I'm not a domestic person in the least. My house, if you can call it that, is extremely small, cluttered, and kind of a dirt magnet considering it's attached to a barn. So I see no reason, really, to make an effort to keep it spotless when I'm just going to track unmentionable stuff in constantly.

Add onto this the fact that I just do not enjoy cooking. Never really have, but then again, I've never really been all that good at it. So I tend to grab a lot of fast food, which not only wastes money, it's horrible on the waist line (and my general good mood, too, now that I think about it). When school is in session the cafeteria is open, but they DROWN their stuff in butter and oil and I just don't like being up there, anyway, because I don't like being around the people who work here anymore.

So, during my vacation I was staying with my soul sister, who is a really good cook. I guess I got inspired, because when I came back home I began to cook, and I cooked up a storm. I became determined that I wasn't going to go out to fast food places if I could help (I've fallen off the 'wagon" a little, but I'm getting better) and to try and eat healthier stuff at home. I made soups and froze them. I made pot roasts, separated portions out (which I can actually get two meals out of) and froze THEM. I've eaten more sandwiches and fresh fruit the last two and a half weeks than I probably have in six months. I have discovered Scottish Oatmeal (more like porridge) and am making a very strong effort to eat that (with grapes at the moment, yum!) every morning in an effort to stave off the afternoon crash.

I've also (shockingly) kept up with washing my dishes. I don't have a dishwasher, so EVERYTHING has to be done by hand. Used to I would pile dishes in the sink and let them sit because I was either too lazy or too tired to wash them right that minute and put them up. But now? If I leave them, it's soaking over night and I wash them on my lunch break (one of the perks of living where you work). I'm shocked that I've been able to keep up with all of this.

I may not be making as much of an effort on the rest of my shack, but as far as eating goes, trying new things, looking up recipes and such, I'm very, very thankful to Hestia for her help. I really do believe that she has been the driving force behind my motivation, and I can't think her enough for it.

I just hope my determination to make this type of lifestyle change continues to remain strong. ANd I need to start haunting recipe sites, I'm going to get bored with the same old every day.

Sounds like Hestia is having a positive influence on your life. I have yet to decide upon an immortal.

I love working with Immortals. They are a powerful force.
Sounds like you are doing well w/ Hestia. In my limited experience, she is very sincere & fills you with a sense of 'home'. It's a nice feeling.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with Hestia, Alycat. I think that when an Immortal aids us in our everyday life, it can be easy to overlook, especially if the changes are subtle. I am certain the fact that you noticed and honored her here with your words means more to her than you could ever know.

I generally don't put much stock in Immortals. I'm a hardline reconstructionist pagan, so the idea that you can bind a god (or even the essence thereof) kinda sticks in my craw. But w/e works for you, and I'm glad Hestia has decided to give you a hand. Maybe leave a little wine in the kitchen, or by the hearth if you have one.

Khaire Hestia!

Alycat (+ anyone else who has worked with Hestia): did you find that she helped reduce your hunger and/or your desire to eat? Do you feel you have more control over what and when you eat because of her influence?

As a trained chef this post makes me very happy! Keep up the good work, you'll be much healthier and you'll end up appreciating the fast food so much more when you do have it

detaicamevamp wrote:Alycat (+ anyone else who has worked with Hestia): did you find that she helped reduce your hunger and/or your desire to eat? Do you feel you have more control over what and when you eat because of her influence?

Not . . . really? I think she's helping some, but a lot of it was just me making up my mind that I WANTED to do this, and then I think she was able to reach out and help more in that regards. I'm extremely resistant to change and had to really and truly want to switch around my life style to incorporate healthier eating and habits, and I flat out refuse to turn any control of myself over to others, so that wound up being a bit of a hindrance in regards to her being able to directly influence me. What happened is that I started to pay attention to things that I hadn't before, like portion size, measuring out my cereal with a measuring cup, reaching for fruit instead of cookies, etc. After I started to switch over, I began to notice nudges to pay attention to things, look at the calories. I didn't HAVE to give up anything, I just needed to start paying closer attention. I still get pretty bad cravings sometimes (I hate being a girl), but the more I'm able to work out how to work my stove and make tasty things, the less I'm starting to crave fast food and cookies and chips, the less I take in what I'm starting to call "empty calories" (meaning I fill up with them, but I'm hungry again an hour later) the more my energy and hunger die down.

She's also been highly insistent on me drinking more water. I've taken to carrying around a large water bottle that I just fill up as I go and I sip on it throughout the day. Amazing how much that helps, and how nasty I can feel if I forget it.

So simple answer, in the beginning? No, she didn't. She's been with me for almost two years, but I was so resistant to asking for help, letting others help me, and making the changes that I needed to, she really didn't have much to work with. Now that I'm making the effort (and that's the crux, you HAVE to want to make the effort and make the change, she, or anyone else, can't and won't just do it for you), I believe that she has a strong hand in guiding me where I need to go in order to get healthier.

Kind helps that my guys LOOOOOOVE it when I hit the Zumba.

Sorry so rambly, the weather out here is nasty and makes my brain turn into mush.

detaicamevamp wrote:Alycat (+ anyone else who has worked with Hestia): did you find that she helped reduce your hunger and/or your desire to eat? Do you feel you have more control over what and when you eat because of her influence?

*flail* Can you point me in the direction of some decent places to get ideas for side dishes? I'm getting tired of steamed broccoli and cabbage. I roast veggies (and do a darn good job at it, if I do say so myself ) but there are some things I love, like Kale, that I can't cook worth squat. The Cafeteria had some yummy kale that had a garlic and lemon flavor and was crunchy, but I have no idea how to do it. I tried sauteing it, wound up with something slimy and gross. D:

I just hijacked my own thread. O_o :hijack::