isn't this so true...

i say at least half of these phrases...

weekly menu

monday- french onion soup   

{jb and i have a love affair with french onion soup.  i am not even a little bit ashamed to tell you we

ordered it after dessert one time at a restaurant that threw down a mean french onion soup.  sadly, i don't

have a great recipe for it.  we tried one recipe this week and it was blah.  we agreed to press on and not rest until we hae a killer french onion soup recipe.   send any tips or recipes my way! }

tuesday- i love california pizza kitchen's moroccan salad.  

{i decided to make my own version this week.  i used a 50/50 mix of romaine and spinach for the 

lettuce.  i roasted the beets and buttersquash until they were slightly burnt...delish.  i eliminated the

chopped egg, dates and cranberries that cpk puts in their version and added apple slices instead.  i also

swapped pine nuts with the almonds cpk uses.  here is the dressing i whipped 

up to go along with it...

champagne vinaigrette:

• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 dash freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 cup champagne or white balsmaic vinegar 
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil

{if it was a hard day, just sub in 1 cup of champagne- nevermind the vinegar.  jb is the easiest and 

happiest eater and always praises my cooking even when it's horrible.  every once in awhile i will strike 

it rich and find a meal he really really loves.  he gives me these eyes and doesn't make a sound, if it's 

extra good he'll throw down his fork and just look at me.  this salad earned all three marks...the eyes, no sound and fork throwdown. }

wednesday-chicken vegetable lettuce cups




{ the one change i made to this recipe was adding cumin to the meat.  cumin is one of my favorite

spices.  i want to make "i heart cumin" shirts but for those less savvy in the kitchen this may be confusing.  i loved this recipe..fast, easy and delicious. }





thursday- cauliflower crust pizza 



{ ours was topped with carmelized onion, chicken sausage, sauteeded zuchicinis & bell peppers. i know

what you are thinking... this is green eggs & ham all over again.  but i promise you will want to eat this

on a car, and with mouse and in the dark!  if you are gluten or grain free this is a great recipe.  it does have a ton of cheese though so it's not for those who are stricter paleo. }

happy eats!

happy turkey day fools!

happy thanksgiving!  one year ago jb and i were in key largo eating ribs and mango pie for thanksgiving...true sufffering i know.  as fun as it was to spend our first married holiday away this year we are so grateful to be back in the company of good family and friends.

even though the holiday season is truly the most wonderful time of the year many people tend to make the worst food choices this time of the year.  often the holidays become a license to mindlessly dump lots of junk down the hatch.  of course, the holidays are also a time for traditions and many traditions can be around food.

some foods are worth the splurge right?  grandma's favorite pie is totally worth spluring on because besides being delicious it has sentimental meaning.  the doughnuts with gobs of glowing frosting that magical appear in the office kitchen have little nutritional value and even less sentimental meaning.  in this sense food and shopping can be similar, usually the impluse buy is not a good buy especially when it is pricey.  junk food splurges are high in calories and are never a good investment.

use this tool to help you navigate through the holiday food terrain.  no need to shrink it down pocket-size, laminate it and pull it out of your back pocket at the buffet line but hopeful it will help you be more mindful about what you eat this holiday season.

happy healthy thanksgivig!

one year!

dear jb,

one year?  it is amazing to me that one year ago i married you, my middle school crush.  one year ago before hundreds of our sweet friends and family and to our Lord we vowed to love and cherish each other. we bound our hearts together in a covenant with the Lord.   i am glad for all the things that make up our marriage- even the small piles you leave around the house of your clothes-which momentarily scare me into thinking the rapture has happened and i missed the beam up.  honestly i think if the shoes weren't poking out from under pile it might be less startling-just a suggestion.

anyway, you chose the song for our first dance.  when you first played it to me i sobbed- which i know was such a shock because i only cry all the time.  like the time i cried because i thought the ticket man at the movie theater was probably teased in high school so i started crying and then when we got home you promptly made me take a pregnancy test.  it was negative for baby but positive for crazy.  anyway, we knew this song was wonderful when we danced (and you almost very nearly cried) one year ago today but a year later we understand these words to be true in our marriage.


please dance with me in the minefield a thousand more years...

mystery solved

i must say that i am very impressed at how quickly everyone figured out the mystery food.  so here is the official answer to the mystery. 

our new fruit this week was dragon fruit.  steve wisely noted that these are also called pitaya.  i also found many other names for it, depending on what part of the world you find this fruit.  it is also called fire dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit, sweet dragon and dragon crystal.  there are also different varieties, the one we bought had magenta flesh but they can also have white flesh.

the price was a different story.  this took a little longer to figure out.  many of you guessed reasonable prices at first.  katwmn had a more reasonable guess with $25...if i had bought two that would be close.  steve had a strong guess at $11.50 but i wasn't sure if the price is right gameshow rules applied to this game...and i made up the game.  if someone guessed over the price and then someone guessed $1 would the $1 person be right?  then i realized that's what i hate about the price is right...those pansy guessers that say $1 for 10 rounds.  come on people, take a real guess and spay and neuter your pets.  so after i settled that debate in my mind i was sure steve was going to be the winner but then i read laura's comment...

