Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

Mkay, so I think this post will be mainly pictures - yay! Gotta update you lovlies on my life and eating.

Oh real quick - I feel like I haven't commented on alot of blogs lately. :( That's completely unintentional. I always read through your posts once and then go back and comment when I have the time, but lately I've been forgetting and then I log on and I have a whole bunch of blogs backed up and then I'm like AAHH! And then I end up not commenting at all. So sorry!! I still love you guys!

Anyway, my Easter was nice and quiet. I got alot of "fun" reading time in and some yard work.

Me trying to fly my little kite that the Easter Bunny brought me...lol. It wasn't quite windy enough!

Easter eggs!!

Carrot cream cheese muffins for Easter breakfast.

Is it the Easter Bunny?!



So remember how I wrote about how we were redoing are side yard. Well here it is:

I LOVE the umbrella and netting over the patio - it makes me feel like I'm in a fairy house or something. The whole thing is a definite improvement over the dead grass that was there before!

And finally my mom's birthday cake (sorry this post is all over the place!)

My mom doesn't like cake, so this isn't an actual cake per say. Instead it's layers of meringue, chocolate  buttercream, penuche, and a chocolate/rice cereal mixture. It was basically all the cake fillings/icings that my mom likes without the cake. It was sooo sweet and rich, that we could only eat a little bit at a time (and we all have big sweet tooths (sweet teeth?) around here). But it was pretty amazing if I do say so!

Well, I'm going to try to post one more time before school starts again next week (already!). Then it's back to once a week. I was going to leave you with a picture of my halfway successful falafel attempt, but really, what can beat this?

<3

I Don't Think You're Ready For this Jelly

Ahh! So I can't believe that it's been a week since my last post. I was totally planning on posting alot because of spring break and all, but apparently time flies way too fast! Thanks for all your comments on my last post. I'm so glad you guys found it interesting. The philosophy is something that has to be looked at with an open mind, but I think it can be very helpful especially for people with food and weight issues. I think I'll do another post about similar stuff sometime - it was fun sharing what I'm learning!

I was originally planning on doing another kind of post with lots of pictures, but I never actually transfered them to my computer. :( Fortunately, this amazing girl tagged me with an AWARD! Thank you soo much L!

 (See my post title kinda goes with this...)

1. Post this award with the picture and name whoever tagged you in it

2. Do the STUFF

3. Award to 7 others and tell them you did so!

THE STUFF:

1. Name 3 things that are lying right next to you

2. Name 2 foods you cannot live without

3. Name 1 thing you did today

Okey-dokey here goes:

1. A book (yay for fun reading!)...

Peace bear...

And a large pile of (clean) clothes that you don't want to see!

2. Arg this is so hard, haha. Yogurt! and Soup! (ok, so that's more of a meal, but it still counts :)

3. Made a birthday cake for my mom - pics to come!

That was fun. :) Now here's my least favorite part of awards...tagging. I wish I could tag everyone!
I'm not sure who's already been tagged so just go with me here, haha.

Ash

Susan

Deb

Jess

Ashley

Hannah

Sia Jane

Ok have fun! That's all for now - I need to catch up on the Office and then to bed because I have skating and work tomorrow. Have wonderful weekend and a happy Easter!

<3

P.S. I totally just noticed how many exclamation points I use in my posts. I guess everything is very exciting! (!)

You'll Make Biscuits and I'll Make Tea

Spring Break! Yay! I wanted to post earlier, but I’ve been really busy even though I don’t have school. I have to catch up on life! J

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So I thought I’d do a slightly different style of post today since I have the time. Now, I know I moan and groan about school and tests and all that jazz, but the truth is I honestly LOVE what I’m studying. I’ve talked a bit about it on this blog before, but just to clarify I’m going to grad school to become an Acupuncturist and practitioner of Oriental Medicine. So that means I’m learning how to manipulate the body’s “energy” via the insertion of thin needles at specific points and supplement that with herbal prescriptions. It involves a lot of study because not only do we have to know the traditional Chinese theories, we also have to be familiar with the modern, “western” diagnoses, meds, and anatomy.



A part of the traditional Chinese way of thinking is that “food is medicine”. There are literally hundreds of herbs that are used in formulas, just like Western pharmaceuticals (although they usually don’t have all of the side affects and other bad stuff). But, aside from all the herbs, every food is considered to have certain qualities, both benefits and detriments, that contribute to our overall well being. So basically every food is considered an “herb”.

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Everything is given certain properties called temperatures and tastes. The temperatures (cold, cool, warm, hot, neutral) don’t have anything to do with the actual physical feeling of the food (although it can correlate), rather it refers to the foods’ affect on the body. For example, most meat and grains are considered warm and easy to digest and therefore good for people who tend to run cold. For “hot” people, though, this can be trouble. Raw fruits and vegetables and dairy products are cold and take a bit more work for the body to use. Great for people with warm constitutions, but not so great with cold people. (This is also why TCM doesn’t normally condone complete vegetarianism - it can be hard on the digestion and create cold problems)
The tastes of foods (sour, sweet, bitter, salty, spicy, bland) also play an important role in determining what that food can do.

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Here are a couple of websites if any of you are interested learning more:

http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/lifestyles/food_property_food_tcm.html
http://www.maryzhang.com/nutritional_food_groups.htm

Because of the many properties that each food has, there are really now “good” or “bad” foods. Yes, certain health conditions require more of one kind and less of another and people’s constitutions determine what is “best” for them, but really everything can be enjoyed in moderation. In fact, a “perfect” meal for the Chinese includes a little bit of every taste and temperature.

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Personally, I enjoy learning about all of this, but of course I don’t follow it to a tee. I would die if I couldn’t eat my daily yogurt (TCM doesn’t really like dairy products - too cold!) and sometimes I want piles and piles of hot ginger and cinnamon on my oatmeal. However, one thing I’ve found is that I feel a lot better when I cook vegetables rather than eat them raw. And I eat lots of soup and oatmeal because I end to run cold. I also love how this approach is not focused at all on calories or fat or carbs or any of that. They didn’t think of food as necessarily causing weight gain; it simply nourishes our the bodies. Basically, just eat everything in moderation, leaning more toward what your constitution thrives on. And it’s not a one size-fits-all plan either - everyone is different and needs different amounts of everything.

omg I don't think I could eat these - too cute!

So this post was super long, but I hope it was interesting! If you have any questions or thoughts I’d love to hear them.
I hope you all are having a wonderful week!
<3

Bloom In a Garden of Love

adorable!

A quick post to let you all know that I'm still here! I have one more final on Tuesday and then spring break. YAY!

I've had a pleasant couple of weeks, despite frantic studying and long test taking. Of course not everything is perfect, but that's what life is about, right? Taking the good and the bad, together.

We've (meaning my family and I) been working on home-improvement projects and yard work. I actually really love working around the house. It reminds me of my childhood, when we were constantly moving and fixing up whichever house we happened to live in at the time. I know more about kitchen and backyard remodeling than any person my age should and I'm very comfortable navigating the aisles of Home Depot! haha

I wish this was our yard! (source)



My mom has a green thumb so we always try to have gardens, both vegetable and flower. Right now we're making a little patio and gravel walkway in the side yard. Maybe I'll have pictures when its finished.

Do any of you like gardening?
Have you ever been involved in a home renovation? My family's done 5 major ones and countless little projects.

Anyway, I have a few topics that I really want to write about, so during spring break I might actually have the time!!

*hugs* to all!
<3