Weed Eat Yoga

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The weeding is done; the family crisis has (mostly) passed; and I practiced yoga on my own, in a guest room, with the lights turned off.  I feel so much better already!

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First things first:  I gave the Husband a very good idea of what I might look like in 30 years if I ever become like his mother.

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She loaned me gardening clothes since my outfit from yesterday (a tee, shorts, and compression socks to protect my legs) was dirty.  I suddenly felt like a 50-something year old British lady.

 

I weeded and filled seven (seven!) more garbage bags, finally completing the mammoth task of cleaning up the backyard. 

 

While I gardened, I listened to Eat, Love, Pray on audiotape.

So – for a really, really long time, I tried not to read this book!  Really, I resisted.  One – I hated the title for some reason.  Two – everyone and their mother seemed to be reading it, and although I nearly always jump on the book bandwagon (if millions of people think it’s worth reading, they are usually right on some level), it made me want to avoid it for some reason.  Then I heard from a few people that the Italy and Bali sections (“Eat” and “Love”) were the most interesting, and the middle was boring and slow.  So that turned me off too.

 

But then I had to get in a car and drive 8 hours by myself to Florida, so I downloaded it.  AND IT IS SO GOOD.  Really.  And you know what? I think the India (“Pray”) section is the most fascinating!  I do not know WHY people hate this section of the book.  It’s so interesting, and lately I’m digging discussions about worldly views on spirituality. 

 

And I do recognize that some critics might hate on the book because it’s “navel gazing,” but to be honest, that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me.  I do, after all, write a food blog. 😉 If that’s not navel gazing, I don’t know what is (at least I admit it)!  And I like to know what other people think about themselves.

 

I have about 30 minutes left on the audiobook, and I can’t wait to see what happens. 

 

So, my book, Maggie, and James helped me weed the garden.  The chore went by very quickly today!

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Snacked on some almonds:

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And dinner was simple but nice:

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To make today’s tofu, I pressed the water from an extra-firm block and then chopped it up:

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I added maple syrup and soy sauce, and then I dusted the tofu with some sesame seeds:

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And then I spread it out on a roasting pan in a little foil pocket with some veggies.

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Cooked everything at high heat (400 degrees) for about 20 minutes (I pre-cooked the potatoes in the microwave).

 

In addition to the tofu, I had some spinach, zuchinni, carrots, and roasted potatoes with some Chinese-flavored sauce from the back of my in-laws’ fridge.

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Blogging behind the scenes – tonight’s dinner was photographed by the pool. 🙂

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And chocolate for dessert (about a serving and a half).  Would you expect anything less?

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After dinner, I reviewed your suggestions on at-home yoga workouts. Everyone had great ideas (definitely check out the recommendations), but one in particular stood to me because it required no planning or downloading.  Heather suggested:

 

1. Start with a short meditation
2. Breathing exercise of your choice
3. Side bends and a gentle twist
4. Warm up with a sun salutation
5. Choose 3-4 of your favorite standing balancing postures(that you know you can do safely and correctly, holding for 30-60 seconds) and after each posture do one sun salutation.
6. Choose 3-4 seated postures and do them at your own pace (holding for 30-60 seconds)
7. Final sun salutation
8. Savasana/corpse pose

 

I locked myself in a guest room, turned off the lights, and yoga-ed my way to relaxation.  It was so nice!  I haven’t done yoga in a week, and I’m now accustomed to doing it 3 – 4 times a week!  I didn’t realize how much I (or my hamstrings) missed it until today.   Bliss.  🙂

 

We go back to North Carolina tomorrow!!!

{ 102 comments }

 

  • Rachel September 29, 2010, 8:53 pm

    What a lovely day! Seems very peaceful – with the weeding while listening to the audiobook! I’m interested to hear you like it, because I too, have avoided reading it for sometime (yet – it continues to sit on my nightstand!)

    Your dinner looks great too!

    By the way, I always wonder if you ever go back to have a snack at night-time after you post your dinner and dessert

  • Caitlin September 29, 2010, 8:54 pm

    I like your weeding outfit! Adorable.

  • Lisa @ bakebikeblog September 29, 2010, 8:58 pm

    What a wonderful day you have had! And that dinner – YUMMO!

