delara, interrupted

I have had a LOT of fun this past week trying out new things to eat. I've eaten really well, successfully staying away from all the things my body doesn't like, for eight days in a row. That's a big deal for me. Usually, somewhere in that long a stretch of time I'll cave and have a piece of chocolate. But not this past week! Nope! Not a one! (Until last night. Ha.) I experimented a bit with a couple of recipes that were giving me a headache--they just made NO sense!--and found ways to make it all work. I also made a few substitutions to eliminate any cane sugar products and anything overly spicy-hot. (Not a fan of super-peppery food.) It was fun. And YUMMY!

Here's what the week looked like...

Breakfast Options:
Applesauce Muffins - eaten for breakfast w. vegan "butter" and orange blossom honey, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice
Granola - comprised of whole oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, honey, flax seeds and almond, eaten with hempmilk and fresh raspberries
Spinach Omelet - made with fresh chives and accompanied by a few slices of goat cheese and freshly baked popovers

Lunch/Dinner Options:
Colcannon - a traditional Irish dish with potatoes (what else?!), ham, and cabbage that I now LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Coconut-curry tofu stew - chock full of shiitake mushrooms, griddle-seared tofu, peppers, spinach, cabbage and chives (I altered the recipe a bit, and I LOVE the way it turned out!)
Tilapia - broiled in lemon-dill sauce and served with capers and a side of broiled veggies (either asparagus, spinach and mushrooms, or kale and collard greens)
Filet mignon - simply seasoned with sea salt and broiled with a side of portabella mushrooms
Cucumber and tomato salad - smothered with lime juice and olive oil (sometimes called "salad shiraz")

Dessert Options (oh yes, I treat myself WELL! and none of them have sugar!):
Sliced bananas with unsweetened cocoa chips (yes! they actually make these, thank goodness!!) drizzled with honey and sprinkled with a pinch of orange zest
Coconut snap cookies - I FINALLY figured out the trick to the recipe, which was totally whacked. Or else I was, 'cause I just could not make it work until I added flour. Duh.
Pink Lady apple slices, slightly soaked in fresh lime juice
Apple Pecan Cobbler - baked with maple sugar instead of cane sugar

So, yeah. There you have it. I seem to spend a LOT of time figuring out what to eat, but it is really worthwhile. I have felt energetic all week, have not had any digestive issues, and have even shed a few pounds.

Soon to come: experimenting with lavender in baking and cooking, and accumulating a whole lot of fall and winter recipes. I love the idea of eating seasonally, at least for the most part. To me, foods like coconut are all-year foods, but I think that's because in my imagination I live in a tropical climate. Stay tuned...

Posted by Delara at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

This is my most favorite thing EVER! At least for today. It's a VERY short film (about 3 min.) appropriately entitled "Pretty Big Dig" and you must watch it NOW!

I think I could be entertained for DAYS just watching Current TV and The Sundance Channel. Thank you, Al Gore and Robert Redford.

Posted by Delara at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

These days, finding the "right" things to eat is becoming a full-time job for me. I have covered this before, so I am not going into it all just now, but I spend LOTS of minutes each day deciding, "Can I eat this? Will it make me feel awful? Will it be ok?" I have modified recipes to account for my allergies and "can't eats" and am STILL having issues.

Sigh...

I mentioned this to a dear friend this evening, and she told me about Tylor Savage, a 12-year old in the UK who can only eat six different foods because of a rare condition he has that requires him to avoid allergenic foods. ONLY SIX FOODS!!!! Those foods are tuna, chicken, potatoes, carrots, grapes, and apples.

Sheesh.

Needless to say, I feel grateful I am not limited to only six foods. I think I am going to start praying for him--not because I feel pity for him, but because I really understand how he must feel about food. I feel like praying for him will help me focus more on the abundance in my life and less on what I can't or don't have.

Posted by Delara at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Partnership

I read a lot, think a lot, write a lot about creating true partnership in my relationships, particularly my marriage. Lots of questions come up for me on this one: How does equality play into partnership? How can we be a partner to someone else without sacrificing any of our needs or ideals or ethics? How can we express our needs with detachment and love? It's all good stuff.

Playfulness

I love seeing playfulness in adults probably more than I love seeing it in children! There is a spirit that comes with the ability to play that helps us navigate life's ups and downs with more grace and fewer wrinkles.

Plays

Theatre has always been a big part of my life from early in my childhood. Just as I love being playful, I love the fantasy and creativity that goes into plays--the unusual worlds theatre explores, the quirks in our personalities, the relationships we have, the things about life that are funny and sad--all of it. Having gone from season tickets to the Shakespeare Repertory in Chicago to not attending plays in my new surroundings, I miss it a lot. Must reconnect!!

Passion

It fascinates me to know what drives the passion in people. It is difficult for me to imagine being half-hearted about something. Either it is, or it isn't. There is no in-between as far as I am concerned. But that's the passion in me speaking!

Photography

The way we see the world is truly a unique gift for each of us. I enjoy photographing my world and the people and experiences in it. I am eager to expand my skills in this area, and I am excited about what lies ahead in this regard.

Prayer

A declaration of our heart's desire, a plea for assistance, praise and thanksgiving for the gifts we have received, or simply a statement of divine love, prayer is a ladder for our souls. Prayer begins my day and ends my day, like bookends that keep order with everything in between. Prayer helps me in so many ways of which I am aware and in many ways that remain a mystery for me.

Perseverance

I really admire people who have unstoppable drive--the will to keep at it no matter what. Simply amazing. I would like to learn how to have more perseverance in my endeavors. I guess that's a prayer.

Posted by Delara at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)