She would have been the big 2-5 today…

Happy Birthday to the one who inspires me to let go, lighten up and live life! The way you lived your short 8 years of life – full of passion, laughter, pizazz and adventure – will always and forever be a source of encouragement for me.
I love you and miss you so much.

Dear Haley,
Lighten up.
Love, Katy

(Katy on the left, me on the right)

Check out this email I got from Kris Carr today…

“Visionary Foodies,

Resolutions change policy. Revolutions change history.

Food is wildly political. This week I was contacted by two amazing organizations: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and Farm Sanctuary. They shared some dynamic events that I feel moved to tell you about.

And these events got me thinking. (Look out!) As you know, many of our health and environmental problems stem from our plates. To be honest, I’m not impressed by the baby steps our government (tied down by special interests and congressional constipation) is taking to shake up and shake down the industries and corporations that profit from huge loopholes, lack of regulation or just plain defiance.

As you also know, prevention truly matters to me. Teaching it, putting money toward it, incentivizing folks to take better care of themselves, and showering them with praise and personal empowerment (so they’re willing to even try) is crucial if we’re going to create a successful shift in our healthcare system. OK, before my soapbox catches fire, I’ll get to my point. Here’s how you can join the movement this weekend to make serious changes …

Ask President Obama to End Factory Farming

Our friends at Farm Sanctuary and many others are asking President Obama to end factory farming. I added my signature to this petition. You don’t have to be vegan to get involved. It’s not about ending farming or even meat production. It’s about ending dangerous, unhealthy, unsanitary and inhumane practices—or at the very least, inspiring our government to take us seriously because so many of us are speaking up. Add your name to the petition here: www.change.org/petitions/president-obama-end-factory-farming ”

I signed this petition. Please consider taking 2 seconds to do the same.

I’ve been thinking lately about love – what it means, how it is used (or maybe overused) in our culture, whether it is something we embrace or reject, and how it is expressed. I sat down one morning to think about what I love, excluding the obvious (T, Bell, my kitty and family and friends), and found creating a list somewhat difficult. What do I love? A lengthy mental block ensued. Our culture uses the word “love” so often, why was it so hard for me to figure out what I really loved? After a few dry minutes, the juices started flowing.

I loved creating this list (guess I can add that too!) because it made me stop and think. The things I listed are definite moments of joy, satisfaction and calm but could also be considered superficial when talking about love. Its no secret that this simple word has varying degrees of meaning, use and expression. Does “superficial” love mean any less than intense, deep rooted love?

I think not. Love on both ends of this spectrum have their place and are essential for a fulfilled life. With that being said, I have started to explore what it means to love more internally. Wowza! This stuff is intense! As I think about this, I keep hearing “God is Love” and “…and the greatest of these is love”. What exactly is a God-like love and how do you live it? So many of us strive (me included) to exhibit compassion, gentleness and forgiveness but I am going to venture out and say just strive to love and the other qualities will be a default. This love, however, is not the surface love that we all know so well, but the internal love that is harder to understand and express. I think to truly love, in the way God loves, it requires letting your unguarded, vulnerable heart feel. I don’t know about you, but that’s scary. Most of us cling to our defense mechanisms whether we know it or not. As scary as it is though, I say learning how to love without fear is a process very much worth the effort.

In the mean time, I am going to keep loving clean sheets and yoga buzzes but challenge myself to learn to really love from within.

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16

This was what I saw as I walked out of my bedroom the other night…

Bell had drug 5 of her toys all the way from the living room to the bedroom where T and I were.

Think she wants to play much?!? T and I both got a good belly laugh from this funny dog!

These past few weeks its been all about the food – organic fruits and veggies and homemade green juice, herbal tea and coconut water!!! Whole Foods – what would I do without you?! Lets hope I never have to find out! I am truly grateful that I have access to healthy, non-contaminated foods. My only wish is that every city in America had this access. I am glad to see that organic foods have taken off and I have totally jumped on this band wagon! There is still a long way to go but I am encouraged that soon more and more people will get to choose whether or not they want pesticides with their tomatoes. For those in the cities that can’t easily access organic foods, check out your local farmer’s markets!

xoxo

My hankering for sushi comes way more often than my pocket book can handle so I decided to find a way to make my own – minus the raw fish. (I recently read somewhere that eating raw fish is a good way to get parasites! Yuk!) These veggie nori rolls definitely hit the spot!

INGREDIENTS
4 nori seaweed sheets
2-3 cups cooked short grain brown rice
Tahini
½ cucumber, sliced thinly into sticks
1 small carrot, sliced thinly into sticks
½ avocado, julienned
½ cup sunflower sprouts or any other kind of sprouts
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, or gluten-free nama shoyu for dipping
¼ cup grated ginger juice

DIRECTIONS
Place a sheet of nori shiny-side down on a bamboo mat. Work with wet hands and keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers in.

Spread a thin layer of rice evenly over the nori, leaving about ½ inch on the top edge.

Spread a very thin layer of tahini over the rice.

Place 2 strips of cucumber at the end closest to you. Leave about 1 inch from the bottom. Next to it add ¼ of the carrot and avocado. Sprinkle a few sprouts on top.

Roll the nori tightly from the bottom, using the mat to help keep it tight. Seal it with a few drops of water in the ½ inch of nori at the top.

Carefully slice the roll into inch-thick rounds. Use a serrated knife dipped in a tiny bit of water. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Dip in Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or gluten-free nama shoyu. Add the juice of grated ginger to the sauce to give it a kick!

Enjoy!

A dad filmed his daughter every week for 624 weeks to make this moving clip, which shows her life unfold from the day of her birth to the day she turns 12.