tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83447149910020975712024-02-07T05:35:33.305-08:00life on the dee listDee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-86626592320300970002018-08-19T14:35:00.000-07:002018-08-19T14:35:40.625-07:00DIY kimchiDuring the month of August, I start to panic about the end of farmers market season. Don't get me wrong, the market is at its best in August and continues strong into October with squash and apple season. However, every August I scramble to preserve the local goodies and one of my favorite ways is to make kimchi.<br />
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Kimchi is a staple Korean side dish of fermented veggies primarily cabbage, carrots, radishes and onions. Kimchi has become more trendy as the health benefits of fermented foods becomes more well-known. As the popularity has grown, kimchi is now readily available at most grocery stores including Target, Cub, Trader Joe's, Co-ops and Whole Foods (who probably has been carrying it for decades). Also, it may be considered an acquired taste as it is a little tangy and sour. I use kimchi every morning with my eggs - I cannot eat eggs by themselves (it's a texture thing), so I will throw a spoonful of kimchi on top. I also use kimchi on top of avocado toast, with a sweet potato or even on top of a salad or rice bowl.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Dee's DIY Kimchi: </span></u></b><br />
- 1 1/2 head of cabbage<br />
- 3 whole carrots<br />
- 1/2 red onion<br />
- High quality salt: I prefer Himalayan pink salt<br />
- Seasonings: I prefer to add some heat either with ginger and/or jalapeno. I used 2 poblano peppers in my batch today, because, truth be told, I accidentally planted a poblano plant this year instead of bell pepper.<br />
**This will make 1/2 gallon of kimchi.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />If you are experienced with making kimchi, you can probably just make this in a big glass or ceramic crock, but I purchased <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cultures-For-Health-COMINHKPR106278-Fermented/dp/B015P7K7YQ/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1534707353&sr=8-24&keywords=kimchi+fermentation+jar">this kit off Amazon</a> and love it! It comes with a lid that has a gasket, a regular lid for storage, and a clay weight. There are many versions available, so find what works best for you!<br />
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1. Before you chop your cabbage, I highly recommend to peel off the outer layer and save it for later. Chop 1 head of cabbage into a LARGE bowl - I prefer to chop mine so they are in skinny strips, but anything will do.<br />
2. Sprinkle with lots of Himalayan salt and massage the s*** out of the cabbage. Do not feel the need to measure the salt, you will continually add lots of salt throughout the process. The goal here is to break down the plant walls of the cabbage to release water, which will also release enzymes that are essential to the fermentation process.<br />
3. Wash and peel carrots into the bowl. I just use a regular peeler and don't worry about what size the shavings are. Try to use up as much of the carrot as you can without shaving off any skin.<br />
4. Sprinkle more salt on top and get back to massaging!<br />
5. Chop and add the other 1/2 of the cabbage. Again, add salt and keep massaging. There is a pounder available to use to help with massaging and breakdown process. I have used a masher and that works fine, but I think using your hands work best. And yes, if you have any cuts on your hands, you will feel them!<br />
6. Let the bowl of massaged cabbage and carrots sit for 5-10 minutes. By allowing the veggies to sit post-massage, they tend to relax a bit (who knew veggies were so much like humans?!) and release more water.<br />
7. While the veggies are relaxing, feel free to cut up and add your flavors of choosing: onions, jalapenos, poblanos, ginger. Whatever you chose! You will see in the pictures below how I chop those veggies.<br />
8. After allowing the veggies to sit for 5-10 minutes, here comes another round of salting and massaging. Remember, the goal of this process is to create liquid, which is called a brine, that is essential for the fermentation process.<br />
9. Continue to cycle between massaging and letting the veggies relax until you have a puddle of brine at the bottom of the bowl. You don't need to add more salt unless you are struggling to break down the vegetables- you will know what I mean once you start making some headway on the massaging.<br />
10. Transfer the vegetables into your fermentation vessel. Here is where your outer cabbage leaf comes into play - once the vegetables are packed into your vessel, use your hands and the cabbage leaf to press the vegetables down until the brine is covering the top of the vegetables. Cover the top layer of the vegetables with the leaf, place the clay weight on top and you are ready to cap it off. It is important for the brine to be covering the top layer as that will create less chance of mold and the kimchi from drying out. If you do not have enough brine to cover the kimchi then you should probably toss everything back into the bowl and get back to massaging as well as sweet talking your veggies.<br />
11. After the clay weight is placed on top, screw on the lid with the gasket and place the gasket in its spot. As the kimchi processes, it will release a gas through the gasket - please note, you should not use a mason jar with a regular lid to ferment - the pressure will cause an explosion! The gasket may fill and overflow with liquid, feel free to dump it out and place it back on top. This is just a sign of more brine being created throughout the fermentation process. Allow your kimchi to sit in a safe spot for about 2 weeks. Yes, on the counter and yes, it may stink. Sometimes, I clear a cabinet to put it in to help hide the smell, but not always. The fermentation time is totally preference - feel free to taste it daily after 1 week to see if it is sour enough or not. I prefer about 2 to 2 1/2 week fermentation time. At that time, you can switch the lid and place it in the fridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzp1rkuRzX8sEP1vjrwIJPr3aaK7Vvxsvu9NHg5RtoWc-E3hNIQW0ddEswSxbwIhqREG7WQJj8i62tLdJyC8OTEOncvEAuqHpj7__wio2fWPgNJOKqbyczcXH8BkKt3HCYq9_qTO7f9g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.18.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="471" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzp1rkuRzX8sEP1vjrwIJPr3aaK7Vvxsvu9NHg5RtoWc-E3hNIQW0ddEswSxbwIhqREG7WQJj8i62tLdJyC8OTEOncvEAuqHpj7__wio2fWPgNJOKqbyczcXH8BkKt3HCYq9_qTO7f9g/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.18.59+PM.png" width="481" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the beginning of the process with just cabbage and carrots</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_FCYkV_k5ruvDZoIW7EPcC6pqI_aJZyk1F1AqteoBlg5UDFgz24-hIDPRcjDiU1LAQmIFvPxjUU_UDUTD4zMAunQkhyphenhyphenbDXAj8TRELuPenD4kJX5osH2jo2LuQUQ1ht5pbAQ2NvPh-Ig/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_FCYkV_k5ruvDZoIW7EPcC6pqI_aJZyk1F1AqteoBlg5UDFgz24-hIDPRcjDiU1LAQmIFvPxjUU_UDUTD4zMAunQkhyphenhyphenbDXAj8TRELuPenD4kJX5osH2jo2LuQUQ1ht5pbAQ2NvPh-Ig/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.13+PM.png" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinly sliced poblano peppers for a little kick</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjo5ejy6HQ8sZ6CaYqxUqq_7JUXuq_Y2QJxEulTCYElsl6AefPoTLPCTTtzk2gmgM_W9a9xUZrHnxU3x-8UDIFTdw3c71MFT25_otrsUQe66Rk1_shOW5CFa_SrYkdXRUEC4Hz-WaXnQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="467" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjo5ejy6HQ8sZ6CaYqxUqq_7JUXuq_Y2QJxEulTCYElsl6AefPoTLPCTTtzk2gmgM_W9a9xUZrHnxU3x-8UDIFTdw3c71MFT25_otrsUQe66Rk1_shOW5CFa_SrYkdXRUEC4Hz-WaXnQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.25+PM.png" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-massage and mid-rest. Do you see the brine started to form at the bottom of the bowl? That is a great sign! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrXM418cr_LtZmCN3Zc0BaIfvz3LPdqn20k0_s61pjfAFzRk832mIPmwH4Fl2y2pa2T2Uj2Se9KwLc6H1p6WTUMHEaU1ntVr8yDS7H6uRoN3v8gC9Lvc375kbxOa0sgtvhH9J2lg7iww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrXM418cr_LtZmCN3Zc0BaIfvz3LPdqn20k0_s61pjfAFzRk832mIPmwH4Fl2y2pa2T2Uj2Se9KwLc6H1p6WTUMHEaU1ntVr8yDS7H6uRoN3v8gC9Lvc375kbxOa0sgtvhH9J2lg7iww/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.34+PM.png" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinkly sliced onions added (as you could probably guess, onions break down faster than cabbage and carrots, so you can add them later)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX3qDvWBoIbq4w-innkgNGwy-XRfXUBhx0qnxDTfMYmvsrqqvOBiz_U_w7Kn4pJjdcREUwx_dnmPeX5HzBKtxPgWpkPdVLuQCgzvn4aMhhr7lYJKAbfd3cvv0wedl7ky2Y6VTdmCkGiY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX3qDvWBoIbq4w-innkgNGwy-XRfXUBhx0qnxDTfMYmvsrqqvOBiz_U_w7Kn4pJjdcREUwx_dnmPeX5HzBKtxPgWpkPdVLuQCgzvn4aMhhr7lYJKAbfd3cvv0wedl7ky2Y6VTdmCkGiY/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.46+PM.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to transfer! This doesn't look like a lot of brine, but it takes quite a bit of work to get this much and it is enough to cover the vegetables. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYyh_KZjlJ3oHeqio4EzQY0YcxKBGZdmjy9X7NPpIJ30jbun5TwMHSPc2zxnZo8d1WHnhuK731vqahR6f6HA2hihmqSqhL7W1IrMJ5u9c2vf02nuQyMuKYs7QyU4zzv1JwnaoZ7XRdtA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYyh_KZjlJ3oHeqio4EzQY0YcxKBGZdmjy9X7NPpIJ30jbun5TwMHSPc2zxnZo8d1WHnhuK731vqahR6f6HA2hihmqSqhL7W1IrMJ5u9c2vf02nuQyMuKYs7QyU4zzv1JwnaoZ7XRdtA/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-19+at+4.19.56+PM.png" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product! Key things to look for here: the cabbage leaf on top under the clay weight. You can also see brine all the way through to the top and the gasket on the lid. This will be ready to eat in 2-2 1/2 weeks. </td></tr>
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I completed this process while I was making some other meal prep items so I could do other things in between massage cycles - and yes, I am the queen of multitasking, which is good and bad. This 1/2 gallon jar cost me about $7, took me about 30 minutes (hands on time), and will last me about 6 months. Not too bad!<br />
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If you are interested in learning more about fermenting, I highly suggest <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Fermented-Vegetables-Creative-Fermenting-Chutneys-ebook/dp/B00KLNAJ0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534714330&sr=8-1&keywords=fermented+vegetables+cookbook">this book!</a> It provides great background on why and how to ferment and also offers endless simple recipes to try fermenting.<br />
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Let me know if you give this a shot!<br />
xoxo,<br />
Dee<br />
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<br />Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-2844148246941918062018-08-18T11:52:00.001-07:002018-08-19T14:34:45.626-07:00Type A Meal PrepI really felt the need to do a post on meal prepping because I want to break it down for people - while it takes time and effort, it is very doable, even for people with busy schedules. It was actually my saving grace during my busiest seasons of life (i.e. tackling my thesis or taking 3 classes while working full-time).<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Essentials to meal prepping:</span></u></b><br />
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<u><strong>1. Carve out 3ish hours per week to plan and prep:</strong> </u>This does not include grocery shopping - this is simply planning around foods you need to use up, foods you need to get and prepping said food (we will get into more details later). This may seem like a lot, but these 3 hours will save you a significant amount of time and brain energy during the work-week grind. I fit these 3 hours in whenever I can - Saturday afternoons/evenings (when we don't have plans to be social), before church (it's amazing what you can accomplish before 10:30 am), but mainly it has been Sunday afternoons usually between 1:00-4:00.<br />
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<strong><u>2. Get a notebook:</u></strong> This can be any old notebook you have lying around your house or to motivate yourself, buy a cute notebook just for meal prepping. I will talk through my template below, but I find it helpful to use 1 notebook for meal prepping. When I am feeling stuck on meal ideas, I can flip back and revisit another week's plan. Don't recreate the wheel, people.<br />
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<u><strong>3. Breathe and charge your laptop to binge your favorite Netflix show:</strong> </u>Seriously, my husband is amazed at how quickly I plow through Netflix series, but honestly, I usually only watch these solo series when I am meal prepping or cooking throughout the week. I thoroughly enjoy working with food, but I feel like I am also staying current by having OITNB on in the background.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The planning phase and template: </span></u></b>You will create 3 different lists!<br />
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<u><strong>List 1:</strong> </u>Foods that need to be used. This can be meat or poultry that has been thawed for one too many days and needs to be cooked ASAP or the produce that is on its last leg, because we all have produce that gets forgotten. Force yourself to figure out a meal to use these! Roast the produce as a side with a chicken breast or throw the meat in a crockpot or in a casserole. By taking a couple minutes to sort through your fridge, this not only minimizes food waste, but also saves you time and money at the grocery store. One action item that we are trying out is setting up a small whiteboard near our fridge to list out what is in the fridge. I swear Mr. Lukas is a human garbage disposal, but if he had to find food in the fridge himself, he would starve to death. This was actually his idea to help minimize food waste (swoon!), but seriously, he gets really annoyed when we have to throw meat loaf or shredded beef simply because he didn't know it was in there.<br />
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<strong><u>List 2:</u></strong> Meal ideas. Obviously, these meal ideas should include the foods that need to be used up. Also, incorporate some favorite meals that you will <em><u>want</u></em> to eat as well as quick meals for the nights where you can't imagine cooking or worked late because those are <i>going </i>to happen. One of our favorite meals are steaks with sautéed mushrooms and onions, a roasted sweet potato and broccoli - with a glass of deep red wine. This meal will stop us from going out to eat or ordering DoorDash. Quick meals for us include spaghetti with red lentil noodles (Trader Joe's gets us), a frozen pizza (gasp!), breakfast for dinner (think over easy eggs with toast and avocado) or leftovers. Give yourself a buffer because if your week turns into a serious grind, you are ready for it. Also, be sure to plan snacks and desserts! Are you going to have apples with almond butter, a couple yogurts throughout the week, beef jerky, hardboiled eggs? I know that I am not the only one who doesn't stick to just 3 meals/day so by planning ahead, you will avoid hanger and driving through a silly drive through or gas station for an overpriced and most likely, an unhealthy tie-over snack. Also, desserts - we throughly enjoy Trader Joe's cookie ice cream sandwiches as well as Ben and Jerry's. It is what it is and I am not about to try to be someone that I am not.<br />
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<strong><u>List 3:</u></strong> What you need to get from the grocery store. Connect the dots between what you have and what meals you plan to make. Hopefully, you can minimize this list by using up what you have leftover from the week before.<br />
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Once you have your lists, on another sheet of paper (or I use the backside the lists), plan out your meals throughout the week! What nights do you know you are going to need something quick or maybe a crockpot meal that is ready to go when you get home from work or events? These nights for us are often when Drew has a soccer game or I plan to meet a friend for a workout. Are there any nights where you may be going out to dinner with friends or family? Some evenings, I have Beautycounter meet-ups or Board of Directors meetings, where I will be out for dinner, but Drew is on his own. Plan for a leftovers night or two! We often filter in leftovers as either a quick meal or solo meals because we are independent people. I can't say it enough, set yourself up for success by filtering in a couple quick meals or leftover nights.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The action phase:</u></span></strong><br />
1. Go grocery shopping! Hit up the farmers market, co-op, Trader Joe's or wherever you shop. This week, I happened to get groceries from 4 different places: the farmers market, Trader Joe's, Mississippi Market and Whole Foods. This is not a regular thing for me nor is this me bragging because I felt like I was losing my mind - truth be told, I was on the hunt for figs (long story). My usual weekly trips include the farmers market and Trader Joe's. Pro tip: eat before you go grocery shopping! Do not fall into that trap - you are more likely to stick to your list on a full stomach.<br />
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2. Prep! What can you do ahead of time to set yourself up for success? Most Sundays, I make a sweet potato hash to throw in with eggs for breakfast throughout the week (some weeks I tell Mr. Lukas this exists, but not all weeks because I want to hoard it for myself). Historically, I have also made 5 salads on Sunday - one for every day of the week and yes, they stay good, if you store them in glass containers. I also try to cut up and portion out fruits and vegetables as well as hummus, nuts, and other snacks - again, try to store these in glass containers as they are less likely to oxidize. I also put the meat/poultry that we will use throughout the week in a bowl. This will allow them to thaw and be ready to cook! It also makes you commit to using that meat before it goes back (aka skip going out to eat).<br />
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To help get your lists started, here are foods that are on my list <i style="font-weight: bold;">every </i>week and mainly because they are versatile staples:<br />
<b>- sweet potatoes: </b>great for breakfast hash or as a side to meat for dinner<br />
<b>- peppers:</b> used for the breakfast hash and snacking with hummus<br />
<b>- meat, mainly chicken or pork: </b>for the past few years, we have been buying red meat in bulk, direct from a farmer, so we are usually just filling in the gaps with either chicken or pork. Typically, I plan out something with ground beef, a roast and a lean meat throughout the week.<br />
<b>- butter: </b>organic, grassfed salted butter<br />
<b>- milk/almond milk:</b> organic whole milk for Drew and almond milk for me<br />
<b>- apples: </b>super great snack on the go, ideally with almond butter or a cheese stick<br />
<b>- avocados: </b>no explanation needed here<br />
<b>- shredded cheese:</b> again, no explanation needed<br />
<b>- natural almond butter or peanut butter: </b>we go through a lot of nut butters around here<br />
<b>- spinach:</b> can be used for salads, in scrambled eggs or smoothies<br />
<b>- cruciferous veggies:</b> broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts - all of these are great raw on salads or roasted as a side dish for dinner<br />
<b>- other veggies:</b> think carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, tomatoes - great on salads, but also great for snacking with hummus or roasting for dinner<br />
<b>- yogurt:</b> I realllllly like Sigg's 4% yogurt, it is pricey, but I usually only get 3 or 4 as an optional snack throughout the week.<br />
<b>- Sprouted whole wheat bread: </b>Yes, we eat bread, minimally and almost always sprouted.<br />
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Ok ya'll, do you get that I take my food very serious? When I was really stressed out during grad school, Drew tried to take over grocery shopping and meal prepping and I actually lost my mind. This dude was going to by 3 different types of bread in one week (hot dog bugs, hamburger buns and sourdough) - I almost lost my damn mind thinking of how we would never use all of that bread before it went to waste and I wasn't sure how I could have married someone so inefficient. Kidding....kinda.<br />
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Baby steps ya'll - maybe plan out your snacks and 3 meals your first week and work up from there. Do not bite off more than you can chew (is that a pun because we are talking about food?!) - truly, I would realllllly hate for you to become annoyed and discouraged after hitting it hard for 2 weeks. Practice radical self-love and flexibility.<br />
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I would love to hear how meal planning is going for you! I am also working on a downloadable template for my readers to download and use on a weekly basis for meal planning (stay tuned!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnHOcoY7sNhWRZTA9caFnB2RyBUPNC7mLyH0Lq2KCP4S3JcXZ1MOyOY3ksxkGPyZltnSLWBnMljkpjA0WMdYozl-YvicB9nxaERGlSOG_jLNOb_ZGIq4K0Q4ORldjzeyRbJUzmtu2wms/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+1.49.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnHOcoY7sNhWRZTA9caFnB2RyBUPNC7mLyH0Lq2KCP4S3JcXZ1MOyOY3ksxkGPyZltnSLWBnMljkpjA0WMdYozl-YvicB9nxaERGlSOG_jLNOb_ZGIq4K0Q4ORldjzeyRbJUzmtu2wms/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+1.49.25+PM.png" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is our new "What's in the fridge" whiteboard. Also pictured, is a cute notepad, found in the $1 aisle at Target that is a Monday-Friday Menu. It magnets to our fridge and is where I plan out our dinners. Easy peasy! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQdL2d83U7MpV_XDYB_vUOLhRUFCQDPMye-hByKDoc1apX_AsM5eNQ89Xb-6feJl_w3ngJsdBP6zq1N-m_3Q89inIKa7qCEhMWMlQD80nWrfTuIHg3M4piPbwQLGv1g9F9BJWcZKuc0A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.03.03+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQdL2d83U7MpV_XDYB_vUOLhRUFCQDPMye-hByKDoc1apX_AsM5eNQ89Xb-6feJl_w3ngJsdBP6zq1N-m_3Q89inIKa7qCEhMWMlQD80nWrfTuIHg3M4piPbwQLGv1g9F9BJWcZKuc0A/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.03.03+AM.png" width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to make this as big as possible to make it legible. The top list says foods that need to be used, to the right of that are meals and the bottom is a checkable grocery list. Yes, I do bring my notebook with me to the grocery and yes, sometimes, I do cross it off. Also, the check items in the top right corner are reminders for me to check stock on items. There is nothing worse that assuming you don't have something and unnecessarily buying it or assuming you have it and don't buy it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIQGnBqz4NRfPI68yY40HFtCyfrgYdy2ePt8a0x1R4PB_4nfWsMrGNCrA_x7fphEU3VlcCGWs7rp7P0trUcfFQwoQ1Mg6pZT_zlQGWMdJ-DP1L9NBGqsmSkISzQvLp1EmiQTWlZQgdcE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.02.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIQGnBqz4NRfPI68yY40HFtCyfrgYdy2ePt8a0x1R4PB_4nfWsMrGNCrA_x7fphEU3VlcCGWs7rp7P0trUcfFQwoQ1Mg6pZT_zlQGWMdJ-DP1L9NBGqsmSkISzQvLp1EmiQTWlZQgdcE/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.02.48+AM.png" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my most recent list. Surprisingly. I didn't have anything that needed to be used up! Again, you see the check items in the middle to check stock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xD63QmDJ9s4Eh-o1Iuvn4xu4a2EwLL0xjQxhdiIIPUHgePmPL8Pa_rf19jziTaMM3OdSkdqcY6WNBvwVZL5hMoM68SYO2KJEFL7DUip7H3pzLaY7o0avi7_ihsIyeceYYXQp0vrAdvc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.03.18+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="783" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xD63QmDJ9s4Eh-o1Iuvn4xu4a2EwLL0xjQxhdiIIPUHgePmPL8Pa_rf19jziTaMM3OdSkdqcY6WNBvwVZL5hMoM68SYO2KJEFL7DUip7H3pzLaY7o0avi7_ihsIyeceYYXQp0vrAdvc/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.03.18+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This my friends is my meal prep station. Here I was making the <a href="http://lifeonthedeelist.blogspot.com/2018/08/vanilla-date-tumeric-energy-bites.html">vanilla date turmeric energy bites</a> while eating come chips and guac for a snack and watching OITNB on Netflix. This is real life, people. </td></tr>
