Articles in the Michele’s Life Category

Hi, y’all!

It was a beautiful, sunny day here today. Did you have sunshine where you live?

Hope you’ve been enjoying my Nutella and thrift store shopping talk.

I heart shopping at thrift stores. Some call me eclectic; some call me eccentric; others call me thrifty or frugal. But I just enjoy finding those treasures folks toss away.

Sometimes those treasures are passed down. A dear friend of mine gave me the following decorative plates. Actually, she’s pretty much my adopted grandmother (nothing legal – I just adopted her and claim her!).

I picked up the little stands at a thrift store (of course!) to display them and thought I’d share them with you.

The first one is white and I love its shape, and the dainty blue floral pattern.

Up close

She also gave me a decorative plate with a Fall design on it. I brought it out to display once the leaves started changing colors outside. I enjoy its beauty as well.

And up close

Thank you to my “adopted” grandmother for her generosity and also to Wayfair.com for allowing me to work on an upcoming promotion for them (more about that in the near future!).

But you’ll definitely want to check out the decorative plates they have available over there.  

What about you? Do you like decorative plates? Do you hang them on the wall or display them on a shelf or table? Do you have any heirloom pieces or do you buy yours new or at thrift stores? Do tell!

Taking a day off… Today is my one-year wedding anniversary!

And…. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway – there’ll be FOUR WINNERS!!!

Remember I moderate comments so your entries won’t show up right away. I’ll be back Saturday to approve them. So make sure I have LOTS of entries waiting for me!  

Hi, y’all! Hope you’re all doing fantabulous these days. I know I’ve been MIA for quite a while now but am making my way back.

I’m working hard to revamp my writing career – and all while updating my name.

You’ll now find my writing under Michele Miller – not Tune. I know it may be confusing for a while and folks won’t quite recognize me but I’m still the same writer so I have confidence we’ll get there, eh?

I have written a few pieces over at MainlineGardening.com that you might enjoy.

What This Gardener Grows

Refresh Yourself With Rainbow Grass!

Packaging A Pink Pepper Patch

I’ve also been busy with this sweet gal. Her name is Ginger. Sometimes I call her Gingersnap. My husband likes to call her Gin. Whatever we call her, we love her and she loves us. She’s such a blessing!

See you all soon! *hugs*

Hey, y’all! I know it’s been a super-duper long time since I posted and I’m sure many of you thought I fell off the face of the planet, never to be seen again. I apologize from the deepest depths of my heart and soul for putting y’all through that. As a blogger, I should have updated to let you know that I’ve been okay. So, please, forgive me?

It would mean a lot.

All sorts of craziness has gone on – from a cranky old laptop, to life events beyond my control. I thought of giving up. I thought of never writing or blogging again. But writing and blogging is such a part of my heart, my soul. I sometimes need extended breaks from it. But I could never, ever give it up completely. I’d wither away and die like a flower with no rain.

Am I forgiven? Do you still love me?

Thank you, kindly.

Now, on to the good stuff…

Check out this cool, vintage Mission Bay bike I’m the proud owner of. Awesome ride, eh? More about how it came about at the end of the post (but don’t scroll down and spoil my surprise! Read through like the troopers I know y’all are, okay?)

Anyway, most of you know I love all things pink. I’m a girly girl pretty much all the way – and you know I have an old soul. I love vintage things – including my bike!

So, where have I been? I think for the most part, I needed a good, long break from blogging. There for a while, I agreed to way too many reviews and giveaways and although I wholeheartedly love doing those posts, they are very time-consuming for me as I put all of my heart and soul into them and don’t just throw up a casual “so-and-so company sent me this or that for review and I liked it or didn’t” – I go in to great detail and after a while, even though I thrive on it, it wears a girl thin, ya know?

Plus, as you all know, life happens. Things pull us away from doing what we love. And as writers, we many times put our passion for the written word on the back burner as we run here and there tending to the things life throws our way.

That’s where I’ve been. Tending. Mending. Reinventing. Rejuvenating. Recharging. Evolving. Thinking. Healing…

So… how’d the bike come about? My husband (!!) spruced it up for me. See the before picture, folks. It’s come a looooooooooong way. I’d been wanting to ride bikes forever so it’s such a blessing to have a husband who enjoys doing just that!

Yes, you read right. It took many, many years of healing from the pains of domestic violence and although there will always be bad memories, occasional nightmares, and scars, I was finally able to open my mind, heart, and soul to love again. I was scared but I made the right decision. I know – without a doubt! – that he is my soul mate.

I always wondered what people meant when they said “you’ll know when you meet Mr. Right” – now I KNOW. I do. He’s everything I ever dreamed of and hoped for!

It’s amazing how deeply he’s touched my life. And it’s amazing what he did to that vintage bike…

Before

After

And what about you? How have you been? Any plans for the New Year? News you’d like to share with me? Healthy milestones you’re bursting with? Please talk to me – I’ve MISSED  you all!!!!

Also, I AM going to be posting reviews and giveaways. I just don’t plan on making them my main focus – at least for a while.

Warning: This is going to be a whopper of a post!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a hermit, a homebody, a gal who’d rather stay home than most anything else in the world. Raw Juice Girl LOVES being home, ADORES it. But even as much as I cherish the comfort of my home, even I get cabin fever sometimes. Even I need a day out once in a while – and today was that day!  

I’m going to tell you all about it, but first I want to tell you about a very exciting…

Upcoming Review

I have a fantabulous surprise in the works for you all and can’t wait to share! I am bursting at the seams – and soon you’ll know why. Want a hint? In the near future, I’ll be reviewing a super AMAZING and RAWSOME product (one that you’ve seen across the blogosphere because it’s very popular right now!) from the very generous folks at CSN Stores – the same folks who offer these beautiful home bars! Do you have your own private bar? I’m not a drinker, but if I had a special bar in my house, it would most definitely be a juice/smoothie bar – and I’d want the Harvard Bar Set (shown below).

