In case the web site goes down...I'm copying and pasting good vegan recipes here. They are so good and I don't want to lose these recipes!
The PB cookie recipe, and all text associated with it below this point, is from My Vegan Cookbook.
This wholesome peanut butter cookie recipe trims the fat, calories and prep time. And the taste is divine. The only flour in this recipe is a 1/2 cup of whole wheat, but you would never guess. Don't get out a sauce pan. And you can forget about dragging out a mixer. All you need is a mixing bowl and a spoon! It's the perfect go to cookie recipe when you need a sweet fix and you're too tired to work for it.
Servings:18. Per Serving (1 Cookie): 103 Calories, 2g Fat, 14g Carbohydrates, 2g Protein, g Fiber, 8g Sugar.
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed
1/2 Cup Quick Oats
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Applesauce
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Creamy Style Organic peanut Butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Then dump ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir. You will really need to work at getting the ingredients mixed well. I do a downward smashing motion with my spoon as I stir. You could even put your hands into the dough and kneed a little. Drop 1 tablespoon size mounds onto a greased cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Smash them down some with a fork. Then sprinkle with course sugar if you like. Place into oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden. After they are baked let them cool for 15 minutes before you dig in. They will be soft out of the oven and crisp up as they cool.
My notes:
I made them without a blender, just by stirring by hand. twoK couldn't stir them very well because the batter is VERY thick. It's hard to stir, but an adult can do it. I am going to try to make them in bar form and put in some chocolate chips next time.
Vegan Brownies from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Brownies/Detail.aspx
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 284 | Total Fat: 14.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg
My notes:
These are totally easy to make without a mixer. twoK was able to mix them really well, but I had to help a little to get all the stuff mixed in from the bottom of the bowl. I added chocolate chips to the recipe. Next time, I might try swirl in PB and have chocolate chips too. (I <3 PB!)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
I like to cook...
This post begins to address 6. Eating vegan and making homemade food from this post.
I just found this blog and I'm excited! Most of the recipes are soy-free, but not all.
Don't these look yummy????
I want to try this one!
And this one!
And this one from my happy healthy friend.
Last weekend I tried this recipe, sort of. You know I can't follow recipes. I used fewer lentils, more rice and more broth (it worked out just fine because the extra moisture helped with the extra rice). It wouldn't have had enough spice for us as it was, and I knew that, so I made a sauce with onions, oregano, basil, garlic and tomato sauce. I let it simmer for a really long time and then I added spinach. Here's what it looked like. (Photo by MWH)
It tasted pretty yum. We all loved the sauce. (The girls ate it, without the chunks of onions and spinach, on top of noodles--I gave them their peas or broccoli separate.) MWH wants me to experiment with different types of lentils. I can do that. I like lentils more than he does, but I just haven't made very many kinds of them yet (because he doesn't love them). I'm not sure what different types of lentils there are so I'm a little scared of this, but I'll figure something out.
I really like trying new recipes and making homemade, yummy food from ingredients that are healthy. The girls and MWH have planted a lovely garden and soon some of my food will come from a VERY LOCAL source--my backyard!
I just found this blog and I'm excited! Most of the recipes are soy-free, but not all.
Don't these look yummy????
I want to try this one!
And this one!
And this one from my happy healthy friend.
Last weekend I tried this recipe, sort of. You know I can't follow recipes. I used fewer lentils, more rice and more broth (it worked out just fine because the extra moisture helped with the extra rice). It wouldn't have had enough spice for us as it was, and I knew that, so I made a sauce with onions, oregano, basil, garlic and tomato sauce. I let it simmer for a really long time and then I added spinach. Here's what it looked like. (Photo by MWH)
It tasted pretty yum. We all loved the sauce. (The girls ate it, without the chunks of onions and spinach, on top of noodles--I gave them their peas or broccoli separate.) MWH wants me to experiment with different types of lentils. I can do that. I like lentils more than he does, but I just haven't made very many kinds of them yet (because he doesn't love them). I'm not sure what different types of lentils there are so I'm a little scared of this, but I'll figure something out.
I really like trying new recipes and making homemade, yummy food from ingredients that are healthy. The girls and MWH have planted a lovely garden and soon some of my food will come from a VERY LOCAL source--my backyard!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Yum!
After Zumba, I love Whole Foods salads with spicy hummus on top. (Beets, mixed greens, spinach, tomatoes, peas, cabbage and arugula).
This is also becoming a new favorite... homemade black beans, broccoli, salsa, rice, and tortilla chips sprinkled on top. It's kind of similar to this, but it's got black beans instead of eggs. At some point I'll have to write about what the girls think of me being a vegan. Heh, it's pretty funny.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Great Blog Post
Great post on breastfeeding. Though I'm done with this stage of motherhood*, I still feel very strong about the importance of it and how little our society support mothers. If I had any spare time, I'd write more, but since I don't, I'll just say a big loud, AMEN, to Jo's post. She nails it--especially the part about how little time we get for maternity leave!
