Care and Repair + Some Favorite Things

Posted on February 8, 2026

My routines — recipes — thoughts — and feelings have been discombobulated recently. I haven’t really been in the posting mood, but this weekend I took a solo trip to the lake and decided to write and read and plan and think and breathe. So, here I am making good on the promise to myself.

I know this is a food blog, but it has become so much more, really. It is a place for me to put my thoughts — share realizations and truths — and document my life. Food is a big part of that, but it doesn’t take center stage in every post. I imagine you’ll scroll past (if you scroll here at all) if it isn’t what you need to ingest.

And so with all of that in mind, I have decided to make today’s post about a mixture of things I’ve been saving — things that moved me, provided some joy, made me think, or even made me laugh. Perhaps it will do the same for you. I’m grateful you are here.

Personal Milestone:
Friday was a big milestone for me because I celebrated my 4th year of choosing to live alcohol-free. For those of you interested, I used This Naked Mind as a resource.

Fashion:
MidsizeKimberlyAnne inspires me to mix and match patterns these days. Lately, I’ve been living into a garden gnome-like fashion, which has made my heart happy. P.S. She’s launching a new website called SizeCycle so that people can swap clothes and celebrate the size they are today. I love this idea.

Living in this Moment:
I’m always searching for the healers when times are hard and times are sure hard. As if right on time, I found the following to be incredibly inspirational and hopeful and affirming.

How to Imagine a Better Future for Democracy | adrienne maree brown and Baratunde Thurston | TED

Elif Shafak on the Three Roots of Hate and How to Be a Star Student of Life

The Internets
I’m obsessed with Courtney Cooks Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/courtneycookinsta/
Am I being influenced? Yes. Am I eating sweet potatoes with cheese and boiled eggs and fried onions? Yes.
Do I care what anyone thinks about my ability to be influenced in this way? Only a little.

Books:
The Wild Robot: Mae and I are reading this every night and I love it.
Theo of Golden: I am in the middle of this one and I’m hooked.
P.S. I linked you to Thank You Books to purchase these because they are awesome AND they donated % of their sales last week to HICA. Support them, please.

Song:
I heard an interview with Bon Iver and he mentioned that one of his favorite songs was “Long Distance Love” by Little Feat. I looked it up and can’t stop listening to it.

Work stuff:
ReThinking: The keys to a flourishing community with Dan Coyle
Loved the part about awakening vs building community AND courage + curiosity as it is reflected in nature. Hat tip to Hunter for this one…

Connection:
A friend I’ve known for a very long time, but haven’t really seen in person in forever reached out to me at the beginning of the year to meet for lunch. We did that on Friday and it was a reminder that outreach — in human form — makes such a difference (thanks, Michael). We also had THIS fish sandwich at Bayonet. It was delicious. You should have that sandwich with someone you haven’t seen in quite some time. It’s all worth it. I went ahead and linked you to the Resy page…:)

Rest:
This weekend was also a reminder that silence — solitude — time by yourself is not a rejection of the people you love or care for. It’s actually the ultimate care you can give yourself AND others. I did a little of that this weekend and had no idea how much I needed the reset. My nervous system is at full charge these days and getting away to recharge was what I needed. If you are feeling that way, go somewhere by yourself. Doesn’t have to be far. Doesn’t even have to be expensive. Just go somewhere by yourself.

Food:
And finally… for the FOOD on this FOOD BLOG.

First of all, I need to let all of you know that I got to see MY QUEEN INA GARTEN in person last Sunday with my Mom. She gave such great human and business advice and I want her to know that I am jumping in ALL the pools and splashing ALL around. For those of you who were there, you know what I mean. Thank you, Ina, for all the ways you’ve inspired me to dream big and to use food as a foundation for those dreams!

Listen, I make a ton of banana bread/muffins/cakes because I have bananas rotting on my counter 24/7. I saw this recipe for Banana Muffins in the NY Times and I am here to tell you these were my favorite banana muffins I’ve ever made. I added chocolate chips because I’m awesome.

To close this out, here’s something that made me chuckle.

