Photo Credit: Synergy

Kombucha.  Have you heard of it?

When I describe it to people, their face turns aghast because it really does sound odd.

Kombucha is basically a tea made from fermented fungus.  When you buy the GT Kombucha brand, there are usually little slimy pieces of the kombucha floating in it.

You are supposed to drink that.

The drink is sweetened with a bit of juice-my favorite is the gingerade.  Filled with fresh, sharp ginger taste.

Oh, I wish I had one right now.

The Kombucha tea is supposed to have a bunch of amazing health benefits but for me—it makes me less likely to crave sweets and I tend to eat less if I have one to sip on in the afternoon.

They are pricey, about $4.00 a bottle at Whole Foods but I feel that it is a suitable splurge once or twice a week.

Photo Credit

My sister makes the stuff at home and has little bottles filled with “scobies” (the name for the pre-fermented fungus baby.  I don’t know if I will be growing my own anytime soon— but stranger things have happened.

My advice:  Give it a chance. You likely won’t like it on the first try.  It takes some getting used to–and by then an addiction will be formed.

Tell Me What you Think!

If you need more information, check out the Synergy website.

This is NOT a paid announcement.

About a year ago, the Bean and I decided we would start a granola company.  We experimented with a few varieties (all were amazing!) and even started doodling logo designs.  But, like many of my ambitious adventures this one lost its steam (for others see: medical school, cupcake business, moving to Singapore, super crazy cleanse).

Although we haven’t created a business, we are still  making granola.  Making granola is so easy.  It is a lot healthier than processed cereal, and it is a lot cheaper than buying store bought granola.

The only problem is that is goes too fast.  We were scooping this out of the container by the handfuls as we passed–it was addictive.

That seems to be the most pressing question on my mind right now.  As I have mentioned a couple of times, Aaron is almost done with his degree in computer animation and the next adventure is right around the corner.  But, where will that adventure lead us?  I am pretty open to anything but there are a few requirements:

1) Near an ocean.

Since I am a marine scientist and Aaron is a surfer, this is pretty important.  However, I would trade this for some cool international opportunity.

2) Near a city.

I like cities.  I like the wide variety of food options, cultural opportunities and just the general sense of excitement.  I need to be near them. The End.

3) Good schools.

For this reason, Hawaii is sitting on the bottom of the list.

4) Good opportunities for Aaron.

Let’s see, computer animation? Of course, the key cities are Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, maybe Portland, Singapore, maybe Berlin, maybe somewhere in New Zealand?

5) Any kind of opportunity for me.

I’ll be honest here, since it is my blog and my space to divulge secrets.  I am not tied to my current job.  I mean, I am totally tied to the paycheck but I am not super excited about what I have been doing at work lately.  I am ready for a change. “Hey, Universe, can you hear me?” I sort of look at Aaron’s job taking us somewhere for a bit so that I can figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

6) Near some mountains.

I want to be able to go on real hikes.  And, I want to kids to grow up skiing.  I want easy access to snow but not have piles of it in the backyard.

7) Near Family?

I say that with a question because we have lived far from family for quite awhile now.  I know that living hear family would make life easier.  But, sometimes I wonder if it would also make it harder.  Do I really want my mom popping over everyday?  Do I really want to be obligated to go to every family event?  I don’t know about this one but if I did consider it as a firm requirement that would leave the following places in the running:  Seattle, Hawaii, Vermont (the general north east), South Florida.

I plugged all of my requirements into FindYourSpot.com and the program popped out with the following:

1) Portland, OR (Hmmm…maybe.  All of my college friends have transplanted to Portland but there is no ocean.)

2) Little Rock, Arkansas (Really?  I know nothing about this place.)

3)Providence, RI (The Northeast would be a new experience.)

4) New Haven, CT (I envision cute old houses with white picket fences)

5) Hartford, CT (covered in snow. With a mud room filled with boots.)

6) Baton Rouge, LA (?)

7) Boston, MA ( I do love Boston. Maybe I should explore this a bit more.)

Albuquerque, NM (That whole no ocean thing.)

9) Baltimore, MD (Nope.)

10) Worcester, MA (I think I have an aunt here.  Or a cousin.)

11) Honolulu, HI (Would likely be the easiest transition.  But, the schools!  Ugh.  I just don’t know.)

12) San Francisco, CA (Like this idea.  Except for cost of living.

Places that I have been seriously considering include Seattle, LA, and New York (NEW YORK!) but they didn’t even make my list on “Find Your Spot”.

Argh.  I think I need to read my horoscope.  Maybe the stars can shed a little light on this problem.

Did you ever contemplate a big move?  How did you decide where to go?

Since the start of the new year, I have been to about 7 yoga classes–which is quite a record for me.  Usually, I’ll go to a yoga class, fall asleep, and then vow to never go again.  But, since I am working on that handstand goal, I realize that I need to regain some strength and flexibility so I have been trying a bunch of different classes.  I figure there has to be one that will click with me.  And, I think I may have found the one.  But, before I go on about ariel yoga, I want ensure you that I have given all of the “real” yoga classes a try.

