Hi everyone, hope your week is going well! This week's blog will be a few days behind schedule. (You'll have to check back in a day or two to find out why! Curious...?)
Meanwhile, I've been working on facebook pages for both my book and my studio. Although my book page is still in the works, my studio page is starting to hum along, and I'd be honored if you checked it out!
Here's where you can play a part. Interested?
If you're an ArtFire artisan, feel free to stop by and post a link to your studio on the "Julie Clark Art" page.
If you are passionate about Asperger's and Autism, feel free to share links, etc., that have been very beneficial to you on the Asperger's in Pink page.
All I ask is to please keep whatever you post family friendly and relevant. :) See you in a few days! - Peace
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Seasonal Thinking
This autumn found me kicking and screaming against it. Any other October I’d be gazing at leaves, pulling out sweaters, dusting off fall themed knick knacks and pumpkin recipes. But not this year. The thought of a cold winter peeking around the corner distracted me too much. In fact, it distracted me to the point of ignoring autumn altogether, clinging onto summer with all my might.
Silly, huh?
Even my daughter, who abhors change of any sort, embraces the seasons and all the decorating that comes along with them.
I love this time of year. And it’s time to embrace it. Looking at my blog this morning wondering what to type, the daisies reminded that summer is over, and life needs to reflect that. After all, shorts aren’t going to cut it when frost is on the ground.
So I’m going to have fun with it. I’ve “dressed up” the blog for autumn, and the Holidays are next. Let me know what you think of the new look. It will change again by December.
Silly, huh?
Even my daughter, who abhors change of any sort, embraces the seasons and all the decorating that comes along with them.
I love this time of year. And it’s time to embrace it. Looking at my blog this morning wondering what to type, the daisies reminded that summer is over, and life needs to reflect that. After all, shorts aren’t going to cut it when frost is on the ground.
So I’m going to have fun with it. I’ve “dressed up” the blog for autumn, and the Holidays are next. Let me know what you think of the new look. It will change again by December.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Angry Alfredo Sauce
I named this recipe ANGRY ALFREDO SAUCE, because I was complaining when I threw it together. (For my non-vegan friends.)
INGREDIENTS and HOW-TO
Cut off a hunk of butter (1.5-2 Tbsp)
Grab a little less than 1/2 a block of light cream cheese (3oz+)
Melt it together in a small saucepan over medium. You need to stir it to get it to melt together, but it might not, so feel free to give up on that part. I did.
Add chicken broth to get it to the consistency of milk. (You will probably use up to 2 cups, total.)
Cook and stir until you mutter one problem with the universe.
Put 1 Tbsp. flour in a small dish, and add a little chicken broth to it. Stir to make a paste and get rid of lumps, then add this to the sauce.
Dump in parmesan cheese (we use parmensan romano blend). How much, you ask? Just think of how the universe made you cranky earlier in the day, and give it a good shake, out of the side with the largest slot. (prob. 1/3 cup or so?)
Stir.
Forget to add salt and seasoning.
Say carp.
Grab the garlic salt, and add to taste (1/8-1/4 tsp.) Add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (to taste).
Or do what I did, don't taste it, because if you are like me, you'll get a nasty stomach ache, which, of course, will make you curse the universe again.
Stir and cook until you feel better, and the birds start singing. Or at least four minutes.
Feed it to your sister. Hear her rave about it. Give her the recipe. Thank her for listening to you verablize all sorts of things. Catch yourself smiling and feeling better about the day.
Apologize to the universe.
The End
(And, yes, I'm still doing the vegan thing, so I can't vouch for how this tastes.)
INGREDIENTS and HOW-TO
Cut off a hunk of butter (1.5-2 Tbsp)
Grab a little less than 1/2 a block of light cream cheese (3oz+)
Melt it together in a small saucepan over medium. You need to stir it to get it to melt together, but it might not, so feel free to give up on that part. I did.
