milk/cream/half&half for a simple milk and flour mixture. It was delicious and makes great lunches throughout the weak. Soups are our Monday night tradition now. And the Bachelor (see previous post).
I have no recipe for this because I kind of made it up. Here's what I did: steam cabbage, broccoli, and a half onion in vegetable broth along with some minced garlic cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper (hint: the longer you cook cabbage, the less cabbagey it tastes so if you aren't a cabbage person, steam is for 5 minutes before you add in the broccoli and onion). Cook your whole grain pasta to the box instructions (a little less than a cup per person). When the broccoli gets tender, add in some shaved carrots and some tomatoes along with your pasta sauce of choice (I used Classico's Vodka Sauce), turning the heat to simmer. When your pasta is done, add it into the pan as well and add some cheese if you're feeling adventurous (we weren't). Serve it with a nice Zinfandel and enjoy this delicious vegetarian meal while watching and episode of New Girl.
I hope this post encourages you to try a veggie meal every once in a while. And I hope you still want to be friends with us. If you want to try a veggie meal, but don't want to be seen in the produce section of Walmart, you are welcome at our home anytime!
FYI, you are wrong.
Recently Sonja and I changed our diet.
No, not because we were fat (although admittedly we each had a few pounds to lose). We simply wanted to eat better food. We watched a few food documentaries on Netflix (Forks Over Knives, Food, Inc., Farmageddon, Food Matters). OK, we may have gotten carried away with the documentaries, but they really changed the way we view food. We now view food as what fuels our body instead of a wonderful hobby we couldn't get enough of. So we examined what we were eating and decided to make a few changes.
The first change we made was to cut out as much processed food as possible. We decreased our dairy consumption (the whole idea of drinking cow's milk is kind of weird if you think about it), switched to whole grain breads and pastas, and made it a point to go for organically grown products. Oh, we also started a garden! And that was a lot of fun. When you see your food from the seed to your mouth, you just feel great.
After changing our diet, we felt better about what we were eating. We felt healthier. And more importantly for a lot of people, our grocery bill didn't go up! We were eating better food for the same price as bad food. Healthier without emptying your wallet? That's a pretty sweet deal. And one that you can do too (you know, if you want- If not, that's cool too)!
After 6 months or so, we decided to make another change: go to a plant-based diet, consuming less meat and eating more protein rich vegetables, beans, and the like. Before you shrug this off as another "hippie pushing an agenda," let me assure you that it is totally fine to eat meat. Our decision to cut back on meat has nothing to do with overpopulated chicken coops or grain fed cattle. In fact, we still eat meat sometimes. We simply eat it in moderation.
I know a lot of people who hear about the way we eat and respond with "I could never do that! I love meat WAY too much!" Let me tell you, I was one of those people. When I was a bachelor, and for the first month or so of marriage, I ate steak EVERY Monday night. It was my way of rewarding myself (sometimes you have to treat yourself to a nice dinner, right?).
When Sonja approached me with the idea of switching to plant-based, I was skeptical and unsupportive. But, like any good husband, I was willing to appease my wife for a month or so and then when things didn't turn out well, we would go back to the way we had been eating for our entire lives. But when we switched to plant-based, I felt healthier (more energetic, weight loss, better mood) and our grocery bill WENT DOWN! Not only that, but the food we were eating tasted GOOD. I was just as surprised as you. So, for a while now, Sonja and I have gradually decreased our meat consumption to the point where we are discussing going completely vegetarian (Who am I?).
So, if you're wanting to try out a vegetarian meal every once in a while, I'll be posting a food recap every Friday/Saturday with a few things we ate throughout the week. I'll do my best to include pictures and links to recipes, but if I eat my food before I snap a picture, don't judge me. Here's our first menu:
Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup
Here's the Recipe: Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup
But wait! There's meat in that recipe! Yes there is. Remember, we are eating plant-based right now, not vegetarian. So, we bought a pound of Italian sausage (the recipe calls for 1.5 lb.) and made this soup. Why? Because Kale is SO good for you. Seriously, read up on Kale and it's benefits. You'll be impressed. Obviously, we cut down the meat portion of the recipe and also subbed out the whole milk/cream/half&half for a simple milk and flour mixture. It was delicious and makes great lunches throughout the weak. Soups are our Monday night tradition now. And the Bachelor (see previous post).
Cabbage & Broccoli Pasta
I have no recipe for this because I kind of made it up. Here's what I did: steam cabbage, broccoli, and a half onion in vegetable broth along with some minced garlic cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper (hint: the longer you cook cabbage, the less cabbagey it tastes so if you aren't a cabbage person, steam is for 5 minutes before you add in the broccoli and onion). Cook your whole grain pasta to the box instructions (a little less than a cup per person). When the broccoli gets tender, add in some shaved carrots and some tomatoes along with your pasta sauce of choice (I used Classico's Vodka Sauce), turning the heat to simmer. When your pasta is done, add it into the pan as well and add some cheese if you're feeling adventurous (we weren't). Serve it with a nice Zinfandel and enjoy this delicious vegetarian meal while watching and episode of New Girl.
