My First Raw Meal

Well, I created my first raw meal (following a recipe - mostly) - a celery root and apple "soup" mixed with black truffle and olive oils, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and coconut butter. It does taste better than it looks....however...

My blender is horrible! The raw food books said a good blender is key, and now I know they were not lying. My blender couldn't even touch the celery root - I had to juice it first in my juicer, and then try to blend the left over pulp and juice together - and the blender couldn't even handle that! So I ended up using a hand mixer, flinging stuff all over my kitchen, and ending up with mush instead of soup. But oh well, it is still edible...however....

Raw foods have incredible flavor, almost too much. The books said this, but I didn't really believe them on this point either. They said don't add a lot of extra seasoning like you have to with cooked foods. I added extra salt, pepper, coconut butter, and lemon "just in case". Every bite is like a little kick to the tongue!

I am happy though to have found a healthy way to "cook". I will definitely need a better blender....and will have to rethink how I season...but I think this won't be so bad. One raw meal a day for now.

Love,
Terri

Leaving on that midnight train to Georgia....

Well, more like the 6AM flight out of LAX to ATL.... :-) I will be in Atlanta for the Thanksgiving holiday from tomorrow until Sat. Woohoo!

Terri

Moz here we come...

Hi Dad,

That property preservation company sounds interesting. What would it do? Help people stay in their homes, or help them to sell?? Sorry you lost your walking buddies, but like you said, the treadmill is good for picking up the pace (and also for adding inclines).

I am excited about climbing Kili with you as well. :-) Glad you want to come to Mozambique too. I really want to do a lot of things - but I think it will come down to how much vacation I can get. And that will be determined on whether the lady I replaced while she is on maternity leaves comes back to work or not. If she does come back, I could probably squeak out 2 1/2 weeks (because some of those days are technically holidays). If she does not come back, I will likely have to fight for the 2 weeks to be able to climb Kilimanjaro....although I am sure my boss would give me at least those two weeks since some of the days are holidays and we are closed anyways. That lady said she would be coming back around Jan or Feb....so I will have to wait and see.

It's an issue because I am alone in my department. So if nobody is there, the work doesn't get done.

I really wanted to do a safari, but I don't think I could get enough vacation no matter what to do that and visit my friends in Mozambique....maybe we can do a one day safari in Mozambique with them at some point. :-) Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world...they could probably use the tourist dollars.

Anyways, do you have any special requests? Things you want to see/do?

I will be ready too to climb Kilimanjaro, one way or another! I am going to stick with the gym for now. That is where the skinny people hang out. :-)

Cool pics of the Cuthbert sign and go-cart/ hunting vehicle. :-) Maybe I should start taking random pics of Los Angeles.

I can bring some of the RAW FOOD books home with me on Christmas. It is mostly just recipes. The idea is that cooking kills enzymes, so if you eat mostly raw foods you are getting the most nutrients possible. Plus raw foods are naturally low in calories and/or contain only the healthy fats. So it is just healthier. It is a whole new way of "cooking" though. No need for pots, pans, or an oven. You use a blender, food processor, dehydrator, and a cutting board. None of which I have....well, besides the cutting board. We will see....I am going to start slow, one raw meal a day. :-) I am not sure about websites...but if you google Raw Foods I am sure lots will come out. I started reading some of the theories behind it but it is so simple, people have to use effort to explain it in complicated terms. So I stopped with the theories and am now just looking through the recipes to see what would be practical and yummy.

Have a good one!

Terri

What else do you want to do?

Terri

How many days do you have for this trip? What about the Safari excursion? What else is there to do? If we plan it ahead of time, I can make the time.

I'm walking on the treat mill everyday now. It's not the same as walking with David and Bobby. But it's a better workout because the pace is quicker. I'm trying to get Sissy to walk with me but it's hard because our schedules are so different. I think once a week I will walk outside.

I'm also trying to keep busy and active in the shop at night. Sonny and I are modifying a EZGo Golf Cart for a Hunting Cart for him. This is the first Golf Cart I have done. I put on a lift kit, head/tail lights, carry bed. I got to put new black vinyl on the seats and install a new controller and wiring and it will be done. It's got a Camo paint job. You can learn anything from the Internet. I googled 'camo paint job' and found a guy who posted instruction and photos on how to use pinestraw to get the camo effect paint job. And it worked great!

