A One Year Old and a Half Marathon

So...I haven't written since August of 2015 when my girl turned 3 years old and I was participating in the 21 Day Fix (which totally works and rocks, by the way, and I have abs for the first time in my 36 years of life). I have great intentions and a lot of hilarious stories and meaningful thoughts and great pictures but...I also have two kids and a running hobby. Oh and there's reading and napping too. And Netflix. So that's why I don't often post. 

But having a one year old and running my first half marathon in almost two years surely merits a post! 

So here's my one year old at his penguin themed birthday party. This little guy has brought our family so much joy and fun. He is a hoot and a snuggle and an easy smile. 

Here's the whole family. I love us. God has been good to me, and I try to tell Him every single day how thankful I am for these three people He has given me. 

So I've been running and training for this upcoming half marathon, which was January 16. It was my first post-baby half and also my first half in almost two years! It was fantastic! I went into it nervous and unsure, but also excited to just be out there doing it. I ran most of the way with my friend, Jan, and that made it go by quickly and easily. 

It didn't feel hard until mile 12 and part of that was because I'd left my fuel in the car. Jan had given me two of her gummies and they'd certainly helped, but by mile 12 I knew I was depleted. The last few miles were also a steady climb and that wore on me as well. My handsome other half (who ran it in 1:20:08) met me at mile 12 and ran me in. I finished in 1:56:40 and was quite pleased with that starting point. Lots of room for improvement, but I'm happy with where I am. 

In other news, I'm addicted to PiYo. I didn't even know what it was when I bought the DVD set, but I love it! I do it on the days I don't run. It has definitely changed my body, made me stronger, and I believe it has helped keep me from injury as I have increased my mileage. 

I am also falling in love with cooking! Which is crazy when I think of how I used to resent time spent grocery shopping and cooking dinner when Jason and I were first married. Now I take great joy and pride in feeding my family well, in cooking and baking, in new kitchen gadgets and cookbooks and Pinterest! Don't even get me started on my love affair with Pinterest! 

That's where I am these days. I keep up with my new recipes and such on Instagram, so follow me there if you are interested. For now my writing time is up as I hear the one year old summoning me from his nap. 

Bits and Pieces - the Lazy Edition

1. Blogging, running stay-at-home moms, how do you keep up with everything AND write?  As you can see from my pitiful blog here, that is what gets kicked off the to-do list when there is too much to do.  IF I have time to write anything about being a mom or running or training, I think I should be cleaning or organizing or cooking.  And if I'm not doing that, I'm resting when Eloise does because wooo weee!  She's a busy little 18 month old! I think about all these things I'd liked to say... but I never write them down.  I just think about them in the shower or while I'm running.

2.  I'm training for a PR half-marathon. I have two shots lined up so far.  One is a bit soon - the Seaside Half-Marathon March 2 and the other is a brand new marathon in my stomping grounds, the Bridge Street Towne Centre Half Marathon in April.  I'd like the PR in Seaside but I've waited a little late to start speed work so I'm not sure I can get there by then.  But I'm gonna try anyway!

3.  Every night for the last 3 weeks, all I want to do (and all I end up doing) after I read to Eloise and get her to bed is make myself a single serve brownie in a cup (oooooh my word, do yourself a favor and DON'T learn that recipe) and plop down on the couch next to Jason and watch a TV show.  Right now it is Revenge on Netflix unless one of our other shows are on Hulu.  It is the thing I look forward to every single night.  I'm hoping this will end soon.  I've let myself purposefully run out of ingredients for the brownie although I have not yet gained any weight from my new addiction. I guess you could say it is "all natural" and therefore not a bad dessert, but when you put a few scoops of all natural vanilla ice cream on top of your all natural brownie made with butter and sugar... the calories add up!  If you want the recipe, it is here but I warn you... you are opening Pandora's box if you look!