  • Kelly September 29, 2010, 9:04 pm

    I agree about Eat, Pray, Love- I actually read it years ago and really liked it. I think Italy was my favorite but I really enjoyed India as well. I also like navel gazing and thats why I read blogs!
    I need to get better at going to yoga consistently!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey September 29, 2010, 9:05 pm

    That dinner looks delicious! I love simple, whole meals!

  • Sarah September 29, 2010, 9:05 pm

    I really enjoyed the book because I loved the idea of getting out of your comfort zone and marveling at all that is good while you re-find the good in yourself. Sometimes we lose sight of the good when we get so caught up in our lives.

    I saw the movie two weeks ago and thought they did a really good job at it. It’s hard not to with that scenery. 🙂

    Also – I like how she brings a different spin to prayer. Most people think of it as a Christian practice – I’m Christian so that is how I see it in my own life. But I also think that prayer in general is a way of opening yourself up to something “else” (whatever that may be) and bringing your body to a sense of calm.

    Okay, I’ve rambled long enough. You sound (as much as you can sound on a blog) better – I’m glad things are going well. Drive safe tomorrow!

    • Lindsey September 30, 2010, 1:00 am

      I completely agree with you about the author’s take on prayer. She makes it a practice that anyone can pick up and her description makes it so accessible. That whole section really did change how I mediate and pray. Glad to see others felt the same 🙂

  • Lauren September 29, 2010, 9:05 pm

    Haha, aww I bet you gave your hubby a scary reality check! LoL. Even though his mum is quite adorable, I;m sure the last thing he wants to envision is seeing you as her! 🙂

    I read the book and I actually really liked it. I thought at first that I wouldn’t because like you, I tend to stay away from the mainstream popularity of things and prefer to stumble upon literature on my own digressions. I felt like I had an unfair bias going into it but I did really enjoy it. Now I can’t wait to see the movie.

    Is Cadbury an English thing? When I lived in England, this chocolate was EVERYWHERE! I love it just because it reminds me of England.

    • Caitlin September 29, 2010, 10:14 pm

      yes! i think it is an english thing.

  • Eliza September 29, 2010, 9:08 pm

    I’ve been pretty anti-Eat, Pray, Love too, and have refused to read it. My big issue is that what I’ve read about the book kind of makes her sound really out of touch with her privilege, and pretty narcissistic. Maybe you can tell me if thats off base or not, but it seemed like she felt “out of touch” because she found things that people do every day (like dealing with a marriage/job/etc.) to be boring, so she got a lot of money to travel and take stereotypical parts of other cultures and make meaning for herself from them. Like orientalism, sort of reducing culture down to a small definition and then appropriating it. But I haven’t read the book, so I’m probably pretty off base. And I know that the book was really meaningful for a lot of people, and I don’t mean to offend anyone it was meaningful for.
    But if its worth reading and would prove me wrong, I’d love to hear about it. Whenever I’ve brought these points up to people who have read it, they always kind of say “yeah, but its so good.”

    • Caitlin September 29, 2010, 9:23 pm

      Oh I think you should give it a shot. She talks a lot about how there are different sides to the Bali people – they are known for being all happy and tranquil but there’s been a lot of strife and civil war. I think she presents a fair account… when you take into account that this is a memoir and viewed through her eyes.

    • Nicole September 29, 2010, 9:36 pm

      I didn’t feel like she was saying that dealing with marriage or every day things was boring. She came to the conclusion that the suburban lifestyle wasn’t for her and that she wanted to travel and see the world. The way that she came to the conclusion that she had basically been role-playing her life to fit others’ expectations really spoke to me. I thought it was really brave of her to take the steps she did to create the life that she wanted, regardless of what our society dictates (marriage, kids, big house, etc).

      I know she’s been criticized for having an advance to finance her year around the world, but I didn’t have a problem with that. Plenty of authors get advances to write books and devote months to that. I just can’t see how it’s any different.

      She’s remarried now to someone who shares her goals and dreams, though I didn’t care for the book about that as much as I did Eat Pray Love.