Y’all could come and sit while I whipped you up nutritious, delicious, out-of-this-world, raw juices or smoothies – your pick!

Which barstools do you like the most? Are you a barstool type person or do you prefer chairs? Or, do you prefer plopping on the cozy couch while sipping your favorite beverage?

Do tell!

But first I have to share my day out with you…

I went to a few different thrift shops, but I did get some

New Shoes

Every gal loves a new pair of shoes, right? Okay, I’m not a shoe lover like some gals. I don’t have to have countless shoes in my possession to be happy – but my tennis shoes were really sad so I finally gave in and went on a search for a pair. I ended up with these cutesy, frugal ones: $11!!!!

Love the pink!

I could’ve played it safe and gone with boring white, but sometimes a gal just needs some color in her life.

And the best part about these shoes? They are eco-friendly! The lining is made from 100% recycled material (plastic bottles + post-industrial material). Eeeekkk!!!

New Tumbler

I also picked up a cute cup/tumbler – for just $2!!!! It’s the perfect size for a smoothie or juice and I love it!

What’s that in the background? It’s a lettuce knife! It was also about $2 and I thought it was a pretty color.

LOVE it!

iHerb Shopping Spree

The generous folks over at www.iHerb.com allowed me to go on a $50 shopping spree to get a feel for the way their business works, and I jumped at the chance. Not only did this shopping spree give me the opportunity to stock back up on flax seed oil and hemp seeds, but I can now try the Lucuma powder I’ve heard so much about, plus the Bach Remedies.

I chose the Rescue Sleep and the Rescue Remedy Stress Relief. I’m really anxious to try these out – life is especially stressful right now so this is the perfect time for reviewing these remedies.

Nuttzo

I’ve been wondering what all the buzz is about because so many bloggers are bonkers over Nuttzo – well, now I KNOW why. It’s SO unique and delicious and nutritious and addictive. Expect an in-depth review of this fantabulous stuff soon. And be sure to look for it in my OpenSky shop – it will be on my cyber shelves TOMORROW.

I have a WAY cool recipe in mind for Nuttzo – fingers crossed that it turns out well!

Expect lots of mentions plus in-depth reviews of all the products I’ve mentioned in this post.

Contest Alerts

Averie, at Love Veggies & Yoga, is giving away a Celestial Seasonings Natural Wellness Kit

Jenny, from Peanut Butter & Jenny, is giving away a 2 pound bag of chia seeds

And don’t forget about the two contests I’m currently hosting:

• $40 gift certificate for Sunset Blvd (they have all sorts of health and wellness items: yoga mats, natural first aid, organic hemp cloth diapers, healing stones – and more!)
• Tropical Traditions Certified Organic, Raw, Wild, Unprocessed Honey

What’s your favorite idea of a day out? Do you go shopping? Fishing? Enjoy a picnic? A massage? Visit with friends? What? And do you go all out and splurge on expensive stuff at the mall or high-end stores or do you hit the thrift shops, frugally? How much is too much to pay for something in your opinion? Are you happy with clothes or other items that are in really good condition but have been used by someone else – or do you only accept the best, name-brand, costly stuff? Chime in, folks! I want to hear all about it!!! But don’t forget to enter those contests I mentioned – they’re awesome!

Note: For my raw purist readers, this soup isn’t raw. As I’ve mentioned before (numerous times), I’m currently very high raw, but am not 100% raw at this time.

I live for fresh, raw juices and smoothies and veggies and fruit, nuts and seeds – but sometimes a gal just needs a bowl of yummy, herbalicious, flavorful (hot) soup on a cold winter’s day.

Enter: Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup

This recipe was inspired by “The Clean Eating Mama” blog, from her recent post: White Bean and Kale Soup (Thank you, Tasha!)

Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 2 cans butter beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• bunch of frozen Rainbow Chard (that was from my garden)
• about 1  -  2 cups of certified organic whole wheat couscous
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• sprinkle of paprika
• garlic salt to taste (I used Himala Salt Certified Organic brand.)
• freshly ground flax (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Add the beans, tomatoes, rainbow chard, frozen peas, and cream of celery soup to your pot.
2. Pour in 6 cups water (or broth – I didn’t have any).
3. Add herbs, onion, garlic (or garlic salt like me).
4. Add the coconut oil.
5. Turn heat to medium.
6. Once the frozen veggies are tender and the soup has really heated up, add the couscous.
7. Cover with a lid.
8. Simmer for half an hour or so.
9. Sprinkle with freshly ground flax and enjoy!

Ooooooohhh, yeah!

Kale is one of my all-time favorite veggies, so I’m definitely going to make this soup again when I have the ingredients Tasha used in her version.

OpenSky Alert!

I love freshly ground flax SO much, I’m selling whole flax seeds so you can grind your own. That’s right: You can buy organic flax seed in my OpenSky shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!

Shipping info:

“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.” – OpenSky

Contest Alert

HiHoRosie’s Place is giving away an ice cream maker.

And don’t forget to enter my latest contest for a $30 gift certificate from Glass Dharma!

Your Turn

What about you? Are you a “soup person” or do you detest soup? Do you love making a big pot of soup and savoring it day after day, or do you just get a craving for it once in a while and either buy soup from a restaurant so you won’t have leftovers, or eat it out of a can or at someone else’s house?

Raw foodie (purists): Do you splurge on hot soup once in a while during the colder months, or do you stick to raw soups only?

All of you, chime in – I adore reading your thoughts!!

And… I’m planning on posting about raw soup in an upcoming – so stay tuned! Plus, the delivery man has been kind to me and I’m going to give you a sneak peek at what he brought!

