Mediterranean love.

Monday is here, week one is done, and yesterday, you guys – we almost BROKE. We went to a trivia day at our favorite craft beer watering hole (looking at you Confluence Brewing) and it was TOUGH to not have a beer or two while we were there. They’re beer is delicious, we were hanging out with friends, but we held off. Would we have had a beer and started over fresh today? Probably. Would I have felt bad about it? A little. Is that my #foodfreedomforever? Maybe. (Melissa Hartwig has GOT ME this round of #whole30.) So we held off and had hangry breakfast for dinner instead.

And then we also did what I said I wasn’t going to do this round. Weigh myself. But I did it. Obviously feels good to drop a few pounds after cutting stuff out of your diet and your body… and in MODERATION, these things are all fine. And that’s what I’m planning to work on after this round… all things in moderation. Always.

But meals this weekend… GUYS. Melissa Hartwig’s Whole 30 Cookbook is AMAZING. This was a Christmas present gifted by my number one recipe tester (thanks babe) and I’ve already made a few BOMB.COM recipes from it. And the rest of the week I’m making a couple more! Mediterranean bison burgers (SO GOOD) and Greek-style lemon potatoes were ridiculous this weekend. I want to eat those potatoes with every single meal forever. And once we’re done with whole30 I’m putting feta cheese on top of them FO SHO.

So moving onto this week…

Meal Plan 2/13 – 2/17

• Monday – Spicy Stuffed Plantains (courtesy of Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook)
• Tuesday – Iowa Beef Steakhouse date night for Valentine’s Day!
• Wednesday – Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• Thursday – Shepherd’s Pie (the original Whole30 cookbook)
  
• Friday – Moroccan Beef (courtesy of Melissa Hartwig’s Whole30 Cookbook)

Breakfasts this week again is a casserole – but I used the spice mixture from the Mediterranean burgers in the ground beef for the egg bake… YES PLEASE. (Not my idea – my sous chef/recipe tester thought this genius idea up!) Guys it is so good. And we’re both SUPER into Mediterranean food lately – the seasoning is ridiculous, the flavor is to DIE for… for realz guys – more Mediterranean food in your diets ASAP. And when you eat it, you don’t feel like you’re going to die after even if you did eat WAY too much. Which is pretty great. Lunches for the week are leftovers from the weekend and last week, and whatever we eat this week. Lunches are boring – but we’re in the swing of things for knowing how much you need to eat to stay full until dinner. First week – not so much. But we’re back at it.

Topic change. Have you ever gone glow golfing? I was REALLY excited about it. Like overly excited probably. There’s a glow golf place over near the mall that I’ve been looking at for YEARS, and was excited when there was a Groupon for it. What a FUN date that was pretty cheap, and for the two of us who are incredibly competitive, this sounds PERFECT. Wrong. Super disappointed. I mean I still won so there’s that – but I think we’ll try out mini-golf again once it’s nice out, and we can go to the big courses around the area. Much better idea. But again – I won… so there’s that. Not that I’m keeping track of who’s ahead in every game we play together… but I totally am. He’s ahead when we play Uno (I don’t even want to talk about THAT night), but I’m dominating in Skip-bo. Give and take right? That’s what makes relationships WORK. But also we’re a pretty fantastic team when it comes to games we play on a team TOGETHER. Over Christmas, we played that ridiculous game where you put the dental looking thing in your mouth and try and talk – and we did quite well at that. I guess when you spend six years watching each other talk, you’ll do quite well at something as weird as that.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and this will be the FOURTH year in a row that I won’t be attending any beer/wine and chocolate pairings. SO SAD. But I do get an effing delicious steak – so I think it’s a fair trade. Those of you who are in the Des Moines area, or even if you’re not – you should for sure take a trip to the Iowa Beef Steakhouse. It’s close to 801 Grand caliber, minus the price. And it’s SO.GOOD. You know what would probably be amazing to chase that steak down with? Cheesecake. Three piece cheesecake, to be exact. (I read that in the voice of whatshisname from Big Daddy… “You always order three piece cheesecake.” No? Mk then.) Or maybe a smoothie. Or a Lara bar. That should work too.

The weather in Iowa the past few days – and probably for the next 10 or so – is OUTRAGEOUS for February. We went for a four mile walk with the dogs on Saturday morning and it was GLORIOUS. That really shouldn’t be a thing. Am I mad about it? Nope. Do the dogs love it? Of course. They especially love running through the mud at the dog park. Because white dogs attract mud. Always. But now that the new week is here, I can spend some more time outside with a possible lunch hour run… MAYBE. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Working out is bad for you – we know this. But we do it anyway. Sigh.

Make it a great day, or not – the choice is yours. Enjoy the weather kiddos – update later this week on my stuffed plantains and the number of times we’ve given the dogs baths after today!

Sugar Monster.

Day 5. I’m not sick of eggs yet, I think we’ve finally gotten over the Sugar-Monster-crabbiness, and the weird dreams have kicked in. Breakfasts all week have been our standard breakfast casserole with hashbrowns of some sort, pork sausage and eggs. Topped with Cholula – always. I somehow rarely get sick of that stuff too – probably because we switch it up each week so it’s not EXACTLY the same each time we make it. Lunches are full of leftovers from whatever we’ve eaten previously in the week. Dinners have been different each night – and actually prepared that night, instead of just shoved in the microwave and heated up. I attempted to cook spaghetti squash in the crockpot – not the best option when your squash is HUGE and the lid doesn’t even close on it. Normally I cook it in the microwave using this method, and it comes out steamy and soft and the “noodles” just melt into the sauce. This was definitely a lot more crunchy. Maybe that’s why I like the micro method more – because spaghetti squash is delicious and a little weird in texture for me?

