Mindfully Simple

In the words of a 14- year old

2010-02-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

I could not have advertised it better. All the more interesting that it came from him!

Needless to say, I gave him many hugs that day!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day, and that you have excellent plans for the weekend!

Giveaway!

2010-02-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Not mine - but a pretty neat one from Simple Mom as a celebration of the beginning of Simple Living Media. Go check it out!

Finding Fear

2010-02-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

As I look at taking better care of my body, I am becoming much more aware of emotions that hang around, influencing decisions and moods. One of these emotions that crops up quite often is fear. I'm not sure if this is a child-like fear that was never resolved, or a new, adult-sized fear. And I'm not too sure if making the discovery of where this feeling came from originally is really important. At this point, I am only interested in the fact that it is here, and feels like it has set roots down in me. Not like an 'Alien' type thing, more of a 'Hey there, I'm around until you decide what to do with me' sort of thing.

But what purpose does fear serve? We all know that fear can help guide us to make the right decision, such as not crossing the road at a time when cars are passing - no, be afraid of getting hit. Yes of course - and this just turns into good judgement and common sense later on. But as adults, what scares us? I know that the unknown can scare me pretty deeply. I'm not talking about the simple things - not knowing what's for dinner, or what the weather will be. I'm talking about not knowing if my children will be ok without their parents when the time comes. Will they stay safe when they are not at home? I think it's natural for any parent to be concerned, yes, even scared about their children. But what if we go deeper?

I think about my health and the decisions I've made over the past 2 decades - the time when I was really the one in control and answered to no one. Years of ice cream and Doritos has taken a toll on me now - one that I don't know if I can undo, although I am working on it. I now look in the mirror and see a frightened child looking back. A child wrapped in layers of protection, yet no covering is enough to keep the hurt or confusion out. It's as if all the years of putting on the pounds was my attempt at wrapping the layers of an onion all around, shielding me from rejection, disappointment and fear. And yet, if I really look at it, I understand that all those layers KEPT those feelings inside of me. Rather than shield me from the hurt of the outside world which I felt anyway, I also endured the anger and wrath of my inner critic demanding to know what was wrong with me that I didn't look like everyone else, act like everyone else, eat like everyone else. The stronger that voice became, the more layers I wrapped myself in, and the cycle started over again. every time I wrapped a layer around, I was causing those feelings to bounce back on me, when I wanted to keep them out altogether. Talk about self-sabotage!

Finding a way to soften that inner critic has me face to face with my fear. It's not an ugly stand-off as I had expected, but rather like a gentle calling to a frightened animal, one who is reluctant to come close for fear of the unexpected. Through this process I am learning patience as I know this will not turn overnight. I am also learning gratitude for being alive, for being able to recognize and hold these feelings, even if working through them every day is not an option for me.

It's funny to type this up and sound so grown up, but of course in reality, I have good days and really bad days with this. Just yesterday, you would have thought me 5 years old with the tantrums I had, stomping my feet and pulling my hair. The problem?? I was mad that I couldn't have cake with my boys. Imagine that.

Live With Intention

2010-02-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

I stopped eating grains this week. It was a hard decision to make, but once made, felt oh, so right. As you are probably well aware, I am allergic to gluten, so have to avoid foods with wheat, rye, barley, triticale and some oats. And though I know full well how to avoid those foods and make amazing food without them, my addictive tendency somehow makes it 'ok' for me to slip and eat them. Of course, I feel after-shocks from eating these allergens, sometimes for days after ingesting them. You'd think that would stop me, but no, my addictive side is much too strong for that. I have found that I have to face my addictions head on. Either I allow the allergens and addictions to roam freely and control my world, making me feel crappy all the time, or I put my foot down and stop. Completely. No negotiations. Well, obviously, I chose the latter approach. In the past, I have found this helpful with any dieting or shift in lifestyle - for a bit of time. It typically lasts a few weeks or months at best. Well, to be true to my all-or-nothing nature, I did go completely and strictly gluten free for over 2 years.

I decided to stop eating grains this week as I really wanted to see 1) how hard could it be?, 2) how would I feel, and 3) would I actually see a shift in my weight? I was really curious yesterday to see if my weight had shifted at all, so I slipped onto the scale 2 days early. I gained a pound - WHAT???? But then, my monthly visitor came today, which makes complete sense that I would be retaining fluid. I learned way back in my heavy dieting days that at ovulation and menstruation, our bodies have a tendency to retain and gain or at least not lose weight. So I'm ok with the pound that decided to hang out with me a little longer. I get the feeling that it will be packing and leaving soon. A second thing I noticed is that my blood sugar, which I watch each morning for pre-diabetes, has been on the high side. This has surprised me without grains in my diet. Adding greens and more meat usually brings the sugars down, so I have to watch how I am balancing the meals themselves. A funny thing happens with blood sugar - it has to do with lifestyle as well as food intake. There are several guidelines to follow - eat small meals often, exercise, learn how to balance carbs with protein and fats, and get enough sleep. I have definitely been falling short on the sleep category this week, and just came down with a cold, so I could be reacting to that. Apparently, a tired liver makes it harder to get the pancreas to deliver enough insulin. Not enough insulin means too much sugar in the blood. Not a good feeling - makes me feel like I got hit by a mack truck.

On the other side, I do not miss grains. I don't miss bread, cookies, cakes, pizza, nothing. Shocking, I know. That is a real surprise to me, as this was one reason why I held off cutting out grains to begin with. I did, however, have a small pang of sadness when I found my favorite Pamela's bread mix again at the store, and realized that I couldn't enjoy it. That's a bummer, but at least my family can have it, and I can enjoy the "yum's" coming from their mouths!
Another experience I have had this week is my mood has shifted. We have had a challenging week with some school issues with our youngest, and I have been overwhelmed, but not completely blown away by them. I find less brain fog now that my body is without grains. I am teaching at night and took on another job on top of all my other work, and I'm still running mostly smoothly, able to keep my moods up and focused, even with the lack of sleep. My memory is not yet strong, but hey - it's only been a week!

I started this last weekend thinking I would try a week. I think I will go for another week and see how I feel. I would like to add green smoothies this week, to really up my fiber and calcium.

I found this poem that resonated with me since I was trying something new and challenging this week, and really living with intention. I hope you enjoy it as I did:

Live with intention

Walk to the edge

Listen hard

Practice wellness

Play with abandon

Laugh

Choose with no regret

Continue to learn

Appreciate your friends

Do what you love

Live as if

This is all there is.

by Mary Ann MLB Rademacher

May you be well and enjoy your weekend in peace.

~ Jill

A Couple of Great Recipes

2010-02-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Today, I made some great food, if I do say so myself. And I thought, "There might be someone out there who would think this was yummy", so I'm sharing a couple of recipes from what I made.

I have been reading this book by Mariel Hemingway - that I mentioned earlier this week. In it, she gives a recipe for a protein frapuccino that is super good. I made a twist with it by adding chocolate and cinnamon, and thought you might like it as well:

Mexican Chocolate Frapuccino

1 Cup cold decaf coffee (I used leftover from the morning pot)
1 T chocolate powder (I used dark chocolate powder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1T agave nectar (You could use sugar, honey, stevia or other sweetener if you want)
1 heaping scoopful of protein powder (I used vanilla whey protein powder)
2 large handfuls of ice
1/4 C cream

I put all ingredients except cream in the blender. Thanks to my mother, I have this incredible Vita-Mix blender that works amazingly well with everything. After everything is blended, add the cream and blend for a few short bursts. If you blend too long, the cream will get lumpy and begin to turn to butter - not so tasty. Pour into a glass and enjoy your very inexpensive coffee treat - which has protein to boot!

I tried some Truffle Tater Tots at a restaurant recently - which of course they charged an arm and leg for. I thought - wow, I could do this at home for a fraction of the cost. True, the white truffle oil isn't cheap - I spent $10 for my bottle, but when the dish at the restaurant came in at $7 a pop, I will more than pay for the bottle with a few times cooking this dish. I had not tried truffle oil yet, and must admit to being just a little frightened. I don't care much for mushrooms, so truffles did not thrill me- except if they have chocolate inside... I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the deep, smoky flavor. It was mesmerizing, actually. I found a good bottle (not great, I am sure) of the oil in my local grocery store. I'm sure a simple search would bring up a much better bottle - perhaps at Whole Foods or a specialty shop.

White Truffle Potatoes

2 lbs russet or yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in chunks
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Put potatoes in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt and garlic (either powder or minced). Cover and put in oven. Stir every 15 minutes until getting crispy and browned. When done to your liking, sprinkle approximately 2 T of white truffle oil all over the potatoes. Then, if you like, sprinkle parmesean cheese (we used Kasseri goat cheese) over the top. Once the cheese has melted a bit, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and serve.

Oh soooooo good.

Let me know what you think, if you make either of these.

From Super-Sizing to Down-Sizing

2010-02-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

I had a thought today. I was reading an article the Canary Club posted today by Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames about obesity. They talked about living in Mexico and witnessing a tragic shift in a cultural eating pattern that was bringing about obesity and illness to many Mexican individuals. They even talked about the big-box stores as being the culprits for keeping people working 7 days instead of resting on Sunday - if there's someone to shop, then there must be employees to keep the store open, right? They talked about this huge change all contributing to loss of family values, health and putting added stress on each individual's shoulders.

So I began thinking about this. I shop at big-box stores only occasionally, choosing instead to frequent second-hand stores in the area. But I do go to Target to find large-sized clothing when my local thrift shop sleuthing turns up dry. Being a large woman, I have to ask myself, "Would I be this large if I did not have a back-up, big-box store to find my-sized clothing?" If all I could find were sizes up to 12, would I be able to even get bigger if I knew I couldn't fit into clothing? My guess is, if I was unable to button my pants, I would curb my eating patterns right quick. There would be no leaning on the fact that I could just zip on down the road and check out Target, or the large-sized women's clothing store which so conveniently landed down the street. There would be no elastic-waisted pull up pants for me. No hiding in plus-sized fabrics with the big bow at the top.

So pretend with me a moment. What would happen if our local big-box stores were no longer? Without plus-sizes at our fingertips, would our eating patterns change to meet the clothing constrictions? Would we all take up sewing? Or would we resort to the old puffy style of 'moo moos' - which actually happen to be lovely and comfortable, and quite stylish (on the shores of Hawaii). What would happen to our children and their eating patterns? We couldn't rush out to get junior that extra size larger to match his girth-growth spurt. What if only mom and pop corner groceries were available for daily shopping? If less junk was available for kids to ingest, would they be able to focus on studies a bit more?

And what about movement? Without the latest electronic gadget so easy to procure, would we get out and enjoy the air more? Would we begin taking more walks? Visiting with friends face to face instead of facebooking? We could listen to the birds rather than Twittering away our time. Our bodies would get needed oxygen and sunlight as we moved from place to place, the muscles stretched and contracted as they should be.

Looking ahead in my pretend life, I can see fast-food restaurants closing, since no one can find super-sized clothing to match the super-sized meals. Super-sized SUV's would go unsold as everyone would feel dwarfed inside them. The airlines would have to take back all that extra legroom they keep talking (and charging) about. The diet industry would go belly UP.

Interesting to think about - Yes?

I welcome your thoughts. What else would change?

Tagged!

2010-02-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

Angela at My Year Without Spending has tagged me with a very special award. I am honored to receive it, and happy to share the information that is requested of me once accepted. According to the 'rules', I am to share 7 things you wouldn't necessarily know about me. Here goes:

I do not like drinking milk. Never have, really. I can have milk in things, but just can't stomach the thought of sitting down to drink a glass of milk. Yuck. Comes from growing up milking goats, I think.
I wish I was a dancer. I love how they move, how they walk through space. Long legs and graceful bodies are just glorious to watch. Wish I could do that, but chose music with my short legs instead.
I want to write a book. Someday I want to publish. I don't know what it will be about, but I really want to write one.
I do not like dirt on my hands. I looooove to garden, but can't stand the feel of dirt on my skin, especially when muddy soil dries on my hands. I really can't stand it when it gets under my nails. Makes my skin crawl. Kinda strange for a gardener - don't ya think?
I always wanted to have many many children. I have 2 wonderful boys and I wouldn't change that for the world. But as a child, I always thought I had a minimum of 6 kids. (yikes!)
I would like to live in a house I built myself. Made of recycled material, wood, glass, etc, I would love to design and build something that would keep me safe, warm, cool and dry for the rest of my days. Perhaps I'd have a little garden out back and a few animals. I'd enjoy the quirkiness of the place, and know there was nothing else like it anywhere. It would have to be off the grid, of course.
Lastly, I wish I could speak another language. Any other language (beside music). To be bi-lingual would be dreamy. Traveling to another country has always made me anxious. Going somewhere where I already knew the language would be terrific! A good language to learn would be french, spanish or german. Or portuguese. Or argentinian.

Now, for the second part of this award... I get to pass on the love!

Barbara at Second Surf

Cory at Pink Dogwood Blossom

Stacy at Goldenbird Knits

Jamie at Inspired Mess

Linda at Natural Suburbia

Wendy at Urban Homestead South Africa

Melanie at The Glue Stick Chic

I enjoy each of these blogs for the honesty, creativity and insightful thoughts they share. Make sure you visit them when you have the chance!

Thanks to Angela for passing on this great award! You will want to check out her blog as well. It's full of terrific ideas for cooking, living simply and taking care of the earth in a mindful, less stressful way.

Have a great day!

Mind-Body Challenge 2010! Update and Others

2010-01-31T16:17:00.001-05:00

First off - I lost 1 pound this week. I know this 'should' be going faster, especially when I have so much to lose, but I'm struggling with doing what feels good and what just sounds good. French fries sound good, but a tossed salad or baked cauliflower feel good. I just don't think at this point, I'm able to pit cauliflower against french fries. I'm just too addicted. So sorry. But I'm reading a great book by Mariel Hemingway which I will share very soon. Finally I found a book that looks at more than just diet or exercise, but looks at life values and gentle shifts to come to a place of peace. It's not a new book - I think it was published in the '90's. I found it for $3 in a used book store (that I will also share with you soon).

On the home front, my sons attended a 'pink' dance at their school to raise awareness and some funds for breast cancer research. I believe they raised in total over $800. No to shabby for a bunch of young whipper snappers! Here are the boys ready to go boogie:

I am happy to say the stomach flu has left the building. However, a head cold has once again landed in my elder son's body, making this the 4th week of illness in our home. I have been wondering if my dishes are getting clean enough with the new dishwasher detergent... if the dishes still have germs, then we will keep getting sick... right? So I have decided to do the un-green thing and turn on the extra hot water for the next few cycles to see if there is a difference. I really don't want to go back to using the toxic gel. I wish we could open the windows to air the place out, but it is too ----- cold. I think down around 10 degrees (F) is a bit too chilly to welcome the winter air in to do what?- invite pneumonia? No thanks, we'll wait until spring. Until then, we'll keep the homeopathy handy, and more chicken soup!

And about the lunch detention... well, it apparently went like this:

My son's version:

My son received detention early in the day. He ended up going to lunch, having forgotten that he had detention. Once he remembered, he arrived about 10 minutes late to the library for his detention, to see 3 other kids there as well. No teacher. He sat down and waited. While he waited, one of the kids left.

The teacher's version:

The teacher gave the detention to my son on a day she had lunch duty. On those days, her associate takes the detention. The associate was in the room at the start of lunch, and gave the 3 kids the instruction to eat their lunches, going so far as to check to make sure they all had their lunches. Then she left to get her own lunch. When she returned, all 3 kids were done eating (she assumed because they were no longer eating) and she had them help put chairs at the tables and then told them that detention was over.

Ok, so we see a merging of experiences here - the teacher clearly did not know my child to notice that he came late, nor did she recognize that the 3 students in her room were not necessarily the 3 whom she left in the beginning of the period. My son, having remembered the rule that there is no eating in the library, had tossed his (very good and nutritious) lunch in the trash prior to arriving at the library, not knowing the rules had changed. Oh yes- they have changed the rules so you can now eat in the library. I can now let go of my anger - and you can too. judging from the comments I received, this hit a sore spot with everyone!

Lisa (left) and me

And last, an update on my wonderful sister, Lisa. She is recovering from her recent thyroid surgery, glad to have that removed. She is now getting ready for a new course of chemo and scans to keep a close eye on additional hot spots picked up by her latest PET scan. I am planning a trip to visit her in California as soon as I can. Never before has 2500 miles felt so very far away. Again, I am acquainted with the sense that I am powerless and afraid. All I need is some meditation to bring me 'round to that place of peace and understanding that I found during her previous battles. If you have some extra positive energy lying around, perhaps you could send it her way one of these days. I betcha she'll feel it!

Mama's 'Make Me Feel Better' Soup

2010-01-30T11:35:00.001-05:00

We have had the stomach flu at our house for the past 2 weeks. First one member got it, then another as the first healed, then the third. I was able to skirt it so far by taking the homeopathic remedy for flu 'Inflluenzinum'. Each time my boys were able to stomach anything, I made this soup (at their request). Somehow, chicken noodle soup really does fix the sickest child!

Make Me Feel Better Soup

I list only general amounts of ingredients, as this soup is really a 'whatcha got in the pantry' sort of soup.

Over medium heat, saute a chopped onion in butter (or olive oil). Add chopped celery and carrot, potato, parsnips, etc. When onion is translucent, add chopped or ground chicken. When the chicken is cooked, add stock or water to desired level.

I wanted to make quite a bit of soup, so I added about 6 cups of water. I added dried basil as well, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. When boiling, add noodles of your choice. I added plain ramen noodles. When the noodles are cooked, the soup is done.

Bring to your patient with loving patience, then go take a few moments for yourself - it might be a long night!

Can You Keep Food From A Child?

2010-01-26T22:55:00.001-05:00

Ok. I have a rant to share. My 12 year old son came home and declared at dinner, "I didn't get to eat the lunch you sent me to school with". Upon digging into his scholarly endeavors for the day, we discovered that he had misbehaved in a computer class by attempting to show a friend a fun site he found online as part of his class project for the day. The teacher saw him talking to his friend and assigned detention. At lunch. Lunch? Well, ok - maybe that's how she does it.

So my son goes to the detention, but it's in the school library. Now everyone knows you can't eat lunch in the library. So my child diligently sat for the lunch period in the library for his detention. Oh yes... and if that doesn't make you mad yet, think about this:

The teacher never showed up.

So this got me to boil of course, being the hot-headed Scorpio that I am. I began an angry email to the teacher, explaining my views on her discipline for my son. Before I finished it, I did a major search for something of status - you know - something that I could quote, some law that I could refer to to make sure she knew she was really wrong. Bad teacher. Bad. No no. But you know what? There IS no law against withholding a student's lunch for disciplinary reasons.

I am flabbergasted.

Why in the world not? There are all sorts of laws for hospitals and psychiatric programs. But nothing for schools. And this is not exclusive to Massachusetts, either - it's all over the US. Now go figure.

