Desperation Launches Foodie Adventure

For years and years I always bought Mrs. Smith’s deep dish apple pie for the holidays.  The crust was always light and flaky, the filling was never too sweet or too sour, and the pie was consistently delicious.  But recent changes (significantly less apples, omission of shrink wrap on the pie inside the box, and perhaps a change in recipe has frustrated me to no end.  I am so frustrated because now the pie is flat, the crust leaves much to be desired, and the pie tastes like the cardboard box it has been sitting in all the way from the factory to my house.  I can’t serve that nasty pie to any guests of mine.

So, what’s a foodie to do?  This holiday I plan to make a delicious, flaky-crusted, home made apple pie my damn self from scratch.  It’s probably all for the better since the frozen pie is pretty processed, and I generally eat or feed my family very little processed food for health and beauty reasons.

So here we go.  First I would like to try to make a (partly) whole grain version using white whole wheat flour.  That stuff is so awesome because it is not the coarse bitter red wheat we are used to in whole grain products.  I make a white whole wheat pizza crust that is pretty good.  I have a few weeks to do some trial and error.  I don’t care how many pies I have to bake before I get it right.  Anybody have tips?

On a Mission: Update

A few months ago I embarked on an adventure to focus attention on getting myself into fabulous shape and looking great, just in time for my 40th birthday.  I lost a few pounds, and plateaued on that, but I gained a much clearer understanding of what it means to be healthy and look great at any age.

I quietly watched other friends and acquaintances and their efforts and actions towards feeling better about themselves and I came to the conclusion that I needed to shift (but not lower) my expectations even more than I had originally thought.  For example, I have been regularly eating a wonderful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with other healthy choices.  I enjoy moderate exercise and because business is beginning to pick up I just don’t have the time to work out the way I did last summer when I was able to spend hours a day at the local fitness center where I worked part time.  I made up my mind that I can sustain my healthy eating and moderate exercise habit.  I already knew and needed to be reminded that I am absolutely not willing to give up cookies for the rest of my life and thanks to a foot injury during workout boot camp I learned that crazified workouts are just not an option.  I have a few friends who are petrified of getting older and how vowed to fight it at any cost.  One of them has achieved a significant weight loss through an excessive obsession with gym workouts. She was never fat, and now she just looks thinner.  She looks sturdier but she doesn’t look happier or more delicious.   Similarly, a woman who works at the weight loss doctor’s office told me that she follows the terribly restrictive diet they recommend all week and only eats what she wants once a week.  She is skinny as a rail and looks like a miserable human being to me.  Her cheeks are sunken in and drab and she doesn’t smile very much.  If I ate like that I wouldn’t smile either!  Neither of these women look vibrant, enthusiastic, or content, which are all very important components to my idea of fabulous.  Meanwhile, the changes I have made get me lots of positive compliments from strangers and friends.  Lately, I have been hearing lots of comments about looking “glowy, peaceful, happy,  sexy, like a newlywed”…and I like this.  Conclusion:  be healthy, and don’t worry because 5-10 lbs is not all that important at all.

Although eating cleaner (fresher, less processed) diet has not really resulted in fat loss for me this time around, it has led to a definite clearing of my skin.  I have much smoother, clearer, softer, and more even-toned skin all over.  I don’t wear foundation regularly and recently I stopped using face powder on a regular basis as well because I have no bumps to cover up.  The sparkly bronzer I love is now just a little too much for me now because my color is great and I just don’t need that pick-me-up anymore.

As the weather finally warmed, I had to buy new clothes.  I had all wool pants and fall tops in the closet.  This time I really paid attention to creating a style, being comfortable but not opting for the commonplace.   I rediscovered my favorite clothing store, which by the way, I never would have shopped at age 20 because it’s just too darned expensive.  So the truth is, it is so much more exclusive (unique) than Gap or Target.  You’ll think I shopped at a little standalone boutique somewhere.  The clothes I am finding are not the typical cookie-cutter crap that you see worn on MTV.  I buy items that have flattering cuts that don’t attempt to hide me, but just look great.  I’m not keeping up with the teeny-bopper trends like those aging “Sex in the City” types.  Oh yes, and I wear dresses!  After all these years.  I love the carefree no-fuss style that is not frumpy-hippie but sophisticated and versatile because it reveals a different kind of beauty that satisfies me.

What else have I been doing?  You would never believe how simple.  I just made a conscious effort at putting myself out there and being comfortable with it, in very simple ways.  When I get a manicure, I just have the high-shine buff instead of nail polish.  I took my sister Kelley’s advice on natural hair care and leaning more towards the clean, slightly tousled look for my locs.  I relax in my backyard hammock whenever I get a chance.  I enjoy wine and cheese in moderation.  I flirt with my husband in public.

Many of these things I have done before.  The truth is that you don’t just do a bunch of stuff and then one day be fabulous and have a “reveal” episode like in “Extreme Makeover”.  You do things and constantly refine and shift them as needed, not with the corporate-inspired trends and continue to get better and better with time.

Cyberwar guide for Iran elections [URGENT pls read & repost] (And I Guess Twitter is Useful for Something)

Cyberwar guide for Iran elections
Posted by Cory Doctorow, June 16, 2009 3:25 AM | permalink
SOURCE: boingboing.net

Yishay sez, “The road to hell is paved with the best intentions (including mine). Learn how to actually help the protesters and not the gov’t in Iran.”

The purpose of this guide is to help you participate constructively in the Iranian election protests through Twitter.

1. Do NOT publicise proxy IP’s over twitter, and especially not using the #iranelection hashtag. Security forces are monitoring this hashtag, and the moment they identify a proxy IP they will block it in Iran. If you are creating new proxies for the Iranian bloggers, DM them to @stopAhmadi or @iran09 and they will distributed them discretely to bloggers in Iran.

2. Hashtags, the only two legitimate hashtags being used by bloggers in Iran are #iranelection and #gr88, other hashtag ideas run the risk of diluting the conversation.

3. Keep you bull$hit filter up! Security forces are now setting up twitter accounts to spread disinformation by posing as Iranian protesters. Please don’t retweet impetuosly, try to confirm information with reliable sources before retweeting. The legitimate sources are not hard to find and follow.

4. Help cover the bloggers: change your twitter settings so that your location is TEHRAN and your time zone is GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location and timezone searches. If we all become ‘Iranians’ it becomes much harder to find them.

5. Don’t blow their cover! If you discover a genuine source, please don’t publicise their name or location on a website. These bloggers are in REAL danger. Spread the word discretely through your own networks but don’t signpost them to the security forces. People are dying there, for real, please keep that in mind…

#iranelection cyberwar guide for beginners (Thanks, Yishay!)
Previously:

* Iran SMS networks “mysteriously” fail right before elections …
* Iran: Activists Launch Hack Attacks on Tehran Regime – Boing Boing
* Iranian election uprising: Twitter tracks it real-time, Iranian …

6. Denial of Service attacks. If you don’t know what you are doing, stay out of this game. Only target those sites the legitimate Iranian bloggers are designating. Be aware that these attacks can have detrimental effects to the network the protesters are relying on. Keep monitoring their traffic to note when you should turn the taps on or off.

7. Do spread the (legitimate) word, it works! When the bloggers asked for twitter maintenance to be postponed using the #nomaintenance tag, it had the desired effect. As long as we spread good information, provide moral support to the protesters, and take our lead from the legitimate bloggers, we can make a constructive contribution.

Please remember that this is about the future of the Iranian people, while it might be exciting to get caught up in the flow of participating in a new meme, do not lose sight of what this is really about.”

Please share this article widely. This is our protocol.

Do Goddesses Tweet?

I’ve been doing some routine research on online business marketing tools for LifeBliss Solutions as business people periodically do.  Twitter keeps popping up.  I have come so close to signing up for an account just to see how this thing works.  Each time I stop just short of putting my name in the box by the notion that there is something inherently amiss with the whole idea that I would give a rat’s ass about what anybody does every moment of the day.  I just don’t.  I am sure I would not “follow” anyone.  Equally amiss would be that I am so narcissistic as to believe anybody in the world wants to latch on to my ass and follow me around for 24 hours of my day, every day.  To me this tool seems like something for a bunch of weak losers with low self esteem who need constant reassurance that they are [fill in the blank with worthy, interesting, cool, fabulous, etc.], celebrity groupies, and teenagers.

