H.A. Larson's Blog, page 31

Coffee Talk: September, October, and Goals

I'm really glad that September is over. I don't know what it was in particular about this month, but it proved to be the most off-balance and taxing month of the year. First off, I had anticipated having a slower-paced, laid-back month after stepping down from some commitments at the tail end of August. Alas, it was not meant to be as I was, surprisingly, really busy the entire month. Not only was each weekend busy, but my weekdays were as well. Secondly, I was feeling off-kilter, mentally, which didn't help anything and seemed to be exacerbated by the frenetic pace with which the month moved along. Finally, on the last week of the month, things started to feel normal again and I sent out the month with a bang as my annual potluck bbq was the last weekend. I made some killer homemade cider and had a great time with some great people. 

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Now that September is over...October is here! I freaking love October. There's no better month, in my opinion, and I always look forward to it each year. October is entirely placed within my favorite season, the weather is perfect, the foliage is beautiful, pumpkin patches abound, and Halloween lies ahead. I started the month by watching the first movie for Shocktober! It will be great fun watching movies which I will then report back to you on. This year, I will definitely be going to a pumpkin patch - something we missed last year - so I can take Nature Girl on a hayrack ride and soak in the greatness of Autumn.

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With September being what it was, my goals didn't really come around in a neat package like I had assumed they would. On top of that, I skirted and flirted with falling off the wagon a few times. Here's how:
1. I missed my 100-mile walking/hiking goal by 5 miles. So, yes, it's only 5 miles but those 5 miles are haunting me right now. I had plenty of time to make my goal yet I didn't.
2. I had a good 10 days of the month where I basically said, "Screw intermittent fasting," and just ate how I wanted. Luckily, I followed IF for the majority of the month so I didn't gain any weight, but I didn't lose any either.
3. I seriously craved cigarettes and meat for the first time in years, which was difficult to deal with amid the rest of the crazy month September was. I took the advice of a few friends and indulged in those things that I craved. I took a drag off a friend's cigarette and I ate some sandwich meat. Now, that's all I let myself indulge of either one, and it eliminated my cravings, but I still have a sense of failure from doing so.
4. I had hoped that I would have more free time in September after ridding myself of some things, but it wasn't meant to be. After experiencing a brief surge in creativity where I worked in earnest on my latest book and came up with four other storylines, I hit a wall. I have these great ideas, but no idea where they are going.

So, to sum up: September sucked...for many reasons. Not one to dwell on the negative or rest on my laurels, I'm going to be proactive in all the ways that count this month in an effort to get myself back on track.
* I'm going to make my 100-mile goal this month.* I'm going to stick to IF for the entire month.* I will not feel bad about how I handled my cravings in September and will move past it.* I'm going to take the month off from writing and focus on other things. 

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I'm looking forward to October for the usual reasons, but also because I'm going to use the month to my advantage. I'm going to hit the reset button this month so I can start November in full me-mode. Between my favorite activities, Shocktober!, and a couple of weekend trips this month, I should back to my normal soon. 
Have a great week,
H.A.

A Dream as Big as a Mountain

Image courtesy of The Associated Press
I don't remember exactly when I first heard about the Appalachian Trail, but I do remember how fascinated I was with it. If you've never heard of the A.T. - as it's more popularly referred to - let me explain. It's a marked hiking trail that starts at Mount Katahdin in Maine and ends at Springer Mountain in Georgia. The trail was completed in 1937 (although it evolves frequently) and covers almost 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Mountains through fourteen different states.

As a hiker who's been actively working on building up endurance, hiking this trail has been in the back of my mind since I first heard of it. Originally, I had planned to only hike portions of it as I wasn't in the best of shape at the time. Lately, though, my dreams have shifted to thinking that maybe one day, just maybe, I would be able to hike the entire length of it. It's been a goal for me that after Nature Girl goes to college or moves out on her own, that I would hike the A.T. My actual plan is that I'll go out and hike a few sections of it before that time, just to get a feel for it, then train before attempting the whole thing.

