Kristy Kieda

Well, that is a lofty topic to tackle. I don’t know what the meaning of life is, but I do know what it is not about! Life is not supposed to be about dieting, exercise, and school. Well….maybe your isn’t about those things at all, and mine really shouldn’t be either. However, these subjects pop into my brain constantly, and require great concentration and analyzation.

School is a love of mine, learning is something I do best, and having my perceptions challenged and changed instills  a peace and confidence in me that few other activities could bring. I am slowly becoming a different person, while remaining the same old me.

I enjoy planning and preparing healthy meals, stocking the pantry and buying groceries, and fitting all of the pieces together to lead to a successful dinner (with leftovers for lunch the next day, of course). When the latest food craze I have pursued starts to feel a bit stale, I start down a new path to mastering a food genre. I have been stuck on Thai for the past two years (Indian is a passion, but I realized quickly I couldn’t cook with heavy amounts of curry in my open air house, I could smell it in my sleep). Thai food offers experimentation with my new food loves: curry, coconut milk, rice (noodles or grains), and fresh veggies. Peanuts and other nuts are common ingredients in Thai food as well.

It was in this line of thinking that I decided to share my first Thai inspired recipe that I created, and is really more of a guideline…

Ingredients:

Rice noodles (follow the directions on the package closely)

Coconut or peanut oil (or another high quality vegetable oil)

Chicken, cut in 1/2″ pieces

Soy sauce if desired

Any desired veggies, chopped and sliced (I use peppers, carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, the kitchen sink)

Yellow curry powder

Sea salt and ground pepper, a pinch

Coconut milk, one can

Sriracha sauce or other chili paste, to season

Chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Cut up chicken, saute in coconut or peanut oil, add a little soy sauce when nearly cooked for moisture, if desired.  Add veggies, saute (add the denser veggies first, such as carrots and cabbage, cook for five minutes longer than other veggies).

Sprinkle with curry powder, and sea salt and ground pepper to taste. When cooked and slightly tender, add coconut milk and Sriracha (don’t overdo it!), saute for five minutes longer. Let stand for five minutes to thicken. Toss with rice noodles, garnish with green onion, serve, and enjoy!

This dish is not an authentic Thai dish, but is inspired by the ingredients that I love from Thai cooking, as well as ingredients that grow in my garden in West Michigan. It has evolved over time, and is flexible to what you may have in your cupboards. The recipe is fast, easy and inexpensive.

If you try this and enjoy it, please let me know in the comments below. Any questions, post in the comments.

Enjoy!

On Thanksgiving morning, the alarm clock was blaring at 7 a.m… I warily opened my eyes, burning and watering, hit snooze and fell back into a delicious sleep. The snooze alarm attacked my subconscious again, and I slowly rose, tired and confused as to why I was up so early on a holiday. To put the turkey in the oven? No, we planned a later dinner, for four o’clock. This madness of seven following an evening of meeting friends was due to the idea my mom and I had: to run a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. We participated in the Turkey Trot 5k at Cornerstone University to help out Grand Rapids Public Schools and get back into the swing of things and increase our fitness levels for the upcoming winter months.

My mom wants to get into better shape, live a healthier life, and ease gracefully into middle age. I’m still mid-20’s but I realize at a younger age than the generations before me how each individual decision I make everyday really makes a difference in my long term health and wellness. The idea of how fat cells multiple is a good reminder to myself for what really happens when I frequently eat processed foods, “fast foods”, and all the foods that seem to be the easiest to access, and to prepare.

So the rest of Turkey Day? My mom and I finished and left the race, and drove across town to start the family round up. Grandma accompanied us to Big Boy, the only lucky employees to be working on Thanksgiving morning on the west side of downtown. After driving to look at some foreclosures on the north end of Grand Rapids, we headed up to the great white north where my mom lives. My dad jokes that she lives just before “The Bridge” (Mackinac, in case you haven’t guessed already). After making the long journey to NE Kent County, everyone else napped and I began the final preparation for company, which included my immediate family and step family, and the three dogs, of course.

After the festivities began, champagne was popped, topped with pineapple juice and frozen black berries that acted as mini ice cubes. I attempted to concoct pumpkin pie martinis, made of pumpkin puree, spiced simple syrup (water, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg), and vanilla syrup, and vodka, vanilla preferred. The crowd snacked until dinner time on specialty olive trays, rice crackers with pecans and Vermont white cheddar cheese, fresh veggies. The conversation entertained and pleased, the company was superb, and the food was pretty awesome too!

The view of the private lake that my mom’s house sits upon the shore is beautiful, but we hardly noticed for all of the fun being had in doors. I always relish in the memories of holidays where everything goes well, and everyone is happy and satisfied with our family members and the special chance to see them again.

So, the full body detox isn’t going so well! But that’s okay. The benefit I’m taking from my attempt to detox during the Holidays is the new and ever present awareness that I have about what I am eating, drinking, not eating, and not drinking. My attempt to fully detox may have failed but are rescheduled for January, a time of year that has met with past success, right in time for New Year’s Resolutions! I am being reminded to drink purified water more often and caffeine, sweets and alcohol less. My caffeine headaches have finally subsided, which is a relief. I have switched over to naturally caffeine-free herbal teas in the morning. The cold chill in the air is inducing a hunger that salads alone cannot fill. Hearty healthy soups and chili is on the menu, taking the place of the veggies and salads of the summer (accompanied by the occasional grilled steak and asparagus). Rice and beans with veggies on top have also become a favorite, so easy to cook and reheat the next at work.

This same urge that the winter brings, the urge to bundle up, eat heartier foods, wear ugly boots, is also urging me to get more exercise. The snow provides so many opportunities to play, and getting hot and sweaty at the gym is a treat in the dead of winter in West Michigan. The Holiday parties are booked and plentiful, but I know more time can be made to transition into winter sports. I can’t wait to go cross country skiing! The next week or so, accumulation looks likely, so some trails that may be worth exploring in Kent County are Townsend Park on Cannonsburg, Fallasburg Park in Lowell, and Pickerel Lake in Rockford. I’m open to suggestions for a new favorite spot. I’m happy to have the snow, but I sure won’t be thrilled to scrape it off the windows in the morning.

This site is a long time coming. Writing for days, weeks, months on end about a variety of topics including health, wellness, natural living, green living, the arts, yoga, sports, professional development, spiritual development, phew!

That seems like a mouthful, and it is! But part of living is acknowledging and embracing the complexity of our every day modern lives. If we want to stay healthy, educated, happy and aware, we must strive to maintain and enhance our lives.

The least I hope to do with this site is to create awareness for people that benefits them in some way. The most I hope for this site can’t be expressed in words; the sky’s the limit.

My name is Kristy Kieda, I am passionate about life, and want to have the best quality of life that I can . You are invited to share in my journey. Have a blessed day.