I just finished one of my favorite snacks, and it's a super healthy one! It's a banana chocolate smoothie, and it's delish! I got the recipe from Kristen's Raw Blog and then just tweaked it a bit. It's made with about a cup of water (I substitute some almond milk), a frozen banana or two (you can add ice cubes if your banana isn't frozen), some protein powder, hemp powder, a little coconut, some raw cacao nibs (makes it crunchy and soo yummy), some raw chocolate powder, and a big scoop of almond butter. This is my favorite thing to have after a workout. (Today I went for a run in the cold, wind and snow!). I sometimes add some Starbucks Via (instant coffee) and that makes it even more of a treat. I also had a cookie or two with it, but don't worry, because these were the healthiest and yummiest cookies EVER!! They're made with things like olive oil and maple syrup and oatmeal and spelt flour - no butter or eggs. I was shocked at how delish they are, and the kids all love them too! The chocolate chips decrease the health factor somewhat, but they are mandatory to the yumminess of this cookie!
We've been watching tons of Olympics around here, and I'm going to miss them when it's all over. I am a true patriotic Canadian and tend to get tears in my eyes whenever a Canadian athlete gets a medal. Talk about teary-eyed last night with TWO medals, a gold and silver!! I love the sappy part where they play the I Believe song and replay the athlete finishing their event and all the celebrating and flowers and medals. Yes, I'm a sucker, but I don't care! A friend who lives close by but is originally from Britain told me that people in her country aren't patriotic like we are, and she loves cheering for Canada. It's a great country to live in and would be even better if it just had a few more palm trees and sandy beaches! But I digress... Can't wait to see some more exciting events later today. What's your favorite sport to watch?
I am constantly amazed that athletes all around the world can train themselves to finish their sporting event within hundredths of a second of each other. If you really think about that, it's quite incredible! I am constantly amazed by the speed skaters and skiers. I have realized that I love watching the drama of short track and the pure, raw strength of long track. I also realize that I love watching the ski and snowboard cross. Talk about drama! Curling's pretty low on my list, but I'll still cheer for Canada. I even got right into that hockey game last night! I'm not a huge figure skating fan either, but I know I'll be watching Joannie Rochette, and I'll probably have tears streaming down my face while I watch. Like I said, I'll miss the Olympics when they're done!
I must get on with this day, but wanted to say hello! Hope you're having a fabulous week!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Reality
Yes, I am back to reality after a fantastic vacation. All did not start well, though. Saturday (the 30th) was the day to drop off all the kids before we headed out earlier Sunday morning. Well, right after we'd dropped Connor off (we were still in Burlington) Logan throws up in the van. He had been feeling a little off all day, but this was definitely worst-case scenario. We headed back home to clean up and wait awhile before beginning our hour drive to Barrie (where Logan and Taya would be staying). Two hours later, he was feeling a little better, and hadn't been sick again. However, we felt terrible bringing our sick boy to our friends' house and then leaving right away! But what were we supposed to do?! Not a good predicament, as you can imagine.
Once we arrived in Barrie, we got the kids to bed and then left at 5am the next morning. Thankfully, things did improve for Logan after a couple days of fever and feeling very lethargic. My dear friend Angie deserves a medal for being so caring (or at least the gift I sent her in the mail!). The kids did have a great time - the bonus being that they got to play with our friends' dog and cat all week! They were definitely happy to see us when we got home on Thursday evening and we were even happier to see them, I think!
More reality hit on Friday night, when Connor couldn't sleep because of sinus congestion, and then Logan woke up with a bad earache. Taya woke up in the morning with a sore throat and headache. To make this long story short, Taya and Logan are now on antibiotics (Taya for strep throat), and they have now missed more school. I have hardly left the house since we've been home and we're experiencing a little cabin fever. They are on the mend, however, and I am very thankful that we are home to look after them. We are so grateful for the wonderful friends who looked after the kids - this gave us a lot of peace of mind.