I remember that hymnal from when I was a little girl and went to church with my grandma.

The memory is etched so vividly in my mind: I remember a lady getting up to lead song service. That “sunshine” song was her favorite. It amazes me how the sunshine streamed through the windows as we sang it, like Heaven was smiling on us.

This memory makes me smile, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And I can’t believe I am able to remember it like it was yesterday!

Okay, okay, enough of my little trip down memory lane…

That memory is what came to mind, though, when I learned that Julia (from  Easy Eco To Go) blessed me with an award. You can read about it in her post: Let the Sunshine In!

Sunshine Award

Thank you so much, Julia! I’m honored to be a source of sunshine for you! I love how your blog is always inspiring and sunny – so you’re sending out a lot of rays yourself!

Now, I’m supposed to pass on this award to 12 of you who bring sunshine to my life – but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy more than just 12 of you light up my days, so I’m giving this to each and every one of you! Take this Sunshine Award and enjoy it – you deserve it!

And…

I want to thank you for your sweet words on my guest post at Positive Provocations (Healing Your Heart, Holistically) and I’m thrilled that my post on emotional eating, food labels, and judgments resonated so deeply with y’all!

How cool is it that we can all relate to being too hard on ourselves?! We aren’t perfect… All we can do is strive to be better. That’s it. Our eating habits (and life in general) has too many shades to label with one “color”!

Which helps me realize what brings the most sunshine to my life is not limited to one thing!

I feel the warmth of sunshine:

• when I’m helping others
• from family and friends
• when I’m writing and blogging
• by reading your blogs, comments, and emails
• and so much more!

But my highest source of sunshine comes from my strong faith. I wouldn’t be who I am without it.

What brings sunshine to your life? Your family? Friends? Work? Exercise? Writing? Blogging? Reading inspiring articles, books, blog posts, etc.? Lots of sunshine and love and big hugs to you!!!

Oh, and don’t forget about my latest contest! You might really, really want to take advantage of those extra entry options (like linking back on your blog) because there’s 200+ entries already and it doesn’t end until Friday, February 19th! Enter now!

Hi, y’all!

I’m so glad that you enjoyed my last post, on emotional eating, food labels, and judgments. It’s nice to know that you can relate, and that you appreciate my (raw) honesty – and it’s soooooooooooooo nice to have it off my chest once and for all!

Remember, we need to be KIND to ourselves so we can achieve ultimate health. Take my hand and let’s skip along together.

Good News!

I wanted to share with you that Zeenat Syal has allowed me the fantabulous opportunity to share a bit about my story of healing (including tips for you!) – thank you, Z!

Here’s my guest post, in case you want to read it:

Healing Your Heart, Holistically 

Zeenat (and I!) would love it if you share your thoughts and suggestions about my story on my guest post over there (if you have time, of course)!

And… here’s a sneak peek at Zeenat’s beautiful blog…

Zeenat is a beautiful lady. She shares her heart so openly and honestly, and is one of my favorite bloggers – and people! You can see by this glimpse of her blog, that she emanates peace, inspiration, hope, serenity, love, and healing…

You  might even remember Zeenat wrote a beautiful, informative guest post for us a while back: Onions–A Pungent Surprise of Natural Healing 

Do check that out, too. Zeenat is a Practicing Counseling Psychologist & Naturopath with degrees in Motivational and Counseling Psychology. She also holds degrees in various fields of Holistic and Naturopathic Medicine. <— Full of wisdom, she is!

Thanks for letting me share! Big hugs to everyone, and I hope your day is fantabulous!!!

Hi, everybody! How has your week been so far?

Thanks for your sympathy and sweet words about my crazy week. I appreciate it!

Things were much better after I gave myself some TLC, natural remedies, rest, and received this in the mail:

Yay! I’m powered up and back in business – and feeling much, much better!

Raw Juice Girl’s NEWS

Yep, the newsletter goal is finally becoming a reality. Remember a long time ago when I blogged about the Healing with (Raw) Juices Newsletter? Well, now I’m putting my words into action and the newsletter is in the works. Don’t believe me?

Well, you can sign up here.

Watch for it, it’s coming to an inbox near you soon!

Contest Alerts

Ashlei (The Vegster) is giving away a six-pack of Zevia!

Birdies (Vegan) Bakeshop is giving away fun kitchen gadgets!

And stay tuned for a review of Tropical Traditions coconut peanut butter – plus a surprise for YOU!

Are you bad about procrastinating? Have you been putting something off (like I’ve been postponing my newsletter)? Do you allow life to get in the way and just accept that you can’t always make time for something extra (which isn’t always procrastinating, I know)? Or do you always pounce on your dreams and ideas and just make them happen right away?

Wow, what a week I’ve had!

Let me fill you in…

1. I got sick: horrid sore/swollen throat, ear trouble, sinus issues, blech! (Thank goodness for herbs and tonics – I’m almost well now!)
2. My laptop battery AND cord died and I had to go days without my computer.
3. I luckily had access to an old desktop, which although it’s cantankerous, it was access to the Internet.
4. I didn’t have access to certain programs, files, etc. that are saved on my computer.
5. I had two contests running simultaneously. Ack!

Lots of craziness, eh? And that isn’t the half of it!

My laptop cord arrived today; the battery is supposed to be here tomorrow. My old battery is holding up now so I’m hoping it continues – at least until the new one arrives!

Now I have lots of catching up to do. I see offers in my inbox from companies offering products for reviews/contests – so get ready for lots more good stuff coming up!

And if you’ve emailed but haven’t received a response, all of the above reasons are why. I’ll be wading through my inbox as quickly as possible.

Congrats to the Winners

In case you missed the announcement posts, I’d like to congratulate Earth Mother, who won the Oh!Nuts pecan giveaway and Michal, who won the Oh!Nuts macadamia nut giveaway. Congratulations, ladies!

Contest Alert

Oh, and I thought I’d share a couple of contests in the blogosphere that caught my attention. I know there are more out there but I’m behind on everything…

Prevention RD is having a Larabar giveaway.

Averie Sunshine is hosting a $50 iHerb shopping spree.

How was last week for you? Did you breeze through or stumble, trip, and fall like me? Hope last week was fantabulous for you all – and that this week is, too!  And don’t forget about the Valentine’s offer!

I’ve blogged about yoga before. It complements raw living so well in my life. I honestly feel like it is wholesome for me, like it grounds me, and brings me full circle from deep within. It’s still amazing to me how many differences there are when I compare the times I’m practicing yoga, and when I am not.

Doesn’t the gal in this photo look so at peace? Of course, there were lots of other cool yoga photos I could’ve chosen for this post, but I thought the hay was the best fit – considering I’m in Amish country.

I’m going to share the pros and cons of yoga vs no yoga in my life later (below) but first, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite go-to yoga resources.

YogaisYummy.net – I came across this gem a while back. I immediately loved Polly’s bright, sunny, positive attitude and her fun yoga videos. I continue to use her videos – especially if I’m short on time (her videos are each 10 minutes in length).

Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga Body Lean & Defined Total Body Workout DVD – I loooooooooooooooooooove this DVD. Seriously, y’all. I think it’s fantabulous! Stacy’s voice is so reassuring and one thing she says that really resonated with me the first time I ever played it, was this:

“Be slow to judge and quick to acknowledge your efforts toward a healthy life.”

That’s a difficult thing to do, but so rewarding!

The Bolder Mat Company – I love this company! They’re passionate about the environment and they make beautiful mats that are not only inspiring to practice yoga on, but they’re actually sticky mats that are good quality and serve a purpose. They’re cushy, too!

Ali MacGraw – Yoga Mind & Body DVD – This was a gift from a reader. Mika sent me her very own (treasured!) copy and I was so honored that she blessed me with that gift! By the time I get to shavasana with this DVD, I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven! (I blogged about Mika’s gift here.)

Where the Lemon Water Comes In

A lot of you have asked why I love drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach). I shared my answer on the FAQ page but I’ll paste it here for your convenience.

Lemons are loaded with goodies your bodies need such as Vitamin C and heart- and cancer-fighting compounds like limonin and limolene. I love them. I have been drinking warm lemon water each morning before breakfast for a long time now. My Mom is a HUGE advocate of lemons and we have been having them in our iced tea for oodles of years. The warm lemon water (drank on an empty stomach) helps alkalize the body, jumpstarts your liver and bowel and flushes your kidneys and bladder. It’s very cleansing to your body. Lemons boost your immune system, lower histamine levels, and help give your skin an overall healthy glow. I definitely feel less energetic and have less “umph” on days I don’t get my lemon!

Hope that helps you understand my obsession with warm lemon water.

Warm Lemon Water Recipe

Ingredients:

• a slice of lemon (you can use up to a half of a lemon)
• a cup of hot water
• a drizzle of (raw) honey or organic stevia (optional – I drink mine plain, without sweetener)

Directions:

1. Add some water to your tea kettle.
2. Heat the water (don’t let it boil).
3. Squeeze the lemon slice/wedge into your cup.
4. Pour hot water in to cup (about 3/4 full).
5. Sip and enjoy.

Tip: Don’t chug this down. Slip it slowly. I eat about half an hour (sometimes up to 45 minutes) after I’ve drank all my warm lemon water.

Back to Yoga

So, when I’m not practicing yoga and drinking warm lemon water every morning, I feel:

• stagnant
• stiff
• lethargic
• moody
• out of balance
• hungrier
• sleepy
• blocked on my writing/blogging
• etc.

When I am practicing yoga and drinking warm lemon water every morning, I feel:

• stronger
• happier
• more grounded
• more alert
• healthier
• less hungry
• more radiant
• more confident
• like I’m bursting at the seams with words to write
• and much more

I sleep better, too, when yoga and lemon water make their way into my day!

What about you? What grounds you and makes you feel more centered and just healthier and better? Is it yoga? Raw foods? Smoothies? Running? Please share!

Photo Credits:

jhoc (yoga)

spakattacks (lemon)

Hi, y’all! I’m pretty nervous but there’s always a first time for everything, right? And I decided that today was as good a time as any to publish my first-ever YouTube video!

I realize the quality (lighting, really) is weird. I’m not sure why. I did sit near a window in hopes that would help – but it seemed to only make it weirder when the sun went behind the clouds!

Oh, and this video length is 10 minutes! I thought 10 minutes would be really hard to reach – apparently, I’m a chatterbox on video just like in real life. *giggles*

And if you want to subscribe so you don’t miss future posts, here’s my channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RawJuiceGirl

Thanks for watching!

Contest Alert

As promised in the video, here are the links to the two contests I mentioned:

Averie Sunshine, over at Love Veggies & Yoga, is giving away a 2 pound bag of chia seeds!

And don’t forget about the contest I currently have running. The winner receives a 4.5 ounce container of pure, raw, eco-friendly, organic clay mask. The contest is sponsored by Lisa Ann Turkel, owner of ShimmerOrganics.

Video Advice

Feel free to share any tips you might have so I can make future videos better for you!

Hi, y’all! I know my posts have been scarce. For that, I apologize. But once you discover what I’ve been up to, I think you’ll be very forgiving – including the sponsoring companies awaiting my reviews of their fantabulous products!

I started this post Tuesday evening (December 22, 2009) but couldn’t finish it. My eyes were filled with tears, my head was pounding with questions and thoughts, and my heart was simply broken into a gazillion pieces.

