Gratitude in your Fridge

If your like me you might have done your weekly grocery shop sometime this weekend. I usually do my shopping on Fridays. 

I shop, bring my groceries home and 

unpack them onto the counter in my kitchen.

Just like this. 

It's just my ritual, I like to "see" the goods.

 

So when I literally StumbledUpon these images from a Book called "Hungry World," by Peter Menzel a world renowned photographer, I was interested.

 Each picture is of different families around the world and the food they consume in one week, plus how much it costs them. 

My pictures are from the week we went vegan, so you'll notice there is no meat in my pictures. My groceries for this particular week were about $250 which is more than our usual. We spend about $175-200 a week. 

Sometimes more, mostly less. 

Take a look at other families around the world. Check out what they buy in a week. Notice what they are able to buy with their money. 

It's so interesting, and humbling. 

The conveniences we have. 

Our variety of choices. 

I'm very humbled. 

Alot of families in the pictures seem very fortunate, but what about Ecuador or Chad?

Kuwait has subsidized groceries, and who knew they ate fries, and cornflakes.

It's fascinating. What about all the soda everyone seems to drink, wow!

We rarely drink soda at my house, I had no idea it was a world wide indulgence.

I also realize it's a luxury that my family can change our diet for a week and just "go vegan," and for the fun of it, at that. 

I'm so Grateful  , aren't you?

Enjoy your simple blessings.

"Hungry World," A book of photographs by Peter Menzel. www.menzelphoto.com. Ten Speed Press, published in 2005)

Sicily. Weekly expenditure is 214.36 Euros or $260.11.  

United States: North Carolina one week $341.98 

Germany- one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07. 

Mexico: one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09.

Ecuador: one week: $31.55 

Chad: one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23.

Kuwait: one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45.
 Most foodstuffs in this State is subsidized.

China: one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $175 

Japan: one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25 I love that she's hugging her snack!

Happy Friday and a Little Gratitude!

I found this little story over at my favorite place Pinterest of course.

It was "pinned" by Hannah Nelson, who I don't not know.
In fact I have no idea if this story is factual. True or not the sentiment is still the same.

One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious. When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the President's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner. Following this conversation President Obama asked Michelle, why was he so interested in talking to you. She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her. President Obama then said, "so if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant", to which Michelle responded, "no, if I had married him, he would now be the President."

Sometimes the people you partner with make you who you are. 

Say Thank You   to them today!

Are you on Pinterest yet?

What are you waiting for?

Organize your Dreams!

Pinterest is Invite only.

So Email me if you would like an Invitation.

yelenaj@gmail.com.

Open Your Mind-moto

When I think of being creative I think of food most often. 

One of the most creative I've seen is Chef Homaro Cantu owner of moto Restaurant in Chicago.

Here is a copy of one of their restaurant menus.

 Looks like a normal restaurant menu right? 

Nothing all that out of the ordinary.

Nightly Tasting Menu

MAKI menu

SNOWMAN sashimi

BLACK AND WHITE potato & leek

ITALIAN biosphere

CRAB & grits

KENTUCKY FRIED PASTA red wine puree

CORNBREAD & capon

PHILLY MONTE CRISTO & cuban cigars

CHAMPAGNE STRAWBERRY soda

EGGS

PITAYA, LONGAN & rose

CAJETA custard

Except this is how the menu looks when it shows up at your table.

You are supposed to eat the menu once you order.

Nothing ordinary about that, huh!

This is the Philly Monte Cristo which tastes like a Sandwich, but looks like a Monte Cristo cigar.

Chef Homaro Cantu is an innovator in molecular gastronomy. 

The cuisine is described as, "reinventions or outright transformations, including several American staples such as BBQ Pork with Cornbread and Baked Bean Spaghetti; Ben’s S’more, an inside-out version of the childhood favorite from Pastry Chef Ben Roche; and Chili-Cheese Nachos, a dish which looks like the savory appetizer but is actually a sweet dessert with crumbled chocolate serving as “chili” and flash-frozen strips of mango playing the part of grated cheese" 

I think it way beyond creative, its almost profound.

Cooking in this way asks the question why does chicken taste like chicken?

Nothing is as it seems. This is the Champagne Strawberry Soda!

Its all very inspiring and fascinating to me.

Check out this video with an interview with Chef Cantu.

I hope you feel inspired the next time you step in the kitchen. 

All this inspiration is really helping my creative energy, especially as I work on my Cafe menu.

Anyone ever been to moto?

What's a Salad? Open Your Mind.

So I'm right in the middle of creating my menu for the cafe concept that I'm working on. 

Several of the menu components I'm developing are "salad like." 

One being a combination of fresh avocados, 

slivers of red onion, rice wine vinegar and a little Italian sea salt.

Something like this, but without the pepper.

I have a lot of other components that are like this. 

Showcasing a particular vegetable seasoned lightly. 

Nothing complicated.

So I got to thinking what should I call these little dishes? 

Is this a salad?

The thought cracked me up. 

I'm weird.

So I figured just for giggles, It's worth an extra examination.

 What is a Salad anyway!

Greens, no greens, veggies, pasta, dressing, mayo, fruit puree as dressing?

Where do you draw the line?

Webster defines a salad as

Definition of SALAD

1

: any of various usually cold dishes: asa : raw greens (as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressingb : small pieces of food (as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing (as mayonnaise) or set in gelatin

2

: a green vegetable or herb grown for salad; especially :lettuce

Then in my Google searching I stumbled on the exact question.

Over at the blog Good Eats they are having a "Pseudo-Philosophical" conversation about the idea of the salad.

Check it out its really funny!

And really a creative exercise.

Also check out my Composed salad board on Pinterest.

What makes a salad, a SALAD!?

Open Your Eyes

I found this great website from author Karen Salmonsohn called 

"Self Help for People Who Couldn't be Caught Dead Reading Self Help."

Well this poster just warmed my heart because I think it is such a positive and 

purposeful way of looking at my life. 

I feel really strong about this. 

I have recently confirmed for my self, without a doubt that all things happen for a reason. 

There are no mistakes, no poor decisions, just opportunities to open your eyes and see the hidden value.

Be creative and ask yourself,

 "What Was I Learning?"

Open Yourself Up to The Possibility

For my last week of focusing on Creative Energy I want to focus on this idea I came up with last week.

When your open to anything that may come your way, something always comes. 

Creativity is connected to open minded thinking. 

So, Decide that there are lots of possibilities for every situation. 

'
Decide that what you see and what you are right now, might only be what's on the surface.

You could be so much more.

 You just have to be OPEN to the possibility!

So this week I'm working on being more OPEN. 

Join me!

What Do You See?

What do you see?

Depending on your mood you may notice the Seuss like face in my breakfast frying pan.

When your open to anything that may come your way, something always comes. 

I've been keeping focused on my Intention of finding more Creativity. 

I'm finding that for me, creativity is connected to open minded thinking. 

Deciding that there are lots of possibilities for every situation. 

If this is true, than have faith that you will create what you envision.

I think my creative energy is increasing. 

As soon as I cracked these two eggs, this funny Dr. Seuss character face appeared.

Can you see it?

Value in the Ordinary Creates Something Extrodinary

Creative Energy is very much like Gratitude.

Creativity helps you simplify your life. 

Being grateful can help you see your life in a very simple and satisfying way.

Finding value in the ordinary can create something extraordinary. 

Over at the blog Sewphisticated they are making baskets and the most adorable little angels all out of yarn made from recycled PLASTIC BAGS! 

Yes! Plastic bags!

You know the kind that usually break on the way home from the grocery store. The same kind that you may have dozens laying around in some oblong Ikea plastic bag storage vessel. 

I use these plastic bags through out my house as little garbage bag inserts in my bathroom garbage can. 

I reuse them all the time, but as bags. Not all that creative. 

But this idea is lovely!

The Market Tote

Earth Angel

Click on either of the links to get more information on Plarn and details about these two pieces.

Here is a quick video on how to make plarn. 

If you know how to crochet or knit, then this would be your first step. 

If you can neither knit nor crochet then check out YouTube for helpful instructionals.

What will you make with Plarn?

Ham and Cheddar Sammies!

Yesterday I made the girls these ham and cheddar Sammies. 

These little sliders were fun for the girls to grab, and super easy for me to make. 

These little sammies are warm and toasty, and covered with a honey mustard glaze. 

I got the idea for the sandwich glaze from here on Pinterest. But since I didn't have almost none of the ingredients to make the recipe from pinterest I made my own. 

Instead of onion, dijon mustard and poppy seeds I used pommery mustard and honey. 

Pommery mustard is mustard seeds that are at the beginning of the fermentation process to make them into mustard.

Enjoy the pictures the recipe is below.

Ham and Cheddar Sammies

You will need for the sandwiches:

Sliced Ham Cold cuts

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Cheddar Cheese shredded cheese

Mayo

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons Pommery mustard

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

S & P to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Rub a foil covered baking tray with a thin layer of butter.

Lay the sweet bread on the tray. 

With a serrated knife slice the sweet rolls horizontally to take the tops of the entire pack of rolls.

Spread a thin layer of mayo on both sides of the bread. 

Then layer ham and cheddar on top, replace the bread and put the sandwiches back together.

To make the glaze combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan, 

Heat while stirring until melted, combined and warm. 

Brush the glaze on top of the sandwiches and on the sides

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Great for Football Parties or your next gathering

Enjoy!!

My Car Is Fueling My Creativity

I've been using the Cerra Sensory Oils to connect me back to my Intention for the week. 

These handy scent cards are giving the car a lovely fragrance. This one is Creative Energy. 

I do a lot of thinking while I drive the girls to and fro. 

