Apr 28, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 28, 2010 in breakfast, our life, snacks, travel | 3 comments
What a day! I have got some super fun news.
We’re going to Paris!
Jon and I have been working on planning our summer vacation for awhile. Remember this post? Well, Jon has been spending a lot of time researching flights and hotels, trying to get us a good deal. We really haven’t been picky about where to go…we just knew we wanted to go overseas because we haven’t been outside the U.S. since Tokyo almost 2 years ago!
Anyway, we were looking more into South America because the flights are much more affordable than Europe. On a whim the other night, Jon typed in the information to find out how much a flight to Barcelona would cost, and in another instant a round trip flight from Dallas to Barcelona to Paris and back to Dallas popped up. Whoohoo! I’m so excited. I’ve never been to Europe, but have always wanted to go. We leave just a few days after I get out of school. It’s already almost time to start packing, ha!
Now I just have to survive four more weeks of madness and we’ll be on our way!
I’ve been bursting at the seams all day, but now on to breakfast.
I had an Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter and 1/2 a sliced banana. One of my favorite breakies. Gotta love the fine paper dishware as well. Great for on-the-go!
Lunch today was Pita Pit, and unfortunately I didn’t get a picture. It was delicious as always, though!
Later I had a snack of Whole Soy vanilla yogurt and raw oatmeal. And some carrots for later on.
Raw oatmeal is SO good in yogurt! I used to eat it in Greek yogurt a long time ago, and I hadn’t had it in awhile. The other day I ran out of granola, and decided to throw in some oats instead, and I fell in love all over again! You MUST try it.
I had a meeting after school today that lasted until 5, which means I didn’t get home until 6. As soon as I walked in the door, Jon had some casual clothes laid out for me and said “get dressed, we’re goin’ out!” What a guy!
Needless to say, it’s been a busy evening, and I’m about to peace out and get some sleep. This is really Thursday night for me because I took off work Friday. The plan is to stay home and grade essays all day, and then head south to hit up the Train concert! We’re staying in a hotel Friday night, stopping in the city to see the inlaws on Saturday and then heading home! Blogging may be a bit “hit and miss” this weekend, but I’ll def. be around.
Hope you’re all having a great night!
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Apr 26, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 26, 2010 in our life | 3 comments
Hi! Tonight is going to have to be a quickie. I’m going to try to work out before I go to work in the morning, which means getting up at 4:30am…eek! It’s just not working for me – this “working out when I get home from work” thing. I’ve tried and tried, but it is just brutal, and I miss morning workouts so much! We’ll see how it goes:)
I did want to wrap up events from this past weekend. We had such a great time with our friends who were in town, and we did end up going to see my cousin finish his marathon. A couple things about it: A. I have been kicking myself for not running at least the half marathon this year. B. It was so fun just to be a part of it and see all the runners finish their races. It totally made my day!
Here he is finishing the race. His race time was approx 3 hours and 44 minutes. And it was his first time! I thought he did awesome.
Proud finisher:)
The marathoners in our family:)
After the race, Jonathan and I met my grandma and my aunt for lunch. Unfortunately I didn’t get a pic (shoot!), but I had a “vegetable plate,” which consisted of a house salad with honey mustard dressing on the side, corn, steamed broccoli, steamed carrots and a plain baked potato with a side of salsa. It was delish!
We finished off our time in the city with a trip to Target and Marshall’s. I got some new workout capris, which I’ve been wearing pretty much constantly since yesterday afternoon. They are so comfy!
Anyway, I got all excited there for a minute and jumped ahead a bit. Let me back up and show some weekend fun in pictures
Baby Kate – Our friend’s Jason and Emily stayed with us Saturday night. This is their adorable little one
After dinner at our Thai Restaurant in town. Also, the same restaurant where Jon took me to tell me he wanted to be “more than friends.” 
Cashews and Veggies with a Chili ginger sauce. Seriously to die for. Literally and figuratively if you consider the amount of sodium in it. o’well. Can’t win ‘em all, can we?
served with brown rice. mmm.
Well, that’s it from the weekend, and I’m off to hit the sack! Only 4 weeks and 3 days until I have much more time for exercising, blogging, cooking and eating!
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Apr 25, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 25, 2010 in breakfast, exercise, our life | 2 comments
sidenote: I wrote this post Saturday afternoon, but it didn’t publish. So, I’m actually posting it Sunday night instead. Can’t let a post go to waste!! Recap of the rest of the weekend to come on Monday.
I have been having a serious itch to go biking lately. The problem is that I don’t own a bike. boo! So, I opted for the next best thing this morning and went to an 8am spin class. It was not fun dragging myself out of bed on the one morning I get to sleep in a little, but it was so worth it! I knew it would be – it always is, right? Anyway, I realy enjoyed spinning, and I’m definitely planning on hitting up another class this week. If you’ve never been before, I have to warn you – it is tough stuff! I went to my first spin class soon after we ran our marathon last year, and I thought it’d be a piece of cake. Boy, was I in for a suprise!
Speaking of our marathon, this weekend is the one year anniversary. I cannot believe it has been that long! My little cousin is running it this year, and we’re contemplating going to see him tomorrow. As you know, we have friends staying with us this weekend, though, so I’m not sure if we’ll be able to make it!
Ironically, the friends who stayed with us last night are the same friends that ran the half marathon last year. We met up with them before the race.
before the race last year
After spin this morning, we had a green monster partay!
The goods. You’ve gotta give people options! Everyone ended up going with my recommendation: cocoa bliss and frozen cherries…with the other usual staples of course. I loved getting to make gms for everyone…so fun!
Spreading the GM love totally made my day:)
Our friends, Jason and Emily, and their baby Kate are coming in this afternoon as well. We’ll be spending time with them this afternoon, and then we’re all slated to go to a friend’s wedding tonight. It’s an outdoor wedding on our university campus, so it should be fun!
I hope you all are having a great Saturday!
