The Beatles speak again:

HELP! I need somebody, HELP! not just anybody… (YOU?!) Read on…(please!)

Remember when we would rather be “WOKKING?!” (I admit I kept thinking it was meant to be working, but it made more sense if it was a play on walking, since it was a car & they were driving!) Well, now look what’s being advertised:

Cute! Of course, this was in the parking lot after yoga! Hippie-freaks Earth-lovers! ☮

So… ho-hum, what’s going on in the world of OP?! During my long no-blog-time, I was contemplating stopping the blog! Just vanishing– *poof!* But, I really do like it & I’d miss it too much. I love reading your blogs, too, & commenting. How weird would it be if I commented, without having an online identity?! Oh, shame! I’m sorry to say this was what I was thinking, but happy to report that I’ll continue! I love writing! I love the community! I want to RAVE about more than what I’ve been doing… (I’m better than that, right?! hah!)

Okay, okay. I also want to ask you guys for some help here. I want to make a “Recipes” section/page on this site. But I also want to make it through a link, so you can search it, without hitting the arrow down, through all of the recipes! Can anyone help a sistah’ out?! Okay, this is me, being helpless! PLEASE & THANKS!

GRUB!!! I made the Smokey Split Pea Soup from E,D&BV (love it!), but I didn’t add the smoked tofu it called for. I also used smoked paprika instead of regular, so it was still “smokin‘!”

 

served with these “everything” pretzels–>  

I also made a new batch of hummus. I go through one batch by myself, per week. Luckily, my new ED&BV has an entire section for hummus (& dips)!!! This makes me a happy girl! I’ve tried 3 so far, but this batch was modified, from Dreena’s version: it contained curry, raisins & tomatoes, along with the “regular” stuff:

  < part of a raisin on one side of the carrot, tomato piece on the other… not so friendly!

THEN, I had a great idea! This hummus is spicy, but it’s also kind of sweet (think Indian cuisine!), so it would be great with a mango chutney, or something… well, I didn’t have mango chutney on hand (ha!), so I improvised, sammich-style! I used these guys on each side of a toasted ww bagel:

 

& added these guys (onion, cucumber & sprouts):

 to get this:

Va-Va-Voom!!! GREAT combo, if I say so myself!!!

I’m going to try to mix up the posts a little more. What do you want to see? As I’ve suggested before:

• tea time?
• health-nut food store people & stories?
• entire day’s worth of food (because I just post parts of meals & only some of them)?
• doggie-stuff?
• contests?
• OTHER?! Should I dedicate a specific day to one of these ideas (such as “Tea-time-Tuesday” & “Weird Health Store Wednesday” etc.)?

Also, I’ve been feeling VERY CRAMPY during my running (I am running further & longer lately- RAWR!!!)- any tips, advice or insight to this?! My appetite goes away for a few hours, but then once I do get hungry, it’s NON-STOP!!! I don’t mind eating (:-D) but I want to feel more “regular” with meals & hunger!!!

SO: I have a few requests in this post. I hope ya’ll (someone!) can help me out! Youz guyz iz great! 

(I am so vulnerable here…)

Sweat Shop

I’m Miss OP, & I support them:

^ this shirt was a lighter color before I visited the sweat shop. It was certainly lighter in weight. It was very dry, but it became wet… with sweat. (Sorry if you’re grossed out… it’s only natural!)

I’m really talking about one of my latest visits here:

 

…because it makes me sweat!

It’s really beautifully decorated outside, with a garden area & an outdoor canopy/cover with chairs & couches (to the right, once you walk past this welcome arch).

I have been LOVING yoga lately: Hot, Power, Hatha, Vinyasa… whatever I can get! I’ve even started doing it on my own, from what I remember from classes & from this podcast I found at Yoga to the People!

Upon leaving the Yoga Village, they serve some of my favorite Yogi Tea (Chai) with s’milk & honey. Definitely makes getting through the challenging class: the way it makes me feel + the delicious inner warmth of the tea!

I’ll leave you with a quote that hangs on the wall- I hope you like it:

Never Give Up!