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Much love ya'll<br />
XOXO,<br />
Dee<br />
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Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-65351128856312707672018-08-18T07:23:00.001-07:002018-08-18T07:23:26.403-07:00Vanilla date tumeric energy bites I was feeling motivated to make energy bites because they always came in handy while I was busy with work and grad school...and I am back to work! Big news, I know, and trust me, I am feeling it. I am thrilled to be back to work! My new job is downtown Minneapolis, which means I will be commuting either on the light rail or via bike, which also means carrying everything on my back, which brings me back to energy bites.<br />
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The way I make energy bites has drastically changed. 5 years ago, I was making them with lots of peanut butter, protein powder, oats, chocolate chips and soy nuts. Drew still prefers lots of peanut butter and protein powder, but now I try to fit as many superfoods as I can. Also, I usually make 2 kinds of energy bites now - a version for Drew (with superfoods hidden) and a version for me, usually on fire with ginger or turmeric. </div>
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I decided to scour through a handful of energy bite recipes and pull out ingredients that I was drawn to and also, that I had on-hand. I was beyond thrilled (and very surprised) when the first recipe resulted in a winning batch!<br />
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Here is what I came up with:<br />
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- 12 Medjool dates </div>
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- 1/2 cup sliced almonds<br />
- 1/2 cup walnuts<br />
- 1/2 cup oats<br />
- 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter<br />
- 1 Tbs. maca<br />
- 1 Tbs. chia<br />
- 2 tsp. turmeric<br />
- 2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
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1. Halve and pit Medjool dates and soak in hot water for approximately 10 minutes.<br />
2. In a food processor or blender, pulse together almonds, walnuts and oats. It truly doesn't matter if you briefly pulse it to keep it chunky, pulse it to a much finer consistency, or somewhere in between. Place in a bowl and mix in maca, chia seeds, turmeric, and cinnamon.<br />
3. After Medjool dates have soaked and softened, place in food processor/blender with almond/peanut butter and vanilla.<br />
4. Mix all ingredients together and roll into desired size bites. Helpful hint: it may be helpful to pop the mixture into the freezer as it can get very sticky and hard to make balls when at room temperature.<br />
5. This step is optional, but I pulsed coconut flakes and goji berries to roll half the bites through.<br />
6. Store in freezer.<br />
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Optional add-ins: protein powder, raisins, pistachios, hemp seeds, ginger, etc. Get creative! Also, if you prefer more heat, feel free to use more turmeric or add in ginger. Either this recipe masked the turmeric taste really well or I simply didn't use enough.<br />
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One batch lasted me 2 weeks, so I plan to make more today! They are so great for a pre-lunch or mid-afternoon snack or a post-workout bomb to avoid eating everything in sight.<br />
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Let me know what you think!<br />
xoxo,<br />
Dee<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QZ8QxUwXa_UxiDQ9vY4r8zWhyNEteqr4LcZwV5kFL65t72-TttnT7MhGgemj_BEMIWyFAW66WfiVoosoeHLg6XU539wmOssQhDCxeMvjPUGuje-KWoOqIynGjQdTPbpo7BoC9HH3XqY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.04.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QZ8QxUwXa_UxiDQ9vY4r8zWhyNEteqr4LcZwV5kFL65t72-TttnT7MhGgemj_BEMIWyFAW66WfiVoosoeHLg6XU539wmOssQhDCxeMvjPUGuje-KWoOqIynGjQdTPbpo7BoC9HH3XqY/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.04.01+AM.png" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This batch made 13 energy bites - obviously, you can make them bigger or smaller to make more or less. As you can see, I only rolled some of them in 'pulsed' coconut and goji berry - my hope was that Mr. L would eat the ones that looked less 'superfoody'. No go. He is on to my tactics of hiding secret ingredients in food.... </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGY4LV9zA3CnZhqkDg9j3X9Da8uCR84ls4pkXIZyIEQ5issmHSg6j9ejHcN88XGPzfaQhAnBfLVlCnErFbT_3WFE9K2v7Hl2OPNl0rF1NO-szT7ZjIOnvpneMt_2qUrcSrb2TkNLTIDHI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.04.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGY4LV9zA3CnZhqkDg9j3X9Da8uCR84ls4pkXIZyIEQ5issmHSg6j9ejHcN88XGPzfaQhAnBfLVlCnErFbT_3WFE9K2v7Hl2OPNl0rF1NO-szT7ZjIOnvpneMt_2qUrcSrb2TkNLTIDHI/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-18+at+9.04.13+AM.png" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I may just have to frame as this was my first real recipe development! As you can see it really started with throwing ingredients down and adjusting from there. Also, please note that this says 3 Tbs. maca and the real recipe only has 1 Tbs. 3 Tbs. of maca could have been interesting...</td></tr>
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Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-52257570839861629032018-08-02T16:38:00.001-07:002018-08-02T16:41:50.325-07:00Market bowls: The Midwestern Buddha bowl For those of you who know me, know that I thrive during farmers market season! Every weekend (that I am in town), you will find me at the St. Paul's market with my straw bag. Anyone who has joined me at the farmers market knows that my first stop is the Golden's bagel stand for an egg & cheese bagel sandwich and cold press coffee (basic, I know). After I am fed and caffeinated, I must do a lap around the market, survey the stands, and take inventory of the options before committing. After my initial lap, I be sure to swing by Bar 5 meats to pick up eggs, meat (always some philly cheese brats) and a dog bone (best $5 spent). Pro tip: Bar 5 offers a punch card - once you fill it up, you get a choice of 1 lb ground beef, ground pork or breakfast sausage. I then head to for some organic microgreens (great on top of eggs, salads and duh, the market bowl) and whatever produce I feel like working with for the week.<br />
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Ok, as you can tell I am in a committed relationship with the farmers market. A weekly meal around the Lukas household is a Market bowl - a meal that I coined based on my winter specialty buddha bowls, but with Midwestern farmers market finds (clever, I know). Market (and buddha) bowls are incredibly easy, versatile, cheap, nutritious and often carry leftovers into the week.<br />
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<b>Base:</b> Start with a grain! I usually prefer a sprouted brown rice, but quinoa or farro would also work well.<br />
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<b>Protein: </b>I have become a big fan of the brats provided at the farmers market (see note above about Bar 5's Philly Cheese brats). I feel like vendors take pride in the flavor of brats or hot dogs they create, so you can really switch up the flavor every week. Some flavors that we have tried include bloody mary, cherry jalapeno, and blueberry wild rice. You can also do chicken, shredded beef or pork, steak or a couple soft boiled eggs - I just highly recommend brats because what is more Midwestern than a brat cooked via stove top in beer and finished on the grill?<br />
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<b>Veggies:</b> Use whatever you have in the fridge or whatever they happen to have out at the market. My favorites include eggplant, green beans, peppers, carrots, red onion, garlic and/or garlic scapes, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes (sweet or regular) radishes, microgreens, sweet corn, cabbage, beets - the possibilities are seriously endless and evolve with the season. I regularly roast a large pan of vegetables on Sundays - lately, it has been for these bowls, but roasted veggies are also good for scrambled eggs throughout the week, reheating as a side for another meal or even on its own. I prefer to roast vegetables at a higher heat of 425 - not only does it cut down the cooking time (hello, hanger), but also gives the vegetables a nice crisp. I highly recommend using avocado oil because it does not denature like olive oil at a higher temp. Drizzle with your favorite oil, seasonings and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to check the tenderness of the root vegetables, like the potatoes and carrots, as they can take a little longer. Pro tip: use a combination of raw and roasted vegetables to add different flavors and textures.<br />
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<b>Toppings:</b> Anything! I tend to slather avocado on everything, so that is my go to. Sometimes, I will get fancy and make an avocado crema. Another favorite is hummus or plain greek yogurt, but literally the possibilities are endless, and if you ask Mr. Lukas, ketchup or BBQ is also acceptable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmUaTKByhW3QWz2W8eUhqzrE9cK_JOOYSejLzWiW901l02ZP39Cep1VOzskGhLsk85T0RbIEp46F6NmaQrcMwy6F_Lz_3oXDGTLnFQVv5g5HhBGv5z-8YEbs0s3-SsYPSnIVb195hzv8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmUaTKByhW3QWz2W8eUhqzrE9cK_JOOYSejLzWiW901l02ZP39Cep1VOzskGhLsk85T0RbIEp46F6NmaQrcMwy6F_Lz_3oXDGTLnFQVv5g5HhBGv5z-8YEbs0s3-SsYPSnIVb195hzv8/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.03+PM.png" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients: brown rice, brats, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, red onion, pepper and topped with micro greens and garlic scapes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtRGUuJPEfQ-KjMe7lvIWTJJPk3VMJj3tVPBHKUH6Lg6fEdCRJq8oGD-yZUOAyVGA3lbApvwlRJCInsilheVXRLAmd2QAXS_sARYS3jvkvPwfGLPCR8KhpomViTp5HeXYtV2v763bWJ0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="890" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtRGUuJPEfQ-KjMe7lvIWTJJPk3VMJj3tVPBHKUH6Lg6fEdCRJq8oGD-yZUOAyVGA3lbApvwlRJCInsilheVXRLAmd2QAXS_sARYS3jvkvPwfGLPCR8KhpomViTp5HeXYtV2v763bWJ0/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.15+PM.png" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients: brown rice, arugula, brats, roasted potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion and topped with radishes, garlic scapes and avocado.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-uHK0uFzP0twMXejPvrA9Fe5odaUUzR9sbGf6f5uX57hhxJt8F6SmMknykhs6EdMgmAREERKM2V4j2lVJFL3AAhCYew6WdQ75c9FJhD-l6GGCL13WVgaJDGq2DcDhISAhXlNvwQjx7c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="886" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-uHK0uFzP0twMXejPvrA9Fe5odaUUzR9sbGf6f5uX57hhxJt8F6SmMknykhs6EdMgmAREERKM2V4j2lVJFL3AAhCYew6WdQ75c9FJhD-l6GGCL13WVgaJDGq2DcDhISAhXlNvwQjx7c/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.27+PM.png" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients: brown rice, brats, roasted carrots, eggplant, green beans, potatoes and topped with red onions, micro greens, peppers and avocado crema (obviously, feeling fancy here)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDXovb9Vd_SxWBFOZtexIGdrSTd6QpDjflKpdFPH9DexHvpobX1AbMk9ImzuxJvL7gxY5oGJUsC6isj_X9ypo0sHa_3S1N0GDS331MNTE0Lev2A5BRV_2VWycvsCfNCxsImYR60ILvZs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="892" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDXovb9Vd_SxWBFOZtexIGdrSTd6QpDjflKpdFPH9DexHvpobX1AbMk9ImzuxJvL7gxY5oGJUsC6isj_X9ypo0sHa_3S1N0GDS331MNTE0Lev2A5BRV_2VWycvsCfNCxsImYR60ILvZs/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.48+PM.png" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients: brown rice, brats, roasted carrots, potatoes, peppers, eggplant and topped with sweet corn and avocado. Also, please notice here, that I am NOT a professional food photographer. Chances are I am trying to get a semi-decent shot before I eat my arm off. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ir9w-CVk2nLUKBVTVzPje-jyGyv6ogM3n6s2PlnMEfswe3FUpD34I0KjoWg5ccg0xSOH-bcbnPMkcX4l69h_bI0323O9Qt1ANL5nVNgrbPW7_E2wTZHFVHh-EbABKnO5ntjT_ywX_UU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1192" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ir9w-CVk2nLUKBVTVzPje-jyGyv6ogM3n6s2PlnMEfswe3FUpD34I0KjoWg5ccg0xSOH-bcbnPMkcX4l69h_bI0323O9Qt1ANL5nVNgrbPW7_E2wTZHFVHh-EbABKnO5ntjT_ywX_UU/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.37+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is an example of what I call the 'assembly line'. Mr. Lukas and I can go through and choose which ingredients we want and how much - Market bowls are totally customizable, which makes them great for family gatherings or with kids (I am assuming this because as you can see in the bottom left corner of this photo is the furry foot of our child).<br />
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I hope that I have almost convinced you to get out to the farmers market this weekend and every weekend through the fall! I am always looking for market buddies (Mr. Lukas doesn't always enjoy my wandering), so let me know if you need a buddy.<br />
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XOXO,<br />
Dee<br />
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Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-28236733323142562072018-08-02T16:24:00.000-07:002018-08-02T16:24:38.012-07:00The Lukas home gymI have had a few people comment on my Instagram stories (mainly pictures of Penny sleeping in the middle of my workout equipment) on our home gym as well as ask what I do for workouts. While I work at CorePower Yoga, I also workout a lot in our basement! We have slowly pieced together versatile equipment in our small, dingy, cob-web infested St. Paul basement, but it is easily one of the best investments we've made. We can get great, efficient workouts done in the comfort of our own home - this was incredibly valuable throughout graduate school as well as during Minnesota winters. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the equipment we have in our basement that we each use several times per week (heads up: anything in pink font below is a link to take you to the equipment).<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lemond-RevMaster-Pro-Monitor-INCLUDED/dp/B001U1NO74">Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike</a>:</b> I will be honest, this was our biggest investment to date and we just purchased it last year. I was using <a href="https://www.rei.com/product/893035/kinetic-road-machine-smart-bike-trainer?CAWELAID=120217890000879678&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15877513840&CATCI=aud-129902659960:pla-153740820040&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C404_8576%7C8930350001%7Cnone%7C0df38871-4109-43dc-97e1-40acb8bb2a8b%7Caud-129902659960:pla-153740820040&lsft=cm_mmc:PLA_Google_LIA%7C404_8576%7C8930350001%7Cnone%7C0df38871-4109-43dc-97e1-40acb8bb2a8b&kclid=0df38871-4109-43dc-97e1-40acb8bb2a8b&gclid=CjwKCAjw14rbBRB3EiwAKeoG_9cGB0wduOup8Lyg8vZJFeJNgtX3KKuynWZwnAwo-ft7PNhHRtLvPBoC5VQQAvD_BwE">this bike trainer</a> during the winter for years, but honestly, I always needed Drew's help putting my road bike on and taking it off. Also, my knee didn't love the instability of the trainer and as most of you know, my knee is the BIGGEST investment I have ever made, so we are all about protecting it. We purchased our spin bike new at 2nd Wind (they didn't have a used one available) and decided to get the monitor (an extra $100 or so). I use it <b>several</b> times a week and I would give up everything else in our home gym to keep this baby. For guided spin classes, I use the apps <a href="https://aaptiv.com/">Aaptiv</a> and <a href="https://www.onepeloton.com/bike">Peloton</a>. They are both great and the only difference is that with Peloton, you get a video feed, where Aaptiv is all audio. Side note: I did try a Peloton bike and have a strong opinion about it (weird, I know), so if you are interested in hearing it, reach out to me. <br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TRX-Training-Suspension-Trainer-Workouts/dp/B002YRB35I/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1533232473&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=TRX&psc=1">TRX Straps</a>:</b> We purchased these when we first moved in together 5+ years ago. They are great for any small space and we also (sometimes) bring them with us when we travel. If you are looking for ONE piece of equipment, this is it!!! There are SO many TRX workouts available on Pinterest, on other blogs, and you can truly get an insane full body workout (think elevated lunges, pushups, planks). We have ours anchored to a support beam in the basement, but this set also comes with a strap that works with any door. I believe if you sign up for TRX emails, they do regular sales and coupons - let's be real, I am all about coupons and good deals.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IHNFZ0G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Agility Ladder</a>: </b>I don't know why I waited so long to buy an agility ladder (maybe rehab PTSD), but I recently bought one and am so glad that I did. The agility ladder is inexpensive, travels easily and so versatile for a full body workout - think walking planks or pushups, plyometrics, lateral lunges, etc.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Limm-Resistance-Bands-Exercise-Loops/dp/B0136PR5TO/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1533232826&sr=1-6&keywords=resistance+bands&dpID=51Zbcr0-7VL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch">Resistance Bands</a>: </b>I used to have a plethora of resistance bands, thanks to endless physical therapy, but I purchased these resistance bands and again, am so glad that I did. Using resistance bands can help you take basic exercises to the next level - think leg lifts, squats with a resistance band around your thighs, banded plyometrics, banded lateral walks or bridges. Again, there are endless resistance band workouts available via the internet. These are a cheap investment and also travel well. Do yourself a favor and do NOT underestimate resistance bands.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bosu-72-10850-P-Pro-Balance-Trainer/dp/B00BL83I22/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1533232971&sr=1-5&keywords=bosu+ball&dpID=5119JPYFbkL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch"><b>BOSU ball:</b></a> I highly recommend that you spend some time searching for BOSU ball trainers as the price range is drastic depending on where you look. We bought ours off of Craigslist for $40, but I know they can get pricey. Again, think of the BOSU ball trainer as a tool to take your basic exercises to the next level - squats, planks, pushups or lunges on the BOSU are all much more difficult and the instability recruits more muscle than doing the exercise on the ground.<br />
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<b>Dumbbells:</b> I am not even going to put a link to where to buy dumbbells because they are EVERYWHERE from Target, Amazon, Craigslist, OfferUp, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc. I purchased a couple sets from Marshalls. Drew recently did purchase an adjustable set from Amazon or Dick's, but for at home workouts for me, a pair of 5 lbs and 8 lbs suffice.<br />
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<b>Exercise ball: </b>Again, I didn't link where to purchase these from because they are everywhere. I like use an exercise ball for a variety of ab workouts and elevated pushups.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rep-PR-1100-Power-Rack-Training/dp/B07CHR5QDQ/ref=sr_1_12?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1533233479&sr=1-12&keywords=squat%2Brack&th=1&psc=1">Squat rack</a>:</b> I was hesitant when Drew ordered this rack off Amazon (FYI, we went with the no bench option because we were able to find a cheap bench elsewhere), because I thought it wouldn't fit in our low-ceiling basement and that it would take up too much room. I am a prideful woman, but I can admit when I am wrong and I am glad we got this. Not only is it great for a variety of squats, bench press (which I no longer do), but it can also be good for pull-ups (I also do not do), hanging ab series and to tie resistance bands to for leg lifts. Well done, Mr. Lukas.<br />
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<b>Barbell and plated weights:</b> I believe we purchased our barbell from Dick's Sporting Goods. I HIGHLY encourage you to sign up for the coupons, wait for one to come out and load up when you get a good one. Plated weights are EXPENSIVE and while I don't need heavy ones, Mr. Lukas does. You can expect to pay around $1 per pound - like I said, get at those coupons. Another option is to look on Craigslist or OfferUp. People have abandoned weights on there all. the. time.<br />
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<b><a href="https://alchemy365.com/product/torpedo/">Alchemy365 Torpedo</a>: </b>Drew and I both participated in an at-home challenge through a local gym, Alchemy. We decided to purchase a Torpedo - a Torpedo is a weight proprietary to Alchemy. It can be used as a dumbbell, barbell and kettlebell. While we are not members of Alchemy, we LOVE their Torpedos. We have a 30 lb and 50 lb Torpedo and they work really well for swings, presses, RDLs, walking lunges, the list goes on! Full transparency, we have 2 kettlebells that we no longer use and are considering giving away because the Torpedos can just do it all. Also, you don't need to be a member to purchase the Torpedos off of Alchemy's website.<br />
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<b>Jump rope:</b> I didn't link the jump rope that we have because I couldn't find it on Amazon and also, because I don't love it. It's fine, but not life-changing and its either user error or the material of the rope, but it twists up more than it should. I did get a weighted one, but buyer beware, it will wear out your shoulders! Jump ropes are everywhere, just be sure to read the reviews because not all jump ropes are made equal.<br />
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That's it! There are also a few other items that were not approved joint household expenses, but that Mr. Lukas thought were necessary including plate racks (ironic when he doesn't rack his heavy weights ever), several variations of barbells (I still think you can get away with one), tricep dip stand and a bench. Again, I highly recommend checking out used equipment on 2nd Wind, Craigslist, OfferUp or the Facebook marketplace. There is a lot of well-intentioned, but abandoned workout equipment out there - also, reduce, reuse, recycle people! Otherwise, sign up for sporting good stores emails and keep an eye on sales and coupons. Mr. Lukas knows that my expectation is that we are not above buying used and that we rarely pay full price. While this has slowly been a substantial investment, it has saved us a lot of money on gym memberships as well as trekking to an overcrowded gym. Also, it's open 24/7 (had to throw a Dad joke in there).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxTXqDNYH42bzbbBd4TsrSXwtJTryNEK0kv09-Q8AZZVrPAnLOQItSJQmHw1h9J9F5WkJvxI1JTf5MtAu-ze_OaJwnElGLBPzBgW09G0YlTgsaUl9aC9d75DEYhl396QqZ_xqcojQgdU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.07.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxTXqDNYH42bzbbBd4TsrSXwtJTryNEK0kv09-Q8AZZVrPAnLOQItSJQmHw1h9J9F5WkJvxI1JTf5MtAu-ze_OaJwnElGLBPzBgW09G0YlTgsaUl9aC9d75DEYhl396QqZ_xqcojQgdU/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.07.43+PM.png" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 of 3 barbells that we have (yes, I agree with you, excessive) and no, this isn't mine or Penny's weight. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SVqcg1MV8vhsP8w8yQ9ori9U8bh3xtmewF5SCASC6zy5A_nwVPFUw42IEnrDB4DXxDRRvx1_kjCHAbfqKI0dH_6nt_fMV39MDAIWGt2Uqw6VPIMRKdWBQOWIYl_16N7S4drBSum0D5I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="892" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SVqcg1MV8vhsP8w8yQ9ori9U8bh3xtmewF5SCASC6zy5A_nwVPFUw42IEnrDB4DXxDRRvx1_kjCHAbfqKI0dH_6nt_fMV39MDAIWGt2Uqw6VPIMRKdWBQOWIYl_16N7S4drBSum0D5I/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-02+at+6.08.58+PM.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is almost our entire gym! The ladder is best used outside and without a dog laying in the middle of it, but I made it work. Also, our spin bike and tricep dip rack are to the right of those picture. It's not a glamorous gym, but it works well for us! </td></tr>
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Please let me know if you have any questions on the equipment that I mentioned or if you want to chat home workouts.<br />
XOXO,<br />
DeeDee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-86095055688064143972018-05-29T17:50:00.000-07:002018-05-29T17:50:33.627-07:00Beauty should be good for youMany of you most likely already know that I started a new venture as a BeautyCounter consultant a few months ago. While I have a mild approach to this consultant thing, this company has me feeling all sorts of red hot! Many of you most likely also know that I tend to get extremely passionate about things, and sometimes, this means against things - food corporations, liquid diets and hair clippings in our sink (looking at you, Mr. L) are at the top of my disdain list.<br />
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I knew the beauty/skin care industry was all sorts of messed up, but I felt as though I didn't have the capacity to peel back the layers. Between grad school and educating people about the importance of bee health (side note, check out Vanishing of the Bees on Netflix), I made excuses to keep the blindfold on. Then I took it off. You can't unlearn things and once you know better, you do better.<br />
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Let's pump the breaks a bit, majority of you understand the importance of eating a balanced diet as well as exercise. In fact, a lot of people I know put A LOT of energy towards what they eat as well as how often they exercise - this same amount of energy should be put towards your skin care and beauty routine as this is another way to <i>nourish</i> your body.<br />
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Did you know the products that you put on your body are not filtered by your liver?!? They go directly into your blood stream. Another fun fact, the United States has not passed a major law to regulate the ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. <b>1938!!! </b>Here is what was going on in 1938: minimum wage was $.25, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia and the tape recorder was invented. I may know of a few other laws that are outdated....but let's stick with personal care products. Currently, the US has only partially banned 30 ingredients. Europe has banned close to 1,400 ingredients and BeautyCounter has a prohibited list of over 1,500 ingredients (and counting). Why? Because these ingredients are hazardous and directly related to causing cancer and disrupting hormones (think infertility, weight gain and adrenal imbalances). Bottom line, it is crucial to know what is in your products (please, I will beg, if I have to).<br />
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This blog is here to increase awareness, so here are a couple resources that you can use to look into what ingredients are in the products you are using and to help you find healthier alternatives (ignorance is <b>not </b>bliss). Think Dirty - this is an app with over 1 million products catalogued with a rating based on a Dirty Meter. You can also scan the barcode of your products to search the catalog. Another resource is Skin Deep, a database through <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">the Environmental Working Group.</a> EWG conducts research and offers information to empower consumers to live healthier lives in a healthier environment by driving consumer choice and civic action.<br />
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Here are the swaps that I recently made in my own bathroom and make-up bag. The 'dirty' ratings are in the parenthesis - spoiler alert, the lower the number, the better:<br />
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Big, Sexy Hair volumizing shampoo & conditioner (8) ---> BeautyCounter Volume & Shape shampoo & conditioner (2)<br />
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Simple face wash (7) ---> BeautyCounter rejuvenating face wash (EWG top scoring product)<br />
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Method Pure Naked body wash (4) ---> BeautyCounter charcoal bar (0) or SheaMoisture Sea Kelp and Pearl Shea butter soap (3)<br />
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Aveeno Daily face moisturizer (5) ---> BeautyCounter Adaptive Moisture lotion (0)<br />
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Blistex medicated lip balm (5) ---> Burt's Bees medicated balm (1) or BeautyCounter peppermint lip conditioner (1)<br />
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Dove Advanced Care deodorant (4) ---> Soapwalla deodorant cream (0) or Ursa Major<br />
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Olay Quench Daily Lotion (8) ---> BeautyCounter citrus mimosa body butter (0) or CounterMatch Adaptive Body Moisturizer (2)<br />
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CoverGirl Lash Clump Crusher mascara (7) and Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara (5) ----> BeautyCounter volumizing mascara (3) and Honest Beauty Truly Lash Mascara + Primer (3)<br />
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Coppertone Sport sunscreen spray (8) ---> BeautyCounter {reef-friendly!} mineral sunscreen mist (1)<br />
**Related note, here is the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/#.Ww3vsFOUvMK">the EWG's 12th annual guide to sunscreen</a>.<br />
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This list could be more extensive, but my goal was to give you an idea of healthier alternatives available that perform just as well, if not better, as top brands. I am a huge fan of voting with your dollars, so please let me know if you want chat more (BeautyCounter related or not!) about how you can make small changes in your daily routine. One more thing, BeautyCounter is not just making products that are safe for us and the environment, they are putting their profits towards doing good. They are tirelessly advocating for stricter guidelines and regulatory laws to shift the personal care industry away from harmful ingredients. BeautyCounter's mission is to get safe products into the hands of everyone - everyone means everyone (notice how it doesn't state get <i>BeautyCounter</i> products into the hands of everyone?!). If you are interested in learning more about BeautyCounter products, their Never List and/or their advocacy work, check out <a href="https://www.beautycounter.com/deelukas">this link</a> or reach out to me.<br />
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<i><b>Do the best you can until you know better. </b></i><br />
<i><b>Then when you know better, do better </b></i><br />
- Maya Angelou<br />
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Do better - for your health, your family's health and friend's health and Mother Earth's health. Namaste.<br />
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XOXO<br />
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<br />Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-40286589393372436082018-05-24T12:04:00.001-07:002018-05-28T17:04:30.214-07:00Green is the new blackA focus of mine (and Mr. L's, by association) is minimizing our footprint on dear Mother Earth. After one too many Netflix documentaries, I admit that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Some people call me a hippie, and while I will gladly answer that, I prefer considerate. Thanks to current media, including the most recent Nat Geo cover, concerns around unnecessary plastic use and disposal is in our face now more than ever. Awareness makes my <strike>hippie</strike> considerate heart swell, so let me offer some easy swaps to implement!<br />
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<b><strike>Plastic wrap/aluminum foil:</strike></b> Can we all just take a step back and acknowledge how petty plastic wrap is? I mean it doesn't even work THAT well on covering bowls and dishes. Also, aluminum foil is actually more wasteful than plastic wrap when taking into consideration the heavy manufacturing footprint that is created from making it. When I took a hard look at our refrigerator, I realized that I was using plastic wrap and aluminum foil for things that could be accomplished using containers or a reusable baggie (next on the list). Being transparent, my biggest offense was wrapping partially used produce (for example, 1/2 onion or unwrapped cheese blocks) or to cover bowls/leftovers/marinating meats with wrap/foil. I had to combat this approach with a few different solutions:<br />
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1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Wrap-Assorted-Sustainable-Honeycomb/dp/B0126LMDFK">Bee's Wrap</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F67QS7Q/ref=asc_df_B00F67QS7Q5486154/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B00F67QS7Q&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167135973835&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13664742979637181236&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019537&hvtargid=pla-308603398771">Abeego Wrap</a>: Full transparency, I struggled with Bee's Wrap when I first received it in my MightyFix subscription (subscription information below). I had a hard time getting it to stick to itself, especially when comparing it to aluminum foil. This does take some practice and patience, but eventually these alternative wraps do wear in and work well. Pro tip, warm the wrap with your hands for better adhesion. Bonus, these wraps do not absorb smells and are really easy to clean - be sure to hand wash them with lukewarm water (not hot, to preserve the wax). I plan to try Abeego wrap soon to see how it compares to Bee's wrap, but I have heard good things.<br />
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2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Reusable-Suction-interlocking-storage/dp/B00QC4DEHE/ref=pd_sim_79_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00QC4DEHE&pd_rd_r=STEV4E27QZNZTNS4V3KP&pd_rd_w=FmXql&pd_rd_wg=uwKVC&psc=1&refRID=STEV4E27QZNZTNS4V3KP">Silicone lids</a>: I don't know what rock I have been living under to have just discovered these, but these work REALLY well. My silicone lid was a freebie from a Norwex party that I hosted, but I thoroughly love it. It suctions to bowls really nicely and can be a much quicker solution than warming a wrap. Also, it is super easy to hand wash. Again, mine is Norwex and I can vouch for the quality of it, but there are a lot of silicone lids on the market.<br />
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3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/13-Pack-Glass-Storage-Containers-Lids/dp/B075P1XHRR/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527190490&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=glass+food+storage+containers&psc=1">Food containers</a>: Ok, obviously you can use any type of container, but I prefer glass (cleans better and I don't have nightmares over chemicals leaching into our leftovers). This may sound obvious, but take an honest peek into your fridge and take inventory of what you are storing in either wrap or baggies when a basic container would have sufficed. I highly recommend keeping your stash well-stocked with several sizes of containers to make your life easier, which will make you less likely to reach for the plastic wrap/aluminum foil.<br />
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4. Mason jars: If I can be honest (and slightly shameless), let me just say that I was on the mason jar train long before it became a trend. I think mason jars are SO multi-purpose, whether it is food storage, smoothie transfers, hummus preservation, fermentation vessels, or just to simply use to enjoy a glass of water/kombucha/iced coffee/beer. Mason jars are incredibly easy to find for cheap (Target is NOT the place to get them cheap), so be on the lookout for jars at Goodwill/Savers/Consignment shops. I HIGHLY recommend investing in these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Storage-Regular-Mouth-Package/dp/B00OAKGLC2/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527190871&sr=1-4&keywords=plastic+ball+jar+lids">plastic lids</a> - they are much easier to clean than the standard metal ones and have been life-changing (not over exaggerating).<br />
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<b style="text-decoration-line: line-through;"><strike>Plastic baggies:</strike></b><b> </b>Ugh, plastic baggies. They seem like a necessary evil and a really hard habit to break, but are incredibly detrimental to the environment. Let's cover both food storage baggies and grocery bags. For the last 8-10 months, I have paid close attention to how we have used plastic bags and here is what I came up with: human food (duh), transporting food for Penny, TSA travel baggies, poop bags (woof), groceries and buying produce at the grocery store and here how I am working to combat:<br />
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1. Reusable baggies: There are A LOT of options on the market for reusable baggies including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_26?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=reusable+sandwich+bags+bumkins&sprefix=reusable+sandwich+bags+bum%2Caps%2C163&crid=T5D3VE65D6UQ&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Areusable+sandwich+bags+bumkins">bumkins,</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/rezip-Lay-Flat-Leakproof-Reusable-Storage/dp/B01KRA981E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527191347&sr=8-1&keywords=reusable+sandwich+bags+rezip">rezip</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Silicone-Storage-Scrubber-Sponge/dp/B078XQWJ12/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527191375&sr=1-10&keywords=reusable+sandwich+bags+silicone">general silicone</a>, and the Cadillac of reusable baggies, <a href="https://www.stasherbag.com/">the Stasher bag</a>. Reusable baggies are so trendy right now, they are even sold at Anthropology! I have a variety of bumkins (with bike designs) and 1 prized Stasher. The bumkins work really well, do not absorb flavor or smell, and are easy to clean. I have used our bumkins for food storage, toothbrush protector (uhm, the mouth of my tooth brush canNOT be exposed while we are traveling) and snacks on the go (popcorn, always popcorn). I have used my prized Stasher for several things including as a transparent 3:2:1 TSA liquid baggie. As soon as I am gainfully employed, I plan to increase our Stasher stock aaaaaand they may also be on my birthday list (Leo season is approaching). Reusable baggies can seem like an investment, but just imagine not having to buy plastic baggies EVER again - I see a quick financial ROI and an immediate environmental VOI (value on investment, peeps).<br />
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2. Reusable grocery bags: I won't say much about this because I would be very surprised if every single one of you do not have a stash of these as they seem to be a consistent freebie at various events. I can tell you that I will not go grocery shopping unless I have my bags or know that the store will have a paper option (which will then be reused our house). I tend to have a stash of bags in my car (they fold up and tuck really nicely in any compartment) as well as a stash under our kitchen sink (also, neatly folded up and easy to access, mainly for Mr. L). This is BY FAR the easiest switch you can make, please do it. My hearts shimmers every time someone thanks me for bringing my bags, and yours will too. To touch on produce bags, I just don't use them. I honestly do not see the point in transporting 5 apples or 3 lemons in a plastic bag when I am going to have the wash the produce when I get home anyway. I will say that I have noticed Trader Joe's started stocking compostable produce bags - thank ya, baby Jesus!<br />
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3. #2 doggie bags: OOOOOK, this is absolutely a necessary evil, but dogs are worth it. I fell in love with Mr. L all over again when I came home to an awesome metal pooper scooper for the house, so we could stop using baggies to pick up Penny's #2s. Simple switches, people. However, we do walk Penny outside of our yard and we happen to be responsible dog owners - yes, I have lost a bag on a walk, walked home to get another one and walked back to take care of my dog's business. The bags we buy are <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=earth+rated+poop+bags&sprefix=earth+rated+%2Caps%2C243&crid=3PT1US39J7268">Earth Rated</a>, which are made out of 100% recyclable materials including the cardboard core and box. They also offer a 100% plastic-free option made out of vegetable-based materials that can be composted (fun fact: I didn't know they had this option, so we will be switching to these like yesterday).<br />
<br />
<strike style="font-weight: bold;">Straws</strike>: I have been shamed for the reusable straws that I use, so if you do too, let's connect and start a support group (#millenials). I am a big fan of liquids from sparkling water to kombucha and green smoothies. A couple years ago, I was horrified when I realized that I was using a straw for my smoothies almost every morning and I instantly ordered these <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XRS6DK2/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1">rubber straws</a>. You have been warned, they are massive, but do not have a rubber taste. I recently received <a href="https://mightynest.com/shop/table/straws/endurance-stainless-steel-straws-set-of-4-2-options">these straws</a> in April's MightyFix. I believe these are much more appropriate for cocktails, but you do you.<br />
<br />
<b><strike>Plastic utensils:</strike> </b>During my reflection of how to minimize my daily plastic use, I quickly realized that while I was bringing lunch to work everyday in reusable containers (when I was employed - too soon?) that I was also using plastic utensils almost every day. I also realized that this was an easy fix by either bringing utensils from home or buying <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Bamboo-Travel-Utensils-Go-Carrying/dp/B002BFPKFM/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1527545870&sr=1-4&keywords=bamboo+utensils">this bamboo travel set</a> to keep at my desk. Easy to clean in a sink, whether at the office or at a state park, plus the travel carrier helps my brain deal with germ exposure. Does you keep stock of plastic utensils at home or does your workplace stock plastic utensils? See if you can switch these out with compostable/biodegradable options. Let me know if you need help building the business case.<br />
<br />
This isn't an extensive list, but are meant to be easy switches. And let's be honest, there are just somethings that you may need to use the 'naughty' items for. For us, it's pre-making breakfast burritos in aluminum foil for camping trips to throw on the fire or using plastic baggies to disperse kombucha scobies (literally, the only thing I use baggies for!).<br />
<br />
To help with making sustainable switches, <a href="https://mightynest.com/the-mighty-fix">Mighty Nest</a> offers a monthly subscription called MightyFix. For $10/month, you get an awesome sustainable item, most are valued at more than $10. Some items that I have received include Bee's wax, glass food containers, a refillable dish wash and wool dryer balls. No, this post is not sponsored, I just really love it! I have a couple free months to share, so if you would like one, get at me! Again, I don't get anything when these are redeemed, I have actually already earned them by being a subscriber for almost 1 year.<br />
<br />
Hippie or not hippie, there is no planet B, ya'll.<br />
XOXODee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-45401172165945858232018-05-22T10:42:00.001-07:002018-05-22T19:26:36.739-07:00What's your deserve?I heard this phrase at a recent summit I attended and it has been on my mind endlessly ever since.<br />
<br />
Let's just go ahead and clear an elephant in the room, shall we? On April 19th, I was laid off of my job. I haven't been unemployed since I was 14 years old (shout out, Pizza Ranch!). On another note, when I graduated with my masters in December, that marked 3 1/2 years of working full-time and working on my graduate degree in the evenings and on the weekends. Following graduation, I was really struggling with what to do with my newfound free time (outside of working full-time, of course). Aside from watching Friends (not rewatching, but watching for the first time), I spent many evenings walking around our house not sure what to do with my hands. Then I was laid off. Talk about a nosedive.<br />
