Crazy & Sexy

It's been a crazy sexy ride, but I'm loving it.  Here's the latest update:

I tried one of the pre-packaged salads from HEB.  It came with lettuce, grilled chicken, pita crackers for a little crunch and a little bit of cheese and all organic.  There was dressing of course, but I just used light olive oil.  It was the best take-home salad I've tried.  However, there's nothing like & as fresh as a restaurant salad.

That's why I enjoy ordering salads at work now.  Before, I used to have the mindset that I was a bunny eating grass (salad).  Now, I think of how it's nourishing my body and fueling my soul.  I'm at the stage where I order a chicken caesar salad, but with chicken tenders.  Eventually I'll get to the point of grilled chicken and more veggies, but until then it's better than a PBJ.

The fun part now is that I'm starting to somewhat learn how to cook is dressing it up!  I like adding a dab of whipped cream to a smoothie or dessert and some fresh strawberries.  It always makes things look more tasty and enjoyable.

Not everything in this kitchen is hunky-dory.  We've failed several times, but that's how you learn.  We

tried Spaghetti Squash on Monday and we didn't finish it.  We cooked the whole spaghetti squash in the oven for about 1 hour, then scrapped out the seeds and pulled the spaghetti looking squash strings out.  We mixed those in with butter, parsley, salt, garlic and butter.  It smelled divine and looked delicious.  However, that was not the case.  It was more crunchy and not tender like regular spaghetti noodles that we know and love.

There's a new book that I read in 1 week time.  And I DO NOT like reading!  It was amazing and I've learned so much.  It's called "Crazy Sexy Diet" by Kris Carr.  She is an inspiration, a warrior leader and a nutritional goddess.  She has such character that shines through the pages in her book.  I highly suggest it.

In the picture is a juice and we tried something new at my mother-in-law's.  We juiced:

• 1.5 lemon
• 1 large celery stalk
• 1 large carrot
• Spinach
• Cranberries
• Apples
• 1 orange

I just got her newest book "Crazy Sexy Kitchen" with some recipes to try. I'll post on pinterest when I try them; including the juicing recipes.

Now for some fun stuff...

At work we had a baby alligator of an event and I got to hold it.  Check out the pics.....

Have a blessed day!

Our Siberian Husky

I would like to introduce you all to our dog, Faith.  She's a 4-year-old Siberian Husky and she loves to play in the river in Georgetown, TX.  She'll never bring back a stick, but she did this one time and it was a large stick.  Larger than her!  If you listen closely she'll whimper and it's just too cute.

She's a great family dog.  We run together, play together and we enjoy taking her on adventures. 

Advice if you're thinking about getting a siberian husky:  They shed.  A LOT!  Daily, you'll find clumps of hair everywhere.  Forget about wearing the color black because you'll be covered from head to toe in dog hair.  Other than that they're fantastic family dogs.  If you can, get them young so you can train them.  Huskies are from the wolf family so the more trained you have them, the better.

New Smoothie Recipies

I have new smoothie recipes posted HERE...


And I have a new Pinterest board that reviews all the recipes I've tried from Pinterest and how they worked out.  Check it out HERE.


And remember to follow on Instagram.  You can use #PBJsSincePreK if you want to share something with me.

Preparation is Key

Preparation is key in any aspect of life, and most professionals will tell you that. Austin (my husband) and I spend about 1 1/2 - 2 hours of planning out our meals for the upcoming week. That's right, breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies & all juicing recipes planned out.  It's great because during the week you don't have to think about anything.  You simply follow your plan.  When you go to the grocery store you already have a pre-determined list to shop by.

TIP:  Shop the outsides of the grocery store for the least processed foods (fruits, vegetables, meats).

We went to HEB last night for our weekly run and we went prepared.  Our list was planned out and here's what it looks like:

This is me and my "nerdy" clipboard and our grocery list shopping at HEB.

SUNDAY:
Breakfast: Sweetness Start Smoothie
Lunch:  Grilled Cheese, Juicing
Dinner:  Grilled Chicken Salad
Workout: Off

MONDAY:
B: Eggs, Fruit
L: Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
D: Baked Parmesan Chicken, Side Salad
W: Crossfit

TUESDAY:
B: Green Gorilla Smoothie
L: Left over chicken, Peaches, Pineapple
D: Breakfast Taos
W: Crossfit

WEDNESDAY:
B: Jamba Juice Smoothie
L: Chicken Salad
D: Pasta & Hamburger, Smoothie
W: off

THURSDAY:
B: "Daneen Juice"
L: Left Over Hamburger/Pasta
D: Home-made Chicken Nuggets & Zucchini Chips
W: Crossfit

FRIDAY:
B: Eggas, Toast, Whey Protein Powder & Almond Milk
L: Left over Chicken & Zucchini, Fruit
D: 1/2 PBJ, Fruit
W: Crossfit

And that's our week!

