Fulfilling Your Soul

WOW. Today has been such an amazing day!

I woke up at 6am (yes, on a Saturday!) to go to a workshop led by Michael Bernard Beckwith and his wife Rickie Byars Beckwith on Fulfilling Your Soul's Potential. It was so interesting and enlightening.




I can't even begin to share everything that I learned, but just take my word for it that it left me with a lot to think about and has shifted my thinking in so many ways.

And since it IS Valentine's Day(or as I call it, Single's Awareness Day :) and in the spirit of everything I learned this morning, I made a special meal just for me, myself, and I. Because I don't have a significant other to share today with, but I love myself and that's where it begins! I made my fave dish:

Arctic Char with Rosemary & Garlic

Served with roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, and spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette. And of course a glass of red wine! This recipe is SUPER easy and always turns out De-lish!

Arctic Char with Rosemary & Garlic

• 1 6-oz Arctic Char fillet


• dried rosemary(or you can use fresh, but my rosemary plant is still growing)


• garlic powder(or 1 fresh garlic clove, minced)


• salt & crushed red pepper(optional)

1. Preheat the oven to low broil.

2. Place fish on baking sheet season with rosemary and garlic powder (I like ALOT or each). Lightly season with salt(and red pepper if you like it SPICY!).

3. Place fish in oven to broil for apporximately 5-7 minutes, depending on how well you like your fish cooked. This will leave it slightly rare-ish in the middle, but pretty much medium.

That's it! I told you it was easy! I use this recipe all the time with salmon as well. It is my favorite was to prepare it. And now I'm going to watch my favorite movie of all time:

I could quote this whole movie backwards and forwards. I watch it over and over and never get tired of it. Maybe cuz I'm oh-so-slightly like Sally??? :0

Happy V-day! Love & Peace...xoxo

JFT: Almost there!!

Howdy folks!

Today was my follow-up with the Dr after my knee surgery. I can't believe it has only been 2 weeks...it feels like it has been FOR-EV-ER. He showed me the pics of the femur and kneecap before and after. He said that he couldn't really tell how much damage there was until he got in there to do the surgery and it was a lot worse than he thought from the X-rays and MRI. He said he was glad we did the surgery when we did because if we had waited a lot longer there would have been SEVERE damage to my knees.

The good news: everything is healing nicely and I "am making remarkable progress!" Yipeee!!!

The bad news: considering how much damage there was to my right knee, I will have to have the other one done fairly soon. We are looking at the summer to have the left knee surgery. Not really something to look forward to.

And in other news, today was Day 2 of my own personal Junk Free Trio. So far so good. I did try Gliding Calm tofu "nuggets"tonight for dinner. And I used some of th marinade to saute some mushrooms for a side that were delish. And I am loving baked tofu! I will have to upload the pic later as my router is on the fritz again!

As for my JFT, I am feeling better, though still struggling with eating too much at nighttime. It has always been the hardest time of day for me. But at least, I am picking whole, unprocessed foods. :)

So tomorrow will wrap up the official JFT, but I am going to try to stick to the basic components and just add in a few things here and there. The doctor had given me an "Arthritis Diet" that I was following before surgery, but has since fallen by the wayside. oops. So I'll be trying to stick to that, no wheat/gluten, little to no dairy, very little meat, etc.

Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways!!

And a couple of giveaways are happening this week, must be Valentine's Day Blogger Love!

The Hungry Yogini and What I Ate Yesterday are both giving away Country Bob's All-Purpose sauce. I'm DYING to get my hands on some of this stuff!!

Till then...

Excuse me...have you seen my yogurt????

So I fully intended for today to be Day 1 of CFW. I had planned out my menu in my head and knew exactly what I was going to have for my meals. Except, that's not at all how it turned out.

Stumbling Block #1: I had planned my lunch around a yogurt I brought to work yesterday and left in the fridge on top of a few other things in tupperware containers. Normally, I keep everything in a bag, but yesterday I didn't have one since I just had a couple of things. Well...I got to work this morning and went to put the rest of my lunch in the fridge and my yogurt was gone. GONE. My tupperware container and ziploc baggie that were all stacked together were still there, but no yogurt. Who does that??? I've even had people take things out of my bag before! Does anyone else have food thieves in their offices/workplace? It seems to be a problem everywhere I've worked!

Stumbling Block #2: I have committed to trying to meet new people and get out more to take classes and find other fulfilling things while I'm away from my normal exercise routine. I've been really struggling with not being able to exercise and just felt a bit trapped lately. So I found out that the nearest Whole Foods was offering a Meal Makeover class tonight for FREE. They were having 2 chefs from the Naples Grande Beach Resort leading the class. Awesome. Sign me up!

