An Adventure

My last post indicated I was making some changes. I'm so excited I just had to share.

I've made some changes in my diet. We have started a raw/vegetarian/eating some fish diet. I will say, this truly is an adventure. I had no idea what goes into raw or vegetarian cooking. There is definitely some advanced planning involved, especially if you need to soak nuts or grains.

I have been experimenting with a bunch of different creations, and today with the help two of Jennifer Cornbleet's recipe I made the most fabulous lunch. Even my kids liked it, and that's been tough to do.

This dish is a nut Pate, some fresh mango/ginger salsa from last nights dinner wrapped in green leaf lettuce. (recipe below) It was delicious and full of flavor. I will actually be using some of the Pate to make some sushi for lunch tomorrow. Along with some shredded carrot, red cabbage, and avocado, wrapped in a Nori sheet , I've got my sushi. I want you to know...I LOVE sushi! While I might be missing the traditional sushi, I'm looking forward to trying this tomorrow.

I realize this may not sound good to some of you, but trust me when I say...I feel great, and I enjoy the food. I've learned a lot in the last 14 days and I'm still learning. I've quit drinking coffee and I no longer have that 1-2 glasses of wine every night, and no longer take my bio-identical hormones (which weren't working, even after the four different types). I have been sleeping better, I still have those deadly hot flashes, but not nearly as much as when I was on medication. I'm praying that this will be one of those life time changes that will stick. I'm determined to live healthy and feel the benefits...after all I have grandchildren to play with.

Nut Pate

1 cups soaked raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup soaked raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup soaked raw almonds

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

Dash of cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons minced red onion

3 tablespoons minced celery

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

3 teaspoons of a herb of your choice ( I used fresh basil)

about 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil ( or to taste)

about 1/4 teaspoon Nama Soy Sauce ( or to taste)

Place the nuts, water, lemon juice, salt, garlic and cayenne in a food processor, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides. Add in the rest of the remaining ingredients and process till desired texture. Place in a bowl and add the olive oil and Nama Soy sauce to taste. This will store in the refrigerator for five days.

*for optimum benefits use organic

This is a big batch, remember I feed a family of five. You may have to cut down the recipe to accommodate your family.

The mango salsa is easy to make. Just mix tomatoes, pepper of your choice, cilantro, sea salt, lemon juice in a food processor. Add mango and fresh grated ginger to taste.

Most importantly...Have fun!

50th

On June 6th my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The children and grandchildren came together to celebrate this joyous occasion. We all had a wonderful time...there's nothing like family. This was a great celebration. We started out with a few cocktails while reminiscing over their marital album. They spoke tenderly of each other, sharing many, many memories. Some I've heard before, others were new. When asked, what she remembered most of her wedding day...my mother responded with, "nothing else existed but your father. He was all I could see and focus on." I think all women experience the same thing. My father spoke of good times and bad...the roads traveled where never alone, he had a partner by his side. What's it all about...LOVE.

June 6, 1959

Marital bliss still today!

Love

Sharing words of wisdom.

For quite some time now, I've been thinking a lot about marriage...it's meaning, it's purpose. My marriage, like many, has been difficult, especially the last few years. No reason to point fingers here, but I will confess...I have often expressed my desire to get out...take the easy road. I have failed to really look at myself and how I actually contribute to my marriage, good or bad. The last few years I have focused on me, me, me. Sad, but painfully true. I became so caught up in the tedious day to day routines, that I lost sight of what really matters. I found myself after 18 years of marriage, truly giving up. And then, out of know where...thoughts about marriage started to surface, things began to make a little more sense. I began to look at my spouse, at us...not just me. I recently found myself sharing those thoughts with two people I love very deeply.

Marriage is not easy.

Marriage in not hard.

Marriage is not about one person being submissive to the other. When we say our vows, we do not stand with one person in front of the other...we stand side by side, partners for life.

Marriage is about commitment.

Marriage is about compromise...when you remove com, marriage is about promise.

Marriage is work. Along with raising children, marriage will be one of the most difficult, challenging jobs we will ever have. There are no college courses to take. Nope, no Marriage 101. Sure there are plenty of books out there, sharing others thought on marriage. You could read those. Some things may work for you, while others may not. But if you want the truth about what marriage is to be like, in my opinion, there is only one book that tells us about what is expected of a husband and wife...the Bible.

Ultimately, marriage is summed up in just one word, LOVE...unconditional, selfless, giving, passionate, undying love.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1John 4:11

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love. 1Corinthians 13:13

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

I have recently started reading Love Dare. It's a book which uses scripture to challenge one or both in marriage. I won't say exactly when I started. I will say...for me, it's not as easy as I thought and I'm learning a lot about myself, my husband, my marriage and love along the way. Perhaps I'll post my outcome once I've completed the forty days.

Nature, Beauty, Family, Love...Awe

I have so many pictures of our camping trip I would love to share with everyone. Unfortunately, I am unable to figure out how to upload a slide show into the post, so I'll share a few of my favorites. Any suggestions?


We had some good moments and some bad moments, but overall...we have memories to last a lifetime. Two of my grandchildren (Abby & Logan) had ear infections, and were miserable off and on. My daughters husband couldn't make the trip, which made it a little tough on her at times. You know how it is when children are sick...they only want their mom or dad, a grandparent just won't do.

The camp site wasn't exactly what we were use to...just to many camp sites. It was so crowded, the lake wasn't quite as close as we would have liked, and people kept stumbling into our site.

What was nice...the family being together...laughing, playing, sharing food, catching up. Some of the areas we hiked where beautiful, as were the sunrises and sunsets.

It was unfortunate my brother and his family couldn't make the trip. His birthday was on the 30th and it would have been great to celebrate together. I did keep him updated through my text messages, but it just wasn't quite the same. His son was finally released from the hospital, I believe on Sunday. Maybe next year.

This trip reminded me of just how blessed I am. I have the most amazing siblings, children and grandchildren. I am rich beyond what I have ever imagined. God is good!