day 221 – Afternoon Deliciousness

The following ingredients were all organic unless I specify they are not.  Feeds about 2 or in my case, lunch, dinner and maybe tomorrow’s lunch depending on how hungry I am tonight.

1 cup sliced or diced yellow onions

½ cup sliced mushrooms

¼ cup dried, crushed tomato slices (I did not have organic on hand but feel free to find and use your own) or just add ½ cup fresh.

2 cups chopped, stem removed, red or green kale

1 Tablespoon avocado, coconut, ghee, olive oil or butter

1½ cups of water

1 Tablespoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon Turmeric

2 Tablespoons crushed Rosemary

Pinch of Saffron threads

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ cup coconut cream/milk (from a can)

2 cups quinoa/brown rice combination

For Vegetarians, stop there.  For fish lovers, add an 8oz. filet.  I had some wild caught orange roughy.

Very super simple:

Heat the oil over medium heat, add onions and mushrooms.  Toss and about 3 minutes later, add kale, garlic and turmeric.  Stir and cover.  After 5 minutes add tomatoes, water, rosemary and saffron.  Combine and cover so the flavors meld.  After @ 3 minutes, add coconut and lemon juice and season to taste.  Stop here if you are a vegetarian and enjoy over grains.  If you add fish, add here, season and cover for @ 3 minutes.  Lift the lid and turn the fish over.  I like to chop up the fish and let the flavors infuse the fish.

I just made this up and I believe the ingredients married well and I couldn’t have had a more healthy or delicious lunch.  Try it.

I always have to have dessert so I cut up 1 cup strawberries, mixed in 1/4 cup of raw cereal crumble from Mother’s, added 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup coconut milk (the kind in the carton – not organic btw).  Mmmm. Finished off with a decaf cafe/coco milk and stevia and wrote about it while sipping.  Buen Provecho!

Ahhhh. To live well and feel well!

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.

Who are these people in your life?  Stay close to them.

day 220 – Everyday

Everyday, I look for a gift.  What has the day brought me, I ask before putting my head to lie on the pillow.  What lesson have I learned, what task could I have done better, to whom do I need to make amends?  This has been my personal practice for many years, almost a decade.  It humbles, soothes and instructs me well.  Then, I thank my higher power for the day and for keeping me and mine in good health and safe.

Every morning, I ask for help, guidance and to be of service.  How can I put someone else’s needs before mine? What obligations need to be taken care of today and in what order of priority?  I check in with my attitude and adjust it.  My morning writing helps me to dislodge dusty spider webs from my mood.  When I don’t do my morning meditation or writing, it shows, just ask my family.   Allowing my human energy to release problems, judgments and fear through my morning writing practice opens my soul to perform daily events in a spiritually enhanced mode. Then, I start the day, knowing it will flow exactly the way it’s supposed to and all I need to do is get out of the way and put one foot in front of the other.

Does this scenario sound saintly?  I don’t manage to do anything perfectly but my aspiration to do the right thing, let things go and be grateful sometimes does click.  Today was one of those days, so far.  Granted, nothing pressing was on my plate but then again I have lived days where everything went awry even with little of note on the agenda.  I have survived days I didn’t think were possible with grace and ease because my connection to my inner strength was strong and unwavering.  I notice my day goes better when I ask for help, show my vulnerabilities and balance that with a confident awareness that I am loved.

day 219 – Used Books

“Nothing is lost upon a man who is bent upon growth; 
 nothing wasted on one who is always preparing for life. 
  By keeping eyes, mind, and heart open to nature, men, 
books, experience, and what he gathers, serves
 him at unexpected moments, is unforeseen.”

Hamilton Wright Mabie 

Yesterday I found a treasure trove of books to be had for reasonable donation prices at the local, small town, Mountain Library.  After purchasing two paperbacks from the outside cart, the manager asked if I had ever been to their surplus, discarded bookstore.

I believe I had entered this magical room once with family and promptly was rushed out –  but this time I was alone and he fortuitously reminded me of it.  I could carve out time on my hands since I had no pressing plans and took advantage of it by peering at every title and even perusing inside some volumes.

Needless to say their donation box and my tree house shelves are richer.  Like a squirrel that has found the mother lode of nuts, I stacked my selections on their round table in the center of the room and couldn’t believe my luck.

They graciously helped me out to my car and I contentedly organized them once home. Super day!

I envision curling up on the deck when the weather is pleasant and curling up by the fireplace when it is not.  In either curling, there will be much and various tomes to sink into.

I am keeping my eyes, mind and heart open to nature, women, books, experience and what I gather, serves me at unexpected moments.

day 218 – Re-Direct

As you can see by my new title and website domain name, I have officially changed to a more focused but still all encompassing blogging site.

In the next few days and weeks, I will be re-configuring, re-developing and re-designing the look, layout and content.

I aim to have headings you can click on to and read by category.  I will update with new pictures and written work daily as usual (that’s a commitment to self) but I’d like to eventually have it arranged in some sort of order under a designated section.

This is my goal and I have a vision.  It might take some time to mutate and transform, but a new and improved animal will emerge.

So I ask, dear reader, please be patient with me during this process.

Whether you type in ceciliabsteger or ceciliabsteger.com, you will be re-directed or directly sent to this site.

This is a timely endeavor as we are in Mercury Retrograde and according to my astrologer, ML(BFF extraordinaire), it is a great time to re-do, renew or review absolutely anything and everything.  So, if you have plans to re-model, re-invent yourself or repair anything….this is an auspicious time to do so.  But, not a good time to purchase machinery, electrical or technical products.  Apparently, this time period extends till the middle of July.  Take advantage of successful renovations in these propitious times.

