May your day be filled with love.
Peace and Calm,
-Teresa
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Cultivating Gratitude
Thanksgiving is almost here.
I love this time of year. The food. The decorations. The sales. Oh, wait, isn’t this supposed to be about being thankful?
Ask most people what they are thankful for, and they will answer “family and friends.” I would. All to often though, if we take the time to really notice and be honest, we find that we are not expressing that gratitude nearly as often and effectively as we could. This is unfortunate. So how can we express gratitude for the people in our lives?
First, notice something that someone did (or did not do). -Husband took out the trash. -Child did not hit sibling. -Friend asks you if you need anything at the store since they are heading out.
Second, say thank you.
Third, say why you are thankful. ”Thank you for bring out the trash. I know it is not your favorite thing to do, and I appreciate your help with the housework.” ”I noticed that your brother took that toy out of your hands. You may have felt like hitting him when he did that. Thank you for using your words and asking for it back instead. That really shows how mature you are becoming.” ”Thank you for asking if I need anything. That is really considerate of you to offer. I do need some bananas, and was trying to figure out when I could go. You are such a thoughtful friend to think of me.”
Fourth, repeat.
Practice this until it becomes second nature and notice how your life changes.
Peace and calm,
-Teresa
October Unprocessed Recap
Hello Everyone!
Since I only wrote a grand total of two posts in October, (yikes! sorry about that) I thought I would try to make it up a bit by giving you all the link to the 93(!) posts that were written for October Unprocessed.
Andrew has them organized by “Recipes,” “D.I.Y., Ingredients and How-to,” and “Food for Thought.” I highly recommend taking a peek and looking for a few that sound interesting to you. Personally, I want to try the Tomatillo Avocado Dressing, I’m quite tempted to make some pancetta for my pork-fiend son, and I liked just about all of the “Food for Thought” posts. Oh, how I wish my local market had grassfed bison bits for sale.
http://www.eatingrules.com/2012/11/october-unprocessed-2012-posts/
Enjoy!
-Teresa
Just keep going
It’s Saddle-up Sunday!
Annabelle is running the Chicago Marathon today. I will post updates on our facebook page.
Sometimes it can feel like life is a never-ending marathon. Demands on us never seem to stop and we never seem to get a break. When it gets to feel overwhelming it is important to stop and take a good look at what is going on and why.
Have you spread yourself too thin? Do you need to cut back on your responsibilities? Are there tasks you can give up or delegate to someone else? Are you striving too hard for perfection? Are there some things you can let go of, or accept that they may not be done the way you had hoped, but at least they are done?
Are you organized? Or living in a state of clutter? This can apply to your schedule, your home, and your mind. Taking some time each day to check your calendar and prioritize what needs to be done, tidying up around the house or office, and meditating or otherwise clearing your mind can go a long way in allowing you to be focused on the task at hand instead of distracted by all the other things in your life. This is a lesson I have been learning the past few months, and it is finally starting to come together and show some results.
Sometimes, whether by choice or circumstance, we do have a lot on our plate and life is a marathon. Other times, we can adjust it so we have some rest times. Rest is crucial. Take stock of your life and see where you can get some. It will make the marathons easier.
Peace and Calm,
Teresa
Posted in Saddle-up Sunday
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October Unprocessed – Day 1 update
So, this eating unprocessed thing is a little tougher than I thought.
I went shopping at Trader Joe’s and was tempted by all kinds of things. I drastically cut back my gluten consumption about six months ago when I decided to try a gluten-free diet for my son. I am able to pass by bread with hardly any effort now, but chocolate-hazelnut sandwich cookies? That just isn’t fair!
It is always eye opening when you take the time to read labels. I have plenty of experience due to my son’s various intolerances, but today brought it to a whole new level. Case in point: a jar of pimento stuffed olives. You know, the green ones with the little strip of red stuff where the pit should be that are kind of fun to play with when you are a kid? I figured this would be an easy one. Olives, pimento, salt, maybe some vinegar and garlic. Nope, they contained carageenan and a few other things that I don’t remember and certainly don’t have in my pantry. That was disappointing.
For dinner tonight I had planned on serving pho. I spent all day Sunday making the broth from some lamb bones since my son can’t have beef. It was over 95 degrees today though, (?!?!) so my husband wasn’t up for some hot soup. He wanted fried chicken. Hmmm. So I had some sautéed swiss chard, raw carrots and cucumbers and one piece of chicken, sans skin. And I was starving after. Actually, I wasn’t really starving, I was craving junk simply because I had decided I wasn’t going to eat any. If I was not consciously trying to avoid unprocessed food I would have been fine. I was able to stop the cravings with a celery stick filled with local goat cheese topped with black olives. (Not green)
So what is unprocessed food you may ask? For the purposes of October Unprocessed it is suggested that we use “The Kitchen Test” namely,
Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with whole-food ingredients.
What do you think? Is that a good description?
Have you taken the pledge yet? I need some support! As of my writing this post 5016 people have pledged and the number is climbing. Join in!
Peace and Calm,
Teresa
PUMPKINS!!!
Yay! Our Produce Pick of the Week is Pumpkins!
A pumpkin my son grew. Maybe he will eat it since he grew it himself?
