Chicken Stir Fry

This one was easy and delicious

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breast

package of fresh stir fry veggies in the produce section of your local grocer.

Using kitchen scissors cut your chicken into bite size pieces.  Brown in extra virgin olive oil until done.  Add veggies and simmer until veggies are at desired consistency.

Season to taste.  I like Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb.

There’s also this mentality of “I did well all week! I can have this.” And the answer to that should be no! You cannot do that or have that. That is what got to you fat to begin with. You rewarded yourself all the time. Food is not a reward. Food is a necessity! It can be wonderful. We all know that. And I suppose it can be a small reward, but not weekly. I think my “rewards” if I do any will have to be more along the lines of monthly or something.

Thoughts? Do you go through this?

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We, humans have this tendency to often romanticize the past and with much convenience, forget the disastrous times that usually bespatter the glorious ones.
I can never forget my high-on-hormones filled teenage years
(And I am sure you can’t either) where everything was a matter of life and death, and life would oscillate between extreme feelings that came in equal measure and in a whirlwind pace.

A few magical sparks here and there is what I remember the most from the years gone by. One such memory is of my father’s old and rickety wooden bookshelf. It was a large shelf made of three rows with four box like compartments in every row – making it the tallest and the biggest piece of possession you could encounter in my home. It was placed against the left wall of the entrance area, second in line after the front door.

Actually, to be fair it was equally my Mom’s as much as it was my Dad’s shelf but since it was largely taken care by my ever-so busy dad, I consider it mostly as his bookshelf. I remember his regular weekend climb to the top most row via a sturdy steel ladder in order to inspect the general health of it’s bearings or the times when he would spend almost the entire Sunday cleaning its large body, book by book.

He was a voracious reader (as you would have guessed by now) and our collection boasted of all kinds of books- big, fat and the ugly, from classics to chick lits, books for the esoteric to the outrageously devastating mass variety types. There was a book for every man, woman and child.

All the neighborhood kids would come on a weekly basis and borrow at least 3 books from the collection that ran upto almost 3000. I grew up with mixed emotions about the shelf. My generous father would give out books and then completely forget about them while I would spent huge amount of time just wrecking my brain cells and fretting about the number of books gone, to be given back, waiting patiently for their timely return and ticking numbers off my list. Somehow, I could not sherk off the responsibility of owing this magnificent tower of pride. Of course, a lot of them never saw their way back into the shelf but the shelf never lost its volume – for it was constantly nourished by the latest best seller, yet another great classic and what have you.
You would also imagine me turning out this hardcore voracious reader but alas! I am not even half a reader as my father was or in fact is.

In my feeble attempt, I would pluck out one from the shelf, read it at leisure for over a week and plan my next read (which would take a serious amount of searching, comparing and thinking over). It might sound cliché, but I remember smelling the crisp pages of a fresh new book that would unfailingly arrive each time my Dad returned from an official tour (almost always purchasing it from the airport’s book store).

I never got down to devour even half of them but thanks to this looming figure- I eventually ended up reading at least ¼ of those worded bricks.

I had a little box in the shelf all to myself (It was the extreme right corner box of the lowest row) where all my possessions stood tall and proud. The collection spanned from Sidney Sheldon, to Perry Mason (yup I read those!!) to the oh so sweet, Sweet Valleys to Agatha Christy and then the Sherlock Homes, Nancy Drews, Eric Sehgals and pretty much every popular book that a 13 year old was reading at that time. (Since my reading was purely for entertainment, I never really chased the Classics with great intensity).

My parents and my grand mom (maternal) would constantly complain: “You don’t read much!’’ to which my riposte would be- ”Of course I Do!” This precise snip of exchange dotted my early teen years from as far as I can remember.

As my Dad grew thicker into his work, his reading habit diminished miserably and soon went into oblivion. The bookshelf became the symbol of this unfortunate change of pattern. (However not ready to be defeated by the lure of the rat race- my father went back to reading with renewed fervency in a matter of few months). However, the eventual death of the bookshelf became a matter of sudden and practical decision and it’s downfall mirrored yet another change in our lives. As we entered into a newer swankier space a la renovation, there was no room for an old rickety wooden bookshelf anymore. It anyway took a huge amount of space (storing 3000 is not easy) that conflicted with my mum’s vision of having absolutely minimalistic interiors. And so we said adieu to the good old books keeper.

