Awesome food and other blabber

We (my little family of 5) went to Denver for my brother-in-law's wedding last month. I came home inspired and determined to live and even healthier lifestyle. I ordered Original Fast Foods, Took a major shopping trip to Costco and Smith's Marketplace, and we were off on a health adventure. Since then I have been dropping weight by the minute and I feel amazing. I have reached my wedding weight without even trying and I will be surpassing it soon. I don't miss meat- and even though we have a little once or twice a week, most of the time I don't even like it much. I don't really miss dairy much either. I love that our lifestyle isn't 100% and terribly stringent. I love that this book has opened my mind to the endless possibilities and variety that can be involved in a mostly vegan diet. One of my favorite recipes so far:

Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach and Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped or 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1-2 teaspoon canola oil (I used coconut oil)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder (1 and 1/2 for less spicy)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 lbs)
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (garbanzo beans)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, can substitute fresh if available
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
• basmati rice or brown rice, for serving

Directions

1. You may choose to cook the sweet potatoes however you prefer.
2. I like to peel, chop and steam mine in a veggie steamer for about 15 minutes.
3. Baking or boiling work well too.
4. While sweet potatoes cook, heat 1-2 tsp of canola or vegetable oil over medium heat.
5. Add onions and sauté 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
6. Next, add the curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon, and stir to coat the onions evenly with spices.
7. Add tomatoes with their juices, and the chickpeas, stir to combine.
8. Add ½ cup water and raise heat up to a strong simmer for about a minute or two.
9. Next, add the fresh spinach, a couple handfuls at a time, stirring to coat with cooking liquid.
10. When all the spinach is added to the pan, cover and simmer until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
11. Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the liquid, and stir to coat.
12. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until flavors are well combined.
13. Transfer to serving dish, toss with fresh cilantro, and serve hot.
14. This dish is nice served over basmati or brown rice.

It is so good.

Last week my mother-in-law, her sister Judy, and two of my sil's (and my darling tiny daughter of course) went to Omar's Living Cuisine in Sugarhouse, UT- right next door to my sister's The O2 Spa. Culinary Utopia! Honestly. The. Best. Food. Ever.
It's all raw and healthy so you don't need to skip dessert- and we didn't! We shared all our entree's and there was not one thing I didn't adore.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Rockin'!
1 bar ivory soap
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup baking soda
1 cup oxiclean free
1/8 tsp tea tree oil (optional) - (you can use any other essential oil of choice)

Grate the soap into a food processor, then add everything else and let the chopping blades to the rest. It took me about 5 minutes. Each load takes about 2 Tbsp.
Borax is like 2.68 a box (and that will last me a long time)
Baking soda we all know is super cheap.
The Oxiclean Free cost about 5 bucks for a bucket and the tea tree oil I just had.
Cost effective, environmentally conscious and works great so far!

Homemade cloth diapers

I'm in DIY mode. I'm finding better ways everyday. The new plan- homemade cloth diapers.
Even I though I was crazy at first. Then at a family reunion I approached the most natural DIYer in the family- my cousin's wife. She's a homebirther, a babywearer, and- it turns out- a cloth diaperer. My hero. I knew if anyone would be doing it, it was her.
She makes the coolest cloth all-in-one diapers I've ever seen and by the end of our conversation I was totally confident in my ability to do this. Turns out tons of moms to it and love it. My fabric is on it's way. PUL is the key (palyurethane laminated fabric). Not only easy, but WATERPROOF and fully machine washable! I can't wait to start sewing. I have my suede cloth inner linings all cut out. I'm using burley-knit terry as soaker pads and I've even got a great little recipe for cloth wipe solution. All of the fabric and notions cost me about $140 for about 36-40 diapers. And since little baby A is already into a medium size, they should last me into potty training.
It makes me feel good that I'm saving money and keeping that many more diapers out of landfills- plus its healthier for my baby!

Edit: I've been asked for more specifics...
Patterns and supply lists here: http://www.celticclothswholesale.com/fabric_2/PUL-Fabric-brDiaper-Making-Supplies.htm
Best prices here: http://www.diaperstash.com

I'll be doing a load of diapers every 2-3 days. Which leads me to my next bw epiphany... homemade laundry detergent. Recipe to follow.

The better way

We've all said it, "There's gotta be a better way."
My latest frustration is the same as all of yours- the fact that it costs me a good 7+ bucks to go visit my family half an hour away? That my car costs more to feed than my three kids do? That I fight back tears every time that little orange line inches closer to that looming white "E"?
All of the above, my friends. We're all feeling it. We're all hating it. And we're all wearing down the plastic trying to make ends meet while we do nothing to change it. We don't know what the crap to do!
The quote has been running through my head for months now-
"If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep on getting what you're getting."
I've seen it work that way in my life over and over. Once I make a shift, I get new results- it sounds so simple it's stupid, but for some reason all of us busy bees keep donking our heads into the glass thinking, "Maybe this time!"
My most prevalent small success was when I ditched my shoes some where abouts May of 2006. I had struggled with constant and sometimes debilitating hip pain for years and at the tender age of 23 had mentally sentenced myself to a life of dealing with it. Then the better way plunked down into my lap in the form of watching my crazy brother-in-law run a marathon barefoot. Long story short, the pain is gone and my feet are still bare 24/7 all because I dared to ditch the norm, ditch my kicks and start questioning. My quest began- find the better way.

I'm on the brink of another 'bw' (better way) epiphany. Some have already had this one or else it wouldn't be out there. My dilemma is simple and common- 3 kids, one car, one husband who works his hiney off 20+ miles away everyday, and not enough dough. We've been borrowing a second car from my in-laws and with the little brother turning 16 this year, our worry meter just went up. We have no money to buy a car and no money to pay for the gas. So I stumbled upon it the other day- maybe not the answer for everyone, but a possible answer for me- a natural gas car. If I can find a good used one and figure out the home phill station, the savings on gas would pay my loan payments for me. Now to get the hubby on board.

It's hard to take the road less traveled. It's hard, when the question comes, "Well if it's so great why isn't everyone doing it?" to answer, "Maybe because everyone is stupid in some way or another." We do what society tells us. We do what has been "proven" by average joe after average joe. Well I'm done with it. I'm questioning everything I can afford to question.

Join me. Maybe if we all start searching for a better way for something, we just might find one.