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Carrot Cake Sorbanana

January 27th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (3 Comments)

This week, the girls and I found ourselves in front of a Vitamix blender demonstration at Wegmans.

As I slurped down the scary delicious “Carrot Cake Sorbet” sample that Vitamix Demo Man handed me, I immediately began wishing I had an extra $500 bucks laying around to buy this miracle machine that did something amazing with a couple of carrots and some ice.

(I’m still wishing for that $500, by the way. Just in case anyone out there is feeling generous.)

Before we walked away from the demonstration, I asked Vitamix Man what went into this fabulous carrot sorbet that he’d whipped up. He looked at me as if I’d just asked him for his ATM pin number, but then reluctantly gave up the goods and rattled off “carrots, ice, agave, almonds, cinnamon and vanilla”.

And this is when wheels in my head began turning. Suddenly, I had three questions that needed answering, pronto:

1. What would happen if I tried to make this miracle carrot concoction in my wimpy little blender at home?

2. Maybe the food processor would be better?

3. What might it take to get Vitamix Man to drive by my house and “accidentally” drop a Vitamix blender off the back of the Vitamix truck?

I immediately decided the answer to #1 was going to be “make a big, wet, chunky carrot mess, that’s what”.

And given that Vita-dude was so stingy with his pin number, I had a good feeling that #3 was not going to come easy.

This was when I decided to get down to business with #2.

(Question #2, that is.)

And now I’m here to tell you, I think I came up with something that in some way resembles the fabulous Vitamix Carrot Cake Sorbet I had on Tuesday, with no new Vitamix blender in my kitchen to speak of.

Except I made mine with frozen bananas instead of frozen water. And since on the main ingredients in “sorbet” is water, I don’t think we can call this sorbet.

Therefore, I think we should call it Sorbanana.

(that sort of sounds like a personal problem, buddy)

OK then, it’s decided. Carrot Cake Sorbanana. I like it.

So! Here we go. Start with some shredded carrot. I opted for my shredder attachment on the food processor.

Shredder Attachment

It was my hope that shredding the carrot would give the carrots a head start at making a “carrot puree” happen sooner rather than later.

Shredded Carrot

Next, lug out your bowl of frozen, sliced bananas a la banana whip.

Shredded Carrots and Frozen Banana

Before I loaded in the frozen banana (probably the equivalent of 2 bananas), I replaced the shredder attachment with the blade and let it have a go at the shredded carrot to chop it up a bit more.

NOW the bananas can go in,

Frozen Banana with Carrots

and let’er rip.

Once your bananas and carrots are looking smooth, throw in a handful of sliced almond, a dash of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla extract. You can skip the agave nectar or any sweeteners because the bananas are sweet enough.

Carrot Banana Puree

Let your non-Vitamix machine whir and whir and whir for a while longer. Scrape down the sides as needed, and then whir some more.

Eventually, you will be presented with a fabulous orange-ish, banana-ish concoction that sort of resembles a cold carrot cake treat,

Carrot Cake Sorbet

and most definitely resembles a super tasty, healthy snack.

Works for me! Take that stingy Vitamix Man! Who needs your pin number anyway. Hmph.

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When You’re Not Eating Bagels for Breakfast

January 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (2 Comments)

It was another egg and everything bagel kind of weekend here.

(That means it was a good weekend.)

But now it’s Monday, and we’re moving on to better and bluer breakfasts.

These little wild blueberries from Woodstock Farms are my current favorite small blue thing.

Woodstock Farms Wild Blueberries

I pop about a half cup of them into a dish and let them thaw in the fridge over night.

Frozen Wild Blueberries

Or, if you forgot about them last night like I did, an hour on the counter at room temperature works too.

For some reason, I am really digging these mini bluebs way more than big ones right now. All I can tell you is that they are simply the perfect, perfect size for decorating a bowl of oats and chia seeds soaked overnight in a half cup vanilla yogurt and a half cup or so of almond milk.

