Podcast Love: Democracy Now!

I listen to a lot of podcasts. A lot. One of my jobs is going around cleaning machines at a gym, which is awesome because I don't have to talk to anyone. So, I listen to about 20 hours of podcasts/books a week.

For a long time I intentionally avoided the news. I was not interested in hearing a corporation's opinion of the news, however I found myself yearning for raw news. Knowing that this is largely impossible, I looked for a news source as minimally spun as I could find. This is what I have found in "Democracy Now!".

Democracy Now! offers a combination of global and domestic news in a one hour podcast or video per weekday. They offer interviews with a variety of people from a variety of different backgrounds. They usually go to the site of the news themselves, or contact a corespondent who is at the site, so most of their news is first hand. I also like that Democracy Now! is a relatively small organization and is entirely listener supported. This leaves much less room for corruption than their corporate news giant counterparts. If you are looking for a generally trustworthy news source, I highly recommend Democracy Now!.

All that being said, it is important to use your beautiful brain and awesome critical thinking skills when listening to any news, because almost all news is spun, though some much more than others. I won't point fingers except to say that a certain [Murdoch-owned] news source can be likened to the anti-Christ. And, not to get off topic, but any information you receive from any source should be filtered and researched, not simply accepted [even teachers, professors, parents and any authority figure can be misinformed].

"How fortunate for the governments that the people they administer don't think." - Adolf Hitler

Let's try to be informed as much as we can. Let's make sure that everything we believe has gone through our b*ll-sh*t filter. Let's remember that we are all a part of the community of humanity. Whether you are the 99% or the 1%, we are all one.

[That kind of ended up being a bit of a jumble of thoughts that only loosely relate. Sorry]

He's My Lobster

Do you ever experience that moment where you catch a glimpse of the one you love doing something completely ordinary [like putting on their socks] and think "Oh my. I am totally in love with him [or her]"?

Me too.

We also have the same shoes [-ish].

Disgusting, right? I know ;)

Coconut Oil

My goal is to eventually not use anything on my body that would be unsafe or unhealthy to put in my body. This is a long process because I also do not like to waste anything, although I am moving along nicely [if I do say so myself].

Anyhow, about a year ago I stopped using lotion in favor of coconut oil, which you can cook and bake with [fitting into my goal], but I'll get to that later. Coconut oil contains phospholipids, which are also found in the oil that our bodies produce. Because this oil mimics our own body's, it is actually absorbed into our skin to moisturize and nourish [unlike most lotions]. Coconut oil also has a nice, light coconut scent [go figure]. It is a solid at room temperature, but liquefies at 75°F. I usually just run it under the warm water while I am in the shower to melt it. Coconut oil is a little thick, but it does not take long to absorb. I even use it on my face. Living in this cold, dry climate in Montana, my skin has been dryer than it ever was in California, but the coconut oil has really helped moisturize my skin. In my opinion, this is the best oil that can be used for skin nourishment.

So, cooking and baking you ask. Well, you can use coconut oil instead of butter, lard or shortening in any baking recipe. Coconut oil can also be used as a cooking oil for stir-fry, eggs, etc. Just keep in mind that the oil will add a light coconut flavor. Coconut oil is a great healthy alternative because it contains lauric acid which helps prevent harmful heart problems, the saturated fat that it contains are medium chain fatty acids which aid in weight loss and it can help ease digestive problems like IBS. And finally, coconut oil is a whole food, that does not contain any additives or chemicals.

You can find coconut oil at most health-food stores by the other cooking oils. It is best to get coconut oil that is organic, raw, unrefined, extra virgin and cold pressed. Okay, that sounds complicated, but the best one I have found that fits all of this criteria is Artisana [the middle one in the picture above]; it runs between $14-$16, but a jar lasts me a few months. I hope you give this a shot because it's much better than any lotion and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

All that said, coconut oil is just awesome!

Snowy Goodness

This morning we woke up to snow, which was a ton of fun because all of the snow that fell a few weeks ago has long since melted and been forgotten [the forecast is calling for sun for the next 7 days, so looks like this bit of snow is not here to stay, either].

I thought I would share some of our snow pictures. Most of these are actually from the last time it snowed a bunch.

Cute story: The first day that it snowed like 4 inches overnight, I had to work at 7am. Christian woke up and walked me nearly a mile to work to make sure I made it there okay in the snowy darkness [the sun doesn't wake up 'round here till about 7:45am]. For those of you who are unaware, Christian does not wake easily. Sometimes it can feel like you are trying to wake Lazarus from the dead [and then it is a miracle when he finally opens his eyes and stands up]. So, this was quite an endearing little feat. What a wonderful guy, right? I just love him.

Well, on to the pictures...

This is about the snowiest it has become since we have been here [but when I visited last winter I saw the snow at its peak, so I believe we are in for a whole lot more.]

I think this was the very first time it snowed :)

I have no idea what cute little animal is responsible for these tracks, but I see them everywhere. Any guesses?

