I hit on a new trend this week and found great results from both trials. With economic pressures abounding from all directions, some businesses are taking a look and their bottom line and stretching it to benefit others in the community - businesses donating a portion of their profits to non-profits.
In Georgetown is Lect's Soup Stop - 5327 Denver Ave S. www.lectssoupstop.com. Every day they make a FABULOUS Country Vegetable soup (fresh chopped, not frozen veggies like okra, carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, etc. and a flavorful, hearty broth) and a special soup of the day, ranging from Clam Chowder to Italian Wedding Soup and many delectable versions in between. Weekly menus come with your lunch and are also avaialble on line to plan according to your cravings. A $5 bill gets you the best deal in the city, a sizeable bowl of soup, served take out with a roll, salt, pepper and butter in a handy carry container, soft drinks are available from coin-op machines on the north side of the building and NEW this week - cheese paninis - had a sample and it was tasty, filling and just grilled to the melt-in-your-mouth stage.
But that is not the best part - proceeds from soup sales benefit local charities serving fellow citizens - through the 7028 Life Enhancement Charitable Trust (there's the LECT), "One of its goals is to provide glasses, hearing aids and dentures to people who would otherwise have to do without. LECT's Soup Stop also donates our soups to the Union Gospel Mission." And the opportunity to donate is right on the counter while you wait for your delectable soup. So, you get served a healthy hearty lunch and humanity gets served with necessities of life. Which brings me to my next discovery - the Humanity Salon in Kent.
The Kent Reporter last week featured the Humanity salon which allows patrons to choose to donate 20% of their service fee to six community partners - Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Hope Chest, Washington Women's Employment and Education, the Kent Food Bank, World Vision, and Katherine House. Humanity Salon is located at: 109 2nd Ave S., Kent WA 98032 (253) 981-4182, webiste is www.humanitysalons.org And, even better, the haircut I walked out with has generated more compliments from women of all ages and walks of life than anything I've done to my hair for years! So I look better, the food bank benefits from my haircut - the world is a greater place when we all pitch in and help each other.
Give one or both of these businesses a whirl and I'm sure your karma will be as healthy as your appetite and tresses.
Peace and Blessings!
Michelle
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Proud Momma Moment
Joe's competing in the Seattle Regional Spelling Bee this Sunday afternoon for the second year in a row, and he has actually been studying. This is the last year he will be eligible to partiicfpate and he came in about 25th out of 60 participants last year. I will figure out how to record his spelling segments and post them somewhere. His plan is to Rick Roll the audience if he misses a word and goes down in flames... that would go on YouTube.
Last year he got out on "camouflage" (he forgot my "lame mnemonic" of a mouse rolled in a camo flag) and the next week we were at GI Joes and I saw a pair of camo Chuck Taylor hi-tops and HAD to get them for him as an inside joke. Now he has two more pairs and never wears anything else.
He's competing in a Battle of the Bands event at School Friday (he's the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar for Overdrive) and the grades are acceptable in 4 classes, mildly horrid in two classes and better in the class he botched last quarter, go figure. I could never successfully balance all six classes either, but I can't tell him that. I have to be the hard-nosed parent expecting more and demanding better grades when I really want to tell him I know it's a b**ch balancing everything, but this is life. We all have to find balance in work, home, family, friends, social, housework... often more than six things at once.
***
It's not often I forget to post a blog entry - but I did, so now you get the update to the SPelling bee as well as the notice. The good news is we won't be whisking off for a trip to DC anytime soon. The bad news is Joe was eliminated in his second round with the word "bravura". My ESP just wasn't in tune apparently and it was not in the cards. He requested all available information about the word and I think hearing that it was Italian threw him so he tried to work in every possible vowel (brevieura) which is how it was pronounced.
He was disappointed, drowned his sorrows in a few Thomas Kempers, pizza and cupcakes at his consolation/victory party with family and friends. This was his last opportunity to compete as he will be 14 and complete eighth grade this year. The end of an era. Joe and I started attending the annual spelling bee when he was in first grade and even then he would keep track of the words and get at least half of them right. He's done us proud getting to the Regionals twice in two years.
Last year he got out on "camouflage" (he forgot my "lame mnemonic" of a mouse rolled in a camo flag) and the next week we were at GI Joes and I saw a pair of camo Chuck Taylor hi-tops and HAD to get them for him as an inside joke. Now he has two more pairs and never wears anything else.
He's competing in a Battle of the Bands event at School Friday (he's the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar for Overdrive) and the grades are acceptable in 4 classes, mildly horrid in two classes and better in the class he botched last quarter, go figure. I could never successfully balance all six classes either, but I can't tell him that. I have to be the hard-nosed parent expecting more and demanding better grades when I really want to tell him I know it's a b**ch balancing everything, but this is life. We all have to find balance in work, home, family, friends, social, housework... often more than six things at once.
***
It's not often I forget to post a blog entry - but I did, so now you get the update to the SPelling bee as well as the notice. The good news is we won't be whisking off for a trip to DC anytime soon. The bad news is Joe was eliminated in his second round with the word "bravura". My ESP just wasn't in tune apparently and it was not in the cards. He requested all available information about the word and I think hearing that it was Italian threw him so he tried to work in every possible vowel (brevieura) which is how it was pronounced.
He was disappointed, drowned his sorrows in a few Thomas Kempers, pizza and cupcakes at his consolation/victory party with family and friends. This was his last opportunity to compete as he will be 14 and complete eighth grade this year. The end of an era. Joe and I started attending the annual spelling bee when he was in first grade and even then he would keep track of the words and get at least half of them right. He's done us proud getting to the Regionals twice in two years.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
IBS eating guidlines? Worth a try.
