30 days of Gratitude: Day 2!

I am so grateful for the rainbow in my refrigerator! 

When I opened my refrigerator this morning, I was struck motionless. I stopped and stared at the rainbow of produce beaming at me. I am truly grateful for the abundant cornucopia of fresh, live food that feeds the bodies in & that visit my household. A perfect time for a raw/veg/fruit/green smoothie cleanse? Yes. The night before last, I committed to this 3 day cleanse with two of my goddess sisters. We're thinking of making this a permanent monthly cleanse around the new moon (perhaps the full moon, as well?). This is the first run, however, so talk to us about further commitment when we're through it. ;)

The Yums: Blueberry Magic Muffins!

Muffin batter: 
1/2 Cup butter, softened
3/4 Cup turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Cups unbleached AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Cup almond milk
2-3 Cups blueberries (the more the merrier, right?)

•  
• Struesel: 
• 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 TBSP turbinado sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 TBSP butter, chilled

In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking powder & sea salt. In another bowl, cream together butter, eggs, vanilla & almond milk. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until smooth. Gently fold fat blueberries into your mixture and set aside. In a clean bowl, add struesel ingredients and mash together until well mixed. Grease muffin tins with butter and fill with muffin batter. Pull struesel apart into tiny bits and sprinkle across the top of each uncooked muffin. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. These beauties are very crumbly when warm and soft, but stable when cool. Enjoy with butter, honey or as is! Honestly, these are sweet enough for skipping the honey. Also, the above photo does not do these babies justice. They are truly scrumptious! 

30 days of smiles: Day 8!

After a long day of housework & child wrangling, it doesn't get much better than this: 

My fave chocolate (no, I did not eat that entire bar in one sitting!), a decent brew & a little light to calm and center = bliss. 

30 days of smiles: Day 6!

Somehow, I've dropped coffee. Not quite sure how that happened. I didn't intend to stop drinking it, I just sort of stopped wanting it and recently realized that it has been over a month since I indulged in a latte. It *might* have something to do with my rekindled romance with chai... ;) At any rate, I find myself needing a midday pick-me-up and have taken to blending up some sort of green smoothie concoction. It hits the spot, provides instant energy & gives me a fat dose of veg all at once! Today's blend:

1 braeburn apple

1 d'anjou pear

1/2 peeled orange

3 stalks of celery

1 handful of parsley

1/3 of a large bell pepper

about 3 TBSP liquid chlorophyll

8 oz. cranberry-grape juice

20 oz. water

*This makes enough for me, Baz, Ben & one extra (either for Dud or bottled and popped in the fridge as a handy snack for later).

The Yums: The Sweet Life muffins!

3/4 Cup soy milk

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 Cups applesauce

2 TBSP sugar

3/4 Cup whole wheat flour

3/4 Cup AP flour

1/4 Cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 Cup raisins

1/4 Cup cranberry raisins (I used orange juice sweetened craisins)

1/4 Cup dried blueberries

*Optional: nuts!

Mix soy milk & apple cider vinegar and let sit a couple of minutes. Add applesauce, soy milk & vanilla to this mixture. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients until clumps have dissipated. Gently fold liquid mixture into dry and stir until fully mixed. Bake at 350 degrees for 26-30 minutes. Enjoy & share with a friend!

30 days of smiles: Day 4!

A day late, yes, but not a day lost.

Tulips from the yard! Several other shades popping up that will surely make way onto the kitchen table in the coming weeks.

Lemons? Making up batches of the master cleanse and drinking a jar daily. Not currently doing the weight loss program as I find that it makes my system too acidic and I end up with a tummy ache. I do, however, very much enjoy this as a beverage. I mean, really. What's not to love? Lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne?! I do love me some cayenne.

Happiness is: the last home made muffin (for me?!) from a batch made yesterday! That attests to the yumminess of said muffins, right? What made me even happier was being able to give a few away to my sweet friend Chris. Recipe to follow.

30 days of smiles: Day 2!

