the turkeys are coming!

I was talking to my friend britney at church today. she was going to be tackling her very first turkey this thursday. I got so excited and told her I made my first turkey last christmas eve (it's a new tradition at this household) and mine came out so moist and delicious. she asked me what I did. I told her the the secret was the brining. {which, btw, I'm excited for this thursday's bird because dee has a new brining recipe I hear. and he is the master briner} what else did I do, she asks. I have no idea. I do not remember what I did to that turkey. I don't even remember what recipes I used. I really wish I had written something down. (and actually, maybe I did. I haven't gone back to look through all my recipes yet) otherwise it will be like starting over from scratch this christmas. which is okay; half the fun is in the finding of the recipes. the other half is eating the delicious results.

seasonal confusion

june | november

this is the lovely plant we (and by we I mean I)got for mother's day this year. it has been sitting on our porch through good times and bad. through the summer heat. through rainny days. through no water at all by neglect from it's parents. it has died and come back to life.

you see last week she started to bloom. I don't know if the little plant knows this, but it's november. sometimes it might feel like it's spring outside, but yesterday when I took that photo it was 33 degrees. maybe I just have the heartiest plant alive. and it will survive the winter.

the leaves are sporting a nice fallesque foliage, though. I quite like my tough little guy.

portrait of a father

I thought this was too sweet not to share. here is an example of how fun, engaging, enriching, beautiful and sweet life can be without the interference and noise of television and video games. it is taken from colin bevan's no impact man site.

(you see, for the past year colin has been trying a no impact experiment. which means he makes as little impact on the environment as he can and offsets the impact he just can't avoid with positive environmental action and advocacy. basically what I'm trying to say is that he doesn't use electricity, he doesn't drive or even use mass transit. he buys all his food local, fresh and in season. he has eliminated consumer waste and packaging from his life. it is truly an experiment in extreme minimalism and I think he is happier and healthier for it.)


Entertaining Isabella without tv
A reader named Chrissy wrote to me and asked how we entertain Isabella without TV or video games:

We build towers from a set of wooden blocks and laugh our heads off when the towers fall down.

Towards bedtime, we sit on the couch and listen to classical music on the crank-up radio and try to hum along. Isabella sucks her left thumb, and if she is feeling generous, she holds up her right thumb for me or Michelle to suck.

We sit on the steps to the neighboring building and talk to people walking by. Isabella chooses the particular step and says, “Sit here, Daddie.”

We walk around, going nowhere in particular, and Isabella shows me how she can run, moving a lot, in her toddler body, like the tin man before Dorothy gave him oil.

We dance and we dance and we dance.

We take turns giving Mommy kiss attacks.

I stick my finger under Isabella’s arm and leave it there till she says “wiggle it.” I do and we squeal with laughter.

We talk about all the things we can see and say hi to them all: “Hi cars, hi buildings, hi sky, hi trees, hi dog, hi lady…”

We ride over to the Hudson River Park where Isabella always walks to the rails and says, “Hello river, how are you?”

We play in the fountain in Washington Square Park, where Michelle worries that the water is too dirty but can’t help cracking up at Isabella’s joy.

We go to the new swimming pool for kids and their parents on Thompson Street in SoHo, where an 11-year-old boy keeps trying to get Isabella to give him a high-five but she just smiles because she is too shy.

We eat lots of grilled cheese sandwiches cut in long strips and I fruitlessly attempt to get Isabella not just to bite off the cheese and give the bread to Frankie the dog.

We make bread together, which means I make the bread, and Isabella stands on a chair and takes everything out of the kitchen drawers and drops it on the floor.

We cook together, which means I cook, and Isabella stands on a chair and takes everything out of the kitchen drawers and drops it on the floor.

We stomp the laundry in the bathtub together. “I’m splashing with my feet,” Isabella says.

We wash the dishes together. “You need my help, Daddy?”

We roughhouse on the bed together.

We ride aimlessly around on the No Impact Mobile (our tricycle with a back seat for Isabella), seeing what we can see and singing This Old Man if it’s sunny and The Old Man is Snoring if it’s raining.

We bang things really loud.

If Michelle isn’t there, we tell her things all the same and wonder if she can hear us in her mind.

