I’m sending out the call for experts again. This time, I’m looking for recipes for the best tasting healthy birthday cake!
Yellow Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Berries
My birthday is Saturday. I would love to celebrate with a cake and candles, but I’ve lost 35 pounds and cleaned up my dietary habits to the point where the kind of cake I used to eat would probably make me ill. It may taste exquisite, but I know the aftereffects of eating that kind of thing all too well.
So if I’m gonna have a birthday cake, it’s gonna have to be really healthy, with a minimum of fat, sugar and processed ingredients. (This means no Splenda or aspartame.)
This may sound impossible, but I know there are recipes out there and I’m asking for the experts on this subject to chime in.
If you eat mostly clean, what is your favorite cake recipe?
I don’t talk about weight loss much here on my blog, even though I wrote a book on the topic many years ago. I don’t want to obsess over my weight, so I keep my own journey out of the public eye (plus, no one cares about it but me). I only talk about it in my online Shape Shifting group. But today I reached my goal weight and I want to crow about it a little.
When I was writing Shape Shifting (the body/mind/spirit weight solution), I lost 50 pounds. I got it published, with a foreword by Neale Donald Walsch, and followed it up with the Shape Shifter’s Daily Diary (a law of attraction based weight loss–or other goal–journal). Then I moved on to other things.
During the years that followed, I wrote a couple more books and yo-yo’d up and down with the same ten pounds. I allowed myself that much leeway–as long as my clothes fit and I didn’t have to buy new ones just because of a few pounds, I was fine with that.
Then my parents both ended up with cancer, and my dad died. My mom is now in remission. It was a really tough few years, and I gained some weight back. Not all of it, thank goodness, but enough to have to buy new clothes.
Last spring, I decided I had to do something. I felt physically unwell and had to start buying an even larger size. So I started out with the UltraSimple Diet to clean up my eating habits. I’m now eating mostly organic (if I can’t find organic, I limit myself to natural and minimally processed foods, and keep sugar to a bare minimum).
I use the SparkPeople site to track my food intake and interact with others on the same path. I use my own Shape Shifter’s Daily Diary and post daily in the online group. I’ve become an avid walker, thanks to jog.fm–a site that helps you to make perfect playlists–and I track my exercise with a Fitbit.
This time last year, I felt sick all the time. I had panic attacks regularly and was too dizzy from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) to exercise. In fact, exercise could make me so sick that I’d end up in bed for days.
Today, I’m 34 pounds lighter than I was in April (15 pounds less than my initial 50 pound loss, so I’ve lost 65 total, from my highest weight). I feel so much better. I don’t remember the last time I had to take a Xanax for anxiety. I’m only rarely dizzy. I go for five-mile walks several times a week–and I enjoy it. This is HUGE. I, seriously, have not been able to exercise for many years.
My journey from 215 to 150.
I’m done “dieting” now, and won’t be deliberately trying to lose any more weight. If I never lost another pound, I’d be okay with that. But I will continue to strive toward my healthiest self, and stay within a nutritious calorie range. I wouldn’t be surprised to lose another 20, if that’s what my body needs to weigh. But deliberate weight loss is no longer my focus. Now I’m going to just concentrate on enjoying an increasingly healthy life. And that feels awesome!
This is what I saw. This is NOT what my camera saw. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While out for my morning walk, I saw a hummingbird. Right there. In front of me. Not three feet away. It was zipping around a flowering bush next to the sidewalk, from flower to flower, apparently not minding at all that I was there. I took out my cell phone to triumphantly take my first photo of a hummingbird.
I was so happy. I’ve NEVER been able to get this close to a hummingbird before and have a camera on me at the same time. BLISS!
It seemed to become nervously aware of my presence, but I felt like it sensed how important this was to me. It shimmered while it tried to stay still for me, as I zoomed in and focused the camera. I held my breath and then … snap … snap … two shots! Awesome! Now I was sure to have at least one really good photo of a hummingbird.
Pfffft.
This is the better photo, of the two. It looks like a Where’s Waldo? picture. Can you find the hummingbird? Betcha can’t.
There is a hummingbird in this photo. I promise. I can see it, but only because I know exactly where to look.
Aside from my cell phone camera, I have a Canon PowerShot that I bought a few years ago for about $100. It’s done a nice job for me, overall, considering I’m not a professional photographer. I don’t need anything fancy–just a reliable, good-quality camera to carry around with me for impromptu moments of breathtaking beauty. But, my camera is kind of old and bulky and the new ones are light and sleek. And I never have figured out how to work all the settings–it’s not intuitive enough for me.
So between my search for a new cell phone and a new camera before our trip to Blackpool next summer, I’m hoping to combine the two as well and get a phone with a good camera–hopefully, one that can handle the occasional once-in-a-lifetime hummingbird pic.
Granted, a lot of this is operator error. Even with an excellent camera, that’s not a great photo. But birds really don’t pose, do they? I was lucky to even get this close. On the other hand, other people manage to capture brilliant photos of hummingbirds, don’t they? Part of the problem is that I couldn’t see the screen because of the sun behind me, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses. Even so, there should be some semblance of a bird in this picture.
Gaaah. I’m rambling. I’ll stop now. Just wanted to make a note of this so I remember what I want–a camera that has an easy-to-see screen–when it’s finally time to shop. We won’t be making any big purchases for a few months. Right now I’m just wish-listing.
In anticipation of our trip to England & Scotland next summer, which I will be blogging extensively, I took my camera/phone with me on my morning walk today. I am learning a few things: how to take good pictures while walking fast; which site to use for uploading purposes; best way(s) to carry the phone to keep it handy, yet out of the way; and how lightweight my new one will need to be.
For now, I’m using my cheapo cellphone camera because I don’t really need a fancy phone yet. I work out of my house, so I’m always near my tech. Once I’m on the road, however, I’ll definitely need a much higher end phone with a really good camera in it. (I have a good camera, but I’m not taking that for these walks–too heavy and unwieldy.)
Anyway, that will all come in time. I have until next summer to research for the right equipment. Meantime, here are some pictures I took this morning. I don’t promise that they’ll be interesting. This is just an experiment:
This article, headlined, “Miley Cyrus calls Blackpool the ‘weirdest place she has ever been’, people of Blackpool revolt on Twitter” gives me cause to smile.
I’m not going to say anything bad about Miley Cyrus. She’s a kid, and I’ve matured enough to know better than to take easy pot shots at a young celeb. But I will say that I’m glad that this child, with her particular taste in lifestyle, doesn’t like a place I am itching to visit.
A clue! A clue! (Joe was fine, but I liked Steve best.)
Sometimes I wish that the Universe would make its messages easier to decipher. I recognize that coincidences and synchronicities reveal patterns in the chaos, but the meaning of that pattern isn’t always clear. My daughters and I oftentimes kid that we wish the Big U would leave a big blue pawprint to show us, “Yes, this is definitely a clue.”
Sometimes the clues don’t make sense because they’re nothing more than seeing lots of number sequences on clocks and license plates, etc. Doreen Virtue has a list of meanings that these number sequences have, but I don’t always have that list handy, so the message isn’t concise. I may be wrong but I believe that things like this, the ones that don’t have a specific message, are simply there to show we’re on the right track. Our actions and overall vibe are in alignment with where we want to be heading. We see these things because everything is ticking along nicely, all lined up.
Sometimes it’s hearing the same song over and over, in strange places, until you finally listen to the lyrics and hear what the clue is trying to tell you. Sometimes you just happen to open a book to a page that shows you the exact information you were looking for. Sometimes the clues make perfect sense, like the ones I’ve been writing about lately, with the tea party, or the fact that Blackpool is coming up in conversation with people who have no good reason to bring it up.
