creative block + musings

I guess I'm not sure of what else to call this. I feel as though I either have the most serious case of creative block ever, or just no real motivation.

To those of you I write stories with, I'm sorry. This means that I really can't think of any way to reply to any of you at the moment.

It's a little frustrating, because I really want to be drawing, writing, and designing and creating things. I have ideas, but none of them flow forward past this massive block or lack of motivation. I'm still not sure which.

I should probably just set pencil to paper and let everything kind of flow out into a blob, and then move forward.

In other news, it's been an interesting week (and it's only Tuesday, ack!). I started work yesterday, which was interesting and fun. Individuals with Alzheimer's and other dementias will never fail to cause a unique workplace. I really do enjoy my job already, and I'm scheduled for afternoon today (2-11pm). I should go get ready for work.... I find it sad and frustrating that I'm already looking forward to my day off, and I've only worked one day. Silly, neh?

God has been acting in my life again (He always is at work in my life, but I guess I'm seeing it more clearly right now), which is good, but uncomfortable at the moment. It's made home life a little interesting, and I'm feeling vaguely depressed, which is making me feel even more down on myself (unhealthy spiral, I don't suggest it). Instead of reacting in those ways, I need to embrace God's new mercies every morning and rely on His grace every moment.

If you are struggling with something, and need to rely on God's grace, I would suggest reading Romans 5, and Ephesians 2. They are what I'm working through right now, and I would love if you would join me. If you want, I'll even write my thoughts about it on here. Those would be some true "thoughts to selah".... (teehee~) ^_^#

Smoothie Recipe #2

Well, as it turns out, my next smoothie is not apple+peanut butter. Instead I have a nice, creamy tofu+raspberry smoothie to share about.

Creamy Ras-fu! (yes, I'm enjoying making up these names)

1 serving of silken tofu (~1/5 of the package of my tofu [nasoya brand])

A little more than a half serving of fresh raspberries (probably around 4 ounces)

A small splash of milk (to moisten)

This was a really easy smoothie to make. I layered the raspberries under and on top of the tofu. I tried blending without milk the first time, and there was no movement of the ingredients. Have you ever noticed that your mother is always right? Well, mine is. She warned me when I first started this smoothie kick that you need a liquid in the mix. Anyway, with the splash of milk the smoothie whipped together in about 30 seconds.

This smoothie is fresh, organic, and creamy. It is brightly colored, and attractive, while remaining completely natural. It has a very subtle flavor, which really surprised me. You can taste both the raspberry, and the tofu, which is what I was going for. It's rather tart, too, which I enjoy. If I were to remake this smoothie, I might add some sugar or something to sweeten it up a touch.

Smoothie Recipe!

Hello again, everyone!

With the advent of summer, and the recent discovery of the joy of owning a blender, I have been getting into the making of smoothies. My smoothies are pretty simple; in fact, until today, I had only made a smoothie with ice, strawberries, and an Arizona strawberry smoothie "syrup". However! In an attempt to have a more healthy and balanced diet, I have just created a smoothie that is all natural, healthy, and quite delicious! I shall now share the "recipe" with you. Please forgive my rustic measurement style. ;)

Granny Strawpot Smoothie (yes, I did totally just make that name up on the fly)

1 apricot (remove the pit)

2 strawberries (mine were moderate sized)

1/4 granny smith apple (minus the seeds/core)

5-6 ounces of "Just Lemon" Raspberry lemonade (really yummy!)

1 1/2 handfuls of carrot!

I layered the carrots at the bottom, then the apples, then the apricot and strawberries. I then poured the lemonade over that, put the lid on the blender, and pureed it for a few seconds. That power wasn't quite high enough for my tastes, so I bumped it up to liquify! *insert evil laugh here* This made an about 12 ounce smoothie that is very tasty.

One of the things that I loved about this smoothie is the fact that it was made from almost the whole fruit and veggies, so it had quite a bit of natural goodness and fiber in it. Not as good as straight up eating them, but much better than juice. Also, it tasted like fruit! Not carrots! The carrots added texture and color, but not their trademark "carroty" taste. This had quite a bit of delicious and natural nutrients, fiber, and about a half serving of veggies and a full serving of fruit (according to the government guidelines).

I plan to continue making smoothies as the summer progresses, and I'll probably post them here. Next on my list to try is a apple+peanut butter smoothie. Here's hoping it's good!