Feeling the Love, green clean, and giddiness!

Hello everyone,

Happy Wednesday to you all! I am so excited that this week is half way done as Friday is when my mom is arriving from the Okanagan. I haven't seen her since September so there is a lot of catch up to be done and sight-seeing as she only been to Nelson once. I love seeing the awe that visitors have when they get to experience an amazing view, a beautiful beach, or amazing food that they don't have back home. It really makes you appreciate your surroundings. As its my mom's birthday when she is here we are going to go out for dinner. I will take pictures of the meal for sure!! I'm lucky too that Nelson is super veggie friendly, even the steakhouse advertises that they have veggie dishes. Yum!


I want to give a huge, I mean HUGE shout out to Nikki and Evergreen for letting me know about my little commenting problem. Sorry, if you have tried to comment and the word verification was cut-off. I have changed the format so the comments will open in a new window. Looking forward to hearing from you!


I want to talk about some of the food I made this week and then I'm going to talk about something that happened yesterday that has made me totally giddy with delight:)

So, I made some of my chili and I'm amazed at how it gets better and better the more I make it. I took some pictures this time so you know I actually did do some work in the kitchen this week! It really is an easy dish and so economical too. I want to try it in my crock pot but I keep forgetting to dig it out of the box it has been since I got it as a wedding present (sorry auntie, I promise I will use it soon). Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that? lol!

I also made some sunflower seed Mexican pate from Brigette Mars's book Rawsome. I made some tweaks to suit my taste. I added a 1/2 cup soaked sundried tomatoes and some of the
soaking water just because my little food processor was having some trouble. My taste tester (hubby) told me he would like it with some fresh tomatoes. I didn't have any on hand so I took a couple tablespoons of the canned diced tomatoes I was going to add to the chili. This was great, although a fresh tomato would have really topped it off. I really like these with tortilla chips or with my salad. I usually add a dollop or two and then half the amount of dressing. love it! Pates are one of the best raw additions to my diet. Try a pate today, they are fantastic with a sandwich, salad, cracker, or veggies. Check out gone raw for some tried and tested recipes.


I'd like to switch gears a little bit and talk about green cleaning. I try to buy Eco-friendly cleaning products for every part of the house. I mainly use vinegar and baking soda. This combo is so effective and my house doesn't smell like a pine cones or a bottle of perfume afterward. Laundry detergent is one of those areas where I strive to get the best product out there. I'm quite sensitive to smells and the hubby's skin is very sensitive to chemicals. I have used a variety of Eco-friendly brands , including Ecover and Seventh Generation. They are all great and I highly recommend them. The problem comes with the price, usually the Eco-friendly products are significantly more expensive than your typical laundry detergent (at least in my neck of the woods). So, I looked into making my own and found a ton of recipes online. I followed the one for powdered detergent on the Planet Green website. This was so easy, taking only about 10 minutes to complete. I used a regular unscented bar of soap as the stores around here wanted too much for a more natural one (I already blew my weekly budget). The recipe barely made a dent in the Borax or Washing Soda, so its really great on the pocket book. The washing soda and borax came to about $10 and the bar of soap around $2. So, there is the initial investment but this will provide you with laundry detergent for a long time. The verdict? I washed my first load of laundry today and my clothes are nice and clean. I'm so glad to have a simple detergent with no added chemicals or perfumes. If you like to have a nice scent to your clothes, try adding some essential oils. Next week I'll make more and try it with an organic bar of soap. Or, I might get really ambitious and make the liquid version. Let me know if you make your own detergent and what has worked best for your clothes!


Now, what am I totally delighted about? Well, Evergreen read my post where I hoped that I could match her Happy 101 blog awards next time. Then she gave me an award! WOW, thanks Evergreen. I am smiling from ear to ear!




First: Copy the award image in your post.
Then, list 10 things that make you happy, try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you must link back to my blog!….the last part..only if you want too!

Ten things that make me happy? Can I list 100?...Just kidding! Here we go:


1. My hubby- Every day just keeps getting better! The support and love from him is endless and he truly is my soulmate. He still makes me laugh (benefit of dry humor, it never dries up haha) too much and we can still have fun doing the simple things!

2. My two families- My family will drop anything to help somebody out and they just genuinly care and love. My other family (hubby's side) is just as supportive and caring. They took me into their family and treated me with such kindness and love. They are so close and I'm so excited to have two sisters now!

3. BC- I love BC and all that it offers. The mountains, the lakes,the beaches, the ocean, the wildlife, its just incredible. I hope to discover more of my beautiful province in the summer. So much I have yet to see!