Here was the menu:

Waldorf Astoria "Grande" Salad- apples, grapes, raisins, in honey yogurt dressing

Margherita Flat Bread Pizza- heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella on whole wheat naan

Greek Chicken Burgers- with vegetable sticks & roasted eggplant aioli

We had small tastes of each one and while everything was healthy, it did not however fit into CFW as there was bread, cheese, chicken, etc. But it was dee-licious!

Stumbling Block #3: Well, this one is all me. I have no willpower. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. So after I had already had things that were not part of CFW as part of the class and seeing as that I was still hungry, I just stopped at the Food Bar @ Whole Foods on my way out. Again, nothing terribly "Crappy", but some things that were not part of CFW. And the fact that I have been craving lasagna for a week now and that they had it on the food bar...well... I did only take about 1/3 of one of the ginormous pieces that they had there, so I'm rationalizing it as being better than ordering a full order at a restaurant. ;)

Stumbling Block #4: Chocolate. I've been craving it as well for a few days, but refuse to eat Hershey's. And I knew they had the good stuff at WF. Need I say more.

So, starting tomorrow, my goal is to go for the rest of the work week junk free. I'm calling it the Junk Free Trio. I'm cutting out sugar, wheat, meat, alcohol, dairy(other than yogurt) and processed foods. That's it. 3 days- No Junk. Let the games begin!!

***OH, I almost forgot! This weekend I am going to hear Michael Beckwith speak. He was featured in the movie "The Secret" and was recently on Oprah as part of her Best Life series at the beginning of the New Year. I am soooo excited! He is speaking on Friday night at in a large stadium and Saturday morning in a smaller seminar. I haven't decided for sure which one I want to go to, but I am leaning towards the seminar on Saturday.

All right, that's all folks!!!

PSA

So while I promised to get in to dating a little bit, I keep hearing about Chris Brown and Rihanna and you can consider this related to dating(I promise in the future to keep it mostly light and not this serious, but bear with me today, please). I'm usually not one to be into the celebrity gossip, BUT I do feel VERY strongly about a few causes. And domestic violence is one of them. So without getting too serious or preachy, I just want to say to everyone, "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not stay in an abusive relationship." It is not worth it. And I know that is easier for me to say that than it is to do, but if you are being physically abused, I don't care how much he says he loves you and what gifts he buys you afterwards and what promises he makes-- leave him. Or call a friend or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, or any of another number of organizations out there. You may feel like there is no way out, but these organizations specialize in helping women get out safely.

I will say that I have never been in an abusive relationship, but I have known more than my fair share of people who have or are. And abuse is not just physical, it can be mental or emotional, controlling your money, threatens or humiliates you, acts jealous or possessive, these are all signs of an abusive partner. And it can happen to anyone. One study found that 1 in 4 women were physically abused/assaulted by a partner at some point in their lifetime. And another survey found that 30% of Americans said that they knew a woman who had been physically abused by their boyfriend/husband within the past year. Just stop and think about that for a second.

Now, I am not trained to handle people that are in these situations and I can't(and won't) tell you the best way to help a friend of yours that may be in this situation. But these people can:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-779-SAFE

Ok, I'm getting off of my soapbox now. And I promise not to do that very often, but I just needed to get that out there.

I will be back later with some lighter news about me and my biz-ness!!

She's MIA!!!

No, no...I'm still here, it's just been a rough couple of days. Work has been INSANE and dealing with the surgery has been no picnic either. So here's the brief(est) recap I can give you:

*Thursday- PT with my awesome therapist Todd. Work- I found out I'm moving to a new department which is exciting and exhausting all at the same time! Exciting because I get to be in a new department with new people and new experiences. Exhausting because first I have to LEARN everything about that new depaartment. But the good definitely outweighs the bad so I'm looking forward to a new challenge.
*Friday- nothing exciting at all. More work, rest, icing the knee, rest, etc.
*Saturday was horrible! I slept for 12 HOURS Friday night and got up at nooon on Saturday which I never do! And yes, I know that I said that last weekend, but I really think this surgery is sucking all of the energy out of me. I'll spare you the details, but it started as a headache, progressed to mild nausea, and then a full-blown migraine which for me always results in getting sick. If you can imagine someone trying to kneel down on the floor with a knee that doesn't even bend 90 degrees...I'm sure it was a sight to see! I never got migraines until about a year ago and someone told me that they are stress/anxiety related. GRRRREAAAT. Not that I would argue with that. Last week could only be summed up as a stressful week.
*Sunday I had to get out of the house so I went to the movies and saw Last Chance Harvey. It was pretty good, except that I was in the theatre with about 10 elderly people(mostly couples) and one lady couldn't hear anything so she was repeating everything after the actors said it. I really wasn't annoyed, just more like...an echo :0

So here we are back to Monday. My camera needs a new battery, or needs the battery charged or something(did I mention I am technologically challenged?) so I have no pics of anything for you. My food has been nothing gourmet and nothing spectacular, so you really aren't missing anything. And another week rolls on.
I am thinking of starting a Crap Free Week a la Chandra. This is actually how I normally eat, but every since this surgery...welllll...can you say stress eating??? So I'm thinking committing to this challenge and posting it here will help me stay accountable. That is the point of the blog anyway! I'm off to see if I have everything to start my very own CFW tomorrow. Stay tuned...I'll be getting into dating and relationships a little bit later!