Bread aisle at HEB.

We used to have the cheap college kid mentality at the grocery store.  That means a 89¢ loaf of white bread.  Look at the bread aisle!  It's out of the control.  Each researcher & doctor will tell you different.  Don't eat bread.  Only eat wheat bread.  Only eat whole grain bread.  All breads all the same.  Well, what's the truth?

All I know is that the white bread we buy of 89¢ is NOT the best option.  So I'm open to suggestions on which breads and brands you use and why you think it's best.  Tweet me @PBJsSincePreK or comment on this post.

This morning was a great Saturday!  I hardly ever get Saturdays off work, so when I do I really get to

enjoy them and be grateful for each moment.  This morning I cooked breakfast for my hubby & I.  We enjoyed scrambled eggs, bacon (crispy), 1/2 a piece of toast and great strawberry smoothie.

Smoothie Recipe:  1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup orange juice, 3 cups frozen strawberries & a little whipped cream.

And today we invested in a new direction we're trying out and we purchased planted basil.  If this works out we'll expand our horizons to rosemary, sage and other great herbs.  I would love to have an apple tree in the backyard, but our HOA doesn't approve it or a vegetable garden, but I think we have too many bunnies in our neighborhood anyways.  They would eat everything!

Center plan is basil.  It was $4 at HEB.  All three planters are from HEB and came with flowers (right & left) for $8 each.

What if you prayed over your juice?

What if you prayed over your juice?  Or whatever it was you were about to eat?  Would it change the outcome of anything?  For me, I would say yes.  Today I juiced a beet for the first time.  It was only a 1/3 beet, but a beet non-the-less.

I decided to juice a beet because it's really good for your heart.  I started with 1/3 to ease into it.  However, it really changes the color of your juice.  Apparently beets have a LOT of juice in them.  I made the juice like normal and I had to mentally psych up.  Once I had my glass and straw ready I prayed over my juice.

I put my hand on top of the glass and I asked God for an open mind.  I asked him to to keep my mind open to enjoy all the things he naturally put on this earth for us to enjoy.  I can tell you that he answered.  The beet juice wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible and I finished the whole drink.  In it, it had 1/3 beet, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot, 1 lemon, 2.5 apples and 5 handfuls of baby spinach.

After I finished it here's what I heard from God, "See what I can do for you and with you when you draw closer to me?".  It was amazing & eye opening.  As in a previous blog, all the glory is to God because he is the one that has helped me most, and he was the only one that could change where I was at, to where I am now.

Here's some additional motivation and food for thought:

Planning Ahead is Always Better

Planning ahead always takes extra time, creativity and patience, but it's definitely worth it.  My husband and and I spend about 1 - 1.5 hours a week planning out our meals for the next week.  When I say "planning" that also includes researching.

We aren't the cooking type or very knowledgable in the kitchen, but we're learning.  So our research includes looking up new recipes, figuring out if we can execute and we also try to plan our dinners so left overs can be part of our lunches the next day at work.  In this planning we include our meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner for me), workout schedule (again me), work schedule & activities schedule (church, sports, etc.)  Then we make a master list of all the groceries we need based on our planned week, and we review what we already have in stock.

Again, this all takes time, but it is worth it.  How many times have you said, "ah, we'll figure it out" and then you go out to dinner?  That's more money being spent.  Or you spend the evening snacking because you didn't know what you wanted to cook for dinner.  Not the healthiest option.

At home I just put together this self-made family planning organization center.  I purchased a weekly

planner & a grocery list pad from Organizher.  Each week this is where we combine all of meals, exercise, work, etc.  Below I put these 99¢ index card holders to the wall with reusable stickies.  Each holder came with index dividers.  I have one divider for juicing & smoothies, one for meals & one for "more" such as snacks and sides.  Each tap has a category, but the first tab is "this week".  After we plan out our week I'll put the corresponding recipe card under "this week" so it's easy to find when starting a recipe.  Ultimately I will put a 3" ring around all of them so they're easy to transport while planning.  On my pinterest page I have a large, and growing, collection of recipes and ideas, but it's difficult to find the ones you want when you really need it.  I will also be adding motivational quotes and images around the area.  Those kind of things do get in your subconscious and are great motivators.  My latest favorite is "Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body."

The best grocery advice is something you've probably already heard, but it's to shop around the outside walls of the grocery store.  That's where the most fresh, least processes foods are.  Things like fruit, vegetables, dairy & meats.  Check out this video from NourishLife.org: