Plant -based diet

I love my pumpkin chili.
I love this veggie stew.
Other recipe (cauiflower "mac" and cheese) later.

Morocco Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
•  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups finely shredded kale
• 4 (14 ounce) cans organic vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions

1.     Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl, reserve.

2.     Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until soft and just beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded kale and reserved spice mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt and spices are fragrant.

3.     Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, garbanzo beans, dried apricots, and lentils. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low.

4.     Simmer stew for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked and tender. Season with black pepper to taste. If desired, combine optional cornstarch and water; stir into stew. Simmer until stew has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Footnotes

• 200 calories per serving. 

• Make Ahead Tip:
• If making ahead or freezing, prepare stew through Step 3. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat; remove from heat and cool in the pot or in freezer-safe container. Transfer to the fridge (store for up to 3 days) or freezer. The vegetables store better if not fully-cooked prior to refrigeration or freezing. When ready to eat, (if frozen) thaw in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, then pour stew into a pot, bring just to a boil, and simmer until heated through.

With apologies to Sid and Marty Kroft

Challenges, Pallenges; There Ain't No Rhyme for Challenges

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind is a  Sid and Marty Kroft show with "Witchipoo" singing "Oranges, Poranges", a Cockney speaking  kid in a Dutchboy bob, a magical flute and (my favorite) "Evil Trees".

I know someone in the blogosphere will enlighten me as to show title, actors, characters, etc.

I wish they wouldn't, but someone will. Some things are inevitable and must be accepted with grace.


My cousin, Hal, lost his battle with cancer on January 17th in Eugene, Oregon. Today I took my mother, the last of her generation, back to the homestead in Eakley, Oklahoma for his service at the little Methodist Church.

It's a two hour drive (one way). We couldn't go the usual way because of construction on the interstate, so I mapquested an alternate route on my iPad, closed Safari, took Mother to breakfast, and started out to the homestead.

We couldn't get the app to open on the road.

So I called my brilliant sister-in-law and had her give me directions from her computer, that I relayed to my 90 year old mother to write down as I drove north trying to meet the 1:00 deadline (no pun intended) for getting "to the church on time" (Sorry, Lerner-Loewe). It's just that the directions didn't seem quite the same as the ones I had stored...

I got lost. Three times, I got lost. Two convenience stores and one saloon later, I made it to Eakley, Oklahoma. 1:06 in the afternoon.The service was to start at 1:30 and had been moved to the church, as opposed to the originally proposed graveside. No problem.

It was a very simple service. The urn was at the front of the little white clapboard church.  Only one song on the tape player (Amazing Grace), Hal's exwife gave a glowing eulogy. His friends told stories of hunting and fishing in Canada and Alaska. The service ended with Masonic Rites. It was quite nice. Hal would have liked it. It's a pity he wasn't there.

Literally. His ashes are still in transit somewhere between Eugene and Eakley.

Going back home I did not get lost.  I saw a red tail hawk on the right side of the road perched in a tree top, and at the next intersection I turned right. I was on the 281--where I was supposed to be. At every intersection I needed to turn, a red tail hawk perched on the correct side of the road. Then a bluebird flew in front of the car. I didn't think much of it until a large crow flew in front of the car. Mother asked me why I slowed down and I told her to look for a cop car. Four tribal complexes and three casinos later, there was the sheriff's car in a speed trap. Thanks to the wee birds for the heads up on that!

Healthwise:
I bought "Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health" by Gene Stone on the recommendation of my doc. (Kindle edition, $6. The basic premise is that big pharma wants us to be unhealthy for the sake of profit). He had asked during my infamous follow-up about my diet, and I told him I was in the process of reducing/eliminating animal protein in my diet. It also turns out we are both going 90 miles to the nearest Whole Foods store to do our shopping. I have eliminated beef, reduced dairy to 2 ounces 1% milk with my oatbran, but the cheese will be hard to give up. Wheat I can do without, now that I have found rice pasta. I am still consuming bison and venison, but only once a week. Eggs will be reduced to twice a week. It is a work in progress.


Completed Reading:
Amy Stewart's Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's MOther & Other Botanical Atrocities
Now to build a Borgia Bed of poisonous plants.