Oats Soaked with Chia Seeds

Hey! Chia seeds are my favorite small black thing!

They are even better after an early morning date with my new friend Summer Sanders and her prenatal workout!

Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout

A note to my pregnant friends out there, (present and future!) I really like this DVD. For a workout in my basement when I not feeling like hauling myself to the gym or out in the cold? It’s a decent workout!

(The Prenatal Vinyasa Flow at yogadownload is my other favorite at home workout right now.)

But back to that blue breakfast. A breakfast for everyone, whether you’re gestating or not.

Oats topped with blueberries, half a banana and ground flax seeds with a small drizzle of almond butter and a half cup of coffee today.

All Together Now

Not a calorie light breakfast by any means for those with weight loss on the brain right now, but it’s a breakfast that will hold you over! And if super foods are what you want? Super foods are what we’ve got.

Bagels are super too of course. Just a different kind of super.

(And flax seeds are my favorite small brown thing. I’ll stop now.)

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The Power of Suggestion

January 18th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (5 Comments)

I get these “Your Pregnancy This Week” emails that list a myriad of facts and tidbits about the wee babe growing inside my uterus, along with any other timely pregnancy notes. You know, like “you’re probably busting out of your bra by now” or “your baby is the size of a tarantula”. Stuff like that.

The Week 18 email mentioned that I’m probably feeling an increase in appetite now.

Well, I hadn’t noticed, but now that you’ve planted the hunger seed, I think I AM feeling hungrier than usual. Thanks for the idea!

In fact, now I’m positively starving.

I made a big pot of my most favorite black bean and salsa soup with quinoa on Monday night. We had it kicked before the end of the day on Tuesday. Considering I was largely to blame for how quickly it disappeared, I started to think that this week’s pregnancy email was probably on to something.

So in an effort to make a huge pot of something/anything to quell the ravenous hunger my email told me I was feeling, I hauled out a bunch of the same ingredients I used on Monday.

Chili Ingredients

Coconut oil. Garlic. Onions. Quinoa. Black beans. Let’s make a bunch of chili this time, k? Lots and lots of chili.

Begin with the standard “saute garlic and onions until soft in a couple tablespoons of oil” (olive and coconut are my usuals), two cans of tomatoes, a large can of rinsed and drained black beans and 2 cups or so of water brought to a boil. For chili seasonings I used cumin (1 tsp) and chili powder (a dash) with a little salt.

Once it’s boiling, it’s time for quinoa.

Time for Quinoa

My only complaint about quinoa is that I lose about 5% of my 1 cup of down the drain when I rinse it.

The Problem with Quinoa

Maybe I should be complaining about my strainer instead of the quinoa.

In case you were wondering, here’s the scene behind me and my wet quinoa. For posterity.

Those Milling About Behind Me

One person in this picture preceded every sentence today with “Mom, I want to ask you something.” The sentence that then followed that statement was not necessarily a request or even a question.

For instance, “Mom, I want to ask you something. I need something to eat.”

Or “Mom, I want to ask you something. I think you should name the baby Tarantula.”

Stuff like that.

Moving on, once your quinoa has been rinsed, add it to the pot and cover and allow to gently boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Quinoa Goes In Half Bag Frozen Corn

When your quinoa is soft and translucent, your chili is ready.

Unless of course you choose to throw in a half bag of frozen corn at the last minute like I did. Once the soup begins to boil again, your frozen veggies are done. NOW it’s ready. And it’s also time to eat.

Finally! I can’t believe I made me wait so long!

Black Bean Quinoa Chili

Topped with some shredded pepper jack cheese after I took that photo. Devoured before I took this next one.

Six cups of chili left, that ought to last us, right?

Six Cups of Chili

Through tomorrow, at least.

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Letters to Breakfast

January 15th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (9 Comments)

Dear Everything Bagel,

Everything Bag

I know you aren’t the best thing in the world to eat, but you’ve really got a hold on me right now, so I’m rolling with it. Like a bagel would roll down a hill, you might say.

