Camping

I never used to be much into camping. Recently though, I have started to enjoy the serenity that nature has to offer.

I’m currently on a farm, in rural Missouri for a family friend’s annual camping weekend. We call it “Applebutter”. It is a weekend spent camping, hanging out, drinking (of course) and making apple butter, from scratch. If you’ve never done it, it’s quite an intricate process. We start by peeling and chopping the apples, followed by grinding them into basically applesauce in a meat grinder. Then, the following day, we use a copper pot, over a wood burning fire (which, based on the amount of wind we are experiencing, will likely be done inside the barn, this year), to mix the apples. This lasts several hours and requires the constant stirring by the men of the group. Once the apples are cooked down enough, We add the sugar/cinnamon mixture until it’s ready for jarring. Then, a caravan of women work to jar the apple butter quickly an efficiently to ensure optimal flavor. It’s an amazing tradition and one I’m thankful to be a part of for so many years.

It’s not just that part of the tradition, though. I also have the opportunity to relax in a way that I don’t normally relax. I sit outside for hours, sometimes all by myself, just enjoying the weather and the calmness of the camping experience. I listen to the sounds of my friends and family, never worrying that I have anywhere to be or anything specific that I have to do. And I love that.

I also love that interspersed with moments of calm are moments of chaos. Nothing is scripted or predicted and we go with the moment. Life just gets to happen. No rules, no pattern and no expectations.

It’s time to get batch though. Time to enjoy peace and quiet with my family and friends. Time to enjoy life. Peace.

Mindful Eating

Many dietitians call it Intiuitive Eating.

The concept is simple, really. Intuitive eating rejects traditional dieting methods and focuses on making peace with one’s personal releationship with food. It encourages a person to honor the times they are hungry and to fuel themselves with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. It also rejects the notion of good foods vs bad foods, which so many modern diets emphasize.

Over recent years, we’ve grown into a culture obsessed with diets, obsessed with get thin quick schemes, and we seem to have forgotten the very principles of food and nourishment. So many diets require you to restrict the type of foods you eat or control the times in which you are allowed to consume said foods while intuitive eating encourages eating when you are hungry and even giving into unhealthy cravings now and then. Of course, it’s not healthy to binge on those types of foods, but an occassional treat can help ward off unnecessary binging.

But I’ll get off my soapbox now. That wasn’t really the point of this post, but it is what I’ve learned lately. There are a lot of really amazing registered dietitians on social media who are focusing their efforts on helping people break free from the cycle of toxic dieting habits and create new ones. I personally think it’s a really great movement, and I am taking my own steps to create my own healthy eating habits.

Over the last week, I’ve found a lot of new recipes that I’m excited to try. Recipes full of protein, fiber, whole grains and healthy fats. I do everything in my power to make it to the gym at least 3 days a week, and sometimes, more if I can. At the same time, I don’t restrict myself from eating foods that would normally be considered ‘bad’. I eat pasta, bread, and even some snacks. I don’t make myself feel bad about it, but I don’t make those items my primary source of fuel either. And that’s the point. Ironically enough, I’ve already started to see results. Of course, I know that any real results will take time but the fact remains, it’s a philosophy that really works. I’ve seen the results on others, and I know how much better I feel since putting it into practice, myself. I feel better because I am eating better foods, and I feel better because I’m not make other foods the enemy. I took some before pictures, a week ago, that I’m not ready to share with others. But if this works the way I think it will, I will show them alongside some after photos to compare, in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

It’s Been A While

I don’t remember the last time I did this. For me, anyway. I used to love to write, but then I started getting paid, and I found myself growing anxious about it. I still loved writing but it became something that had a price tag; a price tag that could be taken away if I wasn’t good enough.

I’m sure I’m not the only writer to go through that, but, for me, it all became too much. Too much stress. Too much anxiety. Too much worry that, one day, my inexperience and lack of formal education would shine through. I really tried hard, too; I wanted people to see passed that. My editor was amazing; she taught me so much about blogging, and writing, in general. Of course, I’ve forgotten most of it, but she really believed in me, which made me believe in me. It made me want to be better.