Why on Earth would I want to put myself through such a grueling challenge? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. I love hiking and I think, while difficult, it would be an incredibly rewarding experience for someone who loves to hike and be out in nature.
2. It would be like a reset button for me: a chance to spend a few months in my beloved nature and get away from the hectic pace of everyday life.
3. Like I did when I quit smoking and lost 100 lbs, doing something that is difficult and being successful at it is a feeling like no other. It's the greatest confidence booster and a huge sense of accomplishment.

While I might romanticize it ever-so-slightly in my mind, I make no mistake about how hard it would be to hike the entirety of the A.T. There's a strong chance that I won't finish it - after all, only one in four people will be successful in their attempt - but I'll make peace with that thought before I go.

If you don't try, you'll never know for sure what could be.


What are your dreams and goals? Let me know in the comments.

Saddle Creek Breakfast Club

Image courtesy of Amateur Coffee.

One of my closest friends recently told me about the Saddle Creek Breakfast Club and suggested I try it sometime. She said their food was good and that it serves vegan breakfast (in addition to a good selection of omnivore breakfasts). Since I've lamented more than a few times about not being able to get vegan breakfast in Omaha, I eagerly jumped on the chance to try the SCBC when a ladies group I'm in held their monthly brunch there.



So named for the street on which it resides, Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is a tiny but millenially chic restaurant with an (understandably) long wait. Undeterred, we helped ourselves to a cup of their signature coffee that sits in a pump carafe on the hostess station and sat down on some inside benches. I was told that a coffee place down the road - Amateur Coffee - roasts the SCBC signature coffee, and was it ever delicious. It was a morning blend that managed to be both bold yet light and had a perfect balance of roasted goodness. The cup went down smoothly.
We didn't have to wait as long as anticipated and were soon seated at a small table in the cozy joint. Shaped like a large box, the decor is simple: cement floors with 70s style chairs & wood tables centrally located, and tall, wire chairs at bar-style seating line the inner walls making the most use of the small space. As we waited, we were serenaded by a constant array of music by artists such as the Deftones, Cake, Smashing Pumpkins, Mazzy Star, and Fastball, taking us straight back to the 90s.


As a breakfast joint, they have about five brunch drinks to choose from. I'm not normally a fan of Bloody Marys, but it sounded good that day. Since Bloody Marys are not typically vegan, I asked if they could possibly make a vegan one and she said they had all the ingredients to make a plant-based version. I excitedly ordered one and it was just a dreamy as I had hoped. Filled with vegan Worcestershire, tomato juice, horseradish, and topped with lime, pickled green beans, and a large olive, it was very yummy and was the perfect complement to my breakfast.



One of my favorite foods from my omnivore days was biscuits and gravy, so when I saw that they had a vegan version with mushrooms, I knew I absolutely had to order it. Now, I've had plenty of vegan options at different restaurants before, but whoever created the vegan menu and cooked the vegan food definitely knew how to cook vegan food. One of my biggest complaints is the lack of seasonings/flavor that many vegan foods cooked by omnivores have. I was not disappointed this time! This dish was simply delicious. Two square biscuits with a hint of cornmeal in them were topped with hot sauce, tasty mushroom gravy then topped with perfectly cooked tofu scramble. A little salt & pepper added by me was all this dish needed. I ate every last bite. 
I finished the whole meal off with a second cup of SCBC's signature coffee. I left feeling happy, satisfied, and almost drunk with foodie love (and maybe a little from the Bloody Mary). I will definitely be back to the Saddle Creek Breakfast Club to try their other vegan options. 


For more info, their menu, and directions to their restaurant go to their facebook page.

The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow

Oh, how I love renaissance faires! Ever since I attended my first one, I've been thoroughly infatuated. I can remember it well, I was in my mid-20s and I went with one of my childhood friends and her then-boyfriend to the Minnesota Renaissance Faire. I got insulted by the ticket taker; I was blown away by the costumes; the entertainment was fun and exciting; I got goosebumps when festival-goers cheered at the joust and the sound traveled across the faire; and I was enthralled by the various sights and sounds. To this day, I still have those overwhelming emotions whenever I go to a ren faire, so I make sure to attend at least one every year.