      • Eliza September 29, 2010, 9:43 pm

        Thanks for your responses, I appreciate them (I was actually a little scared to write my post because I feel like people have such a strong emotional connection to this book that they can get defensive at any criticism). Maybe I’ll have to check it out. Nicole, I really hear what you are saying about her feeling like she was “role playing.” I think women often feel like they are in roles/positions that have been defined for them by others. If the book touches on that, i can understand why people would feel connected to it.

        • Caitlin September 29, 2010, 10:13 pm

          You can always write your own opinion on HTP! I think you brought up a good point and I can definitely see how it’s a criticism of the overall thrust of the book.

        • Nicole September 29, 2010, 10:23 pm

          I’ve actually been to a few sites where the book was bashed so much that I was afraid of posting my positive opinion of it! So I completely understand.

          I think Caitlin’s blog is an awesome place to discuss the book because of the viewpoint that Caitlin puts on HTP and Operation Beautiful. It’s okay if we, as women, aren’t perfect. We’re never going to look perfect and do everything in life perfectly. We’re going to have bad hair days and places on our bodies we’d prefer to look differently and days that absolutely nothing goes right. The image given to us is so unattainable, and I always felt that some of the backlash against the book was really people who buy into that image of perfection.

          I love that the message in the Pray section was figuring how to get out of her own way to achieve happiness. I can see how people would not like the “navel-gazing”, but I have recently spent a lot of time navel-gazing about how to get out of my own way, and I am so much happier for it.

        • Caitlin September 29, 2010, 10:27 pm

          Nicole – I agree! What is so wrong with navel gazing? It’s only bad if you never consider other people or their perspectives! One book full of navel gazing isn’t so bad. 🙂 Sometimes it’s helpful.

    • Chelsea November 14, 2010, 8:45 am

      I couldn’t finish the book for the exact reason that Eliza first mentioned. I got through Italy and India and then had to put it down in Bali. It just got so narcissistic and awful (to me) at that point. I can count on one hand how many books I’ve started and not finished and this is one of them.

  • holly @ couchpotatoathlete September 29, 2010, 9:10 pm

    I’m glad you are liking EPL, I haven’t picked it up either.

    I love the gardening outfits — My mother in law dresses that way too! 🙂 It must be a MIL thing, who knows!

    I have some tofu to make with dinner tomorrow night — I think I’ll try your perfect baked tofu 🙂

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) September 29, 2010, 9:11 pm

    That is the best review I have heard of that book. I have not read it for the same reasons, now I want to! I am going to start painting the interior of our house…maybe I should download that one to listen to. Have a great night Caitlin.

  • Kaitlyn (College Girl Runs) September 29, 2010, 9:14 pm

    I felt the same way about Eat Pray Love but it was honestly the first book that I was actually excited to read in awhile! Audio tape is such a good idea to read books, too. 🙂

  • B September 29, 2010, 9:15 pm

    I felt the same way about Eat, Pray, Love! Took me FOREVER to read it, but when I finally did, I was hooked. I also heard a lot of negative feedback about the India section, but I really enjoyed it! Glad I’m not alone 🙂

  • Michele September 29, 2010, 9:16 pm

    Sounds like a great day. I LOVED the book Eat Pray Love; read it over a year ago and still think it’s amazing. I’d like to see the movie too.

    Travel safe!

  • Andrea of Care to Eat September 29, 2010, 9:16 pm

    I agree – I LOVED the “Pray” section. Eat & Love were just fluff! I read the book years ago, but I still want to go to an Ashram.

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing September 29, 2010, 9:19 pm

    Mmm.. I’ve been craving tofu lately!
    I started that book but I haven’t finished. I have a bad habit of starting books and stopping halfway through for another one that catches my interest..

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite September 29, 2010, 9:20 pm

    Have a safe trip home tomorrow!

    Glad to hear the family crisis is pretty much resolved 🙂

  • Kristy @ KristyRuns September 29, 2010, 9:20 pm

    Awwwww! Maggie and James! Love them.

    Mmmmm…your dinner looks so delicious, yet so simple! …now THAT’S a good combo. 😉

    Have a safe drive tomorrow.

  • Becca @ start over from scratch September 29, 2010, 9:22 pm

    I felt the same way about Eat, Pray, Love and still haven’t read it and I love to read!!! Maybe I’ll add it to the list. Maggie is so freaking cute!! And love Cadbury! YUM!!!

  • Sara September 29, 2010, 9:23 pm

    I totally agree that the Pray part was the most interesting to me! The Eat was fun and the Love was OK, but definitely Pray is #1 in my mind! 😉

  • Whitney September 29, 2010, 9:26 pm

    The India section was my favorite part of the book. To me it was the only part that truly exemplified what the book was supposed to be about. The spiritual journey. Becoming a better person. The rest of it was just fluff as far as I’m concerned.

  • Chelsea at Striking Balance September 29, 2010, 9:28 pm

    That idea for yoga sounds great! Sometimes I amjust too lazy to download a podcast or something, and too cheap to go to a class, so that sounds like a great alternative.

    Glad you are liking Eat Pray Love. I started reading it in the summer but never finished because I had to come back to school where there is no time for leisurely reading!

  • Devon @Fast Foodie September 29, 2010, 9:28 pm

    I liked the first two sections of Eat Pray Love. But I actually put it down in the third section because I disliked it so much. I thought it was a book about the author finding herself, not simply finding another husband.

  • Tina September 29, 2010, 9:34 pm

    I loved the Pray section too. I think really trying to connect way down deep into your core with something bigger is a very powerful thing. I still haven’t finished the book though. I had to return it to the library.

    Glad things seem to be on the up. 🙂

  • Tonyne @ The Unlikely Success Story September 29, 2010, 9:39 pm

    OMG! The India section changed my life (not kidding here) I was totally prepared for it to be boring and awful and it ended up being what I connected to the most. It made so much sense to me. I loved the whole book.

  • Natalie September 29, 2010, 9:42 pm

    I loved Eat, Pray, Love. I think I read it at a time when I really needed it, which helped, but I have since read it a second time and still felt moved by her stories!

  • Cindi September 29, 2010, 9:44 pm

    Let’s go see the movie when you get home!!! Drive safe! xx

  • Erin September 29, 2010, 9:49 pm

    Simple dinners are the way to go, especially on a weeknight or during stressful times. That’s my rule, anyway. 😉

  • Kjirsten @ Balanced Healthy Life September 29, 2010, 9:53 pm

    Have you seen the movie version of Eat, Pray, Love? If you haven’t, do you think you will after you finish the book? When I read a book first, sometimes I can’t watch the film version, just because I don’t want how I visioned it to be ruined! Is anyone else this way?
    I bet your mother-in-law was so happy with all your hard work you put into making her garden beautiful! : )

    • Caitlin September 30, 2010, 8:17 am

      I hear the movie blowed… Maybe I’ll watch it on DVD though? Julia is awesome.

  • Marie-JourneyToBodyZen September 29, 2010, 9:58 pm

    I love the do-it-yourself yoga guide! Thanks Heather! Definitely gonna try to do that often 🙂

  • mindy @ just a one girl revolution. September 29, 2010, 10:02 pm

    I really enjoyed EPL (the book much more so than the movie!). I think the India chapter was probably my favorite, because I felt like that was where she experienced the most growth and healing.

    Have a safe trip home!!

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) September 29, 2010, 10:14 pm

    I haven’t read the book and don’t know if I will. Perhaps I’ll get it on CD to listen on a long trip too.

    I love making up my own yoga. I do it in hotels because I never remember to download anything or bring my cards with me.

  • Amy B (Second City Randomness) September 29, 2010, 10:15 pm

    Ha ha… I started out by resisting the trend, too. I was like, “no way I’m going to be cliche and read it”. Yeah…

    Now I’m on a waiting list for it at the library. Apparently everyone and their mom are taking waaaaaay too long to read it…

  • Bethany @ More Fruit Please September 29, 2010, 10:16 pm

    I’m so glad that someone else thinks that the Pray/India part is good… that was definitely my favorite part!! I actually wasn’t a fan of Italy and hated feeling like an outcast for being the only one to think that!