I know I haven’t been around lately… I’ve been busily working on school stuff & my summer plans, but I am still photo-ing my rave-worthy eats & doings! AND I’m still reading & commenting on your blogs!

Have a great week, darlings! ☮

(DISCLAIMER: I do not support “Sweat-Shops”- just places that make me sweat!)

Feeling lucky!

Someone is looking out for me! Who?

^ Facial Yoga, anyone? … maybe not her, but I don’t know. But yesterday I went back to the yoga studio to try a new class (as described on their website):

Power Yoga- Power Yoga is based on Ashtanga Yoga which helps cleanse and tone the body, mind and senses. An energetic series of poses designed to build strength, increase flexiibility and an inner freedom beyond compare.

I got there a little late, signed in, trying to rush into class (not a good thing in yoga, yanno? But it was “Power Yoga” so I was warming up in a way?) I gave the lady working the front desk my money & she said I had a 10-class pass! I had pondered the possibility last time I was in, but definitely did not pay for it, so someone really wants me to practice. I felt SO THANKFUL for that because I hadn’t been practicing as much as I would like, mostly because of funds & wanting to save a little.

I know, I know, I should be investing in my health, especially now that I don’t belong to a gym, but I have been walking, some running & lifting some light weights (not lightweights, the people) at home, which are still great exercises, but yoga brings a totally different feeling– inside & out! I love it! This is definitely a RAVE post! … for my “Yoga Fairy”, for the practice of yoga, for some power looking out for me & my well-being! THANKS, whoever you are!

Another blessing, in the same day?!

When I got into work yesterday, one of my managers hands me a Target plastic bag… hmm? He said, “It’s from Andre,” then turned & left. OOOkay…?  

Ya’ll, Andre is in his late-30’s & very pleasant when he comes in & we always talk. He’s big into meditation & wellness, working out, healthy food (typical customer!), but he is also friends with one of my older-female-co-workers. Well, the other day this lady gave me one of her daughter’s (cute) shirts she didn’t want & I told her. “Anything else she doesn’t want, please send my way!” I guess she applied this to every part of life, haha. When she & Andre were hanging out, he gave her some goodies & she told him that I would like something too. I found this kind of odd, but sweet, too!

He gave me some raw flax crackers, from a local company: Dynamic Raw Food Artistry

 

They are all made with Onion & Garlic, but with 4 different flavors: Ginger, Jalapeno, Coconut & Curry, & Spirulina!  They say to “drink lots of water while consuming dehydrated foods.” That makes sense, right? Don’t wanna be dehydrated… heh. heh. heh. 

I immediately dove into the Coconut & Curry flavored ones: YUM! They aren’t really *crispy* but they have a great texture & still a bit of crunch & are able to hold a topping (hummus? soup? cheese? YES!) 

Thanks to my 2 ANGELS! … and all my Blogger-Angel-Peeps out there (Y-O-U!) for just commenting & making a sistah’ feel GrOoVy! Should I play the lottery?! I don’t care to win, but I am on a lucky, given streak!

And I got a new tea:

 < Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle

When I bought it, my mom said, “NO, not another TEA!!!” Yes, another tea! I like variety, especially now that I don’t drink the standard coffee! It’s great, with real caramel pieces in the tea bag! But I wish I didn’t have to buy 20 of them- I just wanted to try it. Still, it’s in the cupboard, with 2 gone already! *sweet!*

Despite just going to the beach the other day, today is totally yucky: rainy, cold, windy! Good day to stay in & work on HW- not necessarily what I want, but it’s most definitely what I need!

Have a great week, lovelies! Of course, you can’t leave without someone saying bye:

^ My mom was having a snack & he wanted to get close to get a hand-out. Nice move, Jassy! Look at the whites of his eyes, looking back at ya. He always does this: why not turn around to look? haha, silly…

*From my studio’s website:

“Yoga is all about relationship. The word itself means union. It refers to that most elemental of all relationships: the relationship of our small self with our Infinite Self. Yoga is how we satisfy the deep longing to belong.”

