It’s a Wonderful Life + Leftovers

Happy day after Thanksgiving!!  One of my favorite movies about the best kind of gratitude… gratitude for being alive : ).  Enjoy your leftovers…  Have a wonderful weekend & I’ll see ya Monday!

Persimmons in Season + a side of Gratitude

“People from all faiths pray to God in their own way; they pray for a million things— various blessings, achievements, goals, and boons.  Every time a prayer is fulfilled, a feeling of immense gratitude wells up.  How long will this feeling last?  That varies according to each person’s ability to hold the power of gratitude, to sustain the transforming awareness of God’s grace.”  An excerpt from The Yoga of Discipline by Swami Chidvilasananda (Gurumayi)

I love that excerpt.. and that book. : )  By the way… Persimmons are in season.  I think they recently beat out apples as being my favorite fruit.  I hope everyone in the U.S. has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday… I’ll have a sweet lil gratitude-ful movie for you on Friday… then I’ll be back on Monday posting as usual.  It’s the holiday season….

Healthy Thanksgiving Side: Zucchini Stuffed Stuffing

“God is great. God is good.  Let us thank him (or her) for our food.  Amen”  -You know….that mealtime prayer…

I experimented for a healthier take on a typically nutrient-lacking, calorie-dense Thanksgiving day favorite.  This version has lots of interesting texture, a good dose of nutrition, and a nice blend of flavor for a traditional stuffing dish taste.   To lighten it up, I substituted zucchini for an overload of bread.

Serves  appx. 8.

Ingredients:

8 cups Mixture of Dark Rye and Sprouted Rye torn bread pieces

2 Zucchini

1/2 Cup Sauvignon Blanc

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

3/4 Red Onion

1 Cup Celery

2 Cloves of Garlic

Fresh Sage, Thyme, Parsley

Celery Salt

1.5 C Dry Cranberries

5 Oz Lightly Candied Walnuts (I used Trader Joe’s)

1-2 Cups Vegetable Broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread bread pieces in pan and toast in oven for 20 minutes.

3. Sautee sliced zucchini, chopped red onion, chopped celery, and 1 clove minced garlic in white wine and olive oil on medium heat until zucchini is tender.

4.  Simmer 2 Cups Vegetable broth on stovetop on low heat.

5.  Combine contents of Sautee pan with toasted bread crumbs in baking dish.  Lightly moisten any dry bread cubes with vegetable broth.  Use as much as needed (1-2 C) to moisten, not drench, bread.

6. Add 5 oz. lightly candied walnuts and 1.5 C Dried cranberries.  Liberally add fresh sage, thyme, parsley to pan.  Season entire dish with celery salt, to taste + 1 clove minced garlic.

7.  Bake covered with foil for appx. 30 min.  Bake uncovered for appx. 20 min.

Thankful.

“… To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving…” – An excerpt from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this thing of gratitude.. as this is especially the week for it.  Gratitude seems to be woven into life in many forms…manners, appreciation for the many gifts- in whatever form- that may be bestowed.  While appreciation for the various people, things, and circumstances that are had in life is one take, more and more I’m thinking of gratitude simply as a perspective.  It seems that the mind’s default setting is to become transfixed on the challenges and limitations that are faced in life vs. the opportunities that may be apparent or hiding underneath the surface.  So often I think something different should be happening in my life.  I put up resistance.. And so often I am proven wrong.. That wasn’t what was ’supposed’ to happen…the unfolding of things suddenly make some kind of sense and I am grateful for the initial challenge or obstacle that brought me to that point.

So, Gratitude for the opportunity of every day and the joys and learning opportunities that come along with it.  I suppose it is a glass-half-full concept… which brings me to the question of why?  I’m not the type to adopt a mentality based on popularity… or because someone tells me I should.  Well for one,  the shift of looking at the possibility and opportunity of a given situation rather than obsessing over conflict, seems to lend itself toward a more spirited existence.   Letting go of or working thru the things that are desired but can’t be changed, while attributing thanks to what is… somehow makes circumstances seem more purposeful and injects an enviable lightheartedness.  I’m also finding it makes the path of least resistance more accessible.  My thoughts are more productive, skillful when I am in this frame of mind. For me, it doesn’t create this constant up, up, up, everything is good, good, good… which can be misleading.  Instead, it allows me to be more open to the experience, whatever it may be.

I love this excerpt from the chapter on Love from The Prophet.  I like it for the theme of gratitude because of it’s insistance on morning diligence.  Before I get out of bed, I try to set this inspiring intention for my day.  I’m curious as to if anyone else has a similar practice..?  Something that helps you to remember… because that is what I find most challenging… Remembering to stop, and shift my perspective.

UP… up & away + Portobello Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

Image by Disney Pixar

Have you seen UP yet?  It was just released on DVD last week! SUCH a cute movie… although more for adults than kids.  Thematically, I saw it as a sort of tapestry of lifelong learning, making it a perfect & timely pick : )

Portobello Burger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Large Portobello mushroom caps

4 Whole wheat hamburger buns

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Gorgonzola Cheese

Pea shoots

Tomato

Trader Joe’s Champagne Pear Vinaigrette w/ Gorgonzola (or something similar).

1. Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil in small bowl.

2.  Cover Mushroom caps in mixture.

3. Sautee mushroom caps for 2-4 minutes on each side on low heat until tender and heated throughout.

4.  Top whole wheat bun with mushroom steak, tomato, pea shoots, gorgonzola, and a spread of vinaigrette dressing.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

Serves 4

3-4 Sweet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 in. wedges or strips

3.  Place on baking sheet.  Brush with Olive oil.  Sprinkle with Salt and cinammon

4. Bake 45 minutes.

South American Chocolate

“Kevin’s a girl?!?!” — Russell

How To… Shadowbox using old magazines

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” -Marcel Proust

So I wanted to do a DIY this week that related to learning, adventure, and travel… since that’s what I’ve been thinkin’ about… Yesterday’s post about experiences in different cities and countries reminded me that the glimmer of self and world- discovery can soon easily fade after the trip has passed.   Then I thought about my sister’s bathroom.  Er.. my sister has the most insightful bathroom I think I’ve ever been in.  She’s got shadowboxes and frames with quotes, etc… the Tao Te Ching up on a shelf.  Anyway, somehow two and two in my brain equaled travel shadowboxes (or whatever)… to help remind of travels and lessons of the past.  I love that feeling when you flip thru old photos that you haven’t looked at in a while… and the feeling of the place and time just wells up inside.  Do do doo.

Materials:

3-4 old magazines

razor blade

shadow box frame

photos

glue gun

photo glue

pretty paper

other knick knacks and doo dads that you want to add.

1. Play around with layouts.  Determine which photos to add layering and dimension to.

2.  With the bind of the magazine in line with the top edge of the photo, cut entire magazine to the dimensions of the photo using razor blade.  Use multiple magazines or those of varying thickness to create effect.

3.  Use hot glue gun to adhere magazines together and magazines to backdrop.  Use photo glue to adhere photos to backdrop and magazines.

4.  Add embellishments and frame.

The Global Experience.

One of the most powerful antidotes for being chronically “in my head” is the exploration of places, people, and cultures.  Examining the differences and similarities, analyzing what seems to work and what doesn’t… it opens up such a wonderful learning opportunity which can lead to the assimilation of life-enhancing practices or teach something of the self that wasn’t quite apparent in a familiar environment.  So often when I travel or study culture, proverbial veils are lifted….this is my favorite type of learning.  Below are some experiences of my own and of some friends who have shared with me.

New York, NY. People are a movin’ and a shakin’.  I think it would be hard to be lazy and live in New York.  Being surrounded by the tenacity of New Yorkers made me very motivated.  Well, motivated to go out and jog on a cold day, anyway..

Photo by Abigail Gallagher

Uruguay. What struck me the most as I discovered more and more of this tiny, almost unknown country was the openhearted and selfless nature of its people.  A very sharing, hospitable culture, it was not uncommon for class notes to be shared, (quite the contrary in fact; it was viewed as competitive if you didn’t).  I did not encounter anyone who was not more than willing to share a ride, a meal, or even a sip from their yerba maté bombilla (straw). – Abigail Gallagher

Photo by J. Munzer

Umbria, Italy. In the small towns in Italy, there is a sense of community, like I have never seen before.  When the weather is nice, people gather at  9 or 10pm on weeknights in the piazza or on the streets, merely to socialize.  The adults converse and the kids play.  On the weekends, there are even more people that come out to the narrow streets to take part.  It feels as if everyone in the little town has come out to play.

Photo Credit: Buşteni Restromania

Buşteni, Romania. The second place I lived in Romania was Buşteni, a magnificent small mountain village that offered me a true taste of raw, rough, untouched nature. It fed me in such remarkable and nurturing ways that go beyond words and exist only in experience, and, this is the best lesson Romania gave me. The reality of living my life through immediate experience, not my interpretation of the experience. -Catrina C.

(the beach on a weekday).

Barcelona, Spain.  There is a feeling in the air… every day… even at 8am on a Monday morning, that it is a weekend.  It doesn’t seem as if people are rushing.  Instead, they are enjoying… whether it’s their breakfast at a café or their walk down the street. It seems they very much work to live and not the opposite.

Photo by J. Munzer

Manchester, U.K. I’m a Northern girl! So I love Liverpool and Manchester.  Especially Manchester with its vibrancy.  I recently visited there as I was watching a gig and it was fantastic.  I love how multi- cultural the city is… The hustle and bustle and people-watching over my cappuccino…. The array of vintage shops and the student vibe.  -Lisa from Pennycones

Photo by J. Munzer

The village of Willington, Derbyshire, England. There are so many open spaces.  You can be walking in a forest or looking over a reservoir within a few miles of leaving your front door.  People here smile, they say hello. Even if you know them or not!  The local canal is always so nice to walk down.  It’s peaceful and always a joy to see the narrowboats with their individual owners’ personality stamped on them. At this time of year when the weather turns for the worse, I always wonder what their life is like on these little boats.  The solitude, the freedom and the simplicity.  A life, I think one day, I would quite like. -Lisa from Pennycones

Photo by Ingrid T.