  • Liz September 29, 2010, 10:19 pm

    I felt the exact same way about Eat Pray Love!
    Italy was so fun, and indulgent, and by the time I got to India I felt exhausted. I kept reading, and re-reading. I felt like she was exposing me to things that I might never get the chance to feel and I had to internalize the information which took a lot of thinking.
    It actually made it difficult to get through, but ended on a good note.
    I have not seen the movie, but Hollywood had a tendency to ruin everything so I will wait until it’s on HBO.

  • Annie@stronghealthyfit September 29, 2010, 10:24 pm

    Glad things are calming down. I’ve felt the same way about EPL- too much hype, etc. But now that you recommend it, I might give it a try. I do love memoirs.

  • maria @ Chasing the Now September 29, 2010, 10:33 pm

    The India part of Eat, Pray, Love was probably my favorite, too. I loved reading as she worked through her problems and found herself again.

  • Shelly September 29, 2010, 10:33 pm

    Hi! I know you like pumpkiny things so when I saw this, I thought of you! http://bakedbree.com/pumpkin-bread-pudding

    I hesitated about Eat, Pray, Love but maybe I’ll give it a shot!

    • Caitlin September 30, 2010, 8:19 am

      oh yay! that sounds good.

  • Susan@MomSwimBikeRun September 29, 2010, 10:37 pm

    Ok you convinced me, my next book purchase will be Eat, Pray, Love. I too was avoiding it but I’m not sure why except that it was overly popular. I’ll give it a try.

  • sarah k. @ the pajama chef September 29, 2010, 10:47 pm

    I tried to read “Eat Pray Love” but didn’t like it. Maybe I should listen to it instead!

  • Peggy September 29, 2010, 10:48 pm

    I’ve been skeptical about Eat Pray Love, but after your review and Angela’s, I think I’m going to have to give it a go. I just have to find the perfect excuse (travel, time off) to get it and read it!

  • Emily September 29, 2010, 10:54 pm

    Too funny because I am currently reading Eat, Pray, Love after much resistance AND an aversion to the title. I guess I thought it sounded too cheesy? I don’t know. Anyway, I just finished the Italy section and am excited about the India part since you said it was really good! I think it is refreshing to read about people’s beliefs and stories even if you don’t necessarily agree with what they think.

  • Charlie September 29, 2010, 10:56 pm

    This tofu looks delicious!

  • Katie @ Healthy Heddleston September 29, 2010, 10:59 pm

    I’m glad to hear you were hesitant about Eat, Pray, Love at first.. seems like everyone got on that books bandwagon! Personally, I started to read the book WAY WAY WAY before it became popular and thought it was utterly boring. Then with all the hype I started to think something must be wrong with ME! Soo maybe I need to give it another chance.. maybe I need to listen to it like you so I’m not getting bored lol 😛

  • Camille September 29, 2010, 11:32 pm

    I looove Eat, Pray, Love! I’m so glad you jumped on the bandwagon!
    I feel kind of lucky that I read it before it go really popular so I wasn’t too biased.

  • Kristina @ spabettie September 29, 2010, 11:37 pm

    I AM SO GLAD YOU SAID THAT AND I TOTALLY AGREE !! I loved the pray section. When I first read the book years ago I was starting a new meditation group and it really resonated with me…

    and, as always, Maggie and James are the cutest. 🙂

    glad to hear things are getting better – have been sending you good vibes all week, girl.

  • Rachael September 29, 2010, 11:43 pm

    I tried, I did. I’m just not a fan of “Eat Pray Love”. A host of different reasons, namely what I interpreted as the objectification of foreign cultures. Ah well, to each her own, and I’m glad it got people reading and thinking about how to change their lives for the better!

  • Lizz @ Leading the Good Life September 29, 2010, 11:44 pm

    I’ve been anti-Eat, Pray, Love from the start, but I’m not really sure why. I think it’s kinda like you said…everyone was talking about it and it made me not want to read it (or see the movie).

    We’ll see. I have a stack of books that I haven’t touched in months. Maybe now that my marathon is over I’ll set aside some time for reading again!

  • alli September 29, 2010, 11:57 pm

    okay, for that VERY reason i will not read or watch twilight. just because EVERYBODY has. i’m pretty stubborn 🙂
    i did, however, read EPL…i really want to see the movie!

  • Karen September 30, 2010, 12:23 am

    I also agree with you and so many others above. I generally avoid anything that gets tons of attention, whether movies, books or TV shows.

