Guest Blog: Boulder Locavore [AKA... FOOD!]

The world wide web is home to literally every piece of information out there. Sure, the validity of some of what's posted may be questionable, but I don't know if I've yet hit the search engines with a question that answered, "No Results Available." The worst I think there's been is that little dinosaur guy from Chrome:

rawrrrr

^ And yes, I Googled that image. See my point?

Anyway, I was on a quest today for some new recipes to refresh my collection. For once in my life, I actually went on this mission with a full stomach, so as to avoid an impromptu grocery run right in the middle of it - you know, hungry shopping? My wallet hates hungry shopping.

So yeah, there I was, brain open to suggestions and the web at my fingertips. To say there is a plethora of foodie pages out there is like saying there's a couple drops of water in the ocean, but fortunately I managed to stumble on some good ones.

For the sake of time, here's the one I'm highlighting today: Boulder Locavore. It's authored and kept by this gal Toni Dash, and it's chock-full of that light & healthy - but still edible food that so many of us have promised ourselves for this year. Not only does she post the recipes, she additionally shares the nutritional value of what's in them, and why our bodies depend on some of the staple elements in each of her recipes [protein, amino acids, etc.]. Having grown up with my own mother and her holistic approach to... well, everything, I have to say I agree with a lot of what she has to say here!

One recipe that immediately caught my eye was this:

SLOW COOKER ALMOND MILK TAPIOCA PUDDING

1. I love tapioca pudding. 

2. I have - and enjoy using - a slow cooker. 

3. This one is dairy-free! 

4. I seriously... love tapioca. 

If you're a fan of tapioca the way I am, and either need or want a dairy-free option, do yourself a favor and go save that somewhere for yourself. Here's a preview: 

........ want. 

I will make that. NOM! 

Also on her page: 

GLUTEN+DAIRY-FREE OVERNIGHT QUINOA-CHIA CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST PUDDING

That's a mouthful.... but LOOK: 

yum! 

yes, please.

^ AND, it's overnight?! Bring.. it.. ON. 

The more I share this with you all now, the more excited I am to actually get this stuff in my fridge! 

Just a couple more. Perhaps something I highlighted that isn't a breakfast/dessert option.

LEAN TURKEY+BLACK BEAN QUINOA CHIPOTLE BURRITO BOWLS

I'm tellin' you, this gal knows the way to my heart! Lean turkey? Black beans? Quinoa? AVOCADO?!

Okay okay okay, one more. 

For something even lighter than lean meat, fresh fruit & quinoa options: 

COLD CUCUMBER NOODLE SALAD

Gahhhhhhhhh, YES. There's a lot going on with this salad, which includes toasted sesame dressing, watercress, mint & a few other things. 

drooling.

Folks, I will gladly be in the kitchen for a few days; Ms. Dash [wait... no way....]. your page has been bookmarked, and if you should ever roll out an app, consider it downloaded here. 

A lot of those recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free or otherwise catered so that you can adjust to your specific dietary requirements. I'm pretty excited to get on these. Oh, and for the record, in case you didn't notice, all of those pictures and recipes above are property of Boulder Locavore, which means that I didn't create, devise or otherwise own in any way/shape/form... any of that material. What I WOULD claim is a call for you to get yourself over to that page and see what looks like a fit for your kitchen :). 

Happy Eats! 

xo | cmd

Mutant Fruit | HBD, Amy!

One of the things I don't do often enough is get to farmer's markets. It's a task usually obstacled by work, picking up Sydni, and attempting to be omni-present at four other places. I didn't say impossible, but it certainly falls short in the competition whenever food is needed; Dierbergs definitely affords an absolute convenience in that capacity.

Anyway, today I made a venture to the Dierbergs down from my office in search of some sushi. I ran into Ali as I was gawking over a display of honey crisp apples that looked to be about the size of small pumpkins, rather than apples. I've seen healthy fruit before, but really.....


standard sized tp vs. ginormous apple.