Candlelight Yoga: I thought I would really like this.  Evening time, relax at yoga class and then leave feeling ready for bed.  The problem was during the class I knew the kids hadn’t been fed dinner and I would have to go home to homework, dinner prep, showers and the whole bedtime routine.  Not exactly the right frame of mind for a relaxing yoga class.  Not to mention, this instructor really was going deep into places I didn’t want to go.  She kept referring to my third eye and my kundalini region.  Not sure what any of it meant.  The class was decent enough but I just didn’t really get it.

Hot Yoga, to Music: I had done Bikram Yoga before (you know heated room, strenuous postures) and really liked it so I was excited for this class.  Unfortunately, “hot yoga” doesn’t necessarily mean “Bikram” and “to music” meant–”one of the regular yoga ladies would click play on a CD and do yoga poses directed by a phantom voice dubbed over some bad and very eclectic music”.  It was ODD, to say the least.  The place was pretty packed so those regulars must not feel as bad as I did about paying $15 to sweat in a hot room. The workout was good–I was sore from all that deep stretching but I don’t know if I would go back to that studio.

Yoga at the YMCA: I know, I know, yoga at the Y, is “gym yoga”.  Not the same feel, not the same energy that you get from doing yoga at a tiny converted house in the arty part of town.  BUT,  at my YMCA, the Wednesday night class has been one of my favorites.  The instructor is not the touchy, feel-y yoga instructor you would expect but rather kind of like a little drill sergeant.  When I walked in, she was barking order, “Grab a band. No shoes in my class. Put everything away.”  I was a little bit scared.  Once class began, it just worked.  All the poses flowed into one another, she explained things without disrupting the flow of the class, and she added that spiritual stuff without turning me off.  It felt like fitness.  It felt good.  The only downside was the constant thumping coming from the spinning class next door.

Power Flow: This was a so-so class.  It just so happened to be the yoga teacher trainees last class together.  So, the class was packed with yoga teacher trainees AND me.  The class was fine-I suppose.  I didn’t leave loving it or hating it.  Just kind of a neutral feeling.  I guess I should try this one again.

Ariel Yoga: MY FAVORITE!  I am pretty sure this doesn’t actually count as real yoga.  But, it is so fun.  You hang from hammocks and get your body to do all kinds of fun things that you may not normally try.  For example, I stood in a headstand for about 5 minutes.  And, during my second class I did a supported backbend.  The instructor is great, friendly and welcoming….The only issue I have with this class is really trying to stay in the yoga frame of mind and just having fun.  So many times, I wanted to just smile or laugh at the fun I was having but kept trying to remember to breath and stay in the yoga frame of mind.

After my second ariel yoga class, I went home and did a headstand on my own, against the wall.  I was so proud of myself.

If you are in the Sarasota area, these are the studios I have checked out:

Body Heat Yoga (Hot Yoga Classes)

Reflex Arts Dance and Yoga (Candlelight, Power and Ariel)

YMCA Berlin Branch (Great Yoga Class)

How do you feel about Yoga?  Gone to any amazing classes?

Aaron has a friend named Corey.  Corey and Aaron were friends for years before I met Aaron and Corey continues to be Aaron’s friend, and not mine.  It’s not that I don’t like the guy–I actually do find him really interesting and nice, but I always feel that I am invading their guy time–so I hang back. When we visit Hawaii now,  I make sure to add flexibility into the schedule so that they can hang out.   They look at websites about graphic design and video games and Corey always seems to have some sort of new foodie thing he wants Aaron to sample.  This guy, Corey, needs a food blog.  He is web savvy and an excellent cook.  Not to mention, he is an artist and has the luxury of time to devote to his work.

Aaron always brings me food back from Corey’s house.  I remember some amazing sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving the year I was in the hospital giving birth.  Homemade naan bread.  Black eyed peas and cornbread for New Years.  Of course I like Corey–he sends me food.  On more recent visits to Corey’s house,  Aaron has brought home chicken curry.  The most amazing chicken curry I have ever tasted.  I have begged Aaron to get the recipe but he never remembers or Corey is protective of it–not sure which.   Aaron has been there during the production of the dish and remembers the following: 1) there are lots of spices, and 2) there is no dairy.  Helpful?  Not so much.

The other day, as I was flipping through Edible Sarasota, I saw a recipe for Chicken Curry from Tandoor Restaurant in Sarasota.  The recipe was big on spices but had no dairy.  Could it be THE RECIPE?  I had to try it out.

The verdict:  Pretty close to Corey’s Chicken Curry but not exactly there.  Don’t get me wrong–this is some good curry–one of the best I have made, but still not Corey’s Curry.  Maybe the spice combination was just off slightly.  I am still going to be looking for that recipe but in the meantime, this Chicken Curry will do me just fine.  And, for vegans/vegetarians, just substitute tofu or veggies for the chicken and you are good to go.