Love y’all,

Categories: Community, Reading Lists, Recipes, Uncategorized, Work

January 28, 2026

Posted on January 29, 2026

It’s really hard for my heart to comprehend that we — a group of people living on a rock that is hurtling through space at 1.3 million miles per hour — would ever choose hate over love. Especially knowing that we are somehow living each day while our planet spins on its axis, orbits the sun, and exists in a galaxy. It’s hard enough to comprehend all of that, isn’t it? We are living in this one moment in time — together — and figuring out life as we go. That’s not an easy task, so maybe that’s why we turn to incredibly simplistic human ways? My heart tends to stay in the big terrestrial-type wondering, which can feel quite heavy at times. My therapist reminded me today how much a simple walk has served me in the past and suggested I try that instead of taking to the bed or reading the comments or overworking or eating a bag of chips…all of which are possible right now. And so I did. I took a walk outside and instead of thinking about how many steps I accomplished or how fast I was going or how many calories I was burning, I decided to just look around. I decided to notice how my neighbors were living their lives. I looked at the tippy top of trees, found a lone basketball that had rolled far past the driveway, saw scooters on porches and signs to remind us to slow down, and much, much more. We express ourselves differently. We believe very different things. And yet…we are still connected in this neighborhood each and every day. On this rock. Hurtling through space together. It’s wild, y’all. I decided to capture some of the things that made me pause or smile or think or wonder or contemplate or listen…which are all very important things. Today, I was seeking to understand — not judging. I needed the dang walk.

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Life, Love, Walking, writing

Minnesota

Posted on January 18, 2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about my trip to Minnesota a couple of years ago. I found incredible people who nicknamed me “Alabama” and encouraged me to explore their home with great abandon! There were ice lanterns, moon dogs, howling wolves, frozen lakes, ice fishing (wow), and an incredibly inspiring weekend of both peacefulness AND resilience. I reckon Minnesotans are used to holding the both/and (e.g. -20 temperatures mixed with the heat that radiates in your feet and hands thanks to warmers). I couldn’t quite grasp the feeling of sweating while cross-country skiing across a frozen lake or the unbelievable feeling of jumping in that very lake after sitting in a 200 degree sauna. I learned so much about myself that weekend and will never forget the way Minnesota’s landscape and its people helped me find the courage, resilience, curiosity, and adventure I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. I guess that’s also why my heart breaks for Minnesota — and all of us — at this moment. Then I found The Marginalian in my inbox this morning and this quote by Bertrand Russell helped me find the words. Will we ever learn that we all belong to each other and to this world? It is, indeed, time to become immense.

“It is a time to become immense.

To become immense means to recall how embedded we are in an animate world — a world that dreams and enchants, a world that excites our imaginations and conjures our affections through its stunning beauty. Everything we need is here. We only need to remember the wider embrace of our belonging to woodlands and prairies, marshlands, and neighborhoods, to the old stories and the tender gestures of a friend. To become immense also includes the radical act of welcoming all of who we are into the story. Nothing excluded. We become large through accepting all aspects of our being — weakness and need, loneliness and sorrow, shame and fear — everything seen as essential to our wholeness, our immensity.” – Bertrand Russell

If you are interested in the entire article (trust me, it is worth reading in full), here is the link: https://www.themarginalian.org/2026/01/13/francis-weller-ordinary/

I love you Alisa.

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Bertrand Russell, Immense, justice, Love, Maria Popova, Minnesota, Resilience, The Marginalian, travel, writing

Meal Prep Inspiration (In other words…I got you)

Posted on September 21, 2025

On most Sundays, I spend the day meal prepping for the week. For me, cooking is a hobby and something that helps me decompress from a really busy week. My family knows this about me and usually leaves me alone so I can churn out recipes. I meal prep on Sundays because it is absolutely impossible for me to cook during the week. I’ve tried — many times — and it just never happens. Food ends up going bad in the refrigerator, which I absolutely can’t stand or we end up cooking a frozen pizza. So, meal prepping for me ensures we will have healthy-ish food for the week AND we use our groceries in a meaningful way. I’m not claiming to be perfect because even when I meal prep, some of the leftovers end up in the trash, but less often than if I don’t plan at all.

Meal prep usually consists of: a few breakfast options (yes, we eat breakfast every morning which I know is a feat unto itself and wouldn’t happen without the Sunday meal prep plan) and a few dinner options. Lunches are usually leftovers and/or salads, etc.

