Crested Butte and Ginger Cafe Memes

Note To Self: Better to have loved and lost

Everything is temporary and always changing.
Try to be in the moment, let go of the past .. both good and bad. We will always have the memories, but trying to re-live, re-create, or sustain the state or circumstances of a past moment will be disappointing.

Better to have loved then lost, than never to have loved at all.

<3

What comes up, must come down.

Love and Peace!

Positivity and Affirmations

"If you dont like something ... Change your mind." 

Really that simple? 

Try it. If you think something is difficult - tell yourself that it is easy. 

If you think you wont enjoy something, try to put into that task as much love as you can.

If you find someone's attitude frustrating, try to understand where they are coming from. 

Life can be a messy beautiful FUN challenge. 

The thoughts you think literally create your life. 

Love and believe in the good of it all. 

Patience. 

Wonder. 

Excitement. 

Innocence. 

Trust. 

I love you all so much. 

Happiness is not a destination

"Happiness is not a destination to arrive at, rather, a manner of traveling." I love LOVE love that! 

Stop waiting for the things you want, or that you think will make you happy! You have the resources NOW to choose an attitude of gratitude, a smile, and positive, supporting loving thoughts, actions, and emotions! You are here NOW :) How are you going to make the best of it?! 

And traveling. Yes. I am going to do that too. Summer in the Butte has been incredible. I have met a great tribe ... 

Looks like southeast Asia is in my near future. The syncronicities are hurdling me towards the inner and outer evolution of this life fast fast FAST! Believing dreaming and DaoING are making it all happen ;) 

Just spent a beautiful weekend in Moab, utah. Hitchhiked there and met the most beautiful, sharing, family of brothers and sisters along the way. 

The crooked road is lined with opportunity... Just be free and say yes. Aligning with love and excited to be embracing la vida de mis sueños ! Estoy viviendo el sueño ! Todos los dias estàn mejor y mejor! Con un corazón abierto todo está posible! 

Зарас, цей момент .. Є все що ми тримаєм ... Все міняється завжди, і це для найкращого.  Ми, тут, в цьому моменту, будуєм наше житя з кожною думкою... І в кожним моменті ми вибераєм ... Любов. Щастя. 

Візми мене за руку, і помандруєм вкруги світа. Dame la mano y nos damos una vuelta al mundo. 

Paz. Мир. Peace. 

Bear-ly Normal Dreams

I had a very vivid dream last night that there was a bear in my new house. The new house I was living in was great, by the way! My side of the home had 3 beds and its own bathroom. Anyways, sleeping is one of my favorite hobbies .. And my dreams can tell. There was a bear. A small black bear that during many parts of the dream resembled Shadow, although Shadow, too, was present during all of this.. Smelling and even playing with the bear. At one point the bear was biting me but at no point REALLY do I recall feeling as if I was in serious physical danger. At one point someone injected the bear with a lethal injection, but it reused to die. It spaced out in a seizure type of movement at one point but then quickly regained consciousness and began to walk around again. I wanted to keep him and for him to go away, all at once. This dream is so allegorical to what is going on in waking life, seemingly more so even , as I type out the minuscule percentage of the details I can actually recall. 

Peace and Live

Sofie

Vegan Twice Cooked Mushroom and Vegetable Stew

Not a photo of my stew, but a pretty photo anyways. I don't have a camera right now!
My stew sort of looked like this ! Photo taken from here !

My friend Haellen was raving about her awesome twice-cooked beef stew, and it inspired me to make a veggie version!

It is so thick and Earthy :) Filled with that savoury Umami flavor that I crave on -7 degree days ..

Here is the recipe ..

(As always I made a huge batch to have enough for leftovers and didn't measure a thing .. )

Boil a pot full of water with quinoa, brown rice, salt, and a few bay leaves. These things cook the longest so they go first. I also added dried mushrooms in this step. I have an "assortment bag" of dried shrooms that my mom sent me, and they smell like the inside of a Chinese grocery store .. but taste delicious cooked and add a really Earthy Umami flavor to the broth. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Add buckwheat to the soup and cook for 10 minutes.

Add chopped potatoes, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, and cumin and cook for 25 minutes.

This is the first half of the soup. You could definitely just stop here and have a delicious soup ready to eat. I, however, set out to make a thick stew, so the recipe continues ..

