How I do a supported headstand

I decided to stick to one glass of wine last night instead of three. Sometimes when I'm cooking I don't even realize how many glasses I pour. I don't get drunk. I just enjoy the taste of red wine. It has always gone hand-in-hand with cooking in my kitchen. It's romantic to me. 

Bare feet. Sometimes wearing a little apron. Chopping some onions for beef bourguignon. Drinking red wine. Listening to Jackie Gleason or Regina Spektor. The aroma of garlic and fresh herbs.
C'mon. It's just romantic.

Waking up this morning felt effortless. It's becoming easier to wake up earlier than I actually have to and becoming very rewarding. Having the extra time in the morning to do yoga, shower, get ready for work, eat breakfast, do the dishes, play with the dogs, water the plants and FaceTime with my sister means when I get home from work I can walk into a clean home and simply go from there.

More yoga? Maybe. Play with my dogs? Yes. Cook dinner? No problem.

I periodically go on YogaJournal.com and read articles about how to better improve my form. It's all helpful and encouraging but most importantly, it's all about how you practice as an individual. 

I found an extremely helpful video on inversions that got me excited to try this morning. I've been building strength in my shoulders and arms for handstands mainly by working on my crane pose and  supported headstands.

After two months of practice, today I did a headstand. What I think got me there was realizing I could do a tripod egg pose without any support. After following this video I found new and easier ways to get me there.

Start in tripod dolphin (where your legs are straight down, like downward dog) and bring one knee at a time onto your forearms.

It took me a handful of tries but I finally got myself up. This made my day.

Breathe. Concentrate. Use your abdominal.

I then tried the other inversion, a supported headstand (salamba sirsanana)

This was much harder. Thankfully I rocked back and forth between the wall and the couch for support (I didn't plan that.. so I was thankful it worked out that way).

 It's easy to put all your weight on your head and neck but the key is to use your shoulder strength to hold yourself up and out of that locked position. 

If you don't feel you're there yet, do this against the wall. It took me two months to do this today. Practice makes perfect. 

I finished with a few heart-opening sequences and cut my elbow with my sharp claws that I need to cut. I was sweating and bleeding all over my mat and something about that made the weirdo inside of me feel POWERFUL. I just did a headstand for more than two seconds and it felt good. I am getting stronger.

Being strong is so gratifying. 

I have never envied the frail, hungry-looking woman in the black and white editorial photo. She's smoking a cigarette while looking out the window, slouched over on her over-sized window sill. Her mascara is running like she's been crying. Her effortless look isn't effortless at all.  She looks naive and weak. I've never wanted to look or be like that. 

I envy life, light and passion.

Peanut butter granola bars

The average cost of a protein or granola bar is around $1.25.

The average man likes protein bars. Or my soon-to-be hubby does. He loves them.

There are certain things in every person's life they can't live without.
For me it's quinoa, eggs, coffee and tofu. I just have to always have these things on hand. I crave these things.

For my lover it's protein bars, soda waters, cereal and coffee. He drinks soda waters everyday and loves to snack on protein bars late night. 

When we first moved here and faced the difference of food costs here and food costs in Georgia, I felt discouraged. I became pragmatic about cooking from scratch and felt like I couldn't afford it. So I bought Sabra hummus.. the same batch of hummus that was recalled for listeria and I had sharp stomach pains for over a week. I felt awful.

I bought protein bars and easily spent over $20 that lasted us a week at best. 

This wasn't and isn't practical.

Where did my brain go? Maybe listeria made me stupid. 

I know I've mentioned this before but trying to figure out how to buy groceries and make them last was very challenging at first.
If you live in the Decatur, Georgia area, love your YDFM.

This week has been the very first week where we ate fulfilling meals every night, we still have plenty of groceries for the weekend and have gone to the store once. We try not to eat out a lot to save money.

Last weekend we carefully made a list, wrote out a rough draft of a menu for the week and went shopping. I gathered up some recipes and cooked all day last Sunday.

We're both 9-5ers. So something quick and easy in the morning and ingredients for fulfilling dinners at night was the goal.

I made chickpea hummus, a mushroom and leek frittata and peanut butter granola bars.

The hummus we snack on constantly. The frittata makes for a quick breakfast and the peanut butter granola bars are for breakfast, snacking and dessert.

PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 cup pitted dates (about 7 Medjool dates)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons natural, chunky peanut butter
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• dark chocolate

Toast

1 1/2 cups oats 

at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes. let cool completely.

Chop and blend

1 cup of Medjool dates 

add a little water to help it blend until you get a semi-smooth consistency.. like a paste

In a bowl add

3 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of flax seeds
1/2 cups toasted almonds

healthy pinch of salt

pinch of cinnamon

date paste

Mix together. 

It helps if you heat the honey and peanut butter in the microwave, oven or stovetop a bit.

Combine toasted oats and 

2 cups crisp rice cereal

Combine everything. It gets messy so just prepare to get your hands dirty. It's fun. 

Melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over the top.

Press in a baking sheet with plastic underneath and on top. 

I lay down a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and cut it. Then I do another long sheet and overlap them slightly, creating one large sheet. 

Put that on the bottom and add your granola mixture. Really make sure you press them tightly together. The tighter the better, I always say.

I only had a 9x13 pan free at the time so I used that and just filled it half way. I didn't want super thin bars. Make do with what you have. Press them overnight, then cut to size.

These bar should be refrigerated. 

I had the oats, chia seeds, flax seeds and peanut butter already. The almonds, cereal and chocolate cost me under $10. I got 12 bars out of this recipe and I still have all the ingredients to make two more batches. You do the math. I hate math.

I made them, I know what's in them, they're cheaper than store-bought and they're delicious.

You can also find this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I just need to breathe for a minute

It was one of those purchases I wasn't used to making. 

We had a little money saved and just moved into the home we live in now. We wanted to fill the house with some plants to make up for the extra space and also because I love a house full of plants.

It was an expensive plant.. A rubber plant. 

I read they're hard to kill. They just need to be drenched, let it dry completely and drench again. Easy enough. They need a good amount of sunlight. Our house has plenty of that. It was the perfect plant. I felt like it was worth the money because of it's longevity and because it was beautiful.

I don't quit understand why Hank decided to do this. This potted plant is extremely heavy. The pot itself is heavy but the plant is like a baby tree..

It's deep. I planted the rubber plant deep into the soil. I watched over it for the last two months. Every few days I saw a new leaf appear. It was a happy plant.

I got dog food right after work today. I was in a great mood. It's taco night.. It took me a minute but I finally planned out how to buy groceries and cook for the week where I make one trip to the grocery store and that's it. Dog food? No problem! 

I got home. Brought the trash inside the garage. We've been getting a discount on our trash bill because we produce one bag of trash per week. We recycle everything.

So, I brought the trash in and went into the house through the garage.

The dogs were so happy to see me and I them. We went into my bedroom where I rolled around the floor with them. They gave me hugs and kisses and I gave them right back. I got them dog food..

I took off my clothes. The first thing I do when I get home is take off all my clothes and get into my pajamas. Even at 5pm.... Because I'm home.

So, I took off my clothes. I put on my pajamas. As I'm pulling my last leg through my pants, Hank prances over and drops a small branch from my rubber plant at my feet.

He sat up straight and smiled. He was proud. He brought me a gift!!!

A gift of death.

What the shit? Oh my god! Why? How? When???

I walked into the living room and there it was.

Ripped to pieces and spread out all over the house like confetti.

I just stood there with my jaw to the floor.

Why would anyone do this? This couldn't be from my children! They would never! And if so, who?

 If you have dogs and one of them eats your shorts, when you discover and figure out who did it, it's obvious. The sad puppy face comes out and it cowers into a corner.

Hank. Hank did it. 

Hank goes on walks. He goes on hikes. We throw the ball in the backyard. Hank sleeps in the bed and lays on the couch. Hank is fed everyday. Hank takes a shower with me. Hank is almost three years old. So I don't understand.

I haven't had a good cry in a long time and when I saw this tears came rushing to my angry, squinted eyes. 

Why Hank?

Why..?

Also, rubber plants are poisonous to dogs. 

So cross your fingers.

Free write Friday

It's Friday. My head hurts. I need to drink more water. When I worked in kitchens I drank a ton of water. I was always sweating my life away but I liked the balance. I was always dewy. Now I'm dehydrated and dry. I need to fix this.

Working in the office is funny. It will never be like The Office, but there are many times where I wished my sister or fiance could see the people I deal with sometimes. 

This one woman I work with is a little odd to talk to. She talks in a way to where it's like she's telling you a secret. She ends her sentences always widening her eyes and looking behind her as if she's making sure no one else can hear. Her comments are always passive aggressive about the office we work in. When she's done talking she stares at me oddly, like she's surprised or flabbergasted, waiting for a response, all while bobbing her head. I'm the type of person where if I don't feel that connection with someone, I don't open up that easily. I wouldn't say I'm rude, but I would say I cannot fake nice like maybe others can. It's hard for me to think of things to say if I'm not interested. I'm more of an observer and shut my mouth before I speak type.