Over the years, I've managed to make it to different places and different kinds of ren faires, including:

1. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Minneapolis, MN.
2. The Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, KS.
3. Renaissance Faire of the Midlands, Council Bluffs, IA.
4. The Nebraska Renaissance Festival, Bellevue, NE. (now known as the Renaissance Festival of Nebraska.
5. Ren Faire After Dark, Des Moines, IA. (This was an adult Ren Faire. No one under 21 years old was allowed in and picture-taking was forbidden. It was a lot of fun!)

But, this year we went to a new one: Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow. While we had never been to this Ren Faire in Des Moines, IA, the Ren Faire After Dark was held at the same location so we have been to the grounds before.



Ahh, there's nothing like the front gate to make one want to yell, "Huzzah!"



One of my Ren Faire requirements is that it must have a built site. I've been to Faires that were nothing more than an open-air market with a bunch of tents in a field. If I'm going to attend the Faire, it should have the ambiance that a built site provides. 



My second requirement is that Meade should be served. It's just not a Faire without Meade! For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's simply honey wine, and it can be served hot or cold. Either way, it's delicious.



These two were part of a trio called White Rose Players that would act out scenes from Shakespeare, complete with sword fighting. We went to the stage they were at and watched them do selected scenes from Romeo and Juliet. They were awesome!



This is one half of the duo Better than Nun! We were fortunate enough to see their act at the Ren Faire After Dark and they were hilariously awesome. When I saw the were at the regular Ren Faire, I made sure to go watch their entire show. 



My third requirement for Faires is that they should have royalty. No good realm of the Renaissance would be complete without a King and a Queen. Here we see them walking up to their thrones.



The King and Queen (seen in the background) are sitting on their thrones to attend my fourth requirement for a Faire: The Joust.



Jousting is a lot of fun to watch as it's filled with action, drama, and excitement. Nothing gets a crowd more riled up than the joust. Huzzah! Here we see the Queen's Champion, Sir Joseph, pitted against Sir Daniel.
On a side note, this is the same jousting troupe, JoustEvolution, that performs at my beloved Renaissance Festival of Nebraska. They do an excellent job and a fun performance, so it was nice to see them since we didn't go to the Nebraska Faire this year. 



Sir Richard, Sir Joseph's (drunk) uncle.



Castle!



This is Molotov. He eats fire! I love fire performances so I made sure not to miss this guy.



He also does sword swallowing, only one of 100 people in the entire world that do!



Molotov was that last performer we saw that day, and what a way to end things! We saw lots of other great entertainment that day as well, including belly dancers, the Bawdy Buccaneers, Merlyn the Magician (also seen at other Faires), and some fun musical acts. There were also goodies I love such as Meade, Scotch eggs (which I don't eat anymore because of my diet), piglets & ferrets to pet, and plenty of vendors. I picked up a couple of pairs of cute earrings while Nature Girl bought a parasol and some long socks. As usual, it was a wonderful, magical day.
Do you love Ren Faires as well? Let me know in the comments.