Earlier in the week as I was getting ready for work, I came to the realization that there’s a few things I do during the #whole30 that I don’t normally do on a regular basis – and probably should. Or maybe I do them and just am not aware of it as much? Who knows. Like – for example: flossing. I know I know, you should floss every day, brush your teeth twice a day, wash you face twice a day, shower daily (but NOT wash your hair daily), etc.etc.etc. But normally – I do not. Gross? Probably a little. Things you learn about yourself during #whole30 can certainly be an eye opening experience, whether you like it or not. I also work out more regularly. Is it because I need to keep myself busy so I don’t dig through the cupboards trying to find a snack? Or because I have more energy? Or because I normally coincide #whole30 with a yoga challenge? Probably a little of each. I’m not partaking in the 20/30 challenge this year, but I am trying to make it to yoga at least once a week going forward. Like I said before, I want to mix it up this month.

I’ve also noticed that my kitchen tends to stay cleaner during this time – even with the massive amount of cooking that’s happening. Wash all the dishes before bed, put them away in the morning or before I start cooking again at night. I DEFINITELY run the dishwasher more (thank goodness for little miracle inventions that wash dishes for you!) so I don’t have to wash 4000 tupperware containers EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. because I bring my breakfast and lunch to work as well as some snacks. But this year I have upgraded to Pyrex glassware rather than my plain ol’ plastic Rubbermade. LIFE.CHANGER. They stay clean and nice even after you use them a million times, they never melt or get stains, there are a ton of different sizes so you can use them for basically anything. Dear Black Friday Sales, I love you. Love, me.

Week one recap though: I was CRABBY. All week. Basically until this morning. That Sugar Monster was a real biyatch this round. And both of us felt it. Both of us were snapping at each other, being rude for no reason, and even a lot more quick to get angry with the fur babies. Not cool, Sugar Monster, not cool. Week one is full of temper tantrums and no energy. But it’s picking up. And tonight I’m pumped for bison burgers and Greek potatoes. Greek food ALWAYS gets me in a great mood. (OPA! Sigh – wouldn’t mind some flaming cheese right about meow though…)

I’m currently working on the meal plan for next week… I know for Valentine’s Day we’ll be heading to the Iowa Beef Steakhouse, I think this is our 4^th year we’ve done that? Because who doesn’t want to eat steak on the day of love? Plus that day, the pups have daycare so that means they will be completely exhausted all night long. And hopefully that will also mean that they will take adorable Valentine’s Day pictures to send us in their report cards because I will DIE from cuteness. (This paragraph got off topic real quick.)

Before I leave for the day I wanted to thank everyone for eating pizza and bagels for me yesterday. I’m sure it was extremely difficult for you to do – but I so appreciate it. #pizza4lyfe

Lastly, a little snippet about the week in a nutshell.

• Favorite Meal: Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps (with homemade seasoning!), Mexican Cauliflower Rice, Avocado Mash, and Cholula
• What I’m Reading: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (currently reading), Fat Girl Walking (just finished for book club – a week late)
• Weekend Plans: staying OUTSIDE as often as possible since it’s February in Iowa, and also 50 degrees! Muddy dogs, here we come! Plus – a mindf*** solo movie trip!
• Next Week’s Outlook: an outdoor run, yoga, new recipes (let’s break them down!) and a clear head from the detoxed Sugar Monster out of my system!

Happy Friday kids – enjoy the weekend and the spring weather in mid-February!

Back in Black {Coffee}

And I’m back. And what better way to get back into the blogosphere than with a post about my newest round of #whole30! Tis the season amirite? After completely overindulging since… um… vacation in Mexico (before Thanksgiving)… I needed a system reset. Like bad. So here we are – day one of #whole30 – and completely under prepared.

We’ll say it’s because of the Super Bowl last night… and that’s probably part of it. I mean we went to the grocery store and have everything we need for this round… but that whole “food prep” thing just didn’t quite happen. SO. Thankfully I’ve done enough of these that I know what I can eat to make me full until I can really get things prepped tonight… and I’ve got enough (too much) coffee in my system that I should be set for the day and be super ready to have a big ol’ bowl of beef and sweet potato chili tonight to fill in the holes that breakfast and lunch left me with.

Breakfast today was an apple, blueberries and grapes topped with cashew butter (for real my lifesaver) and black coffee (obvs.) Black coffee has been my norm for a while actually – before my first whole30 (like… 4 years ago maybe??) I put creamer in my coffee EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. And not just a splash or two. I’m talking a couple glugs. (That’s an actual measurement, you guys.) So it was basically creamer with a splash of coffee. Not cool. Once I weaned myself off that sugar monster, black coffee actually tastes great to me. Who knew.

Lunch will be easy… and super boring. Three scrambled eggs, a can of tuna, salt and pepper, and Cholula (because you put hot sauce on EVERYTHING during whole30. And not during whole30. #cholula4lyfe) Because planning kind of happened yesterday, I didn’t have lunch planned for today… because I was thinking about the giant vat of chili for tonight. Silly me. So tomorrow will be 100 times better.

So yeah – dinner – beef and sweet potato chili. Sounds delish. Too bad I can’t top it with cheese or Fritos. It’s fine – I’m such a chip monster it will do my body GREAT to not have that huge ingestion of sodium. I love chips.

So this round of #whole30 is going to be the same as the rest I’ve done… but it’s the post-whole30 that I’m looking forward to. Reintroduction of SOME things. No introduction of others. Like – how many times have I done this… and I have greasy pizza the day after. Literally every.single.time. And then the next day – or even like 15 minutes later – I feel like trash. I love pizza – I seriously do. I could eat it for every single meal for the rest of forever (if that whole “I’d weigh 4000 lbs” thing wouldn’t happen) but it hurts my body SO MUCH. Same goes with pasta. Like last night for example. We went over to the Italian side of the family to watch the Super Bowl and to eat homemade meatballs and sausage and pasta. It’s delicious and amazing. And I ate too much and too fast and thought I was going to DIE because I was so full. It wasn’t pretty. I unbuttoned my pants during the game so I wouldn’t throw up. Because I have ZERO SELF CONTROL when it comes to carbs. WHY. Because they’re delicious and bad for me? Probably. Because my mentality is occasionally (often) that of a 17-year-old and I think that the pasta I’m eating is to help fuel me for five volleyball games or three softball games in the 90 degree heat and I NEED that extra energy. Yeah – no. I don’t need that. My metabolism hasn’t stopped yet – but if I keep eating like I’ll be at a three hour practice, when instead – I MIGHT take the dogs on a few walks that day – then it may just go and reverse completely. Getting older is fun, you guys.

So my goals for this round of whole30… I’m actually going to make some this time… are going to vary. I know you’re not supposed to weigh yourself during this time, and I’m actually going to follow that. I weighed myself this morning (and wanted to cry) and I won’t weigh myself again until my last day – March 10^th – and see how I did. I already know my clothes will fit better and I will FEEL better. And I’ll sleep so amazing and my face will clear up and I won’t be so blotchy… and I’m so looking forward to it. Another goal will come with reintroduction – cut WAY down on carbs (sub in veggies), steer (mostly) clear of soft cheeses, and QUIT IT with binge snacking. Binge snacking is something I’ve probably always done – but it never did anything to hurt me. Because again – 17 year old inside me – could practice for 3 hours, eat half a pizza, drink a bunch of Mountain Dew, candy, etc. and still feel fine and not gain a pound. Seriously all through high school I hovered in between 130-135 lbs. Let’s just say that’s not the case now. Not even close. And I’m really not sure I could get down to that weight again and be HEALTHY. Another thing – EAT MORE VEGGIES. Like at least one with every meal. Fruit is great, sure – but it does have a lot of natural sugar that kind of defeats the purpose of the whole30. And another – one new recipe per week. (Look out honey – I’m getting creative!)

I’m also working to improve my working out. The last few weeks I’ve been super lazy about my workouts. I’ve done them – I’ve earned that gold star, I’ve burned calories – and then I go home and eat a HUGE meal and sit on the couch for three hours binge watching Shameless. (Which is SO GOOD you guys – definitely go watch it.) So while I’m in the “fat burn zone” for 4.5 hours (thanks FitBit), I still have done nothing for my body. Or at least it FEELS like that.

And that’s where I need YOU. I’ll be posting to help hold myself responsible for what goes into my body, what I do to make significant and lifelong changes in my body, because I don’t want to be unhappy with the way I look and feel. Plus – posting will give me something to do with my hands, rather than running to the break room to grab a bag of chips or making a bag of popcorn and grabbing a beer on Sunday afternoon just because I can. (Although – as an adult, isn’t the best feeling EVER, doing something you want to do JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN?? Just me? Definitely not just me.) So this is going to be a safe haven for me to complain about eating eggs, how working out is bad for you, the naughty things my pups have done, the new recipes and the fails to go along with them, the books I’ve read, the things I’ve done, the memories I’ve made, the debt I’ve paid down, etc.etc.etc. Get excited!

Meal Plan 2/6-2/10

• Monday: Beef and Sweet Potato Chili
• Tuesday: Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos
• Wednesday: Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner
• Thursday: Italian Sausage and Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Friday: Mediterranean Bison Burgers and Greek Lemon Potatoes

Weekends tend to be up in the air… but I’ve got ideas – and new recipes coming! Thanks for the support (yeah I’m asking this early) and if I bore you – sorrynotsorry – and if I inspire you – you’re welcome. And if you’re just reading through blogs because it’s what you do every morning and you stumble across mine – even better! Have a good one kids – stay tuned and here’s hoping for new habits!

30 days – check

Today is day 30! HOORAY I’M DONE – wait… what? We decided to do a #whole45 instead?! Gah. Fine. Another 15 days it is.

That’s how I felt when I woke up today. All PUMPED because it was my last day of the #whole30… and then I remembered. Oh well – it’s fine. I’ll live. Another 15 days won’t kill me. Hopefully.

This round has been a little bit different for me – I don’t feel the Sugar Demon creeping up on me at all hours of the day, food prep is EASY, and I started sleeping well probably on the third day (maybe that was the Nyquil talking… but either way – zonked out like a baby.) I’ve eaten LOTS of red meat and LOTS of breakfast for other meals besides breakfast. I’m learning that I (almost) like black coffee more than I like coffee with creamer in it. Unless of course it’s Sweet Italian Cream CoffeeMate… then we have an obvious winner. Also – I don’t miss cheese like I did the last go-around. Maybe it’s because my dairy ingestion has dropped SIGNIFICANTLY since last year when we started – meaning I haven’t bought cow’s milk in over a year, not that I’ve ever been a real big milk drinker, but still. Of course I still ate plenty of cheese, but I’m not missing that as much as I had before. Pasta and bread are something I do still miss, and I probably always will. I don’t feel like I’ve overindulged on eggs this time (hooray!) because I’ve eaten them so many different ways that I forget I ate eggs in a breakfast casserole that morning, and some eggs over-easy smashed into hashbrowns for dinner. We’ve tried lots of different recipes, and eaten a lot more gamey meat this round – veal, lamb, etc. I made my own breakfast sausage (not the best, not the worst) and I finally caved and made my own mayo. WHICH WAS A LIFE SAVER. Why haven’t I done that before? It’s so EASY. An egg, EVOO, S&P, lemon juice, garlic. Immersion blender that shit together and BAM – mayo. (Do I sound like Emeril there? I should – we just got his pots and pans and I LOVE THEM.)

Non-scale victories… let’s see. The obvious sleep improvement – even when I only sleep for 6 hours, I feel so refreshed when I wake up it’s amazing. I have energy to work out, I feel great during and after my work out, I feel focused during the day and not “fuzzy” or sleepy, my pants fit better, my workout spandex fits better, my face feels less bloated, I feel like I’m (usually) in a good mood (except for the few times I get hangry… sorry about that babe) and I just feel overly GREAT.

