a little inspiration

Yellow roma tomatoes, sigh. Juicy produce is the epitome of summer. In this lazy season, we can find ourselves attending endless pool parties and barbeques serving the masses with macaroni, potato salad, pizza, hot dogs. Perhaps nothing so wrong with that, but I find these especially hot past few weeks make heavy, steaming foods unappealing. So I start going nuts---I mean, finding fruits and veggies to enjoy with this crunchy protein, clarifies the vegetarian. Perhaps it’s my adoration for pistachio gelato that has me drooling over this nut in warmer weather. If you haven’t already tried this easy-peasy pistachio-poppy seed fruit salad , start there. Then delight with me in the intriguing notion of pistachio pesto for an inventive summer pasta to accompany my favorite summer salad. Though divided into simple steps, this is a quick, hearty and healthy meal! To make this entire meal in about thirty minutes, make the best use of your time: 1.      ...

This week our little Bug is off exploring Oma and Opa's house, having a great time and enjoying his cousin and the great outdoors.  It offers us the chance to get to some projects that are just too dangerous or involved to handle with a two year old into every little thing.  It also gives us the chance to slow down and do some completely selfish things.  There are plenty of times that taking a break from taking care of everyone and everything else and being super selfish is the perfect thing to do.   While we work as fast as we can to take the bathroom apart and put it back together again looking better (hopefully) than ever before we also planned some things to reward all the hard work and effort.  The number one thing I was looking forward to when I knew we'd be sans child for a week was sleeping in.  For real.  Not only have I been able to sleep until I naturally get up (which is only about 8 anyway) but then I don't actually have to do anythin...

Cindy is one of my favorite people.  Full of passion and energy, she can be a force to reckon with.  Today she shares two amazing ideas for treats that will leave you satisfied and feeling good about yourself!    What could be a more perfect summer treat than a frozen goodie? But let's skip the sugar-and-fat laden dairy-based products in favor of creative treats that taste great and give us a healthy dose of things that are good for us. Homemade popsicles are the standard, sure, but I love something I can spoon out of a bowl, or drizzle with honey and nuts. Top with berries and mint. Or enjoy on its own for what it is. The following recipes are simple and quick, and involve basic, natural ingredients and a food processor. Banana Splitsville I learned this one from a mom with a lactose intolerant child. Her kids love it so much, they don't even beg for ice cream out on the road because it's "not as good as mom's." Three cheers for that, right...

I'm excited to announce that August is here and with it is a little treat I've been working on for you all!  I have asked four of my favorite cooks to come and share with us.  So this month, in addition to Wellness Wednesdays there will also be guest posts every Thursday filled with delicious and nutritious ideas for you just in time for the weekend.  And wow are they good!  I can hardly wait to share them. But let's not hurry this month along:  Let's make sure to take this last month of true summer with complete enjoyment.  Let's promise to get out there and make a little vitamin d every day.  Let's try to say "yes" more than we say "no."  Let's take a few moments at the end of each day and write down 3 things to be grateful for. I'll be back tomorrow with the first guest post and recipes.

{ I love this picture sooooo much.  Aren't they just so beautiful? } Yesterday I was swinging the Bug around in a circle and he told me, "Careful, mama."  I almost dropped him.  My child wants me to be careful?  Really? Last week he fell and cut his gum away from three teeth on the top.  It was pretty gory.  Amazingly a week later it is almost impossible to tell.  Sunday he broke out in hives.  They are almost gone now.  But you know, after the first day of both things he acted like nothing was wrong.  Because he is tough like that. Recently he started adding "y" to the end of lots of words.  Cuppy, trucky, Poppy (my favorite), sometimes even Mommy.  It is really, almost painfully, cute sometimes.  He asks us to sing, "Happy, Clappy" when he wants to hear "If your happy and you know it."  He prefers to mix the verses so he can clap, stomp and touch his nose all in one stanza. He doesn't want to get in the shower...

  Another area of primary food is movement.  Some people might call it exercise but I have a hard time spelling that word (the spell check gave me "excessive" and "exorcize" as options. ha!)  It is so interesting to me how all of the research I hear about "healthy" eating is always footnoted with something like, {blank} combined with moderate exercise leads to better health.  Really?  Maybe moderate movement is playing a bigger role.  But it is so hard to get people to start regular movement because just like diet overhaul it seems so overwhelming.  A gym membership, special clothes, looking like an idiot in front strangers.  Not even to mention the sore muscles.  And sweat!  Ug! I'm here to tell you something I heard forever ago that I feel really makes a difference.  It is a big secret- are you ready?  Okay- you are already moving everyday!  You might even already be "exorcising!"  I remember hearing this amazi...

toucan sunning , originally uploaded by Mr & Mrs Speeed .