is anybody in there?

Yes, I'm here.  Sorry for the absence.  Ive been a little under the weather.  Fifths Disease has been going around my boy's school.  Adults usually aren't susceptible, but guess who contracted it?  Yep...me.  In children the symptoms resemble a mild cold followed by a tell-tale rash on their cheeks.  Sometimes the rash can spread to other parts of their body but not always.  In adult women the symptoms are very different.  Extreme joint pain and swelling are the main symptoms.  A rash can also occur, but not the signature rash on the cheeks.  Also extremely itchy soles of your feet and palms of your hands.  sigh, it's been a load of fun!  The good news is that I'm feeling remarkably better.

I was a bit concerned over the weekend when I was reading comments online from others who have suffered through Fifths as an adult, saying that their symptoms lasted as long as a year.  I could not imagine being limited as I was for a year.  I am so thankful to be feeling so much better.  So better I'm actually cooking again, since I had taken a long break when I was ill.



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I discovered a new blog a few months ago that really spoke to me.  Beauty That Moves is a beautiful journal-type blog.  Heather and her husband homeschool their 14 year old daughter, she teaches yoga, is currently studying holistic nutrition and offers a wonderful workshop that I signed up for this spring.  30 Day Vegan began just yesterday and is not only about eating a vegan diet for 30 days but also about nurturing your whole self.  There are daily postings Monday through Friday, whole food vegan recipes, access to Heather to answer any questions that may arise, and a supportive community of people who are all in this for different reasons.  For me I was looking to add to my vegan support system and learning a thing or two more about whole foods vegan cooking. 

Day two's post talked about setting up a whole foods kitchen.  Heather says, "The kitchen is a workspace, a food studio!" and suggested we share with others how we can prepare our kitchen to work best for us, to offer encouragement for one another.  I have some work to do in my pantry, some organizing needs to be tended to and once I do that I'll share how I keep a whole foods vegan pantry.

Welcome to my kitchen:

My main workspace, I try to keep as clear as possible.  My first copy of Let Them Eat Vegan! never, ever leaves my counter.

This space works more like an office/desk instead of a cooking workspace.  The paper and some mail is usually on the counter's edge.  Do you see the wine in the background?  It's leftover from my book club which met at my house last week.  I need another party, or some visitors!

This is the bar area where the kids like to eat their breakfast and lunch.  It makes passing out meals, seconds, and clean up much easier.  The door in the background is my pantry.  Do you like my beautiful placemats?  My lovely sister, Kari, made them. 

 

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I'm still cooking my way through Let Them Eat Vegan!  Today I made the cocoa granola with goji berries.  I'll post pictures tomorrow.  It is yummy and gets a thumbs up from everyone (including my most picky boy).  Dreena had a great post about the health benefits of goji berries that prompted me to get a few at the store and play around with them.  They are a little expensive and tad different from your average dried fruit.  But they have a nice flavor and they are versatile and went great in the granola.  You remember Dreena has her new website at www.plantpoweredkitchen.com right?  It's a beautiful site and she has several new recipes on their now.  Take a peek sometime.

The evening has gotten away from me and I must head to bed.   Looking forward to feeling better tomorrow, more cooking and baking, and another post from my workshop.

Sweet dreams.