A Sweet Farewell

It's official. No sugar.

Or something pretty darn close.

After paying attention to everything in our pantry over the past two weeks, I realize that completely cutting sugar will be next to impossible. Luckily, it will be easier since Mingus has decided to take on this Lenten goal with me. (Meaning he won't be tempting me with sweet treats and stuffing the cabinets full of things I can't touch.)

I admit, we've kind of gone overboard on sugar the last couple of weeks, knowing we were going this direction. We used the excuse of giving it up to kind of overdose lately. (I was also using the excuse that I needed to eat up anything in the house that would be tempting me later!)

So, I won't be eating anything that is outright sugary. However, I'm giving myself a couple of rules of allowance since this is a bit extreme.
(1.) If I make it from scratch, we can eat it. (With a 4 month old, a part time job and plenty of house work, it's not like I have time to bake cookies and cakes on a daily basis or anything.) I usually try to use at least partial honey as my sweetener anyway.
(2.) I'll give a once a week exception to a sweet treat.

Having mentioned honey already, I should note that we are OK with natural sweeteners like this.

Here are a few things that are going to be hard to work with:

• Pasta Sauce: Mingus tried to find one without sugar over the weekend at our regular grocery with no such luck. Pasta is an easy staple, so we will probably still make it with our current sauce, but we are on the look out for something better at a health food store. (We also have a couple of jars of our homemade, but we're saving that for a rainy day.)
• Teriyaki Sauce and Soy Sauce: Another go-to staple in our house is stir-fr. We always have veggies and rice in the house and usually some chicken breast or tofu. Again, though, these sauces have sugar/high fructose corn syrup. We will be using Tamari in place of the Soy (Tamari is REAL soy sauce... as in ONLY soy... Why it isn't called 'soy' sauce, I cannot tell you...) We'll have to keep looking for a healthy teriyaki option
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing: Probably our most usual salad dressing for our quick salads we eat with a lot of meals. We have made our own dressings in the past and it looks like we might need to get back to that.
• Crackers: A lot of crackers have some sugar in them, so it's just something else we'll have to pay attention to when shopping. Also, I've taken to liking Wheat Thins as a snack, but they will definitely be out during this process. (Graham crackers will too obviously.)
• Peanut Butter: We're actually OK with this one. We currently have a jar of Earth Balance peanut butter and its only sweetener is agave nectar. However, I know a lot of PB has plenty of sugar in it. 

Since I can't give up sugar completely at this point, I am going to do my best to track how much sugar I do have in a day's time. I'll write down the amount in anything that has a food label. Now, things like fruits and veggies all have an amount of natural occurring sugars in them I'm sure and I won't know how much I'm getting from these, so I'll just note if I ate certain fruits on a given day. I'm very curious to see how much sugar my body is still getting when I'm cutting out the obvious sugars.

Wish me luck and good luck to you and your Lenten sacrifices and penances. May it be a blessed season of reflection for us all. 

Now back to my last pint of ice cream I'll be enjoying for awhile...

A Cart Full of Junk

I had a realization about myself on a shopping trip this week. Mingus was prepping for a four-day camping trip and I was having a couple of girl friends down, so I wasn't on a regular grocery trip. It was definitely a defined list of items he need (wanted) for camping and some things I knew my friends and I would enjoy (as well as I few easy dinner/snack items for the days when I was home solo). 

As I pushed my cart around Walmart I became more and more self-conscious about its contents and the items I was adding to it. What a disaster. Soda, hot dogs, oatmeal cream pies, bacon, white buns, chips, cinnamon rolls....Yikes! By the time I was through I looked at my cart and I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a junk-filled trip. 

Now, in the back of my mind I knew a few self-redeeming things about this trip:

1. There were some OK things in the cart: oranges, grapes, potato salad...
2. Our trips are never very produce section heavy... Why? Because we rely on our garden for our produce for the most part. A bulk of our food--even meat--we produce ourselves. We eat whatever we have in season. And while I am glad people shop out of the produce section, I find comfort in knowing we have our home-grown goods, which I know exactly how they were grown--chemical free.
3. This particular trip was a one of a kind.... Filled with items we NEVER buy, but I'm fine with letting me or Mingus splurge on junk when it's a rare fun event with friends.

Despite these things, I still felt like the crazy pregnant lady with the food I was buying. That's when it hit me that what was bothering me wasn't about fatty, sugary or high calorie foods. It was about the literal JUNK in the "foods" (if you can call some of it that) in my cart. To think people thought The JUNK in these things would be going into my body,and, in turn, into my baby's as well. 

Because of my small frame, I've always been fortunate to not have to worry much about my weight. I've had more and more friends, as I get older, pay attention to calories or certain diets in order to lose weight. I respect that--I hope I would/will have the discipline to follow a strict diet if I find myself in a situation of gaining too much weight. 