Today was FILLED with smiles. Ben took Baz for a daddy date: wacky indoor bounce, play time at the park & hot cocoa at the co-op! They dropped me off for a couple of blissful relaxation hours at the local day spa: $20bux gets ya lots of time in the steam sauna, refeshments in the sanctuary lounge, lots and lots of water, a rainfall shower with wonderful products, a DIY facial and best of all, a couple hours of quiet.

We came home and made pizzas together!

Our new bread machine makes a mean focaccia crust! It was so good, in fact, that we will most likely implement a weekly pizza night. Baz was quite pleased with his personal pizza, which he rolled out and put together himself (with a little help from dad).

August Break: 8.

We are what we eat:

This weeks Farmers' Market score!

Catching up.

What have we been doing, you ask? Well, some of you have asked... so this is the post where I begin delivering those promised photos and catch ya'll up. Where to begin? Ahhh yes. Once upon a time, about 14 years ago, I met and fell in love with a super amazing little family: The McBrides. Here is the eldest of their 2 children, Kameron, GRADUATING from high school.

Omg. Feeling a little bit old over here. Seriously, though, I couldn't have been more proud of him. We were so honored to be a part of his day (Good luck, Kam! The world is a big one + lucky to have you and you are going to delight the hearts and minds of many!).

Oh yeah, We joined up for a CSA season with Gathering Together Farm out of Philomath, OR. SO EXCITED for green things to come! This has been one of my little, barely out-of-reach dreams for several years now... and let me just say: Ecstatic! Totally worth the wait. We received our first basket last Saturday... Green onions, spinach, mixed greens, romaine, purple potatoes, carrots, turnips, pea shoots, mint, berry jam... all local, organic & delicious. Our pick up location is at the Newport Farmers' Market, so we supplement our basket with other local goodies; usually fresh baked bread & pastries from Pacific Sourdough & local eggs (a dozen always comes with one green egg!).

Can you spot the green egg? This photo makes the subtlest of distinctions...

Subsequently, we have been devouring copious amounts of these luscious garden gifts:

Usually in stir fry or raw form...

Beyond that, we have been setting up house (and trying to keep up with the kid + dog made messes). Sebastian loves to spread his toys around the house and then crash into this chair/blanket combo for a little recharge.

Ben spends most of his time either out submitting resumes or sitting here at the computer tailoring his resume to specific jobs. He is on the job hunt. Fingers & toes crossed....

The lovely kitchen...

Mysterious red curtains (and a very strange little bathroom just off to the right of the refrigeratior):
Behind those curtains? Beautiful red machines that make laundry days so much sweeter! Dud's specifications for a washer dryer combo were that they be new, work well and be some beautiful shade of red. We definitely hit the criteria. Loving them!

BTW, for those of you who do not believe that Dud exists... here he is getting shtuff done in his home/office/bedroom. You'll just have to wait to meet him in the flesh to catch a sweet glimpse of his smiling face. :P

Back to the living room... Where we stare into the tube (+ Ben's super fun interpretation of Totoro).

Shiva is happily shedding, and refusing food... one little mouse named Lucky was set free this week as a result.

Gratuitous kid sleeping in chair photo... A second view only because I had to include some of the mess he left behind.

Where the kid should be sleeping... or usually does, I should say. This bedroom is much tinier than the one he had in Utah. Doesn't phase him, though. Like I said, he just decorates the rest of the house with his toys. Btw, those little purple and green IKEA frames harbor Sebastian's first paintings! On the right, a work in progress family and friends collage. Important people are missing... I better dig out the glue stick and get to work.

My safe haven! My fluffy Shasta Sioux spends most of her time at the foot of our bed + the door has a lock to keep the kiddo out when mama needs a tiny recharge.

Altar space...

The view from our bedroom window!

The view down below. This is our little shed. LOVE the extra space! Tomatoes have been planted. Hope hope hoping they work some magic and feed us well this summer.

I decided not to grace you with inside views of the bathrooms. Let's face it: a bathroom is a bathroom. Ummm... dining area has recently been home to all papers that need filing, so that shot will have to wait. Just trust that we are making our space cozy and loving every minute. Okay, honestly, not always loving every minute with the dog. He is so much work. Having to wrestle with the possibility that we just may not be dog people. Strange concept as I grew up with dogs. Murphy is too much a part of the family to not work it out with, but sometimes I think he is like the most challenging member in any family. Ahh well, it can't all be roses and rainbows. How boring that would be.

