Cultivate Your Curves

This past Christmas, one of my friends gave me a calendar containing quotes from a variety of women who lived last century. Most of the quotes are witty, and I have found that I identify with a number of them. One of my favorites is by Mae West, who says:

"Cultivate your curves. They may be dangerous, but they won't be avoided."

Out of 11 fabulous quotes that I've flipped through so far this past year, this one stood out to me, in particular, because curves are something that I deal with on a daily basis.

*Gasp!!* Not curves!! Yep, it's true. I'm openly admitting to the fact that I don't have a size 0 waste. Nor do I have long, slender legs. I'm 5'2".

I think it's interesting, funny and tragic (all at the same time) that weight and body image are such sensitive, yet obtrusively publicized topics in our culture. Don't ever ask a girl how much she weighs. Don't ever mentioned that she's gained a few pounds. And don't EVER comment on the size of her ass, if you know what's good for you. Each of these "rules" illustrates the negative connotation that is associated with weight (that is, weighing more than the absolute minimum required for survival). But why is body image perceived in this way? What has influenced our perception of what is physically ideal?

What I find most interesting is the fact that the "ideal" body image/size/shape is constructed, not by society, by the average Joe, by working moms or waitresses (although Hooters girls might play a role), but by the media. By Hollywood. By Vogue magazine. By individuals sitting in their corner offices on the 37th floor of skyscraper buildings in New York City and Milan creating the newest model of physical "perfection"- a model that is unattainable by most, and undesirable by many, yet is accepted as truth and beauty and is placed on a pedestal for those of us living in reality to constantly aspire to become (more often than not, unsuccessfully). 

This ideal image has evolved over time. If you look throughout history, what was desirable in a woman was strength- both in character and in muscle mass. Oh, and having meat on her bones. Men wanted meat (to put it crudely), because meat was representative of health and wealth and fertility. Flashback to the Renaissance period and take a look at some of the art. Women are portrayed with larger hips and smaller tops. This is what men wanted. But isn't this the opposite of what's considered attractive today? Think about it.


 Granted, there are subcultures that are into curves. I'm thinking specifically of the Latino and Black cultures, which are not only ok
with meat on the bones, but glorify it like Renaissance men did. And I've talked to my fair share of guys from a variety of cultures who are into curves. I think that in some ways, these subcultures are growing and are gaining attention, but I would argue that mainstream media still governs our perception of beauty: tiny waste, long, slender legs, small hips and big boobs.

Sounds like the spitting image of Barbie to me. Did you know that if Barbie materialized into a human being, she would be 6 feet tall, weigh 100 lbs and most likely need multiple back surgeries due to her overly ample bosom? Oh, and her body to fat ratio would be insufficient for her to menstruate. Skinny but infertile. It's a trade off, I suppose.

Perhaps I was partially motivated to write this because of my un-barbie-like features, but I truly think it's tragic how many girls and women suffer from horrible self-image, simply because they don't look like the models on Project Runway. I'm certainly not advocating an unhealthy diet, and being overweight is a serious issue that our country is dealing with. But don't buy into the lie that you're only beautiful if you meet the Hollywood "criteria." I think Marilyn Monroe looks unbelievably sexy in the picture above, and her thighs are thick. So feel sexy in your skin, and if that means 36-34-42, then good for you!

(Interesting article on Barbie if you want to check it out.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7920962.stm

Fun Fall Recipes: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

My latest culinary experiment was pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I love cinnamon rolls, and I love pumpkin, so I figured this would be the perfect combination. I researched a couple recipes online, found one that I liked (http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/09/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html), and used it as the basis for my recipe. However, I changed things up a bit and added my own flavor. The directions are pretty much the same as the above recipe. Here's what I came up with:

Dough:
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees, not too hot)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour
1 1 /4 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Filling:
3/4-1 stick butter (depending on how much you want)
5 T sugar
1 T brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:




In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water to soften. Make sure the yeast dissolves. Add milk, egg, pumpkin, butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the mixture. After stirring, add 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour gradually. Stir for 1-2 minutes.