–Authentic Relationships Manual, Kundalini Research Institute.

February ended well for me & I’m feeling positive for March, too! 

Question: *WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MONTH?!*

Love what I see & taste!

Okay, now that Jasper is safe & acting like his weird self again today, I can breathe! I have to say that today was much more relaxed & I felt more energized than in the past few days.

Ya’ll know how I love tea? Well, I do. I am trying to cut back on caffeine (I can totally drink coffee in gross amounts, anytime of the day. I love the taste, but don’t love the way it makes me feel). Plus, I add cancer to my coffee, in the form of little yellow packets. Not good. Trying to get off the stuff, & it’s a love-hate fight. I’m winning today! So, I brewed this kind this morning:

 < look at the triangular pyramid bag! It’s Lipton blueberry & pomegranate flavor white tea. White tea still has caffeine, but less than black. 

I had breakfast, went to class, stopped by the store & used some coupons that expire soon, had a snack, checked on & fed hungry-monsters Bella & Milo, went to another class (where we’re watching a documentary on surfing- KELLY SLATER, I love you!)  After I wiped my drool, I walked Bella, went home, & made a fantastic lunch (in which I enjoyed while watching Teen Cribs & reading some blogs!). Today, I also ate another snack, went to the gym (I am sweating a lot more lately these days!), fed Milo & Bella (again?!), took a shower, ate dinner, & am having a snack, consisting of something at the end of this post! 

Here’s what I ate for lunch, though:

 < this new Rachel’s (wickedly delicious, she boasts!)product. She carries yummy yogurts, but now she sports cottage cheese, too! They have fruity flavors, but I chose this cucumber-dill flavor, with lower sugar than the others, but I also like cottage cheese as a dip sometimes & thought this would be tasty in that way. I also had an interesting combination of ingredients in a whole wheat wrap: roasted garlic beets, homemade smoked paprika hummus, avocado & lettuce:  < See?

I ate some crudites (well, carrots, tomatoes & some extra avocado) to eat with the container of cot-chz:  < that’s some black pepper on Rachel.  This was great! I loved the texture, protein & flavor of this. Except the price wasn’t marked, so I took a chance to discover it was $1.50 for one!!! A treat (like Greek yogurt) every once & a while, but a tub of regular cot-chz will do me just fine, thanks! I usually buy small curd 4%, by the way. I loved the flavors of the wrap, too. Yummy, healthy fats to power up my afternoon! RAWR! 

I almost bought another PB-recalled Clif product, but when it didn’t scan at the register, it hit us (duh!) that it was because of the recall.  Soo, I exchanged it for something else. Someone’s lookin’ out for me!!!

Per the title of this post, between Kelly Slater & the beautiful day (80-degrees & not a cloud in the sky!) & food, my eyes are pleased, as well as my taste buds. No, I didn’t taste the man. Just the food. You stop!

And since it’s a blog & not a… well, not 3-D, I’ll give ya another picture of something to rave about:

 < the newest Vegetarian Times, Back to Nature granola (new to me!), & one of my favorite all-purpose orange notebooks! It’s not full-sized & easy to tote around, as I sketch weird things of my imagination, write lists, or whatever… keep tabs on Jasper, perhaps?!

I want to start cooking more. I subscribe to Vegetarian Times online & get a few new recipes each week, & have a couple of cookbooks on hand, but I want to ask YOU:

*Where do you turn for meal ideas when you crave something new, tasty & exciting?! Thanks, in advance!

A bit of food + a Request!

Hi, ya’ll! Happy weekend, to you!

Like I predicted last night, I made some dinner, watched TV (TLC– What Not to Wear: Hoochie special!), finished signing up for classes & hit the hay! I’m going to yoga this morning with my sister (or… HOT YOGA, I should say!), then maybe the beach afterward because it looks like it’s going to be a b-e-a-uuuutiful day (oh, I just watched the movie Bruce Almighty last night, too).

Here’s what I made: there was some leftover whole wheat penne pasta in the fridge & I combined that (maybe 1.5 cups?) with veggies (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, tomato), edamame (for protein), some garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast (aka “nooch”– for some cheesiness) in the microwave… when it came out, I added some flax oil to let the spices stick (because heating flax oil takes away the benefits of it!).

I always RAVE about my one-pot meals, because they’re soo easy to just put everything together & enjoy different flavors in one dish!

Blurry a bit? I have the same camera that Kath just got rid of (Sony Cyber-Shot)… which means, if you haven’t read her blog recently, that it’s kind of a foggy picture… it does what it needs to do, though: brings you photos & pieces of my life!

REQUEST/QUESTION?!

• Does anyone want to do an exchange/mailing give-away?! I’ll offer some of my favorite bars, snacks, & a random trinket for any type of package… I’m not too picky. Give me a worn pair of socks, books, more for my collections, (*ahem-flavored PB-ahem*) soap, postcard, or whatever you desire & you’ll see it here on the blog!
• Chia Goodness cereal?
• BettyLou’s balls?
• ??? requests ???
• VeggieGirl: I have some gluten-free Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour, if you want it! I won’t use it, now that I know I’m not gluten-intolerant

A good-kinda tired

Yesterday, work wasn’t nearly as busy… we were actually pretty slow at night, despite having a more rushed day. My day started with a 7:30 am store meeting, held by the store managers, with every department having to attend.  

I was nervous about making the meeting because 3 months ago, at the last meeting, I totally forgot to go. I had been counting on it all month long & thought about it all the time to make sure I went, but by the time that morning came, I was even up for the time of the meeting, but instead, I hung out until my class at 9! I had to go to the make-up meeting on a Sunday morning, instead.  This time, you had to get it approved ahead of time if you were going to miss it, so I didn’t want another mishap to occur.

Luckily, I worked on Wednesday night & set 2 alarms on my phone that night to be sure.  And yes! I woke up before 7 & made it to work early to clock in & get some coffee & breakfast.  They had a Panera-catered spread with bagels & cream cheese & also doughnuts & fruit.  It was early for me, so I had some fruit & coffee.  I got paid for this?! Okay! Someone from work texted me at 7:06 am to see when the meeting was… hmm, they made it (though, late). 

After that, I was feelin’ my caffeine, so I drove over the bridge to the beach & started running along this path, next to the bay/gulf:

When I looked to the left, this was my view:

What a beautiful day, huh?! It was still a little chilly because we had a storm the day before, bringing in a front, but it got warmer throughout the day.  I ran down this trail until I hit the beach… then I ran on the sand until my calves felt the work & I continued to run along the water.  I finally came to a pier which marked a good place to turn around, so I did & made the loop back along the water & back on the trail to my car again.  I didn’t bring my camera on the run, but, I assure you, it was faboo!

I ate, walked Bella, ate some more, showered, went to work, & came home really hungry! 

I had cooked some red quinoa earlier, so I opened a can of organic garbanzo beans, & added some carrots, spinach, garlic & salsa to look like this:

…then I heated it up & ate it with organic blue corn chips & more salsa. I promise I ate mannnny more chips than this, but to give you a visual:

I LOVE the way the red quinoa looks… & quinoa in general has a nutty/crunchy texture that drives me bonkers! …in a good way!

(not much) later I got pretty hungry, so I had the rest of my dark chocolate-covered ginger, & also pretzels + (Honey) Shredded Wheat dipped in almond butter & some smilk. By that time, I was finally satisfied, feeling very human & very tired. So, I went to bed! Lots of boldness going on here! Lots to high-light, I suppose!

Today I slept til’ 10:30, after waking up at 8:30 & feeling tired & willing to give sleep another go… success! It felt great to sleep, though part of me was like *oh- get up!*

I met my sister at the beach & we took a long walk together, dreaming of the beach houses we will own one day down there! No pictures of today, sorry… it was another beautiful day, though! Imagine paradise & imagine Miss OP in blissful, peaceful nature!

Well, then we saw the movie Bride Wars, which I liked more than I thought I would! Cute! My sister loves these kinds of movies… I like them, for what they are… I did like this one, though I was predicting what would happen from before I bought my ticket!

It’s not too late, but today I’m just feeling tired from the effects of the previous days being so full of exercise, energy, & life! A good tired, for sure! 

I’ll probably just stay in, watch movies, make some grub & call it a night tonight. Tomorrow, I may take another HOT YOGA class (with my sister?) & use my new orange yoga mat.  I like putting this yoga class in CAPS because it makes it seem that much more intense… ’cause I sweat like a little (not-to-be-eaten) piggy! 

Still searchin’ for a book, though I did sign up for a paperback swap program, so I’ll have to get on that…

Bizzy Me!

So! I wore my newly-exchanged shoes to work out on Tuesday and I was still feeling a little squished in them… so I looked at the box: 8. I looked inside the tongue on the shoe: 8. When I did the exchange, I brought the 8’s from home, along with 8.5’s from the store, which I wanted… the guy at the register did the lil’ transaction, handed me back the 8’s & I went (happily) on my way… until Tuesday after my workout! Geesh! I guess I’ll be going back again. Until then, I’ll have to keep them sparklin’ clean!

*This is what I’m looking at, while I blog to you:

 Hi, Milo!

Tuesday, I had another great day! I went to the gym & did the Arc trainer, lifted arm weights & did some abs/core. Then, I went home & made another smoothie. This one was AWESOME! I didn’t get a picture, but it was a pretty pink color, which made it more appetizing than my last effort with the green one! I used this protein powder (13 g. protein + anti-oxidants), added some extra frozen fruit, a couple of T. of sogurt, ice, some water & whiiizzzzzzz…. dee-lish!

I also made this for dinner:

 

^ Mesquite-grilled tofu with mixed veggies (broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, snap-peas, mushrooms, onions) over quinoa, Bragg’s & garlic-roasted pumpkin seeds <– a nice touch!

^ I got hungry a little while later, so I had this snack, consisting of:

packet of plain oatmeal, some Chia Goodness cereal

Now, I am definitely not one to waste food. But yesterday… just look what I came up with & tell me if you would do the same:

I started with this packet:

…it looked promising, being hemp protein & full of goodness

 

 

 

 

 

 

…& I added some frozen fruit (including peaches & a banana), some sogurt, ice & water… to get this narstiness:

 BLEGHH!!! Again, I wanted to like it & I hated the thought of all those good ingredients (& $$$) going down the drain, but one dip-of-my-finger in this blend put a sour look on my face and I had it thrown down the garbage disposal before I had any other reaction! The dogs didn’t even get a chance to sniff it out & look pitiful enough for a handout… so I went back to a tried-and-true standby: Spirutein (vanilla flavor) soy protein powder:

Then, I added a banana, some (maybe 10 or so?) almonds, sogurt, water, ice, cinnamon & cocoa powder to come up with a much better outcome:

Then, off to work, where it was a total MAD HOUSE because:

• It was “Senior Day”, where folks aged 60+ got 10% off everything in the store
• Brendan Brazier came to talk about his book (Thrive Diet) & products (Vega nutrition)… check him/it all out here. After the lecture let out, people swarmed the store to try some of the products & get their lil’ paws on the goods!

It was a successful day, for sure… just very busy! Finally, I had this to get me through & make me feel a lil’ spunky:

 Ginger Kombucha!

I’ll update about today, which started very early with a staff meeting before we opened the store this morning. It’s sure to be another good day!

Happy New-President-Day!!!

Milo says so, too:

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Yesterday might have been one of the best days of the year! (is that fair?) Well, here’s what I did, in order, with a few pictures:

• Woke up at about 8am & brewed some coffee
• Went to hot yoga from 9:30-11am
• drank lots of water on my way to TJMaxx. There, I bought a new yoga mat & a laptop case. I have been using my mom’s mat, but I bought my own orange mat! This is my second laptop sleeve/case, but the 1st one was much too small, so I got this one:

 

 purple-y, huh?

 

< showing it’s backside (oh!)

 

 

& it’s front, spilling it’s brains (cords) >

 

 

 

 

• Then, I went home, made me some grub (huge-ontic salad with greens, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, edamame, garbanzos, peppers; an apple; & carrots with hummus) & ate it outside
• puttered around on my computer, especially on Craig’s List because I’m searching for a bike. I e-mailed a guy about one & there’s a strong possibility of me getting it. He e-mailed me back quickly, so I may go take a look-see this week! I also e-mailed my friend down the street who restores bikes for fun (!) & works at a bike store in town to see if it’s a good deal… he says go for it!
• I decided to finally test out my new shoes from Christmas (why did I wait this long?!), thus I found myself on a 35-minute run… I felt like I was flying… or going fast, for me! But, I also decided the shoes were half a size too small– ouch!
• I got back home and prepared a letter to my sister, including random, funny newspaper clippings & pictures, because she thinks those kinds of things are weird and funny, like I do, too. Many of these were about cats & Prez Bush-isms
• I whipped up a smoothie, using this:  It has a LOT of really great, whole-foods ingredients (greens, spirulina, etc.) with 16 g. protein + apple-cinnamon flavor, yum! I added an apple, ice, water, & a couple of spoonfuls of sogurt… & cinnamon. It looked like this, in the blender:  GREEN!!! I was like, what’s going on here??? …but that’s how it’s supposed to be because of the ingredients, soo, I popped it in the freezer, while I…
• Took a shower & got dressed
• Then, I drank this:  with more cinnamon on top. At 1st, I didn’t like it. I wanted to like it, but I didn’t. I kept drinking it, and finally decided I did like it! The added apple & sogurt made  it thicker & I liked the way I felt after it, with all those wholesome ingredients! I probably won’t buy this particular flavor again, but I like the product. I did this on my way…
• to the Post Office to mail something for my dad & my sister’s letter
• & to exchange my shoes for the correct size. It’s quite a trek over to do that, so I’m glad I had some fuel! I got a little nervous driving ol’ Desi (my 1997 Toyota Tercel) over there, especially when I thought it was over-heating, YIKES! So, I drove about 60 mph or slower the entire time, despite those angry, fast drivers. I also returned a sweatshirt & got store-credit for it.
• While I was over that direction, I stopped by Whole Foods. I wasn’t that impressed, so I left almost directly and headed to my natural-foods store/work for dinner.
• I got there about 20 minutes before they closed the Colossal Salad Bar, so I had to hurry, which is not like me in my eating habits! I piled on a HUUUUUGE salad (x2) & tried split-pea soup for the first time- YUM! I added cayenne pepper for a kick. I also had a large bowl of fruit. Nothing like making your own salad with every ingredient imaginable (2 kinds of tofu (teriyaki & blackened), chickpeas, edamame, shredded carrot & beet, mushrooms, marinated mushrooms, tomatoes, steamed veggies, raw veggies, crunchy & “hair-like” sprouts, about 7 different dressings, nuts, raisins, different cheeses, cooked eggs, different grain-salads & mixtures…. tons!) + rice & beans, soups…. DEE-VINE! No photo– sorry, maybe another time.
• I left stuffed, so I went home, got some goodies together & left for my uncle’s to have some dark chocolate-covered ginger & go to sleep

Today, I have to finish registering for classes & turn my change into ca$h… not much else… maybe go visit that bike and/or see a movie, go book-browsing… I never know!

Have a great week, friends!!!

*OH! By the way, the makers of Clif products have a red wine out, that is organic, with no sulfites. I hear it’s excellent & totally worth raving about!

51 more weeks of 2009!

Week #1 of 2009 is under our belts: Yow-zee! How are ya’ll feeling?

So, I apologize that while most bloggers play catch-up during the weekend, I am a total slacker. I will tell you why:

• My uncle comes home on the weekends and lounges at his house pretty much the whole time, so I scoot my boot’ back to my house on weekends, to:
• sleep in my own bed
• see my own dawggies & 
• just kick it here. 
• I get a better internet connection there so it’s easier to blog & 
• I work more on weekends than during the week.

