Of Love
I have been in love more times than one,
thank the Lord. Sometimes it was lasting
whether active or not. Sometimes
it was all but ephemeral, maybe only
an afternoon, but not less real for that.
They stay in my mind, these beautiful people,
or anyway beautiful people to me, of which
there are so many. You, and you, and you,
whom I had the fortune to meet, or maybe
missed. Love, love, love, it was the
core of my life, from which, of course, comes
the word for the heart. And, oh, have I mentioned
that some of them were men and some were women
and some—now carry my revelation with you—
were trees. Or places. Or music flying above
the names of their makers. Or clouds, or the sun
which was the first, and the best, the most
loyal for certain, who looked so faithfully into
my eyes, every morning. So I imagine
such love of the world—its fervency, its shining, its
innocence and hunger to give of itself—I imagine
this is how it began.

-Mary Oliver

Can you believe it? January 2012 is OVER.  I’m rather still in shock about it.
With January’s departure I ended my 30 Days of Kombucha Challenge.  It was actually 31 for me, since I started right on 01 January.  What do I think of the experience, now that it’s over?

I loved it.  I plan to continue drinking kombucha every day that I can.

Over the course of the month my crazy sugar cravings have almost completely gone away. I noticed an increase in overall energy, which stayed steady throughout the day.  I ate less, in part because the kombucha triggered something in my stomach that made me feel full, faster, and snackish less often.  As I noticed these other positive changes, it became easier to eat in a more healthy way overall.  I had more energy to prepare food, and I spent more time being active, largely outside.  I dropped some pounds, and feel like I’m starting the second month of the year on a stronger note than when 2012 began.

Now, I know that all of these changes aren’t directly linked to drinking kombucha.  A sip of kombucha didn’t magically transport me outside for a walk, didn’t force my hands to cut squash or throw a salad together.  Kombucha wasn’t a magic happy potion that alleviated all of my less than pleasant cravings or feelings upon ingestion.  But, it certainly helped.

There is no magic bullet for good health. I believe that health, be it physical, emotional, or mental, is a gradual process that is so completely interwoven with all the different aspects of our lives, you can’t pull out one certain thing that makes all the difference.  That being said, I also believe that sometimes the introduction of something new (be it kombucha, starting to take a multi-vitamin, going on a daily walk, starting a belly dance class) can cause a domino effect of additional positive changes.  Like the commercial I referenced earlier in the month, sometimes “one healthy decision leads to another”. In the case of me and my kombucha, I can confidently say that is true.

Thank you again to the amazing folks at NessAlla Kombucha for sponsoring me during the challenge!  If you get a chance, try their kombucha.  Their raspberry is my favorite stand-by, but the seasonal flavors are really special.

Now I want to keep the momentum going with my February Challenge: Detox.  I’m still getting my ducks in a row (February snuck up on me) so there will be more on that later this week!

I do have some other fun activities to share with you all.  My roommate Erin, her friend Colleen, my dear friend Casey and I all went to the Mermaid Cafe’s breakfast at the Farmers’ Market this week.

Each week during the winter a different chef hosts the Saturday morning Dane County Farmers’ Market breakfast.  Meals usually include a vegetarian and meaty option, and are always made with products purchased from market vendors.  Breakfast was delicious (it always is) and fueled us well for the Madison Public Library art exhibit, Bookless. The library is going to be completely renovated (hurray!) and for one day they changed the emptied out space into an eclectic art exhibit/dance hall.  We had our picture taken in the photo booth, made bookmarks out of old card catalogue entries, and even asked the reference section oracle questions about our future. It was a blast. Can’t wait to see the library when it opens again in the summer of 2013.

And there was another session with Chloe as well, the day before her birthday!  We ventured out into the cold and took some images that I’m pretty excited about.  Chloe’s post for outfit number 1 is here.  Keep an eye out for outfit number 2 in the days to come.  Here are my favorites.