This week’s breakfast options have one thing in common: Overripe bananas. I got home from a quick trip and found 5 bananas rotting away on the counter. I used these gems as a the foundation for the week. I started with The Salty Marshmallow’s Best Banana Bread Recipe and plan to toast them in the oven with a little butter for weekday mornings. I also made All Recipes Banana Breakfast Cookies for the week (p.s. I left out the raisins because I’m a raisin-hater). While I was in the kitchen, I decided to make some of Sugar Spun Run’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes, which were super good. We had enough left over for the week! My 10-year-old loves oatmeal and I found the PERFECT Instant Pot recipe thanks to Minimalist Baker (thank you, thank you, thank you). I double the recipe so she can have oatmeal each morning. I also bake two sheet pans of bacon so that we can easily heat it up for the week. All of these recipes took a little over an hour and breakfast is ready for the entire week.

As for dinners, I try to make as many recipes in advance so we are simply heating them up during the week. I’m going to include some dinners I made last week because they were incredibly easy and so very good.

First up, Supper with Michelle’s Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Ravioli (I used Costco’s tortellini). This was so easy, but definitely not low-calorie. I made a huge, simple salad to serve with it. The Costco tortellini is a pack of 2 servings, so I tossed the second pack of tortellini in the pesto sauce to make another meal later in the week!

Next up, Anna Chwistek’s Pierogi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce on ServingDumplings.com. I used the smaller pierogies you can find in your freezer section. Again, super easy the kids loved it. I should have served it with steamed green beans or broccoli, but interestingly enough a bowl of this recipe filled the family up!

This week, I made Smitten Kitchen’s Baked Chicken Meatballs with jasmine rice and steamed green beans (all made in advance). Not the prettiest photo, but I also made a quick gravy for the meatballs (this was my brilliant idea because I needed something for the rice).

You can’t beat an easy sheet-pan dinner with roasted potatoes, smoked sausage, and broccoli. Just throw it all on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and any spices you love (garlic and onion powder for me) and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees (or until done). Serve with some buttered, toasted bread.

Not pictured: I’m also planning to stir-fryTrader Joe’s Carne Asada with peppers and onions for homemade fajitas! I’ll add lime wedges, avocado, and some black beans as a side.

Yes, it takes 3.5 or so hours of my Sunday, but it saves so much time and guilt and stress during the week. I feel like all of that weighs out and forces me to be more disciplined (which I continue to work on). I know meal prep isn’t for everyone, but I think given the pressures we are under from work, school, family, and so much more — I hope it is more of an inspiration than a burden.

All of this to say… we are all doing the best we can and that counts too! If frozen pizzas are the answer one night, let that be the answer. The same love and energy will be there as you tear that box open and slide it in the oven. We are all finding our way together and I support whatever meal planning you decide to do this week. xo

Categories: Family, Instant Pot, meal prep, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged: Food, Health, meal prep, Recipe, recipes

Early Summer Recipes 2025

Posted on June 9, 2025

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking to myself how odd it felt to actually ease into Summer. It kind of felt that way weather-wise and I had high hopes that the first week of Summer break would be a slow entry. It kind of was until Thursday and then we hit the mid-90s and was slapped in the face with air that felt like a wet, hot blanket. Ah, there you are Summer. Might as well lean completely into it, right? I found some really delicious recipes that are the ying to the humidity’s yang if you know what I mean. Let’s go!

Barefoot Contessa’s Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits (without the Cheddar)

I love this recipe. It’s pretty much the only biscuit recipe I make. I usually omit the cheddar because I like it plain. I added a little Jones Valley Teaching Farm honey this time. Whew.

Egg Frittata Bites

I kind of made this up as I went. I mixed 6 eggs, 1 cup of egg whites, and salt and pepper. I sprayed a 12-cup muffin tin with avocado oil. To each tin, I added a few diced peppers, feta cheese, chopped shallots, and fresh spinach. Then I poured the egg mixture in each tin over the veggies and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (or so). Every single time I make these, they stick to the pan. One day, I will figure out how to make these without all the sticking! Nonetheless, they were delicious and I plan to eat them throughout the week.

Smitten Kitchen’s My Favorite Lentil Salad

Well, I had no idea lentils could be salsa. Folks, I am here to tell you that this is worth making. Even the kiddos liked it. It’s fresh, delicious, and good for a snack or a full meal. Don’t wait on this one.