<br />
Over the past 4 weeks, I have cycled through every reasonable emotion (and then some unreasonable ones too): anger, despair, freedom, angst and my favorite, 'why the hell did I even get my masters?!'. 48 hours after being laid off, my husband came home to 5 gallons of paint in our entryway and he was confident that I had cracked.<br />
<br />
You see, there is a certain air around telling others you were laid off of work. Let's also address the certain connotation with being laid off (i.e. laziness) and that is just something that my ego will have to digest.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, I have heard many things like:<br />
- 'You are so marketable and employable, you'll be fine!'<br />
- 'Being laid off was the best thing that has ever happened to me'<br />
- 'Try to enjoy the time off. You'll be employed in no time and wish you could have the time back'<br />
- 'You have your masters now, companies will be fighting for you'<br />
- 'Don't tell people that you were laid off, just tell them that you are in between jobs'<br />
<br />
and let me say that I appreciate and believe it all! I consider myself one of those coachable people, who thoroughly enjoys feedback, so having received an incredible amount of support strikes a deep chord with me.<br />
<br />
Friends, here I sit over a month later still unemployed. I am straddling the line between taking advantage of the time off and feeling extremely lost, which brings me back to, 'what is your deserve?'. Currently, this applies to my job search, but I love how it can apply to almost anything in your life! <u><i>You only get out what you put in. </i></u><br />
<br />
<b>I decided to make a list of things in my life that I know I deserve:</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -24px;"> </span>An incredibly supportive husband, who lets me know that I am worthy of love and respect (employed or not)<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>A clean, comfortable, yet small house in the city (hello, student loans!)<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>A healthy and decently functioning body. I say decently because, well, after 8 knee surgeries things are bound to hurt and modifications became a necessity. However, I make an extreme conscious effort to nourish myself and practice lots of self-care, including listening to my body.<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>1 insanely lovable dog, who can't believe her luck that Mom suddenly has time for endless walks, fetch sessions and cuddles (she also desperately needs a haircut - Penny, not Mom)<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>2 cats who throw up all around our small house (I knew nothing about owning a cat prior to 2011. Hairballs come with the territory.)<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>A family who never ceases to check-in with me (even when I am moody) and remind me that I will be OK<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>Friends who were willing to be patient while I was consumed with work and school, yet always willing to squeeze in the tiniest date whenever possible. I promise I’m trying to make up for it post-graduation.<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-indent: -24px;">o </span>A job that I like, but not necessarily love. Yes, I have my masters and some experience, but I am still at the beginning of my career. Love is the ultimate goal, but realism here, people.<br />
<br />
<br />
So friends, what is your deserve? This self-reflection can be empowering and humbling. Be sure to discern with open eyes and a vulnerable heart.<br />
<br />
XOXO<br />
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</style>Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-25406522522580601872018-05-21T14:22:00.000-07:002018-05-22T15:29:21.918-07:00If you don't fall off the wagon regularly, you're not playing a big enough game... Over 4 years ago, I made a conscious effort to let Life on the Dee List blog softly fade into nonexistent. Why? Well, lots of reasons. For starters, I was newly engaged and starting grad school along with working full-time. Basically, something had to give. Why revive LOTDL? Good question, maybe I should just stop now. Kidding! Well, since I graduated in December, I have newfound free time to try new hobbies, or in this case, pick back up some old ones. Additionally, I have had a few people encourage me to get back to it (full transparency, just a few, more than a couple, but not many). Recently, I held a kombucha-making workshop for our church (big ups, ResMpls!) and after talking about a few of my passions including fermented foods, sustainability and bees, someone suggested that I write a blog. I took it as a sign to give this another go.<br />
<br />
I don't consider myself infinitely wise or particularly interesting, but looking back on the conception of this blog, I realized that I enjoy making things more accessible to others - whether that is beginning (or continuing) a healthy venture, trying a new recipe, workout or behavior. I certainly haven't tried it all, but this a space where I can share my tips and tricks that hopefully you find relevant and mildly interesting. If you were a follower from the jump, I hope you like the new design. I was going for something with a holistic hippie vibe, while staying simple. After showing Mr. L the new redesign, he asked if I thought it looked outdated. Jokes on him, I am going for simple and user friendly - I am a bad millenial anyway, so I am staying in my comfort zone on Blogger (think paper datebook and one of THE worst iCal users). Anyway, I consider this a radical improvement from the peacock feathers and all lowercase typing (uhm, what?!).<br />
<br />
So, let's reintroduce ourselves, shall we? Since we last coexisted in this space, here is a list of things that happened in my life:<br />
- I got married! I totally out-kicked my coverage with Mr. L. Just kidding, we are perfectly proportioned equivalents in very different ways.<br />
- I graduated with my masters in holistic health studies from St. Catherine University<br />
- I had 4 more knee surgeries, bringing the grand total to 8 knee surgeries. Don't count on a post about this. I plan to let the past be the past on this, but I guess we'll see.<br />
- My husband and I got a dog and we absolutely ADORE her. My current goal is to be making sure she is living her best life. She is a goldendoodle named Penny and please plan to see lots of pictures and updates on her.<br />
- I became an aunt, 3 times (soon to be 4!). Again, plan on lots of updates around my littles. They are my world and I FaceTime them several times...in a week. In all seriousness, being an aunt is absolutely taking priority over becoming a Mom right now. My nieces and nephew deserve all of my attention right now!<br />
- Traveled a lot more! Lots of places both domestic and international including Croatia, Hawaii, Curacao, New York (yes, including Niagara Falls, super anti-climatic), Arizona, Ohio (don't hate) and Colorado.<br />
<br />
Here are some pictures over the last 4 years (pictures are sometimes more fun than words, right?!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people" height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11987067_10153458013645310_894176187804337176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=b744bc2aa7e0c08ee8e8000f9b1b5250&oe=5B83DC20" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8/29/2015 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: dog" height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15327247_10154544231970310_1816250357802547160_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=4a6a7f58060ec83f44048d114de23c0b&oe=5B786CC3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="512" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try and tell me that this face doesn't deserve the world!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 5 people, including Dee Lukas, people smiling, tree, child and outdoor" height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20663838_10155334582060310_755519239394297157_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=42630ffa64ba2508d4b346e2e0faf66c&oe=5BC3E0D2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="512" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Dee and Uncle Drew strongly prefer to borrow kids versus having their own!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, including Dee Lukas, people smiling, people standing, hat and eyeglasses" height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/25594336_10155702534845310_5685059709788394526_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=b814af69c158b3d7d3e1d990c73645f9&oe=5B7A0F76" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="512" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">P.s. In the last 4 years, I also learned how to fill in my eyebrows. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No automatic alt text available." height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11949500_10153463815105310_3085874564049984726_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a45bf1c04468de0809e5860e41f2360a&oe=5B82E612" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croatia!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No automatic alt text available." height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12369261_10153664475410310_4395872719008974782_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=49d5ba347cb0b1b2cb3e5d540b15e4a8&oe=5B7FE2E2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one point, our house had more than 1 baby animal...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: swimming, plant, outdoor, water and nature" height="609" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26169824_10155737100455310_5385519664017744438_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=090d20b02c0e551efdd10bf8dfc70b95&oe=5BC4C9F8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never understood the point of a GoPro, until this moment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, including Dee Lukas, people smiling" height="640" src="https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12033180_10153513687515310_5744158911486796697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9c23ea771c1bfdb14f1bce968dc3d980&oe=5B894D6C" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="425" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more because I thoroughly love being married to this guy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Ok, now that the obligatory catch-up post is done, let's get this thing rolling (again)<br />
XOXO<br />
<br />Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-54069070681503867742014-04-11T08:02:00.001-07:002014-04-11T08:02:39.575-07:00.:cauliflower pizza:.per usual, i started this blog post a few weeks ago, but a few things came up that prevented it from getting published (i.e. wedding planning, traveling)....either way, enjoy! <br />
<br />
i am going to be completely honest, but as i am typing this healthy pizza recipe, i am eating a piece of greasy pizza from a hole-in-the-wall place here in St. Paul. drew has been busy with school all day and while i made a whole chicken and roasted veggies last night, i am not about to go to grocery shopping when i am gone for work all next week. so, pizza night it is. judge me. (p.s. if you haven't tried Checkerboard pizza, you are seriously missing out!).<br />
<br />
ok, switching gears to healthy pizza - here we go!<br />
<br />
>> 1 large cauliflower<br />
>> 2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
>> 2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
>> 4 oz mozzarella cheese (who actually measures out cheese when making pizza?!)<br />
>> small can of pizza sauce (you can skip this or swap it for butter or spaghetti sauce)<br />
>> 1/2 tsp onion powder (i used garlic salt, same diff, right?)<br />
>> couple shakes of basil, oregano, salt and pepper<br />
>> your favorite toppings - we chose sweet italian sausage (cooked via stovetop) mushrooms, tomatoes, feta cheese and more mozzarella cheese<br />
<br />
chop cauliflower into chunks (removed most of the big stems) and microwave for 5 minutes to soften - i put the chunks in a pie dish with a little bit of water in the bottom to help steam. cool and put softened cauliflower in food processor or blender until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes - i added some EVOO to help! in medium bowl, stir mashed cauliflower with eggs, cheese and seasonings until well-mixed. spray a baking sheet and spread mixture on sheet, about 1/2 inch thick. bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. i baked the cauliflower crust alone for about 20 minutes and then added the toppings and bake for another 10 minutes (keep in mind, the sausage was already cooked). that's it!<br />
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i will be throwing this into the regular recipes because 1. i almost always have cauliflower (is that weird?) and 2. it is actually much easier than i expected! also, drew likes it and seriously, how often does one crave pizza? <i style="font-weight: bold;">helpful tip - </i>the crust should only be about 1/2 inch thick. i didn't have the right size pan so the mixture didn't cover my big pan, but was almost overflowing my small pan. of course, i went with the smaller pan and the crust turned out pretty mushy since it was about 1 1/2 inches thick - it still turned out great, we just ended up eating it with forks :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits4NcIMRPaBHkxkl0TxirJaybJNtm7brZRaidXbgUNYfwI7ADIYkdakL8QW1Rd2975DDu-0nUjAXzYx051OhelM02PiIru9707ofpPQ7Qk_mjBwSy9QLN5WgGa7S-SpCQVkW2iGYLNvo/s1600/cauliflowerpizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits4NcIMRPaBHkxkl0TxirJaybJNtm7brZRaidXbgUNYfwI7ADIYkdakL8QW1Rd2975DDu-0nUjAXzYx051OhelM02PiIru9707ofpPQ7Qk_mjBwSy9QLN5WgGa7S-SpCQVkW2iGYLNvo/s1600/cauliflowerpizza.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">before oven</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGU-cF15MsGEyKxWefNJak_lSv7doL2VvRIek51CIkgzkW55t2XLNmOHjfwCd72fTBsABZF40_7VIMzEsGqT6vGzg5rBZCG5z9FocRmC5xXZQHjTshYGHrpOh9KlcheyA1aeddNm0mjg/s1600/cauliflowerpizza2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGU-cF15MsGEyKxWefNJak_lSv7doL2VvRIek51CIkgzkW55t2XLNmOHjfwCd72fTBsABZF40_7VIMzEsGqT6vGzg5rBZCG5z9FocRmC5xXZQHjTshYGHrpOh9KlcheyA1aeddNm0mjg/s1600/cauliflowerpizza2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after oven</td></tr>
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always striving for more, </div>
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dee b. </div>
Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-4507162593624692022014-03-04T17:26:00.000-08:002014-03-04T17:31:18.398-08:00now that i am engaged....now that i have been engaged for an <i>entire</i> weekend, i figured i would set some standards, ground rules, for the wedding planning process and beyond. i haven't even STARTED to think about planning a wedding and probably won't until early April because here has been our past few months...<br />
<br />
december - searching for a new home and drew had knee surgery<br />
january - bought our first home, closed and moved into our first home, drew's birthday, our anniversary, left for mexico<br />
february - came back from mexico, 2 weeks of traveling along the west coast for work, got engaged the last day of february<br />
march - 1 week at home and 3 weeks on the road to cover health fairs in TX, MA, SC, NJ and AZ<br />
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i am literally so tired, it still hasn't hit me that we bought a home and are engaged. all good things, so i can't complain too much, but i am really looking forward to the day that i can just absorb all the awesomeness going on!<br />
<br />
anyway, back to my ground rules that i thought of while lying in bed, unable to sleep this weekend....consider it part 1 of vows, things i will NOT do....<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">my life will not entirely be wedding planning:.</u> friends, i do not expect you to only talk to me about wedding planning, in fact, i may prefer it. i plan to maintain my balanced lifestyle of working, cooking, yoga and oh yea, sleeping! wedding planning will not define me!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">tell my single friends 'you're next!' or 'when are you two going to finally take the plunge?!':.</u> i cannot tell you how annoyed i was when i heard that.....for the past 3 years! as i can attest to, everyone is on their own timeline and go at their own speed. just because 'everyone else is doing it' or everyone thinks you've been together <i>forever </i>or that buying a house is for married people does not mean anyone should feel pressured - i know drew and i had a lot of other things to worry about other than getting engaged/married like build a career, a bank account, drink wine, watch Netflix, play Scrabble and workout - you know, lots of really important things. not everyone's end goal is to get married by a certain age, i dig that.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">treat my single friends differently:.</u> again, being engaged or planning a wedding will not define me. i will not put it above anyone or anything - my best friend and i have had a weekly date (for the past 7 years), to watch Teen Mom and i sure as hell am not about to change that! i have a lot of friends who are 'single', but they are doing some amazing things, like almost finishing law school or plowing through chiropractic school, about to graduate with their 4-year degree or landed a big job. i am still going to celebrate all of their successes! i also will not create a clique with my friends who are engaged or already married. i will not discriminate.<br />
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<b><u>get offended by the "i am not engaged, or married or having kids, so i am basically doing nothing with my life but drinking a glass of wine or getting drunk" statuses, tweets or memes:.</u> </b>i wasn't into making a big deal about being 'single', but if that's your style rock on! i won't call dr. phil on you for trying to hide your deeply hidden sorrow and daddy-issues - i will cheers you my glass of wine because sometimes, all we need to care about is fricken glass of wine and i love where your head is at!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">suddenly define myself as succesful:.</u> my end goal is not to get married or be a housewife, so i did not suddenly become successful because drew sealed the deal. i am not better than anyone else. i have many things to strive to become, i am just getting my career underway and finding my place in this big, bad world. trust me, i know being married is going to be unicorns and butterflies, but not really going to totally cut it for me (cue 'Webbie - I N D E P E N D E N T' song).<br />
<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">create a countdown until i marry my 'best friend':.</u> drew, you are so darn awesome and i am pretty fricken excited to hang out with you every single day of my life for as long as we live, but i will not say the whole 'marry my best friend' thing. i think you are da bomb, but i will spare everyone the mouth throw-up.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">crash diet:.</u> if you have seen me eat, you know i am serious about food and will be up until the 'big day'. i will certainly workout and watch what i eat, but if i am watching a spoonful of ice cream go into my mouth, i am not going to stress (p.s. isn't it ironic that stressed out brides crash diet?! i think they should just reach for a big bowl of ice cream and give themselves a brain freeze). side note to my photographer (whoever you are), we need to discuss how i should pose so my arms don't look so large and my shoulders don't look like you tried to photoshop a linebacker.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">change my relationship with drew:.</u> as a couple, we have not 'made it', in fact, i think we are far from 'making it'. i know marriage takes work. hell, our relationship before marriage has required work and i do not expect that to change. in the end, i know that the 'work' doesn't seem so bad with him, the payoff is totally worth it. i will not stop respecting or appreciating him. i will still hide post-it notes around our house for him to find and thank him for cleaning the liter or pouring me a glass of wine (do you see a wine theme here?). i will not 'let myself go' or turn into a bridezilla. i will not lose my independence or expect him to lose his. basically, we are going to keep doing our thing, but we'll just make it a little more official. damnit, i just love him so much! <br />
<br />
maybe i wrote these rules to help with perspective when i am knee-deep in wedding planning, but after a weekend of being engaged, i realized that not too much has changed. yes, i have a shiny ring on, a wedding to plan, i get to change my last name, i get to quit saying boyfriend, but in the same breath, i still look forward to having my best friend over to paint nails and trash talk Teen Mom. i still rush home to see drew after work or make sure that having dinner together is a priority. i still plan yoga dates with my friends. i guess i realized that if the rest of my life consists of homemade dinners, Netflix, playing Scrabble and working out with my "best friend" than i am one lucky lady.<br />
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always striving for more,<br />
dee b.Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-68998274459791541052014-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:002014-03-01T11:08:11.453-08:00i have a fiancé.hmm....where do i start this post? it seems so surreal to be writing this!!! also, we got engaged about 5 hours ago (but who is counting) and i am already taking time to write this....bear with me, there is a reason for that!!!<br />
<br />