Sometimes I Get Lazy and I Hate It

Why is it so easy to hit a lazy streak and stay there, making it so hard to climb back up? This has been me for a couple of weeks now. I hit a plateau recently, so over Labor Day weekend I didn't exercise or follow intermittent fasting (IF). In theory, this was a way for me to hit the 'reset' button so I could overcome the plateau. What actually happened is that I've spent the subsequent two weeks trying to stay on the wagon. 
The week after Labor Day, I did my normal walking, took a hike over the next weekend, and followed IF, but I caught myself overeating during my eight hours. I realized that my hormones were in play, so the following week, I started making a HUGE salad for lunch accompanied by a glass of almond milk with protein powder. That alone helped a bunch, but I got lazy over this last weekend (again) and ate like crap while getting little in the way of exercise. This is a far cry from what I had planned for the weekend. I'm taking a grueling, guided hike with my dad tonight and I had fully hoped to get a long hike in this weekend while being strict with IF in an effort to prepare. Instead, I got lazy. 
I'm not going to let myself stay discouraged - something I am definitely feeling right now - because I know that I'm probably still plateaued and my hormones are still overriding my sensibilities. It's hard not to feel discouraged though, I know, as I have been down this path before. If you get too lazy too long, you start backsliding, and that is the last thing in the Universe I want to happen. So, I'm going to be ultra-careful this week with IF and hope that the grueling hike tonight will help kickstart me back into health mode. 
Wish me luck.
What are some things you do to stay motivated on your journey? How do you deal with the negative emotions that result from feelings of failure? Let me know in the comments!

Homemade Bread

Not my homemade bread. When I was younger, I had this romantic vision of being the kind of person that grew bountiful, lush gardens that I could eat and can in the Fall to tide us through the Winter. I also had dreams of making all my own bread, pastries, and various other goodies, like soap. Then, I got real with myself.

I realized that I hated doing any of these things. And, I'll be the first to admit, that I'm much more the kind of gal that prefers living in the city and buying homemade goods from someone else. It's a lot of work to grow a garden, can vegetables & fruits, and make homemade baked goods.

I mean, I still kinda want to do them, but only in a much easier way that fits better within my lifestyle. This is how I fell in love with bread machines.

Bread machines, simply put, are incredibly awesome. All you have to do is put the ingredients into the machine and touch a button. That's it. The hardest part is waiting for the five-hour process to complete while delicious aromas waft through the air. I had wanted a bread machine for years - but was limited on funds - so several years ago I hit up my local thrift store and found an old Welbilt bread machine from the 1970s. It even had the original recipe book with it...a steal at $4.99!*

Fast forward several years and a friend of mine mentioned in passing that she had a new, nice bread machine that she never used and wanted to get rid of. Well, there was no way I was going to let that opportunity pass me by, so I told her I would take it off her hands. Now, I can make two loaves at the same time, which is great for those times when my friend's husband is begging me for a loaf of homemade bread. My Welbilt machine makes tall, round loaves, while my Cuisinart makes a short, rectangle loaf. Case in point, my Basic White Bread:


My actual homemade bread: Basic White Bread.
There's nothing like a fresh loaf straight from the machine. Put some Earth Balance on that and eat while it's warm and the butter is melty. Mmm mmm!


Another homemade loaf, this time from a box: Rosemary Sage.
Recently, Nature Girl and I were at the grocery store and I scoured the clearance section for deals - practically an art form for me. I found some bread mixes for $0.75. One was Honey Wheat (not suitable for vegans) and the other was Rosemary Sage. Inside the boxes are packets of yeast and bags of all the other ingredients to make bread. Upon reading the instructions, you still had to do all the mixing, kneading, rising, and baking, but it would be 'easier' as everything was all measured out. Granted, having everything all measured out is easier so I bit. I mean, I figured I could just throw it all in my bread machine and if it didn't work out, I'd only be out $0.75. Well, it turned out amazing (see above photo). My family devoured the first loaf so I made the other one as well. Fortunately, I was able to score four more boxes the next time I went to the store as they still had some.

So, if you want to make homemade bread but are uninterested in making it from scratch like me, invest in a bread machine. You can also scour garage sales and thrift shops to find one cheap to see if you will use it enough.


Have a great weekend, friends! I have a Web Shop now where you can purchase cool merchandise I designed. I have my logo design goodies as well as some for The Box and The Station . You can either click "The Shop" page here on my website or follow this link .

