Visit To Idaho Winery

This weekend Chris and I didn't have any set plans so we decided to go wine tasting.  Ok, ok, I decided I wanted to go wine tasting but Chris was up for it as well.   After some quick Googling, we found our place - Ste Chapelle.  It is a well known winery in Southwestern Idaho atop a valley running along the Snake River.  From the pictures I saw online, I knew that was the place I wanted to go.

I have to say, we were was not disappointed.  It was a lovely (and humorous) drive getting out there especially when we stumbled across a uniquely named road.  

Driving up to the winery made us suddenly imagine that we were in France or Italy.  The landscaping was immaculate and the building was very old world style with a large, yet quaint deck adjoining it.  Even as we parked we noticed off to the side, a shaded grassy field that was set up with pretty tables and chairs that were probably for a wedding reception.

After passing under the archway covered with grape vines, which had small clusters of grapes on them, we entered the large, heavy wooden doors and into the wine tasting room.  

The inside was rustic yet sophisticated and beautiful.  I was too excited that I forgot to take pictures unfortunately.  With it being a Saturday and perfect weather outside, they were a little bit busy, however one of the ladies behind the bar tended to us quickly and courteously.  It was $5 per person to taste 5 wines of our choice and we could keep our wine glasses.  Not a bad deal at all.  I have always liked collecting wine glasses from all over after doing wine tastings, but over the years, my collection has slowly dwindled through multiple moves and slippery fingers.  So I was happy to add some new additions.

After we finished our tasting, we headed outside to sit on the deck.  The view from the bottom was pretty, but the view from the top was absolutely beautiful!  The day was clear and you could see the hills and valley out in the distance.  

Even though we liked a lot of the wines, we didn't purchase any wine that day.  It didn't really matter because we still sat and talked, ate, enjoyed the view and people around us.  We generally just absorbed the perfectness of the day.  

A very nice lady even offered to take several pictures of us with the hills and valley behind us.  

There are other wineries in that specific area as well as some scenic driving routes that Chris and I will go back to explore on another day in the near future.  And maybe next we will be lucky enough to have some family or friends join us!

Hugs and Love,

Christal

My "Go To" Green Smoothie

Hi Everyone!

One of my favorite things to eat is a green smoothie.  It's sweet, delicious, packed with nutrients and really quick to make.   Most often I make this as my breakfast but I sometimes swap it out as my lunch, snack or even dinner for work.  It's versatile because you can use different types of greens and fruit to suit your liking.  I'm going to show you my normal "go to" green smoothie.  This recipe is tried and true for me so I can make it in about 5 minutes.  I always have the ingredients on hand so I never have to worry about whether or not I can make it.  This recipe makes roughly 30 ounces of smoothie which is a full meal for me but it can made bigger or smaller - whatever you like.

Ingredients:

Kefir Water, 1- 1.5 Cups

Spinach,  2-3 Large Handfuls

Stevia, 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp

Apple, 1

Frozen Banana, 1

Frozen Berries, 1/4 -1/2 Cup

I use a high speed blender which I highly recommend if you plan on making a lot of smoothies.  They are an investment but there are countless uses for them if you make use of it.  I make smoothies, almond milk, nut butters, flours, cookies, soups, etc. which I wouldn't be able to do with a less expensive blender without burning out the motor.  I love my blender and use it constantly.

When adding the ingredients, you want to start with the softest ingredients first and end with the hardest.  So add your ingredients in the order I have them listed.

Liquids first, then pack in the spinach.

 Peel, core and chop up the apple into chunks.

 The smaller the pieces you cut up, the less work your blender will have to do.  Especially with frozen items!

 Add the apples and banana.

 Top with the frozen berries.

            

         Blend, blend, blend!

I blend for about 45-60 seconds (my blender has a preset smoothie button for convenience and consistency).  If you are using a less expensive blender, you may need to go a little longer to help really make it smooth.  You can also cut your ingredients into smaller pieces and that will also help with the blending.  Do not go too long though or else your blender will start to heat the ingredients because of the friction from the blade.  If you use frozen ingredients like bananas and  berries, it will help keep your smoothie cold without the need for ice.

Once it is smooth, I pour mine into a glass and drink it with my beautiful glass straws.  I typically make and drink it right away, but you can save any leftover in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  It will begin to settle and separate as it sits but that is fine, just shake it up before you drink it.  If you keep it any longer than 24 hours, it will start to oxidize and the flavor will change as it loses its freshness.

You can use whatever combination of flavors you like, especially during the summer when there is a lot of fresh fruit in season.  I will swap out spinach for baby kale too and I sometimes use 2 pitted medjool dates in place of the Stevia.  If you want to make it, just get creative and use whatever you like!   

Hugs and Love!

Christal

Being Healthy

Hi Everyone!

I figured I would make a somewhat short post about my change in healthy eating and lifestyle habits.  If  there is interest, I can share more about the reasons I ended up choosing it and specific resources (i.e. movies, books, recipes and tools) that have helped me along the way.

I have always tried to be healthy and fit mainly starting in high school.  I've fallen off the wagon here and there, of course, but have always jumped right back on.  But while Chris and I were stationed in Japan, I fell completely off and my body and mind seemed to hit a low point.  I already had a list of health issues that would not go away and I needed to really evaluate what was happening and make a change.  So long story, short - I did just that.  Gradually I started experimenting by eliminated things from my diet and slowly incorporating exercise back in.

In November of 2012 I made my decision to become a gluten free, plant-based eater.  I started eating to live versus living to eat and it works for me.

I choose not to eat meat, glutinous grains/bread, dairy, eggs, caffeine, very little processed foods/sugar and almost no oil.  "What?  No bread or meat?  What do you eat then?"  That is the most popular question.  Well, I eat whole foods like vegetables, fruit, non-glutinous grains, beans, nuts and seeds.  If I can, I eat Non-GMO, organic foods.  When I can, I grow my own food.   

Since I decided to eat to nourish my body instead of just appealing to my taste buds, I found that my body functions as it should.  Most of my ailments were eliminated within weeks of my dietary changes, I lost weight and I haven't been sick in a year and a half.  For me, that is enough motivation to continue this for the rest of my life.  It was a journey to get to this point and I am continuously learning as I try to improve my habits.

There are the rare occasions that I do end up eating some of the things I've given up, whether by lack of preparedness or options, or by choice (sometimes I just want to have a bite of Chris's cheesecake!  :)  But my body usually responds quickly and negatively and I remember why I chose to eliminate those things in the first place.  I don't tell myself I CAN'T have something, I just CHOOSE not to have it which makes a huge difference.  On a side note, after eliminating gluten, I found out I was gluten sensitive which was causing a lot of my health issues.

If you are wondering how Chris handles all of this, he was a little difficult to bring around at first although he completely understood my reasoning and supported me wholeheartedly.  He has always been an advocate of eating health too.  Now he is perfectly fine eating whatever I make since he has discovered that this way of eating is still delicious and filling, as well as healthy.  Having said that though, he will gladly have a steak or burger at a friends barbecue along side his vegetables.  

So that's my quick, down and dirty version of why I am a plant-based eater. However, there is much more to my daily choices because I also try to use all natural products in my life too.  If anyone is interested in more information on anything or has questions, leave them in the comments section and maybe I can do another post in the future.

Lots of Love ~ Christal

New Job Within Marathon

For those who don't know, I work at Marathon Cheese Corporation which is a cheese packaging plant here in Idaho.   Since we moved here in October of 2013, it has been a challenge, to say the least, at finding employment that pays well.  Although it is by no means a glamorous job, it is income and it is steady.

I started in January of 2014 as a line worker packaging cheese.  It was a bit like going back to high school as I took in all the drama and cliques around me and I have never had much tolerance for either.  So I just do my job as best as I can and block out everything else.  I try to be kind to everyone and nonjudgmental and hope to be the example I would like to see in others.

When I first began, I was nervous because I had never worked in a factory before and the line I was assigned to was a very fast moving line.  It took me 2 weeks of someone constantly standing next to me to feel comfortable and then 3 more months by myself to feel confident.  At 5 months in, I am now bored.  There are other lines in the plant that I can work, but those who work my line and are good at it, usually do not get moved.  I guess I am good at it since I have never been moved?  Yeah, we'll go with that.

I had already applied to a few other jobs within the factory, but have been turned down for them all, mainly because I was too new and they hire based mainly on seniority.   But that didn't stop me from applying.   I applied again a couple weeks ago for a Backup Dock Worker Position and was pleasantly surprised when they approached me the Tuesday after Memorial Day to offer me the job!  So now I will be driving various forklifts all day instead of packaging cheese.  That's more my style anyway.  :)  It is only a Backup position at this point which means I will bounce between line working and driving but every indication points to it becoming full time in several weeks.  I believe my pay increased slightly too (I still have to check on that) and who doesn't like a pay increase?

I will still continue to look for other employment that I will be happier with long term, but in the meantime, I am grateful to have a decent job with income.