Hiring & Hummus

We were baaaaaaack at it today! Elisa and I wrote our day around the job fair we hosted with one of our partners downtown, and as usual, it was a great way to start the day. 

happy job hunting! 

Back at home, I got to digging through some recipes for a good, solid hummus. While I've occasionally experimented with different variations, what I would ideally like to have is a go-to that I can whip up without a second thought, and have it as it is, or add to it from there.

the struggle is oh. so. real.

Well thanks to Cincinnati Locavore's tips that I just discovered tonight on their blog, I think I may well be headed in the right direction.

Read 'Em HERE

There's also THIS: 

via THIS page

Give me a couple of days, folks. I'll report back once I've honed in on my new go-to. 

For now, have a beautiful rest of the week, blogbots! 

xo | cmd

Healthy Livin' On a Chilly Day!

My favorite way to start off a week is with church. One step past that would be baptisms at church [celebrate!!!]. To top it off, are baptisms of both the young and the mature. Even though I didn't know any of the folks today personally, I love love love watching the hand of God work in the lives of others and prompt them to take steps of faith.

baptisms @ sonrise! aaaamen! ♥

Amen? AMEN!

At home, it was a tough sell convincing Rob that Winter will in fact eventually pass, and that he can stop staring longingly out into the driveway at a boat that is still sitting in winter mode:

poor, poor winter boat.... 

To try and ease some of his seasonal funk, I got busy in the kitchen.. The first thing I was able to produce was some guacamole. It's one of our household favorites, and there's nothing quite like a couple of brand spankin' new, fresh avocados.

homemade guac! ♥

I got on a roll like I usually do whenever I find myself in these types of moods, so on to bigger tasks I was:

1. Fridge oatmeal, a quick approach to tomorrow's breakfast: Steelcut oats, chia seeds & blueberries, along with almond milk = a nice creamy blend of texture & sweetness that absorbs overnight in the fridge, hence the name Overnight Oatmeal.

overnight oatmeal!

Also on the list was the biggest challenge of the night: NOT burning my homemade granola bars to a crisp. I am happy to report that tonight was in fact a success!!

granola bars in the making

granola bars : finished product! 

Phew! It was a success. Rob's in a better mood, I feel accomplished, and to top it off, there are healthy AND delicious snacks all over the place in this house. Win, win, WIN!

Bring it on, Monday - I'm ready for you!

xo | cmd 

Eat .. And PLAY.. Like Champs!

If there's one thing my mother taught me when I was young [that I still wholly embrace today], it's this:

There are many schools of thought that would say I'm completely off-base, but I'm a firm believer that what you put into your body affects not just what comes out of your body, but how you're body functions overall. It's a science, really, but in the same rite, it's not a concept that should be so complicated.

That ancient adage, You Are What You Eat holds more stock to me than the combined amount of advice I've been given along the way. It's simple:

You eat well, you'll be well.

You eat crappy, you'll be crappy.  

I know: "Healthy food is expensive." Here's something to consider: 

1. That's an excuse not to do our research into cost-efficient ways to eat better.  They DO exist; I know this because I am not oozing money but I manage to maintain a healthy menu. Think about it in terms of what not to buy or eat, instead of I need to GET this, and BUY this. Also, on that note - don't accept at face value anything you're told, unless you're willing to go and test that advice. For instance, a doctor might tell you you're lacking manganese. You could get a supplement for that, or .... you could eat grapes. And green beans. And cucumbers, kiwi, strawberries, rice... the list goes on. Not every fancy-sounding element our body needs will cost you big bucks to satisfy. 

2. Yes, sometimes the healthier options are a bit pricier, but often times, they're NOT. Don't believe all the hype about prices. A bag of apples is cheaper than a case of those minibags of chips, and I don't think I really need to lay out the nutritional benefits of apples v. chips. 

3. It's all about educating yourself and how much discipline you're willing to have. 

4. Don't diet without exercise. It'd be like putting a full tank of gas in your car and then never driving it. You're fueled for performance, but you're sitting in the garage. Take a walk with your kids, if nothing else. Don't use kids as an excuse to never do anything [just sayin']. 

