The Piano

Some of my first memories include sitting down at my antique white grand piano with my Grandmother, whose hair matched the color of the keys.  She would hopelessly try to get me to sight read while I insisted on playing by ear.  My grandfather would sit at the accompanying drums trying to follow the musical whims of a 7 year old who liked to bang on the keys to make the low notes as loud as possible.

That piano had traveled with my family from Florida all the way to Hawaii as a gift for me.  I enjoyed it and played it through high school.  My mother made the decision to drag it all the way back to Florida up to the 4th floor of her Delray apartment.  It then journeyed to two different Hobe Sound houses and then back to the 4th floor of the Delray apartment where I am sure it will stay because moving it again might actually kill my mom.

I hadn't considered buying another piano until my second year of law school when Justin and I moved into "the ponce."  We casually looked at a church yard sale for used furniture (this was before bed bugs... no soft surfaces!) when there it was standing right next to the book shelves - MY piano.  The price tag was only $150, a small price to pay for...WAH.  Justin hit a key and it sounded horrible.  We looked at each other.  We hit a few more keys and some sounded better than others.  I didn't care, I knew this piano was going to be mine and it seemed completely logical.  I paid an extra $75 to have 8 high school boys carry it across the street for me.

The piano in its most recent home

I liked it because it was OLD - I thought it had a lot of character and history.  The original price of the piano was embossed on its side - $500!

Someone even marked some dates in pencil! 4-30-32 and 5-4-32

It tuned up perfectly and Justin and I both got to learn and play many songs through law school.  We gave each other concerts where he would play my favorite, the girl with the flaxen hair, and I would play the Super Mario Brothers theme song and, of course, In the Mood.

After 4 great years, I had to leave Atlanta behind, but I wasn't about to leave my piano.  I may have left it with Justin, but anticipating the separation, he had purchased a super fancy digital piano and didn't need mine anymore.

There were lots of things I didn't anticipate about moving this piano to New York.  In law school, I could play the piano anytime because I was home during the day and we didn't have close enough neighbors to bother.  In New York, the piano is right up against a neighbor's wall and I'm only home at times highly disturbing to play loud music.  The wood also did not love the temperature changes.  If it was tuned in warm weather, it immediately went out of tune as it got cold.  I began playing less and less.

Finally, Mike bought me a (super sweet) digital piano (with earphones for playing anytime).  

I knew that was the beginning of saying goodbye to my piano.

Finally, I decided to just do it and put the piano up on a piano adoption website.  I got about 20 people looking for a piano donation!  After accidentally promising it to two people (yikes!) I gave it to the guy who actually came to the apartment to look at it.  (Then shed a few tears for the other girl).

The guy didn't come to pick it up - he sent two very large Russian men to remove the piano from my apartment.  At 9am after a late night out, I sleepily answered the door and let the men in.  "Shaina, Sit," they kept telling me as I cleared space to move the piano.  "The other guy is paying you," I kept insisting while being forced to sit on my own couch.  I finally called the other guy on speaker phone and everything was sorted out.  

The piano left quickly - I didn't have time to cry and say goodbye like I normally do with inanimate objects.  I just smiled and know that it's going to a good home.  So long, Piano.  Thanks for carrying a tune.  :)

Trapped

One of my worst nightmares came true and I survived.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am terrified of being trapped.  It's certainly not a rational fear but I have completely lost it on a few occasions.  I think the first time I ever had this feeling was when I was young and thought it was a good idea to climb into a cardboard box.  My siblings closed it and wouldn't let me out and it was one of the scariest feelings in the world.  This issue runs so deep with me that when I die, I do NOT want to be buried... you know... just in case.

I'm off topic.

Friday I was flying down to Florida to visit my mom for her 65th birthday.  I was so excited to see her and I left work in a terrific mood!  The bus driver even gave me a student discount without my even asking for one!  There was no traffic and the security line was short.  Life was good...

I approached the gate agent and asked for them to assign me a good seat.  He had an exit row at no extra charge!  In addition, he told me that the flight was oversold and they needed 9 volunteers to take a later flight in exchange for $400.  I toyed with the idea but decided that it was supposed to rain later and I really wanted to see my mom ASAP so I declined.

