Roots and Kites

Tart Triple Root Salad  With a consistent crisp texture throughout, this salad is pleasantly sour, with a splash of lime.  Jicama is a root vegetable high in sweet inulin, a fiber that is also considered a prebiotic.  (Stimulating growth of good intestinal flora.) Also, Jicama root is produced on a vigorous vine growing up to 15 feet long,  it is also one of the heaviest, and largest of the root vegetables.  The flavor blends well with our more familiar radishes, and ginger root. 

3 Green Apples, Cubed
1 Small Jicama, Peeled and Cubed
4 Radishes, Sliced Thin, and Quartered
1 Tbs. Fresh Ginger Root, Peeled and Grated
1Tbs. Raw Honey
3 Tbs. Coconut OIl
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Juice of 1 Lime

How to Fly a Kite~

Honestly, I am no expert in kite flying.  It's been windy outside where we live, as it is very often.  Wind has never been my favorite kind of weather.  Actually, I find it to be a nuisance.  I have short hair partly because I hate the wind blowing my hair in my face.  The wind whisks things off a picnic blanket, and blows dust into my eyes.  Not very fond of shopping carts running into everyone in parking lots, nor am I very grateful every time I have to bring in the potted plants, and porch furniture to keep them from being carried into the neighbor's yard every time a storm comes in.  Wind robs perfectly ripe fruit from the tree and smashes it on the ground.  Oh, and the way wind finds it's way through the tiny holes of your sweater so it can chill your skin?  I could continue.  I swear it's alive.

Yesterday we bought another kite.  My boys and I were optimistic about getting it up into the air this year.  It was a perfectly windy day.  I wore a snug hat and shades, to keep annoyance at bay.  Teaching my six year old how to fly a kite when I barely understand how to do it myself was fun at first, but soon, discouragement and tears followed, and Aiden reminded me a little of Charlie Brown.  Good Grief.

"Pull it tight! Pull it tight!  You have to pull down in order for the kite to go up!"  I would say.  Aiden held the string, and ran, and ran, and ran. 

"Up Kite, Up!" he yelled.  (Words from reading the adventures of Frog and Toad.)

"Up Kite, Up! Up Kite, Up!"  We said it together.  

The kite spun in loops, which was entertaining, but then it tangled around Aiden's leg, and he proceeded to make it worse by panic.  

"Hold Still Aiden."  said Mom.

We untangled it, and tried to fly it again and again. and for one brief moment, the kite soared up.  Aiden was pulling down on the tail of the kite, and I was pulling down on the string.  Aiden always has good ideas.  

I've made reference to this same principle before--in my blog post from June 11th, 2012, "A Firm Foundation."  Root yourself down, and then you will soar.  Pull the string tight.  A yoga pose feels wobbly without this extension, but as there is opposition of the direction our limbs pull, balance happens.  We must experience some amount of resistance in order to see progress--both on and off the mat.  It helps to have a sense of humor about it though.  Usually, crisis + time= comedy.  By the time I'm 90, I'll have a lot to laugh about I guess.

Angels fly because they take themselves lightly. ~Chesterton, Gilbert K. 

Never Skip Breakfast

Baked Apple Date Oatmeal  For cold mornings, hot cereal is great, but baked oatmeal is even better.  It's a step up from the slow-cooker recipes for overnight oatmeal, with just a little more effort.  Leftovers are great too--I just warm the pan up in the oven in the morning before the kids get up.  Add a dollop of plain yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, and you are adding protein to balance with your carbohydrates. 

2 Cups Steel Cut Oats
1 Cup Almonds, Chopped
2 Tbs. Plain Yogurt or Kefir
1 Cup Water
6 Eggs, Beaten Lightly
1 Cup Almond Milk
3 Tbs. Real Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Golden Delicious Apples, Chopped
1/2 Cup Dates, Chopped, Soaked in Water, then Drained
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, Softened
1 Tbs Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cardamom
Dash of Sea Salt

Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with a bit of coconut oil or butter.  Combine the steel cut oats, almonds, yogurt, and water in the glass baking dish.  Allow this mixture to sit and soak.  Soak the dates whole, in a separate bowl of water.  Chop the apples and set aside.  In a larger mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.  Pour this mixture into the glass baking dish with the oat mixture, and stir well.  Fold in the chopped apples.  Drain the soaking dates, chop these up now that they are softened.  Fold in the chopped dates.  At this point, you may decide to cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge, so that preparation is easy and fresh in the morning.  When ready to prepare breakfast, bake at 375F for 40 minutes.  Serve warm, with a dollop of plain yogurt.