It’s taken a couple of days to pull my thoughts together on this. What better day to post, though, than on Christmas Eve?

Here’s the draft I started (I’ll add today’s thoughts later):

Today I walked among the homeless. No, I didn’t pass them on the street or gaze at them through the window while driving by. I mean I literally walked into a building where they were. I looked into the eyes of men and women – many of them who have served our country through various military services – and saw far more than people without homes.

My grandmother always told me that “eyes are the windows to a person’s soul.”

When I peered into the souls I crossed paths with today, I saw real people. I saw moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents – many of them have served our country. I saw people who deserve dignity, respect, kindness, smiles, hugs, handshakes – no matter the condition of their soiled, tattered clothes, hair, or skin.

No, maybe they aren’t perfect. Their hair isn’t all styled from that fancy new place everyone’s raving about, and their teeth aren’t pearly white anymore. No, they don’t have the most expensive cologne or your favorite luxurious cold cream for their dried-out, weathered skin. But they’re real people, and they have feelings. They have a heart and soul. They have likes and dislikes. They have talents. Some of them even still have dreams.

With an empathetic heart, and a little time spent with them, you can look past not only the physical layers of clothing, but the invisible layers (walls, really) they’ve cocooned themselves inside. If you take a few moments to stop and talk to them, look them in the eye, smile, and just treat them like they’re your friend – or even a relative, because they could be – you’ll find that their eyes light up. Relief washes over them. Joy bubbles in their hearts. They’ll begin to tell you that they have a passion for cooking, or that they used to work every day and even lift weights at the gym. Any one of them could be you – or me. Any one of them could be someone we know. Someone who woke up one day and learned they didn’t have a job. Someone who lost their family in a horrific car accident – and couldn’t cope. Someone who’s come home from serving our country, with nowhere to go. Someone who still can’t figure out how they lost their way, or how to find it again.

Sure, there are the negatives. Many people choose to focus only on those who are drug addicts, alcoholics, or are destructive. I’m guilty myself. But each time I’ve been in the presence of a homeless person, I haven’t felt threatened. I feel their respect. I feel their gratitude. I feel their joy and appreciation that I’m in their presence as a fellow human. Nothing more, nothing less.

Life can be so simple. Why do we have to make it so hard?

I’m not there to judge them. I’m there to be of service, any way I can. I’m there to blow on that flicker of hope any of them might have – or rekindle the hope in those who’ve let theirs die down.

I’m there to let them know, that yes, people do still care. That some of us hurt for them. That some of us realize they’re a real person. That some of us yearn to do more, but can’t figure out how to go about it on a large scale.

My head aches tonight. I feel sick to my stomach. My heart feels like it’s going to explode from all the pain it’s having to process.

But I can still smile through the tears. Why? Because when we walked into that building on a cold, dark, winter day, I watched a huge room filled with people change right before my eyes. Yes, that’s right. I saw people slumped on couches, and sitting hunched over at tables, and walking around aimlessly with their shoulders drooping, stand up or sit up straight. I saw worry and stress wash away from their tired faces as they realized we were walking in carrying Christmas goody bags, Christmas cards, and giant candy canes – just for them.

I watched everyone’s heart skip a beat. I watched the true meaning of Christmas unfold right before my eyes. That, my friends, is what it’s all about…

Christmas Eve

Even as I read the above draft I had written after leaving the homeless Tuesday, I can barely see the computer screen through my tears.

I had so many questions:

Why are Veterans homeless?

Why are Veterans forgotten?

Why is anyone homeless?

Why is anyone forgotten?

Why don’t more people do more – even the smallest amount of help is something?

How can I help more?

What if I were in their situation?

Where’s the compassion?

Many of you don’t know that my family has been in the ministry for over 20 years. Even when I was a little girl – before my parents committed their lives to God’s work – I saw them take their own bill money and give it to a young couple whose baby was near death at a hospital a few hours away. The mom was staying with the baby. The dad was working as much as anyone would let him. He wanted to get to his family. His wife didn’t even have any cash with her at all, as she sat alone in that hospital with her baby. I’ve also seen my parents do many other things over the years. We’ve taken food out of our cabinets, clothes out of our closets. If we’re able in any way, we try to help anyone we can. I’m so glad my parents have taught me to go the extra mile. My grandparents taught me as well.

You can read about the Christmas bags we took the homeless on our ministry site: Highways & Byways Ministries.

Our ministry is very, very different than most anything else out there. Why? Because we work with those who are basically considered “outcasts” – we strive to walk where Jesus walked….

Mom & Me

I wish you the best, most blessed Holiday Season EVER – and I urge you to do something – anything – for others.

Won’t you help the homeless?

Updated to Add

My family has decided to step up and take action to help cure homelessness in our area (read more here). We’re working to secure funds for our first building, which will allow the homeless who come to us to have their own living quarters – a place to call home – where they can shower, rest, plan their future, and pull themselves together and try to work toward restoring their lives.

We are MORE than people who feel empathy for them – we are their family. Our first building for our Momma’s Houses dream will house numerous people and get them off the street. They won’t be asked to get out in a few days, weeks, or months. They need adequate time to reenter society. They will have it. And, no matter what – we’ll always be their family, their support system, their friend.

If you aren’t comfortable donating electronically, feel free to send your donation to:

Highways and Byways Ministries

P.O. Box 115

Diggins, MO 65636

Yes, $80,000 is a LOT of money to raise in 30 days – but not if a lot of people give a little.

Bonus Christmas Blessing

ELI IS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM! And don’t forget to take a peek at my Thanksgiving holiday eats + treats – or my interview with ShimmerOrganics owner, Lisa Ann Turkel!

 

It’s almost unfathomable to envision a blog turning into a book turning into a movie – when it’s yours, that is!

