A credit to my kind. Defining self and defying lowered expection. Oh.. and bacon =)

A day like any day.. standing in the grocery store marveling at the new assortment of flavors in my favorite yogurt brand.
A woman approaches me tentatively. Nervous seeming..
She held up a packet of Nori.
"Excuse me.. I'm so sorry to bother you. Uhm. Do your people eat this?"
I'm not sure how long it took me to respond..
Long enough to check around and know that she was talking to me.
Long enough to assess the woman. Probably 45-50. Well dressed and flawless in appearance.
Long enough to try to make a checklist of which of 'my people' she may be referencing.
I'm often confused for being gay.. but homosexuals don't have separate eating habits as far as I'm aware.
I've been confused for being a yuppy.. but not since I colored my hair blue (Thank Frank ;) )
Cutting and darkening my hair brought on the suggestion of Asian descent. 
I'm sometimes confused for being a student.
People assume I'm vegetarian.. and usually Buddhist. 
I've been told I occasionally speak with a slight accent.. in an attempt to properly enunciate I've been confused for both British and German.


At a complete loss.. I simply replied Yes. My people DO eat Nori.. but we don't like soy sauce.


By the time I got home I was completely stuck in my head. I started trying to define myself in the shortest terms possible. If someone were to refer to me in conversation, how would they do so?
I have friends and acquaintances with absolutely specific labels.
Gay Activist. Political. Militant Feminist. Persian. Nickleback Fan. 


And it doesn't matter what the label is... you become a representative for Your People.
And with that comes the stereotypes.




This is Abrabacon.
He's a Mixed Martial Artist... A Cagefighter.


People understand that this means he is thick-skulled and slow witted.
People understand that while a great physicality, he is obviously unintelligent and brutish with a vile temper.

This is Abrabacon.
His IQ puts him in the genius category. For his birthday last year, I gave him blank canvases and paints. He turned them into tribal-inspired art for our livingroom. He occasionally wakes me up with eggs and bacon.. with melted cheese hearts on top. 


He holds the door for a lady. Any lady.
He cooks.
He's adorable with kids and a fantastic teacher.
He volunteers with Children's Square and Big Brothers/Big Sisters Nebraska. 
He's devastating in a suit. 
He's patient with me when we're lifting together.




He does financial analysis and product development for his firm. 




But if you were to refer to him in conversation... This is Abe. He's a fighter.


You know he's more than that.. but that's what you think when he enters your mind. And knowing all of these things about him you would think... he's a credit to fighters everywhere.

The lovely lady on the right is H.
She's a soccer mom.






She also runs several offices.. having to travel to Costa Rica on a very regular basis to do so.
She started running offices at the age of 17 when the grocery store she was SUPPOSE to be a cashier at seemed disorganized to her. 
To this day it's unclear whether they promoted her or she promoted herself.. But it IS clear that nobody argued and the place had never run more smoothly. 
She left once the place was in better shape and accidentally started running the corporate office for a large chain of restaurants based in our city.

I'm tough.. but she can kick my butt.
She invented this delicious cheese/pepper dish..
She made me a bookshelf for my birthday when I was a teenager.
Made it.


She's my therapist.


She's a life coach.


She's a college student.




She sings like an angel and she'll out dance you any night of the week (Except Wednesdays.. she teaches that night)
But we only get to be ONE thing, right?
So she's a mom.
But she's a credit to Moms who don't realize you can do EVERYTHING.. which sometimes includes drawing a mural of Buzz Lightyear riding a T-Rex for your son's bedroom. 


And so when you define yourself... define yourself by what you ACTUALLY represent.


Feminists have a bad rep.. because the people who define themselves as such don't do 'their people' justice.
Stand up for women.. but not to the detriment of men. Hating men doesn't make you a feminist. It makes you a hypocrite.
Fighters aren't stupid... but wearing Tapout gear and brawling in a bar doesn't make you a fighter. That makes you a douche. 
Studying the discipline and showing respect for your body and your opponent makes you a fighter.
Buddhists and Vegans aren't pretentious.
But preaching and lectures about why eating meat is evil and wrong doesn't make you vegan. It makes you phony and small minded.
Having respect for animals and yourself, recognizing this is YOUR lifestyle makes you Vegan. Respecting other people's journey makes you Buddhist.






