Okra to be or not to be

  This is a post from another blog, I had, but let me just say I am so excited for it to me Okra season soon! I loved the Okra so much it is now one of my favorite things to grow!

Let me say okra has creeped me out for years, I am from the South, grew-up with people eating the slimy, green, squishy vegetable… but I would not & did not.
Yesterday my friend Amy & I went to the 12th South Farmers Market (http://www.12southfarmersmarket.com/) , I love to buy from local farms and eat what ever is in season, personally think it’s great for our bodies. We went by to see one of my favorite vendors www.delvinfarms.com. Cindy Devlin had some beautiful kale, peppers, squashes and some simply gorgeous PURPLE OKRA. I mentioned how lovely it was & started to head out with my bunches of kale, (for kale chips, kale salad, I heart kale). Cindy , asked if I had ever had roasted okra… I said no, & made that it’s gross face. She simply said “It’s not slimy, it’s crunchy” She had me… I think I love french fries because they crunch.
Pre-heat your over to a super hot 475 +
1 bunch of FRESH okra, either purple or green wash & dry. Place on a baking sheet & drizzle with Organic Extra Virgin Oil Olive, sprinkle with some sea salt & pepper, mix them all up with your hands because its so fun to use your hands and lay them single file on the sheet. Pop them into the oven in for 6 minutes flip them over stick them back in the oven and let them sizzle, thinking our cooked for about 18 mins.
As I pulled them out my hubs said, I don’t really like Okra, but I’ll try it…
Well, we inhaled them, I barley got to grab a picture of the finished okra, that turned a deep green as they cooked. On Saturday when I hit up another Farmers Market, I’ll be grabbing more okra!!!!

Dealing with Allergies, Holistically.

                 

   

            It’s that time of year again, where our nose is running, our eyes are puffy. It’s ALLERGY season. Living in Nashville, which is know as the allergy capital of the United States, or so I am told. It’s also the most beautiful place ever. I have never seen so many shades of green!!!

       Last year, my allergies where horrible. Everything from double ear infections, to a 4 month sinus infection. It was HORRIBLE. I think I tried 6 different antibiotics, 3 different allergy medicines, and 2 different nasal sprays. It sucked. I was so thankful for a really great ENT Mark A. Williams, M.D., Ph.D. and his team where life savers! You can check out his practice here ( http://www.entson.net). 

This year I knew my body, mind and spirit could not go thru all of that again. Nor could my wallet. I was spending about $350 a month on medicine, tissues, and everything else. This year a friend introduced me to doTerra Essential Oils. I bought them to try on my mom, for her heart (I’ll blog about that soon). Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. dōTERRA (CPTG) Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. But I knew I needed to try them on me first. After a week I realized that I didn’t need allergy medicine once a day, I thought maybe it was just the fact that it was simi- nice out. When we where with my mom I realized I had zero post-nasal drip for weeks. The only thing I had done differently was rubbing the oils on my feet morning and night. 

                                                                                          The Holy Trinity:

                                                                     

      We got home and I finally ran out of a few of the oils, I suddenly had an ear ache and a runny nose. I was down for the count.  I immediately ordered more lavender, lemon and peppermint.  I treated my earache with Melaleuca and oregano, just on the out side of my ear and just a tiny drop of each. My earache was gone in days.  Once I got the holy trinity back in my hands as I like to call it. I used 5 drops of each in a shot glass with a tiny bit of water, 3 times a day. After about 2 days, I was able to only use the trinity once a day. Now after a month, I use it only every other day. It’s amazing! I feel so blessed and thankful, that I not only found a natural way to help with my allergies, it is even more cost effective than traditional medicine.  ($30 a month verse $350 a month)

I would love to tell you more about our journey with essential oils , health & healing! Feel free to email me : rebeccasmith9@gmail.com  You can learn more about the oils here. Also I don’t suggest taking essential oil internally unless they are (CPTG) Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade®.

Breaking the Myth of Fear.

This morning my first thought was full of fear. It was so negative. I could feel darkness begin to creep in around my heart before I ever raised my head from my pillow. I swallowed it down and tried to push is aside. The same thoughts, kept coming up over the next hour, it sucked.  I didn’t want to start my day this way. I don’t want to manifest the fear/negative into reality. Then I turned on some worship music. Then I checked Facebook and Christine Caine had posted this photo:

All I could say was AMEN.  I went on with my morning. The fear kept coming in. I checked Facebook again ( may have an avoidance issues) and one of our pastor’s had posted this :

Tim Coleman My PRAYER for YOU today is that you are NOT tormented by fear or anxiety of the days ahead. When troubles come you can face them head on because God is IN you and on all sides of YOU yelling, BRING IT ON!!!

Romans 8:31

I stole it right away... 

then it hit me... 

something is happening today... When Fear walks in FAITH walks out. 

Fear is trying to take over not just me, but others, it’s trying to change the positive that is happening and it’s trying to back us into a corner. That is when I said NO, I won’t let it happen, for every fear filled thought I am going to say out loud the positive, 12 times! ( I have been reading several of Dr. Caroline Leaf’s books) I will not draw the negative darkness towards me and mine. I will believe the positive, the best , the blessing and the favor. Ain’t got time for fear. 

I decided to look up what fear even meant, don’t think I have ever done this... 

fear  

/fi(ə)r/

Noun

An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Verb

Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening: "farmers fear that they will lose business".

Synonyms

noun.  

dread - fright - apprehension - funk - awe - alarm

verb.  

be afraid - dread - apprehend - funk - be afraid of

Look at that, an unpleasant emotion caused by belief. ( Doesn't seeing it simply written out break the "power" of fear) Well, I control my emotions and my beliefs. So I have the power to change them. OK THEN, GAME OVER... I DECLARE I AM A FEAR FREE ZONE. MY BELIEF IS THAT I HAVE JOY. MY BELIEF IS THAT I AM BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED. MY HOME IS A HOUSE FILLED WITH JOY, BLESSING, AND PEACE, NOTHING ELSE CAN LIVE HERE. 

My day has  been beautiful.  I spent time with people I love, at places that make my heart happy. I won’t let the fear that I have been battling for the last few months distract me from the life FILLED with PASSION that I have been called to live. I won’t let it stop me from starting the business' that have been calling to me for months. I won’t let fear of sickness, lack of money or time rob me anymore. I am walking into my next. I am walking into the purposes of my life. 

It's time friends for us to be who we are meant to be, it's time for the next it's time for us to start.  

If you want to hear a great message about walking into your next check out this ! www.oasischurch.tv 

How brussel sprouts went from yuck to more, PLEASE

I never knew brussel sprouts could taste so yummy… they might be a new favorite food!

• 2 cups organic brussel sprouts
• 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
• 3-4 slices of organic peppered bacon
• 1/3 cup of chopped hazelnuts
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1-2 heaping handfuls of spinach
• 1/3 cup of diced red onion
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• smidge of butter if needed
• salt & pepper

Wash and halve brussel sprouts season with some salt and pepper & set aside. OK Pour vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once you’ve got a boil, reduce the heat and allow the vinegar to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the vinegar has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Lets get that bacon going in a frying pan if you don’t have peppered bacon it’s totally ok, just sprinkle some pepper on both sides of your bacon!

Chop up those hazelnuts & cranberries & please set aside

Chop up your onion, into small bite size pieces

By now you bacon should pretty done, so remove from pan, here you can either save a little of the fat to use or use butter go ahead and add your brussel sprouts & onions. Let that cook for a minute or two , add hazelnuts & cranberries. By now the sprouts & onions should be getting browned :O) add your spinach, saute it all up and add chopped up bacon bits, add balsamic glaze, mix well.

Serve & ENJOY!!!!

The Door

I open the door to find an open field, the colors become clearer as the suns first rays reach out to join us. The wild flowers seem to be signing with joy and the green of the grass flows into the leaves of the trees. Which flow to the blues, yellows, peaches and reds of the breaking dawn. I can hear the birds singing a new song of morning, so different than the clanging of swords that have been raging this night. I have come to meet my Lord, to talk about the days plans. My body and soul are tired and need rest, but there is much still to do.

There He is standing looking radinent and handsome beyond words. His arms are open waiting for me . I choke back tears of joy at seeing Him and knowing the nearness of Him. As we embrace the warmth of the sun fills me, the darkness of the past has gone. This moment is all I can think about, not what has happened or what still needs to happen, but this moment with the one that Loves me with a Love that is beyond any other. It is perfect to behold. He knows my thoughts before I even think them, with Him there is no worry or concern. We walk over to the brook to sit , filled with peace that gives me strength, I am able to be myself. No longer afraid that I might disappoint my Lord, I open my heart.

Words spill from my mouth " I can't fight any longer, it's too hard. My body is too weak, there is too much to do!! I no longer see the vision you have called me to, this last battle is too much and my body is unable to recover. I must hand over the reigns to another, one more worthy of the call. One who is stronger." I take my sword and cross bow and lay them at my Masters feet. And say I am sorry I have failed you tears begin to roll down my face. With his gentle touch he lifts my head and looks into my very soul and says " My darling one, you have not failed me, you know not of the things you have accomplished for Me and my Kingdom . Your battles have been hard but you have trusted in me and we have been victorious. The Battle has been won! NO longer must you fight, but you will spend your days by my side, for I know the cry of your heart. From this day forward you shall spend your time in my courts with me and never else where...

Now, if only I could get ride of the MOLE!

In January I was really impressed upon in my heart to have a garden this year. I just knew I needed one, it would be a learning experience and would be a get me out of my comfort zone project (my family knows I kill the house plants just by looking at them).

I bought seeds and little seed houses, joyfully planted them... kept buying seed... I might have an addiction to seeds now.

I was so sad when 4 weeks later only a few had sprouted.... Mind you our last frost was not until the end of April... there was no way they could have gone out anyway.

I took classes, read online and thought I had it figured out....

We gleefully lugged bags of organic soil, topsoil, manure - both cow and mushroom all around into planters. We used planters since we where not sure if we would live in our current house or be moving... this alone caused me great stress and delays... some how I thought gardens would relax me... Sid built me a planter - it's my favorite.

I loaded up each of the planters and watered daily. Talked to the plants, checked that everything was bug free (I think I bought some cucumbers that had already been gotten). Everything was growing... but slowly... not really taking off. Sunday while at church, I heard that you can't plant peppers with tomatoes - they are not companions, even though they are both night shades ... Well, I wondered about this- Sid and I had just taken a class on herbs and what to plant with what... I didn't know that plants thrive when planted with their companions... So once I got home I spent hours researching companion planting. OH, my gosh.

You can't plant hot peppers with sweet peppers, don't plant sweet potatoes by squash, and don’t plant cucumbers by tomatoes, but you can plant sweet peppers by tomatoes... It was all so confusing.

Tuesday I went out and bought another container- a kiddie pool... Yes, I realize that I have 2 acres that I can plant but I am not ready for that!!! Thank Jesus for Gardens of Babylon and Erin, who will be helping us plot and plan.... this summer and for the next few years! And quite a few more herbs, and a few more plants... (It’s an addiction I tell you).

Quickly- ha ha I unloaded the 12 - 25 pound bags of soil I would need... It's was only 96 out... got them into the pool, cried a little because it was so hot, and started transplanting so many plants... It was so scary! As I carried each plant over, I told it, I am sorry I planted you in the wrong spot but I am sure you will love your new home. Finally got everything in, while Sid chopped down a tree. Watered and said a prayer. Woke-up yesterday and ran out to water... everything was looking a little sad. I told them, it was OK they would be happy. And that the trauma of the last 24 hours would be over soon. Last night same thing... except I planted a few more seeds. This morning I go out and everything is so happy!!! Everyone was standing straight, bearing flowers, tomatoes where turning red. It was a lovely sight!

And I realized that this is exactly like life. If we are not surrounded by our "companions” those people that add to our life, add to our growth. We will be stunted, we will not meet our full potential, or bear the fruit we are capable of bearing. I don't want to live like that. So while maybe I have to move away from those that are in the same " group" as me, I will be better, stronger, and more likely to reach my calling when I am planted with my companions. We will grow and help each other be our very best.

- Thanks garden for this great lesson. And thank you to all of my companions, that help me grow!

Laughing

Yesterday I off handily posted on Facebook, that I was thankful that I have learned to laugh at myself. Right after I posted that the thought came, CAN YOU REALLY? Or are you still that PK that feels the need to be perfect all the time. I squished it and moved on.
Here comes this morning. Got ready for a Barre Class @ Seren Motus in Franklin. I even brushed my hair... I NEVER bother with that when heading to the gym... I went and signed in, ran to the restroom, and looked in the mirror, and LAUGHED OUT LOUD at myself, my hair was a HOT MESS and somehow my eye makeup from last night ( I swear I washed it off before I went to bed) was all kinds of nasty. I quickly tried to fix it all, but nothing would work!
Ran back into class only to realize that I had to take off my shoes... can we say I need a pedi in the worst way possible. Once again I laughed out loud!
After the class, which by the way KICKED MY .... I hopped onto the elevator and started chatting with the ladies riding down, who wanted me to know that I should not be discouraged, about doing so badly in the class.... Once again I laughed about loud, and said yup, it was HARD, but hey I have only been able to walk again for less than a year.

Once I made it home after a yummy coffee and great talk with one Katie S.
I realized, my t-shirt had several holes in it and my yoga pants where covered in bleach spots, and I had worn my 14 yr old step daughters sports bra... she is a medium I AM NOT.

At one time all of these things would have had me in tears, and feeling judged, whether real or imaigined. But thanks to God's UNFAILING LOVE, and beating into my head that I have value, worth and I am HIS DAUGHTER, I can laugh at myself, and really quite enjoy who I am !