Thursday, 30 June 2011

KWW: Clean Eating Shrimp Scampi

KWW just a day late, I made this for dinner today, this makes a quick fifteen minute meal and tastes divine.
Ingredients
1  pound package of frozen, small salad shrimp
Zest of two lemons
Juice of two lemons
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. whole grain pasta
Directions

Step 1 – Place frozen shrimp into a non-stick skillet with oil. Cook shrimp until they are mostly cooked and there is a nice bit of liquid in the pan (this will become your sauce)

Step 2 – Add everything else except the pasta.

Step 3 – When the shrimp is done and the flavors of your sauce have melded nicely, remove from heat.

Step 4 – Serve over pasta with a little parmesan, salt and pepper for taste.
I got the recipe here.  And it turned out really great!! Hope you enjoy
Be Blessed

Monday, 27 June 2011

Know Your status

Today is AIDS/HIV Awareness Day. Last year I spoke about how nerve wracking it was to get tested. For me for years it was just routine as part of my regular doctors visit, but this time it was about just this test, and it was scary as hell. But being afraid of the results is not a reason to not get tested.

As one of my friends said on her blog recently  "No glove, no Cocoa"  (there might be a t-shirt involved soon). As I said last year, just because your in a committed relationship  doesn't mean your partner is ( I know that sounds wrong, but the only person you can absolutely be certain of is YOU) it doesn't mean you think your partner is cheating on you, but there isn't any reason not to get tested and know your status for certain.

this is my industry and I can't explain the amount of women, and men who are always shocked that they were sick and couldn't understand why until those results came back. So please, don't just get tested, get the results, and Know your status.

Be Blessed


Sunday, 26 June 2011

Midwife Series: Movie Review


Movie: Orgasmic Birth

I watched this movie as a part of the midwifery preparation i'm going through. I picked this one up because many of the midwives and forums have discussed the book with glowing colors, plus the premise seemed great so i picked it up through Netflix.

the movie hinges on how the 'pain' of labor can be seen as a positive ting and how it works to augment your labor instead of something to fear. documentary had experts like Penny Simkin, the director of the World health Organization, Dr. Christine Northup Ob/Gyn, several midwives including the great midwife Ina May Gaskin.

One of the shows many aspects is the women who gave birth live on the show, each patient shared their own story and allowed the cameras to watch as they gave birth. One of my facorite parts si the showcasing of women EATING during labor, as a person in the medical field I KNOW logically why American doctors insist that women not eat during labor, but knowing the logics, and seeing the scientific discrepancies make it difficult to back the system.  The WHO itself has shown that women who eat and rest during labor actually have shorter, less intense labors, and they are more likely to have vaginal births than those who aren't allowed to eat, as their energy stores won't be low and they will be able to better labor.

The film highlighted the emotions the couples feel as they labor, both being happy, and sad, the fear, the mom's and dad's panic, some of them are as calm and cool as ever.  It discussed how the women can possibly become 'orgasmic' during labor.  The Doctors involved all discussed the scientific aspects of the reason some women become orgasmic.

I particularly liked that the film covered the fact that sexual abuse victims sometimes have a harder time laboring in the traditional setting of the hospital.  There are books that focus on that one of them is on my list to be reviewed.

I personally loved the movie, and what it was attempting. I think there could have been more personal stories, and perhaps a few more facts for those who need it.
Check out the movie if your interested in learning about midwifery.
Be Blessed

Saturday, 25 June 2011

Back to Basics

Hey guys

I know i haven't written in a while, well school is finished and I have been catching up on sleep and Buffy and Angel series (yes I know they are off the air but I never watched them when they were on the air and now I know what the hype was about the shows are fantastic and funny as all get out).

