Mighty Life List #8 - Budgeting: Month Four and Still Figuring it Out

Budgeting. Does it suck? Yeah. Is it hard? Yeah. But like taking vitamins and flossing, you kinda need to do it.

There are several different ways of putting a budget together. My own approach to it was to use large percentages (i.e., 60% of your income toward life expenses, 20% Savings, 20% Fun Money), and then break each one down into subcategories. If you’re looking for help and some solid advice, I highly recommend www.learnvest.com. They will literally walk you through the process of putting a budget together.

Here are some things I’ve learned so far:

Take Advice but Modify Accordingly If you live in a big city, just be aware that some financial advice out there may need to be tweaked for your own living situation. Some suggested goals for rent and transportation can in no way be met if you live in LA or New York, especially if your job title doesn’t involve the letters “V” or “P.” So don’t give up. Just modify as much as you can.

Mini Monthly Goals Having a budget is like having mini-monthly goals. And that’s just what they are. Goals. So if you don’t quite meet your expectations for saving on your first (or second, or third) month, cut yourself some slack. Even if you only manage to stick $20 into that savings account, it’s better than nothing, and certainly better than being in the red.

Track Every Penny Tracking your expenses is a lot like counting calories. The effect of which can be extremely enlightening (har har no pun intended). You’ve probably heard of the “latte factor,” but it’s true that those little $2 to $3 expenditures can add up to a good chunk o’ cash over a month’s time. By writing down each and every penny you spend, you will become acutely aware of anything you’re spending money on. If you have a habit of looking back on your monthly statement and thinking “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that” (ahem), then tracking your spending will definitely take care of your financial amnesia.

Get Creative and Assertive Budgeting is a perfect opportunity to get creative, to become an active consumer, and to not let companies bully you. I went through a couple different phone calls with a spawn-of-the-devil cable company which shall not be named, eventually having to play the “I’m gonna have to cancel my cable because I can’t afford it” routine before they lowered my monthly cost to something halfway acceptable. Nearly everything is negotiable.

Your Personal Trouble Zones If anything, budgeting will help you zero in on your trouble areas. For me, it’s definitely food. If I cooked at home every single night, then it would make sense to spend lots of cash at the grocery store, and those random bits of parsley and wedges of onion in the fridge that were used for one home cooked meal wouldn’t get tossed out. But cooking every night isn’t really feasible (I have some semblance of a social life and a Mighty Life List to conquer!). So I’m still figuring out the tricky balance of spending just enough money on food, without going over budget and without wasting. Point being, budgeting is and should be viewed as a constant work in progress. Challenge yourself to meet and exceed the goals in your budget!

Book Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a stand-out novel in the World War II genre, Young Adult or not. The story is not something we haven’t heard (many times) before, but the presentation is truly unique and I dare you not to fall in love with each and every character. If I had one criticism, it might be that Zusak attempts to employ one too many creative devices, which occasionally distracts from the beautifully crafted storylines and the people in them. But for such a delicate yet heavy subject, Zusak artfully balances sensitivity and reality, creating a beautiful, haunting, and deeply moving story.

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Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” Chocolate Chip Cookie: Get off your butt and make these NOW

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  In pursuit of my “ultimate” recipes a la Mighty Life item #92, I’ve been perusing the interwebs for some time in search of the best chocolate chip cookie. And I mean, not just a good cookie, but the kind where you take a bite and you get a little weak in the knees. This, my friends, is that cookie.
  
  I’ve done the tried and true Nestle back-of-the-bag recipe a number of times. And it’s good, to be sure, but a little flat and a little greasy in my opinion. I’ve tackled the NY Times famed chocolate chip cookie recipe a few times, which includes the rather unorthodox use of a cake/bread flour combination, in addition to a minimum 48 hour rest time in the refrigerator. I really liked the texture of this cookie, but I found the recipe to be somewhat inconsistent, not to mention the annoyance of having to plan your cookie baking two to three days out. Who does that?
  
  Enter the lovely and talented Joy the Baker, who pointed me to the path of chocolate chip cookie enlightenment. Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” chocolate chip cookie (he has “The Thin” and “The Puffy” alternatives in case you were wondering). These cookies are damn good.
  
  A couple of notes regarding the recipe:
  
   Because you begin the recipe with melted butter, it’s important to let the dough chill for a couple of hours. So watch a movie, go for a walk, or work on that novel you’re writing. But don’t rush this process.
  
   Don’t be afraid to pull them out when they look slightly undercooked. The time frame between perfect and over-cooked in this recipe is pretty slim. You can always pop them back in for a few seconds. The saying goes, if they look cooked when you take them out, they will be overcooked.
  
   These cookies are EVEN BETTER THEN NEXT DAY. I love the taste of warm, fresh cookies but something about the texture and flavor really shines after these have sat overnight.
  
  Next time…I’ll get all crazy and add some nuts.
  
