Friday Faves

Hello hello and Happy first Friday of February!

Re-entry into real life has not been easy. For 10 days my husband and I were beyond fortunate to spend some much needed one on one time thanks to Viking Cruises. We languished, explored, ate ourselves silly, and met some wonderful people while ocean sailing through the Caribbean and West Indies.

Our trip ended on Monday when we tried to fly home from Puerto Rico, but the airline had a hiccup due to a fight on board our inbound plane that had to be turned around and sent back to Orlando, causing us to miss our connection, so our one travel day turned into two.

No big deal, until…continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, and happy Friday!

It’s been a great week. A really great week. And I don’t know how to tell you how wonderful it’s been because I know so many of you are in the cold and snow while I’m soaking up the sun in the sand. And to those of you who’ve been affected by the government shutdown, I’m rooting for you!

This week we’ve been on a Viking Cruise through the Caribbean and it has been such a good break for me. As a solopreneur, this blogging thing is a hard job to leave at the office, because the job is always with me, and always at my fingertips. There’s always something I feel I should be doing, even when the day is done.

But I must admit, I’m surprised at how easily I’ve been able to disconnect from work. I’ll be going home on Monday and when I do, I’ll be refreshed and ready to dig back into work.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello hello and what a happy Friday it is!

We’re here. We’re alive. We have money for food on the table and an internet to scan for the links we love. There’s so much big, heart wrenching stuff going on out there that focusing on the little things that matter are a real source of joy.

We’re nearly two weeks into the new year and I’m still committed to my NY resolve and eating more plants (this avo toast has been breakfast every.single.day), getting more sleep, and keeping my inner and outer critic in check.

Life is a work in progress. Last week I talked about how I’ve always believed I was a good multi-tasker until I was called out as simply being a procrastinator.

Well, yesterday I read this article that is 100% how I feel 99% of the time. Decision fatigue, where “people’s brains get worn out by the necessity of being decisive and exercising restraint, usually at work.”

Is decision fatigue a real thing? I 100% think so, because I live it, and too often I feel just like Gloria who is quoted about completing personal chores, “Instead of doing it, I’m thinking about all the times I should have been. So I end up kind of catatonic over not doing stuff instead of doing that stuff.” Hand to heart, that’s me.

It’s another supporting reason why I chose my word of 2019: DO IT. 

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello there 2019, and Happy Friday!

The Christmas tree is still up, with half of the lights burned out. Frigging tree. I didn’t get any of my over-the-vacation-clean-the-clutter projects completed. Too much crap not enough time. And I’ve yet to figure out what my word is. You know, my word of 2019. The word I set to define and guide the next 12 months ahead.

I’ve set an intention word for the the past 5 years and they’ve been:

• Focus
• Enough
• Present
• Thoughtful
• Nourish

Have I delivered on all of them? I tried. I put my best effort out there. They definitely gave me a mantra to work toward. Isn’t that really what it’s about in the end?

This year my intention word(s) is: continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello hello and a Ho to the Ho Ho Ho!

I’m feeling all nostalgic. Yesterday I updated and re-shared my mom’s famous fudge recipe, I found this pic on my phone from when Smudge and I baked my childhood Christmas sugar cookies before she grew into a too-busy-to-bake-with-her-mom teen, and today we are only four days away from that jolly old elf making his way to slay on his sleigh … and whaddya know? It’s another week of Friday Faves!

The more things change, the more I crave the familiar.

It’s so weird. These Friday Faves posts make me realize just how quickly time flies. Each week I sit at my computer to compile my list of weekly favorites and every time it feels like just a day ago I was doing the same exact thing, but it’s actually been a full week.

It’s one reason this weekly post—more than any of the recipes or round-ups—drives me to be more accountable with my time so I can be more adventuresome too. It’s why I try hard to be more efficient at work so I can get out and do the things I really love, read up and research random stuff I find interesting, and to really enjoy life, and actually create the moments to have something to share here :)

Life goes by even when you aren’t noticing. And nobody wants to look back on their memories and see themselves sitting at their computer all day.

Plus, it keeps me connected with you!

Last week I received an email that totally made my day, and it read:continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Ho Ho and Hello! And happy Friday Faves!