Laura said... After my whole family sat giggling reading your post, as if we were sitting right next to you, we did some research. Dragon Fruit, $10.99/lb. Samuel hope it tastes like "watermelon" and Willow thinks it tastes "yummy."

wow she nailed it!  winner winner!  good research laura.  a target gift card for $10.99 will be coming your way. 

as for samuel's hope of it tasting like a watermelon that wasn't my experience.  sorry lil buddy.  the taste is extremely mild which was is surprising because by the appearance of the fruit i would expect the taste to be bold too.  it is not very sweet either.  from the pictures i had seen online of the white-fleshed dragon fruit i was expecting the texture of a watermelon but the magenta flesh was much different.   jb and i agreed it had the same texture as a kiwi.    so willow- the jury is still out on if it is yummy.  at $10.99 we were hoping it would knock our socks off for taste and maybe give us super powers.  has anyone else tasted dragon fruit?  if so, how would you describe the taste?  charis i know you have some experience in this category.

mystery

last week i mentioned that jb and love to try new fruits and vegetables and this week i hit the new food jackpot.  as i was strolling through my local co-op i found this strange beauty sitting there...

 i thought this mystery item was a new hybrid mango artichoke but i was mistaken.  i asked one of the co-op employees how to select one of these strange things and what it tasted like.  he had no clue.  so like the indian jones of the co-op, he whipped out his blade from his produce fanny pack and sliced into it and handed me a few slices.  which was both surprising and awesome.  i thought, "this must be one of the perks of paying 3 times more for your food plus having to pay a membership fee".  i was even more intrigued  when i saw the inside of the fruit...

it was magenta. barbie-convertible-top-down-magenta!  heck yes.  i had found my new item for the week. the produce guy and i stood in the aisle eating this thing trying to figure out what it was similar to and what it tasted like.   the produce guy finally said, "well it's cool but i wouldn't waste my money on it at that price".  peesh.  waste money.  is that a challenge?  dude have you seen where you work and i am shopping?  clearly, i love throwing extra money at food.  bring it.

i won't lie when i was at the register i had a moment of clarity, this one item was a 1/6 of my weekly grocery budget and maybe it wasn't a good buy.  then i did what any good impulse buyer does and i ignored the little voice in my head.

so here's the deal...leave me a comment with two things.  1-what you think this mystery item is and 2- how much you think i paid for it.  the winner must answer both items correctly but they will receive a target gift card for the exact amount i paid for the fruit.  happy guessing!

11

dear jb better known as loco mocos-

11 months ago i said "i do".  i am grateful i did! otherwise, i would have missed out on  late night pudding runs, kitty rescues, obvious statements, the warm laundry you heap on me when i am chilly, road trips and animal hats. thanks for being the better half!

extra points for looking like the karate kid in this one!

should we try for a year?


more today than yesterday,

coco

break out

jb and i were married at los poblanos so it will always be sentimental for me.  it is a historic inn but also has an amazing organic farm.  los poblanos has an incredible presence, you can sense the history while there and there isnt much that isn't unique or magical about it.  it has a rhythm and life all of it's own.  it is a place that almost takes on a tangible persona.  have you ever been to such a place?

anyway, jb and i aim to try one new food weekly, usually a fruit of vegetable.  for me it is easy to stick to the veggies that i am familiar with and i easily can get stuck in a rut.  here is where the los poblanos farm resuces me.  los poblanos has a wonderful harvest box program.  they have several options to choose from.  i signed up for their weekly veggie box.  each week they pick $10 worth of local, organic produce for me and every tuesday i come pick it up at the farm.  i must admit that i am torn between which part of the veggie box i enjoy the most.  i love going to the farm and not knowing what veggies await me.  it's a surprise and to a health geek like me that is fun.  i usually have to do some research to discover how i will cook some of the items but it helps me shake my rut.   my other favorite bit about my veggie box is that for a few minutes each week i can escape the busyness of life.  the sounds of rushing cars are replaced with quiet.  i can walk around the beautiful landscape of los poblanos.  i always leave refreshed. 

the tomatoes are my favorite treasure this week.  i love the variety of colors, almost mimicking the hues of fall.  and, of course, i love them for their petite size.