So, yes, the trip was amazing!! Aside from worrying about a sick boy back home, everything went incredibly smoothly. From having an extra seat on the airplane both ways (which was almost full - this is a very huge bonus for my long-legged husband), to our luggage arriving (never take that for granted!), to the fantastic weather and great food, to Stefan not needing a hospital visit - we have no complaints!! The resort was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed walks on the beach with the waves crashing, lying for hours by the pool reading our books, with the occasional dip in the pool to cool off, eating whenever we felt like it, nice refreshing drinks, and one of my highlights, playing tennis every afternoon! Another highlight was having a very invigorating spa treatment - so lovely! I have posted an album from our trip on my facebook page, but for those of you not on facebook (you know who you are), I will attempt to add some photos to the blog. You probably won't get to see as many, though, as I added about 25. All in all, the trip was wonderful - relaxing and reconnecting and much too short! I am so thankful we had a chance to do this.
Now I'm looking out the office window at snow and I can feel the slight ache in my back from shoveling it this morning and I remember that this is reality. St. Lucia feels like a dream or a fantasy, maybe even something I imagined. I will savor those memories so fondly, but truly, I am grateful to be back home with the kids - I think perhaps we all appreciate each other just a little bit more after having some time away from each other. I guess the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" really does have some truth!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Journey through January (how's that for a cheesy title?!)
Hellllooooo! Hope y'all had a nice Christmas! We had a very relaxing and fun Christmas and of course, it was over much too fast. I thoroughly enjoyed having my hubby home for a whole extra week and I think he was pretty happy to have a break, too. My favorite gift this year was some pieces for my Willow Tree nativity set. I had the basics (Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherd and sheep), but Stefan surprised me (and boy was I surprised, actually to the point of happy tears) with the creche (if that's what it's called) and another shepherd, a few animals and the camel. It's beautiful. In fact, I was lamenting the fact that it would be packed up for the next 11 months - that's such a waste. So I found a nice home on the mantel in our bedroom (yes, we have a fireplace in our bedroom, and it doesn't get much use, but it looks really nice) where it will spend most of the year, until I move it downstairs at Christmas time. I love how simple and classy it looks. What was your favorite Christmas present?
I have been reading like crazy lately. Somehow I manage to get all my other stuff done, but I could easily read for a whole day. Not even kidding a bit. I have always read more fiction than non, but lately I've read a lot of both. I just finished reading the latest by Vince Flynn (he writes political thriller-type novels, in the basic style of the TV show 24 - very exciting, especially if you're an American and a Republican, but I digress). I've also got a few on the go by Jodi Picoult. She is an amazing writer and I love the diversity of topics she writes about. Her most well-known book is My Sister's Keeper, which was recently made into a movie. I've got one by Dan Brown waiting for me, plus a biography by Tony Dungy (former Colts headcoach, whose son commit suicide a few years ago). I also finished some corny British chic-lit recently - good for a laugh if nothing else.
In addition to those, I am being constantly inspired in the health department by a number of different authors. To name a few: Victoria Boutenko, Matt Amsden, Robyn Openshaw, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Carol Alt, Ani Phyo and Kristen Suzanne. They all have the same basic message: you are what you eat (my interpretation). Plant-based, whole foods are the way to go if we want to avoid disease and general unwellness. I am determined to make some major changes to the way we eat - we've already made baby steps, but we have a long way to go. I've often in the past felt guilty that I would throw raw veggies on the kids' plates, because I was too lazy to cook them. Turns out this was not such a bad thing after all! I've read about the importance of eating raw food before eating cooked food, to allow all those amazing enzymes to do their work. Oh, there's so much information! I have been making some major changes personally lately, and the results are coming in! I've been doing green smoothies faithfully for over 6 months already, but now I'm adding in a lot more raw and cutting back on a lot of animal protein. I am feeling fantastic. I am almost always healthy - it has been years since I've been really sick. I almost never get colds (and this was even before this all began). I have more energy, my skin looks better, my nails are better, my digestion is in fine form and a few pounds are even starting to melt away. There is so much more to learn, but if you're interested, I can post some of the names of the books I've been reading.
In 18 days I will be relaxing on the beach (or by the pool, or somewhere else equally warm and wonderful and sunny). I CANNOT WAIT!!! I think the kids will have a great time with their friends, and even though there are some days when they make me REALLY CRAZY, I know I'll miss them a bit. If I remember... Maybe at dinnertime when I'm not cutting anyone's food into smaller pieces, other than my own, or saying just one more bite, then I might remember!