One day though, my worst fear came true. She called me up. She told me budget cuts required her to let a few people go. I was one of them. The weird part was, part of me was sad, and I’ll admit, I cried when she told me. In a weird way though, part of me was relieved. At the time, I really didn’t know why, either. I chalked it up to the fact that I knew I wasn’t a good writer, and they must have finally figured it out.

I thought about that for a long time after that moment, too.

But it’s been several years since then, and I’ve grown a lot. I can look back at that experience much differently than I looked at it then. I do know that my lack of education and my inexperience probably were contributing factors, but I also came to realize it had started to slowly strip away everything I loved about writing. Writing was no longer fun for me.

The funny part is, I don’t remember the moment it finally hit me; the moment I realized how much I missed writing. Truth be told, I think it was somewhere between finding new hobbies and buying a new sewing machine. Whenever it was, I started to miss the joy of putting my thoughts into words, if for nobody else than for myself. I finally remembered why I loved to write. I remembered that I do it for me.

So, one day, I may revisit the idea of getting paid to write, but for now, I’m going to focus on me.

One mom’s advice: Ditch the resolutions, make goals instead – Omaha.com: Momaha.com – Family Activities In Omaha, Tips And Tricks For Local Parents

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tried making New Year’s resolutions, and the fact is, they just don’t work. There is no clear end date – just an ambiguous time in the future that I will most likely get bored and quit. For that reason, I would rather my children focus on making goals. When you plan to complete something specific, there is a better chance you will follow through.

Source: One mom’s advice: Ditch the resolutions, make goals instead – Omaha.com: Momaha.com – Family Activities In Omaha, Tips And Tricks For Local Parents

Generation Cry Baby: Why Millennials Are a F**king Joke

Bam!! Chick says it how it is! Go, girl! Say what we’re ALL thinking. Nothing but love here!

One mom’s advice for helping kids develop good study habits – Omaha.com: Momaha.com

When your teen is a Freshman in high school, you nervously hope you’ve taught them well up until this point.

Thankfully, it seems my daughter has taken along a few good study habits – several of which I should probably take note of – and uses them daily.

Do your kids have any good study habits? Feel free to pass them along!

Source: One mom’s advice for helping kids develop good study habits – Omaha.com: Momaha.com – Family Activities In Omaha, Tips And Tricks For Local Parents

4 reasons why I don’t participate in the frenzy that is Black Friday shopping – Omaha.com: Momaha.com

I don’t like shopping on Black Friday. I never have.

As such, you didn’t catch me out in the crowds this past week. Don’t get me wrong, it appeals to a lot of people. But there are many reasons I prefer not to head out.

Check out my reasons why.

Do you Black Friday shop? What is your experience like?

Source: 4 reasons why I don’t participate in the frenzy that is Black Friday shopping – Omaha.com: Momaha.com – Family Activities In Omaha, Tips And Tricks For Local Parents

I like my quiet Saturday mornings

Today is not a normal Saturday.

It’s 8:30 in the morning and everybody is home. Of course, they’re all asleep, but they’re still home nonetheless.

And me? I’m making a very vague attempt at savoring the very small piece of quiet time I have before the chaos begins. Of course, knowing my family, it will be at least an hour before I see any movement, but that will unfortunately mark the end of my time to myself.

I’m not use to that.

Rolling out of bed on Saturday mornings usually has a very different feel. I wake up – somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 AM – and the house is still. Tony is either hunting or at work, and my girls are with their dad.

Not that I am ever that productive, but, at the very least, I had several hours of peace during the week. I could do whatever I wanted, I could watch whatever I wanted, and most importantly, I was not confined to any particular room of the house.

It’s only a few hours. Maybe 5, at the most. But it’s my time. I write lists, clean up the house, go to the gym, or even run some errands. For that short time, I don’t have to answer to anyone. Just myself.

I get to just be me and do what I want to do without feeling pulled in every direction.

But today is different. With every family member home – and asleep in various rooms of the house – I’ve had to resort to taking up residency in the only available space.

The kitchen.

I’m uncomfortable, and I’m cold. I’m afraid of making too much noise at the risk of waking someone up. I know it’s only a matter of time.