It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie This smoothie is very creamy.  If you like it to be a thicker consistency, use more avocado and banana.  If you like it to be a little less creamy, use a little less.  The avocado provides a sustaining source of healthy fat and protein to stabilize blood sugar at the start of the day.  Also, both avocados and bananas are known to raise serotonin levels, which makes for happier moods.
 

1 Cup Coconut water

½ cup plain yogurt

2 cups frozen mango

3 leaves of swiss chard (removing stems)

1/2-1 Frozen Banana

1/2-1 Avocado

1 teaspoon Raw Honey

Breakfast--The Most Important Meal of the Day~

Have you ever noticed how a bowl of cold cereal, especially sugary cereal can leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied?  Have you ever had your kids come asking for a snack only an hour after breakfast is over?  Have you ever felt tired, irritable, or emotional, and then realize that you haven't had breakfast or lunch yet?  

Well--you can do something about that.  It's pretty easy, as long as you put in a little more effort.

I'd be lying if I said we never ate cold cereal at our house.  That would be completely impractical.  Some mornings, we are just in a hurry, or we are lazy.  Sometimes, cereal just sounds so good--like when I'm pregnant.  Often cereal is my snack before bedtime too.  It has it's place, and I am ever grateful for it's wonderful invention!

Break-fast.  You have just slept hopefully 8 hrs. through the night without eating anything.  Now it's time to feed your body the right fuel to start your day.  It's time to break the fast, not continue starvation, right?  So, breakfast is all about stabilizing blood sugar levels.  In order to do that, you need a combination of protein and fiber.  It's not usually a good idea to load up on carbohydrates on an empty stomach.  This just starts the cycle of cravings, and blood sugar crashes.  There are three standard go-to meals to start our day at our house:

Some kind of Hot Cereal or Whole-Grain Breakfast

Some kind of Eggs

Some kind of Smoothie

Whole grains naturally contain a combination protein and fiber.  Refined carbs have been stripped of this value.  Usually if we are having hot cereal or pancakes, I try to encourage a little plain yogurt with it to level off blood sugar.  For example, we just had whole grain pancakes with plain yogurt and strawberries for dinner last night. 

Eggs are always getting a bad rap for cholesterol, but eat your egg yolks--they contain your Omega 3!   We probably eat eggs 1-2 times a week.  Omelets, fritata, scrambled, fried, poached, boiled, breakfast burritos, there are so many ways to enjoy them.  With it being St. Patrick's day recently, we had classic "Green Eggs n' Ham."  I colored scrambled eggs with a little chlorophyll--(found in the supplement department of your health food store.)  It looks disgusting, (which is why I decided not to show a picture here on the blog,) but the kids ate it up smiling and asking for more every day since.  I also splurged and gave them Lucky Charms...it was like Christmas, and I didn't have to worry about them bouncing off the walls later, because I gave them eggs to feed their little growing minds. 

As far as smoothies go, they are all the rage.  Everyone is making smoothies these days and adding veggies to the mix, making it easy to get your greens.  There are so many recipes circulating out there for smoothies, you simply have no excuse, unless you need to buy a good quality blender.  I chose to share one of our favorite green smoothies with you; also a great idea for breakfast on St. Patty's Day if you need ideas for next year.

Here's to a happier breakfast time!

People Need People

Yes, there is a word on my bean sprout.  The word is Love.

There are two subjects most frequently expressed through art, and writing:  love, and death.  Both are so universally experienced, and so necessary to our life's timeline.  Both are so easily made trite or cliche.  They are difficult subjects to put into words.  So, we either choose to express it imperfectly with some vulnerability, or keep it quiet to ourselves.

As a songwriter, I tend to write about love openly.  It's the best way I know how to express what I feel for my children, my husband, and so forth.  However, I was harshly critisized after a performance once.  The following act got on stage and annouced that singing about love was something an ametuer songwriter does, for lack of coming up with a more captivating subject.  I thought, "Then why do people keep writing about it then?"  It seems to me that repetition is a sign of importance.  The kind of love we feel for each other is not merely friendship or attraction.  I see it as a willingness to forego one's self for another individual.  Joni Mitchell, aurguably one of the best songwriters of our time, says "Oh I love ya when I forget about me."  (Found in her song, "All I Want.")  We all know the kind of love that brings heartache, and the kind that brings joy.  Forgetting about yourself is the kind that brings joy.
My critic was right in that my songwriting is a pastime; not a profession.  There are much more qualified artists however, whom I know write about what is in their hearts.