Any guesses on these? Lol [at least I make myself laugh].

I will certainly post more pictures of the snow if we ever get more than a few inches. I guess it is quite odd that we have not accumulated a few feet of snow yet. Global warming *shakes head*.

And it is almost official that we will be back in the ville of roses in February, so mark your calendars, ladies and gents.

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season!

Monthly Challenge Numero Tres: Writing Positivity

Ok, so I can tend to be a Debbie Downer [or Negative Nancy, whichever you prefer] more often than I am an Opal Optimism. [Wow, that was a bit much. Right?]

I tend to focus on the disappointments in my life and in the world as a whole more often than I think about the pleasure and joy that this world and the things in my life have to offer. So, I will take this month to write in-depth about something positive personally or globally. I will post some of these writings on here, but I may choose to keep some more private. I know this is a bit hokey, but I don't care. If nothing else it will help my writing skills. I am not going to commit to writing something every day because life tends to get in the way and then I get discouraged and give up [see?], so my goal is to write positivity most days this month. This is really an exercise in personal growth and enlightenment. I know that I have been very vague about what I am going to write about and I have done so intentionally [insert plug for the intentional vagueness of OWS here]. I may write about something I am thankful for, I may write about people who inspire me, I may write about something beautiful I have experienced. My only "rule" is that it be positive vs. negative. There is so much negativity that surrounds us these days, I just feel like I need a little joyous inspiration.

I hope you join me, and if you do, write about whatever you feel you need to get out [or put in, like me]. I think this will be a fun exercise!

Road Trip the Healthy [and Cheap] Way

I love road trips. Mainly because I love to drive, think and sing [not well, mind you]. Road-trips are usually chock-full of gas station "food", energy drinks and Mickey D's. On our most recent road trip to Bozeman I decided to have a fun excursion without all of the sugar, preservatives and taurine. It was actually pretty easy, but it did take a bit of preparation.

A little grilled chicken for some tasty lean protein.

Carrots to keep those eyes healthy [and alert].

And we just love cheese, so I had to throw some in there. There's really no great redeeming quality about cheese, but I eat it almost every day because I love it.

Avocados are a wonderful source of good fats [monounsaturated and polyunsaturated]. Plus they are really delicious. Although, I did have to bring a knife to cut these bad boys.

Bananas are perfect on-the-go food, they come in their own little wrapper. They are high in potassium, magnesium and vitamin c which is helpful because no one wants to get sick on a road-trip.

Apples and applesauce. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Enough said? [Oh, and don't forget a spoon for the applesauce]

Trail mix. Ok, so I am not quite sure if what we made is considered trail mix or just granola. It consisted of granola, almonds, walnuts, pecans, raisins, and other dried fruit, so you decide. Whatever you want to call it, it was a delicious and nutritious snack.

Lunch meat. I will be the first to admit that lunch meat is not the healthiest option, but it is easily transported and paired with cheese is a great little snack [and you could do a lot worse].

Hard-cooked eggs are a great on-the-go protein. I always make sure that we have some in the fridge in case I need some quick protein.

Finally, any road-trip would not be complete without coffee.

This fed us for two days, it was healthy and much cheaper than if we had relied on fast food or dining out. And all it required was a little prepration, a small cooler and some basic dining utensils.

Let the healthy road-trips continue!

Bozeman ♥

Recently Christian and I decided that we don't want to spend the rest of our lives earning minimum wage at service jobs [I know, right?]. So, that brought us back to the idea of school, which we had put off in part because it was nearly impossible in California with tuition hikes and Sac State not even accepting applications. Being in Montana [1 of 2 U.S. states running a surplus], it is actually possible to go to school because their education system has not suffered the major cuts that many other states have experienced. So, Christian and I applied and were accepted [!!!] to MSU Bozeman. He is going into their engineering program, and I have not decided between English and environmental studies [opinions and comments would be appreciated on that one].

So, a few weeks ago we decided to drive down and check out the campus and the city [we didn't want to pull another Seattle]. In short, we love Bozeman! The campus is really beautiful, they even have a warmed pond so that ducks stay all year round! The area is picturesque. Bozeman offers tons of outdoorsy [< that's actually a word] stuff and the school has all kinds of equipment rentals for super cheap. And there is an awesome co-op downtown! Obviously we have decided to go, we start in fall 2012; so we will be moving down there late spring or early summer. Yay!

This is a portion of the campus.

See, how cute?

A glimpse of downtown and the Co-Op.

Some swag.

My cousin, Chad, graduated from MSU. After he passed, this bench was erected in his memory at a Bozeman park. It was nice to finally see his little memorial :)

And here, Christian and I are sitting on a climbing rock that was partially donated by my aunt and uncle in memory of Chad.

We had a really awesome trip in many ways. We were able to see the school and fell in love with Bozeman. And I was able to visit a little piece of Chad. It was really wonderful.