The other day she did her normal routine where she walked up to my desk, looking like she just saw a ghost and complained about how much static was in her hair. I've noticed the same problem myself but I know that the office is dry and we deal with papers all day. I thought about getting a little humidifier to put on my desk. 

Problem solving.

As I write this, she just came up to my desk and asked me if I'm as bored as she is...
Not at the moment...

As she was talking about how dry everything is the phone started to ring at my desk. One of my main jobs is to answer the phone and transfer calls to the legal secretaries and attorneys. She kept talking and the phone kept ringing. I just smiled and nodded while slowing picking up the phone, giving her every sign, hint and opportunity to see I needed to answer the call coming in because it is my job. As I answered the phone, she continued to talk, this time in a whisper, as if that would allow me to hear her and also hear the person on the other line. She whispered how her lips were so dry that they were starting to crack and bleed. That is when I slowly started to spin my chair in the other direction and pretend I was using the computer and talking on the phone to an important client.. Which I was.

I'm getting really tan. Mainly my face and arms. I need to even out the rest of my body.

It's weird how Fridays work in a 9-5 environment. It's the complete opposite from what I'm used to. Fridays in the restaurant industry means you're about to get killed. It means you wear your lucky bandanna, hardly any makeup because it's just going to sweat off, you're going to work for 6-7 hours straight with no bathroom break, drink 4 quarts of water during your shift and 8 quarts of beer after your shift.

In the 9-5 world, Fridays are the equivalent to the restaurant industry's Monday. It's dead. Not everyone shows up for work and a lot of people leave early because they don't want to start on any new projects. There is less traffic going to work but a lot of traffic getting off work.

I have to say I enjoy my weekends now. And holidays off too?!? It's weird but I like it.

On a girly note..

I looked at pictures from a few months ago with my hair down. It looked like I stuck my finger in a socket and then put makeup on. It's funny because clearly I thought in the picture that day that I probably looked alright. Now that I have to fix my hair everyday, I learned how to actually fix my hair. I use a round brush a lot and bobby pins almost everyday. I know because I have to be aware of my appearance that it has helped me look better and overall has made me feel better about myself. That confidence overflows into other areas within myself. If I feel better about myself, I am happier and not worrying if I look good for my fiance. If I feel better about myself, chances are I'm in a good mood. I feel more courageous and results in me doing more than I did before.

I talk about this because everybody wants to feel good inside and out. 

I've done a complete 180. I used to wear my hair up, go for the black t-shirt, jeans, black vans, black hoodie and call it a day. There's nothing wrong with dressing this way and I still do. But, this is how I used to dress all the time because I didn't know how else to dress. Feels good to wear a light blue, sleeveless blouse with jean shorts and brown sandals with my hair down and wavy and a California tan.

I often think about how everyone is doing back home. I always think about what time it is in Georgia. Right now it's 3:28pm there and I know my old kitchen crew is getting ready for a busy Friday night. I think about them a lot. They were my family. I miss them.

So this is free writing Friday. I just write and don't think about the grammar or purpose.

Happy Friday.

Why I prefer morning yoga

At first it was hard waking up an hour earlier than I normally would; given that I already wake up two hours before I leave for work. Having to be at work at 9:30am, I wake up at 6am. Now, I wake up at 5, sometimes 4am just to do yoga. 

Why? 

It is almost better than coffee in the morning. And when you have both... Watch out world!
 

Morning
Ashtanga Yoga.

This practice teaches you a series of poses, breathing techniques and how to quiet and center the mind. I like doing this in the morning because it wakes me up and energizes me for the rest of the day. I enjoy the sweat and burn in the morning followed by a hot shower. It's very refreshing. Waking up earlier than normal gives me more time in the morning to get ready for work, enjoy a healthy breakfast and prepare for the day ahead.

Right now I mainly practice with Hulu Plus yoga videos. 

My favorite video is by Yasmin Yoga. 

Yasmin is simply amazing. She makes every pose seem so easy and gives very precise instructions for every position. I go back and forth through three episodes of hers and pick random ones every once and a while from other instructors. It's been a great introduction to where I can go at my own pace, in the privacy of my cozy home. I've seen enormous transformation within my physical and mental self.

March 23rd.

April 8th.

