Hopeful Homesteading: Tangelo Edition

In another life, I would be a homesteader. Think, modern day Ma Ingalls--home all day growing my own food, making my own clothes, prepping, canning, baking, knitting. Guys, that is #goals. If I could, I would live somewhere secluded with my own plot for growing herbs and vegetables; I would harvest my food and then use up every last bit of the harvest. Instead, I live in a one bedroom apartment with no access to gardening land.

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I'm going to start a segment called Hopeful Homesteading, how I use up huge batches of certain produce before it goes bad. In Phoenix there is a great program for buying large amounts of produce that didn’t sell to grocery stores and would otherwise go to waste. It’s all seasonal, rotating produce and oftentimes I end up with large amounts of one item nearing their expiration date. These are often not items that can sit out on my counter or in my fridge for more than a couple of days, so I have learned to get very creative.

I was completely overwhelmed the first time I had 20 lbs of tomatoes. But now, armed with an arsenal of various canning jars and a stack of recipes and ideas, I can take care of those tomatoes easily.

Pinterest is a great tool for finding creative solutions when I masses of something that I’ve never eaten before.. Like this week, when I got 6 pounds of tangelos! Tangelos? Besides resembling an orange, I had no idea what they were like.

Tangelos are a hybrid fruit and the name is a portmanteau for the two fruits, tangerine and pomelo. They peel easily and are incredibly juicy. I have to REALLY be in the mood for eating a plain orange, so I started scouring Pinterest for what to do with 6 lbs. of tangelos.

In the end, I used 4 pounds to make marmalade. It’s slightly sweeter than marmalade, which I’m actually not a fan of, but I wanted to use it on a cake in the future.

With the remaining 2.5 pounds, I used half to make garland and half to make tangelo simple syrup. For the simple syrup,  I juiced the tangelos and measured it out with an equal amount of sugar in a small saucepan. I brought it to a gentle boil, then let it cool before transferring it to a jar and refrigerating it.

I used the remaining tangelos to use as Christmas decorations! My dream Christmas decor is basically the March home from the 1994 Little Women--all candles and greenery and homemade decor. The diy tangelo garland is just bringing me one step closer to my goals, ya’ll. I sliced four of them on my mandoline slicer, then arranged them on two sheet trays. These can be touching, because they shrink as they cook and they won’t stick together. These cooked in a 200°F oven for three hours. I flipped them over every hour and rotated the pans. 

Do you have a mandoline in your kitchen? Because you honestly need one. You can certainly slice these up, but to avoid mess and frustration and achieve QUICK and consistently thin slices using a mandoline. There are definitely some simple, cheaper options out there, but I have this mandoline and I highly recommend it. Mandolines are extremely sharp and make quick work of slicing through fruits and vegetables. The model I have can slice in two different thicknesses, as well and chopping and slicing as well. I sliced all four of my tangelos in about 60 seconds.

Also, may I suggest leaving your oven light on while you make this? The 200°F oven barely registers heat, so without timers and the light on, it would be easy to forget your oranges and burn them, she says from personal experience...Yep, last year I forgot about my oranges and left the house for a Christmas parade only to return to COMPLETELY BLACK oranges that evening.

These dried oranges make such a lovely addition to Christmas decor no matter how you use them. You can hang them on your tree, string them up and run them along your fireplace, even drop them in your apple cider and Grand Marnier! Go crazy and then definitely tag me on Instagram, @meganbmccarthy!

You coulda had a bad witch, non-committal

Guys, I love Lizzo. LOVE. HER. Her music is the ultimate hype playlist, no matter what I'm doing.

So if you get that, then this printable needs no introduction. You gotta have a little Lizzo wordplay in your life, amirite?

The file downloads as an 8x10 png but using different settings on your computer, you should be able to print it at various sizes. Enjoy, lovelies!

Get yours here, witch!

Vegetarian Meal Roundup

There was a point when I was younger where it felt like we were eating barbecued chicken 3-4 times a week. I mean, to this day I just can't eat bbq chicken. But because meat was often central in our meals growing up, when my husband and I were first married I realized that I had hardly any idea how to make a meal without meat as the focal point. I had informally decided to just try to mix it up by cooking less meat when I was thrown a very unexpected curveball--my husband told me he wanted to go vegan. Just like that, out of nowhere.