5. Make it PERSONAL! Have you ever considered just how unique we each are? We have different hair, different skin, different digestive systems, different pH balances... we are not cookie-cutter creatures? So why use a cookie cutter diet? You might not need to eliminate gluten from your diet. Lactose intolerant? There's calcium in beans, salmon, orange juice and some types of soy, almond & rice milks. Don't think that because you are allergic to, or can't eat something, that you will consequently never be able to get/have what you've been told those things provide. I for one cannot eat red meat [I lack the necessary digestive enzymes, womp womp!], so I find iron, protein and Vitamins B & D elsewhere. 

6. Find an accountability partner! [Or 2! Or 5! You get it..] This applies to many areas of life - conquering anything is usually easier - and more fun - if you're not doing it alone. Find someone else to hold accountable, and to do the same for you. You'll both see gains, and you'll both find out what works for you that perhaps didn't work for the other, and likewise. 

I could go on. 

Nobody certified me to know that stuff. I don't have a degree in any version of nutritional science. I am not a doctor. 

BUT,

I've never had cavities. Until four years ago, I had never broken a single bone. I was born with excema, but have flares about once every 21 years [that's the average so far]. My hair is thick, my nails are strong, and my skin is smooth. I am physically capable of running and exercising. My vision is 20/15 [although sadly I think that's decreasing with prolonged computer usage at work :(... ]. And, as far as I know, my memory is still working the way it should ;).  I'm not trying to brag; My point is - I didn't eat processed foods growing up, and I try not to now. Don't think I never do, because that's just not true - I love pizza like fish love water. I've found though, that when I eat it, I usually feel sluggish for longer than I'd like afterwards. 

I bought this book several years back and loved every page. It's a short read, but direct and simple. 

love it, michael pollan!

Basically. :) 

Anyway, if I stay here much longer, this rant may never end. 

Tonight, Jessica and I made a run to WFM to pick up a few essentials for dinner at her place. We got to cooking: chicken, sweet potatoes, sauteed veggies, homemade guacamole and lemon water. It was incredible. Rob joined us, and we continued on our winning night to some Yahtzee. [When was the last time you played?] 

Here's what that looked like for Rob & Jessica: 

yahtzee 6's for rob | yahtzee 4's for jess! 

I struck out on this one, but it's been about 15 years since Rob played the game, so I didn't mind letting him beat me the first round. Haha. Jessica took both games [THIS TIME, Jess. THIS ONE TIME :p.. ], but we'll be back to battle it out. ;) 

Good friends. Good food. Good gaming. That's my kind of Tuesday! 

xo | cmd

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

Lunch Adventures in OTR

The weather during the day this week, with the exception of yesterday, has been beautiful. The sun's been out, the breeze is steady and the temperature and humidity have seemed to find a balance that makes being inside really, really difficult.

Nice weather makes me want to be healthy. Fortunately for me, I work in a setting with a like-minded person [Elisa], and the two of us take turns making solid use of our kitchen space!

healthy start to the day!

Anyway, it's gorgeous outside.
Elisa and I decided to go enjoy some of the delicious weather, and paired the thought with delicious lunch from P+V. It was OTR for us!

city landscapes

return of the typewriter!

in case you couldn't read that ;)

glt [(vegan)goetta, lettuce, tomato] + vegan mac&cheese
park+vine | cincinnati, oh

YUM!
This place rarely ever disappoints, seriously. I have yet to be sad about a stop by Park+Vine. :)

Afterwards, we took a scenic route back to the car:

fun :)

iris book cafe | cincinnati, oh

Aaaaaand.. this gem, that I didn't even expect to know existed, let alone actually does exist:

what?! i wanna go!

How much do I love that?!! A pinball parlor?! C'MON. SOMEONE TAKE ME. :D

Anyway, tomorrow it's work and then off to Illinois for the weekend. It is the birthday of one of Rob's friends, so the two of them are doing a joint celebration. On top of that, I get to see 3 out of 4 of these faces:

yes. i just... yes.

With the exception of Marianne, I'll see the other four of these wild ones over the weekend.

I can't wait!
TGI[almost]F!

xo | cmd

Defying The Monday Gravity (:

Here's a good sign it might be Monday:

hello, monday.

^ Main artery roads closed on the morning commute? Sure. Detours? Sure. Hello, Monday....