Add chicken broth to get it to the consistency of milk. (You will probably use up to 2 cups, total.)
Cook and stir until you mutter one problem with the universe.
Put 1 Tbsp. flour in a small dish, and add a little chicken broth to it. Stir to make a paste and get rid of lumps, then add this to the sauce.
Dump in parmesan cheese (we use parmensan romano blend). How much, you ask? Just think of how the universe made you cranky earlier in the day, and give it a good shake, out of the side with the largest slot. (prob. 1/3 cup or so?)
Stir.
Forget to add salt and seasoning.
Say carp.
Grab the garlic salt, and add to taste (1/8-1/4 tsp.) Add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (to taste).
Or do what I did, don't taste it, because if you are like me, you'll get a nasty stomach ache, which, of course, will make you curse the universe again.
Stir and cook until you feel better, and the birds start singing. Or at least four minutes.
Feed it to your sister. Hear her rave about it. Give her the recipe. Thank her for listening to you verablize all sorts of things. Catch yourself smiling and feeling better about the day.
Apologize to the universe.
The End
(And, yes, I'm still doing the vegan thing, so I can't vouch for how this tastes.)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Ten Observations from the First Month of this Vegan Journey
(For the record, next week will have absolutely nothing to do with diet. Thanks for reading!)
1. No matter how I slice it, dice it, or coat it in sauce, my husband is never going to willingly touch tofu.
2. Tofu comes in a variety of forms - and a variety of strange names: bean curd, tempeh, seitan (yeah, I think it’s pronounced like that evil dude.)
3. I now have proof our frufru dog has a horrible sense of smell. He comes running and begging by the stove whenever I’m sautéing slabs of…tofu. (I’m not kidding.) My daughter, however, runs in the other direction.
4. Some of my favorite foods are actually vegan, like my favorite chocolate cake, and a pecan streusel pumpkin cake. That was a shocker. I figured I’d be relegated to the produce bin for the rest of my life.
5. It’s been, oh, about a month? And I don’t miss meat, even chicken. Not one bit. I wasn’t expecting that.
6. It’s not that hard to cook “normal” meals for my family alongside “my” new diet. Most of our side dishes never contained butter, milk or cream in the first place.
7. I am not yet comfortable saying, “I’m following a Vegan diet” in public. Even though I really do feel better, I also feel rather self-conscience about it. I think some people believe all vegans/vegetarians walk around with a sermon in their pocket. Not me. This is a personal decision. What works for me may not be the answer for you.
8. Yes, you do get tired of eating beans.
9. Coffee isn’t the same without real, honest to goodness cream in it.
10. All things being considered, I feel better, am less hungry throughout the day, and have more energy. I can truthfully say (except for my morning coffee), for the first time in my life I’ve found a way of eating that finally feels like the “right” fit. And, honestly, wish I had started this journey years earlier.
We’ll see how long it lasts, but, for now, it’s working. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear your story, too. I am always open to suggestions for what you would like to see here.
1. No matter how I slice it, dice it, or coat it in sauce, my husband is never going to willingly touch tofu.
2. Tofu comes in a variety of forms - and a variety of strange names: bean curd, tempeh, seitan (yeah, I think it’s pronounced like that evil dude.)
3. I now have proof our frufru dog has a horrible sense of smell. He comes running and begging by the stove whenever I’m sautéing slabs of…tofu. (I’m not kidding.) My daughter, however, runs in the other direction.
4. Some of my favorite foods are actually vegan, like my favorite chocolate cake, and a pecan streusel pumpkin cake. That was a shocker. I figured I’d be relegated to the produce bin for the rest of my life.
5. It’s been, oh, about a month? And I don’t miss meat, even chicken. Not one bit. I wasn’t expecting that.
6. It’s not that hard to cook “normal” meals for my family alongside “my” new diet. Most of our side dishes never contained butter, milk or cream in the first place.