Monthly Challenge Number 2: No Gluten November

Doesn't have the same "no shave November" ring to it, but hey I can only do so much. And I may participate in no shave November - it's gettin' cold 'round these parts and I'll take warmth however I can get it. Current temp: 35° and it's almost noon.

[Sidenote: SO. SCARED. OF. WINTER.]

Back to gluten.

So, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley.

So, why is gluten bad? Gluten gets a bad rap these days. There's gluten-free this and no-wheat that. But what exactly makes gluten bad for you? Well, gluten is hard for the human body to digest. Often gluten will sit in the intestines, undigested, and create a sticky barrier between the wall of our intestines and the food we eat preventing proper absorption of nutrients. This can result in malnutrition. Gluten can also cause allergic reactions in certain people. It has been estimated that a third of the American population is gluten sensitive. Even worse, it is estimated that one in 133 Americans has Celiac disease, although the vast majority of those people have not been diagnosed.

So, what is Celiac disease? Celiac is a very serious autoimmune disease that affects the small intestines. When a person with Celiac consumes gluten, it causes inflammation in the small intestines, which can eventually lead to permanent damage. Currently the only treatment for Celiac disease is an extremely strict, life-long gluten free diet.

So what is gluten sensitivity? Gluten sensitivity means that your body has an adverse reaction to gluten, but you do not experience an autoimmune response and you are not actually "allergic" to wheat. However, people who are gluten sensitive should avoid gluten.

So, why am I giving up gluten? Well, because I believe that if gluten is bad for most people, it is at least not good for everyone. That can be disputed and I have read up on differing opinions, but I hold to my belief.

So, you want to join me? Here is what you need to know. Gluten is found in traditional flour, rye flour, soy sauce, condiments, and a lot of other stuff. Check your labels carefully. The label will not list "gluten" under the ingredients, it will list "wheat," "rye," or "barley". There are other forms of gluten, but those are the most common. Oats on their own do not contain gluten, however, they are often processed on the same machinery that is used to process gluten-rich foods. So, if you want oats or oat-flour make sure you get those that are labeled "gluten-free." You can have rice, quinoa, and many other grains. If you are stuck, just do a quick google search to see if the food you want contains gluten.

So, wish me luck this month!

I'm a Mouse, Duh!

Happy Halloween!

Christian and I carved pumpkins with Jennifer and Namanja last weekend. Namanja had never made a jack-o-lantern before [I guess they don't really do that in New Zealand]. Anyhow, it would be embarrassing to admit who's is who's [well, for me anyway], so I'll just leave that to your imagination.

Happy trick-or-treating! I can't wait to see pictures of all the new kiddos in their costumes!

No Shampoo?!

I heard about this "no shampoo" movement at this really awesome blog [Bonzai Aphrodite] and was very interested.

See, most of the cosmetic and toiletry products I use are natural, but the one thing I have had a major problem with is shampoo. I have tried paraben-free and organic shampoos, but they just dry out my hair like crazy [and they are usually uber-expensive]. I had submitted to the fact that I would just have to use "normal" shampoo if I wanted my hair to be moisturized. Then I stumbled upon the aforementioned blog.

The idea of No-Shampoo is that eventually you will use no shampoo [hence the name, it's super scientific]. Our hair was not intended to be stripped daily of it's natural oils [surprise]. It actually wasn't until the 1970's that shampoo became widely used on a daily basis, possibly when the shampoo manufacturers saw big profits to be made. Shampoo is entirely unnecessary, but because we use it so often our bodies have come to expect it. Here is what happens: our hair produces natural oils to condition, we wash those oils away with harsh soaps, our bodies learn to compensate by producing even more oil, so we end up washing our hair every day. You see the cycle. So, you cannot very well just stop using shampoo right away. Well, you can [and I tried], but this is what will happen: your hair will get unmanageably oily until you breakdown and are willing to use the harshest chemical possible to cut through the oil [gross]. Trust me, you don't want to go that route. The other option is to wean your hair off of shampoo. A good way to accomplish this is to use a baking soda/water mixture as shampoo and an apple cider vinegar/water mixture as conditioner. I know what you may be thinking "Ew. I don't want my freshly washed hair to smell like vinegar." And I am here to tell you that after you wash the mixture out you can't smell it. The idea is to start using these solutions as often as you would normally use shampoo, and then begin to wean. If you start using the solutions every day, slowly cut back to every other day, then once every three days [you get the idea]. Eventually you will be using these solutions on a very rare basis. And that is the goal. To eventually use it maybe only once a month or so. The idea is that your hair will revert back to it's natural state of self-regulating the oil that it produces, so just rinsing with water should be sufficient.

You may be thinking, "Can't I just cut back on my shampoo rather than switch to these weird baking soda and vinegar things?" Well, you could, possibly. I am not sure that it would work the same way, though, because the soap is still harsh and not really letting your body start to regulate the oil it produces. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar are very gentle on your hair, especially when diluted with water. And the baking soda does not strip your hair of oils the way most shampoos do, it just absorbs any excess oil. And the apple cider vinegar just conditions your hair without leaving a waxy film behind.

