Finding the Motivation to Get Moving

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Being semi-new to the area living where houses aren’t on top of one another makes for a challenge to get out and be with people; especially when you’re on the [hesitating] shy side of existence. Finding the motivation to get oudoors and get some exercise also poses a challenge.

The universe works in mysteriuos ways though. A few weeks ago I was cleaning inside the camper for our first trip of the year. It was a weekday and I had a few hours before having to go into the office for a client session. Keeping a keen eye on the clock I got everything finished in good timing, collected up the water bucket and various other supplies and proceeded to head into the house when I found that I had locked myself out. I calmly put all cleaning supplies down and walked around to the back door hoping that I forgot to lock it after taking the pups in but no such luck. The two wagging tails and panting tongues smiled in their doggie way at me enthusiastically inviting me in. Oh how I wished they had those opposable thumbs!

Knowing time was ticking I began to stress, what to do, what to do?

Oh, I didn’t mention that I also left my cell phone in the house. Ah universe, you’re so swift!

The only thing I could do besides feeling defeated was to breathe in deeply, put on my marching shoes and walk to my next door neighbor for use of her phone.

We had met previously but not much more than quick conversations and cordial hellos and such. She was kind and gracious to let me in and call for help. My better half was finished work but was planning on giving his truck an oil change in preparation for hauling the camper in a few days. Fortunately I caught him before he pulled the oil plug. While waiting for him to come to my rescue, my neighbor and I talked and I mentioned that maybe we could meet up and go walking sometime soon; she too works from home and can use a “water-cooler’ or coffee if you prefer, break too.

Fast forward a few weeks and here we go, walking 3 miles at least 3 times a week, uphill both ways! Well, maybe not both ways but it is a hilly walk one way.

This walking and talking connection has been great and it has given me the desire to walk more! I’m inspired, I’m motivated, I’m alive! What a fantastic feeling it is!

If you desire to get even a little bit of exercise, don’t put it off, find a way and just do it or else the universe will find a way for you.

 

 

Lunch in the Garden on a Rainy Wednesday

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heading into the gardenIt’s early June, mid-week and it’s raining. I’m working at a nice pace then my belly rumbles much like a mild Spring thunderstorm. I check the time, it’s 1:30, I worked through lunch. I forage a little and find bulgur wheat in the refrigerator that had been soaked a day or two ago. I decide to use that as my base meal and head to the garden for fresh herbs and a little bit of baby spinach; basically the tail end of what I planted early on. It survived a little longer due to a cool Spring. I picked basil, parsley, dill, lemon thyme and a tiny sprig of rosemary and of course spinach.

At this point I’m pretty wet and have a hefty handful of fresh greens so I head back indoors to put together my garden masterpiece of the day. I cleaned and chopped up the greens and added them to the bulgur wheat along with my own sprouted lentils, chickpeas and Himalayan pink salt (my favorite since it contains 84 essential minerals), a few grinds of black pepper from the pepper mill, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I sat quietly savoring each bite only stopping when every morsel was gone.

My lunch from the garden was perfect and next time perhaps the weather will be dry enough for me to enjoy lunch while watching my garden grow!

Planting the seeds

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As obvious as it sounds and as many times as I’ve heard plant a seed and it will grow, finally, planting my own seeds woke me up to the true meaning of that.

As you know from my previous post I started my own vegetable garden from the ground up so to speak. While this first year will definitely be trial and error for me, I plan on having fun and having a successful crop no matter how big or how small.

Last week I began planting seeds. I only planted lettuces and spinach then it rained for 3-4 days. I thought for sure the seeds would have molded but upon visiting my garden today I found tiny lettuce sprouts! Pure excitement for me(smiling & happy dancing) it doesn’t take much!

This little bit of action between me and my seeds opened my eyes and my mind to take action and promise will follow.

Just as planting a vegetable seed, if you plant your seeds of hope, of desire, of purpose or of positive thoughts, they will blossom into reality.

If you have a dream, a goal, a wish…plant it; make it real and it will become real! Never give up hope, never let that dream get moldy because eventually the sun will shine on it. The sun will shine on you!

My Frittata

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asparagus frittata

My frittata always has sweet potatoes, and most of the time a white potato or two. The rest of the ingredients vary due to whatever I have on hand. I don’t actually measure ingredients and sometimes depending on how many veggies I’ve added I need to add more eggs than I mentioned below; the eggs should ‘almost’ cover the veggies.