So who am I? I really don't know.       





But on behalf of all 
StraightLesbianBuddhistNaturalist YuppyBrokeStudentVeganCarnivoreYogiBritish GermanChristianFeministBrilliantIdiots Everywhere...  
Yes. We love Nori.
And I'll do my best to be a credit to anything you think I am. 




The rest of the title is a bit of a tease, I do confess =)
For this weekend.. is the celebration of The Caveman's birthday!


His party will be called AbrabaconPalooza... and I feel it is quite self explanatory =)
Pictures and posts of all of our creations to you Monday.
Happy Leap Day, my beautiful friends!

The Multi-Purpose Blog; The Reasons my Friends are Better Than Your Friends; Mindful Eating or Dieting?; And, A Recipe For Disaster.

I know I haven't posted as regularly as usual.. but it's been for some pretty good reasons, I assure!


But let's start this out right, eh?


Hi guys =) Missed you lately.. how've you been? How's your dog? And your Mom??
Tell me about that argument with your mailman...


I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it! You're a good person. I'm sure he was just lashing out because he was having a bad day =)


Frewf! I think we're all caught up =)


So here's the thing..
I need to tell you about my friends.


They're.... so wonderful. Just... I can't even begin!


I had a really terrible year last year. REALLY terrible.. Every bad thing that could happen did. 
And before you ask.. yes. That too.
And I got to a point where all I could think about was what was going to go wrong that day, too.
And like clockwork, something went wrong. Every. Day.


But not just for me.. for just about everyone I know. 
That's when you find out who people really are. When you need them the most and they need you the most and you have to decide who's going to be there for whom.
And I love the things I found out <3


So this year, I decided that I would try to help keep others from having another 2011. 
I decided that the people in our community who are in the most need were deserving of a little extra help..


So at around 9:30 one night, I posted on my Facebook Wall 'Thinking about doing a food and clothing drive... anyone wanna help?'
I then shut down my computer and read a book until bedtime.. half thinking about what organization I could send clothes to. What kind of goal I should set.. I decided 300lbs of clothing was a pretty lofty goal.. but that I would keep collecting until I'd reached it.
I woke up the next morning to 39 messages in my inbox.

Formula donated by a Facebook friends <3

!!!

I was asked by friends and strangers for an address to send donated sundries and food. I've filled my gas tank twice in the last 10 days.. just from picking up donations.. I've found links to my page on the facebook pages of people I've never even spoken with.. just so they can help with the cause.


300 lbs.. seems so silly now.
I've recruited friends to keep things in their garages and apologized in advance to The Caveman for the piles in our entryway.


I'm so proud of the people I know.. I'm so proud that my friends can pull together for others.. to help make 2012 a more beautiful, joyful year.




Thank you, my beautiful friends. Thank you for turning your misfortunes and aggravations into hope for people who just need SOMETHING to hope for. Thank you for putting aside your pain and regrets from the last year and putting others first. Thank you for being there for others who are just starting their year of hardship. Thank you.


And I'll keep you all posted on the final tally for donations <3 I'm overwhelmed right now.. just. So thankful!






Part 2 of today's post is to address a pretty common concern.. and really, it's the reason I started this blog to begin with! The silly idea that because I eat a certain way, I am depriving myself of joy.
I assure you, this is not the case.
That's why I post all of the pictures of the delicious foods we eat.. to show that there is no deprivation or hunger. Ever. I am so content with our diet.. yes, I will occasionally eat something that's not Paleo Approved, but that's just life. That's not cheating, it's making a decision that in that moment, I'd rather have a slice of birthday cake than skip it.
The point of eating ANY way is to be mindful.
Vegans don't eat vegan because it's the easiest way to eat or because it's fun. They don't eat that way because it's the home of the most delicious food.. and every now and then, even a vegan will eat a piece of cheese or some shellfish. Is it cheating? No. It's making a decision that in that moment, their body wants something it doesn't usually have. But 90% of the time, a vegan is THINKING about what they put in their mouth. 
A vegetarian will always ask if their barley lentil soup was cooked in chicken broth or veggie stock. 
Because they think about what they're eating.
And someone with a peanut allergy will always ask what kind of oil their food is fried in.