I boarded the plane and texted my mom telling her that I was on my way!  The plane had just filled up when CRASH - lightning struck really close by and the sky opened up.  The captain came on and said that the ground crew had to run inside but only had 5 more minutes of preparation once the rain stopped.

The flight attendant then came on and gave me my final chance.  Apparently the plane had a weight and balance issue (seriously, who heard of this on a commercial flight?  I was on an MD-88) and they had to take another passenger off the plane.  This time they were offering $500 to go on a later flight.  It did bother me that the giant aircraft would only fly after potentially removing the whopping 150 lbs of me and my suitcase put together.

I strongly considered the deal this time and quickly called my most reliable phone a friend - Justin - who happens to be an expert on both weather and air travel.  After considering the options, we decided since I was already on the plane I should just stay put.  He saw weather scattered all over the east coast but it was clearing up in New York.  I figured I'd stay.

The passengers were all getting wary.  The rain finally had cleared up and we anxiously awaited pushing back from the gate.  We finally pulled away and there was an audible sigh and cheer from the plane.  Our joy lasted only minutes before the captain came on to tell us about the long line of planes ahead of us.

"Sorry I don't have better news, folks, but I am estimating with this many planes in front of us, it'll be about an hour."  My heart sank.  We had already been sitting on the plane for 1.5 hours and now we had another hour to wait!  I pulled out my laptop and began typing up my notes from earlier in the day.  I kept myself busy with work and sporadic texting even though the cell service was not good.  Finally it got close to the hour mark and the captain came back on for an update.

"Sorry, folks, I know it's not raining but there's some weather all around us and no one can take off or land." UGH - that was frustrating to hear.  I figured it'd be another few minutes for a storm to pass and then we must be at the front of the line since we've waited an hour already... "Then, when they start letting us go again, there are about twenty five airplanes ahead of us."  Twenty-five?!  How is that even possible when we've been waiting for so long!  At 2 minutes per plane, that's almost another hour we have to wait after the storm passes.  I took some deep breaths and tried to mentally prepare myself for another hour.  That's when the captain crushed my spirits, "And, folks, we have to save some gas so I'm gonna go ahead and just turn the engines off,"  okay, fine, "and sorry about this but that means the AC is gonna go off too."  WHAT?  It's been 95 degrees out and I have already been stuck in this metal death tube for 2.5 hours and now you're turning the air off?  I'll survive by looking out the window to the real world.  "So, it might get hot in here, if you wouldn't mind, folks, please lower your window shades to keep it cool."

I'm going to die.


I jumped from my seat to run to the bathroom while frantically trying to call my mom.  When she finally returns my call 20 minutes later, I am a puddle - sitting on the floor of a hot and stuffy airplane while pretending to focus on my note transcription.  "I didn't have my phone because I thought you already took off!"  ouch.  I yelled some nasty things at her while she sweetly tried to give me advice that I wasn't listening to.  My heart-rate was up and so were most passengers, making the plane feel even more crowded.  I kept my head down and focused.

After the next hour (3.5 hours in) the captain came back on with some good news.  We were going to move to the other side of the runway!  Some of the other planes had to go back to the gate so we were going to be moving up in the line!  The engines and lights blazed into life and I immediately shot up and stuck my head in the air vent!  Sweet cold air!  I felt like a fish in oxygen deprived water, sucking at the bubbles that come from the vent.

Of course, it was a brief moment of relief because as soon as we got to the other side the engines were cut again and we were returned to darkness.  I crumpled back to the floor as the flight attendants started passing out food.  I greedily began eating packages of pretzels - one after the other until ten empty packages stained the surrounding area with salt.  I hadn't looked up in about 15 minutes.  When I did, I began to realize that I was not alone in my feelings.  A small girl cried quietly in the corner, a young man had his head in his hands as he listened to something on his beats by Dr. Dre headphones, a woman dressed in leopard print yelled at the flight attendants about the passenger bill of rights, a middle-aged... WAIT!  The passenger bill of rights!  They can't DO this to me!


