Yoga: Not just like riding a bike.

I've been off of the physical fitness train for some time now. Once I became to bulbous in my pregnancy for yoga, I basically gave up on all forms of exercise. Now 8 weeks post-partum, I'm running out of excuses. And I'm getting tired of the following comment, "that bulge isn't still your uterus, is it?"

But unlike many sports, the phrasing 'it's just like riding a bike' does not apply to yoga. Then again, I don't think riding a bike is rudimentary. I mean, when was the last time you got on a 10 speed? It's not as easy as it looks.

Still, I'm trying to get my vinyasa back on, if you will. I'll get there. Or maybe I won't. I'm good either way.

As an aside, spell check picked up "exercise" on this post. Just an insight into my new mother-of-two IQ level.

Suburban Zendom

I have entered the realm of suburban-ness. Yesterday we packed up our worldly goods (or two semi-skilled laborers did) and today they hauled them to storage where they will sit for the next 9 days. So technically, as of today we are Suburbanites. I say that with confidence because before 10:00AM this morning 5 people attempted to start conversations with me. Attempted, because still being a gruff city dweller, I see anyone trying to talk to me as either 1) wanting a favor or 2) trying to steal something from my person. Then, feeling more comfortable, Helena and I blew bubbles for 30 minutes and I never had to look over my shoulder to see if there was imminent danger. I can put my antenna down for a bit up here. It will be nice.

Tree Hugging

I am not real big into the whole drive-a-hybrid-and-recycle-my-every-object lifestyle. However, when I am faced with undeniable logic I cannot help but be converted. Here is my alarming factoid for the day:

"In 2006, a University of Chicago study found that a vegan diet is far more effective than driving a hybrid car in reducing our carbon footprint. The scientists who did the calculations said that a Prius driver who consumes a meat-based diet actually contributes more to global warming than a Hummer driver who eats low on the food chain."
excerpt from John Robbins, The Food Revolution

I don't drive a hybrid, because they are cost prohibitive, but it baffles my mind the impact an animal based diet has on the environment. At least I'm doing something.

In light of it being a Monday, make it a meatless Monday. I promise you won't miss a thing.

Zenned Out Eggs

Sorry Liz, this post is for you!!

I won't even get into the moral issues around industrialized meat production, but it is worth noting that the same issues stem into egg and dairy production. Below, I have cut and paste the USDA labeling protocol for eggs. If you are buying 'cage-free' eggs and you think your chicken was thrilled about egg-laying with a thousand of her closest friends in a suffocating hut with a patch of grass in the corner, you're mistaken. Our Whole Foods has recently begun to stock Certified Humane eggs and it's worth every extra dollar (two, to be exact). Think of every purchase as a vote- a vote to stop disgusting and toxic breeding habits which ultimately help to counter act the awful state of food production in this country. And every time you hear of an E. Coli break-out, know that it is preventable.

Egg Carton Labels

Certified Organic: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access, but the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access is undefined. They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.

Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Typically, free-range hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration or quality of outdoor access. Since they are not caged, they can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. There are no restrictions regarding what the birds can be fed. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

Certified Humane: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.

Animal Welfare Approved: The highest animal welfare standards of any third-party auditiing program. However, there are no participating producers that sell to supermarkets. The birds are cage-free and continuous outdoor perching access is required. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density, perching, space and nesting boxes. Birds must be allowed to molt naturally. Beak cutting is prohibited. Animal Welfare Approved is a program of the Animal Welfare Institute.

American Humane Certified: This label allows both cage confinement and cage-free systems. Each animal who is confined in these so-called "furnished cages" has about the space of a legal-sized sheet of paper. An abundance of scientific evidence demonstrates that these cages are detrimental to animal welfare, and they are opposed by nearly every major US and EU animal welfare group. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. American Humane Certified is a program of American Humane Association.

Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors. They can engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting and spreading their wings. Beak cutting is permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

Free-Roaming: Also known as "free-range," the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in "free-roaming" egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party auditing.

Food Alliance Certified: The birds are cage-free and access to outdoors or natural daylight is required. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust bathing. There are specific requirements for stocking density, perching, space and nesting boxes. Starvation-based molting is prohibited. Beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Food Alliance Certified is a program of the Food Alliance.