I have yet to try and conquer eating that thing in one sitting, mostly because I just ate some sushi and a couple of grapes. I know it doesn't sound like much, but while I'm there, these are the grapes I brought back, too:

essie. grape. eos balm. nissan key

That picture really doesn't do justice to the size of these grapes. I used what I had sitting within reach around my desk to compare size - these grapes were on average the same height as an essie nail polish bottle, and just slightly smaller than an eos lip balm, and as you can see, just under half the length of a nissan car key. That being said, eating just about five of them on top of some sushi was enough to hold me over for a while.

There ya have it, folks. Mutant fruit.
Good stuff.

Oh, and before I forget to mention [not to be confused with forgetting altogether], today is my dear friend Amy's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY!

top: me. alison. amy. jena[restpeacefully], 1999
middle: amy. me at arley's wedding reception, 2007
bottom: amy's wedding with the ladies, 2010

I've known this girl for what seems like forever, and even though we're not as close as we once were, I still love little Mav and hope today is amazing. :) HBD, AMY!!

***

Small group tomorrow; I should probably get to cleanin' this place up & getting food ready. :) See you then!

xo |cmd

Orange Lights, Orange Peels

I love fog.



neighborhood street lights + fog
= fun with shutter speeds



There’s something about that low-settling mist that has both simple beauty and an eerie appeal. When I got home tonight, there was a dense fog situated over our neighborhood, covering the lawns, the cul-de-sac behind us, and almost all the way up to the tops of the street lights. I grabbed the camera and had proceeded to have some fun with the shutter speeds in the low light. 

Result? Funky, fun, orange zig zags and curly-q’s of light.

a cutie for my cutie ♥

As usual, I had my little side-kick assistant there to point out all the different shapes and lines I showed her in the photographs. She begged and begged me to take some pictures of her, but not until she had satisfied a craving for an orange. Random, I know. Now, we’ve all seen the commercials for Cuties, the pint-size fruits that claim they’re made specifically for kids. I’m here to tell you that is exactly right J

And with that, I’m callin’ it a [[good]] day, folks!

xo | cmd

Last Day in the Vern



kobi

Today was our last day here in Mt. Vernon. I woke up today a little sad that we would be heading back to Illinois tomorrow, but not before we had another great day with the family.

I finally got to spend a little time with my cat, whose current residence is here in Mt. Vernon with my parents. This was originally a temporary arrangement, but after six month, my mom persuaded me to let her stay. She’s a sweetie, and while I miss her, I’m glad she’s fitting in here.

We of course had to go to the late service at Faith Baptist, my parents’ church, and the church in which I was a member at the time I was officially saved. [Amen!]. After the service, we did lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s and headed back home.

Dad & Joe loaded up to hit the golf course, while I stayed back with mom & Syd. We spent an afternoon enjoying the sunshine outside and watering the blooming gardens in the front yard. I suited Sydni up in some swim gear so she could play in the sprinkler. I was also amazed at how long a 2-yr-old can stay entertained with a bucket of water and some plastic cups. It makes me wish I was a kid again.



water fun!

When the men were finished golfing and back at the house, we all cleaned up and got ready for an early dinner. We’ve been very diligent over the past several months on praying before meals with Sydni. We pray as a family before bedtime, and I am here to proudly say that not only does she understand that it is something we all do together, but she will remind us if we for some reason forget. These are some of the things that, as a mother, I find more gratifying than anything else. Even though she’s entering into a new phase of toddlerhood [whining, clinging, bossing, claiming….], it’s things like this that I know that Joe and I as parents are managing to do right. The rest, well, we’re working on it. J

*Sigh.
Tomorrow morning we pack up and head back to Belleville. Oh Yippee.

*Bye again, Ohio!*

♥

xo | cmd

Edwardsville, Express, Edwards

I’m glad that I scoped out the Express office in Glen Carbon/Edwardsville prior to the meeting I had scheduled there today; I am almost positive I would’ve gotten lost if not. I met there this morning for a meeting with the owners, a married couple whom I immediately liked. There were scripture verses posted in their office and their first rule of thumb is God first. If anything else, I’d say there’s no other place I’d rather start. After two hours sitting in with the owners, I would say I left feeling rather optimistic about the entire thing.

