Waiting For Coffee

Waiting is perhaps one of the harder things in life.

Waiting for loved ones to return, waiting for school to end, waiting for cookies to bake.

It sounds like it would be the easiest thing in the world because you pretty much do nothing.

I suppose humans just aren't wired to do nothing.

Funny, I feel like I wasted my weekend doing nothing and it was waaaaay better than waiting.

I've waited for about 10 years to try a recipe. I'm not sure what exactly took so long. Perhaps some of it was forgetting it existed, some perhaps was who was sitting around the table. But after a decade I was really hoping this wait was worth it.

Friday Random: Desert Rain and Really Far Out Bottles of Wine

Finally Friday and we recieved some much needed rain.

Rain in the desert is something that's so hard to describe. One of my favorite things ever.


We've been doing some small backyard remodeling which has left a small hole for water to fill and mud to form.

A mud bath has become his morning ritual.






I almost hate to fill in the space because it really keeps them occupied for very little money, and a very long time.


I've found what I'm sure is going to be my new favorite summer cooler.  My husband and I were dreaming of new flavors and techniques, but this recipe is fantastic.

Image via The Kitchen

I've been meaning to talk about this stuff, but what's the point when The Kitchn said everything I wanted to say, and then some. I like Siggis plain Skyr, but I picked up these drinkables and I'm sold.

This video was very interesting. If you enjoy how bodies break down sugar there's some good graphics and factoids about what sugar is doing to the body.  It has an alarmist ring to it, but I'm easily sucked in to those "food industry bad, eat whole foods" type of propaganda.




One last note, one you may want to consider for you weekend - this may be a bottle to pick up for your next dinner party! They said it's more fashionable, I'm only trying to keep you up on your style.

Happy weekend!

Wednesday Raw: Shake It Up

It's only April and I'm already wishing the heat was over and it was fall.

The past few years I've ooohed and aaaahed over the desert colors, but it's hot.

Odd how quickly those colors fade when you have to crank up the AC.

I made myself pull over and appreciate the season and snap a quick picture.




I just wanted to remind myself of another good reason why I lived here.

Then I wanted something sweet.

The Finish Line

The end of the school year is so very close. There's only weeks left, but I'm so over making lunches.

It's the home stretch and I've totally lost all motivation.

Yes, I see the irony. Right after declaring a house wide change in diet all I feel like making them for lunch is  PB&J.

So this is it. The time when I dig deep with in and find the will to keep going.

Kids Chow and Other thoughts

What are the kids going to eat? When I first started researching and contemplating what meals would look like, I had a hard time picturing them eating differently.

That one up there sustains himself entirely on pancakes, corn tortilla chips, carrots and bananas and anything smothered in chocolate.

But there was this prevailing thought that if it's good for us, it's better for them.  I was a kid, I knew what was good for me and what tasted better.  So do they.

I thought I would hit a ton of resistance during this, but I eased them in slowly and am still easing them in. So far the resistance is minimal, but with bacon and strawberries anything is attainable.

Wednesday Raw: Now With Meats

So by now, if anyone is still here, you may be wondering just what I eat and will be eating, and how does raw still fit in.

Paleo style sounds like a food plan based upon what cavemen ate, and would nullify and the raw thing.

I'm finding that these go hand in hand, at least according to my own modifications that I've made to your typical Paleo plan.

Again, I'm not here to counsel you, this is just sharing. My main goal is nutrient density and I will remain eating this way as long as everyone is thriving on this plan.

My Point

So I've determined my history, and my past food beliefs, now I'll get to the point.

I no longer believe that carbs - even complex good grains, have any place in our diets, let alone top billing.

To some this is something they've accepted and been fine with for some time. For me, it's like rearranging my entire belief system.

I'll give you some breakdown of why so bad, but like I sad in my last post, there are others far more qualified to explain this than me.

The Awakening

This is going to be a series of posts about what I've been reading about, rethinking and reevaluating and feeling like I've been asleep for many years and have just been shaken awake.