I finally watched Julie & Julia (although I’d never read the book, Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously). I must say, I was pleasantly entertained. I loved every minute of the movie. From Julie’s excitement over starting her blog, to Julia’s enthusiasm and YEARS of hard work that went into her book (typed on a typewriter!) it was all beautifully portrayed and very enlightening.

I won’t spoil the entire movie for you, though! I totally think you should watch it. It’s definitely worth your time and money.

But just in case…

Spoiler Alert!!!!

I think Meryl Streep was fantabulous as Julia Child, and I loved Amy Adams as Julie Powell.

Julia Child was one very determined lady. She never gave up. That’s admirable! I wonder if she would have been a blogger had she been in our shoes? Ya think? Can you envision her blog: Mastering the Art of French Cooking? Can you see her creating YouTube videos; commenting on other blogs; tweeting; facebooking?

It was super fun to see the reality of a blogger’s life, too – especially home life. From the realization that a LOT of people are reading what you’re putting out there into cyber space, to the cluelessness others seem to have about exactly what a blog even is, or what it means to the blogger.

Explaining your overwhelming desire (need, actually) to blog is extremely difficult. As many gazillions of blogs as there is, there’s that many people who don’t know what one is, it seems! I’ve given up on trying to explain blogging. I just say: “I’m a freelance writer and blogger. I write about health.” And I leave it at that.

As a blogger who shares my heart with you, my fantabulous readers, I could relate to Julie as she pounded out her frustrations and joys over wading her way through Julia Child’s cookbook,  Mastering the Art of French Cooking – all those hundreds of pages!

After she’d been blogging for a while, she began to sense that her readers actually anticipated – and needed – her posts.  Can you relate?! Of course, that’s a hard thing for a non-blogger to comprehend. It makes us bloggers seem like we have our head in the clouds, like we just think we’re SO great that numerous people could possibly be on pins and needles – just for our next post, for words that flow effortlessly (okay, not always effortlessly! ) from our minds, through our fingers, onto the keyboard, out into cyber space’s infinity.

Yeah, that feeling.

Most of all, it was sooooooooooooooooo exciting to even consider that the words we share in the posts of our little corner of the blogosphere could be read by publishers, reporters, literary agents… How fantabulous is that?!

I actually think it’s a scary – and exciting – thought at the same time, really.

Have you watched Julie & Julia? Did you get to see it at the theater, or did you rent it like me? Did you read the book first? Will you read it now? I’m the type of gal who always likes to read the book first, then the movie. I’ve found most times I like the book better. But, that’s just me.

Oh, and the ShimmerOrganics review/contest is totally in the near future – I’ve just been having some sinus trouble (swollen face and all!) and have no desire to plaster photos of my face on the Web right now. So, now my secret is out: If all goes as planned, I’ll be posting photos of my face before Lisa’s mask, while it’s on, and after it’s washed off. I actually have those already, but I wanted to show y’all before & after photos of a  couple more treatments before I shared the review/contest with y’all. A little embarrassing, really, but I’m the guinea pig for y’all, ya know?! Can you wait??!! Pretty please with a (raw) cherry on top?!

And….. you might notice I put a PayPal button up in the left sidebar. I’ve explained a little over there, but I’ll be posting in-depth soon.

Happy Holidays!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM! And don’t forget to take a peek at my Thanksgiving holiday eats + treats – or my interview with ShimmerOrganics owner, Lisa Ann Turkel!

Hi, y’all! So sorry I’ve just left you hanging around without an update!

Hope you’re staying cozy and warm, though! It’s cooooooooooooooold out there, isn’t it?! I’ve had some snow and some very high, very strong (COLD!) wind, plus rain. But I have a woodburning stove – thank goodness!!

Anyway, I do have lots of RAWsome reviews, contests, and recipes (including some of Averie’s recipes!!!!) coming soon. I’ve just been SWAMPED with freelance stuff, holiday preparations, and lots of other stuff – oh my!

I also got overwhelmed, to be honest, and haven’t been feeling my best either. Ugh!

Did you read the book Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously? I FINALLY got to watch the movie Julie & Julia! Of course, you know I’ll be writing a deserving review later but I just had to mention it. Can you guess if I liked it, or not?

Oh, and get ready for  changes (for the better!) coming in 2010. The site will be transforming to make it easier for you to locate what you’re searching for, and lots more. It’s exciting, folks. I promise!

How are things on your end? Busy with holiday to-do lists? Are you stressed out, or are you enjoying yourself?

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM!

Hope you had a fantabulous holiday! I sure did.

I know a lot of you are curious about what I ate for Thanksgiving. A part of me feels proud of my choices because I didn’t eat meat and I didn’t eat dressing (aka stuffing).

No animals were harmed for my dinner.

But…

A part of me is disappointed with myself (make sense?) because my Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t 100% raw AND vegan.

Night Before Turkey Day

On Thanksgiving Eve, my mom had leftover batter from the pineapple upside down cake (she makes hers in a cast iron skillet) and so she made cupcakes.

I wasn’t going to eat one, then I just did – it was the smallest one, though!

That was the first time I’d had any (real) cake since my birthday (in mid-August).

Choices, Choices

Aren’t we are own worst critics? Are you hard on yourself, too? Sometimes I think I’m too hard on myself. Most ALL of the time, other people think I’m too hard on myself.

I’ve been really torn about the direction my eating habits have been going and in an upcoming post, I’m going to share my feelings and plans for 2010. Since I lost my cousins (at such young ages) this year, I’ve really battled emotional eating. I’m going to address emotional eating and my food choices soon…

My Thanksgiving Dinner

I filled my plate with mostly salad: baby spinach leaves, kale, broccoli, carrots, avocado, pink sea salt, drizzle of olive oil, pecans.

