Thanks so much for those who reached out to me on the anniversary of my Brother’s death. It was a hard day; every day without him is hard, but that one was a toughie. Thank you.
Last month I won a contest on Sami’s blog (which I absolutely adore) to win jewelry from Jule’s website.
I responded that I would choose something to commemorate my brother if I won and…. I won!
Little Girls’ Pearls …for girls of all ages.
I waited until last week to break into my package, in memory of Greg. Look at how adorable the packaging is…what a little treasure of a gift! The holidays are coming up people!
So adora-licisiosly CUTE!
Another way to remember my brother. Thanks Jules and Sami!
I picked up some more pearls from a new cookbook…
Pearls of Wisdom.
9 Ways to Improve Health and Well Being:
from Terry Walter’s Clean Food cookbook.
Currently, I am leaning away from a structured meal plan and re-teaching myself how to eat intuitively. I’ve always ate clean, but I’ve always ate in a disordered way.
I’m inspired to keep these things in mind:
1. Chew, Chew, Chew! Seems obvious, but every time I focus on chewing I am aware of how lacking I can be in that department.
2.Practice Good Habits. Sit down when you eat, eat regular meals. Eventually living well becomes habit.
3. Stop Eating Three Hours Before Bed Don’t know if I can swing this one, but I know I feel better in the morning when my snackage is lighter.
4. Don’t Buy It If You Don’t Want to Eat It. Enough said.
5. Color + Taste = Balance. I have always paid attention to color in my diet but never taste! You need all five apparently! Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent and Biter. I need more sweet in my life.
6. Listen to and Honor Your Body. Give your body what it craves…eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. Don’t eat when you are not hungry. Simple? Yes. For me? Rocket Science.
7. Change Slowly. Don’t try and change your whole diet overnight. Baby Steps.
8. Make Peace with Your Food and Your Choices. Accurately Identify your need and then choose to nourish it properly.
9. Let Go. ITS JUST FOOD AFTER ALL!
The book is amazing, by the way.
Speaking of getting Wise…I was inspired to make Terry’s split pea soup (it is FREEZING in South Florida. 65 degrees… don’t judge.)
When it comes to recipes I’m a bit of a rebel.
A bit of a…wise guy gal.
After all…it’s soup! One of many beautiful things about soup is that, once you get the swing of things, you don’t need recipes and can go with what you have on hand. Taking inspiration from Terri’s ingredients and her suggestion to serve the soup over Kale…I made
Wise Gal Split Pea Soup (Vegan)
I sautéed about 4 cloves of garlic, one and a half onions and about a cup each of carrots and celery in 4T olive oil until soft. The recipe called for 1/2t of mustard powder (new to me but my mom had some on hand and I was at her house) and tomatoes (in split pea soup?) so I added those as well. Instead of 2T red wine vinegar I used balsamic.
Then I added 3 cups of green split peas (I didn’t have golden), 10 cups of water, a couple bay leaves and 3 cubes of my favorite bouillon.
I got wise and added some mushrooms and kale (just because), bought to a boil, then covered and let simmer for two hours….during which I enjoyed multiple helpings and added a lot more Kale.
The end-result was DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS and CLEAN. I didn’t snap a pic, but it wasn’t that pretty so you’re not missing anything.
I was so proud of myself.
I might have pranced around for a bit. Like a wise gal.
“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?”
So…if you are reading this…talk to me!
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Have you ever tried Kale in Soup. OH EM GEE. Go get you some. Now. Scram.
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What do you think of the 9 pearls of wisdom up there?