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Apr 22, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 22, 2010 in dining out, dinner, exercise, our life | 3 comments
I slowly come to consiousness as a faint glint of light peeks through my bedroom window. I think to myself that something just doesn’t seem right. Rubbing my eyes, I sit up and look over at the clock. The moment of panic hits me like a ton of bricks…it’s 6:21am. I was supposed to leave for work 21 minutes ago. Whoopsie!
Needless to say my morning was a little crazy! I got ready in record time (15 minutes) and only ended being about 15 minutes late for work. On the way, I nervously gulped down my newest version of a green smoothie.
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop Amazing Grass
15 frozen cherries
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 tbsp Artisana cocoa bliss coconut butter – the star of the show!
Yesterday Jon even crumbled up a tiny bit of coconut butter and sprinkled it on top. As I sipped away, I would get an occasional chunk through my straw. They don’t call it cocoa bliss for nothing!
Lunch today was leftover chili, Ryvita crackers and a pear.
On my way home from work I snacked on this Clif bar, while listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast. I had heard about her podcasts for awhile, but had yet to listen to one. It was ironically appropriate for the things that are going on in my life right now. She talked about how being empowered means you have to have a dream, then overcome your fears to make that dream your reality. Usually the fear is rooted in being afraid of failure. Also in order to reach you dreams, you must first believe that you can actually do it. Sounds cliche, but it’s so true.
After I got home from work, I decided to “kill two birds with one stone” by getting in a mowing workout. Our yard was in serious need of a trim, and I knew that Jon had a million things on his to do list for this evening, so it was me versus the yard. I just barely won:) I have a feeling I’m going to be quite sore tomorrow, and to be honest I think I pulled something in my left leg. Hopefully it’s all in my imagination and will be back to normal by the morning. We’ll see. While cleaning up our front porch, we decided it was high time we take care of this:
A few weeks ago we noticed that a bird had made its nest in the wreath on our front door. It was quite dangerous, really, because there were many times that I or Jon almost got decapitated by the mama as we tried to go in or out of our front door. Unfortunately, she must have given up on this little one, because we have not seen her in days. So, sadly, we decided that because it was past due time to switch from our Christmas wreath to our Spring wreath, we had to do away with the little nest as well. I know this seems tragic, especially considering it’s Earth Day and all, but the mother had abandoned it anyway, so it really had no chance:(
After finishing up with the yard, we headed out to get a quick bite to eat, run an errand and race back home to get some cleaning done. As I mentioned yesterday, we’ve got company coming for the next few days, so the house needed some major work. First, we had a second round of this
In the interest of the blog, I have to apologize for getting the same exact sandwich I got last Saturday. I tried to convince myself to switch it up, but I just couldn’t do it. It was too good! However, surprise! this time it came with cheese on it, which I happily removed. The other slight tweak from last Saturday’s meal:
I do realize this is not the healthiest choice, but by gosh, I just had to do it tonight! When we went to this restaurant on Saturday, I lusted after this guy, so I decided I’d just cure my lusting by indulging a little bit tonight. It was ice cold and worth every sip!
We’ve spent the rest of the evening cleaning like mad. Bring on the company!
I better get to bed if I want to avoid another incident like this morning. Can you believe it’s already Friday again?? I’m so glad!
Have a great night, and Happy Earth Day!
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Apr 21, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 21, 2010 in dinner, recipes, vegan | 7 comments
Another crazy day of testing at school. There are only 27 days of school left…not that I’m counting or anything.
Have you ever been at a point in your life when you are at the brink of some big changes and you want to make them happen, but something (out of your control) is holding you back? Yeah, me neither;)
I’ve been a bit “out of whack” lately, and I’m ready to be “in whack” again. It’s all a matter of attitude and perspective, and I need to whip both into shape!
As promised, tonight I have a new recipe from Saturday’s fun in the kitchen.
Enter Spicy Vegan Chili. You guys know I’m a huge fan of meals that are delicious, fast, easy, vegan and of course healthy! Also, husband’s enjoyment is a key. This recipe most def. falls in those categories. YOU should try it!
Ingredients
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can organic lentils
1 can low sodium corn
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis
1 24 oz can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 onion, chopped
5 or 6 mushrooms, chopped
1-2 whole carrots, chopped
4 tbsp chili powder
ground red pepper to taste
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Directions
Chop fresh veggies
Dump all ingredients into a large crock pot, set on low, and forget it!
If you don’t have a crock pot, you could also use a large stock pot. You just won’t have quite the same effect of “fix it and forget it.” This meal is great served with whole wheat crackers, blue corn chips or served over whole wheat pasta! I made this recipe for just the husband and I because I love having leftovers. This makes enough for an entire week of random lunches and dinners when you need something quick. Another option would be to freeze a portion of it to have a couple of weeks later when you’re in a pinch. Let me know if you try it!
I rushed home from work today to make it to a hair appointment. Nothing too exciting…just a trim. Obvs. Because I couldn’t possibly go any shorter;) Needless to say, I skipped out on my workout today, but I’m back at it tomorrow!
I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday! We will be having company all weekend starting Friday, so tomorrow night I’ll be super busy getting our house in tip top shape! I’ll check in at some point though.
G’night!
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Apr 19, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 19, 2010 in Reviews, Uncategorized, breakfast, dining out, dinner, lunch, our life | 7 comments
Wow, guys. I have been so MIA the past couple of days. I have been swamped with work…essays seeming to multiply like bunnies. I wake up thinking about work. I go to bed thinking about work. Eek. I need to get a grip.
I do have to say I am stoked about some coming announcements that I’ll be making – I know it’s kind of mean to say that and not provide more info…I hope you’ll forgive me. Sorry! I just can’t contain myself!
Anyhow! I’ve totally slacked on snapping food shots the last couple of days, but I have some weekend eats lined up, just waiting to get their chance in the spotlight.
Friday lunch was leftover vegan basic pasta sauce over whole wheat spaghetti. Also added a special touch of chopped avocado on top! I used to would have never thought of putting avocado on top of spaghetti sauce, but these days I more often ask myself “why not??” rather than “why?”
Snack on Friday:) Yogurt with sliced almonds and dried crans
Breakfast on Saturday. The return of the Pumpkin Protein Waffles. Round two = better than eva’
Next up: easy prep for mystery recipe – to be featured in a coming post, so stay tuned!
more prep…
simmerin’ away – Can we say “fix it and forget it?” I think we can:)
On Saturday, Jon and I strolled downtown to check out the arts festival. While the festival wasn’t exactly as festive as we had hoped, we dined at our most beloved downtown restaurant – Cafe Bella. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy and the menu has a plethora of veggie/vegan options. Here was my menu item of choice:
sub in hummus for cream cheese. Obbbviously. I die.
Next on the Saturday afternoon agenda was a trip to the health food store – Nature’s Supply. They were hosting a customer appreciation sale, and I’ll tell ya what…I was feelin’ the love. I picked up some Pirate’s Booty (obsessed), blue corn chips, organic whole wheat tortillas, tempeh, some dark chocolate and…wait for it…Artisana Cacao Bliss Raw Chocolate Coconut butter – whew! That’s a mouthful! And it was.
I had never tried coconut butter before, but of course had seen it all over the blog world. I just couldn’t bring myself to fork over the big bucks for it; however, who could pass it up as part of the customer appreciate sale? I mean, c’mon! Of course, the second I was in the car and out of public view I had to pop it open and get a good taste. The verdict? Delish! I can’t say I will be buying it again because it set us back a good $10 (on sale!), but that is no reflection on how tasty it was. I’m lucky to splurge on a $5 jar of almond butter though, so I best not get ahead of myself.
Perfection on an Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin english muffin.
and the following morning on a leftover Pumpkin Protein waffle. Can’t. get. enough.
The rest of the weekend was spent working on projects, hugging and cuddling, and soaking up every last moment of the weekend. Monday morning swept in much too soon.
We also watched a movie called Beyond Borders. Have you guys seen it? It was riveting. It was also very thought provoking and impactful. I adore movies that make me think outside the bubble that I live in. When we lived in Thailand, I was confronted every day with the reality that many people don’t have everything, such as materials possessions, food, shelter etc., that I’ve been blessed with. Since we moved back to the States, however, I’ve found it’s easy to forget. I like watching movies that deliver prespective right to my front door. This movie really made me think about all that I have to be thankful for. It also made me really evaluate the things that I really don’t need. More on that to come in the future.
What is your favorite thing you did and your favorite thing you ate over the weekend?
Do you find it hard sometimes to keep perspective in this material driven world that we live in? What kinds of things do you do to keep yourself in check?
I hope you have had a great start to the week. Here we go again, ya’ll!
G’night.
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Apr 15, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 15, 2010 in dinner, exercise, goals, lunch, our life, snacks | 5 comments
Happy Thursday:) I honestly can’t believe we’re only a night’s sleep away from Friday. I am SO glad. I’m just counting down the days until school is out – only 6 weeks and 1 day to go.
I received my Women’s Health magazine in the mail today, and it has some great stuff. Women’s Health and Oxygen are my favorite magazines – I feel they are the most down-to-earth and real of all the fitness magazines. This issue has Jillian Michaels on the cover and a great interview with her inside. It’s funny how when you need a certain kind of affirmation about something, it just keeps popping up everywhere. In her interview, Jillian gives some great tips on how to achieve success, so I thought I’d share them with you!
- Define your goal and be specific:Â you have to know exactly what you’re going after before you can go after it.
- Believe in your ability: A lot of times people don’t really believe they can accomplish their goals. If you don’t believe in you, then who will? This is the one I have the most trouble with. At times I’ll feel so confident and self assured, like I could become the next Oprah if I wanted…other times I have trouble believing that I can make it through my next workout. This is something I am really working on in my life right now.
- Stay positive:Â the minute you turn around to bash yourself, reverse it and give yourself a compliment.
- Imagine your goal: Visualization allows you to get comfortable with the idea of change. I was just thinking about this today. I took a few minutes to visualize my goals. I pictured myself as I would be a year from now if I actually stepped out and tackled my goals. I even envisioned what the blog post would look like when I recap everything I will have accomplished (obvs. I think of everything in terms of blog posts:) This was really motivating for me. I desperately want to live that story!
- Get educated: Studying up before pursuing your goal helps you make powerful choices that effect change. Knowledge is power.
- Don’t fear failure: It is an integral part of success. I fear failure all the time! I think the big point here could even be – it’s okay to fear failure, as long as you don’t let that fear hold you back. Conquer it!
- Get feedback:Â look for someone who’s educated in the goal you’re trying to achieve and seek out constructive criticism from him/her.
I think I’m going to type these up and post them where I can see them on a daily basis. Keeping things like this in front of me helps me stay motivated and inspired!
Today was honestly pretty stressful. Work was more stressful than usual (I won’t even go into that), and I got a call from my mom this morning, letting me know my grandpa had an accident. He had climbed up on the roof of our lake cabin to clear off some limbs, and when he went to climb back down, one leg of the ladder sunk into the ground, causing him to fall from the roof level. Unfortunately, he cracked three ribs. Fortunately, he didn’t have any other injuries. I am so thankful to still have my two grandparents, and all the time I think about the possibility of something happening to them. I don’t know how I would handle it. Even this got me all worked up, and I just wanted to go visit him, not be at work! I got to talk to him on the phone for awhile after work, though, and he seemed to be in pretty high spirits, considering.
For lunch, the parents at our school put together a luncheon for the teachers. I knew right away (from past experience) that there would be nothing there for me, so I packed this
Overnight oats! 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup plain soy yogurt, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds, sprinkle of cinnamon, 1/2 chopped banana. Let sit overnight. Add toppings! Almond butter to be specific. Delish! My coworkers give me the strangest looks sometimes;)
Here’s the rest of the day’s eats
Yes, that would be cheeseless pizza again. Yes, I just had it last Saturday. What can I say? I was having a serious hankering for it, and I was exhausted from the day. What’s a girl to do?
