Welcome to my garage....the party went beautifully and we had SO much food! I did manage to take pictures before everything got started but as per usual, we forgot to take any pictures of anything during the gathering. We are awful about pictures! And the quality of mine are not so good as I'm using my old ipod touch.
But here's how I set things up:
<- This is the view from the side door, what you'd see as you entered. Mr hung my garden sheets along the back wall so it would look nicer than staring at shelving and lawn equipment.
Two tables were put together in the middle - I wanted to make sure that conversation could flow and no one's back was to anyone during dinner. On the other side is a seating area I set up so if people got tired of sitting at the table there were more comfortable chairs.
The "Rescue Center". Tums, mints and tissues. This was just as you entered the door. There were also folded 3x5 cards and a sharpie for people to record what their dish was.
The start of the feast. My Garden Bench converted to buffet. An old burgundy flat sheet covered everything perfectly. At the right, is the start - silverware, large disposable plates and napkins.
The end before all the desserts got there. Smaller plates, more napkins and a sharpie. I covered the tool bench with brown craft paper and on this area people wrote on the craft paper what the dish was! It was slick! I also put out a bowl of apples...granted that was more for me than others because I couldn't eat much but I wasn't the only one who had one. :)
Here is a shot of the two tables put together. Those are not table cloths....they are curtains!! I found them on clearance and bought a coordinating kitchen towel to go down the center. Cheap and a perfect fit! Now I can reuse them next year and for other parties too!
Here is what the center of the tables looked like. Extra napkins under the pumpkins, candles floating in mason jars with cranberries and two sets of salt and pepper so no one needs to reach or pass.
The bar area. A few things for mixing, a recycle bin, alcoholic drinks in the white cooler and non in the red. There were some napkins, stir sticks and more mini pumpkins and candles. This is actually an old sewing machine cabinet that I bought a few years ago from Goodwill but my machine never made it in there so....I'm giving it up to the fire pit. It made a nice cocktail table though!
The final shot - warmth. The silver cylinder you see is a borrowed propane heater. It worked SO wonderfully that people didn't need coats! We even opened the side door a few times. It was wonderful. The two laundry baskets you see are filled with blankets and extra sweatshirts - just in case. Didn't need any of them.
It was so much fun and I laughed so hard that my voice got all gravely like I was an old smoker. My face hurt and so did my abs. Best work out there ever was! :)
The list of food, you ask??? Okay, here it is.... Stuff made with beer: Thai Chili, Corn bread, Fruit Salsa, Pulled BBQ Chicken, Pork sliders, Garlic basil mashed potatoes, Mac and Cheese, Peanut Brittle, Vanilla pudding Bunt Cake, Chocolate cupcakes, jello shooters. Non - beer foods: Vegan sloppy joes, apple slab pie. Honestly I think I'm forgetting things.....there was that much food!
Blessings for a wonderful week to you!
the Mrs.
I may be back later today for another post on a whole other surprise challenge that came up!
Sometime early this year.....or perhaps late last year but at some point in the past I cannot exactly pinpoint...we gathered a few friends to a challenge. My Mr and a guy friend started to chat about beer and somehow ended up on cooking and the two fell together into a vote I wasn't there for.
We had our first Beer Dinner challenge - the Beta test. I know, the name is entirely too creative. Not entirely sure how well it would go, we moved forward and everyone was asked to come up with a dish, dessert or whatever they could think of, that they could infuse beer into. The Beta Test was a Surly challenge. It was all about one brand of beer and using any of the flavors they make. The results were outrageously, ridiculously amazing. People drooled and raved and broke out in the meat sweats and fell into swollen belly comas while laughing way too hard. A second event was demanded.
You're curious aren't you.....you want to know what on earth was so good we needed to do it a second time. Here's a list to the best of my memory: Bender beef stew, Coffee Bender chili (I think), beer bread, Chocolate cake with bender frosting, Coffee Bender Chocolate Cheesecake, Furious Glazed Salmon Puffs (Profiteroles were also made with Furious), Bender Bacon Mushroom Meatloaf (pretzels instead of bread crumbs), Coffee Bender marinated steaks rubbed with a coffee brown sugar dry rub, Abrasive Jello Jigglers, salad with....a dressing made with beer I can't remember and I know there's more I'm forgetting. But you get the point.
This weekend will be Beer Dinner 2.0. Any beer is fair game and the guest list doubled. The Mr and I get a tad carried away....our list has topped out at 8. So far I have Hell Fire Pickles and Furious Peanut Brittle. The Toffee kinda went all wrong so attempt #2 will be today along with the much demanded Bender Bacon meatloaf I made last year, the sober-Vegan Sloppy Joes and Amazeballs. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me....for the rest of the week. Tomorrow I clean the house, make the jigglers and any last minute cooking things I can think of. Then Saturday will be the Rogue Doughnut pork sliders, the 21+ Mac n Cheese and decorating the garage for the event.
Here's the funny part.....ya know all those food issues I have? I can't eat any of the food with beer in it. Thus...the "sober" vegan sloppy joes and Amazeballs. I'm actually thinking I'll be doing a gluten free Apple Slab pie too since one of our friends is gluten free and I'm not sure how much she will be able to eat either. So the challenge for me is to cook things I can't eat or taste and have them actually turn out not only edible but tasting of awesome.....because, lets face it, I do have a reputation to uphold.
On other challenge notes......what do you do when you don't really own table cloths (I know, I know, my membership to womanhood should be revoked, but I'm okay with that) but are trying to make a party in your garage not look like.....a party in your garage.... You opt for creative solutions. Knowing that this party will most likely become an annual event I made the executive decision that I need to get supplies that will be reused so I am not spending a fortune on disposable table stuff every year. I was on a mission to find some nice table cloths I could use over and over in fall-ish colors. Much to my dismay I found that all table cloths of any decent size were at least $16 and I need at least 3. Time to employ creativity. I found 3 clearance curtain panels in chocolate and eggplant for less than $10 a piece, a clearance set of napkins (to use under candle centerpieces) for $5, 3 different kitchen towels for $4 and a few candles from the dollar store will get things looking a bit nicer and smelling a bit less "garage". A bag of cranberries, some tea-light candles freed from there little metal containers, some raffia and mason jars will be the center pieces along with the tiny little pumpkins I got last week.
I will do my best to take pictures......but we know I suck at doing that.