Najood Ali's I Am Najood, Age 10 and Divorced
I know it's poorly educated men and women, I know it's cultural tradition, I know it's an alien concept of family honor, I know, I know, I know, but...STILL! I want the weight of a Louisville slugger in my hands and the opportunity to teach some men the true meaning of honor. Some women, too.

Still reading:
Gene Stone's Forks Over Knives (I'm in the recipe section now).
Palin's Craft of the Wild Witch
Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Let's Get Physical!

Birthdays and the annual physical go hand in hand for me. Birthday. Next morning, every conceivable bloodtest ever devised is administered, and the following week is the follow-up with the doc.

Yesterday was the follow up.

Blood pressure: 106/70
Pulse: yes I have one, it's 70. (Sometimes I wonder).
Temp: 98.1
Fasting blood sugar: 99
Everything else was well within the norms. So I'm healthy, right?

Doc: You're post menopausal.
Me: Yep. But I'm no longer a Ph.B.
D: Ph.B?
M: post menopausal hell bitch, thanks to the CPAP.
D: you've had a complete hystorectomy--who did that?
M: Royce Everett. He said he never wants to operate on me again.
D: I know Royce. When was your last mammogram?
M: never had one.
D: with your history? Mother and maternal grandmother? Why not?
M: when was the last time you voluntarily put your testicles into a vise?
D: (pause) My wife doesn't like them, either. It really needs to be done.
M: (longer pause) OK.
D: what about a colonoscopy?
M: (baleful stare and silence) I won't go to the hospital here. The billing sucks. You have to pay up front, then if any other charges get tacked on, the bill goes to a collection agency before they send a bill to you.
D: I have a friend at I--- in OKC. I'd go to him.
M: have him call me.

I hate physicals. I stopped by the deli on the way home and got a slice of carrot cake.
D:

Facing the Year of the Dragon

I have never been a morning person.

However, in the past year I've learned that walking and running interval sprints is best done in the morning. Early morning. Dark-thirty before dawn early morning.

I get cranky if I don't. And the #1 Rule at High School is: DON'T MAKE MS. R CRANKY. Rule # 2 is--well, Rule #2 doesn't matter as long as you follow Rule #1.

Starlight. Moonlight. The change of colors in the sky. The wind. Right now, the very cold, uncomfortable wind. But it's invigorating wind. Birdsong. Owls. Deer. Silence. One with nature.

I really like getting up in the morning, now.

I haven't weighed in or taken measurements. My goal is to eat less processed food (organic frozen dinners I will allow for lunches at work until I get paid and can get the real food to cook). Eliminate processed sugar. Once a week, go meatless, wheatless, sweetless. Not all that hard.  Animal protein is once a day (except for "meatless" day).

I don't think I can eliminate dairy at this point.  Beef is pretty much a thing of the past.  Will still eat bison and venison, fowl and fish. Limit pork.

And if I'm getting up at 4:40, I need to put the trash on the curb, get the cat in and go to bed.

Update and Under a Spell

Update on Amanda: sad news; at the last appt., no heartbeats. She had a D and C. And her snarky monster-in-law wouldn't even spot them $10 for gas to get to the doctor's office.


Under a Spell

External clutter = internal clutter, therefore external clutter must go for the sake of clarity of thought and clarity of emotion. 

Clutter must go.
So, a simple declutter spell isn't going to hurt, right?
 Day 1: One candle and a cuppa later:

"If you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it".
I wore it last year; it no longer fits. Pack it in the box. Get another box, and pack it. And another. All the sweater-look sweat shirts. All the corduroys. All the Irish wool sweaters. And the jackets and wool coats. Ditto the wool skirts (no heartache there--I can't wear heels anymore, so, so long skirts!). Cashmere sweaters (hyperventilate) packed in a box. Ran out of boxes, so 3 large black trash sacks came to the rescue. All loaded into the bed of the pickup and taken to the thrift store operated by (and for) a group of developmentally handicapped adults. And it only took 6 hours to clear the walk-in storage closet.