It's not a diet.
It's not deprivation..
It's just rolling things around in your mind for a while before you put it in your body.


And last but not least, my sweet friends and followers..


A Recipe For Disaster 

A friend of ours recently suggested Kelp noodles to take the place of some of our pasta dishes... 
They're kind of crunchy and a little salty.. but otherwise, pretty flavorless.
You rinse them and boil them and they take on the flavor of whatever they're served with. They're also a really good source of Iodine.. and most people only get their iodine from salt that has had it added, so this was a pretty big bonus for us =)


However... sommmmeone (me) kinda messed it up. Otherwise, I'd have a really pretty picture of chicken stir fry with kelp noodles.. instead, all I can tell you is...
Check the batteries on your smoke detector.
Sigh.


And now, my sweet ninja friends.. I'm off to teach yoga at Bob's. 
You'll hear from me again soon! Meanwhile, chin up =) And keep donating <3 <3 


Love <3
S






       

A birthday wish, A thank you card, and Veggie Chips (a recipe for awesomeness)

I didn't post for you yesterday.. and I apologize! The Caveman and I were celebrating my birthday. 


Isn't it an amazing feeling to know that people are grateful you were born? To have hundreds of people stop their day to demand that YOURS is happy.. 
Try not to smile when you wake up to texts reading: Thank you for existing. Flowers that say Thank you for waking up next to me. A call from your Dad saying Thanks for being my daughter.


But with a birthday comes the stressful month before hand filled with questions about what you WANT.


I've been pretty broke.. so the answers are simple. Candy. I want a big box of chocolates..

 

I want a gift card that will buy me infinity Carmelicious Smoothies with an extra shot of espresso....










                               I want tank tops.. lots of them..














But.. I don't really Need those things. And the more I thought about it.. I don't NEED anything.


What I got was an amazing opportunity!
A friend of mine works for a local TV station and offered me the chance to come promote LockeYoga on their morning show!
Until now, all of my advertising has been through word of mouth among friends and former clients. This was a truly great opportunity and I am so grateful for it!


I'm relatively sure that my nerves got the best of me and I'm completely sure that I didn't say all of what I wanted to.. so I'm going to tell it all to you now.

• LockeYoga means a lot to me. It represents something I've done completely on my own. I didn't have investors or mentors. I didn't have years of experience in the field to get me started. I only had my deep desire to help people who couldn't come to a studio and see what a difference yoga can make. The people who need yoga the most are the ones who can't come to a studio. MS sufferers who worry that they're slowly losing themselves to their disease. Parkinsons patients who struggle to keep up. People with  Fibromyalgia whose bodies attack them without warning. Moms who don't want to leave their little ones behind.

• Whatever reason you have for not working out and not putting yourself first is legitimate. You wouldn't risk your health if it were an option. I've taken sessions at 11pm for people who have uncooperative schedules. I've incorporated the weight of the precious infant you can't bring yourself to put down into a private, in-home class. I've turned chair flow into a game of rocket ships for your 4 year old who 'wants to play yoga, too!'

• I was asked if I had any advice for other entrepreneurs.. and my advice to them is this:

Your business is a relationship. It's going to occupy all of your thoughts and all of your attention.. but you have to make time for your friends and loved ones. They're your support system. You need them.
        If your friends don't believe in your new relationship, the first time you complain about his affinity for drinking out of the carton, he's toast. There will come a day when you're in a horrible mood and you want to call it a day.. and they're all for it. No questions asked. End it.


And when your business gets difficult, (And it WILL get difficult) an unsupportive friend would help to convince you that you should accept a different job. Give it up and cut your losses.