We immediately cut meat out of our meals. And I. Was. STUCK. I only cut out meat myself (because I refused to give up cheese!) but I suddenly was thinking about meals with this "vegetarian" label hanging over me and I felt so overwhelmed. Thank God for Pinterest! I was able to realize that I actually had a number of meat free meals in my rotation that I had never labeled as such.

But I found out I wasn't the only one who thought this way. I had quite a few people asking what we were even eating or what they could possibly cook for a vegetarian friend stopping by. If you're interested in becoming vegetarian or even introducing more meatless meals to cut down your environmental impact, it is a simple switch! Pasta is such a simple way to start off meatless without sacrificing variety, but since you probably don't want to be having pasta heavy meals 7 days a week, I have compiled some of my favorite vegetarian fall backs. Let me know which one you try on your next Meatless Monday!

1. Pumpkin coconut chickpea curry

This curry is one of my repeat favorites. It makes a lot so it's perfect for big groups too and it always gets rave reviews. Pro tip: don't skimp on the lime juice at the end--it makes a huge difference!

The nice thing about this recipe is that apart from chopping carrots and onion, it's basically just throwing together a bunch of cans and spices and letting them meld together in the pan.


2. Mushroom risotto

Risotto is such a lovely slow meal with amazing pay off. I love the pace of the constant slow stirring. It really slows me down and is so enjoyable. After you've set aside the wine called for in your recipe, you can turn down the lights, pour yourself a glass, and listen to some music while you prepare this amazing dish. Risotto is another dish with endless flavor opportunities so once you've tried one you can always search for more. One of my favorites involves lemon and leek! (Also, there are like 12 million recipes for mushroom risotto on Pinterest and I don't have a favorite so good luck!)


3. Creamy potato soup

This is the simplest weeknight meal, especially for cold winter days! I'll leave you guys with a recipe you can follow, but once you make it one time, you won't need a recipe anymore. I usually just toss my potatos in the crockpot with some veggie broth all day. After I have blended most of them up, I add in all my spices and some cream cheese. Then simply top this however you'd top a loaded baked potato--green onions, cheese, sour cream, whatever your heart desires! Also...there is clearly bacon in this picture, no denying it. This was definitely not a vegetarian moment for me...


4. Shepherd's pie

Another thing my husband introduced me to was shepherd's pie. All my life I'd avoided it because I'd just been too thrown off by the name. I knew they called it "pie" and there was meat involved. But that was the full extent of my knowledge. You guys....shepherd's pie is the ULTIMATE.

First of all, it is the heartiest most comforting meal on a cold night. It only involves two pots, and it is endlessly customizable. This is another of those dishes that once you make it once, you'll never need a recipe. Traditional shepherd's pie has lamb or ground beef, but I typically make ours with lentils, portabella mushrooms, carrots and onions. I have even made a lentil version with spiced sweet potatoes on top. You simply can't go wrong! Again, I don't have a recipe here. I have only used a recipe the first time I made this with meat.

I'll be honest, I haven't used the recipe linked at the beginning because like I said, you don't necessarily need one. But glancing at it, it looks like a good one to start with! In the future I'd like to share my "recipe" for shepherd's pie and I'll come back and link it here!

5. Breakfast

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal to go out and eat. But breakfast for dinner? That is one of my favorite comfort food meals. I'm not even sure what it is, but something about it is so exciting and nostalgic for me.

Breakfast is also a super simple way to just...not cook a side of bacon or sausage. Voila, vegetarian! Seriously though, there are so many options here. Pancakes, eggs, eggs benedict (sans ham), toast, hashbrowns, waffles, french toast. Endless possibilities!


6. Sweet potato veggie burgers

These are SO simple and delicious, you will not regret it! For a while we bought cheap frozen veggie patties and just ate those. But one of my complaints about vegetarian/vegan foods (that aren't simply whole, plant foods), is that they are so processed. Prior to becoming (mostly) vegetarian, I worked hard to cut down on processed foods so suddenly buying processed vegetarian foods really bothered me. These are a super flavorful alternative to those frozen patties. And after you eat your burger for dinner, you can freeze the leftover patties for the same ease you get from the store based versions!


7. Mushroom stroganoff

Like I said, pasta is a very simple way to go vegetarian by simply switching your meat with any number of vegetables options. I don't want people to get stuck in a rut though so I made a point of only choosing one pasta dish--but this is one of my favorites.

Using portabella mushrooms in place of beef is a super simple switch if you're cutting down on meat. This stroganoff is so flavorful and hearty, you won't even miss the beef!