So… now what? Where do I go from here? After these next 15 days, do I go back to my shitty eating from before? Do I keep cutting dairy out but go back to pasta? Do I stick with wine or vodka and steer clear of beer? What happens next?

Honestly – I don’t know yet. The last two years I tell myself that I WILL stick to it and I WILL do the gradual reintroduction of foods back into my diet. And the last two years, I’ve probably had pizza the very next day. But guys – how do you say NO to pizza? It’s so damn good. The main reason I DON’T want to go back to pizza and beer that first day, is I know how shitty I’ll feel when I’m done. And especially the next day as it’s making its way through my body trying to kill me. Ideally, I’d like to slowly reintroduce the current non-whole30 foods back into my system, and see how it makes me feel once they’re back in there. See how some rice, pasta and quinoa sits in my system after a few days. If that’s all good, keep my portions small and occasional and I’ll be fine. The same goes with dairy, legumes, alcohol (that will probably be less gradual but who knows), and sugar. The sugar is the one that will mess with me the most. Because I am a candy monster, through and through. All kinds of candy – I’m not picky. Chocolate, gummy, straight sugar – you name it, I will eat it. And I will eat it quickly, without thinking, until my teeth hurt. Because I am a child and have ZERO self-control. Guys – I am 29 years old. And I cannot control myself with candy when it’s in front of my face. This is something a first grader has issues with during Halloween or someone’s birthday party. Yet here I am – the year I turn 30, and I still have issues with sweets. Embarrassing. SO. That being said, I feel like I need to kick out candy unless it’s for special occasions. Like baked goods, Starbursts, KitKats, jelly beans (damn you Easter Bunny and your delicious jelly beans that are ONLY around during Easter!), Swedish Fish, cupcakes (my sister is the WORST for stopping by with “some cupcakes for you” – aka probably 6 dozen cupcakes), cookies, Caramel Macchiatos (this one will be occasional – because who doesn’t love a Venti Skinny Iced Caramel Macchiato on a hot day?! Or even a cold day really…), and – although these aren’t sweets, CHIPS. LOVE me some chips – literally any kind. If they are in my house, I will sit and eat them until they’re gone. And I’m not picky. Doritos, Jalapeno Kettle Chips, Cheese its, etc. etc. GONE in no time. Ridiculous really. Tell me again how I’m a grown-up? Sigh.

Okay – now that I’ve verbal diarrhea-d all over the place about things I really WANT to eat but can’t… I need to go finish eating my breakfast – an egg bake with spinach, asparagus, and whole30 approved Italian sausage. Sigh. This green juice sure doesn’t taste like the sugary treat I really want. Guess I’ll just slather some cashew butter on my banana and deal with it. PS have you ever tried cashew butter? It’s seriously AMAZING. And almost better than almond butter. Or peanut butter. Almost.

I’M. BACK.

Guys – I’m back. For real this time. It’s been a (long) while since I’ve written in here – but it’s okay. I didn’t want to force myself to write something that I wasn’t feeling passion for. I mean my last post was at the beginning of fall, and now it’s the beginning of winter – so there’s that. I was just told today that the first day of spring is March 19^th so let’s just hope I don’t wait another season to write to you. I won’t – I promise. Because I’ve got goals.

And lists. So many lists. Because lists are basically in my top 10 favorite things. Behind pizza, reading, animals, sleeping, and other things. (See what I did there? A list of my favorite things where “making lists” is on my list!) Anyway. My list. For 2016. And going forward really. Here goes…

• GET HEALTHY. This is basically on my list EVERY SINGLE YEAR… but for some reason this feels so right, and so much like it WILL happen. Maybe it’s because I got a FitBit (from Santa) for Christmas and I’m OBSESSED with checking my steps, calories, etc. all throughout the day. Maybe it’s because I weighed myself (I’m the worst – I know) and plan to do weekly weigh ins. Maybe it’s because the Whole30 (actually the Whole45) is coming up in less than TWO WEEKS and I’m reading the forum and the list of do’s and don’ts for food. Maybe it’s because I turned 29 and want to be the best version of myself coming into my 30^th year that I can be. Who knows. Either way – it’s happening.
• READ ALL THE BOOKS. Again – probably happens every year. But for 6 days into 2016, I’m not doing too bad. I finished my first book of the year (Mindy Kaling’s Why Not Me?) and started reading It Starts with Food – in preparation for Whole45 – and I’m also listening to the 3^rd book in the Alex Cross series from James Patterson, Jack and Jill. This year though – 50 books. Minimum. Which is totally doable when I can usually go through at least one book on CD during my drives to and from work in about a week. HOLLA. I also want five of those books to be business/motivational/self-help related. Because you can never read something that won’t make you better SOMEHOW.
• EAT MORE VEGGIES. This has definitely not been repeated year after year. You know how I know? Because I can go WEEKS without ingesting a veggie. And that’s terrible. Tonight is the “come to Jesus aka Whole45 planning” meeting and veggies are going to be a TOP priority. Spiralize EVERYTHING. Roast EVERYTHING. Seriously – so many more veggies. They’re so damn good for you. Who cares if sprouts and asparagus makes your pee smell funny. You know how to make that better? DRINK MORE WATER.
• BE PRESENT. This means a few things to me. It means putting my phone away for a couple hours at night where I can have conversations without interruptions, where I can read a book and not worry about what is also going on in the social media world. Talk on the phone with friends rather than text. Send cards, emails, flowers, etc. to those I don’t get to see often. Be a good friend.
• BE POLISHED. Y’all know I love me a good ponytail. Or a bad ponytail if we’re being honest. (I’m not totally sure what a bad ponytail is – but just go with me here.) HOWEVER. I got my haircut on my birthday and it’s pretty and it does what it’s supposed to – so I’m going to do it. Wear make up to work, do my hair in the morning, wear heels during the week (BTW this is two days in a ROW for me of heels. Look at me GO.) Try not to look (too) scurvy when I go out in public. Except if I go to the grocery store right after working out that’s definitely not going to be pretty for anyone – but oh well.
• WRITE DAILY. For Christmas this year, and birthday, and other random times I buy books (aka everyday if I could) I found a few books to tackle throughout this year. One is called A Year of Cozy – which is basically a year’s worth of recipes, DIY, etc. for me to do – separated by month and season. HOW FUN. The next, is a list making book (told you I love lists.) Sundays are my new “list making” day. Each week I’ll be brainstorming and listing on a certain topic – and then journaling about it. #creativity. The last one, is a 365 Q&A book. This goes on for FIVE YEARS. I will do a quick Q&A for each day of the year, for the next five years, to see how my answers change. LOVE THIS. Plus – more blogging for you wonderful people. Twice a week – minimum. I mean – I’ll try.

