This semester, I took a Martin Luther King course to fulfill my general electives requirement. I figured I’d gain a bit more information about the events of the time and learn about what made the man tick. I got all of that and more.

As part of our term paper, we were given a handful of possible topics (over 15) to choose from. The last one of the page really stood out to me:

“Research the “Freedom Songs” popular in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s.  What role did they play?  Why has music been an important tool in social movements throughout history?  Which are your favorite protest songs and why?  Write a freedom song of your own that you think might be appropriate for today’s world.”

Write a freedom song of my own? Well I am certainly no song-writer, that’s for sure. But the rest of the paper seemed so fun and interesting I decided to go for it. I mused ideas about what I could possibly use as a subject for my own song when the following link was shared on Facebook:

Subject for Debate: Are Women People?
I’ve always assumed that women are fully autonomous human citizens—who vote, even!—but now I’m not so certain
By JESSICA WINTER

Are you kidding me? This question really has to be posed in 2012? Since then other Facebook posts have been made that are equally as mind-boggling, making my choice to use women’s reproductive rights as a topic for my freedom song a no-brainer.

The song below, adapted from Elisha Hoffman’s “Are You Washed in the Blood?,” begs the question about what control the government might already have over women’s rights to their body and urges them to do something about it.

Does the Government Control Your Body?

by Areil Sutton

Have you been to the clinic in your 11^th hour?

Does the government control your body?

Is your trust in lawmakers starting to sour?

Does the government control your body?

Refrain:

Did you give them control,

Complete control over your body?

Is your conscience clear? Are you at peace?

Does the government control your body?

Are you walking daily with peace of mind?

Does the government control your body?

Did you cast your vote or let it go unsigned?

Does the government control your body?

Refrain

When the decision arises will your options be open?

Does the government control your body?

Will the bill be passed as the latest weapon,

To let the government control your body?

Refrain

Remember our daughters and their rights downrange,

Avoid the government control of their bodies;

There’s an election coming so the seats can change,

Stop the government control of our bodies!

Refrain

 In case you’re wondering, I earned a 100% and this comment:

“Excellent paper, and I am saving a copy of the song to use for a different purpose in a different class”

My kitchen has been in dire need of some TLC, and last weekend it got it!

Friday after work, I spent an outrageous amount of money on a month’s supply of GFCF/vegan/etcetc foods. When I got home, I went through every cabinet, shelf, and drawer in a mad hunt for all things not “safe” for Dylan’s diet. This lead to a complete rearranging of said cabinets and drawers as I ended up with quite a few awkward gaps of space. Though, that is never a problem in a kitchen!

Holiday Soup for the Soul

Next came Soup Night #1:

I’ll admit it – I am usually afraid to try new food items if they sound especially ethnic. My stomach tends to rebel against the new flavors and spices. I bit the bullet by trying this recipe last year, completely on a whim, and haven’t regretted it yet. There is something about the way the spinach, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes marry together with the curry and saffron that is intoxicating. The subtle crunch of the quinoa takes it that one extra step.

GFCF Vegan "Goldfish" Crackers

Now, you can’t have soup without crackers. Right?

Obviously from the picture, these are not goldfish crackers. However, they are full of Daiya’s faux cheddar-y goodness. My sister, who was here at the time of baking, said they tasted like cheese biscuits. While that’s not exactly the flavor I was hoping for, I’ll accept it. She at least tasted cheese in a vegan product. That in and of itself is an accomplishment in my books.

These crackers were absurdly easy to make – almost too easy. They might become a staple that gets mad-kitchen-science’d with experimental spices and alterations. The dough is made up of very simple ingredients, comes together easily, and rolls out perfectly between two sheets of baking parchment. My only gripe was that the dough felt never ending. Though, I don’t think that can ever truly be a problem with a recipe that ends up tasting good. Best yet, they cook up in only 10 minutes. So simple!

Pumpkin Harvest Vegetable Soup

Soup Night #1 implies there was a Soup Night #2. And, indeed there was.

I’ve made this soup before and loved it. I mean seriously, what isn’t there to love about this soup? It has potatoes, yams, squash, pumpkin, and a delicious combination of seasonings.

Usually I just use a whole butternut squash and skip the pumpkin. This year, I had a happy little pumpkin sitting on my window sill thanks to my CSA. So, why not use it in a soup that was designed to be nestled in a pumpkin? While it was an absolutely delicious addition, I can’t say I’d ever purposely buy a pumpkin for the purpose of making this soup. My finger is still recovering from the jab it got while peeling it.

Mango-Nutella Green Smoothie

After spending many, many hours laboring over my stove, I was in serious need of a pick-me-up.

Out came my blender.

