They never told me I would Realize What I wanted to do

By encountering a real life situation.


I was planning on attending school come January to become an Administrative Medical Office Assistant.
I thought this would be perfect for me. I had thought of social work over the years and my larger than life heart I thought would lead me wrong.
I get attached easily, I open the door for too many, I want to save the world. I also wear my heart on my sleeve.

With that being said I felt that getting into social work would lead to heart ache caused by getting too attached to the client. However I had  a realization last week that I can indeed get attached with out getting too attached to someone, What I did made me very proud.


I was on the bus and a woman came on she appeared to be in her 30's. Clearly intoxicated beyond control Everyone thought she was a "Loser" "drunk" or "Sick" I knew the signs as soon as I looked at her. Her eyes held pain and I knew she needed help but I wont lie I was afraid to even talk to her, Not knowing what she was on or how she would react I started watching her. Realizing the eyes she was giving people where that of pain and wanting help.

I got off the bus at the subway station and listened to her stumbling about I started thinking of how guilty it was of me and how I could not let her get near the tracks if she could not keep her balance I was afraid of her falling over. Getting killed was a major possibility with her. Given that she could not walk straight and kept falling over. I waited at the bottom of the escalator and decided to take my chances and approach her.


I touched her arm gently and said
"Are you alright"
She sneered and said "What the F**K do you care"
I replied with "I care because you are human as am I and we should help each other"
She started crying and collapsed on me
So I guided her to a bench and asked her what she was on
Her eyes rolled back and she said "Herion and she said you know you are the first to care... and ask "are you ok ""
I was immediately alarmed but kept calm and asked her how much did you take
She told me not enough I then knew she was not going to OD In the middle of my speaking with her as she was shaking ready for her next "Hit".

I started talking to her deeply about life and my history and just asked her
"Is this worth it"
She said "No, I have a 5 year old daughter I think shes starting to know"

We got coffee and in the span of half an hour I convinced her that permitting as I will not force her I will go with her and support her and take her to rehabilitation.
After talking some more she said
"Yes but will it hurt "
I said"Of course but a week of hell is worth  a life of happiness with your daughter, Do you want your 5 year old to have to bury her Mother or be proud of what her Mother overcame?"
She said "I want her to be proud"

With more talking we made our way into down town and I escorted her into as I kept calling it sanctuary. She after speaking with nurses admitted her self with my help into a one year locked rehabilitation. She will not be able to leave the institution for half a year  to one year pending recovery. I also called her mother and tied up the loose ends regarding her daughter and offered to remain in Let's call her "K" for short, Life to help her in this hard time as her sponsor but nothing more .


I am really proud of her firstly for doing this. The first step is indeed the hardest. And I am proud of my self for being able to do this and not get fully attached.
With this being said I am changing my career path to Drug addiction and Mental health Psychiatrist / Counselor/Social worker. I feel this is the right choice.

Many people have turned to me over the years and feel I am easy to trust and talk to perhaps it is my no bullshit mentality? Or perhaps I am raw and real I have battled addiction , I have been homeless , I have built an empire and lost it, I am truly human I am me nothing more nothing less nor do I feel the need to be.

Signing off for now
The Mom

They never told me how to make Fruit leather

I found this great recipe for fruit leather I want to try it with pineapple then add nuts when done cooking <3 yum

<3 The Mom

• 1
  Core, peel and slice a bushel of red apples and place them in a large stock pot.
• 2
  Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to the pot. Cover and boil until it resembles apple sauce.
• 3
  Reduce the heat and simmer another 45 minutes.
• 4
  Spray your baking sheets with cooking spray and spread the contents of the pot onto the sheets.
• 5
  Place the baking sheets in a 140- to 150-degree oven. It takes 10 to 12 hours to dry the apple leather for your edible underwear.
• 6
  Lay out your apple leather on plastic wrap to prevent it from sticking to your countertops. Lay another piece of plastic wrap over the top to keep it clean until your ready cut it.

They never told me about this drink

You will need a juicer.

2 Cups Califlower Leaves
1/2 Cup fresh Ginger

1 Clove Garlic
Half Lemon Rind and all

1/2 Cup grapes
1 bunch of Spinach FRESH

Juice it and drink it SO good for you and actually tastes very good

They never told me one person could make my day awesome

 I was having a rather. Shitty  , Terrible, Dragging.

Ok just plain garbage morning. Walking to the Doctors as my whole household is sick. A man came out of the mall just looked at me the man and the girl and said

" What beautiful people, One love , One love."

I pondered that "One love" line for a split second and beamed I said "You are as well".

Frankly he turned my crap-tacular day into something awesome. With that very simple gesture Sir if you happen to peruse the internet and see this I want to say thank you.
You brought up my day immensely and I appreciate that.

Where I am getting with this post is we as brothers and sisters very much so need to remember that we are all bound by this planet called "Earth". Unanimously bound by cosmic forces we will never understand. We need to treat one another better Do not glare if someone looks at you, Smile compliment, Small things like this go so very far.

Much Love , One Love

The Mom

They never told me just how much I would need

Compiled here is a list of dietary needs for Vegans. I got this off of this amazing Vegan Based site
 My last two posts came from two different sites no copy-write infringement is meant trying to share the word thank you .
That being said This may be helpful to some.
Nutrient Recommendations for Vegans

Vitamin B12 

Vitamin B12 Recommendations: Follow one of these dose regimens.
Age	US RDA (µg)	2 Doses per Day (µg)	Daily Dose (µg)	2 Doses per Week (µg)
0 - 5 mos	0.4	n/a	n/a	n/a
6 - 11 mos	0.4	0.4 - 1	5 - 20	200
1 - 3 yrs	0.9	0.8 - 1.5	10 - 40	375
4 - 8 yrs	1.2	1 - 2	13 - 50	500
9 - 13 yrs	1.8	1.5 - 2.5	20 - 75	750
14+ yrs	2.4	2 - 3.5	25 - 100	1000
pregnancy	2.6	2.5 - 4	25 - 100	1000
lactation	2.8	2.5 - 4	30 - 100	1000
n/a - Not applicable. Infants should be receiving breast milk or commercial formula which contains the necessary amounts of vitamin B12. Amounts much larger than these are considered safe, but it's probably best not to take more than twice the recommended amounts.

Omega-3s

Vitamin B12 Recommendations: Follow one of these dose regimens.
Age	US RDA (µg)	2 Doses per Day (µg)	Daily Dose (µg)	2 Doses per Week (µg)
0 - 5 mos	0.4	n/a	n/a	n/a
6 - 11 mos	0.4	0.4 - 1	5 - 20	200
1 - 3 yrs	0.9	0.8 - 1.5	10 - 40	375
4 - 8 yrs	1.2	1 - 2	13 - 50	500
9 - 13 yrs	1.8	1.5 - 2.5	20 - 75	750
14+ yrs	2.4	2 - 3.5	25 - 100	1000
pregnancy	2.6	2.5 - 4	25 - 100	1000
lactation	2.8	2.5 - 4	30 - 100	1000
n/a - Not applicable. Infants should be receiving breast milk or commercial formula which contains the necessary amounts of vitamin B12. Amounts much larger than these are considered safe, but it's probably best not to take more than twice the recommended amounts.

Calcium

700 - 1000 mg (i.e., 3 servings of high-calcium foods or supplements).
Vitamin D

1. DHA Supplement - sources
   • Under 60 years old: 200 - 300 mg every 2-3 days
   • 60+ years old: 200 - 300 mg per day
2. Do not prepare food with oils high in omega-6 such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, most vegetable oil blends (typically labelled "vegetable oil") and sesame oil. Instead, use low omega-6 oils like olive, avocado, peanut, or canola. Only cook canola under low heat and for short periods.
3. Add 0.5 g of uncooked ALA to your diet daily (see chart). This would be the equivalent of:

   1/5 oz English* walnuts (3 halves)
   1/4 tsp of flaxseed oil
   1 tsp of canola oil
   1 tsp ground flaxseeds
   

   *English walnuts are the typical walnuts for sale in grocery stores. They are distinct from black walnuts.