So here are the directions for the solutions:

1 tbsp baking soda to one cup water

[and]

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to one cup water

Pretty simple!

Well, I hope this was helpful [or at least interesting]. If you are interested in trying this out and have any questions, let me know. I haven't shampooed my hair for over two months now. Yay for healthy hair!

Mix Tape

I actually made this playlist for a friend, and it starts out pretty dark, but I have been addicted to it lately.

1. 9 Crimes - Damien Rice

2. Hurt - Johnny Cash

3. Bother - Stone Sour

4. Honesty - Billy Joel

5. Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins

6. Runaway Train - Soul Asylum

7. Just Breathe - Pearl Jam

8. Home - Engineers

9. Heart of Life - John Mayer

10. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service

11. Love Song for a Savior - Jars of Clay

12. Dear John - Taylor Swift

13. Don't Stop Dancing - Creed

14. The Climb - Miley Cyrus

15. Free - Zac Brown Band

16. Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson

17. Love Like Crazy - Lee Brice

18. Beautiful Day - U2

19. Forever Young - Bob Dylan & The Band

Admittedly this gets cheesier towards the end. But hey, that's me.

[some of these are not the official music videos because I couldn't find them]

Saucy Apples

Ok... so that was my best attempt at a creative title [forgive me] [don't judge me].

I was offered apples from a [super cool] lady at work who had just picked two trees worth. I gladly accepted. I knew I would find a way to use mass amounts of organic apples. So, after a very hectic week I decided apple sauce was the best [and easiest] option.

I make apple sauce a little differently than the traditional method, mainly because I don't own one of those apple smasher things [what are those called?]. Anyways, I make it in more of an innovative [yeah, innovative sounds much better than ghetto] manner.

First, I peel and the apples. This takes quite a while when you are working with apples marginally bigger than a golf ball.

Then, I core them and place them into a baking dish.

Then I bake them at 350° for about an hour, or until they are soft.

And finally, I dump them into a blender and blend to my desired consistency. Well, I also add a little honey and cinnamon.

Oh, and this time a added some blueberries to one of the batches. It is really good :)

Well, that was my day off :)

Money, Money, Money

Check out what I found:

A Glacier Park quarter. I didn't even know we were making National Park quarters. Pretty cool, huh?

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia [Seed]

Yes, the very same seed that was soaked an spread all over terracotta characters is also an ancient Aztec super food. It is said that Aztec hunters could live on just two tablespoons of chia seed a day while they were out hunting. In fact, chia seed was as much a staple of the Aztec diet as maize.

So what makes chia seed so good [aside from the funny plants and ancient usage]? Well, there are several reasons to add chia seed to your diet. First, it helps balance sugar levels in your blood by slowing the transformation of carbohydrates into sugar. Some diabetics have actually been able to stabilize their blood sugar using only chia seed. Second, chia seed is known to increase energy. To be sure, it is not a stimulant just a good source of energy. It is actually known as "runners food" in certain circles because of the energy it provides. Third, chia seed is generally considered to be the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. It has the highest amount of omega-3 of any plant-based food. And unlike flax seed, the human body can digest the seed as is. Also, unlike fish, chia seed is an ecologically sustainable source of omega-3s and does not potentially contain heavy metals. Fourth, chia seed has been shown to lower cholesterol naturally. Fifth, it is a great source of protein, calcium and iron. Sixth, chia seed acts at a natural colon cleanser. As the gel flows through your digestive tract it attracts any old, undigested material and guides it out. And finally [this one is merely a personal benefit] I find it to be a great breakfast. It is hard for me to eat first thing in the morning, so chia seed is my breakfast compromise.

There are many ways to eat chia seed. The way I usually eat it is by soaking about a tablespoon of chia seed in about 3/4 cup of water and letting it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes until it forms a loose gel. And then I drink it. I am not going to lie, the texture took a little getting used to, but now it doesn't bother me at all. You can also mix it into juice, yogurt, applesauce, etc. I have even heard of people just sprinkling dry chia seed onto their meal for a crunchy texture.

You can find chia seed at most health food stores, but I find it most cost effective to buy it in bulk online and store it in the refrigerator. Our last purchase was a $23, 3-pound bag in early September and so far Christian and I have both only used about half of the lot.

Chia seed is also a good addition to any emergency survival kit [or backpacking adventure]. It is lightweight, and you can survive on a small amount if the situation requires. Although chia seed stays fresh for quite some time, it is perishable, so it is a good idea to rotate your stock if you choose to use it in your survival kit. [And just as a side note, it is always a good idea to have a basic survival kit.]

If I haven't made my case by now, I guess it's no use, but I will just add that I love chia seed and it is very good for your body.

Speise, Bier und Tanzen

There is an Oktoberfest event going on in town, so Christian and I decided to grace it with our presence.

