Hi there! Finding Delight is a lifestyle and lifelong learning blog written and curated by me in Alabama. Along the way, I attempt to tackle the rough real world with books, budget-livin', brainpower and all the beautiful stuff you can find when you really look. Won't you join me? The true delight is in the finding out.
View all posts by Beth Berger →
I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! It seems as though this back and forth weather nonsense has a lot of people feeling ooky, so I hope you’re taking care of yourselves. I’ve been popping zinc like crazy just in case. : ) In other news, HUGE congratulations to the Western Kentucky University Forensics Team for winning the International Forensics Association tournament in Paris, France. Go Tops!
Now, enjoy some link love on me and have a magnificent day. ❤
Today, I’d like to share a very special guest post written by my Mom. She has long been at the forefront in terms of compassionate eating and consumerism so I thought, who better to turn to for some knowledge on why we should all make the jump to Fair Trade coffee purchasing? I am lucky to have been raised by this people teachin’, vegan eatin’, social justice fightin’ lady who has now realized her passion for all 3 can coalesce into one powerful mission—
I love coffee. I love it hot or iced (and anywhere in between really), plain black or fancied up as a cappuccino or latte. I love it morning, noon and night and am ever so thankful that it doesn’t seem to keep me from sleeping. But what I don’t love is how much of the world’s supply of coffee comes at a HUGE humanitarian cost. And so, I drink Fair Trade coffee. Let me explain.
You see, the coffee industry is nothing like what’s portrayed in those iconic coffee commercials of the 1960s with Juan Valdez and his sweet little burro. Rather, most of the agriculture workers in the coffee business toil in what can only be described as “sweatshops in the fields.” The farmers themselves receive prices for their coffee beans that are less than what they were forced to spend to produce them, pushing them into a cycle of poverty and debt. Their workers are often children, youth and women earning subsistence wages. Grinding poverty and illiteracy are stamped all over the coffee beverages most Americans consume – whether they’re brewing their own, downing a steaming hot cup they just got at the drive-through, or sipping one of those specialty drinks made by a trained barista at their yuppified coffee shop.
Coffee is the world’s SECOND most valuable commodity after petroleum, and U.S. consumers drink one-quarter of the beans traded in the global market. That represents a LOT of coffee. A HUGE amount of coffee. And a very large percentage of that coffee is consumed at the expense of millions of hard-working people around the world who by no fault of their own lack access to the information, services and infrastructure they need to participate as equals in the global economy; to earn their FAIR share of the wealth created by international trade. There is another way though, and one I’ve embraced for several years now.
Fair Trade offers a means for small farmers to receive fair prices. It cuts out the middle men (there’s usually more than one) and provides not just a market for coffee but education for growing great coffee in an ecologically responsible way. And Fair Trade builds relationships between farmers and Fair Trade coffee companies in the U.S. This is the only approach that guarantees coffee farmers a fair price and workers a fair wage. Plus, this way guarantees the consumer a great cup of joe. Imagine, less poverty, less illiteracy, less oppression, all by doing what you’re already doing – drinking coffee. Mind-boggling and yet so simple.
Like I said, I started purchasing Fair Trade certified coffee at my local cooperative grocery store several years ago. I realize now that they were on the cutting edge of this movement. Then, it seemed the right thing to do and they were the only place to get Fair Trade. Today, Fair Trade coffee is far more available. Many stores carry, at least, some Fair Trade. Yes, it costs a little more than your can of ground coffee from the chain grocery store. But isn’t it worth it? By buying Fair Trade you are supporting coffee farmers in developing countries. You are insuring that coffee workers receive a fair wage and safe working conditions. You are putting children, who would otherwise be harvesting coffee beans, in school. You are doing more for the environment than that little bit of recycling you do does. And…drum roll please…you are getting really, really great coffee. It always tastes better!
Have I convinced you to go Fair Trade? Well, if not, stay tuned because I am sure to have more to offer in the near future. You see, I have been selected to attend specialized Fair Trade training in Baltimore, Maryland at the end of this month. I will then be a Fair Trade Ambassador. Perhaps Beth will have me back to talk about Fair Trade Chocolate and Fair Trade Tea and Fair Trade Olive Oil and Fair Trade Wine…you get the picture. Bottom line…we can make a difference in the world by what we consume – enjoy a cuppa Fair Trade coffee today and be the change you want to see in the world.