Caroline Chambers Creamy Corn Pasta

Hey-Yo. Corn + Pasta + Summer? Count me in. No protein counts on this one because … well, whoopsie daisy! I decided to use cheese tortellini because… well, why not more cheese? I promise I’ll only eat this once this week because…well, glucose levels. Quick note: the kids felt like the sauce was a little too sweet, so they were not huge fans. I have to agree with them, but I enjoyed it. Next time, I’ll add more lemon, use pecorino cheese, and add more pasta water to the blender to thin it it out a bit more.

Alexandra’s Kitchen’s Easy Lemon Blueberry Crisp

I blame this choice on the fact I had some strawberries going bad in the fridge. Plus, it’s Summer. Plus, we only live once. I can attest that this is one of the best crisps I’ve ever made. Like, evah evah. I doubled the recipe and made it with strawberries and blueberries. I even doubled the crisp portion. I have no words for how good this is.

More recipes loading for later in the week…

Categories: meal prep, Recipes, Uncategorized

Hope

Posted on June 8, 2025

I’ve been writing a lot about hope, joy, and wonder because of my work at Jones Valley Teaching Farm. Perhaps those words are harder to hear right now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use them. When I write them down for social media posts or staff meetings, I almost feel embarrassed. Will people think I’m putting my head in the sand not realizing all that we are facing? Will people think I’m glossing over or even worse ignoring the challenges facing our world?

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a new series on “On Being” by my long-time favorite, Krista Tippett. Its title? The Hope Portal. Just as she often does, she gave words and meaning to the very things I’ve been struggling to say out loud. Or, maybe I’ve been too afraid to say out loud. What kind of world are we living in if we can’t ponder the truth and necessity of hope? What kind of complicity am I upholding by agreeing to be silenced?

I’d argue that there’s space for all of us — the deeply cynical, the seekers, the doubters, the dreamers, and the hopeful! Krista says about hope: “I’m talking about hope as an orientation really more than a virtue, a way of seeing and moving through the world. And it is a choice. In the face of profound, reasonable despair, it is a calling, it is a practice, a muscle. And, like any muscle, it can be flexed and strengthened.”

Having hope doesn’t mean that we ignore the world as it is. In fact, I’d argue that choosing hope is an act of resistance. Krista reminded us of Representative John Lewis’s incredible offering: “I discovered that you have to have this sense of faith that what you’re moving toward is already done.” She interprets that to mean, “The way he talked about how he lived in and through and beyond a world that he had a hand in utterly changing was “to live as if.” He said, You imagine the world you want to inhabit, you imagine the beloved community that you want to create and be part of, and you live as if that is the reality. And you just have to walk into making it more visible and more true for everyone else.”

The work we do at Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, Alabama requires a lot of hope on multiple levels: that the actual seeds we plant will take root and grow, the weather cooperates long enough for a bountiful harvest, and that the hard work we do cultivating our soil will sustain the challenges that are bound to come our way. Then there’s the hope that the skills learned through the powerful act of growing, cooking, and sharing food will change the way we value each other, our land, and our communities. We hope that the impact we make on young people during field trips, camps, and classes will spark their own hope, wonder, and joy and inspire them to move to action. All of this is wrapped up in hope, but I’d also argue a deep belief that all of this will come true just like the ‘beloved community’ Representative John Lewis talked about.

Krista also offers, “That nothing new has ever entered this world without someone or someones who first imagined a possibility others couldn’t yet see or believe in, and then brought realities into being that most of us can later not imagine the world without. Again, this is a truth that has small manifestations and vast manifestations, individual and communal. And this is a young century in which we have a world to remake, all of our disciplines, all of our communities. And it is in this context that I see a revitalized, chosen, practiced, applied hope — individual and communal — as urgent and necessary towards that possibility of a different world.”

Now is not the time to erase “hope” from our vocabulary. In fact, I’d argue we move away from the ‘wishing’ and focus on the ‘believing.’ I think about all of the communities before us that used hope as an anchor — a tool — a direct action. I believe we are facing our own moment — and opportunity — to face fear with hope. The kind of hope that doesn’t allow others to define it. The kind of hope that has courage wrapped all around it. The kind of hope that refuses to accept what is and offers what the world can and should be.