Day 2: same candle, same spell, 1 cuppa

5 hours later, everything in the bathroom has been taken out of every cabinet.  Cabinets wiped down (inside and out), reorganized, fixtures cleaned, old items trashed, old meds set aside for disposal at the pharmacy, floor steam mopped, light fixtures washed, and how the hell did I manage to get 2 large black trash bags of stuff to throw away?

Day 3: ditto

6 hours later: all the old videos of recorded TV shows in the trash (Man from U.N.C.L.E., Murphy Brown, Babylon 5, Northern Exposure, all the Star Trek, etc. = 2 big bags). Ceiling fan and beams dusted. Paneling wiped and oiled. Fireplace cleaned, built-in storage emptied, sorted, and 3 bags of useless stuff. Steam mopped the Spanish tile. The spell was meant for me. It kinda bled over on my roommate, who tackled the dining room and her room.

The trash collectors are gonna hate me.

Day 4: ditto.

Everything out from under the bed. All those books. I boxed them up for the Senior Citizens library. The leftover tile from the bathroom remodel. Dust dinosaurs. Bookshelves cleared, cleaned, reshelved. And more useless stuff. (I think wire coat hangers metamorph into cluttery stuff). And laundry. Closet floor cleared, shoes unworn for years--trashed. Purses to resale shop.

Day 5: Didn't use the candle, just the empowered tea (Peet's "Winter Solstice Tea")
Swept, steam mopped and vacuumed the house.
Baked a turkey.
Made pumpkin chili.
Made The Queen's Chocolate Tea Biscuit Cake (Royal chef's recipe--Prince William's groom's cake).
Baked Old German Rosewater Sugar Cookies.
Made white chocolate peppermint bark.
Made dark chocolate peppermint bark.
Wrapped the presents. Every. Last. One.

Took a bath and went out to dinner.

Haven't weighed, haven't measured, haven't walked.

But, by golly, my house is decluttered and clean.
Wahe guru!

Week in Review

My uncle died.
OSU beat OU 44 to 10. (This is a good thing, but Uncle Don was a major OU fan--probably died that morning so he wouldn't have to watch the game).
Someone stole Buster, my gray tiger shorthair while he was visiting the convenience store behind my house. The manager tried to stop them.
My substitute teacher did not show up the day I took off to take my 90 year old mother to Uncle Don's funeral.
The cafeteria ran out of food at school.
I gave my college final Wednesday night.  The interpreter for my deaf student was a little late (she had to interpret a police investigation ; child abuse case). Two of the students failed the class.
I got up at 4:40 this morning and walked until partial eclipse and sunrise--about 2.5 hours. I meant to go shopping, but ended up tossing out a decluttering spell and worked for 6 hours decluttering and cleaning.

I think that's part of my problem--internal and external clutter.

Dealing with the external clutter should help clear away the internal clutter. I have one more week of school before we break for winter holidays. Then I'm going after the reat of the house with a vengence.

As for the Fitness Challenge, I've plateaued. No weight loss, haven't measured, and right now I'm still upset about the cat, and too tired to do much else.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

All things descend into chaos. 

Think of it. Everything in the Universe degrades from an ordered state to a state of chaos without the input of additional energy. This is known as entropy.

Boy howdy, did I embrace the law this week.

I still have laundry to do from last weekend's trip to New Orleans.

I have managed to grade all the folders turned in by my high school students (486 points each) while I was gone, graded this week's work (188 points each), written 1 powerpoint for my college class, graded the 11 page test my colleges class took, had my teacher's evaluation observation done during a burn lab, learned that the high school will go from a four period block schedule to a 7 period day, read 2 books, and battled an intestinal virus. OSU beat Kansas, LSU beat Alabama, and OU beat TX A & M. (These are actually good things in sports).

And we had a 5.2 to 5.6 earthquake last night.

Today was my first to go to the walking trail since last Tuesday. I did my 2 miles with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. Got home and spent 45 minutes in the bathroom.

I think the virus is winning.

I had a tarot reading done in New Orleans. I'm going through a healing process this month. Good to know, isn't it?

