Get Fit: Bring Some Nutrition to the Table

Photography by Adam Croce

raw brussel sprout salad and basil

What the heck is healthy anyway? You’re confronted with contradicting scientific studies, sugar substitutes, gluten-free, vegan faux meats, diets diets diets. I personally spend more time reading the nutrition labels in the supermarket than I do actually eating the products. Things can get confusing!

Luckily, this is what I live for (besides spoofing The Real L Word, obvs). I’m not one to preach and push the vegan lifestyle, because I truly believe that everybody’s body has different nutritional needs and it is up to you to figure out what works for your own self. But I’ll definitely give you some basic tips that will hopefully help when you’re trying to decide how to structure your diet.

Michael Pollan has written a brilliant little book (and it comes in an illustrated version too!) called Food Rules. I suggest buying it, reading it, and sticking to the rules that resonate with you. Here are a few of my favorites:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. 

“Imagine your great-grandmother at your side as you roll down the aisles of the supermarket. You’re standing together in front of the dairy case. She picks up a package of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt tubes–and hasn’t a clue what this plastic cylinder of colored and flavored gel could possibly be. Is it a food or is it toothpaste? There are now thousands of foodish products in the supermarket that our ancestors simply wouldn’t recognize as food.”

If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you are not hungry.

Simple, right? That’s how eating should be! Keep it simple.

Let’s move on to the topics of health and nutrition that spur the most heated debates! I fully expect you to scream your heart out in the comments. Just really get in there!

Foods to Avoid / Not Avoid

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CARBS

Please for Gaia’s sake STOP CUTTING OUT CARBS. Carbohydrates are essential in the process of muscle building.

“Researchers found that low glycogen (carbs / sugar) levels impaired muscle protein synthesis following weight training. They measured the activity levels of genes controlling muscle growth following weight training in legs with normal or depleted levels of glycogen….Carbs fuel high-intensity exercise and stimulate the genes that control muscle growth.”  According to the Journal Applied Physiology.

I don’t care if you’re on the Paleo Diet, Atkins, or South Beach — carbohydrates get such a bad rap, even though they’ve been around since our ancestors started eating. Brown rice, oatmeal, beans, fruits, vegetables — all these things contain carbs. It’s pretty much impossible to avoid carbs when eating. I think a better idea is to stay away from highly processed carbs, such as white bread, white flour, white anything. Actually, the only white thing in your diet should be cauliflower (and tofu or almond milk, in moderation).

shot of raw almond milk

PROTEIN

If one more person asks me how I get enough protein as a vegan…

Most people don’t know what “enough protein” actually is, as the meat and dairy industries have been the ones making these rules since the beginning of nutritional education. Recent studies are showing that:

“Muscle protein synthesis maxes out after a meal at 20-30 grams and anything in over will actually not help stimulate more muscle protein synthesis.” (A Moderate Serving of High-Quality Protein Maximally Stimulates Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis in Young and Elderly Subjects; Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 109, Issue 9, Pages 1582-1586)

Wait, 20-30 grams!? I had a guy tell me this week that we should be eating 1 gram of protein for each pound we weigh, which is totally idiotic. I would have to eat a field of spinach a day for that many grams of protein. Luckily, I knew better. Guess what happens (especially to women) when you eat more protein than your body can synthesize: it turns to fat.

Oh, and if you’re still wondering, vegetarians and vegans get protein by eating vegetables, nuts, legumes, and grains. The aforementioned carry many of the amino acids that make up a full protein. We don’t need to eat all of the aminos that make up a full protein at every meal, we just need to eat different foods throughout the day.

Peanut butter and whole grain bread make a full protein, as do rice and beans. Hummus is also a full protein (beans and sesame seed paste). BAM.

quinoa and sweet potatoes

SUGAR

This is a sticky subject [laugh]. My own personal rule is: don’t eat things with added sugars. I put this rule into practice by systematically break it on the daily. However! The main goal is to keep your sugar intake to a minimum. Sugars are really problematic when it comes to derailing our health plans, and while fats aren’t great for us either, it really comes down to our sugar intake. I try to get the majority of my sugar kicks from fruits, end of story. But I can’t seem to quit the almond milk in my morning coffee, so I let that one slide.

If you’re worried about your sugar intake, keep a running tally of the grams of (non-fruit based) sugar you consume throughout the day. Then try to cut that in half for the next month. Then try to cut that in half the month after that. Ideally, women shouldn’t be eating more than 25 grams of sugar per day. Eventually you will lose your addiction to sugar, which will make naturally sweet things — like fruit, and ladies — taste like an explosion of joy in your mouth.