I also am proud to say I worked out today, even though it was all I could do to keep my eyes open during the commute home. I threw on my gym clothes and headed to the gym. I cranked out a quick 2.5 miles on the treadmill, and followed it up with some ab work using the Bosu ball. Yay!
- What is your favorite fitness magazine? Or would you rather read online articles/blogs instead?
- What strategies do you have to help you stay motivated and inspired?
- Chia Seeds Direct is having a sale on white chia seeds. Get 10% off by using the code WCS. Also, U.S. residents get free shipping. What are ya waiting for??
Well, that’s it for today, folks! Hope you all have a great Friday! G’night.
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Apr 14, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 14, 2010 in dessert, dinner, exercise | 4 comments
Happy Wednesday night! I always enjoy Wednesday nights because it means the week is over halfway through, and we’re sprinting towards Friday!
Tonight I received my very first lesson from Jon about how to take care of the admin side of his business. One of my goals for our future is for me to take care of the all the admin side, so he’ll be more freed up to design. It may be surprising, but I’m really excited about it! I love having my own “gigs,” but there is nothing I love more than being with him, so doing business together totally floats my boat!
I’ve really been trying to clear my head lately. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got some decisions that I’m trying to work through, and it’s starting to really wear on me. I often have a hard time “shutting down.” The more I try to not think about something, the more I think about it! I just need a break, I think, so I can step away and try to see things from a new perspective. Any ideas on how to just relax and clear your mind of stress?
I had some seriously great eats today. It all started off with the usual GM (almond milk+spinach+Amazing Grass+1/2 banana+chia seeds+ice). Today was Pita Pit day at school, so I had my usual whole wheat pita with babaganoush, spinach, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, sprouts, pineapple, tomoto and hotsauce. Unfortunately they were out of avocado, so no healthy fats for me. Bah! It was tasty nevertheless.
Confession: I don’t take pictures of my food when I eat lunch at school. For one, I never take my camera, but also I haven’t told my coworkers about CSM. I’ve considered telling them, but I just kind of want to keep my private life a little bit separate. Do your coworkers read your blog? Do you feel weird about them reading about the personal side of your life?
On to dinner. Close
Closer.
Closest:)
Look familiar? Yes, that’s right. It’s the same exact meal from last night. Creative? No. Delicious? Most definitely! I couldn’t resist having it a second time. We’re not talking about leftovers either, people…a total remake…with the addition of chia seeds.
And dessert
Three little dried apricots.
I made it to the gym today to continue my pledge. I did a quick 2 miles on the treadmill followed by weights. I focused on arms today because my legs are so sore from yesterday! Then I finished up with another 1 mile on the treadmill. It was a pretty energizing workout, and I felt really focused. Yea!
Hope you all have a great night!
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Apr 13, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 13, 2010 in breakfast, dessert, dinner, exercise, lunch | 5 comments
Hey hey everyone!
I am loving the weather right now! It’s that perfect temperature where there is a slight breeze, but the sun is warm enough that you can ditch the jacket and cruise with the windows down. Ahhh.
I started off this morning with this beauty
Cheers! These were my drinks for the morning. I always take this water bottle (BPA free!) with me to work and fill it up throughout the day. I’ve actually been slacking a bit on my water consumption, and I think it may be to blame for the headaches I’ve been getting. Gotta hydrate!
Lunch was nice and simple – 2 brown rice cakes with 1.5 tbsp almond butter. I also had an unpictured 1/2 banana on the side.
By 4 hours later I was famished! I couldn’t tear into my yogurt with almonds and cranberries fast enough! I definitely let myself get too hungry. Do you ever get to the point where you are shaky from being hungry? Not a good place to be…take my word for it. My snack was just enough to fuel me for a good weight training workout. I did 6 different leg machines today plus some planks. I love planks – they are seriously addicting. I can just feel my core getting tighter and stronger.
After hanging with Jon for a little bit, I started not one, but two dinners; he was craving Mexican casserole, which might as well be called ground turkey casserole because that’s the main ingredient. This is a meal my mom has made for years and it’s a favorite of our family. I haven’t had it since before I became a vegetarian almost a year and a half ago. Crazy!
I have to be honest and say that I really don’t enjoy cooking meat. In fact, the other night in the grocery store, I found myself avoiding the meat department and sending Jon off on his own to get his goods. I’ll do anything for my husband, so I always gracefully “handle” his meat, touching it as litle as possible of course. I’m not trying to be dramatic…it’s just the longer I go without eating it, the less appealing it is. Make sense?
Anyway, here is my meal
In the works…
buckwheat (soba) noodles…
Veggies!! asparagus, squash, carrots, bell pepper, and the star of the show: mushrooms. I also added some chick peas for protein and some garlic powder, ground red pepper and bragg’s for flavor and spice:)
In the end I topped if all off with a bit of nutritional yeast. Perfect.
A little while later we ran over Jon dragged me to Orange Leaf to get some yogurt. Excuse the poor quality photo – I’m still learning how to use my DSLR.
Dairy free pinapple yogurt, cocoa covered almonds, a few choco chips, kiwi and strawberries!
Heather is encouraging everyone to take part in GE’s campaign “Pledge for Better Health.” If you haven’t stopped by there to pledge, you should! I think it’s a great idea. I pledged to increase my workouts to 6 times a week – not just to look better, but primarily for better health. Too often I get so focused on outward appearance in relation to working out, and while there is nothing wrong with that, I want to get my focus back to health! I’m going to be posting more of my workouts on the little bloggie to help keep myself accountable.
What is your primary motivation to workout? Or is it a combination of things? Do you find yourself more focused on how your body will look or how it will feel?
Hope you have a fantastic night!!!
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Apr 12, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 12, 2010 in dining out, dinner | 4 comments
Hey everyone! How did Monday treat you? I didn’t get much sleep last night..again...so I’m going to try and keep this short! These past few days have just been especially busy, and my blogging materials has been lacking to say the least. Tonight Jon and I had to make a grocery trip because we are out of everything! Hence the reason I haven’t been cooking much.
First we stopped by this wonderful spot for a quick dinner.
an iPhone special:)
I had a veggie salad with black beans, 3 kinds of salsa, grilled veggies and guac. There are only a handful of places in our little city where I will eat out, and Chipolte is one of them. It’s so fresh!
Our grocery trip tonight was very spur of the moment, so I didn’t take the time to make a list. I really try to always make a list of meal ideas and necessary ingredients before I go to the store, but in situations like tonight, I just stick to the basics. I always figure if I have some beans, fruit, veggies and grains, then I can always come up with something!
Here are some of the essentials: whole soy yogurt, almond milk (unsweetened vanilla is my favorite:), pears, kiwis, strawberries, grapes, cuties, organic spinach, canned black beans, canned corn, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat lavash wraps, frozen cherries (yay!), brussel sprouts, avocado, cucumber and carrots. I’m already well stocked in grains.
I’m looking forward to throwing together some quick meals this week! I’ll keep you posted;)
Do you make a meal/grocery list before you go to the store? Or do you just wing it? What are your key staples that you always keep on hand?
Have a great night…see ya tomorrow!
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Apr 11, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 11, 2010 in breakfast, our life | 4 comments
Hey! How is the end of your weekend treating ya? I love Sundays, but I’m not too crazy about Sunday nights because I start feeling not too excited about the week ahead. Do you ever feel bummed out on Sunday nights at the thought of starting the work week? Or do you feel excited about the coming days?
Honestly, I don’t have a whole lot of exciting things for you tonight…sorry! We have just had kind of a lax day. I did snap a quick shadowy shot of breakfast
This bowl included 1/3 cup oats, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp almond butter, a couple of spoonfuls of soy yogurt and homemade granola. I’ll never tire of this combination – the toppings are where it’s at! This granola is a homemade recipe that I created. I’m on a misison to create the best clean granola I’ve ever had, and while this one wasn’t quite it, it was pretty close. It was definitely tasty enough to sprinkle on for breakfast! As soon as I hit it, I’ll let you guys know, but until then…onward and upward!!
The rest of the day was spent napping, grading essays, going to visit some friends, working on some projects and watching Amazing Race. Tonight they were in Singapore, which was so fun because Jon and I were just there about a year ago. We saw some of the same places we had been – fun! Here are some pics from our time there
They ate ice cream sandwiches exactly like this on the show tonight
China town
The contestants took an overnight train from Malaysia just like we did, and I swear we saw this same sign on TV when they got off the train. It was definitely the same station. Ah, memories:)
Have you been on any international vacations? What has been your favorite place to visit? Jon and I are planning an international vacation for this summer, and we are trying to decide where we want to go. We’ve been to Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan. Any suggestions on great destinations? I’d love to hear about your favorite trip!!
Apologies for the lack of food pics tonight. Hope you all have a great start to the week tomorrow!!
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Apr 10, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 10, 2010 in exercise, faith, our life | 6 comments
Sorry I’ve been MIA all day! I’ve just had a lot going on…trying to make decisions and work on some things. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more about them sometime soon. In the meantime, let’s get to the good stuff – food!
Unfortunately, I came out seriously lacking in the veggie department today. I did start off well, though! Jon and I slept in, then got up and went for a 3.5 mile run. Upon arriving back home, Jon made me an awesome green smoothie. That’s not all, though:) Check this out:
Green Smoothie: 1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop Amazing Grass, 1 tbsp almond butter, 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1/2 frozen banana and ice
+
2 shots of espresso
=
Cafe Green Smoothie…yahoo!
Jon and I are lucky to have the best barista in the world as one of our good friends. Ginger owns one of the local coffee shops in town, The Daily Grind. Jon worked there for about 5 years, thoughout the course of college, and we still love to stop by and visit and get our coffee fix whenever we can. Ginger was a bit skeptical when I showed up with my smoothie, requesting that she add espresso to it, but she gave it a whirl too and loved it! It as pretty tasty, if I say so myself:)
After leaving the coffe shop, we decided to hit up the little Farmer’s Market in our town. I LOVE the Farmer’s Market, but unfortunately I don’t get to go too often. We had a great time! Here’s our loot:
Locally made peanut butter dog treats!
Pepperjack goat cheese – I’ve been wanting to try goat cheese for a long time. As you guys know, I aim to eat 90% vegan. I feel better when I don’t eat meat or dairy, plus I have a serious problem with the way dairy is produced in our country. However, I know that Goat’s milk is easier to digest as well as lower in fat than cow’s milk. If I’m going to eat cheese, I definitely want it to be produced locally. So, I got really excited when I found this, and I was so excited to try it.
On a Ryvita cracker. It was quite tasty. I probably won’t be buying any kind of cheese on a regular basis, but if I ever eat any it would defnitely be goat cheese. Huge fan!
Fresh salsa made by this friendly man:
Not a great pic, but I love photographing people! Especially real people in their everday lives:)
Fresh eggs for Jon
Lunch wasn’t quite as fresh unfortunately. I finished off leftover cheeseless pizza from the other night. It was pretty tasty, but I was a bit disappointed with the lack of veggies, and I honestly didn’t feel to great afterwards. o’well. I’ll get ‘em next time;)
Midafternoon snack was this fruit strip. These are all natural with no added sugar, and you can pick them up at your local Walmart. They’re a nice sweet treat to have on hand.
Do you go to a local Farmer’s Market? Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or whatever, how do you feel about buying non local food products? Do you feel strongly about trying to buy local?
