Life in Jenneral

This seems to be a conversation I’ve had many times before. Whether it’s a female friend complaining over a manicure or a guy friend asking for some insight, video game playing can be a make or break topic when it comes to a relationship. So, without further ado I’ve compiled some do’s and don’ts based on personal experience (let’s just say I’m listening to the destruction noises of Call of Duty while I type this) and feedback from others. Hopefully you—and your significant other—will find them useful. Also, awhile I’m sure there are some couples out there where these gender roles are reversed, I’m mostly going to refer to the typical boy loves games, girl loves boy relationship.

Tell her to find a hobby of her own.
She may just find something to do, and my dear, it won’t be you. You may not mean it to be degrading, but it almost comes off as such. Saying this makes it sound like she has nothing better to do than wait around for you to finish. That is not the case; she is just interested in spending some quality time with you. Even if she seems to be nagging you need just remember that her interest isn’t in you quitting something you enjoy, she just wants you to enjoy some time with her.

Allow game playing to define you in her mind.
There are a few ways to avoid this. The best way is to avoid the image of you sitting on the couch, knee deep in virtual slaughter when she first gets home from work. You may have just sat down, but it appears to her that you’ve been sitting there all day doing nothing. This image is very hard to erase and she may think your playing way more than you actually are. Also, while your out remember to talk about other things you enjoy other than the dragon you killed in Skyrim. You should feel comfortable talking to her about your hobby, but I promise you she doesn’t care how big a kill streak you had last night. Seriously.

Fall into the comparison trap. Don’t say things like, “But my friend ______ plays twice as much as I do”.
This is not about them. And they are most likely single. You will be too if you continue to answer her concerns this way. Passing the blame does not make your actions any more acceptable to her. Honestly, this rule doesn’t fly in any argument so why would you use it here. She’s with you and not with him for a reason. Remember that your special before comparing yourself to someone else.

Acknowledge her concerns and come up with a plan.
I know it’s a big shock, but chicks like to talk things out. Acknowledge that she’s upset, and talk about it. If you pretend there isn’t an issue it will only fester and grow until it explodes all over your living room. Ask questions: Is it how much you play? When you play? What would she rather you do together? Showing that you care about her opinion, and are taking it into consideration, will do wonders and possibly open up more time for you to play in the long run.

Make your honest opinion and “ok” zone known.
Don’t sugar coat it. If you want to play for hours on end that’s your right—but she needs to know that’s how you feel. Are you ok playing 4 hours on week nights? Put that out there and come up with a plan. Setting time limits like 5p-9p for game play will allow her to make other plans and know what she’s getting into.

Plan activities that involve something she is interested in.
Switch off planning a special date night once a month. Make the effort to plan an outing that she is interested in. After a bit of time sharing interests you might be able to convince her to try a game she might like as well. Just remember you might have to curb your taste of headshots in order to sway her into your side. Games that involve teamwork will work best, and that flies for Little Big Planet as much as it does for Resident Evil 5. Showing an active interest in what she likes will help balance out your issues and even open you both up to new experiences!

So remember, when you’re getting ready to spend the rest of the night getting yelled at by 12-year-old’s don’t forget the woman (or man) you love. Plan some time to spend together, make sure she doesn’t think games own your life, and for love of god don’t yell at her like one of those 12-year-old’s. Relationships are about compromise, and if you play your cards right she might be helping you with those Portal 2 multiplayer maps rather than sending you to the couch for a night alone.

This article was written by Jenna Hagerich, a marketing professional and long time girlfriend to a gamer. More articles written by her can be found on her blog, Life In Jenneral.

I can’t believe it’s already November. T. T. Faulkner and I were discussing the other day how November feels so….hopeful. There’s the cooler weather and holidays to look forward to. (I then decided to mention the fact that a lot of suicides occur during the holidays, cause I really know how to kill a conversation).

Anyway, I was reading Carrot’s n Cake the other day and got inspired to take the Be Thankful Challenge.

Things have been hard lately. There are a lot of things I don’t quite have figured out, and if you know me, you know this isn’t good. I’m a planner. I have expectations. I’m a perfectionist and feel like a failure if everything isn’t right. Do I know this is ridiculous? yes. Does that change it? absolutely not.
But one thing I DO know is that negativity makes things worse and only creates more uncertainty. So, in honor of November I was inspired to take the Be Thankful Challenge, and I think you should too! Blog each day about something you are thankful for. NO matter what I know it will make you feel better. Don’t have a blog? Tweet it using the hashtag #bethankfulchallenge and follow others. Or you could write it on a sticky note. Or just think it.

So here’s my pledge. I will blog or tweet something each day. Follow along here or @lifeinjenneral on twitter or facebook.

Today I’m thankful for skinny peppermint mochas and spicy tuna burgers that can satisfy my cheeseburger cravings. YUM.

What are you thankful for today?

Sometimes you have to put your big girl pants (or skirt) on…

and deal with this…

So you can enjoy…

beers on the water

beaux time

PBFingers is one of my favorite blogs (p.s. Julie,…the bachelorette..Bentley…WTF) and she inspired this awesome granola recipe when she made peanut butter granola and almond butter granola this past week. YUM!

Warning: this granola is super addictive.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of almond butter
4 tablespoons of honey
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
2 cups of oats

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the nut butters and honey for about 25 seconds. Stir.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Add chia seeds and oats to the mixture. Stir reaaalllllly realllllyy well making sure the oats get coated evenly.

Bake at 325 degrees on a greased cookie sheet for about 7 minutes. Give it a little toss and bake for another 4. Remove from over, and let it cool. It’ll get nice and crispy. Once cool, store in an air tight container. Enjoy!