Thanks so much to my Mom, Pam Berger, for sharing! ❤ She’s gonna make such a rockstar Fair Trade Ambassador. And, what do you think, could you make the switch to going all Fair Trade for your cup of joe?
It’s no secret that I love blogs. There are plenty of web presences I turn to for inspiration, information and advice. These interweb relationships are almost always with women–smart, strong, beautiful ladies who help keep me up to date, looking put together, eating well and laughing…all with a few clicks of my laptop. Today I’d like to share just a few women of the web I come back to again and again.
Ashley of {never} homemaker…
She writes about healthy recipes and running (and cross-training) tips here. After the birth of her adorable daughter Ada she started a second blog to cover more aspects of her family life. She makes a mean pizza, educates readers on what runners should be eating, and has tons of great posts for new runners in general.
She writes about living frugally, organization and scoring deals (couponing, freebies, etc) here. If you have a Kindle or e-reader, her round-ups of the weeks FREE e-books are worth checking out. This post set me on the right path to a cheaper grocery bill by spending a few weeks making short term sacrifices. And she has tons of income earning ideas and how-to’s for blogging for profit. Of course, you may be wondering why I; a single, liberal, non-churchy gal, would be turning to this Christian Mom blogger as one of my go-to’s. Well, the answer is simple–SHE HAS SAVED ME MONEY. And I love saving money. If you’re trying to cut costs or make the commitment to budget-livin’, I would absolutely recommend turning to blogs like these; home-schoolin’, bible quotin’, budgetistas…these SAHM’s get a bad rap but they’ve made saving money their full time jobs. Haters gonna hate but I’m addicted to Christian Mom bloggers. : )
She takes a fun, non-judgmental approach to yoga here. She also contributes stellar content to my favorite yoga site. She teaches this fantastic 30-day yoga challenge in which web followers everywhere fell in love with her yoga teaching style! ❤ (me included.) Her self-declared “bad yogi” style is easily adoptable and you can even purchase her super cute yoga tank top (WANT). I value her honesty.
I hope you check these gorgeous ladies out and incorporate them into your own web rotation. I’d love to share more inspirational “women of the web” in future posts, if y’all would like. Who is providing you with internet inspiration these days? I’d love to hear! Thanks to Erin, Crystal and Ashley for providing such ride or die web presences in my life. ❤
If you’re living on a budget, one of the easiest places to make cuts is entertainment. I’ve even read several budget blogs and books that repeatedly call for penny-pinchers to “just stay at home” if they want to eliminate the risk of unwanted spending. While I can’t argue with the efficacy of this advice, I don’t see it as a plausible solution to financial struggles and I would love to discuss it a little more in depth at a later time. For now, I’d like to bring to your attention a community event trend that is a huge boon for all of us who don’t wanna shell out the big bucks for a night out of the house–the free movie. If you just do a little homework you are bound to find a few films each month that are of some interest to you at the low, low price of FREENINETYNINE! Bookmark some online calendars–your local college campus, libraries and Parks and Rec department are great places to start.
If you’re in the Lexington area, the board of directors at my darling place of employment sponsors a monthly film series. The documentary films are screened at the Lexington Central Library and typically feature a few expert speakers before or after the showing.
The next FREE movie event is Tuesday, March 25th from 6:30-9pm. The film is Food for Change, which examines the history of food cooperatives in America, as well as their ability to create economic and social change in our unique cultural landscape. If you’ve ever been curious about the cooperative business model or love your co-op but wonder what it does to strengthen local community, economy and food security; this film will provide some answers.
No reason to sit at home when there is free learnin’ to be had!
…And because I’m in full support of movie snacks, I won’t tell if you sneak in this and this…just don’t crunch too loud. ; )
As we continue on our literary journey, hiking alongside Cheryl Strayed in Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, I’d like to bring you some extra material and hopefully extend your pursuit of the female road narrative beyond the confines of Strayed’s pages. Admittedly, I can fall down the rabbit hole on a lot of subjects but I think doing so in an attempt to provide a more holistic reading experience is a worthy plummet. Along the way I’ve raised some points for you to ponder and meditate on. Let’s jump right in!