I'm excited to see if we can pull this off......well.....okay I know we can easily pull it off but I'm actually excited to see if I can pull off making a garage look nice for a party and not have everyone freeze to death.
Considering I didn't want to spend the whole week in the kitchen I cooked some things ahead and planned for simplicity. I brought key safe foods I knew would be hard to find, like the organic beef hot dogs my son likes, whole grain tortillas and sandwich flats, lunch meat for the meat eaters etc. I also baked several batches of breakfast cookies and froze them, along with pre-cooked peppers and onions, a batch of sweet potato/black bean/spinach enchilada filling and I also brought a jar of last summers homemade spaghetti sauce. Here's what the fridge looked like:
Top left to right: clausen dill spears, behind that is the frozen enchilada mix and the peppers that are thawing. in front is the bag of breakfast cookies, laying on top of a bag of cooked white rice. Behind that is a bag of cilantro and I think the bag under it is the spinach. The yellow container in front has lettuce in it. Resting on top is my fav Trader Joes Chipotle Hummus along with zip lock bags with red and yellow peppers and leftover diced tomatoes. On the right you'll see Simply OJ, with water, corona and whats left of the jar of spaghetti sauce. (next shelf) lunch meats, cumin spiced black beans in the white container, baked potatoes (thrown on the still hot grill after a dinner so there were days worth of potatoes) big bowl of fresh Pico De Gallo. (Next Shelf) Strawberries blue berries, eggs, alfalfa sprouts (requested by wonderteen) other beer and pop.
The drawers were filled with apples, oranges, lemons, limes, peppers, cukes, onions, mushrooms and anything else we fit. I also had a basket of bananas and tomatoes on the counter.
As a treat for the family I packed all the dry ingredients for their favorite gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Old peanut butter containers are AWESOME travel containers! Wash and save! We have used them for so many travel purposes. Mr loves to take a small one and have it filled with MnM's or nuts and keep it in his golf bag.
I used two containers for the dry mix and brought a post it with the remaining wet measures that were needed. As you can see, I made due with what I had. Some tin foil over a pizza pan and cookies were made without needing to wash the pan! They came back from fishing to a cabin smelling of cookies!
My plant based cookbook in the back of the cupboard, surrounded by canned beans and the rice, sugar and popcorn that was transported to the cabin via old Jif jars. It was SO handy!
Food was a piece of cake. I loosely planned basic meals: 1 mexican night, 1 pasta night, 2 grilling nights, a fish fry night, and a random night of leftovers at the end to clean up and take less food home. The kids thought mom was ultra creative by using large mugs to refrigerate leftovers. My daughter was very pleased and loving her veggie filled sandwiches and trying new things. We decided to try mushroom burgers together and we both very much enjoyed them! Though we did realize that she likes hers more well done and I'd prefer mine more rare. Our big note to self was to prepare better for the first day and the first nights meal. Day one was a bit on the sparse side for food because we didn't realize the tiny town grocery was so limited on what it carried - even in produce. So we went into town the next day and finished up our grocery shopping.
We had a wonderful time and even came home lighter than when I left! Only -.8 but hey, who can say they lost weight on vacation! ME! :)
Plant based on vacation. It CAN be done and without stress!
Do you ever go back to basics and really contemplate, why? We make such deliberate choices about our cars, daycare, schools, clothes, jobs, electronics.....but the stuff that actually sustains and feeds the necessary functioning of our body - the one thing on that list that can't be replaced - we are mindless about it. We choose so much in life based on a basic code of who we want to be but often there is no code when it comes to food. Food is reduced to the importance of taste, speed, cost and convenience. Sure, we will justify having a $400 car payment but the price of an organic apple? Craziness. What do we value? What is our priority? Are we aware that we are putting tainted fuel into our bodies? If it was our car that was getting cheap additives that shortened the life of it's engine....we would be calling for our money back and a recall of the bad quality product.
Do we make decisions based on the opinions of others, which can be easily changed by their suggestions or do we make informed decisions and stand firm in them so that pressure and suggestion don't "toss us about like the waves of the sea"? (Eph.4:14)
What does "diet" mean to you? Is it a short term goal or a way of life?
Diet:
(Noun) The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
(Verb) Restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight: "it is difficult to diet in a house full of cupcakes."
In trying to be purposeful about not pushing my diet on anyone and not shouting to the hills or getting all crazy about it, I've been listening more. It seems as if everyone is ON a diet (verb) instead of choosing a diet (noun).
I'd like to settle into noun. I'd like my "diet" to be stable, defined and comfortable - for me. No more diets (verb) of temporary fluctuation, doing this "for now" with the intention of changing it all again later when I get to my goal. I am making a conscious choice to be as intentional with my food as I am with other things in my life. When I make big decisions I do my research, I see if it lines up with my moral compass, my philosophy and approach to life. I shared not too long ago that I cancelled weight watchers, stopped measuring or counting.
My life choice is to eat a plant based diet. I will eat when I'm hungry, avoid animal products and oils will only be used sparingly during cooking. Will this potentially slow down my weight loss? Probably...but what is my main, "big picture" intention? Health. I feel amazing! My body is getting smaller and feels more healthy. I feel stronger and have more energy than I have in a decade or more. My food choices no longer cause panic and the risk of reaction has dropped to nothing. You can't change the ingredients in a tomato or lettuce! If the weight slows down, I'm okay with that because slow is better than nothing. There will be ups and downs sure but overall a bump in the road is nothing compared to the overall direction of how healthy I feel. Over the course of my life I suspect that my weight will continue to drop slowly and eventually stabilize out to where I should be. If I want to lose more, then I should move more.
Plant Based, Atkins, eat for your blood type, Mediterranean, cabbage soup, calorie counting, low carb, high carb, low fat, high protein, Vegan, Vegetarian, Slim Fast, Slimgenics, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Med Fast......it's no wonder people are confused! These are all labels, descriptors of how we choose what to eat and why....but I think we've stopped asking why and just said "okay, whatever you say."
None of them say the same thing! There are so many labels and some are moderately defined or so individual they carry no meaning. Others are programs based on restriction and other programs....well they kinda blow my mind. "Don't eat that banana but here, eat this packet of powder." All in the name of weight loss....not health....but if we were eating REAL food in healthy portions we wouldn't need to lose weight in the first place. There are redeeming qualities in a lot of programs but I'm coming to the conclusion that they all have the same flaw - they are temporary.