There are so many things I want to do this year – to make me a better ME. Cleaning the house more regularly, cooking more food, trying new food, challenging myself with books I wouldn’t normally read, challenging myself with workouts I wouldn’t normally do. I want to be there for friends more than ever, I want to love so much it hurts. 2016 seems like a pretty great year so far – and I’m ready to tackle it.

food love. book love. FALL.

And just like that – fall has arrived in full force. I’m not even mad that it was accompanied by a hella cold rain – except for the fact that Little Bear thought it was a good idea to take a lap around the block instead of just doing his business in our front yard. I also like how in groups of people when there’s a pause of awkward silence, weather becomes the topic. “So did you see the forecast for the week? Oh man it’s going to be so nice/hot/cold/snowy/rainy/etc.” Talk about it with strangers, talk about it at work with people you don’t enjoy – thanks Weather for being our “go-to” conversation starter in awkward/boring situations.

But I digress. HOORAY FOR FALL!! I’ve been waiting on this change since the one day it got down to the high 50s-low 60s in September and all the #basic girls (myself included) busted out their boots and scarves and took a trip to Starbucks for the first #PSL of the season. And then magically it’s 80 degrees. Come on fall, just GET HERE already.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been trying out some different outlets for media that I haven’t tried before – ie. Podcasts and books on tape/CD. Okay so let’s be real – I’ve listened to PLENTY of books on tape back in the day – but I’m so much more of a “hands-on” reader that I really didn’t use them for YEARS. I’m pretty sure the last book I listened to was Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. So yeah – it’s been a while. So while I got the idea to get a book to listen to on my way to and from work – I’ve got plenty of time in the car since I go home over lunch to let the bear out – I thought, why not. The time is there – why not utilize it? (More on that a little later.) I’ve never been a “podcast” girl – is that even a thing? I don’t really know. But I thought I’d try them out – mostly because I follow Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project) on Instagram and she was always talking about her podcast. So I went to her blog and started listening. She named her podcast “Happier” which I think is fun – and does these talks with her sister, a TV writer living in L.A. It was interesting to see their different points of view – while Gretchen lives in NYC and is a writer – on different subjects. I went through these real fast – since they’re between 25-35 minutes I could get these done in no time. I liked that each podcast had a different “take home” for you to do – and I took a lot of those to heart. Especially the one-minute rule for tackling clutter, making your bed, treat yourself like a toddler, and to pick a one-word theme for the year. If you’ve got some time, need a break, or want to try something new – I highly recommend listening to Happier.

A couple weeks ago I visited the library (my happy place) and picked up six books I wanted to read. Yes you read that correctly – SIX books. A little much for a three-week time period? Maybe. But I flew through two of them already – one was a Sunday read for me and the other was a “before bed to get my mind focused” kind of read. For those of you who watched The Hills (guilty), the first book I read was called If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone – the founder of PR firm People’s Revolution. HIGHLY recommend this book. I think it was something I needed to propel me forward. Not that I was stuck, but I needed something new. Following in Kelly’s booksteps (like footsteps… get it?) I started reading #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso. Sophia is the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal fashion and #Girlboss is a combination memoir/how-to. How to become a #GirlBoss. Again – something else I NEEDED in my life. Not that I necessarily have an entrepreneurial spirit or even WANT to be my own boss – but it’s refreshing to hear about strong women totally OWNING everything they have because it was built from the ground up. Bad asses for life.

Next up on my (never ending) list of books to read – our next book club book by Charlie Huston, The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death. Sometimes you just start a book and KNOW you’re going to love it. That’s how this one is. Ten-ish pages in – and I’m hooked. Love when that happens. I’ve also got Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, W. Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose, and another Kelly Cutrone gem – Normal Gets you Nowhere. READ ALL THE BOOKS!

Monday morning on my way to work I started listening to The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Normally this would NOT be my cup of tea – but since Sophia Amoruso suggested it, here I am. Basically it’s a historic self-help book… if that makes sense. Kind of a how-to-make-money-and-save-money-and-get-out-of-debt-while-putting-it-in-historic-terms. I was intrigued. So here I am – almost halfway through – and actually getting some enjoyment out of this. Although sometimes I space out and it’s hard to understand, it all makes sense. I hate money, I hate talking about money, I hate what money does to people – whether they have a lot or very little – and yet this book is something I actually enjoy. And now that I know that I’ll get through this book in a week TOPS, I’ll need to scour through my TBR (to be read) list and see what else I can enjoy on the road.

ALSO. You all KNOW my love of all things food. Food blogs. The Food Network. Cookbooks. Instagram posts. Like if I could look at food porn all day I WOULD. (And sometimes it feels like I do.) So anywho – yesterday I stumbled across an Instagram post for Slow Cooker Autumn Minestrone Soup that had me DROOLING… so I visited Real Food Whole Life to check out this gem, which I then followed up with at least 30 minutes of looking at other recipes. The one that totally caught my eye and FORCED me to make it for dinner last night – Grilled Hummus, Apple and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches. Like how AMAZING does that sound?! Plus – I had all those ingredients at home. So I made it. And it did not disappoint. My onions may have been slightly over-caramelized, but I also added some shredded mozzarella cheese and it was seriously thebomb.com. Making that probably weekly. I mean just LOOK how good it looks!!