No, it's not about the fact I wasn't buying low-fat, low-sugar, low sodium, weight-watcher friendly items. I realized what bothered me about this trip wasn't the lack of health labels on the items in my cart. It was what FDA doesn't require: all of the bizarre, weird, unpronounceable junk listed under "ingredients"--and worse off, the randomness that goes into those things that aren't required on the label. 

It's what makes me eat an oatmeal cream pie and, while loving it, still asking myself exactly what makes it sooo good and last for months on end without going bad. It's what makes me gag a little when I drink too much soda, wondering what exactly goes into the sugary syrupy substance that makes it sweet. It's what makes me not even want to look at the ingredients list when I know I already know it's incredibly too long full of things no common person has ever heard of. 

All I can think of looking at a cart like I was pushing are the chemicals going into my body, my husband's body and my baby's growing body. And the thing is, I know that by eating all of the junk in my cart I probably won't see immediate effects (maybe a tummy ache if I ate it all at once).  My fear is the future. 

It seems new allergy problems are becoming common on a regular basis in our society. More and more people experience heart and health problems at an earlier age. That's not to mention cancer--something it seems no one can hide from. I can't help but wonder and fear, as I eat things full of weird ingredients, that I am setting myself up for a future of dealing with weird food intolerance, other health issues, or heaven forbid, cancer. 

I am far from a "perfect" eater. I have the world's worst sweet tooth, salty foods call my name, and I've definitely used pregnancy as a crutch for my ice cream weakness. As terrible as it is, I love McDonald's french fries. I do put bad things in my body. But I do usually feel badly about it and I try my very best to balance these impulses with also eating fresh goodness from our garden, taking my Juice Plus and putting off the time until my next splurge.

Despite your weight or body type, start taking some note of the extra "junk" you are putting in your body. You don't have to become a saint about leaving it out, but remember there are so many unknowns about what effects these things we consume are having on our bodies and health. The least you can do is be sure you are balancing out the bad with plenty of good: lots of organic fruits and vegetables. 

My favorite easy, quick clean-up meal: Foil Dinners

What's the easiest meal for anyone to fix at home?

One ready for the oven with no clean up of course!

What does this usually require? Usually it means you're fixing a freezer meal and one already prepped in some sort of disposable pan or cooking device that can simply be pitched after the fact avoiding the chore of cleaning the kitchen when you really want to just veg out after finishing your dinner. 

However, this also usually requires a sacrifice in the nutrition and health of your meal.

Prepping freezer meals in advance from scratch is a great idea, but I have a favorite solution that can be done the day of--but at any time of day--and the only tools you will have to clean from prep will be your cutting board, a chopping knife and potentially a bowl and fork.

When I make foil dinners, it's usually on an occasion when I know my evening will be busy so I don't want to have to mess with prepping a meal and, even better, I don't want to deal with making a mess that requires cleaning that evening or the next morning.

Ingredients I typically use:
-Potatoes
-Carrots
-Onion
-Garlic
-Ground Meat
-Salt
-Pepper
-Butter
**I add other ingredients as we have them. Last week I also included green beans and cabbage. Other herbs or seasonings would be fine too.

Here is the process:
1. Tear a piece of foil approximately 18-24" long. (This is dependent on how much you plan to pack into your foil dinner.) Tear foil for each person you plan to feed.
2. Chop you potatoes and carrots (and other veggies) into bite size pieces. I usually quarter my onion and keep the chunks together. Lay your veggies on each foil piece, dispersed evenly. Chop or press garlic over and add to veggies also.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over veggies (and any other seasonings of choice.)
4. If using meat, mix ground meat with salt and pepper and any other seasoning of your choice. Make into a patty and lay on top of your veggies.
5. Add butter to top of your "pile" of veggies and meat. Half to 1 tablespoon pieces should be placed throughout the top. Judge the amount to use based on the amount of vegetables you are using on each foil dinner. 
6. Wrap the foil tightly around your meal. Afterwards, use a second piece of foil to warp a second layer around each meal. This will not only help hold the heat in for cooking, but it will also help keep the butter in with your meal as it melts.
7. Your wrapped meals can but kept in the fridge until you are ready to throw them in the oven. I cook them around 375-425 for an hour and a half to two hours. 

It's nice to prep this meal in the morning or early afternoon or have it ready on a weekend when I know I may get caught up in a project and not want to have to quite in order to start on dinner. For eating, you simply open up the foil and eat off of a bowl or plate. The foil can be disposed of and, aside from your plate and fork you have nothing to clean in the kitchen!

Yes, this meal still takes more effort that a trip for fast fast food or a frozen meal from the grocery, but it's a great way to serve up fresh produce or veggies from your own garden and keep it extra healthy.