Following that meeting, I GPS’d my way back homeward and posted up at a Starbuck’s for a few hours to update our blog [this guy!] before heading back to the Dills Digs.

Joe had met Eric at the St. Louis airport and the two of them drove back here for a weekend stay. Of course the first order of business for those two when they get together is intense Wii & NES battling:

remember this one?

*Sigh. It’s a beautiful thing, watching that. Haha. What's even more beautiful is this little frozen custard joing we found driving around, too.



"mango dango"
custard | fresh mango | walnuts



We didn’t do a whole lot other than dinner and relaxing for his first night in. Tomorrow’s Friday and from what I hear, a pretty busy day is ahead of us!

xo | cmd

Day 2: Let's Talk Food.

Confession: I haven't started my Z-Pak yet. I feel most of this sinus goop clearing up on its own, so I'm going to revert to my stubborn ways and not take anything until I feel a little closer to death like I did last week. So there. :) My mom would be proud...

packed lunch | salad + cucumbers + cuties

So today I thought I would pay homage to one of my personal favorite things in the entire world: food.
Ever since I started this Moreno regimen, I've gained a whole new appreciation for food and what I should be defining as actual food.

There's a book by Michael Pollan entitled, Food Rules, and for anyone who's even a little curious as to what they're actually putting into their bodies, this is one of the best places to start. It's outlined simply: what we put in our bodies should be compatible with our bodies, not foreign and fake. I would definitely vote in favor of anyone reading this if they haven't already.

Anyway, back to this Moreno diet plan that I've been doing for the last 30some days. I'm not entirely unaccustomed to eating healthy; not much fast food, if any at all, rarely indulging in junk food, no pop [or soda, you silly people who prefer that word] eating cooked food when at home, and packed lunches for the majority of the workweek. I don't eat red meat, either, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but a personal decision.

In terms of translating that into my tales I share here: ya'll must think I'm the only one that eats around our house! :) Well, if you've ever met little Sydni, you would be amazed at the amount of food she can intake in relation to her petite frame. It's pretty impressive. This girl eats like a champ! One of my proudest moments thus far in my quest as a mother has been the ability to make educated discernments regarding what will nourish well-rounded development of itty bitty bodies. It takes a bit more effort and dedication than giving her a bag of cheetos and a piece of processed lunchmeat, yes, but consistency makes the whole idea nearly effortless over time. I gained so much dietary wisdom from one of the best mothers to walk the path of motherhood, and if there's one thing I won't ever regret, it will be repeating some of the things she did along the way.


Here's just a touch of what little monster will devour if you let her ;) ........

fresh fruit crepe w/ organic yogurt | gluten-free granola | whole wheat toast



homemade whole grain chicken quesadilla | organic green beans
vit d milk [she wouldn't give that up for a photo]

And last but absolutely not least!! -

scrambled eggs | biscuits | lemonade w/ fresh berries [not pic'd]



now that's country.

Yessss, that's right, MISTER Dills is entering the cooking arena! [I am so proud :)]. I received these two shots via text, and had to share them here. I am so proud to say that he's expanding beyond his signature scrambled eggs to sides, and even a little downhome country food. This is good. This is really, really good. I wonder if one day we can occupy the same kitchen harmoniously, at the same time, while it's in use. Hmmm. Baby steps. ;).

SO..

For any skeptics out there, I can't stress enough the exponential difference you'll feel if you try it, even if only for a week. I'm not suggesting you do something drastic like a colon cleanse or grass smoothies [but if that's your calling, good for you!], but even starting small, like cutting back on how many pops [sodas, yeah, yeah yeah... ] you drink a day, or maybe eating a piece of fruit instead of a cookie if you're hit with a sudden craving for sweets. Even popcorn [not the super butter extra butt .. yes, I said butt] is a better substitute than half a bag of potato chips. Oh, and don't forget to do something other than sit on your behind [aka, exercise helps!]

