Newly Unemployed

It's officially been one week since I was let go at my job.
I haven't updated this dang blog in way too long and it is due to my time being taken up by the completely unnecessary position I held at FCS.
While stepping back and looking at what I turned myself into, I almost get sick.
In a little over a year, my hobbies, friends and things in life I enjoyed so much, got pushed aside.
Since I've been terminated I've gone to yoga, cooked dinner, spent quality time with my boyfriend and dog and also started to de-clutter my home and mind. It's such a great feeling!
I'm planning on starting a little side job by making t-shirts that have a vegan theme behind them.
Once I get that up and running, I'll post some on here.
I think they key to getting it going is to start more networking and getting my blog and name out there.

Tonight I'll be making chana masala and will post pictures tomorrow.
(I found my digital camera battery, which I'm VERY excited about.)

I hope everyone is greeting the holiday season with open arms and also embracing the ones they love in this time of joy and thanksgiving.

namaste

Leeks, Bikes & Split Pea Soup

I rode my bike to the MAX station this morning then into work from the transit center.

It's the 2nd time that I've done this and I'm starting to feel like this could turn into a long term journey.

I bundled up more this morning and bought a helmet over the weekend so I felt much more secure riding next to the cars.

While riding along the path I realize how much more in control I feel on a bike that I ever did behind the wheel. Especially with the morning rush hour craziness that happens every day!

Since becoming more eco-conscious I want to let everyone know that even though you may have to get up 20 minutes earlier and invest in some good biking equipment (especially for the rainy Oregon winters) there are so many perks to riding to work instead of driving.

The price I paid in gas every week while driving a V8 Durango was insane.

Now, I pay a little over $10/week to take the MAX into downtown Hillsboro... on top of that I'm getting my cardio everyday going to and from on my bike.

Eco wise, I'm not burning fossil fuel, I'm not adding any smog to the atmosphere from my tail pipe and I'm setting an example for those who drive to work that, "Hey, if I can do this, so can you!" Just something to throw out there on a side note.

Last night I made a super delish dinner... Split Pea & Leek Soup.
It was divine. The whole house smelled so good for the hour while it simmered... reminded me of a raining day sitting around the fire watching old movies.
Recipe:

1 lb of dried split peas - rinsed and sorted
1 medium leak - cut and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot - diced
1 stalk of celery - minced
6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 jalapeño - chopped
1 tsp of thyme
2 Tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

I've never used leeks before but they look so inviting while I was shopping at Whole Foods that I had to think of something to put them in.

I chopped them just below the dark leaf and just above the root core.

From there I thinly sliced them and threw them into a big bowl of cold water. The leeks will float and the grit will sink. I gave each section a good once over with my hands and then let them sit for a few.

While the leeks soaked I chopped up my garlic, carrots, celery and jalapeño. I put 2 Tbs of olive oil into a large pot and turned it to a medium heat. Added all the veggies and let them cook for about 8 minutes.

From there I added the sorted split peas and the 6 cups of veggie broth. I let that cook for about 1 hour and 15 min then added the thyme.

It was enough for about 3 or 4 servings. Just enough for leftovers! MMM

It was a pretty quick and simple meal with lots of good stuff inside

Fruits, Food and Fun!

Hello one and all:

More like just one because that's all I have for a following right now but oh well! If you're reading this, Welcome and thank you for coming.

Up until recently I've been doing really well with not eating animal products but last night I cracked and had a few bites of carrot cake, which actually didn't taste that great!

So, besides my cravings for scones and coffee cake in the morning being vegan has been going pretty well!

Two nights ago I made a vegan mac n cheeze dish (which was a little bland but I'm going to perfect it!)

Tonight I'll be making a vegan split pea soup & I'll post the recipe later. I'm thinking of adding some leeks and potatoes to it which sound so delish right now.

 

The other day I was cruising the internet for information on fruit. I found some extremely interesting topics that I thought I would share...

Fruits! Fruits! magical fruits the more you eats the more you... ;)

There are more than fifty varieties of watermelon

Black cherries are recommended against anemia due to their high iron content

Pineapple Lessens time and degree of inflammation

avocado helps aid in red blood regeneration and prevent anemia

The mineral content of figs closely resembles that of human milk

mangos Are good to combat stomach acidity

Grapes:

There are four classes of grapes: wine grapes, table grapes, raisin grapes, and sweet juice grapes

Grapes help promote the action of the bowel, clean the liver and aid kidney function

Due to their high water content they add to the fluids and help eliminate hardened deposits that may have settled in any part of the body

papaya Helps to maintain the acid –alkaline balance of the body

passion fruit has somniferous properties, taken before going to bed they help relax and sleep during the night

bananas that are ripe may raise mood and help sleep. Carbohydrates eaten with little protein are known to have a soothing effect by stimulating serotonin, a substance that raises mood

Peaches are diuretic, depurative and detoxifying so they are wonderful to eat on a weight - loss program

Dark orange fresh apricots are one of the top fruits for beta-carotene & are Exceptionally high in beta-carotene.

Lemons are antiseptic, natural and secure against stomach and intestine fermentations

Grapefruit when taken before bedtime, is conductive to a sound sleep

Melons are an excellent supply of distilled water that contains the finest mineral elements

oranges are Excellent for treating over acidic body conditions, constipation or a sluggish intestinal trac

Tangerines: Due to its high content in phosphorus and calcium the tangerine benefits the development of the skeleton

Prunes clean and unclog the liver, the digestive system and helps to overcome infections and intestinal fever

Monday - Shmunday.

Fridays tend to drag on very slowly as the summer is coming closer and closer to an end.
I'm trying to squeeze activities into each day while the sun is still out and the rain hasn't taken over my Oregonian life for another nine month.
While trying to think of a few things to do for this weekend - the usual ideas popped into my head, relax, go to the farmers market, run away to Mexico (in my dreams) or go camping.
I have done dreadfully little camping this summer, which makes me sad, because there are so many extraordinary camp spots spread all over this state!
So, I set my mind on going camping at Trillium Lake Campground (http://tiny.cc/CuoNW ) and decided to call B.
He tends to get bewildered when I just spring something on him, but he quickly jumped on board when I said there would be ample fishing spots.
Saturday morning we woke up fairly early and headed out towards Portland to make a quick stop at the waffle window.(http://wafflewindow.com/) B & N got a berry and granola waffle and I got the blueberry and lemon curd waffle. It was one of the most extraordinary things to hit my palate in a long time.
Once we got the lot set up at camp the boys insisted on going fishing right away. It was kind of chilly out by the so Chelsea and I tried to entertain ourselves by taking pictures of everything around us. Brock caught the first (and only) fish of the weekend. It was a 12inch trout, which he set free mostly due to my crying about “the poor thing!” Eventually C & I found ourselves bored and ready to head back to camp to take a nap and we fell asleep in the back of my truck for about an hour. The boys came back to camp saying they had grown tired of that spot and decided to move to another. C & I stayed at the camp spot until we realized we had nothing for s’mores! Blasphemy! So we drove out onto the highway and found the nearest gas station/convenience store. For graham crackers, 2 bars of chocolate and a bag of marshmallows it cost C $10! We met up with the boys by the lake and told them we should start thinking about dinner. Instead of worrying about dinner right away the 5 of us ended up taking a two hour nap! (I must have needed some sleep!) I was the first one up from nap time and got the fire roaring until everyone woke up. We started to talk about dinner again and then realized I was supposed to be in charge of tortillas, but someone has to forget at least ONE thing camping… right?! The boys drove into town and picked up some vegetarian refried beans and tortillas. I cut up some red pepper, onion, zucchini, carrots, potatoes and grilled them over the fire pit. Strange fajitas huh?! They were super delish though. After s’ mores with peanut butter on them and some campfire songs – B & I headed off to sleep. I woke up quite a few times that night because it was SO cold.
B & I slept in the longest Sunday morning and after some considerable amount of time trying to figure out what breakfast would be, I ended just having a PBSF&J sandwich. (Peanut butter sunflower-seed and jelly sandwich) We packed up camp and headed over to the dam so the boys could fish a little bit longer. The view from there was amazing! It was so clear the top of Mt hood looked like it was just inches from your face. After about an hour of that we left, took a pit stop at ski bowl and then headed home.
I’m so thankful that the weekend ended up being something note worthy and I was able to be around people I love. Hopefully there will be a few more weekends like this before school starts up again.

Back to business

For the past few days I've felt extremely under the weather, and I do not take being sick very well.
I kept trying to think of all the little things around the house I could be doing instead of watching TV or spending time on the computer.
Every time I'd try to get up and do something though, my fever would come back and I'd be more miserable than before.

The few things that I was able to accomplish while sick were:
* watch movies I've been wanting to see
* update my farm on farm town (facebook)
* snooze longer than 10 hours straight
* not think about work
* relax

While it may seem like an lackluster list to some, these are actually some great accomplishments for me.
Since I'm always finding myself busier than a bee, the hardest part out of anything was taking the time to stop, breath, and relax for a whole day!
People tend to think that if we are not working, we are not achieving anything.
There is a tendency to run ourselves to the bare bones if we are constantly struggling to keep our heads above water.
Bills, food, fun, extras ? why do we do this to ourselves?
We all need to take one day out of a month, or even every couple of weeks, to let ourselves relax and be in the moment and not worrying about what we will be doing for dinner at 9:00 am!
I hope the next go round of down time for me isn?t when I?m sick, because then I?ll be able to bake some things in the kitchen!
- Happy Hump Day!

It's finally FRIDAY!

I'm growing restless and spending a lot of time on Google maps looking at places all over the world I want to explore. Which means, a vacation is very much needed. B and I have our California trip planned for a week in October and I couldn't be more excited.
On another note, as I've mentioned in prior blogs, I decided to dive head first, into being a vegetarian/vegan recently. Honestly, it has been going so well and I haven't missed meat at all! I also feel great!
My body is happy, my skin has been looking better, and my whole demeanor has just completely evolved.

Last night I made an awesome vegan Chili with cornbread (not vegan)
I wish I could have taken pictures of when it was on the stove.
It smelled so warm and inviting. Perfect meal for a night that was somewhat cool.
Our friends C & R (that are into the vegetarianism, but just not fully in depth with the whole lifestyle yet) came over to have dinner with us and they loved the chilli & cornbread! I was so proud of myself because I've never made either of those items before.

Recipe:
2 cans Amy's brand tomato bisque
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo
1 can of diced green chilies
1 tbs of granulated garlic
1/2 tbs of cayenne pepper
1 lb of Yves Meatless Ground

Put all canned products and spices into pot & cook on medium heat for about 35/40 min
add fake ground beef to pot and cook for another 20 min.
TA-DA! Yummy Vegan Chili!

Hope everyone has an awesome, fun-filled weekend!

Taking My Leap of Faith

The weekend is fast approaching, and I couldn't be more excited about it.
Tomorrow morning, I will be getting up and starting my first day of yoga certification.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be opening this new chapter in my life.

There's a butterfly sensation in my stomach that I think is because I know remarkable things are going to come of this.

Countless doors could be opened, and opportunities I never had before will start presenting themselves.

With God's love and guidance, I'll be able to start doing what I've always wanted to do and I couldn't be more elated.

Time For Change

In the past I have tried, and failed, to be a vegetarian.

I don't think that I've had enough support or motivation to sit down and really think about what it is that I'm actually putting into my body.

I recently picked up the book "Skinny Bitch" which has been a best seller for sometime now.

This quick read has been a real eye opener and made me realize all over again that, you are what you eat.