So I finished my angry letter to the teacher, and all I could add was something about each student shall receive a 30-minute lunch period each day from the parent handbook. Hardly as strong as I wanted, since of course I wanted to 'throw the book at her', but it'll have to do for now.

How does this make you feel? Are you comfortable with having a child not able to eat his lunch for ANY reason? I don't care if he tried to light the school on fire - you don't withhold food!

Feel free to join my rant or share your perspective in the comments section.

Just Like Pamela Says

2010-01-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

It's Amazing!

A few years ago, I tried this gluten-free bread mix at my mother's house. Being that several of us are gluten free in our whole family, she took great pains to feed us food that was safe the whole time we visited. One was this incredible bread made from Pamela's Wheat Free bread mix. The whole house smelled of a yeasty, wheaty bread the whole day. I was certain someone was trying to torture me with that scent - fresh bread is something I yearn for to this day. You can imagine my frustration when I returned to the East Coast and could not find any packages at any of my local haunts.

Just Friday at my local Whole Foods, I found the package - just one. As if it was just sitting there waiting for me. Oh wow, did I grab that package fast and get to the checkout! Considering a loaf of rock-hard, frozen, gluten free bread costs close to $7, and lasts us about a week, I was thrilled to pay the $4.99 for the bag.

Last night I had the opportunity to make the bread mix. We had our very good friends over for game night, and I served gluten-free/dairy-free lasagna and herbed pork chops. They brought french bread for the glutinivorous folks, and I needed something to satisfy the rest of us. I opened up the cupboard and I swear a light shone down onto my little package of Pamela's bread mix. I made rolls within just a few minutes, let them rise and baked them into the sweetest little breads you can imagine. In fact, they were so wheat-like that my husband (also gluten-sensitive) avoided them for most of the dinner. I had to say - "Go ahead, honey. They're safe." He was smitten after the first bite. An added plus was that they held their shape without crumbling overnight (oh so common with gluten-free foods), and turned out great for breakfast with jam and honey.

I think I need to go back to the store and stock up. It would be crazy not to.

Mind-Body Challenge 2010! Update

2010-01-23T11:29:00.000-05:00

Well, it was bound to happen. I gained 1.5 pounds this week. Actually, I'd be wondering about my scale if I didn't gain weight this week. I had a very stressful week, with announcements at work that didn't thrill me, and a sick child all week long with the stomach flu. That translates into more emotional eating for me virtually due to the fact that I was home more with things on my mind.

I've been thinking about this whole idea of extra weight. How does it serve me? How does wearing my anxieties, fears and emotional abundances on the outside serve the purpose of who I am? Why, when I know how to eat and nurture myself, do I choose the opposite road? I have a friend who has a chronic illness. She knows exactly how to care for herself, as she has dealt with this illness for several decades. She routinely knows how much sleep she needs, the proper nutrition she needs, the triggers for her flare ups. However, I have, over the many years I've known her, watched her sabotage several of these known cares, which of course land her in bed with a flare up. Why? She doesn't know why. Why isn't proper care for our selves important enough to keep us on the right path?

I am always in awe of thin women - because you know as a large woman, I idolize thin women... but anyhow, I watch them at gatherings surrounded by creamy and rich foods that I feel like I could dive right into and swim to oblivion. But no - it's just food to them. UGH! Just food!?!?!? How do you NOT eat everything in sight? It just isn't very important to them - being with people and enjoying themselves is key to their happiness in that moment. At least with the few I've had the nerve to question.

Clearly, I am just starting to uncover some of my hang-ups over food, emotions, how other people live, and how I can care for myself. Luckily, I see this as a long, nurturing road with ups and downs of weight and feelings. I don't feel angry at myself because of the weight gain and I don't feel like I failed - I do hope I keep on the right track, though. I suppose that's my deep-down fear - that I won't ever get this weight off.

Money Saving Tip

2010-01-20T21:39:00.000-05:00

Just a quick stop in to share a very inexpensive way to wash your dishes in the dishwasher. Not only are dishwashing detergents expensive, they are filled with harsh chemicals that harm our environment. I switched to gel detergents a long time ago because the powders kept sticking in the little compartment in my dishwasher, and the dishes were covered with specks of detergent - not fun to place in your mouth! But the gels are expensive, and honestly - don't do a very good job.

I've been looking at making my own laundry soap (a story for another day) and took some time to locate the ingredients for that. It didn't really take much effort, but I had to look a little harder in my local store, since I was not accustomed to using them. The ingredients just happened to be the same main ingredients for the dishwashing detergent:

Borax
and
Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)

Just a tablespoon of each in the little dishwasher detergent compartment will do the trick. I then put plain white vinegar in the 'jet dry' spot to make sure no residue is left on the dishes. Amazing. It works. The dishes come out clean and have no spots.

I figure I spend about $5 each 3 weeks or so on detergent. Now, after spending about $3 on the two boxes of ingredients which will last a lifetime - well no, about a few months, I will be spending about 4 cents per load versus 23 cents per load. Maybe not a ton of money, but the fact that I'm not putting phosphorus into the ground water makes me feel pretty smug. Those lucky fish!

Learning About Trust

2010-01-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have dropped all 'diet' aspirations. I will not 'diet' for the rest of my life. I have never, ever, lost weight with a 'diet' and kept it off – Have you? Kept it off forever, I mean. I have been wondering about my lack of self-trust. Why have I been unable to trust that I inherently know what is best for my body, and ultimately, myself? Why is it so much easier/better/more acceptable (choose one) to follow what someone else feels is ‘best’ for our bodies? Why read the next greatest diet book and follow their plan, without taking time each day to check in with our own voice inside telling us exactly what to do? I have mistrusted myself for such a long time that I have forgotten what that voice sounds like. All those diet fads send us the strong message of ‘We know what you need. You don’t. Trust our research. We’ve done the work so you don’t have to. Dieting is all about willpower. You don’t have enough, so you are fat. Stop eating X (insert any food of your choice) and you will be free of fat.’ Blah blah blah. No thanks.

You know what makes more sense? Tossing those books and programs aside and learning to trust our bodies. I have spent the past 2 weeks getting back in touch with my body, asking it what it needs, and carefully listening to the voice that says ‘I’ve had enough, thank you’. I am learning that I can eat what my body is telling me to eat without overeating. I am learning that there are so many other things to do than count calories, carbs, figure out my balanced meal, that make me feel fed. And I am beginning to shed the body fat that has kept me ’safe’ from so many emotional pains all these years.

Looking at why I tend to overeat is the key to my excess weight. I eat when bored, excited, anxious, tired, sad, angry. By reminding myself to stay focused and present, I have been somewhat successful at redirecting that binge behavior into more constructive activities (mostly, just becoming aware of the feelings). I say somewhat successful, as this is new for me, and I have moments when completely overwhelmed by stress and find myself eating before becoming aware that I am actually eating.

The other thing I have been trying that seems to work is eating slowly, counting my chews. By doing this, I am able to really concentrate on the nourishment I am sending down to my belly. It is important that I not be reading, watching TV or having an in depth conversation while eating, as I get caught up and eat much more than I need in one sitting. When I eat at work with my colleagues, I have a hard time eating and following the animated conversations at that same time! I have noticed a very subtle change in my focus when I get full. Learning when I have had enough of something has been tricky. I have eaten from head hunger for so long, I thought I wouldn’t be able to find my belly hunger. But, lo and behold, there it was. And I am able to feel just how fast I get full. Amazingly fast. In fact, I fill up before I finish a sandwich! How many times have I gulped down my lunch to then want more food – and of course, go get more food and shove that down. Then I would spend my afternoon exhausted as my body tried to deal with that brick of food crammed in my stomach.

I went out to eat with my husband last night. I ordered the curry chicken. It was fabulous. It was so creamy and yummy – exactly what I wanted. I was starving because I had not been very hungry at lunchtime and ate very little. By dinner, I could have eaten a large building. When the plate of chicken came, I jumped right in. Whoops. Stop and think, girl. Count your bites, do anything to refocus your eating. Ah… that’s better. I came to a stopping place midway through. Then, just because I am a compulsive eater, I ate a couple more bites. No. STOP. I asked the server to box it up for me. Now I have dinner for tonight in my little doggie bag. Awesome. I am amazed at the copious amounts of food I have eaten in the past. I marvel at our food bills from the past several years. Might I bring down some of our monthly food costs by eating more mindfully? I think so.

The best part of learning about trusting myself is that if I really listen to my body, it really does tell me what it needs. I have to get out of my own way to trust it – to really trust that it is full, or hungry, or that I will not have to eat now for hunger that will rise in 2 hours. I have to trust that I will never be without the ability to meet my needs. I have to trust that I know how to care for my body better than the diet books. I would never trust raising my child to a book, so why do I look to books to tell me how to take care of me? I have the answers, deep inside. And I can figure this out as long as I listen to my inner voice that only wants to be loved and cared for.

Lightening Our Hearts

2010-01-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

Meet Oscar. He is our newest member of the family. I'm not really a dog person, though I do like dogs. Growing up, we almost always had a dog - usually very big dogs, in fact. We lived on a gentleman's farm and the dogs could roam all over the property without needing to be walked or cleaned up after. My dad was the one who took care of them for the most part, so dog ownership was pretty easy from my perspective.

Getting married meant I adopted an Akita - my husband's love of the furry kind. Sweet dog who was quite protective, but sadly had to be put down due to hip displaysia. As our children grew, we wanted them to know what it was like to have a dog, so adopted a variety of shelter dogs: first, a dog with a broken leg who, when he had his medical cone off, bit my 4-year old. The second was a little puppy (read - tons of work) which we called Zoe, who after about 8 months had to go back to the shelter after she chewed through every piece of wooden furniture and learned to jump the fence. After Zoe came Tieyo - a stray hound mix from Virginia who we loved for a year. He also loved to eat our home, and after many hours of training and many dollars of personal assistance, we had to return him to the shelter - he really needed a farm to run around on.

So several years have gone by, and now we wanted a dog for the holidays. But I insisted on a few points first: It had to be free - no high-priced re-homing fees for us. It had to be small - no 5 x 60 minute walks to get him tuckered out would work, sine I figured I'd be the one doing all the walking. It had to be good with kids and cats - I refuse to stress the cats out with an annoying dog. I looked and looked for the 'perfect' new pet. Finally, I found Oscar - 3 years old, needing a new home, free and sweet as could be.

It's been almost 6 weeks since Oscar joined our family, and I must say that he has brought light and love to our hearts. None of us in this household can look at him and not smile. We have all become silly and energetic around him, since he loves to play and run around. He has a great personality, and also loves to lay in our laps for a snooze. This is the dog-ownership I was looking for all along and not getting. And as it turns out, everyone in the family chips in to walk him - what a treat!

Mind-Body Challenge 2010! Update and Bubble Tea

2010-01-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Saturday, and weigh-in day once again. I was pretty nervous today, because I was not particularly careful with my diet, and barely exercised at all. But as it turned out, I had hormones working in my favor, and I ended up

down 1.5 pounds!!!

So that brings my total lost to a whopping 4.5 pounds!

I started looking into returning to my neighborhood gym today. I'm paying for it, might as well go. I wish they had a class specifically for people like me - not a couch potato, but close to it, and pretty new to exercise. Well, pretty new to actually wanting to exercise. I brought this idea up to a trainer I used a while ago, and she was only slightly interested. I personally see a huge need for a class for 'newbies' to get into the gym with a sensitive trainer - maybe a total body workout class that moved gently. A 6-week program that would ease folks into working out - teach them all about the gym and how to use the machines, etc. Why don't they do that? There could be side classes on nutrition as well. At my gym, you have to figure out how to use the machines on your own, or hire a trainer. I used my membership for about 5 months, then stopped going. I had no motivation because I couldn't keep up with the 'gentle' yoga classes - I had to do about 28 downward dog poses in rapid succession. Yikes. By the time I got into position, the class would be far ahead of me. If I could find a way to develop a class for new, overweight and only slightly motivated people, I think many others would be bound to stick with their New Year's resolutions a bit longer. I'll look into it.

On a totally different topic, I tried Bubble Tea for the first time today. My eldest son purchased a cup of iced tea with large tapioca pearls in the bottom. I wasn't really very Bubble Tea savvy when he gave me a sip from his extremely large straw (to accommodate the tapioca) and of course choked dramatically, ruining my whole first try. Not his, though - he sucked and then chewed the whole cup down in a few minutes flat. A very interesting experience, bubble tea. I may try it again. Who'd have thought to put tapioca in the bottom of an iced tea? It's like a meal and drink in one. Have you ever tried this?

A Very Good Reason to Purchase Beautiful Things

2010-01-14T19:57:00.001-05:00

Hello Again, Everyone!

My friend Barbara, over at Second Surf is full of creative and wise ideas. Today, she announced that from every sale of her sweet little fat heart beads which she will unveil tomorrow, she will send $10 to Doctors Without Borders, located in Haiti. This establishment met with horrific damage during the recent earthquake, and needs our support.

Please stop by Second Surf and send your money to a good cause while benefitting from a beautiful bead handmade by Barbara at the same time. You'll be glad you did!

Chocolate... The Root of All Evil? Or Saving Grace?

2010-01-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

I have this funny relationship with chocolate. I think many women do - and possibly men as well. I give chocolate a whole personality in my head. It speaks to me. It tells me what I want (usually more chocolate). And it seems to run my life some days. I can be incredibly organized and prepared for food cravings (one of my biggest challenges with weight loss endeavors), but once chocolate has arrived, forget it. He (and you KNOW it's a HE) saunters in and swishes his little tail, and makes some ridiculous remark like, "Hey Beautiful, like what you see?" and there I go - gotta have a bite.
This is all to say I had some chocolate last night and feel weird about it. Trying hard to be 'careful' of what goes into my body and how I treat it, I was fighting a major craving while working on my computer last night and I guess I gave in. I was fully conscious of the decision, it wasn't a sudden awareness like, "Oh wow. I just ate half a football field of Reese's". I fixed myself a small bowl of mini chocolate chips and sat back down to enjoy them.
Those chips were lovely. They weren't really what I wanted (probably the Reese's would have done the trick), but I was able to get beyond the craving by having this small amount.

What is it about chocolate? Why can't I crave pistachios? Or how about cabbage? Split peas? Oh I know... Ground beef? No. Nothing else will do when chocolate is called for. I get a high from sugar that you'd probably be concerned about if you saw me. I'm a pretty low-energy kinda gal and after chocolate I get pretty happy. Ohhhhhhh. There's a clue. Mr. Chocolate is my happy pill? Hmmm.
Ok. Note to self - look for ways to bring on happiness BEFORE chocolate enters the room! If I'm already happy, perhaps I won't feel the same pull from the beast, or can be happy with the tiniest of tastes.

Great. Any idea how I can now work with Ms. Fatso Potato Chip?

A Needle in a Haystack

2010-01-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

In our home, we turn to homeopathy for medical care whenever we can. Homeopathy is the art of treating 'like with like'. Developed by Samuel Hahnemann 2 hundred years ago, Homeopathy uses small pillules of multiply-diluted plant-based medication to treat the very symptoms that the plants themselves cause, if ingested in their full form. For example, one remedy for nausea and vomiting is Ipecac - something we know to cause nausea and vomiting. However, the Ipecac used for homeopathic remedies is really only a very minute amount of the material - the very essence of it, you may say - just enough to kick the body into gear to heal itself. If you want to know more about this fascinating medicine, go here or here. I realize many people consider this type of medicine 'quackery'. I however, do not, as I have seen firsthand, so very many times, how it has healed my family from some pretty tricky ailments that modern, allopathic medicine has missed.

I love homeopathy, and have studied it for many years. Our youngest son tends to respond to the remedies quickly when he has an ailment. No two ailments seem to be alike for him, so I often have to go to my homeopathy books to look up his symptoms and find the 'right' remedy. This is a bit easier now that he can tell me. It was a bit challenging when he was a baby. But even so, there are so many remedies, and so many symptoms out there, it is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. A trained homeopath has rubrics at their fingertips, typing in symptoms, and the program spits out a remedy. But until now, I had to do it all by hand.

Today, I was lucky to find a good resource for my complaint. ABC Homeopathy has a remedy repertory that walks you through the symptoms, asking all sorts of questions, then making the suggestion as to which remedy might be the best. I know some folks might feel uncomfortable with this type of diagnosing, but I feel pretty confident in my abilities to find a good remedy, and to cross-check anything that the computer program suggests with what I know about each remedy. I also know that if I do not hit on the correct remedy, my son will not suffer. These pillules contain such a tiny amount of medication that I get it wrong, all I notice is he does not get better within a small frame of time - say 2 hours or so. If I get it right, he begins to get better pretty quickly - the color returns to his face, he is smiling more, wanting to eat, etc. Then, if I give one dose too many, his symptoms return. I stop giving the remedy, and he feels better - back on the road to health. His body is supported, and he is able to take over the healing process.

The program suggested Phosphorus for our son who is dealing with stomach pain, a sore throat and general exhaustion. Phosphorus is made from amorphous phosphorous, and suits those people who tend to feel nervous, hate exams, like to be in the limelight and tend to be very sensitive to the atmosphere around them. Physical symptoms include nosebleeds, headaches, respiratory symptoms and nausea. Constitutional indications of this remedy tend to be for those folks who are intelligent, gregarious and artistic. I love how this method of medicine really takes the whole picture into account for each patient. Another plus is I can find many of the low-dosage (appropriate for colds, flus, sprained ankles, etc) remedies at my local health food store for a small price - around $6 gets me a tube with enough remedy to last for quite a while. No prescription is needed for remedies at these low dosages, though seeing a professional Homeopath is highly recommended for those who need extended care and medical support.

I know I'm not doing Homeopathy justice by my little lay-person's description. I encourage you to check out the homeopathy websites if you are interested in more information.

Will You Try Something New In 2010?

2010-01-11T23:03:00.001-05:00

There is no such thing as old beginnings. . . . all beginnings are new! Each moment - each breath taken is a fresh start filled with hope and possibility. Release your past, release your fears, expect the best and the best will always find you .

Just thinking. This feels like such a different year. Just a few days out from 2009, and already I feel like so many new things are possible. The potential for growth steps this year seems endless, but perhaps that's just because it's January. Do we all feel this way at this time of year?

Many people make resolutions at this time of year, only to drop them a few short weeks later. I know this occurs for me when I have made a resolution to change something that isn't quite right for my lifestyle. But I typically want to make things change too fast, too far, and after a few weeks of struggling to make it work, I let the whole thing go and call it a bust. Many of my blogging friends have introduced one word resolutions, or more like mantras, to carry with them throughout the year. Words like 'trust', 'acceptance', 'joy' top the charts for folks looking to focus their insights.

I was thinking about what new things I could try this year and a funny word popped into my head. Exercise. This feels odd because the very thought of the word usually makes me shiver with intense fear and loathing. But lately, I've watched runners as they navigate the slippery slopes which is our New England existence at this time of year. I wonder how long would I need to lumber along before I could run with ease and grace. Running? Me? No way. However, I do think I might try it this year.

Something else I want to try is to push my creativity. I work hard creating music for other people in my job every day during the week. I work with children, and love what I do. However, much of my work is 'in the moment' and not recorded, written down or in any other way secured. After my music sessions, I can't go back and look at all the work and say, "I did that". I'm usually ok with that - it's the nature of my work to be in the moment and something I have worked with for many years. But what about the music I want for myself? What about recording? What about the art I treasure just for me? In my work with children, I have come across some new ideas that could possibly be published into simple musical stories. Already, my mother in law, an accomplished visual artist, has agreed to illustrate for me. Something new for me this year, taking me way outside my comfort level, would be to publish my first musical story.

What will you do to push your limits this year? Are you satisfied with the 'same old/same old'? How could you bring a new twist on your daily grind so you expand your horizons? Have you ever thought of doing something, going somewhere and never moved to make it happen?

Will this be the year you finally listen to your inner being

and follow through?

Life is an adventure, how wonderful if you have a partner to share it with! New beginnings bring hope, anticipation and joy. The horse will help them arrive to their destination safely.

I Have House Envy

2010-01-10T19:05:00.000-05:00

Uh Oh. This can't be good. I've been working on being happy with what I have - you know, developing some contentment and all. But last night, we visited our good friends at their new home for dinner. Oh, such a lovely evening. And such a lovely house. It's a victorian (as is ours - but theirs is nicer) and has these gleaming floors, beautifully painted walls, and nooks and crannies everywhere (what I love about these old houses).

So what's wrong? Well... I have house envy all over again. I get it around September and December - times of new beginnings. I made it through Dec. with just slight pangs of wanting a farm, wanting to be out west, wanting something new. I thought I was turning a new leaf with how easy I came through the month, and hadn't even looked at Realtor-dot-com once!

You may recall we were looking to sell our home. We worked very hard to get the house ready for realtors a few months ago. Everything looked amazing: clean, neat and sparkling. Then we heard how little our house was worth, and decided to wait for the spring market to see what that would bring. After that, we found Dave Ramsey (See Saturday's post), and discovered that it's not our house that is causing our financial woes, but all our credit cards. So we may just decide to stay here - the house just won't bring enough to warrant buying another in this expensive town. The median house price is around $500K here. Hmph.

So what does one do with house envy?

I turned to a great book with a ridiculous title - 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zen Living'.

We bought this book for our 14 yo son for Christmas this year. He has been quite interested in Buddhism and we thought it would be an easy introduction for him. Turns out, it's a pretty good intro for me as well. What I read calmed me down from my pining for a new home. The passage talked about the fact that in Buddhism, a messy house is NOT the sign of a messy mind... it just IS. This means that just because my house is not quite right, that doesn't mean I'm not quite right with the world - it only means my house may be cluttered, even dirty at times. It means dishes pile up during the day waiting for the evening clean-up. It means laundry gets done when it gets done. It means the landscaping will eventually measure up to what I have planned for it, even if that takes a few more years. It means digging in a little deeper and finding what comforts and rescues us in this home. Why do we turn to our abode when needing a little extra warmth and kindness? What is it here that welcomes us to let down our guard yet again?

Good questions. Do you ever get house envy? What gives you comfort and love at your home? What is it about your home that speaks to you - beyond being full of your things? Do you have a particular connection with something in your home that brings you a feeling of centeredness?

Body Challenge 2010 Weekly Update

2010-01-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

I have chosen Saturdays as my weigh in day - not just for the scale, but also a check in for how I feel, how my clothes fit, how my behind fits in theater seats ;). Not your usual day for a check in, as who wants to be bothered by all this on a weekend? I typically overeat on Friday night to relieve the stress of the week. I come home on Fridays around 2pm from work and begin with a late lunch, then snack until pizza dinner (homemade and gluten free) followed by a treat of some sort. But I chose Saturday for this particular reason. I really want to keep my urges in check. Yesterday, it worked for the most part. I still came home around 2, needing a lunch and starving by that point (note to self - pack food to eat between music sessions - duh!), but once I ate, I reminded myself that the next day was a check in point for me, and I needed to be mindful. And mindful I was - with no snacking, only a small bit of pizza and no 'treat' after (as I was full and not really needing it).

So with a bit of trepidation, and quite a bit of wonderment, I got on the scale - and... drum roll, please...

I lost 3 pounds!

Wow. Here I thought I was making all the wrong choices, but I suppose I was doing alright. What I have been doing is listening to my inner hunger. You know, that voice that says (screams) "I'm really hungry" when it's really saying, "Feed me some love". I've been trying a mish-mash of a few different philosophies: a little from Geneen Roth (Feeding the Hungry Heart), Diana Schwarzbein (The Schwarzbein Principle), and Ann Louise Gittleman (The Fat Flush Plan).

I appreciate each of these programs for what they offer because I am primarily rule-bound and like to follow a plan (Never say 'diet'), but also feel I need a combination of ideas to satisfy the part of me that hates rules. Combining these approaches has also helped me be a little kinder to myself, gentler with the criticism (there's no falling off the wagon, here) and hopefully will keep me going for the long haul.

Another part which is so tremendous is the support I get from family and friends. For the first time ever, I have shared with people (and now the public) how much I weigh, and what my weight loss goal is. I have forever kept it hidden for fear that people will judge and dislike me for my weaknesses. Well, people will judge. That's what we do, whether we know or not. I stand on line at the grocery store and look at what other people are buying - don't you? At the library, I look at what books others are checking out - do you? You can say it's all information gathering, but I know a little judgement goes on in my head - not proud of it, but there it is. Happily, what I have found with my announcement (online and in person) regarding my plan to lose 100 pounds is that people are supportive and loving. Thank you my friends, for being so wonderful.

Snowflakes Are Falling, But Not From The Sky

2010-01-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

I have become a new follower of Dave Ramsey and his financial program, "The Total Money Makeover". This is an incredible plan to spend less, live on less than you make, and pay off ALL debt. That's right, ALL debt - not just your cards, or a loan. All debt including your mortgage, credit cards, loans, cars, etc. And with this plan, you can pay things off within years, not decades. I love that.

So, over the course of the last 3 months, my husband and I have paid off 2 credit cards that thought they were in our pockets until death we did part. We paid them off and said 'sayonara' to 2 whopping monthly finance charges. Since then, we have paid for everything in cash (or debit card) - even all 4 of our birthdays (we all come within 6 weeks of each other!) and Christmas. It has not been easy. Not in any way. But the rewards are starting to tumble in in the form of no additional credit card payments due because of overspending over the holidays. We won't have to face several months of additional worry about how to pay for all those great gifts we found on sale - that never end up on sale after all the interest.

Through being a member of Dave's site, I came to know this great book buy-back program called Cash-4-Books.

First, you go collect all those books you don't read anymore - you know, the ones laying around collecting dust. If you punch in the ISBN's of your unwanted books on the Cash-4-Books.net site, you can see what, if anything, they will offer you. Then you send the books in and Voila! The money shows up in your PayPal account (or through the mail). It's a win-win, and I love win-wins! It's not a ton of money - but I did get an offer of $33 on a book I only paid $29 for! Most payments are in the $1-5 range - at least for my books.

But why sell our books? I love books. I literally have a visceral reaction when I walk into a library or book store. I love the smell. I love the idea that new information is there to be found. It's like walking into a fairyland, waiting for the next adventure to begin around the next stack. I can find information on anything in books. Yes, internet is nice, but I love to feel the weight of the book in my hands and turn the pages that I assume no one else has yet turned. But books also collect dust sitting on the shelves. These books, which will not be read again, could benefit someone else. I could donate them - certainly that would be easier than punching in all those tiny ISBN's, carting up the books and dragging them to the post office. However, Dave's plan talks about selling everything not bolted down until your friends call you weird and the kids think they're next - just to get the bills paid that much faster. Money earned this way is called a snowflake - typically (but not always) smaller amounts that are unexpected income. The money I get from the books will go toward our 3rd credit card that will most likely now get completely paid off next month.

We won't really sell Everything. However, have you ever looked around at some of the cool stuff you have laying around and wondered how much you could bring in to support your income? I know many folks make a steady income on Ebay. I couldn't do it, but it does intrigue me that it can be done - all from things you have lying around useless at home.

FYI:
Dave's site has a membership, but you can check it out for free for a week. If you do decide it's for you and want to become a yearly member, if you pay the full price up front (versus monthly), he sends you his Total Money Makeover book - so don't go out and buy one and end up with two. The day mine arrived, I was literally on my way out the door to get a copy at the library.

Oh... but if you do end up with two... I know where you could sell it!!

Staying the Course

2010-01-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

I know how to eat well. I know how to eat to lose weight, even. What I struggle with is balancing major emotional crises with the urge to eat - usually something not good for me. When hit in the face with a familial argument, I want M&M's. Or ice cream. Or potato chips. When I have a huge deadline looming ahead, I would rather drown my frustrations in smooth dark chocolate or a thickly-creamed, hot mocha. What is it about emotional eating that is so hard to stop? I recognize the problem, yet have a hard time stopping in the moment and therefore, stopping the habit of eating improperly. I really want to lose weight - it has nothing to do with the desire to be healthy.

But it has everything to do with how we nurture ourselves. I read a great book called, "Self-Nurture" by Alice Domar many years ago. She talks about how we as (mostly) women find so many other things to occupy our nurturance except ourselves. We leave ourselves to last when we dish out the caring energy. Oh sure - there are those of us who know how to balance work, family or friends and life in general without eating our feelings. But I can almost guarantee that if you show me an overweight woman, you will find someone who has forgotten how to care deeply and carefully for herself.

I used to have these things called 'betterments' where I would do one thing just for me. They didn't have to make any sense to anyone but me. Some of my 'betterments' were taking a walk in the woods, getting a pedicure, going to a movie, sitting quietly, playing music, going out with a friend, going shopping. Perhaps it's time to bring back those 'betterments' in order to place less emphasis on feeding my feelings, and more on feeling them, and basically, just enjoying myself sometimes. You know, I got so good at this in the past, I was actually finding a 'betterment' to relish every day...!?!?!

Do you have any 'betterments'? What can you come up with that feeds your soul instead of your belly?

It's IRIE, Man!

2010-01-05T20:38:00.000-05:00

When we were in Jamaica for our (2 week!!) honeymoon, about 18 years ago, my husband and I happened upon the local expression of 'Irie, Man'. Our closest expression nowadays with our kids is 'that's cool, man'.

Tonight, we were able to go out to dinner as a family - a very rare treat - with a gift card to a local vegan restaurant from very good and kind friends. We had to wait for a long while for a table, though it's Tuesday, and the restaurant is relatively new. Sensing our disappointment, the server offered us Jasmine tea.
Oh wow. Talk about deja vu- one sniff (I like to smell stuff) and I was brought to Nirvana. I remembered this particular smell of jasmine tea from a small tin of it that we were given as a gift. Funny thing is, that tin sat on our shelf for ages. One day, we opened it for something warm to drink, and I was whisked away to some far off exotic place. Being such a small tin, we drank through it pretty quickly. I then set about trying to find that perfect jasmine aroma and flavor, looking in all the tea shops in Boston, Cambridge, and surrounding towns. Everything I found let me down - not as floral, not as vanilla-y, just not right.

Until tonight.

Oh wow - I'll say it again. We finally found it. The brand is Irie, distributed out of Providence, Rhode Island. And the best part? It's organic!

Mind-Body Challenge 2010!

2010-01-04T21:49:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

What a great day to get started on weight loss and fitness! I know, I know… jumping on the bandwagon yet again just like everyone else. But, for some reason, this year feels different. I have much more motivation and reason to make major changes in my life, and feel ready to go.

I have 100 pounds to lose to get healthy and live my long-intended life. I have a host of conditions directly or indirectly related to obesity, which I would like to alter or completely reverse altogether with weight loss, nutrition, and getting to know a part of me that is trapped under 100 pounds of fear, loss, anxiety and hunger.

So I have created the Mind-Body Challenge 2010!

My program will include the following:

I will use eating programs that I am familiar with, but will not shut out those I will learn about along the way.
I will take incredible care of my body and my mind.
I will learn to listen to my inner voice as it speaks of hunger, requests and feelings I may not typically want to know about.
I will use an online support system through this blog and others, to reach out to others and accept support along the way.
I will learn to support the positive, not focus on my shortcomings or term mistakes as failures.
I will find ways to satisfy my social life without needing food to carry me through.
I will discover and create new, healthy recipes which will be posted to be shared on this blog.
I will explore the fear other intense emotions that cause me to turn to food for comfort, and find other ways to nourish myself.
I will not Give Up.

This should be interesting! Look for regular updating posts to log my progress! Feel free to join me if you feel you need to jump start your level of mind-body-nurturance. Just leave me a comment, and I will send you a blog button announcing your participation. I will also start a list of folks joining me, so we can invite more support and encouragement!

Here's to a Healthy 2010!

The Geological Dig

2009-10-12T17:32:00.005-04:00

Just look at that clean counter!!

Getting our house ready for the market has been quite the experience. Stressful, yes, but also incredibly eye-opening to our habits, priorities and memories. Several weeks ago, we made the final decision to sell our house and began the geological dig through the stuff we have lived with for years and years.

I was scared most of the basement, so we began there. Not only was it filled with the most disgusting yuck from years of a wet, sopping experience down there, it was also the space that would show the most improvement over the smallest span of time. I wish we had a dumpster to toss it all into, but we found ways to decrease the mass of trash bags and got it all out with the evening trash. We were pretty proud of the accomplishment after the first day of digging. We were also saddened that we had let so many of our possessions, once special and memorable, disintegrate down there.

By the time we moved our dig up stairs to the main rooms of the house, we were beginning to get familiar with this strange sensation. We were digging through all these boxes, bags and shelves of things we apparently felt we needed at one time or another. We began to wonder why we needed all this stuff - especially stuff that we hadn't even looked at in a long time. We started asking ourselves, and each other, what does this box of mementoes hold for us? If we trash them, do the memories still exist? What was so important that we needed to hold on to all of this? Why put it in a box in some closet or shelf when we really need to let it go?

Once we got started letting go, it became tough to stop. Only getting back to work after the weekend off took us out of the trashing mentality - but honestly, I kept going in the evenings after work, just at a slower pace. After we attacked each and every room (including the boys' rooms!!), we began looking at the bookshelves, the cupboards, the drawers. If we weren't careful, one of us would put something down and someone else would snatch it up to get tossed!

What we were afraid of happening - finding the love for our house once again - did happen. We love living in a clean and organized space. We love it so much that we are finding new habits to keep it somewhat tidy and presentable. Of course, leading realtors through helps us stay focused on that. But I find that I have been able to let go of the fear that someone would drop by unannounced - mostly because now I want someone to see how beautiful our home has become - but also because we were able to get things cleaned out enough to know what's behind every closet door, under every bed and behind every cabinet. Although we discovered how much we love living in a clean house, we still understand how important it is to sell our home and move on.

Within all this, we made 4 trips to the second-hand store, with the van stuffed with donations. We have made one trip to the bookseller, but only unloaded 7 books. The library will receive the rest. We have made use of our local trash and recycling center with what felt and looked like tons of junk. Living without all of this has brought on a feeling of lightness of being. No longer stepping over things to get into bed, I can navigate to the bathroom and back in the middle of the night without fear of a catastrophe. My kids can find their clothes in the morning without needing a pickax to get through the piles of junk. We are truly a family transformed.

What piles are you hiding behind (or under)? Do you put off sorting through loads of junk as a way to put off cleaning out your life? Or do you have everything in neat order to keep control of things? Have you experienced a clean-out as we have? What did you find out about yourself? Share your thoughts here!

Coming Back Into Focus

2009-10-08T16:22:00.004-04:00

Do you know the feeling when you somersault underwater, then come out of it not knowing which way is up and out into the fresh air? I have become quite familiar with that feeling over this past month. When several issues hit at once, that were frustrating, eye-opening and concerning, I had to find my way to fresh air. During that process, I stopped writing on my blog. I stopped, mostly because I had nothing to share. I had put aside my urge to check in with everyone, and to share things I was thinking about. I gave myself time to define my priorities, and to let go of those things that were no longer important.

I have made several discoveries about myself over the past month. I have learned that taking care of my family, my home, my body and my money are all priorities. Not that they weren't in the past, but I have reached absolute bottom with each of these areas lately, that I had to stare each one in the face long and hard to discover how I was going to pursue a comfortable standard for myself. Just how clean is clean? Just how much money needs to be in savings to feel secure? What foods make me feel sick and what make me feel better? How hard do I push for my kids to be involved in after school activities - or homework? How about family respect? Do I demand it at every turn?

My sister, Lisa discovered more cancer in her breast (pectoral) muscle - from the side that the initial tumors were removed. I never considered this would happen. Why? I knew it could. However, I knew what 'clean margins' meant - and when the doctors announced that they 'got it all' with the initial surgery, I never questioned it. I subscribed to the magic carpet that carried us all right out of harm's way and into the land of healing. I should have known better. But I just so desperately wanted to take a deep breath - I wanted to be certain Lisa would be fine forever. So when she called me with the new pathology report a few weeks ago, I felt all the trauma of the first cancer phone call over a year ago. Me, at a laundromat during one of my washer-break-down days, trying to shove the clothes into the dryer, putting quarters into the machine with blurry, tear-filled eyes. The quarters kept falling to the floor, and me, swearing under my breath. I wasn't angry at those quarters, but at life. At the ridiculous cosmos for causing my sister pain and anguish.

So you see, I had to step aside from this blog, from certain areas in my life that were taking considerable time and effort that I just didn't feel I could afford to give. I stopped creating art, making music for fun, enjoying friends, laughing. So many things stopped making sense, and I had to figure it out. Not really a depression, but a serious focusing to get clear on life and how I really want to live mine. I can't stop my sister's cancer. I can't change the housing market. I can't force my children to love school. I can't pay the bills unless I go to work. Looking at all of this with a positive light, I can learn more about breast cancer, to be pro-active rather than frightened. I can keep my house tidy until the right time comes to sell it. I can extend my kids' educational experiences by offering more museum trips and adventures that relate to their curriculum. I can find a way to de-stress at work, providing myself enough space to enjoy what I do and the people I work with.

And I can keep finding time to do the things I love, to keep everything in perspective.

I wish you all well.

A Day at the Museum

2009-09-11T20:59:00.006-04:00

This summer, we had the great experience of visiting The Connecticut Science Center. Housed in a beautiful new building in the busy city of Hartford, Connecticut, this place is amazing. We have a pretty terrific science museum and a children's museum here in Boston, but when I read a review in the paper about this place in Hartford, I figured it was worth the 1.5 hour drive. And I was right. (I love it when I'm right.)

The museum, designed by world-renowned architect, Cesar Pelli, sits on the beautiful Connecticut River. Although it is crazy busy outside, once inside the comfortable walls, it feels as though you are suspended above a calm and peaceful turn of the water. Lots of windows to look out - even climb into to get a better view.

