Five Female Musicians You May Have Never Heard

I love music. And I love finding new music. I wanted to share some of my favorite female musicians that you may have never heard of:

1. The Corin Tucker Band This former Riot Grrl goes solo, with the help of her backing bandmates Seth Lorinczi and Sara Lund.  Listen to Doubt, off of their debut album. This is the heaviest song on the album and it ROCKS. Listen to it LOUD!
2. Rykarda Parasol Listen to One For Joy, from her album, For Blood And Wine. Dark. Witty. Amanda-Palmerish. She is her own manager and still unsigned to a major label. She is crossing boundaries and making her own genre. Really refreshing to hear something different.
3. Gretchen Parlato Listen to Butterfly from the album In A Dream. I am not really into Jazz, but she has an absolutely amazing voice. Chill. Smooth. Relaxing. Turn down the lights and pour yourself a glass of wine.
4. Beth Gibbons Listen to Tom The Model from the album Out of Season.The lead singer of Portishead releases a solo album(with Rustin Mann.) Her voice is haunting. And her name is cool :) Plus, it's a bonus to hear more from her since Portishead only has a few albums. Soulful and somber.
5. Ani DiFranco Okay, so I'm sure most of you have at least heard her name. Still, she is underappreciated for being one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. She is such an inspiration to women. She does it her way and does not apologize. Righteous! Listen to a live version of Overlap. I love this song. It's kind of a love song too. Sometimes our differences make our love stronger.

 Happy listening!! I hope you found something new you enjoy!!!

10 Guilty Pleasures

So today I finally had a chance to blog. However, I was lacking any subject ideas. So I googled "blog ideas" Thank goddess for google. Many great ideas. This sounded fun:

Ten Guilty Pleasures

1. Food. Ohhhh, food. I like you a bit too much. I blame it on my mother. Growing up, I always had a late night snack before bed. And it was usually pizza. What a terrible time to eat!
2. The internet. I can get sucked in for hours. It is such an easy time killer. And there's so much to do. I never get bored. But I do neglect other things I should be doing while online.
3. My cell phone. Of course we all have phones. But I find myself using it too often. Especially while at work, it gets me easily distracted. Put. Down.Phone. This would be even worse if I owned a "smartphone."
4. Tattoos. Ink. Body artwork. Nothing wrong with this. Just a bit guilty b/c of the cost. I could be saving this money for school or general savings. But we only live once, right?
5. Chocolate. This just needs it's own category. Dark. Milk. Whatever. Yummmm!
6. TV. Once again, total time waster. I could be cleaning, or reading a book, or working out. But hey, we all need to relax!!
7. My habit of shopping at Michael's. I am a crafty nerd. I love stamps, scrapbooking and crafts in general. And Michael's has EVERYTHING. I spend too much time and money in that store!
8. Whole Foods. What can be wrong with a health food store? My problem is I go in on payday, cash in hand, with no plan or budget. I always end up spending more than I told myself I would. But I justify it b/c I am buying healthy things! (Most of the time)
9. Alcohol. Not that I drink a while lot. But I know it's not really healthy for me at all. But it's fun!
10. Last but not least, retail therapy in general. It feels good at the time, but sometimes I feel guilty for spending $ I should not have. I usually end up returning something!

There are others too, but they are not getting posted on here!!! Tell me, what are some of your guilty pleasures??

The Power Of The Internet

This morning I got to witness something amazing, thanks to the internet. The Feminist Breeder is one of my favorite blogs that I follow. I think the title is a good descriptor of what the blog is all about. Rock N' Roll Mama turned birth junkie.Today she gave birth to her third child, a daughter, Jolene. She had a home/water birth. And she was VBAC. Thanks to the net, I got to witness it as it was happening. She had a live blog streaming with updates, including pictures and vidoes. Check it out here: http://thefeministbreeder.com/tfbs-live-homebirth-blog-event/ It was simply amazing to watch it all unfold, LIVE! Very inspiring and empowering. Congrats to TFB and her family! Glad you got the birth you wanted!

Balsamic Quinoa Salad

This is one of my favorite quinoa recipes to make. Easy and delicious!! Serve it as a side dish or add meat/tofu or even beans for a main meal.



-1 cup quinoa
-2 cups water
-1 small onion, sliced
-1 cup dried cranberries
-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped(or your favorite spice)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-3 cloves garlic
-salt and pepper

 
-Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. All the water should be absorbed and the quinoa's outer coat should be translucent when it's done. Add the quinoa to a bowl and set aside.
-While the quinoa is cooking, heat some olive oil in a skillet and add the sliced onion. Cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat, until carmelized. Add to the bowl.
-Add the dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and chopped parsley to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine all ingredients.
-Cook the garlic in the skillet that the onions were prepared in, adding additional oil if needed. Whisk the cooked garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar together.
-Pour the balsamic dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to coat everything. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about half an hour. I add feta cheese afterwards too. Enjoy!

the magic of quinoa!

Communication Breakdown

"Communication breakdown, it's always the same
Havin' a nervous breakdown, a-drive me insane"

Led Zeppelin said, sang, it best. Why exactly is it that communication can be so difficult? Why can it be so hard to say what you feel? Why is it so hard to deal?

I suppose there are many different reasons and explanations to these questions. It also depends on your personality type and how you deal with conflict.

However, in general it seems that communication is never taught as a basic life skill. I mean real, honest, open talk. Not the simple small talk, chit chat. I mean really getting down to the nitty gritty. Those pesky emotions that can be so hard to deal with.  No one teaches you how to wade through these muddy waters. I suppose a majority of the resonsibility lies with the parents. They model behavior and we learn from it, for the better or worse. And if they aren't good at communicating, how do they know to teach or model the behavior themselves? They can't, and then it becomes a bad, habit-forming cycle that keeps spreading.

And I want to stop the cycle. It has taken me a while, but I think I have finally learned how to communicate better over the years. You have to speak up. You have to let your voice be heard, even if it is shaky. Ultimately, you have to let go of your fears and insecurities. Don't worry what others might think or say. As Dr Suess so wisely said, "Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." In the end, a  true friend should love you for who you are and respect your perspectives.

So how do you deal? Do you find it hard to communicate ever? What helped you become better at it?

It's Biking Season!

Finally, we are starting to have some nice, spring-like weather here in Ohio. Last Saturday was 70 degrees! I am sure it will be brisk again before that kind of weather sticks around, but it was still nice that it was here. So the hubby and I decided it was time to bust out the bikes! It's so exciting when it's finally that time of year again. Biking feels so good and it's also nice to be out in nature. We ventured to our local bike path, unfortunately we had to drive there. We biked 13 miles total. The first 6 were great, easy, fun riding. For the last 6, we had to turn round and ride against the wind, which was blowing decidedly fierce. Not easy. I think I was only in 3rd gear for about half the time. Also, I think I am in need of a new bike seat. (TMI: My butt was so completely sore the next day!!! ) Main Point: Yay for spring!!!!

Bikes loaded up and ready to go!

The E-mail That Made My Day

Last night I checked my e-mail before bed, not really expecting anything exciting. To my surprise, I got an e-mail that made my day. More specifically, it was a picture in the e-mail. It was from a friend/old family that I used to nanny for in Portland. They have one daughter, Lily who is almost 5 now. She was only 13 mos. when I started watching her.  On the first sunny day that she was able to go outside, she decided she wanted to bring a picture and a book with her. The picture she choose was one of the two of us that I had framed for her a long time ago. So cute and special!!

Lily P. Fearing

It's nice to still feel connected even though we are almost 3,000 miles away!

Disclaimer

Please don't take anything I may write about on here personal. I am NOT and never will I try to push my opinion on anyone or make you change your mind about something. My intention is not to sway your thoughts in any direction. I am just here, writing my thoughts, trying to make sense of this crazy world. I don't expect you to have the same opinion or do the same things as me. Everyone is an individual, and I do respect that :) Ok, just needed to put that out there.

Spicy Gen 'So Dish With Tofu

This was my first time making ANY tofu dish! It was kinda fun.Since starting my new clean eating habit, I am definitely more interested and motivated to cook than ever before. I am also finding out that I am not so bad at it, which is slightly surprising. Plus, I get the added benefit of knowing exactly what is going into my food. I love Chinese food, but am finding that take-out is not so in line with clean eating. So I decided to make it on my own. This was my first shot at the recipe, and it was pretty simple and turned out yummy.

 Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) box organic, firm tofu
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or can use cornstarch)
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2/3 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili paste for the spice!!
• steamed broccoli
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar  
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)

1. Drain, dry and cut tofu into one inch chunks.
2. Mix egg with 3 Tbs of water.
3.  Dip tofu in mixture.
4.  Sprinkle flour over tofu to completely cover.
5. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden brown and set aside.
6.  Drain oil.
7.  Heat 3 Tbs vegetable oil in pan on medium heat and add onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about one minute.
8. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, coconut oil and vinegar.
9. Mix 2 Tbs of water and 1 Tbs flour and pour into mixture, stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly.
10. Serve with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

Delicious!!!!!!

  

Why I Get Tattooed

I have been asked these questions again and again: Why do you have tattoos? Does it hurt? What is the meaning behind it?

Well, for me, getting tattooed is a transformative declaration of power. What does that mean exactly? My body is the only thing I will ever truly own. I have the sole power to control it. It is mine. I have the power and the right to do as I wish with it. I have the power to transform it, into a work of art. Beautiful, expressive, wonderful imagery. With me forever. And they say you can't take anything to the grave. I command mastery over this body of flesh and bones. My mind has the power to overcome and move through the pain. It is an essential part to growing and becoming a more whole person. We can only truly change once we move past the pain. And getting tattooed is a symbolic act of that transformation I need to experience in my life. It makes me feel strong. It makes me feel alive.

Does it hurt?  Yes and No. It's a good pain. Honestly, the first 10 minutes are the worst, and then you become more used to the needle. But that soft hum of the tattoo gun is something you come to love. You become almost addicted to the euphoria you experience from the rush of endorphins.It is freedom.

Yes, most of my tattoos have some meaning behind them. I do think them out before I get them. Each one has a special meaning to me.

So now you know a little more about me! Any more questions? Do you have any tattoos yourself?

Name Change

So I changed the title of my blog. I just wasn't diggin clean n green goddess anymore. Didn't quite fit me. I think this one is more appropriate :)

Bottling Day

Bottling day was a success, minus one minor point. My friend forgot to e-mail the label to the printers on time. Oops. Which meant we did not get to use  the label we designed :(  I was bummed, just because it was the first "project" I have really worked on. But we still had a grand old time. And our beer turned out really, really well. Oatmeal stout is bliss. See for yourself.

A sample.

  

Becky with our generic beer label.

Nick's turn to pour.

The bar makes you use their generic label if you don't have your own. So we had to label all 78 bottles, "Beer." Oh well. Lesson learned!

Homebrew

So about a month ago, our friends invited us out to brew our own batch of beer. There is a local bar here, The Brew Kettle that lets you brew your own beer. You basically pick out the kind of beer you want, and they provide everything else for you. We decided on an oatmeal stout. So this Saturday it is time for bottling! I am excited to hang out with friends while we bottle and taste the beer we have brewed. As part of the process, we are supposed to design our own label. My friend Mike, aka Chewy, came over and helped me with this last night. He has been teaching me the ins and outs of Photoshop and encouraged me to design the label. It was fun!! Here are the results:

Our beer was named after Chewy's dog, Bella. She is a true cat-dog! She really acts like a cat. She doesn't bark. She is a scaredy-cat, afraid of things that dogs usually aren't. And she likes to curl up to a ball of yarn. So it seemed fitting to use her for the label.

Here is a pic of me and Chewy designing. He brought his Mac over. We designed and ate homemade granola bars. It was fun :)

Stay tuned for more pics of bottling day!!