five things

 As usual, it's a busy week around here and with Halloween thrown in to boot. It's no secret that I'm not a very big fan of this particular holiday, but I hand out candy with the best of them while my amazing husband takes one for the team and does the trick-or-treating. Tommy is off on his own with friends at this point so this year it's Will and Annabel going as Beauty and the Beast. Since she couldn't find a mask for him to wear, he'll be wearing his costume along with a Chewbacca mask. Ha!

So since things are a little bit crazy this week for me and lots of you out there, here are five things that are helping me relax and enjoy the busy.

Byta

I'm sure by now you've heard about the ban some states are putting on single-use plastic straws and utensils. My family doesn't use either of those things all that often but one thing we do go through are plastic cups and bottles. Seems like everywhere we go someone is thirsty, and although I try to always remember to pack water bottles and snacks, there are times when I forget or Tommy or Will want a soda instead, and we end up buying a drink in a plastic bottle. I recently decided to try and limit my use of plastic bottles and to help myself out, I bought a Byta cup. It keeps my morning coffee hot for literally hours (I took it to church one morning and didn't touch it for over an hour and it was still steaming hot), doesn't taste or smell like coffee after I wash it out and refill it with water over and over during my work day, and is the perfect size to hold a green smoothie from Ginger Juice on the way home (no plastic straw or utensils needed!). Not to mention the pretty pink color! Will has a blue one, and I'm thinking of getting the kids each one for Christmas.

Pomegranates

Do you like pomegranates? I love pomegranate juice but haven't always been fond of just crunching down on the hard seeds that always seem to give the tiniest bit of juice and leave behind that hard stalk that's impossible to chew.....that is, until I bought a perfectly ripe and in-season one just last week. The seeds were easy to remove, easy to chew, and super sweet. We had a few extra kids staying with us for a few days last week and I introduced the boys to their first pomegranate. They went crazy over it - ripping out all the seeds and shoving them into their mouths as fast as they could. A quick Google search tells me that to pick a ripe pomegranate, color is everything. The darker the red, the riper the fruit. I'll be taking a more careful look at my choice from the grocery store from now on to ensure I get a good one. Since they're in season from now until February, I'm planning to eat plenty since they offer an impressive amount of nutrients including fiber, protein, Vitamins C and K, folate and potassium.

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Superfood Salad (and my new go-to cookbook)

If you've been following this here blog for awhile, you may remember me writing about finding out that I have Crohn's Disease back in 2015 (old posts here and here). I feel very fortunate to not have to take any medicine, instead choosing to follow a pretty strict diet. When I stick to it, I feel great. But if I get really stressed or if I start making exceptions in my food choices, I can always feel it. In need of some new meal inspiration, I recently took to the internets and found Dr. Steven Gundry's book "The Plant Paradox" and it's accompanying cookbook. Although I'm not sure about all of his claims, he has written some really great recipes that I've enjoyed using to spice up my weekly menus. One that I love is the "Superfood Salad." I've added a few ingredients to mine and thought I'd share my recipe here."

Ingredients: spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli slaw blend, shredded carrots, shredded red beets, shredded radishes, pomegranate seeds, artichoke hearts, avocado, and a hard boiled egg. Mix everything in a bowl and shake a little salt, pepper, avocado oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. So good. I took it to work a couple days last week and it was so good to have something healthy and delicious to look forward to eating for lunch.

Flavia De Luce 

Have you ever heard of the book "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie?" It's a mystery starring eleven-year-old Flavia De Luce, an accomplished chemist, tortured little sister and solver of mysteries. I first heard of her at my book club when we were discussing great books we had read and offering suggestions to the group. One of the women offered up this one and said, "It's a great book either way, but if you can, listen to the audio book. The woman who reads it really adds to the experience." And she was so right! The audio reader does the most amazing job and makes the book really come alive. I listened to the first one last spring as I was driving all over creation and am now almost done with the second. If you spend a lot of time in the car or need something fun to listen to while you're going through your cleaning or workout routine, give Flavia a try. You'll never believe the things she gets herself into! There are nine books in all so you'll have plenty of entertainment.

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Coconut Mocha

I don't know about you, but now that the weather has turned consistently chilly, I will pretty much be cold from now until April. This coconut mocha, another recipe based off of one from The Plant Paradox Cookbook that I mentioned above, is helping to keep me warm on these cold mornings at the bus stop and evenings at the soccer field. To make one for yourself, mix 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 cup of coffee, a dash of vanilla, a couple shakes of cinnamon, and maple syrup to taste in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Melt in 1.5 TBSP of dark chocolate (72% cocoa or higher) and pour into your favorite mug or Byta. Drink slowly, enjoying the warmth.

Hope your week is off to a great start! If you try one of the recipes or check out that book, let me know how you like them. Happy Halloween!