This post is brought to you by Pamela’s Products

Holiday entertaining is in full swing and this weekend our dance card is FULL. Between games for Ali Smudge’s high school basketball tournament we’re fitting in dinner at a friends house tonight and hosting friend’s for dinner tomorrow night, and then trying to fit in quick family Soup Sunday to finish out the weekend. ‘Tis the season to pack in the social obligations!

Entertaining can give me a case of the dreads if I let it. Only because I tend to overdo and make it harder on myself than it should be. Friday night will be easy since I’ll just be providing a bottle of wine and a simple hostess gift (this is always a fave).

On Saturday I’m thinking we will do either my favorite holiday lasagna (love that it can be made ahead) or a big seafood shebang with our easy king crab legs, the BEST steamed clams, plus oysters on the half shell and steamed shrimp. The only downside to this one is it requires some last-minute throwing together when I might rather be relaxing with my guests by the fire than stuck in the kitchen.

Either menu I choose, I’m making it easy on myself in the final act of dinner and picking up store-bought cookies to serve with lattes and whiskey drinks for dessert.

Smart eh? That’s my pro tip for you today.

One of my friends is gluten-free so I’m making sure she doesn’t feel left out and creating a gluten-free cookie platter for everyone to enjoy featuring Pamela’s limited edition Buttery Sugar Cookies and Pepperminty Chocolate Cookies.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and Happy Black Friday!

If you’re reading this now, you’ve survived all the turkey, all the stuffing, and the endless family discussion debating all the reasons why millennials are a complete and utter disgrace to the world (it’s an entertaining read.)

I hosted again this year and I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself. Not because the turkey was juicy on the inside and crisped skin on the outside (because it was), or because the three pies I baked were utterly scrumptious (because they were.) No. lI’m most proud of myself because my stress level stayed at an even 5 out of 10 with just a peak of 7 when we were about to eat and I realized I forgot to put the stuffing in the oven. Other than that, for once I was just about in even keeled, and it made for a much happier holiday I was very thankful for.

I’m so thankful you’re here! Because your eyeballs could be so many other places. Apparently the internet hasn’t yet exploded thanks to the droves of Black Friday shoppers, so welcome to another Friday Faves.

But then, Cyber Monday is still ahead for the internet-pocolypse to go BOOM.

On that note, my 2019 Nourished Planner is Black Friday-ing too, with the only discounts you’ll see this year.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and Happy Friday!

Why is it that the only years I get a flu shot are the ones I get sick within the next two weeks of getting the shot??

Last year I didn’t get a flu shot, and I didn’t get sick. The year before that, I got a flu shot and I got sick.

This year, got the flu shot last week, and I yesterday I woke up with a sore throat, coughs, aches and pains and tired and grouchy. GRRR. What’s a self-care enthusiast to do?

That’s why I’ve been triple dosing on this immune booster, and why I ordered another batch of this homeopathic remedy we preached about back in my health food magazine designing days. And yes mom, I’m washing my hands.

But instead of boring you with my cold and flu symptoms, I’m gonna get right to the Friday Faves point, and then snuggle up in my bed and hit the hay to dream of reaching for last Friday’s burger lunch at SLC’s Lucky 13 instead of reaching for another tissue to blow my snotty nose.

So let’s do this, and start clicking away.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and happy Friday.

The candles have barely gone out from the innards of the old jack o’lantern, and already Christmas bells are ringing. I was shopping for recipe ingredients at Smith’s yesterday and the holiday reset was in full force. Christmas trees with lights. Paper whites and amaryllis. Wrapping paper and bows. Transformers, Barbies, and board games galore.

The holidays are here folks. Embrace it.

This weekend also heralds the unofficial start of winter: Don’t forget to set your clocks back from Daylight Savings Time. With a flick of the clock’s switch (or more likely automatic reset), we have a legit excuse to light the fire, cozy up to a good book, and hunker down with some comfort food. BTW, did you see my list of 30 recipes to make in November?continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and hip hop Happy Friday!

Why I referred to hip hop I have no idea, but just like Brittney Spears, there I go again.

Today I’m feeling all the tenseness that comes with anticipation of travel, to-do lists, and keeping everything afloat begin to release from that nagging crag between my shoulder blades. Long-time projects are coming to fruition, work travel is nearly over for the rest of the year, and good news has been traveling fast.

I know it isn’t November yet, but I feel I should be acknowledging my gratitude to life no matter what time of year it is.

That’s why this week I am thankful for:continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hey, hey, hey! Happy Friday!

The sights of fall are settling in. The drizzling rain has kept the sun from shining all week, the farmers markets are winding down, we had our first mountain snowfall, the back-biting of the mid-term elections is in full-swing, and I seriously need to get busy prepping my garden for next year because a freeze is in the forecast.

Ah fall, I love ya.

And just like clockwork, as the leaves begin to turn the baking bug bites me in a big way. I am totally craving comfort food, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, getting into the kitchen, and never wanting to leave.

As part my work of creating habits that stick, I’m making it a point to cook just for fun, not just for the blog. I love cooking, but when your passion is your work, keeping the creative juices flowing is a challenge. But this time of year, it always inspires me again.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday!

I’ve whipped my change-of-seasons cold thanks to generous doses of my favorite cold-fighting weapons: mega doses of these Vitamin C-loaded fizzy drink tablets, this once a day OTC medicine, and most importantly, my man’s recipe for matzo ball chicken soup with my homemade broth.

Take that you whipper-sniffer, you.

I nearly stepped in it this week. Literally. My cold appeared the first day of touring the lush, green, only-manure-fertilized fields of two of the organic dairy farms that supply milk to Stonyfield for their organic yogurt. It was not only lovely in Vermont, it was fascinating.

I love farm tours. I love petting cows and nuzzling the babies, like the baby below who was born just hours before we arrived.

I love learning where our food comes from. I love quizzing the farmers for tips to make my own vegetable beds better producers and learning that no matter what the scale of farming  you do.

And what I learned is it all starts with the health and quality of the soil.

I’ll be sharing more about the farm tour and what I learned in a later post, but what I will say now is I came home with a renewed appreciation for farmers, and a commitment to eating more organic when I can.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday!

I’ve been proofing and re-proofing every date, every word, and every letter in the 2019 Jan-Dec Nourished Planner so in my mind I’ve already moved on to next year. (and for those of you who’ve asked the pre-sale for the 2019 planner starts Oct.1, more info to come.)

But today it’s official. It’s the last day of summer which means tomorrow we officially welcome in fall. See? I CAN do math. Wow.

Not that you’d know it by the weather around here in Utah. It’s been hot hot hot. So hot the leaves are changing but look so bleh because they haven’t had the cold snap to get those sugars juicing the pretty colors.

Indian summer. Welcome to it.

It’s just one reason I’m looking forward to leaving for Vermont tomorrow. I’ve always heard it’s so amazingly gorgeous in the fall so I am ready to hunker down and cozy up and learn a thing or two about the area. I’ll be sharing on the Instastories so if you’re curious, follow along there.

So once I get back I’ll be taking advantage of all the fall produce (and make ALL the stuffed peppers) before those cold snaps hit. Real good real food. I’m in.

In case you missed them this week, I shared:

• This one-pot chicken dinner that feeds four under $10 (plus a good cause to go along with it!)
• And these no-bake cookies that are the gateway recipe for beginner cooks that veteran cooks still love too.
• And sign up for my email list because I’m going to be doing some email only giveaways you’re gonna want to be part of for sure.

But enough about me. It’s time to dig into all those frigging Friday Faves. LET’S DO THIS!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Happy Friday FoodieCrush friends!

Are you finally accepting summer has seen it’s swan song and settling into the fall routine?

I know. Me neither. But…

Fall is probably my favorite season of all.

I love to cocoon. There’s a crispness in the air with the changing of the leaves and the musty smell is somehow totally soothing. Not to mention the up-tick of energy as we all pick up our pace, because could it be?  Yes, the holiday season is right around the corner.

Fall gives me the craving to get in the kitchen with all the slow cooker recipes and do all the baking — Smudge baked up these salted chocolate chip cookies again and they are THE BOMB-diggity!

Those cookies have given me sustenance because there’s been a lot going on around here, like:continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello hello and happy Friday!

At least I think it’s a happy Friday since I’m making this mac and shrimp salad for my 3-day weekend sampling. But sometimes when I look around me I wonder if other people are thinking the same thing.