    I refused to see Avatar for quite a while, but then a few well-respected friends raved about it. In the end, I was very glad I saw it before it left theaters.

    It’s been the same with EPL. I was blowing it off. I saw Julia Roberts on Dave Letterman; after hearing her spin having played the character and seeing a clip of the movie, I was intrigued. I actually just picked it up last week, so I’m only a short way into it. But I’m enjoying it so far!

    Love Heather’s yoga suggestion! I don’t practice much without a DVD or teacher to follow, but I’d like to start:)

  • Wei-Wei September 30, 2010, 12:24 am

    If you place the veggies too close together on the roasting pan, won’t they steam instead of roast? Were they soft or crispy?

    I genuinely got bored of EPL. Maybe I just have bad taste, though…

    • Caitlin September 30, 2010, 8:21 am

      the potatoes were crispy!

      maybe you just have different taste 🙂

  • amanda @ Hungry Vegan Traveler September 30, 2010, 12:30 am

    I was kind of avoiding “Eat, Pray, Love,” too! Before it became so popular, I thought it was something like a Christian cookbook or something. Then everyone started raving about it and the movie and I thought, I’ll watch the movie when it comes out on Netflix. Then I kept finding mention of the book all over the blog world, so I caved and bought a copy for my recent road trip. I LOVED Italy, I just finished India tonight, actually (and didn’t love it, but it was okay), and tomorrow I’ll finally start Indonesia, which should be interesting, because my boyfriend’s mother is Indonesian.

    I’m surprised at how much I like the book.

  • Maren September 30, 2010, 12:30 am

    You always have the coolest ways of making tofu. I need to tap into your tofu-creativity.

  • Mama Pea September 30, 2010, 12:32 am

    EPL has been on my bookshelf for literally a year. Unopened. I read Twilight after the bandwagon (and don’t hate me) and I didn’t love it. I’ve feared the same with EPL, but I am a very spiritual person, so maybe I will finally give it a go!

  • Adrienne September 30, 2010, 12:34 am

    Hi Caitlin,
    I totally recommend you read her next book “Committed” – it kind of follows on from Eat Pray Love, but it’s looking at marriage and the meaning behind it from a historical, spiritual and legal perspective. I didn’t particularly love Eat Pray Love, but really found Committed interesting.
    Adrienne

    PS. Come to Australia and try our Cadbury’s – much better than the pommy version! 😉

    • emma-kate September 30, 2010, 9:12 am

      And then come to South africa and try our Cadbury’s 🙂

  • Jess @ atasteofconfidence September 30, 2010, 2:08 am

    have a safe trip back. And I agree with Adrienne- Committed is really good as well!

  • Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards) September 30, 2010, 3:24 am

    soooo funny to see the cadbury… its like, the one thing i get in mozambique and it is so weird to see it on blogs!!!

  • Alyson @ YNL Blog September 30, 2010, 6:35 am

    That was exactly how I felt about Eat, Pray, Love, exactly how I ended up “reading” it… and yes, I wish I’d listened sooner. Just loved it!

  • Michele September 30, 2010, 7:40 am

    I know what you mean about Eat Pray Love. I didn’t read it in the beginning, and then people I work with talked about not being impressed much. So even though I felt like it was something I’d like, I didn’t. But then (ashamed to admit) I saw the movie instead of reading the book, and I really liked it. In fact, I liked the India/Pray part best too. It made me think about how important balance is in our lives… we need to spend time in every area of our life every day (for the most part) in order to be a balanced, healthy person.

    I’m going to read the book very soon.

  • Kristy September 30, 2010, 7:42 am

    The pups are too dang cute! I was avoiding ELP – then I got sucked in but only for a short bit, I had to take a break… 🙂 I’m glad that you are so open minded it makes me happyyyyyy

  • rachael September 30, 2010, 7:50 am

    I didn’t want to like Eat, Pray, Love either and I loved it!

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman September 30, 2010, 8:23 am

    Your mother-in-law looks like she could be your mother. I’m you before you picked up EPL. For some reason, I’m just turned off from it. It might be because it’s a memoir, and I usually don’t read them. Or the hype. Or maybe I’m just jealous she roamed the world for a year and I just traipsed through a torrential downpour to get to work and sit at my desk all day. 😉

  • Cindy September 30, 2010, 8:43 am

    Have a safe trip home!

