As I write this my dining room table is covered in Legos. COVERED. My oldest son turned eight on Thursday and it has been a week of cake and presents and celebrations. Wonderful, yes; but tiring too. I have been so thankful to retreat to our cozy nest at the end of each day.

How is your nest coming along?


Welcome to week 9 of The Winter Project!
(What is The Winter Project?)

Surviving the cold with warmth and comfort: Nurturing bedtime ritual

Challenge for week 9: I mentioned before that having a simple ritual to close your day can be very comforting. After sipping a hot drink or watching your favorite show under a soft blanket, consider how you prepare your body for sleep. Whether you have a full bedtime regimen or you simply crawl into bed at the end of the day, think about treating yourself to one simple nurturing step to ease you into sleep mode. Again, you want to choose something simple that you can look forward to (and not dread as an extra step) at the end of the day.

A few of my favorites: 

What are some of your favorites?

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As we move through this project, I would love to hear about your survival skills, struggles, and success in the comments or by email (you can reach me at getnatured@gmail.com)!

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to receive free Get Natured updates so you can be included in The Winter Project. The weather outside doesn’t have to be frightful! xoxo

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*Important note: I am not a licensed mental health professional. This advice is not intended to take the place of therapy or medications. Please seek professional care if you are suffering from depression or anxiety symptoms.

I have not always been able to cook well. When I first moved out on my own I was completely lost in the kitchen. I would frequently wrap white rice and cheese in a tortilla and microwave it for dinner. Sometimes my roommate and I would make tater tots. Sometimes we would make a weird noodle and lettuce combo that we called "pasta salad". Eek.

A few years later, my mom sent me a gift subscription to Cooking Light Magazine. The magazine was exactly what I needed to get me on the road to cooking real food. I was a little intimidated by the recipes at first, but I followed them exactly and started to have some success with things that seemed fancy to tortilla-microwaving me. The first time that I made an actual meal with more than one thing on the plate, I felt like a culinary rockstar!

These days I cook a huge variety of foods and, even though I rarely follow recipes exactly as they are written, I adore cookbooks. I am also very comfortable with creating meals on the fly with whatever I have in the kitchen (and that happens a lot because I hate grocery shopping and try to put it off as long as I can)!

Among my favorite cookbooks are those written by Dreena Burton. Dreena's recipes stand out to me not only because they are delicious but also because they tend to be much lower in fat and sugar than others. Being a mother of three small kids, she understands the constant pursuit for healthy things that our kids will eat. I can tell that she has given careful thought to adding protein, iron, and other healthy elements to her foods and that fits exactly with how I approach building a meal for my family. Many of Dreena's recipes have become staples in our house and her cookies and brownies are my go-to recipes for times when nothing but a cookie (or three...) will fix whatever is wrong!

Given my love of Dreena's first three books, I was honored and very excited to be given the chance to review her brand new book, Let Them Eat Vegan!: 200 Deliciously Satisfying Plant-Powered Recipes for the Whole Family!

All you really need to start running is a pair of good shoes, of course. But, as I've gained more experience, I've found a few things that make running just a little bit better for me. These are all things that I regularly use and I thought I'd share them here*.

Garmin 305

For a long time I used an app on my phone to track my distance, pace, etc. This Garmin works so much better for me! It is really affordable (especially on Amazon) and very easy to use. It takes the guesswork out of knowing how far to run before I turn around on long training runs. Also, knowing my speed helps me to pace myself on long runs and tells me how my body is handling the training. I tend to run slower than usual when my body needs a few days off.

Lululemon Wunder Under tights

I had tried on countless pairs of running tights and had never found a pair that I would be willing to leave the house wearing...until I found these! They are comfortable and warm and not too revealing as some tights can. Love them!

SpiBelt

This little belt is great for holding my cell phone, keys, Clif Shots, tissues, whatever I need with me on a run. The best part is that it doesn't bounce when I run- perfect!

Audible.com

I run with an iPod and usually listen to music on shorter runs. I have playlists with different kinds of music and this gets me through most runs. Some days, though, I need something to sink my brain into. A distraction or maybe just the company of a story. I love audiobooks and Audible.com has a great selection. Since Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, you can purchase audiobooks through Amazon.com or Audible.com. Love.

Layers

I have a Nike Dri Fit top and a few lower price versions from Target (Champion brand) like this one. They keep me just warm enough (but not too hot) when I wear them over a wicking tank top or t-shirt on cooler mornings. For really cold days, I add a layer of fleece on top and wear a hat and gloves.

Sweaty bands

When I'm not wearing a hat, I pull my hair back into a ponytail and use a Sweaty Band to hold back the sneaky shorter pieces that like to reach around and tickle my nose. These bands are the only ones that I've found (and I've tried quite a few!) that don't slip out of my hair while I'm running. I've seen them at running stores and online (including Amazon).

Bodyglide

Ok, this is not a sexy product. Or, rather, the reason that I use it is not sexy. But it is necessary and helpful nonetheless! I have issues with chafing in a few areas so I apply this to those spots before heading out on long runs. Problem solved. You can find this at running or sports stores.

Do you have any favorite running or other fitness or outdoor gear?

*Disclaimer: These are all things that I have discovered in my own journey with running. I am not being paid to recommend any of these items.

It has been awhile since I've shared some favorite things and I have a few milling around in my mind right now. Here are the highlights!

Sunset Magazine

Sunset Magazine has always been a favorite of mine. Each and every issue gives me food ideas, travel ideas, and inspiration. I am always left craving a hole-in-the-wall restaurant experience in a remote location with a view...and a road trip!

Trader Joe's Raisin Rosemary Crisps
These crackers are sweet and savory at the same time and I love how un-ordinary they are! (Note: these contain milk products so are not vegan)

Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips

Salty crunchy goodness!

Crazy Gringo Salsa

This is sold at my farmer's market and it is fantastic! This is medium heat but he also sells habanero (hot) and tomatillo (mild and sweet) versions. In addition to salsa, he also has homemade tamales, including a vegan one that is really great!

Chocolate Coconut Water

Hydrating and yummy- a great pre-run drink! You caught the chocolate part, right?

What yummy and inspiring treasures have you found recently?

I lived in Southern California until I was eight. Since I learned to eat in a place where avocados and other magical things grow in the backyard, I am forever ruined. I have zero tolerance for bad avocados. I will not (WILL NOT) drink orange juice "from concentrate" (what the H does "from concentrate" mean anyway?). I prefer limeade to lemon. I know what sapotes (aka sapodillas), loquats, and guavas taste like. I know how to crack open a macadamia nut with a vice and I love the sound of chickens making chickeny sounds in the beams of early morning sunlight. Those are my roots.

Back in 2002 my dad gave me three little citrus trees for Christmas. These poor trees have been through a lot! They have been moved a few times. They have spent nights in freezing temps without a blanket. They are troopers, my trees.

This year, for the first time EVER, one of the trees actually produced fruit! On Sunday morning, we (in our pajamas, no less!) picked 10 oranges from our little tree and made some juice. The best orange juice ever, actually!

A while back, I won an online giveaway hosted by Naturally Savvy. I received four products from Ecover and I was super excited because I love Ecover! Their dishwasher tablets (available at Costco) are the only natural product that I've found that works well on our dishes and their laundry detergent smells nice and cleans well too.

Naturally Savvy sent me Ecover all purpose cleaner, dishwasher tablets, delicate laundry wash, stain remover, and a reusable bag:

These pancakes are easily the best I've ever tasted. Especially if you top them with powdered sugar, margarine, and a squeeze of lemon. Really, these are bed-and-breakfast good! I added a few extra goodies, so they are healthy (aka "super") too.

I've mentioned my love of hot cereals before. I'm loving oatmeal even more now that winter has returned to Northern California after our brush with spring. I have been putting oats in the crockpot at night before I go to bed so that I have a hot and delicious breakfast waiting for me when I wake up.

Whether you like the texture of rolled (old fashioned) oats or steel cut, the nutritional value is about the same (more info on that here). I have been using oat groats (aka whole oats) because I really like their hearty texture but any kind of oats (except for instant) will work well in this recipe.

We visit our Costco warehouse store about once every month or two. Lately I have been really happy with some of the new things that I've been finding there. They are carrying more and more organic products and some new things that I haven't seen in other stores.

Hello, I'm back! Sort of. I didn't actually go anywhere, but I did have sinus surgery last week and I've been resting and recovering.

I had pretty bad seasonal allergies for the first 25 to 30 years of my life and I still have them now, but they have significantly improved. Between the effects of years of sniffing and sneezing and a car accident that broke my nose in 2008, I was having a really hard time breathing through my nose. I'll keep the gory details to myself, but suffice it to say that I was really in need of some rest and recovery after surgery last Tuesday. I'm still on the mend, but I'm beginning to get back into my normal activities.

Bouncing back from something like this always requires a lot of sleep. I have been doing my best to rest when I can and get to bed earlier than usual. Since my surgery, I have also been craving restorative foods. Things high in iron, vitamin C, and protein. With the way that whole foods (especially leafy greens) make my face glow, I know that these things will help me to heal now.

I have been hitting the green smoothies hard! I received some Cara Cara oranges in my CSA box this week- have you seen these oranges? Not only are they really cool to look at in all their pink juicy goodness, but they are low in acid and taste so, so good!

My favorite smoothie tastes even better with these (or it would...if I could taste anything...baby steps).

I sometimes mix up my smoothie recipe, but I always seem to return to this one. When I can find vanilla beans at a decent price (i.e. at Costco), I throw in a small piece of a bean to really make this great. Even though it is green, it almost has a creamsicle flavor!

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

One of my all-time favorite meals is grilled pizza. If you've never grilled pizza at home, you're in for a treat! I do not have any special pizza-making equipment, so this pizza can be made on a gas (or charcoal) grill without a pizza stone.

This recipe is vegan if you omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative (I used Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella).

Grilled Pizza Recipe

Assemble the ingredients:

Proof the yeast:

Combine:

Mix:

Knead:

Let rise:

Separate and roll:

Preheat grill and assemble and chop the toppings:

Preheat your barbecue grill on high and assemble and chop the toppings of your choice. 

Tip: Slice toppings as thin as possible because the pizza will cook quickly on the grill!

Grill the crust:

Add the toppings:

Top the crust with your favorite sauce(s), veggies, cheeses, etc. Don't be afraid to top every pizza differently! For vegans: this pizza was made using Follow Your Heart Mozzarella.

Grill:

Make sure that the grill is on low heat and place the pizza on an oiled piece of aluminum foil and close the lid. The bottom of the pizza will brown very quickly (in 5 or so minutes), so watch it closely! Remove the pizza from the grill when it has reached your desired level of doneness.

Slice and enjoy!

Thank you very much to everyone who voted for GetNatured in the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog contest! With your help I have been selected to advance to the second challenge! I will be writing more on that in the next few days. Thank you again!

Speaking of challenges, I have recently become completely hooked on Larabars- the new Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor. They are so, so, SO delicious and they have only a few ingredients. The only thing that deters me from buying them by the case is their price- they are a little on the high side (understandably so considering the ingredients, I think). So, I decided to follow the lead of some other bloggers out there and make my own.