7. I am not yet comfortable saying, “I’m following a Vegan diet” in public. Even though I really do feel better, I also feel rather self-conscience about it. I think some people believe all vegans/vegetarians walk around with a sermon in their pocket. Not me. This is a personal decision. What works for me may not be the answer for you.
8. Yes, you do get tired of eating beans.
9. Coffee isn’t the same without real, honest to goodness cream in it.
10. All things being considered, I feel better, am less hungry throughout the day, and have more energy. I can truthfully say (except for my morning coffee), for the first time in my life I’ve found a way of eating that finally feels like the “right” fit. And, honestly, wish I had started this journey years earlier.
We’ll see how long it lasts, but, for now, it’s working. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear your story, too. I am always open to suggestions for what you would like to see here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
An Accidental Vegan. Me.
As many of you may know, I’ve ventured into the world of veganism. Now, there may be some who are taking bets as to how long this will last, not to mention many rolling their eyes at me and thinking I’m crazy. Or that I’m going to starve to death, living on carrot sticks and something called kale.
And I completely understand that.
If you would have told me, five years ago, even, that I’d be considering veganism I would have laughed it off. I mean, give up meat? That’s not too hard, but don’t tell me I’ve got to let go of all that cheesey goodness! Cheese is an Achilles’ heel. And I’ve got to have my coffee the way I like it – and that’s with light cream. No sugar, just real cream.
But that’s exactly what propelled me down this path. Dairy.
Now, don’t start cringing. I’m not going to divulge all that personal stuff that even I don’t want to see in print! Suffice it to say, I finally came to the realization that dairy and I don’t mix (even though removing lactose does work, but only to a point). So, one late summer morning, I threw my hands up in the air and decided to just get rid of it altogether. And I felt…lighter.
No, I didn’t lose any weight. Not that kind of “lighter”. With my luck, I’ll probably end up being the poster child for “Vegans who need to go on a diet.” Just ask my jeans. The non-elasticized ones.
It’s hard to describe, but I feel better. Now, some would say that giving up dairy doesn’t mean I have to be a vegan. And I agree. But, see, I never really have liked meat, and we cook most meals without it, as well as rarely use eggs. Throw out the dairy, and, well, I guess you could say an “accidental vegan” was born. Now, I did try to add some dairy back in over the weekend to see if this “feeling better” was all in my head. But at 1AM Monday morning, my body convinced my mind this ride is for real.
Since I started this journey, I learned of others trying it out, including Bill Clinton. I think this interview sums up some of my thoughts pretty well. (And if the IT gods are smiling on me this rainy morning, the YouTube link will work.)
In reality, who knows where this journey will take me? Let’s face it, soy in my coffee just isn’t the same! But, at the end of the day, I feel better when I eat this way. And let’s face it, when you cut out a few food groups, you almost have to, by default, up your fruit and vegetable intake, and that's a good thing. Veganism may not be for everyone, but presently, it seems right for me.
If you want to follow this accidental journey, let me know, via comment or message, and I'll blog more about this experience.
And I completely understand that.
If you would have told me, five years ago, even, that I’d be considering veganism I would have laughed it off. I mean, give up meat? That’s not too hard, but don’t tell me I’ve got to let go of all that cheesey goodness! Cheese is an Achilles’ heel. And I’ve got to have my coffee the way I like it – and that’s with light cream. No sugar, just real cream.
But that’s exactly what propelled me down this path. Dairy.
Now, don’t start cringing. I’m not going to divulge all that personal stuff that even I don’t want to see in print! Suffice it to say, I finally came to the realization that dairy and I don’t mix (even though removing lactose does work, but only to a point). So, one late summer morning, I threw my hands up in the air and decided to just get rid of it altogether. And I felt…lighter.
No, I didn’t lose any weight. Not that kind of “lighter”. With my luck, I’ll probably end up being the poster child for “Vegans who need to go on a diet.” Just ask my jeans. The non-elasticized ones.