I had a bit of leftover baby spinach after making my curry stew, so I decided that a green smoothie was an ideal solution for my grog.

I followed Angela’s basic “Green Monster” formula to make a spinach-nutella-banana-almond-mango (let’s just call it “mango nutella” for short) smoothie of my own. It worked like a charm!

Now that I have a freezer full of soup and a full plate of homework, I desperately need to get a meal plan spreadsheet put together. With five classes, I have a feeling I’ll be pretty busy until Christmas time.

This year, Dylan started kindergarten. Kindergarten. Where did the time go?

With this change came a new school building, a new schedule, a new set of friends, and a new teacher. Unfortunately, the old issue of meltdowns and difficulty with tasks came along for the ride. After speaking with his teacher and with a professional, Dylan was diagnosed as having ADHD. This explains a lot. The doctor didn’t want to start him on medications, but he also different offer any suggestions for mass improvements either. So, I took matters into my own hands.

Enter the GFCF diet.

I’d read numerous studies about the benefits of removing gluten, casein, and dyes from children’s diets, so I figured this was an ideal place to start with my own. The changes were marked and immediate. He went from all negative marks on his behavior chart to 80-100% good – literally overnight. Incidents and meltdowns subsided and became a maybe once-a-week thing versus the prior daily issue. He was completing his work without redirects, and he was showing respect to the teachers and his peers.

Wow.

It has now been four weeks since starting the diet, and we have both adjusted amazingly well. I’ve been surprised how easy it is to work around the restrictions and still keep to our usual meals. We’ve never been big on milk or cheese aside from baking, so subbing in vegan versions has gone mostly unnoticed. I say mostly because he still doesn’t understand why chocolate is out of the picture. (I’ve found a solution for this though!) We tried reincorporating meats and fish. That didn’t last long. And, I am still getting my feet wet with the whole gluten-free bread baking thing.

In the next few weeks, I plan on experimenting with new GFCF recipes. I have some cookies, crackers, and soups all picked out and waiting for a grocery trip. I’ve already successfully replaced my go-to banana bread recipe with its Dylan-friendly cousin. As I work through these recipes, I’m going to try to remember to post about them. I say try because I know myself all too well and because a new (FULL) semester of classes starts on Monday.

My sanity will be questionable for about a dozen weeks.

Pardon me while I dust myself off from the black hole I apparently fell into this month.

I have been crazy busy with work and school lately. At the end of May, I took a trip to Athens (Pennsylvania, not Greece). That was quickly followed by not one but two weeks of finals. A few additionally days were somehow misplaced in between those activities and this moment. Don’t ask me where I left them, I don’t know.

While I attempt to collect my thoughts and memories from this past month, I’ll settle with revealing my latest kitchen creation. Enjoy.

Berry Banana Breakfast Bars (Vegan):

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 6-7 medium strawberries (stems and leaves removed)
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp vanilla soy milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chai seeds

Measurements as of 5/21

At the end of March, I posted the first version of my measurements doll. I’m happy to post a new one with a few adjustments (and all good ones!)

Chest: down 1/2 inch

Hips: down 1/2 inch

Thighs: down 1 inch

Stomach: down 1 1/2 inches!

To help push me along, I just bought a new bike!

Now, I haven’t owned or ridden a bike since.. oh.. the 90s.

Luckily that whole cliché phrase of ‘just like riding a bike’ has some actual proof behind it, as I was able to get onto it without falling over and then also ride it.. without falling over.

So far, so good.

I felt like a little kid: giddy, happy, peaceful.

Great sign!

Something I’ll enjoy that’ll also help me get back in shape?

Sign me up.

In addition to the new bike, I’ve been making a few dietary changes:

- Stopped trying to drown myself in 1/2 a gallon of water a day.

- Phased in dairy products.

- Switched form 4C drink mix to Crystal Light.

- Joined a CSA.

While keeping hydrated is always important, I was noticing that I was retaining a good bit of what I was drinking. I was actually started to gain instead of lose and felt bloated the whole time. I’m still keeping hydrated, but I’m just trusting my body to tell me how much it wants/needs.

Dairy products: the bane of my existence. They hurt. However, I was able to find two lines of yogurt and cheeses that don’t make me curl up in the fetal position or want to vomit. Babybel and Laughing Cow wedges are super tasty, low calorie, AND don’t make me feel sick. Perfect. Same goes for Dannon’s Light & Fit line of yogurt. Awesome breakfast item for the non-breakfast person.

I nearly fell over when I saw how many calories my 4C mixes had per glass. It was something like 300 calories each. Are you kidding me? Crystal Light typically has only 5-15 calories. That is SO much better, and they have more options. Win, win.