Positive Affirmations for Enneagram Twos

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Where my Enneagram Twos at?!

When I first read about the Enneagram and started exploring what number I might be, The Helper, or 2, immediately stood out to me. It really struck a chord...but not a good one. I felt like an open book, but I didn't like what was being pointed out. For MONTHS I told people I was "maybe" a 2, and explored other numbers secretly hoping to find something else that fit but I never did. I once read a joke that all enneagram numbers think theirs is the worst and it must be true; my husband is a 7 and he once told me his had to be the worst number of them all.

The Enneagram is by far my favorite tool for self-realization and character development. In order to find your number you need to be very self aware. The Enneagram is not a simple either/or of various character traits. The Enneagram is related to your deepest core fears and beliefs. It is a tool that reads your secret motivations, and is all about understanding how to become the healthiest (insert number here) you can be!

The Enneagram doesn't allow you to say, aw shucks, sorry I was so shitty back there, it's because I'm a 2/4/9/whatever. It is a tool to identify where you need growth. You must do the work to become healthy. So, for all my 2s out there, I have some affirmations for you!

I use affirmations in a couple of ways. Sometimes I write them all out and read them outloud in the mirror while I'm getting ready. These are written as statements that are true about you, or as things you are currently doing. If you change the wording to say "I'm trying to honor my commitments to myself", the affirmation loses effectiveness. There is power in looking into the mirror and declaring something about yourself. It feels strange at first if you don't believe it, but repeat it a few times and see how that feeling changes. This is the power of affirmations.

I also sometimes pick a specific affirmation based on the season I feel I'm in. If I'm really struggling with trying to do everything myself, I may write "I ask for help when I need it" on a notecard and carry it around with me. Everytime I see it throughout the day, I repeat it to myself. The next time someone asks if I need help and I open my mouth to say no, I typically remember the affirmation and try to honor it by finding a way in which I'm comfortable getting help.

So print off this list, attach it to your mirror, heck, make it your phone background if you need it! But give it a try at the very least!

My therapist is a huge proponent of research, so here is some empirical evidence from an article about the benefits of using affirmations.

1. Self-affirmations have been shown to decrease health-deteriorating stress (Sherman et al., 2009; Critcher & Dunning, 2015);
2. Self-affirmations have been used effectively in interventions that led people to increase their physical behavior (Cooke et al., 2014);
3. They may help us to perceive otherwise “threatening” messages with less resistance, including interventions (Logel & Cohen, 2012);
4. They can make us less likely to dismiss harmful health messages, responding instead with the intention to change for the better (Harris et al., 2007) and to eat more fruit and vegetables (Epton & Harris, 2008);
5. They have been linked positively to academic achievement by mitigating GPA decline in students who feel left out at college (Layous et al., 2017);
6. Self-affirmation has been demonstrated to lower stress and rumination (Koole et al., 1999; Weisenfeld et al., 2001).

Not sure what your number is, or looking for more resources? Here are some great books and websites!

The Enneagram Institute
Eclectic Energies
The Narrative Enneagram
Personality Types by Riso and Hudson
The Road Back to You by Cron and Stabile
The Sacred Enneagram by Heuertz
The Path Between Us by Stabile
The Enneagram by Rohr and Ebert



So for my twos, are there any specific affirmations you use or need to hear? Let me know in the comments!

Fall 2019 Reading List

I have recently gotten back into reading as a form of self care. I was a voracious reader as a child but spent years "too busy" to slow down and read a book.

I have also become  huge non-fiction reader. I am wanting to dip my toe back into fiction but it always feels so hit or miss--I never know what I'm getting myself into with a fiction book and sometimes I just don't like them. My library card is expired right now, but I recently found out that they sell books at the dollar stores near my house. I'm talking full on hard back books that were published within the past 3 or so years. I'm definitely willing to take a chance on a fiction book for a dollar!

So, here are all the books I'm going to be working through this fall. I typically read every morning during my self-care/"dailies" time, but I'd also like to work out an evening routine with some reading time built in as well. When are you more likely to read?

Let me know your thoughts if you're ever read any of these, and definitely leave suggestions below if you have a favorite book you're currently loving and think I should add to my list!

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Woman Code by Alisa Vitti
Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon
Longing for Darkness by China Galland
Boundaries by Henry Cloud
Three Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
Start by Jon Acuff
Inspired by Rachel Held Evans
Educated by Tara Westover
The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
Boss Up! by Lindsay Teague Moreno