It’s going to be a great day! I’m so excited to share with you one of my all time favorite green juice recipes! Today’s breakfast is a meal replacer which is a mix of green juice called the Lemon Ginger Blast and Gorilla Milk. I’ll show you how to make the green juice first and then the Gorilla Milk.
One of my favorite raw food advocates is Dan Mcdonald. Some of you may already know him from his videos on YouTube. I’ll be doing a post on him soon with some of my favorite Liferegenerator recipes. He’s changed so much over the years and has become so much more professional making his own raw food DVD’s and selling raw food essentials. It’s because of Dan that I found this recipe in the first place. He was doing a segment with Lou Corona, another raw food advocate who’s been eating raw food for years and repaired his body by eating nothing by raw food. The video’s included here are Lou’s from YouTube of a Mom’s in Charge Class that he performed. Afterwards, you can see how I make this recipe…
LEMON GINGER BLAST
There are many different recipes out there which alternate ingredients. I find myself modifying it to fit what I have on hand. It’s always green, but you may find that you want to omit something. Today I’m going to use Kale. Next time I may use Dandelion greens. It doesn’t matter! 😉
I have kale growing in the garden and heading out to the garden as the sun is rising is one of the most fun things to do. I go out very early and pick my veggies.
It’s so easy to grow your own kale at home. Kale is one of those vegetables you should buy organic and it’s not always easy to find. Grow your own in your garden or even in a pot. It’s so simple. You don’t have to use pesticides. This is Red Russian Kale and it’s delicious and beautiful. You can use it to make kale chips as well. I’ll be posting my favorite kale chip recipe soon.
As soon as I saw the cover of Pets Rock, I had to get it. Who doesn’t want to see real dogs & cats dressed as some of the celebrities we know today? I noticed the Pulp Fiction dogs Vincent and Jules and couldn’t help but laugh as it was obvious who they were as they looked just like them, even if they were dogs dressed up.
I had fun scrolling through the book and figuring out which celebrity each dog or cat depicted. The book doesn’t tell you, but gives you a little hint in the text. The world leaders were the most obvious.
I was planning on rating this a 4 star book as it’s a fun read, until I got to the pages with the dogs dressed as Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, ironically next to each other. Tupac’s page was the one that made me stop and think with the sentence the author of the text uses, “ I got a shot… for the fleas.” I personally like Tupac and don’t find him being shot funny. Is that what the author of the text is saying, or is it a reference to All Eyes On Me? I realize it’s meant to be a joke book and perhaps I’m taking it too seriously and reading into it too much, but that’s just my opinion. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this…
My favorites were The Blues Brothers, Jules & Vincent, Bowie, Slash and Clint Eastwood. You can actually purchase some of these prints online.
I’m going to give it 3 stars because most of the book is funny and it’s a cool, cute, and entertaining concept.
I wasn’t tagged for this, but found this one at https://fandomlybookish.wordpress.com/ and had to do it! I’d like to thank her for bringing this one to my attention. Please check out her blog for book reviews, blog tours & more if you haven’t yet. Here’s her TAG.
This one is the Rapid Fire Book Tag and I guess it was originally made by GirlReading over Youtube, so be sure to stop by and check her out HERE.
I recently read Stjepan Cobet’s poem book The Child of Happiness and was glad to learn that he had written another book of poetry. When The Moon Takes Over the Dream is a poetry book containing heartfelt, romantic, and often thought-provoking poems relating to love, which made me enjoy it even more. I took pleasure reading the entire book out loud and taking in all the poems one at a time.
One of my favorite poems from this book is titled “Leave Us To This Night.” Here it is below…
Leave us to love music which reaches from our souls, Let it be spread in all hidden corners, In every part of our body. Feel the vibrations of strings what wakes up our soul, Let’s be one, Be crazy with love.
I noticed only a few minor grammatical errors in the text which were easily overlooked. I’m assuming it’s due to the translation. As I was reading I began to think about how this would be a perfect outdoor or beach read as it’s peaceful and relaxing. I’m happy to have it as part of my collection and I’d like to thank the author, who is very kind, for unexpectedly gifting me with a copy.
Q&A with author Stjepan Cobets
Q: What made you want to become a writer?
A: I loved leaving my thoughts on paper. Initially, it was poetry, but later I would have come up with ideas for stories so I began to write short stories and finally I went to write novels.
Q: Are you a pen & paper, typewriter, or computer person when it comes to writing?
A: I just don’t use the typing machine, I used it before, but now I have a computer and it is much easier to correct my mistakes. I write poems and some ideas on paper because my ideas come to mind when I do not have a computer all the time. Later, when I write on my computer, I am correcting and what I have written and it is easier to keep all document on the computer.
