My favorite pasttime is reading. Nothing relaxes me and refreshes me as much as a good book. These days, however, all the reading I do is limited to reading Dr.Seuss and fairy tales to my daughter. All the same, I always glance through bestseller lists hoping to read one of the latest hottest titles out there. I scan the library which we frequent for children's books and dvds. For the most part, my holds become available and expire, or if I do land up with a book on my wishlist, it is soon time to return it (after 2 renewals) and I find that I have barely made it past the first few pages. Things will change soon, I know, once the girls are a little older. Until then, I grab whatever few minutes I can, to read a few words here and there, for inspiration or humor, sometimes even the two minutes that my daughter lingers in the shower will do.
After one such motivational article, I decided that if I really wanted to take a few minutes to read, I was the one that had to make it happen. One of my friends recommended a book on women empowering themselves in today's world (Watch out, hubby!) and I ordered it online. As per my new reading plan, this morning, I woke up a full fifteen minutes earlier, to allow for some quiet reading. This hot new book by Lisa Bloom is called 'Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World'. I loved the no-nonsense title, and got right down to it. The first half of the book outlines facts and stats that explain how a woman is bogged down by the social mindset that she has to do everything! Sound familiar, anyone?
I am now in the second half of the book that gives you solutions to turn your life around so you can disentangle yourself from the daily grind and actually devote some time to yourself. Having some time to unwind, think, to be my own person,realize my dreams, make a difference in the world - sounds great to me. This is not to say that we should neglect our kids and familial responsibilities while selfishly catering only to our own needs, but we can realize our full potential if we learn to live for ourselves too. The first step towards that is to think - think about what we want to achieve in this lifetime, and how to get there.
I will step off my soapbox now, and let you in on a delicious and healthy 5-minute snack that all you bookworms out there can enjoy with your own personal page turners. You could even take this to your next book club meeting.
1 can butter beans, drained
1 can black eyed beans, drained
1 tomato
1 bell pepper
1 onion
1/2 cup corn (optional)
2 jalapenos (optional)
5 black olives (optional)
taco seasoning
a few drops of lime juice
chopped coriander/cilantro for garnish
In a large bowl, add chopped tomato, onion, bell pepper,olives, jalapeno and corn. Drain and rinse beans. Mix all ingredients. Season and garnish. Serve chilled.
This can be eaten as is, but is even yummier with Frito Lay corn chips. You may add variations such as adding cheese/sour cream/guacamole on top (in moderation), or season it with your own spices like roasted cumin, salt and pepper. You may add or substitute any other kind of beans such as kidney or pinto. Happy Reading!
After one such motivational article, I decided that if I really wanted to take a few minutes to read, I was the one that had to make it happen. One of my friends recommended a book on women empowering themselves in today's world (Watch out, hubby!) and I ordered it online. As per my new reading plan, this morning, I woke up a full fifteen minutes earlier, to allow for some quiet reading. This hot new book by Lisa Bloom is called 'Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World'. I loved the no-nonsense title, and got right down to it. The first half of the book outlines facts and stats that explain how a woman is bogged down by the social mindset that she has to do everything! Sound familiar, anyone?
I am now in the second half of the book that gives you solutions to turn your life around so you can disentangle yourself from the daily grind and actually devote some time to yourself. Having some time to unwind, think, to be my own person,realize my dreams, make a difference in the world - sounds great to me. This is not to say that we should neglect our kids and familial responsibilities while selfishly catering only to our own needs, but we can realize our full potential if we learn to live for ourselves too. The first step towards that is to think - think about what we want to achieve in this lifetime, and how to get there.
I will step off my soapbox now, and let you in on a delicious and healthy 5-minute snack that all you bookworms out there can enjoy with your own personal page turners. You could even take this to your next book club meeting.
1 can butter beans, drained
1 can black eyed beans, drained
1 tomato
1 bell pepper
1 onion
1/2 cup corn (optional)
2 jalapenos (optional)
5 black olives (optional)
taco seasoning
a few drops of lime juice
chopped coriander/cilantro for garnish
In a large bowl, add chopped tomato, onion, bell pepper,olives, jalapeno and corn. Drain and rinse beans. Mix all ingredients. Season and garnish. Serve chilled.
This can be eaten as is, but is even yummier with Frito Lay corn chips. You may add variations such as adding cheese/sour cream/guacamole on top (in moderation), or season it with your own spices like roasted cumin, salt and pepper. You may add or substitute any other kind of beans such as kidney or pinto. Happy Reading!
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