oh the joys of moving
We are moving in to our new abode on Saturday (aka tomorrow).
While I am so excited to move in, I have turned into a terrible packer. I am 31 years of age and I have been moving almost every year since I was 18, so I should be a pro; however, we have been in this apartment for two years and it would appear my skills are rusty. I hate packing and I feel overwhelmed by it, so instead of packing I am blogging about packing.
In the midst of the packing madness, I left a bag of trash out last might when we went to grab some dinner from Whole Foods. Our trash is usually under lock and key in our trash compactor. This does not seem like a big deal. However, we have a pug that will eat until he explodes and has no discretion about what he is eating. Needless, to say we came home to trash all over the kitchen floor. Again, not a big deal. However, there were oodles of coffee grounds in there and Burt weighs 17 lbs. I knew this was not a an amazing combo. I immediately jumped on the internet to figure out what to do. Several of the posts stated “get off the internet and call your vet!” Fair enough. We currently live across the street from an animal ER. I always thought how convenient it would be if we ever needed to take Burt in. With 48 hours to go, I found out just how convenient it is. Thanks for that, Burt.
Side note: 2 weeks ago Burt turned into a ninja and got on our kitchen counter. This move yielded him a large, raw clove of garlic and 3/4ths of a banana and its peel. We have had Burt for nearly two years and he has never attempted such moves. No idea what crawled up his knickers that day. The next day Burt yakked on the rug twice and denied his breakfast. Burt never turns down a meal. I knew pug pants was not in a good place, so we took a trip to the vet. Turns out garlic is toxic to dogs. After monitoring him for a week, I got a call from the vet on Tuesday (of this week) telling me all his blood work came back perfectly healthy, so we were all good, until I turned into a ding dong and left the trash out. As it stands right now, the vet discovered that he did not eat any coffee grounds, but he did consume a good amount of currants. In America, currants are dried grapes. Grapes can be toxic to dogs, so sir Burt is resting comfortably in the ER for the next 48 hours, so they can flush his kidneys to ensure he does not reap the benefits of toxicity. Somebody’s bed is noticeably vacant today. 
Moving is fun.
the sun has arrived
Spring is taking its time in coming to Portland, but I think it has arrived (at least for now). It was 70 and Sunny on Saturday, 87 and sunny on Sunday and they are claiming 80′s and sunny today. This is big news. This kind of weather does not usually grace Portland with its presence until July, so I am finding the need to be that person who feels the need to discuss the weather.
A lot of good eats and sunshine were consumed this weekend.
Here are a few captions from the weekend:
And with that, I am off to begin my sunny Monday.
snacking sally meets procrastinating patti
lately I have noticed that I am a snacking monster. The snacking monster attacks, most of the time, when I am dreading or avoiding doing something. This is not a good system, as I still have to do the thing I am avoiding only with a side of guilt. In lieu of impending Summer and overall wellness, I would like to kick Sally to the curb. I have no desire to count calories or change what I eat (when I am not under Sally’s spell) so the only sensible thing to do is to eat mindfully. Easier said than done. Way easier said than done. I love idea of mindful eating, but the actual doing of mindful eating is something I am still working on. To help me pause before consumption, I decided to try to photograph everything I have eaten today. This is similar to the idea of recording what you eat, except you can record your eats after consumption. However, with photography you have to catch the goods prior to the act. While taking pictures of what I eat is nothing new to me, taking pictures of EVERYTHING I eat is. From-time-to-time, I will post my daily eats on the blog. I will spare you the boredom of doing it on a daily basis.
on with the eats…
breakfast: overnight oats.
- 1/3 c organic oats
- 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 scoop of Metagenic’s Ultra Clear protein powder
- 1t vanilla extract
- 1/2T chia seedds
- 1T ground flax seed
- 1/4t cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
followed by ma trusty homemade latte:
- 3/4c unsweetened hemp milk
- 1T raw cacao
- 10- 15 drops of liquid stevia
- 8 oz organic coffee
late lunch after a sweaty interval session at the gym
I snacked on this homemade protein bar while prepping my smoothie. I will share the recipe after I have perfected them. So far, I can’t decide if I love them.
I might have also consumed the other half of this guy before the photo was taken. At least I managed to snag half of it?!
Now onto the real star of the show:
lunch: green smoothie:
- 1/2c goat milk kefir
- 1/2 2% Fage Greek yogurt
- 4 drops of liquid stevia
- 1C coconut water
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 4 strawberries
- 1T raw honey
- 3-4c spinach
- dash of cinnamon & sea salt
This was a good one. I highly recommend!
After a hefty cleaning session and errand running, sir snack was had:
1/2 Ezekiel English muffin with organic peanut butter and fruit preserves
followed by a grape kombucha
I am thinking dinner will be steamed kale with canned salmon and pickled beets. If I get a wild hair up my fanny, maybe a sweet potato too?! Right now I want to snack on something, but I also have to balance my books for the business. Very curious…
And with that, I am off.
Happy Tuesday!
my secret weapon
I love working out. Scratch that, I love the feeling I have after a workout. Sometimes (most of the time) I struggle to get my fanny in action. However, I discovered the power of Flo Rida. This is magic.
Side note: I am fully aware that my secret weapon is not so “secret.”
That’s all I’ve got.
Happy Saturday!
iHerb and a good night’s sleep
My bestie recently told me about Lucky Vitamin as a place to shop to get a good deal on not only supplements, but other household products like cleaning supplies, body lotion, shampoo and such. This spoke to me due to the recent bill I ran up at Whole Foods due to my conditioner, body wash, & body lotion. Lucky Vitamin is superb; however, I was also interested in a supplement called Kavinace (which I will discuss in a minute) and they did not sell that fella, so I gave iHerb a try. iHerb is kind of amazing, they have so many of the goodies I already purchase, but at a better rate and they ship for free on orders over $40.
I purchased body lotion, body wash, conditioner, poop bags for the pug, fish oil for sir Pug, and liquid stevia for over 20% less than I would at Whole Foods. I could have bought so many other things, but I decided to cool my jets. This stuff came so quick and was packaged so well.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional the below review is not medical advice, just a review on what worked for me!
I also purchased Kavinace: the supplement that has changed my life. This fella essentially simmers down anxiety, so you can sleep like a baby. I have had sleep issues for as long as I can remember. I can fall asleep, but I never really feel like I get a deep sleep. This all changed after meeting Mr. K. I take two of these gems at night and I have never slept better. However, if I eat too close to bed or have one glass of wine too many, this guy does does not work his magic, so it really only gets after the anxiety. If anxiety is not the issue that disturbs slumber, then Kavinase will not help.
If interested in purchasing from iHerb they gave me a coupon code to pass along to you fine folk. You will save $5 off your first purchase when you type in coupon code: POZ872. Woot!
Up next…
Grain Free, Sunflower butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies:
heavily inspired by this recipe over at Carrots-N-Cake
The Goods:
- 1c unsweetened sunflower butter
- 1c coconut palm sugar
- 1 egg
- 2/3c chocolate chips
- Sel Gris Noirmoutier finishing salt (completely optional. you could also use coarse sea salt)
How to:
- pre-heat oven to 350
- combine all ingredients in medium size mixing bowl (except the finishing salt)- mix until smooth
- put a small spoonful on greased cookie sheet
- sprinkle cookies with 7-10 salt granules- this really makes these cookies
- cook for 10-12 minutes
- allow to cool before consumption
These cookies are so dang easy to make, tasty, and not too bad for you.
And with that, I am off.
Happy Thursday!!
leeks & brussels
I am obsessed with brussel sprouts for quite some time. Recently, I have been obsessed with leeks. What are leeks?
leeks look like a giant scallions. They are related to garlic, onions, and shallots, but offer a more delicate, sweeter flavor. leeks are filled with oodles of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. However, they are only in season for a short time, so give ‘em a go while you can. In fact, try them in this recipe.
Worchestire brussel sprouts & leeks:
2 key players:
The Goods:
- 1 pound brussel sprouts- stems removed and cut in half
- 1 leek- chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic- chopped
- 2T coconut aminos ( soy sauce or tamari will also work)
- 1.5T Worcestershire Sauce (beware: most conventional Worcestershires contain high fructose corn syrup and other naughties, so be be sure to read the label. I really like The Wizard’s Worcestershire Sauce).
- 3T ghee (could also use butter or EVOO)
- dash of sea salt & fresh, ground black pepper
How to:
- pre-heat oven to 425
- heat 3T of ghee in large skillet
- add leeks & garlic to skillet- saute until soft
- add halved brussel sprouts, Worcestershire Sauce, coconut aminos, sea salt & pepper- saute until soft
- transfer brussel & leek mixture to parchment paper lined cookie sheet or roasting pan
- cook for 25-30 minutes.
I enjoyed these guys with some broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes. Yummm…
Burt dined on Mr. Duck:
Side Note: I just discovered the HBO series, Game of Thrones. I cannot believe I like it, but it is so dang good.
And with that, I am off. Happy Monday!