Gradually add the all-purpose flour, a little at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Start with about 1 1/2 cups and increase if necessary. Place the dough onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. (I didn't need to use the full 2 cups).

Put the dough into a greased bowl. Flip it over to cover the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for about an hour. The dough should double in size. (I had to let mine rise for longer than an hour).

Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl and set aside.

Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface (counter top or table is best) and roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle (you don't have to be too precise about size).



Spread softened butter over the dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.

Roll the dough into a log the long way and slice into rolls using a sharp knife. It helps if you rinse the knife in warm water in between slices. Place the slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for about 45 minutes (they should be almost doubled in size).


Bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 375°F until they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center (about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the rolls).

While rolls bake, you can prepare the cream cheese frosting. Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium-sized bowl and warm in the microwave so they are soft. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and cream with a mixer. Add the powdered sugar gradually and blend until the frosting is at a desired consistency.

Once the rolls our done, take them out of the oven. While they're still warm, frost them with the cream cheese frosting. Serve while warm.

Bon appetit!

Moving from Rhetoric to Action

I recently attended a women's conference called "Heritage and Hope: Women's Education in a Global Context." This conference was hosted in celebration of Bryn Mawr College's 125th anniversary as an all-girl's university. As I'm sure you can deduce from the title, the conference theme was centered on girl's/women's education, both domestically and abroad, and at both the institutional and grassroots levels.

I went to this conference primarily for business networking purposes, although I'm also deeply passionate about and interested in economic development, of which women's education plays a vital role. The majority of the conference revolved around the specific issue of women's higher education at an institutional level, and what educational institutions here the the US and throughout the "developed" world can do to partner with educational institutions internationally to promote women's education. While I think this is an important topic to address, I was far more interested in what educational institutions (and individuals) here in the US can do to promote girl's education at the grassroots level, particularly in rural communities in so-called "underdeveloped" countries.

The line up of conference speakers was impressive, the most notable (in my mind) being Mr. Nicholas Kristof, New York Times editor, co-author of Half the Sky, advocate of women's human rights and proud feminist. All of the panel discussions and breakout sessions that I participated in were extremely interesting and touched on various aspects of the overall theme of women's education. Everyone seemed to have the same goal in mind: empowering women through education. And everyone had brilliant ideas about how to make that happen. We brainstormed, we challenged each other, we discussed different theories.

As the conference came to an end, I'd say the general feeling was one of satisfaction and accomplishment. We (or they, as in Bryn Mawr College) had done it. They had orchestrated and executed this conference to perfection. And we had successfully dialogued about a wide array of issues revolving around women's education and how to promote it internationally. Great. I mean, it really was great! This is such an important and relevant topic, and we had tackled it. But at the end of the day, what had we REALLY accomplished? So what if we debated different development theories? So what if we speculated as to which educational institution was capable of affecting the most positive change. At the end of the day, it was all rhetoric. Just rhetoric.

Certainly, the conference leaders stressed the importance of moving forward, taking the "progress" we had made and turning it into action. But once the conference was over and the feelings of camaraderie and collaboration had inevitably dissipated, I found it difficult to take that next step in a positive direction. So this is me admitting to my frustration, both in myself and in others, for failing to move beyond rhetoric and into action. Granted, it's not an easy process, but it is a necessary one.

I have much more to write on this topic, but I'll save it for part 2.

Fun Fall Recipes: Libby's Pumpkin Roll

One of the things that I love most about fall are the seasonal goodies. Pumpkin, in particular, is something that I can't get enough of during the fall. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin stuffed french toast... the list goes on and on.

Most people who know me are aware of the fact that I love to cook and bake. While I enjoy finding great recipes and trying them, what's even more fulfilling to me is finding recipes that look appetizing, but then tweaking them so that they're my own. Perhaps it's the "artist" in me that demands creativity and originality, but whatever it is, I enjoy being able to call it "mine."

