Author: jennced15

Back to “Normal Food”

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It feels like it has been FOREVER since I have eaten what I would consider a “normal” meal. I have had family from out-of-town, the holidays, parties, and long nights at the office that turned my regular eating habits upside down.

Now I am trying to ease myself back into the habit of cooking meals at home and preparing food for the work week. Here are 5 recipes that I am going to try in the next couple of weeks.

  1. Skinny Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Not Enough Cinnamon 
  2. Salsa Fresca Chicken from Easy Family Recipes 
  3. High-Protein Avocado Chicken Salad from Beauty Bites 
  4. Farro Bowls with Figs, Kale & French Goat Cheese from Feasting at Home 
  5. Greek Power Bowls from Delish

There’s No Place Like the New Year

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So funny thing happened this week . . .I found myself in a new year. That’s right . . .a new year–2019 to be exact. Did you find yourself in this new year as well? If so, then you and I have a lot to talk about. I know everyone is thinking the same thing–time for new year resolutions. There is nothing like a new jumping off point that gets the resolution juices turning but, I ask you to consider what kind of a resolution you really want to make.

Is the resolution you are about to make because you feel compelled to make it or because you want to make it? Does the thought of the new adventure bring you joy or disdain? I don’t know about you but anything that is forced on me gets an automatic veto (even if it isn’t right away). I don’t want to be forced; I want to choose my own adventure.

So I am setting happiness goals again this year. I will be setting 19 of them for 2019. I did this last year and I accomplished 13 of the 18 I set. I need to reevaluate the remaining 5 and see what stopped me from accomplishing them and see if they should be on my list for this year.

In the meantime . . .I decided that I needed a color this year and something to really motivate me to make this year the best yet and I found it in the form of a pair of shoes . . .red shoes. I love them! They make me smile and I actually like wearing them . . .all day! As I was wearing them all I could think of was Dorothy and her red slippers that transported her back home after becoming lost. Those shoes held the courage for Dorothy to set out on a new adventure, make new friends, and discover herself in the process all the while trying to find her way back to those that she loved.

Sometimes it is a simple object that helps us take the courage needed to make the next leap of faith. I am counting on my shoes to be just that. What is your motivator to try something new? What is it that encourages you to be brave?

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Dreams Unrealized

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Please don’t think this is a “let down” post or post about “lost love”. This is actually a post about the things that don’t go right in our lives and how that is okay. Think about your year and see what didn’t go right and if in the midst of the heartache if anything good came from it. Enjoy the songs as well.

Christmas Blessings

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You might wonder why this post is on the travel week but . . .this year I have felt blessed beyond measure on my own life’s journey. It has been a year full of ups and downs. I have cried many tears but I have smiled to the depth of my soul. In this year of so many changes and growth beyond compare; I decided that I needed to share my gratitude for those blessings with those that might not be able to see the goodness still in the world. I resolved this year to relieve some of the suffering that I have seen in those around me by creating homeless kits. I know that my effort was the tiniest drop in the bucket but . . .the love that I have felt while working on the project and the culmination of that love while delivering the kits this week will probably never be matched.

I found a location in downtown Portland that could use the kits and set to creating them with a few of my friends and family. We were blessed along the way with others that wanted to help and had donations given to us of items we were seeking. In all we had 52 kits created. I will never know the reason why some of these people who received a kit are in the situation that they are in but I hope, in some small way, the kit reminded them that they are loved.

Our kits were filled with toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, gum, protein bar, hard candy,  crackers, nuts, water, small pkg of wipes, Kleenex, Chapstick, soap, band-aids, socks, Advil, hand warmers, and poncho or emergency blanket.

As we were delivering we heard people exclaim how excited they were for the socks and the gum. I know it was Christmas early for some of these people and I feel so grateful to have been apart of that Christmas exchange.

One thing I have learned over the years . . .you will never know the impact you have on the life of another. My heart is forever changed and buoyed up with love from this.

As a thank you to those that came with us last night–there was a small little celebration at Ruby Jewel afterwards. Enjoy the few pictures from our small event.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!