I wonder if my folks ever reminisce about it- I guess they were too busy chasing a collective dream for the family to ever look back with fondness. As for me, it changed my life. It gave me the love for books, the love of reading and till today I find myself sniffing through the crispy pages of a newly acquired book with as much excitement as I did all those years back.

At the same time, I want to spend the day devouring poetry, dipping into Sylvia Plath’s journals, scouring my thesaurus for new words and feeding my muse. It’s been too long since I’ve fed her, too long since I’ve soaked up words that inspire me to write. I am reminded of Bukowski’s “So You Want To Be A Writer”, and I’m a little angry at him for what he says in that poem. What if the words don’t come bursting out of me? What if I have to struggle and bleed them out? Like Ernest Hemingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

So, here I am. I’m faced with the idea of sitting down and bleeding it all out. Indeed, writing has often felt that way to me. It’s so personal. I give so much of myself. What do I get in return? Does it matter? Do I dare write out the stories that are inside me? Do I dare expose myself in that way?

Poetry. It’s a way to take all the messy details of my life and lie them out in rows, a way to make order and (sometimes) meaning out of chaos. Maybe today will be the day I try to untangle the mess. Maybe today will be the day I start again, the day the poetry comes slowly bleeding out of me again. Would today be too soon? Am I ready? It scares me to open up and share myself. At the same time, it scares me to hide away the only light I have.

BUT…there is a bright side to all of this…I FINALLY started an Art Journal…something I had fought against for years.  Since I’ve had my own studio since age 22 I always did my ART in my STUDIO at my EASEL or DRAWING TABLE…who wanted a journal that you could take everywhere?  As it turned out…ME!  Since my addiction to the Gelli plate started about the same time it made perfect sense to put the two together!  I could grab some studio time to work with the gelli plate and then sit with him while I drew & colored the pages…Hence these whimsical pieces brought to life the Journal and the Gelli!

Dawn DeVries Sokol on her blog dawndsokol.squarespace is in the midst of planning a book on journaling…I think I’m a candidate for how a journal can save your sanity so these are the pages I’ll be submitting.  As always…comments are welcome…and in this case…NEEDED.  I’d love to hear if you journal and if you do did you find it as hard to start as I did?  OH…I have to mention here that these also inspired an online course that I’ll be teaching in mid-August 2013 on Art Demos.  Sometimes things in life do take you by surprise! Going off to have a wonderful day…hope you are too!!!

Some of these pieces were inspired by my participation in the classes being given by Mindy Lacefield of Tim’sSally…for those of you who are taking the year long class, I can bet you’ll be able to tell which ones

• sukhasnana or the easy pose (I think you can also do Dhikr during this pose, which means you must take wudhu before starting the yoga practice)
• dandasana or the staff pose
• shavasana or the dead body pose
• bhujangasana or the cobra pose
• tadasana or the mountain pose
• malasana or the garland pose
• eka padasana or a single leg stand
• trikonasana or a triangle pose
• parsvottasana or the mountain pose
• uttanasana or standing forward bend.

Those are actually poses that are recommended by Yoga Wiz for students. Turns out, yoga can be very helpful for student  who are preparing either for exams or for regulary study.

Regulated breathing is great to remove stress and tension from their minds. Controlled breathing also brings in the ability to concentrate and focus, a much needed skill for students. (Source)

The core of yoga is the breathing excercise. So, if you practice the poses without any concern of your own breathing pattern, chances are you will get the minimum benefit of the yoga itself.

Researchers report that a single, short session of the popular Hatha yoga significantly improves working as it improves memory, speed and focus, more so than regular workouts.

I have to admit that doing poses as listed earlier made me feel more internally motivated to do activities after dinner time. I didn’t feel bloated at all, which was quite strange since it is very normal for me to feel so full after eating. I also felt sleepy earlier, although I worked mostly by staring at my laptop screen (which can suppress my melatonin levels). It’s quite amazing though.