We practice seeing who can scream the loudest.

We play hide and seek

We examine Isabella’s body for booboos and kiss them all.

We practice jumping really, really high.

“We go weee, weee, weee,” which is Isabella’s way of saying we go to the swings.

We go for a bike ride over the Brooklyn Bridge, and stop in the middle to look at the other bridges, which Isabella adores.

We go somewhere with Isabella’s best friend Hannah. When they greet each other, they hug each other really hard, lose their balance, fall over, and start crying. We then cheer them up by putting them side by side on the No Impact Mobile and ringing the bell a lot.

We put Isabella’s hair in pony tails and then she goes and shows them to “my sister Frankie”—the dog.

We play fetch with Frankie and Isabella laughs her head off.

We read books.

We call the grandparents—Nanna or Grannie or Poppie or Jojo or Poppa—on the phone and Isabella gets so excited that she talks too fast to get the words out.

And at bedtime, we sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and a James Taylor song that starts “Well the sun is surely sinking down…”

finding friday: dear colleen

first, a brief backstory. a few years ago I was watching late night television instead of studying for finals. I think it was david letterman. he had this guest on who collected found things, and other people's found things, and compiled them into a magazine, and later a coffee table book. I was so intrigued. to think of taking that sneak peak into someone else's life. something they did not intend, but there you are anyway. wondering the who + where + why + how + what of their every day life. I started looking at the ground more often.

it's amazing what you can find when you just start looking. it especially helps if you're in the habit of walking from place to place. I started finding these cool finds everywhere; notes while walking to work, photos in the parking lot, shopping lists, confessions of love and/or hatred, poems, school grades. I like to try and piece their stories back together. like I know what they're going through and how they're feeling just from this little snippet of paper.

needless to say I have found a lot over the years. with every intention of sending them in to found magazine, they have just sat in my life; collected but not shared. so here I am going to give you a weekly dose of someone else + a little bit of me, because every story has a story.




this was my first find and I was so excited about it. I was walking from the train station to work and found it on the sidewalk. how cute is this? a mother writing a note to her daughter as if she actually is the tooth fairy. some of my favorite lines include: I admire your dancing, colleen--you dance like a fairy. you dance like a fairy. love it. and the way she signs the note: love, tooth fairy. not even love, the tooth fairy. just love, tooth fairy. priceless. and I hope colleen did keep brushing and that 5th grade was good to her. colleen, where are you now and how are your teeth?! tooth fairy wants to know!

graham colton

have you heard of this guy? I hadn't until today. I was driving home from work, flipping through the radio stations, and stopped when I got to this interview with this guy and mr dj. I was hooked. he seemed so down to earth. so humble for the 'biz. just like a normal guy. like maybe in another life we could have been friends.

I knew I was in love when he so casually mentioned how he got his start. playing in the mexican restaraunt on the weekends. mostly covers but a few of his own. somehow some of his original work got on the internet. mr adam duritz heard his stuff and called him up. adam duritz. mr counting crows himself. wow. I cannot imagine. (I mean if mr duritz loves this guy, I love this guy.)

he's toured around the country playing gigs with a bunch of different bands. dave matthews. counting crows. awesome band. more awesome band. (okay, so I really don't remember. do you expect me to know his whole biography!)

he said his favorite singer is tom petty. (and the first cd he put in his car when he was sixteen years old was august and everything after.) see, we could've been friends.

and you should hear him sing. (he was even better live)

it's amazing.

amen.

post script: if someone wanted to buy me his cd for christmas, I wouldn't be opposed. just so you know.

butternut squash soup

I've been wanting to make butternut squash soup for the past couple of weeks. I tried last week, but pete went to the store and came home with the wrong kind of squash. this week we got it right. it is such a fantastic soup. it has such a deep, creamy color + taste. perfect for an autumn evening.


the soup:
1 butternut sqaush
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
vegetable stock
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste

cut the squash in half length wise, bake at 400 for about 30-40 minutes. once cooled to touch, remove the flesh from the skin and cube.

melt the butter in a pot, add the onion, potato, carrot. cook for about five minutes. add some stock until the veggies are covered. add the butternut squash. bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 40 minutes.

put the veggie mixture in a blender (don't use a hand-mixer. it's a disaster. trust me.) and puree. pour it back in the pot and place on the stove over low heat. add more vegetable stock until the desired consistency.

season to taste with the salt, pepper and cayenne.

serve and enjoy!

image via this week for dinner

mark your calendar

this coming thursday let's take the pledge and try to do more for our environment, our community and our children.

learn what you can and cannot recycle in your area, (for utah residents, click HERE. click HERE to find resources in other states.) and make the resolve to do better. many cities have curb-side recycling programs that make recycling even easier. if not, find the nearest recycling drop off. if we all make an effort, no matter how large or small, there will be positive impacts. (and if you're name is oma, pete and I are still more than willing to come pick up your recyclables.)


keeping it in perspective. though I am a huge supporter of recycling programs, I do believe that recycling is a last ditch effort of sorts. as the old adage goes, reduce, reuse, then recycle. as a society, I feel that we need to first focus on limiting our consumption, and then find ways to reuse the products we already have. it is this out with old in with the new, one time use mentality that is finally catching up with us. simplify. learn to live with less. trust me, you'll be happier for it.

for more info: the national recycling coalition

america recyles day

save the seeds!

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting pumpkin seed recipes. I mean, who doesn't love to eat toasted pumpkin seeds? what a fun + tasty snack. I've tried this cinnamon/salt variety a couple times now (the first attempt was a complete and total failure. burnt seeds are not so tasty as it turns out. the second attempt went much better, though pete still didn't love them. I thought they were tolerable and they actually kind of grew on me a little.), but today I found this lovely little recipe from my whole foods mentor, heidi swanson. they turned out especially tasty, and pete loves them. and so will you.


Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

1 egg white
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, cayenne and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and cayenne pepper when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

the beauty of discovery

club u campers exploring their world at the great salt lake
Fall Break Science Camp 2007

teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives. --thomas berry

think of the children

I don't care who's side you're on, it made me sick to hear that upwards of seven million dollars has been put into the campaigning for ($3.8 million) and against ($3.2 million) the voucher referendum.

think if all that money could have just gone to the children instead of supporting the interests of these two groups. . .

first of all, happy halloween.

secondly, have you ever wondered what happened to all these guys? well, they just might be sitting in a trailer out in the desert watching the karate kid over and over again, every day of their lives.

check out THIS music video from the band no more kings. simply fabulous. love the all-star cast. (it is the karate kid, fast forwarded twenty years. even ralph machio makes an appearance.)

sweep the leg, johnny.

simple solutions

what's a girl to do when all she needs is a little bromothymal blue indicator for THIS chemistry experiment, but the university's stock room doesn't sell it anymore? {and let's be honeset, this girl would have no idea where to buy it otherwise} she boils cabbage!

yes, I made me some red cabbage pH indicator tonight for Club U's Fall Break Camp tomorrow. {for the kids' sake, I hope this substitution works. if not, however, it's all in the name of science} the bonus is now I have a ton of red cabbage, which I'm not quite sure what to do with. I need to look me up some german recipes or something. and stat! does red cabbage freeze well? {at least I've got my new veggie for the week out of the way}


**for any interested in doing this for a science fair project--or just a fun project to do with your kids--you can also mash up blueberries (add a little water) and you've got the same deal. cut up strips of paper, dip them into the solution, let them dry, and then you can test the pH of different solutions. {you'd have to look up what the different changes in colors would mean, 'cause I don't know that off the top of my head.} simple + fun!**

SAC strikes again!

there must be something in the air. nate, my coworker, got suckered into a SAC purchase today. and so did I. I swear, do not check the daily deals on Steap and Cheap unless you're ready for a sick addiction. but these skis (the K2 T Nine Phat Luv Alpine Ski to be exact.) were just my size and calling my sweet powder name. may the snow gods be good to us this season. (also, sac gods, if you want to put up some super sweet, super cheap tele boots in my size I would be forever grateful. and broke.)

openness and freedom

photo via flickr

love flowers best in openness and freedom. --edward abbey

treat or trick

photo via flickr

we took the girls reverse trick or treating tonight. it was great seeing all of our spazzy little twelve year olds in costume telling the confused people at the door that it was okay, we were giving them the candy. I think some people might have been a little suspicious of us, and the rest heard us coming and turned off all the lights and hid in their basements.