Yesterday our daughter (16) and I got into a conversation about food.....I don't remember what she asked but it started this conversation about diets, nutrition, the differences between vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian/plant based, protein needs and food in general. I started to have trouble answering questions, I never want to answer questions incorrectly (and teens talk so darn fast!), so I suggested that she watch Forks Over Knives because it would answer more clearly some of what she was asking. We would both have the same information and be able to have a conversation more easily about her questions. I wasn't equipped with the clinical answers and didn't want her to get the idea that this was a "fad diet" but that there was a great deal of research done about it. Regardless of what her opinion was at the end of the film, I was interested in what she thought.
So we watched it together and she asked lots of questions during the movie. At the end she said "I think I want to be pescatarian. I LOVE fish, I don't think I could give it up but the rest....I could do that." She followed it up with making a bold statement on FB about adopting a whole foods, plant based diet and eating fish. I expected interesting conversation but not that she would make this bold decision. What and how I eat has been a topic of conversation for years...she always has good questions and is curious. Last weekend it was about what vegan meant and was I a vegan.
I explained that I wouldn't call myself a vegan. The term is attached to a political/activist view point. I don't approve of the mistreatment of animals but animal rights has nothing to do with why I don't eat them. I don't care that they have a face or a mommy...some of the tastiest animals are pretty darn cute and I am not giving up my leather boots. (Don't shoot me.) I don't eat them because I feel so much better NOT eating them. Frankly I don't believe we were originally created to eat meat. My base line for eating a plant based diet is health, original design and the reality that most of my life I haven't felt good in my own skin. Some of that is weight, some of that is physical injury but most of that is illness. I still have weight to lose to increase that comfort factor but what I started for vanity has merged into wellness and health for my body...and my mind (sure there is vanity tossed in there as well...lets be real). I have made myself clear to her that this is HER decision, she will not receive any pressure or critique from me. Help on the other hand is available in abundance - but she needs to ask, and I'll help equip her with recipes and knowledge to merge into this as easily as she can. NO negativity or criticism about choosing to still eat fish. Its her choice and as she learns she may change her mind, but its hers to change. In the long term I think at the very least making a decision like this is a wonderful step of independence and will carry lots of lessons in making choices that aren't necessarily popular and how to stand your ground when others who don't understand your choices try to push you to conform to what they want for themselves. She's growing into such an interesting, intelligent and amazing young woman. I am so proud to be in her life!
Do you think about why you do the things you do? Why you eat what you eat? Do you care?
Blessings of firm ground to stand on and strength to stand against the crashing waves,
the Mrs.
UPDATED: I have no idea what the highlighted wonky stuff is going on in the beginning of this post or how to fix it....so you have my apologies for the wonkadoodleness.
"The first meal of the day is the most important." In my book typically the most un-enjoyable as well. I am not a breakfast eater. I simply do not enjoy breakfast foods. Much to my husbands disappointment, cold pizza or spaghetti for breakfast will make my eyes light up with delight....not pancakes or waffles. The idea of going somewhere on purpose to eat breakfast food kinda makes my nose crinkle and my eyes roll. Bleh.
BUT in this new "plant strong" lifestyle (it's not a "diet", those are temporary) breakfast IS important so I can keep going. I need those calories, at the very least, so my guts don't start to wrestle and see who gets to be the cannibal before lunch. As usual, I turned to Pinterest. Faithful friend and resource for all things easy to find and neatly categorized. And I found this awesome gem: Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies and made a few changes.
I went straight for the ground flaxseed in 2 tbsp of water for the egg replacement (ground fresh in a coffee grinder we use to grind spices) though I've not seen it "thicken" for me.
old fashioned oats because it's what I have.
Organic whole wheat flour - not "white" whole wheat, something in the process of that kind of flour gives me that drunk reaction so I know that something is done there that isn't "natural".
Instead of raisins I used either finely chopped prunes or dates. In the last batch I made I doubled the recipe and used a 1/4 cup of each.
Walnuts. Like a whole cup of them broken up in to pieces. This made them a million times yummy.
The assemblage.
100% maple syrup....yum.
Chopped dates/prunes into a fine mush.
Breakfast is served.
I plan on doing a little more playing around with this recipe and seeing what I can do with it. I keep mine in the fridge because this is a really moist cookie and in the summer heat it will spoil faster. This is SO easy and so fast. I didn't use a mixer or anything. Just that wooden spoon and then two metal spoons for scooping onto the parchment.
Here's my version of this recipe so you don't have to jump back and forth.
Maple Nut Oatmeal Banana Cookies.
Makes roughly 18 cookies.
Refrigerate.
2tsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2tbsp water
1 cup oats (old fashioned or whatever you have)
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped dates or prunes (pitted)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 banana (thinly sliced or mashed)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts (or pic your favorite!)
Preheat oven to 375
Combine your ground flax and water first and set aside. It's supposed to thicken a bit but so far I haven't seen this....I may be doing something wrong but it works out fine anyway.
Throw everything in a bowl, adding the nuts after stirring until things are well incorporated. Adding the nuts last makes it easier to stir, toss those in and stir until they are evenly distributed.
Scoop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and flatten them out a bit.
Bake 8-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.
Easy peasy! Sweet, chewy, crunchy and filling! LOVE them!
Blessings on your Monday for a beautiful beginning to a productive, wonderful week!
To some the changes I've made recently would seem extreme. ....frankly in the past I considered something like this extreme or excessive. I've struggled to wrap my head around someones choice to just be a vegetarian....let alone a vegan.
Why in the world would anyone CHOOSE to give up BACON???
Yet, here I am. Eating plant strong and feeling the best I have in years. The energy levels that I am feeling are seriously blowing my mind. I (you may want to sit for this) got on the treadmill the other day just because I was feeling like I NEEDED to expend some energy! .....aliens have not invaded my body.....I don't think...
My mind is so much clearer. I don't feel like I'm walking in a fog anymore. I feel stronger and like I have a spark, my spunk is back!I asked Mr if he'd noticed any differences and he said that he sees more energy and that I seem happier. Happier? Yes, that is one of the crazy things I've noticed....I wasn't UNhappy before. I would say that in general I am a fairly happy and positive person but now? Pollyanna ain't got nuthin on me!