Balance Your Relationships~

Relationships are essential to our survival.  People who live the longest statistically are shown as those who have friends and family to support them.  It has been scientifically proven that love is as needful to our continuity as food and water.  Whether you are a social butterfly, or a solitarian, people need people.  (Now I sound like Barbra Streisand...)  Social networking is at an all time high, but are we really socializing?  Is it really filling the need we have to have interaction with others?  It's obvious that the need is prevelent.  It's sad to think how often people only see people over the internet though.  I'm learning to limit the time I talk to people through emails, texting, and social networking.  We actually have to be proactive about seeking out to have face to face conversations, phonecalls, a hand-held letter once in a while, real live hugs and kisses, and not just xoxoxo on a screen.  Truly, you can't have 10,000 sincere "friends."  Truly, you can put the smartphone down and look someone in the eye when they are speaking to you.  Maybe next time you go through the drive through at the bank, you can talk to the teller.  Maybe next time you go to the gas station, if you have time, you might go in and chat with the clerk.  

There is a time to be alone.  Taking time to nuture yourself has amazing benefits in improving your capacity to be available to nurture others.  Stepping apart from the crowd increases intropsection, and a closness to the unknown.  It creates a sense of being comfortable with who you really are.  Never allowing time for yourself can cause feelings of harbored resentment when service is often felt as a martyr.  But spending too much time alone can spawn a selfish heart.  Usually if there is a need for forgiveness, a time spent apart may be needful.  At times, it may even be in our best interest to remove ourselves from a negative influence completely.  However, take care not to sever from relationships unless they are truly detrimental.  It is well known that conflict resolution, a.k.a. forgiveness is a great stress reliever, and service is better than antidepressants.  Growing in love, sprouting upward, and bearing fruit to share it.  

Here's another Soundcloud link to listen to one of my songs.  It is a conversation with the self, from the perspective of another.  This someone I miss very much.

Click here to listen:

"Love To Be Lonely" 

Prioritize Your Health

Homemade Slippery Elm Lozenges  These lozenges are my lifesavers.  This past year, I had a serious respiratory infection that went on too long.  It damaged my vocal chords to the point that I wasn't sure if I'd ever sing the same again, let alone talk.  These saved my voice.  This recipe is a adaptation of what Dr. Christopher, Master Herbalist, recommends for healing vocal chords, combined with recommendations for healing mucous membranes.  If you decide to add the Glutamine Powder, it will assist the Slippery Elm in not only healing the throat, but the intestinal lining, and stomach lining all the way down the digestive tract.  Marshmallow Root has many of the same benefits as Licorice Root, but tastes a little better in the recipe.  

1/2 Cup Slippery Elm Powder
2 Tbs. Marshmallow Root Powder (or Licorice Root Powder)
1 tsp L-Glutamine Powder (optional)
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup + 2Tbs. Carob Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup + 3 Tbs. Raw Honey
A Little Water to Moisten

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together with a fork to lose any lumps.  When Adding the Cayenne, you can use more if desired, but if you want your kids to eat these, go easy on it.  Gradually mix in the Raw Honey, and then begin to knead together to form a dough.  It will be very sticky.  Once you have a ball of dough, wet your hands lightly with some fresh water to keep the dough from sticking to your palms.  Pull small lozenge-size pieces away from the dough and roll between your hands to form small balls.  Place these balls on a large plate and then cover with a towel.  Keep them at room temperature, or store them in the fridge.  Suck on one lozenge every hour when healing a sore throat or vocal chords. 

Priorities~
Sometimes, it can get discouraging thinking of all the time I've spent trying to be physically well.  The process of making these homemade lozenges for example, is time consuming.  Meal planning, cooking from scratch, doing the dishes, making medicines, exercising, resting, and so forth are just scratching the surface.  Researching, finding answers, and applying these answers to my personal health takes a lot of time!  I often joke that the Lord must know that I learn best through experience.  Wouldn't my time be better spent elsewhere?  Yes, but no.

