Eating Your Creativity

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow and there will be feasts of yummy food to share, I thought I would share this article I found on Huff Post Books.

Writer Wednesday: 9 Types of Brain Food for Writers

We all know that some food is good for us, and others are bad.  But did you know that some can even help support brain function and make us more creative, helping us to write better?!  No joke.  And here are some of those foods.

~ Antioxidants:  Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants help your creative juices to flow.  Blueberries are supposedly the most powerful.  Mmmm…Don’t those berries below look good enough to eat?!

~ Green Tea:  Many writers either require a steaming cup of coffee or a hot mug of tea next to them as they type away.  Me, I’m a tea girl.  And whoever else is also, you will be happy to know that tea helps the brain and mind age better.  Not to mention that “moderate amounts of caffeine are said to boost concentration”.  So drink up!

~ Glucose:  When you ingest sugar, your body turns that sugar into glucose.  Glucose helps the brain concentrate and increases alertness.  So go ahead, divulge a little – but not too much!

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These are just some of the foods that help us writers with our brain activity.  To view the full list and to see how each helps you as a writer, visit the article’s link above.

So, Happy Thanksgiving all, and I provided you with this list so that even though you feast out tomorrow, you can still know that what you are eating (if you include these in your Thanksgiving meal), you are still exercising your brain for the day after Thanksgiving.  The day I know you all writers will be back to writing!

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*Note:  Click on the links above to read the full article and to check my source.  The pictures were taken from Google Images.  I, however, summarized the article in my own words (anything I took directly from the article is in quotation marks) and the opinions, thoughts, phrases, and words in this post are my own: © Kalie Lyn, 2011.*

Daily Question

Q:

What is something that can bring people together?

A:

Many things can bring people together.  A common interest, a common goal, a common fight, even a common meal.

One thing I noticed here in Spain is football (soccer) brings many people together.  It’s so funny to see grown men cry over a loss of their team and then hug and cheer together for a win.  It really is a cool sight to see after a huge game and win, especially if Real Madrid wins against Barcelona (and vice versa) the streets of that winning city are filled with people, people who know each other or not, and they are all celebrating for one thing together.  It’s great. 

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What do you think brings people together?

*Don’t forget to leave a link of your own answers to the daily question in the comments section below!*

Quote of the Day: Ludwig Erhard

 

“A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.” ~ Ludwig Erhard.

Author’s Food Pyramid

I’m currently on the Caffeine level, craving the Nicotine step, will join the Alcoholics some time tonight, and will likely be devouring a Pizza at any time!

*Note: This picture was taken from Google Images*

Link of the Day: Halloween – Not Just a Treat for Humans

The Huffington Post: Zoo Animals Pig Out on Pumpkins for Halloween

Daily Question

Q:

What are two things you strongly dislike?

A:

1) Sports that feature animals.  I don’t think that animals should be exploited for our entertainment.  Horse racing, dog racing, circuses that use animals, and of course, especially dog fighting, these all shouldn’t be allowed.

2) Sharing food.  I HATE sharing food.  I don’t know why, I just highly dislike it.  Maybe it’s because I’m an eater and love to have my own food, but whatever it is, I just can’t stand sharing food.  It literally makes me nervous.

*Don’t forget to leave a link of your own answers to the daily question in the comments section below!*

NaNo Prep: Favorite Writing Drinks & Snacks

Like I said in an my “Inspiring Author Quotes” post, I will be posting writing related posts to get us all in the mood and inspired for NaNo!

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We writers can be very difficult people.  A lot of times we can only write in certain places at certain times with a certain “atmosphere”, and any other condition is out of the question.  We have our little “habits” that make us write better – or at least make us think we write better – and while these small tendencies may seem weird to others, for us, the writers, they are perfectly normal, and quite frankly, must be done.  

So it’s no surprise that each writer has their favorite drinks and snacks they like to consume while writing, and that even the greats, such as Frank Kafka and Joyce Maynard, had theirs.

As NaNo is only 1 day, 4 hours and 5 minutes away, it’s only appropriate that we talk about what we will be consuming – if anything –  while writing.  However, first, here is a little list of some of the favorite snacks and drinks of some of the greatest writers.

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Marcel Proust – He drank espresso like it was going out of style!