Q: Do you write alone or in public? Inside or outside?
A: When I write books I work at home, I wrote in public places, at work, on the train, and everywhere where the idea came to me. That’s why I always carry my paper notebook. When I start writing, I simply turn away from the world, which my wife sometimes gets angry because I do not hear what she is saying.
Q: What book have you read that has most influenced your life?
A: They had a lot of influence on my thoughts and attitudes, but life can sometimes be a lot different than writing in books. There were a lot of books that affected my life, and if I had to choose, say Victor Hugo Les Misérables and Jules Verne 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Q: Does writing poetry come easy for you?
A: It is honestly easy, I just let it go, and my thoughts lead me.
Q: Do you think that somebody who doesn’t feel emotions strongly can write poetry?
A: I do not know if that is possible, I think you need to feel the emotions if you want to cuddle in the poem. Sometimes it is good, and sometimes bad emotions, the one who has no emotion is sure to be dazed for many things.
Q: What’s the best way to market your books?
A: I don’t now. I really would love to know. I like to communicate with my readers and hear their opinions. For a great promotion, you need someone in publishing houses, and I’m an independent publisher because I could only publish my books in that way. I’m not really a marketing guy.
Q: About how much time do you spend writing poetry?
A: I do not have a special time to write poetry, I simply write when I feel I have to write something. Sometimes for months, I do not write a single poem, and sometimes I write a pretty number in a day.
Q: What are a few of your favorite books from childhood?
A: Fairytales, I loved fairy tales as a child.
Q: How do you construct your poetry books? Do you just write what comes to your mind, or are your poems written in a specific order?
A: I do not have a certain order, I just write.
Q: Were there any poems that you left out of this particular book?
A: I did not put a lot of poems in the collection, but it will certainly be in my next collection I’m currently working on.
Q: One of my favorite poems in this book is “Leave Us To This Night” and I noticed a few of the poems like this one have music references. Does music inspire you to write poetry? If so, what are some of your favorite artists or music genres?
A: Honestly when I write poetry, sometimes I hear some music with my text in my head. I love blues, rock n rolls, hard rocks and all other music while. I’m writing I love listening to Irish music, classics, and music from the movies. Some artists include: Bob Dylan, Led zeppelin, The Doors, Tom Waits, Sting, Bob Marley, etc.
Q: I’m very interested in learning about Croatia and what your life is like there as I’ve never been there. What’s a typical day like for you in Croatia?
A: Croatia is a small and beautiful country, has about four million inhabitants, and is a true tourist destination. Lately, a lot of films and television series are being recorded in Croatia. I even participated in the shooting of Game of Thrones. We have a lot of national parks and the beautiful seaside of the Adriatic Sea, a lot of old cities still from the Greek and Roman empires. Basically, everything is somewhat slow in our minds, people love to drink coffee in cafes for a few hours and enjoy it. There is no hurry anywhere. If we had a little smarter politician, this would be an ideal country to live.
Q: What else do you enjoy doing besides writing?
A: I have a big garden around the house. I grow fruit and vegetables, sometimes with family, I go to nature and swimming in the sea when the summer comes, and the main obligation is my work at the factory.
Here’s a video of Stjepan Cobet’s singing the song “Christmas Is”
CHRISTMAS IS…
The Angel blessed voice carries,
over the sea and mountains.
Under the shining falling stars,
we got the son of God,
on a stable, small and quiet,
echoed the baby’s cries.
Angel coming to the shepherds,
announce him a happy time,
Tonight is born King and God,
with you bring your flock of sheep
and give your worship to him,
white lamb, let him be a gift.
Christmas is,
your name Jesus,
our hearts visit us.
Tonight everyone,
your birth we celebrate
and we humbly worship you.
Three King visit the child,
gold, myrrh, frankincense they wearing,
they knelt next to the manger
and they worship the true King,
to God’s Son, give a kiss
and promised him their loyalty.
Christmas is,
lit up the whole world,
Peace brought us.
Without you,
The soul would have wandered;
you are the light of God.
Christmas is
your name Jesus,
our hearts hikes.
Tonight, everyone
your birth celebrates
and humbly worships you.
Three King visit the child,
gold, myrrh, frankincense they wearing,
they knelt next to the manger
and they worship the true King,
to God’s Son, give a kiss
and promised him their loyalty.
Christmas is,
lit up the whole world,
Peace brought us.
Without you,
The soul would have wandered;
you are the light of God.
I’d like to thank Stjepan Cobets for his time and consideration with completing this Q&A.