My butt and arms look totally different! I was wearing a tight thong (TMI?) in this picture so it squished the top of my butt into a point. Never again..

Evening
Form and pose practice.

I like to practice certain poses I'm struggling with or interested in. Right now I'm pretty obsessed with being able to do a proper arm stand so I can eventually do an awesome handstand.

Why a handstand?

If I can do a proper handstand I know I have great shoulder, back and core strength. Plus they look awesome when doing one. Standing upside down increases circulation and re-directs blood flow throughout the body. To condition myself I'm stretching daily and practicing my crane pose and arms stands.

CRANE POSE

This picture was taken March 23rd. I held this position for maybe two seconds.

This was taken April 15th. I held this position for over 15 seconds and was able to cross my feet and pull my abdomen in, focusing more on form than length of time. I have more muscle tone here and overall strength. Three weeks may seem like a long time to nail this down, but with work and a happy love life, I didn't practice this everyday. However, I am excited to see what I can do in another three weeks.

An arm stand is where your forearms are shoulder width apart and flat on the ground and your body is held upright by your amazing shoulder, back and core strength.

Nighttime 
Gentle and soothing yoga.

I find videos online for nighttime yoga. It's basically deep breathing and stretching to get you relaxed for a deep sleep. At night, stretching and concentration on my breath relieves me of any tension or stress. I wake up feeling overall well-rested.

The times where I can practice a couple times a day,
I feel powerful, courageous, confident and peaceful.

I am so passionate about this because of what it's done for me personally. I've struggled with depression for five years and have always felt the need to look fit. It was difficult for me to clear my head of all the pain and heartache I carried.
Yoga may seem overrated and has become somewhat of a trend that rich, suburban moms can only afford. But you don't have to go to an expensive yoga class and buy colorful yoga pants in order to try it for yourself.

I like sharing with you what it's done for me because of how powerful it makes me feel. If I can in any way help someone feel the same, I must share.

It has improved my body, mind, confidence and sex life. The breathing techniques I learned from yoga got me through tough situations, dealing with people that make me nervous.. like when I interviewed for the job I have now. In every interview I've ever had, I literally choked on my words and couldn't even say what I really wanted to say from being so extremely nervous and insecure.
I NAILED my last interview. I did most of the talking, saying exactly what I wanted to say and it ended with me asking my boss the tough questions.
Even now as I write this I am sitting straight up with my legs crossed because I am naturally and constantly aware of my posture and body.


Yoga has been a one-stop-shop for me and I am absolutely in love with it.

When life gives you lemons, find some tequila

FRIDAY

I just finished a post at work, tidied up my desk and texted my man to ask if we were meeting at Vik's for some cold beers right after work. He texted me back saying he was in an accident, he's okay and to call him when I got the chance.

When I first read his text my heart dropped into the very bottom of my stomach. 

He said he was fine but is he really fine??

My fiance rides a motorcycle, so him getting hit by a car is serious. Thankfully, he wears steel-toe boots and the asshole clipped the side of him with very little damage to his actual body. Because of the steel in his shoes, he didn't lose his foot. Instead he has an extremely sore foot and dented motorcycle with a really bad oil leak. Driving in rush hour through San Francisco usually means you aren't going that fast. Given these circumstances my fiance didn't get seriously hurt.

I left work early because I had no idea if I was needed. Dealing with the police, tow trucks, insurance and on-going traffic kept him a bit busy. When we finally spoke on the phone he said he was fine and the tow truck would have him home in a few hours.

I asked him if there was anything I could do in the meantime until he got home. 

"Can we please eat some meat tonight?"

Yes. Yes we can.

We had two new york strips medium, baked potatoes with sharp cheddar and yogurt instead of sour cream, creamed collards, sauteed mushrooms and jus. Red wine. Chocolate brownies and Tillamook vanilla ice-cream.

If you get hit by a car, you get these features.

SATURDAY

Steel cut oats spiel: Love them. 

It's like brown rice and grits had a baby.  They're easy to cook, good for you and have great texture.

So here I took a picture a little later than I should have. Basically I sauteed some leeks, carrots, baby portobellos and garlic in olive oil on low. Once the veggies were cooked until just soft, I toasted some steel cut oats in the same pan.

Then I ladled in homemade vegetable stock, one ladle at a time. Much like risotto.

Vegetable stock is the easiest thing in the world to make and you can rarely mess it up..

Throughout the week, collect trim and scraps from cooking. 

Examples: mushroom stems, leek tops, onion peels, carrots, tiny cloves of garlic that are too annoying to peel and chop, etc. Throw in a few bay leaves, peppercorns and fennel seed.

