Wednesday, December 30, 2015

20 Incredible Personal Essays BuzzFeed Life Published In 2015

I Don’t Care What You Think About My Breakfast — Katie Heaney

Lauren Zaser / BuzzFeed

After years of copying other people’s snacks and fending off unsolicited diet advice, Katie Heaney wrote about finally figuring out what she wants to be eating.

Hell Yeah, I Wear A Fanny Pack — Rachel Wilkerson Miller

Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

Rachel Wilkerson Miller makes a case for why the fanny pack may not be the purse we want, but it’s the purse we need.

How I Made A Career Out Of Showing People My Cervix — Alexandra Duncan

Alice Monkongllite / BuzzFeed Life

As a gynecological teaching associate, Alexandra Duncan uses her own body to teach medical students how to perform pelvic exams. She wrote about why it’s the best, most empowering work she’s ever done.

How I Gave Myself Permission To Be Gluten-Free — Martha Stortz

Alice Monkongllite / BuzzFeed Life

When she was diagnosed with celiac disease, Martha Stortz was more concerned about how her gluten-free diet looked to other people than she was about what it meant for her.

I Fell For The Perfect Guy, But Not For His Open Relationship — Jess Haberman

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

After years of disappointing dating, Jess Haberman finally found someone great. The only problem was his other relationship.

There’s No Shortcut To Making A Mouthwateringly Delicious Curry — Anup Kaphle

Lauren Zaser / BuzzFeed

For years in America, Anup Kaphle tried and failed to replicate the Nepali dishes his parents made. Then he realized he was doing it wrong.

Pinterest Is Actually A Porn Director’s Best Friend — Kitty Stryker

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Find out why your favorite place to window-shop for succulents is Kitty Stryker’s new favorite way to plan on-camera threesomes.

I Have Long Nails Because I’m Proud Of What They Mean — Jacob Tobia

Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed Life

As a genderqueer person, Jacob Tobia’s fingernails have made their femininity more visible, both to other people and to them.

How I Learned To Celebrate Eid Al Adha In America — Zainab Shah

Yael Malka / BuzzFeed

Zainab Shah can’t slaughter a goat, but she can roast a leg of lamb.

I Was A Fundamentalist Christian Until I Discovered Feminist Writers — Susan Gray Blue

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Today it’s finding feminism, not God, that makes Susan Gray Blue want to testify. But getting here took a long time.

I Used To Be Ashamed Of My Fear. Then I Started Training As An Acrobat — Susie Armitage

Christina Chung for BuzzFeed

Susie Armitage is not fearless. But she spends a lot of time doing things that terrify most reasonable people.

I Moved Back To My Parent’s House At 29, And It Wasn’t The End Of The World — Ramona Emerson

Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

When Ramona Emerson moved out of her parents’ house at 18, she didn’t expect to be back a decade later. Now she may never want to leave.

Volunteering At An Abortion Clinic Made Me Lose Patience With The Abortion Debate — Kaye Toal

Haejin Park / BuzzFeed

Kaye Toal explained why anyone who really wants to understand what’s at stake in the debate over abortion should spend some time outside the places where it happens.

I Don’t Need To Choose Between Black And White, And Neither Does My Hair — Lauren Paul

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

For most of her life, Lauren Paul struggled with her hair because it reminded her of her own otherness. After her mom died, she realized she didn’t have to.

I Didn’t Feel Like A “Woman Of Color” Until I Dyed My Hair Blue — Kaela Myers

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Experimenting with the color of her hair has helped Kaela Myers to claim it as truly hers, and to change the signal it sends about her biracial identity.

Why #DuragHistoryWeek Is More Than A Joke — Vann R. Newkirk II

Painting by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze / Graphic by Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Or: How the iconic hair accessory of Vann R. Newkirk II’s youth became an unexpectedly meaningful way to celebrate blackness in the face of isolation.

I Can’t Live Without Fear, But I Can Learn To Be OK With It — Arianna Rebolini

Alice Monkongllite / BuzzFeed Life

Arianna Rebolini wrote about coming to terms with her OCD and the inescapable fear that the people she loves will die. Read more from Mental Health Week here.

I Have To Push My Own Limits To Let My Kids Find Theirs — Josh Stearns

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Josh Stearns’s greatest challenge as a father is figuring out how to teach his kids independence and keep them safe at the same time.

The Year Of The Snail — Alanna Okun

Sarah Kobos / BuzzFeed Life

Getting an unexpected pet made Alanna Okun feel like an actual adult.

In Defense Of Going Out — Ramona Emerson

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

The next time you’re inclined to whine about going to another party, remember people like Ramona Emerson, who is hardly able to go to any.

If you have a personal essay you’d like to write for BuzzFeed Life, get more info on how to submit it here.

Ahh, January. A month to attempt to get your sh*t together, not guzzle wine every night, and, perhaps most importantly, plan out your entire year of travel.

NBC

Now about that last one. Of course you should go wherever you want, but there are some places that are in their prime this year, for various reasons — so this could be the best time to go.

Lonely Planet and AFAR Media selected the very best places to travel in 2016. (Lonely Planet released their book, Best In Travel 2016, and AFAR released their “Where To Go In 2016” issue, also available online.)

Some of these places are celebrating big anniversaries, some are in the midst of a resurgence, and some have landmarks that are nearing extinction — but all of them have something special going on right now. Here are the top 25 places you must travel in 2016. Choose one, or choose them all — whatever you do, happy adventuring!

sweatcourage.com

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

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13 Super Tasty Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Life In 2016

From BuzzFeedTasty to your belly.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

RECIPE:
Cut low-moisture mozzarella cheese into ¾ inch cubes. Store in refrigerator while preparing the meat.

In a large mixing bowl combine:
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 pound hot Italian sausage
* ½ tsp garlic powder
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* ¼ cup parmesan cheese
* 2 eggs
* ½ cup whole milk
* ½ cup chopped parsley

Directions:
Roll golf-ball-sized balls with the meat mixture. Squish mozzarella cube into the center and pull the edges of the meatball around it until it’s a new ball again. Arrange meatballs in slow cooker and cover in tomato sauce. Cook on high for 2 to 2½ hours.

Three-Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

Here’s what you need:
* 1 box spice cake mix
* 2 20 oz cans of apple pie filling
* 8 oz butter

Directions:
Pour apple pie filling into slow cooker. Top with cake mix and butter. Cook on high for 2 to 2½ hours. This dish is great with vanilla ice cream on top!

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Here’s what you need:
* 2 tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
* 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
* 6 eggs
* ½ cup milk
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp vanilla
* 1 cup maple syrup

Directions:
Pour the allotted butter on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish. Cut each cinnamon roll into eight pieces, and spread evenly over the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla, and pour over the cinnamon rolls. Pour one cup of maple syrup over the mixture. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes. Top with the icing from the cinnamon rolls.

Cheesy Bacon Egg Cups

Here’s what you need to make six bacon and egg cups:
* 3 slices of bread
* 3 Tbsp. shredded cheese
* 6 slices of bacon, cooked
* 6 eggs
* Salt and pepper

Directions:
With a jar or cookie cutter, cut two circles into each piece of bread. Place in muffin tin cups. Wrap a piece of cooked bacon along the edge of each muffin cup — make sure the bacon is JUST cooked and still warm, so it doesn’t break or crumble. Sprinkle half Tbsp. of cheese into each cup, then top with an egg. Season with salt and pepper, and bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15 minutes (longer for firmer yolk). Top with green onion.

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This 7-Day Clean Eating Challenge Will Make You Feel Amazing

Think of this one-week challenge as a healthy eating boot camp that’ll teach you how to cook awesome food all year long.

Lauren Zaser / Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

It’s great to want to eat healthier but crash diets don’t work — you need a sustainable plan. So, with the help of nutritionist Abby Langer, we put together a weeklong meal plan filled with recipes that will make you feel awesome, give you plenty of energy, and help you have your best, healthiest year yet. BuzzFeed Life’s 7-Day Clean Eating Challenge is a healthy meal plan that will teach you to cook and eat real food that’s actually delicious.

You’ll eat three meals and two snacks every day for a total of 1500–1700 calories. There’s lots of produce and lean protein, and no processed food. There are step-by-step photos and instructions for the recipes — plus tips for shopping, storing leftovers, and saving money.

You’ll start with a kale and sweet potato-loaded frittata and end with a turkey-stuffed acorn squash, with a healthy dose of pomegranate seeds in between. Winter produce at its finest! Click here for Day 1 recipes and instructions.

Lauren Zaser / Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

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