I feel like I am actually getting to watch myself change in the mirror every day. My face looks different. My cheek bones are starting to be more defined, my jawline too and that second chin I thought would never ever make its way back to wherever it was from.....its disappearing. Clothes fit differently. Shorts that were tight not that long ago slide on easily now and with extra room in some places! New clothes I bought only 2 weeks ago are now baggy! I had to buy new undies too. The weight is coming off slowly, but the fat....the visible markers of weight.....are melting off. I can see it in my hands, face, shoulders, legs....all over! Yesterday my brother in law saw a new picture of me on facebook....."this may seem like a dumb question but is that you?" I assured him that it was me and he proceeded to tell me how great I looked in the funniest best way possible that a younger brother in law can. It made my day!
I cancelled my weight watchers account. Yep, I did. I don't have any need to count or measure anything anymore. $$$ saved.
If you've been reading here for long you know that my struggle with food has been exhausting and consuming. My relationship with food has been more based on fear than nutrition. When I talked about food my only perspective was to preach about its danger.....this didn't go over well in many ways....but it was authentic. It was my truth and where I was standing, food had lost its goodness and was more of a cage for me. It was about restriction.
Not any more.
For the first time in several years I feel a freedom and enjoyment with food that goes beyond my kitchen. Last night we planned to go out to dinner to celebrate the Dude graduating from elementary school. (no kids menu for him, thank you) I checked out the menu ahead of time and decided I'd have a greek salad, no chicken, cheese or pita and a plain baked potato on the side. NO ANXIETY. No fear. Hesitation and negativity were not my dinner companions. There was no cloud of resentment or boredom hovering over me. I didn't need to struggle to not make negative comments about being bored by the same old restaurant dinner. I enjoyed it. Even my very first baked potato without butter was good! I felt full and satisfied at the end. No mental cloud or wave of confusion, no bloating or intestinal discomfort. I felt GOOD. I enjoyed going out!
This is one of those times where I feel so good I want to shout to the world that everyone should do this! Everyone should eat this way!! Like the euphoria of falling in love making you want to fix up everyone you know so they too can be THIS happy. Yep, that's how amazing this is. But I've learned from my past. Preaching to people who haven't asked or expressed interest....doesn't get you anywhere. Kinda works the same way with Jesus sadly. Restraint is my companion now. I have made choices that are working for me. I have made choices that are enhancing my life and even my relationships....because my attitude is positive. Preaching the poisons and sins of meat and processed foods will get you nowhere fast....and reduce your conversations quite a bit too. Before - fear and restraint were heavy in my conversation. Now, I am taking a new approach. I am living. I am living my choices, making them with joy and enjoyment and letting the world see the change in my body, my demeanor...me. I am choosing to allow the world to ask instead of getting on a soapbox and pointing my finger at the offenders. My job is to take care of MY body, not everyone else's. The nurturer in me struggles with that. Others in my life need to make their own food choices....even those closest to me....and I need to be able to respect them even if their nutritional choices concern or disgust me. It's not going in my body, so I need to shut up and be an example instead of a downer.
In my heart I would love for everyone I know to try this for a week, 2 weeks or take the Engine 2 challenge. I would love for everyone I know to feel this good and see the benefits that I have. Reality tells me that most will look at the choice I'm making and slap on the "vegan politics" and see "restriction" in neon flashing over my head. I don't feel restricted though. My craving for meat or dairy is totally gone. Has it been tough to learn to do a few things differently? Sure. All new adventures have their challenges and puzzles to solve but among all the food based Rubik's cube puzzles I've had to solve, this one has been the easiest.
Do I miss ice cream? Yep. But I'll figure that one out in time. For now I've figured out how to make amazing sherbet. (I'll show you how soon!) I have discovered the most amazing maple banana nut breakfast cookies and I am totally in love with them. They are so fast and easy to make! Double the recipe and freeze some. When you are in a pinch and don't have time for a full meal - grab and go! I've done it, it helps! I'll show you those too! Last night I had popcorn. How? I popped organic kernels in a paper bag in the microwave, drizzled a little walnut oil on and sprinkled with salt. It was good enough (even though I did slightly burn it) that Mr stole more than a handful...or three.
I hope to start being able to show you more of how I'm doing this and that it isn't hard at all. If you want me to address anything specific let me know.....though that would require someone to comment....ever....for this to not be just a one way conversation. ehem. Just sayin.
Blessings for a wonderful weekend to officially kick off summer!
Cooking ahead has been one of my latest endeavors. Make it easy to have as many ingredients at the tips of your fingers for the healthiest choices to happen....right? It's always when we are hungry and our brains are all "ohhhh, I don't know.....YOU pick!" that things run a muck and what could have been a healthy meal becomes pastry or chocolate or whatever you might pull out of a box or bag that you didn't make yourself.
So I gave up meat a while ago right? Started to feel even better. ...funny how you don't realize that you can feel better until you do.... So then I watched all those food documentaries....Food Matters and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. I also watched Engine 2 Kitchen Makeover recently and have been seeing stuff about this diet (in terms of nutrition lifestyle not "I'm going to do this for a few months to lose weight" diet) that this Texas firefighter has written about and researched in test groups. Go figure that he's the son of the doctor who conducted the China Study mentioned in Forks Over Knives. He and his family have been eating this way for years and he has lived and intimately known the benefits. So he is sharing what he knows in very practical down to earth terms.
I feel like I kind of fell into it naturally. Processed food has been out for quite some time. I took meat out a few months ago. Quit the coffee and gradually ended up reducing dairy to the point where I kinda don't need or miss it - except for those few drops in my black tea...mmmm.
So here I am, eating "plant strong" and feeling better than I realized that I didn't feel. My energy has started to return and my mind seems clearer, sharper than it has in a long, long time. I am so much more productive...its kinda crazy. Though most of my productivity has been in the kitchen. I don't quite have this cooking ahead thing down to a smooth science yet.....in terms of planning exactly what I'm going to make and thinking ahead about how much of it I'm going to make. So I've spent about 3 days in the kitchen this week. I'm trying to expand my cooking horizon. Its really learning all over again. It didn't take much thought to just throw things together before but now....for now....it takes time to really think about not only what to cook but how to cook it. I'm the only one in the house that is skipping the animal products....so that means I need to make sure that the rest of the family has things that are appealing to them. Dude hates beans....unless its a green one, his nose is turned up in the most disgusted manner at just the sight of them. Mr has been fine but is oh so tired of the mexican themed food. Generally that spice palate is incredibly easy to throw together and I love it.