United Egg Producers Certified: The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program, which permits routine cruel and inhumane factory farm practices. Hens laying these eggs have 67 square inches of cage space per bird, less area than a sheet of paper. The hens are confined in restrictive, barren battery cages and cannot perform many of their natural behaviors, including perching, nesting, foraging or even spreading their wings. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. This is a program of the United Egg Producers.

Vegetarian-Fed: These birds' feed does not contain animal byproducts, but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals' living conditions.

Natural: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.

Fertile: These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.

Omega-3 Enriched: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.

Even better than the real thing

There are very few examples of where a vegan option is better than a traditional dairy option. Vegan cheese? Eh- it works, but it isn't delectable. Vegan milk? I'm now more satisfied by almond milk than cow's milk, but I still have the occasional craving. Vegan ice cream sandwiches? Yes please! These Almond Dream lil' dreamers are heavenly, guilt-free and practically healthy! Good luck eating just one.

Thai Coconut Corn Soup

I made this the other night and it was delightful! I tripled the amount of Thai Red Curry and added a package of extra firm tofu (diced) to make this more filling. Don't be afraid of the saturated fat in the coconut milk (light or regular)- the fats in coconut oils are predominantly made up of medium chain fatty acids so that makes them ok (I'm not a scientist. so that's all I've got). Plus it's loaded with lauric acid which is found in breast milk and therefore more than likely a super healthy nutrient to consume.

INGREDIENTS

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced and divided
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 cans (15 oz) light coconut milk
12 oz rice milk
16 oz frozen corn
2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. Thai red curry paste (more or less to taste)
1 t. salt, plus more to taste
1/2 C finely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat the oil in a medium sized pot. Add the garlic, the white parts of the scallions and the peppers. Saute over medium low heat until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
2) Add the coconut milk, rice milk, corn, curry powder, and the green parts of the scallion. If using the red curry paste, dissolve it in a little bit of water before adding to the soup.
3) Bring to a rapid boil, then lower heat, cover and lightly simmer gently for 5 minutes**. Season with salt and remove from heat.
4) Serve, passing cilantro for topping.

**Note: Day two is better than day one on this soup, so simmering for an extended period would only add to the depth of flavor.

German E. Coli

I don't want to be a total Debbie Downer over here, but essentially we can blame industrial meat production for this latest outbreak of E. Coli. I am fascinated at how every single article mentions the fact that E. Coli is a bacteria found in mammals but never discloses how or why it ends up on a cucumber. Well, let me break it to you like this- they spray the crap from the animals onto the vegetables as fertilizer.

Still hungry for dinner?

But here is the kicker- the E. Coli only exists because of the diet these animals are getting. First off they are highly immune compromised because of their unnatural living and breeding situation. Second, they are being fed corn. They don't want to eat corn. Cows, chickens and most livestock want to eat grass; that is what their digestive system was designed to consume. So when they started to be fed corn, their immune systems suffered and E. Coli was spawned. Why corn you ask? It's cheap.

So if we all cut back on meat the industry would suffer, scale back and ideally, ultimately, begin to raise their livestock as nature intended.

My little apple

This week, it was proven to me that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, truly.

Anyone who knows me may understand that I have a small over confidence problem. I'm pretty sure you've never met anyone with the level of confidence I have in any number of useless topics. (SEE!)

It seems as though Helena has inherited this lovely trait of mine.

As we sat in the checkout line at Target I commented on the sound of Starbucks' brewing in the background.

"Listen Helena, it's a cappuccino maker!"

"No, no Momma that's a blow dryer."

And the look of conviction in her face was such that I needn't bother stating the facts of my case.

I think the word is payback.

Coming soon...

Here are two movies coming out this spring that I will be watching... Click on the links below to see the trailers.

Forks Over Knives

Got the Facts on Milk?

Zen House Hunting

We're selling our condo. So if you know anyone who wants to live inches from bars, steps from Wrigley Field and a stone's throw from Boy's Town (it's exactly what it sounds like it is), please let me know. But more challenging than keeping the house clean and periodically evacuating with a 2 year old, is keeping perspective on the entire situation. My ability to go from casual house hunter to obsessive home luster-after is uncanny. I find myself creating hypothetical hypothetical situations which would cause me to need 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. Poor Denver. I'll tell you what I'm always telling him; I'm working on it. How does all of this fit in with my new zen diet? I think I'm actually channeling the anxiety from the anticipated move into my eating habits. And with that logic, this time next year I might be cozy'd up in a new lazy boy eating a meat-lover's pizza...maybe not.