Also, read the labels. Sugar is hiding in a lot of the foods we consume, and keeping it out of your diet will save you, on average, over 400 calories per day. While you’re at it, cut out the artificial sweeteners, too. This will really help wean your body off of its addiction to sweets.

FATS

Fats are confusing. Some fats are good, while others aren’t — kinda like your ex-girlfriends.

Good fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk

Examples:  fish, oils (from vegetables), seeds, nuts, nut butters, avocados, soy foods, and olives.

Bad fats—saturated and trans fats—increase disease risk

Examples: hydrogenated oils, dried coconut, coconut oil, butter, shortening, red meat, chicken (with skin), dark chocolate, dairy products (ALL), fried food, commercially baked pastries, and candy bars. 

Essentially, if you’re eating high portions of meat and dairy in your diet,you’re eating a lot of bad fats. If you’re not in the market to go full-scale-veg, consider just scaling back on those types of foods and replacing them with vegetables and legumes.

For a Body That is Working Out

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Food Tip #1: REFUEL

Always refuel within 45 minutes of a workout. Your body needs the nutrients it’s been depleting while working out.  The best thing to refuel with is fast-digesting carbs, such as fruit and vegetables.

Food Tip #2: ADD COLOR TO YOUR LIFE

Eat as many colors as possible! A bowl of Lucky Charms doesn’t count, sorry. I’m talking bright yellows, reds, and greens that come from the earth. Put them on your plate and in your mouth. NOMS.

tomato salad and marinara

 Food Tip #3: EAT BEFORE YOUR WORKOUT

If you’re working out later in the day, make sure you’ve a meal 2-3 hours before your workout. The meal should have a mix of carbs, protein (amino acids), and fats (the good ones, duh), such as a salad with hummus and avocado.

If you only have 15 to 30 minutes before a scheduled workout, pick a snack that is simple to digest. Specifically a snack that has about 25 grams of carbs, like a tablespoon of raisins, a banana, or a small serving of applesauce.

No matter what you do, make sure you’ve eaten something before your workout. You shouldn’t be training on an empty stomach.

Now it’s your turn to share your nutrition feelings in the comments! As usual, please keep in mind that this is a safe space for discussion and ideas, so keep it kosher (LOL SEE WHAT I DID THERE).

Disclaimer: Obvs this isn’t medical advice — this is just one person talking about eating whole foods for more energy. If you have questions about your personal nutrition, please speak to a healthcare professional. 

Top 10 Childhood “Sports” I Still Wanna Play

for more a-camp

Do you remember elementary school and how all games were considered “sports”? Don’t you wish you could have grown up to be a professional scooter racing competitor? I do.

Top 10 Childhood “Sports” I Wish I Could Still Play: 

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10. Tetherball
If you don’t exactly know what tetherball is, don’t worry, it’s honestly not that fun. The point of the game is to hit a ball that’s tied to a rope and make it circle a pole while your opponent hits it in the opposite direction and tries to loop it in that direction more times than you. Bored yet? Yeah I thought so.

9. Blob Tag
Blob tag was legit! At least it was when I was 10, which I consider to be the peak of my maturity. Players run back and forth across a field, or small gym space as my Catholic middle school so generously provided, there are two players who are “it” and they tag the runners. As each runner is tagged he or she joins hands with the blob and becomes part of a large tagging monster. The last player to get tagged wins. But if you’re a little homo like I was, getting tagged and holding hands with cute girls is the actual way to win.

8. Scooter Relays
Ok, anything involving a scooter is good in my book

7. Kickball
As an adult, I still enjoy kickball, if you don’t, you should probably think about the perks of a sport where you can hold a beer and still “bat.”

6. Dodgeball
I also still play dodgeball as an adult. Some may say I never grew up, I like to think I was just a mature child.

5. Capture the flag
The most competitive of all my elementary games. Capture the flag was fun because when you played girls vs. boys the girls always won, because they are better strategists. There. I said it.

4. Spud
The player who has the ball picks a category (let’s say colors) and the other players convene and each pick a color and name a “captain” to repeat all the colors to the kid with the ball (let’s pretend it’s green, purple, red, and blue). Then the player with the ball tosses it high in the air an randomly picks a color (purple) and the player who’s color was called runs to catch the ball while all the other players run in the opposite direction. Once she catches the ball she yells “Freeze!” and everyone has to freeze on the spot. She is then allowed to take two steps towards the player of her choice and peg the ball at them. If they get hit with the ball they get an “S” and become the ball thrower. The game is played until one player gets all the points to spell out “SPUD” and when I was a kid my neighborhood practiced the punishment of a spank machine wherein all the players line up with legs spread and the loser has to crawl through all their legs while the other kids spank them on the way through. I’m sure Utah has outlawed that practice.