Lately, I’ve been reading a good amount of books regarding mental illness. In the past I’ve dealt with my own mental health issues, mainly after developing a thyroid disorder and after having children. It isn’t easy and in my opinion isn’t taken seriously enough. Many medical professionals are less than compassionate. Many times family members look at it as a weakness and feel that it’s crippling to their own lives as if the actual person with the disease chooses to be ill. The mentally effected person’s life stops, while everyone else expects to move on with their own. With that said, I had mixed feelings about this memoir and possibly because it’s one sided, from the caregivers perspective. Although, I personally have never been in Mark’s shoes and haven’t had to deal with a person with a disorder like Giulia is experiencing.
*This review may contain some mild spoilers*
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward is a memoir written by a husband who is dealing with mental illness for the first time. Early in his marriage his wife suddenly develops a mental disorder originally diagnosed as Schizophrenia but later re-diagnosed as Bipolar. She spends about a month in a hospital while doctors try to figure out what’s wrong. During this time, her husband Mark is dealing with a range of emotions including sadness, confusion, anger and many more. As Giulia is started on medications, everything is up in the air and Mark is left to wonder what their future holds.
Parts of this memoir were hard to read, while others were heartwarming. You can feel the love that Mark has for Giulia, but as anger sets in, things begin to change for their relationship. He begins to resent her as time moves on from her first hospitalization. This is where I began to have some mixed feelings. There were events taking place in the relationship where they were falling away from each other and their relationship became uncertain. Was he giving up? It almost seemed as though Mark was becoming more distracted and couldn’t deal with it anymore. Again, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for him, but it seemed like he just wasn’t understanding that the illness wasn’t Giulia’s fault. She had no way to stop it and she was very scared as well. With their mutual decision to have a child (Jona), things became more complicated and even with the overwhelming support of both wonderful families, which I thought was amazing, it wasn’t enough. Giulia would be dealing with a lifelong illness which could potentially affect everyone who loved her.
I thought the book was written very well. I was engrossed from cover to cover and I’m glad to have read it. I commend Mark for the courage to tell their story and the strength to hang on through all the ups and downs. I hope that as time moves on, Giulia’s illness will improve, and Mark and Giulia can enjoy their marriage and child.
Wow! I can’t believe how many blogger awards there are. This is amazing! I have to thank James @ this-is-my-truth-now once again for another nomination. James really deserves every blogging award available with as much work he puts into his blog. He’s a great writer. Please check him out if you haven’t already.
This is the best week I’ve had blogging and I have all of you wonderful people to thank for it. Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate each and every one of you!
This award nomination is for the Sunshine Blogger Award.
Rules
1.) Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2.) Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3.) Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4.) List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
-My Q&A-
Which of the 7 deadly sins could you absolutely live with if you had to?
Hmm, this one is a hard question! I have to go with Gluttony which is an excessive ongoing consumption of food or drink. I ❤ Food and I could live with this if I had to.
Which of the 7 dwarfs are you most similar to?
This is hard because I think I have traits similar to each one. I’m going to say I’m most like Doc. Doc has a personality in which he feels he needs to have everything in order and is protective. He is also a person of rational thinking and at times he flusters under stress. I think this describes me pretty well.
What state haven’t you lived in but would like to?
Maine! I’ve always wanted to live in Maine, or just north in general. I can’t stand the heat and this summer is already killing me. The thought of living in Maine on the coast is like a dream.
Where do you see yourself in ten years that you believe you might actually achieve?
I’m planning on having a book written by then. I’m working on a book regarding healing foods and recovering from disease by using non-conventional methods. Many conventional treatments don’t solve the root problems and only cover symptoms. I don’t really consider myself a writer and this is a huge challenge for me. It may take me the full 10 years to write it, but I want to do it. I hope that it will help others dealing with disease. If it helped one person, it would be worth it to me.
Where do you see yourself in ten years that you hope happens, but don’t think it will?
I hope to be a little more stress free. By this time, I should have less stress, but I’m unsure of the future.
Who do you not know in person, but think you’d be best friends with?
Jim Gaffigan. He makes me laugh SO hard and most of what he says resonates with me. I would love hanging out with him too! He seems like a person who could really bring you out of the dumps.
What Greek or Roman goddess or god is your favorite?
Having to pick one, I would go with Cybele – The Greek goddess of caverns, mountains, nature and wild animals. She was also known as Mountain Mother, a mother over all wild nature. I love that.
When in time would you want to live that you have not been alive for?
I would have loved to live during the Renaissance times. I’ve always been fascinated with this time period and I actually used to make Renaissance costumes. I love the music, art and the fashion. I often think about living back in time when we didn’t have so much technology and wonder what it would be like. Less stress, more stress, who knows. 🙂
If you could only travel by 1 mode of transportation in the future, what would it be?
I get motion sickness very bad, like to the vomiting point. Of course it mostly comes on with car riding and boating. I’m not a flyer either, so I think I’d be happy to just ride my mountain bike everywhere. It would be a good way to stay in shape.