4.  Being a mom has taken on a whole new phase as we get closer to the age of two.  My baby girl is 18 months now and she is a spitfire!  She is not afraid of anything except on occasion the vacuum cleaner.  She likes to jump off of things, she likes to bounce, she likes to climb, she likes to run fast, she likes to be upside down... she's wild.  Occasionally she falls or bumps her head, but only sometimes does that bother her.  I like this and I fear this.  Ha!  But that's not the new phase part.  The new phase is she's finally realized she has her own will and she's starting to exert it.  That means I have to show her that I'm, in fact, the boss and it is my will that will win.  This is hard because I want rainbows and sunshine and baby laughter and tickles all the time.  But if I say the word, "No," all of that goes away.   My head knows she must be taught to obey but my heart still wants to avoid tears at all costs.  I thought I was tougher, but I am not.  However, I will learn to be.  It isn't easy though.

5.  It is the Sacred Month of Love!  I love this month!  I have no idea why except that it is just fun.  I love red and pink and purple and white and flowers and chocolate assortments and stuffed animals and sweet words.  So, I've decided to do a little something sweet/goofy/funny for Jason the first 14 days of this month to say, "I love you."  I might include them on this blog if he doesn't mind.  None of it would be considered an over share at this point... but we are only on day 3.

6.  And now that I've written, I feel that I must get back to my to-do list.  My house is in a sad state - partly because of my wild child and partly because I love sitting on the couch under a blanket so much. This cold winter is doing me in! I usually like it just fine but with a little one who loves going outside to play and doing all the things I mentioned in # 4... I've got spring fever BAD! I did sign her up for swim lessons that start this week and I'm super excited about that. I'm going to try to write a little more, and I do have some things I want to share, but for now you (my two BFFs who read my blog) will have to settle with a few bits and pieces. 

Mama's in the Kitchen

With the holiday season and my brain no longer being taken over with training came the renewed interest in Pinterest and trying out new recipes!  I have had so much fun with it.  I like perusing the recipes, finding ones I like, making the grocery list, shopping (yes, even grocery shopping), and finally getting in the kitchen and giving it a go!  My confidence has improved somewhat when trying new recipes... this could be a good thing or a bad thing.  I still make substitutions and changes mid-recipe if I don't have something or if I don't like an ingredient.  But with this week's recipes, it has turned out okay... so far.

First up is pumpkin bread!  I chose it because it said, "easy" pumpkin bread.  It got this recipe from The SITS Girls, and my only complaint is there was no good way to print it.  I had to keep running into the study to check the recipe and then going back into the kitchen (yes, I have an iPhone, no I didn't feel like using it for this).  

Here is the recipe (see the link above for complete instructions):

Note: I am not a food photographer.

2 ½ C flour
2 t baking soda
3 C sugar
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
½ t cloves
½ t allspice
1 large can (30 oz) or 2 small cans (15 oz) of pumpkin
4 eggs
1 C oil

I made two changes.  I only used 2 cups of sugar and I used coconut oil (although it doesn't specify).  And it was DELISH!  I was quite proud of myself.  To me, they did not need 3 cups of sugar and I have a serious sweet tooth.  The spices are PERFECT and you can taste them all.  It was a superb fall treat.


Next, I made slow cooker chicken noodle soup from Cooking Classy.  I am actually in the process of making this right now.  The ingredients are all cooking in the crock pot now, and I'll shred the chicken and add the noodles in a few hours. Now that it is cold, soup is the perfect meal for my little family, but I wanted to find some soups that do not include Campbell's soups.  I'm not bashing Campbell's, I'm just seeking a healthier option. 

Here is the recipe (see the link to Cooking Classy for further instructions):

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
   
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
   
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (3 - 15 oz cans)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 tsp celery seed, finely crushed*
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
• 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

I didn't have any celery seed or bay leaves, so I hope it turns out okay, but I had everything else and followed instructions.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Next up I intend to try easy pumpkin swirl brownies (again, I was drawn in by the word, "easy"). They look DELISH!  I may make them today and serve them to some friends tomorrow as my taste-testers.  Then I may need to try my pumpkin bread again, but I will substitute butter for the oil, or maybe Greek yogurt.  I want to make a version my husband will eat (he's anti-oil).

Yep.  Mama is in the kitchen! 