Then I decided to have a couple spoonfuls of my mom’s sweet potato casserole, real mashed potatoes, baked pasta, and green bean casserole. And the cranberry sauce isn’t raw either – it’s fresh from the can.

Sounds like a lot – but it really wasn’t that much. I suppose some would say I went overboard; others would say I didn’t eat enough. I am proud that my plate is filled with mostly raw veggies. I ended up not have a vegan Thanksgiving because there’s butter in the mashed potatoes and cheese (+ butter)  in the pasta. I don’t think I did that badly, though: I didn’t eat turkey, dressing, or the other stuff available.

Iced tea with stevia

Most importantly on Thanksgiving, though, I enjoyed the company. Good family and friends are hard to come by!

How did your Thanksgiving turn out? Did you get to see family and friends and have a good time? Did you eat all raw or high raw vegetarian/vegan? Did you worry about it? Did you splurge and have cooked foods and maybe even turkey? Did you go all out and work hard on mock raw or vegan options? Tell me all about it!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM!

Hello! How’s your day going? Mine is fantabulous so far. Mr. Sunshine is visiting today. How very kind of him – yay!

Anyway, a while back, Danica from www.DanicasDaily.com hosted The Great Pumpkin Giveaway. I entered. There were THREE winners – and I was one of ‘em! 

My Package from Danica

I love that she sent her (nicely typed) recipe and a beautiful, kind letter. Thank you, Danica! I love my prize – and all the thought you put into it!

The pumpkin butter was put to good use right away. The family had it smeared on pancakes. I’m trying to avoid those, so I swiped a spoonful straight from the jar. *giggles*

I have to say this, though: Trader Joe’s has nothing on my mom’s homemade pumpkin butter! (But, I could be a tad bit bias.)

Turkey Day

A lot of you are wondering if I’ll eat turkey on Thanksgiving. I’ve received emails and messages and questions on social media sites.

The answer is no.

There have been times over the past few years that I’ve allowed a little fish or turkey into my diet. I’ve been at minimum 75% raw and the majority of the time, I’m 90-100% raw most every day.

But after studying meat and fish for articles I’ve written (and for personal curiosity) and coming across such heartfelt, informative articles (such as Gena’s Reconsidering Veganism at ThanksLIVING at Choosing Raw) I’ve found it very easy to reevaluate my level of Raw Foodism and have really thrown myself into focusing on raw food, my health, and am working very, very hard to learn to be at peace with others’ perception of the way I choose to eat. Gena’s article really resonated deeply within my soul and I thank her (from the bottom of my heart) for sharing that beautifully written post – and for all the effort she pours into her entire site. (Thank you, Gena!!)

Here a Turkey, There a Turkey

I thought I’d start by showing you my pet turkeys: Gobbles and Goblet.

How could I eat Gobbles or Goblet? Nope. Not happening!

What Will this Raw Vegan Eat?

Honestly? I don’t know yet! I’ve searched my heart (and raw, Vegan recipes!) and have decided that I’m simply not going to worry about it. The holidays are a time to come together with precious friends and family and laugh, talk, catch up, and just be. It’s a time to reflect on grandparents, parents, siblings, or other relatives and friends who are no longer with us – an opportunity to cherish all those memories that we hold deep in our hearts.

Thanksgiving is about forgetting about material possessions and being thankful for all those things that have nothing to do with food, things that money can’t buy – like hugs, kisses, laughter, joy, and sparkles in the eyes of those you love.

Sure, I’m thinking of making a raw pecan dessert. And maybe a raw coconut cream pie dessert. I’ll probably just have a ginormous salad with a few nuts and other yummy toppings. I might nab a bite of momma’s sweet potato casserole….

But overall, I’m pleased to just be entering this Thanksgiving with a purpose: to enjoy my family and friends and just be in the moment.

I will try to take photos and document what I eat, though – I’ll blog about it later.

If you’re super interested in a true raw, Vegan Thanksgiving menu, check out Gena’s. It RAWks! Averie’s raw, Vegan ideas are RAWkin’ too!

I’m Thankful For

1. my faith
2. my heritage
3. two living parents who’ve been together for close to 40 years*
4. a warm, cozy home
5. family and friends
6. the best brother in the world
7. that I’ve maintained a 100+ weight loss for a few years now
8. that I survived domestic violence and can be an inspiration to others, that they can too
9. for blog readers who are so encouraging, inspiring, sweet, and loyal
10. for another Thanksgiving to reflect on memories and cherish the new ones
11. and soooooooooooooo much more!!!!

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Will you be traveling? Or, is family and friends traveling to your house? Will you be preparing a turkey? Even if you aren’t going to eat it? Are you stressing over food, or like me, are you just feeling blessed to have special people to spend the day with?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Stay safe, laugh often, and enjoy the moment!!!!

*I meant to write living, not loving – although they are!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM!

A Day of Eats + Treats

This post is a record of my raw, Vegan eats and treats from the other day. I started the morning off in a fun, protein-filled way by making myself some of Averie’s Raw Vegan (Vanilla) Chia Seed Pudding. It’s filling, delicious, and held me over nicely until lunch. Lotsa protein, flavor, texture, plus that fantabulous superfood: chia — YAY and YUM!

Oh, and Averie even told her readers all about me making her recipe. She shared lots of readers’ photos and links to their blogs in her tribute post to readers who’ve made her RAWsome concoctions!

Lunch was…

leftover Tuna Fish-Less Salad

on top of raw veggie salad, with a few cranks of pink sea salt

and black peppercorns

And the Treats?

How about two simple ingredients and flavor that’ll rawk your world??!!

Enter:

A Date with Almond Butter

I had two more of these later that evening. SO good!!

Wow. Such a simple dessert – and it’s raw AND delicious! Woo hoo!!