More with Cheryl Strayed
Besides some online written reviews, the first press I heard about “Wild” and Strayed’s journey was on one of my favorite radio shows, Q with Jian Ghomeshi. Here, Jian asks some poignant and thoughtful questions…
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Would you hike the Pacific Crest Trail? What do you think Cheryl means when she says she “writes in the company of fear and I’m used to it”?
Cheryl delivers a lovely TEDTalk on Radical Sincerity and explains, “our deepest treasures are buried in the crappy detritus of our life.” This idea was glaringly apparent to me with each passing chapter of her story and reiterated here. What I found so compelling throughout “Wild,” and perhaps you’re picking up on this through the pages as well, was how her physical pain throughout the hike served as a larger metaphor for her emotional pain, so much so, that it became unclear where one ended and the other began. And this is true in her speech here as well. It’s as if she could be talking about hiking 1100 miles or losing her mother at 22 or both…and for some reason I find that so beautiful.
“It was the most heroic thing I had ever done and that suffering was the greatest suffered…Carrying this weight I couldn’t bear; I bore it. Couldn’t live in a world without my mother; I was living in one.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What is the most heroic thing you have ever done? Was it physical or emotional?
Setting off into the great unknown as a woman doesn’t have to be scary, it can be empowering. (Plus, Oprah insists she just got a cellphone. *side eye*)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What is the longest stretch of time you’ve spent alone?
Cinematic Renderings of the Female Journey
When reflecting on on-screen odysseys of the feminine nature there are a few forms that come to mind:
Traveling home (NOW)…or with your peers for protection (THEN)…
To escape…when you’re “in trouble”…
When the trail eventually leads to a man…
I’ve watched these movies (multiple times each) and I’m drawn to these journeys and stories, too. Yet, I recognize that these can’t be the only paths. Surely there are other, unpaved roads for we women to pave…and movies we can make about the process. : )
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What film journeys come to mind when you think about a woman on the road? Do they fall into these categories? Why do you think these particular narratives are more palatable to us?
Possible Paths
Perhaps you are like me and “Wild” has struck a cord on more counts than just acting as a positive example of a female road narrative. Perhaps, you too have dreams of backpacking far off lands and long distance hiking.
To watch some kick-ass, back-packin’ the world, travelin’ expert ladies; I would recommend checking out the travel show Globe Trekker here. If you’re not feelin’ paying to watch the episodes, I’ve checked out many Globe Trekker DVDs at my local libraries and I think it comes on PBS2 if you got channels and such. They travel all around the world and highlight tips for solo travel. Great for a hearty dose of wanderlust.
To watch some kids KILLIN’ IT on the Appalachian Trail check out this. These three hiked the length of the AT and made 31 awesome webisodes documenting their journey. Their silliness and spirit was moving and inspiring. I hope to tackle future hardships by taking a page from their book–always laughing, humbled by the beauty of nature, drawing on the strength of community and love. Once you watch their first update you’ll probably accidentally binge watch them all…so, sorry about that.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If you could write a road narrative into being RIGHT NOW, what would that journey look like? Where would the road lead?
I am of the belief that everyone should have a super simple meal they can make on the quicks that satisfies their unique palate. The kind of meal you can make when work runs late. The kind of meal you can make when you have somewhere more fun to be then in front of your stove. Basically, the kind of meal you can make instead of pulling up to a drive-thru window. For my mom, this meal is nachos. For a co-worker, it is omelettes. For me, it is putting things on top of toast. In college, beans on toast was a go-to dinner staple. Last year, I went through a big brie and pears on toast phase. And we’ve already discussed my favorite lazy summer meal! But now it is all about the avocado toast!
This recipe is inspired by the crayest health-guru of them all–Gwyneth Paltrow–with a few modifications by yours truly. This is literally the easiest thing you can make from her cookbook “It’s All Good” and I’m not exaggerating when I say it is crazy delicious. Let’s let Gwyneth wax poetic for a second:
“…but really it’s the holy trinity of Vegenaise, avocado, and salt that makes this like a favorite pair of jeans…”
What a lovable weirdo. And aren’t you intrigued??? Let’s get to it!