A Slushy in My Kitchen

Okay, I'm probably going to get cocky soon about my new found prowess with the blender... but don't worry, I'll have a catastrophe soon enough that will bring me back to earth.  For now, however, let me share my amazing success with the Watermelon Lime Frosty I just made (although I think it is more like a slushy).

I drank most of the blender before snapping a pic...

Another pretty one!

I found the recipe on Pinterest (of course), but it originally (as far as I know) comes from Daydream Kitchen and here is the link.

The recipe is as follows:

• 3 cups watermelon, should be cubed and frozen
• 1 banana, ripe, peeled and frozen
• 2 tbsps agave or maple syrup
• juice and zest from 2 limes
• 1/2 cup water

I only made 1 minor modification that I think you might want to consider - I used only 1 tablespoon of light agave syrup (60 calories).  That is sweet stuff and there is already sweetness in the watermelon and banana.  Let me just say this is a DELICIOUS summer day treat!  I had just run 8 miles in the most humid morning air, and this slushy was perfection.  I think I will be making this all summer!

Let's talk calories for those of you who keep up. 

Watermelon (I used 1 wedge sliced) - so I'm estimating 90 calories
1 banana - 90 calories
1 tbsp of agave syrup - 60 calories
2 limes - 40 calories

That is a total of 280 calories for the WHOLE blender full - and that is more than an 8 oz glass (and yes, I consumed the whole blender... again...oh dear).

So maybe I need to head back out with Eloise and the stroller later... but it was worth it! Yum! 

My First DELISH Smoothie

This is actually my second smoothie attempt, but this one I REALLY like!  I have to give most of the credit to my friend, Jamie, who sent me her PB&J smoothie recipe.  I modified it a little according to what I had on hand and it turned out delish!  Here is her recipe first followed by mine.

Jamie's PB&J Smoothie
scant cup water
4oz plain 0% greek yogurt
2C frozen strawberries
1 lg banana
2T freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter
five ice cubes
2C fresh spinach leaves

My AB&J Smoothie
 half cup of filtered water
4 oz (ish) of lowfat Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt (I can't abide the plain stuff)
2C frozen raspberries
1 large banana
2T of almond butter (my new love as of today)
five ice cubes
2 handfuls of organic spinach leaves (I went sparingly in case I didn't like it)

Isn't it pretty!

This was/is delicious!  I am still enjoying it at this very moment and even though I thought it made way more than I could/would consume, I am going back to the kitchen to finish the rest right now.  So let's talk calories.  Here is what I estimated and I always err on the side of over estimation so if I'm wrong, I get less calories than what I thought.  

4 oz of yogurt - 90 cals
2 cups of frozen raspberries - 80 cals
1 banana - ~ 90 cals
2 Tbsp of almond butter - 180 cals
2 handfuls of spinach leaves - 10 cals (the whole container was 35 total). 

That is 450 total calories IF you consume the entire blender.  I filled an 8 oz glass FULL and that was not the entire blender.  So that is also something to consider if you are sharing.  I didn't share, but this will be lunch, and I am quite full!  And proud!  My first successful blending experience!  Whoop!

More Pinterest Cooking

Yep, I've been at it again!  Getting recipes off Pinterest and giving them a go with various degrees of success (usually depending on whether I followed directions or not).

I wrote a few days ago about my first smoothie in my new Mother's Day blender.  We are probably going to call that a bust because I wasn't crazy about it and I think I ruined it with grapefruit juice.  It DOES have the potential to be very good if done correctly, I believe.

I also wrote about visiting the strawberry patch and picking strawberries with my baby girl.  Well, we had a HUGE bucket of strawberries so I researched pie recipes and made one.  I was SO excited because I followed ALL the directions and it was HEALTHY (except for the crust).  I got it out of my Better Homes cookbook and it looked so pretty!  Professional, even.  When Jason got home I proudly opened the fridge to show him and he said, "Did you bake the crust?"  ... ... ... No. No I had not baked the crust.  I NEVER make pies and when I do I usually fill my crust with all the good stuff and stick the whole thing in the oven.  This pie never went to the oven so nothing got baked.  We dumped all the filling out, baked the crush and dumped it all back in.  It was delish!