I justified you today with an early morning two mile walk to the bagel shop and then a two mile walk home. Kids at Granny’s for the weekend, husband at home in bed – just you, me, fetus and Jillian Michaels on a sunny Sunday morning? There are worse things.

Sure it was 13 degrees out, we can do it! You stay plenty warm and comfy with lots layers, especially once you get moving.

Like some long underwear, a turtle neck, down coat, wool socks, hat, gloves and scarf.

Cold Bagel Walk

I don’t know how you managed to wear just that skimpy paper bag, E.B. I’m still impressed.

(P.S., if I might get serious for a moment (boo!) I’m suddenly reminded of a visual lecture I recently watched on the single best thing you can do for your health.)

As much as I love you Everything Bagel, when you are dressed in cream cheese leggings and an over medium egg skirt, you are even more irresistible.

Over Medium Eggs on Bagel with Cream Cheese

Irresistible I say! You and this open faced egg sandwich of sorts is simply my most favorite, FAVORITE thing to eat right now. I think I’m going have you over for breakfast on days of the week that start with the letter “S”, although I could easily devour you on days of the week that end in the letter “Y”.

That’s all. Thanks again for the fabulous post-walk breakfast today, Everything Bagel. See you next Saturday. Maybe Sunday again too.

Yours,

Everything Alison

–

Dear Vegetables,

See you at lunch.

All My Love,

A

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Vegetable News From Around the Interwebs

January 12th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (6 Comments)

The most exciting thing to report on around here would be the fact that I’ve been eating breakfast cookies all week. After Linda left a comment on an old post, I was reminded how much I use to love this odd yet fabulous oatmeal concoction.

Breakfast Cookie

It’s been a long time! Good thinking, Linda.

I went to my favorite active yoga class for the first time in nearly five months on Monday night, and I don’t think the instructor recognized me.  I wanted to go up to her and say “hi, remember me?” but then I thought she might take one look at my swollen stomach and remind me of the importance of not doing yoga right after you’ve apparently been stuffing yourself for hours on end at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.

I had salad for dinner!  Honest!

In short, there are definitely more interesting things going on around the world (wide web) than there are around here.

For instance, I can’t believe I’ve been juicing romaine like some kind of goodie two shoes.

Marijuana juice, anyone?

Duuude <cough cough>, you’ve GOT to drink this.

I can already hear the pot grower who’s being hauled away by FBI agents after they busted the huge crop of pot plants in their basement:

“I was going to juice it!  Honest!”

Sure, buddy. Cuff’em.

Next!

Seven Foods You Should Never Eat

Nothing new under the sun for any health conscious foodie who’s been around the block, but I enjoyed skimming the list anyway. Never hurts to be reminded of all the reasons to mostly avoid the foods they mention.  A good read for anyone who’s starting to pay more attention to what put they in their mouth.

And if you didn’t click any of those links, at least click this one and just look at the picture!

Wedding ring found on carrot after 16 years.

If it was the husband who’d found his ring, this never would have made the news. The wife totally would have busted him on secretly buying a second ring 16 years ago and trying to pretend he’d never lost it in the first place. He’d be in the dog house for months and she’d be buying herself a diamond anniversary band and making him take her out to dinner after she’d half-forgiven him.

What a way to ruin a perfectly incredible story about a carrot growing through a long lost ring, eh? You’re welcome. And to think I was thrilled when I found a lost part to my juicer in our compost pile.

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Souper Simple Tomato Soup Sunday

January 8th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (6 Comments)

It’s possible that we’ve been eating out a bit more than usual these days.

It’s also possible that anybody else’s cooking is a lot more appealing to me right now than my own.

This is how the girls and I ended up in a bagel shop for lunch one day last week. (and the week before that. and the week before that.) I had a bagel sandwich stuffed to the brim with every vegetable they had, plus a small bowl of their tomato soup that was pretty good.

My only observation/complaint was that the soup was a little greasy. That and the fact that the girls picked the table closest to the bathroom.

At least I was finally motivated to cook something! I couldn’t wait to recreate a similar (less greasy) version of this tomato soup at home. I was also motivated to stop saying “where do you want to sit?” when we go out to eat. I’ll pick our seat from now on, ladies. You guys stick to picking your noses.

So this is how I ended up making a simple tomato soup on a Sunday afternoon.

Simple ingredients!

Tomato Soup Ingredients

1 large onion, diced. Two cloves of garlic, sliced. Vegetables sauteed in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft.

Two 28 oz cans of fire roasted Muir Glen tomatoes, opened and dumped straight in. Classy.

Sautee Garlic and Onions Open Canned Tomatoes

I made myself resist the urge to throw in a lot of other ingredients here. Let’s keep this simple!  Simple Tomato Soup.

But… but… what about just a little corn? Or some beans? Wouldn’t kale be great?!

No!  Not this time!  Just onions, garlic, tomatoes. Simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a dash Tabasco for just a little kick.

Simply Seasoned Tomato Soup

(Plus a teaspoon of white sugar to help with acidity of the tomatoes.)

And what goes better with tomato soup than a grilled cheese sandwich?

Nothing. Unless you’ve got a bagel sandwich for me with lettuce, tomato, onions, roasted red peppers, cucumbers and a seat far, far away from the Ladies Room? Then we’ll talk.

Today’s grilled cheese sandwich was actually a grilled cheese garlic hummus and pickle sandwich.

Grilled Cheese Hummus and Pickle Sandwich

Garlic in the sandwich and garlic in the soup too? My breath just might smell like the Men’s Room after this.

Put your sandwich together and let it get all melty while your soup simmers a bit longer,

Put Sandwich Together

mmmm hmmmm, just like that.

Once your soup is ready, you have the option to blend it perfectly smooth like the tomato soup folks at Campbell’s,

Blend Tomato Soup

or you can leave it slightly chunky like people at the bagel place did.

I went the chunky route and blended 3/4 of the soup smooth, leaving the last quarter of it in the pot to be stirred in with the tomato puree.

This made eight, 1 cup servings. That’s a lot! It will last us well into the week though and should save us a trip to the bagel shop until the end of the week at the very least.

My calculations tell me this soup only has only 85 calories per serving! Not too shabby. And not too greasy either.

Tomato and grilled cheese on a Sunday afternoon.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese (plus pickle and hummus)

Should I mention that I had the seat closest to the bathroom directly off my kitchen today?

Sunday Lunch

Nah. Let’s just be glad we’ve got lots of soup to eat and no one is picking their nose.

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The Magical Fruit

January 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (12 Comments)

Let’s say you laid down on the couch this afternoon, kids busy and frolicking to and fro, and you decide to close your eyes for “just a minute”.

Then let’s say you woke up some unknown amount of time later, living room dark, kids off entertaining themselves some place else, and suddenly you realize you’ve got about a half hour before your hungry husband would be home from work and ready for dinner.

In other words, let’s say you needed to throw something together for dinner fast.

And let’s also say that it’s a good thing you didn’t add “meal planning” to list of things to improve upon in 2012.  That resolution would be an utter fail.

Instead, let’s just be thankful for Beans, Beans The Magical Fruit.

Refried Beans

The more you eat, the more you… well, you know.

A diced onion sauteed in olive oil until soft, a can of spicy refried beans added to the mix to heat through.  Bean concoction cooked tonight in my new cast iron skillet from Santa!  My latest library book Your Vegetarian Pregnancy reminded me that cooking with cast iron is a great way to increase the amount of iron in your diet.

Your Vegetarian Pregnancy

(P.S., cooking with cast iron is a great way to get more iron into your kids too, especially breastfed babies who have started solid foods!)

Bean burritos are kinda sorta my latest obsession, so it’s really no wonder why I was able to throw this together so quickly tonight.  I’ve had weeks and weeks of practice.