The past couple of weeks, I've been busying myself in the kitchen with some fun recipes. Here's the first of many pumpkin-based treats that I think you might like:

Libby's Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (for the towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup 100% pure canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't use these)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar (for decoration)

Directions:
1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan (I used a regular cookie sheet); line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Lay out towel on counter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts (I didn't use the nuts).

3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.



4. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel (you might need help with this, since the cookie sheet is so hot). Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack (I didn't have a wire rack, so I just let it cool on the counter).



5. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in small mixer bowl until smooth. I always add a bit of fresh lemon juice for an extra kick. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.



I was thinking that this recipe was going to be a bit challenging, especially the whole "rolling" part. But it was surprising easy, and unsurprisingly delicious. I invited some friends over and made it for dessert. We finished it off that night. Highly recommended!

Bloom Where You're Planted

One of the quotes that I have heard numerous times in my life is "Bloom where you are planted." The idea behind this statement is that we should dig our roots deep and thrive wherever we are, regardless of our environment. An interesting thought, and I definitely believe that there is some merit to it. After all, a large part of our success and happiness stems from a conscious decision to make the most out of every situation and to be the best the we can be, regardless of circumstances. I do think that who we are as a person is enormously up to us to decide. However, I think that it would be dishonest and, frankly, wrong to assume that our environment does not have a significant bearing on our outcome. We do not live in a vacuum. Our lives are framed in context of the specific geography, point in history, cultural setting, etc that compose life as we know it.

This reality has been brought to my attention as of late in my search to discover who I am, who I want to be and where I want to be. Having grown up in Southern California and now living in Philadelphia, I have experienced almost polar opposite environments, particularly referencing the cultural dissimilarities. California is sunny, both literally and figuratively speaking. It is relaxed, it's open to anything, it's creative. Philadelphia, despite what FX may have you believe, is not always sunny. In fact, it is rarely sunny. It is more academic than creative, and more rigorous than relaxed. Recently, I have really begun to realize that I am a different person in California than I am in Pennsylvania. No, I don't grow a foot or assume a male persona. But I do notice a difference in my personality, the way I express myself, and even the way I feel about life.

And this brings me back to the idea that we are significantly influenced by our environment. One of the things that I've been struggling with most about being in Philadelphia, other than being physically separated from my best friends and my family, is the lack of creativity and openness. Life is so much more rigid out here. Work is more competitive. There are always people to impress. But it's so much more than that. It's the entire culture, the way people interact, the lingo. I feel less inspired when I am out here, or perhaps I'm inspired in a different kind of way.

I recently returned from a 2 1/2 week trip to California, where I had the pleasure of being in two of my best friends' weddings, as well as catching up with a lot of high school friends and some of my family. I had a wonderful time and really let loose. I partied and acted a bit crazy at times, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I guess the best part about my experience on this trip was that I was able to express a side of me that I don't usually have the opportunity to express on the east coast, or at least don't feel comfortable expressing. So it was a bit of a release for me. And I knew that no one was judging me, because they associate with this side of me. We have that connection.

The transition back to the east coast after such a long trip was especially difficult for me this time. There were a number of factors that contributed to the difficulty, but I think the hardest thing for me was letting go of west coast Anna and facing east coast reality head on. Having been back for 2 weeks now, things are back to normal, and I'm feeling pretty good about life in Philly. I'm beginning to realize that there are things here on the east coast that inspire me. They're just different things. Rather than being inspired by sandy beaches rainbow sandals and California burritos, I now find beauty in the changing colors and crisp fall days.

So perhaps my earlier argument of significant environmental and circumstantial impact on our lives is null and void. Well, not quite. I still believe that, to a certain extent, external factors play a determining role in our outcome. However, it is up to us to decide how to act on those factors- whether to let them get the best of us, or whether to make the most of them. And therein lies the beauty of "blooming where we are planted."