Getting my Groove Back

There were many times this year when I was mired under the weight of many responsibilities, that I began to think I would never write like I used to. No matter how many times I sat down at my computer to type words like I had done so many times in the past, no matter how many times I moved between different writing projects I had started, I just couldn't get into the groove. As a writer, this was a huge blow and I began to think I might have to hang it up. 
As the year wore on, however, I realized that it wasn't my creative drive dying but rather my overextension on things that weren't making me happy. I was spending all of my free time outside of my job and sleeping working on these other endeavors for no real compensation or satisfaction. When I started removing these things, little by little bit by bit, off my plate, I started to get my groove back.
It wasn't an overnight thing, but now that a handful of weeks have passed, I can say with all confidence that I'm fully back into writing mode. I've been working earnestly on Vanished , a short story for my newsletter subscribers, and even on some pitches for freelance stuff - something I've been wanting to do for a while. I know successful freelancing would be a great way to hone my skills while making some much-needed extra cash, but I just needed the time and focus to start working on them.
Ever since I began this journey five years ago, I've wanted nothing more than to be a writer. I worked diligently on this dream for four years before letting myself get sidetracked by other things. Well, never again. I can't describe the joy I feel now that I can devote my free time to my craft again. 
Like I mentioned recently, I try and take the difficulties that plague my life at various times and turn them into learning opportunities. This is one of those times. I think I needed to explore all the opportunities laid before me to truly find out what it was that I wanted to accomplish with my life. I don't regret, then, the things I've been involved in. They were great learning experiences and a firm reminder of who I am and what I want. 
Either way, at the end of the day, I'm back to being H.A. Larson - Author, and that's exactly who I am meant to be. 

Wanderlust Strikes Again

Wanderlust has struck again. Honestly, I'm surprised it took as long as it did to manifest this time around, but with as busy as I've been this year it's understandable.

It started out like it usually does: with an article about some travel destination. After reading said article, I start looking up cheap vacation packages on Groupon. Then I start looking at apartments for sale in Dublin and possibly read some Expat blogs. This all ends with me letting out some wistful sighs and fantasizing about a dreamy, European future before reality hits me and I go back to my sad, little life.

Is my life really that sad? No, it honestly isn't. In fact, even with all the ups and downs, life is pretty great for me. But, I long to be a traveling adventurer.


The countries I've been to: not nearly enough.
While there's nothing wrong with domestic travel - in fact, I love it immensely - I long for slow travel to other countries. I've been to a total of four countries if you count the one I already live in, but it's just not nearly enough for me. I want to see them all! I will make it to many of them before I die, but just like a toddler with a toy they desperately want, it's hard to wait.


The states in the U.S. I've been to: I need to get to the coast apparently.
Traveling, in general, gives my life a lot of meaning and purpose, and to that end, I will have had a decent traveling year by the time 2018 is over. This year I spent plenty of time in the two states easily accessible to me: Nebraska, the state I live in, and Iowa, home of my beloved Iowa Mountains and right next door to my city. I also got to spend time in Missouri earlier in the year; South Dakota during the second leg of vacation in June; and New Orleans, Louisiana, on the last part of my vacation, a place I have never been to. While I didn't get to spend as much time exploring New Orleans as I wanted, I still got to have the experience and that was pretty cool.
Luckily, I have a few solo trips planned yet for this year that will curb some wanderlust while checking a couple of destinations off my bucket list. In October, I'll be taking a trip to Portland to see a dear friend for a long weekend. I've always wanted to go to Portland, and I've yet to actually see either coast of the United States, so that will be a bonus as well. The weekend after that, I fly out to Washington, D.C. for a women's event that I'm looking forward to. D.C. is another place I've never been to but it also means I will have finally gone to the East Coast as well. So, in the span of two weekends, I will have finally visited both the West and East Coasts of the United States while visiting two cities I've never been to.

Hopefully, my upcoming trips will help my wanderlust feelings until I can make it out of the country again. Either way, I'm going to have a great time and I'll definitely be sharing the experiences with you.

How about you? Where have you traveled this year? Where would you like to travel?