Simmer for 30 minutes and strain.

The end result of my savory steel cut oats is about here...

They take around 15 - 20 minutes to cook. You want to simmer on low and stir frequently. I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish. We ate this with cheesy, soft scrambled eggs with asparagus and kale and multi-grain toast. I drizzled everything with some California olive oil and cracked black pepper.

The rest our of Saturday was spent putting up a chicken wire fence so our dogs and our neighbors dogs stop trying to attack each other through the feeble wooden fence. It's a shame they aren't friends. I wish they were but I think the fence dividing them causes more aggression because they can never meet. I'd be willing to let them meet but I need the neighbors to agree. And they seem to like their privacy.

To be extremely honest, I really thought we might get some kind of casserole or a bottle of wine from one of our neighbors when we first moved to the neighborhood... 

Is that crazy of me to think or hope for? Is this just a southern thing? I've made quiches and casseroles for my new neighbors back in Georgia... 

Seems our neighborhood likes to stay divided by fences.

We're only three months in and I have to keep reminding myself of that a lot. 

I count down the days until my sister and her family come to stay with us for a few days. 

It'll be nice.

Saturday for dinner we went back to Vik's and sat out on the barge with some cold beers. I couldn't help but tear up for a minute, sitting next to my man.. 

I'm so thankfully he wasn't seriously hurt in his accident. I'm thankful we're able to sit out on a barge and drink  beer without a worry. We have each other and that alone is more than a lot of people have. I'm thankful I found my soul mate and that he is with me for one more day and hopefully, for the rest of my days.

SUNDAY

We woke up early on Sunday. A lot of stressful worrying started to brew in the house. Just normal stress after an accident when your main ride to and from work is out of service.. 

A lot of annoying phone calls back and forth with insurance and adjusters not working on Sundays (understandably). 

We can't let this stress ruin the day. It's Sunday Funday! 

Leave your worries at the door.

There was nothing we could do about dealing with the accident. No one of any authority was working and to keep trying to get a hold of someone was pointless.

We decided to get out of the house and get some fresh air.

Before we got to the beach we stopped off in Larkspur for Food Truck Sundays with Off the Grid and got some Peruvian sandwiches from Sanguchon. Amazing! 

I was little preoccupied with Hank on the leash and people everywhere to get a good picture. Plus the sandwiches were messy and too good to put down.

But here is a cool picture of a bee doing it's thing..

Rodeo Beach

When we first arrived we made our way onto the beach and quickly realized we were one of the only ones with clothes on. All around us were tan, naked bodies laid out all over the beach. We're not against nudity.. we just weren't exactly dressed correctly and kept walking.

We hiked through sand, dirt and numerous stairs leading us all over the hills and cliffs to different parts of the beach. It was breathtaking.

We finally reached a nice and quiet beach right next to the Golden Gate Bridge. We really couldn't have asked for a better hike.

Being his first time on a beach, Hank wasted no time letting loose.

Aaaaaaannnnddddd for dinner, I made chicken and rice that I'm pretty proud of. 

It was just one of those meals where the flavors were just right.

I am a big fan of baked rice over stove-top rice or even using my rice maker.

For me, I do brown rice and cover with filtered water just above the first knuckle on my index finger, cover in foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, give or take a few.

As for last night goes, I seared chicken I fabricated into eight pieces and then baked them in the oven to finish cooking in the same pan I cooked my brown rice in (raw brown rice and seared chicken). 

I made some chicken dashi using homemade chicken stock, a quick saute of red cabbage, snap peas and asparagus and made a sauce with soy sauce, sesame oil, raw honey,  rice vinegar, pinch of salt, white pepper, toasted sesame seeds and raw sugar. I used the sauce for the baked brown rice and poured the chicken dashi over the chicken. We were a bit sun burnt and sore from the hike so a nice, home-cooked meal like this was very comforting.

There is no moral to the story of my weekend. 

I'm just thankful now more than ever for what I have and live day to day. 

It's all about today. Right now. Not yesterday and not tomorrow.

The give and take in my world of cooking

I think it's obvious that when you change jobs, move or stop doing the same thing you've been doing for the last several years, your priorities change.

When you do all three, you might feel a little lost.

When we first moved to northern California I had a difficult time adjusting to not being home in time to cook or eat dinner with my love. I grew up cooking dinner with my stepmom and eating dinner with the entire family at the table. As soon as I met my fiance, I tried winning him over with home-cooked meals to show my affection for him much like I've grown up seeing.