I have a new one that I haven’t yet figured out, but it’s certainly got my attention. Here’s some background:
I recently started reading John Steinbeck‘s The Grapes of Wrath for the first time. I know, I know–someone my age should have read it by now. Bare minimum, how did I get through school without being forced to read it? I don’t know. Somehow I’ve managed to avoid reading what I assumed was an incredibly depressing story about dirt and poverty. In any case, I’m almost done reading (it’s brilliant–Steinbeck is dazzling–but that’s not today’s subject).
Last week I watched Louis C.K.‘s latest HBO special, and out of nowhere he started talking about The Grapes of Wrath. What are the odds of that happening? Seriously. How weird is that? What an amazing coincidence! (But then he blew the ending! He told how it ends! I even tweeted to him to let him know he ruined the book for me.)
“I don’t mean to ruin that book for you, but you should have read it by now.”
(Do not watch if you’re easily offended or haven’t read the Grapes of Wrath.)
I’m almost done reading, and I’ve learned a lot from the Joad family and their struggles. I’ve made a lot of connections between what they experienced and today’s economy. I have a new, non-sexist view of why there was such thing as “men’s work” and “women’s work.” My understanding of social structure has been vastly broadened.
Most importantly, this book has taught me that an Oklahoma accent causes a girl named Rose of Sharon to be called “Rosasharn.” That name has been stuck in my head, like an earworm, since I began reading the book.
So imagine my surprise when I went for my morning walk today and happened upon this:
Aside from this book, or out shopping for plants, I never hear of Rose of Sharon. It’s not a well-known flower. And I’ve never seen a truck with that company name before, that I can recall anyway. It’s not a local company.
I have no idea what this clue means, but I wouldn’t mind if Louis C.K. spoiled the ending for me! But, hey, if you look real close, peeking out the window, here’s you a dog. And a blue pawprint.
Ever since Jeff and I have decided to make this trip to the UK actually happen, things have been falling into place in fun and bizarre ways. Here is the latest:
In a scene from the BBC mini-series Blackpool, David Tennant‘s character, DI Peter Carlisle, interviews Hailey, the prostitute, (played beautifully by Lisa Millet) about the murder of Mike Hooley. The interview takes place, I’m assuming, in the famous Blackpool Ballroom, with the also famous Wurlitzer organ being played in the background. Carlisle is interviewing all of the local hookers, and has invited them to neutral ground and supplied a nice tea.
Lisa Millet, as Hailey, and David Tennant as DI Peter Carlisle, having tea and questions about sex and death in the Blackpool Ballroom.
One of the things we (well, I … Jeff doesn’t know it yet) intend to do while in Blackpool is have tea and pastries, like Hailey and Carlisle, at the Blackpool Ballroom, hopefully sitting in the same spot and getting a picture or two.
Because having tea in England is not like it is here (usually at a McDonald’s drive-thru) I have no idea of the proper etiquette and I’ve been doing some research so that I’ll know how to behave. 😉
Here comes the amazing synchronicity. Last week, a friend asked me to meet her for lunch somewhere in Mesa, a city about 45 minutes away from here. Because it’s a long drive, I plugged my iPod into the car speakers and listened to a playlist. Yep, I played the Blackpool soundtrack (obsess much? you betcha!). One of the songs is “I Second that Emotion”:
Imagine my surprise when I walked into the place we were meeting, and that song–which I haven’t heard, aside from the soundtrack, in many years–was playing on the radio.
But wait! There’s more!
My friend, who has no idea that I’m planning this trip, had a surprise for me. It was an English-style tea party, complete with manners and etiquette lessons. Let me reiterate that she had no idea that I was wanting to learn this very specific and unusual thing.
Boom. Out of the blue. Just like that. I now know how to not embarrass myself once we hit the shores of a country where drinking tea is like breathing.
The trip that Jeff and I are planning for next summer is based pretty much on things we’ve learned about the UK from the BBC and BBC America. We are focusing, primarily, on the better known British offerings to the entertainment world, like Doctor Who and the Beatles, but we’re wavering off the path to see some that are lesser known here in the States like the seaside town of Blackpool. One of those I’m adding today is to see a Paolo Nutini concert, if he’s performing in the UK next summer.
We saw him perform Pencil Full of Lead on the Graham Norton Show and were completely blown away by the voice that came out of this boy (we’re in our fifties–to us, he’s a boy). Watch him wail and tell me that you wouldn’t go see him live, if you were in the vicinity:
This is just a quickie post, about another Blackpool synchronicity. After my first blog on the subject of our planned trip there, my new friend British friend (and Blackpool expert) posted a whole bunch of great links for me (Thanks, Mike!). One of them was for another show that was filmed in Blackpool, called Funland. One of the main characters in the series is named Lola, a rather unusual name. Coincidentally, the main character in my novel series is named Lola–a rather unusual name.
My most recent blog, about our planned trip to Blackpool, England, has indirectly caused me to realize that this trip will be the fulfillment of a longtime series of very specific recurring dreams. I’ve been dreaming about Blackpool for years, but didn’t recognize it!
I used to dream about Florida, long before Jeff and I ever thought of moving there, and once we arrived I was able to recognize scenes from various dreams as they were happening in real life. It’s so weird to have them come true like that, when I didn’t even know what they are showing me. I remember a Florida dream about a garden near a swimming pool, with statues and spiritual symbols in it. It turned out to be a serenity garden in which Jeff and I got married.
The first psychic dream that I can remember coming true took place in approximately 1989. I had a bizarre dream that took place in a darkened room, where there was a big, black control panel and weird geometrical shapes of light in the air. Because I had never seen anything like it before, it was kind of scary and I thought I was nuts. Why on earth would I be dreaming about something so alien?
Then in the mid 90s I started working for Laserium and my boss was Ivan Dryer, the pioneer in the laser concert industry, who performed the very first laser show at Griffith Observatory in the 70s (you can read all about it by clicking the link under the photo of the control panel). Ivan asked the laserist in the studio to give me a demonstration of what they do. It didn’t take long for me to recognized the laserist’s control panel and the geometrical light shapes in the air!
I’ve also dreamed a lot about New York City and somewhere in Great Britain. The New York dreams are coming much more frequently lately, and I have a feeling I’ll be there before the end of the year. For what reason, I do not know.
The exciting thing to me, now, is the dreams of the UK because a puzzle piece has just fallen into place. The dreams never told me exactly where they occurred. I have just been shown that someday I’d be there, near the water, and Ireland entered into it somehow.
But get this. In most of the dreams about the UK, I always saw something unrecognizable embedded into the ground, like tiles or patterns in concrete. Weird dreams. These tiles were set into a circular pad of cement. I could always sense waves nearby and I knew that Ireland was related somehow. I’ve never been able to pinpoint what the dreams were about, but they definitely included this water’s-edge, weird-patterned tilework.
This photo of Comedy Carpet is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Well, I’ve just discovered where in England those seaside tiles are–in a town I’ve only recently heard of, Blackpool. In my research about the town, in an effort to manifest this trip, I just happened to stumble upon this photo.
The tiles (which aren’t really tiles, it is a concrete and granite installation which features catchphrases and jokes by more than 1,000 comedians and writers) are called the Comedy Carpet. (More irony: Jeff and I met when we were both professional standup comedians.) You can see the circular cement pad, and the waves crashing onto the shore. And, Blackpool is on the Irish Sea.
I am blown away to finally learn where in England I’ve been dreaming about for so very many years, and that I was unintentionally planning a trip there! Wow!!!
Oddly, the Comedy Carpet wasn’t installed yet when the movie Blackpool(the inspiration for this trip, starring David Tennant–the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, Sarah Parish and David Morrissey) was filmed, so I wasn’t aware that there was a connection to my dream tiles when I saw the movie and began to plan this trip. In fact, I’d been having dreams about the “tiles” for many years before they existed.
I wasn’t even thinking about these dreams when I started to plan our trip to Blackpool recently. In fact, I had completely forgotten about the dreams until I saw photos of the Comedy Carpet. I can’t help thinking that there is a much bigger purpose behind this trip than Jeff and I just having a fun lark-about abroad. I can’t wait to find out what it is!
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