SO, the past 2 weeks i have been traveling for work in CA and OR. while i have enjoyed the warmer weather and being able to see new places, i was very ready to get back and spend a week at our new house in MN before spending the last 3 weeks in March traveling to NJ, MA, SC, AZ, and TX, again for work! my flight was scheduled to leave this morning at 7:05 am which meant a 4:45 wake-up to return my rental car and get through security (i know, i am really bad at telling stories. i realize this is the boring part, i'm getting there). of course, there were maintenance issues so we were stuck on the run-way for about 20 minutes before we headed BACK to the gate. after an hour and a half of being stuck on the plane, we were finally cleared for take-off. fast forward 3 hours, i landed in MN, hadn't showered in 2 days, still wearing yesterday's make-up and SO ready to get home. once i turned on my phone, i had a text from drew saying that he made something for me to take along on my next bout of trips - pause - drew has had a few 'surprises' for me the past couple months and they always ended up being something like flowers, a pack of new workout socks or tickets to a play. don't get me wrong, i loved all of them (i wear the socks to the gym all the time), but it was no ring. i even texted my girlfriends about this new surprise and placed a bet that it was another pack of socks. while waiting for him to get home from work, i fell asleep on our couch - holding my laptop with a cat fast asleep on my chest, it was precious. he woke me up and said he wanted to give me my present. in my sleepy haze, i was looking around the kitchen for it and he was like, 'uhm, it's right here on the counter' (it was a notebook). the notebook was actually a scrapbook that he had put together with little trinkets from our 3 years together - our Hamline student IDs (where it all started), receipt from our first date, many tickets stubs from movies we have seen, a scorecard from a mini-golf game, my Hamline graduation tassel (when he met my family for the first time), plane tickets from trips together and much more! i was already tearing up thinking about how thoughtful he was to keep all of these things for the past 3+ years. but still clueless as to what was actually happening (i blame it on the lack of sleep). the last page was a note to me and at the bottom it said, turn around....of course, as i turned around, he was down on one knee with a ring - the PERFECT ring!<br />
<br />
i didn't know how i was going to react when and if this moment happened (yes, i did realize it was heading in that direction, we just bought a house together) - there were, what i would like to call, classy tears (but no blubbering) and all i remember telling him is 'i am so happy to be home'. later, i asked him if i actually had said 'yes'...neither of us remember. after realizing what had happened and then remembering how horrible i looked, i called my parents! naturally, they didn't answer. p.s. there should be a guide on 'what to do in the first hour you get engaged'. after my parents didn't answer, i was clueless. when i got ahold of them, my mom put on speaker since her and my dad were driving to dinner. we talked to drew's parents and i sent a few texts. again, i wish i would have had a guide as what to do - do i call? do i text? do i snap chat? i certainly did not want anyone's day to stop on our account. plus, i had just gotten home from being gone all week and we were both spending time on our phones when i was really just wanted to be happy to be home with him, not even mentioning getting ENGAGED!<br />
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ok, don't die over how ridiculously romantic this next part is....part of what made the big surprise was i knew that drew had to study for his midterm (which is 8:00-11:00 am on Saturday morning), so since i was still tired and didn't want to shower and being the match-made-in-heaven that we are, we totally agreed to pick up Chipotle to go. on our way home from Chipotle, we stopped by Target so he could get notecards and a printer for studying. after eating Chipotle while watching an episode of Weeds, he is now studying and i am writing this - have i mentioned that we go by our own rules?! we are REALLY looking forward to celebrating our engagement tomorrow, after i get a good night's sleep and he kills his midterm exam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6bsqaCHaLvcTFEdAcqVcFlnDiUWC41Tl6sUOJcORspgPJBjwgEFR2fdbKxiZcbp5gwMNJzGu2kbfPbHqr2XLh7xZjM9nBGDiQ7wdwC_JZ4TW79uex7ScmW3QU7kYrdTaqut1yTzrAIE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6bsqaCHaLvcTFEdAcqVcFlnDiUWC41Tl6sUOJcORspgPJBjwgEFR2fdbKxiZcbp5gwMNJzGu2kbfPbHqr2XLh7xZjM9nBGDiQ7wdwC_JZ4TW79uex7ScmW3QU7kYrdTaqut1yTzrAIE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY-tUmqV5QYLto1b5CNLip0vT2Ezpr8uvsX5UJ8ZeOT-xtmolxHDuwOTaXjmIlc7DTeF53upOOOncB4CVsPKZlQv7NJ0G8sh-Hgt_4wzSJnSTc5ZhFv89YZNe2f7IRSI6USvINIQP6Po/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY-tUmqV5QYLto1b5CNLip0vT2Ezpr8uvsX5UJ8ZeOT-xtmolxHDuwOTaXjmIlc7DTeF53upOOOncB4CVsPKZlQv7NJ0G8sh-Hgt_4wzSJnSTc5ZhFv89YZNe2f7IRSI6USvINIQP6Po/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">please notice his mohawk and my chubby, freshman cheeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasxk5LKwLKqn4AjKVkYKoql_JY8V3TqFtw-dA7KhRNCvaLu312DzQOreII2BQfKjiAPqmxn-ax_4Kyp-WYd-EYGYhoy1h-cmuzbwzwFA3TxpOI4WbBZnFWXrzHbTvX3sCUzAbykfvlkg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasxk5LKwLKqn4AjKVkYKoql_JY8V3TqFtw-dA7KhRNCvaLu312DzQOreII2BQfKjiAPqmxn-ax_4Kyp-WYd-EYGYhoy1h-cmuzbwzwFA3TxpOI4WbBZnFWXrzHbTvX3sCUzAbykfvlkg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i could NEVER find the card on the left - this was the line to call in sick when i worked at UCare, now i know where it has been all this time... </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Jr-mJzUZQYGXAISv8suH6Rl-Q6VUy2T1K7NPTds3PCR1GTPsFi5kH5i0J5M6AVJfWcuxoVupkg4XvfNvGTboZ6ZR_V68l5CsX8ZrvLxCqBIFSNEbTfN1GDxLhn_xouV73bJsGuCzHFY/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Jr-mJzUZQYGXAISv8suH6Rl-Q6VUy2T1K7NPTds3PCR1GTPsFi5kH5i0J5M6AVJfWcuxoVupkg4XvfNvGTboZ6ZR_V68l5CsX8ZrvLxCqBIFSNEbTfN1GDxLhn_xouV73bJsGuCzHFY/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 years ago, we went to the MN state fair with his mom and sister, Lizzie - she ended up winning a MASSIVE gorilla! i actually forgot about this! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TbyHsHy5y_oj2o3nalbCxQFOZ_mAk6qkGdaOidWFBGxhsJzawrF7YffghD1oVfFWaRqKzYi46v-sRIpt8DWonpyAx1ZRguJhCu6wRBlgSpTjuJK6WzcGI9SJy5nqd3W-NfATaGiQhM0/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TbyHsHy5y_oj2o3nalbCxQFOZ_mAk6qkGdaOidWFBGxhsJzawrF7YffghD1oVfFWaRqKzYi46v-sRIpt8DWonpyAx1ZRguJhCu6wRBlgSpTjuJK6WzcGI9SJy5nqd3W-NfATaGiQhM0/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my ROSE GOLD ring - i feel bad that my hands are so incredibly ugly from traveling, my pretty ring looks horribly out of place.... </td></tr>
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holy shit, drew is my fiancé. i have a fiancé.<br />
<br />
<br />
always striving for more,<br />
dee b.Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-53905655631480190812014-02-28T20:44:00.002-08:002014-02-28T20:47:28.387-08:00an honest man:.first off, i feel kind of bad for not showing some gratitude in my last post - we REALLY received a lot of support from family and friends throughout this entire home-buying process. so, to drew's dad for checking out every house we fell in love with and making sure it wouldn't fall down on us and drew's mom and grandma for helping us clean, to my parents for their advice on negotiating and escrowing to get what we want, to everyone who offered help and well wishes and lastly, our realtor who battled with us until the end - THANK YOU!!! seriously, we are so endlessly grateful and you have helped make this experience.<br />
<br />
ok, enough on the home stuff and onto MEXICO!!! naturally, i started this post as soon as we got back, but not having free internet on my recent work trip delayed things a bit. i have been looking forward to this trip since my brother, nic, and his now wife, traci, got engaged last spring. not only was it going to be a vacation (during the WORST month to be in MN), but it was also a celebration of love (corny, i know, hang in there). nic is what we the call the golden child of our family - think diamond studded jeans, shoes that are too expensive to get scuffed and a toiletry bag that costs more than my car payment. this is not to say that he hasn't earned every single thing he has because he is also the oldest and most career-driven child of the family. career-wise, nic has ALWAYS had tunnel vision of where he wants to go, who wants to be and is unapologetic if you couldn't keep up. secretly, we (mainly, my mom and i) were nervous that he would never slow down enough to find a sidekick, someone worth cutting his 12+ hour days just a little bit shorter. enter traci - a petite, genuinely sweet southern belle. we were basically all blown away and placing bets at how long she would last with nic (kidding....kinda). fast forward 6 years, 4 of which were long distance (either Charlotte to Cleveland or Cleveland to LA), to their wedding day - yea, i guess you could say she's that ride or die material.<br />
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to nic and traci: you truly are a beautiful couple - inside and out! i cannot tell you how excited i am for you to start this new journey together and LIVE IN THE SAME CITY! you have stood by each other's side through job changes, cross-country moves, several frequent flyer miles, and separate holidays - you are each other's biggest fans and i have faith that you will make it through anything! also, i cannot wait to come see you guys at the end of March :)<br />
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onto pictures - beware there are a lot!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIEnIe9VznxfshmmfFoa56yQQdwHVNaZ00rp7RqHJaTiAgJGVIdhzrHbgRWam8rxxm-YO3WHm0vPhtomC2FpftFUtSbiUEUAqZeN5D6hTxv3bJuQ3vz17L-3nbLSQA9jZWZ7ldztusnU/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIEnIe9VznxfshmmfFoa56yQQdwHVNaZ00rp7RqHJaTiAgJGVIdhzrHbgRWam8rxxm-YO3WHm0vPhtomC2FpftFUtSbiUEUAqZeN5D6hTxv3bJuQ3vz17L-3nbLSQA9jZWZ7ldztusnU/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the bride getting beautified and the mother-of-the bride taking it all in :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvo28rqF23ORa4NnK4WkUx8j4PNENswNOtCovc1VHwiFt22JzG4BG1DLUNo6aZucR0zPKQ-4YfejxMwa9k7nSvHjMb6QzRmphPiqDvf5kInNAX4YRoZplnHQM1UWUPmsmGGH3cRatQok/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvo28rqF23ORa4NnK4WkUx8j4PNENswNOtCovc1VHwiFt22JzG4BG1DLUNo6aZucR0zPKQ-4YfejxMwa9k7nSvHjMb6QzRmphPiqDvf5kInNAX4YRoZplnHQM1UWUPmsmGGH3cRatQok/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">how gorgeous does my new sister look?! please note, she was not wearing heels - i felt like Hulk. </td></tr>
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</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkDITrTUpakmOCXaSua2ncZhRx8tkNI8cn__cVzhnZKVq7LpiHer_2qpqzKRHU2_SmEJFQldkKfhTOu5uqjG5xDfMuk-6iFtA-1fiZtU6zWsIT8UBX7se4jXVCDWf86pkri2FOU3iDZs/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkDITrTUpakmOCXaSua2ncZhRx8tkNI8cn__cVzhnZKVq7LpiHer_2qpqzKRHU2_SmEJFQldkKfhTOu5uqjG5xDfMuk-6iFtA-1fiZtU6zWsIT8UBX7se4jXVCDWf86pkri2FOU3iDZs/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">selfie with my date</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cuyh_1p1H3KMvSrTRPe61YQtXeKE7DZvwSTKdo1mnz3fL1upmp4CAe3eLB2t1kOGfsLl7rrOgkJBfvQMZ_Vo2Fn7I2KCGlJbsBkb7ynyCMsKY058Xtn9PruRUNdefRVOB9xFYq9W4x4/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cuyh_1p1H3KMvSrTRPe61YQtXeKE7DZvwSTKdo1mnz3fL1upmp4CAe3eLB2t1kOGfsLl7rrOgkJBfvQMZ_Vo2Fn7I2KCGlJbsBkb7ynyCMsKY058Xtn9PruRUNdefRVOB9xFYq9W4x4/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seriously, the venue was unbelievable - that is the ocean, FYI</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFhtV5lrbxwtBFDgffjuFZ1SvTXUE36aTNq6jdnw4DJLlWrAVaXL0lNejng7KvN8_T3OVshfFLVEdnfaB-gHy5lNJmFlvc0gtnzbB75CH5PkZQ88soTWpeCyQshzFvys91rVdIviSeTY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFhtV5lrbxwtBFDgffjuFZ1SvTXUE36aTNq6jdnw4DJLlWrAVaXL0lNejng7KvN8_T3OVshfFLVEdnfaB-gHy5lNJmFlvc0gtnzbB75CH5PkZQ88soTWpeCyQshzFvys91rVdIviSeTY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">still the ocean and still, their WEDDING VENUE!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzST-SFm856_z-IhdHfPuoxSvPNmEpSfCS9SW22u1pk4ROjrF0DcUjNo5x1LKF1xU4XbCNWMvHcypKHTJYVbU8yTYz4Y6WzyYAmLl_T-yw2TQecRV_WAyo2K-gBsyutsVIG2KeF5pHgI/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzST-SFm856_z-IhdHfPuoxSvPNmEpSfCS9SW22u1pk4ROjrF0DcUjNo5x1LKF1xU4XbCNWMvHcypKHTJYVbU8yTYz4Y6WzyYAmLl_T-yw2TQecRV_WAyo2K-gBsyutsVIG2KeF5pHgI/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ok, had to share this one - they had a group of tourists (who may have been of asian descent) following them with cameras thinking they were celebrities. yes, they looked THAT good!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS2L0bpjG4D4op4awrhfJgwPhNQNBKRaI0gz-7fn0VjeLBvxsCWVy5U0puBdXOYeyyPO1GqYbiK3NP2cerHhJkeh0tH44XSrNro5zoZS2Ra8WY27chsATCRrCXGmEoM7JnI-swCqM46A/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS2L0bpjG4D4op4awrhfJgwPhNQNBKRaI0gz-7fn0VjeLBvxsCWVy5U0puBdXOYeyyPO1GqYbiK3NP2cerHhJkeh0tH44XSrNro5zoZS2Ra8WY27chsATCRrCXGmEoM7JnI-swCqM46A/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mr. and mrs barlage - told you they looked good (babies, cough, cough)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KuaXLfQZSIuW6C8pUxbQzA0L70otoNvH_mTf9JQ3UrvX0uaiQmjla8A7ilVUcgT1_3-ghXZpbUOIlhaME1c4L1P30jcO0MUbpGRgKKmpE4OdaFOHxYwwD20p-dlxTklDDkd8EOm2300/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KuaXLfQZSIuW6C8pUxbQzA0L70otoNvH_mTf9JQ3UrvX0uaiQmjla8A7ilVUcgT1_3-ghXZpbUOIlhaME1c4L1P30jcO0MUbpGRgKKmpE4OdaFOHxYwwD20p-dlxTklDDkd8EOm2300/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uhm, this was their reception - that was the bar area. notice EVERYONE at the bar...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6Q5xZgNVaoyws0eY1t8lBdxWCS-j19H0Gepf4t9YhsUigW0Vo6NMBURft_DwzwSgu7TiFX7lQkBV783qRdV978lZd_Cd1GbdpSnFc0NXfbJCuKdfOz62LNBTSYZBqFce79763aiXQQc/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6Q5xZgNVaoyws0eY1t8lBdxWCS-j19H0Gepf4t9YhsUigW0Vo6NMBURft_DwzwSgu7TiFX7lQkBV783qRdV978lZd_Cd1GbdpSnFc0NXfbJCuKdfOz62LNBTSYZBqFce79763aiXQQc/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first dance *swoon*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjImDRxB0Fv1tHemGddq0qdJI6N3EBDQEJGpV49O40YOm6KaPx0jT2VyZdJlJMaUMSczQsy_gJU5r65XCia9r4widpo73r0G3og3mewvgE0YCYE5-Wjwk0bbsfbScWuA1A5Lb-QwP8Gc/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjImDRxB0Fv1tHemGddq0qdJI6N3EBDQEJGpV49O40YOm6KaPx0jT2VyZdJlJMaUMSczQsy_gJU5r65XCia9r4widpo73r0G3og3mewvgE0YCYE5-Wjwk0bbsfbScWuA1A5Lb-QwP8Gc/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my date again, *swoon*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftIqZReep7LeTQVfeMfwkrZ70yCrJv5xwnqMWy5Ykl1q4UBXeFiSlZXsHfL8sXFlrRy8PhYA7ElNzheKxuZQKN8xh8-2zXCl4ut2G0znchmj5eHTou_V0sj-uAxIC4T1p_hB1KBG6aP8/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftIqZReep7LeTQVfeMfwkrZ70yCrJv5xwnqMWy5Ykl1q4UBXeFiSlZXsHfL8sXFlrRy8PhYA7ElNzheKxuZQKN8xh8-2zXCl4ut2G0znchmj5eHTou_V0sj-uAxIC4T1p_hB1KBG6aP8/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my dad who can beat ANYONE up! i look awkward, but i am pretty sure my feet were bleeding at this point...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-B1wi8cNmIPFVr_er9QR3AGjPla6peiRORg_IggqroKdQ3cQUsgYdIug66pqXouYKrYPFKgY6LL3ypvHlzai3yjKt_dZMghoi8hJdpPmIO8asu1pNPGIbeaon1cEwYXl6x3T4HOhVco/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-B1wi8cNmIPFVr_er9QR3AGjPla6peiRORg_IggqroKdQ3cQUsgYdIug66pqXouYKrYPFKgY6LL3ypvHlzai3yjKt_dZMghoi8hJdpPmIO8asu1pNPGIbeaon1cEwYXl6x3T4HOhVco/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">precious moments captured between the groom and his loving parents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSrD1AIWLQKoQ0P0wFoRmMJox4e93vN95vJdGMl7LxowSUA0nupzO2hDVBXWX9POQPZBkCCJJWPb_kiU3TDv9Ybk8pKNfDcQxK2sRLWXushh4vQpLoxYRoATgtGqnkoTvSCmcmuT0UVM/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSrD1AIWLQKoQ0P0wFoRmMJox4e93vN95vJdGMl7LxowSUA0nupzO2hDVBXWX9POQPZBkCCJJWPb_kiU3TDv9Ybk8pKNfDcQxK2sRLWXushh4vQpLoxYRoATgtGqnkoTvSCmcmuT0UVM/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">again, the reception - yes, it was a cave turned massive tiki hit and yes, that is river running around it. any questions? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkGhrukw7XNpAstfgZosXZk77C7Cs0KDwohyUgvEbiM6HPM5cHReJVF2V9s-ZdB5qOYhFaO2v88QH6ICdoF1j6GQAbryAb2W8xP7PCGpjm_w5Ad6_GmewvjGKd3lF-EaBPrtPFoxHKH4/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkGhrukw7XNpAstfgZosXZk77C7Cs0KDwohyUgvEbiM6HPM5cHReJVF2V9s-ZdB5qOYhFaO2v88QH6ICdoF1j6GQAbryAb2W8xP7PCGpjm_w5Ad6_GmewvjGKd3lF-EaBPrtPFoxHKH4/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a (professional) painter doing a live painting of their reception - again, A-list celebrities here, people<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>The rest of these pictures are post-wedding</b></span> </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc87AO3aV_x7sAKjQ4uz7slYat-MMrkq91Stk22hhj-AXiRqT5-0W6GpCUWbkLevxb32TxxbPbZ2s4LMfGt4GZIWk4gaDyqhcaqqmv1odSOj4LOxXqmbvBqFDlOJ-9FUYjMbrF8D8OkY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc87AO3aV_x7sAKjQ4uz7slYat-MMrkq91Stk22hhj-AXiRqT5-0W6GpCUWbkLevxb32TxxbPbZ2s4LMfGt4GZIWk4gaDyqhcaqqmv1odSOj4LOxXqmbvBqFDlOJ-9FUYjMbrF8D8OkY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dang, my parents are GOOOOOOOD looking!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ZutXRdrrBQb_vKIe106PhazvJPfYWUBAaDP833JgR9I30kcPo2SwQXk8EHuCABzlbRMw8pwowiRgaAB01ds5jPptG5Hodt4TvUgCqX4Kgdz-xB8t7oJfNUYLtngjc3HTQXXfLi-Sis/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ZutXRdrrBQb_vKIe106PhazvJPfYWUBAaDP833JgR9I30kcPo2SwQXk8EHuCABzlbRMw8pwowiRgaAB01ds5jPptG5Hodt4TvUgCqX4Kgdz-xB8t7oJfNUYLtngjc3HTQXXfLi-Sis/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my brother, who is married. yes, my biceps are bigger than his and yes, i can beat him up... </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5BxB3P0U1dfAVsEbbe6PELeTwhmG-8VWeh4T0HcimdcSenvg1QNpX5wcSX8CoaejZkivFFsdCdpY_nP-YfxoULBn_fQiu8cPlurTD8DWebv4YgxgIKt32g7MGjvq7W8G29CXBjRLoSg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5BxB3P0U1dfAVsEbbe6PELeTwhmG-8VWeh4T0HcimdcSenvg1QNpX5wcSX8CoaejZkivFFsdCdpY_nP-YfxoULBn_fQiu8cPlurTD8DWebv4YgxgIKt32g7MGjvq7W8G29CXBjRLoSg/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and 'justin bieber' hanging out at the market - drew was thrilled to pay $5 for this picture</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQspqwcR2tVwlTLNjKnJ_2Uk1gnpcHPb4XznAzHlcZG99epzlXxYkeeDMI324cksh487QM_AIqF79ZOmutZBCP2u4D9fNWLwDcSOyQ3fpxRExXiteChgdK2VlGgu24-oDe-R4Tpp_Kfj4/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQspqwcR2tVwlTLNjKnJ_2Uk1gnpcHPb4XznAzHlcZG99epzlXxYkeeDMI324cksh487QM_AIqF79ZOmutZBCP2u4D9fNWLwDcSOyQ3fpxRExXiteChgdK2VlGgu24-oDe-R4Tpp_Kfj4/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">date night!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmUDr9-KKM-EZigTSVV-WLDqRyb934qQlEFa3BpuCszwk-4HQxWNAeu7YRtCJiyjXhlHsnwRNHozf4rK9kp4eIaa4EhIJPUYqZXACBBTU-nPV-Y0kYCsuo61CykoYeUC5uzv0yOD-3JE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmUDr9-KKM-EZigTSVV-WLDqRyb934qQlEFa3BpuCszwk-4HQxWNAeu7YRtCJiyjXhlHsnwRNHozf4rK9kp4eIaa4EhIJPUYqZXACBBTU-nPV-Y0kYCsuo61CykoYeUC5uzv0yOD-3JE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i may have made a friend during date night and i may have shared my top sirloin with him</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlDokUtHqT16kBSx2rj0VuLgnrMoMQvHIYhL1gphsXqVoHt-O9K85Be1FeDaMpklkULFy9Oam1f15xiy1lgdoUuBlTcQ6Swmm8atZNUuExYnso_8TaAL8_aYziKCUG4F2L7JXVr7FbBI/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlDokUtHqT16kBSx2rj0VuLgnrMoMQvHIYhL1gphsXqVoHt-O9K85Be1FeDaMpklkULFy9Oam1f15xiy1lgdoUuBlTcQ6Swmm8atZNUuExYnso_8TaAL8_aYziKCUG4F2L7JXVr7FbBI/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the OCEAN! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzk-sp8EjMqMdzFMErqfT1r1JV3VQyBRX1gvuGflRlij3nwPqF3iipSrE5yjF_vfeiZk3BgceOYBJVsKE7zTW8Rtfe0doPooHdQHUBPy1VwlYQNg0dVHtHPFsyBlNJbs6X2cr_MILrLk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzk-sp8EjMqMdzFMErqfT1r1JV3VQyBRX1gvuGflRlij3nwPqF3iipSrE5yjF_vfeiZk3BgceOYBJVsKE7zTW8Rtfe0doPooHdQHUBPy1VwlYQNg0dVHtHPFsyBlNJbs6X2cr_MILrLk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another date night hibachi-style</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAxwp13BTaECj4GSZarD34vsMdP4EZe-VYk8JJUSly0ehQp01XCRcrvd5VmXeRA0LmrzgxTTpPZ76IVZmWzhV5xcEk7ZqAYZfDAL5-RwPiMbWUO6t3JyBY2g8l2hBuRz1m5Aplk8uJoo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAxwp13BTaECj4GSZarD34vsMdP4EZe-VYk8JJUSly0ehQp01XCRcrvd5VmXeRA0LmrzgxTTpPZ76IVZmWzhV5xcEk7ZqAYZfDAL5-RwPiMbWUO6t3JyBY2g8l2hBuRz1m5Aplk8uJoo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loading up on espresso before heading to the airport :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySgBLGMHdDB13L2swN5ERICePR8ofRw5ISdLhoXgJqZI5tARZ9YWJ6u_6tYM1zLbI173h6FZf9l9yCcMrn2xRY7qo_ERrD85Gb1ohabL05LUia35ekamjEG2fGofCxgfMkgAy-t6EQoE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySgBLGMHdDB13L2swN5ERICePR8ofRw5ISdLhoXgJqZI5tARZ9YWJ6u_6tYM1zLbI173h6FZf9l9yCcMrn2xRY7qo_ERrD85Gb1ohabL05LUia35ekamjEG2fGofCxgfMkgAy-t6EQoE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my main squeeze, i really need to work on a pose that doesn't make my arm look large and in charge<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">there you have it! traci and nic will be celebrating their 1-month of marriage tomorrow and i finally have this post done and already wishing we could rewind and do it one more time...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">always striving for more, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">dee b.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">**i realize that some of you may have been expecting a little bit different post, but stay tuned.... :)</span></div>
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Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-33065502897732605702014-02-07T13:48:00.000-08:002014-02-07T14:39:49.345-08:00what happens when you fall off the wagon? you just have to start somewhere.... <br />
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oh boy, where do i begin? i have never been on a hiatus this long, but i swear it has been warranted and i truly have missed it. i literally do not even KNOW where to begin.....maybe, i will just rewind through my Instagram pictures and go from there....buckle up!<br />
<br />
drew and i decided that we needed to start looking for a new place to live - we loved where we were, but we were kind of outgrowing it (no, no surprise announcements, we just buy a lot of stuff). with him back in school at Carlson, a space for him to hide away and study was important. we were also living in a duplex and we were (specifically, me) over sharing a front door and recyling with other people. when we were first discussing, i made it clear that there was no way i would buy a house right now, that is too big of a commitment and i wouldn't have money to pay for anxiety pills. fast forward a few weeks, many property searches and mortgage calculations, he had convinced me that buying would be more financial savvy than renting. being the fab people we are, we started our search with chic condos in DT St. Paul (disk scratching noise) which quickly resulted in looking for houses for several reasons such as association fees, less than 1,000 square feet and resale values. bless our realtor's heart (many times over, more to come on that), he was great about showing us properties all across the spectrum since we didn't even know what we wanted - if you have been 'lucky' enough to search for your first home, you know exactly what i mean. oh, how your mind and priorities change! <br />
<br />
<strong>**plot twist**</strong> <br />
<br />