That's it for the moment. Thanks for visiting!
I have been reading like crazy lately. Somehow I manage to get all my other stuff done, but I could easily read for a whole day. Not even kidding a bit. I have always read more fiction than non, but lately I've read a lot of both. I just finished reading the latest by Vince Flynn (he writes political thriller-type novels, in the basic style of the TV show 24 - very exciting, especially if you're an American and a Republican, but I digress). I've also got a few on the go by Jodi Picoult. She is an amazing writer and I love the diversity of topics she writes about. Her most well-known book is My Sister's Keeper, which was recently made into a movie. I've got one by Dan Brown waiting for me, plus a biography by Tony Dungy (former Colts headcoach, whose son commit suicide a few years ago). I also finished some corny British chic-lit recently - good for a laugh if nothing else.
In addition to those, I am being constantly inspired in the health department by a number of different authors. To name a few: Victoria Boutenko, Matt Amsden, Robyn Openshaw, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Carol Alt, Ani Phyo and Kristen Suzanne. They all have the same basic message: you are what you eat (my interpretation). Plant-based, whole foods are the way to go if we want to avoid disease and general unwellness. I am determined to make some major changes to the way we eat - we've already made baby steps, but we have a long way to go. I've often in the past felt guilty that I would throw raw veggies on the kids' plates, because I was too lazy to cook them. Turns out this was not such a bad thing after all! I've read about the importance of eating raw food before eating cooked food, to allow all those amazing enzymes to do their work. Oh, there's so much information! I have been making some major changes personally lately, and the results are coming in! I've been doing green smoothies faithfully for over 6 months already, but now I'm adding in a lot more raw and cutting back on a lot of animal protein. I am feeling fantastic. I am almost always healthy - it has been years since I've been really sick. I almost never get colds (and this was even before this all began). I have more energy, my skin looks better, my nails are better, my digestion is in fine form and a few pounds are even starting to melt away. There is so much more to learn, but if you're interested, I can post some of the names of the books I've been reading.
In 18 days I will be relaxing on the beach (or by the pool, or somewhere else equally warm and wonderful and sunny). I CANNOT WAIT!!! I think the kids will have a great time with their friends, and even though there are some days when they make me REALLY CRAZY, I know I'll miss them a bit. If I remember... Maybe at dinnertime when I'm not cutting anyone's food into smaller pieces, other than my own, or saying just one more bite, then I might remember!
That's it for the moment. Thanks for visiting!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Two Weeks Until Christmas!
My poor little neglected blog was calling my name today, just begging me to say something interesting. Not sure if this will be interesting, but here goes...
I spent the whole morning and a bit of the afternoon volunteering at the kids' school. Now I've got about an hour until I have to go pick everyone up from school - I can't believe how fast those 6 hours go. My volunteering today consisted mostly of doing rather complex (in my opinion) photocopying jobs. I don't know how teachers find the time to do this kind of stuff, in addition to managing their classrooms! Teachers amaze me, and I'm so happy that all 3 kids have such great teachers. I'm pretty thankful that I can be involved at the kids' school, and especially that we live so close, so going back and forth a few times every day is not a big deal.
Winter has finally arrived here in southern Ontario. We had a very warm November and first few days of December, so I guess this was inevitable. I realize this is nothing compared to the Alberta weather right now, but man is it miserable today! It's only about -5, but with the wind whipping fiercely around, it feels much colder. We're spending a lot more time just getting out the door each morning. I'm trying to manage all the extra pairs of mitts, boots, snow pants, hats, scarves, and coats that first need to go on everyone, then come off again after school. Add 3 tired kids and their backpacks, put in a small space while they all try to get their gear off simultaneously, and it makes for some pretty crazy moments! These are some of my least favorite moments about winter. Summer is so simple in the "gear" department! I think we're all really looking forward to the Christmas break and not having a schedule for a couple weeks.