News Flash: No More Chicken

Just a tidbit of news from my Zenned Out world of eating- no more chicken. That's right. No mas, el chicken-o. Oddly, it has happened nearly by accident. First, I saw Food, Inc. Then I said, no more chicken from industrial farming. Next, I read Veganist by Kathy Freston. Then I said, no more chicken from any place. And finally, four weeks later I haven't eaten as much as a nibble of chicken and I intend to avoid eating that bird for as long as I can. Mr. Perdue can suck an egg- so to speak.

I'm so annoyed: Week Two- You don't know how to drive

This blog may actually turn into a big whine-fest for Kristen. I find myself looking for things to be annoyed about so I can subsequently share them with the internet. Well, when it comes to poor drivers, I needn't look far. Today, some jerk ran the stop sign by my building at 30 mph. What an a-hole. And they are everywhere. But my favorite of late has been the nimrod who parks decidedly close to my driver side door, also the side of Helena's car seat, when there are AMPLE parking spaces in the immediate vicinity. This happened twice in one day last week. These idiots parked so close to my car that I had to go to the other side of the vehicle to get my child in the car seat. Double-u, tee, eff.

I'm going to go meditate this off.

I'm so annoyed: Week One-Accountability

I, just like you, have things that annoy me. I, maybe unlike you, have lots of them. I could just rattle off entire lists of things that annoy me. But rather than do that I've learned to acknowledge my annoyance, learn why I'm annoyed with said annoyance, deal with the annoyance, and move on from there- hopefully.

Here is my annoyance for this week.

Parents who take no accountability for their children. I don't care how old your child is, I don't care what sort of sleep deprived fog you think you're in- your kids are your responsibility until they leave your nest. So if that means they are knocking over my child at the playground remorselessly or running into me with a grocery cart for sport- it's time suck it up mother hen and say you're sorry for your child's terrible behavior.

If you're wondering, I'm stuck in the "deal with it" phase on this one.

Automatic Vegetarian

I was pretty sure Helena was a vegetarian. That was, until, she saw my "Parisian" sandwich from Pastoral this past weekend. And it was shortly thereafter that she was devouring nearly all of the ham from my baguette. This from a child who essentially won't touch meat. I was flabbergasted.

"Look at this child eating ham!"

"I know," says Denver, "she loves it."

"Just don't tell her where it comes from."

"She won't care, she'll just be like 'moooo' while she eats it and she'll laugh."

At this point I pause, wondering if I've lapsed in my listening and comprehension skills.

Denver continues, "Yeah, you know, I can point to cows now and be like- 'yummy, ham!'"

Now it was time to interject.

"You do know where ham comes from, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Ok."

And after 5 years of matrimony, I've learned to leave it at that.

Curry

Last night I made a recipe I had prepared many times before and enjoyed, but in light of our new style of eating it tasted even better than we remembered. I am sharing below. Please enjoy and embellish, as I tend to do with my recipes. PS- This is totally vegan and thanks to coconut milk, you would never guess it.

African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped- I omitted, can't take the heat all the time.
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned (see Cook's Tip)
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice (we used a blend of rices, quinoa, millet & amaranth)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Food- not very zen

Last night I watched Food, Inc. (much delayed) and I was, in a word, appalled. I tend to be the type that is sucked in by documentaries- buying whatever side of the story the writers are selling. However, in this instance, there IS only one side, in my opinion. One company owns the rights to soybeans. Excuse me- I thought monopolies were illegal? Genetically Modified Organisms ( that we don't know jack about in terms of how they are going to effect humans in the long run ) exist in over 70% of grocery store items?? Thanks for the heads up on that one FDA. It's a pile of malarky. And it's one thing if the government is screwing you out of a few bucks a year to pay for some worthless program that isn't going to ultimately do any good or bad for society. It's quite another when the government essentially permits the hijacking of food production, leaving you completely defenseless against harm that we don't yet understand the implications of- I mean, everyone eats multiple times a day so this isn't an issue that stops at a country line in any direction. If you haven't seen it, watch it. And if you don't feel like investing an hour and a half of your life into one of the most important issues of our generation, then good luck to you!