I started my texting frenzy again.  "Look up the passenger bill of rights!  What does it say!!!!!"  I knew the airlines couldn't keep passengers sitting on the runway, but for how many hours?  Three?  Four?  Seven?!  I really wasn't sure!  Now the whole plane was chanting!  One of the flight attendants addressed us over the speaker, "I'm sorry - none of us have ever encountered anything with the passenger bill of rights.  We don't want to tell you any wrong information."  I got a text saying it was three hours.  We were clearly approaching that mark.

Everyone was extremely agitated when the captain came on again, "Sorry again, folks, it looks like we're going to have to go back to the gate."  There was an audible boo.  BOO?  My inner self was jumping up and down cheering!  We get to go back to the gate!  I'm not gonna die!  Is that a tear?  Keep it together, Shaina!

We arrived back at the gate.  "What a smooth landing!" someone joked.  There were more murmurs that maybe we would go back to the gate but they wouldn't actually let us off.  Fortunately, that wasn't true.  They did not give us any information and I hurried off the plane.  I looked around and realized that not only were we at a different gate, but we were in a different terminal!  I guess what did I expect?  We were out on that plane for FOUR AND A HALF hours.

The entire airport was in chaos.  They were announcing canceled flights left and right.  The board was a disaster of delays and cancels.  I looked at someone in a long customer service line, "What are we supposed to do now?" I practically yelled at him.  "I'm sorry," he looked at me sympathetically, "I don't even know what flight you were on."  RIGHT.  I am not the only one in this mess.  I felt the tears that I was holding back surfacing.  I darted for the door.

In the fresh air the tears began streaming down.  I saw a taxi cab and ran for it.  "PLEASE TAKE ME HOME!"  I pleaded.  "I'm sorry, honey," the driver said with wide eyes, "I'll get in trouble!  Go to the taxi line."  I stumbled to the taxi line and the tears began to subside but I was sniffling.

It was a short ride home.  Julia looked at me confused as we arrived home.  "Aren't you going to Florida?"  Here come the tears again, "NOOOOO!"  She gives me a hug as I begin babbling again.  Then she rushes to make me a drink.  A strong drink.  Yes, I think.  This is what I need!  Julia is having a party that is about to start and I decide I am going to turn this night around and have the best night ever!  I begin my frantic texting again and make tentative plans all around the city.  Julia's friends have all shown up and so have more drinks in my hand.

I am perched on the floor, listening to their stories when I apparently fall asleep.  I am slightly nudged and stand up and stumble to my bed, which is cluttered with piles of clothes, bags, and a ukulele.  Julia brings me some water and I push everything over and promptly fall asleep again in all my clothes with my knees bent in the air.  I don't wake up 'til morning.

Don't Dress for Dinner

I'm a sucker.

I'm not quite as bad as a friend who was convinced to give $20 to a lady on the street who was out of gas and needed to get somewhere.  (This is New York, people!  We have subways that can get you anywhere)!

I take that back.  I am that bad.  Even worse.  When I am feeling vulnerable, I get convinced to buy things that I don't necessarily need/want.  I had one of these horrible experiences a few months ago walking home on a Friday evening when I was approached by an attractive young woman who began complimenting me on my hair and coat.  I was flattered.

Was she sincere?  Of course not.  She began to tell me about a great deal that she was able to give to only 25 women and she had picked me.  I listened to her offer of a $60 package that included a hair cut, blow out, manicure, massage, facial, style consult, wax, and a pony.  It sounded like a great deal, what was the catch?  "None," she said.  "Great, thank you".  I said.

Oh.  I had to buy it then and there on the spot.  I had to buy a cardboard flyer for $60 that would supposedly get me all of these things at a 5-star salon.  I was disappointed but said no thank you.  As I turned to walk away, one of her associates approached me from my clear exit path.  "It's really a great deal," she said.  I was still holding onto the brochure, as no one was accepting it as I tried to hand it back.  I turned to go back the way I came, and a man with an iphone credit card machine closed off my last free exit.  "Don't worry," he said slowly, "we take credit cards."  At this moment I began to panic.  I was blocked off by three people who wouldn't let me leave, I was holding the pamphlet they wanted me to buy, and had no one to save me but American Express.  And they did.

