On the Menu: Cancer-Fighting Tacos, Black Beans Plus, and Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Pudding

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I have today off (yippee!), so I am doing my cooking today.  I started off this morning with a doctor’s appointment.  It went really well.  She was the one who took care of me at my lowest (emotionally and physically, as I lost 20 lbs after he left).  It was great to see her and she enjoyed seeing me healthy and happy.  Now that I’m back to fighting weight, let’s get to the menu!

Soft Tacos With Mushrooms, Cabbage and Chipotle Ranchero Salsa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My main dish this week consists of these unique tacos from The New York Times.  I love their flavor, ease of cooking, and low calorie stats.  I have never bothered to make the salsa; I simply stir a little Tabasco Chipotle Sauce into my normal, cheap, industrial size salsa.  The queso fresca is so delightfully salty and tangy that I never feel the need to add any additional salt.

Black Beans Plus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted some extra protein as well as some red veggies for the week.  I began by lightly sauteing red bell peppers, onion, and a little garlic in olive oil.  I then added some black pepper and chipotle seasoning from Penzey’s Spices.  Next, I stirred in 2 cans of black beans (drained) and simmered gently to let the flavors mingle.  Finally, I topped it with some freshly squeezed lime juice and some tomato slices.

Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Pudding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my boyfriend’s favorite local restaurants is known for their banana chocolate chip pudding.  Their version is decadent.  Mine is not, but it still tastes pretty darn amazing.  I mixed the following in the blender: 1 ripe banana, 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 2 scoops vanilla protein powder, 1 tsp vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon.  I pored this into a bowl and added 1/3 cup chia seeds and 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips.  Leave out for 1 hour, stirring frequently.  Transfer to fridge.  It will set in a few hours.  Top with additional chocolate chips to serve.

I had some of the taco filling left over, so it became my lunch:)  I kept myself away from the pudding though…

 

 

Wisdom From Grandma’s Fridge

Posted on by stilllearning2b

My grandmother loves pictures. Her entire house is a scrapbook, a display of photographs spanning decades, cataloging the lives of those she loves.  Her fridge is the ever-changing display of the pictures she wants to look at most.  I don’t get to grandma’s nearly as often as I would like, but when I do, I always look at the pictures on the fridge to quickly catch up.

It has been interesting to see my own picture evolve over the years, especially the ones taken with others.  When I was a child, many of my pictures contained one or both of my parents or one of my grandparents.  Later, many of them featured my cousins.  In my latter teenage years, my ex began to enter the pictures.  I remember two of her fridge in particular: one taken in the airport when we were departing from a trip to visit my grandmother and another from when I was awarded teacher of the year.

When he left, obviously those pictures had to be replaced.

The first replacement was taken with the police officer who arrested my ex-husband.  It was somewhat surreal to see that photo surrounded by pictures of family.  But that man became family of a sort that summer, as he looked out for me  as family would.  This picture was taken less than two weeks after he left.  My ex was in jail at the time of the photo.

The next replacement was a picture taken with my current partner (at a baseball game, one of my new passions) after we had only been seeing each other a few weeks.

“Grandma, I exclaimed!,” shocked at seeing his face up there so soon. “It has only been a few weeks; isn’t it kind of soon to have his picture up.”

“It’s not like it’s up there with glue,” she calmly replied with a sly smile.

That day I received a bit of Zen wisdom from my grandmother and her fridge.  Nothing is permanent; everything will change.

I am happy to report that almost four years later, the picture has been replaced, but the man in it has not.

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Posted on by stilllearning2b
Publicity photo of Irene Rich from Stars of th...
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I have a doctor’s appointment today. I just finished printing and filling out the forms ahead of time so that I would be prepared (I’m a planner, remember?). Things went smoothly until I got to this question:

Marital Status: ____Single ____Married_____Divorced____Widowed

I could come up with a reason for me to select each one:

Divorced: well, yes, but it does not define me
Single: technically, as I am not under legal obligation to be bound to another
Married: not legally, but in spirit, as I am committed to a long term partner with whom I reside
Widowed: not in the strict sense, but emotionally, as my ex severed all contact as abruptly as if he had died

I think I need a new category:

_____ I’m divorced, but that does not define me.  I’m not really single, either.  Nor married, although that comes closer to the truth.  I’m in a long term, monogamous, and cohabitating relationship.  No, I’m not sure if I’ll make it legal.  Why? Well, I’m not having kids, so there is not that to worry about.  Also, I no longer see any “protection” from the legal stamp.  So, I’ll just keep it the way it is, thank you: we are together each day because we choose to be together each day.  That is all.

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On the Trail

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I became one with the trail today.  Vibrams landing lightly on the packed earth, not scaring away the wildlife.  Clear lake peaking out through the trees, providing psychic coolness in the unusual early spring heat.  Ears bare, open to the sounds of the park.  I love runs like these, the synergy of body, mind and environment in perfect harmony.

 

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Taming the Monkey Mind: Day 5

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I am a planner.  I have always known this about myself, but regular meditation has really highlighted for me.  Almost 100% of my thoughts during my practice go to planning, or even worse, planning to plan. I know that I do this to alleviate anxiety and to try to exert some control over my experiences, but it is also a sly thief of the present moment.

As a teacher, a large part of my job is lesson planning; this serves as sort of a lab, a microcosm, where I can limit some variables and examine others.  I have been more mindful lately about my lesson planning methodology and the outcomes.  I have come to an interesting realization; my most effective plans are also the most spontaneous, the ones that have undergone the least amount of rumination.  The chances of something going awry, not according to plan, seem to be equal regardless of the mental energies expended prior.  Good to know.

Planning for the future is my biggest obstacle to mindfulness.  When I was in the art museum yesterday, I planned several potential solutions if I had trouble getting out of the parking garage, as there was no attendant on duty (Did I have enough cash?  Was it in the right form?  What businesses were open within walking distance where I could get change?).  Each time my mind wandered, I was able to become aware and pull it back to the present, but it was certainly a tenacious companion through the first part of the museum.  Once I was able to come up with a few possible solutions, I was able to let it go and relax.

Planning is a double-edged sword for me: I need a certain amount to let go of the future and enjoy the present, yet too much steals the present away from me.  I suppose the trick is awareness of the planning and learning when its presence has overstayed its welcome beyond its effectiveness.

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