Power Trip

03 November 2014

This summer, every time I turned around, I saw a cardinal (cardinals happen to be my power animal). When I looked it up, I discovered that cardinals represent searching for confidence and self esteem/worth. I believe my Summer was that time for me. It was a period of adjustment following graduation and a time for me to step into my self...

I think sometimes that is all a situation is meant to be. I spent a season getting back to who I want to be; who I have been becoming. I was challenged with a lot of different ways of being and thinking and in the end, I chose mine.

Today, I start (another) new job...this time, I am learning how to do the baking for the cafe I interned at during culinary school. I did not expect to go back there but everything seems to be a surprise lately. 

So, I am embarking on another culinary adventure :)

XO

AND today I am happy to announce that FAY PETERS is the winner of 6 free health coaching sessions with me! I used a random raffle generator called "RandomPicker" to get the results. Congratulations FAY! I will be getting in touch shortly :)

Creative Collaboration

22 October 2014

Design by Erin McAuley

For a while now I've been sure I wanted to collaborate with others on special projects. I've discussed joint workshops and classes for making herbal stuff and book projects...etc, etc. Now, a couple of those ideas are starting to take shape...

I actually do have a book project with a wonderful artist friend of mine (Erin) beginning to take shape. It will deal with seasonal eating and supporting and nurturing ourselves through not only seasonal changes but life changes. Guided manifestation, if you will. I am very excited about this.

I will be talking more about that later, since we are still working out some of the kinks (including naming the project!!) but one of the by-products of that collaboration has turned into a Tumblr blog between Erin, Myself and a new friend named Nathen, called The Wayfarer's Journey Braid. We will share stories about our journies, ask questions and post about our other projects too. I love the idea of getting the readers involved with the evolution of the finished products as well as participating in a real-time soul journey...allowing things to unfold.

One of my interests in health coaching is to help my clients lead a creatively balanced life...whatever that means for each person. Whether it be with writing, music, art, cooking...the list can go on and on and be totally outside the box.

So, come check out The Wayfarer's Journey Braid! We look forward to sharing our journeys.

XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE! The October edition will be out soon!

Clean as You Go

21 October 2014

Under the Abbey Kitchen Table, Iona

 
I seem to be experiencing a little bit of a parallel in my life. In class we are encouraged (actually, required) to clean as we go. Some of us are better at it than others...

I am good most of the time. Sometimes I am delayed by other people's procrastinating...sometimes it's a perfect storm of delaying at the 3 compartment sink.
 
I find that I am much better at moving and cleaning up for others than I am for myself. I don't want to inconvenience or disappoint so I expend all my energy cleaning up, etc. for others while letting my stuff pile up. Things like cleaning up/organizing my space, drinking my herbal teas, working on my health coach website/marketing/this blog, etc all get pushed back until after I have done everything else and then I have very little energy for it all. It piles up because I haven't been cleaning as I go.
 
It's a great lesson for me as a future health coach because one thing I always tell people is that they must take time for themselves in order to be able to be there for others...rather than draining their energy on everyone else before even checking in to see what THEY need. It seems I need to start walking my talk once again.
 
Now...the trick is to find that balance within my current, busy, schedule. To carve out the time I need for me, while still honoring all the other commitments. My biggest fear is that I will let someone down.
 
My friends know that i am not one who makes "to do lists," but I think it's time to buy a planner...



"Wasting Thyme" in The Abbey Kitchen, Iona


XO

P.S. You can check out my new health coaching addition to The Lion's Share HERE. It's a work in progress :)  

Many Happy Returns

20 October 2014

Sam is happy with his new digs


Hello everyone! I am happy to say that things are looking brighter in my world. As you all know, I'd been contemplating making a change and then made a leap. Now I am settling back in for a more balanced life...

As I wrote on Friday (Culinary Pursuits), I had made a leap of faith to leave my personal chef job and move back into town. I had worked at a place called "Healthy Chef Meals" in Shreveport for a day try out. Luckily, they called me back for a full weekend try out and I have been asked back. So things are good there. It reminds me of working in the Abbey Kitchen a lot because it is all bulk...not a cooked to order restaurant. It is also vegan...which will be a great experience for the health coach part of me as well as the cook!

Sam and I also returned to the house I was living in during culinary school...so he has another puppy to play with. Moving back into town seemed like the best option to spread my wings and step more fully into the lifestyle and work that I have been training for the past couple of years.

