nasty weather..

It's not cold, but it's not warm, it's not rainy and it's not sunny, it's not winter yet it's not yet spring...and all these take their toll...I'm tired...extremely jumpy and I don't like anything...
I've been however trying to eat healthy, but without green salads, fresh cauliflower and broccolli,spinach, fresh cilantro and basil, of all which I'm constantly dreaming about, it's very hard to like the winter foods.
Smoothies are again my only real hope of vitamin intake:

morning kiwi&banana smoothie

and I don't know what I would do without them.
I'm making a beans soup tonight, just some chopped onions and garlic, paprika and carrots, beans and water. maybe some tomato home-made juice?? yum....
Spring will come!

Verse of the Day

 

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

I like receiving these little links every day on my work email...they remind me of what is important in my life, much more important than jobs and money, my soul!
Have a wonderful and happy week, full of green energy!

Merry Merry Merry Christmas!

love!

slipping through...

I've been still eating only veggies, rice, beans, nuts, etc, but every now and then I have to admit I really enjoyed some fish...
I know...it's not a very good idea, but how could someone resist this:

well, I couldn't!
And I have to admit that it tasted awesome, and although in the morning my stomach didn't quite agree with my rich dinner, at least I was happy for a few hours last night... well not really, and I won't really repeat this experience very soon, but I had to share the fact that it's ok to slip at some point...just don't do it to often...

I was able to stop eating meat once I didn't stress myself out about the fact that I need to not eat meat; once that mental barrier was down, and I didn't exert any more pressure upon myself, I could let go easily. I just found out that in order to stay a vegetarian, you need to work with your mind, not against it, otherwise failure is in sight even from the beginning. And remember, I've been there, done that, that's how I know this!

In another order of ideas, my friends intend to cook a duck for Christmas...and I am a little bit desperate, as I don't know what I'm going to eat...I'll have to dig up the internet for some ideas...and share them here..

Have a great week, and may our determination help us in the hour of need!

Some explanations to give...

Autumn, romanticism, Halloween, lots of work at work and at home, getting home each day by dark, all these won't help me feel much active, but rather on the romantic, contemplative side... which means I'm not really all that efficient...

source: Google images

 This is the time when I would looove to stay in bed, cats curled up around me, sipping tea...or wine in the evening, and reading, reading, reading.... that's all I feel like doing these days, I read myself to exhaustion, I can't seem to get enough! as if time is running out and I won't be able to read all that I wish to read. It's like some strange clock is ticking and after it will have rang I won't be able to read anymore...strange...this is how I feel every year around Christmas..reading is actually my favorite occupation during the holidays...and writing also...but since writing has also become work (not in here of course!), I don't know how I will manage, I just hope I won't loose my enthusiasm for free and unconditioned writing, that is speaking my mind without being asked about anything!
All in all, I am about to keep up with everything again, I intend to get in time with everything, and even if I have 10 hours at work, three writing clients and tutoring during the weekend, three cats, a lot of true friends I don't want to ignore, one sister, two nieces and a brother in law, one sister in law and my bf's parents, as well as my poor bf who has to share me with all of the above, to divide myself between, and not necessarily in that order, or disorder; I am determined to make it all work! and read in between, read alot!
 Oh, how I love my life!
On the other hand, I'm kind of a a vegetarian since my birthday, so no more meat for me! I ate fish, which I might still include in my diet, even though not very often, as I don't like all types of fish... and since the cold is here upon us, I've been eating a lot of beans, peas, carrots, parsley, cilantro leaves, in fact any type of local leaves, and I have to say I miss spinach, green, crispy, alive spinach!

 Tomato soup is also high on my list, together with vegetables soup, which even though are not raw vegan, are still vegan and oh soooo good!