Right now, I have two friends out with their first baby and in one case babies. It's a crying shame how quickly a woman has to start thinking about how to go back to work. Most women haven't even gotten their babies sleeping through the night by the time they have to go back to work. It's awful. But anyway, I digress....
Go! Read!
*I was in that stage of motherhood for 5+ years with the three girls... For me, it got a LOT easier after the first 6 months, and then easier again after a year.... And easier still when they turedn two.... I could have probably kept going without any changes after they turned 3, but that's when I said, "we're done kiddo." I loved nursing the girls. I'm so glad I was able to do it for so long.
Right now, I have two friends out with their first baby and in one case babies. It's a crying shame how quickly a woman has to start thinking about how to go back to work. Most women haven't even gotten their babies sleeping through the night by the time they have to go back to work. It's awful. But anyway, I digress....
Go! Read!
*I was in that stage of motherhood for 5+ years with the three girls... For me, it got a LOT easier after the first 6 months, and then easier again after a year.... And easier still when they turedn two.... I could have probably kept going without any changes after they turned 3, but that's when I said, "we're done kiddo." I loved nursing the girls. I'm so glad I was able to do it for so long.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday afternoon
We went to our elementary school with all 3 girls and their bikes.
Did I tell you that Three-a learned to ride a two-wheeler? She's not even five! Woo!
Anyway, now we can go to the elementary school and they can ride all around the track and MWH and I can lay on a blanket and read. It's lovely. We did this one of the afternoons last weekend. We'll do this as much as we can until the girls get sick of it because it gives MWH and I both a break. It was perfect weather for sitting with my feet in the sun and my head in the shade.
Despite the almost perfect weather, last weekend was better than this weekend....this weekend, one of the girls in twoK's class was having a birthday party and the whole party came to play at the school. twoK really likes the little girl and was sad when she realized that the little girl was having a birthday party without inviting her (twoK). twoK had invited the little girl to her birthday party, but we'd gone with HUGE party. This one wasn't as huge and it looked like there were only three girls from our school there. Poor twoK though, she is so social and she loves to go to parties. Alas, we had to take the girls to ice cream to cheer twoK up.
In other news, I am trying a new recipe for dinner. I'll let you know what happens. If it is good, I will link to it. And in still other news, this blog post was typed on my iPad! I <3 the iPad!
Did I tell you that Three-a learned to ride a two-wheeler? She's not even five! Woo!
Anyway, now we can go to the elementary school and they can ride all around the track and MWH and I can lay on a blanket and read. It's lovely. We did this one of the afternoons last weekend. We'll do this as much as we can until the girls get sick of it because it gives MWH and I both a break. It was perfect weather for sitting with my feet in the sun and my head in the shade.
Despite the almost perfect weather, last weekend was better than this weekend....this weekend, one of the girls in twoK's class was having a birthday party and the whole party came to play at the school. twoK really likes the little girl and was sad when she realized that the little girl was having a birthday party without inviting her (twoK). twoK had invited the little girl to her birthday party, but we'd gone with HUGE party. This one wasn't as huge and it looked like there were only three girls from our school there. Poor twoK though, she is so social and she loves to go to parties. Alas, we had to take the girls to ice cream to cheer twoK up.
In other news, I am trying a new recipe for dinner. I'll let you know what happens. If it is good, I will link to it. And in still other news, this blog post was typed on my iPad! I <3 the iPad!
play-by-play of an aura...
I started writing this post on 1/16/09 3:28 pm when I was having an aura. I didn't publish it because it didn't feel "done." I wanted to double check it. It's now May 23, 2010 and I just had an aura and I had an opportunity to double check this post. Today's aura started at 12:03 or so and ended about 12:27. Today's was milder and shorter than the one I wrote about. Since I was on my computer when the one today started, I thought I'd check what I wrote a year and 1/2 ago and see if it was still true. It was. Below is my description of the visual aura. The time stamps are from the aura on 1/16/09. I also discus the visual field and call 12:00 straight up and explain how the zig-zag runs from 12:00 all the way to 5:00 counter clockwise--sorry if that's confusing. I've tried to help by putting time stamps in parens (like this) and discussion of the visual field just in terms f the clock is just in the text.
I'm getting an aura.... I can't see in the center of my visual field, mostly on the right side. (3:29 pm)
ooooohhhh... the flashing lights are here. I can't really see what I'm typing. I have to try to read from the periphery. (3:32)
(3:42) the lights are getting brighter. (3:48) the lights are very bright but the central visual field is back and I can see, but my head is hurting a bit. I take advil and eat some food.
21 minutes and the flashing lights are still going. (3:50)
Feel dizzy because the lights are going in circles errr, sort of a circle. I'll try to explain.
Lights bright in the periphery... defintely the light is just on the left side. It's like a zig zaggy pattern in circles. The zig zags look like this... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It;s a a circle zig zag that gets bigger and then starts over. I guess it's important to say the circle isn't a complete circle it goes from about 12:00 to 5:00 counter clockwise in my visual field. It interferes with my concentration and my ability to see. I want to shut my eyes.
