Chin Up

From my mother's dial up computer, I am writing a quick post that I have been thinking about today. I am 24 years old , have been out of school for a year and living with my mom and little brother for the last few months. This is something I NEVER thought would happen to me, in fact I was living in Duluth from the moment I graduated but ever since returning to the country from a nanny job in Venezuela times have been more than tough.

From a 24 year old who has been out there looking for a job for the last year, I have some recommendations for new college graduates. You are going to be handed books, from outdated authors promising you that interview, job knowledge and how to dress. My mom picks those books up at the local thrift stores which are usually from the early 80'slate 90's talking about the debate to wear shoulder pads or not. Some of the "Do not say these answers" make me wonder what the value of these books really are. Example:

Question: Why did you choose to go away to college rather than going to one near your home?

Never say: My parents didn't like the guy I was dating, so they sent me away to school. - This is too much information!

Really was this book worth the dollar my mom paid for it? I imagine that if you have just graduated from college your parents may be spending top dollars in Barnes and noble trying to give you the answer to why you aren't getting an interview after sending out 56 cover letters and resumes. Let me tell you it's probably not because you're giving stupid answers like that. Many rejection letters that I have received have included information that the organization isn't even sure they are going to hire anyone at all for that position. So while I complain that I live with my mom and that it really annoys me how she won't use her dishwasher and makes us do all the dishes by hand... "It could be worst" MN talk of the day.

So while your parents hand you answers and make you feel like they think less of you than when you were 18 working 10 hours a week at Target, remember they are probably just as confused as you to why you can't land those jobs. My advice to you, stop only applying for the full time jobs. YES this is what we all went to a four year school for! BUT the economy is f-ing horrible and we're going up against people with Master's degrees, people who have recently lost their jobs and cute little old people that have lost all their retirements. As hard as it is for my to swallow my pride, take my Magna Cum Laude and stick it where the sun don't shine, I feel less needy of the full time job than people who have children, houses and bills more than student loans and shitty month to month health care coverage.

Other advice to recent college graduates: stay positive. Something does come up even if it takes a while, use the time you aren't working to explore your creative side. Maybe three days a week you job search and you do it hard, crank out about 4 letters a day but let yourself have a day to do something you were way too busy to do in college doing keg stands and staying up all night studying for Intro to Criminology. Poetry, Quilts, Writing, Volunteering...Theres always something. One thing I have realized though is I can't afford to sit at the coffee shop all the time and read a book, when did a cup of coffee get so expensive? Or maybe its just because you want 3 of them since you have no where to be...

Chin up young people, your energy and enthusiasm will bring you somewhere. Obama calls on us to serve our communities, perhaps all this free time will lead you to find something you really care about doing. Good luck.

Ensalada Trabajadora

This monster was created at work with my coworkers. As I was about to embark on my adventure out east, I brought all my produce with me to work and created an in office salad bar for my colleagues. People loved it! The vegetables also appreciated this fate rather than ending up rotting in the compost bin or the fridge depending on the pre-trip productivity.

Tip of the week: Make some salad worthy item at the beginning of the week that you can use to spruce up your veg-ation. Here is Quinoa (made similarly to rice) that I added turnips, onions and garlic to with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Having the Quinoa on hand made the rest of the assembly very quick - and it also requires less dressing or even a naked salad because of the added flavor. How wonderful for those days you realize your coworker stole your last drop! 

Farmer's Market Ensalotta

I spent the morning yesterday at the farmer's market with my soon to be husband. A dear friend of mine snapped some engagement pictures of us while we were there. She is an excellent photographer that captures what I define as the true essence of the couple, family or child that she is working with. She has a skill for quickly reading people and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera no matter their personality type. Here is a series she shot of Phil and me.

Photo by Ashley Cohn

Photo by Ashley Cohn

If you'd like to visit her website to see more of her work, click here http://www.ashleyjtylerblog.com/
After smooching the morning away and being surrounded by vegetables, I was dying for a salad of my own. There's nothing sweeter than local organic food. Here is what I came up with:

Farmer's Market contributions:
Green/Red Leaf Fresh lettuce
Radishes
Cucumbers
Green onions

Co-Op Ingredients:
Sprouts
Blueberries
Tempeh (see below)

Dressing: Newman's Own Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Today's spotlight is on Tempeh. It is fairly unknown for most Americans. It is sometimes hard to find in the bigger supermarkets but should hold a regular spot in local stores especially if they're selling tofu.
According to WhFoods.org, "Tempeh has been a staple in Indonesia for over 2000 years. It is a highly nutritious fermented food traditionally made from soybeans and its high protein content makes it a wonderful substitute for meat." Many people who eat tempeh, cook it in stir frys, use it as a meat alternative in pasta dishes or my favorite ... Tempeh Rubens. For simplicity sake tempeh can be served cold when using it in salads. The texture is somewhat nutty and blends deliciously with fruits.


Tempeh's health profile from Whfoods.org:
A food made from fermented soybeans, tempeh provides not only the protein found in soybeans but their many other health benefits as well. The soybean is the most widely grown and utilized legume in the world, with the U.S. being responsible for more than 50% of the world's production of this important food. Soy is one the most widely researched, health-promoting foods around. Soy's key benefits are related to its excellent protein content, its high levels of essential fatty acids, numerous vitamins and minerals, its isoflavones, and its fiber.