Oh, right. My Dad came by for a quick hug Friday morning about 4 a.m. I really miss him.

food labels

Saw this on FB and had to share. So true, so true. LMAO

End of the 3rd Week: Daily Magic

Week 1
Bust: 44 inches
Waist: 37 inches
Hips: 41 inches

Week 2
Bust: 42 inches
Waist: 36.5 inches
Hips: 40 inches

Week 3
Bust: 41 inches
Waist: 36 inches
Hips: 39.5 inches


Morning Salutations (before I run)

Oldest of the Ancient Ones
Whose Name is lost to modern tongues,
Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Joined to Spirit from my birth.
She who calls honors Thee:
Mother of All Things,
One with me.

Sunrise:

At the gates of Dawn I stand,
Mother of All Things at my hand.
Guard me with your magic power,
Guide me through the crossroads hour,
From the beauty of the Night
To the glory of the Light.

2 Running/walking mantras/chants (italicized words or syllables are cadence steps for the left foot).

I am one with Earth and Air,
I am Fire and Water.
I answered the Call
Of the Oldest of the Ancient Ones;
I am Her daughter.

or

Every step increases my magic.
Every step empowers me.
Every step increases my metabolism.
Every step means a healthier me.

At the end of the run/walk

Spirits of Air, come be with me,
Fill me with Your energy.
Spirits of Fire, come be with me,
Burn the fat right off of me.
Spirits of Water come be with me,
Flush the fat away from me.
Spirits of Earth come be with me,
Reshape my body and strengthen me.

Bear in mind that my path is one of primitive singularity. I am not a follower of Wiccan traditions. I walk alone, and my ways are my own.

3 Dog Night. Uhhhh,umm, make that "CAT"

Years ago I read that the aborigines  of Australia considered a really cold night to be a 3 dog night--that being the number of dogs needed to keep warm.  Having lost considerable weight since January, I am finding that I am affected more by temperature than in previous years--no insulation, as it were.  This morning, the alarm clock went off at 4:40. Buster, the grey tiger shorthair who entered my life 2 years ago at Halloween (literally; he just walked into the house every time I opened the door to trick-or-treaters) was snugged into a knot between my ankles. Punkin, the starving, bedraggled 5 week old mewling handful of orange tabby that was gifted to me last Halloween (do you detect a trend here?) by my next-door-neighbor, had plunked his 15 pounds of tim-cat (calling him a "tom" would be untruthful now, wouldn't it?) along my right side. And JeepersCreepers, the tortoiseshell queen I received last May as a terrified 5 week old kit from my roomie (who should have known what would happen when she called me to her office with "come quick, I'm about to do something stupid"--I though she was going postal on her sexist misogynistic boss) because she was almost run over in the parking lot, was burrowed between the quilts and sleeping against my left side.

Ever try to extract yourself from the bed without disturbing a cat? Or 3 cats?

Sigh...

Needless to say, I got to the running trail a tad later than normal. Mostly because JeepersCreepers is really good at hiding things. Watches. Shoes. Toilet paper.

Don't ask. It isn't pretty.

I got out of my car and saw the first bit of vandalism.  The trash bin had been removed from the containment holder and the trash strewn all about--including the length of rebar I had removed from a tree the day before.  I picked it up, and replaced the bin. Then I started the run.

At the top of the northern most loop I saw a newly made wooden picnic table. I thought "how nice. The older walkers will like that". Kept on going. Stars were bright, quartermoon overhead. Cold crisp air. On my 3rd mile on the east loop I saw something in the creek. Large, white. Not normal. I stopped and went down the bank. Another new picnic table, top pulled apart, upside down in the water. Also another trash bin floating nearby. I managed to get the large part of the table out of the creek. I couldn't reach the others bits and pieces.

Oddly enough, for the first time in days, I had my cell phone with me. So I called the police and reported the vandalism. It was a bit after 6 a.m. I did 5 more miles while waiting for the police to come by. I finished 8 miles and left after sunrise (about 7:20 or so??). 

The picnic tables were not there when I ran Wednesday, so they were placed in the park sometime during the day. The lady who walks the Boston terrier (whose name is Buster) said that she had seen something white in the creek at 9 last night. The young man with the black-mouth cur named Rufus (looks mean, but might slap you to death with his tail while attempting to drown you in drooling slobber kisses--the dog, not the boy) said he hadn't noticed anything.

When I find the rest of the toilet paper, I'm going to write "inconsiderate park vandals" on it and use it appropriately. With intent.