The lights are brighter at 12:00 and less bright below 9:00. I try to cover my eyes from the light, but it doesn't get dimmer. It's just there. It's very bright at 12:00. It's sort of blue in a flashy blue white way... There are some red and green zig zags too.... I cn't see where the green and red are exactly, just the blue and white, but I know the other colors are there. The first zig zags at 12:00 are blue/white.
maybe the lights are a little less bright (3:54 pm) And, now it's just at the top... from only from 12:00 to 10:00 in the visual field. The light is just white/blue.
(4:00 pm) it's pretty much gone.. the lights get dimmer an dimmer. but my head does hurt a little. Now I think I'll take some tylenol too. (You can take tylenol and advil at the same time, did you know that?)
Having an aura always makes me google auras. Now I wonder if I should be more worried.
Oooh a nice description and an explanation that my auras are always the same... I have found that to be the case. I thought they were about 15 minutes, but this one was 30.
Now, my head hurts a bit and my hands are quite numb and I'm tired.
Oh look, women who get auras with migraines are at higher risk of stroke.
Apparently I get Acephalgic Migraines. Aura, but not a severe headache, but today my head hurts worse than usual.
Hey, on that same page (link right above), it says....
Geez. Do I call up my doctor? I didn't mention auras to her. I hadn't had one since end of September. Do I worry about this? I am quite sure that stress is my "trigger." What I can't remember is if I ever had an aura before the numbness caused by this.
I know there's a link between stress and my auras. I'm also pretty certain there's a link between the numbness thing I have and the aura. I can't remember if I had any aura's before the numbness. I know I've had more auras recently than in the past, but I've had more stress recently than in the past. I think I was also slightly dehydrated today. I took a new workout class today that was hard. I think I need to go take a yoga class.
Oh, hey! The headache I describe in this post was on the right side. That's where this one is too. (And the visual disturbance is always on the left.)
Just so you know, depression and malaise are common after a migraine... I am definitely feeling both right now.
Okay, end the post from January, 2009 and we're back at today. Today's aura was shorter and a little milder. My head does hurt a on the right side. Mostly, I'm just sleepy.
And finally, to complete the documentation, I had an aura over the Holiday break when we were visiting our in-laws. It was short and mild and I didn't have much of a headache. I think dehydration and emotional stress are my triggers. I was a little emotionally stressed--in a good way--yesterday. I got to see an old friend I haven't seen for a long time! It was exciting, but exciting can be stressful. Plus, I was a little dehydrated. I noticed that when I went to bed last night, but I was too tired to do anything about it.
Question: If you have auras, what do yours look like? Are they close at all to mine or completely different?
I'm getting an aura.... I can't see in the center of my visual field, mostly on the right side. (3:29 pm)
ooooohhhh... the flashing lights are here. I can't really see what I'm typing. I have to try to read from the periphery. (3:32)
(3:42) the lights are getting brighter. (3:48) the lights are very bright but the central visual field is back and I can see, but my head is hurting a bit. I take advil and eat some food.
21 minutes and the flashing lights are still going. (3:50)
Feel dizzy because the lights are going in circles errr, sort of a circle. I'll try to explain.
Lights bright in the periphery... defintely the light is just on the left side. It's like a zig zaggy pattern in circles. The zig zags look like this... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It;s a a circle zig zag that gets bigger and then starts over. I guess it's important to say the circle isn't a complete circle it goes from about 12:00 to 5:00 counter clockwise in my visual field. It interferes with my concentration and my ability to see. I want to shut my eyes.
The lights are brighter at 12:00 and less bright below 9:00. I try to cover my eyes from the light, but it doesn't get dimmer. It's just there. It's very bright at 12:00. It's sort of blue in a flashy blue white way... There are some red and green zig zags too.... I cn't see where the green and red are exactly, just the blue and white, but I know the other colors are there. The first zig zags at 12:00 are blue/white.
maybe the lights are a little less bright (3:54 pm) And, now it's just at the top... from only from 12:00 to 10:00 in the visual field. The light is just white/blue.
(4:00 pm) it's pretty much gone.. the lights get dimmer an dimmer. but my head does hurt a little. Now I think I'll take some tylenol too. (You can take tylenol and advil at the same time, did you know that?)
Having an aura always makes me google auras. Now I wonder if I should be more worried.
Oooh a nice description and an explanation that my auras are always the same... I have found that to be the case. I thought they were about 15 minutes, but this one was 30.
Now, my head hurts a bit and my hands are quite numb and I'm tired.
Oh look, women who get auras with migraines are at higher risk of stroke.
Apparently I get Acephalgic Migraines. Aura, but not a severe headache, but today my head hurts worse than usual.
Hey, on that same page (link right above), it says....
Bruxism, clenching or grinding of teeth, especially at night, is a trigger for many migraineurs. A device called a nociceptive trigeminal inhibitor (NTI) takes advantage of a reflex limiting the force of clenching. It can be fitted by dentists and clips over the front teeth at night, preventing contact between the back teeth. It has a success rate similar to butterbur and co-enzyme Q10, although it has not been subjected to the same rigorous testing as the supplements. Massage therapy of the jaw area can also reduce such pain.
Geez. Do I call up my doctor? I didn't mention auras to her. I hadn't had one since end of September. Do I worry about this? I am quite sure that stress is my "trigger." What I can't remember is if I ever had an aura before the numbness caused by this.
I know there's a link between stress and my auras. I'm also pretty certain there's a link between the numbness thing I have and the aura. I can't remember if I had any aura's before the numbness. I know I've had more auras recently than in the past, but I've had more stress recently than in the past. I think I was also slightly dehydrated today. I took a new workout class today that was hard. I think I need to go take a yoga class.
Oh, hey! The headache I describe in this post was on the right side. That's where this one is too. (And the visual disturbance is always on the left.)
Just so you know, depression and malaise are common after a migraine... I am definitely feeling both right now.
Okay, end the post from January, 2009 and we're back at today. Today's aura was shorter and a little milder. My head does hurt a on the right side. Mostly, I'm just sleepy.
And finally, to complete the documentation, I had an aura over the Holiday break when we were visiting our in-laws. It was short and mild and I didn't have much of a headache. I think dehydration and emotional stress are my triggers. I was a little emotionally stressed--in a good way--yesterday. I got to see an old friend I haven't seen for a long time! It was exciting, but exciting can be stressful. Plus, I was a little dehydrated. I noticed that when I went to bed last night, but I was too tired to do anything about it.
Question: If you have auras, what do yours look like? Are they close at all to mine or completely different?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
One way to have "the talk"
Here is one way to have the talk by Julia Sweeney. Heh.
oNe is obsessed with silkworms. We have 10 at home. Two are in cocoons and the other 8 are eating. She very much wants some of her silkworms to mate and lay eggs. She wants to be a silkworm farmer. She's got all the facts down about silkworms, and soon, I imagine, there will be questions about humans and babies.
In some ways, I'm surprised we haven't talked more about this already, but she's not asked (very many questions) and I've not just shared. I have never NOT answered a question, but her questions have never delved deep into the topic of human reproduction. I'll keep you posted as this unfolds. If you had a particularly good "talk" from your Mom, or a particularly bad one, please share! I'm not sure my Mom ever actually spoke on this topic. She spoke about the changes that would occur in my body, but I don't think she discussed reproduction or sex.
I managed to find some particularly informative books on the topic hidden in one of her drawers in her bedroom, but as far as I know, she didn't know that. I read them cover to cover when she was at work. Ah, the life of a book worm.
oNe is obsessed with silkworms. We have 10 at home. Two are in cocoons and the other 8 are eating. She very much wants some of her silkworms to mate and lay eggs. She wants to be a silkworm farmer. She's got all the facts down about silkworms, and soon, I imagine, there will be questions about humans and babies.
In some ways, I'm surprised we haven't talked more about this already, but she's not asked (very many questions) and I've not just shared. I have never NOT answered a question, but her questions have never delved deep into the topic of human reproduction. I'll keep you posted as this unfolds. If you had a particularly good "talk" from your Mom, or a particularly bad one, please share! I'm not sure my Mom ever actually spoke on this topic. She spoke about the changes that would occur in my body, but I don't think she discussed reproduction or sex.
I managed to find some particularly informative books on the topic hidden in one of her drawers in her bedroom, but as far as I know, she didn't know that. I read them cover to cover when she was at work. Ah, the life of a book worm.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
charades, violins, and Zumba
Tonight, when I came home, n3nny was playing charades with the girls. I love charades. Seriously.
It's my favorite game. I played competitively in high school. Seriously. (I have a medal from a tournament!)
The girls have a ways to go before we reach the true competitive level, but it's a start, and they are pretty good. (They weren't doing books, plays, TV shows, and movies, they were just doing "people and animals," but you gotta start somewhere!) (I can't believe I've never blogged about charades, but I've never had girls old enough to play before!!! I can't believe I didn't teach them how to play--what an oversight on my part.)
The girls loved charades. I. am. so. excited.
As we were chatting, twoK told me she wants to play violin. Then, oNe said she wanted to learn to play too. Next, Three-a chimed in that she wanted to learn. I may have a violin trio soon. I need to figure out violin lessons--I want the girls to do an instrument. I figured we'd start with piano, but no real reason except that's what I did. But, since the girls are expressing an interest, we might as well go with it.
One of my Bloggy friends emailed me tonight and she told me she took a Zumba class. She liked it! She got an endorphin high (yup! It's one of the best endorphin highs there is!) Go Ruth! I'm thrilled for you. You know how I feel about Zumba. (P.S. I'll email you back soon!)
And finally, for just a little more randomness, part of this post was created on my iPad. How cool is that? The on screen keyboard isn't bad. I have an external keyboard/dock, but I am not using it now.
It's my favorite game. I played competitively in high school. Seriously. (I have a medal from a tournament!)
The girls have a ways to go before we reach the true competitive level, but it's a start, and they are pretty good. (They weren't doing books, plays, TV shows, and movies, they were just doing "people and animals," but you gotta start somewhere!) (I can't believe I've never blogged about charades, but I've never had girls old enough to play before!!! I can't believe I didn't teach them how to play--what an oversight on my part.)
The girls loved charades. I. am. so. excited.
As we were chatting, twoK told me she wants to play violin. Then, oNe said she wanted to learn to play too. Next, Three-a chimed in that she wanted to learn. I may have a violin trio soon. I need to figure out violin lessons--I want the girls to do an instrument. I figured we'd start with piano, but no real reason except that's what I did. But, since the girls are expressing an interest, we might as well go with it.
One of my Bloggy friends emailed me tonight and she told me she took a Zumba class. She liked it! She got an endorphin high (yup! It's one of the best endorphin highs there is!) Go Ruth! I'm thrilled for you. You know how I feel about Zumba. (P.S. I'll email you back soon!)
And finally, for just a little more randomness, part of this post was created on my iPad. How cool is that? The on screen keyboard isn't bad. I have an external keyboard/dock, but I am not using it now.
Monday, May 17, 2010
almost
I wrote part of a long blog post Sunday, but it's not ready for publishing yet--I can't count it as a time of blogging until I publish though. In the meantime, I'll share that Three-a (now 4.5) learned to ride a two-wheeled bike this weekend! No training wheels! She's great! I definitely don't have any babies any more... Two little girls and one almost big one now. CRAZY!
On Sunday, we went on a hike with twoK's Daisy troop. We went to a hiking grounds on the mountain where we used to live. We used to go to this hiking trail a fair bit before we had kids. There's a body of water that occurs in the winter/spring there; usually by this time of the year it's dried and gone. However, this year has been so wet that it's still quite full. The girls all thought it was quite fun. One of the troop leaders caught a tadpole and none of the girls went in the water.
The hiking trail wen went to yesterday is linked in my mind to my pregnancy with oNe. The weekend before I found out I was pregnant with oNe, we went hiking there with MWH's sister. We actually went hiking quite a bit the summer before the pregnancy with oNe and until oNe became a walker. (When she started walking, we couldn't hike anymore because she hated riding in the stroller.) On a related note, I remembered the day but didn't blog about it on May 1; it's been 9 years. Again, I say crazy!!!!!
This weekend, I've finally started planning for the summer... We'll take two trips for sure (one to see my family and one to see a wonderful friend!)and I have purchased those tickets. Now, I have to figure out camp schedules and nanny schedule. I have to work on some writing today and I don't want to do it.... It's for the project where I feel very inadequate... I know I need to just invest the time and do it, but bleh. I know if I invest the time, I'll learn and it will be okay, but it seems daunting.
On Sunday, we went on a hike with twoK's Daisy troop. We went to a hiking grounds on the mountain where we used to live. We used to go to this hiking trail a fair bit before we had kids. There's a body of water that occurs in the winter/spring there; usually by this time of the year it's dried and gone. However, this year has been so wet that it's still quite full. The girls all thought it was quite fun. One of the troop leaders caught a tadpole and none of the girls went in the water.
The hiking trail wen went to yesterday is linked in my mind to my pregnancy with oNe. The weekend before I found out I was pregnant with oNe, we went hiking there with MWH's sister. We actually went hiking quite a bit the summer before the pregnancy with oNe and until oNe became a walker. (When she started walking, we couldn't hike anymore because she hated riding in the stroller.) On a related note, I remembered the day but didn't blog about it on May 1; it's been 9 years. Again, I say crazy!!!!!
This weekend, I've finally started planning for the summer... We'll take two trips for sure (one to see my family and one to see a wonderful friend!)and I have purchased those tickets. Now, I have to figure out camp schedules and nanny schedule. I have to work on some writing today and I don't want to do it.... It's for the project where I feel very inadequate... I know I need to just invest the time and do it, but bleh. I know if I invest the time, I'll learn and it will be okay, but it seems daunting.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Food as medicine
Go check out this trailer for a movie called Forks over Knives.
I believe that the food we eat is a very powerful medicine. Food can control the expression of certain genes, some foods heal damaged blood vessels (mostly leafy green foods), many plant-based foods are thought to lower cancer risk, the higher fiber helps keep things moving, and a lot of plant-based lowers inflammation in the body. (Yea, some of that is over generalized, but not really. A plant based diet is SUPER healthy for you. You can read more here.) I am so excited for this movie. The idea in the movie is simple, plant-based diets can prevent and heal diseases. If you want to read even more, go visit my friend.
I believe that the food we eat is a very powerful medicine. Food can control the expression of certain genes, some foods heal damaged blood vessels (mostly leafy green foods), many plant-based foods are thought to lower cancer risk, the higher fiber helps keep things moving, and a lot of plant-based lowers inflammation in the body. (Yea, some of that is over generalized, but not really. A plant based diet is SUPER healthy for you. You can read more here.) I am so excited for this movie. The idea in the movie is simple, plant-based diets can prevent and heal diseases. If you want to read even more, go visit my friend.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Effort
Look, I'm making an effort to blog more! Here's #2 this week and we'll see if I can make it to three posts.
I have a jumble of thoughts in my head, I'm not sure how to get them all down. I'm very out of practice here.
1. Mother's Day. It was a fun day. The girls made me tea and MWH made me waffles with PB; they served me in bed. I played on the new iPad (did I tell you I got an iPad--it wasn't for Mother's Day, it was for my birthday and I love it). After a while, all the girls were piled in bed to snuggle with me and play with technology. A TechLoveFest is what I called it.
I'd post pictures but we're all in our PJs and you can see our faces. Maybe I'll post on the other blog--haven't decided. Later we went to lunch at our favorite restaurant (A C-M) and then went to a birthday party and the girls played.
MWH got me a new electric toothbrush (I wanted it!) and beautiful tulips (I should take a picture before they, um, wilt.) The girls made me some beautiful art.
2. twoK is 6 now!!!!!!!! We had a big birthday party for her at Pump it Up. It was great.* She loved getting to be the center of attention--as a middle child, she seems to always feel short-changed. Since we had 27 kids, she scored on the presents. She's thrilled. She's writing a thank you note on each present she opens so she has motivation to get her thank you notes written.
3. These (picture below) are yummy. They are also vegan. I have a friend who doesn't get the vegan thing at all. Every time I talk with her she asks, but don't you miss ___________?
I don't really miss anything because in many ways, being vegan is opening up a whole world to me. I'm not eating the foods I've eaten my whole life, I'm mixing it up and trying new things. I might miss ice cream in a sentimental way, but I don't think I *need* ice cream, and I now have banana ice cream (with PB and chocolate--OMG, it's good!). Not eating Dairy makes everything taste "clean." I can't really explain it better than that, but I surprisingly I don't really miss it. But, if I did miss certain foods, asking me "Don't you miss _____" wouldn't be the best strategy I think. It'd sort of be like rubbing my nose in it. Whatevs.
If you find these anywhere, let me know and I'll be your best friend! I got them in the airport on the way home from my trip. I need to find a source of them closer than clear across the country at the airport. (P.S. I just googled and found them at Amazon.) I'm going to have to get some at some point.
*Except for the little boy who broke his arm--no kidding. His older sister ran into him. I was so thankful it was a crash between siblings, you know? He's doing okay and it wasn't too bad of a break.
I have a jumble of thoughts in my head, I'm not sure how to get them all down. I'm very out of practice here.
1. Mother's Day. It was a fun day. The girls made me tea and MWH made me waffles with PB; they served me in bed. I played on the new iPad (did I tell you I got an iPad--it wasn't for Mother's Day, it was for my birthday and I love it). After a while, all the girls were piled in bed to snuggle with me and play with technology. A TechLoveFest is what I called it.
I'd post pictures but we're all in our PJs and you can see our faces. Maybe I'll post on the other blog--haven't decided. Later we went to lunch at our favorite restaurant (A C-M) and then went to a birthday party and the girls played.
MWH got me a new electric toothbrush (I wanted it!) and beautiful tulips (I should take a picture before they, um, wilt.) The girls made me some beautiful art.
2. twoK is 6 now!!!!!!!! We had a big birthday party for her at Pump it Up. It was great.* She loved getting to be the center of attention--as a middle child, she seems to always feel short-changed. Since we had 27 kids, she scored on the presents. She's thrilled. She's writing a thank you note on each present she opens so she has motivation to get her thank you notes written.
3. These (picture below) are yummy. They are also vegan. I have a friend who doesn't get the vegan thing at all. Every time I talk with her she asks, but don't you miss ___________?
I don't really miss anything because in many ways, being vegan is opening up a whole world to me. I'm not eating the foods I've eaten my whole life, I'm mixing it up and trying new things. I might miss ice cream in a sentimental way, but I don't think I *need* ice cream, and I now have banana ice cream (with PB and chocolate--OMG, it's good!). Not eating Dairy makes everything taste "clean." I can't really explain it better than that, but I surprisingly I don't really miss it. But, if I did miss certain foods, asking me "Don't you miss _____" wouldn't be the best strategy I think. It'd sort of be like rubbing my nose in it. Whatevs.
If you find these anywhere, let me know and I'll be your best friend! I got them in the airport on the way home from my trip. I need to find a source of them closer than clear across the country at the airport. (P.S. I just googled and found them at Amazon.) I'm going to have to get some at some point.
*Except for the little boy who broke his arm--no kidding. His older sister ran into him. I was so thankful it was a crash between siblings, you know? He's doing okay and it wasn't too bad of a break.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Trying again
I want to blog more regularly, and I thought that I was going to get back into a groove in April, but then the, ugh, trip for work happened and it knocked my socks off. Here we go again. I'm going to try to at least blog 2 times a week and hopefully 3. Good luck with that!
The main purpose of the blog is to be my external memory device. I feel like I'm getting a little of the memory down, but not all that I want to remember. In addition, the blog will be SELECTED memories. I don't feel the need to remember all the bad stuff. If you're looking for a blog with drama, then, move along, this isn't the blog for you.
A while ago, I wrote a post where I listed a bunch of topics I wanted to cover. Today we'll tackle #5, Pilates versus Zumba (Zumba wins, but Pilates is necessary). I started doing Pilates in November/December when I was recovering from a knee injury that had caused my old back injury to get worse. I had a numb right foot from September through January. It's not numb now. It's good!
I became a big believer in Physical Therapy because it 1) helped my knee and 2) it helped my back. It took a long time to get better because PT is a slow process of healing and strengthening, but I honestly believe I am stronger now, in both my back and knee, than I was before the injury.
I still baby my knee some because I am pretty sure I have arthritis in it. [Sidebar: A doctor took x-rays of my knees, and then said in passing, "You don't have as much space in your knee joint as other people do." I didn't get a chance to follow up to find out what this meant as the examination was for something other than my knees--I'll explain more that appointment when I write about topic #1, Weird antibodies and a visit to the doctor.] Anyway, despite babying my knees, I still jump quite a bit, and nothing hurts (errrr, doesn't hurt too much). The key to keeping my knees from hurting is to keep my leg muscles in very good shape so that the muscles take the impact and help the joints.
Oh, yea, I was supposed to talk about Pilates in this post, not Physical Therapy, but they are related in more ways than one. At the end of my time with the physical therapist (who is now a good friend), she suggested I start doing pilates to get stronger. She thought this would help me keep up the benefits of all the physical therapy. PT is about massage, manipulation and exercise. We worked on strengthening both my back and my leg muscles.
SinceI'm a glutton for punishment I like exercising, and I'm pretty much the world's best PT patient,* I am doing pilates with a personal trainer (they have a really good deal where I work). The trainer has a reformer and I work out on it for one-half hour on two days a week. It's been really good for me and my back and my legs.
As I mentioned before, I think I am stronger than I was before the injury. The extra muscle is good for me--I hate to say it, but as we get a leeeeeeetle older, we have to work harder to keep our muscle. Muscle helps us age a little more gracefully. Today, I learned for sure that I am stronger in my core and that Pilates has been helping me!
I went to a Zumba class that I hadn't been to since January 1, 2010. I love the class and wish I could go every Saturday, but I don't belong to the gym where the class is. Since I missed all my workouts this week, I asked if I could sneak in this week and the teacher said I could. It was a great class, as I knew it would be. (Zumba wins because it is SO. MUCH. FUN.) At the end of the class there's an ab workout. When I was there on New Year's day, the teacher led us through these exercises that I couldn't do (see Side V-Ins). She had the class do 100 of them on each side. It was crazy. When I went today, she had the class do the Side V-Ins again, and I could do them! I did nearly 100 of them. I hadn't tried that exercise since the New Year. Go Pilates! I was feeling like a powerful being when I realized how much stronger I had become!
Some of the other benefits are that 1) I can sit in chairs during meetings and not have my back hurt, 2) I can hold little girls on my lap and not experience pain, 3) I can go for a few days (e.g., the duration of the trip) without icing my back and not be in too much pain, and 4) I can sit on the floor without cringing. So as you can read, Pilates is necessary, but Zumba still wins.
*This is what my physical therapist told me all the time. Heh.
The main purpose of the blog is to be my external memory device. I feel like I'm getting a little of the memory down, but not all that I want to remember. In addition, the blog will be SELECTED memories. I don't feel the need to remember all the bad stuff. If you're looking for a blog with drama, then, move along, this isn't the blog for you.
A while ago, I wrote a post where I listed a bunch of topics I wanted to cover. Today we'll tackle #5, Pilates versus Zumba (Zumba wins, but Pilates is necessary). I started doing Pilates in November/December when I was recovering from a knee injury that had caused my old back injury to get worse. I had a numb right foot from September through January. It's not numb now. It's good!
I became a big believer in Physical Therapy because it 1) helped my knee and 2) it helped my back. It took a long time to get better because PT is a slow process of healing and strengthening, but I honestly believe I am stronger now, in both my back and knee, than I was before the injury.
I still baby my knee some because I am pretty sure I have arthritis in it. [Sidebar: A doctor took x-rays of my knees, and then said in passing, "You don't have as much space in your knee joint as other people do." I didn't get a chance to follow up to find out what this meant as the examination was for something other than my knees--I'll explain more that appointment when I write about topic #1, Weird antibodies and a visit to the doctor.] Anyway, despite babying my knees, I still jump quite a bit, and nothing hurts (errrr, doesn't hurt too much). The key to keeping my knees from hurting is to keep my leg muscles in very good shape so that the muscles take the impact and help the joints.
