needles and chard

i've had a fairly nice day. i had kickboxing this morning. it kicked my butt as usual. my arms still feel a little weak as i type. ha! after i had my second breakfast (yes i eat twice when i have kickboxing), i took olive for a nice long 45min walk. the sun was shining and we were the only people out it seemed.

the bump in the road today was i had to take malo to the vet again. his aural hematoma came back hardcore. his whole little ear was swollen. :( he need to have surgery again to drain it. fortunately the vet guarantees all surgeries, so we only needed to pay for his antibiotic. phew. he was one drugged up kitty when i brought him home. he was walking like a drunk man and when i went to pet him, he got surprised and fell over. i laughed a little but was sad for him.

i had my acupuncture appointment. the acupuncturist was much younger than i expected, but he was very nice. i explained that my original intention for acupuncture is for fertility. we also discussed by back pain and sleeping problems. he was very easy to talk with, even regarding menses. he asked questions that no doctor has asked. very enlightening. he thinks i might have blood stagnation. he came to this supposition (warning TMI to follow) because of the clots in my menses and the color. wow... i always assumed that was just a regular period thing. we're going to explore this more and see if getting my body aligned affects this. another interesting this was he checked my tongue, then checked my pulse on both wrists. he then asked if i was a very emotional person. :) ha silly question, even you reader that haven't met me might notice i'm emotional. he asked if i had trouble controlling my emotions. mmm... yeah. acupuncture can help this too.

anna and i make some pretty awesome meals, if i do say so myself:) tonight i made a recipe that anna found online called: chard and potato bake. yummy. i thought you guys might like to try it sometime. dark leafy greens are very good for you. here is the recipe and some pictures:

1/2-2/3 cups of olive oil (the original recipe called for 1 1/4 cp.- it was good but didn't need so much)

1 medium onion- chopped

5 (or so) cloves of garlic-minced (we're obsessed with garlic, so i did about mmm 7)

2 tbl. chopped fresh parsley

6-8 small potatoes (orig. recipe calls for red, i used yukon or new potatoes- can't remember)

8 cups chard- washed and chopped or shredded. also you need to pull the stems off all the way up the leaf. they aren't too flavorful. (we've been using rainbow chard- very pretty- see the pics at the end)

1/2 cup cheese- grated- whatever kind you prefer, we use cheddar

whatever meat/faux meat you prefer, not necessary- i used 4 chicken sausages cut into bit-sizes

8 whole eggs

saute onions in two tablespoons olive oil until amber-color. add garlic and parsley and saute briefly. remove pan from heat and set aside.

in a separate bowl (i use the kitchen aid so i have a big bowl and can add while mixing easily), mix chard and potatoes. add saute mixture when it has cooled.

in another bowl, whisk eight whole eggs and add to the chard. add olive oil and grated cheese. add meat/"meat" if using. mix well.

spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray or brush with olive oil. pour chard mixture into pan, spreading evenly. add salt and pepper to taste. bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 90 minutes. if mixture gets too brown, loosely lay a piece of foil on it. we recommend adding parmesan cheese 10 mins before it's done cooking. yumm-o

this is the dish right as i put it in the oven, and after it was cooked.

serving suggestion! :)