Who has time to tweet or have their ass twiggled by some random strangers all day long if they are busy living life?  You can miss so much of the moment if you are fumbling around with some electronic gadget instead of absorbing all the stimulus in the present moment.  And please, nobody write to me claiming that they are “multi-taskers”.  Multi-tasking always diminishes the full experience of the moment, PERIOD.  When your eyes are focused on a little bitty screen then the beautiful scenery around you is nothing but a sideshow in peripheral vision.  While your fingers are busy tippy-tapping on a keyboard, they can not be running through your lover’s hair.

I don’t want to tweet.

8:00 am – I am late, scurrying to the shower

8:01 am – Damn, there’s a pimple on my cheek

8:06 am – Wait, I’ve got to take a crap

8:18 am – Where’s my sock?

8:50 am – Should I have a smoothie or a latte?

WTF!!!!?????????  This seems excrutiatingly trite, irritating, and tedious!

I came so close to being converted when I read stories of people increasing web page traffic exponentially with Twitter.  So I took another look and read some techie articles to educate myself because boy, would I love to have a million viewers a day to my site.  But the idea as I interpret it has been that as a business you can spy on your competitors, which does not appeal to me because my services are so unique and because when you are working from a philosophy of plentitude rather than scarcity it just seems like a waste of my time.  I also learned that I can spam my followers to death.  Well, Goddesses and potential Goddesses abhor spam, and they are so intelligent that they can spot it a mile away and surely would not encourage spam abuse by spending money on spammer’s products and services.   Let’s face it:  My name is not Willie Loman and I don’t sell widgets.  I don’t have suppliers and secret proprietary potions.  LifeBliss Solutions is what it is and that’s that.

The last thing I learned is that Twitter is a great tool for networking with both potential clients and peers and generates word of mouth promotion.  Hmm, sounds good, ethical, and not unhealthy to me and holds some promise.  Which brings me to the key question:  Do Goddesses tweet?  Goddesses don’t need to tweet, the same way that we don’t need to wear t-shirts that say “Goddess” on the front. Goddesses are busy, self-assured, taking disposable time to enjoy the present moment i.e. smelling flowers, dancing, riding a bike, reading a book, laughing, admiring art, savoring chocolates, connecting with real interesting humans in real life…etc.  Why would a Goddess tweet, when she does not need others to validate her existence?  Pray, tell me this so I can confirm once and for all that besides the fact that I won’t like it, that there’s no logical economic reason for me to tweet.  I probably will not tweet but I just want to have all the information before I make the final decision.

The Most Important Beauty Product

I love beauty products.  I am sure I have done enough research about beauty products and makeup to earn a Ph.D. on the subject.  I could spend all day in the beauty store and only come out to eat.  However, when I find an excellent product I can stick with it unless something changes, unlike many cosmetics junkies who one day claim to have found the holy grail and less than a week later are on to something else.

The most important beauty product hands-down is sunblock.  It is imperative to use sunblock every day because it prevents skin cancer, hyperpigmentation, burns, and the breakdown of skin cells that leads to permanent wrinkles.  If you don’t want to look like a troll someday, you have no choice but to wear sunblock daily unless you never go outside.  But I HATE sunblock!  It smells bad, it is too thick and greasy, or, in the case of the nice mineral ones, leaves a chalky white cast on brown skin.  I have exotic brown looking but normal/combination sensitive rosacea-prone pale red-haired Northern European acting skin, which is hard to protect from the sun.  For YEARS I had been satisfied using Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer SPF 30, except at the pool or beach because it is not water resistant ( I have a different, thicker SPF 45 for that).  All of a sudden this past fall this same product began to break out my skin with a crunchy red itchy rash.  I stopped using it for a while since it was winter and my day job prevented me from seeing the light of day anyway.  But now with spring arriving and longer days I tried it again, hoping maybe my face forgot about the abuse it took from that sunblock before.  But no, the itchy rash is rearing up again, dammit!  I asked my dermatologist(s) to recommend a sunblock that is:

• fragrance free
• lightweight and easily absorbed
• broad spectrum
• portable and sanitary–not packaged in a jar
• moderately priced
• gentle but not zinc or titanium oxide-only (because of the white chalky film)
• does not leave a shiny sheen
• SPF 20-30
• doesn’t burn eyes or stink too badly
• water resistant (ok- wishful thinking)
• can be worn under makeup

but they seem to find this topic way too boring.  All they say is find an SPF 30 that I like.  But here are hundreds of them!!!!  Even the ones with the best reviews are horrible. Now I am hunting again.  According to my research this time, which consists mainly from reviews by Paula Begoun, I have 3 good viable choices:  Neutrogena Age Sheild SPF 30, Neutragena Active Breathable Sunblock SPF 30, or Ultra Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30.  I am headed to the drugstore today to smell, feel, and read the lables of the products.  I am not in any way promoting these products.  I am promoting the use of daily facial sunblock.  I encourage everyone to find the right sunblock for themselves.  I do however, recommend my most reliable beauty product information resource, Paula Begoun aka “The Cosmetics Cop”.  Check out her website and books for  comprehensive objective information on hundreds of makeup and skin care products.

On a Mission

This is my third week on the plan with the weight loss doctor.  Just like before, it’s working.  I am exercising too.  On my way

So here's my BEFORE photo--Hahahahaha!

to the exercise class I saw some free books on a stoop, which is a fairly common thing where I live.

I spotted the Perricone Prescription book and scooped it right up.  So many times I have contemplated buying that book but just never did.  (Thank you, neighbor!)  I had used some of the concepts from my previous shape-up a few years back when I got into the best physical shape of my life, since I was about 20.  The eating plan I followed was  basically the South Beach Diet with some Perricone ideas thrown in.  I am never an advocate for silly faddish temporary “diet” plans.   These are sensible guidelines for eating for great health, enhanced beauty, and reduced fat stores.  The book provided a little inspiration.  It provided another resource for my quest to be fabulous.  It was a sign to keep going, I’m on the right track.

In less than a year I’ll be 40 years old.  I don’t feel apprehensive about it the way I did about turning 30.  I freely own my age thanks to the wisdom and authority is has brought me.  I know everything.  (At least that’s what my husband says).  I do what I want and don’t give a rat’s ass what others think about it.  I don’t feel any pressure or worry at all about turning 40, it is just another year.  But just knowing how people typically react to a 40th birthday makes me want to start a new (well maybe not) project.  Fabulous at 40.  I think it will be so much fun to do my own mini extreme makeover. There will be NO surgical face lift and NO liposuction and I won’t be changing my style to look like a wannabe supermodel.  It’s gonna be authentic Lisa, new and improved, and sustainable!  YEAH!  Of course this means I’ll have to have a party.  Any reason will do.

Having a Coach is Work!

It is the first week with my coach and I’ve already had two homework assignments.  You have to make time to do these things.  The best thing is that these assignments are interesting and eye-opening, unlike school homework.  When we have something to do it is so easy to get all caught up in thinking in terms of what needs to be done, to the extent that it can become overwhelming and then NOTHING gets done.  Coaches ask a million questions.  Often, getting the task done is hidden beneath all those questions.  I feel some energy bubbling up!

Practicing what I Preach: Start Small

This morning I woke up feeling terrible.  Unhappy to go to the office, my temporary place of captivity where people do not always respect one another and where I am forced to hide my real self to preserve it from various harms.  I got out of bed and went downstairs to my chilly studio where I give workshops, parties, and bellydance lessons.  I lit a candle and an incense and put on some music.  Not quite the right music, because I couldn’t find that particular cd but I don’t have all day long.  I sat quietly gazing at the flame while my mind continued to race.   Then I let my attention rest on the dancing flame, which was being driven by a serious draft from the fireplace flue (I gotta take care of that).  Then away again my mind went, and then back to the flame again.  I imagined myself inside that flame.  Dancing within the flame and I began to feel the peace that I always felt when I meditated before seeing a client.  I always would meditate for a little while to bring myself out of any worries, problems, or concerns and to the present moment so that I can truly be here for the client.  I reminded myself of those warm days with the windows open and the fig tree swaying in the breeze when I was in charge of my world and generally content.