I hope this post encourages you to try a veggie meal every once in a while. And I hope you still want to be friends with us. If you want to try a veggie meal, but don't want to be seen in the produce section of Walmart, you are welcome at our home anytime!
Monday, March 3, 2014
When You're Under Employed
As I exposed in my last blog post, I'm "under employed" at the moment.
I'm not unemployed-- I still make money.
I'm just not working a 40 hour work week.
What that means though is that I have more free time than most.
So here's some suggestions for those that find themselves either unemployed or under employed:
1. Wake Up with Your Spouse.
This sounds like really lame advice. I assure you, it's not. When your spouse goes to work and sees that you're still sleeping, the first thing to shoot through their mind is "I wish that were me." Resentment sets in and then your employment status becomes a sticking point in your relationship. When you wake up with your spouse, it communicates that although you may have nowhere to go, you are going to do something with your day. Your spouse goes to work happy to know that you aren't fulfilling the "lazy, good for nothing, moocher" stigma that's tied to the under worked.
2. Clean Something Everyday.
When you stay at home, your spouse creates some un-spoken expectations. One of the first things on that list is to not return to a dirty house. You may view this expectation as unfair. Your spouse may view having to go to work as unfair. The least you can do is to create an environment your spouse will joyfully return to. Forgot all the gender roles you've been ingrained to follow. Cooking and cleaning are equal share to the family. If you spend an hour of your day cleaning at home, when your spouse returns from their work day, there's suddenly an hour you can spend doing other things that will be much more enjoyable.
3. Get a Hobby
Use your time to do something. I recently picked up design work as a hobby. When my wife returns and asks what I did today, I open a computer file and show her. I then mention that I got paid for that design and she's happy with how I spent my day. Pick a hobby where you can be creative with an opportunity to make more than you spend. When your spouse returns from their workday, you'll feel prouder showing the photographs you snapped and are selling than the baseball cards you reorganized.
4. Create a Daily Agenda
Let your spouse help you plan your days. If your spouse needs you to do their laundry, do it! Again, if they return home with no housework to do, then you can do other fun things instead! Letting your spouse help plan your day eases any resentment that may occur when your spouse comes home to see you've watched 3 movies and a TV series on Netflix.
5. Give Away the Evening
Men, I know you don't want to watch The Bachelor. Women, I know you don't want to watch College Basketball. But, if you stay at home, you've had the entire day to enjoy the movie you've been wanting to watch on Netflix. Your spouse has been at work where they may have a volatile boss breathing down their neck. They may be stressed with deadlines and workload. So, give them the evening. Let them know that when they come home, they can enjoy their evening without having to do yet another thing they don't want to do. I promise investing 2 hours watching something your spouse wants to watch will be well worth the investment.
6. Surprise Your Spouse
Surprise them by making breakfast while they're in the shower. Scrape the snow off their car. Stop by their work with a coffee at 2:00 PM. Leave a note in their coat. Doing the little things will go a long way to show them that you appreciate their work.
7. Exercise
If you're like me, you had a gym membership for 2 years and went 3 times because you never had time. Well, you finally have the time. If you can't find time to workout when you aren't working, you'll never work out. Exercise shows your spouse that you aren't defined by your employment and that you haven't given up on yourself. Tone up and get ready to re-enter the work force.
8. Make a Plan
Losing a job through any fashion is not a license to be unemployed forever. It is expected that you work again. And depending on your financial situation, you may need to find work sooner than later. Sit down with your spouse and create a plan for the next 3 months. How will you pay your bills? Where should you look for work? How many applications should you fill out a day? What's for dinner? A plan will give you direction and drive. Be disciplined in following that plan, even if the last season of Breaking Bad is released online.
I've found that when I follow these suggestions, my wife appreciates my under-employment.
When I watch Netflix all day, she resents my underemployment.
How you navigate your employment situation is between you and your spouse but I think these suggestions are options to consider.
I'm not unemployed-- I still make money.
I'm just not working a 40 hour work week.
What that means though is that I have more free time than most.
So here's some suggestions for those that find themselves either unemployed or under employed:
1. Wake Up with Your Spouse.
This sounds like really lame advice. I assure you, it's not. When your spouse goes to work and sees that you're still sleeping, the first thing to shoot through their mind is "I wish that were me." Resentment sets in and then your employment status becomes a sticking point in your relationship. When you wake up with your spouse, it communicates that although you may have nowhere to go, you are going to do something with your day. Your spouse goes to work happy to know that you aren't fulfilling the "lazy, good for nothing, moocher" stigma that's tied to the under worked.