Bean Burrito Spread

And if that picture were in the newspaper, the caption beneath it might read:

“Hungry, pregnant wife waits impatiently for her husband to return from changing his clothes and wonders what on earth is taking so long.”

Refried beans, corn, salsa, diced avocado and greek yogurt all swaddled up into a soft whole wheat tortilla.

Swaddled

Those beans look so warm and cozy wrapped up like that. Doesn’t this picture make you sleepy?  No?  Is that just me?

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And so twenty twelve begins.

January 1st, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (9 Comments)

16 weeks

16 weeks pregnant (tomorrow). I think I’m starting to feel the baby move, but these early flutters are so easy to confuse with the digestive process sometimes I wonder if it’s just dinner that I’m feeling move around.

January One started with a four mile walk. A walk sprinkled with the tiniest bit of running. I had intended to run the entire way today, but running for very long is proving to be too uncomfortable these days. “Mostly walking” it is then.

The kids spent the whole day in their pajamas.  Maxine took her legs out of her brand new footie pajamas long enough to get her toenails painted pink and air dried, and then back into the footed footies her feet went. I put all the Christmas decorations away while he kept the kids busy, and then together over the course of the day got the house back into to it’s pre-Christmas state.

(i.e., still a little messy)

I had over easy eggs on toast for breakfast. A hummus wrap stuffed with red lead lettuce for lunch. A big salad with a piece of baked halibut for dinner. I’m jonesing hard for something sweet thanks to a Christmas cookie habit I seemed to have picked up over the course of the last three weeks. The only thing that’s keeping me from making those Cookies in a Jar from my Mother in Law is the fact that we are out of butter.

(Note to self: do not buy butter until sugar withdrawal period is complete.)

I recently heard someone say that going for a walk “isn’t fun”. I thought about that today and decided it’s sort of true. Then I thought of something I’ve heard myself say to the girls more than once; not everything in life is going to be fun.

There are definitely ways to make being active MORE fun if you find it boring and would like it to be more stimulating. An audio player seems like the most obvious fun factor suggestion anybody might make. Either that or walking or running with someone who’s company you enjoy.

Music and podcasts can be great of course, but audio books are a nice change of pace too. They’re free if you get books on CD from your library (assuming you return them on time, no promises here) and load them onto your iPod. One year I ran almost every run while being read to. That summer started with The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Some of my other favorites that year were The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

What if we just stop expecting exercise to be fun? I think it’s the Buddhists that say expectations are at the root of all our suffering. I’m no Buddhist, but it seems to me that little piece of wisdom is spot on.

So until you’re a champ at letting go of expectations, I suggest going for a run or a walk while listening to Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen. That dude is one funny writer.

Welcome 2012! Hope yours was happy.

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How to Stop a Cold in its Tracks

December 29th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (8 Comments)

I’ve got a cold.  Tis the season you know.

The thing is, I rarely get sick.  I’m not telling you this to be annoyingly braggy, but instead to introduce my tried and true tricks that work to avoid catching a cold when I feel one coming on.  Usually, anyway.

Of course this time when I decided to finally write about it, I actually got the cold I was trying to dodge.  Figures.

Cold or no cold, this feels like an appropriate time to share with you the three things I do when I feel a cold is near. You can find my legal disclaimer at the bottom of this post – just in case I might give you the impression that I am some sort of medical professional or something.

(I most definitely am not.)

The first thing we need to cover is that cold viruses typically live in your nose and throat. It’s called the Rhinovirus after all.  This is important to know because it’s where are you are going to start cleaning house and kicking those cold germs to the curb.

So when I get that telling sore, scratchy throat, I have a three pronged attack to stopping a cold in its tracks:

The Neti Pot.

A neti pot is used for nasal irrigation and is an ancient ayurvedic technique. Using the neti pot when you feel a cold coming on helps you begin to flush out the virus that’s busy reproducing in your nose and throat.