 my favorite one was this little russian doll shaped tomato.  i still can't bring myself to eat it.


what place have captivated you?  what do you do to break out of your food ruts?

recipe swap {comfort food edition}

with cold weather and cold season upon us i thought comfort foods should be this week's recipe swap focus.  i currently have a sinus infection that literally is making my teeth hurt and making me consider investing money in kleenex.  last night when it came time to make dinner all i wanted was something that would make me feel better and would be easy to make.  i also couldn't even think about going to the grocery store so it had to be something that i had all the ingredients for so jb went..twice.   so what is my comfort dish?  chicken pot pie.

even though jb did have to go to the store twice last night (because i was heavily medicated and making a grocery list with two items was extra challenging) usually chicken pot pies are one of those meals that cleans out the fridge.  i never make the same pot pie twice.  last night our pot pies had carrots, peas, zucchini and bell peppers but i use what ever veg i have on hand.  i made a roasted whole chicken on tuesday night so i used some of the leftover meat and then took the carcass of the chicken and made chicken broth.  one bird three purposes, i really think i have a future has a frugal farmer's wife.

i again turned to comfy belly for inspiration.  the recipe that guided me is here or if you prefer the veggie version is here.   when i make my pot pies i do a few modifications to the original recipe from comfy belly's recipe.  for starters i don't use any celery.  i like celery has much as cats like baths.  i use scd yogurt in place of the almond milk but if you don't have food allergies sour cream or whole milk would be really delish in this recipe.  i don't take out a cup of the broth at the end like she recommends but that's only because we prefer a more broth-like pot pie.  we are also fudgy brownies people not cake brownie people but that is neither here nor there.  the only change i make to the crust is to add a little thyme for extra flavor.  i love the idea of individual pot pies but usually use a 8x8 glass pan instead of ramekins.

if you don't have any special dietary needs, i recommend this chicken pot pie recipe.

so what is your favorite comfort food?  i would love to see your recipes and hear the stories that come with them.

to bake list

you may remember that i started a muffin "to bake" list.  even though i can be a procrastinator, i wasted no time in starting this important project.  muffins must be made people and i am willing to answer the call.

i made the cinnamon bun muffins from the wonderful comfy belly website.  since i started the specific carb diet  the joy i normally find in cooking was put on hold while i just figured out what to eat.  websites such as comfy belly have helped me to find that joy again.  anyway, i followed the recipe exactly and would not change a thing.  these muffins are grain free but i promise anyone who tastes these little delights will love them and not suspect any healthy funny business.

i have also made this recipe without the cinnamon topping and  they are delicious too.  i think pairing a plain muffin with some warm soup would be a wonderful comfort food for the coming cold weather.

to bake:

• cinnamon bun muffins
• cherry almond meal muffins
• blueberry muffins

dietary notes:  these muffins are scd compliant but only for later stages since they contain almond flour and honey.  these muffins are not whole 30 compliant since they contain honey.  

succulents

i love having plants around the house to add color but usually the only color my house plants yield are brown.  in fact, one of my air plants is dying as we speak.  i don't know if i should consider it a huge failure or accomplishment that i may successful kill a plant that boasts only requiring air to survive.   when i choose plants for my house they can't be any geeks off the street they gotta be handy with the steel if you know what i mean.  ok maybe not that hardcore but hardy at the very least.  i truly only trust myself with air plants and succulents.  both of these plants are tough and have hundreds of varieties to keep you interested.   if you know me at all you know that i have a tender spot for all things miniature and wouldn't you know it, both air plants and succulents come in mini sizes.    

recently i was inspired by a gap store display, simple mason jars filled with succulents.  as a lover of both mason jars and succulents i was a little disappointed in myself for not thinking of this on my own.  since i was already doing a hundred projects on my last crafting spree i thought adding one more wouldn't hurt.

so i gathered a few mason jars and purchased small succulent plants from lowe's.  i had two criteria for the succulents: the plants must require little to no drainage (since they would be in a glass jar) and they had to have fun textures and shapes.  i ended up with four mini succulents which turned out to be way more than i needed for 3 mason jars.  honestly picking out succulents was like picking out a puppy, they are all so cute and need a home.  how could i just pick one?  

after i planted the mason jars i had two plants left over.  so i searched the house for something that could house the remaining succulents.  i ended up using an old candle holder.  i found these amazing candles years ago and bought them in bulk and have since used the candle holder for spoon holders while cooking, bacon grease storage, cotton ball & q-tip holder.  basically if has needed to be held this simple cermanic white jar has done it.  

  

the plants have now been settled in for a few weeks now and so far they have all survived. as the cold and barren months approach i am glad i will have some color to remind me of summer.  

pecan banana mufffins

before i begin this post i would just like to thank gwen stefani for spelling out banana in one of her songs.  each banana in this post, that has been correctly spelled, has been brought to you by hollaback girl...which i am not and that is not where this post is headed.

we could all use a little inspiration right?  sometimes we get stuck in a rut with our recipes.  let's help each other break the rut.  every friday  regualrly  semi-regularly when i can remember, i will post a category.  i will post a recipe for you and then you can leave a recipe from the same category in the comments.  what do you think?

this week the category is muffins.  who hates muffins.  no one.  so you all have one to share.  the recipe below is for pecan banana muffins but not just any muffins.  these are sugar free, grain free muffins and they are delicious.  i know you are skeptical but trust me on this one.  if you need to go ahead and toss a few of these bad boys in for good measure.



pecan butter muffins
adapted from jody's cashew butter muffins on pecan bread

1 cup chopped pecans
2 small bananas (with brown spots on skins, they will be sweeter)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• blend pecans in food processor until smooth, the consistence of peanut butter
• add bananas and blend until smooth
• add eggs and continue to blend
• add baking soda, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract blend once more
• pour batter until paper lined muffin tins ( i usually get 9-10 muffins)
• bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes

now it's your turn!  leave a comment with your recipe and start baking the one's that inspire you.

handiwork

i continually have my eye on the sky.  i love to watch the dramatic and ever-changing ballet of clouds and colors.  recently on a road trip the sky was particularly striking and i was able to steal a quick photo.  i couldn't help but think of God's awesome handiwork not only in creation but in my own life.

" the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.  day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  there is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  in them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man, runs its course with joy.  it's rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. "

  psalm 19-1-6

countdown

 i am finally feeling better thanks to a new diet.   last friday, i had so much energy i was nearly manic, doing so many things that i just haven't been up for lately.  we made an scd-friendly date night meal, jb and i cleaned the house top to bottom, we bought new bedding and dog food (but not at this same place. don't worry, i wasn't that out of control), we looked at dining room furniture, we went to two different grocery stores, i made these delish muffins, we washed our new bedding and made the bed, we rearranged household items, we solved the problem of world hunger, then finally watched a movie, i began my crafting craze- all between 6 pm and 1 am.  i was a little out of control. 

i think i wore jb out.  i asked him to help me vacuum and he said, " but i thought we were watching a movie".  i replied, "well we are but first i want to make muffins and while i do that can you please vacuum and move the table and put that rug under the table".  he just laughed...and then vacuumed.  when i finally settled down to watch a movie i started a quick project (that spawned 2 more craft projects the next day).

the project i worked on was quick and easy.  i saw the idea for this project on a blog i enjoy reading.  did you know last friday, september 16, marks 100 days until christmas?  maybe you did know because stores are already putting out christmas merchandise. 

 i don't know about you but christmas always manages to sneak up on me.  not just in terms of presents and all the hoopla that can go with christmas but more about my own heart. each year i sit in christmas service and regret that the holiday season just happened and i wasn't as intentional as i hoped i would be the year before.  this year jb and i want our hearts to be ready for christmas and to enjoy what can be a hurried season.  so as we watched "the dilemma" on friday i made this paper chain to help us count down to christmas. it is my hope that it aides us in being more intentional.  each day as i see it hanging on our dining room wall it helps build my anticipation for the celebration of Christ coming in human flesh and the hope that that brings. 

i did do something different to my chain though.  since i know jb rips the chain, i have scattered a few surprises in the links for him.  some are fun, "give your wife a kiss" and others have on them scripture for us to read together regarding christmas.  so today is day 95!  a perfect day for you to start your paper chain.

the new coco plum shop

i decided to open a little amazon shop here on the blog.  i want to be able to easily share the items i mention on the blog but mostly i want to post items that inspire me and that i am trying not to impluse buy myself.  so shop until you drop or just window shop, either way i am glad you stopped by to shop coco plum.

laundry

we use the term clean laundry real loosely around our house....

he tries so hard...

last night as we were falling asleep jb was sweetly rubbing my arm.  he leaned over and lovingly whispered, "you are like an alpaca".  i turned to him and said," really?  you think i am a hairy farm animal?"  he carefully answered," see i was worried you might think hairy but i hadn't thought about the farm animal aspect".   i had no words.  so even after he saw red flags with his "compliment" he proceeded.  he quickly responded, "i meant you have such soft skin".  i don't think alpacas are known for their skin...smooth or rough.  i think they are known to spit stomach acid and be hairy, oh and make nice sweaters.   


anyone see something that i am not?

my favorite app

recently i became really fancy and bought a smart phone, an iphone to be specific.  jb has had a droid phone for quite some time and my covetous heart got the best of me and i needed a smart phone all my own.  although, i have to say after having an iphone i definitely don't covet his droid, i always tell him droid doesn't (if you have seen the droid ads and used a droid you know what i am talking about).  anyway, let me get back on track, it's amazing how quickly i get distracted.  i love my iphone.  i don't how i survived without it before.  honestly, i am in love.  sometimes i lie awake at night whispering sweet nothings in it's ear.  then jb will whisper something real sweet back to me.  "oh honey, that is real sweet and all but gosh, this is awkward...i was talking to my beloved iphone".

one of the best things about the iphone is the endless apps.  my favorite app so far is fooducate, it is free app aimed at helping consumers eat a bit better.  it is available for the iphone or the droid.  the app let's you scan the barcodes of the food you are purchasing and gives that food a grade (a-f) to help you make healthier food choices.  i use it everytime i am at the grocery store.  it is particularly helpful at stores like sunflower market or whole foods where everything is marketed as being healthier.  last week, i thought i would buy some healthy frozen waffles for quick breakfast items.  not a single waffle had a grade better than a c, even the ones that were organic with flax and other fancy tricks up their waffle sleeves.  but fooducate doesn't just give you the bad news and leave you in the dark (without waffles), it gives you healthier alternatives.  

so here's your challenge if you have a smart phone, download this app today and start scanning.  head to your local grocery store and start scanning! hit up the cereal aisle and scan some of your favorites.  or even as you are shopping scan some of the items you normally purchase such as breads or frozen meals.  aim to fill your carts with only a or b grade items.  let me know what you think of the app.  how it changed (or maybe didn't change) your food choices.  or better yet, tell me if any items shocked you with their high or low grades.

if you can't get enough fooducate or don't have a smart phone, head to their fantastic blog.  happy scanning!

last week's (hunter-gatherer) menu

i have been so lame lately about updating the blog.  i am sorry for the same ol' types of the posts and also that they haven't been as frequent.  i a working on spicing it up...but not today..te he he.  today is one of the same ol' types of posts...my weekly menu.  i have to be honest, i enjoy posting my menus because it makes me more creative with my choices and i also aim to pick healthier options because i know others are reading the menu.  before i post this week's menu i wanted to share a few of last week's dinners. 

the hubs and i have become more critical of what we are eating and also where it comes from.  darn, jaime oliver and his food revolution!  it is totally working on me.  i hardly ever care where my meat comes from but after watching how ground beef and chicken nuggets are made i started to realize that i need to be more aware of the meat we are eating.  so last saturday we went on an adventure to our local farmer's market and then to a local butcher.  jaime oliver recommends asking the butcher a few questions, such as, "where does your meat come from?" and "where do you grind your meat?"   if the butcher can't answer these questions for you there is a good chance (70% to be exact) that ground meat is actually pink slime...yuck.  or if the meat is ground off site it could also be pink slim.  no thanks!  so when we stopped at the local butcher he was able to tell us where the meat was grown and even showed us their grinder.  hooray! 

one perk to using a local butcher shop, not in a grocery store, is that not only do they know their stuff but they are likely to offer you tips.  we were only there for ground beef but we left with buffalo flank steak and 4 quails.  say what?!  how did that happen?   our friendly butcher could tell we were interested in healthy lean meats and pointed us toward the buffalo and then recommend we make fajitas out of the meat.  we were sold.   earlier in the week i had stumbled upon a recipe for quail.  out of curiosity i asked if they carried quail.  i was shocked when he said yes.  so we decided to be totally brave and crazy and eat unusual meat.  the results?  2 new recipes that we love!

monday night:  buffalo fajitas.  i couldn't find a recipe so i created it.  i hope you branch out and try it.

• put the buffalo meat (we used flank steak) in a glass baking dish
• take 5-10 garlic cloves and smash them with a knife. rub over meat and leave in dish
• juice two limes over meat
• sprinkle meat with oregano and cumin
• drizzle small amount of olive oil over the dish
• take a fork and turn meat over several times to coat with seasonings
• put in refrigerator to marinade while you prep the rest of the meal...turn occasionally
• cook on the grill.  do not overcook!  because it is so lean buffalo cooks quickly and will be tough if overcooked. 
• let meat rest for 10 min after grilling
• cut against the grain so meat is less tough

the result...