Wish me luck!

Cecilia

 

day 217 – Happy Father’s Day

To all those wonderful dads out there, Happy DAY!

My own wonderful husband is at the Angel/Yankee game with his son.

His daughters lovingly drew him homemade cards that would put Hallmark to shame.  Plus, they were super personal.  They gifted him with a Champagne Brunch and Kayaking where we can all enjoy food and the outdoors.

I wouldn’t be a mom if it wasn’t for my husband. And, I couldn’t have raised such extraordinary kids without his foresight, good old common sense and initiative.

My dad passed away back in 2004.  I remember with nostalgia, his dry wit, intelligence and ability to fix or make anything he put his mind to.

Happy Father’s Day!

day 216 – Blackberries

Could anything be better than the sweet, tangy, tart and sublime taste of fresh blackberries right from the vine?Try them with organic yogurt, raw organic chopped nuts, organic cinnamon and a little Stevia.  Berries of all kinds can be eaten in salads, smoothies and to top your cereal or ice cream.  Enjoy the health and goodness of the season!

day 215 – Sunflowers

All’s well that ends well – ne c’est pas, Shakespeare?

I get more bizarre every day……

My friend/walking buddy J’s brother planted these sunflowers from seed for their mom and then took these pictures.  Notice the bee in the middle of the lemonade colored sunflower head.

We need bees in order to exist – go out there and garden!!!

Plant seeds, sow plants, maybe even take up beekeeping.  Just a thought!

Walking, last minute shopping, training, meeting with women friends, prepping for our party, attending other party – woohoo!

day 214 – Grad Nite

My last chickadee graduated like her siblings, with honors, medals and proud family in the stands!

Congrats to all the Grads – whatever age, whatever grade – for it is always an accomplishment!

It seems just like yesterday we attended their kindergarten graduation.  We are looking forward to the next chapter.  We shall continue to root, encourage and attend important life moments!

day 213 – Back on the train gang

I’m back.  I feel my groove.  I got the burn going on. And all because I started training with J again today.  I went back to her for five good and simple reasons:

1) I was getting flabby.  At my age, a few weeks of time away from weightlifting or resistance training are quickly and unfavorably noticeable.

2) I am not, on my own, motivated, willing or disciplined enough to work out and put myself through pain – for any gain.

3) I missed her terribly.  She had become a confidante, a kindred spirit and a trusted fellow sister.  I look forward to our time together more than the actual exercise or I wouldn’t go at all.

4) I get results.  Consistency and proper form is extremely important to her. The Quality of my silhouette while performing matters more than the quantity of my repetitions. I learn how to not hurt myself and retrain my body’s posture.  I was starting to hunch forward again and I need the reminders.

5) Training with J helps me feel confident, capable and strong.

We have many aspects to our health – Mind, Body, Spirit.

When it comes to the body, I know for me, I need four areas of attention: the walking/aerobic exercise, the whole organic nutrition, stretching and the resistance/weight training.  All of these in combination make for a happy, healthy Cecilia.

Thank you J, my walking buddies and everyone that cheerfully applauds, prays, stimulates and roots for my finest health!

day 212 – Parsley

There are two types of parsley, Italian Flat Leaf and Curly Decorative.

One cup of minced fresh parsley contains more beta-carotene than one carrot, double the vitamin C of an orange, and more calcium than an equal amount of milk and twenty times more iron than 3 ounces of liver.

Best way to get that much parsley?  Eat tabouli!!

My absolute favorite tabouli that I compare to every tabouli in the world is from Zena’s in Orange on the corner of Tustin and Meats. The food is Lebanese and their tabouli is mom’s secret recipe. And the best ever!

Parsley tea is used as a tea in Germany and China because of its diuretic properties.  Just steep two teaspoons of fresh parsley in one cup of water and steep covered for ten minutes.  This helps if you are retaining water.

Parsley is a native of the Mediterranean and needs at least six hours of sun but in sunny So Cal you can get away or may even need to shade it for the better part of the day during the summer.  You can grow it year round here, actually.  Wherever my cilantro grows in the winter is where my parsley does best in the summer.

Parsley has a mild green flavor, a sweet, fresh taste and works in most dishes, cold or hot.  Use it in salads, omelets, soups, stir-fries and as a garnish.

Keep it fresh by placing the stems in a long glass of water and store it in the fridge, just like a bouquet in a vase.

The French mince fresh parsley, shallots and/or garlic and add Persillade to soup, a sauté or any dish at the last minute of cooking.  The Italians combine minced fresh parsley with garlic and lemons zest and add Gremolata atop fish for a burst of flavor.

Fines Herbes is a mixture generally used in egg dishes.  It combines dried parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon.  You can make your own either fresh or dried.  It is basically equal parts parsley and chervil, for example ½ cup each, then half of that of  chopped chives, or for the example, ¼ cup.  Then add a few chopped tarragon leaves and voila, Fines Herbes for your next cheese soufflé, omelet or scramble.  Fines Herbes is also delicious with fish.

For both Persillade or Gremolata, Saute briefly 2 cloves of garlic, minced.  Then add 2 Tablespoons of chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of grated lemon or even orange zest (according to taste and zip you want to achieve), ¼ teaspoon of salt and blend raw or sauté briefly.   Either is legal.  Add some lemon juice to make it more tart.  Refrigerate in a covered jar for up to five days.  Goes great with everything.  Just dip into it with plain old French or Italian bread served warm.  Yummy!