I feel like I was run over by a sewing machine
Posted on | Friday, April 8, 2011 | No Comments
I am so excited -- I got my tattoo done today! Or at least about half of it done. For those who don't know, I'm tattooed. I'm likely going to get more work done. I don't have anything scandalous or rude and I don't intend on every having tattoos that can't be hidden by a t-shirt and shorts. I enjoy having tattoos and knowing people who have them. That's just me. If tattoos don't float your boat feel free to skip this entry.
Ken has done two tattoos for me. The one that is currently in progress and also a very large phoenix that is on my back. The two experiences are like night and day. While my birdie took 14+ hours to complete and a majority of that experience I was gripping the chair unable to talk from the pain, the tattooing at had today was easy.
I was talking through 90% of my tattoo and in sections it didn't even hurt. It felt uncomfortable and like a very annoying and aggressive tickle. I watched Stranger Than Fiction, talked with the other guys in the shop, texted people... I kept telling Ken that it was so WEIRD to not have so much pain. Only a small section really hurt, and that was near the spine so I'm not very surprised.
That's Mister Sweet Potato Head, to you!
Posted on | Thursday, April 7, 2011 | No Comments
It seems that I've gotten into the habit of baking chips. Especially when they are made out of things other than russet potatoes. Last week I tried out baked kale chips (yum!), this week I thought I might try a more traditional route. Sweet potatoes! They're healthier for you than regular potatoes, and lower on the glycemic index, so why not?
I washed, peeled, and mandolined two large sweet potatoes and then sliced them into large strips. It's enough to cover two baking sheets, so plan accordingly if you want to cook more or less (I suppose you could also just cut the potatoes into wedges and save some space, too). Can I just say while I'm on this tangent that I love having a mandoline? It makes slicing produce so much easier, not to mention quicker. And you are guaranteed to have uniform slices which means even cooking!
One hundred and thirty five
Posted on | Wednesday, April 6, 2011 | 1 Comment
Days, that is.
Since my last super-long wedding post a bunch of stuff has changed. I should not be left in charge of such important choices, I'm so fickle I can never make up my mind. I seriously have no idea how some people can plan weddings so effortlessly. As some may remember from this post we had our colors set to be blues and purples since the blue was going to match Alex's tie.
Well. There was a problem with that. The light blue didn't match. It looked AWFUL. And the purple didn't match the blue. It was a total disaster.
So we brought his tie with us to Men's Warehouse and picked a vest color that matched. So now he's going with a dark navy vest that blends with the tie's colors fairly well. Afterwards we went to David's Bridal to find colors that would work with it and I found that Apple Red was really vibrant and bright while still not over-powering the dark blue. And! It matched with Alex's tie. After fiddling around I really liked gold as an accent color (especially since my dress is a champagne/ivory and that is basically a soft gold color) since that would tie my dress to the other two main colors.
Intense Wind + Men in Kilts + Women in Corsets = An interesting Afternoon
Posted on | Monday, April 4, 2011 | No Comments
Yesterday Kael and I went to the Medieval Fair along with our neighbor Danielle and her daughter Elizabeth. The Fair is an annual event marked by jesters, corsets, and an excess of expensive leather clothing. I absolutely love it. So does Kael.
This is our third year attending and I still get excited about it. Even though my budget can't possibly afford the $400 leather boots or boned corsets it's still so much fun to just look at everything -- people included.
The only downside is that it seems regardless of the year some inclement weather will strike during the fair. Last year it was a horrible Artic cold front that hit midday and brought the temperature from a balmy 75* to a freezing 38* in less than three hours. This year it was wind. 45 mph wind that blew dust and sand in our faces until we were nearly blinded.
This is Oklahoma though, weather doesn't faze us. Especially not wind.
See? Wind. And totally not fazed.
Fair thee well, Madam
Posted on | Saturday, April 2, 2011 | 2 Comments
I name my cars. Likewise I also tend to name my laptops, and occasionally my toasters. But my cars always are given a name.
My Honda's name is Madam. For almost a year she didn't have a name, but Madam suits her perfectly. She an older car, she doesn't always work like she should. She has a temper and isn't afraid to show it. She also has her moments of insecurity (losing your A/C will do that) and she's been put through the ringer more than I'd care to admit as her owner. She's reliable, if not a bit rough, and although her outward appearance maybe be a bit haggard I truly love her.
Sadly, Madam isn't what she was when I bought her almost a decade ago. And the cost to make her the car she deserves to be is more than what she is worth (at least monetarily speaking). With a big move looming this summer and very life-altering changes following, the question arose if Madam could survive such a journey.
It's strange how emotional it is, getting rid of your first car. Or maybe it's just me. I feel so emotionally tied to my vehicle, it's a testament to everything I've done since I reached the age of 18. I've done a lot. Far more than I thought I would. And although friends and living spaces have changed, my car didn't. Buying a new one was almost a surreal experience. It's like severing who I was with who I am in the most tangible way possible.
