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Travel, food, health and fitness — living life on your own terms, with zero room for nonsense.
 
 

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LIFESTYLE

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I'm *Exactly* Like Other Girls.
I'm *Exactly* Like Other Girls.

"You're not like other girls.". Actually....I promise you I am. And it's awesome.

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Staying Sane When You Work From Home
Staying Sane When You Work From Home

I wanted to work a little more on putting together a concise guide for working from home, but in the light of the situation with Covid-19 and so many more people forced to telecommute who never have before, I thought getting this up quickly should take priority over getting it up perfectly.

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Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers (F&W Cook-Through)
Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers (F&W Cook-Through)

My husband even said it smelled like his grandmothers kitchen when he walked in. Not surprising, since slow braised, bone-in meat things used to be much more a part of our family table than they are today.

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TRAVEL

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Kristin Solo In San Fransisco
Kristin Solo In San Fransisco

So I went to San Francisco a few times over the last couple of years on solo-cations, and while I was super about posting to those IG stories I never really got around to writing anything up. Admittedly I feel like I can’t really do it justice, because I suspect that there is way more to do and see than what I was able to accomplish.

Essential Boston: Southie and Back Bay
Essential Boston: Southie and Back Bay

Southie, thanks to all the movies and from what I gather much of history in the city, has a reputation for being dangerous and downtrodden. That is not the Southie of today.

Eater's Guide to Austin
Eater's Guide to Austin

I went to Austin for the first time in April of 2014. I planned for a year, looking at what food stops I wanted to make and basically planned my whole trip around that. Yes. I made an excel file with where each meal would be had. Here’s a list of the places I ate, drank, and some things to do around town. It’s not even scratching the surface of what Austin has to offer, but it’s a place to start.

Burlington, VT: Hipster's Paradise (In The Best Way)
Burlington, VT: Hipster's Paradise (In The Best Way)

Burlington is everything that is right with hipsters. People bitch and moan about their beanie hats in the summer, and non-prescription glasses, but where hipsters go - creative, local, quality food and drink tend to follow.

Minneapolis: The City You Never Knew You Wanted to Visit
Minneapolis: The City You Never Knew You Wanted to Visit

It took all of 12 hours here for me to ask the question:

"Have I been living under a rock or is Minneapolis America's best-kept secret?"

FOOD GUIDES & RECIPES

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Blackberry Curd Tart
Blackberry Curd Tart
White Chocolate Cinnamon Tart
White Chocolate Cinnamon Tart

Review of this tart: “This is the best one yet.” – My husband. I will say – it’s a good one. It’s got a few more steps since you need to flavor the milk and cream with cinnamon before making the custard – but it’s well worth it.

Favorite Lemon Curd Tart
Favorite Lemon Curd Tart
The Trick to a Perfect Gluten-Free Tart Shell
The Trick to a Perfect Gluten-Free Tart Shell

“This is not a particularly inventive recipe - it’s about the technique. It’s about where I suspect we’re going wrong when we try to sub in GF flour for a tart shell recipe.”

Unstuffed Mushrooms
Unstuffed Mushrooms

On New Year’s Eve at 4pm, I told my friend I would bring an appetizer to her brunch the next day even though I had no idea what was in the house and no intention of going shopping. This unstuffed mushroom appetizer is the result of that. It’s all the flavor of a stuffed mushroom without any actual stuffing of mushrooms.

Spiced Hot Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Spiced Hot Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These are based off of an Earthquake Cookie recipe. Basically, I didn’t have all the shit (nor did I have the 4 hours minimum required chilling time noted in the recipe), so I made a new version. Mine uses hot chocolate powder and pumpkin spice, and only needs 1 hour of chilling time since you use a shallow plate and a freezer/fridge one/two punch, so you can bang them out in an afternoon instead of a full day.

Maple Nut Blondies (Gluten-Free)
Maple Nut Blondies (Gluten-Free)

I tested this recipe three times. Which was a mistake because they’re so addictive that I ate half a tray every time. OK, that’s en exaggeration. I ate half a tray once.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (Dairy-Free)
Buffalo Chicken Dip (Dairy-Free)

Don’t let the dairy-free scare you! This dip is SO crazy good you’ll never know it’s got no cheese.