green girls go in the dark

photo via my cellular telephone

here in continuing ed we're striving to do the little things. because as we all know, it's the little things that can add up to make a huge impact in this world.

we are encouraged to turn off lights when we leave any room (breakroom, bathroom, et cetera). the offices of my coworkers are often dimly lighted. we try to use the least amount of unnatural lighting as possible, as to save energy. and this carries over to the bathroom as well.

it's not unnusual to pee in the dark around here. now sometimes using the bathroom without the lights on is not a problem. different amounts of light stream through the window at various times of the day. for me it's usually an internal debate as to whether it's dark enough to justify turning on the lights. are other people already in here peeing in the dark? will I be able to see well enough? sometimes you will be in there doing your business and someone else will come in and turn on the lights. there's always that moment of relief that you can actually see.

though let's be honest, the darkness is not really that bad. your eyes adjust. you can see. maybe we should all pee in the dark. (in the name of the environment.) {though I'm not sure I advise this for boys who have a hard time aiming}

the real deal

since we all know you can't make a pumpkin pie (or anything pumpkiny delicioius) out of a regular pumpkin of the jack-o-lantern variety, I went out and bought a couple sugar pumpkins. {okay, the sign at the grocery store said they were pie pumpkins. since I was making pie, I figured this would be good enough, and that they were probably the same thing as a sugar pumpkin anyway, just under another guise.} yesterday I ventured into making the pie. the real, whole-foods pumpkin pie. for a girl who doesn't love pie {though let's be honest, I don't quite hate pie either} I do find myself making quite a lot of them. now I can add pumpkin to the repertoire.

it turned out quite delisious, in case you were wondering. it even held up to a side by side comparison of a marie callender's pumpkin pie.

fresh pumpkin pie recipe via allrecipes.com

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, warmed slightly
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. lightly oil the cut side and place cut side down on a baking sheet. bake at 325 for about an hour, or until flesh is tender. cool until warkably warm. scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel and either mash or puree in a blender.

2. in a large bowl blend together two cups pumpkin puree, spices and salt. beat in vanilla, eggs, honey, milk and cream. pour filling into pie shell.

3. bake at 400 for 50 - 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the crust comes out clean.

No Roll Pie Crust via allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons milk

1. in a 9 inch pie plate sift flour, sugar and salt. make a well in the center and add the oil and milk. mix with a fork, then press into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

2. bake at 425 for about 8 to 10 minutes. **for this pumpkin pie recipe, though, I didn't pre-bake the crust and it turned out fantastic**


whipped cream

1/2 pint whipping cream (the little box)
1/4 cup white sugar

1. mix the whipping cream and sugar.

2. blend the heck out of it until desired consistency.

fyi.

does your little one need some
new kicks to wear to that rock concert?

baby tidbitz has the answer.

bon bon | rockerz
lilly's pad | pollywog

my friend lisa buchanan just opened shop. check her out for all your baby shoe needs. each pair is handcrafted and stitched with love. she'll even gift wrap and send them to that baby shower you just can't make. brilliant.

they're all so cute, I don't know how anybody could choose just one. I'm in love with the letti bo bettys. and who can't resist a little baby bling?

my newest veggie

it's true, I have never cooked a spaghetti squash. so let me present to you, in honor of my resolution, tonight's dinner: the spaghetti squash.

baked squash with parmesan recipe via vegetarian

costa rica love

pura vida

add one hour, subtract three, add two more and magically end up right where you started and you'll find yourself in costa rica without even having to change your watch. after many hours of travel and one fabulous five hour layover in fort lauderdale {thank you, ty, for the tour of your favorite local beach. thank you, sara, for the fabulous waffles + fresh fruit toppings. the rest was sorely needed.} we finally found ourselves in san jose. it was then, the next day, that our journey to the jungle began.

la fortuna, costa rica

this fabulous little place is home to a volcano. an active volcano. volcan arenal. we had the pleasure of touring this little beauty under the cover of darkness, where the real excitement can be seen. with a drive around to the other side of the mountain at dusk, and a hike through the jungle in the dark {and yes, the jungle comes alive at night} we came upon a clearing perfect for the event.

we sat and watched in the darkness for hours while victor, our tour guide, told us about local history and ecology. when the mountain threw out her unwanted rocks, we watched as they tumbled down, all aglow. you could actually hear them as they tumbled. it was a once in a lifetime experience.

supposedly the locals didn't even know this was a volcano until 1968 when it exploded after hundreds of years of dormancy. a whole village of eighty people were killed. I guess some of the hunters had had their suspiscions of this perfectly cylinder mountain because the river coming down from it was flowing with warm water and there was either smoke coming out of it sometimes or ground tremers, I can't remember. either way, it is truly an amazing sight to see today. it is in the top ten of the world's most active volcanoes.


our tour also included a dip in some local hot pools. not developed hot pools like at some of the resorts, but the real deal--the river dammed up in spots to create little pools of water. though it looked a little sketchy at first, this local hot spot was more fun than I could have ever imagined. there was even a slide! (okay, so you're lying on your back or stomach, sliding along the concrete this part was man-made, obviously, because it is the base to some sort of overpass thing while being pushed by the current of the river.) and in the lower pool there was a cave under the waterfall! fun + adventurous, just the way I like things.


another highlight: the zip-line tour of the jungle's canopy, with the bonus of a horse ride in and out. I never knew that peter was so into horses. he's a regular cowboy. maybe someone really will be getting a pony for his birthday one of these years!




we were climbing high up into the trees, sometimes hundreds of feet off the ground, and zipping through the jungle. there were nine lines of varying lengths that you would clip in and out of. you had to use your hand as a break. as you climbed up the steps and the ladders to the next zip-line platform, it was as if they were alive too. anything left still in the jungle for too long is overtaken with growth. it is one massive green, growing entity.


another local favorite: el salto, meaning the jump. and what a jump it was! have your choice of the rope swing or leaping from large overhanging rocks into the brilliantly blue water below. (this fun little spot is very reminiscent of havasupai. if you've ever been to that tropical paradise in the desert, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) this was scotty's favorite part about costa rica on his last trip, and it certainly lived up to the hype. who doesn't love playing in a river in the middle of the jungle?

tamarindo, costa rica

we followed my dream to the pacific ocean. surfing in the warm, tropical waters with the beautiful jungle backdrop was more than I could have ever hoped for.

we spent two days playing in these waters. surfing, swimming, boogie boarding. fun + sun in the sand and sea.

a hard day at the beach, peter and his surfing injury.

costa rica really is the rich coast. it is an amazing place full of life. the pure life, pura vida.

the people are surprisingly friendly. the food delicious as long as you avoid fresh fruits and veggies that are uncooked or unpeeled. oh, and only bottled water. the country is teeming with animal life, especially in the jungle. we saw an iguana, a poisonous snake in the attack position, frogs, big spiders, termites, beetles, various plants {some that even glowed!}, leaf cutter ants, a gecko, this animal that we don't know the english equivelent for, and we heard howler monkeys. even though it was the rainy season it never stopped us from doing what we wanted.

after a long journey--nearly eight hours by bus from tamarindo to the san jose area, a 2.5 hour flight from san jose to fort lauderdale, a two hour layover, a nearly five hour flight from fort lauderdale to las vegas, a two hour drive from las vegas to st george {thank you maria and dirk for letting us crash at your house at 1:30 in the AM}, and finally a five hour drive home to salt lake city, utah--we are back into the regular routine. pura vida.

* * *
hearts tournament results
peter 118 | anna 86 | athena 92 |scotty 116

sneak preview

after twenty-four hours of travel {by bus, plane, and automobile} we are home. the laundry is done and things are put away {well, somewhat}. it is good to be back. there is so much to say about the trip. three things to look forward to:

01. exciting adventures in the jungle
02. riding the wild surf
03. the people + culture (we seemingly got caught in the middle of a family dispute, which subsequently caused a physical fight. the police even came.)

tomorrow I'm sure I will post beautiful words + pictures about the whole adventure (and what an adventure it was!) but right now I'm too tired. you bloggy's said way too much over the past week. it's hard to catch up. so I'm going to stop trying and just put the lil' mac down. it was nice being untethered for a while.