 I'll post stats on Sauturday.

End of 2nd Week

This is where I started

Bust: 44 inches
Waist: 37 inches
Hips: 41 inches

Here is where I am

Bust: 42 inches
Waist: 36.5 inches
Hips: 40 inches

Haven't lost much in weight (it's bouncing around 161 to 159). But midterms are done, fall break is next week, and I'm heading to New Orleans after that. 5 days in the City that Never Sleeps--I hope the hotel has a treadmill, or I may be walking up and down Decatur for hours on end. And Decatur has too many restaurants.

Thanks, Magaly.  My roommate is making my ballgown for the New Orleans Witches Ball, and she told me she wasn't going to alter it again. So I may go into maintenance mode for a bit. I can't seem to figure out how to reply to comments.

my sister-in-law sent this, for the fitness challengees

Slip sliding on diet? No hair shirt here.

Monday.
That word usually says it all.
I have tried to post on the other Challenge blogs, but I keep getting this "cookie" message.
Not a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie.
Nor an oatmeal-cranberry-almond cookie.
Those types of cookies I understand.
Computer cookies--not so much. (so I'll call the IT guy at work in the morning).
So, Fellow Blog People (which sounds rather like a B grade 1950s horror movie title), bear with the ineptitude of the computer illiterati.

My 4 year old grandson called this evening with this important message:

"Gaia! I'm gonna be a big brother, 'cause Mommy has a baby in her tummy!" Life is good.

Someone somewhere in Blogosphere wanted a Lentil recipe.

Onion, chopped,
carrots, diced
celery, chopped
garlic
EVOO
ham, diced (optional)
lentils (red or green)
chipotle chilis in adobo (or plain chopped green chilis...oh, heck use a can of Rotel, if you want).
parsley
bay (laurel)
summer savory
pinch of cinnamon
pepper (cayenne, black, white, all or combo)
sea salt
water

Saute large handfull of onion in EVOO in stock pot
add smaller handfull each of carrots and celery, stir
add 3 cloves garlic, minced  and saute about 2 minutes
add ham
add 6 to 8 cups HOT water
about 1 lb dry lentils (maybe 2 cups?)
bring to simmer, add chilis and herbs/spices
simmer to desired tenderness--15 to 20 minutes.
serve over whole grain brown rice

calories about 160/1 cup serving lentils (no rice)

1 October 2011
I have never blogged before.
I will make mistakes blogging.
I will not be too proud to ask advice.

I have joined the "Get Off Your Broomstick Fitness Challenge".
 I am pushing 60 years. A year ago, I weighed 214 pounds. I now weigh 160 pounds. I did not have surgery. I gained weight the easy way. I am removing it the old fashioned hard way--diet and exercise.

I slip on the diet. I try very hard not to slip on the exercise.

When I began, I couldn't walk two blocks without becoming out of breath.

I began slowing, walking to the local grade school (3 blocks); after a week, I tried jogging a little (a little = less than 1/2 a block). Idecided that I needed to be able to walk farther before jogging.  So I headed east, toward the railroad tracks (6 blocks round trip). Then I added the walk to the grade school (another 6 blocks round trip). Eventually I was walking to the RR tracks to the highway (16 blocks round trip).

The traffic was a bit of a bother, though.

I decided to use the walking trail on the other side of the highway. I have to drive there, but it's worth it.

I walked in the evenings when I didn't teach a night class.
I started walking in the mornings on weekends.
I didn't teach this past summer, so I walked in the mornings at dawn and then started walking in the evenings after sundown (we had 80 days of triple digit heat). 

Five miles a day became 10 miles a day became 45 to 50 miles a week.

And one day I jogged. Walked one lap, jogged three laps, walked one lap. It felt good.
Then, instead of jogging, I felt the urge to run. Run hard. Run fast. It felt good.
It became walk, interval sprint, walk, interval sprint.

School started. Now I am walking/sprinting 2 miles each morning before I get ready for work. I get up at 4:40 and am outside on the trail around 5 a.m. I like the endorphins. I'm cranky if, for any reason, I miss my workout. I have no butt. My clothes all have to be replaced. I want to lose 15 more pounds.