So by walking everyday, trying to keep busy and watching my weight, I will be ready to take on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

I'm With You!

If you decide to visit friends, I'm with you! If you decide to walk the desert, I'm with you! I just want to be with you! So you plan it and I'm going to be with you!!! Hey. Send me those books on Raw Foodist. Or is there a website or too I could visit.

My walking pals have abandoned me. David living with a lady he meet over the Internet in Albany. He works in Cuthbert so I see him every day but he does not have time to walk. And Bobby is getting married January 1, 2009 in Vegas. He met a girl on Singles.net that he had a crush on as a teenager. They hooked up after all those years, it worked out. They are going to live in her house in Eufaula, Al. That's not too bad because Sissy and I have a camper on Lake Eufaula close to them.

So I'm going to start walking on the treadmill in my shop. I'm getting back on schedule.

Dad unretired. Well, running Carter's was never work anyway. It's just fun. But I want a Beach house in Panama City, Fl, and I need more money. I was thinking about a second Carter's in Dawson. But with the economy I decided to wait. And with all the foreclosures, I decided to start a property preservation company. I have already started doing some work in the surrounding counties around us. I have always loved real estate so this is a good fit for me. And since Sissy loves Carter's and runs it better than I ever could, life is good! Which makes living in Cuthbert, Great!!!!

Kilimanjaro Dates

Hi Dad...

How does Dec 27th thru Jan 7th sound to you? Next year, of course. I think I might be able to get those days off work (it helps having the holidays in between), but I won't know until February or March of next year. That is the 12 day hike. I don't know if I could get the days off for the 13 day hike....(just because of how the dates fall on certain days).

We would fly out on Dec 26th from Atlanta and arrive on Dec 27th. We would then fly back on Jan 7th (arriving Jan 8th), although I am still trying to fit in a couple of days to visit my friends in Mozambique. You are more than welcome to come with me! In that case, we would fly out on Jan 10th or 11th.

What do you think?

Love,
Terri

Terri The Raw Foodist???

Hi Dad....

That is awful about the accident! I am glad you weren't hurt and nobody died. That is always a good thing. Sorry your weekend got ruined though. That is Atlanta traffic for you! It's all these northeners and Californians heading in masses towards the afforable housing - ruins it for everybody!

Well, I am toying with the idea of becoming a raw foodist until Kilimanjaro. I have tried Weight Watchers and other diets, but I hate food journaling and counting, counting, counting just to eat like a normal person. With raw, natural food, I doubt you could ever eat enough to gain weight. I ordered some books on the subject with recipes. I am going to enter into it slowly. Maybe one raw meal a day at first. A true raw foodist eats 90% raw food. Maybe I will be there by Christmas of next year.

I am also going part time in school as of this term....so there will be more time for cardio and strength training. Up until now I have been focusing on strength training because it is easier to fit into my schedule. Fluidity is only 30 minutes, and I do strength training on my breaks at work (lunges, push-ups from a counter top, and squats).

I had been walking on the treadmill at the gym. I like the treadmill because of the incline option. I was up to 6 degree incline. When I walk at the beach, I walk beside the paved area and do intervals - a couple of minutes on sand, then 10 or so minutes on the paved area. But it has been about a month since I walked on the beach. Even though the sand provides resistents, there is no incline....so I still like the treadmill for preparing for Kilimanjaro.

Now that I am part time at school, I will start going to the gym before work since I don't have to worry about going into work early to get more done (I can just stay late now when I need to).

Kilimanjaro seems much more a reality now, especially financially. I should be able to save enough and combine with the bonuses I will receive before then to actually pay cash for the trip.

Sorry again about your bikes and trailer! I saw this huge Harley store yesterday and it made me think of you.

Love,
Terri

PS Hope you don't mind - I changed the template and added some more features to the blog. I was getting tired of the black! I still can't figure out how to center the picture on this new layout. Feel free to change whatever you like. :-)