Today consisted of off-and-on rain for the better part of the 8-to-5, which always proves to challenge our productivity, but we managed to finish everything. The upside of a rainy day is the lack of desire to go anywhere for lunch. Fortunately, I'd prepared in advance not for the dreary day, but for a new week of healthier office eating. That's right... my mason jar salads are baaaaack!:

happy lil' mason jar!

I was most excited for an after-work trip to the gym with Rob; it's rare that the two of us can coordinate our schedules like this after work. We plowed through a solid workout, which happens to be the first time he and I have done this together. (:

rendezvous!

Oh, and we have had leftovers from the weekend, so guess who didn't have to cook tonight! ;)

This soggy little Monday didn't turn out so bad after all. It's hard to believe that Easter is this weekend, though. Whoa. I have some preparation to do!

xo | cmd

We Are CALLED To Bless

I've been in prayer over the past few weeks on the decision I made to take on a missions trip. I would love to say that I've been given a clear, concise answer as to what it is I'll be doing, exactly where I'll be doing it and exactly when that will happen. Unfortunately, I've not been given any answers, but I'm fine with that, because I know that I'll be placed where I'm supposed to be, at the exact moment that I need to be at that place, for a reason I might not recognize until it is literally right in front of me. That is the beauty of faith.

With everything that's been scheduled for us over the past couple of weeks, it felt like much longer than two Sundays that I'd missed when I walked into SonRise today. Rob was still sick, and opted to stay back, so I ventured out on my own.

I'm glad I did. I walked into church and was immediately greeted by a foyer filled with people, balloons, posterboards and popcorn. It looked a lot like an expo of some sort, because it was an expo - a Ministry Expo.

sonrise ministry expo!

This was perfect.
Since I've moved back to Ohio, I have yet to plant my feet so firmly in a church that I am immersed yet in the ministry projects. That's not a good thing. I've still been experimenting here and there, visiting churches that I've not yet seen, trying to keep an open heart to where I should settle and plant my roots. Honestly, I've never homed myself [in my adult life] in anything other than a Baptist church, so naturally, exploring in and of itself has been something of a new experience as it is.

I have prayed over this often in the last year, especially after visiting a few of the area's Baptist churches and not feeling that connection that isn't decided my me, but rather by the overall atmosphere. I am sure they are wonderful places, but there's been something telling me that I need to explore what has been under my nose this entire time.

And that is SonRise. Yes, it's a community church; some call that non-denominational. I say that I'm less concerned about choosing a specific Christian division than I am about finding a place that coincides doctrinally with what I believe. I'm pretty simple. Love God, Love People. I borrowed that from my church in Illinois [Shout out, Towerview], but it's true and it's easy. Love God, Love People.

I see that at SonRise. I see a thirst to educate the kids and youth on reaching out in their worlds with the values that may, especially in today's society, defy the evolving social standards of their peer groups. I see the adults being guided, not forced, to recognize areas in which they can develop, correct or improve themselves in practical ways to have the impact we're designed to have.

Today, I took copious notes as I followed along with Pastor Jeff, on the calling we all have to use what we're given to bless others. I explored the Ministry Expo set up in the foyer, both before and after the service, and was a little taken back by just how obvious the opportunities to minister locally are for me. That, and how many!

just some of the ministry opportunities.. right.. under my nose.

Call me cliché if you want, but I am a firm believer that I've been the happiest when I'm doing something for the benefit of someone else, and can see the amount of joy that brings them. It didn't always, and still doesn't "come naturally" to me, as some people would suggest of those who love helping other people. No, I'm human. There are days when I want to be selfish, and every so often yes, I indulge those urges and internalize my energy instead of apply that to helping someone else. I'm not gonna pretend that I'm always helpy helperton. I'm human with human nature, and I am proof that dying daily to myself is a PROCESS.

Anyway, back on track, I discovered today that the seemingly murky responses I've felt thus far regarding an all-out missions trip may be due to the fact that I've yet to plant any of my missions efforts here, locally. It only make sense. The more I thought about it today, the more sense it made.I need to be here before I can be anywhere else. It all starts internally, and emanates from there.

I took lots of notes. I always try to capture any sermon with my own notes, so that I can refer back later and recall what stood out the most. Today, it wasn't one singular thing that made a mark, but just the concept of deflecting the focus off of myself and into the efforts of bettering someone else's life, if even for just a few minutes at a time.


must... remember!