On January 31, Stefan and I are headed to St. Lucia!! He found a smokin' deal online late Saturday night, with packages discounted between 50 and 65%. We hadn't been planning to book a vacation, but this was too good to pass up. We had less than 2 days to book, and somehow we managed to find friends to look after the kids in record time. Talk about great friends! We will be staying for 4 nights at the Sandals in St. Lucia, and I can hardly wait. We were in St. Lucia almost 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Logan, and Stefan spent about half our trip being horribly sick. He even spent a night at the hospital, while I slept alone at the resort. It was not a good time. We're looking forward to having a much better time this time around, and praying no one gets sick! Not a good way to spend a holiday that you've spent so much money on and been looking forward to for so long.
We've got a busy weekend ahead, with me working tonight and tomorrow, and hopefully getting our Christmas tree on Sunday. I think I'll go crank the Christmas tunes now and spend a few minutes relaxing before the busyness starts up again. Hope you have a warm weekend!
I spent the whole morning and a bit of the afternoon volunteering at the kids' school. Now I've got about an hour until I have to go pick everyone up from school - I can't believe how fast those 6 hours go. My volunteering today consisted mostly of doing rather complex (in my opinion) photocopying jobs. I don't know how teachers find the time to do this kind of stuff, in addition to managing their classrooms! Teachers amaze me, and I'm so happy that all 3 kids have such great teachers. I'm pretty thankful that I can be involved at the kids' school, and especially that we live so close, so going back and forth a few times every day is not a big deal.
Winter has finally arrived here in southern Ontario. We had a very warm November and first few days of December, so I guess this was inevitable. I realize this is nothing compared to the Alberta weather right now, but man is it miserable today! It's only about -5, but with the wind whipping fiercely around, it feels much colder. We're spending a lot more time just getting out the door each morning. I'm trying to manage all the extra pairs of mitts, boots, snow pants, hats, scarves, and coats that first need to go on everyone, then come off again after school. Add 3 tired kids and their backpacks, put in a small space while they all try to get their gear off simultaneously, and it makes for some pretty crazy moments! These are some of my least favorite moments about winter. Summer is so simple in the "gear" department! I think we're all really looking forward to the Christmas break and not having a schedule for a couple weeks.
On January 31, Stefan and I are headed to St. Lucia!! He found a smokin' deal online late Saturday night, with packages discounted between 50 and 65%. We hadn't been planning to book a vacation, but this was too good to pass up. We had less than 2 days to book, and somehow we managed to find friends to look after the kids in record time. Talk about great friends! We will be staying for 4 nights at the Sandals in St. Lucia, and I can hardly wait. We were in St. Lucia almost 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Logan, and Stefan spent about half our trip being horribly sick. He even spent a night at the hospital, while I slept alone at the resort. It was not a good time. We're looking forward to having a much better time this time around, and praying no one gets sick! Not a good way to spend a holiday that you've spent so much money on and been looking forward to for so long.
We've got a busy weekend ahead, with me working tonight and tomorrow, and hopefully getting our Christmas tree on Sunday. I think I'll go crank the Christmas tunes now and spend a few minutes relaxing before the busyness starts up again. Hope you have a warm weekend!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Broccoli, Christmas trees and cinnamon buns
Thanks for all the kind comments from my last post - you really do make my day! Today is a PD day and I managed to find some time to blog. Imagine! The kids are all playing in the basement with a friend, I've got cinnamon buns (definitely not raw but definitely yummy) in the oven and I'm slurping a delicious green smoothie. It's a little different today. I added just a smidge of broccoli and yellow pepper, as well as a clementine orange and the usual strawberries, banana, mango, spinach and kale and a few other things. It's fantastic! I'm wanting to try a recipe for a smoothie that is just broccoli, yellow pepper, banana and water, but I thought I'd work my way up to that slowly. I think next time I'll toss in 2 oranges - it makes it taste so fresh. I love all the kale that's in there as well, as I've tried kale in other forms and don't really like it. My old blender left unpleasant bits of kale in my smoothie, but my new blender pulverizes it into smooth perfection! Kale is apparently one of the best things for you, so full of disease-fighting properties, that I love loading up on it. Our family has opted against the H1N1 shot, so I'm hoping to stay healthy this way.
