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Can we be friendly towards those with different political opinions?

After reading the book “Travels with Charlie”, by John Steinbeck, I discuss how many aspects of US society, that Steinbeck noted in 1960, are still true today.

Author’s Note: I want to be VERY clear that I am NOT endorsing ANY political view with this post. The critiques I outline below apply to ALL of us. I truly believe we can (and should) ALL do better. (Also, this comes from the perspective of an American speaking on how I see political views playing out in the US. I can’t speak to how things work in other countries.)–Also, also, I originally wrote this post during the Trump/Hilary election in 2016 but I think it’s still relevant today!

A few years ago, I read Travels with Charlie, by John Steinbeck. This is a great story to read if you’re on a road trip since that’s what the book is about. 😉 It is set in the fall of 1960, as Steinbeck and his faithful poodle, Charlie, set out to explore the country. (Steinbeck wanted to rediscover it before he died.) I was struck by how many things he noted that seem to still be relevant today, almost 60 years–and a HUGE technology boom–later…sometimes the old adage is true, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Life isn’t simple anymore:

Steinbeck bemoaned the fact that people are always rushing around in the big cities and on interstate highways. He felt like they didn’t have time for chatting or pleasantries, that there was no real contact between them anymore. He felt like everyone just kept to themselves and in their own little world…

Imagine what he’d think of today’s world, where everyone is too preoccupied with their noses in their phones, or their earbuds entertaining them, to pay any attention to the world around them. 😮

Steinbeck thought everything was too mechanized, that there was too much technology in his modern world. He believed this made life too easy which gave people too much free time that they then filled with worry…

Things like mobile phones, the internet, and computer-driven machines hadn’t even entered popular culture yet. What would his opinion be of today’s Brave New World? He thinks things are bad in 1960, wait till he gets a load of the “always-on” society of the new Millenium! 😋 Does his theory help to explain why so many people suffer from anxiety in our modern world? Do we have such–relatively– easy lives, and consequently so much free time on our hands, that we have lengthy periods to “think” ourselves into an unnecessary panic?

Steinbeck felt regional cultures around the country were becoming too homogenized. That local dialects and customs weren’t as noticeable as he remembered from his childhood, he felt like they were all becoming too mixed and similar. He believed this was due to people moving all over the country and living in different places from where they grew up…

You have to wonder, if this was true way back then, how much worse is it now when people regularly move all around the world? On the other hand, does some good come from this? When we travel and move to places that push us out of our comfort zone, we are exposed to new ideas and cultures. I think that makes us more tolerant of and more educated about other viewpoints. Wouldn’t this experience then help to enrich our lives?

People are afraid to be honest with each other…

Steinbeck felt like there weren’t enough people, at that time, who would stand up for what they believed in. He mentioned how people didn’t want to talk about politics with their friends, families, or close confidants anymore. He lamented the division that he saw in the country…

It is interesting to think that, on the eve of one of the most turbulent decades in modern US history, he could feel like people wouldn’t stand up for what they believed in. The ’60s ended up being full of protests and people doing exactly what Steinbeck wanted to see more of, marching for what they felt to be just.

What would he say about the political situation in our country today? Plenty of people march and advocate for their rights, but others are afraid to speak up for fear of public shaming. I personally know people who won’t be open and honest with their closest friend or family member regarding who they plan to vote for in the next election because they’re afraid of negatively impacting that relationship. To me, this is a sad commentary on the state of our nation, that we can’t have differing opinions yet still respect each other.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Steinbeck talked about fighting with his Republican sisters (he was a self-professed Democrat) when he visited them, in his hometown, in California. They would call him a Communist for his liberal views and he would compare them to oppressive tyrants like Genghis Khan because of their conservative opinions…

Sound familiar? Things DEFINITELY haven’t changed on this front! I think it’s sad how you see so much of this today. In the US, Republican talking heads call Progressives “mentally ill” or “crazy”. In contrast, Progressive talking heads refer to anyone who doesn’t agree with them as “bigoted” or the ever-popular “Nazi”. I know it isn’t just here in the States either. I’m not super familiar with the politics of other countries, but I’ve read enough to know there are similar debates in those places, as well.

Why do we treat each other this way? I don’t understand what we can possibly hope to achieve with it. Is the majority of “the other side” really that bad? I don’t think so. Especially when those people consist of our friends, neighbors, and family members, who we otherwise love and respect.

I think our differences come less from one side being “right” or “wrong” and more from the fact that we misunderstand each others’ perspectives. I also believe that people on both sides of any given issue are often ignorant (intentionally or otherwise) of the plight that others face. I read once that “you should never criticize someone else’s views unless you can explain them. Because, if you can’t explain them, you don’t actually understand them”. I think this is incredibly apt. I believe we need to stay humble and realize we may not always be as “right” as we think we are.

In the book, Steinbeck mentions a reporter who was beaten and his camera smashed for covering certain demonstrations that were occurring. He states that the few, screaming people who were acting badly will be on tv and will end up representing that entire area or group. Unfortunately, no one will know about the many, good people from that same region or social category who just want to go about their daily lives. He describes the media in his day as, “…all the polls and opinion posts, with newspapers more opinion than news so that we no longer know one from the other”…

WOW! He could literally be writing about almost any newspaper or cable TV, news outlet in the country today! It amazes me, with all the time that has passed and the many changes our society has gone through, how similar Steinbeck’s world was to our own.

It’s interesting, but it’s sad in a way too. You get the impression that not much has changed. In some ways, it may have gotten worse with the rise of social media and the reach of the Internet. You also get the impression we haven’t learned much in the last six decades. Will things change much in the next six? I’m not sure I hold out much hope…

Can people of different political views be friendly toward each other?

Why do we fight so much and treat each other so badly? I just don’t understand it. Why does it always have to be “us” vs. “them”? Why, if someone disagrees with us, do we automatically have to see them in a bad light? Why can’t we each just have different views and opinions?

I have friends and family members that were raised in VERY similar situations as myself and with VERY similar values, yet we’re on completely opposite sides of the political spectrum. We may agree there is a problem, but have opposing viewpoints on how to solve that problem. Yet, for both of us, the desire to see the problem solved comes from a place of love and caring for–and wanting to help–our fellow man.

Why can’t we use that as a cornerstone to build on, rather than calling each other names and finding ways to divide ourselves, when our values and beliefs are often similar? We all have to live on this big, blue ball together. Can’t we figure out a way to work with each other?

To Conclude

Steinbeck died in 1968, however, the politically charged climate that he saw wasn’t much different than the one we face these days. I wonder what he would say about our modern world, and if he’d ask, “can’t we all just get along?”

So I challenge you, dear readers, to try to understand where someone from an opposing political viewpoint is coming from. I’m not asking you to change your stance on any issue but if your question is, “how could anyone believe that?” I encourage you to look more closely at their viewpoint. Honestly ask someone that holds that view to explain why they feel the way they do and then try to listen and understand with an open mind, an open heart, and without judgment.

I think if we take the approach that most people are good inside, even if they hold very different beliefs than we do, and we give them this benefit of the doubt, it would go a long way to making this world a better place for all of us.

How do you keep the peace between friends and family with opposing political viewpoints? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Adopting a New, Furry Friend!

In this post, I relate our adventure when we adopted a new puppy!

After our long-time dog crossed the rainbow bridge, we adopted a new, furry family member from our local Humane Society. It had only been a few months since the death of our other dog, so I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready for a new pup just yet.

However, we didn’t want to wait too late into the fall as it would’ve been harder to exercise a young pup during those darker, colder days (we knew we wanted a younger dog). We also didn’t want to have to wait all the way until the next spring to grow our family again.

I’m glad we adopted our new friend when we did though, as she had SO MUCH energy. It was nice that she was able to run around the backyard for a few months before the snow started flying and we were cooped up inside more.

At first, I felt really guilty about “replacing” our old friend. But seeing the differences in the personalities between the two really helped to ease the pain. Each one is definitely unique! I found that we didn’t “replace” one friend with another, we just made room in our hearts for another who needs us. I can love them both, in different ways.

Our previous dog had a large amount of energy and an incredibly dynamic and dominant personality. Let’s face it, she was a bit of a handful. The new pup has energy too, is more just usual “puppy” spirit. In general, she is more compliant and easier to train. This is lucky for us, as things seem a bit easier. It’s unlucky for her though, as we know better training techniques after being used to a “difficult child”. 😉

Puppy Particulars:

It was a bit of a change, going from a 14-year-old hound dog who was happy to sleep on the couch all day, to a 7-month-old puppy, bounding with energy. We had also been spoiled by our previous friend, she had come to our home fully potty-trained. Puppers didn’t make it that easy on us. Fortunately, she learned quickly that the weird humans she lives with made “happy noises” when she went outside to take care of certain urges. 😋

We don’t know a lot about her history, other than she came from one of the nearby American Indian reservations and her previous owners were kind enough to surrender her to the shelter when they felt they wouldn’t be able to care for her anymore.