How many cookies is too many cookies in one single sitting?
Hmm, that depends on the size! If they’re Girl Scout Thin Mints, I could easily polish off a box. Keebler Softbatch, an entire package. Anymore than that and I think I’d get sick.
This is my second award this week and I was astonished to receive a nomination for The Entertainer Blogger Award. I’d like to thank James @ this-is-my-truth-now for nominating me. Be sure to check out his blog if you haven’t already because it’s mind-blowing. Every post is worth reading!
The Rules:
Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Add these rules to your post.
Answer all the questions below.
Display the award picture in your post.
Nominate 12 other bloggers who are funny, inspiring and most important of all ENTERTAINING!
Questions with my answers:
WHY DID YOU START A BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I originally started blogging because I love reviewing books and talking with authors. I thought it would be interesting to do some author interviews to share with other readers like me. I feel like I have a lot to say and hopefully I can maintain an interesting blog that others will continue to enjoy. I was affiliated with another blog, but now I just have my personal blog here.
I also love connecting with people like you and learning about other people and their stories, music interests, what they like to read, etc. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when I first got started and had no idea what blogging was all about. I have to say, I’m happy to be here and to be a part of this wonderful blogging community.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?
Seriously? I can’t just pick one! I’m going with my favorite book of 2017, and that’s A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I was so attached to the characters in this book and I still get teary when I think about it. I love books that pull me in and don’t let me go. This one held on even after I was done reading it. This is the one that has stuck with me this year and I know I’ll never forget it.
Bret Witter is an author of many books including 8 New York Times bestsellers including The Monument’s Men, Stronger (Jeff Bauman’s story), Dewey, Until Tuesday and more. He’s a full-time professional writer. Children recognize Bret Witter from reading about Dewey, the famous library cat in these popular children’s books.
Adult cat lovers can read about Dewey in these New York Times bestselling books…
I recently read Until Tuesday, Tuesday Tucks Me in, and Tuesday Takes Me There. These stories are about Luis Carlos Montalván, an Iraq war veteran and his service dog Tuesday. I was lucky to get an interview with this author to ask him some questions about himself and a few about the book Until Tuesday. You can see the Q&A with the author below.
I was nominated a few days ago by Caroline @ Foodieaffairnetwork for The Liebster Award. I’d like to thank her for thinking of me. She has an awesome blog, so please check it out! I was very excited to receive an award and the rules are fun!
What is the Liebster Award?
“Liebster” is a German word meaning beloved, dearest, sweetheart, or darling.
For bloggers, the Liebster Award is an online recognition given by other bloggers to new bloggers for enjoying or appreciating their work. It highlights up and coming blogs.
Once nominated, a blogger is asked to answer 11 questions provided by the nominating blogger. They are then expected to nominate 11 other favorite new bloggers and come up with a list of 11 new questions for those nominees.
The Rules:
Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you.
Nominate 11 blogs.
Notify those blogs of the nomination.
Give them 11 questions to answer.
My Q&A of 11 questions from Caroline and few from the blogger that nominated her.
1. What are you most afraid of and why?
I’m most afraid of dying before my kids are grown. I want to be here to raise them and to be the best mother I can be for them.
2. What is your most important possession?
My family- if you consider that a possession.
3. How do you handle stress?
When I’m stressed I like to listen to music, read, and exercise.
4. Are you a city mouse or a country mouse?
Definitely a country mouse. I used to live in the city and moved to the country 9 years ago. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love being in nature and there’s no place I’d rather live.
5. What is your Superpower?
I don’t know if I really have a superpower, but I’m going to say “getting the job done.” I feel like I’m a pretty hard worker and like to get things done.
6. Define Love in five words.
Extraordinary feeling of profound affection.
7. What’s the greatest lesson that you have learned from your life?
To say “oh well” and let stuff roll off my back. I’m still working on it… 🙂
8. Do you have a pet?
I have many pets, some are inside and some are outside. We have many outdoor cats including 12 baby kittens which will be leaving to go to their new homes soon. My indoor pets are my collies.
9. How do you feel about your birthday?
I used to be excited about my birthday when I was a child. I loved them. Sadly, I don’t feel like that anymore. In fact, I flat out don’t like my birthday. I’m pushing forty this year…
10. Where is your favorite place to be?
This is hard. I love to be surrounded by my kids, but when it’s time for myself, I want to be in my bedroom listening to music or reading. I enjoy sitting outside and reading as well. Any of these are perfect…
11. When is the last time you stopped to feel the Earth under your bare feet?
Yesterday while throwing Frisbee with my collies.
I nominate: There’s no pressure to participate if you don’t want to. Just know that I enjoy your blog and want others to see you!