Butternut Goodness

I'm so sorry for not posting yesterday! It was a rough day all around. I didn't get much sleep because my knee was killing me! And then at work, well, let's just say I've had better days. Even though I am only working half days, the days are still jam packed and the dynamic at work has been a little, er, off this week. I'm still trying to figure out what is going on.

And now for today! I started out this morning with a random cinnamon raisin meal replacement bar that I found in my cubicle. I don't even think it had a brand, but I've tried to eat my usual oatmeal for the last 2 days and I haven't been able to get more than 2 bites down. Do you ever have those days where things sound good, but then you take a bite and your mouth is like, "Nope. That's not what I wanted." That's how I've felt for the last few days, but today was much better. I also had a cup of java with my b-fast bar. Lunch consisted of some unsalted saltine crackers with a wedge of Laughing Cow light cheese, an Ambrosia apple, 2 huge handfuls of grapes, and some carrots & broccoli florets with a little bit of light balsamic vinaigrette. And tonight for dinner I had a HUGE butternut squash that has been staring at me for the last few days.

Yes, that is a 2 liter bottle that the squash is standing next to. It is the biggest squash I have ever seen! And I finally had the energy to cut it up and make some Butternut Fries. This was my first attempt at these and they were De-lish! This serving was maybe a 1/4 of that huge squash so b-nt squash will probably be seen in several of my upcoming meals.

And, now I'm indulging in a my latest find: Limited Edition Samoa Light Ice Cream. This stuff is only 120 calories and 4.5g of fat. I try not to buy ice cream too often, but I just couldn't resist! It's a Limited Edition that only comes out once a year...until now it was all a legend to me! Unfortunately, my camera has now decided that it doesn't want to turn on , so I dont have a pic for you at the moment. :( I'm off to watch my tivo'd Law & Order: SVU. G'night!

Soup-er Salad!

This afternoon I treated myself to a little "Happy Hour" bevi:

Diet Cherry Lime-ade

I haven't had one of these in years, but after PT it was half-price happy hour, so I opted for a little treat. My only complaint was that there were NO cherries in it! I was totally bummed! :(

So I mentioned that I haven't really had much of an appetite lately and today was no different. I was actually motivated to make some soup yesterday since that was the only thing that sounded good. And since most of the canned soups are:

a)loaded with sodium

b)loaded with preservatives
c)not all that tasty

I decided to make some of my own. Of course, by the time I finished it yesterday, I no longer had an appetite for it. Good news! Soups and sauces(spaghetti sauce, etc) almost always taste better the next day. I think it helps the flavors really blend together and play off of each other. Dinner tonight :

Chick'n & Brown Rice Soup & a small salad & a few unsalted saltines.

Here is the recipe for the soup:

1/2c brown rice, dry

1/4c chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bag of Quorn chick'n cutlets

1c frozen mixed vegetables(I used peas, carrots, & green beans, but use whatever you like)

4c fat free chicken broth

garlic powder, parsley, black pepper to taste

splash of white wine(optional)

Cook brown rice according to directions. Saute onion & garlic in a nonstick pan with a little cooking spray or EVOO until soft. Add Quorn chick'n and little of chicken broth to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes covered. Combine chicken mixture, brown rice, frozen vegetables, and chicken broth in sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add herbs, spices, and wine to taste. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's it! I literally threw this together and I have to say it was very good yesterday when I tasted it, but way tastier today! I also had half of a salad I picked up earlier today from Sweet Tomatoes. It was mostly spinach with a few chickpeas, 1/2 an egg white, a few beets, jicama, carrots, snow peas, green peas, and a dab of blue cheese. I topped it with Kraft light balsamic vinaigrette which I was also trying for the first time. It was quite tasty as well! There is a few more servings of the soup left so you will probably be seeing it again tomorrow.

My dessert tonight was half a Quaker True Delights Coconut Banana granola bar and a Pink Lady apple. If you have never had a Pink Lady apple, I highly recommend you try one! These are the only apples I eat(aside from the occasional honeycrisp). They are always juicy, a little tart and a little sweet. Yum!

Well, I'll be hobbling off to get ready for bed now. Toodle-oo!