CSA = weekly organic veggies and fruits from a local farm. Healthy, economical, and supports the local economy? Also a win, win situation. I’ve had two weeks of my CSA so far, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by both the items in the baskets and their quality. I did a different CSA last year, and the food was half rotten when it arrived or rotten within 1-2 days. Strites’ Orchard has been amazing so far.

All in all, I think I’m off to a good start for the summer. I have my diet in order and my exercise plan in place. Now I just need the sunny weather!

Side view body shot on April 21st

I don’t think much else can hold me as accountable as posting a photo can.

All in all, it isn’t that bad of a photo. There aren’t any obvious flaws at first glance.

But the underlying issues are still known by me:

• Jiggly stomach
• Flabby butt
• Saddlebags

Sounds attractive, eh?

In the upcoming days/weeks, I plan to obtain both a bike and a combo jogging stroller/bike trailer.

Right now, one of my biggest hang ups with exercise is that I need to figure out a means of watching Dylan at the same time.

Having the trailer/stroller will allow me to not only have Dyl along, but it will also give us a chance to get out of the house and on a few mini adventures.

Yoga in the living room can only get me so far.

Freshly planted zucchini, cucumber, tomato, and pepper seeds

I’ll admit it – today started off terrible.

What’s that book called?

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?

Well today, it was Areil and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

All seemed well when I woke up. I had beat the alarm, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, it was payday, and it was casual day.

How could that go wrong?

For starters: a missing deposit in my account. I received my paycheck just fine. No worries there. But there was a significant deposit missing either way.

What can top that?

Try shredding the back of a pair of jeans from waist to near knee.

Yeah – that happened.

Pardon me while I hang my head in shame.

I sucked it up and squeezed myself into a different pair of jeans before heading off to work.

The day didn’t get much better from here, but I pushed through.

When I got home from work, I decided I needed to pamper myself with some fresh air, sunshine, and elbow grease.

Yep, elbow grease is considered pampering.

Why?

This particular session of manual labor brought on a new season in our little home – gardening season.

Dylan and I pulled out the seeder pots, soil, and seeds and got to work.

I poured dirt into each of the pots as Dyl followed behind me, poking holes in the centers and dropping into seeds.

Eighteen pots in total – all of which I’d like to see take off and grow big.

I see some home grown mini cukes and 8-ball zukewiches in my future.

Mmm mmm.

Measurements as of March 30th

Since pounds aren’t the only measure of health, I’ve performed an initial measurement of six areas.

My chest, hips and butt areas are all about 3-4 inches wider than at my typical weight. Stomach is about 5-6 inches wider.

I’m not going to give a time frame for future measurements, rather I’ll post new ones if I feel a change.

I don’t want to get caught up in the numbers only.

..well, perhaps a few wouldn’t hurt.

Since switching back over to using my wonderful SIGG, I’ve been able to successfully down 32oz of fluids per day. That is big for  me. Half way to my goal amount of a full 64oz per day.

I think I’ll have better luck in making the switch over to water (instead of my tasty teas and lemonade) than I’ll have in reaching my full 8 glasses a day.

I tend  to feel like I’m drowning if I drink too much. Plus, I just can’t seem to find any way to pump that much sipping into my day.

We’ll see.

Goal #1 is half tackled. Now to fight my carb-craving ways.

Typically, I don’t think twice about what I’m eating. And, well, it is starting to show. Mind you, I haven’t changed my eating habits in years. I haven’t changed my fitness level either – sedentary.

This is all changing.

My DVR is happily recording episode after episode of yoga, instead of the usual NCIS marathons.

I’ve also been logging my food and drink intake each day this week. I kept on track just fine over the weekend, hitting my calories to within 10-25 accuracy.

Work week?

No bueno.

I’m discovering quite a few things:

1. I need to curb my carb intake. (Mountain Dew, this means you!)
2. I barely get 1/3rd of my fluid intake each day.
3. I prefer to have the pieces of my chicken large enough to identify the natural striations.
4. I snack far too frequently if I’m not 100% satisfied with my meal.
5. I’m lacking in fiber.

Moving forward this means I need to increase my fluids (water, water, water), add in more low calorie fruits and vegetables, and swap out simple carbs for high fiber foods.

Time to break out the SIGG and make a grocery list!

Withings Body Scale

My amazing new toy health measurement tool has arrived!

I’d seen this around the web quite awhile ago and thought, “oh that looks neat but I doubt it actually works well.”

My friend John recently bought one and has since showed me that not only does it work well, but it has tons of new features.

Jackpot.

My expanding waistline and not-so-attractive jiggle prompted me to bite the bullet and buy my own.

Day one – I love it!

Not only was it insanely easy to setup and configure, but it also informed me that I’m approximately 4-5 lbs lighter than I thought I was.

I can accept that.