I was asked how I manage to find time to read all those books. The books in the Twilight series are all around 500 pages each. They're a pretty easy read, and I'm a fast reader, but it still takes some time. Usually I'm up reading pretty late at night, or I read on my breaks at work, or I find time when the kids are at school. I try not to neglect them too much, but the housework does tend to get neglected sometimes. It all does get done eventually, and we do eat on schedule. Somehow, I squeeze it all in. Priorities, right??
This week marks the milestone of one year since Stefan started his new job here in Ontario. That was an incredibly stressful time, and I'm so thankful to be on this side of it! Stefan started his job here in mid-November and spent the next month and a bit pretty much commuting from Calgary to Toronto, coming home for a couple days at a time. In the meantime, I tried to keep things normal for the kids in Calgary, which was difficult considering I had to keep the house in spotless condition for all those showings. Every time we left the house, it had to be perfect, just in case. I spent much more time yelling and stressing than was good for us. In the end, it was all for naught, as the people who ended up buying the house saw it when it was completely empty. To add to the stress, the weather in Calgary was so bitterly cold that it always felt like so much more of an ordeal every time we had to vacate the house for a showing. We often crashed at my sister-in-law's place, which was very much appreciated. We stayed with family in Calgary once our house was packed up and then lived out of our (many) suitcases for the next 2 weeks. What a relief to actually get into our new house, but then the work really began to get everything unpacked! We missed out on having a Christmas tree or doing any decorating, so I am very excited about having Christmas in our new house this year. I'm anxious to get started on decorating, but will try to hold off for a few more weeks.
The past year has raced by in such a blur, but I'm thankful to be where we are. Of course, we very much miss family and friends in Calgary and wish for more frequent visits. On the other hand, we enjoy being close to other friends and family here in Ontario. We are once again blessed to have moved into a great neighborhood (although my 2 neighbors in Calgary will never be replaced). Our kids all have good friends and classmates on our street and they are able to be outside in the nieghborhood without constant supervision. There is hardly any traffic, and there are always lots of options of kids that are available to play. On Sunday we had 8 kids playing in the backyard while I did some yard work and I loved it! I loved seeing how they all interacted and the fun things they came up with to do. I didn't even mind feeding them all a snack!
I've just taken the cinnamon buns out of the oven and I would love to share one with you! Come on over, any time!!
Must run to get everyone ready for a birthday party. Have a great weekend!
I was asked how I manage to find time to read all those books. The books in the Twilight series are all around 500 pages each. They're a pretty easy read, and I'm a fast reader, but it still takes some time. Usually I'm up reading pretty late at night, or I read on my breaks at work, or I find time when the kids are at school. I try not to neglect them too much, but the housework does tend to get neglected sometimes. It all does get done eventually, and we do eat on schedule. Somehow, I squeeze it all in. Priorities, right??
This week marks the milestone of one year since Stefan started his new job here in Ontario. That was an incredibly stressful time, and I'm so thankful to be on this side of it! Stefan started his job here in mid-November and spent the next month and a bit pretty much commuting from Calgary to Toronto, coming home for a couple days at a time. In the meantime, I tried to keep things normal for the kids in Calgary, which was difficult considering I had to keep the house in spotless condition for all those showings. Every time we left the house, it had to be perfect, just in case. I spent much more time yelling and stressing than was good for us. In the end, it was all for naught, as the people who ended up buying the house saw it when it was completely empty. To add to the stress, the weather in Calgary was so bitterly cold that it always felt like so much more of an ordeal every time we had to vacate the house for a showing. We often crashed at my sister-in-law's place, which was very much appreciated. We stayed with family in Calgary once our house was packed up and then lived out of our (many) suitcases for the next 2 weeks. What a relief to actually get into our new house, but then the work really began to get everything unpacked! We missed out on having a Christmas tree or doing any decorating, so I am very excited about having Christmas in our new house this year. I'm anxious to get started on decorating, but will try to hold off for a few more weeks.
The past year has raced by in such a blur, but I'm thankful to be where we are. Of course, we very much miss family and friends in Calgary and wish for more frequent visits. On the other hand, we enjoy being close to other friends and family here in Ontario. We are once again blessed to have moved into a great neighborhood (although my 2 neighbors in Calgary will never be replaced). Our kids all have good friends and classmates on our street and they are able to be outside in the nieghborhood without constant supervision. There is hardly any traffic, and there are always lots of options of kids that are available to play. On Sunday we had 8 kids playing in the backyard while I did some yard work and I loved it! I loved seeing how they all interacted and the fun things they came up with to do. I didn't even mind feeding them all a snack!
I've just taken the cinnamon buns out of the oven and I would love to share one with you! Come on over, any time!!
Must run to get everyone ready for a birthday party. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bitten...
I have a confession to make. (Which is apt, I suppose, based on the title of this weird little blog). One of the main reasons I haven't been blogging as often as I should, which translates to once a week or so, is because I have been thoroughly sucked into the teenage world of vampires and werewolves. I have never once in my life had any interest in these creatures until just a couple weeks ago when I decided to see what all the fuss was about with Twilight. Just because it's an international phenomenon doesn't mean that I'm going to like it, I thought. Well, as it turns out, I do like it. A lot. Never before have I devoured 500+ page novels so quickly. There are 4 books in the series (in case you don't already know this). I'm reading the 3rd one, and anxiously awaiting the opening of the second movie next month. The 4th novel is more than 700 pages. No problem. I'd like to pace myself, but that's just not happening.
Part of what intrigues me about Twilight is that the author is a mom about my age with 3 kids, just doing her thing, and wakes up one morning with a dream so vivid she has to turn it into a novel. Fast forward a few years, and now her husband stays home with the kids while she rakes in the millions and is adored by her countless fans. Incredible! Haven't quite figured out my million-dollar-international-stardom idea, but I guess I'm still young (relatively).
Moving right along, then...
We had a great time in Boston. The drive was enjoyable, the water resort was a blast (especially because we had the whole place practically to ourselves), we got to wander around Harvard, and it was just fun to get away. Fall was beautiful there, but it is equally as beautiful on our street and in our backyard. There are some absolutely stunning colors, ones that I didn't see too much of living in Calgary. The kids are excited about jumping in some leaf piles, as soon as we rake some.
I wanted to mention how touched I was by all your comments when I wrote about my mom. I read and reread those comments and so appreciate each of you. It was interesting how each person that commented could relate on such a personal and specific level. Thanks for the love.
Another emotional day this week, as Monday was 2 years since my uncle was killed. Sometimes it's still so fresh and raw and other times I find myself trying to convince myself that it never really happened. Like my cousin said, the pain doesn't lessen, it gets worse as time goes on. My heart still breaks for my cousins and aunt who are just left with his memory.
Not sure how to smoothly segue onto the next topic from here...
I've been getting asked a lot about how the "raw" is going. Well, it's still coming along, slowly sometimes. I don't care how passionate I may be about raw, but I enjoyed my Thanksgiving turkey thoroughly, and there is just no substitute for that! Nor is there a substitute for the Butternut Turkey Soup I made as leftovers (which the kiddos loved - ha! they do like squash!) or the Cream of Turkey Soup... Both were so delish, and very healthy and most important, gobbled up by my munchkins. (My Oma used to laugh at Connor, who, at age 2, announced at her dinner table that he did not like squash. Guess he does after all - if only Oma could see him now!).
But, I digress. I have been a very faithful green smoothie drinker now for almost 4 months and I'm still loving them. The only thing that could make me love them more, I decided, was a proper blender (you know, one that actually gets rid of all the chunks). Well, I have saved my pennies and used some early Christmas money, and my beautiful new fancy-schmancy blender should be here in the next week or so. I really can't wait. It's silly to be so excited about an appliance, but blenders are probably my favorite appliance ever. I even ordered it in RED!
Lunch and snacks are often raw, but really nothing fancy. I've tried quite a few different raw recipes - some were good, some not so much. Supper is pretty much never raw, but does include even more veggies than before, many of which are indeed cooked. I can't give you an exact recipe for my green smoothie, as it varies slightly every day. So instead I'll just list some of my favorite ingredients and you can try for yourself, if you dare! Definitely leave me a comment if you try one, or leave me one anyway if you don't because they sound too odd. I eased into my green smoothie over a couple days, but the transition really wasn't all that hard. Here goes:
Blend together a rather large quantity of any greens you can get your hands on, using water as needed. Greens I use are: spinach (definitely the mildest and "smoothest", a good starter), collard greens, swiss chard (white and red), beet greens, kale (one of the most super of the superfoods), dandelion greens (I have found these beauties in several different grocery stores). I've even tossed in romaine lettuce and butter lettuce. The key is using a variety and mixing it up. You can use one or several, but just change it up every so often. I shove my blender full of greens and it blends down into approx. 2 cups of green sludge. Smell it. Then go stick your nose in the freshly mowed lawn. Then close your eyes and see if you can tell the difference! Yum. I've never tried the green sludge on its own, and probably never will. Some people do. If you do, I'll send you a prize!
So now you need a lot of yummy fruit to disguise the grass clippings. I like adding at least some frozen fruit, partly for creamy consistency, and partly to make it cold. (However, once I have my new blender, I'll be able to add ice and actually have it blend!). Some of my favorites are: bananas, mangoes, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, pears, grapes. I have yet to toss in an apple, but might try it. Any combination of these fruits should work, although I always use a banana - it just seems to be a good flavor "masker". I also toss in extras such as flax and hemp seeds, which are very good for you, supposedly.
I'm going to leave you with that for now. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my ramblings!
Part of what intrigues me about Twilight is that the author is a mom about my age with 3 kids, just doing her thing, and wakes up one morning with a dream so vivid she has to turn it into a novel. Fast forward a few years, and now her husband stays home with the kids while she rakes in the millions and is adored by her countless fans. Incredible! Haven't quite figured out my million-dollar-international-stardom idea, but I guess I'm still young (relatively).
Moving right along, then...
We had a great time in Boston. The drive was enjoyable, the water resort was a blast (especially because we had the whole place practically to ourselves), we got to wander around Harvard, and it was just fun to get away. Fall was beautiful there, but it is equally as beautiful on our street and in our backyard. There are some absolutely stunning colors, ones that I didn't see too much of living in Calgary. The kids are excited about jumping in some leaf piles, as soon as we rake some.
I wanted to mention how touched I was by all your comments when I wrote about my mom. I read and reread those comments and so appreciate each of you. It was interesting how each person that commented could relate on such a personal and specific level. Thanks for the love.
Another emotional day this week, as Monday was 2 years since my uncle was killed. Sometimes it's still so fresh and raw and other times I find myself trying to convince myself that it never really happened. Like my cousin said, the pain doesn't lessen, it gets worse as time goes on. My heart still breaks for my cousins and aunt who are just left with his memory.
Not sure how to smoothly segue onto the next topic from here...
I've been getting asked a lot about how the "raw" is going. Well, it's still coming along, slowly sometimes. I don't care how passionate I may be about raw, but I enjoyed my Thanksgiving turkey thoroughly, and there is just no substitute for that! Nor is there a substitute for the Butternut Turkey Soup I made as leftovers (which the kiddos loved - ha! they do like squash!) or the Cream of Turkey Soup... Both were so delish, and very healthy and most important, gobbled up by my munchkins. (My Oma used to laugh at Connor, who, at age 2, announced at her dinner table that he did not like squash. Guess he does after all - if only Oma could see him now!).
But, I digress. I have been a very faithful green smoothie drinker now for almost 4 months and I'm still loving them. The only thing that could make me love them more, I decided, was a proper blender (you know, one that actually gets rid of all the chunks). Well, I have saved my pennies and used some early Christmas money, and my beautiful new fancy-schmancy blender should be here in the next week or so. I really can't wait. It's silly to be so excited about an appliance, but blenders are probably my favorite appliance ever. I even ordered it in RED!