And I remembered. I can write. That means that I know how to formulate encouragement to someone who might need it. I can cook. There are people who don't have the time, resources or ability to eat a good meal, let alone create one. I can sing. Music is therapeutic; there's no mood to which some sort of music cannot be paired. I love all those things, and I'm capable of much more that I don't always see. As it stands right now, very few people stand to benefit from any of my talents, mediocre as they may be. I can't share them if I don't apply them.

SO... Here's where I re-direct my prayers of mission. If across the world is where I'm meant to be, then great, that's where I'll be. As of now though, I feel like I need to just open myself to what is here, now. It's a matter of plugging myself into a homefront before I can expect to gain traction anywhere else. So, if you wouldn't mind, keep me in mind when you pray for local missions. This is about as local as it gets for me, but I'm starting to believe this is where I'm meant to be, for now. (:

*****

Speaking of blessings, I ran into an old friend a few weekends back when Jesse was in town visiting us. It's been nearly seven years since Justin and I played soccer together, but it seemed only fitting that since that's where we met, that's where we would start hanging out again, reconnecting after so long. So for the first time in over a year, I laced up the boots and hit the field with an indoor team, serving as a starter since their other girl didn't show up.

a familiar, endearing sight!

Tonight reminded me how greatly different soccer is than just a standard butt-whooping at a gym. It doesn't matter how much you train at the gym, soccer will find a way to target and destroy a completely different set of muscle groups. Haha. I held my own, but I'm already sore and looking forward to getting back into this on a regular basis. Yay, CINCINNATI and your indoor soccer networks!!

 

Back at home after the game, Rob and I decided that all of nothing sounded that great for dinner, so we pigged out like a couple of rabbits on what actually is probably healthier than most things we could've chosen to eat...

yeeeup. healthy hogs. haha..

Poor Rob is juuuuuust about back to 100%, although I think our attempt to find Anchorman 2 funny at all may have just caused a setback. Haha. Seriously, NOT... funny :( Oh well.

 

Tomorrow we're back to the work week; I have a feeling this week is going to be far less hectic than last week [at least I'm hoping for it, anyway].

 

See ya then!

 

xo | cmd

I'm a Gaiam Girl.

I told ya'll I'd have an udpate on the balance ball chair thing.

Welp... today I went for it and traded my office chair for a Gaiam balance chair. I was a little skeptical at first, but I'm pretty much in love with this thing now and I wonder why I waited so long.

Last week I switched my primary seating to an exercise ball, which I swapped with my regular chair only for interviews.

[i posted this last week]

Today I did my first couple of interviews atop this thing, and after throwing a sherpa blanket across the whole thing, only one person really even noticed it was that different from a standard chair.


yessssss

You can't really see it there, but this thing has a wheeled base and detachable balance ball. I don't feel like I'm sitting on the floor, either, which is great. Now all I need is a cover, and I've got my eye on a couple.. including this one: 

love. this.

My only problem is that I can't justify spending almost $45 on the cover for the ball that, along with the chair base didn't even cost half of that. There are other options.. so I'll keep ya posted ;)

I'm at home now, feeling pretty good about this new little perch I've got. Rob, Sydni and I just finished eating dinner and it's time now to watch Frozen for the umpteenth time for family movie night and get ready for tomorrow. The weekend is in sight... almost.. almost!

xo | cmd

And Then, It Was EMPTY!

I've been so focused on arranging and preparing the new house, that I've neglected any specific updates on the old digs. Welllll... 

then & now..
cleaaaaaaaaan & clear!

The main room at my old house feels so much bigger without anything in it, which I realize is generally the case with any room. I don't care though; I finally cleared out the last photo frame nail from the wall and have officially cleared out all signs of inhabitance from the back half of the old house. Save for our temporary sleep set up, "WE GONE!" [yiiiiieee!]

And, on an entirely unrelated note, I'm also declaring publicly today my affection and affinity for continued healthy eating. This little shoutout is really more for myself than any audience, but a little public posting never hurts when I'm trying to keep myself accountable.. 


greek yogurt + honey + blueberries
who says office life has to be all junk food!?

... I'm bent, folks, on a healthy 2014.

Right now, I'm more excited to [almost] be down to one house, instead of split between two. Home stretch!!!

xo | cmd