Over the years, when I begin to feel like this, I have to admit that if I didn't have my health, I wouldn't be doing half the things I am capable of today.  Also, I wouldn't be so grateful for the times that I am healthy.  Maybe I would take good health for granted, and be more idle.  Maybe I wouldn't recognize the difference in feeling well, vs. feeling ill.  Finding answers to solve these types of problems is thrilling.  Our bodies and minds are astounding in their capacity to heal if given the right tools.  We are mortal though.  We'll never be healthy all the time, no matter what the magazines say--yet we can do so much to improve the quality of life we have.

My point is, that health really is a high priority.  Every day, there are so many choices we have to make.  Some seem so insignificant in the moment.  Only in retrospect can we see how it might have been better to take those small decisions more seriously.  For me, it might be, "Oh, I'll let the kids watch just one more television show," or for my hubby it might be, "I  just love having soda with my lunch, I'll give it up later."  For you it might be, "I'll take the elevator today," or for me again, "What's one more hour of social networking at midnight?"  Okay, point taken.  No more guilt trip. We all do it.

The kinds of choices that effect our families and relationships, our financial security, our spirituality, our mental stability, and our posterity are all so important.  Among those things should be our health.  My time is indeed better spent creatively, or in giving service.  It's just less likely to happen if we're slumped over in pain, or too depressed to get on with life.  Even those amazing beings who have the determination to thrive within limiting circumstances, probably are doing all that they can to improve upon what they have been given.  No matter where your health is at, you can still find ways to reach out to others, and to keep trying to feel your best. 

"Baseline Health"~
I work in the health food and supplement industry.  The term of "Baseline Health" is one I came up with to introduce to people the importance of the basics.  Within supplements, that would decidedly include:

Probiotics
Essential Fatty Acids
Whole Food Multivitamin or Greens Powder

These are the top supplements that people buy, because we usually are not getting enough from our diet.  These are your priorities.  You can get them from food, or from a supplemental source.  Also, Baseline Health equals "gut health."  A large percentage of disease is traced back to poor digestive health.  It's an oh so common thing to see digestive troubles in people who have other types of serious illness.  If we address good health in the digestive tract as a priority, an improvement will be seen elsewhere as well.  This is a topic that could become lengthy, so for today, I'll just say, "I learned this by experience."

Try Something New

 And now for something totally different...

 I'm exhausted...

 But absolutely elated...

Aerial Silks 101-

As I stroll along life's path, I keep picking flowers to put into my basket. Each flower I come across is just as beautiful as the next, and uniquely new and enticing.  Recently, I've come to notice I'm awfully lucky not to be collecting rocks.  Rocks are heavy, they accumulate, and they never wilt or fade away.  I used to be sad when one of my flowers would die.  However, there is always something new to discover.  Often, I'll pick the same flowers as they come into season, and then willing let them go for a time until we can become reacquainted again another day.

When discovering Aerial Silks classes, I felt I was doing something that combined many of the things I've loved and collected over the years.  It felt like Rock Climbing, it felt like Ballet, it felt like Yoga, or Pilates, and it felt brand new--like Flying.  

It has been a privilege to have an instructor who has performed professionally with Cirque Du Soleil, along with other talented teachers at Darla's Aerial Arts Studio.  When watching Cirque Du Soleil performances, I'm enthralled with the added desire to join them.  Like many things I observe, it almost always makes me want to give it a try.  One of the things most wonderful about watching these amazing feats, is that there is no one person who stands out more than the rest.  They are always a unified whole.  Also, at times the performers will call up an average looking individual from the audience.  Usually this person is dressed in casual everyday clothing, but then, we slowly realize that they are emerging from something ordinary to something extraordinary, as the shed off the layers to reveal that they too are a member of the cast.  The reason they do this must be to make us wonder, "Could I do that?"

On Resolutions-

At the end of a yoga class, as a student, it seems like I'm always the last one to roll up my mat and walk out the door.  Maybe it's simply because I move slower and more deliberately that most people.  Sometimes I wonder though how much of it is just me longing to make it last just a little bit longer.  The pace of life picks up considerably after I venture home.  

The same thing happens at the end of each year.  When Christmas-time is over for everyone else, and they are all boxing up their decorations, I'm still watering my Christmas tree and listening to the occasional Christmas song on my playlist.  I suppose the end just comes to soon.  As people rush off to the gym to get fit, and start their new diet plans for the New Year, I'm still eating chocolate by the fireplace, and gradually getting myself motivated to start back on a regular exercise schedule.  But this doesn't mean I've given up.  It's just relaxing with the idea of moving forward.

Statistics show that most people have given up on their New Year's resolutions by January 6th.  That's 75% of the 45% of people who even bother to make a resolution, give up within a week!  (http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/)

Guess what.  I don't even make any resolutions until about the 2nd week in January.  Making resolutions is an important and meaningful thing to me, and I don't see why it needs to be rushed.  After all, we have all year long to try and stick to our new goals, right?  So allow yourself some slack, and you'll be surprised at how much more you can accomplish by losing the all or nothing attitude.  Simply don't make commitments you know you can't keep, but follow through on making an effort to progress in small, yet more meaningful ways.  Find ways to make your goals fun, light, easy, even joyful.  If what you have always done is not working for you, try something new.

If you'd like some more tips on goal setting, refer to my blog post from June 25th, 2012.

Give the Gift of Being Present

Dark Chocolate Ginger Cookies  This is a family favorite.  Absolutely decadent served hot out of the oven.  These cookies have a lot of antioxidant rich spices, and dark chocolate as well, with just enough sweetness.  We love to serve these with a bit of vanilla bean ice cream, and fresh raspberries.  They also make great Christmas cookies to serve at your holiday gatherings or to deliver to friends and neighbors--if you can keep from eating them all yourself first! 

Sift together:
1 1/2 Cups + 1 Tbs Whole White Wheat Pastry Flour
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Tbs Cocoa

In a separate bowl, create a cream using a hand mixer for about 4 minutes with these ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Tbs Fresh Ginger, Grated

Gradually add to the cream mixture, one at a time, beating continuously:
1/2 Cup Sucanat
1/4 Cup Blackstrap Molasses
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 tsp hot water

Reserve for the end:
2/3 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Combine half the flour mixture to half the cream mixture. Beat, and then repeat using what is remaining.  Stir in the dark chocolate chips.  The batter will be a bit tough.  Put the batter into a plastic zip bag, and press it flat to the edges.  Place in the fridge for at least 2 hrs. or longer if more convenient.  When you are ready to serve your cookies, remove the dough  in portions and roll into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.  Bake at 325 F for 12-15 minutes.  (The shorter cooking time will make softer cookies.)  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.  Serve while they are hot out of the oven, (the best!) or store in an airtight container once cooled.  Make a double batch of dough in advance, and take the dough out of the fridge as needed when guests arrive.

The Gift of Being Present~

"Look towards the future, but not so far as to miss today" ~ Author Unknown

"Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, God gave us today--that's why it's called the present."~Author Unknown

Most of us have heard these quotes that have been floating around for years.  They are repeated because they are meaningful, and so easily forgotten.  Often we live preparing for tomorrow, or regretting the mistakes we might have made in the past.

One morning, I woke up exhausted from the day before.   I had been absent from home all the previous day due to my employment, and errands--again.  The house was a wreck.  The kids were sick.  They really needed baths.  I couldn't find any clean dishes to make breakfast with let alone have a bowl of cereal.  I felt ornery, and my children were whining out of impatience, and hunger, and the neediness was too much for me.  I was supposed to fulfill other outside responsibilities as well that day, and have my children and me looking fresh a neatly dressed by what seemed like an impossible hour.  Digging through the dirty laundry to find the clothes I wanted to wear, and not having a clue how I was going to make a decent meal for company we'd be having later, I became overwhelmed.  I realize now that much of this was my own created perception, but it was very real at the time.  I kept thinking, "If I had been here yesterday, maybe things would be better today."  "If only I could be here always," I thought.  "I'm never here when I should be, I'm not here with my children enough."  In a way, I was sending out a prayer.  In fact, it did bring me to my knees.  The answer that came to me then was this:

"You are Here Now."

What an obvious thing.  It was simple, but so profound.  I wish I could say that I pulled up my bootstraps, wiped away the tears, and went on as chipper as could be after that, but the truth is, it took time to take this idea to heart.  I still have to remind myself everyday of this.  A great deal of stress can be alleviated by staying focused on the task at hand, and enjoying it, rather than thinking about what is coming next.  Also, the faster we forgive ourselves and others for the things we would have liked to avoid, the sooner we can move on.   As priorities come into view, it's easy to let the unnecessary things go.

Live with sincerity towards those who cross your path. 
Give your time to those you are with, while you have them with you.
Give the gift of being present this year.