Keeping it simple

I love healthy food, and lately I've been trying some new things. I am keeping the recipes quick and simple.

Today, I am having a cucumber drizzled with Trader Joe's spicy peanut dressing sprinkled with sesame seeds. Hydrating and yummy!

Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. And honestly, when I eat more simple "mini-meals", I feel better because I know they are easily digested.

I don't eat healthy every second of every day, but I am achieving more balance. And today, that's what I'm grateful for.

Published in Somerset Studio's ART Journaling magazine gallery section Spring 2014!

Great news! Some of my journal pages were selected to be published in one of my favorite magazines..........ART Journaling!!

Stampington & Company is such a wonderful resource for artists who create in many different mediums. You can find this magazine and more on their website @ http://stampington.com.

The first page of the gallery section has little snippets of what you will see in the coming pages. Mine is on the far right (birdies on a branch)

Here is the two page layout.........yay!

I'm so happy with the results!

Here is a closeup of the first page:

I created this page after being outside one day early in the morning. I was watching birds on a branch of this bush and they were so cute, just kinda hanging around. I was feeling overwhelmed by life and that's where the sentiment came from. "Birdies on a branch, how lucky you are...........you can just fly away." I wanted to be one of those birds.

The truth that I have learned and accepted in my life by faith is expressed in the next page below:

You cannot judge God's faithfulness or love for you based upon what good or bad things He allows in your life. Just believe.

 The last page and the most emotional for me was based upon the loss of my sweet daughter, Emma Grace who was 6-1/2 months old in my womb when she died.

Ever since I was a kid, art and many different forms of it has brought such comfort and joy into my life. Being published in this magazine is such a blessing. My heart is filled with gratitude. 

real gratitude

I live in an apartment.

I went for a walk today around town. I looked at all of the beautiful houses and thought, "I hope these people appreciate what they have! If I had a house and property like this, I would be so grateful!"

Then a still small voice said, "Are you grateful now?"

Tears welling up in my eyes, I thought, I used to be.

Maybe it's watching tv, looking at what everyone else has that has tainted my heart.

The Lord is so good. So patient. So loving.

He gently reminded me of all of the good things I DO have.

And then I thought.......I want to be grateful in every circumstance. Not WHEN I have a house, or lose weight, or anything. Right now I am grateful......in this moment.......in my heart.

A peace washed over me, like only God can do.

What is real gratitude? Grateful for only the things that make you happy or things that you enjoy?
Or everything? Every unwanted circumstance, every person that rubs you the wrong way. We are so quick to run from things that make us uncomfortable or unpleasant.

But, if we are willing to stop looking around and open our hearts to God, we can find true gratitude in all aspects of life. And instead of wishing for something else, we can be ready for what He needs to teach us.

rainy day smoothie

Today I made a smoothie..........yum! :)

I put the following ingredients in my ninja blender and whooped it up!

2 handfuls total of a blueberry, raspberry, blackberry mix
1 banana
cup or two (depending on how you like it) of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Tablespoon of ground flaxseeds
1/2 teaspoon maca root powder
Tablespoon raw honey

When I woke up this morning I was starving! I used to just grab anything with my coffee, even if it was a chocolate chip cookie, just to satisfy my hunger. It's like I couldn't wait...........I didn't want to feel hunger. I have a lot of chilhood issues that threw me into an eating disorder and poor body image/self esteem. After many years of soul searching and therapy, I am so relieved to say, that's not an issue today.

Today, I was able to wait for my smoothie. I got my daughter off to school, my husband off to work, and then it was time to nourish myself with an antioxidant power packed smoothie!

Take the time to make foods and drinks that are good for you. You are worth it! :)

Looks aren't everything

Do you feel like you have to look like you just stepped off the cover of a magazine?
Well, ya don't. Don't buy into the media.
There is only one you. God created you unique for a purpose. And honestly, in my experience, beautiful people are nice to look at, but a lot of the times, that's about it.

Take this chicken dish I made for example:

Not looking so appealing is it? Kind of a mess. But let me tell you..............it's delicious!!
Just grilled chicken with a basil lemon marinade with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Got the recipe from my brother Jim........love him!

You've heard it said.........it's what's on the inside that counts.........I used to laugh it off when I was younger. Not anymore. Not at 41. Beauty fades with the morning dew..........what are you really made of?
You may feel like a messy chicken dish.......but that's ok, because you are a beautiful one of a kind creation. There will never be another you!

Hydrate with food

Eating healthy is so simple.

Spring salad greens, mandarin oranges, cucumber, tomato, and a little dressing. Voila!

I feel the best when I eat foods with water in them. When I am hydrated, I'm happy!

At this time of year I am feeling especially grateful for the foods God created.

I'm so excited about the Spring and Summer produce,  and the wonderful weather!
Til' next time my friends:)

Beautiful season

When it starts to get cold, I'll admit it, my tendency is to stay inside and huddle under the covers. Well, not this year! I decided I would enjoy this coming winter, snow and all.

I went to a local park and walked in silence. I breathed in cold, crisp air and let it renew me.

I looked at the trees and admired the shapes of the branches against the sky.

I walked by the lake and rejoiced at the sight of the sun dancing on the water like diamonds.

I sat on a rock and watched my geese friends play...........and just.......be.