There will be someone wanting breakfast. Someone wanted to know what I’m doing. Someone reminding me that I am not alone to my own thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong. I really do love my family. But I also love my space. Space that we just don’t have.

It’s at this moment when I am very shrewdly reminded of a life that seems so far out of reach. It’s one that I can see, but not one that – at this moment – I can touch.

 

One that includes a home with more than 5 rooms – more than just the essentials like a living room and kitchen – a home with my own special space. A room where I can explore my passions and collect my thoughts. A room I can sneak away to when I just need a few minutes to myself.

But alas, that day is not today. I hear the rustling of awakened bodies, the quiet hum of the television, and the murmur of little voices.

I’m growing hungry, which likely means that, soon, so will they.

 

 

Why do I always feel inadequate?

Do you know how difficult it is to draft [what should be] a simple blog post to send to my [one and only] editor?

It’s excruciating, to tell you the truth.

First, I feel like the topics I’ve written down, which, mind you, are several, will never suffice. I flip back and forth through the pages just hoping some sort of genius will jump out at me.

It never fails though. I wind up sitting here for several hours, bouncing between Facebook and an empty Google document, frustrated and exhausted.

Frustrated from my apparent lack of meaningful thoughts, and exhausted attempting to uncover, what can only be described as, the key to some magical, lost city in my mind.

In case you didn’t know, that’s where all the good stories are hiding.

So, I concede. I get up, head to the kitchen to make dinner, or off to do some other menial task that, while productive, gets me no closer to reaching my actual goals.

Worse yet is that I started the endeavor with such a different mentality. I convinced myself that I have dozens of thought-provoking, or, at the very least, interesting, stories to tell.

So, I start to write. Even as the words begin to come, they feel empty, almost as though I am not fit to write them.

Though I know the thought alone is absurd, I can’t help but believe the possibility that it may be true. I struggle to find the simplest way to collect my thoughts, until my brain has nearly turned to mush.

But I’ll press on. Deep inside, I know this is what I’ve been called to do. One day, I’ll find the ability to push past my fear and just write.

For now though,  I suppose it’s time to start dinner.

Healthy(ier) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, so I’m not going to lie. Chocolate chip cookies are not healthy.

I know. Really took ya for a loop there, didn’t I?

Well, in my quest to improve my personal health, I’ve spent a lot of time scouring Pinterest in search of recipes that are not only healthy, but also have the most potential to taste good. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, and I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad experiences.

The fact is, I have an admitted sweet tooth, and I often have difficulty denying myself a craving. That often involves loads of extra calories and a much higher sugar intake than I would like.

This one, though, is one that has certainly hit the mark. Even my kids are a fan, and – as the teenagers they are – they don’t much care for anything that isn’t loaded with sugar or carbs.

Unlike a traditional chocolate chip cookie, this recipe substitutes coconut flour for conventional flour and stevia in place of the sugar. Both alternatives save on both carbs and calories making this treat as satisfying as it is delicious.

Now, normally, I’m not a fan of substituting anything coconut in a recipe. After a failed attempt at using coconut oil as a cooking tool, I am hesitant to try a recipe with an ingredient that could potentially have similarly devastating effects.

As it was, that was not the case. For whatever reason, unlike its oil counterpart, coconut flour has a light airy scent and no lasting flavor (that I’ve been able to pick up anyway). I have grown quite fond of these cookies and make them whenever I have the chance.

Here’s how you do it:

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tbsp  vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Truvia stevia
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature
• 4 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a pan with either foil or parchment paper
2. In a small bowl, mix the coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter, egg whites and vanilla. Stir in the Truvia, then add the milk.
4. Combine all ingredients until everything is completely combined, then fold in the dark chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of the mini chips.
5. Place rounded scoops onto the baking sheet and firmly press down to create desired cookie shape (dough will not spread during baking process).
6. Press remaining chips onto tops of cookies and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool before transferring to wire rack or storage container.

Yields approx. 24 cookies. 

I found the original recipe here, but I have altered it slightly as the sugar substitutes were not readily available. I also opted to forgo attempting to cook with coconut oil for the obvious, aforementioned reasons. Enjoy!!