Joyce Maynard –  She enjoyed eating lime popsicles while she read over what she just wrote.

Walt Whitman – Walt would start off the day with a nice breakfast of oysters and meat.  Gross, I know.

Truman Capote - His schedule went something like this:  11am = coffee time;  12pm = mint tea;  2pm = nothing like a little sherry;  4pm = let’s end with a martini!

Emily Dickinson – She snacked on her own home-made baked bread!

F. Scott Fitzgerald – His writing snacks of choice consisted of canned meat – eaten straight from the can – and apples.

Check out the full list here.

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While the snacks consumed by these greats sound yummy – I especially liked Walt Whitman’s! – I myself prefer others.

Here are my favorite snacks and drinks to consume while writing:

Tea – Whether it’s iced or hot, I love tea.  I can’t drink coffee because I get massive migraines so tea is my drink of choice, whether I’m writing or not, and green tea is my favorite!

Chocolate – I mean come on!  What’s better than snacking on some dark chocolate?!

What are your favorite snacks and drinks to consume while writing?

Please leave a comment, in the comment section below, telling us all what your food and drink of choice is, and what your diet will consist of throughout NaNo!

Link of the Day: Panda Poop

National Geographic: How Do Giant Pandas Survive on Bamboo?

Dog Eating Banned

This is absolutely sick.  I found this article on the Huffington Post and I highlighted parts that I find just ridiculous!

A 600-year-old dog eating festival in Qianxi, China was banned this week after a massive social media outcry called for its cancellation. Fifteen thousand dogs are slaughtered annually at the festival, which commemorates a battle fought in the town. Before the battle, an invading army killed all the dogs in the town of Qianxi to prevent being exposed by barking dogs. After capturing the town, the army ate the dog meat to celebrate.

From then until the ’80s, the dogs were killed immediately before being cooked and served. Then the Chinese government intervened and banned on-site butchery. But the practice began to creep back into the festival over the past few years. Pictures of carnage from the dog eating festival made their way on to the internet, incensing thousands. This year, many of them took to the internet to call for the festival to be banned. The Chinese government reacted by banning the festival.

According to Global Post, sympathy for dogs has increased markedly among the Chinese over the past few decades; keeping them as pets was banned during the Cultural Revolution, but rates of ownership have risen since then.

There have been some calls for a total ban on eating cats and dogs in the country, it remains both common and socially acceptable. It’s possible, though, that this recent move could signal a further shift in government sentiment towards the side of a ban; rumors of such a ban started to escalate as early as June.

Having had dogs and cats as pets my entire life, I find this festival and the consumption of domesticated animals absolutely revolting.  However, if you think about it, it’s not much different than a pig roast.  Killing animals in general, no matter the animal, and eating them is sick enough.  

I was a vegetarian for 3 years and even though I eat meat now, I still get grossed out.  Thinking about the pain and inhumane ways they are killed for our diet is so sad.  Every day I think about going back to being a vegetarian but meat just tastes so good.  Yes, it’s very hypocritical of me however, I do try and only eat free-range meat and eggs and I try to know where my meat comes from and how it was killed.

What is everyone’s take on this article and eating meat in general?  I would like to know your opinions so leave some comments!

Fall Yum-Yum

It’s almost Fall.  The leaves will start changing colors, the temperatures will drop and our stomachs will start craving Fall food.  While there are many good “Fall foods” such as pumpkin pie and donuts and cider, my favorite is applesauce!

Applesauce is quick, fun and easy to make and since I just made some, I’m going to give you my homemade applesauce recipe.

Ingredients:

~ 10-20 Apples, depending how much applesauce you want   (Also, using sweeter apples versus sour ones are better.)

~ 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

~ 1 Tablespoon of Sugar

~ 1 Cup of Water

 

Steps:

-          Peel, Wash and Cut up the Apples.

 

-          Add the Apples, Water and Cinnamon into a big Pot.

 

-          Bring the Water to a Boil then Reduce the Temperature and Cover Pot.  Let Simmer until Water has Evaporated and Apples are Soft enough to Mash.

 

-          Mash the Apples until desired texture – chunky or smooth.  Do a taste test and add more Sugar or Cinnamon if needed.

 

-          Serve Chilled or Hot.

 

-          Enjoy!