We shared a brat :)

And a beer.

We saw the most adorable older couple dancing. They were so cute, between songs they were stretching and getting water... lol.

And finally we had the most amazing desert ever: a sacher torte. YUM!

It was a fun day

:)

Doing the Laundry

I started making my own laundry detergent mainly because the store bought variety is so expensive. And the cheaper stuff is way too perfume-y. Since then, I have become more aware that detergents are hard on your clothes and your body, which is why so many people experience allergic reactions to laundry detergents.

Simple water is enough to clean most laundry, but if you need more peace of mind [like I do], there is a middle ground between just water and harsh detergents: homemade laundry soap. I have made a couple of different kinds and this is one that is easy to make and works very well. It is completely non-toxic and uses only natural ingredients. If you would like, you can add some essential oil for fragrance and antibacterial properties, but I find that the scent in the bar soap is enough [and I use the eucalyptus kind for it's antibacterial properties]. One batch of this should last a while, because you only need about a tablespoon or two per load.

Well, I hope you try it and have fun!

Laundry Soap

2 cups Dr Bronners Classic Bar Soap [any scent], finely grated

1 cup baking soda

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax soap

Mix together. Use 2 tbsp per load.

Occupy Wall Street

Since the mainstream media has displayed a major lack of interest in this movement, I find it necessary to post about.

photo via TheAtlantic.com

Occupy Wall Street is a non-partisan group of people coming from all creeds, races and genders to come together as the "99%" of the population who want to abolish the greed and corruption of the 1% of people who are running this country politically and financially. They continue to lead a peaceful demonstration near Wall Street [or the "financial district"] in New York City that began on September 17. The group has been criticized for not having a clear goal or set of demands. However, I find that empowering because they are not asking for a single thing, they are asking for many things that will empower the 99% and cause an entire systematic change in how the US government is run. They are bringing light to the fact that it is not one issue or another, the whole system has broken down. Their overall goal is to abolish the unwavering corporate influence over US policy and economy.

The group has experienced police abuse. There are reports of people being barricaded in and then pepper-sprayed without just cause or warning. Reports of police being overly violent for the situation. I am proud of the people who have continued to show up despite this unfair treatment by those who are supposed to protect our right to freedom of speech. If the police will not protect them, then they need to continue to show the police that they are not afraid. And that the behavior of the police is only more evidence that this demonstration is necessary. Also, when CNN and FOX were informed about this police brutality, they chose not to report it and actually hung up on the people calling to let them know what was happening. Again, more affirmation that this cause is essential to taking back our country.

Since this demonstration began, more cities have come up and joined the group. The movement has now spread to Chicago IL, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland OH, Columbus OH, Indiana, Indianapolis IN, Kansas City MO, Michigan, Minnesota, Omaha NE, St Louis MO, Tulsa OK, Wisconsin, Albany NY, Binghamton NY, Boston MA, DC, Hartford CT, Maine, New Haven CT, New Jersey, Philadelphia PA, Pittsburgh PA, Providence RI, Rochester NY, Vermont, Arkansas, Ashville NC, Atlanta GA, Birmingham AL, Charlotte NC, Clarksville TN, Columbus GA, Daytona Beach FL, Durham NC, Florence SC, Greensboro NC, Jacksonville FL, Knoxville TN, Lexington KY, Louisville KY, Memphis TN, Mississippi, Nashville TN, New Orleans LA, Orlando FL, Richmond VA, Tallahassee FL, Tampa FL, Winston Salem NC, Albequerque NM, Austin TX, Dallas TX, Houston TX, Phoenix AZ, San Antonio TX, Boise ID, Colorado Springs CO, Denver CO, Eugene OR, Las Vegas NV, Los Angeles CA, Olympia WA, Portland OR, Sacramento CA, Salt Lake City UT, San Diego CA, San Francisco CA, San Jose CA, Santa Cruz CA, Seattle WA, and Spokane WA. I encourage everyone to check out OccupyWallStreet.org to see what they are about and what they are doing. If you are near one of these cities, I encourage you to explore OccupyTogether.com to see what they are about [or just click the link for the city you are nearest].

I am very proud of these people and groups, and if I were remotely close to any of these areas you can bet that I would be right there with them. Good for you! I am sending you good thoughts and appreciation from afar.

I believe that the freedom of speech is the single most sacred freedom that we [sorta] still have as Americans. It is important that we use this freedom to express our disappointment in how our government is run. When you don't have money or power as an individual, you can come together as a group and demonstrate your power in numbers. The middle and lower class have the benefit of outnumbering the elite by an astronomical amount of people. This is our power. Let the government know what you want. This is our time. This is our freedom. Much can be accomplished through peaceful protest. Thank you, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr for showing the world the power of dedication and people unifying as one group. My challenge to you [and me] is to learn to put aside our differences to make this world a better and more peaceful place for everyone. We can do it, if only we come together.