If you want to follow along with The Hope Portal, here is the link: https://onbeing.org/programs/krista-tippett-hope-portal-episode-1/

-A

Categories: Community, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Uncategorized

Tagged: belief, beloved community, Growing, Hope, John Lewis, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Joy, Krista Tippett, On Being, The Hope Portal, wonder

Tried and True: Taco, Rice, and Spinach Bowl

Posted on May 19, 2025

When I was on Optavia way back when, I found a dinner that worked for me and I ate it almost every single night. Now, some of that was because I was following a certain formula (and it worked), but it was also super easy to batch cook and made my life easier. I’m not on Optavia anymore, but I still crave that dinner and decided to make it this week!

Ingredients are as follows:
Lean Ground Turkey (I use 90+%) cooked with Taco Seasonings (watch the salt)
Cauliflower Rice (in a bag or on the stove)
Spinach (lots of it)
Bitchin’ Sauce (my fave)
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

I tend to cook the meat and rice on Sunday so I can just dish it up during the week. And yes, I weigh each portion. Each bowl (for me) contains: 4.5 ounces of turkey meat, 100g of cauliflower rice, 2 or 3 cups of raw spinach, 2 tablespoons of Bitchin’ Sauce, and a sprinkle of Everything but the Bagel seasoning. This one dish is 352 calories with 26g of protein, 15g carbs, and 23g of fat.

Here’s the cool part: You can add more meat or cottage cheese for more protein or you can add more veggies if you need more fiber or carbs. So many options! It always leaves me satisfied and I hope it does the same for you!

Not the best photo below, but I wanted you to see how much you get!

Categories: Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged: DInner, Easy, healthy, protein, recipes

Linguine with Walnuts & Arugula

Posted on May 12, 2025

When I worked at Health Magazine (which honestly feels like a lifetime ago), we featured the following Linguine with Walnuts & Arugula from the Quick Simple Food cookbook written by our then food editor Susie Quick. I’ve held onto it for over 15 years now and it still holds up. I substituted the linguine with Barilla’s Protein+ Angel Hair Spaghetti, used vacuum sealed sun-dried tomato halves instead of the ones in oil, and reduced the walnuts by half. I wish I would have added some lemon zest to the final product!

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup marinated sun-dried tomato halves in olive oil (drained and chopped)
 1 tablespoon olive oil 
6 garlic cloves thinly sliced  (I also used some garlic scapes from Jones Valley Teaching Farm)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
 12 cups loosely packed arugula (or two 9oz packages) 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon 
1 lb Linguine
 salt and pepper 
1/3 cup Parmesan/Pecorino cheese
 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts  

Place tomatoes in a small bowl with 1/2 cup boiling water. Set aside.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Drain tomatoes and add to skillet along with arugula and lemon juice and toss to coat. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of hot pasta water. Drain pasta and add to to skillet with arugula mixture, salt and pepper to taste, and Parmesan cheese. Toss with just enough of pasta water to make it creamy. Top with walnuts and additional Parmesan.

Categories: Family, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Recipes

Tagged: arugula, DInner, linguine, Lunch, Pasta, Recipe, walnuts

Beautiful and Terrible Things

Posted on May 10, 2025

This week has been joyful, affirming, sad, maddening, frustrating, rewarding, and very, very full. It reminded me of my favorite quote by Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid.”

If you know me, I say this often and try to remind myself of it as much as possible because it is so true. Just this week I had a beloved friend and neighbor pass away and an elimination of a work partnership with no notice that ultimately impacts 5 schools and thousands of children we work with at Jones Valley Teaching Farm. In the same week, we held incredible joy — engaging with national and local leadership initiatives, interacting with students attending field trips and camps, witnessing veggies bursting from the earth, tasting fresh mulberries off the vine, conducting bee workshops, inhaling the excitement of our Seniors who are eager to get that diploma, greeting volunteers, seeing our colleagues get awards they deserve, and observing an incredible staff continuing to step up wherever they are needed. All of it can take my breath away.

It’s hard to stay in a place of neutrality when you feel like the changes that are being made are meant to cut you at your knees. It’s also hard to stay in a place of neutrality when the road that got us here has been full of missteps, judgement, and disappointment from every side. And so that’s where the quote comes in and where I have had to dive deep to see where the learning, growth, and healing can happen even when it all seems so very hard. And then there’s the part about the role we’ve all played in every bit of it — and I think that might be where the reflection might be hardest for all of us.