She’s a mix of many “flavors” of pup. The vet told us “Shepherd mix”, though apparently, she has “Beagle eyes” (figures, that was the ONE breed I wasn’t crazy about–only because of the bark. Fortunately, now that she’s discovered her voice, I can happily report that it doesn’t appear that she inherited that particular gene. 😅) We also heard she could have Carolina Dog and various Currs in her.

Eventually, we did a DNA test which confirmed…she’s a mutt! 😂 Supposedly she officially has combinations of shepherd, Golden Retriever, St. Bernard! and some drops of cattle dog, among others.

She’s a timid little thing. She’s very sweet, she’s just a little afraid of strangers, and loud noises, and it took her a good while to warm up to Daddy (unless he was sitting on the couch downstairs in which case he made a perfect pillow. 🙄) We get the impression she never lived in a house before, and very likely came from a quiet, secluded area. This is because we noticed she was originally startled at any loud noise, including cars driving past or children yelling from nearby yards.

It didn’t help that we brought the poor thing home during one of the loudest weeks of the year in the Black Hills, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. 😝 I can imagine it would have been pretty overwhelming, to move from such a quiet place to the second most-populated region in the state. She did adjust quite well, though.

Puppers enjoys pats from the neighbor kids, though she seems to prefer having a fence between her and them as protection…for her. 😉 She absolutely LOVES other dogs.

The deer, rabbits, squirrels, and birds that frequented our yard were in for a surprise. Previously, they only ever had an elderly, arthritic dog to deal with. She’d put up a good show of chasing them, but everyone knew her heart wasn’t really in it anymore. Now they’ve got a young one with speed, agility, and energy (not to mention a healthy prey instinct) so they’re learning they need to actually move out of her way. 😂

This pooch is also OBSESSED with socks. If I put some outside on the drying rack, she carries them around the yard! 😝 She REALLY loves them if they’re still wet and sweaty. 🤢 She’s also FAST and LOVES to run! She makes good use of our fenced-in backyard!

Our pup doesn’t seem to have quite the same stamina as our old, hound dog, though she enjoys the many hikes we’ve taken her on in the nearby Hills. She has also learned to enjoy cars, including the camping trips, visits to the drive-in and storm chases we’ve taken in them.

Her one nemesis has been doorways. It took her almost a year to stop fearing them (though she LOVES her crate/”she-shed”).

We did have to teach her to walk on a leash. At first, she wasn’t sure about this tether that connected her to these strange people, but with a good harness, some practice, and a lot of patience, she learned that walks can be fun ways to enjoy new smells, people, and especially other doggies around the neighborhood.

Training the Terror: 😂

I have to say, this made me appreciate what the struggle must be in raising human children. I was barely capable of handling a puppy with the energy and mischievousness of a toddler! 😝 She wore me out those first few months! We’re lucky that she slept through the night. It took several months, but she finally stopped waking up around 5:30 am to play.

She was also a digger 😝 in those early days, and she enjoys finding things around the house and yard to chew on that may or may not be potentially harmful to her. Yikes! 😮 I think I’m growing those eyes in the back of my head. 🙃

A dog with its tongue hanging out lays on a car seat I read a puppy training book called The Power of Positive Dog Training† by Pat Miller. I really liked it! The author subscribes to the “positive” training method which employs the use of rewards (or lack thereof) rather than true punishments.

To give you an idea of her theory on the matter, she believes in using rolled-up newspapers in only one situation. If the puppy goes potty in the house (or otherwise tears up something it shouldn’t) you are allowed to use the rolled-up newspaper to smack yourself on the head and repeat “I need to supervise the dog better”. 😂

I really like this method. It’s essentially based on the idea that a dog is a dog, they’re going to do what dogs do. It is our job, as the species with superior intellect, to show them how to fit into our world. Dogs are never intentionally “bad” or spiteful. All they can do is behave like a dog. They only have bad owners or bad training.

There are no “bad” behaviors, there are only mistakes, miscommunications, misunderstandings, or painful memories of past experiences. Understanding that each animal comes with its own insecurities and histories (some of which may have been pretty negative) helps you to be more patient and understanding when they don’t always behave the way you want them to.

Rescuing a furry friend:

This is the second rescue dog the Trekkers have adopted. Rescuing a pet is an incredible thing but it comes with commitment and understanding.

Usually, a rescue dog brings with it some emotional baggage. Generally, the only way to avoid this is if you get them as young puppies, who were surrendered or found under the best of circumstances. Even then, they sometimes suffer issues from being separated from their mothers too early.

Unfortunately, many of these dogs are older and have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Some have lived on the street all their lives, fending for themselves and never knowing kind, human hands. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time and effort though. Once they learn to trust you, rescue dogs can be some of the most loyal and loving companions. And sometimes, it can be really nice to get a dog who’s past the chewing, puppy phase! 😝

Our old dog had been with her person for almost two years and was then surrendered to the Humane Society down in North Carolina. We didn’t see any evidence that she’d been abused or neglected, but she had separation anxiety from being left at the shelter (this is common for adult dogs who are surrendered).

She also had a strong fear of children, unless she got to know them well and slowly (there were a few friends’ kids who she got to know as babies that she absolutely LOVED!) We don’t know why she had this fear, but she had obviously had a negative experience with kids before she came to live with us.

Animals aren’t that different from people. They each have their own personalities and their own pasts. We need to be sensitive to that. I don’t say any of this to dissuade anyone from rescuing a pet, they can honestly be blessings to your family, you just have to be prepared for what you may be in for.

You will probably have to clean up someone else’s mess and teach the animals there is a better way of living. But they will ADORE you for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t matter how badly they’ve been treated in the past, all that matters is that you are their opportunity for a brighter future.

There are several rescues around our local area, many of which focus on animals from the local American Indian reservations. Unfortunately, there’s a large problem with strays and pet overpopulation in those areas. Many of the rescues are non-profits, run by volunteer Tribal members who do an incredible job. The adoption fees go to help rescue more animals, as well as to help provide low to no-cost vet care for people who live on the reservations, who want to keep their animals but struggle with vet costs.

We ended up working with the local Humane Society rather than one of the rescues, as that shelter was closer to our location and their adoption procedures are less complex (such as no home visits.) I understand why the rescues make the application procedures strenuous, they want to make sure the animals find committed, forever homes. But with the distance we’d have to travel to access these organizations, we opted for our local site instead. Oftentimes, dogs from the reservation rescues end up at our local shelter when the other rescues are full. The local Petsmart and Petco offer their adoption events through these agencies, as well.

If you live locally to the Black Hills, and you’re looking for a furry friend to add to your family (a cat, a dog, and sometimes other critters such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and even roosters or snakes!) I strongly encourage you to check out one of these local rescues (or Petsmart/Petco on their adoption days):

Humane Society of the Black Hills

Battle Mountain Humane Society

Oglala Pet Project

Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue

I’m not into clichés much, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. Unless you’re looking for a specific breed of dog for working or show purposes and you need a breeder, PLEASE, #adoptdontshop! You may be saving a life, and they’ll happily rescue you right back!

Have you ever adopted a pet? What was your experience like? Tell me about it in the comments!

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A Day in the Life of a Freelancer

In this post, I detail what I learned from my experience working as a freelancer.

Author’s Note: I wrote this article several years ago when I was working as a Freelancer, writing grants, online articles, and doing some consulting. Unfortunately, COVID brought that opportunity to a grinding halt (though I now have a more typical “9 to 5 job” I’m still blessed that it’s very flexible and it allows me to frequently work from home.) I thought people may still find my Freelance experience interesting though and I do hope to return to this type of work someday.

I cannot express how thankful I was that I was able to seize this opportunity. My thanks especially go out to my amazing hubby, as without him this wouldn’t have been possible (both emotionally and financially). A word of warning, this type of work is not all roses and sunshine. It’s hard work, there isn’t a lot of job security and it requires a large amount of personal discipline. But the freedom it gave me to live my life as I chose made it all worth it!

Can you freelance in most professions?

Freelance work covers a wide range of industries. It can be anything from online writing, web design, or consulting to an artist who is contracted for work or a person selling beauty products or supplements on the side.

A freelancer could be a stay-at-home parent who babysits other people’s children in addition to their own, jobs like Uber, or a dog walker. Basically, it is any service contracted between you and another party, for any type of payment.

Payment may not even be financial in nature. While I firmly believe no one should work for “free”, it isn’t unusual to do at least some freelance work for no financial compensation. Instead, “payment” could include experience earned, connections made, or even just the hope of future dividends paid. I got started as a volunteer and this eventually morphed into a paid opportunity.

Freelancing can be a physical job based on a hand-shake with a real human, or a gig in the new, online workforce where you may never meet or even see your client face-to-face. Literally ANYONE can do this!

Is freelancing a “real” job?

The answer is a resounding YES! (and it can be TOUGH!) Freelancing often gets a bad rap. It’s become more and more accepted and normal in the past few years (especially during COVID), and trends suggest this will only continue into the future.

But many people (and even some businesses and potential employers) treat it with condescension. They think all we freelancers do is sit on the porch all day, sipping on lemonade while we type on our laptops.

To be fair, there is a little truth to this idea (says the woman who is currently typing on her laptop while sitting on the porch. 😇)

But many don’t realize the effort that goes into freelancing…

A freelance job is stressful

I didn’t fully appreciate just how stressful freelancing would be when I first started. There are things they don’t tell you about this “dream job”. For one, you literally don’t get paid unless you’re actively working. That may seem silly to say, but you don’t realize just how tiring a day of work can be until you don’t make a dime unless the project is delivered and completed, to the client’s liking. Whether it takes you two hours or two days to complete the project, the payment is the same. Even if you bill a client on an hourly basis, you have to justify every minute of that hour.

At a typical hourly (or even salaried) job, you get paid for those breaks you take to run to the coffee machine, or the bathroom, or to stop by a coworker’s desk to discuss a project (and end up shooting the breeze for the next 20 minutes). As a freelancer, you don’t, you literally have to work for every…single…cent you make. It’s a wonderful, flexible, exhilarating, rewarding experience, but it’s also tiring. I can honestly say I felt more tired at the end of the day, working part-time from home as a freelancer, than I almost ever have working a normal, 9 – 5, hourly job.

There is a lack of job security with freelance work

There is also the financial strain of fluctuating, irregular income, and extreme job uncertainty with freelance work. While no job is “guaranteed”, people with long-term employment are usually pretty comfortable that their job will still be there next week or next month. With freelancing, there is virtually no job security. There are some contracted positions, but those are usually only “guaranteed” until the current project is complete (and as we all learned with COVID you can be laid off at any time, with little to no warning.) Most freelancers are continuously seeking out new work.

Freelancers work an irregular schedule

You can spend days or weeks with almost no work, and then a big project will crop up with little notice (which is wonderful, for the money and experience, but it can cause a lot of sudden stress and really throw off a family routine).

Please understand I don’t intend any of these statements as complaints. I LOVED working as a freelancer and hope to return to it someday. I am VERY aware of just how fortunate I was to even be allowed this opportunity. I just want people to understand that just like any job, working for yourself has its challenges, as well.

Freelancer pearls of wisdom

I learned a lot through my freelancer experience, and I know a lot of freelancers who are striving to make their “side-hustles” work, so I thought I’d pass on a few pearls of wisdom:

–Freelance work is INCREDIBLY rewarding. This was one of the only jobs where I actually felt like I EARNED every single dime I made (don’t tell any of my “real” bosses I said that! 😛) That felt REALLY GOOD!

It was ironic, I made less working as a freelancer than I had in more than a decade, but I felt more proud of the work I did and the income I received. It reminded me of when I first started working in high school. Even though the checks weren’t large, I knew I busted my butt for every single dime I received (of course, then Uncle Sam comes in and takes his share…😤)

–I find online freelance work can be surreal. It IS work, it takes time, planning, and mental energy. But it doesn’t FEEL “real”. Depending on the type of work you do, tt may not be unusual to only communicate with clients via email or online messaging. You may never hear their actual voice, or even know what they look like! Then there’s also the fact that your work is magically sent into the ether that is the World Wide Web, and then, a while later, if the client is pleased, money magically appears in your bank account. 😮

I’ve gotten several jobs through Upwork, a freelance matching service. There are several platforms like this out there that allow freelancers to connect with potential clients around the world. I’ve worked with companies as far away as Seattle. Living in western South Dakota, just a few, short years ago it would have been hard to even connect with a place like this.

–I am still somewhat amazed that you can actually make a decent income, literally working from your backyard. I have learned that there are actually legitimate companies out there that will pay you a decent wage to work from home. It takes a little luck to get established and to find some of the connections, but once you get over that hurdle, depending on the time you have available, your internet connectivity, your skillset, and your determination, you can make a decent career for yourself as a freelancer.

–I liked being able to pick and choose what companies I wanted to work with and what projects I wanted to work on. Obviously, if I was picky, that meant less money in my pocket. But it enriches your work life when you don’t have a boss forcing you to work on a project you aren’t interested in or being forced to work with a company you don’t respect.

–I had to learn about things like quarterly tax payments to the state, and “estimated tax” to the Federal government. Ugh, every time I had to deal with the bureaucracy involved with these my Libertarian heart grew a little larger (and I say that as a former State employee living in a business-tax-friendly state! 🤑)

–Then there’s the constant bane of my existence, the one act of blogging that makes me want to rip my hair out and throw the–not inexpensive–laptop across the room…the dreaded coding. 🤮 I HATE coding! I’m learning to do it, though I’m still an extreme novice, but I HATE it. I know, this is an unpopular opinion, and I probably just made a bunch of “Women-in-STEM” advocates cringe, 😉 but I can’t help it. I HATE it! 😋

I find coding is a tedious process. The more I understand, the more I can use it, but it just doesn’t spark my interest. A lot of people really enjoy it, and I can kind of understand why. It is like a puzzle that needs to be solved (kind of like math, which I also HATE! 😉)

But for me, the time spent trying to figure out why that stupid heading INSISTS on remaining in the middle of the page just feels like a waste of time. It’s probably mostly that the blog isn’t making much income at this time. That’s ok, that’s how these things work and I understand that. The hope is that it will pay dividends in the future. But I think the stress of spending hours fighting the code would be much easier to handle if a hefty salary came along with it. 😛

Goals I was able to achieve in my attempt at freelancing:

- - I’ve was able to develop a decent portfolio of online travel writing that served me well in long-standing jobs
  - My grant writing career didn’t progress like I hoped it would. COVID, and the resulting economic decline saw to that. I did find I could only focus on a few projects at once, so having one or two clients I could place all my focus on was much better than having to divide that focus out among numerous agencies.I originally started by providing volunteer services. I learned A LOT during those years, and am happy to say that knowledge paid off as several grants I submitted were approved for funding. It’s incredibly satisfying to be able to help local, non-profit agencies that I care about and can see literally helping people in my own community, to be able to continue to provide those necessary services.
  - For a short time, I was able to work as a consultant for a local agency and was able to pull from several previous jobs to succeed in that position.
  - Regarding the blog, I have learned SO MUCH regarding marketing, social media, and coding and I’ve even begun to master the much-dreaded SEO. 😮 Don’t let anybody kid you, maintaining a blog can be a full-time job in itself. But I’m excited to say I’m finally starting to see some success and growth!

You won’t find a more flexible, family-friendly work environment than that of a freelancer. But, there’s also the stress that comes from uncertain job security and the financial strain that’s caused when you move away from a steady, full-time income (and benefits). This is made far easier for anyone who can lean on a partner or spouse for financial support or things like health insurance, but not everyone is in that position, which makes freelancing even more difficult.

To Conclude

Many people pursue freelancing on a part-time basis as the ever-popular “side hustle“. This is a GREAT way to get started, it’s also far smarter and more secure financially. But it poses problems of its own…

We’re all busy, trying to carve out time in our days around work, house chores, dealing with kids and/or elderly parents, or working around busy family schedules. Finding time to fit in an additional job, especially one where you may not make much money for the first several years, can feel like an insurmountable obstacle.

I pursued this endeavor under the best of circumstances (I was financially able to lean on a partner for support and we don’t have kids), and I STILL felt the stress and eventually failed at my endeavor (at least for now. 😉) I can’t imagine how people who deal with additional stressors manage. So to all the other freelancers out there, trying to make it as a pioneer in this new, gig economy, my hats off to you!

Have you done freelance work? What have you learned? Are you interested in becoming a freelancer? What additional questions do you have? Let me know in the comments!

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A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle

In this post, I review how I’m continuing to implement some low-carb recipes into my everyday diet.

Several years ago I tried to go low-carb as part of my Lenten fast. I’ve been able to maintain some of the low-carb practices and recipes I learned during that experiment and make them a sustainable part of my everyday life. I’ve had some interesting results.

The low-carb diet killed my sweet tooth!

It appears that my sweet tooth took a bit of a hit during my low-carb experiment. (I suppose some may consider this a good thing. 😛) I still enjoy sweets, I just find that my tolerance for them is lower. Or, at least, that my “palate fatigue” is stronger in regards to sweet treats. (This mechanism was discussed in the Paleo and Keto Diet book I reviewed in a previous post.) This seems to mean that while I still have a desire for sweet foods, and still enjoy them, my craving for them ends more quickly and it is easier to put them aside.

I also find I no longer have any interest in something that is “just sweet”. This would be treats such as milk chocolate or plain Rice Krispy squares. If I’m going to stimulate my sweet tooth these days, I need something with real flavor. Dark chocolate and/or treats that include peanut butter now seem to be the most appealing.

Better low-carb food choices…

I’m also striving to continue to snack more healthily, and have been attempting to stick with nuts, trail mix, and granola bars, rather than chips or sweet snacks. I’ve still been trying to keep more whole grains, brown and wild rice, whole-wheat flour, and more “breads with seeds” (as Mr. Trekker calls them 😉) in my diet as well. One of our new favorites is a rice medley of brown and wild rice that I add edamame to. Sprinkle a little soy sauce on for added flavor and it is divine! It’s also filling and really sticks with you! (See the pic above for the finished product!)

I have been rather proud of myself. In addition to having less of a sweet tooth, I’m still finding I don’t crave processed foods as much as I used to. I allow myself to eat these occasionally, but now I seem to be able to make a single bag of Cheetos last SEVERAL weeks when I used to only be able to contain my impulses on these favorite snacks for a few days. I am also finding that certain “naughty” foods, such as sweets, or fast food items, just don’t taste all that good anymore. This makes them far easier to say “no” to! 😁

Every now and then I continue to get the occasional, lightly-queasy feeling I mentioned previously, which I’m hoping means I’m still eating fewer carbs than I used to since this seems to be a normal side effect of a low-carb diet. It usually only occurs when I’m getting hungry, and I’m still finding that a handful of peanuts seems to take care of it rather effectively.

Fasting as part of a healthy diet

I’m also still trying to implement 12:12 fasting as well, where I try to eat mostly between the hours of 7:30 am – 7:30 pm. This is harder in the summer as it remains light so late. We tend to be outside in the evening, adventuring, or even just doing yard work, so sometimes dinner hasn’t even occurred yet by 7:30. This is especially true on weekends, though I tend to be more lenient with myself on those days.

Nausea from too many carbs…

I had an unexpected experience regarding white-pasta. We had spaghetti one night as well as some breadsticks. My body had a few things to say about this…

A short time after we finished dinner, the feeling came on fast. It was kind of like an odd mix of heartburn and an IBS episode, but without any pain. I just felt very strange. It felt like there was a giant brick in my stomach, weighing me down. Then I started to feel a bit shaky. I was also sweating profusely (with IBS episodes I break out into a cold sweat, get chills, and shake, but I also have intense stomach cramps). With the help of Tums, some ginger ale, and a little rest, I quickly got to feeling much better.

Related posts: Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent

This was a one-time occurrence and I haven’t had a relapse. I’m assuming my body just didn’t know how to handle that large brick of carbs anymore. I ate white-flour noodles and white-flour garlic breadsticks, and really nothing else. I had no cheese or protein, and even the sauce I used was a light, Italian sauce. On the other occasions that I’ve eaten large amounts of carbs, it was always mixed with other proteins or cheeses, such as in pizza.

I will say, I’m used to my stomach doing strange things, but that was a whole new experience. 🤢

Conclusion

My body seems to function best with a higher carb intake (healthier carbs at least) rather than what a typical, low-carb diet allows for. Overall, I think this crazy diet had a beneficial effect on me. I’m happy to see that while I’m in no way maintaining a strict, low-carb diet any longer, the experience seems to continue to encourage my appetite to lean toward healthier foods.

What steps do you take to maintain a lower carb intake? Tell me about them in the comments!

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Ode to an Old Friend

In this post, I remember the life of a wonderful dog!

After 12 wonderful years, we finally had to say goodbye to our family dog. We aren’t sure exactly how old she was. We adopted her as a young adult in 2007 so…she was at least 13 and could have been closer to 15, just based on the information we were given at the time of adoption. This sweet, spoiled canine led a good, long life!

Allow yourself to feel grief

Sometimes “adulting” is hard. I’ve spoken before about how we don’t like to experience any pain in the modern world if we can avoid it (and frequently we can). There’s usually a pill that will at least help to dull the ache. Pain is never completely avoidable in life, though. One of those unavoidable heartaches is the loss of close friends (be they human or animal). Grief sucks…and it HURTS!

We must keep in mind though, that this feeling of loss we are forced to experience from time to time is actually a sign of a good life. That pain means you had something to love, something that added joy to your life, to begin with. We should consider ourselves blessed if we have things in our lives that hurt so much to lose.

The Trekkers have been preparing for this eventuality for quite a while. For the last several years, we’ve watched our dear friend, slow, lose her hearing, and the ability to fully enjoy many activities she used to delight in. The dog who once–with enthusiasm–drug our butts all the way up and down the 6,683-foot Mt. Mitchell, in North Carolina, became a greying friend who could barely make it around the block.

Our furry friend led an enjoyable life. Since 2007 she’s accompanied us on countless hiking and camping adventures, traveled with us to both Indiana and New England to spend holidays with our families, and relocated more than 1700 miles across the country with us when we moved from North Carolina to the Black Hills of South Dakota. (She glared at me from the back seat of my Civic through every mile of that trip 😂! This is a dog who used to get carsick after less than 15 minutes in a car, which made things interesting those first few years. 😛)

We adopted her from the Wake County Humane Society in Raleigh, North Carolina. For anyone living in the area, this is an amazing place. They provide an incredibly comprehensive survey to help match you with your ideal pet, and they provide support services after adoption (such as behavior counseling) if needed.

Happier memories of times past:

Black and tan dog lays on the back cushions of a sofa — She LOVED to sleep on the back of that couch (it did not survive her)! 😂

(View from the rear) Dog walks in front of a woman down a trail in the woods — Dragging Mommy down the trail…

(View from the rear) Dog walks down a snowy trail in front of a man — Dragging Daddy through the snow…

Black and tan hound dog stands on a rock in the forest — She loved getting outdoors!

In case it isn’t obvious from the pictures, this pup was spoiled rotten. 😉

We received her terminal diagnosis several months before she died, so we were very blessed to get to spend so much extra time with her. She ended up outliving the vet’s prognosis by several months! We were so happy that she hung on long enough to be able to enjoy laying in the sun and rolling in the soft, green grass of spring again.

I have to say a huge, “thank you!” to the staff at Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic as well. They took such good care of our friend for the last eight years, she actually enjoyed going there. On her last day on earth, she happily walked in the front doors, excited to see the friends she had made there. The staff made a difficult and painful experience as easy as possible to bear.

We were fortunate to have more than 12 long years with our friend, and I like to think she was pretty happy with her human pack members as well.

We should all strive to live life like a hound dog!

Goodbye old friend, you are missed but you will never be forgotten…

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Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent

In this post, I outline what I learned when trying a low-carb diet.

Several years ago I tried going low-carb for my Lenten Fast. Honestly, it didn’t go very well…

I did a pretty good job of staying away from grains (my primary goal) but I ate potatoes…and fruit…and drank soda. I ate a hard-core, hearty, wild rice medley on a few occasions, as well as bread ONE TIME (that was more out of necessity and it had actual seeds in it!) 😉😝

It still floors me that foods of this heartiness can somehow be “bad” for you (assuming you don’t have outstanding medical conditions). These types of seemingly counterintuitive ideas still make me a little dubious that this low-carb craze is really best for every body type. 🤔

Going Low Carb is Hard!

I think I mentioned it before, but in case I didn’t make my feelings perfectly clear then…this diet is a PAIN IN THE A**! I wasn’t expecting it to be as hard as it was, and I wasn’t expecting to come to LOATHE it as much as I did.

Cravings weren’t the problem, those actually weren’t too bad and I have experience dealing with those. What I wasn’t expecting is how INCREDIBLY inconvenient this diet is. That is what I found to be the most difficult part. People never talk about that factor.

As an example, you may have to go to multiple stores to find what you need as it’s not easy to make substitutions. I can’t imagine trying to work the diet around the palate of a picky child (this picky adult struggled 😝).

Perhaps for people in more metropolitan areas, this isn’t as much of a problem. But for those of us where the nearest Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods is 400 miles away, it can be a bit of a hindrance. 😝

The main takeaways from my low-carb experiment:

- - This diet is EXPENSIVE (compare a bag of almond flour to a bag of regular flour sometime)! 😝
  - This diet is difficult if the entire household doesn’t commit to it. You either have to end up making multiple dishes to keep everyone happy, or the special food ends up posing a HUGE inconvenience to anyone not committed to it. (This seems unfair to them, in my mind, if you’re pursuing the diet for non-health-related reasons.)
  - Unless you live in a warm climate where you have regular, easy access to fresh fruit and veggies all year round–or you have your own large orchard/garden to get these goodies from and can easily preserve them for later–you can end up needing to go to the store multiple times per week to keep getting fresh foods. The stuff that’s good for you spoils quickly, especially during the warmer months. (Oh, and have I mentioned that fruit has carbs in it). 🙄
  - I was hungry quite a bit. That probably means I wasn’t eating enough protein, but dear God, how much meat can one person stuff their face with? 😝
    I probably should have chowed down more on the vegetables too, but as I’ve said before, I have a sensitive gag reflex regarding veggies, I can’t explain why. Ever since I was a child, a certain texture or “green” flavor hits the back of my tongue and it’s like my stomach lurches and my throat closes up. At that moment, any appetite is instantly gone (of course it comes back later, with a VENGENCE).
  - I found that I thought about food ALL THE TIME. I was CONSTANTLY thinking about what I was going to make for the next meal (or the next several meals)…and whether or not I needed to stop at the store while I was out running errands (or make a special trip out just to go to the grocery store)…and if I DID need to go out which store, specifically, did I need to go too? It was EXHAUSTING! 😝
  - I also noted more instances of heartburn when I went low-carb. This seems odd, as most of the research I’ve done makes it seem that low-carb diets should help with heartburn occurrences. Maybe this is further evidence that my body doesn’t really need a low-carb diet? Or, maybe I’m just suffering the effects of getting old. 😝
  - In a previous post, I talked about feeling like carb-heavy meals made me feel full of air, whereas protein-heavy meals left a more substantial, full feeling. I will say, when I eat mostly protein and vegetables, I feel like there are still a few holes missing. Like a piece of bread or some crackers could just perfectly cap off the satisfying meal.
    I found it interesting that this desire did not slacken AT ALL across the six-week fast. (I’m also taking it to mean it’s ok if I eat some carbs since it seems like that’s what my body wants. 😁)

The most surprising thing of all, I found this diet to be depressing, and I mean that in the most literal way. For me, it kind of sucked the joy out of eating. It required so much thought and planning and was so limiting of foods I truly enjoy, that it made me not even want to bother. I couldn’t help feeling like, “what’s the point”?