For dinner

I had more raw veggie salad topped with the last of my Raw Tuna Fish-Less Salad.

This is what a day is like for me when I’m truly sticking to 100% raw/Vegan foods. Of course, there are times I’ll use something that isn’t 100% raw but I try to stay as raw as possible. I just feel better physically and mentally that way.

So what’s a day of your eats and treats like? Have you ever enjoyed a date filled with almond butter? If not, are you going to try it?

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And congrats to Cyn for winning my latest contest!!

This morning when I woke up, I enjoyed a delicious bowl of overnight oats. It was SO filling that noon came and went and I still wasn’t hungry for lunch!

I eventually wanted a little something and remembered I had some frozen bananas. My mindwheel started turning….

The result?

Coconut Peanut Butter Cream

Know the banana soft serve that’s swept across the blogosphere like a cyber hurricane?

Oh, yeah!

I tossed the bananas in the blender and I noticed there was some cream of coconut a family member hadn’t used up. So I threw 3 tablespoons in the blender. I’d say there was about 4 bananas in that bag.

What came out of the blender was this:

Beautiful, isn’t it?! And if that wasn’t delicious enough, I thought of the Coconut Peanut Butter that Tropical Traditions sent me!

  Drizzle, Drizzle

Then… a MIRACLE

When Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter is drizzled over something cold (like banana soft serve), it hardens up!! Like the chocolate on a dip cone!!! Eeeeeekkk!!! What??!!! I was ecstatic!!!!

Dessert for Lunch

I must admit, this hemp-loving, salad-chompin’ Raw Juice Girl enjoyed every last creamy, smooth, decadent, sweet bite of her dessert for lunch. I know I’ll be having Coconut Peanut Butter Cream again soon!! YUM!!

Oh, and I only had a small portion. I shared the rest with family. Boy, were they SURPRISED at how good my banana ice cream tasted!!

For anyone wondering: The peanuts in the Coconut Peanut Butter are roasted so that isn’t raw. And the cream of coconut from that can had preservatives, so it isn’t raw either. Of course, the bananas are raw. Yippee for that!

Even though this dessert isn’t 100% raw, it SURE was yummy to the tummy!

Worried about the nutritional value of this dessert for lunch? Well, Coconut Peanut Butter Cream provides protein, fiber, potassium, and more!

What about you? Have you jumped on the raw banana soft serve bandwagon yet? What’s your favorite raw dessert? Are you going to try my Coconut Peanut Butter Cream? Tell me all about it!

Just stopping by? Have you entered my latest contest (over a $200 value)? It ends tonight! Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad. 

Two of my latest product arrivals for review are Coconut Peanut Butter and Raw Honey from Tropical Traditions. (Of course, I’ll be doing a thorough review of each product in upcoming posts, but I had to share this recipe with y’all!)

Oh, and for raw foodie purists, the ONLY thing I can find that doesn’t make this breakfast recipe 100% raw is the fact that the peanuts in the coconut peanut butter have been roasted. Well, and I used boxed almond milk (you could make your own, raw almond milk though).

Before I share the recipe, I have to tell you that these two products are soooooooooooooo yummy!!!

A sneak peek to my upcoming review:

“The coconut peanut butter is amazing! It literally tastes like 50% coconut and 50% peanut butter in each bite. Although the consistency is runny, it really fills my mouth with explosions of flavor and healthy goodness. I’m a thick consistency/crunchy kinda gal but I’m LOVING this stuff. Really. I could eat it every day! And the raw honey is solid and needs to be scraped out or sat near a low heat to be softened but it is really sweet and fantabulous!”

Coconut Peanut Butter Honey Overnight Oats

1/3 cup oats (heaping)

2/3 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon Tropical Traditions raw honey

1 (small, very ripe) banana

Coconut Peanut Butter is runny, but DELISH!

Dump your oats in the bowl.

Pour almond milk in.

Add coconut peanut butter.

Add raw honey.

Mash in 1 small (really ripe) banana.

Stir, and refrigerate.

Note: Averie saves half her banana for adding as a topping the next morning. I just mashed the whole banana in.

Looks like this going in…

This Morning

After Stirring

I’ll admit, I’ve seen various concoctions of overnight oats all across the blogosphere and although they all look delicious, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of eating cold oatmeal for breakfast. Just sounds a little gross, doesn’t it?

I am not new to the idea of soaking oats overnight – I’ve done it for years (with steel-cut) but I’d always cook ‘em on the stove top the next morning.

And… I’m now a new overnight oats convert. I’ll be eating this often. It’s DELISH! Oh my gosh. If you’ve been hesitant to try it, you have to make this – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Plus, this is the PERFECT (healthy) breakfast for anyone who has to be up early and works outside the home. You can make your oatmeal the night before, grab it out of the fridge in the morning and gobble it up. Who says you can’t have a healthy breakfast if you work long, crazy hours??!! Overnight oats is a fantabulous solution for you!!

And have you entered my latest contest yet? Prizes are valued at over $200!! And the contest closes at 9 p.m. (Central Time) TONIGHT. A winner will be chosen via random.org. There are TWELVE ways to enter. Hurry and get your entries in!

Coming Soon

Interview with the owner of ShimmerOrganics, my review of her raw beauty mask (plus a surprise for y’all!!) and lots more reviews and contests.

Oh, and guess what??!! I made a new batch of raw flax seed crackers – and they turned out this time! The recipe made 100. Eeek! I’ve been gobbling ‘em up and love every single taste! I’ll be sharing photos and everything in an upcoming post. Yay for raw flax seed crackers!!!

Your Turn

Do you make raw recipes often, or do you read raw blogs for inspiration and learning? Have you ever made overnight oats? What’s your favorite overnight oats combo? What did you think of eating  ‘em cold? Let’s talk about it!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!