So, when I was called on the phone with a "great deal" offer for discounted tickets to Broadway shows, why did I jump at the chance?  Why wasn't I more guarded?  More cynical?  More rude?  I'm not sure, but the short ending to a long story is that I purchased $400 worth of tickets to Brodway shows I had never heard of.

HOWEVER, in hindsight, was this a bad move?  Survey says no.  Last night, I saw the first of three plays called, "Don't Dress for Dinner."  Was it the best show I have ever seen?  No.  But, it had a cute story, good acting, and nice seats!  After our great time at Wicked, my office mate, Kim, decided to come with me!

The story is set in France and is about lovers, mistresses, and mix-ups.

When you live somewhere that has something great, you sometimes forget to take advantage of it.  (I know lots of you in Hawaii that haven't been to the beach in 6 months)!  Broadway is one of my favorite things about New York and I am on my way to taking advantage of the multiple plays all around me.  What will you take better advantage of?

Manhattan Memorial Day

There are some great things about New York.  Mostly that EVERYONE is willing to come visit!  This weekend, I had THREE of my very best friends in town to celebrate (along with the three that already live here).  Kesso came from DC, Lisa from Chicago, and Kelly all the way from Germany!!

It's quite cliche, but celebrating always includes uncomfortable amounts of food and drink.  Ms. Kelly Gold convinced me on Friday at 5pm that an unnatural amount of dumplings were necessary.  By calling it a "snack," somehow 12 dumplings and two bowls of peanut soup weren't supposed to affect anything but the amount of martinis we would be able to consume later.

I'm not really sure why rickshaw dumplings hasn't taken off yet http://rickshawdumplings.com/ because I get the urge to eat huge amounts of dumplings pretty much all the time.  Less than $5 for 6 substantial dumplings; it's worth the trip for a "snack."

Descending into the depths of Pravda (http://www.pravdany.com/), we were greeted by what were clearly European models who escaped the sex trade to be able to serve extra strength martinis to NYU students.  It's complicated, and so are the drinks.  For example, a horseradish house infused vodka with dill and a mini quail egg.  Or cucumber infused vodka with a giant scoop of caviar.  The place, drinks, and people are all intense and I had to stop myself from breaking into a Russian accent every time I took a sip of the spicy vodka.

Finally, we showed up for dinner at Zabb Elee, a Thai restaurant I have been dying to try ever since I read a review that said I wouldn't recognize anything on the menu.  It was really exciting, but the problem was that I didn't recognize anything on the menu.  http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/zabb-elee/

I slowly realized no one else recognized anything either so with the help of the waitress, I took charge and ordered a variety of foods I have never tasted.  Some dishes were difficult to taste anyway, despite being ordered as mild, after they numbed my tongue and triggered a variety of excretions from my face.  Spicy is an understatement, but so is delicious.

Our dishes included: duck larb, papaya salad, shrimp salad, crispy pork belly, whole fish, and morning glory (weird, right?).  I won't confuse you with the Thai names.  On the menu, "moo" means pork.  That just seems wrong.

I also went to restaurants where I took pictures!  Ootoya was a perfect Japanese restaurant with cold soba and salmon sets.  Their miso soup was the best I've had in New York.

Patricia's friend, Jason, also introduced me to two new Korean foods!  The drink is called Milsu (pronounced mizu) and is super yummy and supposedly what Korean kids get when they are sick.

Then we got Bingsu!!  I won't say I've been missing out on this my whole life, but it's shave ice, fruit salad, ice cream, azuki beans, and condensed milk all in one amazing dessert.  Why have I never put all those things together in one?  Yay Korea!

We walked all day long in the sticky weather!

Then had some sticky dessert after our next meal.  Indochine http://www.indochinenyc.com/menu.html is another New York establishment run exclusively by models.  Their food is thoughtful and delicious.  I had fish filet and cabbage curry steamed in a banana leaf.  The winning food was the fried banana wrapped in sticky rice, creme brulee'd served with coconut tapioca and crushed peanuts.

After all guests were gone, I spent the day in central park relaxing and "playing" frisbee with Adam.  Wanting a salad on such a hot day, I was reminded that you can run into trouble eating in New York.

While this "salad" was exactly what I wanted, I'll tell you that 10 asparagus spears, one egg, and 1/4 a tomato will run you $15 in this city.  Bon Appetit!

