Healthy Outlets

Via

Although I enjoy blogging and social media in general, sometimes I'm weirded out by the online world and am tempted to delete everything. Recently, it's the amount of negativity on the internet that's got me feeling that way. Perhaps it's because I'm dealing with my own stuff and hearing others vent or spew opinions is more overwhelming. Or maybe I'm venturing into cyber territory I don't want to be in, that of negative bloggers, tweeters or Facebook friends. I'm working to figure it out.

It's made me think though, about how I utilize or don't utilize the online world.

I was talking to a friend recently about some of the struggles of living in London and she pointed out that she wouldn't have guessed things were hard from reading my blog. It's true, I namely share positive things here, but things are never perfect. It hasn't been my goal to paint a false picture of how things are, I've just decided my blog isn't where I want to bear all or vent. I'm not confident that it'd actually help and I'm even less confident that it'd be helpful to other's. It's impossible to first gauge where people are at and know if they're prepared to hear or help. But I know we all need outlets of some sort.

Growing up my outlet was journaling. I have so many journals, even from six, seven and eight years old. I also found solace in nature. I grew up in the country so it was easy to escape into the woods or a nearby field (something I wish I could still do, darn city life!). In college I woke up early to be by myself, pray, etc., or I'd go to the gym. Recently, I've had Kurt to help me work through things, a therapist at times (scary, I know), and I go on lots of walks.

It's been crucial for me to learn healthy ways to process because I don't easily trust people with my feelings and I'm often tempted to keep things bottled up. I've tried a lot of things though, I guess I thought I needed five different outlets or something, but I realize now that I shouldn't have outlets just for the sake of having them. It isn't productive. I have to find the one or two that are realistic for me and helpful.

I'm curious, what are your healthy outlets?

I'm sure if you're a Christian, we can agree that there's always comfort and encouragement found in God's Word and in prayer. That's huge. What are some other practical ways that help you process? Do you use your blog? Why or why not?

Michaela Rae

Whipping Myself into Shape | my power foods

photo via Iowa Girl Eats

About a week ago I decided it's time. Time to whip myself back into shape. I miss being healthy, it's a night and day difference. When I'm in shape I have energy pre-cup of coffee, I sleep well at night and it's so much easier to pop right up at my alarm. Being in good health also helps with my overall outlook on life. I feel more content and joyful.

I've decided to take the slow and steady route of getting there though. I'll flake out in a week or two if I get overly ambitious. So instead of pushing myself to do 30 minute cardio routines and only eat salad (yeah right!), I'm trying to do something active every day, even if it's just going for a walk. I'm choosing to eat less bread, drink more water and eat more "power foods" (food that's got a lot to offer).

Here are some of the versatile and relatively cheap healthy foods I'm choosing:

Avocados. They're a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, folate, and B6. Plus they're delicious and make for an easy snack, even if just with a little salt.

Cabbage. I've always loved cabbage but I didn't realize until recently how much it has to offer, plus it's cheap! It's a good detoxifier and is rich in iodine, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Here are some tips for cooking cabbage.

Oatmeal. As I'm sure many of you know, oatmeal (not the instant kind, the real deal) is the way to start your day. Oats are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber and nutrients, including: vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. It's also a good source of protein. Whew. I change my oatmeal up with different fruit each morning so I don't grow tired of it.

Spinach. I like substituting different types of lettuce for spinach whenever possible because this stuff is no joke. Just picture Popeye and you'll get the right idea. It's loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K and iron. It's also rich in vitamins A, C, fiber and carotenoids. When Kurt and I were visiting friends in Ireland they shared a really awesome spinach smoothie recipe with us, it's so delicious, try it!

Yogurt. I love having yogurt as a mid-day snack. It's a rich source of calcium and is easier for your body to digest than milk. It also has protein and live-culture yogurt helps boost your immunity with lactobacteria (basically, good bacteria that your body needs).

photo via The Kitchn

And of course, Fruit. I'm eating more citrus pieces, bananas and apples whenever I have a hankering for a munchy.

I'm also drinking Nettle Tea every day. Sounds strange but it offers so many benefits and doesn't taste bad either. It's a natural diuretic (helping reduce water retention) and cures inflammation. It helps eliminate acne and to regulate a women's cycle and reduce pain during it. You can read all about it here.