Blueberry Thyme Gin Fizz
Blueberry Thyme Gin Fizz

Blueberry and lemon make for a perfect spring or summer cocktail featuring herbal gin - the spirit that’s making a comeback.

How to Start Making Macarons at Home
How to Start Making Macarons at Home

Macarons are NOT. THAT. HARD. 

Sure, it might seem like lots of steps – but once you go through it once…it’s pretty straight forward. Yes, I’ve had a few batches bomb for no apparent reason – but the majority have turned out just fine. 

Health & fitness

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Is Going Low-Carb Bad for Women's Health?
Is Going Low-Carb Bad for Women's Health?

Let me be clear: I’m specifically talking about the Paleo diet in it’s low-carb iterations, women, and athletic performance. Our bodies react differently to the athletic demands we put on them. Women are not just small men.

The Terrible Advice From Celebrity Trainers
The Terrible Advice From Celebrity Trainers

Magazines make money on the very very simple concept of convincing you that you’re gross, fat, ugly and unlovable…and only with the things in the pages of their publication will you ever be beautiful, sexy, loved and accepted.

You Don't Need a Better Program
You Don't Need a Better Program

You don’t need new programming to get better. You need to schedule time either by yourself or with a coach to work on those skills if you want to get better at things. You need to put work in.

5 Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
5 Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Hitting the hotel fitness studio? Who knows what you’re gonna get. I’ve seen everything from Pelaton bikes, to 5 dumbbells and a treadmill that doesn’t turn on. Having a few easy, simply, equipment-less workouts in your back pocket can be enough to get you moving when you can.

Is Low-Carb the New Low-Fat?
Is Low-Carb the New Low-Fat?

“I’m not sure what to eat now that I can’t have any carbs.”

“Since I can’t have carbs anymore, I’m really tired.”

“What do I eat since I can’t have carbs on paleo?”

These are questions and statements that I see constantly. 

The Truth About Macros
The Truth About Macros

There seem to be two teams: the people who tell you that it’s the ONLY way, and the people who tell you that it’s NEVER the way. Personally – I don’t take advice on something from someone unless they’ve done the thing they’re talking about

Drop-In Etiquette: How Not to be an Asshole
Drop-In Etiquette: How Not to be an Asshole

I've dropped in at quite a few gyms in my CrossFit tenure. From local in NJ when visiting family to across the Atlantic in Copenhagen, Denmark. I have to be honest, I assumed what I'm about to tell you was a sort of common-sense thing...not to be a dick.

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I’m that person who, if I mess up a list I’m writing - misspell a word, write it out of order, whatever - I’ll throw the whole thing in the trash and start with a fresh piece. It’s not that I like quitting, or dislike figurin
*SWIPE* for screen shots from @rollingstone for other ways to keep pressure on. One officer has been fired but no arrests have been made. Sign the petition linked in my bio. Visit JusticeForBreonna.org. Follow @colorofchange Follow @changedotorg
“Who knows what will befall us tomorrow, John? You could be hit by a Mack truck or bopped on the head by a tiny piece of space debris.” - Moira Rose . . Cocktails at @laylowap outdoor ‘lounge’ as business reopens in the street
“David, are you a dirty peeping Tom?” - Moira Rose . . (two bald eagles have a nest with two eaglets by us that we’ve been able to watch and it’s AWESOME)
In response to the litany of “bUt WhErE’s ThE LoYaLtY!?” posts i have seen: *Full rant is in my stories* Dear affiliates and former affiliates, You do not owe CrossFit, Inc. blind, unconditional “loyalty”. It’s n
These are just some of the questions that I’ve been asking myself over the last few weeks, especially the past two. Add to that, What are you going to allow in your presence? Is your comfort really that important? Why is your instinct to be de
#AmplifyMelanatedVoices Created by @blackandembodied and @jessicawilson.msrd You can read more about on their pages and and in these slides.
[artist is @rubenrojas] There is no one post I will be able to put together, and quite frankly maybe that’s because this is not about how I feel as a white woman in America. I am not the point, my voice is not the one that has gone unheard, an

From kitchen experiments and gluten-free bakes to city guides and gym etiquette, a Big Brash Life is a place to dig into the things that make everyday living better. Browse the latest recipes, travel write-ups and honest takes on food, fitness and mindset — all written without the dogma.