Home again.

I have been off of the radar for a few days because we decided to make a quick trip to Nashville after all. A small trip is better than no trip. We celebrated Thanksgiving in Dallas with Wayne's mother and brother and it was very nice. However, it just felt weird not seeing my family at Thanksgiving, too. So Friday we packed up the car and took off driving. It is a bit of a haul, but well worth it.

We have been visiting with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew. It has been a lot of fun! I think my mom was really nervous about what to make for me to eat while I was here, but it has been easier than she thought and my family is very supportive. I had some vegetable soup, green smoothie, and we made a wonderful salad that everyone enjoyed yesterday as well!

I wish we were able to stay for a longer trip. Since this is "home" for me, I have many friends I would like to see, but am just not going to have the opportunity this time around. It is strangely wonderful being back. The scenery is so beautiful! Even though most of the leaves have already dropped, the landscape, the hills and valleys, are still gorgeous! I miss the texture of the land -- Dallas is pretty flat and metropolitan. I must say, though, that Dallas is growing on me. Whenever you move it is always hard to adjust, but moving away from "home" is particularly difficult. We have been away for two years now so I am starting see that Dallas isn't so bad after all.

Pink rubber gloves -- the new sexy

Emma was feeling much better today! I am thankful for that! We were even able to get her hair cut -- it is so cute. It is her first "tweener" haircut; I took her to my stylist for the first time. She looks so good! Getting her hair done put a little pep in her step. I could tell she felt great about herself and her new do because she was posing in the mirror. After we got her hair cut we went to pick up out Thanksgiving meal and someone asked her right way if she was 14 (remember she just turned 11, and she is about 5'5"). When she told the lady how old she was the lady said, "Holy model!" Emma was just shining.

I was getting in the holiday spirit today and made a new smoothie. It had cranberries, apples, kale, agave, a vanilla bean, and cinnamon. It was yummy and did the job getting me in the spirit to celebrate thankfulness. I didn't even mind doing the dishes by hand. It hasn't been too bad not having a dishwasher. I may feel differently by December 10th, but so far so good. I kinda like my bright pink rubber gloves. They are the new sexy.

Thanksgiving preparation is underway!

I should have known that either Jake or Emma was going to get what Phillip had last week. Emma was the lucky one. She has been sick all day -- cough, sore throat, fever, and throwing up. I took her to the doctor, and they said it is just a virus and we have to wait it out. We are hoping that tomorrow will be much better for Emma. I have been loading her up with fluids, vitamin C, and homemade vegetable soup. She really isn't hungry, though, and has been sleeping most of the day. Sleeping is good and healing!

I had two delicious smoothies today. One was kale, pineapple, strawberry, banana, papaya. The other was apple, banana,strawberries. I also ordered a Thanksgiving meal this year. Wayne's mother and brother are celebrating Thanksgiving with us. In short, am the only raw foodie. I did not want to spend the whole day preparing food that I cannot eat. I ordered from Central Market, so my family is going to eat good! Not only will their food be delicious, it is also organic and the turkey is a free-range turkey. I feel good about feeding them good stuff, and I also feel good about staying true to myself and the goals I have for my own health.

Spring in November

We had a wonderful salad for dinner this evening. It had lettuce, broccoli, dried cranberries, carrots, cucumbers and onions. It was warm here today, almost seventy degrees, and it tasted so refreshing! It almost made it seem like summer.

Phillip had a play date today with some of the children from his preschool. The hostess was so nice and had sandwiches, drinks, and desserts set out for the moms while the children played. It is these types of social situations that always worry me. I don't want to appear to be rude, but I also don't want to compromise the way that I feel either. I politely declined and told her that we ate a late breakfast. I think I always get more nervous about it than is really warranted. I don't think anyone thought anything about my declining the refreshments.

On another note I have been doing some serious house cleaning the last few days. I am rearranging furniture and doing some of the heavy duty cleaning. I know it is not spring, but the cleaning bug has definitely bitten me. I am really interested in simplifying my life these days, and feel as though cleaning my house is helping me clean out my life and make room for new things to move in.

