Only in California would you find a pair of flip flops with a warning label reading, "This material has been known to cause cancer and infertility." Seriously???? Rubber flip flops???? My body must be cancer ridden and I must have no shot at having kids, because I have been wearing this cheap, low brow footwear my entire life!!!
I only discovered this cautionary information post purchase... Didn't think to check my freakin' flops for a "death label." GEEZ!!!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Since the job search has essentially led nowhere thus far (other than a couple of phone interviews and scams), I decided to cook. Cooking and baking always seems to lift my spirits, and makes me feel as though I have reached some level of productivity.
I spent the greater portion of Saturday (as well as a good part of Friday night) preparing a good ol' southern meal (perhaps I needed a little slice of home). I began with my pulled pork...
Now this is fairly easy! A pork tenderloin (it's a VERY lean cut of meat as far as pork goes, and is leaner than all beef), a slow cooker, some chopped onions, and my awesome rub are the base to this masterpiece! Sorry, not giving away my entire recipe!!! Anyhoo, after cooking the loin for 8 hours and finishing it off with an hour extra in my homemade Carolina BBQ sauce, I started on my Nana's German potato salad!!! Now, I'm not a big fan of potato salad... Like, not at all! HOWEVER, this particular one tops my list of favorite foods EVER!!! It has a delectable smokey flavor, is mayo based (reduced fat Helman's is what I use), and the potatoes are sliced like scalloped potatoes rather than in chunks. Truly, words cannot express how great this stuff is!!! Additionally, I made some of my Mom's southern style baked beans (YUMMY!). My husband made some awesome cast-iron skillet cornbread, with actual corn and sharp cheddar inside, to complete the meal!!! I was soooo impressed!!!
By 6:30, we finally sat down to eat the smorgasbord of our down home comfort food!!! Quite the meal! Gpops concurred, stating that I should cook for the cowboys (he watches a lot of John Wayne westerns)! ;)
Still riding the high of my previous day's feat, I decided to do a little baking today!!!! Gpops is going on an RV outing on Tuesday and was tasked with bringing some deserts for his caravan participants. Since my Nana's passing, undertakings such as this can be a little anxiety provoking to him. Therefore, I happily stepped to the plate and made some beautiful treats that the group are sure to devour and that Gpops could be proud of!
DRUM-ROLL PLEASE..........................
Miniature Angel-food cakes!!!
The ones with the cherries are iced with lemon glaze and lemon zest. The others (my personal favorite) are iced with burned butter frosting... Now, nothing tastes burned about this heavenly icing! It tastes a lot like butterscotch and takes only about 5 minutes to make!!! I garnished these with a butterscotch mini-kiss and sliced almonds!
Anyone hungry yet???
I spent the greater portion of Saturday (as well as a good part of Friday night) preparing a good ol' southern meal (perhaps I needed a little slice of home). I began with my pulled pork...
Now this is fairly easy! A pork tenderloin (it's a VERY lean cut of meat as far as pork goes, and is leaner than all beef), a slow cooker, some chopped onions, and my awesome rub are the base to this masterpiece! Sorry, not giving away my entire recipe!!! Anyhoo, after cooking the loin for 8 hours and finishing it off with an hour extra in my homemade Carolina BBQ sauce, I started on my Nana's German potato salad!!! Now, I'm not a big fan of potato salad... Like, not at all! HOWEVER, this particular one tops my list of favorite foods EVER!!! It has a delectable smokey flavor, is mayo based (reduced fat Helman's is what I use), and the potatoes are sliced like scalloped potatoes rather than in chunks. Truly, words cannot express how great this stuff is!!! Additionally, I made some of my Mom's southern style baked beans (YUMMY!). My husband made some awesome cast-iron skillet cornbread, with actual corn and sharp cheddar inside, to complete the meal!!! I was soooo impressed!!!
By 6:30, we finally sat down to eat the smorgasbord of our down home comfort food!!! Quite the meal! Gpops concurred, stating that I should cook for the cowboys (he watches a lot of John Wayne westerns)! ;)
Still riding the high of my previous day's feat, I decided to do a little baking today!!!! Gpops is going on an RV outing on Tuesday and was tasked with bringing some deserts for his caravan participants. Since my Nana's passing, undertakings such as this can be a little anxiety provoking to him. Therefore, I happily stepped to the plate and made some beautiful treats that the group are sure to devour and that Gpops could be proud of!
DRUM-ROLL PLEASE..........................
Miniature Angel-food cakes!!!
Anyone hungry yet???
Thursday, September 15, 2011
WHAT IF???
