Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Overnight Oats

Have you discovered this yet?  I'm a little late to the overnight oats party, but man oh man what a tasty, easy breakfast.

I like the texture of overnight oats better than oatmeal prepared traditionally.  It's almost like an al dente version of oatmeal. 

I usually add bananas, but I was out when I took this picture

 I've been fixated on this particular concoction lately that's packed with flavor and lots of protein.  It's a recipe for peanut butter overnight oats, and it's fabulous.


It's really versatile, too.  You can easily tweak the recipe by adding whatever floats your boat.  Almond butter instead of peanut butter, walnuts instead of almonds, blueberries instead of banana.  Whatever you like!

All I know is I've been eating it weekly since I discovered it!  The above recipe is enough for 1 serving, and you can eat it cold right from the fridge or pop it in the microwave if you prefer it warm.  (which is also delicious) Cold in the summer is perfect and refreshing.  Also, the chia seeds really bulk it up, so I'm usually full until well after lunch.

How bout a little overnight oats experimentation? It's a tasty, healthy little breakfast!

Ta-ta for now.



Wednesday, November 2, 2016

The Best of...Part 2

I was browsing through some of my old posts recently, and I decided it's time for another "Best Part of My Day" exercise.  Because truth be told, I've been snuggling up a little too closely with apathy lately. 

With all the chaos and movement of the move behind us, I've found myself feeling noticeably detached.

It's been difficult to engage, and motivating myself to get in the game here as far as rebuilding my life has been a challenge.  I wrote about this very topic here a few weeks ago.

The only one in control of changing that is me, so what better time to start focusing on what the best part of my days are than now?

I decided to start on October 4th, so it's not quite a full month of gratitude tracking.  I'll take it - because I know it'll do nothing but help me fixate on all I have to be thankful for and I can pull myself out of this emotional stall I've been wallowing in for a few weeks. Gratitude reminders = healthier outlook. 

October 4th
My best today had to be breakfast.  We had some leftovers from dinner a few nights ago that transformed spectacularly into an egg scramble.  Ready for this deliciousness?  Roasted butternut squash and zucchini with onion, spicy sausage, and croutons combined with an egg for an out of this world harvest-y scramble.  So.  Good.

October 5th
Sitting in the sunshine on the patio in the backyard having a long, reassuring chat on the phone with one of my oldest friends.

October 6th
Watching the hubby run around the backyard playing with Cheety.  That dog is the absolute doofy best.  The hubby's not too shabby either.

This picture is just screaming to be captioned

October 7th
Grabbing a beer with the hubby & the boy at The Shack
Listening to "I miss the 90's" on Apple Music & having a Bell Biv Devoe dance party in the kitchen.  Yes, I was alone.  Yes, it was Poison.  Never trust a big butt and a smile.

October 8th
Taking a road trip to Petaluma and gawking at the sweeping, beautiful vineyards of Napa Valley on our way. Gotta take a trip there soon!

October 9th
Taking a long walk down to a park near our neighborhood with the hubby and Cheety, hanging out under the trees in the shade, and then grabbing a beer at The Shack on the way home.

October 10th
We both had a serious wilderness deficit going on, so we took another road trip outta town about an hour northeast of Sacramento & had a great day hiking around Jenkinson Lake in Placerville.  Beautiful day, excellent hiking, and a tired Pugbull.  Perfect.



October 11th
Another breakfast best.  I'm late to the overnight oats party, but I've found a recipe for peanut butter overnight oats that I'm fully in love with.  So tasty!

October 12th
Cooking up a big pot of meatballs for dinner.  Bring on comfort food season!

October 13th
Appreciating the first real rain storm since we moved here.  Three and a half months without a drop.  It's a long way from what used to be a day to day occurrence in Kodiak!  It was welcome and cozy as I snuggled on the coach with tea, pumpkin pie homemade by the hubby, and a bad 80's movie remake on TV.


October 14th
Curling up with the book I'm reading at the moment, Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. 

October 15th
Sleeping in without having to get up and walk the pup in the morning!

October 16th
Waking up to another rain storm tapping at the bedroom windows.  Can't beat a rainy Sunday morning where I can snuggle up with Cheety.  In case you're wondering, the hubby gets up God-awful early, every frickin' day.  I'm a night owl, he's more of an early to bed, early to rise kinda guy.

October 17th
A hot cup of peppermint tea before bed. A touch of honey, a touch of milk & it's perfection.

October 18th
Sitting on the front porch in the sunshine with the pup and the hubby, chatting & having a few Kölsch-style beers from one of our favorite breweries, while chili simmered on the stove for dinner.


October 19th
Going to pick up the hubby's surprise birthday pie at a 50's style dessert diner in midtown.  The place was authentic, and exactly what you'd imagine it to look like:  bright & shiny, with checkered floors and red vinyl booths galore.  Adorable! (it was a buttermilk pie, by the way)

October 20th
Celebrating the hubby's 45th birthday at 2nd row seats to a Jimmy Buffett concert at the new arena that was just built downtown. My favorite part was when Jimmy first walked out on stage - he immediately flipped off both of his flip flops and started rocking out.  What a fun show!


October 21st
Walking down to a phenomenal local breakfast joint called Bacon & Butter with the hubby for a terrific ham hock omelette.

October 22nd
Taking a road trip out to Truckee and Lake Tahoe, hiking around Donner Lake, and checking out Fifty Fifty Brewing Company for lunch and a few beers with the hubby & Pugbull.  But the true best part?  Spotting a Steller's Jay in the trees on our hike and correctly identifying it.  Even though it's a pretty easy bird to identify, I was elated to see it and to know what it was! I believe it was an uber-nerdy, "Is that a Steller's Jay?  YES!  Yes it is!!" moment.

Photo credit: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com via Wikimedia Commons

October 23rd
Sitting on the couch in the evening in pj's, with a hot cup of peppermint tea to finally relax after a busy day.

October 24th
My morning walk with Cheety.  I love being able to start the day with a quiet, leisurely walk through our neighborhood.

October 25th
Talking on the phone with one of my sisters and hearing some excellent, happy news from her.

October 26th
Discovering and applying for a position at one of the local colleges that's been a long term goal of mine for years.  Super happy that it was available to pursue, and I guess we'll see if it pans out!

October 27th
An afternoon nap with Cheety while it was gray and drizzly outside.  I've never had a dog that snuggles as much as he does.  We're talking expert-level snuggling here!  I can't complain.

The snuggle King
October 28th
Whipping up some shrimp scampi for dinner - the hubby was out doing Coast Guard things, so I didn't have to hold back on the garlic.  I kept the vampires at bay this night!

October 29th
Starting the second book in the Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber.  I'm all in with this series. 

October 30th
The hubby makes pizza from scratch every Sunday - it was extra good this week.

October 31st 
Sitting on the porch with the hubby with a glass of wine, listening to The Grateful Dead, doling out Halloween candy to trick or treaters. (plus indulging in more than a few pieces for myself.  I'm a sucker for Snickers and Twix bars)

So, there ya have it.  Once again, after reading through my list in its entirety, I can't help but feel gratitude.  And it really is from simple things like hot tea and dog walks.

Once you decide to be more aware of the moments that make you thankful, it's a little harder to wallow in whatever it is that's bringing you down.

At least, that's how it goes for me.  Hey - give it a try for a month, or even just a week.  I bet you'll come out the other side feeling more positive.

Ta-ta for now.