post script:
right now pete and I are watching a completely rad band on austin city limits: explosions in the sky. check 'em out.

on holiday

life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
--helen keller

past scrabbles

wow, after such controversy with the last scrabble post (btw, it was an unblemished game--neither of us challenged anything. thank goodness weavel squeaked through, I was very nervous about that one. and ga, like baby talk--ga ga. totally a word.) I figured I'd post some old scrabble game outcomes of days gone by. enjoy.

june 2nd 2007, liberty park bbq extravaganza
peter 161 | anna 212
this game forfeited by peter due to bbq duties. . .

july 8th, 2007
peter 248 | anna 215

july 22nd 2007
peter 270 | anna 195
yikes.

july 28th 2007, liberty park
peter 237 | anna 221

july 30th 2007, moss ledge picnic area with m and d!
dan 138 | marta 82 | anna 77 | peter 61
this game was called early due to darkness, plus dan was just kicking everyone's trash. beginner's luck.

august 5th 2007, liberty park
anna 249 | peter 193

september 9th 2007, deppe salmon fry extravaganza
deppe 148 | kinlee 118 | anna 105 | peter 82

resolution:

I am going to cook
one new vegetable each week.
this week's little beauty:
brussels sprouts.

tasty + healthy



golden-crusted brussels sprout recipe via super natural cooking

scrabble

anna 244 | peter 221

what works for me--or not, as the case may be

yes, it's that time of the week again. the time where we let everyone out there know the little tricks and tips that keep us afloat. yes, it's what works for me wednesday. well today WWFMW is doing something a little different. see, it's everyone's {in elementary school, at least} favorite day -- backwards day! {at least it's not opposite day} the day where the bloggy's get to implore the universe for some serious answers. it is deeply profound and moving stuff.

so here's my situation. I stepped out my front door today and saw a big truck full of pumpkins driving down the street. I remembered my cute, lonely pumpkin sitting on our steps and realized I had to do something with it before we left for costa rica. the seeds are already destined for this fate. but I'm lookin' for something to do with the guts.

so dear bloggy's, if you're out there, can you help a girl out? any good recipes you know of that use actual pumpkin guts, not the canned alternative? I'm trying to be a good, whole foods girl, so I'm trying to avoid canned versions of things I have at the ready. though it seems like in this case, the canned stuff might actually make recipes of this variety taste better. so I'm at a loss. before I start my thorough search, I thought I'd hit you all up for some ideas.

photo above not my actual pumpkin. though I have been told that my pumpkin is very pretty and the perfect shape.

trip preperations

one trip to the thrift store
plus
two old bed sheets
plus
some good times with my sewing machine
equals
protection

let me present to you,
the hostel cozies.

move well, eat well, think well

the other day I borrowed a book from the library, super natural cooking, by heidi swanson. you know, of 101 cookbooks fame. as I sat at the bus stop and opened the pages, I realized I was holding some very valuable information in between my two hands. I needed to pay attention and try and incorporate at least some of this wisdom into my daily life. I would be so much the better for it.

I feel that I am a student of healthy eating, and this book could be the master teacher.

I love when I can take more away from a cookbook than just a satisfied tummy. when it's more than just a book full of recipes but a lesson learned with every turn of the page. please educate me on the whole foods I am missing in my life. tell me why they are so good for me, what I should look for, when I should use them, teach me about alternatives, methods of cooking, and throw in a beautiful photo of the finished product and I'll be a happy camper.

I have three cookbooks {okay, so one is technically the library's} that I am in love with for the aforementioned reasons.

vegetarian planet | super natural cooking | vegetarian

these little beauties are a must-have not only for the delicious creations inside, but the wealth of information they hold.

fish fry

I think I'm craving fish. {can I really be serious? is this anna jo typing these words?} I might not be craving the taste per se, but I am craving the health benefits. I'm still working on my pre-conceived notions and discriminations towards our fishy friends. they don't really taste that bad. right? I mean, a little lemon really goes a long way. and maybe a cut of salmon cooked well really is tasty? I'm beginning to realize that an open mind--in life as well as fish--really can change our tastes, perceptions of life and the world around us! I'm making some definite strides in my relationship with food lately, so here's to my health!