It’s hard to describe, but I feel better. Now, some would say that giving up dairy doesn’t mean I have to be a vegan. And I agree. But, see, I never really have liked meat, and we cook most meals without it, as well as rarely use eggs. Throw out the dairy, and, well, I guess you could say an “accidental vegan” was born. Now, I did try to add some dairy back in over the weekend to see if this “feeling better” was all in my head. But at 1AM Monday morning, my body convinced my mind this ride is for real.
Since I started this journey, I learned of others trying it out, including Bill Clinton. I think this interview sums up some of my thoughts pretty well. (And if the IT gods are smiling on me this rainy morning, the YouTube link will work.)
In reality, who knows where this journey will take me? Let’s face it, soy in my coffee just isn’t the same! But, at the end of the day, I feel better when I eat this way. And let’s face it, when you cut out a few food groups, you almost have to, by default, up your fruit and vegetable intake, and that's a good thing. Veganism may not be for everyone, but presently, it seems right for me.
If you want to follow this accidental journey, let me know, via comment or message, and I'll blog more about this experience.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
What Started it All (My Studio)
It all started one cold and rainy fall morning about a year ago. My daughter’s school offered up a yard sale opportunity for parents to sell their stuff, putting all the proceeds toward a very expensive field trip to our nation’s capital. We couldn’t really swing the cost, so, as much as I am uncomfortable with these things, signed up for the tag sale.
We didn’t have a lot to offer up. We’re relatively simple people, and much of the excess we did have was donated during the move. But one thing I did have was plenty of fabric. Not one to give up easily, I decided to spend the previous day sewing fabric plastic bag holders. I made the pattern up as I went along, and found a way to eliminate elastic from them. Not only ingenious, so I thought, but cost and time effective as well.
The big day came, and the crowd was sparse. More came to sell than to buy, as the cool mist called for so many to sleep in that Saturday morning. We only sold a few things, one of which was a bag holder. It drew the most attention of anything we had, and seemed to pique a lot of interest. But at the end of the morning, we packed them all up, along with old jeans and a few baking dishes, and headed home. Not enough money to make a dent in the trip, but enough inspiration to wonder if I could sell the bags elsewhere.
Over the next few months I wondered how I could do just that. Jobs are hard to come by, and the longing to work consumed me. So, in true “Julie form”, I decided to make my own work. I opened up an artisan studio on ArtFire.com, listing the better made bags from the yard sale. Now I find myself several months later going in a new direction. The longing to make practical art pieces works well with totes and placemats, but not so well with the bag holders. And as of this morning, they are now being discontinued.
It’s a bittersweet thing, really. The piece that started it all is the first to “go”. But I’ve learned a lot, and continue to learn. Among other things, I’ve learned to narrow down my studio’s focus and create that which gives me energy – not saps it.
And as for the field trip? In true Asperger form, my daughter decided some of the stops would be too sensory for her to handle. We couldn’t argue with that. And neither could our checkbook.
We didn’t have a lot to offer up. We’re relatively simple people, and much of the excess we did have was donated during the move. But one thing I did have was plenty of fabric. Not one to give up easily, I decided to spend the previous day sewing fabric plastic bag holders. I made the pattern up as I went along, and found a way to eliminate elastic from them. Not only ingenious, so I thought, but cost and time effective as well.
The big day came, and the crowd was sparse. More came to sell than to buy, as the cool mist called for so many to sleep in that Saturday morning. We only sold a few things, one of which was a bag holder. It drew the most attention of anything we had, and seemed to pique a lot of interest. But at the end of the morning, we packed them all up, along with old jeans and a few baking dishes, and headed home. Not enough money to make a dent in the trip, but enough inspiration to wonder if I could sell the bags elsewhere.
Over the next few months I wondered how I could do just that. Jobs are hard to come by, and the longing to work consumed me. So, in true “Julie form”, I decided to make my own work. I opened up an artisan studio on ArtFire.com, listing the better made bags from the yard sale. Now I find myself several months later going in a new direction. The longing to make practical art pieces works well with totes and placemats, but not so well with the bag holders. And as of this morning, they are now being discontinued.
It’s a bittersweet thing, really. The piece that started it all is the first to “go”. But I’ve learned a lot, and continue to learn. Among other things, I’ve learned to narrow down my studio’s focus and create that which gives me energy – not saps it.
And as for the field trip? In true Asperger form, my daughter decided some of the stops would be too sensory for her to handle. We couldn’t argue with that. And neither could our checkbook.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Thank Goodness for Skinny Jeans. No. Really.
It was back in the 80’s. Neon socks, studded belts and leg warmers filled the halls of my high school. That’s when I learned what the color “chartreuse” was and how to spell it. And how to wear it. I had soft limey yellow socks that could light up the night. And make my eyes cross looking at them. And, for the first time, I also had jeans.
Like my daughter, I couldn’t stand the feel of jeans. The tougher, rougher material felt abrasive, not to mention a bit more snug than those polyester (cringing yet?) stretchy pants. But once high school hit, the desire to “fit in” pulled hard, and I recall spending hours trying to find a pair or two that didn’t feel like a tourniquet.
Eventually, like any other teen, jeans became a staple of my wardrobe. And jeans, way back when, were “skinny”. So skinny, we had to unzip the bottom of each leg just to get them over the ankles. And once over the ankles, getting them the rest of the way became nothing short of a contortionist’s warm-up. Back then, jeans were so solid, they probably made Kevlar blush.
Once my daughter hit high school, the fashion sirens came screaming. The knit pants and gauchos were becoming an embarrassment for her, but she felt stuck. With buttons (still) off limits, and her sensory concerns, shopping for pants felt like an exercise in futility. But shop, we had to.
Transitioning (love that key word?) from young girls to juniors was a close to a chasmic leap for her, not unexpected for someone with Asperger’s. Somehow, we stumbled on a store with some interesting “acceptable” hip pieces, and found a “miracle.” Skinny jeans.
Initially, I laughed to myself, remembering wearing them. But while she was trying on new shirts, I took a closer look. No buttons. No zippers. They looked like denim. They felt like denim. But they s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Hallelujah.
Thankfully, the school allows these.
Thankfully – and you can see the relief on her face – my daughter can now, comfortably – wear jeans. Real jeans. Fashionable jeans. Skinny jeans.
Like my daughter, I couldn’t stand the feel of jeans. The tougher, rougher material felt abrasive, not to mention a bit more snug than those polyester (cringing yet?) stretchy pants. But once high school hit, the desire to “fit in” pulled hard, and I recall spending hours trying to find a pair or two that didn’t feel like a tourniquet.
Eventually, like any other teen, jeans became a staple of my wardrobe. And jeans, way back when, were “skinny”. So skinny, we had to unzip the bottom of each leg just to get them over the ankles. And once over the ankles, getting them the rest of the way became nothing short of a contortionist’s warm-up. Back then, jeans were so solid, they probably made Kevlar blush.
Once my daughter hit high school, the fashion sirens came screaming. The knit pants and gauchos were becoming an embarrassment for her, but she felt stuck. With buttons (still) off limits, and her sensory concerns, shopping for pants felt like an exercise in futility. But shop, we had to.
Transitioning (love that key word?) from young girls to juniors was a close to a chasmic leap for her, not unexpected for someone with Asperger’s. Somehow, we stumbled on a store with some interesting “acceptable” hip pieces, and found a “miracle.” Skinny jeans.
Initially, I laughed to myself, remembering wearing them. But while she was trying on new shirts, I took a closer look. No buttons. No zippers. They looked like denim. They felt like denim. But they s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Hallelujah.
Thankfully, the school allows these.
Thankfully – and you can see the relief on her face – my daughter can now, comfortably – wear jeans. Real jeans. Fashionable jeans. Skinny jeans.
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