It's a southern thing and Korean culture to cook for your husband. Cooking for him has always been important to me.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I no longer work 12 hours a day and am home now to cook and eat dinner with my man. 

It's awesome!

It's no surprise that California is one of the most expensive states to live in in the U.S. 

So when we first moved here and a loaf of bread cost nearly $3 and organic milk is $6.50, my priorities had to change.

I was like a child that didn't get my way. When we first went into the store with insane prices and hardly any organic options, I panicked.

What are we going to eat?!?!

I wanted to make mushroom ragout like we did at my old job.. 

I need red wine, herbs, five different types of mushrooms, garlic, heavy cream, I need to make beef stock.. Where are the beef bones??? 

 I stood there horrified.. I started going around picking up any vegetable that said organic and putting it in my basket with my bottom lip so far out you'd trip over it.

My world revolved around cooking and eating. It was all I could think about. What am I going to make, what are we going to eat this weekend, what do I need to buy to make this or that?

I'd spend $50 on ingredients for one meal. 

It got expensive because I was cooking like I was on Iron Chef.

When we got home from the store I realized I couldn't make big, elaborate dinners like before, every single night. We can't afford to. Spending $20 to make a sauce for one or two nights isn't smart. Not for us anyway. 

The slow realization came over me and it actually made me feel a sense of relief. 

There is more to life than cooking and eating. There is more to life than food. 

Yes, we need it to survive. It brings people together, it varies from culture to culture and is a beautiful thing we share with our loved ones. Trust me, I know.

But it consumed my mind, ego and bank account.

When my family back home comes to town or it's Thanksgiving at our house, of course I'm going to cook my heart out. I love it.

Making simple food is still pleasing to both me and my fiance. No one is at a loss, if anything, more of a financial and healthy gain. 

It's a give and take.

Of course, it's easier for us because we are a party of two. I know that one day this will no longer apply and we'll have to buy a little more but the principle remains the same. 

Don't get so worked up when you have to change your routine and a lifestyle you've become accustomed to. It's okay.

It took me weeks to figure out which grocery store I could go to for certain things. Thankfully I found a CSA that delivers in my neighborhood. It costs the same price as a grocery store, it's local, organic and is delivered right to my doorstep.

Farm Fresh To You

This week we got:

red leaf lettuce

asparagus

tokyo turnips

king richard leeks

kiwis

a bag of valencia oranges

a bag of fuji apples

enough for 4 people in this box.

Cost: $33

What I like about this is that it's seasonal, local and organic. Seasonal fruits and vegetables vary region-to-region. So far, this works for us. We get a delivery every week and can add or take off whatever we want. You can even add honey, coffee, trail mix, apple juice and eggs!

The price varies on size and you can have it delivered every week, every other, every three weeks or every four weeks.

I still go to the store for dog food, milk, coffee, etc. The point of a CSA isn't to cut out the trip to the store but to give us seasonal and organic options we can't exactly find in our local grocery stores.

With this I try and stretch as many simple meals as I can.. I always have things like quinoa, brown rice, lentils,  english muffins, dry beans, frozen vegetables and homemade vegetable stock I make with an on-going collection of vegetable scraps from cooking. Simmer vegetable stock for 30 minutes.

Not being so focused on what I'm going to cook every night frees up my time. I took on yoga two months ago and am so glad I did. It has changed my body physically and mentally. 

I used to spend an hour in the store and hours cooking in my kitchen. Before I knew it my night was half gone. Although I know my fiance appreciated the elaborate meals, he appreciates me spending time with him more and so do I. 

It's been a lot of give and take and a fun learning experience for us both.

I'm at that fun point in my adult life where shit is getting real. I'm 27, I'm planning a wedding, working a new job I'm not used to, living somewhere new, our rent is higher than I ever imagined, I have baby fever and am homesick.

I'm thankful for my fiance every single second of every single day. 

He is everything to me.

This blog keeps me going and I like sharing my experiences with you. 

Whoever you are.

I'm so happy it's Friday. 

I can taste the beer now...

Happy Friday everyone!

#TUESDAY

I just wanted to share this experience with you.

This morning I put on some black wedges that I officially feel comfortable walking around in. I thought it matched my black and white striped shirt very well. 

During my lunch break I noticed my left shoe was starting to come apart when I walked. It was opening and closing, making a clapping noise every time I took a step. I figured I could drag my left foot a little bit and maybe people would think I injured my foot and not notice the back of my wedges coming apart.