Oh, yea, I was supposed to talk about Pilates in this post, not Physical Therapy, but they are related in more ways than one. At the end of my time with the physical therapist (who is now a good friend), she suggested I start doing pilates to get stronger. She thought this would help me keep up the benefits of all the physical therapy. PT is about massage, manipulation and exercise. We worked on strengthening both my back and my leg muscles.
Since
As I mentioned before, I think I am stronger than I was before the injury. The extra muscle is good for me--I hate to say it, but as we get a leeeeeeetle older, we have to work harder to keep our muscle. Muscle helps us age a little more gracefully. Today, I learned for sure that I am stronger in my core and that Pilates has been helping me!
I went to a Zumba class that I hadn't been to since January 1, 2010. I love the class and wish I could go every Saturday, but I don't belong to the gym where the class is. Since I missed all my workouts this week, I asked if I could sneak in this week and the teacher said I could. It was a great class, as I knew it would be. (Zumba wins because it is SO. MUCH. FUN.) At the end of the class there's an ab workout. When I was there on New Year's day, the teacher led us through these exercises that I couldn't do (see Side V-Ins). She had the class do 100 of them on each side. It was crazy. When I went today, she had the class do the Side V-Ins again, and I could do them! I did nearly 100 of them. I hadn't tried that exercise since the New Year. Go Pilates! I was feeling like a powerful being when I realized how much stronger I had become!
Some of the other benefits are that 1) I can sit in chairs during meetings and not have my back hurt, 2) I can hold little girls on my lap and not experience pain, 3) I can go for a few days (e.g., the duration of the trip) without icing my back and not be in too much pain, and 4) I can sit on the floor without cringing. So as you can read, Pilates is necessary, but Zumba still wins.
*This is what my physical therapist told me all the time. Heh.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Survived
I last tried to write when I was on the layover on the way to my meeting, but I couldn't do it. I was so depressed about the trip. I was only gone for about 80 hours, but that was 79 hours too long! I totally missed the little girls and MWH! I am going to try really hard not to agree to any more trips unless MWH and the little girls can go with me. I feel wimpy, but I don't like to travel. When I'm asked to do a trip, it never sounds that bad when it's 1-3 months away and so I say, yes.
As the date arrives, I regret it. I have to remember this. I have to learn to say NO. I was seriously bummed by the trip. For the week preceding it, I couldn't seem to focus on anything but how much I dislike traveling. It sounds a bit dramatic, but the trip really made me lose a lot of time--not just the time I travelled, but all the time I stressed about it the week before. I shouldn't have stressed, but I did.
Now I'm losing time because I am so jet lagged that I feel DUMB. I can't concentrate on anything. I can barely remember things. I saw a mom-friend that I talk to a often, and I couldn't remember her name. The entire time we talked and then for about 5 minutes after I couldn't recall her name. I was relieved when I remembered it, and also that I hadn't needed to say her name while we were chatting.
I spoke to my bestest colleague/friend PS and she is exhausted from the trip too. She said, "I had lunch with [friend] and we went shopping, and I wanted to lay down in the fitting room and take a nap.
Heh.
We were going to go out to dinner because I'm so tired I was sure I'd burn myself if I tried to cook, but Three-a isn't feeling well. A little cold I believe. MWH is going to bring some home for us.
Also, oNe slept funny and her arm hurts... shoulder area. She's really in some pain and trying to do everything with her left arm. Unfortunately, she can't scoop her cat's litter box.
And now it's Saturday and I still haven't pushed publish... The news from today; Three-a is better and oNe is sick. Argh. Always something!
As the date arrives, I regret it. I have to remember this. I have to learn to say NO. I was seriously bummed by the trip. For the week preceding it, I couldn't seem to focus on anything but how much I dislike traveling. It sounds a bit dramatic, but the trip really made me lose a lot of time--not just the time I travelled, but all the time I stressed about it the week before. I shouldn't have stressed, but I did.
Now I'm losing time because I am so jet lagged that I feel DUMB. I can't concentrate on anything. I can barely remember things. I saw a mom-friend that I talk to a often, and I couldn't remember her name. The entire time we talked and then for about 5 minutes after I couldn't recall her name. I was relieved when I remembered it, and also that I hadn't needed to say her name while we were chatting.
I spoke to my bestest colleague/friend PS and she is exhausted from the trip too. She said, "I had lunch with [friend] and we went shopping, and I wanted to lay down in the fitting room and take a nap.
Heh.
We were going to go out to dinner because I'm so tired I was sure I'd burn myself if I tried to cook, but Three-a isn't feeling well. A little cold I believe. MWH is going to bring some home for us.
Also, oNe slept funny and her arm hurts... shoulder area. She's really in some pain and trying to do everything with her left arm. Unfortunately, she can't scoop her cat's litter box.
And now it's Saturday and I still haven't pushed publish... The news from today; Three-a is better and oNe is sick. Argh. Always something!
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