3. Parachute games
 Anyone who says that games involving a giant rainbow-ish colored parachute weren’t fun don’t have souls.

2. Light as a feather stiff as a board
I hate to come off as a child perv but this game was a fabulous excuse to touch all your girlfriends and/or get picked up by a group of cute girls, because lezbehonest, guys didn’t ever play this.

1. Spin the bottle
I can’t claim this awesome number 1 as my own, it was in fact thrown in to the mix by my roommate and dear friend Sara Medd, who you may know as the lesbian stylist to the stars.  But there’s no competition here in my eyes. That bottle is gender blind my friends GENDER BLIND. My first kiss with a girl was not through this game but I bet it was for some of you. SPILL!

What were some of your favorite recess or sleepover games?

This post goes hand-in-hand with A-Camp’s General Sporting Activities with Croce, Brittani, Alex, Robin, and Bren (generally).

Get Fit: Staying Motivated So You Just Don’t Stop

meet lauren and her guns

Hello fresh faces! Before we get started on this week’s topic, I wanted to address a concern that was expressed in last week’s comments. I’d said that my initial motivation for getting back to the gym last year was wearing a bikini in front of throngs of drunk lesbians, and one or two readers felt that in saying so, I was perpetuating those idiotic beauty standards we all despise so much. Even though I think most everyone understood my point and the underlying and overt message of Get Fit, I still wanted to get a few things on the record.

This column is in no way supposed to objectify women or try to make anyone fit into the societal and heteronormative ideals of beauty. In my first post, I did not, in any way, tell women they had to look a certain way — I didn’t say that anyone needed a thinner body or six-pack abs. I just said “look good,” which means different things to different people, and falls in line with our constant message of You Do You. And anyway, looking really good is actually just a side effect of feeling even better.

If anything, what I want to do is push people to gain muscle and endurance, to make them feel strong rather than runway model waifish. This is about reaching your own personal goals. It’s here to help us all get motivated to work out, feel better, and eat healthier. The beauty of fitness and health for me is one’s ability to set goals and work toward them. It’s finding your inner strength to do the things that you set your mind to, and living your life with integrity because you fucking did exactly what you said you would.

Plus, the stronger you are, the easier it’ll be to toss hot girls around. BAM!

This is meant to be a safe space for people who are hoping to get in shape for themselves. I understand that everyone has a different approach to fitness and health and I hope that I can cover as many different topics as possible. Please give this column time to unfold. Keep using the comment section to give your fellow straddlers tips and pointers, to ask questions, and to suggest topics that you want to know more about. I want us all to be allowed to be honest about our health goals without worrying about offending someone. Work under the assumption that we support you and your rights and the value system that Autostraddle has worked so hard to create. And now, on with the show!

So you’ve been working out for the past few days and it’s going really well!

HEYYY NATALIE!

Except for that day you didn’t run. OH! And those four days you forgot to eat fruits and vegetables. Seriously though, it’s hard to continue to stay motivated when you’re still getting back into the swing of things. Here are a couple tips to help you keep your head in the game!

Staying Motivated Tip #1:
Be Like Nike and Just Do It.

This one is so simple yet the hardest one for people to stick to. Just Do It. For me, working out earlier in the day is better because as the day goes on I will have more time to think of a reason not to hit the gym or go running. My good friend said that once she gets home from work she puts on her running shorts and sneakers IMMEDIATELY so she would have no excuse to not go running. It’s a simple psychological trick that gets your mind in the and it works like a charm. So stop making excuses and just do it!

Staying Motivated Tip #2:
Give It Time.

In general, it takes at least two weeks to see any kind of changes in your body from working out. Clearly every body will differ and individual results will vary depending on a lot of factors. If you’re looking at yourself in the mirror and feeling disappointed after your first week of working out, DON’T GIVE UP. Trust me on this one, just keep hitting the pavement and pumping that iron, wait another week. Whatever you do, do not get discouraged.

bring a friend

Staying Motivated Tip #3:
Join a Team!

Seriously, there are women’s and co-ed teams of all sorts probably really close to you. If there aren’t tons of team options, there’s almost definitely a running team. Runners have pack mentalities and love to have a new buddy to share their passion with. OR you can start your own league/team! It’s so easy to get a local middle school to lend out their gym once a week on Tuesday nights for your league dodgeball tournaments. Promise.

Staying Motivated Tip #4:
Don’t Weigh Yourself.

I am not kidding. Who cares what that dumb scale says anyway. He don’t know me! He doesn’t know how tall you are, or how your eyes sparkle when you laugh, or how soft and shiny your hair is. Don’t you dare listen to his lies. Also, your body weight is rarely a good indicator of your health or fitness level and even your BMI isn’t always a useful number. Although it’s easier to sell magazines and diet plans when there are “rules,” only you know your body and how it reacts to your diet and exercise habits.