I've been avoiding the whole label of "Vegan". Cuz I'm not. "Vegan" has this more political, environmentalist, fist shaking, yoga doing, save the animals and don't eat anything that casts a shadow, hippy vibe about it.....that it's way more than just about food nutrition. I'm not a vegan, I just eat like one. I love my leather boots and I love the leather jackets that I hope to fit back into by fall. I believe that the cutest of farm animals are generally the tastiest and bacon is still meat candy and I'm sure I will forever call every pig I see, Bacon. But my body functions better with a vegan diet. My mind actually works better on a vegan diet...that in and of itself is the greatest blessing. I still have pain issues and probably always will. To think...clearly and freely is something that so many people take for granted. While my brain will never return to the beauty it was at 15 before my car accident, it is a true source of joy to be aware enough, clear enough, to realize that I AM thinking more clearly and quickly. What a gift the Lord has given us in FOOD!
Clean, God designed, natural food. For that reason, I will promote eating this way. Think of the canary that miners brought into the tunnels with them. The bird was tiny and oh so sensitive to unclean air. If that bird dropped over they knew they needed to get out of there. Think of me as the canary in the tunnel of the food world. Stick to the good stuff.
So what have I been making while spending all this time in the kitchen?
Grilling up tons of peppers and onions.
Peppers and onions have become a wonderful staple. They grill up and keep so well. I chop them a bit smaller and put them on rice, salads (who needs dressing with that kind of flavor?), wraps and sandwiches.
Method: chop peppers and onions of choice (I used green bell and a combo of red and sweet yellow onion), place a big sheet of heavy aluminum foil on the grill (enough to fold in half so its double layered), lightly spray with olive oil spray or your favorite spray oil to help with sticking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic powder (crushed garlic tends to burn really easily). If you want to add more zip, try chili powder, chipotle powder, oregano and squeeze a lime over the top near the end. SO YUM.
Pico de Gallo
Fresh chopped tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, onion, lemon/lime juice and a bit of salt. SO good! Put that on salads, wraps and rice bowls. So fresh, so good, we run out so quickly!
Veggie burgers.
Not something I thought I'd like but wanted to try. I know that I can't eat the processed ones from the store so I found a recipe...where else but on Pinterest. These are so easy and so good. The original recipe calls for what else but chili powder and a mexican flavor. The first time I made them I followed the directions. The second time I changed the seasoning a bit and used, garlic, onion, thyme and parsley (all dried). It was wonderful! Smelled like meatloaf even before I cooked them! YUM.
I have made Vegan Enchiladas with sweet potato and black beans that I am totally in love with. Sorry no pictures. Make them, you too will fall in love. I honestly have yet to make the avocado cream sauce simply because I can't get past the amazing filling to even think that it could get any better. BUT here's a tip: inside your enchiladas, put a little brown rice, some of those grilled peppers and onions and the enchilada filling....and die happy....and healthy. :)
This week I made Banana Oatmeal Cookies to have for breakfast. My alteration was to use diced prunes instead of raisins and I added walnuts. Again, awesomeness. SO yummy and the crunch of the walnut is the perfect addition.
Last week I even tried non-dairy frozen banana based ice cream. It turned out wonderful and creamy. I made strawberry. I think this could be tweaked to suit your individual sweet tooth and the flavor changed in many ways.
There are still SO many things to try! Its all so exciting and a tad overwhelming at the same time but when you feel this good - and over 4lbs falls off without doing a dang thing to make it happen - it is amazingly worth it. In time I know that I'll figure out a new rhythm and not have to spend so much time in the kitchen. Until then....I think I'll be there a lot. I really need to find things that Mr will like and mix flavors up a bit for him. As of now he's not joining me in this Engine 2, vegan, no animals in my food diet adventure BUT he has said "if you make it, I'll eat it". He loved the enchiladas by the way. Apparently he forgot there was no meat in them until I reminded him....they are that good.
Have a wonderfully long weekend and I'll keep you up to date on how this is going. I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left of school....I'm not sure I'm prepared for summer yet!
Blessings for a luxuriously long recharging weekend, filled with memories and fun!
"No ones banana bread is as good as yours! I hate guacamole - but I LOVE yours! I hate baked beans - but I LOVE yours!! You've ruined me!" She says to me...more than once a month.
Recently I was making something totally new....I don't remember what it was now....but I was on the phone with her and telling her I was nervous it would be totally gross. "It can't be YOU are making it, it will be awesome." If you find planet wonderful - this is where my kids are from. Seriously.
This weekend is her Sweet 16 party. BBQ, Bonfire, girls sleeping over in the big tent and in the morning.....a mockery of all things "Sweet 16" has been made to be. They will be getting themselves totally fanified and beautiful in the twirliest of dresses.....to go bowling. Just one reason we call her WonderTeen. She is brilliant, beautiful and hilarious all in one.
And all this falls right during the "Great Purge of 2012"......I am crazy. Driven there by the messes and the sweetest of requests to make all her favorite "you've ruined me" things. The Purge is on pause. The house certainly better for how far we've come but priorities are priorities, right? This week I am cleaning and putting things back together, cleaning up the purged messes, sending donations with the hubby to drop off after work.
Today is baking day. Raspberry Lemonade tartlets. English toffee. My famous baked beans. 3 kinds of muffins for breakfast. I think I'm forgetting something.....oh, guacamole will be made fresh on Friday. Right now it smells of toffee in the house......
So yummy!
Lots of foody things are happening here. I'll share next week when I have more time.
Til then....
Blessings of abundant awareness of all the treats He prepares for you,
Coffee. I love it....hot or cold but doctored into creamy sweet submission. It is a delight to the senses of sight, smell and taste. I think I'd drink it all day if I could....and not get fat or incredibly jittery.
Yet, we've been "on a break". Last week I altered my coffee consumption. A cup one day, none the next. Reason? Attempting to see if my physical and mental function is affected by the delicious nectar. Pain and discomfort has been loitering around more than usual. My brain running at a slower pace and the afternoon crash has been hitting harder. So I felt prompted to experiment....with a potential break up. "Time apart to evaluate".
The conclusion? Yeah.....coffee, while oh so smooth and suave, smelling wonderful and oh so sweet.....isn't good for me. It doesn't enhance my thinking or even allow me to maintain the way I thought it did. It slows me down, adds too many calories and pushes me into a foggy, but tasty, swirl of thought.
On the days we didn't speak but merely passed in the kitchen as it went out the door with my husband....I found I felt clearer, more steady and certainly more productive in my day. On the days we started together, I was off track, unproductive, more distracted, oh so tired and all together not my best.