Iodine


75 - 150 mcg every few days

 Vitamin A


900 RAE^b for men; 700 RAE for women
Good sources: carrot juice, kale, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe

Protein


2 - 3 servings of high lysine foods which include:

• legumes - 1/2 cup cooked
• peanuts (1/4 cup)
• beans - garbanzos, kidney, pinto, navy
• lentils
• peas - split or green
• soyfoods - edamame, tofu, tempeh, soy milk (1 cup), soy meats (3 oz)
• quinoa - 1 cup cooked
• pistachios - 1/4 cup

Iron

Cross-sectional studies have found similar rates of iron deficiency anemia in vegetarians as in meat-eaters. Anecdotally, vegan men and non-menstruating women do not have much difficulty getting or absorbing enough iron, but vegan menstruating women sometimes do. Iron tips:

• Eat foods high in vitamin C at meals to significantly increase iron absorption - citrus fruits, strawberries, green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, swiss chard, brussel sprouts), bell peppers (yellow, red, and green), and cauliflower.
• Do not drink coffee, or black or green tea, with meals; they inhibit iron absorption. Herbal tea is okay. 

Zinc

Good sources are legumes, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, bread, tempeh, miso, multivitamin or zinc supplement.


Whole grains
≥ 2 - 3 servings of 1 cup cooked

Green leafy vegetables
 ≥ 2 servings of 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw

Nuts
≥ 1 serving of 1/4 cup whole nuts or 2 tbsp nut butters

Fruit
≥ 2 servings of 1 medium fresh fruit or 1 cup cooked or cut-up fruit (whichever is larger), 1 cup fruit juice, or 1/4 cup dried fruit

^aIn foods, B12 is measured in micrograms (aka "µg" or "mcg"). 1,000 µg = 1 mg. | ^bThe vitamin A content of foods is now stated as retinol activity equivalents (RAE). 

They never told me all of the signs of certain deficiencies

NUTRIENT	This may help people DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS	To learn more  SOURCES	RDA
Vitamin B12	Confusion, irritability, low energy, inability to concentrate, extreme muscle fatigue, apathy, tingling and numbness in extremities, dementia, possible paralysis	B12 fortified foods (e.g., soymilk, ricemilk, cereal, etc.) Daily supplements Injection (in cases of deficiency or absorption problems) RedStar Nutritional Yeast	3 mcg
Vitamin D	Bone loss and fractures (becoming more evident over time). Rickets in severe cases.	Direct sunlight exposure. Fortified soy and grain milks. Supplements.	5 to 15 mcg (although recent studies are suggesting megadoses of 100 mcg)
Calcium	Osteoporosis. Poor blood clotting, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction. Hypertension (high blood pressure).	Seaweeds, nuts, seeds, beans, okra, blackstrap molasses, oranges, dandelion leaves, rutabaga and leafy greens (those low in oxalate).	Amount needed will vary for each person.  Roughly 1000 mg are needed by those aged 19 to 50.
Iodine	Thyroid problems (including hypothyroidism) which, in turn, affect brain function and general organ function. Deficiency is extremely detrimental to a growing fetus.	Kelp and some other seaweeds. Iodized salt. Iodine supplements (best to take a whey-free kelp supplement)	150 mcg (200 mcg during pregnancy). Be careful of excessive intake
Iron	Eventual symptoms of anaemia will develop, including exhaustion, irritability, lethargy, and headaches.	Dried fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), nuts, green leafy vegetables, seeds and pulses. Also iron-fortified cereals, enriched bread, pasta, rice, soybeans, chickpeas, parsley, watercress, edible seaweeds and blackstrap molasses. Cooking with ironware.	14.4 mg on average for adults although may be up to 32.4 mg if pregnant, smoking or heavily menstruating.
Magnesium	Wide ranging, some symptoms include: muscle tension and soreness, constipation, urinary spasms, menstrual cramps, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, numbness, and tingling. Magnesium deficiency is thought to play a role in a very long list of illnesses including heart disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and migraines.	Greens, nuts, seeds, unrefined grains, legumes, fruit.	Between 310 mg and 420 mg.
Zinc	Slow physical growth, poor appetite, hair loss and reduced ability to taste.	Whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts (sprouting, roasting, soaking and fermenting help to increase absorbability). Fortified foods such as grain and soy milks.	8 mg for women, 11 mg for men although some suggest up to 15 mg (careful though, excessive quantities can be harmful).
Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-6s and Omega-3s)	Poor wound healing, obesity, cancer, attention deficit disorder, inability to concentrate, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, depression, dry and itchy skin, brittle hair and nails, joint pain	Omega 6 ~ sunflower seeds, safflower, hemp, grape seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, butternuts, corn, soybeans Omega 3 ~ seaweeds, microalgae flax seeds, hemp seeds, canola seeds, walnuts, butternuts, soybeans, dark green leafy vegetables. NB a vegan DHA supplement may be the best way to ensure proper EFA ratios	The ratio between Omega-6 and Omega-3 is actually as critical as the overall quantity. Recommended ratios vary from 1:1 to 10:1 (Omega-6:3).

