the Vegan Journey Continues

So, we have been doing Vegan 5 days a week pretty much for a little over a month. I have lost 4 pounds and William has lost 8 pounds. Most importantly, we feel much better. No stuffed, bloated feelings after eating. We are simply satisfied.

"Eat to live, don't live to eat" - this is something my sports nutrition professor, Dr. Angel, at Samford University, always used to say. Now I can say I understand what he meant.

There have been some "off the wagon moments" where I have indulged myself overly in non-vegan food. Mind you, we are only doing vegan 5 days a week to make it easier to go over to people's homes for dinner, eat out every once in a while (although i usually choose vegetarian options if I can). Yesterday I paid for my non-vegan gluttony with stomach cramps and aches - my body was punishing me, I think.

I will say, Trader Joe's is one of the best places for Vegan food on a budget. There are many vegan options that make life simple with 2 working individuals.

Here are some of my most recent favorite dishes:

Tofu Stir-Fry with Veggies - you can alter this recipe for veggies you like, add rice, etc. It's one of William's favorites. He says that tofu tastes like chicken, so we are going to run with that one.

Tofu & Black Bean Tacos - vegan cheese and you are set!

BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches - another "William favorite" - would go well with sweet potato fries

Another favorite of ours is Vegan Gyros.
We do pita bread with Trader Joe's "Meatless Beef Strips" cooked and seasoned with Greek Seasoning found in your local grocery store. For sauce, shred cucumber into soy plain yogurt with Greek seasoning. Yummy and easy!

And so, the Vegan journey continues...

Vegan: Here We Come

After watching 'Forks Over Knives', my husband, William, decided we should try going vegan for a while. He has had some high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was ready to change.

So, here we go - VEGAN it is.

Today we went to Whole Foods for our first look at what vegan had to offer us. We were armed & ready with our list for our planned vegan meals this week. It was a little pricey going to Whole Foods but since we are cutting out alcohol and won't be eating out as much, it should balance out. Plus there's no price you can put on feeling better and healthier in the long run. Once we get in the groove with some recipes and knowing what vegan options are at each store we frequent, we will be able to head to the the Dekalb Farmer's Market for discounted produce, too. William got really excited when he saw all the "meatless" options of sausages, burgers, etc.

Here's some, but not all, of our gatherings:

On the docket for this week's dinners are:

Tofu & Black Bean Tacos
Orange Sesame Noodles
Spaghetti & Vegan Meatballs
Thai Spring Rolls
and possibly some Vegan burgers or something else left over.

I will let you know how this goes. I am excited to be a little more healthy with William...

I am not going to think about Thanksgiving right now...

homemade pesto

Seeing as I have an abundance of basil in my garden,

I thought it was time to put it to good use.

A bunch of basil (probably 30-40 leaves or so)

3 Tbs of minced garlic

3/4 c. freshly ground parmesean cheese

1/4 c. walnuts

1-2 Tbs of olive oil

Combine in food processor or chop until fine as can be.

Ta da! homemade pesto!

Yum! I can't wait to mix it with some pasta or smear it on toasted bread.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin: book review

Don't you sometimes wish that Jane Austen could write another tale so you could take another romantic jaunt to another time and place? I do, and I solved my yearning by reading The American Heiress.

I have to admit that I am not a "reader," but I devoured this novel by new British author, Daisy Goodwin, in 3 decadent days at the beach. The storyline kept me engaged with every turn of the page (yes, it was an actual book with pages thanks to my local library). Although I would say that her writing is in a more modern form than the insurmountable Jane Austen, there was something refreshing in this travel back to a time of elegance in America and England in the late 1800's. Being reminded of a time of proper things, comments and actions is refreshing and infuriating as the same time. The class system along with the gender roles of the time are my "fifty shades of grey," I suppose.

I was encouraged by random postings on pinterest and facebook the read this book due to the quote, "for those going through Downton Abbey withdrawals." So true! I would, however, even argue that The American Heiress is more engaging than a book on Downton Abbey would be (sounds sacrilegious as a devout Downton Abbey-er, I know).

The general premise (without spoilers because I actually want you to read the book!) surrounds the "coming out" (the old fashioned meaning of coming out, not the new) of an American heiress. It continues with a mother's search for a titled European husband for her heiress of a daughter (haven't we all imagined Prince William or Mr. Darcy would ask for our hand at some point in our lives?). Once married, this American heiress, Cora (no association with our Downton Abbey's Cora), stumbles through her role as an English Duchess. With twists and turns that are sure to keep you glued to the page, you won't be disappointed. I won't disallusion you to think that this book is a richly penned as one of Jane Austen, however, it's ease of read makes it all the more delicious, in my opinion.

If you have ever imagined life in a different time or place (especially 19th century England), a Prince or Duke to call your own, riding side-saddle through the woods, investigating an English estate, or how you would fare in the high society as an American Heiress turned Duchess - then this is the book for you.

Enjoy and let me know what you think! (and I bet your local library has a free copy for you to borrow)

blueberry-lemon popsicle recipe

I recently came across a cooking light recipe for lemon-basil Popsicles, and thought I would try to make a blueberry-lemon rendition on my own.

Here it goes:
Makes 4 - 1/2 c. Popsicles

1/3 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
1/3-1/2 c. blueberries (i used fresh but I am sure frozen would work too)
lemon zest from 1 lemon (roughly 1 Tsp.)
lemon juice - from the lemon you zested, plus 2 Tbs.


Boil water, sugar, blueberries (some smashed) and lemon zest in small saucepan then let sit for 30 minutes.
(filter the lemon zest and berries if you desire - I like to have them in the popcicle, but some prefer not to)
Add lemon juice from the lemon you zested plus 2 Tbs.
Pour into Popsicle molds.
Freeze.
Enjoy later!

Caprese Salad on a Stick

One of my favorite summertime (well, anytime really) snacks and salads.

I made mine from my garden using fresh plucked basil and cherry tomatoes. Here's how you can make it yourself:

Toothpicks as your "stick" to put the ingredients on
1-2 fresh basil leaves per stick
1 grape or cheery tomato per stick
1 small mozzarella ball or chunk per stick
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling & dipping

Stick on your toothpick & Enjoy!

Kale Chips: My New Favorite (healthy) Snack

It's been a while since I have blogged - for no good reason other than that I have been busy, nonetheless, I am BACK!

Upon receiving word that my husband has high blood pressure & high cholesterol, along with being over his ideal weight, I have set out on a mission to continue to encourage more healthy eating practices in our home. Perhaps this time, I will have a more attentive ear listening.

William loves chips, so enter my recent attempt at KALE chips.

Here's what I tried:

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (3-5 leaves)

olive oil - you could also use flavored olive oil if deesire

sea salt or seasoning salt

spices (if desired)

Turn oven to 350 degrees.
Break off pieces kale and place on baking sheet.
Drizzle some olive oil over them.
Sprinkle some light amount of salt.
Add spices if desired (I havent tried this yet, but you could use cumin or paprika for some spicy flavor)
Bake for 10-12 minutes until crispy with a light brown/green tint but not black.

ENJOY!

living in community

I cannot stress enough how important living in community is for my personal well being. Living in the city of Atlanta has given more access to community than I have ever experienced. Everything we need, from restaurants to friends, and groceries to church are all within 1 mile (or 2).

With each interpersonal interaction today, my spirits became more and more elevated, because I realized, yet again, what an amazing community I have here.

Today went like this:

8:38am - William, my husband, rolled over and woke me asking how long it would take me to get ready to go to our local Atlanta neighborhood (Reynoldstown) breakfast spot, Home Grown.

On the way out the door, our neighbor, Jeffrey, passes us on his way to work asking us where we are going. We tell him, and he says, "I hate you," in envy and love, of course.

While at Home Grown, I managed to see two past patients from my physical therapy clinic. I was able to catch up with the one I had treated.

Next we headed to our local garden store, Garden*Hood. Here we carefully selected items for our back yard with the help of some of their amazing and knowledgeable staff. While there, William, interacted with the manager about his workplace, Trees Atlanta, and how the two might collaborate in the the future. Trees Atlanta is a non-profit citizen's group which looks to increase green spaces around the city of Atlanta.

Next, we head back home to tackle our backyard - that will be another post in the "gardening" section of blog.

After some gardening, pruning, planting, etc., I head to Piedmont Park for a birthday celebration for a dear friend, meanwhile visiting with Physical Therapist friends and colleagues.

After more gardening and a trip to my local Lowe's (sacrilege, i know!) which resulted in seeing yet another patient and a friend from my neighborhood church, City Church - Eastside.

Now back home to dump some cow manure, and along comes William and my best friend, Anna's, husband, Brant (who conveniently live in our neighborhood, too!). They had just ridden their motorcycle and moped around the neighborhood.

Finished with a tasty dinner on the back deck with William and Ryder, our 1 1/2 year boxer-lab mix.

I can't imagine a better life, better friends, a better neighborhood, or a better community. I feel very blessed, because I know I was meant to live in community with others. It is the desire of my Creator, and today, I felt it so strongly!

Top 5 Reasons I Love Quilting by Hand

1. It is portable and therefore it can travel with you anywhere (car, airplane, a friend's home, beach, work, waiting for appointments, etc.).

2. You can do it in any room of your house, not just the sewing room.

3. It feels so much more personal, and it's a labor of love.

4. It takes more time, so you have lots to do with the same amount of cost (I look at it as occupying time I would devote to another craft, so I think taking more time is good).