I've changed my mind about the colder weather. I will always love to be cozy and warm inside my apartment, but venturing outside made such a difference. I am filled with gratitude to God for opening my heart and mind to the true beauty of this season.

I adore pizza!

No matter how many raw fruits and veggies I eat...........I will never give up my pizza!
My pizza made in the oven.

I made this the other night with the following simple ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast, sprinkle of sugar, Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups flour (you can do half white, half whole wheat)
tomatoes from a local farm
shredded mozarella
rosemary

And this is what I did:

1) dissolve package of yeast in 1 cup water.
let sit for 5 min. Add sprinkle of sugar, and Tbsp. of olive oil.

2) Put the yeast mixture into a large bowl.

3) add 2 cups flour, mix, and let sit for about 10-15 min.(note: the longer you let this dough sit, the "breadier" it will become)

4) I coat my pizza stone with olive oil and put the dough on it. I flour my hand
and press it down and out.

5) I then generously coat the top with olive oil and BAKE THE CRUST FIRST, for about
15 min, or until lightly browned. ( I bake it @ 400 degrees)

6) next, I take it out and add the sliced tomatoes, mozarella, and rosemary (on my section)

7) bake for about 10 min. on bottom rack, then maybe 5-10 min on top rack, depending on how brown you like it.

And that's it!

After I plate my pieces up, I'll add cracked black pepper and some sea salt and I'm good to go! :) Yummy!

If you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please feel free to contact me, or leave a comment:)

I am so looking forward to fall..........the cooler temps make me want to bake more. I see banana bread and chicken pot pie in my future! Until next time my friends...............

whole food goodness

I've been eating more fruits and vegetables for the last 2 months and it has really made a difference!
I've been feeling lighter, more energetic, and my skin has a glow to it. Last night I made zuchini and red peppers over whole wheat cous cous. It was fantastic!

Here's the breakdown:

1)  Saute cut up zuchini and red pepper in a pan with a little olive oil until soft.
2)  while your veggies are cooking, make your whole wheat cous cous.
3)  to the veggies, add sea salt, cracked pepper, dried thyme, and some fresh basil leaves.
4)  put in a bowl over the cous cous and crumble feta cheese.
5)  I recommend adding some chopped up fresh tomato to this dish for moisture, but I didn't have any last night.

And that's it! It was soooo goood!:)

chocolate love

Chocolate.
One word can evoke such intense emotions such as desire, pleasure,
joy and sheer bliss.

I've been learning to appreciate food over the last few weeks. Instead of laying on the couch at night with my bag of gummy bears (I will always have a special place for you in my heart little guys), I decided to earn my sweet indulgence.

Once a week or so, I will make a decadant treat from scratch. This time I made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I obtained the recipe from the back of the Hershey cocoa box. A little dab of cool whip and a fancy drizzle of Hershey's syrup and I'm good to go.

No more associating food with guilt! I will allow myself to enjoy the occasional sweet. I offer myself chocolate and again I am reminded to take it slow, enjoy the little things in life, and be grateful. Oh, so grateful for my darling chocolate.

thought no.1

Stop looking around you, and look inside. That was my thought today as I was walking through the woods this morning. Since I was a child growing up with an alcoholic mother, I was trained to stuff my feelings down. And since it offered temporary pleasure, food helped me to do just that.

Now at 41, I am turning away from the food, a major distraction. I am looking inside my heart.

For years of struggling with "weight loss", I've come to this conclusion. "It" has nothing to do with the food, and nothing to do with the weight.

It's your willingness to peel back the layers and look inside yourself. If you've had a dysfunctional childhood as I did, this will be very painful. But you might also realize that you've come to a point in your life that you want more for yourself. And just because you were born into a family that you didn't choose, and you were shaped in your early years by negative influences...........you just want more. Because you know there IS more.

I'm not going to say, "don't be afraid, you can do it!" But take a moment and ask yourself, is this what I want for my life? Whatever it is.........your health, your career, your family, where you live, etc.

It's not about looking around, at people for advice, or circumstances.

It's about looking inside and facing the truth about your past and how to break the chains that are holding you back.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield, I've learned I need to trust in Him" -lyrics from Whitecross song

creative energy

Over the weekend, I went to the park and brought a little red heart gem with me. I love photography and wanted to see how many interesting photos I could take with it as the centerpiece. I also altered some of the photos for some cool effects:) hope you enjoy!

This first photo was taken in the parking lot.

this was on the side of a stairway

on top of a drain

on the patio furniture

on top of some leafy greens:)

on some concrete

with a beautiful branch



on a rock

in the garden

and then back to where I started.

It's great to stretch your creative wings. I love to paint, collage, and journal, but this was another great way to get out my creative energy out and satisfy my expressive soul:)

Simple Summer

Spring is my favorite season, but there is truly no denying the awesomeness of Summer's bounty. I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of the produce that is peaked in perfection! And the fact that a snack or meal can be so simple is another reason to love this time.

I just finished this delicious bowl of grape tomatoes.

All I did was wash and cut the tomatoes, add a drizzle of olive oil, fresh ground pepper, sea salt and some dried thyme. Yum! I'll post again soon with another simple Summer recipe or some more art.

yay for tomatoes!