I also tried the cottage cheese and egg scramble. It turned out well (all you do is dump cottage cheese in with your egg and scramble) and at first I wasn't sure but then I decided I really liked it.  The cottage cheese makes it so fluffy and flavorful. Definitely a good breakfast/lunch/post run dish if you like scrambled eggs (which I do).

That's it for now... I think.  I went to our local organic/healthy supermarket today (Earth Fare) and had varying degrees of success with all these strange ingredients for smoothies. I'm going to be honest here. My taste buds are picky, plain Jane, and they are not cultivated for fanciness.  I don't like dark chocolate.  I don't want protein powder or any other powder.  Unless it is chocolate, maybe.  I'm just not your super organic wheat grass, kelp, green smoothie eating type of person, although I really do want to pack some goodness into these things that will help my body heal and withstand the training I want to subject it to.  And I want to learn about all of these super foods for not only me but my running man and my baby girl as well.

I was childless as I browsed the aisles of over-priced strangeness because Mom was home with Eloise.  The prices were insane!  $11.00 for almond butter?!?  $21.00 for flax oil (and who even knows what that is or does or is for)?!?  I skipped those two but I did spend $5.00 on agave syrup and on organic baby puffs (which taste like sawdust, but Eloise likes them) and I bought coconut milk and water... and some apples and limes.  I think that's about it.  Then I went to Kroger and got the rest, seeing all the things I'd bought at Earth Fare for less... Oh well.  Live and learn.  Earth Fare also smells like my grandmother.  I think it is the natural soap.  I will say I love their pizza, PB and J sandwiches and their corn chips. And their large selection of Honest Tea.  Okay, so I like Earth Fare, despite the prices and smelling like my grandmother - who I loved with all my heart despite the fact that she smelled strongly of roses.

In other news, my Mother's Day food processor came in and I've just unpacked it, watched the DVD tutorial, and now it is all in the dishwasher. I'm going to make my own salsa tonight and maybe try a watermelon lime smoothie thing I found... I'll keep you posted.  I never knew I could have so much fun in the kitchen!

Successful (and not) Pinterest Recipes

I probably could have titled this post "Cooking with the Space Ball (me)" because I have to say before you read my successful and unsuccessful recipes that the unsuccessful were all my fault and not the fault of the recipe or the creator of the recipe.  I am horrible at eye-balling when I shouldn't (which is basically always), misreading ingredients, and substituting ingredients when I don't have the exact ones called for in the recipe.

Now that you know, here is what I've been up to in my kitchen thanks to Pinterest! 

Successful

2 ingredient cookies from the Burlap Bag

Made with bananas and oats, I will really liked these - especially with chocolate chips added in and I think cinnamon would be another great addition although I did not use it this time.   I also used 3 bananas because mine were small and I didn't have quick oats so I used whole oats.  I may get some quick oats for next time because mine are very... oaty.  I made a few plain, a few with chocolate chips and a few with white chips because Jason can't have chocolate.  YUM and HEALTHY!  I'm giving the whole "gluten free" thing a go these were perfect for that!

Healthy Lunch Snack from Girl Who Loves Everything (I named it because it didn't have a title)

I used leftover salmon I'd baked the night before, added 1 boiled egg and probably a quarter of an avocado, maybe less, with a dash of salt on top.  It was DELISH and filling!  I ate 16 plain Lays kettle chips, which is 1 serving, to go along with it and a small cup of Eloise's apple juice because I hadn't made any green tea.  It was the perfect lunch!

Spaghetti Squash with Grilled Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Peas from R&T.

I'm counting this one as a success even though I made a few mistakes and left out the chicken and peas (I was using it as a side dish with salmon and Jason doesn't like peas).  It is also not one of those dishes you throw together and then leave...which are the kind I usually make.  But I'd make this one again in a heartbeat.  It was DELISH and my very first go with spaghetti squash (which is just so cool - the squash, not me).

Homemade Taco Seasoning from Rachel Cooks

This was a huge success and very delicious! I was a little nervous about it, but it tastes just as good if not better than what comes in the little packets at the grocery stores.  The only ingredient I left out were the crushed red pepper flakes because I don't like that much spiciness, but other than that I actually followed directions and measured and such. 