"We are the 99%"

Monthly Challenge Number 1: Sugar Free October

Scary, I know. But isn't that just perfectly fitting for October when all the ghouls and goblins rear their startling faces?

What is truly scary is how negatively sugar affects our bodies.

Our blood has a very specific amount of sugar that it can tolerate. Refined sugar [unlike the sugar found in fruits] goes directly into our bloodstream. So, when we consume refined sugar, our bodies must produce and release insulin quickly to balance the level of sugar in our blood. This release of insulin is what causes the "sugar crash" that you feel after you consume refined sugar. That tired feeling then causes your body to crave more sugar [for the high], and this creates a vicious cycle. This cycle is very hard on our bodies, and after a while of this back and fourth of sugar an insulin, our bodies just kind of give up trying to normalize the levels of sugar in our blood. That is called diabetes.

[Let me also mention that this is only the tip of the ice burg in discussing why sugar is so hard on our bodies and how it makes burning fat really difficult.]

You may be wondering, then, about the natural sugar in fruits. Fruits do not affect our bodies the way refined sugar does because the fiber in them slows down the absorbtion of that sugar into our blood. That does not spike our blood sugar and trigger the instant insulin response that refined sugar does. Fruits are a great part of a healthy diet!

Most people are addicted to sugar [I know I am]. Some form of sugar is in almost every packaged food [which is part of why packaged and processed foods are so bad for you, but we'll get to that next month ;)]. Sugar is hiding in some unexpected places like condiments, bread, crackers, and processed meat [just to name a few]. That is how we end up consuming much more sugar than we expect. This has caused a rampant addiction to sugar in our society. And if you think addiction is too strong a word, it's not. If you join me on this challenge, you can expect to experience some very real withdraws. These include fatigue, crankiness, low energy and extreme cravings. But don't lose hope, these will subside after a week or so and then you will experience a rebound of energy and at some point sugar won't even sound good.

Here is the challenge: go one month without consuming refined sugar. See how it makes you feel. I am hoping that I will feel more energetic and less just plain tired all the time. I also hope to curb the intense sugar cravings that I have and break my addiction to sugar. The purpose of this challenge is to make a lifestyle change. It is a challenge for a month so we can see how much better we feel without sugar. I am not one of those people that is going to claim that I am never going to have sugar again. At this point in my life that just sounds preposterous. However, I hope this month will teach me to be able to have a little sugar every once in a while, instead of a ton of sugar every day.

So you want to join me? What does that mean? What can you eat? What can't you eat? It is pretty simple. Do not add sugar to anything that you are eating. Check the packages of anything that you consume to make sure that there is no sugar or any kind of corn syrup in it. Hint: anything that ends in an "-ose" is sugar with a Halloween mask on. I am also going to stay away from honey for the month, not because honey is bad for you [although it is high on the glycemic index, and I'll explain what that is another time], but because I do not want to be using it as a crutch.

So, other forms of sweeteners. We have agave nectar. Ah, it kills me to have discovered this because I really used to like agave, but it is no better than corn syrup. So, agave is a no go [sorry]. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin are a resounding NO. These are so bad for you, it would be better to just eat sugar. These are chemicals that are not meant to be consumed by humans. Researchers are finding all kinds of unexpected health problems caused by artificial sweeteners. Stay away from those. Ok, so we have come to stevia. Now, some people may disagree with me on this [and that is okay], but I do not think it is a good alternative to sugar. It may be "derived" from a natural plant, but then it goes through an ungodly amount of processing before it hits the shelf. So, I say no. Honey, molasses and pure maple syrup are about the only good sweeteners that I can think of, but don't overdo it. These are meant to be used sparingly, not at every meal.

I will update you on my experience at the end of the month.

Well, wish me luck on my sugar-free month. I hope you join me!

Hummus

Hummus is a tasty, healthy alternative to most veggie and chip dips. It is also an excellent substitute for may on sandwiches and wraps. Hummus mostly consists of garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, which have been linked to healthy digestion and appetite suppression. So, sneaking more garbanzo beans into your diet is a great way to boost your health.

I have to admit, I didn't used to like hummus because I found it pretty bland, but add some garlic to it and I will almost eat it straight. We created out own [awesome] recipe and it is great!

Here is our very garlic hummus recipe:

Garlic Hummus

3/4 cup dry or 3 cups prepared garbanzo beans*

2 tbsp garlic

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup tahini

3 tbsp olive or safflower oil

1/4 cup water

Season to taste with:

cumin [we used quite a bit, close to a tbsp]

chili powder

Black & Red [or black pepper]

season salt

salt

*you can find the recipe for preparing dry garbanzo beans here.

~ Use a blender or food processor to cream the garbanzo beans, garlic, lime juice, tahini, oil and water together.

~ Once the mixture is at your desired consistency, transfer to a bowl and stir in the seasonings to your liking.

~ Enjoy with chips, veggies, sandwiches, pita, or whatever else you can find!