That's why it's important, not just for business owners, but for ANYONE, to make friends with people who believe in you. I could never have come as far as I have without my friends and The Caveman. 
When I called my sister H crying, telling her I didn't know if I was going to make it.. she listened. Let me cry. Asked if I NEEDED anything. No.. I just don't know what I'm doing!


Yes you do, Sara. You've always known what you were doing. Keep trusting yourself. This is just a rough patch.


As I moved in with The Caveman I had to explain that I had never been a person to rely on anyone.. and that it was difficult for me to move in without a guaranteed paycheck.. maybe I should just take that bartending job I was offered??? 


No Sara. You've been trying to do this for a long time. I know it's hard and I know money will be tight for you, but if you need anything, just tell me. I promise, it's going to be ok. 


And 2 and a half years ago when I told my best friend that there was a need in Omaha I didn't feel was being met... something I thought I might be good at.. and would it be a terribly stupid idea to start my own small business..?


He sent me a congratulatory bottle of wine to toast my future success and lent his services as a photographer to help me put my website together.




My sister L turned my Logo photo into a sign to hang in my home as a Christmas gift.


My friend Jenny at Jenacious Inc built my site and cheered me on.. 


So what could I possible want for my birthday?
What could I ever ask for that could make my life better than it is? More time to spend with these amazing people.. but time isn't something that can be given. 
A better vocabulary to more eloquently thank the people who have loved me and believed in me since the first time I had to portion a jar of pickles as a week's worth of dinners... 


No.. What I want for my birthday is to help make someone else's life easier, like my loved ones have done for me. 


And I want you to help me!


I'm having a food and clothing drive and I want your unwanteds!
I've already collected hundreds of pounds and I'm calling The Open Door Mission tomorrow to beg them to accept our offerings. I'll be collecting until I've hit 700 pounds of donated goods. I'm so excited that my friends are so loving and caring and willing to help better the lives of people who are struggling in our city.


Thank you so much my beautiful, loving readers. I'm so incredibly thankful for every day I wake up to the life I share with you all! 


Veggie Chips!!!! 


Stuff you'll need:


Couple of sweet potatoes
1 bunch of beets
Turnips
Carrots
Sea Salt
Bacon Grease, Butter, Beef Tallow... Ok, you get it. Some kind of animal fat =)
Cinnamon (optional)


Turn on your broiler.. this is gonna go fast ;)
Either carefully slice your root veggies on a mandolin or be a cheating cheater like me and throw it in your food processor with the slicer blade

 
Drizzle your fat of choice and your sea salt onto your veggies and place in a single layer on your baking sheet. Broil for JUST A FEW MINUTES!!! Our dead battery in the kitchen smoke detector can attest to why you need to stay on top of this... 
Pull your veggies out and turn them. Toss em back in.. You get the idea. Easy Peasy =) =)

Take another little Pizza my heart now, baby..

Every now and again, I Benjamin Button.

Throw a tantrum.. pout. Kick stuff. Call everyone stoopid fayce dummy!

Seems that it's happened significantly more in the last 365 days. 

I feel I can draw an almost exact line from the time I was a real grown up who got through her day with a smile on her face and the last time Pizza passed my lips. 

Pizza. 

Not Paleo Meatza, which is NOT pizza. Not close. It's lots of meat with lots of cheese on it. I. Do. Not. Like. It. 

I want Pizza.

I capitalize Pizza like some people capitalize their children's names. The reason is simple. I have no children.. and thus, love Pizza more than I love any human. Even YOU!

Well. Maybe. I love a few of you quite an awful lot... 

But the fact remains. Something has been missing in my life. Something fundamental and meaningful. 

Something... Real.

I came to The Caveman in tears explaining I simply can't go on this way. Something has to change. A girl has needs and mine were not being satisfied. 

Cold. Hard. Truth.

He took the news pretty hard. We've been such faithful cave kids this last year.. shuddering at the thought of a cheat.. but he wants me to be happy. 

On the verge of a phone call to the hut of Pizza.. a game changer.

We found other paleo peoples who had the same needs as this cavegirl.. and could not be satisfied by bacon woven into a crust.