We spent the rest of the day working on projects and cleaning the house. I can’t believe that Saturday is already over…it has seriously flown by. I’m off to bed, so I can get up for early service in the morning! We haven’t been to church in several weeks because we’ve been out of town etc., so I’m really looking forward to it. G’night ya’ll:)
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Apr 8, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 8, 2010 in lunch, the hubs | 8 comments
Hey guys! How has your Thursday been? Mine has been just fine, but quite tiring. I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I need to lately, and it’s really starting to wear on me. With a 5am wake up call each morning, it’s hard to do everything I need/want to do post 5 pm and still get a decent amount of sleep. I’ve been locking in about 6ish hours, which could be worse, but it also could be a lot better. I’ve got to do something about my schedule b/c it is just not working. How many hours of sleep do you aim for? Do you feel that a lack of sleep affects you in all areas throughout your day? I definitely do.
I tell you what, I had the best lunch today! Last night, Jon had to go to Tulsa for a freelance meeting. He is going to be creating the branding (logo etc.) for the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa this year, and he had to meet with the director of the race (I’m so proud and excited!). Anyway, he called me on his way home at about 9:30 and said that he was stopping in Whole Foods to get me some Amazing Grass and a few other odds and ends. Do I have an amazing husband or what?! He ended bringing home 2 Kombuchas, Amazing Grass, and 2 different salads from the bar for me to take for lunches.
This first one is called Couscous Primavera, and I’ll be taking it for lunch tomorrow. Yay!
Ingredients include: Israeli couscous, carrots, onion, bell pepper, scallion, zucchini, evoo, lemon juice, dill, parsley, lemon zest and salt/pepper. I definitely plan to try and recreate this one on my own. It was delish (I couldn’t help but try a bite when he got home last night)!
The second on is Orange Quinoa with Mint and Almond: quinoa, bell pepper, green onions, almond slivers, mint, orange, lime juice, sherry vinegar, honey (not vegan, I know!), sea salt, and pepper. I took this one for lunch today. It was tasty as well, but overall I think I like the couscous better.
Sorry all I have for you is boring store bought meals tonight, but sometimes you just gotta go with it. I love getting special dishes from WF…especially because it’s a rarity!
After I got home from work today, Jon and I took Olive on a walk. I’ve been having a really difficult time getting the energy/motivation to work out after work. I am a huge morning workout person, so I’ve been feeling very frustrated with my schedule. When I’m already getting only 5-6 hours of sleep, it’s hard to bring myself to get up earlier to work out. I just really don’t like working out in the afternoons, though!
Our walk was great, though. I love spending time outside together and just enjoying the weather. I didn’t work up much of a sweat, but it was better than sitting on the couch! Here are some pretty pics of springtime in Oklahoma:)
Are you a morning or afternoon workout person? If afternoon, how do you get the energy to do it after working all day? Also, how do you balance getting your workout in with cooking dinner, eating, cleaning up, blogging, keeping up with household stuff, spending time with significant other etc? Please share your tips and tricks!
See you guys tomorrow. TGIF!
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Apr 7, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 7, 2010 in Thailand, emotional eating | 5 comments
There is a lot going on this week at CSM “headquarters.” I am entering my most busy time at work. There is a lot of testing coming up that I need to make sure my kids are prepared for, and a lot of it is essay testing which means I’ll probably have a red pen in hand for much of the next month and a half.
Anyhow, while avoiding lesson planning tonight, I stumbled onto this article in which Courtney Pool talks about emotional eating being tied to what is being eaten.
She states “Fueling our bodies with processed food and animal products only makes for harder work in healing emotional eating. Our bodies as well as our brains get physically addicted to processed sugar, flour, salt and grains, cooked, low quality oils, chemical food additives and colorings, and even naturally occurring substances such as casein in dairy products. We then have to deal with not only our emotional addiction to food, but also our physical addiction.
She goes on to say “When we get to a place where the foods we reach for emotionally are rarely or never processed ones, then we can clearly arrive at the truth of our emotional attachment to food. Perhaps now you still eat emotionally, but you reach for raw, organic nuts or dates, or maybe raw vegan desserts. Emotionally, enough of most any food will satisfy what we’re using it for, so even a great deal of blueberries or a pile of seaweed can do the trick. However, we can often conclude that we are not likely reaching for a pile of blueberries or even a bag of nuts because we are physically addicted. Now that the physical addiction is gone, we can face the issue appropriately, and begin to explore why we eat when we are not hungry.”
With all of the stress that is going on at my job lately, I’ve been having an even harder time with emotional eating.  I often find that as my stress/anxiety levels begin to rise, my automatic response is to reach for food. But, not just any food…food that is not clean. Food that is laden with sugar/salt or is high in carbs.
A little experiment that I conducted recently showed that if the only food available to me during these times is healthy, clean food such as fruit or vegetables, then I literally won’t eat it. It apparently doesn’t ease the anxiety in my mind and therefore has no appeal whatsoever. I will, instead, find myself continuing on with the tasks at hand and dealing with the anxiety in the rawest way possible. Meaning – I sort through the emotions (why am I feeling this way?), combat lies with truth and make a gameplan to deal with whatever is stressing me out. However, if unhealthy foods are in the least bit accessible, I have a hard time thinking rationally enough to avoid them.
So, I found the above article quite interesting in that I agree with the point that part of the catalyst for emotional eating has to do with a physical addiction. Yet, I am having trouble reconciling with the idea that we can turn to emotionally eating on healthy/clean foods as a stepping stone to defeating those emotional eating demons for good. That just doesn’t work for me.
Also, I am still exploring the following question: if clean foods don’t suffice in easing my anxiety, what is the root of my problem? Is it an purely addiction to certain elements (casein, sugar, oil etc) of unclean foods and I just happen to reach for them when I’m feeling overwhelmed/stressed? Can my “episodes” even be classified as emotional eating?
When you find yourself reaching for food because of a mental/emotional issue, does clean food do the trick? Or do you feel you have to go for sugary foods, etc. What do you think of this idea that forcing ourselves to eat clean food when eating for emotional reasons is a huge step in beating emotional eating altogether? Also, how might we get to a place where we reach for healthy food when feeling the need to “feed” our emotions? Do you feel this is possible?