Unsuccessful

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars from The Pioneer Woman

This was all my fault.  I changed too many variables and misread the amount of butter so they didn't really become bar-like at all - more like strawberry oatmeal casserole, however it tasted pretty good when servd with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt.  I used only 1 stick of butter instead of 1 and 3/4.  I used whole wheat flour, although I have no idea if that made it more crumbly.  I didn't have strawberry preserves so I used Welch's Natural strawberry spread.  And I eyeballed the rest.  And I didn't pat it down.  I'd love to give these another go but Jason said there's too much butter and since I'm no longer using light butter he doesn't want all that.  But I think I could be successful with these if I followed the instructions.

Zucchini Chips from Table for Two

What I did wrong here was I did not have silicon baking mats or parchment paper and as usual I didn't let not having what I needed stop me.  So I put tin foil over my baking pans and let that be that.  ha.  I cut the zucchini slices really thin - maybe too thin - and brushed olive oil over them with my NEW pastry brush (I felt so sophisticated).  I didn't have kosher salt so I got out the old salt shaker and went at it.  My chips turned out really tiny and thin and they taste like fried okra to me.  Not bad, I guess, but not the lovely, appetizing looking chips the Table for Two recipe page. 

Baby Steps to Better Eating

So, there is this movement and I've known friends who adopted it long before it was the fad it is today... but it is a GOOD fad and I'm glad I'm a part of it now... although it is overwhelming.  Let me explain.

Do you know how much absolute CRAP is in our food?  I thought I knew.  I really did.  I used to run with a friend named Kristi and we would have long talks about this.  I stopped drinking diet drinks and then cokes altogether. I cut out all fake sweeteners and I knew what to look for (sucralose, for example). I started reading labels and cutting out all "partially hydrogenated" oils even when the label said "No trans fat."  I did a few other things she and I talked about, but the more I learn and the more I read... I wasn't even scratching the surface!

There are hormones in meat and milk and cheese.  Bad hormones that can make little girls develop much faster than we mothers would prefer... among other things.  Preservatives are awful and do awful things to the body.  MSG has 40 (slight exaggeration) different names so if you are LOOKING for MSG in the label, be warned, it can be labeled as, "autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, mono-potassium glutamate, and textured protein." (What is MSG).  Good grief.  I don't know about you, but I thought yeast extract sounded sort of natural.  Ha! 

If something is "light" or "fat free" chances are they took out something bad and put in something WORSE.  It would be better if we ate in moderation than to consume more of a lighter or fat free version.  This goes for butter, coffee creamer, and basically any food item out there (I'm focusing on the ones I use often). 

Basically, any food item that has been processed is bad.  In a nutshell.  No lie.  They even have DRUGS to combat the bad stuff in our food.  What?  Yes!  It cracks me up that New York is going to limit the amount of coke you can drink, but we are going to allow poison in our foods to make them look prettier and last longer.  Way to get us healthy, New York.

Now.  Deep breath.  I am starting to make more small changes in addition to the ones I've already made.  I'm hoping they add up to massive changes, but I have to start with little steps or I am overwhelmed.  First of all, I'm trying to be thrifty and the better you eat, the more expensive it is.  I HATE that, but there it is.  I buy a LOT of fruits and veggies and make my own desserts.  I make peach cobbler, blueberry crisp, apple crisp and Jason makes homemade cookies.  This cuts out a lot of junk in our junk food (ha).  I'm still looking for an acceptable frozen yogurt.  Right now we are using Purity, but that has things on the label I can't pronounce... always a bad sign.

I'm going to start shredding my own cheese.  Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent (as do many spices) in it that is not good... among other things.  I learned this at a Proverbs 31 Woman class a friend has started.  She's not only talking about cooking, food, and health, but many other things women do to run a home, but I've honed in on the food part (although I probably could seriously benefit from the sowing lessons).  Check her out here: Fussy Monkey Business. 