I’ll try to do the nightime poses again before sleeping tonight. Hopefully I can woke up much better than today!

To some, writing is a chore. It’s a necessary hurdle to completing certain tasks, especially in school, and many people choose not to write as a result of their troubling experiences throughout their education.

Of course, to others like me and maybe you, writing is essential. Something we can’t go the day without doing. And here’s why:

5. I have a story to tell. 

Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

Seems to me like not enough of us are telling our stories.

It’s been pointed out to me several times that I have a habit of inserting myself into my writing. The kick is that I do this purposefully.

You see, adding personality to my writing is a subtle way of telling my story and quelling the talkative nature within me that just wants to share everything to everyone at all times.

Inserting yourself piece by piece into your own publications is something all of the great writers do. It’s not putting yourself above what you are talking about, but it is instead adding credibility. You’re directly communicating your thoughts to the reader.

That’s all to say that writing is more than just you trying to please a reader. Oh, it is far more than that. Writing is about translating yourself and printing it worldwide.

4. I want to learn. 

A fun aspect of writing is proofreading. Every time I go over what I just wrote or even wrote a long time ago, I learn so much about myself in a many ways.

I learn about what I am deficient at for one thing, as I find myself improperly using commas or implementing the wrong word. More importantly, however, I learn more about myself personally, reminding myself of thoughts I once had.

Have you ever re-read something you were really proud of a few years ago? It blows my mind sometimes when I read articles on this blog from just a year ago, and it is always a refreshing experience.

3. It’s permanent.

The idea of leaving a legacy is appealing to everyone, but we are rarely proactive about it. The beauty of writing is that you are stamping yourself on a piece of paper that, if treasured, will be a permanent addition to the world at large.

As I said earlier, you are essentially printing yourself when you write, and if you have an affinity for it, this could be a legacy that has immeasurable returns.

2. It hurts.

Writing can be a difficult exercise to maintain. You are forcing yourself to maintain a certain level of creativity and conceptual creation over a consistent period of time. Writing can seriously break you, and I am in love with that.

Yes, breaking in a new pair of shoes is painful and time-consuming, but there is always a reward. With writing, there is always this reward of becoming better and better the more you write. After all, pain is just proof of growth, and nothing grows me better quite like writing. Which brings me to…

1. It makes me better. 

Writing improves everything about me, not just being better at the practice. Putting my thoughts on paper is cathartic and therapeutic, and I find myself reading better and thinking more clearly when I am writing consistently. Even my empathy is vastly improved the more I write, because when done correctly, writing is two-way communication.

I can only speak for myself at the end of this post. For some people, painting is their “writing.” Maybe music as well. All I can speak on is how writing is an essential aspect of my life that makes the world seem slightly more appealing to me the more I do it.

Write on!

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There are a few different ways that relationships really seem to play a role on eating. In my mind, there are stages and each, has a different cure (for lack of a better word). For the sake of things, I’m going to explain all of the stages from a woman who is dating a man’s point of view, but this can, of course, apply to someone of any gender and sexual orientation.

Jared and I not long after we met when we were early in the dating phases.

Stage One: “We Just Started Dating and I Just Want to Not Gross Him Out Stage.”
This stage is always bad because it seems to be the time when a lot of binge eating happens. You just got into a relationship with the cute guy that you just met (or have known for a while but just got up the courage to finally go out with, whatever) and now you just want him to like you. You don’t want to be the person who orders a salad when he wants someone who orders a burger but you don’t want to order a burger and completely gross him out. You don’t want to drink to much or say anything that will make you look stupid. You’re nervous (unless the date is a total dud) so you’re stomach is already doing twists and turns, and you’re racking the menu for something that you can eat and won’t risk getting any sauce on the shirt that you bought earlier that day from Charlotte Russe. It’s not exactly a healthy thing yet we subject ourselves to it all of the time. Then, you get the guy who says “I like a girl who can eat” and suddenly you feel the need to eat more than you can handle because he’s going to be more impressed by it… or something like that. So, already, one date, maybe two, in this person who you hardly know is already impacting the way you’re eating. Personally, I always seemed to eat next to nothing out to eat for fear of seeming gross and then the second I got home eat everything in sight. Not exactly healthy. Especially if you date a lot and it’s something you do multiple times a week. Don’t intentionally make yourself uncomfortable. If you know you’re not going to want to eat when you’re actually out, don’t go out on a dinner date. Choose the movies or a Carnival or something that doesn’t require you to eat. If you don’t want to put your foot down and say that you don’t want to go out to dinner, eat a snack beforehand, that way you’re salad will actually fill you. And stop worrying about what he’s going to this about the food you choose, odds are, he doesn’t really care.