just as we were heating up the search, drew tore his MCL playing in a late-night soccer league. i won't elaborate too much on this since he had already met his deductible for 2013 and injuries are nothing new around our house, but just to put your mind at ease, he has healed wonderfully (he is a freak at healing, think Hulk) and is well on the road to recovery. we are tied at 5 knee surgeries apiece and while i am competitive, i plan to stay in the yoga studio to avoid winning this one. thank the lord i had some help around the house while he was laid up....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJoOMDq5Xb_jrt70liIMK1VCSKRywO23sEpzGWYSk3vxPyup7cUw116fSxuaNEqH2jJ05r5RmhH3O3IgC-8p-nuV50YEh6ngpHCfDKmPrFFp_YRPA3gqAYr-dGfhhlncRLEaNg2LqOQM/s1600/drew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJoOMDq5Xb_jrt70liIMK1VCSKRywO23sEpzGWYSk3vxPyup7cUw116fSxuaNEqH2jJ05r5RmhH3O3IgC-8p-nuV50YEh6ngpHCfDKmPrFFp_YRPA3gqAYr-dGfhhlncRLEaNg2LqOQM/s1600/drew.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"if you're not first, you're last"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y-xTxXUHsBeP0VcygUIvRCt48K8XoWWHIEg1OMR0b49haytU8W22xSls1obYoMe2JAmo3uyzjyUZHRyIMMvgZDkoSSgsusOJ-uhA1jNTmkA2CkW-WN4z5QoaGk3kOPQBTdXPNqAUC3o/s1600/drewandhelen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y-xTxXUHsBeP0VcygUIvRCt48K8XoWWHIEg1OMR0b49haytU8W22xSls1obYoMe2JAmo3uyzjyUZHRyIMMvgZDkoSSgsusOJ-uhA1jNTmkA2CkW-WN4z5QoaGk3kOPQBTdXPNqAUC3o/s1600/drewandhelen.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5a32e918a6&view=fimg&th=1440e3894d9142dc&attid=0.5&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8iQO--c3bHKjgF_4CNIKuRUarMdIoK17CqnM4jkrufrea3OLPTuBka2rP_q3burGALvC53_cvOLElGOa97VrVj47NABuW2MOxngB575CpXpNJnElLhmcIgUO8&ats=1391808087753&rm=1440e3894d9142dc&zw&sz=w880-h313" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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the night before drew went into surgery and before he was really laid up, our realtor set up 4 showings, including one that we had cancelled previously. the last house for the night, past my bedtime at 9:30, we found our house! yes, it was the one that we had turned down before. what can we say? our realtor knew what he was doing! :) our house (i can call it ours now that we have moved in) was a flip house - prior to them flipping it, it was basically condemned, but they worked their magic and everything was brand new: carpet, furnace, plumbing, electrical, appliances, etc., basically a dream come true!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHaDByA6N8kYPukvV1T24NDzjHBP-xNEdhcSi473AwgHkKYkCiBKZmZrRFTBIXjRuyAeQcGJuFibSyFM7oWWKEOrIOjHADzCQ1uMC2xMLUgGESj_8B5lRvtvQ_XHhB8Tr7cwZI_yuRXM/s1600/before1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHaDByA6N8kYPukvV1T24NDzjHBP-xNEdhcSi473AwgHkKYkCiBKZmZrRFTBIXjRuyAeQcGJuFibSyFM7oWWKEOrIOjHADzCQ1uMC2xMLUgGESj_8B5lRvtvQ_XHhB8Tr7cwZI_yuRXM/s1600/before1.png" height="301" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">before (you needed a tetanus shot)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGRtcFO7jq_D-fOCLYTCDtufnpODp78xPj8pgqdbmjro3PrZVkO5egpsgbMOWM8tPbXJvkdXnHeymES-qqZqtsH556ZUwGwPqvT0wRHA_jDCCjk9g-ps0tBMPzyzPVn-1vf74h3wnsHk/s1600/after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGRtcFO7jq_D-fOCLYTCDtufnpODp78xPj8pgqdbmjro3PrZVkO5egpsgbMOWM8tPbXJvkdXnHeymES-qqZqtsH556ZUwGwPqvT0wRHA_jDCCjk9g-ps0tBMPzyzPVn-1vf74h3wnsHk/s1600/after.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after</td></tr>
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i don't even know where to connect the dots between putting in an offer and closing....<br />
<br />
per usual, we counter-offered with the sellers several times before coming to an agreement. once an agreement had been reached, we found out that the house required an updated Certificate of Occupancy with the city of St. Paul before we could move in. after adjusting our offer and the contingencies, we set a closing date for January 17th. a week before closing, we received word that the city inspection had passed, the certificate had been issued and everything was in place to close on January 17th.<br />
<br />
<strong>**plot twist**</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
we found out 2 days before closing that they did not show up to the inspection so an inspection had not been completed and we were so not good to close. thankfully, the city inspector was able to get out there the next day to sign everything off to ensure we could close on time. <br />
<br />
<strong>**plot twist**</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
the city inspector was out there and signed everything off, but was out of the office the next 2 days and could not complete the appropriate paperwork for verification. oh yea, and the sellers didn't even show up to closing. awesome. so, this is where we were at - drew and i were leaving for Mexico in less than 2 weeks (more on that later) and needed to be out of our current place before we left. forget that drew was still healing and forget that we had that thing called work. to make a (really) long story, short, we spent the weekend sulking (and shopping) and the next week living out of the boxes we had already packed, but were able to close the following friday. we are now homeowners! and honestly, it was worth every sleepless night and headache - we absolutely love it! another amazing thing? as stressed and as tired as we were, we didn't argue once! we were in it together from the beginning and we just hunkered down (with a bottle of wine) and pushed through. maybe buying a house is for married people, but as i have mentioned before, drew and i tend to go by our own rules. plus, my kitchen is ALMOST as good as a ring :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD72EMhcJChSBFeeOnkPRJ3XuFXrv_msAxuLnB_cDC52luqK_gpP-29ASxeWatE7QmHvKZgJdZl83XPS-vuXP1X5i7n96zzWXByqEnmgeO0dw1w8c1vHGlc4PWzo5lyOkQowBVQxhMtvg/s1600/new+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD72EMhcJChSBFeeOnkPRJ3XuFXrv_msAxuLnB_cDC52luqK_gpP-29ASxeWatE7QmHvKZgJdZl83XPS-vuXP1X5i7n96zzWXByqEnmgeO0dw1w8c1vHGlc4PWzo5lyOkQowBVQxhMtvg/s1600/new+house.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we were exhausted, but excited. the cats were just confused. </td></tr>
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oh, the holidays? yea, we basically skipped those this year - like every year, we went our separate ways to continue family traditions (and we both had a blast, but can't wait to actually spend a holiday together). mexico?! well, we literally just got back from mexico and i think that deserves it's own post since MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED!!! did i forget to mention drew's birthday?! in the midst of the madness, drew turned 28 and he definitely feels older (must have been that 5th knee surgery). we spent the night out going to dinner at The Smack Shack (highly recommend it) followed by Acme Comedy club (even higher recommended). good food and lots of laughs, exactly what we needed! OH! i knew i was forgetting something - OUR ANNIVERSARY! with drew's surgery, the holidays, drew's birthday, going to mexico, buying a house and our anniversary, we had to pick and choose a few celebrations. we didn't plan anything for our anniversary this year (OMG, i didn't even do a Instagram collage) because we were supposed spend our anniversary with a magical weekend moving into our first home. well, as you now know, that fell through and whoever thought that moving was magical? moving sucks! anyway, we pushed back our celebration with the closing and after a day of moving, we exchanged cards, drank a glass of wine and rock, paper, scissored who was going to hang old curtains over our windows (we didn't get blinds hung as quickly as we expected) before collapsing into bed. before passing out, we promised our next anniversary would be more glamorous. again, we go by our own rules. <br />
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i promise once i get caught up, i will return to the purpose of my blog - recipes and fitness (and cats)!<br />
<br />
always striving for more,<br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-1124446799361362552013-11-04T15:59:00.000-08:002013-11-04T15:59:28.037-08:00basil feta stuffed peppers with garlic tahini saucei am pretty proud of this recipe because instead of modifying this recipe, i created it from scratch. in the past, i have made stuffed peppers with a Mexican flair to it, because what goes better with peppers (and life) than Mexican food?<br />
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this recipe was inspired by my financial stress (<a href="http://lifeonthedeelist.blogspot.com/2013/11/picture-perfect.html">remember this?</a>) and forcing myself to put something together on what was in our kitchen versus finding a recipe and heading to the grocery store to put it together. thanks to Sam's Club, we had few ingredients, but in bulk....<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">basil feta stuffed peppers with garlic lemon tahini sauce:.</span></b><br />
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>> 4 peppers<br />
>> 1 cup of quinoa (red or white), <a href="http://lifeonthedeelist.blogspot.com/2013/01/quinoa-friend-or-foe.html">cooked</a><br />
>> 1/2 cup mushrooms<br />
>> 1/2 cup broccoli<br />
>> 3 tomatoes (i used Roma, but obviously any kind would work), diced<br />
>> 1 lb of ground beef<br />
>> 1 cup feta cheese<br />
>> basil (i used dried, but would prefer fresh)<br />
>> 2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
>> salt and pepper<br />
>> coconut oil (or olive oil)<br />
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preheat oven to 300. in a large pan, heat coconut oil and garlic. once the coconut oil is melted, sauté mushrooms, broccoli and tomatoes. in a separate pan, brown the ground beef. add the cooked quinoa and browned meat to the large pan of vegetables, remove from heat. stir until well mixed. add basil, salt and pepper (how much you prefer) and feta cheese. stir until well mixed. while everything is cooking, you will want to prepare the peppers - cut tops off (not too much, just enough to open it up) and 'gut' them. once the quinoa/meat mixture is cooked, stuff each pepper with the mixture and drizzle the top with olive oil to prevent the quinoa from drying out in the oven. place in a pan that allows the peppers to stand up (i used my infamous Pyrex cake pan). bake at 300 for about 30 minutes.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">garlic lemon tahini sauce:.</span></b><br />
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>> 1 clove of garlic, minced<br />
>> 2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)<br />
>> 1/3 cup tahini sauce<br />
>> 1/3 cup water<br />
<br />
mix well with a fork and put in the fridge to stiffen - should have a yogurt consistency. drizzle over the peppers once you pull them out of the oven. warning: you may want more than that, so you should probably keep extra on your plate.<br />
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<img alt="0.jpg" height="240" src="webkit-fake-url://158C2E42-768A-4E0E-B9B0-FEBFDA2E8084/0.jpg" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" width="320" /><br />
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this recipe made plenty - you could either use it to stuff 6+ peppers or save the leftovers for something else. i used the leftovers to mix in with spaghetti squash a few days later.<br />
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i promise the recipes that i post are easy - do not let the 'different' ingredients trick you!<br />
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give it a try and let me know what you you think!<br />
<br />
always striving for more,<br />
dee b.<br />
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Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-12744946065523742812013-11-03T12:37:00.001-08:002013-11-04T14:34:37.126-08:00picture perfect:.how do you define the perfect picture? what you see on TV or in magazines? Facebook? Instagram? in a world that is getting smaller and smaller thanks to technology and social media, its easy to lose perspective on what is in front of us. through social media, its easy for people to portray their life in a rose-colored lens making the rest of us feel like we should be keeping up - i know i am not the only one who struggles with this.<br />
<br />
cleaning is often my time to decompress, to think and reflect. today, while i was cleaning, i reflected on the purpose behind all the things that i do. this week i stressed myself over money (like i frequently do). i had to get a new battery for my car which wasn't part of my 'planned' budget. this planned budget is extremely strict - i plan my budget about 5 paychecks ahead of time (yes, i do already have christmas spending marked in my datebook). i plan my budget with maybe $30 in my checkings to play with the day before payday. when this relatively inexpensive necessity came up, i was stressed, extremely annoyed and almost disappointed in myself when i had to move some money from my savings into my checkings to get me until friday (payday). drew, who is mr. finance (thank god!), often reminds me of the different, positive financial things that i have. that a savings is a safety net for emergencies, like a new car battery, and i am lucky to have one versus relying on a credit card for emergencies.<br />
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without divulging too much on my financial situation and frankly, boring you, i'll share a couple quotes with you that help me keep perspective.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>if we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>to walk in a place of contentment, there are 2 things you have to do:.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. focus on the good aspects of what you already have</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. stop thinking about what you don't have</strong></span><br />
<br />
why do i care if my house is clean? why do i care if i get my butt out of bed for 6 am yoga? why do i care if i have a savings and that it grows each month? to be honest, i'm not sure. i know that i have big plans to travel, buy a house and have financial security for myself and family. i know that my health is important to me and working out keeps me sane. i know that i enjoy cooking and take pride in providing healthy, yet tasty meals for drew and i. i know that i am much more relaxed in a clean house. i also know that i add a lot of stress in my life trying to create the 'perfect picture'.<br />
<br />
with this, i challenge you (and myself) - create your OWN perfect picture - don't let anyone or anything else, especially Facebook or Instagram, define it for you because in reality, you can't filter life.<br />
<br />
always striving for more,<br />
dee b.Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-17415882846808449582013-11-01T06:42:00.000-07:002013-11-01T06:55:19.755-07:00.:sugar hangover:.<br />
are you, like MANY other people, feeling hungover from too much candy and sugar? even though it is Friday, i am getting a sluggish feeling from A LOT of people. <br />
<br />
well, here are a couple (pumpkin) recipes that will help you continue your fall celebration, but also recover from that wicked sugar crash (or help you fit back into your jeans sooner). <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">pumpkin protein shake:.</span></strong><br />
<br />
again, this is a recipe that i have seen everywhere - Pinterest (duh!), Chris Freytag, Heidi Powell, etc. i decided to mesh together a few recipes to create something that i would like best and to include ingredients that i had around the house, per usual. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">>> 1/4 - 1/2 cup canned pumpkin<br />>> 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt<br />>> 1/2 scoop Garden of Life Raw Vanilla Chai protein powder - this was a sample packet from Vitamin Shoppe, pretty good! <br />>> 1/2 scoop Garden of Life Raw Vanilla protein powder (the chai one scared me, so i played it safe)<br />>> 2 tbsp ground flaxseed<br />>> 1 tbsp maple syrup<br />>> 1/2 cup coconut milk<br />>> 1/2 cup oats<br />>> 3 ice cubes (i am not a big fan of putting too much ice in my smoothies because 1. i don't like being cold and 2. i would rather have room for more substantial ingredients....)</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<a class="e" href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5a32e918a6&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b&attid=0.5&disp=inline&safe=1&zw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="photo 3.JPG" class="hv" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5a32e918a6&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b&attid=0.5&disp=thd&zw" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>blend!</strong> <span id=":114"></span></span><br />
<br />
i am slightly disappointed that i forgot to add almond butter, but peanut or almond butter would work well with this recipe! also, you could obviously substitute your favorite protein powder in for the Garden of Life that i used. i should probably do a post on protein powders and what to look for, but i have 2 different types of protein powder - one for after workouts that really targets repairing and recovering muscle tissue and the Garden of Life that i use in my morning smoothies which is easier to digset. i intended to make this smoothie after yoga sculpt class on wednesday night, but i was in 'hangry' mode. i had also preorded Chipotle, so i couldn't stop myself from tearing into my burrito bowl to make a pumpkin smoothie. let's be serious, i am human. <br />
<br />
play around with this recipe and see what you like - there are endless substitutions!<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">pumpkin granola:.</span></strong><br />
<br />
before i dive into this recipe, i would like to mention that this granola does not explicitly taste like pumpkin, it has pepitas in it, but you will not get a lot of pumpkin flavor (unless you want to)<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">>> 3 cups rolled oats<br />>> 1/2 cup pepitas (unhulled pumpkin seeds - ok, bascially pumpkin seeds without the white shell that you dig out of your pumpkins)<br />>> 1/2 cup slivered almonds<br />>> 1 cup flaked coconut (or 1/2 cup shredded)<br />>> 1/2 cup olive oil <br />>> 1/3 cup maple syrup (agave nectar or honey would work well too!)<br />>> 2 tsp vanilla extract <br />>> 1 tsp cinnamon<br />>> 1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />>> 1/2 tsp salt<br />>> 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds<br />>> 1/4 cup pecan pieces<br />>> 1/4 cup ground flaxseed<br />>> a couple shakes of pumpkin spice (depending on how much 'pumpkin' you want to taste)</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">preheat oven to 300 degrees. in one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: oats, pepitas, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, salt, ground flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pecan pieces. in another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla. add wet to dry and mix well - you want to make sure it is evenly coated. ideally, you will want to spread it out on a cookie sheet, but some people (me) ruined their cookie sheet in the grill (don't ask) and found that a cake pan will work well too! *be sure to spray the pan* (speaking of spray, i recently discovered the coconut oil spray at Trader Joe's, awesome!) bake at 300 for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure it bakes evenly. since i used a Pyrex cake pan, i had to let mine cook longer - i think because it wasn't 'spread out' and needed more time to fully bake. let cool and store! i store mine in mason jars, i feel better when they are sealed nice and tight! plus, i just have a thing with mason jars.</span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id=":112"></span><span id=":110"></span><a class="e" href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5a32e918a6&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="photo 1.JPG" class="hv" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5a32e918a6&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" width="149" /></a><a href="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.3&disp=emb&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.3&disp=emb&view=att&th=14213eda60c4972b" width="150" /></a></div>
<span id=":110"></span><br />
<br />
i have tried MANY granola recipes and this is the first one i have found that actually made crispy granola, not soggy stuff that will mold in days. gross. i love mixing my granola in yogurt or eating plain by the spoonfuls.<br />
<br />
i hope you enjoy these recipes and use them to help 'reset' over the weekend - speaking of resetting, don't forget to reset your clock this weekend, you do NOT want to be the dork who missed the extra hour of sleep!<br />
<br />
always striving for more, <br />
dee b.<br />
<br />
recipe was modified from: <a href="http://www.thedailymuse.com/lifestyle/the-easiest-homemade-granola/">http://www.thedailymuse.com/lifestyle/the-easiest-homemade-granola/</a> which was featured on <a href="http://greatist.com/health/best-healthy-pumpkin-recipes-102113">http://greatist.com/health/best-healthy-pumpkin-recipes-102113</a>. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-25501926477494625652013-10-30T10:08:00.000-07:002013-10-30T10:10:17.005-07:00.:the new Fall fad - spaghetti squash:.am i the only one who feels like spaghetti squash is everywhere right now, especially Pinterest?<br />
<br />
well, i have officially hopped on the spaghetti squash train! i have always loved squash, specifically acorn squash served with butter, brown sugar and 'mallows, but spaghetti squash has intimidated me (and i NEVER thought drew would eat it). until now.<br />
<br />
as i learned last night (and have been seeing on Pinterest), spaghetti squash is extremely versatile - whether, you want a low-carb substitute for your favorite pasta dish, create a fall favorite stir-fry or indulge in a new dessert. <br />
<br />
fun facts about spaghetti squash:.<br />
<br />
>> low calorie: 42 calories per cup of cooked spaghetti sqaush (compare that to a heavy 221 calories per cup of cooked pasta)<br />
>> low carb: 10 grams of carbs per cup vs. 42 grams of carbs in pasta <br />
>> nutrient-dense: beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin C, K and B-6<br />
>> high water content - read this as "i get full sooner and not just by eating fast'<br />
>> naturally gluten free <br />
for more information on the benefits of spaghetti squash, visit <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/427647-what-are-the-benefits-of-spaghetti-squash/">livestrong.com</a><br />
<br />
believe it or not, but spaghetti squash is just as easy to make as pasta (and as cheap too!) - there is only one extra step. i watched a youtube video and Google'd several times how to cook a spaghetti squash, so let me paraphrase what i found....<br />
<br />
<strong>oven:.</strong> you can bake your spaghetti squash until it is soft, but it can be more time consuming. cut your squash in half (lengthwise) and scoop out the seeds/pulp. place the cut side down in a casserole dish or cake pan - whatever is big enough to lay them down FLAT. fill the bottom of the pan with at least 1/2 inch of water and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. i'll be honest and say that i tried to do this, but i did not have a pan big enough to lay the halves flat and it did not work, so i resorted to the...<br />