Preparing Dry Garbanzo Beans

Using dry beans versus canned beans is so much better for you [and usually way cheaper]. Canned beans have a bunch of preservatives and are generally really high in sodium. You can avoid those additives if you are willing to put fourth a little extra effort into the preparation.

Cooking dry garbanzo beans is quite easy, if a bit time consuming. These instructions will apply to most dry beans.

First, put the dry beans into a bowl or container to soak overnight [I put mine right into a saucepan to prevent extra dishes]. Add water. You are going to want the beans to be covered with at least a couple of inches of water [they are going to expand like crazy].

The next day, drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly in a colander.

Put the beans into a saucepan and cover with an inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. Let simmer until soft. Ours simmered for a little over an hour before they were done.

When they are done cooking, drain and use. If you do not plan to use the bean immediately, they can be stored in a container in the fridge for a couple of days.

Yay. You have prepared dry beans. Pretty easy, huh?

Whatcha doin'? Hibernatin'?

I accidentally left our gate open when I went to the gym and look what I found in our yard when I returned:

She was just chillin' there. And she stayed in our yard for hours.

I also noticed that our strawberry plants were entirely demolished, so I think I found the culprit.

There was also a squirrel hanging out with her.

To a suburban girl, this felt quite Wild Kingdom-esque.

1,095 Days Later

Christian and I have been married for three years today!

"If I lay here,

If I just lay here.

Would you lie with me,

And just forget the world?"

I am so lucky to have found such an amazing man to be my beau.

This Bread is Bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S

This banana bread really is bananas because of how good it is.

Banana bread something I made all the time as a kid. I would secretly hope that no one would eat the bananas so that they would turn brown and I would be able to make banana bread. Or I would beg my parents to buy that ridiculously big bag of nearly brown naners at the store. Either way, it was one of my favorite things to make.

I no longer use the same recipe that I did when I was little because, well, it's simply not the best recipe. I feel like I should be charged with treason by my childhood for saying that, but it's true. I found a recipe that was really good and modified it a bit to make it my own [and better ;)].

Sweet breads are possibly my favorite baked good. Possibly.

Super-Moist Banana Bread

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking spice or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

2 - 2 1/2 cups mashed bananas

~ Preheat oven to 350°. Butter one loaf pan.

~ Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add vanilla. Mix until combined.

~ In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, spices and salt together.

~ Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently just until moist. Fold in bananas gently.

~ Pour into prepared pan and bake for about an hour until toothpick comes out clean.

~ Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.

~ Enjoy!

Water: Our Contaminated Lifeline

The human body is over 60% water.

Human blood is 92% water.

The human brain is 75% water.

Human muscles are 75% water.

Human bones are 22% water.

The USDA recommends consuming about 3 liters of water per day.

Have you ever wondered about the quality of the water that flows from your tap?

Considering how vital water is to human life, it only makes sence that we should investigate the safety of the water that is provided throughout the US.

After careful research of the quality of the water in the United States, I have come across some concerning information. Water quality varies from region to region, so any information is general for the US.

An analysis of tap water conducted by the Associated Press has shown that trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs are found in tap water. Cholesterol medication. Birth control. Anti-depressants. Immunosuppressant drugs. Antibiotics. The list goes on. Official research of how this constant [though minimal] exposure to this cocktail of medication over a lifetime would affect a human has not yet been conducted. However, I don't think I need a researcher to tell me that ingesting an unknown mixture of prescription medication is not good for me, now or in the long run. I found this information pretty disturbing.

About 50% of tap water in the US is fluoridated. This means that during the water treatment process fluoride is added to the water that eventually comes out of your tap. What is wrong with fluoride, it is good for my teeth, right? Wrong. Not only has research shown that fluoride is entirely ineffective at strengthening teeth when ingested, research has also shown fluoride to be nearly as poisonous as arsenic. Shocking. Yet, it is still in our tap water. Again, disturbing.

Other contaminants commonly found in our tap water include various pesticides, manure runoff, and fertilizer. These are not chemicals or organisms that are meant to be consumed by humans and can prove to be very detrimental to our health and well being.

It is scary to think that children, pregnant women, elderly persons and people with compromised immune systems are being exposed to such harmful contaminants in their water. I know that I do not want the 60% of my body that is made of water to be jeopardized by our sub-par water supply.

So, what can you do? Well, this is a bit tough. Bottled water? Nope. Most bottled water is just tap water with a big price tag. You could distill all of your water; however, that is energy [and time] intensive [it's not "green"] and distillation breaks down important electrolytes naturally found in water. That leaves filtering your water as your only option. The problem is that most commercial water filters do not filter out much [if any] medications and chemicals. There is no filter on the market that can claim to filter out all of these contaminants.

