A Nugget in My Pocket

For the past several months,
I have been in Yoga Teacher Training-

I love what yoga does for my mind and my body,
I love that yoga provides for me something that
NOTHING else can even compare with.
I love the concept of yoga,
the poses of yoga and the
application of yoga to daily life-

I guess it's safe to say that
I <3 YOGA!

So while I am in my 
"What do I want to do when I grow up" stage,
I thought doing Yoga Teacher Training would be fun!

I have loved it,
BUT I have to confess, that it has really
taken me on an emotional road of
self discovery and self awareness
that I was TOTALLY unprepared for!

I'm not sure if this happens to everyone-
or just someone like me who is carrying more
garbage than they know about or
want to admit.

One thing that has just been KILLING me
over the past several YEARS
is some decisions that my hubs and I have made
that have me really conflustered!

Because going into them would take all
the cloud space google has to offer, I will
spare you the details-
but in a nutshell, I just can't seem to find any
peace or comfort in this one set of questions.

Well, as I was studying one day,
I had a distinct feeling that I needed to
Quit counting LOSSES-

Devastating MN bridge collapse

HUH, what do you mean 'counting losses'?
It didn't take long before I understood-

Beautiful lesson in the value of family, wellness and gratitude for each day

Over the past 5-6 years we have moved
from wonderful home,
to temporarily living in a friends basement,
to dream home,
to 21 hotel rooms,
back to dream home,
to temporary housing in CA,
to rental home,
to another 4 month temp stint in a hotel,
to dream neighborhood (not so dream home),
to temporary housing in TX,
to TX home...

Did you keep up??
Yeah! Me either!!

Sometimes a blessing is just around the corner of that little maze of life

Anyway,
we have tried really hard to have good attitudes-
we've teased about many of the dynamics of
each crazy living arrangement.
We've laughed, we've joked,
we've made the best of EVERY situation-
until now.
And for some reason, the emotions of the past
several years have crept up and gotten a tight
grasp on a lot of our hearts.

So as I was studying and pondering the impact
of all these moves on my courage and faith to move
forward in uncertain situations, I realized that I
am more cautious, more timid and less trusting
and outgoing than I normally have been.
And I've realized that I kinda don't like it!

I realized I have been counting losses that have
been accumulated over the course of all this change-
loss of stabilty,
loss of friends,
loss of connection,
loss of time due to acclimation,
loss of time due to emotions left unchecked,
loss of..... the list is long-

But by counting all these losses,
I was completely and totally neglecting
all the GAINS of the past several years-
gain of experience,
gain of knowledge,
gain of travel,
gain of friends,
gain of perspective,
gain of empathy,
gain of.... and the list can go on and on-

Annual 4th of July Bike Parade

Friends from birth-

It was such a simple switch,
such a simple & beautiful concept,
and such an empowering concept,
that for some reason I had completely missed it all
while out planning my own Pity Party.

I wish I could declare to friends and family that
this life is all about wonder and beauty and blessings
and abundance and ease and comfort and security
and health and wellness and goodness-

Blessings abound in every obstacle we might face

It just ain't
(that was life before the apple)

BUT 
even amidst it's trial and testing and challenges
and obstacles and doubt and confusion and
frustration and disappointment and
unrealized dreams and hardship and loss
and suffering and pain-
LIFE HAS
has elements of Heaven wrapped up in every day-
we might have to look,
we might have to do a little digging and
for sure, definitely, and most likely
we might have to put on different colored glasses
to see it-
but I know like I know nothing else that
mercy, grace and absolute love
FILL our very existence
every day, every hour, every minute-

Do you see gross dog germs or the faithful companionship between a girl and her dog?

It all depends on if we are going to pick these
little nuggets up and carry them away in our back pockets!

Parenting 101: Create a Vision

I shared here about an opportunity I had to
speak to a large group about Successful Parenting-
Creating a Vision was the first suggestion I offered to them
as one family habit we have that has made a BIG
difference in our lives...

I am a huge advocate of being a Visionary
when it comes to our own personal lives.

Just like a Mission Statement helps a family, school
or company identify what it is the group
wants to 'DO' and accomplish,

a Vision Statement for an individual
helps identify who we want to BE
and who we will BECOME on this journey
we call life!

We might be DOING what we want to be doing-
but unhappy or dissatisfied because we are NOT
BEING who we want to BE! However, without a
Vision Statement how would we know we
were off target?

Work together to create a vision for your family! 

Proverbs 29:18 councils us “where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

Where do you see yourself, your children 

and your family in 5, 10 or 30 years?

What do you need to do to get there? 

What do you feel is important for your children to learn and become? 

Involve your children, regardless of how old they are

with your FAMILY VISION STATEMENT-

When your children are involved in the family vision, 

they feel a sense of ownership and they have 

an increased desire to support the success of this vision. 

Having a family vision helps us to set priorities in our 

family’s resource management. 

It helps us determine where to spend our time, money and efforts.

Good questions to ask yourself when trying to decide 

how to make a family vision and where to focus your efforts are:

1) does it keep us on track to return as a family back to Heaven Father’s presence and 

2) does this bring our family closer to reaching our divine potential? 

Having a solid family and personal vision will help the family

and/or the individual know how to prioritize their time,

choose wisely the activities they engage in and 

make wise social decisions BEFORE the decision actually 

becomes an issue. 

We have seen the value of this Vision Statement in a few 

different types of situations that seem to recur on a fairly

frequent pattern in our home:

1. The first place our Vision Statement comes in handy is

when we are trying to decide if we can successfully add 

another regularly scheduled lesson or activity to the calendar. 

One of the VISIONS for our family is having a strong sense of 

unity and family bonds.

To ensure the best environment for this cohesiveness to be nourished,

we strive for five nights per week that we can ALL be home

for scripture study and family prayer (with teens, I KNOW this

is hard! It's what we strive for and by the way,

nobody ever said parenting was EASY).

If a new activity looks like it will compromise that VISION,

we don't add it the calendar-

it doesn't even get PENCILED in!! 

If the activity is very important to someone,

we look for ways to add the activity that WON'T have negative 

impact on our family, or we look at what we can CUT from

our lives to make room in our schedule.

2. The second way that having a VISION STATEMENT has proven

valuable is in the blessings that come from seeing ALL that has

already been accomplished from previous VISION STATEMENTS!

It is nice to see how far you've already come on a goal or a vision.

This is ESPECIALLY helpful at times when life gets a little discouraging-

when the bumps and bruises of life deflect from the good and beautiful.

Having a Vision Statement will help keep us focused when life gets a 

little out of balance.

And it helps us see the bigger picture when we feel we've 

gotten off track of the important stuff of life!

Life can get really busy. Life can get really hard!

It is important that whatever we add to our lives

adds JOY, allows us to find and share HAPPINESS

and brings us to a state of peaceful accomplishment-

Black Mango Salsa

I'm going to be straight forward on this one-
maybe if you know how I felt about it first,
you won't be so hesitant to try it for yourself,

If I saw Mango Salsa on a menu,
I would have avoided the dish it was with!
The first time I was served it at a friends house,
I politely declined dishing it up!
And I NEVER would have looked for a recipe
for Mango Salsa-
it just wasn't on my radar-
I think fruits are sweet,
and I didn't need no Heat to my Sweet!!

And than I got trickered-
and I partook of that sweet fruit,
mixed in with some serious spice-
and I found myself a little bit hooked!

So yesterday,
as I was peeling mangoes,
and thinking they were absolutely perfect-
and I saw the kiwi in the fruit bowl,
and the blackberries on the counter-
I knew I had to get me a mango salsa FIX!
"Hey Kids, who wants mango salsa and pita chips
for afterschool snack today?"
I can ALWAYS convince myself,
that my needs really meet the needs of others-
it's the mother in me!

Ooh La LA,
That's all I have left to say,
okay except for
Isn't it beautiful?

Mango Salsa

4 mangoes, peeled and cut in dices
10 blackberries, cut in half if they are big
2 kiwi, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
jalapeno, large minced
1 TBSP. crystallized ginger
small pinch of sea salt (I actually skip this, but I'm not a salt lover)
(My recipe calls for fresh pineapple too, but I left it out this time,
and I really liked it without)

after the blackberries had time to spread their love of color

Blueberry Salmon

I'm having a bit of an affair with Blueberries right now,
besides all the hub bub about anti-oxidants
and all the yummy goodness they spit out,
I just heard that they are a natural anti-inflammatory,
and I have me some dumb old
Lupus/ arthritis inflammation-
so instead of a bunch of pills,
I'm going for a bunch of blueberries!!

I found a recipe for Blueberry Salsa
and honestly for a month I was obsessed!
The kind of obsessed that bugs people,
and they say things like
"Seriously Mom, you've mentioned that
blueberry salsa like 20 times today,
just make it already"
"OK, OK little miss smarty pants,
if you're going to insist,
I'll get busy and make it."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,
it was sooooooooooooooooooooooo,
good!! OH SO GOOD!!!

We have served it with tortilla chips,
eaten it with pita chips,
put it on sandwiches,
served it as a topping for our
favorite Blueberry BBQ sauce,
and just last night,
ate it on our Ginger Lime Salmon

Now that's some good stuff

(and all this in one week)
Yeah you could say OBSESSED
Are you ready for it,
'cuz here it comes...