A peek into my medicine cabinet.

Neti Pot and Non Iodized Salt

I fill my ceramic neti pot with a pinch of non-iodized salt and lukewarm water. Standing over the sink, bend forward and put the tip of the neti pot into one nostril and then tip your head to the side and slowly pour the solution into your sinuses. If you give it a second, it will start to pour out of the other nostril. It’s an awesome party trick. Who knew those suckers were connected up there?!

Here’s a mildly entertaining neti pot video to show you how it works if you’ve never used one before. (It starts to get good at 1:02)

It is a little uncomfortable at first, but I’m here to tell the tale that it does get easier and less freaky after you’ve done a few times.

And if you watched that video all the way through, I would like to say that I have never, ever irrigated my sinuses with coffee or WHISKY for crying out loud. Only non-iodized salt water, thankyouverymuch.

If you start to feel water drip down into your throat, you need to tip your forehead down toward sink and tuck your chin toward your chest. More info and neti pot tips from Dr. Andrew Weil if you’re new to the neti pot and are now intrigued!

The neti pot can be used for all sorts of reasons too, much more than just avoiding a cold. Relief from post nasal drip, before yoga practice to help open your nasal passages, allergy relief and more.

Cold Avoiding Trick # TWO? Hot Tea

(or any hot beverage really, preferably one without sugar.)

This too is about lowering your viral load. Warm beverages are not only soothing, but can also help flush the cold virus out of your throat and into your stomach to be killed by your stomach acid.

If I think a cold is a near, I drink 2 to 4 cups of hot tea a day. Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea is my current tea of choice.

Hot Tea

I’ll leave your choice of tea up to you.

And Three, Gargling with Listerine

Or should I say “Gargling with Wegmans brand Oral Antiseptic Rinse”? Doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Listerine

(Compare to the active ingredients in Listerine®!)

And no, that is not my hot pink Barbie toothbrush.

As I peruse the web for some relevant links pertaining to tip #3, I see that some people suggest using salt water or a concoction of anti-microbal herbs. But given the only hard and fast evidence I have to work with here is what works for me, I have to say that I gargle with Listerine a couple times a day when I feel a cold coming on.

Again, this is about ridding yourself of the virus in the back of your throat.  I envision the germs in the back of my throat being hauled from their beach chairs and into the sea of Listerine before being spat into the sink drain.

Under “A Cold is Coming!!” circumstances, I typically gargle a couple times a day for a few days in a row.

If I/You DO Get the Cold?

A couple of other things worth noting:

I Almost Always Skip Over the Counter Meds

I’m telling you *I* because I want to be sure no one confuses this for medical advice. This is about my own experience and what works for me, take this and do what you will with it.  Please always do your own research and/or consult your own medical professional when in doubt.

Thanks to now YEARS of pregnancy and nursing and needing to avoid most over the counter meds during that time, I came to see that colds had a shorter life span if I just suffered through a couple of semi-miserable days without any medication and simply stuck to homeopathic remedies for relief. If I give my immune system time do it’s thing, the whole mess seems to be over and done with a lot sooner.

(For the record, I first noticed my sore throat a couple days ago, had a not-so-great two days and now at Day 3, I have a stuffy nose but feel otherwise normal.)

Do your best to AVOID SUGAR!

Some say that cold viruses are fed by sugar (so are cancer cells, by the way) so when you are working to fight off a cold, skip overdosing on the sweet stuff.  Consider going completely without for a few days if you can swing it. I have a feeling that a bunch of Christmas cookies probably didn’t do me and my cold avoiding tricks any favors this time around.

(Oh well, they were worth it.)

So the next time you feel that tell tale tickle in your throat, remember!  Neti, Tea, Listerine!  Neti, Tea, Listerine!  Neti, Tea, Listerine! I find these three items are still helpful even if the cold does latch on and take hold too.