Ingredients:
whole-grain bread, preferably with some seeds in it to add a little extra crunch
Vegenaise, I know it sounds crazy but just trust me
avocado, I usually use ½ for 2 slices of toast but you do you
balsamic vinegar
freshly cracked pepper
Himalayan sea salt
To assemble:
Pop two slices of bread in the toaster. Slice your avocado. When the bread is toasted, spread it with some Vegenaise (Personally, I do not care for actual mayonnaise but I really like the vegan version so I can’t speak to whether this recipe would be good with the real stuff. If you’re inclined to give it a go than by all means…Gwyneth would not be as forgiving as I). Layer the avocado slices on top making sure to smoosh them down with your fingers a bit so they get down into the crunch of the bread. ; ) Pour a little balsamic vinegar over top. Crack pepper over everything. Sprinkle just a pinch of some pink Himalayan sea salt on the avocados. Voila!
What’s fantastic about putting things on toast as your go-to fast-food meal is you can pair with whatever you have in your fridge to round it out. This toast goes great with fruit salad, scrambled eggs, yogurt, chips and salsa, salad, steamed veggies–pretty much anything your little heart desires. Oh, and if you try it and love it? I told you so and you’re welcome.
I used to coach forensics (speech and debate) for one of the top collegiate programs in the nation. It was a wonderful job full of constant brainstorming and creativity, politics and passion, and some of the most fantastic people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. But the thing I miss most about my old profession is live entertainment. The possibility for performance at my disposal on a daily basis was an amazing job perk. Lucky for me these performances were by some of the most talented college students in the world! The beautiful thing about forensics performance, specifically interpretation of literature if you’re familiar, in my opinion, is it’s simplicity. These sort of no-costumes, no-lighting, no-sets, incredibly nuanced and detail-oriented performances have completely spoiled me over the years. Sure, I love a Broadway show with a budget of millions as much as the next snob but I also crave a performance where the focus is the text and character. Where I can totally suspend disbelief and my only guide in that suspension is the performer herself.
Now that I’ve been out of the world of competitive forensics for a few years I fully realize how much I took these performances for granted. I try my best to support the performing arts at the local level as much as possible. I want to use my dollars to keep these programs doin’ what they’re doin’ but also for selfish reasons–I CRAVE live performance.
Needless to say when my sister asked if I wanted to check out a play put together by a few of her pals I was totally game. The show was produced by Actor’s Guild of Lexington but wasn’t a part of their regular season lineup and only ran for a weekend. Tickets were only ten bucks. If you’re on a budget and love supporting local art, get on some e-mail mailing lists so you don’t miss out on opportunities like these. Many times theaters will run these awesome little shows on the cheaps but ya gotta be in the know! These shows typically have lower production values but will feature many of the same actors you’re gonna see in the regular season and are often directed by younger, less-seasoned directors–so they’re super eager and experimental. Hmmm…smells like forensics to me!
The play we were lucky enough to catch was “Smudge” by Rachel Axler, directed by Chrisena Ricci (assistant to the artistic director at AGL) and starring Cindy Head, Eric Seale (artistic director at AGL) and Marshall Manley. Katie and I loved it! Initially, I was just excited to see a show at the new Actor’s Guild location out Old Harrodsburg Rd. (near the Ramsey’s) but the performance itself ended up being quite a delight. : )
“Smudge” is the story of a young American couple giving birth to their first child and how they cope with the one in millions chance undetected abnormality she is born with. Cindy Head and Marshall Manley, as the young couple, played off each other extremely well and their scenes alone (and with the special carriage the baby had to stay in to survive) were equal parts comical and horrifying–dark comedy at it’s best. Eric Seale, as the uncle, was fantastic comedic relief. Most scenes had the sort of humour you weren’t sure you should laugh at because they featured squirmy subject matter. However, Seale’s scenes you knew you could. This dichotomy, in my opinion, is what made the performance work. The show culminated in a lovely scene, where the father, who worked for the census, presents a PowerPoint that tailspins into how his child fits into statistics. These numbers, coupled with the array of emotions displayed throughout the show, merge in pitch-perfect form and create a sense of finality, a sense that the characters can now, and we along with them, acquiesce to their given situation.