a delish healthy fajita!  we sauteed veggies and cooked black beans and piled everything in a whole wheat tortilla.  if you just like meat and toppings in your fajitas then use the veggies and black beans for sides.   we had our dear friend, taylor, and her young brother over for dinner and they enjoyed the fajitas too...or at least they said they did.  so this meal is great for company and even for kids.  i bet they won't even notice the difference from beef.
wednesday: moroccan inspired grilled quail  i (mostly) followed the recipe for the quail, i mean honestly i dont' follow directions well.  the recipe states the rub is for 8 birds but we used all of it for just 4 birds, it was just right.  i made sauteed rainbow swiss chard instead of the kale.  swiss chard cooks like spinach so it was a bit faster and i prefer chard.  i also made basmati rice with a little butter and fresh parsley from our herb garden.  the grill gave the quail a nice crisp crunch but kept the meat...juicy.  (even you don't know i hate the word moist.  excuse me i just threw up in my mouth).  i was glad jb did the grilling because darn it i felt like we were grilling babies out there!  i know that quail are just small but it still tugged at my heart strings.


aren't they so tiny?  i love all things small.  sniff sniff...those are really tiny.




jb with a teeny drumbstick.   jb was flying the birds around the table and that made me want to cry since they are just so darn little.   we may not make quail again but only out of guilt.




so when was the last time you tried something new?  what is the most exotic food you have tried?

getting real

so i am sure you have already seen this video all over facebook and no doubt someone has sent it to you in a few hundred emails but for the one person out there who hasn't seen this video...enjoy!  

cross(not nearly)fit

recently,  i mentioned that i have a 4:15 am wake up call but i haven't told you the why.  obviously, i am not sane in the first place but one needs a great motivation for getting up that early.  for me crossfit is that reason.  i started a new boot camp at the crossfit gym near me.  it is the hardest workout regime i have done.

in fact, the workouts have been so intense that i have made it a habit to lay on the bathroom floor or (even better) hang my head over the toilet when i get home.  to the untrained eye i am a tidy house cleaner but if you look closer you'll see i am just out-of-shape.  but that bathroom inspection is an important part of the workout.  during this time i ponder how crazy crossfit is and i really should clean my bathroom floors and fixtures better.  the hubs has been nice enough to start laying the bath mat close to the toilet and getting me a glass of water.  now that is love.   after the first workout, i was of course laying against the throne telling him how horrible the workout was and how i thought i might just die.  he told me, " you are going to love it, you just don't know it yet."  and you know what?  he was right.  i l-o-v-e crossfit.

crossfit is worldwide and seriously legit.  it's the best money i have spent on fitness!  it's better than a regular gym membership because the workouts are written out for you everyday.  each gym across the crossfit world is doing a similar workout.  so if you live in new mexico but your sister lives in washington, you both can get slaughtered and humbled at crossfit and then call each other after to talk about the hurtin you just endured.  it's built in community at the local and national level.

interested?  check out the video that piqued my interest...

what do you think?  are you ready to be exhausted, sweaty, sore and happy?

weekly menu

here is the chow line up for this week...

monday:  taco's at the parental's house = no cooking for me...awesome!
tuesday: noodles with roast pork almond sauce.  jb was sweet enough to whip this up for us last night.  it was delish!  i predict this recipe will make another appearance in our near future.
wednesday: apple and brie quiche.  i know quiche twice in the last two weeks.  i can't say (and eat) enough about quiche's easy and delish ways. 
thursday: pasta with green peas and pancetta.  the recipe calls for bucatini but i am going to use fettuccine pasta instead.
friday: summer squash and pasta soup.  i am saving the soup for friday so i can toss in extra bits from thursday's dinner to make the soup even tastier. 

the last week in pictures..

i got addicted to crack-lin oat bran.  look for me on the next episode of intervention.

i meet benjamin button in a dog's body.  just look at that stache!



jb found an exotic parrot...living in a yucca tree...in new mexico!  after this, we were abducted by aliens.



an exhausted jb came home from work and tossed his shoes off...he was in the bedroom and somehow the shoe flew into the dishwasher.  stay tuned next week when we when the lottery.

my jb started school!  honey, hold up your fingers and toes to show people what grade you are in.

this is my favorite out take pic.   that face just cracks me up!

i told him his backpack makes him look like a teenage mutant ninja turtle and this was the face i got.

the last two weeks, i have also been waking up at 4:15 am but i will save that story for tomorrow.

weekly menu

let me just say i am sorry for being absent all last week.  i have an excuse note, i promise.  but for now, here is our weekly menu.

monday: hippie rice
tuesday: vegetable quiche with fresh fruit on the side.  this is a great summer meal and you can eat it any time of the day.  holla.
wednesday: spaghetti and meatballs.  instead of using beef i am using ground elk meat...i will let you know how that goes.
thursday: bean and cheese tosadas with pineapple jicama salad
friday: brussel sprouts and chicken dish

i was going for simple this week and within budget,  i accomplished both! 