Is it summer yet?

Everyone knows how much I hate the cold and the winter.  For some reason, everyone has been telling me how LUCKY I am that we had such a mild winter.  I should be SO happy that it was only frigid and gray for five months and not blistering, can't breathe freezing for six months.

That's like telling the guy who follows around circus elephants picking up poop that he should be lucky he doesn't work at the Apple factory in China.

Guess what?  The winter was STILL BAD!  It was still uncomfortable to sit outside.  I still barely saw the sun.  I still did not get to go in the ocean (with the exception of the polar bear plunge)!  So, now that it is almost mid-April, I am getting anxious for the days when I can walk to work without a sweater.  I want to sit outside in the morning and evening.  I want some heat!

I was lucky enough to sneak down to Florida for the weekend. 

My toenails in "Turquoise and Caicos"

 Mom!

 baby wave

Being in the sun makes me feel so good and makes me want to eat healthy!  I found some new crazy superfoods at a health store in Delray:

Goji Berries:  Everyone is always talking about how good these things are for you.  I finally found some!  They don't taste that great, but they're not bad!

Spirulina Super Chips:  These are the greatest things, ever!  The (100% organic) ingredients are: sprouted seeds, bananas, coconut, dates, spirulina.  That's all!  And they taste ridiculously awesome!  They are sweet and crunchy and way better than snacking on chips.  Definitely recommend these!

Golden Berries:  Never heard of a golden berry, but apparently they are super high in Vitamin A and have fiber, iron, and protein.  They look like raisins and taste like magic power!  It tastes like a whole orange condensed down into one little berry.  Pretty awesome!

I've also been making some delicious things myself:

The sauce on this pasta is made from.... AVOCADO!  Yep.  As a creamy alternative to the really-bad-for-you alfredo sauce, mixing up some avocado with herbs and lemon makes a really creamy and healthy pasta.  Google for recipes.

Chicken quesadillas.  These things can be delicious AND healthy!  Grab 100% whole wheat tortilla wraps with flax seed for some omega 3's - only 100 calories in the whole wrap!  Spray pam on a non-stick pan and just place the tortilla down - no butter or oil needed for crispy, perfectly browned quesadillas.  Add low fat cheese, veggies, beans, and chicken on the inside for something super filling - tastes better than fast food - but is only 700 calories for the whole meal!

I have been craving an acai bowl from Jamba Juice.  The problem is, apparently they only make them in Hawaii.  Mike is brilliant and was able to show me how to whip up some sorbet in the consistency of an acai bowl.  This is literally 6 frozen strawberries, a handful of variety pack frozen fruit (pineapple, cantaloupe, and honey dew) and two small packets of splenda.  It tastes like amazing!!

And... my mom painted me an awesome picture of my favorite beach!!!

Wish I had those skills!

Face Blind

Here's a common scenario:

I'm watching a movie with friends.  The protagonist woman begins kissing her white, middle-aged husband.  My friends gasp.  "What's the big deal?"  I ask.  "I can't believe she's cheating!"  A friend exclaims.  "Cheating?"  I ask, "But, she's kissing her husband."  "That's NOT her husband!  Are you kidding me?"

So there I am, embarrassed.  Why could everyone else tell that wasn't her husband?  They both have short brown hair and wear clothes like a polo shirt and khakis.

Another example while watching the morning news:

Mike: Ugh, she is annoying.
Me: (looking at the TV) Who is that?
Mike: Um, Kim Kardashian?
Me: Oh.

At the time this conversation happened a few months ago, I knew Kim Kardashian had some kind of reality TV show, that she was going to get married to some sports guy, and that she had sisters who she made famous.  I'm saying this because while I don't follow any celebrities (and often go out of my way not to follow them), I obviously pick up information about them just from generally being out in the world.  I have undoubtedly seen a picture of Kim Kardashian before.  I know I have seen many since then.  But, if you show me a picture of her now with no context, I am 99% certain I will not know who she is.

I would recognize her in this picture

I would NOT recognize her in this picture

Because I cannot seem to remember faces, I frequently dislike watching movies where the characters are all men who generally look the same.  My biggest problem seems to be with middle-aged white men - I cannot seem to remember them from one scene to the next.  I have always been a little self conscious about this.