(Abrabacon is an enormous fan of this type of meatza.. and that's just fine. But when he makes it, I eat scrambled eggs)

This, my hungry friends.. is what we came up with:

PIZZA!!!! (With a Cream Cheese Crust)

Be warned.. this recipe is NOT for the Dairy Wary..

Stuff you're gonna need:

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (Do it yourself, silly.. it's soooo much better that way)

8 oz Mozzarella (see above)

1 egg

Garlic powder

Oregano

Basil

Grate your cheese...

Mix Cream Cheese and Egg until they're light and fluffy. Blend in seasonings and add your cheeses. Mix into a batter...

Line your pan with Parchment Paper (Not Foil!! I know this is a picture of foil.. and that's why I can tell you NOT FOIL! For the love of Pete! NOT FOIL!)

And Butter your parchment.. cuz you can't be TOO careful =) =) 

Chop up some veggies.. Brown some Italian Sausage...

It is highly recommended that while you wait for your crust to bake, you snack heartily on olives and pepperoni.

And then bake it at 325 for about 20 minutes (or until it looks about like this guy) and carefully flip it.. you want both sides crispy =) =) =)

Treat it like the incredible culinary relationship it truly is.

Sauce. Mushrooms. Olives <3. Green Peppers....

Or EVERY MEAT EVER!!!

And when it looks like this (ish)

Pop it back in the oven until it's all warm and perfect <3

****I would suggest that you do not add cheese on top of this guy.. the crust is very rich.. delicious.. but rich. SO. Adding cheese on top makes it TOO much****

I woke up and birds were chirping.. the sun was shining.. the dog was dogging..

I dunno. You get it.

Sometimes.. food IS love.

And sometimes.. SOMETIMES..

It's Pizza.

Adventure or Bust.. A sunny winter Omaha tour and Our Dinner with Al Capone

One of my many failings as a ninja of happiness is my readiness to wilt when the sunshine has been taken away. I wither.. I fade. 
But.. I got an early birthday present this weekend... a sunny Saturday afternoon <3
The Caveman took this opportunity to take me for a walk.
We headed to a few little shops here and there and made a point to each show the other a place we'd never been. 
I took the boy to Penzey's, where we touched, taste, and smelled EVERY SINGLE SPICE in the shop. I was surprised he'd never been there before and we found some fantastic little gems. We also found out that your nose burns and you start sneezing after 12 minutes.
He took ME to Countryside Village.
He is staunchly opposed to caffeine consumption, but understands that a girl has needs.. so he brought me into The Village Grinder where I struggled to decide between a peanut butter mocha and the salted caramel (caramel won the day.. but just BARELY.. I'll be back for you, PB!)
This adorable little coffee shop (which employs only absolutely kind and clever baristas) is attached to The Bookworm. Books AND coffee... Grawr <3 <3

 

After an extended conversation with the proprietor about why vampires are a thing right now (It was decided that Cyborgs were in vogue when the Caveman was a teenager.. and that the vampire reign is just about over.. make way for Zombies) I was dragged kicking and screaming from the lovely establishment.

We found ourselves in Ferd's 

Before heading to Wohlner's.. Where we found.... Him.

This is an Al Capone Roast.

Never heard of one? Neither had we..

It is a pork roast pounded flat. It is then lined with Italian Sausage, Salami, and Provolone cheese.

I sprinkled the top with Garlic, Pepper, Basil, and Oregano.

Baked at 350 for 20 minutes per pound.

It was really reminiscent of many Brat/Italian sammich kind of meals I've had in the past, so I decided to slice some onione, red, orange, and yellow peppers.. halve some cherry tomatoes and throw them all in a skillet with some butter. Pan roasted them down into a tender, gooey, sweet, and vaguely spicy (I tossed some crushed red pepper in there while I was at it) side.. 

And just for good measure, I warmed up some kraut to serve with it.

It.

Was.

Magical.

The Packers may not have won (seriously.. did they? We had company but I do my best to ignore the shouting coming to, and from the television on game day) but this meal was a perfect success <3

Happy fooding, my friends!