Finding Balance in the Midst of Chaos

You can do anything, but not everything. - David Allen

Like everyone else, I have difficulties that plague my life at various times. After the dust settles from each one, I try to turn them into learning opportunities. With the crazy year I've had so far, I've learned a few things about achieving balance:
1. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
2. You are NOT responsible for everything.
3. Let other people do their share.
4. It's perfectly fine to take a step back now and then to gather your bearings.
5. Know when to walk away.

These five points are the keys to achieving balance. When you find your world getting a little too crazy and hectic, just breathe and remember these things.

The Blackstone Meatball

In the three years I've been eating a plant-based diet, the vegan food scene in Omaha has grown by leaps and bounds. I'm a foodie at heart, and I love good food, but being a vegan in Omaha has proven tough for being a foodie. There's only so many salads and french fries or baked potatoes that I want to eat - not that I hate salads or potatoes, I love them, but sometimes you need food with more body and substance. 
Fortunately, the tide has shifted. Not only in Omaha but all over the country, you can find the most talented vegan chefs creating magic and culinary masterpieces. Not that I need a 5-star dining experience each time I go out, but if I can get an impressive casual vegan meal as well, I'm happy and satisfied. When I want more in the way of a 3-course meal, I head over to Modern Love, Omaha's only full-vegan, amazingly delicious, restaurant. But, when I'm looking for easy lunch dates or casual dinners, I head to the Blackstone District. 

An antique postcard depicting the Blackstone Hotel. It looks exactly the same today.

The Blackstone District is a historical, revitalized neighborhood in Omaha that got its name from The Blackstone Hotel. Built in 1915, it was declared a landmark in 1983 and put on the national historical register in 1985. Today, the area has been gentrified and a host of unique shops and restaurants abound. One of them is The Blackstone Meatball.






I first came to the Blackstone Meatball by way of one of my closest friends, Rebecca. Rebecca and I don't get to see each other as often as we like, but we do try and make a point of getting together for a nice evening out every couple of months. Our go-to friend date is to grab a bite to eat somewhere nice and follow that up with a few drinks at a bar. Often we would find ourselves in the iconic Old Market, but this time we were looking to go somewhere different. Since neither of us had been to the revitalized Blackstone District - and because their restaurants serve vegan-friendly fare - we decided to give it a try. We settled on The Blackstone Meatball for dinner.


South Entrance and waiting area.
Chic, homey, and decorated like a Millenial's apartment, The Blackstone Meatball serves - you guessed it - meatballs. There are five meatballs to choose from: their standard four and one special. As a vegan, I eat one of their standard four: the White Bean & Mushroom Meatball.


Picture courtesy of The Omaha World-Herald.
I included this picture of the vegan meatball because mine is always covered in sauce and they can't be seen well. Case in point, the following photo.


My not-as-pretty picture of my delicious dish.

Your ordering options for the meatballs are a flight, where you get one of each; sliders or subs; served with pasta; or served with the vegetables of the day. You can also choose from one of their standard sauces as well. I always get mine the same way: White Bean & Mushroom Meatballs served over grilled veggies (it's always been potatoes, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and carrots), and smothered in Pomodoro sauce - which is simply a basic red sauce made from chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar. 
I love this dish so much that I stuck with it when ordering there a second time, besides, veggies are always a healthier and more flavorful option than pasta. The balls themselves are a wonderfully blended mix of white beans and mushrooms, flavored expertly by the chefs, and then fried to a perfect crispy outside with a tender, moist inside. The vegetables are perfectly roasted and seasoned, as is the sauce, which is generously poured over the top of the entire thing, making for a mouth-watering, tasty dish. I usually end up eating all of it because it tastes so good and then feeling sick from all of food rumbling around in my stomach. What I love the most about The Blackstone Meatball is the flavor. They understand that good food should be seasoned well, and they have theirs down to an exact science. All too often I've been disappointed by lack of flavor, but not here!
If you're ever in the mood for meatballs, vegan or otherwise, like good atmosphere, tasty food, and good drink specials, head on down to The Blackstone Meatball. You won't be disappointed!