Sorry. I'll stop my soapbox. :)

Happy healthy Wednesday!

xo | cmd

Satursinusday. MM15. Allyn's, too!

Mabuhay, weekend!

cottage cheese | fruit | almonds | spoon = enjoying♥

-- Did another sinu-cleanse/neti syringe this morning. I'm happy to report it was far less gruesome than the first round, and offered about 2 hours of "better" before whatever I've got going on up there came back to sit. [[ I'm imagining myself as a robot with a little alien the height of a pencap sitting in the control room that is my sinuses just pressing buttons and pulling levers unabashedly. He's a mean little guy, that guy. He might even resemble the little Mucinex guy. Who knows anymore. ]] And yes, I know I should lay off all dairy products until I get this straightened out, but it's day 15 of the Moreno deal, and I don't regret it. Not yet :)



my quarky little gem

 I'm also happy to report that today was one of those days that the little things just make you smile. In spite of these pesky head issues I'm battling, I dropped in one of my favorite thrift/re-sale digs and stumbled across a shirt that had gone on to that esoteric hangout with all the 'other socks' and teenage retainers (aka, lost it). It's one of those cases in which that particular item of clothing was purchased I-don't-know-how-long-ago and quickly became one of my favorites. Then it goes missing and I figure there's rarely even a minute chance in all of my graces that I'd ever find a replacement. Today I found a replacement. The exact same shirt, though a size smaller [still fits, because the shirt itself is just.that.stellar]. Good times, good times.


To top it off, I rendezvoused with Kalyn, Brittany, & Cameron for some dinner & a field trip out to Allyn's to see our favorite rising star Chris sing. Did we throw a chicken quesadilla into that mix? Who knows.....



chris | today i don't feel like doin anything | bruno mars



 

quesadilla? | ours? | who knows....



allyn's | c.k.c.b

So, as I've been doing all week, I'll be hopin' and a-wishin' for my  head to calm down. I've got a dr. appt. set for Tuesday; I really hope I don't actually need his services by that time.

xo | cmd



Hello, Upswing | Hello, Twelve!

YESSSSS....

I woke up this morning with some sinus pressure, which I'm assuming is because I've got a sinus infection. [Oh well]. The good news: I can feel myself on an upswing!

My mother deserves all the thanks in the world for educating me on the right way to handle this sort of thing. Anyone who knows me knows that I haven't touched anything even resembling a tylenol in years. I just can't bring myself to do it. Don't think that I judge anyone who does; it's just not my thing. I'm not a huge follower of Western Medicine's typical approach: "RX, RX, RX... ." I've found that if I follow holistic methods properly and consistently [at least for minor stuff like I've got now], I'll see the same results without that bandaid effect.

My saving graces:

|| echinacea ||
|| been relying on this stuff since childhood ||
|| by Herb Pharm ||

|| vitamin c + echinacea + elderberry extract ||
|| my immune system ♥'s these little chewables ||
|| by Integrative Therapeutics, Inc. ||

I can already feel the pressure in my head subsiding, and the feelings of vertigo I had this morning are starting to dissipate as well. Here's hoping the rest of today and the rest of this week show equal signs of improvement. I'm feelin' pretty good......... fingers crossed!



|| breakfast ||
|| greek yogurt + blueberries + pear slices + green tea ||
|| p.s. - tastebudes activated!||

Oh yeah, and I'm tasting things, now, too.
SCORE.

:]
Happy Wednesday!



xo | cmd

11 | still sick. :(

It's a flat out shame that I can't taste much today.



cuties | originally uploaded by laura | sampled today by me :)



berry kefir smoothie

I'm bummed that my tastebuds are temporarily out of order
... even (unbelievably so) for this one:



steamed asparagus w/ pine nuts | turkey not pictured



--------

Fever: 102.1

Sinus headache: right side only.

Migraine: check.

Body ache: check.

Praying for recovery: check. check. check.

--------

another early night.
g'nite.

xo | cmd



Tres [Amigos]

Know what I call that?

-- A Good Day

'nuff said, foodies.

xo.

♥ | cmd