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#22: My Quest for Composure

Experimenting with meditation

I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but my G-D is it hard to sit and calm my breathing and try not to think of all the things I could be doing if I were not trying to meditate. Clearly I need to be doing this.

My first try went like this: I thought about how in the world I would sit still for 5 minutes, I recited a list of positive mantra-type thoughts (I am happy, I am healthy, I love my husband, my kids are thriving, etcetera), I thought (accidentally) about lunch, I thought about calming my heart rate, which was racing, probably with nervousness about “wasting” precious baby-nap-time, and then I sneaked a peek at the clock. It had been 3 minutes. I decided that was enough for a first go.

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#21: The Laws of Attraction

Believe the hype.

Some of you will think I’ve gone off the deep end, but hopefully most of you know that I’m just the sort of person who likes to see for myself what the hype is about. I read the first Harry Potter book, for example. I watched an episode of “Modern Family.”

The Secret piqued my interest a while ago, but just recently when someone mentioned it again, I thought, there’s a movie now, that’s not a huge commitment—I’ll check it out. We watched it the other night, and it turns out The Secret is not such a big secret, as far as I’m concerned. The message, though, I do contend, is powerful and valuable. Basically, that message is: focus on the positive and you will attract more of the same.

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#20: Wondrous Quinoa

To this day, rarely but consistently, I am asked: “So where do you get your protein if you don’t eat meat?” I have to say I’m amazed that this is still a concern at all, since there are so many, many people now who eat vegetarian and vegan diets, and so many who show up in the news as having had life-changing experiences from changing their eating habits.

However, I do respect the question, especially since it means one more person is not only interested, but also getting educated, and who knows, might give vegetarianism a try.

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#19: Starting early

Rather than stress, embrace.

This very early wake-up due to baby is taking its toll. I’ve been feeling more than just tired—less patient, more high-strung, more overwhelmed about everything. So yesterday, after researching “baby wakes too early” online and finding that a) it’s incredibly common and b) there’s really not much to be done about it, Mike and I decided rather than stress over this thing we can do little about, we should attempt to embrace it.

We took out a notepad and actually wrote down a rough sketch of what our mornings might look like if we roll with it rather than try to get back to sleep after the crying has started. We acknowledged that this will be a relaxed plan, since some days baby will wake too early, some nights we will go to bed too late. Today was Day 1 of this experiment—and it was AWESOME.

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#18: Chest Pains

It hurts to think of not breastfeeding anymore, but it’s time.

Ah, nursing. Or should I begin: Oh, my boobs. What they’ve been through. Or rather, are going through. I have a thriving, well-fed 15-month-old boy who just thinks mommy’s chest looks better and better by the day. It’s become a comfort thing by now—clearly, since he eats well and drinks plenty of whole milk and water throughout the day. I never thought I’d still be nursing at 15 months, but here we are.

I never thought I’d be the one to say I’m done with it first either, but here we are. I love looking down at my tiny one while he’s cozying up to my body. I do. But I don’t like the way he tugs at my shirt and paws my chest when I’m holding him. And I don’t like how he wakes up before 6 a.m. looking for that comfort. I do believe I’m ready to have my boobs back to myself.

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#17: Southwestern Falafel

Another veg recipe you’ll love!

Here’s one more recipe to keep you eating yummy vegetarian stuff while I’m busy writing up another more literary post…

Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Patties: 

  • 1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ c. Monterey Jack cheese (or Veggie Shreds)
  • ¼ c. finely crushed tortilla chips
  • 2 T green onions
  • 1 T finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/8 t ground cumin
  • 1 large egg white (or egg replacer)
  • 1½ t canola oil (we use olive)

Spread: 

  • ¼ c. mashed, peeled avocado
  • 2 T finely chopped plum tomato
  • 1 T finely chopped red onion
  • 2 T fat-free sour cream (Tofutti works, too, but honestly, we leave this out!)
  • 1 t lime juice (fresh, if you’ve got it)
  • 1/8 t salt

2 small pitas, each cut in half crosswise

This is soooo easy:
For patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl and partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Form into 4-6 patties. Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes per side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.

For spread, while patties cook, combine all spread ingredients in a small bowl. Place two patties in each pita half, and add spread. YUM!

#16: Lentil Burritos

A little something to help you with your meatless meals.

Lentil Burritos (adapted from a recipe in Southern Living)

  • 1 cup dried lentils (OR make things MUCH easier by getting the pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s in the produce section. Voilà! Half the work is already done!)
  • 4 cups water (if using dried lentils)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 T olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 c shredded cheddar cheese (or Veggie Shreds or other vegetarian/vegan cheese)
  • Package of 7-inch tortillas
  • 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce (with roasted garlic if you like)
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 1 T green taco sauce (no big deal to leave out)
  • 1 t cornstarch
  • 1 c vegetable broth (if using TJ’s lentils)
  • Avocado slices, sour cream for topping

If using dried lentils, simmer in the water over medium heat 20 minutes or until tender; drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. If using Trader Joe’s lentils, cut open the package!

Saute´ onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in lentils and cheese. Spoon mixture evenly down center of each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas in a 13×9-inch baking dish.

Bring ¾ cup reserved liquid (or veggie broth), tomato sauce, cumin, and taco sauce to a boil in a saucepan. Stir together remaining ¼ cup reserved liquid (or veggie broth) and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into sauce mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes. Pour over burritos.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with desired toppings (we love sliced avocado!).

#15: Hovering

As in me, hovering over you.

I can’t be with you every day, but oh, how I would like to be. I want to watch over each and every one of you who are working so hard to be the person your spirit says you are inside that body of clay we are molding!

I suggest we try some challenges together, to keep us working together even when we’re not face to face.

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#14: Black-Eyed Pea Cakes!

Sc-rumptious!

Black-Eyed Pea Cakes with Adobo Cream (from Cooking Light magazine)

  • ¼ c fat-free sour cream (or Tofutti sour cream)
  • 1 t adobo sauce
  • 1 (15.8 oz.) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
  • ¼ c dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 T finely chopped onion
  • ½ t bottled minced garlic
  • ½ t ground cumin
  • ½ t salt
  • ¼ t black pepper
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten (or egg substitute)
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 ½ t olive oil
  • ¼ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or shredded rice cheese)
  1. Combine sour cream and adobo sauce in a small bowl.
  2. Place beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs and next 7 ingredients (through egg white). With floured hands, divide pea mixture into ½-inch-thick patties.
  3. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden and thoroughly heated. Remove from pan and top each cake with a sprinkling of cheese. Serve with sour cream sauce.

#13: Share the Love

An homage to V-Day

I just love the wisdom I glean from the people who attend my classes. Every class is good for at least one choice nugget. We talk about good (and bad) restaurants, books, activities around town…and very often about our kids, and what they are teaching us of late.

We learn so much from children, whether ours or someone else’s…they just ask such great questions that make us think in a profoundly new way. “Why are phones not allowed in the playground, Mommy?” Why indeed? Well, I suppose because if Mommy were talking on her phone, she might not notice you run out of the playground and into the parking lot. Huh. So that’s why that sign is there.

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