Sports Talk: The Perfect Fall Recipe

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Aug. 14, 2013. 

I just can’t shy away from it any longer. It’s being thrown in my face right and left and every direction I turn… Football.

Social media has made it quite clear in the past few years how the end of July and beginning of August bring on the back-to-school woes, but with it is also a clear craving for the fall season. Typically I notice this excitement being tied to the everyone being completely burnt out by the extreme heat and humid summer weather.  However, heat waves have not cursed us this summer; instead we’ve had an unusual downfall of rain for the first time in years.

But the lack of a weather change incentive has not held off the fall enthusiasm. Equally, and probably more exciting than the change of weather (at least for sports fans), is the potential of an exciting new football season that is soon to begin.

The list of reasons to be anxious for your favorite team’s first kick off is endless, whether your favorite to follow is at the high school, college or professional level.

There is the obvious reason: hope for the chance to cheer your team through an unpredictable, yet successful, season. The Rebels have a huge roster growth and some other big changes in their lineup, promising a fun season. UK fans have the excitement and unknowns of a brand new coach, that, let’s be honest, surely can only take the Cats uphill this season. Louisville fans have the pride of a loved quarterback and coach returning after a great 2012 season.

There is something special about football and a team’s weekly game schedule. It is easier to feel dedicated to a football team than other team’s which play anything from 3 to 5 games a week. Honestly, who has time to watch every game when they are spread throughout the week. Football is always on weekends—with the exception of the occasional Thursday night game.  Your enthusiasm for the game has an entire week to build. You have time to decipher the opponent, develop your own game strategy—never mind the coaches’ strategies—and even analyze the other teams in the conference and what each potential win or loss will do for the rankings.

The once a week event allows for something else we love: tailgating. I don’t just mean actual tailgating in the parking lot of the stadium, but all forms of gathering to enjoy games, whether it be meeting up at restaurants with friends to watch games or planning barbeques and get-together’s. No one could afford to do this for every game a team plays if they are playing multiple times a week and on random days of the week. With football, we can plan a fun Friday night or an eventful Saturday.

Even with a summer like we’ve had, where hot weather didn’t drive us to longing for cool fall days, football makes us crave it all the same. We’re ready for chili soup and other great fall foods to share with friends while wearing scarves, boots and hoodies.  We’re ready for sunshine during the day to enjoy cold drinks and sunglasses but a cool evening that calls for hats and hot chocolate.

Autumn is a great season, any way you slice it. There is something special about the changing of seasons, but there a peace about the cooled down weather and colorful, changing natural scenery. Football is obviously not the only thing that gives us reason o enjoy the outdoors through the fall. It’s the season of festivals as well, but football does have all of the ingredients of a unique recipe that results in fall love. A recipe that includes our favorite teams, a single-game-per-week schedule, delightful weather, food favorites, friends and family, beautiful colors and cozy fall gear.

It will not be long now for kickoff—high school, college or pro—and so many other great things are sure to come with it.

A Perfect Memorial Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend Camping has come and gone again. It's crazy how long this has been going on when I really think about it. It started with my uncles when I was very young and eventually my cousins and I were old enough to have our own little campfire and set up tents. 

Once my brother got to high school the original campers had dwindled and their celebrations no longer happened, but Nic and cousin Joshie continued the tradition with their friends. The modern Memorial Weekend began in about 2001. Once Nic went to Bellarmine it only grew as it is the one weekend of the year when many out of towners make the trip down to "The County," as it has come to be called. We realized just how long the camping has been going on when Gress pointed out this year was his 10th Memorial Weekend in The County.

Given I was not around last year (due to bachelorette party fun in Chicago!), but there was a definite turn in what the event was this year. The craziness of a bunch of college kids causing shenanigans in the woods has turned. Now it is a weekend of turning off cell phones and enjoying a break from "real life" while enjoying the company of great friends. 

Coolers full of beer and hot dogs are not the staple any longer. We've upgraded to having a deluxe smoker and a table spread of deliciously grilled food. We ate elaborate breakfasts complete with fresh fruit, biscuits, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, hash browns, Bloody Marys, and bacon. Dinners included grilled asparagas, barbequed rabbit and chicken, steaks, turkey sausage orzo, sweet potatoes,  potatoes, burgers, deep friend frog legs and ribs. 

"Early" to bed is no longer 2 a.m. but instead 11 p.m. and the late nighters of 4 a.m.--no all-nighters--are few and far between. Terrible morning hangovers are over and productive, enjoyable days ensue. (I'm sure the perfect 70-degree weather with no humidity aided that.)

We even have kids and babies camping with us now and with Michelle and I expected to have little ones of our own next year, no doubt baby festivities will only continue.