So last week was every other day. This week, so far, only the sip needed to taste if Mr's cooler has been mixed right. That's it.
Coffee.....I'm glad we can be civil but I'm breaking up with you......for your cousin, tea. It's not me, it's you...perhaps it's in your processing or just in your nature. You just aren't good for me.
Green tea, black tea, lemon water, detox water or a combination of green, lemon and detox. Black tea to replace coffee and it takes less than half the cream and vanilla syrup to revive the memory of coffee. A way to not feel totally deprived of something so yummy. Yet, my brain still feels clear and no crash.
The next step in the experiment...how long will it take before I see the full effect of this break up?
In other foody news.....I spent all day in the kitchen yesterday. The refrigerator was cleaned, veggies were chopped and food was cooked. A huge amount of peppers and onions were cooked for fajitas, and entire chicken was roasted and shredded for the boys, cilantro lime rice was made, cumin spiced black beans were sauteed, fresh pico de gallo was made and avocado, red cabbage and cilantro was chopped. Today I'll be peeling and cutting up several apples and seeing what else I can think of doing. Ease of use was my thought. Need more plants and when they are easy and quick, they get eaten. When they get eaten in large doses, I feel better.
So....breaking up wasn't so hard to do. Not like I thought. No headaches....cravings yes...but no headaches or crabbiness like so many people talk about. Not too shabby.
Blessings to you for clarity to see all the wonder of life and the brilliance in who and what you are, the Mrs.
The steadiness of moving from one task to another.
Knowing the timing of your day.
These are just a few things I would love to be in my day. I want one day to be able to move through the tasks of keeping my home without thought because they are like the blood in my veins...a part of me that requires no conscious thought. Learning and modifying, adapting to changes and new awareness of how things work best in our season of life, my day, my issues.
Don't accuse me of striving for perfection....not true. I strive for improved. "Good, better, best"....when I know better I want to do better and I will only do that by trying. Its like anything you want to improve upon, you must practice - but not to be perfect....to do your best. I don't feel I do my best. I am the picture of inefficiency. I flit from task to task, often leaving the last unfinished....not intentionally. I am excellent at making lists and horrible at following them.
I dream of the day where I can meander through my day on auto pilot, merging from task to task easily and without thought. Loving what I do, even if my head is under the toilet. To feel the easy rhythm of a finely tuned routine and be interrupted without a surge of panic that things won't get done....but to welcome the interruption with open arms as the most important thing in that moment.
Today, I decided that coffee would be taken from my menu. Gasp, I know, I am too. Currently my brain feels as though it's in a tub of water and someone has carelessly bumped it quite hard. Yep....it feels a bit sloshy....maybe that's not a proper word but I'm going to use it anyway. It fits. I decided that since there is really nothing really redeeming about coffee...from a nutritional stand point.....especially considering that I can't seem to stand it without loads of coffee syrup and cream......perhaps I should try tea again. It is so good for you.....maybe I'll see some benefit either in clarity of thought or in removing that mid afternoon slump. It's worth a try anyway.
Underwater blessings to you for a clear and efficient day, the Mrs.
A -.4 isn't much but it's better than nothing! Way better than a +, so I'll take it and be happy about it.
Moving back up the scale, when I was so close to the halfway mark I could taste it, is not fun. Like anything though it is an opportunity for reflection. Seeking out what was in my control and what wasn't. What could I have done differently?
If pain is making working out more difficult then I need to carefully monitor food, points, calories...whatever it takes. Monitoring food seems like a full time job in and of itself. Food is no longer fun.....I'm not saying that I never enjoy it or that what and how I eat is boring, bland or gross but the amount of work and thought that goes into it daily kinda sucks the fun out of "entertainment eating". The "ooh lets go out" excitement is gone. I eat nicer things at home than when I go out.
Hmm....I don't like the negativity here. Yes, it's real. Real is not always positive. BUT the bigger reality is that there is always a choice in how we approach or perceive our circumstances. My choice should be to seek out the blessing because that is just as real as any negative aspect BUT it is worth so much more.
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
~Prov. 15:17
It's kind of a Daniel diet....I guess. (Dan. 1:8-16) Daniel was better for it. Stronger, healthier....this is blessing. To eat only what the Lord made......how can that not be good!
I'm not setting much in the way of a goal for myself right now. I don't quite have this pain figured out. It's better, not quite as bad as last week but muscles are still pressure sensitive and joints are still sore. Again, not as bad though. So my only goal is to seek Him. He knows whats going on and why and I'll rest in that.
Blessings to you this week for peace, joy and a positive perspective in whatever circumstance you find yourself,
What a busy day it was yesterday! Our boy turned 11! He woke up to a room that had been flooded with balloons in his sleep and streamers in the hallway and living room, happy birthday banners up in doorways..... I expected an excited response of how it freaked him out when he woke up or how cool it was...instead, what I got was: "That was so kind of you guys to do that for me." I was speechless at how genuine and mature this statement was....and it was coming from my child. I stumbled through a "we wanted to do something fun to surprise you" and again "it was so sweet of you guys mom, to blow up all those balloons and put up all the streamers". Again, on the day of his birth....I'm reminded of the gift he is.
When we got to church the worship team sang him a special ho-down version of happy birthday during rehearsal. He got lots of happy birthdays, hugs and high-fives. He felt very grown up getting his first "$5 foot-long" sub....even though he, responsibly, only at half of it. "Best birthday ever".
And today......he's home from school sick with a gut ache and sore throat. The couch and blanket will be his monday. Mine, will be clean up and planning for the rest of the week.
Weigh-in wasn't too bad considering the birthday treats and the super bowl food. -1.2 today. I was hoping for a bit more but I did get at least a taste of everything in yesterday and realized that the sloppy joe (homemade, from scratch - not a can, and a whole wheat bun) was not the best idea considering I spent a couple hours just trying to maintain focus and not seem totally out of it. That would certainly throw off things a bit today. half or even a quarter of one would have been a better choice.
I'm exhausted today but it's time to make a plan for the week and move forward. Time for lists and the abundance of dishes from yesterday to be tackled and prepare for the upcoming birthday celebration for the Dude. We decided that attempting to have a birthday party on super bowl weekend was not the brilliant choice. Lacrosse game, sleep over and party to plan and prepare for.....hopefully those RSVP's start coming in!