Momma needs a spa day

So I had a first of sorts last night. No no no, nothing like THAT, good grief. I had my first experience of dreaming about being asleep. Heaven. In this dream I was getting my nails done and I know that I was asleep during the process because when I looked down to approve the job I was shocked to find that there wasn't any color on my nails. "You were sleeping," my dream manicurist explained. Of course. Sleeping in my dreams. Perfection.

Judging judging

One of my biggest challenges with trying to be more mindful or zen, if you will, is not judging. And most of the time it is the people (or person) that I'm trying not to judge who makes it excruciatingly difficult not to judge them. Let me give you a recent and very appropriate example. I flew to Charlotte, NC last weekend to see some girlfriends. I hadn't traveled in a while and just being in an airport was pretty exciting. As I was waiting in the horrendously slow security line at ORD I realized we were in full gridlock because of one person. One person caused the entire line to shut down for 10 minutes. Allow me to elaborate. This chick, as I will call her, was attempting to bring home with her two vases filled with flowers. Fine. Take home your flowers, what do I care? Did I get flowers for Valentine's day? No, but I'm not angry about it or anything. So this chick decides to place her vases of flowers on the security screening conveyer belt, on their sides, filled with water. Are you getting what I'm saying? She didn't even use a bin, which would have been equally stupid, but at least it would have saved a little time and energy because, as you could predict, when she placed the full vases on their sides water went everywhere! What do you know? Gravity strikes again! What on earth did this moron think was going to happen? That's what I want to know. So with people like that roaming the same planet as myself, I find it very hard, extremely hard, not to judge.

My favorite vegan-ish recipe

My husband has been out of town nearly the entire week and the average temperature has been close to zero. ZERO. So, I've abused my stature as a city dweller and ordered take-out. Don't worry, I tip the delivery guys really nice. Tonight, I'm embarrassed to admit that I got a Giordano's pizza for Helena and I for dinner. I had one piece and felt ill. I tried to feed it to my child and she played with the globs of cheese for a minute before requesting spinach bites and yogurt. I happily obliged but I couldn't help but think that Helena has 1) more will power than her mother and 2) an instinctual dislike towards horribly unhealthy food. Tough to say. Below is my favorite veganish recipe, which I should've made tonight. I usually double the batch, it freezes really well.

TOMATO PESTO

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds
12 oz Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (about 2.5 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Table salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of pasta (preferably linguine or spaghetti)
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 Cup)- plus extra for
serving if desired

Directions:
1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring
frequently, until pale golden and fragrant- 2-4 minutes. (you can also
microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring in between) Cool to room
temperature.
2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, vinegar, 1
teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes in blender or food processor- pulse ingredients
until roughly chopped. Scrape down sides of blender and with machine
running, drizzle in the olive oil (about 10- 15 seconds)
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta
and 1 tablespoon of salt and cook until AL DENTE :) Drain and put
pasta back in pot.
4. Add pesto and 1/2 cup parmesan to cooked pasta. Stir and serve immediately!

SEE!!!

Did anyone catch Oprah last week? I was tipped off by a fellow trying-to-eat-only-good-for-you-food-eater that she was featuring a show on going vegan for a week. I DVR'd it and watched it and was super impressed at the coverage given to the vegan lifestyle. Am I still vegan you ask? Heck no. BUT, the show was a good reminder that eating lots of things that grow in the earth (as opposed to roam the earth) is a good idea.

There are 2 kinds of people in this world

The way I figure it, there are two kinds of people in this world: the kind that sit on the inside of the El Train bench and the kind that sit on the outside seat of the El Train bench. The inside folks are conscientious- concerned that any new train rider would be more comfortable taking a seat rather than asking for one. The outside folks fall into two categories: 1) No clue that they are making it more difficult for a busy train to fill in seats and 2) Selfishly hoping to score a whole bench for their commute. Wait, so that makes 3 kinds of people. And then there are the people who take up the whole bench as a result of their girth or personal belongings, as it were. So that's 4 kinds of people. But there are also the inside sitters that just sit on the inside for the window seat I suppose. That makes 5 kinds of people. There are 5 kinds of people in this world.