What you should be aiming for is how you feel. How high is your energy level? How do your jeans fit? Once they start to loosen — or fit tighter in all the right places — then you can high five yourself in the mirror (I can’t be the only one who does that…).

So how have things been going for you? Did you start a new fitness routine last week? Have you stayed motivated in the face of occasional laziness? What’s your favorite way to cook kale? I think next week we’re gonna talk about nutrition!

 Thumbnail image model: Collins

Get Fit: Motivating Yourself To Become a Person Who Exercises

I used to be a workout junkie and I loved it. Every day consisted of an hour or more at the gym and 1-2 carefully crafted, thoroughly delicious salads. Life was great! Most importantly, I felt great.

And then I moved.

After unpacking all the boxes and memorizing all the streets, I had to find a new gym. It became obvious that nothing in my new neighborhood would even hold a candle to my old gym. I’d accidentally grown emotionally attached to that gym — it was right up there with my very best friends from New York. Finding a new gym was going to be a lot like finding new friends. Except that making new friends had me going out multiple nights a week, which in turn negatively affected my ability to find a new gym. Predicament! So one day went by without working out. And then another. Suddenly I had no routine, no desire to workout, and no outlet for it either, because all of my friends were out drinking instead of running.

exhibit a

This went on for a while and I gradually started liking myself less and less — not necessarily just because I wasn’t working out, but because I felt like I wasn’t living up to my personal best. After a few months of this rut, Dinah Shore Weekend was coming up. Maybe I don’t have to tell you this, but nothing spells motivation like b-i-k-i-n-i. I decided to let the impending warm weather and partial nudity be my motivation to getting my life back on track.

Now it’s a year later and the same motivators are right around the corner: Dinah, bikinis, even A-CAMP. If you’ve been thinking about getting in shape for spring, let’s do it!  I’ll be here to give you some tips, maybe some new ideas, answer your questions, and share stories and feelings.

Because sometimes just getting out the door can be the hardest part, today I’ve got four simple but effective tips to get you started!

christina bly for autostraddle

Motivation Tip #1:
Set Goals.

The best motivation is something you can set your sights on. For lots of my friends, it’s Dinah. For you it could be a race, a wedding, your high school reunion, A-CAMP, a Scrabble tournament,  the midnight premier of The Hunger Games, etc. It doesn’t matter how absurd the goal seems, as long as it is something within the semi-near future — three months is a perfect time because it’s still fresh and fun and you can also see results. Make sure it’s something that you truly care about feeling amazing for!

collins!

Motivation Tip #2:
Tell a Friend.

This rule is good for both safety and public humiliation. Telling a friend that you are going hiking, running, or to the gym will inform at least one person of your whereabouts, in case you encounter a 127 Hours type of situation. It also adds a wonderful element of integrity, making you responsible for the plans you’ve made to workout. It can be easy to talk ourselves out of our plans to workout because hey, we ‘re really convincing. But our friends are much harder to convince. Chances are good that if they find out you didn’t workout when you said you would, they’ll judge you, lose faith in you and never believe anything you say ever again. Oh, you’re going to the bookstore this afternoon? Picking up vegan tacos for dinner? REALLY? How can they believe you? That’s right, they can’t.

Motivation Tip #3:
Schedule Your Day.

Write a schedule of your day or week or month in a journal or on your computer. Make sure you allot 2 hours for working out (includes a shower and getting to the gym) and in the workout slot write something really uplifting like “GO TO THE FREAKING GYM YOU LAZY FUCK” At least that’s what works for me…

omg shoes

Motivation Tip #4:
Bribe Yourself.

Some might call it pampering, I like to think of it as little bribes. Lacking cute yoga pants? Need swanky new running shoes that sparkle in the daylight?  Been dying to buy a Kindle but just can’t justify it? This is the PERFECT excuse: Do it for you. For your new body and your new year. Don’t let not having the right equipment stop you from working out — instead reframe the expense of buying it as a reason to use it as frequently as possible.

What are your favorite motivators? What gets you out of bed and to the gym on those frosty winter mornings? I’ve got big ideas for this column, but I want to hear from you! What do you want to talk about here? OPEN THREAD IT, KIDDOS.

Thumbnail image model: Lauren

VIDEO: The Real (Enough) L Word (Parody) is Here… Almost

The producers at ChillRoom Productions have teamed up with Autostraddle for an action-packed Parody of The Real L Word, Season Two. We gathered together for an epic shoot in Los Angeles a few months back with an all-star cast including Sarah Croce, Alex Vega, Morgan Hildebrand, Jessica Shaffer, K.P, Natalie Christina, Courtney Sanshu, Megan Jones, Brittani Nichols, Emily Ackerman, Megan Jones and Ray Lynn.