I'm curious how you enjoy any of the above. Do you have a good recipe for cabbage or spinach? I want it! Are there any other foods you consider a must in your diet? To be honest, this is the first time I'm really taking it upon myself to be educated about what I eat (in college I was concerned with how I was going to pay for food, not what was in it). I'd love some help!

Michaela Rae

Happy February

Flowers in Wimbledon Village

I love February. It whispers sweet memories of California tulips waiting on my Florida bed, letters in my mailbox and phone calls late into the night. It's the month that Kurt and my relationship first began to bloom. New love does crazy things to people, and we were no exception. I love thinking on those times, even if I do get a good laugh out of myself. 

More recently, February also brings memories of my grandfather, tall and quiet. A man I never knew as much as I wish I had. I do know he loved his yard, raking or shoveling it into piles. He loved the lake in back. He often took me on boat rides or fishing from the dock. He liked familiarity - dinner at 6pm, reading the newspaper in his red leather chair and ice cream as often as possible, even from McDonald's (I, of course, didn't mind those stops). But most importantly, I know he loved his wife and his family. It was always evident. And he was one of the most generous men I've ever known.

Today Kurt and I kicked the month off with a late morning in and then took a walk to Wimbledon Village for a bit of thifting. I've been pleasantly surprised by thrift stores here. There are so many and unlike Goodwill, they actually sell quality stuff for cheap. Kurt found a couple ties and I a pair of jeans. The weather is so cold today though so we cut the trip short and went back to the flat for some hot chocolate instead. 

Tonight I made stew tonight and it totally hit the spot. Incase you're looking for a winter pick-me-up, here it is:

Easy Veggie Beef Stew

4 cups water

1/2 pound ground beef 

1/2 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes 

1/2 onion, chopped

2 potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 (16oz) bag of mixed frozen veggies

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cubes beef stock

Brown the beef in a frying pan; drain.

Then in a large pot over medium heat, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes (and other veggies) are tender - approximately 40 minutes. We enjoyed ours with a fresh baguette. :-)

What are your favorite February memories?

Michaela Rae

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes w/ Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Good morning & happy haLlOwEeN!
You probably have pumpkin coming out of your ears by now, but if you're like me, and never get tired of it, here's another recipe (actually two) to try!

These Pumpkin Spice Pancakes are so good and would be perfect for breakfast on Halloween, Thanksgiving or even Christmas morning. They obviously call for pumpkin puree. So yes, I made my own! I'll first share my pumpkin puree recipe with you and then the pancake recipe.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to make puree. After cutting and emptying the pumpkin of it's seeds I simply baked it at 400F for 30 minutes on a baking sheet. Before baking I put a little water in the bottom of the baking sheet and rubbed a little canola oil on the outside of the pumpkin pieces. Once baked, it was so easy to scoop the pumpkin out into a bowl. I used my magic bullet (gotta love it!) to process the pumpkin a bit for a smoother texture. I then sieved out some of the extra liquid so the puree wasn't runny. And that's it! I have a whole bowl in the fridge that I'm slowly using for different recipes.

I found the Pumpkin Spice Pancakes recipe through Pinterest (my pins). I honestly wouldn't change anything about this recipe by Annie's Eats. The pancakes were so fluffy and the flavor was a perfect blend of pumpkin and spices. Not over the top but just right. Kurt's a picky eater and he really loved these. :-P

You'll need:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 TBSP vegetable oil or melted butter

Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk them together. The batter may still have a few lumps - that's fine.

Heat greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, add 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Cook until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown.

Enjoy with a little cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream or all on their own!

I'm just loving this fall season! I hope you guys are too. On Saturday Kurt and I road bikes through central London with two of our new friends. It was such a blast and a really cool way to see the city (not to mention get exercise, ouch). Experiencing the change of seasons is so awesome.

Green Park in central London

Michaela Rae

Oatmeal lovers, hear ye hear ye!

This morning I made the most killer oatmeal ever! Thanks to Elsie & her team from A Beautiful Mess, I was able to get my fingers on this recipe. You should definitely try it.

I added chopped pecans (left over from this), blackberry jam and extra banana to mine. It was fantastic.

I love that this is the type of recipe you can tweak until it meets your perfect oatmeal standards. Next time I think I'll add more milk, I prefer a more creamy oatmeal (if you prefer fluffy, you'll love the original version). I'll also add less sugar and maybe some honey instead. 

That's all for now, happy Friday!!

Michaela Rae

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