2. Clean Something Everyday.
When you stay at home, your spouse creates some un-spoken expectations. One of the first things on that list is to not return to a dirty house. You may view this expectation as unfair. Your spouse may view having to go to work as unfair. The least you can do is to create an environment your spouse will joyfully return to. Forgot all the gender roles you've been ingrained to follow. Cooking and cleaning are equal share to the family. If you spend an hour of your day cleaning at home, when your spouse returns from their work day, there's suddenly an hour you can spend doing other things that will be much more enjoyable.
3. Get a Hobby
Use your time to do something. I recently picked up design work as a hobby. When my wife returns and asks what I did today, I open a computer file and show her. I then mention that I got paid for that design and she's happy with how I spent my day. Pick a hobby where you can be creative with an opportunity to make more than you spend. When your spouse returns from their workday, you'll feel prouder showing the photographs you snapped and are selling than the baseball cards you reorganized.
4. Create a Daily Agenda
Let your spouse help you plan your days. If your spouse needs you to do their laundry, do it! Again, if they return home with no housework to do, then you can do other fun things instead! Letting your spouse help plan your day eases any resentment that may occur when your spouse comes home to see you've watched 3 movies and a TV series on Netflix.
5. Give Away the Evening
Men, I know you don't want to watch The Bachelor. Women, I know you don't want to watch College Basketball. But, if you stay at home, you've had the entire day to enjoy the movie you've been wanting to watch on Netflix. Your spouse has been at work where they may have a volatile boss breathing down their neck. They may be stressed with deadlines and workload. So, give them the evening. Let them know that when they come home, they can enjoy their evening without having to do yet another thing they don't want to do. I promise investing 2 hours watching something your spouse wants to watch will be well worth the investment.
6. Surprise Your Spouse
Surprise them by making breakfast while they're in the shower. Scrape the snow off their car. Stop by their work with a coffee at 2:00 PM. Leave a note in their coat. Doing the little things will go a long way to show them that you appreciate their work.
7. Exercise
If you're like me, you had a gym membership for 2 years and went 3 times because you never had time. Well, you finally have the time. If you can't find time to workout when you aren't working, you'll never work out. Exercise shows your spouse that you aren't defined by your employment and that you haven't given up on yourself. Tone up and get ready to re-enter the work force.
8. Make a Plan
Losing a job through any fashion is not a license to be unemployed forever. It is expected that you work again. And depending on your financial situation, you may need to find work sooner than later. Sit down with your spouse and create a plan for the next 3 months. How will you pay your bills? Where should you look for work? How many applications should you fill out a day? What's for dinner? A plan will give you direction and drive. Be disciplined in following that plan, even if the last season of Breaking Bad is released online.
I've found that when I follow these suggestions, my wife appreciates my under-employment.
When I watch Netflix all day, she resents my underemployment.
How you navigate your employment situation is between you and your spouse but I think these suggestions are options to consider.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Life Update
Well if you haven't heard by now, I no longer work at US Bank.
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I was fired.
Whoops.
I didn't steal money or quit going to work or cuss out a coworker or commit sexual harassment.
(I think all of those are episodes of either the Office or Seinfeld)
My cash drawer was simply out of balance too many times for a management position.
Did I mention I haven't worked there since early December?
If you've been looking for me, I've been at home. Let's get lunch!
So, I'm under employed at the moment.
I'm in my sixth year of student ministry in Afton
but that only consumes my Wednesdays and Sundays.
What I do Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is at my discretion (and my wife's).
Which means:
I've started doing P90X.
I'm learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone.
I've gotten much better at FIFA 14.
Cleaning is always on my "to-do" list.
My coffee consumption is on the rise.
I've watched nearly the entire series of Dexter.
I shave a lot less often.
And I'm going back to school in the fall.
Why? Because as much as I love student ministry,
I don't want to make a career out of it.
I really like investing in students' lives without being a burden on a church's finances.
So, I'm going to be an engineer!
In the meantime, I'm looking for temporary employment opportunities.
Hire me for some odd jobs!
Hire me to help you with construction!
Hire me for some design work! (I dabble)
Hire me for editing!
Hire me to hang out with you!
Seriously, I love learning and doing a variety of things.
One last thing: don't pity me for getting fired.
Working at the bank drained the life out of me. It's a good thing I'm not there anymore.
So, I'm going to be an engineer!
In the meantime, I'm looking for temporary employment opportunities.
Hire me for some odd jobs!
Hire me to help you with construction!
Hire me for some design work! (I dabble)
Hire me for editing!
Hire me to hang out with you!
Seriously, I love learning and doing a variety of things.
One last thing: don't pity me for getting fired.
Working at the bank drained the life out of me. It's a good thing I'm not there anymore.
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