Hello September

It?s official.. September is upon us. Fall is almost here. So WHAT is with the hot temperatures?! At least around here. Bring on the fall weather?

As I said in my last post, September is a new start for me. Right now, it feels like my life is not where I want it to be? I?m not WHO I want to be at this point. I?ve somehow lost something along the way this summer. The gorgeous Gracie put up the following quote earlier today on facebook..

?"There are moments that mark your life, moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same. And time is divided into two parts, before this and after this."

This quote really struck a chord with me. For me, this summer is that moment. Good or bad, I?m not who I was back at the beginning of May. May is when it began.. the summer that changed me. Because it has. I can?t go into details about some things on the blog but? certain things that have happened, have changed me. Some for the better, some for the not so better. All I can do is go from here? take the good and carry it with me and learn from the bad and put it in the past. The important thing is I?m moving on, I?m moving forward? I?m not looking back. I?m not going to live in the past.. because the past is the past. To get my drive back, my fire for life, I have to move on and figure out what makes me happy, what makes me tick. So this is what I?m going to do. And to help me do so, I plan to:

Try at least one new recipe a week

I used to have this fire for cooking and that?s one of the things that I have lost. Yes, I still love cooking? but it doesn?t excite me like it used to. Why? I?m not sure. So, I?m going to try to branch out and experiment a bit more.

Remember things that I do have, things that I am thankful for

Remember back when I wrote down 3 things that I was thankful for each day? As simple as it may be, it helped me to see the things that I DO have, rather than focus on the things I DON?T have.. especially when my life isn?t going? ideally. So I?m bringing it back.

Work on my relationship with my Lord

Another thing that I have lost? When my focus is off of Him, things seem to fall apart in my life. Likewise, when I stop asking Him for directions and instead follow my own desires. My relationship with Him has declined this summer? this has the been the worst summer of my life? coincidence? Probably not.

Listen to my body

This goes for exercising, eating, sleeping, etc. Yes, my diet is healthy overall. BUT lately, I?ve been eating more junk and fast food and less veggies, drinking more alcohol, exercising less, sleeping less,? you get the idea. My body is NOT happy with me right now. I do believe in everything in moderation? so I?m going to try to clean up my act a bit, while still enjoying myself.

Be happy with ME, myself

I need to learn to be a little more independent? less dependent on my others for my own happiness. I have to be enough for myself sometimes.

Improve the blog

I?m not judging this by how many visits I get? I mean more as in improve the content of the blog and use it as a tool to also reach out to others and bring positivity and a good example into the blogging community.

And these are just things that I can put into bullets, put into words? I?ve been thinking about this a lot lately and my mind is still processing everything. Obviously, these are not just things I want to do in September, but lifestyle changes. Some may take time.. but the important thing is that I?m moving towards them, moving in the right direction.

 

Now.. the food <3

I brought back the oat bran for breakfast Wednesday morning

Simply 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/2 cup 1% milk, 1/2 cup water, pinch of salt, cinnamon, 1/2 of a banana

Topped with Barney Butter and Honey Almond Butter and a mixture of raw sugar and cinnamon.

Thursday morning, leftover pancakes.

Pumpkin butter and Barney Butter..

Cream cheese and blueberry preserves? SO good.

And Justin?s Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Justin?s? I love your Chocolate Hazelnut Butter but I think I prefer PB & Co.?s DCD over your Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Buuuut it was still delicious! Chocolate with breakfast? I?m not complaining!

Annnnd lots of blueberries and 1/2 of a banana.

 

Lunch was an Amy?s Veggie Burger

With lots of ketchup and mustard

And a fresh tomato!

Along with this yogurt mess that looks disgusting but was out of this world!!

It had 1/2 of a sweet potato, sprinkle of oats, ground flax, cinnamon, maple agave nectar, and Greek Yogurt.

The BOMB!

 

Dinner was a Quorn Chik?N Patty?

With Barbecue sauce and ketchup.

I?ve been craving barbecue sauce like MAD!!!! I just go with it?

Also, oven fried green tomatoes?

If you haven?t tried them, you must!

And this corn concoction I came up with that was BANGIN!

I simply sauted 2 ears of corn (one white and one yellow) with a bit of butter and olive oil until done. Then, I added goat cheese, cream cheese, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

Oh my days? Seriously, TRY THIS! My mother, who doesn?t even LIKE corn, couldn?t get enough!

 

And today I tried a new pancake mix? Bob?s Red Mill!

And it?s whole grain!

One topped with Barney Butter?

One with peanut butter and blueberry preserves..

And one with plain whipped butter.

All topped with blueberries, 1/2 of a banana, and maple syrup.

Yes, I am on a pancake kick. There are worse things to be addicted to I say?

Lunch was leftover oven fried green tomatoes?

 

And an egg white puff (1/3 cup egg whites microwaved) with ketchup

And yogurt with blueberries and raspberries.

I then went out to eat sushi with my parents, which I didn?t take a picture of. BUT I wish I had! It was probably the best sushi I?ve ever eaten! One had a spicy crab salad inside with barely seared salmon on top? and the other had all sorts of things but included apple? apple, in sushi! It added the PERFECT touch!

I then went to Whole Foods (yeah, I spent my Friday night in Whole Foods? I?m cool) where I found?

Pumpkin Ale!!!!!!!! I?ve waiting to get my hands on this!

And the time has now come to embrace all things pumpkin.

This would be half of a (local) pumpkin whoopie pie and half of a WF chocolate chip cookie.

Best of both worlds

 

Guess what else I found?! A kobocha squash!!!!!!! Guys? I?ve been looking for these things since this time last year. FINALLY. Now? how the heck do I cook it?!

Tagged: agave nectar, Amy's, barney butter, Bob's Red Mill, greek yogurt, justin's, kobocha, oat bran, oven fried green tomatoes, peanut butter, pumpkin ale, pumpkin whoopie pie, quorn, september goals, shipyard brewing company, Whole Foods