It's fun to find new ways to incorporate the Cerra tools.
I'm also thinking of adding scents to more things in my life, like the cloths hanging in my closet, or my sock draw. Or the coat closet so everyone who visits can go home smelling of Gratitude.
 The possibilities are endless.

Back in the swing of things for 2012. 

I would like to give one of YOU a set of your own 

Cerra 7 Intentions Scented Cards, 

and a 

Sensory Oil in your choice of Intention!

Each of the 7 cards has one of the 7 Intentions on it along with a short description of the Intention. 

Each card is individually wrapped, and touhced with fragrance.

Grounded

Creative Energy

Gratitude

Loving Kindness

Courage

Wisdom

Inspiration

Simply Leave a comment below with your email address and tell me which Cerrra 7 Intention you would like to bring into your life or have more of and why.

For an extra entry like Cerra on FB and leave a comment telling me.

I hope this may start you on your journey to self discovery.

I'm a Visual Person

It's been a week now and I've kept the same Intention all week. 

I've been intentionally thinking about Creative Energy. 

The more I think about it the more moments I remind myself that I want to know more about it. 

The more I can bring my attention back to my intention, the more things I see as creative energy. 

Lately I've happened upon several really moving videos. 

I've already shared one of them here, so here is another.

This is a video made by Louie Schwartzberg who is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer. His stunning time-lapse photography and narration of this 10 minute video are a powerful 

reminders of all the many things we have to be grateful for. 

I thought this video might show you a really beautiful and creative way to rethink gratitude. 

I'm a visual learner and this piece really connected with me.

Enjoy!

What do you think?

Dumpster Diving

Adventurous and Sustainable Eating

I found this video while I was wandering the internet looking for creative energy. I've heard of dumpster diving before but something about Dumpster Diving for food is so exciting to me.
Yes! I'm weird!
But as a chef and someone who understands food waste and being creative with food to feed hungry people this is a really great idea.
Granted it's not for everyone, but what if I could make meals to feed the hungry from food the grocery store throws in a dumpster?
Not everyone knows how to make banana bread out of old black bananas.
 Do you know what to do with old stale bread? Bread Pudding, sweet or savory.
Most people just throw their food in the garbage when it looses it original qualities.
Imagine what grocery stores must do?
Wilted flowers, day old bread, over ripe bananas and other fruit and veggies. Trashed!!!
When I go to my local farmer's market they actually sell "Eat them Today Tomatoes!" These tomatoes are bruised, some mashed a bit, some with black spots, but ideal for sauces, salsa and soups.
The Farmer's Market sells them for pennies, and I only buy my tomatoes like this.
An over ripe tomato is full of flavor!
Plus paying so little for it makes me feel like it's a WIN WIN!
WINNING! :)
So that's why this video is so exciting to me.
If there is a brave soul among you I would totally be up for some dumpster diving!!
I'm in, who wants to tag along?!!!!!
Check the video out from the Perrennial Plate.

The Perennial Plate Episode 84: Dumpster Diver from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Talk about being grateful for what you have! This is more than that. 

This kind of creativity gives value to what other people see no value in. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!

WORKING, LEARNING, GROWING.

For me 2012 is going to be about 

LEARNING.

There are so many things I want to know more about. 

I feel, the more I know, the more I will grow. 

So why not learn more, and be MORE!

This year I'm ready to work.

The best way to learn something is to practice it.

I'm all about practicing.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

I would like to share with you my thoughts and practices.

My goal is just as I stated in my New Year's Eve post.

Be More

Make My Life

Manifest

Share My Ideas

Ask 

Keep Intentions Clear

Neutrality

I will be using these themes through out 2012. 

They will be my litmus test. 

My first undertaking is to learn more about the 

Cerra 7 Intentions. 

What each intention truly means, and how they can be applied to my life. 

Cerra is a company focused on helping people grow and change their lives. 

Cerra offers many tools and products focused around their 7 Intentions.

I am interested in Cerra because I believe they have begun a remarkable conversation about 

"BEING MORE."

As human "beings" we are by design able to change and grow in any way we choose. 

We have a universe inside to mold and create. 

But most of us know not how to construct the reality we would like.

The most powerful thing 2011 gave me was a glimpse of how I can work and be MORE, 

Which occured from the work and practice of Intention.

I hate to sound metaphoric, so I hope I'm not doing that. 

What I'm saying is meant to be taken quite literal! 

The idea of "doing work" isn't to be taken lightly. 

I would like to take Cerra's lead and explore more about their suggested 7 Intentions to growth.

Grounded

Creative Energy

Gratitude

Loving Kindness

Courage

Wisdom

Inspiration

I am applying my own knowledge on the subject and researching each intention in my own order. 

I plan to devote 3 weeks to each intention.

My posts will be relevant to my findings, thoughts, and ideas on each Intention. 

If your about work feel free to join in and comment or share your own findings on the subjects.

Also check out Cerra.com for information about Cerra and the 7 Intentions.