Enjoying some sugar on snow, a few weeks into our relationship

Stage Two: We’re Finally in a Steady Relationship But He Doesn’t Share My Eating Habits

This stage doesn’t always happen, but it is pretty common. A lot of men, especially those who are single, tend to have food habits that are far below healthy. Jared, for instance, prefers anything fried, and if he could, he would eat burgers, fries, and onions rings every day with the occasional bacon and extra cheese pizza. Love him but getting him to agree to eat healthier was not easy, and every now and then I have to give him one night of unhealthy eating or he’ll lose it and go nuts, eating all of the fast food he can get his hands on. When a relationship is still decently new, it’s easy to fall into his eating habits and you may gain some weight during this time. The most important thing I can say here is please do not beat yourself up about it. This is normal and if you beat yourself up, you’re most likely going to completely fall out of your diet and give up. DO NOT DO THIS. If you find that you’re eating less healthy foods when you go out with your significant other, eat healthy when you’re not with them and maybe work out a little harder but do not give up and do not starve yourself, this will not help with anything. When you realize your mistake, figure out ways to fix it, without making yourself uncomfortable. Maybe, instead of eating the whole burger and fries, you go for a veggie burger, or you only eat half and save the other half. Whatever works for you is what’s going to be best for you.

Enjoying cider donuts a few weeks into our relationship. He had a few too many

Stage Three: “We’re In a Serious Relationship, What Did I Get Myself Into”

This is the part of a relationship stage that Jared and I just got past. We’ve been together for what will be 3 years in November. I love him and he really is my other half. That being said, we got comfortable with each other and as a result, we both put on some weight. I started cooking the foods that he liked, and for a fear of spending too much money, we shared everything. We both grew up eating frozen foods and in houses that had a decent amount of junk food in them. His family, unlike mine, at least had some consciousness of what they were eating and his mom worked hard to keep healthy options available. For the greater part of my life, my family couldn’t afford healthy, fresh foods, so we ate frozen dinners a lot; a habit that carried over into the beginning parts of our relationship. I didn’t want to cook for him and have the risk that he wouldn’t like my foods and I would get really upset if he didn’t like something so we stuck with what we knew and the pounds kept on piling on. This is common in a lot of relationships. People tend to put on pounds when they become comfortable and they don’t realize what’s happening until something smacks them in the face. Most of the time, it’s the number on a scale. Now couples are faced with a problem. You have to find foods that both people like that are healthier than the foods that you were once eating. Sometimes, when both members aren’t committed to being healthier this is hard. The most important thing is not to let food come between your relationship. Your significant other doesn’t have to share your health goals. Don’t let that be a stresser on your relationship, do what’s best for you and let them come around in their own time. This is something that took me a little too long to figure out.

He finally came around

Stage Four: “We are Committed to a Healthy Lifestyle, Together”

It could take a long time for this stage to finally hit. People realize that they need to eat healthier in their own time. For Jared, it wasn’t until I was already committed to a healthy lifestyle and I had started secretly switching our meals over. But, while I was waiting for him to come around, I was stuck buying foods that weren’t the 100% healthier versions like I wanted. But, there was compromise and sometimes that’s the best you can ask for. Finally, Jared came around and he realized that the healthy foods can be just as good as the frozen, greasy, and unhealthy foods that he had grown to love. He trusts me in the kitchen and I don’t get upset when he says that he doesn’t like something, instead, I think of healthy ways to alter the meals so that he likes them more. Once you hit this phase, it’s important to make sure that both people participate in choose the meals that you are going to have. Let him have some input in the foods that you eat, that way he doesn’t feel out of control. Most importantly it’s okay to have cheat nights every now and then. Give yourself a night every couple of weeks where you do eat something that you both miss and don’t punish yourself for it.

