This photo was taken at Bidwell Park in the fall at dusk. I call it "Ghost Trees"

What a gorgeous day or rather past few days here in Southern California. How are you spending your day?  I have tp do a few household chores and then I'm off to spend some time in nature. When we lived in Chico, we lived a block from the park...it wasn't a typical park you find in cities. It called Bidwell Park and is 1 mile wide and 5 miles long. It has all kinds of bike trails and walking trails and is filled with lots of trees. At night deer and some coyotes wander down from the foothills and a few stroll and munch on foilage on our street. I miss that park.

Anaheim doesn't have a park like that but it does have parks with trees and thats good enough for me. There are hiking trails further out towards the foothills but its too far to go today.

Spending time in nature and hopefully away from crowds of people is a great way to recharge yourself...maybe even enjoy walking meditation.

If for some reason you can't get outside today...here is a video of birds chirping...I listen to it when I meditate sometimes.



Your comments are always welcome...please feel free to leave one.

xo   Inge


 

How to Beat Monsanto -The Solution to Failed Prop 37

This absolutely works! My grocery store now carries some non-gmo verfied foods.  Stores will sell products when their customers ask for them.

xo  Inge

Incredible act of love

I belong to a Facebook group called Random Acts of Kindness...here is link, if you want to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/109616479191514/?fref=ts



Someone posted this and I thought it was so awesome, I had to share with you. I think if we all behaved like this guy, the world would be awesome for everyone!


xo   Inge









 

Its Inspiration Monday!

You've heard about the Monday Blues...right? Well... I decided Monday is a great day for inspirational quotes....afterall there is soooooo much to be inspired about...if we really look. And don't forget to think about what you are GRATEFUL for...even if its being alive!  :)


 

and don't forget to "chill out!" watch some funny stuff and shake your booty this week!!!!


http://youtu.be/IO3zEeusKWU


xo Inge

Baby it's Cold Outside and that Means Chili...

Its bloody cold here in Southern California these days....ok -- it's not Minnesota cold -- but the reason we have over 8 million people living here is because of the great weather.  We Southern Californians aren't used to this kinda cold. Yesterday we were colder than Chicago!



Baby it's cold outside and that means its time for soups and chili. Here is my recipe for hearty vegan chili.



First thing in the morning (or you can do this the night before) is to soak fresh black beans for about 3 hours...then I boil them on low heat until they are fairly easy to smash with a fork. Since there is just me and my hubby, I start with a 1/2 cup fresh beans which turns into at least a cup after they are cooked.



When the beans are done I take out my large soup pot and pour in some olive oil...just enough so I can sautee an onion, which I already chopped up before hand.



When the onions are carmelized I throw in a 16 oz. can of organic tomatoes (any size will do...if they are whole tomatoes, I put them in blender for 1 second)


Then add 1/3 bag frozen organic corn (I buy mine from trader Joes)...stir in black beans and let simmer. If you want you can add chopped up organic potatoes to make it thicker. A green pepper is good too, but we aren't big on green peppers in this household.



So where's the chili seasoning???   I used to buy the ready made but now I make my own...I want to know exactly whats in my food. The ready made only list a couple of ingredients  and the rest are"natural spices"...ok, what constitutes "natura"l these days? After finding out what companies put into our processed foods...with the blessing of our FDA...I don't trust them...sooo I found this terrific chili/taco seasoning recipe from another blogger...you can find her over here... http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-chili-and-taco-seasoning/


For this recipe I use 2 heaping tablespoons chili mix...if you want more you can season to taste.



Here's how to make your own chili seasoning:

4 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons black pepper
 

this makes about 2/3 cup. I keep it in a ziplock baggie for future use.



Sometimes I add a tablespoon of vegan sour cream on top of my bowl. Yum!


xo     Inge


 

100 Days of Real Food

I found this article while cruising the internet.

"100 Days of Real Food: Easy Ways to Cut Back on Processed Ingredients"

You can find it here.... 

http://www.takepart.com/photos/avoid-processed-food?cmpid=tp-ptnr-foodbabe


and this article will make you think twice before you buy....

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hidden-ingredients-processed-food.html?page=2


xo      Inge



I almost forgot to wish you a  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday!

I love hearing positive news stories... we need more of them.

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/moms--kids-raise-money-to-fix-mr-mikes-smile


http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/12/gabriella-miller-9-year-old-s-dream-will-help-36-more-kids-to-make-a-wish--83395.html



Merry Christmas!!!

xo     Inge







 

The Amazing Transformation of a Guy Who Didn't Give Up!

 

 

 

 

So I wake up 6 a.m. Thursday morning with burning pain that radiates all over my intestinal tract. After 2 hours I realize I have to get checked out by the docter....all I can think about is my $831 share of cost and wtf am I going to do now. I am able to get an appointmentt with my primary care doctor who charges $100...(I have to pay up front) but she says my skin looks yellow and there is blood in my urine ( my pain is still a level 10)...so its 1 p.m. and hubby and I have to go to Emergency where I sit for 4 hours...its crowded and 2 people are in life threatening situations -- so I have to wait my turn....so finally at 9 pm I get morphine and anti-nausea meds.... a cat-scan and by midnight its confirmed....acute appendicitus. I get a room by 3 am and by 5:30 I am getting prepped for surgery. I have been technically awake for 24 hours and getting grumpy. I am also reminded of 2 years ago and all the tests and pain, and I feel myself getting emotional.. so I try to stay focused on what is happening now.

I am in and out of surgery within one hour and back in my room by 10 am. I can now eat liquids but I cannot get any sleep. Everyone and their mother keeps checking on me so by 3 pm, I tell my nurse I want to go home. I have to show them I can walk and eat more food. I am released 10 o'clock that night. My stomach is sore and I can't fit into my pants because I am swollen but I am home.

Moral to my story: I cannot worry about things I cannot control. My bills will take care of themselves. I am thankful it was only my appendix.... 2 years ago this December my diagnosis was much worse and I landed on my feet.