Ever since I disclosed this issue to Mike, I have been comfortable enough to just ask every time I am not sure which character someone is.  Once I began doing this, I realized just how frequently the problem occurs.  It sometimes turns into fights: "I JUST told you who he was!!  Stop asking about the same guy over and over again!"

Then, everything changed.  60 minutes did an expose of Face Blindness.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57399118/face-blindness-when-everyone-is-a-stranger/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Apparently, there are some people who have an issue so severe that they cannot recognize their colleagues, friends, or their own children!

Interesting Facts From The Report


People were shown photographs of movie stars and simply had no idea who Brad Pitt was.  Some people were shown pictures of their own children and did not recognize them.  These people used different cues about how to know who someone is.  They would base their reasoning on hair color and type, glasses, clothing etc...  But, if someone cut or colored their hair, it would be like a new person.

Strangely enough, people who had issues with faces had NO problems with pictures or scenery.  These people could recognize buildings, places, cars, anything else the way we all would - just not people.

When studying face blindness, they have found out that they way we process faces is much different from other things.  For example, if you look at words on a page upside down, most people can still read them or tell what they say.  This is similar to a picture of your house upside down.  However, when looking at faces, it becomes much more difficult.

These are some easy ones, but how long did it take to guess who they were compared with seeing the pictures right side up?  A split second more?

(For anyone like me - that is George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Rachael McAdams)

Coping with Face Blind

I generally pick up on features of people that do not have to do with their face.  Most frequently it is a hairstyle or color - sometimes glasses.  That is why, if I was shown the Kim Kardashian wedding photo above, I would know immediately who she was.  Even looking at the other picture, I can't be completely certain.  I must admit, even searching for a generic picture of her, I was nervous that I was pulling a picture of someone else that was mislabeled (oh, internet).

I think this is why I have more trouble with men.  Women usually have more distinguishing characteristics that are not their face.  Men's appearances are usually the same.  Why do I struggle more with white men?  In a lot of Hollywood movies, there are more white characters to differentiate between and fewer minorities.  (I obviously disagree with this being the norm, but it unfortunately is).

Super Recognizers

On the opposite side of face blind, there are people who remember every face they've ever seen!  People will remember every waiter, sales person, or encounter.  These super recognizers have issues too.  Frequently they can appear stalkerish.  "Do you remember me?  You were once walking with my friend to class seven years ago."  These people have to take cues from those around them.  If it's clear someone doesn't recognize them, they'd better not say anything at all.

The 60 minutes report showed one super recognizer who could identify EVERYONE!  She was shown pictures of people at different ages.  She was able to recognize Mike Wallace as a 6 year old!  These people say that faces don't really change over time - it's still the same face.  I'm jealous of that ability.

I obviously don't have a very severe case and I never have problems with people who I have met in real life (as opposed to actors on a screen).  Don't worry, friends.  If I didn't recognize you on the street, it's probably because I wasn't wearing my glasses.

Food and Fitness - (The hipster food blog)

After the big 3-0 celebration, I haven't completely forgotten my age and have been particularly motivated to eat well and stay fit.  I'm not in my 20's anymore so it's use it or lose it time!  Since it's cold in New York for about 8 months of the year (YES EVEN THIS YEAR!  40 DEGREES IS STILL COLD!!) I really can't see myself leaving the house to go to the gym.  (Not to mention the $150/month price tag).

We completed a few cycles of P90X this past year and some of the insanity workouts.  I like them because I can exercise in my PJs.  This week we started P90X2!  Woo hoo!  I can already tell it's going to be really different - the first month is completely focused on CORE.  Perhaps this time I will finally be able to do a legitimate pull-up.

I also can't stop reading fitness blogs... my favorite being my friend Laura's http://www.sprint2thetable.com/  (I got a lot of awesome recipes this week from her).

Speaking of which, more exciting than exercise is FOOD!

(We bought tons of fresh fruits!)

Feel free to use my week of recipes!  (Special thanks to instagram for awesome pictures!)