And, finally, because no post is complete without a picture and by request from a couple of CSM readers, here is more beautiful, albeit random, Thailand scenery.
This little bungalow served as Jon and I’s sleeping quarters for a week.
Close up:)
View out the tiny little window.
Our little “guest” that we came home to one night.
G’Night!
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Apr 5, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 5, 2010 in dinner, recipes, snacks | 6 comments
Hey hey everyone! How’s it going? As promised yesterday, I have a newbie and an oldie recipe for you!
First up is Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup couscous, uncooked
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1.5- 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed
- 1.5 can low sodium corn
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 – 1 chopped avocado
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- handful of cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp chili powder
Directions
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add couscous. Remove from heat and cover.
- Chop bell pepper, onion and scallions and set aside
- Whisk together oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and cumin in a large bowl
- After couscous has sat for 5-10 minutes, fluff well with a fork and transfer sauce in bowl
- Add black beans, corn, bell pepper, chopped onion, scallions, cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper and mix well
- Add chopped avocado just before serving
recipe adapted from here
This salad is great chilled, but can also be served hot. I made this recipe for my family Easter gathering, and I brought home a couple servings worth of leftovers. So, if you’re making it for one, you may want to half this recipe. I love having leftovers on hand, though. I took a bowl of this for lunch today, and it was filling as a meal too!
You guys have got to try this – I absolutely loved it and so did my fam!
Next up is my version of Averie’s Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
This was actually my second time to make these, but I altered a couple of things from the last batch, and I think they turned out even better!
Ingredients
one ripe banana, mashed
1.5 cup oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup natural pb
1 scoop of Jay Robb Brown Rice Protein Powder (or protein powder of your choice)
3 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp whole flaxseed
2 tbsp chia seeds
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Mash banana in a large bowl
Combine the rest of the ingredients a few at a time and mix well
Place saran wrap in 8×8 pan (Averie’s idea:)
Press mixture into pan with hands
Cut bars right away – I cut mine into 16 squares
Freeze bars
I think these bars are best served right out of the freezer, but you can eat them any way you like! As you can tell these are quite calorie dense, but they are so sweet and delicious that one small square is satisfying! After freezing mine, I took them out of the dish and wrapped them individually. Instant portion control! I was so happy because these were a total hit with my family. Usually they aren’t too keen on my concoctions, but I think they really loved these. Score!
My eats today were pretty basic. For some reason I wasn’t that hungry today. I sipped on my green smoothie throughout the morning, whereas I usually finish it on my drive to work. I even took the last bit of it to lunch with me. As mentioned earlier I also had leftover couscous salad for lunch.
I also packed all of this!
Kiwi, carrots and almonds…with a side of plastic;)
Whole soy yogurt and sliced almonds/dried cranberries (my favorite!)
Pretty kiwi:)
So, I actually didn’t end up eating the kiwi or the carrots because I just didn’t need it. It’s sitting in my fridge at work, waiting to be eaten tomorrow! I don’t think I’ll be able to resist it tomorrow – I love kiwi!
Dinner tonight was Whichwich. We just didn’t feel like cooking – we both had a lot to do tonight and wanted to just chill out and skip kitchen duty. So, Whichwich it was!
Tomato and avocado on whole wheat with lettuce, pickles, pepperoncini, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion – my fave!
Well, it’s getting pretty late and I still want to go out for a walk with Jon and Olive. Our walks are always the highlight of my day! I think we may have some storms coming in though, so off I go! See you guys tomorrow!
Btw, I do have some potential developments in the works regarding this post. I’ll update as soon as I can! Please keep your fingers crossed for me:)
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Apr 4, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 4, 2010 in our life | 5 comments
Hey friends! Happy Easter! I think I’ve said that already in at least one post, but I think it’s fun to just celebrate all weekend!
Saturday Jon and I headed to my hometown. We met up with my mom and step dad and then headed over to my Grandma’s for Easter dinner. Before we left our house though, I tried to shove a little too much into the morning, which made us run pretty late. I did get a lot accomplished, though! Went for a three mile run, made a couscous salad and protein bars, packed, went shopping for a birthday present for my Grandpa and drove an hour home! No wonder we were late!
We had such an awesome day with family, though. I got to meet my little cousin, Caroline for the first time ever, and she is just a doll! It totally made my day (and gave me a little bit of baby fever:) to see her.
I just have to say – my Grandma and Grandpa are awesome. I love them so much, and I’m so proud of them. They have both made healthy changes over the past year, and jointly have lost about 60 pounds so far. They both have so much more energy!
It thrills me to no end, too, because my Grandma has moved to fixing healthy dishes at family gatherings, as opposed to all the traditional unhealthy staples. She does still mix some of those in, but I never have to worry about having something healthy, even vegan, to eat when I go home! Check out my plate from yesterday.
I ended up with fresh strawberries and pineapple, a black bean and rice dip, red bell pepper strips, cucumbers, the couscous salad that I made, and one perfect little chocolate covered strawberry:)
It was delicious! She had a ton more options of veggies, as well as some ribs, chicken and baked beans (which I passed up of course:). I was just too full to eat it all!
After dinner, we had great family time. I love just sitting around hanging out together. We did have a little dessert as well. It was my Grandpa’s birthday, so my aunt brought birthday cake.
I brought vegan peanut butter chocolate chip protein bars, and everybody loved them! Well, most everybody at least. It totally made my day because the last time I took a vegan cake, it was NOT a hit:( Can’t win ‘em all I guess!
Tomorrow I’ll be posting the recipes for the couscous salad as well as the protein bars that I made. Make sure you stop by because the couscous salad was to die for! It was the first time I’d made it, and I seriously loved it. Here’s a little teaser:)
Today we went to my mom and Clark’s church, and then met my grandparent’s for lunch at Mazzio’s (an italian restaurant here in OK) afterward. I was a little concerened because I hadn’t been to Mazzio’s since I became vegan, and my old favorites included their famous ranch dressing and deep dish pizza (eek!). It totally worked out, though! I’ll also be sharing that with you tomorrow:)
Well, I’m off to get stuff ready to start another week of school. I hope you all had a lovely weekend, whatever you did, and have a great start to the week! See you tomorrow!