If you can spare some energy, please send the full-time w/benefits job love our way. We need all the sweet manifestation help we can muster. Big blessings and thanks!

Adventures in Newport-land.

So much has changed in the last few weeks and Sebastian has truly been a trooper. It seems only fitting that I share with you all some of the fun we have been stirring up for him. We are still settling in and unpacking those boxes, so the house photos will have to wait... In the meantime, here's what's up:

I decided to tackle this recipe from happyfoody.com. I used the grain blade on my vitamix to reduce the oats to a warm powder and then soaked it in almond milk in the fridge overnight. On Saturday morning I added the rest of the ingredients and made a couple of pancakes. Honestly, they were good, but the consistency was a little spongy (does that word look really weird to anyone else?). Ben thought it only natural to try the batter out on the waffle iron... and OH MY! It was heaven. That tiny crispy edge of waffle was just what that batter needed. I spread a bit of peanut butter over our waffles, chopped some banana over the top & added a drizzle of pure maple syrup... ahhhhhh, perfection. The pancakes weren't a total loss, though. Sebastian was giddy to receive the plate below and is now adamant that more "boy waffles" arrive on his plate in the future.

So Sunday rolled around and I woke up with the urge to explore. Ben didn't want to go, so I strapped Baz into his stroller and took him out for a mama date. We enjoyed breakfast at Cafe Stephanie in Nye Beach, just a short walk from our place. We then walked across town just to acquaint ourselves with this town so new to us. We found the toy store, much to Sebastian's delight. He scored himself a new toy car (Blue VW bug w/bright flowers and rainbows... damn hippie!) and we found our way back to the beach for some play time.

I swear this kid is growing like a weed!

After soaking in more than enough warmth at the beach, we walked a few blocks over to the playground. One subtle thing that I love about this part of Oregon vs. California or Utah? The lawns are covered in these tiny daisies vs. dandelions. I love dandelions, but these are just so sweet:

Sebastian had a blast chasing the other kids and scaring the crap out of me. He now climbs UP the slide. Yikes! We love that the playground is close to the house meaning that we can go daily in the nice weather months (btw: we have only seen rain 3 times in 2 weeks. So much for all of that rain warning!)...

But what sweetens the deal even more? The walk to and from the playground. A beautiful, 5 acre midtown forest walk!

Here I am soaking in the greenery and sunshine. What could be better than fresh air, beautiful surroundings and time spent with my beloved boy? Nothing. Not one thing.

30 days of beauty: FOOD!

Erin over at bluebirdbaby has inspired another 30 days of blogging. It is just the kick in the proverbial pants that I needed to refresh this space. I've been detoxing for about 2 weeks and thought it most appropriate that I begin this project with a little glimpse of some of the yummies I have been enjoying. As within, so without.

Ben and Sebastian have been enjoying oatmeal for breakfast much of this week. I have been doctoring up my cereal. This mornings breakfast was Mesa Sunrise flakes in vanilla soy milk with coconut, dried blueberries, craisins, macadamia nuts and chia seeds. Suuuuper delish.

Sometime last week we discovered some tasty veggie burger patties called Sunshine Burgers. OMFG triple yum. Here we ate them on whole grain bread with sunflower sprouts, onions, carrots and a bit of cream cheese.

Beyond these tasty treats, there has been much ingestion of smoothies, veggie stirfry and wheatgrass juice! Immune system is feeling the lift and this tiny cold the kid passed to me mildly came and went in about 2 days. It feels so good to be taking the time to eat right. So so very good... good food is a beautiful thing.

Ah, sweet February!

Every February I am taken by surprise at how the happy just flows on in. It is a strange and magical thing that I am just now really realizing... Oh, February! I have missed you so!