Blue & Black-berry Salsa

1 cup fresh blueberries
10 blackberries
1/4 red onion
1 teaspoon lime zest
juice of two limes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 avocado, chopped (I left this out this time)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine blueberries, strawberries, onion, lime zest, juice and cilantro in a food processor or blender and pulse. Process to your desired consistency. I tend to like a little chunk to my salsa's. Season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Well just in case you want to know what little
miss smarty pants said after I made it,
it sounded a lot like
"Seriously mom, all that obsessing was
like TOTALLY worth it"

Not Gonna Take That Opinion

I went to the doctor the other day.
My arthritis has really been raging
and my allergies are LIKE
way out of control- which is causing
a whole myriad of issues that I
would like to get under control!
So I took this opportunity to try
out a new doctor...

I am desperately searching for a
local doctor that can handle my
health & my wellness!!

I take my health care a little like the good ole'
Donny & Marie song,
"I'm a little bit country,
and a little bit Rock n' Roll"
but more like,
"I want a little bit Western medicine
 
and a little bit Eastern thought"






I have a health issue-
but I don't want it to define
me in any way-
but it's there, and it has
to be considered when thinking
about the whole me-
but let me say again-
I DON'T WANT IT TO DEFINE
WHO I AM OR WHAT I CAN DO!

There is a very fine line,
and a very special balance
between the two...


So I am looking for a doctor who
can manage my lupus,
but more importantly can support my
personal health & wellness goals.

I had just such a doctor in CA,
and she was a gem,
but I just can't seem to find one here
YET! It'll come, I know!

But in the search,
I have found some real doozies!!
(is that a real word?)

The guy I saw a few days ago,
was one such doozie!
After making me wait over an hour
(that don't impressa me much)
and proceeding to talk about
everything that didn't matter to me,
he explained that the reason I don't feel
quite as well here in TX as I did in CA
is because of the constantly changing
barometric pressure,
especially here in North Texas!

Okay, okay, I can believe that weather
plays a PART to how I feel!
He should have stopped there,
I MAY have gone back for a follow up!

But poor guy,
opened his mouth again
(oh such a mistake)
and said the absolutely
WRONG THING
to me-
"I'm afraid that here in North Texas,
this is as good as your gonna get!"
"Umm, what did you say??"
"Oh, sir, you don't know me very well,
this ain't as good as it gets BUDDY"

Don't, I mean, DO NOT
ever take "this is as good as it gets"
as an answer in ANY part of your life.
If I share one piece of information
that is very valuable concerning
health and wellness, it is this-
If you don't like the advice,
it isn't for YOU!!
What sounds ok to one person,
is not ok for another!!

You and ONLY YOU own your
health! Take control, be picky
about who you allow to handle your
health!
Know your body, and if you don't-
get to know it.
 
We get one body, and it is precious.

Being knee deep in flare ups for the past
10 years has taught me one of the most
important lessons of all-
this body is a gift,
a beautiful gift-
it houses a beautiful spirit
full of more good than any of us
can even imagine!
Treat your body good, respect it,
love it and NEVER abuse it!!
If you do that-
you will know NO limitations
spiritually, mentally and physically!

Take a minute and ponder that truth-
and maybe take a minute to think
of all the good that this body has given you!

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Oh sweet wonderful oranges,
and limes & lemons-
Yes ma'am, I do,
I love Citrus,
I love the colors, the smells,
the juices, the flavor.

I even love the smell
of the citrus trees in bloom!
Yes, yes it's true,
I love Citrus.

I love to add citrus zests when
I cook and prepare food.
We use it in our salad dressings,
we use it in our sweet treats,
and we almost always add
a zip of citrus to our fresh juices

Behold the ingredients to my favorite Juice; beets, apples, lemon & ginger

and smoothies!

Strawberries, Lemon & Banana!

I've been trying to increase my veggie intake
to try to lose the dumb 5 pounds I found during
a crazy, crazy August of travel, kids and school stuff.
This is one of my favorite, quick, easy and
wonderful veggie dishes.
I make a big batch and munch on them all day-
it keeps me out of the M&M's and Chocolate Chips
that have no place in my house anyway!

See 'em up there at the top! Oh, mummy, they're yummy!

It's another one of those recipes that
I feel almost silly sharing because it
is soooo easy-
but oh soooo yummy!

This recipe makes a wonderful companion
to a simple family dinner as well
as a delightful side for any special occasion-

I have served it at home, at church functions,
and for big groups-

it's a winner that's for sure!

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

2 pounds Sugar Snap Peas
2 TBSP. butter
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
1 orange

I use a saute pan;
Add sugar snap peas with 
a very small amount of water,
just enough to allow steaming,
add the juice of 1/2 the orange 
and the sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
and cook for maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
I like my veggies al dente,
cook longer if you want them a little
more cooked.
When cooked to your liking,
zest the orange onto the beans
and top with butter.
Stir and serve!!