Where's our microwave? ...In the attic...

I have come to not notice my home's lack of a microwave. It's not until we have a guest and I spot them surveying the kitchen in confusion.

"What do you need?"
I expect an answer like: "A fork." "A cup." "The salt."
Instead I get: "Where's your microwave?"

That's when I remember we're weird and it's in the attic because we put it there shortly after moving in.

I actually had gone over a year without a microwave prior to my husband and I living together. When Jo and I lived together in Louisville neither of us brought a microwave. She said she had one at her parent's house (or had access to one) and would bring it, but it was never a big deal to the two of us. Our apartment kitchen was small with limited counter space so eventually we got used to not having one and were fine without it. We ate things cold or heated them by stove top or oven. Both of us were gone often on weekends due to our significant others living over an hour away so besides dinner on week nights, we didn't eat at the apartment a ton anyway.

When Mingus and I moved to The Loft in The Valley, family had furnished the living space with lots of furniture and kitchen supplies. We packed much of it away, especially after the wedding, since we had our own furnishings.

Ironically, there were actually two microwaves when me moved in. We put one away immediately for obvious reasons. The other we sent to the attic a month or two later after beginning to learn more about the negatives of a microwave.

I do still use a microwave from time to time, like at my work office. I don't hate them, but I figure the more I can cut the use of it on my food out of my life, the better. 

In addition to the health benefits, I find not having a microwave is just a healthy habit in general. We are such a rushed society. The reality is, I can heat soup or water pretty quickly on the stove top. Maybe not in 60 seconds, but in a matter of minutes. We also have a toaster oven when we want to reheat leftovers. Again it takes a little longer than a microwave, but it can still be done in a matter of minutes.

One of the harder things to get used to was thawing foods--meats to be specific. As mentioned in my last post, we've cut out most freezer meals anyway, so quick lunches or dinner done in the microwave aren't common. However, if it's Tuesday afternoon and I realize we have no thawed meat, I better start deciding what we'll fix for dinner. If I need to thaw something, I better get it out now and possibly set it in a warm spot to speed along the process. 

Again, though, having done it for nearly two years now, it's just the way it is and no longer an inconvenience. It actually helps with our eating and cooking style to have another reason to plan ahead. Since we don't fix pre-prepared meals, it's good to decide the day before or early in the day what we'll have for dinner. Not only do I then make sure we have things thawed as needed, but that the pantry holds whatever else we need. If it doesn't it gives me a chance to have Mingus stop on his way home from work.

Here's a blog post that goes a little more in depth on their decision to do without a microwave and how they adjusted by replacing the toaster and the microwave with a toaster oven. As this contributing writer to The Humbled Homemaker says:

"Sometimes convenience leads to bad habits and bad food."

Food for Thought... (No really...some thoughts on my food...)

I've come to taking for granted what a  regular dinner with Mingus is considered. 

It's not getting fast food--or even take-out.
Heaven knows nobody delivers to these parts, so it's not delivery.
It's not frozen, pre-prepped meals we bought from Kroger.
It's not an in-home chef or cook.
And it's obviously not gourmet cooking.

But it is home-cooked meals made up of our own hap-hazard recipes composed of non-processed ingredients and primarily food produced right here on our own land.

Sunday evening my parents joined the two of us for a joint-effort dinner. Sitting down, I was sorely disappointed when I began to proudly look upon my plate at everything that had come from our own efforts, then realized the onions--used only for seasoning other dishes, had not been grown by us. 

Dang. Onions next year maybe?

Our meal was:

• Fried rabbit--from our own bunnies.
• Steamed beets--dug less than a month ago, fresh from the garden (Yes, in January)
• Cooked green beans--canned over the summer
• Mashed potatoes, from potatoes dug in early fall

Tonight, Mingus and I will eat burgers--from ground bunny--and "french fries"; ie: our own potatoes that I sliced, seasoned and baked. (Our pickles on the burgers are cucumbers we pickled over the summer. One day we'll have our own ketchup to use also...maybe?) We're also having rice, which I cannot claim as our own.

Rice is one of the few things we buy regularly that we don't produce ourselves, along with pasta noodles. 

Don't get me wrong--we hit up the grocery often enough. Our seasonings also come from the store, but we try to keep them as organic as possible. I am anxious to grow more of our own herbs. After having incredible basil plants last year that we dried and saved, we have regularly used the leaves to make dipping sauce with spaghetti (made with garden veggies, bunny meat and homemade sauce from garden tomatoes). The difference in our basil and the basil purchased at the store is incredible. 

What it is I've really realized, though, is how natural it is becoming for us to not only cook with our own food, but to actually cook meals and not depend on something from the freezer or something someone else prepped for us with their own special seasonings, preservatives and MSG. We joke that every meal begins with oil, onions and garlic--and it's nearly true. Our garlic press is one of the most used tools in the kitchen. 

We're both glad to be becoming comfortable cooking this way right now (pre-kiddos) so that it's less of an effort when they do come along--it will be second nature to us.

Second, I've realized how much money this must be saving us. Last night's meal, with the exception of onions, garlic cloves and seasonings, and butter and rice milk (for the mashed potatoes) all of the main foods were not purchased in a store. Obviously raising rabbits has costs, as do starting a garden--and time is of value. But to not be spending money on things that are damaging my long-term (and possibly immediate) health is worth the time, no 
doubt. 

PUFF! The Magic New Year!

One of my favorite holidays has come to be Chinese New Year. There are multiple reasons. My favorite, beloved professor in college had quite a passion for the holiday and made sure all of us in the communication department acknowledged the holiday. Her excitement over what we saw as an obscure holiday made us love her all the more.

Another reason is two fold. My group of friends began a Chinese New Year's get together tradition a couple of years ago. Most of us are Kentucky-based but our newly married friends near Columbus, OH host the annual celebration. The road trip to their house in the middle of the Buckeye countryside always feels like a mini-retreat. It was on this first Chinese New Year celebration that sparks flew for my husband and I. (There's a reason we've dubbed their house "The Love Shack"...)

This year's celebration was anything but a let down, despite my brothers and hubster having a conflicting event. Our feast was unbelievable and props go to our hostess for planning and prepping the kitchen with all of the necessary supplies! 

The Chinese New Year Menu:

Appetizer
Fried Shrimp Wontons

Spring Rolls

Soup

Miso soup

Main Course

Shanghai Vegetable Fried Rice

Ginger Broccoli

Steamed or Baked Sichuan Duck

Dessert

Chocolate Dragon Cupcake Cake

Almost all of the supplies used for dinner... I believe the spring rolls are missing...
Not to mention the 3 ducks Sara had pre-seasoned for us,
as well as the shrimp stuffing for the wontons she'd prepared.

She checked out a recipe book from the library
and had several authentic Chinese dishes picked out for our feast.

Everyone helped out in the meal prep,
making the 3 1/2 hours in the kitchen extra enjoyable!

We had to stir fry in portions because of the amount we were fixing
in order to feed 12 hungry bellies!

Our Chinese buffet, ready for us to dig in!

Don't forget dessert!! The year of the dragon!

A successful dinner is bound to leave a messy stove top!

The whole gang minus taken by our hostess who took the picture.

Ask and You Shall Receive...!!!!

I love coffee, but maybe even more than coffee itself, I love coffee shops!

Some people will laugh and say this springs from my true love of the movie Meet Joe Black and the beloved "coffee shop scene". And maybe it does, but that's beside the point. To me, there is something so comforting about a coffee shop, thus the reason it was important for me to acknowledge their importance in my life. And lo and behold, what do I get out of that? A cozy little coffee shop opened up the week after Thanksgiving in the one and only Casey County!

sweetbeansnthings.com

I can't tell you how excited I was when I found out. Sweet Beans 'n' Things is located in downtown, just across from City Hall. Not only do they serve coffee drinks (as well as other hot drinks), but ice cream is on the menu too. So clever, as that will help them to not have a slow season! Burke's Bakery in Danville also delivers to them each morning around 7 or 7:30, so if you are a Burke's fan (and who isn't) you have double the reason to stop in and show your local support. Their prices are excellent as their coffee is only $1 and their specialty drinks rival the prices at McD's. So, honestly, why would you want to throw your money at the golden arches when you can support someone doing something great for our little community for the same price? (Sure there is no drive, through, but I like to think that one of the pleasures of a small town is that people are in less of a rush)

Packed with people on Day 2 during the Downtown Christmas kickoff.

It's always exciting to see something new come to the little land of Liberty. I have already tried several holiday drinks. I've heard the coffee is good as well. I haven't dipped into the ice cream--too chilly for that right now, but I'd imagine kiddos are up for ice cream despite that. (Or there is always hot chocolate!) They might as well add some tea options to the menu for those non-coffee drinkers, though.

Holiday window display.

Unfortunately, most of us know that it seems these little eateries have a hard time lasting too long. This place is definitely doing everything right and I plan to get all my hot drinks there this winter and maybe even more than I would typically... support local right??

My Wedding on a Budget: 25 Days to Go!

Cake Tasting...Yum!
Today Kara finally got to do a cake run. There are many factors to evaluate...

The Design/Decoration: Of course they day before she did it would be when I decide to change the design. Okay, not the design but the look, so all I had for decoration was the ribbon from a few weeks ago with KK--No twine or burlap. However, the thicker dark purple ribbon I got that I thought I didn't want to use, may end up being what I use if not the twine. Talking it through with Kara, we decide we could always use a regular stand, lifted up on blocks or something of the sort and just overlay it with the burlap and maybe even incorporate some moss. Is it bad that I sill really don't know what it's going to look like--with 25 days to go!

Icing: It ended up not mattering too much that we couldn't do much decorating because her buttercream icing with no real butter test didn't turn out so well, which meant the exterior look wasn't really top-notch. (Good news is, it wasn't the taste of the icing that had issues. I thought it was delish!) Neither of us thought about the fact tub butter/Earth Balance is very soft in general and that it probably would melt and become soft very easily. While it tasted great, she had a tough time spreading the icing so it was pretty thing and sloppy. It will definitely need a better look for the real deal. I would think that stick margarine would work better. It was only NOW, though, that Jon decided to mention that his mom has her own Jon-friendly recipe. Hopefully that will be the secret sauce we need. She uses water, powdered sugar and vanilla, which I would think creates a fairly thick/stiff icing.

Flavor: Chocolate cake was great. Not too heavy, which I had feared only slightly. It's been that way sometimes in the past, as I have found happens more so with baked goods from scratch. She did good though...as I expected from her baking experiencing! She's also going to throw together tomorrow a bourbon fused version of the cake. I doubt we'll go with it, but it's definitely worth trying and we know how Jon feels about bourbon!

And something extra: Kara also stuck a little purple surprise in the center! She put a layer of purple icing between the two layers on top. (I assume she did the same for the bottom.) Not only was it purple, though, she took it a step further and threw blueberries in it. I guess she knew we wouldn't turn down the extra thought by securing my vote with the purple and Jon's with the blueberries.

Icing will have to be bettered and the look still has to be nailed down, but it'll come together. It's one of those things I'm not too worried about.

My Wedding on a Budget: 67 Days to go!

I'm taking it pretty easy tonight. I needed that. I've been looking on Etsy for cupcake papers to use. I figure I'll go with green and purple (imagine that) and maybe the patterns like in this picture so we can do each flavor with a different pattern. I'm going to look on some more general bulk sale sites to see if Etsy is the best route or not. These run about $16 for 225 papers.

Holly also introduced me to a site I may look at with Jon for honeymoon options. It's BookIt.com. It seems to be a great place to do last minute trips and get them cheap. My guess is it's resorts and cruises with extra space and when it's so close to that date being passed they'd rather sell it at a cheap rate than make no money at all. I really want Jon to just pick a honeymoon so we can have that decision off our plate!

All The World's A Classroom

Sorry, Shakespeare but you had it wrong. Maybe the world is a stage but it is most definitely primarily a classroom.

Lucky for us, Gui was off work today and after letting us sleep in (and waking us up by singing the American National Anthem to us) he gave us a day out and about in Sao Paulo. Honestly, we were mainly driving but I don't think any of us minded. There was a lot to take in and endless questions to be asked.

We first went to the Soccer Museum which is housed at the home stadium of the Corinthians (pronounced "corin-chins" soccer club). The majority of the museum was in Portuguese but lucky for us we had our personal translator. For a girl who has never known much about soccer, it's quite amazing how much I have been surrounded by it in these past few days--terms, players, teams, historical moments.

Interesting, though, that Gui himself is not the typical hardcore soccer addict in Brazil. Basketball is more his passion (not that any Brazilian doesn't know his soccer), but melody and I picked up on a level of resentment towards soccer from Gui. Not because he does not enjoy it but because the weight that is put on a game in this culture. Everywhere we went today (and the entire time we have been here) we saw flags, signs, people in yellow, green and blue jerseys and shirts, food deals, paraphernalia in store windows. Melody commented on the national pride here and how cool it is but Gui corrected her quickly, saying you see none of this when it is not World Cup season. People live and breathe soccer but sometimes put it before the real necessities or what should be the priorities in life, he said. He told us he felt American's national pride is much stronger because it exists outside of the sports world and something I had never thought of, but he pointed out that he said part of that is probably because of the wars we have fought in. When noting the "pride" we were seeing everywhere we also asked of any major wars that had taken place in Brazil. We noted it is a good thing but Gui said he slightly disagreed. With having no history of fighting for what is theirs or to gain better rights or freedom, there is no appreciation for what they have; at least not like in America. It's something I never thought of--war as a strength in our history simply for what it does for the unity of the people and the appreciation of what is ours.

The day was full of these thought-provoking conversations as talk revolved around differences in languages and foods and traditions and cultures. The questions and observations back and forth never stopped. We got a close look at the favelas for the first time--the very poor areas of town where people nearly live on top of each other. We also got to see downtown Sao Paulo and many of the older buildings and museums.

