Eat Real Food

When all else seems to be out of order...eat real food!

That's right. Even when things are in order, eat real food.

Just recently a good friend gently reminded me that while all else seems to be uprooted (and in chaos sometimes) make sure we take care not to overlook our health during the resettling and adjusting time. How true. She said to eat real food. Not junk, not "fake" stuff...not chemical laden stuff. Real, true, honest to goodness food.

It can be too easy to eat the things that we've been so far away from for two years now (ask me how I know!). What I've been enjoying though is the wonderful garden bounty that is happening here right now. We've been enjoying fresh green beans, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries (boy, did I miss berries!) and peppers. And sweet corn, oh sweet corn, how delicious! It's been a long time. I don't even put anything on it... great as is and compared to what we had in Ghana -you'd think it was "prebuttered" already!

So we have been eating fresh fruit and veggies we've missed for so long. But I have to admit, it's very easy to celebrate a little too much and eat some not so great stuff while we are not at home. And since we are in a temporary place for another month, we have to remain mindful of our eating habits that they don't get too lax in the meantime (and I'd like to keep off the pounds that so easily came off while we were in Africa!).

What I've been doing lately to eat "real food":

• Eating green smoothies when I can. Yesterday we had in the Vitamix: bananas, apples(including seeds), a peach, raw spinach, carrots, and a celery stalk, with added water. Actually ended up being very good, kind of like sweet, but green, carrot juice (which I love!). I wondered if the celery would make the finished product kind of stringy. No fear - that Vitamix made it smooth as always.
• Eat something fresh (fruit or veggies) as a first course before eating other foods during a meal. While eating out recently with my parents, my dad wondered if I was on a fruit fast when we ate at a buffet restaurant. I had gone up to the buffet and returned with all fruit on my (first) plate for myself and to share with my daughter. We dined on seven different fruits before having some hot dishes. We were eating Chinese (I know, not so great, but done in moderation can be a fun outing). My two year old daughter loves the garlic green beans.
• Eating fresh little cherry tomatoes from right outside the back door where we are staying. It's a fun thing to have amidst a flower garden for great snacking, especially after hanging laundry outside.
• When eating out, using fresh lemon wedges to make water taste better and be better for me.
• Never adding salt to dishes when eating out (or carry out). Restaurants always have more fat and salt in foods they serve, than you would use at home. Remember that! They are fast de-railers to eating well, so be careful.
• Drinking water, good purified water. Plenty of it...'nuff said.
• Eating something fresh and raw at every meal if it's available.

I am excited to get back to regular posting of recipes and such. For now, remember...eat real food.

Update

Thanks for your patience while we get situated into life in the states again. Just thought you might like to hear how things are going these days.

I have officially passed my driver's test today. Because I had no valid driver's license during our time in Ghana, I had to start from scratch 20 years after the first time I became a driver in my teens. It feels funny getting nervous over it after going through it the first time that many years ago. After 15 years married and 10 as a mother, you'd think they'd just hand it over (yeah, right! lol)...but not true. I had to start over, permit packet and all. One thing that was new was a laminated photo id permit card. They just gave us a piece of paper 20 years ago. I'm glad that's done. Now all we need is a car! =)

So another thing to check off of the "to do" list of moving.

I have some exciting things coming up for the Vegan Footprints blog. And since I have returned from Ghana, I thought it might be fun to do a drawing for some West African items. I will have an announcement (with photos) relating to that in the near future to get things moving again for Vegan Footprints since I've been on a sort of unplanned "vacation" from posting lately.

Thanks again for reading.

Red Clover and Queen Anne's Lace

I am so happy to be back in the states.

I am a somewhat sentimental person when it comes to my childhood home. My parents moved to this property when my mother was pregnant with me. Other than moving into a new home that they built on the same property when I was in junior high school, they have never moved. I am grateful. I can come back to the home place where I grew up. I know not everyone can say that.

I love it - back on the farm. One thing I love to do when I'm here visiting is to walk on the country road my parents live on. It is a breath of fresh air to me...a "refilling" so to speak. When I was in college, I liked to speed walk around the track with my friends. I still like to walk fast and love long walks too.

One of my favorite sites (anywhere) are the wildflowers on the way. I have always loved the red clover and queen Anne's lace that is along the road where I lived. I am reminded of my father's clover hay that he grew. The queen Anne's lace sometimes bigger than my hands.

A day or two after we returned from Ghana. We awoke early one morning, before dawn...the four of us, all before my parents and sister. My husband had a great idea... "Let's take a pre-dawn walk!" So we did and we enjoyed it very much.

My daughter bundled up in a winter coat (we were very cold) and we got jackets on and went down the road. The lacey flowers and the clover were so beautiful. Here are some sights for you to enjoy.

Some other flowers my mother has planted by the house...

The early morning sun makes these flowers all the more beautiful, doesn't it? God's creation recreated every single day.

We have arrived!

Hello again, everyone. We have landed and have had a good, but fast first few days back in the states now. We arrived tired, but excited to see family. We took off and landed no less than 4 times to get to our final destination and then also had a 2 hour drive to where we are staying. The children traveled very well. My two year old had no trouble with her ears on take off or landings. I am thankful.
We are now getting settled. Getting driver's licenses for both of us and work for my husband are next on the agenda. Starting our homeschool schedule will be happening too.
I plan to be back into regular posting this week or at least more than the last two weeks.
I am glad to be back. Pray for our continuing transition please.

Still here...

We are close to moving day, so you'll be hearing a little less from me for a few days. I do plan on having more posts from Ghana (that depends if the power is on at the moment too!). But soon you'll be reading posts written from the states.

Have a great day!

Poll #5 Results

Thanks to everyone who voted on the latest poll (ended August 1st). With 54 votes total, the following numbers are as follows:

How did you learn about Vegan Footprints?

• link through Biblical Womanhood: 12 (22%)
  
  
• link through Tammy's Recipes: 38 (70%)
  
  
• internet search for related topic: 1 (1%)
  
  
• know me personally: 2 (3%)
  
  
• link or other mention in another blog/website (not mentioned above): 1 (1%)

I have been posting a "frugal Friday tip" every Friday on "Biblical Womanhood", a blog by Crystal. It's been a good way to let people know about Vegan Footprints. Thanks to all those who have come back even on other days to read my posts. Keep reading!

Another weekly post I do is for "kitchen tip Tuesday" hosted by Tammy at Tammy's Recipes. This has apparently been the best way to let others know about Vegan Footprints. For all these readers, I am thankful. Keep reading!

I am glad to know a little more about my readers through these polls. The newest poll has been added to the sidebar. Please vote today!

Always Double Check Airline Luggage Rules

As you know, we are in the process of moving back overseas to the states from Ghana, West Africa. I have been checking our airlines about the free baggage allowance. What I am realizing is that although it's somewhat confusing, knowing the rules on weight, size and number of pieces is very important.

We are allowed 2 pieces of check in baggage for each person. They must be 50 pounds each or less. We are allowed 158 cm linear measurements on each piece (that's the height + length + width total). We will be using the scale to weigh our full baggage. Making sure we are a little under to make up for differences with our not-so-scientific bathroom scale and the airlines (very good tip, by the way). And we are measuring the totes, uh, luggage - because as I found out last night, what we planned to take is too big on the linear measurements. Uh, oh! Good thing we have more totes that are smaller to use. I just hope we have 8 of them, which is what we will be taking (photo above shows our unpacking two years ago - these same totes we used then are now too big by the new rules).

You'll want to double check what is allowable in check in versus carry on luggage and prohibited items. Don't forget to find out the carry on luggage allowances as well. To save big headaches, you'll want to abide by the new standard these days for liquids and how to package in a quart/liter size "ziplock" type clear plastic bag.

And if we don't follow the airline rules on baggage? It could cost us another $50 USD more for extra weight or oversize luggage! Yikes!

So always check your airline's rules to save some extra cash when you check in! And if you do plan to take extra, and you know it ahead of time, then you can plan to pay the extra fees. At least it won't be a surprise.

For more frugal tips, visit Biblical Womanhood. Don't forget to get your poll vote in today if you haven't already. There are two polls to participate in, today only! See side bar to vote.