Archive for September, 2010
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Thursday, September 16th, 2010
I had a good night’s sleep last night! I know, I know! It’s pretty exciting. What a difference a bigger chunk of sleep makes.
If you struggle with sleep, whether it is because you are parenting or stressed or unable to sleep well, then you understand what a breakthrough it is to finally get real rest. If you regularly fall asleep just fine and sleep soundly through the night, then I am envious. Because that used to be me.
And then over time my sleeping cycle got really screwy. And I’ve been trying to get back on track over the last few months.
Part of my strategy is trying not to stress about my inability to fall asleep when I am in that sleepless moment. Lying in bed and getting anxious about the fact that you’re not falling asleep and it’s getting later and later makes everything seem worse and more desperate.
So I have been trying to get to bed earlier and consciously relaxing my body and mind to encourage that wonderful drift-off-to-sleep feeling. I’ve been using lavender essential oil to encourage relaxation. I stretch and flex my arms and legs and align my body posture when I lie down. I make my little blanket nest.
In addition, last night I focused on imagery and feelings of comfort. Times when I felt unconditional love and comfort. Those moments and memories evoke people and places and a sense of calm.
And it worked really well! It only took me 25 minutes (last time I looked at the clock) to fall asleep. This is progress.
What do you find works to help you when you have trouble falling asleep?
Tags: gratitude
Posted in The Daily Balance | No Comments »
a little new england weather for yah!
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
Driving home from work last night, I felt like I was viewing the sky through a polarized lens. The contrast between the charcoal gray brooding clouds and the crazy ambient light was unreal. The road was slick from a late afternoon shower, and there was a faint rainbow in the southern sky. Somehow the sky had this weird green twinge to it. I could still hear thunder rumbling in the distance. Typical late summer New England weather.
I got home and promptly collapsed in bed for a snoozer, willing myself the energy to go running, but much more content to get cozy with my blankets. I think roughly 20 minutes elapsed, and Craig came bounding into the bedroom telling me I had to come check out the crazy cloud formation that was going on in the sky. He described it as a sheer cloud cliff rising up into the sky with a severe, abrupt crust along the bottom making the weirdest gigantic thunderhead.
Okay, okay, I grumbled stumbling out of bed. I will check this out. I know Craig LOVES weather. Luuuuuurrrrrrrves it. But he made me actually get in the car so we could go for a drive and check out the view from the golf course nearby. The photos don’t capture it perfectly, but wow… we saw some pretty intense greeny-inky skys with billowy thick thunderheads.
We were gone from the house for all of 5 minutes, but on the way back home it got reallllly dark and foreboding. Nighttime dark. The air was still with that calm before the storm. We parked the car and were walking the driveway to the house when Craig’s parents called him to check in since they heard that crazy storms were coming through. Two seconds later we heard the spooky call of an air raid siren blaring from somewhere in the distance. And then literally 10 seconds later there was a blinding white crack of light with the near simultaneous deafening crack of thunder. We were standing outside on the steps off the kitchen and we both instinctively ducked.
Holy crap.
The lightening and thunder were so close! It was a total adrenaline rush. And as quickly as the pseudo-storm came through, on its way it went.
Our area was spared from too much foolishness, but farther north the towns had pretty crazy amounts of generous hail that caused car dents. Yikes.
Fickle, weirdo, and yet kind of wonderful New England weather!
Tags: gratitude, summer
Posted in The Daily Balance | 1 Comment »
tackling the to-do list
Sunday, September 12th, 2010
Today has been good. Busy getting chores done. I tackled the dishes. No easy task.
I did laundry. I watered the garden. I cleaned the living room. I sorted and filed many months worth of bills. I put all the recycling out to the curb. I broke in my new running shoes on the treadmill. I made a crustless quiche for dinner.
Phew. Not everything on the to-do list got done, but I made a small dent. Not a bad way to start the week.
Tags: gratitude, housework, running, summer, treadmill
Posted in Household Management 101, The Daily Balance | 2 Comments »
succulent saturday
Saturday, September 11th, 2010
Today has been wonderful. A thoroughly leisurely, indulgent, relaxing Saturday. First of all, it’s beautiful outside. The sun is setting after a warm and breezy 75°F day.
I slept in today. Totally gave myself permission to just relax and savor a Saturday where there was nothing planned, nothing that HAD to be done. I woke up to the delicious smell of coffee that Craig had made. I cuddled with Craig on the couch just being a lazy bones. Sipping coffee and enjoying the day.