Carla got to Gui's house in time for dinner and his parents cooked an awesome homemade traditional Brazilian meal and wow was it delicious. Amazing what all we have eaten here and this one--perhaps the best one yet--was free to us!

Five days in this country and there is no doubt in my mind I have learned more than I ever could have in a whole semester of class on Brazilian culture. It's amazing the amount of knowledge this world holds for us that we can so easily tap into if we simply use the resources we have at our fingertips--and for the most part, those "resources" I am referring to are our friends.

True Tourists For The Day

These days really seem to wear me out. It's definitely reminiscent of the days in Europe with Dani. There were times when we wandered through cities without talking at all simply because we were taking it all in and exhausted while struggling through the language and being hit up by streets salesmen right and left. That was today.

Starting the day out in the sunshine of the beach probably didn't help our exhaustion--laying under the sun, letting it zap all energy. But there was no resisting: it was an absolutely magnificent morning for the beach--the best kind of weather you could ask for: completely clear blue skies, 70-degree weather, just a slight breeze (nothing like yesterday's gusting wind) and sun-sun-sun! Before even getting there, though, we noticed on the street parallel to ours what we would consider in the US the farmer's market. It hadn't been there any other day so far, so we figured we'd stroll through. Aaah! no doubt fruit here is something a world away from any fruit I've ever experienced in the US. I first took note of this from the bananas in our hostel. They tasted more citrusy/fruity and less mushy banana like. Then, through the market people kept offering us samples freshly sliced off the fruit. The strawberries are something I cannot get out of my mind even though it is no 8pm at night. The man handed Micah and I each one and I thanked him and kept going. But once I'd bitten in I had to stop and look down at what I was eating. Was it dipped in sugar--the way you often times will eat them in America? No. I took another bite. Unbelievable. It was nothing but a fresh, ripe strawberry and I swear it tasted like it had been grown in soil made of nothing but sugar. Amazing.

We laid by the ocean for about an hour then walked down Ipanema towards Copacabana. We got right to the point where the two meet but had to turn back in order to make sure we were at the hostel for when the city tour we'd signed up for arrived.

The tour wasn't too costly, but that was somewhat reflected in what we got. I am glad we visited Sugar Loaf yesterday on our own time. Things were slightly more rushed in the tour (not to mention we didn't have our own personal guide and translator, Carla) but I'm sure our tiredness played a factor in how much we enjoyed the tour. It began with The Cristos, The Christ. We were in a bus/van and the road to the top was bumpy BUMPY and the driver sure didn't mind the bumps. He sped right up there taking every turn without hitting the breaks I'm pretty sure. We had to go through Santa Teresa, which was the rich neighborhood and through the national forest, which was quite beautiful. It was fun to see monkeys scurrying about the trees.

It was a bit disappointing that the lower half of The Christ statue was covered in scaffolding where they are doing some work on him, but it could've been the face, right? Quite magnificent. It's really awesome thing to be in this city and at any point you can look to the sky and see the figure--from a distance looking just like the Cross, overlooking you. Such a great reminder of the truth that we do always have someone overlooking us and keeping us safe. Or as Lawman Chibundi once said, "God's got your back."

The ride down was just as exciting as that up, except this time I was in the very back. You can remember what riding in the back of the school bus was like: ten times bumpier. This was so ridiculous it brought back memories of Cedar Point with Holly and Boo in 2000 and whatever the name of the park's oldest roller coaster is that was made of wood. So rickety and loud and jerky. The middle eastern guy sitting next to me kept laughing along with me and even made the comment, "It's like being on a roller coaster." Amen to that! We then stopped at the stadium but didn't go inside--lucky for us we got to experience that on Sunday at the game. Then it was to the Cathedral. I had no idea what it looked like so I was quite surprised when the van stopped and I realized that's where it had stopped. It's circular, but as if someone flipped a funnel over and cut off the small end that you stick into a bottle so you've only got the portion with the slanted edges. Strips of stained glass ran up the edges in about six or eight different lines. Natural light poured in from three main entrances and the alter had a huge wooden crucifix hanging above it. I have a weird thing about taking pictures in churches for some reason. I suppose I know that so many people come to just take pictures when to me a church is not a place for tourist attraction--it's God's house, right? I guarantee half the people who visit with their camera's are not people who truly practice any kind of faith. So I knelt before the alter and had my time to pray before continuing on with my pictures (which I'll mention I did without using the flash; it seems less disrespectful for whatever reason.) Oh, and for the record, the kneelers at this cathedral knocked St. Bernard's out of the ballpark for discomfort! These were straight wood with no cushion. Definitely not long adorations happening here!

