Catching Up

Wow...I've really fallen behind! Here's a little of what I've been up to lately:

First, there's my dear, sweet Charlie:


Charlie has been having a tough time of it after developing laminitis and foundering. We had some very scary days that I questioned whether or not would be our last together. Fortunately, they were not. With a lot of lovin' and special care, Charlie came through. He is now completely sound at a walk, and is even doing a little trot work. This is a long way from the days when he could not even support himself enough to stand. I've been trimming and dressing his front hooves every weekend so we can get the cracked part of his hoof wall grown out. He developed an abscess on the coronary band of each front hoof, and those have been healing nicely now, too. I've always liked my guys tall, dark and handsome...this one's no different, and he's stolen my heart.

And the garden...oh, the garden:


It might look a little chaotic, but we've got a ton going on in there. I share this space with two neighbors and a friend and we all threw in our veggie loves and talents to make this space flourish. We have squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, kale, collards, broccoli, chard, greens, onions, peas and even hops. Unfortunately we've encountered a few issues like blossom end rot in the early ripening tomatoes and a squash borer has attacked a cucumber and squash plant. Overall, everything is doing pretty well and we have a nice little bounty to share.

A couple of times, I've been fortunate enough to have this view:


One of my neighbors and I have paid a couple of visits to the beautiful beach at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. It's still nothing like the Carolina Coast where I grew up, but I'll take it! The last time we were there the water was up to a refreshing 65º...better than the first time when it was still only 55º! Hopefully I'll make it back a few more times before the summer is over. Each trip to the beach is a four hour round trip for us from Philly, but boy-oh-boy is it worth every minute of the drive!

101 Days of Summer

Wow, I have been swamped lately! Mostly with fun though, so I really can't complain. It's just meant that I've hardly been spending any time indoors and using a computer.

And now I finally get around to talking about this great summer health initiative I'm involved in!

Biz from Biggest Diabetic Loser had the idea to start an awesome blogger community challenge: 101 Days of Summer. From Memorial Day until Labor Day, a whole slew of bloggers are working to reach their summer health goals. I can't say enough about what a great idea this is!

The end of winter left me a few pounds heavier and my jeans a little tighter...something I was not happy about. To get myself on track, I've vowed to do a few things. I'm eating more raw foods as a way to get all those nutrients in my body in the most useful and beneficial forms. I'm also trying to do some form of exercise most days of the week along with tracking what I eat every day.

I'm by no means perfectly following all of the tasks I set out for myself to do, but I'm making a good effort. And I must say, knowing that 50 or so other people may read about my slip-ups if I were to, oh, stuff my face full of cake and have a movie marathon on the couch, certainly helps keep me on track! Oh guilt, it can be a beautifully useful tool sometimes.

I invite you to follow along on Biz's blog to see the group's progress as well as check back here to see my own personal progress. One more week and summer is officially here!

Good Food(s) of the Day

Dinner: Alu Gobi (Indian spiced cauliflower, potato and peas) with Basmati rice


Dessert: Smoothie! Made with frozen strawberries and pineapple, fresh blueberries, organic fat-free vanilla yogurt and orange juice. Mmm...perfect for such a hot night!

Good Food of the Day

Dinner at the office: Channa masala (from a great Indian take-out joint in the neighborhood; bought at the co-op) and basmati rice (made at home).

Good Food of the Day

Salad for lunch: Lettuce (two types) from the garden, in-season blueberries, smoked Gouda from the co-op and light raspberry-pomegranate dressing.

Fridge Makeover

The last time I went grocery shopping, I decided to do a fridge makeover! I was thinking about the bottom drawer, intended to be a produce drawer, and how it actually becomes a black hole in the fridge. This is particularly an issue with my fridge since the front of the drawer is solid white, rather than clear (i.e. - no constant viewing of what's inside).

To remedy this issue, I decided that instead of produce, the drawer would become home to all of the items I don't necessarily need on a daily basis: cheeses, bouillon, carrots that I take to the barn on weekends, etc.

All of the produce moved to more visible places in the fridge, wherever its size allowed. Sauces went in one area, drinks in another and other dairy products on the top shelf so they could be seen and used before expiration dates.

So far, it's been working out great! My philosophy is always to question why things are the way they are, and adapt anything you can to your needs.

Get Naked!

Love Naked Juice? Read my review on (anne)vironment!