Spring Smoothies

In an effort to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet, I’ve started to get into the habit of making smoothies.  I love how quick and easy it is to throw in whatever fruit you have on hand (fresh or frozen).  It is also a great way to make use of some fruit on its last few days.  I generally start with a base of unsweetened vanilla almond milk or vanilla soymilk and a splash of orange mango juice.  Then I start tossing in the fruits and veggies.

If I am in the mood for something on the sweet side, I’ll use some banana, frozen mango, frozen pineapple and some strawberries.  Another option includes banana, raspberries and blueberries.  If I am in the mood for some greens, I’ll include some organic spinach or kale with my fruit mix.  I also add some ground flaxseed or stir in some chia seeds after the mixture is blended.

With the weather and temperatures warming up, I think I will be making good use of my blender this spring and summer.  Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite smoothie ingredients?  

Too many books?

Ok, I thought that would be a catchy title…  I would argue there can never be too many books, although lately, I am feeling like I am being bombarded with books between all of the notifications I am receiving from the library and with my own reading lists.  I’ve been reading at a pretty good clip over the last few months, but it seems like when it rains, it pours… I have patiently been on a waitlist for quite a few titles and they all seem to be available at once.  I’ve been making more of an effort to read only one or two books at a time, in part because I find that I can’t really focus and immerse myself in a book if I am trying to recall different plots and characters (and dare I say that I notice I have a harder time reading multiple books as I get older?)  Or perhaps it is because I have a more difficult time keeping track of multiple plots and stories after a long day of work…

I wanted to focus on really making a good dent in some of the books that are sitting on my shelves (so I don’t feel so guilty when I continue to buy more books), but I seem to be have an ever-increasing pile (or piles) of books, along with new books I want to read.  Sigh.  I guess there are worse problems to have.    We’ll see how good I do with tackling some of the books I had selected as part of my 2013 reading list…

Happy reading!

Tech Fast

I have previously confessed to having a love/hate relationship with technology.  I was recently lamenting to a friend about how poor my penmanship is, which lead to a conversation about how much we rely on computers and other technology to communicate.  It got me thinking – what did we used to do before e-mail??  I remember writing hand-written (long!) letters to friends when I was in school, which seems so long ago. I love the advantages that technology provides for writing – who doesn’t love being able to make quick edits and spell check?  As as result of sitting in from a computer for so many hours between work and at home, I have noticed that I now find it easier to sit and write staring at a blank Word document, similar to what would have been holding my trusty pen and staring at a blank sheet of paper in the past.  I find that I capture different thoughts quickly with my fingers flying across the keyboard, which I love.  At the same time, it makes me a little sad to look at all of the blank books and journals I have sitting on my shelf, which I use, but not nearly as much as I used to.  I also notice that when I write for longer periods of time, I get some hand cramps and my so-so penmanship starts to look like scribbles since my hand is no longer used to writing with a pen or pencil anymore. Sigh.

As someone who benefits from–and is a high user of–the different technology that is now available, I think I need to embrace all that is available.  However, I don’t want to forget my past.  I still have some old journals that are filled with poetry, ideas and clippings.  In honor of this, I am going to find one day this month where I am going to go on a “tech fast”.  With the exception of work, I am going to attempt to enjoy the simple things in life, like dusting off one of my beautiful journals and embracing my poor penmanship.

Anyone else who feels a little overwhelmed at times with all of the technology and/or misses the “old days” of pens and paper?

Completed Books – April, 2013

I am back on track with my reading for the month of April.  I have read 20 books, which is 40% towards my goal of 50 books this year.  Hoping to continue the momentum over the spring and summer months.  Happy reading!

1: The Secret Keeper
2: The Good Thief
3: Reached
4: Mariana
5: Sunshine
6: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
7: Dragon’s Lair
8: Storybound
9: Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare’s Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love
10: A Walk in the Woods
11: The Shoemaker’s Wife
12: The Alchemist
13: The Snow Child
14: The Language of Flowers
15: Voyager
16: Waterfall
17: The Violets of March
18: Becoming Marie Antoinette
19: Good Enough to Eat
20: The School of Essential Ingredients

Do you have any book recommendations that I should add to my reading list?

A Week of Superfoods

As promised, here is a recap of a week of incorporating more superfoods into my meals.  You’ll see a few repeats in here, as I made my Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad and brought it to work for a few lunches.