All in all, I thought the show’s simple set, props and costumes were a boon, as they didn’t add or detract from the honest performance the actors were giving. Just the sort of performance this former forensics coach can get behind. While the run was short and you’ve already missed out ; ), do keep your ear to the ground for future shows–the simple ones can sometimes surprise you!
AND if you’re looking for some live entertainment this weekend, Actors Guild of Lexington’s regular season show “Other Hands”opens TONIGHT and runs through Sunday. Wed-Sat shows are at 8pm and Sun is at 2pm. The show will be at Actor’s Guild of Lexington Theater, 4383 Old Harrodsburg Road #155 and you can purchase tickets here. Break a leg cast and crew!
Hello lovelies! What have you been up to this week? Monday night, in celebration of the warm front, I grabbed drinks with a few friends after work. We got a bucket of seasonal SUMMER beer and even sat out on the patio for a little bit. Yesterday, I had to go to some job training (complete with many poorly acted educational videos) but the commute to and fro with the sun shinin’ and all my windows rolled down totally made it a-ok! I even squeezed in a walk around my neighborhood at sunset. Life’s possibilities seem endless to me when the weather is warm! ….We just won’t mention the fact that my weather app said it was supposed to snow today….that can’t be true, right? I hope the rest of your week is full of the promises of Spring and here are a few links just for you!
Scenes from Wisconsin. (I love the last photo with the lawn chairs arranged around a fire-pit!)
Love y’all! This blog has been such a fun adventure so far and I really appreciate all your kind words and support! I sure do know some awesome people. : )
Strangely, the star everyone loves to hate, I just love to love. Now, I recognize that most of what comes out of her mouth is ridiculous, and sure that’s annoying and would be a little obnoxious if the food she was talking about wasn’t so damn good. Gwyneth is a big believer of a clean, no processed foods, whole-food approach.
Her website Goop and her cookbooks focus a lot on finding ways to make clean eating more tasty. And guess what? She succeeds…because she’s bougie enough to not give a crap about pumping a bunch of money into making brownies without sugar taste legit or the precise spice chemistry to make stir-fry with basically nothing appetizing in it at alllll taste like take-out.
Gwyneth is passionate about food in the same way all of y’all are who post your meals on Instagram. The only difference is she is rich and famous so instead of throwing a filter on lunch she hires people to help create, blog about and write a cookbook for it. Cut a bitch some slack.
Honestly, I think the absurdity of Gwyneth’s recipe-prose and the absolute un-relatability of her recommendations increased the appeal for me. Give me a dash of celebrity humor with a bangin’ smoothie recipe any day. Entice me to try cooking something so insane that I have to text someone about it when it turns out delicious–and I’m yours for life.
Obviously I’m not going to take daily saunas or catch wild game hens but I do love fresh, whole, clean ingredients. I’m not really worried about cleansing my internal organs of toxins but it WAS kind of cool to do her cleanse and feel miserable for a couple of days and then start feeling more energetic… followed by amazing… followed by I could eat like this forever!!!… followed by haha jk no I can’t but I might do that again someday.
“It’s All Good” has vegan and paleo recipes and even a whole section of recipes geared towards children (aka me). While there are also quite a few recipes that just didn’t look cost effective or seemed too time intensive for my purposes; all the easier, cheaper recipes I made were awesome.
Basically, I just think everything Gwyneth says is hilarious and I hope she’s not being serious when she says things but I also know she is. You shouldn’t write off her recipes just because she’s unnecessarily verbose about mundane ingredients–you should think of this as her version of pulling out her iPhone to snap an insta.
If you’re eating clean, vegan or paleo give her cookbook a go. It’s not gonna hurt anything to check that shit out from the library. It’s not like you’re paying for a ticket to one of her movies. Because that…I couldn’t endorse.
—
“We have great dinner parties at which everyone sits around talking about politics, history, art and literature—all this peppered with really funny jokes. But back in America, I was at a party and a girl looked at me and said, ‘Oh, my God! Are those Juicy jeans that you’re wearing?’ and I thought, I can’t stay here. I have to get back to Europe.” <—lol whuuuut? Me too, girl, me too.
(photo from the cookbook mentioned above and via here. 3 recipes from the book are also available via this link. : )
Finding delight. 