I hope you stay with me through this. I feel it necessary to start at the beginning to give you a better idea on why I could change just about every thought I had about what has healthy.

I don't have a story of gripping disability, or a struggle with my weight. That's not to say that those stories don't fascinate me. I went to school for nutrition to help those people, but felt dismayed and too broke to be of any help. I felt like I would just be forever destined to a life of Jenny Craig employment and frankly Starbucks had way better benefits - hence I dropped out.

So that's my beginning disclaimer - I do not have a degree in nutrition. I have a lot of studying on the subject, passion for the subject, but I am not qualified to consult YOU. I am however qualified to write my rantings on the internet. Yes, a keyboard, an ethernet cable, basic knowledge of the english language, and a blogger account qualifies me to write.

Please do your own research, but when you do, check everything. Check the pros and the cons. Check what the people with real degrees and real studies say. I'm simply here to share my checking, not to tell you to change, not to tell you you are wrong. I'm saying I was wrong. I want more people to know this information and then go find more. Please don't tell your doctor some wacky girl with a blog was giving you advice, this is just a moment of sharing.

Let's share then, from the beginning.

More Than One Way To Skin A Cat

There's also more than one way to fry chicken, and get fit.

I feel like this week may overload you with some healthy talk, but that's what I've been overloading myself with lately.

Today will ease you in slowly, quickly and hopefully be of some use to you.

About a year ago I was contacted by a lovely person named Christine. She was working on an app for people to track their diet and exercise, but with more of a reward based idea. I thought it was a grand idea, wished her the best and sort of forgot about it.

Almost a year later she emailed me back, asked me to check it out and perhaps share it here if I liked it.

Now, I'm not one to track anything, especially my workout and food. However with all my recent research I have changed a lot about my food and have been trying really hard to throw in some fitness. So why not check out this tracking site.

I've now learned that I am a tracker, as long as I can have rewards.

Friday Random: Oh yeah, it's Easter

I sort of forgot that Easter was on Sunday.

I'm rushing for ideas and dusting off baskets.

Every year I say I'm going to dye eggs naturally, but I must forget about it because I still have not done it. Maybe next year.

Here's some quick ideas in case you forgot to plan accordingly as well.


It's pretty, it's easy, and yummy. Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe -


                     
Broiled thyme grapefruit with a simple ham and cheese frittata and maybe a biscuit and you are done.

I'm very tempted to try Pioneer Woman's bacon wrapped scallops with chile butter, these cheesy egg muffins from Nom Nom Paleo and a simple fruit salad.

Of course the day after I'll make good use of eggs and turn them into Cilantro and Bacon deviled eggs!

Speaking of Easter eggs, I never tire of watching this slide show. I've never ever had my eggs look anything like those, but someday I will make pretty eggs like Martha.

I saw something somewhere that I think I can handle this year - plane white eggs with fingerprints in cute shapes. I have a book from the 70's showing you how to make cute things with a stamp pad and a pen. Sort of like this but mine is super old school.  If it remotely works I'll take pictures and report.

Happy Easter and all that is spring. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Diss

So lately I've sort of felt dissed.

Dissed by many different things running around life; doctors, education, food, government.

Now, I like to paint a shiny rosy picture most of the time, but today we're giving that picture a little smear of dark.

Not that any of these topics are new to life and feeling dissed. Who hasn't felt like their government is a complete corrupt system?

I hope you can handle, and it will be quick. This post will sound like I'm a super liberal hippy freak as well. Just to warn you. I'm still the nice little christian mom of 3, but I'm not completely closed off to the world.

Because Sometimes You Forget

   

Sometimes you forget how good you have it.

You don't mean to, you think you are 'living in the moment'.

But then there are school carnivals, and homework, and appointments and forms.

Then there's work and laundry and budgets, and all of the sudden you realized that you've been too busy to notice how pretty the blooms are on the cactus in the neighbors yard.

I hate that - not noticing the little things. I live off of small moments, and when they pass by me I know I need to stop and just look around at what's really . . . good.

I think salads are like this. Yes, a salad.