Going low carb made me miss out on some of my favorite foods

I’ve said this before but I’m sorry, I can’t give up things like pizza, or noodles, or brownies. Not entirely at least. I may be able to reduce my consumption of them, but as long as these things aren’t making people in our household sick (and at this point in our lives they aren’t), I can’t give them up entirely.

At some point, giving up these things starts to make life less fulfilling. I’m not sure if that’s emotionally unhealthy, to put that much emphasis on food, but I think it’s how a lot of us are. Food reflects our cultures, in both a macro and micro sense, so I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. It brings us comfort and happiness, it’s called “comfort food” for a reason for heaven’s sake! 😉

I’ve said it plenty of times before, but I’ll say it again, I’m a Midwest girl at heart. We show love through food (this includes some of the most fattening, most DELICIOUS meals you can think of). 😝 I enjoy eating, plus, I was fortunate to grow up in a family of good cooks who passed their recipes on to me (Mr. Trekker doesn’t complain). 😉

Related posts: Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!; Yummy Low-Carb Foods; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle

I enjoy foods that bring back memories of family dinners and happy times. This diet takes A LOT of those emotions away. If I don’t require it for health reasons, why would I want to limit myself like that? So, lessening, yes, substitutions, sure, but complete exclusion of certain foods, I don’t think so. 😝

There were a few good takeaways from my low-carb experience:

- - I found it interesting how much I became aware of my eating practices (such as how many “white” carbs I generally consume that aren’t good for you. Also, how frequently I eat them). I do hope to continue better practices in the future regarding snacks (trail mix and peanuts rather than chips, for example).
  - Another thing I found is you can usually “eat-paleo” at just about any location, you just may need to get creative. (I say “usually” because I actually found that I could not find ONE low-carb dish at one of my favorite restaurants. Hey “Pizza Joint”, they have invented this stuff called “salad”.) 😝As an example, take McDonald’s. You can eat a burger (or two) and salad, just hold the bun. Technically, you should also hold the cheese and ketchup, but I wouldn’t. 😝 (This hearkens back to my point about, “why bother eating, at some point?”) Obviously, McD’s isn’t the healthiest choice, but in a pinch, you can make places like this work.

Going low carb is a complete lifestyle change

I LOVE to eat, so it has to be exciting, it has to be a treat. If it isn’t, I’ll never be able to maintain a lifestyle change such as this. As long as my household remains healthy, where the foods we eat aren’t making us sick (such as with Type 2 Diabetes, Gluten Intolerance, etc.) I’m going to stick with what enhances my life. After all, if we aren’t enjoying it, what’s the point?

If Mr. Trekker or I needed a diet like this for health-related reasons, that would be one thing. I can commit to a lifestyle change with that kind of motivation. But that’s really what this diet is, it’s a full-scale, lifestyle change. If you aren’t willing to commit to it fully, I would dissuade you from it.

In the end, I’m glad I tried the experiment. I learned that my body does seem to respond better to a higher protein and fat diet (with whole-grain carbs included). As an example, if I have a sandwich for lunch, white pasta for dinner, or cereal for breakfast, my stomach is growling LOUDLY (and I am STARVING) just a few hours later.

In contrast, if I eat something higher in protein (a thick piece of steak, pork, or chicken) mixed with veggies, or breakfast with bacon, eggs, and potatoes, I can usually make it 3 – 4 hours without feeling hungry. This makes sense, as basically, fats and proteins burn more slowly than carbs (though I do notice that “non-white” carbs, such as brown rice, millet, and items with whole grains, stick with me better).

So, based on this, in the future, I’m going to pursue more of a “slow-carb” diet rather than a “low-carb” diet. This allows for whole-grain carbs and, I think, will fit far better with the Trekkers’ current lifestyle (and my patience level).

So my take-away after six weeks of going low-carb…I won’t be “going Keto” (or Paleo) anytime soon!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with some soft, Easter Dinner rolls!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Have you tried a low-carb diet? Tell me about your experiences in the comments!

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Mindfulness and the Open Road

Who wants to go on a road trip?

I love going for drives, I absolutely LOVE them. I love lengthy road trips too (as anyone that’s followed this blog for a while should know) but I also love just simple drives around the countryside. It’s hard to describe the feeling of peace and freedom that comes from the open road.

I enjoy drives by myself on winding roads (just me and my Honda, dancing through turns). I also enjoy them with Mr. Trekker, my trusty side-kick, and usually, the primary driver. He’s probably one of the only people I can stand being stuck in a car with for days on end. 😁 (This is another good sign to watch for if you’re considering marrying someone. The question isn’t just can you tolerate, but do you actually enjoy lengthy car rides with your significant other? 😁 )

Can you inherit wanderlust?

I maintain it’s not my fault that I have this crazy obsession with the open road, it’s in my genes. I seem to have inherited my maternal grandfather’s wanderlust. He used to love to “go for a drive”. Oftentimes, he’d invite us grandkids along (it didn’t hurt that this usually meant there was a Wendy’s frosty in your future if you went 😉). I can remember my grandma asking him, “why are you going this way?” His response was always, “I already went the other way!” (Duh! 😉) I firmly endorse this statement!

Mr. Trekker even knows if he’s driving us somewhere, we can’t go the same way twice. Why would we go home the way we came, we already saw that stuff today?! 😝

Can wanderlust be taught?

I don’t think this desire is all Nature though, I blame Nurture, as well. I went on numerous road trips throughout my childhood, with both my parents and grandparents. I rode along with my paternal grandparents, one year when they returned to their home in Kansas after a visit to Indiana. I also rode to Florida for family vacations several times as a child. I even helped my maternal grandparents drive there on a few occasions, as I got older and they started wintering in the warmer climate. My parents and I also took numerous trips to New England over the years, to visit family.

As it turns out, there were times Mr. Trekker and I may have been quite near each other, throughout our childhood, as he grew up near where the family we were visiting lived–we didn’t actually meet until college though. He also shares my love of road trips, probably due, in no small part, to the highway adventures he enjoyed while growing up. His parents took him throughout New England, as well as to countless Civil War battlefields up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Songs about the Open Road

There are a few songs that well relate my love of the open road (click on the link on each title to hear the full song):

In “Take a Back Road”, by Rodney Atkins, the lyrics state:

…Gotta get outta here, get it all off my mind
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel…

These lyrics speak to me because there are times when I feel like I need to escape from the stress of daily life.

…Tear down some two-lane country who knows?
Get lost and get right with my soul…

We shouldn’t be afraid to go the long way through the countryside, things seem to fall back into balance after spending a little time on the open road.

I’ve been cooped up, tied down ‘bout forgotten
What a field looks like full of corn and cotton…
…I need the curvin’, windin’, twistin’ dusty path to nowhere…

I, personally, could never forget the sight of a field. I grew up surrounded by them (and still live by the prairie). But that isn’t the case for everyone. A lot of people are constantly surrounded by a concrete jungle. I think this separation between us and our evolutionary roots with the natural world causes angst for people. Getting out on the open road helps us get back in touch with those roots.

In “Backroad”, by Granger Smith, the lyrics state:

Barbed wire fence carving out a hillside, cutting holes in the midday sun
Like a postcard framed in a windshield covered in dust
I love the rhythm of an old grey blacktop
Steer the wheel, one-handed on a two-lane, hugging that line
I got the windows down, no one else around singin’…

I used to be incredibly outgoing and extroverted. I would get re-energized just by being around other people. These days, I’m still outgoing, but more and more, I prefer quiet and solitude. Mr. Trekker and I can spend several days in the wilderness, with just each other, the pup, birds, deer, moose, and maybe a bear for company. We head into “town”–that can mean very different things in different parts of the country–to restock on supplies and get a shower, and within a day we’re both ready to get back to the solitude again. These days, I get exhausted being around people all the time.

**Working from home the last several years probably doesn’t help my newfound introverted side much. I spend more time alone (or with just the dog) now than I ever used to, which I am PERFECTLY happy about, mind you. I have actually found, now that I’m not around people as much, my patience for them (in parking lots, while driving, in stores) has actually increased. It’s like less exposure to people increases my tolerance level for them! 😂

We hope to someday get property in the Hills. Maybe we’ll live close enough to our neighbors so that we can actually see their house from ours…maybe. 😝 We currently live in town, but at least in the summer, our backyard is walled in by green trees, shrubs, and bushes. I can at least pretend I’m alone. I see pictures of other neighborhoods where the houses are closer together, or the properties aren’t separated by barriers. Or I see pictures in large cities where big buildings block out the sky unless you’re looking straight up. These images just make me cringe! They get my anxious heart pumping! I need room to breathe, ya’ll! (Again, not really my fault. I grew up as a farm girl in Indiana, it only makes sense that I love wide open spaces.) 😁

Granger Smith goes on to say:

Freedom is the miles I’m rollin’ on…
…I feel the wheel like a melody, like a radio dialing in strong
The breeze smells like a summertime hay field’s just been cut
I got the windows down, way out of town singing…

There is freedom on the open road (and the smell of fresh-cut hay is DEVINE!) Don’t just take my word for it. There have been some famous people who have shared my love of it too. John Steinbeck, for example, in his book “Travels with Charlie” (his poodle) comes to mind. In that account, he and Charley enjoy a country-spanning road trip, sleeping out of his truck camper.

Another song that reflects my love for the open road is “My Church”, by Maren Morris. The lyrics of that song state:

…I find holy redemption
When I put this car in drive
Roll the windows down and turn up the dial
Can I get a hallelujah
Can I get an amen
Feels like the Holy Ghost running through ya…
…I find my soul revival…
…Yeah, I guess that’s my church…
…When this wonderful world gets heavy
And I need to find my escape
I just keep the wheel rolling, radio scrolling
‘Til my sins wash away

I get this sentiment. I feel the same way about the open road. I feel refreshed and stimulated when I’m out there. It’s almost a spiritual experience or a spiritual renewal of sorts. I feel so much more relaxed after a good, long drive. It’s like I can breathe again, like I’ve been rejuvenated.

**This is partially why I love being out in nature so much. It’s quiet, it’s natural, it’s solitude, it’s peaceful. You gotta respect it because it can kill you, 😳 but it can also refresh you in a way nothing artificial can. Nature and wide-open vistas are my Xanax!

Oddly enough, I don’t love the Plains because they are too wide open. It’s a bit overwhelming. I love the mountains, but I couldn’t live in them, either. For one thing, the weather can be too extreme. For another, they block the view! I prefer to live in the foothills, they are an almost “Goldilocks”-type region. You get to experience the best of both worlds. The flatter land that leads up to the base of the mountains is open, so you feel like you can breathe, but it doesn’t continue on endlessly. It is reigned in by the rocks (and you can also enjoy mountain views, as well). You also benefit from the protection the monoliths provide from the worst of the weather, and lower altitudes usually also offer more mild weather.

I love taking my car on the winding back roads. It’s fun to drive and it makes you feel like you’re one with the land, it’s like you can finally relax. I LOVE the smells of the country, yes, even “those” smells. Manure is natural too kids! 😉

Below are some more pictures of our travels on the open road. Don’t they just make you feel like you can breathe?:

So, the next time you get the chance, don’t be afraid to get out there and enjoy your own back roads a little!

Do you enjoy long drives in the country? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!

In this post, I detail how I felt while trying out a low-carb diet, and several new recipes we tried.

Below are some Keto-friendly recipes I tried during my Low-Carb Lent a few years ago:

Stir-fry with Cauliflower Rice:

This was YUMMY! This was one of those recipes that isn’t really a recipe because you can pretty much throw whatever sounds good into it. You can even buy frozen, stir-fry mixes with the veggies already cut up (some of them have sauce packets too).

For veggies I used:
Green peppers
Onions
Mushrooms
Edamame
Corn
Canned bean sprouts
Water chestnuts

For the sauce, I used a Kikkoman stir-fry sauce, but again, you can use whatever you want. I’d recommend two bottles of it (though I made a huge pan and we had plenty leftover).

Also, drain the veggies and meat before you put the final dash of sauce on so it doesn’t water down the flavor of the sauce, or get too soupy. (I didn’t bother to read the directions on the bottle first. If I had, I would have cooked the meat in the sauce first so it had a stronger flavor. I’ll do that next time. According to the directions, you’re supposed to then remove the meat and cook the veggies in that sauce/meat-juice mixture. Then you can add a little more sauce if you want…but who reads directions? 😝)

For the meat you can, again, use whatever sounds good. I used steak strips, but you could do chicken, or pork, or shrimp (or a combo)!

Beef stir fry on a plate — I was pretty proud of this one!

For the cauliflower rice, I just got a few bags, frozen, from Walmart. You can microwave them in the bag, though I sautéed them up in a skillet with some olive oil.

I was pleasantly surprised that the cauliflower didn’t stink when I cooked it (I was worried if it smelled strongly it would turn my stomach and that would ruin any chance of me liking the food. Since then, I have found the smell is stronger if you cook the bag in the microwave.)

The taste isn’t too strong either. You can definitely taste a little cauliflower, but it is mild. I wouldn’t want to eat it plain, but mixed with other foods, it was pretty good. I like the texture as well. It is a little more grainy than regular rice, a little firmer, but we both like our rice pretty chewy/al dente, so we don’t mind. If you’re used to eating brown or wild rice, which is firmer anyway, it isn’t too big of a change. We only needed one bag of cauliflower for the two of us, but we ate it all at that one meal.

Cauliflower that looks like rice, in a pan on a stove — “Riced” cauliflower

Broccoli and Cheese Veggie Tots

Another YUMMY choice! Full disclosure, I LOVE tater tots, L-O-V-E, LOVE them. But regular potatoes are kind of a no-no on a low-carb diet (one rule I’m only following when I feel like it 😝). So we tried these as a substitute. They are good! They are lightly breaded (I didn’t realize that till I was eating them, oops!), and since they contain cheese they would NOT be Paleo-friendly (meh!) Mr. Trekker doesn’t share my love of tater tots (though ironically, he likes potatoes WAY more than I do), so he was fine with these as an alternative.

Breaded "veggie tots" in a bowl — Pay no attention to the breading! 😇

Related posts: Low-carb Lent; Yummy Low-Carb Foods; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent

Rice Ramen:

We enjoyed this as well. They are ramen noodles, basically, but they had no salt as they’re just the straight noodle. You don’t add a packet of seasoning (you can add whatever sauce/toppings you want, they basically take on the flavor of that).

There are some carbs, but it’s about half of what you find in normal pasta. Also, these noodles are VERY filling, but in a satisfying way, not the airy, “white-carb” way that only leaves you feeling full for about five minutes. I was full all night after eating these and that’s unusual for me for a normal “spaghetti night”. I LOVE the texture on these, but then I LOVE ramen. 😝

Note: You have to be careful cooking these noodles, there’s about a 30-second, Goldilocks-style difference between too hard, PERFECT, and too mushy.

There are several varieties, but the one I prefer is a combination of brown rice flour and millet. We both really liked it. We tried them with alfredo sauce, broccoli, and chicken; with just regular Italian dressing; and with regular “red” sauce. All were good, though the lighter the sauce flavor, the duller the flavor of the dish, so I would definitely recommend something more flavorful. This type of noodle reminds me a lot of angel-hair pasta, which is one of my favorites!

Bag of Organic Millet & Brown Rice RAMEN — I’ll be keeping this in the rotation!

Chicken, green veggies and pasta with white sauce on a plate — One of my new creations!

Pizza with Cauliflower Crust:

This one was easy, we got it from a local pizza place. 😉 It was also, surprisingly good (albeit expensive). The texture was a little different from that of a normal pizza crust. It was a little denser and chewier, but I liked it! Mr. Trekker liked it too!

If I hadn’t known I was eating something different, I don’t even know if I would have noticed. There was no flavor difference that I could tell. I had buffalo chicken pizza, so that may have helped. This pizzeria also offers garlic-cheese “breadsticks” with a cauliflower crust. I wouldn’t mind trying that sometime as well, just to see if the taste of the crust is any more noticeable.

I did find this didn’t reheat well. The crust got very dark and hard. It wasn’t inedible, but it also wasn’t nearly as tasty as it had been the night before. Aside from the exorbitant cost, this is definitely something I’d be willing to try again!

Side Effects of a Low-carb Diet:

A few things I’ve noticed while trying out a low-carb diet:

- - I noticed a bit of nausea and queasiness when I would get hungry (usually close to meal-time). My understanding is, this comes from low blood sugar and isn’t unusual for people switching to a low-carb lifestyle. The answer seems to be, “eat more protein”. I found that a handful of nuts or a granola bar when I first felt it coming on usually solved the problem.
  - In the past, when I stopped eating sweets for Lent, I’ve experienced strong cravings for carbs. This makes sense as my body was seeking out alternative sources of sugar for fuel. I was pleasantly surprised this didn’t seem to be the case when I went “low-carb”. I assume this was because I had already decreased my carb intake, so my body was learning to seek out protein for energy instead?I did crave proteins, specifically beef, as well as salt. My understanding is, the salt cravings are also normal. The answer (again) seems to be, “eat more protein”, and increase your salt intake (seriously). It has something to do with your electrolytes being out of whack due to the lack of carbs.Apparently, on a low-carb diet, your liver and kidneys flush more salt rather than store it, so it’s normal to need to refresh the supply more readily. I found, if I had a particularly strong craving, just a small pinch of salt really helped (also it was INCREDIBLY satisfying).
  - The first week or two of the diet I noticed increased irritability (Mr. Trekker did not comment on this, he is a wise, wise man 😂). It almost felt like I was suffering from PMS, even though I knew that wasn’t likely the culprit (that explanation won’t help the male readers much. 😝) Again, based on research I’ve done, it appears this is a normal part of the transition, as your body learns to use different fuel sources. It seemed to ebb after the first few weeks.
  - I struggled to feel satisfyingly full. I’ve noticed this in the past as well, just from giving up sweets, but really cutting back the carbs increased the issue (and may have contributed to the irritability). Eating protein-rich snacks, such as nuts, really helped, and I’m tried to increase my veggie and fruit intake. (You have to be careful with fruit though, as it does contain carbs, from the natural sugar. I noted in a previous post that I didn’t worry myself as much with those types of carbs.).Eating more veggies is probably the best answer, but as I’ve mentioned before, neither my palate nor my gag reflex has a love affair with vegetables, especially the green ones. I keep finding more that I enjoy, and I keep seeking out new ways to prepare others to help me learn to tolerate them.
  - I rarely felt “stuffed” when I ate fewer carbs. I have definitely noticed a difference in how I feel based on what I eat. When I eat more “white” carbs, or more carb-heavy, rather than protein-heavy, I feel different. It’s like you feel full, but not satisfyingly full. You feel bloated, almost like there’s too much air inside you rather than actual substance. Whereas when I fill up more on protein or at least the whole-grain carbs that digest more slowly, I feel satisfyingly full. I thought that was interesting.

In the book, Wired to Eat, that sparked my interest in this diet, to begin with, the author believes it can be beneficial for us to feel hunger at times. This is because our bodies evolved in an era where missing meals was relatively common. This was due to a lack of easily available food, thanks to the situations our ancestors found themselves in (famine, an unsuccessful hunt or lousy harvest, etc.)

Yeah, that’s all well and good for him, but I don’t do “hungry” well. I get cranky easily. 😇 And this isn’t 2000 BC, we have grocery stores and Uber Eats. For the safety and sanity of everyone in my general vicinity, it’s best if I eat every three hours (not counting the 12-hour fasting break I take while I sleep). 😝

The author of the book also feels there is no such thing as “cheating” on a diet because you don’t have a relationship with your food. I think this is a very healthy way to look at the issue. Either you eat according to your diet or you don’t. If you don’t, and you feel “guilt” about it, use those negative feelings as motivation to make better food choices the next time around. (Although in my case, I followed the diet as part of the religious tradition of sacrificing something for Lent. So, I may not have cheated on my diet, I just cheating on God. That makes me feel SO much better! 😳🤔😔)

Do you have any favorite low-carb foods? Tell me about them in the comments!

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Low-carb Lent

In this post, I detail my experience trying out a low-carb diet that was part of my Lenten Fast in 2019!

In 2019, the Trekkers attempted to go low-carb. That culminated in a full-scale, low-carb, Lenten Fast for me. I didn’t get the result I had expected but it was an interesting experience…

I used to just give up sweets for Lent. However, as the Trekkers have been slowly working to decrease our sugar intake over the last several years**, giving up sweets hasn’t been as difficult in recent years as it was in the past. Going low-carb made this more challenging as I not only gave up sweets, but I also gave up things like blueberry muffins and cereal. These types of foods had been my go-to “treats” in past Fasts when I couldn’t have the cookies, candy, or ice cream that I was really craving.

**Going Low-carb

Mr. Trekker and I had been slowly edging towards a low-carb life the last several years, so I didn’t exactly go “cold-turkey” in my quest to lessen my carb intake. As an example, we traded out our usual Cheerios for fruit smoothies in the morning. (On REALLY cold mornings, I’ll still sometimes make oatmeal, but the stuff you actually have to cook, not the instant kind.)

For lunch, we also traded out lunchmeat sandwiches or leftovers from the crockpot for salads with a meat-based protein or chicken/veggies/whole-grain rice and quinoa dishes. Several years ago we started switching out ground beef for ground turkey and I began buying nothing in the oil department other than olive oil (and using that for almost ALL recipes, even if they call for butter or another fat). I only really use butter for baking purposes. (And yes, ALWAYS real butter. I never touch the margarine/hardly-any-different-than-plastic stuff. 😝)

Mr. Trekker also traded cookies and crackers/chips, in his lunch, for nuts and granola bars. We also tried to eat fewer desserts overall–though that one is still a struggle (especially now that Momma Trekker lives close by and provides us with frequent, delectable desserts! 😳😉) Just by doing these things, however, Mr. Trekker lost more than 20 pounds! 😳 I haven’t seen quite as good of results, but I think I had slightly better practices to begin with (I eat fewer cookies 😉). I also haven’t been as dedicated to giving up the “naughty” foods.

Related posts: Easter Ends the Lenten Fast!; My Lenten Fast; More Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle; Wired to Eat (A Book Review)

Low-carb Lent 2019

In past years, I have craved carb-heavy snacks when I gave up sweets. This makes sense as my body was seeking alternative sources to acquire the “sugar fix”. Going low-carb required me to adjust my notions of “snacking”. There was no more grabbing a bag of Doritos or pretzels at the gas station. During “Low-Carb Lent” it was all carrot sticks, other raw veggies, granola bars, and trail mix for me! (I did allow myself a bit of dip to go along with the veggies, and yes, I realize granola bars have carbs in them. *sigh* I had to allow myself SOME enjoyment, right? 😝)

The one exception to the “no sweets” rule that I allowed myself was dark chocolate. This was because dark chocolate is the one, true “dessert” that is allowed by the Paleo diet. You are supposed to eat the darkest type you can stand, preferably 90% cacao or higher. However, neither my IBS, nor my palate, allows me to go that high, so I stuck with around 70%. Fortunately, my IBS doesn’t allow me to eat much of this food at any given time either, so those “treats” were minimal.

Another exception I allowed myself was soda. I love soda, L-O-V-E, LOVE it! I could drink it all day, EVERY day (and we’re talking full-sugar here, that diet stuff tastes like crap and the fake sugar is bad for you, it also triggers my IBS.) 😝 Obviously, this is not the healthiest of choices. Fortunately, my stomach doesn’t tolerate high amounts of soda intake, so I try to show a little restraint. I usually allow the occasional soda as a “cheat” during Lent, and I did so during my low-carb Fast, as well. (Yes, I am aware there are carbs in soda. Actually, it’s chock full of sugar, let’s just be honest.) But it isn’t made from grains, and it isn’t a sweet dessert, and those are the main things I was focusing on that year. (As I said before, a girl’s got to have a little fun SOMEWHERE. 😉)

I suck at dieting 😝

As you may be able to tell, I’m pretty bad at this. I HATE counting calories, carbs, whatever, so I pretty much refuse to do it. I’ll read the occasional label, but, basically, with this Fast, I was just trying to live a reasonably, low-carb lifestyle. I couldn’t bring myself to count how many carbs were in the raspberry vinegarette dressing I put on the spinach-and-kale salad I ate for lunch, or how many were in the fruit smoothie I made every morning. I can’t contemplate how it can be bad to eat things like this, even if there is a bit of natural sugar in them (assuming you aren’t diabetic). Especially if I’m using these recipes to replace more carb-heavy meals.

Neither of the Trekkers is gluten intolerant, has been diagnosed as diabetic, or as having an autoimmune disease at this point in life (for which we are very thankful). If that were to occur though, that would alter the zealousness with which I pursued this type of diet. The author of the book Wired to Eat, which I discussed in a previous post, is gluten intolerant. He literally gets sick if he eats too much gluten. So he has far more invested in this type of alternative lifestyle choice.

Basically, I SUCK at dieting, and I’m too lazy and unmotivated to reasonably see this changing much in the future. Even with the Paleo diet, you are allowed a modicum of carb intake, so I allowed some exceptions (such as low-carb noodles or whole-grain pancakes, also whole-grain oatmeal on really cold, snowy days). I also didn’t seem to have the dedication required to give up potatoes. 😝

I allowed these exceptions partially because I could have SOME carbs and because it gets REALLY inconvenient not to eat any. My hope was that if this diet really did work, I would still see some positive results. They may not have been as good as if I was actually following the plan perfectly, but they should’ve still been present. (And if I saw results without following the diet perfectly, this would prove that it works, at least somewhat.)