Just Another Manic Monday

Well, today was my first day back at work post-op. And man was it rough. Not so much the work part, but the pain part. When I woke up this morning, my knees hrt worse than any other day. And since I was headed back to work (for at least a half day) I knew I couldn't take one of my prescription pain pills unless I wanted my bodd to find me asleep and drueling on my excel spreadsheets. So, I decided to grin and bear it. Work itself was fine and I had PT at 1pm.

One of my friends, Suzanne, warned me that there would be these days after surgery. These days when you will be EXTREMELY emotional. That was today. It's the part of surgery no one tells you about. Oh, they tell you all about the procedure itself and the PT and painkillers, the rest, etc. But no one ever mentions anything about the emotional toll that it has on you. At PT, I was trying to do one of the exercises and my brain was sending the message to my leg to lift straight up, but nothing was happening. Let me tell you, that has got to be one of the most frustrating things in the world! It was almost as if I was willing my leg to move with just my mind! I broke down in tears. And for those of you who are very active and exercise alot, you cannot even imagine that feeling. I've never experienced it before, but I know I will never forget it. My physical therapist helped me work through the exercise and I am feeling a bit better now.

My appetite has still been lacking, but I'm going to force myself to eat something for dinner and I'll be back to give you all a recap! See you after dinner!

On the Injured List

Let me back up and fill you in on what has been going on the past few days so you understand why I'm laying on the couch all day(I promise I'm NOT a couch potato!!)

I had knee surgery last Wednesday on my right knee. To be specific I had a Lateral Retinacular Release. Try saying that 5 times fast...or better yet when the doctor and every nurse is asking you as you are being drugged and going under anesthesia. I went to the Knee Doc at the beginning of January because I have had knee problems off and on since high school, but usually only occasionally and when I was working out doing certain things. During December, my knees started hurting every time I would work out and then for the rest of the day when I was at work. Not good. So the Dr. did x-rays, an MRI, put me on a special diet, etc. The diagnosis is that I have a little bit of arthritis in both knees and the ligaments on the outsides of both knees are too tight and pulling my kneecaps off center and causing them to grind against the other bone. It made this lovely "crunchy" noise every time I would take a step or straighten/bend my leg. Sounds kind of like rice krispies. Fun!

So I had the right one fixed on Wednesday and have been off work and recuperating since then. I'm not sure if it is the pain pills or the anesthesia wearing off, or my body just reacting to the trauma, but I have been ridiculously tired and nauseous for the last few days. So my food that I have posted and possibly for the next few days does not represent my regular eating.

I am not in a lot of pain and will be doing half days back at work starting tomorrow and PT twice a week for the next 3 weeks at least. My knee is very swollen and bruised. It looks like Nancy Kerrigan's knees after Tanya Harding had a go at them.

WARNING!! Below is a picture of my knee post surgery...don't say you haven't been warned!

The hardest part about this is that I usually work out everyday. No, really, EVERY DAY. I am one of those sick people who love working out in the morning and can't function if I don't work out. So this is a whole new experience for me being forced to not workout. I feel...squishy. And it is not helping my efforts to shed a few pounds. But I keep trying to remind myself that I just have to get through this(oh, and I have to have the other one done!) and then I will be able to work out pain-free. What a concept! I think I forgot what that was like!

So that's my story about where I am at and will be recovering for the next 4-8 weeks. The good news is that I finally had time to get my bloggity-blog started!

Tiredness and Tummyaches

First off, let me quickly recap yesterday. I slept in till 11am!! I NEVER do that! I am one of those "up and at 'em" types. Weekdays, weekends, makes no difference. Sleeping in for me is sleeping till 9am. But since my surgery(I'll get to that in a bit), my entire body & body clock has just been off. So I got up and did my PT exercises and then decided I should probably eat something. It was too late for breakfast, so I opted for lunch...actually more like a snack-y plate. I haven't had much of an appetite the past few day, so this is by no means a normal day of eating.

Leftover spaghetti squash with a little bit of pasta sauce & fresh mozzarella, 1 carrot, Sabra hummus, and steamed snow peas

I decided I felt good enought to head out to Starbucks for a coffee. I ordered a regular coffee with cold soy milk. I took 2 baby sips and felt dizzy, nauseous, and extremely tired. SO I chucked the coffee and headed home. The afternoon consisted of resting, working on setting up the blog(I still can't figure out how to get an image in my header!), and more rest.

I was still feeling nauseous around dinner time but I knew I needed to eat something. So I heated up some soup and had a few saltines.

And ALOT of this:

I actually felt much better after eating and stayed up until almost 1am. Must have been from sleeping in so late! I also did eat 2 apples and some Ezekiel bread, fresh mozzarella w/ fresh basil and olive oil through out the day yesterday. This whole bed rest thing is driving me crazy!! I am so tired of laying on the couch!