Our production team included Sarah Croce, Lauren Aadland, Katie Przylepa, Jessica Shaffer, Morgan Hildebrand, Jessica Reid, Alex Vega, Stacee Coleman and Sara Medd.

Just in case you need a refresher of the Real L Word Season 2 opening….

Please note: We’re friends with the Season Two cast, and we respect anyone who puts their life in front of the camera for the world to see. It’s not a mockery, just a fun way to satirize television’s only all-lesbian television spectacular.

VIDEO: L.A. Premiere of “Love Is All You Need?”

There’s this new movie and it feels important.

Especially if you’ve ever been picked on, or bullied, or alienated, for whatever reason — like, hmmm, I don’t know… being gay?

Or a redhead or a treehugger or tall or short or the list of possibilities is endless.

Wingspan Pictures has produced Love Is All You Need?, the predecessor to a feature-length film that I have really high hopes for. I was lucky enough to attend the screening, which means you get to watch parts of it, too! Here’s what’s going on:

“Love is All You Need?” tells the story of Ashley, a young teen who is raised by the ‘picture perfect all-American family’ in the suburbs of California – with two moms, two grandpas, two uncles, and a little brother. But Ashley has a problem – she has a crush on a boy at school, which is against everything this world has ever taught her.

Ashley lives In a world where the terms “gay” and “straight” are switched, this young girl must face the fact that she is straight in a gay world. This undeniable attraction to the opposite sex causes her to be the constant target of verbal and physical abuse until she is driven to a tragic end.

And here’s your sneak peek at the red carpet interviews after the first LA premiere!

Learn more about Love Is All You Need? and while you’re at it, be a fan on Facebook!

Get Baked: So You Caught a Winter Cold

When you’re sick, the last thing you want to do is whip up a huge meal. This soup is not only easy, but it is quite filling as well. And the best part is that you can easily get all of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s… aka mecca.

All of the ingredients in this soup are specifically geared towards strengthening your immune system.

Garlic detoxifies and is a powerful antioxidant. On top of that it fights respiratory diseases, strengthens the immune system and has recently been found to reduce the risk of certain cancers in several population studies. So eat as much garlic as you can handle, lezbehonest, you’re not kissing anyone with your sick mouth anyway.

Black beans have the highest amounts of antioxidants of any beans, just about as much as cranberries. They are also high in Folate (B6), molybdenum, fiber, and magnesium.

Spinach is jam packed with the Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium. It also has 337% of daily allowance of Vitamin A which strengthens and protects mucus membranes, respiratory, and intestinal tracts and is a key component of lymphocytes which fights infection.

Red pepper flakes, or other varieties of spicy peppers, are also high in the antioxidant rich Vitamin A. They are also a good source of capsaicin which is a natural inflammation fighter. And it’s a great way to open up clogged sinuses and relieve congestion. So go hot, or go home.

Black Bean and Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

+ 2 cups spinach, frozen if you’re lazy
+ 1 can black beans (15 oz)
+ 3/4 cup TJ’s Black Bean soup
+ 1/2 cup water
+ 3 cloves garlic, sliced
+ salt, pepper, red chili flakes to taste

Seriously you guys, this is so simple. You’re welcome.

1. Microwave the spinach for about 4 minutes and drain excess water out.

2. Meanwhile combine black beans, black bean soup, water, and spices in a pot and put on high heat until it boils.

3. Once boiling, turn down to simmer until the beans are fully heated – around 15-20 minutes. Stir every now and then. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more water.

4. About ten minutes before the soup is finished add the garlic and the spinach.

5. Pour into a bowl, enjoy, and feel your body start to heal!

Get Toasted: Flaming Cinnamon Martini

Chances are good that you’ll need a spiced, pumpkin-flavored cocktail to get you through at least one event this week, and because I care for you deeply, I created this recipe. You should know upfront that it involves actual fire, which is second only to parkour when it comes to impressing the ladies.

Flaming Cinnamon Martini

For one martini:

A shot and a half of Vanilla Vodka
Shot of creme de cacao
1 Tb Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Coffee Mate
1 Tb Pumpkin Spice Coffee Mate (or to taste)
1 Tsp Cocoa Powder

Shake with ice, a lot!

Pour it into a martini glass! There’s a nifty little flame trick you can do with the cinnamon and I’ve included a demonstration video below. If you’re really fancy, you can toast the cinnamon that has settled on top of the martini.

NOTE: It’s not vegan because Coffee Mate has Sodium Caseinate (a milk derivative) in it. But it is lactose free for those of us “bad vegans.”