Denise found some really good articles about cancer prevention and items to include in our diets, at http://health.msn.com/health-topics/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100233884&imageindex=1. The good news is I have incorporated some of these items into our routine, some cause me a bit of distress, but the end is worth the means, right?
I've spent a few weeks learning a lot about IBS and other colonic maladies that I thought might make sense to incorporate into my diet the guidelines that others have developed work well for them. Since no one seems to be making progress on dietary info for colon cancer survivors.
Here's what I found out. Since my system is now shorter/compacted, it is trying to do the same amount of work - get all the nutrients out of my food in less time. As soon as I begin eating anything, I get abdominal cramping signaling the digestive system to begin working, how most of us would describe "bowel urgency". The cramping gets worse when I eat a "trigger food" (which can be almost anything, usually high in fat and low in nutrients) or when there is a slack space in the digestive system so the muscles contract more in an empty section than in a full section. I've been combating this by eating more often and filler foods (not always nutritionally dense foods) - hence my weight gain. Apparently, that is not the way to go, as my pants have been telling me for months.
The new plan is to follow IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) guidelines and extremely limit my exposure to red meat, dairy, eggs, and fried foods. Yea, looks like fun if you've ever seen my dinner plate. Green salad is now a last course part of my meal and white, sourdough, or french bread begins every meal. On the plus side, my fondness for peppermint or chamomile tea is a natural digestive calming tonic, so I'll be carrying those with me more often. Fiber supplements help keep the "slack" out of the system and minimize cramping. Overall, I'm looking at more soluble fiber foundations for my dietary needs. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and absorbs the excess water in the digestive tract making things move more smoothly overall.
My staples are
Grains: limited WHOLE WHEAT - rice, pasta/noodles, Oatmeal, barley, Fresh white breads (French or sourdough), rice cereals, flour tortillas, Quinoa, Corn meal, Potatoes,
Veggies: Carrots, Yams, Sweet potatoes, Turnips, Rutabagas, Parsnips, Beets, Squash and pumpkins, Chestnuts
Fruit: Avocados, Bananas, Applesauce Mangoes Papayas (natural digestive enzymes)
Meat: Soy, White poultry meat,
Milk: soy, rice or oat milk. Cheeses, soy, rice or almond substitutes.
Be on the lookout for recipes utilizing these components.
Fish and Poultry in limited amounts, very little red meat as well as much smaller, more frequent meals to stay full and not let a lag in the process develop (that's also where the fiber supplements come in).
I don't expect changes as far as your cooking or when we have meals together. I just may bring more of my staples to add to the meal and may take less and don't want to offend anyone. The recipes I bring are bound to have at least one "Surprise ingredient" from now on; more than likely soy. I need to be more aware and diligent in staying away from foods that will not feel good later. Apparently, my system is a trial and error system and I think I've hit all the errors so it's time to start making some good choices and see where that takes me.
Hopefully, when I start putting better things in again, the urge to exercise will be easier to encourage. I'll let you know how the road is going.
Peace and Blessings,
Michelle ;-P
I've spent a few weeks learning a lot about IBS and other colonic maladies that I thought might make sense to incorporate into my diet the guidelines that others have developed work well for them. Since no one seems to be making progress on dietary info for colon cancer survivors.
Here's what I found out. Since my system is now shorter/compacted, it is trying to do the same amount of work - get all the nutrients out of my food in less time. As soon as I begin eating anything, I get abdominal cramping signaling the digestive system to begin working, how most of us would describe "bowel urgency". The cramping gets worse when I eat a "trigger food" (which can be almost anything, usually high in fat and low in nutrients) or when there is a slack space in the digestive system so the muscles contract more in an empty section than in a full section. I've been combating this by eating more often and filler foods (not always nutritionally dense foods) - hence my weight gain. Apparently, that is not the way to go, as my pants have been telling me for months.
The new plan is to follow IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) guidelines and extremely limit my exposure to red meat, dairy, eggs, and fried foods. Yea, looks like fun if you've ever seen my dinner plate. Green salad is now a last course part of my meal and white, sourdough, or french bread begins every meal. On the plus side, my fondness for peppermint or chamomile tea is a natural digestive calming tonic, so I'll be carrying those with me more often. Fiber supplements help keep the "slack" out of the system and minimize cramping. Overall, I'm looking at more soluble fiber foundations for my dietary needs. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and absorbs the excess water in the digestive tract making things move more smoothly overall.
My staples are
Grains: limited WHOLE WHEAT - rice, pasta/noodles, Oatmeal, barley, Fresh white breads (French or sourdough), rice cereals, flour tortillas, Quinoa, Corn meal, Potatoes,
Veggies: Carrots, Yams, Sweet potatoes, Turnips, Rutabagas, Parsnips, Beets, Squash and pumpkins, Chestnuts
Fruit: Avocados, Bananas, Applesauce Mangoes Papayas (natural digestive enzymes)
Meat: Soy, White poultry meat,
Milk: soy, rice or oat milk. Cheeses, soy, rice or almond substitutes.
Be on the lookout for recipes utilizing these components.
Fish and Poultry in limited amounts, very little red meat as well as much smaller, more frequent meals to stay full and not let a lag in the process develop (that's also where the fiber supplements come in).
I don't expect changes as far as your cooking or when we have meals together. I just may bring more of my staples to add to the meal and may take less and don't want to offend anyone. The recipes I bring are bound to have at least one "Surprise ingredient" from now on; more than likely soy. I need to be more aware and diligent in staying away from foods that will not feel good later. Apparently, my system is a trial and error system and I think I've hit all the errors so it's time to start making some good choices and see where that takes me.
Hopefully, when I start putting better things in again, the urge to exercise will be easier to encourage. I'll let you know how the road is going.
Peace and Blessings,
Michelle ;-P
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