With my 30s staring me down, I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation.
4 more days…
There has been a lot of post floating around lately about exercise – what’s the “right” way to do it, how much is a too much, when you should rest… much like my No Shit Diet, I think exercise should be a personal choice.
I posted this on Instagram yesterday:
It sums up my thoughts pretty well. When you exercise, do it for YOU. If you want to do it twice a day or twice a week, make sure it’s because that’s what your mind and your body are telling you to do. Just because someone is banging out an hour of cardio and an hour of weights every day doesn’t mean you need to! Conversely, you don’t need to do yoga 3 days a week and that be it just because someone else has found that works for them.
Play with your diet. Play with your exercise. Find what’s right for you. Find something that motivates forward progress. Have fun!
In true fashion, Kat was in my head again as she wrote her post this week. I love this post for more than just the cheese recipe (though that IS a big factor 😉 ). Kat is the perfect example of marching to her own drum and not letting others define her.
But I’m going to step off my soap box now and let her tell you about all that…
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Homemade Ricotta and Thoughts on Identity
I saw a really old man, moving really slowly, but moving/jogging along the BeltLine. He must have been in his late 70s, and his feet were shuffling. He really made me think about whether I’ll do that at his age, in that condition. (Editor’s note: I saw a women running with a TRIPLET stroller. I was amazed.)
Why do we keep going? Because we love it? Because we identify as runners and that’s just who we are?
It also hit home this week when I attended the defense of a prospectus (the first 3 chapters of a dissertation) for a PhD student. The question that made me think quite a bit was, “Do you see yourself more as a scholar or a researcher?” Society is always trying to get us to define who we are. Why can’t we just be?
Ironically enough, she is doing post-structural work, which is not even supposed to need to have structures to define being (or, that is my understanding of it).
I think it would be nice to just “be” sometimes, but also find myself wanting some sort of structure as to what it is that I am, especially this summer, when I’m not an attorney, and I’m not a student. (Editor’s note: I get that – having this surgery made me re-think my gym rat identity.) In the in-between, what identity can I cling to? Runner?
And then I realized I can choose more than one, or I can choose none. In a chaotic world, it seems natural to want to choose something… but you don’t have to and it’s okay to change! Just be yourself and life your life authentically. Yes. Reminding myself of this.
You are not your career. You are not the activities that you do. It matters so much less in the long run than what kind of person you are.
Change happens. And change is created. I played with a recipe this week inspired by the fact that we have the power to create and change things into something we really want or crave.
So I turned Milk into Cheese. (Editor’s note: I swear I’m just moving in with you so I don’t miss this stuff.)
This week I made homemade ricotta! I hadn’t done this in quite sometime, since I went to Hawaii in November and played with a recipe with my sister. I made some changes to it, and I like my version MUCH better. It’s a little sweeter, perfectly creamy, and has a wonderful consistency.
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Homemade Ricotta
- 1 gallon of whole (or raw) milk
- 4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 T white vinegar
- ½ tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
Bring the gallon of milk to 190 degrees (medium high heat). Stir continuously so the milk doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom. Then prepare your strainer. Wet cheese cloth and place it over a fine strainer.
Once the milk is fully up to temperature, mix the salt, vinegar, lemon juice, and citric acid.
This is what it should look like when you turn off the heat
Keep it at 190 degrees for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. At this point, the milk will look like it’s curdling and everything is separating.
Now the hard part… waiting. Just let it sit there at room temperature. Don’t touch it for at least 20 minutes.
Pour the entire pot over the cheese cloth and strainer. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator, and continue to let it strain and cool for 30 minutes.
That’s it! One gallon of milk will make about 3.5 – 4 cups of cheese.
When you taste it, your first thought will probably be how FRESH it tastes! It’s really awesome!
Use this delicious homemade cheese in lasagna, with berries for dessert, in cannoli, or on top of crackers with marmalade or jam! Wonderful addition to fresh summer recipes!
Note: This works best with raw, unpasteurized milk. However, it’s almost impossible to find because it’s illegal to sell for human consumption in most states (including Georgia). Alternatives? Find Organic, Pasteurized, Non-homogenized (cream on top) Whole Milk. AVOID Ultra-Pasteurized… it WILL NOT come out right, and it will not taste the same or have the same texture. It’s hard to find, but you can do it for amazing homemade ricotta!
Side note: I really want to get some different plates! Black is terrible for picture-taking! (Editor’s note: Now you are a “real” food blogger.)
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To clarify: I’m actually excited about turning the big 3-0 (especially since it involves a trip to wine country). I just think it’s bizarre… didn’t I turn 21 last year?!
Who do you feel like you are?
What fun kitchen experiments have you done lately?
The cheese on the crackers with the jam looks amazing!!!