One benefit to all of this though (aside from owning a car that has functioning A/C and a muffler) is that I truly love the car I have as of today. It doesn't have a name yet, but it fits me. It's a car I can take four kids to soccer practice in, a car for VBS and for house projects. It's fancier, comfier, and most certainly bigger. I have gotten mixed responses from others as to the kind of car they think it is -- I have heard "old lady car", "undercover cop car" and "ghetto car" in the past 10 hours -- but when I look at it I don't see that. I see my car. 
Who do? Zhu zhu!
Posted on | Friday, April 1, 2011 | No Comments
Zhu Zhu Pets, that is.
I think the last video is my most favorite. There's something about my kiddo saying, "It's a DUCKIE!!" and chasing after a robotic hamster with a squeaky plastic duck that makes a huge grin spread across my face.
Being inventive
Posted on | Thursday, March 31, 2011 | 1 Comment
The one big downside to having a healthier diet is that you can't always use up all the good food you buy. Especially when it's a one-person house hold that you are cooking for. And while I am fairly inventive with my meals there always seems to be some floppy celery or mushy apple that ends up in the trash.
I thought there had to be some way to use those last bits and pieces, perfectly good food shouldn't go to waste just because it's not at it's peak of freshness anymore!
And then the light bulb went off in my head: soup. I could make soup! What is minestrone but just stock with vegetables and maybe a form of pasta tossed in? I had vegetables, pasta, and stock. Albeit not all my vegetables are considered traditional soup fare, but what the heck. The worst thing that could happen is I didn't like it and we've discovered through previous culinary experiments that most recipes turn out in my favor.
So I peeked my head in the fridge. I had wilted celery, half an old onion, some rubbery baby carrots and the last few miniature bell peppers from a container I had bought last week. I also had a can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and whole wheat fusilli. Looked like a recipe to me!
Kale Whale
Posted on | Wednesday, March 30, 2011 | 2 Comments
As I said in my previous blog entry, I am making a bigger effort to eat better (although I have decided to simply eat the remainder of my emergency chocolate, I can't bear to throw it away). Which means the great opportunity to try new recipes that are healthier. I've found several great gluten-free blogs that are full of recipes that not only look delectable but are chock full of healthy ingredients.
Now I'd never actually eaten kale before this recipe, but I had heard people say that it is a superfood filled to the brim with healthy nutrients and fiber. You know, one of those foods we should eat all the time because it's so good for us -- like pomegranates and blueberries. Except a vegetable.
Talking about food
Posted on | Monday, March 28, 2011 | 1 Comment
Over the past six months or so I have slowly been weeding the “bad food” out of our house. Foods that offered us no real nutritional benefit, you know what I am talking about: pre-packaged snacks and frozen meals laden with sodium, "fruit snacks" with the main ingredient being sugar, or foods have more unpronounceable ingredients than I am comfortable with having in my house. I used to not care as much. Kael was – and is – a picky eater and I would often give up and feed him food I knew he would eat. Chicken strips, yogurt, waffles, and popcorn were very popular. I was buying foods that I thought were at least relatively healthy and so long as he ate three meals a day we were fine.
Then around last fall as I was cleaning out my pantry I stopped and read the labels of the food we were eating and it shocked me. Foods that were listed as healthy and good for us... weren't. For some reason that shocked me a lot. I thought we were eating healthy, that I was making healthy choices. But what I noticed more and more was that the foods we were eating were jam-packed with sugar and food dyes and fillers. So I made the decision to fix how we ate, to eat better food that nourished our bodies.
We’ve switched from Eggos to Van’s whole wheat waffles. We don’t use margarine anymore, I use olive or other oils when I cook. Apples and carrots have replaced chips and most of our sweets. Whole grain or pretzel goldfish instead of the neon orange ones. We were never soda drinkers, but we have cut back on juice and are having a go at soymilk. I use milk instead of coffee creamer. Foot Loops are now Cheerios. I make cookies from scratch with whole wheat flour and honey, I add raisins or dates instead of chocolate chips.
It’s taken time to make these changes, especially with having a child that is so focused on having a set schedule and environment. While some things have gone over smoothly others have caused emotional meltdowns when he realized his favorite Finding Nemo Fruit Snacks were gone and he’s only got dried apple slices and fruit leather.
But… this past week I began looking into food again. I've fallen off track a bit this past month and I wanted to fix that. And as I made my grocery list I realized that while I have made some significant changes, there is still so much more. It’s a lot to take in and a lot to know. To know what is in our food – specifically our diary and our meat. In my attempt to be healthier not once did I think about GMOs or that gluten could be an issue for Kael. I didn’t think about high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. My focus was on bringing the general aspect of healthier foods into our home, but I’ve realized there is a lot more to it than that.