Living foods and God

I am teaching a Sunday school class on The Song of Solomon (a.k.a. Song of Songs, a.k.a. the centerfold of the Bible). I was really nervous about teaching it at first, but it has really been a lot of fun! I have enjoyed learning about it and teaching it. One thing it has made me realize is that Christians don't utilize our senses near enough. (I realize that this is a HUGE generalization, but one that I am willing to make). Christians rarely take the time to feel God and/or Jesus with anything other than our "brains." What would happen if we really paid attention to what is going on around us. What would happen if we listened for God? I don't mean listen as in when the preacher says on Sunday morning before reading the Scripture, "Listen for the Word of God..." I mean really listened and heard God speak in the way the birds chirped at daybreak on Saturday morning, or in my five year-old's voice exclaiming the wonder of how the sun can shoot beams through the clouds. What if we heard God speak in the nursing home as the 92 year-old woman ponders if tomorrow will be her last day, or in the 82 year-old person's room next door explaining how she can't wait until his grand-daughter visits tomorrow.

What if we tasted God's work every time we bit into a ripe and delicious honey crisp apple. What if we smelled God in the labor of our laundry? What would happen if, when I rubbed the tear off the cheek of a tweener or a grandmother I imagined I could feel God's own tears. Could we handle it? Would it be a sensory overload? Sensory perception may, in fact, be THE best way we can sense God's presence in our lives.

You have read many times where I have written that I noticed my food more now that I eat a high raw diet. I appreciate the smell, the texture, and the taste more. I appreciate the labor it took to get from the soil to my table. I know it sound silly, but maybe I am sensing God's presence -- the real livingness of my food. The real smells, tastes, and textures that were meant for me to perceive. Perhaps eating living foods requires me to be alive in a way I had neglected before now.

Seeking Suggestions for Thanksgiving

Shopping for a new dishwasher is not fun at all! I am stressed and tired. I have been racing back and forth from Sears to Home Depot, to Lowes, and Best Buy. Of course, no one has the dishwasher I like in stock and it will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on where we decide to buy it (The stores with the cheapest prices are, no doubt, the ones where it will take weeks to get it). What is a few weeks anyway?

I also looked at some new flooring for our kitchen today as well. That is also stressful, but a little more fun. We have been wanting to refinish the floors in our house since we moved in two years ago. Now we have an excuse to actually do it. I just hope that the quotes don't totally blow my mind. Let's just say, I know what I am getting for Christmas this year.

Thank Goodness Tomorrow is Friday! I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. We may break out the Christmas decorations. Phillip is really into decorating this year. He is ready to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, I am beginning my raw food research on Thanksgiving meals. If you have any suggestions, please email me!

Getting my giddy-up back!

Life has been CRAZY the past few days. We found out Phillip had pneumonia, Emma had a birthday (and a party), and the dishwasher broke, leaking all over the kitchen floor. I tried to buy a new one today, but they had nothing in stock at Home Depot and I didn't have time to go anywhere else. Tomorrow someone is coming to look at the hardwood floor to see if there is any way we can salvage it. Joy! Joy!

Seriously, though, life could be much worse. We are very fortunate to be blessed with the life we have. This is just a little crimp in my tail, a little hitch in my giddy-up. I am so glad that Phillip is feeling better and we still found a way to pull off a birthday party by juggling everyone out of the house since Phillip was very sick. Wayne took them roller skating, then switched places with me and I took them for pizza and ice cream. Emma was happy and Phillip was able to rest and recuperate.

I think I have mentioned before that I still cook for the kids. They eat a primarily vegetarian diet. We don't buy milk or cheese for home, but they still eat it when they go out to eat. They even occasionally eat meat. Some people have asked me if it is hard to cook for them and still eat my raw food. I have to say that it is not. I love my food so much, and I love the way it makes me feel, so I am not tempted. I do sometimes taste what I make them to make sure it is seasoned alright, but it never tastes as good as I remember it.

Tonight, I made spaghetti for the kids and Wayne and I made a wonderful green smoothie for dinner tonight -- fresh pineapple, water and meat from a young coconut, kale, and frozen strawberries. It turned out very good! Wayne took one sip and said, "YUM!" He never thought kale could be so good.

The Master Cleanse was a bust, or maybe not.

It is 3:34 A.M. and I am writing my blog. Yesterday morning I woke up to a very sick little boy. He is running a pretty high fever, coughing, stuffy nose, and very snotty. He has been kinds puny all week, but yesterday he was especially puny. I have taken him to the doctor and he does not have the flu, an ear infection, or strep, so it is viral and all we can do is wait it out. Needless to say I have tip toed up the stairs a few times to check on him and make sure that he is okay.

Needless to say the Master Cleanse is a bust for me. I only had enough lemons for yesterday morning's lemonade and I needed to go to the grocery store to get more, but there was no way I could take Phillip feeling the way he does, and no way I was going to leave him home without me or Wayne. I had pretty much gotten over the hungry feeling, but I was still pretty tired and cranky -- not good things to try and negotiate when you have a sick baby. So, maybe it is just not for me at this juncture in my life.

I am not saying the Master Cleanse is a bad thing, in fact, I think it has helped many people. But, I am no longer trying to lose weight -- thanks to my raw diet, I reached my goal weight. I did want to see if it would help me achieve some mental and emotional clarity about my life, but I think there are other ways I can do that.

Beginning a raw food diet was a HUGE step for me, and it has literally changed my life for the better in so many ways! At the time it seemed like I was making an extreme move, and I needed to do that because my health was very poor. I did not know what I was going to eat if I couldn't have beef tacos, smothered chicken, french fries, and macaroni and cheese. Not that I didn't eat healthy foods, too; I always had a side salad (covered in blue cheese) and a vegetable side. Now I see the choice to eat raw was not as extreme as it first seemed. Instead of swinging widely to some fad diet (as I had done so many times before) I was making a choice to balance my life with the foods that nature really intended me to eat. I said no more to engineered food -- no refined sugar, processed junk, additive and preservative coated meat and dairy products, or salt infused mixes and sauces -- and returned to simple foods. What seemed extreme at the time was not at all, it was returning to the basics. Where and how did I get so off track? I can think of numerous reasons now that I SAD (Standard American Diet) consumer. Like many Americans I was turning a blind eye to the food industry, and I was telling myself, "If they can sell it in the grocery stores or a restaurant, it can't be that bad for me." I neglected opportunities to learn about how my food got on the table. I was consuming exactly what I was told. I was filling my emptiness, disappointments, and heartaches with fat laden, sugar coated, syrup dripping, salt loaded ANYTHING that looked like it couldn't possible come from a garden or farm. I was so disconnected from my food!

When I started this I had no idea what a turnip looked like, or that there were so many varieties of kale. I did not know that a salad could taste so good without croutons and blue cheese. I did not know you could put berries and nuts on a salad. I had no idea that there were so many different types of greens or sprouts. I did not know what tahini or young coconut was or where to even begin to find them in the grocery store. I did not know I could roll sushi (vegetable, of course), marinate vegetables and not cook them, or make raw cookies. I had no clue that I could prepare an entire meal without using the stove, oven, or microwave. I did not know food, real, natural, food could make such a huge difference in how I felt and looked!

Yesterday, I must say I was a little bit disappointed that I could not stick it out through the Master Cleanse. After all, I did all my research, read the entire book, and thought I was totally prepared. I REALLY wanted the clarity. But, as I sit here typing at what is now 4:18 A.M. I am realizing that perhaps the Master Cleanse gave me exactly what I needed after all. I don't want an extreme diet. I want my food to give me balance, health, taste, and goodness and I have all of that already.

Cleansing One Day at a Time

This morning went much better. What went down, stayed down. I must admit I was a little worried and nervous about drinking the salt water this morning, but it worked out alright. I was, however, quite tired and cranky today. The book, Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days by Peter Glickman, says that is normal and part of the detox. It should go away after tomorrow. I hope so.

I was a little hungry today, too. However, I wasn't craving crazy stuff or really anything from a SAD diet. I miss my raw almond cookies, a good salad with fresh berries, and my trail mix. I don't think I craved a green smoothie because it is a drink, and I was craving something to chew. Part of me is wondering if I can make it 10 days, but I am going to keep trying. One day at a time.

Rough Start to the Master Cleanse, but good 1st Day

Well, the cleanse started out a little rough this morning. I drank my salt water this morning and all seemed to be fine for a few minutes. Then, all of the sudden, I started gagging and next thing I knew I was running to the bathroom. Needless to say, what went down came back up. It was not fun, but I immediately felt better and was able to continue the regimen for the rest of the day.

Wish I could say as much for Wayne. He chickened out after a long meeting today. He bailed on me. I can't really blame him, to be honest. It is difficult to do this. I made dinner for the kids tonight and felt quite hungry. I also made the mistake of visiting Bliss Cafe's website (a local raw food restaurant) and checking out their new menu. I was having some pretty big cravings for Bliss! Perhaps I will go there to celebrate making it through the cleanse.

Have I been truly hungry? No, not really, but the habit of eating is what makes it hard! It is so natural to pick up a piece of fruit when I walk by the kitchen and chomp on an apple or enjoy a banana. I wonder how many times I have grabbed a piece of fruit or handful of trail mix and eaten it when I really wasn't hungry. Something to think about, isn't it.

Master Cleanse Revisited

Well, I have been pondering the Master Cleanse since the last time my plan to do it fell through due to birthday plans. I have done lots of research on it and I am going to try it. I went to the grocery tonight and got all my lemons, so I am ready to give it a go. If I don't like it, or the way it makes me feel I will discontinue it, but I am planning to give it my all. Those of you who know me, know that once I decide to jump in I do so with both feet!

I am actually a bit excited about it. I feel as though I have been in a bit of a rut, and am hoping to gain a bit of clarity and perspective. This is going to be a time of prayer, reflection, and meditation for me. Wayne says he wants to try it, too, so that should make it a little easier -- having a partner. We will see.

Emma's Adventures at the Raw Food Meet up!

This morning I could not believe it was already Monday. Tonight I can't believe that Monday is almost over. This entire weekend flew by so fast. We were so busy with youth group, soccer games, choir practice, church, teaching, and dinners. Wayne and I had to split up to get everyone where they needed to go. Emma and I went to a Raw Food Meetup near our house. I found the group on Meetup.com and it was really GREAT! Wayne and I had been to a meetup once before. Everyone brings a dish and you can learn about other people, why they eat raw foods, how they prepare their meals, etc.

Emma, being ten and only about 30% raw was a reluctant attendee, but agreed to go. I told her she didn't have to eat a lot of anything, just to take a little bit of each thing and try it, and then she could go back and get what she wanted. We took raw almond cookies and pistachio-fig cookies, which were a hit. But, everything was a hit! Someone made raw mashed potatoes with gravy and marinated onions, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie (the mashed potatoes were made from celery root, and the pumpkin pie had no pumpkin -- only carrots and sweet potatoes). Someone else made bananas foster. There was lots of fruit and pine nuts from Italy. It was all very YUMMY!

Emma took a little bit of everything and liked everything. She had a third helping of pumpkin pie, seconds of cranberry sauce, ate her fill of fruit, and had lots of Mom's cookies. She really had a good time, and when people were asking what kinds of raw things I make at home she would say, "Oh she makes raw tacos and they are soooo good," or "she makes me a green smoothie I love." They really got a kick out of her. When it was time to go, she asked if she could come with me again next time! IT makes me feel good to know that I am helping her figure out healthy eating patterns before she is an adult and that she is learning that good for you foods can also taste really good!

I highly recommend looking up raw food meet ups in your area, and take your children, too!

More Green Smoothie Recipes and quick tips

So far so good -- Jake and Emma are really liking The Canterbury Tales and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. What's not to like? Why did schools quit reading novels? The entire time Jake and Emma were in public school they were never required to read a novel. They did receive A.R. points for reading them, but that was not an assignment. Peculiar, huh?

Today was a green smoothie day for me. For breakfast I had a kale, with frozen grapes and peaches. I buy grapes and peaches in bulk when they are in season and stick them in the freezer until I want to use them. Frozen grapes are a wonderful snack all by themselves. Anyway, my breakfast was so good that I was a craving another green smoothie for lunch. I had spinach, pineapple, strawberry, papaya, mango (I bought a bag of frozen, organic tropical fruit), and then added a banana. I also made some trail mix today. I will have to hide it, though because Jake and Emma found it and were eating it by the fistfuls.

Seriously, I am so glad that they want to eat it. I would much rather them want to snack on raw nuts and dried fruit than on chips or candy. I think that i am going to try my hand at the dehydrator tomorrow and see how that goes. So far I have been a little intimidated, but I am almost ready to give it a go. I am the type of person who likes to read the entire manual first.