<br />
<strong>microwave:.</strong> again, cut the squash in half (lengthwise) and scoop out the seeds/pulp. in one half, fill the hollowed middle with 1/2 cup of water. place the other half on top - essentially putting the cut squash back together. place it in a dish that will support the squash while it turns in the microwave - i used a loaf pan. microwave at 5 minute increments until the outside is soft (use an oven mitt to test squish it). i had a large squash, but after having it in the oven for 30 mins, it still needed 10 minutes in the microwave to soften. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.3&disp=emb&view=att&th=1420a3575c337f42" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.3&disp=emb&view=att&th=1420a3575c337f42" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i used a 'spork'...i have no idea where it came from</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>shredding:.</strong> once your squash is soft and 'squishy'on the outside, pull out the stringy flesh with a fork - it will naturally come out like spaghetti (hence, SPAGHETTI squash). feel free to shred right down to the skin, it's all good! since the squash is already cooked, you just need add it to your dish or top it off with sauce and you're done!<br />
<br />
last night, i sauteed garlic, pine nuts, mushrooms, broccoli and tomatoes in coconut oil while the squash was cooking. i also browned lamb sausage with garlic and basil in a separate pan - mainly for drew because he can NOT have a meatless meal, but i also added it to mine, it had great flavor! once my squash was done cooking, i pulled it out with a fork and threw it in my big wok with the sauteed veggies. once mixed, i squeezed in 1 lemon, added a blob of butter and sprinkled in parmesan cheese to add more 'sauce'.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.7&disp=emb&view=att&th=1420a3575c337f42" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?saduie=AG9B_P_OyXS03Z_DWEFnjQkfb4Qu&attid=0.7&disp=emb&view=att&th=1420a3575c337f42" /></a>that's it - it was incredibly good (a new favorite), cheap and made 4 LARGE servings. to put it in context for you, we ate this after getting home from the gym (hangry mode) and we both have a tupperware FILLED for lunch. <br />
<br />
i have another spaghetti squash sitting on my counter at home and while i LOVED this recipe, i am trying to decide something fun and different to do with it - maybe mac n' cheese? i plan to pick up a few more while they are in season! <br />
<br />
please share any of your favorite spaghetti squash recipes - this rookie needs more ideas!<br />
<br />
always striving for more, <br />
dee b.<br />
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p.s. i apologize for not taking more pictures throughout the process - i was in a rush to eat, i was STARVING after the gym.Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-68312994429551627152013-10-15T12:27:00.000-07:002013-10-15T12:27:21.899-07:00pumpkin goodness and goals:.'tis the season, right?! for pumpkins, that is! i am a big fan of pumpkin, but i can't go too overboard since drew doesn't help me eat ANYTHING pumpkin - it's just not his thing, yea, weirdo, i know! i have been anxiously waiting to have some free time to try these pumpkin muffins - my plans were pushed back even further when i realized the canned pumpkin in my cupboard was expired. i found this recipe thanks to <a href="http://www.dailygarnish.com/">Daily Garnish</a> - a great blog that i found for recipes a couple years ago. most of the recipes posted on her blog are easy and all of them are healthy. <br />
<br />
per usual, i adapted this recipe to better fit me (and my cupboard), but they turned out great and i am kicking myself for not making a double batch!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><strong>pumpkin pecan muffins:.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour (or flour of your choice)</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/4 teaspoon allspice</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/4 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 2 whole eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1 cup canned pumpkin (or however you get your pumpkin)</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/2 cup maple syrup</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1 teaspoon vanilla </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">>> 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">preheat the oven to 350 degrees. start by mixing all of the dry ingredients from the flour to the sugar(do not add the chopped pecans, yet). in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients from </span><span style="color: #741b47;">eggs to the vanilla. be sure that you are ready to mix in the melted coconut oil as soon as you take it out of the microwave - it hardens pretty quick! add the wet ingredients to the dry </span><span style="color: #741b47;">ingredients and stir until well mixed (obvi). add the pecans or walnuts. plop the mixture into your favorite muffin pan (or in my case, the cheapest muffin pan in the world). be sure to spray or </span><span style="color: #741b47;">grease the pan to make your life easier. bake for around 25 minutes - this may vary depending on the size of your muffins and oven. </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br />
that's it! the original recipe calls for walnuts, but i prefer pecans (they were also 1/2 the price of walnuts at Trader Joe's). the original recipe also calls for crystallized ginger - maybe someone can enlighten me, but i CANNOT find crystallized ginger. i have looked at Target and Trader Joe's before i decided it wasn't necessary - i know not very diligent, but i am not a big fan of ginger anyway. <br />
<br />
i am slightly bummed that i wasn't able to taste these when they were fresh out of the oven - forgive me, i was very full from an awesome dinner of grilled teryaki chicken and sauteed, garlic-infused asparagus and green beans which was followed up with leftover cheesecake from date night at the Cheesecake Factory (wow). i promise that i did try these before i decided to post about them JUST to make sure they were as good as they sound (you're welcome) and let me know tell you, they are pretty darn good! they are filling, but not heavy like regular muffins. i may have to make this into a loaf of bread next time.... <br />
<br />
i haven't done or set any goals lately because, well, i haven't just haven't felt compelled. with the transition of seasons, i am feeling a little more motivated!<br />
<br />
1. take care of my body:. i am obviously passionate about wellness and taking care of my body, but i need to take extra special care. i have been having back issues off and on for the past 2 months <br />
along with an insane case of plantar faciitis. i resorted to buying a PVC pipe to roll out my IT bands at home, along with constant hip flexor stretches and breaking up my plantar fascia. glamorous<br />
and sexy, i know, but if it is going to keep me on my yoga mat and in the weight room on a regular basis than i will ask drew to rub my feet with a butter knife every night - he truly loves me! :)<br />
<br />
also, about this time last year, i was recovering from either my 3rd bout of strep or the stomach flu - remember this <a href="http://lifeonthedeelist.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-have-never-used-my-blog-to-vent-but-i.html" target="_blank">post?</a> drew has already fired up our economy size humidifier, but i still need to be REALLY conscious of getting enough sleep, eating right, drinking fluids, the works - here is hoping for a much healthier hibernation season! <br />
<br />
2. get myself on new budget - drew is REALLY good at budgeting and moving money. i used to be when i was at my old job, but i have let that slip. we have a big trip to Playa del Carmen this winter <br />
for my brother's destination wedding (SO exciting!). we have the flights taken care of, but we are staying at an (expensive) all-inclusive. also, drew and i are staying a couple extra nights to have a mini-vacation. that is a main reason for getting back on a budget, but there are many other reasons (like, i still have an insane amount of student loans). for instance, every pay day morning, i pay ALL of my bills that are due during that period, put some in my savings and most likely, treat myself to a bottle of wine or something special. on monday, 2 short days after pay day, i wonder where my paycheck went and instantly start planning how i am going to make it through the next 11 days on scraps - getting KINDA tired of it. to help jump start this whole budgeting thing, i just bought "Pocket Your Dollars" on my iPad. seems counterproductive to BUY a book on budgeting, right? well, from now until October 27th, the e-book is on sale at Amazon for $3.49. $3.49!!! i couldn't resist - plus, the author is local, from Mpls, so even better! i will let you know how this goes.....<br />
<br />
3. i may just be adding this to the list so i can immediately <strike>cross it off</strike>. i have been wanting to clean out our front hallway which stored all of our camping stuff, our bikes and our accumulation of "Goodwill" things. my girlfriend from college comes over every Monday to watch Teen Mom - do not judge - we have done it since we met our freshman year of college and it makes us feel better about our lives. anyway, for about the past 3 weeks, i had to warn her before she came over 'still haven't gotten around to cleaning up our front hall, good luck climbing over everything on your way in - i suggest stretching before!". drew and i tagteamed the hallway this weekend - i did my part while he played FIFA and he continued while i went yoga - we are so good at compromising. all of our camping stuff is in storage and the Goodwill bags are in my trunk (i promise i drop them off......tomorrow). doesn't it feel so good to get rid of 'junk'?!?! <br />
<br />
4. give my blog some love - i would like to figure out how to categorize my posts (mainly, my recipes), so they are easier to find (mainly, for myself). i also have been working with drew on another cool feature - i don't want to give too much away, but it will help you put your own workouts together! i have had several people ask me to put a workout plan together for them - i'll be honest, i have a hard time putting my own workout routine together, but i'll see what i can do! and, i truly love talking about fitness or nutrition so here i just another avenue for it.... <br />
<br />
ok, that is all for now - geez, i don't post for a month and suddenly i think you want to read 'all about me'?! <br />
<br />
i guess i will get back to work and check my ego on the way.....<br />
<br />
always striving for more, <br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-78077683708186943902013-09-23T14:17:00.000-07:002013-09-23T14:17:19.755-07:00.:impermanence:.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">im·per·ma·nence
</span></b><span class="pr"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">(</span></span><span class="unicode"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">ˌ</span></span><span class="pr"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">)im-</span></span><span class="unicode"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">ˈ</span></span><span class="pr"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">pərm-nən(t)s,
-</span></span><span class="unicode"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">ˈ</span></span><span class="pr"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">pər-mə-\<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
not lasting or durable; not permanent <br />
<br />
impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of human existence. <br />
<br />
whether you are reading the Webster dictionary or reading up on buddhism (i would like to state that i am NOT buddhist), impermanence is the nature of life. nothing in this world is fixed or permanent. everything is subject to change and alteration. life is comparable to a river, a progressive movement, a successive series of different moments joining together to give the impression of one continuous flow.<br />
<br />
some days i go to yoga for a workout, some days i go for perspective. last night, i walked into the studio looking for a good sweat after being out of town, but instead got the latter. during the 75 minutes of class, the instructor continued to refer to impermanence and finding comfort in it. reflecting on my drive home, i realized that impermanence can bring comfort in hard times and gratitude in happy times. currently, impermanence fits in every aspect of my life:. relationships, work, health, financial status, even where i currently live.<br />
<br />
i find comfort in knowing that my financial status will hopefully improve as time goes on - my loans will get smaller, my income will get bigger - i will become more established. i find comfort in knowing that drew and i will eventually move into a bigger place, share less space with others and take 'the' next step, celebrating with others will turn into celebrating us. i find comfort in knowing that long days of working 2 jobs will come to an end. i find comfort in knowing that while i cannot run, i have found new passions. <br />
<br />
i find gratitude in knowing that i am more established now than i was last year. i find gratitude that i am able to manage my responsibilities. i find gratitude in the home where we currently live, what this space has meant to us and the help that we have received to make it ours. i find gratitude that we live close to (almost) everything we love. i find gratitude in drew's companionship, creating our own timelines, and following our own rules. i find gratitude that i have the opportunity to impact 3 little boys' lives so their parents can have a break. i find gratitude that i can move and control my own body. <br />
<br />
i find gratitude that i will be able to look back 5, 10 years from now and know what i have at this moment is special, unique and essentially, carefree. where i am right now is exactly where i am meant to be. <br />
<br />
find comfort in impermanence, find gratitude in impermanence because this moment, whether it is difficult or joyful, it will come to an end - either hang in there or cherish it. <br />
<br />
always striving for more, <br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-70279032071723904152013-09-20T11:47:00.001-07:002014-08-20T09:55:26.140-07:00.:green smoothies:.green smoothies are becoming a 'health staple', something that you hear about more and more. it's a great way to sneak extra veggies, especially greens, into your diet and let's be honest, with the cold weather upon us, it is always difficult to incorporate greens when the warm, comfort, carb-loaded, holiday foods are calling out to you. also, green smoothies can be intimidating and deceiving! my girlfriend recently texted me to say that she got a blender and is excited to try out new smoothies. when i mentioned green smoothie recipes, her response was, 'ugh, i think i need to work my way up to that'. i get it. the green color isn't all that appetizing and the thought of <strong>drinking</strong> spinach or kale would probably make some people gag. <br />
<br />
well, i drink several green smoothies a week and i promise i have never gagged, so let me give you a few pointers on exploring with green smoothies!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><strong>choose a green base:.</strong> if you are just starting out, spinach is great! the taste is easily hidden and it blends really smooth. thanks to the Farmer's Market, i have had heaps of kale around the house, so i mainly use kale which can have a bitter taste if you aren't used to kale. another simple option is romaine lettuce which has a lot of water content and also can be easily concealed.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>add protein:.</strong> while greens are great, most of them lack protein. i add greek yogurt (plain or vanilla to avoid sugar overload). i typically add protein powder for an extra boost - Garden of Life Raw Protein in Vanilla - because of its 'chalkiness', i would never use this type of protein for after a workout, but throwing it into a smoothie is a great way to mask it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>add fruit:.</strong> while some of you won't believe me when i say this, but it does not take a lot of fruit to hide the 'green flavor' - i PROMISE! when adding fruit, please be mindful that you are also adding SUGAR, mostly natural sugar, but sugar nonetheless. i have added several different kinds of fruits and they all work great - fresh apples, peaches, bananas, frozen mango and fresh or frozen berries. i have also 'acquired' the taste of grapefruit (blah!) because it has a high water content and is a great metabolizer (friendly note: grapefruit actually tastes better when it is stored in the fridge, it helps with the bitterness). choose something that you like and play around with ratios and flavors. i started with the basic strawberry and banana, but my new favorite is blueberry and mango.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>add boosters:.</strong> my go-to boosters are chia seeds and oats, but you can make almost anything work - avocado, peanut or almond butter, cucumber, flax seeds or maple syrup. again, you will be surprised by how well fruits and avocados and even almond butter and kale work together. </span><br />
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blending - i have gone through a few blenders in the past few years, but there are plenty of options that work extremely well. i started off with a Hamilton Beach single serve blender - you can find it at Target for around $15, it is great quality, but only comes with one blending cup. after almost 2 years, the cup (filled with my smoothie) fell out of my backpack as i was biking to work - i am fairly certain i teared up when i saw my breakfast shatter on busy Snelling Ave and i could nothing, but keep biking. after that tragedy, i bought a GNC blender set - this comes with an insane amount of cups, different sizes, shapes, tops and even a big pitcher. i splurged $30 for this one, i love it and still use it as my back up, but have most of it stored away since there are SO many attachments. drew recently decided that we needed a nice blender (he was thinking malts, not green smoothies), so one night after i worked and nannied, i came home to a Ninja blender (things can get dangerous when i am out of the house for 14 hours). i have to give it to him, this spendy blender is pretty sweet. it came with a large pitcher, as well as 2 single serve sizes and this is now my go-to. I believe Ninja blendors range from $100-$200 depending on the model and can be found at most retailers like Target, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.<br />
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i have a technique where i blend my greens, grapefruit, yogurt and chia seeds first - then with the rest of the space left, i fill it with the protein powder, boosters and fruit. it allows things to mix well without overworking the blender and it also forces me to use more greens than fruit. <br />
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sound like a lot of <em><strong>work</strong></em>? well, its not, but if your mornings are similar to mine, check this out: fill up your blender the night before, but don't blend it! if i want a green smoothie for the next morning, i fill it with my greens, yogurt and grapefruit (i would hate to spend my busy morning cutting and<br />
peeling grapefruit), then i put it in the fridge over night, pop it on the blender and throw in the 'easy' stuff in the morning. you may have noticed that i haven't mentioned ice, but that's because i don't use it (most of the time). i feel like the single serve blenders are already limited on space, so i'd rather fill it with other stuff. however, if i am biking to work or heading to yoga and know i won't drink it right away, i will put a few ice cubes in <strong>after</strong> its blended - i think of it as a morning happy hour, kale on the rocks! i haven't had an issue with things separating too much that a simple shake won't fix. you can blend and throw it the fridge/freezer overnight and grab it in the morning, but i like to know the ingredients were freshly blended (nutrients not exposed to air) and i have a thing with patience, i don't want to wait for it to thaw to drink it.....call me high maintenance.<br />
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the ingredients that you use in a green smoothies can be extremely beneficial to your health and nutrition and will keep you glowing even as our arctic season approaches. green smoothies are also a great way to 'sneak' veggies into your significant other's or kids' diet - they MAY notice the color, but they certainly won't notice the taste. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green smoothie with my morning Americano :)</td></tr>
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what do you put in your green smoothies? i am always looking for ways to change mine up!<br />
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always striving for more, <br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-55105901049814749122013-09-06T11:55:00.000-07:002013-09-06T11:55:41.241-07:00.: supplements - are they worth remembering??? :.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
i have held off writing this post simply because taking supplements on a regular basis has beendifficult for me - i mean, who doesn't struggle remembering to take them EVERYDAY? firstworld problems, i know! anyway, i have finally remembered to take my supplements for severaldays in a row for the past several weeks and i definitely see and feel a difference so i feel confident sharing with you which supplements i take and why!</div>