Save Me Some... Granola

I posted this Granola Recipe on
My other blog

I decided to share it here as well.
I really do love this  recipe for a
good, all natural, better for me
GRANOLA...

I have been avoiding Wheat and Wheat Products
for quite some time.
I can tell within two days when I am cheating
because my fingers and knees HURT,
my ankles and hands swell and I feel all over ACHY!

I can tell I've gone really too far outside of my
eating goals when my ears start to itch, my nose runs
and I break out in an all over rash (this is usually when
I am eating wheat and sugar). Add in soy to the mix
and you will quickly find me in an all over body rash
that has an itch to it that rivals poison ivy-
Though there is NO WAY
(at least that I know of)
to prove that preservatives and additives also make
me sick (its hard to find a food with preservatives that
does NOT contain one of the aforementioned products).

For me, this ain't NO DIET TREND-
it's a Quality of Life Trend!

But anytime someone asks me for menu ideas for
going Gluten Free, I panic just a little bit-
Gluten Free is a much bigger topic than simply
avoiding wheat products-
Gluten can be found in a wide range of products,
including make-up and deli meats.
For our friends with Celiac Disease (an auto-immune
disorder that causes damage- to the small intestine and
disrupts the absorption of foods; gluten is responsible
for the damage) being gluten free isn't a trend or a
dietary statement, it is a way of life.
I also highly advise those with Lupus or Crohn's Disease
to avoid gluten as much as you possibly can!

I can't guarantee the Gluten Free-edness of this
Granola Recipe-
BUT I can totally guarantee the YUMMY factor
that this recipe holds-

Really, granola is about as individual as the person
who makes it. Add whatever you like as fillers, I'm just
sharing my favorites.
I know you can buy granola at the store-
and it may even be comparable in cost-
But for me-
there is nothing like knowing what is in the food
that I eat and what I feed my kiddos!

It's a simple recipe, use whatever add ins you like best.
I love that this has no junk in it- it's just good for me,
good for you, good tasting...
It's simple Goodness
Now for Goodness Sakes go make some quick before
the kids get home from school!

Save Me Some... Granola

8 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use coconut sugar or sucanat)
2 cups add ins *
*** Mix these ingredients together.

In a small pan, combine
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup water
*** Heat these four ingredients until butter melts
(P.S. The last time I made this,
I added some cranberry balsamic vinegar that I LOVE-
the granola had a darker color, but tasted so good)

Pour over the oat and yumminess mixture.
Divide between 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

My 12 year old made this batch. How easy is that?

Bake at 300 for 30 minutes (I almost always
cook it longer than that!
Store and Enjoy

Makes me want to grab a ramekin and dish up...

Oooops! I guess I did grab a ramekin...

* Really, the sky is the limit for add ins.
If you like it,
I say it is fair game for granola!
My favorite mix ins include, but are not limited to...
 

Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Pignolias

Chopped Pecans & Large Flake Unsweetened Coconut

Coconut Oil & Pure Maple Syrup

 

Extra Thick Rolled Oats & Dried Berry Medley

The Complete Cast of Characters...

Sunday Sundaes- TK Style

I'm going to tell you about it someday!

One day when I am sure that I can speak about it
with some level of confidence and humility-
right now it is still pretty personal,
But I joined An Addiction Recovery Program.

One reason I don't want to talk about it
YET...
Is that my Addiction is a widely debated topic
in the diet, nutrition and addiction fields

Some say "ABSOLUTELY" and others
laugh and scorn and say things like
"You don't know what you're talking about"

So I've kept it relatively to myself-
I've teased with my friends for a long time that
I was going to do it,
and Finally, I decided it wasn't a joke
(at least, it wasn't to me)
and I joined a program sponsored by my church-
You can learn more here if you are interested

My addiction is to Sugar-
To me it is a real, powerful and to easy to ignore problem-

But like I said,
more on that later!!

I have found that there are a few things I can
do to enjoy Dessert Time with my family on
Sunday evenings.
This is one of my Favorite-

The Waffle Bowls are Homemade

My Hubby is the Master at Waffle Bowl Making

and are made with alternative ingredients for me
but honestly, I don't often eat mine anyway
(I've just learned I'd rather not eat,
than deal with all the substitutions sometimes)

I add some delicious Fruit-
a hearty and healthy serving thank you very much!

I add lime juice and lemon & lime rind 20 minutes before I serve it

I top my "Sundae" with Plain Greek Yogurt
flavored with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar
or Vanilla Bean Paste and Lemon Extract

What's Not Fabulous About This?

The last time we had ice cream Sundaes,
three of my five kids at home
opted for my version and said no
to the ice cream :)
Oh happy DAY