And then I puttered. Around the house and outside around the yard. I checked on the progress of our cukes and cantaloupes. I put dishes away. I watched squirrels devouring acorns and making a mess. I went through my wallet to clean out receipts. I sifted through a stack of mostly-used gift cards and checked all the balances online. Silly, mindless stuff.
Just fantastic.
And then I finally got dressed and went out and bought new running shoes. I have been wanting new kicks for a long while now since my old shoes have been killing me. My runs outdoors have been painful because my shoes are so busted. Every step I would get the reverberations from the shock of hitting the pavement coursing through my arms and legs. Ouch. Buying new shoes requires time and patience to try on and make sure you’re getting the right fit. But I did it today. And I am so excited to break in my new shoes.
All the little things, you know? After I bought shoes I decided to go buy apples. Because that makes perfect sense, right? And I found a ridiculously good deal on local orchard honey crisp apples, my very most favorite apples in the world, for just 59 cents a pound. I sat in the car and ate one right away. Why not?
It has been a simple and succulent Saturday. I just tossed in a load of laundry, had a great phone chat with a dear friend who lives in Colorado, made a fresh batch of tomatillo salsa, and now I am going to make tacos for dinner.
Taco night!
Tags: gratitude, running, summer
Posted in The Daily Balance | No Comments »
lentil soup with carrots
Friday, September 10th, 2010
My adventures in making homemade soup for workday lunches is going pretty well. I am off of the canned soup diet because those soups are too high in sodium and most canned foods have BPA in the linings. Plus, with a little investment in creativity and time, you can save a bit of money making your own soup. Plus, homemade just tastes better!
I have devoted a few hours on Sunday mornings to making a big honkin’ batch of soup for me and Craig to eat all week long. I really love soup for lunch because it is a hot meal, and I find it very satisfying. We have been doing alternating weeks of soups and sandwiches—because if it’s really hot out, then a sandwich is perfect.
This week’s soup is lentil with carrots. I am a huge fan of lentils because they are nutritional powerhouses. Plus they are so inexpensive and taste better as the days go on. Craig helped out with the prep work for the soup this week by chopping up all the carrots. Here’s the recipe I used, originally inspired by a lentil soup recipe from Moosewood. If you don’t have any of their cookbooks already, they are so utterly and completely worth buying.
Break out the biggest soup pot you have. I use a 16-quart Denmark stainless steel stockpot that we got as a wedding present. It is the perfect size to make a gigantic pot of soup. You will have enough to last a week, freeze leftovers, and give some soup to family or friends.
Hello, gorgeous.
Start with (4) 16 oz. bags of dried lentils. Quickly sift through each bag of lentils as they cascade into a large colander, checking for any stones or odd debris. Then rinse the lentils under water to wash them off. Into the stockpot they go. Cover the lentils with water completely and add about an extra 3″ of water on top. As they cook they will absorb water. I often add a little more water to the pot throughout the cooking process to keep the soup from getting too thick or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add a dash or two of sea salt to the pot and bring the lentils to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and let the lentils go at it for at least 30–40 minutes. Longer is fine. You can crack the lid on the pot a bit as they are simmering.
Once the lentils have simmered a while, add your veggies to the pot. I prefer a boatload of carrots—at least a dozen chopped. Also add 2 large diced onions, 4–5 stalks chopped celery, and several cloves of minced garlic. Optional add-ins include chopped frozen spinach or kale, chopped tomatoes, and/or diced shallots. I have been known to toss in chopped broccoli stalks if I have a bunch cluttering up my fridge. After adding the veggies, add 1–2 teaspoons of basil, thyme, and oregano. You can add more to taste if you want. Then add a generous round of freshly ground black pepper.
Continue to simmer the lentils, veggies, and herbs for at least another 40 minutes to an hour. Longer is fine. With time and tenderness, all the flavors come together.
You can serve lentil soup garnished with sour cream or a dash of white balsamic vinegar on top. Fresh chopped tomatoes with parsley on top is yummy, too, a la Moosewood.
Let the soup cool to ladle into pyrex bowls to store for individual lunch servings. When you go to reheat the soup, if you feel like it’s too thick, add a little water.
Lentil soup in the fridge, ready to go for lunches!
Lentil soup is pretty amazing because using water for the broth is all you need. No veggie stock required. Lentils create such an extraordinarily tasty stock all on their own.
What are your favorite soup ideas and recipes? I would love to hear your suggestions since I am just getting started with this lunchtime soup ritual.
Tags: lentils, soup, summer
Posted in Cooking Adventures | 2 Comments »