Getting Creative with Dinner and a Little Treat from the Garden

My friend (thanks Sara) brought me the biggest Zucchini that I have ever seen in my life! It must have weighed about 6 lbs (just a guess and not necessarily as good one) So I cut on the curve to make it easier to cut in half. Scooped out the seeds and then I had to figure out what to do with it. I got creative with the goodies that I had picked up at the farmers market. Sauteed onion and fresh organic leeks with garlic, basil (grown on my windowsill) with diced red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, black beans and brown rice. Seasoned it kind of spicy, and sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on it. The corn was picked this morning and so juicy and fresh. So delicious!

The green beans were a great surprise from my garden, especially since it was what I thought destroyed by the hail storm a few months back. It's been slightly neglected, and I was very surprised to see anything growing from it. Yeah.. the beans were delicious! yum.. and they didn't last long!

Relaxation and The Digestive System

I have just finished another class for school. In this class we discussed dietary direction of foods (which I am not going to discuss right now) and a lot about digestion.

Many things we know already however some we don't really think about on a regular basis. Almost every diet book I have ever read talks about chewing your food, eating more slowly and they also say to stop eating before we are completely stuffed. Why?

The digestive process is controlled by the autonomic nervous system specifically the parasympathetic nervous system. In order for this system to work we need to be relaxed and slow down. Response to stress, anxiety or similar feelings shut off this system and activate the autonomic nervous system which is the system that protects us (example fight or flight) in high anxiety, it also turns off our parasympathetic nervous system thus shutting down our ability to digest our food and absorb our needed nutrients! There is more to it, but this is a basic synopsis of it.

Anyhow, thinking more about being relaxed before eating. I started to be more aware of my patterns while preparing and eating food. Generally I am in the kitchen preparing food, rushing around trying to get everything ready so we can get to where ever we have to go that night, and hollering to get kids to come inside, help set the table you know the drill.

So in the last few weeks I have been more aware of this, being more relaxed while preparing food and enjoying the whole preparation process, the textures of the food not only while eating but while preparing it too. Also enjoying the smells, as this is where digestion starts, when the smells get you salivating it releases enzymes that will begin the digestive process as soon as you begin to eat. I have started to just sit down and just take a few deep breaths before eating to help myself relax more.

I have noticed a difference in how I feel during and after eating, I am enjoying my food more and feeling better after eating on a regular basis.

How about you, how do you feel when you prepare foods and eat?

This Makes it all worthwhile.....

Here is a photo of Nikolas at camp. He is watching skits and performances by the other scouts. This made all the waking up early and dragging 35 min away several times this week worth it all! Nikolas tends to be so serious, and getting him to really laugh and enjoy himself is not always easy... I am so happy for him to have had such a great week at camp! It was truly healing for my heart to see him having so much fun! The absolute favorite of all scouts... The archery range! Nikolas even gave up a turn so his sister could have a turn. Maybe I am doing something right after all!

More laughter from the scouts....

The skit that Nikolas' den did, invisible spaceship!

Last weekend

Here in NY we have a nice few miles of biking/walking trails. We decided to start here this time at one of the locks here on the Mohawk River. The kids rode their plasma cars in hope to avoid to whining of how much longer do we have to go.

Here the lock is opening to drain and let the boats down. The kids really enjoyed seeing how that works and seeing the boats too.

Pausing for a break so the kids can see where they came from, that's the lock back there. You can see the plasma cars here too. They are kid powered, using their arms... we have a great time with them. They can hold up to 250 lbs so we happily get on and try to race the kids around the driveway and such.

And off they go!!! Of course you notice that our oldest was not with us, he didn't want to come. Imagine that! Life of a teenager!

We did get to see a little wildlife. Note I said a little.... cute little guy huh?

Nikolas got tired so if you look closely you can see the stick he is holding on too and Brian is pulling. Sorry it's a bit blurry but you can get the point!

Ariana showing off her muscles after going over a few miles on the plasma car.. All in all it was a great day and we were all so happy to spend some time outdoors.

There hasn't been much of a summer this year so far.. so it was great to take advantage of it!!

After the walk we picked up out oldest and his friend to go out and launch the rocket we got for Brian for Father's Day. Here they are setting it up!

This is the last time that we saw the rocket....

I believe that if you can see the rocket if you see it here.. sort of...

Just received this in my email!!

It's time to celebrate!!!!

Dear Carrie,

On behalf of Hawthorn University, I extend hearty congratulations to you for being chosen to appear on the President's List for your outstanding academic achievement.

Working on an advanced degree in an online environment is a challenging endeavor. You have proven your exceptional ability to excel in your studies despite any possible obstacles that you may have faced along the way.

Your exceptional scholastic accomplishments have earned the respect and admiration of all of us at Hawthorn and those who share your field of expertise. The ability to achieve and maintain a perfect grade point average of 4.0 is something that should be applauded by you and all who know you.

In addition to this congratulatory letter, you will soon be receiving a Certificate of Achievement for your accomplishments. The Certificate is suitable for framing and something you should be proud to display in your home or office.

As Hawthorn University's President and Chief Academic Officer, I urge you to continue to strive for excellence in your education. Your efforts have clearly demonstrated your dedication and commitment to the field of holistic nutrition.

Warmest regards,

Dorothy M. Germano, Ph.D President and Chief Academic Officer Hawthorn University

Welcome to my son Nikolas to the blogging world!

Just wanted to share that my son Nikolas started his very own blog. Nikolas is very creative and wants to share that with everyone. Here is the link to his blog please let him know what you think, he would love your comments and would love more followers!

Farmers Market Pie/Quiche

This pie was made out of my imagination since I had bought lots of veggies from the farmers market. First I sauteed zucchini (yellow and green), with onion, garlic, leek, red pepper fresh basil, and broccoli.

I made the crust from cooked brown rice, diced onion, egg and a bit of seasoning. I pressed it into the pie plates and bakes it for a bit. I put a bit of mustard over the rice crust and then added the veggies and eggs with a bit of sharp cheddar on top. Then just baked it until it was firm all the way through.

Yummy.. it tasted especially with how fresh the veggies were .... Sorry this is as close as I get to a recipe on this since I didn't really write anything down.