4. Blogging- Even though I'm relatively new to the blogosphere, I'm appreciative of the community that I'm surrounded with. Blogging has also allowed me to be proud of what I believe in, and to tell people about it!

5. Green Smoothies - I'm so happy to have the ability to use organic greens and fruits to make such powerful and delicious smoothies. These make my day!

6. My foster cats- These little critters have brought me so many smiles and laughs. In return, they have shown such love and affection.

7. Music - Music does something to the blood in my veins, it feels electric! I love to groove!

8. Turbulance Training- Yes, I love my exercise! I love moving my body and getting a sweat! It makes me happy to sit down after a workout and know I kicked but.

9. Eating more raw foods - It makes me happy to think that the changes I'm making to my diet are greatly benefitting my health. I love making new things and trying great recipes.

10. Doing things to better the planet- Recycling more, eating items that are not packaged, using eco-friendy products, and supporting local businesses. These put a smile on my face as I know it helps!


Now for 10 Bloggers who make my day:

The happy raw kitchen
Choosing raw
Renegade Health
Adventures of Raw Goddess Heathy
Yummy raw kitchen
A love for New Recipes
Vegan Dad
Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
Rawmazing
Love Veggies and Yoga



Hopefully, you check out these amazing bloggers! Have a great Thursday!

During my workout today Nemo was acting funny as usual! I look over and he is on his back in the prayer position. He's very spiritual, apparently. love him!

Bittersweet!

Hey all,

The post title explains a lot about the weekend I had. First off, I tried a new brand of dark chocolate from my local co-op. It is called Flirt and the company is Zazubean. I didn't read all the ingredients, just the first couple as I didn't want any milk ingredients in there. Anyways, so I got home and took a closer look and that's when I noticed the bar contained horny goat weed. I have not heard of such a weed so I looked it up and apparently it is a much valued herb in Chinese medicine. Its use , as you might have guessed, is to support a healthy sex life. So, if your are looking for a little natural booster, try some horny goat weed and combine it with dark chocolate and, well, you have an electric combination! Some other ingredients in there were maca and damiana leaf. Maca is an ancient tuber that grows in the Andes and was used by the natives in the area for a multitude of uses, including increasing sexual performance. Yet, according to Dr.Weil studies on the subject are not conclusive. I think maca is a healthy food and so if it helps in the bedroom or not, I am happy to eat it , especially with chocolate! Damiana leaf is another shrub from Central and South America. A good, old wikipedia search says that this herb was used by the natives of these areas in a tea form. It is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Yet, the main reason why I bought this chocolate was because it had acai berries and cherries in it, plus the wrapper is an awesome pink color!. This is the real truth, I swear (wink, wink)! I really liked the chocolate but I thought there should have been more acai and cherries in there. There are 9 flavors available and they all have funky names like Squeeze, Smooch, and Ego! There is only one possible no-no about this chocolate bar. It contains glycerin. I have emailed the company to see if this is vegetable-based which I really hope it is. Although, I wish there was no glycerin in there at all.

The hubby and I enjoyed two visits to just one of the great coffee shops in Nelson called Oso Negro. Everything about the place is great. Two levels of seating, great organic coffee and tea, fresh baked goodies (mostly vegan), and lunch too! The best part about it for us is that it is only 10 steps from our place. Talk about convenience! If you are planning on coming to the Kootenays this place is a must try!


Onto my workouts, I just finished week 2 of my Turbulance Training Journey! I am totally loving it so far and can't wait to try more of Craig's programs (check out my post on how fun TT is). I am currently using TT intermediate and bodyweight intervals. I am so dedicated to this and even took pictures so I can compare my body before and after. I might even feel gutsy one day and post them on here...eek! So, I hope your fitness routine is kicking you in the but and getting you the fat loss (or muscle gain) you want.


Now for the bitter part of my weekend. I have a second job and am liking it so far! It's always hard to start working in a new atmosphere but the other employees and the manager are great! There was mistake with the schedule and I was put down to work when I requested time off for when my mom was in town. I got super upset and it seemed like I might have to work the whole time she was going to be here. All weekend I had knots in my stomach and was withdrawn because I was so looking forward to the visit which then seemed ruined. I found out today that I am good to go and only have to work one short day. Yippee! I don't know why I let myself get that way but I did. I know it is not healthy! I am definitely going to work on this.


Then I made some cookies as the hubby was craving something sweet. I didn't want to search through all my cookbooks and blogs for a recipe so I trusted supercook and put in the ingredients I had and chose a recipe. Well, they turned out horribly and were nothing what a oatmeal cookies should be. The hubby sprinkled some brown sugar on top and then resorted to dipping them is some of my mom's apricot jam. I should have know better than to use a recipe on a site that I never used before. Oh well, live and learn!

TME79FWWATAE



I hope you had a SWEET weekend! I'm looking forward to this week of preparing for my mom to come and I want to make some good food too!

Food Stuffs!

Happy Friday!

It's Nemo and me checking in! He loves the computer , in fact, he would like to sit on it every time I have it on my lap. He smiles like that too! Hope you have some great things planned for the weekend. I have to work during the day on Saturday and Sunday so I don't have too much going on. I don't mind though, a quiet weekend is a great time to catch up on some reading whether it be books or blogs. Another relaxing activity the hubby and I love to do is walk around the town with our coffee and tea discovering new stores, have-to-try restaurants, and cool houses. Hope you have fun discovering new in your own town. I'll let you know if I find anything blog worthy!

So, I thought I haven't posted anything about what I eat so here it goes:

In the morning I try to drink a glass of water or herbal tea before I eat anything. It helps to wake up my body and get it ready for the food to come. I then wait 10 minutes before I eat my breakfast.

Breakfast usually consists of 2 pieces of Silver Hills bread, Squirrelly is our favorite, with some almond butter and just a few shavings of raw coconut butter. Otherwise, I have a green smoothie usually with kale, bananas, hemp protein, and cinnamon.

Just a little side note! Silver Hills is located in Abbotsford, BC and so if you live on the coast and have time to stop by it is definitely worth the trip. They have a little store on site where they sell the "seconds" and if you aren't worried about slice size or having a bad that says Squirrrley, then you can save yourself some dough (sorry, couldn't resist). For instance, my mom is bringing me up some of their bread next week and she got the loaves for $2 each, here they are close to $5. Great deal!

Lunch is a highly variable meal for me. I might hav some leftovers like soup, chili, steamed veggies, or rarely, pasta. I also might make a huge salad. This week I had an awesome salad made up of two kinds of kale, romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, parsley, and dulse. I used the Mediterranean Olive Oil and Lemon Vinaigrette from Veganomicon . This was so great and exactly what I was craving. I also made the Ginger Carrot dressing from Brendan Brazier's The Thrive Diet. This was pretty good except the apple cider vinegar was a bit too overpowering. When I make it next time I'll try it with less ACV and see how it goes.


Dinner lately has consisted of a lot of chili, quinoa, steamed squash, yams, and salad. I am on a pretty strict budget so I have to buy food items that will stretch my dollar. Beans or lentils are one of those items and so I have been buying a bulk bag of them every couple of weeks. I mainly buy kidney beans, and split peas. I like the split pea soup recipe from fatfreevegan and usually replace the potato with some sweet potatoes or yams. I like the texture and flavor these give to the soup. I never remember to buy the celery seed powder so I add marjoram and increase the amount of the other spices until the flavor is fantastico!

The following recipe is somewhat based on the Skinny Bitch in the Kitch Cha Cha Chili recipe but I made some modifications to spice it up a notch and I also added some more veggies. This is so great as it will last for a couple of days and I can have some time away from the kitchen or some time for experimenting.

Vegan Chili Extraordinaire (makes enough to last me three days worth of dinner and lunch for two people)

2 Cups Kidney beans, soaked overnight ( you can add more beans if you like). I've also done it with different beans like pintos.
2 Onions , chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
salt, as desired, or add some dulse
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more if you like it spicy
28 oz can of chopped or whole tomatoes
1 can tomato paste, or 1/2 can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup rice or lentils
1 can of organic corn, or 1 ear of organic corn
2-3 kale leaves, chopped finely in food processor
2 carrots, chopped or grated
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped

Rinse the soaked beans and add to a large pot. Add fresh water so that there is about an inch of water covering the beans. Cook the beans until they reach a boil then reduce to medium heat. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, checking their softness regularly after 20 minutes.

In a large pan melt some coconut oil (or oil of choice) and fry the onions. Fry them until soft and then add the minced garlic along with the chili powder, salt (if using dulse, add later), pepper, oregano, sage, marjoram, and cayenne. Cook until the onions and garlic are coated with the spices. If the mixture starts sticking to the pan add some water and scrape the bottom lightly. Add this to the beans. Also add the rice or lentils, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Add the corn, kale, pepper, tomato paste, and dulse. Cook until veggies are tender (15-20 minutes). Enjoy!

I had a couple of picts to show you of my latest pot of chili but they were on my memory stick that has now erased all my picts:( So, I'll be sure to take extra the next time I make this, which will most likely be next week.

Have a great weekend and do something relaxing and fun!

Bloggers, bloggers , and more bloggers

Hello all!

Hope everyone is having a great week! I still feel like tomorrow is going to be Wednesday. It usually happens in the opposite direction, It's Monday at 5:30 and you are telling people to have a great weekend. Oh, the embarrassment! So, how awesome is it that its already Friday tomorrow? Totally awesome, I say. Anywho, this week I have been adding new bloggers to my bookmarks like they are going out of style. I've added so many new blogs I haven't even had the chance to add them to my blogroll. Yet, what I have seen so far, looks really yummy and inspiring! I like to read blogs that have recipes or food talk, advice on a healthy diet, and generally have a great character about them. So, here are a few that you can add to your bookmarks or your Delicious page:

• Love Veggies and Yoga- Cool lady who shows lots of pictures of what she eats and links to recipes she uses. Also, there is lots of talk about yoga as she is a teacher!

• Hungry Hungry Hippie- As the name suggests, this girl likes her (health) food! She talks about eating a clean diet, making great food, and life in general. There is a lot of spunk here too!

• A Love For New Recipes - This is another clean eating blog. She covers raw, vegan, and gluten free recipes. Great place to get inspiration!

• Barefoot and Frolicking - A really great blog about a lady and her journey with raw foods.

There are so many more but I'll get cracking and add them to my blogroll . How I found all these awesome bloggers was through the Happy 101 blog awards that were passed out. What a great way to find new blogs that you may have not come across yet! And congratulations to all those who received an award. I'm striving to beat Evergreen at The Happy Raw Kitchen for most awards next year! Just kidding Evergreen, you cannot be beaten! I at least am hoping for an honorable mention:) Lots of competition out there though so I better get cracking, I mean blogging!

Have a great Friday and I'll be posting a recipe for a some awesome chili really soon!

Unbeaten Path

Good Morning!

I have been reading some crazy inspirational blog posts today (and here). I’m feeling pumped! Here’s a little story of my struggles to be my own person. In the past I was always leery of people who would want you to do some self discovery to find your passions, needs, weaknesses, etc. You mean I have to go out into the big, scary world and blaze my own trail? No, no! I need direction, guides, step-by-step instructions, anything so I don’t need to use my brain or my personality. Please, please, pretty please, let mebe a robot! I was so afraid to be myself, I wasn’t. Being a follower created a lot of inner turmoil, suppressing my soul to the point where I didn’t know who I was anymore. I didn’t want to be around friends, I cried all the time, I fought with my husband, and made my amazing family pull away. But, I am happy to say my soul won the battle and I am now my own person, creating my own path. I am still tempted to be a follower, and sometimes I fail, but I get right back on my horse and move on. This has been such a HUGE development for me that I am near tears writing this post, actually whose kidding who, I AM crying. This has taken my whole adult life to figure out, and of course I just needed to accept and love who I am. The truth shall set you free!

I was raised in a single parent household. My mother is the strongest person I know (crying again), but I felt that in certain situations she could have used that louder roar I knew was in there somewhere. I believe that you learn habits from the environment in which you are surrounded. Naturally, I grew up being an independent lady but I still followed the crowds. Rarely did I speak my mind. Oh, the horror! This went on throughout high school and college. I very slowly started to change after I graduated but nothing major. I got married, adopted a plant based diet, and started my health info quest. This is when I learned to emotional side to health and how it impacts so many areas of life. I felt the urge to shine like never before. Yet, I still fought it and fought it some more. I was exhausted and feeling pretty sorry for myself. Then I woke up. I realized how destructive I was and that it’s not worth living life if you cannot express who you really are and live your passion. I feel like I have this new chance to make my life all that I want it to be. It’s going to take a lot of work, and yes, self discovery, but I finally feel ready. I will never forget what my seventh grade teacher said to my mom on the last day of class. He told her that I would be a leader in this world! Wow, such a powerful statement to say about a 13 year old. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, of course, but these days I use it as a constant reminder to be proud of the woman I am.

Wherever you are in your journey of “you”, I wish you lots of joy, excitement, and happiness as you blaze your path. You are awesome!!

Thanks to sraburton for such a great pict!

Got Sprouts?

Hey All,

One of the funnest, healthy foods I adopted into my diet is sprouts. You have seen those alfalfa sprouts at the grocery store, but how many times have you just pass them by? Too many, I’m sure. I’m even guilty of it. Yet, during my research into raw foods, I discovered that I was missing out on some big time health benefits. Sprouts are nutrient powerhouses and a great, cheap way to add some healthy food into your diet.

So, what is the difference between eating a piece of cooked broccoli, and eating broccoli sprouts? The difference is enzymes. A piece of broccoli that has been cooked above 115 degrees has denatured some/most of its enzymes. This results in more work for the body as it needs to use its own enzymes to break down proteins, carbs, and fats. The process of sprouting, according to Brigette Mars’s book Rawsome, brings to life the plant hormones in the seed called phytosterols. These hormones cause an increase in metabolic activity whereby complex nutrients such as, proteins, carbs, and fats are broken down into their simpler counterparts: amino acids, simple sugars, and free amino acids. Sprouts are obviously very rich in enzymes and can help your depleted enzyme reserves get back to positive levels. Another cool fact that Brigitte mentions is that seeds (and nuts) contain enzyme inhibitors. One such inhibitor called phytic acid prevents calcium, iron, and zinc from being absorbed into the cells. If you sprout seeds the enzyme inhibitors are destroyed. Other abundant compounds are chlorophyll, and vitamins C, B-complex, and E.

Society today is eating so much processed foods that the body is constantly being depleted of enzymes. As most processed foods are chemically made or heated to such high temperatures, there is nothing “living” in these foods that can help to digest it. Therefore, the body needs to produce digestive enzyme, also known as endogenous enzymes, to break these foods into their simpler components. If this sort of diet continues, the body may become so depleted that it can no longer produce specific enzymes (I’ll go into greater depth in a later post). This depletion can result in numerous conditions such as, allergies, skin problems, diabetes, cancer, weight gain, and lethargy.

An article on Natural News mentioned a new study that looked at efficacy of using broccoli sprouts to help reduce the colonization of H-pylori, which is linked with stomach cancer. This immediately caught my attention as my mom nearly died from a very aggressive colonization of H-pylori a few years ago. They discovered that a compound in the broccoli sprouts called Sulforaphane helps to activate cells in the body to produce enzymes that protect against free radicals and inflammation. Although the sprouts did not completely rid the body of the bacterium, it helped to reduce its spread. Isn’t that just awesome? I told you these things pack a punch!

The all popular alfalfa sprouts are loaded with saponins. The sprouted seed has over 450% greater saponin content compared to the unsprouted seed. Now that’s a great rate of production! These little guys reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) but they leave the good cholesterol (HDL) to work its magic. Saponins also play a role in the immune system function. They wake up the immune system by increasing the activity of killer cells (T-lymphocytes).


There are so many types of sprouts to try, pick a few a give it a shot. My favorites are alfalfa, mung beans, peas, buckwheat, lentils, and sunflower seeds. On my list to try are broccoli, red clover, radish, and almonds. You can buy sprouting equipment such as bags, lids, and automatic sprouting machines, but I just use some mason jars which you cover with some mesh material or cheesecloth and then place an elastic around the mouth. I sometimes don’t even do this, using only my hands to prevent seeds from escaping. A quick and easy guide to sprouting can be found here. It’s so simple and takes only seconds a day. The kids will love it too as they can watch the seeds germinate and grow.

Have fun with some sprouts this year, your body will thank you!



Just a little side note! I needed something to relax after my memory stick decided to not work on my best camera and now over 200 pictures have disappeared like Houdini himself. So, who else to the rescue but Nemo the cat, whose hide-and-seek places need a little work but are always amusing. Thanks Nemo for brightening my day!

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone,

Hope you had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year. I'm so excited for a new year, new opportunities. I didn't make any resolutions ,per se, but I do have some goals that I want to achieve this year.

• Self Confidence: I feel confident about my health choices, yet when I am around others who do not share the same passion for health, I tend to cower. I want to stand tall and proud for the positive choices I have made towards my health.

• More Raw Foods: I recently have done a lot of reading and research about this lifestyle and believe it to be extremely beneficial. I incorporate as much raw, organic foods as I can into my diet but there is room for improvement.
  

• Networking: I have always had a problem introducing myself to others. This is one of the reasons I created this blog. I know networking is how this whole blogging world works and I'm ready to dive in. I'm really excited to meet new people who share my same passions.

• Vision Board: I read an article by Kris Carr on Crazy Sexy Life about creating a vision board and have had it on my mind ever since. I really like the idea of having your goals staring you in the face.

• Education: I want to keep my brain busy this year learning all I can about all the aspects of health. I also want to do some up-grading for my application to Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine.

You are probably thinking that I will not have any fun during 2o10 but I do have a lot of fun things planned too. I plan on doing a lot of hiking, family visits to the sunny Okanagan, day trips to cool places, camping, and thrift store shopping with the best bargain-hunting ladies back home.


So, whatever 2010 holds for you, I hope it will be a great year of character building, green smoothies, and laughter.


Have a great first week of the year!