I kinda like pumpkins. Unfortunately, I live with a man and little boy who think they don’t. I keep trying to serve it to them though. Eventually they will come around.
Pumpkins are chock full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. They marry well with some very healthy spices like cinnamon and ginger. They can be used in every course; from appetizer, to soup, to main, to dessert. You can roast your own pumpkins of course, but don’t feel bad if you find yourself reaching for a can. As long as the only ingredient is pumpkin, you are good. Ideally, you should get a BPA free can, and try to get organic if possible, but this is not a deal breaker. I am 99% sure that the Trader Joe’s pumpkin can is BPA free, and I am sure there are a few more out there.
I’ll be posting some pumpkin recipes soon!
Peace and Calm,
Teresa
October Unprocessed
Today is Saddle-Up Sunday!
It is also the last day of September, which means it is just one day until October Unprocessed starts!
What, you may ask, is October Unprocessed? Three years ago Andrew at Eating Rules wondered what would happen if he went an entire month without eating any processed food. So he and a few friends gave it a try. It has now grown into over 4,000 people taking a pledge to eliminate or reduce their intake of processed foods.
Don’t be intimidated by the commitment. The October Unprocessed philosophy and the AT: Your Life philosophy are very similar. Start where you are, and make positive changes. If you want to commit to an entire month with zero processed food, great. If you think all you can muster up is to give up soda, or eat unprocessed one day a week, or one meal a day, great. As long as you are moving in the right direction.
Interested? Sign up on Eating Rules and you will get a daily email with encouragement, recipes and tips. You can also download the Official Guide to October Unprocessed. I will be playing along and will post updates on AT: Your Life and on our facebook page. I’d love to hear about your progress as well!
Peace and Calm,
Teresa
Fitness Made Fun
It’s Fitness Friday!
You may have noticed that there aren’t a lot of Public Service Announcements out there urging children to get to the gym to workout. Instead, the recommendation is to get them outside and then let their natural ability to move take over. You can do the same. You don’t need to go to the gym to get some movement in your life if you don’t want to.
The weekends are a perfect time to get outside and reconnect with nature. Go for a hike. Go play in the water: kayak, canoe, row boat, swim. Climb some trees. Play tag. Play ball. Jump rope. Have some fun with it.
Gyms are great, and they serve a purpose, but don’t forget about the world.
Peace and Calm,
-Teresa
Getting back to it
Hello,
I am getting adjusted to having my little one in kindergarden. He has been in school for a week now, and so far things seem to be going well. Fingers crossed.
Now that I have some time back on my hands, I have a huge list of things I want to get done. Clean out closets, tame my endless clutter, weed through the bins of toys in my son’s room that he never plays with because he is too busy playing with our stuff, etc.
Also on my list: get back into blogging, finish my nutritional consultant course, prepare healthy food for the family, and exercise.
Here is my tentative plan for exercising:
Monday – swim
Tuesday – yoga class
Wednesday – rest
Thursday – walk in the canyon
Friday – swim
Saturday – yoga class
In addition, I have gotten in the habit of doing at least three sun salutations and a few gentle stretches each night and want to add more in the morning. I also will still be running around with my little guy when school is out.
I am recovering from a long standing injury, so I will be easing into this routine and may need to adjust it if the pain flares up. For now, I am hopeful that this will be the year I finally get in shape.
How are you doing?
Peace and Calm,
-Teresa
Posted in Workout Wednesday
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Popsicles!
Annabelle here. Teresa is experiencing technical glitches this week and asked me to post these recipes for popsicle’s that her sister (Amelia) shared.
They can be made in any popsicle mold, or like Amelia and Teresa did, in an ice tray with skewers cut to size with some kitchen shears for handles. Perfect for the kids!
During the summer months I crave Fudgesicles pretty much non stop. The weather in Chicago has finally cool a bit but today I am heading to San Antonio to see my folks, and it’s triple digits there! I think I should test out these pops myself!
Popsicles:
For all popsicle recipes, add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add more or less coconut milk/water depending on whether you are using frozen or fresh fruit. Feel free to adjust ingredient amounts according to your taste.
Piña Colada
1c pineapple
½ banana
1c mango
½ c unsweetened coconut
½ c coconut milk
Chocolate Covered Cherry
2c sweet cherries, pitted
1 banana
½ c coconut milk
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
Peanut Butter Smoothie
1 c Unsweetened, natural peanut butter
½ c blueberries
1c coconut milk
After blending, stir in ½ c granola
Green Popsicle
2 large leaves of Kale or Collard greens,
or 1 c tightly packed spinach
1 apple, cored
1c mango
½ c water
Summer Cool
1 ½ c melon
(cantaloupe, Tucson, honeydew, etc.)
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
Juice of half a lemon and half a lime
Banana Pops
Ripe bananas
Smooth, unsweetened peanut butter
Unsweetened coconut, chopped nuts, granola, etc.
Peel bananas and cut in half. Into the cut end of each half, insert a popsicle stick. Lay the bananas on a parchment lined plate and freeze for about 1-2 hours, until firm. Dip the frozen bananas in peanut butter, and then dip in coating of choice. Place back on plate and freeze until firm.
Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized
Tagged dessert, diet, health, healthy living, recipe
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