Digging Deep

Hello!  Hello? 

Oh, I know.  It's all my fault.  I have been awful about blogging lately, and I don't have any good excuses.  I suppose I could say that I have been busy, but I was busy before, and I was cranking out posts left and right. I could also say that it's summer, and we are lounging poolside every day, but the reality is that it has been unbearably hot, and we have been spending the majority of our days indoors.  This has provided me with ample computer time, and there is no reason why I couldn't jot down a few posts while Grace is watching "The Polar Express" for the 100th time.

So just what have I been doing that has kept me away from all of your lovely faces?

Well, I've been doing things like drinking 2 giant cups of water before my morning coffee.  It may not sound hard, but it is, and if you don't believe me, I dare you to try it.
I have also been committing to stretching my body before I crack open my trusty old laptop, and get flooded by a wealth of useless information.  Some days I am really formal about it, and I roll out my yoga mat and perform 5 beautiful sun salutations, but 0ther days, I do them right there on the kitchen floor while dreaming of my first sip of hot, delicious coffee.

After all that water drinking and stretching, I sit down with my hard earned cup of coffee, a pen, and my journal, to write down 5 things for which I am grateful.  A few weeks ago I was writing things like, "I am thankful for air conditioning and strawberry rhubarb pie.", but now I am digging a little deeper and liking what I see.

While Grace naps in the afternoon, I have committed to trying different forms of meditation. It is new to me, and I am amazed at how hard it is to shut off  my mind.  Instead of feeling totally enlightened, I mostly wonder if I look cool, find myself making mental grocery lists, and wondering if I should paint the living room a lovely butter cream yellow.  It's true, I am no pro, but each time I sit cross-legged on the ground and close my eyes, I feel like I am one step further to becoming the next Dalai Lama.

I have also been eating an adundance of beautiful tomatoes and juicy watermelon, but that's a blog post for another time.

These teeny-tiny changes have me feeling better, both mentally and physically, than I have in a long time.  I'm sad it has taken time away from my blog, but in the end, I think it will be worth it.
So here's to digging deeper and finding little treasures within yourself.

Ohm, (giggle!)
Lana

Three Things I Love About Summer

Giant zucchini.

Plump, cherry tomatoes that burst open when you bite into them.

Freshly harvested red peppers, that are still warm and crisp from the sun.
(Please ignore the dirt on G's hands.  One of the joys of picking your own vegetables is getting a little dirty, and I couldn't bare to ruin the moment with a good hand washing.)

My Kiddo Loves Veggies, Press on Tattoos, and Drippy Red Popsicles,
Lana

Jiminy Cricket! Is that you?

This morning, when I stepped into the kitchen to pour myself some coffee, I noticed a cricket on our floor.
Grace noticed it, too, and immediately started asking if it was Jiminy Cricket.

I told her I didn't think so, but she should get closer and take a better look just to be on the safe side.
At first she was a little hesitant.

But she got braver.

And braver.

And before I knew it, she was showing Jiminy how she could hop.
Unfortunately, she hopped a little too close.

Oh, well.  I don't really think it was Jiminy Cricket, anyway.

Have the kind of weekend that's good to your conscience!
Love,
Lana,

Book Giveaway!

Right around this time last year, I ordered a book by John Robbins called "Diet for a New America".  It was impossible for me to know in advance the impact it would have on me, and before reading it, I had very little knowledge of the animal husbandry practices in the United States. I honestly believed that the only animals that were being mistreated were the calves who were being slaughtered for veal, and because of that, I have never eaten it.  I never thought to question the ways that all of the other animals were being treated, and I assumed that by eating chicken 5-6 times a week, instead of red meat, I was being as health conscious as I possibly could be.
Boy, was I wrong.
Without going into all of the gruesome details, let's just say that what I read was enough to make me stop eating meat right there on the spot, and I have never looked back.  I couldn't bare to be a part of the reason why so many animals were mistreated, and the decision is one that I will never regret.  Not only has my decision had many physical benefits, (Yes, I lost weight!) but mentally I have become more aware of all of the things that I put into my body and slather onto my skin.
In summary,  I have become one of those people.
I'll be the first person to preach about all of the reasons you should consider giving up, or greatly reducing your intake of meat, but I also understand why so many of us are afraid to do so.  For years, we have been bombarded with advertisements telling us to be healthy, strong and beautiful, we have to consume animal products.  What would happen to our skin, our bones, our waistlines, if, heaven forbid, we actually stopped eating all of the food the government has been force feeding us?
Could we actually become a healthier nation?  Could obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer become diseases of the past?

That book ignited a passion in me, and ever since reading it,  I have greedily devoured every piece of literature I can find looking for answers to those questions. . I want to know why we have been being duped by our government for so long, and how come the health of our nation is falling to the wayside.  Are the FDA and the USDA really more concerned about making money than keeping us healthy?  Sadly, yes they are.

On Friday, I picked up a book called "Food Matters"  at the library,and it has sort of turned my meatless world upside down.  It's one of those reads that makes you want to strike up conversations with random strangers, and one that causes you to send late night texts to your friends and sisters. It's eye-opening and appalling, and if you can read it and not want to change your eating habits, I would be amazed.  The author, Mark Bittman, is one of my favorite food writers of all time, and in a way that has never been done before, he eloquently shows us that food does, indeed, matter.  Not just to our waistlines, but to the entire future of our planet. Not once does he ask you to stop eating meat, so don't worry, you don't have to say bon voyage to bacon or farewell to a juicy filet mignon, but you do have to make some changes.

Today, because nothing I write here does this book justice, and because I am very passionate about exactly what this book is about, I am giving away a copy of "Food Matters" to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how many times a week you eat meat.  Not just red meat, but any kind of meat. 

Weiner will be announced by midnight on Wednesday!  Good luck to ya!

Good luck!
Lana

The Drought Tolerant Cookie

It's so hot outside that I am beginning to feel like Grace and I are under house arrest.  After I have my morning coffee, we head out into the yard, walk across crunchy, brown grass, and water the vegetable and flowers.  Even with the daily, (sometimes twice daily!) watering, they are all looking pretty lame, and as soon as we finish, we head inside to start our day.

Indoor play, while fun for a day or two, really starts to suck after almost a week.
Instead of enjoying the summertime like we should be, popsicles have been replaced with finger painting, swimming has been replaced with the latest episode of "Charlie and Lola", and nap time has become a thing of the past.  You see, as much as I wish it were true, finger painting isn't as exhausting as running, jumping, and splashing around in the pool. Therefore, I no longer have time to do the things I used to do while Grace was napping.
Who needs to shower, anyway?  Not me.

In order to save my sanity, I invented a cookie today. 
It's a good little cookie, and it's crammed full of good-for-you ingredients, like sweet potatoes and raisins!
Go ahead and try it.  You know you want to.

The Drought Tolerant Cookie  
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup banana puree
1 cup raisins, soaked in warm water to plump them up
5 Dove dark chocolate squares, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
cooking spray or Crisco  to grease cookie sheet

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
-Use a spoon to scoop the dough up and gently form it into a ball. Place dough ball on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
-Bake for 20 minutes.
-Cool completely on a wire rack.