Monday:  Yogurt with blueberries, quinoa, apple, green tea
Tuesday:  Yogurt with blueberries, green tea, quinoa, almonds, beans
Wednesday:  Quinoa, almonds, green tea
Thursday:  Almonds, green tea
Friday:  Yogurt, green tea, broccoli
Saturday:  Blueberries, raspberries, spinach, almonds
Sunday:  Blueberries, raspberries, spinach, beans

Over the weekend, I made a smoothie with blueberries, raspberries, mango, pineapple, banana, spinach, kale, flax seed and almond milk.  This was an easy way to get in my fruits and veggies and also my superfoods!  I hope to add some more variety in the coming week (more broccoli/cruciferous veggies and beans).

What are some of your favorite superfoods?

Superfoods

As part of kicking off a fresh start with April, in addition to focusing on adding more fruits and veggies to my meals, I am also going to focus on “superfoods” for the month of April (many of which are fruits and veggies).  After reading up on what different MDs, RDs and nutritionists define as “superfoods”, I’ve included a list below as a starting point.  I would like to eat at least two superfoods every day.

• Blueberries (and other berries such as raspberries or blackberries)
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Almonds and walnuts
• Apples
• Beans and lentils
• Quinoa
• Spinach
• Avocados
• Yogurt
• Salmon
• Green tea
• Oats

I started tracking my superfoods last week, so I will follow-up with a post with thoughts on last week.

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month.  I enjoy reading and writing poetry, but I don’t make as much of an effort to read poetry as often as I could or should.  As part of celebrating National Poetry Month, I will dust off some of the books of poetry that I have on my shelves (collections by Emily Dickinson, collections of love poems, Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, Frost) and would like to read a poem each day.  I might also have to treat myself to a book or two that I have on my wish list (see below).

Sailing Alone around the Room:  New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins
Love Letters (Everyman’s Library)
Eat, Drink and Be Merry:  Poems about Food and Drink
Art and Artists:  Poems
Music’s Spell:  Poems about Music and Musicians
The Poetry of Pablo Neruda
The Essential Neruda:  Selected Poems

Do you have any favorite poets or poems?

One Year

I logged in this morning and I realized I’ve hit the one year mark since I first started this little “project” of attempting to create a site and blog.  A big thank you to everyone who has visited, commented, liked a post or followed me – I appreciate it!  I’m still a newbie blogger and have certainly had a few hiccups, like attempting to “clean up” and organize my comments only to find out that I had deleted a lot of my history and comments, which I was really bummed about… Oops.  And I’ve certainly had some weeks where I’ve been radio silent and not posted anything…

Here’s to (hopefully) another year of books, reading, writing, food, cooking and other adventures.

Cheers! 

 

A is for Asparagus

One of my favorite things about spring is the introduction of fresh vegetables and produce that are in season.  Asparagus is one of my favorites – grilled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper = perfection.  As part of making a fresh start in April, I want to focus on eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season right now, and also try to experiment with some new vegetables at home.  For example, I love artichoke hearts and often eat them at restaurants in salads or other dishes, but I’ve been too intimidated to try to make artichokes at home.  (Anyone have any recommendations for how to cook/prepare at home?)  I am also looking forward to the farmers market next month and taking advantage of some local fruits and vegetables as well – some of my favorites include kale, baby bok choy, and baby red potatoes.

What fruits or vegetables are your favorite in the Spring? 

April – A Fresh Start

So I realized I that I owed a follow-up to my posts about “spring cleaning from the inside out“, which I have been radio silent on…  Why, you ask?  Because after week 1, it ended up being an epic fail.  Excuses?  Let’s see….super busy at work, not enough time for meal prep and planning, work-related travel and events (I am sure I could come up with a long list, but I’ll stop for now).  This was the classic case of some good intentions with poor execution and follow-through.  I have now been battling a nasty cold/virus over the last week and it has become that much clearer how much I can take good health for granted.

That being said, I am going to reflect over the next week on some real, tangible things I can do (I may need to start with more baby-steps this time) to take more control of my health and ensure that I am eating enough fresh fruits and veggies, getting the right vitamins and nutrients, getting enough sleep and exercise and finding something that will be manageable in the “real world” of crazy/long work days, coming home tired and not wanting to cook, the “ease” of eating out, and making the most of my time on the weekends (errands, cleaning, food prep, exercise, relaxing).

Now that the snow has melted and I am actually seeing grass again and hear the birds singing, I’m viewing this as a perfect month for a fresh start to kick off the spring and summer months.

What suggestions or tips do you have for a healthy lifestyle?