Everything about the place was airy and cool. Being a very hot day in August, we welcomed the cooler temperatures indoors. There was a whole exhibit on how they built the museum taking into account green engineering and geothermal energy for cooling.

The exhibits were incredible. Usually, my kids can breeze through a place, pretty much casing the joint for the 'fun-ness' factor. Well... I can tell you that we had to drag them out of there after 5 hours! And only because we were starving, and had a long drive ahead of us. We could have stayed longer, much longer.

Here, my husband is using bursts of air to move a beach ball. The game involved getting the ball through a chute - somewhat trickier than he thought!

Our eldest had pretty good luck. Turns out you needed the smaller ball, using less air momentum, and a whole lot of patience, in order to make it through.

Interactive exhibits where kids actually want to participate with an adult tops my list of fantastic summer finds!

My husband received a tutorial on speed-skiing, video-game style from our youngest. Although he typically does not enjoy video games, he kept trying this out, again and again.

Making music is one of our passions, and this museum did not let us down. Our eldest found the electronic jam room, and tuned up with several other kids.

You can listen to some of what they created here:

Our youngest is the mover and shaker of the family, as you can see here with the jumping exhibit:

And here, our youngest and my husband duel it out mind-blowing style. See the little, tiny ball in the glass tube? And see the headbands on their heads? With alpha waves, they are each moving the ball back and forth. He who gets the ball to the opposite end of the tube first, is the most relaxed. No pressure, folks...

And this is what the graph looks like after the competition. You may have guessed that you want the waves to be down low with few peaks. Looks like Player 2 got it this time!

This exhibit was pretty fun for our youngest. he's such a rock-'em, smash-'em kinda guy that he took to this immediately. The whole point of it was 'why do we need helmets'? You choose a helmet, put it on the 'dummy head' and then pull back the huge mallet and let it go.

The mallet then hits the head simulating a car crash or some other type of head trauma:

I'm pretty sure the point of the exhibit was totally lost on my son. He just enjoyed smashing the head over and over.

Here, you see both my boys actually checking something out together...! I thought they had outgrown playing in the water and sand, but what-do-you-know? Put it out there, and they will get their hands in it!

We had an incredible time. At lunch we traipsed down to the cafe for a meal full of organic and local produce/meats. It was a bit pricey, but when the food is that well-prepared, I don't mind paying a little more.

If anyone ventures out to Connecticut, make a beeline for the Connecticut Science Center. If it can bring my family together for a full day of fun, it must be totally amazing!

Hurry-Up Breakfast Smoothie, Or... How to Get Out the Door On Time!

2009-09-10T06:53:00.001-04:00

My kids draaaaaaag out the door for school. Who can blame them? The schools in my town open earlier as the kids get older. It would make sense to me that the youngest kids go to school the earliest, and then as the hormones kick in, the start time gets a little later. Ah well. As I always say, "I don't run the zoo".

So to get things going quickly, we have to be pretty creative with breakfast ideas in the morning. My guys leave eating to the last minute after getting ready, so smoothies have become the best belly-filler of all. Here's our favorite with the boys:

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

(goes down nice and fast)

Serves 2 with large glassfuls

2 C milk (or other milk-like beverage (soy/rice, etc)

2 ripe bananas

2 heaping tablespoonfuls of protein powder

1 T agave nectar

2 T peanut butter (can be omitted for allergies)

Large glassful of ice

Add ins (if you desire): chocolate chips, chocolate powder, vanilla extract, peaches, strawberries (or any other fruit), nuts (if no allergy)

Put all in blender and mix until creamy, frothy and thick. So good!

image from wiredfornoise.com

Parenting 101

2009-09-08T20:26:00.002-04:00

Parenting is, at best, rewarding, yet challenging. It has taken many a discussion and many occasions of being ignored for me to just begin to understand what my kids are really saying. During the times when I can take a step back and just breathe, I cherish what my kids are saying underneath it all. It isn't always what I want to hear, but if I pay attention, I can figure out what they need.

What They Say (in black) versus What They Mean (In red)

I didn't do it.

Yes, I did indeed do it, but I'm not going to admit it as I think you'll eventually calm down and not eat me if I just pretend I don't know what you're talking about.

I don't have a girlfriend.

Yes, I do like someone, but I wouldn't DARE express anything but negative emotions in your presence as you might get the idea that I am still a nice, gentle person inside.

I am so bored.

I need to spend more time actually doing things and less time being entertained, although what I am thinking is I need the opposite.

I don't want to walk next to you.

I don't want my friends to see me wanting to spend time with you, and enjoying your company.

I need money.

Can I have a sleepover?

Basically, I need your permission to stay up all night, be rowdy with my friends, eat every single thing in the house, then demand that you buy more food, drive the neighbors crazy and sleep all the next day while you have to get up and function on pretty much no sleep.

I don't care.

Of course I care, but if I show you I care, you will then expect me to be all mushy and on top of things all the time. I can tell my friends that I care, but never you.

I don't want to go with you.

I am asserting my independence, and even though I typically want to go with you, I am opting out this time, so you know I am becoming my own person.

I love you.

I do love you very much, no matter how I am acting.

I wouldn't ever change my parenting job. I wish it was a little easier sometimes, especially when I am tired or over-stressed. It is true that teenagers are a whole different breed from toddlers... but it's good to keep growing and learning (as a parent, I mean)... right?

Reflections of Summer

2009-09-03T22:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I returned to work. After 5 1/2 weeks of no work, I have returned to my job, along with 700 other fellow employees. This week, as with all first weeks in years past, we go through orientation, various training and inservices, and get ready for our students to arrive next week. These are the days we all look at each other and wonder, "Where did the summer go?".

I look back at the things I said I would do this summer, and laugh at my absurdity. Work out one hour a day!?!?!? Who was I kidding? I did, however, learn to like walking, and found that I could happily walk myself into town to run some errands. I also like getting up out of my very uncomfortable beach chair to wander down to the ocean and walk in the waves.

We did not get to Vermont or to Maryland to visit loved ones. We did get to drive up and down the coast of Maine, reconnecting with our boys and our love of the wild terrain that state has to offer.

I read some great books - The Time Traveler's Wife, The Schwarzbein Principle (for the 4th time), Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet, and some of Suze Orman's books on finances.

We took apart the bathroom, pulling out the really disgustingly colored blue tile and replacing it with lovely white tile. The room is not finished, but at least it's been started. Perhaps we'll wait until next summer to get the rest finished (gulp).

I made some great meals - when I wasn't complaining about the rain, or the intense heat and humidity. I learned how to satisfy my savory cravings with fresh latin food.

I learned how to block out constant chaos and pounding as the house next door began it's transformation. I tell you - it takes all my strength not to holler, "Be Quiet!!!" at their incessant hammering, sawing and yelling. But hey - they tell me it will be beautiful. I think it's different when the contractor tells you that so you'll be more patient - when it's your own house that they are making the noise on. When it's someone else's house - WHY SHOULD I CARE IF IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL??? It's still terribly disruptive.

Ah. But back to summer ending. What will Fall hold? I happen to adore Fall. Every little thing about it just tickles my fancy. I love the leaves turning, the crisp sound of them crunching underfoot as you walk through the park. I love the chilling of the air - gone are the thoughts of humid sunrises where breathing was challenging. Here come the slow-cooked meals, long-simmered soups and casseroles. Mulled cider and wine have my name all over them.

How about you? What do you look forward to as summer comes to a close and Fall comes down the road? Will you miss the summer, or look forward to the next adventures to come?

Looking Out For Lisa - 2 Months To Go!

2009-09-01T20:26:00.003-04:00

It's been just over a month since I posted here about Looking Out For Lisa, sharing our efforts to raise funds for her cancer care.

I am so happy to report that just through contacting our online friends, we have raised $3410.00! We are looking into a couple of outside events in our towns to further support this drive, in order to complete our goal of $30,000. Alone, this feels like a mountain to move. But I know that by working together as a community, as a supportive and tremendously creative group of individuals, we can make this happen. I've seen this happen, and feel no reason to think it can't happen here.

Just as Lisa goes into another surgery this week, I would love to ask the question -

"Would you help a stranger?"

To what lengths would you go to support that person? I ask myself this question often, living outside of Boston, crossing paths with individuals needing housing, food, companionship. How far will we allow ourselves to reach out in kindness and love to someone we do not know?

Do you have $5, $10, $20 to support this effort? Do you have web space to refer visitors to this post? Do you have interest in blogging about it on your own?

What if we all carried each other through the tough times? Our health care will never be what we need it to be - or at least I don't see a perfect health care system in my near future. Can we carry each other through to the other side of well-being and financial grounding? I believe we can. And it really only takes a few bucks.

If you are able to participate, please click on the Looking Out For Lisa ChipIn above. If you need button html, please email me.

Thank you so much for your kindness and consideration! Let's see how far we get this month!

Blogger Showcase!

2009-09-01T20:07:00.004-04:00

Why does it seen like I turn around and it's Tuesday again!?!?!?

This week, I want to showcase someone my mother just turned me on to. As you know, I looooove to cook. Love it. Love. It. As the weather cools (can't believe I just typed that), I turn to my slow cooker to get things ready while I am working and being taxi-mom all day. I have some pretty good slow cooking cookbooks, however, all but one uses copious amounts of cream of mushroom soup - which I'm not even sure belongs in any food group.

Just so happened my mom drops the name of this blog during a conversation, and I am totally hooked. The site I'm talking about is... (here goes the drumroll...)

At A Year Of Slow Cooking, Stephanie has taken, as the title announces, a year to use her slow cooker every single day. For those of you familiar with books and movies, Julie and Julia has done a similar project, as the author cooked through Julia Child's cookbook in a year and blogged about it. Stephanie has blogged through her escapades, has published a cookbook, and though her year has ended, still shows up to post every now and then.

What I really like about this blog is how she pictures her ingredients, gives clear instructions on how to fill the pot, then returns after the meal to describe how it went - how it looked, tasted, and what the kids thought.

Of course, the best part for me, is Stephanie's family is gluten-free just as mine is. It is really hard to find gluten free folks making waves in the culinary world, and doing a good job of it, so I appreciate the added resource.

Some examples of what she cooks up:

Mmmm. Can't wait to pull my pot our and dust it off after a hot summer. I'm not too sure what I'll make first, but I'll be sure to let you know.

Definitely stop by A Year of Slow Cooking. If you make something, tell me about it!

Summer's Over Tostadas

2009-08-31T19:50:00.003-04:00

Had to - just had to come up with a new recipe for the blog. (And oh, by the way - you're getting four with this post tonight!!) It's been weeks since I last gave you a mindful dose of cookin'. I was reading the article about Jennifer Aniston's cooks who made this super-yummy looking tostada and salad meal. I was really inspired to use kale in my tostadas, as I am always looking for new ways to get my kids to eat greens. What follows is my rendition, which is why I can name it. Please let me know if you make it, and tell me what you think.

By the way - many weeks ago, I asked for your recipes to put into a menu plan. I haven't forgotten, still have what you sent, and welcome more additions. This project asks for more time than I was able to give it this summer to complete it, but I'm almost done with a 2-week trial for your perusal. Feel free to send me more ideas!

Summer's Over Tostadas

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Brush olive oil over one side of 18 corn tortillas. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes on a cookie sheet (I had to do mine in batches) or until browned. You may want to turn them over, but you will not need to brush more oil on. Remove from over and let sit.

Topping:

2 cans black beans

3 scallions, minced

2 T feta cheese (optional)

1/2 C chopped greens (I used swiss chard because that is what I had on hand. You could use chard, kale, bok choy, or other leafy green)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 C monterey jack cheese, shredded

Put all ingredients except monterey jack cheese in a large bowl to mix. Spread 2T bean mix over each baked tortilla. Put back in over and bake until cheese melts and bean mixture is hot.

Top with salsa verde, guacamole, sour cream. Serve with Enchanted Salad.

Salsa Verde

12 tomatillos, husked and chopped

4 scallions, minced

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3T Apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

To make this salsa the easy way, put everything in the food processor and pulse until somewhat chopped and uniform in texture to your taste. Refrigerate after using. Makes about 1 cup. Use to top tostadas.

Enchanted Salad

3 Cups various salad greens, torn into bite-sized pieces (I used Organic microgreens)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 avocado, cut into small slices

1 blood orange, peeled, cut into large chunks

Mix all ingredients, putting avocado and orange pieces on top (they look pretty there!).

Dress with Cumin Dressing, below

Cumin dressing

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T cumin

Mix all ingredients and pour over salad. So good. So, so good. Mmmmmm.

Ambrosia Delight

(in honor of my mother)

Fill a large drinking glass (16oz) with ice. Pour in 1/2 cup both pineapple and guava juice. Fill the glass with Seltzer (or Sprite) and mix with a spoon.

* Double check that the juice you use for this drink is only juice - no sugar, additives, etc. Sometimes the guava nectar is only fruit and gives the drink a nice, smooth texture. Ah yes, 'Ambrosia', my mother would say.

Summerings

2009-08-30T22:58:00.003-04:00

What a Cool Tag!

2009-08-28T09:58:00.004-04:00

Angela, at My Year Without Spending tagged me with a very special award:

"The Humane Award honors eight certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world. Link back to the person who gifted you with the award and share the love with other bloggers."

Every day, I am excited to see who has checked in on my blog. Like an excited neighbor, I rush to their blogs to see what's up with them. It really is a sweet and inspiring community that we blog in, supportive, encouraging and entertaining. Through blogland, I get to watch children grow, look at what they are studying through homeschooling, learn new crafts, discover new gardening techniques, explore places I have never been around the world.

In the interest of paying it forward, I would like to pass this award on to the following 8 blogging friends - I thank you all for your support, encouragement and inspiration on a daily basis!

I am adding a ninth and tenth - My sister, Lisa and my mother, Sunny have been my biggest supporters all along. I'm adding them as 9 and 10 as they don't have blogs, but I really want to share how wonderful they have been, and truly deserve this award.

Stop and Think, Then Think Again

2009-08-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

Several folks commented on yesterday's post about my dryer. The general feeling that came through was to think about those who do not use a dryer - because they do not have one available. And also to think about the folks who choose to dry their clothes outside on a line.

Although these are very good points to ponder, I must admit to feeling a little defensive at first. I choose to dry my clothes in a dryer for several reasons. We happen to live in an area that gets tremendous humidity in the warmer months, and chilling cold in the winter, making a line somewhat challenging, since the clothes would not dry. I also share my yard with another family, and a really big trampoline - not much space for a clothes line.

But after more thinking about it, I am left wondering - Are these just excuses? Why do we choose to be tunnel-visioned about certain decisions (as in the effort to live mindfully), yet completely oblivious about others? Is my choice to dry my clothes with the dryer some way to hold on to older habits - as if my whole self was not in on the decision to take better care of the world? Or is it simply that I can't stand the feel of stiff, rough, air-dried towels on my skin?

I happen to be a rather robust woman living in a busy community, and the thought of my clothes hanging out for everyone to marvel at feels pretty humiliating. However, would 'airing my laundry' out where others could see actually set me free from the worries of "What would the neighbors think"?

I think the only way I will know is by trying. Before the ground gets cold (hard to think of that happening in this heat), we could sink a post or two and tie up a line. It would be good to work through my stubbornness regarding line drying, and see where it gets me.

Are there decisions in your life that you keep putting off? What would they be?

The Dryer Saga, Part 3

2009-08-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

Who'd have thought? You may have been around when I posted this about our dryer breaking down in January. Then, we were able to replace it with a free one, even though I was pining for a cherry-red, front-loading model. After a few months, it broke down, and I talked about that here. We were able to fix it, amazingly, as dryers don't seem too challenging to understand, once you figure out how to open them. So we were able to keep the free one after investing in a $14 part.

A few days ago, one of our sons just happened to mention that they had noticed the clothes in the dryer were still wet - the clothes they had put in a couple of days prior. They informed me - the dryer is broken, mom. Oh great.

How far do you push a free dryer? When do you throw in the towel and get a 'new' one? When do you throw in THAT towel and buy a really 'new' one from the store that gives guarantees and delivery and hauling away of the old one (or old ones in our case)? Those were the tough questions in our household this weekend.

I was ready to bite the bullet and get a brand new one. I'm tired of taking on other people's problem appliances. Why should I have to learn how a blower wheel works when other people get to watch their laundry spin round and round in their brand new front loaders? Grrr.

Earth to Jill... Remember why you started this blog in the first place??

Um... Yeah. So I started to do some research. The machine just wasn't starting up at all - no juice whatsoever. It could be many things, but we had to start at the door switch. Having learned recently how to open the dryer front, I took it off and quickly found the switch in question. Having unplugged the machine (of course), I removed the switch and set about looking for a replacement. Two appliance parts stores later, we found the part. Now to go home and find if this was the problem.

The part fit perfectly, with a little squeezing of some pliers, and low and behold... it started up. It's been drying all day now - and yes, we re-washed the stinky boy load and everything is just fine now. (Gotta give them kudos for trying to do their own laundry, right??)

What items have you fixed when you could have replaced?

Blogger Showcase!

2009-08-25T21:25:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday! Time for the Blogger Showcase!

This week, I am showcasing a blog that is new to me, but not to some of my blogging friends.

Urban Homestead South Africa

Some amazing ideas for gardening are shared here. Talk about inspiration! I only wish we were going in to spring as they are over on the other side - my plants did so poorly this year, after all that planning and planting.

I also learned about a lovely loaf of artisanal bread dough that you keep ready in the fridge to be baked before a meal - you ought to check that out. I only wish it was gluten free (boo hoo).

There are some fantastic recipes, garden structures and stories about a husband (Superman) that likes to make surprises.

Check out Wendy at Urban Homestead South Africa when you have the chance. I know I'll be back for more!

Grouting 101

2009-08-24T22:13:00.003-04:00

Way back when, we decided this was the year of the bathroom makeover. I touted that I would do the re-do on the cheap, and of course it's been anything but. But all that aside, I thought I would share my wise words for those of you considering a walk down the aisle of home improvement, especially projects in the bathroom domain. Being that we grouted the tile around the tub today, I thought this post could be ...

All About Grout

Do not leave grout all over the floor, the tub, the wall and your hands unless you plan on sanding everything down at a later date - including your hands.
Do not use a kitchen spatula to transfer grout from the bucket to the float, especially one with holes.
Do not expect happy moments with your spouse if you are both squeezed into the tub trying to grout the walls before the grout dries, and both making a royal mess.
Do not... 'ahem'... do not wear a favorite outfit while grouting, especially when grouting with your spouse as grout has a tendency to fly about the room and permanently land on clothing (and the floor, sink, tub, toilet, door, hall)
Do not make any other plans for the day. The grouting takes forever, and then you will be too tired to even get up off the couch to go look at your great job done until tomorrow.
Please - and I am asking nicely - please do not put blue-green wall tile around a pink bathtub. If you do, the next person will just have to come and rip it out - and then they will have to learn how to grout. Think neutral, people!
Do expect very sore arms by the end of the day - grouting is all about the 'push', you know.
Do expect that you will either have to miss those very important calls while you are grouting - or expect that your phone will become one with the bathroom wall after you reach for it (not thinking) and inadvertently cover it with grout.

I am grateful for the ability to begin, carry out and complete home improvement projects with my husband. I do wish they were less messy, and hope that the next project could be in a somewhat larger space.

Summerings

2009-08-23T22:04:00.005-04:00

Can you ramble with pictures? Well - consider this a major rambling. We have been so busy with family visiting, that blogging has been tough to get to. Here are a few pics of things we have experienced lately.

This is a mushroom

Be Well.

Pretty Sweet Giveaway!

2009-08-20T23:26:00.001-04:00

I came across this giveaway through Debra at flotsam and had to pass it on. I think the bag is amazing and oh so cute - going to try to make one myself someday... hmmm.

Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

12 Ways to Pamper Yourself, On the Cheap!

2009-08-20T10:12:00.003-04:00

It's summer. I thought things would be slower and less hectic. But no, I'm a mom, and being such calls me into place repeatedly to taxi, feed, kiss, referee, manage, juggle and supervise. Finding that little slice of 'me' time is still challenging, without the full time job (I'm off for the month of August). So I set out to find little things that aim to pamper oneself, inexpensively, and in small amounts of time - just right for a busy mom, professional, or all around too-busy-to-take-care-of-myself kind o' gal.

Take a bath. These days it is a cool bath for me with the humidity in the stratosphere. Strew fresh herbs and flowers under the tap as it fills your tub. The scents will fill you with happy and relaxing, invigorating thoughts. Light candles. Play soft music. Read something light and enjoyable (or nothing at all). Soak as long as you like, or are able to - after about 20 minutes I'm a bit prune-ish.
Make a smoothie. Check here for a great recipe. I try to keep a variety of frozen fruits in the freezer just for this purpose. Typically, when the kids hear the blender, they have this Pavlovian response and come running, so when I want something all to myself, I have to make it quick or make it when they are outside ;). (Not that I don't love sharing with my boys - but the point here is to have an individual experience.
Clean out a drawer. I know - weird, huh?? Who would think that to pamper might mean actually cleaning? But hey - try it. Stop putting it off and actually clear out that junk drawer. It is surprising how wonderful it feels afterward. The sense of pride that fills my heart after I do this is tremendous.
Take a walk. How well do you know your neighbors? Have you noticed what's been going on in your neighborhood lately? What are the trees doing this time of year? Are there any animals running about? Get outdoors and clear your head. I walk around my neighborhood and find things I never knew were there - after living here for 10 years!
Swim. Do you have a local pool or pond/lake nearby? We are lucky to have a town pool where we can swim for no cost. We also live on a river - we can't swim in it, but we can be down by it and enjoy the wildlife there. How about a beach? I'm an hour away from the coast, but with a little planning, I can take a drive and spend some time there. The water is so refreshing and renewing. Even a gym membership, if you already have one, will work for this - if they have a pool. You don't always have to swim laps in a gym pool, especially if the pool isn't busy. Splash around and cool down. Float. Sink to the bottom. Feel your body suspended.
Sit. Ask any busy woman. She'll concur with you how little time we all get to sit and think. Or not think. Just sit to breathe and rejuvenate. What a treat not be talked to for a few minutes. Ahhhhhhh...
Go ahead. Eat a cookie. Sugar does something to us. Chocolate too. I know it's supposedly scientific with endorphins and all, but the truth at the bottom of the barrel is... we like it. Sweets make us smile. Perhaps some key to a door closed during childhood - sugar opens us like a good book. Grab one and enjoy.
Spend time with a friend. This is one of my favorites. I especially love calling my sister and chatting for long minutes about all sorts of things. We can be in any kind of foul or frustrating mood, and know exactly what to say to the other to help boost things. The unconditional love felt between two individuals is more powerful than steel in my book.
Garden. Whether you have an acre or windowbox, you can take some time to connect with the seasons through gardening. Planting herbs for the kitchen, planting flowers for the bees and butterflies, or planting the family garden plot at the community garden. These are all ways you can spend some time communing with Mother Nature, connecting with her cycles of germination, pollination, fruiting and finally, death.
Sleep. Or, if you can't sleep, meditate. Can you spare 10 minutes to close your eyes? Past studies have shown that just a few moments of peace and quiet will restart your motor. Any longer than 20 minutes might make it more challenging to rest later on, so you would want to keep this to a little catnap.
Enjoy some time with animals. We have so many little beings at my house. When things get a little rough, I love pulling a cat into my lap to chill out for a few minutes. There is a reason pets are used for therapeutic sessions. Talk about unconditional loving - wow! When you need a moment to be reminded that touch is sometimes the most important thing in the world, find a pet and enjoy.
Be creative. I spent many, many years not creating. Making music for other people left my own bank empty. Recently, I started crafting, beading, collaging, dreaming. I wake up in the night, sometimes, thinking over a plan to create something when I next get the chance. Crafting fills me with excitement - as the energy I feel inside has somehow become tangible. I can hold the product, rework it, hang it up, throw it out. I'm in charge of it, and I like how that feels. The possibilities are endless and I like that as well.

It is so important to find time to pamper yourself. In fact it really is TAKING CARE of ourselves - not so much pampering. Pampering brings to mind luxuries that we could do without, and such is not the case here. Finding a way to recharge is a necessary part of each day. Can you make time for it?

I am curious what you might come up with as additional ideas for pampering. What do you do to relax?

Blogger Showcase!

2009-08-18T20:37:00.003-04:00

It must be Tuesday! Time for the Blogger Showcase!

I look forward to this time every week so I can share one of the great blogs I've been looking through, reading, getting excited about (when I'm supposed to be cleaning/parenting/sleeping... you name it). The hardest part for me is deciding who to pick because I keep finding such great ones.

This week, I am showcasing... drumroll please...

Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick has the most incredible decorating ideas I've found so far. Being mindful and mindfully simple does not mean being boring and ugly. I love to bargain hunt down the aisle of the flea market on any ol' day. I could - and often do - stop the van on a moment's notice to peruse a tag sale or two on a hot Saturday morning, coffee in hand. But then, what should I DO with those new treasures??? Well, I look to Sarah for the answers. She's amazing. Her motto is: "A good home must be made, not bought" (quote by Joyce Maynard)

Want to know what to do with those great second hand finds? Look here.
Looking for support while re-organizing the house? Look here.
This woman will arm-wrestle you under the table for molding. Look here.
Have you ever needed a reason to use spray paint? Look here.

The options are endless the way Sarah sees it. And to top it all off, she offers decorating advice at a steal of a price.

I am always looking forward to whatever she comes up with next - but I find myself asking, "Why didn't I think of that?!?" as I read her posts. It's really okay that others come up with the good ideas, as long as they don't mind that I try my hand at their projects every now and then (when I'm not reading blogs!).

Check out Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick when you need a good decorating idea, or when you need to smile - her sense of humor is terrific! You'll be glad you did!

Summerings

2009-08-16T22:21:00.007-04:00

It's just after 11 pm - not too late to get in my usual Sunday Summerings post. Here are a few pics from our trip to Maine, with just a few explanations.

Cobscook State Park, Dennysville, Maine

A truly beautiful and peaceful place.

Felt like we went to the end of the earth to get there, though.

This is a picture of mud flats - the tide had gone out and people were clamming.

Boys decided they needed a mud bath.

I loved the texture of this seaweed, but it was too slippery to walk on.

Looking out over the mud flats, mid-day. Such peace and tranquility.

Our campsite was on this little pond, surrounded by icky, gooey, deep mud. Bet you can guess what the boys discovered once the tent was up...

I fell in love with this little man in the rock. In the interest of leaving things as they were, I left it at the shore. I miss him.

Sandy Beach at Acadia State Park. Wow, what an amazing place. You must visit Acadia if you ever have a chance.

Brotherly love runs deep in our family. Especially when you spend very small spaces together all week long!

Lubec, Maine. Supposedly the Easternmost town in the US. They claim to see the sunrise first here.

Camden, Maine. You wouldn't know it to look at this picture, but Camden is one of the most touristy coastal towns in the whole state of Maine. Thank goodness we found a quiet spot.

West Quoddy Lighthouse. Easternmost lighthouse in country.

Thunder Hole - in Acadia State Park. The tide was high, so the effect of the thundering and splashing was not nearly as effective and exciting as we had hoped. We will return next year and wait for low tide. It is supposedly quite the show!

Everyone needs those experiences which make them feel on top of the world! This is in Lubec, Maine.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. Our trip was terrific, one to be repeated in the future - but perhaps with less driving (we drove 1000 miles over the week).

Tag! I'm It!

2009-08-16T00:13:00.003-04:00

While I was away, I was sneakily tagged by Cory at Pink Dogwood Blossom.

Cory just started a new blog, using a title near and dear to me - I have always loved dogwood trees, since I was a little girl, actually. In fact, when my father passed away several years ago, we planted a dogwood tree in his honor. It graces the front of my walkway, being passed and admired by everyone who comes to call. The interesting thing about this dogwood tree is that for the first year after being planted, it bore no leaves or flowers. I was so sad, since we have planted it for such a special and important occasion. One day, I looked out at the tree, and decided it needed a fairy bell. Funny thing was, I had no idea what I was talking about! I just knew it needed a fairy bell to call for some special energy to help support this tree. So I set off to find one from Ebay, for lack of a better place at the time. What I found was a sweet little brass bell of a hummingbird. Once it arrived, I hung it on one of the inner branches of the little, leafless dogwood tree. During rain storms or light winds, I could hear that little hummingbird bell ringing away. This was at the beginning of summer, after the dogwoods in this area had bloomed. Wouldn't you know it - within 6 weeks, the lower part of that dogwood was covered in leaves!! The following year, more of the tree was covered in leaves, and each year after that, leaves seemed to be climbing up the trunk. During the 3rd year, small blossoms appeared. The leader of the tree (the part that grows the highest from the center of the trunk) remains bare. I find this reminds me of the reason I planted the tree, and the reason I hung the fairy bell. I don't dare trim the bare spots for fear of damaging the tree, and losing sight of these amazing events.

The fairy bell rings less often now, being that it is buried among so many thick leafy branches. But if I peak way inside, I find it hanging there, so faithfully.

Cory tagged me to share 6 things about myself. So hear goes...

I say purple is not my favorite color, yet if given the choice, I will almost always choose something in a purple hue.
I do not like to eat fish, but I love hand-made plates with fish on them.
I do not like to window shop.
I could stop a train with my urge to check out flea markets.
I adore avocados.
I think a day at the beach with a good book is a day very well spent. (Who cares about the laundry??)

There you are - simple and now, over (phew). When you have the time, go over and check out Pink Dogwood Blossom. There are some pretty great photos of Rocky...

Summerings

2009-08-09T10:23:00.002-04:00

We are going away for a few days - a well-deserved vacation to the coast. I will post as I can (and where we have access), but it will mostly be photos with brief descriptions of what we've discovered. I will resume my usual postings (Blogger's Showcase, Thursday Grocery Day) when I return. Have a great week, everyone!!

Some Great Giveaways and a Guest Post

2009-08-06T17:22:00.006-04:00

Some of my buddies out there are hosting some amazing giveaways/gift givings that I wanted to share with you.

Michelle at Earthy Crafty Mommy is having a giveaway to celebrate her 37th birthday. She is offering some lovely fabric pieces and a "Sewing For Dummies" book. Her giveaway ends at 8pm on Saturday the 8th, so get your comments in!!

Barbara at Second Surf is hosting a wonderful giveaway, ending at 11pm EST on 8/11. Check out her site to win a beautiful hand made necklace.

Stacy at Golden Bird Knits is hosting a 100th blog post giveaway, with either a pack of fat quarters of fabric or a menagerie of yarns. Leave her a comment before Monday, 8/10.

Holistic Mama is holding a gifting for 100 followers. She is giving away a lovely baby carrier. Check her out before mid-August.

And Now...

It's Thursday. Time for Grocery Bill Reducing Tips!

Today, we have my first guest blogger, Lisa. You may recall I blogged about Lisa last week. Rather than share tips, she is describing an amazing week of food she is having:

Hi Everyone! Excited to be here! I had an amazing experience at the grocery store this week, and Jill asked me to write it up and share it. Here goes...

Husband called to let me know that Safeway was having a promotion for next 2 weeks on "Perfect Choice" (or Mann Packing) brand packaged produce, you know, broccoli slaw mix, baby carrots, etc. $1.00 per 4 serving bag. So I threw a few of those in the cart. By the time I was finished with my shopping, I went to pay. I had brought 2 $15.00 gift cards to Safeway that I had received as gifts. With all my savings and gift cards added up, I ended up walking out paying only 86 cents! I couldn't believe it. Neither could my family!

Beyond that, we decided to eat what we had in the freezer as it was jam packed with who knows what. Turns out there was a ton of great food in there, waiting to be made into fantastic food! I made stuffed zucchini (overgrown garden zucchini!), using the recipe from: www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=32080 - Drop Dead Delicious Stuffed Zucchini.
I also made zucchini muffins and zucchini cake, using ingredients we already had. I made a chicken pot pie with crusts I had in the freezer, plus pot pie mix already made previously from double portion, just adding more vegies from the garden plus a salad from the garden. Today for lunch we had vegetable soup (veggies from the garden) with organic chicken broth and gluten free pasta (from the pantry). Tonight we are having fish tacos. A friend of ours is a fisherman and so I have yellow fin tuna in the freezer. I will saute this up along with some shrimp (from the freezer) and add lettuce and tomatoes (from the garden), cheese and sour cream all wrapped up in tortillas...from the freezer! Add to this black beans from the pantry.

Usually I spend on average $300 a week for a family of 4 (including 2 teenagers), buying mostly organic food. This week I am up to a whopping $80! And the freezer is getting cleaned out, how cool is that! Now I have to come up with recipes for frozen fruit...have lots of that! Mmm, muffins and smoothies!

It's Too Hot To Cook, Mama!!

2009-08-05T22:14:00.005-04:00

Are you ready for another recipe? This summer, the rain has given way to intense humidity and heat. Not much to you Westerners out there, but we have been getting up close to 90 degrees F with at least 70% humidity. That's just sticky weather. So, since it's too hot to cook, I have been trying to come up with some creative ideas to keep the stove off. Here's my recipe for

Mama's Too Hot To Cook Quinoa Salad:

All I did was make too much quinoa for dinner one night and had a ton left over. Quinoa is like rice when you cook it: 1:2 ratio grain to water. So I took 2 Cups of quinoa, rinsed it to get the bitter enzymes off of it, and put it in 4 cups of boiling chicken broth (you can use water or other broth if you like). As it was cooking, I added frozen organic peas and sliced zucchini. Cook on low heat until the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes or so (but keep an eye on it in case it needs more or less time). So that is all the cooking part, which hopefully you can do without sweltering up the kitchen like I do.

This is one of those improvisational recipes, where you throw in whatever you have around the kitchen. You could add grilled chicken. You could add cooked beans. For this dish pictured above, I chose to add things like sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, red onion and parsley. I think I threw in a couple of garden tomatoes as well.

For the dressing, I chose olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. I mixed that up in the food processor until smooth, checked for taste, and poured it over the top of the salad.

This salad received rave reviews, from friends and family alike. Definitely what I would call 'a keeper'.

********

Have you ever tried quinoa??

Quinoa plant

From Wikipedia:
Quinoa (keen-wa) was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[3] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

From Me:
What I love about quinoa is how easy it is to prepare. It cooks as quickly as white rice, tastes mild and a little crunchy, and is beautiful to look at with it's little collars that float to the top of the pot while cooking. You can find it in your local health food or specialty food stores as well as in some well-stocked supermarkets. Of course, it is also online as well. A little more pricy than rice, it is worth every cent with it's high protein count and great taste.

If you've never tried quinoa before, try it and let me know what you think!

Blogger Showcase!

2009-08-04T22:24:00.003-04:00

It's Tuesday! Time for the Blogger Showcase!!

Today, I want to spotlight someone I have been following for quite some time. Angela at My Year Without Spending has spent many months being seriously devoted to something called The Compact, an amazing idea where one carefully considers each purchase made, focusing on reusing, recycling, borrowing, bartering (and going without in some cases), in order to ease the economical and ecological burden of ourselves and our society. Angela talks about joining a CSA, de-cluttering, and learning how to cook meatless Mondays. She has highlighted other friends who have purchased clothing at their local second-hand stores in her weekly Thursday posts titled, "Thrifty Threads".

Angela has also introduced me (and many others) to this idea of the 'baby steps challenge' toward simplicity. She has set herself the goal of becoming more mindful of how she treads upon the earth, but to get there, she recognized that she needed to master several smaller steps in order to be successful. So far, her monthly goals have included:

Eliminate junk mail
Air-drying her laundry
Composting
Eliminate hazardous household chemicals

What I love about Angela is rather than only shout out about all the great things she's doing to 'save the earth' (although she really IS doing so many great things to save the earth), she talks about how hard it is. She talks about major changes she has had to make in order to live with her decision to remain true to the Compact. She talks about how it used to be, how it is now, and how she sees it in the future. A real perspective, from a real person. I like that, and I really appreciate that.

Go visit Angela at My Year Without Spending. I think you'll be glad you did.

Keep the great ideas coming Angela!

Viva La Salsa!

2009-08-03T22:07:00.003-04:00

One thing I love about summer is farmers markets. One thing I love about farmers markets is freshness. On thing I love about freshness is...

SALSA!

You know, it's really so simple to make, yet so many people are truly amazed at how incredible fresh salsa tastes. And what's great is you can alter it in so many ways. You could make it spicy, nose-dripping hot (sorry), or much milder. You could use fruits such as watermelon, papaya, mango or peach. You could use no tomatoes whatsoever and make a salsa verde of sorts. Tomatillos or not. Onions or not. Super garlicky or not. Truly an improvisationalist's dream in cooking!

Here's my basic recipe - but you have to promise me you'll play with it to come up with new versions (then share them here!).

Viva La Salsa!

Makes approximately 4 cups

6 plum tomatoes, quartered

6 tomatillos, de-husked and quartered

2 cloves garlic

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

hot pepper - do what tastes right to you: I use 1/2 small jalapeno pepper (no seeds) and it is pretty spicy. If you want the pepper taste but not the spice, try a lesser hot pepper, such as an Italian (or others). Always use caution opening and cleaning hot peppers as the oil becomes airborne and is quite easy to inhale. It also gets on your fingers (some folks use gloves) and can irritate your skin, or get into your eyes if you rub them. Wash your hands immediately after finishing with the pepper part of this recipe.

Put everything in the food processor. I typically do the tomatoes first, pulsing to get them just chopped but not too juicy. I do the same for the tomatillos. After pulsing, I put each of these ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Then comes the rest of the ingredients, including the pepper, if using. This time, you can let the processor run a bit longer, because this part can be more juicy. Put everything in the bowl and mix. Salt to taste. Add more vinegar/lemon if it needs more bitter, pungent flavors. In fact you could adjust any part of the recipe at this point to make it taste more to your liking.