What if we embraced each new day as a new beginning?
What if we were fully capable of realizing the boundless
beauty within our world, and were completely willing to open our hearts to all
those who inhabit it with us?
What if we appreciated the wisdom of our elders and the
imagination of our youth?
What if we recognized that our thoughts, words, and deeds
have an absolute impact on ourselves and others?
What if we understood how to solely reinforce those thoughts,
words, and deeds that best serve ourselves and others?
What if, in all this, we found peace?
What if?
Just Breathe...
My friend Holly has been doing yoga for some time now and she swears that it is the most calming, rejuvenating part of her day. One particular evening, I was feeling the need for this "calming of the mind" (even if it only lasted for the duration of the class), so I decided to join her.
Thirty minutes later, I stood in front of Indie Yoga located in Ocean Beach, eagerly awaiting my very first yoga class. When Holly arrived, she introduced me to the instructor and we headed for the classroom door, yoga mats in tow (yes I do own one... Haha). I failed to mention that this particular yoga studio is heated... By heated, I mean the room is heated to a toasty 98-104 degrees. Upon opening the door I was immediately reminded of the sweltering summer heat of my home state which, up to this point, I had blissfully evaded.
And so the class began... Maybe 5 minutes in, my head is damp with perspiration... Maybe 20 minutes in, my back arms and legs are slick with sweat... An hour later, my clothes could easily wring out a pint...
I'm sure you're thinking, "Why not run for the door? How the hell could anyone enjoy this???!!!". Truth is, the instructor was extremely inspirational in her teaching, she made us aware of the benefits of each posture (i.e. "This posture promotes superior thyroid function and fertility..." or "This posture helps regulate blood pressure... "etc.), she was encouraging, and helped beginners like myself modify and helped make adjustments to our bodies so that we benefited from every pose. Additionally, the atmosphere was SUPER SOOTHING!!! The dim glow of candles was terrifically tranquil, and the music was calming and had a great rhythm.
So, sure, it was undoubtedly difficult, but I felt no reason to leave... I was honestly at peace, being in the moment and feeling the movement of my body with (AT LAST) a still mind... I have to say I am HOOKED!!!
Since we are short on funds, I have resorted to practicing at home with videos. However, each day I look forward to having this little hour of the day devoted to to clearing my mind, so that I am able to focus my energy towards what is most important (for me, that is self-acceptance and love, patience, kindness, and respect and appreciation of others) rather than scattering my energy to the many unnecessary and superficial concerns that may be plaguing me.
The most significant and influential element I have learned through my yoga practice is breath... After all, our breath reminds us we are alive and here with a purpose... Each inhale represents a fresh start, with each exhale disposing of the old and that which does not serve us. What a beautiful idea!!!
SOOOO... JUST BREATHE!!!
If you are interested in learning more about yoga, I have found these links quite informative:
http://www.yogamovement.com/resources/benefits.html
http://www.webmd.com/balance/the-health-benefits-of-yoga
http://www.healthyoga.com/articles/Top_10_Benefits_of_Yoga.php
Thirty minutes later, I stood in front of Indie Yoga located in Ocean Beach, eagerly awaiting my very first yoga class. When Holly arrived, she introduced me to the instructor and we headed for the classroom door, yoga mats in tow (yes I do own one... Haha). I failed to mention that this particular yoga studio is heated... By heated, I mean the room is heated to a toasty 98-104 degrees. Upon opening the door I was immediately reminded of the sweltering summer heat of my home state which, up to this point, I had blissfully evaded.
And so the class began... Maybe 5 minutes in, my head is damp with perspiration... Maybe 20 minutes in, my back arms and legs are slick with sweat... An hour later, my clothes could easily wring out a pint...
I'm sure you're thinking, "Why not run for the door? How the hell could anyone enjoy this???!!!". Truth is, the instructor was extremely inspirational in her teaching, she made us aware of the benefits of each posture (i.e. "This posture promotes superior thyroid function and fertility..." or "This posture helps regulate blood pressure... "etc.), she was encouraging, and helped beginners like myself modify and helped make adjustments to our bodies so that we benefited from every pose. Additionally, the atmosphere was SUPER SOOTHING!!! The dim glow of candles was terrifically tranquil, and the music was calming and had a great rhythm.
So, sure, it was undoubtedly difficult, but I felt no reason to leave... I was honestly at peace, being in the moment and feeling the movement of my body with (AT LAST) a still mind... I have to say I am HOOKED!!!