I've gotten to know the baristas at the coffee shop down the street from my work. They know my name but I don't know theirs... go me.

There are four of them, all older than me and are extremely sweet. 

I tried not to make any sudden movements while I was in there..  I tried to keep the integrity of my shoe together.

Leaving the coffee shop, one of the baristas was outside smoking a cigarette with his buddies. They were all so nice and asked me how my day was. I smiled and pretended I was very busy and needed to rush back to work.

The attention was on me because I am the likable, polite customer that always comes in with a smile and asks them how their day is going and I was all of the sudden too busy to stop for small talk.

I start walking up the hill, limping like I have a foot injury and all I hear and feel are BOTH of my feet clapping up and down, making noise and detaching themselves more and more.

It was like someone hit the 'mute' button.

The street was silent. The cars were driving by in slow motion and the drivers were crashing into each other carelessly with their jaws dropped and their angry eyebrows scrunched up with disbelief.

I could feel the looks I was getting from behind.. 

Here I am too busy to talk, limping like I have a serious foot injury, trying to drag my feet walking uphill and my shoes are falling apart right before their eyes. 

~drag, clap, drag, clap, drag, clap, spill coffee~

When I got to the top of the hill I stopped to gather myself. 

Okay my shoes are about to fall off and my building is right across the street. If I can make it inside maybe these people can go back to their daily lives and try to move on from this horrific scene.

As I get ready to cross the street I lifted my left foot up to see how much time I had until this wedge decides to finally jump ship. And when I lifted my foot, the wedge stayed on the ground.

It jumped.

I picked up the broken wedge and was now walking with one flat shoe and one tall wedge. 

A true reason to limp. 

As I crossed the street I saw a girl who looked my age walking in my direction. As I limp with my broken wedge in my hand I look at her for relief. I smile and smirk like, 

Tuesdays right?!?

She does not laugh. She does not smile.

She doesn't get it.

I finally get inside my office building. 

I am safe. I can hear the street start to move again. 

At work I always take the stairs. I do it for exercise. Even if my shoe is broken.

As I walk up the stairs my right shoe starts to fall off and I burst into laughter.

WHAT IS THIS?!?

Before I could do anything else I stopped to take a picture.

My shoes turned into flats.

I threw my dead wedges in the trash and went back to work.

As I write this my co-worker is drying her shirt with paper towels from spilling soy sauce all over her chest.

#tuesdays

My weekend and faux biscuits -n- gravy

After a long and relaxing weekend, I feel refreshed. Normally my love and I try to get out and go hiking or visit some new places, but this weekend we spent most of our time at home and it was lovely.

Friday started off with a half-day at work. Work, by the way, is going great. I'm given more responsibilities every week and feel like I'm building a good amount of trust with my co-workers. As I sit here and write this I notice the dirt under my fingernails is gone. I never disliked dirt under my nails, I just didn't think it'd ever really go away.

 After work my love and I went to Vik's Wheelhouse after a long and dreadful visit to the DMV. 

Why does the DMV always feel so eery?

Either way, we are officially California residents.

Woohoo!

Our initial plan was to go to Mare Island Brewing Company and get a beer but they don't open until 5pm on Fridays and it was 4:30pm. We didn't want to wait and the floating barge at Vik's Wheelhouse was seriously calling our name. 

We got a couple delicious Anchor Steams and sat out on the deck in the sun. 

Looking out into the water and drinking beers with your babe is where it's at!

We got the mixed seafood boil and what a treat! 

Whole lobster, crab legs, mussels, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn swimming in garlic butter and broth.. worth every penny. We also got the clam chowder and it was amazing. 

Vallejo is showing us its charm slowly but surely.

Saturday we finally hung some pictures in the house. What a difference pictures and mirrors make. 

Our new home finally feels like home.

Adjusting to new settings makes for a new kind of home. 

It's been fun decorating a little differently. New windows, new trees and new plants all shifted my decorating style. Leaving the windows open and the blinds pulled up exposes all the natural lighting and green outside. I decorated trying to match the exterior throughout the yard and house.

That night we made some chicken tacos. Using dried ancho and pasilla chiles changes everything. I take two of each and lightly toast them in oil in a pan.  

You can use the same oil from the chiles for further cooking like searing chicken. 

Then I take them out and rehydrate them in simmering water for a few minutes until soft. Deseed and stem them, then buzz them up in a blender with a few raw garlic cloves, a handful of cilantro and white vinegar. Add the paste to chili, a sauce or mix in some braised meat. 