Case in point: I was checking out at the grocery store the other day with a young checker I see there every so often. She’s very good at her job, always asks if I found everything okay, and is very precise and official. But there’s something I notice she’s missing, something important not only in customer service, but important in every day living.

See, the thing she’s missing is a smile. I’ve never seen her smile. It’s not like she’s rude or dismissive, she’s just a little stern and a little serious. Not to say that being serious about your job isn’t a good thing, but wouldn’t it be even better if you added a little happiness to it too?

One of the games that I play with myself is smiling at people I don’t know. I purposely walk around with a smile on my face to see if it lights other people up. And so, I did the same thing with my serious young checker.

That day it was my mission to get her to crack a smile. continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Helllllooo there, and Happy Friday!

Oh.my.retrograde. GRRRRR.

I know you’re as tired of me waxing on about Mercury in retrograde as I certainly am, but this week…THIS WEEK…!! Oh honey, FoodieCrush got hit hard! And I’m not alone, even Newsweek is griping about it.

Please forgive me if you had a rough time accessing the site this past week. The site was up, then down, then up again, and we were doing our best to herd off the internet numbskulls who were pinging the site for no reason except to mess with it and my peace of mind. Those guys can just go suck it, because it was all of you who pulled us through. Thank you, thank you to all of you who alerted us to the issues and said it’s okay, and dang! I’m just glad you’re still here :)

But guess what? Only 1 more day of Mercury in retrograde and then WE ARE FREE and you won’t have to hear me whine about it anymore. Until next year.

Monday is about to deliver the new normal. My Ali Smudge is headed back to school (high school?? WTF?) and that means big mama (me) will be back in my routine too. While I don’t want to see summer go, I am totally ready for some normalcy around here.

But, wait, what? Normalcy? That’s pretty much laughable because what is really ever normal? That, my friends, is what I would call boredom. And this girl ain’t got no time to get bored.

This weekend I’m hoping to soak up some sun at the pool, live up those cooler summer nights with dinner on the deck with friends, and brace myself for what’s lurking around the corner. Because I don’t know what it is yet, but I know it’s comin’.

And before you ask, the tomato and zucchini tart recipe at the top of this post is an oldie but a goodie, and was made and shared by @bluehousekitchendc on Instagram. If you make one of my recipes, I’d love to see it! Take a pic and email it to me, or tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrush or #foodiecrusheats.

BTW, thank YOU ALL so much for your kind wishes and emails from last week’s Friday Faves post. We all truly appreciate your positive thoughts. XO

But enough of all this, let’s dig into this week’s list of Friday Faves. Enjoy my friendlies!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and happy Friday!

I’m writing to you from the comfort of one of my best friends homes in Los Angeles. I’m sitting on her bodacious patio, staring at the twinkle lights shimmering over the pool as she slumbers in her bed. It early evening still, yet she’s wiped out. It was an active day for her that would be looked at by others as a normal one.

My friend has stage 4 breast cancer. So many things are different now.

But all in all, things are good. She’s super positive, tenacious, and ready for the fight. Good thing she’s a researcher because if anyone can figure out a plan, she can. Plus, she has a perfectly shaped head that thanks to my husband’s deft shaving hand and my determined ways of persuasion is now perfectly shaved and she is totally rocking it.

So why am I sharing all of this? As a reminder to:

• Get your boobies checked. Schedule your mammogram today. Her cancer appeared and shot to stage 4 in just 8 months since her last mammogram. Make the appointment.
• Find joy every day. This has been my friend’s mantra. Let the little things go. Enjoy life. Travel. Make it all count.
• Spend time with those you love and don’t waste time on those who don’t. Call your mom. Visit your best friend from college who you haven’t seen in 10 years. Snuggle with your kids, your mate, and your pets. Make the moments you spend with them count.

I’m not sharing any of this to get your sympathy, or as she says, to “play the C card”. I’m only sharing it to remind you and myself,  that we all hold the keys to our own happiness in the palms of our own hands and in the beliefs of our own minds.

To my sister, thank you to the moon and back for picking up my slack, and to my mama, I love you and I’ll be home to hold your cheeks still soon. xoxoxo

Now it’s time to dig into this week’s list of Friday Faves, so let’s get started!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello! It’s Friday my friends. Happy. Happy. Happy.

