Mama’s Monday Favorite: EcoVegan Spicy Bits

Meatless Monday rocks, but what about Meatless Thursday?

Instead of my traditional Thursday dinner, I decided to experiment a little and try ecoVegan Spicy Bits.

Spicy Bits took less than 5 minutes to cook. I browned the little bits in a skillet, and voila, my mouth watered with delight. The seasoning was perfect. I didn’t have to add any additional salt or pepper. The texture was tender and very “meat-like”. I was pleasantly surprised.

I paired the Spicy Bits with Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, and a fruit salad with poppyseed dressing. It was um um delish. In a pinch, I could have cooked the Spicy Bits without the fancy sides and still had a pleasant dinner. After the meal was over, I wish I had more.

- Mama

Spicy Bits ingredients: Soy protein, soy fiber, wheat protein, sunflower oil, black soy bean sauce, unbleached tapioca flour, salt, unbleached sugar, white pepper, glutinous flour, Chinese pepper, chili, fermented black beans, natural spices, coconut powder, white sesame, sucrose, trehalose (from seaweed), licorice, seaweed | Contains non-GMO wheat and non-GMO soy

Toxins, please leave me and my smooching partner alone

If you really knew what was in that lipstick tube, you probably wouldn’t put it on your lips. Your favorite lipstick is probably exposing you and your smooching partner to toxic chemicals.

Letters to myself: How running and endorphins allow me to see a clearer picture

Sadly, I’ve developed a lot of bad habits in my life. I drink too much coffee, I procrastinate, and I’m often late for everything. Not to be too hard on myself though, I’ve developed a truly healthy habit over twenty years of rarely letting a day go by without heading out for a run. If it hasn’t exactly saved my life, it’s come pretty close.

When I was single and not sharing the burdens of life with anyone, I felt them heavy on my shoulders. Some nights, the weight of my problems and responsibilities kept me from falling asleep. After glancing through the paper in the morning and having my cup of joe, I’d always put on the jog bra, lace up the running shoes, and head out the door. (I was usually also wearing shorts, a t-shirt and socks.) I recall one particularly egregious period when I thought I couldn’t make the rent AND the car payment AND the minimum on my credit cards. Before dozing off the previous evening, I envisioned skipping the rent and making the back seat of my Toyota Tercel my new bedroom. There was always a way to keep the creditors at bay on my MasterCard, even if in doing so, I got an ulcer.

I ran my four-mile loop that morning, slowly at first and then picked up speed. I’d been angry during mile one, less so during mile two, discovered a spring in my step for mile three, and by the time I arrived back at my apartment, my head was clear. I knew that my financial issues were real, but could be addressed in ways that didn’t leave me homeless. I had a steady job. Money was coming in. I simply had to reorganize and believe in my ability to take care of myself. So what had happened in between a restless night’s sleep and the end of my jog?

Endorphins.

You’ve heard the word before. They’re morphine-like chemicals that our bodies create naturally. While debate exists about the “runner’s high” often associated with endorphins, there is scientific proof that they reduce pain and induce euphoria. A hardy laugh and an orgasm can produce the same effect, but rather than rely on friends to be funny or my partner to be “in the mood”, I’ll pound the pavement, thank you.

Running and endorphins have helped me recover from a broken heart, job loss, rejection, illness and motherhood frustrations, to name a few. I clear my head and am allowed to see a difficult situation not as a mountain, but rather a pile of dirt to be addressed one shovelful at a time. (And it only costs me the price of running shoes – and that jog bra.)

Gotta run.

- Althea

Mama’s Monday Favorite: Breville’s Dual Disc Juice Processor

One word: Amazing.

During the past 20 years, I’ve run through my share of fruit juicers. Some were difficult to put together, others were difficult to clean, and some just didn’t work. The Breville BJE820XL juicer is one of the best on the market. My favorite juice to make is a mixture of carrots, apples, and red beets. This juicer handles the compact structure of beets without sputtering

Want fresh juice for breakfast, and a smoothie with lunch? This commercial-quality juicer can do both. It has a second disc that purées soft fruits for 100% fruit smoothies. With this juicer, you’ll get the most juice out of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, from delicate berries to crisp apples.

- Mama

Long goodbyes: How I kicked separation anxiety cold turkey

I used to suffer from separation anxiety, the number one cause for behavioral problems, when I was left home alone.

The moment my owner put on her shoes, it would begin. My anxiousness would grow when she grabbed her keys. By the time she had her hand on the front door, I’d start whimpering. She’d feel sorry for me and play with me a little longer. (Little did she realize that she was adding to the problem.) Eventually, she’d have to leave and when she did I really acted up. I scratched on the door and window, hoping to get out so I could be with her. When that failed, I howled and barked, chewed furniture and relieved myself in the house even though I was housetrained. By the time she came home, I was so stressed out that I was shaking.

This type of behavior couldn’t go on forever or else I’d end up in a shelter, which I didn’t want. I knew I had to change so I did, along with my pet parent.

• Our morning walks became longer, thus allowing me to rid myself of excess energy I used to turn into nervousness.
• T-shirts she slept in were left for me so her scent could comfort me.
• Toys were left for me to play with and that took my mind off the fact that she was gone.
• She left home nonchalantly and stopped making a big fuss about departing. Sometimes I wasn’t even sure when she was going to leave because she walked around the house in her heels and with her keys in her pocket for a while before leaving.
• When she returned, she didn’t rush to me. Instead, she put down her purse, flipped through the mail, checked her voice mail messages, and then calmly petted me.

It only took a few weeks for my separation anxiety to dissipate. I’m glad I didn’t need medication or get shipped off to go to doggy day care, which can become expensive on a daily basis. What would have been worse was going to a shelter.

- Trevor the dog

Simple Winter Hair Care Tips

The dry, cold air of winter can do terrible things to your hair, but it doesn’t have to. With these simple tips and tricks, you can protect your hair and look great all winter long, no matter how bitter the weather.

Protect Your Hair

Dry air, wind, and cold can all dry out your hair, making it dull and lifeless, as well as brittle. To avoid brittle, dull hair, make sure that you are securely bundled up, with your hair covered, whenever you go outside. Exposure to the outside air can turn healthy hair dry into unhappy, lifeless hair in just a few minutes. Be sure to wear a woolen cap that’s thick enough to block the wind.

Moisturize Your Hair

When you wash, use lukewarm water and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to add back the moisture that you are losing to the atmosphere. Try not to wash your hair too often, since the natural oils from your scalp are excellent protective agents in their own right and you have no real need to strip them away unless they become stale or your hair gets dirty by some external cause.

Keep Hair Warm

This may seem obvious, but hair that is exposed to too much cold can become brittle and damaged. To keephair in its best condition, be sure that the cap you are using for a wind shelter actually does a good job keeping you warm. Highly chilled hair may need to be repaired with a session of deep conditioning. Use a warm coconut oil mask to give the hair body and fragrance while moisturizing it gently. The coconut oil is one of the best hair products known to nature, and in winter it is excellent because it is so useful and efficient at whatever it’s applied to. After one or two applications of coconut oil, your hair will be lush and thick.

Supplement these techniques with a certain restraint: refrain from excess amounts of stress and dramatic temperature changes during the holidays. Stress causes wrinkles, and it causes flyaways too. Indulging in a stressful activity can throw your hair’s chemical balance all off, meaning that you would need to go back and readjust it in order to calm your hair. Stay warm this inter, and look great!

- Mama

Sweat the small stuff

Do you sweat the small stuff? Maybe you should.