Germany. There is not quite as much broad friendliness as in America, like smiling and talking to strangers, and the like.  But there is an authenticity in their interactions whether it be on the street or among friends.  If someone talks to you here, they are very likely to listen intently and care about the answer. -Ingrid T.

Thanks so much to my contributors: Lisa from Pennycones, Ingrid T., Abby G., Catrina C., and J. Munzer for photos.

I would love to hear about your favorite places…..

Healthy Thanksgiving Side: Fresh Cranberry Salsa

“The essence of intelligence is extracting meaning from everyday experience.” -Albert Einstein

This Thanksgiving, skip the high fructose corn syrup-laden canned cranberry sauce. Was my family the only one that still bought that? yuck.  Fresh cranberries have tons of health benefits and can be prepared easily and taste great when sweetened with stevia.  This recipe is very low calorie, has a salsa-ey texture, and a little kick (which I like…. you may need to sweeten till you get the desired sweetness… honey works great for this).

Makes 8+ servings.

Ingredients:

2 – 12 Oz bags of Fresh Cranberries

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Water (can sub for juice, I subbed 1/2 C Acai berry juice–really yummy).

Stevia and/or honey (to taste).  I used appx 2-3 tbsp Stevia.

1 Apple

1 Orange

Fresh Mint

1. Bring juice & H2O to a boil in medium saucepan.

2. Add Cranberries. Bring back to a boil, then simmer for appx. 10 minutes, or until most of the berries have popped.

3.  Sweeten to taste with Stevia and/or honey.

4. Cool.  Add diced orange & apple + chopped mint.

Lifelong Learning

“Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”                                                                             – Mahatma Gandhi

I came across this well known quote  just as I was contemplating going to graduate school.  At the time I felt enthused and empowered by the subject matter that I hoped to study, yet was wrestling of this thing of… “well, when then, is my life really going to start?”  I saw the quote etched on a stone in a little store in a tiny mountain town (Idylwild, CA).  The quote resonated in my mind, and reminded me that learning isn’t a one time thing or a one stop shop.  It’s a continual process whether it be graduate school, yoga practice, or being a loving husband/wife/mother/daughter/son, etc.  In realizing this (a duh/aha moment), I asked myself…”Is this what I’m willing to devote my life to… to be poor for, for the next 10 years?”  The answer in my head was simple and affirmative.  While school can be a wonderfully worthwhile endeavor, this quote isn’t about school.  For me, it’s about living in the moment, yet enjoying the process.  Keeping goals in mind, but acknowledging that the evolution and development that takes place is equally, if not more, valuable.  (These end goals we have in mind are simply societal infrastructure… and there will be infinitely more to attain once we get there)…. Letting go of thoughts that I’m too old, too set in my ways to learn something new.  And to remember, no matter what degrees we’ve attained or accomplishments we’ve made, that there is so much knowledge and information out there…. to have the humility of being a lifelong student.

I’m also reminded of the last line of a poem that I love and found via 2000 Dollar Wedding; the poem is called The Summer Day by Mary Oliver and it ends like this:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Well, learn some things, I will….

10 Things…

So, Melissa from Design Delights, who may very well be one of the sweetest people that I haven’t yet met, sent me this little award/project:

I’ll tell you ten things about me and then you can tell me ten things about you.

1.  I’m one of seven children, (second to youngest).

2.  I’m currently trying to think of names for the monkeys in my header.  Let me know if you have any ideas.

3.  My bachelor’s degree is in Molecular Biology, which usually makes people think I’m pretty smart. It’s deceptive.  Smart would have been doing what I loved instead of trying to look smart.  Maybe I’ll use it sometime.

4.  My sisters are my soul mates.

5.  I moved home to live with my parents so I could invest in my dreams. I call my mom mee mee moo moo.  I’m also recommending her for sainthood.

6. I wear sweatpants.  Every. Day.

7.  I’m curious as to what happens when we die…. I have some ideas, but how is anyone really to know?

8.   I stopped wearing regular deodorant because of the parabens and aluminum.  I’m now using Crystal… I’m about 90% satisfied.  Any recs?

9.  I’ve come to realize that I was a lot smarter before the age of about 7 or 8.  I’m now attempting to reclaim that innocent wisdom.

10.  Facebook just asked me to take a quiz to find out if I’m a girly girl or a sexy tomboy… I better go take it so I can find out… psych. I’m going to go play with my nieces because it’s the weeeeekend!

(11).  I’m currently practicing for the cover of Yoga Journal (Ahem..No, silly, I practice because It’s my devotion… and if Yoga Journal happens to come a knocking, I’ll let ‘em in).

Photo by Jeff Stella.

I’d love to pass this along to some of my new blogging friends:

Emilia from Auburn & Ivory

Lisa from Pennycones

Robin from the Poverty Diet

Rebecca from Dog Eared