what is your favorite spring or summer dish?

weekly menu

thursday friday already?  seems that way. 

monday birthday dinner:  mozzy (mozzarella) stuffed turkey burger with sweet potato fries and broccoli.   we were suppose to eat this last week but i didn't feel like making it so guess what?  happy birthday hubs, we are eating burgers before the meat spoils.  maybe next year you can pick your birthday meal.  wife of the year i know.

tuesday:  steak salad-stuffed pita pockets.  it's just fun to say...go ahead say it with me steak salad-stuffed pita pockets.  it's an alliteration party for your mouth.  i made a little ranch dressing to drizzle on top of the pitas.  the recipe is from top secret recipes, todd wilbur is the brains behind the recipes.  their slogan?  "creating original clone recipes of america's favorite foods since 1987".   todd, honey, you can't create original clones.  i am just stated the obvious.  but i like your style and where your head is at.  plus, your original clone recipe for ranch is killer so i am going to stick with you. 

wednesday: honey jalapeno chicken with sesame soba noodles  don't forget to double the sauce for this sweet and spicy treat. 


thursday:  fish tacos.  i hate fish.  i hate all seafood.  i become really immature about eating things i don't like.  while i am at it...i hate birthdays, i hate spring, i hate nearly everything.  just kidding.  but myra and her darn cookbook made me want to try fish tacos.  and guess what?  i actually like them.  i was a little disappointed, i was hoping to keep the hate going but i couldn't.  more on fish tacos later.   i think you are going to want the recipe.

friday:  date night.  the hubs and i will be celebrating 6 months or wedded bliss.  we are headed to indigo crow.  this is how our convo went last night when hubs was trying to tell me about where we were eating...

" i made reservations at your favorite restaurant for tomorrow" 
" st. clair's? " 
"uh...no but it's close"
"melting pot?"
"shoot, no"
"oh, los poblanos?" 
"you can eat there? um, no it flies"
"flying star!!"
"stars don't fly."
"i thought you said it was close"
"it is"
"to us or st. clair's?"
"us"
"oh well that is different, i thought you meant close to st. clair's.  banana leaf?"
"dang it no"
" gosh, i don't know il vincino?
"indigo crow"
"oh i love indigo crow, it's my favorite"
"sigh, i know"

ah the joys of communication in relationships...

praying for...

my cousin andrea, her husband dale and their daughter macy.  aren't they such a cute family?   one of my favorite things about being with them is that they laugh often and have fun.  andrea has been a big cousin, sister and friend to me.  i love that i can call her out-of-the-blue and ask her for advice.  since she is older she gets to walk through the hard bits of life before me and offer wisdom.  she was one of my bridesmaids and i can't imagine her not being a part of that day.  she also makes the best salad dressing on the planet.  as you can see from the pics above dale is fun!  he adds so much laughter and awesome family vacations to the mix.  he is a laid back kinda guy and i am happy to call him family.  and miss macy lives life to the fullest!  from karate to chess macy does it all. 


we are praying for wisdom as dale and andrea raise macy.  parenting dogs can be hard ( i speak from experiene) and i hear children are harder.  they have 2 dogs and 1 child so we are praying that they would continue to trust and seek the Lord in this challenging and rewarding role...mostly on the macy part.  we are also praying for macy as she grows in height and years.  we pray that she would seek to honor her parents and continue to keep that good head of hers on straight.  selfishly of course i am praying for more salad dressing and family vacations, individually-wrapped or a package deal, i'll take what i can get.    

happy birthday jb!

today is my hubby's 28th birthday, if we were rounding to the nearest tenth he would be 30.  which would mean i am almost 30, good thing we aren't rounding.  anyway, i love him so much.  he adds so much to my life.  here are a few of my things about my sweet jb. 

• he is the most joyful person i know and consistently so. 
• he laughs easily and often.
• he is the most genuine person i have ever met.  he honestly cares so much for others.
• he remembers the smallest details of what i tell him.
• i look at him sometimes and feel the sudden urge to just make-out. 
• he takes his role as a husband seriously. 
• he leads us in the Word and in prayer often.
• he takes the dogs out at 1 am, 2 am, 3:30 am, 3:40 am and 5 am without complaint.  i hope this arrangment still stands if the Lord gives us kiddos.
• when he orders at a restaurant and is getting a dish that contains a food i don't like he will order it without so that i won't taste it if i want a bite or kiss him.
• he calls and texts me throughout the day.
• he plays air guitar on the dogs which they adore and it makes me laugh...