So good!

Sunday morning we were in the mood for something southern. 

Or, we are always in the mood for southern food. 

As I've mentioned before, trying to find organic meat around here can be arduous. I am still a fan of using Torfurky products every now and then. This time was particularly awesome.

Faux Biscuits -n- Gravy

Use half a yellow onion and cut small dice. Sweat the onions in a pan over medium low heat in olive oil. Throw in a bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the onions are soft, add your tofurky "ground beef". You're just getting the "ground beef" nice and hot. Then add about a tablespoon of AP flour and stir. You want to incorporate the flour completely.

The onions and "ground beef" will start to soak up the flour and get thick. 

Because we are not actually vegetarian, I added a little homemade chicken stock for flavor. You can skip this step or add vegetable stock. You can really do whatever you want.. At this point, you could throw everything on the ground and let your dogs have a field day. You know, adjust as needed.

 I let the chicken stock reduce down and then I added non-fat milk. Season generously with cracked black pepper. I also added white pepper. I love the musky-ness of white pepper. Salt to taste.

Simmer this on low until the consistency is nice and thick. Continue to stir every now and then. 

As it cooks, it gets darker.

I warmed some wheat english muffins in the oven and cooked some eggs over-easy.

Cut your english muffins, biscuits or croissants in half, pour over the seasoned gravy and top with eggs. 

I like my gravy thick faux sho.

My love said he couldn't even tell it wasn't the real thing.

But it is real! It was a flavorful and delicious breakfast that filled us up and made us happy. 

That's all that matters.

Sunday night we made deviled eggs, grilled some chicken and vegetables and watched The League. We LOVE The League.

A great weekend spent mostly inside cooking, flirting, drinking wine, playing with the dogs and lounging on the couch.

How was your weekend?

Hair masks and face yoga

Last night I tried a hair mask with two extremely ripe bananas, 1/2 cup of raw honey and 1/2 cup of olive oil. I forgot about the bananas overtime so they were nice and black on the outside and extremely soft on the inside. I  smashed them with the back of a fork until smooth. Honey next, then olive oil. I drizzled in the olive oil and whisked vigorously,  much like a vinaigrette to get it nice and emulsified.

Do this in your bathroom over your sink and don't even attempt to stay clean. 

It gets a little messy..

Make sure you brush your hair before using this hair mask. The honey and banana gets sticky and if you do this with tangled hair... good luck.

Start at your roots and comb it through to the tip. I did this over the same bowl the mask was in to catch the mess. I got most of it back in the bowl..

Comb it all the way through on every side until it's completely soaked with the mixture. Leave it in for 10-20 minutes.

Warning: 

It starts to drip after a few minutes so keep a washcloth handy to keep your face and neck dry.

This is a silly picture but the reality of this hair mask says it all on my face. 

Sticky and runny..

After 10-20 minutes, thoroughly rinse, shampoo and condition.

Results: 

my hair does feel softer, more on my roots than tips. 

However my hair has natural ombre from neglect to recolor it so my roots are my natural color and my tips are still dyed. 

This morning while styling my hair, it does seem to be overall softer.

Maybe doing this once or twice a week would show better results.

This mixture makes about 3 cups. I used half and saved the rest in my refrigerator for another day.

Also, music and red wine made this experiment way more fun.

Now for Face Yoga...

I'm on day four of trying this exercise. I know it's too early to see results so I'm going to stick with it for a few weeks and see whats happens.

As of today, all I can say is my jaw and entire neck is sore.

Here are some embarrassing pictures of face yoga..

FIRM UP YOUR CHEEKS

take a deep breath in and puff as wide as you can. 

hold for 10 seconds, exhale completely. 

repeating this 10 times.

EYEBROW LIFT

pull back on pressure points.

repeat ten times a day.

KISSING FACE

strengthen jaw line.

when doing this, start in a kissing face and end in a tight fish face.

side note:

I washed my face last night in coconut oil instead of water and face wash for the second day in a row.

Start by pulling your hair back and out of your face. Get a nice dab of coconut oil and rub between your hands and all over your face. Take a soft wash cloth and wipe away the make-up and dirt.

For moisturizer I used all natural, organic almond oil.

This much oil will get in your hair so adjust accordingly.

This morning I moisturized with Avalon Organics Lavendar Luminosity Night Cream.

I love their products! 

I've had eczema since birth and these products are gentle on my skin.

And there you have it!

Weird photos and instructions from me.. bare face and half drunk.

Enjoy.