I’m finding study after study showing that children with PDD (like Kael) and Autism benefit from gluten free diets. I know that when I ate gluten, sugar, and dairy free my joints felt better. I never thought to ask why that was, but I am now. I’m learning about how our food supply has changed in the past decade and how our meat, dairy, and much of what is boxed and shelved has changed, too. It’s a bit terrifying to truly let it in, to know all the new things in our food and exactly what I am eating. What my son is eating. And suddenly my little changes aren’t big enough.
So I’m going to start making a bigger effort. I can start by choosing foods that don’t have artificial colors or high fructose corn syrup in them and phasing out the last few things in our house that are truly “unhealthy” (goodbye emergency chocolate stash…). I can buy more fruits and vegetables and making those foods accessible to Kael. I can pay better attention to the dairy and meat I buy, and likely buy less of both. It’ll mean reading box labels more, and knowing what these words mean, but it’ll also mean that I know what is going into my body. We’re going to slowly phase out gluten. That will take a lot of time and for now it won’t be 100% possible due to budget restraints, but we can start. Once we are moved and settled into our new home this summer I can start trying new recipes and transferring us over to an entirely gluten free diet. I'm on the fence if I'd want to include casein in that phasing out as well.
For now I’m taking what I call the Grandma Approach. Did Grandma have Yellow #5 sitting in her pantry? Did she use high fructose corn syrup? How about Aspartame? Did she eat a box of Oreos and not think about it? (Maybe that last one is just me) You can see where I am going with this. Great-Grandma Bertha wouldn’t have used ingredients she couldn’t pronounce and made a majority of her food at home. The portions were smaller, and meat was a side versus the main meal. When I’m at the grocery store this week and buying my food I need to stop and ask myself if I know what is in this food, if it’s healthy.
I still want to bake, cook, take a million pictures and blog about food; but expect for that food to change a bit. Or a lot. I might occasionally vent about the fact that rice flour is horrible at becoming bread and cupcakes, or that I must have been crazy to give up Yellow #5. But I hope that along with those posts my family will become happier and healthier.
I have a long ways to go before I’m where I want to be in regards to how my family eats, but we’re on the right track and the best thing I can do is keep going.
Ten things I love Sunday!
Posted on | Sunday, March 27, 2011 | 2 Comments
This week has been so, so busy. Apologies to anyone who wondered why I hadn't updated this thing in the past week. A term paper had to be written (Russian Literature is quite the challenge I have discovered), a house that desperately need to be cleaned, and a job that required I work lest I go on the hunt for new employment. That's always the one bad thing about going on vacation, it's so disarming when you come back and the real world is there waiting for you.
1. Finishing Term Papers
Okay, so this obviously is not mine, but you get the drift. I always feel such a sense of relief when I finish a paper. I know that I am good at writing, I know how to articulate my thoughts and I generally make high scores. The only downside to that character trait is it leaves me unable to do a bad job. Which means spending an extra couple of hours writing and editting that could have spent doing far more enjoyable things. The end result is always worth it though. That blossoming sense of accomplishment.
4. Healthy Eating
I don't say it often enough, but I adore that I have a son. A rough and tumble, in your face, excessively loud boy. A boy that climbs furniture and pretends to be a lion cub. A boy that loves to run and jump and kick soccer balls. I love it. I love having this little bundle of energy in my house and in my heart. Even on days when he is more than I can handle -- and believe me there are plenty of those days -- I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to be blessed with a house full of boys. I truly have no idea what I would do with a girl.
This is something that no doubt will have its own blog post soon enough. I have always had an interest in what I put into my body. What I ate. For a time I was vegetarian -- and even vegan -- but as my time (and income) availabillity changed I let that slide back into the "when we have money" list. Organic was replaced with what was cheapest and non-processed foods took a back burner. I hate saying that, but it's true. But! I love this video and that Robyn is talking so openly about what we eat and what we put into our bodies. It's a terrifying thing to know, and once you know it there is no real way to un-know it, but I love this woman for being that person and getting this information out there.
About
I was born and raised in California. I have also lived in Hungary, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and I will be moving again this summer. Kael is my incredibly awesome kiddo who is growing up far too quickly, and Alex is my fiance who makes me happier than should be legally allowed. I write about them a lot. I'm mildly obsessed with cooking and photography. I write about those things, too.
Blogroll
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Triple Berry Sherbet1 day ago
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Summertime Sweets1 day ago
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Fire nipples1 day ago
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Goodbye4 days ago
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2025 Workshop Dates1 year ago
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Mercado Central, Valencia8 years ago
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On top of the Mountain!8 years ago
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Flamingo Party Cake9 years ago
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Lemon Cornmeal Cake11 years ago
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on the ALS ice bucket challenge11 years ago
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Menace12 years ago
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birth to now14 years ago
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it's time!14 years ago
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