Fasting:

I also implemented fasting–on a VERY minor basis. Basically, during the week, I would fast around 12 hours per day. My understanding is that this is the absolute bare minimum that you can fast and still call it Fasting. 😝 But, it still counts in my book. 😉 We usually eat breakfast around 7:30 – 8:00 in the morning. It’s rare that we aren’t done with dinner by 7 at night, so the goal was that by 7:30 each night, I wouldn’t be eating anything else until the following morning.**

**Fasting at night is easy, I’m asleep! 😉 I find, sometimes, I’ll start feeling hungry about the time I go to bed. That’s easy enough to ignore, though. Even on those occasions, I rarely wake up with my stomach growling, seven or so hours later. I also usually find I can wait an hour or two from wake-up before actually ingesting breakfast.

Realistically, I should be fasting for at least 13 – 15 hours per day, but with our daily schedule that starts to get into the wholly inconvenient arena. That would be the point where I make smoothies for breakfast for us…and then mine sits in the fridge for several hours before I actually drink it? Or I end up needing to eat dinner before Mr. Trekker usually even gets home from work at night? I just…can’t.

Perhaps I’m lazy, or just lack discipline, but I’m seeking out real solutions and lifestyle changes that I can maintain long-term. Anything extreme just isn’t practical for me and I know it won’t last. I am aware this may mean I don’t see the full extent of the results possible on these types of diets, but I’m ok with that.

To Conclude

So, this was my adventure into the low-carb realm. Check out the articles linked above for new recipes I tried out. You can also read the final conclusions I came to regarding how my body performed on a low-carb diet here. (Another Spoiler Alert: I HATED it! I was hungry ALL THE TIME, it made me irritable, and I did NOT feel “great” on it! 😝)

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Yummy Low-Carb Foods

In this post, I review some more yummy, low-carb recipes, stuffed peppers, and spaghetti squash.

Several years ago I attempted a lower-carb lifestyle during my Lenten Fast. Below are some of the recipes I tried, including stuffed peppers, roasted brussle sprouts and spaghetti squash!

Fun low-carb meal ideas!

Stuffed Peppers:

These are AMAZING! (And this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like peppers.) Most people make them with green peppers (I think?) but I chose to go with red, orange, and yellow because–as I mentioned before–I don’t like peppers. 😝 I hoped these would taste sweeter and possibly have a lighter flavor (and they did!) There are numerous recipes for this, some are for enchilada, some for Philly-cheese varieties. I kind of made up my own concoction.

I combined ground turkey with dried onions and garlic salt and then added diced tomatoes (the kind with peppers, onions, and celery mixed in). I cooked all that together, then stuffed them in the peppers that I cut in half and de-seeded. I added a little cheese on top and cooked them for about an hour. (You don’t have to cook them a full hour, it kind of depends on how tender you want your peppers to be. I like them super tender–bordering on soft–so I cook them longer.)

To finish, I added another layer of cheese and baked them a few more minutes to finish them off. (I know, this isn’t exactly paleo-friendly, with the cheese, but it is keto-friendly. Going low-carb is one thing, going low-dairy is something else entirely–a girl has to have some fun in life! 😉) Also, I actually found this dish was better the second day after the spices had time to meld together.

Bottom line, I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Baking container on a stove, with peppers cut in half, stuffed with a meat/veggie mixure and sprinkled with cheese — Before baking

Baking container on a stove, with peppers cut in half, stuffed with a meat/veggie mixure with melted cheese over the top — Ready to eat!

Spaghetti Squash:

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. The texture is a little different (crunchier) than real pasta, it IS a veggie, after all. 😝 The taste is very mellow as it mostly takes on the flavor of whatever spices or sauces you are using. I’ve heard you can use butternut squash as well, but I haven’t been brave enough to try that one. I like butternut squash, I just worry it’ll be too strong a flavor for “pasta”. I also don’t want to ruin my love of it. 😳

This dish is pretty easy to make once you get the squash cut in half. Just baste it with olive oil, add some garlic, salt, and pepper (or whatever spices/sauces you want), and bake, face-down, for at least 30 minutes, or till desired tenderness. (You should be able to stick a fork clean through the squash, easily. I found 45 minutes seems to work fairly well.)

After baking, you shred the squash–careful, it’s hot!–with a fork. This should be VERY easy, It kind of just strings off, all the way down to the rind. Then I add some sauce and cook it up. I use red sauce, but you could try a thinner, Italian sauce, Balsamic vinegar, an alfredo sauce, or just some more spices. Play with it and find what you like best!

A word of “warning”, these smell like cheese pizza (or at least cheesy breadsticks) while you’re cooking them. Just be prepared for the cooking of this dish to cause lusting for “not-so-low-carb” foods. 😝

The recipe I used for this dish can be found here.

Baking sheet on a stove with yellow squash cut in half and sprinkled with black pepper — Pre-baking

Baking sheet on a stove with browned, yellow squash cut in half and sprinkled with black pepper — Post-baking

Shredded yellow squash in a pan on a stove — Post-shredding

Shredded, red-colored squash on a plate — Final product

Roasted or Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This one we REALLY enjoyed. It’s a bit of a unique twist on this typical dish, as you don’t use any sweet spices. Instead, I used garlic salt and pepper (the recipe calls for garlic, salt, and pepper). I wasn’t sure how it would taste with the combination of the sweetness of the potato and the spice of the spices, but we REALLY liked it.

The mild, sugary flavor of the potato blends perfectly with the spicy and salty kick of the other seasonings (it reminds me of the combination of a salty pretzel dipped in sweet chocolate). Baked this way, with the peel left on, the peel crisps up and adds a surprising, candied crunch. This also adds a pleasing, sweet flavor to the dish. Mr. Trekker wasn’t too sure about this tuber, as he hasn’t liked it in the past, but he stated he’d happily eat this dish again! Here’s the recipe I used!

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

I also tried sweet potatoes with a cinnamon-sugar glaze. The glaze was DEVINE on the potatoes; however, with all the brown sugar it required I don’t think it would qualify as low-carb. 😔

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

For this dish, I used basically the same recipe as the one I used with the sweet potatoes. Mr. Trekker really liked them, I thought they were ok. I was pleasantly surprised by their mild smell and flavor (I’m not a huge cabbage fan). They had a subtly-sweet aftertaste and the tender, crunchy texture was pleasing. They were a bit “green-veggie”-tasting for me (my palate really struggles with green vegetables). I enjoyed them better mixed with another flavor and texture, such as potatoes or gravy.

Zucchini spaghetti

This one was GROSS! It was mushy and tasted too “green” (although I’ve liked zucchini in the past, prepared on the grill). I ended up eating Cheerios for dinner that night. 😝 I’m not even going to show you a picture of this mushy nastiness, just YUCK!

To be fair, I’ve heard from friends that the problem may be that I used frozen zucchini…well, I bought it at Walmart and that’s how it came! Apparently, if you use it fresh it keeps its texture better but, you still have to deal with all the residual, natural liquid from the vegetable. I think I’m just gonna take their word on that one.

Related posts: Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Yummy Keto-friendly recipes!; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle

To Conclude

One takeaway I’ve had from these “foodie” experiments is that I’m glad we’ve found at least a couple of recipes that we both really enjoy (namely the sweet potatoes and the stuffed peppers). I would rate both of these dishes as “comfort food”. It’s nice to find recipes that are healthy that you also derive a lot of enjoyment from.

One slight annoyance with many of these dishes is the cooking time. Several of them take 30 minutes to 1 hour to cook. However, they’re SUPER easy to make. Many of them only have prep times of around 15 minutes (not including the baking times). The nice thing is, though they take a while to bake, you’re free to get other stuff done while that’s happening (dishes, laundry, pack the kids’ lunch for tomorrow, read a book, write a blog post, 😉 whatever!) 😃

Have you tried any of these recipes? What did you think? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Life isn’t simple anymore:

People are afraid to be honest with each other…

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Can people of different political views be friendly toward each other?

To Conclude

Puppy Particulars:

Training the Terror: 😂

Rescuing a furry friend:

Can you freelance in most professions?

Is freelancing a “real” job?

A freelance job is stressful

There is a lack of job security with freelance work

Freelancers work an irregular schedule

Freelancer pearls of wisdom

Goals I was able to achieve in my attempt at freelancing:

To Conclude

The low-carb diet killed my sweet tooth!

Better low-carb food choices…

Fasting as part of a healthy diet

Nausea from too many carbs…

Conclusion

Allow yourself to feel grief

Happier memories of times past:

We should all strive to live life like a hound dog!

Going Low Carb is Hard!

The main takeaways from my low-carb experiment:

Going low carb made me miss out on some of my favorite foods

There were a few good takeaways from my low-carb experience:

Going low carb is a complete lifestyle change

Can you inherit wanderlust?

Can wanderlust be taught?

Songs about the Open Road

Stir-fry with Cauliflower Rice:

Broccoli and Cheese Veggie Tots

Related posts: Low-carb Lent; Yummy Low-Carb Foods; A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent

Rice Ramen:

Pizza with Cauliflower Crust:

Side Effects of a Low-carb Diet:

**Going Low-carb

Low-carb Lent 2019

I suck at dieting 😝

Fasting:

To Conclude

Fun low-carb meal ideas!

Stuffed Peppers:

Spaghetti Squash:

Roasted or Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Zucchini spaghetti

To Conclude