Glow Forth and Create!

A quote caught my eye today: "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." The author is unknown. Those simple words have stuck in my mind all day. How true! After my surgery, when I was so sick, I felt like I was stuck in rut and not able to get out. Isn't that what being stuck in a rut is all about -- forgetting how or not being able to create. The past six months I have been making up lost ground and creating like crazy!

My creations include: a healthy body, mind, and spirit, a happy home, home school lessons galore, numerous recipes, well-adjusted children, and lots of love. Before raw foods came into my life I thought many of these things were unattainable for me either because my body would not let me (I was so tired and sick all of the time), or because I was in such a poor state of mind that I just wasn't able. Within one week of eating raw foods my mind was awakened and refreshed, though. I was no longer I able to fool myself into believing that I was a victim. Within one month of eating a high raw diet my body was so much healthier there was no denying that what I was doing was very good. Now that I have been eating an almost completely raw diet for months I feels as though my spirit is happy and that I shine from the inside out. It is always easy to fool people by putting on a smile and saying, "I am okay." I, like many of you, have done that on numerous occasions. But, now I really am okay and I think it shows.

Many people talk about the "glow" you get when you begin a raw food diet -- your skin clears up, you look bright-eyed and bushy tailed, your hail is shiny and soft, etc. When I first started eating raw I kept checking myself in the mirror to see if I had "the glow" yet. Other people started noticing it before I did and would ask me what I was doing different. Eventually, I was able to see it. Now, I don't have to check the mirror to see if it is there because I can feel it in my very being. Glow, baby, glow!

"Raw LOVE! It changes you."

I ordered a T-shirt several months ago that was back ordered because there were more orders than anticipated. I got it in the mail yesterday and I am so EXCITED! It says Raw Love: It changes you. I ordered it from a company called Lovemore. The t-shirt itself is "green" and that makes me feel good, too. Lovemore is a pretty cool company, check them out at www.chooselovemore.com. If raw is not your thing, they have other t-shirts, too. I felt pretty darn great wearing my shirt today. Thanks Lovemore!

The kids and I also got the book we are going to read next -- The Canterbury Tales. I can't wait to see their faces once we start reading it. Boy, are they in for a surprise! The Canterbury Tales is one of my favorite books in the world. I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to share it with them, to see their faces and hear their giggles the first time they realize that the author is describing "passing gas" or "belching." I can't wait to hear them ask if we can read just one more chapter.

I am feeling so much better today! Despite the fact that I stayed up half the night (I've been up since 1 A.M., sometimes cold medicine does that to me), my upper respiratory infection is almost gone. I must give credit where credit is due -- all hail the green smoothie! All in all it has been a very good day!

CDC: Tainted beef may be linked to 2 deaths - CharlotteObserver.com

CDC: Tainted beef may be linked to 2 deaths - CharlotteObserver.com

Va-va -va-voom!

I've been a little under the weather. Yesterday I had a fever, aches, sore throat, chills, the whole thing. This morning I went to the doctor just to make sure I didn't have strep or H1N1 -- but I did not. YEAH! I just have an upper respiratory infection and I am already starting to feel a little bit better. I've been drinking a lot of green smoothies and water and juices trying to flush it out of my system. My new favorite smoothie is pineapple, raspberry, lime, and spinach. It is so good! I just throw it all in and turn on the Vita-mix. You know how it is when your nose is stuffy and you can't taste very well, but I can taste this smoothie with all of the tangy flavors. I call it va-va-va-voom.

I must credit my breast doctor with part of the recipe. Dr. Jekot is a breast cancer survivor and although she is not a raw foodist, she eats "mostly vegetarian" and does everything she can to stay healthy. While she was doing my biopsy last week we were exchanging smoothie recipes. She has not ever had a green smoothie, so I was doing my best to convince her that it was good. She had the pineapple, raspberry, lime smoothie recipe and I just added the spinach. You really can't tell a difference in the taste. To be honest, the color is kinda nasty, but put it in a solid color cup and you would never be able to tell what color it is anyway.

I am attaching a picture of me in my leggings today, too. Ever since I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago I have been hearing from several of you saying, "It is time we see those leggings." I am "Back in Black." Sorry, I know that it a little corny, but I am a bit corny and a product my generation. A little AC/DC never hurt anyone.