Hopefully this has been coherent because I don't really feel all that coherent. I see lots of green tea in my future today.....good thing my order came in last week. Sweet timing.
Blessings to you today for a productive day full of drive and endurance for the race ahead, the Mrs.
Being "well" takes work. I don't think it's something that just happens, not in the truest sense of the word. Too often people completely take for granted being well......or even forget what it feels like to be truly well and end up mistaking mediocre for wellness.
Well: adjective /wel/
In good health; free or recovered from illness
- I don't feel very well
- it would be some time before Sarah was completely well
- he was not a well man
In a satisfactory state or position
- all is not well in her ideal-looking town
Sensible; advisable
- it would be well to know just what this suggestion entails
The sense of being well is different for each individual, I doubt that what well looks like for me would be good enough for some and for others, sadly, it would be a welcome relief. Well, for the individual is when that person is performing and feeling at their optimum levels in life. What that looks like varies from person to person but I'm sure at the basic level, they are more similar than different. We want to be satisfactorily rested, as free from illness or pain as possible, content with our sense of self, our relationships and our surroundings. There is inner well being and a physical well being....they both need attention.
When various conditions enter into the equation, the solution changes. For me, there is a lot that goes into wellness. As a child who was always sick, illness is no stranger. I was a regular patient at Mayo Clinic for many years with an autoimmune condition.....all of my teen years, actually. A few years into that I was in a car accident that left me with permanent damage to my brain and my body. Pain, is no stranger either. A year or so after having my son, I began to develop symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), something that seems to have been passed down the line on my mom's side of the family. A few years after that, food became the enemy and affected nearly every system in my body. I wrote more about that here.
What I've learned keeps me well...
Sleep. I learned that my brain needs a sufficient amount of sleep in order to function clearly. When I don't get enough it's hard to stay focused. I feel like I'm in a fog and everything is moving slowly. Is this common for everyone? Sure. But for me, even at optimum levels all across the board, I have to put real effort into focusing on any one thing. Conversations, take concentrated effort...so I prefer written communications because people deserve the best of what I have to offer. Those venues allow me the ability to articulate things more clearly by taking my time, choosing my words carefully and being able to actually think about not only what to say but how to say it. Words matter and I find that I use the wrong ones more often when I can't really think about things. In order to really think, I need sleep.
Diet. What I eat matters a great deal. I cannot eat blindly or without thought. Not just because I'm trying to lose weight but because everything I put into my body has the ability to either nourish or hurt. There is no in-between for me. Whole, nourishing and mostly organic. I've cut out most meat and added more and more veggies and fruit. I can feel a difference. When temptation hits and I want sweets...MnM's, cake, a beer, pop, fast food.....I have to stop and think. Those indulgences have a price.....not only on the scale but I pay with pain and time. I need to drink lots of water, not too much diary - IBS and dairy are not the best of friends. Not too much bread but when I do, only whole grain, no corn products, nothing "enriched" (that word does not mean what you think it means - it's not a positive word in your food). Fresh, REAL food. The things a body was meant to consume. There were no Doritos trees in the garden of Eden. There were no burger trees or french fry trees. There were no plants with packets of powder to add to things. Eat as if your only resources were the earth itself. If man hadn't stepped in and tried to make things cheaper, lazier, more profitable, worthless, "easier" we would eat from gardens and local farmers. We wouldn't be listening to people tell us that protein was SO essential that we ate WAY too much of it and found any possible way to shove it into our bodies in forms that are not natural. We would eat when we were hungry and only until we were full.....because we wouldn't be eating food that blocked the receptors in the brain that tell you "stop eating, you're full". If it's processed, powdered, something you can't grow, pick or kill - I don't eat it.
Stress. Stress triggers a great many things. IBS is triggered by stress. My brain doesn't function well under stress. When my brain doesn't function well, I don't make good decisions about eating which triggers reactions in my brain, joints, muscles and IBS. Stress is not good for anyone. For me, it just makes a lot of things more complicated. I manage stress a few ways...one is to make sure that our calendar does not get filled up with things to just be busy. Relationships flounder when there is too much going on. When people are always in a hurry relationships float at the surface, there's no time for real conversations or even time to think, feel or know how you really feel about anything. "Fine" becomes the answer to how you are because you haven't had time to identify how you are. Is that what life is? Being too hurried to connect to the people you love? Too rushed trying to accomplish "things" and "tasks" that "should" be done? I read a phrase many years ago in a book that changed my way of thinking. I don't remember much of the book but the one phrase made an impact: You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. And I do. Hurry serves no good purpose. Eliminating it, keeps stress in check.
Exercise. Okay I totally admit that I don't like this one. BUT I confess that I know that I feel better when I am regularly active. I don't enjoy working out at all but I know that exercise is very good for people with IBS, it helps to flush toxins out of the body faster which is very good for my food issues. I have some limitations here because my arms never fully recovered from the months of being incapacitated by food reactions. I don't have the strength in my hands that I once did. If I overexert the connections in my hands and arms it is painful....not always right away but later, being completely still will be my only comfort. It's been hard to know, and I'm still learning this, what my max is. Its hard to know how much is too much when there is no immediate reaction or sign to alert me. So I move. Not aggressively, not in a way that many would even consider a significant workout but for me, it works. It keeps me feeling good, moving forward in weight-loss goals and most of the time, without pain.
Vitamins and supplements. I take a lot.
My health and wellness depend on this more than I ever realized it would. When I run out of an essential, I am more susceptible to illness, pain, brain fog and food reactions. High doses of Magnesium keep my IBS in check and my muscles relaxed. Vitamin D helps in our climate for energy and boosts the immune system - I don't consume a lot of dairy and don't care for sunbathing so I have experienced significant deficiency here, thus a daily dose in the winter with smaller doses in the summer. I take a high potency Vitamin B complex which helps avoid nerve pain, boosts immunity, great neurological benefits and when I don't take this I notice a nearly uncontrollable desire to eat. It also has mood boosting, PMS busting benefits! Folic Acid helps to balance the B complex as well as makes your hair and nails healthy. Taurine works with neurotransmitters...basically people who are highly sensitive to MSG/Manufactured Glutamate benefit from taking this regularly. Evening Primrose Oil nourishes joints, muscles, skin and inflammation. Echinacea boosts immunity and healing. Calcium keeps my muscles from twitching and all the regular bone health and such. Green tea for energy and antioxidants. When I need them I take White Willow Bark and Bosweilia for pain. When I miss a dose, I feel the difference....sometimes it's only that I don't feel as well as I could, other times I get sick or experience some other negative effect.