I will have to find another job because Healthy Chef is only three days a week, but I took the chance because it is more in line with the kind of kitchen work I enjoy (I am happy to say some possibilities have already opened up). I am also going to take the extra time to work on myhealth coaching (marketing!) and special projects (unfortunately, I had very limited internet where I was living which was putting a strain on my coaching and working on this site).

I knew I was doing the right thing because as soon as I made the break, new opportunities flowed towards me and the signs all pointed towards a YES. I'm also much happier being closer to friends and things to do. I am a person who needs people.

So, today is all about settling back in, un-packing...catching up on web stuff...getting back to life.

Found on Facebook - Author Unknown

XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Culinary Pursuits

17 October 2014

Creative Cuts


This week has been a bit of a whirlwind, so forgive me for not having a recipe or a meal to share on here today. For the past 4 and a half months I have been working as a personal chef for one household and as of this past Tuesday, I have left that job...

As I had mentioned on here, I was feeling isolated and needed to make some changes...and some changes I have made.

Things are still up in the air, but I am sure that I have made the right choice. After all, part of my health coaching thing is to "Create a Healthier Lifestyle by following your bliss," and I was feeling less and less blissful every day. I needed to step up and take a leap of faith...open up the energy so that new things could flow to me.

And new things are indeed flowing. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I have been doing some trial work with a vegan meal service in Shreveport and there are a couple of other possibilities in the mix. I am also going to work more on my coaching plan and an awesome project that I have started with a friend (more on that later).

I will keep you all posted as to where I end up!

Some important things I have learned through all this, is that I can stand up for myself and make decisions that benefit my life, I have some lovely friends who are there to help me and genuinely care about my happiness, and that once you know what you need to do (and take action) things can change in the blink of an eye.

Life is good.

XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.

AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Peace of the mossy stones to you

15 October 2014

My California Friend's Bathroom Window


As I write this, I am feeling a wee bit stressed out. I have been feeling unhappy and putting in some effort to change that and while I type and schedule this blog post, I am in a time of flux. Hopefully, by the time it posts, things will have taken a new and positive turn...

So, in that spirit I am doing a Wednesday love and gratitude post.

I am grateful for all I have; my wonderful friends and family who are there for me when I need a helping hand or someone to talk to and I am grateful for the results that have come about when stating my intentions and asking for help.

What are you grateful for?


XO


P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

I’m a Person Who Needs People

13 October 2014

 Iona Sheep - 2012


When I think about the best times in my life…they were/are always group activities…

One of my best birthdays was on Iona with a  big group of vollies gathered in the common room over cake and music. Camaraderie inside and Scotland outside. What could have been better?

I am struggling with feeling isolated right now and making very deliberate efforts to get out and be with people and friends until I find work within a team once again. Church and Choir are a definite life-line.

I know that nothing will be quite like working in the Abbey Kitchen…maybe no more impromptu dance routines to ABBA by the housekeepers during lunch prep…where does that happen often??? But I do miss having co-workers. When I worked at TV Guide, we would go out and play darts and organized a knitting circle. I went through some of my biggest life changing experiences while working with others and I am better for being involved in these relationships. 

This has been a big revelation to me in terms of creating my own business, too. I was worried that I just didn’t enjoy work, no matter what the job. You know, as soon as something becomes your job, you lose your passion for it. But I am fast realizing that it’s that I don’t want to do it alone…


XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Just Eat Real Food

10 October 2014

Treat Yourself to Something You Made


I want to talk, again, about eating real food and enjoying the heck out of it. I am not one for counting calories (as a cook I love to eat) but I do want to educate people about real food and why it’s so much better…

I am surprised on a daily basis by how confused people are about what to put inside their bodies. Now, I know that most people won’t go my route and start scratch cooking and making their own cleaning and beauty products but I would love to see more people at the grocery store with their carts full of simple, real ingredients instead of boxed meals and 12 packs of soda. The chemicals in packaged foods are way worse for you than, say, an avocado.

It really isn’t that much harder to cook for yourself…or invest in some higher quality prepared foods (it will save you money in doctor’s bills later).

I have actually been thinking that if I pursue the personal cheffing thing more in the future, it will be to create prepared meals for people. My bigger dream is to teach people how to cook healthy, budget friendly meals for themselves…and how to create a healthy pantry of go-to items.

I also want to encourage people to sit down and enjoy their meals instead worrying about what they are putting in their bodies. Food is phenomenal and should be savoured! 