So, there’s that. Thanks for understanding, like I knew you would!!!

However, I did manage to snap some photos & remember what I’ve been up to…

Last night after work I came home pretty hungry! (YIPPEE, because my appetite was M-I-I-A (Missing In In-Action) during the day. I made myself this:

< toasted Genesis English muffin with Skippy Natural chunky PB, cinnamon & a squirt of honey

 

 

 

& this:

< plain soy yogurt (I’ll call it “sogurt“) with my Ruth’s Chia Goodness cereal, more cinnamon & another drizzle of honey

 

 

 

Stirred all up, I LOVED it with so’gurt. It was perfectly crunchy & sweet!

This morning I woke up to another beautiful day in FL! I decided I’d head to the beach (don’t throw a snowball at me for it!), after I filled my innards with some goodness! I had an almost-all-black banana that was crying out for some saving… so, I mashed it up, added some regular oatmeal (because half of my good groceries are still at my uncle’s house), cinnamon, raw wheat germ, & a splash of soymilk. Where’s what it looked like:

Making my oats this way with the mashed ‘nana made it super-thick, even without something like PB or nuts in them… schweet! I headed to the beach soon after, after stopping at my favorite place to get coffee. I bring my own mug (BYOM?) and pay $1.06 each time… but I fill my mug with my own soymilk (I shall call it “smilk“)because they “only” have half-n-half, skim & 2% milk… and I like the way my own smilk tastes in my java.

So, yes, the beach was dee-lightful! I spend a little over 2 hours there, took a lil’ walk, picked up some shells, soaked up some rays, fo’sho! I’ve been a little sad because my hair is growing in a lot darker than the ends show. Wah! I LOVE being a natural blonde, so spending some time outside definitely lightens it up! HOO-RA!

I took some veggie cookbooks & my journal to look through, because I’d love to get back in the habit of cooking some good food, instead of relying on the basics. Though I love me some PB&J & sogurt concoctions, I still love a nice meal & interesting new tastes on occasion!

When I got home, I had some leftover soup:

< my mom made it & it has: barley, lentils, a variety of vegetables, spicy canned tomatoes, & some fresh corn from the ear (not HER ear, though!)

 

 

 

I’ve got to tell ya… you know my possible boy interest? Well, we’ve been hanging out (we went to Starbucks where we both enjoyed some green ginger tea), my favorite Thai restaurant, & I met him at work before I had to work to talk, then he came through my line so I could check him out (OH, yes I did!) Unfortunately, though, he said he doesn’t want a girlfriend but would love to still hang out and get to know me because I seem like a cool girl and he’s sorry if he sent me mixed signals. I graciously said thanks for letting me know, & that I’d still like to hang because there aren’t that many of us that appreciate good food & healthy living! TRUE story! Oh well, he seems suuuuper-cool, so it’ll be great to have another friend in town! Way to be positive, OP!

School doesn’t start until next week, so I’ll be enjoying another week of sunny days & leisure time! Good luck to those going back tomorrow! I’ll be able to get my blogging under way a bit more this week, too… take care & have a peaceful week! 

I’m in the market for a good book: any suggestions, my trusted ol’ friends? I love things that are relatable, interesting, some sort of psychology involved, possibly (?), biographical, heart-warming… anyone?

• *P.S.* I love you. 
• But really: is my bolding & italicizing too much? 
• Tell me what you REALLY think. It takes more time to do this, & I think this may contribute to why I blog less than some of ya’ll, but 
• how often should I use these features? 
• How else might I improve upon the blog? 
• Anything you’d like to see differently/more/less of?
• THANKS!

I’ll leave you with one more sad photo. The holidays are over, you know why?

…just take a look, yourself:

…back to it’s natural habitat, I suppose.

2009 is mine!

Hi beauts! I hope you all had a lovely New Year’s Eve & celebration!