Dino Nuggets and Smiley Fries are one of Jared’s favorite cheat night dinners.

For me, my relationship has changed me in many ways. It made me even more unhealthy at first, but now, it has made me healthy. Having Jared support me and be willing to eat healthy with me has inspired to me to try a lot more things than I would have in the beginning and we’re both living healthier lifestyles because of it. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past couple months it’s not to punish him when he does eat something unhealthy. He will always love fast foods, and it’s up to him to change the way he eats. Getting mad at him only causes an unnecessary stress on our relationship. He may not have completely come around, but I know that he’s on my side, and that’s what really matters.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata”

A piece of gravel is relatively a small fragmented piece of rock. Yet, in spite of its size, it possesses the strength of, well…a rock. The gravel is impenetrable and strong in spite of its size.  It reminds me of the story about David and Goliath. While one may expect a large rock or boulder to hurt upon impact, the gravel can pack a punch and cause injury too. The piece of gravel shall serve as reminder that “it’s not the size of the fighter in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the fighter.” Allow the piece of gravel to be an inspirational reminder of the strength that we all have within us.

Are you familiar with bricolage? Bricolage is a method of taking an ordinary object and writing about it. I was taught this method in a Beginner Writer’s Workshop. If you are ever stuck or think you don’t have anything to write about…try bricolage.

design is my forte, unfortunately being wordpress.com is a free service, we have accept what is available. but what is it with these themes? boring, the font is all wrong, one thing works but then another doesn’t. i am in search a great look as well as great writing.

i believe that when people land on a website, they should be inspired not confused to look around and see clearly.

just my opinion.

Things do not change; we change. -Henry David Thoreau

I have always found quotes to be wonderfully inspirational.  When I was in college taking my favorite philosophy class, I found myself carrying around a little notebook that I would scribble inspirational quotes into.  I have the notebook in my studio to this day.  For the DM Studio Journal, I try to stick to my schedule and find one inspirational quote for Tuesdays that not only resonates with me, but connects with the Divinemoira Studio philosophies of joy, happiness and specifically this month: Renewal.  As we at the DM Studio show our support of the SafeHouse of Seminole, a group that aides the victims of domestic abuse, I believe Henry David Thoreau’s quote is ideal, because it is my belief that we have the power to change the world around us.  While it often takes great courage, it begins with us. 

May this Tuesday bring great light in your life. 

e

http://www.divinemoira.com

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It’s out.  Allowing me to finally talk about it.  I’ve been reading & listening to comments, opinions, thoughts, complaints, since Friday afternoon and to say almost every music lover/fan has at one point were curious about the very simplified take on Mr. West’s new project is an understatement.  Twitter or Tumblr have yet to cease the conversation.  Biggest conversation in music.  After I finish here, gonna find me reading each word of Pitchfork’s glowing 9.5 rated review.

I’ll be channeling all my thoughts in a very special Album of the Week session that will drop before Saturday.  Not a big fan of album reviews because who am I tell you what is good music or not.  You’ve been apart of my 1st Songs.  Some of the worst songs ever conceived.  Which I’m fine with.  Just music.  Right mood.  But I do have my thoughts that have been building since Friday.  Played it for friends & family and how I constructed my final opinion based off my 50+ run throughs.  Still like water.

Blood on the Leaves, which samples & shatters Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit“…which was a cover of a Billie Holiday track…that is about a lynching, is by far the best track on the record.  Not my favorite track.  Maybe second fav, but if you’re looking for the old Mr. West you’ll find him on this track.  Every other track will test your patience.

Wish I had more time to write right now because I could go ‘college paper’ here, but for now gotta stay minimalist.  If you hear any track from Yeezus (out now) it’s Blood on the Leaves.  The rest you can choose for yourself.  Enjoy, and I’ll be back with more thoughts later.

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Source : journal.innovationjournalism.org