I don’t mind my age at all (I’m almost 42), I still feel 24. I’m pretty happy with who I am and where I am.
🙂 Thanks! The ricotta is so creamy and sweet.. I can’t wait to use it to make zucchini lasagna tonight!
Totally agree with your thoughts on exercise. I truly think it’s a personal choice – and like diet, not one routine is going to work the same for everyone.
Some people benefit more from running, but for myself I despise it;)
I prefer the spin bike.
And I totally agree with the thoughts on “who you are”. I suffered from an illness and used to think that defined me, but it doesn’t. Or other things like my career, other choices, but they’re just part of us not a defining factor of who we are.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I think that illness is especially a place where people may feel like it defines them… it really doesn’t have to. 🙂 You are a strong woman!
All those silly quotes made me so happy!
And that ricotta cheese looks fabulous…I really want to to try this cheese with jam on top now. I’m in need of new kitchen experiment! Starting tomorrow! 😉
Yes! So easy. I made more last night! SO easy, just don’t use too much citric acid or it will have a terrible texture!
I don’t have the urge to define myself as ‘something’, I just feel like Lucie and that includes everything 🙂 And I totally agree about the ways of workouts – everyone has to find their own routine, we are all so different!!
And that homemeade ricotta on crackers? YES PLEASE!!
Oh please try the ricotta! And good for you, just being you. 🙂
COULD NOT AGREE MORE!! And i can’t wait to turn 30. I like who i am. Not ONE thing defines me. Just BEING is good stuff. We change every day. We dont have to define that, right? I love your knowledge here woman, and your cheese!
Thanks so much!! 🙂 Being IS good stuff.
it’s so trite but REALLY REALLY TRUE.
at 44 I am finally just simple me
and I love that.
I may not be a fan of ricotta, but I’m a big fan of this message. It’s easy to let careers/activities define us, but that’s not what it’s all about. Great post!
Thanks, Tiff!
However, this ricotta is really NOTHING like store-bought. It’s a bit sweeter and fresher, and has a creamier texture… i still understand just not loving certain types of cheese or whatever.
Adore this! People let themselves become defined by their roles and careers, when our identities should be composed of so much more than that. I’m a student, a blogger, (currently) an admin assistant, and a recovered anorexic, but my identity is composed of so much more than that – I can’t let those be my defining attributes!
AH-Greed! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
very impressed with your homemade ricotta!!
Thanks! Please try it!
I’m loving this post on so many levels, and not just the recipe (yum). I definitely feel like we are pushed to define ourselves – so most people put me in the category of a vegetarian and a runner. Yes and yes. But I’m more than a vegetarian who runs. There are reasons behind both of those choices in my life and those things are more me than the label. And there was definitely a period of time when I worked out b/c I felt like I had to for others in a way, to maintain a certain physique. I never did that when I was dancing – I did that for the joy and love of it. And then I flailed around until I found running. I run for me. Plain and simple. Always for me. And that makes a huge difference in attitude and desire to go out and do it. I also lift for me b/c I love the way it feels. But there’s still a small part that does that for others in a way – to maintain that look. Sorry for the rambling novel of a comment LOL
I love your novel of a comment! And, thank you! It’s nice when people get where you are coming from. Maybe the more people who are on our page, the more people will stop trying to be more than just being. And I understand the different running and dancing mentalities. I love to run, too, and running for you is the best!
I love your novel too. This makes me thing of that Ani DiFranco song… “I want to be MORE than a pretty girl.”
Kat is so smart & you are too Laura! I tell people the same thing about food & exercise – do what is right for you & not that person preaching it is their way or the highway. I was not like this in my younger days but I learned – it is all about finding what works for you long term! 🙂
Kat’s thoughts are GREAT!! Kat, love everything you wrote! In one of my I Am ENOUGH posts, I wrote that I was tired of trying to be what everyone else wanted me to be… and yes, why can’t we just be….. LOVE that last quote!!!
Thank you so much, Jody! I love the “I am Enough” theme. It’s often something people forget…. or aren’t told enough. My partner and I tell each other almost every day, “you are enough.” I just love your comments! Thanks!
I really like this post! I have been dealing with this whole identity thing a lot lately too. I am honestly convinced that people don’t start knowing who they are until their late 20s early 30s. We spend so much time as we are younger trying to figure out what we like what we don’t like etc.
I struggle with the “just be” mentality too, however, I find that the more I surround myself with things I love…people, things, foods, workouts….you begin to realize that you don’t always have to be moving and not just in the physical sense. Life is an amazing thing and we need to stop and realize that it’s all around us all the time.
It’s about finding your way to be comfortable in your own skin, mind & body…and when you do, I have to imagine it is an amazing feeling. I am on the road to that right now and I think it is going to be a long but joyous one. 🙂
Thank you so much, and thank you for sharing! I totally agree with all of your sentiments and congrats on being on your own road!