I got up, put out the candle, and sat down to write for a few minutes before I start my day.

A Pleasurable Start: Change Need not be Painful

A few weeks ago I discovered a flat tire on my car when I was headed for work.  Oh, well so I took the train.  I was so happy to discover that the train took about the same amount of time as driving and since I hate driving I took the subway to work every day since.  Yay, now I get to read, listen to my music, daydream, and walk through my neighborhood.

I was walking home this week and lo and behold!  The crocus are here!  Yes, in mid February.  I was inspired by the sign.  To me crocus flowers signify the coming of spring and spring fever.

I did call the life coach and set things up for next week.  In the meantime, I invited several of the strongest, smartest, most beautiful and fun lady friends over for brunch Sunday.  And they all rsvp’d yes!  Usually when I have a brunch the casual laughing and hanging out goes on and on into the evening and I make dinner and I love that.  Sometimes brunch ends at midnight!

So that’s the beginning.  I will be surrounded by love and beauty and share some delicious pancakes with warm berry compote, a vegetable frittata, smoked salmon, garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes, chocolate fondue, and mimosas.  A perfect way to start the week and encourage a renewal of sensuality.  Besides, I am famous for finding any reason in the world to have a party.

A New Day

Hello everybody, it’s been a long absence. But here I am again in the dead of winter, before the emergence of the crocus flowers, after two

Crocus Flowers from The Door Garden Blog

MAJOR family losses (my dad and grandmother), and while being sucked dry of all creativity by an office day job that I took to lessen the blow of slow business in this withering economy. I have been feeling sorry for myself, and rightfully so for the past few months. I realize that I have stopped in my tracks, broken my stride, and been stuck, not going anywhere. Is this surprising, coming from a skilled lifestyle consultant? Perhaps. But it shouldn’t be. Everybody experiences the doldrums from time to time.

I haven’t had the energy or desire to write, create a mosaic project, dance, or countless other important activities that make me happy and keep me balanced. I haven’t been eating properly or making time for daily exercise and I had to buy some new pants because the old ones are too tight. I just finished the last of some bbq potato chip crumbs on the sofa, at 8am.  What happened to the sensual Goddess Lisa?

Ok that’s enough.  As a lifestyle consultant I know exactly what I need to do, where my weaknesses are, and what to do about it.  All it takes is the honest and true readiness for change.  My first course of action is to CONTACT MY LIFE COACH.  Yes, all great life coaches have life coaches.  (A lifestyle consultant is a form of life coach).  This is a testament to the fact that life coaching should not be considered to be a fix for broken people.  Life coaching is for people who are ready to make changes.  As a lifestyle consultant I already know a large portion of what needs to be done here–make time for fun, increase my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, schedule exercise time, incorporate incidental physical activity throughout the day, and get up and write in my blog on Saturday or Sunday mornings.   My life coach is going to provide much much more than the intellectual answers to problems.  She will back me up, encourage me, and put a virtual foot in my ass when I need it.  She knows my particular buttons to press, what makes me tick, and the concepts to bring to my attention when my own ego, which prefers the status quo comes in with critical discouragement.

Now this is not a shameless advertisement for my services as a lifestyle consultant, though I welcome you to call me if you are ready for change and are willing to invest in your success.

I am going to share with you Goddesses my journey back from a mess to fabulous.  I will chronicle my challenges and successes right here on Passion Fruit.  Your attention will help to keep me accountable and hopefully benefit those of you who either are thinking about change but not quite ready for it yet (there’s absolutely NO shame in that, your time will come) or for the Goddesses who don’t have the resources at this moment to invest in coaching or lifestyle consulting and wish to start work on your own.  Reading this chronicle is by no means a substitute for getting your own life coaching, because no matter how similar we may be each person is vastly different in his or her own individual needs, quirks, and triggers.  Not everything that works for me will work for you unless you are my clone.

So let’s go!  I’ve just taken the first step.  I promise to post again next week with an update and/or some literary bric-a-brac.