Alaska

Nick and I arrived in Anchorage, Alaska on Monday. We have been treated to a beautiful, wintry wonderland so far. There is lots of snow, not much wind, and even though the temperature is in the single-digits, it does not feel too cold. Last year I felt cold the entire time I was here, no matter how many layers I was wearing. I'm thankful that is not the case now.

It is also nice to be home and not have to be planning or participating in a wedding. Though it was nice having my closest friends here, it's a lot more relaxing this way. Plus, we get to celebrate our first anniversary and eat some very delicious (though not vegan) wedding cake! More on this will come on our family blog in a week from today.

Nick is enjoying the abundance of time to relax, while I am a bit restless. Perhaps I will do some cleaning and organizing, or at least go workout a bit. I got my hair cut and dyed at the salon I've been going to since I was 13. We had snacks and egg nog (soy nog this year) as part of our annual Christmas tradition. I dyed my hair a reliable dark red color that I've had several times before. It looks smashing!

That's all for now, really. More soon.

In the desert, I make my own rain.

Exhausted, drenched.
90 minutes conquered--I made it through again.
A few moments to myself, stretching on hands and knees.
The melodious drip drop from my elbows, forehead, hair
Sounds like gentle rainfall on a cloudy day
In the desert, I make my own rain.

What I'm Eating: Flax oil (ick) in a Smoothie (yum!)

As part of my health plan, my naturopathic physician prescribed me flax oil to take daily. I got a big jug of it and at first taking 2 tablespoons of it straight wasn't bad at all. Then it started getting to me.... the texture mostly, followed by the aftertaste. Sick. So yesterday I decided to take advice from the bottle itself and add it too a homemade smoothie.

In my Vitamix I added frozen blueberries and peaches, apple juice, soy milk, and flax oil, whirled it about and drank up! I couldn't tell the flax oil was in there at all. Plus, I had enough to have a second serving today.

What I'm Eating: Tofurky frozen pizza

FINALLY something to satisfy my pepperoni pizza craving! Whole Foods sells Tofurky frozen pizzas in three varieties: cheese, pepperoni, and combo ("italian somethingorother"). They are made with Daiya, the absolute BEST vegan cheese and of course all the meat is pretend. No, they are not the healthiest, but they are amazing (and not nearly as bad for you as the real thing).

What I'm Eating: Amy's Soup

I love Amy's soup. It's a little pricey, I must admit, but when I've just come home from yoga or class and I'm STARVING nothing beats the ability to have a delicious--healthy--meal in about 5 minutes. The majority of Amy's soups are vegan and gluten free and if not, this is labeled in bold making selecting these soups a breeze (all of Amy's products are vegetarian). Amy's offers organic and low sodium types, too, which is nice. I also like Amy's chili and refried beans. The company is independent and not owned by some evil parent corporation so it can still uphold its moral standards. Anyway, I always have a solid supply of Amy's soup in my pantry and someday soon I hope to replicate those flavors and make my own versions.

A few favorites:
black bean
lentil vegetable
thai coconut
chunky vegetable

Try one today and tell me how you like it :)

Bastyr University

As you may have read in an earlier blog post, in September/October I applied to Bastyr University, a naturopathic medical school. When I got back from Oklahoma after Thanksgiving I got the long-awaited envelope that said that I had been ACCEPTED to the program starting Fall 2011!!!

This is so exciting. It is nice to have plans definitively in place (well, assuming I pass Organic Chemistry II and Physics II) so we can go forward with, say, living arrangements. My mom and I are flying to Washington in January to search for a condo for Nick and me! We are very blessed that this is possible because we have been yearning for a place to call our own and are more than ready to settle down. We have moved every year for 6 years and we would like to not do that again for a while.

As for where to live, we are not quite sure. Nick just submitted his application for UW's Political Science PhD program and we should hear sometime before April. We are going to assume that he will get in so we are looking at living somewhere that would split the difference between our two schools or at least would be somewhere where the commute isn't too killer. When we visited in November we did some apartment searching and really like Lynnwood which is north of both of our schools, a little more suburban and farther from the city. I will also be looking in the Shoreline area because that is close to both our schools and hosts a Bikram Yoga studio. But I will be keeping my eyes and mind open and hopefully the perfect place will present itself to us! Here are two places we will definitely be visiting: Dunhill Terrace and Cambria Hills.

Fortunately, we already have several friends in the area so adjusting to a new state won't be quite as difficult. Plus, I just found out that a fellow Gustie from my graduating class is a second year student at Bastyr! I can't wait to be on a small, friendly campus again (with outstanding food).

What I'm Eating: Frozen Pretzels

Last night, while hungry, I was shopping at Sprouts (the local alternative grocery store). This is a dangerous thing. However, this time my hungry shopping led me to a FANTASTIC find! I grabbed Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels brand Traditional Bavarian Pretzels.

I tried a little pretzel today (they are smaller than your average mall pretzel) and was amazed by the amazingness. The taste is waaay better than those over-processed twists I had had before. Part of the reason for all the goodness is because these pretzels are made with quality ingredients: high protein unbleached and unbromated wheat flour, sea salt, and cane sugar to name a few. All varieties of the pretzels are vegetarian, and the Traditional Bavarian are egg-free, too. The pretzels are also made in a dedicated nut-free facility. Each pretzel contains 6.5g of whole grain and 10g of protein. I can eat these nearly guilt-free!

They really don't need a cheese-type sauce, they are that good. But I'm sure I'll make a little bit of cheesy sauce for a dip.

So next time you're in the freezer section, take a glance and see if you are blessed with these yummy delights!

What I'm Eating: Nick's Enchiladas

I know I already have a recipe for enchiladas. The truth is we like enchiladas; they are easy and delicious. Last night Nick made his version of enchiladas:

Corn and flour tortillas (they are made out of both ingredients.. makes a nice flavor and texture)
Sauteed fillings (firm tofu, red pepper, yellow squash, portobello mushrooms, spices)
Organic refried black beans
Kroger fire roasted red enchilada sauce
Shredded cheese or Daiya vegan cheese

Fill each tortilla with the sauteed fillings and refried black beans. Put some enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan you are using and put the filled and rolled tortillas on top of it. Slather all the tortillas in the pan with enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese of your choice on top. Bake at 375 until cheese melts and is a little bubbly. Enjoy!

What I'm Eating: Whoa Yummy Salad

The salad i just finished devouring was made from ingredients I had on hand; it was very scrounged together. It ended up tasting FANTASTIC!

Romaine lettuce
organic roma tomatoes
Frozen meatless meatballs from Trader Joe's
Bragg's Ginger and Sesame dressing
sesame seeds
chia seeds

Cook the meatballs, put everything in a bowl and eat. Surprisingly scrumptious.

Medical School Interview!

So about two weeks ago, approximately a week or so after submitting my application, I received an email and phone call inviting me to interview to Bastyr University for the Doctor of Naturopathy program!

We are headed to Seattle for Veterans Day weekend, and my interview is Friday, November 12th. Along with my interview I get to shadow a doctor at the clinic, a free clinic appointment, lunch with a current ND student, campus tour, and I can sit in on classes. Though I've been to the campus before, I'm excited for Nick to explore the campus, too.

Plus, we get to explore the city including possible places to live and, more importantly, delicious vegan-friendly places to eat! Allegedly, there is a vegan pizzeria that we will be eating at the first night we are there. I'm also excited for the cool weather, beautiful trees, and some friends and family we will get to visit.

Of course, I will post the result of this interview! Hopefully I won't have to wait too long to find out!

What I'm Eating: Quick Enchiladas

It was one of those nights when all of a sudden it was 7:30 and I still had no idea for dinner. Credit goes to Nick for proposing, "how about enchiladas?" Great idea, hubby!

Quick Enchiladas:
Amy's organic refried black beans
Vegetarian chili
Enchilada sauce
Daiya mozzarella cheese (vegan)
Optional fajita vegetables (I happened to have some left over from last night's meal)
Small tortillas

Slather enchilada sauce on the bottom of a pyrex pan, fill tortillas with ingredients, slather more sauce on them once they are all in the pan, then top with Daiya cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes at about 375 degrees. Enjoy!

What I'm Eating: Salad for Breakfast

I like the idea of salad. It's very nutritional, has protein and fiber and lots of vitamins. I often find various greens in my fridge. The problem is I never get around to eating them in the two days I have until they wither and spoil.

So I decided to start eating a bowl of salad for breakfast! It's a light, quick meal and I've never been too fond of traditional breakfast foods (and I haven't quite figured out how to make a tofu scramble yet). Best of all, eating salad for breakfast makes sure that I get all those benefits at least once a day.

Any salad greens will work but this week I enjoyed spinach leaves with Braggs Garlic and Ginger dressing, sprinkled with chia seeds.

What I'm Eating: creamy rice and beans

Facebook is down and I don't do twitter anymore... so i guess i'll blog!

Here's what I ate for lunch today:
homemade refried black beans
long grain brown rice
creamy cashew sauce

mixed it all together and nom nom nommed!

Details:
I had made the refried beans a few days prior. It's still a work in progress to refine exactly how to do that... but they were edible enough.

Rice I cooked in the rice cooker. Yes!

Creamy cashew sauce I got off of Ellen DeGeneres's website. It's super easy, especially if you have a really good mixer like the Vita-Mix. I was able to just add cashews and water and blend for a creamy sauce that reminded me of Monterey sauce. I ended up sprinkling on some salt and nutritional yeast on it and it was very good. I'll definitely use the simple cashew sauce as a base for future sauces.

What I'm Eating: Quick Quesadilla

Nom nom nom! This is a great snack or light lunch made on a George Foreman or stove top griddle.

Ingredients:
Rudi's Organic Spelt Tortilla (my absolute favorite variety of tortilla)
Black canned or cooked black beans or vegetarian refried black beans
Cilantro
Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese

Put ingredients in order listed on tortilla. Put on griddle and cook until browned and cheese is melted. YUUUMMMMMM! I'm going to make another now!

What I'm Eating: Amazing Baked Burritos

Ingredient list:

TJ's handmade flour tortillas and/or sprouted wheat tortillas

Daiya Mozzarella vegan cheese (on the inside and outside)

Vegetarian chili

Black beans

Quinoa ("keen-wah")

Roma tomatoes

Optional shredded milk cheese (for my veggie/omni husband)

Baked for 30 minutes at 350.

I just whipped these up this morning and will be taking them to Nick for lunch. They are super quick and taste amazing. The Daiya vegan cheese adds great flavor and melty texture on the inside and outside. The quinoa adds easy nutrients and protein, as does the extra black beans. I would have preferred to add something green, maybe spinach, on the inside but I didn't have any. Nonetheless, they were super wonderful.

These ingredients would also make a good enchilada filling, although for enchiladas I like to use soy chorizo on the inside. Hmmm perhaps I will have another post this week...

What I'm Eating: Garlic and Greens Soup

This soup is better than a salad. My friend, Kim, introduced me to it and referred me to the YouTube instructional video on how to make it. However, it is so basic that even the non-cook could easily succeed in making it... it's hard to screw up. Basically, take any type of hearty greens (i'm a fan of kale here), garlic, and whatever else sounds yummy and saute it in the big pot then cover it with vegetable broth, mushroom broth, or water with a vegetable bouillon cube, add in cut up potatoes (yukons or reds are tasty) and simmer until the potatoes are soft.

Here's what went into my Garlic and Greens soup today:
Garlic
Green Onions
Kale
Green Cabbage
Portobello mushrooms
Yukon gold potato
Red potatoes
Brown Miso (at the very end)


Super nutritious, great for hydration. Yum!