Attitude. I strongly believe that attitude is significantly linked to wellness. There is NO reason to dwell on the negative. None. Attitude is a choice. Free will is so much more than only the choice to believe in God or turn your back on Him. We have a choice in how we receive information. We have a choice in how we move through life. You can have a negative experience and still have a good day! Choose it! You can endure pain and still be joyful! There is always something good to focus on. I choose to not give weight to any limitation in my life. I forget things, so? I experience pain quite often, so what? The Lord blessed me with a high tolerance for it so I'm equipped to handle it. I can choose to be bitter about the things in my life or my past or I can choose to embrace the moment I'm in, the place in life I'm in and see all the amazing things. Sure, some days stress gets to me and I'm not so positive. I'm human. More often than not though.....I'm going to choose joy. I choose to smile. I choose to look for the lovely...because it can always be found.
Faith. The Lord has brought me through a great many things in my life. He has made me wiser from them. Better, deeper, richer for it. He is my constant companion, I am never alone. Without Him I would be a different story. More than likely I wouldn't be here to tell that story either. He has saved me in more ways than I can count, carried me through more pains and illnesses that I thought would destroy me. Refined by fire. He brings me out the other side of each trial stronger for it......and in His amazing and brilliant, glorious way, He always puts someone right in front of me who needs to hear the story. That they aren't alone and someone else understands. He shows them that He offers healing and joy and proof that the past can be left behind. It IS possible to heal and stand tall, the past doesn't always have to hurt, nor does it have to be forgotten. The past is past....it can't hurt you unless you chose to hold on to the hurt. There is freedom in letting go. Freedom in His love and mercy and presence in the here and now. He is always good, always perfect, always loving. He makes me well.
There is a lot that goes into being well. I don't always get it right. I screw up a lot. I make bad choices and have to pay for them. Though the act of putting thought into what it really takes to BE well, may just be one of those things required to maintain being well....
Like when someone else is tired and stressed, don't join them in onion ring heaven and join them in stress eating. Perhaps when the family indulges in ice cream (single scoops all around...wait, dad got two scoops) you can have that treat too but DON'T EAT IT ALL IN ONE SITTING. When you go out to eat and you know you are starving.....eat a banana first so you don't eat more than half of that personal pizza you know you are going to order... It certainly isn't wise to not be counting points when you know that temptation is around.
And above all.....don't do all that in a matter of 3 days right before weigh in! Stupid mistakes. Not just for my own sake but I could have been more supportive of my stressed out, over worked hubby and found a way to encourage him without enabling dinners of wings and onion rings and various other comfort food that was happening. No, I'm not taking blame, he made his own choices. But as partners in life and weight loss I could have been more encouraging of other choices for him at a time of weakness. I could have had smaller portions of what I did eat and still enjoyed them.....maybe even more.
So, not surprisingly, I find myself at a +.8 this week. In the long term I see I am SOOO painfully off target for achieving my long term goal by April 16. I'm not even at the halfway mark yet and I should be past it.
Dwelling on where I am not, doesn't help though does it? Nope! And that's why I don't. I see where my mistake was. I see where I precariously dangled off the wagon but I can still pull myself back up. This week I need to apply what I learned from last weeks mistakes. Mr is still going to be stressed and over worked...that isn't likely to change all of a sudden. The Superbowl is this weekend and my Dude's birthday is the same day! Celebration, temptation and nurturing my boys - I need to keep myself on track which doesn't mean not participating, but planning ahead.
I did workout last week. I didn't drink enough water. I did well in my housework. I didn't do well in my tracking.
I rather impressed myself yesterday. Not only did I catch up on things but I managed to make decent headway on my regular monday list. It was a long work day - which was needed - but it really felt good to be back on track even with spending a regular hour on the phone with dad as well as having a visitor for just over an hour.
I only managed to get on the treadmill for one episode (currently working my way through Battlestar Galactica, which we've already watched but offers an extensive list of episodes to work through). Shoveling didn't get accomplished but inside duties were well taken care of.
Maybe I'll finally get into that productive groove again. This is a good start at least!
I thought I'd share something that I have found to be really helpful. I've mentioned green tea many times. It is SO good for you and is excellent for both energy and weight loss. BUT all of these things are greatly enhanced when 1) you brew it correctly and 2) you use loose leaf tea. Bags of tea are convenient yes, but they are also more expensive (you are paying for the packaging) and low quality because you are just getting the dust and leftovers from the good stuff. Loose leaf tea can be brewed multiple times, 2 ounces can be as little as four dollars and change which is 25 cups of tea.......BUT with multiple steepings could offer you as many as 50 or more! You don't get that from a box! Here's where I order mine: Teasource they have excellent information on their website too.
Getting to my point....great intentions to drink more green tea do not always result in the actual drinking of more green tea! The time it takes to stop and steep (for no longer than 3 minutes with hot but not boiling water) causes distraction for me because I must actually stop. I have over steeped tea SO often....yes even with a tea timer....then I've needed to toss it because over steeping turns it bitter. Finally, I've found a way to get my green tea in that takes no time at all!
oh how I love a mason jar. This is a quart mason jar, it holds 4 cups. I fill up my tea strainer ( I love the fine mesh ones because you don't get any of the tiny bits escaping into your tea) with a blend of a few different green teas I have. The largest portion is of Moroccan Mint - a lovely blend of green tea and spearmint - and I steep it a little longer just because of the quantity - 4 minutes usually - add sweetener while it's still hot if you like and then store it in the fridge. Then you have quick iced green tea right at your fingertips!
That has hugely helped me to get in more tea. Granted I also take a green tea supplement because its way easier but there is something more to steeped tea. The energy boost comes within minutes and all of a sudden I am filled with the urge to move and get things done. I am always more productive when I get my tea in.
Today is grocery day so I'm off to run in the cold and snow. Maybe I'll actually get that shoveling done! ....Maybe..... lol
Blessings to you today in all that you do, may you choose to be joyful in every task doing it all for His glory!
The "Rescue Center". Tums, mints and tissues. This was just as you entered the door. There were also folded 3x5 cards and a sharpie for people to record what their dish was.
The start of the feast. My Garden Bench converted to buffet. An old burgundy flat sheet covered everything perfectly. At the right, is the start - silverware, large disposable plates and napkins.