Lunch and snacks are often raw, but really nothing fancy. I've tried quite a few different raw recipes - some were good, some not so much. Supper is pretty much never raw, but does include even more veggies than before, many of which are indeed cooked. I can't give you an exact recipe for my green smoothie, as it varies slightly every day. So instead I'll just list some of my favorite ingredients and you can try for yourself, if you dare! Definitely leave me a comment if you try one, or leave me one anyway if you don't because they sound too odd. I eased into my green smoothie over a couple days, but the transition really wasn't all that hard. Here goes:
Blend together a rather large quantity of any greens you can get your hands on, using water as needed. Greens I use are: spinach (definitely the mildest and "smoothest", a good starter), collard greens, swiss chard (white and red), beet greens, kale (one of the most super of the superfoods), dandelion greens (I have found these beauties in several different grocery stores). I've even tossed in romaine lettuce and butter lettuce. The key is using a variety and mixing it up. You can use one or several, but just change it up every so often. I shove my blender full of greens and it blends down into approx. 2 cups of green sludge. Smell it. Then go stick your nose in the freshly mowed lawn. Then close your eyes and see if you can tell the difference! Yum. I've never tried the green sludge on its own, and probably never will. Some people do. If you do, I'll send you a prize!
So now you need a lot of yummy fruit to disguise the grass clippings. I like adding at least some frozen fruit, partly for creamy consistency, and partly to make it cold. (However, once I have my new blender, I'll be able to add ice and actually have it blend!). Some of my favorites are: bananas, mangoes, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, pears, grapes. I have yet to toss in an apple, but might try it. Any combination of these fruits should work, although I always use a banana - it just seems to be a good flavor "masker". I also toss in extras such as flax and hemp seeds, which are very good for you, supposedly.
I'm going to leave you with that for now. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my ramblings!
Friday, October 9, 2009
A Quick Hello
I just finished a yummy bowl of apple crisp, made with apples that the kids and I picked at a local apple orchard. Topped with some vanilla ice cream, it was absolutely delish! Not exactly a raw dessert, but, too bad! I was thinking of heading up to bed and reading, but I heard my blog calling my name, rather impatiently, I might add. Just a warning to manage your expectations about how coherent this post will be, as I'm getting pretty sleepy.
Speaking of raw food, some of you have been asking for updates. I'd like to say that I have totally given myself over to the raw food lifestyle and there's no turning back, but that would be lying. It certainly is a challenging transition to make, and I'm realizing that I need to be organized and plan things out in advance a little better if I'm going to prepare a raw meal. I've been doing tons of reading, and have loads of good recipes just waiting to be tried. Some I have tried and they've actually not been very good. It's turning out to be a very slow process for me, but that's ok. I've been having my daily green smoothie, and rarely miss a day. That's been the biggest change I've made. My smoothies are full of so many greens and fruits, that I know I'm doing my body some serious good. I've also been really good about having lots of raw snacks and have dramatically increased my fruit intake. I'm not allowing myself to feel any guilt over any non-raw food I eat, as a habit 35 years in the making is going to take some time to change.
I think I'll save any further thoughts for my next post, if I want it to make any sense. I'm fading fast here.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am looking forward to sharing a (non-raw) turkey dinner with my family, plus my mother-in-law and uncle. SO much to be thankful for!!
Speaking of raw food, some of you have been asking for updates. I'd like to say that I have totally given myself over to the raw food lifestyle and there's no turning back, but that would be lying. It certainly is a challenging transition to make, and I'm realizing that I need to be organized and plan things out in advance a little better if I'm going to prepare a raw meal. I've been doing tons of reading, and have loads of good recipes just waiting to be tried. Some I have tried and they've actually not been very good. It's turning out to be a very slow process for me, but that's ok. I've been having my daily green smoothie, and rarely miss a day. That's been the biggest change I've made. My smoothies are full of so many greens and fruits, that I know I'm doing my body some serious good. I've also been really good about having lots of raw snacks and have dramatically increased my fruit intake. I'm not allowing myself to feel any guilt over any non-raw food I eat, as a habit 35 years in the making is going to take some time to change.
I think I'll save any further thoughts for my next post, if I want it to make any sense. I'm fading fast here.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am looking forward to sharing a (non-raw) turkey dinner with my family, plus my mother-in-law and uncle. SO much to be thankful for!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
