The beach in my pocket

My six year old loves to do art projects. He uses markers and scissors and glue to create custom "surprises" for family and friends. He would rather do this than just about anything else.

The other day he asked me, "Mommy, what do you like?" I told him that I like lots of things like hiking and flowers and the beach.

A little while later he brought me a tiny package, about the size of a kidney bean, and said, "this is a surprise for you! Open it!"

I carefully opened the wrapping paper that he made from white paper and glue. Inside I found this:



He said that it was the beach and he wanted to give it to me because he knew that I liked it. He gave me the beach! The beach!

Really, this is just a tiny piece of paper with a bit of marker doodle on it but, to me, it is so much more than that. I know the love that went into the idea and creation of it. I know that his giving me this gift was his way of giving me the feeling that he gets when he receives a "surprise" from us. Mommy tears. Love this kid!

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Get Natured sightings

Here are two recent sightings of Get Natured out in the wild!

Freeplay is a new local magazine for female endurance athletes in my city. I wrote the article entitled "Healthy Snacking 101" on page 10. You can read it here (flip to page 10 by using the right arrow)!



Also, my article "Running lessons" was featured on the Top 9 for the dailybuzz healthy LIVING site, here. Woohoo!

Spiced scratchy throat elixir

My sinuses are irritated and my throat is scratchy. I'm not full-blown sick, just a little off of normal and feeling tired. I did get my run in this morning, though, and that takes care of half of the problem. The half that turns me inside out and upside down when the mornings are dark and the grass is frosted over. When I run, I get into my groove by the middle of the first song on my playlist and then I'm on my way to feeling a billion times better than when I woke up.

After lunch I took the kids out for a little exploring in our neighborhood. The weather has been amazing here, with temperatures in the 60s, and we've been outside a lot for January. While I'm walking I breathe in the warm air trying to sense every detail of its layers. Earth. Grass. Leaves. Wet mossy rocks. Skunk. Yes, skunk.



The comfort of a little sunshine and fresh air, splashes of rocks in the creek, and golden light highlighting moments framed by tree boughs helps a lot. Then a warm drink, a little quiet, and finally a soft blanket will help to ease the rest. Exploring, nourishing, and soaking in.

This little drink that I threw together is so warming and felt good on my scratchy throat. It is definitely a repeater!



Spiced Scratchy Throat Elixer

• Whole spices of choice (I used 1 cinnamon stick, 3 green cardamom pods, and 3 cloves)
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Honey or agave nectar, to taste (about 1 tablespoon)

1. Heat the water and the whole spices to a simmer in a small pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Note: You can also toast the spices a bit in a dry pan before adding the water, but it isn't necessary.
2. Juice 1/2 of a lemon into a mug then add a dash of cayenne, and honey (or agave) to taste. Strain and pour the water into the mug and stir well.

Word for 2012: Explore

In the crazy sneaky way that it does, the new year has arrived. The holiday rush is over and we are getting reorganized and settling back into a routine that requires alarm clocks and rushed breakfasts. I am optimistic about 2012, though. I can't resist the feeling of a fresh start and the temptation to plan. I used to wonder if there was a point to all of my planning but now I know that I get a lot more out of it than it would seem. All of the dreaming and scheming puts me into a helpful frame of mind. A place from which to launch expeditions fueled by the momentum of a new beginning.

Lately I have been pondering the direction of this blog. It started as a venture in healthy living. It has evolved much more in the direction of a food blog than I originally imagined. I love food, obviously, and I love sharing my ideas and recipes too. I don't really see myself as someone who writes cookbooks, though. I am more interested in exercising my creative (and writing) muscles in other ways.

I do have some thoughts on subject matter that I would like to share over the course of this year. The introduction of new topics, expanding on subjects that I've touched on already, and inspired food ideas. Mostly I want to EXPLORE, here and in my life. To have as many new experiences and adventures as possible. To learn continually, especially about things for which my interest takes me by surprise. I want to continue my pursuit of building a life of too-good-to-be-trues. I want to do what I love often. I want to follow my heart into new and exciting things and to live a good story. I want to share beauty, creativity, adventure, inspiration, and connection.

I was crazy-inspired to "live a better story" after reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. This is a fantastic read!



These two books (The Rhythm of Family and The Creative Family both by Amanda Blake Soule) are on my nightstand now and I'm loving them both. The idea of home being a place of creativity is so great and I love the ideas that I'm finding here.





Like this "sun catcher" that the boys and I made out of ice using "interesting things" that we gathered on a neighborhood walk. Love.




What is your word for 2012?

Nasoya giveaway winner!

Congratulations to Dyanne! She won five coupons to try Nasoya products for FREE and a Nasoya t-shirt!



Dyanne- Please send your contact info (email and mailing address) to me at getnatured@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone who commented and happy holidays to all!

Spicy noodle soup and a giveaway!

This spicy soup is exactly what I crave in between the fall and winter holidays. The heat is just enough to fight off the cold of a winter night and the noodles make for a nourishing and healthy comfort food. Love!

The soup began as this green curry broth recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I made a few small changes to the recipe:  added shiitake mushrooms, omitted the corn, and used Nasoya Japanese style noodles in place of the yuba.





Perfection.

GIVEAWAY:

What is better than a yummy soup on a winter night? A yummy soup on a winter night made with FREE ingredients!

The prize: Five coupons to try Nasoya products for free and a Nasoya t-shirt*!

To enter: Please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite winter comfort food. All Facebook and Twitter mentions of this giveaway get an extra entry in the drawing (please let me know, in your comment, that you tweeted or shared the link on Facebook)!

Please enter by 11:59pm PST on Thursday, December 22nd. Winner will be chosen by random drawing and announced on Friday, December 23rd.

Good luck!

*Legal disclaimer: I a not being paid to promote these products.

Holiday thriving and a giveaway coming soon!

So here's the thing about December- sometimes it makes us a little squishy (and I don't mean from eating too many cookies, although that is certainly a possibility too). It is cold outside and it gets dark before dinner. Our friends are sharing their holiday joy on Facebook and all the images painted in our minds by Christmas songs and movies can make us feel like we're doing it all wrong. We have such high standards for ourselves. Why else would it be an option to pay someone to hang our Christmas lights?

What matters, though, is not how well we meet an imaginary holiday formula put forth by all of the hubbub. What matters is that we do things our own way; things that make our lives feel rich and help us and ours to connect with what is important to us. That has everything to do with the traditions that are connected to our heartstrings and nothing to do with anything at the mall.

As the holidays arrive next week, flourish. Pause to ponder simple things in great detail. Take your time. Navigate the pace and direction of things by following joy instead of an agenda. Sink in to honoring what you need from moment to moment. Explore. Make messes.

GIVEAWAY coming soon!



Right now you're likely focussed on all things carbohydratey- holiday treats, mashed potatoes, mulled cider...

If you're anything like me, though, you'll be craving something different soon after the holidays. It seems like I always start to crave spicy foods right after Thanksgiving. Szechuan veggies, curries, salsa. It all sounds so good when it is cold outside!

To help you along with your post-holiday stir fries, noodle dishes, etc., I'll be giving away a coupon for a free Nasoya item and a Nasoya t-shirt next week! Details on how to enter are coming soon. In the meantime, get some recipe inspiration and cooking tips from the people at Nasoya on their Tofu U website.*


*Legal disclaimer: I a not being paid to promote these products.