The weather here has been eerily warm over the past couple of days, but it is definitely still winter.  Winter usually gets me down, but I’m find more and more that I like about these dark and frozen months.  I went on a walk before meeting Chloe, and even though it was overcast and grey, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful everything around me was.  The light has a different quality in winter, and maybe because of its scarcity sometimes I just have to stop and appreciate it. Find it where I can and hold onto it.

Hope all of you are holding onto something that makes you glow.  Cheers to the beginning of a new month!  I have a feeling it will be better than the last.

XO,

Stephanie

Filed under: Adventure, Farmer's Market, In Season, Kombucha, Photography Tagged: 30 day kombucha challenge, bookless, detox, farmers market, madison wi, nessalla kombucha, the style project, winter ]]> http://myyearoffood.net/2012/02/01/goodbye-january-hello-02-01-2012/feed/ 3 myyearoffood IMG_9445 NessAlla FM Breakfast bookless IMG_9515 IMG_9618 IMG_9498 IMG_9678 IMG_9662 IMG_9677 IMG_9467 IMG_9474 IMG_9463 http://myyearoffood.net/2012/01/28/no-coast-kitchen/ http://myyearoffood.net/2012/01/28/no-coast-kitchen/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:50:05 +0000 myyearoffood http://myyearoffood.net/?p=1365 ]]> On Monday, 16 January 2012 I was invited to take pictures at No Coast Kitchen’s fabulous eastern europe inspired dinner.  Their food was phenomenal, and their cocktails made me swoon.  I’ve included an image of each course and a description of the food in the captions.  If you’re looking for a fun date night, check out their next dinner on 13 February!

Seasonal citrus palate cleansers.

The makings of cocktail magic, including Rishi scarlet tea infused vodka, house made almond milk and earl grey/lavender infused whiskey. 

Course 1: Borscht with dill creme, potato rye sourdough, and chive cashew cheese, followed by a shot of cumin vodka.

Course 2: Fennel potato latkes with cumin apple sauce and sour cream.

Course 3: Butternut, buttercup ravioli with sage vodka mushrooms, sage and parsley pesto.

Course 4: Spinach and spice salad with candied blood oranges, pepitas and aronia berry vinaigrette.

Course 5: Poached harrow’s delight pears with chèvre ice cream and aronia wine glaze.

Clean plate club.

DIY mood lighting.

The chefs.

Thanks for having me over No Coast!  Can’t wait for the next one.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Symbiosis was defined in 1879 by German mycologist Heinrich Anton de Bary as “the living together of unlike organisms.”  Stories like this remind me to look around my own life and see what other kinds of  mutually beneficial  relationships are possible.  Which (maybe because I’m a bit of a nerd) is really exciting work!

I hope everyone is having a calm and productive Wednesday.  What’s been inspiring you lately?

Cheers,

Stephanie

I don’t like to celebrate my birthday.  I’m a bit of an introvert, and it always feels a little uncomfortable to ask a bunch of people to come out and celebrate the fact that I was born.  Instead I usually get weird and awkward about it, brushing the occasion under the rug and hoping no one (besides my parents and brother) will notice.

But about a month ago I went to my friend Casey’s house to celebrate her birthday, potluck style.

It was delicious, fun, relaxed and even though I barely knew anyone there it was still one of the best parties I had ever been to.  I was infused with happy warm feelings for weeks afterward.  That night I realized that all you really need to have a good night is a bunch of great food and awesome people in a room together.  So, in the interest of keeping my priorities in focus this year, I decided to go for it. I was going to have a birthday party and invite awesome people to eat good food, tea party style.

With the help of my talented roommate Erin (taking foodie photos in the image above) the apartment was adorned with balloons, streamers and flowers.

And my mom came into town for a couple of days, helping me make a table full of food.

We made vegetarian rolled grapeleaves, baklava, hummus with red pepper infused olive oil, bite-sized cucumber bowls with chive/garlic cream cheese or hummus filling, a lemon bundt cake with lemon frosting, chocolate brownies with chocolate frosting (the best brownies I have ever made in my life), and a cheese and cracker board.  Friends throughout the evening brought quiche, homemade pizza, chickpea flat bread, berries, fancy bread and cheese, banana bread with chocolate chips and more.  I made pot after pot of tea, and we pulled out our entire array of mugs.

And lots of awesome people came and ate and were merry.  It was everything I hoped for. Combined with my paperwhites blooming on the eve of my birthday, it was as close to perfect as it could be. Thank you to everyone who came and made this birthday special!

<3

In other news this week, I had another photo shoot with Chloe from The Style Project!  The weather has finally decided to be full on winter, which has posed some location issues.  This time we tried our first indoor photo shoot, at the Goodman Community Center. It was interesting, since this was the first time our aesthetic tastes really diverged.  One thing I really like about this consistent collaboration is learning how to meld two different visions into one.  We’ll be doing another photo shoot this week (hopefully outdoors) that will hopefully be more to both of our liking, but here are a few of my favorites from this past session!

In other style related news, one of Chloe’s blog posts from last week was featured on the Ruche blog this week as well- woot woot!

I also had the privilege of taking photos at the No Coast Kitchen dinner last Monday night… here are a couple of teaser shots.  Full post to come this week.

And through it all I’ve been holding steady to my Kombucha Challenge!  23 days of booch and counting.  I continue to notice a lack of sugar cravings, that has also extended to caffeine and a general reduction in appetite.  I’m craving fresher, simpler foods and becoming more sensitive to foods that don’t agree with me (gluten and dairy).  I feel like my system is clearing itself out, allowing me to notice small changes and shifts that I hadn’t before.  I like it a lot, and with the end of January just a week away, I’m beginning to think about what my February Challenge should be.  Perhaps a cleanse?  If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

The winter doldrums and heartbreak blues still have me in their clutches with some regularity, leaving me feel creatively and emotionally drained.  My mantra for this past week is a reminder sent by way of magnet,

Never never NEVER give up.

I guess if I just keep on doing what I love to do, the pieces will fall into place… right?  What is your favorite mantra to stay on track and inspired?

Hope all of you are entering this last week of January with something warm in your tummies and something smile-worthy in your heart.  Thanks to all of the wonderful people in my life, I am fortified with both.

XO,

Stephanie

Fortunately for me, there have been a few great reasons to get out of my head and in tune with my surrounding over the past several days.

#1: Another fabulous photo shoot with Chloe from the Style Project.  I am really enjoying having this standing collaboration with Chloe.  Not only is it great to have a set photo opp to keep me developing as a photographer, it’s fun and interesting to meld our two (sometimes dissimilar) styles together, to create images that we both are happy with.  Her favorites from look one appear on this post, and look two are featured on this one.  Here are a few of my personal favorites.

#2:  I finished editing and posting photos from a photo shoot over the holiday, with my dear friend Margo’s little gal, Rosalie.  How can this face not make a day brighter?

This was the first time I had the opportunity to photograph a child, and it was a blast.  Margo and I chatted over breakfast and coffee at Emmy J’s in Stevens Point while I snapped shot after shot of little Miss Rosalie.  Here are just a few of my oodles of favorites.  Love love LOVE this kid.  She’s a powerhouse.

#3:  Remember last week, when I took some photos at the Mermaid Cafe for the Isthmus?  Well, here are my very first published images!

I am absolutely thrilled!  Please oh please universe, let me have more opportunities like this one.  If you get a chance, read the review (hint: it’s glowing).  The Cafe will be closed for the next month to give its owner a chance to breathe and regroup after a big year… but stop in mid-February for some scrumptious local cuisine.

#4: My paperwhites are almost blooming.  It feels good to be growing something beautiful, especially with the outside world covered in its frosty winter shroud.

#5: The Kombucha Challenge continues!  15 days of booch, and I’m feeling great about it.  Still no sugar cravings (which is seriously a miracle- such a big change for me) and I’m feeling the detoxifying effects.  Have you ever seen the nutrigrain bar commercial that talks about how sometimes “one healthy decision leads to another”?  Although I really don’t think that eating a nutrigrain bar would be all that good of a choice, I do completely agree with that mindset.  And that is what I notice happening with my Kombucha Challenge.  As my sugar cravings go away, and as I keep on detoxing my body, I want to put other healthy things in too.  More fresh fruits and veggies, less gluten and dairy.  It’s really pretty fab.

Another shout out to the fab folks over at NessAlla Kombucha for sponsoring me on this Challenge!

NessAlla Kombucha founders and owners: Vanessa and Alla

How about y’all?  Anything notable happen on this second week of January 2012?

Cheers,

Stephanie

Cheers,

Stephanie

I also had the privilege of taking some pictures at the Mermaid Cafe, to accompany an upcoming review in the Isthmus.

I’m really excited to have some of my images in the Isthmus!  I’ll post the review when it hits the presses, which should be sometime soon.  It was such an honor to be asked, and I am just thrilled to have some of my images published.  If you have a chance, you should head over to the Mermaid sometime soon.  Their dinner menu is rocking.

I’ve also been sticking to my 30 Day Kombucha Challenge, drinking kombucha every day.  It has been great!  I drink about 8oz/day, in the late afternoon or evening.  To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting to notice any differences in just one week.  However, I actually have! The biggest change has been the disappearance of my sugar cravings.

Before this week I used to crave sugar, big time.  As in, I believe I had a sugar addiction.  I would crave sugar throughout the day, deep and intense cravings that would have me rooting around cupboards or deep into the freezer for something to scratch my sweet tooth’s itch.  Since drinking kombucha every day, they have completely disappeared.  It’s kind of surreal.  I can’t believe that a small glass of delicious, bubbly kombucha can make such a fast and total difference.  It’s been wonderful.

My tolerance for kombucha has also gone up over the last week.  The first day I drank about 6oz and had a little bit of a tummy ache afterward.  Now I’ve upped my daily dose to 8oz and feel great after each glass, energized and satiated. I’m going to stick with 8-10oz for the next week, and maybe up it to 12oz for the last couple weeks of the month.  I feel very lucky to have been sponsored by the fabulous folks at NessAlla!   I’ve been making sure to drink enough water, as kombucha is also highly detoxifying. Can’t wait to see what changes I’ll notice over the next 7 days. I’ll be sure to report back my progress.

I hope you’ve had a good past 7 days!

Cheers,

Stephanie

First, this morning I met up with my friend Chloe for a fun shoot for her blog, The Style Project. This was my first ever fashion shoot, and I had a blast.  Even though it was freezing, with 20+ mph winds, Chloe got her style on and we braved the Wisconsin outdoors for a new year’s day shoot that leaves me excited for more.  Look for more of my photography on her site in the weeks and months to come!

Today also marks the beginning of the 30 Day Kombucha Challenge!  I’ve been sponsored by the fab ladies at NessAlla Kombucha and will be drinking kombucha every day for the next 30 days.  I’ve written more about what exactly kombucha is in this post, where I also have some pictures of NessAlla’s magical brew.  The aim of the challenge is to see how drinking this probiotic filled beverage every day changes my health.  Maybe it won’t do anything, or maybe it will make a world of difference… Either way, I’ll be documenting the entire month here on My Year of Food!

Here I am with my first bottle of challenge bootch! Flavor: Elderflower Lemon Balm

I’m planning on adding a little more structure to my blog by starting a new challenge each month.  I’m not sure what February’s will be just yet… so if you have any suggestions, or know of any cool community events that are going on, let me know!

I hope everyone had a wonderful end to 2011, and that 2012 started out on a high note. I’ll leave you with the T.S. Elliot new year’s quote  that sums up my current state of mind.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”

Cheers,

Stephanie