• not only do the girls adore air guitar but seriously they adore him...

• i love that he tagged the back of our dresser...

• he is such a joyful servant.  here's an example, we took our car to a drive-thru-car wash.  of course, the windows were still wet and there were no paper towels.  he happily hopped out and wiped them all with his jacket sleeve...



• i love the way he quietly takes care of me and makes my life less tangled...

 

• more than anything i love that i am called to be your wife and best friend.  i am more thankful for your life than i was 28 years ago and i am not just saying that because i was 3 months gestation at the time.  i love, love, love you.

happy birthday sweet jb!

in love with...

my new watch!  well...it's not that new but you know i am still trying to play catch-up .  i bought this large watch for $28!  not bad right?  it is rose gold.  when john first saw it he said something along the lines of, "wow it's big and it matches your hair!"  thank you?  i love it because it adds a little bit of dress up to any outfit.  i love anything that makes me look like i tried to pull myself together. 

what accessories are you loving for summer?

weekly menu

happy tuesday everyone!  have you recovered from mother's day weekend?  with a mom, step-mother and mother-in-law i was a busy bee this weekend.  it was filled with so much fun and i am honored to celebrate these women in my life.

so this week's menu is a mix of some new recipes and some recipes that we ate 2 weeks ago.  i was struggling for inspiration!

monday-  the gnocchi kick lives on!  this recipe was up to bat since we bought swiss chard at the farmer's    market this weekend!  playing side kick to the gnocchi was this salad.  i used tangerine juice instead of oj for the dressing, delish.

tuesday- another re-run from a few week's ago...chicken alfredo pizza.  the healthier alfredo sauce was delish and i had enough leftover to freeze.  that means tonight's pizza will come together even faster!  all i need to do is cook the chicken in lemon pepper and then add some frozen broccoli to the mix.  as emeril would say "bam!"

wednesday- this one is a newbie!  pineapple teriyaki chicken  served with basmati rice and snow peas.  i will keep you posted on if this is a success or flop.

thursday- mozzarella-stuffed turkey burgers.  this is my fav recipe for burgers.  to make this recipe even faster i bought trader's joe's bruschetta this week. 

friday- we will be celebrating my hubby's birthday with my dad and step-mom.  whoo hoo!

saturday- same story...we will be celebrating the hub's birthday but with my mom and step-dad.  whoo hoo!  there are perks to having divorced parents, more celebrations! 

sunday-bruschetta chicken pasta. this recipe is speedy and will help me use up any leftover bruschetta sauce from the burger's on thursday night! 


happy eats!  

what are some of the fun traditions you and your family do to celebrate birthdays?  not that i am fishing for ideas for my husband birthday coming up or anything...it's just friendly conversation.

my birthday falls in the middle of flu season and as i gift to myself i usually had the stomach flu on my birthday.  then others would get the flu too.  i mean the flu really is the gift that keeps on giving.  my childhood birthday pictures are of me laying on the couch, pale, with a bucket in one hand and a cold-rag on my forehead.  what can i say?  i was a party animal from the beginning.  if i was a little older in the pictures i may have been able to pass as a wild child that was recovering from a night of partying.  so with that in mind, what was the best and worst birthday you ever had?

the maple kind?

to get your weekend started off with a laugh click below...

thanks to our friends greg and caitelen for introducing us to this hilarious video!

praying for....

you may remember that we weekly draw a picture and pray for the people in the picture.  this week i grabbed this pic...

gianna, coco plum, laura and jess

this ladies are so special to me,  they have all counseled me during the dark seasons of life and have shared with me in the many joys of life too.  gianna was my first roommate, she can be trusted with any secret and is one of my first calls when life is hard.   in my phone she is listed under italian stallion because of her immense love for rocky and all 22 of his movies.  i always forget that she is under that name and when i go to call her it takes me a few seconds to find her number.  i know that i am with gianna i will have a good laugh and an entire bowl of brownie batter, with one egg, because we know how to compromise. 

laura is my sister though not my blood.   she is my example in so many ways.  laura wrote me a letter each week for the last 2 months before i got married.  they are treasured letters that house much wisdom.  laura taught me how to drive a standard car and how to sprout my own oats. 

jess is the sweetest friend. she is that friend that you can pick up with no matter where you have left off.  jess will always be honest, challenging and loving in our conversations.  we use to work together in a hospital and i have cleaned up more poo with that women than anyone.  that is a strong bond that cannot be broken.

what do all of these ladies have in common?  they are either about to have a baby or are already raising babies.  so our biggest prayer has been for them as they prepare or are already doing the hard work of motherhood.

speaking of mothers what are you doing for your mom on mother's day?