What I'm Eating: Wok-made cabbage and gyoza

I've been vegan now for over 5 months. I initially was going to only go vegan for a week, but it was easier than I anticipated so I kept it up. At first I just wanted to keep my body clean. Now I am continuing it for both health, animal rights, and environmental reasons.

Having a completely new set of ingredients with which to cook has resulted in some pretty interesting (and often tasty!) dishes that I would like to share. This theme will be ongoing.

Today (and last night) I used my wok to whip up shredded green and red cabbage sauteed in rice vinegar with portobello mushroom slices, a dash of red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Searing the cabbages makes them a lot less bitter and more palatable. It's a great way to eat some different colors and fun to eat with chopsticks. For more sustenance I used the wok to make frozen vegetable gyoza from Trader Joe's. Tasty!

Finals Week, Ultra-Concentrated

One would think that for one course I would have one final, right? Wrong. Well okay it is sort of true but it's more complicated than that. First of all, we have one final for lecture on Thursday and one final for lab on Tuesday (recall that I'm taking Chemistry II in one month). Then we have an optional makeup exam on Wednesday, which I will be taking to boost my grade. Finally, we have our third normal lecture exam on Monday. That's four tests in four days.

And I fly out to Alaska after that final final on Thursday. So basically I am writing this while I should be studying and packing.

Update from Alaska next!

Sweetgrass

I bought incense at Sprouts, a local farmer's market grocery store, the other day. I haven't burned incense since I was in high school and thought it would be a nice thing to have around again. There was a small variety of choices and I went with Sweetgrass because of its description on the box:

"Sweetgrass is found in alpine meadows throughout the mountainous regions of the West, from Alaska south to the Rockies and Sierra Nevada. It is one of the treasured plants of native tribes in Canada and the American West, who use it ceremonially along with White Sage. When burned it has a lovely, soft, vanilla-like scent and a centering energy that evokes the ephemeral, shimmering green mountain meadows where it grows." (Juniper Ridge is the company that makes this!)

Let me tell you, it does indeed. It is so wonderful. And unlike most other incense, it's actually made from real sweetgrass leaves so when it burns it smells like outside in Alaska. Basically, I love it so much I'm blogging about it. That's saying something!

Bikram Yoga

Yesterday marked my 21st day straight of Bikram yoga. I am going for 30 days. Bikram challenges new students to practice every day for 60 days, which I would definitely do except that I'm going to Alaska for the second month.

What makes Bikram yoga different from other styles is that it is practiced in a room heated to (or above) 105 degrees. Each 90 minute session is comprised of two sets of 26 postures, with periods of rest in between. The rest (savasana) poses are the reason that I can do this everyday.. it's recovery time built in. A time for the body to absorb the benefits of the previous pose.

Each day is different. Some days are hard and some days are really great. On hard days I usually have eaten something too soon or too heavy, or I haven't eaten, or I haven't had enough sleep. My mind races and I get panicky about the heat in the room. I've shed a few tears but I keep going. On good days, I can push myself and achieve new levels in the poses.

My favorite pose is standing bow pulling. It's my goal pose... I want to be able to lock out someday soon! My nemesis is triangle pose. My back foot slips on the floor which is the most annoying thing ever for me.

I've enjoyed the challenge and the benefits. I have so much more muscle already, even in my back around my spine, and my posture has improved noticeably! When I get back I plan on continuing to practice 3-4 times a week and triathlon train the other days.

New Apartment!

How could I forget to mention our new apartment!? We moved in last Saturday and even with boxes everywhere I absolutely love it. It is nowhere near the edge of a busy street or across from a gas station. It's quiet and when it's not quiet it's because there are children (who are actually courteous, well-behaved children) playing outside. Daylight streams in and fills the entire apartment. And I have a PANTRY!!! This is such a blessing after not having one. It has already changed my life, I swear! This place just has better energy than the old place. Additionally, with the help of my bestie, I painted three of the walls so that it feels like "our" place and not just a space we are renting. Now my mission is to get everything put away and get decorations up to complete the move-in process! I'm off to do that now :)

Triathlon, CHM 152, and Photography

I'll try to make this short but thorough.