We stopped by the strip/location of Carnaval and then the group was going to Sugar Loaf and we were dropped off at our hostel, which was a fortunate thing since Micah was starving. (So much for his insisting on "something light" before the tour and nothing more.) Our hostel hosts gave us advise for an all-you-can-eat pizza place just up the street--sounded perfect to us. Well, this was an all new experience for the three of us. Not only were we trying to figure out costs and what we could or couldn't eat without knowing the language, but this was an all-you-can-eat in a new fashion. Rather than having a buffet to select from over and over, the waitresses would bring out one pizza after another to the table and you'd simply let them know if you wanted a slice or not. Was kind of tricky when you couldn't ask what was on each one or what else they had or request certain things. You simply had to look and guess. I'm pretty sure we all left satisfied though because this deal also included the best dessert pizza I've ever had in my life!

I hate to admit it but it was only about 8pm when we got back to our hostel but we were all completely wiped and since we are heading out of Rio semi-early tomorrow to get on to Sao Paulo to FINALLY get to spend some time with the reason for this trip: GUI BUSO!

Not the Normal Meat Eater but...

I so easily had forgotten the many wonders of traveling. It's not just that you are setting foot in a place that is not part of your own country. It's truly a new world. The first thing I noticed were the hills/mountains. Nothing like the rolling hills of Kentucky. It's like a kid went to town on them with a pair of scissors; very jagged and irregular. We drove through what seemed to be part of the industrial area along with the older parts of town. Gui explained how Rio had once been Brazil's capital and was just recently being restored somewhat.

From the moment we were in the cab we could see The Christ, Cristos, upon one of the knobs, which we got closer and closer to until passing through a tunnel that went through the knob it was upon and then we entered the other side of the city where our hostel, Che Legarto, is located. Aah, only about a block and a hafl from the beach! Sad to say, but it's overcast and rainy today--not terrible. We walked outside without any trouble, but we're definitely hoping for blue skies and sunshine for the rest of the week.

We strolled down to the beach and around the area while waiting to eat lunch. Gui already had it all planned for us. We'd eat at Porcao (said "Poor Cow") as soon as it opened for the day. Gui said it would be costly, but if we were to have one "good" meal while here, this was the place to do it, because it was not just about the great food, but the experience in itself.

We started with Caipirinha before getting a table. I'd compare it to a margarita. Tequila along with lots of sliced/chopped up limes. Delicious. Then we moved to our actual table. The food was buffet style--but not at all. I know in America, you hear buffet and you think under par, dried out food that has been sitting out and picked at for far too long. We had to take a tour around to even see what our options were before beginning. Lots of sushi and raw fish, fresh mozzarella, other cheeses, hummus, quail eggs, olives, salads, steamed veggies....a million things I tried without even knowing what they were. Then there was a buffet line of black beans and rice along with your choice of meat to add to the black beans, including....are you ready for it... PIG TONGUE! Yep, tongues floating around in black bean sauce. Don't you worry... I "manned up" and tried it. Verdict? Surprisingly good! In fact, I really liked the flavor, but what made it weird was the texture. It was soooo soft that it was like eating applesauce almost. You didn't even need to chew.

So I filled up my plate with what I thought would be my first round. What I didn't realize was what was till to come: MEAT. Meat, meat. and moooore meat. The servers would bring out HUGE chunks of cooked meat on poles and you'd simply tell them "sim" (yes) or "Nao" (no) you wanted some. I thought this would be about five different options...Pork, Beef, Chicken, probably some other kind of bird... and something else random. Indeed I was wrong. We know I'm not a huge meat-eater, but I was saying yes to most of it at first, thinking, why not try it? Bad idea. If I'd said yes to everything...well just ask Micah. He nearly did and he had a very full plate (and a very full stomach.) Gui and Carla insisted we all try the chicken heart--one of their favorites. Melody choked down her sliver. Micah said, "Yeah I don't mind that,"and immediately spat it out in his rice and buried the partially chewed food. I definitely liked the pig tongue flavor better. The heart was okay, but not something I would choose to order. I had lamb soaked in wine and also tried ostrich for the first time. The salmon was unbelievable. I learned that the reason they brought out so many options was because it was the opportunity to try different parts of the same animal. My favorite, surprisingly, surprisingly, was the back of the cow/neck area. Very easy to chew and flavorful.
No doubt were were all stuffed and probably won't eat but a snack for the rest of the day. And with full tummies and little sleep on a long plane ride, we are all pretty exhausted. We're taking some downtime for now. Sadly, Gui had to leave Rio to head to Brasilia for work purposes and we won't see him until we get to Sao Paul on Tuesday. Carla is hanging with us as our faithful guide and translator, though and tonight the four four of us will head to a soccer game. Can you really skip out on watching some soccer while your in Brazil? Of course not.