I will admit, I have made more than one batch of this stuff. It is addictive. It’s a great healthy snack, but if you start to eat the whole pan, share with friends

Speaking of how awesome summer is…I came home to a great surprise on my porch. Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from my neighbors garden! How awesome!

I was hot and sweaty (yet again) from work and all that sounded appetizing was a smoothie. I made one after work, and was hungry (surprise, surprise) about 2 hours later. I was craving some vegetables, and the present on my door step inspired this summer salad:

I chopped up three sweet peppers, one small tomato, and half a cucumber. I made a quick dressing of olive oil, lime juice, and red pepper. The zest was just right! This would make a great side dish.

I don’t know about you, but the summertime triggers a lot of memories and cravings. Some of them are random (I tend to crave pizza on Friday’s because my mom got for us every Friday in the summer when I was young. We’d stay up and watch TGIF..anyone? anyone?) and some are more suddle.

The summer makes me HATE the gym. It’s been upwards of 100 degrees countless days already; the last thing I want to do after sweating at work all day is change into gym clothes and go sweat in a sweaty gym with sweaty people. I have to get a little creative; think lots of swimming and group fitness classes.

On the weekends (and some week nights!) I crave refreshing cocktails; pina coladas, margaritas, gin and tonics, etc. YUM. Alternative? I’ve started experimenting with some summer ‘mocktails’. They are delicious, and I actually prefer them most nights.

• Cranberry lime spritzer: 1 cup of club soda, 1/8-1/4 cup of REAL cranberry juice, a few tablespoons of lime juice. Stir, add lots of ice and ENJOY!
• Cucumber water: Add 3 or 4 cucumber slices to club soda or water. Delicious and refreshing.
• ALL NATURAL pineapple juice mixed with coconut water.

What are your summer triggers? And any favorite mocktail recipes?

I love having this around in the summer. My friend Paula shared this recipe with me a few years ago, and I’ve loved it ever since. If you need to take something to a summer get together, it’s always a hit! And it’s so easy.

-1 can of black beans; drained
-1 can of shoe peg corn; drained
-1 tsp-1tblspoon (depends on the flavor you want) of olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup of feta cheese (I alawys buy the Publix brand container and use about half–this measurement is also to taste)

Combine all of the above in a bowl, stir well, and you are all set!

It’s great by it’s self with some tortilla chips, on a salad, with rice, or in a wrap!

This week started a pretty crazy time for me at work. It’s fun, but no nonsense! Very little time is spent in the office, and running around for 12 hours is a better description.

To prepare for this week I made a recipe that could easily be heated in the morning. Here it goes:

Side note: While I cooked on Sunday, I threw a piece of salmon into the oven. That way I’d be there thru the week to throw on a sald when I didn’t feel like cooking!

Chop some onion!

Chop some green pepper!

Throw both of these into a hot pan, and sautee in a dash of olive oil.  Cook until tender. Set aside.

Next, I used one whole egg, and two egg whites. Whisk them nice and good, and add about a teaspoon of milk.

Then add the onions and peppers to your eggs.

Next, spray cooking spray on 4 muffin tins. Fill about half way.

I also sprinkled some reduced fat cheese into each of the tins for some added flavor. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15mins, or until eggs are cooked through. Voila! These are great right out of the oven, or you can stick them in the fridge and pop them in the microwave in the morning. Yum!

Tina is hosting a blogger bake sale today for a great cause! Not only is this one of my favorite blogs, but she’s raising money for Team in Training. You can read all about the bake sale HERE.

And you can bid on my delicious magic cookie bars on page 2 of the bake sale. Here’s a preview:

delicious!

These babies do not last long in my house. They have a graham cracker crust, chocolate filling and coconut top. Wowza. I’ll be posting the recipe soon!

Please don’t let me be the lame-ass that gets no bids! To bid on my Magic Cookie Bars email christina.haupert@gmail.com with “page 2 magic cookie bars” as the subject, and your bid. Minimum bid is $15. DO IT people!

Thanks so much

So I’m currently at a conference traveling for work. I feel like I’m much more aware of food when I travel. I hate being restricted with my options, especially when it comes to how often I can eat.

It really helps me to be able to eat small portions every 3-4 hours. When you have planes to catch, cab rides, meetings to make, and limited offerings this can be difficult. For example, it was either a $19.95 breakfast buffett (outrageous) or a Starbucks this morning. Those were my two options. I opted for a grande iced coffee and reduced fat turkey bacon, egg white, reduced-fat cheddar, on a multigrain english muffin. (All for under $8 btw).

This was not an ideal breakfast, but it’s what I had to work with. This was also very early. I didn’t have the chance to eat until lunch. I could have eaten before lunch was offered, but nothing was available. So I had a small salad, crab cake, and a small portion of mashed potatoes (because when mashed potatoes are available I can’t say no).

About 2 hours later, I was famished. Solution? Oatmeal raisin cookie and some tortilla chips. I’m also dealing with a time change. My body has the most ridiculous internal clock. It doesn’t mess. So when we finished meetings at 5p, it was really 6 to me. No one wanted to meet for dinner until 7:30p (8:30p for me). In an effort to keep from being famished, I went down and grabbed a whole wheat veggie wrap from the bar. But check out this portion size!!

Excuse the picture quality, I just had a phone to work with. But check out the size of that thing, and ALL those chips. I guess for $13 they better give you a lot of food, but sheesh. I hate to be wasteful but my plate looked like this after:

It was perfect for my first dinner, but honestly wasn’t very tasty I’ll be sure to eat something small again when I join the people I’ve met.

How do you handle portions when eating out? And how do you handle eating when you’re out of your comfort zone?