Grabbing life by the bawls.. How I learned to cry it out, live up to my name, and get it together in time to put a roast in the oven....

I'm currently putting myself through a 30 day cleanse.. Cutting sugar and salt and drinking obscene amounts of water. Sweating for 2 hours a day. Giving away all of the things that still live in the garage (If I've lived without them for this long, I likely can continue living without them..)
In addition, I've started teaching a Mommy and Me class twice a week.. which is exciting!
AND! I've been invited to be interviewed on a local morning show for my business!


EXCITING!


But as I start checking things off of life's to-do list, I develop this crushing feeling. As I rush through each day, I just chalk it up to my constant busy-ness.. 
But now I've had time to stop and think. 
The overwhelming feeling is that I'm almost done.
My list isn't that much longer and is comprised of things like.. get married. Have babies.. move to a sleepy coastal town just outside a bustling city and raise a family.
Not things to step on the gas pedal for.. things you hit coast and slow down. Look around. 


So I cry a little sometimes. Because my right now isn't.. much.. enough. You know?
I just feel like.. There's gotta be more to life...


So here's what I need to do.. find that THING. The thing I've been afraid to do. The thing I always wanted and didn't think I deserved. I'm going to cry.. but crying isn't giving up. It's taking fear out of your heart to make room for more strength.. 
I'm going to stop trying to figure out who I am. I'm BEING who I am. Who I always was. 


I've been a business woman.. worn suits and heels and makeup to work every day at 7am. Worked 60 and 70 hours a week and used phrases like 'Every dollar not spent goes straight to our bottom line' and 'Tell the coffee guy that if he brings me decaf again he's going to be #46 in the 100 worst ways to die'
It didn't suit me.
I've been the super perky manager of a gym.. bouncing from the front desk through cardio, cheering people on.. hopping back to the weight room to say hi to The Caveman (before he was a caveman and I was a ninja) 

I've been a hippie yoga instructor. 




I've been Marry Poppins.

I changed my job.. I changed my hair.

But then I figured it out...

I just needed to change my perspective =) =)  (those are 3 of my gorgeous sisters, by the way...)
I have EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! Look at my family.. those girls in that picture? They love me. A lot.
I've got yoga.. and I LOVE it <3
I have my volunteer ventures.. I am so grateful that even tho I don't have all the things I feel like a socially acceptable person keeps in her closet, I have enough to give to people who truly DON'T have what they need. NEED. And who cares about socially acceptable?? 
I've got Juno on my shoulder and Sasha on my legs. And I've got my Happiness Ninja-ing (the duties of which I have still not revealed ;) )

I have a boy who lets me cook for him and beat him in boggle.

I have a few close friends I can call when it's cry time.. friends who will hold my hand until I get to where I am today.. remembering that life is mine to take. And I'm taking it..

So, for the record. My life is amazing. Sometimes, I cry.. but when the awesomeness is used up, it just leaves my body through my eyeballs =) 
I have to decide.. India, or Rome? Input. Please!!! I have decided that 2012 will be the year of Adventure!
I had given up on the idea after how terribly 2011 shaped up.. but I've decided that there are no more excuses. I'm going. 
In the mean time.. wanna see the roast I made the other night? It was delicioussss!!!!

Starts easy peasy with a nice Chuck roast... Pat it dry with some paper towels, Salt it up, and sear it on High heat in a skillet.


Chop up some Carrots, Onions, Garlic Cloves, Celery, Mushrooms, Potatoes if you wanna.... whatever you like! 

Place your beautifully seared beef on top of your veggies and throw some Bay Leaves on top.
You can deglaze the pan you seared in with white wine, beer, beef stock.. whatever you fancy (I'm watching my salt so I just used water) Once the pan is deglazed, add the liquid to your roasting pan with your veggies and beef. When you have about 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of your pan, throw your lid on and toss it in a 275 degree oven for 4 hours (ovens vary, yada yada..)


Try to leave it in the oven until it's done.. around the 2 hour mark it's going to smell so good you're going to be in some trouble.. TRY to wait!! You'll be glad you did =) =) =)