2 white potatoes, sliced

2 sweet potatoes, sliced

1 onion, sliced

about 1/2 to 1 cup crumbled breakfast sausage (I use local, organically raised meats from Hollis Hills Farm in Lunenburg, MA)

2-4 chopped scallions

2 handfuls of a green vegetable such as broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, spinach or other leafy greens.  I also add mushrooms on occasion, and on rare occasions I add grated cheese.

6-8 eggs, lightly beaten with about a half cup of milk

Oven 350º

Spread all inside ingredients into a 9 x 13″ pan that has been lightly oiled with olive or other oil.

Pour beaten eggs evenly over veggies, the eggs should almost cover the ingredients.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. This will depend on how full the pan is. It’s done when potatoes are soft and egg is set.

 

Starting My Vegetable Garden

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I’m very excited about planting a vegetable garden this year! I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I moved here 2 years ago. I’ve tracked the sun and found the best location for a garden so over the weekend my boyfriend Dale, my oldest son, Ryan and I dug our hands into the earth.

I’ll be learning as I grow so I’ve decided to start small and add beds each year as I feel the need. For our first beds we’ve chosen to make four of them; three 4×12′ and one 4×4′ the smaller one will be my spot for herbs.

Since this home didn’t have a veggie garden before, at least not to my knowledge, we had to start from the very beginning. We plotted out the beds, dug up the grassy earth and pulled out many large and small rocks-and oh boy where there a lot of them! It was Saturday and it was a partly sunny day, warm but cool enough to work outside digging. Along with the digging came tired muscles and everyone slept well that night.

Sunday was drizzly, damp and cooler  and it was the day we built the bed frames. I helped where I was needed but I didn’t feel like I did the hard labor. I kept myself busy by cleaning flower beds around the yard when I wasn’t needed.

I wasn’t sure how I could help and wanted to be useful so I made sure Dale and Ryan had full bellies and plenty of water to drink throughout the weekend. At the end of the second day I warmed them up with a pot of slightly spicy chili with 3 kinds of hot peppers, simmered for a few hours and a fire in the wood stove.

The real payoff will be all the great meals I will prepare for them with my own grown produce!

I invite you to stop by from time to time, I’ll share my garden with you. Come in and sit, unwind, contemplate while you find inspiration from recipes I will share with you; you can use them or create your own healthy dishes!

From my garden to you!

Green Smoothie Kick – Delicious Green Smoothie Recipe

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I’ve been on a green smoothie kick lately; it must be because Spring is in the air. The reason doesn’t matter, what does matter is it’s good for the body. I’ve been making a jug each morning and drinking it throughout the day.

You can get creative adding almost any fresh fruit or vegetable you want but if you’re new to blending or juicing, keep it simple until you decide what tastes you like best.

Happy Spring, Happy Smoothies, Happy Body!

Here’s a recipe I fall back to most of the time.

Green Smoothie

For this healthy, refreshing smoothie you only need a few things and you can be creative. You’ll get two servings of fruit, two servings of vegetables and a serving of essential fatty acids.

You’ll need:

a blender

1 green apple

1 handful of spinach/kale

1 spear broccoli-about the size of a Carnation or two

1/2 of a Haas avocado

1-2 slices of fresh pineapple (or as I slice it-use a 2″ wedge lengthwise)

1-2 cups water/apple juice/orange juice or pineapple juice (amount depends on how thick or thin you prefer it)

Core and cut apple into chunks. Add all washed ingredients in blender and frappe for 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Don’t hesitate to use any greens you have on hand, especially those in season. Some ideas are green peppers, cucumber, other leafy greens, bok choy, celery and berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries.

Share your smoothie experiences with us! And as always, Eat well, Live well and Be Free!

My Recipes

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I’ve decided to combine my recipe garden blog with my Initiate Wellness blog so that you can find everything in one place. I hope you find it helpful and easier. I’ll try to transfer all recipes to this location but in the mean time you can find all the recipes I have so far at http://initiatewellnessrecipegarden.wordpress.com/

Please stop by to find a new recipe to try or to find some inspiration to create your own!

Thank you, as always, for visiting me here!

Green Smoothie

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For this healthy, refreshing smoothie you only need a few things and you can be creative. You’ll get two servings of fruit, two servings of vegetables and a serving of essential fatty acids.

You’ll need:

a blender

1 green apple

1 handful of spinach/kale

1 spear broccoli-about the size of a Carnation or two

1/2 of a Haas avocado

1-2 slices of fresh pineapple (or as I slice it-use a 2″ wedge lengthwise)

1-2 cups water/apple juice/orange juice or pineapple juice (amount depends on how thick or thin you prefer it)

Core and cut apple into chunks. Add all washed ingredients in blender and frappe for 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Don’t hesitate to use any greens you have on hand, especially those in season. Some ideas are green peppers, cucumber, other leafy greens, bok choy, celery and berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries.

