Running off the Grief

My Vibram "KSO's" (Keep Stuff Out).  They are vegan.  But now you have to check all of their "shoes" because they use Kangaroo leather (ick) on many.  But they still have "Vegan Versions" as well.  I love these and would wear them all the time but I think I have already "hippied" out too much for my poor husband, and probably need to sport some of my heel collection just a little more frequently. 

When I first heard how seriously ill my friend was, I thought I would do a juice fast, wake up early, do 90 minutes of yoga a day, and meditate.  You know, to clear my head & send good energy his way.  But instead, we hit the supermarket and made stops in the wine (Frey Organic) and junk aisle.  Okay, I have to clarify....I actually splurged on bunches of organic red grapes, organic blueberries, and sprouted corn tortillas....but still.  The "packaged" junk was "Flackers" (raw, vegan, flax crackers), Baba Ganoush (with tahini but no added oil), Kimchee, and a few spoonfuls of my husband's Veganaise stash.  But my point, instead of being disciplined, and turning inward.  We both watched bad tv & binged.  And drank a little, and basically did nothing (unless moping is "something").  No exercise.  No cleaning.  No getting outside (it was disgustingly hot anyway).  No calling friends.  Nada.

It got to be too much, so the night prior to his service, I located my FiveFingers and Garmin (I obviously need incentive), and hit the road.  I am not an OCD runner.  Probably because I get bored running where I think it's "safe" and my skin basically screams "Future Melanoma Victim".  So I don't even flirt with it.  But I am a "runner", in the sense that, if I feel the urge or need, my body will just go.  Well, it didn't seem like  my body that night. It just felt like something else carried my body.  Maybe it was because I eat well & am not dreadfully out of shape.  But I haven't really done any type of exercise lately.  I went 7 miles straight and only quit because it was getting dark outside.  At times, when I was really tired, bored, my body just took off sprinting. This was after doing one of the DVD's from the Supreme 90 dvd set (the 20 version of P90x).  Well, I didn't "Run off" the grief, but maybe I diluted it just slightly with a bit of physical exhaustion.

 I will write about Supreme 90 more in depth at a later time.  But yes, it was worth the 20 some bucks I paid for it.  But realize I am a sucker for anything sold on TV (I bought it through Amazon though) and I am a sucker for any workout thing.  Even though I am not a Workout girl now, but I basically think any purchase is "worth it" if I use it for awhile.  It's the little things that you do along the way, that keep your body working.  

 

Supreme 90

When I got home, I ate more blueberries.  Followed by watching (with my husband's coaxing) "America's Got Talent" and there was a woman on the show talking & having her parrot sing.   A parrot that looked very similar to my friend's parrot.  Followed by a hip looking woman belting out "Ave Maria".

 Flackers.  Raw Vegan Flax Crackers.  At 5.69 (retail at Whole Foods) not an item I have ever bought before.  But....since I knew I would be trying to "eat" the sadness away, figured I should try to prevent the "guilt".

 But that doesn't mean you can't make these for pennies at home!  Actually, 5 or 6 bucks for this wholesome stuff isn't expensive if you eat lunch out or grab a morning coffee.  It's just that I generally make trays of this kind of stuff really cheap, so I wouldn't buy this on a regular basis.

 They were tasty but hubby said mine were better.  I don't think so.  I have made lots of different types though & some turn out better than others.

 I also wonder about keeping the flax seeds whole.  Even though they are soaked & sprouted, do we get all the nutrients?  Does the soaking mean that we are able to get the nutrients from the whole seed?  It's easier to make them this way, but I think it may be better to grind the flax if you are in it for the Omega 3's.  Of course, maybe you absorb more of the calories if the flax is ground?

 Funny, the last few weeks have been terrible and I have totally neglected the garden.  Except some water & sprinkling of the DE.  But all of the rain made the garden thrive & now I have LOTS of smoothies here!  And Kale Chips!!  I actually pulled up a bunch of mustard because it seemed like it was taking over & I just can't handle mustard in my smoothies yet.  Although I used it to make "Everything Burritos" the other night & they were great.

 Square Foot Garden.  A technique that you mark each square foot, hence the name.  Use a special soil mix of compost, soil & vermiculite.  And you can plant 4-5 kale plants each square foot.  It's crazy!!  It seemed like the only solution for our complete lack of space & it did stop me from constantly looking for yards to buy without any regard to the living space that occupied the yard.

 This year we actually got the tomatoes planted a little bit more on time.

Another "binge" food.  Organic Sprouted Corn Tortillas.  They were 2 for 5 at Whole Foods.  Gluten Free and just pliable enough if they are heated.  Pair this with Scrambled tofu, mushrooms & onions, or Pinto beans made in the slow cooker and you have yourself super yummy, healthy food.

Some good news.....guess what Superwoman Singla is up to now????  She is going into hibernation and working on a "VEGAN INDIAN" book.  Seriously, I cannot wait!!  Remember, Anupy Singla is the Indian Slow Cooker Queen & most of those recipes are already vegan.  But an entire book that is vegan!!  It will not be all slow cooker food but a mixture of stove top & slow cooker.  Wow.  Think next winter might be even better than last winter!  Something to look forward to anyway.  And I bet that there will be lots of cancer fighting foods in her next book, just like there are in her current one!  Look to all the links on the right to see "Indian Slow Cooker" posts.


"The Indian Slow Cooker" by Anupy Singla





Just one of the many AMAZING vegan Indian recipes from the "Indian Slow Cooker" Book!
Kala Chana (Black Chickpea Curry)

Oh, and guess what Chicago peeps.  She is looking for taste testers.  So you know what?  That means that you may be eligible to pick up food, yes, homemade Indian Food, take it home, gobble it up, and report back to her via her blog about what you thought about all of it!!  Yes, you Chicago Peeps are SPECIAL!!  But if you want to get in on the action, then you must "Like" her Facebook Page, Indian As Apple Pie, and get in touch with this Punjabi Princess yourself.  You won't regret it.  Anupy is a beautiful soul & you will love her food & her upcoming book. Oh, Check out her "Spice Tins" with Standard Measuring spoons!!  Coming Soon!!!!

Well, I wasn't able to "Run off the Grief", but I was able to make myself kind of exhausted so my mind was sleepier.  And I guess that's all I can ask for right now.

Do you guys make Vegan Indian Food?? Have you tried Anupy's recipes?  What types of things do you do to handle grief or loss?  I wish I was the type to just do wheatgrass shots & stand endless hours on my head, but apparently I am more likely to watch "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss" or "Freaky Eaters" and pig out on Vegan Eats.  Bummer :(