There is one filter that does a pretty damn good job, though and that is the Berkey water filter. It is the most powerful water filter on the market and you can purchase an extra attachment that filters fluoride out of your water. Let me warn you, this is not cheap. The water filter system is going to run you between $230 and $330. The fluoride filters will run you an extra $60. It is important to note that the filters last for 3,000 gallons of water, which generally lasts several years. And to replace just the filters, it's going to cost about $100. You have to decide how important clean water is to you and your family. It is a costly investment, but it may save you in the long run. We have a Berkey and we love it. My mom was kind enough to buy us one as a gift and I could not be more grateful.

Happy filtering!

Raspberry Lemon Jam

Over the summer, Christian and I discovered that our side yard is covered with raspberry bushes, and they were producing like crazy. We ended up with a gallon sized bag full of raspberries. Yay, free food! So, one way to use up a good amount of these bad boys was to make jam.

Plain raspberry jam would be too boring. I had some rhubarb, but that combination sounded too tart. So, I decided to use some left-over lemons and make raspberry/lemon jam. Yum. It turned out really well. Here is the recipe:

Raspberry Lemon Jam

4 cups raspberries

1 cup lemon meat*

1/2 cup lemon zest

4 cups sugar

* Very technical term, I know ;) Peel the lemon, separate into sections. Then slice each section open and peel off the tough skin, leaving only the meaty part of the lemon [does that make sense?]. This is what it should look like:

Moving on:

~ Place the raspberries, lemon meat, and lemon zest into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Mash the mixture with a potato masher as it is heating. Boil mixture at a full boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

~ Add sugar. Bring back to a boil and let boil until gelled, about 5 minutes.

~ Ladle into sterilized jars. Let sit at room temperature until jars have sealed.

~ Enjoy!

Need Some Heart-Warming Inspiration?

If you need to restore your faith in humanity, here you go:

If I ever have children, I hope that we will share the bond that this father and his son have.

Hippie Granola

I love granola. But I have trouble finding granola that does not have high-fructose corn syrup or sugar in it. So I decided to try my hand at making some sugar-free granola at home and it actually turned out really good. So, if you would like to try it out, here is the recipe:

Hippie Granola

2 cups rolled oats [preferably not quick/instant oats]

1/2 cup All-Bran Buds [or similar, fiber-rich cereal]

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp apple pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp coconut oil [you can also use safflower, vegetable or canola oil]

3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

~ Preheat oven to 350°. Cover large sheet pan with parchment paper.

~ Combine oats, All-Bran and pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Set aside.

~ In a small bowl, combine applesauce, apple spice, vanilla, honey, maple syrup and oil. Mix well.

~ Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

~ Place mixture onto prepared pan and bake for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes until crunchy.

~ When mixture is done baking, place into a large bowl. Add dried cranberries.

~ Let granola come to room temperature before you store in airtight container or bag.

~ Serve with milk or just eat plain as a snack :)

Friendship Bread

I remember having friendship bread as a kid and really loving it, probably because it has a ton of sugar in it and then it is sprinkled with sugar. And having made it again, I can tell you with utter certainty that it is very good :)

The interesting thing about this bread is that it is made from a starter and takes 10 days of rising and feeding until it is ready to be used. You can make the starter yourself [recipe below] or you can get a starter from a friend.

Whether you make the starter from scratch or get one from a friend, you end up with three more "starters" that can be given away to friends. Hence, friendship bread. This is pretty much the bakers form of a chain letter, except it is completely delicious and not at all annoying.

This bread is better known as "Amish friendship bread," however, in all of my in depth research [thank you, Google] I have not been able to track down any evidence that actually links this bread to the Amish. So, it is really just plain old friendship bread. It would totally be more interesting if it actually was a traditional Amish recipe. Sorry.

Friendship Bread Starter

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 oz [1 package] active dry yeast

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

3 cups milk

*Note: Do not use any metal utensils or bowls in this whole process*

~ Dissolve the yeast into the warm water in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.

~ Mix 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar together in a very large bowl. Add 1 cup milk and mix until the lumps have smoothed out. Mix in the yeast until well blended. Cover loosely. I used a plate to cover the bowl. You can you plastic wrap, just drape it over the bowl loosely. It needs to have a little bit of air flow. Set in a safe place. This is day 1.

~ Days 2-5: Stir mixture and recover.

~ Day 6: Stir mixture and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Recover and let sit.

~ Days 7-9: Stir mixture and recover.

~Day 10: Stir mixture and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture to make friendship bread. From the rest of the mixture portion out as many 1 cup batches into glass or plastic containers as you can [I had 4]. These are your starters, you can give them all away or keep one for yourself. Make sure to give them away with these instructions. Use recipe below to make the bread.

Traditional Friendship Bread Recipe

1 cup friendship bread starter mixture

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 [5.1 oz] instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup nuts [optional]

~ Pre-heat oven to 325°. Butter two loaf pans. Coat buttered pans with sugar.

~ In a large bowl mix the starter mixture, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla together until well blended.

~ In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, pudding mix, and salt together.

~ Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until blended. Fold in nuts.

~ Portion into the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. Cool on cooling rack and enjoy!

There are many variations of the bread. You can have a lot of fun with it. Experiment :)