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Blogging On a Diet

I don’t suppose I would have a need to be sorry for not writing a blog in quite some time. I’ve been very busy and a little distracted with other things for a while, especially our new diet that we have now been on for around 2 months I think. It really threw us for a loop for the first few weeks, but we are adapting to it well now. I’m enjoying all the new foods and recipes we are trying out tremendously.

For the record it is an anti-candida diet that we are on. The first few weeks came with quite a roller coaster ride. As you get on the diet and take the supplements the candida dies off and with each die-off you experience a variety of side effects. For me it has primarily been depression, which at times has come on fiercely. There was no way I would be blogging during those times and I’ve had a hard time getting this thing back into gear.

If there is one thing I’ve learned thus far, it’s that the journey we are currently on towards better health is not so much a diet as it is a lifestyle change. I have realized that even after we reach the end of the “diet” regimen and we have overcome the battle we will likely continue on eating like this. It’s just so good and I indeed have been feeling much better over all so why go back to it? I hope to be able to enjoy some of the tasty treats (and drinks) I used to without any drastic change in well being, but if not then I’ll be OK with that. At least I’ll try. ;)

Please take some time to visit our blog following our footsteps to good health at www.battleoftheyeasties.com where we share updates on our health as well as recipes that we have found or have created on our own.

I’ve also added new photos on my facebook page as well as my flickr page that you’ll want to check out. We went to the Road to Olustee 2012 Civil War battle re-enactment at Camp Milton last Sunday and I took a good handful of photos there. You’ll also notice I started a new set on flickr called “noise” where I’m exercising my creative mind a little with just average places and things.

 

Intent Philco

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The Creative Side of Leftovers?

Egg in Skillet

Eggs are one of my favorite foods.

Now and then creativity rears it’s head in unusual ways with me. This morning it just so happened to be with a tub of leftover white chili. Our food supply is low as we are purging out a lot of foods that will no longer be acceptable in a diet we are soon to start. We will be cutting out all sugar, starches, alcohol, dairy items, grains, and other various foods for a while. So at this point we have already rid our cupboards of a lot of stuff.

So I’m looking for something extra to eat with my eggs this morning and I find nothing, and I mean nothing, to eat with them. I used to eat eggs and toast. Now I have to find a new companion for my eggs. I rummaged around for a short while wondering what in the world to have with them. Then I noticed a small tub of leftover white chili (which already had rice added the second day for leftovers) and creativity struck. “What if I spooned a little of that chili into the skillet with some butter?” I pondered. At first I thought “no that won’t work”, yet once the idea had a hold of me it wouldn’t let go. I tried it.

Fried White Chili Patty

Fried chili anyone?

I heated up the iron skillet and dropped a dollop of butter in. Grabbed the chili from the fridge and nabbed a spoon from the drawer and I was off to cookin’. I spooned some into the delicious butteryness and added a touch of salt. I used a spatula to form it into a round shape. It held it’s form fairly well thanks to the rice, but did come apart some when I flipped it.

After it was golden brown on both sides I removed it and placed it on my plate. Then I fried up three eggs and laid them each atop the “white chili patty”. Turned off the stove, got a glass of water and sat down to try it out. I was mildly skeptical, but I knew it would be edible whether I like it much or not. Boy did my skepticism leap out of my brain and run down the hall after I tasted it! It was darn good!

Sometimes it is good to just follow whatever crazy ideas may pop into your head, even if you are fearful of the result.

Fried White Chili With Eggs

The finished product!

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The End of Empire… and the Dream?

I happened across this article with accompanying video a week or so ago about a small town of around 300 in Nevada called Empire. It nearly completely dissolved due to the economy when U.S. Gypsum closed down shop. U.S.G. provided most of the jobs for the community and so when it closed it’s doors there was nowhere left to work.

I have a hard time with this. On one hand I am sad and feel rather sorry for the folks that lived in this town. I grew up in a small town myself, albeit a little larger with a population of around 4,000. My hometown was, and is, also dependent on such businesses which employ such a high number of the locals. In fact, this past few years has seen businesses shut down in much the same way and to the detriment of the town.

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Along the Main Street Bridge

Along the Main Street Bridge

I went downtown yesterday and walked the river walk and then across the river to Chamblin’s Uptown and just so happened to have my camera in-hand. Here is one of my favorite photos from the walk. I’ll have to scour through the others to pick others to share.

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Feasting In Worship: A Seven Course Meal

Finishing Touches

Chef Paul putting the finishing touches on a platter.

While on our trip to Texas this past couple weeks I made a slightly vague post on twit-book (twitter + facebook) that I had eaten a meal to brag about. It was last Friday evening’s meal leading into the Sabbath. Being a holy day we always suit up in our nice garb and feast on a nice meal. This is always a treat being that we are at a feast with like minded people whom we have grown very fond of over the years. Having a professional chef as part of the church also has its perks. ;-)

At the feasts he goes by “Chef Paul”. He is a superb chef and restaurant consultant/developer. He’s been trained by some big cahonies over-seas, apparently some of the best chefs around as I understand… I don’t care if he was taught by Ronald McDonald. The man can cook. Keep reading and you’ll see what I mean… [Read more...]

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My second maternity shoot (the first was my wife’s), and really my first paid shoot all around that wasn’t done for friends. My experience is somewhat limited in regards to portraiture, but I was excited despite my apprehensions. I actually arrived a few minutes late. NOT cool with me. The clients, also clients of my wife’s doula business Chara Doula, didn’t seem to mind all that much. They were utterly cool.

I surveyed the area, Memorial Park in Jacksonville, briefly as I walked in with my assistant (my wife) and thought for sure we would get some good photos. It took a moment to get comfortable, but the clients seemed very kind and willing to take our instruction. Early on I did some test shots to get things set up on the camera. Then we got moving. [Read more...]

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I’m still here and I am awake! I know I haven’t blogged in a while. It’s been too long, but I have been busy. Things are crazy as they always are at this time of year. You see, my family and I are Christians that keep the Sabbaths, holy days, and feasts as outlined in the law of God. In the several weeks leading up to each feast season things always get hectic. It doesn’t matter which feast really. Passover, Pentecost, or the Feast of Booths. Things get busy. They get crazy. They get hectic. Sometimes even strange.

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