Dreary January is behind us. The sun is peaking through gigantic, fluffy, white clouds more than 2 days out of the week. Bulbs are beginning to break through the ground... crocuses just around the corner! All of this warmth and uplifted energy has brought me to another point of cleansing. It helps very much that Sebastian and I have transitioned out of our nursing relationship and my body is fully my own again. Instead of opting for a total elimination cleanse, I decided it best to redesign my way of eating; my relationship with food. I have been so unhappy with the weight I have been lingering at for so long (never did get back to prepregnancy weight, which was also much higher than my ideal weight). It isn't just about weight, though. It is about recognizing when I am overeating, and why. It's about noticing how I feel when I eat and how any given chosen food makes me feel after eating it. I am a certified Diet Counselor. Seriously. I know what to do, I just get lazy. And so: In conjunction with taking Michael's Naturopathic Ultimate Detox & Cleanse, I am focusing on making the bulk of my meals fruit or veggie centered. I don't eat much meat to begin with, so I am choosing only a tiny bit of sliced turkey or ground chicken in my soups. I cut waaaaaaay back on the breads. Strangely I don't miss them as much as I expected. And the sweets? Ugh. Those are usually my downfall. Not so. I am eating about 2 squares of dark chocolate (70% or above) daily and do not feel deprived in the slightest. No alcohol, no caffeine... but those are the only 2 no-no's for 2 weeks. Here I am at the end of day 5 and feeling great. I have had some emotions come up and some aches for the past 2 days, but the bum knee that has been bugging me since the beginning of December has miraculously stopped hurting. Ahhhh, I love a good cleanse.

So here I am, feeling great, reflecting much, and just reveling in transition. Sebastian is on a nap schedule again and that has afforded me some daily alone time to bathe, read & meditate. Everything is sort of shifting into focus. I'm going to continue taking it easy, but will post some photos when I feel up to it. Spring is on it's way!!!

The Yums: Nuts About You Granola!

Over the holiday break my rad ma-in-law, Myrna, opened my eyes to the simplicity of granola making. The basic recipe comes from the trusty Tassajara Bread Book (on page 140 of the ancient edition) and is simple to remember: for every 10 cups of dry ingredients (oats, nuts, seeds) you add 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of sweetener. After roasting in the oven you add whatever dried fruits you like. Here is how I made my first batch:

To 5 cups of oats I added:

-1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (I like the big chunky kind)

-1/4 cup almonds

-3/4 cup cashews

-1 cup pecans

-1/2 cup pistachios

-1/2 cup sunflower seeds

-1/2 cup walnuts

-1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Next, stirred in 1/2 cup of canola oil (may use another oil next time... sunflower?), 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup agave nectar. I then split the mixture between 2 baking sheets and roasted at 250 degrees for 1 hour (stirring every 10 minutes). I cannot tell you nice it was to have baking sheets with sides... saved much mess (thanks, Myrna!!!).

It came out of the oven nice and golden. I put the dry ingredients back into a big bowl and added:

-1 cup chopped dates

-1/2 cup orange flavored cranberries

-1/2 cup dried blueberries

-1/4 cup dried cherries

-1/2 cup dried mango, chopped

I stirred it up well and then couldn't wait to test it out. My fave way to eat granola is to drench it in coconut milk and mix in 1 tsp of chia seeds. This is what a 1/2 cup of granola looks like...

Of course, I shared it with Sebastian who then demanded "more!" when the granola had dried and was put into containers. Guess he will have to wait until tomorrow!

Be creative with your granola making and enjoy! It does the mind and heart well to know exactly what has gone into your mixture. Don't forget to add a heaping dose of love and preferably mix it up while you dance to your fave tunes!

The proper way to eat Mac 'N Cheese.

1. Inspect the goods.

2. Approach with caution.

3. Abandon all caution for the sake of experience.

4. Savor the moment... and reflect.

5. Rate your meal: All smiles = 2 thumbs up!

Mac 'N Cheese was one of Mama's fave treat meals way back when. This kid has good taste. Of course, we wouldn't settle for just any boxed mac. It's gotta be Annie's with chopped veggie dog. Looks like we will be experiencing more of the mac in our future. Next up, we try our hands at the homemade from scratch variety.