New Mini Series: Good People in Love

Lesbians love to make things! Sometimes with a hammer and nails, sometimes with flour and sugar, and sometimes with cameras.

Tina Cesa Ward is the kind who likes to use cameras and what she’s making is LGBT-inclusive media. You may know her as the Executive Producer / Writer / Director of Anyone But Me, and if you don’t, do yourself a favor and catch up! Tina’s latest project is a brand new mini series, Good People in Love, which she wrote, directed and produced. It’s very relative to your interests and here’s why: lesbians.

on the set of 'anyone but me' || image via 'anyone but me'

Good People in Love has an all-star cast including Heather Leonard, Steven Alexander, Megan Melnyk, Jesse Wakeman, Seeking Simone‘s Renée Olbert and Anyone But Me‘s Rachael Hip-Flores. I was fortunate to snag a quick interview with Tina about her new series! Also, between you and me, the premiere episode of Good People in Love is here, so if you wanna watch that first and read the interview second, I wouldn’t hold it against you.

Sarah: When you say “mini series” what kind of format are you planning for the release?

Tina Cesa Ward: It will be released on the web in five episodes. The series takes place over the course of an evening — actually, the night the Gay Marriage Bill passed in NYC — so all five episodes can come together seamlessly and be released as a short film as well. I plan to explore that idea further after the release online has taken off.

S: And why did you make it a mini series as opposed to a feature?

TCW: I wanted to do something else for the web, but I didn’t feel that this story fit as an ongoing series, a miniseries seemed like a natural choice.

S: How would you describe the plot of the series?

TCW: Good People in Love is a dramatic miniseries about a dinner party to celebrate an engagement, which turns into a night of manipulation, dissection and revelation. The story’s narrators, Scott and Sarah, set out to prove their distinct points of view on love by using the party’s two couples as unwitting examples, which opens up a Pandora’s box of trouble for everyone.

S: What are you trying to say or accomplish through this series?

TCW: My hope is that the audience connects with the material and are moved by it in some way. It’s a story about the impact of love and how we handle it as human beings, either positively or negatively. Marriage and divorce can come from either stance, and marriage is now something that is a real possibility for a lot of the gay and lesbian community. So with that, it immediately changes any romantic relationships we now have going forward. Being able to marry also gives more common ground with our straight family members, friends and colleagues. Many of us have lived our lives strictly within the straight community and a little more common ground really does go a long way towards feeling included.

S: Who would you say is your target audience?

TCW: Like Anyone But Me, this isn’t directed towards one audience and one audience alone. I believe in telling stories that everyone can relate to in some way. Of course the hope is that the lesbian community embraces Good People in Love because there are situations in the series that I hope will reflect their experiences.

From the trailer it seems like Good People in Love doesn’t exactly idealize lesbian relationships. Would you say you are you promoting a gay positive perspective and if so, how?

It’s not a negative perspective, but it’s perspective that I don’t think is explored too often either. I think there are a lot of real issues and circumstances about our lives that very rarely are explored. Those circumstances are what interest me as a storyteller, and they’re what I want to talk about.

Go watch the first episode. Tell me what you think. Tell me if you’re as thrilled as I am that such talented and passionate women are putting (sexy) lesbians into things we want to watch!

Movie Night: Puccini for Beginners

Welcome to Movie Night! Where we choose a movie based on any number of variables and feelings, create a themed menu to match, then spend Friday / Saturday night eating these foods and watching these movies!

Q: What’s better than a real life Italian cooking you an Italian dinner?

A: Cuddling up with said Italian to watch a lesbian Italian(ish) movie!

Originally we were going to have a super Italian night and watch Bound but since it wasn’t available on Netflix we went with Puccini for Beginners. And by “we” I am referring to myself and two very beautiful ladies, one of whom is Alex Vega’s girlfriend (#donttellvega).

THE MOVIE

Puccini for Beginners

[ buy me ]

A little about Puccini for Beginners:

Snappy repartee with the ring of real conversation among people who are never at a loss for a remark is something every self-respecting Manhattan sophisticate imagines can be channeled into a screenplay with the crackle of vintage Woody Allen. That elusive tone is sustained through enough of Maria Maggenti’s film “Puccini for Beginners” to make it a rarity. The movie, a screwball comedy of sexual confusion with lesbian inclinations, photographed in digital video all over Manhattan, comes more than a decade after Ms. Maggenti’s promising debut, “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love.” It captures the neurotic self-absorption of a class of academic and literary New Yorkers who put enormous stock in precisely verbalizing every opinion and emotion, using terms like “paradigm shift.” — Stephen Holden (New York Times)

I think my favorite thing about this movie is that it doesn’t try to explain gay. Gay is simply accepted in it as a part of life and people. Also, it could easily be a heterosexual love story if you just cast the characters differently which I also adore because again, it is relatable and something quite normal in the world of the movie and should be in the world of reality.

