a good laugh and dog-saving tip

it's been a minute since my last post so i figured i needed to post something worthwhile.  now, that term 'worthwhile" is open to interepration but i figured this post should been funny and have some sort of practical use.  since, i am not capable of such of combination i left it up to some other redheads, louis c.k. and conan.  enjoy.  

excuses be gone

i hope everyone is having a great new year so far.  i promised last week .  this time of year many people have a list full of resolutions for health...and a list full of excuses why they can't reach those goals a few weeks later.  this workout is for your fitness excuses.  no space, no time, no gym, no equipment...no problems.

it is true that there is nothing new under the sun and many of you have probably heard of this before but for those of you that haven't i hope you find this helpful.  no this is not a game of solitaire but you will need a deck of playing cards for this exercise routine. there are tons of different ways to use this play cards workout.  here is one way: pick a few of your favorite exercises, for example you could pick , burpees, push-ups, planks and .  next grab a deck of cards.  assign each exercise to a suit of cards.  


** if you are unsure of proper form, click on the name of the exercise below. **

for example:

  spades=burpees                    hearts = mountain climbers

  

diamonds = push-ups            clubs= air squats

face cards= 1 minutes rest (or if you are a real die hard pick another exercise)

the numbers on each card will represent how many reps you will do that exercise (depending on what exercise you pick this could represent minutes).  set a timer  (the timer on your microwave or cell phone will work just fine) for the length of time you want to work out, for example 20 minutes.  for the next 20 minutes you will flip over the cards one by one and complete whatever exercise pops up.  let’s say you turn over  a 10 of spades, you will complete 10 burpees.  you will then turn over another card and it’s a 8 of diamonds, you will complete 8 push-ups.  then you turn over a 3 of hearts, 3 reps of mountain climbers at your own pace.  next you turn over a king of diamonds, now is when you rest for one minute.  next, you turn over a 10 of clubs- 10 squats.

of course remember to consult with your physician before beginning any workout regime.  work at your own pace, rest when needed and use proper form.  if you have any questions please let me know.

so what do you think?  have you done this before?  do you have a different way?  i would love to hear what you have to say. 

new year

new year's is always a good opportunity for me to reflect on the past year and intentionally resolve to pursue life in a stronger, healthier and most importantly God honoring way.   in college, some of my closest friends and i started a tradition.  every year before midnight we would take time to somberly read through these questions.  it was also a very vulnerable time of sharing and reflecting which can be a powerful thing among friends.   though it is far from what people may typically do on new year's eve, it always felt right to end and start the year reflecting on what is true and lasting in life and will matter into eternity.  sadly, this year my close friends and i were unable to carry out our tradition together.  busier lives, babies and moving to far away lands make those times simply college memories but sweet ones none the less.  

enough reminiscing let's move on to a recipe.  here is a great soup to take the edge off the winter.   one website i check in with weekly is health-bent.  i have yet to make a bad meal from this website and this one was a slam dunk for sure!   the pad thai is crazy delicious and don't even get me started on the lasagna.   this soup is filling and has such a great mix of flavors and textures.  you can't go wrong.  

so this week print out these questions and discuss them over dinner with a friend or with family.  the questions will cut you and leave you feeling a bit vulnerable too.  but that which is dead must be cut down to make room for growth and life but at least you will have some warm soup to comfort you.    

i'll be back soon for a workout for those of you that have health resolutions, all you will need is a timer and deck of cards.  interested yet?

happy eating and reflecting!

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...