SATURDAY

Menu:
- Seafood Stuffed Salmon
- Tumeric Vegetable Brown Rice
- Wilted Spinach
- Asparagus


SUNDAY

Menu:
- Sausage, Bean, and Broccoli Rabe Stew
- Raw Sweet Potato Hummus
- Chia Pudding


MONDAY

Menu:
- Bibimbap!

TUESDAY

Menu:
- Burrito Bowl (Chipotle, eat your heart out)

WEDNESDAY

Menu:
- Gyro Bowl with Tzatziki
- Quinoa Tabouli
- Side Avocado


THURSDAY

- Tofu Curry

RECIPES

Shaina, how can I make some of these delicious creations?!  I'm glad you asked!  Here are some of the awesome recipes.  If you need more detail or advice on cooking some of the others just let me know!

BIBIMBAP

I improvised my bibimbap, but some of the basics make it super yummy.
Meat - I sliced flank steak and soaked it in soy sauce with tons of garlic and sriracha.  Then I just cooked it in a pan and it was sooo yummy!
Rice - Cook brown rice in a rice cooker.  Spray pam on a non-stick pan and smush the rice down covering the pan.  Let it sit on medium heat for a while and it will get all crispy crunchy yummy.  Who needs a stone bowl?
Tofu - I cut up tofu and put it right into a non-stick pan.  It crisps up with no extra fat.  Here, after it was cooked, I added Bragg amino acids, sriracha, and garlic.
Carrots - Julienne the carrots, boil them for a few minutes, then take them out and add sriracha and agave.  sweet, spicy and crunchy!
Bok Choy - Sautee in sesame oil and garlic until delicious.
Eggplant - Slice and sautee in sesame oil then add Bragg amino acids and garlic
Sugar Snap Peas - Boil then dunk in ice water.  They are so good as is!
Spinach - Boil quickly.

Layer everything pretty on the place and put one fried egg on top and cover with hot sauce and sesame seeds!

RAW SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

When I first thought about eating raw sweet potato, I was excited but also grossed out.  This recipe is really cool though.  And sweet potatoes are so good in every diet!!  (Normal, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten free, Low fat - it fits everything!)

1 medium sweet potato (raw and unpeeled)

2 T tahini

4-5 drops liquid smoke

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 Meyer lemon

1 T water

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

Blend it all together in a blender.

I stole this from Laura who got it from  this recipe from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen

BURRITO BOWL

You already know how to make this - Chipotle does it too!  The secret to any home Mexican food is Adobo seasoning.  You don't have to know what you're doing if you just dump this on all your meat and veggies.

Cooked brown rice 

Heat up a can of black beans - they half turn into refried beans - yum

Sautee bell peppers and onions together with oil and add adobo seasoning.

Cook ground beef and add adobo seasoning.

Layer with fresh avocado, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, lemon or lime, and cilantro (you can even add cheese)

SAUSAGE BEAN AND BROCCOLI RABE STEW

This one is so easy!!  Thanks, Lisa, for letting me know!

Buy hot Italian sausage and remove the casings.  Then make little tiny meatballs with the meat inside!  Cook it in a pan with onions.  Cut up broccoli rabe and add that to the pot.  Add chicken stock and cans of white or pink beans.  Add salt.  Boom.  Done.  Oh, and then shave Parmesan cheese on top.  Woo hoo!

QUINOA TABOULI

Good idea, right?  Instead of cous cous or bulgar, use quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, and parsely!

CURRY

Curry is super easy.  You can throw anything in there.  I usually like sweet potatoes, tofu, chickpeas, bok choy, eggplant, asparagus, peas, and peppers.  Anything goes.  The secret to curry is cooking the curry powder in oil and then adding coconut milk before adding it to the rest of the pot.  Sprinkling curry powder on veggies won't really give it the intense flavor.

CHIA?

What the heck is Chia?  I kind of have no idea.  But, I think it's the same seeds from ch-ch-ch-chia!  These little suckers puff up like tapioca when you put them in liquid.  They have more calcium than milk, more omega-3 than salmon, and tons of fiber.  So, they're super good for you!  I was told to use a 1:4 ratio for chia seed to liquid.  I put mine in skim milk, added vanilla, cinnamon, coconut flakes, and a scoop of peanut butter.  It looks gross but tastes super yummy!