Share your smoothie experiences with us! And as always, Eat well, Live well and Be Free!

To Juice or To Blend?

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How do we know which one to do and which one is better for us?

Well, to begin, they’re both good for us nutritionally speaking. There are times when one would want to just juice and other times to blend.

I’ll give a brief explanation of the differences between juicing and blending.

Juicing removes the pulp fibers from the fruit or vegetable leaving a thin, dense juice. What you are left with is an abundance of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. When you drink this freshly squeezed juice it enters into your bloodstream within 10-15 minutes since it doesn’t need to go through the digestive process allowing your body to use all the nutrients immediately. It also gives your digestive system including stomach, pancreas, liver, intestines and gall bladder a rest which allows them to ‘renew’ their cells.

The down side of juicing is the removal of much needed fiber and that it needs to be consumed directly after juicing in order to reap the benefits of all the nutrients.

Blending might seem like a little more work in preparation of the fruits and vegetables you’ll be using such as cutting out the core and seeds of some produce, and removing the stems of others but in the long run it turns out to be quicker since there’s not much clean up.

Blending uses the pulp as well as the juices. You can make it as thick or as thin as you desire by adding filtered water or organic apple or orange juice. Also when you use a blender you still get all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes along with flavonoids(compounds that help protect blood vessels from rupture, prevents excess inflammation in the body and more) and anthocyanins (antioxidant compounds that help reduce inflammation in the body, support blood vessel health, have anti-cancer properties and more).

According to Prof. of Chemistry, Gregory T. Miller, of Southern Oregon University, the blending process releases a higher percentage of antioxidants than juicing which prevents oxidation of the produce.

Blending has less of an impact on blood sugar levels too since it contains the dietary fiber which slows the release of natural sugar into the bloodstream.

It also gives your organs time to rest and renew their cells since the food is broken down to a pulp with the blender.

When blending, you can make a pitcher full and keep it in the refrigerator for the up to two days although I recommend blending and drinking it fresh each day. Make a pitcherful, refrigerate it and drink it throughout the day.

Lastly, blending will keep you full longer since it contains filling, healthful dietary fiber.

There are times when it’s good to juice and other times when it’s good to blend. Personally I would save juicing for a day or weekend of detoxing and organ resting but for the rest of the time, I blend. There’s nothing like a refreshing smoothie on a warm sunny day, add ice to the mix on a hot sunny day, or in the middle of winter when there’s not much fresh local produce and my body is craving veggies and fruits. I use organic seasonal greens, berries and fruits and blend daily!

Getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables can make the difference in how you feel. If you’re craving to feel energized and alive juicing can be your thing too!

Maggi

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I dedicate this blog post to Maggi. She deserves more but this is what I have to share my love for Maggi with the world.

Maggi knew unconditional love. She didn’t judge, instead, she accepted each individual as unique; unique as she was herself. Maggi’s uniqueness and kindness drew people to her. There was not a thing to dislike about her.

She was an inspiration in one way or another to everyone who knew her. I’ll share how she inspired me.

Through Maggi I saw how important it is to be a little more laid back, to take time to relax and take time to enjoy a part of each day. I learned that some things aren’t worth stressing over until time with loved ones and friends was spent; there’s time for work, chores and errands later.

Maggi and I shared thoughts and ideas through email on a regular basis. She followed, read and commented on my newsletters, articles, blog posts and Facebook posts regularly. She might have been one of my biggest fans. Even when she was busy she took the time to read my stories and took time to let me know how much she enjoyed and appreciated each topic.

I’ve learned to take pride in who I am, feel the sunshine, smell the air, slow down, take a walk, enjoy the rain, laugh with friends and cry with friends. I’ve learned what an impact my positive comments can make in someone’s day. I’ve learned to put some things on hold but never put off visit with friends and family.

Each one of us has lost someone close to us and most of us have lost more than one. All of us will continue to learn lessons throughout our lives from those who have left us. These lessons are inside our catalog of information and only brought to the front when we need it most. Each day in many things that we do is in some way linked to a conversation with someone we love dearly.

I will forever hold tightly to the lessons I’ve learned from loved ones still here and loved ones gone.

I’m thankful to have had Maggi in my life.

If you knew Maggi or have had a “Maggi” in your life, feel free to share your story here too.