A mindful meal can also be a form of meditation where you centre and check in with yourself. Eating this way helps develop your body’s intuition for what it needs and what it won’t tolerate. It’s taken me a while to shift my system into this place but it happened, and it will happen for you if you really want to take the time and make the change.

XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Finding my Voice

08 October 2014

 Learning how to tell it like it is...


I think that one of the reasons I am in the situation that I am in, is to reclaim and find my own voice…

One way I’ve been doing that has been working with Sam in obedience classes and at home. I don’t like yelling…it’s not really in me…but I had to find a way to talk to him so he would listen (for his safety and my peace of mind). We took a beginner obedience class together and it really helped us bond. Since (I think) he was abandoned, the exercises and even riding in the car, created more trust between us.

Now, I have decided to take voice lessons through the church I’ve been attending. I’ve been singing in the choir for about a year, and love it, but it is way easier to blend your voice in with the group than make yourself vulnerable and sing all alone. This has been a fear for YEARS, but I have also craved being heard (in more ways than one).

Writing this blog was a first step in making my opinions heard and not really caring what other people thought. I used to be terrified to not have the popular opinion. Then I moved on to writing some TV show recaps for True Blood when I worked for TV Guide Magazine. That was scary because it was a popular show and people can get VERY passionate about their shows.

I’ve also written poetry for years and have always been so in love with songs that pair beautiful poetry with stunning music. You feel the words on a much deeper level when this is done effectively.

AND, I have loved singing for as long as I can remember…but I mostly do it by myself or under cover of the choir. It’s a form of creation that heals you from the inside out. For me, singing brings a sense of inner joy that  I don’t get anywhere else. Sometimes all it takes is a well timed show tune in my car to set things right again.

SO…I am taking the plunge into voice lessons and super grateful for the opportunity.  I am a little nervous about the expense in the wake of my recent employment decisions, but I have that same inner knowing that this is something I need to do as when I decided to take my first herbal medicine class. And we all know how important that turned out to be!


XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Living from the Inside Out

06 October 2014

Maybe I'll try that way...


No one ever said that living a mindful, heart centered life was easy. In fact…it’s really hard. Some days are so full of joy you can’t believe you’ve created such bliss and other days you wonder how you’ll get to that next happy place…

I am currently in the valley instead of on the mountain top. The impatience I am feeling while looking at that next peak from the ground is wearing me down.

My most recent mindful choice has to do with my relatively new job as a personal chef. I had promised a year but it was quickly proving to not be a good fit for me. In the past I would have suffered through for fear of going back on my word, but after my last unhappy work phase of three plus years…I decided I had to be true to myself (as I read on a Facebook friend’s wall this morning, if there is no purpose, there is no joy). I know that the money I am earning has a purpose because it is paying my bills (I paid off my health coaching tuition!) but there is no joy and my happiness has always come before money. I am willing to live on less if it makes me happier. I have worked very hard over the past few years to be who I am and I think I forgot for a little while, blinded by the insecurity that sometimes comes with starting a new job. 

Not to worry…I am not going to be irresponsible. I am looking for new opportunities before leaving and the need to create my own business drives me as well. I am hoping to find a balance…and get myself into a situation where I will continue to learn and grow and find purpose (and pay my bills, and return to Scotland).

I am seeing the results of intention once again, as well. As soon as I made the choice, and said I would be pursuing other avenues, friends came out of the woodwork to offer their help and possible opportunities. I have also taken the time to update my resume and finish my first health coaching brochure.

One of my biggest motivators to make a change was the fact that as a health coach I want to support people in following their bliss to find their purpose. I need to walk that same talk or I’d feel like a fraud.

Wish me luck!!!


XO

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for a change to win 6 free coaching sessions! Click HERE for more details.


AND, If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

My Creative Side will not be Denied

01 October 2014

Just another day at work


I have been very lucky the past year. When I needed a low key part time job, I found one and it allowed me to use my brain creatively but in a different way from cooking so I could decompress from school a bit before going hitting the homework in the evening…

Creating visuals is in my blood and not something I ever want to give up. Plating food is an extension of this, but sometimes I just want to get paint on my hands.

One of my favorite things to do is to distress and antique things. I designed and painted my very first coffee table, which now sits in storage…

Hmmm. I think I need to plan a trip to Michaels….

XO


If you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Handmade

24 September 2014

A Christmas Gift for a Friend


I actually began LionArt Creations by making Christmas gifts for my family. I never thought it would evolve into what I am now. Art and creating things has always been a part of my life…it is another thing that makes me feel like myself and I love giving handmade gifts to the people I love. It seems kind of appropriate that I started out wanting to make beautiful things to share…

There is something so grounding about getting my hands dirty in a creative project. I remember loving having charcoal on my hands as I walked to Math class, back in high school.

I’ve been thinking about how a lot of what I do now is almost a throwback to the high school me. Sitting in choir practice brings me back to evening orchestra rehearsal and working at Shelby Lane’s Closet reminded me of all the creative things I used to do…just as naturally as breathing. Being the temporary Craft Worker on Iona also brought me back to that world.

I want to involve all these things in my health coaching program, somehow.

I am currently in the very beginning stages of a collaborative creative project with a very talented friend of mine. Hopefully we will be able to share details and involve you all in the process very soon!!!


XO


If you haven't already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE! The September issue will be out soon!

My Soul’s Purpose

22 September 2014

Old Friends


That’s me with The Lion of Scotland in St. Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh, 2011. See that look on my face? That is pure ME, walking the path of my soul’s purpose (not that I knew it at the time)…

Once again I find myself in the position of fighting for who I truly am. Every day I am trying to connect to what it is I am meant to do in this world. I know I am closer but it doesn’t make the present an easier place to be.

I’ve spent the past 2 years pursuing a new work path, starting with my volunteer time in Scotland. When I had to return to the states I floundered a bit before deciding on health coaching and culinary school. I knew I wanted to use what I had learned during my herbal apprenticeship in combination with health coaching and cooking to help people create happier and healthy lives. Now, two certificates later, I am still struggling to put together my program. I can feel the essence of how I want to work with and help people but I am having a hard time putting it down on paper in the form of an actual program or class.

I know that I want to work as part of a team once again (something I miss terribly right now working as a personal chef). I also know that I want my classes or workshops to create community within the group. I learned a lot about sharing a common life on Iona and realise that I operate at my best as part of the group.

I know I want to go back to Scotland. The mere thought of booking my next plane ticket is keeping me going right now. 

And..I know I want to work with you! I want to let you in on the secret I discovered a while ago…that following your bliss and taking personal responsibility for your life will transform you. I want to support you in that journey by sharing mine, struggles and all, because sometimes following your bliss is not an easy thing to do…but when you acknowledge what you really want…it becomes necessary. It becomes your soul purpose.


XO


If you haven't already signed up for my free newsletter, you can do so HERE! The September edition will be out soon!

AND, if you'd like to work with me, you can find out more info about health coaching HERE.

Making Music

17 September 2014

One of my old violin pieces


I grew up in a very musical family. It was never a question of whether or not I would play an instrument, it was which one would I choose. I also loved singing but was forced to choose between chorus and orchestra when I got to middle school...

In high school, I could have auditioned for chorus but my shyness kept me from trying. I auditioned for orchestra festivals all throughout school but there is something about singing…being a lone voice in front of other people. It still scares me. Being in the church choir is a blessing because there were no auditions!

I got involved with the staff choir while I was on Iona. It was one of my favourite parts of the week. It was usually a really small group and we would practice, without music, late on a Saturday afternoon and perform during the welcome service that evening…sometimes 20 minutes later. It was pretty exhilarating. Music was all around me during my time on Iona. You could be sitting near the music director in the refectory and be asked to join in on the music that evening. I remember sitting on the steps in the Abbey at Christmastime, listening to a rehearsal of “What Child Is This,” and then found myself singing with the group on Christmas Eve. Pretty cool :)

I really missed being a part of a musical group when I got back from Scotland, so when I started going to church down here in Louisiana I took the opportunity to join the choir and I’m so glad I did! Music is such a healing force. Choir rehearsal and Sunday service is one of the few forms of community I have  since finishing culinary school. Raising a joyful noise is more precious than most understand. Even singing in my car or when I clean or cook is transforming. 

Right now I am thinking about pushing my comfort zone and taking some voice lessons over the coming months. Let my voice be heard.

My Mom recently ran into my former violin teacher and told her I’d brought my violin down here. Her response was happy because she said I’d always had a lot of music in me. That made me smile. I have scared myself and played my violin at one service this past year…I need to practice that more, too…but that’s another story…


XO

If you haven't already signed up for my newsletter, you can do so HERE!

Come On Get Happy

09 September 2014

We have it pretty good


Let’s face it, we are primarily a negative society. I have worked very hard at turning this around in my own life…

For a long time now, I have written gratitude lists. I have posted them on Facebook and a message board I used to belong to (as a way of publicly sharing) and I have written my gratitude down in journals. All these things are helpful in keeping the happy flowing and reminding me how good I have it.

Right now I have a very official book with the dates  on each page and a little quote or idea, to promote happiness and gratitude, typed out above some lines for me to write down my own happy moments from that day.

But wait! There's more! I also have a free app on my phone called “Happier.” Happier actually reminds you to share a happy moment a few times a day and even gives you prompts. The app also reminds you of happy moments you’ve posted in the past to lift your spirits! Another fun thing is that some virtual confetti shimmers down after you post. I’ll admit…I like watching the confetti fall.

I found this app when I was on vacation in Arkansas with a friend last Spring Break. It was super easy to find happy moments to post then, but the trick is to find those moments even when you’re not feeling so happy because THAT is when you need to remind yourself. It helps, I promise you. This is a little thing that has big payoffs. Feeling happy makes you feel less stressed, which improved your overall health!

XO

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, you can do so HERE!

Feeling Fulfilled

03 September 2014

Hard at Work in the Studio


One of the things I’ve come to realise is that I need to nurture my creative side in order to feel complete…

I’ve been very lucky this year with finding a part time job painting and joining the choir at church. These things fill in so many blanks. So much so, that I want to somehow include this in my health coaching program. I want to help people lead a balanced life…including tapping into their creative side, whatever that may be.

This is just in the beginning stages of an idea. That’s all I have. But I know it’s an important link in the chain.

What makes you feel creatively balanced and fulfilled?

XO


P.S If you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter, you can do so HERE! 

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

01 September 2014

One of the reasons I left everything back in 2012 to run off to Scotland was so I could love what I do. And I did!!! I had difficult moments, but overall I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else...

So what do I do to reach a zen state when I am not in Scotland? After all, doing what I did and quitting it all to run away is not always an option. We need to find ways to love what we do when what we do isn’t all that loveable.

I find that adding music into the mix helps me tremendously…and if I can sing along, even better!

When I worked my cubicle job I started putting one earbud in so I could have music in one ear and leave the other free for work related stuff.

These days I have an arm band for my iPhone so I can listen to music while I clean.

Another thing that helps is cultivating an attitude of gratitude…such as “Hey, I’m getting so much exercise while I clean…lots of moving around and I can sing along!” or “I’m paying down my debt more and more each day I work and there’s no awful commute!” Etc, etc…

These little things can make the world of difference (at least until I’m ready to run away again ;).

XO

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, you can do so HERE!

Now Presenting

22 August 2014

Tomato Salad


I never REALLY thought about plate presentation before culinary school, which is funny because I’m an artist…

I used to see the beauty in the food by itself. The colors and the texture…just as it was in the pot or mixing bowl. In school I had to look at it in a different way…how it would look on the plate, not just how it would taste on the palette.

I admit…I struggled! I don’t know why. I think maybe it was more nerves and internal pressure combined with comparing myself to some of the other students. I eventually relaxed and got better at it. Now that I am working by myself I get to practice plating every night and it seems to come more naturally to me. I enjoy making my food look good.

However, I sort of miss the simple beauty of big bowls of delicious food put out on a table for everyone to share. I think my heart lies there more than individual plates of perfection.

But…everything is a learning experience and a piece of the larger puzzle.


XO

You can find me on Instagram (lionartcreations) if you’re interested in checking out some of my plates!


 P.S. If you haven't already signed up for my monthly newsletter, you can do so HERE.

Birthday Reflections & Bio Writing

18 August 2014

On a walk in Crianlarich, Scotland - September 2012


Today I turn 36. Thirty Six!!! Yikes. I am now closer to 40 than 30...but that's okay. I'm also closer to bliss than I used to be too. Today I am choosing to be grateful and remember that. I have also taken the time to reflect on who I was, and am, not only for my birthday but to re-write my biography for this website and and health coach marketing materials I create going forward. This is not an easy task for me...I tend to procrastinate...

I started writing an outline and it felt too much like a resume...and impersonal...so then I turned to writing it like a blog post. I think this comes closer; the long version. I will continue working on it in the coming days until I have a new, shorter, version for my "About" page.

Some other thoughts that have been knocking around in my brain are all about radical self acceptance. I figure that there are certain things I do and feel that will likely never change...so I am going to embrace them. I decided to list 36 :D

1. I will probably always have dishes in my sink...either clean or dirty...until I get a dishwasher. 
2. I will always miss Scotland when I am not there and will always be planning my return.
3. I am a bit of a pushover when it comes to dogs and animals. I want them to feel loved so I let them have their way (I must fix this now that I have Sam).
4. I enjoy sleeping without setting an alarm clock...but also enjoy having morning time. I used to be a night owl, in my younger days :)
5. I tend to be much better at expressing my feelings through writing.
6. I sometimes close myself off so I won't get hurt. Again, having Sam is a big deal when it comes to this.
7. I only take a new bio pic when I'm in Scotland. I feel completely myself there and it shows in the photographs.
8. I think flying is exciting and I am missing airports right now.
9. I don't enjoy cleaning but make the best of it.
10. I don't enjoy hot locations...it's funny I'm in Louisiana right now.
11. I miss having a best friend.
12. I love real books but have embraced my iPad since I travel so much.
13. I don't like having most of my stuff in storage, but don't really remember what I have enough to miss any of it.
14. I need so much less than I used to think I did...as in STUFF.
15. I feel like I am on the right path even on the days I feel so far away from my goals and dreams.
16. I miss going out to eat. Sometimes I like having someone else cook for ME.
17. I love watching my favorite shows, but don't feel as attached to the TV as I used to.
18. I love wearing wellies and foul weather gear.
19. I love, and miss, my northeast and Scotland clothes.
20. I do, however, also miss some of my nice clothes. I haven't worn heels in a while.
21. I don't bother with makeup most of the time and don't really care.
22. I like it when my time is my own and I still want to have my own business.
23. I love seeing new places with friends...hanging out over beers and food in a foreign place is one of my favorite things.
24. I tend to take things personally but am working on it. Everyone has their stuff.
25. I am a worrier. Right now, I worry about Sam :)
26. I work hard at being happy and fall short some days.
27. I cannot be a fake friend. If you are my friend I hold you in high regard.
28. Sometimes I just like doing nothing.
29. I may be a health coach, but I still love to eat pizza and drink beer. The quality of the pizza and beer is simply better now.
30. I love Scotch Whisky...neat.
31. I love spy shows from the 1980s.
32. I have major insecurities when it comes to my talents.
33. I can be very shy in new situations.
34. I always have British money in my wallet. At least enough to take the airport shuttle into town.
35. Whenever I see people in Edinburgh, and I am in the states...my heart aches a little.
36. I actually am pretty darn proud of myself and all of my accomplishments. I just have to remind myself once in a while.


And I know I am forgetting some. Like how I procrastinate...otherwise I would have had my new shiny bio ready for real today, but oh well. I'm a Leo, and I love to tell people my story, but ask me to distill it all into a paragraph and I screech to a halt...lol. Oh, yeah...and I tend to run late...okay. Enough of all this! I'm going to take Sam out for frozen yogurt. 

Happy birthday to me!


XO

P.S. If you haven't already signed up for my monthly newsletter, you can do so HERE.

Eating Locally, And in Community

15 August 2014

From a Neighbor


Another perk of living in the country is that a lot of folks have gardens and they like to give stuff away. I took the above photo after such an event back in late June. A home garden is something I long to have one day, and I'm getting closer. Right now I am taking care of various potted herbs and one resurrected tomato plant...

I've been reminiscing a lot, lately, and one of the constants is that sharing food creates community. Whether it's cooking, eating, gardening or sharing one's bounty...food can bring people together. I also have fond memories of hanging out in my parent's backyard while my dad tended our Summer garden. He would work and I would talk :) I also loved picking the vegetables once they were ready.

I want to keep moving forward in this spirit.

After receiving the above bounty, I cooked for an outdoor picnic by the river. It was the first large party I've done since getting this job and I was fortunate enough that my friend and former culinary classmate, Amanda, came out to help. I was pretty nervous and having her here was amazing!

I did a BBQ which included a potato salad with asparagus and bacon in stinging nettle mayo, smoked paprika burgers with green bell pepper, a green tomato, cucumber and onion salad, grilled corn on the cob with basil-lime butter, chicken fingers, assorted fruit, and raw veg with a chipotle dip.

The nerves had me majorly distracted but when the smoke cleared all I could see and hear was deep appreciation and compliments to the chefs. It reminded me of why I like to cook.

My dream is to work with a team of people again one day...to share food and create community.

XO

P.S. If you haven't already signed up for my monthly newsletter, you can do so HERE.