I finished my first triathlon in 1:49:05 which isn't too bad for my first. This was the Gold Nugget Triathlon in Anchorage, Alaska and it was a bit chilly for me! I'm spoiled now, living in Arizona. Anyways, I am planning on doing an open water swim race tomorrow to get some experience in a non-pool setting.

I finished my busy spring semester with 3 A's and 1 B and have now finished my first week of CHM 152 (Chemistry II) which I will be completing in five weeks total. It is already keeping me very busy and it is a good thing (sort of) that Nick is in Anchorage working so I don't get distracted!

Meanwhile, I decided that if I wanted to do photography I should just do it. So I did. I'm very stoked about it and am excited to continue building my portfolio. Check out my awesome website: Ashley Stramp Photography!

A Little Minnesota Get-Away

I just got home yesterday from spending an extended weekend back in my "second-home" of Minnesota. It was wonderful to be able to spend quality time with my bestie, Laura, and to see several other people near-and-dear to my heart.

I spent Friday at Gustavus. It felt as though I had never left, but none of my friends were there. I do miss the campus life and all the benefits of going to college, but this experience was good for closure. I would really like to go back for Homecoming, however, when there is a better chance of seeing fellow alumni! My sister-in-law, Robin, will be going to Gustavus's rival school, St. Olaf, so hopefully we will get to go see her next fall and make a stop at GAC. Oh, I also got to go to Patty's, the local bar, and River Rock, the local coffee shop which serves amazing food. I had intended to order PJ's pizza but only remembered as I was driving out of town. That's for next time!

Saturday morning I ran the Get In Gear 5k race in Minneapolis. It was pouring down rain and a little nippy but once I got going it was nice to run in cool weather and beautiful scenery. To make things even more great, I had my Laura waiting for me at the finish line to cheer me on and with warm, dry clothes ready for me! I made decent time and ran with a 9:36 pace. For the last long stretch I decided to pace with this little boy, probably about 7 yrs old, and he certainly challenged me! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep breathing and not wimp out and he was just trotting along! It was a good race.

Saturday afternoon was filled with friends. I got to visit my senior-year roommate, Alysha, and toured her new townhouse. We had a yummy Mexican lunch then I headed out to the Zeta Chi Phi Blue Diamond Formal, which happened to be that same weekend I was there! I definitely didn't spend enough time with these wonderful women but it was nice to see everyone, especially the new members! Saturday night Laura and I made yummy Trader Joe's homemade pizza. It was delicious.

Sunday Laura and I attempted to go to the Farmer's Market but realized most of the Farmer's were back in their warm, cozy beds and not in the breezy rainy conditions of the day. I did have a magnificent cup of freshly squeezed orange juice that made my day. Then we found a boutique called Patinas where I gladly left a sizable stack of cash. This store is hard to describe... it has so much of everything. I mostly bought a few neat decorations for the apartment. After an informative stop at Saint Sabrina's tattoo shop, we had lunch at Chin's Asia Fresh, a favorite restaurant of mine that is only found in Minnesota. We followed this with a very productive mall shopping experience and headed home to get ready for dinner!

Chino Latino is by far the best restaurant I have experienced in the Lower 48. It is a fusion of Mexican and Asian/South-Asian foods in an upscale yet satirical atmosphere. They have dishes with names like "Cuban Pork Roast Crisis" (my absolute favorite) and "The Fire Goddess' Sacrificial S'mores Platter" (we had this too) and drinks named "Kama Sutra Mama" and "El Orgazmo". Most everything on the menu is incredible unique in flavor and everything is super tasty. Here Laura and I met two of my bridesmaids, Laura D. and Jessie for some well-needed catch-up time. It was great to see both of them but our dinner was over way too soon.