After you have cooked this part, transfer it to a food processor or a high speed blender and process until it is  smooth. (Note to self: This creamy soup tastes so much like gravy for mashed potatoes, but is totally vegan! Really looking forward to making some mashed potatoes in the future and using the soup as the saus! )

Now, follow the above recipe all over again, but also using the "gravy" that you you just made .

This way when it is done, you will have a thick veggie stew with plenty of "chunkiness" to it from cooking it twice, with double ingredients!

YUM.

I think this soup would also be good with added coconut milk, chopped scallions, and tofu, but I don't have any of those things on hand so possibly I will try that another time!

IS THIS FOR REAL? Anxiety and freaking out in a good way !

OMG! IS this for realZ YO? Im going to South America? In less than three weeks I am arriving in MeXico  City !?

What the what ?!

Yeah so the past two days this trip feels more real to me than ever ! Like, it's happening.

I feel anxiety for sure, but just in an awesome excited way just like I get myself before every "deep" adventure I go on .. but this one is just .. different! I mean this is a HUGE trip!

I have never been out of the country after an age I could remember ... I mean me and Dan are about to become homeless bum gypsies travelling across COUNTRIES! ACROSS WILDERNESS! ahhh .. camping :) I can't wait to re-connect with LA TIERRA! JEEEYZUS I am crazy excited! So much energy inside me right now :PPPPPPPPPPPPP

Just gotta keep it light, keep it funny, keep it gay :)

AMOR
PAZ
Y
ALGO NUEVO!

SOFIE 

Everything is coming together nicely for the trip :)

I am so very very happy that everything is coming together so smoothly just in time for my departure from Vail to Mexico City on the 24th.

As fas as gear goes, Im going pretty minimal and Im sure I will learn a lot about what I do / do not need on such backpacking trips soon.

My Osprey pack and Marmot sleeping bag where repaired with much haste by the lovely people at both companies, and I invested some ding dogs $ into a new pair of Keen hiking boots, a sleeping bag compression sack, a sleeping bag liner, a new menstrual cup (which I hope works better than my current one - oy), a water bladder, and a journal for journaling and taking notes along the way. We also got a water filter  and Dan has one of those shmancy little backpacking gas burners for cooking oatmeal and hippie slop and whatnots.

I so wanted to make a video about what all I am bringing with me on this trip, but alas my fancy iphone encased in its brand new gifted Otter Box was stolen on Christmas. Bah Humbug. Hehe. Maybe I will borrow my roommate's phone to do it or dig out my ancient (ha!) digital camera : )

If not, I will for sure make a list on here and compare when I get back of what I actually used. I hope to be able to update the blog/facebook from the road via Daniel's cellphone.. we shall see.

Other than that, still haven't told my spa job that I am leaving and honestly am quite nervous about doing it. Jobs here definitely want you to stay through the winter season, and I would hate to leave on bad terms because it's an awesome place to work and I would love to have my job back someday if I decide to come back to Vail . January 9th is the date that I have chosen to give  my resignation, but something inside me is urging  me to tell them sooner so they have more than 2 weekends to hire another massage therapist if they need one.

Even if they decide to be meanie-heads and take me off the schedule when I tell them (I really hope they don't do this, and kindof doubt that they will) I have already earned enough $cash mo mo$ for the trip ( I HOPE) and will continue working at the Bucks until my departure date.

I love you all!
Im exhausted from all the butt rubbing Ive been doing lately - Christmas week in Vail is an insanity fest and I am much looking forward to my full day off Wednesday

Sofie K

Planning the trip!!!

So many things to do in South America, so little time to plan! We will be winging it a lot, im sure! Spontaneous adventures and random cosmically aligned heart love synchronicities await us world travelers !

Planning! Reading! Writing notes! Hustlin for the next month but not forgetting to act marthafarkin silly!!!

- Love and Adventure
Sofie K

South America!!!

Just decided to go on a 6 month backpacking trip from Mexico City down to Patagonia. YES!

:) Will obviously be updating the blog with many future adventures and vlogs! 

Sofie K 

Vlog 2 - To South America or not to South America?

Talking about Adventure and Vlog 1

Today I recorded a Vlog video diary :)

More on adventure:

What is adventure? I know what I think it means: doing something exciting that you've never done before, maybe even something risky!

Here's what Dictionary.com says it means:

noun
1. an exciting or unusual experience
2. participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure
3. a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome
4. a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture

So why am I feeling like I my life right now isn't adventurous right now when it totally is? My mind was just clinging to the idea (that many hold, I think) that you have to go somewhere to go on a grand adventure. And you can, and it will probably be epic. Nothing wrong with that, both ways are equal in my mind now.

I am now certain and content with the idea that I can stay exactly where I am and still live adventurously. Have exciting and unusual experiences that are risky and which have uncertain outcomes. That kindof sounds like life.

I kindof think that is the whole concept of the freely living blog... to let go of patterns that rule my life and live more freely, adventurously, with less expectations of outcomes and just taking life in as it is :) Welcoming the uncertain!

Anyways, why is adventure so important anyways? (I'm not saying it is not, but its an interesting question nonetheless.)

Does it make our lives seem more worthwhile, more exciting?

Just trying to look at it from kindof a Buddhist/ego questioning perspective. But .. I want to paint. Can't stop to think ..

Ha!

Love and awesome adventures!
Sofie K

p.s.

Pema Chodron..
As human beings we share a tendency to scramble for certainty whenever we realize that everything around us is in flux. In difficult times the stress of trying to find solid ground-something predictable and safe to stand on-seems to intensify. But in truth, the very nature of our existence is forever in flux. Everything keeps changing, whether we're aware of it or not.
What a predicament! We seem doomed to suffer simply because we have a deep-seated fear of how things really are. Our attempts to find lasting pleasure, lasting security, are at odds with the fact that we're part of a dynamic system in which everything and everyone is in process."
(Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change)

Mural on the Wall

Tonight I began painting a mural on a wall in my room. It was a lot of fun to paint on such a large scale surface and the entire time I was painting I was in an awesome state of bliss, listening to bluegrass songs about losing the one you love and thinking about how everything just works out so perfectly in life, huh?

The whole thing was just a giant metaphor. I kept trying to "see the big picture" but finally surrendered into focusing on the small details of the mural, which will eventually make up the huge mural. The patterns and shapes just flowed out of me when I allowed my mind to cease it's wanting to dictate and plan every little move. My hands took over. At times I would step back and decide where to go next.

I made lots of "mistakes" which later became the perfect layers on which to paint other, different, brighter lines, shapes, patterns, colors..

Lately I've been super jealous of my friend's upcoming backpacking trip across South America. I've kindof been making myself feel "bad" that my life isn't adventurous "enough" right now and that I "should be" or "want to be" planning an epic trip of my own.

I mean, of course I want adventure and travels, but honestly, in the past my "issues" have gotten very in the way of me fully experiencing and living in the moment during my traveling.

I feel like I AM on an epic adventure right now. Living my life in a completely new way .. feeling more free and open than I remember feeling since I was a kid and inspired also.

Re-learning how to eat without fear or compulsion has been and continues to be an eye-mind-heart-body-opening experience :)

I feel like my experience of life is getting better and better every day and whatever I wish to manifest has been happening too :)

For the time being, I am fully content living my simple life, doing yoga, going for jogs with Shadow, making yummy green juices and sauerkraut concoctions .. who knows what kinds of spontaneous random synchronistic psychedelic adventures the winter and spring will offer :)

Love and Randomness

Sofie K

Eating Oranges? Save the peels and treat yourself to a yummy body and face scrub! (and more!)

I've been eating a ton of cutie clementines and oranges lately. (Literally ate about 20 of them for breakfast the other day!) I'm also pretty into DIY everything right now, so I figured there was something I could do with the mass of orange peels I had left from my feast! There totally is! (Buy organic if you can :)

First, I peeled the clementines (and oranges.) Then I ate the clementines. Then I placed the clementine peels on top of our wood-burning, soapstone stove (fireplace) to dry them out and create a sensational aromatherapy effect in our house. The peels released their amazing oils into the air as they dried; our home smelled redickolos. a.k.a. divine, amazing, stupid awesome! Something about citrus, fire, and coldness outside just clicks! Hear that snow? It's time for you to fall! Anyways ..





If you don't have a sweet wood burning stove like we do, consider getting one because they are beautiful, fun if you're a pyro, and will save you a ton of money on gas or electric because (especially a soap-stone one like this) will heat a majority of your house (depending on the size of course) using wood. The Amish have even invented a device that turns old newspapers into bricks that you can burn instead of wood! Click HERE to see this crazy tool!  If you still aren't convinced, come over and feel the amazing flames licking your cold toes and bum until you are :) Or.. Use your oven on a low setting to toast/dry the orange peels until they are hard, but not cooked. (If they are turning brown or black, they are done. Too done. Remove from heat and let cool!) The color should remain relatively similar to the raw peels, they will now just be hard. There are several things I plan to use these dry peels for now ...

Here is how I made a delicious facial and body scrub:



I made the dried orange peels into a powder using an electric coffee grinder ( A mortar and pestle will work too :) I added ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (about a pinch of each) to the orange peel powder. Next, I "wet" the mixture with almond oil (that had a hint of vanilla essential oil in it). You can use any type of neutral oil: coconut oil or butter, olive oil, hemp seed oil, grapeseed oil, even vegetable oil if that's all you've got on hand! I only added enough oil so that all the mixture got wet, but not soupy. As you can see from the photo, the scrub stays formed into a heap on a spoon, and isn't runny. Use this to scrub your face and body ( do it in a dry tub ) to exfoliate your winter skin all while receiving aroma blasts of citrus and spice .. amazing.

 
  Scrub Scrub Scrub! Scrub Scrub Scrub! Scrub your boooty! Scrub your booooty!

 Other ways to use the orange peels:



As a spice :) Add whole dry peels or a powder to rice or quinoa with a jasmine tea bag while cooking or steaming for a beautiful citrus hint. The photo is above is tonight's "rich poor girl dinner ;)" I boiled organic short grain brown rice and organic quinoa, 1/2 tbs orange peel powder (could have added 1 tbs.), a tbs. miso paste, and sea salt in a rice cooker until done. Simple. Filling. Tasty!

Roast root vegetables like beets, potatoes, and carrots with it.

 Add the powder or whole dry peel to green, black,or earl grey tea while steeping to add a unique flavor.

 Boil some dry orange peels in water to freshen the air in your home and use for aromatherapy .. "The oils of orange peels can be used as aroma therapy to treat the conditions of depression and anxiety."

 Aging olive oil with orange peels (fresh) will add a zesty flavor to the oil which you can then use on pastas, salads, breads, etc.

 Add dry orange peel powder to your bath water for a luxurious aroma while you cleanse!

 Apparently.."Herbalists recommend consumption of orange peels as an effective method of lowering your blood pressure. The Chinese have used the peels of bitter oranges as herbal medicine for thousands of years."

Eat up! While mixing the orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove combo I mentioned above (for the scrub) I realized how tasty some raw "cookies" would taste with the exact same spices! I will make them and get back to you about that!

Much love and oranges,

Sofie K! 

Juice Recipes!

I'm always interested in knowing what tasty fresh raw juice concoctions people have come up with. Here's a website with some yummy-sounding ideas!

http://www.wholefigured.com/component/k2/item/37-my-favorite-juicing-recipes

Love and Juice Power!
Sofie K

Low-Fat Vegan Java-Chocolate-Pumpkin Seed "Brownies Bites" Recipe!

Here is a photo tutorial on how to makes these yummy, vegan, semi-raw Java-Choco-Pumpkin Seed Brownies for a healthy dessert or a sweet snack!

These treats are: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Baking-Free, all-Natural, Energy-Giving and delicious!

You will need:

A food processor and small coffee bean grinder

Ingredients:




About 20 pitted dates
5-10 dried apricots
Dash of: cinnamon, nutmeg, dry ginger, and 1-2 small pieces of dry clove
About 1-2 tsp. ground coffee beans (if you have whole coffee beans, use your coffee grinder to grind into a     fine powder.)
About 3-5 tsp. ground raw cacao nibs
Agave nectar
Pumpkin Seeds (Raw)

Grind about 1/2 a cup of pumpkin seeds into a fine powder with your coffee grinder, place on plate and leave on the side. (We will use this powder to roll our brownies in. You can also use walnuts, almonds, shredded coconut, or some more of the cacao/coffee powder if you do not have pumpkin seeds!)
















 Combine dates, apricots, ground cacao and coffee, spices, and about just enough agave nectar to get the ingredients "wet" (about 2-3 tbs.) in food processor. Pulse with "S" blade until your ingredients look something like this:

Roll mixture into little brownie bites (ball-shaped). I like to use a bit of water on my hands while rolling them because it binds them better and gives the surface a smoother texture :) Plus it makes them nice and sticky for the next step!













Roll the brownie bite in the pumpkin seed powder to fully cover it with pumpkiny yumminess :)

Last Step: Enjoy your delicious, healthy, creations ! (Store in the fridge or freezer in an air-tight container :)





Have fun! In-Joy! Bon-Apetit!

Sofie K :)