The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Tuesdays have typically been quiet around here, but that’s a-changin. Beginning next week we’ll feature Ask FGG every Tuesday — wherein Toni and I will don our bright red 2x SuperGirl capes and answer your tough questions. What’s the best sports bra for large chests? How do I balance my body on a surfboard? How do I shave *down there* if I can’t even see down there?

If your question is food or cooking related, we’ll pass it on to our resident foodie, Michelle, for her input. And if your question stumps all of us, we’ll turn to the experts and interview people in the know so that we all can be, too.

So let us have it: what’s your question? Send them on over to letters@fatgirlsguidetoliving.com (worry not: all questions will be anonymous) and we’ll be back next Tuesday with our first official edition of Ask FGG.

PS: Know someone who’d love The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living? We’d love it if you’d spread the word and help us continue to build a great community! Share us on Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter, or email a shout-out to your girls.

Rarely does a week go by these days that I’m not cracking open my RSS feed to add yet another poignant, funny, inspiring or important blog (and often all of these at once) that I’ve just stumbled on, usually written by a girl just like many of us who’s struggling with weight, body image, and all those other murky feelings and circumstances we face every day.

I love finding them, but what I want to know is: with all these great blogs, how is it we still feel so alone with our fat girl issues?

So hey, let’s not. We’ve already got a growing FGG Girls Flickr group, and now we’re putting together a list of personal, FGG Girls blogs (we’ll do one for pros and resource blogs in the plus-size industry down the road). So if you’ve got a blog of your own that touches on those issues, or have a favorite daily read that does, share it here in comments. Once we’ve got a good collection going, we’ll make a directory here on the site so that anytime we’re feeling alone in trudging through our troubles, need a fresh perspective or even just a good laugh about it, we can come in and start clickin’.

I’ll start, with a new blog I stumbled on this week: Losing Little Pieces of Me

Your turn!

Is there a Fat Girl’s Guide you’d like to see us cover in the future? Horseback riding? Ice skating? Workout bras? Hammocks? Surfing?

Has one of our posts inspired you to try something outside of your comfort zone?

Do you have any questions or suggestions for us?

Would you like to nominate a photo from our FGG flickr group for this week’s Photo of the Week?

Share your thoughts and stories – and tell us how we’re doing so far – in the comments section.

Also: stay tuned for our guide to cycling and a new and yummy Foodie Friday entry this week.

Friday… oh, how I’ve missed you. You should really come around more often.

Tonight, I will celebrate the end of another week by letting my blender take center stage in the kitchen. The blender is a constant source of happiness for me in the summer… churning out cold, slushy concoctions that are perfect for battling the incessant heat and humidity. Add in a shot of alcohol and I’m a happy girl.

Since we grow a little container of mint every summer (at least for as long as my black thumb can keep it alive), the frozen mojito is a favorite in our house. We got this recipe from the infamous Pool Bar Jim and it never disappoints. Cool, crisp and refreshing, this is truly one of my favorite summer drinks.

Now… before I share the recipe, I’ve got two questions for you, dear FGG readers:

What’s your favorite summer drink (with or without alcohol)? And, since we want you to come back here for foodie inspiration every week, what kinds of foods/recipes would you like to see in future installments of Foodie Fridays?

Let the weekend begin!

Frozen Mojito
(recipe courtesy of the amazing PBJ)
3 ounces light rum
5-10 fresh mint leaves
1 ounce lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
ice cubes*
1 ounce club soda

Place rum, mint leaves and lime juice in a mixing glass and muddle (bruise the mint leaves to allow them to release their oils). Strain the mixture; place the liquid into the blender and discard the muddled mint leaves. Add the sugar and enough ice to cover the contents of the blender. Blend until smooth. Add club soda and pulse several times to blend. Pour into a serving glass and garnish with mint sprig.

*Let your ice stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to let is melt just a little. This will help it to break down better in your blender.

Yield: 1 mojito

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

This week’s Photo of the Week is a contribution to our first photo challenge, “self reflections.” EmilyGoodstein posted this cool shot to our FGG Girls Flickr Group. I think it’s a great example of the many ways we can creatively capture our reflected selves – and maybe get to know ourselves a bit better. I really loved the sexy, sassy pose and the framing in the corridor/entry, and even how the flash made a cool effect in the reflection. Thanks for playing along, Emily!

It’s not too late to join the fun – these photo challenges will remain open until we post a new one. Join the FGG Girls Flickr Group and we might feature your contributions as a Photo of the Week!

Self Reflections by Toni

This week we’re starting something new at FGG, and we’d like you to play along at home. Yes, you! And you there, in the back, feeling all shy? C’mon over and join the fun.

For this challenge, take a photo of your reflection – in a mirror, storefront, water – whatever you can find that reflects your outer beauty back to you.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer or own an expensive camera to take self portraits. For some great, simple photography tips, check out our guide to taking sexy self portraits.

Wait! Come back! You don’t have to do a sexy self portrait for this challenge. Make it fun, funny, flirty, sexy, serious, or whatever sparks your creativity. Reveal as much of yourself as you’re comfortable showing (while remembering your pals here at FGG who were willing to bare most of themselves in their awesome plus size swimwear, ahem). But keep in mind that the point of these photo challenges will be self acceptance, so consider pushing out of your comfort zone a bit and get to know the many faces of beautiful you.

Life is meant to be lived, sometimes with a bit of bravado–no matter your size–so what are you waiting for?

Post your photos in our FGG Girls Flickr Group and we might feature you as the FGG Photo of the Week.

Summer’s here. Have you noticed? After a week of upper 90′s and the occasional 100+ degree day, it’s certainly gotten my attention. Luckily there’s something else that’s grabbed my attention lately – beautiful, ripe tomatoes fresh off the vine.

After a long day at work, with sweltering heat knocking at the door, we often opt for easy, antipasto-type dinners. Salami or prosciutto, olives, artichoke hearts, some good cheese and, of course, bread (hey, everything in moderation!). And sometimes… sometimes we take cheese and bread to a whole new level and we make this brie bruschetta. It’s a perfect, easy dinner; but it’s also an impressively easy appetizer. Want to kick this up a notch? Drizzle it with a little good, aged balsamic vinegar.

It’s good to have options, right?

Brie Bruschetta
6-8 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed and julienned
1 loaf crusty french bread/baguette, sliced 1″ thick
8 oz. brie cheese, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes and basil in a bowl and set aside.

Arrange bread slices on a cookie sheet and broil on one side until toasted. Turn slices over and brush the untoasted side with some of the juices from the chopped the tomatoes. Layer slices of brie on the bread and return to the broiler. Toast 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted (monitor closely so they don’t burn).

Top with the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.