I realized recently that I had an issue with my blog, i wasn't really liking ti as much as I used to, so I'm going back to basics.  Yes I know, a Halloween theme is too stereotypical, but I really really loved it, and it was what I had when I first started the blog.  Now I have tried a lot of different themes and blog headers but I think the basic signature should remain the same, just look at all the really well written and loved blogs that we all subscribe to. Doing all those changes made me realize I was searching to 'create' the perfect theme, when I had a great basic theme that was all 'me', i don't want to write my blog hoping to get responses, I wish to write and be about what is happening to me, what is important to me, not to search out and be someone else's version of what my blog should be, so no more seeking, I may change some things based on season, but for the most part I wish to focus not on how the blog looks but on the blog contents, and what is really important.

What I'm trying to say is instead of ignoring my blog I'm making it the blog I originally had, the one I really enjoyed writing on, and talking about what was important to me, and about what I knew.  I'm cleaning up the blog a bit, dropping some topics, and picking up new ones. I know that means some will wish to leave and I may even get an nasty comment or two, but I originally wrote this blog as a way to get stuff off my chest and to even explore my craft (all of my craft, not just my faith, but the things I created) and I wish to go back to that.

So hopefully you'll stick around for the upcoming improvements and changes and share with me my journey.If we should part here, then have a Happy and Blessed journey.

Merry Meet and Merry Part
until we Merry Meet Again

Monday, 20 June 2011

Ostara 2011- Summer Solstice 2011

Hey My loves,

this is a breakdown of the big Bucket List. "The Way to eat an Elephant is one small bite at a time." As my list is really long and has many different seasonal activities I thought it best to break them down and place them here.

As of course i accomplish each one i will blog and share about it, as well as link to any information if you are looking to attempt them yourself. Once the Spring aspect is done the page will come down and another will replace it. the goal is to keep doing these until all the bucket list is done (so basically hopefully not for a few years). To see my posts about each adventure click on the blue completed ones.

Some info about the colors:

  1. pale blue: tracking to completion, when done I will change it to dark blue and place a link to the post about it, 
  2. red is the number of items completed in that one item's list.
  3.  if the link has turned purple you have read the linked post already.
  4.  the one's which are deep red are items which can't be completed due to expiration of the item or items not done by the end of the list date (ostara) and they will either be rolled over to the new list or have to wait til the appropriate season comes around again.
Ok So here is my sorry excuse of why I haven't done anything big on the list: I'm back in school in an accelerated program to move up the ladder in my dream career, which is taking me one step closer to being a midwife. That means i have class Mon-Fri 645-3pm with no time to do anything else but, eat, sleep and study. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish more this summer, and maybe 1 or 2 things in the fall but I can't guareentee that so I'm focused on the big dream so that the smaller ones can be done later with leisdure!!! Ok excuse done by!!
Spring to Do list:
  • Rock climbing
  • Start bottom half of the Met
  • Swimming Lessons at the Y
  • go fishing
  • Habitat for humanity
  • gun range
  • Kayaking
  • Dude ranch
  • horseback riding
  • Pirate re-enactment
  • wine tasting
  • trace family tree
  • learn to ride a bike
  • stand in two places at once
  • fly over of NY
  • top of the Empire State buikding
  • top of Lady Liberty
  • see the Liberty bell
  • Niagara Falls
  • NY botanical gardens butterfly show in Spring
  • ballooning
  • NJ Six Flags
Craft Section
  • learn to sew
  • learn to quilt
  • Wood carving
  • glass staining (on actual glass not just decorations)
  • Sabbat soaps
Spiritual Stuff
  • daily yoga practice
  • daily meditation
  • 10 min to 20 min meditation
  • Finish Buddha books
  • Study Buddhism
Cooking:
  • make our own butter
  • purchase from more local markets during the spring
  • try to do as many recipes from the hundred mile diet
  • find a local source for beef
  • find a local source for mutton
  • find a local source for eggs
  • find a local source (other than my garden ) for some herbs
  • go to the NYC green market gardens at least twice this spring
  • NYC foodie event
  • Meet-up foodie events in the local area
  • cooking class in CT at Jones Farm
  • use clean eating cookbooks more often
  • use as many of the recipes from binder (toss those I don't like or won't use)
  • share cooking wins and disasters on blog :)
Gardening
  • purchase seeds from mountain rose herbals and heirloom seeds from Johnny Selected seeds
  • start seeds indoors in Feb
  • look for a local apiary club and classes
  • local gardening or farming club
  • look into  worm composting, cost and how long it will take
  • water bin to place under two of the pipes around the house
  • return peach tree that hasn't bloomed at all June 20
  • chickens??? maybe two or three
  • rabbits? angora? cost?
Exercise 
  • 3-5 times a week working out
  • Making clean eating meals 2-4 times per week
  • Yoga in NYC Times Square event
  • Yoga class in Kripalu
Miscellaneous
  • re-pierce ears (second hole)
  • Complete 12 days of Yule on Youtube left: 7  completed: 5
  • Blog 3-5 times per week
  • Get new contacts (makes everything else feasible) 
  • Complete 3-6 movies from the list
  • Complete 5 books from the "classics list"
  • Doula Class
Book Challenges:
  • finish 25 books for the 100 reading challenge          left: 0 completed: 25
  • finish 10 books for the Ebook challenge                   left: 0   completed: 10
  • finish 5 books for the Show me the Free Challenge left:     completed:
  • finish 5 books for the iChallenge List                         left: 0  completed: 5

Sunday, 19 June 2011

Happy Father's Day

To the men who show up and are in their children's lives
who love and support them
who are guardians of the future
examples to their children
disciplinarians when necessary
who are guides, and sages
friends, & shoulders to lean on when world gets a bit too much.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY


Lord Grant Me

I have been enjoying the last few days of school, and watching just about every night the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer(more on that later).While watching season 6 finale I fell inlove with the last song being played/ It was hauntingly beautiful and touched my heart,


I knew at once it was Sarah McLachlan (whom I love) it was to my surprise a 'poem' my Mother was fond of qouting whenever she was upset, it was actually a prayer wtitten by St,Francis of Assissi.  Even without being Catholic this song hits right at the heart of who we are as a people, as beings.


Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love 
For it is in giving that we receive-
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
.And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life
.Amen 

I can't find anything more beautiful than this simple request, whether the Lord you speak to is the Christian Lord or the Honored mate of the Lady, the sincerity of this plea would let them grant it.
I have recently begun to read a book by the Dalai Lama which contained a poem much like this, and it both soothes and amuses me to realize how similar we all are in our pleas to be more than just selfish creatures, but seek to give back, and we all require the Divine's aide in doing so. 

Cultivating a attitude of gratitude, as I would be nothing without the Gods that I dance with. 
Be Blessed 

Thursday, 2 June 2011

Blog Promts: Resources

Today, let's share some of our favorite Pagan resources for anyone that might need a little help finding answers....

If you can, list at least one of each of the following:
Book (title and author, ISBN if you have the book on hand)
Website (name and URL)
- regular Publication (magazine, newsletter, etc)
Person that you have spoken with (can be a Pagan celebrity or just someone you know in your community that has helped you out a lot).



So here are some of my resources:


Books (surprise surprise it's a long list, my commments are just for your pleasure :P)

  • To Ride a Silver Broomstick (are we surprised?? I mean the blog is name By the Broomstick) by Silver Ravenwolf
  • my first book by Silver was actually " To Stir a Magick Cauldron" which is an amazing resource for newbies.
  • The Celtic Spirit Daily Meditations for the turning year by Caitlin Matthews
  • Celtic Devotional by Caitlin Matthews
  • The Winter Solstice Book by John Matthews
  • By Oak, Ash and Thorn by D. J. Conway
  • Dancing with dragons ( I had this and a dragon tarot set years ago, and boy did they move thru my life and bring some serious 'fire' into it)
  • A Druid's Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman
  • anything by Scott Cunningham
  • the Earthwise Herbal by Matt Wood
  • Emma Restall Orr
Website:

People:


  • Flora M also from YT is an amazing witch, and speaker she is a genuinely beautiful soul, who shares so much of her practice, her family and herself with us, 
  • Kris otherwise known as Mrs. B is a cool awesome witch (she's listed above) 

Publication:



So these are my resources, why not share yours?
Be Blessed