  • Ashley September 30, 2010, 8:49 am

    I read the book years ago and couldn’t believe when I saw they were making a movie which I still have not gotten to see 🙁 I thought it was good but it did take me a bit longer to read because it didn’t hold my attention as much as my fiction books 🙂

    Please check out my blog when you have time! I have a yummy recipe up for Pumpkin Ginger Date Muffins!

  • Jennifer (keepitsimplefoods) September 30, 2010, 9:14 am

    Glad you are enjoying EPL. It’s a wonderful read and an amazing, story of self-discovery and spirituality. If you haven’t heard Gilber’s interview on Travel with Rick Steves (radio show/podcast about traveling the globe) you should! She provides some very smart insights on concepts of marriages and commitment and discusses cultural differences in choosing a longterm partner. It’s wonderful food for thought.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin September 30, 2010, 9:21 am

    I put off reading EPL too, but I ended up loving it! It was one of those books that gave me SO much to think about and really made me turn inwards and ask myself some questions. I liked the India part too!

  • Joanne September 30, 2010, 9:22 am

    You are such a super person for getting into the garden and doing such hard labor. I can’t stand gardening. Unfort. that’s why my hubby tore apart our veggie garden. He didn’t get any help 🙁 It seems that if I venture into the yard for too long, anything that bites or stings finds me. BIG OUCH!

    The oven roasted potatoes look perfect and so does the tofu. Great dinner!

    I think Maggie and James need a gift from Mankinddog. Not many have ordered so they might even win the $269.00 basket of treats 🙂

  • Orla September 30, 2010, 9:36 am

    I tried and tried and tried (yes 3 times) to read EPL and just couldn’t get into it. I think it was because my flat mate told me I “had” to read it – this was about 3 years ago.
    I am no reluctant to pick it up as I had such a bad time with getting into it before.
    Saying that, the same thing happened with the book Atonement and I ended up adoring the book so much.
    I have 5 books by my bed waiting to be read and 2 more in the post to me so when they are done I will do it….
    or at that stage the dvd might be out!

    • Orla September 30, 2010, 9:38 am

      I obviously meant “now reluctant”!!!

  • Laurie September 30, 2010, 9:54 am

    Caitlin, you need to go see the movie! It was awesome! (well I least I thought it was). Julia Roberts was so good in that movie! It was so nice of you to help the in laws out with the gardening, etc. Glad the family crisis is over. Also, I really want to take Maggie and James home with me, so adorable! 🙂

  • Joanna @ landanimal.wordpress.com September 30, 2010, 10:10 am

    Dinner looks amazing. That’s veggie’s done right!

  • Amy September 30, 2010, 10:13 am

    I felt the same way about the pray section of the book. I thought it was so interesting! I’m listening to Committed now and find it interesting as well. If you want to jump on another band wagon, try The Hunger Games trilogy. I work at a library so I’m always hearing about various books and this one seems to be a hit. I read the first one in two days and really loved it.

  • Sana September 30, 2010, 10:25 am

    I miss audio books on tape! I used to have so many as a child but I don’t do that anymore!

  • Amber K September 30, 2010, 10:38 am

    I’m glad you got to enjoy some yoga! I checked Eat, Pray, Love out from the library and I just couldn’t get into it. It was just so boring. I just couldn’t get past the first few pages. Maybe an audiobook would be better.

  • Reenie September 30, 2010, 10:41 am

    Roasted veggies are the best. To the readers out there who haven’t tried brussels sprouts ~ give em a try. They are sooo good.

    That’s okay if Maggie doesn’t understand anything…she’s so darned cute.