“Commit! Just listen to that word, it’s what they do in insane asylums!”
-Allegra

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

THE MENU

Eggplant Florentine
Coconut Macaroons
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The ladies poured and sipped some delicious cabernet sauvignon while I started dinner.

Eggplant Florentine

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant
2 cups of Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of Flour
1/2 cup of Egg whites
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large bag of Spinach
2 cloves minced Garlic
1 jar of Marinara sauce
Salt to taste

Heat the oven to broil and steam the spinach.

Warm the marinara in a covered pot. Set up one bowl with the breadcrumbs and flour and fill another one with the egg whites and olive oil. Slice the eggplant into half inch slices and then dip the slices one by one into the egg white mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture.

Lay out the slices onto baking sheets and put it in the oven until the tops are browned and then flip them and bake for another ten minutes. They should be browned on both sides and fork tender when they come out.

When the spinach is finished steaming drain it and then sauté it with salt and minced garlic.
Spoon some marinara onto a clean plate, layer one eggplant round, spoon on a heaping serving of spinach, layer another round of eggplant, add a bit more marinara and a bit more spinach and voila! a decadent Italian masterpiece.

“Those who break up with me usually earn my life long devotion.”
-Allegra

Coconut Macaroons

If you REALLY want to get laid you can also quite easily whip up some coconut macaroons.

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites
pinch of salt
1 (8oz) package of sweetened shredded coconut (lightly toasted)
(optional: 1/2 cup sugar)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer with a whip attachment whip the egg whites with the salt until they become white and begin to stiffen. Add optional sugar in small quantities and continue to whip the egg mixture until it becomes quite stiff. Fold in the toasted coconut. Scoop little balls of the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The outside should be golden brown and the inside should still be moist (THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID).

When dinner is served pop in the movie and enjoy!


Share any Puccini-related recipes / memories / favorite feelings in the comments!

Sarah Croce’s Team Pick: “The Fish Child” – A New Lesbian Film

The Fish Child (El Niño Pez) is not just a clever double entendre title for a lesbian love story — it’s also a legit character in this film.

The Fish Child is a “thrilling romantic drama” — a gripping tale of forbidden lesbian romance and a crime heist gone wrong … plus some additional class issues. Maybe throw in some theft, a cute dog, human trafficking, and a gun fight and you have the whole package. So it’s still basically what every lesbian relationship FEELS like. But in this movie, it’s all really happening, NOT JUST IN YOUR BRAIN CONTAINER.

The true depth of the love story opens with the two young women sitting next to one another whispering confidentially:

Lala: “Do you like him?”

Emme: “No.”

Lala: “Then, don’t see him again. Him or anyone else.”

Emme: “Ask me in Guarani.”

Lala: “I don’t know how to say it.”

Emme speaking in Guarani: “I love you. I want you to be mine.”

Lala repeating it: “I love you. I want you to be mine.” Kissing ensues.

ADORBS RIGHT!?

Unfortunately, that is the closest we come to seeing pure, untainted love between the two women. The scenes that follow are laced with crime, affairs, lies, and secrets. But as long as I’m not directly involved in any of it, count me in with a bowl of popcorn and a snuggie to watch the drama unfold!

You can buy the movie and read more about the plot via Wolfe Video, of course. The DVD is available July 26th, so mark your Autostraddle calendars!

In the meantime, google Mariela Vitale and Ines Efron. I promise you won’t regret it.

Oh, and it’s in Spanish, so if you don’t speak la lengua you may want to watch it with your reading glasses on duh.

Croce’s Team Pick: Premiere for Lesbian Film ‘Bloomington’ This Wednesday

“Think of Ellen Page, circa Juno, dating Elizabeth Mitchell during her Gia period and you’ve got Catherine (McAtee) and Jackie (Stouffer) in Bloomington.” – Frontiers

Enough said, right?

But I probably should say more. Y/N?

‘Bloomington‘ is a newly-released film with potential to be the newest lesbian movie drama hit, like Better Than Chocolate but … better.

Additionally, those of us in or around the Los Angeles area can go see the film premiere at the PYT party this Wednesday, May 11th! If you go to PYT’s awesome lesbian party every Wednesday like I do (jk … or am I?), then you’re in luck!

Here’s a little more about it:

In the tradition of LOVING ANNABELLE.

BLOOMINGTON is a coming-of-age drama about Jackie Kirk, the former child star of a sci-fi hit show. Hoping to find independence from her somewhat overbearing mother, Jackie leaves California for the Midwest to attend college. Surprisingly, she doesn’t fit in with her peers, who are constantly aware of her celebrity status. At a department mixer, Jackie is instantly attracted to Catherine, a young professor with a reputation. Both being outsiders, they develop an intense bond as they pursue a secret affair.