I stopped buying light butter, much to Jason's chagrin, but I think it would be better to cut back on butter than to put chemicals into our bodies.  I buy the more expensive meats from the grocery store because they are hormone free.  When Eloise starts drinking milk, we will go organic on that.  For now, we drink so little of it that I'm not going there yet (we are looking at a $3.00 price increase when I do, same goes for organic half and half).  I'm not throwing out white flour altogether, but if I can make it with whole wheat flour, I will.  It's a little more grainy, but with many foods that works just fine.

I'm going to stop buying many things from the center aisles of the grocery store.  I still buy cereal and tomato sauce... things like that.  But not without serious label reading (and lots of research on what in the world those unpronounceable ingredients are).  It is frustrating because it means I can't buy a lot of things like crackers (do any exist without preservatives?), certain sauces, etc.  It is maddening that of ALL the useless things our government focuses on... taking poisons out of our food isn't one of them.  It is stressful because I'm trying to buy groceries on a budget and cutting out the crap means spending more money.  But I guess in the end, my health and the health of my little family is worth it to me.  At the very least, we will save money on medical bills.

And I'm going to keep running and sweating and hoping this poor body that I've filled with chemicals for so long can rid itself of some of it that way.  Baby steps.  That's what I'm taking.  I'm hoping that I can protect Eloise from a lot of the junk in our foods and that I can make Jason and I healthier than we have ever been.

Yum

So one of the things I dreamed of doing while I was a working woman was cooking.  Why couldn't I cook when I was a working woman?  Well... I have excuses about working 8 hours a day, early morning runs, not wanting to come home and stand around in the kitchen or spend evenings in the grocery store... whatever.  I just decided in my mind that once I was a stay at home mom I'd magically turn myself into a marvelous chef and learn things.  Kitchen things.

It started, as many of these things do, with Pinterest.  I'd pin easy meals that contained things I thought Jason and I would eat.  He can't eat cheese, I don't like peppers, etc. I also wanted them to be healthy. I decided this week I'd start trying one new recipe each week and I asked Jason if he minded since it could very possibly turn out horribly.  I've been known to burn things, not fully follow directions, substitute ingredients I don't have, etc. I'm probably the biggest goof-up in the kitchen you can find.

BUT, I'm a mom now so I need to have some skills.

I started with this recipe: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans.

This is mine...and I think it looks sophisticated.

I did not have any garlic (forgot to put that on my list), but I DID have garlic-y olive oil (don't ask), so I used that.  I did not have a juicer to juice one of my lemons so I just squeezed it a lot.  I only had skinless, boneless chicken breasts and I didn't use as many beans as it called for, which I should have.  My potatoes turned out perfectly, some of my beans were charred and my chicken was tough on top because I cooked it too long.  I thought cooking it longer would make it all more tender.  ha.  No.  But now I KNOW from experience what to do next time and that is a good thing.  It was edible and Jason said I should add it to our rotation with a few modifications.

Next week's recipe will be one I saw on the Today Show this morning.  It is called Chicken Pot Au Feu and it is a slow cooker recipe.  I'm going to need to borrow my sister's slow cooker or buy a bigger one because mine is small and sad, but this recipe looks delicious and I think it is one I can handle.  Slow cooker recipes are my friend because Eloise usually takes a good morning nap, which would allow me to get it all ready and cooking.  She does not always take an afternoon nap and around 5:00 p.m. (time to start cooking) she is sometimes a little fussy and just wants to be held.

Two other things I want to include in my "Yum" post, one of which is my new favorite snack!  Nature's Valley Oats and Dark Chocolate granola bars.  I usually stick to the regular old Oats and Honey, but decided to get wild and get dark chocolate.  I LOVE THEM.  They are 190 calories and they satisfy my sweet tooth while being a little better than things like cookies or a 3 Muskateers or Twizzlers (which is usually the desire of my sweet tooth).

And the second thing I've been loving is green tea.  I posted a while my personal recipe for it, but sometimes in a pinch I will buy some already made (although I prefer not to do this because I can make it so much more cheaply).  I love love love green tea and I have discovered this new (to me) brand that is delish!  The ingredients are sound and I love the taste.  So far I have found them at Rite Aid only, but I only recently discovered this brand so I haven't looked for it elsewhere. 


So there you have it!  My yummy thoughts for the week!