This is the nasty part about winter and being raw vegan, it is harder to reach, but I try keeping a balance through nuts and fruits, which are easily found, and of the latter I have stashes all over my home. I also started munching on my frozen munition, green peas and spinach, peppers and eggplant, and although they need to be heat processed, they were from M's mom's garden, fried or cut by her and me, so I know what I'm putting on my plate.
This is the most important aspect for me when it comes to what you're eating, knowing where it comes from, how it has been grown and harvested, and only in the last respect how you're cooking it. It might sound unpretentious and behind "purist" believes, but I didn't become vegan just for a fancy, and being one I personally believe means much more than just what you're eating, it's an attitude towards life itself. If I'm a bitch, it really doesn't matter what I'm eating, it won't do me any good, or the ones around me, but on that subject I'll develop much later. You must know what you're eating, since only plants that were cared for can be of a real help to our organism, you must have done at least one of the processes if not all in order to be able to call that plant your own, but on that aspect also I'll be speaking later.

When it comes to fruits, apples are my best option, also local (I can't wait for my little apple trees to grow up and give me my own apples!), but I must admit my morning smoothie always has banana in it, since that will be filling enough for a breakfast, and thus I won't eat anything until lunch.

 I love it that now it's oranges and lemons season, even if they come from Greece and Italy, they are really tasty right now. I've started pillaging my pantry for jams also, much better than all the junk chocolate M likes to buy and eat from the supermarket! I'm really fighting with him on that account! I bought raw peanuts and sunflower seeds, I intend to make some yummy cookies this weekend. M tried to eat the raw peanuts and he didn't like them one bit, I laughed so hard!! I bought one kilo and his eyes went wide when he saw it, and he was so dissapointed when he realized that they have a much more different taste when raw...


Happy winter to everyone out there who's experiencing this season!

Autumn glory...

I know I've been missing a little, but this beautiful autumn is distracting me a lot, I need to read a lot all the time during this season, I am dreaming with my eyes open a lot and feel great overall...so this is the season that does me good, in spite of what people say about feeling without energy and so on because they can't adapt to this sudden change. I on the other hand feel very much alive, my head is full of ideas and I feel the need to be good to everyone. This year more then ever.
I've been visiting my sister last weekend in Resita, a city between a few relatively small mountains, with fresh crisp air and not very attractive in fact, with too much concrete to be to my liking, but that is probably only because I live on the "happy green side" of Timisoara, as you could see here...

so when I was promenading with my little niece I was really stunned to find this:

somewhere near a business center, so we stayed there until it got dark. This little spot was so well hidden that I bet nobody really gives it any attention, behind a bus station and a wall of trees, and I guess it was made just for a bar terrace, but being deserted right now made it very attractive in my eyes. And that grass enchanted me...

...looking kind of nice...

...and it seemed to me that this place was like an oasis in a city I really do not like. It's strange how nature can adapt to even concrete and gas pollution by cars, but most of all to the negligence of man. And these beautiful plants, dressed up for autumn, are the living and breathing proof to that:

Just by looking at those colors we wonder how gracious and glorious nature is, this explosion fills our eyes with pleasure and warmth:

...and making us love and appreciate nature a little bit more:

I ask you HOW can something be so beautiful at random? without someone arranging it all, designing and thinking it through? every tree is a work of art, every leaf is a wonder....
On my third day of staying there I even decided to go out with the girls and play...and couldn't resist the beautiful grass on the football court...

it's strange how I forgot since I was little... how good it feels to be barefoot on grass...hmmmm...really strange what the big city can make of someone...and here's the beautiful view I had while walking on grass...

...really nice..Oh what are men compared to trees and mountains?

Have a wonderful rusty and orange, with little spots of brown and green weekend!

so beautiful...

In my constant wanderings through the virtual world, I come upon beautiful and meaningful things, just like this wonderful drawing, which I thought I would share further on:

credits: Seashell eyes

It is wonderful, right? and we should all listen to it...So let's enjoy life, eat fruits and vegetables that are local, alive and fresh, but most of all...

don't waste food!