Who would want to become the suffering cow or the sick and diseased chicken that come from factories of death and rotting flesh?

And the thing is... I wouldn't.

So here I stand, on my soap box, ready to once again plunge into the depths of eating to good health.

I'm ready for this change with or without support.

Something as serious as eating meat should be a concern of everyone, but because it's not yet, I'll take that step for those that aren't ready.

Although I'm very interested in becoming a vegan as well, I'm going to just take small strides towards eating healthy and breaking my bad habits first.

I'm excited to see where this path takes me.

Lookin' out my backdoor

sooo this weekend I will be camping and I couldn't be any more excited to just get the heck out of here!

These past few months I feel that life has transitioned into a smooth ride.
_B and I got a bigger apartment where all of our stuff hits nicely and we'll be living there for another 15 months. We had people over last weekend for a little get together and it felt really good to be around people that I hadn't seen for awhile.
_Work has made this change into an enjoyable atmosphere. I try to remind myself that despite the stress and the, not so great pay, that at least I have a job!
_ B and I are doing really well and sometimes I forget how amazing he is. I try everyday to tell him how much he means to me. I think he thinks I'm being crazy - but at least he doesn't forget that I love him.
We're going to shoot for a vacation in October, around his birthday. Hopefully that comes through.
I'll post pictures of our camping extravaganza once we get back. I'll remind myself. :)

Finally Sunny!

Living in the Pacific Northwest has it's ups and it's downs.
Mostly downs... of rain. Alas, today there is pure sunshine.
It was nice mostly the whole weekend so the family and I were able to get out to the zoo!
It was Packy's 47th birthday - one of the oldest Asian elephants in captivity. How nice.
I'll upload some pictures from our adventures later.

Boy - I hope this weather sticks around.

learn to fly again learn to live so free...

I mostly write this blog just for myself to be able to vent and improve my writing...
When I forget to write for a long period of time, I feel guilty.

Right now - Life is moving.
It's moving at a pace that is somewhat choppy, kind of like I'm riding the huge wake of a cruise ship, in the middle of the ocean.
Just recently my boyfriend B and I have been going through a rough patch. Mostly on my part because I've been so stressed about school and work as well as bills! Every day I grow more and more tired of corporate America. I hate my desk job and the things I have to go through every day.
I really can not WAIT to get certified to be a yoga instructor this summer! I have a feeling it will be one of the best decisions of my life.
The problem with me though, there is a positive and a negative with everything. I can be extremely pessimistic and I drive myself insane. I worry about so many little things that my stress level goes through the roof. I worry about money, where B and I will move to once our lease is up (which isn't for another 9 months) I worry that I will have a hard time finding work right after I'm done with instructor training. I wish I could just clear my head right now.
My lifetime goal is to own an off the grid home, own at least one yoga/pilates studio, have a farm with lots of animals and maintain me and my families happiness.
I need to get back to my job now - someone save me and find me an eco-friendly job! PLEASE :)

I feel like I should introduce myself and some aspects of my life...
I'm 19 and I work full time at a collection agency - in the legal department.
I go to school full time at PCC as well and will be majoring in history!
My boyfriend Brock & I have been together for 2 years in October
We have BEAUTIFUL pitbull named Deegan - and she's like my kid. :)
She's tiger brindle and white and loves riding in the car.

Most of my time is spent outdoors when it's not raining. Fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, white water rafting... I love it all.
I also love Pilates and yoga and try to practice at least 3 or 4 times a week.
I'm looking to become a certified instructor this summer and I'm very excited.

A few weekends ago - We went down to Maupin to go fishing with my brother and our best friends Travis and Meagan.
I love Maupin more than any place else in Oregon.
I would love to live there one day - probably once I'm retired though.
We took off pretty early in the morning and stopped at Bonneville dam. We took some goofy pictures.

back in the saddle again

It feels strange blogging again.
I haven't blogged probably since high school.
Back then I used xanga or livejournal but I feel it's time for a more grown up blog.