Just don't expect it to stick around too long!

Enjoy!

Calling All Bloggers! Urgent!

2009-08-01T23:00:00.007-04:00

Dear Friends of the Blogosphere -

I am awarding hand-made beaded bracelets and hand-painted note cards (your choice) to those who pass the word on about Looking Out For Lisa.

Many of you have already read (and even commented on) this post from Weds, 7/29 about my fundraising efforts for my sister. Already we have been able to raise almost $2200 in only a few days, just through the internet. It amazes me that through the incredible kindness of several people, we are able to move mountains.

I am a firm believer in human character, that deep down, we know what to do to get the job done, even if we don't know each other. Just this week, I reached out to hundreds of people in an effort to raise money for my sister's medical care. I asked people I don't even know to send money - something we all are having a hard time letting go of these days. And slowly, people are responding. I love that people see the need, and find a way to fill it - don't you?

So the point of this post is to ask for your direct help. Many of us blog to a few, others to hundreds each day. If each of you posted just a link to Looking Out For Lisa, think of how our community circles could grow and intertwine.

Looking out for each other is something I would love to work hard for - not just for my sister, but for yours. For your mother, brother, father, best friend. This is our chance to make changes in our world for the better. If our health care cannot sustain us, perhaps we can find ways to move those mountains on our own, without breaking anyone's piggy bank - ever.

I am asking that you please post this button on your site, if you feel you can support our mission to begin to 'fill the gaps' of today's American health care crisis.

If you aren't able to get the linking code, email me at jonjibu@verizon.net and I will send it over.

Once loaded on your site, leave me a comment,

and I will happily send you a gift.

For considering this direct request, I thank you. I know together, we can work miracles.

All the best-

Jill

Look What I Received!!

2009-07-31T23:46:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Stacy!! Golden bird knits presented me with a lovely little award - I am so blessed! Truth is, I have really enjoyed getting to know some new blogging friends recently. Stacy called it a 'neighborhood' - and I so agree. Although we live all over the world, we can connect so simply online. My only problem is I tend to spend too much time on the computer checking in with these friends - they are always up to something fantastic, it's hard to stop looking!

So again, my sincere thanks to you, Stacy, for sending this over to me and making my day!

Who Won the Giveaway?

2009-07-31T09:07:00.003-04:00

The winner of the beaded necklace is... (another drumroll, please...)

Michelle of Earthy Crafty Mommy

Michelle is mommy to three busy and imaginative boys and a cool chick named Bolt (really, it's a chicken!), learning all there is to know about life on this fine earth. She comes up with all sorts of fascinating things to do and somehow has time to create absolutely beautiful things (that win ribbons in the fair!).

So, congrats to Michelle, and keep posted. I will sponsor another giveaway soon!

Looking Out For Lisa

2009-07-29T22:16:00.004-04:00

Stacy, over at golden bird knits, kindly directed my attention to Megan, a very sweet, and very sick woman needing some financial assistance for cancer treatments not covered by insurance. The story made me cry, but at the same time made me furious at the continued realization that our health care crisis in America has grown in proportions equal to a tsunami, that we drag sick individuals through cancer treatments, and then expect them to pay for those treatments at a time when they can't go back to work for being so sick and run down. Or worse, they do go back to work before they are able to, and further run their bodies down, keeping health and equilibrium at bay. Worse yet, those who try to take better care of themselves stay home from work, only to have the wolf knocking/scratching/barking (choose one) at the door for the money to pay the doctors, the hospitals, the pharmacies.

I was touched by Megan's friends. I was really amazed at how they were able to rally around her at a difficult time. I am in awe of all the emotional and financial support that came pouring out through the internet - people just wanting to be a part of Megan's experience - to help her get better, or in the least, worry less about the medical bills.

Have you or someone you love been touched by cancer? If so, you know how it can ravage the body, the family, any sense of balance you may have come to expect. You know how everything you've come to depend on is suddenly no longer consistent. Anything you hope for now has a different feel to it - perhaps more urgent, perhaps more overwhelming.

I was touched by Megan's story, because it hit very close to home.

Meet Lisa-

Mother, wife, daughter, sister. Photographer, artist, gourmet cook, friend. An amazing eye for what is good and loving, what is balanced and special. Multi-tasker extraordinaire. Organized to a 'T'. Careful and mindful about how she moves through life. A 'real gem' in my book.

Lisa is my older sister. She is someone I love deeply, cherish, and someone I somehow hope to grow up to be 'just like'. When she discovered she had stage IV aggressive breast cancer last summer, I crumbled as she stood strong. While she talked about treatments and changes she'd have to make to her daily life, I listened as openly as I could, then fell apart after hanging up the phone. The pain I felt for her, being across the country and out of hug's reach, was palpable. The bouncing back and forth between treatment options, hospital options, what doctor to see, was dizzying. And then of course, there was the insurance issue -would they pay? Would they accept the treatment options she chose? They agreed to it all... on the phone.

Yet the year has passed and we have all grown tremendously, as one does when living through trauma. My mother and step-father dedicated an enormous amount of time throughout the year to help support the family through driving the carpool, cooking meals, teaching homeschooling lessons, among many other extremely important tasks. Without them, I know I couldn't have coped, much less my sister.

Cancer is ugly. It eats at you, and forces you to make decisions such as which part of your body will get cut away next for fear of it spreading. There is no time to consider the costs when fighting the oncology time bomb. But I wonder about the insurance companies who take it upon themselves to withdraw support midway through the treatment, because you change your job - just trying to make more money to actually pay the darn bills off. Or how about the fact that if you make more money, you get better drugs? That's a sad fact.

As a consequence, my sister has been left with an enormous amount ($30,000) of medical bills - more than any of us alone can make a dent in. She does not own a house, has all her other debt paid off, but is completely unable to work at this time to take care of the bills. Her husband is able to continue at his job, often with 60+ hour work weeks, but is only able to cover their daily living expenses with his salary. Yet daily, the bills arrive at their mailbox.

I am coming to you, my friends, with the hope that through our blog circles, we can put the word out for Lisa. I pledged to 'Look Out For Lisa' to help her manage her bills in whatever way I could. If you could see yourself clear to donate a small (or large) amount of money to her cause, the appreciation would be a thousand-fold. You would be doing a very good deed, and helping an incredible individual get back on her feet after a long and hard ride.

Lisa had a mastectomy a couple of months ago, and is now waiting for the final reconstructive surgery. She has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and is weighing future treatment options.

Please help me Look Out For Lisa. Please consider a donation. Please consider sending this post to everyone you know, and ask them to send it to everyone they know.

No donation is too small.

Together, we can make it happen.

No one should suffer more because of their medical bills.

The cancer is bad enough.

One of Our Easiest Recipes

2009-07-29T21:27:00.002-04:00

Have you ever tried making sun tea? I'm not much of an iced tea drinker myself. However, being that the constant and pelting rain turned to blistering hot and hazy humidity, I have been drinking anything I can get down my throat lately. With just enough agave syrup, and a glass full of ice, it's like nectar from the sun.

Basically, you don't really need the sun to make tea. If you steep bags in a jar of water, the liquid readily becomes tea. The sun does help to deepen the flavor, however, releasing more of the essential oils of bergamot, lavender, lemon, orange, or whatever you have added to your tea.

Some recent flavors we've attempted are:

Lemon chamomile

Lavender Lemon

Green lemonade (green tea and lemon zinger)

White peach (white tea and peach puree)

Some we are going to try soon:

White raspberry lime (white tea, raspberry puree and lime juice/rind)

Lemon spearmint

Chocolate mint (we have a chocolate mint plant in the yard)

To make sun tea:

Use a clean, quart or gallon sized jar. Fill it with water. Add tea bags to your liking. I usually add about 6-7 bags for a gallon jar, but we like it really strong. after the tea has brewed in the sun for around 4 hours, you can sweeten it to taste. You can also keep it unsweetened (of course!) and sweeten it per glass - or not at all. We keep ours refrigerated. This will keep for days, though I'd be surprised if it lasted that long!

Enjoy!

Blogger Showcase

2009-07-28T22:27:00.006-04:00

Here we are again on Tuesday - Time for another Blogger Showcase!

The reason I spotlight other blogging friends is because I just get so inspired by what all of you write and show and do and feel. It's my way of giving back to you, and my way of hollering to the internet world - "Here's someone pretty incredible!" So just bear with me.

The spotlight this week is on: (drumroll, please)...

Stacy at golden bird knits is an amazing combination of creativity, inspiration and kindness all wrapped up in one person. She spends her time crafting with yarn, collage and felting. Her two cats are especially silly - you have to check out Superhero Charlie.

I love checking in on Stacy because she is just like me - working hard to get by in this world, yet saving just a bit of time for herself for the creative side. She clearly states her experience of her own personal creativity as:

I'm so much happier since I've been blogging and doing more arts and crafts these last few months. I didn't allow myself to create for many years, often without realizing it, because I thought one of the requisites for making art was you had to be good at it. (Don't ask me how you ever get good at something without doing it badly in the beginning.) I never questioned that belief until recently.

Now I understand that creative expression is essential for me, and any judgement, self or otherwise, about the result is inconsequential.

Creating has nothing to do with who I think I should be or what kind of image I have for myself; it is the authentic expression of who I am. (Monday, May 18, 2009 post)

I love Stacy's honesty, her desire to take risks with her art, and her flexibility to find what works for her. She doesn't worry about how her creations will be received (as a recipient of one of her Artist Trading Cards, I can tell you I'm thrilled to have one of her pieces).

You might want to check out her knitting patterns, felting projects, or her incredible creative collages. Head on over to golden bird knits for a treat - you won't be disappointed!

My New Read

2009-07-27T21:51:00.008-04:00

Has anyone read this book yet? The title grabbed me today, and I just had to take it down off the shelf. Something about the first paragraph on the back made me smile and decide to dive in:

"If the Buddha came to dinner at your home, what would you serve? Fast food? A frozen meal quickly reheated in the microwave? Chances are you'd feed your honored guest a delicious meal prepared with care. But the next time you have dinner, what will you eat?"

We have not used a microwave in our house for several years. A while back, we flew to my mother's house in the foothills of California for the holidays. There, we learned how to prepare nourishing and gourmet meals slowly, with thought and consideration for everyone's needs. To learn how to cook a meal without irradiating it was eye-opening for us, coming from a fast-paced world of working full time and raising two busy boys. The whole process took time, forcing us to slow down and become much more mindful. We wanted more of that at home for ourselves.

We came home from that visit and promptly put the microwave in the basement, where it still sits, rotting in the puddle of water our basement floor becomes after every rain. Learning how to cook slowly has been fun, yet challenging. I can still remember the shock on my mother in law's face when she discovered on Thanksgiving that we could not 'zap' the green beans as we had no 'zapper'. We figured it out, and I'm sure she chocked that experience up to Jill being her 'weird' self again.

Being more mindful about what goes into our bodies has not always been simple and clear-cut, though. I still use the microwave at work, since I have so little time to break between sessions. Of course, I could put more thought into what I bring to work, and how else I could prepare it. And what about those times we opt for a restaurant over home-cooked food? What about the long car trips coming up soon, where we want to pull over and grab a bite so the kids stop killing each other in the back seat?

These are the reasons I wanted to read this book. When things are tricky, I want to remember first and foremost why I try to take care of my body, as well as my children's bodies. I want a deeper understanding of why I make the choices I make, and how to make better choices in the future.

Would you like to read it with me?? Let me know.

And don't forget to leave a comment for the giveaway - scroll down!

Summerings

2009-07-26T18:08:00.001-04:00

We Shall Overcome

2009-07-25T21:19:00.003-04:00

Tonight, we attended the vigil and procession to replace the burned rainbow flag from the Unitarian church in my town. This post explained what had happened last week, which made so many of us quite sad and concerned.

The vigil began at a park in the Square at the center of town. My husband and I walked down at about 5:45, and wondered if anyone else would show. As we came closer to the Square, I began hearing drumming, and sure enough, there was a quartet of drummers in the park, holding their rainbow flags and grooving to a great beat. A small handful of people, none we knew, were milling about the small park. I felt a little uncomfortable not knowing anyone, but since this was not church that was affected, I was not surprised. I certainly was not too uncomfortable that I had to leave - I felt strongly about why I was there, and my shyness began to warm to the idea that maybe I would meet some new people from town.

Well, a few minutes later, and about another 75 people, I had found several people to talk to - some I knew and some I didn't. Some I recognized and some I didn't. After an hour, there were well over 150 people present, all lining the Square, waving flags and signs that said:

Our Town is No Place for Hate

I Am on This Side of Love

And as many rainbow flags and signs as you can imagine. One man danced around with his rainbow towel wrapped around him. Turns out, he came from over an hour away.

After waving to an hour's worth of Square traffic, we paraded up the street to the church to hang the new flag, complete with police escort (I loved that). It took a good 20 minutes to get everyone up to the lawn, and we made a huge circle of people, surrounding the minister. We sang a few verses of "We Are Gentle Angry People", listened to the minister speak about love and adversity, and watched as the new flag was hung in an even more prominent place for the whole town to see. We finished the event with several verses of "We Shall Overcome", as we automatically held hands with the person next to us. Due to all the people present, we all had to back up to include everyone, making the most enormous circle on the church grounds. It was touching - I hardly knew anyone, yet I felt such connection to everyone there. I was welcomed even though I did not attend the church. It was a humanitarian event, rather than a religious event, and all were welcome. The minister asked what towns people were from. I thought, "How funny" as I just assumed these were all people from my town, I just didn't know them. But no, they were from all over my state, happy to attend such an event - as a flag burning effects us all, no matter where you are from.

I was so proud to be a part of this. And walking up the hill to our house, our hearts warmed again to see our own rainbow flag gracing the front of our house, declaring our support of all the colors of humankind.

Food Bill Reducing Tips Thursday and Giveaway!

2009-07-23T20:16:00.003-04:00

Ok, so it's crazy to do both the food bill reducing tips and a giveaway in one post, but here it is...

My sister has the BEST ideas - no matter what SHE says. We were talking tonight on the phone, because, sadly, she lives across the continent from me. Anyhow, I was lamenting that I had been to the grocery store today, walking up and down the aisles thinking about what I would write in this post this evening, and had come up with nothing too inspiring. Then she had this great Brain Blast! She said - and I quote - "I wish someone would come up with a 2-week listing of meals, somewhat within my budget, that I could rotate on an on-going basis. The listing would have an accompanying grocery list, and would have to be filled with good stuff- using good quality or organic ingredients". She talked about wanting to be able to take the time in the morning, when she is most available, and get things ready for that evening's dinner. She is wanting to avoid coming home and having that fateful 'afternoon bust' where you look around, overwhelmed by your day so far, and decide - 'let's eat out'.

So here's my challenge:

Why hasn't my sister already done this? Because it takes time and alot of organization - something that is quite the commodity around my house, and I bet, yours as well.

However -we can do this - together.

We'll start with just dinner. I can come up with several dinner recipes - many already on this blog - that are simple, include good food and are quick to prepare. But I bet you all can submit some recipes for dishes that follow the same guidelines. Who knows?? Perhaps we can create a web-book for other stressed out evening cooks! For 2 weeks, we'll need at least 10 more (I'll come up with 4 on my own). I can compile the listing for 2 weeks (complete with grocery lists) that could then be rotated to cover the next 2 weeks. As a group, we can decide if this should be more than a link here on the blog, or go the next step and create a web-book. Leave a comment, let me know you want to submit a recipe (or more) and we'll go from there.

Here are the qualifications:

The cooks need to be able to find the ingredients at their local grocery store - no pickled tofu or anything exotic like that!
The ingredients need to be on the healthy side - no cans of cheddar cheese or cream of mushroom soup, please!
The recipes needs to be big enough for at least 4 people.
The recipes can be vegetarian or meat-based - but again, no exotics like buffalo or quail!
Each recipe needs to be accompanied by a grocery list.
The recipes need to be simple, and be able to be assembled quickly - let's say 30 min or less from counter to oven.
Think pasta, entree salads, casseroles, chicken/beef/fish dishes, etc.
Tell your friends to submit as well - even if they don't read blogs!

Now for the giveaway!!

Today, I'm giving away another hand-made necklace:

This one is almost all purple, with brass spacers. It is approximately 30 inches long, and has these really beautiful hand-blown glass beads. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment (yes, leaving a comment about the meal listing above qualifies as well).

The deadline will be 9 pm EST on Thursday, 7/30/09.

Tomorrow's the Day!

2009-07-22T21:26:00.004-04:00

Hooray! Tomorrow is my last day of work until September!

I have been looking forward to this day for a very, very long time. Last week I wrote about getting ready to sink my teeth into summer break. Now it is practically on top of me, and I must say, it feels fine. After posting last week, I started wondering... "Should I have made more plans for the month? Should I have booked some trips? Should I have made plans to remodel a room? Should I have organized some friendly gatherings? Will we be bored? Will we eat each other alive? Will we become slaves to the television?"

Ah. So it took a couple of days for me to relax from that anxiety-producing monologue. Now I can't wait to have a few crash days - days where we just let things happen slowly and quietly. Then we will take it as it comes. We have some ideas such as going up into Vermont to visit friends, or going south to Maryland to visit family. I would like to paint our dining room, but for those of you who live in humid climates like we do, you may understand how painting in humidity is not a treat, and not for those who do not like to sweat (such as Me!).

I have made a contract with myself to make sure I spend an hour each day exercising in some way. I can go to the gym, take a walk, use an exercise video, whatever. But an hour per day it must be. This may seem harsh to those who know that I am learning some self-compassion, but I really need a hard and fast rule to actually get out there and take care of myself.

Something my husband and I are working on is an activity program for our younger son. We brain-stormed on it into the wee hours last night, and I'm pretty excited about it. Currently just an idea right now, what I can share with you is that we are looking to develop a monthly program for boys and a parent (mom or dad) to build, create, explore, discover, learn and have a really great time. After seeing what an amazing time our son is having at an invention camp he is in, we want to recreate the experience throughout the school year, adding other boys his age (11). We thought of activities such as:

Building go-karts
Building ice forts
Building volcanoes that actually erupt without spewing all over the kitchen
Building model rockets
Cooking a full meal
Building a robot
Building inventions from trash and broken or disabled equipment
I'm sure many other ideas will surface as we contemplate cool stuff

We have nothing against girls - in fact, being surrounded by boys all the time makes me long to do things with more girls. However, we feel our son needs some real rough and tumble activities to learn how to make friends his own age, while doing things that do not involve a screen. When girls are involved, he tends to shut down or be obnoxious (he's just that age), completely bypassing the whole point of the gathering.

Have you ever done this? We will be focusing on the 11-12 year old boys in our town, helping our son to reach out to a wider circle of friends than the one or two he has now. We have several books with activities, such as "The Dangerous Book for Boys" as well as others, which I will consult for good ideas. But please - if you or someone you know has ever done this, do share your thoughts or ideas. Even if you haven't done this, but have thoughts or ideas, I would love to hear them. No one I know has done this, so I have nothing to go by as of yet. Of course, that won't stop me (he he).