i take 4 supplements on a regular basis - i feel like i should truly strive to get most of my nutrients from food versus supplementing for a lack of nutrition. also, it is very hard to know the appropriate time to take vitamins in order to maximize the uptake - i, for one, cannot afford expensive pee, so i would like to actually absorb what i am taking. <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><strong>probiotic </strong>- i really should bold, highlight and italicize this because this has literally been a life-changing supplement for me. probiotics are getting their well-deserved time in the limelight lately, but mainly in the forms of yogurt, kefir, kombucha, etc. well, i have been a regular kefir and kombucha drinker as well as yogurt-eater, but nothing can compare to taking this as a supplement. i buy Garden of Life probiotics for Women, it is available for $40 in the Whole Foods refigerated vitamin section - there has never been a time where Whole Foods hasn't offered a $5 off coupon right on the front of the bottle. this is the most expensive supplement that i take and i would donate plasma to afford this bottle of 90 capsules and yes, it must remain refigerated. i decided to start taking this after my 'get balanced' workshop this spring because even after eating completely clean for 15 days, my digestion did not improve. at all. the ladies behind Prescribe Nutrition suggested a probiotic and i haven't looked back since. not only are probiotics good for the obvious, digestion - indigestion, heart burn, bloating, but also for your immune system. did you know that 80% of your immune system is actually located in your gut?! 80%!!!!! even with germs while working, nannying, gym, yoga, kickboxing, etc., i literally have yet to get sick since starting (knock on wood!). healthy gut, healthy you! once i started talking to people about how awesome this probiotic is, i learned that a lot of ladies have turned to probiotics to help with their digestion - they feel the same way as i do! while alot of ladies i know take the popular-known 'Align', feel free to do research on what probiotic you need. aim for something that has 10 billion cfu on packaging and try to take it right away in the morning! the serving suggestion on my bottle is 3 capsules morning and night, but i almost always just take 2 capsules with a glass of water in the morning and that seems to be enough. depending on how i feel, i may take 3 in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">fish oil - many people take fish oil because it is cheap and has always been a highlighted supplement.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">fish oil does cover a lot of ailments and help your body run like a well oiled machine, but let me give you a few reasons behind all that. in the typical American diet, we do not get enough Omega 3's from fish, cod liver oil, etc. - our diet just isn't based around fish/seafood! Omega 3's is an essential fatty acid that is great for many things such as fighting free radicals and decreasing inflammation. fish oil helps offset all of the damaging Omega 6's that we eat on a daily basis </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(typical ratio of Omega 6's to Omega 3's is about 16:1....recommended is MAYBE 3:1, yikes). we can partially thank the uptick in diseases such as cardivascula, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases to this out-of-control ratio. fish oil also aids in digestive and adrenal health, as well! while you can get Omega 3's naturally from (responsibly raised) tuna, salmon, cod liver oil, fish, etc. i have been trying to 'acquire' the taste of salmon and tuna, but to no prevail, i resort to my daily fish oil. i buy a large bottle of the Whole Foods brand fish oil which is from Cold Water Fish. </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">i take 1 fish oil per day, but am considering on upping this to 2 per day.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">glutamine - i wouldn't be surprised if this supplement makes it way into the spotlight soon as i continue to hear more and more about it. glutamine was suggested to me by a personal trainer - i was having issues recovering from my workouts. the more i dug deeper, the more i realized that glutamine is a great supplement for people who regularly workout - drew even said that he doesn't buy protein powder unless it has glutamine in it (well, duh!). glutamine is also know to help with sugar cravings, an added bonus for me! i will take 1 glutamine per day, but don't hesitate to take an extra one on </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">days that i really get my butt kicked (kickboxing class). drew will also take a couple after a hard soccer game or lifting session to help make getting out of bed the next day easier. again, i buy the Whole Foods brands.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">biotin - this is known as a 'beauty' supplement. i didn't really believe in taking this, but it is pretty inexpensive and a couple of girlfriends swore by it and now i do too! i mainly starting taking biotin to help my nails. as a recovering nail-biter, i needed something to make and keep my nails strong and less prone to break or split. not only have my nails benefited, but also my hair! my hair has gone from the awkward, 'i'm trying to grow it out' shoulder length to well below my shoulders and beyond in the last 4 weeks! i actually got it trimmed the other day becaues i felt like i had a couple inches to spare. it's kind of funny because after a few weeks of taking it, i got several compliments about how great and healthy my hair looked (and i swear i wasn't soliciting for compliments!). a few people have asked me if i noticed an improvement in my skin - i have been blessed with great skin, so i can't attest to less breakouts or oil, but i have noticed my face being more hydrated and less in need for face lotion (i am sure the upcoming MN winter will give it a true test). i started out with taking 2 biotin per day, but switched to 1, i didn't need my hair growing that quickly.</span> <span id=":os"></span><br />
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when i start to tell people about the supplements that i take, they instantly dive into how they can never remember to take them and they end up being a waste of money. here are a few tips that i have found work for me!<br />
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>> set an alarm - use it as a reminder, an <strong>appointment</strong> to take your vitamins. set as many as you need!<br />
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>> take them the same time everyday, have it become apart of your daily routine. it didn't take long for me to remember to take the probiotics everyday - as soon as i felt the benefits, i didn't need a reminder! i take the rest of my supplements right after lunch. i fell into a routine of flossing, drinking a mug of green tea and taking my supplements right after lunch. i feel out of tune if i miss it....<br />
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>> get a cute vitamin holder! who wants to carry around big bottles of vitamins or even little baggies of vitamins looking like a distributor? the last time we were at the Vitamin Shoppe, we got a freebie vitamin case. it's kind of stupid how easy this case makes it! it allows 6 days to fit in a case as big as a credit card - i like that it keeps the days separate since the biotin and glutamine look similar. i am able to keep the vitamin case on my desk all week without looking like a drug addict and it is in my face all day reminding me not to forget. at the end of the week, i can easily throw it in my purse for the weekend and restock for the next week!<br />
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what supplements are you religious about taking and why? how do you remember to take them everyday? <br />
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always striving for more, <br />
dee b.Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-64620318674920546892013-09-01T10:45:00.000-07:002013-09-01T10:45:05.371-07:00.:cheap memories:.based on my recent Instagram posts, many of you know that drew and i took up camping this summer! we decided that it was a great way to take advantage of the MN weather, be active, see different places and make memories all under our budget. as i have mentioned many times before, we definitely take pride in keeping ourselves on a tight budget, but we also need (and deserve) to spend time together away from it all. <br />
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my family used to go camping when we were young, so i knew what i was in for, but was still unsure how comfortable i was being out in the wilderness as an adult. drew, who is mr. research and Google, started looking into things that we were going to need (and things that he thought we needed). we also spent a couple evenings walking aimlessly around REI talking to the experts. one trip to REI and we discovered how awesome their co-op membership was. for those of you don't know, it is a $20 LIFETIME membership fee and it offers coupons, special member shopping opportunities, a percent refund for every $ you spend and access to their incredible outlet store! <br />
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while we were very anxious to get started buying stuff with our new membership, we spent a few days browsing the online outlet store as it is updated every day with new stuff. the research paid off! we ended up finding a fabulous tent originally priced over $500 for $180 all because it was a 2010 model and someone had returned it because 'it was too hard to assemble'. meet Agnes.<br />
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<img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="320" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/934093_10151635676400310_1192579460_n.jpg" style="height: 539px; width: 539px;" width="320" /><br />
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yes, that is a 'garage' the extends beyond our tent and also acts a rainfly - how great is that?! after we bought the essential component to camping, we were able to get everything else and still stay under budget. we splurged on a North Face down sleeping bag - it is a 'couple' sleeping (precious, i know), but it has been awesome at keeping us plenty warm and honestly, worth every penny. drew also found it necessary to spend a little extra on a nice cooler. we (mostly him) decided on a Coolman cooler that latches and seals completely shut making it racoon and bear proof. this has been worth every penny as well - having full ice cubes still leftover after 3 days in heat and humidity, pretty awesome. after that, everything else kind of fell into place - my parents gave us their old air mattress and Coleman lamp. we bought a battery operated pump (worth the extra $5 to avoid having to connect it to the car everytime). <br />
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other 'essentials':.<br />
>> grill grate - if you stay at State Parks, the fire rings come with a grill, but i guess we needed it nonetheless<br />
>> batteries - bring an extra set for everything! <br />
>> s'more sticks - no explanation needed<br />
>> flashlights - we bring more than necessary because i am an adult who is afraid of the dark<br />
>> bug spray - get the Deep woods stuff<br />
>> bear mase - your insurance card out in the serious woods<br />
>> pillows - thank goodness we have stored old pillows! i also bring an old fitted sheet to put on the air mattress, call me high maintenance<br />
>> firewood/lighter - most of the State Parks sell it out of their office otherwise, you need to buy it from 'approved' sellers. my advice is to check the park's rule and regulations about wood before - you may also want to bring lighter fluid in case the wood gets damp<br />
>> Scrabble on the go - i could have killed drew when we made room for this on our latest camping trip, but i will admit it was a pretty awesome stow-away game. plus, after hours in the woods together, you tend to run out of stuff to talk about... <br />
>> utensils - we brought plastic to avoid have to store and clean them every time<br />
>> towels - paper towels and regular towels<br />
>> hand sanitizer<br />
>> moisture wipes - if you can't shower or fully wash your hands for days, these will become your best friend!<br />
>> garbage bags - bring both big garbage bags that tie and old Target bags, they can be use a garbage bags or protect stuff from getting wet<br />
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hmmm....i think that is pretty much it or at least all that i can think of. i didn't forget about food and water which can get kind of tricky depending on your camping plans. for simple overnight camping trips, we stopped at a local sub shop and pick up 2 sandwiches - they are massive and have definitely lasedt us long enough. we also bring snacks like beef jerky, granola bars and fresh fruit (mainly apples or oranges). on our most recent, more serious trip we had to get a little more strategic. for breakfast, we brought bagels and cream cheese. for dinner, i made a crockpot of beef stew (thank you to our CSAs for delivering all the necessary ingredients, it couldn't have been more perfect timing!). the beef stew was full of vegetables, beef chunks and water which was great to help us rehydrate and fill up on protein and nurients. it ended up being very simple to bring in a sealed container and heat up over the fire - can you tell that i am proud of this one? while we were out hiking between breakfast and dinner, we filled our backpacks with beef jerky, apples, oranges and Clif bars. we obviously end each night with s'mores :)<br />
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water - planning for water can be crucial for camping since you are being active and it is most likely hot and even more crucial if the site you are at doesn't have running water. while we haven't needed to buy a filtering system yet, we are careful about planning water. we always freeze 3 Nalgene water bottles to put in the cooler for multipurposes, ice when they are frozen and drinking water when they thaw. again, during the simple trips, we just bring several big bottles of water to put in the cooler. during our recent trip, we bought 4 gallons of water and kept them in the car. when we were running low, we just walked back to the car to fill up and keep moving - we actually came home with 1 gallon of water, but it is obviously way better to have more than less! <br />
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i hope you find my rookie tips somewhat helpful. it can take a lot of time and planning to get everything and plan trips, but we have had so much fun taking on this new hobby! it has been great to take a long weekend away from the Corporate world and unplug with drew. while camping is FAR from romantic, it is quality, undistracted time that we get to spend together. plus, MN is a beautiful state to live in and even more beautiful when you get out there and see it. we are excited to keep improving and expanding our camping memories, hopefully to other states!<br />
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stay tuned for my reviews on our camping trips at local State Parks!<br />
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always striving for more, <br />
dee b. <br />
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<br />Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-81285896168545059672013-08-30T08:08:00.000-07:002013-08-30T08:08:16.241-07:00.:overnight oats:.after a long and much needed hiatus, i have decided that it was time to give my blog some love. while it was a nice break, i truly enjoy blogging and have missed it! i thought no one would really notice my absence, but since taking a break, i have had many people asking and wishing that i would update. thank you to those who appreciate my blog, i appreciate you!<br />
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how is it already the end of AUGUST?!?! summers in MN are short and much appreciated, but the emphasis on short creates almost a scrambling effect to fit in as much as possible before we hibernate for 6+ months. like past summers, drew and i have been BUSY - busy with family, friends, birthdays, soccer (him playing and me watching), weddings, house work, work and our new hobby, camping! more on all of that later, i wanted to write a (quick) post on a new healthy, staple for me that is incredibly easy for on the go! <br />
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mornings to me can mean a 6 am yoga class, biking to work or simply cherishing every minute of sleep that i can before facing the day. either way, i find myself running around the house trying to put myself and food together. while i am OK with going to work with wet hair or no makeup (although i try to avoid it), i refuse to compromise my food, especially breakfast! overnight oats have made my mornings easier, WAY easier. while this concept isn't new for many, it is to me, so i wanted to share the recipe for those who haven't seen the light! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">overnight oats:</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">>> 2/3 cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice: almond, regular, etc)</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">>> 1/2 cup oats (i use Trader Joe's gluten free rolled oats)</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">>> 1/2 cup greek yogurt (i use a regular Chobani either vanilla or plain)</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">>> toppings: berries, cinnamon, pure maple syrup, raw honey</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">1. the night before, mix together all of the ingredients in a travel-friendly container - i use a short mason jar, very hipster (i'm told). if i know that i will have 5 minutes to spare in the morning, i may hold off on the toppings.</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">2. refrigerate the mixture overnight - they will be ready in 3 hours, but taste best overnight</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">3. throw it in your purse, work bag, gym bag and off you go! </span><br />
<img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="320" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/533706_10151781418310310_271691988_n.jpg" width="320" /><br />
why overnight oats are so awesome -<br />
>> they are versatile for your taste and you can even change it up so you don't get tired of the flavor<br />
>> full of protein (hello greek yogurt - you can even hide some protein powder in there)<br />
>> travel easy<br />
>> oats are great for metabolism <br />
>> it's filling! i LOVE breakfast and i love having a breakfast that keeps me full until lunch<br />
>> you can make a few servings at once and have breakfast ready for several mornings! <br />
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i promise to give updates more frequently now that i think things are slowing down.... <br />
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always striving for more, <br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8344714991002097571.post-1128207972186355622013-06-25T11:05:00.001-07:002013-06-25T11:05:44.187-07:00.:DIY salad dressing:.looking for an inexpensive way and quick way to make your own salad dressing? i sure am and i think i may have found it! let me just start by saying that ever since i took my Nutrition course last Fall, i have been on the search for the PERFECT salad dressing (but i wasn't willing to pay over $10 for it). almost all salad dressings contain some form of sugar, regardless of the fancy way they say it. they also contain vegetable oil, canola oil or any other type of hydrogenated oil that you do NOT want to put in your body! think of it this way - how much processing do you think corn had to go through to make it an oil? gross. also, hydrogenated oils causes inflammation in your body - i know inflammation occurs in more parts of your body than your joints, but when i think inflammation, i think of my knees and since they are almost ALWAYS swollen anyway, i don't need any more, thanks, but no thanks!<br />
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so, since i eat a salad almost every day for lunch, here is my solution to cheap and easy dressings.<br />
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first one: olive oil and balsamic vinegar - that's it! how easy is that? ok, this may not be an earth shattering discovery, but i will admit, i found myself looking for that fancy restaurant dressing taste in a bottle when i could easily just put the 2 together on my own! if you have read my blog before this, it won't come as a surprise to you, but i don't measure out the ratio - most of the time i do either 1/2 and 1/2 or a little more balsamic vinegar since it has more flavor than olive oil, but that's my preference. <br />
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here is one that is a little more fancy and it has become my new favorite "everyday dressing":<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">everyday dressing:.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">>> 1/3 cup olive oil - extra virgin or whatever you prefer<br />>> 2 tbs apple cider vinegar (you can use red wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is SUPER good for digestion!)<br />>> 2 tbs honey - i used raw honey <br />>> 1/2 tbs Dijon mustard<br />>> 1/2 tbs tamari sauce (tamari sauce is basically the vegan version of soy sauce, so soy sauce can EASILY be used as a substitute)<br />>> 1 tbs sesame seeds - feel free to be liberal with these babies<br />>> 1 clove of garlic, minced - you can grate it if you want to be fancy<br />>> 1 small white onion, minced - i used a bulb of a green onion that i had from our CSA drop-off, i didn't know what else to do with it and we don't regularly keep onions around the house<br />>> dash of salt and pepper</span> <br />
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whisk together and it can be kept in the fridge up to 1 week. if you are a fan of poppy seeds, they would go great in the recipe as well - again, we don't regularly keep poppy seeds around the house (maybe i will throw in chia seeds next time!). this recipe is great and literally takes 5 minutes to throw together - let's be serious, i eyeballed just about everything because we watched one too many episodes of The Office and i was anxious for some shut-eye. <br />
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why this dressing is so awesome:.<br />
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1:. it doesn't have that 'tart' taste that balsalmic vinegar has and some days, that seems to just hurt to my mouth (probably weird, i know, go ahead and judge me). it is very basic tasting and it won't overpower the vegetables in your salad - i had radish, avocado, cucumber, tomato, sunflower seeds, arugula and kale in my salad today and it complimented everything really well!<br />
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2:. olive oil - i wish people knew how awesome olive oil is and how to properly use it. olive oil is a GREAT source of healthy fat, but it should NOT be used in high heats. when you use olive oil in high heat, it denatures the chemistry of the olive oil making it comparable to a vegetable oil (think: inflammation, yikes!). using olive oil as a salad dressing is a good way to get sneak that fat into your diet. it also is great for helping your body absorb and digest all those awesome vegetables. <br />
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3:. sesame seeds - i never really know how or where to sneak these powerful seeds in to my diet, but voila! among other awesome things, sesame seeds are full of zinc which is great for memory (and i need all the help i can get with my memory).<br />
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4:. apple cider vinegar - if you haven't heard about the benefits of ACV yet, i am sure you will soon. ACV is great supporter of digestion. many nutritionists recommend taking a shot of ACV before every meal to help support the digestion process. <br />
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5:. the best thing about this recipe is that once you have all of the ingredients, you can make several batches of it before running out! <br />
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try it out and let me know what you think!<br />
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always striving for more, <br />
dee b. Dee L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05297029107267233643noreply@blogger.com2