Sigh. Wouldn’t it be great to just be ‘me’?
I wear too many hats…
You can be! Just because you wear all the hats, doesn’t mean it has to define you. I bet within and around all the hats, there is just a YOU dying to not be defined by the hats. 😉 I am constantly trying to remind myself of that.
I’ve been thinking about “Who I Am” lately, mostly because it’s close to my birthday and because I am on vacation, so I don’t have to be anybody at work. Society definitely likes to label people and have us labels ourselves. But what if I just want to be me??
Then you can be! 🙂 It really is just a structure society puts on you. let’s refuse to accept it!
I love ricotta, I think it is just something I grew up with. No idea you could make it like this! so cool
Alex! Yes, you can, and really it’s so easy. I hope you try it out (when you have time) – you are a super busy gal! 🙂
I don’t think I worry about what other people are doing the gym (or life), but I do something think about what others think I should be doing. And then I realize I’m going it (eventually) and try to move on. And I love that Kat wants new plates – haha! You are officially a food blogger when you buy something to photograph better. 🙂
And I can’t wait for your 30th birthday celebration. Just sayin’ 😉
Lol! I think I’m going to go crate & barrel style.. that way it’s easy to replace broken ones!
I love that quote. I see so many people that start a new fitness plan or routine and get so down on themselves… for example “I am so awful now, if only I can get skinny/6 pack abs/etc then I will be a good/worthy/awesome person”. Or when they look back on being chubby or out of shape how much they hated themselves. That kind of thinking does not go away just because you meet one goal and then it makes me worry that those people are heaping the same kind of judgement on me and/or others. What is wrong with just saying, I’m awesome now but I feel more awesome by reaching this goal? Or being awesome in a different way? I feel there needs to be more positive than negative when making a change because the negative can hold you back and drag you down.
You are so right! They fail to se that the important thing is that they are in there getting it done, which is half the battle.
re: plates — fiestaware is my favorite b/c you can mix and match it. 🙂
Lol! That is SUCH a great plan! 😉
Oh, and by the way.. when I first read that I thought you said, “re: pilates” and I thought for a good 45 seconds… “What does pilates have to do with anything!?” hah!
EVERYTHING. duh.
my HS boyfriend would always ask how my flight was after I did pilates (you know. pilats. pilots. flying. har har).
There was a time when I felt like I had to “go with the flow”. As I’ve gotten older that has changed. At 43, I’m fine with the fact that what we eat isn’t the same as every other blogger or person I know. I’m also fine with the how I workout – intensity, duration, frequency. I think that trying to fit a mold with anything will only hold you back!
here, here!
Ok, the cheese looks amazing! Damn I wish I could eat cheese! Now for defining ourselves based on others. I’m seeing a real trend with it lately and I’m not really loving it. I see a lot of people talk about taking it easy, but then never do. I feel like we all need to do what is right for ourselves as individuals. I’m actually kind of getting over a lot these days…
I’m hope I’m shuffling along like that old man in my 70s! That would be awesome!
Thanks for the compliment! there are really great cheese alternatives you can make with tofu or cashews, and such! You should try those out! You can make them taste almost as fresh when you add fresh lemon juice and a splash of parsley!
I hope I am that old man, too.
This is seriously intriguing! Have you ever made tofu “ricotta” cheese? It is SO good!!
Yes!! And Cashew!
The ricotta looks delicious… I need to try that! And I appreciate the wise words on identity from both of you. PS- the 30s have been my favorite decade yet. 🙂
Thanks so much! And yea, I hear the 30s are great, but the 40s are even better! SO much to look forward to!
Great post! Love all of the quotes, totally needed right now! I have to switch up my routine every once in awhile or else it just doesn’t make me happy anymore and that is #1 in my opinion. I have been trying to sum myself up and it just never happens, I am constantly evolving and for the better I hope. I used to think I had to be friends with everyone and then it dawned on me that surrounding myself with people who actually care about me is way more beneficial and creates a happier healthier me! Sending you a rockin weekend! Love + Shine CourtStar
Oh I love YOUR words of wisdom. You’re so right about filling your space with people who really care about you!
I love your advice on exercise, I reckon by competing, you just lose the whole meaning of exercise! 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
While I think it’s possible to lose the meaning of exercise in competition, I don’t think it necessarily has to. I think competing is something one can do to prove to oneself they are strong, and give a sense of accomplishment in achieving goals. these lessons can translate into life, without losing the enjoyment, and respecting the health and lifestyle benefits. What do you think?
I don’t think you lose the meaning at all! We compete because we love exercise, right? In the end, the goal is body BUILDING so you’re just competing with yourself to be your best self.