I think it's going to be an amazing summer.

And by the way - another giveaway is coming!! Check back with me tomorrow!

Blogger Showcase

2009-07-21T20:42:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my first weekly blog series showcasing other blogs. One thing I love to do each morning is read other people's blogs. I find so much encouragement, real-life living in these blogs, and would love to share some of what these fantastic folks are doing with you. Some of these blogs will most likely be familiar to you, as many of us run in a similar circle. Others, I hope will be new to you, and will help us all open our circles to new and wondrous ideas and thoughts.

This week, I am showcasing 5 Orange Potatoes.

Lisa, over at 5 Orange Potatoes is such an inspiration to me. Mother to her two Little Ladies, she dreams up ever-fascinating ways to keep the dreams of childhood alive and well. I have often wished I was present in her household by the way she describes the fairy-sewn leaves in her yard or how she finds just the right vantage from which to watch bees sleeping. Daily, she has new and exciting ways to encourage her daughters to explore and discover the earth and all the marvelous aspects of it - things that we often take for granted, now being adults and oh so far from childhood ourselves.

For example, in this post, she helps the girls explore Queen Anne's Lace flowers, to see who lives inside them. Now, I have these flowers in my yard. The first time I saw them come up, about 8 years ago, I was enchanted. When I mentioned how lovely they were to my landscaping friend, she snorted, "Oh yeah - they're great, for a noxious weed". Yikes. I have since discovered how annoying they can be if left untamed - they took over my yard with their loveliness - and happen to be listed on the intrusive weed list for Massachusetts. But to see how Lisa explores the QAL with her daughters is just perfect. It made me smile and hope that I hadn't pulled every single flower out of my yard, so I could go out and look inside them. And here, she shows how they used dye to make 'fireworks' out of QAL - another reason not to completely quell the overgrowth in my yard!

And here, Lisa gives a recipe for Lavender Chocolate Cake. Lavender cake!!!??? Oh yes. Divine. And I can vouch that it tastes as good as it looks. I think lavender is one of my favorite herbs. I had never had the courage to cook with it before, only using it for scenting oils, soaps and cleansing waters. But pair it with chocolate, and all of a sudden, cooking with lavender sounds tempting. Scrumptious, even. You have to try it.

Check out Lisa's Blog, 5 Orange Potatoes. She is a beautiful crafter, and has lovely ideas for how to keep kids busy on long, hot summer days. And tune in next Tuesday to see if your blog will be featured here!!

A Sad Act, A Kind Response

2009-07-20T20:21:00.003-04:00

I have something to share with you all.

You know, typically I try to be light-hearted, silly and sometimes downright ridiculous with some of my posts, trying to inject some humor into our lives as we aim to do what's best for our families, and for ourselves. But today, I am saddened and frustrated by an act of wrong-doing in my community, and feel the need to share the information. I'm sharing not because I don't want to be alone in this frustration, no. I am sharing because I believe this insensitive and callous act is occurring all over our country. I have the sense that some people are too uncomfortable to talk about it, or don't feel they can make a difference, or perhaps feel so awkward with the subject matter that they prefer to look away, or keep quiet. But I am taking a bold step to speak about it here, with hopes that I am reaching out to a sensitive and empathic audience.

The act I am referring to is the recent burning of a rainbow flag at a church in my community. The flag was burned during the night, with only the charred remains left at the front step for all to find the next morning. No one knows who did this heinous act.

The rainbow flag stands for equality in my heart. Overall, it specifically stands for the acceptance of individuals who are lesbian/gay/bisexual or transgender. At this church, along with this typical representation, the flag stands as a welcome for all who enter. We are all different. We choose different paths, we show different colors, both in skin tones, and thoughts. We make decisions based on what we feel is best and from the perspective of our upbringing, our home-life and community. In no way do we all need to agree on every choice, but we do need to find a way to live, work, be together.

I know there are people in our world who feel that being anything other than heterosexual is wrong. And though this fact saddens me tremendously, the point of this post is not to open a debate on sexual preference. What I struggle with is the fact that there are individuals who feel that burning a flag, a flag that stands for independence, trust, acceptance, equality for ALL humans, is a worthwhile activity.

Apparently, this is happening outside other churches - in Massachusetts and other states. Such widespread anger and hostility toward the very idea that there could be a safe place for all individuals is mind boggling. Although I can't sit out at the church, watching for who comes to burn the new flag, I can stand up to the fact that individuals are being made to feel unsafe in my community by a senseless act of only a few. I can write about it, speak about it, and remind my children how these violent acts terrorize us all. I can understand how these acts generally come from a place of ignorance and fear, rather than anything rooted in reality.

In an act of support, my family has hung a rainbow flag outside our home. It is my town's hope that by hanging numerous flags throughout our neighborhoods, we will be displaying our support of the church, the individuals it serves, and the LGBT community. My hope is that we will increase the awareness of anyone traveling through that we will not accept acts of violence toward anyone, no matter what differences we may have between us.

I challenge you all to look into your hearts and find that place which wants to welcome everyone in. Consider speaking to others from that place. Making one person feel safe is one hundred times better than letting someone else bring terrorism into our hearts, even if we do not agree.

Summerings

2009-07-19T14:53:00.005-04:00

Wish I could say it was a lazy weekend, but we did find many wonderful things to see as we zipped through our day.

Have a lovely Sunday, Everyone!

Food Bill Reducing Tips Thursday

2009-07-16T20:23:00.002-04:00

One thing that helps me reduce my food bill as actually using up my food. There are about a zillion blogs out there participating in Food Waste Fridays, or No Food Waste, or something of the same idea, but what it basically boils down to is how to use up what you have in the pantry and fridge. What if all you have is cauliflower and cottage cheese? Or how about 1/2 loaf of bread and pickles? How do you plan your weekly (or biweekly) meals to come down to nothing wasted?

In line with what I wrote a couple weeks ago, if you take the time to organize your planning to 'piggyback' your meals, you should end up with less waste, as long as you are making just enough for your needs. Cooking enough for an army when there are only 2 of you won't help your budget at all - unless you have a very big freezer. But there will be those times when you have less desirable things to cook with. What to do?

I have been loving the recipes in Vegetarian Times that include only 5 ingredients. Though I have yet to see a recipe with bread and pickles, the ones I have seen are amazing.

Simplifying our diet seems to have helped our budget tremendously. Being summertime seems to help quite a bit - a quick dinner of loaded nachos and fresh-from-the-garden-salad sounds so much better than a full-course Indian meal.

So back to the undesirable ingredients. You have options.

Learn to like bread and pickles
Find awesome books at the library that incorporate strange food combining
Toast the bread, eat it alongside the pickles
Go to the store, hopefully along with other errands to make the trip worth taking, and purchase some small foodstuffs to go with the bread and pickles - to make them last a little longer, and a little more palatable
Don't ever buy bread and pickles again to avoid the whole problem/process

I'm sure you get the idea. Letting things rot in the fridge or become moth eaten need not happen if you decide to expand your creativity and flexibility about food. Those withered greens can still be ground into nut burgers or pasta sauce. They may not look appealing in their raw, limp state, but no one need know what state they were in prior to the heat. You can make an incredible meal, and be a hero to your friends and family, and only you are the wiser!

I'm Getting Ready to Sink My Teeth In...

2009-07-15T22:39:00.003-04:00

It's almost August. That's vacation time for me. I am lucky to work for a school, which lets out in August, giving us all a well-deserved break. I spend all year dreaming of this time, and when it comes, I am overjoyed with the possibilities of how to spend my time. There was the year I chose to add about a zillion supplements to my diet in an effort to be healthier. Then, I tried raw food dieting - something I tried very recently again. Another summer, I decided to redo the whole entire house, room by room, until my family revolted (after about the 3rd day) and we ended up at the beach every day after that. Then there was the summer my mother came to visit, and I got in a little fender bender which sent my car to the auto-hospital for 6 weeks. I didn't go too far that season. I joined a new gym in August one year, then promptly dropped my plans in September when things got busy again. What I love about summer is the possibility of something different. I don't really care that the plans don't always turn out the way I think they will, or that we didn't go very far, or do anything truly exciting. I don't feel as though I have to return to work in the fall sharing some amazing summer trip or anything. I am perfectly happy to stay around home, kicking up some projects OR going to the beach - either is fine by me. The great part is the time to do things, or not do things that I love.

However, looking at around 5 1/2 weeks of time off can also be somewhat disconcerting. That is really a long time if you look at 5 1/2 weeks of keeping the kids busy, finding neat places to go and things to do. Teenagers don't really want to go to the aquarium for the umpteenth time, so they keep me on my toes. Thank goodness they sleep in, giving me morning time to figure things out over a nice cuppa.

So some ideas that have come up for me so far are:

Read a fascinating new book. (suggestions?)
Take a daily walk down by the Charles River
Learn to cook a new cuisine (I've not done too much Middle Eastern or French)
Learn how to needle felt faces
Read another fascinating book
Read Three Cups of Tea out loud with the family - it's the required reading for the boys' school this summer
Learn to love my bicycle
Find all the farmer's markets in my area and visit them
Learn a new art/craft form - screenprinting, batik, a different beading style
Knit something(s) for a good cause
Try a new jigsaw puzzle

So many things to try, and thankfully, many days to try them in. I always love this time of vacations - the time just before, full of incredible anticipation, and none of the disappointment of moments not created. Of course it's during the moments toward the end of the vacation that I will look back at this post and feel melancholic, full of wishes for more time to do all these wonderful things, or to further explore more wonderful things. Becoming content with what we have, what we do, and what comes next is a real challenge and lesson for me. Seems no matter how I live, there is always something else I am looking for. Perhaps what I really need to put on my list for the summer is to appreciate the time I have, the strength that gets me there, and the opportunity to refuel my soul for the next school year. It's really a chance for me to reconnect with my family and friends in a slower time frame. How could anyone look back on that and feel regretful?

How do you feed your soul during time off?

Finding Time for Creativity

2009-07-14T21:38:00.002-04:00

I have started to make it a priority to be creative. It's funny, because in my job, 5 days a week, I am a music therapist, creating music each and every moment - improvising much of the time. You could definitely say it was a creative job. However, I often feel as though there is a creative spark left untended. My assumption is this is due to the fact that at work, I am making music for others, my clients - basically becoming their vehicle for expression through music. It really isn't my music being created, it is theirs.

So the itch to make something out of my own thought process, my own light and color has been gnawing at me for a long time. I have only just begun to give this gnaw a voice, and I thought it would be fun to share some of it with you.

I started making notecards, mainly because when I receive a hand-made card, I think, "I could do that." So I thought - get to it, girl! Below are two examples of watercolor based cards that I began playing with. As a child, I had the pleasure (though didn't think it so at the time) of taking watercolor painting lessons from both the late Maulsby Kimball and Allston Hegg, both fantastic and impressive individuals in the Waldorf art community, not to mention amazing artists. My parents thought it best if my sister and I learned how to paint from the masters, and though I was not too thrilled to give up my Saturday afternoons at the time, feel quite grateful for it now.

Being a musician and not a visual artist for many years, I certainly need a refresher, but it was just lovely to get my fingers around the brushes again. I must say that it was after finding The Waldorf Way, that I finally found my watercolors and sat down to give it a shot. My humble beginnings are just that... humble.

I have truly enjoyed several blogs about needle felting (The Magic Onions, Felt Musings from Sycamore Moon), feel inspired by the beauty that comes from their hands. And though I am just dabbling in the medium, I can begin to understand why wool is so fascinating to work with. It's a bit like music, actually - maleable, with so many possibilities. Below is my first tiny fairy and a bell ball for the cats:

I have branched out from beading, though I have continued with that, and have started making funky earrings. And I know that knitting something special is in my near future. I have loved looking over what Linda at Natural Suburbia has been making with her children. Perhaps I should stick to music for a living... yes. Yet I get so much joy from making things these days, that I'm fine with ending up with shelves and boxes of little trinkets that came from some momentary bit of inspiration, not serving any other purpose than that.

With music, once you hear it, it only consciously lives on in your head. (It does move into your body, your soul, but that's for another lengthy conversation altogether, and definitely over some sort of hot drink). With art, you actually touch what you made. You get to hold it, revisit it, reshape it, and be fascinated with it again tomorrow. I feel like a whole new world opened up to me, and being that I am teaching myself, I feel slightly infantile in the process. No longer can I depend on years of having honed the artistic process, as I have with music. I cannot depend on anything at all, except that spirit which guides my eyes and hands. I hear you all saying, "practice, practice, practice" much as my mother did between my piano lessons, and I reply - "I will". I thank you all for your tremendous inspiration and amazing talent. It spreads farther than you know!

Noodles with Peanut Sauce

2009-07-13T19:31:00.002-04:00

My apologies to those with peanut, or nut allergies. You may want to pass this post on by. My husband and I loooove noodles with peanut sauce, or Dan dan noodles/sesame noodles (little different, but close)/noodles with gado gado sauce/whatever you call it, we so love it.

My sister and I discovered this tiny noodle shop in Santa Cruz, CA, behind the bookstore (pre-earthquake), which sold Dan dan won ton noodles. You'd get this little bowl of steaming hot won ton noodles, covered in the peanut sauce and a few julienned cukes on top. Wow. Who knew heaven came in a bowl? I returned as many times as I could without drawing suspicion from those behind the counter. "Doesn't she have a home?" I could hear them asking themselves. Oh. But I loooved those noodles. And I never tried anything else from there - ever.

My sister and I discovered we could make these noodles at home - from Moosewood's Gado Gado recipe. Almost the same, but without the ambience of the quaint little noodle shop. One year for Christmas, I gave my father a huge batch of sauce in a beautiful container. I'm not sure he knew what to say, as you see, the sauce is a bit bland in color - like watered down peanuts. But oh, so good. You have to try it. Here's the recipe:

Any package (or fresh) noodle of your choice, cooked to your liking.

1 C peanut butter, creamy or crunchy - natural, no sugar added

1 tsp minced garlic

1 inch piece of ginger, minced

small dash of hot sauce - to taste

1/8 C soy sauce or to taste

2 T toasted sesame oil

water - 1/2 to 3/4 C

In food processor, put all your ingredients except the water. Pulse a few times to get things moving. You will notice that the soy sauce and the peanut butter have a chemical reaction, and make the mixture quite thick. Add water as the processor is on, but watch carefully that you don't add too much and make the mixture too runny - you want it to stick to the noodles. Season to your liking - more hot sauce, more soy sauce, more garlic, etc. Stop the processor and pour the sauce over the cooked, drained noodles.

Close your eyes when you taste these noodles for the first time. Trust me - it's heaven. And you can make them anytime. Enjoy!

Summerings

2009-07-12T21:41:00.004-04:00

Super-duper gratefulness to the rain Gods for giving us a well-deserved break today. A much-needed trip to the beach was enjoyed by all.

Who Won the Bracelet Giveaway?

2009-07-09T21:58:00.002-04:00

The winner is... Laura. For commenting that we all need a laugh these days. May you enjoy the piece, and may it bring a smile to your face. (Send me your address so I can send it on it's way!) And congratulations!

And for the others - I wish I could send you all something. Check back in with me as I love these giveaways. It is wonderful to have something to share. Thank you for your comments!

Food Bill Reducing Tips Thursday

2009-07-09T20:45:00.003-04:00

This week's tip is 2-fold:

1) Stop buying things wrapped individually, and

2) Get more creative with snacks.

My kids love snacks. Whether they are the 'good for you' kind or the kind I wouldn't want my mother seeing them eat, buying snacks can eat up your food budget. Quickly. Show me a family with teens and we'll see a family being eaten alive by their kids! Seriously! These kids come home and find every morsel worth eating in the house within 5 minutes. That cheese you hoped would be used for the enchiladas tonight? GONE. The tortilla chips you hoped would go in the lunches tomorrow? GONE. The bell peppers and carrots for tonight's salad? History. Finding snacks that satisfy the most discriminating tastes yet don't break the bank is my current mission. Here are a few that I have found so far:

Popcorn. Popcorn is my wonder food with the kids. I can serve it plain; with butter and salt; with curry powder and pumpkin seeds; with raisins, cashews and salt; salt and brown sugar or agave. I have also been know to get pretty fancy and make popcorn balls if asked nicely.

Nachos. You can find all sorts of toppings for nachos - the basic one is cheese (though plenty of great-tasting nachos can be had without the cheese. On top, you can add: beans, meat, salsa, peppers, corn, olives, sour cream, tomatoes, grated carrots, grated zucchini, basically any vegetable could work.

Fruit salad. Yum. My youngest just made a spectacular fruit salad with his aunt long distance over the phone. MMMM. The best things are those made with love. You know the drill here - any fruit will do it. You can leave it 'naked' or dress it up with yogurt and honey, sour cream and maple syrup, or a bit of your favorite jam thinned with a little bit of water or orange juice.

Chip mix. I came up with my own version of Chex mix - which I love, but it is expensive and has ingredients I choose not to eat. I get the equivalent cereals in the organic food section of the market, add gluten-free pretzels, nuts and sometimes dried cranberries for a shot of sweetness, then add whatever spicy-ness I am looking for, a few of the other typical ingredients (butter, salt, soy sauce or worcestershire sauce, etc) to finish with the recipe. I don't make it very often due to the work and cost involved (because of the organic part), but when I do, it's a great snack.

And just a little word about individual-sized packaging. Oh for crying out loud... do things really taste better when they come in those little tiny packages? Aren't the chips just the same when you take them out of an extra-large (and cheaper) bag and put them into smaller bags/containers? My kids insist I was born yesterday. "Oh no, mom. The ones with the little boxes inside the other boxes inside the bags are much fresher. They also happen to be the ones everyone brings to school. No one brings their own containers to school. That's weird." Too bad.

What snack do you cling to? What snacks do you keep around for your family??

Something Funny We've Been Watching

2009-07-08T20:47:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite movies has always been The Court Jester, with Danny Kaye. Since summer has been extremely wet for us thus far, we all piled on the couch one mid-day to watch all our favorite scenes. below is by far the best (for us), and though it is longish, it is worth every minute just to watch the clever genius of Danny Kaye:

Hope you liked it, and have a great day!

How to Make Good Enchiladas-Outstanding Enchiladas

2009-07-07T18:14:00.005-04:00

I made some enchiladas for a convalescing friend today ( and some extras for us). I love love love enchiladas, and although they are time-consuming to make, they taste sooooo good - who cares? I thought I would share how I make them, since it is a bit different than typical cookbooks suggest. I learned this from the Beyond the Moon cookbook by Ginny Callan. (I think this cookbook is outrageously amazing, by the way. You have to be able to stomach alot of dairy and not counting fat calories, as she really uses quite a bit.) Here's how it goes:

Put a small frying pan on medium heat. Place one corn tortilla in pan.