One good thing from this week is I harvested my first tomato. The first of only 3 ripe frigging tomatoes from the one plant I planted because this year I am on a tomato farming strike. Apparently even one plant has proven a tomato farmer I am not. But a sandwich maker I AM! And it was time to savor that one ‘mater on a BLT.

That was the upside of the week.

The downside of the week? Well, there were a few.

Do things in your world seem to be misbehaving? Like even more than normal? Where people are a little less patient and a bit more short tempered? Or maybe you’ve had issues with your computer not behaving, your phone apps acting all wonky, and maybe even your cable TV or internet bleeping in and out of service?

Guess what folks? We are at the beginning of three hot weeks of Mercury in Retrograde.

I’m not one to totally engage in astrology or outer world mumbo jumbo, but Mercury in Retrograde is something I FULLY BELIEVE IN! It affects communication and electronics and basically makes things inexplicably go haywire. I’ve already had major computer issues, picked a fight for no reason with my daughter and my husband, had an unfortunate family emergency, and my whole head physically feels heavier like my brain is being weighing dowwwwwwn, almost like I’m under water.

Beam me up Scotty! I don’t wanna go down!

This is a brief explanation of how Mercury in Retrograde works and what it affects and some good tips for how to not become embroiled in the drama that you could unwittingly become involved in. (I especially like their suggestion of focusing on “RE”-things like reevaluate, renew, reunite rather than starting something new.)

So if you’re feeling a little off, or that super important email didn’t go through, or your car died at the front of the car wash line, don’t think it’s just you. It’s likely all of us being affected by the moon and the stars which calls for a lot more patience and kindness.

But then, what day doesn’t????

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I’m fast realizing summer is nearly over and soon lazy Sunday barbecues will turn into super-focused Sunday meal prep for the week. That’s why I’m eager to make the most of the few weeks left.

I had so many grand plans written out on my Nourished Planner bucket list and I’ve yet to cross so many of them off my list. But instead of getting down on myself for not making time for myself and my goals, I’m simply reassessing and refocusing on what’s important.

There’s still time to capitalize on my natural summer rhythm. And you can too.

Download this FREE Summer Rhythms Guide to help create space and set boundaries and create balance to reach your goals by simply following your own natural rhythms.

Let’s keep summer sizzling with this week’s list of Friday Faves. Enjoy!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello and happy Friday!

What do you know. Even with all the crazy things going on in world events, life continues and Friday is still showing up each week so things must be good!

Last weekend was a total teenage success. We celebrated Ali Smudge’s 14th birthday at our friends cabin with eleven 14-year-old girls and everyone (including my husband and I) survived.

Beauty barging, stand-up paddle boarding, hammocking (they tried to replicate this!), too much food—including the peach caprese salad above (do you want to see the recipe in a new post?) put-your-guests-to-work DIY foil dinners, and this birthday cake pie—plus lots of card games, were all part of the party.

Speaking of stand-up paddle boards, I had a ton of people ask me on Instagram and last week’s Friday Faves (and at the lake) about our inflatable paddle board/kayak hybrid and so here’s the link.

This week has been one of total catch up. I’ve had to let a few things slide so I can get ahead on a few other projects like finalizing the design of next year’s edition of our Nourished Planner, editing food photos for my favorite client, and getting future blog post recipes photographed, edited, and written.

This podcast totally made me rethink my to-do list and what rally is the difference between urgent and important. After listening to it, I’ve discovered my priorities were totally misguided, and basically backward. So this week, I took a new approach. It’s put me a bit behind on posting on the blog, but in the end I’ll be so much further ahead. And damn, that feels good!

These past few weeks of summer between July 4th and our state holiday of July 24 (Utah’s Pioneer Day aka Pie and Beer Day for us heathens) always seem to languish. Everything is simply slower—including our brains. People are on vacation. Nobody’s really checking in. It could be the heat. It could the summer malaise. Or it could simply be too much ice cream.

So when I went through my list of sites for this week’s Friday Faves (I use this reader to keep tabs on them all) I was totally surprised by how much good stuff came out on the worldwide web. So much I simply can’t share it all here, it’s just too much! Luckily there’s always next week :) .

So let’s dig right on into it, and click the links that make up the goodness in this week’s Friday Faves.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves