Good Company

Today I had lunch with the epitome of joy and gratitude?

That would be my Dad?s Mom, who we call ?Nana.?  She is just a big ball of love. Big is clearly a figure of speech, as I?m 5?2 which makes Nana about 4?10 on a good day! Whenever we see her we have to kiss on not just one cheek, but both while she goes on and on about how overjoyed she is to see us and spend ?precious time? with us. And precious it is my friends.

I have many memories of Sunday night Italian dinners with Nana. Think plates of pasta, homemade meatballs and the best pasta sauce you have ever tasted. Nana always made it and every time we use her recipe it just doesn?t taste the same. It?s missing one crucial ingredient: a whole lot of Nana lovin?. Yep my friends, she?s a gem. And hilarious too. Last time we had dinner with her she said: ?I eat like a bird. Like a vulture.? See? Funny! Must run in the family?

Anywho. My mom and I picked her up around noon. As soon as she opened her door she started excitedly yelling ? Oh my goodness, am I really seeing this! This is such a treat. Oh, I can?t believe my eyes!? What a cutie. She also bragged a bit about how great she has been doing in water aerobics. She?s the star of the class! They are even writing a story on her at the retirement community where she lives because she is just so happy all the friggin? time. Cute, huh? She?s 87 and alive and kickin?.

We went to Jason?s Deli for lunch. Not the best food, but it?s the company that counts! I just got the salad bar which had a lot of organic greens and veggies. Pretty cool that it?s organic! I just threw a bunch of random stuff on there to try.

The best part is that they have fro-yo?

This was delicious but as much as I love frozen yogurt, we are just not meant to be. My stomach has been killing me all afternoon! I think we may have to break up?

It?s always fun to spend time with Nana. She is so grateful for these times and is so happy. She doesn?t desire things, she just savors every simple moment spent with friends and family. And that?s what it?s all about!

The Last Raw Wednesday

So it?s the last day of the Raw Wednesday Challenge. I must say that I am really glad I took part in this. I feel like I have learned so much about raw foods and have really become aware of how food ends up on my table. It?s amazing how processed much of our food is (like raw oats aren?t really raw and raw almond butter really isn?t raw! Not that those things aren?t healthy?just goes to show). 

Tonight we had Raw Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. It?s just zucchini ?noodles? with a sauce made out of sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon juice and olive oil.

Pretty, huh? It was so tasty and flavorful. And very light! Feeling weighed down after a meal is so not fun (ahem, like after fro-yo at Jason?s Deli).

I am definitely planning on keeping raw foods in my diet. While I don?t think that being ?all-raw? would be healthy for me, I think that including them in my diet often would have tremendous benefits. Each meal made me feel light and healthy and surprisingly satisfied.  There are some things that I feel like I just could not (would not!) live without; hot oatmeal for breakfast, roasted almond butter, cold bean salads, grilled shrimp?just to name a few

You can check out my Memory Lane page for a link to all of my Raw Wednesday experiences.

Did you participate? What are your thoughts?