Brush tortilla with melted butter:

Brush tortilla with salsa:

Heat tortilla for just a few moments, then turn and do it all over on the other side. The tortilla is done when it is soft - only about 15-20 seconds or so:

I tend to do the brushing of butter and salsa on the first side before I put the tortilla in the pan, brushed side down. That leaves the unbrushed side facing up, ready to be brushed before turning it over. This gets you a step ahead, and keeps the tortilla from sticking over the heat.

Fill with whatever you like - cheese, chicken, beef, pork, broccoli, beans, whatever. Put them in an oven-proof dish and cover with cheese and enchilada sauce. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or so, until bubbly. Here is what my friend will receive tomorrow:

Enjoy!! And don't forget the giveaway - deadline is this Thursday, 10 pm!

I Have an Etsy Shop!

2009-07-06T21:11:00.003-04:00

I decided to take the plunge. I opened my Etsy shop - Mindful Hands just this past weekend. I have spent the past few months beading jewelry and making various little crafts, only a select few of which I have listed in my shop so far. I beg your honesty, patience and understanding as this is so very new for me, and I don't quite have the hang of it just yet. Any folks who have some tips on how to make the whole process move smoother, please don't be shy - share your tips with me!

Check it out, and come back again soon. I am making new things almost everyday. There will be handmade gift cards, knitted items, and of course, more jewelry, coming soon.

And don't forget! Leave a comment for the giveaway - deadline is this Thursday evening, 10 pm EST.

A Super SCORE and GIVEAWAY!

2009-07-05T18:23:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was an interesting day. Typically, we either have to work on the 4th of July, or we sleep in a little, then get ready for some sort of festivity in the evening. However, this year our plans changed and suddenly, we had the whole day to ourselves. Being that the next day (today), we were sending our two boys off to sleep-away camp, we had a bit of gathering of supplies to do. Trying to be as mindful as possible, my first stop was the thrift store. My husband came along to get out of the house, for moral support, and because he loves a good bargain just as I do.

Our youngest needed rain pants. Ugh. Tricky to find. But wouldn't you know I put my hands on 3 pairs within the first few minutes. Grinning like a cheshire cat, I went across the store to my husband so he could do some sort of the 'happy' dance for me (which he didn't do, incidentally... he's much more shy than I am). On the way over to him, I grabbed a cart, so I could...I don't know... fill it up? And I chanced upon this sign:

So if that doesn't just fit my whole perspective on life these days, I don't know what does. I loved it, and for $6 I thought "A steal". Then, still on my way over to dear man of mine, I passed a HUGE rack of caterer's dishes. Just the day before I was looking for small clear dishes for a craft project my sister taught me. The craft store had none, so I was still looking. Well, my search ended abruptly, at 5 cents a pop:

Sadly, we had a mishap in my kitchen recently, and the shelf that holds my special cooking bowls toppled over, breaking just about all of them. I find bowls to hold something special for me - I'm not sure if it is their shape, the many colors they come in, or the hopes of what they may hold or future dishes I may make that has the most power for me, but special they are. It was my husband who found the biggest bowl, and held it for me until I could finally reach him with the cart. I found the other two across the store in a completely separate section. They are made in Italy (for Target, I think):

So next on my list was a duffle bag for our youngest. So I went over to the 'bag' section, and found this, (ahem), for me:
Ok. Think what you want. But I carry my lunch to work in a ripped up plastic bag, and need something a bit more professional - it will hold my computer, as well!! So on to my son's duffel. I put my hand on something big in this HUGE pile of bags, and pulled out this:

Is that not just absolutely perfect??? Of course it is! And, the best part is, he loves it! (You never know with my kids). It has all the bells and whistles he needed to hold his life for a week of backpacking. And at (drum roll, please) five buckeroonies, you just can't go wrong at all. Oh no, you can't. So I came home feeling more than a bit smug. I crossed everything off my list, and snagged a few precious gems for myself at the same time! That's what I call a SCORE!

And now it's giveaway time! Below is Apple, my newest little bracelet creation. Made of hand-blown glass and silver accents, it measures approximately 9 inches, so it works as a large bracelet or small anklet.

The full bracelet

Close up of hand-blown bead and silver accent

Close up of my favorite additions - a little surprise from me.

Time for this little sweet-Apple to find a new home. Will it be yours?? Just leave a comment. I'll choose a random winner on Thursday, 7/9 at 10:00 pm.

Happy 4th Everybody!!

2009-07-04T16:51:00.004-04:00

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday! Check back with me tomorrow, as I have some exciting pictures of what I bought at the thrift store today (wahoooooo!) and I'll be announcing my next giveaway.

See you then!

Image courtesy of http://www.freefoto.com

Food! Food! Food!

2009-07-03T09:18:00.004-04:00

I wanted to post the Chilaquiles recipe for you all. My apologies for the terrible picture, it looks more like corn glop than anything scrumptious, but take my word for it - this dish is out of this world!

Simply Amazing Chilaquiles

Made simply, with few ingredients and using corn tortillas, this traditional Mexican dish is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch. My husband and I discovered it in one of those little, tiny, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants in New York, and ordered it not knowing what we would end up with. What we were served was an amazing combination of tortillas, cheese and creamy sauce that melted in our mouths. I couldn’t get enough – and quickly learned how to make it at home using basic ingredients. Apparently, this dish is traditionally made with fried corn tortillas, covered by a red or green mole sauce. The one I make, and ate the first time had a white sauce, which I imitate by using sour cream. I have made it with tortillas and with tortilla chips, and either way is fine, but they are quite different. I find the tortilla version to have a deeper taste, and prefer this, but seldom have the time to do the frying (because I decide last minute to make it). The chip version is fast, still tasty, but quite different - more like fancified-nachos-meet-casserole-ish.

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas, cut in strips and fried in batches in oil until somewhat crispy (or substitute 4 cups of your favorite unflavored tortilla chips, if short on time)
Salt, to taste (if using tortillas)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Once the tortillas are finished frying, assemble the following ingredients, improvising as you see fit:

1. 2 cups shredded cheese – I use a combo of Monterey jack and cheddar
2. 1 cup sour cream
3. 1 cup milk
4. 1 egg, beaten

Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also add other spices at this point.

To add to this mixture, use your imagination! I typically add sautéed onions, peppers, olives, tomatoes and corn, but you could also add greens, cooked carrots, cooked beans, squash, potatoes, anything that sounds good to you, or that you have in the kitchen to spare.

Place tortillas/chips in 9 x 13 cooking dish. Pour sour cream/cheese mixture over tortillas, making sure some of the liquid gets in under them. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving to set. Enjoy!

A few days ago, I spoke of a chocolate chip banana bread that we make. I was asked to share the recipe for that, and here it is. My recipe is adapted from the one in the Moosewood Cookbook. However, if you have a favorite recipe of your own, try adding chocolate chips to it and see what you think. I bet even dried cranberries would be fantastic. The trick to cooking, I find, is to tune in to your inner cook and become comfortable with improvising - trying new tastes within something safe like banana bread. Try it and let me know what you think!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

A simple twist on banana bread, adding chocolate chips brings this family favorite to new heights.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
1 1/3 C packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Beat the above ingredients in large bowl, beginning with sugar and butter, add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and beat until light in color.

4 C flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

In another bowl, sift together above dry ingredients twice.

1 ½ C mashed bananas

12oz package of chocolate chips

Add flour mixture and banana mixture (no chips yet) alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour (flour, banana, flour, banana, flour). After each addition, mix gently to combine, but do not beat or otherwise overmix – this toughens and dries the cake. Add chocolate chips (and nuts, if using) last, and again mix very, very gently – until just incorporated. Generously butter 2 loaf pans, or a 9 x 13 baking dish. Divide batter, pour into dishes and bake, 40-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then remove to finish cooling.

Have fun cooking, everyone, and make sure you let me know how it turns out!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Gluten Free Version

1 1/2 C gluten free flour mixture (tapioca, rice, sorghum, garbanzo - or any other mixture you have)

1/4 C potato starch

2/3 C sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 C shortening

2 T milk

2 eggs

1 C mashed bananas (2-3 medium)

1/3 chopped nuts (if desired)

12 oz chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.

In another bowl, combine the milk and eggs, beating slightly.

Add half of the milk mixture. With an electric beater, beat to combine. Add half of the banana mixture and beat to combine. Repeat with remaining mil mixture and banana, beating between additions.

Beat the batter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add nuts, if desired, chocolate chips and combine.

Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack. remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

(adapted from Incredible, Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids, by Sheri L. Sanderson)

Food Bill Reducing Tips Thursday

2009-07-02T19:15:00.003-04:00

Cook for two. Not for two people (though that's just fine), but for two meals. This post is about stretching your food dollar farther by planning meals in order to make more out of simple ingredients. Take my food shopping this week, for example. I bought 2 chicken breasts, and a pound of salmon (my husband only eats fish, not chicken. I also bought brown rice, bell peppers, a package of beans (on sale - yay!) onions and potatoes.

On Monday, I cooked both the chicken breasts. I took one and shredded it for enchiladas, making one pan chicken and one pan cheese for the hubby. With the other chicken breast, I cubed it and put it in the fridge to be used on Wednesday. Tuesday, I cooked the salmon steaks - 1/2 to be used broiled for dinner, with roasted potatoes and salad, and the other half to be used in a lunch salad for my husband (2 lunches worth). On Wednesday, I put the cubed cooked chicken in a stir-fry with rice, bell peppers and a few other veggies hanging around - carrots, broccoli and celery. I kept some of the stir-fry aside without chicken for the hubby. I again had enough left over for a couple of lunches. For tonight (Thursday), I am using the rest of the potatoes, bell peppers and beans for a mexican dish called Chilaquiles (looove this dish), which also uses tortillas (I cheat and use tortilla chips), cheese, milk and sour cream. I will post the recipe soon. I don't know if I will have any leftovers as my kids devour this every time I make it.

If we plan for several meals at once, we can stretch the grocery dollar considerably. When I was in Vietnam recently, I learned that dishes with meat/fish do not have to focus entirely on the meat. You can have just as wonderful a meal with the bulk of the dish as vegetables and carbs, with meat (if you eat it) as just a small part. This definitely makes the meat budget stretch, and forces you to come up with new ways to try other dishes.

What have you been doing to reduce your grocery bill lately? Share your tips in the comments section.

Honesty... In Scraps

2009-07-01T07:43:00.003-04:00

I've been tagged. Hoooo-weeee. My new friend over at The Magic Onions has tagged me to be honest with you all.

The whole deal is I have to share several honest things about myself, then pass the torch on to others to do the same. Here goes:

1) I love to vacuum. Looooooove it. Funny, as I wasn't so great at it as a child - hated the sound, hated moving things out of the way, went around things when no one was looking (though my mother always caught me). Now, I get a thrill out of watching the carpets come clean - that pathway of clear fibers amidst all the dust from outdoors. And I recently acquired a vacuum with the reusable canister - no bag - so I can actually SEE the junk being picked up. It's a double thrill!

2) I am a morning person. As much as I love to sleep in, if I do, I feel at a loss for the entire day. There is nothing like the sounds of the birds in the air, even in my little busy town. The cars going by - I always wonder if they are coming or going. I live next to a school, and sounds of children make me smile. Try as I might, I can't stay up (happily) past 11pm - and why would I want to? As you can tell, I'm lots of fun on New Year's Eve.

3) I do not have a favorite color. It used to be blue, and I am quite fond of it still. Then it was purple, and everything people gave me was purple for a very long time - beyond my affair with it, unfortunately. Now, my sights move from greens to orange to the various shades of grey with equal amazement. I enjoy using so many colors in my crafts, and have a great time balancing mono-chromatics with wild and crazy color mixing.

4) I do not like living far from my family. I am on the East Coast, and they on the West. I came out for school and didn't go back. Got married to an Easterner, and his family is here. Of course, I prefer the East coast to the West, but I miss my family considerably.

5) I love to eat ice cream. Must be my absolute favorite food - has been forever. I have not yet met a flavor I did not like, though I hear they make garlic ice cream down in Gilroy, CA - have not yet tried that and don't know if I ever will. I'd rather just enjoy the flavors I have tried so far.

6) I cry at commercials. So silly, I know. And I don't have to be premenstrual at all. You know the ones - the mom is walking in the cancer cure walk, and the husband yells, "Great job, honey!" - Gets me every time. And the sad ones about animals needing help, or children needing food - yeah they get me pretty well. But I also tear up when there is the smallest hint of sadness or sense of being alone, in need, broken hearted... the list goes on. My family thinks I'm nuts.

Ok - enough from me. Time to pass the torch:

the non-consumer advocate

natural suburbia

soulemama

my year without spending

sanctuary arts at home

I can't wait to read what you all have to share!

How Do Other People Do It??

2009-06-29T22:04:00.004-04:00

Tell me how it works. I read blog after blog every day, learning about all sorts of moms who seem to do 'everything' yet seem so relaxed about it all. Even the ones who work part of their week, still find time to make a decent meal, read to the kids and scrapbook their last vacation. I, on the other hand, find myself running after the 8 ball on a repeated basis, looking for lost socks, finding cures for extremely smelly shoes, making sure all the animals get at least one square meal a day (and I don't mean my kids), and making sure that the car I get into at the grocery store lot is actually my own. Whew!

I took a few days off this past week to spend more time at home, and became fascinated with all that I could do if I was home on a regular basis. I decided I would get to the bottom of the laundry pile first, just to remind myself what color the bottom of the hamper really was. After 10 loads (I kid you not) I really didn't care what color it was, mostly because I was so winded after going up and down 2 flights of stairs to the laundry room for 2 days.

I had this great idea to cook with my kids - to make chocolate chip banana bread, one of our new favorites. I went to their rooms, offered to make it with them, and saw the folded clothes that I had just 'lovingly' washed, dried and folded, sitting on the floor. Needless to say, that after my rant about said clothes on the floor, I was left alone to cook the banana bread, as "no one wants to cook with a 'mean-ie'". Uh huh.

I went out to the deck to tend our newly planted veggie garden, and noticed that the recent rain had overwatered the plants. Being that some of the planters do not have super-efficient drainage, I emptied them of the extra water, picked off the yellowed foliage and dead-headed where necessary, all while talking that special baby-talk that plants so love (What?? You don't do that?). Ok. Then as I walked back in doors, I heard a monster of a thunder clap and would ya believe...a torrent of rain came down. Just as I thought the sun really hadn't forgotten us. So it was back out to the deck in another hour to dump the additional water from the slowly draining pots.

I stopped counting the "I have nothing to do"'s from my kids after 100 today. Seriously. Summer only began for us on Thursday. It's Monday, folks.

Now I sit in the living room with several piles of the last laundry load folded around me. I ate way too many pieces of chocolate chip banana bread, and I can't remember if I showered today. Or was it yesterday? Every single part of my home that I cleaned over the past 4 days now needs additional attention. But my kids are fed and in bed at a decent hour, the dishes are done, we have enough clean underwear to last us through to the first day of school, and I go back to work tomorrow. Makes me think I'm going on vacation at this point.

Super Sleepy Sunday

2009-06-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

Mama's Spanish Eggplant Bake

2009-06-26T21:52:00.003-04:00

One night this week, I had many leftovers and not much inspiration. The night before, I had made spanish rice, and actually made much more of it than we really could eat in one meal. So I used that with some veggies needing to be used up, and came up with this phenomenal meal. Everyone liked it - which is quite a feat at my family dinner table! It will disappear just as fast on your table, I'm sure.

Mama's Spanish Eggplant Bake

Slice an eggplant in 1/2 inch slices, salt liberally and set aside in a colander for 20-30 minutes. Rinse well and put aside.

Take 3 Cups leftover spanish rice, mix with 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Press into 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 until firm, about 15 minutes.

Saute a red pepper, an onion, other various veggies as you like - I used some leftover frozen corn that needed to be used up, and fresh garlic to taste in olive oil. Add whatever spices you want to flavor the saute.

When the rice base is cooked, layer the eggplant on top, then the sauteed veggies and top with 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Food Bill Reducing Tips Thursday

2009-06-25T21:22:00.003-04:00

This week's tip: Do It Yourself!

We pay a very high price for convenience in this day and age. Every where we turn, we get the message that making our own food it old hat. So many foods are made to save us time, get out of the kitchen faster, move on to the next item on the agenda, much like a militaristic journey through life. We do have a choice, however, and can choose when we want or need to have the convenience of fast foods, and when we can slow down to make a more mindful meal. The price of convenience foods is nothing to laugh at, though. We certainly pay for the ease of popping something ready-made in the microwave or oven. Buying those deboned and skinned chicken breasts really do pack a punch at the checkout counter versus the whole chicken.

Here are some ideas for foods you can make on your own to save a bundle at the store:

1) Make your own pizza dough. At $1.62 per 2 12 inch crusts, it's alot better than around $5 per ready-made crust or $20 for 2 cheese pizzas at the pizza parlor.

2) Cut up your own chicken. At $5.50 per pound of boneless, skinned breasts or tenderloins, not to mention if those breasts were organic, you make out much better to buy the whole chicken at around $1.28 per pound.

3) Mince your own garlic. Here is where I fall short. I love using tons of garlic in my cooking. Yet I hate peeling it, always have. I typically buy the larger sized jar of minced garlic, and have no problem using it up quickly. However, at 14 cents per ounce, I am much better off buying the whole garlic and learning how to peel it quickly and efficiently, instead of the jared variety at 35 cents per ounce.

4) Freeze your own veggies. I don't buy frozen vegetables too often, not even the organic ones, preferring to eat fresh ones as much as possible. I also don't care for the slightly mushy texture that frozen veggies impart to cooked dishes. But, some of my culinary friends do use them with great success, and spend a whopping $3.50 per pound (for broccoli, for example) for them versus $1.50 a pound for fresh.

5) For those McDonald's fans, make your own egg muffin sandwich. Do you know how many $2.50's you could save by toasting an english muffin, adding a cooked egg and some nice cheese and perhaps some sausage or bacon? Not to mention how much better it would taste!

6) For your next birthday party, make your own cake. Forget the cake mix - making a cake from scratch is really not that scary if you have the right recipe. And at a mere $1.25 versus $3.65 per cake, it's a sweet savings to pocket.

7) And consider making your own coffee rather than purchasing it at a coffee shop. That $3 latte can be made at home for a few cents on the dollar - around 25 cents to be exact. Wow. How's that for putting things in perspective??

Making fresh food can be time consuming. Not many of us have the time we desire to dedicate to planning and making meals, and many of us can't stand to be in the kitchen longer than absolutely necessary to get the meal on the table. Making things from scratch takes time, organization and planning. The payoff is definitely worth it, if you consider how much money you can shave from your food bill. And learning some new skills can be fun (and entertaining to others). I shut down my microwave and put it in the basement about 5 years ago. I thought I could never live without it. I went to go find it for a craft project recently, and saw it was filled with rust from a wet basement issue. Tossed it out, and never looked back. You can learn new things, and you do get used to finding extra time for certain priorities.

Note: Some of the information listed in this post came from Ann Taylor Pittman's article in July 2009 Cooking Light.