The Un-Dinner

I'm sure you've felt it before. The deep seated nausea at the thought of cooking one more meal one more time this week. The idea of coming up with something based on what you have in your refrigerator makes you quake with mental anguish. Can't someone else cook? Can't we just order out again?

You are on a tight budget, went out to eat once or twice already this past week, and your family is depending on you to make something. Sigh. So now it's time to go into the kitchen and do you duty because hell, someone has to, and that someone is going to be you.

After a week of flu and lung illnesses, I've definitely been lax on the cardio and shirked some of my regular yoga routine (oh Saturday Power Yoga - I missed you!). I know that I should rest but I really, really hate inactivity! I was able to make it through Wednesday's Community Yoga, Friday's Hip Hop Power Hour, and Sunday's Power Hour with Hilaire (just barely...). My husband has also been sick all week. 

I decided I was going to grill chicken. I'm grilling chicken and YOU can figure out what to have from there! Neither one of us has been burning many calories and I was sick of making dinners...thus...the Un-Dinner was born in the form of a gigantic grilled chicken salad! Behold.

I plugged in the "George Foreman" and promptly grilled 2 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs, enough for chicken salads for lunch later in the week. I chopped up a carrot, 3 stalks of celery, a red bell pepper, and a half a head of green leaf lettuce. I added a handful of snow peas and sunflower seeds. Once the chicken was done, all I had to do was chop it up, add it to the salad, and drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on top. And here we have it - the "I don't freaking feel like making dinner" dinner.

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Love and Cinnamon and HR Wildwood

My world exists in a combination of all of these great realms: HR, Social Media, Yoga, Family and Friends, Cooking, and Volunteering. I'm blessed with an overabundance of time and energy. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., you can find me at HRU, Technical Resources in Lansing, MI. I'm a technical recruiter working to find my clients the best talent I can for their job orders whether they be contract or direct hire opportunities. Between the hours and after I do much more.

I grew up in Sanford, Michigan (with one champion of a sister and great parents) in an imagination filled 50 acres of woodlands, streams, swamps, bogs, wild blackberries, squirrels and deer. I attended Saginaw Valley State University for my undergraduate degree in Psychology. I wanted to get a PhD in Social Psychology and do something incredible in the world. I was rejected from every PhD program I applied to - I lacked focus. Thankfully, the University of Chicago offered me a consolation prize; a Master's degree.

I spent one blissful year in the great city of Chicago attending the University of Chicago for my Master's in Social Science (focusing on non-profit management). I was on my own in a one bedroom apartment in Hyde Park with my trusty companion - my blue point Siamese cat, Loki. I started experimenting with cooking and healthy baking. My first attempts at healthy blueberry muffins and health crazy oatmeal cranberry cookies were admittedly not too tasty. I kept up the experimenting when my husband and I moved to Massachusetts so that he could attend the University of Massachusetts for graduate school. I love cooking. I love baking. I love sharing my creations. Food is love.

In August 2010 I moved from Massachusetts to Lansing, Michigan. I started a Twitter account: @emilywhitemi My name is Emily White and MI stands for Michigan, the strong willed and friendly state I call home. I started getting involved in my community and came back to yoga as a time buster while seeking employment.

I was lucky and strategic in my job search. My resume was fine tuned and out there on CareerBuilder and Monster. I sought jobs on company websites, newspapers, LinkedIn, Idealist, and Craigslist. I'm a recruiter...jobs are what I do! I landed this position at the end of August.

I started networking and attending local events. If you can't find something to do in Lansing, Michigan you're just not trying! I found out about a wonderful young professionals networking group. I sent an email to the team and was invited to became part of the communications team for the Grand River Connection.

Throughout my life I have always been involved in Habitat for Humanity. It started with the Tri-cities Habitat team when I was in 7th grade, moved to the Saginaw Habitat team through my job at the Dow Chemical Company, and I decided to pick up the figurative hammer again in Lansing. I'm part of the community relations committee at Habitat Lansing. I manage their twitter account @habitatlansing.

Through classes at Hilltop Yoga, I connected with an outstanding yogi and incredible soul. I started going to yoga at both Hilltop and Just B Yoga. I became the volunteer promotions manager for Just B Yoga in January 2011.

I met wonderful people at both yoga studios and became further entrenched in Lansing by joining the Lansing Jaycees this month! I'm fairly certain I can consider my plate full...but I'm always available and willing to help when I can. I review resumes and cover letters and offer job search advice on a regular basis. You can connect with me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/emilywhitemi.

This blog will morph into a personal journey blog.

HR Wildwood will be dedicated to HR, Social Media, and career oriented topics.

Welcome!

Broken Oven and Paths

Tonight, I attempted to make a simple dinner of roasted chicken, red skin potatoes, onion, and carrots in my lovely cast iron skillet. I was thwarted by the oven deciding it was not willing to go above 200 degrees. Slow roasting a chicken isn't really what I had in mind. 

We ended up going out for sushi. It was lovely to sit down with my husband and enjoy dinner and just talk. The chicken can go in a crock pot tomorrow, with the vegetables, and cook down into a gorgeous stew. Sushi and meaningful conversation trump roast chicken any day.

I'm having a difficult time deciding on the direction for this blog. I want to write about food. I enjoy cooking. I also want to write about social media, Lansing, and yoga. It's my blog, I'll do what I want!

I'm having a blast going to the various networking events and social meetings around town. I'm loving my new side gig as the "Promotions Manager" of Just B Yoga. Trying to figure out where these paths are leading me...but I'm beginning to realize that I need to roll with everything that is going on and just see where I end up.

Loving it.

Mom's Venison Chili Recipe

"Take about 1 lb. ground venison, brown it, add 4 cans del monte tomatoes with peppers and onions; add as many kidney beans as you like (I use 2 small cans or half a large), 2 T. sugar, 2 T. chili powder and 1-2 t. salt, simmer and it's done . (you can add more chili powder if you like spicier)"

 ~ brought to you by my Mom ~