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Apr 2, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 2, 2010 in Olive, breakfast, dinner, faith, lunch, our life | 4 comments
Hi! If you didn’t catch my earlier post, check it out to see who is the winner of the chia seed giveaway!
As mentioned (ahem) yesterday, I’ve been a bit behind on blogging my meals. And I figure what’s a food blog without pictures of food?! So, here’s a little catch up…
Two different days this week lunch was Amy’s low sodium lentil vegetable soup. I love to have Amy’s soups on hand for busy weeks like this one. I think this is my favorite one!
The stats:
Not bad, eh? The ingredient list is stellar as well. I also had a nice, juicy pear on the side.
This is my “plan b” for mornings when I don’t have a green monster: an ezekiel english muffin, 1 tbsp nut butter and half a sliced banana. Heaven.
A quick and easy dinner – Joseph’s whole wheat and flax lavash wrap, hummus, mushroom, cucumber, zucchini, squash, onion, spinach and hot sauce! With pear slices and a kiwi.
I love to take salads for lunch – they’re so refreshing! They’ve got to be loaded with goods if they’re gonna make the cut, though;) This one was fixed up with chopped cucumber, zucchini and squash, corn, chick peas, chia seeds and balsamic.
I hope everyone has a fantastic, family filled Easter! It’s one of the greatest weekends of the year because we get to specifically celebrate Christ’s Resurrection and the fact that we serve a living God. I love that! I honestly don’t know how I would live without Jesus by my side giving me comfort, guidance, love, grace and acceptance.
Aside from praising and thanking Him, we’ll be spending lots of time in the beautiful weather doing this…
with the wind in our hair:)…
See you all later!
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Apr 2, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 2, 2010 in giveaways | 3 comments
Hey guys! It’s time to announce the winner of the chia seed giveaway! I have been so excited about this giveaway – first of all because it’s my first one and second of all because I LOVE chia seeds!
I just want to thank ChiaSeedsDirect for sponsoring this giveaway! They were kind enough to donate a 2 lb. bag for the lucky winner. Thank you so much ChiaSeedsDirect!!
And the winner is…
I promise I didn’t look;)Â This is one of the joys of being a humble little blog – you get to draw out of a hat Kitchen Aide mixer bowl!!
Congratulations Kelli!
email me your information (candice dot mccoy at hotmail dot com), and your chia seeds will be on their way!
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Apr 1, 2010
Posted by candice on Apr 1, 2010 in Thailand, mental notes, our life | 8 comments
First things first – don’t forget to enter my chia seed giveaway if you haven’t already! Deadline is tonight at midnight!
Hey guys! Happy April Fool’s Day! I’ve only had one trick played on me today. A couple of my super thoughtful and wonderful sophomores (insert eye roll) hid their cell phone up in the ceiling tiles of my classroom and then proceeded to call it incessantly during the next period. Imagine the Lion King ring tone going off every 2 minutes throughout an entire class period. Wonderful.
I’ve been very contemplative for the last couple of days. These pictures exhibit exactly how I’m feeling.
Picture taken on one of our outings to the villages during our year in Thailand
Picture taken on a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam
Right now I’m in the midst of making a pretty big decision. I don’t want to disclose any details yet, but I can’t help but write about it because it’s been on my mind constantly.
I have so many different thoughts swirling around in my mind. One of them has to do with passion. I am a firm believer that everyone has the ability to chase after something they want, and catch it if they have enough determination and discipline. I think the one factor that often holds people back is fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. Fear of taking risks. Fear of failure. Fear often paralyzes people and holds them back from living the story that God wants them to live.
My mom told me a story this morning about my step-dad’s dad (we’ll call him Steve). When he was younger, he and his wife (we’ll call her Ann) lived in New York, and he worked for the FBI. He hated living in New York and longed to move away from the busy city. When Ann became pregnant with their first baby, Steve knew he couldn’t live another day in the city. So, he sent Ann ahead of him to a small town, and after quitting his job he soon joined her. He didn’t have another job yet, and I can only imagine the fear he must have felt at taking that risk. In the grand scheme of his life, however, that huge risk became just a small stepping stone that led him to where he wanted to be. Needed to be. In fact, he has lived quite a lovely story and has been blessed beyond measure.
This story reminded me of an article I read not long ago. This article made me really ponder this one question: what if? What if I took that risk? What if I actually threw myself full force into pursuing my dream? What if I failed? What if I allowed myself to live without abandon and without regret by pursuing my passions? What if I stopped taking myself too seriously and gave myself a little more credit for the things I do well? What if I stopped worrying more about what other people think of me than about what I think of myself?
When Jon and I decided to move to Thailand for a year, despite the fear, I kept coming back to this same conclusion: that if we didn’t go, we’d always wonder – what if? What would it have been like? What kind of relationships would we have built? In what ways might God have changed us to be better than we were before? I’m so glad I don’t have to wonder about those questions. I want to look back on my life and see a story that possesses many victorious, joyful moments, yet also many difficult moments resulting from living so fervently that occasional failure was inevitable. I’m praying that God will provide opportunities for this kind of story and give me the courage and the confidence to embrace them.
Sorry this post is a little heavy tonight. But many things are heavy on my heart, and I need to talk them out, if even only in my head. So, I ask you – what might your “what if” questions be? Please share them in the comments. Feel free to make yours a little more specific. Sometime soon I’ll share my own specifics with you, but for now I need to keep them under wraps:) Thanks for understanding.
I hope to see you all again tonight for a wrap up of today’s eats – I’ve been a very bad food blogger the last couple of days, but I promise I’ve got photos just waiting to be unleashed:)
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