5. It's really impressive to others.

"Nevers" at the Gym

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, every time I go to the gym it is an overload of bad form and horrible attempts at fitness. I know that sounds harsh, and believe me, I am glad to see gyms full of people working hard to keep themselves healthy. I just wish I could do a personal session which each person on general tips of what to do and what to avoid, great exercises to target what they are attempting to target, ways to avoid injury and keep me out of a job. I am actually developing a way to do this, so if you live in Atlanta, let me know if you are interested!

After over 3 years of not being in a gym, I recently joined my local YMCA. Every day I go to the Y, I want to help the people there. I try to block out others around me, but when your passion and profession is watching people's form and being a movement specialist, you can't switch it off.

So, in an effort to give myself some emotional and psychological therapy, I am putting together a lists of "nevers" at the gym with possible other lists to come...


NEVER...use the knee extension machine (kicking your legs out while sitting) - it should be banned from weight rooms because it is not functional, and it is one of the positions that puts the greatest amount of stress on your knees.

NEVER...do back extensions - the machine or on the stationary platform for abs/back. This also should be banned. you NEVER need stronger "back muscles." These muscles are developed on people who have weak core/abdominal muscles and weak glutes (butts). This repetitive stress could possibly lead to wearing away at your spine. NEVER a good idea.

NEVER...push more than 10 lbs over your shoulder, in general this is a good rule, unless you plan on being a power lifter, it's not worth it in the long run.

NEVER...bend with your back (see #2 above) - it's not worth it and it's pretty much cheating in the long run, and you will pay for it)

NEVER...arch your back while performing ANY machine - this is cheating, and you will end up hurting yourself in the long run.

NEVER...bounce - whether in spin class or while doing free weights, bouncing is cheating, and you only cheat yourself.

NEVER...slouch while doing exercises. You will promote bad posture.

NEVER...stretch your hamstrings with your toe pulled back towards you ("flexed") - 90% of the time you stretch your hamstrings in any way, you aren't stretching your hamstrings, you are pulling on your nerves from your low back.


so there it is... and there are incredibly more where that came from... I hope this helps you avoid being my patient eventually.

(as always, you should contact a health care professional before starting an exercise regimen. special note: a "personal trainer" does not have the training needed to correct your form and give you the "right exercises," but a physical therapist would be a great resource to make sure you don't end up hurting yourself in the short and long term).

Quilting By Hand: Piecing Hexagons Together

After you have basted your hexagons, they are ready to be sewn together.

If you have a specific pattern you are following (as I am in my 2nd quilt), then make sure you sew the hexagons together in that pattern (see other posts on patterns you mgiht want to use).

See the below video on how to piece hexagons together:

Happy Piecing!

Quilting by Hand: Basting Hexagons

After you have all your squares of fabric cut out, you are ready to baste your hexagons. Basting refers to the method of wrapping the fabric around your hexagons tightly in order to sew your hexagons tightly to one another once you have finished basting.

See my video on basting your hexagons:

Baste Away!

See the post "Quilting by Hand: Piecing Hexagons Together"

for the next step in the process....

Quilting by Hand (English Paper Piecing Hexagon Method): Intro

I just finished my first quilt a week ago. It is awesome, if I do say so myself, and it's COMPLETELY handmade. As in, I stitched it together without a sewing machine at all using the English paper-piecing method with hexagons.

It took be about 15 months to do, but it was such a fun experience. Thanks to my friend, Lauren Gilkenson for inspiring me to quilt and showing me some tips along the way. Two days after completely my quilt, I went to my favorite local modern fabric store, Whipstitch. I met up with my sister-in-law, MaryJo, to help her start her first English paper-piecing hexagon handmade quilt while I started on my second.

It's hard to find a blog, book or resource about a completely handmade quilt, so I thought I would help anyone else out there with some videos, pictures and links, as I go along this time, so, get ready!

First, decide what size of hexagons you want to use. I used 1.25 inch hexagons which was a little small for a beginner, but I did it. MaryJo is choosing to do 1.5 inch hexagons as she starts her first hand quilting experience. You can order them online or buy them in a quilting store already pre-cut or you can cut your own using Hexagon Graph Paper printed on card stock like I did (it's cheaper yet more time consuming). (other website for graph paper: http://moxyideas.com/?page_id=328 )

Then you need to decide how big you want your quilt to be. Keep in mind that your batting (the inside that gives it thickness and warmth) will have to be bought down the line, and this might determine if you want to stick with standard size quilts. If you go with a non-standard size, you will need to connect your batting later on to make the size you need.