Not a big deal, but I feel like no one in their right mind would want to miss this. Just sayin.

VIDEO! The Real L Word (Parody) PART TWO: The Lost Episode

For those of you unable to afford brain reconstruction surgery, you probably still have PTSD flashbacks regarding Showtime’s Semi-Hit Shitshow The Real L Word, that fantastic program about the loves, lives, lust and lornadoones of several good-looking lesbians residing in the Los Angeles area. Perhaps you also remember the time that Executive Editor Laneia and Miss April Sarah Croce decided that Autostraddle was obligated by some higher power to produce a Real L Word parody video and I (Riese) said ABSOLUTELY NOT, but then this happened anyhow:

But that was only Part One! It’s been months, where’s part two? Well, I (Riese) sort of lost interest in the whole project BUT LUCKY FOR YOU, Sarah Croce stepped in! She’s a Jackie of all Trades or something, and a magical person.

That’s right, our intrepid supermodel Sarah Croce not only learned how to use Final Cut but subsequently applied this knowledge to editing Part Two herself! It’s like really good you guys.

So without any further ado (and face it, I just put you through a ton of fucking ado) — Part Two of The Real L Word parody, starring a bunch of people, edited by Sarah Fucking Croce:

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The New York City cast of this video were filmed by two real lesbians, Millie and Jenn of Onyxrai Productions, and produced by Autostraddle.com and Geek Goddess Productions. The Los Angeles segments (Ilene & EZier Girl and Stamie & Tracy) were filmed by a tripod and Stamie’s nanny, respectively.

Conceptualized by: Executive Editor Laneia, Senior Editor Jess R., Sarah H. and Sarah Croce

Part One Edited by: Riese

Part Two Edited by: Sarah Croce

Ilene Chaiken; Julie Goldman of In Your Box Office With Julie & Brandy
EZier Girl: Brandy Howard of In Your Box Office With Julie & Brandy

Rose: Miss January Jennifer Nieves
Nat: Music Blogger Stef Schwartz

Whitney: Miss April Sarah Croce
Tor: Design Director Alex Vega
Sara: Design Director Alex Vega
Romi: Design Director Alex Vega

Nikki: Editor-in-Chief Riese
Jill: Miss February Julia

Tracy: Haviland Stillwell of the Haviland & Riese Vlogs
Stamie: Stamie Karakasidis of Our Fifteen Minutes

Mikey: DJ Carlytron
Raquel: Photoblogger Robin Roemer

Furthermore, we have even MORE Behind-the-Scenes photos for you for funsies:

Let’s Talk Food Blogs: Here’s a Vegan Site That Will Probs Change Your Life, Etc.

I spend a lot of spare time at work perusing the internet for fun vegan, vegetarian, raw, organic or gluten-free recipes because I love food more than I love sleep (and I LOVE sleep). I thought I was familiar with all of the food blogs, then I found Happy Healthy Life, written by Kathy Patalsky.

Olive Tapenade Tempeh Vegan Sandwich - click image for recipe

My initial feeling was, “WHAT. How did I not find this site sooner?” which quickly morphed into, “Who is this Kathy and why are we not friends?” She covers juicing, detoxing, super foods, FOOD FOR YOUR MOOD (I know – you just fell in love) and Five Healthy Tips for Eating at Chipolte!? YES. Yes, this is my home now. Thank you.

“My favorite wellness tips include: drinking lots of coconut water, eating giant big multi-ingredient salads everyday, experimenting with seasonal ingredients, epsom salts in a hot bath, hot yoga, long walks on weekends, naps, spending time with animals like my kitty, deep breathing, smoothies/juices, raw foods whenever possible, starting each day with fresh fruit, not shunning healthy fats like avocados-nuts-and olive oil and using laughter as the medicine that heals all.”

…you had me at ‘big multi-ingredient salads.’

Kathy lives in New York. I live in New York. Obviously I’m devising a way in which I can surreptitiously run into her, then be invited to one of her dinner parties. It should go something like this:

Me: “Oh, hi! Yeah, I am in the West Village a lot, especially for someone who lives way out in Queens, haha… Well, I was just in the neighborhood with this homemade hummus and no potluck to bring it to…”
Kathy: “Please come in! I have some locally-grown organic vegetables THAT ARE ALREADY SLICED TO PERFECTION! Let’s be friends!”
Me: OK!

Share your favorite vegan-friendly food blogs in the comments!

Follow Happy Healthy Life on Twitter.

[Ed. note: Sarah = Miss April. Oh had you forgotten? YOU’RE WELCOME.]