If you remember back to my “New Years Goals Post”, you might have begun to think that I have actually lost my marbles.  Me?  Do a handstand and then walk?  Not a sight that many people want to see.  But, I am sticking to it.  That and all of those other little plans I made for 2012 (you can find the comprehensive list here).  I thought, since it is mid-January, that I should just check in and see where I am on my goals.  (I am reading “The Happiness Project” and it seems that constant reminders of our goals can either help achieve them or make you so annoyed and frustrated that you give up on them.  I am hoping for the latter.)

So, how am I doing on the handstand goal?

In the past two weeks, I have:

1) gone to five! yoga* classes (including a fun ariel yoga class and a weird hot yoga class);

2) practiced handstands in my room, up against a wall. (Thanks for the tip, Kristi!)  During that time, I had a couple of seconds of perfect balance without touching the wall!;

3) tried to do a backbend and realized that either my arms are just way too weak or my body is way to big;

4) lost 1.2 pounds.  I have a mini-goal of 5 pounds by the end of January–so I’ll be saying goodbye to sugar from here on out.

Feeling pretty good about those minor accomplishments.  As far as other goals:

1) I have gone to spin class 4 times and went and priced out bicycles for the Seattle to Portland ride.  Spinning makes me work so hard that I want to cry–seriously tears start to well up in my eyes sometimes.  Does that happen to anyone else?

2) I’ve been cooking a ton and have recipes for chicken curry, amazing pork butt, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream and some experimental peanut butter bars posting soon.  You will love them all.

3) On the home front, I am trying to be nice.  Exceptionally nice (a tip from “The Happiness Project”).  And, it seems to be working**.

4) Blogging has gone to the wayside, as far as writing goes–but I am having my site totally redesigned and getting ready to launch a whole new blog.  I am very excited about that and will tell you more about it later.

5) I’m reading again!  Like I have mentioned twice now, I am reading, “The Happiness Project” and just finished, “Poser:My Life in 23 Yoga Poses”.  Up next:  Ishmael (upon my brothers request) and Bossypants by Tina Fey.

6) I’ve watched good movies, including Our Idiot Brother, True Grit, and the pilot for the FX show “Justified”.

I’m hoping to keep this momentum going through the year and I am happy to say that I have lasted two weeks and feel like I am going strong.

How are you doing with your New Year Goals?

* More later on the yoga front.  There is so much to say.

** Except my mom.  For some reason, it doesn’t work with her.

Just kidding, I’ll probably just make him these samosas and let him know how proud I am of him. (But, they aren’t vegan so……he will have to cheat a bit.)

Poem #1

The lime green trees

cover the blanket of cloudy white snow.

This glorious sight

is like magic to your eyes.

The gentle breeze of the snowy air

rushes past golden yellow stones and boulders.

This wondrous sight is like

freedom to the earth

and peace to the universe.

-The Bean, Age 9 (December 2011)

Anyway, so here it is.  The new year.  Time for getting back to work on my goals and dreams and enough sitting around feeling sorry for myself.  And, I really have been lately.  For some reason, I am having a harder time than normal coming up with goals and plans for the new year.  Sure, I have a list of things I want to do, places to visit, self and home improvement projects I want to tackle.  Ambitious blogging goals.  Ambitious family dream type goals–but, all them seem so complicated.  Hopefully, it is just a funk that I will pass through with ease.  I need to work on making my lists and getting through them–who cares if my goals are so random and disconnected.  Gotta start somewhere, right?

I do have one big goal for the new year.   I will tell you if you promise not to laugh, wonder if I am crazy or warn me of imminent paralysis (mom!). *

Photo Credit: Yogaworkout.com

By December 31, 2012—-I want to be able to walk on my hands for 20 feet. You know, do a handstand and then walk.  20 feet.  Across a room, the beach or my yard.

“Why?”, you may ask yourself, “would this 37 year old, mother of two even care to be able to do something so childish?”

My reasoning goes something like this:  Every year, I commit to getting into shape.  And, as races are run or pounds come off, I still don’t really feel as if I have made any progress.  I should have run faster.  I should have lost more weight or kept it off longer.    I should have eaten healthier.  I should have worked out harder.  I find myself making the same goals year in and year out.  Each year, I start fresh with heavier weights and faster treadmill paces.  And, then I get bored.

The handstand idea is a way to actually prove to myself that I am stronger, fitter and healthier than the previous year.  Doing a handstand with extra pounds won’t be easy.  So, some of that will have to go.  Walking on my hands with a weak core–just won’t work.  So, core strengthening will need to be involved.  To me, there are lots of little aspects of walking on my hands that will require me to work on my health and fitness.  And, I think it sounds like a fun goal.  One that I will be happy to work on–day in and day out. Fun–another key to my life in 2012.  Having a bit more fun with my life.

As a side note, I am also going to try to regain some back flexibility and would like to be able to do a full bridge by the end of the year.

And, if I am really dreaming big…….I may even be able to conquer this weird looking pose.

There it is.  I have divulged my new years goal to you all–something my mother warned me not to do.

I will be updating those little lists at the bottom of the blog–places I hope to travel to, foods I want to cook, and things I want to do lists if you are interested in what I will be working on this year.

Wishing you all a FUN,  happy and healthy  new year!

-kg