Yesterday I went to the beach– can ya believe it?! I’m sorry to those of you in horrible snowy/stormy weather! I’ll soak up some rays and tan my cancer-free skin for ya! There were tons of tourists because of the football Bowl game in town, but still, awesome! I took a run for a little over 30 minutes- not on the sand like the other day, because my calves were feeling really tight today. Light & breezy! Then, I became a bum and laid on the beach, writing my holiday thank you notes! I had a salad with some of my newest produce:

< mixed greens with roasted garlic beets, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes, & avocado. I wasn’t reallllly hungry, but I wanted something fresh, yanno?! Great, beautiful, healthy fats, with my fave Annie’s dressing, to boot! Later, I had some nuts & trailmix for some protein, mates.

I laid low, went to dinner with my parents, then settled back into my uncle’s place to watch the movie Elf about 3 times because it’s on for 24 hours! Everytime I watch it, I find something new to laugh at. Har! Har! Har! I think it’s weird, too, that Christmas is over, and we’re still watching holiday movies & sing[ing] loud for all to hear… still & always cute!

The boy, like me, is NOT a night-owl. I talked to him today and he went to bed early, haha. I wasn’t expecting any real romance for the New Year, and I’m a casual gal (fancy things don’t fit my fancy!), but a lil’ movie-watchin’ or something would have been nice. Oh, well.

I like to think I started my 2009 off well!

I bought some really great-sounding cereal the other day, by Ruth’s Hemp Foods:

I guess a lady from California requested that we order it, and you know how people in Cali are about health, so it just must be worth carrying. I actually talked to her the day she 1st bought it from us, so she kinda suckered ME into trying it! I am so-o-o glad she did & I did try it! It’s gluten-free, high in fiber, Omega 3’s & so-o-o much more, so check out the link, for more!

< pre-cook

< when I added some water, to just ~2-3 T. cereal

cha-cha-cha-CHIA, in a bowl! It plumped up!

 

 

 

 

 

< then, I decided I still needed more, so I added some cooked rolled oats & more water & soymilk… then some cinnamon, even though there’s already some in the product!

I LOVED this! It made me feel really good, not too full & not bogged-down at all, & it gave me a great feeling of energy. It says you can try it in yogurt, baked goods, or whatever your lil’ heart desires, so I will do just that!

It was a good feeling to have, because I had decided yesterday to go to a hot yoga class! Boy, did I sweat out some toxins! It was my 1st one, but like I said, I was feeling kind of tight and restless, especially when I try to sleep, so I wanted to sttttrreeeettchhh it out! Miss OP LOVED it! hmmm, guess what color my mat was?!

I drove the long way home, by the water because the sun was shining, but my tummy was talkin’ to me (“FEED ME! *nom*nom*”) I wanted to continue treating myself right, so I made a huge-ontic salad with the same goodies as yesterday, plus garlic & Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. I also had extra carrots with hummus!

< I ate it outside on the porch, because my Mother Nature asked me to join her! …and I always obey my mother!

 

 

 

I also had a Kombucha for more purification & energy for my innards!

I tried the Goji Berry one today, for more anti-oxidents (the Wild Root one is great for detoxifying because of the added herbs, though!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later, I had a red banana for some potassium for my cramped muscles

 

…with a container of plain lowfat yogurt (hello, protein!), cinnamon (of course!), & a few swirls of Agave Nectar, to make this mess:

I love those lil’ red bananas because yes, they’re smaller, but they’re so pretty, like a sunset, when you open it up to eat it… that’s why I photo’ed it before adding anything! ...so photogenic! 

Honestly (because I’m an ethical blogger), I’ve thought about New Year’s resolutions, but I have come up with few things to be concrete. I must do this. I have a journal, where I can draft my ideas & things I want to work on… then, perhaps I’ll share, but I don’t know. Sorry. I think personal changes are sort of… personal.

Anyway, Happy & Healthy New Year in 2009!!! THANK YOU for reading & commenting on occasion… it lets me know I’m not alone in this bloggity-world!

The family is all gathering together again at my grandparents’ house for dinner… for the 1st time this year!  (*rolls eyes in anticipation for, “I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU SINCE LAST YEAR!” comments*) But, really, it should be a good time! It always is, when family is together!

peace