Monday I flew out and did Chemistry homework on the plane (plus an obligatory homework nap). It was nice, I must admit, to be back in the warmth even though that warmth is rapidly increasing (a forecasted high of 92 today). However, I will surely miss the beautiful grass and trees!

Classes

In order to fulfill the prerequisites for the Doctor of Naturopathy program at Bastyr and NCNM, I must take:
2 courses Biology
2 courses Chemistry
2 courses Organic Chemistry
2 courses Physics
1 course College Algebra (I'll be taking Trigonometry)
and of course labs with all courses except for math.

I basically changed my major and now I'm kicking myself for copping-out on Gustavus's science requirement by taking a course on natural disasters instead of Biology. And taking Nature of Math instead of Pre-Calc or higher. Oh well, that's life for sure!

Last semester I took General Biology I which I really should have skipped and taken Gen Bio II because it was on par with a high school level course. My awful teacher didn't help matters. Fortunately I also took Anatomy & Physiology I at the same time with the most wonderful teacher! I really enjoyed that class and made a few close friends.

This semester I decided to continue to Anatomy & Physiology II to learn about more detailed systems of the body. My teacher isn't quite the same and my classmates can be quite irritating at times, but overall it's going well. I made two new friends, one of whom was born and raised in Wasilla until she was 13. Very cool!

Additionally, I am taking Microbiology. This is the most interesting class this semester by far. Even though I'm freaking out a little bit (as she warned us we would start doing) about my little cut being infected and developing necrotizing fasciitis, the information is so fresh and new. My professor has a PhD and is very knowledgeable, having done extensive research in her field. Microbiology lab always goes the full 2.5 hours but it flies by as we create our own slides and look at our organisms under our microscopes. Currently we have each been given an unknown organism and we must run a series of tests to deduce which of the six choices it is! Plus, I get to wear a lab coat which undoubtedly makes me feel very studious and official.

Finally, I am taking Gen Chem I. This is a hard class. My teacher, Brian, makes it a true college level course and he goes at a very quick pace and relies on the students to be prepared by reading the text and knowing how to self-teach. Most of the class hates his methods but I'm pretty much okay with them. He has made a few changes since most of the class bombed the first test (I got an 88 so I'm feeling pretty good) but the problem is that there is so much information to cram in to one semester that it is hard for him to slow down and still cover it all. I have three new friends in that class so I don't mind class and lab. One of my friends is a firefighting dad who knows a lot about chemicals. My other friend is a local "'Zona-boy" who is doing his undergrad at PVCC. My lab partner is not in my lecture class, but she is a very sweet young momma who recently moved here from... Wyoming or Montana (I think).

I had a job in the fall but it was awful and I ended up quitting so other than selling Mary Kay I don't have a job currently. I'm thinking that once Nick and I move to our new apartment in May I'll start looking out in that area. So until then this is what i've got going on! Oh, and going to the gym and taking tennis lessons.... for another post.

Super Update!

A lot has changed since my last post.

I am still continuing to take community college classes in the pursuit of starting naturopathic medical school, however, I am no longer applying to SCNM. For multiple reasons, I have decided that one of the naturopathic schools in the Pacific NW would be better. Therefore, we are 99% sure that we will be moving to Seattle in June 2011! If it's not Seattle then it will probably be Portland, home to National College of Natural Medicine.

Our relocation to Seattle will mean that I will attend Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA to pursue a Doctor of Naturopathy degree as well as a Masters in Midwifery (pending accreditation of a merger in progress). At this time I see myself specializing in Women's Health, which would be awesome.

Nick is not planning on continuing to teach after this next year because he (nor I) like the fact that he has to bring his work home with him every night, making each work day at least 18 hours long. Seattle would provide him with lots of opportunities to explore a new career path or two.

So that's the most significant update, as this decision has shaped a lot of other decisions like where to live and how many classes I need to take and when, etc. I'll try my darndest to keep this blog a little more updated from now on :)

Oh and btw Nick and I got married. I guess that's a big deal, too ;) Check out our family website: thestramps.blogspot.com