The work I have the absolute honor to do every single day has taught me more about myself and the world around me than I ever dreamed possible. I am trying to stay in that mindset as I look to the future of our work. I am a better person because of the diversity of thought, lived experiences, and beliefs this organization continues to uphold and celebrate. Because of that, I am learning from so many different people from every part of our community. I love that our teaching farms create a place of belonging for so many and I know in my heart that despite the occasional fear, questioning, and uncertainty — caring for our soil and land, growing and cooking our own food, and sharing all of it with our neighbors will absolutely carry us through.

We often say food is the foundation — for survival, for culture, for engagement, for connection, for education, and for creating the kind of leaders we need in this world. Yes, beautiful and terrible things will happen, but we must keep building a world that supports young people’s hopes and dreams no matter what. There’s so much work to do and I intend to pick myself back up and get to it.

Categories: Community, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Uncategorized, Work

Tagged: Life, Love, writing

Meal Prep: Practicing Patience and Showing Courage

Posted on May 7, 2025

It is meal prep time and I have some new recipes I’m trying this week. As y’all know, I’ve been on a high protein kick lately and that hasn’t really changed, but I am trying to add more fiber, omega-3’s, and slow down on some of the animal protein. I hope some of these recipes inspire you this week!

First up, breakfast. Who wants some Vegan Gluten-Free Oat Flour Waffles? Absolutely nobody! But for those of us counting macros or avoiding allergies, our hands are held high. I have had many fails in the flour-less, vegan, flax-induced, oat-based breakfast combos. Whew. And they were doozies, trust me, but Making Thyme for Health’s recipe was anything BUT a doozy. It was actually delicious. My only tip is to go ahead and fill that waffle maker up (more like 1/2 cup than 1/4 cup) when you are cooking yours. I topped mine with PB2 and a little syrup. According to my Cronometer app, one serving has 295 calories, 9g protein, 42g carbs, and 11g of fat. I’ll add some blueberries and a side of scrambled eggs/egg whites during the week to increase protein!

I even had a waffle for lunch and topped it with 1/4 cup of Wyman’s frozen blueberries and PB2 and served it with some yogurt and 1/4 of frozen blueberries: 465 calories, 26g protein, 59 carbs, and 15g of fat.

Alright, who wants Lentil Tacos??? Absolutely nobody! But, for those of us who are trying new protein options and upping our fiber counts, I guess we do? My plan is to serve this over roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes (a new favorite of mine) and/or add them to corn tortillas. One serving (without the tortillas) provides 11.3 g of fiber with 210 calories, 15 g protein, 27g carbs, and 5g of fat.

Now for those of you asking if my family will join me in my lentil adventure this week, the answer is an emphatic NO. My kids are used to lentils because Chef Ama serves them at Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s summer camps, but I’m no Chef Ama so I’m playing it safe. To make these dishes work for both of us, I made Skinnytaste’s Easiest Salsa Verde Chicken while my lentils were cooking!

Now let’s focus on what we are all eating together: Frito Pie (yes, F-r-i-t-o-s)

Alright, who wants some Frito Pie? I’m assuming most people! I found this recipe on Spend with Pennies website and without the Fritos (don’t freak out yet because I promise I’m adding them in) and with 2% cheese, this recipe comes in at 377 calories, 29g protein, 32 g carbs, and 16g fat. I plan to add plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to increase my protein count and crumble 5 (count them, F-I-V-E) Frito scoops on top, which adds 80 calories, 1g protein, 8g carbs, and 5g of fat (oooooof).

Who is ready for dessert? Errybody! This week, I made Alexandra’s Kitchen’s Salted Oatmeal Cookies that she found in The Washington Post. I figured we could have these cookies for dessert OR for breakfast. Though I had hoped to feature this recipe without its caloric contents, I decided to calculate them because well… it all adds up, doesn’t it? Each cookie has 226 calories, so do what you need to do to make these a reality in your life. I will also add that I got halfway through the recipe and realized my girl Alexandra measures/weighs her amounts AND asked us to let them chill for 24 hours. Your girl, Amanda, did not measure/weigh anything but did decide to let the dough chill for 24 hours despite my original exasperated sigh when I read that part (I’m only human after all).

And now for this week’s inspiration:

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Food, Health, nutrition