    What a lovely flower….wonder if it bloomed to show it’s appreciation of all the work you and your MIL did in the garden =)

  • meghan September 30, 2010, 11:34 am

    MY FAVORITE PART WAS THE PRAY PART TOO

  • Meaghan September 30, 2010, 11:44 am

    I “read” Eat Pray Love for a short-lived book club. I couldn’t get through it. I found it too chatty and whiney, and the Pray part put me to sleep after about 4 pages, every single night. Book club came, and my fellow bookclubber had listened to it on audio book and loved it. Her favourite part was the Pray part too – she found it relaxing and interesting to listen to, but when we talked about my inability to get through it she agreed that had she read it, she probably couldn’t get through it, but since she listened to it – it seemed less chatty and whiney, and more like a friend telling you about her trip.
    I haven’t gotten on board with an audiobook – too short of a commute, but hearing this made me think that maybe some books are just better when they’re read to you.
    Also the pic of Maggie is priceless – it really looks like she doesn’t understand anything!

  • Ali @ Food, Fitness, Fashion September 30, 2010, 12:10 pm

    I love that picture of you and your MIL! How cute!

    I could not agree with you more about EPL. I loved the India section, and I am glad you agree. I think it may be because I am a pretty “spiritual” person. At any rate, I love this book. It is my favorite and I am glad you are liking it 🙂

    I need to get some audio books. I think they would be great for my walk to work 🙂

  • eatmovelove September 30, 2010, 12:50 pm

    This was a great series. Might I suggest: standing postures, back-bends (prone), sitting postures (forward bends), followed by some inversions (legs up, stand, etc) – and corpse 😉

  • nicole September 30, 2010, 12:50 pm

    I won’t lie, I really had a hard time with Eat, Pray, Love. A friend of mine got it for me as a birthday present a few years ago and it took me about 3 weeks to get through the first couple of chapters. I was determined to finish it (bc once I start a book I have to finish it!)and I would feel almost uncomfortable for her…she seemed a little (ok a lot) crazy and whiney to me and I had a really hard time relating to her. The Bali section definitely picked things up for me, but I was still left a little unsatisfied…and I have NO DESIRE to see the movie.
    I’ve been hearing a lot of positive things about audio books. Since my commute sucks I really should give it a shot.
    Have a safe trip back home!

  • corinne September 30, 2010, 1:06 pm

    This might be a very silly question but what is “navel gazing”

    The pray section of the book had the biggest impact on me. I have just about every page bent to bookmark different passages and quotes that I loved! glad you enjoyed it!

    • Caitlin September 30, 2010, 8:22 pm

      “Excessive introspection, self-absorption, or concentration on a single issue”

  • Liz September 30, 2010, 1:15 pm

    I’m glad to see that there are a lot of people that enjoyed the India section of EPL. I am the only one in my group of friends who found that to be the most interesting part! The movie is TERRIBLE. Not worth it in my book. It really lacks ANY heart or soul. Julia Roberts is fantastic, as always, but the way the movie is done was just awful.

    I think it’s also interesting how much chatter there is about this book – and whether is good, bad, right, wrong, etc. I rarely hear people getting so fired up about memoirs, particularly of someone who is not a political figure or already a celebrity. I wonder what makes people have such a visceral reaction to this book?

  • Bb September 30, 2010, 1:41 pm

    I read EPL years ago because of one of program of Oprea. I kind of liked it. The writing language is vivid and descriptive. I also watched movie in theater, loved scenery, however it’s too long for me, and I don’t feel connected with the movie.

  • Lisa September 30, 2010, 2:21 pm

    I read Eat Pray Love years ago and loved it. I found the middle part of the book really good, personally.

  • Camels & Chocolate September 30, 2010, 4:46 pm

    A true testament of a talented food blogger, chef and photographer: making me want tofu. I HATE that stuff based on the texture alone, and yet you make it look so yummy above!

  • Camels & Chocolate September 30, 2010, 4:47 pm

    (But I still loathe Eat Pray Love, sorry. And she was my college professor and I absolutely adore her as a person, too!)

  • Amanda (tomboy that wears makeup) September 30, 2010, 6:27 pm

    I sometimes go to a buddhist temple to meditate. Even though I am not great yet at being completely zen and still minded, I find that the practice helps me in visualization and attraction. I always feel amazing after.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) September 30, 2010, 11:48 pm

    I really liked the book, and found the “pray” part to be fascinating as well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie, but it is a decent renter.

  • swarovski May 6, 2011, 6:05 pm

    I adore your capability to write wonderful post – just wannted to state I love this !

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