My first time around, I got fabric as I went along in the same color scheme, so it wasn't an exact science. If there is a collection or designer that you like, I suggest getting the fabric for the hexagons ahead of time. If you want one of those fabrics to be the binding (edges) and/or the backing (the back of the quilt), then I suggest buying it when you buy your hexagon fabric as well. With my first quilt, I bought a white/cream linen when I was at that step, 9 months after I got my hexagon fabric. this is where math comes in, remember that too much fabric is always better than not enough...  I have to constantly remind myself of that being as thrifty as I am.

Here are some additional helpful links to get you started:

Hexagon Cutting Guide:  To figure out how much fabric you need, based on how big you want your quilt and how many hexagons you will need.

Free Hexagon Pattern Sheets - mapping out your pattern if you want to have one. I didn't my first time, but I will be doing the Grandmother's garden pattern this time around. I think that a baby quilt/throw blanket quilt size is easiest to start with, and that's what my first and second quilt are.

Now, go get your fabric!

Natural Hair Tips

I have been on a kick to keep my home more natural, or as natural as I can....


My hair is usually fine, thin and oily. Here are some tips I have found that have helped me have more natural hair:


1. Limit the washing - even though I usually work out 4 days a week, I still only wash my hair every other day for the past couple of years. This has helped keep natural oils in my hair, yet limit the amount of oils made my by scalp due to the stripping of the natural ones with daily washing. One of my friends rinses her hair every day, but washes every other day. That didn't work for me, but it might for one of you.


2. De-greasers - baby powder, dry shampoo and other concoctions (search on Pinterest for some good ones) are helpful to help with keeping the oily look out of your hair. I have recently discovered, since I shower at night, if I apply the baby powder before going to bed, I can lessen the "white/grey" looking hairs and scalp.


3. Homemade Shampoo - Thanks to some other blogs, my own research, and experimenting, I have managed to make a natural shampoo using basically another blogger's Homemade Natural Shampoo Recipe :


1 c. Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3/4 Tbs. tea tree & Vit. E oil (or just one oil only, etc.)
(Note: I did not add the vitamin E oil since I am a penny pincher, but that might have helped make it more conditioning if you tend to have more dry hair)
1/4 c. water
1 (16 oz) spray bottle or other container for application

So far, I have felt really good about my hair texture - look and feel. Try it!

Here's to a more wholesome life with natural hair!

DIY Lotion Bars

So, I have decided to try to keep my body from chemicals, and keep our budget expenses down as well. Plus, I always like to have a craft to work on which can benefit me, my family, my friends, etc.

After looking at what I had around my house (some thanks to my body scrub making from Christmas), and what I could get my hands on at low cost, I looked around for some recipes and adjusted them to make my own...

6 oz. of beeswax (pellets melt easier but my local co-op grocery store was out, so I opted for the block)

4 oz. of cocoa butter

4 oz. olive oil


2 oz. shea butter


2 oz. coconut oil (unrefined, organic is best)


(essential oils if desired can be added)

You need a double boiler, or a pot with water boiling with a metal or glass bowl on top to create your own double boiler.

If you bought the block of beeswax, like me, cut it up into small pieces (pour hot water over the knife so as to make the cutting through the beeswax easier)

Melt your beeswax first (use a stocking to put your beeswax in while in the double boiler if it needs to be filtered.

 Once it is melted, add in your other oils.

 When fully melted, you can add essential oils for scenting your bars, or just let them be (they will smell a little more like cocoa butter than anything due to the increased amount of that ingredient, but it's pretty neutral).

Pour carefully into your molds (the bowl will be HOT obviously) - I used a muffin pan but you could use anything that can hold hot wax (silicone or some chocolate molds, etc.)

And now, you let it cool, and you have

LOTION BARS!

These turned out great. I might play around with the recipe next time, like adding some Vitamin E oil or more Shea butter since I am more of a fan of the way that smells than cocoa butter.

 These will make great gifts as well.

You can bag them up in cellophane and tie with some ribbon or twine.

happy creating...

I am many things....

I am many things.
This is why I have decided to blog.

I am a wife.
I am a daughter (and daughter-in-law).
I am a sister & sister-in-law.
I am a best friend, a good friend and an acquaintance.
I am a doctor of physical therapy.
I am a runner.
I am a quilter, crafter, home-made queen.
I am an experiementer.
I am a lover of Christ and my community.
I am a thinker.
I am a conserver and recycler.
I am a do-er.
I am a problem solver...

for all these reasons, and many more, I thought I would share my experiences, experiments, thoughts and creativity with others, or perhaps at least just write it down for myself.

this will be a window into my pursuit of a whole life -

physically - fitness & food as well as my journey to a more ecological/green life)
spiritually - through my living in community with those in the Eastside of Atlanta and with Christ
emotionally - using the outlet of creativity of art, crafts, words

and I am sure there will be more ways as we go along in this journey.

I will probably post only once a week, and usually on Fridays which is my day off from my "day job" of being a Physical Therapist...

so here it goes!