–

And now for my disclaimer:

Please don’t forget that I am not a doctor!  Have I said that already?  The only degree I have is in Computer Science. I have no malpractice insurance. I do not see patients. I do not prescribe medication. Do not take your clothes off when I ask you to. (Unless you really want to.) Do not try to file a lawsuit against Mama’s Weeds if you do what I say and a brain eating amoeba gets to your brain via your neti pot because you used tap water.

(P.S. I use to always use water straight out of the tap.  NEVER AGAIN!  I’ve been using pre-boiled or distilled water ever since I read that post!)

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The Life Changers of 2011

December 26th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Motivation - (8 Comments)

With New Years right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about some of the things that made a huge impact in my life during 2011. I’ve decided to wrap them all up into neat little list for your consideration if you might be looking for some direction, motivation or new ideas as we approach 2012.

The Secret

The Secret

I’m a little embarrassed to admit I liked The Secret as much I did, but it’s true.  There’s the book, but there’s also the movie. (P.S., You can watch The Secret through Watch Instantly on Netflix).

Simply put, “the secret” is the way you that think and feel, and how your thoughts effect you and what happens to you in your life.

I can even sum up The Secret for you right now!

Think good stuff and good stuff will happen to you.

That’s it.  You’re welcome.

The Secret has been around since 2006, but it was “new to me” in 2011.  This is one instance where I’d recommend the movie over the book.  We watched the movie first and then tried to read the book.  Take my word on it; skip the book and go directly to the movie.  Go ahead and Pass Go and collect $200.  (Please split the money with me.)

Allow me to give fair warning that I’m sure this movie is not for everyone. Parts of it are plenty cheesy and new-agey and seem farfetched.  BUT!  If you can wade past the layers of cheese and hokeiness, the message about the Law of Attraction is very powerful.  Zak and I both found the movie very motivating and we still talk about it regularly around here.

If you’ve got hopes and dreams – no matter how big or little – I highly recommend The Secret.

A Couple of Books.

Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life by Jillian Michaels The Omnivore's Dilemma

Here are the 10 Reasons I loved Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life by Jillian Michaels.   The only reason I picked this book up was because I’m a huge Jillian Michaels fan, but I was blown away by what was inside.  I won’t go on and on about this book again here, but I will say that I still think about what she wrote in this book on a regular basis.  It has shaped the way I think and act and what I believe I can achieve with enough time and effort.

Another “new to me” book (published in 2007), The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  This book was eye opening in regards to our many food chains and all the things most people don’t know about where our food comes from.  Michael Pollan is smart and witty (*swoon*), not to mention a fantastic writer.  This was one of my favorite reads of the year.

Intermittent Fasting!

I discovered Intermittent Fasting early this year when I was trying to find a way around calorie counting to lose 10 lbs that crept on during a rough beginning to 2010.

You can read more about Intermittent Fasting and my experience with it here.  Intermittent Fasting changed the way I faced hunger, helped me better understand the non-hunger related reasons that I eat, made it possible to completely defeat the night time snacking once and for all and was the easiest way to lose weight of any approach I’ve ever tried.  (I still had to count calories, but IF saved me from obsessing about food or my next meal once I got the hang of it.)

New (to me) Blogs I Added to Google Reader in 2011 *

Perhaps not “life changing”, but still worth noting nonetheless.  * – (and I have yet to unsubscribe because they continue to entertain, educate or enlighten me)

PostSecret (no archives on the site, but you can see old posts in your RSS feed.  Be warned, those postcards are addictive!)

Food Renegade

Penelope Trunk (thanks, Sarah!)

Seth Godin

Chris Brogan

And One Goal I’ve Already Got for 2012

Big plans to keep the stinking squirrels out of my strawberry bed next year.  Do you hear me Squirrels?  BIG PLANS.

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So there you have it.  A bunch of the things I encountered this year and continue to think about as 2011 draws to a close.  Do you have anything good to share with us that made a big difference in your life over these past 12 months?  Don’t keep it a secret.

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