They never told me about Sweet potato energizing soup "stew"

 Dear soup lover

1 cup sweet potato puree
3 T. Ghee Vegetarian
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/8 t. curry powder
Dash nutmeg
1 t. salt
3 T. flour
1 quart (4 cups) So milk or "not cream"
2 Veggie cubes stock flavor In large saucepan melt margerine or GHEE  and sauté onion until tender.  Add spices and salt; stir.  Mix in flour.  Gradually add soy milk  and bouillon cubes.  Cook and stir until slightly thickened.  Stir in sweet potato puree.  Simmer just until hot, stirring constantly.  Pour into blender and blend until smooth.  Return to heat if necessary
 Add
about 2 cups worth of mixed nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 brick Tofu cut into small cubes
Garnish with raw anise

<3 The mom
 

They never told me the day I make the switch I would dream about bacon

I dreamt about heaps of bacon last night and woke up wanting to puke

So to battle this I am making Vegan friendly english muffins

• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons white sugar or raw
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 cup melted shortening Ghee ( i used)
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Warm the "milk" in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the "milk", yeast mixture, shortening and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add salt and rest of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise.
3. Punch down. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, drinking glass, or empty tuna sized  can. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.
4. Heat greased griddle. Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side on medium heat. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast. Great with orange butter, or cream cheese and jam.

They never told me I would love Raw Food Salads

I made this amazing Vegan Vegetarian Friendly Salad for dinner...

DO IT

I made a lemon Basil dressing  from scratch VERY good

Fennel Seeds 
1/2 cup 
(vitamin C, fibers, manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin B3)

Raw

Almonds 
1/2 cup
Protein Amino acids

Cashew  
1/2 Cup
Copper  Magnesium Tryptophan Phosphorous and calories

 Currants
1/2 Cup
dried

Pumpkin seeds 
1/2 Cup
manganese magnesium iron copper zinc vitamin K protein and Calories 

sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup
seeds Vitamin E  Vitamin B1 Manganese magnesium Copper selenium vitamin B5 Folate

Soy nuts  
1 cup
(protein) molybdenum  protein iron omega three fatty acids dietary fiber vitamin K B2
potassium (they have almost all of the other ingredients facts too )

Grapes
about 5 large Grapes chopped up

Cauliflower 
Leaves1 cup
Vitamin C,Vitamin K,Folate,Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6,Tyrptophane, Omega 3 Fatty Acid, Manganese,
Vitamin B5 Potassium , Protien ,Phosphorus , Vitamin b2, Vitamin B1, Magnesium, Vitamin B3 Calories


Spinach 
1 cup
Vitamin K,A C B2 E Zinc Iron among others already named

They never told me I would secretly be afraid of becoming Vegan

II I am on an adventure to become Vegan. 
I am not making the girl do this FYI She can choose when she is older. 
Me and the man have been changing our diet's over the last few months, We have just decided we may as well go full Vegan ( whilst still remaining ANTI PETA ). I am prepared for the possibility of a B12 deficiency but I am prepared to supplement. I will be blogging about this daily with my recipes and discovery.

Today's menu

Chili and Tamales

Chili Non Carne  <--- See what I did there?

Ingredients:

1 Large onion chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

2 Tins of chopped tomatoes 400g

2 sticks of celery

Squeeze of tomato puree

1 teaspoon of chilli powder or chopped fresh chilli (or to taste)

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Dash of Worcester sauce (secret)

1 pinch of cinnamon (secret)

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

1-2 Chopped red peppers

2 tin of drained kidney beans about 800g (Protein)


1 cup Soy beans (iron)

1 cup Okra cut very fine (calcium)

1 small piece of DARK chocolate or sprinkle of cacao power (secret) I use abueleto Mexican hot chocolate bricks 

1 small bunch of fresh coriander and

Use a large pan (probably the largest you have) with a nice lid.

Fry Onion and Garlic until light brown  with your choice I use Vegan Ghee from A Indian Supermarket

Add all dry spices and Seasoning stir well coating everything

Add all the Vegetables Then add Beans

Add chopped Tomatoes and reduce heat to low Stir well adding Tomato Puree to Thicken as needed and the Worcester Sauce Leave to simmer for one hour with Lid AJAR

Add Remaining items or extra if you like Cook until suited to your taste but I would suggest do not over cook Vegetables

Tamales Con The Mom

This is a super simple basic Tamale recipe with NO MEAT

I do not use Corn husks as they are far too over priced here, At 9 dollars a bag and waste I do not want. So I am using plastic Tamale Wrappers that are reusable.

Now all recipes I have ever found call for unreal amounts of ingredients for large amounts ... I have a family of three So I improvised until it tasted good, and bang I make enough for us to have two each adult and one for the girl

Stuffing Now most call for pork I use beans <3 Yummy beans

one medium can mixed beans

  Half Teaspoon salt (or less )
  Half large Onion, coarsely chopped
  1 Large Garlic clove
  3 whole Pepper corn roughly ground
  Quarter  teaspoon  whole cumin seeds
  Quarter teaspoon Mexican oregano
  Quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/3 teaspoon black pepper
  Quarter teaspoon paprika

Cook beans with one tea spoon of oil or Ghee *vegan*

Add all ingredients now if you have a processor or blender this works even better add all ingredients when cool to machine and turn into paste or chunky ISH mix 

Dough

2-3 Cups Masa Tamale Corn Flour

1/4  tablespoons paprika

salt to taste tablespoons salt

1/3 tablespoons chili powder
1/3  tablespoons garlic powder OR TO TASTE
Ghee 3 Tea spoon OR 2 oil
2 cups Vegetable broth

In a large bowl (and I mean a very large bowl),

Using clean hands, work the dry ingredients together, mixing well so that you don’t end up with clumps of spices (this wouldn’t taste too good, and the rest of the Masa would not be seasoned well).

Once you have the Masa flour and the other dry ingredients well combined, add the oil or ghee all at once. 

Continue to work this with your hands, mixing the oil or ghee into the dry ingredients. Once this is distributed well, begin adding the warm  broth, little by little . Keep mixing, and adding broth, until your Masa is the consistency of paste or peanut butter. You will probably be using both hands before you get to this point. NOTE: You may need to add more Masa mix, or more liquid as you are mixing so you obtain the right consistency.  

Cooking

you can use parchment paper also cut long triangles to resemble husks place a fairly good layer of tamale paste then add filling rolling from one edge to create a cylinder effect. Steam tamales

steam them for TWO HOURS 

as a side dish I will be serving spinach salad

This is a day long adventure. GOOD LUCK 

Love The Mom