This got slightly more wordy than planned – so I’ll hold off until later this week. Enjoy this weather kiddos – before you know it there will be snow on the ground.

(JUST KIDDING MOTHER NATURE…. JUST KIDDING)

get lost

I’ve been called a “book worm” over the years more times than I can count. I have literally (yes – this is the correct time to use that word) ALWAYS read multiple books at a time. Growing up, my mom could never figure out how I could keep the plots distinguished between books. I was also that kid where if I broke my leg during the summer, I wouldn’t be sad about staying inside not being able to run around. Because I’d have my books. When someone asks me what I like to do in my free time, I tell people I like to read. I’ve also been told I should “get a new hobby” because reading doesn’t count.

Reading is everything to me. I love the feeling of getting lost in a character’s life – seeing something through their eyes (while it’s how I picture it in my mind.) Reading to me isn’t necessarily an escape from reality – although sometimes I get so into the book that I forget where I am, what I need to do that day, and any underlying/below-the-surface issues I just don’t want to face at that time. Reading a book I love sometimes makes me overly happy, occasionally (often) ugly cry, and more often than not – give me a book hangover. Sometimes I have all three happen to me during the same book.

The book is ALWAYS better than the movie. And if it’s not better (see previous line – it’s ALWAYS better), then it’s at least AS GOOD. The movie has NEVER been better than the book. Ever. And it never will be. So many times I will hold off on seeing the movie until I’ve read the book. And if it happens that I see the movie before I read the book, I will ALWAYS picture the actors from the movie as the characters in the book.

One of my favorite happy places is curled up underneath a blanket, with a cup of coffee/tea/wine, and my book. It’s at that moment that I am completely at peace. My mind is calm and not running a million miles an hour, the TV is off, my to-do list is finished, and I am serene.

And lately – reading just hasn’t been happening for me. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment in time where I stopped reading, but it just hasn’t been happening. Maybe it’s me being lazy. Maybe it’s the fact that there is ALWAYS an SVU/CSI marathon on after work. Maybe it’s because I’ve got a lady date to binge-watch something on Netflix. Maybe it’s because my love is home for the weekend and I want to spend every waking moment with him rather than alone with my book. Maybe it’s because our newest little fluffy baby needs constant attention so he isn’t chewing/peeing on something. Maybe it’s because the books I’ve been reading aren’t gripping me enough so I just can’t get into them. All these could be a potential factor – and it makes me so sad to think about.

Reading is my JAM. For realz guys. I’ve even been terrible about reading my book club book. And if anything, that was at least the one I read. For a while I was reading a book a week. ONE BOOK IN ONE WEEK. Now it’s taken me MONTHS to finish a book with less than 200 pages. I don’t want to force myself to read – because that’s how people learn to hate reading. Like when you’re in school – you’re forced to read books for English and in turn, you end up either hating the book or just reading in general. Example – The Great Gatsby. We had to read it and pick it apart in high school. Doing all that made me not want to read it. I love reading for enjoyment, rather than reading for discussion. Except for book club – that discussion I really do enjoy. (Maybe also because I can drink wine at book club, but not in AP English.)

So before I go all “I vow to read one non-school book per week” a la Clueless on you all, I just want to make a mental note to read daily. Maybe that’s 15 minutes before bed. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning when Koji thinks 5 am is an acceptable wake up time. Maybe it’s a Saturday morning when Koji thinks 6 am is an acceptable wake up time. Maybe it’s Sunday afternoon while Koji is napping or he’s out on a walk with dad and mama gets some much needed peace and quiet. I’m adding a book into my purse so I have one if I ever get stuck in traffic, or if I’m waiting to pick someone up, or if I’ve got some time to wait before a store opens (because that’s a thing I do now with this furry little alarm clock.)

Reading has always been a major love of mine, and I don’t want to lose that love. So my job for all of you – remind me to read. Put a picture of the book you’re reading up on Instagram so I see it and am reminded to sit down with The Bell Jar for a little while. Add some books on your Goodreads “to be read” list so I can go through and be reminded what I have yet to read on my never-ending list – and sit down with All the Light We Cannot See while Koji is passed out after a long walk. Maybe I end up searching for something in Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook and end up reading through recipes in cookbooks for a while. You just never know when the (available) time will hit you and you have the opportunity to lose yourself in the words of someone else’s story.

studying is hard.

You guys – I forgot how to study. Basically everything I learned in college (because let’s be real – you didn’t really need to study in high school) about studying… I forgot. It hurts my brain, it makes me sleepy, and I really just don’t wanna do it. {Insert temper tantrum here}

School is for fools. For real. (Not really – but in this instance, I’m dubbing it as such.) I am currently studying for my CAP exam (Certified Administrative Professional) which is coming up in exactly THREE WEEKS from tomorrow. Barf. I probably should have started studying sooner, but procrastination is my JAM so I of course waited until this week to start. It’s a lot of information I already know – last year I worked toward getting certificates for HR related duties and it’s a lot of repetition for what I’m currently studying. It’s not so much the information I’m having issues with – the content is just fine – but seriously this whole “studying” thing. BLECH.

Some of the things that went through my mind while I was studying yesterday – “Uuuuugh I don’t want to do this. I want a nap. I’m soooooo tired. My neck hurts. This is stupid. WHY do I need to know this. I need to crack my back and my chair isn’t letting me do that. I wish I had my high school desk where I could lean back and crack my back like only it knows how. Oops I didn’t mean to highlight that. I didn’t even read that – better reread it. I JUST WANT A NAP.” Seeing a recurring theme don’t you?

As long as I do some studying daily I’ll be through this book by the end of the week. Then I’ll just need to spend some time at the library during my “respite time” with the bear. A couple hours at the library will do me good. (Apparently I should reread that grammar section from yesterday. What a terrible sentence.) Le sigh. I hate studying.

Yet I LOVE reading. Such is life. I could sit for HOURS and do nothing but read a book. I get lost in the words and the lives of the characters. With studying – I just keep looking at the clock for when I can be DONE.

Props to all you grown-ups out there who are studying for school… at this point in my life I don’t think I’d ever want to go back. I’m hoping to take my PHR exam early next year and after that I think I’ll be done with tests for a while. Get some extra letters behind my name to make me a more marketable business lady and be done with it. I’m looking forward to this test being done… even though it takes ALMOST FOUR HOURS. I haven’t taken a test that long LITERALLY EVER. College finals were what – two hours? Maybe three? And it never took that long. THIS ONE IS ALMOST FOUR HOURS. Maybe I should take the rest of the day off after that. Go home and just sleep. OOF.

Okay I’m done whining for now. But for realz guys. Studying is the worst.

no sleep till brooklyn

You guys. That was a really long hiatus. I apologize. Over two months with no post? I suck.

But SO MUCH has been happening since then. We moved (you knew that) and getting this house set up just the way we like is proving to be much more difficult than I’d ever thought. Furnishing a house that’s nearly twice the size of our apartment has been time consuming, expensive, but also hella fun. I’ve been making weekly(ish) trips to Goodwill because thrifting has become a new pastime. Craigslist finds have kept me sane… and DIY projects are happening way more often than I ever thought possible. I’ve been reading up on different blogs to assist in organization, decorating, and cooking (per usual) and to make our house a HOME. This weekend we are finishing up the FINAL room in the house (the guest bedroom) – and after that we get to relax. But not really – because we also have a new little baby boy in our life. And relaxing just isn’t something we can do anymore.

Koji the cream-colored Shiba Inu is our newest fur baby addition to the family. He is a spunky little love that keeps mama on her toes during the week. He is sweet – but not cuddly, plays hard, sleeps through the night (usually), and torments his big orange brother on a daily basis. He learned “sit” over lunch one day and (sometimes) knows “drop it” when we’re playing fetch or going for a walk outside. 80% of the time he’s great on the leash – but the other 20% he’s a monster. On Thursday he will be 3 months old (baby boy is growing up so fast) and he has a definite attitude. He’s so cute – and so much WORK. After doing a lot of the work during the week – as I’m playing “single fur baby mom” while my other half is traveling for work – I told myself that if I were a single girl, there is no way I would EVER get a dog on my own. I love dogs – all dogs – but taking care of a puppy by myself is HARD. It’s time consuming (I knew it would be) but also so worth it. It’s fun watching him grow up and learn new things – even if sometimes I just wish he would learn RIGHT NOW. I mean – I know he’s a puppy, and such a cute one, and he’s really smart – shibas are naturally very smart dogs – but maybe just stop chewing your leash and acting like a maniac.

But still – he’s so cute.

Being a cat mom is so easy. Toby is 8 – he’s been around for a while, he knows what’s up. He sleeps 90% of the day – and rarely wakes me up during the night. Sometimes he wants to snuggle, other times he wants to sleep under the bed and not be bothered unless he’s hungry. Which is fine by me. Koji is a literal 180 from Toby. It’s hard for me to sit down and watch TV or read a book or do laundry without asking “what are you doing? Where are you? What are you eating? What’s in your mouth? Are you peeing in the house?” I never thought I would ask the question “what’s in your mouth” so many times in one day. Sometimes it’s a leaf, sometimes it’s bunny poop, sometimes it’s a cigarette butt – and that’s the grossest thing  – I’ve noticed how many people in my neighborhood smoke and then just toss the butts into the yard. DON’T THEY KNOW THAT DOGS WALK BY AND EAT THEM?! Got a little wild – sorry about that. Helicopter mom over here.

I love these little loves SO MUCH – but it’s SO NICE when I get some respite care on the weekends. Hopefully in the next couple months this travel will be cut down to being out of town Tuesday-Thursday instead of Monday-Friday. Which will be amazing for MULTIPLE reasons. Reason number one – this has been ongoing travel for OVER A YEAR which was supposed to be a 6 month project. Reason number two – mama can get out of the house for more than an hour at a time to get stuff done and see people (sorry friends if I’ve been non-attending things lately… I feel a little guilty leaving the babies at home after they’ve been alone all day.) Reason number three – I get lonely during the week and wish my person were there with me every night. I’d like to eat less leftovers and make more dinners for two. I’d like to go on weeknight bike rides (oh yeah – we got bikes too) and yoga together. I’d also like to have relaxing weekends instead of trying to cram everything we want to do together into 2.5 days. Sigh.

I’m slowly working myself back into a routine – waking up earlier, going to bed a little later… going on lots of walks and sometimes running sprints up and down the street to tire the little bear out before bed. Sometimes I get woken up at midnight for a quick potty break – other times it’s 3 in the morning. 5 am days happen often – and when 6 am days happen I (almost) wish it were a 5 am day so I could get more done in the mornings. 9:30 pm hits and both babies are ready for bed. And it’s wonderful. Even though I would often crawl into bed before the sun went down and read for an hour before falling asleep… that hasn’t happened in WEEKS. Can’t go to bed at 8 when the pup gets zoomies at 8:45. Speaking of zoomies – these are hilarious. SPRINTS around the house. It’s too cute.

Slowly but surely I’ll be a functioning adult – with a to-do list that gets completed, workouts that are finished, a puppy that goes to bed and sleeps through the night and doesn’t pee in the house or chomp on my arm, and a kitten who will always be my first baby and who will continue to tolerate his brother and maybe one day become best friends with. I’ll spend weeknights with my love, try new recipes, go on long bike rides and calming yoga practices, and relearn what it’s like to spend every night together, rather than just three nights. (I forget about the snoring you guys…) Kidding – mostly.

Although I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, I promise to come back with more recipe hits (and misses), puppy pictures, house and DIY updates, and some new adventures. Hugs and kisses you guys… thanks for baring with me during my brief moments of radio silence.

mercury in retrograde vs full moon vs off day

Serious question you guys. Is Mercury still in retrograde? I’ll be honest – I really have no idea what that means, but I feel like it FEELS like something is messed up. The last couple days have just been SHENANIGANS. And I’ve just felt OFF. I had an awesome Saturday at BrewFest – drinking all the beers – and then ended the night at the first Food Truck Throwdown at the Social Club. Hella fun. I ate good food, drank (mostly) great beer, and got to bed before 10 pm. So then Sunday I expected to be similar – WRONG.

I found some recipes last week and wanted to try them over the weekend – #shoutout to Ali from GimmeSomeOven and Juli from paleOMG for restoring my love of pesto – so Friday night I totally dominated some Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. AMAZING. I had it for lunch again today and it was still amazing. Sunday morning I had BIG plans for brunch. Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potato Breakfast Bake. It tastes just as good as it reads. So rather than slicing the sweet potato thin (a la the recipe), I decided to use my Paderno and spiralize that bad boy because WHY NOT. Except I struggled HARD to make it work. I used the blade to make super thick noodles so it would be similar to the thin potato slices. But sweet potatoes are meaty, tough suckers and it just wasn’t working. So while I cleaned off the blade and tried to get a big chunk out so it would actually spiralize, my thumb about got sliced OFF. Not completely – but it still sucked. And it’s right by my nail so it’s hard to do other things with this MASSIVE INJURY. (Over dramatic. My apologies.) So while half the sweet potato turned into sweet patoodles, the other half needed to be sliced. All went well until the very end when my hand slipped and the meaty part of my hand got (barely) stabbed by the knife. No blood, no foul – BUT IT HURTS. Still. After the dual injuries, breakfast still ended up HELLA GOOD and there are plenty of leftovers for the week – BUT STILL.

The laundry got done, food was prepped, and the house was WIDE OPEN to let the gorgeous weather inside. But that also meant that the slightly broken screen door would let a Big Orange out. This guy has no claws – and doesn’t really like the grass. HOWEVER. He does like chewing on the grass and plants. So I planned on putting his leash on (he hates it so much) and we could hang outside for the afternoon but he was having none of it. Blah. So I thought I should work on my (already beginning) farmer’s tan and put on my swimsuit and grabbed a new book to read outside. Even though it was only 70 degrees, that sun felt AMAZING. A tiny tan line showed up after 45 minutes so I’ll call that a win. It was time to start dinner so I found a recipe for a bubble breakfast bake – clearly “breakfast” and “bakes” were on my mind all day long. I’m not even mad about it.

While the maple sausage was cooking, I went through and quartered the biscuits and put them in a bowl. Now remember how I mentioned that whole “Mercury in retrograde” thing? Here’s where it comes back. Rather than letting the sausage cool down for a while prior to either mixing it with the biscuits or just pouring it on top while it was already spread out in the pan, I literally dumped the meat DIRECTLY FROM THE PAN onto the biscuits. Now if you think about this – you can just picture the biscuits immediately squishing into a dough glob covered in meat sprinkles. That is not a pretty sight. Lots of f-bombs were dropped during this “woops” moment. Then the eggs got mixed up along with the cheese – a dozen eggs and a bag of shredded cheese – which in hindsight (again) was probably a little too much. Meh. You live and you learn amirite? I switched the meat-sprinkled dough blob to a smaller pan and dumped in the cheese and egg mix. This BARELY fit into the smaller pan. But I just wasn’t up to pouring EVERYTHING into a bigger pan. I don’t think I could handle that. ANYWAY. The meat-sprinkle dough blob bake turned out delicious – and nothing overflowed onto the bottom of the oven. Again. A win-win. Holla.

Sunday nights always make me sad because I know that 4 am comes WAY too soon for the traveling man to hit the road. But last night you guys. UGH. About 2:30 this morning I am JOLTED awake by the sound of a cat coughing. Nothing wakes you up faster than the sound of your brand new comforter ALMOST having a barf pile on it with the lights out. So with a half-asleep arm, Big Orange got pushed off the bed but he kept coughing. Nothing came up – that I’ve found anyway – so I went back to bed. And apparently my brain thought the barf-alarm was an ACTUAL alarm so I laid there, wide awake, thinking about everything I needed to do during the day. LAME. Then another 30 minutes later, I hear a few sniffles and than an f-bomb. Bloody nose. So now I’m more awake to make sure there’s no blood on the freshly washed white sheets. There was. So they got hand washed. Okay cool – so now it’s like 3:30 and the alarm is going off in 30 minutes. AND THEN – like probably 97% of you, I got a HELLA LOUD Amber Alert on my phone. Terrifying. And then before you know it, the 4 am alarm is going off. I tried staying in bed and sleeping, but I was probably awake until 5:30 – with my alarm set for 6:00. COME ON. And today was a day I NEEDED to be at work early. Like “leave my house at 7 am” early. Mondaze. For real. I don’t think I stopped moving from the moment I got to the office from the time I left.

But now that I’m home, things are back to normal-ish. I made myself a fancy dinner of popcorn and Coors Light and had my barf-alarm snuggle me as if to apologize for waking me up early. I assume that’s what he’s saying anyway. SO. Tomorrow is a new day. I plan on getting to bed early and waking up fairly early so I can get some HIIT workouts in before I head to work. Assuming the weather holds out, we’ll have volleyball tomorrow night – for the first time in like A MONTH – and I will be home again and in bed prior to 9. Just the way I like it on a weeknight. Let’s be real – any night.

Dear Mercury, please GTFO of retrograde (if that’s actually happening) so my days can get back to normal. Thank youuuuuu.