  The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie
  
  Recipe by Alton Brown
  
  2 sticks unsalted butter
  2 1/4 cups bread flour
  1 teaspoon kosher salt
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1/4 cup sugar
  1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  1 egg
  1 egg yolk
  2 tablespoons milk
  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  
  Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. (I actually did this in the microwave…just don’t overheat it)
  Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
  Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  Chill the dough for a few hours, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake at 375 F for 14 minutes or until golden brown (mine took about 10 minutes), checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
  

Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Subject matter aside, I thought this was a very enjoyable book. Anderson's depiction of the hellish world of high school with its amusing teacher and student players was honest and entertaining without being too much a caricature of itself. The "secret" wasn't a surprise, but I don't think that's the point. The story has more to do with her journey back from silence and shame and finding her voice again. The parents drove me crazy. It seems absurd that any parent could be so completely clueless, but I know in reality it does happen. An easy read, with a very unique style of narration and an overall uplifting story. I highly recommend it.

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Life List #22 - Shuffle-Hop-Step!

Every December, when "White Christmas" starts making its rounds on cable, regardless of what I'm doing I stop in awe of Vera Ellen and her amazing dance skills (and legs), and I always get the urge to dust off my tap shoes and start taking classes. And this year...I did it!

There was, of course, the initial trepidation and anxiety accompanied by trying something new. This was heightened by a disastrous previous attempt at taking a dance class several years ago in which, despite calling ahead to confirm that a beginner could participate, I wound up spending most of the class standing awkwardly at the back of the room because I simply couldn't keep up.

This time around, however, it was nothin' but good! I found a great dance studio called Edge in Hollywood that offers an impressive amount of dance classes for beginning adults. I got myself up early on a Saturday, dusted off the tap shoes I've kept since college, and jumped right in. The verdict? I had a blast! And I've been back three times.

While I don't have visions of "making it" to Broadway, and I probably won't ever be able to do that thing Vera Ellen does where she's tapping but it looks like her foot isn't moving (how does she DO that???), I think I may have discovered a new outlet for fun and creativity. Which is really the whole point of Jen's Mighty Life list.

Edge Performing Arts Center
1020 Cole Avenue, 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 962-7733

Book Review: French Women Don't Get Fat by Mirelle Guilano

I know, I know. For the past few years since its publication, I too regularly rolled my eyes at the title. How useful can this be? Isn't the core of maintaining a healthy weight all about balance? And isn't every single new book published on the subject just another way of explaining balance?


Still...I was curious. And my curiosity was enhanced by a recent budding interest and fascination of all things French. A curiosity which I primarily blame this absurdly beautiful woman:





I mean, come on. There's just something about French women. When I see a photo like this of Audrey Tautou, I want to spill my life story to her over a luxurious and lengthy lunch at a bistro or cafe. When I see a photo of most Hollywood actresses, I want to give them a donut. Maybe two. French women may be thin, but not overly so. And there is a vibrancy to them which is often lacking in their American counterparts.

So, I picked up the book. Did I learn anything life shattering? No. But it was a fairly entertaining and moderately inspiring read. Here are a few highlights that I took away:

• Eat produce that's in season, but also seek ways, rituals, and traditions that allow you to relish in how good fruits and vegetables are at the peak of their season. Connecting with your food starts by finding ways to truly get the maximum enjoyment from it.



• Think outside the gym. French women don't (or rarely) slave away on heavy machinery at private gyms. They generally find the idea preposterous (time taken to get there, change clothing, wait for a machine...AND you have to pay for it!). Guilano observes that Americans tend to be either "sitting or spinning," and suggests we take a more French approach by finding ways to be active all day. And she swears by taking the stairs.



• Drink water. Lots of it. This is a special challenge for me, as my favorite form of liquid comes from either coffee or wine. The book offers some helpful suggestions to making water a little more tolerable.



• Eat, enjoy, and savor real food! Again, nothing shocking, but a simple reminder that just because something is packaged as "healthy" (hello, 100 calorie snack packs) doesn't mean they are good for you. French women don't eat a lot of processed foods.



• No foods are forbidden. Forbidding food is very un-French. Eat the foods you love, take time to savor them, and make allowances in the meals that follow.

So there you have it. Now go get yourself a baguette!

Discovering L.A. - Tom Bergins (aka My New Favorite Bar)

At the risk of pulling out the uber-cliche Cheers comparison (especially considering the Irish factor), measuring the worth of a bar can often be assessed by how likely you can envision your name being shouted out a-la-"NORM!!" style. If I lived closer to Tom Bergin's Tavern (my liver and waistband thank me), I could totally see "JEN!!!" being bellowed out by my friendly bartender and fellow patrons.

This Tavern is soooooo comfortable. From the extra large stools built for two to the no-attitude service, I would happily recommend this place for group or solo drinking/dining. Tom Bergins is officially one of my top favorite LA bars.

Or maybe it's just the one-quarter Irish in me talking.

Tom Bergin's Tavern

840 S. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 936-7151