October is National Vegetarian Month!

October is National Vegetarian Month!


There are so many benefits to going vegetarian or cutting back on the meat, that I'm going to take the month to provide you compelling reasons to ditch the habit.

This week lets take a look at the effects on our health.

Research has shown:

1. Vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease.


2. Vegetarians have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters.


3. Meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans are.


4. The consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products has also been strongly linked to osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, asthma, and male impotence.


5. Scientists have also found that vegetarians have stronger immune systems than their meat-eating friends; this means that they are less susceptible to everyday illnesses like the flu.


6. Vegetarians and vegans live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters.

One great way to start incorporating more vegetarian meals into your diet is to pick one day of the week (meatfree Mondays perhaps!?) to devote to eating vegetarian...

Be Well!

FINAL Day of our Veggie month!!!!!!!!!!

Well, today is officially the first day of meat eating month, or, the end of our meat free month? Either way, #1 can be crossed off!!! WOO HOO!!

And, Happy September folks!

Five

#5- Take a domestic trip- CHECK!

Every spot in Maine is beautiful. The views, the ocean breeze, the rocky coast! And the major metropolis of Portland (65K people) is so eclectic! We ate lots of seafood, visited the L.L. Bean store in Freeport and became Maineiacs! Below are some of my tips!

1. Take in a baseball game with the Portland SeaDogs.

2. Eat lobster Benedict at Bintliffs. It's worth the wait.

3. Visit one of Maine's only beaches, Popham Beach. Brave the cold water!
4. Eat $1.55 oysters at 555. Avoid Commercial Street for dinner.

5. Kayak with Joe on Peaks Island

6. Visit the Shipyard brewery and buy a six pack. Drink it by the ocean

7. Visit the Portland Lobster Co. It's touristy, but so are you!

Five

My fifth and sixth 30 x 30 items are really not that hard to accomplish:

#5: Take a domestic trip

#6: Take an international trip.

Honestly, I already had trips planned when I made my 30 x 30 list, but they are still goals and I am still able to check them off! #5 this weekend!

Huck and I decided a long time ago that we would try to take one big trip a year to some place we'd never been before. We plan on alternating domestic and international, but this year we are lucky enough to take both!

So, tomorrow, we embark on a journey to a place neither of us have been: Portland, Maine!

Will post more on our return.

xxx

One

Well, I didn't manage to go horseback riding this Sunday- the torrential downpour most of the east coast was experiencing sort of put a damper on that.

However, I did photograph a delicious vegetarian meal last night. August is our vegetarian month, which fulfills my #1 30x30 goal.

So, without further ado- here is the receipe for my new favorite stew, "Kitchen Sink:" (aka, anything left in the fridge.)

• 1 small eggplant


• 1 large zuchinni


• 5 tomatoes


• 4 stalks of celery


• 1/2 cup olives, chopped


• 1 tablespoon capers


• garlic, rosemary and other spices to taste


• 2 small onions


• 1 carton of veggie stock (4 cups)

-Sautee tomatoes, capers, onions and olives in olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan until broken down, the idea is to create a delicious sauce
-Add veggie stock and spices
-Add rest of veggies
-Simmer for 30 min or until veggies are soft

The trick here is to ammend the recipe to your liking. If you like carrots more than eggplant, use those, corn? You got it! Want to add meatballs? Well, I couldnt come over for dinner but it would still be delicious!!

So, on a cold, rainy night (like tonight)- simmer up some veggies and slurp up this delicious kitchen sink recipe!

Enjoy!

Oh, and, if you find doing a whole month of vegetarianiam difficult, join the leagues of "meatless monday" folks. It's good for you AND the enviroment.

Eleven

This weekend I will accomplish # 11.

Ride a Horse.

It's been 15 years or more since I took horseback riding lessons... Old Man was a slow and sweet horse but once he bucked me (aka he tripped and I freaked) lessons were cut.

I did take a beautiful trip through the snow with my Londonettes a few years back, as evidenced to the right. But, nothing serious. My feet aren't even in the stirrups.

So, alas, this Sunday I will attempt to conquer my first 30 x 30 and ride a horse. Stay tuned.

Today marks a huge mile stone for me, no, I am not pregnant nor is it my wedding day (which was the best day of my life and maybe Ill dedicate a post to one of these days) ... but, it is the day I return to blogging! Thank you, thank you... but hold your applause. I can't promise daily posts like the Helium Balloon of yesteryear, but, I can promise 30 posts throughout my 30th year of life.

31 if you count this one.

You see, on July 8th, I turned 29 years old. SOME of you might find that unbelievable, and not because I still act like a 10 year old or look like a 21 year old, but because no one was sure that I'd ever make it out of prison.

And, as it so happens, on July 8th, 2012, I will turn 30 years old. SO, by the suggestion of my dear friend from Mywhatabigblogyouhave, I have decided to make a 30 x 30 list.

Fake, I wasn't really in prison.

So, what's the big deal? You ask. Because apparently it is commonplace to make such a list, see this blog, this blog and this blog (my favorite.) But, I am actually going to complete my list AND blog about each adventure. Video, pictures, quotes, you name it, I will document it.

So, here it is, in it's entirety... drum roll please:

1. Do another vegetarian month
2. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
3. Volunteer at a pet shelter
4. Put away an extra $100 a month
5. Take a domestic trip
6. Take an international trip
7. Ask for a promotion
8. Make fresh jam
9. Ask for a raise
10. Stop biting my nails
11. Ride a horse
12. Try new restaurants in Summit
13. See the ophthalmologist
14. Train for a race (tri, half, century…)
15. Spend a day like a tourist in NYC
16. Take a cooking/baking class
17. Go on a hot air balloon ride
18. Take a gun safety class
19. Go on a girls vacation
20. Take a trip with all forms of internet/texting/twitter OFF
21. Put away my phone when I get home from work
22. Write a book.
23. Paint
24. Learn the ceramic wheel
25. make a piece of pottery
26. Make a killer wedding scrap book
27. Make a quilt
28. Make a dress
29. Visit another Frank Lloyd Wright home
30. Dinner/Drinks with an old friend once a month

And yes, I will do it all but I need your help! Anyone out there who can advise me on where to go for any of the above would be much appreciated!

Bonne Chance to me!

Quote Sundays

We want a society where people are free to make choices, to make mistakes, to be generous and compassionate. This is what we mean by a moral society where the state is responsible for everything and no one is responsible for the state.

-Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister

Quote Sundays

Years and years of happiness only make us realize how lucky we are to have friends that have shared and made that happiness a reality.

-Robert Frederick, author

Quote Sundays

No one's happiness but my own is in my power to achieve or destroy.

-Ayn Rand, writer

Quote Sundays

In honor of officially giving up my apartment in Manhattan and starting my life with a wonderful man, I pass on this wisdom...

Most quarrels amplify a misunderstanding.

-Andre Gide, author

Quote Sundays

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Satunesday

"Lessons Learned"
Matt and Kim

The coolest thing about this video, besides that I love the song and the idea, it's one camera, one shot, no editing. They had one chance to get this right, and looks like they did...

Check out more from Matt and Kim here.

Ch ch ch changes

Good morning readers!

Today marks my very first day as an Associate Marketer for Liz Claiborne. I will specifically be working with the beautiful jewelry line Monet and focusing my energy on getting the word out about the amazing new designs. More to come on that.

Please check out the website for more info and soon for online shopping!

But for now, heliumballoon goes on hiatus. I need to settle in to the new job and figure out how to best direct my time. Thank you for the years of support and reading and commenting. It has been a wild ride updating a blog everyday. At least I know I can do it!

To be continued....