Since we are short on funds, I have resorted to practicing at home with videos. However, each day I look forward to having this little hour of the day devoted to to clearing my mind, so that I am able to focus my energy towards what is most important (for me, that is self-acceptance and love, patience, kindness, and respect and appreciation of others) rather than scattering my energy to the many unnecessary and superficial concerns that may be plaguing me.
The most significant and influential element I have learned through my yoga practice is breath... After all, our breath reminds us we are alive and here with a purpose... Each inhale represents a fresh start, with each exhale disposing of the old and that which does not serve us. What a beautiful idea!!!
SOOOO... JUST BREATHE!!!
If you are interested in learning more about yoga, I have found these links quite informative:
http://www.yogamovement.com/resources/benefits.html
http://www.webmd.com/balance/the-health-benefits-of-yoga
http://www.healthyoga.com/articles/Top_10_Benefits_of_Yoga.php
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Back in action!!!!
Leave it to a Grandmother to get your butt back on track!!! She has been checking my blog every day (I haven't posted since June) to read all about my new life here in Cali... OK, disappointing myself is one thing, but disappointing my heart-of-gold Grandmama, is another animal entirely!
Well, I asked, in my original post, to be called out if I didn't stick with this... It's true, I fell off the proverbial wagon.
This is not to say I haven't been pursuing any of my artistic endeavors these past couple of months... Quite the contrary, in fact!!!!
I have taken TONS of awesome photos and I have learned several new techniques, which have proven to be INCREDIBLE!!! In fact, these photos have turned out so well that I am going to start selling them on-line and at the various local markets!!!
In other news:
Mariah spent three weeks with us!!!! We had such a blast with her! Gpops donated a couple of tickets to the the world renown San Diego Zoo (he gets them with his membership), so I could take her. She enjoyed it for the first thirty minutes or so, then she began to pick up her pace, until she was flying past each animal exhibit... It suddenly occurred to me that she was OFFICIALLY a teen... SIGH... I miss the days when everything was new and exciting!!! Oh well, I was there myself, not too long ago (or so it feels anyway!).
We obviously spent a lot of time at the beach, as that is always a novelty to anyone visiting Cali. I took her to a free (YES, FREE!!!) scuba lesson at our local Sport's Chalet (a sporting good store with a huge indoor diving tank). We went to the Birch Aquarium (we both got some amazing photos--- She's quite the awesome lil photographer!). Lastly, we spent a few days camping in Cuyamaca (funny name, but beautiful place)!
It was soooooo great to get to spent all of that time with her! She is growing up too fast!
A week after Mariah left, my Dad, little brother Ryan, and his friend John came to visit! It was awesome hanging out with them! We spent a lot of time at the beach and hanging out with Gpops! Of course Ryan and John spent majority of their time being teenagers (whatever that entails), but it was great to sneak in a little time with him whenever I could.
All in all, it's been a busy, absolutely WONDERFUL couple of months!!!
Well, I asked, in my original post, to be called out if I didn't stick with this... It's true, I fell off the proverbial wagon.
This is not to say I haven't been pursuing any of my artistic endeavors these past couple of months... Quite the contrary, in fact!!!!
I have taken TONS of awesome photos and I have learned several new techniques, which have proven to be INCREDIBLE!!! In fact, these photos have turned out so well that I am going to start selling them on-line and at the various local markets!!!
In other news:
Mariah spent three weeks with us!!!! We had such a blast with her! Gpops donated a couple of tickets to the the world renown San Diego Zoo (he gets them with his membership), so I could take her. She enjoyed it for the first thirty minutes or so, then she began to pick up her pace, until she was flying past each animal exhibit... It suddenly occurred to me that she was OFFICIALLY a teen... SIGH... I miss the days when everything was new and exciting!!! Oh well, I was there myself, not too long ago (or so it feels anyway!).
We obviously spent a lot of time at the beach, as that is always a novelty to anyone visiting Cali. I took her to a free (YES, FREE!!!) scuba lesson at our local Sport's Chalet (a sporting good store with a huge indoor diving tank). We went to the Birch Aquarium (we both got some amazing photos--- She's quite the awesome lil photographer!). Lastly, we spent a few days camping in Cuyamaca (funny name, but beautiful place)!
It was soooooo great to get to spent all of that time with her! She is growing up too fast!
A week after Mariah left, my Dad, little brother Ryan, and his friend John came to visit! It was awesome hanging out with them! We spent a lot of time at the beach and hanging out with Gpops! Of course Ryan and John spent majority of their time being teenagers (whatever that entails), but it was great to sneak in a little time with him whenever I could.
All in all, it's been a busy, absolutely WONDERFUL couple of months!!!
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